Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

I have officially welcomed autumn with my first pumpkin baked good. Pumpkin cinnamon rolls have always sounded tasty to me, but most of the recipes I saw only had pumpkin in the bread. I wanted the taste of warm pumpkin pie filling between layers of pastry.

Pastry. Not bready dough. My favorite cinnamon rolls of all time are from Victorian Pantry. Unlike your run-of-the-mill Cinnabons, Steve's cinnamon rolls are made from a laminate dough, which I've always been hesitant to make because of how complicated I thought they were. Then I made croissants a few months ago and even though the results were far from perfect, it got me over my fear.

I searched online for a recipe the fit my description and ended up finding this one from one of my favorite cookbooks, Baking with Julia. Not only does this recipe take two days to make, it's more complicated than standard cinnamon rolls.

The brioche dough is enriched with eggs and butter and requires a long mixing in a stand mixer that I don't have, so I alternated between using a large, sturdy wooden spoon, my hands, and a pastry scraper. After finishing the dough, I watched a video of Julia Child and Nancy Silverton making these rolls together. I panicked for a moment because my dough didn't look anything like theirs did. I hoped it would be transformed overnight.

Day two: laminate the dough with more butter. Simply put, the dough is rolled out, dotted with butter, folded, and rolled and folded again. Thankfully, the dough was manageable and easy to work with.

As the dough rested in the fridge, I mixed together the pumpkin filling, using fancy Vietnamese ground cinnamon that my friend sent me. (It's stronger than regular ground cinnamon and smells like all the cinnamon sticks in one room.) The filling consisted of a cup of pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, three tablespoons granulated sugar, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (1 1/4 regular cinnamon), and 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg. It was good enough to eat on its own and didn't taste like raw pumpkin.

After the dough is filled, the logs are chilled in the freezer so that they're easier to slice. That they were, and I didn't even need dental floss. This extra step is worth the hassle because the layers don't smoosh together when sliced. Finally, they're left to rise one last time before being baked.

It wasn't a particularly cold day yesterday. However, the rolls were taking forever to rise, so I stuck them in the oven with a bowl of boiling water underneath. Pro tip: Why haven't I done this before? Do it.

I brushed the rolls with a simple confectioners' sugar glaze immediately after taking them out from the oven. I like the look of rolls with a clear coating instead of a thick white icing that hides the beautiful layers.

The pumpkin filling was incredible and tasted just like pie, especially the centers that had the most filling. It almost reminded me of a McDonald's pumpkin pie. (I shouldn't be admitting that, should I?)

My biggest question was if this recipe was worth the extra effort. I'd say it was, but I'd only make them for special occasions. The rolls were lighter and flakier than regular rolls and came pretty close to the VP rolls I crave.

I'm submitting these rolls to Yeastspotting.

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Click here for dough recipe and instructions

Rustic Potato Bread

I baked bread this weekend because I craved toast. Homemade (or store-bought artisan) bread has ruined mass-produced bread for me forever, especially in recipes like French toast, stuffing (or dressing - and yes, I bake homemade bread just for stuffing/dressing), and bread pudding. Needless to say, I haven't been eating much bread lately because I have standards (read: I'm lazy), so instead of running on Saturday, I decided to bake.

Not that I had an excuse to skip running since this bread only took a few hours to make... (But I'm going for a run after writing this post, so...)

I've made this recipe a few times, though I've never talked about it before. It's rustic without all the work that traditional artisan bread demands. Cooked, mashed potatoes and its cooking liquid gives the bread moistness, flavor and, most importantly, makes excellent toast.

PRO TIP: After cooking the potatoes, drain them (after reserving the required potato water - very important) and return to the empty pot. Toss the potatoes a few times until surfaces appear dry. Place on a baking sheet to cool completely. This removes excess moisture. (I learned this bit of advice from a Julia Child mashed potato recipe.)

PRO TIP #2: If you use a ricer to mash the potatoes, you don't need to peel them. Although I lost a little potato flesh this way, it cuts down on prep.

