SOURDOUGH CHOCOLATE TWIST BREAD

Posted in Breads, Breakfast & Brunch by sallybr

Every once in a while, it’s nice to expand the horizons of the sourdough starter. I have yet to try sourdough croissants, a much more involved process, but when I saw a blog post joining bubbly starter with chocolate in a twisted shaping, I could not wait to try it. It does take a little practice to get the braiding correctly, but I think this attempt turned out a little better than the one of years ago. Practice, practice, practice.

SOURDOUGH CHOCOLATE TWIST BREAD
(slightly modified from My Daily Sourdough Bread)

Starter
100 g water
100 g bread flour
1 tablespoon sourdough starter

Dough
all of the above starter
180 g warm milk (water can be used instead, for a less rich dough)
370 g bread flour
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons of melted butter
1 tablespoon of sugar
6 g salt

Filling
100 g soft butter
60 g brown sugar
50 g grated chocolate (70% cocoa)

In the evening, first prepare your sourdough starter. Mix 100 g of white wheat flour, 100 g of water, and 1 tablespoon or your base starter. Leave it to ferment until risen, puffed, active and bubbly, so you will be able to mix it into the dough next morning.

In the morning, mix the dough. First, dissolve all of your starter in 180 g of milk (or water, if desired). Add egg yolk and melted butter. Next, add all of the flour (370 g), salt and sugar. Mix well, and knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth. Shape it into ball and place it into a bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and leave to ferment until doubled in volume, about 3 hours.

Prepare the filling mixing softened butter, sugar, and grated chocolate. Line a Dutch oven or another appropriate baking container with a piece of parchment paper.

Roll the dough into a 12×18 inch rectangle. Drop the filling across the rolled dough and spread it thinly, leaving about 1 inch clean border on all sides. Roll the dough from the longest side, then tuck the ends underneath. Cut the rolled dough in half length-wise. Flip the cut halves outwards.

Start braiding two strands one over another. Tuck the ends together to form a circle. Place the twisted bread into Dutch oven and let it rise until doubled, about 1.5 hours.

Heat the oven to 375°F. When the dough is ready, put the Dutch oven into oven and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack before slicing. If desired, cover the bread with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This was a fun weekend project, for sure. My only issue was that during baking, a lot of butter sipped out of the bread, forming a puddle on the bottom of the baking dish. I was not sure how to deal with it, so I ended up using one of those stainless steel bulb basters (like this one) to remove the butter a couple of times during baking. The bread tasted amazing, no major harm done on the bottom crust, all seemed fine. It was not overly greasy either.

We enjoyed some of it still a bit warm from baking. A deep silence ensued. You know how that goes sometimes. Leftover wedges were wrapped in plastic and frozen. A few minutes in a low oven restored the bread to top-notch level, so rest assured, you won’t need to consume it all in one sitting. There’s a limit of how much aerobics a person can do…

This bread is a nice alternative for a pain au chocolat craving. Much easier to make and equally delicious.

ONE YEAR AGO: Dan Lepard Times Three

TWO YEARS AGO: Turkey Portobello Burger

THREE YEARS AGO: Raspberry Ricotta Cake

FOUR YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2014

FIVE YEARS AGO: Whole-Wheat Pasta with Lemony Tomatoes and Spinach

SIX YEARS AGO: Blood Orange Duck: A work in progress

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Grilled Mahi-mahi with citrus marinade

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Memories of Pastéis

SaveSave

5Apr2018

CLAY POT ROAST CHICKEN

Posted in clay pot cooking, Poultry by sallybr

In my las post – In My Kitchen – I mentioned that we got a large clay pot. I put it to use right away, making the most classic item in clay cooking: a whole chicken. It is truly a non-recipe, essentially no work, no special ingredients. Salt and pepper. I added lemon slices just because. The clay pot gets soaked in water for half an hour, drained, and placed with the chicken inside (obviously) in a cold oven. As the oven heats up, the water retained by the porous surface of the pot turns into steam – a lot of steam – contained in the pot. With time moisture is reduced and the pot turns into a real roaster. You simply cannot beat the texture achieved by this type of cooking, and if you are into crispy skin, no problem, open the lid and let it roast for 10 to 15 more minutes.

