Pumpkin Laminated Sandwich Loaf - and other holiday goodies
Sending this toYeastspotting.
Click here for my blog index.
Golden, fragrant, delicious, pretty crust, holey crumb, what's better than these pumpkin laminated sandwich loaves as festive holiday gifts? Ok, maybe sourdough panettones are as good, but these come close.
Procedures are similar to what was posted before(here), but ingredient ratios are a bit different to accomodate pumpkin puree:
-levain
starter (100%), 44g
water, 75g
bread flour, 134g
1. mix and leave at room temp for 12 hours.
-final dough
bread flour, 361g
pumpkin puree, 155g
water, 60g
egg, 77g
sugar, 52g
salt, 10g
instant yeast, 7g
butter, 41g, softened
levain, all
roll-in butter, 245g
2. follow the instructions here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/26357/laminated-sandwich-loaf-best-both-worlds
Another difference is that this time I folded twice, each was a 4-fold, less layers than one 4-fold then two 3-folds here, but more layers than one 4-fold then one 3-fold here. The more layers the more holes, but they will be smaller, the less folds the less holes even though they are larger.
Peopel are as taken by the layers on the crust as the open crumb
The dough makes mroe than one sandwich loaf, here are some mini loaves. Nice stocking stuffers?
-------------
Going with the holiday pumpkin theme, fueled by my recent addiction to perfecting pie crust, here's a pumpkin pie. THE best pumpkin pie I have ever made/eaten.
Cooks Illustrated sometimes gets too nerdy and fussy, but this time they got it right. Recipe can be found here, I only use the filling recipe though.
The reason I love this pie is because it's not overloaded with spice. With the addition of sweet potato puree,natural pumpkin flavor shines through, and texture is silky indeed. Pumpkin spice ratio is controlled, and a full tsp of salt makes the flavor profile very sophiscated. However, if you eat pumpkin pie for the strong "spice" flavor, this is probably not for you.
----------------------------------------------
I modified this pinwheel cookie recipe to combine two of my favorite flavors: chocolate and matcha.
Not the easiest cookies to make, but the look and flavor combo made the extra effort worthwhile.
------------------
Pignoli cookies, recipe from The Italian Baker by Carole Field
Crispy and fragrant, it also uses only egg whites, which I have 60+ left over from panettone and pie making. 
Comments
to say other than perfection! That pumpkin sandwich bread is amazing and the pie and cookies are terrific. We don't call you Empress Ying for nothing. Your baking really is out of this world :-)
Just beautiful....
Thanks! :)
Wow I am sorry I didn't see this from 2011...this is too late for me to attempt for gifts this year but WOW what a great project to practice on for next year! Great job as usual...
No. The mini loaves in this post were baked in mini sandwich tins. You only need pullman tins if you want a flat top.
Txfarmer,
Beautiful and Wow are the words that come to mind. Especially with the pumpkin laminated loaf.
This loaf and how it rose so beautifully remind me of a question I haven't been able to find an answer to and I think you were the one who wrote the info. originally so I will ask here since you do such incredible enriched loaves.
Question: Why is it that loaves with more enrichment rise higher? I am baking a lot of new holiday breads that contain a high percentage of eggs, butter, milk and agave (I use this instead of sugar). All are rising so much more than my usual sandwich loaves and I can't figure out why. Thinking it has to do with maybe the strength eggs add to a dough but just not sure. Do you know?
Thanks,
Janet
I think higher protein content (from egg/milk etc) in enriched dough certainly helps with volume since it strengthen the gluten strength.
In the mean time, enriched dough are often kneaded more, and intensive kneading is the other main reason for high volume. Now why is enriched dough kneaded more?Ｉthink because there's more fat in the dough, we are less worried about 1) losing flavor (butter flavor would make up for any lost flavor lost in the flour) 2)an open crumb (fat leads to even tight crumb to start with, which means enriched breads don't go after holes).
Fats don't tighten the crumb, more so the mixing required to incorporate them and the low water content of enriched doughs.
I'd say both fat and intensive mixing tighten the crumb. Fat by itself tenderize the crumb, has a tightening effect on gluten, which all leads to less open crumb?
