Pain Bianco – filled 3 ways

Mmm…Soft, fluffy bread, filled with cheese and herbs….. hungry yet? You should be, because this months bread is mouth-watering. I just love making filled breads and this choice didn’t let down. Our host (for us Buddies) this month was Natashya, of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies (besides her cooking, you should check out her book reviews) and she chose the winning recipe from the first-ever National Festival of Breads, called Pain Bianco, a white bread filled with fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic  powder, and shredded cheese. I , of course, did not have these on hand so I improvised with what I could find in the fridge.  This recipe makes 2 large loaves of bread so I made 1 large loaf and 2 smaller ones. First up was the large loaf filled with maple mustard, Gruyère cheese, roasted garlic and minced parsley. Holy crow- break out the white wine, because this was fiercely good! For the smaller loaves I made one with farmer cheese, roasted garlic (I had a whole head to use up) and fresh rosemary, and for the other one I used pesto and asagio cheese. I had my friend Lesley over and we tried a slice from each one. Twice.  This was so easy to put together as well. The first rise is only about 45 minutes and the second is about the same. I love that the filling possibilities are as endless as your imagination. The really beautiful part of this is the presentation. The dough is filled and rolled up, jelly-roll style, and then cut down the middle (not all the way though) so part of the filling shows through. Natashya suggests using kitchen shears to do the cutting but I find it easier just to use my serrated bread. You do what makes you feel confident, but seriously, try a go at making this bread. You are your friends will be happy you did. Bake On!

p.s.- I am posting the original recipe but if you are like me, make something up that makes you happy

Tomato, Basil, & Garlic Filled Pane Bianco

King Arthur Flour website

1/2 cup (4 oz/ 113 g)warm water
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz/50 g) sugar (I only added 2 teaspoons)
4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup warm (8 oz/ 227 g)low-fat milk
1/3 cup (2 3/8oz /67 g) extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups (25 1/2 oz/723 g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour (I used all-purpose flour and also added 1/4 cup ground flax meal)
1 (8 1/2-ounce/241 g) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 1/2 cups (6 oz/ 170 g) shredded Italian blend cheese, divided
2/3 cup (1/2 oz/ 14 g) chopped fresh basil

1) Combine the water, sugar, yeast, milk, olive oil, eggs, salt, and  flour, and mix and knead by hand, stand mixer, or bread machine until  you’ve made a cohesive, soft dough. If you’re kneading in a stand mixer, it should take 5 to 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should  barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the  bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball.  Place the dough in a greased bowl, and turn to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 45 minutes

2)  Meanwhile, thoroughly drain the sun-dried tomatoes; lay them on a paper  towel to absorb any excess oil. Using kitchen shears, finely chop the  tomatoes.

3) Line two baking sheets with parchment. Gently  deflate the dough and divide it in half. Roll one piece into a 22″ x 8  1/2″ rectangle. Sprinkle on half the garlic, cheese, basil, and  tomatoes.

4) Starting with one long edge, roll the dough into a log the long way. Pinch the edges to seal.

5) Place the log seam-side down on a baking sheet. Using kitchen shears,  start 1/2″ from one end and cut the log lengthwise down the center about 1″ deep, to within 1/2″ of the other end.

6) Keeping the cut  side up, form an “S” shape. Tuck both ends under the center of the “S”  to form a “figure 8″; pinch the ends together to seal. Cover and let  rise in a warm place until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Repeat with the  remaining dough.

7) While the loaves are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.

8) Bake the first loaf for 35 to 40 minutes. Tent the loaf with foil after 15 to 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. Bake the remaining loaf.

9) Remove loaves from their pans; cook on racks. Store any leftovers well-wrapped, at room temperature.

You are going to love this!!!

You must visit the real bread baking babes to see their amazing work!!!!

The Bread Baking Babes

•Bake My Day - Karen

•Bitchin’ Bread Baking Babe Bibliothécaire - Katie

•blog from OUR kitchen – Elizabeth

•Feeding my enthusiasms - Pat

•girlichef – Heather

•Life’s A Feast – Jamie

•Living in the Kitchen with Puppies - Natashya

•Lucullian Delights - Ilva

•My Kitchen In Half Cups - Tanna

•Notitie Van Lien - Lien

•Paulchens Foodblog - Astrid

•Provecho Peru - Gretchen

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Gateau a la creme (brioche with Meyer lemon cream filling)

So I’m looking through a baking book the other day trying to find inspiration that will satisfy my need to bake something. I came across Lemon Brioche Doughnuts and thought “Perfect!”, but then suddenly remembered that I hadn’t checked yet  to see what was up for March from  the  Bread Baking Babes. Well. after finding out that  Lien was the host I was more than thrilled to see that she chose “Gateau a la creme” which is yummy brioche with a lemon custard filling. Talk about perfect timing. I was looking forward to making brioche since there hadn’t been any made since Christmas time. Buttery brioche baked in small pannetone papers are perfect gifts for people since they freeze beautifully and you can pull out one at a time without being tempted to eat an entire loaf of bread by yourself. Now it is March and it seems like a perfect time for brioche and this gateau is luscious and would be perfect for a Spring brunch (now all we need here in Calgary is Spring (as I look out at the snow on my lawn)).

