Hearty whole-grain bread for toast

 

 

This is a grainy, seeded loaf with good flavor that makes great toast, although it can also be used for sandwiches.  This recipe makes a large, substantial loaf.

2 handfuls steel-cut oats
Very warm water
1 scant tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3½ - 4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup high gluten flour
Handful flax seeds
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 tablespoons dark molasses or malt barley syrup
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 - 1 cup liquid whey (preferred) or water, warmed
Handful of raw sunflower seeds
Corn meal or semolina

Place oats in a cereal bowl and add about ½ cup of the warm water. (They should be wet, but not drowned.)  Cover and allow to soak. In a small bowl, proof the yeast with the sugar in about ½ cup of very warm water (the warmest you can comfortably hold your finger in). Once yeast has proved, in a mixing bowl add 2 cups whole wheat flour, gluten flour, flax seeds, and salt and whisk to aerate. Then add the molasses, olive oil, yeast mixture, oats, and whey (or water) and stir to combine. It will be a thick slurry.  Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes. Add about another 1½ cups of flour along with the sunflower seeds and begin kneading, adding more flour (or warm water) as necessary to produce a shaggy, sticky dough. Knead for 20-30 minutes until there’s good gluten development and dough is only slightly tacky. It should be loose, but you should be able to form it into a ball with a tight skin. Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size and an indentation remains when pressed.  This can take up to 6 hours or more, or it can be done overnight in the refrigerator.

Punch down and knead a few times to redistribute the air. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, grease a loaf tin well and heavily coat the bottom and up the sides with corn meal or semolina. Form the dough into a loaf and place seam side down into the loaf tin.  Cover and allow to rise in a warm place.  After about 30-40 minutes (about when the dough has reached the top of the tin), preheat oven to 350 degrees. When loaf has nearly doubled, place in oven and bake for about 55 minutes, until it’s well browned on top. It may even look slightly burnt. Remove from tin and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Hotdog buns

 

More COVID baking. Normally I wouldn't bother making from scratch when I'm fine with the commercial product.

17.6 oz all-purpose flour (4 US cups, measured by spoon and level method*)
½ cup warm milk
¾ cup warm water
2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons softened butter or oil
Extra oil to lightly oil the bowl
1 egg for the egg wash

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.  In another small bowl, whisk together the water, milk, and egg and add to the flour mixture; knead to bring the dough together.  (It should be fairly wet and sticky.)  Knead for about 5 minutes, until you have a smooth ball.   Add the oil or butter and knead for a further 5-10 minutes, until the dough is shiny, smooth, and tacky to the touch.   Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning so the dough is lightly oiled on the surface.  For best results, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight (8 hours) or up to 24 hours. (Alternatively, if you want to bake it on the same day, you can cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour in a warm place, until it has doubled in size.)  On the day you bake the bread rolls, turn the chilled dough out on to a lightly floured surface and lightly dust the surface of the dough as well.  If the dough wasn't chilled, you may need extra flour on your hands and on your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking.    

FOR THE CUTTING METHOD FOR HOT DOG BUNS
Roll out the dough into a rectangle that's about 16 inches in length and 4-5 inches in width. Cut the dough into 10 sections and place them on a parchment paper lined baking tray, with about 1.5 inches of space between each.

FOR THE SHAPING METHOD FOR HOT DOG BUNS
Cut the dough into 12 (or 10) equal sections. I usually weigh the bread dough so that I know how much each section should weigh.  Knead each portion for just a few seconds to form a smooth ball. Roll out each portion into a flattened piece of dough that's about 5 inches long and 4 inches wide. Then TIGHTLY roll up the dough to form a cylinder. Tuck in the sides/edges and pinch these edges and seams to seal. Place each portion on a parchment paper lined baking tray, about 2 inches apart.

FOR BURGER BUNS
Cut the dough into 8 sections (for larger buns) or 10 sections (for smaller buns) and roll these portions in your hands to form smooth balls. Place them on the parchment paper lined baking tray, about 3 inches apart.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for 45 min in a warm place, until it has just about doubled in size.  

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F about 30 minutes prior to baking.  Brush the hot dog rolls with the egg wash (lightly beaten egg) and bake in the preheated oven until they are golden brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped, about 15-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Best eaten on the same day, but will keep longer in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.  Makes 12.

These were more like the inside of a loaf of homemade white bread.  They were sort of chewy, more like soft pretzels.  Did I knead them too long?  I did what she recommended.  In her notes she states, "Using cup measurements can result in the addition of more flour than intended, causing the dough to be too dry. This results in a heavy, dense bread roll, instead of the soft, fluffy roll that this recipe guarantees." 

