Gazpacho

Note: the color of the soup relates to the proportion of ingredients and type of tomato. I put less tomato than desired as well as orange pepper instead of green. The last time I made gazpacho it was much redder in color.

I spent 5 weeks of the summer of 2009 in Spain and fell in love with gazpacho. I lost track of how many times I ate the soup while I was there, but each time it was just as refreshing and delicious as the last. Since then, every time summer rolls around and temperatures creep up to the 100's, I can't help but crave this fresh tomato soup.

Though I would love to claim this recipe I have found as "authentic", every one has their own version, and every region of Spain makes it a bit different. This one is pretty good though, and you can vary the flavor by changing the amount of any basic ingredient--tomato, cucumber, olive oil, onion, pepper--or add something else that you prefer.

This is a recipe for Andalusian Gazpacho, it makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1kg tomatoes, plum are best

1/2 small onion (60 g)

1 small green pepper

1 small cucumber

1 small c olive oil (if using a measuring cup, start with 1/2 c, then add more if needed after tasting)

2 t/T red wine vinegar (depending on how much you like vinegar)

200 g day-old bread, soaked in water

salt and pepper, to taste

*1 clove garlic

*1/4 t cumin

Extra of red and green pepper, tomato, cucumber, onion, croutons, cut into small dice, for garnish when serving.

*optional

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend/pulse until smooth but still thick consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a large bowl and refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. The colder the better. Add ice cubes if serving sooner.

Remove from refrigerator and serve immediately, with bowls of vegetables for garnish.

Pain à l’Ancienne

This was the easiest recipe I've made from Peter Reinhart's book yet. It does take 2 days to make, but required no kneading and produces a fantastic bread as long as you are careful not to handle the dough too roughly, causing it to lose precious trapped air.

This makes 6 baguettes.

Ingredients:
6 c unbleached bread flour
1 1/4 t salt
1 3/4 t yeast
*2 1/4 c + 2 T to 3 c ice cold water
semolina flour for dusting

*to ensure the water is ice cold, place it in the refrigerator with ice cubes. Remove the ice immediately before using.

The texture of this dough is very sticky, so it is best if you mix with an electric mixer or food processor. On the first day, combine all the ingredients, using whatever method you choose. Oil a large bowl, transfer the dough, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove the bowl from the fridge and let sit until room temperature and the dough has doubled in size, 2-3 hrs, or more. When this has happened, carefully dump or lift with wet hands, the dough out onto a very floured surface. Flour your hands and shape the dough into a rectangle, 8''x 6''. Mine fell into a shape larger than this, and for fear of handling it too much, I left it alone.

1st four baguettes done, two more still baking

Have a bowl of water sitting on the side, to dip your pastry scraper in. Using this tool, cut the dough in half, and cut each of these pieces in thirds. Flip two baking sheets over and line them with parchment paper covered in semolina flour. Take 3 pieces of dough and put them on the baking sheets, stretching from the ends when you do this so they are the length of the pan. The dough will be very elastic and stretch easily. Let rest 5 minutes, then stretch out again if necessary. Score the dough diagonally if you choose, but this will be difficult since the dough is so sticky.

While the dough is resting preheat the oven to 500 F, with 1 rack in the bottom with a baking stone and 1 rack near the top with a cast iron pan for steaming. If you don't have a baking stone you can bake directly on the sheet. When you transfer to the baking stone, keep the bread on the parchment paper. Have a misting spray bottle with water handy, and 1 cup of boiled water ready to pour into the cast iron pan.

When the oven is ready, put the breads on the stone, pour the water into the cast iron pan and close the door. After 30 seconds mist the oven walls and close the door. Repeat 2 more times at 30 second intervals. After the 3rd spray, lower the oven to 450 F and remove the steam pan. Since these breads are small, they will only take about 8-15 more minutes to bake. They are done when they are golden brown on top.

Immediately transfer to a cooling rack, bake the rest of the dough if it didn't fit, and serve after 30 minutes of cooling.

Detail of the huge air pockets in the dough; it had a great texture and crust.

Sourdough Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Torpedoes

This is the first sourdough bread I've made, and with how perfectly it came out I'm tempted to only make sourdough bread from now on! The crust was thick and crunchy--perfectly complementary to the light and fluffy inside. It had the characteristic sourdough flavor, which will continue to develop as I grow my starter over time, and the chive and cheddar were a wonderful combination in the bread. I also believe the potato added to the lightness and flavor to this bread, and I am curious to try other more traditional sourdough breads to compare.

The bread itself only took 1 day to make, but it took me 5 days to prepare the starter. Four days to prep the seed culture, and 1 day to make the barm, or sourdough starter, which uses seed starter. Once you make the barm, it is refrigerated overnight, then used the next morning in this recipe. Here is a link to a recipe for a simple sourdough starter, since Peter Reinhart's is fairly descriptive and a lot to include here.

