Not Derby Pie » bread

Raisin Walnut Rolls

rivka — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:17:16 +0000

We’ve been in our new place for over 2 months; it really is time I share at least one picture, eh?

There. That feels much better.

As you can see, our new home is….well, it’s magical for us. We wake up every morning totally tickled at how fortunate we’ve been to find, acquire, and inhabit such a warm, open, beautiful space. The kitchen is totally open, allowing me to prepare food while hanging out with our company. The couch is big and brown and leather and cozy – just what D wanted. The lounging chair is structured and linen-colored and funky and whimsical – just what I wanted. Our ketubah is up, our bar is stocked, and the fridge is embarrassingly full. We’re lucky ladies, the two of us.

As beautiful as our new kitchen is, cooking for the first time in a new home is challenging. At the very least, the appliances are unfamiliar, your cutting board is in a new spot, and everything feels somewhat off-kilter. At most, you’re simply overcome by the spotlessness of it all, and you can’t imagine spilling on the new counter anymore than you’re looking forward to the first dent in your new car. It’s all a little touch-and-go.

Having lived in 4 different apartments in two countries over the past 6 years, I’ve developed a bit of a routine for breaking in a new kitchen. You won’t find me butchering whole ducks during week 1 in a new place; instead, I start with the basics. A simple pasta dinner, with good tomato sauce. Pure, undoctored, totally unrivaled chocolate chip cookies. And last but not least, a good loaf of bread. Why bread? Think about it: get out that bread recipe, and you’ll find yourself measuring, mixing, kneading, preheating, baking, cutting, and eating – all essential firsts for a new kitchen. Back in November, I made a whole lot of no-knead bread as a sort of personal housewarming for our new apartment. Then, when the workbench was sufficiently familiar with my somewhat erratic movements and my fridge had more than a few shmears on the door handle, I got around to making these no-knead dinner rolls.

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Grape Rosemary Focaccia

rivka — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:30:11 +0000

This past week, we had the first day of what actually felt like fall in DC. Went for a run through Rock Creek Park with a friend, and barely broke a sweat, the air was so crisp. Walked out of the house in a sweater, and boots, and a scarf. All three! At once! We’ll pretend this week wasn’t 80 degrees and humid: Fall has fallen.

Apples have exploded at the farmers’ markets, and everyone’s talking about pie. But I still haven’t finished the last of my peach and nectarine store, and admittedly, I’m savoring them. I’m not quite ready to say goodbye. But I’ll split the difference: I’m ready, very very ready, for concord grapes.

In years past, puzzlingly enough, I’ve watched the two fleeting weeks of grape season pass me by. The fruit seemed prohibitively expensive, and I’ve worried that if I forked over the cash and bought them, I wouldn’t be able to figure out a way to use them that’d rationalize the expense in my mind. It’s all very psychological (and kind of ridiculous), but this year, I’ve come to my senses. Grapes were $5/quart at my local market, so I bought them, ate a bunch on the way home from the market, and baked the rest into this fantastic focaccia.

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Za’atar Flatbread

rivka — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:40:56 +0000

Behold the strangeness of za’atar.

Za’atar is an herb. Sorry – it’s not a specific herb, but one of any number of herbs in the hyssop family. Scratch that: it’s a combination of herbs. But wait, sometimes there are sesame seeds. Actually, it’s a paste made with some type or type of herbs, sesame seeds, and lots of olive oil.

Confused? Join the club.

In reality, za’atar is all of these things. There is a bush that grows in the deserts of Israel known as za’atar. The bush is most likely a member of the hyssop family, though some call it savory or wild oregano. Za’atar leaves are small and somewhat rough, and their flavor is a fusion of wild oregano and thyme.

The za’atar you buy in the supermarket is most likely a blend of different herbs. According to Lior Lev Sercarz, owner and spice blender behind the New York-based spice shop La Boîte à Epice, the most traditional elements of a za’atar blend are za’atar leaves, sumac, sesame seeds, and thyme. The color of these blends varies
from forest green to dark, deep red-brown, and the flavor ranges from woodsy and deep to tangy and a bit nutty. It all depends on the balance of herbs in the blend, and every country — nay, every spice blender — makes it a bit differently.

