ejm's blog

Isn't this gorgeous?

It seems ridiculous that it took me so long to make this bread. I’ve been staring at the photo of Floyd's buttermilk cluster for ages. Every time I thought, "I've GOT to make that!" And then The Fresh Loaf website was featured in this year’s SAVEUR 100. Which bread did the SAVEUR kitchen choose to feature? Buttermilk cluster, of course.

I was really surprised when I saw a scathing review of the loaf on the SAVEUR site because all of the reviews on the FreshLoaf say the complete opposite. I examined both versions of the recipe and saw that the SAVEUR recipe calls for 5 cups flour rather than the 6 – 6½ cups flour on the Freshloaf recipe.

I assumed that SAVEUR had made a typing mistake.

I just couldn’t believe that all of these rave reviews on The FreshLoaf would be wrong, nor could I believe that SAVEUR would have added the FreshLoaf into the 100 list if the bread were no good.

I used whole wheat and unbleached all-purpose flour and a little less yeast, but otherwise pretty much stuck to Floyd's version. After some tribulation (I had to add more liquid because the dough was so dry), the final result was stellar!

Well!! As you must have guessed from the photo, we were thrilled after pulling this bread out of the oven.

It looked and smelled fabulous!! I removed the outer ring and stuck the thermometer in – huh! only 180F. So back into the oven it went for 5 more minutes to drive the internal temperature up to 200F.

We left it to cool overnight and had it for breakfast this morning with butter, goat’s cheese and black currant jam. It was crusty on the outside and soft and springy on the inside.

It. Was. Delicious.

Thank you, Floyd!

-Elizabeth

P.S. For more photos and details about what I did, please see buttermilk cluster (bookmarked, YS)

I'm really excited about this crusty loaf that I had formed into a ring. The bread turned out fabulously. I used a relatively new way of shaping that I learned from watching this YouTube video and then left the shaped bread in the fridge overnight and baked it the next morning. The crust is even more caramelized and crispy and the crumb has a wonderful nutty flavour.

We served this bread for a recent festive dinner with an appetizer of Moules Marinière (mussels poached in white wine, butter, onions, garlic and parsley)

• bread recipe based on the baguette recipe in The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum
• blog from OUR kitchen: Moules Marinière (WHB#214: parsley)

We loved the Mussels so much that we think we'll serve them (with more of this bread) for Christmas Eve dinner. And maybe again on New Year's Even dinner too....

-Elizabeth

Please take a look at my annual Advent calendar (but don’t even THINK about peeking ahead).

Advent calendar

(edit: ooops, I forgot to sign my name)

(revised: 23, 24 April to add FreshLoaf recipes; 19 April 2009 to separate FreshLoaf recipes from offsite recipes; )

Favourite and "Must Try" Recipes and Techniques
Fresh Loaf recipes . Fresh Loaf techniques . Offsite recipes . Offsite techniques

Fresh Loaf

Commercial, Wild and Semi-Wild Yeast

• bagels (FloydM's) based on a Peter Reinhart recipe in "Bread Baker's Apprentice"
  
• sourdough bagels (bwraith's) based on a Nancy Silverton recipe
• Anis Bouabsa ficelles (dmsnyder's) baguettes
  
• cinnamon raisin oatmeal bread (FloydM's) based on a Hamelman recipe
• Sweet Corn Raisin Bread (FloydM's)  made with cornmeal
• English Muffins (FloydM's)
• Basic Sourdough Loaf (SourdoLady's) basic white bread calling for potato flakes, milk butter
• Semolina Sandwich Loaf (Zolablue's)
• Guinness Cheddar Loaves with Wild Yeast Starter (SulaBlue's)
• Susan's Original Sourdough (Susan's from San Diego) flour, water, salt and natural starter
• Susan's Ultimate Sourdough (Susan's from San Diego) flour, water, salt and natural starter
• Faux Deli Rye (Susan's from San Diego) caraway rye
• Onion-Poppyseed Sourdough (Susan's from San Diego)
• Norm's Onion rolls (nbicomputers') "flat and crisp crust type"

Challah, Festive rolls and braids

• Challah (Eli's) version of Maggie Glezer's sourdough challah from her book A Blessing of Bread)
• Cinnamon Rolls (FloydM's)
• Finnish Cardamom Bread (Julie J's Mother Inlaw's)
• Egyptian borek (Chahira Doud's)

