Mellow Bakers in September

Last day of September, better get this post out at once. The weather is fantastic this week, but there's not much to enjoy as I'm not feeling too well. Bad headaches and sleepless nights. That's why this post just didn't happen sooner. So here are this months breads baked for the Mellow Baker Challenge (baking our way through J.Hamelman's "Bread").

Mixed Flour Miche.
I baked this one way back in 2006. As a miche is a very large loaf, it´s sometimes tricky to get it cooked through. These days I use a thermometer to measure the temp inside the bread, in 2006 were still my early learning days of many bread baking years to follow and I didn´t have that equipment just yet. Still it turned out good.

Whole rye and whole wheat bread. Whole grain breads are most baked and eaten in our house, because it has more flavour, is healthier ánd takes you further after eating it. And I can bake something all or partly white without feeling guilty when I feel like it.

This is a bread made with sourdough and a bit of yeast, which is always aa good combination, if gives the depth of flavour, less sour taste and no worries that it won't rise because of a inefficient starter. You can see my bread baking skills have progressed from baking in 2006 too.

Whole wheat bread with Pecans and golden raisins. A wonderful straight dough to handel and nuts and raisins always tickle my tastebuds in a good way. Very nice bread.

So far these months breads. Happy baking!

Bread Baking Babes' pretzel-party

It's Bread Baking Babes times again... * cough* ahem... at least it was yesterday. yes I'm late, sorry. I had them baked on the 16th, but didn't get around in making a post. So here it is. Our wonderful Babe Elle is kitchen of the month and she picked a wonderful recipe, soft pretzels. And you can make them either savory or sweet... or both. Or just plain, I tried all versions. The plain one is delicious, twice brushed with egg wash, it tasted like an egg sandwich... yum. The one just with salt or with the sesame seeds.. yum yum. The cinnamon ones.. luke warm... yum yum yum.

I'm not very good with dough that has to be cooked in water first, my bagels always look like 90 year olds. These weren't even as bad looking as I feared, and the cinnamon sugar covered all the wrinkles :) A lovely choice, thanks Elle!

If you want to bake, do so, make your favorite topping ..... or just try them all, post and send your details to Elle. Deadline 29th of the month. For inspiration check out the other Babes Pretzels (links in the side bar).

Soft Pretzels
YIELD: 8 pretzels

(PRINT recipe)

1 package dry yeast (7 g)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
235 g warm water (100°F to 110°F)
350 g all-purpose flour, divided (2 1/2 cups total)
1 tsp salt
Cooking spray
2 TBsp baking soda
1 tsp cornmeal
1 tsp water
1 small egg
2 tsp kosher salt

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl, and let stand for 5 minutes.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes). Add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel slightly sticky).

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, 40 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°.

Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), roll each portion into an 18-inch-long rope with tapered ends. Cross one end of rope over the other to form a circle, leaving about 4 inches at end of each rope.
Twist the rope at the base of the circle. Fold the ends over the circle and into a traditional pretzel shape, pinching gently to seal. Place pretzels on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 10 minutes (pretzels will rise only slightly).

Combine 6 cups water and baking soda in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer. Gently lower 1 pretzel into simmering water mixture; cook 15 seconds. Turn pretzel with a slotted spatula; cook an additional 15 seconds. Transfer pretzel to a wire rack coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining pretzels.

Place pretzels on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Combine 1 tsp water and egg in a small bowl, stirring with a fork until smooth. Brush a thin layer of egg mixture over pretzels; sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until pretzels are deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To make Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels:When you put on the egg glaze in the above recipe, don't add any toppings. When the pretzels are baked and still a little warm, dip them in melted butter and then into a cinnamon-sugar mixture.

(adapted from: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/soft-pretzels)

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Bread Baking Babes bakken pretzels



Zachte Pretzels
(8 pretzels)

(recept PRINTEN)

Ingrediënten
1 zakje droge gist (7 g)
1 1/2 tl suiker
235 g lauwwarm water
350 g bloem
3/4 tl zout
bakspray
2 el baking soda
1 tl maismeel
1 tl water
1 klein ei
decoratie: bv. grof zout, sesamzaadjes, kaneelsuiker

Bereiding
Los de gist en suiker op in het water in een grote (mixer) kom en laat het 5 minuten staan.
Voeg ⅔ van de bloem toe, samen met het zout en meng dit tot het samenkomt. Kneed het deeg dan(met de kneedhaak of de hand), en voeg genoeg bloem toe om een soepel, niet te kleverig en elastisch deeg te maken.
Doe het deeg in een licht ingevette kom, dek af en laat rijzen tot het verdubbeld is. (als je zachtjes met twee vingers in het deeg drukt en de indruk te zien blijft, is het deeg genoeg gerezen. Druk het deeg naar beneden, dek af en laat het 5 minuten rusten. Verwarm de oven voor op 220°C.

Verdeel het deeg in 8 gelijke delen. Werk met één portie per keer (houd de rest ondertussen afgedekt zodat het niet uitdroogt). Rol elk stuk uit tot een 45 cm lange sliert. Vorm een rondje met de sliert, waarbij de uiteinden 10 cm uitsteken., Draai de twee uiteinden 1x om elkaar waar de slierten over elkaar liggen. Vouw de uiteinden over de cirkel en druk zachtjes de slierten vast. Leg de pretzels op een licht ingevette bakplaat. Dek af met ingevet plastic en laat ze 10 minuten rijzen (ze rijzen niet veel).

Doe ander halve liter water en de baking soda in een pan en breng het aan de kook,. Verlaag de temperatuur zodat het net tegen de kook aan zit. Laat voorzichtig een pretzel in het water zakken, keer hem na 15 seconden om en kook de andere kant ook 15 seconden. Haal de pretzel eruit en leg hem op een ingevet rooster. Herhaal dit met de rest van de pretzels.

Leg de pretzels op een bakplaat licht bestrooid met maismeel. Klop het ei met 1 el water en bestrijk de pretzels ermee. (eventueel kan je dit ook twee maald doen). Bestrooi de pretzels met wat grof zout of sesamzaad. (wil je kaneelsuiker pretzels maken, dan alleen met ei bestrijken).

Bak ongeveer 15 minuten of totdat ze bruin zijn. Laat ze afkoelen op een rooster.

Om Kaneelsuiker pretzels te maken:
Als de pretzels uit deoven komen en ze nog een beetje warm zijn bestrijk ze met gesmolten boter en bestrooi ze met kaneelsuiker.

(bewerkt naar: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/soft-pretzels)

Bread Baking Day # 43

Last day to post my entry for the Bread Baking Day. I was planning on skipping it. We've got back from our Italian holiday 1,5 weeks ago and I totally felt weird. Maybe not only the temperture shock, I don't know, but I felt totally lost and depressed being back here. Could hardly remember the last three weeks. And suddenly I was back in this boring (cold) routine and I couldn't shift gear. But slowly I'm adapting again to living my plain life and decided to bake for Bread Baking Day after all, the event initiated by Zorra and this time hosted by Judy ("Judy gross eats"). I love her theme "Onion breads", they give such a great smell in the kitchen and tastes great too! I choose to make rolls using Spring onions, as I had them in the fridge and they are mellow in taste. In combination with tomatoes always good, I'd have added a little bit of cheese too if I didn't have to bear our son's milk allergy in mind.... then it would have been almost like a ball shaped pizza. But this was just fine, the semolina gives a bit of a bite and we all enjoyed them a lot.

Spring onion and dried tomato rolls
(makes 12)

(PRINT recipe)

sponge

100 g bread flour

50 g water

2 g fresh yeast or a pinch dry yeast

dough

250 g bread flour

150 g fine semolina

13 g fresh yeast or 5 g dry yeast

270-300 g water

25 g olive oil

13 g honey

13 g salt

4 spring onions, chopped (white and green part)

60 g sun dried tomatoes (soaked in water and drained), in small pieces

Sponge

mix all the ingredients for the sponge, knead well. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 4 hours.

Dough

Place flour, semolina, yeast, water, oil, honey and salt in a mixing bowl and start kneading, when it is beginning to come together add the sponge in pieces. Knead until you have a souple dough. Let it rest. Take the dough out, flatten it on a lightly oiled surface and sprinkle the spring onion and tomato pieces over it. Roll it up and knead a little to incorporate them into the dough.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll them into rolls. Place on baking parchment on a baking sheet. Cover with greased plastic and let rise until almost doubled.

In the meantime preheat your oven to 220ºC, preferably with ovenstone.

Sprinkle a little semolina on the rolls and slash them crosswise.

Bake them until light golden (about 18-24 minutes). Let them cool on a wire rack.

(adapted from “Pane” - Anna Gennari)

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Bread Baking Day nr. 43

Nederlandse versie volgt z.s.m.!!