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Le Tordu ~ BBB February 2020 ~ 12th Anniversary

Recipe: French Regional Breads by Mouette Barboff as brought to us by Elle: Feeding My Enthusiasams
Yield: 1 or 2 loaves

Kitchen of the Month Elle from Feeding My Enthusiasms, raised an incredible amount of comment this month, interest, confusion and for me my first ever real experience into making a real effort to understand baker’s percentage.  Why was that you might ask?  Because this is a book written by and I believe a professional baker for professional and commercial bakeries.  When I read 10 kg of strong white bread flour I was stopped dead. There is no container in my kitchen that is going to hold 22 pounds of flour. I didn’t even bother to try to add the water into that container that didn’t exist. Elizabeth thought she could put it in her bath tub but there would be protest from her mate. We have a shower, no tub yet. Hence, baker’s percentages to make this a reasonable recipe for Babes.  The enthralling aspect of this recipe is the shape. In the book, it looks like to lovers wrapped around each other. What could be more romantic for Valentines, the month of February and the Babe’s 12th anniversary!  None of my three loaves ever came out looking anything like two lovers BUT all three bakes were magnificent loaves!  This is great bread.
I never did get around to baking this with just white flour. I try to bake with whole grains and we were both really captivated when I used the sprouted wheat and then the rye.

The Recipe as written:
10 kg strong white bread flour
6 litres (approximately) water
60 g yeast (6 g per kg of flour)
2.5 kg levain (sourdough starter) – 25% of the amount of flour
The Recipe as written with rye flour:
1 kg strong white bread flour (Type 55)
100 g medium rye flour (Type 130)
20 g table salt (2% per kg)
15 g yeast (1.5% per kg)
3/4 l water at 12 degrees C
5 g malt (0.5% per kg)
30% fermented dough
Baking: 20 minutes
My First Bake

IMG_0656
550 g bread flour
50 g rye flour
10 g salt
7 g salt
315 g water
3 g diastatic malt
165 starter
My Second Bake:

IMG_0785
Flour total = 700 g
450 g Bread flour
100 g spelt flour
150 g rye
5 g diastatic malt powder
420 g water
14 g salt
Smidgen yeast
175 g starter
My Third Bake:

IMG_0961
550 g bread flour
150 g rye flour
10 g salt
400 g water
6 g diastatic malt
4 g yeast
175 starter

Directions:

1. Mix flour(s), yeast, water, and diastatic malt powder (if using) in a large bowl. 
When well mixed, allow 10 to 20 minutes for the flour(s) to absorb the water.

2. When well mixed and after resting those 10 to 20 minutes, add in the fermented/starter dough. The dough should be rather firm in order to hold its shape when shaped.
Knead for several minutes until the two doughs are well blended.
Pour salt on the counter and knead into the dough.

3. Allow the dough to rest several hours. Stretch and fold several times.

4. Depending upon how much flour used, you may have dough for only one loaf.
My first bake produced dough weighing 1050 grams which I divided into two loaves about 10 inches long.  I felt they were too fat and not long enough. But they were delicious and both of us loved the sprouted wheat used, really lends a lovely aroma.
My second and third bakes I made one loaf each bake.

5. Shaping Fold the dough twice across its wides part and then flatten gently with the flat of the hands into a rectangle about the length expected to be.
Lightly flour the dough.
I used my thinnest rolling pin the first two times but purchased a 3/4 inch dowel for the third (which is what I recommend).
Place the rolling pin/dowel in the middle of the dough and flatten the center creating two rolls.
Flour lightly and flip over. Flour 2nd side lightly and flatten again.
Lift one roll on top of the other so that the rolls are now side by side.
Roll/twist twice holding the dough tight.

6. Place the twisted loaf on a couch, between two rolling pins in a plastic bag or in a clay baker with lid.
Cover and allow to rise/prove for an hour to hour 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450° F(230° C)

7. Oven HOT Bake with steam.
The book says an 800 gram loaf bakes for 25 minutes and a 4 pound loaf for 40 minutes.
All three of my bakes were with whole grains therefore I bake them to an internal temperature of 205°F.

Notes:

For my first bake I carefully I calculated the baker’s percentages … and then in a fleeting instant of inattention – allowed the scale to shut off – I only had 485 g bread flour and tried to figure what else I was going to use to get to 550 g that I had calculated … I crazily added 115 g sprouted wheat.  I obviously can not add under pressure. And only now realize my mistake as I see I added more flour than my calculation had called for.  I also ended up with 2 extra grams of diastatic malt powder in the flour and couldn’t really reasonably pull it out.

I am not really smart enough to tell you what my starter is. I suppose I should be embarrassed to tell you I used some left over dough from another bread using commercial yeast and started feeding it rye and whole wheat for about 5 days and felt like it got happy and that’s what I used. Hydration level … ha ha, no idea. So I’m no help knowing what Barboff means by fermented dough. The only clue I’ve seen is the fermented dough is from the previous days batch and the previous days batch might have been pain de campagne dough.  Practically speaking, “previous days batch” in my kitchen could have been any number of things, none of which would have proved useful.

I did use the 10 g salt and it seemed good. I think the malt got be really nice color and I will use the 5 g that got in by mistake on purpose next time. I’m going to use the diastatic malt powder more often as it does brown the crust so nicely.

For the first bake the dough weight was 1050 g and my 2 loaves weighted amazingly 525 each. Each loaf measured 10 inches long.

Second Bake: The loaf was 20 inches long and fit corner to corner on a sheet pan. Final rise was an hour 45 minutes.

Third Bake: When the dough was set to rise/prove for an hour … we ended up going into town … the dough went into the fridge for 3 hours and then sat out for two hours to come back to room temperature before I shaped it.  Shaped it went into a covered clay baker. I baked it at 450° covered for 15 minutes.
When I uncovered the loaf, I put the oven thermometer into the loaf and set it to alarm when the internal temperature reached 205°. I think that was another 20 minutes but I didn’t really watch.

You’ll surely want to be a Buddy this month, these long, twisty breads are so delicious! Just make the  loaves (see Feeding My Enthusiasms), then email your link ( or email your photo and bit about your experience if you don’t have a blog) to plachman *at*sonic*dot*net and please add as your subject ‘BBBuddy’. I will send you a Buddy badge. Deadline? March 1.


by 3 Comments

BBB ~ Arkatena Bread ~ 2nd time around …

Seems like I had really strangely good results with this recipe the first time around … except the “ring” closed in on me. Great taste, nice crumb, lovely loaf; however I was not totally keen on the fennel seeds. Elizabeth wanted to try an idea she found in Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Grains and Greens book.  Elizabeth can claim innocence all she wants but it is absolutely ALL her fault that I HAD to order the book when she made that reference.  Wolfert’s idea in her recipe for Checkpea-Leavened Bread is to make a aromatic brew of bay leaves, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, whole cloves and water that is used for liquid when making the bread.  I like the idea of an aroma brew just not that particular combo so I’ve made one with bay leaves and rosemary for this bread.

Why did this work for me? I used the full amounts of ingredients in the starter.  Elizabeth cut the starter ingredients in half so as to avoid throw away.  By using the full amounts, I only had 50 grams left over and added that to some previous throw out which I refreshed and used to make waffles so no throw out for me. Win!