Quick Breads

• blueberry bran muffins (Farmgirl's)
• Orange - Lemon Poppyseed Muffin (GrapevineTX's) adapted from a Dorie Greenspan recipe

Other

• Jennie's "La Panzenella" Rosemary Cracker Bread (jenmenke's) with video link
• Concord Grape Focaccia (Zolablue's)

Techniques

• Essential Equipment for Bread Making
• 6 strand braiding
  • 6 strand braiding video
• baking hamburger buns on the barbecue
• Kneading Slack Dough by Hand
• Scoring
• Baking under a cloche:
  
  • Put on Your Tin Foil Hats (Prairie19's)
  • "Magic Bowl" effect with an aluminum foil roasting pan (dmsnyder's)
  • Baking under an aluminum foil roasting pan (dmsnyder's)

There are more links to The Fresh Loaf bread recipes and techniques here: dmsnyder Recipe Index

Offsite

Commercial, Wild and Semi-Wild Yeast

• Bagels (best made with strong flour and parboiled in malted water before being baked)
  
  • bagels (Susanfnp's) Sourdough bagels based on a Nancy Silverton recipe
  • our "real" bagels based on Jo Goldenberg's bagels in "New Complete Book of Breads" by Bernard Clayton & Peter Reinhart's Classic Water Bagels
  • our wild bagels using wild yeast starter from "Piano Piano Pieno" by Susan McKenna Grant
• Cheri's Beer Cheese Bread calls for any beer or ale
  • my take with cider cheese bread
• caraway rye bread recipe based on the recipe for "Levy's" Real Jewish Rye Bread on p.324-328 in Rose Levy Beranbaum's BREAD BIBLE
• cinnamon raisin oatmeal bread
• multigrain bread made with seeds, cornmeal, oatmeal, buckwheat, rye and wheat flours
• seed and grain bread
• Semolina Bread with Currants, Fennel, Pine Nuts (Susanfnp's)
  • my take on semolina fennel seed bread with currants & pinenuts
• Susan's Hamburger Rolls (Susanfnp's)
  • my take on Susan's Hamburger Buns
• hamburger buns made with pita dough and baked on the barbecue
• flatbreads: naan, pita, chapatis
• Pao de Milho (Portuguese corn bread)
• pain rustique aux poires (pear bread - recipe is in French)
• rye and sesame seeds (wild-yeast)
  
• Mary's (aka Breadchick) Dark Onion Rye
  • my take on wild onion rye bread
• Wild Bread with Walnuts and Raisins (rye, wholewheat and all-purpose flour)
• Wild Bread (all-purpose and whole wheat flours, water, salt, wild starter)
  • Wild yeast buildup and feeding schedule

Egg Breads (Challah, Festive rolls and braids)

• Challah
  
  • another Glezer challah from her book A Blessing of Bread
  • semi-wild challah based on the recipe for basic sourdough in Piano Piano Pieno by Susan McKenna Grant and a recipe for challah in Maggie Glezer’s cookbook A Blessing of Bread
• festive bread (sweet egg bread)
• Foolish Poolish Hot Cross Buns
• cinnamon buns
• my take on Finnish Cardamom Bread recipe
• apricot roll
• Lucia cats (sweet saffron buns)

Quick Breads

• cheese pinwheels (using baking powder biscuit dough)
  

Other

• onion rings (How to use the toss-off) from building up wild yeast
  • my take on onion rings
• Faux Stowe Crackers (using left-overs from building up wild yeast)
• Tortas de Aceite (Olive Oil Wafers)
  • my take on Tortas de Aceite
• Grissini (bread sticks)
  
• pizza dough

Techniques

• about making diadèmes
• how to shape tabatières
• baking pita, naan or chapatis on the stovetop
• converting wild yeast starter to one using domestic yeast
• Flour + Water = Starter (how to raise a wild starter)
  • my take on raising a wild yeast starter

There are more bread recipes here:

• Recipes from OUR kitchen: Bread index

A while back, Julie J was asking for advice on how best to crush cardamom for her Finnish cardamom buns. As soon as I saw the recipe, I knew I had to try it! And finally, this week, I got the chance.

