FLOWER SHAPED DINNER ROLLS

Posted in Breads by sallybr

These adorable rolls popped on my Instagram feed, and I fell in love with them so hard that I mixed the dough right away. To be precise, 20 minutes after watching the reel (click here for it). I consider it a work in progress, for reasons I will discuss in the comments…

FLOWER-SHAPED DINNER ROLLS
(from Joyce Mrad)

325g flour
150mL slightly warm milk
1 egg
50g butter, softened
1 tsp instant yeast
30g sugar
1 tsp salt
purple carrot powder or any other natural food coloring, about 1 tsp

In a KitchenAid type bowl, add milk, sugar, yeast, egg, salt, and flour. Mix them together until they form a shaggy mass of dough. With the machine running (dough hook), add the butter in small pieces and knead until smooth. Split the dough in half. Color one half with your choice of natural dye.

Place both dough portions in a warm spot and let them rise for approximately 2hours, or until doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, punch it down. Roll and flatten both dough portions into squares, layering the purple dough over the white dough.

Use a cookie cutter to cut small circles from the layered dough. Take each circle and fold it three-quarters, then fold it in half again, pinching the ends to form petals. When you make five petals add a small ball of dough in the middle. Repeat the folding and shaping process until all the dough is used.

Cover the flower-shaped dinner rolls and let them rise again until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Brush the rolls with milk. Bake them in a 375F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown. Once the rolls are baked, brush them with melted butter and sprinkle sesame seeds in the middle of each roll for decoration.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I used ebony carrot powder which was very beautiful in the raw dough, but baked to a much less appealing color. I will use something different next time. Also, I believe the rolls will be better if made with a smaller cookie cutter, so that the petals are more delicate and the rolls smaller. The whole recipe gave me just three rose-shaped rolls, so smaller circles are going to work better for this.

The rolls work almost like a pull-apart bread, pretty cool! Not at all complicated to make, and you can always use a single dough for the shaping effect, which will still be nice.

ONE YEAR AGO: Pride Macarons

TWO YEARS AGO: Blood Orange Macarons

THREE YEARS AGO: One-Two-Three Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: Marshmallow Macarons

FIVE YEARS AGO: Fujisan Bread

SIX YEARS AGO: Air-Fried Tomatoes with Hazelnut Pesto & Halloumi Cheese

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Red Velvet Layered Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Lemon-Lavender Bars

NINE YEARS AGO: Quinoa Fried Rice

TEN YEARS AGO: Carrot Flan with Greens and Lemon Vinaigrette

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: The Secret Recipe Club: Granola Bars

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Awesome Broccolini

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: A Twist on Pesto

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Ciabatta: Judging a bread by its holes

6Jun2023

FRESH DILL AND FETA SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

A match made in heaven and materialized in the Bewitching Kitchen! We were lucky to get a huge bag of fresh dill from a departmental colleague and I had some feta cheese hanging in the fridge. One thing led to another and here we are!

FRESH DILL AND FETA SOURDOUGH
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

475g white bread flour
25g whole-wheat flour
9g salt
350g water
65g sourdough starter at 100% hydration
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced (or amount to taste)
50-100g feta cheese, crumbled

Make the levain mixture about 6 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be very bubbly and active.

When you are ready to make the final dough, place the water in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer and dissolve the starter in it, mixing with a spatula briefly, then add the two types of flour, and the salt. Turn the mixer on with the hook attachment and knead the dough for 3 minutes at low-speed all the time. Add the dill, knead for another minute to incorporate. If the dough is too sticky, add 1/4 cup flour, you want the dough to start clearing the sides of the bowl, but still be sticky at the bottom.

Remove from the machine, and transfer to a container lightly coated with oil, add the feta and gently mix it in. Don’t worry about incorporating it, it will all go into the dough as you fold it. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment for 4 hours, folding every 45 minutes or so. After four hours bulk fermentation, shape the dough as a ball, and place, seam side up, in a lightly floured banetton. Leave at room temperature one hour, and then place in the fridge overnight, from 8 to 12 hours.

Next morning, heat the oven to 450F. Invert the dough over parchment paper, rub gently tapioca flour on the surface. Score with the pattern of your choice and bake at 450F for 45 minutes, preferably covered for the first 30 minutes to retain steam. Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: For the scoring of the surface I used a combination of razor blade and scissors. The bread had impressive oven spring, but I liked the way the design ended up. As to the flavor, I noticed that the dill came through stronger on the second day of the loaf sitting at room temperature. Usually in the evening of day #2 we slice what is left and freeze for later, so that’s what we did.

