Sally, owner and author of Sallysbakingaddiction.com, writes her blog to teach newbies and help oldies with their baking. I usually modify her recipes for my own personal, selfish use. For more details and tips and tricks refer to Sally and not me.
This is a beautiful bread with chewy crust and soft tender interior. I did use 50:50 whole wheat and bread flours in the sponge.
Whole Wheat Bread – Sally
INGREDIENTS Sponge • 1 cup (240ml) water, warmed to about 110°F (43°C) • ⅓ cup (80ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C) • 2 ¼ teaspoons (7g) active dry or instant yeast • 2 cups (260g) whole wheat flour • Optional: 130g (1 c) whole wheat flour and 130g (1 c) bread flour Dough • 3 Tablespoons (63g) honey • 3 Tablespoons (43g) RT unsalted butter, • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) • 1 ⅓ cups (173g) whole wheat flour (plus more as needed • 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt • optional oat topping: 1 beaten egg white + 1 Tablespoon whole oats
METHOD
Prepare the sponge: In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the water, whole milk, and yeast together. Add the 2 cups (260g) flour and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until a thick batter forms. Cover lightly and allow to double in size at room temperature, about 60–90 minutes. Sometimes this can take up to 2 hours.
Add the remaining dough ingredients including the honey, butter, lemon juice, remaining flour, and the salt. With a dough hook attachment or using a spatula or wooden spoon (and some arm muscle!), beat on medium speed/mix until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. If the dough seems too wet to a point where kneading (next step) would be impossible, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands. It took 4 Tbl added a minute or so apart for the dough to clear the sides of the mixer bowl and knead properly.
Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 8–10 full minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, add 1 more Tablespoon of flour at a time to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need; you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise and/or do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough was adequately kneaded.
1st rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a proofing oven or other warm environment for 1.5–2 hours or until about double in size.
Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Shape the dough: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Lightly flour a work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 8×15 inches. It does not have to be perfect—in fact, it will probably be rounded on the edges. That’s ok! Roll it into an 8-inch log and place in the prepared loaf pan, seam side down.
2nd rise: Cover shaped loaf. Allow to rise until it’s about 1 inch above the top of the loaf pan, about 45–60 minutes.
Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). It’s best to bake the bread towards the bottom of the oven so the top doesn’t burn.
Optional oat topping: If you want to add the optional oat topping, add it right before baking the bread. With a pastry brush, brush the risen loaf with egg white, then sprinkle the oats on top.
Bake the bread: Bake for 36–40 minutes, or until golden brown on top. If you notice the top browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. (I usually add it around the 20-minute mark.) To test for doneness, if you gently tap on the loaf, it should sound hollow and the center of the loaf is 195–200°F (90–93°C). Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for a few minutes in the pan on a cooling rack before removing the bread from the pan and slicing. Feel free to let it cool completely before slicing, too.
Cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
Freezing Instructions: Prepare recipe through step 6. Place shaped loaf in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan or disposable loaf pan, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. On the day you serve it, let the loaf thaw and rise for about 4–5 hours at room temperature. Bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked bread loaf. Allow the bread to cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired.
Overnight Instructions: Prepare the recipe through step 6. Cover the shaped loaf tightly and refrigerate for up to about 15 hours. At least 3 hours before you need the bread the next day, remove from the refrigerator, keep covered, and allow to rise on the counter for about 1–2 hours before baking. Alternatively, you can let the dough have its 1st rise in the refrigerator overnight. Prepare the dough through step 3, then cover the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to fully rise for 2 more hours. Continue with step
I just typed the year for the first time and got it right!
Sally set this month’s challenge as ciabatta bread. Her recipe is based on KAB’s, but with a few minor changes that makes the method easier but remains fantastic. In the past I used KAB’s recipe and method but I am now a Sally convert. (As I am with so many other fantastic bakes.)
There are a lot of steps in this bake, making it intermediate level difficulty . Follow Sally’s directions (which I modified very, very slightly) and you too can enjoy this amazing bread.
Good with or without butter, with or without oil and vinegar. I know, I tried it both ways.
Homemade Ciabatta Bread -Sally
INGREDIENTS Biga/Preferment • 130g (1 c) bread flour • 1/8 tsp active-dry or instant yeast • 120g/ml (½ c) room-temperature water (about 70°F) Ciabatta Rolls • 3g (1 tsp) active-dry or instant yeast • 240g (1 c) warm water (about 100–110°F) • 325 (2 ½ c) bread flour, plus more as needed • 8g (1 ½ tsp) table salt • olive oil, as needed for coating hands and spatula
METHOD Day 1: Make the biga/preferment:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour and yeast.