IMG_0691

Do you believe in Serendipity? When I started putting my present kitchen together last year, in considering countertops for the bake area I thought it would be grand to have a cool/cold slab of marble. When I considered how often I did pie crust and croissants, and looked at the cost it just seemed crazy.  Lucky I didn’t go that route because that (above) is just the perfect warm spot for bread rising at least in winter when the furnace runs as the vent is just below. Serendipity!  As you can see from above, I use a shower cap (no plastic wrap) to cover the bowl or a lid to cover the bowl with starter or dough in it to retain moisture. To keep any drafts off the bowl, just like I wrap my neck in scarves, I do the same with my dough/starter bowls.

I have never taken the temperature of water or dough … until this time.  We set the thermoeter in winter at 66 during the day and 62 at night.  This recipe seemed to harp on the idea that everything should be working at 80-81°.  For whatever reason, I got curious after day 3 and Stage 1: the production leaven.  The dough was 76°!  Even sitting on that warm spot. The last of the stretch and folds went into into the oven with the light on and also the last rise in the shaping basket covered with a shower cap.  The dough was coming in at 79° and feeling lighter with each rest and rise.

The last thing I did different was to use organic rye in place of the whole-wheat flour of Day 3 AND unbleached all-purpose was always white whole wheat flour AND finally for Stage 2: arkatena dough I replaced half of the all-purpose white whole wheat flour with bread flour.

BBB ~ Arkatena Bread

Recipe By: Elizabeth : based on recipe from Andrew Whitley’s Bread Matters
Yield: 1 ring loaf

Ingredients:

Day 1
30 g chickpea flour
40 g water

67C82A83-7103-465F-914E-12D7D97D323C_1_201_a
Day 2
all the starter from Day 1 (total of 70 g)
30 g chickpea flour
40 g water
Day 3
all the starter from Days 1&2 (total of 140 g)
80 g 100% wholewheat flour
60 g water
Leavener
50 g whole wheat flour
50 g chickpea flour
150 bread flour
150 white whole wheat
all the bubbling arkatena starter from above (total of 160 g)
120 g water

Actual Dough
100 g whole wheat flour
150 g bread flour
20 g ground flax seed
300 g water, divided (keep back 25g for adding the salt)
all the leavener
10 g sea salt
2 g rosemary seeds used in waters
Topping white & black sesame seedsIMG_0718

Directions:

1. starter: In the late afternoon, three days before you will be baking the bread:
Put 30 grams chickpea flour (aka gram flour, besan) and 70 grams water into a medium-sized bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix it together. Cover the bowl with a shower cap and wrap in towel to keep drafts off then left on counter with heat vent underneath – the counter is warmed by the vent.

2. In the late afternoon, two days before you will be baking the bread: Use a wooden spoon to stir 70 grams chickpea flour and 30 grams water into the mixture in the bowl. Re-cover the bowl with a shower cap and leave on warm counter top wrapped in towel.

3. In the late afternoon, one day before you will be baking the bread: Use a wooden spoon to stir 80 grams whole wheat flour and 60 grams water into the mixture in the bowl. Re-cover the bowl with a shower cap and leave on warm counter. Andrew Whitley writes: After a few more hours fermentation, you should have a lively arkatena starter.
leavener: In the late evening of the day before you will be baking the bread, put all the leavener ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to create dough.
Cover with a shower cap and left on a warm counter top. Whitley writes that this takes about 4 hours and that the leavener is ready when it has “expanded appreciably but not collapsed on itself“.
actual dough: In the morning of the day you will be baking the bread:
Put flours, wheat germ, the leavener, and all but 25 grams of water into a large mixing bowl. Stir with a dough whisk (or wooden spoon). Cover with a shower cap and set aside on the counter for 30 to 40 minutes.  Several of the Babes commented that they had a very loose dough that made for a flat loaf.  When I mixed this I thought it was DRY and might never come together but it finally did. At no time did I find this a loose dough, it held it’s shape very well for me. No idea why.
Adding the salt: In a small bowl, whisk the salt into the final 25 grams water. Pour the salt mixture over the dough.
Kneading: Use one of your hands to squoosh the salt and water into the dough; use the other hand to steady the bowl – this way you always have a clean hand. At first the dough might be a bit messy and seem like it’s coming apart. Persevere. Suddenly, it will seem more like dough than a horrible separated glop. Keep folding it over onto itself until it is relatively smooth. Cover with a shower cap and leave to rest for about 30 minutes.
Stretching and folding the dough: Turn the bowl as you fold and re-fold the dough into the center. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave on the counter (or if the kitchen is cool like ours in winter and spring, into the oven with only the light turned on). Repeat the folding step about 3 times in all at 30 minute intervals. You’ll notice that after each time, the dough will feel significantly smoother (in spite of the grains from the multi-grain cereal). After the final time of folding, the dough is ready to pre-shape.
Pre-shaping: Scatter a light dusting of all-purpose flour on the board and gently place the dough onto the board. Fold the dough over in half, gently patting off any extra flour that might be there. Continue folding in half until the dough is shaped in a ball. Cover with the bowl and let rest for about 30 minutes.
Shaping and adding the topping: Without breaking the skin, use the dough scraper on the sides to tighten the dough ball further. Once it has been tightened, run your hands under the cold water tap. Poke a hole the center of the ball to form a ring, then gently rub the top of the ring to wet it thoroughly. Cover the top with a single layer of sesame seeds. Lightly spray again before putting the shaped loaf onto a piece of parchment paper (or into a rice-floured brotform). Cover with the tea towel again and let sit for an hour or so to allow the loaf to almost double.
I used a glass to hold the hole open.  Ultimately the hole closed in baking.
Baking: To know when it’s time to bake, run your index finger under water and gently but firmly press it on the side of the bread. If the dough springs back immediately, recover the bread with the tea towel and leave it in the oven with only the light turned on. If the dough gradually returns back after being pressed, leave the tray on the counter. Put cast-iron combo cooker and/or baking stone on the middle shelf of the oven and preheat to 400F. When the oven is preheated about fifteen minutes later:
First bake: I used a metal disk covered with parchment paper to shape my loaf. I placed a parchment sling (long strip of triple fold parchment) under the metal dish so I could lift the loaf and drop it into my cast iron cooker. Worked like a charm.
Second Bake: Freeform on Baking Stone: Transfer the shaped loaf onto the hot stone. Place an overturned stainless steel mixing bowl to cover the bread. Immediately turn the oven down to 375F. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking for another 30 minutes, until the crust is a lovely dark golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when knuckle-rapped on the bottom.
Cooling: When the bread has finished baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on a footed rack before slicing and eating. The bread is still cooking internally when first removed from the oven!
I measured the internal temperature at 205° the first bake and 210° the second bake and took it out of the oven. Whole grain breads always need a higher internal temperature than white flour.
If you wish to serve warm bread (of course you do), reheat it after it has cooled completely: To reheat any uncut bread, turn the oven to 400F for 5 minutes or so. Turn the oven OFF. Put the bread into the hot oven for about ten minutes. This will rejuvenate the crust and warm the crumb perfectly.

4. leavener: In the late evening of the day before you will be baking the bread, put all the leavener ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to create dough.
Cover with a shower cap and left on a warm counter top. Whitley writes that this takes about 4 hours and that the leavener is ready when it has “expanded appreciably but not collapsed on itself“.

5. actual dough: In the morning of the day you will be baking the bread:
Put flours, wheat germ, the leavener, and all but 25 grams of water into a large mixing bowl. Stir with a dough whisk (or wooden spoon). Cover with a shower cap and set aside on the counter for 30 to 40 minutes.  Several of the Babes commented that they had a very loose dough that made for a flat loaf.  When I mixed this I thought it was DRY and might never come together but it finally did. At no time did I find this a loose dough, it held it’s shape very well for me. No idea why.

