The Healthy Vegan Kitchen

It’s the beginning of another month and that means its Recipes To Rival time!! Our host this month is brought to you by Lauren of Fried Pickles & Ice Cream. http://friedpicklesandicecream.blogspot.com/

What was our challenge this month? A little summer taste of Italy! A delicious & simple antipasta (appetizer), Bruschetta & a digestivo (after-dinner drink), Limoncello.
   
Lauren tells us that “Bruschetta, having its origination in Italy, is served as an antipasta. It is one of the simplest & easiest things to make & will gratify your taste buds. It is greatly enjoyed when paired with red wine. In Italian, Bruschetta is pronounced ‘brusketta’, where ‘bruscare’ means ‘to roast over coals’. The trick is to roast or grill the bread… NOT bake it as we do in America. Once you have tried this recipe you will have a hard time ordering it at a restaurant!”

She also tells us that “Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur that originated in Southern Italy around the Bay of Naples. The liqueur derives its flavor from the peels, rather than the juice of the fruit, resulting in a pleasant, sweet, lemony taste. It is wonderful as a palate cleanser or as an after dinner drink. Keep your bottles of Limoncello in the freezer until ready to serve. The ingredients are simple & few, & making a batch doesn’t require much work, but you’ll need some time… don’t wait until the last minute to make it!!”

I love bruschetta! I also love limoncello! I was so excited to see this challenge. My first taste of limoncello was at Olive Garden, they have a frozen limoncello lemonade that is amazing!!! I have been looking for a bottle of limoncello ever since, but sadly, I have yet to find it. Now, I can make it at home. It is so simple to make. Bruschetta I have made before & always love it. If you have never tried it before, it is a must make. Thank you so much Lauren for the great challenge!

Here are the recipes:

Bruschetta (4 servings)
4 slices Rustic Bread
2 cups chopped Roma Tomatoes    I used grape and Roma tomatoes
1 clove Garlic
4 to 8 leaves Basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil                     I omitted
Sea salt

-Heat grill or grill pan to medium high heat
-Slice THICK pieces of bread
-Place bread on grill until each side has a nice golden color
-Rub garlic on top side of each bread piece
-Pile tomatoes on
-sprinkle one big pinch of salt per piece on top of the tomatoes
-generously drizzle oilve oil on top of tomatoes (about 2 to 3 tablespoons per piece) omitted
-add basil to the top

Limoncello
1 liter grain alcohol
5 1/2 cups water
5 large lemons (or 10 small lemons)
2 1/2 cups sugar

-Gently wash lemons in cool water to remove any dirt
-Peel away zest from lemon leaving as little pith (the white stiff) as possible.
-Put peels in a large sealed jar or container (I reused the alcohol bottle)
-Pour alcohol over lemons and place container in a cool place.
-Leave the mixture for 7 days.
-Every day give the container a little swirl. You will see the alcohol become darker & darker every day.
-After 7 days, strain the alcohol by using a coffee filter.
-Prepare the simple syrup. Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar to dissolve.
-Mix the syrup with the alcohol. BE CAREFUL… DO NOT DO THIS NEAR A FLAME!!!
-Pour the limoncello into bottles or containers. Let cool completely. Store in the freezer until ready to serve!
*Date your limoncello. After a year it will no longer be delicious.

Verdict: Limoncello – a little too much alcohol and not enough lemon, but pretty darn good for my first try. I will definitely be making this again. It is totally worth the effort. I would also use vodka next time instead of the grain alcohol.

Bruschetta – always a winner! Hubby actually liked the Blue Cheese, Pear & Walnut Crostini that we did back in December better, he just isn’t a huge fan of basil. Very tasty, quick & easy to make. This makes a great appetizer for any party.

This months Fresh From The Oven challenge was hosted by Brooke of Ed and Brooke and she chose focaccia.

I was very excited when I saw this one. I love Focaccia! We also got to choose our own recipe. But, I have made Focaccia before. I actually made it as Christmas gifts one year. Well, instead of using that recipe, I decided to try a different one from the same cookbook. I made the Grilled Focaccia from The Bread Bible (page 216-219). I didn’t really make any changes, so I won’t post the recipe, you’ll just have to get the book, its a great one!

The recipe was pretty straight forward & easy to make. I didn’t have any problems until I realized it was a little too thin & a little small. I had planned on making pizza out of it, but it definitely wouldn’t feed the both of us without some sides. Well, I plunged on. I had it shaped & resting on a cookie sheet, then I remembered that I needed to move it to a grill pan. Well, I hadn’t greased the cookie sheet enough & I had spread it too thin, so it was a little hard to get off the pan. It did not fare too well, but still workable.

Well, I got it onto the grill pan, cooked the one side, flipped it over (pretty easily, actually) & then topped it. Now, it did not look pretty on its own, but it sure made a tasty pizza. Oh, I also over-kneaded it a little. I missed the part where it said to knead for about 20 seconds & I kneaded it for a minute. I am pretty sure that had something to do with my results.

Verdict: I will be trying this one again, it was very tasty, even if it didn’t look too pretty on its own.

Oh, the pizza toppings: faux saugsages, olives, artichoke hearts, bell peppers, tomatoes, & onions.

This month’s challenge is hosted by Brianna from http://allyourbread.blogspot.com/ She has chosen a Rustic Bread from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes.

The recipe can be found here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/rusticbread

This is a basic introductory recipe with a preferment, & minimal ingredients. A great recipe for the first time bread baker as well as good practice for advanced bread bakers. Everyone needs a good artisan bread recipe & this is a great one for that. We were able to make adjustments to the recipe for allergies, etc. which is great, although I didn’t have to make a single adjustment to this one. So awesome!!! Oh, we were also required to have fun No problem with that! The hardest part of this recipe (besides the waiting) is the shaping, well, adding the preferment if you don’t have a stand mixer would be the hardest. The shaping really isn’t that hard, just make it whatever shape you like, you can even use a loaf pan if you need to.

Rustic Bread

Makes 2 large loaves

Preferment:
1 lb. bread flour (3 1/2 cups)
9.5 oz. water (1 1/4 cups)
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

Final dough:
10 oz. bread flour (2 1/2 cups)
6 oz. whole wheat or rye flour or a mixture of them (around 1 1/2 cups)
12.5 oz. water (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
all of the preferment

Put the yeast in the water & stir. Mix the flour & salt together in a bowl & pour in the yeasted water. Mix until the flour is hydrated, adding more water if necessary. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap & leave the pre-ferment out at room temperature overnight (up to 16 hours… if you need more time before baking put it in the refrigerator).

