Sunday Bread - Zucchini Bread for Occupy DC

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun Nov 13, 2011 at 06:55:50 AM PST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we're still doing recipes that I have been carting down to the Occupy DC folks. Things have changed for the better in the camp's kitchen this week. They totally reorganized it, putting all of the food prep area in the back, segregating the storage areas for donated food and generally making it a more professional style operation.

All of this is good news for the folks who are feeding the occupiers and the occupiers themselves. They are also starting a news letter and you're donations will be highlighted. Just so you know here is what has been delivered to Occupy DC through your donations:

40 loaves French bread
200 Peanut butter cookies
200 Oatmeal Cookies
120 Chocolate Chip Scones
120 Oatmeal Raisin Scones
30 loaves Pumpkin bread
230 Peanut butter cookies
30 loaves Zucchini bread

We are down the 100 dollars in the fund, which should cover another three deliveries. If anyone would like to donate or donate again, you can do say at Paypal using the egnorbill@gmail.com address.

This weeks recipe is going to be the Zucchini bread that was delivered yesterday. Though this is still a quick bread is not as cakelike as many of the recipes you'll find out there. It comes to me via one of my Mom's friends and has been a staple of our holiday baking and giving for years. It also is more nutritional than a cookie but still has a good sugar hit which is the request that I got from the folks in the Occupy DC kitchen.

So, let's bake!  

Sunday Bread - Oatmeal Raisin Scones for Occupy DC

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun Nov 06, 2011 at 06:50:13 AM PST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we'll be continuing with recipes that I have been baking for the Occupy DC folks. This is my little grass roots effort to do what I can to support the protesters. The way it works is that Kossaks (and others) donate some money for ingredients and transport and I donate my know how, time and electricity to getting gobs of high quality baked goods down the folks in McPherson Square.

So far we've delivered 40 loaves of French Bread, 200 Peanut Butter Cookies, 200 Oatmeal Cookies, 120 Chocolate Chip Scones and yesterday 120 Oatmeal Raisin Scones, which happen to be today's recipe.

If you would like to help out in this effort it is pretty easy. Just go to Paypal and use the e-mail address egnorbill@gmail.com to send whatever you can. I will keep doing this as long as there are people willing to pay for the cost of ingredients and transport (the Metro in this case).

So, let's bake!  

Sunday Bread - Peanut Butter Cookies for Occupy DC

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun Oct 30, 2011 at 07:04:25 AM PDT

Happy Sunday, Bread Heads!

This week and probably for the next few weeks we are going to be doing recipes that I am baking for the Occupy DC folks.

Last week I asked if anyone would like to donate some money for ingredients and transport of baked goods to the protestors. Little did I know that we'd get such a big response! As of today there has been $425 donated!

I originally thought that I would just bake French bread, because it is just flour, water, yeast and salt, and could deliver a few hundred loaves. But when I brought the first 40 (two 8 hour days of baking will net you 40 lovely French bread loaves) the ODC folks told me they had a lot of bread already (they did).

They asked if I might bake something else for them, suggesting cookies. So, thinking about a cookie with a good sugar hit and some kind of nutrition led me to Peanut Butter Cookies, which is this week's recipe.

I am going to continue to bake what the protesters ask for, figuring that they know what they want and it really is all about them not what I think is the better food. If you would like to donate to this effort, you can message me and I'll give you the account to use for Paypal. I'll also be providing updates on the deliveries either here or my nightly Water Cooler post.

Now, on to the cookies! As with everything that is baked I have particular and strong opinions about cookies. They should not be really small nor large. They should always be al dente, a mushy cookie is under cooked and crispy cookies tend to be too dry. They should also be able to last (in terms of being edible, not necessarily in terms of being around uneaten) for at least a week in a reasonably air tight box or tin.

This Peanut Butter cookie recipe is one that fits the bill all the way around. The cookies come out delectably chew with a great peanut butter flavor. Best of all the recipe makes between 60-70 two to three bite cookies!

Now that your mouth is watering, let's bake!  

Sunday Bread - White Flour Sandwich Bread

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun Oct 23, 2011 at 06:59:19 AM PDT

Happy Sunday, Bread Heads!

This week I got asked by a frequent reader why it was I had never given just a plain old white sandwich bread recipe. This kind of startled me, because I think that all kinds of breads I have shared with you are sandwich breads and are made from white flour.

Still looking back over this series I realized that I really had not shared a bake-in-loaf-pans white bread. So, I'm going to remedy that right now!

When it comes to sandwich breads I am more than a little particular. I want a loaf that is a bit airy but also has a firm enough crumb to hold up to mayo or mustard or any other condiment that I might want on my Dagwood.

For this reason I like this rich white bread. It has milk, butter and eggs in it, so it stands up well and keeps better on the counter while waiting to be turned into gastronomic delights.

Now that you know what the end result will be, let's bake!  

Sunday Bread - Perfect Brownies

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun Oct 09, 2011 at 06:43:24 AM PDT

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we are going to make the prefect brownie. Now I know that just about everyone makes brownies and they pretty much all think that they make them prefect, but it is just not true.

Brownies are supposed to be chewy and moist, but far too often bakers (even some professional bakers) will mistake under-cooked for moist and gooey for chewy. Under-cooked dough is never a good treat, no matter how much chocolate is in them.

So in an effort to save this venerable treat from gaining a reputation for inedibility, I will walk you through the factors that make for a prefect brownie.

One of the elements that is most often overlooked is the baking pan. Nearly every home in America has a 9" x 13" Pyrex baking pan. It is a very nice dish and has a lot of uses, but fully baking brownies is not one of them. While glass can be a reasonable conductor of heat, it is not the same as an aluminum pan.

Glass just does not do the same job of heat transference and as a result the brownies baked in glassware are almost always undercooked in the middle. Blech! If you don't want to buy a new baking pan, you can do what I do, bake them on a sheet pan, that has a raised edge and is 12" x 18" (you do get a thinner brownie and have to reduce the baking time to 15 minutes).

Or you can go to a local restaurant supply store and pick up an aluminum pan for about $10, if you really must have the thicker brownies. In any case you must have a metal baking pan for this to work right.

The next thing that people do that ruins brownies is to rush. Brownies, if you look at the recipe, are basically a soufflé. They have a lot of sugar and eggs, but not a lot of flour. This means that you must get the lift for the pastry out of the structure of the eggs and the means a lot of beating, 10 minutes worth to be precise.

By betting the eggs and sugar together for this amount of time will give you a very nice fluffy base for your brownies. They will cook through but still be tender, chewy and moist.

Another step that seems to be lost on most recipes is the buttering and flouring of the baking pan. This is really important as it allows the cooled brownies to release from the pan.

Finally, the mistake that nearly everyone makes; cutting them too soon! Brownies need at least, at the very least, 2 full hours to cool and settle. By waiting this time you will have a much easier time cutting them and they will hold together when lifted from the pan much better.

Okay, now that we have that out of the way, let's bake some brownies!  

Sunday Bread - Rosemary Garlic Bread

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun Oct 02, 2011 at 07:28:02 AM PDT

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we're going to make one of my all around favorite breads, Rosemary Garlic Bread. It is made with both white and whole wheat flour and has a wonderful texture to go with the evocative aroma of rosemary that you get any time you are near this bread.

This is great sandwich bead, but I particularly like it for cheese toast on a cool fall morning. Topped with a nice slice of sharp white cheddar and broiled for 2 minutes it turns into a hearty and satisfying breakfast that even the little ones will ask for!

But enough talk, let's bake!  

Sunday Bread - Apple Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun Sep 25, 2011 at 06:08:00 AM PDT

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week I found myself with a beautiful bunch of apples and decided it was time to try something fall like with them. What I came up with was this cake, Apple Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream.

The recipe started out with what is called a pudding cake, a pretty basic batter cake, then I added ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg to give it a more fall like flavor. Tart Granny Smith apples are pressed into the batter then brown sugar and dried raisins are spread over the top. After baking the cake is served warm with a dollop of caramel whipped cream. All the great tastes of fall in one outstanding (if I do say so myself) cake!

Best part? It is not at all hard to make!

So, enough talk, lets bake!  

Sunday Bread - Napoleons (Not Nearly As Hard As You Think)

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun Jul 17, 2011 at 07:35:51 AM PDT

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

Okay, I know , I know, this recipe was promised for last week so you all would be able to have it for you Bastille Day celebrations, but the best laid plans of mice and men will often go astray and all that.

Be that as it may, this week we are going to tackle a pastry treat that many people find intimidating. The thing is there is no reason for that intimidation. A napoleon is really just some pastry you bake flat, cut up and then stack up with layers of pastry cream between. There is nothing here that should deter the home baker.

In fact this is a great recipe to practice making puff pastry and your pastry cream on. If you don't panic and have even a moderately steady hand, you'll do just fine.

So, without further adieu, let's bake!

Napoleons

Ingredients:

For Blitz Puff Pastry Dough

2 ½ cups bread flour
1 ¾ cups cake flour
1 lbs (4 sticks) butter
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup cold water

For Pastry Cream

4 cups whole milk
½ cup sugar
4 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
¾ cup corn starch
½ cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (use the good stuff not imitation vanilla flavor, damnit!)  

For Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons chocolate chips

Baking pans and special equipment: 1 sheet pan (15"x12"), Pastry bags or 1 small and 1 large zip top bags, 1 13"x9" baking pan.  

Sunday Bread - Best Ever Apple Pie!

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun Jul 03, 2011 at 07:56:19 AM PDT

Happy Holiday Sunday Bread Heads!

So here we are in the midst of a holiday weekend and an eating holiday at that! So since there is nothing more American than Apple Pie, I thought I'd share with you my recipe for Best Ever Apple Pie!

This is a rather rustic style of pie, but it has some so the best flavors you can get. Now you'll notice that this calls for cinnamon sticks and half of a vanilla bean. These are kind of the premium ingredients and I do know that not everyone stocks these things in their kitchen. You can make it with vanilla extract and ground cinnamon, and I'll give you the portions for each of those as well. While there is a difference in taste, sometimes taste has to bow to cost and practicality.

This recipe uses Granny Smith apples. If you are lucky enough to live somewhere that you can get Northern Spy apples, use those instead, they are sooooo much better, but they are not available everywhere.

This is a two crust pie, and yes you really should be making the crust yourself. It is very easy (I promise, if you can make a scone (and there should be no one who admits to not being able to make a scone) you can make pie crust). Besides next week we are going to make napoleons which is harder so you want to practice you skills this week! All of you are baking along with this series, right?

Enough foreplay (is there ever enough? But that is a totally different topic!) let's bake!  

Sunday Bread - Hazelnut Baklava

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun Jun 05, 2011 at 08:55:57 AM PDT

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week my neighbor turns 40 and she was a bit down. She asked if I'd make her some baklava. So, now you all get to learn how to make my version of baklava. There are tons and tons of different recipes for this Middle Eastern treat. Most of the time you'll find them with just walnuts or with pistachios as these are nuts that were introduced into the area long ago.

I take a different tack with this recipe. The idea was (it didn't work as well as I liked) to approximate the taste of Frangelico, which is a hazel nut liqueur. While I did not get the result I expected the combination of wild flower honey and roasted walnuts, almonds and hazel nuts did produced a distinctive baklava that have a darker and warmer flavor than traditional recipes. That is what we are going to make today!

Now, baklava is not hard, but it does take basically 24 hours to complete. Part of this is there are several steps and you have to wait for the cooked dish to cool completely before putting on the syrup and then it has to set for at least 8 hours. However it is completely worth the effort!

Unlike every other recipe I have shared with the Bread Heads, we will be buying our phyllo dough. Why? Because making onion skin thin bread dough by hand is something that only master bakers can do, and 99.6% of them buy phyllo dough for these applications in any case.  It is just too much brain damage for an outcome that will not be detectably better.

Now I know that some folks are nervous about phyllo dough. It can get wet and mushy, it can get dry and break and it just seems like a drag all the way around. Well, get over it. Really it is just about technique and being prepared. And if it breaks or tears, who cares? Just remember the basic rule of this series, don't panic.

So, without further adieu, let's make some baklava!  

Sunday Bread - Chocolate Almond Babka

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun May 22, 2011 at 07:44:04 AM PDT

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

There are about as many recipes for Babka as there are stars in the sky, but this one is mine! Babka are almost always twisted or spiraled in their form, allowing the fillings to be layered without actually layering them. This one is an Chocolate Almond Babka with raisins and walnuts. I also bake in cake pans that allows for the unique spiral affect.

There are a lot of steps in this break but it really only takes about 4 hours (including rising and baking time) and none of the steps are particularly hard. So if you want a really special and fairly easy treat for a brunch or tea this is your bread.

Now, let's bake!

Chocolate Almond Babka:

Ingredients:

For the Sponge:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 packages (4 ½ teaspoons) yeast
½ cup milk
1 ¼ cups hot (120 - 130 degrees) water

For the Dough:

½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cardamom
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
3 cups all purpose flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter at room temperature.

For Filling:
16 oz almond paste
8 oz bitter sweet chocolate, melted
1 cup raisins, plumped in brandy or water
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Sunday Bread - Pogacsa (Hungarian Cheese Scones)

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun May 15, 2011 at 07:48:52 AM PDT

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we are going to make my take on a classic Hungarian cheese scone called Pogacsa. It is great little snack but serves just as well for breakfast or lunch.

While I made this recipe in the traditional wedge form, you could just as easily use a biscuit cutter to make 3" round versions (these are particularly good for a brunch with as the bread for little sandwiches).

So, let's bake!

Pogacsa (Hungarian Cheese Scones)

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon salt
2 packages (4 ½ teaspoons) yeast
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks butter)
1/3 cup milk
½ cup sour cream
1 egg yolk
1 cup of Romano cheese  (if you only have Parmesan in the house that is fine, but use the good stuff!) grated.
Egg wash of 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk

Sunday Bread - Sugar Loaf

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun May 08, 2011 at 09:34:17 AM PDT

Happy Sunday and Mothers Day, Bread Heads!

This week we'll make a bread that is sure to be a hit (aren't they all?)! It is a variation of cinnamon sugar bread called Sugar Loaf. Instead of rolling up a dough covered with cinnamon sugar this bread uses sugar cubes, dusted with cinnamon to produce pockets of nearly liquid cinnamon sugar randomly dispersed through the bread. It makes for an interesting loaf to have with brunch. As well as a special sweet treat for any moms.

So, let's bake!

Sugar Loaf:

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar cubes
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 cups bread flour
1/3 cup whole milk
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons) yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups hot (120 to 130 degrees) water
3 tablespoons butter

Baking pans - 2 8"x4" loaf pans, greased or non-stick

Sunday Bread - Chocolate Orange Bread!!

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun May 01, 2011 at 07:16:46 AM PDT

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

We're going to be continuing on our "batter bread jag" this week. Last week on of the Bread Heads asked for a bread that was not leavened with yeast but baking soda instead. While this weeks offering is not leavened with baking soda it does using backing powder and no yeast at all.

It is a Chocolate Orange bread. This dark and barely sweet bread is the combination of chocolate, triple sec (you can use orange juice if you don't have any triple sec in the house) orange zest and honey, in a nice dense quick bread that is great at breakfast or with a nice mug of tea in the middle of the afternoon.

So, now that I have you drooling, let's bake!

Chocolate Orange Bread

Ingredients:

4oz unsweetened chocolate
½ cup (1 stick) butter
4 eggs
2/3 cup honey
2 cups mashed potato
½ cup triple sec or orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla (use the good stuff!)
Zest from 1 orange
2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt.  

Sunday Bread - Peanut Butter Batter Bread

by: Something The Dog Said

Sun Apr 24, 2011 at 07:34:58 AM PDT

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we are going to continue on our batter bread jag. I've been making these breads because they are fast, easy, delicious and they don't require any kneading. Some of the readers of this series don't have a stand mixer and do have arthritis so it has kind of left them out of the bread making-palooza that this series has become. I thought we should be more inclusive, thus a run on batter breads.

This week we have a fun and super easy on, Peanut Butter Batter Bread! It is a great loaf for the kiddies (even those in their 50's or later) with its great nutty flavor and texture. Think of it as the way to have a PB&J and you only have to spread on the J!

But enough talk, let's bake!

Peanut Butter Batter Bread

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cup hot water (120-130 degrees)
¼ cup finely chopped salted roasted peanuts
¼ chunky peanut butter (any brand you favor)
¼ firmly packed brown sugar (dark preferred)
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups bread flour
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons) yeast

Baking pans - If you have a 9"x5" pan you can make this in one pan, otherwise 2 8"x4" pans