CLAY POT ROAST CHICKEN
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

1 chicken, about 4 pounds
fingerling potatoes
carrots
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Soak the clay pot in cold water for 30 minutes.

Pat dry chicken, season liberally with salt and pepper all over, and place lemon slices in the cavity. No need to truss it, but you can do it if you’d like.

Place fingerling potatoes, left whole if small, cut in half lengthwise if big, on the bottom of the clay pot. Add carrots. Use enough veggies to fully cover the bottom of the pot. Place the chicken on top. Close the lid, and place in a cold oven.

Set the oven to 430 F, and cook the chicken for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Open the lid and let it roast for additional 10 to 15 minutes, if you like a more crispy skin.

You can make a simple gravy with all the juices accumulated in the clay pot, or simply drizzle it over the meat.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: It’s so nice to go back to simplicity in cooking. Yes, there’s something to be said about involved sauces and marinades, braises that take every single spice you own, measuring 1/8 of a teaspoon of this, a pinch of that, to the point that you wonder… could I really tell a difference if I left a few of the spices out? In this preparation, all you need is salt and pepper. You can gild the lily if you prefer, grab that smoked paprika, the fennel, the Herbes de Provence. But consider making it once like this. You’ll be surprised by how flavorful a simple roast chicken can be.

The root veggies will cook and get soaked by the juices, and for that reason I think the lemon is a simple addition that brightens up the flavor. This was our non-traditional Easter dinner, by the way. We did not feel like having lamb, a light snow was falling outside, roast chicken was a perfect choice that evening.

Added bonus? The glazed interior makes cleaning a breeze!

Stay tuned for more adventures in clay pot cooking… I’ve got quite a few things on my list to try soon, including a nice loaf of sourdough bread. If you have a favorite recipe to use the clay pot, please let me know in the comments, will you?

ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2017

TWO YEARS AGO: Secret Recipe Club: Chicken Korma and a Bonus Recipe

THREE YEARS AGO: Josey Baker’s Olive Bread

FOUR YEARS AGO: Almonds, A Cookbook Review

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pomegranate-Molasses Glazed Carrots

SIX YEARS AGO: Codruta’s Rolled Oat Sourdough Bread

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Roasted Corn and Tomato Risotto

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Light Rye Bread

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

1Apr2018

IN MY KITCHEN – APRIL 2018

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Three months have passed since I took you for a walk around the Bewitching Kitchen. Time for another virtual tour. In My Kitchen is a fun tradition started by Celia and now hosted by Sherry, from Sherry’s Pickings. Stop by their virtual spots to say hello, but not before you are done walking with me…

As usual, I like to start by sharing the gifts that found their way into our kitchen….

For my Birthday (back in March), from my grandkids:

A gorgeous Bundt pan, and a rectangular tart pan with removable bottom. Can you say happy camper? Getting one year older all of a sudden is a lot less painful…

From Phil, temptation in shape of many truffles….

From Aritri, temptation in a can…

Gulab Jamum is heaven in form of dessert. I fell in love with it the first time I tried, many years ago. You can read all about it here. I’ve flirted with the idea of making it from scratch, but it’s really a very involved process. Little balls with a taste that reminds me of cooked condensed milk, floating in a simple syrup. Yes, very sweet, a little bit will satisfy your cravings…

Since I spoke of Aritri, I take the opportunity to give a little update. Tomorrow, April 2nd, she starts the second cycle of chemo at Sloan-Kettering, New York. We have the gofund still going strong, and thanks to all the generous donations she’s been able to stay in New York and get the best possible treatment. Thank you for all of you who donated or helped in any way with messages, advice, and moral support.

From Ms. S., Aritri’s Mom, home-made temptation on a plate…

Paatisapta, a Bengali dessert. Delicate crepes, traditionally made with rice flour from freshly harvested rice. The filling can vary a lot, sometimes even savory stuff is used. These had a creamy coconut filling, and were very delicious. The crepes were made with a mixture of rice and semolina flour, as they were unable to find the exact kind of rice flour they would have in India. Absolutely lovely!

From my niece Raquel…

Raquel knows of my love for elephants, and sent me this package with two beautiful coffee cups (handmade), pen holders, and elephant and dog clips. They work great to close paper and plastic bags, and also to keep parchment paper collars when you want to make a tall souffle, or something along those lines. Such thoughtful gifts!

