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BBB ~ Early American Cottage Loaf

Our Kitchen of the Month: Cathy from Bread Experience. Thank you for a very special loaf!

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This is a special bread for a special time. I felt it was the perfect time to risk baking in my grandmother’s Hall’s China/Jewel Tea Autumn leaves casserole dish.  Back in the 1920’s Hall’s China located in East Liverpool, Ohio teamed up with Jewel Tea to produce promotional items. I think the first was a tea pot (makes sense, it’s a tea company) but it was very popular and became a full line of dishes. My grandmother had a full set with service for at least 24 place settings. When I was growing up those plates and dishes were always on the table. My mom was one of seven siblings and there were eleven grandchildren.  Most years there was at least once when everyone of those immediate family were present and sat down to meals.  Often there were friends invited. Many of those dishes were broken over the years but I was the lucky one to get this casserole, the tea pot and some other pieces.  Until this bread, I’d never had the courage to put this into the oven but somehow thinking this survived the Great Depression, I felt it proper it should survive the Coronavirus.

This is a special bread. As old fashion and old world as this recipe is maybe, I can assure you it will appeal today! All the grains are a delight. It’s touched with just the perfect level of sweetness. Makes lovely turkey with cranberry sandwiches and totally perfect toast. AND is very good with just butter. I may have to bake it again soon because I know it would be a perfectly lovely peanut butter and jelly.

I got carried away with the slashing and ended up with probably twice as many called for traditionally; but I’m happy with it.

Sourdough Version:
120 grams sourdough starter
220 grams water
27 grams olive oil
63 grams honey
226 grams bread flour
120 grams whole wheat flour
9 grams salt
14 grams wheat germ
30 grams rolled oats (old fashioned)
30 grams oat or wheat bran

30 grams ground flax meal
15 grams corn meal

1. *The method is the same for sourdough except you would add the sourdough with the wet ingredients and give it a longer ferment.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including  salt.

3. In a separate container, mix together the sourdough starter, the water, honey, and oil. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until thorough combined. Knead until smooth and elastic.

4. Cover. Let rise 1 hour; perform stretch and fold; then let rise an additional hour. Perform the ripe test. I left mine for a total of 3 hours.

5. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; punch down to remove air bubbles. Cut off 1/3 piece of dough. Cover the dough balls with a bowl and let dough relax for 15 minutes.

6. Shape each section into a round ball. Place larger ball in greased 2 ½ -quart casserole or soufflé dish. Using a sharp knife or lame, cut a cross, about 1 ½ inches across, in the top of the larger piece of dough.

7. Brush the surface with water and then place the smaller piece of dough on top. Press through the center of both pieces of dough using the handle of a wooden spoon or your finger.

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8. Cover; let rise until indentation remains after lightly touching dough.

9. Just before baking, stick handle of wooden spoon or finger into hole again. And, using a sharp knife or lame, make 8 long slashes around the top and 12 smaller slashes around the bottom of the loaf.   

10. Bake in preheated 375°F oven 35 to 40 minutes. Mine took 45 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 202°. Remove from dish; cool on rack.

For straight yeast recipe, check out Cathy’s web site.

Would you like to bake with us?

Cathy is the Kitchen of the Month and would love for you to join us. This loaf is really easy and tastes great!

Bread Submission Guidelines:

  • Just bake your version of this Cottage Loaf and post about it on your blog (by May 30th).
  • If you don’t have a blog, no worries, just post a photo in the Bread Baking Babes Facebook Group
  • Mention Bread Baking Babes with a link to the Kitchen of the Month, that’s  – Cathy of Bread Experience.
  • Then send an email to breadexperience (at) gmail (dotcom) with BBB Early American Cottage Loaf in the subject line, and I will send you your Buddy badge to display on your blog.


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!

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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!
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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 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 ~ Steamed Bao Buns and World Bread Day

I am once again bowled over!  Once again I am humbled. Steamed bread just never seemed very appealing.  These were ridiculously easy and good. I went super simple with the dinner plan, BBQ poached chicken: brown the chicken (pound of thighs, pound of breast), poach in chicken broth and Stubb’s BBQ sauce, remove chicken pieces, boiled liquid to thicken slightly, shred chicken, return to the sauce. WOW these were great. Gorn kept thanking me for a wonderful dinner.
Disregarding all guidance, Gorn split these and toasted several to enjoy with eggs for breakfast. Good all over again!
Thank you Karen!  Below are my changes to Karen’s recipe. Check out Karen’s site Karen’s Kitchen Stories for her details, links to World Bread Day and all the other Babes Buns for all our craziness.

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Rising! Oh the promise of bread.

Steamed Bao Buns

Recipe By: Karen’s Kitchen Stories from Food52
Yield: 10

140 grams bread flour
140 grams white whole wheat
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup (70 grams) sugar, I used 40 grams brown sugar(will use less next time)
4 grams instant or active dry yeast
1/2 cup (120 grams) water, about 100 degrees
1 teaspoon olive oil

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the water, and mix with spoon. Add the oil, and knead until smooth. The dough should not stick to the sides of the bowl. I did this easily by hand.

Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled (30 minutes to 2 hours).

I lined the bottom of steamer with lettuce leaves (the purpose is to keep the buns from sticking to the steamer).
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Deflate the dough and divide it into 10 equal pieces (mine were about 45 to 48 grams each). Give each piece a quick knead.

On a floured surface roll the dough out into a 3 inch by 6 inch rectangle with rounded edges. Fold the dough in half lengthwise, and place on a parchment square. Cover lightly with oiled plastic wrap or a damp towel, and repeat with the rest of the dough pieces. Let proof for 30 to 45 minutes, until slightly puffy.

Bring a pot or wok of water to a steady boil (just slightly more than simmering) and fit your pan or wok with a steamer, bamboo basket, or steaming rack just above the water. Place the baos in the steamer, cover, and steam for 12 minutes. Cool slightly, fill with a filling of your choice, and eat.

You can refrigerate or freeze (I prefer freezing) leftovers. You can either thaw and re steam for 3 minutes, or wrap one in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.  Or split and toast as Gorn did.


These go in the easy to do file!


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BBB ~ Pain Au Levain

Cathy has been a great Kitchen of the Month with a wonderful bread but any time a Babe starts a recipe with “I do have a few ground rules…” Well, that sounds suspicious, I mean we all know Babes are always going to break the rules. Yes, we all know that.  Thankfully, Cathy’s “rule” was one whose direction I’m always looking to push so her “at least 30% some type of whole wheat flour” was very easy to go with. In fact, my calling is always to use more whole grain than called for.
Did we like this bread?  I think considering I made this bread twice within 8 days should probably tell you we loved this bread.  I used rosemary and lemon zest. I’m pretty sure we’ll be baking this one again and I will be looking for ways to use that lemon zest and rosemary again.  Heavenly aroma baking and heady when eating, rosemary and lemon zest is a heavenly combo.

BBB ~ Pain au Levain

Recipe By: Cathy (breadexperience) Adapted from From the Wood-Fired Oven by Richard Miscovich

Yield: 1 large or 2 small loaves
LEVAIN *
227 grams all-purpose flour
227 grams water
45 grams liquid sourdough starter, Used my Rye starter
499 total grams **
FINAL DOUGH FORMULA
415 grams all-purpose flour, Used White Whole Wheat
275 grams whole wheat flour (used Whole Wheat)

15 grams ground flax
375 grams water + 25 grams (to mix with salt)
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1-2 tablespoon Citrus zest, use the full or even more 2 T
20 grams chopped herbs, I used 3 sprigs rosemary
150 grams seeds, used sunflower seeds rough chop

Cathy: If you don’t have or don’t want to use a sourdough starter, you can make an overnight poolish.  In that case, you will need to add a bit of yeast (about 2%) to the final dough.

Cathy: The total weight of the levain is 499.  You are supposed to remove 45 grams of sourdough to keep as your starter for future use which would leave 454 grams of levain.  If you choose to use all of the levain, just adjust the final dough accordingly.

Me: reading deficit here, missed that about keeping out 45 grams. I baked it all and both times used my rye sour dough starter as it was the only starter I had and it was ready to go.
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Day 1: Evening – Mix the Levain or Poolish
Mix the water and starter together in a large bowl. Add in the flour and mix until completely hydrated. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 8 – 10 hours.

Day 2: Mix the Final Dough/Shape Loaves:
Pour the water over the levain and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or whisk to disperse.
Whisk the flours together and add on top of the water/levain mixture. Hold the salt until after the autolyse.

Mix thoroughly using a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon to begin developing the gluten.
Add the citrus zest, seeds and/or herbs. Mix thoroughly using your hands. Cover and let rest (autolyse) for 20 – 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the salt over the top and dissolve it with the 25 grams of water. Use your fingers to pinch the dough to incorporate the salt evenly throughout.
Cover and let the dough bulk ferment for 120 minutes. Stretch twice, every 40 minutes.

Divide the dough, pre-shape, and then allow it to rest (covered) for 20 minutes before final shaping to allow the dough structure to relax.
Shape the dough into an oval or round shape and place it seam-side up in a heavily floured, lined banneton basket or seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
My first bake: a loaf pan and the banneton. Second bake: used the banneton and a stainless steel bowl lined with T-towel. Proof for about 30 minutes at room temperature.  I won’t use the loaf pan again. Nothing really wrong, the round shape but seemed a better fit.
Cover the loaves and place in the refrigerator to cold ferment overnight, 8 – 10 hours.

Day 3: Bake the Loaves
Place a baking stone or steel on the bottom shelf of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. for at least 45 minutes. If you plan to use steam, place a steam pan on the top shelf.
If you shape the loaf round, you could bake this in a bread cloche, a Dutch oven or a Dutch oven combo baker instead of using a baking stone.
When the oven is sufficiently preheated, remove the loaves from the refrigerator. Carefully invert the loaves from the banneton proofing baskets (if used) onto parchment paper or a heavily dusted peel.  I’ve found that using a lined basket aids with this process.  You just carefully peel it off after flipping it over onto the parchment.
Score the loaves in the pattern of your choice. Slide them onto the preheated baking stone or steel and bake for 35 – 45 minutes. A larger loaf will take longer.
Since I only had one banneton I used a stainless steel bowl, lined it with a well dusted T-towel, stabilized the towel around the top of the bowl with a rubber band. That didn’t give me the indents from a banneton but it gave me the shape and it worked easily.
On my second bake, I baked the banneton first and stainless bowl second as I only had one cast iron baker.

Can't see it but you smell the rosemary and the lemon zest.
Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Since I used extra whole grain, I allowed mine to cool overnight.

As the host kitchen this month Cathy and all the Babes would love for you to bake along with us!  

  • Just bake your version of this bread and post about it on your blog (by June 30th).
  • If you don’t have a blog, no worries, just post a photo in the Bread Baking Babes FB Group
  • Mention Bread Baking Babes with a link to the Kitchen of the Month, that’s  Cathy of Bread Experience.
  • Then send an email to breadexperience (at) gmail (dotcom) with BBB June Pain au Levain, and Cathy will send you your Buddy badge to display on your blog.
  • Cathy will also do a roundup with a list of all the Bread Baking Buddies and showcase your breads.


by 7 Comments

BBB – Lariano -Style Bread

Here’s the thing people: Some things you can hurry.   Two things you hurry at your peril: small children and natural sourdough breads … I rapidly learned long ago when I had my own young toddlers, hurry is not in their repertoir. Just doesn’t happen. The glory of being a Grandparent is we generally move at toddler speed naturally.

Then there is the natural slow process of leavening sourdough breads … yeah, I don’t fully appreciate that slower speed yet. It just don’t happen to speed up sourdough.  I thought I had a starter … probably it was slightly underdeveloped but as I was getting down to the wire on time, I went with it.  Then I was on the wire and baked it.  I should have waited.  Still, as is often the case with home made, it’s excellent bread.  I’ve just had 4 slices and look forward to toast in the AM and sandwiches for a picnic tomorrow.

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Elizabeth is our Kitchen of the Month.   And the bread – oh goodness!  And the book it’s from, my heart be still. Back in the mists of time, I came across a NYT article by Mark Bitteman featuring a baker named Jim Lahey and a No Knead Bread recipe.  The recipe became a blogging hit.  It intreged me so without fully reading the recipe as I am still prone to do, I went at it.  Unbeknown to each other, Karen (BakeMyDay) had started the same recipe just hours different from me.  So we “internet baked” together.  My bread came out of the oven about the same time Karen’s did but she was in the Netherlands where it was mid-day … I was in Texas where it was not (it was OH-dark-thirty, middle of the night).  The bread was gorgeous, incredible crust AND it’s been the only bread I’ve ever had sing to me!  I was underwhelmed by a rather moist crumb but was delighted with the entire experience.

The Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook is the first Jim Lahey book I’ve bought … and his writing is as lyrical as my singing bread.  This man loves baking bread.  The recipes are gorgeous.  I don’t believe there is fault in his book or recipes, the fault is my going to fast with the BBB Lariano Style Bread.  A few days after I got the book, I baked the Pane Di Lino and Gorn continues to ask when am I going to bake it again.  It really was heavenly and I will be baking it again soon.

I followed Elizabeth’s recipe as on her blog … except I cut too many hours at each step.  This takes days, really days. But you are never spending more than a few minutes at each step.  You do have to keep watch as to when the dough is ready to move on to the next step.  Just keep peeking.  Have patience.

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We would love for you to 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 a link to your post of your finished bread to the host kitchen by the 29th of this month.  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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Tomorrow I have dough in the fridge to bake the Pizza Bianca Alla Romana, Version 1.  I think I’ve taken my time with this one, maybe mainly because I was trying to rush getting this bread baked for the Babes.