VOILA’ LES BAGUETTES!

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Second chapter on Cooking Projects 2012!

Five weekends. One hundred and twenty six ounces of flour. Blood. Sweat. A few tears. But, I am not afraid of shaping baguettes any longer. Is there room for improvement? No doubt, but the goal now shifts from shaping to baking: I must find a way to optimize the generation of steam. Apart from that, I am pretty happy with my babies…
UN-KNEADED, SIX-FOLD FRENCH BREAD
(from Jeffrey Hamelman, Bread)

2 pounds + 4.5 oz bread flour (8 + 1/4 cups)
1 pound + 10.6 oz water (3 + 3/8 cups)
3 + 1/2 tsp salt
1 + 1/4 tsp instant dry yeast

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, and using your hands or a plastic scraper, bring them together forming a very shaggy mass. The best way to do it is working the scraper down the sides of the bowl, and then rotating the bowl as you bring it up, and fold that part of the mixture on top. Do this movement about 20 times, which should mix everything together reasonably well at this stage. Do not worry about how smooth the dough is, it will feel and look very “rough”.

Set a timer to go off every 30 minutes. You will fold the dough every thirty minutes, for a total of six times (at that point you will be 3 from the start). At each cycle, fold the dough on itself using a scraper, for a total of 20 times, either removing the dough to a surface, or folding it inside the bowl. After the sixth folding cycle, leave the dough undisturbed for 30 minutes, then divide it in 12 ounce pieces (from the start, you will be at the 3 hour and 30 minutes mark). One full recipe makes 5 long baguettes.

Gently form each piece into a cylinder shape, and let it rest for 15 minutes (very important to relax the gluten, don’t skip this step). Shape as a baguette, then roll the baguettes to stretch them to their final size (make sure they will fit over your baking stone or the surface you intend to bake them on).

Let the baguettes rise (preferably using a couche well coated with flour) for 1 to 1 and a half hours at room temperature (ideally at 76 F). Score the baguettes and bake in a 460 F oven, with initial steam, for a total of 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I like to do the first four of the six kneading cycles using a different technique: I coat the granite counter top with a very light amount of olive oil, and slam the dough on it 15 to 20 times. You can see the technique demonstrated in this video. The last two cycles I omit the “slamming”, and simply fold it, so that the airy structure is not disturbed. Phil insists that I should let him make a video of my “slamming technique”, but so far I resisted the idea. Maybe one day… 😉

As to the shaping, I will be forever grateful to Gary, my friend and baker extraordinaire, who went through the trouble of mailing me a DVD of Chef Jeffrey Gabriel CMC, from Schoolcraft College. Gary made the video during his class on French baguettes, and I watched it over and over… and over! The main difference between Chef Gabriel’s technique and this one, is that he is not too concerned with where the seam of the baguette ends up. On my initial attempts, I was so worried about keeping the seam up for the final rise, that I ended up manipulating the baguettes too much and messed up their final shape. Gary’s method is much more user-friendly, and once you score the baguettes and bake them, the seam position seems to have no influence on the final look of the bread.

A few important pointers for success:

1. Coat the surface where the baguettes will rise (after the final shaping) with flour. They WILL stick if you forget this step, leading to intense grievance.

2. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes before shaping. You need that or the gluten will keep fighting back like an elastic band.

3. The better you get at shaping the baguettes, the longer they will be. If you want to bake them covered to create steam, this could be a problem. Consider making shorter baguettes – not authentic, but easier to bake in a home oven.

4. Baguettes are scored with an odd number of slashes. Usually 5 or 7. Some advise you to wet the blade to do it, I prefer to use a dry blade, as I like the “spiky” look of the slashes.

5. The baker’s blade is sharp. Make sure you cover it with the protective plastic cap when you are done, or, if using a blade with no cap, put it away. Leaving it sitting on the counter top is a recipe for disaster. (sigh)

After practicing several weekends in a row, I now settled on making half this recipe, and shaping either 3 long baguettes or 4 medium-sized. The tricky part is baking them: I can bake two at a time, so the last one must go through a longer rise. Sometimes it seems to be slightly over-proofed, and the resulting baguette is a bit flat. However, the taste is spectacular, this recipe produces a very creamy crumb, with a flavor that transported us to the 7eme arrondissement in Paris. Not a bad virtual trip to take! 😉