The original recipe uses Russet potatoes, but all I had were Yukon Golds (which are more flavorful anyway, so I recommend using them). I didn't even have enough and had to add quite a bit more liquid before the dough looked proper. When made with the correct amount of potatoes and liquid, the dough goes from crumbly to incredibly sticky before turning into supple bread dough, which I managed to avoid this time because I added additional water in tablespoons as needed. Upside!

Another reason I like this recipe is that it takes just 3-ish hours from start to finish. Each rise is a mere thirty minutes and you won't have to devote half a day to baking. I may exaggerate, but that's what it feels like sometimes.

If you don't have a baking stone, place the bread seam-side up to rise.

Breakfast.

I will be submitting this bread to Yeastspotting.

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Print this recipe

Rustic Potato Bread
adapted from Baking with Julia

Yields two loaves

Ingredients -

1 - 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quarted
3/4 cup reserved potato water
2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 3/4 cup unbleached bread flour
1 tablespoon wheat gluten

Directions -

1. Place potatoes in a medium pot; cover with water and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Reserve 3/4 cup water. Drain potatoes and return to empty pot, still over heat. Toss just until potatoes begin sticking to bottom of pan. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and air dry until cooled completely. Once cooled, mash or press through a ricer into a large bowl.


2. Reheat reserved potato water to 100°. Stir 1/2 cup water into small bowl with yeast and sugar; proof for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the oil and salt with the mashed potatoes. Stir in yeast mixture, 1 cup flour, and wheat gluten.


3. Add remaining flour, mixing with your hand to incorporate. If dough remains dry after a few minutes of mixing, add additional water in 1 tablespoon increments just until a cohesive dough forms. Turn out onto counter and knead until dough is smooth and slightly tacky, about 10 minutes. During this time, the dough might turn from impossibly dry to very sticky - if necessary, cover dough with bowl and let stand for 10 minutes, then continue kneading with the aid of a dough scraper.


4. Return dough to bowl. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes - the dough will have risen but not quite doubled. Turn out onto floured surface and divide in half. Flatten each piece into a thin oval, then roll into a loaf starting at the narrow edge farthest away from you. When you reach the last roll, gently stretch the end towards you before wrapping on top of loaf. Gently roll the loaf to taper the ends into a football shape. Place seam side down on floured, rimless baking sheet. Dust loaves with flour and let rise for 30 minutes.


5. While the bread rises, place a baking stone on the middle rack in the oven and preheat to 375°. Fill a small, oven-proof dish halfway with water and place on bottom rack to create steam.


6. When dough has risen, gently roll the loaves onto the baking stone, seam-side up. Use spatula to help if necessary. Bake for 50 minutes, or until bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Place on a wire rack; cool 30 minutes before slicing.

Chocolate On The Brain: Mini Chocolate Chip Bagels

I haven't been feeling all that great lately. Not being able (and now not caring) to run has a lot to do with it. Because of that, my inspiration to bake was waning until a cookbook I ordered arrived. Chocolate On The Brain: Foolproof Recipes for Unrepentant Chocoholics is an old favorite of mine. I found it at the library one day and kept renewing it as often as I could until the book was no longer available. Yeah. What I like the most is the humorous stories, little tidbits of chocolate history, and "mom hints" to ensure success. It's like a story, and that's the best kind of cookbook.

The book starts with an introduction by Kevin Mills, the author, who lets you know right from the beginning that he doesn't trust you if you say you hate chocolate. Along with the standard issue index, there's a secondary index for "Quick Relief for Chocoholics" that divides the recipes by how quickly you need a chocolate fix. The recipes are all given skill levels ranging from very easy, easy, and not so easy, like these bagels. (But they're easy, honest.) Even if you don't liken chocolate to oxygen, this is a worthwhile book to have.

One of the first recipes I ever made from Chocolate On The Brain was the chocolate chip bagels. I remember them being easy and the most delicious thing I've ever made. That distant memory prompted me to make them again, so yesterday I kneaded my angst away until it transformed into smooth, silky dough. After the dough had risen, I shaped sixteen bagels into rings and was about to plop them into a giant pot of boiling water until I noticed that I never turned the oven on. Oops. Due to the error, the bagels (I keep typing 'doughnuts') rose a little more than intended. I don't think it bothered the bagels, any.