Add the water and mix with a silicone spatula until combined.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 8–24 hours. Day 2: Make the dough:
Uncover the bowl with the biga. In a separate large mixing bowl whisk together the yeast and warm water.
Cover and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast has dissolved.
Add the biga, flour, and salt. Gently mix together with a silicone spatula or Dutch bread whisk. The dough will seem dry and shaggy at first but keep working it until all the flour is moistened and the dough is uniform in texture (no dry pockets). If needed, lightly grease your hands with olive oil and gently knead the ingredients together in the bowl. The dough will be wet and sticky; that’s normal, expected, and encouraged.
1st rest: Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
1st stretch-and-fold: Visualize a clock on top of your dough. You’ll be folding it at the 12 o’clock mark. With an olive oil-greased spatula or lightly oiled hands, lift up the dough at 12 o’clock and gently stretch it up and pull it toward the opposite side of the bowl (6 o’clock), folding it down over the dough. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this until you’ve gone around the bowl twice, for a total of 8 folds. Cover the bowl and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Remaining stretch-and-folds: Repeat step 8 three more times, allowing the dough to rest for 30 minutes between each. Use a coil fold for the 4th stretch-and-fold then cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Shape the rolls/bread: Very generously flour your counter or work surface. Using lightly oiled hands or a lightly oiled spatula, gently scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the floured surface. Generously sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Using floured hands, gently stretch and shape the dough into a rough rectangle shape, about 10×7 inches in size. a. For 8 rolls: With a floured bench scraper, cut the dough into 8 pieces each around 2.5×3.5 inches. b. For 2 loaves: With a floured bench scraper, cut the dough in half to make two 5×7-inch (or 10×3.5-inch) rectangles.
Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper. With floured hands, and using the floured bench scraper to help, lift the sticky dough pieces up and transfer them to the floured parchment, arranging them at least 2 inches apart to make room for expanding. Take care to be extra gentle because you don’t want to deflate the dough. If the pieces of dough lost shape during the transfer, gently reshape into rectangles.
Proof Before Baking: Lightly sprinkle flour over the rolls, and then gently cover them with a clean kitchen towel or piece of parchment paper. Let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, position one oven rack in the very bottom position and another rack in the center/middle position. Place a flat cookie sheet or a rimmed baking sheet on the center rack. Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). You want your oven and baking surface to be heating for about an hour before the bread goes in.
When ready to bake, scatter several cups of ice cubes in a large shallow metal roasting pan, cast-iron skillet, or rimmed baking sheet (do not use glass). Uncover the rolls and lightly spray or flick them with a little water. (This is optional, but it helps create even more steam, which promises a crispier crust.) Working quickly, carefully remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven and slide the parchment paper and proofed bread onto it. Place back in the oven. Slide the pan with the ice cubes onto the bottom oven rack and quickly close the oven door, trapping the steam from the melting ice inside.
Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until the bread/rolls are golden brown. I usually extend this time to 25 minutes, for a deeper golden color. Gently tap the bread—if they sound hollow, they’re done. For a more accurate test of doneness, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the bread reads 205°F (96°C) to 210°F (99°C).
Remove the rolls from the oven and allow to cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing and serving. If you cut into the bread too early, it will likely have a gummy texture.
Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: There are many ways to make this dough ahead of time. First, in step 1, the biga can sit for up to 24 hours. Second, in step 5, after you have completed all of the stretch-and-folds, the dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. You can also bake the bread, allow it to cool, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Flour: For absolute best flavor and chewy texture, I strongly recommend using bread flour. You can use a 1:1 substitution of all-purpose flour in a pinch with no other changes to the recipe, however the dough may not be as strong, and may not hold shape very well. Do not use whole-wheat flour in this dough.
Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast, but I highly recommend an instant (aka “rapid rise” or “quick rise” yeast). If using active dry yeast, there are no changes needed to the recipe.
Adding Herbs/Flavors: Fresh or dried herbs are best for flavoring this dough. My favorite is fresh or dried rosemary with a little garlic. When adding the salt in step 2, add 2 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried, plus 2 minced garlic cloves. Feel free to replace the rosemary with another herb, and/or leave out the garlic.
Can I Bake on a Pizza Stone? Yes. If you want to bake your bread/rolls on a pizza stone, place the pizza stone in the preheating oven for 1 hour. In step 10, place the shaped and scored dough on your preheated pizza stone. Bake as directed.
Can I Use This Dough for Focaccia? Yes. Generously grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with olive oil. After completing step 5, pour the dough into the greased pan. Flip to coat all sides in the oil. Stretch and flatten the dough to fit the pan, being careful to avoid tearing the dough. If it’s shrinking back as you try to stretch it out, cover with a clean towel and let it rest for 5–10 minutes before continuing. This lets the gluten settle and it’s much easier to shape after that. Continue with step 7 in my focaccia recipe.