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Hearty Struan Bread

rivka — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:00:03 +0000

The Dupont Circle farmers’ market has a bread stand. They make all sorts of bread, from tangy sourdough to crusty boule to grainy raisin walnut and beyond. The line to buy bread at the market starts forming around 8:30, and by 9am, it’s pretty darn long. People spend 30 minutes just waiting in that line. I think it’s kind of crazy.

Don’t get me wrong, the bread is good. And in summer, when our apartment is about 100 degrees hotter than the temperature outdoors, I want my oven blasting on 450 for a couple hours about as much as I’d like to climb inside and sit for a while. But pretty much every week of fall, winter, and spring, I make my own bread. I really don’t understand why, when there’s perfectly good flour in my pantry and fine water flowing from the tap, I’d give up the pleasure of making my own bread dough. It’s tacky, stretchy, sticky, and smells alive. I love dough.

Take, for instance, this struan, a seemingly modest loaf that’s got as much other stuff (cornmeal, oats, yogurt, molasses) as it’s got flour and water. Struan is happy bread. It somehow manages to be rich and still wholesome. And it makes what quite simply is the best piece of toast I’ve ever had.

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Chocolate Babka

rivka — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:57:50 +0000

When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait for Saturday to come. I’d like to say I loved the break from homework and the chance to spend time outdoors, but really, it was just the Babka. Green’s Babka, specifically. The chocolate came in the blue wrapper; if you wanted cinnamon, you went for the green. Inside were many countless sheets of paper-thin dough, folded accordion style as densely as could be, and protectively encasing layers of chocolate. A cross-section had the complex structure of brisket, with all those layers to cut through. I ate mine from the outside in, peeling the layers apart slowly and seeing how thin I could rip each piece. It was quite the treat.

The complex structure of the dessert was etched in my mind. So many layers! And so impossibly thin! However did they do it? For years, I (stupidly) assumed that homemade babka was out of reach. But after a brush with the old-school Green’s a couple months back, I was jolted from the romance reminded that Green’s is made with wow, so much margarine. And no butter at all. I was convinced that by using the real stuff, I could make an even better version of the childhood classic.

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Thin Crust Pizza

rivka — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:42:37 +0000

I’ve tried making pizza on several occasions. Every time, as I bite into a not-quite-crunchy crust and get a lick of too-thick tomato sauce on my tongue, I wonder why we didn’t just hop on the 96 bus and get off at Two Amys, the best pizza in town. Well, all that’s changed. Armed with not one, but two excellent pizza recipes, I’m here to assure you that homemade pizza really is within reach.

I recently indulged in a couple new cookbook purchases. Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Everyday” and Jim Lahey’s My Bread have joined the party on my cookbookshelf, and I’ve spent the better part of the last several weekend mornings tucking into their recipes, devouring their advice. I’ve been making Lahey’s No Knead Bread for quite some time now, both plain and with all sorts of add-ins. His book offers all that and more: imagine his bread dough, studded with fruit and infused with spices, then baked wrapped in banana leaves. Or the same dough, flavored with coconut and chocolate, baked in that hot oven so that some of the chocolate crusts on the outside of the bread. The pictures in this book animate already-delicious-sounding recipes. I’m thrilled to have it on my shelf, and his pizza recipe is just one more reason. Ditto Reinhart, who offers many solid recipes for sandwich breads, challah, and even a cinnamon chocolate babka, sitting on my counter now and the subject of a future post. But I’m getting carried away: let’s talk about pizza.

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No-Knead Bread

rivka — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:35:25 +0000

The first morning after the snow started, I woke up in a bit of a frantic state. I knew there’d be no way to get to work, so rushing to the office was off the table. I had plenty of work to do, but the commute downstairs to my couch is about the length of President Obama’s. So why the rush? It was entirely the kitchen’s fault. The kitchen was packed solid with groceries, Y2K style, and I, in a way that only other cooking-obsessed people can understand, felt a sudden urge to cook it all.

Reader, I have cooking neuroses.

