I usually make pumpkin challah at least once in the fall, and set out to do so this time. I was thwarted by the lack of pumpkin in mt pantry. ( I could have sworn I had at least one large can in there...) I decide that seet potato would substitute just fine, and it did! I think I might even like this better.
The past couple of months have been something of a whirlwind. Just before leaving for an internship at Mark Sinclair's The Back Home Bakery, my boss asked if I would accept a 2-year assignment on a project my employer is managing in South Africa. Without subjecting you to the lengthy discussions between my wife and myself as we considered one factor after another, suffice it to say that we agreed to the assignment. Since then, we've sold cars, furniture and household goods; located a tenant/housesitter; packed; made lists; checked off lists; etc., etc., etc. And
About a year ago my wife, Carol, and I went to my favorite coffee store, Barefoot Coffee in Santa Clara (California). Carol doesn't like coffee so she picked out a pastry from the pastry display. It was something I'd never heard of before called a Kouign Aman. It was crispy, crunchy, sweet and buttery. It was so good that we started making trips to Barefoot just to get the pastry. We eventually found out they're made at Satura Cakes in Los Altos. Now, whenever we're in the mood for a really good pastry we go get a kouign aman.
Does anyone have a recipe for German brötchen? These are breakfast rolls usually made in 3 to 3 1/2 inch ovals. They have a hard crust and a soft chewy inside. I prefer white over whole wheat for this roll. I am especially interested in knowing which of the flours available in the USA come closest to the German flour used.
A recent discussion of Dan Lepard's Black Pepper Rye got me interested in this bread. There are enough interesting aspects of this mix and method I had to try it. I followed the steps outlined in Dan's blog and carefully examined the detailed photos he provided. The process calls for boiling coffee with half the rye, pepper and the seeds. I watched carefully as bubbles started to erupt off the bottom of the pan. I thought surely it isn't actually boiling, I'll let it go just a little longer.
For some reason my starter takes way too long for the second rise and I underestimate the time it takes to get a 'solid bread'. Solid I got this time.. brick (on the left). Don't know why I did not see that coming, didn't see the signs. I thought/hoped the oven would do wonders. From last time I learned to always make different kinds of bread, it increases my changes on a good result. See the improved starfish bread! (and the originator of the idea)
We started the day with Sourdough English Muffins.
After lunch I made my first batch of Anis Bouabsa's baguettes.
Getting ready for some Italian hoagies! This is the recipe from the King Arthur bread recipes http://kingarthurflour.com site type in scali bread in the recipes search box. I hand mixed and did stretch and folds. After my biga or starter they call it 'which can also be made with a 'biga naturale' for a little more chew...it was ready from a long night in my cool bathroom..this morning the starter looked perfect and I cut it up into the room temperature water, mixed it real good to start it dissolving added the olive oil a
Dan Lepard had a great recipe in The Guardian magazine back on 19 September 2009. I don't recall anyone here posting about it, but when I tried it I encountered a problem. Nothing insurmountable, though, thanks to Dan's forum.
Anyway, I wrote about it in detail at my blog. I'm putting this here in case anyone else comes looking.
And here's the warning: be very careful not to overheat the initial mixture of rye and coffee.
Happy baking
Jeremy