To make the final dough, combine all of the ingredients except the pre-ferment in a mixing bowl. Chop the pre-ferment up into small pieces & mix or knead it into the final dough until they are thoroughly combined. This is quite difficult to do by hand: Hamelman assumes the baker has a mixer & can mix it for 5 minutes by machine. I mix & knead my dough by hand for about 10 minutes. At the end of that time the new & old dough aren’t perfectly combined– you can still see a few streaks of the lighter colored pre-ferment in it– but they are sufficiently combined that loaves bake evenly. (The dough was quite sticky, but I avoided adding too much flour, its okay if it’s a little sticky)

Place the dough back in a greased bowl & ferment for 2 ½ hours, punching down or folding the dough twice during that time. (I used the folding method. I really wish I would’ve taken a picture of the dough as it was rising, it is such a joyous sight for those who love bread)

Folding the dough consists of taking the dough out of the bowl, spreading it out a little on a clean surface, folding it in thirds like a letter, rotating it 90 degrees & folding it up again, & then returning the dough to the bowl & covering it again. Like punching down, folding degases the dough some, but it also encourages gluten development.

At the end of the fermentation, divide the dough into 2 pieces & preshape each into a ball. Cover with a clean towel & let each rest for 5 to 10 minutes before shaping into the final shape. Once shaped, cover the loaves with a clean towel & set aside for a final rise, approximately 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours.

Halfway though the final rise, begin preheating the oven to 450 degrees. If you are using a baking stone, preheat it as well.

Right before placing it in the oven, score the loaves. Place them in the oven & use whatever technique you use to create stream in the oven (squirt bottle, skillet full of hot water, etc) to encourage proper crust development. (I used a skillet of water)

After 20 minutes of baking, rotate the loaves 180 degrees so that they’ll bake evenly. Bake until an instant read thermometer reads around 200 degrees, which took approximately 35 minutes for my batard (”football”) shaped loaves.

I really enjoyed this challenge. I had the kitchen to myself & the day off, so I “rolled up my sleeves” & dug right in. If you have never made bread from scratch before, it is such an amazing & relaxing experience. It does take time, most breads take at least 3 hours, if not all day to make. I did forget to read the directions & didn’t start the preferment until that morning, it really is best to start it the night before & give it a full 8 hours, if not longer to ferment. While the preferment was doing its thing, I baked my Bakewell Tarts…er…Pudding for the Daring Bakers. Eight hours later, it was on to making the bread. I used my Kitchen Aid to help out with the heavy kneading in of the preferment and while it was resting I made dinner, more resting, dessert, then the bread went into the oven. The smell of fresh baked bread is such an amazing thing, you never get tired of it. This is a great recipe to get your feet wet with a Rustic Bread. It tastes great too. I had some with homemade “almond-ella”, also with peanut butter & jelly, as well as with spaghetti. All were good.

     As I continue to bake my way through my double challenges of past DB challenges, I have come across one right up my alley, challenge 13 that was originally given in November 2007. What is it do you ask? Why, Tender Potato Bread! I am a HUGE bread lover, so any bread is worthy to be made. This recipe is easy to make & the dough is heavenly to work with. The host for this challenge was Tanna from My Kitchen in Half Cups. We had to make the recipe as is (savory, not sweet), up until shaping, then we had some choices. We also had to knead by hand (the only way worthy of a good bread baking day, although, I do use my kitchen aid sometimes).

On to the recipe:

Tender Potato Bread (from Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour & Tradition Around the World by Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid; who also wrote Hot Sour Salty Sweet)

Makes 1 large tender-crumbed pan loaf AND something more; one 10X15“ crusty yet tender focaccia, 12 soft dinner rolls, or a small pan

Suggested Toppings:

For Loaves & Rolls: melted butter (optional)

For Foccacia: olive oil, coarse salt, & rosemary leaves (optional; also see variation)

For Anchovy-Onion Focaccia: Instead of oil, salt, & rosemary, top with onions slow-cooked in olive oil or bacon fat, a scattering of chopped anchovy fillets, & flat-leafed parsley leaves.

Alternate fillings, seasons, shapes are up to you.

Some additional notes about this challenge, recipe & the dough: If you are new to bread & already your whisks are shaking (or is that your boots), you may bake the bread (or one of it’s variations) just as written.

Potatoes & potato water give this bread wonderful flavor & texture. The dough is very soft & moist & might feel a little scary if you’ve never handled soft dough before. But don’t worry: Leaving it on parchment or wax paper to proof & to bake makes it easy to handle.

Once baked, the crumb is tender & airy, with tiny soft pieces of potato in it & a fine flecking of whole wheat. The loaves have a fabulous crisp texture on the outside & a slightly flat-topped shape. They make great toast & tender yet strong sliced bread for sandwiches. The dinner rolls are soft & inviting, & the focaccia is memorable. I have chosen this recipe because it gives directions for different ways of shaping the dough & provides oven times & temperatures for those variations.

Some Notes about Flour: King Arthur Artisan Organic All-Purpose Flour is fairly new in the markets in the US now & is advertised to be best for making European-style hearth breads with a protein level of 11.3%

Conversion Chart for yeast: 1 TBSP fresh yeast = 1 ¼ tsp active or instant dry yeast = 1 tsp instant or rapid rise (bread machine) yeast.

Reference: Crust & Crumb by Peter Reinhart

4 medium to large floury (baking) potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks.

Tanna Note: For the beginner bread baker I suggest no more than 8 oz of potato; for the more advanced no more than 16 oz. The variety of potatoes you might want to use would include Idaho, Russet; Yukon gold, there are others. I used 16 oz

4 cups water, reserve cooking water

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

6 ½ cups to 8 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened I used Earth Balance

1 cup whole wheat flour

Making the Dough (Directions will be for making by hand): Put the potatoes & 4 cups water in a sauce pan & bring to boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt & cook, half covered, until the potatoes are very tender. Drain the potatoes, SAVE THE POTATO WATER, & mash the potatoes well. Tanna Note: I have a food mill I will run my potatoes through to mash them. Measure out 3 cups of the reserved potato water. Add extra water if needed to make 3 cups. Place the water & mashed potatoes in the bowl you plan to mix the bread dough in. Let cool to lukewarm (70-80°F) – stir well before testing the temperature – it should feel barely warm to your hand. You should be able to submerge you hand in the mix & not be uncomfortable. Add yeast to 2 cups all-purpose flour & whisk. Add yeast & flour to the cooled mashed potatoes; water & mix well. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Note about Adding Yeast: If using Active Dry Yeast or Fresh yeast, mix; stir yeast into cooled water & mashed potatoes; water & let stand 5 minutes. Then add 2 cups of flour to the yeast mix & allow to rest several minutes. If using Instant Dry Yeast, add yeast to 2 cups all-purpose flour & whisk. Add yeast & flour to the cooled mashed potatoes & water & mix well. Allow to rest/sit 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon salt & the softened butter; mix well. Add the 1 cup whole wheat flour, stir briefly. Add 2 cups of the unbleached all-purpose flour & stir until all the flour has been incorporated. Tanna Note: At this point you have used 4 cups of the possible 8 ½ cups suggested by the recipe.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface & knead for about 10 minutes, incorporating flour as needed to prevent sticking. The dough will be very sticky to begin with, but as it takes up more flour from the kneading surface, it will become easier to handle; use a dough scraper to keep your surface clean. The kneaded dough will still be very soft. Place the dough in a large clean bowl or your rising container of choice, cover with plastic wrap or lid, & let rise about 2 hours or until doubled in volume. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface & knead gently several minutes. It will be moist & a little sticky.