After Friday’s QC Cadre Fete I took this past Saturday and Sunday off. So back in the bakery this morning I made a new bread. It’s based on a blend of Azerbaijani and Turkish breads. My friend Maggie sent me a video of a rural Azerbaijani woman making bread that looks like this but only showed ingredients but no amounts or temperatures etc. I am sure the woman knows the amounts by looking at and feeling the dough. I do not.
Turkish “simit” was the closest bread I could find, but the ingredients and method were totally different from the bread in the video. I figured out the method based on the video and calculated the amounts, times and temperatures myself. Basically, it is not a “simit” but it’s a good a name as any until some Azerbaijani corrects me.
I also add a Tangzhong to increase the bread’s shelf life and make it softer.
The QC Cadre feels this may be the best bread ever (although my Pain de Cristal is very good, different but very, very good!)
Rolls of doughDough RopesFirst coilAbout half completed coil with cell phone shadow and ceiling light reflectionComplete coilCoil dredged in sesame seedsCompleted coilsStack of circles for a roseCompleted “simit” with egg washed roseBaked “Simit” The rose is darker due to the egg-yolk washNice crumb, delicious flavor and pretty as well.
Azerbaijan Enriched “Simit” Bread
INGREDIENTS Tangzhong • 60g (½ c) bread flour • 320g (1 ⅓ c) whole milk (I use 2% milk plus ¼ c whole cream) Dough • 720g (6 c) bread flour plus 60g reserved to add to the dough as it kneads in case its too sticky • 240g (1 c) warm water (~115F) • 56g (4 Tbl) olive oil • 2 large eggs • 100g (½ c) sugar • 18g (4 tsp) yeast • 2 tsp kosher salt • 104g (8 Tbl) softened unsalted butter Egg Wash • 3 large eggs, divided • 2 Tbl water
METHOD
In a small saucepan mix the tangzhong ingredients and heat while constantly whisking until the mixture looks like smooth mashed potatoes. (~2-3 minutes)
Add tangzhong to the bowl of a stand mixer and sift remaining 720g of flour into the bowl
Add warm water and oil into the flour
Add egg, sugar, yeast, salt (not on top of yeast) and softened (but not melted butter)
Mix well with Dutch whisk to combine and make a shaggy dough being sure all the butter is incorporated.
Knead the soft, pliable dough (KitchenAid mixer speed 4 for 10 minutes.) If necessary, add more flour 20g at a time to help kneading.
Remove dough from the mixer bowl (it will be very sticky) then oil the bowl and return the dough, flip it over to coat both sides of the dough with oil then cover and let rise until doubled. (~45- 60 min. I use an oiled proofing bucket)
Dump from bowl onto lightly floured work surface. My dough weighed 1687g,
Punch it down to de-gas then divide the dough into 9 pieces ~180-190g. (9 pieces 187g each)
Reserve 2 balls for the roses and 7 for the coils.
Let the 2 balls rest at room temperature and 7 balls rise, covered in a warm place.
Working with 1 at a time (leave the rest covered,) roll each ball into a rope ~12” long, then let the rope rest as you shape the rest of the rolls. Repeat the roll/rest until you can roll the rope to ~36” long. (48” would be better.) The rope thickness should be ½-3/4” thick
Form a ~5” diameter loop with one end and coil the end under and around a couple of times.
Coil the other end around the rest of the loop and tuck the end under
Cover and let rest
Roll each of the two reserved balls into a large circle ~2mm thick on a lightly floured surface, like a thin pie crust. ~12” diameter yields ~12 three-inch circles. Let the dough rest once or twice to reduce shrinkage during rolling.
Cut 4” long ovals (they may be circles, distorted by the angle of the camera) and stack 6 over-lapping leaving ½ to ⅓ uncovered
Roll up, then cut in half, placing cut end on the table and spreading the loose end to resemble a rose. Don’t let the roses rise.
Use scraps if necessary to make extra roses.
Preheat oven to 375. degrees
Separate ~3 eggs, first whisk the whites then whisk in ~2 tbl water
Whisk the yolks and 1Tbl water to make an egg wash
Dip one side of each coil into the egg-white wash, then dredge that side in the sesame seeds and set on a parchment paper lined baking pan sesame side up
Place a dough rose inside each coil and egg wash the rose with egg yolk wash
Bake until done. (~20-25min) They should be a golden brown with the egg washed roses darker. (~190F)
Yesterday we held our first ever QC Cadre Fete at our house. For those not in the know the Quality Control Manager (QC) is my wife, Fran. The QC Cadre incudes all our immediate neighbors, and significant others. To thank everyone for their reviews over the past year I made a selection of heretofore untried pastries and bread.