After reading Lien’s recipe I was a little concerned about the small amount of eggs and butter (for brioche that is) but then when I started looking through my baking books I realized that there seems to be many variations on the quantity of these items.  One book uses 4 1/4 Cups of flour to 3 eggs, while another uses 4 1/2 Cups of flour and 6 eggs. Some recipes call for all  ingredients to be very cold, others for room temperature. Normally, I follow Peter Reinhardt’s recipe but now I think that in my near future a brioche bake-off is called for. The recipe Lien used has a relatively short kneading time, while it was my thought pattern that brioche (as well as panettone and stollen) needed a long kneading to fully develop the gluten structure so you get the “windowpane” effect. What was also interesting was that this version only called for the dough to chill in the fridge for about an hour and then you are ready to work with it, usually it chills overnight. Ahhh, the very perplexing world of enriched doughs….

In the end, I used Ciril Hitz’ version, and only because I wanted to put some dough into the freezer for later in the week (those doughnuts, remember?). His version actually has fewer eggs than the Raymond Blanc recipe – again, the mystery of it all – but it is so lovely to work with and to eat. A few people commented that Raymond’s recipe was a little dry so I went with this version to be on the safe side. It has a long chilling period, 6 hours in the freezer then 12 in the refrigerator, but it is really easy to make and patience is the only thing needed. Oh, and a standing mixer with a dough hook. At least for me. I was more than impressed to read that some of the BBB’s were kneading this by hand (I would never want to be cornered by one of them in a dark alley – arms of steel!), but in my opinion this is one of those doughs that a standing mixer is crucial. My Kitchenaid is over 20 years old and still works like a dream!

The filling is super simple to put together. It calls for 6 egg yolks (this is a good time to think about making macarons since you will have all those whites leftover), lemon juice, a little sugar and creme fraiche. Easy except I didn’t have any creme fraiche nor any heavy cream to make any, so I made mine with marscapone cheese. Yes, this is over the top indulgence, but boy did it work nicely. I only had 5 eggs left since I needed one for the egg wash so that would have to do (and it worked out fine). I found there was a little too much filling for the two small (about 7 inches around) brioche I made and I also filled one up too high which in turn made a burnt mess in my oven.

The seal of approval!

Would I recommend this? Yes. Was it easy? with a mixer, Yes.  Was is delicious? Totally, without being too sweet. (maybe I’ll have another piece right now just to make sure…) Bake On!

Please go to Liens post for the original recipe.

Gateau a la Creme

Brioche dough

yields four 7-inch gateau’s (or freeze half of the dough for up to 2 weeks for another use)

4 1/4 Cups (530g) All-purpose flour
1/4 Cup (50g) granulated sugar
4 tsp (14g) instant yeast (I used SAF Gold)
1 1/2 tsp (8g) salt
zest of 1 meyer lemon (use a regular lemon if you don’t have a meyer)
3/4 C (7 oz) whole milk
14 Tablespoons (200g) unsalted butter
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks

finishing:
Egg wash (1 yolk,as needed – I double washed so I used almost the whole thing)
swedish pearl sugar (decoration, as needed- optional)

Crème filling

5 egg yolks
1/4 Cup + 2 teaspoons (60g) granulated sugar
1 meyer lemon, juice and zest (I also threw in the juice leftover from the zested lemon needed for the dough)
200 G marscapone cheese

Make sure that the milk, eggs, and butter are cold.

Place all of the ingredients, except the butter,into the bowl of your standing mixer. Mix at low-speed until it all comes together, form a solid mass, and cleans the sides of the bowl (about 5 minutes). While this is mixing, pound your butter with a rolling-pin to make it pliable. You are not warming up the butter, just making it easier to blend. Break it up into 4 or 5 pieces.  Alternately, you can cut the cold butter up into tiny cubes.

Increase the speed on your mixer to medium and start adding the butter, slowly and in stages (4 0r 5). Make sure that all of the butter is fully mixed in before adding the next batch of butter. Continue to mix until all of the butter is fully incorporated into the dough and you get a good gluten structure. This will take 10 to 20 minutes. You want to be able to stretch the dough thin enough to see through (the “windowpane”) without tearing the dough. Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours, or up to 2 weeks. I cut my dough in half so I would have 2 pieces – I used one and the other is still in the freezer.

The day before baking remove the dough from the freezer and transfer to the refrigerator for 12 hours.

When ready to bake remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit out for 20-30 minutes at room temperature. Cut the dough in half..Take half of the brioche dough and bring it together with the palms of your hands to form a ball, then place it on a parchment lined baking tray and flatten it slightly. Starting from the middle of the dough, gently press the dough flat and spread it out to form a circle to approx 7 inches  in diameter, but leave about a 1 inch gap from the edge as this will create the rim of the tart.

Be careful not to stretch the dough and try to keep the base even in thickness. Use the second half of the dough for another gateau. I made the error on one of mine by making the rim too thin and then pouring in too much filling which of course made a mess in the oven….

Cover these with greased plastic and a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 350F

For the crème filling, mix the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice together in a mixing bowl and gradually mix in the marscapone cheese. Set aside  until ready to fill.

When you are ready to bake, brush the rims of your bread with the egg wash and sprinkle with the pearl sugar , if using. Pour some of the creme mixture into the middle about 1/3 way up. Pour the rest in (about 3/4 way up) when you have it in the oven so you don’t spill it all over when transferring it. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and the filling is set. Cool completely, or serve slightly warm. Enjoy!

The Bread Baking Babes

• Bake My Day – Karen
• Bitchin’ Bread Baking Babe Bibliothécaire – Katie
• blog from OUR kitchen – Elizabeth
• Feeding my enthusiasms – Pat
• girlichef – Heather
• Life’s A Feast – Jamie
• Living in the Kitchen with Puppies – Natashya
• Lucullian Delights – Ilva
• My Kitchen In Half Cups – Tanna
• Notitie Van Lien – Lien
• Paulchens Foodblog – Astrid
• Provecho Peru – Gretchen

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Assyrian Spinach Pies

 

Happy Anniversary to the Bread Baking Babes! They are celebrating five years of baking bread together. How cool is that??! I’ve only been a buddy for the past year but I have been secretly watching for much longer than that. I stumbled upon this group talented bakers by way of Susan at Wild Yeast. I love, love, love her site and was most intrigued with her small group of baking friends and now they are five years strong. Congratulations to you all!

The host for this special occasion is Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups. She picked Assyrian Spinach Pies from A Baker’s Odyssey  by Greg Patent. I was so excited because for once I actually own this book. What a wonderful book it is!  I keep telling myself that one day I will bake every recipe in the book….  oh- I was just letting my mind wander about this some more, let me get back on track. These  hand pies are delicious with a bright, salty, almost tangy filling due to the addition of pomegranate seeds and feta. What is really interesting is the addition of Malhab , which is the pits of sour black cherries, which is added to the dough itself to add another layer of complexity. It was not able to find ground Malhab, only whole seeds, but they ground up into a powder very easily in my grinder. I have never used this spice before and am now looking forward to trying in some different baked goods. Isn’t always fun to be exposed to new things?

The shaping of this hand pie is the only slightly tricky part of this recipe. A piece dough is rolled out into a circle and then the filling is placed in the middle. You then bring up two sides of the dough, in the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock position, pinching the dough together to firmly seal the edges so it now looks like the bottom part of a Y.  Now bring up the bottom part of the dough (the 6 o’clock position) and pinch the dough together, making the top part of the Y. The first one seemed awkward but then it was quite fast to do after that.  If you are intimated by this technique there is no reason why you couldn’t just shape it into a half-moon and seal the edges that way. Bake On!

Assyrian Spinach Pies

Dough

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 Cups warm water (around 110F)

1 teaspoon ground mahlab (I increased this from 1/2 tsp)

5 Cups unbleached AP flour

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/3 Cup extra virgin olive oil

Filling

1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 pound fresh spinach, cleaned and coarsely  chopped

1 Cup (4 oz) chopped walnuts

1 Cup pomegranate seeds (I increased this from 1/2 cup)

1 Cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 oz)

1/3 Cup fresh lemon juice (I used Meyer lemons)

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

To make the dough

Sprinkle the yeast and the ground malhab over 1/4 cup of the warm water. Whisk well to combine and then let it sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast (it will get foamy during this time).

Place the flour, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl  and stir to combine. Add the yeast mixture along with the remaining 1 3/4 cups water and the olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to come together and then let it rest for 5 minutes.  If using a stand mixer like me, then attach the dough hook and knead on low-speed for 2 minutes. Adjust the speed to medium and knead for another 5 minutes. If you are kneading by hand, then place your dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will still be slightly tacky.

Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. This depends on the warmth of your kitchen. My house is usually  on the chilly side so it takes the full 2 hours for me. It is ready when you press your finger into the dough and the impression stays.

Dived the dough into 24 pieces (I did 26). Shape them into balls and cover with a some tea towels. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Filling

Saute the onion in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes. You want them golden brown and tender. remove from the pan and set aside.

Place the chopped spinach, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, feta, lemon juice ,and the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil together. Add the sautéed onions and toss well to combine. Add the pepper and a pinch of salt if you think it needs it.

Preheat your oven to 375F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out the dough, fill with about 1/2 cup of the spinach mixture and shape as described above. Place them about 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets, spraying them lightly with cooking spray (such as PAM).

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Prepare the remaining pies while the first batch is baking in the oven.

Serve warm or at room temperature. (Greg suggests serving these with plain yogurt but we had a side salad instead). After baking you can freeze these (ours didn’t last that long)

I found that I did run out of filling with 4 pieces of dough remaining so in my mini processor I whipped together a diced apple and some dried prunes. I added a splash of Calvados to loosen it up a bit and then threw in a handful of walnuts. I filled and folded as above and when they came out of the oven I drizzled them with a little confectioners icing. These were divine….

Please visit all of The Bread Baking Babes to check out their awesome work:

Bake My Day – Karen Bitchin’ Bread Baking Babe Bibliothécaire – Katie blog from OUR kitchen – Elizabeth Feeding my enthusiasms - Elle Life’s A Feast - Jamie Living in the Kitchen with Puppies - Natashya Lucullian Delights – Ilva My Kitchen In Half Cups – Tanna Notitie Van Lien – Lien Paulchens Foodblog – Astrid Provecho Peru – Gretchen

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Speculaas Fantans

What a tasty treat from the Bread Baking Babes for January!  Elle, from Feeding My Ethusiasms chose fantans, a little single portion of deliciousness. |In the past I have made Flo Braker’s Lemon Pull Apart bread (to die for), which is really just a giant version of this so I was eager to give these individual babies a try. While the recipe was for jam filled fantans, I still has some leftover speculaas spices from the Gevulde Speculaas I made last week  that I knew would be perfect for something like this. I just mixed the potent spice blend with some sugar that made a spicy  cinnamon roll effect treat. With a slathering of cream cheese frosting these were outstanding!

I definitely want to try a savory version next time since I think these would be great for a side of soup but in the meantime I am trying desperately not to eat the entire pan these delicious buns. Bake On!

Starter:
At least 4 hours ahead prepare the starter (I did this the night before):

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup water
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast

Stir together until well blended, cover with plastic wrap and set aside until later.

Dough Ingredients:
2 – 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup non fat evaporated milk
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter
¼ cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided

Filling:
1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons speculaas spice mixture

Directions:

Sift 1 cup of the all-purpose flour, the 1 cup of whole wheat bread flour, salt, and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl. Stir until well blended. Set aside.