Really nice to bite into a little piece of feta cheese…..

ONE YEAR AGO: Marinated Chickpeas with Slow-Roasted Red Peppers

TWO YEARS AGO: Passionfruit Millionaire’s Shortbread

THREE YEARS AGO: Chai-Mango Rosette Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: Common Table, Something New in My Life

FIVE YEARS AGO: The Daisy, a Bread with Brioche Alter-Ego

SIX YEARS AGO: Pork Tenderloin, Braciole Style

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Raspberry Buckle

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Seafood Gratin for a Special Dinner

NINE YEARS AGO: Cooking Sous-Vide: Sweet and Spicy Asian Pork Loin

TEN YEARS AGO: Farewell to a Bewitching Kitchen

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen. June 2012

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Goodbye L.A.

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: 7-6-5 Pork Tenderloin

11May2023

BAKING THROUGH THE BLOGOSPHERE

Posted in Breads, Cake, Cookies by sallybr

Once again I share with you bakes that I’ve made over the past couple of months, following recipes from blogs I love…
(links to recipes below each individual picture)

TROPICAL SHORTBREAD COOKIES
from Pastries Like a Pro

(recipe available here)

These are shortbread type cookies with macadamia nuts and coconut, absolutely delicious! I made the chocolate glaze in two different ways, one simply dipping like Helen suggests, and the second way adding some texture. To do so, I laid a piece of textured paper on the chocolate while still wet as shown below. It is hard to get it smooth to the very edge of the chocolate, but I still liked the effect.

RAMASAN PIDESI
from Caroline’s Easy Baking Lessons

(recipe available here)

This is a great soft bread, ready in 2 hours! Uses instant yeast, and depending on the size of your pizza pan, you can have enough for 2 full round breads or go with a large round and the leftover used for a different shape of your liking. I opted for a 4-stranded braided loaf.

The crumb is spectacular, Phil now wants this bread on a regular basis… His favorite is the flat shape.

BOUCHONS AU CHOCOLAT
from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

(recipe available here)

These were made famous by Thomas Keller, and they use a specific mold to make the right shape, like a cork. I’ve had the mold for years, unfortunately it does not seem to be available any longer, but you can use a muffin tin. I used the exact recipe blogged by Karen, which is a variation from the original. Absolutely delicious, but you must adore a strong chocolate taste, this is not a sweet, kid-friendly concoction. It will be showing up again in our kitchen, for sure!

HOSTESS MINI-CAKES
(from Baker’s Anonymous)

(recipe available here)

Helen was a tent-baker with me during the Great American Baking Show and she is now a professional baker, with a super busy life! She keeps her blog with great recipes, and this one got the most enthusiastic reviews from our departmental colleagues. A must-make! It was a great opportunity to put to use my little cupcake corer thingie…

RED TART CHERRY PIE BARS
from Bakes by Brown Sugar

Another tent-baker friend, Cheryl, from a season before mine, these are absolutely spectacular! She uses canned tart cherries, which I had never even bought before, not knowing if they would be good. Well, they work wonders in this preparation, and you will not be disappointed at all. Easy, sharp, sweet and tart at the same time. Make them!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH PEANUT BRITTLE
(from David Leibovitz)

(recipe available here)

Have you ever made peanut brittle? If not, you absolutely need to correct this handicap. The only problem is stop sampling the brittle so you have enough for the cookies. You’ve been warned. The cookies are amazing, with the regular flavor of a chocolate chip, but the added intensity of the caramelized peanuts.

I hope this series got you inspired to bake some sweetness!

ONE YEAR AGO: Oriental Style Sesame Slaw

TWO YEARS AGO: Revelation Veggie-or-Not Egg-Roll Bowl

THREE YEARS AGO: Covid Update and Stayin’ Alive

FOUR YEARS AGO: A Brazilian Hummingbird

FIVE YEARS AGO: A Cookbook Review

SIX YEARS AGO: Air-Fried Carrots, Two Ways

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Sweet Potato Crust Quiche

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Chicken Thighs with Artichokes and Capers

NINE YEARS AGO: Pea Pancakes with Herbed Yogurt

TEN YEARS AGO: Mushroom Stroganoff

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Tomato Sourdough

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Gamberetti con rucola e pomodori

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Flirting with Orzo

25Mar2023

ALMOND FLOUR SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

No, this is not a gluten-free bread, it is a regular sourdough with a small amount of almond flour (natural kind, with skin on during processing). You won’t be able to tell exactly what is in it, but the almond gives it a nice flavor component.

