plump little pumpkin buns

I woke up this morning thinking of pumpkin something.  Something soft and spicy - not my pumpkin scones, which I adore, studded with crystallized ginger, not my apricot scones, but something....different.  I found a recipe by a familiar and loved food blogger, Joy the Baker and went ahead, changing the recipe ( we all change recipes at the drop of a hat), discarding pecans in the batter, because I don't like nuts unless in-hand, but adding in plump raisins instead., Dropping the allspice, because I couldn't find it.  Mulling over adding crystallized ginger, and dropping that as well, because I wanted something plain.  As if.  It was brilliant.

A soft, palm sized little bun that sat in your hand - delicious and tantalizing.  A bun for breakfast, or brunch, or the 3 o'clock hunger pangs.  And loveliest of all, it came from a bakery called The Hummingbird Bakery.  Who could resist that history?  When I dropped some off at the library this afternoon, they flew off the platter.  I dropped off a second platter, results unknown, but I'm sure the platter was empty in no time.  Everyone's hungry at 3 pm:)

I'm sure these freeze well - pumpkin adds a wonderful density and moisture to any recipe, so you won't have to deal with dryness.  As I mentioned, there are no leftovers, so you'll have to take my word on it.

I think this made 14 buns, more or less, but they are gone, so I hope I'm right.

Pumpkin Buns

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix your dry ingredients into mixer bowl.

3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. ginger
1/8 t. cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cut up:
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter.  I learned ages ago to slice lengthwise, then cut into 3rds, then dice across with a chef's knife.  Toss into mixer bowl and mix until the butter is in small flakes and well incorporated.

The wet ingredients:

In a bowl, mix:

1 cup buttermilk
1 cup canned pumpkin, One Pie preferred ( this is not a pumpkin pie mixture)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup raisins

Add the wet mixture, plus the raisins, to the dry mixture, and mix until blended.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop pumpkin mixture onto baking sheets that have been fitted with clean foil, 6 scoops to a sheet.

Bake for 22 minutes and remove to cooling rack.  As it cools, add the second sheet and bake as above.  I did have a third sheet with two buns, the last of the batter, which I promptly ate.

For a little icing, if you wish, you can make a brown butter frosting:

4 T. melted unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 t. vanilla
3 T. milk

Mix well and drizzle over buns with a fork or whisk.

Hope you enjoy as much as I have!

hot cross buns

The problem with this everlasting snow and ice is the longing to walk, skip, run up a hill or across a green field, sun shining, little green plants inching up every day.  In my gardener's heart I am feeling Spring, but the terrain is treacherous.  Having had one knee surgery, I am cautious on the slicks of ice, which keeps me inside more than I'd like.

But when I saw this recipe from King Arthur Flour for hot cross buns yesterday, my heart gave a little handspring.  Easter!  Spring!  Ample, plump buns studded with candied fruit nuggets and raisins, and that X of white, sugary frosting on top that always seems to be the first to go.

I made them last night , then packed and delivered them this morning to Izzie and Frankie ( and their Moms), and even snuck half of one to Kitchee the nanny-dog.  Even with the forecast of snow again, the day is feeling a whole lot sunnier.

The recipe is here, and it couldn't be easier.  I was surprised the buns didn't rise very much, even with yeast AND baking powder - I would probably give them an extra half hour to see if that would plump them up a little.  They have a very tender crumb and just enough spice.  Even though the icing was thick, it liquified and drizzled once piped onto the buns, but it still tasted as delicious as I remember.

Have a wonderful weekend!

rosemary focaccia with olives

Once the warm weather arrives, this is one of my go-to brunch, party, or dinner recipes - Nick Malgieri's soft, olive oil focaccia sprinkled with olives and everything from anchovies to tomatoes to onions or peppers sauteed in olive oil.  Goat cheese would be delicious, or some shavings of parmesan, but it's also great fairly plain.

This is from Nick's book, The Modern Baker , and I halved the recipe and baked it in a smaller baking pan/cookie sheet-with-an-edge.  Because of the olive oil, it doesn't go stale quickly, so I baked it the night before I was serving it and wrapped it in plastic wrap.

Served with chilled fruit and minty seltzer, it was perfect for an 80 degree day.

