Multigrain Sandwich Bread

 
So many recipes lately, and so little initiative in the Taking Photos, Writing Them Down, and Posting Them department.  That department is full of slackers.  (Update 4/17/13: Per the request of the fans, bread was made again and photographed--poorly.  Enjoy :)

A couple months ago I made this really great loaf of bread from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book.  Last week I wanted to make it again, but it was blizzarding (again!) and I realized that I hadn't scanned the recipe out of the cookbook.  I tried another whole wheat sandwich bread from America's Test Kitchen, assuming they'd be nearly the same, but they were not; the second go around was much less fantastic AND much more time consuming.  Seriously, ATK--2 different whole wheat sandwich loaves with the same ingredients but different results?  Isn't that kind of excessive/unnecessary?  So today I trekked to the library to find the first recipe.  For my benefit, and yours, I'm sharing it, forever to be recorded on the internet so that I'm never without the recipe in the future.  (Do any other food bloggers cook from their own blogs?  Because I definitely do that!)

Easier, Thinner, and Tastier Than Ever

 
No, I'm not talking about myself.  Stop that.  

Today I tried a new pizza dough recipe, and readers, I am hooked.  It's another recipe from My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss, (with the technique modified by me to make it even more simple, using a stand mixer). In her book Luisa prefaces this recipe with a sweet story about falling in love (with her now-husband); my story is simply that I love pizza, I love making pizza, and now, I have newfound love for this pizza dough.

I was experimenting with this dough as a trial run for a pizza lesson tomorrow, so I hadn't given any thought to toppings.  But once you've made pizza dough from scratch and stretched it out you can't just leave it there.  That would be cruel...to you, and to the pizza.  The recipe makes enough dough for 2 sheet pan-sized pizzas, so I had room to play.  Improvising, I topped the first with a handful of baby spinach, some sliced kalamata olives, roasted onions, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese (because I am that person that has all of those things on hand...).  I also wanted to see how this dough would stand up to a more traditional, saucy pizza, so for the second I pilfered some marinara sauce, green bell peppers, and shredded cheese from the dining hall.*  With such a thin crust a little goes a long way--I used less than a cup of sauce spread sparingly over the pizza, distributed half a cup of green pepper slices over it, and covered with about a cup of shredded cheese (I supplemented the pilfered mozzarella with some grated cheddar that I had leftover from chili).  

They-May-Take-All-Weekend-But-They're-Totally-Worth-It Crusty White Dinner Rolls

 
Remember those relatively quick, healthy-ish, hearty-ish Multigrain Dinner Rolls that I posted about in October?  These are not them.  Actually, they're basically the opposite.
 

These rolls...mmm...they're white, they've got a killer crispy crust and soft interior.  These are the kind of delicious rolls that one is served warm, with silver tongs from a napkin-lined basket, at a nice restaurant.  And, with a little bit of planning, you can bring that level of elegance to your Sunday night dinner.  Okay, fine, you'll end up planning your entire day around them, but they're worth it, I swear. 

The Other No-Knead Bread (That I'm Totally Obsessed With)

By now the Jim Lahey, made famous by Mark Bittman/The New York Times "No-Knead Bread" is relatively well known, at least among those who like to bake.  I ripped the recipe of of a newspaper years ago, when it was reprinted, but had never actually made it until a few weeks ago, at first because it requires a Dutch oven, and I didn't have one, and then because I guess I just forgot about it.  But then for Christmas I received Jim Lahey's book My Bread which contains the now-famous recipe, along with multiple variations.  I've now made it twice, and I've been pretty pleased with the results, although I have to say the crust gets SO CRISPY that it's actually difficult to slice!  The inside is amazing and flavorful and full of those nice big holes that make it look fancy, but man, that crust is brutal.  Plus, I have yet to make it without burning the top and bottom, which is frustrating.  I'm not giving up on it just yet, but I needed to give it a rest...

And then, a NEW (very close to) no-knead bread developed by the geniuses at Cook's Illustrated, was brought to my attention by my friend Brad (formerly of TableVibrations, currently slave to medical residency).  The recipe is excessively easy, and is made even easier because the awesome bread blog Breadtopia, has super videos illustrating each step, so it's virtually foolproof.  And so fast.  Honestly, pulling the flour out of the cupboard is the most time consuming part (along with waiting for my painfully slow oven to preheat...)

