What a Great Weekend...

I have been wanting for at least the past 3 year to take a bread baking class at King Arthur Flour. This past weekend I am happy to say that my dream has come true. I was lucky enough to take the Beauty and the Baguette class. One that I need to take because every time I have made baguettes in the past they have always come out flat.

The back of the classroom where we learned all about how to make french baguettes.

My dough divided into 2 a waiting to be shaped into baguettes.

Some coming out of the oven all nicely baked...boy did it smell amazing in there!

My two baguettes cooling off after coming out of the oven.

I know I want to go back and take another class...is next week too soon. Just kidding I am sure they are all sold out and I know a bunch of people that will hurt me if I go back without them this time.

Holiday Bread

I have to confess that my list of things I want to make is getting longer and longer by the minute. I just keep finding things out there that I want to try and make. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone...make something from my list and make something that goes well with the Jewish holidays...Raisin Challah.

I actually wanted to make a different recipe at first but I only had two eggs left and most called for at least 3 in the recipes. This one did call for 3 but the third one was sort of optional.




Raisin Challah
King Arthur Flour


Dough:
1/2 cup lukewarm water
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 cups golden raisins, packed

Topping:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
2 tablespoons coarse white sparkling sugar, optional

Dough

• 4 ounces lukewarm water
• 2 5/8 ounces vegetable oil
• 3 ounces honey
• 2 large eggs
• 17 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 5 teaspoons instant yeast
• 9 ounces golden raisins, packed

Topping

• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
• 3/4 ounce coarse white sparkling sugar, optional

Directions

1) To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients except the raisins, and mix and knead them, by hand, mixer, or bread machine, until you have a soft, fairly smooth dough.

2) Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 2 hours, or until it's puffy though probably not doubled in bulk.

3) Gently deflate the dough, and knead in the raisins.

4) Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan.

5) Roll the dough into a 30" to 36" rope. If it shrinks back, walk away and leave it alone for 10 minutes, then resume rolling. The longer the rope the more distinct the spiral, but if it isn't exactly 36" long, don't stress; just get as close as you can.

6) Coil the rope into the prepared pan, starting in the center.

7) Cover the challah gently with lightly greased plastic wrap or a proof cover, and allow it to rise for about 60 to 90 minutes, until it's puffy and pretty much fills the pan.

8) Near the end of the bread's rise, preheat the oven to 375°F.

9) Whisk together the egg and water. Brush the risen dough with the egg mixture. Sprinkle with coarse white sugar, if desired.

10) Bake the bread for 20 minutes, tent it with foil and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190°F.

11) Remove the bread from the oven, and after a minute or so carefully transfer it to a rack. Cool the bread to lukewarm before cutting it. The suggested glaze, made with a whole egg and water, makes the bread's crust deep-brown and shiny. for a lighter brown (but still shiny) crust, use a glaze made of egg white and water. For a lighter-brown, matte crust, dispense with the glaze altogether. Review: I used my bread machine and left it in there for the two hour first rise. It was almost too big for that but I didn't have a problem in the end. I felt like I didn't knead the raisins in right but I got them into the dough. It was also really hard to roll into the 30" - 36" rope and you needed to let it sit for 10 minutes so it was easier to work with. I liked the taste of this bread and I think I would make it again. To me it seemed like it would be the perfect bread to make french toast with if there were any leftovers....

White Bread 101

It is no secret that I love cookbooks and looking for new recipes. One ingredient that I keep seeing in my searches of KAF recipes is potato flour. The only place I have seen it for sale is in the KAF baker's catalog. Then I thought that maybe this was something that comes out once a year in the Kosher section with the rest of the Kosher for Passover stuff. I know that potato stuff is ok to use in passover baking but what I was seeing is potato starch.

I was wondering if Potato Starch and Potato Flour were the same thing but called something different. A bunch of internet searches I did said pretty much that but I still wasn't 100% sure. I contacted the King Arthur Flour's baker's hotline via their online chat to see what they could tell me about starch vs flour.