Before you ask me why I think it's okay to eat chocolate chip bagels for breakfast, let me tell you that it's no different than many people's bowl of oatmeal. Really, oatmeal is just a vessel for brown sugar and although I like to eat brown sugar, I can make do with chocolate.

Other than the chips, the dough in enriched slightly with half a stick of butter and one egg. There's a measly two tablespoons of sugar (I'd use brown sugar next time). You could even replace half the flour with white whole wheat, but why bother. Right? Just enjoy the deliciousness.

To shape the bagels, knead one tablespoon chocolate chips into each portion of dough. After rolling the dough into a log, overlap the ends and pinch tightly. If it's not tight enough, the ring will separate in the water. It happened to me once.

As for my bagel skills, this was one of my better efforts. The bagels were still rather dimply, but not as flat as the last time I made bagels. And that's why I looked forward to this recipe - simple, easy, and successful.

I changed a few things up:

- I added a tablespoon of baking soda to the boiling water
- I moved the oven rack to the second highest position instead of the highest, otherwise they'd brown too quickly before cooking thoroughly
- This isn't a change, just a friendly heads up to make sure yu bake them for 20 minutes
- These bagels aren't as mini as you might expect. As you can tell in the above picture, it's about the size of my palm. I'm thinking each bagel is 2-3 ounces, but I didn't weigh the dough and can't be certain of that. I think they're the perfect size.

Once the first batch had cooled just barely, I sliced into a bagel. The chips were still warm and smeared themselves as the bagel was sliced. See all that chocolate? No, I didn't knead the chips in very evenly; it doesn't matter where the chocolate is, just that it's there. I was entirely satisfied after eating it, and for a brief moment life seemed a little bit brighter. I ate another one, toasted, this morning with coffee. I can't say it gave me an epiphany, but it made me happy.

I'm submitting this post to YeastSpotting.

Recipe after jump.

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Mini Chocolate Chip Bagels
Recipe from Chocolate On The Brain: Foolproof Recipes for Unrepentant Chocoholics by Kevin Mills and Nancy Mills

Yields 16 mini-bagels

Ingredients -

1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg
4-5 cups flour
(I added 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
(1 tablespoon baking soda)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions -

1. Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat. Set aside to cool.


2. Heat the water to 100-110 degrees. Pour the water into a large bowl. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast into the water, and stir for a few seconds until the yeast dissolves. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, or until it becomes frothy. Beat the egg and add to the mixture. Add the butter and mix to incorporate. Add 3 1/2 cups flour and the salt (and wheat gluten), and mix with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour onto a dry, clean work surface and carefully transfer the dough onto the flour. Knead the dough by folding it over and over on itself while pushing it with your hands for 8 to 10 minutes, gradually adding more flour as necessary, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is smooth and satiny.


3. Pour 1 teaspoon oil into a large bowl, and spread around with a paper towel, making sure to grease the sides as well as the bottom. Place the kneaded dough in the bowl and turn over so that the top is greased. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and set aside on the counter for the dough to rise for 1 hour. When it has risen, fill a large pot at least half full with water, cover, and begin heating over high heat.


4. Place one oven rack on the second highest position and the other in the bottom position and preheat the oven to 400°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.


5. Take the risen dough out of the bowl, knead a few times to get the air pockets out, and divide into 16 equal pieces.


6. Spread a clean tea towel on the counter. Take 1 piece of dough and 1 tablespoon of the chocolate chips and knead them together. Then roll the dough between your hands into a cylinder about 6 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. Overlap the ends and pinch together tightly to make a ring. Or simply make a 1-inch hole in the center of the dough, and shape into a ring. Make sure the chocolate chips are not exposed. Lay the ring on the tea towel and cover. Repeat the process until you have 16 rings.