ALMOND FLOUR SOURDOUGH
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

470g bread flour
30g almond flour
20g spelt flour
10g salt
365g water
80g sourdough starter at 100% hydration
tapioca flour for dusting dough

Make the levain mixture about 6 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be very bubbly and active.

When you are ready to make the final dough, place the water in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer and dissolve the starter in it, mixing with a spatula briefly, then add the three types of flour, and the salt. Turn the mixer on with the hook attachment and knead the dough for 4 minutes at low-speed all the time. If the dough is too sticky, add 1/4 cup bread flour, you want the dough to start clearing the sides of the bowl, but still be sticky at the bottom.

Remove from the machine, and transfer to a container lightly coated with oil, cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment for 4 hours, folding every 45 minutes or so. After four hours bulk fermentation, shape the dough as a ball, and place, seam side up, in a lightly floured banetton. Leave at room temperature one hour, and then place in the fridge overnight, from 8 to 12 hours.

Next morning, heat the oven to 450F. Invert the dough over parchment paper, dust with tapioca flour and slash with a new razor blade, in any pattern you like.

Bake at 450F for 45 minutes, preferably covered for the first 30 minutes to retain steam. Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I went a little blade-crazy with the scoring, using my new blade, this beauty with the logo of my dear friend Elaine, Foodbod Sourdough. Click here to get yours. The square cuts I made with small scissors, the same I use for cutting piping tips, very small blade.

A delicious bread, with a slightly softer crumb, as the almond flour contributes some fat and helps retain moisture.

ONE YEAR AGO: Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Tahini Dressing and Chickpeas

TWO YEARS AGO: Asparagus and Snow Peas with Walnut Crumbs

THREE YEARS AGO: Yin and Yang Viennoise Bread

FOUR YEARS AGO: Extreme Chocolate Cupcakes

FIVE YEARS AGO: Sunflower Seed Kamut Sourdough

SIX YEARS AGO: The Joys of Grating Squash

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Auberge Pecan-Walnut Bread

EIGHT YEARS AGO:Gluten-free and Vegan Raspberry Bars
.
NINE YEARS AGO:Lasserre, a French Classic
.
TEN YEARS AGO:Sourdough Bread with Walnuts and Dates
.
ELEVEN YEARS AGO:Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Apricot Glaze
.
TWELVE YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce
.
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO:Pork Tenderloin and Blue Cheese

12Feb2023

PECAN SOURDOUGH DRESSED UP FOR PARTY

Posted in Breads by sallybr

I’ve been having a lot of fun coupling the air-brush with sourdough baking. It is fast, simple and efficient to add a little bling to your bread. I used pecan flour in a small amount, because since it lacks gluten, I don’t want to risk compromising the structure of the bread.

PECAN SOURDOUGH
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

385g white bread flour
20g pecan flour
20g whole-wheat flour
8g salt
280g water
65g sourdough starter at 100% hydration

optional: gold air-brush dye

Make the levain mixture about 6 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be very bubbly and active.

When you are ready to make the final dough, place the water in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer and dissolve the starter in it, mixing with a spatula briefly, then add the three types of flour, and the salt. Turn the mixer on with the hook attachment and knead the dough for 4 minutes at low-speed all the time. If the dough is too sticky, add 1/4 cup flour, you want the dough to start clearing the sides of the bowl, but still be sticky at the bottom.

Next morning, heat the oven to 450F. Invert the dough over parchment paper, rub gently white flour on the surface. Score with the pattern of your choice and air-brush any region you want to highlight.

Bake at 450F for 45 minutes, preferably covered for the first 30 minutes to retain steam. Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The golden tone was a little lost during baking, so I air-brushed it again once it came out of the oven. In the composite picture above you see it exactly as it came out of the oven, and below after the second round of air-brushing. A red color would have stayed better, or perhaps I could have used luster powder in copper and mixed with alcohol to use in the air-brush. Something fun to try next time. We love the flavor of this bread, the pecan flour contributes a lot and gives a little more moisture.

There is no flavor associated with the dye, at least not with the brand I use, which is this one. I buy it in the large bottle because it is a favorite that I tend to use all the time, especially in cookies.