A few weeks ago I made a Sourdough with Candied Orange that was a huge hit around here. The arrival of a pullman pan coincided with my wife's demands to make something like that again. This is based on PR's BBA Panettone with the following changes:

• 33% of the flour was home-milled hard red and white wheat in a 50/50 mix
• I used more dried fruit -- 2 oz each of dried golden raisins, cranberries and cherries soaked overnight in Kraken rum with Mandarin Orange and Vanilla extracts.
• I used more nuts -- 2 oz each of pecans, walnuts and almond slivers that I toasted beforehand.
• Even after extended rising time, the loaf wasn't filling the large (13" x 4.5" x 4.5") pullman pan, so I put it into an unheated oven, turned to 325, and left for 1 hour 45 mins. I will go longer next time, but I was worried about burning it. As you can see, it rose perfectly.
• For the candied fruit, I used 1.5 cups of candied tangerine peel. I was happier with the orange peel, I'll use it next time. The tangerine peel was thinner and a little more bitter.

We'll be eating breakfast (and probably dessert) off of this for awhile. I may try making french toast with the last bits.

Hi TFL,

I don't know why my breads are doughy in the center, and heavy after baking. I've had it happen on 2-3 different recipes.

After a few hours it doesn't seem doughy, but still has a heavy feel to it.

Recipe was hokkaido milk loaf , with addition of fruit puree as a replacement for part water. I usually add butter when gluten is almost developed. I have more photos, but they're not too clear.

• Room temp-  71 F.
• Flour- Taiwanese bread flour/ high gluten flour
• DDT- ~82
• 1st Proof - 1 1/2 hr
• 2nd Proof - Shaped then retarded, left on counter next day for 2 hours.
• Bake in Pullman pan at 180 C @ 40-50 minutes

Thanks in advance

Recently I watched "how to cook your life" and reviewed it on my blog. The movie really was inspiring for me. I become overwhelmed with a lot of things in daily life and often find that I dont take the time to truly appreciate making the things I enjoy, or even if I make something I enjoy (like bread) I dont really take the time to actually appreciate the process. The perfect partner to that movie was this honey oat bread I made. I found that its perfectly sweet and nutty tasting from the oats. I especially found it delicious left over, toasted in a pan with olive oil and topped with homemade cranberry preserves. 

Honey Oat Bread, External Blog Post Link: http://neo-homesteading.blogspot.com/2010/11/sincerity-is-letting-your-imperfections.html

Cranberry Preserves Recipe: http://neo-homesteading.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-cranberry-preserves.html

This bread was meant to be brought to the picnic with my girlfriends and their kids. It was raining for the whole weekend and we had to cancel it. So, the bread ended up being my breakfast and weekend snacks...a happy weekend for me.

I used Jeffrey Hamelman's berne brot recipe from Bread cookbook. I made it once before and loved it. It is a buttery rich bread, without being too sweet. I figured it probably complement well with the chocolate filling...and it did. I never really like chocolate bread before. Now, I'm a convert, a chocolate bread lover.  Because the recipe is for the braided bread, it also worked well as a twisted bread.

You can find recipes and more details here http://youcandoitathome.blogspot.com/2010/11/chocolate-twisted-bread-twisted-from.html

The crumb is soft and tender with the chocolate filling twisted throughout.

It made a perfect breakfast while I checked TFL out as my weekend morning routine:)

Sue

http://youcandoitathome.blogspot.com/

The story of michetta:

The Marquis Doria sent a young bride who refused to give herself to him to prison to die. The population of Dolceacqua rose up and forced the Marquis Doria (1364) to stop this abuse of power and on the 16 of August there is a festival to celebrate the event.  The women of the village created the “michetta” to celebrate this occasion.  It is now the symbol of love and freedom. Michetta are small sweetbreads similar to a raised doughnut.

http://turosdolci.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/dolceacqua-apricale-the-riviera-dei-fiori/

I'm so excited! I love cinnamon raisin bread but wanted to experiment. My friend had just cut up four peaches that weren't very sweet and were turning brown in the refrigerator. What to do, what to do? I decided to try and simulate peach cobbler, which is what we originally considered doing with the peaches. I tweaked and added a few things to a basic cinnamon-raisin bread recipe. The bread came out wonderfully sweet and would have easily made delicious individual peach-cinnamon cobbler rolls. It made two loaves.

To the basic cinnamon-raisin bread dough, I added a little extra sugar because I knew the peaches were tart, otherwise proceed as the recipe dictates.