From front to back are” Snowflake Bread, fig newtons and raspberry filled profiteroles, chocolate glazed chocolate filled chocolate tarts with a croustillant layer and finally gingerbread millionaires bars.
Sadly, I pulled the gingerbread millionaires bars before the fete began. I over cooked the caramel and while it tasted good, it was a very hard crack and once you started to chew it, your mouth could be glued shut. As I said, this was the first attempt at each bake so accidents will happen, but not again!
Chocolate Orange Snowflake Bread
INGREDIENTS For the Dough: • 1c milk, plus 1 tbsp extra • 30g (2 Tbl) cubed butter • 2 Tbl olive oil • 2 Tbl sugar • 7g (2 ¼ tsp) instant yeast • 175g AP white • 175g bread flour, plus extra for dusting • 1 tsp cinnamon • A pinch of salt • 1 orange, zested? For the Filling: • 100g cream cheese • 2 Tbl sugar • 2 Tbl cacao powder • 1 Tbl cinnamon • 1 Tbl cornstarch • 1 orange, zested For Decoration • Candy orange peel
METHOD
Combine the milk and butter and warm until just melted and lukewarm. Stir in the olive oil, sugar, and yeast. Let rest for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl whisk flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the yeast-milk and bring to a shaggy dough with a spoon. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1 minute to make a smooth ball of dough. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for 30 minutes, to rise. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
Whisk together all the filling ingredients until smooth (you can microwave the mix for 10 seconds, if needed, to make it smoother to combine).
Punch down the dough and form into 2 balls. (I like to weigh the dough and divide the total weight by 2 to make equal sized balls. My dough weighed 1630 g therefore, each ball should be ~815g.)
Divide each ball into two smaller balls, each ~400g and form each into a rough circle ~6” diameter, then roll out into circles ~10”
Place one circle down and coat with 1/3rd of the filling, leaving the outer 1” un-coated. Repeat for the next two layers and leave the top layer uncoated.
Center a 10” cake pan and trim the circles to an even circle.
Set a 3” bowl in the center of the stack of circles and press down making an impression
Cut the dough from the perimeter to the outside of the 3” circle into 16 equal portions
Twist adjacent portions away from each other and pinch the ends into a point
Snip each dendrite is several places to form fronds, or feathers.
Cover and let rise 20-30 min.
Beat the egg with 1 Tbl water to use as the egg wash
Brush the pastry evenly with the 1 tbsp egg wash and place in the middle of the oven for 22-25 minutes, until well-risen, golden and springy.
Remove from the oven sprinkle with candied orange peel and cool for 20 minutes.
Homemade Fig Newtons
INGREDIENTS • 1 pint fresh or preserved figs or 12 ounces dried figs 2 Pints • 1 ½ cups AP flour 3 cups • ¼ teaspoon baking powder ½ tsp • ¼ teaspoon salt ½ tsp • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp • 1 stick butter 2 sticks • 1/3 cup sugar 2/3 cup • 1 egg 2 • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tsp • 2 tablespoons orange juice 4 Tbl If you are using: • Fresh figs: Remove stems and boil figs with 2 cups of sugar in 1 cup of water for 45 minutes. Drain and cool. This seemed to be too much sugar and water. Try cutting in half. If too thin, cook down until temp reaches about 210. • Dried figs: In a bowl, pour boiling water over figs (stems removed) and let rest 10 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons water and stir in 2 tablespoons corn syrup + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. • Preserved figs: Drain syrup.
METHOD
Puree figs in food processor into a thick paste (if too thick or thin to spread evenly, add a little water or flour until spreadable consistency is reached).
Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
Add egg and vanilla, mix until smooth
Add orange juice and combined dry ingredients to bowl and mix until dough forms.
Optional: form dough into a flat thick disk and chill to set butter and make it easier to roll and fold.
Roll dough out on a floured surface into an 8”x14” rectangle about ¼” thick.
Cut rectangle in half lengthwise.
Spread fig paste onto half of each rectangle, lengthwise.
Cut the rectangle in half crosswise, or even thirds to facilitate folding.
Fold dough in half lengthwise to cover fig paste and pinch edges to seal.
Slide each newton log onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees until crust begins to brown.
Slice into cookie-sized segments and cool. Slice while warm to reducing flaking.
