Weave a Thousand Flavors

Pillow-Soft Honey Corn Bread - The Definitive Answer To Our Corn Bread Woes

~Dear friends ~

If the only corn bread you've ever met came pre-prepared from a plastic container at the grocery store or from a cardboard box then I am sorry to tell you that you have been depriving yourself one of life's simplest edible pleasures.

The joy that comes from biting to into a warm, moist, full of sweet golden corn with the taste and scent of rustic cornmeal and the the sweetness of honey, corn bread. Simple. Honest. Period.

But I come bearing good news with the definitive answer - home made corn bread with corn. Did you hear what I said? with corn. How many corn-breads that you've eaten have actually had little morsels of golden corn in it?

Not many, I'm sure.

For me during my growing up years, a trip to LA always included - a trip to Marie Callender's for their apple pie, corn bread and spaghetti & meatballs. Things have changed however - on my end or their end.

Now, there are only few places I where I adore the corn bread and that I believe has largely come about from me developing an actual opinion on the subject. For one, I know I like mine sweeter than savory. I also like mine moist rather than dry and crumbly. I also like mine to be made from scratch, slathered with butter and warm out of the oven.

Now in case you are wondering why I bake mine in a muffin pan?

That would be

1) impatience (they bake quicker) bringing me closer to warm & slathered with butter.

2) Because I recognize that # 1 is a very bad thing for me & my hips and so muffin pan = muffin sized portions = portion control.

It's taken me years of trial and error and pans full of mediocre corn bread to finally declare that I now have - THE Definitive Answer to End Our Corn Bread Woes.

Before you think I've bitten off more than I can chew on this subject, fix it-eat it and then drop me a line.

Meat filled envelopes ~ Murtabak (Malaysia) & Tavaa Roti, Mughlai Paratha (India)

After a day of raiding the refrigerator, fixing 15 minute meals and eating out of bowls, I am ready to get back on the horse and bring out my exploratory cap for something different and delicious for lunch.

The prerequisite - nothing that involves rice or noodles or pasta. 'Nuf already!

My mind drifted towards samosas, since I had a some ground meat in the ice box but  when we do end up making samosas we're going to make the traditional variety first - punjab style stuffed with spicy potatoes and peas, the meat filled ones will just have to wait.

And then it came to me like Zeus' bolt - 'meat filled envelopes' known by a variety of names such as tavaa roti  in Mumbai or Mughlai paratha in Delhi or Murtabak in Maylasia.

 I grew up eating these. We'd go to this neighborhood restaurant row with outdoor seating and we'd order what was called tavaa roti (which essentially means griddle fried bread) and I would watch this guy facing a 5 ft long griddle , stretch and twirl the dough like it was made of nothing but elastic, crack eggs and flip the stuffed rotis,  high in the air with this long metal spatula. The one thing I do distinctly remember is that they were absolutely delicious.

Finally, standing at a roadside food cart outside the railway station at Johor Bahru, Malaysia, while these meat filled envelopes were prepared with similar theatrics was another dear memory. The rotiwala would throw the dough in the air and stretch it as he twirled  it high above his head ( not unlike the pizza makers in Italy). 

A lime sized lump of dough would become a large, smooth sheet in about a minute. It was then cooked and filled directly on the griddle with savory meat, chopped onions and beaten egg.

Only this time they were called  Murtabak . Now I can't promise theatrics but I reckon we can make a pretty decent Murtabak a.k.a tavaa roti or Mughlai paratha right at home.

 

'Christollen' German Christmas Stollen ~ A Dry-Fruit Studded Bread Loaf with Marzipan Surprise

~ Christmas Wishes for You ~

~ And A Stollen Too ~
 
 

~ And for them too ~

 

~Dear Stollen Purists ~

No doubt you feel strongly about your Stollen so I do not claim that this is THE definative stollen recipe but I do vouch for the fact that it IS a dry fruit studded, mouth-wateringly delicious and incredible cake-like bread.

You will therefore forgive me if you like your stollen hard as Bratt Pitt's bottoms because mine is moist in it's texture. You will also find yourself disappointed if you like yours as a log because I have chosen to go with the much more rustic, fold-over version.

Quite honestly, I wouldn't dream to claim that this version has the artistry of the 150 Official Dresden bakers, who make their famous Dresden stollen sold at the local Christmas market Striezelmarkt, distinguished by a special seal depicting King Augustus II the Strong but as Stollens go, it's a star and sure to be polished off, toasted for breakfast (or not!) and slathered with buttah (oh yes!).

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Devaki 

What will you do with 50 Bucks from The Fairy Hobmother? And A Stinkin' Room mate = Fabulous Yorkshire Puddings

Don't you deserve a visit from The Fairy Hobmother?

One who not only visits but  rewards you a USD 50.00 Amazon gift ard just for saying hello right here in the comments section?

Sigh! I wish all of life's quandaries were this simple. Never the less with all this talk of economic doom, gloom and people running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to make sense of this financial cesspit, its nice to know there are simpler things in life that can put a smile on ones face.

So when the fairy Hobmother from   appliancesonline in the UK paid me a visit and not only gifted me this very thoughtful 50 dollar gift card but actually offered to share the love with my followers, who was I to say no?

So go on, leave a thought or two and you might be the next person the fairy hobmother might visit.

That being said, we must now return to the topic at hand - that being stinkin' room mates. I am of the opinion that hellish room mates are an important rite of passage I think - a reminder that have left the sanctuary of our parents and now very much on our own (for most part) in the big bad world. The older we get, these colorful characters fade into distant memories only to leap forward by some odd event or in my case a particular sort of food.

I was in my twenties, alone in Singapore and I was at the brink of my many firsts.  My other room mate and I decided that we really ought to sublet the vacant third bedroom to generate some extra income to pay rent and of course we wanted a girl, non-smoker, professional and an expat like ourselves.

Our advertisement was answered by Kathy - a pofessional woman of English-Korean heritage who on the surface fit the bill perfectly. And so it was with great relish that we welcomed the first occupant to the the third bedroom. Now, you  all know what they say about first impressions....

Anyway, into the first month while we were still in the 'honeymoon phase' Kathy announced that she would invite over some of her friends to have dinner with us and make a classic English dinner. She made lovely salmon cakes, minted peas, roasted potatoes and Yorkshire puddings.

It's a good thing that all this loveliness unfolded in the first month - because you see Kathy didn't last with us long enough to see her third! After putting up with a shattered toilet seat, stripped wall paper from her bedroom (need I remind you it all belonged to the apartment owner) flooding the kitchen with 6 inches of water because she forgot to turn off the tap, we were done! 

We packed her off and all that she's left me with is this story and her Mum's recipe for Yorkshire puddings. So here we go but before I do, don't forget to leave me a thought or two!

An Easter Delight ~ Pull-Apart Hot Cross Buns with Apricot Glaze

 
Did you grow up on the Nursery Rhyme? I did!