6. Adding the salt: In a small bowl, whisk the salt into the final 25 grams water. Pour the salt mixture over the dough.

7. Kneading: Use one of your hands to squoosh the salt and water into the dough; use the other hand to steady the bowl – this way you always have a clean hand. At first the dough might be a bit messy and seem like it’s coming apart. Persevere. Suddenly, it will seem more like dough than a horrible separated glop. Keep folding it over onto itself until it is relatively smooth. Cover with a shower cap and leave to rest for about 30 minutes.

8. Stretching and folding the dough: Turn the bowl as you fold and re-fold the dough into the center. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave on the counter (or if the kitchen is cool like ours in winter and spring, into the oven with only the light turned on). Repeat the folding step about 3 times in all at 30 minute intervals. You’ll notice that after each time, the dough will feel significantly smoother (in spite of the grains from the multi-grain cereal). After the final time of folding, the dough is ready to pre-shape.

9. Pre-shaping: Scatter a light dusting of all-purpose flour on the board and gently place the dough onto the board. Fold the dough over in half, gently patting off any extra flour that might be there. Continue folding in half until the dough is shaped in a ball. Cover with the bowl and let rest for about 30 minutes.

10. Shaping and adding the topping: Without breaking the skin, use the dough scraper on the sides to tighten the dough ball further. Once it has been tightened, run your hands under the cold water tap. Poke a hole the center of the ball to form a ring, then gently rub the top of the ring to wet it thoroughly. Cover the top with a single layer of sesame seeds. Lightly spray again before putting the shaped loaf onto a piece of parchment paper (or into a rice-floured brotform). Cover with the tea towel again and let sit for an hour or so to allow the loaf to almost double.

11. First Bake: I used a glass to hold the hole open.  Ultimately the hole closed in baking.

Second Bake: I used a round ring banneton with the shaped dough for the last rise. Beautiful hole!
C30AD011-ADDD-4AA5-91E6-59F94472C276_1_201_a

Can’t believe how much difference the banneton made in the final bread. I really laid the rice flour on.
12. Baking: To know when it’s time to bake, run your index finger under water and gently but firmly press it on the side of the bread. If the dough springs back immediately, recover the bread with the tea towel and leave it in the oven with only the light turned on. If the dough gradually returns back after being pressed, leave the tray on the counter. Put cast-iron combo cooker and/or baking stone on the middle shelf of the oven and preheat to 400F. When the oven is preheated about fifteen minutes later.

13. First bake: I used a metal disk covered with parchment paper to shape my loaf. I placed a parchment sling (long strip of triple fold parchment) under the metal dish so I could lift the loaf and drop it into my cast iron cooker. Worked like a charm.
Second Bake: Freeform on Baking Stone: Transfer the shaped loaf onto the hot stone. Place an overturned stainless steel mixing bowl to cover the bread. Immediately turn the oven down to 375F. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking for another 30 minutes, until the crust is a lovely dark golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when knuckle-rapped on the bottom.

2nd Bake
2nd Bake

14. Cooling: When the bread has finished baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on a footed rack before slicing and eating. The bread is still cooking internally when first removed from the oven!
I measured the internal temperature at 205° the first bake and 210° the second bake and took it out of the oven. Whole grain breads always need a higher internal temperature than white flour.
If you wish to serve warm bread (of course you do), reheat it after it has cooled completely: To reheat any uncut bread, turn the oven to 400F for 5 minutes or so. Turn the oven OFF. Put the bread into the hot oven for about ten minutes. This will rejuvenate the crust and warm the crumb perfectly.

 

2nd Bake
2nd Bake
1st Bake
1st Bake

 

By the way, Wolfert’s book has some amazing bread recipes and some beautiful other dishes to go with the breads.


by 11 Comments

BBB ~ Arkatena Bread

Arkatena Bread

Our kitchen of the month today is Elizabeth, blog from our Kitchen.  Some say this is a difficult bread … I found it very cooperative in coming together.  I was surprised that you could get a starter in just three days with the chickpea flour!  The recipe Elizabeth has brought us is based on Andrew Whitley’s recipe for Arkatena Bread in “Bread Matters”, p.190-193.  I had this book on my iPad and tended to follow those recipe amounts but Elizabeth’s directions.  The places I deviated you’ll see underlined.

What would I change: Instead of fennel seeds (which I do love) I’d use rosemary.  The fennel brings out a sweetness here that was nice just not what I was looking for.  This starter has a very strong aroma that I thought would benefit from the fennel but seemed totally absent from the final loaf.  I goofed using the fennel on the topping and should have made it sesame seeds.  I might up the salt slightly, certainly I would not cut back on the salt.

If you like bread with a hefty crust, chewy crmb and intense flavour, this one is for you. It is like french Country Bread gone rustic. It is amazing what a difference the addition of chickpea flour can make to a bread […] called arkatena and made with natural fermentation of chickpeas.

Arkatena Bread

 

IMG_0543.jpegPlease note that the Chickpea starter takes 3 days to create.

Chickpea Starter (3 day process…) 

  • Day 1
    • 30g chickpea flour (aka gram flour, garbanzo flour, besan)
    • 40g water
  • Day 2
    • all the starter from Day 1 (total of 70g)
    • 30g chickpea flour
    • 40g water
  • Day 3
    • all the starter from Days 1&2 (total of 140g)
    • 80g 100% wholewheat flour
    • 60g water

Leavener 

  • 50g white whole wheat flour
  • 50g chickpea flour
  • 150 bread flour
  • all the bubbling arkatena starter from above (total of 160)
  • 120g water

Actual Dough 

  • 100g white whole wheat flour
  • 300g bread flour
  • 20g ground flax seed
  • 300g water, divided (keep back 25g for adding the salt)
  • all the leavener
  • 10g sea salt
  • 2g fennel seeds

