Head of the Class - Hungarian Potato Bread

The everyday breads of Eastern and Central Europe have certain notable characteristics. Firstly, they are usually quite dense in texture and also sturdy. By that I mean they are 'designed' to hold smoked meats and cheeses, to absorb mustard and other condiments, to be chewy and just a little sour. Secondly, they are also known for using ingredients as fillers (because often regular ingredients were not available). Like potatoes, for instance. When you think about it, mashed, white potatoes are really just starch , very much like AP white flour. So... let's say you don't have very much flour and you do have lots of potatoes. What do you think we could do in this situation?

This bread exists in various guises all over Eastern Europe. Sometimes with caraway seeds, sometimes with butter. But always with potatoes making up some of the starch needed for the dough. This particular loaf, comes from Hungary, but like I said, it is really a generic loaf that can be found in one form or another all over Europe. Like tomato sauce in Italy sort of... A million variations.

Text for this post, (for printing without the photos), can be found here. 

Here's What You Need: (for 2 loaves)

about 1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cubed
700 g (25 oz) AP flour
300 g (10 oz) whole wheat flour
40 g (1.25 oz) salt about 4 tsp.
60 g (2 oz) butter, cubed (or margarine or vegetable oil)
20 g instant dry yeast (slightly less than 2 Tbs.)
1 tsp. caraway seeds (optional) or
about 200 g (6.5 oz) sharp cheese

Here's What You'll Need to Do:

1. Boil the potatoes in water until very soft (but not dissolved). Drain the potatoes reserving the cooking water for use in the bread. Set aside to cool.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the flours with the salt and butter and the yeast.

Add this mixture to the cooled potatoes. Finally, add about 330 ml (11 oz) of cooking water to the mixture and combine to for a smooth dough. Adjust the flour and water accordingly to make sure the dough is smooth and only very slightly tacky. If adding the caraway seeds, now is the time to knead them into the dough.

3. Place the dough in a lightly-oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover and place in a warm location to rise. It should about double in volume in about 1.5 hours.

4. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, form each piece into a round ball without removing too much of the air, then cover to let it rest for another half hour.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 F (about 190 C). Just before baking, slash the bread 2 or 3 times to allow for even 'oven spring', i.e., so the bread rises in the oven evenly.

5. Spray water into the oven to add steam, then bake the bread for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 F (180 C) and continue baking for another 25 minutes or so until the bread is deeply browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Jó étvágyat!  (Hungarian for Bon Appetit - Google translate!)
Text for this post, (for printing without the photos), can be found here.

A New Direction - Healthy Artisan Loaf

As I mentioned on my last post, (posted too long ago), I have started moving in a new direction, sort of. I am re-writing and adapting ideas I get from other recipes and using them as a basis for new recipes. I am creating my own recipes based on ideas I have on how ingredients should work together. The idea is that good bread should be healthy, of course, but also look great, and btw, it should taste great. This bread I am posting today, is one of those breads. The recipe is adapted from Peter Reinhart's 'Roasted Three-Seed Bread', in his seminal book, Brother Juniper's Bread Book. If you don't own it, btw, you should. Plain and simple.

To the base recipe I have added some enhancements. The original uses only white flour; I have replaced one-third with whole wheat to increase the fiber, etc. Also, I have added 2 Tbs. of both chickpea flour (softens the crumb and adds a nice yellow color) and 2 Tbs. of soy flour (increased protein content). The dough was allowed to rise in a bowl covered with a floured cloth, them baked on a stone for 35 minutes at 400 F. It looks and tastes incredible! I hope you like it.

A word. I have not posted as much as I should lately mostly because my business has been taking off. Over the holidays, I have been teaching workshops all over the area. I have been to Modi'in (about 25 miles away from Jerusalem) twice. I taught at a workshop at a home for mentally challenged women in Mevasseret (a suburb just outside the city). I catered a Bat Mitzvah party, and delivered orders for cakes, pies, quiches and of course, lots and lots of bread. So, I am glad to say that the reason is a good one. Still I promise to try and find time for it all, of course, including breadmanTalking!!  If you have been following for a while, you know that this is my goal, a viable baking business, so it's all good. I'll write again soon, I promise.