With good bread, it's all about the crust, the texture, and the flavor.  So first, the crust: it's beautiful.  Picture perfect. Appealingly golden hue, just crispy and crackly enough to make it feel special without taking the edge off your serrated knife.  The texture:  Moist, chewy, but with a tighter crumb (i.e., none of the big holes) than "artisan bread," but hey, nothing falls through that way, right?  Flavor: excellent.  This sounds weird, but it actually uses beer and vinegar to increase the complexity of the flavor, making it quite similar to sourdough bread in fact, without the hassle of sourdough starter.  And while I was a little skeptical as I added the beer and vinegar, I have to say, it really adds something.  Coming from a non-beer drinking family, my options for this step were Heineken and Smuttynose--we had a couple of bottles of each sitting in the pantry.  I opted for the Smuttynose, because it just seemed weird to add Heineken into real food.  I am happy with how it turned out, but I'm open to experimentation in the future.

In the end what really set this recipe apart for me was the fact that it didn't burn when I baked it, the fact that it retained its shape well, making for slices that are big enough (at least in the middle) for sandwiches, and the nicely balanced crust.  

So, if you don't have a Dutch oven already, borrow one, or buy one (you'll be hooked, then you'll really want to have your own!)  And, while we're talking about Dutch ovens, let me say that they come in a huge price range.  A Le Creuset enameled cast iron Dutch oven could set you back a couple hundred dollars, depending on what size you buy.  However, Martha Stewart's cookware line at Macy's has a nearly identical one for much less, and they go on sale fairly often, so if you time it right, you can snag one for $30 or $40.  Lodge Logic is another brand that makes basic, non-enameled pots that are also right in that lower price range of $30 to $40, and can be found on Amazon or in some cookware stores.  I personally like an enameled pot, because it's non reactive, so it can be used for cooking stews and other things with acidic ingredients that could react to cast iron, but that's a whole other discussion.... In any case, grab a Dutch oven, a food scale if you have one (this is SO FAST with a food scale!), stir, wait, knead a few times, wait some more, bake, and you will have amazing bread that you won't believe you made yourself!

Cook's Illustrated (Nearly) No-Knead Bread

Makes 1 perfect loaf

The white and wheat flour recipes are nearly identical, and the process for both is the same.  To watch an awesome video that shows exactly how easy this bread is, click here.

White Flour Recipe:

* 3 cups (15 ounces) all purpose or bread flour
* 1/4 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
* 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. (7 ounces) water at room temperature
* 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. (3 ounces) mild flavored lager
* 1 Tablespoons white vinegar

* Oil Spray, such as PAM

Whole Wheat Recipe:

* 2 cups (10 ounces) all purpose or bread flour
* 1 cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour
* 1/4 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
* 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 Tablespoons honey or raw sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw
* 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (7 ounces) water at room temperature
* 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (3 ounces) mild flavored lager
* 1 Tablespoon white vinegar

* Oil Spray, such as PAM

1. In a larger mixing bowl, combine the flour(s), yeast, salt, and sugar or honey (if making whole wheat)

2. Add in the water, beer, and vinegar, and stir until combined.  This dough starts out on the dry side, so you might need to use your hand to finish incorporating the ingredients.

3. Put the bowl in a plastic bag or cover with plastic wrap, and put in a warm, draft free place for 8-18 hours.  (If my kitchen is on the cold side, like, under 70 degrees, I put my dough in the oven with a bowl of hot water that I change a few times, just to create a slightly warmer, more humid environment.  Another trick is to leave your oven light on and the door slightly ajar.

4. After 8-18 hours, turn out your dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough around gently to coat with flour so it doesn't stick, then knead it lightly about 10-15 times.  If you're like me and actually like kneading dough, it will be hard to stop, but do, because this dough doesn't need (knead, ha!) your love.  Gather the sides of your dough and pull it towards the center and pinch it together--this creates a nice, smooth exterior for your loaf.  

5. Take a large piece of parchment paper and place it on a cookie sheet or in a skillet.  Place the dough, pinched side down, on the parchment.  Spray the top with your oil spray, and then re-cover it with the plastic wrap or plastic bag.  Allow to rise for an additional 2 hours.  

6.  1 1/2 hours into the second rise, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F, with your Dutch oven inside.  

NOTE: If your Dutch oven has a separate handle that's attached with a screw, unscrew it and plug the hole with a bit of aluminum foil--I know that the Martha Stewart Dutch oven handle is only rated to 450 degrees, and Jim Lahey writes in My Bread that when his recipe was published in the NYTimes, cooking stores reported a rash of petty thefts involving Le Creuset handles, presumably to replace those ruined by the high heat required to bake this bread.  Lodge Logic handles are made of metal, so they should be fine.

Right before you're ready to put your bread in the oven, sprinkle the loaf with flour, and using a razor or a sharp serrated knife, cut a slit about 1/2 inch deep across the middle of the loaf.  When your oven reaches 500 degrees (or as hot as it gets), CAREFULLY pull out the Dutch oven.  Make sure you have a potholder or a trivet down so you have somewhere to put your hot pot!  Lower heat to 425 degrees F.  Gently transfer your bread, on the parchment paper, into the Dutch oven.  

Cover the pot, and then bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.  Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 minutes uncovered.  (If you have an instant read thermometer, the inside of the loaf should be at least 200 degrees F, but if it's beautiful and golden, then you're probably set :) 

Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.  Perfect for toast, sandwiches, and snacking.  

Enjoy!!

Oatmeal Bread...Again

  

Without even realizing it, the next recipe I decided to tackle was a loaf of oatmeal sandwich bread.  You'd think I was on a quest to find the best oatmeal bread out there or something...but truthfully, I had completely forgotten that I made oatmeal sandwich bread 2 posts ago.  Probably because I was a slacker in September...sorry about that, guys.  I'll chalk it up to being in a new house, without my usual arsenal of cookware, and not having Erik to eat half of my culinary experiments.  (Erik has moved on to grad school, did I mention that?  I forget.  I'm now living in Hadwen House.  It is the first house I lived in on Nantucket, so it feels like everything is coming full circle). 

But anyway, back to the bread.  It is a loaf that I've had my eye on for a while now, first spotted on Brown Eyed Baker, though it comes courtesy of the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook.  Which is on my Christmas list, FYI.  Just in case you're planning ahead. 

For all intents and purposes, it is quite similar to the other oatmeal bread.  I suppose the major difference is that bread #1 was sweetened with molasses, while this bread is sweetened with honey, though a touch more of it, which results in a slightly sweeter bread that is lighter lighter in color.  And although the amount of oats used in both recipes is the same, I think bread #2 (the one I'm blogging about now) has a slightly nuttier, crunchier texture.  Perhaps because you let #1's dough sit and soften and absorb the liquids for a while before kneading?  I'm not sure.  But here's what I can say.  They're both delicious, and I will definitely make both again. 

But since we're on #2 right now, I will tell you what makes this particular recipe stand out: the ingredient amounts are in ounces!  This is great, because I can just pop my mixing bowl on my kitchen scale, and keep hitting "tare" as I add my ingredients.  This is especially fantastic with the honey--no sticky measuring cups for me!  The original recipe calls for instant yeast, which you can just mix in with the other dry ingredients, no proofing needed.  However, if you only have active dry on hand, as I did, reduce the amount of water that you mix into the oatmeal mixture by 1/4 cup, and then, while the oatmeal mixture is cooling, measure out 1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F), sprinkle the yeast on top, mix or swirl it, then let it proof for 5-10 minutes.  Your yeast should look creamy and have a few bubbles on the surface--if it looks like this, mix in into the oatmeal mixture, then add the dry ingredients.  If it doesn't look like this your yeast may be old, or your water too hot or too cold.  Either way, start again with fresh yeast, because if you mix in bad yeast your bread won't rise.  The other thing I would note is that  I needed to add a fair amount of flour as I kneaded this dough--it's quite sticky!  Michelle of BEB said that she added "a few extra tablespoons," but I think I added nearly a cup!  Either way, keep a measuring cup on hand that you can sprinkle from, so you don't need to dip your sticky doughy hands in your flour repeatedly.  So without further ado, the recipe:

Oatmeal Honey Sandwich Bread (From Brown Eyed Baker and King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking)

Makes 1 loaf

* 1¼ cups (10 ounces) boiling water

* 1 cup (3½ ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats

* 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces

* 1½ teaspoons salt

* ¼ cup (3 ounces) honey

* 1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour

* 1-2/3 cups (7 ounces) all-purpose flour

* ¼ cup (1 ounce) nonfat dry milk

* 2 teaspoons instant yeast (If using active dry, look at instructions above)

1. Place the boiling water, oats, butter, salt and honey into a medium bowl, stir, and let the mixture cool to lukewarm.

2.  Add remaining dry ingredients, stir until combined.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is soft and smooth.  

3.  Place dough in a greased bowl (cooking spray works well for this).  Rotate the bread around the bowl until it's lightly greased on all sides, then cover and put in a draft free place for about an hour, until the dough has doubled in bulk.

4. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.  Lightly grease a surface and your hands, and gently deflate your dough, shaping it into an 8 x 5 inch square while you do so.  Starting on the short side, roll the dough into a tight log.  (For a nice illustration of how this is supposed to look, check out Brown Eyed Baker.  My hands were too greasy to take my own pictures!)

5. When the dough is rolled into a log, pinch the seam and pinch the ends.  Roll the log back and forth a few times to ensure that it's of even thickness, not tapered at the ends.  Place the dough in your greased loaf pan, seam side down, and cover lightly with saran wrap.  Allow to rise for another hour to an hour and a half, until the bread is crowning over the top about an inch and a half.  When the bread is nearly there, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake for 45 minutes, tenting it with foil after 20 minutes so it doesn't over brown. 

6.  Cool the loaf for a few minutes in the pan before turning it out and cooling fully.  It will slice better if you allow the loaf cool completely before cutting in (bad Nantucket reference, sorry), but I understand completely if you can't wait to slather a slice with butter or jam and enjoy.  If you want bonus points for presentation, brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with some more oats.  I used up all my oatmeal on this one, so I had to skip that step...

If anyone is inspired enough to bake both loaves, let me know which your favorite is--I can't decide for myself.  Either way you'll feel like a champ after you bake one of these easy and delicious loaves, which are excellent for toast and sandwiches.

Rainy Day Baking Extravaganza

 

It's been a weird day weather-wise: gusting winds, driving rain, resulting in several ferry cancellations.  One tree even blew down in our yard this morning!  Whole tree, not just a limb!  After being awake for quite some time listening to the wind while I lay in bed this morning, I rolled out at 6 like I usually do, and started getting ready for work.  About 5 minutes before I had to head out the door work was postponed til 8, then 10, giving me an awkward chunk of time to fill.  I started packing a few boxes of kitchen stuff and books (I'm moving in a week...ugh), then decided to make the banana bread that I had been putting off.  (For picture, see banner, for recipe see here).

After about 2 hours of work, which left me soaked and chilled, I came home again and decided to tackle a loaf of sandwich bread featured on Orangette a few weeks ago.  It was a good afternoon project, because although it it a fairly easy recipe, it involves several hours of resting, rising, etc.  I think it's a pretty good recipe, although I'll have to try it again because I had a few flubs.  First, I forgot to incorporate the salt, so the resulting loaf is a tiny bit bland.  Second, I dozed off during the second rise, and I let it rise about 15 minutes too long, which resulted in a partial collapse--somewhat reminiscent of a French chef's hat?

            =

I'm going to go ahead and post the recipe for the bread, because I have a hunch that, if salt was remembered and rising time was adhered to, this would in fact be a very tasty toast & sandwich bread. 

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread (From Orangette)

* 1 package (2 ¼ tsp.) active dry yeast

* 3 Tbsp. unsulphured (not blackstrap) molasses

* 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour

* 2 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading

* 1 cup rolled oats

* 4 Tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

* 2 ¼ teaspoons table salt, or to taste

Grease a large bowl and a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan with butter or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, (or in the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one), combine 2 cups warm water, the yeast, and molasses. Stir briefly, and then allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. Add the flours, oats, and butter, and stir to mix. The dough will look rough and shaggy. Cover with a towel, and let stand for 30 minutes. [This rest allows the dry ingredients to absorb the liquids, making for a dough that’s easy to work with and even-crumbed.]

Now, if you are kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a large board or counter sprinkled with more bread flour.  Sprinkle the dough with the salt, then knead for about 15 minutes, adding flour as needed.  I think I added at least 1/2 a cup of flour while I kneaded.  If you are fortunate enough to have a stand mixer, attach the bowl and the bread hook to the mixer. Add the salt, and mix on medium speed for 6 minutes. The dough should come together around the hook and slap around the sides of the bowl without sticking. If the dough is sticking, add a tablespoon or two of bread flour, sprinkling it down between the dough and the sides of the bowl.  The dough should be soft and supple and slightly sticky.

If you kneaded by hand, form your dough into a ball and pop in in your greased bowl.  If you're a stand mixer type, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it a few times, and then pop it in the greased bowl.  Cover the bowl with a towel and then let it rise for an hour, or until doubled in size.  To see if it’s ready, gently push a floured finger into it. If the dough springs back, it needs more time; if the dimple remains, it’s ready for the next step.

Next step is shaping: scrape the dough onto your floured surface. Press down on it, working it into a square shape, making sure to squeeze out any bubbles.  Fold the top and bottom edges of the dough so that they meet in the middle, then take the newly formed top and bottom edges and pinch them together; pinch the seam to seal. Pinch the sides together, and roll the shaped dough back and forth, plumping it so that it’s evenly formed and about the length of the pan. Place the dough in the greased pan with the seam side down, and press it gently into the corners of the pan.

Now, the bread rises again: cover the dough with a towel, and let it rest in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until the dough rises to half again its size. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F--don't wait too long to preheat your oven, or your dough will rise too much, and as I discovered, that is not a good thing!

When the dough has finished its second rise, bake for about 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The loaf is ready when the top crust and bottom crusts are nicely browned. To test done-ness, tap the top of the loaf a thump with your hand.  A hollow sound means that the bread is ready, if not, bake for a few additional minutes.  Remove the finished loaf from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.  Allow the bread to cool fully--this helps the crumb set and the flavor to develop.  If you're a sucker for hot bread, like me, you can always reheat it in the microwave!

This bread will keep for 4 or 5 days at room temperature, if you don't eat it all first.  Just keep in in a plastic grocery or produce bag and enjoy!

Stay tuned for the finale of the rainy day baking extravaganza...I've run out of energy on this post!

Walnut Bread: The Best Bread I've Ever Made

 
The use of the word "best" in the subtitle of this post has 2 meanings:

1. This is the most successful bread I've ever made--I didn't let it rise too long, causing it to collapse into a dense, flat disc, as I tend to do when making bread.

2. This is the best bread I've ever made, as in delicious. Soooo good.

I saw this beautiful braided loaf in last month's Cooking Light as part of the Thanksgiving special. A massive storm today kept me at home, so at last I had a chance to try it, and I'm so glad I did. All of the ingredients are things I keep in my pantry, (no shopping, hooray!) and it didn't have too many complicated rising/resting intervals, which are often my downfall.

The crash of pans from the kitchen soothes Erik to sleep

The only tricky thing was that the recipe formulated for a stand mixer with a dough hook which sadly I do not have (Santa?), so I kneaded it by hand for a good long while, which seemed to do the trick. The only suggestion I will make before giving you the recipe is that if you also have to knead by hand like me, add the walnuts in at the same time as the flour, because once the dough is elastic-y I didn't have the easiest time working them into the dough. I will also note that I have been completely unable to find whole wheat pastry flour, which it calls for, so I used plain old King Arthur whole wheat flour and I am completely satisfied with the results, so don't let that little detail deter you! And without further ado, I present you:


Braided Walnut Loaves (Cooking Light, November 2009)

2 loaves, 16 servings per loaf


* 1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
* 1 cup boiling water
* 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
* 1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
* 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
* 6 tablespoons honey
* 3 tablespoons canola oil
* 20.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 cups), divided
* 9 ounces whole-wheat pastry flour (about 2 cups)
* 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
* Cooking spray (or sil-mat or parchment paper)

1. Place oats in a food processor; pulse 8 times or until coarsely chopped. Combine chopped oats and 1 cup boiling water in a medium bowl; let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  

2. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes.

3. Add buttermilk to oat mixture, stirring to combine. Stir in honey and oil. Add the oat mixture to yeast mixture; mix with dough hook attachment until combined.
  

4. Weigh or lightly spoon 13.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups) and whole-wheat pastry flour in dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours with salt. Add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture. Mix dough at medium speed 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding remaining all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to sides of bowl. Add walnuts; mix at medium speed just until combined.
  

5. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)
 

6. Preheat oven to 400°

7. Punch dough down; divide in half. Divide each half into 3 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), shape each portion into a 14-inch rope. Place 3 ropes lengthwise on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (do not stretch). Pinch ends together at one end to seal. Braid ropes, and pinch loose ends together to seal. Repeat procedure with remaining dough to form another braid. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size. 
 

My oven is a little...smaller...than most. Takes some creative positioning to fit 2 pans at once.
   

8. Spritz top and sides of loaves lightly with water from a spray bottle. Bake on center rack of oven at 400° for 28 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.