Txfarmer and Michael,
Thanks for the info. on why I am seeing what I am seeing. Helps me boil down and focus on each ingredient individually.
I do notice that the doughs are very extendable - especially after an all night bulk ferment. They are also very strong and do not tear when being firmly shaped. They also hold their shape when I have been free-form shaping them which I can not do with a 'normal' enriched sandwich loaf.
On intensive kneading: What I have been doing is mixing my leaven, liquid ingredients and flour and allowing it all to rest for about an hour before adding the butter, salt and IY (if used). Fruits are added last. I am finding that that rest period really strengthens the dough a lot which surprised me because of the milk and eggs I have included. I do knead until I get a good windowpane but it doesn't take long in my DLX. I have also mixed to a lesser degree of windowpane devel. and then followed up with S&F over an hour or two. I get the same result either way.
On eggs: Today's loaf has high butter and milk is the liquid used. It has no eggs at all and it is a strong dough possessing all the attributes the other doughs I have been working with have so I am thinking that, as you both have said, the fat content is more than likely the 'cause' of the results I am seeing for the reasons Michael said - it holds the air in the dough. (Butter % is 33% for this recipe)
All have had high sugar content both from the agave/honey I use and the dried fruit I add. Not sure how that attributes to the high rise though I do know it slows down the fermenting time and the proofing time due to it's being in competition with the yeast for the liquid in the dough which isn't much.
I also wonder about the citrus peels and zest I include because of the acid they contain....lots of variables but this has been fun and educational in discovering how the highly enriched doughs work. By baking one daily for the past 2 weeks rather than just every once in awhile I am paying closer attention to what I see happening.
Thanks so much for boiling down the specific ingredients and how they make a difference. It has helped me focus and discern what I have seen thus it now makes better sense to me.
Take Care,
Janet
Heat moves through an enriched dough more slowly. Fats insulate the yeast, bacteria and enzymes allowing them to work for longer.
Fats, sugar and egg give the dough very good extensibility too.
You certainly do keep cranking out the baked eye candy txfarmer. That holey open crumb is lustful. The colour of course reminds me of panettone.
So much here to drool over. Gorgeous work as always.
Michael
Thanks! :) Even with so many folds, this laminated sandwich bread takes way less time than panettone. :P
I've made the pumpkin laminated sandwich loaf, and I love it. The only thing I have to do is find a higher protein flour. adding gluten is just not the same.
Bakers flour here is 11% protein I think I need at least 14.5%. Also butter sheet is only available here in 10kg boxes, bit over the top for amateur baking. So I used standard butter.
The temperature has dropped over the last few days from 24degree C to 17. So I made the dough by folding the dough with 15 minute intervals not 1 hour. The pleated bread had to proof on the bench overnight 7 hours covered under large containers.
Next time when I bake them I will use a baking tray to place the tins on. Hopefully there will be less smoke in the house.
3 ribbons per pleated bread, approx weight 630gr per bread
one loafpan with 1 piece plead and ends tucked under, 1 loaf pan with plead cut into 3 pieces and ends tucked under
after 7 hrs on the bench under a plastic container at 15 degree C
first batch is baked 225C 10 minutes and 190C 30 minutes, top is egg washed. As you can see I use strokes of baking paper in the pan, so I can lift out the bread with ease, that way; any melted butter will not burn my fingers.
not such a holy bread as your bread, but still not bad. The bread was very 'spongy' perhaps not enough protein in the flour
Anyway, I did have a lot of fun making it and will try in a couple of months time again.
SirDodo
LOL about the smoke. I made the same mistake the first time making laminated sandwich loaves, and my oven will never forgive me for the abuse. :P
Hi Marc , what's the size of the loaf pan that you used ? Thanks in advance !
Oh dear, I am trying out this recipe now. Keeping my fingers crossed.
here is the result. got mixed up reading the instructions. folded too many times. smaller holes in the crumb. will get it right the next time! tasted great, thank you txfarmer for sharing alll your beautiful work and detailed explanation and instructions.
evonlim