Here's What You'll Need:

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
4 cups bread flour, or AP flour, or 3 cups white flour and about 1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 Tbs. instant dry yeast
1 Tbs. salt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup buttermilk (or soy milk to avoid dairy)
about 1 3/4 cups water
2 Tbs. soy flour
2 Tbs. chickpea flour

Here's What You'll Need To Do:

1. Lightly toast the seeds on a dry skillet for a few minutes. Remove the seeds from the skillet when done since they continue to roast on the hot pan.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients, including the seeds, in a large bowl, stirring to evenly distribute.

3. Add the buttermilk (or soy milk, if using), then the honey, and finally the water, adding just enough to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead vigorously for about minutes, until the dough is smooth and the gluten is well developed.

4. Place the dough in a lightly-greased bowl, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours to rise until doubled.

5. Gently remove the dough, from the bowl and place in a basket, lined with a generously floured cloth to continue rising. Make sure the dough stays covered so it doesn't dry out.

6. In the meantime, heat the oven to 400 F (195 C). Finally, place the dough on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper directly on a baking stone. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the crust is very firm and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

7. Enjoy!

OMG!! Really Good Bread - White Sandwich Bread with Fresh Herbs

Do you think the the headline is a little over the top? I don't know, maybe it is. But then this bread is over the top, too. So should I just lie and say something like. You'll like this bread, better try it. Nah!! Doesn't quite make it. This is bread that attacks practically all your senses at once. I mean, this bread not only tastes incredible, but also fills the house with an intoxicating aroma. And I mean that in a good sense. And if that wasn't enough, then, if you can, wait until it cools down, slice it open and the smallish hints of fresh herbs poking out at you, combined with the sense of feel when you eat it will completely convince you that this bread is a definite keeper. Oh, and it's great for all kinds of sandwiches. Cold cuts with a nice sharp mustard, for instance. Or a strong cheese (again with the aforementioned sharp cheese). Or even pan-seared veggies like eggplant or red bell pepper. You will make this one many times, I'm sure. So when you're slicing your fourth (or fifth) slice, don't say I didn't warn you.

Here's What You'll Need: for 1 loaf or about 12 rolls
2 1/2 to 3 cups AP flour
1/2 Tbs. salt
3/4 Tbs. sugar
1/2 Tbs. instant dry yeast
about 3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh herbs (basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, dill, etc.)
1/8 cup olive oil
about 1 cup warm water

Here's What You'll Need To Do:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients, (flour, salt sugar, yeast and herbs) together in a large bowl until evenly distributed.

2. Add the oil, then the water, mixing to form a rough dough.

3. Remove the dough to a lightly-floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth, and only very slightly sticky.

4. Place the kneaded dough in an oiled bowl, cover to coat(prevents drying out), then cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel to rise. It should about double in volume. This will take about 1 1/2 hours.

5. If making rolls, divide the dough into about 10 to 12 equal sized pices, round into rolls and place them on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Otherwise, form the dough into a ball (boule, in french), then cover again to rest and rise again, about 45 minutes.

6. About 15 minutes before the second rise is done, pre-heat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

7. Bake the rolls for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. The loaf will take longer, about 25 minutes.

New Business - Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

First things first: this is my 100th post on breadmantalking!!! Thanks so much to all the readers and followers who have encouraged me along the way! I am having fun and I am glad you are all enjoying it too.