Placed evaporated milk, butter and honey into a saucepan and heat until butter is nearly melted. Remove from heat. Stir a few minutes to help mixture cool. Let cool to 110 degrees F.

Add the starter mixture to milk mixture, then add milk mixture to flour mixture; beat well. Add egg and vanilla; stir until blended. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour, stir until thoroughly incorporated. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, tacky dough.

In a standing mixer with the dough hook attachment,knead for 3 minutes or until dough is smooth and silky. If doing by hand, lightly flour your work surface and knead for about 5 minutes adding additional flour if needed, but only enough to keep it from sticking too much.) Place in oiled bowl, turn dough to lightly coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours. I tend to place my dough in my bottom oven with a bowl of steaming water along side of it. This provides a warm, moist environment for the dough to rise.

Dust your work surface with flour. Punch down the dough, then half it. Roll one half into a 12×12-inch square. Brush dough with half the melted butter. Score the bottom every two inches so you can cut even strips. Cut one two-inch wide strip off and set aside.

Spread the surface of the remaining rolled out dough with  1/2 of the speculaas sugar filling. Remember, don’t put the filling on the  1/6 plain strip. This will allow you to have a plain side of dough on each side of the roll touching the muffin cup. Cut into 5 equal strips, then stack the strips on top of each other with the plain strip on top. You will now have 6 layers.  Cut through the layers into 6 equal pieces, then place each into a buttered muffin cup, standing up so the layers are visible. Gently fan them open. Each will have six dough pieces with marmalade or other filling in between. Repeat with the remaining dough and the rest of the marmalade for the other six cups of the muffin tin.

Cover with a clean dish towel and let the rolls rise in a draft free spot at warm room temperature until the dough doubles, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. I actually covered mine with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for about 2 1/2 hours since I had to go out. I then just let them come to room tempeture and “wake up” for an hour before baking.

Place the rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C.

Remove the towel and bake the rolls until they are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan ten minutes, then transfer to a rack and allow to cool for about another 20 minutes before serving. If desired, make a simple cream cheese glaze by mixing together cream cheese, confectioners sugar and cream until smooth  then drizzle over the fantails while still warm. Enjoy!

Please visit all of The Bread Baking Babes to check out their awesome work:

Bake My Day – Karen
Bitchin’ Bread Baking Babe Bibliothécaire – Katie
blog from OUR kitchen – Elizabeth
Feeding my enthusiasms - Elle
Life’s A Feast - Jamie
Living in the Kitchen with Puppies - Natashya
Lucullian Delights - Ilva
My Kitchen In Half Cups - Tanna
Notitie Van Lien – Lien
Paulchens Foodblog – Astrid
Provecho Peru – Gretchen

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Pear Cranberry Kutchen

Since December is already a crazy busy baking month, why not throw a delicious yeasted cake into the mix?! The December host of the Bread Baking Babes is Gretchen of Provecho Peru. She chose the lovely and easy German cake Apple Kutchen. It is perfect for this time of year and a breeze to put together. Being a good little baking buddy (well, I am trying to be at least) I firmly put my mind to baking this and not flaking off like last month. Since I didn’t have any apples on had I used some dried pears that I had. I first soaked them overnight in Amaretto and then rehydrated them in pear-cinnamon cider, finally giving them a rough dice. I also had some cranberries in the freezer (thank you Noelle for the idea) and last but not least, some finely diced crystallized ginger. It smelled heavenly coming out of the oven and now my mother has the perfect treat to bring with her to church on tomorrow morning. I was a little worried about how dark my crust was but when tried it I was happy that it was still very soft and moist. Easy and delicious. Bake on!

Holiday Apple  Pear Kutchen 

 

Yield: 12 servings

Source: Adapted from BH&G Holiday Baking 2009 Magazine

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup quick oatmeal (I used Quaker)

3/4 cup brown sugar

5 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Kuchen

2 1/4 – 2 3/4 cups flour,divided

1 package (2 1/4 tsp)active dry yeast (I used 2 teaspoon SAF gold yeast)
1/2 cup milk (I used lowfat)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Dried Pear topping

2 cups reconstituted dried pears, roughly diced

1/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (I tossed mine in a small bit of egg whites then some sugar so as to not be so tart)

2 Tablespoons crystallized ginger, finely diced

*If you want to make it Apple Kutchen, use this for the fruit topping instead:

4 cups apple slices (about 4 medium baking apples)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon quick cooking tapioca

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

CRUMB TOPPING:

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

CAKE:

Grease a 13x9x2 baking pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour and the yeast; set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat and stir milk, granulated sugar, butter and salt just until mixture is warm (120F-130F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture and eggs to flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of the bowl constantly. Beat on high-speed for 2 minutes or until smooth. Beat in as much of the remaining flour as you can without the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour to make a stiff batter.

Spread batter into the prepared baking pan. Evenly spread the pears over the top of the batter then sprinkle the cranberries over them and finally the ginger. Crumble the topping over the fruit mixture.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

 (for apple topping combine apples, brown sugar, tapioca, lemon juice and apple pie spice. Place apple mixture on top of the batter. Sprinkle with Crumb Topping. )

Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 30 minutes or until top is browned and apples are tender. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

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Russian Braid Bread

 

The host of this months Bread Baking Babes is Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups and since they posted on the 16th it also coincided with world bread day. Being a buddy we were requested to bake this by the 26th, which is today…. I actually baked this last week… I just didn’t get off my ass and post it…. I am happy to say though that the huge outdoor art project that I have been working on at Scarlet’s school is finally finished as of 2 days ago so I can start getting back to my life…..