7. When the pot of water has come to a boil, gently pick up a dough ring and drop it into the water. Drop 3 more in, one by one, and let cook for about 1 minute. They will puff up and double in size. Gently turn them over with a metal spatula and let cook for another minute. Transfer the bagels with a slotted spoon to one baking sheet and boil another 4 rings. Transfer those to the same baking sheet and bake on the top rack for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.


8. While the first batch is baking, boil the second batch, as before. Transfer them to the second baking sheet and begin baking them on the bottom rack of the oven. When you remove the first baking sheet from the oven, transfer the second sheet from the bottom to the top rack to finish baking. The bagels will brown better on the top rack.


9. When the bagels are done, remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature, or reheat for 5 minutes in a 350° oven. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap.

Red Star Yeast Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread & Project PB&J

In case you were not aware, National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day is coming up on April 2. To celebrate, I have partnered with my new blog buddy Cindy, from Once Upon A Loaf, to bring to you Project PB&J. We've invited bloggers to participate by creating a recipe that pays homage to the classic sandwich that is much beloved by many. Starting next week, you can expect to see the bloggers' PB&J-inspired recipes. We'll be posting link ups, so check our blogs to stay up to date.

What does this have to do with Red Star Yeast? They are one of the sponsors of Project PB&J. To show our thanks to the at the enthusiasm of the companies who are supporting us in our endeavor, Cindy and I are giving a shout out to them by making their recipes, or creating recipes from their products, like the Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Doug's Nuts I posted last week.

So why did I decide to make a loaf of bread? Because bread makes or breaks a sandwich, and good bread goes a long way in making a sandwich a pleasant eating experience. Peanut butter and jelly on dry, store-bought bread? No, thank you.

Cindy passed along a few recipes provided by Red Star Yeast. Their Old Fashioned Buttermilk White Bread stood out to me, and it just so happened that I had a carton of buttermilk in the fridge. I've never made a yeast bread with buttermilk so I was looking forward to tasting the results.

I changed the recipe a little by replacing half the bread flour with white whole wheat to add a little more nutrition to the loaf. I also made it by hand. Kneading dough is pretty relaxing and is more fun than push ups, and I recommend it as a workout if you can't get to the therapist or the gym.

The Red Star Yeast instructions say to mix the yeast with the flour, but I opted to proof it first as I usually do, so I mixed it with half of the heated water and buttermilk, and a bit of sugar.

Like I mentioned above, I used white whole wheat flour. It's much lighter in texture than traditional whole wheat and gives the bread a nice complexity without being noticeable on its own. If you want a heartier whole wheat taste, use regular whole wheat flour. To the flour, I added a tablespoon of vital wheat gluten. I add it to almost every bread I make except for artisan loaves. It contributes to the dough's texture and rise, and keeps it fresh longer.

The dough seemed a little dry once I mixed the liquids into the flour, but it kneaded up into a smooth dough and I didn't even need to add any extra flour. After that, I let it rise until an indent pressed into the dough remained.

When it comes to rolling the dough into a loaf, I've created my own method after countless number of loaves baked up with gaps. In the large picture (and continuing clockwise), press the dough out into a rectangle, with the long side facing you, and dimple the top with your fingers. Next, pinch the dough after each roll. I've found that this prevents gaps from occurring. Once the dough is rolled up, press your finger into either end of the loaf until it meets the final turn of the roll (does that even make any sense?), and pinch shut.

Place the loaf inside a prepared bread pan, cover, walk away, and let the dough rise until it's higher than the sides of the pan.

I love it when bread turns out right, and this loaf definitely turned out right. It had a nice, high rise and a lovely brown crust. I couldn't wait to slice into it, but I managed to keep away for an hour to give the bread a chance to cool. If you slice it too early, the bread will be gummy and more difficult to slice.

How did I feel about the taste of the buttermilk? It definitely had a strong tanginess to it, quite different from sourdough, but it wasn't bad at all. I mean, I ate a couple of slices. I will probably decrease the buttermilk next time, though, because I like my bread to be a little more mild in terms of flavor.