To make:

2 T. fresh rosemary, stripped from stems and minced in a food processor ( if you don't mind the stick-like quality of fresh rosemary leaves, skip this part)
2 cups King Arthur all purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. dry yeast ( I used Rapid-Rise)
3/4 cups plus 2 T. warm water
1 1/2 T. olive oil
assorted toppings - olives, anchovies, sauteed peppers, cherry tomatoes, etc.

Combine salt, rosemary, and flour in mixer bowl and stir.
In a small bowl,  whisk the yeast into the water and add the olive oil.  Wisk again.
With a rubber scraper/spatula, make a well in the flour mix and pour in the liquid mixture.
Stir in a circle beginning in the center of the bowl, gathering the flour into the wet ingredients until all the dry bits are completely incorporated into the dough.

With scraper or clean hand, fold the dough over itself gently, then cover bowl with plastic wrap until doubled in bulk - about an hour at a warm room temperature, more if it's cooler.

Oil a medium baking sheet/pan with olive oil.    Scrape the dough gently into the pan, and gently press the dough to the edges.  If it is too elastic, let the dough rest for a few minutes and press it to the edges.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Let dough sit for five minutes ( it's a nice soft dough), then dimple it all over using the tips of your fingers.  Add the toppings as wished, and drizzle on 1 or 2 T. olive oil.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden .  Remove and cool before cutting.

Here comes summer!

rosemary bread

Happy November! I hope all your goblins, witches, and hobbits enjoyed their loot - I had not a one trick or treater, but then again, the roads are still icy and slippery after the snowstorm, so it didn't surprise me.

It's been a long time since I made our favorite rosemary bread. The last time I made it there was something tough about the bread, so I decided to reduce the amount of milk in this traditional Italian bread - success. It came out beautifully! This is a soft white bread, which I think you could tinker with if you prefer a mix of grains, just don't forget the fresh rosemary! The extra virgin olive oil adds a nice flavor to the bread, so try not to substitute.

To make one 8 or 9 inch round:

1 1/2 t. rapid rise yeast (I use Fleischmann's)

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup warm water, mixed together

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 really heaping tablespoon of roughly chopped fresh rosemary

1 t. kosher salt

3 1/4 cups King Arthur all purpose flour

oats for sprinkling on the baking sheet

coarse sea salt for sprinkling on top of the bread - or you can use flaked salt if you have it.

Stir the yeast into the 1/2 cup lukewarm water in mixer bowl and let sit 15 minutes.

Stir in the half water/half milk, the salt, the rosemary, and the olive oil and mix.

Add the flour and mix until combined. It shouldn't be dry, but it shouldn't be too wet either.

Remove ball of dough and briefly knead, adding a little flour if it's too sticky.

Drizzle mixer bowl with olive oil, then roll the ball in the oil, covering all sides.

Turn your oven on briefly, then turn off, just so the oven is barely warm.

Make sure the oven is off!

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and place in oven until the dough has doubles - usually around 40 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the oven and knead bread, then form into a round.

Sprinkle a handful of oats on the baking sheet, then set the bread onto the baking sheet.

Place in a warm place ( or the still barely warm oven that is OFF) and let rise until almost doubled in size.

Remove dough, preheat oven to 400F.

Gently slash an X on top of the loaf, then spritz with water and scatter a few tablespoons of coarse salt on top.

Bake for about 30-34 minutes, or until top is golden and the bread feels light and hollow.

Let cool on a rack before cutting - if you can wait!

Enjoy the first day of November - can you believe it's already here?

overnight pizza dough and a peachy breakfast pizza

A glorious, quiet , and rainy Labor Day here, ending with a late night splurge watching several Cooking Channel shows I'd never seen, including one called Pizza Outside the Box. Oh my goodness, was that heaven - except by 10:30 pm I wanted pizza, badly. I had everything from peaches to three kinds of tomatoes, a few cheeses, veggies, onion jam, but no pizza dough. So inbetween watching the next show, Unique Sweets, I tossed together my traditional pizza dough , let it rise for an hour, punched it down, and stuck it in the fridge. I figured if I still wanted pizza in the morning, it would be quick to make.

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An amazing thing happened overnight. When I rolled out a little of the dough in the morning and made an impromptu breakfast pizza of peaches, thyme, olive oil, tomatoes, cheese and onion jam, then briefly baked it , the dough was light as a feather, beautifully thin - and delicious. Now I have 10 little balls of dough in the freezer, just waiting for another pizza attack.