I asked if potato starch was the same thing as potato flour and this is the answer I got: no, they are a bit different. Potato flour is processed including the peels of the potatoes, potato starch doesn't include peels, just potato flesh.

I then asked if I used starch instead of flour would this effect the recipe: they behave slightly differently in recipes as well...partly it depends on the amount, but if you use starch instead of flour, your texture will be different, not as tender, a bit stiffer.




White Bread 101
King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion

3 cups (12 3/4 oz) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 oz) sugar
4 tablespoons (2 oz) butter
1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz) nonfat dry milk
1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz) potato flour, or 1/3 cup (3/4 oz) potato flakes
1 1/8 cups (9 oz) lukewarm water

Combine all the ingredients and mix and knead them together - by hand, mixer or bread machine - until you've made soft, smooth dough. Adjust the dough's consistency with additional flour or water as needed; but remember, the more flour you add while you're kneading, the heavier and drier your final loaf will be. Cover and let the dough rise for 1 hour,until it's puffy (though not necessarily double in bulk).

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface and shape it into an 8-inch log. Transfer the log to a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan, cover the pan (a proof cover works well here), and let the bread rise until the outer edge has risen about 1 inch over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour.



Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Uncover the pan and bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil for the final 10 to 15 minutes if it appears to be browning too quickly. Remove the bread from the oven, take it out of the pan, and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. A fter 15 minutes, brush it with butter, if desired, this will give it a soft crust.




Review: I have to confess that I used the potato starch because I thought it was the same as flour. I contacted KAF after I made the bread because the answers i got online just did not seem right to me. I thought the bread came out great but I did not use a lot of it in the starch in the recipe so maybe it didn't change the texture that much.

This recipe is super easy to make especially if you use the bread machine to do all the kneading. I really love recipes where you just throw all the stuff into the mixer/machine and let it do the work. One reason I made this bread so I can make the next recipe in the book which is for Herbed Monkey Bread...I think that would be perfect for any Italian dinner coming up.

My crumb shot...

Beautiful Burger Buns...Say That Three Times Fast!

Since I knew we weren't going any where for the Superbowl I took the opportunity to make some kind of bread. When else am I going to get a guaranteed not getting off the couch day from Mike. So of course I went to my favorite bread cookbook for this task.

What could I make to go with cold cuts and something that I did not need an overnight starter for...that actually narrows it down a lot. Then I found the perfect thing to try out and if they were good this would be something I could make in the future.


Beautiful Burger Buns
KingArthurFlour.com

3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast

1) Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients—by hand, mixer, or bread machine—to make a soft, smooth dough.

2) Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it's doubled in bulk.

3) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round 1" thick (more or less); flatten to about 3" across. Place the buns on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until very puffy.

4) If desired, brush buns with melted butter. Or brush lightly with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water), and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

5) Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, till golden. Cool on a rack.

My favorite crumb shot...

Review: If I can help it I will try to make these every time we have burgers or cold cuts in the future. They were so easy to make and the end result is just fantastic. They have the right taste and the right texture for burger or a sandwich. I tried to keep track of the time when I started (about 8:30ish am) and the time I finished (just before Noon) to see how long they really take me to make. This way I know if I can squeeze in making them before our next bbq. Check out the link above to the recipe because on that page they give you some tips on making these. Also they give you a great way of how to shape them which I am going to try next time to see if I can get them to be more even in shape. This one is a keeper for sure!

100% Whole Wheat Bread

When I made the Easy Cinnamon Bread I got the recipe out of my KAF All-Purpose Baking Cookbook which is an awesome cookbook. On the very next page is the recipe for their 100% Whole Wheat bread recipe. Mike requested that the next bread I try making was that one.