So, if you've been following my progress as a professional baker, you will know this... I am trying to establish a baking business that specializes in healthy bread. Hand-made and delivered to your home. Alongside workshops and private lessons in healthy baking. Slowly it is coming together and only last week I got a new customer with a standing order. Thirty sandwiches every Thursday morning to be delivered at 0745. This is on top of my standing orders for challah etc. for every Friday. And the workshops every Thursday evening. So, as I said, slowly it is really coming together, and the business is starting to take off!!! Which, of course, leads to this bread I baked today. Whole wheat healthy bread for sandwiches. Last week I brought sandwiches that were on rolls. Of course, there were complaints like, "Why rolls, aren't sandwiches on sliced bread lower in calories?" (The answer is not really: the shape of the bread does not determine calorie count.) Still, I am having fun and this bread is, therefore, an experiment. An attempt at a new sandwich bread for my Thursday morning client. I think it came out great. The crumb is not too close and strong enough to hold the fillings without falling to pieces, or turning into mush, the crust is strong but not too crunchy. The taste is wonderful. Try it and you be the judge.

Here's What You'll Need:

1 cup AP flour
about 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
 1 Tbs. butter, melted
1 Tbs. sugar
1 cup warm water
 1 Tbs. instant dry yeast
some sesame seeds (about 2 Tbs.) and wheat germ (about 2 Tbs.)

Here's What You'll Need to do:

1. Dissolve the sugar in the water, then stir in the yeast. Let it stand for about 10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy and smells 'yeasty'.

2. Lightly beat the egg, mix in the melted butter, then pour this mixture into the yeast mixture and mix thoroughly.

3. Add the whole wheat flour one cup at a time, mixing to stiffen. Finally, add the AP flour, mixing until you can no longer stir. Knead this dough until it becomes soft and slightly sticky.

4. Knead the dough for about 7-10 minutes until the dough is very smooth. Place this in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm place to rise until roughly doubled in volume. This will take about one and a half hours.

5. Remove the dough and shape into a loaf form, by dividing the dough into three pieces and braiding them. If you want to make the bread even healthier, try spraying it lightly with water, then roll the pieces in the sesame seeds and wheat germ.  Place the dough into a greased loaf pan then cover to let it rise until just over the lip of the pan, about 45 minutes.

Here it is, in the pan:

6. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Bake the bread, turning halfway through to get an even color, for about 25 minutes in a convention oven, or about 35 minutes in a conventional oven. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

7. Bon Appetit!

Warm & Fuzzy Feeling - True Comfort Bread (Raisin Walnut)

I admit I'm a sucker for this bread and always have been. I remember eating it as a kid back in Canada. I mean eating the store bought kind. Of course, back then (too many years) the bread was at least closer to being real bread, even if it was baked in an industrial oven by the hundreds. No, not thousands, I do come from a very small town, but still. Also, back then it wasn't laced with all the emulsifiers, and stabilizers and freshness enhancers like today. Oh, and the color was real, brought on by the cinnamon and the wheat. Maybe that's why raisin walnut bread has such a warm spot in my heart, I don't know. But for me it means breakfast, lightly toasted and covered with butter. Or, better yet, peanut butter that starts to 'melt' and gets sloppy all over everything from the still warm bread. Whatever it is, I admit it. I love raisin bread and this version, a recipe I kind of made up on the fly, is perfect. The evidence is that I made it yesterday, and the loaf is almost gone. What can I say?

Here's What You'll Need:

about 3 cups (420 g) AP flour
1/2 Tbs instant dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
1/4 cup dry milk powder (or use baby formula as a substitute)
1 tsp. cinnamon
about 1 cup (250 ml) warm water
about 1/2 cup re-hydrated raisins*
about 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

* To re-hydrate the raisins, place then in a glass dish and cover with very warm water for about an hour. They will plump up beautifully. Drain and squeeze the water out, then add to the dough. Because they have added water, you will need to adjust the amount of flour.

Here's What You'll Need To Do:

1. Mix everything together  (except the raisins and walnuts) and mix to form a rough dough. Add flour or water to keep the dough just barely sticky and very soft. Knead the dough until smooth, then place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover and let it rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

2. Punch down the dough. Spread it out, gently, into a rough rectangle, spread the raisins and walnuts on the dough, then 'wrap' them up like folding a letter. Knead the dough until they are evenly distributed. You will probably need to add flour as the raisins are moist and will make the dough quite sticky. Add just enough to keep the dough just slightly sticky.