I'm not sure if this is how the buns are supposed to look. I pretty much guessed about how much of an indentation to make for the butter. And as I was inserting butter into the thumb holes, I completely forgot about sprinkling extra sugar on top as per Julie's instructions. But I did think of using some inferior apricot jam on two of the buns. It turns out that this is a great way to use and improve apricot jam! I decided to make a 3-strand braided loaf as well. And then when I was placing the buns on the tray and worried that they were too close together, I shaped 4 of the rounds into snakes and braided them together into a smallish 4-strand round loaf.

Did I take my advice to use the coffee grinder to crush the cardamom? Ha! That would have been too easy. I used the mortar and pestle. Remind me to use our big sharp knife next time. The mortar and pestle is way too labour intensive and leaves rather large chunks of cardamom behind. Or perhaps I will follow my own Fresh Loaf advice to use our coffee spice grinder. Luckily, large chunks of cardamom taste good and are soft enough that we aren’t risking getting broken teeth... and the crumb is beautifully soft and moist. Absolutely delicious with or without extra butter! (The extra butter is really unnecessary! But oh so good!)

• Julie J's Finnish Mother Inlaw's recipe
• my take on Finnish Cardamom Bread recipe

-Elizabeth

edit: link to JulieJ's pulla recipe fixed.

Rose Levy Beranbaum has put together a step-by-step guide to making bread, plus essential equipment and ingredients and 8 classic recipes for Epicurious. The primer looks good. Except for one part. I would revise the list of "essential equipment" for bread baking by including only the following:

Absolutely Essential:

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Large Wooden Spoon
• Bench Scraper
• Large Mixing Bowl with lid (doubles as a Dough-Rising Container)
• Cooling Rack
• Cookie Sheet
• Parchment Paper

Optional but Nice:

• Scales (Spring and/or Digital)
• Proofing Boxes (oven with only the light turned on works well)
• Banneton (any old basket or colander lined with a tea towel works)
• Baking Stone
• Loaf Pans (including a Cast-Iron Pan)
• Long Bladed Serrated Knife
• Baking Peel
• Broiling Pan
• Pump Spray Bottle (for water)
• Thermometer
• Timer

Completely Unnecessary:

• Stand Mixer, Bread Machine, or Food Processor

Hand mixing is very easy to do, especially if you have a nice large wooden spoon or paddle. Hand kneading is equally easy, especially with the help of a bench scraper. And now, of course, there are many "no-knead" bread recipes that completely eliminate the need (no pun intended) for putting dough onto the board at all.

Other gadgets (scales, bread stones, thermometers, etc. etc.) are nice to have but are definitely not necessary. I gather that electric mixers are very nice as well. But I can't really say as I don't have one; nor do I have any desire for one. (No counter space.) All bread bakers, even novices, can produce wonderful bread in their kitchens with just these few items.

One More Absolutely Essential Item:
Oh yes, and one more thing that is absolutely required for baking bread:

• a heat source....

An oven or barbecue will do the trick. :-)

-Elizabeth

This is a partial mirror of a post on my blog that covers all aspects of food. Read the full post here:

• blog from OUR kitchen: Essential Equipment for Bread Baking

And here is the link to Beranbaum's Bread Primer:

• epicurious: Bread Basics

The last time I made caraway rye bread, I used the recipe in The Joy of Cooking. We really like it. But as I was leafing through The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, I noticed her recipe for rye bread. A recipe that looked too good.

Whenever my father had an excuse to return to the Bronx, he'd never come back without a freshly baked loaf from his favourite bakery. I liked the rye bread, studded with constellations of caraway seeds, best. My grandmother, who lived with us, would serve it to me spread thickly with unsalted btutter, the top paved with rounds of sliced red radishes. - Rose Levy Beranbaum, The Bread Bible, page 324

How could I not try this bread?

As it turns out, this is the best rye bread we've had. Thank you, Rose Levy Beranbaum!!

• caraway rye bread recipe based on the recipe for "Levy's" Real Jewish Rye Bread on p.324-328 in Rose Levy Beranbaum's BREAD BIBLE

I would love to have tried the bread with butter and sliced radishes. But we didn't have any radishes.... Initially, I had thought we would be making Reuben sandwiches with it. But my husband was so thrilled with how light it was that we decided to serve it with goulash and steamed broccoli. It was brilliant!