Ingredients:
4 c unbleached bread flour
2 small potatoes (~8oz), finely chopped, boiled in 3 c water
1/2 to 1 c potato water, from above
1 1/2 c barm
2 t yeast
2 t salt
6 thin slices sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/4 c finely chopped chives
Semolina or cornmeal for dusting

Remove the barm from the fridge 1 hr before you are ready to start. At the same time, boil the potatoes in water, and let sit until warm.

In a large bowl mix the barm with 2 c flour, 1/2 c water, the potatoes, and yeast, and let sit 30 minutes.

Add the rest of the flour, salt, and add water as needed as you mix the dough until it forms a ball. Knead for ~6 minutes until everything is evenly distributed. Add the chives and continue kneading for 2 minutes until mixed thoroughly. I kneaded mine an extra 2 minutes until I was satisfied with the texture.

Coat in oil and let rest in a bowl covered in plastic wrap for 90 minutes, until doubled.

After the dough has risen, dump out onto a floured surface and cut into 2 halves. Flatten into 6''x8'' rectangles and lay 3 cheese slices on each, leaving a 1'' border around. Roll up the dough, keeping surface tension as you roll, and gently pinching the ends closed, making sure the push trapped air out when you pinch.

Place the loaves onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, dusted with cornmeal or semolina flour. Spray with oil and cover in plastic wrap. Let rise ~1 hr.

When the loaves are almost done rising, prep the oven for hearth baking: 500 F, with steam pan and baking stone on a rack below. Score the loaves diagonally, cutting through to a layer of cheese.

When the oven is preheated, place the bread in the oven on the stone or on the pan, and you can leave it on the parchment paper if you choose. This will protect the bottoms from burning, I have found.

Fill the steam pan with 1 c boiled water and close the door. Open after 30 s and mist the oven. Repeat misting 2 more times, then lower the oven to 450 F and set the timer for 35 minutes. Rotate halfway through for even baking.

Mine took exactly 35 minutes, and at first glance I thought they had cooked too much and were slightly burned, but they actually tasted perfect and I now suspect that I have been taking my bread out a bit too soon. I will experiment with longer baking times.

Let the loaves cool 45 minutes before serving, and enjoy--I'm sure you will with this one!

Mixed ingredients sitting for 1 hr

Finished kneading 

After rising

Before rolling

Before baking

Out of the oven

Cashew Chicken

I have been eating a lot of nuts lately, and bought a bag of raw unsalted cashews. These are not as tasty as roasted cashews, so I decided to cook with them instead. The first dish that popped into my mind was cashew chicken, and I found a recipe online here. I did not have all the ingredients for the recipe, so I omitted a few things and made a few other minor substitutions. It still came out great and I will definitely be making this again.

This makes ~4 servings.

Ingredients:
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, cleaned and cut into 1'' pieces
1 1/2 c fresh snow peas
*1 8oz can water chestnuts
2 medium carrots, julienned or cut into thin slices
1 T sherry or red cooking wine
3/4 t sesame oil (I used orange olive oil)
1 T cornstarch
1/3 c chicken broth, or stock of your choice
1 T rice vinegar
*1 T hoisin sauce
1/2 t minced fresh ginger, or a pinch of dried
2 t canola oil
1/3 c unsalted cashews, toasted
2 c cooked rice

*I did not have this so it was omitted

First, prepare the chicken and place it in a wide bowl for marinating. Mix the marinade in a bowl: 2 T soy sauce, sherry/wine, 1/2 t sesame oil. Pour the marinade over the chicken, stir to coat, and let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the other ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 F and roast cashews for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Shake halfway through so they are browned evenly.

Cut the carrots and mix the sauce. For the sauce whisk together cornstarch and broth until smooth. Add vinegar, hoisin sauce, ginger, 1 T soy sauce, and 1/4 t sesame oil.

Preheat a nonstick pan or wok. Add 1 t canola oil. Add the chicken and stir fry until no longer pink. Remove from pan and drain the liquid. Add 1 t more oil and add the snow peas and carrots. Stir fry for a few minutes, then add the water chestnuts. Return the chicken to the pan, add the sauce, and sprinkle with cashews and sesame seeds if using. Remove from heat and stir until the sauce is thick (this should happen almost immediately). Serve over rice.

Kaiser Rolls

When I was a kid, kaiser rolls were the most tempting bread at the grocery store. The combination of their distinct aroma, fluffy texture, and seeded toppings made them irresistible. I am overjoyed to finally be making them at home, and I'm sure my younger self would be satisfied with the results.
(Another one from Peter Reinhart)

This takes 2 days to make.

Day 1: make the pre-ferment (pate fermentée)

Ingredients:
1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c unbleached bread flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t instant yeast
3/8 c + 1 T water, room temp

Sift together the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add 3/8 c water, and stir until everything is combined into a workable dough. Add the remaining water if needed. (err on the wet side.)

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead 4-6 minutes until the dough is soft and tacky but not sticky. Oil and place in a bowl. Cover in plastic wrap and let sit at room temp ~1 hr, until 1.5 times original size.