On the plus side, the texture of the crumb was incredible - very moist and tender, almost buttery and melt-in-your-mouth. A perfect platform for peanut butter and jelly.

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Print this recipe

Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread
Adapted from Red Star Yeast's Old Fashioned Buttermilk White Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients -

1/2 cup water
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups bread flour
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions -

1. Heat water and buttermilk to 110°. In a small bowl, place yeast and 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Add half the heated buttermilk mixture and stir to combine. Let stand until proofed, about 5 minutes.


2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, oatmeal, wheat gluten, remaining sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour; pour in the proofed yeast mixture along with the remaining buttermilk and the oil. Stir to form a shaggy dough.


3. Turn dough out onto a counter, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, and knead for ten minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. A pastry scraper helps. Form dough into a ball and place into mixing bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise until and indent remains in dough when pressed, about 1-2 hours.


4. Punch risen dough down and turn out onto the counter. Patt into a rectangle, dimpling top with fingers. Roll short side up, pinching to create a seam after each roll. Pinch seam shut; press a finger into both ends of the roll, then pinch sides shut. Place in a greased 9x5-inch bread pan; cover with damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise until dough expands over sides, about 1-2 hours. During last 15 minutes of rising time, preheat oven to 375°.


5. Bake loaf for 35-40 minutes, or until crust has browned and loaf sounds hollow when underside is tapped. Remove loaf from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

hot cross buns

Every year for Easter breakfast my family makes hot cross buns. We use a recipe from The Bread Book by Linda Collister and Anthony Blake. Hot cross buns were traditionally Good Friday fare in England, but have since become associated with Easter around the globe. It's a good thing, too, because these sweet, spicy yeast rolls studded with fruit are delicious.

They came out a bit dense this time. I'm not sure if it's because I soaked the yellow raisins and dried cranberries in water first and the excess moisture contributed to a rather slack dough, but they were still good. What's good about this recipe is that it makes about three dozen 2 ounce rolls, some for now and some for later. You can freeze the extras, slice, and toast for breakfast.

The dough is enriched by butter, eggs, sugar, and milk powder, though I subbed half the water with skim milk instead. Unlike a typical sweet dough, hot cross bun dough is accented with spices. This time around I used a mixture of pumpkin pie spice, allspice, ground ginger, and fresh nutmeg. I've read that too much cinnamon inhibits yeast action, so I don't go over the 3 teaspoons the recipe says you can use. Most of the spices seemed too subtle, unfortunately. Maybe it's just me. It also seems that using a full 3 tablespoons tints the buns a bit gray, not pleasantly white like the picture in the book shows. Finally, the rolls are given a burst of fruity flavor from the dried cranberries and raisins. Traditionally, citron might be used, but I prefer the fruit.

What makes this recipe different from others is the cross. Most recipes you'll find have an icing cross piped on the rolls after they've been baked, but this version calls for a flour paste cross to be piped on before baking. I made it a bit too runy, which I think made the cross not look as prominent after it had baked.

Immediately after baking, the hot buns are brushed with a thin glaze made from confectioners' sugar and milk. It gives the rolls a finished, shiny look. While the glaze does dry, it gets a bit sticky after a few hours. I don't mind, and the rolls get a little extra sweetness from it. When you toast the rolls, the tops get a little caramelized. It's tasty.

What Easter food traditions do you guys have?

(Recipe after jump)

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Hot Cross Buns
From The Bread Book by Linda Collister and Anthony Blake

Makes twenty-four buns

ingredients -

6 1/2 cups white bread flour
3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
2 to 3 teaspoons spice mixture of your choice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/4 cups mixed dried fruit, such as dark and golden raisins and currants
1/4 cup diced candied citrus peel (preferably lemon and orange peel)
2 cakes compressed fresh yeast (0.6 ounce each) or 2 envelopes active dry yeast, 5 teaspoons total (I use SAF Instant)
2 cups lukewarm water (95F to 105F)
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced and softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

Topping -

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons water
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for glazing
Optional: Thin glaze made from confectioners' sugar and milk for glazing after baking

a baking sheet, greased or lined with parchment paper

directions -

1. Heat the oven to its lowest setting. Mix together the flour, sugar (reserving 1 teaspoon if using dry yeast), vital wheat gluten, spice, salt, mixed dried fruit, and candied citrus peel in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Put the bowl in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes to warm the ingredients while you prepare the yeast.


2. Crumble the fresh yeast into a medium-size bowl. Stir in the lukewarm water and nonfat dry milk powder until smooth. If using dry yeast, mix the granules and the reserved 1 teaspoon sugar with 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the milk powder and the remaining 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water. Then stir in the butter until melted.


3. Pour the yeast mixture into the well in the warmed flour mixture. Add the eggs to the well and blend together with the yeast mixture with a large mixing spoon. With your hand or wooden spoon, gradually work in the flour from the bowl into the yeast mixture to make a very soft, but not sticky dough. If the dough is dry and crumbly, work in water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If too sticky, work in flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.


4. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise at warm room temperature (about 75F) until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.


5. Punch down the dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently for 5 minutes until very smooth an elastic. Weigh the dough and divide it into 24 equal portions (I just weighed 2 ounce portions), or roll into a fat rope and cut it into 24 pieces. Shape each portion into a neat roll. Arrange fairly close together, but not touching, on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise at warm room temperature until the buns have almost doubled in size and have joined together, 30 to 45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes of rising, heat the oven to 500F.


6. While the buns are rising, make the topping: In a small bowl, mix the flour and sugar with enough of the water to make a thick, smooth paste. Spoon the paste into a small pastry bag fitted with a narrow, plain tip. With the back of a table knife, make an indentation about 1/4 inch deep in the shape of a cross on the top of each bun. Brush the buns with the egg glaze. Pipe a cross of the flour paste over the indentation on each bun.


7. Put the buns in the oven, the immediately lower the oven temperature to 400F ad bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the buns are nicely golden brown. Transfer the buns to a wire rack to cool. When completely cool, pull the buns apart. Immediately glaze with the confectioners' sugar glaze, if desired.

not-so-rustic sun dried tomato rolls

I've bookmarked a particular recipe for rustic olive rolls I saw on a blog before, well over a year ago. Since I had recently purchased some items from Oh Nuts, I decided to use the sun dried tomatoes I bought. What I liked about these is that they aren't packed in oil, yet they are soft.

The taste of these is great. A little acidic, but extremely tomatoey. What I like about these is that you have a greater option of how to use them, either packing them in oil yourself (much cheaper), adding to recipes sans oil, turning them into a pesto, and much more. The good part is that you don't need to soak them in hot water to get them soft because they already are.

The first step to creating these rolls is the sponge, which sets for 14 hours. I was a bit lazy so it ended up sitting for around 18 hours and it still worked out. The sponge is what adds that artisan flavor and rustic texture.

The next day, the sponge is added to more water, olive oil, yeast (the sponge had only 1/16 teaspoon, though I doubled the recipe so it had 1/8th), bread flour, and salt. I added a pinch of sugar.

To add more flavor I used 2 teaspoons of Penzeys Spice Bouquet Garni and I think 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.

So why are these not-so-rustic? Well, I ran out of bread flour. I had made 3 batches of no-knead bread the beginning of the month and it used it all up. At least the sponge had bread flour. For the rest of the loaf, I used all-purpose flour and 1 cup of high gluten finely ground whole wheat flour with a tablespoon of wheat gluten.

Since all-purpose flour has less protein than bread flour, which aids in the lift and chewy texture of artisan breads. All-purpose is a mix of both high and low gluten flours. Tender cookies? Tender cakes? That's what the lower protein does. Oh well.

The bread had a great texture and kneaded well. Note to everyone: Cut my nails before making bread.

At this point, the dough was smelling great thanks to the herbs.

Once the dough was kneaded for 10 minutes and had a smooth feel, I chopped 20 sun dried tomatoes (I would suggest preparing ahead of time so that the chopping is finished before you make the bread) and kneaded them in. I wanted the dough to be stained red from the tomatoes so that it would look prettier. Next, the dough rises.

After the rise, you gently deflate and portion into rolls. I'm not sure if I weighed each piece or eyeballed, I think it was the latter. Since I doubled the recipe I ended up with about 14 rolls. The original recipe makes 6 so I probably made them a bit too small. Once I finished, I let them rise for about another hour.

I'll note that the recipe had the rolls rise on on a cotton dish cloth to maintain a rectangular shape, though since I wasn't making rectangular rolls I let them rise directly on the baking sheet, which I lightly greased and sprinkled with cornmeal, dusting the rolls with flour before covering.

The kitchen had a great aroma as these baked. I remember eating a sun dried bread at a cafe in downtown Grand Rapids a long time ago, and I hoped these would be similar. Texture-wise they didn't come out rustic at all because of the flour issue, but they were still very delicious. The flavors were more mellow than I had expected, though I'm sure you wouldn't want them to be overpowering if you ate them with soup or dinner. I would suggest slicing in half and toasting for breakfast.

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Recipe

Rustic Olive Rolls, King Arthur Flour

Asian Burger with Stir Fry Slaw and a Steamed Bun

There are many variations for burgers out there, but one I don't hear about often is an Asian-inspired burger. My requirements in coming up with my own version was to flavor the ground beef with the ingredients I used when I made filled steamed buns, create a simple stir fry topping that features cole slaw vegetables, and finally make steamed buns to use in place of traditional hamburger buns.

First, I mixed the ground beef mixture together and set it aside to give the flavors a chance to develop. Unfortunately, I didn't measure the amount of beef I used, but it made about 3 burgers. I definitely didn't use a pound, probably not even half a pound, but I kept the amounts for the flavorings the same.

Up next was the stir fry slaw, a mixture of shredded green cabbage, onions, garlic, a bit of green bell pepper, and sliced green onions. For the sauce I failed and didn't measure anything, but I used about 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup water, corn starch, a teaspoon of sugar, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and white pepper. I can't remember if I added any salt, but I don't think I did because the soy sauce I have seems saltier than other brands. For the vegetables, I think I chopped 1/4 of a head of cabbage since it shrinks down drastically after cooking, 1 medium onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, a 1/4 of a bell pepper, and however many green onions I felt like. There definitely was extra slaw left over so I know I probably made more than I needed, but stir fry tastes awesome the next day.

When it came time to make this, I used a cast iron skillet over the wok. Why? I was sick with a cold; my head was stuffy; the skillet was out and already dirty. What I forgot was how well cast iron not only heats up, but retains that heat. As you can imagine, it got to be so hot that the oil evaporated. Whoops! Fortunately, the kitchen didn't smoke up black, but windows had to be opened and fans were required to air the house out. My bad. Also fortunately, the stir fry had an incredibly smoky, charred flavor, and I managed not to burn anything. This, folks, is why I don't cook when I'm ill.

After setting the stir fry aside, the steamed buns were ready to be cooked, the dough having been kneaded and set aside to rise before I made the meat mixture, which I remembered just now and I don't feel like editing the above. I used the same recipe I used last time, though I divided the dough into eight balls, and after shaping I pressed them down flat so they wouldn't be completely like a dinner roll. I steamed them for 15 minutes. Because I could only steam 4 at a time, the burgers weren't started until after the last 4 buns were steaming.

As far as hamburgers go, these were incredible, like a stir fry-potsticker-steamed bun all in one bite! The flavor of the burgers came through very well, but the slaw was the biggest hit. I was initially concerned with how well the buns would hold up to the burger, though I needn't have since they held up fine. I really liked the chewiness of the buns.

Recipe after the jump.

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Asian Burger with Stir Fry Slaw and a Steamed bun

This recipe will be very vague, and I truly am sorry for that. I should have written the ingredients down as I went along, but being sick I just wasn't thinking. What's here is my best attempt at remembering all I did.

For steamed buns and ground beef filling, click here

So as I said, I used a very straightforward, basic steamed bun recipe. Divide the dough into eighths, shape into balls, and flatten after you place the buns on a square of wax paper, on a baking sheet, before letting rise. Steam for 15 minutes.

For the ground beef, I used enough beef for 3 hamburgers, so maybe 1/4 pound, though I really have no idea! Everything else was kept the same.

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Print this recipe

Stir Fry Slaw
Recipe by Christina Provo

ingredients ~

2-3 cups shredded green cabbage
1 medium onion, sliced into half moons
1/4 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces, plus additional for serving
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Vegetable oil for stir frying

directions ~

1. Mix chicken broth and water, corn starch, sugar, oyster sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, and white pepper together in a small bowl; set aside.


2. Heat skillet or wok over medium high heat until just beginning to smoke. Adjust heat as needed. Have a dish nearby to place ingredients after stir frying.


3. Add a teaspoon of oil to skillet. Drop in garlic and green onions and stir until green onions look charred; remove to dish. Add another teaspoon of oil, then add the onions and bell pepper and cook until charred marks are visible on onions. After you remove those, cook cabbage in the same way with another teaspoon of oil. Once cooked, add back the vegetables in the dish and stir to mix. Pour the sauce on top, stirring constantly; remove skillet from heat and continue to mix until sauce has thickened. Place in dish and keep covered until ready to eat.

oh holey bagels

The last time I made bagels was a few years ago P.B. (pre-blogging) when I made cute little tasty mini chocolate chip bagels. So delicious with cream cheese. Since it had been a while, I decided to try out The Fresh Loaf recipe for bagels. The recipe is for a plain bagel and starts with a sponge, then after the bagels are shaped they rest in the fridge overnight, which further develops the flavor and also is flexible. These are also boiled, which is really the only way to make a bagel.

Besides the boiling before baking, the other difference between a regular bread recipe and a bagel recipe is that the dough for bagels is much thicker, and to give you a comparison, there is about 7 cups of flour for about 12 4 ounce bagels (for my bagels, I portioned the dough out into 3 ounce balls), vs two loaves of bread with around 16 slices a loaf. Yet while bagels are dense, they shouldn't be heavy. The crust should be chewy and a bit crackly and break away into a fluffy, sturdy, and chewy crumb. Bagels really are deceptive.

For further reading, I recommend an article from The New York Times (read it now for free before you have to pay), Was Life Better When Bagels Were Smaller?

While the dough rises overnight, let's play Cotton Towel Rorschach!

The first one reminds me of some strange human figure. Or maybe an amoeba.

The second figure looks like a freaked out ostrich. Maybe after it realized the size of eggs it lays.

Lastly, the figure reminds me of either a vulture or the bald eagle that tried to carry Fivel away.

Back to the bagels.

Once the bagels have proofed overnight, you carefully drop them in to a pot of boiling water mixed with baking soda. Unfortunately, maybe the dough wasn't as thick as it needed to be because my fingertips dimpled the bagel rings rather unattractively when I lifted them to plop in the pot. I was hoping the boiling might poof them back out, but no dice. Once placed on the sheet next to the risen bagels, they looked dimply and deflated.

Obviously they grew a bit, but they also deflated. Rather disappointing. I also played around with the baking temperature and time since I felt they needed to be baked longer to achieve a golden texture.

So how do you show a picture of bagels that didn't come out how you expect? You gather the best looking bagels to make it seem like they did!

As for the taste, they were pretty good, and definitely better than what you can find in the freezer section just by being homemade. For not having anything but flour and water (and salt), the taste was also good. The crust was a bit chewy and the insides soft and chewy, too, though overall they didn't remind me of my favorite bagel place, where they are also boiled in the traditional manner.

The innards shot was lovely since it had structured holes that I see sometimes in bagels.

I definitely need to work on bagel skills. Next recipe I try is a recommendation from my mom, who likes the bagels from The Joy of Baking.

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These bagels will be my contribution to YeastSpotting this week. Check it out to see some great bread ideas!