From Phil….

As you may have noticed, we do have a little problem with coffee and tea cups. Oh,well. There are worse addictions in life. We are not interested in any type of therapy to get rid of this one. These were all from our favorite UK artist, Mary Rose Young, found on ebay.

In our kitchen…

A baguette-flipper. A wooden board that is perfect to transfer baguettes from their proofing stage into the oven, as the less you mess with them after shaping, the better. I’ve always wanted to have one, and now I do! Stay tuned for a baguette adventure coming up soon.

In our kitchen…

Since we are talking baguettes, might as well share one more item to make them. Diastatic malt powder, often used in bread dough to maximize fermentation. America’s Test Kitchen recommends using it in uses some in their baguette formula.

In our kitchen…

A dough docker. Yes, I realize the tines of a fork do the same job. But this is sexier. So there!

In our kitchen…

A spoon-shaped cutter. I first saw this gadget used to make a super cool bite-size dessert. Take a look at this post. I got in touch with the company, and Mr. Roy shipped it to me from the UK. I intend to put it to use very soon… Adorable, don’t you think? You can also roll out sandwich type bread very thinly, use the spoon cutter to cut them in spoon shape, toast and serve with all sorts of dips, tapenade, cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers… Endless possibilities!

In our kitchen…

A cookbook with very interesting ideas for non-alcoholic drinks. For more info, click here.

In our kitchen…

Cute little platters found at Marshall’s. I see blue macarons in the future…

In our kitchen…

Another Marshall’s gem. As I’ve mentioned many times, I am not too fond of jams. Never spread them on toast, alone or paired with peanut butter. But, they are amazing as components of macaron fillings, so whenever I see a more exotic flavor, I cannot resist bringing it home.

In our kitchen…

A very nice tahini, in fact this is the brand recommended by the one and only Ottolenghi. I ordered it from amazon, as I could not find it in town.

In our kitchen…

This is a silicone piping bulb. I have not tried it yet, but intend to do so in the near future. The reviews on amazon were pretty good, and I think it might come in handy for small piping jobs. It comes with three tips, but it will fit most sizes of tips available in the market.

In our kitchen…

A clay pot. I used to have one many many years ago, but it cracked and after saying goodbye to it, I decided to live without one. Recently, my beloved had a craving for clay pot chicken, and that was all the stimulus I needed to bring it into the Bewitching Kitchen. Stay tuned. Did you know you can use it to bake fantastic loaves of bread too? Ours is glazed inside, which facilitates cleaning.

And now, it’s time for our loyal and goofy four-legged furry friends to say hello… They’ve waited patiently for 3 months and cannot wait to share their own adventures….

Bogey Quit That, over the 18 months he’s been with us, has changed a lot. He seems more adapted to his new routine, and is having a lot more fun patrolling the backyard with his brothers. However, there is no doubt he prefers weekends, when he can be inside with us.

Oscar, as usual has his “issues.”

Your willingness to share with me some of your fancy soup is appreciated, but I don’t think I would like it. Therefore, I won’t even taste it.

Whereas his brothers had a totally different take on it…

Normally a very well-behaved pup, Buck got himself into trouble.

Those were the remains of the cork of a very special balsamic vinegar, a gift from our friends Marijo & Vlad. I must have dropped the cork on the floor and did not even notice until it was too late.

Would you ever forgive me, Mom?
Maybe the fact that I am the cutest dog in town could help?

Oh, pleeeeease… cute is MY middle name!

Methinks you are both in blind denial. My carefully placed spots make me the most handsome dog to ever roam the Earth.

And I’m the only one who matches Mom’s outfits…

You must be joking. I can outmatch you anytime!

Plus, matching outfits is no big deal. I am the only one who meditates with Mom…

But, not all is peace and quiet in the Bewitching Kitchen…

Scary indeed, but nothing compared to Osky, when he accidentally saw some luggage going into the pick up truck.
Luggage = kennel.

He hid in the den, and tried to cover himself with the dog bed. I was not fast enough to get a perfect shot, but his sad eyes convey all the emotion… Still, we always come back to rescue them and shower them with love!

That’s all for now, folks!
We hope you enjoyed the Spring version of In My Kitchen…

ONE YEAR AGO: First Monday Favorite