When cooking panic hits, there’s only one thing to do: get something started. And that’s just what I did. I pulled a big bowl off the shelf, added a few cups of flour, an itsy little bit of yeast, some salt, and a couple glugs of water. I stirred. I covered.

I’m sorry, did you want more steps?

Really, that’s all there is to this bread. It takes 2 minutes to start, and afterward, you have that wonderful sensation of having done something with your day. Works like a charm every time. As the name suggests, you don’t knead this bread; instead, you leave it alone to rise for about 18 hours, which develops both the flavor and the gluten that obviates the need to knead (hehe). To cook it, you heat a heavy pot in a very hot oven, then drop in the dough and listen to it sizzle. You bake it in that very hot oven mostly covered — the steam aids the bread’s rise — and then uncovered at the end, to achieve that crackly crust. It’s pretty much foolproof, and it yields a wonderfully flavorful loaf, every single time.

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Carrot-Zucchini Bread

rivka — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:30:26 +0000

This is the kind of recipe I live for. It reminds me of those really good bran muffins you find at local coffee shops, with the nutty, wholesome flavors and tops that crust around the edges and never are perfectly round. It’s got a more well-defined crumb than carrot kugel, but it’s not as sweet as carrot cake, and grated zucchini lends it sophistication. Not that this is a snobby loaf — just the opposite. It takes about 5 minutes to mix together, and the 80-minute baking time lets you actually get something else done while you wait. I brought it to our pre-Yom Kippur meal on Sunday afternoon, but it’d make a phenomenal breakfast or afternoon snack.

special thanks to reader Catherine for pointing out that I failed to mention the eggs in the ingredient list. Sorry everyone! Three eggs.

Carrot Bread
adapted loosely from Bon Appetit

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
3 eggs
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Sift first 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Beat sugar, oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla to blend in large bowl. Mix in zucchini and carrot. Add dry ingredients and stir well.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool bread in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around bread to loosen. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature.)

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Apricot-Stuffed French Toast

rivka — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:08:25 +0000

The third installment of “what’s for [catered] brunch?” begins with a tip on cooking for a crowd. When cooking for a crowd — especially if it’s folks you don’t know personally — I always try to size up the guests during the menu-planning stage, so that I can be sure I’m cooking dishes that’ll go over well, even if I don’t care much for them. When Rocco DiSpirito was on Top Chef a couple weeks back, he announced (inappropriately, if you ask me) that he loves bacon; every chef but one presented a bacon dish. The chef that didn’t actually made something that sounded pretty tasty, but he lost because Rocco likes bacon. Also: my friend Julia regularly cooks chicken when she hosts lunch, even though she’s veg, because her guests like chicken and she aims to please. It makes sense: cook for the crowd, not necessarily for yourself.

While I don’t always follow this rule, I tend to stick with it when I don’t know the people I’m cooking for, as with the catered brunch from a few weeks back. And since I know that most people love creamy, gooey things, I opted for a (relatively) easy stuffed french toast recipe from Martha. It’s basically thick slices of french toast that are stuffed with a mixture of apricot jam and cream cheese. Not my cup of tea, nor my mom’s, but boy was it the crowd favorite. As usual, we made some key adjustments after tasting the filling, because we found the combo of cream cheese and apricot jam somewhat flat and lacking in character. A generous confetti of lemon zest and a fair sprinkle of lemon juice made all the difference. We made enough that there were three for each person; five courses notwithstanding, people did the job and polished off nearly all the french toast. Watching the guests rave, my mom and I took one of the end pieces, put it on a plate, sliced two little bites off, and each tried it. We looked at each other, bobbed our heads in agreement that it tasted as we expected, and then laughed as we acknowledged that neither of us particularly liked it. But hey, the guests were happy. More than happy.

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lazy boozy french toast casserole

rivka — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:36:21 +0000

Since having surgery on my foot, my time in the kitchen has been severely limited. It pretty much hurts to stand still for more than a few minutes, and I can’t put much pressure on the foot yet. My left foot is taking a serious hit, what with all the hopping and limping, so standing on one foot to cook complex, multi-step dishes is also not an option. With this in mind, I’ve had to curtail my everyday zeal about being in the kitchen, and limit my cooking to practical dishes requiring little to no prep.

When at last Saturday’s lunch we found ourselves with a whole extra challah, I somehow got tapped to take it home. And people, I think we all know that there are few things better than day-old challah french toast on a lazy Sunday. With that said, soon as I woke up on Sunday morning, I realized that the absolute last thing I wanted to do was hover at the stove, waiting for all those slices to soak and fry up. It just wasn’t going to happen.

Enter awesome Deb of Smitten Kitchen, and her recipe for Boozy Baked French Toast. The perfect antidote to both hunger and laziness, baked french toast allows you to enjoy this fantastic weekend breakfast without all the prep work. The result? A cross between french toast and bread pudding; not your usual crunchy-all-around slices of fried french toast, but a lovely casserole with soft, custardy innards and a crisp crust, thanks to cinnamon sugar topping.

Of course, some of us procrastinate more than others; Deb had the foresight to make her casserole overnight, giving the bread time to soak up the milk-egg mixture. I’m simply not that awesome. I woke up Sunday morning wanting French toast casserole, having done absolutely nothing the night before. But hey — I made it work. I cut the milk by a third, so there would be less liquid floating around. I also dotted the top layer with butter, to ensure that the cinnamon sugar would get crispity-crisp. My last-minute game plan totally payed off. About 40 minutes after french toast casserole entered my head, it entered my mouth. Oh-so-tasty. Maybe I’m awesome after all.

Lazy Boozy French Toast Casserole
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 loaf Challah bread in 1-inch slices, any kind will do
2 cups whole milk (3 if letting sit overnight)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Your choice of flavorings: I used Deb’s recommendation of 3 tablespoons Bailey’s and 3 tablespoons Cointreau, but she also suggests Frangelico (hazelnut), Chambord (raspberry), Creme de Cassis (black currant) Grand Marnier or just a teaspoon or two of vanilla or almond extract. You can add a teaspoon of zest for a citrusy kick, add a half-cup of chopped nuts such as almond slivers or pecans between layers or on top or a similar amount of raisins or other dried fruits. And of course, let’s not forget chocolate chips for over-the-top indulgence.

1. Generously grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with salted (Deb’s fave) or unsalted butter.
2. Arrange bread in two tightly-packed layers in the pan. Cut one slice into smaller pieces to fill in gaps, especially when using braided Challah. If using a thinner-sliced bread, you might wish for more layers, though Deb finds that over three, baking can be uneven. If you are using any fillings of fruit or nuts, this is the time to get them between the layers or sprinkled atop.
3. Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, salt and booze or flavorings of your choice and pour over the bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and dot with butter.
4. If making at night, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The bread will absorb all of the milk custard while you sleep.
5. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden. This will take longer if you have additional layers.
6. Cut into generous squares and serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit, powdered sugar or all of the above.

Serves 6 as main course.

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Shana Tova!

rivka — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:18:26 +0000

To all those celebrating the Jewish New Year (and to all of you, regardless of whether or not this happens to be the start of a New Year for you)…

May this be a year of happiness,

a year in which we take time out to enjoy the small pleasures,

a year in which we do not hesitate to try many new things,

a year in which we find new ways to love our families, friends, and significant others,

a year in which we use our strength to help those more in need than we,

and of course, a year in which we eat wonderful, wonderful food.

Shana Tova, Bria, U’Metuka: a happy, healthy, and sweet new year!

(Also, between my recent foot surgery and the upcoming holidays, I actually missed the first anniversary of NDP!! I can promise a celebratory post after all these holidays pass and my foot heals…but for now, happy blogiversary to NDP!)

Ima’s Challah
link to recipe
On Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, we have a custom of making the challot round, to symbolize the cycle of the year that renews on this day. Braid each loaf extra long, then, starting at one end, wrap the braid around itself, lifting the braid slightly on top of itself as you go. Tuck the end under, brush with eggwash, and bake as normal.

