KAREN’S FOUR HOUR FRENCH BREAD

Posted in Breads by sallybr

My mile-long list of breads “to make soon” was shaken up by a recent post published by my friend Karen. It passed in front of all others, elbowing a Rustic Sourdough here, a Danish Rye there, a couple of Pretzel Loaves, and a few Crumpets. I could not get it off my mind, because not only her bread looked amazing, but she developed the recipe to make it happen in four little hours! Four hours from the time you grab the flour to watching the bread cool down and sing back to you… I simply had to try it. With just a little adaptation, using spelt flour instead of regular whole-wheat. Why? My whole-wheat was in the freezer and I had just a small amount of spelt left in the pantry, which turned out to be exactly the 50g needed for the recipe. It is called flour fate.

KAREN’S FOUR HOUR FRENCH COUNTRY BREAD

overview of the recipe

450 grams bread flour
50 grams whole wheat flour (I used spelt flour)
380 grams 90 to 95 degrees F water
10.5 grams fine sea salt
4 grams instant yeast

Flours are combined with water and mixed. Autolyse 20 minutes. Salt and yeast sprinkled on top. Incorporated by folding

Rest the dough 20 minutes. Fold. Rest 20 minutes. Fold. Bulk proof 2 hours.
(I proofed for 3 hours due to unforeseen circumstances).

Shape. Final rise 1 hour. Heat oven to 450F.

Bake for 40 minutes at, 30 minutes covered, generating initial steam using your favorite method.

Cool completely before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the full, detailed recipe, visit Karen’s site

Comments: As you can see, I went with a different pattern for slashing the dough, but when it opened, it had a mind of its own. I did not get a star-shaped pattern, but it’s ok. I definitely want to keep practicing. The bread had excellent oven spring, and made all sorts of nice noises while cooling, something that never fails to make a baker happy.
.
The bread was out of the oven a little after 5:30pm on Saturday, and my original plan was to slice it next day. However, when Phil saw the bread he gave me two options: slice it right away and hand him a slice, or witness him going at it with his hands and teeth. I chose the first option, and contrary to all my principles, sliced the bread while it was still warm. The crumb suffers a little, but truth be told, nothing beats the taste of bread fresh out of the oven!

This would be an ideal bread for those a bit afraid of all things yeast. No sourdough starter needed, pretty straightforward method, and wonderful results. Plus it all happens in a reasonably short time, as far as bread baking is concerned.

Karen, you outdid yourself with this one!
Thanks for another great recipe…

ONE YEAR AGO: The Siren’s Song of the Royal Icing

TWO YEARS AGO: Blog-worthy Roasted Butternut Squash

THREE YEARS AGO: Chocolate Currant Sourdough Loaf & Roasted Beet Hummus

FOUR YEARS AGO: Sesame and Flax Seed Sourdough

FIVE YEARS AGO: Spanakopita Meatballs

SIX YEARS AGO: Saturday Morning Scones

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Pain de Mie au Levain

11Nov2016

CURRY TURMERIC SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Bewitching Kitchen is a food blog and I like to keep it focused on the subject with only small detours into two passions of mine: science and fitness. I must say, though that a couple of recent posts by bloggers I follow echoed deeply inside me, so I share them with you. First, I invite you to read A Texan New Yorker’s take on chili. I must make that recipe in honor of a family I admire and already miss immensely. Then, please stop by Cecilia’s site, who just published a post called “I am an immigrant.” While you are reading it, keep in mind that I am one, one who got her green card and naturalization through long, complex processes several years ago. Her article is a very well-written piece describing the pleasure and pain associated with leaving your home country and starting all over somewhere else. I firmly believe that we are stronger when we are together. That prejudice and divisiveness should be fought against.

When we have friends over, I love to welcome them with a loaf of homemade bread. I did that when our friends Denise and Helio stayed with us over a weekend (see my post here), and last month did it again when our friend Cindy stopped by briefly on her road trip from St Louis to Oklahoma. I made a batch of parsnip hummus and thought that a loaf of sourdough with a subtle hint of Middle Eastern spices could be a good option to enjoy it with it. I did not want to add anything else to the bread, was hoping for a nice, golden crumb, with no nuts or goodies to distract from the spice components. I know you cannot judge if I succeeded as far as taste is concerned, but what do you think of its looks?