3. Form into a loaf, them place the dough into a prepared loaf pan, and cover to let it rise again, until just peering over the edge of the pan, about 45 minutes.

4. Bake at 350 F (180 C) for about 30 minutes until it is a nut brown and fills the house with the most wonderful aroma. Oh, and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

5. Cool completely (if you can) on a rack. Then smother with butter, cream cheese or whatever is on hand and gobble it up!

Back to My Roots (Sort of...) - Scottish Baps

So actually, I am not Scottish. Not really. But I was born in Nova Scotia, and you can imagine I have met one or two Scots in my day. In high school my English teacher had us sit in alphabetical order and the middle row was made up entirely of MacDonalds! And that's not counting the MacNeils, Camerons, and McInnes. What can I say, Nova Scotia (New Scotland in Latin) is aptly named.

This bread, is extremely popular there, especially for meat sandwiches. It is served hot, or at room temperature. They can be frozen for months and re-heated just before serving. I can honestly say these are some of the tastiest sandwich rolls you'll ever eat.

Here's What You'll Need:

about 5 cups of AP flour
1/2 Tbs. instant dry yeast
1 1/2 oz (about 50 g) butter (or margarine) softened
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup warm milk (or substitute)
1 cup warn water

Here's What You'll Need To Do:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, yeast and salt. Cut in the butter, then break it up so it is pea-sized and grainy.

2. Add the warm milk and water and knead to form a soft dough. Continue mixing until the dough is very smooth, almost silky.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turn to coat, then cover and let it rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

4. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (roughly 3 1/2 oz. or 100 g). Roll into a ball, then flatten each into a rough ellipse.

5. Cover and let rise until doubled again, about 30 minutes. In the meantime preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Just before baking, brush each roll with milk (or substitute) then sprinkle with flour.

6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a nice golden brown. Cool on a rack. Yum!!!

Healthy, Healthy - Whole Wheat and Soy Artisan Bread

So, you can already figure our where this is going. I have slowly been trying to define a different approach to healthy bread. To integrate two different styles, as it were and create something new. I want to somehow preserve the healthy aspects of working with whole grains and high protein flours without sacrificing the look and feel of 'everyday artisan bread'. This bread is, therefore, experimental. And only a first try at something a little different.

What makes it a little special for me is the use of a combination of flours I don't have much experience with: 70% whole wheat flour and soy flour. The soy flour is made by roasting (or drying) soybeans then grinding them into flour. There are many advantages but he biggest for some people is that soy flour has no gluten. It is very popular with bakers producing gluten-free breads etc. but cannot be used by itself. That is because it has a distinctive taste not everybody likes. But in combination with other flours, you don't really taste the soy. So you're left with the high protein content and no gluten! Let me know what you think.

Here's What You'll Need:
about 3 cups whole wheat flour (I used 70% whole wheat sometimes called 'light' whole wheat
1 cup soy flour
1 Tbs. instant dry yeast
2 Tbs. sugar (brown sugar is OK)
about 1 1/2 cups milk at room temperature (or warm water)

Here's What You'll Need To Do:
1. Dissolve the honey and yeast in about 1/2 cup of room temperature water or milk. let this stand for about 10 minutes or until nice and bubbly.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

3. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and stir to make a rough dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together and becomes smooth. It will take maybe 5 minutes.

4. Form the dough into a ball, cover and let it rise until about doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Remember the soy has no gluten, and the whole wheat is heavy so it takes longer for it to rise.
5. Before covering the dough ball, slash the top with a sharp serrated knife. This is both decorative and allows gas to escape without exploding the bread when it bakes.

Before rising:

 After rising:

6. About 20 minutes before the dough finishes rising preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). I used a baking stone placed in the center of the oven.

7. Bake for about 30 minutes. Then turn off the oven, open the door slightly, and let it start to cool off on the oven for 5 minutes before removing.
8. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.