I picked up a copy of a special publicaton by Vegetarian Times called the Farmer’s Market Cookbook featuring some of the magazine’s best summer recipes. I immediately bookmarked the recipe for Oregano and Asiago Focaccia, which originally appeared in the April 2008 edition of the magazine. This is probably the easiest focaccia you will ever make. It’s delicious and fast and it will go very quickly. Trust me.

Word to the wise: use finely grate the Asiago. I used coarsely grated cheese and it didn’t quite all melt into the focaccia (not that anyone is complaining, mind you) but if you want your cheese fully incorporated, use finely grated.

As always, this is my entry for Magazine Mondays. That’s the “non-event” I started as a way of forcing myself to use those clipped magazine recipes that were piling up everywhere. I can’t believe it but in October, MM will be three years old! Wow!

Anyway, if you post a magazine recipe (doesn’t have to be posted on a Monday), just send me the link and I’ll include it in my next round-up. Details about Magazine Mondays are all here.

Here’s who’s joining me for this week’s edition:

Melissa of It’s the Way She… made Goat Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadilla from the March 2009 issue of Cooking Light.

Andrea of New Holistic Guide made a Garden Tomato and Goat Cheese Dip from Viva.

Recipe Sleuth from Eye for a Recipe made Creamy-Cilantro Lime Slaw from the July 2010 issue of Bon Appétit; Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Green Olivada from the July 2010 issue of Bon Appétit and Tender Zucchini Fritters with Green Goddess Dressing from the August 2010 issue of Bon Appétit.

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Buttermilk Pecan Chicken Cutlets from the June 2010 issue of Cooking Light.

Janie of Panini Girl made Mostarda di Pomodori from the August 2010 issue of La Cucina Italiana.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

As March draws to an end I find myself slowly emerging from the last two months. I can very clearly recall the beginning of January, but everthing between that first week of 2010 to now is a blur.

Work. Work. Work.

It’s been challenging, fun, stressful, difficult, exciting and so very busy. As always, I feel so happy and relieved at this time of year (biggest work project of the year is done), but I also feel tired and a bit drained.

As much as I enjoy winter, I was so very happy to answer the door when Spring rang the bell.

Bring on the warm weather, the flowers, the open-toed shoes and of course, the return to baking and cooking for me.

Prior to this weekend, I had not baked in over a month.

Ridiculous!

As I contemplated another Monday with no post, I remembered that I had one Magazine Mondays recipe in the bank: Classic White Bread from the February 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

While I have certainly had my issues with some Martha Stewart recipes in the past, this one was a winner from start to finish. And best of all I had the pleasureable experience of kneading bread dough.

This is a sturdy, delicious bread that can be used for numerous purposes. My own favourite was to smother it with salted butter and cherry jam.

It’s been awhile since my last Magazine Mondays post so this is just a little reminder that if you post a magazine recipe, send me the link and I’ll include it in my next MM round-up. Here’s who joined me for this edition:

Tia of Buttercream Barbie made Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies from Bon Appétit and Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars from a 2001 Issue of Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies and she also made Blueberry Peach Yogurt Muffins from Canadian Living.

Tamy of Always Eat on the Good China made Blend in the Bayou from Taste of Home.

Dawn of Doable and Delicious made Herbed Balsamic Chicken with Blue Cheese from Bon Appétit.

Janie of Panini Girl made Hazelnut Cinnmaon Crescents from Bon Appétit.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Ciao!

The 2010 February Daring Cook’s challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.

Well I’m a few days late posting my February 2010 DC challenge but it’s not my fault. Between posting about how proud I am to be a Canadian and how much I love all of you, it took me awhile to get to the DC challenge.

I have to say, though, it’s been a great couple of weeks for me because between the Olympic love, the Valentine’s Day love and the love of this challenge, my tummy has been very happy!

Michele challenged us to make mezze, which are a series of small dishes to be served with homemade pita (which was also part of the challenge). Michelle specified that we had to make hummus, but beyond that we could make any other mezze that we liked.

For starters, I cannot thank Michele enough for showing us how to make pita bread. Had I known it was this easy, I would have tried it long ago. And the pita was truly delicious! I made mine with a bit of wholewheat flour thrown in with the all-purpose so the pita had a bit of a darker colour and a slight nutty taste, which was very nice.

The hummus was also delicious. I’ve made hummus many times before and every time I make it I think, “Why don’t I make this more often?”

Beyond those two components, I didn’t really try a lot of recipes. I made an eggplant dip, which I blogged about last week (but kept the DC secret!!!). I would have liked to try a lot more recipes but as usual, time was in short supply. However, I look forward to making pita bread again soon and trying some more mezze.

I want to thank Michele so much for this challenge! Please take a moment to visit the DC blogroll to see what the other Daring Cooks accomplished. You can click here for the recipe.

Okay … back to the Olympics … Opa!

Ciao!

Elin Nodegren’s prowess with golf clubs aside (sorry … couldn’t resist …), ever since I was about 11 years old, I have always thought Swedish women are awesome.

This is a direct result of having read about the Swedish celebration of the feast of Santa Lucia on December 13. I don’t quite remember where I would have read this, but I do remember reading that the Swedish celebration of the day involved the eldest daughter in every family wearing flaming torches in her hair.

Seriously. You have got to be some kind of cool to wear a flaming torch in your hair!

Of course, as the years went by and I learned a bit more about Santa Lucia, I soon discovered the flaming-torches-in-the-hair-story might have been a slight exaggeration.

As is usually the case when it comes to martyrdom, there are many versions and explanations as to Santa Lucia’s life. The one that has always struck me the most is the story of a woman named Lucia helping slaves to escape and wearing candles in her hair to light the way out.

If I had to think of one word to describe the Christmas season, it would be light. In the midst of the coldest and darkest time of the year, even a simple lit candle becomes a symbol for warmth and hope.

Having always been fascinated by Swedish culture, I’ve had “make Santa Lucia buns” on my Christmas to-do list for many years. And this year, I got up in the early-morning darkness, turned on a light and made these beautiful buns for my family.

Being the eldest (and only) daughter, I did not wear flaming torches, or even lit candles, in my hair. However, I did give them over to my loved ones with much hope and warmth, that they would enjoy them and the season.

Happy Santa Lucia Day! God Jul!

Ciao!

Santa Lucia Buns
From a Christmas magazine recipe that I can no longer identify.

Note: This recipe will make 24 buns. It’s from a holiday magazine from 2001, unfortunately, because it’s a photocopy I can’t tell what magazine it is. Sorry!

21/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (you may need a bit more so have some handy)
1 package active dry yeast
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground saffron (you can also use whole saffron but be sure to strain the milk mixture before you add it to the flour)
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 golden raisins
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 egg white, slightly beaten (for egg wash)
1 tbsp. water (for egg wash)
coarse sugar (optional)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 cup of the flour and the package of yeast. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk, sugar, butter, salt, cardamom and saffron. Heat until it reaches 125 degrees F. on a thermometre. If you don’t have one, you want to heat it until it’s warm enough that the butter is almost melted. Add the mixture to the flour and yeast mixture.

With the paddle attachemnt, beat on low until combined.

Add the egg and beat on medium speed for three minutes.

Add the raisins and ground almonds and beat for another minute.

Switch to the dough hook and add another cup of the flour. Mix on low until combined. Add in the remaining flour and continue to mix on low.

Increase the speed to medium and mix for five minutes until the dough forms a neat ball around the hook (it should not be sticking to the sides of the bowl). If the dough is sticky, add some more flour. Continue to beat until you have a smooth ball of dough.

Remove the bowl from the stand and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set it in a warm place to rise for about an hour and a half (the dough should almost double in size).

Once doubled, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide in half. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, divide each half of dough into 12 pieces (you will have 24 in total). Roll each piece out into a rope that’s roughly 12 inches long. Shape each rope into an “S” with the ends rolled in. Place a raisin in each end. Transfer the buns to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Once all the buns have been formed (you will need two baking trays), cover with kitchen towels and let rest for 40 minutes (the dough will rise more).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat the egg white and water together. Brush each bun lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle on some coarse sugar if you like.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the buns are golden.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Cream Puff will not be held responsible for the dramatic reduction in bookshelf space due to the purchasing of any cookbooks as a result of posts on this blog between December 1, 2009 and December 12, 2009, inclusive.

I happen to believe that cookbooks make the very best Christmas gifts.

Well, okay, maybe diamonds make the best Christmas gifts but right after diamonds it’s cookbooks.

Ummm … hold on … okay Mauviel copper pots are really cool so let’s say Diamonds are number 1, Mauviel copper pots are number 2 and then cookbooks.

Except I guess Gien dinnerware is really nice … oh … nevermind!

Let’s just stick with the cookbooks, shall we?

I find that at this time of year, a lot of bloggers have “year-end” lists as in “my top five posts of the year” or “the best five dishes I made this year”. I always love reading people’s top cookbook lists for the year since I am a cookbook freak. Certifiable freak.

I did a list last year but I left so many cookbooks off my list and had such a hard time choosing that I really felt I needed to do something more this year.

So for the first twelve days of December I’m going to give you a cookbook a day. Now to be clear, while some of these cookbooks are newly published, some aren’t. In fact some of them are older cookbooks but the point is that I discovered them in 2009 and I really feel it would be awesome for you if you found them in your Christmas stocking this year.

So let’s get started, shall we?

On Day 1, I give you Two Dishes: Mother and Daughter - Two Cooks,Two Lifestyles, Two Takes by Linda Haynes and Devin Connell.

I’m the lucky owner of two previous cookbooks by Linda Haynes: The ACE Bakery Cookbook and More from ACE Bakery, both of which I love.

For those of you that are unfamiliar, Linda Haynes is the founder of ACE Bakery, probably the most famous bread bakery in Toronto. I’ve said this to many people on many occasions but ACE Bakery consistently has some of the best artisanal bread in the city. Lucky for me, the ACE headquarters are just around the corner from my family’s business so we’re pretty much in there all the time!

Linda contacted me awhile ago and asked if I’d like a copy of her new book and of course I said yes. The first thing I noticed when I got the book is that it was signed by Linda and Devin so that immediately got things off to a great start. Much like the bakery itself, Linda’s books are very open and very welcoming and the well wishes were a nice touch to get me started!

The idea behind this book is that Linda and her daughter Devin each present dishes based on a particular theme. The difference is that they each present their own take on the theme. What results is an always delicious juxtaposition of recipes. Clearly both good cooks, mother and daughter carry on a “recipe conversation” throughout the cookbook that really clicks. Several times, as I read through the book, I found myself thinking, “What kind of recipe would my mom come up with in this situation?”

It’s a completely accessible book that’s beautifully photographed (a bonus in my books is that many of the pictures are taken in and around Toronto and as a native Torontonian, it was nice to see many of the places that I shop at featured in the book).

Ultimately, though, a cookbook always comes down to the recipes and these ones are very enticing and very good. On the savoury side, there’s a nice mix of dairy, vegetables, fish and seafood and meat. On the dessert side, well, there’s lots of dessert and that’s a good thing that requires no other explanation.

I also really loved the way many of the recipes borrow from a variety of ethnic cuisines including Asian and Italian. The recipes strike a nice balance between being healthful and being indulgent.

It’s hard to put my finger on it, but it’s just one of those books that says “pick me up, invite your friends over and cook from me”. It also says, “pick me up and put me in someone’s Christmas stocking!!!”

If I’d had the time I would have happily tried about half the recipes but I managed to try two in time for this post.

The first was the incredible and life-changing (for me) Multigrain Bread on page 30. I adore ACE’s multigrain bread and buy it all the time. While I enjoy baking bread at home on occasion, I have had no luck with grain breads. I don’t know what my problem is. If the idea of integers didn’t send me into a cold sweat I’d express my rate of success with a negative number. That’s how bad it is.

When I first saw the recipe I flipped by it many times. But then I kept flipping back. Finally I was like, “no guts, no glory”, and I headed out to the nearest natural foods store to stock up on my supply of bulgur, rye flakes and untoasted buckwheat groats (a lot easier to find than one would think!). I made my starter and the following morning I was eating the most incredible grain bread. It will never be ACE’s grain bread but for homemade, it was really good. So I’d like to thank Linda and Devin for giving me that early Christmas gift.

The second recipe I tried was one of Devin’s: Baked Lemony Feta Cheese with Thyme, Rosemary and Black Pepper on page 51. I thought I had thyme in the refrigerator but as it turns out I didn’t. Surprisingly, we still have oregano fluorishing in our herb garden so I substituted some of that instead.