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Sticky, Gooey Cinnamon Buns

rivka — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:30:27 +0000

If you’ve gone this long without making cinnamon buns (which, shockingly, I have), it’s likely not because you’re skeptical that they’ll be worth it. What other foods smell ridiculously appetizing, even when what you smell is usually a corporate chain version loaded with high fructose corn syrup and other delicacies? No doubt they taste fantastic and are worth the effort, so that’s not the cause of hesitation. More likely, you’re just a bit daunted by the task. To me, cinnamon buns have always sounded like a very work-intensive, time-intensive project, possible only for those with half a day to devote to the task. I just figured that with a project as seemingly complex as cinnamon buns, I should hold off until I had an occasion to do them. Perhaps you did, too.

Such an occasion arrived last Sunday, when a bunch of us threw a bridal shower for our friend D, who’s getting married in November. D’s not so into the gush-gush-rip-the-wrapping-paper-ohh-ahh stuff, so when B suggested a book shower, D readily agreed. It’s really right up her alley. We pitched the shower as a chance to get D a book that belongs on every shelf, a book you especially love, or a book that you thought D would love — and, considering we got lots of oohs and ahhs and no doubles, I think it was a success!
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LocalSeasonal Take 1: Caponata

rivka — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:41:24 +0000

If I may say so myself, tonight was a smashing success. A whole day into my challenge and I’m still thrilled that I took it on! On the menu this evening was kalamata olive sourdough bread from the market, homemade eggplant caponata, and greens with heirloom tomatoes, feta, and red onions that I pickled in fresh-squeezed lime juice till they turned a beautiful shade of purple.

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No-knead Raisin Pecan Bread

rivka — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:00:32 +0000

*correction appended

When it comes to bread, I’m a firm believer in the homemade variety. There’s something so therapeutic about the process: in making bread, you create a dough from the humblest of ingredients. Using nothing more than your hands, you establish a complex web of gluten that gives the dough structure and texture; and with some patience, perhaps also a book to pass the hours, you give that dough the time it needs to grow in size and flavor. I’m no stranger to intense kneading and endless rises — I think I’ve proven my willingness to hold out for a good loaf.

Good bread has always required a good knead and a good rise; not anymore. Jim Lahey, the genius baker behind Sullivan Street Bakery, developed a recipe for a crusty, flavorful loaf that requires no kneading whatsoever. The secret? Time, and lots of it. Oh yea, and almost no yeast.
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Apricot-Cranberry Couronne

rivka — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:51:00 +0000

D. had some law school buddies over this weekend for a study marathon, and I thought it only fair that if D. study her butt off, I cook my butt off. So I started brainstorming ideas for brunch food that could be served room temp (since I’d already be gone by the time they came over, and D’s not much in the way of kitchen activities that aren’t dish-washing.) I settled on a frittata and apricot-couronne — a hole-in-one, if you ask me.(...)
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Daring Bakers’ Potato Bread!

rivka — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:01:00 +0000

The long-awaited day has arrived! I am officially a Daring Baker (see the logo and info on the right side panel). Daring Bakers is a baking group, started by two bloggers, Lis of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, just over a year ago. Since then, it’s grown astronomically. There are hundreds of DBers, and the group is still growing. Here’s how it works: every month, our host chooses a recipe. We all make that exact recipe, schmooze with each other about our experiences, and then we all post the recipe on the same day. To check out some of my favorite fellow DBers, check here, here and here.

Anyhow, this month’s recipe was for “tender potato bread.” It comes from a fantastic book called “Home Baking: the Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition Around the World.” Now, if you’re like me and you just thought of tasteless ghetto food, think again. Potatoes are a shockingly good dough ingredient. Once their boiled and mashed, as the recipe describes, they become light and tender; the dough, which contains lots and lots of potatoes, is almost as fun to play with as oobleck was in second grade. So fun, in fact, that I had to remind myself I was making bread; over-kneading results in a tough loaf. Some people complained that the dough was too soft and hard to work with; actually really enjoyed how easy it was to work with. I added flour by the half-handful, until I hit almost 8 cups, at which point it was perfect. I added more after the first rise, and by the time it was ready, my dough wasn’t too sticky to shape.