I was excited to see this bread since I have had my eye on a similar bread made with the exact same method. The technique is pretty simple to master and the final outcome is gorgeous. The filling choices are endless with only your own imagination holding you back.  Please make sure you go and check out the roundup on Tanna’s page for some great ideas to inspire and tempt you.

For my filling I chose tomato jam mixed with sour cream, minced garlic and fresh rosemary. This bread is similar to Povitica in that the dough is thinly rolled out, filled, and then rolled up, jelly roll style.  That is where this bread takes a twisty turn! You slice down the middle of your roll, lengthwise, exposing the inside layers (kind of like a leek) and  then gently  twist or braid these together.  I found that I was nervous about slicing this open with such a moist filling that I covered the very long rolled rope and place it outside for 40 minutes to firm up. Oh, did I forget to mention that we have about 7 inches of snow on the ground right now? And that it is about -7C????  It’s my own giant freezer out there. You warm lucky ones could just use the freezer in your kitchen for this but I actually found it much more convenient considering the length of my rope. Next time I think I will roll up the short end instead to make life easier. I can’t wait to try this again filled with pesto or a roasted garlic-walnut paste. Maybe even some sriracha, one of Lisa’s favorite fillings….. Bake on my friends!

Russian Braid Braid

Recipe Adapted from The Fresh Loaf

Makes one large loaf
400 grams all-purpose flour
200 grams white whole wheat flour  (total flour should equal 600 grams – try different combinations)
3 tablespoons wheat germ

1 heaping tablespoon dry yeast
10 grams Sugar 10g (0.35oz)
10 grams Salt 10g (0.35oz)
50 grams olive oil 50cc (1.7 fl oz)
1 tablespoon White Vinegar, I used white Balsamic Vinegar in my 2nd loaf
450 – 500 grams Water (10 fl oz) (I used potato water)
- Filling – whatever you want

Take a 8″ springform pan (no bottom) and place a piece of parchment paper inside of it.Crimp tightly around the bottom of the springform, oil the sides. Place on top of a baking sheet.

Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl, add the water carefully as you start mixing.  I have my standing mixer on low when doing this and I used all of the water since I live in a dry climate.   Add water or flour if dough is too stiff or too loose (respectively).Knead for 10 minutes. Dough should be supple and not sticky to the touch. When dough is ready, spray a bowl with oil and gently put the dough in the bowl. Spray a little more oil on top and cover. Let rise (80%) about 40 minutes to an hour.

Lightly flour your work area. Flatten the dough gently with your hands. Roll the dough as thin as you can using a floured rolling-pin. When rolling out the dough, try not to lift and move it too much. It rolls quite easily so don’t panic.

Apply a thin layer of your filling (remember, it’s your choice) on top of the dough but leave an edge of about 1/4 inch. Slowly, tightly and very gently roll the dough into a pin wheel. It will be very long when completed. Place in the freezer, if possible, for about 45 minutes to firm up. It makes cutting it so much easier.  Take a sharp chef’s knife (not a serrated knife) and cut the roll lengthwise trying to keep the knife in the middle so you end up with two equal parts.  Place the two halves crossing each other (cut layers facing up) to create and X shape. Gently pick up the two ends of the bottom half, cross them over the top half, and place them back down. Continue this process, taking the two bottom ends and crossing them over the top until all the dough has been used.You now have a two strand rope shape. If for some reason some of the open  layers are pointing down or sideways, carefully turn them so they are facing up. Gently pinch the ends to seal. Look at the braid. If one end looks a little thinner make that your starting point. If not, just start from either end. Slowly and very gently, roll the braid sideways (horizontally) without lifting your hands from the table. You should keep those open  layers facing up. Pinch the end delicately. The end result should look like a giant snail shell . Depending on your filling you may want to sprinkle on something (rosemary,garlic, brown sugar & cinnamon). Keep in mind you don’t want to cover up the effect of the shaping.  Carefully pick up the braid and place in the prepared springform. Keep it flat on the parchment. The bottom of the braid should set nicely. Before you start panicking about this, please Ciril Hitz’s YouTube video and it will ease your mind.

Cover. Let rise until the braid hits three quarters the way up the springform. Depending upon the temp in your kitchen this may take from 20 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425F.

Bake the bread for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 350F for another 25-30 minutes. When removed from the oven feel free to brush the loaf with some melted butter or olive oil (I did neither)

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Molasses Fennel Rye Bread

Can I say once again how much I enjoy baking bread? It still makes me smile to try out a new bread recipe and have it turn out so tasty. The September Bread Baking Babes host was Elizabeth at From Our Kitchen . She and her husband went for a romantic dinners at a restaurant were served delicious rolls. She asked for the recipe and was kindly given a copy. I baked this last week and thoroughly enjoyed it with a smear of biscoff cookie butter (heaven) and my husband loved it with turkey salad. As usual, I am behind schedule so without much further ado, here it is. Bake On !

