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ITALY: I made this rosemary bread with potatoes, which is not traditional, but it’s a common loaf in the bakeries around here. In Italy it is often scored with an asterix, and sprinkled with flakey salt – in an effort to recreate a bread that Luciano Pancalde read about that was described as having a rosemary aroma and a golden crust that “sparkled like diamonds”. I didn’t find out about that until after I baked it, but I’ll definitely do that next time!

STEP 1: Boil potatoes

• 300g potatoes
• 80 ml of water you cooked the potatoes in

1. Peel and chop potatoes, and place in a small pot. I chop them pretty small so that they cook fast, and so lots of potato starch seeps into the water.
2. Add 2 cups water and a teaspoon of salt.
3. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender.
4. Meanwhile, measure out the dry ingredients

STEP 2: Measure dry ingerdients

• 300g bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 7g yeast
• 2 Tbsp roughly chopped rosemary

1. Measure the dry ingredients and rosemary into the bowl of a stand mixer, or a mixing bowl
2. Whisk to combine.

STEP 3: Make potato mash

• 2 Tbsp butter

1. When potatoes are nice and soft, and before you drain them, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the water they’ve been cooking in
2. Drain, then return potatoes to pot, and over low heat, dry them out. Stir often, so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Once there’s no more steam coming out of the potatoes, turn off heat.
4. Add the butter, then mash the potatoes well (no lumps), mixing in the butter until it’s melted and fully incorporated.

• 80g potato water (reserve extra)

STEP 4: Make dough + first rise

1. Add the potato mash to the dry ingredients and 80 g of the potato water (reserve any leftover).
2. Knead on #1 until everything is coming together and there’s no dry bits of dough hanging about at the bottom. If you can’t get those to mix in, add 1 Tbsp (no more) of the potato water to the bowl.
3. Once there are not dry bits, turn to #2 and knead until it cleans the sides of the bowl and is one ball on the dough hook.
4. Place dough in a oiled bowl and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. About an hour, but it depends on the temperature of the room.

STEP 5: Shape loaf + second rise

1. Heat the oven to 450 (you’re going to turn it down to 425 once you’ve put the bread in for baking).
2. Knock the dough down, then turn dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and shape into a nice ball, with a tight surface. See the tips page.
3. Drop the ball into banneton (a flour-dusted cloth lined basket or bowl), smooth side down, seam side up. See No Banettone? video on the Tips page for how to make your own.
4. Cover and let proof for 30-40 minutes at room temperature to prove until almost doubled in size again.
5. Score
6. Bake the bread for 30 minutes.
7. Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

SICILY: Lasagna bread! How cool is this?! Made with semolina flour, and filled with layers of tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, onions and sometimes eggplant (depending on the region and season). The outer layer of dough bakes up crispy, like bread, but the inner layers are soft, like pasta. Scaccia (“drive away” in Sicilian) is a local street food favorite, and can also be found in Middletown, CT. Who knew?🤔

STEP 1: Make dough

• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp water, warmed to 110 degrees
• 1-1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. yeast

1. Mix sugar, yeast and water in a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Stir to combine and let sit until foamy, about 5 ~ 10 minutes (this is to test that your yeast is active).

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

1. Add the olive oil to the water and stir

• 2 cups durum wheat semolina flour (364 grams)
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Add flour and salt to the water mixture.
2. Mix with the paddle attachment (or a wooden spoon handle) until well combined.
3. Cover, and let rest for 30 minutes. This helps to hydrate the flour.
4. Mix again, and if it seems too dry/crumbly, add 1 Tbsp (no more!), and mix to combine.
5. With the dough hook attachment, knead at #2 until it comes away from the sides of the bowl, into one ball stuck on the hook. Or knead by hand.
6. Cover and let rest one hour. It’ll rise a little, but that’s not really what you’re after. You just want the dough to gain strength.

STEP 3: Roll out

1. Preheat over to 500 degrees, line a 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment
2. Roll out dough to a 26 x 18 rectangle.

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1. Tips:
   • I made markings on the countertop so I didn’t have to keep measuring.
   • It’s best to lightly dust the surface with regular flour
   • Flatten the dough, and shape it into an oval/rectangle to start
   • Roll from the center out, so the dough is being stretch in the same direction
   • When it starts to not hold the stretch, and it springs back, cover with a damp cloth and let rest about 10 minutes
   • Make sure it’s an even thickness throughout, rolling specifically in the thicker places to get it uniform
   • Also check that it’s not sticking to the counter; if so, fold over a flap and dust with flour

STEP 5: Fill and fold

I used tomato sauce, roasted eggplant, fresh spinach and Parmesan. I was really trying to stay away from having it taste like pizza, so no pepperoni, mozzarella, etc. I’ll definitely use ricotta next time.