Topping 

  1. starter: In the late afternoon, three days before you will be baking the bread:
    • Put 30 grams chickpea flour (aka gram flour, besan) and 70 grams water into a medium-sized bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix it together. Cover the bowl with a shower cap and wrap in towel to keep drafts off then left on counter with heat vent underneath – the counter is warmed by the vent. 
    • In the late afternoon, two days before you will be baking the bread: Use a wooden spoon to stir 70 grams chickpea flour and 30 grams water into the mixture in the bowl. Re-cover the bowl with a shower cap and leave on warm counter top wrapped in towel.
    • In the late afternoon, one day before you will be baking the bread: Use a wooden spoon to stir 80 grams wholewheat flour and 60 grams water into the mixture in the bowl. Re-cover the bowl with a shower cap and leave on warm counter. Andrew Whitley writes: After a few more hours fermentation, you should have a lively arkatena starter.
  1. leavener: In the late evening of the day before you will be baking the bread, put all the leavener ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to create dough.
  2. Cover with a shower cap and left on a warm counter top. Whitley writes that this takes about 4 hours and that the leavener is ready when it has “expanded appreciably but not collapsed on itself“. Elizabeth:  I confess that I am not likely to pay strict attention to Whitley’s temperature formula and may simply use body temperature water instead of getting my thermometer out… :lalala: I am also assuming that the covered bowl of leavener will be happy to staying overnight in the oven with only the light on.  I paid no attention to the temperature formula.
  3. actual dough: In the morning of the day you will be baking the bread:
    • Put flours, wheat germ, the leavener, and all but 25 grams of water into a large mixing bowl. Stir with a dough whisk (or wooden spoon). Cover with a shower cap and set aside on the counter for 30 to 40 minutes.  Several of the Babes commented that they had a very loose dough that made for a flat loaf.  When I mixed this I thought it was DRY and might never come together but it finally did. At no time did I find this a loose dough, it held it’s shape very well for me. No idea why.
    • Adding the salt: In a small bowl, whisk the salt into the final 25 grams water. Pour the salt mixture over the dough.
    • Kneading: Use one of your hands to squoosh the salt and water into the dough; use the other hand to steady the bowl – this way you always have a clean hand. At first the dough might be a bit messy and seem like it’s coming apart. Persevere. Suddenly, it will seem more like dough than a horrible separated glop. Keep folding it over onto itself until it is relatively smooth. Cover with a shower cap and leave to rest for about 30 minutes.
    • Stretching and folding the dough: Turn the bowl as you fold and re-fold the dough into the center. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave on the counter (or if the kitchen is cool like ours in winter and spring, into the oven with only the light turned on). Repeat the folding step about 3 times in all at 30 minute intervals. You’ll notice that after each time, the dough will feel significantly smoother (in spite of the grains from the multi-grain cereal). After the final time of folding, the dough is ready to pre-shape.
    • Pre-shaping: Scatter a light dusting of all-purpose flour on the board and gently place the dough onto the board. Fold the dough over in half, gently patting off any extra flour that might be there. Continue folding in half until the dough is shaped in a ball. Cover with the bowl and let rest for about 30 minutes.
    • Shaping and adding the topping: Without breaking the skin, use the dough scraper on the sides to tighten the dough ball further. Once it has been tightened, run your hands under the cold water tap. Poke a hole the center of the ball to form a ring, then gently rub the top of the ring to wet it thoroughly. Cover the top with a single layer of sesame seeds. Lightly spray again before putting the shaped loaf onto a piece of parchment paper (or into a rice-floured brotform). Cover with the tea towel again and let sit for an hour or so to allow the loaf to almost double.
    • I used a glass to hold the hole open.  Ultimately the hole closed in baking.
    • Baking: To know when it’s time to bake, run your index finger under water and gently but firmly press it on the side of the bread. If the dough springs back immediately, recover the bread with the tea towel and leave it in the oven with only the light turned on. If the dough gradually returns back after being pressed, leave the tray on the counter. Put cast-iron combo cooker and/or baking stone on the middle shelf of the oven and preheat to 400F. When the oven is preheated about fifteen minutes later:
    • I used a metal disk covered with parchment paper to shape my loaf. I placed a parchment sling (long strip of triple fold parchment) under the metal dish so I could lift the loaf and drop it into my cast iron cooker. Worked like a charm.
    • Combo Cooker: Use the parchment paper to lift the shaped loaf into the frying pan part of the combo cooker. Immediately put the hot deep-sided pan of the combo cooker on top as a lid. Put the bread in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 375F. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking for another 30 minutes, until the crust is a lovely dark golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when knuckle-rapped on the bottom.
      • Freeform on Baking Stone: Transfer the shaped loaf (including the parchment paper) onto the hot stone. Place an overturned stainless steel mixing bowl to cover the bread. Immediately turn the oven down to 375F. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking for another 30 minutes, until the crust is a lovely dark golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when knuckle-rapped on the bottom.
    • Cooling: When the bread has finished baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on a footed rack before slicing and eating. The bread is still cooking internally when first removed from the oven!
    • I measured the internal temperature at 205° and took it out of the oven.  In future I might leave it a little higher by 3 or 4 degrees.  Whole grain breads always need a higher internal temperature than white flour.
    • If you wish to serve warm bread (of course you do), reheat it after it has cooled completely: To reheat any uncut bread, turn the oven to 400F for 5 minutes or so. Turn the oven OFF. Put the bread into the hot oven for about ten minutes. This will rejuvenate the crust and warm the crumb perfectly.

We are enjoying this bread! just sliced, as avocado toast and for meatloaf sandwiches and just buttered toast.

1st Bake

I know that in spite of all the warnings that it’s so drastically difficult, you’ll want to make this bread! To receive a Baking Buddy Badge to display on your site: make Arkatena Bread in the next couple of weeks and post about it (we love to see how your bread turns out AND hear what you think about it – what you didn’t like and/or what you liked) before the 29 January 2020.

Here’s how to let us know:

  • email Elizabeth
    » Remember to include your name and a link to your post
    » Please type “BBB January 2020 bread” in the subject heading

Please note that it’s not enough to post about your bread in the Facebook group. Because of the ephemeral nature of Facebook’s posts, your FB post may be lost in the shuffle. Please email if you want to be included.

If you don’t have a blog or flickr-like account, no problem; we still want to see and hear about your bread! Please email me with the details, so your Arkatena bread can be included in the roundup too.


by 4 Comments

BBB ~ Sourdough Savory Danish Crown

Cathy was the Kitchen of the Month host for November and she really picked a woozier of a bread. Really need to read the directions for this one or you miss the mild lamination. As soon as I saw this I knew it was not one to miss…and then I missed it. Then the Babes posted and I was charged again. When I finally got the dough mixed all sorts of normal chaos ensued and the dough ended up resting for 6 entire days in the refrigerator! That should have ended things BUT chanting “Bread just wants to be Bread” I think I managed to revive and feed the little yeasties and OH MY GOODNESS this is just really great bread!

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Sourdough Savory Danish Crown

1 Crown Loaf

Adapted from Bread – The breads of the world and how to bake them at home by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter

Dough:

  • 260 grams + 30 grams unbleached bread flour + more for sprinkling
  • 65 grams whole grain rye
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 3 Tbsp + 1 stick butter, softened
  • 50 grams sourdough starter, recently fed, active (100% hydration)
  • ½ cup lukewarm water
  • ½ cup lukewarm milk (I used oat milk)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • After 6 days in the refrigerator: 50 grams bread flour + 40 grams water + pinch of yeast: kneaded together with above warmed dough, allowed to rise 45 minutes then shaped.
  • Filling:
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic in garlic press
  • ¾ cup fresh oatmeal bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup ground almond meal
  • ½ cup freshly grated or dried Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten, 
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Topping:
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds (I used sunflower seeds)

Using yeast instead of sourdough:

If you choose to use yeast instead of sourdough, reduce the proofing time to about 1 hour for the bulk ferment in the bowl and 30 minutes for the final ferment. You may also need to reduce the milk/water mixture to a scant cup.

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and salt.  I grated in the 3 tablespoons of butter.

In a separate bowl, mix together the sourdough and milk/water mixture using a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix using a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined.  Switch to a bowl scraper if necessary.

Cover the bowl and allow the dough to autolyse (rest) for 20 – 30 minutes before adding additional flour.

After the autolyse, add 30 grams of flour, if necessary.  The dough will be a little sticky, but resist the urge to add more flour until the stretch and fold stage.

Let the dough proof for about 4-6 hours at room temperature. Stretch and fold the dough every 45 minutes for the first 2.25 hours.  To perform the stretch and fold, remove the dough to a work surface sprinkled with flour, and stretch and fold the dough onto itself from all corners.  Do this 3 times.

My cold ferment went way over the planned 24-48 hours, see above ingredients for how I have it a little boost.  HAHAHA Cathy, my cold ferment went … planned who needs a plan.

After letting the dough proof at room temperature for about 4.25 hours, I covered the bowl tightly and placed it in the refrigerator.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up slightly on a floured surface.