CURRY TURMERIC SOURDOUGH
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

200g sourdough starter
325g cold water
450g white bread flour
50g spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon curry
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 ½ tsp fine sea salt

In a large bowl, whisk the sourdough starter with the water. Add the flours, spices and salt. Stir until you have a soft, sticky mass. Cover the bowl and leave it for 10 minutes. Perform a series of quick kneads, 10 seconds or so, making sure you incorporate as much of dried bits of flour as possible, but if something remains stuck to the bowl, don’t worry about it. Leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Remove the dough to a slightly oiled surface. Wash and dry the bowl, Coat it very lightly with oil. Knead the dough again for a quick 10 second period and put it back in the clean, oiled bowl. Wait 30 minutes. Perform another cycle of kneading, or if you prefer, use the folding method, in which you stretch one side of the dough way up in the air, bring it over the full extension of the dough, turn it, repeat it four or five times from all directions. Wait 1 hour, with the dough covered lightly. Perform another series of kneading or folding. Wait one more hour, knead again. Wait 2 hours, divide the dough in two, and shape each half in a round or oblong shape.

Place in an appropriate containers lightly coated with flour, seam side down. Leave them for a final proof for 4 hours.

Invert the dough on parchment paper, slash the surface, and bake at 435 F with initial steam for a total of 45 minutes. I like to use a Dutch oven covered for the first 25 minutes, then remove the lid and allow the bread to brown uncovered for the final 20 minutes.

Cool the bread on a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Such a pleasure to work with this dough! All soft and bubbly, with the delicate scent of curry… I actually made two loaves, and decided to shape one as a batard, a shape I find very tricky to achieve. You can see, there is room for improvement…

My batard formed a little bulge in one side, and I also would prefer a more pointed edge. Well, gotta keep trying. Still tasted pretty amazing, and as we all know, beauty is skin deep. HA!

The mandatory crumb shot! What I love the most about this bread is the smell not only while it baked, but when a slice is gently warmed in the toaster oven next day. The hummus went perfectly well with it, but it was superb as a player in the ultra fashionable avocado toast. I smashed a slice of ripe avocado over the bread, sprinkled drops of lime juice and a light dust with Tajin. Sorry, no pictures, I think the blogosphere is already crowded with avocado toast photos, no need for me to add yet another one. But, do try it if you make this bread.

I am submitting this post to Bread Box Round Up,
hosted by Karen, the Bread Baking Goddess.

ONE YEAR AGO: Brigadeiros de Morango

TWO YEARS AGO: Feta-Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

THREE YEARS AGO: Artichoke-Saffron Souffle

FOUR YEARS AGO: Cinnamon-Wreath
.
FIVE YEARS AGO: Yeastspotting 11.11.11
.
SIX YEARS AGO: Oven-baked Risotto
.
SEVEN YEARS AGO: Potato-Roquefort Cakes with Ripe Pears

Save

23Mar2016

AUBERGE PECAN-WALNUT BREAD

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Every once in a while I see a recipe and get “the itch.” It will not leave my mind until I make it. Not only I catch myself thinking about it in the middle of the day, but I often dream about it. In my dreams, I might gather the ingredients and jump into action, or sometimes get into an almost nightmare mode in which I cannot read the ingredients or find them in my pantry. The mind works in odd ways. I have no idea why some recipes do this to me, but the most recent example was the Auberge Walnut Bread blogged by Karen, as part of the Bread Baking Babes group. It is a fun virtual event, also happens monthly as The Secret Recipe Club, but in this case a member of the group picks one bread recipe and everyone makes it. This month’s bread was chosen by Elizabeth, hostess of From OUR Kitchen. I highly recommend you stop by and indulge in her blog. She is hilariously witty, and keeps a wonderful site! Back to BBB, I have thought about joining the group because c’mon, who would not like to be a “Babe?” However, I don’t think I can handle another monthly commitment. Instead, I watch them from a safe distance and marvel at all the breads they bake. Until now, that is. When I saw Karen’s post, I got the itch, and because it is a bread that doesn’t require a sourdough starter, I made it right away. You should too. You won’t need to knead it by hand, you won’t need to fold it, baby it, watch it, nothing. It is one of the easiest bread recipes to tackle, and the result will blow your mind: a soft, moist, flavorful crumb, with a darker color than you would expect from a bread made only with white flour. Smells amazing as it bakes, tastes amazing with anything you’d like to pair it with. But I advise a little blue cheese. To quote Karen…

