The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Baking Some Favorites for Family and Friends

CAphyl's picture
CAphyl

Baking Some Favorites for Family and Friends

I have been baking some of my favorite recipes lately, mostly for family and friends.  While I was in the Midwest, I made a classic sourdough and Tartine sourdough with olives, lemon zest and herbes de provence (2). (my updated recipe links are below)

I was a bit concerned when I got home that my California sourdough starter was tired and flat, so I worked for a few days to get it back to normal.  It seems to be OK now, as I baked some bread for us today and for friends on Saturday.

While in the Midwest, I baked the Tartine olive bread for my friend, Theresa, and she sent me these crumb shots.  I also baked the same loaf for my friends, Tim and Barb.  I made the dough and then split it, shaping the first loaf for baking one day and then saved the second half for a longer bulk ferment, shaping it later and then baking it the next day.  I have to say that the second day bake was better than the first. This second bake produced one of the best loaves I have ever baked as it had great height, crumb and taste (as reported to me by my friend). The starter I have in the Midwest is the "baby" of my California starter.

I made this classic sourdough (below) in the Midwest for my friend, Carole.

When I got back to California, I used the same recipe to make a Classic sourdough for our friends, Sandy and Chris (above).  They loved it, and sent me the crumb shot below.

I baked the loaf below for us today.  I am on a classic sourdough kick!

The crumb was quite even. My husband likes it that way, but I am always looking for a more open crumb.  It tasted really good, quite sour as I left it to bulk ferment for 72 hours and then shaped it and let it proof overnight in the banneton. I'll have to get back to some multi-grain bakes next.

We grilled outside last night, and I wanted to suggest a wonderful and light dessert, grilled peaches with Greek yogurt and rosemary-infused honey.  The recipe is below.  There are lots of peaches around now, and we can use the rosemary from the garden.  We aren't big dessert people, but we love this simple recipe.  You can scale it down for fewer people.  We used one large peach for both of us.

GRILLED PEACHES WITH YOGURT & ROSEMARY HONEY

 From Carla Hall, cohost of "The Chew"

Ingredients

4 firm but ripe peaches

sprig of rosemary

grapeseed or olive oil

1/2 cup honey

2 cups greek style yogurt

 

Directions

1. Prepare the grill and heat to medium

2. Cut the peaches in half and pit them.  If desired, cut the peaches into quarters. (Note: they do not have to be peeled). Brush the cut sides of the peaches with oil.  Carefully place the peach pieces onto the hot grate and grill, turning once, until grill marks show and the peaches are tender but not falling apart, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

3. While the peaches are grilling place the rosemary sprig and the honey into a microwavable bowl and heat for about 1 minute.  The honey should be runny and warm.

4. To serve:  Put 1/4 cup yogurt into each of the 4 cups or bowls and then top with several peach slices, warm or at room temperature and another 1/4 cup yogurt and the remaining peaches.  Drizzle with the rosemary infused honey.

We also made smoky tilapia tacos with simmered pinto beans with chipotle sour cream.  Quite good!

 

The bread recipes I used are below:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/39435/new-twist-classic-sourdough

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/39505/tartine-sourdough-olives-lemon-zest-and-herbes-de-provence

Comments

Kiseger's picture
Kiseger

Love your scoring, especially the loaf you made just for you, that's just fab.  Am in France playing with T65 flour and longing for any result half as good as yours.....  Peaches and infused honey recipe duly noted, that's going to be tomorrow's desert if I can find good peaches as the market.  Love your posts, wish you'd come and make olive and lemon bread for us too!!  Thanks for your post!

CAphyl's picture
CAphyl

Kiseger:  Thank you for your very kind comments.  I hope your bread turns out well.  Must be fun to play with different kinds of flour in France.

I was happy with my most recent bakes.  I think my starter in the UK and in the Midwest is better than my starter here in California--maybe because it gets so much less use.  We will be in France next year, but I don't think I will be doing any baking, but you never know.  Perhaps I will go to bakeries and take photos of bread, as I do so much photographing of bread as a routine. I think my husband is actually used to it now.

I think I went a little mad with the scoring as of late, but I was looking for something more dramatic, and I guess I got it.  I will be in the UK soon, so will have to do some baking there for family and friends. I don't know if I mentioned, but there is a TFL baker in Liverpool who tipped me off to a great beer festival that we will attend when we are over, and I hope to meet my fellow baker in person.  He bakes lots of beer bread and is volunteering at the festival. He said he would look for the woman with the American accent!

I think you will like the yogurt/honey/rosemary/peach dessert.  It tastes so light and wonderful. Good luck finding the peaches.

Let us know how the French baking goes.  All the best,  Phyllis

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

Your friends and family have to happy as can be!   It has to be nice to be able to bake bread where ever you travel.  Love all of them..... and that fancy do slashing too.  It is all coming together and your efforts really show so well in each loaf  Well done and

Happy baking Phyllis.  

CAphyl's picture
CAphyl

It is really fun to bake when I travel.  Everybody seemed to appreciate the final products.  I have so much more to bake!  Thanks for your kind comments, as always.  Best,  Phyllis

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

the lead photo almost looks like a great T-Rex slash!

CAphyl's picture
CAphyl

dabrownman:  Not a huge fan of T-Rex, but if you like them, that's enough for me.  I might have seen them in Dublin in 1982, but I can't be sure......Best,  Phyllis

Isand66's picture
Isand66

He was talking about the dinosaur T-Rex, not the band :).

Anyway, that's some fine baking Phylis.

Thanks for sharing.

Regards,
Ian

CAphyl's picture
CAphyl

But it's funnier as the band, isn't it?!!!  Best, Phyllis