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Overnight Pizza Dough

1 packet dry yeast ( about 2 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water
4 cups all purpose King Arthur flour
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, then add the flour, salt and oil in mixer bowl and mix until dough comes together. Remove and knead, place back in the mixer bowl, and drizzle with a tablespoon of oil, turning the dough so oil glazes the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for an hour at room temperature, then punch the dough down , cover with plastic wrap again, and place in fridge.
The next morning, knead dough again and cut into 10 pieces. Use one piece for the morning pizza, then freeze the rest for later in a freezer zip bag.

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Peach, Tomato, and Onion Jam Pizza with fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 450F or higher ( my stove smokes if I go higher, and sets the smoke detecters off).
Roll out pizza dough very, very thinly.
Brush both sides with olive oil and place pizza circle on a cooling rack or upside down cookie sheet and dot with peaches, onion jam, fresh baby tomatoes, fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper, and shredded parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
Bake for about ten minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil carefully until cheeses melt and parts of the pizza are golden. Remove and let cool.

toasted walnut biscuits with fig jam

One day I found an interesting email from King Arthur flour in my inbox: Whole Wheat-Walnut biscuits with Grape Seed Flour. I printed it out, intrigued - never mind that whole wheat flour and I don't really get along, and I didn't have any grape seed flour, and with the unpredictable Spring weather ( sleet, snow, ice, sliding, crashing cars) I wasn't driving 25 miles for it. But I DID have the most beautiful fig jam, a birthday present from my blessed daughter.

This morning the walnuts tumbled out of the freezer shelf onto the floor, and I took that as an omen I should fiddle around with this recipe, so here it is.

Makes about 15 biscuits, using a 2 1/2" round cutter

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2 1/4 cups King Arthur all purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat germ, toasted in the toaster oven

1 1/4 cups chopped walnut pieces, toasted in a toaster oven

2 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. kosher salt

1 stick ( 1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

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Preheat oven to 400F ( my oven runs hot, so I set it a little lower than the 425F they called for)

Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Place the flour, baking powder, salt, and toasted wheat germ in mixer bowl.

Grab a handful of the walnut pieces and set aside, then pulse the walnuts in a food processor until fairly fine. Add it to the flour mixture in the mixer bowl.

Add the butter pieces to the flour and mix until incorporated.

Whisk the egg and buttermilk together and add to the flour/walnuts, then mix quickly until the dough forms a loose ball.

Gently turn out onto a floured counter, and roll out to one inch thick.

Cut into biscuits, very gently molding the leftover scraps into one or two "extra" biscuits.

Brush with a little milk and sprinkle the set aside walnut pieces on top of the biscuits.

Bake for 16 minutes, or until toasty brown on top .

I think these would be much heavier if you use the whole wheat flour and the grape seed flour - but these biscuits came out very light and tender.

Serve warm with fig jam and enjoy! These would also be wonderful with a nice soft cheese like brie - a nice change from plain old crackers.

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What I'm reading:

The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass, which I LOVED

goat cheese appetizers with herbs & rosemary knots

I'm always on the lookout for a good appetizer - and if it includes goat cheese, all the better! After a string of testing four new recipes that were instantly rejected, I hit on this winner that paired beautifully with my much beloved rosemary bread. Instead of making loaves or large rolls, I made a tray of tiny rolls that came out looking like knots, thence the name.

The fresh goat cheese is whipped with cream cheese and unsalted butter, along with dill and scallions ( green onions) and hot sauce, making a smooth and tasty herb cheese, which can be served a few ways: a large cheese ball rolled in parsley and served with crackers or breads, the tiny cheese balls, also rolled in parsley, that can be served alone or with crunchy vegetables or vegetable chips; or the goat cheese alone, spooned into tiny rolls ( gougeres would work, too).

The next time I make this goat cheese mixture, I'm saving some to spoon onto hot baked potatoes - delicious!

You can find the recipe for the rosemary bread here. I simply formed little balls of dough, let them rise for a bit, then snipped them with scissors before spritzing them with water and sprinkling them with salt. I baked them at 400F for about 10 minutes.

The goat cheese mixture:

1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, room temperature

4 ounces fresh goat cheese

1 t. worcestershire sauce

6 dashes Tabasco, or to your taste

1 t. dried dill or 1 T. fresh dill, minced

1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

1 T. fresh lemon juice

2 T. minced fresh scallions

about 1/2 cup or more minced parsley for covering the cheese

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Mix the ingredients together in a mixer bowl ( except for the parsley) until smooth and creamy. Taste carefully and adjust to your taste.