Raspberry Italian Meringue Profiteroles
INGREDIENTS Choux Pastry: • ½ c (65 grams) AP flour • ½ tsp granulated white sugar • ¼ tsp salt • 4 tbsp (55 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces • ½ c (120 ml) water • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten Raspberry Italian Meringue • egg whites room temperature • 2/3 cup caster sugar • 1/4 cup water • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar • 2 drops raspberry flavor • 1-2 drops red food coloring • Optional: 1 tsp freeze dried raspberry powder Chocolate Glaze: • 2 ounces (55 grams) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped • ¼ c (60 ml) heavy “whipping” cream (cream with 35% butterfat content) • ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract • ½ tbsp light corn syrup (or golden syrup or glucose)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 375o F (190o C) and place rack in center of oven.
In a bowl whisk the flour with the sugar and salt.
Place the butter and water in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined. It will look like mashed potatoes. Return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes). The dough will film the bottom and sides of the saucepan and make cleaning a pain.
Transfer the dough to an electric mixer and beat on low speed to release the steam from the dough (about 1 minute).
Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste (dough will fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon).
Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe round mounds of dough (about 1 ½ inch) onto the parchment lined baking sheet. (When piping, hold the bag at a 90-degree angle, ie straight up.)
Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350o F (180o C).
Remove from oven, pierce the bottom of each profiterole with a small skewer to release the interior steam.
Continue to bake for a further 25 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are almost dry inside. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Raspberry Italian Meringue
Wipe down all tools with white vinegar or lemon juice to remove any trace of fat.
Place sugar and water mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes. Do not stir it at all during this time. The mixture will look cloudy.
Gently stir the mixture for 1 minute. There should be little to no granules of sugar left at this point.
Once the mixture begins to bubble from the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes, place the digital thermometer in the pot and increase to medium-high heat. Do not stir it at all after this.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium and beat until soft peaks form.
Allow the sugar mixture to come to a boil and watch carefully. Once it reaches 230 °F turn stand mixer on highest speed to whip egg whites to peaks.
Once the sugar syrup reaches 240 °F, remove from heat and remove the probe. This takes about 4- 6 minutes.
Allow the boiling to come to a slow bubble before moving on.
Slowly pour sugar syrup (steady stream) into whisked egg whites. Avoid the whisk attachment or it will fling your mixture all over the bowl.
Allow mixture to whisk for another 3-5 minutes until the mixer bowl is cool/room temperature to the touch.
Add raspberry flavoring and if desired, the freeze-dried raspberry powder. (In my first attempt at adding the powder I added it prior to adding the sugar syrup and it ruined the soft peaks. I think adding at the end should work.) Chocolate Glaze:
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
Heat the cream just until boiling and immediately pour it over the chocolate.
Gently stir until the chocolate has melted.
Stir in the vanilla extract and corn syrup, mixing to ensure incorporation.To complete:
Fill a piping bag equipped with a filling tip (such as Wilton 230). Inject crème pat into the hole you made to allow the steam to escape. When you feel the side of the profiterole begin to bulge, the éclair is full.
Dip the top of each profiterole into the warm, thin ganache and set on a piece of waxed or parchment paper to dry. (I use the parchment paper previously used to line the baking sheet.)
Gingerbread Millionaire Bars
INGREDIENTS FOR THE GINGER SHORTBREAD BOTTOM: • 1 c butter • ½ c packed dark brown sugar • ¼ c (85g) un-sulfured molasses • 1 large egg • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1 tsp powdered ginger • ¼ tsp cloves • ½ tsp salt • 2 ½ c all-purpose flour FOR THE CHEWY CARAMEL: • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar • ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk • ⅓ cup butter • 3 tbsp. golden cane syrup (or honey as a substitute) • 1 tsp. flaky sea salt FOR THE CHOCOLATE TOP: • 7 oz dark chocolate, chopped
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.
In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and molasses together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add in the egg, spices, fresh ginger, and salt, whipping an additional minute. Fold in flour, mixing only until combined.
Transfer dough to prepared baking pan, patting down evenly. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the shortbread comes out clean. Allow to cool while you make your caramel.
In a small saucepan over medium low heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and honey. Use a rubber spatula to mix slowly but continuously for about ten minutes. The mixture will slowly turn a light golden color and begin to pull away from the sides of ithe pan. Heat until mixture reaches a nice golden caramel color then add the butter and mix until incorporated, then remove from heat and mix in salt.
Pour mixture over ginger shortbread and use spatula to spread evenly. Place in the fridge to harden completely, about 2 hours.
Once the bars have cooled, put the chocolate into a large glass measuring cup and heat in 30 second intervals. (My 1000W microwave requires 90 second total heating, but the chocolate should be stirred after each 30 second interval.
Pour over chilled bars, then place back in fridge to harden.
Cut into 1″x1″ cubes and serve! Will last up to 1 week when sealed tightly in a container in the fridge.