If you’re a loyal NDP reader (and boy, I hope you are!) you’ve surely noticed my inexcusable but unapologetic laziness when it comes to precision, consistency, and other recipe-related adjectives. I don’t like recipes and I rarely follow them to the letter: stay tuned for my next blog post, which will elaborate why this seemingly irresponsible and lazy way of cooking is actually ideal.) However, the rules of Daring Bakers clearly state that no alterations are to be made to the month’s recipe unless allergies or other equally valid reasons prevent a baker from following the recipe. I’m pretty sure laziness doesn’t count as a valid reason in the DB rule book, so ladies and gentlemen, I actually did what the recipe said to do, all the way to the end.

The result?

Delicious, tender-when-warm but perfectly-crusty rolls, and a not-as-stellar but still-completely-acceptable loaf. The crust is perfectly thick and crunchy, the innards glutinous but not overly dense, and the flavor rustic. Is your mouth watering yet?

It is imperative that you eat one of the rolls right out of the oven; as Mario Batali said, “hot, it’s a whole other ballgame.” They go really well with jam, butter, pesto and more — you name it.

I did alter the recipe a bit to add some zing: I boiled and mashed one garlic clove along with the potatoes, which I’d definitely do again (maybe even add a second one); I added a dash of chili powder and a Tbsp of buckwheat honey to the dough before the first rise, and a teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary before the second rise. The flavors are subtle, but the buckwheat honey and rosemary really come through. I will most certainly be making this again. Thanks so much to Tanna and DB for broadening my bread horizons!

Tender Potato Bread
from “Home Baking: the Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition Around the World”
Ingredients:

4 medium to large floury (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks.
Tanna’s Note: For the beginner bread baker I suggest no more than 8 ounces of potato; for the more advanced no more than 16 ounces. The variety of potatoes you might want to use would include Idaho, Russet & Yukon gold, there are others.

4 cups(950 ml) water, reserve cooking water
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 ½ cups to 8 ½ cups (1 kg to 1350g) unbleached all-purpose
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (130g) whole wheat flour

Making the Dough (Directions will be for making by hand):

Put the potatoes and 4 cups water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook, half covered, until the potatoes are very tender.

Drain the potatoes, SAVE THE POTATO WATER, and mash the potatoes well. Tanna Note: I have a food mill, so I will run my potatoes through to mash them.

Measure out 3 cups(750ml) of the reserved potato water. Add extra water if needed to make 3 cups. Place the water and mashed potatoes in the bowl you plan to mix the bread dough in. Let cool to lukewarm (70-80°F/21 – 29°C) – stir well before testing the temperature – it should feel barely warm to your hand. You should be able to submerge you hand in the mix and not be uncomfortable.

Add yeast to 2 cups all-purpose flour and whisk. Add yeast and flour to the cooled mashed potatoes & water and mix well. Allow to rest/sit 5 minutes.

Note about Adding Yeast: If using Active Dry Yeast or Fresh yeast, mix & stir yeast into cooled water and mashed potatoes & water and let stand 5 minutes. Then add 2 cups of flour to the yeast mix and allow to rest several minutes. If using Instant Dry Yeast, add yeast to 2 cups all-purpose flour and whisk. Add yeast and flour to the cooled mashed potatoes & water and mix well. Allow to rest/sit 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon salt and the softened butter; mix well. Add the 1 cup whole wheat flour, stir briefly.

Add 2 cups of the unbleached all-purpose flour and stir until all the flour has been incorporated.
Tanna Note: At this point you have used 4 cups of the possible 8 ½ cups suggested by the recipe.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, incorporating flour as needed to prevent sticking. The dough will be very sticky to begin with, but as it takes up more flour from the kneading surface, it will become easier to handle; use a dough scraper to keep your surface clean. The kneaded dough will still be very soft. Place the dough in a large clean bowl or your rising container of choice, cover with plastic wrap or lid, and let rise about 2 hours or until doubled in volume.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead gently several minutes. It will be moist and a little sticky.

Forming the Bread:
Tanna Note: It is at this point you are requested to Unleash the Daring Baker within. The following is as the recipe is written. You are now free to follow as written or push it to a new level.

Divide the dough into 2 unequal pieces in a proportion of one-third and two-thirds (one will be twice as large as the other). Place the smaller piece to one side and cover loosely.