Set the minced parsley on a plate, then gently scoop out a ball of the goat cheese mixture using an ice cream scoop - you choose the size. Plop the scoop onto the parsley plate and gently roll until covered. Cover and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

I hope your holiday season is bright, loving, and joyful!

tiny gougeres with scallions, parsley, and lemon

I am, as usual, doing four things at once. I decided to re-test a savory gougeres recipe, in anticipation of Thanksgiving Day appetizers, clean the house, paint the trim - no, wait. Maybe I should paint the walls first. Actually, I wonder what the floor would look like a different color.

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Yesterday I wandered around the Benj. Moore displays, which seem to multiply every time I visit. I am quite sure that particular paint company hires poets and painters to name their colors - and these are just the soft grays! Sleigh bells, Winter solstice, Bear creek, Timber wolf, Temptation, French beret, Smoke embers, and my favorite, Going to the chapel. I'm sticking with London Fog for now, but one never knows.

Oh, you want to know about the gougeres?

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Tiny, soft puffs sprinkled with finely minced scallions and parsley, with the zest of a lemon and several scrapings of nutmeg and pepper, with just a hint of parmesan. Mmmmm, perfect for my very late breakfast. I've been told you can freeze the formed but unbaked gougeres, so I'm testing a batch in the freezer , but in the meantime I think these tasty little bites will make a very nice addition to the pre-Thanksgiving nibbles.

To make about two dozen puffs:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Fit two baking sheets with foil or parchment.

6 T. unsalted butter

1 t. kosher salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

several scrapings of nutmeg

several grindings of fresh black pepper

3/4 cup King Arthur all purpose flour

3 extra large eggs

zest of one lemon

4 scallions, finely chopped

3T. minced parsley

2 T. parmesan cheese, grated

Bring one cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the butter, salt, peppers, nutmeg. Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat and stir in the flour with a whisk. Stir rapidly until it forms a ball, then return to medium heat, stirring another minute or so.

Add the eggs one at a time to the dough, then parmesan, parsley and scallions, and the lemon zest. Scrape mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, and pipe one little circle of dough, then another on top of the first circle, pulling up gently to make a little swirl on top.

Place gougeres in the hot oven, and bake for about 21 minutes, or until gently browned.

Continue with the second sheet.

Let cool a few minutes, then remove to a cooling rack with a spatula.

Enjoy your day!

thyme and mushroom soup with pepper biscuits

What a gloomy, rainy morning! While yesterday was sunny and cold, it was a perfect day for long walks and the last glimpses of the fiery maple trees. Today is a perfect day for my favorite mushroom soup, mellow with thyme and perky with a pinch of cayenne. I don't use any fillers in this soup - just mushrooms, chicken or vegetable stock, and lots of thyme.

Two days ago I had seen a recipe on Chezus for savory scones with parmesan and black pepper and I thought it would go well with this soup. I halved the recipe, and added a little bit more buttermilk so they were more like biscuits . Delicious! And halving the recipe gave me just enough biscuits for serving with the soup, with no leftovers.

Makes 2 or 3 servings of soup:

a 10 oz. package of mushrooms, sliced ( about 2 1/2 cups)

2 or 3 T. unsalted butter

1 T. olive oil

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 t. dried thyme

1 T. minced parsley

pinch of cayenne pepper, or 1/4 t. hot pepper flakes

kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

In a skillet or large saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil, then add the mushrooms. You may need to saute the mushrooms in two batches. Saute until the mushrooms are brown and nutty.

Add the stock, thyme, cayenne or hot pepper flakes, and parsley to the mushrooms.

Simmer for five minutes, then take off heat.

Using a blender or immersion stick blender, puree the soup.

Taste carefully and add salt and pepper as desired.

Parmesan and Black Pepper biscuits

Makes 5 biscuits

Preheat oven to 375F

Fit a piece of parchment or foil to a baking sheet.

1 cup King Arthur all purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1/4 t. kosher salt

3 T. cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces

5 T. buttermilk

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

several turns of freshly cracked pepper

(about 1/2 t.)

Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to a food processor and pulse .

Add the butter and pulse until incorporated into the flour.

Add the cheese and pepper, then the buttermilk.

Pulse until the mixture comes together in a ball.

Pat down dough into a small square, then trim the edges - I use the trimmings to make another hand formed biscuit.

Cut into small biscuits using a sharp knife. Mine were about 2 1/2 inches square.