This noon we are co-hosting a soup and bread lunch for a group of friends. I decided to make some of my favorite breads to share. They are all documented in this blog, so I am not including any recipes here.
Pan de Cristal, or ice bread, is one of my favorites. It’s an open structure and crisp crust bread, and so good.
Artisan bread rolls are easy to make and are always delicious. I simply formed my normal artisan bread into small rolls and baked for a shorter time.
I saw a picture of Angel Hair Bread and of course, searched for a recipe. The one I found included a number of flaws, which I fixed, except one. The recipe didn’t call for any salt, and while I thought that was odd, I decided to give the bread a bake anyways. Note to self: If you think it is wrong, fix it.
The author also neglected to add the baking powder although it was listed in the ingredients, (I added it with the first portion of flour.) They also didn’t specify a pan size, but I calculated a 9 x 12” would work, also, I added oiling or spraying the pan, Parchment paper would have helped also, next time.
They also didn’t bother to give approximate times for resting, proving or baking. I watched, timed and noted everything.
Divided into 8 segmentsRolled to ~6×8” and slicedPlaced in oiled pan and egg yolk washedFinished loafFinished loaf showing crumb
The flavor is good, (although salt would have made it very good), and the crumb is excellent.
Angel Hair Bread
INGREDIENTS • 1 ¼ c warm milk • 2 eggs (1 for egg wash) • 3 Tbl sugar • 1/3 c oil • 10 g yeast • 10 g salt • 10 g baking powder • 700 g AP flour
METHOD
Add warm milk, 1 egg, sugar, oil, salt, and yeast and mix well.
Add 100 g of wheat flour and baking powder in 2-3 portions mixing well after each addition.
Let rest 10 – 30 minutes until mixture is a little firm and full of bubbles
Add the remaining flour and mix well
Dump onto the table and knead it until it becomes smooth, ~8 minutes
Let it rest 45 – 60 minutes (until doubled in size.)
De-gas the dough then knead again
Roll into a circle and divide into 8 pieces.
Form into balls, then roll out to ~6” x 8” ovals
Pinch one long edge of oval to stick to work surface. I stretched the stuck edge to form a rectangle, then cut slits ~ ½” into the thin edge and roll up so that the fingers are exposed.
Lay into an oiled or sprayed 9”x12” baking pan
Leave to rest 10-30 minutes, preheat oven while resting.
Wash with the egg yolk mixed with a Tbl water.
Bake at 350⁰F for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.
I made this trial loaf for a luncheon I am co-hosting next week. I made this type of bread before but my co-host is making soups and I wanted a bread that wouldn’t fight with the flavors of the soups. Rather than use cinnamon or chocolate to make the color, I used some gel food coloring.
I used my dinner roll recipe as the soft texture would pair well with the various soups. The resultant bread is soft, tender and if you closed your eyes and thought “dinner rolls” that is what you would think you are eating.
Pre-baked star breadScraps as a bouleFinished star breadFinished “Scrap Boule”Inside of “Scrap Boulevard”
Bi-Color Pull Apart Rolls
INGREDIENTS • 488g (2 cups) warm milk • 2 Tbl instant dry yeast • 50g white granulated sugar • 2 tsp salt • 6 Tbl salted butter softened • 2 large eggs • 750-850g all-purpose flour • 1 egg and 1 Tbl water
METHOD
In a stand mixer bowl, combine and mix all ingredients except the flour.
Add in 5 ½ cups of flour. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on and increase speed slowly to keep the flour from flying all over. Slowly add the remaining flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (I watch the bottom of the bowl and add flour until the dough just comes clean from the bottom.) Once the dough clears, knead for 8 minutes. The dough mixture should be sticky and soft.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise 35-45 minutes (until doubled) in a proofing drawer,
Punch down the dough and form into 2 balls. (I like to weigh the dough and divide the total weight by 2 to make equal sized balls. My dough weighed 1630 g therefore, each ball should be ~815g.)
Add 2-3 drops of brown gel food coloring to one ball and knead until well mixed. (Wear gloves)
Divide each ball into two smaller balls, each ~400g and form each into a rough circle ~6” diameter, then roll out into circles ~10”
Stack the circles interleaving the light and dark colored ones.
Center a 10” cake pan and trim the circles with a pizza cutter to an even circle.
Set a 3” bowl in the center of the stack of circles and press down making an impression
Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough from the perimeter to the outside of the 3” circle into 12 equal portions
Twist adjacent portions away from each other and pinch the ends into a point.
Combine the scraps and roll into an oval, fold and form into a boule.
Cover and let rise 20-30 min. Re-pinch the ends as you stretch them out, then tuck the thin ends under the bread.
Whisk the egg and water and use to egg wash the breads
Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. (Tent the bread with foil after 15 -18 minutes to prevent over browning.) Internal temperature should be ~190⁰ F
Best when served warm. To cool, let rest in the pan for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Once cooled completely, store in a plastic bag.
Our neighbor, and QC Cadre member, gave us mandarin oranges off her tree, so once again I “processed” and returned to her in a different form. I thought the chocolate dipped orange shortbread cookies were really good, until I sampled the cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies.
Both are easy to make and take little hands-on time, and both are well worth the effort.
Pistachio and CranberryChocolate and Orange
Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies
INGREDIENTS • 1 c unsalted butter, softened • ½ c powdered sugar • 2 tsp orange zest (from 1 orange) • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 c all-purpose flour • ¼ teaspoon salt • ½ c dark or semi-sweet chocolate, melted • finely chopped candy orange or zest for garnish
METHOD
In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in the orange zest and vanilla extract until evenly combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add this to the wet ingredients, mixing until the dough just comes together.
Roll the dough into a log about 2 inches in diameter, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the chilled dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and place them on the prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking often after 12, until the edges are lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.
Once cooled, dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate and place them on parchment paper to set. Sprinkle with finely chopped candied orange or additional orange zest if desired.
Let the chocolate set fully before serving or storing in an airtight container.
Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies Recipe
INGREDIENTS • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened • 3/4 cup powdered sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1/2 tsp salt • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
METHOD
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Add the Flour and Salt:
Gradually add the flour and salt to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
Fold in the Cranberries and Pistachios:
Gently fold in the chopped dried cranberries and pistachios until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough logs from the refrigerator and slice them into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking often after 12, until the edges are lightly golden.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
By special invitation is my almond-crust-cranberry-curd tart.
Today is Thanksgiving in the USA . Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year. It is believed to be modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people.
For my whole life Thanksgiving centered around family and friends, old and new, sharing both a meal and each other. As a child Thanksgiving was held at our house and all our aunts, uncles and cousins would come for a huge mid-day meal. We had to finish early as our uncles had to go back to the farm to milk the cows. I had a lot of aunts and uncles and LOTS of cousins. Mostly I remember the pies, so many pies.
Since moving to California our son and daughter in law have hosted Thanksgiving and this year was no exception. There were over 20 people and enough food for 50.
I made an apple pie, an almond-crust-cranberry-curd tart (see below) and sweet potato dinner rolls. There were also two pumpkin pies and very little left when we were done.
Cranberry Curd Tart Almond Crust
INGREDIENTS For the crust • 99g (½ c) granulated sugar • 113g (8 Tbl) unsalted butter, softened • ¼ tsp table salt • 1 tsp King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract • ½ tsp almond extract • 180g (1½ c) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour • 72g (¾ c) almond flour or finely ground sliced or slivered almonds
For the cranberry curd • 12 ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen) • juice of one orange (~ ¼ c) • 250g (1 ¼ c) sugar • 2 whole eggs • 2 egg yolks • 113g (½ c, 1 stick) unsalted butter • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 tablespoon orange liqueur, such as TripleSec or Grand Marnier (optional)
For the Italian meringue • 2 egg whites • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar • 1/2 cup sugar • 1/4 cup water
METHOD Crust
Mix butter with sugar then add salt then vanilla.
Add egg and mix until incorporated. Stir in flour. Mix by hand like you are kneading bread until incorporated
Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min
Pre-heat oven to 350⁰F
Butter tartl pans, or use non-stick pans
Dock (prick holes in) bottom and sides of formed dough then refrigerate for 20 minutes
Line tart pan with crumpled then smoothed parchment paper and fill with pastry weights.
Paint edges of the tartlet with the egg wash.
Bake in preheated oven 350⁰ F (175⁰ C) for 15 min. Remove pastry weights 5 minutes before the end of the bake.
Immediately remove from pans and cool on a wire rack
Cranberry Curd
Heat the cranberries and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the cranberries split. Mix with an immersion blender then strain through a food mill or fine mesh sieve and discard the skins.
Return the strained cranberry mixture to the saucepan and add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, butter, vanilla, and orange liqueur (if using) to the pan and give everything a good stir. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and registers 170°F on an instant read thermometer (this usually takes about 8-9 minutes). Immediately strain (again) through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring bowl and then pour into the prepared crust. (The curd can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You may need to bake it a few more minutes for the tart to set when baking from chilled)
Bake (still at 350°F) until the curd is set (it should jiggle but not slosh), about 10 minutes. (Curd was jiggly after 20 more minutes baking.)
Let cool at room temperature for about 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill. You can serve this chilled or at room temperature.
Italian meringue
Add egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium high heat.
When the sugar mixture registers about 220°F turn on the mixer and begin beating the egg whites on medium speed.
When the sugar mixture registers 240°F remove from heat and carefully pour into the mixer over the egg whites. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
Transfer to a piping bag (or zip top bag) and pipe onto cooled tart as desired. If you want, torch the meringue with a kitchen torch. (But since it is cooked, this is totally optional).
As long as the oven was on and I had time to wait for doughs to chill etc, I also made a loaf of artisan bread.
When I cannot golf, I bake. On one hand, that is a good thing. My skills and knowledge are growing. On another hand the QC Cadre isn’t tired of my supplying them with baked goods. On someone else’s hand my muscles for playing golf are atrophying.
I recently received a set of perforated tart rings and a perforated silicon mat to bake the rings on. They all worked perfectly. Once baked, the tarts almost fell out of the rings.
QC asked for a chocolate covered caramel tart for her birthday. We spent her birthday day at the grands school talent show, then at a car dealership, during a severe rainstorm, and finally out with the family to a pizza birthday dinner. There was no time to fill the tarts, so I did them this morning.
Ingredients measured and weighedDry ingredients siftedTart disk bottoms cut and placed in ringsCaramel filled baked rings filledChocolate glazed tarts with edible gold foil garnish
CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TART
INGREDIENTS Crust • Unsalted Butter (room temp) 100g • Salt a pinch • Powdered Sugar 72g • Almond Powder 20g • Corn Starch 30g • Eggs (room temp)36g • Cake Flour 170g Caramel • 2 cups (424 g) granulated sugar • ½ cup water • ¼ cup corn syrup • ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, cut into 4-5 pieces • ½ cup heavy cream • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Glaze • 2 Tbl water • 60g sugar • 46g corn syrup (60ml) • 52g condensed Milk (40ml) • ¼ tsp agar agar • 60g dark chocolate
METHOD
Beat the room temp. butter lightly (add in salt).
Sift in powdered sugar, almond powder and corn starch. Beat lightly. Add the room temp. eggs gradually and mix. Finally, add in the cake flour and mix well.
Using a bench knife, “fraiser” the dough by repeated smearing portions of it on the table.
Roll it out to 2mm/3mm thickness between parchment papers. (2mm thickness for 6~8cm diameter, 3mm thickness for 14~18cm thickness.
Rest in the fridge for 1~2hrs
For perforated tart ring:
Cut it out into strips/discs. Disks equal to tart ring diameter, strips ~ ¾” wide and 2” longer than tart ring circumference, ~14.5” for a 4” tart ring. (4” x π + 2”)
Coat the inside of the ring with butter. Position tart ring over a disk and place on a perforated mat.
If the strips are too stiff to bend, warm slightly with your hands. Line the side of the tart ring with the disk. Glue any seams by warming with your finger.
Trim top of strip with a knife
Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Bake 3mm thick crust at 340⁰F for 15mins. (320⁰F for 2mm)
If you are to bake the tart crust again after adding the almond cream, then bake 2-3mins less. (~12-13mins.)
For regular tart pan:
Cut it out into one big disc ~2” larger than tart pan
Line the tart pan.
Prick the bottom.
Place a sheet of parchment paper and then pie weights.
Bake 3mm crust at 340⁰F for 10mins, take the pie weights out, then bake for another 5 mins. (320⁰F for 2mm)
If you want to apply egg wash the recipe is as follows: 10g Heavy Cream, 40g Egg yolk. Mix them well and strain it before use. Once the tart shell has cooled down completely, then brush them evenly and bake for ~10-12mins at 160℃.
For the caramel:
In a heavy bottomed saucepan (important so that the heat conducts evenly!), combine the sugar, water and corn syrup (try not to splash the mixture up on the sides of the pan). Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until the mixture is a medium-dark amber color, tilting the pan just slightly every couple of minutes to swirl the mixture.
Immediately remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the butter, cream and vanilla. The hot mixture will bubble vigorously. Stir to combine (don’t go too crazy scraping down the sides of the pan).
Pour the caramel over the baked crust. Refrigerate until the caramel is set and no longer warm, 1-2 hours (make sure you set the tart on a really flat surface in the fridge or else it will set up tilted or uneven).
For the glaze:
Heat water, sugar, agar, corn syrup to boil to 220⁰F
Add condensed milk and dark chocolate and blend with an immersion blender.
Leave it overnight and use it the next day.
Heat in the microwave to make it pourable
Divide evenly among the tarts, rolling around to smooth out and cover each tart
aBatteredOldSuitcase 