Roll out into an oblong about ½-inch thick.  Dot half (½ stick) of the remaining butter over the top two-thirds of the rolled dough.  Fold the bottom third up and the top third down, and then seal the edges. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat the process with the remaining ½ stick of butter.  Fold and seal the dough as before.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap, bees wrap, or a kitchen towel; let it rest for 15 minutes.

Turn the dough another 90 degrees.  Then roll and fold it as before without adding any butter.  Repeat the turn/fold process once more.  Wrap the dough in lightly oiled plastic wrap or bees wrap sprinkled with flour. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the onions. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook the onions for 10 minutes until soft and golden.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs, almonds, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

Add half the beaten egg, if using, or all of the gelatinized chia seeds to the onion/bread crumb mixture and bind together.

Roll the dough on a floured surface into a rectangle measuring 22×9 inches.  Spread the filling over the dough to within ¾ inch of the edges. Roll up like a Swiss roll from one of the long sides.  Cut the dough in half lengthwise using a sharp knife.  Braid the logs together with the cut sides up and shape into a ring.

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or bees wrap and let rise for 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.

It was a little tricky braiding the two dough pieces so it might be helpful to place the cut logs in the refrigerator a little while before braiding them and forming the ring.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Brush the remaining beaten egg or the cornstarch wash over the dough.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds (or the seeds of your choice) and Parmesan cheese. I skipped the Parmesan as topping.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden.  Transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool.  Cut into slices.  Mine took a full 50 minutes.

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I will happily bake this again.


by 8 Comments

BBB ~ Apple Bread with Cider and Calvados

What are the things in your kitchen that you’d say are super time savers and so become a favorite thing.  When I baked this bread I put myself in a tight place by not cooking the apples when the dough was shaped and on it’s final rise. Suddenly I needed to shape the bread and hadn’t chopped the apples yet .  My original plan was to use the grandmother’s  apple peeler, corer, slicer and then chop the slices … Or I would get out the big real mandoline and slice the apple … my timing was off, I didn’t want to go through all that … what to do?

Enter the Adjust-A-Slice and Julienne Mandoline. I saw this about a year ago on Amazon, it was getting rave reviews and my kitchen was still not together. As I remember it was under $20, now I think its gone up slightly and is under $24. But I still buy it for gifts because it is a wonder tool and now one of my favorite things. I use it to chip my chocolate (1 teaspoon chips into my morning coffee ~ it’s medicinal you know), I use it to julienne carrots, radishes, zucchini you name it and throw them into salads.  I used my corer which sits next to this simple mandoline in a drawer to core the apple and made short work of chopping the julienne sticks; the plate went into the freezer for a quick chill and I was ready to go!

Our kitchen of the month is Kelly at A Messy Kitchen. She’s got the original recipe and a great alteration for making just one loaf on her site.

 

Apple Bread with Cider and Calvados (makes 2 loaves)

Poolish:

¾ tsp yeast

500 grams apple cider

160 grams bread flour

200 King Arthur Irish Whole Meal flour

Final Dough:

1 tsp yeast

300 grams apple cider

200 grams bread flour

200 Irish Whole Meal flour

100 grams coarse rye flour

3¾ tsp sea salt

Add-ins:

200 grams Granny Smith

20 grams butter

1 tablespoon demerara sugar

50 grams boiled cider

Poolish:  Whisk flours and yeast.  Add cider and mix well.  Cover with shower cap and leave to rise for at least 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.  The poolish is ready when a cavity has formed in the middle.

Kneading:

Whisk flours and yeast, add poolish and apple cider (if this is apple bread, I decided apple cider was better than water).  Knead well; about 10 minutes by hand.  Add the salt; I sprinkled it on the counter much like I would have if I’d needed to add flour to the dough.  Knead until very elastic .

Place dough in a lightly oiled lidded plastic container and leave for 90 minutes.

Add-ins:

Peel and dice the apple(s).  Melt butter and sugar in a frying pan; add the chopped apple and fry until golden brown.  Add apple cider (the calvados, I do love it but there was none to be found here) and boil until the mixture is dry.  Leave to cool.

Press the mixture into the risen dough.  Divide into two and form oblong loaves without first making a ball. Place on a tea-towel dusted with flour and pull the cloth up between the breads.

I covered the loaves with bowls and allowed to rise until doubled in size, about 75 minutes.

Preheat the oven with baking stone to 475ºF.

Place the loaves directly on the stone and mist with water.

Lower the temperature to 400ºF after 5 minutes.  Open the oven door after another 10 minutes to let some air in. Nice oven spring.

My loaves baked for 60 minutes and reached 207°F.  Even though I made smaller loaves (I had three) because I used so much whole grain, I knew this would take longer than the original recipe. Photos look really dark but they did not burn.

Take out the loaves, I brushed with butter and allowed to cool on a wire rack.

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We would love for you to try out this flavorful and seasonal recipe and join in as a buddy baker this month!  You don’t have to have a blog to participate, a picture will do. Just send a picture or your post of your finished loaf to me at eleyana (AT) aol (DOT) com by the 31st of this month. Be sure to put BBBuddy in the subject line. You will receive a Bread Baking Buddy graphic to keep or add to your post, and be included in our Buddy round up at the end of the month.  New recipes are posted every month on the 16th. Check out our Facebook group to see the participants’ baking results during that time.


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BBB ~ Wild Pull Apart Bread

Wild … BBB … Award for most Wayward Babe! That’s me I do believe. 

Elizabeth, our kitchen of the month, titled this Wild Pull Apart. Little did she know just how wild I would take this and commit murder in the process. Actually I know she meant Wild Yeast but since …

I got a fairly decent starter going last month. Baked with it twice. And then … I left it out and was gone three days … perhaps I can plead just accidental yeast slaughter instead of murder. 

With no starter, Elizabeth’s recipe for sourdough this month was out. So I needed a pull apart bread recipe with instant yeast and I wanted one with whole wheat flour. 

What’s a common recipe that’s sort of pull apart?

What came to my mind was cinnamon rolls.

Looking for whole grain, I went to Peter Reinhart’s Bread Revolution. I was not disappointed.

Sprouted wheat cinnamon rolls gave me my basic dough recipe that I cut in half and only slightly altered.

In retrospect, the filling should have been … well less filling in volume but my brain had latched onto Sonya apples that we’d had the week before. The sweetest juiciest I think I’ve ever had. 

While this was not the shape Elizabeth ask us for, this is a great whole grain recipe and a wow flavor combination. I will be doing this again. 

Because the filling puffed out each circle, I was left with gaps around the outside of the pan. I didn’t think rising and baking would fill that so I made up balls of dough with filling.

When I do this again, I plan to make this as a monkey bread using balls with the filling and roll them in butter. I mixed the dough with the honey but the only sugar I used was the sparkling sugar on the top. These apples made for a wonderful sweetness.

Elizabeth’s shape would be perfect for savory garlic bread which I will be trying soon.

BBB Wild Pull Apart

Recipe: Adapted from Peter Reinhardt’s Bread Revolution

Serving Size: 8

– Dough: 

– 255 grams half & half 

– 2 teaspoons instant yeast 

– 42 grams melted butter 

– 35 grams honey 

– 340 grams sprouted wheat 

– 1 teaspoon salt 

– Filling: 

– 2 Sonya apples, chopped 

  • 4 oz honeyed goat cheese 
  • 2 handfuls pecans, chopped

– Dusting of cinnamon on apples 

– Sparkling sugar for topping 

 

Whisk all dry ingredients together. 

Melt butter (could use olive oil or part of both) may be enough to warm the milk. Mix with honey. 

Mix wet and dry together. 