1. Follow pictures to see how to fill and fold
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, so it’s nice and hot by the time you’re ready to bake

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STEP 6: Bake

1. Place in a 8” x 4” loaf pan. This is a little tricky. I covered it with parchment paper, then put the loaf pan over it to squish it to the right size, then tucked the parchment under the sides so it was easier to lift and drop in. I flipped it, so the bottom is now on the top.

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1. Brush top with oil.
2. Prick holes all over the top with a fork.
3. Bake the loaf for 45 minutes, until the top is dark and charred, and the internal temperature has reached 210-213°F. Tent with foil if it’s getting too dark.

Who out there is tired of artisan breads? I sure am, so this week I’m baking up a soft, squishy white bread, perfect for those of us nostalgic for the PB&J, grilled (American) cheese, mayo and tomato, and/or egg salad sandwiches of our youth. Or, be like a millennial and make some avocado toast! 🙂

• 2-1/2 tsp yeast
• 1 cup milk, at 110 degrees
• 360 g AP flour
• 8g salt
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 3 Tbsp butter, softened
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 46 g dried potato flakes, OR or 1/2 c mashed potatoes, riced

STEP 1: Make dough

1. Measure out all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. With the dough hook attachment, knead on #2 for about 5 ~ 7 minutes, until dough starts to clear the sides of the bowl. It doesn’t have to completely clean the bowl and form one ball. If it seems too dry add some milk, but just 1 tablespoon at a time!

STEP 2: First Rise

1. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise until it’s doubled and puffy. This can take between 60 ~ 90 minutes, depending on the temperature of your room.

STEP 3: Shape and second rise

1. Lightly grease your countertop
2. Holding the container close to the countertop, turn dough out. Don’t punch it down, i.e. deflate it, but while carefully turning edges under so that a kind of tight “skin” forms on top, shape it into an 8″ rectangular loaf
3. Place in a lightly greased 8.5″ x 4.5 ” or 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. Slip it into a plastic bag, tented, so it there’s room to rise.
4. Let rise until the center is about 1″ over the rim of an 9 x 5 pan. or 1-1/4″ above a 8.5 x 4.5 pan. Don’t let it go higher than than, or it might deflate during the baking process. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.
5. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.

STEP 4: Bake!

1. Bake the bread for 20 ~ 25 minutes until it’s golden brown, and the internal temperature is 190 degrees. If it starts to brown too early in the process, tent with foil.
2. Cool on wire rack, and remember — don’t slice it while it’s still warm!

The perfect loaf for when you’ve got to dash out the door before breakfast. Made with museli, dried fruit and nuts, and whole wheat and white flours, it’s as nutricious as it is delicious! Make two, and you can freeze one to always have on hand.

Continue reading “WEEK 44: Breakfast Bread” →

GERMANY: Christmas stollen represents the warmth of the Christmas season, and its thick coat of powdered sugar reminds us of a snowy German landscape, and to some, symbolizes the baby Jesus in swaddling clothes. Stollen can be “aged” for 2 ~ 3 weeks before eating, just wrap it tightly, and keep it in a cool place. This allows the liquid from the rum-soaked dried fruits to soak into the bread creating both flavor and moistness. YUM!

STEP 1 (2 days prior): Soak fruit and nuts

• 1/3 cup each of golden raisins, raisins and dried cherries (OR cranberries)
• 1 cup finely diced candied citrus peel (orange, lemon, grapefuite or a combination) 
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 Tbsp orange extract
• Dark rum (or brandy, cognac, schnapps, etc.)

1. Place dried fruit, candied peel and almonds in a small bowl, and stir to combine
2. Add the orange extract and enough liquor to cover
3. Stir to combine, cover, and let sit on countertop for 24 hours, sitrring every so often, and adding more liquor (just to cover) if it’s all been absorbed.
4. Drain any excess liquor before using.

STEP 2 (two days later): Make the sponge

• 1 cup flour
• 4 tsp yeast
• 1 cup milk

1. Measure flour and yeast into a small bowl
2. Warm milk to 110 degrees
3. Slowly add milk to flour, whisking all the while, to form a smooth paste
4. Cover, and let sit for 1 hour, until foaming

STEP 3: Make dough

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsps sugar
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cardamon
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolks
• 6 Tbsp butter, softened

1. Place the flour, sugar, salt, zests, and spices in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Whisk to blend
3. Place bowl in mixer, and with the paddle attachment, turn on lowest speed (be careful – it mixes alot faster than the dough hook) and then add in the sponge, the whole egg, egg yolk.
4. Add the butter, a few pieces at a time, scraping sides if some of it gets stuck and isn’t mixing in.
5. Continue to mix until dough comes away from the sides.
6. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.