100% Whole Wheat Bread
King Arthur Flour

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) lukewarm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons honey, molasses or maple syrup
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Organic Whole Wheat Flour
1 tablespoon King Arthur Whole-Grain Bread Improver, optional
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, chopped*
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped*
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

*A quick whirl in the food processor does the job nicely.

To prepare the dough: Combine all of the ingredients, and mix them till you have a shaggy dough. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes, then knead till fairly smooth. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's puffy and nearly doubled in bulk.

Gently deflate the dough, shape it into a log, and place it in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch bread pan. Cover the pan with a proof cover or lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, till it's crowned about 1 inch over the rim of the pan.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil for the final 20 minutes of baking. Yield: 1 loaf.

Review: In the book's recipe it mentions something about using a bread machine...the one above which is from the website does not. I asked the baker's hot-line about it and they said it was ok to use the bread machine which is what I did. So from that sense it is a very easy bread to make because you just put all the ingredients into the machine and let it do it's work on the dough cycle. I used molasses this time because I knew out of the three choices that is what Mike would want but next time I might use honey instead. It was a great tasting bread and very yummy when I made a tuna sandwich with it but I felt it needs a tiny bit of sweetness which I think the honey might give it. I think this one is a keeper and I would love to see if I could make it into mini loafs because it reminds me of something you can get at restaurant that brings mini loafs to the table.

Butter Braid

Every family has that one or couple of things that just make the holiday meal. That if they weren't on the table it would not be a completed holiday meal. One of those things for my husband's family is his Mom's bread (the other I have learned it my sugar cookies). She makes it for Thanksgiving and for Christmas dinners and that is it. So for me at least I look forward to those meals just for this bread.

In my quest to put together a family cookbook of recipes we can't live without or really don't want to think about living without...I was able to get this recipe. In the process of transferring my documents from the old computer to the new one I came across it and just felt like making it. It was one of those days that I knew I wasn't going any where so it was perfect. A couple of other reason was I have also been itching to make things and so that scratched that itch as well (for now at least) and I had a lot of leftover butter from holiday baking.

After the first rise and formed into it's 3 levels of braids.

Ready for the oven and covered in Sesame seeds

My baked fallen braid :(

Crumb shot

Butter Braid

1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup water (105-115 degrees)
3 egg, beaten
6 cups flour, might need as much as cups
poppy or sesame seeds
1 egg white

Scald milk and pour it over butter, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle yeast into the water. Let stand for a few minutes, then stir until dissolved. Stir into the cooled milk mixture. Add beaten eggs and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in rest of the flour to make a stiff dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead well. Put in a greased bowl cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Punch down and turn out onto board. Divide in half. Cut one half dough into 3 equal parts and roll out into strips 18 inches long. Braid. Place on greased cookie sheet. Divide two thirds of the remaining dough into 3 equal pieces and braid. Place over first braid. Form remaining dough into braid and lay over first 2 braids.

Brush all with melted butter and sprinkle with seeds. Let rise until doubled. Brush with a mixture of 1 egg and 1 tbsp water. Bake in a preheated oven (375) for 30 to 35 minutes. Brush twice with egg mixture while baking.

Review: Mike said it was perfect but i thought it was good for my first try. As you can see in the pictures above my braid fell and the worst part it did it in the oven. My mother-in-law usually has the problem during the finally rising part and can fix it a little bit. I think I needed to let it rise a little bit longer before I put it in the oven. I did use instant yeast instead of active dry because I only had one packet of active dry yeast. So maybe that had something to do with it and I will have to try it next time with active dry yeast. Well I don't have to say it but this is a keeper and for now I am going to let my mother-in-law keep making it for the holidays and only make it on request from Mike.

This has also made me want to try and make brioche even more now and I am going to really try and make it this year!

Easy Cinnamon Bread

I am not actually the first person on this blog to make the bread...Heidi made it a while back. She was in search of the Hershey Cinnamon chips that used to be easily available. When she found them she made this recipe and said it was super yummy.

