Daring Bakers and the Lavash Cracker

The challenge for this month was Lavash Crackers from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Natalie from Gluten A Go-Go and Shelly from Musings from the Fishbowl. We had creative license for the flavoring of the crackers, as well as the dip that accompanies it, though it had to be vegan. I settled on oregano and kosher salt as the topping and a cucumber salsa I saw in a Vegetarian Times magazine.

My thoughts on this dough was that it seemed like a basic pizza dough-like recipe. Also, I don't think my dough rose enough, so I probably should have put it in a warmer place.

When it came time to roll it out, I couldn't get the gluten to relax and, as you can see in the picture, as soon as I cut out a shape it shrunk. Bummer. I had enough remaining dough to stretch out in a rectangle as best I could and sliced into larger rectangles.

The salsa was really good, cucumber, avocado, seeded and deveined jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and kosher salt. A nice twist from a tomato-based salsa and it was like a chunky guacamole, too.

The lavash crackers, though, I wasn't too impressed. It tasted like chewy pizza dough and didn't have the characteristic of a cracker at all. Judging by the other Daring Bakers, I did something wrong because theirs came out well, and I think it was that the dough didn't really rise so the gluten didn't develop as much as it should have. I might try this again, though, because it seems like I should have gotten a pita-chip like cracker from it, and it should have browned more, too.

Don't forget to peruse through the Daring Baker blogroll to read more.

(EoP)

All-Purpose Cilantro Pesto

Confession: I have never made fresh basil pesto. I made a variant once with dry basil, but never ever have I made basil pesto. That must somehow have stunted my culinary growth, but I made up for it by making cilantro pesto yesterday.

First, you start with cilantro that has been stemmed and rinsed. Actually, I normally don't rinse any fruit, vegetable, or herb unless it has dirt on it, which this had. I didn't want 'essence of soil' in my pesto.

Garlic and lime (for flavor and to prevent discoloration. Also, garlic helps prevent colds, which I can say works because my mom gave us (my brothers and me) a garlic supplement all the time when we were kids and we didn't get sick very often. In fact, I'm rarely sick now and I eat some form of raw garlic most days of the week. So do yourself a favor and make pesto, and if you're worried about garlic breath, don't, because the garlic cloves were small and gave flavor without being overwhelming.

Typically, a traditional basil pesto uses pine nuts or walnuts, but for this I used cashews. If I had pepita seeds I would have used those.

Cilantro Basil recipe below

After pulsing the cashews a bit, you dump in all the cilantro and pulse to coarsely combine.

Open the lid, squeeze in half a lime, then cover with the lid and, with the processor running, pour in the olive oil.

Open the lid, dump in the smashed garlic that you forgot to add earlier along with kosher salt and black pepper, then process just until combined.

Using a spatula, scrape out the pesto into a bowl. Taste for seasonings.

One ingredient you may have noticed that was missing is the parmesan cheese. I made a variation of cilantro pesto with parmesan a few months ago, but I thought that it detracted from the cilantro taste so I omitted it this time.

I was curious as to how the cashews would taste, but the nuttiness from the cashews really compliments the cilantro and doesn't overpower it at all. I added a little more lime juice, a quarter section, and as for the salt, just add a bit at a time until it suits your taste (because I forgot to measure it).

What makes this all-purpose is the many ways you can use it. I made this as a spread for subs, but you could use it as marinade/rub for beef, chicken, pork, or as a topping for fish. A condiment for Mexican dishes, a different take on salsa verde or a different topping for bruschetta.

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All-Purpose Cilantro Pesto
Recipe by Christina Provo
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Yields 1 cup

Ingredients -

2 cups fresh cilantro leaves (rinsed if needed), packed
1/3 cup cashews (pepita seeds would be a good substitute)
3 medium sized garlic cloves, smashed
Juice from half a lime
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions -

1. Pulse the cashews a few times in the food processor until coarsely chopped. Place all the cilantro, garlic and lime juice in and pulse a few more times.


2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Continuing the Trend

Part two of my series of three food blog trends continues with my first official post of No-Knead Bread. I follow the recipe featured on The Martha Stewart Show with Jim Lahey, the creator. This version is only slightly different in a few of the measurements, but the technique is the same.

A brief overview, 'no-knead bread' is made by mixing the flour with a tiny bit of yeast, water, and salt, mixed to incorporate all the ingredients, then left to rise and ferment for 12-18 hours (I always go for 18).

The next day, the dough will have doubled in size, be stringy and bubbly (gluten power!), and look slightly collapsed. Looking at the picture, you can see how much the dough developed with just a little yeast and many hours.

Out of the container and onto a floured board, you fold the dough twice over itself and let rest for 15 minutes.

After the resting period, you fold it onto itself again, but this time four times to make an envelope-like shape. Tuck the sides underneath gently and quickly, then place the dough, seam-side down, on a wheat bran-lined flour cloth that's on a baking sheet.

When the dough has proofed for 2 hours and the cast iron pot has heated up, the dough is plopped into the pot, covered, and cooked at a temperature of 500°. Covering the pot creates a steamy environment which aids in creating a crispy crust that proves to be a challenge for many of us. I go for 30 minutes covered, and 15 minutes uncovered.

As you can see, the loaf has risen dramatically, has a nice artisan look to it, and browned beautifully.

Remove the bread from the pot immediately, and listen to the crackling choir that emanates from the loaf. Seriously. I literally do listen to the crackling for a few seconds each time.

I must admit that I haven't given much effort into making regular artisan breads, except for the biyearly baguettes that have come out quite well for me, so to produce a loaf of bread with this type of crust and the crumb structure is pretty nice for how little time I spend with it. It also has a really nice fermented flavor, similar to recipes that have a sponge, old dough, and many slow rising times. The only downside is that it seems just a tiny bit gummy, but you can't tell when you eat it.

My favorite way to eat this bread is toasted and spread with butter. Regular homemade sandwich bread is also good, but there's something about the no-knead bread toasted that takes toast to the next level.