STEP 4: Knead and 1st rise

1. Remove from bowl, and with a lightly oiled countertop (or lightly floured – if your dough seems a little too wet to manage), fold in fruit mixture and knead until fully incorporated
2. Return dough to bowl, and with the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed for 4 ~ 5 minutes, until it’s soft and satiny – not sticky.
3. Cover, and let rise (proof) at room temperature about 45 minutes.

STEP 5: Shape dough

1 roll of marzipan (optional – you can add a skinny roll of marzipan in the middle as you roll it up. I did this the first time, but I found it too strong, so use almond extract instead.)

1. Lightly oil your countertop
2. Separate dough into two halves and press into a rectangle. Roll up, pressing down with each fold over into a log shape about an inch thick. Pinch seam to seal.
3. Place logs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with a damp tea towle, and let rise until doubled. This can take anywhere from one to two hours, depending on the temperature of your room.
4. At some point, preheat oven to 375 so it’s ready at bake time.

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STEP 6: Bake!

1. Turn down oven to 350.
2. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate pan and bake another 20 ~ 30 minutes (40 to 50 minutes total). You want them to be a nice, very dark golden brown, and an internal temperature of 190 degrees.

STEP 7: Add topping

• 1 stick butter, melted
• Powdered sugar

1. Let the stollen sit for 5 minutes
2. Poke the stollens with a yakitori stick, or toothpick, and brush the tops generously with melted butter. You want to do this while they’re still hot
3. Put powdered sugar in a sieve, and then shake over the top of the stollens to coat. Wait a minute, then repeat. You want alot, more than what you’d typically use.
4. Once cool, store in plastic.

These “Perfectly Pillowy Cinammon Rolls” are King Arthur Baking Company’s 2020 Recipe of the Year. What really makes them stand out is that they can be made a day (or two or three) ahead of time without losing their fluffy structure. I read all 389+ comments so you don’t have to, and listed reviewers’ tips that I found most useful. My advice? Make half with orange marmalade — you won’t regret it! And, yes, they do have recipes for two icings; I just forgot to take a photo.

King Arthur Baking Company’s Perfectly Pillowy Cinammon Rolls

Tips:

1. Make 10 or 12 instead of 8 (many folks found them too large)
2. Tuck the end bit under the rolls so it doesn’t separate out during baking
3. Pat the filling down, to make it stick, rather than use more butter (cuz it’ll just melt and ooze out)
4. Use a cake pan for straight/even rolls (KA suggests putting them spaced apart on a cookie sheet. Many readers found that they then leaned a lot.) I used 2 cake pans. You could also use a muffin tin for 12, or a 13″ x 9″ pan.
5. You can cool, then put the icing on, and freeze
6. Don’t roll to tight, they won’t rise as well
7. Add raisins to the frosting
8. Use a 13″ x 9″ pan
9. Brown the butter for the filling (2.5 tblsp)
10. Cut off ends to make them neater
11. 1% or 2% milk works, as does non-dairy milks and butters
12. Add some cardamon to the orange rolls’ icing
13. Add 1/4 tsp cardomon to the melted butter you brush on top
14. Pinch rolls to seal

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ITALY: Finally, an opportunity to use semolina flour – the sandy flour made from durum wheat which is what’s commonly used for pasta (although pasta is usually made from “fancy durum” which is a finer grind). The sweet, nutty flavor of semolina combined with toasty sesame seeds is really delicious — and the fancy “S” shape makes for a very festive loaf indeed! Italians typically baked this on December 13th, to celebrate the bravery of St. Lucia, and the shape represents her eyes, because she was blinded following her faith.

STEP 1: Make the pre-ferment (aka sponge, poolish, biga)

For more flavor, start this the day before, and store it in the fridge. Take it out a couple of hours before moving on to the next step so that it has time to come to room temperature.

• 90 g semolina flour
• 90 g bread flour
• 3/4 cup water (warmed to 100 degrees)
• 1/2 tsp yeast
• 1/4 tsp sugar

1. Mix the flours, yeast, sugar and water together with the handle of a wooden spoon until there are no bits of dried flour hanging about. Scrape the sides so it’s all together.
2. Cover and let sit at room temperature for about 60 ~ 90 minutes, so it’s bubbley, and has risen a bit, but not so long that it started to collapse.