I actually found the chips recently and decided to try making this bread for New Year's Day breakfast. I am thinking of just eating it toasted with some butter or maybe even turning into french toast. I will let you know what we did in a couple of days...



Easy Cinnamon Bread
King Arthur Flour

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour OR Mellow Pastry Blend
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cinnamon chips
cinnamon-sugar, for topping

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, and egg. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, beating till smooth. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour, covered, then stir in the baking powder and cinnamon chips.

Spoon the batter into a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon-sugar.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until it tests done; a cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean. Remove the bread from the oven, let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Note: Don't slice the bread while it's hot! It'll slice much better when it's completely cool. Yield: 1 loaf.

Review: I have not tasted a real piece yet...just crumbs so far which have tasted great. To me this a very fast and simple recipe to make. I think I started around 10:30am and was done by Noon. So far it is something I would make again the only issue I might have is finding the cinnamon chips but I could always break down and order them from KAF. I think this one is probably a keeper...

Update: The bread was super yummy and they whole family loved it. Not a piece was leftover after breakfast. Not really the right texture in my mind to make french toast with but yummy just plain!

Bread Matters...well of course it does!

You will never believe what has happened to me...little old me. It was a normal day in my house and everything was going the way it usually does. Boys being boys...me being me...Mike being Mike and then I checked my email. Someone from Andrews McMeel Publishing contacted me to review a cookbook they have out. I thought this was some kind of joke because let me be honest I am not a writer. So the first thing I did was of course check out their website to see if the book existed...yes it did...ok so maybe this isn't a joke. I actually recognized some of the other books they have on there which was exciting. (I mean I usually look at amazon for book stuff and really never on the publisher's website.)

I am sorry this has taken me so long to write up my review because I have had it for about a month. All of us in this house got hit with a cold...yup every one of us got this cold and was sort of out of commission for about a week. Then the normal busy days came and went which made it hard to have time to sit down and write this up. So get ready here comes the review:

My Review: I know they say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover (or photos) but I do sometimes. When it comes to cookbooks I think it is a must in some ways. As much as I love food I love looking at food. I also think that when a cookbook has pictures of the finish product it just makes it that much easier to want to make that recipe. A pet peeve of mine is when a cookbook as NO pictures in it. That being said this cookbook has some really nice photos in it and I get a warm and fuzzy feeling from them...if only I could take pictures like them!

The next thing I enjoyed in this book was that the author put some example time tables in it. It just gives you an idea on how long it will take you to complete a recipe. I have tried to make some recipes to only realize that I actually don't have enough time to do them in. I know I probably could do that on my own and figure out how much time it takes to complete but it is just so much easier when it is done for you.

You all know I am a big fan of King Arthur Flour (who are actually on the supply list in the back of this book) they always say it is better to use a scale when baking. It is just more accurate then volume measuring. I have a scale and I prefer that method now. The awesome thing in this book is that you are given 3 different measuring methods...cups, pounds/ounces (Imperial) and grams (Metric) for each recipe. Another thing you can figure out on your own but just easier when someone does it for you.

Another nice thing about this book it has a chapter on gluten-free baking. From some of the blogs I have looked at it seems that can be a hard thing to find for the average person. I have not tried this section out and probably won't just because of the ingredients needed.

If you like sour dough bread making this book has at least one chapter on it and seems to be a theme in the book. I do want to try making a sour dough starter but not right now. I just don't feel comfortable with one in my refrigerator (or counter top) especially with an almost 4 year old who seems to live in it. Also to me right now it is just another thing I would have to take care of when I already have too much of that.

That all being said is this a book I would have purchased on my own...maybe. Don't get me wrong it is a very nice book and a great reference book. To me it is just not a cookbook in the what I think a traditional cookbook is...it does have recipes but about half of the book does not. It is perfect for someone who wants to get started baking bread at home or just wants to know more about baking bread. You don't get a look at your first real recipe until after about 140+ pages. I am glad I have this book to look back at when I have questions about the bread I am making.