Remove from the bowl and knead to degas. Replace in the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2: make the bread

Remove the pate fermentée from the fridge 1 hour before beginning. Cut it into 10 pieces, cover it with a towel or plastic wrap and let it sit.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c pate fermentée (see above)
2 1/4 c bread flour
3/4 t + pinch of salt
1 t diastatic barley malt powder or 1 1/2 t barley malt syrup
1 t instant yeast
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 T vegetable oil or shortening, melted
10 T to 3/4 c water, lukewarm
*optional: Poppy and sesame seed toppings
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

After 2 hours rising

In a large bowl, combine the pate fermentée, egg, 10 T water, and oil/shortening. Sift in the dry ingredients, then mix everything together until it combines into a ball. If needed, add all of the water.

Transfer the dough to a floured counter and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is soft and tacky but not sticky. Place in an oiled bowl and let rise, covered with plastic wrap for 2 hrs.

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 9 pieces for small rolls, 6 pieces for large rolls. Form each piece into a small roll, mist with oil, and let rest 10 minutes. While the dough is resting, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, mist with oil, and dust with semolina flour/cornmeal.

To shape the rolls, take each piece and roll it out to a strip 6''-8'' long. Tied the strand into a knot, keeping your finger in the middle of the knot. Take the ends and keep twisting around the strand, so one goes up through the center hole, and one goes down through the center hole. After trying a few, I figured out this works best when you pull on the dough to maintain surface tension while you are tying and twisting. (don't worry it won't break.)

Roll out each piece into a strand

Knot each strand into a roll

Ready to rise after shaping

Place the shaped pieces upside down on the parchment paper, and let rise 45 minutes. Flip over and let rise another 30-45 minutes more, until doubled in size.

While the rolls are on their second rise, preheat the oven to 450 F, with the oven rack in the middle. Have a misting spray bottle on hand. If you want to add seeds to the rolls, mist them and sprinkle with poppy or sesame before baking.

Place the pan in the oven, mist the walls, and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees, and lower the oven to 400 F. Continue baking until the rolls are medium golden brown, approximately 15-30 minutes for large rolls, less for small. Transfer the rolls to a cooling rack and wait 30 minutes before serving.

 

Focaccia

Focaccia is one of those breads that brings back memories of Italy for me. Especially when it's made properly. Thick, fluffily, perfectly oily, perhaps a little crumbly too. Italian Focaccia. It's not the same here in the US.

As a result, I don't usually buy it at stores here--it's always a disappointment--and I was excited to see a recipe for it in Peter Reinhart's "Bread Baker's Apprentice". In the book he has 3 versions of focaccia--regular, made with poolish, and pizza-style. He also has a recipe for Herb Oil to top the dough. I decided to make poolish focaccia, since breads made with pre-ferments are more flavorful. This does require you to make the poolish a day ahead of time.

Day 1: make the poolish

Ingredients:
2 1/4 c bread flour
1 1/3 c water, room temp
1/4 t instant yeast

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until the flour is hydrated. It should be like thick pancake batter. Let sit at room temperature 3-4 hours, until it is bubbly. Refrigerate overnight.

Day 2: make the focaccia

Remove the poolish from the fridge 1 hr before making the dough

Ingredients:
3 c poolish (~the recipe above)
2 2/3 c unbleached bread flour
2 t salt
1 1/2 t instant yeast
6 T olive oil
3/4 c water, lukewarm
1/4 c-1/2 c herb oil (recipe below)

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the poolish, olive oil, water, and mix until the ingredients form a sticky ball. If mixing by hand, mix for 3-5 minutes, dipping the spoon or your hand into cold water to work the ingredients into a smooth mass. If using a mixer, use a dough hook and mix 5-7 minutes until a smooth, sticky dough has formed. Add more flour if needed.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and pat it down into a 6'' rectangle. Let it relax for 5 minutes. Stretch the dough out to 3 times it's width and fold it over itself like try-folding a letter. Mist the dough with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch and fold the dough one more time, mist and cover, then let sit for 1 hour. It will swell but might not double in size.

While the dough is resting, make the herb oil.

Ingredients:
2 c olive oil--not extra virgin, anything will work
1 c chopped fresh herbs--basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, cilantro, savory, sage--or 1/3 c dried herbs.
1 T kosher salt
1 t coarse ground black pepper
1 T granulated garlic or 5-6 cloves fresh, chopped/pressed
*optional: 1 t ground cayenne pepper
*optional: 1 t paprika
*optional: 1 T fennel seeds
*optional: 1 t onion powder, or 1 T dried minced onions

Warm the olive oil to about 100 degrees F. (only warmed! do not heat!) Add there herbs and seasonings of your choice and let steep. When I made this I put in cayenne, paprika, and ground black pepper, and it was pretty spicy.