STEP 2: Make and knead dough

• 135 g semolina flour
• 135 g bread flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 7 g olive oil
• Pre-ferment from above

1. Measure dry ingredients ino the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk to combine
2. Add teh olive oil and preferemt
3. With the dough hook attachment, knead until it comes together and is smooth, a little damp but not sticky. This should take about 5~6 minutes, set at #2. If it’s not coming together add a tiny bit of flour – one tablespoon at a time! Same goes for water, if it’s too dry, just a tablespoon of water at a time. A little goes a long way!

STEP 3: First rise

1. Place dough in a very lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 60 ~ 90 minutes

STEP 4: Shape and 2nd rise

1. Turn dough out onto lightly oiled coutertop and divide into two equal pieces
2. Shape each half into an 18″ rope, then coil into an “S” shape
3. Place the loaves on baking sheet, cover and let rise for about 30 minutes. I use a see-through bag so I can check on them, raising it above the loaves with a couple of drinking glasses.
4. Preheat over to 350

Topping

• 1 egg white, whisked with 1 tablespoon cold water
• Sesame seeds

1. Brush the loaves with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle with the sesame or flax seeds.
2. Turn overn down to 325 and bake loaves for 20~30 minutes until golden brown.

BRAZIL: A sweet yeasted cornbread, popular in Portugal and Brazil. The linked video (in Portuguese) gives instruction for making a loaf, but these would also be good as dinner rolls. I’ve translated the ingredients below, so you can measure everything out and then follow along even if you don’t understand. I’m so happy I came across Adriano Ribeiro’s YouTube channel and really enjoyed making bread “with” him.

Sponge

• 80 g all purpose flour
• 80 g whole milk
• 5 grams yeast

Final mass

• 165 g of sponge
• 420 g all purpose flour
• 50 g corn meal
• 170 g whole milk
• 10 g salt
• 75 g sugar
• 25 g whole milk powder
• 100 g boiled or pickled green corn (this is just regular yellow corn)
• 1 egg
• 50 g soft unsalted butter

Roof

• 1 egg white
• 15 g fine cornmeal (optional – for dusting)

My favorite translation, “I recommend that you use a planetary mixer . You can beat the dough in your hand, but it is more laborious, it makes more dirt and the main thing, the crumb is not so fluffy”

NEW ENGLAND: This yeast bread originated on the North Shore of Boston in 1850. There are lots of versions using a variety of flours (white, whole wheat and/or rye) but they all contain cornmeal and molasses, making this sturdy loaf a great alternative to just plain cornbread. Perfect for your Thanksgiving leftovers!

Continue reading “WEEK 38: Anadama” →

USA: These autumn-spiced rolls are just a tad sweet, so are as nice with dinner as they are with afternoon tea. Make a batch of these when fall starts, for practice, and then you can make your second, perfected batch for Thanksgiving. They are shaped by wrapping twine around them before baking; if you’re not up for that, you can just use scissors to cut the indentations in the dough.

• 425 g AP flour
• 50 g whole wheat flour
• 2-1/4 tsp yeast
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/4  tsp cloves
• 1/4  tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt

1. Measure flours, yeast, spices and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Whisk to combine

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 egg yolk, beaten (reserve white for brushing on dough just before baking)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine, just not the pumpkin pie filling stuff!)

1. Mix wet ingredients together until well combined.
2. Warm to 110 degrees
3. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with the paddle attachement until everything’s well combined. If it seems a little too wet, adn isn’t coming together, add a teaspoon of flour. No more than that — a little goes a long way!
4. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes, so flour can absorb all the liquids
5. With the dough hook attachment, knead on #2 for 5 minutes.

STEP 3: First rise

1. Place dough in oiled bowl, and turn to coat.
2. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. This can take anywhere from 45 ~ 90 minutes, depending on temperature of the room.

STEP 4: Shape dough

• string
• reserved egg white mixed with some milk

1. Turn dough out onto oiled counter and divide into 10 pieces or 12 pieces. Cover pieces so they don’t dry out.
2. Shape into balls, following the video instruction on the Tips page. Cover the dough balls as you shape them so they don’t dry out
3. Cut pieces of string into 27″ lengths and dip in oil
4. Wrap string to make pumpkin shaped indents, then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover those too, as you make the other ones.

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STEP 5: Second rise and bake

1. Cover with a damp tea towel, and let rise about 45 minutes until slightly puffy
2. Preheat oven to 400

1. Turn down oven to 350 and bake rolls 20 minutes, or until brown

• 8 whole cloves or pecans and string (10 pices about 27″ long)
• melted butter to brush on after baking

egg white and milk