Forming the Bread: Tanna Note: It is at this point you are requested to Unleash the Daring Baker within. The following is as the recipe is written. You are now free to follow as written or push it to a new level. Divide the dough into 2 unequal pieces in a proportion of one-third & two-thirds (one will be twice as large as the other). Place the smaller piece to one side & cover loosely.

To shape the large loaf: Butter a 9 x 5 x 2 ½“ loaf/bread pan. Flatten the larger piece of dough on the floured surface to an approximate 12 x 8“ oval, then roll it up from a narrow end to form a loaf. Pinch the seam closed & gently place seam side down in the buttered pan. The dough should come about ¾ of the way up the sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap & let rise for 35 to 45 minutes, until puffy & almost doubled in volume.

To make a small loaf with the remainder: Butter an 8×4X2“ bread pan. Shape & proof the loaf the same way as the large loaf.

To make rolls: Butter a 13×9“ sheet cake pan or a shallow cake pan. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball under the palm of your floured hand & place on the baking sheet, leaving ½“ between the balls. Cover with plastic wrap & let rise for about 35 minutes, until puffy & almost doubled.

To make focaccia: Flatten out the dough to a rectangle about 10×15“ with your palms & fingertips. Tear off a piece of parchment paper or wax paper a little longer than the dough & dust it generously with flour. Transfer the focaccia to the paper. Brush the top of the dough generously with olive oil, sprinkle on a little coarse sea salt, as well as some rosemary leaves, if you wish & then finally dimple all over with your fingertips. Cover with plastic & let rise for 20 minutes.

Baking the bread(s): Note about baking order: bake the flat-bread before you bake the loaf; bake the rolls at the same time as the loaf.

Note about Baking Temps: I believe that 450°F is going to prove to be too hot for the either the large or small loaf of bread for the entire 40-50 minutes. I am going to put the loaves in at 450° for 10 minutes & then turn the oven down to 375°F for the remaining time.

Note about cooling times: Let all the breads cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Rolls can be served warm or at room temperature.

For loaves & rolls: Dust risen loaves & rolls with a little all-purpose flour or lightly brush the tops with a little melted butter or olive oil (the butter will give a golden/browned crust). Slash loaves crosswise two or three times with a razor blade or very sharp knife & immediately place on the stone, tiles or baking sheet in the oven. Place the rolls next to the loaf in the oven. Bake rolls until golden, about 30 minutes. Bake the small loaf for about 40 minutes. Bake the large loaf for about 50 minutes. Transfer the rolls to a rack when done to cool. When the loaf or loaves have baked for the specified time, remove from the pans & place back on the stone, tiles or baking sheet for another 5 to 10 minutes. The corners should be firm when pinched & the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

For focaccia: Place a baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles, if you have them, if not use a no edged baking/sheet (you want to be able to slide the shaped dough on the parchment paper onto the stone or baking sheet & an edge complicates things). Place the stone or cookie sheet on a rack in the center of the oven & preheat to 450°F/230°C. If making focaccia, just before baking, dimple the bread all over again with your fingertips. Leaving it on the paper, transfer to the hot baking stone, tiles or baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack (remove paper) & let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

I made a large loaf, small loaf, 4 burger buns & 6 dinner rolls.

Our March extra challenge:  

Cinnamon & Sticky Buns (from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice)

Daring Bakers Challenge #11: September 2007 Host: Marce (Pip in the City)

Oh my goodness! These are the best cinnamon rolls! You totally have to make these!  I will be making these a lot. The sticky buns are really good too, except that I accidentally burnt the caramel topping. Oops. They weren’t inedible, I just cut the top off of them. I didn’t need to make very many modifications & I followed all of the directions, except for the caramel. I made it like I normally do, on the stovetop, but that made it overcook & burn in the oven. Next time, I will follow the directions they have for making the caramel. I have my modifications below.

Active/Resting/Baking Time: 15 minutes to mix, 3 ½ hours fermentation/ shaping/proofing, 20 - 40 minutes to bake Recipe Quantity: 8 - 12 large rolls or 12 - 16 small rolls

Allowed Modifications:

1. You can mix up the spices to your liking. Meaning you don´t have to use cinnamon if you don´t like it. I’m thinking you could use ginger, allspice, cardamom, etc. (Personally, I´m going to leave the sticky buns as they are & mix up spices in the cinnamon buns)

2. You can do both cinnamon & sticky buns or choose one.

3. You don´t have to use nuts for the sticky buns if you are allergic or you don´t like nuts.

4. You don´t have to use raisins for the sticky buns, & you can substitute the raisins for any other dried fruit you like & think would work with the other flavors.

6 ½ tablespoons (3.25 ounces) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

5 ½ tablespoons (2.75 ounces) shortening or unsalted butter or margarine Earth Balance

1 large egg, slightly beaten Ener-g Egg Replacer

1 teaspoon lemon extract OR 1 teaspoon grated zest of 1 lemon

3 ½ cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread or all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons instant yeast*

1 1/8 to 1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk, room temperature OR 3 tablespoons powdered milk & 1 cup water Soy milk mixed with lemon juice

½ cup cinnamon sugar (6 ½ TBSP granulated sugar plus 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, or any other spices you want to use, cardamom, ginger, allspice, etc.)

White fondant glaze for cinnamon buns or caramel glaze for sticky buns (at the end of the recipe.)

Walnuts, pecans, or other nuts (for sticky buns.)

Raisins or other dried fruit, such as dried cranberries or dried cherries (for sticky buns, optional.)

*Instant yeast contains about 25% more living cells per spoonful than active dry yeast, regardless of the brand. Instant yeast is also called rapid-rise or fast-rising.

Step 1 - Making the Dough: Cream together the sugar, salt, & shortening or butter on medium-high speed in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a large metal spoon & mixing bowl & do it by hand).

Note: if you are using powdered milk, cream the milk with the sugar, & add the water with the flour & yeast. I used my Kitchen Aid

Whip in the egg & lemon extract/zest until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast, & milk. Mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook & increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes (or knead by hand for 12 to 15 minutes), or until the dough is silky & supple, tacky but not sticky. You may have to add a little flour or water while mixing to achieve this texture. Lightly oil a large bowl & transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Step 2 - Fermentation: Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Step 3 - Form the Buns: Mist the counter with spray oil & transfer the dough to the counter. Proceed with shaping the buns. (A) Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the top with flour to keep it from sticking to the pin. Roll it into a rectangle about 2/3“ thick & 14“ wide by 12“ long for larger buns, or 18“ wide by 9“ long for smaller buns. Don´t roll out the dough too thin, or the finished buns will be tough & chewy rather than soft & plump. (B)Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the dough & (C) roll the dough up into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon-sugar spiral as you roll. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8 to 12 pieces each about 1 ¾” thick for larger buns, or 12 to 16 pieces each 1 ¼“ thick for smaller buns.