As the dough proofs, mix together brown sugar (2/3-1 c.), 4T. butter (soft) and flour (1/2-2/3 c.) and stir until you get crumbs. After rolling dough into rectangle sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. (Note: I divided my dough to make two loaves) Now distribute half the crumb mixture evenly over the cinnamon sugar layer. Dice your peaches and pat them dry. Don't smoosh them now, just a gentle pat and place them on top of the crumb mixture. Give it another shake of cinnamon sugar (really, this is according to taste). Roll the dough up as you would normally and sprinkle the rest of the crumbs over the top of the bread, or you can wait until after this final proof and sprinkle the crumbs right before the loaves go into the oven. From here you can follow the cook times for your cinnamon-raisin bread recipe. (The crumbs on top of the bread melt and bake into a nice, crunchy sweetness.) 

When the bread cooled, I made a glaze of cinnamon and 10x sugar mixed with 2-3 T. milk to make a nice drizzle and, well, drizzled it. :) 

If you love peaches and love sweet breads, this is a recipe to try!

I make a sweet bread for Christmas that is stuffed and shaped into a candy cane.  My husband would like to increase the sugar in the dough, currently it calls for 1/3 cup.

There is approximately 6 1/2 cups four.  If I double the sugar, does anyone thinks I must add anything more to the recipe?

Thanks,

Tanya

This is Michel Suas' recipe/formula for "Rotolo Di Natali" from his book "Advance Bread and Pastry".  In the summary at the beginning of the recipe Mr. Suas says: "This ring of dough is usually baked in Italy for Christmas celebrations.  The combination of soft enriched dough and crunchy filling creates an unusual texture, while the appealing presentation makes Rotolo Di Natali a festive centerpiece."

I tried to find the origin and story behind this lovely, deliciously filled sweet bread but was unable to do so.

However, years ago I was enrolled at the Dunwoody Institute's prestigious Professional Baking - Racker Certification Program.  That same year, through the generous endowment of the Lydia R. and Edgar P. Munnerlyn Charitable Trust, our graduating class was provided steerage tickets on the tramp freighter 'Honduran Gal", thus enabling the members of Dunwoody, class of '78, the opportunity to visit authentic artisan bakeries in Italy as part of Dunwoody's "Meet The Bakers" outreach program. 

The Dunwoody "Rackers" had been in Italy for a couple of weeks and our class trip was winding down.  It was my last evening in Italy and I was feeling a bit nostalgic about the time I had spent in this wonderful country.   The evening was balmy and as I was strolling through the downtown piazza I noticed an elderly man sitting alone on a bench reading his newspaper, the light blue smoke from his short black Pierogi cigar encircling his head, then drifting slowly away into the night air.  I decided to approach him, and after we exchanged greetings and made perfunctory small talk, I casually asked him where I could go on my last night in this beautiful city to find the true essence of Italy.  Slowly folding his newspaper, he glanced around, making certain we were not being observed, and that no one was within earshot of our conversation.  I couldn't help but notice the old man's eyes were misting a bit as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an old and tattered, dog-eared color photo of a beautiful, golden crown shaped loaf of bread, the top liberally sprinkled with coarse sugar creating a golden crispy crust.  He proudly held up the photo for me to examine.  Grinning, I nodded approvingly and in my fluent Italian I said: "Momma mia, thatsa nice a loafa you gotta there ina you foto"'

Smiling broadly, the old man lightly kissed the photo and carefully tucked it back into his jacket pocket.  Then, he motioned me a bit closer and as he leaned forward, a faint smile crossed his lips.  The old man spoke very softly, measuring each word, the way Orson Welles had done in Citizen Kane when the camera, in the opening scene focused on his mouth, and his lips spoke the immortal word: "Rosebud".  The old man slowly stood up, placing one hand on my shoulder and leaning a bit closer to my ear, he softly whispered: "Rotolo Di Natali". 

Since that evening I have wondered about the true meaning of these words?  Then recently, after finding Michel Suas' recipe and baking this terrific sweet bread, I understand exactly what the old man meant that night in the piazza. 

OK, confession time.  There really wasn't any old man on the piazza bench that night in Italy.  I made it all up.  But seriously, this bread is a very nice European style holiday treat, filled with a mixture of nuts, sugar, cacao powder, raisins, rum and beaten egg whites. 

Howard

Recipe from http://www.bakingandbooks.com/2007/11/25/bakery-style-sweet-buns-a-holiday-game/

Pan de Los Muertos, translated to Bread of the Dead, is a butter-and-egg-rich sweet yeast bread, traditionally baked in Mexico for Las Dias de Los Muertos, November 1st and 2nd. The living honor the dead at home, in the streets, and at the cemeteries.

This bread is placed at an altar in the home, then carried to the cemetery to 'share' with passed loved ones.

Online research came up with many very similar recipes. Here is mine: