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Tag Archives: whole wheat flour


by 16 Comments

BBB ~ Pepperoni Rolls

When I first saw the post for January’s Babe bread, I thought here’s a simple easy fun bake perfect for after the holiday crazy actions. A small stuffed roll perfect for just about anytime, anyplace and any occasion.  Our host kitchen, FeedingMyEnthusiasms, has a good story on finding this bread you should find fun.

A quick read through the recipe and … Pepperoni…ha, I’m in!

My next reading brought me up short. I left the following on the blog: Ye gad, I’m just looking at that 3/4 cup of sugar! Really with pepperoni?! Sounds terribly sweet. How much sugar does this need? What amount of sugar will change the texture here? Adding this much sugar to something that seems savory is REALLY foreign to me. I get the feeling this is a very Americanized food, we just add sugar to everything.

Simple and easy … Then there was a long discussion of what if you don’t want meat!! That how I happen to have the sautéed mushroom with pepperoni spices idea. VERY good.

Holy Batman! I made them. Did I follow the recipe? Better than I thought I had on initial inspection but I divided the ingredients in half and only added 20 grams of sugar … and when the dough just wouldn’t come together – fully 3/4 of a cup of flour was not going to incorporate – I threw  in the rye sourdough throw out from the night before. I threw that in and it was perfect. This took a full 90 minutes to double.  We were having our “pod” friends (pod being like minded fully vaccinated friends) for pepperoni pizza dinner. SOOOO for filling I used pepperoni seasoned baby Bella mushrooms sliced, there were 4 half slices of cooked bacon added to the mushrooms … then there were two dough balls left when I ran out of mushrooms and bacon, perhaps there was a slice or two of cheese as well.  The last two dough balls: one I filled with pepperoni and one I filled with ……..see below.
These were seriously good 😊!!!  They were a terrific appetizer for hungry boys before pizza! 

Continue reading →


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BBB ~ Hällakakor Flatbread from Sweden

Do we ever know bread? Probably not, just like can you ever have enough bread books? Probably not.

Unbeknownst to me, I’ve had a kuskavel in my rolling pin drawer for any number of years. Didn’t know it’s name. Didn’t know what it’s specialty was. Don’t remember where I came upon it. I just thought it was fun looking and might work on crackers which I tried once. Don’t really remember how that turned out.

This is the Kuskavel. See what I mean about fun looking.

Kelly from MessyKitchen is our host Kitchen of the Month and the bread she brought us is delightful! Flatbread from Sweden. Sounds simple and yes it is. It is one of those simple breads that is so much more than it’s simplicity. Check out Kelly’s site for all the background on this bread!

Before baking powder there was deer horn salt aka baker’s ammonia. And about that deer horn salt aka baker’s ammonia, yes you can get it from Amazon, and yes it really is ammonia, and yes it really smells like ammonia and yes it really SMELLS. BUT somehow it bakes away. I baked this first with baking powder and then took some really deep breaths (not over the baker’s ammonia) after Kelly assured me I would not smell it after baking and gutted it up and baked the recipe using the deer horn salt aka Baker’s ammonia. I could not discern any appreciable difference in texture or bake between the two.

Hällakakor – Swedish flatbread

Makes: 8 pieces

350 g wholemeal wheat flour 

62 g wholemeal rye flour

(Second bake: 250 grams whole wheat flour + 162 grams rye)

1 g (¼ tsp) deer horn salt (baker’s ammonia), dissolved in water (you can use baking powder instead)

6 g yeast

8 g sea salt

25 g honey

20 g butter

235g milk (dairy or non dairy works fine)

1 teaspoon caraway, crushed in a mortar/pestle)

I kneaded a very stiff dough for 15 minutes. I probably added 10-20 grams water while kneading. Let rise for 6 hours at room temperature and knock back and briefly knead twice in the first two hours.  (The dough can also be chilled overnight.)

Cut off 85 – 95 gram portions and shape into round balls.  Flour lightly and let rise briefly, about 20 minutes.  Roll out round dough circles to about 25cm or 9in with a notched or regular rolling pin.  Dock well if using a flat rolling pin.  If using a grooved pin, follow with the notched pin.

Preheat the oven to the highest possible temperature (500° worked best for my oven & stone. 525° seemed too hot) and ideally place the flatbread directly on a baking stone or steel and bake them into golden, soft flatbread. Bake for 3-4 minutes each. Mine took 4 minutes.

I did play with the flours in this recipe. My first bake was as Kelly wrote it. My second bake I took 100 grams from the whole wheat and make it rye. I used caraway seeds in both those bakes. We enjoyed both and I really couldn’t discern any difference between them. My third bake yesterday I tried 162 grams whole grain barley. The dough never really rose anything like the first two batches. While the dough came together, it remained crumbly throughout the entire process and was even very difficult to get onto the baking stone without cracking and breaking pieces off. In an effort to prevent breaking apart I didn’t roll it so thin and it did a little better.