To shape the large loaf:
Butter a 9 x 5 x 2.5 inch loaf/bread pan. Flatten the larger piece of dough on the floured surface to an approximate 12 x 8 inch oval, then roll it up from a narrow end to form a loaf. Pinch the seam closed and gently place seam side down in the buttered pan. The dough should come about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 35 to 45 minutes, until puffy and almost doubled in volume.

To make a small loaf with the remainder:
Butter an 8x4X2 inch bread pan. Shape and proof the loaf the same way as the large loaf.

To make rolls:
Butter a 13 x 9 inch sheet cake pan or a shallow cake pan. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball under the palm of your floured hand and place on the baking sheet, leaving 1/2 inch between the balls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 35 minutes, until puffy and almost doubled.

To make focaccia:
Flatten out the dough to a rectangle about 10 x 15 inches with your palms and fingertips. Tear off a piece of parchment paper or wax paper a little longer than the dough and dust it generously with flour. Transfer the focaccia to the paper. Brush the top of the dough generously with olive oil, sprinkle on a little coarse sea salt, as well as some rosemary leaves, if you wish and then finally dimple all over with your fingertips. Cover with plastic and let rise for 20 minutes.

Baking the bread(s):

Note about baking order: bake the flat-bread before you bake the loaf; bake the rolls at the same time as the loaf.

Note about Baking Temps: I believe that 450°F(230°C) is going to prove to be too hot for the either the large or small loaf of bread for the entire 40/50 minutes. I am going to put the loaves in at 450°(230°C) for 10 minutes and then turn the oven down to 375°F (190 °C) for the remaining time.

Note about cooling times: Let all the breads cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Rolls can be served warm or at room temperature.

For loaves and rolls:
Dust risen loaves and rolls with a little all-purpose flour or lightly brush the tops with a little melted butter or olive oil (the butter will give a golden/browned crust). Slash loaves crosswise two or three times with a razor blade or very sharp knife and immediately place on the stone, tiles or baking sheet in the oven. Place the rolls next to the loaf in the oven.

Bake rolls until golden, about 30 minutes. Bake the small loaf for about 40 minutes. Bake the large loaf for about 50 minutes.

Transfer the rolls to a rack when done to cool. When the loaf or loaves have baked for the specified time, remove from the pans and place back on the stone, tiles or baking sheet for another 5 to 10 minutes. The corners should be firm when pinched and the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

For foccacia:
Place a baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles, if you have them, if not use a no edged baking/sheet (you want to be able to slide the shaped dough on the parchment paper onto the stone or baking sheet and an edge complicates things). Place the stone or cookie sheet on a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F/230°C.

If making foccacia, just before baking, dimple the bread all over again with your fingertips. Leaving it on the paper, transfer to the hot baking stone, tiles or baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack (remove paper) and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving. (Levitating bread!)

Levitating Bread!

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Spiced Pumpkin Bread

rivka — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 16:52:00 +0000

Quick-breads are a winter staple. I always make two at a time and stick one in the freezer; it’s the perfect thing to pull out last-minute on a Friday afternoon and eat that night for dinner. As I understand it, a quick-bread is basically a of bread/cake that uses baking soda or powder as the main rising agent, instead of yeast. This means quick-breads do not need to rise for long periods of time — hence quick-bread. yea.

While zucchini and carrot variations are both in my repertoire, pumpkin is my all-time favorite — especially this version. My mom and I found this recipe on Epicurious a while back, and haven’t tried a new one since. It’s an oil-based recipe, so not only is it healthier than those butter-heavy pumpkin breads, it also develops a wonderful, sizable crust that most quick-breads don’t have. (Check out the crust on this sucker!)

Other recipes call for cranberries and walnuts (this recipe lists walnuts as optional), but having made it with both and other things, I can tell you it’s best just as is. It’s the perfect “serve one, freeze one” treat.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread from Epicurious
makes 2 loaves

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in walnuts, if desired.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.