Step 4 - Prepare the Buns for Proofing:

* For cinnamon buns: line 1 or more sheet pans with baking parchment. Place the buns approximately ½” apart so that they aren’t touching but are close to one another.

* For sticky buns: coat the bottom of 1 or more baking dishes or baking pans with sides at least 1 ½” high with a ¼” layer of the caramel glaze. Sprinkle on the nuts & raisins (if you are using raisins or dried fruit.) You do not need a lot of nuts & raisins, only a sprinkling. Lay the pieces of dough on top of the caramel glaze, spacing them about ½” apart. Mist the dough with spray oil & cover loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag. For the sticky buns, I just sprinkled in some cinnamon & a few crushed walnuts.

Step 5 - Proof the Buns: Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown into one another & have nearly doubled in size. You may also retard the shaped buns in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.

Step 6 - Bake the Buns:

* Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the oven rack in the middle shelf for cinnamon buns but on the lowest shelf for sticky buns.

* Bake the cinnamon buns for 20 to 30 minutes or the sticky buns 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If you are baking sticky buns, remember that they are really upside down (regular cinnamon buns are baked right side up), so the heat has to penetrate through the pan & into the glaze to caramelize it. The tops will become the bottoms, so they may appear dark & done, but the real key is whether the underside is fully baked. It takes practice to know just when to pull the buns out of the oven

Step 8 - Cool the buns:

* For cinnamon buns, cool the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes & then streak white fondant glaze across the tops, while the buns are warm but not too hot. Remove the buns from the pans & place them on a cooling rack. Wait for at least 20 minutes before serving.

* For the sticky buns, cool the buns in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes & then remove them by flipping them over into another pan. Carefully scoop any run-off glaze back over the buns with a spatula. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving.

  yeah, a little burnt, I know.

Toppings for the Buns:

*White fondant glaze for cinnamon buns: Cinnamon buns are usually topped with a thick white glaze called fondant. There are many ways to make fondant glaze, but here is a delicious & simple version, enlivened by the addition of citrus flavor, either lemon or orange. You can also substitute vanilla extract or rum extract, or simply make the glaze without any flavorings.

*Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar into a bowl. Add 1 tsp of lemon or orange extract & 6 TBSP to ½ cup of warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk slowly & only as much as is needed to make a thick, smooth paste. I used powdered sugar & orange juice (I used a fork to drizzle the icing on).

When the buns have cooled but are still warm, streak the glaze over them by dipping the tines of a fork or a whisk into the glaze & waving the fork or whisk over the tops. Or, form the streaks by dipping your fingers in the glaze & letting it drip off as you wave them over the tops of the buns. (Remember to wear latex gloves.)

Caramel glaze for sticky buns:

Caramel glaze is essentially some combination of sugar & fat, cooked until it caramelizes. The trick is catching it just when the sugar melts & lightly caramelizes to a golden amber. Then it will cool to a soft, creamy caramel. If you wait too long & the glaze turns dark brown, it will cool to a hard, crack-your-teeth consistency. Most sticky bun glazes contain other ingredients to influence flavor & texture, such as corn syrup to keep the sugar from crystallizing & flavor extracts or oils, such as vanilla or lemon. This version makes the best sticky bun glaze of any I´ve tried. It was developed by my wife, Susan, for Brother Juniper´s Café in Forestville, California.

NOTE: you can substitute the corn syrup for any neutral flavor syrup, like cane syrup or gold syrup.

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, & ½ pound unsalted butter, at room temperature. I cooked the sugar on the stove, don’t do that! Follow these directions, unlike me, or it may turn out like this:

2. Cream together for 2 minutes on high speed with the paddle attachment. Add 1/2 cup corn syrup & 1 teaspoon lemon, orange or vanilla extract. Continue to cream for about 5 minutes, or until light & fluffy. I used golden syrup instead of corn syrup.

3. Use as much of this as you need to cover the bottom of the pan with a ¼” layer. Refrigerate & save any excess for future use; it will keep for months in a sealed container.

I have started to catch up a little bit on the previous Daring Baker challenges that I have missed. I did miss last months, but I did complete this months extra challenge which was: Bagels!

I have never made bagels before, but I was excited to try, since I love to eat them! Well, I pulled out all of my ingredients, pulled out all the equipment I needed and got to work. I started with Step 1, proofing the yeast. I poured in my warm water, sprinkled in the sugar, stirred to combine, then added the yeast, stirred to combine and then, the phone rang. It was work. Could I please come in early because they were really busy! Well, of course I said yes, so… Well, I sprinkled on a cup of flour over the yeast mixture to make a sort of biga, covered it and put it in the fridge until the next day. We were really busy at work and I’m glad I went in, but I was a little concerned about leaving so early into my bagel making.

The next day, I pulled my “biga” out of the fridge to warm up a bit while I read through the directions again. I moved on to Step 2, but only added 2 cups of flour to begin with because I had already added 1 cup yesterday. I probably should have added about ½ cup more flour while I was kneading the dough, but it still came out good. The biggest problem I encountered was in the boiling of the bagels, that’s when I knew I should have added more flour (and maybe kneaded a little longer), they were just too soft and were starting to break up in the water. To fix the problem, I just boiled them for a shorter period of time (1 ½ minutes on each side).

I would like to try these again sometime when I can do the whole recipe all at once!

Real Honest Jewish Purist’s Bagels Daring Bakers Challenge #8: April 2007

Host(s): Queilla (All Things Edible) & Freya (Writing at the Kitchen Table)

Recipe Quantity: Fifteen (15) large, plain, Kosher bagels

Allowed modifications:

1. You can customize your bagel with toppings (like sprinkling some sea salt, sesame or poppy seeds to the OUTSIDE of the bagel) but DO NOT ADD ANY FLAVORS TO THE INSIDE of the bagel dough itself. That means no cheese, no herbs, no funky salts, no onions, no nothing. Any additional flavors can be put on the outside only.

2. Toppings should probably stay on the SAVORY side.

3. FILLINGS / SPREADS ARE OPTIONAL: Although you cannot flavor the inside of the bagel dough itself, you can FILL your finished bagels. From Queilla: “In addition to this (bagel) challenge, I also present you with an additional challenge: How would you like to fill these bagels? Want to make your own cream cheese spread, or stick with peanut butter? This is your chance to be as creative as you want! Want a sweet spread (my kids love strawberry cream cheese,) or a savory?”

4. Once you have made at least 1 batch of the bagels for your post (where you used the chosen recipe & adhered to the rules), please go as crazy as you like.