About three seconds after I had my first taste I pretty much decided that this is the appetizer of the year for me. It will be front and centre on Christmas Day when we serve nibbles before the big family meal. Delicious! Delicous! Delicous!

Just like the book.

A big thank you to Linda and Devin for thinking of me but more importantly, thank you for such a lovely book!

Ciao!

Every year, in early October, we have a Thanksgiving potluck at work. I usually try to bring two dishes (surprisingly I tend not to bring dessert …). Because I organize the potluck, I try to wait until the very end to decide what to bring and I generally try to fill in any gaps in the menu.

This year, we were short on bread recipes so I decided I’d bring something that was appropriate for Thanksgiving … something that just oozed the fall and the harvest.

Enter the Bacon Cheddar Quick Bread with Dried Pears from the October 2008 issue of Bon Appétit.

The bread was so easy to make and was very good, however, I would recommend that you eat it warm from the oven and not the next day. I made it on Sunday for Monday’s potluck and while it was tasty, it would have been better warm with some butter.

As you know, Magazine Mondays is all about tackling that pile of clipped magazine recipes that you’ve got. Don’t look the other way. You know you have tonnes of recipes you haven’t tried yet. We all do! So get to it!

Here’s who joined me in liberating themselves from another magazine recipe:

Tamy of 3 Sides of Crazy joins us with a tempting Maple Chicken.

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made a Spicy Chicken with Mushrooms dish from the November 2008 issue of Family Circle.

Mondo of Mondo’s Morsels (love this blog!) made a gorgeous Blueberry Lemon Cornmeal Cake from the September 2006 issue of Fine Cooking.

Janie of Panini Girl made a pretty Butternut Squash Soup with Sage from the November 2001 issue of Bon Appétit.

Our most loyal Wandering Coyote of ReTorte made Chicken Sangria from the March 2009 issue of Gourmet.

Georgia of Oh Kitchen, What Won’t You Do? made a soul-satisfying Winter Lentil Soup from Real Simple magazine.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

New month, new flavour!

This month the Cream Puffs in Venice Flavour of the Month is Trish Magwood’s Dish Entertains: Everyday Simple to Special Occasions.

I’ve owned this book for quite awhile now and as is the case with most of the cookbooks I own, I’ve never tried a recipe. It’s a good thing there’s no such thing as the cookbook police checking to see if I’ve tried any recipes or not. Whew!

Anyway, if I had to describe Trish Magwood I guess I’d describe as a food businesswoman. She’s the owner of a very popular cooking school in Toronto called dish cooking studio. She also starred in a very likeable program on Food Network Canada called Dish (at least I loved it) where she’d cater parties ranging from intimate gatherings at home to picnics at the cottage. My favourite episode was an engagement party where all the food that was served was some form of dessert.

(Why don’t I ever get invited to those types of parties?)

Her cookbook features the recipes that were prominent in her television show and I couldn’t be happier as there are some really good recipes in here. And I’m hoping to finally get down to trying some of them.

There is one recipe in the book that I’ve been making ever since I saw it on her show. It’s essentially a loaf of bread that’s given an olive oil bath and then patted down with rosemary and sea salt. The loaf is baked until you have a crusty, rosemary-scented piece of heaven.

I was intrigued by the idea because it reminded me of a party hall, just outside of Toronto, that used to be very popular at one time for Italian weddings. The start of the meal was always indicated by the emergence of servers from the kitchens with loaves of Italian bread that had been drenched in olive oil and baked with salt and rosemary. No matter how much you swore that you’d avoid the bread during the wedding meal (everyone knows that bread is a killer duirng an Italian wedding meal), you just couldn’t help snatching up a piece of that bread and digging in.

This is so easy to make and it’s perfect for a family dinner or a larger gathering. It goes well with any course and it’s also a great way to use day-old bread.

Okay, people. December is here. Time to party.

Ciao!

Rosemary Bread
From Dish Entertains by Trish Magwood.

1 large loaf of good bread (Yes, I know, that’s vague but what can I say. I like to use a loaf of sourdough bread or a loaf of Italian bread like Pugliese.)
extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
1 tbsp. sea salt (I use coarse sea salt)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the loaf by cutting 1-inch slices but do not cut all the way down (cut about three-quarters of the way down).

Drizzle a bit of olive oil (about a teaspoon) in between each slice of bread and then drizzle a few more teaspoons over the crust of the bread, rubbing it all over with your hands.

Sprinkle the rosemary in between each slice and over the top. Sprinkle the salt over the top as well.

Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.

Serve while hot.

Enjoy!

What attracted me to Carol Field’s Italy in Small Bites was the idea of small snacks throughout the day to sustain me.

Wouldn’t that be amazing … if at any time of the day you could bite into something tasty, yet not filling?

I’ve spent most of October dreaming about what I’d try from this book and yet never getting around to it. That’s most of the month spent dreaming about snacks with almost no snacking.

Until I made these little babies.

Do you know what taralli are? Have you ever seen them in your local Italian bakery or grocery store? Ever bitten into one?

No?

You’re missing out.

I’m not sure where or when I was introduced to taralli but they have always been around. They’re not a traditional food from either of my parents’ areas of Italy, but my neighbour makes them, and the grandmothers of a lot of my friends made them and I can’t visit a bakery or grocery store in this city without seeing bins of them.

They are taralli.

So what are they?

Taralli are like a sort of breadstick shaped in a ring. They’re not quite crispy like a breadstick but they’re not soft or chewy either. Taralli can be savoury or sweet depending on what you add to that basic recipe. My favourite taralli are savoury ones dotted with fennel seeds, but I also love taralli spiced with red pepper flakes. Growing up, we would often eat sweet taralli that had been dipped in a glaze or icing.

The recipe for taralli in Field’s book caught my eye because I’ve never made them before and have always wanted to try them. And because I love them. If I can learn to make something I love, then why not!

The dough for taralli is very similar to making a pizza dough. You start with flour, yeast and water (and a bit of salt) to which you add the flavouring of choice. The taralli that I buy are almost always flavoured with fennel seeds so that’s what I used.

After allowing the dough to rise, the dough is rolled into log ropes that are then divided into three. From each segment, you make a ring.

Then, much as you do with bagels, you drop the rings into boiling water very briefly. As soon as the rings float to the top, you remove them to drain and cool down a bit.

The taralli are then baked until golden and somewhat crunchy.

I say somewhat because the taralli that I’ve eaten have always had this interesting texture. It’s a cross between something crispy and something flexible. I know that sounds odd, but trust me, if you try one you’ll understand what I mean.

I was very proud of my taralli. While they don’t compare to the homemade taralli that I’ve had from those who are true experts, they were good for a first try and rather easy to make.

As with most worthy snacks, they prove that homemade is usually best.

I’m having so much fun with Field’s book (and my daytime snack imaginings) that I’m not ready to say goodbye to it yet. I’m keeping it around for the November Flavour of the Month.

And now back to my snacks …

Ciao!

Here are some interesting posts about taralli as well as recipes for taralli that you might want to read or try:

Various taralli recipes
Inside a Pugliese Taralli Maker
Taralli
Street Food from Napoli: Taralli

Have you seen the film Stranger Than Fiction, featuring Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson, where Ferrell’s character walks around while hearing his life narrated out loud by the author played by Thompson?

I’m not sure why or how, but I sort of felt like my attempt at making lavash crackers was being narrated by some otherworldly Daring Bakers’ entity with the last line of the film being: “And she burns her crackers! The End.”

But before I tell you the whole, sad story, let us begin at the beginning with the real stars of the show, our hosts: Shel of Musings from the Fishbowl and Natalie of Gluten A Go Go.

These two leading ladies conspired to give us a Daring Bakers’ first this month: our very first alternative, fully vegetarian challenge in the form of lavash crackers with accompanying toppings.

While I can’t give you an exact count, a significant number of Daring Bakers are what Lis and I affectionately refer to as “Alt DBers”, which means that they in some way or other are alternative bakers. These are members who adapt recipes to be gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian and everything in between.

When it comes to our Alt DBers, Natalie has been a tireless champion of the cause. Without her Lis and I would be quite stumped when it comes to answering so many of the questions that we get from Alt DBers. So we’re thrilled that both Natalie and Shel have the opportunity to put the spotlight on alternative baking and the challenges faced by those who can’t just open up a cookbook and have a go at it without substituting ingredients.

And now back to our story.

The recipe for lavash crackers is based on the one from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. As recipes go, this was probably one of the easier ones in recent DB memory.

We begin with our ingredients. The Cream Puff places together bread flour, salt, yeast, honey, oil and water in a bowl.

Let us move to Chapter 2.

With a mighty wooden spoon, the Cream Puff mixes the ingredients to form a ball of dough. And my, what a ball of dough!

The action continues with the ball of dough and the Cream Puff engaged in a violent battle otherwise known as kneading. After five minutes, the ball of dough has been somewhat tamed.

After ten minutes it’s as meek as a mouse. Cream Puff is able to stab it with a thermometer. Ouch!

But the lavash dough gets its revenge. Its unwieldy nature results in the Cream Puff’s somewhat irregularly shaped dough.

The Cream Puff attempted to exact revenge by using a sharp object otherwise known as a cookie cutter. Feeling somewhat guilty, she piled on some lavender buds in an effort to make amends.

She really went for the sympathy vote by sprinkling thyme, rosemary and sea salt on part of the lavash dough as well.

The lavender chapter seemed to end well.

The thyme, rosemary and sea salt chapter … not so much.

And she burns her crackers!

Does this sad story end here?

No.

There is a happy ending in the form of a Red Pepper and Roasted Garlic Dip used to camoflauge the crackers.

And there’s even a sweet ending in the form of Lavender Lavash Crackers drenched in the Cream Puff’s newest discovery: agave syrup.

And so this story ends. With burned crackers and knowledge gained.

Ciao!

For the challenge recipe, please visit Shel’s blog and Natalie’s blog.

Here’s the recipe for the Red Pepper and Roasted Garlic Dip:

1 cup roasted red peppers, cut into strips
3 cloves, roasted garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. tahini
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. lemon juice
3 basil leaves, torn into pieces
1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency. Taste and ajdust seasoning. Serve at room temperature.

Ladies and gentleman, today I have decided to coin a new term.

That term is Bakeanista.

What is a Bakeanista? Well, a Bakeanista is a member of the femal species that would happily forego shopping for shoes, getting her hair done or going for a spa treatment to stay at home watching yeast bloom and covering the kitchen in flour.

You dream of souping up your Kitchen Aid mixer?

Bakeanista.

You get into arguments with people over the quality of flour?

Bakeanista.

You bake and do laundry at the same time?

Bakeanista.

And not only am I going to be so bold as to coin the new term, I’m going tell you who the original Bakeanistas are: Mary of The Sour Dough, Lis of La Mia Cucina, Helene of Tartelette, Kelly of Sass and Veracity, Laura of Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen, Sara of i like to cook and Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness.

So how did the Bakeanistas band together? Well as with all good stories there are many versions and theories and events but let’s just say that in its most current rendition, the Bakeanistas were born when Mary saw this postthis post and decided that the Bakeanistas needed to act.

So she sent out the Bakeanista symbol (no those were not lights from an alien spaceship that you saw in the night sky), organized everyone, provided a recipe and arranged a live baking session via Skype.

If you’ve made any type of bread before or worked with yeast at all, then this recipe couldn’t be simpler. If you haven’t baked bread or are terrified of yeast, this is a great recipe to try.

Really. It’s easy. And the end result is a bubbly mass of cheesy rolls that my family devoured for lunch with a green salad and some freshly sliced prosciutto.

What I lov … oh wait … sorry, folks. I see the Bakeanista symbol flashing again. Somewhere there’s something that needs to be baked!

Ciao!

Here are the Bakeanistas that participated: Helen, Ivonne, Kelly, Laura Rebecca, Lisa, Mary, Sara, and Stephanie

Here’s the recipe we used: Gruyère-Stuffed Crusty Rolls.

Note: I used marbled cheddar in my loaves.

Today is Easter Monday and in Italian, we call this day Pasquetta. For many (myself included), today is a holiday. I always enjoy having the day after a big holiday to myself as it gives me a chance to reflect.

I’ve had such a lovely Easter this year.

Not only did my work schedule calm down, but I had the chance to spend time with family and friends.

While Christmas is still my favourite holiday, I find Easter to be just as enjoyable but in different ways.

It’s lighter outside and even though it’s cold, you know that spring is just around the corner. And even though there’s tonnes of food, just as at Christmas time, everything seems just a bit lighter and the pace is a bit slower and not as pressure-filled.

This Easter was also special for me because I finally tried a traditional Easter specialty from Le Marche, the region of Italy where my father is from.

When I was growing up, my father would always regale us at Easter time with fond memories of a type of bread made at this time of year called Pizza di Pasqua or Easter Pizza.

A few times we were given a recipe for this bread by our family in Italy but for some reason, we just never made it. I was a bit reluctant to ask for the recipe again so instead I did some research and cobbled together a recipe that I think is very similar to the one that my father spoke of.

My father told us that they would add salami to their pizza but I decided that for my first try, I would keep the bread simple.

The bread started out with a very basic pizza dough recipe to which I added, after its first rise, flour and grated cheese (Parmigiano and Pecorino) and then beaten eggs. After a second rise, I spread the dough out into two earthenware dishes and let it rise again.

It finally went into the oven and I watched as my dough puffed up into two lovely offerings that were a cross between pizza and bread.

Once out of the oven, it was hard for me not to immediately cut into the bread but I exercised some patience and instead covered my little sweeties up and kept them safe for Easter lunch where I reheated and then served them with thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma.

Daily bread.

That’s what pane quotidiano means and that’s what I kept thinking about as I had the lovely experience of making French bread thanks to Mary of The Sour Dough and Sara of i like to cook.

They were the hostesses of the February 2007 Daring Bakers challenge and they chose French bread as the task we were all to attempt.

I’ve told the story many times that growing up, a meal could not begin in our house unless the bread and wine were on the table. And I’ve also shared with you the joy I’ve discovered ever since I started baking bread on a more regular basis.

Mary and Sara decided to throw the French bread challenge at us and they chose the great Julia Child’s recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2, as the starting point.

One of the truly dynamic things about this baking group is the variety of reactions to each month’s challenge. While I think Mary and Sara chose wisely, there was some consternation among members of the group over the length of the recipe and the instructions that came with the recipe. Some people appreciate lots of instruction and advice, while others just want to cut to the quick.

To be honest, I have so much respect for Julia Child that I’ll happily read whatever she advises. However, having had some experience baking bread, I also wouldn’t be intimidated by getting straight to the recipe.

Either way you cut it, I loved the end result of this recipe. I chose to make three small baguettes out of my dough. The bread had a lovely crumb and beautifully golden, crusty exterior. In fact, I was quite impressed with the results that I got from my humble home oven.

Here’s a little photo essay of the making of the bread.

The dough after the first rise:

Shaping the dough into a pillow for the second rise:

Shaping the baguettes:

Ready to go into the oven:

So what did I do with the bread? Well I’ll be honest, most of it was eaten with butter.

But I did save one baguette to finally try a lovely appetizer recipe from Tyler Florence’s Tyler’s Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Any Time. There’s an incredible recipe for Caramelized Onion Toast that features a butter-slathered baguette covered in caramelized onions, anchovies, thyme, olives and Parmigiano Reggiano.

I made do without the anchovies and also made a few other changes but the end result was fabulous! And it was even better because the bread had come from our own oven.

Mary and Sara, I thank you!

Ciao!

As usual, if you want to see what all the other Daring Bakers did, please visit the blogroll.

For the full French Bread recipe, please visit Mary and Sara.

Here’s the recipe for my version of the Caramelized Onion Toast:

1 baguette
1/4 cup butter, softened
a few tablespoons of unsalted butter (for sauteeing the onions)
a few tablespoons of olive oil
3 onions, sliced thinly
several sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of olives, pitted (any olives will do)
a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
extra olive oil for drizzling

In a large pan, heat the few tablespoons of butter and olive. Once hot, add the onions and thyme and cook slowly over low heat (uncovered), until the onions are golden and wilted. You’ll have to stir the onions every now and then to ensure they don’t burn. This could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how low the heat is.

Once cooked, add salt and pepper to taste and remove the thyme branches (the thyme leaves will have fallen off while cooking).

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice the baguette in half lengthwise and spread the quarter cup of softened butter equally over both halves of the bread.

Pile on the caramelized onions and then dot the onions with the pitted olives. Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper and then drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the bread is golden and toasted.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle liberally with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Technorati tags: daring bakers, bread, french bread

With all the tidying up that’s been going on lately, I decided it was time for a bit of a break. Cold winter days make for the best lazy days and in between bouts of cleaning, I’ve been luxuriating in afternoon naps.

I’ve also made time for a bit of baking. These days, when I want a baking experience that’s simple and relaxing, I tend to bake bread. Since we had a lot of cheese hanging around in the refrigerator after the various holiday celebrations, I decided to try a recipe for Savory Holiday Bread from the 2007 Holiday Cooking issue from Better Homes and Gardens.

I would describe this is more of a free-form quick bread than a traditional bread (it’s not yeasted). But it came together very quickly and I had the chance to knead it a bit which is always fun. I changed the recipe a bit so that I could use what I had available and the end result was a cheesy bread with a lovely garlic flavour (I used leftover roasted garlic). We had the leftovers the next day toasted in the oven and drizzled with some olive oil.

This is my last Magazine Mondays post for 2007. I never imagined that the little idea I had earlier in the year would be so successful. Here’s to many Magazine Mondays in 2008!

Ciao!

Savory Holiday Bread
Adapted from the 2007 Holiday Cooking magazine from Better Homes and Gardens.

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded provolone cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup roasted garlic cloves, mashed (2 heads of garlic)
3 large eggs, beaten
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (packed in oil), finely chopped
1 egg yolk and a few tablespoons of water for the egg wash

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cheeses, baking powder, salt and roasted garlic.

Add the eggs, chives, evaporated milk, metled butter and dried tomatoes.

Mix until you have a lumpy mass.

Turn the mass out onto a lightly floured work area. Knead lightly until it comes together into a ball. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly smooth.

Divide the dough into three equal pieces and roll each piece into a rope that’s between 12 and 14 inches long.

Transfer the ropes to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Secure the ropes together at one end and then braid them loosely. Tuck the ends of the braid under so that you have a neat bread.

Combine the egg yolk and the water and brush the loaf with the egg wash.

Bake for 40 minutes or until the bread is a nice golden brown colour

Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!

Magazine Mondays on Other Blogs:

Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction made some beautiful Cranberry and Almond Bundt Cakes.

Dolores over at Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity is owning Magazine Mondays with a menu that was based almost entirely on recipes from Eating Well magazine. Way to go, Dolores!

Technorati tags: magazine mondays, bread

As much as I’ve enjoyed all of the sweet escapades the Daring Bakers have been on, secretly, I’ve longed for something savoury. Trust the beautiful Tanna to answer my wishes!

For November, she chose our first non-dessert baking challenge: Tender Potato Bread from the book Home Baking by Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford.

This has been a tough month for me between work and personal life and I’ll be very honest, for a split second I contemplated missing my very first Daring Baker challenge.

But I thought about Lis, and her determination to show up for each event (and the fact that she’d probably kick my butt if I didn’t do the challenge). I thought again about Tanna and the effort that she put into choosing a recipe. And I thought of bread baking, and how everytime I pull a loaf out of the oven, I feel renewed.

With this in mind, I set about making my very first bread that featured mashed potato as a main ingredient.

I wasn’t up to documenting the process as I often do. Something about snapping photos all along the way just didn’t appeal to me this time around. As much as I enjoy food photography, there was something about this bread that demanded my full attention. It was as though by me breaking away every few minutes to snap a photo, I’d be missing something important.

Instead, I mashed my potatoes and mixed them with water. I added yeast and flour. I waited patiently as my dough rose in our warm kitchen. While I would normally be running around trying to get a photo of the dough at just the right angle, I flipped through Home Baking and bookmarked a number of recipes I’d like to try.

Once my dough was ready to go, I opted for the simple loaf and was able to produce one 9 x 5-inch loaf and two 8 x 4-inch loaves. I let them rise a second time until they were puffy and beautiful and adorned them with butter and rosemary.

After a short visit to the oven, I pulled out three beautifully browned loaves.

I enjoyed the bread in the way that all warm bread should be enjoyed: slathered with butter. Tender, fresh and fluffy, this bread was delicious. It made me think of simplicity and wholesomeness. The bread that’s left will be used for sandwiches throughout the week.

I’d like to thank Tanna so much for pushing us once again past another obstacle. And I’d like to thank all the Daring Bakers for breaking bread in the month of November.

Ciao!

For the Tender Potato Bread recipe, please visit Tanna’s site.

To see what all the other Daring Bakers have done, please visit our official blogroll.

Remember No Knead Bread?

Remember when everywhere you turned, it was all you could read about? Since I’ve been blogging (December 2005), I can’t think of another food item that was so talked about and written about in both print and on-line.

Unfortunately for the Cream Puff, I had to sit and watch as the No Knead Bread craze passed me by. I felt like the kid in gym class that never gets picked for the team.

You see, even though I have a house full of baking pans and various other baking utensils, the one item I didn’t own during that memorable period of food history was a vessel with a lid that would be able to withstand the heat at which the bread needed to be baked.

It’s hard to believe, I know, but it’s true.

So while the rest of the world No-Kneaded, I just sat idly by. I salivated as I read post after post about the success of this incredible bread. And I wondered when, if ever, I’d get to share in the joy of eating that crusty bread.

Well I must have been a very good girl in 2006 because Santa gave me a gift certificate for one of my favourite kitchen stores. Of course being the disorganized creature that I am, I prompty put the gift certificate away for “safekeeping” and naturally forgot about it.

A few weeks ago, as I frantically searched for one item through the piles of paper on my desk, I of course ended up coming across another item, my gift certificate. Noticing that it was about to expire, I made my way over to The Main Course, surely one of Toronto’s most beautiful stores. And there, I set my eyes on (and did not take my eyes off of) an Emile Henry covered pot that you can use both on the stovetop and in the oven.

And get this. It withstands high heats.

Clutching my gift certificate, I walked right up to the first salesperson and pointed delightedly at the pot. Within half an hour, I was on my way home thinking of one thing and one thing only: No Knead Bread.

After getting home, I began searching for the recipe and once again I ended up finding something else in the process. I found a recipe for Chocolate-Cherry Pecan Bread, based on the No Knead Bread foundation, from the King Arthur Flour Web site. As you may have noticed, I’ve made the King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion my Flavour of the Month as it’s one of my very favourite cookbooks. When I came across their version of the No Knead Bread studded with chocolate, dried cherries and pecans, I had to try it.

The fact that the loaf on the King Arthur site was baked in what appeared to be the very same pot that I had purchased was only confirmation to me that the baking gods wanted me to make this bread.

Alas, I had no dried cherries, but I had plenty of chocolate and pecans and so I proceeded with the recipe. As so many people had experienced previously, it was a wonder to make and fascinating as well. I can hardly believe that I was able to get such a crackly, artisanal-like crust on a loaf of bread that I baked. Wow!

The bread was delicious! It had a beautiful crumb and everyone in my family enjoyed slathering (and I mean SLATHERING) loads of butter on it. The only problem I encountered was that the bottom crust burnt ever so slightly. Not that it prevented us from eating it, mind you, but I may try baking the bread at a slightly lower heat next time to ward off an overly blackened bottom.

Finally! I am a member of the No Knead Bread team and no longer sitting by myself in gym class!

Ciao!

Technorati tags: bread

While I would never describe myself as being very organized, I do pride myself on doing a reasonably good job of keeping track of food blog events that I want to participate in.

Well, you know what they say … pride before the fall.

I was very disappointed to realize that I had missed the deadline for World Bread Day hosted by the talented and generous Zorra of Kochtopf. I’ve become very fond of Zorra and her blog and have also come to appreciate an event based on one of the staples of the human diet: bread.

For some reason I’d listed October 21st as the deadline in my calendar, but after seeing all these posts pop up, I thought I’d better double check. Here’s hoping that late is much better than never!

As some of you may have noticed, I’ve chosen Father Giuseppe Orsini’s book, Italian Baking Secrets, as the October 2007 Flavour of the Month. I bought this book about 5 seconds after having laid eyes on it for the first time. The cover of the book, featuring a plate of perfect cannoli, drew me in. And when I saw that it had been written by an Italian priest, how could I not buy it?!

I mean with cannoli and God on your side, you can’t possibly go wrong.

The book was a delightful surprise. I’ve made a few recipes from it already and as soon as I laid my eyes on the recipe for Walnut Bread, I knew that I’d have to make it. World Bread Day became the perfect opportunity.

At around this time last year, I was slowly discovering how much I loved to make bread. I was immersed in my Art of Bread course at George Brown College and was learning the technique of good bread baking. I was learning about yeast, that incredible living thing. I was learning about kneading, that incredible gesture. And I was loving it all.

Since that class, I’m happy to say that I’ve baked bread often. While I haven’t baked as much bread as I would like, the idea of baking bread comes to me often and I am happy for this. Bread is hugely important in our life. Virtually no meal takes place without bread. Growing up, we couldn’t begin dinner until the bread and wine were on the table. And even now to look at the table and not see bread suggests a feeling of incompleteness.

I’m especially happy that I’ve discovered a love of bread baking because there is something so satisfying about producing a loaf of the stuff. My love of baking runs deep. A cake, a pie or a sheet of cookies are all pleasing. But there is something deeply and intensely soothing about baking bread.

It’s a beautiful act.

I took part in the beautiful act with this walnut bread. It was very easy to make, taking about 4 hours from start to finish. I began with a simple dough made of yeast, water, honey, olive oil, flour, salt and finely chopped walnuts.

After an initial rise of 1 hour, I shaped the dough into a ring and crowned it with perfect walnut halves.

Another 1-hour rise and the ring was ready to be baked. After a little over an hour in the oven, I removed a beautifully browned walnut bread that had a crisp exterior and a very nutty interior. The beauty of this bread is that it could be enoyed as a savoury or as a sweet bread.

I’d like to thank Zorra for hosting World Bread Day, 2007!

Ciao!

Technorati tags: world bread day, bread

There was once a group called The Daring Bakers,
Who for a challenge were always takers.
Each month they baked something new,
And as a result were never blue.

Marce of Pip in the City is September’s host,
I’d certainly say she has the most.
Cinnamon and sticky buns she chose,
Because those are the best everyone knows!

As usual the Cream Puff was late,
No not because she had a hot date.
September was oh-so-busy,
And a wedding last night threw her into a tizzy.

For the Cream Puff woke on the morning of the post day,
With her head feeling as thick as hay. (okay I never said I was a good poet)
The wedding last night was a bit rowdy,
All Cream Puff remembers is saying howdy.

So the Cream Puff set about preparing the dough,
Happy because for once on a Sunday she had nowhere to go.
The happy little ball of dough rose and rose and rose,
And became a big ball of dough that made Cream Puff happy to her toes. (see brackets above)

The Cream puff divided her dough into two,
So she could give both cinnamon and sticky buns their due.
She started with the cinnamon and made them small,
They were so pretty that you could smell them in the hall.

For the sticky buns she decided that walnuts and dried cherries she’d use,
And she even soaked her cherries in Kirsch because Cream Puff likes booze.
She rolled those as best she could,
They looked so good that they would melt wood. (once again, see brackets above)

But before Cream Puff could put her sticky buns to bed,
She made a caramel glaze that went straight to her head.
The glaze was to line the baking pan,
Let’s just say that Cream Puff became a big fan.

Patience is a virtue so they say,
Cream Puff let her buns rise again while keeping hunger at bay.
As the recipe directed they rose very nice,
They certainly looked better than a bowl of plain rice. (once again, see brackets above)

Into a hot oven the buns went,
And the smell of the baking was like they were from Heaven sent.
The entire house smelled so cinnamony and pretty,
Cream Puff wished she could have a taste - just a little bitty!

But Cream Puff remained as patient as could be,
She knew she’d get her reward - you see!
The cinnamon buns came out first,
They looked so good they’d even quench your thirst. (brackets. above.)

Quickly they were covered in glaze,
Cream Puff would go anywhere to eat these, even a maze.
She shared some with everyone and they all agreed,
Those cinnamon buns were some darn good feed!

And as for the sticky buns they soon came out of the oven too,
They smelled so good that they’d make any cow go “moo”. (brackets. above.)
After 20 minutes, Cream Puff flipped them out of the pan,
These were so pretty that these buns you could never ban!

Marce, I thank you for such a great recipe,
It was so good you should charge a fee.
Cinnamon and sticky buns are in my future now that I can make them,
This recipe is like a precious jem!

So the Cream Puff is happy with her buns all done,
They were so delicious they’d even impress a nun.
And so the Cream Puff is to bed now heading,
To sleep off the effects of a Big Fat Italian Wedding!

Ciao!

For the recipe for these delicoius cinnamon and sticky buns, please visit Marce’s blog.

To see what all the other Daring Bakers have created, please visit The Daring Baker Blogroll (what … were you expecting it to rhyme???).

Technorati tags: daring bakers, cinnamon buns, http://www.technorati.com/posts/tag/sticky+buns

Good evening, my friends!

There are just a few hours left before the deadline for SHF #35 passes. Get your entries in by midnight tonight. For those of you that may not make the deadline, just let me know and I’ll see if I can’t give you a bit of a Cream Puff reprieve!

I give you my final creation for SHF #35: The Beatiful Fig.

It’s a sweet focaccia topped with fresh figs and walnuts that have been drizzled with Grand Marnier and sprinkled liberally with brown sugar. Once baked, I blessed each fig with a dollop of mascarpone and then drizzled the entire mess with gorgeous honey!

For those of you that have already contributed to SHF #35, I thank you for your brilliance!

Ciao!

Technorati tags: sugar high friday, SHF #35, figs, mascarpone, focaccia

I have to be very honest with you. I’m a little nervous.

As you may have noticed from the picture above and from the title, the June challenge put to the Daring Bakers by our hosts Quellia of All Things Edible and Freya of Writing at the Kitchen Table is bagels.

Eeek!

Why so nervous, you ask?

Bagels scare me. Bagel purists scare me. People who raise their eyebrows and sneer when you tell them where you buy your bagels scare me. I have never known a carboydrate that causes as much acrimony and dissent. I have seen lifeling friends practically come to blows over bagels.

So please, be gentle with me. Here is my bagel story.

When I first read the challenge and the recipe, I felt scared (see above), but also hopeful. I’d made bagels once before in my Breakfast Breads baking class so I’m somewhat familiar with the process.

On the morning that I made my bagels, I began by proofing the yeast in warm water sweetened with honey. I did not use hot water as directed because I’ve learned in my baking courses that hot water can damage and kill yeast. After ten minutes of proofing, the yeast was foamy, creamy and you could definitely smell it.

As directed by the recipe, I then added three cups of flour and the salt. However, I was careful to cover the yeast with the flour first and then sprinkle the salt on the flour. Another tip that we picked up in baking class is that salt added directly to yeast can drastically reduce the yeast’s effectiveness and even kill it. Unlike sugar, which yeast feeds on, salt alters the yeast’s ability to work properly. So if you’re adding flour and salt to yeast, be sure to add the flour first as a buffer.

At this point I removed my watch and and my ring and I got right into it! When people tell me that they don’t like to bake, I always think of this moment. Anyone who sinks their hands into a creamy, floury mixture just waiting to be turned into a dough will immediately feel the joy of baking! Keeping one hand clean (as Quellia recommends), I used the other hand to work in the flour and salt. After a minute or two I had a mushy, wet, yeasty blob! I love mushy, wet, yeasty blobs!!!

At this point, I began adding the remainder of the flour to my blob one cup at a time. As the mixture became drier, I reduced the flour to about half a cup at a time. Once I’d incorporated about six cups of flour, I had to remove my blob from the bowl and begin working it on the well-floured counter. I stopped adding flour after I added about seven and a quarter cups. I felt that the blob was sufficiently dry and I was ready to knead.

I won’t wax poetic about kneading … again. You all know how much I love it. Let’s just say I spent the following ten minutes getting a great upper body workout as I worked my blob into a beautiful dough!

Quellia and Freya’s recipe indicated that the dough should be placed in a well oiled bowl and allowed to rise until doubled in size. I would have preferred that the recipe also give a timeframe for that (”… until doubled in size, which should take an hour to an hour and a half …”), but that became a moot point when my dough absolutely ballooned after only thirty minutes!

In fact, this is what my dough looked like after thirty-five minutes.

Well there’s no rest for the wicked (or weary) so I got right down to forming those bagels! I placed a large pot of water to boil and then added malt syrup.

The recipe indicated that the bagel yield would be 15. Well I looked at this massive piece of dough and envisioned 15 bagel cakes growing right out of my oven. If I’d only divided it into 15 bagels they would have been huge. Instead, I divided my dough into six pieces and then further divided those six pieces.

I decided to try both ways of forming a bagel. For the first few bagels, I rolled dough into a round and then poked a hole in the middle with my finger. I then used two fingers to roll the dough around making the hole in the centre bigger.

For the second formation method, I rolled a piece of dough into a rope and then joined the ends rolling them slightly so that they held together. I eventually settled on this method and formed most of my bagels this way. After forming the bagels, I let them sit for ten minutes before heading to the malt/water bath.

When we made bagels in baking class, we boiiled them for a few seconds. But this recipe requires that you boil the bagels for three minutes on each side. I found this part of the recipe a bit confusing because my bagels went in nice and smooth but came out a bit lumpy and not so pretty. But never one to argue with a Daring Baker challenge, I perservered.

After all my bagels were boiled, I began the fun part of the recipe: how do I top them bagels???

I chose four options: the classic poppyseed, the yummy sesame seed, the even yummier caraway seed with Maldon salt and the not-so-traditional Cheddar cheese. To customize the bagels, I made a wash of egg white and water, which I brushed on to the boiled bagels. Then, each bagel met its topping fate.

The recipe indicated that the bagels should be baked at 400 degrees F. for 25 minutes and then turned and baked for an additional ten minutes. But I found that my first batch of bagels almost burned. So I reduced the oven temperature to 390 degrees F. and baked them for 20 minutes on one side and five minutes on the other side.

The end result was mixed for me. My bagels certainly didn’t look like bagels. This worried me a bit as I could already hear the snickers and criticism. They weren’t puffy like bagels should be. Or at least that’s how I think bagels should be. I think this is my fault in that I divided my bagel dough too much. In other words, I made too many small bagels when the recipe was meant to yield fewer and larger bagels.

I also suspect that the ten minutes of resting time the bagels need between being formed and boiled isn’t enough. I think that I would probably let them rest for 20 minutes should I make these again. This would give the bagels more time to rise.

So appearance-wise, I wasn’t too happy. But taste was another matter altogether.

These bagels were delicious! The exterior was firm but not hard and definitely yielded to the bite. The interior was bready and soft. Once they were cool, we immediately sat down and enjoyed them in our favourite way: with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

My personal favourite were the caraway seed and Maldon salt-topped bagels. I had this combination in one of my baking classes where we made bread topped with caraway and salt. I fell in love with it and often find myself craving it. I thought these bagels were delicious.

And as far as the disappointing disappearance goes, I must admit that the Cheddar cheese-topped bagels didn’t look all that bad. (Stop sneering at me!!!)

All in all, it was a very pleasant June challenge. I made bagels on my own for the first time and while my bagels will not be impressing any of the purists any time soon, we certainly enjoyed them.

I think I acquitted myself admirabley. I just hope that no one who knows me and recognizes me will be throwing bagels at me!

Ciao!

Please check Quellia’s post for the recipe we used.

Technorati tags: bagels, daring bakers

Beth Hensperger’s Bread for Breakfast has been the gift that keeps on giving in the Cream Puff household this month. I can’t believe this lovely cookbook sat on my shelf for years without being touched! What the heck was I waiting for?

Besides the Orange Bread that I made earlier in the month, I’ve made a number of other recipes including some incredible Glazed Orange Rolls and an unbelievable Oatmeal Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Each of these recipes has been easy to follow and with my recent experience with bread baking both in class and at home, I feel more and more confident trying bread recipes. Not that you need a lot of experience to try Hensperger’s recipes as they are simple and straightforward and use a lot of really wholesome ingredients, which is nice when you’re making baked goods for breakfast.

Yes. Even the Cream Puff likes to think of nutrition every once and a while.

The Oatmeal Cinnamon Swirl Bread involved making a very basic bread dough that had oatmeal in it. After an initial rise, the bread goes into the refrigerator to continue rising slowly overnight. In the morning, the dough is divided and rolled into two rectangles. A lovely filling of brown sugar, butter and cinnamon is spread over the dough and then both rectangles are rolled up to create the swirl pattern in the middle.

The bread baked up so beautifully in the oven! It was hard to resist the urge to just tear the hot bread apart and devour it. But I managed to do that long enough so that my family would have a chance to try the bread. It was incredible!

I didn’t change the recipe at all so I won’t post that one, but if you’re interested you really should take a look at the book as I can’t imagine a better book on simple breads for the home baker.

Spurred on by my success and with a massive craving for macadamia nuts, I decided to try a recipe for Giant Macadamia Rolls.

They were so good tried them several times and had the opportunity to tweak the recipe a bit. Like most of the other breads in the book the recipe involves putting together a basic dough recipe and giving it time to rise. The star of the show here is the macadamia filling. The original recipe calls for a brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, macadamia nut and raisin filling.

I added a bit of nutmeg for more depth in the flavour of the filling. The other change I made is to the glaze, which I found needed a bit more orange flavour so I added lots of orange zest.

Whether you’re experienced with bread or not, I really do hope you try this one.

Ciao!

Macadamia Nut Rolls with Orange Glaze

Adapted from Bread for Breakfast by Beth Hensperger.

Note:  You can easily enjoy these for breakfast all that’s required is that you get up earlier than usual but it’s worth it. If you prefer, you can use lemon juice and lemon zest in the glaze. Also, try these with walnuts! These rolls are best served warm, but you can also serve them at room temperature. Wrap any uneaten rolls in plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can reheat them before eating.

For the rolls:

• 2 tbsp. active dry yeast
• pinch of sugar
• 1 cup warm water (warm to the touch)
• 1-1/2 cups buttermilk (also warm to the touch)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 6-1/2 to 7 cups all purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. Combine the yeast, sugar and water in a bowl and stir. Let sit for about 10 minutes until foamy.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, brown sugar, eggs, salt and 3 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until combined (about 2 minutes).
3. Add the yeast mixture and the butter to the batter and mix on low speed for another 2 minutes.
4. With the mixer on low speed, begin adding the rest of the flour, a half cup at a time. You want to add enough flour so that a ball of dough that does not stick to the sides of the bowl forms. As soon as this happens, your dough is ready. I found that 6 to 6-1/2 cups of flour is usually enough.
5. Remove the dough from the mixer and place it on a floured work surface.
6. Knead the dough by hind until you can form a ball that is relatively smooth. If the dough is sticky, continue kneading and adding any remaining flour a little bit at a time (but do not add more than the 7 cups).
7. Once the dough is ready, place it in a greased bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place to rise for about an hour and a half (or until the dough has roughly doubled in size).

For the filling:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, nuts and raisins (if using) in a bowl.
2. Turn the risen dough out onto a work surface and roll into a rectangle that is roughly 14 by 20 inches.
3. Brush the dough with the melted butter.
4. Sprinkle the sugar and nut mixture over the dough, being sure to leave a one-inch border all the way around.
5. Starting at one long end, roll the dough up jelly roll style. Using a sharp knife, slice the roll into 16 or 18 equal rounds, depending on how thick you want your rolls.
6. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and divide the rounds between the baking sheets. Make sure the rolls aren’t too close together.
7. Cover the trays loosely with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for an additional 45 minutes.
8. About 20 minutes before the rolls are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
9. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through baking. When the rolls are done, they will be golden on the bottom and on the top. If you cut one open, it should be completely baked through.
10. Remove from the oven and prepare the glaze.

For the glaze:

• 5 tbsp. butter, softened
• 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/4 cup orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
• 2 tsp. orange zest, finely grated

1. In the bowl of the electric mixer, combine all the ingredients and mix until you have a smooth glaze that isn’t too thick or too runny. If it’s too thick, thin with a bit of milk or orange juice. If too thin, then thicken with a bit more icing sugar.
2. Once the rolls are out of the oven, let them cool for about 10 minutes then spread some glaze over each roll.
3. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  bread, macadamia nuts

I’ve often heard people say that their least favourite months of the year are November and February. Myself, I’ve always had a challenge with March. Granted there are some highlights like my mother’s birthday and the gentle promise of spring, but overall, for me it’s always a bit of a tricky month to get through.

When it came time to choose the Flavour of the Month, I knew that it would have to be somthing comforting. Almost immediately my eyes fell on Beth Hensperger’s Bread for Breakfast. This charming book has sat on my bookshelf for quite some time, unused and neglected. I took the book down and within a few moment, I knew that I’d found the cookbook that I wanted to focus on in March.

Beth Hensperger is an accomplished writer and cookbook author. She’s probably best known for her cookbook The Bread Bible, which won a James Beard Award. I own several of Hensperger’s cookbooks and have always enjoyed them. While I haven’t tried a lot of recipes, the ones that I have tried have always been successful.

I chose this particular cookbook because it’s full of the sort of recipes I imagine myself enjoying on lazy mornings when I have lots of time to sit and enjoy my coffee. Since March is typically a month where I almost never have the time to do this, I figured I might as well live vicariously through Hensperger’s book.

Unbelievably, it’s already March 12th so I suppose it’s time to get down to business. I’ve mentioned before how I often have trouble eating all the bananas I buy and I found myself in a similar position with some oranges. I’d bought some last week with the intention of enjoying one every day but suddenly found myself with a basket full of uneaten oranges. Flipping through Bread for Breakfast, I found myself drawn to a recipe for Orange Bread. Not only would I be able to use some of the beautiful oranges I bought, but I’d get to knead bread dough, always a blissful experience.

This particular bread is an excellent one, especially for someone who is just starting out baking bread. While the dough can easily be made in a mixer, it can just as easily be made by hand. The ingredients are few (yeast, flour, milk, orange juice and zest, melted butter and egg) and the time it takes to make the bread is relatively short. After letting the yeast bloom for about ten minutes, another ten or fifteen minutes of mixing results in a lovely dough. An initial rise of one and a half hours is followed by the shaping of the dough. The recipe doesn’t require bread pans, you can simply shape the dough into two round loaves. Another forty five minutes of rising time is followed by about forty minutes in the oven.

The end result is two wonderfully fragrant and golden loaves. We especially loved the bread toasted with butter and jam. Because I only tried this recipe once, I won’t post the recipe since I didn’t adapt it in any way, but I’m already looking forward to trying many of the other recipes in Bread for Breakfast.

Work has kept me out of the kitchen for too long. This beautiful Orange Bread was the perfect welcome back!

Ciao!

Technorati tags:  bread, orange

On Saturday, I will be attending the first class of the fourth course that I am taking as part of my work towards a Bakery Arts Certificate from George Brown College. I have enrolled in my third compulsory course:  Art of Pies. As with my previous baking classes, I look forward to sharing my experiences with you. Prior to beginning that journey into the world of pies, I’m left with the final two classes of my Art of Breads course to recap for you.

On the menu for Week 9:  Raisin Bread and Easter Bread

Our second last class began with a bread that we were all looking forward to. Who doesn’t like raisin bread? By this point in the course, everyone is working together so efficiently. It becomes routine to get to class, scale off your ingredients, gather your equipment and utensils and stake out your favourite stand mixer.

The raisin bread began with a slurry of fresh yeast and water. We added bread flour, eggs, sugar, shortening, whole milk powder, cinnamon and salt.

Once a dough was formed and processed in the mixer until it formed a smooth ball that did not stick to the sides of the bowl, it was time to add the raisins. Unlike other breads where you might add a filling ingredient directly to the dough in the stand mixer, our instructor recommended we add the raisins and knead the bread by hand as the mixer may crush the raisins.

We added the raisins by flattening the dough and sprinkling the raisins on top. We then rolled the dough up, jelly roll style, and made four or five deep slashes to the dough. After making the slashes, we began to knead the dough by pushing it away and then pulling it back in towards the centre. Because of the slashes, the raisins began to fall out but were slowly picked up as we kneaded the dough and, as a result, the raisins were distributed evenly throughout the dough without being squashed.

After forming the dough into a ball, we let it rest for 15 minutes. After the rest period, we returned to the dough and divided it into four pieces. We shaped our pieces into loaves and set them in tins. We applied an egg wash and sent the dough off to the proofer. Once the dough had doubled in size in the proofer, we baked our loaves at 350 degrees F. for about 30 minutes.

The end result was four nicely browned loaves. It was hard to resist the urge to rip right into them in class thanks to the aroma of cinnamon. The loaves were light and flavourful, although I think the flavour would be greatly improved with butter as opposed to shortening. The raisins were also nicely dispersed through the loaves thanks to the technique our instructor showed us. When making breads filled with raisins or other dried fruits, I would definitely try that technique again.

The second bread we made is called Easter Bread. This was a rich, eggy bread that resembled panettone in appearance and in taste. We began by making a sponge of fresh yeast, warm milk and bread flour. We let our sponge rest for about 30 minutes.

While the sponge was resting, we mixed together butter, sugar, vanilla, rum, lemon zest and salt until we had a light and fluffy mixture. One by one, we incorporated eggs into this mixture. Once that was done, we added bread flour. At this point our sponge was ready so we added the sponge to the mixture as well.

We mixed all the ingredients for about 5 minutes, until we had a cohesive dough. We removed a small piece of the dough and set it aside. We removed the rest of the dough and added raisins in the same way that we added them to the raisin bread above. We rounded off the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes. After the rest period, we divided our dough into four pieces, which we then placed in cake pans pressing down on the dough so that it covered the bottom of the pans evenly.

We took the dough that had been set aside, and divided it into four smaller pieces. We then further divided each piece into six. We rolled all the pieces into strands and taking three strands at a time, we made braids. We then applied the braids to the tops of the dough in the cake pans in a decorative manner. We applied an egg wash and sent our bread off to the proofer.

Once out of the proofer, we baked the bread for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees F. This bread was incredible! The combination of butter and rum made made for great flavour. It had an eggy depth that made it taste very much like panettone. The bread also looked very pretty. This is another recipe that I’m looking forward to adapting for home baking.

For our final class, the tenth one, the course curriculum directed that we learn how to make a bread basket. This particular project involved making a bread dough and creating a number of long braided strands. The strands are then braided around the base of a large bowl, wrapped in aluminum foil. This is baked until the outside has set and turned golden. The basket is removed and very gingerly flipped off the base of the bowl. It’s then placed inside the bowl and put back into the oven so that the inside of the basket can bake. You can get quite creative with these baskets including adding little feet so that it looks like a pedestal basket or adding handles. The basket is not for consumption, but rather it’s for decorative purposes.

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t want to make the basket. While it was interesting to watch the instructor demo the project, for the life of me I couldn’t imagine why in the world you’d want to make a basket out of bread. To me, it bordered on the edge of tacky. Fortunately, our instructor gave us the option of watching the demo and then baking another bread that we’d made in class. My partner and I very happily made cheese bread instead.

When I enrolled in the Art of Breads course, which is compulsory, I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did. Instead, I greatly enjoyed learning about yeast and how it can be manipulated by adding sugars. The information we learned about flour was also helpful. It finally clicked that all-purpose isn’t necessarily the best flour for everything. In fact, it may be quite the opposite. I was introduced to bread flour, which I’ve begun using at home to great effect.

But without question, the greatest lesson in this course for me, was the lesson on kneading. Prior to this class, I thought I knew how to knead dough but I quickly learned that I was mistaken. Kneading is a gentle art, even though at times it can be quite intensive. Believe me you can work up a sweat kneading. But it’s such a wonderfully calming motion and I’m happy to say that I’m kneading dough more and more all the time.

While I never imagined I’d say this, I can see myself baking a lot bread in my own home.

But now we say goodbye to bread, and hello to pies!

Ciao!

A new year always brings with it a sense of starting fresh. Perhaps this is the reason why I have a tendency to do my "spring cleaning" in January. Apart from recovering from the excesses of December including attempts to regain a waistline, January is the time that I like to clean, sort, organize, alphabetize, plan and declutter. Of course these good intentions don’t last long and I’m usually back to my messy self by February, but a girl can dream. Perhaps this will be the year that I finally fulfill my inner neat freak.

Not likely.

Anyhow, I do feel the need to tie up any loose ends from 2006 and this very need led me to realize that I never completed my recaps of baking class. As many long-time readers know last summer I began taking courses at George Brown’s Culinary School in the hopes of obtaining a Bakery Arts Certificate. Last fall, I enrolled in a Breakfast Breads course and in an Art of Breads course. While I told you about the Breakfast Breads class, I didn’t finish telling you about Art of Breads. Since I’m beginning my fourth course this Saturday (more on that in a post to come), I figured I’d better get my act in gear and complete the bread-baking story of 2006.

On the menu for Week 7:  Rye Bread and Cheese Bread

Week 7 began with instructions for rye bread that involved creating a "sponge." Breads made with a sponge or starter are very flavourful and have great texture. The sponge for our rye bread consisted of rye flour, water and fresh yeast. We mixed the ingredients and let them stand in a bowl for an hour. After the hour had passed, our sponge had grown considerably and had developed bubbles all over the surface. The bubbles represent the gas that the mixture has produced and are an excellent sign as those gases produced are what will help your bread to rise.

Once our sponge was ready, we added rye flour, bread flour, salt, shortening (not too thrilled about the shortening), water and gluten powder, also known as vital wheat gluten. Because rye flour has a lower gluten content, our instructor explained that adding some gluten powder will increase the gluten in the bread which will help you get a loaf that’s light and chewy. On its own, rye flour will produce a denser, darker bread.

After forming a dough, we shaped it into a large round and let it rest for 20 minutes. We then shaped the dough into loaves and sent it off to the proofer. In class, we are able to use large proofers which release steam and allow the loaves to rise at a much faster rate than if we left them covered on a work surface. While it’s unlikely that you’ll ever go out and buy a proofer for your home, our instructors explained that you can recreate the effect by briefly heating your oven and then turning it off. Once it’s cooled a bit, place a pan of hot water on the bottom of the oven. Place your bread in the oven and then close the oven door.

Once out of the proofer, our loaves went into the oven for 30 minutes at the equivalent of 400 degrees F. The end result were nicely browned loaves that had a strong rye flour, but that weren’t hard or too dense. While I wasn’t thrilled about the use of shortening in the bread (shortening will make it a bit more tender), overall I was pleased with the rye loaves.

The second part of Week 7’s class was spent making cheese bread. For this bread we returned to the very basic formula of bread-making. We created a slurry of water and fresh yeast. To the slurry we added bread flour, sugar, shortening, salt, milk powder and malt. After forming a dough, we added grated cheddar cheese and swiss cheese. We removed our dough from the stand mixer, formed it into a ball and let it rest for 15 minutes.

After the rest period, we shaped our dough into four loaves. After a trip to the proofer, the loaves were baked for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F. Of all the breads in class, this had to be one of the ones I enjoyed the most both for the ease of preparation and the flavour. It’s hard to resist a bread full of melted and oozing cheese. However, if I make this at home, I will most certainly replace the shortening with butter.

On the menu for Week 8:  Italian Bread and Focaccia

We began the eighth class with a basic recipe for Italian bread which, our instructor explained, could be used as a standard for both bread and pizza. Most of the Italian bread that I enjoy eating usually begins with a biga or starter, which contributes to great flavour and texture. This bread, however, followed the basic formula that we’d been adhering to all along. We mixed a slurry of fresh yeast and water, added bread flour and a mixture of malt and salt dissolved in more water. We formed a dough, let it rest and then shaped it into loaves. I chose to shape my portion of the bread into rings. The rings were baked at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

They looked nice but to be honest I was unimpressed. There was very little flavour to the bread and you would most certainly have to eat it with a spread or use it as a base for pizza to truly enjoy it. On its own, it was boring. I really can’t see myself using this recipe to make something as sublime as pizza.

The second part of class, however, was far more promising. We prepared focaccia bread which we then transformed into stuffed focaccia. The bread began the same way the Italian bread did with a slurry of fresh yeast and water. To that mixture we added bread flour, salt and olive oil. We formed a dough which we let rest for 15 minutes.

After the rest period, we divided the dough into four parts. We used two parts to line the bottom of greased 9-inch cake pans. We brushed the dough with olive oil and then added the toppings of our choice which included sun dried tomatoes, rosemary, sea salt, Parmigiano Reggiano and olives. We took the remaining two parts of dough and used them to cover the toppings, in effect forming a focaccia pie. With our fingers, we sealed the edges of the dough carefully to ensure that the filling would not leak out into the pan and cause the focaccia to stick. We brushed the tops with more olive oil and sent our little babies off to the proofer. Once out of the proofer, we baked the focaccias at 375 degrees F. for about 40 minutes (until the focaccia tops were golden).

This bread was so flavourful! And I loved the idea of using cake pans to create a stuffed focaccia. While I haven’t had the chance to make this since class, I will definitely try it at home. It was a pleasure to use so many fresh, natural ingredients and clear proof that creating a delicious baked good isn’t rocket science. You need good ingredients, some time and some effort. In the end, the results are so rewarding.

Ciao!

On a rainy Tuesday morning in Berlin, our tour bus pulled away from the hotel and we began the long journey to Prague, "city of one hundred spires." While the thought of hours on a bus may not normally sound appealing, I think we were all looking forward to the chance to catch up on some sleep and to just reflect, in general, on three days in Berlin.

My thoughts were filled with all the incredible sights I’d seen and I was feeling a tad overwhelmed. How in the world could my brain possibly absorb any more information? So I settled down to a few hours of organizing my thoughts about Berlin, and the place that it now occupied in my travel life.

After an oddly tense stop at the German/Czech border, and the briefest of snow flurries which delighted our Australian tour buddies to no end, we found ourselves driving into the Czech Republic. For several hours, we passed through towns and villages that all seemed uniform in appearance thanks to the fog that had descended. Occasionally a curious passerby would look up at the brightly-coloured tour bus rumbling by, but for the most part we passed through empty streets.

As dusk fell, we found ourselves pulling into our hotel and once again we ready to begin the exploration of a new city. After dinner, we headed immediately into the heart of Prague to be greeted by one of the most enchanting sights I’ve ever seen. In and around Prague’s Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí), we delighted in yet another lively and bustling Christmas market. It seemed that on this chilly Tuesday night, Czechs were out in full force to enjoy the Christmas cheer.

Perhaps the most popular feature of the Old Town Square is the Astronomical Clock (Orloj) which entertains by telling the time, giving the position of the sun and stars all while showing Saints days and the signs of the Zodiac. At 9:00 in the evening, in a square filled with people and light, we stood beneath the clock and waited for it to unveil its special workings. Magical!

From the clock, we wandered happily through the square and marveled at the monuments and churches. One church in particular, the St. Nicholas’ Church (Chrám sv. Mikuláše) in the Old Town Square, was a sight to behold. On our final day in Prague, as I spent the afternoon meandering through the Christmas market one last time, I was captivated by the sound of music and singing throughout the square. It was coming from St. Nicholas’. I very quietly made my way into the church and joined a crowd of people quietly and respectfully observing the choir and orchestra preparing for an upcoming Christmas concert. In the hushed church, I could feel goosebumps as I listened to that beautiful music ringing out.

As enticing as the charms of the Old Town Square were to me, it was hard to resist Prague’s other charms. While many tourists flocked to Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) for the shopping (I’ll admit even I was enticed a few times), I found the constant crowds a bit much. I preferred exploring the secretive streets of the "New World" (Nový Svět), following each turn and twist with the faint expectation that a ghost would pop out as we turned each corner.

Memories of the last world war are also buried deeply in Prague’s history. As you walk through the Jewish Quarter (Josefov), you get a familiar feeling, one that we had many times in Berlin where we found ourselves in a modern place so deeply affected by a war-filled past.

The cafes, the stores, the women walking on cobblestone in mile-high stilettos, it’s all so Prague. Completely unique and unforgettable.

Even more amazing are the number of castles each with its own set of legends and myths. But without question the most astonishing of all these places is Prague Castle (Hradčany). Established in the 9th century, this massive place is a feast for the eyes. From the changing of the guard to the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle should not be missed. While I didn’t have the chance to visit many of the other castles, I’m so glad we visited this one.

I must admit, at times it was all a little too dazzling. And time and time again, I found myself drawn to my very favourite spot in the city:  the Charles Bridge (Karlův most). We first visited the Charles Bridge on the night we arrived when it was shrouded in a mist and dimly lit. It seemed that as you stepped onto it, you were leaving Prague and entering an older place. Spooky yet exciting, by day the bridge provides one of the most incredible views of Prague. My pictures don’t do it justice. With the Vltava River below, figures of saints and martyrs all around and the hills in the background, I could have stayed on the bridge for hours and just soaked it all in.

A number of people have asked me about the food in Prague and while I did visit a few cafes, I have to be honest, what I remember most is the beer. I am not a big beer drinker but even I could not resist the most enticing of Czech beverages. These people make good beer!

Upon returning to Toronto, I wondered what I could make as a reminder of my time in Prague. The Zimtsterne in honour of my time in Berlin were an easy choice. But Prague was more difficult. As I thought about the meals we had, I recalled that bread was present at each one. The bread was simple and wholesome. And always there.

I decided to do some research on Czech breads and came across something called Vánočka, which is a type of egg bread with citrus zest, raisins and almonds. Braided like a challah, Vánočka is more elaborate in that the bread is made by making three separate braids, each smaller in size, and then layering the braids on top of each other with the largest at the bottom and the smallest at the top. While the formation of this bread was unusual and hard work (I’ll admit), it was impressive and so enticing as it came out of the oven.

As I looked at it, I couldn’t help wondering what had made me choose this bread as a tribute to Prague. And then I realized that the bread, like the city, was so warm and golden.

Na Shledanou!

Vánočka

Adapted from this recipe.

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup (4 ounces) butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon (.5 ounces) fresh yeast (you can also use 2 packages of active dry yeast)
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• pinch of salt
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp. raisins (soaked in warm water for 15 minutes)
• 3 tbsp. sliced almonds
• 1 egg and a tablespoon of water for the egg wash
• icing sugar for dusting

1. In a bowl, combine the fresh yeast and the milk or the active dry yeast and the milk. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and stir. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to give the yeast a chance to activate.
2. After 10 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add the flour, the remaining sugar, the salt, the lemon zest and the egg yolk. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and mix on low speed for two minutes, until the mixture is well combined. If it looks dry, add a bit of warm water.
3. After 2 minutes, increase the mixer speed to medium and begin adding the softened butter, a bit at a time. Between adding the butter, give the mixer a minute or so to incorporate the butter you’ve just added.
4. Once the butter has been added, turn the speed to low and add the raisins and almonds and mix for another minute to incorporate the items in the dough.
5. Once incorporated, remove the dough from the mixer and place on a well-floured surface. Form the dough into a ball and place in a large, oiled bowl. Sprinkle some flour on top of the dough and cover with a cloth or with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and let rise overnight.
6. After the dough has risen, place the dough onto a work surface and divide into 9 equal pieces.
7. Roll each piece into a rope that’s roughly 10 to 11 inches in length.
8. Once all the pieces have been rolled out, take 4 ropes and form a braid. Twist the braid ends and fold them under to ensure the braid does not unravel.
9. Take another 3 pieces and form those into a braid. Twist the braid ends and fold them under to ensure the braid does not unravel.
10. Take the remaining two pieces and twist them together being sure to pinch the ends so that the twist does not come undone.
11. Place the three braids on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a cloth. Let rise for an hour in a warm place.
12. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and place a rack in the centre of the oven.
13. When your ready to bake the braids, take the largest braid and place it in the centre of a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten it slightly with your hands.
14. Take the second largest braid and place it on top of the first braid. Flatten it slightly with your hands to ensure that the braids are firmly in place.
15. Top with the smallest braid and once again flatten with your hands.
16. Combine the egg and water in a dish to form an egg wash. Generously brush the Vánočka with the egg wash and sprinkle with a few more sliced almonds if you have them.
17. If you’re worried about the braids tipping over, you can insert wooden skewers in the Vánočka to keep it in place.
18. In my oven, the Vánočka took about an hour and 15 minutes to bake. It was deeply golden when I took it out of the oven. I had to use skewers part way through as I noticed that the braids were beginning to tip a bit.
19. Place the Vánočka on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, slice into the bread and enjoy!

Note:  The bread should be stored at room temperature, tightly wrapped in plastic or sealed in a large plastic bag. The bread will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days. Stale bread can be used for French toast or in a bread pudding.

This isn’t exactly an easy bread to make and I had to do some guessing as the original recipe wasn’t the clearest. But if you want to give it a try, it’s worth it. In future, were I to bake it again, I don’t think I’d layer the braids. I’d just form 2 larger braids and bake them separately.

Technorati tags:  prague, vanocka

There is nothing that Cream Puffs like more than long, slow, decadent Sunday breakfasts. Sometimes it’s pancakes, sometimes it’s waffles and sometimes, it simply has to be French Toast. Now that I have taken my first baby steps in the world of bread baking, I thought it was high time that I tried my hand at actually baking the bread that we’d use for Sunday morning breakfast.

Generally, I favour challah or sour dough bread for French Toast. Challah seems to be a favourite among Sunday brunchers, but I like the taste of tangy sour dough that’s a few days old and then dipped in an eggy/milky mixture and cooked in lots of butter. I suppose I’d like anything cooked in lots of butter.

But for my attempt at baking bread for French Toast, I decided to try my hand at a recipe for pain au lait from Linda Haynes’ The Ace Bakery Cookbook. As you know I’m featuring this book, as well as Linda’s newest, More From Ace Bakery, as the Cream Puffs in Venice Flavours of the Month for November 2006. The Pain au Lait is from Linda’s first book and forms the basis of many subsequent recipes in the book including bread pudding.

Pain au lait, as the title suggests, is bread made with milk. The bread begins with a starter of yeast, water and unbleached hard white flour (flour that is very high in protein). The starter is allowed to ferment for about six hours, at which point it is ready to use.

The dough for the bread consists of water, more unbleached hard white flour, semolina flour, sugar, butter, whole milk, eggs, yeast, salt and of course the starter. Once the entire mixture has been combined and kneaded to the point where the dough is smooth, you let the dough rise for a few hours, or until it has almost doubled in size.

The dough can be shaped and baked in loaf pans, or it can be shaped into boules (or whatever other shape you  prefer). After another two to three hours of rising time, the loaves are baked in a hot oven for about 40 minutes.

The end result are very light loaves with a lovely golden crust. The crumb reminds me of brioche, but isn’t quite as eggy or heavy as brioche. The bread generally has a slightly sweet taste and is perfect for soaking up butter, jam or whatever else you choose to top it with.

I decided to use my pain au lait for one of my French Toast favourites:  Coconut French Toast. Instead of mixing milk, eggs and sugar for the French Toast base, I like to use coconut milk, eggs and sugar. I also add a few drops of coconut extract to really emphasize the coconut flavour. I defrost a handful of the blueberries I squirrel away during the summer and somehow the little blue gems don’t make me feel so bad about all the butter and syrup!

Ciao!

Coconut French Toast

Adapted from Brunch by Louise Pickford.

• 8 slices of bread (I like to use challah or sour dough, but today used pain au lait), thickly cut (about an inch)
• 1 cup canned coconut milk (use full fat coconut milk)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp. sugar or maple syrup
• 1 tsp. coconut extract (optional)
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• butter (for the frying pan)
• icing sugar
• blueberries

1. In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, the eggs, the sugar or maple syrup, the coconut extract (if using) and the vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
2. Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a large fry pan.
3. Dip a slice of bread in the coconut milk/egg mixture, letting it soak up the liquid for about a minute on each side.
4. Place the bread in the melted butter and saute until it’s nice and golden on each side (about 2 to 3 minutes). Transfer to a serving dish.
5. Repeat with the remaining slices of bread.
6. Once the bread has all been cooked, dust with icing sugar and serve with blueberries and lots of butter and syrup.
7. Enjoy!

Note:  Serves 4. The original recipe from Louise Pickford uses panettone as the bread of choice.

For some other posts about pain au lait, check out these posts:

• Rosa’s Yummy Yums
• Banlieue Blog

Technorati tags:  pain au lait, ace bakery, french toast, coconut

Okay. They’re not perfect, but they’re not bad for a first try either!

I cannot even begin to describe to you how much I am loving all the bread-baking that I’m doing this month. It’s like the doors to the world of flour and yeast have been unlocked and I’ve passed through them, never to turn back.

My dough hook has been retired and I’m kneading, kneading, kneading all the time, notwithstanding the no-knead bread phenomenon that has taken the world by storm. I spent most of Sunday afternoon in a warm kitchen kneading to my heart’s content and occasionally looking out the window at a squirrel foraging for some last minute food before winter really hits us.

Am I worried? Nope. Why? Because I am baking bread!

And what type of bread did I bake today? Pretzels.

While I’m not completely sure if pretzels qualify as a bread, they do require flour, yeast and water and my new favourite activity:  kneading. I’d never made pretzels before and my decision to attempt them came about after Lisa of La Mia Cucina and I happened to come up with the idea of baking pretzels. Since neither of us had ever tried it, we decided it would be fun for both of us to bake pretzels on the same day and post about it. We both tried the same recipe. You can head over to Lisa’s blog to read about her journey into pretzel world.

As for my experience, I decided to try a recipe for hot-buttered pretzels from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion. After reading the description of the pretzels, they sounded very much like the sort of pretzels I used to enjoy when I was a child. There was a nearby vendor that we would buy them from and my favourite were the buttered pretzels sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

I didn’t stray too far when trying the King Arthur version. I used unbleached all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, instant yeast and warm water. After mixing and kneading the dough for about 8 minutes, I let it rest for an hour during which time the dough expanded to almost double the original size.

I then divided the dough into eight equal pieces, and rolled each piece into a long rope. I twisted the rope into a pretzel shape with a double twist down the middle. As the recipe directed, I dipped the unbaked pretzel in warm water mixed with sugar, sprinkled them with kosher salt and then let the pretzels rest for a bit before going into the oven.

I baked the pretzels at 500 degrees F, however, I baked them for longer than the recipe directed (about 12 minutes). Once they’d cooled, I enjoyed them with some spicy mustard. They were delicious!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have seven more pretzels that require my attention!

Ciao!

Hot Buttered Pretzels

Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion.

For the dough:

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 package (2-1/4 tsp.) instant yeast
• 1 cup warm water (you may need a little more)

For the pretzel topping:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tsp. sugar
• kosher salt
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1. Combine all the dough ingredients in a large bowl with your hands. Work the ingredients together until you can form a ball. If the dough is very dry, add a bit more warm water until it comes together. The dough will look messy, but don’t worry about it.
2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and begin kneading by pushing the dough away with the heel of your hand, and then folding it back in onto itself. Push the dough away again and then fold back in. Continue this motion, working the dough until it’s smooth. This should take anywhere from 8 to 10 minutes. (Alternatively, you can knead the dough in a mixer with your dough hook for 5 to 6 minutes).
3. Once the dough is done, sprinkle some flour on the dough and put it in a large, oiled bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes to an hour. It will rise considerably.
4. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Dissolve the sugar in the warm water and set aside.

Divide your dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a long rope that’s roughly 24 inches in length. (Don’t make it too long or your pretzels will be too thin.)

6. Taking hold of the ends of the rope, cross the rope over itself to form a circle with about 4 to 5 inches on each end that are sticking out. Twist the ends over themselves and secure each end on either side of the pretzel.
7. Carefully dip the pretzel in the water and then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
8. Sprinkle the pretzels with the kosher salt and let them rest for about 15 minutes.
9. Put the pretzels in the oven for 6 minutes, then rotate the trays and bake for an additional 6 minutes. Keep an eye on the pretzels so that they don’t burn.
10. Remove the pretzels from the oven and immediately brush them with the butter. Keep brushing them with butter until you’ve used it all.
11. Serve the pretzels warm with plenty of mustard or another condiment of your choice.
12. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  pretzels, bread

I am seriously behind with my posts about baking class. I promise I’ll catch up soon, but I’m just having too much fun baking and blogging about bread! Several weeks ago, in bread class, we were scheduled to make challah. Unfortunately, work commitments meant that I had to miss that class and I was more than disappointed. I love challah, and I especially love using it for bread puddings and French toast.

It was a stroke of luck then when I noticed that Linda Haynes had included a recipe for challah in her new cookbook, More from ACE Bakery. Excited and eager, I set about making challah for the very first time.

The process began with a starter (called a pâte fermentée), which I made the night before I planned to bake the challah. The starter consisted of water, yeast (traditional dry yeast), hard white flour and fine sea salt. Unlike other bread recipes where the yeast has to be developed before adding it to the flour and other ingredients, Haynes’ recipe for starter calls for everything to be combined in a mixer for a few minutes and then allowed to rest for 15 minutes. I was under the impression that only instant yeast could be added to flour in this way, but I guess I’m wrong. After the starter rested for 15 minutes, I kneaded it for an additional few minutes before placing it in a greased bowl to rise in the refrigerator overnight.

The following morning I found a starter that had more than doubled in size and had lovely bubbles and holes all over it. That was a clear sign that it had been fermenting. All those little bubbles represented the gas being created throughout the fermentation process.

To make the challah, I added water, yeast, hard white flour, semolina flour, egg yolks, honey, butter and sea salt to the starter. I mixed everything in the mixer using the dough hook and within minutes, I had a beautiful dough that was smooth and heavy. Once again, I let it rise for a few hours in a greased and covered bowl. At that point, I was ready to form my challah.

Haynes advises that if you’re intimidated of the entire braiding process, you can easily form your challah into rounded loaves. But looking at the braiding illustrations, I felt reasonably confident that I could manage.

I divided my challah dough into 5 equal pieces, which I then rolled into strands. I lined the strands up and joined them at one end. I then moved two strands slightly to the left and the other three slight to the right. Over, across, over, across, repeat, repeat, repeat. I actually ended up with a decent braid! But my one mistake is that I rolled my strands a bit too long. As I braided the strands and struggled to move them out of the way, I inadvertently begin laying them over the edges of the counter. As I did this, the weight of the dough began to pull the strands downward, which meant they were getting longer and longer! Instead  of a neat, compact braid, I ended up with a rather longish and skinny one.

I would have gone ahead and baked it that way except I was worried it wouldn’t fit on the baking sheet so I did the logical thing (to me, anyway) and I turned my braid into a braided ring. I brushed the top with egg wash and let the dough rest to rise again for about 30 minutes. Another brush with egg wash and into the oven it went. About 30 minutes later I had a golden, eggy ring of pretty good challah if I may say so myself!

The only problem I had with the recipe was the honey. I don’t think I’ve ever seen challah recipes that call for honey so I was intrigued to see it on the ingredients list. But when I tasted the challah, I found that it tasted predominantly of honey which overwhelmed the buttery egginess that I enjoy in challah. Haynes’ recipe calls for wildflower or acacia honey and I used wildflower because that’s what I had on hand. If I made the bread again, I would omit the honey.

However, one thing bread class has taught me is that many breads require both a sugar as well as a salt. Yeast feasts on sugar so I’m guessing that if I omit the honey, I’ll have to replace it with another type of sugar. Clearly I need to research this further and just keep trying my hand at challah.

It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it!

Ciao!

Technorati tags:  bread, challah

I am officially declaring November "The Month of Bread." Now that I have one bread course under my belt and will soon be completing my second bread course at George Brown College’s Culinary School, I really have no excuses for not putting my newly learned schools to good use.

In a further bit of excellent timing, the generous and talented Linda Haynes, owner of Toronto’s ACE Bakery, kindly sent me a copy of her second cookbook:  More from ACE Bakery. In 2003, when Linda published her first book called The ACE Bakery Cookbook, I greedily snapped it up. Even then I was a big fan of ACE’s bread, due mainly to the fact that I’d been enjoying it for years. The ACE Bakery facilities are conveniently located very close to my family’s shoe company. Easy access means lots and lots of ACE bread and believe me no one around here is complaining.

So here we are. It’s November. For the first time I’m featuring two cookbooks as the Flavours of the Month for November 2006. And it’s all about the bread.

I must tell you that I’ve been enjoying my bread classes immensely. The feeling of creating and kneading dough is endlessly pleasing and satisfying. And now that I have a better understanding of how the combination of yeast and flour works, I want to learn more and more.

It’s my wish that you’ll join me on this journey in the hopes that we’ll all learn just a bit more about baking bread. Of course being a Cream Puff, you can expect the usual assortment of sweets from me as well.

To kick things off, I decided to try my hand at focaccia. While I haven’t done any research on the difference between focaccia and pizza, my understanding is that focaccia tends to be breadier and thicker than your average pizza crust. To be honest, I don’t make focaccia often because I’ve never had much success. It usually ends up looking at tasting very  much like a pizza crust that’s risen a bit more.

But in another example of worlds colliding, Linda’s recipe for focaccia (from The ACE Bakery Cookbook) brought to mind an interesting lesson from one of my bread classes. While I’ve been a bit slow to update you on what I’ve learned in bread class (I’ll catch up on those posts I promise), you should know that recently we practiced making bread with what the instructor referred to as a "sponge." It’s a combination of yeast, flour and water that’s allowed to proof or ferment until it doubles or triples in size. This sponge is then used to make bread.

In The ACE Bakery Cookbook, Linda Haynes uses a "biga" or "starter" to make focaccia. Her biga is made with active dry yeast, warm water and unbleached hard white flour. Once mixed, the biga must ferment for 12 to 14 hours, which of course means that you have to plan ahead. But believe me the results are worth it!

I made the biga on a Saturday night and then picked up the recipe on Sunday morning. Before working with the biga, I mixed flour, water and olive oil and allowed it to rest for about 30 minutes. The recipe refers to this process as "autolyse," which means that you’re giving this part of the dough time for the gluten to develop. In bread class, we’ve never taken this step when using a "sponge" or starter. But because it was relatively easy and because the end result was so good, I will definitely try it again at home.

Once the dough rested, I mixed it with more yeast and water, the biga and salt. After allowing the focaccia dough to rise for a few hours, I shaped it, bathed it in olive oil and let it rise again for an hour or so. A sprinkling of sea salt and the addition of rosemary were the final steps before my focaccia went into the oven.

The fragrance alone made this entire process worth it. But the end result was fabulous. A firm crust, a light and tender interior, the flavour of olive oil mixed with sea salt and rosemary … it was beautiful and I was so proud of my accomplishment! I cannot wait for the weekend so that I can try this recipe again.

For the time being, I’m not going to post the focaccia recipe. I’m not comfortable doing so because to be honest, I did not adapt the recipe in any way. For my first time, I wanted to follow the instructions in detail. As I try it more and more, I have no doubts that I’ll adjust the recipe to further suit my tastes. So while there’s no recipe for now, please feel free to send me any questions you have about this particular focaccia.

It seems incredible that a simple focaccia baked on a quiet Sunday afternoon could bring so much pleasure. But it did. A warm kitchen … a beautiful offering from the oven … the simple things truly do make the difference.

Ciao!

Technorati tags:  bread, focaccia, ace bakery

We’ve got a busy post ahead so I’ll just get right down to the business at hand:  some news, some recipes and a long overdue MEME response.

News, News, News!

Earlier this year, the first edition of Canadian Blogging by Post was launched with great success.

I’m happy to announce that CBBP #2 is proceeding thanks to the witty, charming and talented Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Sensual Gourmet (yes … she has two blogs!).

Jasmine stepped up to the plate and offered to host CBBP #2. She’s posted all the details here so if you’re a blogger and you live in Canada, take a moment to consider participating in CBBP #2.

The food blog world is fairly bursting at the seams with events and I for one am thrilled. Nothing gets the creative juices flowing more than a blog event.

The latest one to capture my attention is World Bread Day, which I first read about on Andrew’s blog SpittoonExtra. The event is organized by Zorra of Kochtopf. I’d never visited this blog before and I assure you that I will rectify that situation by visiting often. It’s gorgeous! The details of the event are here. As someone who is taking two bread courses this Fall, I think it is more than incumbent upon me to participate. I hope you do as well.

Recipes, Recipes, Recipes!

Many months ago, I took it upon myself to finally go through the mountain of printed recipes threatening to topple over and smother my family! And just as soon as I’d done that the mountain was quickly replaced by another mountain of recipes, except this time they were recipes I’d printed from all the blogs I visit. I decided it was high time to try some of them lest Mount Blog erupt and doom us all!

Here’s a list of recipes I’ve tried. There are no pictures, mostly because I was too anxious to eat the food rather than photograph it. Yes. I am a weak Cream Puff.

• Hungry in Hogtown’s Nutella Ice Cream:  It’s ice cream with nutella in it. You figure it out!
• Cookbook 411’s Apricot Mini Cakes:  If I had to pick one fruit that represented the summer recently past, it would be the apricot. We were blessed with a bounty of them, many of which found their way into these glorious little cakes which I reproduced with great success.
• Milk & Honey’s Chocolate Marble Cake and Spicy Honey Peanut Sauce:  Sweet Rorie is back to blogging and I couldn’t be happier. The Chocolate Marble Cake is a must-try and the Spicy Honey Peanut Sauce has become a family favourite.
• Nosheteria’s Roasted Garbanzo Beans:  When I was a child, we would snack on roasted garbanzo beans (chickpeas) all the time. At some point we stopped eating them so I was hit with a wave of nostalgia when I saw this recipe. Delicious and good for you … you just can’t go wrong.

A Long Overdue MEME Response

Speaking of Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict, I am in her debt as she tagged me for a MEME a veeeeeerrrrrrrry long time ago and I have yet to respond. It’s the "You Are What You Eat MEME" and it made it’s way ’round the blogosphere for quite some time. The objective is to name ten foods that you cannot live without. Having recently taken time to answer the question that Melissa put forth, I won’t bore you by repeating my list of five. But I will add another five to my original list in no particular order.

• Chocolate:  No explanation required.
• Milk:  It does the body good.
• Doughnuts:  Dough that is fried and then dipped in sugar is very good for you.
• Tomatoes:  I cannot imagine a life without tomatoes and all the various dishes they inspire.
• Cheese/Yogurt:  Who knew bacteria could be so yummy!

And there you have it. Some news, some recipes and a MEME.

Ciao!

This is a salad that I would happily call the perfect summer salad. It is one that I look forward to making every summer. As I add each beautifully ripe ingredient to a large bowl, I can’t help but feel that the very act of making panzanella is pure summer joy!

Panzanella is a bread salad that is Italian in origin. The most common theory behind its creation is that it was a clever way to use up old, stale bread. Simply combine it with some fresh ingredients from the garden, including tomatoes and their juice, and the next thing you know you have a savoury, filling dish. Panzanella, like so many Italian dishes, is a simple food. Variations of it appear all over Italy and like so many other examples of rustic cuisine, it’s been elevated to a much higher status. I’ve even seen it on restaurant menus for absolutely ridiculous prices, especially when you consider that panzanella costs you next to nothing to make at home. And it’s so much better when you make it yourself.

This salad has also come to be a family favourite because it allows us to enjoy the best of summer flavour without having to turn on the stove or oven. While the awful humidity of July has released its grip on Toronto, it’s still nice to be able to throw some items together in a bowl and end up with an incredible meal.

Each time you make panzanella, it evolves. You’ll find yourself adding new ingredients all the time and eventually, you’ll settle on the version you like best. If you’ve never made panzanella before, I urge you to give it a try. A plate of this salad and that Italian terrace we’ve all been dreaming about will seem to appear that much closer.

Ciao!

Panzanella

Treasured family recipe.

• 6 or 7 slices (1/2-inch thick) of day-old Italian country style bread or day-old focaccia
• 2 medium cucumbers, with skin on and sliced thinly
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 large ripe tomato (to be used to wet the bread)
• 2 large ripe tomatoes cut into small pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
• 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• sea salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• handful of fresh basil, torn into pieces
• handful of cherry tomatoes for garnish
• handful of Mediterranean olives for garnish

1. Using a toaster oven or the broiler, lightly toast the bread for a minute or two on each side. Remove and let cool. Once cool, cut the bread into 1-inch pieces. Put the bread in a large bowl.
2. Take the ripe tomato set aside to wet the bread, cut it in half and squeeze out all the juice (seeds and all) over the bread. Mix the bread so that the juice is evenly distributed.
3. Add a teaspoon or two of salt and black pepper to the bread and mix well; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, parsley and thyme. Add a teaspoon of salt and mix well. Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes. After that time has elapsed, add the vegetables to the bread being sure to also add any juice that’s accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. Mix well.
5. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and then pour the vinaigrette over the bread and vegetables. Mix well. Add the torn basil and garnish with cherry tomatoes and olives. Serve immediately.
6. Enjoy!

Note:  This salad serves 4 to 6 people. I like to use a focaccia loaf that I buy from the best bread store in Toronto:  Ace Bakery. Toasting the bread ahead of time helps to keep the bread from soaking up too much liquid too quickly. Nonetheless, this salad should be served right away or the bread will become mushy.

Technorati tags:  panzanella, bread, salad

It’s almost 2:30 a.m., early (very early!) on Easter Sunday morning, and here I am in front of the computer. What in the world am I doing up, you ask? Well for one thing I’m waiting for the crust that I prepared for my lemon meringue tart to chill. Another 10 minutes or so and I can pop it in the oven. Once that’s done, I’m off to bed. The lemon filling is safe in the refrigerator and I will prepare the meringue topping tomorrow morning.

But the tart is not the only reason that I’m still awake. In fact, even if the the tart were done, I’d still be sitting here, staring at the screen. To be honest, I can’t bring myself to go to sleep until I find a way to put into words my feelings on Easter and my mother’s Easter bread.

I am so blessed. As I delve deeper into the life of my blog, I am coming to understand how blessed I am to have so many rich food traditions in my life. And not just because it means I get to eat a lot of great food. It’s also because so many of my best memories, the ones that I cherish most, involve those very traditions.

And perhaps nothing represents this more than my mother’s Easter bread.

The recipe for this Easter sweet, along with my mother and my grandmother, came to Canada in 1957 on a boat called the Cristofero Colombo. The recipe arrived in Halifax and then made it’s way to Toronto, where for more than 40 years it was the centrepiece of Easter at my grandmother’s house in Little Italy. And then two years ago, when my grandmother passed away, it became the defining symbol of Easter in the home in which I live.

Like so many of the dishes that come from other places, far away, from a world far removed from the one we live in now, this recipe was altered to suit the new land in which my mother’s family found themselves. Whatever fat my grandmother used in Italy was substituted with vegetable oil. The eggs, which would have come from my grandmother’s own chickens in Italy, came from the grocery store. The yeast, which would most certainly have been fresh yeast in Italy, was now dried yeast that came in a packet.

And just as my grandmother and mother adapted to their new home, along with my grandfather who had already lived in Canada for a few years, so too did this recipe. It shaped itself to suit the new life that my mother’s family was forging for themselves.

This yeasty, eggy bread is THE symbol of Easter for me. The merest whiff of the elusive scent of anise, used to flavour the bread, fills me with the joyousness that the Easter season brings with it. I am joyous because the warm weather has returned. The birds have come back to visit us. The sun is bright and welcoming.

And today, almost 40 years after this recipe came to Canada, it continues to be the link between a world that was left behind and a world where a new life was born.

Buona Pasqua!

My Mother’s Easter Bread

Treasured family recipe.

Note:  Like so many recipes that come from other countries, the measurements here have been interpreted over the years to suit the needs of a very large family! I have cut the original recipe by one-third, as the original (just to give you an idea) calls for 16 cups of flour! If you have any problems with the recipe, or would like to ask questions about the measurements before you begin, just drop me a note.

• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup whole milk (do not use low fat or non fat milk)
• 2 teaspoons spirit of anise (if you cannot find spirit of anise try anise extract)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour (you may need more to form a dough)
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Follow the directions on the packet of yeast and dissolve in warm water. Wait 10 minutes for the yeast to foam.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until smooth.
3. Add the vegetable oil, milk and anise and mix well.
4. Add the yeast mixture and mix well.
5. Add the four cups of flour and the salt and stir with a fork or a wooden spoon. (My mother always does this with a fork.) Eventually a soft dough will form. Continue adding flour until you can gather the dough into a ball.
6. Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and not sticky. If the dough is sticky, continue to work in a few tablespoonfuls of flour at a time until you have a smooth dough.
7. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes and then begin forming the bread.
8. Cut off a piece of dough that’s about 3 inches in size. Roll the dough into a ball and then place on a work surface and roll the dough into a strip that’s about 1/2 an inch to an inch in diameter and about 6 inches long. Form a circle with the strip of dough, pressing the ends together.
9. Place the dough circle on a cloth in a warm area. Continue forming the dough circles. Once the dough has been completely used, cover the rings with a cloth and let rise for 2 to 3 hours.
10. To bake the rings, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
11. Brush the tops of the rings with an egg wash (one egg beaten with a tablespoon of water) and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the rings.
12. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can make more decorative bread by creating braids. It’s up to you. You can also garnish each ring or braid with a boiled egg. To do so, hard boil some eggs prior to baking the bread. Let the eggs cool down. When you’ve formed your ring or braid, place the egg on the bread and let the bread rise with the egg on it. The eggs will be fine in the oven and you can even eat them if you wish once the bread has been baked.
13. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  Easter, bread, anise