-Elizabeth

I mentioned earlier that 6 strand braiding is easy and attempted to show my technique with text and drawings. But I could never have managed this without watching the linked videos on that post.

So we took it upon ourselves to make a video of my two-hand braiding technique as a supplement to our text/drawing instructions.

1. Take the 2nd from left strand in your right hand and the 1st from the left strand in your left hand. Your right hand goes all the way over all the strands to the right (keep hold of that strand); your left hand goes over two strands to the center.
2. Take the 2nd from right strand in your left hand your right hand is still holding the strand that is now 1st from the right strand (just a moment ago, this strand was the 2nd from the left...). Your left hand goes all the way over all the strands to the left; your right hand goes over two strands to the center.
3. repeat 'til finished. Tuck ends under.

The bread recipe and more braiding photos are here:

• festive bread recipe

Happy Braiding!

-Elizabeth

(edited to put video at the top of the post so it's more easily seen)

When I made challah earlier this year, I thought I did a 6 strand braid to wrap around the 6 strand woven ball. But it wasn't until I made festive bread this Christmas that I realized how to do 6 strand braiding correctly.

Braiding bread dough is really pretty easy. Even 6 strand braiding, once you get the hang of it, is pretty easy. But you don't have to tell anyone, if you don't want to. The final result is SO impressive!

The main reason that it's easy is that dough strands stay exactly where they are placed. This is a good thing. I highly recommend that you skip the step of practicing with ribbons or chords and go directly to bread dough. What does it matter if the braid is wrong the first time? The bread will taste just as good. And chances are, the braid will be JUST right!

1. Take the 2nd from left strand in your right hand and the 1st from the left strand in your left hand. You right hand goes all the way over all the strands to the right; your left hand goes over two strands to the center.
2. Take the 2nd from right strand in your left hand and the 1st from the right strand (just a moment ago, this strand was the 2nd from the left...) in your right hand. You left hand goes all the way over all the strands to the left; your right hand goes over two strands to the center.
3. repeat 'til finished. Tuck ends under.

This is what the finished braid looks like. Beautiful, isn't it? Note how the ends have been tucked under.

The bread recipe and more braiding photos are here:

• festive bread recipe


• six strand braiding

I could never have managed this without looking at the following several times:

• Braiding techniques: * A Blessing of Bread by Maggie Glezer, page 68 * expertvillage.com - six strand braiding * chabad.org/theJewishWoman - Weaving Round Challah * taunton.com/finecooking - Maggie Glezer braiding challah

-Elizabeth

edit: I made a video of 6 strand braiding!

In past years, I've made sweet saffron buns for Christmas. But after tasting the recently made semi-wild challah, we both agreed that while the saffron adds a lovely colour and flavour, it doesn't add quite enough flavour to merit the expense of using the saffron. We decided to forego the saffron and make plain sweet bread (we used the saffron in our shrimp for New Year's Eve dinner instead).

Saffron-less bread is delicious!! (Saffron shrimp is equally delicious!)

And I must say that I'm awfully pleased with myself for managing to do the six strand braid correctly - after reading, rereading, testing with string, reading, rereading the braiding section in Blessing of Bread by Maggie Glezer.

• recipe for festive bread

I had planned on putting together a little photo essay of the six strand braiding but right now, I think I neeeeeed to head down to begin New Year's Day celebrations. Hmmm, shall we start with Festive bread?

-Elizabeth

If you can't wait, please look here:

• Braiding techniques: * expertvillage.com - six strand braiding * taunton.com/finecooking - Maggie Glezer braiding challah

For a recent dinner featuring shrimps in Pernod, there was special request for the bread to be made WITHOUT using my wild yeast. So I fell back on one of our favourites from Maggie Glezer's book Artisan Baking Across America: Acme's Rustic Baguettes. On first reading, the recipe seems a little complicated with its double preferment but it is almost fool proof. And it's NOT sour. Not even remotely.

The bread was so successful and so good and so free of any sour taste that it is the primary reason for the fit of pique when I threw our wild yeast starter down the drain.

I feel so free!

Even though the shape isn't quite right, everything else about the bread was great. Some day I might actually shape the bread in baguettes but boules are SO much easier. The only thing that I haven't managed to get right is to keep the loaves from growing into each other as they rise.

• recipe for rustic boules

To learn more about our feast, please read here.