6-8 cups bread (high-gluten) flour

4 tablespoons dry baking yeast

6 tablespoons granulated white sugar or light honey (clover honey is good)

2 teaspoons salt

3 cups hot water

a bit of vegetable oil

1 gallon water

3-5 tablespoons malt syrup or sugar

a few handfuls of cornmeal

Equipment:

large mixing bowl

wire whisk

measuring cups & spoons

wooden mixing spoon

butter knife or baker’s dough blade

clean, dry surface for kneading

3 clean, dry kitchen towels

warm, but not hot, place to set dough to rise

large stockpot

slotted spoon

2 baking sheets

How You Do It:

Step 1- Proof Yeast: Pour 3 cups of hot water into the mixing bowl. The water should be hot, but not so hot that you can’t bear to put your fingers in it for several seconds at a time. Add the sugar or honey & stir it with your fingers (a good way to make sure the water is not too hot) or with a wire whisk to dissolve. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water, & stir to dissolve. Wait about 10 minutes for the yeast to begin to revive & grow. Skipping this step could result in your trying to make bagels with dead yeast, which results in bagels so hard & potentially dangerous that they are banned under the terms of the Geneva Convention. You will know that the yeast is okay if it begins to foam & exude a sweetish, slightly beery smell.

Step 2- Make Dough: At this point, add about 3 cups of flour as well as the 2 tsp of salt to the water & yeast & begin mixing it in. Some people subscribe to the theory that it is easier to tell what’s going on with the dough if you use your hands rather than a spoon to mix things into the dough, but others prefer the less physically direct spoon. As an advocate of the bare-knuckles school of baking, I proffer the following advice: clip your fingernails, take off your rings & wristwatch, & wash your hands thoroughly to the elbows, like a surgeon. Then you may dive into the dough with impunity. I generally use my right hand to mix, so that my left is free to add flour & other ingredients & to hold the bowl steady. Left-handed people might find that the reverse works better for them. Having one hand clean & free to perform various tasks works best.

When you have incorporated the first three cups of lour, the dough should begin to become thick-ish. Add more flour, a half-cup or so at a time, & mix each addition thoroughly before adding more flour. As the dough gets thicker, add less & less flour at a time.

Step 3- Knead Dough: Soon you will begin to knead it by hand (if you’re using your hands to mix the dough in the first place, this segue is hardly noticeable). If you have a big enough & shallow enough bowl, use it as the kneading bowl, otherwise use that clean, dry, flat counter top or tabletop mentioned in the “Equipment” list above. Sprinkle your work surface or bowl with a handful of flour, put your dough on top, & start kneading. Add bits of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking (to your hands, to the bowl or counter top, etc….). Soon you should have a nice stiff dough. It will be quite elastic, but heavy & stiffer than a normal bread dough. Do not make it too dry, however… it should still give easily & stretch easily without tearing.

Step 4- Let Dough Rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, & cover with one of your clean kitchen towels, dampened somewhat by getting it wet & then wringing it out thoroughly. If you swish the dough around in the bowl, you can get the whole ball of dough covered with a very thin film of oil, which will keep it from drying out. Place the bowl with the dough in it in a dry, warm (but not hot) place, free from drafts. Allow it to rise until doubled in volume. Some people try to accelerate rising by putting the dough in the oven, where the pilot lights keep the temperature slightly elevated. If it’s cold in your kitchen, you can try this, but remember to leave the oven door open or it may become too hot & begin to kill the yeast & cook the dough. An ambient temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (25 Centigrade) is ideal for rising dough.

Step 5- Prepare Water for Bagels: While the dough is rising, fill your stockpot with about a gallon of water & set it on the fire to boil. When it reaches a boil, add the malt syrup or sugar & reduce the heat so that the water just barely simmers; the surface of the water should hardly move.

Step 6- Form Bagels: Once the dough has risen, turn it onto your work surface, punch it down, & divide immediately into as many hunks as you want to make bagels. For this recipe, you will probably end up with about 15 bagels, so you will divide the dough into 15 roughly even-sized hunks. Begin forming the bagels. There are two schools of thought on this. One method of bagel formation involves shaping the dough into a rough sphere, then poking a hole through the middle with a finger & then pulling at the dough around the hole to make the bagel. This is the hole-centric method. The dough-centric method involves making a long cylindrical “snake” of dough & wrapping it around your hand into a loop & mashing the ends together. Whatever you like to do is fine. DO NOT, however, give in to the temptation of using a doughnut or cookie cutter to shape your bagels. This will push them out of the realm of Jewish Bagel Authenticity & give them a distinctly Protestant air. The bagels will not be perfectly shaped. They will not be symmetrical. This is normal. This is okay. Enjoy the diversity. Just like snowflakes, no two genuine bagels are exactly alike.

Step 7- Pre-heat Oven: Begin to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 8- Half Proof & Boil Bagels: Once the bagels are formed, let them sit for about 10 minutes. They will begin to rise slightly. Ideally, they will rise by about one-fourth volume… a technique called “half-proofing” the dough. At the end of the half-proofing, drop the bagels into the simmering water one by one. You don’t want to crowd them, & so there should only be two or three bagels simmering at any given time. The bagels should sink first, then gracefully float to the top of the simmering water. If they float, it’s not a big deal, but it does mean that you’ll have a somewhat more bready (& less bagely) texture. Let the bagel simmer for about three minutes, then turn them over with a skimmer or a slotted spoon. Simmer another three minutes, & then lift the bagels out of the water & set them on a clean kitchen towel that has been spread on the counter top for this purpose. The bagels should be pretty & shiny, thanks to the malt syrup or sugar in the boiling water.

Step 9- Bake Bagels: Once all the bagels have been boiled, prepare your baking sheets by sprinkling them with cornmeal. Then arrange the bagels on the prepared baking sheets & put them in the oven. Let them bake for about 25 minutes, then remove from the oven, turn them over & put them back in the oven to finish baking for about ten minutes more. This will help to prevent flat-bottomed bagels.

Remove from the oven & cool on wire racks, or on a dry clean towels if you have no racks. Do not attempt to cut them until they are cool… hot bagels slice abominably & you’ll end up with a wadded mass of bagel pulp. Don’t do it.

How To Customize Outside of Bagels: After boiling but before baking, brush the bagels with a wash made of 1 egg white & 3 tablespoons ice water beaten together. Sprinkle with the topping of your choice: poppy, sesame, or caraway seeds, toasted onion or raw garlic bits, salt or whatever you like. Just remember that bagels are essentially a savory baked good, not a sweet one, & so things like fruit & sweet spices are really rather out of place.

I am on to my third Double Challenge. What was our third back challenge? Croissants! I am so glad that I did the Danish Braid challenge in June because it gave me some experience working with laminated dough. I LOVE croissants, but they are full of butter, so I don’t each them much because of my lactose intolerance. I have always wanted to try making them, but never thought I could. Well, thank you Daring Bakers for making me suck it up and dig in! What a great challenge, although I wasn’t able to start it until last night!!! Can you say, staying up until midnight!?!