Molasses Fennel Rye Bread

• 1½ tsp ( 5gm) active dry yeast
• 1/4 c (63gm) lukewarm water
• 4 tsp (17gm) sugar
• 4 Tbsp (85gm) blackstrap molasses
• 1¾ c (438gm) water, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp (6gm) fennel seeds
• ½ tsp (1gm) ground dried ginger
• 1 c (103gm) rye flour ( I increased it to 1 teaspoon)
• 1 c (122 gm) whole wheat flour
• ½ c (59gm) wheat germ
• 2 c (254gm) unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp (18gm) salt (I used 15 gm)
• ¼ c (36gm) Thompson raisins
• up to ½ c (64gm) unbleached all purpose flour for kneading    

(I need all of the extra flour plus 2 tablespoons since it was such a wet dough)

1. Mixing In a smallish bowl, whisk yeast with the lukewarm water until it resembles cream. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl large enough for the dough to double, pour the rest of the water. Stir in sugar and molasses. (If the molasses is stiff because of a chilly kitchen, use warm water instead of room temperature.) Add fennel seeds and ground ginger. Dump in flours, wheat germ and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is mostly absorbed.
3. Add the yeast mixture (it should be quite foamy – if it is not after a period of 20 minutes have passed, either the yeast is dead or the water was too hot or far too cold. Check the due date on your yeast container. If the date hasn’t passed, try again.) stir to form a rough dough. Cover the bowl with a plate and let sit on the counter for about 20 minutes.
4. Kneading Scatter a little of the flour for kneading onto a wooden board. Turn the dough out onto the board.
5. Wash and dry the mixing bowl. (Please do not be tempted to skip this step.)
6. Hand knead the dough 10 to 15 minutes, adding the smallest amounts of additional flour if dough is sticky. You don’t have to use up all the flour. When the dough is springy and silky to the touch, knead in raisins.
7. Proofing Form the dough into a ball and put it in the clean bowl; cover it with a plate (there is no need to oil the bowl!) Let the dough rise in a no-draft place at room temperature (or in the oven with only the light turned on if you want) for about an hour or until it has doubled in size. Gently deflate dough. Recover with the plate and allow to rise until doubled again.
8. Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board; cut it in half with a dough scraper if you have one, with a knife if you don’t.
9. Shape into two round balls and place them (not touching) on a parchment papered pan or a cornmeal dusted peel. Dust the tops with flour. ⁵ Cover with a clean tea towel followed by a large plastic bag overtop let rise until double in size. (about an hour if the temperature is around 20C)
10. Baking Place a breadstone, if you have one, on the middle to second from the top rack and preheat the oven to 400F.
11. If you want, slash the top of the rounds with a very sharp knife. Liberally spray the tops with water. Put bread in oven and immediately turn the oven down to 350F. Bake the bread on the middle to second from the top rack for 30-35  minutes until the bread reaches an internal temperature of 205-210F or until it is hollow sounding on the bottom. It’s a good idea to turn the bread  half way through baking  to allow for uneven heat in the oven (remove parchment paper at the same time).
12. Remove to cool on racks. Please wait until the bread is cool before cutting it. It’s still baking inside! If you like to eat warm bread, reheat the bread after it has cooled.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIA

I’m taking a moment from my NY holiday to pay tribute to the grand dame of the kitchen, Julia Child. Before there were food blogs, the Food Network, or Martha Stewart, there was Julia. On this day in 1912 she entered this world and I don’t think it will ever be the same. Don’t get me wrong, blogs are a great source of sharing and Martha Stewart is a great show (well, used to be ,years ago). I have no interest in the Food Network  since  it’s more about glam appeal than actual cooking. How many times can Diners and Drive In’s be on in one day??  Since when did so called “reality” cooking shows replace actual cooking shows? I don’t get the appeal in this genre at all.  Since I am here at my mom’s I am getting to watch the PBS offshoot, Create. Gosh, I wish I got this channel back home! Caio Bella and Jacques Pepin have a nice home at this channel. PBS certainly was well ahead of its time when it began airing The French Chef back in 1963. She was the first woman to bring “fancy” cooking into the homes of “ordinary” Americans. The other day PBS was airing the quiche episode and it was such fun to watch. Without a doubt, Julia Child has become an American treasure.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has also placed Child’s beloved Cambridge, Mass., kitchen back on display for a limited time. I was lucky enough to see it when it first appeared (my sister was living in Virginia at the time) but would love the chance to go back and see it again.

So, in honor of this great lady, the Bread Baking Babes have invited all us buddies to bake right along with them this month and bake Pain Français (French Bread), which was published in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 in 1970. This was a landmark achievement in that it brought French bread into the purview of the home baker for the first time, and showed home bakers how to set up their ovens to approximate the ones used by professional bakers. Julia and her co-author Simone Beck consulted with the renowned baking expert, Professor Raymond Calvel, to develop the recipe and technique for home bakers. What is funny, well, actually scary and shocking, is that they advised lining the inside of your stove with asbestos tiles.  After the printing of the book she learned how dangerous asbestos actually is. Ah, we all live and learn, correct? This is a great book to have in your cookbook library and I recommend you buy one or borrow it from your local library for a great read. And while you’re at it, why not read My Life In France, Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom, or Dearie ?

I wanted to bake this bread before I came to New York since I knew that it would be hot and humid here. I had made it before, but of course did not take any pictures, since well, that would have been too easy. Instead, I baked it the day before I was flying and in my running around and doing 10 things at once, I burned the bread. Not actually burned it, but definitely baked it 5-7 minutes too long….

 It was still delicious; light and airy with a nice flavor, just a tad too dark. Oh well…. I did attempt to make it again while here, except in pistolet form (a roll) , since I do not own a couche and my french bread pan pictured above is back in Calgary. It was much trickier to make this in 90F degree heat with high humidity and I kept placing my dough in the fridge to slow down the rising so I wouldn’t lose all the flavor. I also don’t have a baking stone here so they didn’t get the good golden crust I love so much, but still, very good indeed.  I just didn’t take any pictures…. (I am on vacation) . Overall, this is an excellent lesson in bread baking and Julia’s chapter on this is really useful.

I am going include Susan’s summary of the recipe since she is such an excellent teacher herself. Be prepared, this takes all day to make, but the results are worth. Bake on!

 

 

Julia Child’s French Bread — Recipe Summary

 

Yield:

• 3 baguettes or batards or boules
• Or 6 short loaves (ficelles)
• Or 12 rolls (petits pains)

 

Time:  about 7 – 8 hours, not including cooling time

 

• mix and knead: 15 minutes
• first rise: 3 hours
• second rise: 1.5 – 2 hours
• divide, rest, and shape: 15 minutes
• final rise: 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours
• prepare to bake: 10 minutes
• bake: 25 minutes
• cool: 2 – 3 hours

]

 

Ingredients:

• one cake (0.6 ounce or 17 grams) fresh yeast or one package active dry yeast  [Susan's note: Here are some equivalents: fresh yeast: 17 grams; active dry yeast: 0.25 ounce or 7 grams). You could also use 5.6 grams of instant yeast]
• 1/3 cup warm water (not over 100 degrees F)
• 3 1/2 cups (about one pound) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt 
• 1 1/4 cups tepid water (70 to 74 degrees F)

 

Steps:

1. Combine the yeast and warm water and let liquefy completely. 
2. Combine the yeast mixture with the flour, the salt, and the remaining water in a mixing bowl.
3. Turn the dough onto a kneading surface and let rest for 2 – 3 minutes while you wash and dry the bowl.
4. Knead the dough for 5 – 10 minutes. See the original recipe for details on Julia’s kneading technique [p. 59].
5. Let the dough rest for 3 – 4 minutes, then knead again for a minute. The surface should be smooth and the dough will be soft and somewhat sticky.
6. Return the dough to the mixing bowl and let it rise at room temperature (about 70F) until 3 1/2 times its original volume. This will probably take about 3 hours.
7. Deflate [fold] the dough and return it to the bowl [p. 60].
8. Let the dough rise at room temperature until not quite tripled in volume, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
9. Meanwhile, prepare the rising surface: rub flour into canvas or linen towel placed on a baking sheet.
10. Divide the dough into 3, 6, or 12 pieces depending on the size loaves you wish to make. 
11. Fold each piece of dough in two, cover loosely, and let the pieces relax for 5 minutes [p.62].
12. Shape the loaves and place them on the prepared towel. See original recipe for detailed instructions [p. 62 or 68].
13. Cover the loaves loosely and let them rise at room temperature until almost triple in volume, about 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours.
14. Meanwhile, Preheat oven to 450F. Set up your “simulated baker’s oven” [p. 70] if you will use one.
15. Using an “unmolding board,” transfer the risen loaves onto a baking sheet [p.65] or peel [p. 72].
16. Slash the loaves.
17. Spray the loaves with water and get them into the oven (either on the baking sheet or slide them onto the stone [p. 72]).
18. Steam with the “steam contraption” [p. 71 and 72] or by spraying three times at 3-minute intervals.
19. Bake for a total of about 25 minutes.
20. Cool for 2 – 3 hours.

 

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Quick Bread (thank goodness)

The Bread Baking Babes are taking it a  little easy this month and as a buddy I am thankful. It’s been a fun crazy month with the 100th Anniversary of the Calgary Stampede in town. As a city girl, I really eat this stuff up. This year Calgary was also the host for the world marching band championships. If I had any idea marching bands could be so awesome I would have been in one growing up.  Not only did I attend an afternoon of semi finals, a “drum off” on another day, but I watched the 4 hour finals held in the Calgary Saddledome with about 10,000 other people. I must admit that it was spine tingling. Seriously. We also have been having some really nice weather so there has been a lot of entertaining at my house. We love to have people over for dinner, so I have been cooking and baking up a storm. I’m just too lazy to blog about it. Oh well.

That’s why this months BBB recipe is great. While it has yeast in it, it is really like a tea bread, super fast and easy. It isn’t the prettiest of breads but your taste buds will love the homey flavor. The only change I made was to add 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds. This was great fresh out of the oven with a cup of coffee.

Sarah, from i like to cook chose this lovely little number ,”Easy Little Bread” from 101 Cookbooks. Please check out her site and also visit the other talented Babes. They are all inspiring.

This was a breeze to make (and eat). Bake On!

Easy Little Bread
from 101 Cookbooks

1 1/4 cups / 300 ml warm water (105-115F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup / 5 oz / 140 g whole wheat flour
1 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 g rolled oats (not instant oats)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit – 5 – 10 minutes.
In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.
Brush a 8-cup loaf pan generously with some of the melted butter. Turn the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise.
Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C, with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. I finish things up by leaving the bread under the broiler for just a heartbeat – to give the top a bit deeper color. Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn’t steam in the pan. Serve warm, slathered with butter.

Makes 1 loaf.

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Oatmeal Twists

Well, I just got a message from dear Lisa over at Parsley, Sage , Desserts and Line Drives asking where I’ve been. Good question. Here, but not here. Still working on the kitchen since the smoke fire. After the new stove (Maytag Gemini double oven – best. oven. ever. At least in my price range…) was installed last month, I decided to repaint all of my 30-year-old kitchen cabinets. Which were painted over white before I even lived here. I always thought that they were just cheap plywood cabinets painted white, but after taking off all of the hardware and stripping the doors I found out they were cheap, wood grained chip board. Boy, how wrong was I (that’s sarcasm right there… )So I stripped, sanded and painted all 17 doors. I wish I could say they were smooth and beautiful. Not. Oh well, moving on. I painted the outside and inside of all of the actual cabinets. I say inside because when I moved in I had to by a hippie freak and paint the insides of all of my cabinets purple. Looks cool until you have to paint over it like 5 freaking times so it doesn’t show through the lovely lemon mousse colored you are going with now. Oh, and how about how every item stored in those cabinets has to be taken out and placed somewhere else. In  my tiny house. To spare you of the nasty details let’s just say that there was a small trail left open to walk through between the living room and the dining room with a small plate sized clearing on the table for my 6 yr old to eat. We ate standing up. A lot. After many days of this I get new hinges for my newly painted cabinets only find that after struggling put up doors (meaning that I butchered my newly painted cabinets with new holes) that the hinges would not work after all.