Oh Em Gee… 😉

AUBERGE PECAN-WALNUT BREAD
(slightly modified from Karen’s Kitchen Stories)

120 grams pecan pieces
50 grams walnut pieces

7 grams (one package) active dry yeast

85 grams (1/4 cup) honey (I used acacia)

320 grams (1 + 1/3 cups) warm water

30 grams (2 tablespoons) olive oil

500 grams (3 + 3/4 cups) bread flour

7.5 grams (1 + 1/2 tsp fine sea salt)

Heat the oven to 400 F. Spread the pecan and walnut pieces in a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 7 minutes. Let them cool. Pulse them in a food processor until you have both crumbs and medium pieces.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, honey, and warm water. Stir and let stand for about 10 minutes. Add the olive oil, flour, sea salt, and walnut pieces. Stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until the ingredients are combined. Knead with the dough hook for about 5 minutes, until the dough is fairly smooth. Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 75 minutes.

Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out without deflating it. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a floured banneton for the final rise. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 60 minutes. While it rises, heat the oven, with a baking stone (if you have one) on the middle rack, to 400 degrees F. When the dough has doubled, invert it on a sheet of parchment paper, slash the surface with a razor blade and quickly place it over the baking stone. Use your favorite method to generate steam (I invert the lid of a Dutch oven slightly moist and bake the bread covered for about 20 minutes). Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here
.

.
Comments: As you know, I love sourdough baking, but there’s something wonderful about having a loaf of bread cooling less than 3 hours after gathering the flour. In fact, the dough was quite fast to rise, it did not need 75 minutes for the bulk fermentation, in 65 min it was more than doubled, so I shaped it. And instead of allowing a full hour for the final rise, I decided it was good and ready at the 50 min mark. I toasted the nuts the evening before, and added them to the food processor right before mixing the dough. Easy as pie, except for the fact that the goal was to make a walnut bread and it turned into a pecan bread with a hint of walnuts. It is my personal saga, a perverse Flour-Vinegar-Nut trilogy. When it comes to those items, I am always stumped by the difference between what “I think I have”, and what “I do have” in the pantry. But, I can tell you that pecans worked very well, and the bread tasted terrific! Very moist, I am sure it would have lasted for several days at room temperature, but since it’s just the two of us, on the second day it was sliced and frozen for future enjoyment.
.

Elizabeth, it was great to “meet” you! Looking forward to following your adventures… And of course, Karen, you never cease to inspire me with your bread baking and cooking in general… Nice to have one more recipe from your site showcased in the Bewitching Kitchen…

ONE YEAR AGO: Gluten-free and Vegan Raspberry Bars
.

TWO YEARS AGO: Lasserre, a French Classic

THREE YEARS AGO: Sourdough Bread with Walnuts and Dates

FOUR YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Apricot Glaze

FIVE YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

SIX YEARS AGO: Pork Tenderloin and Blue Cheese

30Nov2015

ANNE BURRELL’S FOCACCIA

Posted in Breads by sallybr

You know you’ve been blogging for too long when you’ve got several focaccia recipes in your site… Granted, I had no intention of trying a new recipe. Instead, for our Halloween party I was set on using one of my tried and true blogged about not too long ago. However, in typical Sally fashion, I never bothered to check the recipe the day before. I knew I would be up very early and c’mon, how long can a focaccia dough take? It turns out that very long. For the recipe I had in mind, the dough goes through a fermentation overnight in the fridge. Bummer. A quick plan B was set into motion, and a ~~frantic~~ calm and collected google search took me to one of Anne Burrell’s recipes from years ago. Not surprising when Anne is concerned, her focaccia calls for a substantial amount of olive oil, more than any other I’ve ever made. I actually cut the amount a little and it was still delicious and with a crust that left our guests going back for seconds. And thirds. A very simple recipe to put together even if you decide to bake focaccia on a whim.

Anne Burrell Focaccia

ANNE BURRELL’S FOCACCIA
(slightly modified from Food TV Network)

1 3/4 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
2 tsp Herbes de Provence
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided (1/2 cup + 1/4 cup)
a little more olive oil for a final drizzle on top

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm, not hot or cool, place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low-speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

Coat a jelly roll pan with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Put the dough onto the jelly roll pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough.

Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and Herbes de Provence, then lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

composite1

Comments: Anne Burrell’s original version calls for a full cup of olive oil, half of it for the dough and half poured on the baking sheet. I simply could not bring myself to use so much oil, so I wrote the recipe with 3/4 cup total, but it could have been just a little less than that. It was still decadent. You know how a good croissant leaves your fingers a bit coated with butter? This focaccia will do the same. As Anne likes to say… accept it and move on. Also, my personal advice for the move on part: increase your running distance a little bit next day, or add a few more push-ups and bicep curls to your routine…

DISCLAIMER

This recipe is not:

Paleo-friendly

Low-carb

Low-fat

Gluten-free

Atkins-approved

Dukan-compliant

South-Beach friendly

Ketogenic

However, it is MIGHTY TASTY!

😉

Anne Burrell Focaccia2

ONE YEAR AGO: Double Chocolate and Mint Cookies

TWO YEARS AGO: Cappuccino Panna Cotta

THREE YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

FOUR YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

FIVE YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

SIX YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

4Aug2015

KA’KAT, A MIDDLE EASTERN SNACK BREAD

Posted in Breads by sallybr

These are serious contenders for the prize of World’s Cutest Bread… Plump, golden brown, topped with sesame seeds, they are simply irresistible! I found the recipe in Karen’s site, and fell in love at first sight. I almost made them for the Nobel reception we hosted, but that day was frantic enough without bread baking. In a way, I’m glad I did not push the envelope and tried squeezing in one more culinary project. But a couple of weeks later, I rolled my sleeves up and went to work. Not only these are adorable little entities, but they are a ton of fun to make. Surprisingly easy too. I hope I convinced you to bake a batch soon. You’ll need one exotic ingredient, though. Mahlab. Totally worth searching for, or if you want to make it easy on yourself, click on this link.

KA’KAT BREAD
(from Karen’s Kitchen Stories)

2 T sugar

2 tsp active dry yeast

2 cups warm (105 to 115 degrees F) water

17 to 21 ounces of bread or unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground mahlab

1 large egg, beaten

3 to 4 tsp sesame seeds
.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the sugar, yeast, and water. Add 12 ounces of the flour, and mix on low with the dough hook for about 3 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
.

Add the salt and mahlab, mix on low. Gradually add flour until you have a dough that is cohesive (I used all of the flour). Mix on low for about 10 minutes. Let the dough rise in an oiled bowl until doubled, about 60 to 120 minutes.
.

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Divide the dough into 32 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 6 inch rope. Form the ropes into rings and place them onto the baking sheets. Keep the rings covered with oiled plastic wrap. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.
.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and place the oven racks in the upper third of the oven. Brush the Ka’kat with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the Ka’kat for about 20 minutes, until golden. Rotate the pans halfway through. Let cool on the pans for about 5 minutes before serving warm.
.
Leftovers can be reheated in a hot oven.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here
.

.
As you know, I have way too many cookbooks, and quite a few are related to bread baking. Still, I could probably get rid of all of them and be happy baking along Karen’s yeast-steps. Yeap, I made up the word. How’s THAT for taking liberties with a second language? Daring is my middle name! Seriously, though. Karen bakes the most amazing breads, and I find myself bookmarking almost every single one of her posts “to make very soon.” Ka’kat was such a nice baking adventure! The dough is smooth, pliable, the smell of the mahlab giving that subliminal message… this is going to be one tasty bread…

Shaping the rings is very easy, although when the dough rises the central hole may or may not be closed… As Karen, I decided not to even worry about it…

A nice coating with egg wash followed by sesame seeds sprinkled on top…

And there you have it, a batch of Ka’Kat ready to be enjoyed, shared with friends, or stored in the freezer for later…

I cannot recommend this recipe highly enough, it would be a great project to tackle with kids, they would have fun forming the little dough ropes and then the rings. If you don’t have mahlab, don’t let that stop you from making the bread, but I must say the seeds add a flavor that will leave everybody wondering “what’s in it?”

Karen, thank you once again for inspiring me! I have so many breads I want to bake from your site, it’s not even funny… but I bet you knew that already…
.

ONE YEAR AGO: Spinach and Chickpea Curry

TWO YEARS AGO: Sautéed Zucchini with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil

THREE YEARS AGO: Orzo with Heirloom Tomato Relish

FOUR YEARS AGO: Headed to Brazil!

FIVE YEARS AGO: The Rhubarb Brouhaha: Revelation Compote

SIX YEARS AGO: Love me tender…