I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting…

ONE YEAR AGO: Cornmeal English Muffins

TWO YEARS AGO: Cornish Hens for a Sunday Dinner

16Feb2012

CARAMELIZED BANANAS

Posted in Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

First, let me to introduce the world’s expert on caramelized bananas, my Mom!
If I had to select one recipe to always associate with her, I’d pick caramelized bananas. When I was a child she’d make a batch almost every week, using different types of bananas from the street markets of Sao Paulo. Sometimes, depending on the variety she found at the market, the “doce de banana” turned almost purple when she cooked it, which was quite interesting. For my Brazilian readers, “banana prata” was the one that acquired the reddish-purple color. But, the regular Brazilian banana, which is the one on the shelves here in the US, was her top choice, because both me and my Dad loved it the most. It gets dark brown, with an intense, sweet flavor and a splash of freshness from the lemon juice squeezed at the end. So, when I saw this recipe in the February issue of Food and Wine I immediately went to work, making a batch of caramelized bananas, and using some for this delicious frozen yogurt treat.

CHOCOLATE FROZEN YOGURT WITH CARAMELIZED BANANAS
(adapted from Food and Wine magazine)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large ripe bananas, cut into 1-inch rounds
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
squeeze of lemon juice
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons 2 percent milk (divided)
2 + 1/2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 + 1/3 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Add the bananas in a single layer and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Cook over moderate heat, turning once, until caramelized, about 8 minutes. Squeeze a little lemon juice all over. Remove the pan from the heat, add the rum and swirl the pan to completely dissolve the sugar. Scrape three-quarters of the bananas into a food processor and add 3 tablespoons of the milk. Puree until smooth. Transfer the puree to a small bowl and freeze until chilled, 15 minutes. Chop the remaining bananas and freeze until chilled.

In another bowl, whisk the cocoa with the granulated sugar, salt, vanilla and the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Whisk in the yogurt until smooth, then the banana puree.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and churn until nearly frozen. Mix in the chopped bananas and pieces of chocolate. Scrape the frozen yogurt into an airtight container, cover and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Food memories are so powerful! As the bananas cooked down in the skillet, their aroma whisked me back to my parents’ home. Suddenly I was 17 again and rushing home from school, dashing to the kitchen, all tantalized by the smell of Mom’s caramelized bananas. Back home people like to pair them with farmer’s cheese or some vanilla ice cream, but I’m a purist: just a small bowl of “doce de banana,” and a tiny spoon to make sure the pleasure lasts longer… 😉

I never imagined using them as part of a frozen dessert, but it is sublime! The yogurt reduces the sweetness, but the bits of banana and the chunks of chocolate bring it back, just enough to make you happy. It is still a light dessert, much lighter than ice cream, and perfect for someone who’s not wild about sugary concoctions. Come to think of it, the other day I found a recipe online for burnt orange ice cream, and my antennas immediately went up. But I found that it called for a cup and a half of heavy cream, a cup of whole milk, a ton of sugar, and 5 egg yolks. It’s easy to make a decadent dessert with such a surplus of fat, but as David Lebovitz points out in his book “The Perfect Scoop,” it’s really not necessary, and this frozen yogurt proves his point. 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Roasted Lemon Vinaigrette

TWO YEARS AGO: Whole Wheat Bread

13Feb2012

DAN DAN NOODLES

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Pork by sallybr

This is comfort food, Asian style. Udon noodles have a slightly denser and more chewy texture than regular pasta, or even buckwheat (soba) noodles, so a small portion should satisfy you. The recipe, published in Bon Appetit a few months ago, is very traditional in Szechuan cuisine. Its Chinese name, dan dan mian (担担面) comes from street vendors carrying baskets of noodles (mian), hanging from those long poles that balance on their shoulders (dan). The authentic version is quite spicy, so reduce the amount of chili oil if you prefer a fire a little tamer… 😉

DAN DAN NOODLES
(from Peter Chang, published in Bon Appetit, October 2011)

8 ounces udon noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces ground pork
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped peeled ginger
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons or less chili oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoon tahini
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
Pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons sliced scallions

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until just tender (follow instructions on the package). Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again, and place in a large serving bowl (or divide the mixture in two for individual servings).

Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pork, season with salt and pepper, and cook for a couple of minutes (no need to fully cook the meat at this point). Add ginger; cook until pork gets lightly browned, about 2 minutes more. Stir in chicken stock, then add the chili oil, red vinegar, soy sauce, tahini, peppercorns, and a pinch of sugar.

Simmer everything together until the sauce thickens, about 7 minutes. Pour pork mixture over noodles; garnish with peanuts and scallions.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you don’t have Chinese peppercorns, simply omit them. I am the lucky owner of a bag of these peppercorns brought from China by a former graduate student in our lab. But, it’s also available online from many sources, including one of my favorite stores, The Spice House.

Usually, Phil and I agree on our assessment of a recipe. This time we didn’t. I loved it, he felt it was a tad too heavy and oily. Next time I might reduce the amount of oil used to saute the pork, and use peanut butter instead of tahini, dissolving it well in the other components of the sauce before adding to the pan.

The recipe made enough for our dinner, and I had leftovers for a light lunch a couple of days later. It is quite filling, but I still found myself glued to my chopsticks, going back to the serving bowl for one more taste…. and another…. and another…

ONE YEAR AGO: Sophie Grigson’s Parmesan Cake

TWO YEARS AGO: Antibiotics and Food

10Feb2012

SPANAKOPITA MEATBALLS: NO SECRET!

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

Four months ago I joined “The Secret Recipe Club”, and my first assignment was making a recipe from the moderator of our group, Tami’s Kitchen Table Talk. I picked this recipe as my first choice, but her “Spanakopita Meatballs” were a serious contender. First, the meatballs seem perfect for a light dinner or even for an appetizer, if made small and served with toothpicks. Plus, I love the name spanakopita… spanakopita… a happy word, always makes me smile! 😉
I combined Greece with Italy and enjoyed them with pasta in tomato sauce perfumed with orange zest.
SPANAKOPITA MEATBALLS
(adapted from Tami’s Kitchen Table Talk)

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, ground

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Defrost the spinach in the microwave, then place in a kitchen towel and squeeze to remove all the excess water. Place in a large mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix well, but don’t over mix, or the meatballs will get tough.

Roll into balls the size you prefer (I made 16 balls 1.5 inches in diameter), and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or foil lightly sprayed with olive oil). Bake for 12 minutes, turn them around and bake for 15 more minutes, or until cooked all the way through (it will depend on the size of the meatballs).

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I don’t even remember the last time I fried a meatball. Using the oven is soooo much easier, all meatballs are ready at the same time, there’s no extra oil added to the recipe, and clean up is a breeze if you protect your baking sheet with foil. Sometimes I use a rack like you see in this photo (these are pork meatballs with fennel, by the way), to encourage browning all around, but it’s not mandatory. I’ve been on a meatball kick lately, trying all sorts of recipes and improvising a bit too. But the “Happy Spanakopita” are still at the pole position. And, by the way, did you know that the term pole position originated in horse racing? Live and learn…

ONE YEAR AGO: Saturday Morning Scones

TWO YEARS AGO: Pain de Mie au Levain

7Feb2012

MISO IT UP

Posted in Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Green beans show up at our dinner table once a week, most of the time in a quick preparation with slivered, toasted almonds. It’s nice to have some recipes that you can almost pull on your sleep. This version from Bon Appetit is almost as simple, but feels a lot more special because it uses miso. I suppose it’s the funk factor, that umami component that adds extra flavor. Try this recipe, even if you don’t normally use this Japanese gem in your cooking. You’ll love it, I am sure.

GREEN BEANS WITH MISO AND ALMONDS
(adapted from Bon Appetit)

2 + 1/2 pounds green beans
salt
1/4 cup white miso (may use less if you are a miso newbie)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Cut green beans in pieces 1 to 1.5 inches long. Cook them in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender (less than 5 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well.

Whisk miso, vinegar, mustard, oil, and sugar in a small bowl. Season with salt, but very lightly because miso is already salty. Place green beans in a large bowl. Pour dressing over; toss to coat. Garnish with almonds.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

I always have miso in the fridge. It keeps for a long time, and shows up more and more in recipes everywhere. I often add it to sauteed mushrooms, but green beans match equally well with the sweet-saltiness of miso. Yin and Yang. Gotta love it!

This dish is a great side for chicken, salmon, steak, or pork. And leftovers are excellent even at room temperature.

ONE YEAR AGO: Ziti with Fresh Artichokes and Meyer Lemon Sauce

TWO YEARS AGO: Chicken Soup on a Chilly Evening