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Challah French Toast

rivka — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

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Ima’s Challah (now with whole wheat instructions!)

rivka — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 15:46:00 +0000

Growing up, there was one option for challah in town: that was Shalom’s, the kosher supermarket in Wheaton, MD. Every Friday my mom would swing by Brookville supermarket and pick up two challot, which were delivered from Shalom’s that morning. The challah was truly uneventful: it was never dense enough, far too airy, not sweet or eggy, and usually even a bit crumbly. A lame excuse for challah, if you ask me.

My mother started making her own around the time I left the house, and she’s never gone back. Before she had the kitchenaid, she did it all by hand, which is actually less time-consuming and labor intensive than one might think. Now that she has the kitchenaid, challah is a snap to make.
Over the years, I’ve collected three fantastic recipes for challah. I make each with some regularity, but my mother’s recipe is a standout. First off, the basic recipe makes 2 very small challot, or 1 very large one, which is perfect for me, since I often cook for two and don’t need all that extra bread lying around. (Not that D or I would object to Sunday morning french toast….) Second, it’s just sweet enough without being cloying. Third, it’s very easy to substitute some whole wheat flour and wheat gluten for white flour, which makes for a healthier, more rustic loaf of bread. And finally, she’s my mom. Moms’ recipes are best.

A warning about this challah. Once, I was bringing challah to a meal for 17 people, and I made three loaves; traditionally, the challah is served at the beginning of the meal, while everyone’s still hungry, so it tends to go quickly. Sure enough, we sat down to dinner and within an instant, both loaves were entirely devoured. I offered to bring out the third, but everyone said they had had enough and didn’t want more. They continued to resist at my urging, so I left well enough alone. After dinner, people had moved toward the couch to schmooze, and I went into the kitchen to help clean up….and found three girls holding the third challah between them, ripping off big pieces and devouring the loaf as though dinner had never happened.

Yep, this stuff is pretty addictive. It ain’t no subwayeatfresh, but it’s close.

Ima’s Challah
makes 2 small challot; double if you’re having company
directions for a kitchenaid are in italics
see end of post for whole-wheat substitution instructions.

1/2 cup warm water
tsp. sugar
1 packet (2-1/2 tsp.) yeast

3 c. flour
tsp. salt
1/4 cup plus a few Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs

1. Put 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl. Add the tsp. of sugar, sprinkle the yeast overtop, and leave it to proof for five minutes (just to make sure the yeast is alive).

2. Mix flour, salt, and 1/4 cup plus few Tbsp. sugar in a large bowl (or in a kitchenaid bowl fitted with the dough hook.) Stir to incorporate or blend on low speed.

3. While yeast is proofing, mix wet ingredients together.

4. Add yeast mixture to the flour; add wet ingredients to the bowl, and mix or blend on low-medium.

5. Knead the dough for about ten minutes, until everything is well incorporated. Add flour by the Tbsp, with a light hand, until dough is stretchy but not sticky. Blend on low-medium until dough comes together. Make sure flour at the very bottom of the bowl gets incorporated as well; this usually entails some incorporation by hand.)

6. Cover the dough, in its original bowl, with a moist towel. If you have to, use plastic wrap and cover loosely.

7. You have two choices for the rise: either leave the dough to rise for one hour, or (as I do) let it rise twice, for 45 minutes each, with a punch-down between rises.

8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

9. After the rise(s), the dough should be soft and more flexible than before. Separate dough into three (six if using a double recipe). Roll each ball into a log almost 1-foot long. Braid the logs together to create your loaf. Trick: I start in the middle and do not pinch the top ends together before starting. After I’ve braided from halfway down to the bottom of the loaf, I turn the loaf over and upside down, and braid the other half. This way, both ends look identical. Tuck the ends beneath the loaf when braiding is finished.

10. Put each loaf on its own baking sheet; brush with egg wash, if desired.

11. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes, until challot are golden and baked through.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

**For whole wheat flour, use the same amount as white, but add one Tbsp. wheat gluten for every cup of flour. This ensures that the bread will have that same chewy but soft texture as with white flour. You can find wheat gluten at wholefoods or Trader Joes — and perhaps at your local supermarket as well. As for which whole wheat flour, my mom recommends King Arthur organic white whole wheat flour: in her words, “it gives the white bread consistency with whole wheat nutrition.”

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