When the focaccia is almost done resting, line a 17'' x 12'' sheet pan with baking parchment and drizzle 1/4 c olive oil over the parchment, spreading the oil over the entire pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and spoon half the measured herb oil (~1/4 c) on top of the dough. Using your fingers, dimple the dough while spreading it out along the pan. Keep the thickness consistent and don't worry about filling the whole pan. Add more oil if needed, so the top stays coated. Cover with plastic wrap and proof ~2 hrs, until the dough fills the pan.

15 minutes before baking, drizzle on more herb oil, and dimple in the dough so the oil forms pools, and the dough spreads out to fill the entire pan (if it hasn't already). It should be about 1/2'' thick. Let it sit 15-30 minutes before baking, until it has risen to 1''.

Preheat the oven to 500 F, oven rack on the middle shelf. Place the focaccia in the oven, lower the temperature to 450 F, and bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway through. The bread is done when the focaccia is golden brown. Immediately transfer the focaccia to a cooling rack after removing it from the oven. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

Pignoli Cookies

I first had these cookies, not in Italy, but at an upscale restaurant/cafe I worked at years ago. Everything at the restaurant was made in-house, including artisan breads, desserts, house-cured meats, and all their ingredients were locally sourced. Pignoli were one of the pastry chef's everyday items, and memorable by their distinctive crust, golden toasted pine nuts, and almost creamy-sweet inside. One cookie is enough to satisfy a craving, and this recipe I found replicated the memory exactly.

Peeling the blanched almonds

Ingredients:

12 oz Almond paste: (you can buy this or make the one listed below)

- 3/4 c almonds, blanched & peeled

- 3/4 c powdered sugar

- 1 egg white

- 3/4 t almond extract

- 1/8 t salt

1/2 c sugar

1 c powdered sugar

4 egg whites

1 1/2 c pine nuts

This recipe works best when made in the food processor.

First make the almond paste. Blanch the almonds by placing them in a bowl of boiling water for 1 minute. Rinse twice then remove the skins. Chop up in the food processor until very fine. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until a smooth paste has formed.

Next, add the 1/2 c sugar and 1 c powdered sugar to the food processor. Begin mixing and add 1 egg white, then another. Do not make the batter too wet! I accidentally added too many egg whites and the batter was too wet, so I had to adjust by adding more almonds, more sugar, and some flour. The batter should be workable, so you can roll it into balls, and tacky but not too sticky.

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Spread the pine nuts out on a dish, and have the remaining egg whites on the side in a small bowl. Roll the dough into 1'' balls, coat in egg white, then roll in the nuts. Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet, and flatten slightly.

Rolling and coating the cookies

Bake 15-20 minutes, until the nuts are toasted, and the cookies are beginning to brown. I rotated my trays halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling 1 minute after removing from the oven, and let cool before serving.

Cinnamon Buns & Sticky Buns (Teaser)

Because I can't share all of Peter Reinharts recipes (you'll have to go out and buy the book for them), here are photos of the cinnamon buns and sticky buns I made a few weeks ago. I will say, they were superb--some of the best I've had--and well worth the time it took to make them.

I couldn't decide between making sticky buns or cinnamon buns, so I ended up making both. This worked out perfectly because the process for sticky buns was a little more time-consuming and they baked for twice as long at a lower temperature. I put the cinnamon buns in the oven first while the sticky buns continued to rise and I prepped the pan. When the cinnamon buns were done baking, the sticky buns were done rising, so I lowered the oven and placed them in.

Both buns are made with the same dough and swirled roll. The differences come in the finishing touches. Cinnamon buns are glazed with a sweet white fondant, while sticky buns are baked upside down on top of a layer of raisins, nuts, and what will become the caramel glaze. I added orange extract to both glazes to complement the flavor of the buns.

Sticky buns, just out of the oven

Cinnamon buns, glazed and cooling

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread

As a cinnamon-lover I just had to include this recipe. Whenever I crave cinnamon, I usually make a nice orange-flavored cinnamon bread. This version, full of sweet raisins and crunchy nuts brought together with my favorite spice, proved to be tough competition for my standard go-to. Recipe from Peter Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice".

The bread takes about 4 1/2 hours to make and yields 2 loaves.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 c bread flour
4 t sugar
1 1/4 t salt
2 t yeast
1 1/4 t cinnamon
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 T shortening, room temperature or melted
1/2 c buttermilk or whole milk, room temperature
3/4 c water, room temperature
1 1/2 c raisins, rinsed and dried
1 c coarsely chopped walnuts

Cinnamon sugar mix: 1/2 c sugar + 2 T cinnamon

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, yeast, cinnamon). In another bowl combine the egg, shortening, milk, and water. Add the second mixture to the dry ingredients and combine until a ball of tacky dough has formed. Add more flour or water if necessary to make the dough workable but not too sticky.

Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 8 minutes, adding flour as needed. Knead in the raisins and walnuts for an additional 2 minutes until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. I like to do this in the original mixing bowl to avoid spilling ingredients everywhere when I'm trying to mix them in.