 

Conclusion:  These were okay.  I guess I was expecting store-bought buns but with more flavor.  They were good, but I'm not sure they're worth the trouble.

Recipe:  Easy Homemade Hot Dog Buns via The Flavor Blender

 

 

 

Blueberry muffins II

Still in search of the perfect blueberry muffin recipe.  (Attempts I and III can be found here and here.)  This recipe was published in Redbook in 1988.  It seems to be attributed to a cafe called Helen's in Machias, Maine.  While there is (and was, since 1950) a Helen's Restaurant on the outskirts of Machias, it's not currently open for breakfast and doesn't have muffins anywhere on the menu.  Perhaps they're served on the side with a main course, or perhaps hours have changed.  (They do incorporate blueberries into their dishes in creative ways, and I'd love to try their wild blueberry pie!)  The sign outside the restaurant reads, "Restaurant • Bakery", but the bakery appears to serve only desserts.

To make six muffins, here's what I used:

1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/6 cup sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Heat oven to 400F.  Grease 6 muffin tins.  Toss blueberries with 1/2 tablespoon of the flour in a small bowl; set aside.  Sift remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.  Beat egg, milk, and melted butter in a glass measuring cup, then stir into the flour mixture only until just blended.  (Batter will be stiff.)  Fold in floured blueberries as you stir.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.  Bake 15 to 18 minutes until lightly browned and a sharp knife inserted in muffin comes out clean.

Conclusion:  This is a high contender, but not quite there yet.  These are only mildly sweet, and not as cakey as I want, but very good.  They could use more salt, or okay as is as long as you're eating them with salted butter.  I probably would like them just a little sweeter as well.

Recipe:  Maine Blueberry Muffins via Redbook, March 1988

Capuccino biscotti

Weird looking, aren't they?  I can explain...

This recipe is similar to the ones I like to use by Lou Seibert Pappas, so I didn't muck with it much other than where necessity called for improvisation.  For the coffee powder, I used a single-serve packet of Taster's Choice hazelnut-flavored instant coffee, which imparted a surprising amount of the imitation hazelnut flavor to the dough, not necessarily in a bad way.  (Made me wish I had hazelnuts to add to the dough.)  As for chocolate, the only "mini" chocolate format I had was mini M&Ms--- not a good choice, in more ways than one.  I also substituted half white whole wheat flour, also perhaps not a good choice.  In short, these cookies were not a raging success.

To make about 3 dozen cookies, here's what I used:

3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1 cup flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Rounded 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 rounded teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder3/4 cup granulated white sugar
Rounded 1/2 cup chocolate chips, mini or regular
Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling (1 tablespoon sugar + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon), optional

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Grease and flour a large baking/cookie sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and the vanilla extract. In a large mixing bowl, soft together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and coffee powder/granules; add the sugar and whisk to combine well. If using mini chocolate chips, blend into the flour mixture now.  Gradually add in the egg mixture and beat until a dough forms. If using larger chocolate chips, stir them in now. Divide the  dough in half and, with a spoon, dollop each half into a log on the cookie sheet about 10 inches long and 2 inches wide. If you like, dust the surface with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until firm to the touch, 35 minutes for more tender biscotti, 40 minutes for crisper biscotti. Remove from the oven – do not turn the oven off – and allow to cool for a few minutes. Transfer the logs to a wooden cutting board, and with a good, serrated knife, cut each log crosswise on the diagonal into ¾ inch-wide slices. Arrange the slices on the lined baking sheet, cut side up, and bake for 10 minutes. Flip all of the slices over and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

Note to self:  never use cheap chocolate.  This was just gross.  I've had M&Ms in cookies before and they tasted fine, but not in these cookies.  Maybe the dough isn't rich enough to support a weak chocolate. 

I like hard biscotti for dipping in coffee, but I think the cooking times were a little long here, as they ended up rock hard.  I also think they could have risen just a little big more---perhaps I should have added a tablespoon or two of water to the dough to compensate for the more-absorbent whole wheat flour.  I wish I had thought to use some coffee flour to enhance the coffee flavor (and add nutrients.)

Conclusion:  These were a FAIL.  They were too sweet, tasted too wheaty, and the poor-quality chocolate was apparent.  They had no coffee flavor, and little cinnamon.  They tasted like a cheap breakfast cereal.  (I wonder how much the hazelnut coffee affected the taste.  I couldn't detect it, but it might have added to the overall commercial undertone.)

Recipe:  Capuccino Biscotti via Isolation Baking by Jamie Schler

Steel-cut oatmeal muffins

I've been craving a nubbly, fluffy, steel-cut oatmeal muffin for some time.  I could have sworn it was something I'd made before, but I couldn't find any similar recipe.  So I looked around and settled on this one that sounded like what I wanted, but I did have to make some adjustments.