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

One a penny, two a penny, 

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

If ye have no daughters,

Give them to your sons

I can't help it!

Every year that I bake these I have the words jingling in my head. And it's nice to associate warm and fuzzy memories with food especially when the memory come wrapped up in a nice frolicky tune.

This made all the more made special  when the food itself happens to be loaves of spiced bread crusted with delicious dry fruits such as dried cranberries and golden raisins all nestled in a hint of sweetness. These are traditionally eaten at Easter with the cross on top representing the crucification of Christ.

But did you also know that there are all kinds of superstitions surrounding hot cross buns?

According to English folklore, the buns baked and served on Good Friday will not spoil or become mouldy during the subsequent year. Another encourages keeping such a bun for medicinal purposes.

 Sharing a hot cross bun with another is supposed to ensure friendship throughout the coming year, particularly if "Half for you and half for me, Between us two shall goodwill be" is said at the time.

True or not, what a sweet thought! So make some this week and I hope you share it with your loved ones for a year of goodwill that will be! 

PS - I am submitting these to Sweet at Sugar Cookies for the Sweets for a Saturday, parade. How nice of Lisa to invite me! Thank You.

Goodbye! Pre-packaged Hamburger Buns & Hello! Magnificent Brioche Burger Buns

  
Let me remind you of this age old adage that one either has the propensity to be a cook or to be a baker.  Now, I have said it before,  I am a cook who dares to bake!

For me, this loosely translates into spending endless hours  in search of a perfect recipe, comparing it with other such recipes in my cookbooks, jotting down notes and finally settling upon a course of action, which is then executed - on the wings of a prayer of course.

One would think that such ministrations would naturally lead to astounding results. Well, lets just say, I am still recovering from one such endeavor on a Thanksgiving morning several years ago, when all the family had gathered  and the clover rolls, that should have risen and  resembled snow clouds in fact looked like door knobs adhered together with super glue.

At this point I did what any cook/daring baker would have done. I promptly sent my husband to the frozen section of the nearest grocery store for dinner rolls and proceeded to shred the clover rolls recipe with certain barbarity.

I also affirmed that I would stick to my true and tried, dog-eared, curry stained, baking recipes and would venture into the unknown world of new recipes...shall we say... gradually.

So when I wanted to bake some light, warm and rich buns for sandwiches I am planning to prepare , that is exactly where I went! For all you purists out there who are wondering if I've finally gone off my rockers to attempt serving sweet brioche as a burger bun - No worries mate! I removed the honey & drastically reduced the sugar quantity from a regular brioche recipe.

 

A Loss, A Tribute & Earnest Banana Bread

On Friday, January 21, 2011 my husband & his siblings lost their father, baba, his mother lost her husband of 47 years and I lost not only my father-in-law but the one person who shared two things with me - a love for the same man and a love for good food and life in general.

You see, I adored him and I believe the feeling was mutual. I couldn't have hoped for a dearer father-in-law.

While my husband is on one of the most difficult journeys of his life, to peform the last rites for his father, my children aware of what is happening sees us oscillate between grief and bracing ourselves with courage. They are too young to understand the significance of what has occured - the loss of the first parent in our circle.

All I can think is...so here it begins.

In the 12 years that I have known Baba, not a day has gone by that I have fixed banana bread and not thought of him. Though we have been separated by a vast ocean and 7500 miles, whenever he would visit, he would make an appearance at the table at sharp 10.00 am knowing full well that his favorite banana bread topped with almonds or pecans or walnuts would be served any moment now along with nice hot cups of chai.

While my husband was at work, our late morning tea sessions would invariably last a few hours with conversations ranging from everything from architecture, corruption, politics and the general state of affairs in our world.

You see he too was an Architect.

For us, he has not gone - he walks among the living. And as long as we think of him and we speak of him with love and affection and I continue to bake his favorite banana bread, he will always live on.

This day, I cannot think of a better way to honor the man, who gave me my husband, who loved our children who gave us so much joy and so many memories to chuckle over than to once again bake his favorite banana bread.

So here it is a banana bread that is earnest and honest - very much like the man who loved it most.

 

Brioche Flat bread with Parmigiano-Reggiano & Romano Cheeses, Rosemary & Green Onions

Before I turn the stage over to Devaki as she kicks off 2011, I wish to take a moment to thank you ALL for the heartwarming comments that you have left me. I enjoyed reading each and everyone and never expected that you would take this kindly, my attempt at a little satire at the expense of my wife!

 Arigatoo Gozaimasu

SD 

 
Cyber space is currently overloaded with talks of salad and healthy soups and New Years resolutions. It's enough to bring a grown girl to tears!

So what does this girl do? Brush the dust off  last year's resolutions & bake bread of course!

You might say that I am obsessed with brioche and you just might be right.  I can't help it - no matter what I do with it it turns out fabulous! It's like I have my own personal brioche fairy looking out for me and sprinkling 'perfect brioche fairy dust' all over my fixings. I bet we can all use one of those!

Anyway so I wake up this morning and lo & behold - no bread at home. Not even a crumb! So as I pull out the eggs, I also pull out my container of brioche dough wondering what in God's name I'm going to do with all these eggs and brioche dough.

Anyway, as life goes the light bulb goes off in my head and I recall one of Batali's recipes where he had sprinkled some fresh herbs  & green onions over pizza dough and ended up with some amazing kind of focaccio. The genius of the man that he is shared the most amazing tip for great, buttery flaky flat breads - you know what that is? - drizzling copious amounts of olive oil on dough! Yeah that's it - who would have thought something that simple & rudimentary would separate a great flat bread from its mediocre brethren?

Anywho, since I have the brioche dough, I'm not about to make any other kind of dough so that's my starting point. Open up this vegetable drawer then the next, look behind the sour cream, find the cheese & oh look! here's the spring onions and what do we have?

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (the 2 year aged good stuff), fresh rosemary, green onions,  grated Romano cheese & lots of good quality olive oil - not forgetting the brioche dough of course. I think that will go pretty well with some scrambled eggs with chives don't you think? A nice breakfast coming right up!

For those of you out there who have paid no heed to me whatsoever this past year and do not have a stash of brioche dough tucked away in the refrigerator well,  you'll just have to make a batch from scratch. So lets go!

 

Home made Naan - A quintessential unleavened flatbread from South Asia

 
There is nothing quite like hot, buttered Naan with a North Indian meal. To this day, Naan is usually prepared in a clay oven or tandoor.

So I'm tickled to death that I was able to recreate this quintessential Indian bread in my American kitchen with no special equipment but for a broiler oven and a baking stone.

It took a few trials and errors but I think this is IT! 

This recipe is so close to the real thing,  that as I had my nose glued to a hot Naan as I buttered it - I was hit by a wave of nostalgia and I was instantly transported to a dhaaba (road side eatery) in India. Here's why - wait for it...... NO yeast!

If you've ever eaten a Naan prepared with yeast, I think you'll agree that it's a bit like eating a naked pizza crust and then it has that unpleasant smell to it. Not here, folks!

 If I haven't yet sold you to the idea of homemade Naan , how about the savings - it cracks me up when I see people check out a $3.99 piece of pre-made Naan at the grocery story when for that, we could make enough for 6 people! And, we can use the  dough cycle or knead cycle on the bread machine or food processor - so no back breaking kneading involved.

  I don't know if you can tell, but I am so excited about this recipe coming together, that I can break  into song and dance. So lets get cooking instead!

 

Ooh! La! La! A Signature Lemon Brioche French Toast at T Cook's, Royal Palms Resort, Arizona

"Oh My God, He's an Adonis" I think to myself as he's walking towards me. I fidget as he smiles at me with all the brilliance of the sun on the Caspian sea and then he starts talking .....and it's like a blow to the face! And I think to myself,  "How can someone so beautiful on the outside be so ordinary on the inside?" I can't wait to get away from his smarmy pontificating & shift uncomfortably as I try to make a hasty exit....

I think you will agree that a similar feeling, a déjà vu if you will, is experienced when we  visit a place so beautiful on the surface that our expectations are enormously heightened & the plated food is perfection in itself -  only to fall flat on the face with the first bite!

This my friends, is something you will never experience here - at the Royal Palms Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, a wonderful resort on National Registry of Historical Buildings here in the US. A place as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside.

Past it's breathtakingly beautiful entrance....

Through these exquisite front doors....

 

And in these stunning surroundings at the T Cook's restaurant awaits one of the finest culinary experiences this city has to offer.

A visit to Scottsdale, Arizona is a visit to 'resort country' - a land ablaze with the hot Arizona sun, carefully manicured grounds,  a plethora of lush golf courses & the unique experience of being surrounded by more embodied botox than you have ever seen in your life!

The resort architecture in this city seems to be a reflection of its inhabitants with the more nouveau riche resorts than fleas on a stray. However, if you are looking for a 'old world' resort that is not only exquisite in its surrounding & architecture but also exemplifies the superlative in beauty and culinary excellence, look no further than the Royal Palms Resort & Spa .

On a recent visit here, a brunch at the resort is where my love affair with T Cook's restaurant began. It all started with a plate of their signature lemon brioche french toast - innocent by all accounts but deviously delicious! So much so that it was unforgettable. And a few weeks after we had returned from the trip, I got on the phone and called the restaurant - with a request.

I explained that I am a mad hatter blogger (well, something to that effect) and asked for the recipe from Sarah Baer, Sous Chef at T' Cook's. Fantastically, she took my request seriously and a week later - voila ! Sitting pretty in my inbox was the recipe!

Today, we have just finished feasting on this & are still basking in the flavors of this recreated delight which I must share with you lovelies with no further delay!

 

It should come as no surprise that the secret of this french toast lies in the Lemon Brioche Bread. The recipe for this bread comes from T Cook's baker Mark Luster.  

For the lemon brioche bread - 24 hours in advance

For 1 qty 2 lb loaf -

To begin with gather the ingredients - unsalted butter, eggs, sugar, milk, good quality lemon curd, all-purpose flour, active dry yeast, warm water at 110 deg F.

Begin by proofing the yeast. To do so measure out 2/3 cup water at 110 deg F. Add 1 packet active dry yeast & 1 tbs sugar. Give it a stir.

   

After 10-15 minutes it should look like this. If it does not then start over with a new packet of yeast.

 

In a large mixing bowl or paraat (or use your mixer with a dough hook) add the 2 cups flour, milk, proofed yeast and salt. Beat/Knead for about a minute.

 

Add the melted butter and beat for about 2 minutes until all the butter is incorporated.

 

Add 1 egg and incorporate till completely blended. Add the next egg and keep going till all the eggs are used up. Make sure you completely incorporate the eggs as you go. the dough will get stickier and stickier as it progresses.

 

Add the lemon curd and knead. Knead until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl (lifts off the bowl as one entity) Do not overwork the dough. The dough will be quite sticky.

 

In a clean mixing bowl add 1/2 tbs vegetable oil and grease the bowl all over. Add the dough ball . Place a plastic wrap over the bowl with a slight gap so it is not airtight. Refrigerate overnight.

 

The next day, preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

The dough will not be as sticky at all. Place in a metal loaf pan, greased with some non-stick baking spray.

Bake for about 40-50 minutes until the top is a beautiful golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when pierced in the center of the loaf. 

Allow the brioche to cool completely on a baking rack for about 1-2 hours at the least before cutting into 1/2" thick slices for the french toast. Do not cut into bread till ready to make the french toast or else the bread will dry out.

For the lemon brioche French Toast - About 1 hour before serving.

The recipe for the Lemon Brioche French Toast comes from T Cook's Sous Chef, Bruce Patterson.  

For the french toast - lemon brioche loaf (of course), oranges (freshly squeezed juice), pure vanilla extract & cinnamon powder.

For the Orange-Maple Syrup - Oranges (freshly squeezed juice), pure maple syrup

For the Cream - Ricotta cheese & Mascarpone

For the Berries on the side - Fresh ripe strawberries, blackberries and blue berries, powdered sugar  

Do not omit any of these elements for a complete experience.

 

For the Syrup -

 

 

Begin by freshly squeezing the oranges. You will need enough oranges for 2 cups juice (about 4-5 oranges). Set aside 3/4 cup orange juice for the french toast egg batter.

Measure and remove the remaining orange juice to a small sauce pan. You should have 1-1/4 cups of orange juice left in the sauce pan.

 

On low-medium heat simmer the orange juice and keep skimming as it collects on the surface. Discard the skim. Reduce the orange juice to half a cup. This may take about 25-30 minutes on low heat. Set aside to cool. 

 

Sieve the 1/2 cup reduced orange juice in a bowl. Add 1-1/2 cup pure maple syrup. Stir till blended. The syrup is ready to serve.

Meanwhile begin working on the berries and cream.

For the Cream -

 

In a bowl combine 3/4 cup ricotta cheese with 3/4 cup Mascarpone. Stir till mixed & refrigerate till further use.

For the Berries -

  

Figure about 3/4 to 1 cup fruit per person. 

For the strawberries, rinse & cut the tops off the strawberries. Quarter and set aside. For the blackberries & blue berries,  get rid of over ripe and discolored ones. Wash and strain to get rid of excess water.

Place all the berries in a medium mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar  Stir.

Cover & allow the berries to macerate in the refrigerate till serving time.

For the Lemon Brioche French Toast -

Preheat the oven to 250 deg F. Set aside a baking tray lines with parchment paper.

 

In a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs discarding the shell. Add cinnamon powder, pure vanilla extract and the reserved orange juice. Whisk vigorously till all the eggs are blended and the cinnamon powder lumps are dissolved. 

Cut the loaf into 1/2" thick slices. Figure about 2-3 slices per person so you may end up using most of the loaf.

 

Bring 1 tbs oil and 1 tbs butter to melt on medium heat.

Soak the bread slice one at a time depending on the size of the bowl for about 30 seconds each side.

 

Place into the hot butter and pan fry for about 2 to 2-1/2 minutes per side or until both sides are a beautiful golden brown and the bread is no longer squishy and oozing egg.

 

Place on the baking tray and keep warm in the oven till the rest of the french toasts are ready.

Keep returning the french toasts to the oven as they are ready to keep warm.

 

 

 

 

 

To plate -

Serve the french toast warm with the macerated berries, cream & orange-maple syrup on the side.

 
Wonderful with some bubbly!

The texture of the lemon brioche bread is rich and dense. The flavors of the lemon is delicate and comes through with every bite. The orange infused maple syrup paired with the creamy ricotta-mascarpone amps up the flavors in the whole dish. The berries constantly refresh the palate.

Every one of these elements in crucial to the holistic experience of this dish. Absolutely delightful and thumbs up all the way!!

With special thanks to Sous Chef, Bruce Patterson & baker Mark Luster at T Cook's, Royal Palms Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, Arizona. And this day would never have come without Sous Chef Sarah Baer, who patiently bore the onslaught of my umpteen clarification emails. Thank You!

Recipe for

Lemon Brioche French Toast

Lemon Brioche bread -

Preparation time - 20 minutes

Chilling time - Overnight

Baking time- 40-50 minutes

French Toast -

Preparation time - 30 minutes

Cooking time- 30 minutes

Serves 4

Shopping list

Lemon Brioche bread -

3 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

3 eggs

1 tbs sugar

1 tbs milk

1-1/2 tbs good quality lemon curd

 

2/3 cup warm water (110 deg F)

1 packet dry active yeast

1 tsp salt

For the french toast -

1 qty, 2 lb, lemon brioche loaf

4-5 navel oranges (freshly squeezed juice)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

For the Orange-Maple Syrup -

Oranges (freshly squeezed juice)

Pure maple syrup

For the Cream -

3/4 cup Ricotta cheese

3/4 cup Mascarpone

For the Berries on the side -

2 cups quartered fresh ripe strawberries

1-1/2 cup blackberries

1 cup blue berries

1-1/2 tbs powdered sugar

For the Lemon brioche loaf -

Begin by proofing the yeast. To do so measure out 2/3 cup water at 110 deg F. Add 1 packet active dry yeast & 1 tbs sugar. Give it a stir.

After 10-15 minutes it should look like this. If it does not then start over with a new packet of yeast.

In a large mixing bowl or paraat (or use your mixer with a dough hook) add the 2 cups flour, milk and salt. Beat/Knead for about a minute.

Add the melted butter and beat for about 2 minutes until all the butter is incorporated.

Add 1 egg and incorporate till completely blended. Add the next egg and keep going till all the eggs are used up. Make sure you completely incorporate the eggs as you go. the dough will get stickier and stickier as it progresses.

Add the lemon curd and knead. Knead until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl (lifts off the bowl as one entity) Do not overwork the dough. The dough will be quite sticky.

In a clean mixing bowl add 1/2 tbs vegetable oil and grease the bowl all over. Add the dough ball . Place a plastic wrap over the bowl with a slight gap so it is not airtight. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

The dough will not be as sticky at all. Place in a metal loaf pan, greased with some non-stick baking spray.

Bake for about 40-50 minutes until the top is a beautiful golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when pierced in the center of the loaf. 

Allow the brioche to cool completely on a baking rack for about 1-2 hours at the least before cutting into 1/2" thick slices for the french toast.

Do not cut into bread till ready to make the french toast or else the bread will dry out.

For the lemon brioche French Toast - About 1 hour before serving.

For the Syrup -  

Begin by freshly squeezing the oranges. You will need enough oranges for 2 cups juice (about 4-5 oranges). Set aside 3/4 cup orange juice for the french toast egg batter.

Measure and remove the remaining orange juice to a small sauce pan. You should have 1-1/4 cups of orange juice left in the sauce pan.

On low-medium heat simmer the orange juice and keep skimming as it collects on the surface. Discard the skim. Reduce the orange juice to half a cup. This may take about 25-30 minutes on low heat. Set aside to cool. 

Sieve the 1/2 cup reduced orange juice in a bowl. Add 1-1/2 cup pure maple syrup. Stir till blended. The syrup is ready to serve.

Meanwhile begin working on the berries and cream.

For the Cream -

In a bowl combine 3/4 cup ricotta cheese with 3/4 cup Mascarpone. Stir till mixed & refrigerate till further use.

For the Berries -

For the strawberries, rinse & cut the tops off the strawberries. Quarter and set aside. For the blackberries & blue berries,  get rid of over ripe and discolored ones. Wash and strain to get rid of excess water.

Place all the berries in a medium mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar  Stir.

Cover & allow the berries to macerate in the refrigerate till serving time.

For the Lemon Brioche French Toast -

Preheat the oven to 250 deg F. Set aside a baking tray lines with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs discarding the shell. Add cinnamon powder, pure vanilla extract and the reserved orange juice. Whisk vigorously till all the eggs are blended and the cinnamon powder lumps are dissolved. 

Cut the loaf into 1/2" thick slices. Figure about 2-3 slices per person so you may end up using most of the loaf.

Bring 1 tbs oil and 1 tbs butter to melt on medium heat.

Soak the bread slice one at a time depending on the size of the bowl for about 30 seconds each side.

Place into the hot butter and pan fry for about 2 to 2-1/2 minutes per side or until both sides are a beautiful golden brown and the bread is no longer squishy and oozing egg.

Place on the baking tray and keep warm in the oven till the rest of the french toasts are ready.

Keep returning the french toasts to the oven as they are ready to keep warm.

Serve the french toast warm with the macerated berries, cream & orange-maple syrup on the side.

 

  

Enjoy!

The power of 5 - Irish Soda Bread

The first time I made Irish soda bread I kept thinking, "Why is it called soda bread? - it has more buttermilk than it has baking soda. Why not buttermilk bread?".

One whif of a  freshly baked loaf and the answer is clear - the scent of the baking soda is  unmistakable nestled in the rich scent of buttermilk. What's really awesome about this bread that a measly 5 ingredients is all that stands between hunger & rich, crusty, mouthwatering loaf of fantastic bread.

Added bonus? Easy to make for even the most green of kitchen novices + dirt cheap ingredients. No wonder it was favored at our dorm!

When I was in Sydney as a student with a passion for cooking (figures why I was always broke feeding other equally hungry students) one of my peers at my housing college, Brian who hailed from Kilkenny county in Leinster province of Ireland insisted that to be properly adopted into the Irish fold, there were a couple of things I must simply learn. Like myself, he and a band of 3 others were also foreign students (them from Ireland) and we spent many a weekend afternoons sharing stories over stout. This is what they taught me  -

a) the traditional Gaelic name for Kilkenny is Cill Chainnigh

b) for some traditional Irish grub -  bake a traditional soda bread, Irish Bannock, make colcannon, & a darn good Irish stew.

c) develop a palette for the good black stuff a.k.a stout a.k.a Guinness or Murphy's

& last but not the least don't put them to shame during a pub crawl on St Paddy's day by learning the true & tested method for pouring stout. For those of you who haven't read this week's Dear reader, you'll find this very important beer fact here.

And to say Uni doesn't teach us the important facts of life!

 

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

The ingredients to make traditional Irish soda bread are 5 - all purpose flour, little butter, baking soda, salt & buttermilk.

In a very large bowl or paraat, measure out the flour, add the salt & baking soda. Stir to blend well.

Add cut up cubes of cold butter. Using clean hands, crumb the butter and flour together as best you can.

 

Measure out the buttermilk and begin pouring into the flour mixture. 

 

Keep kneading the dough which basically means folding the dough over & over with clean hands until it begins to form a dough ball.

Cook's Note - Keep rubbing your hands together to take off all the excess dough stuck to your hands as you are kneading & continue to incorporate to form a dough ball.

 

Keep kneading until the dough ball is somewhat smooth, well formed and blended. This should take about 10-15 minutes of kneading time at the most. Do not over work the dough ball and stop as soon as the dough ball is smooth & formed.

Cook's Note - It will not have a perfectly smooth surface as in the case of french breads such as boule or brioche.

 

Form the dough ball into an 8" round. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Using a knife cut a cross about 1/4" deep  (traditionally done in Ireland to ward off the Devil) or a pattern as in my case. Oops, I think I might have cut mine a little deeper than called for - Oh well!

Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick or thin skewer comes out clean when inserted in the bread. The top should also be a beautiful golden brown.

Like this -

This is such a wonderful dense bread. Very rustic, very old world and delicious served traditionally with butter & golden syrup. Its equally delicious just with butter & fruit preserves. 

One bite into the bread & prepare to be inundated by the rich flavors from the buttermilk & soda. Absolutely delicious when piled with thick layers of butter & preserves. Yum..yum..yum..

Golden syrup by the way is quite popular in England & is a light treacle - a kind of liquid sweetener the consistency of corn syrup with a clear golden color - hence the name. It has a rich toasty color unmatched by any other sweetener. Lyle's brand is quite popular and can sometimes be found in gourmet shops here in the US.

Irish soda bread can also be served with rich & hearty stews as we will be serving thick slices of it with our Irish stew with a modern twist. The recipe of which can be found here.

 

 

 

Recipe for

Irish Soda Bread

Preparation time - 15 minutes

Baking time - 35-40 minutes

Makes 1# 8" round loaf

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2.5 oz unsalted butter

2-1/4 cups buttermilk

Cooking method-  

Preheat the oven at 350 deg F

In a very large bowl or paraat, measure out the flour, add the salt & baking soda. Stir to blend well.

Add small cut up cubes of butter. Using clean hands, crumb the butter and flour together as best you can.

Measure out the buttermilk and begin pouring into the flour mixture. 

Keep kneading the dough which basically means folding the dough over & over with clean hands until it begins to form a dough ball.

Cook's Note - Keep rubbing your hands together to take off all the excess dough stuck to your hands as you are kneading & continue to incorporate to form a dough ball.

Keep kneading until the dough ball is somewhat smooth, well formed and blended. This should take about 10-15 minutes of kneading time at the most. Do not over work the dough ball and stop as soon as the dough ball is smooth & formed.

Cook's Note - It will not have a perfectly smooth surface as in the case of french breads such as boule or brioche.

Form the dough ball into an 8" round. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Using a knife cut a cross about 1/4" deep  (traditionally done in Ireland to ward off the Devil) or a pattern as in my case.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick or thin skewer comes out clean when inserted in the bread. The top should also be a beautiful golden brown.

This is such a wonderful dense bread. Very rustic, very old world and delicious served traditionally with butter & golden syrup. Its equally delicious just with butter & fruit preserves. 

Enjoy!

 

 

21st Century 'Mince Pie' - Brioche Braid filled with Ground Meat, Apricots, Spices and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I wake up to a nippy morning and for some incomprehensible reason my first thought is of warm rich bread (a very bad thing for my hips). Not just any bread - warm, soft, not too sweet, fluffy bread filled with some sort of  filling with meat and ....peas, carrots, cumin, dried cranberries, dried apricots, raisins and cinnamon and  a hint of something sweet.

You may have come across this age old adage that one either has the propensity to be a cook or to be a baker. Well,  I am a cook who dares to bake!

As I settle down with my morning cuppa, I started flipping through the pages of my vintage  Random House  books on Cookery and Etiquette. Now, inspiration can dawn from a myriad of places - sometimes it finds you as you blindly stare out of your car or walk around the garden or a whisper of something someone said and then..... it jumps out at me from the pages of an antiquated leather bound book  ambling on about  banquets in 15th, 16th and 17th century England.

I chanced upon a paragraph on  mince pies!

English recipes from the 15th, 16th and 17th century describe a mixture of meat and fruit used as pie fillings. These recipes included brandy, ciders and wines. The use of spices like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and mace was common in late medieval and renaissance meat dishes.

And as I continue to read on,  the thought of spiced meat and dry fruits nestled in light and airy bread  warms my soul.

Decision made - we are going to make ourselves a 21st century version of English mince pies! Except that we are going to braid some challah, brioche bread with a filling of ground beef, onions, spices and roasted sweet potatoes. 

From my shabby collection of recipes, I pull out my tattered, oil stained, brioche bread recipe that has been adapted from one of Richard Grausman's recipes. He is one of my favorite food people in the food world.

You will need close to 3-4 hours to prepare this recipe. The dough has to rise and then chill in refrigerator before baking

Preheat the oven to 400 deg F and then gather the ingredients for the filling -

 1 lb Ground beef or lamb (I used beef because that's what I had on hand), sweet potato, onion, olive oil, butter, turmeric, cumin powder, red cayenne pepper, 1" cinnamon, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, dried apricots, raisins and low sugar apricot preserves.

Prepare the ingredients - 

The Filling -

  

Onion -Finely chop the onion.

Apricots - Finely chop dried apricots into 1/4" cubes.

Raisins - In a bowl of warm water, soak the raisins so they plump up.

Sweet Potato - Peel and wash sweet potato. Cut with a very sharp knife into 1/2" cubes. Place in a baking tray or dish. Add 1 1/2 tbs olive oil and mix with fingers.

In the preheated oven, bake for 30-35 minutes till cooked. Test by piercing a piece of potato with a knife. The potatoes should be just soft and not crisp and brown on the edges.

 

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Once hot, add the butter and immediately add the onions and whole cinnamon. Saute till onions are soft. Add the ground meat and brown. Do not add any spices yet. Once the meat is brown, drain the fat in a sieve and discard. Return to heat.

Add the sweet potatoes, turmeric powder, red cayenne powder, salt, black pepper, cinnamon powder, ground nutmeg, brown sugar, raisins and chopped apricots.

Continue sauteing for another 5-10 minutes or till all the ingredients are well incorporated. 

Add  1 tbs low sugar apricot preserves and stir well.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside to cool completely.

Cooks Note - If you going to bake the stuffed brioche for dinner, I would prepare the filling earlier in the day and then by late afternoon, start working on the dough.

Dough -

To begin this task, we must first recruit a large mixing bowl or container or  paraat , large enough to mix and knead the brioche dough.

Assemble the ingredients - warm water, dry active yeast, sugar, honey, salt, eggs and copious amounts of melted butter ( 1 1/2 sticks or 6 oz). 

 

Put 3/4 cup warm water (110 deg F) into a bowl, add sugar and dissolve.  Empty the contents of 1 packet dry and active yeast into it. Stir. Proof the yeast & if it is active it will look something like this in about 10 minutes. If it doesn't, it means it is dead and a trip to the grocers is warranted.

Pool the flour into the utensil. Add the yeast water, salt, eggs, honey and melted butter.

 

With washed and  clean hands, work and knead the dough.

(Wow! Look how nice these photos turned out! What a treat to have hubby around to take these - otherwise its just me prancing around with a spatula in one greasy hand and my little digital in the other...smiles)

 

 

No doubt about it - brioche dough is a soft gooey dough and I had to fight the urge  to empty another cup of flour into this goopy mess (not to mention ignore the palpitations)

Be  rest assured, this goop is what we want. The more flour you add to this soft dough, tougher the bread you will end up with.

Cover with a moist cheesecloth (or a cotton cloth) and set aside to rise in a warm place for 2 hours.The dough should now look swollen like the image on the right.

At this point transfer into a container with a lid, not air tight, and transfer to the refrigerator. Once the dough has chilled ( 1 hr minimum, 2-3 hours is great, overnight is awesome!) it is ready for use.

Separate the dough into 2 balls, 1 lb each. Set aside one for future use in the refrigerator (I am going to use mine to bake warm buns for sandwiches - see upcoming post - but you can also use them for grilled fruit tarts or to bake a brioche braid like we are today.

 

Place the chilled dough ball and liberally sprinkle flour all over the dough ball.  Spray a baking stone or baking sheet with non-stick baking spray. Using fingers and the rolling pin, roll and stretch out the dough to cover the entire surface of the baking sheet or stone.

 

Spoon all the now cool filling down the center 1/3 width. Use up all the filling even though you it may seem like it may be too much. Leave 2-3 inches at the top and bottom unfilled.

   

Make 1" cuts on both sides of the filling. Leave 2" from the top and bottom.

The dough is soft but it is also stretchable and strong. Start at the bottom, folding over the filling and braid one strip over the other, overlapping so you end up with an intertwining braid (this sounds a lot harder than it actually is. Once you get going, it is a piece of cake..ur..brioche)

Tuck in the other end so both ends the of the filling is completely covered.

 

Separate an egg white and beat with 1 tbs cold water. With a pastry brush apply all over the surface of the brioche. Place in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.

As you all know by now, I have a no frills camera - none of that soft focus air brushed doodah & in my humble opinion,  even by real world estimation this looks pretty darn good - don't you think?

Wait till you cut into it...

 

One bite into it and I promise you it will be an explosion of flavors in your mouth. And your guests will be sooo impressed & they will oohh..and aahh...over the bread & the filling and the meat with its  spices & sweet undertones from the potatoes, apricots and raisins.

 I really hope you make this. It is a lot of fun and it will be  so worth your while! 

Bon Appetit!

Recipe for

21st CENTURY MINCE PIE

Serves 4

Shopping list

The filling;

1lb ground beef or ground lamb

1 large sweet potato

1 large onion                      

2 1/2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

1 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp red cayenne powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1" cinnamon bark

1/4" tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 tbs brown sugar

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cups dried apricots

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tbs low sugar apricot preserves

The dough:

4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 warm water (110 deg F)

1 packet dry active yeast

1 tbs white sugar

2 tbs honey

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

 1 1/2 sticks or 6 oz butter, melted

For the wash:

1 egg white 

1 tbs cold water

Preparation -

The filling:

Sweet potato - Peel and chop into 1/2" cubes. Toss with 1 1/2 tbs olive oil. In an oven preheated at 400 deg F, bake the chopped potatoes for 35-40 minutes, till soft but not brown.

Raisins and apricots - In a bowl of warm water, soak the raisins so they plump up. Chop the apricots into 1/4" cubes

Onion - Peel and finely chop. Set aside.

The Brioche:

Yeast - In the warm water, add the white sugar and dissolve. Pour the contents of the dry active yeast and stir. Set aside for 10 minutes, till frothy.

Dough - In a large mixing bowl or container with a lid, gather the flour. Add the warm yeast water,  honey, salt, eggs and  melted butter. With washed and  clean hands work and knead the dough well (the brioche dough is a soft gooey dough)

Cover with a moist cheesecloth and set aside to rise in a warm place for 2 hours.The dough should now look swollen.

Transfer to the refrigerator. Once the dough has chilled (approx 1 hr) it is ready for use. Separate the dough into 2 balls. Return one  to the refrigerator for later use.

Cooking method -

Preheat oven to 400 deg F

Place the chilled dough ball and liberally sprinkle flour all over the dough ball.  

Spray a baking stone or baking sheet with non-stick baking spray. Using fingers and the rolling pin, roll and stretch out the dough to cover the entire surface of the baking sheet or stone.

Spoon all the filling down the center 1/3 width. Use up all the filling. Leave 2-3 inches at the top and bottom unfilled.

Make 1" cuts on both sides of the filling. Leave 2" from the top and bottom.

Start at the bottom, folding the dough strip over the filling and braid one strip over the other, overlapping so you end up with an intertwining braid. Tuck in the other end so both ends the of the filling is completely covered.

Beat the egg white with the cold water. With a pastry brush apply all over the surface of the brioche. 

Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Cut into slices and serve warm.

Cabbage 'Paratha' - A delicious, pan-fried Indian bread stuffed with vegetables and lightly spiced

 

A 'Paratha' is to Indian cooking  what a dinner roll is to Western food or rice is to Asian food.  It is a staple.

Like most Indian breads it is of the unleavened variety. A variation of paratha in it's plain form is served as an accompaniment to a main dish. However, when it is stuffed or spiced then it may be served alone with a bowl of plain yogurt or a hot cup of 'chai'. It serves a myriad roles for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

When it is not pan fried in clarified butter 'ghee' and is simply roasted  it is called a 'roti'.  The ingredient most frequently used  to make Indian breads is stone milled whole wheat flour referred to as 'atta' making  it nutritionally superior and healthier to its cousins elsewhere.

A  note about the flour - it is best to buy your flour at an Indian/Asian store. You won't get the best results using any flour that has been mixed with all purpose flour. I have tried using the whole wheat flour available in organic and fine food stores and have been disappointed.

The 'atta' I have used successfully for all Indian breads thus far are Swarna and Sujata brands.  (Please share if you've used other brands successfully)

Rolling and pan-frying the parathas takes a bit of practice and patience with oneself. So to be perfectly honest, if you are complete novice at cooking,  handling dough or using a rolling pin now would be a good time to grab a friend or relative with some experience to help. But I do hope, no matter what your skill level,  that the step by step instructions will help you prepare these with ease.

My first brush with cabbage paratha's was just yesterday. I was talking to my mother on the phone and telling her how I have this quarter piece of cabbage in the refrigerator that I have to use up and can't for the life of me think what to do with it. Well it turns out that her best friend was telling her about cabbage paratha's just the other day.  So here goes.....and thanks to Aunt Rekha and Mom!

There are couple of things we need in terms of cooking equipment to begin-

   (stock photo)

• A concave iron griddle called tavaa or  a non-stick frying pan at least 8 inches round.A rolling pin and wooden base. If you do not have a wooden base or butcher block you can use, thoroughly clean your counter top with warm water and dry completely. Not a good idea to use any spray chemicals. Flour the base lightly.
• A traditional large parat or any large bowl or utensil in which to knead dough.
• A metal spatula

 

To begin with cut cabbage in large chunks and place in a food chopper or food processor. Chop cabbage for a few seconds till finely chopped. 

Empty out the food chopper and rinse out. Dry completely. In the same chopper place green pepper chunks and chop till fine.

  

In a large utensil for kneading dough or a parat  put flour in a mound and make a dip in the middle. Add all the finely chopped vegetables and spices to the flour.

   

Wash your hands thoroughly clean and mix up the flour. Now add oil to the flour.

Add warm water to the flour 1 tbs -1/4 cup at a time,  and no more than 3/4 cup for the time being.

Cook's Note - Remember you can always add more water later if needed as the vegetables will also release their own moisture. When my mother  made this, she needed to add only 1 tbs water it depending on the quality of the cabbage - so begin adding water sparingly.

  

Knead the dough by mixing all the ingredients thoroughly and shape into a ball. The dough should be malleable - not too soft and not too hard.

Cook's Note - You can also knead the dough in a food processor or the 'dough' setting on a bread machine. Just place all the ingredients  as stated and remove as soon as a dough ball is formed. Do not allow it to enter the rise cycle if using a bread machine. 

A word of caution, if you are using a machine to knead the dough add water little at a time because it may need lesser water than if it is hand kneaded.

 

In a separate plate spread 1/2 cup of flour. Pull at a piece of dough with your finger and knead into a ball 2 inches round. Roll the dough liberally into the flour and place on rolling base.

Using a rolling pin, apply light pressure while rolling outwards from the center of the dough. Every once in a while you may need to gently lift under the dough with your fingers to make sure it is not sticking. You should have a big enough piece of dough that when you are done rolling you have a paratha that is 6-7 inches round. The paratha should be about 1/8 inch thick rolled out.

Cook's Note - This point on it would be a good idea to  let the phone go to voice mail and let the DVR record your shows!

  
 

On medium low heat gently place the paratha on the frying pan or tavaa. Count to 30 and flip over. Now increase to medium high heat. A whitish cooked surface should have appeared on the cooked side. Count to 30 again and flip over.

   

Now add 1/2 tsp ghee all around the perimeter of the paratha and onto its surface. Keep pressing down with a metal spatula on the surface of the paratha. Count to 30 and flip over. Brown spots should have appeared on the paratha surface.

Repeat the above step for the other side of the paratha as well. Now both sides of the paratha  should be cooked with golden brown spots on its surfaces.

Cooks Note- Reduce flame to lowest setting while you are rolling out the next paratha. If not chances are you will end up with black burnt spots on your paratha.

 
Serve hot with a bowl of plain yogurt or a hot cup of 'chai' . These parathas were savory and quite delicious even without the yogurt. I also had no problem getting the kids to eat these and with the vegetable too which was definitely an added bonus!

Recipe for

CABBAGE PARATHA

Serves 4

Preparation time - 20 minutes

Cooking time - 45 minutes

Shopping list

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups chopped green cabbage

1/2 chopped green bell pepper                                

1 tsp red chilly powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp salt

2 tbs Vegetable oil

Warm water for kneading (1/4-3/4 cup)

4 tbs Ghee (clarified butter) - for pan-frying

Preparation

Dough - In a large utensil for kneading dough or a parat  put flour in a mound and make a dip in the middle. Add all the finely chopped vegetables and spices to the flour.

Wash your hands thoroughly clean and mix up the flour. Now add oil to the flour. Add warm water to the flour 1/4 cup at a time,  and no more than 3/4 cup for the time being.

Knead the dough by mixing all the ingredients thoroughly and shape into a ball. The dough should be malleable - not too soft and not too firm.

Cook's Note - You can also knead the dough in a food processor or the 'dough' setting on a bread machine. Just place all the ingredients  as stated and remove as soon as a dough ball is formed. Do not allow it to enter the rise cycle if using a bread machine. 

A word of caution, if you are using a machine to knead the dough add water very cautiously because it will need lesser water than if it is hand kneaded.

In a separate plate spread 1/2 cup of flour. Pull at a piece of dough with your finger and knead into a ball 2 inches round. Roll the dough liberally into the flour and place on rolling base.

Using a rolling pin, apply light pressure while rolling outwards from the center of the dough.

Every once in a while you may need to gently lift under the dough with your fingers to make sure it is not sticking. Roll the paratha out to an even thickness of approx 1/8' approx  6-7 inches round. 

Cooking method -

Heat your tavaa or non-stick frying pan to at low heat.

On  low heat gently place the paratha on the frying pan or tavaa. Count to 30 and flip over. Now increase to medium heat. A whitish cooked surface should have appeared on the cooked side. Count to 30 again and flip over.

Now add 1/2 tsp ghee all around the perimeter of the paratha and onto its surface. Keep pressing down with a metal spatula on the surface of the paratha. Count to 30 and flip over. Brown spots should have appeared on the paratha surface. Repeat the above step for the other side of the paratha as well. Now both sides of the paratha  should be cooked with golden brown spots its surfaces.

Serve hot with a bowl of plain yogurt.

Enjoy!

Boule if with Jam

 
 
 
When the United States Postal Service made a delivery today & it turned out to be a jar of my dear friend Shearer's Strawberry Jam prepared with sun kissed Virginia strawberries, hand picked in the summer, from a farm in the country, it was inevitable that I make a warm fresh boule in it's honor.

I mean seriously - is there anything better than a warm loaf of bread with butter & homemade Jam?

Boule in french means ball & its main ingredients are similar to that of baguette - except for its shape. There are a few tips to baking a perfect boule - the soft, inner part of bread is known to bakers and other culinary professionals as the crumb (not to be confused with small bits of bread that often fall off, called crumbs) & the outer hard portion of bread called the crust & we are going to systematically follow everyone of these tips. This recipe is  adapted from an original baguette recipe by Richard Grausman.

Begin by warming the water to about 110 deg F. 

 

Put 3/4 cup warm water (110 deg F) into a bowl, add sugar and dissolve.  Empty the contents of 1 packet dry and active yeast into it. Stir. Proof the yeast & if it is active it will look something like this in about 10 minutes. If it doesn't, it means it is dead and a trip to the grocers is warranted.

Set the large mixing bowl of your a high-capacity food processor fitted with the dough attachment, bread machine or a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

To this, add the proofed  yeast & salt & then the measured out flour. Knead until the dough is uniform and devoid of dry patches.

Cook's Note - The dough is loose and wet. Do not add more flour. Continue kneading till the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

Transfer into a container with a lid (not air tight) - a plastic container will do nicely. Cook's Note -  I have also used stainless steel containers in the past, which work well.

Keep the wet dough in a cool place or a refrigerator for approx 3 hours so it will be less sticky and more workable.  The dough is ready when you pierce it with your fingers and the impressions remain.

Once you are ready to bake, take the dough out (approx 1 lb).

Return the the other half to the refrigerator for later use if not using all of it.  Place the dough ball on a liberally floured surface ( I use my butcher block).

Sprinkle flour on the dough as well so it is not too sticky & easy to handle.

   

Lift off the surface & begin to tuck the edges of the dough  around to the bottom, on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. The resulting dough ball will have a smooth surface on its main face.

The bottom of the loaf appears like a bunch of tucked ends but these will smooth out during resting and baking. 

       

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Liberally sprinkle flour on the surface portion, where you are going to place the dough.

Place the dough ball over the flour & rest for about an hour. Cover with a large upturned pot or mixing bowl.

Cook's Note - In my experience, the does not show significant rise, more like a gentle swell (this gave me quite the jitters the first time I made this)

 

Preheat the oven to 450 deg F for approx 15-20 minutes. While the oven is preheating, dust the dough ball with some flour.

Using a serrated bread knife, slash cuts on the surface in straight lines or a criss-cross pattern.

Place a oven proof dish with 4 cups of hot water in the broiler pan (for gas ovens)

Cook's Note - The steam will help moisten the surface as it bakes, creating a thicker and crunchier crust, emulating the use of steam injected ovens used in professional bakeries.

Bake for about 30 minutes on the lowest rack in the oven or until the crust is nicely brown and firm to the touch. 

Cook's Note Update  -  The above is true for gas ovens. If you have an electric oven, as pointed out my one of our readers (Thanks Mrs. P) you'd need to move the water bath to the lowest rack & the bread 5-6 inches above the water bath. Try to keep the bread in the lower third of the oven.

 

Cook's Note - Culinary experts & bakers prefer the bread to be completely cooled on a wire rack before serving for best flavor, texture and ease of slicing.

 

However, we love warm bread so I did not let it cool completely. We had these with butter & Shearer's Strawberry Jam (which was heavenly) with cups of English Breakfast. Perfect!

Recipe for

BOULE

Shopping list -

3-1/2 cups unsifted, all-purpose white flour

1 package granulated yeast 

3/4 tsp salt (preferably coarse salt)

1 tsp sugar

1-1/4 cups warm water

Extra flour for sprinkling & use on baking tray

Oil for greasing pans

Preparation (in advance)-

Begin by warming the water to about 110 deg F. 

Put 3/4 cup warm water (110 deg F) into a bowl, add sugar and dissolve.  Empty the contents of 1 packet dry and active yeast into it. Stir. Proof the yeast & if it is active it will look something like this in about 10 minutes. If it doesn't, it means it is dead and a trip to the grocers is warranted.

Set a large mixing bowl of your a high-capacity food processor fitted with the dough attachment, bread machine or a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook

To this, add the proofed  yeast & salt & then the measured out flour + remaining water. Knead until the dough is uniform and devoid of dry patches.

Cook's Note - The dough is loose and wet. Do not add more flour. Continue kneading till the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

Transfer into a container with a lid (not air tight) - a plastic container will do nicely. Cook's Note -  I have also used stainless steel containers in the past, which work well.

Keep the wet dough in a cool place for approx 3 hours so it will be less sticky and more workable.  The dough is ready when you pierce it with your fingers and the impressions remain.

Once you are ready to bake, take the dough out (approx 1 lb).

Return the the other half to the refrigerator for later use if not using all of it.  Place the dough ball on a liberally floured surface ( I use my butcher block).

Sprinkle flour on the dough as well so it is not too sticky & easy to handle.

Lift off the surface & begin to tuck the edges of the dough  around to the bottom, on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. The resulting dough ball will have a smooth surface on its main face.

The bottom of the loaf appears like a bunch of tucked ends but these will smooth out during resting and baking.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Liberally sprinkle flour on the surface portion, where you are going to place the dough.

Place the dough ball over the flour & rest for about an hour. Cover with a large upturned pot or mixing bowl.

Cook's Note - In my experience, the does not show significant rise, more like a gentle swell (this gave me quite the jitters the first time I made this)

Baking method -

Preheat the oven to 450 deg F for approx 15-20 minutes. While the oven is preheating, dust the dough ball with some flour.

Using a serrated bread knife, slash cuts on the surface in straight lines or a criss-cross pattern.

Place a oven proof dish with 4 cups of hot water in the broiler pan (for gas ovens)

Cook's Note - The steam will help moisten the surface as it bakes, creating a thicker and crunchier crust, emulating the use of steam injected ovens used in professional bakeries.

Bake for about 30 minutes on the lowest rack in the oven or until the crust is nicely brown and firm to the touch. 

Cook's Note Update  -  The above is true for gas ovens. If you have an electric oven, as pointed out my one of our readers (Thanks Mrs. P) you'd need to move the water bath to the lowest rack & the bread 5-6 inches above the water bath. Try to keep the bread in the lower third of the oven.

Culinary experts & bakers prefer the bread to be completely cooled on a wire rack before serving for best flavor, texture and ease of slicing.