Oil the dough and let it rest in a bowl covered in plastic wrap ~2 hours, until doubled in size.

After the dough has doubled, divide it into 2 equal pieces and roll each one out so it is a rectangle approximately 5'' wide and 1/3'' thick. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix and roll up, pinching closed at the end to make a nice firm loaf. Place in oiled loaf pans and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit 60-90 minutes, until the loaves are just peaking above the tops of the pans.

When the loaves are done rising, bake at 350 F for 40-50 minutes, rotating halfway through to ensure an even bake. They are done when they are golden brown and hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Optional: When you remove them from the oven, immediately brush the tops with melted butter (or take solid butter and rub it on, it will melt from the hot bread). Have the cinnamon sugar mix sprinkled on your work surface. Flip the loaves into the cinnamon sugar and roll over to coat.

Cool the loaves minimum 1 hr, recommended 2 hrs, before serving.

Ciabatta

Note: This takes 2 days to make.

Ciabatta is one bread I have wanted to make for a while now, but have always shied away because it requires baking in a steam-injecting oven to achieve it's characteristic crust and texture. Thanks to the direction provided by "The Bread Baker's Apprentice", I was able to replicate this result at home.

Day 1: Make the Poolish sponge

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c bread flour

1 1/2 c water, room temp

1/4 t yeast

Sift the yeast and flour together into a bowl. Add the water and mix until consistent. The dough will be soft and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit out for 3-4 hours, until the dough forms bubbles. (It helps if you are using a glass bowl; you can see the bubbles through the sides of the bowl. Refrigerate overnight.

Day 2: Make the bread

Remove the poolish from the refrigerator 1 hr before you are ready to begin mixing.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 c poolish (~ the recipe above; measure to double check and adjust other ingredients if needed)

3 c bread flour

1 3/4 t salt

1 1/2 t yeast

6 T - 3/4 c water, lukewarm (can substitute olive oil or warm milk if you want a softer loaf)

Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

You can mix the dough by hand or with a mixer or food processor. I used a food processor so I will explain this method first. Sift the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, then add the poolish. Measure 6 T water into the bowl and turn it on. Slowly add more water through the top until it gathers into a ball. The dough should be wet but not too sticky. Let it run for about a minute to knead itself. Turn it out onto a floured surface.

If working by hand, sift all dry ingredients into a bowl and add the poolish. Using your hand or a mixing spoon, repeatedly dip into the water and mix the dough around the bowl quickly until everything is evenly combined. Change direction occasionally. Continue for 5-7 minutes. When the dough is gathered into a ball, turn it out onto a floured surface.

Press the dough down into a rectangle and let it rest for 2 minutes. Stretch it out to twice it's width, then fold the long ends over each other (like tri-folding a paper into an envelope). It should be back to it's original shape. Spray the dough with oil, dust it with flour, and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it sit 30 minutes.

After a half an hour, repeat the directions in the previous paragraph. Let the dough rest 1 1/2-2 hours.

Next you will be setting the dough up in a couche. Essentially, a cloth you lay down and around the bread to support it while it rises. The book recommends using an old tablecloth; I used an old pillowcase. Make sure the cloth is covered with plenty of flour. Sprinkle the dough with flour. Divide it into 2 or 3 pieces. Roll each piece in the flour so it is coated evenly on every side. Lay each loaf on the cloth, and once more stretch out and fold so they are 6'' long. Make sure there is a wall of cloth between the pieces of dough. Spray the dough with oil, dust with flour, and cover with a towel. Proof 45-60 minutes, until swollen.

Preheat the oven to 500 F. If you have a baking stone, make sure it is in the oven on a mid-lower rack. Also place a cast iron pan or heavy-bottomed baking tray on the top rack. This will be your steam pan. Have a spray bottle of water on the mist setting ready as well. You will use this to mist the sides of the oven walls after the bread is in the oven.

Sprinkle the back of a baking sheet with semolina flour or cornmeal. Bring 1 c water to boil. When the oven is preheated and the loaves have risen, transfer the loaves to the sheet pan. Stretch them out to 9''-12'' long, pressing down the center with your fingertips if needed. Open the oven and slide the loaves onto the baking stone, or place the pan directly in the oven. Pour the 1 c of boiling water into the steam pan and close the door. 

After 30 seconds, open the door and mist the side walls of the oven and close the door.

Repeat the previous step 2 more times. After the final misting, lower the oven temperature to 450 F and set the timer for 10 minutes. Remove the steam pan from the oven. After 10 minutes if the loaves are not done, rotate 180 degrees (if needed) and bake 5-10 mins longer. Mine did not need to be rotated and only baked for a few minutes longer.

Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and cool 45 minutes before serving. The smell, taste, and texture were all spot-on!

Brioche

I am now living with my brother's family in Seattle and they own several fantastic cook books, including "The Bread Baker's Apprentice"by Peter Reinhart. I picked the book up yesterday and could not put it down until I had finished the introduction and reached the first few recipes. I then made up my mind to start working through the recipes in alphabetical order, skipping those I have already made, and going back to the ones I did not have ingredients for.

Brioche is the 4th recipe in this book, and there are 3 versions of it. Rich man's brioche, middle man's brioche, and poor man's brioche. Rich man's brioche contains the greatest proportion of butter to flour (88%), middle man's has less (50%), and poor man's has the least (20-25%). Brioche is traditionally a rich dough, but I didn't want to kill my family by making it so incredibly rich, so I decided to make middle man's brioche.

Note: This recipe took me 2 days to make; it requires 30-45 min fermentation period, 4 hours (min) refrigeration of the dough, ~2 hr rise, and 15-45 mins baking. If you want to complete it in a day, start in the morning.

Ingredients for the sponge:
1/2 c unbleached bread flour
2 t instant yeast
1/2 c whole milk, lukewarm (90-100 degrees F)

Ingredients for the dough:
5 large eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups unbleached bread flour
2 T sugar
1 1/4 t salt
1 c unsalted butter, at room temp

1 egg, whisked until frothy, for egg wash

In a large mixing bowl stir together the ingredients for the sponge until everything is hydrated. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 30-45 mins, until it is airy and well risen. I forgot to let the butter sit at room temperature, so my sponge sat for 2 hours and it was fine.

While you are waiting for the sponge, prepare the other ingredients. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl. In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and sugar. When the sponge is ready, using either an electric mixer or by hand, mix the eggs into the sponge. Add the dry ingredients to the mix, incorporating them slowly until everything is evenly mixed and a sticky dough has formed. Let this sit 5 minutes for the gluten to develop.

Next, begin incorporating the butter, 1/4 at a time. Make sure the butter is mixed in well before adding more. After everything is combined (this will take a while if you are doing it by hand), transfer the dough to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Make sure you spray the parchment paper with oil before you place the dough down. I forgot to do this and it stuck to the paper. Press the dough into a rectangle about 6'' x 8''. Spray the top of the dough with oil and cover it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours minimum, or overnight.

When you are ready to shape the dough, first decide what shape you are going to make. You can make petites brioches à tête (pictured below), larger versions if you have the correct molds, or loaves. The petite version can be made in a specific mold or just a regular muffin tin, which I used.

This recipe makes 12-16 petites brioches à tête, 2-4 larger brioches à tête, or 2 1 lb loaves. I made 9 petites brioches à tête and 1 loaf.

Spray the pans with oil and remove the dough from the fridge to immediately divide up the dough to begin shaping. If the dough warms up at all place it back in the fridge and wait for it to cool down again. To make the brioche à tête, dust your hands and work surface with flour. There are two methods to shape them. I recommend you try both (as I did) and decide which you like best. 
Method 1: Take the dough and roll it into a strand that tapers at one end. Poke a hole in the thick end and loop the smaller end through. Round the small end off so it looks like a ball.
Method 2: Roll the dough into a ball and press down with you hand while rolling so a small portion breaks off. Roll this into a small ball. Place the large ball into the pan, indent the top, and place the smaller ball on top.

For the loaf lay your dough down on a floured surface and press it into a rectangle, about 7 inches long. Beginning with one of the larger sides, pull the dough over to create suface tension. Do the same with the other edge and tuck the edges together so they stay. Flip the dough over and you will have an even loaf. Place it in the greased pan. Spray with oil and cover with plastic wrap. 

Let the petites brioches à tête rise 1.5-2 hours, until they nearly fill the pans. The loaves and larger brioches à tête will take longer.

After rising, brush with egg and let the dough sit another 15-30 minutes. Preheat the oven during this time. 400 F for the petites brioches à tête and 350 F for the larger brioches à tête and loaves.

Timing actually works out perfectly for making both loaves and petites brioches à tête. The petites brioches à tête were ready first, so I baked them while the loaf was still rising. Then I lowered the oven temperature and baked the loaf.

Bake the petites brioches à tête 25-20 minutes, until they are golden brown. Bake the loaves and larger brioches à tête 35-50 minutes. (my loaf took about 45 minutes) Remember the oven temperature is 50 degrees lover for the larger ones.

Immediately remove from the pan when they come out of the oven and let them cool 20 minutes (small) or 1 hr (loaf/large) before serving. Enjoy with jam or your choice of topping. Definitely worth the work and/or wait!

Petites brioches à tête out of the oven. The loaf is still baking.

Zucchini Bread (Made with yellow squash)

I bought some yellow squash last week and it sat in the fridge for a bit too long so I decided to make it into some delicious zucchini bread. I didn't already have a recipe for this bread, and a quick internet search yielded this result for Mom's Zucchini Bread. I followed it almost exactly, substituting the squash for zucchini, cutting the sugar in half, and using 1/2 whole wheat flour instead of all white flour. The bread was flavorful and moist, as many of the reviews stated, and I will definitely be making it again. Maybe next time I will cut 1/4 c sugar out.

Note: I am baking around 6300 feet so I changed this recipe for the altitude. I added a little more flour and salt, less baking powder and baking soda, and increased the baking temperature by 25 degrees F. The ingredients and recipe listed below are for sea level.

Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients:
3 c flour, 1/2 whole wheat 1/2 regular
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
3 t cinnamon
3 eggs
1 c vegetable oil
1 1/4 c white sugar
3 t vanilla
2 c grated zucchini
*1 c chopped walnuts

*I did not have walnuts, so I omitted these

Spray loaf pans and preheat oven to 325 F. In a large bowl, blend together eggs and sugar. Add the vanilla and oil and blend. Sift together the dry ingredients then combine with first mixture until consistent. Stir in zucchini and walnuts. Spread into prepared pans and bake 40-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. If making muffins bake 18 minutes.

Remove from oven and enjoy. (It pairs nicely with a glass of milk.)

Valentine's Day Treats: Chocolate Ganache, Strawberries, & Fudge Cookies

Naturally, I had to make some delicious chocolate desserts for Valentine's day. The recipe for soft & chewy chocolate drops from the back of the box of unsweetened BAKER's chocolate squares was perfect for the occasion. This first time I made these cookies I immediately thought they tasted like fudge--one of my guilty pleasures--and I now make them whenever I have a craving.

I also made simple chocolate ganache to top the cookies (instead of the glaze recipe listed on the box), which I used to dip chocolate strawberries as well. This made for a rich & chocolately night indeed!

First I made the chocolate drops. (this makes about 4 dozen cookies)

Ingredients:
4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate (4 T butter + 12 T unsweetened cocoa powder)
3/4 c butter
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c flour

Melt the butter, then stir in the chocolate until combined. Mix in sugar. Add eggs & vanilla and mix together well for a few minutes. Finally add the flour and stir until a dough is formed. Preheat the oven to 350 F and put the batter in the fridge so it is easy to shape later.

Semisweet chocolate for the ganache

While the oven is heating, make the glaze.

Ingredients:
1 c heavy cream
8 oz semisweet baking chocolate, chopped up

Pour the cream into a heavy-bottomed pot and heat slowly until a simmer. You will see bubbles form along the edges of the pan when it is hot enough. Stir while it is heating.
While it is heating, chop up the chocolate and place the pieces in a bowl. When the cream is ready, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for ~20 seconds. Whisk the mixture together until it is creamy and smooth. Dip strawberries immediately & set aside on wax paper or a plate.

By this time the oven should be ready. Grease a cookie sheet and remove the dough from the fridge. Roll out 1'' balls and place them 2'' apart. Bake 8-10 minutes, until set. Let stand on the baking sheet a few minutes after you remove them from the oven, before transferring them to a wire rack. Dip the tops in ganache and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy warm or cooled, but don't eat too many ;)

Beer Bread

This is some of the easiest and tastiest bread to make. It takes a few minutes to mix together and is delicious to eat right out the oven!

Ingredients:
3 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
2 T honey
12 oz beer--anything works but preferably something with a little flavor

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a large bowl sift together the dry ingredients, then add the honey & beer. Mix quickly and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake 55 minutes until hollow on the bottom.

Remove from pan, brush with butter, and serve.

Chocolate Banana Muffins (and other flavors)

Muffins are some of my favorite, most-satisfying recipes to make for breakfast because they are fast, flavorful, and easy to change depending on what ingredients are available.

Today I had one very ripe banana and was craving some chocolate, so I made chocolate banana muffins.

This recipe makes 1 dozen muffins.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c flour

3/4 c sugar

2 1/2 t baking powder

3/4 t salt

1/2 c cocoa powder

1 beaten egg

1 mashed banana

1 c milk

1/3 c oil

Variations:

Regular muffins: reduce sugar to 1/3 c, reduce milk to 3/4 c, omit cocoa powder

To these you can add 3/4 c chocolate chips, blueberries, nuts, chopped apples + 1 t cinnamon, or mashed banana. If adding banana use 1/2 c milk. 

You will need 2 bowls, 1 large & 1 medium. In the medium bowl combine all wet ingredients with a whisk: egg, milk, oil, banana, & sugar. Sift the dry ingredients into the large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the wet mixture into the well & mix together quickly so the batter is still lumpy & just moistened. Do not overmix!

Divide into a greased muffin tin or loaf pan. If making muffins, bake at 400 F for 18 mins. If making a loaf bake at 350 F for 30 mins. They are done when golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy warm!

Oatmeal Pan Bread

This recipe makes perfect homemade chewy bars with lots of oatmeal, cinnamon and options to add fruit and nuts. It is also really simple too. Everything gets tossed into one bowl, mixed together, and baked for 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c oatmeal
1/2 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
*pinch nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/2 c milk
1/4 c butter, melted
1 egg
*1/2 c dried cranberries or raisins
*1/3 c chopped almonds

*optional ingredients I have added to make these bars more delicious

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine ingredients in a large bowl & mix completely. Spread evenly in a 9'' x 9'' greased pan and bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges are browning.