To make a dozen muffins, here's what I used:

1½ cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 large egg
1 cup cooked steel-cut oatmeal
1/2 cup whole milk
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 400°F, and grease a 12-cup muffin tin. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  In another bowl, lightly beat the egg.  Add the oatmeal to the egg, and mash with a fork to break up clumps.  Add the milk, vanilla, and the butter, and stir or whisk to combine.  Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and stir briefly to just combine.  Divide the batter evenly between the wells of the prepared muffin tin.  Sprinkle tops with walnuts and press in to secure.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.  The muffins won't brown much on top and might even look a little anemic, but that's okay.

Although the tester came out clean after 15 minutes, I think these could have used a few more minutes in the oven.  I'd also knock the sugar down to 1/2 cup and try that.  (I wanted them sweet enough to eat alone, but they were  slightly too sweet.)  Considering some muffin recipes add up to 1½ cups of sugar (gah!), these were still only mildly sweet.

I tend to cook oatmeal fairly dry and perhaps a little "al dente," which might explain why my batter was VERY thick.  I added another splash of milk, but I wish I hadn't.  Perhaps extra time in the oven would have fixed the texture, but these were ever so slightly gummy, rather than fluffy.  It could have been that extra milk, though.  Perhaps they could have used another 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, maybe a little nutmeg, and a little less vanilla.  I meant to use brown sugar in them but forgot---I think that would be a nice addition.  A touch more salt would be an improvement as well.  So, like, basically a whole different recipe.

Conclusion:  These were good, but didn't quite hit the mark.  I wanted something more nubbly, more hearty, and with a more satisfying flavor. 

Recipe:  Left-over Oatmeal Muffins via epicurious (adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

June ABC challenge: chocolate birthday cake

It was my chocolate-loving friend's birthday, so in May I made her a chocolate cake.  There are several chocolate cake recipes on the GBBO website.  I ruled out one because it called for "cake margarine," whatever that is.  I compared chocolate quantities amongst the others and this had the most.  It also was the only one that didn't call for self-rising flour, so I didn't have to be hassled with working that out.  (Most called for additional rising agent anyway.)

I made a half recipe and used 5 3.5-inch cakelet tins, but the batter rose so much I wish I had used 6.  (I filled the tins about 2/3-3/4 full.)  I greased them all, but then dusted some with cocoa powder and some with flour to see if one looked better.  They both performed equally well.  The ones with cocoa were very dark (that would have been the Dutch cocoa) while the one with flour was dry cocoa-colored.  I'm not sure the darker color, which wasn't even noticeable at first, is worth the trouble of using cocoa.

I started out with Imperial volume measurements, having converted them from the original metric, but I tested them against the weights and they were way off, so I switched to metric.

Here's what I used:

For the cake:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
200g plain flour
45g Dutch cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
230g caster granulated sugar
1 1/2 medium eggs, at room temperature
150ml (5 ounces) full-fat milk
112ml (4 ounces) strong hot coffee (or 1/2 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 112ml hot water)

Heat the oven to 350°F.  Melt the butter and leave to cool.  Grease and flour (or line) baking tins.  Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sugar and mix together.  Break the eggs into the milk and whisk until thoroughly combined, then mix in the melted butter and hot coffee.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; pour the milk mixture into the well and stir everything together with a wooden spoon.  When smooth and thoroughly combined, pour the mixture into the tins about half way.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes until each is well risen, starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  Run a knife around the inside of the tins to loosen the cakes.  Leave to firm up for 3 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool upside down with the tins loosely on top.

For the ganache:
2 ounces 56% dark (semi-sweet) chocolate, roughly chopped
2 ounces double whipping cream

Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream gently until hot, then pour over the chocolate.  Leave for 5 minutes, then gently stir to make a smooth sauce.  Allow to cool until thickened, then drizzle over completely cooled cakes.

 

These cakes practically doubled in size while baking.  For the coffee, I used one of those singles tubes of Taster's Choice French roast, which was just slightly more than 1/2 tablespoon.  The ganache quantity was just enough to do three cakes--- definitely need more of that.

Conclusion:  The texture was really good, moist but firm.  The flavor could have been more decadent and I'm going to blame the Dutch cocoa powder.  It's not as potent as natural cocoa, and it was probably poor quality as well.  But overall I think a good chocolate cake recipe, and with chocolate chips added it would be a nice snack cake.

Recipes:  Benjamina's Winter Wonderland Cake for the cake and Steph's Raspberry Chocolate Fudge Cake for the ganache.  (Also consider Steph's Black Forest Chocolate Cake frosting recipe.)