I made regular croissants and a few chocolate ones. I can’t wait to try them. The only substitutions I made was using soy milk instead of non-fat milk in the Preferment. For the dough, I subbed half soy creamer and half soy milk for the whole milk as well as Earth Balance and a little soy mayonnaise for the butter. For the egg wash, I used soy creamer instead. I did make the preferement on Monday. On Tuesday, I made the dough and Danish Braid, but didn’t have enough butter to start the dough, so that had to wait until Wednesday. On Wednesday, I finished making the croissants. For the chocolate croissants, I used the rest of the ganache I had from the Filbert Gateau, which was enough for about 5 croissants. For the remaining 3 chocolate croissants, I used my chili powder infused chocolate bar, I can’t wait to try that one!

The dough rolled out better this time than for the Danish Braid and the only real problem I ran into was my complete failure in geometry. I had to call my husband in to help me figure out the triangles. He was very helpful and I was able to figure it out (he always gives me hints, but makes me figure it out, which is nice, helps me to learn). I still need to work on my croissant rolling, but they were pretty good for my first attempt. The rising went well and they baked up just like they should have. Although, my a little too big one took a little longer to bake.  My chocolate oozed out a bit, but they still tasted great!  If you would like to be a little daring, here’s the recipe, try it out!

Verdict: I would totally make these again!  I’m impressed with how flaky the layers are.  I can’t wait until the morning to try one with some Apricot jam.

Croissants (from the Tartine by Elisabeth M. Prueitt & Chad Robertson) DB Challenge #3: Jan 2007

Participants: Founders Lisa (La Mia Cucina), Ivonne (Cream Puffs in Venice). Alpha Class: Peabody (Culinary Concoctions by Peabody), Brilynn (Jumbo Empanadas), Helen (Tartlette) Beta Class: Quellia (All Things Edible), Veronica (Veronica’s Test Kitchen)

Servings: Approximately 16 - 18 croissants Time required for recipe: 1 to 2 days

Allowed modifications:

1. High altitude modifications are allowed as long as you stay “true” to the recipe.

2. Conversion for certain dietary restrictions like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan etc. is allowed.

3. Recipe ingredient exception allowed only if allergy or an ingredient not available or cost prohibitive in your region.

Additional Kitchen Notes: To maintain the correct consistency of the dough & butter components, work in a cool kitchen up until the final rising of the shaped pastries. The preferment, a mixture of milk, yeast, & flour with the consistency of a batter, is left to rise so that it will ferment slightly, developing flavor & aroma, before the dough is mixed. It can be made in the morning allowed to rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to make the croissant dough the same day, or it can be made at night, put in the refrigerator to rise overnight, & used to make the croissant dough straightaway the next morning.

Preferment:

¾ cup non-fat milk (6 oz/150 ml)

1 tbsp active dry yeast (15ml)

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour(6 ¼ oz/175g)

Dough:

1 tbsp + 1 tsp active dry yeast (20 ml)

1 ¾ cup whole milk (14 oz/425 ml)

6 cups all purpose flour(28 oz/800g)

1/3 cup sugar (2 ½ oz/70g)

1 tbsp + 1 tsp salt(20 ml)

1 tbsp melted unsalted butter (15 ml)

Roll-in butter:

2 ¾ cup unsalted butter, cool but pliable (22 oz/625g)

Egg wash:

4 large egg yolks

¼ cup heavy cream (2 oz/60 ml)

pinch salt

To Make the Preferment: In a small saucepan, warm the milk to take the chill off (between 80° to 90 °F). Pour the milk into a mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the milk, stir to dissolve the yeast with a wooden spoon, & then add the flour, mixing with a wooden spoon until a smooth batter forms. Cover the bowl with cheesecloth & let the mixture rise until almost double in volume, 2 to 3 hours at moderate temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

To Make the Dough: First measure out all your ingredients & keep them near at hand. Transfer the preferment & then the yeast to the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until the yeast is incorporated into the preferment batter, which will take a minute or two. Stop the mixer as needed & use a spatula to clean the bottom & sides of the bowl, folding the loosened portion into the mixture to incorporate all the elements fully. When the mixture has come together into an even, well-mixed mass, increase the speed to medium, & mix for a couple of minutes. Slowly add half of the milk & continue to mix until the milk is fully incorporated.

Reduce the speed to low, add the flour, sugar, salt, melted butter, & the rest of the milk, & mix until the mass comes together in a loose dough, about 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer & let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes. This resting period helps to shorten the final mixing phase, which comes next.

Engage the mixer again on low speed & mix until the dough is smooth & elastic, a maximum of 4 minutes. If the dough is very firm, add a little milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Take care not to overmix the dough, which will result in a tough croissant that also turns stale more quickly. Remember, too, you will be rolling out the dough several times, which will further develop the gluten structure, so though you want a smooth dough, the less mixing you do to achieve that goal, the better. Cover the bowl with cheesecloth & let the dough rise in a cool place until the volume increases by half, about 1-½ hours.

Lightly flour a work surface. Transfer the dough to the floured surface & press into a rectangle 2 inches thick. Wrap the rectangle in plastic wrap, or slip it into a plastic bag & seal closed. Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for 4 to 6 hours.

To Make the Roll-in butter: About 1 hour before you are ready to start laminating the dough, put the butter that you will be rolling into the dough in the bowl of the mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until malleable but not warm or soft, about 3 minutes. Remove the butter from the bowl, wrap in plastic wrap, & place in the refrigerator to chill but not resolidify.

Laminating the dough: Lightly dust a cool work surface, & then remove the chilled dough & the butter from the refrigerator. Unwrap the dough & place it on the floured surface. Roll out the dough into a rectangle 28 by 12 inches. With the long side of the rectangle facing you, & starting from the left side, spread & spot the butter over two-thirds of the length of the rectangle. Fold the uncovered third over the butter & then fold the left-hand third over the center, as if folding a business letter. The resulting rectangle is known as a plaque. With your fingers, push down along the seams on the top & the bottom to seal in the plaque.

Second turn: Give the plaque a quarter turn so the seams are to your right & left, rather than at the top & bottom. Again, roll out the dough into a rectangle 28 by 12 inches, & fold again in the same manner. Wrap in plastic wrap or slip into a plastic bag & place in the refrigerator for 1 ½ to 2 hours to relax the gluten in the dough before you make the third fold, or “turn”.

