Blog posts

I've had bagels on my mind for quite some time now, and since i never tasted one before, i decided to create  some at home. I've searched TFL for other members' posts on the subject, and many were extremely useful and pointed me in the right direction. I've decided to try Hamelman's version, but without the malt extract, which i substituted with a Tbl. of brown sugar and a Tbl of Baking soda.

Perfect on this winter stormy night!

Last week, my breads had a more or less "command performance" in the Italian language class my wife and I are taking. I've been a bit uncomfortable taking food since the class meets in  a deli/cafe/wine bar. Anyway, I decided to let it be on the teacher's head. I took a large wicker basket with half slices of 3 breads - a seeded sourdough Italian bread with 20% durum flour, a walnut-dried fig bread based on my San Francisco-style sourdough and a "Overnight Country Brown" from Ken Forkish.

So yesterday around 11am we decided on a meal that a loaf of fresh bread would be good with.  I didn't have a refreshed starter or preferment going, but I quickly mixed up a cup of AP flour, a cup of luke warm water, and about a third of a teaspoon of yeast and let it sit while I figured out what I wanted to do with it.

I found this recipe today while going over some old recipe cards that appeared in the back of a kitchen drawer. I'm certain I copied it out of a paperback book on sourdough breads, years ago. I can't find the book nor do I remember its' title or author. I've never tried the recipe, though I'll likely give it a go soon.

Does anyone here know anything more about it?

BUTTERMILK YEAST

 2 Cups Buttermilk

3 Cups corn meal

1pkg dry yeast

½ tsp salt

¼ C warm water

Sterilized corn meal

white flour

The first was with chanterelle mushrooms on a white sauce.  My wife's all time favourite.

The second BBQ chicken with red onion and cilantro. The kids got to it before I got my camera out.

The third chicken, red onion, and pesto.

Today it's snowing.  Not enough to bring out the snow-blower but enough to enjoy a nice cup of soup with a sandwich made with my hearty multi-grain bread.  I've made similar breads before and I followed the basic procedure but I varied the soaker/scald ingredients and the combination of flours in the main dough.

I used some Vermont maple syrup infused with vanilla to add a touch of sweetness to offset some of the bitterness from all the whole grains used in the recipe.

Latest attempt at a spelt bread was more what I was after. I still let it proof for one hour before retarding. Since reading Josh's post after I had made this I will move the shaped loaves into the fridge posthaste and not give them any bench time and see what happens. As you can see this has a lovely open crumb and I even got ears :) I attribute this to gentle handling. I incorporated John's sealing during shaping and then proofing the shaped loaf with the sealed side down and then scoring over the sealed area. Pictures show the result.

Well, this was fun!  It is nice to bake and have something to show for it in the same day!  The house smelled wonderful.  My boys and my husband's work benefitted from my labor of cinnamon roll love.  Notice that one giant end spiral. I knew it would not be mine but I hoped.  I think my oldest son or husband got that one fairly early. 

It is my first try to make a biscotti.I tried it with a fear whether it'll comeout well or not.My cousin came to help me,i added the ingredients and she mixed it and we baked them.......oh...well well well......the result was sooo good.I never expected that my first try would be a big sucess.I took American style vanilla biscotti and done my variations.I think u all would like it.

Ingredients:

Flour- 2 cups

butter-6 tbsps

vanilla extract-1/2 tsp(i used vanilla pod it gave a good texture in the dough)

baking powder-11/2 tsp