Grind pepper on top of biscuits and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until tops are golden and biscuits are light when picked up.

Enjoy the day!

fresh rosemary rolls

I have an enormous rosemary plant on the kitchen counter near the window, and it was badly in need of trimming. Snipping off the aromatic twigs and sprigs brought back the memory of the rosemary rolls and bread I used to make....and a short time later, the dough was gently rising under a teatowel.

This is an Italian recipe, made with finely chopped rosemary and warm milk. It has a very tender crumb, and a fine texture. I use it for everything from sandwiches to croutons to french toast - the rosemary flavor is not overwhelming. Today, we're having a little snowstorm, and I'm anticipating a nice melted cheese sandwich in a bit - goat cheese? Swiss? I usually split the recipe into one loaf of bread, and four large rolls which is a little more versatile.

To make:

1 packet Rapid Rise dry yeast, or one T. dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 cup lukewarm milk

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 T. chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/2 t. salt

6+- cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

oats or cornmeal for sprinkling on baking sheets

Coarse sea salt or kosher salt

a spritzing water bottle

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Stir the yeast into the warm water and let stand 10 minutes.

Stir in the lukewarm milk and rosemary, olive oil, and salt and stir. Cup by cup, add the flour. Since all flours differ, and absorb moisture erratically, I slow down on the 5th cup of flour and watch carefully as I add it. The dough should be elastic and slightly sticky, not dry.

Mix the dough until it forms a ball, then knead briefly or use the dough hook.

Pour a little oil in a bowl, plop in the dough, and roll around. Then cover with a damp teatowel and put in a warmish place until the dough doubles in size.

Sprinkle some oats or cornmeal on two baking sheets.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured counter and knead . For one loaf of bread and four rolls, I cut the ball of dough in half, using one half for the bread, the other half cut into four smaller pieces for the rolls.

Shape the dough as you wish - whether balls of dough or loaves, or both.

Place the rolls or bread on two baking sheets, leaving about 2-3" space between.

Place the rolls in a barely warmed oven THAT YOU HAVE TURNED OFF (I've forgotten to do that many times and ruined the batch).

Let dough rise by about 40%.

Remove rolls to counter and preheat oven to 400F.

With a sharp knife, slash the rolls in an X - for bread, just slash diagonally.

Spritz with water and sprinkle the coarse salt on the dough.

Spritz again and bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes, or until it makes a hollow sound when thumping. The crust should be golden.

Remove, cool, and enjoy.

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What I'm watching: The Olympics and Westminster Dog Show!

thanksgiving countdown: portuguese flour rolls & gougeres

Two lovely additions to the table: gougeres made with Asiago or cheddar cheese, and light Portuguese flour rolls. Both can be made ahead and frozen.

green chile cornbread and Mt. Monadnock

As the nights ( and days) get chilly, I start thinking with excitement about Thanksgiving dinner. A few days ago, I was driving back from physical therapy, saluting, as always, "the mountain" - Mt. Monadnock, just a few miles away from my house. Actually, it's so big, you can see it from at least four towns, but it seems much closer. So between admiring the mountain, and the beautiful day, my memory wandered around in the kitchen of ones mind, and I realized I'd never made a cornbread stuffing for the turkey. So I started experimenting. What I came up with was a terrific, slightly grainy cornbread flecked with green chiles, scallions, and fresh oregano. It could be served alongside the turkey, or used as a stuffing.

I used stone ground cornmeal from Bob's Red Mill which is quite a bit coarser than the cornmeal I've been using for polenta and spoonbread.

Adapted from About.com's Southern Food

How to make:

Grease an 8" square baking pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400F.

1 3/4 cup stone ground cornmeal

3/4 cup King Arthur all purpose flour

1 t. salt

2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk

1 large egg

4 T. olive oil or bacon drippings

1 T. minced onion

2 T. finely sliced green onions ( scallions)

1 T. finely chopped green chiles ( canned or fresh)

1 T. finely chopped yellow or red sweet pepper

1 T. fresh oregano, finely chopped

Measure the cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder into mixer bowl.

In another bowl, mix the milk, egg, and olive oil , then the onion, scallions, chiles, sweet pepper, and fresh oregano. Whisk well.

Add the milk mixture to the dry cornmeal mixture and beat until well incorporated.

Scrape into the prepared pan and bake 25 minutes.

Let cool well before cutting into pieces.

Stay warm and enjoy the season!

Twelve Hour Bread: food of the gods

I never know when a new recipe will catch my eye, or where I'll find it. This delicious Pain de Campagne recipe came from a novel I was reading: Bread Alone, by Judith Ryan Hendricks. Smack in the middle of following Wynter Morrison's divorce and her new life as breadbaker in Seattle, there appeared this jewel of an authentic French bread . The recipe looked long. I went into the kitchen anyway. Twelve hours later, I ate the best bread I've ever made - chewy crust, perfect crumb, golden loaves. Warm from the oven, it was food of the gods. I found the flavor diminished when I stored it in a plastic bag for up to two days, so I think next time I'll freeze one loaf and see if that improves the longevity.

But what an accomplishment! At this point, I'm feeling fearless and ready to tackle any bread recipe that comes my way.

Recipe from Bread Alone:

First, you have to make the sponge, or poolish:

1/2 teaspoon dry yeast

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup whole wheat flour ( I used King Arthur)

Dissolve yeast in water, then stir in the flour until it forms a thick batter. Beat about a hundred strokes to develop the gluten. Cover with a damp tea towel and let sit at least four hours, or up to eight, at room temperature. When poolish is ready, it will be bubbly and loose with a lovely scent.

Pain de Campagne

All of the poolish

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon dry yeast

between 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups unbleached King Arthur flour

1 T. kosher salt

Scrape the poolish into your mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment, add the yeast and water to the poolish, beating on low until frothy.

Add the flour one cup at a time. I think I used 6 or more cups of flour plus more for kneading. Because my beloved KitchenAid was straining a bit, I scraped the sticky dough onto a floured counter and did the kneading by hand, flicking flour onto the dough and counter as needed. I realized this was a lively, dense, somewhat wet dough, so I tried not to overdo the flour. After 10 minutes of kneading, sprinkle the salt over the dough and knead it in. The dough will still be sticky, but I think that's what gives it such a nice, chewy crust. Place dough in oiled bowl, turning the dough so it's oiled all over. Cover with a damp tea towel and let sit until doubled in size - about 3 hours.

Deflate the dough and let rest for 30 minutes.

Cut dough into two pieces, and gently form rounds or baguettes. I made rounds. Place the rounds on a floured baking sheet, then dust the tops with flour. Cover with a damp tea towel again and let rise for about 2 hours ( or more), until it's not quite doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Bring a teakettle to the boil, and pour 2 inches of boiling water into an ovenproof pan.

Place pan filled with water on lower oven rack.

Slash the tops of the bread with a sharp knife , or razor. Sprinkle a little flour on tops, again.

Slip the bread onto the top rack and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the loaves thump when you knock on the bottoms.

Turn off the oven, and prop the door open. Let loaves sit another 5 minutes.

Remove to cooling rack.
Do not cut bread until fully cooled. I cheated. After 20 minutes, I tore chunks ( which I think makes the bread taste better) of sweet, chewy bread off while still warm and slathered the bread with unsalted butter. Incredible.

even better sandwich flats

Last night I tinkered with the original sandwich flat recipe and I think the new recipe is a winner!

I'd picked up some of Bob's Red Mill High Fiber Cereal, since I couldn't find any 12 grain flour, and substituted much of the whole wheat flour with it. It's a nice semi-ground coarse flour, with oat groats, flax, oat bran, and wheat bran. It gave the sandwich flats a better texture, without the bitterness that I noticed in the all-whole-wheat recipe.

3/4 cup cereal flour mix ( or 5, 7, or 12 grain flour)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour ( I used King Arthur)

1 packet dry yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

Mix together in mixer bowl and let sit for 15 minutes.

Add:

3 T. canola oil

3 T. honey

1 t. fresh lemon juice

1 t. salt

1 cup King Arthur all purpose flour

1 cup King Arthur whole wheat flour

Mix well. If too sticky, add more of the cereal mixture flour - I added almost another half cup.

Knead with a dough hook for a few minutes.

Sprinkle two cookie pans with some of the cereal flour.

Pull off knobs of dough and roll into sandwich flat size discs.

Place six flats to a sheet.

Place flats into UNHEATED oven for about 20 minutes to slightly rise.

Remove pans and preheat oven to 350F.

When oven is heated, place one pan in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove to cooling rack and bake the second pan.

If you plan on freezing these, let cool completely before placing in freezer zipbags.

Enjoy!

breadmaking: sandwich flats

I have fallen in love with those new somewhat-flatbreads known as sandwich thins or sandwich flats. When I saw Two Peas and their Pod's honey-wheat bread, I decided that might make a delicious first try. After the first batch, I'm excited - the sandwich flats were just the right size, and I only have to get the seedy top and fork holes worked out .

Above, you see how I love to make those super-sandwiches! This one has a little mayonnaise, sliced basil leaves, grape tomatoes, usually smoked turkey or cheese ( or both!), and some fresh pepper -plus a nasturtium blossom, which is deliciously spicy.Obviously, the options are endless, including mini-pizzas the perfect size for children.

I cut the recipe in half, and that made 13 sandwich flats.

Two Peas and Their Pod Honey-Wheat Bread:

In mixer bowl, mix:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 packet of dry yeast ( rapid rise)

1 1/4 cups warm water

Let mixture sit for 15 minutes.

Then add:

3 T. canola oil

3 T. honey

1 t. lemon juice, fresh

good pinch of salt ( actually, several pinches, first batch needed more salt)

2 cups whole wheat flour

Mix well, switch to dough hook, and knead for about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle 2 cookie sheets with oats. Set aside.

Taking a small ball of dough, roll into a perfect ( or imperfect), circle. Place on baking sheets as you roll them out.

Continue making circles until dough is gone.

Place sheets in an unheated oven for about 20-30 minutes. They will not rise very much at all.

Remove sheets from unheated oven.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix a tablespoon of water and a tablespoon of honey in a small cup, brush flats with mixture.

Sprinkle with some sesame seeds, oats, and/or sunflower seeds, or whatever you prefer.

Prick flats well all over.

Slide first sheet into oven, bake approximately 20-25 minutes, then bake the second sheet.

Remove from sheets to cooling rack. Let cool completely before packaging in zip bags and freezing.

Enjoy !

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portuguese flour rolls- REVISED

I grew up on the Outer Cape - the very tip of Cape Cod in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and then later, two towns over, in Wellfleet. My stepfather was part of the commercial fishing fleet, and was part of the first American born generation in his Portuguese family. His family came from Olhao in Portugal, but in Provincetown you had also had Azoreans and Cape Verdeans. As children, our favorite stop was at the Portuguese Bakery in Provincetown - still there. We would tear apart hot sweet bread and eat it on the wharf, watching the boats come in. The simple white, floury rolls were another treat, and sweet potato turnovers, "trutas". Years ago I picked up a cookbook written by a local woman; I had high hopes of duplicating those joys of my childhood. Unfortunately, none of the recipes work. We've all known cooks that never give out a complete recipe, and I suppose she is one of them. So, slowly, by trial and error, I've been able to come up with a recipe for those white, floury delicious rolls that go so well with Portuguese Kale soup - actually, they go with just about everything. They have a very thin crispy crust, while the inside is fluffy but moist.

27 November 2009 note: I have made these rolls four times in the last few days, and each one came out differently. One was too dry. One was too wet, and spread out more than I'd hoped. Now that I think about it, the kitchen was very cold when I made the too wet rolls. So were all the ingredients. As I made batch after batch, with each one different, the kitchen became, well, almost tropical with the oven at 400 degrees. Maybe that's the secret. The too wet rolls made a nice, soft, perfect- for -fried eggs n' bacon roll. But that's not what I was looking for, though they were delicious. The last batch came closest to the original recipe. So just keep an eye on the dough, which should be pliable and almost like soft Silly Putty ( if you know what I mean?).

To make:

2 cups King Arthur flour

1/2 t. salt

1 T. dry yeast

1/2 t. sugar

3/4ths to 1 cup warm water

2 t. canola oil or vegetable oil

In mixer bowl, place the flour and salt.

In a small bowl, add the warm water and yeast, starting with 3/4ths cup warm water. Add the sugar and whisk.

Add the yeast mixture to the flour and add the oil. Mix on low, and then switch to a dough hook. If the dough does not form a ball and looks dry, add more warm water, a tablespoon at a time, until it looks more elastic(the same if it is too sticky, adding flour a tablespoon at a time). You can also do this by hand, kneading until the dough is smooth. If the dough is super elastic and somewhat wet, add a little more flour.

Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot, and let double in size - about an hour.

Oil a baking sheet.

Knead the ball of dough, then cut into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place on baking sheet.

Place rolls in a barely warm oven ( or in a warm spot in the kitchen) for 20 minutes.

Remove rolls from oven and set temperature to 400F.

Place a cup of boiling water at the bottom of the oven - make sure it is heatproof! This provides a little steam to the oven.

Sprinkle a little flour on top of each roll and spritz water on the rolls just as you slide them into the hot oven. This insures that crispy, thin crust.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the rolls are golden and light when you pick them up.

Remove from oven and enjoy!

red onion bread

I kept eyeing that purple onion in the fruit basket, then finally threw my hands in the air and grabbed the Recipes from an Italian farmhouse my daughter had given me years ago, turning right to the butter splattered page for Red Onion Pizza, or fitascetta.

This is a delicious, easy, and fairly fast bread that is shaped into ropes, then coiled into a circle, then mounded with slowly sauteed red onions in butter and sprigs of fresh rosemary. It works beautifully for a soup or stew dinner, or simply as is. I made two small circles, rather than the one large one called for in the recipe - one for freezing, one for now. It could easily be made into party food, if you want to try making even smaller circles, or just slice the bread into managable pieces. It has a very fine, tender crumb.

To make:

1 envelope dry yeast ( 1/4 oz)

1/2 cup warm water

Mix the yeast into the water and let bubble and foam.

2 1/2 cups King Arthur flour

1 - 1 1/2 cups water

a little kosher salt

1 T. fresh rosemary, pulled off stems

Place the flour, salt and rosemary into mixer bowl.

Add the warm water and yeast and mix a little.

Add the water, beginning with 1 cup and adding more depending on humidity and flour you're using - it should form an elastic ball of dough - not too dry, not too wet.

Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Let rise to double - about an hour.

Next:

2 red onions, peeled and sliced thinly

2 T. unsalted butter

several sprigs of fresh rosemary

salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a skillet on medium, add the onions, and turn heat down.

Let onions saute for approximately 20 minutes, until soft and buttery.

Toss in the rosemary sprigs, and add salt and pepper. Set aside.

Take the risen dough and knead briefly. Cut into two equal pieces.

Roll the dough into ropes, then coil into circles.

Place on cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Carefully spoon the onions all over the dough.

Bake for 30 minutes and remove. If tops are not browned, set under a broiler to char the onions a little.

Let cool before cutting.

Enjoy!

kale and pepperoni pocket pies ( calzones)

If you pack a lunch for yourself or the kids, this is a great alternative to the same old, same old sandwich - and it's less messy. It works for parties and get togethers, as well as picnics, too. We used to call these calzones "pocket pies", because they're so portable. I use lots of fresh kale, chunks of pepperoni or linguica, fresh rosemary and garlic, wrapped in a tender olive oil and herb crust. You can add cheese or not. They're up and ready in about 2 hours - and yes, they are freezable. The recipe below makes 8 pocket pies.

To make the dough:

4 cups King Arthur flour

1/2 t. kosher salt

1 package dry yeast ( 1 T.)

1 1/2-2 cups warm water ( this depends on the flour you use and the humidity - it should form a ball)

2 T. olive oil

2. t chopped fresh rosemary

Place yeast in warm water to dissolve.

Measure flour, salt and rosemary into food processor or mixer bowl.

When yeast is foamy, add the olive oil. Stir and pour over flour.

Process until the dough forms a ball. If it's too dry, add a little more water, one tablespoon at a time.

Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled. I put mine in a slightly warmed oven. Make sure the oven is OFF before you put the dough in, though.

Meanwhile, you can prepare the filling.

4 cups chopped kale, stems discarded

2 t. olive oil and 2 T. butter ( optional - you can use all olive oil)

2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced

2 cups pepperoni chunks or linguica

2 t. fresh rosemary, chopped

salt and lots of freshly ground pepper

sliced or shredded cheese - I use slices of mozzarella or swiss.

Place all the filling ingredients in a pot or large skillet - except for the cheese.

Blanch the kale mixture briefly by adding about a half cup of water to skillet and bringing to a simmer. Cover and cook about 7 minutes, then stir and drain well.

When dough has risen, form into a ball and cut into 8 equal pieces.

Turn oven to 375F.

Roll each dough piece into an 8" circle.

Place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture on half the circle. Moisten the edges with water, then fold over into a semicircle.

Using a fork, seal turnover well.

Place calzones on a baking sheet .

Brush with a beaten egg, if you want a golden finish on the calzones.

Bake for 25 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

Dig in and enjoy!