Dough will be soft and sticky. Bring together into ball. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. 

Stretch and fold every 25 minutes 4 times. 

Refrigerate overnight. 

Allow to come to room temp next morning. I left mine out 2 hours. Shape and fill. Allow to rise. Bake at 325° convection for 20 minutes. Bake conventional 15 minutes at 350° until golden. Brush with butter. 

Notes: Used springform pan … put a pan underneath it! This recipe made the ring and a small loaf.

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This was perfect for coffee with a friend … and then for our brunch! Totally, I’ll be making this again.fullsizeoutput_93a9

  • You love bread! Why else would you be reading a bread blog … Here’s how to join us:
  • You have until the 29th to bake the bread and post about it on your blog (we love to see how it turned out AND hear what you think about the bread) with a link to the Kitchen of the Month’s post about the bread.
  • E-mail the Kitchen of the Month with your name and a link to your post OR leave a comment on the Kitchen of the Month’s blog that you have baked the bread and a link back to your post. Kitchen of the Month this month.
  • The Kitchen of the Month will post a round-up of our Bread Baking Buddies at the end of the week and send you a BBB badge for that month’s bread.
  • No blog, No problem – just e-mail the Kitchen of the Month with a photo and brief description of the bread you baked and you’ll be included in the round-up.


by 9 Comments

BBB ~ Ciambella Mandorlata (An Italian Easter Bread)

Totally an Awesome bread, just slightly sweet.  Thank you Aparna!
History and origin may call this an Easter bread but I say it’s nice just about anytime. It makes terrific toast with tea or coffee, morning, noon or night.
Two cautions:
I got a nice oven rise with this but with all bread flour I think it might have been truly huge and so … as Aparna did, placing a ramikin or ring in the middle might be a good idea to keep a hole open in the middle of the ring.
Aparna saw no reason to toast the almonds before baking and neither did I: this is baked with the almonds on top at 400°…how are they not going to toast? As Karen said, watch this and cover with foil so that it doesn’t get too dark.

Aparna Balasubramanian April 2019 from Ultimate Bread Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrigno
Yield: one round

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DOUGH:
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
430 grams 1/2 bread flour; 1/2 AP

35 grams ground flax seeds
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons maple sugar
grated zest of 3 lemons
113 grams unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup water
TOPPING:
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons maple sugar
1 cup blanched almonds, roughly chopped
1 egg yolk

1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the butter, eggs, and milk.
I’m trying to use up what is on hand and only had 1/2 the bread flour called for so used AP.

2. Mix in the flour from the sides of the well. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed, to form a soft, sticky dough.
I used all the water called for.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth, springy, and elastic, about 10 minutes.

4. Put the dough in a clean bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 4 hours. Punch down the dough, then let rest, covered with a dish towel, for about 10 minutes.

5. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and roll each piece into a 16-inch-long rope. Twist the two dough ropes together.

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6. Place the dough rope on a buttered baking sheet. As you might see here, I used a skillet. Shape it into a ring by bringing the two ends of the rope together. Pinch them to seal and cover with a dish towel. Proof until doubled in size, about 11 ⁄2 hours.

7. To make the topping mix the cinnamon, sugar, almonds, and egg yolk in a bowl. I used my hands to spread the mixture as evenly as possible over the top of the ring.

8. Bake at 200C (400F) in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until golden -cover with foil to prevent it getting to dark- and hollow sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

We would love for you to try out this recipe and join in as a buddy baker this month!  This is a wonderful bread to quickly bake. You don’t have to have a blog to participate, a picture will do.  Just send a picture or your post of your finished bread to comments my kitchen at mac dot com, along with a photo and your baking experience by April. 30 and be sure to put BBBuddy in the subject line. You will receive a Bread Baking Buddy graphic to keep or add to your post, and be included in our Buddy round up at the end of the month. New recipes are posted every month on the 16th. Check out our Facebook group to see the participants’ baking results during that time.
Enjoy the BAKE!


by 10 Comments

BBB ~ Ksra (Moroccan Anise and Barley Flatbread)

Just drop dead simple/easy and oh my so very good.  Our kitchen of the month is Kelly from A Messy Kitchen who found the recipe in the New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day … and then further adapted by me because I always just can never leave well enough alone.

I topped my loaf with extra anise seeds and some black sesame seeds and totally poked it full of holes; when I took it out of the oven, I brushed the top with a little butter … yes really I did because it just is such a beautiful smile that way.
As simple as this is, it is gorgeous baking, wonderful warm and cooled, toasts like a dream, delish plain and lovely with butter or a touch of jam, great to sop up broth based soups, really any soup or stew.
This is definitely in the keeper file.  Thank you much Kelly.

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Yield: 2 round loaves 8 inch

Ksra (Moroccan Anise and Barley Flatbread)

Something of a STARTER
1/8 teaspoon yeast
130 grams sprouted spelt
120 grams water
DOUGH
340 grams Lukewarm water (100ºF or less)
1 teaspoon yeast
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon whole anise seeds

30 grams ground flax seed
25 grams wheat germ
50 grams barley flour
120 grams sprouted spelt
380 grams White Whole Wheat

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Something of a STARTER:

Mix flour, water, yeast to combine. Cover and left out on counter 6 hours.

MIX DOUGH:

Mix together the yeast, salt, anise and water in a large bowl or container. Stir in the remaining ingredients and all of the something of a starter with a large wooden spoon, dough whisk, or in a mixer with the paddle. Mix until the flour is incorporated fully.

Cover and rest until the dough has fully risen and collapsed back down a bit, about 2 hours. Mine then went into the refrigerator overnight.

You may use the dough after the initial rise but it’s easier to work with cold. Dough will keep up to 10 days in the fridge.

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BAKE :

Divide the dough in half, dust with flour, and shape each portion into a ball by stretching the sides down to the bottom of the ball and folding under. You may also work with only one portion of dough if you like, the other will keep in the fridge for another day. I shaped only one loaf; returned the remaining half of the dough to refrigerator.

Flatten the dough ball into a ¾” thick round and let rest covered on a parchment lined or cornmeal dusted pizza peel for 20-30 minutes. Optional to brush the surface with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds or more anise seed. Also optional to poke the dough with a skewer in a few places prior to baking.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450ºF. Place a baking stone near the middle of the oven and a metal pan or broiler tray on an unused oven rack and heat a cup of water to use for steam while baking. (If you do not have a baking stone, you can use an inverted baking sheet, a cast iron pan, a pizza pan, or the grill on high!) (If you use a grill, you will need to flip the dough periodically.)

Slide rested loaf directly onto hot stone. I baked my round loaf in the pre-heated lid of a cast iron dutch oven; worked perfectly. Pour 1 cup of hot water into the metal pan or tray for steam and quickly close the oven door. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until richly browned and firm.

Baked for 30 minutes. Considering all the whole grains in this, I will allow 35 minutes for the next bake.

Allow to cool before cutting into wedges to serve.

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Seriously, after you read Kelly’s post and catch the waffle recipe I don’t really think you can stop yourself baking this bread!
We would love for you to try out this recipe and join in as a buddy baker this month!  This is a wonderful bread to quickly bake up to go with any meal. You don’t have to have a blog to participate, a picture will do.  Just send a picture or your post of your finished flatbread to Kelly at eleyana (AT) aol (DOT) com, along with a photo and your baking experience by Mar. 31st and be sure to put BBBuddy in the subject line. You will receive a Bread Baking Buddy graphic to keep or add to your post, and be included in our Buddy round up at the end of the month. New recipes are posted every month on the 16th. Check out our Facebook group to see the participants’ baking results during that time.
Enjoy the BAKE!


by 8 Comments

BBB ~ Chelsea Bun Valentine

Chelsea Bun Valentine
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I can’t imagine where eleven years have come and gone baking bread after bread with Babes. Somehow, here we are on our eleventh anniversary.  Simple, complex, straight or sour dough, I never tire of flour and yeast. I never seem to see a bread coming either. Although there are breads I have sort of in a reserve place that I think the Babes must bake one day. One that comes to mind is salt rising bread. I’ve tired it twice and it’s good but not for the faint of heart.
Recently I got hooked on The Great British Baking Show. Obsession doesn’t come close to how much I was watching. And when it came to the breads, I watched many of them over again immediately. In late December, I watched one where they baked Chelsea Bun Christmas Trees. It some how caught me that the bread and the bun were basic but the shape and the filling should be the challenge that suited a February Valentine. I had some really fancy ideas in the beginning but when it came to execution, simple took over and Gorn was won with a very simple heart … I think it had something to do with the some what cherry pie like filling I came up with.  Cherries will win him over any day, even in a bun.

Ordinarily I would have added walnuts to buns but I was with grandkids and was told they wouldn’t eat them.
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Find the Original Recipe here.
Serving Size: 15

Dough
400 grams bread flour, plus extra for dusting
400 grams white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt
15 grams sachet fast-acting yeast
400 ml milk
60 grams unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
2 free-range eggs
Filling
You make it up!

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“I won’t eat raisins” “There are no raisins” “Cherries”

Place the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the salt to one side and the yeast to the other side.  (That’s how the cutie Paul Hollywood does it.)

Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the mixture is lukewarm.

Pour into the flour mixture, add the eggs and stir thoroughly until the contents of the bowl come together as a soft dough. The dough will be sticky.

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Alternatively this can be done in a stand mixer using a dough hook. I found this to be an easy dough to do by hand.

Place the dough into an oiled bowl and leave to rise, covered with a shower cap, for one hour or until doubled in size.

Mix the filling. I used a cherry preserve that was cherry pie like filling and added some dried cherries to that.  I also sprinkled my dough with some brown sugar for that extra.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough into a rectangle about 20in x 14in.

Tack down the long side of the dough rectangle nearest to you by pressing it down onto the work surface with your thumb. Brush all over with the melted butter. Then spread the your filling over the dough leaving a 2cm boarder. Roll the opposite long side of the dough towards you quite tightly, until the roll is complete and tight. Trim the ends to neaten.

With a sharp knife cut into 15 thick rounds – about 1.5in.

Line a very large baking tray or use the grill tray from your oven with baking parchment.

Arrange rolls on the prepared tray, cut side up, in heart shape: I just drew a heart on parchment paper and filled it in. You want the buns to be close enough so that when they rise further and then bake; they will bake with their sides touching. They can then be pulled apart and you get a lovely soft edge.

Cover loosely and let rise for 30 – 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F.

When the buns are ready, put them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden-brown.

Check after 15 minutes or so and cover the buns with foil if they are getting too brown. Mine needed no foil.

Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool slightly before transferring them from the tin to a cooling rack.

Melt the additional preserves in a small saucepan with a splash of water until smooth. Brush the jam over the buns to glaze and allow to cool.


It’s sort of a heart … it went fast enough that the shape didn’t really matter.

Valentine’s Day maybe over but there’s always desire for sweet hearts and bread. Be a buddy, bake a heart overflowing with love, we’d love to see what you’d fill your heart with on top of all that love. I know the Babes will change things up, so don’t miss all their hearts.  Send me your post with photo before February 28, I’ll do a round-up post and add you in as well as send you a cool Buddy badge.


by 5 Comments

BBB ~ Elbow-Lick Sandwich Bread

Recipe By: Elizabeth from Vivian Howard’s “Deep Run Roots”
Yield: 1 loaf

 

Before I tell you how much I messed this bread, let me tell you why I will be baking this bread all summer long when tomatoes are in season. 
This has got to be incredible bread with the likes of Black Beauty Tomatoes and the like that’s why Vivian Howard named it Elbow Lick Sandwich.

Below you’ll see how I caramelize onions in the crockpot whenever I need them. I made this bread toward the end of November in Michigan when the temperatures were freezing at night … My current understanding of what happened is that set on LOW outside where the temperature dropped to 33, the crockpot overheated attempting to compensate and my onions were burned black by morning.  Onions outside in the crockpot on LOW during daytime temperatures in the mid 40s did just fine.  Really, I’ve never ‘burned’ anything in the crockpot till then.

Elizabeth is to thank for bringing this bread to our table. This has been a really really fun learning experience bread with lots of back and forth between BBBs.

To say we loved this bread is an understatement.

I baked this bread twice as a long thinner than usual loaf. The second time measurements were basically the same adding about 1/4 cup extra flour both times. The biggest difference was the second time I allowed for extra rising time at all stages and baked it for 20 minutes longer. I believe the excess moisture was due to the thickness of the loaf shape.  This summer when I bake this as a round with a hole in the middle, thinner and flatter, I think this will be spectacular.

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Elbow-Lick Sandwich Bread
Leavener
1/8 tsp active dry yeast
60grams  water, body temperature
60grams 100% whole wheat flour
Sweet Potato
1 five-inch-long orange sweet potato (about)
Caramelized Onions
375g m (2.5 large) onions, diced
7grams (1.5 tsp) olive oil
3grams Kosher salt (0.5 tsp table salt)
Dough
232grams bread flour

80 grams white whole wheat flour
5grams wheat germ
200grams water at body temperature
All of the Starter from above
7grams honey
9grams Kosher salt (1.5 tsp table salt) + 18gm (18ml) water
128grams roasted sweet potato puree (wow, I used more than twice that)
All of the caramelized onions from above

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1. EVENING OF THE DAY BEFORE MAKING THE BREAD: Put the starter (or active dry yeast, if you’re using that) and water into a smallish bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon. Use the wooden spoon to stir the flour in well. Cover the bowl with a plate and set aside overnight in the oven with only the light turned on. This is the leavener.

EVENING OF THE DAY BEFORE MAKING THE BREAD: Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the ends off of the sweet potato and place it whole on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until tender. This should take about 45 minutes. Vivian Howard wrote the following: Once you start to smell them, probably after about 45 minutes, give the potatoes a look. My mom always looked for a little of their juice to have leached out and caramelized, but that is more romantic than necessary. When the potatoes are done, their skins should have separated slightly from their flesh and they should pierce easily with a knife or fork.

2. Slice the baked sweet potato in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. Mash well. Cover the bowl with a plate and set aside in a cool place until the next morning. (Keep the skins to make Vivian Howard’s arugula salad with shaved parmesan and sweet potato skins, or sweet potato skins with tahini dressing!! – Port City Daily, “Vivian Howard shares creative sweet potato recipes while in Wilmington”: arugula salad with shaved parmesan and sweet potato skins (around 0:35 on the video), sweet potato skins with tahini dressing (1:48 on the video) Links to the recipes are listed below the video.)

3. EVENING OF THE DAY BEFORE MAKING THE BREAD: Heat oil for onions in a cast iron pan. Add the onions and salt and caramelize the onions over medium heat until they are golden brown. Vivian Howard says this will take 30-40 minutes. Set aside in a cool place until the next morning.

***Alternate method I used: Once upon a time, I made Thomas Keller’s French Onion Soup … WOW! I actually followed his heating directions and stood at the stove top stirring and watching like a hawk for hours, really hours. That soup was good, far surpassing anything I’d ever had. No, I’ll never do that again. Now, my go to method is to caramelize onions in the crockpot. It seems I’ve always done this in the summer time and because Gorn hates the smell, I put them outside on a porch. It works like a charm.
Directions: Oil the pot. Slice thinly 6 large onions. Toss sliced onions with 3 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter. Fill Crockpot 3/4 full. Cover
Cook on LOW 10-11 hours.
Stir, leave lid ajar to allow evaporation of liquid and continue on LOW 3-5 hours depending on how dark you want them.

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4. IN THE MORNING OF THE DAY YOU WILL BE MAKING THE BREAD:
When a small forkful of the leavener floats in a small bowl of room temperature water, you can go ahead and mix the dough. If the leavener does not float, stir in a little more whole wheat flour and water – even amounts by weight – cover with a plate and leave for about 30 minutes more. Chances are that it will now float. (If you have used active dry yeast, you can safely skip the floating test.)

Put flour, wheat germ, all but 18ml water, leavener, honey, sweet potato puree into a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon or dough whisk to mix these ingredients to make a rough dough.

Cover the bowl with a plate and leave on the counter for about 40 minutes. adding the salt: In a small bowl, whisk the salt into the final 18gm (18 ml) water. Pour the salt mixture over the dough. kneading: Use one of your hands to squoosh the salt and water into the dough; use the other hand to steady the bowl – this way you always have a clean hand. At first the dough might be a bit messy and seem like it’s coming apart. Persevere. Suddenly, it will seem more like dough than a horrible separated glop. Keep folding it over onto itself until it is relatively smooth. Cover with a plate and leave to rest for about 20 minutes. stretching and folding the dough and adding the onions.

Put a quarter of onions on top of the dough and turn it by folding the dough into the center. Let sit 20 minutes.
Repeat at 20 minute intervals until all the onions are in the dough. You’ll notice that after each time, the dough will feel significantly smoother. Cover with a plate and leave on the counter (or if the kitchen is cool like ours in winter and early spring, into the oven with only the light turned on). Once all the onions are added, leave the covered bowl in the oven – with only the light turned on – for a couple of hours to allow the dough to double.

(A good way to tell if the dough is reading to shape is to run your index finger under water, then poke a hole in the center of the dough. If the hole disappears immediately, the dough still need to rise. If there is a slight whooshing sound and the hole remains in place, the dough has probably over-risen. If the hole very very gradually begins to close, the dough is ready to shape. prepare the brot-form: Put rice flour into a brotform and distribute it as evenly as possible. (If you don’t have a brot-form, you can line a bowl, basket or sieve with parchment paper. You can also use a liberally rice floured tea towel (but then you have to deal with a floured tea towel once the bread is baked). If you do not have rice flour, you can use any other kind of flour.
Note that higher gluten level make it significantly more difficult for the bread to be released from the basket…. pre-shaping: Scatter a dusting of wheat flour on the board and gently place the dough on the flour. Using wet hands, stretch the dough into a longish rectangle, then fold it like a letter, gently patting off any extra flour that might be there. Continue folding until the dough is shaped in a ball. Cover with a clean tea towel and let the ball rest for about 20 minutes. shaping: Without breaking the skin, tighten the ball further. Place it seam side UP in the well floured (rice) brot-form. Sprinkle the reserved bran evenly over the top of the bread. Loosely wrap the shaped loaf with a clean tea towel and enclose the whole thing inside a plastic bag and leave it in the oven with only the light turned on for 3 or 4 hours (until it has about doubled and there are bubbles).

5. Please note that Vivian Howard shapes her bread into rounds with holes in the center: Shape [the dough] into a round. Let [it] rest for 10 minutes. […]Line [a baking sheet] with parchment and dust with flour. Stick your finger through the center of [the dough ball]. […] Stretch it slightly to form a little hole. Transfer that dough round to the baking sheet and continue to carefully stretch the center into a 3-inch hole. Your bread round at this point will look like a giant flat doughnut.” – Vivian Howard, Deep Run Roots, Chapter 14: Sweet Potato | Sweet Potato Onion Bread baking: To know when it’s time to bake, run your index finger under water and gently but firmly press it on the side of the bread. If the dough springs back immediately, recover the bread with the plastic bag and leave it in the oven with only the light turned on. If the dough gradually returns back after being pressed, for the round loaf, put combo cooker (or a cast-iron frying pan and stainless steel bowl) into the oven and preheat all to 400F. When the oven is preheated about fifteen minutes later, put a square of parchment paper on the counter (the paper should be large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the frying pan). Overturn the shaped bread onto the parchment paper (the bran covered part will now be on the bottom). Using a lame (or scissors, or serrated knife), score the bread. Take the pan and bowl out of the oven (wear oven mitts!!) and place the frying pan on the stove (to prevent burning your countertop…). Transfer the bread to the middle of the frying pan and immediately put the lid of the combo-cooker (or stainless steel bowl) overtop like a hat. Put everything into the oven on the middle rack and immediately turn the oven down to 375F. Bake for 40-50 minutes in all, removing the hat half-way through baking. Turn the oven down to 350F when you remove the hat. The bread is done when the crust is a deep golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. cooling: When the bread has finished baking, remove it from the pan and allow it to cool on a footed rack before slicing and eating; the bread is still cooking internally when first removed from the oven! If you wish to serve warm bread (of course you do), reheat it after it has cooled completely: To reheat any uncut bread, turn the oven to 400F for 5 minutes or so. Turn the oven OFF. Put the bread into the hot oven for about ten minutes. This will rejuvenate the crust and warm the crumb perfectly. At the beginning of the recipe for “Sweet Potato Onion Bread, Vivian Howard wrote: This stuff is special-chewy with deep flavor and a dark crust. If you want a sandwich that will make you cry tears of joy, make the Elbow-Lick Tomato Sandwich – Vivian Howard, Deep Run Roots | Chapter 14: Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Onion Bread, p321 ~~~~ I knew this was it-the bread, the mayo, even the halfhearted tomatoes. I scarfed that sandwich down like a wild animal. Tomato juice mingled with smoked mayo and vinegary onions dripped down my arm all the way to my elbow. I licked my arms and did my best to lick my elbow. Licked the palm of my hand and imagined how unimaginable it would be with juicy, ripe Cherokee Purples. – Vivian Howard, Deep Run Roots | Chapter 12: Tomatoes, Elbow-Lick Tomato Sandwich, p260

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Yes, you want to bake this bread! Check out Elizabeth’s post and all the BBB’s who baked this one. It’s a learning experience and such great bread.

BBB January 2019

From Elizabeth’s Blog, really a wonderful read and many more photos than I have:

We know you’ll want to make this bread! To receive a Baking Buddy Badge to display on your site: make Elbow-lick Sandwich Bread in the next couple of weeks and post about it (we love to see how your bread turns out AND hear what you think about it – what you didn’t like and/or what you liked) before the 29 January 2019.

Here’s how to let us know:

  • email me
    » Remember to include your name and a link to your post
    » Please type “BBB January 2019 bread” in the subject heading

Please note that it’s not enough to post about your bread in the Facebook group. Because of the ephemeral nature of Facebook’s posts, your FB post may be lost in the shuffle. Please email if you want to be included.

If you don’t have a blog or flickr-like account, no problem; we still want to see and hear about your bread! Please email me with the details, so your walnut bread can be included in the roundup too.

For complete details about this month’s recipe, the BBB and how to become a BBBuddy, please read: