Biscuits

I don’t understand why buttermilk always comes in such large containers. I have yet to see a recipe that calls for more than ¾ a cup (or even a cup max). But yet, there it is, sitting in the milk section of every grocery store in quart cartons without any other options. Hell I have yet to see more than one brand per grocer… And every time I buy it I find myself wasting the vast majority of the unused buttermilk. Personally, I hate wasting food so I find this to be completely frustrating. So when I decided to make biscuits, I was torn between using the buttermilk biscuit recipe that looked good (no lard and no added sugar – from the Neelys) and a regular biscuit recipe where I would bake the biscuit on a skillet (and use a cup of sugar – good ol’ Paula Deen). So I thought it would be worth trying to “make” buttermilk, that way I could use the recipe that I wanted to try – no sugar added and baking them in the oven.

To make buttermilk I put a tablespoon of white vinegar in a cup of milk – let it sit while I got the rest of my ingredients together – then measured out the amount I needed. The milk itself just smelt like vinegar, which worried me. The final results of the biscuits lacked the rising that I had hoped for, confirming my fears. I am very suspicious of the vinegar and it’s chemical reaction with the baking soda/powder. But they still tasted excellent, flaky and moist, almost like a croissant, exactly how I wanted them to taste. But next time – I will just buy the buttermilk…

Difficulty: Easy

From: The Neelys’ Recipe on foodnetwork.com

Tips:
Keep and eye on your oven, especially if you have a convection oven – I nearly burnt mine and I took them out a good 5 minutes early and they were only supposed to take 20 minutes (I was using a different oven then I am used to – and it is a convection oven).

Potato-Rosemary Rolls

I am sure by now many of you are wondering if I secretly work for Peter Reinhardt… well, no. I just only own his baking book, and I am somewhat obsessed with trying to only eat breads made from whole wheat (good recipes for 100% whole wheat are rather difficult to find). So, I eagerly embarked on yet another adventure in delayed fermentation method bread making, this time finally attempting the Potato Rosemary bread that I have wanted to try for some time. Using Thanks Giving as my excuse, I ended up making 25 dinner rolls (all knotted up).

The dough itself was time consuming to make. First I had to boil a potato, which, though it doesn’t take much time still added a day to my planning. Then, on day two I simply made the soaker and biga as always (using the potato water from the night before). Unfortunately, I did not plan ahead properly and ran out of water, so I mixed some filtered water in to fill out the recipe. But that was only a minor logistical mistake; my forgetting to roast the garlic was a bit more of an annoyance. As a result, I ended up spending a lot more time than I anticipated roasting garlic (I chose the option of adding roasted garlic and pepper), cleaning rosemary and preparing the ingredients to be mixed. And then came day three, time to form the rolls. As I said, I ended up making 25 rolls, all knotted. To do so I had to roll a small section of dough into a rope, then tie that rope into a knot. Once risen, I brushed them with an egg white wash (I should have used more so the crust would have been glossier) and sprinkled sesame seeds over half of them.

The end result was definitely worth the labor. Fresh they were delicious, with enough flavors to merit eating without anything else. However, the subtle rosemary, garlic and pepper flavor and pillowy soft interior called for dipping in olive oil or soup (both of which paired perfectly with the rolls). I am even thinking of using them for burger rolls (doubling their size of the rolls of course) at some point in the future. And along side the turkey, stuffing and gravy at the Thanksgiving table (why I baked them in the first place)… the dinner rolls were perfectly at home. All in all this has been my favorite bread to date, even with the added labor and time.


Difficulty: Difficult

From: Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor.

Tips:

1) Plan ahead to limit the time in the kitchen.
2) Use more water than is recommended when boiling the potatoes since some water will boil off.
3) I found it helpful to mash the roasted garlic into the potatoes – as if making garlic mash potatoes. It made incorporating the garlic into the dough a little easier.
4) Get parchment paper – well worth the expense for lining trays when baking rolls.

Multi-Grain Hearth Bread

Building on my repertoire of Peter Reinhardt breads, I tried the hearth version of a multi-grain bread. Being a hearth style bread, it was lean (like the bagettes), but this time I used oil and honey to soften the crust slightly and lend a little sweetness. For the grains I used cooked whole grain rice, rolled oats (yes the type used for oat meal), and some corn meal. I used about even quantities of each (though slightly more rolled oats), which comprised a large portion of the soaker. As a result, the soaker was fairly drippy at first, though it did solidify somewhat overnight. For the final loaves, I chose to form two batards – baking them directly on my baking stone.

As a whole this bread turned out very well, soft interior and crisp crust (without being overly hard). It went excellently both as a sandwich bread and also just plainly with cheese. Actually goat cheese seemed to lend the perfect blend of flavor with this bread. All in all I think this was a far more successful departure into the multi-grain style of breads than the Anadama Bread I had previously made, and I plan on experimenting with a variety of different grains and possibly switching to the sandwich style (adding milk into the soaker). The only real disappointment I had was with the forming of the loaves themselves, but that is really just my ineptness as a sculptor. I think next time I make a free-standing loaf, I will just make a single batard.

Difficulty: Average

From: Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor.

Tips:

1) If you plan on using larger grains like whole grain rice, it is best to precook them.
For cooking rice I was recently taught a very helpful trick. Place your hand on the rice (in the pot/rice cooker) and pour the water into the pot/rice cooker until it reaches your knuckles… then you have the perfect amount of water.

2) Smaller grains (like rolled oats, corn meal, or any type of other flour…) can all be used without precooking them.

Anadama Bread

Wanting to break free of the monotony of the constantly making 100% whole wheat, I decided to try a variation in the Reinhart book. For this bread, the soaker is made with a significant amount of cornmeal and instead of honey I used molasses. Aside from that the process was pretty much the same as the 100% whole wheat bread. The end result was tasteful, though more crumbly than a more traditional whole wheat bread. Because of the cornmeal, gluten could not form in the way that bonds normally exist in bread. I personally think that this bread would make better buns than sandwich bread. Then again I also probably didn’t hydrate the yeast properly and I used regular filtered water instead of potato water.

Difficulty: Average

from: Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor.

Whole-Wheat Bagettes (Peter Reinhardt)

Using yet another variation of Reinhardts 100% whole wheat bread I tried the leaner hearth style bread, forming it into 4 bagettes (mini bagettes…). In this recipe there is no milk, honey, or oil, just water, flour, and yeast. Baking at higher temperatures and using a steam pan, the crust turned out thick and nutty with a soft , creamy interior. I think I left the bread in the oven a bit too long, leading to a much thicker and harder crust than it should have had, but even over-baked, I am extremely happy with these bagettes, they are perfect for dipping in soup.

Difficulty: Easy

from: Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor.

Tips:
1. careful with the baking times and going by temperature alone in deciding when the bagettes are done.

Adding Potato Water

The miracles of potatoes… well sweet potatoes in this case. Returning to the whole wheat bread recipe from Peter Reinhardt I switched all the water in the recipe to water left over from boiling sweet potatoes. Aside from that I stuck with the exact same choices I made with my previous whole-wheat loaf. The end result was even better than the last time, but I am not sure if it is because I am better at making bread or the sweet potato water. As an added bonus, the crust turned out crisp and delicious from the steam/hearth technique, which performed better than ever.

Difficulty: average.

from: Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor.

Tips:
1) next time you boil potatoes, freeze a cup of the water after it cools.

Peter Reinhart’s - Whole Wheat Mash Bread

Disaster. That word ran through my head over and over this past weekend (and yes part of it was from watching the Eagles give away yet another game to the undeserving team whose name we will not mention). Disaster, first when the mash did not resemble the gravy like characteristics described in the book, but instead it had more of a cream of wheat texture. Then when I tasted it before and after, there was not a distinct increase in sweetness as described in the book. But I had put 3 hours into this bread already so there was no turning back at this point.

I think I should take a step back at this point, and answer the question of: why on earth would I go through the trouble of attempting to make a mash based bread. Well, for one I wanted to use a mash in order to begin to build a sour dough starter, and thus needed to learn how to make a mash. Secondly, it was supposed to taste better and have a smoother, creamier texture. To me both are good enough reasons in and of themselves, so why not give it a shot…

So, the weekend drug on and I eventually found the time to make a biga, this time using buttermilk to compensate for the lack of a starter. I woke up the next morning and was terrified to find that it hadn’t risen at all… but after pulling it out of the fridge it rose as it warmed up. So with my heart thumping, that disaster was avoided, and I was at least confident the biga was acting somewhat as expected and began to do the final mix.

Two hours and two rises later, a freshly risen panned loaf of bread sat in my hand as I opened what should have been a preheated oven… but no it was cold. Disaster. Not only had the pilot gone out, but in the process of getting that fixed another leak in the old stove was discovered and fixed as my panned/risen loaf sat in the fridge. I came back to it the following morning, hoping that it was salvageable (Disaster) only to find that it had shrunken nearly to its original size. Three hours after pulling it out of the fridge it had finally re-risen slightly, but not nearly as much as before, or as I hoped. So I slid it into the oven and waited to see what would happen.

The end result was dense, mainly because of it falling in the fridge (probably due to yeasts dying in the fridge over night), with a slightly sour flavor. But despite all of the issues and failures and miss steps, the bread still had a creamy texture. In the end, I think I need to try this again being much more careful with the initial mash, as far as the other issues – I am amazed that it did as well as it did despite being panned for over 12 hours. And I am still really happy that I was able to get that creamy texture that has been so elusive so far, even if the loaf, on the whole, was a failure.

Difficulty: Difficult

from: Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor.


Tips:
1. Make sure you have plenty of time – making a mash is time consuming.
2. If using a biga and active dry yeast - activate your yeast first in 2 tablespoons of water before mixing it with the flour and buttermilk.

Rustico Cooking’s Focaccia alla Ligure

This was my very first attempt at baking bread. I can not remember now how or why I stumbled upon the webpage, but after reading the introduction about how to bake and reading the simplicity of how Focaccia is made I just had to try it. (Well that and the excess flour that we had sitting around as it approached its spoilage time…) Fumbling around the kitchen, completely unsure of what I was doing, and constantly doubting every move I made I somehow got the ingredients together, the dough rose as expected (which I have to admit made me very excited), and it was in the oven after I brushed rosemary onto the top. The end result was a simple, quick and delicious focaccia: a perfect introduction to baking, or a simple compliment to any meal.

From: www.rusticocooking.com/breads


Difficulty: easy

Tips:
1) I would start with this if you have never baked before
2) I would also add in more spices next time, I found that simply brushing the rosemary on top didn’t impart the flavor they way I had desired (plus they tend to fall off).

Peter Reinhart’s 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread - Second Attempt

For my second attempt of the Reinhart whole-wheat sandwich bread, I used buttermilk instead of yogurt in the soaker (and was more careful with the addition of water in the final mix). With the extra practice of making whole-wheat pizza dough, I was able to get the soaker, biga, and final mix together in about as much time as it would take me to mix a dough utilizing a more conventional method. Though it still took two days due to the long periods of allowing the dough to rest. This time, everything behaved exactly as I expected from the description in the text, even with the biga rising slightly in the fridge over night.

Aside from using just two tablespoons of water to hydrate the yeast (and as a result keeping the proportionality of all of the elements correct), I also used an instant read thermometer to double check that the center of the bread had reached the appropriate temperature inside. Previously I had been relying on the sound of the loaf when thumped, but I realized that, having never heard freshly baked bread tapped on the bottom, I didn’t truly know what I was supposed to be hearing. I knew it should sound “hollow” but that is a rather vague description with a lot of room for error. I also limited the amount of time I opened the oven (previously I kept trying to open it to take the steam pan out, this time, I just left the steam pan in).

The end result was a thicker darker crust, which I happen to prefer. The loaf itself was airy and moist, and it tasted exactly how a slice of sandwich bread should taste. Flavorful enough to enhance everything that goes between two slices, yet not overpowering or overwhelming. Honestly, I was amazed. Had I been given slices of it without knowing they were home-baked, I wouldn’t believe they were, and especially not by a novice like me (after all it is just my fourth loaf of bread – not including the focaccia, pizza or tortillas).

Difficulty: average.

from: Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor.

Tips:
1) Use an instant read thermometer to check the final temperature of the inside of the loaf, it is important to make sure the bread reaches the right temperature before you pull it out of the oven.
2) I found that buttermilk seemed to work better than yogurt. Though I can not be certain if the taste difference was due to the yogurt or the myriad of mistakes I had previously made, the consistency of the yogurt made it more difficult to work with when preparing soaker. Buttermilk is also easier to measure since you can rely on the volume measurements instead of having to switch to weighing out the volume. Because of this (and the fact that buttermilk is the same price as yogurt) I would suggest using buttermilk first.
3) Every time you open the oven, it cools off a little, which, obviously, you want to avoid, so don’t open the oven to peak on your bread. Only open it to turn the loaf pan for an even bake about 20 minutes into it, and again to check the progress 40 minutes in. It took me an additional 10 minutes (50 total) to completely bake my loaf of bread.

Peter Reinhart’s 100% Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

As I am sure I established in my last post, I love pizza. So I decided to continue on that theme and try my hand at a 100% whole-wheat crust, seeing if I could find a way to a make pizza that is somewhat "healthier". Since I was so impressed with the sandwich bread from Reinhart’s book I thought his “delayed fermentation” method would be the ideal process to create a 100% whole-wheat dough with the stretch-ability necessary to pull whole-wheat dough into a pie. Once again he didn’t disappoint.

The process was basically the same as his sandwich bread, but this time the soaker used water and I didn’t include honey in the final mix. Being my second foray into this process, I was able to do it far more quickly and without the previous mistakes. This time I used only 2 tablespoons of water to hydrate the yeast in the final mix and it seemed to work out perfectly, thankfully avoiding over-saturating the dough again. This recipe created a huge amount of dough, half of which I froze after it had risen to use later (and I will update this blog with it’s performance after being frozen).

The pizza turned out perfectly, the crust puffed up much more like a traditional pizza parlor pizza than any other I have every made (be it frozen or pre made dough). Even baking it in the old oven that I was using it still performed remarkably: airy and fluffy yet still hearty. By using a middle rack space the crust turned out neither overly soft nor crisp, but I may experiment a bit with lower the rack for a more artisan style crisper crust. I did, however, feel that, in the end, the crust lacked from my exclusion of honey, and I think that next time I will add the honey and fold herbs in as well for a slightly sweeter and more flavorful crust. The one major mistake I did make was with the bakers peel. Instead of cornmeal, I dusted it with flour. As a result my pizza stuck to peel and I nearly lost it. Luckily my girlfriend was able to place cornmeal under the fully constructed pizza and our lunch was saved.

As an added note: the dough does fine after being frozen for a few weeks (you can freeze it after it has risen).

Difficulty: average.

from: Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor.

Tips:
1) If using a pizza peel to slide the pizza onto your stone (or baking surface) make sure you generously dust the peel with cornmeal.
2) Though I would start with the middle rack, feel free to experiment with oven placement to meet your taste: lower racks give crisper crusts while higher should have a softer crust. Keep in mind, though, that due to differences in pizza ovens and home ovens, you may never get that same floppy New York pizza parlor crust.
3) Make sure you plan out 2 days you can work on this, they don’t have to be consecutive, but it is a multi day process. Though this sounds daunting, it really doesn’t take more time, it just spreads out the time you work on the dough.

The Bread Bible’s Pizza Dough

I love pizza. Plain and simple, I love it. Cold, hot, room temperature, breakfast, lunch or dinner, it doesn’t matter. As an undergraduate, when I had meals at the dining hall, where they had this terrible bland thick-crusted pizza, I had a slice at every meal (well, except breakfast but I wasn’t awake for that). I even used to make frozen pizza every now and then; though it never tastes as good I still enjoyed it. (And yes that is why I own a pizza stone.) That was until my girlfriend made me pizza using the Trader Joe’s dough, which always seemed to turn out really good. So suddenly I was making the rest of the pizza, might as well make the dough too right?

Here is the secret - Pizza Dough is simple, and easy. Having made focaccia in the past and knowing it’s similarity to pizza, I had a distinct expectation of the simplicity. And this recipe, not only is it easy but it allows for variations and substitutions. In both of my attempts at this, my crusts turned out exactly as I hoped. And both times I substituted a half of a cup of whole-wheat flour and added herbs. The first time with I added basil and rosemary, the second time oregano and rosemary.

The first pizza dough I made I split in half, made one pizza and froze the rest of the dough (making a second pizza a week or two later). Both of the pizza’s I made with this dough (the basil rosemary) were the American standard (sauce and shredded mozzarella and various toppings). Both the fresh and frozen dough performed perfectly and more or less identical. I did make the initial mistake of putting the pizza on the bottom rack, which crisped the bottom too much. The middle rack gave far better results. And I also think brushing the dough with olive oil first added to the flavor a little. These were both made in an old gas oven (the same as the rest of the breads in this blog) directly on a pizza stone.

The second pizza dough (the oregano rosemary) was made in the Italian tradition of a Margarita pizza. After brushing the dough with oil mixed with fresh basil and garlic, I placed slices of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes over the surface, and after it was done baking I garnished with fresh basil leaves. I personally wish I had made a full pesto for brushing the dough and hadn’t forgotten to add the Romano cheese to the top before baking. This was baked in a new convection oven on a cookie sheet.

In every case the pizza itself was more of an artisan style than a pizza saloon style pizza. So the crust was thinner and crisper, but that is partially due to the difference in ovens that makes it virtually impossible to duplicate a pizza saloon style of crust. Even with this difference, not only were the results delicious, I got rave reviews every time I made the pizza. And personally, I am still impressed at how well the pizza dough performed each time, under different circumstances and in different ovens.

From: The Bread Bible: 300 Favorite Recipes

Difficulty: easy

Tips:
1) Generously flour the pan/stone you plan on using with corn meal. Though it tends to smoke a little in the oven, it ends up coating the base of the pizza really adding to the flavor.
2) If you plan on letting your dough rise in the refrigerator overnight, make sure you give it ample time to warm the next day before you begin working with it. I have found it can take as long as 1-2 hours to reach room temperature.
3) In order to get the classic rim of risen crust around the outside, when you stretch the dough, leave a rim of dough that is slightly thicker. When you build the pizza, leave the rim untouched so that it can rise.

Peter Reinhart’s 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Even though I had failed at my last attempt at 100% whole wheat sandwich bread, I was sold on the idea of a sponge, or at least of a slower, longer fermentation period in making whole wheat bread. The King Arthur method of orange juice and potato breads seemed like short cuts and gimmicks, which I personally would rather avoid. To me, the extra effort and time are worth it when the end product is of superior quality. So I continued my search for a whole wheat-baking book that was not only dedicated to whole wheat but was extensive in its instructions and methods. Eventually I stumbled upon Peter Reinhart’s book. Though daunting I found the detailed explanation of both his history (including successes and failures in baking) and the basic science and methodology of baking informative and reassuring, even enjoyable. And after studying this recipe over and over, deciding on the options that I would follow and which paths I would take, I set off on my first attempt at his version of whole wheat sandwich bread utilizing his “delayed fermentation” method.

The method takes 2 days to complete; the initial day is used preparing two pre-doughs. One is simply flour, a dairy product and salt; the other is either a starter (similar to a sourdough starter) or a biga (he defines this as basically flour water and yeast). These pre-doughs then sit over night and are used in the final mix the next day (and finally baked that day as well). This two-day method was developed from his experiences with a French baker who makes, arguably, the best baguettes in Paris… so needless to say I trusted it. For my loaf, I used the biga instead of a starter, seeing as I haven’t made a starter yet. To compensate for the loss of sourness I used yogurt in my soaker as suggested in the directions. The only major variation from the directions was my use of Active Dry Yeast instead of Instant. But it was this variation that became my undoing. Stupidly I forgot to account for the excess water that I added in the final mixing stage when I activated the yeast. Since I was generous with the water, I over saturated the two pre-doughs and additional flour and had to add double the amount of flour as prescribed for the final day (about 7 Tablespoons more). Though this may not sound like a lot, it did throw off the proportionality of all other ingredients.

Surprisingly, or not, the final result was still very good. Though dense (I am blaming the excess flour) it still had the texture of sandwich bread. On top of this, it tasted good, mild in flavor but still hardy and full, again what you would expect from sandwich bread. And it did make excellent sandwiches when sliced to a thickness comparable to rye bread. All in all, I was very pleased with the outcome and am looking forward to my next attempt at this bread.

Difficulty: average.

from: Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor.

Tips:
1) If using active dry yeast, be careful with the amount of water you are adding
2) Read the first few chapters before attempting the bread, the process will make a lot more sense if you do so.
3) Make sure you plan out 2 days you can work on this, they don’t have to be consecutive, but it is a multi day process.

The Bread Bible’s Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

After a failed attempt at a whole wheat recipe I found online I began to research bread books in the hopes that one would give me the tools I needed to actually bake a good tasting, moist and airy (well at least not dense) loaf of whole wheat sandwich bread. My first bread book loaf came from “The Bread Bible”, which utilized a “sponge” method that, in its description promised for a moister, airier loaf. Unfortunately, as had happened on my first failed attempt, my loaf collapsed in the oven. At this point I researched possible culprits and discovered that the most likely cause was the oven not actually reaching the temperatures on the little dial in front. Now, that should have been obvious… an old oven would most likely not be perfectly calibrated for any number of reasons (loosing heat more readily, not sealing as well, the sensors are old…). Once I was given an oven thermometer I tested this hypothesis and found that yes, the oven was cooler (I am guessing about 25 degrees C) than I had expected, and the most likely culprit for the collapse. Aside from the collapse this recipe did not take too long mixing/kneading/baking, though it did have a few long resting periods.

As far as the final loaf is concerned I felt that, though it was good when toasted with butter or peanut butter, it wasn’t a good all around sandwich bread. It was generally tastier and moister than the previous failed attempt, but at the same time it was still somewhat mealy and just as dense. Now, I am not sure if the density was due to the collapse or the recipe/technique in itself but it was enough to make me want to search elsewhere for a new technique…

From: The Bread Bible: 300 Favorite Recipes

Difficulty: easy/average

Tips:
1) Make sure you know the temperature of your oven accurately. An oven thermometer is an excellent investment considering it costs about $8 at target and will make sure that you will bake your bread properly.
2) If you plan on letting your dough rise in the refrigerator overnight, make sure you give it ample time to warm the next day before you begin working with it. I have found it can take as long as 1-2 hours to reach room temperature.
3) I found it best to let dough rise in a lightly greased bowl with plastic wrap covering it in order to fend off an outer skin on the top of the dough which can disrupt it’s rising.
4)A good way to tell that the water is the right temperature for the yeast is to test it with your finger... if you don't feel the water (neither hot nor cold) then it is about 98 degrees... a good temperature for yeast.

Whole-Wheat Tortillas

With the summer heat already causing temperatures in my apartment to spiral upward, I decided to give my kitchen a break from the oven and try my hand at tortillas. Since I had whole wheat flour already, and though traditional tortillas are made from masa (cornmeal dough) I personally like wheat tortillas as much as corn, I quickly searched the internet for a simple whole-wheat recipe. In relatively short period of time, I found a recipe that seemed to follow the same techniques that I have witnessed around LA for years. The whole process took about an hour (including letting the dough rest for 15 minutes) but that is largely due to the fact I am extremely slow rolling out dough… hell I am just terrible at it in general. All in all, they turned out perfectly on my second attempt, flavorful but not overpowering and a perfect compliment to the chicken and salsa within them.

Difficulty: easy

From: http://www.asksasha.com/Healthy-Cooking/Homemade-Whole-Wheat-Tortillas-Recipe.html


Tips:
1) Before rolling out the tortilla, roll the dough balls into a spherical a ball as you can, this will produce more circular tortillas
2) Roll them as thinly, basically to their stretching point. They should feel like finished tortillas.
3) I found that I needed about 2 more Tablespoons than the recipe had originally called.