Haven’t tried any of the barley flatbread yet but we’ll be taking it on a short road trip today and I’ll report back later.

I hope you’ll bake this one with us. Now that days are probably somewhat busy these flat breads are easy and throughly entertaining and engaging! As Kelly says: Hällakakor can be frozen and then reheated straight out of the freezer on a flat toaster, toaster oven, or hot pan. They should refresh well and taste like they were freshly baked out of the oven. They are lovely with butter and jam or syrup, or with mascarpone and jam. They are just as good with an herbed cheese spread or to sop up stew or curry. We would love for you to try out this flat bread with us this month and share how you used it! New recipes are posted every month on the 16th. Check out our Facebook group to see the participants’ baking results during that time.

Ready! Set! BAKE!!


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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.

IMG_1746

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!

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!
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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 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.


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 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:


by 15 Comments

BBB ~ Filipino Spanish Bread Rolls

Filipino Spanish Bread Rolls

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I confess. These didn’t immediately excite me but they are bread and a Babe should bake. 
And then for me the magic took over.  I just do enjoy the magic of the yeast and flour and water.
My intent when I divided the dough was to shape half in traditional fashion as a log and half as crescents … but the crescent was so easy I did them all that way.  In retrospect, I think I might have enjoyed them more as a log: the outside would have gotten a uniform coating and maybe been more enjoyable with my coffee BUT these were marvelous even as crescents!
Aparna, I thank you.  These were really no trouble to make.  The dough easy to work.  Flexible enough to do well with a long rest in the fridge. 
I think they would do equally well perhaps shaped and rested in the fridge overnight and then go into a hot oven in the morning.  They would be company show stoppers for sure at any time.
And for the drama through poor reading … yes, I still have issues with reading. 
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Right well the best I can say is the smell communicated better than the reading and I was able to blow most of it off the brown sugar before I’d mixed it in.  Aren’t we lucky to have … smell! 

Filipino Spanish Bread Rolls

Recipe By: Aparna Balasubramanian
Yield: 16-24 rolls
For the Dough :
2 teaspoons active dried yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
426 grams white whole wheat flour
75 grams Kumet flour
20 grams flax meal
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
For the Filling :
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder (optional)
For Coating :
A little milk
1 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup brown sugar

Whisk together the flours, flax, yeast, sugar and salt.
Mix the milk, melted butter and eggs.
Mix the dry and wet together.
Then knead until you have a smooth and elastic dough. I found this easy to knead by hand. Firm dough.

Cover loosely and let the dough rest for about 2 to 3 hours or till it has doubled in volume.
It became obvious to me that life was not cooperating with these directions and the dough went into the fridge overnight.

I took the bowl out as soon as I was in the kitchen fixing coffee in the morning.  That allowed the dough to warm up and it was ready to work 2 hours later.  Press down the dough gently and divide the dough into two equal parts.

There are two ways of shaping Filipino Spanish Bread. One is to roll out each portion into a round and spread the filling over it.

Spread the filling before cutting.

Then cut each into 8 triangles like you would a pizza. Each triangle can then be rolled up croissant style.

The more traditional way is to shape each half of dough into a log and divide into eight equal parts. Roll each piece into roughly a 3- by 5-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and sugar (or cinnamon sugar if you prefer). Roll the piece like you would a jelly roll, starting from one corner and rolling towards the opposite corner.

One dough ball gave me 10 rolls, the other gave me 12.  I did like the smaller size and would make smaller regardless of shape.

Alternately, roll each half the dough into a largish rectangle about 10” x 10”.  Then brush the surface generously and completely with melted butter. Sprinkle half the breadcrums and the cinnamon and sugar mixture over this evenly. Now cut the dough into half from top to bottom. Again cut each half into 4 left to right. You will have 8 rectangles about 5″ x 3.3″

Which ever way you shape your Filipino Spanish Bread, place the pieces seam side down on a lined or greased baking sheet. Let the shaped rolls rise for 30 minutes.

Brush them with a little milk and sprinkle with more breadcrumbs and sugar. You can also roll the shaped dough in the breadcrumbs and sugar if you like.

Bake until golden brown at 190C (375 F) for about 15 to 20 minutes. Because I made the rolls with all whole wheat, they took 22 minutes to bake.
Cool on a rack.

We’d love for you to bake with us as a Bread Baking Buddy. Here’s how it works.

Bake this month’s bread using Aparna’s recipe and post it on your blog before the 28th of this month. Mention the Bread Baking Babes and link to her BBB post in your own post. Then e-mail her at aparna[AT]mydiversekitchen[DOT]com with your name and the link to the post, or leave a comment on her blog post with this information. She will include your bread in the Buddy round-up at the end of this month.


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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.