Monkeying Around Bread

I really never need an excuse to bake some bread. So when one of the at home suggested activities for Jacob this week was bake some bread with your child...how can I say no to that! I am willing to do whatever it takes to help Jacob learn. Since I bake bread at home a lot I wanted to make something that would be fun to do with Jacob.

First I looked at my list of things I want to make and did not really see anything on it that would be "fun" to make with Jacob. It did not take me long to figure out what would be both fun and easy enough to make with Jacob...Monkey Bread. I could not believe that this was not on my list I have been wanting to do that for a while now.

So I went to the website I trust most with bread recipes when I don't have one in mind (King Arthur Flour) and found one right away.

Monkeying Around Bread
King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

Topping
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Dough
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Directions
1) Make the topping: Blend the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, or shake them together in a small lidded container. Set aside.
2) Place water, vegetable oil, egg, salt, sugar, and yeast in a medium bowl and stir well.
3) Add 1 cup of the flour, stirring to blend.
4) Add the second cup of flour, stirring to make a cohesive dough. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes; this gives the flour a chance to absorb the liquid, making it easier to knead.
5) Knead the dough — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — till it's soft and smooth.
6) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or large measuring cup, cover it, and let the dough rise for 30 to 60 minutes, till it's doubled in size.
7) Gently deflate the dough, and place it on a clean, lightly greased work surface; a silicone mat works well here. Divide it into pieces about 1 1/2" in diameter; you'll make 16 to 18 pieces.
8) Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan. Dip each piece in water, then roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat.
9) Place the pieces in a single layer in the prepared pan. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon-sugar over the top.
10) Cover the pan, and let the bread rise for 30 to 60 minutes, till it's visibly puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
11) Uncover the pan, and bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, till it's golden brown and feels set.
12) Remove from the oven, and immediately turn the pan over onto a cooling rack. Lift the pan off the bread, and scrape any leftover topping in the pan onto the bread.13) Pull the bread apart to serve.
Serve warm, or at room temperature.



Review: I remember making monkey bread when I was in middle school and even though this was a different recipe the taste was just like I remembered (well even better then I remember). Making the dough was really simple and did not take much time. I was busy doing stuff so the waiting in between each step seemed to go by fast. The only thing I might do different is make the individual pieces smaller...so instead of 16-18 I might try 20-22 and see how that size is for each piece. This is a keeper and I really want to try a savory type next because the dough isn't sweet and would work well. I think everyone would be amazed when you put that on the table at the next family meal.

I have a problem...and it involves bread

My local supermarket sells their day old bread for at least half price. I think you know you have a problem when you bring home a bag full of this bread. I just go over there every time to see if they have anything good. Well this past time they had a lot of good stuff. Also they had this big round loaf of pumpernickel that just look too good to pass up...my name is Michelle and I love day old bread.

The picture has nothing to do with day old bread but the other day it was so warm here that a ton of lady bugs came out. This was a great shot I got of one of them...

Ham & Potato Soup in a Bread Bowl: Part 1

Yesterday was just one of those gross...cold...wet days where you just want to crawl back into bed and wake up when it is nice and sunny. Well since I have two young kids that is not an option for me. I also knew that we were going to be staying home all day. I wanted a little project to break up the day because who looks forward to doing loads of laundry.

I had this one recipe on my list for a while now Artisan Bread Bowls from King Arthur Flour. It just brings back memories of our trips to San Fransisco and Fisherman's Wharf. Having some clam chowder in a sour dough bread bowl...what is better than that!

I actually remembered to get started early enough that I wasn't finishing the bread bowls at midnight. If my calculations are correct there is a minimum of 7 hours before you can bake the bread bowls. I used my bread machine again for the mixing/kneading and first rise part (about 1 hours). Then I took out my scale so I can divide the dough into 5 equal portions, made them into balls and put them on a silpat on a baking sheet. After that you put them in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours let them rise again...you can leave them in there up to 24 hours. Then 2 hours for you are ready to bake them you take them out of the refrigerator to continue rising.


Artisan Bread Bowls
King Arthur Flour

3 3/4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, enough to make a smooth, soft dough

Directions
1) Mix and knead together all of the ingredients—by hand, mixer or bread machine—till you've created a smooth dough.
2) Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes; it should become puffy.
3) Divide the dough into 5 pieces.
4) Roll each piece into a ball.
5) Place on a lightly greased or parchment covered baking sheet.
6) Cover the bread bowls with greased plastic wrap.
7) Refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to 24 hours); this step will give the bread bowls extra flavor, and a delightfully crisp-chewy texture.
8) Two or more hours before serving, remove the bread bowls from the refrigerator. Uncover, and let them sit for about 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425°F.
9) Just before baking, slash the top surface of the bowls several times to allow them to expand.
10) Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the bowls are deep brown, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.
11) Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Step #3

Baked bread bowl.
My favorite bowl...

My Review: If you are not a patient person then this recipe is not for you. There is a lot of waiting for the yeast to do it's job. At first I was worried that it would not be worth the wait but it was totally worth it. I planned on just doing the minimum rising times so we can eat it that night for dinner. Next time I think I will try to allow for more time in the refrigerator. The taste was perfect just what I expected out of this recipe. I think the whole wheat flour adds a nice flavor and texture to the finished product. Overall a very nice recipe and I can't wait to do this again!
I don't know why I had it in my head that I needed to eat these hot out of the oven. I didn't realize it calls for them to cool down...lucky for me it is cold here and I just stuck them outside for a little bit. So I think the next time I will start them the night before I want to eat them...let them have a good rest in the refrigerator and bake the the next day.

English Muffin Bread

I can't remember how long ago I received a free 2lb bag of King Arthur Flour which was part of the bake2share program. (Well that flour is long gone and at the rate I have been using flour lately I just got a 10lb bag from my local wholesale club). It came with a print out of three recipes to try out with your flour...English Muffin Toasting Bread, Blueberry Muffins, and Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I have been wanting to try making the English Muffin Toasting Bread recipe since I got it and finally got around to doing it this past week. It seemed really straight forward and not too complicated to make. I was even able to do it from being to end during my son's nap time which is usually around 1.5 to 2 hours.

My bread rising in the pan (a shower cap is being used to cover it)

Bread hot out of the oven

Glamour shot outside in the natural light.

English Muffin Toasting Bread
King Arthur Flour

• 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
• cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan

• 12 3/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 ounce sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 8 ounces milk
• 2 ounces water
• 7/8 ounce vegetable oil or olive oil
• cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan

Directions

1) Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.

2) Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. The liquid will feel very hot (hotter than lukewarm), but not so hot that it would scald you. As a reference point, the hottest water from your kitchen tap is probably around 120°F (unless your tap water is so hot that it burns you).

3) Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.

4) Beat at high speed for 1 minute. The dough will be very soft.

5) Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal.

6) Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.

7) Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn't be more than, say, 1/4" over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn't very cold. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.

8) Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 20 to 22 minutes, till it's golden brown and its interior temperature is 190°F.

9) Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

Review: This was a very easy bread to make and since there really is no kneading to be done...anyone could make this. I was also super excited when it came clean out of the pan because honestly I never have any luck with that step. I waited for it to completely cool before I took a slice to see what it looked like and to have a little taste of it. I thought it had a really nice and different taste then I thought it would have. It was really delicious lightly toasted with a little bit of butter on it. When it was served with dinner thicker pieces were cut and warmed up. I honestly think this bread is a perfect breakfast bread and would go well with any breakfast meal. I would make it again just because it was super easy and it came out great.

The Best Cuban Food!!!

You know when people ask you the question what is your favorite food or what could you eat for the rest of your life? I used to always have to think about it for a little bit because I like variety sometimes and sometimes I don't. I usually say whatever my mom/grandmother would make but now I add to that mix what my husband's mom/grandmother make.

My husbands' family is from Cuba and his grandmother makes some of the best Cuban food (well to me THE best) out there. I am a very happy camper whenever we get to have something she makes. I think the one that is on the top of every one's list (after her black beans of course) are her croquettes. Oh do we all get excited when we hear that is what we are having for dinner. It is not something you get every day and we even once went a couple of years without them.

This month Mike's grandmother happens to be visiting my in-laws and I am determined to get her to teach me all the recipes we love. I just thought it was important to learn a little more of my husband's culture and to preserve the recipes we love. So of course I started with the most important of them all...the croquettes!!!

I think it was last Monday my husband was talking to his mom and she asked if I wanted to come over this week to learn the croquettes. Well let me think a minute...YES...do I have to wait until tomorrow to come. Needless to say I was super excited to go over there this week for my first Cuban cooking lesson from the master herself...Mama.

I am not authorized to give out any details of what goes into the recipe because it is a family secret. Believe me if I was allowed to give it out I would because I took pictures of the whole process from beginning to end. Mostly for myself because Mama doesn't cook using measurements...it is a little bit of this and what you need to around out that...mixed with years and years of experience. I figured if I took pictures of what we did I would have a reference point to go back too.

The finished croquette mixture before shaping.

We made them on Tuesday and Mama was going to shape them on Wednesday. Tomorrow we are going to go back to cook and eat them. I always knew the reason we don't get this too often is because it is a long processes. After making them with her and I only did one part you realize how much time goes into them. I think this is like one of the traditional some families have where everyone gathers around to make Chinese dumplings or raviolis or something like that.

Croquettes shaped and fried

I wanted to bring something back with us tomorrow to go with our meal so I decided to try my hand at making Cuban Bread. I did some looking around online and found a bunch of recipes. I decided to start with the one that is on the King Arthur Flour website first. Mostly because I have baked a lot of their recipes before and never have problems.

Finished bread cooling off.

Pan Cubano
King Arthur Flour

4 cups (17 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter; or 3 tablespoons fresh lard, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) water

Manual Method: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. Gently fold the dough in upon itself and turn it upside-down after 30 minutes; this "turn" helps eliminate some of the excess carbon dioxide and redistributes the yeast's food, both imperative for optimum yeast growth.

Mixer Method: Combine the ingredients as directed at left, using a flat beater paddle or beaters, then switch to the dough hook(s) and knead for 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise, with a turn, as directed above.

Bread Machine Method: Place all of the ingredients into the pan of your machine, program the machine for Manual or Dough, and press Start. Examine the dough about 10 minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle, and adjust its consistency with additional water or flour as needed, to produce a smooth, supple dough. Allow the machine to complete its cycle.

Divide the dough into six pieces, and shape each piece into a rough log. Let the logs rest for 15 minutes, covered, then shape each piece into a smooth batard shape (a log about 8 inches long, slightly tapered at each end). Place the loaves on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.

Let the loaves rise, covered, for 1 hour. Brush or spray them with water, and slash one long lengthwise slit down the middle of each loaf. Preheat the oven to 375°F while the loaves are rising. Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, or until it's golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool it on a rack. The loaves may be made one day in advance and stored at room temperature, or several weeks in advance and frozen. Yield: 6 sandwich loaves.

Review: I have to say that this is very good bread and sort of reminds me a little bit of french bread. I made it the way it said to in the recipe to make 6 sandwich loaves but next time I might try to make 3 bigger ones or maybe smaller round ones. This would make excellent bread for Cuban sandwiches which if you click on the link above to King Arthur's website for the recipe has how to make the sandwich there. I can't wait until tomorrow to get the real vote if this is a keeper or not...but for me it is!


Update: Everyone LOVED the bread it came out really yummy. It is definitely a keeper and I just need to perfect the shape of it. The best compliment that I got from Papa was that it would go perfect with his Cafe con Leche.

The Luck of the Irish

Do you ever have the feeling that something might happen today that will prevent you from doing what you have planned. Well with my due date just around the corner I feel like it might be any day now. I would have been so disappointed (a little bit that is) if I did not find time to make this recipe.

Even though I am not Irish growing up in a town that is very Irish you sort of feel the need to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I even make Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner which my husband expects now from me. He requested I make a lot this year so he can have the leftovers for lunch.

I was super excited when on the Baker's Banter there was a post for Irish Soda Bread Muffins. What a great idea instead of buying/making one giant loaf just make them in a mini form...easier to share.


Review: I highly recommend visiting the KAF blog and making this recipe yourself if you are a fan of Irish Soda Bread. It was so easy to mix everything together and bake. I used sour cream and raisins in the recipe. I was going to make my own buttermilk because I couldn't find any in the market but decided to just go with the sour cream instead. For budget reason I did not get currants because they were so much more expensive then the raisins which I know my son would eat what was leftover. I totally forgot to buy caraway seeds but I thought the muffins came out wonderful without it.

When Life Hands You Lemons....Make Bread!

Yesterday we thought it was going to be a day where you didn't want to go out at all (it turned out to be an ok day). So we planned on cleaning up and just doing things in the house. I figured since we were going to be home all day that it would be a perfect day to bake bread. I also hosted this weeks playgroup at my house and needed a little snack for the mom's.

A few days before Valentines Day on the Baker's Banter blog they had a post on Lemon Love Buns which looked interesting to me. Don't get me wrong I love chocolate for Valentine's Day and I am usually not a big lemon person but lately it just seems so refreshing to me.

Visit the Baker's Banter Blog for a link to the recipe and for step by step pictures of the baking processes. Below are my pictures of the finish buns.

Fresh out of the oven

Close up of one of the "heart" shaped buns

All the buns on the plate ready to be served.

Review: Another success with a KAF recipe!! I didn't have the lemon oil and was sort of scared to use the lemon extract I have...so I used the zest of one lemon. Next time I make these I might increase the amount of zest I use to get a little bit more lemon taste. The lemon taste was there and you definitely smell it when they bake but I would like a little more intense lemon taste. Also I loved the coarse sugar you put on top because it adds a nice crunch to the buns and just a little sweetness. I was reading the reviews on their website and someone said they might make a glaze with lemon juice to put on top which I might try as well.

Hot Buttered Pretzels

My mother-in-law gave me the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion Cookbook for Christmas. There are a ton of recipes in there I want to try, but when I came a cross the recipe for Hot Buttered Pretzels, I knew I had all the ingredients in the house. Plus it was Sunday, which means Football!!!



Hot Buttered Pretzels

Dough
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons regular instant yeast
7/8 to 1 cup warm water*

Topping
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
coarse, kosher or pretzel salt (optional)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

*Use the greater amount in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough.

Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl, and beat till well-combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, till it's soft, smooth, and quite slack. Flour the dough and place it in a bag, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by spraying them with vegetable oil spray, or lining them with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces (about 70g, or 2 1/2 ounces, each). Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the sugar, and place it in a shallow bowl.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 to 30 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel, as illustrated. Dip each pretzel in the warm water mixture (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown, reversing the baking sheets halfway through.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that's what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave. Yield: 8 pretzels.

My Review: The pretzels were easy to make and really tasty. I would definitely make them again. The only problem was that I used parchment paper. Which I found out is only good up to 420 degrees. After 8 minutes in 500 degrees it starts to burn. I would have baked the pretzels a little longer, but was afraid the parchment paper was going to catch on fire. Next time I'll just grease the baking sheets.