Third turn: Clean the work surface, dust again with flour, & remove the dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap, place on the floured surface, & again roll out into a rectangle 28 by 12 inches. Fold into thirds in the same manner. You should have a plaque of dough measuring about 9 by 12 inches, about the size of a quarter sheet pan, & 1 ½ to 2 inches thick. Wrap in plastic wrap or slip into the plastic bag, place on a quarter sheet pan, & immediately place in the freezer to chill for at least 1 hour. If you intend to make the croissants the next morning, leave the dough in the freezer until the evening & then transfer it to the refrigerator before retiring. The next morning, the dough will be ready to roll out & form into croissants, proof, & bake. Or, you can leave the dough in the freezer for up to 1 week; just remember to transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight before using.

    shaped and rising

Making the croissant: When you are ready to roll out the dough, dust the work surface again. Roll out the dough into a rectangle 32 by 12 inches & 3/8 inches thick. Using a pizza wheel or chef’s knife, cut the dough into long triangles that measure 10 to 12 inches on each side & about 4 inches along the base.

Line a half sheet pan (about 13 by 18 inches) with parchment paper. To shape each croissant, position a triangle with the base facing you. Positioning your palms on the two outer points of the base, carefully rolling the base toward the point. To finish, grab the point with one hand, stretching it slightly, & continue to roll, tucking the point underneath the rolled dough so that the croissant will stand tall when you place it on the sheet pan. If you have properly shaped the croissant, it will have 6 or 7 ridges.

As you form the croissants, place them, well-spaced, on the prepared half-sheet pan. When all the croissants are on the pan, set the pan in a draft-free area with relatively high humidity, & let the pastries rise for 2 to 3 hours. The ideal temperature is 75 °F. A bit cooler or warmer is all right, as long as the temperature is not warm enough to melt the layers of butter in the dough, which would yield greasy pastries. Cooler is preferable & will increase the rising time & with it the flavor development. For example, the home oven (turned off) with a pan of steaming water placed in the bottom is a good place for proofing leavened baked items. To make sure that no skin forms on the pastries during this final rising, refresh the pan of water halfway through the rising.

During this final rising, the croissants should at least double in size & look noticeably puffy. If when you press a croissant lightly with a fingertip, the indentation fills in slowly, the croissants are almost ready to bake. At this point, the croissants should still be slightly “firm” & holding their shape & neither spongy nor starting to slouch. If you have put the croissants into the oven to proof, remove them now & set the oven to 425 °F to preheat for 20 to 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before you are ready to bake the croissants, make the egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cream, & salt until you have a pale yellow mixture. Using a pastry brush, lightly & carefully brush the yolk mixture on the pastries, being careful not to allow the egg wash to drip onto the pan. Let the wash dry slightly, about 10 minutes, before baking.

    Mimic Cream wash

Baking & storing the croissants: Place the croissants into the oven, immediately turn down the oven temperature to 400 °F, & leave the door shut for the first 10 minutes. Then working quickly, open the oven door, rotate the pan 180 degrees, & close the door. This rotation will help the pastries to bake evenly. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes longer, rotating the pan again during this time if the croissants do not appear to be baking evenly. The croissants should be done in 15 to 20 minutes total. They are ready when they are a deep golden brown on the top & bottom, crisp on the outside & light when they are picked up, indicating that the interior is cooked through.

Remove the croissants from the oven & place them on a wire rack to cool. As they cool, their moist interiors will set up. They are best if eaten while they are still slightly warm. If they have just cooled to room temperature, they are fine as well, or you can rewarm them in a 375°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes to recrisp them before serving. You can also store leftover croissants in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, & then afterward in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you have stored them, recrisp them in the oven before serving.

Pain au Jambon Variation: After you cut the rolled-out dough into triangles, lay 1 ounce (30 g) thinly sliced smoked ham over tow-thirds of each triangle, leaving the pointed tip (the remaining one-third) uncovered. Place some matchstick-sized batons of Gruyere or similar cheese on top of the ham. Roll up carefully, encasing the ham & cheese, & then proceed as directed for plain croissants.

Pain au Chocolat Variation: Roll out the dough as directed, but cut it into 6 by 4 inch rectangles, rather than triangles. Place 1 ounce (30 g) bittersweet chocolate batons (or 2 ounces/55g for double chocolate) in the center of each rectangle. Starting from the long side, roll up each rectangle carefully, encasing the batons in the center, & proceed as directed for plain croissants.

Its the end of the month, and that means a new Daring Bakers challenge! Yeah! This month we are doing a Danish Braid. The dough for this is a lot like puff pastry. Puff pastry, uh oh. That is all butter and flour. Its easy to sub out butter with Earth Balance, but I don’t like using it, way too much fat! Well, there is no real way to take the fat out and still get all of those flaky layers, so I decided I would go ahead and use the earth balance. More about that when I get to the recipe. To start with, our hosts for this month were Kelly of Sass & Veracity, & Ben of What’s Cookin’? Make sure you check out their adventure with the Danish Braid.

The Technique: Making & working with yeasted laminated dough
The Recipe: “Danish Braid” from Sherry Yard’s The Secrets of Baking

Why Danish Braid?
• Danish dough is in the family of butter-laminated or layered doughs with puff pastry being the ultimate. Danish dough is sweet & is yeast-leavened, however, where as puff pastry is not.
• The process of making Danish dough is less complex than that of puff pastry, but equally as important to achieve best results, & a great starting place to begin to learn about laminated doughs in general.
• Danish dough is extremely versatile, & once made can be used for a variety of baked goods. The possibilities are endless.
• Since our ever-expanding Daring Bakers group lives in 2 different hemispheres, the Danish Braid will allow for fillings that are in season in both hemispheres. Hopefully that will assist with cost factors & availability of product.
• I love pastry & have never made Danish pastry before. When I asked Ben to co-host this month, I suggested several ideas, & the Danish Braid seemed to be the best way for people to have the opportunity to learn, if unfamiliar with laminated doughs, & for those familiar, to be able to maximize choices for ingredients not only in the dough, but the fillings, toppings, & the shape of the braid as well.

Some History:
• According to many sources, “Danish” was born when Danish bakers went on strike, & Viennese bakers were brought in to replace them, creating what is referred to as Vienna Bread.
• Conversely, it is also said that Danish bakers went to Vienna to learn the techniques Viennese bakers employed, & Danish dough was created there.
• In the early 1800’s, C.L. Olsen spent time in Germany, believing in the idea of gaining inspiration from bakers of other countries. He brought knowledge back to Denmark to introduce “foreign” breads to his country, also hiring people of other nationalities to bake in his family bakery.

Why Sherry Yard’s recipe?
• The Secrets of Baking is one of the newer books in my collection, but I’ve had time to try many recipes & am more than satisfied with the results.
• The organization of recipes in the book is built upon the philosophy that if we learn basic techniques, many other recipes come from those techniques. This isn’t new information, but it’s the first time I’ve seen the information organized in such an accessible fashion.
• Her Danish dough recipe included both cardamom & orange, & the combination sounded intriguing.

Guidelines for this Challenge:
• Use the recipe as written to make Danish dough & create at least one Danish Braid. The recipe will allow you to make 2 full braids unless you choose to make only half the dough.
• Fill the Danish Braid with the apple filling provided &/or any other filling as long as it is something you make yourself from scratch.