Quinoa Vegetable Salad

I came up with this dish after being inspired by a friend I saw making quinoa with fresh veggies and basil. In the past I’ve made rice salads with veggies but never quinoa. It was time to experiment!

This was very easy to make as a last-minute meal, and great for leftovers. It’s good hot or cold and can easily be reheated in a pan with a scrambled egg for another nutritious meal.

**Note: anything can be added to this—I just used things I had in my fridge that went well together.

Cook the quinoa for 15 minutes

Prep the veggies while the quinoa is cooking

Ingredients:

1 c quinoa

1/4 t salt.

3 medium tomatoes

½ red bell pepper

1 carrot, peeled & sliced

1 clove of garlic, minced

fresh herbs (I used basil, but anything will work), finely chopped

2 T olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Rinse quinoa. In a medium pot measure out 2 c water and add quinoa and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, slightly covered. Stir occasionally.

While the quinoa is cooking prepare the vegetables. When it is done, toss it in a bowl and add the vegetables, garlic, basil, and drizzle with olive oil. Toss together and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Alex's Chunky Guacamole

My roommate Alex makes some good spicy Mexican and Southern food. A few weeks ago he made delicious guacamole and let me share the recipe on here.

Ingredients:

5 ripe avocados, halved & scooped out

2 Roma tomatoes, large dice

1 red bell pepper, large dice

5 cloves garlic, peeled & minced

1 small onion, large dice

jalapeño peppers (1 with seeds, 3 without seeds depending on desired spice level), finely chopped

juice of ½ lemon or lime

salt & pepper to taste

dash of tabasco sauce

2 T olive oil

In a bowl add the avocado pieces and mash them up into large chunky pieces. Add the garlic, bell pepper,  onion, jalapeño, and tomatoes with juices. Add the lemon juice, tabasco, olive oil, & mix together with a fork or potato masher to keep the consistency chunky. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with chips.

I love this guacamole because of the chunky pieces; you can distinctively taste flavors of tomato pepper, and avocado while eating. It is definitely something I will be making on my own!

Peanut Butter Favorites

Named appropriately, these cookies are favorites of all my friends who enjoy peanut butter cookies. Once you eat one it’s hard to resist having seconds, thirds, or more!

Ingredients:

¾ c peanut butter

1 stick butter*

1 ¼ c flour

½ c sugar

½ c brown sugar

1 egg*

1 t baking soda

¼ t baking powder

*at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a cookie sheet.

Sift the dry ingredients into a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time until combined. Blend in the peanut butter. While mixing, slowly add the dry ingredients until combined but still a dry consistency. Be careful not to overmix here—if the dough gets too wet the cookies will not have a delicious crumbly texture.

Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place on the cookie sheet approximately 2’’ apart. With a fork cross each cookie then place in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes until set and the edges are browning. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Pistachio Biscotti

Wow, that was a long break from blogging! I moved to a new city/job/apartment for the winter. In addition to getting into a new groove (buying ingredients, baking pans, etc.) I’m living in an apartment without internet access so it will be harder for me to get online to upload recipes. I had originally planned to access my blog for recipes while traveling, but without internet access that proves to be a bit difficult.

Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone. For these holidays I made mostly recipes that were already posted on my blog—boring I know—but I did make some fun pistachio biscotti for dessert on Christmas Eve.

This recipe is a family classic. It makes some of the most authentic biscotti I’ve had outside of Italy. Please let me know what you think after you’ve tried them! I added pistachios to the batter because that was all I had around the house, but they can be easily substituted for any other nuts, chocolate chips, cranberries—anything you like. You can also melt chocolate and dip the biscotti after they come out of the oven, yum!

Ingredients:

1 c nuts

2 ¼ c flour

1 t baking powder

½ t salt

3 eggs *room temperature

1 c sugar

1 t vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Measure out 1 c nuts and coarsely chop. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat the eggs, then add the sugar and beat together, add the vanilla and mix in. In a separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients. While mixing with one hand add in the dry ingredients until everything is just combined. Err on the side of under-mixing. Add the nuts and stir until evenly distributed.

On a greased baking sheet, pour the dough into 3 flattened logs, approximately 4 inches wide. Bake 30 minutes until golden and the inside is cooked.

Remove from oven, place on wire rack or cutting board, and immediately cut into ¾’’ slices diagonally across the logs. If you have a wire rack available, lay each cookie down on the wire rack and place the rack back in the oven for another 10 minutes. If a wire rack is not available, place them back on the cookie sheet and back 5 mins each side until they are toasted.

Remove from oven and let cool. When they are cool they will be very crunchy and ready to serve with tea or coffee.

I’ve actually never made biscotti with pistachios before but I LOVED them! (I also happen to love pistachios—go figure). I used salted pistachios and the subtle saltiness that hits the tongue before the sweetness from the cookie is absolutely wonderful. I definitely recommend them.