This is where small nervous breakdown occurs and I take it out on my poor unsuspecting husband and run out of the house crying.

Thank you to my friend Russell (a carpenter) for calming me down later in the day with encouraging words… He lets me know that all is not lost, but I do in fact need different hinges. Arghhhh!  I would also have to patch over the new “holes” I drilled about. BUT, I could and should put all of my stuff back in the cabinets since the paint was now dry. So I did just that, then took all of the unhung doors and hid them away in the basement for a few days. Break time. At least so I could still have my monthly supper dinner club.  And what a fine supper it was.

June menu:

pulled pork
coleslaw with boiled dressing (from the Southern Cookbook 1951)
succatash
collard greens and smoked pork hock
cornbread
rhubarb crumb pie
lemon shaker pie (from The Joy of Cooking)

   Seriously, this was fine eating

Well, that was a lovely break. Sitting around the table with a large group of friends |(well, 7 of us) with interesting conversation always makes me feel better.

Since now I was mentally stable again (sort of) I bought new different hinges and only after 3 days was able to proudly say that all of my cabinet doors are now up. Well, one is a little wonky but I will wait for Russell to come back over to help with that one. Luckily I had a Danish almond cake in the freezer to give him as thanks last time. IT should be all smooth sailing now. Oh, except that since my crappy cabinets were built pre 1979 all of the measurement specs for door handles have changed! Talk about a sharp stick in the eye. So right now I am enjoying my lemon mousse cabinets with white doors. Without handles. To be continued. I can say with confidence that the next time I get the silly notion to do something like this again I will take a 2nd mortgage out on my house before the thought gets too far…………

The bread chosen this month for us Bread Baking Buddies is oatmeal twists. Elle, from Feeding my Enthusiasms, was the host, and her inspiration came from this post by Farine ( I must add that I find all bread bakers inspiring). These are lovely little twists packed with oatmeal, dried fruits and nuts. At least that is what was in mine. I want to try these again with cheese and seeds as recommended by Elle. I don’t keep a sourdough starter (I will complete this mystical achievement one day)so I made an overnight poolish instead. I also added some rye flour to my poolish for a little extra something. Did it make a difference? I don’t know . I will try these again with all white flour. I will say that they were delicious and wonderful treat with a little butter and a cup of coffee. I split the dough in half and put dried blueberries and pecans in 8 of them and dried figs, walnuts and anise in the other 8. Bake on!

Oatmeal Twists
based on Morning Cuddles at Farine
makes 16 twists

700 g sourdough starter (or poolish/starter of 350 g all-purpose flour mixed with 350 g water and 2 teaspoons yeast. Sit 3 hrs, stir down, put in fridge overnight, or at least 8 hours – use where recipe calls for sourdough starter.) I used 75 g rye flour and 275 g white flour

320 g all-purpose flour
230 g whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
115 g rolled oats, coarsely ground in a food processor
15 g salt
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
100 g pecans, chopped (I used 1/2 cup each dried blueberries and pecans OR 1/2 cup each chopped dried figs and walnuts with 1 tsp anise seed)

Mix the flours together with the yeast, oats and salt. Stir the water, buttermilk and butter into the starter. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the starter mixture until a soft dough forms. Let sit 10 minutes. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead in additional flour if needed until dough is tacky but not sticky. Knead in the pecans. Shape into a ball and put dough ball into oiled rising bowl or container, turning dough to coat with the oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. This might take 2 hours or 6. (Also fine to cover and let sit overnight in the fridge, then let rise until doubled on the counter the next day.)

When dough has doubled, turn out onto lightly flour board. Shape into a log and cut into two pieces. Return one piece of the dough to the rising bowl and cover.

Shape the second piece of dough on the board into a log and cut into 8 pieces, each about 100 g. Cut each piece in half and shape each piece into a snake and twist two pieces together a a time or two, then place twist on a parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet.

Repeat with remaining 7 (100 g) pieces. You will have eight twists. Take the remaining large (about 800 g) piece of dough and repeat the shaping into a log, cutting into 8 pieces, cutting those in half and shaping into twists. You will finish with 16 twists set out on parchment or silicon mat covered baking sheets. Cover twists and let rise until doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F when twists are almost doubled.

Uncover, glaze with buttermilk with clean pastry brush. If desired sprinkle with finely chopped pecans, or preferred seeds or with sea salt.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. If browning too rapidly, turn down the oven temperature. Turn the pans back to front and bake another 10 – 15 minutes or until breads are 180 degrees inside. Cool on a rack then serve.

Elle’s Variations: When you knead in the pecans you can knead in dried fruit like dried cranberries or diced prunes, apricots or dates to make a breakfast twist. If you prefer savory you can knead in herbs and/or Parmesan cheese and/or seeds. This bread loves to have you make your own combinations, so other nuts can also be used in place of the pecans or with them. I made my second batch without any nuts, seeds, fruit or herbs and they were yummy, too.

So please take a moment and go to Elle’s page to see her fine baking skills and make sure to check out the other extremely talented Bread Baking Babes masterful creations. The links are all on Elle’s page. It’s well worth it.

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