Choices
• Dough ingredients include ground cardamom & orange zest. Cardamom is traditional in Scandinavian breads, but if it is cost prohibitive, or if you have dietary restrictions, by all means, leave it out or replace it with something else. You are welcome to omit the orange zest or choose another type of citrus to flavor your dough.
• The method or style of your braid is your choice. You may vary the width of the dough strips, type of edging, or angle of cuts.
• Often, a glaze, nuts, or sugar are used as toppings. You may choose to use any or all of these, or others you may find interesting.
• Use one or more fillings such as fresh berries, pastry cream, preserves or jams, curds – there are lots of possibilities.
• Once you’ve made a Danish Braid, experiment with Danish pastries with the extra dough.
• If there’s a way to try something savory with the extra dough, then why not?

Terminology:
• Laminated dough – is layered dough created by sandwiching butter between layers of dough
• Detrempe – ball of dough
• Beurrage – butter block
• Turn – each “fold & roll” of the dough produces a single turn in a 3-step process where the dough is folded exactly like a business letter in 3 columns. Each single turn creates 3 layers with this method.

For Your Consideration:
• This recipe calls for a standing mixer with fitted attachments, but it can easily be made without one. Ben says, “Do not fear if you don’t own a standing mixer. I have been making puff pastry by hand for many years & the technique for Danish pastry is very similar & not too difficult.” Look for the alternate directions in the recipe as appropriate.
Yard recommends the following:
• Use well-chilled ingredients. This includes flour if your kitchen temperature is above 70 degrees F (~ 21 degrees C).
• It is recommended that long, continuous strokes be used to roll the dough rather than short, jerky strokes to make sure the butter block is evenly distributed.
• The 30-minute rest/cooling period for the dough between turns is crucial to re-chill the butter & allow the gluten in the dough to relax.
• Excess flour accumulated on the surface of the dough after turns should be brushed off as pockets of flour can interfere with the rise.
• Yard calls for a “controlled 90 degree F environment” for proofing the constructed braid.
• When making cuts in the dough for the braid, make sure they are not too long & provide a solid base for the filling.

DANISH DOUGH
Makes 2 ½ pounds dough

For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast & milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment & mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, & orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook & add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet & cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast & milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, & orange juice & mix well. Sift flour & salt on your working surface & make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick & even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid & the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth & easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter & flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment & beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl & the paddle & then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth & lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13“ & ¼“ thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center & right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky & keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, & refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right & left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18“, ¼” thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out, turn, & refrigerate the dough 2 more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1“ in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, & freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

APPLE FILLING
Makes enough for 2 braids

4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes. Then add the apple mixture & sauté until apples are softened & caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, & refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20” rectangle, ¼“ thick. If the dough seems elastic & shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5” long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1“ apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top & bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat & helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough & tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg & yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, & place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume & light to the touch.
2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, & bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool & serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight & stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

What changes did I make? Well, to start with, I used the active dry yeast, soy milk in place of the whole milk, just vanilla extract (my vanilla bean was totally dried up, although not suprisingly, I have had it for over a year), 1 TBSP egg replacer mixed with ¼ cup warm water for the egg, and earth balance for the butter.

Here is what I did:

Day 1: The Fillings (You can make it all in one day, but I opted to spread it out because I didn’t have enough time all in one day to wait for all of the rest times)

I opted not to make the apple filling that came with the braid. I just don’t like cooked apples. I made all of my fillings. I made an orange rhubarb filling for the braid, cherry preserves, mixed berry filling, and blueberry apricot. They were all good, but nothing amazing, so I am not going to share any of the recipes.

Day 2: The Detrempe & Beurrage

Don’t be scared off by the french names, its really just the dough and the butter block. I made the dough, but had to add about ¼ cup water because it was so dry out and the dough wasn’t coming together. The butter block came together easily. I did my first two turns as instructed, then for my third turn, I did a double book fold which was shown in a video that the hosts linked to. On my fourth turn, I finally remembered to add a little flour when the dough got sticky, which I completely forgot to do on the first three. It would have made it a lot easier if I had remembered that earlier. After all of the turns (I actually did an extra one to add a little more flour in because it was still pretty sticky), I divided the dough in two and put it in the fridge to rest overnight.

Day 3: Assembly

The next day, I assembled the braid, but I used soy milk instead of the egg wash. Proofed the dough, and baked it. The braid baked up nicely. With the remaining half of the dough, I made some different shapes, but I baked two trays at once, rotating them half way through, but they still got a little crispy.

Verdict: I would really liked it and would love to play around with it more with different fillings and learning from my mistakes, but there is just too much fat in this and my body just can’t handle it. So, I probably would not make this again. I would recommend that if you like baking, you must try this recipe at least once. I am very glad that I made this, and I may try it again for a special occasion, but I would half the recipe. K thought it was good, but he’s not a big fan of fruit fillings (except for pb & j), so he only ate a couple of pieces. I am trying not to eat it all in just a couple of days, so I froze half of the braid and gave some to my parents to try.

Any changes I would make? Well, I would do just a rhubarb filling, or an almond filling. I would probably drizzle a glaze over the top and sprinkle some almonds over the top.   I didn’t encounter too many problems.  The ones I did encounter were due to lack of focus and I was watching a movie while I had the two trays in baking, so I didn’t check on them like I would have otherwise.  The movie was pretty good, so I think it was worth it, the danish still tasted good. 

     I made some Pita Bread last week and they turned out great!  I made Lentils and Rice with Carmelized Onions and Spiced Pita Chips on page 177 in Veganomicon, but I didn’t have any pitas, so I made these to go with it.  The pitas were so good, we finished them in 3 days.  I made them again a few days later to take to a BBQ to go with some hummus (which also turned out great).  Here’s the recipe:

Pita Bread Makes 8 pitas

2 ¼ tsp packet yeast (1 packet)

3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon honey
1 ½ cups water, roughly at room temperature
2 tsp flax seeds, ground

2 tablespoons water

1. Combine the yeast with the flour salt and honey in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.
2. Whisk together the ground flax seeds and 2 tablespoons of water, add to the flour mixture with the 1 ½ cups water.
3. Once the dough has formed a ball, place on a work surface, like a counter or a cutting board, and knead for 10 minutes. Form into a ball and place in a bowl, cover and let rise for 1 ½ hours.
4. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

5. Once the dough has rested, roll the dough into a 6” circle, you can do this with a rolling pin or with your hands. If you have trouble rolling the dough out, let it rest for another 5 to 10 minutes and try again.

6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the pita dough on it, cover and let rise until almost doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F while the dough is rising.

8. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until puffy, about 3 minutes. If you want cripier pitas, bake for a total of 6 to 10 minutes.
9. To make apiced pita chips, carefully split the baked pitas in half and sprinkle with garlic, cumin and a little cayenne pepper. Cut each pita half into 8 wedges, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F. for 8 t 10 minutes. You could also just sprinkle with a little salt before baking, or any spices you like.