A High Hydration Boule

This bread proves that bread really does need only four ingredients: flour, water, yeast and salt. But, oh, what a difference the flour makes. This loaf was made using NYB Euro-Style Artisan Flour, a mix of several flours.

Supper tonight was chicken salad sandwiches. Sometimes simple food is just the best. Chicken breast meat which was steamed without seasonings, chopped celery, Hellman’s mayo, salt and pepper, all on this wonderful chewy white bread.

For the full recipe see its bread notebook page or click on the “Bread Notebook” tab at the top of any page to find a list of pages for the different breads.

June 18, 2011 · Heidi · No Comments
Posted in: Bread

Oat bread with honey and starting a bread notebook

Patient readers of this blog have noticed the long hiatus. I’ve still been cooking and have accumulated knowledge to share here. Much time has been devoted to learning more about bread making and experimenting with different methods and flours. After enjoying throw-stuff-in-a-bowl-get-some-sort-of-bread chaos, I’m ready to settle down and learn some of the intricacies that result in delicious yet predictable loaves of bread. I’ve learned from reading the blogs of many fine bread makers that bread fanciers benefit from keeping a notebook similar to the notebooks of wines tasted by oenophiles.

With today’s loaf of oat honey bread, I’ve embarked upon creating my notebook here on the blog so I can share it with you and so I will know where it is when I’m looking for it. (Those who love me know how I tend to lose anything I set down. )

Click here to see the recipe and evaluation for oat bread sweetened with honey (pictured above). Or, at any time, click the “Bread Notebook” tab at the top of any page and you will find links to the recipe/evaluation entries.

June 17, 2011 · Heidi · No Comments
Posted in: Bread

Curried Turkey Meatballs

We’ve become hooked on having cooked turkey meat balls in the freezer ready to be nuked and eaten.

Turkey meatballs rolled in panko breadcrumbs stay moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside. They don’t need sauce. They can be thrown on top of a salad or be a quick lunch beside some carrot sticks. They can be added to pasta or smothered in gravy. Anything!

One of the fun aspects of cooking is standing over a bowl and deciding how to vary a recipe based on what’s in the kitchen. This is today’s variation. For some others, check out Ricci di Tacchino (Turkey Hedgehogs), Baked Turkey Meatballs with Basil & Lemon, and Perky Turkey Meatballs.

Ingredients:

1 to 2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated, or candied ginger, minced
2 tablespoons fresh or roasted garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
1/3 cup blanched almonds, chopped
1 medium Cubanelle pepper, minced. Cubanelle peppers are quite mild. If you use a hotter pepper, consider wearing gloves to mix the ingredients and form the meatballs.
2 eggs
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fragrant curry powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F
Put one cup panko breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl and set aside for rolling the meatballs. Add additional breadcrumbs when needed.
In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients using your hands. Mix just until all ingredients are evenly distributed to keep the mixture from becoming pasty and the resulting meatballs from being too dense.
Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Form 1 1/2″ x 2″ oblong meatballs and roll each in the panko breadcrumbs to coat.
Set the meatballs at least 1/4″ apart on the baking sheets.
Bake 40 to 55 minutes or until they are cooked through and lightly browned on the outside. To be safe, check with an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure they’ve reached 170°F internal temperature

Enjoy some now or allow to cool and freeze for later use. The panko bread coating prevents them from sticking to each other when frozen, making it convenient to grab the number you want. Simply microwave until heated through to serve.

January 7, 2011 · Heidi · One Comment
Tags: curry, panko, turkey · Posted in: Chicken and Turkey, Ground Meats

Starting Bread with a Biga

Unlike a sourdough starter, a biga is a fresh starter made the night before you intend to make bread. Biga is Italian; the French equivalent is a poolish. As with anything bread, there are literally hundreds of recipes and learned discussions of these fresh bread starters on the web. This is my simple method that resulted in a wonderful light white bread.

Ingredients:

—For the biga—

1 cup bread flour
1 cup water
1 tablespoon coarse salt or 2 teaspoons table salt
1 envelope rapid-rise yeast

—For completing the bread—

4+ cups bread flour, divided
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Directions:

Approximately 15 hours before you intend to bake the bread, make the biga. In a large bread bowl, stir together the biga ingredients. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 to 12 hours at room temperature. The biga will increase in size and will be covered with bubbles making it resemble the raw side of a pancake that is ready to turn.
Stir down the biga. Stir in 3 cups of flour and 1 cup of water until a ragged mass develops. Flop this onto a well-floured counter.
Knead (push and fold) approximately 100 strokes, adding flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter and your hands. Use as little flour as possible. Too much flour results in a heavy bread.
Put 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the bottom of the bread bowl. Roll the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl. Turn it over to coat it with the olive oil. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise. A cold oven with the light turned on works well.
Allow to rise until doubled (1 to 2 hours depending on temperature).
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Punch down the dough and form into 1 large load, 2 smaller loaves, or 8-12 rolls. Alternatively, stretch into a flat rectangle for focaccia. Line the pan you choose with parchment paper to prevent sticking. The loaves pictured above were made in a French bread pan.
Brush the second tablespoon of oil on the loaves to enhance the crust.
Bake 1 hour (less time for rolls). The bread is done when it is golden and a rap on the bottom results in a hollow sound.

January 6, 2011 · Heidi · No Comments
Tags: Bread · Posted in: Bread

Creamed Soup Basic Formula

Are you hankering for the consistency of a canned cream soup without the excess sodium and other mystery ingredients? This formula will result in a thick and creamy soup where you control the fat and salt content.

The kind of soup it becomes depends on what you put in it.

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped vegetables
2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter (optional)
4 ounces cooked meat, fish or poultry (optional)
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup water
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk (fat-free okay)
salt, pepper, and other herbs and spices of your choice.

Directions:

In a soup pot on medium heat, saute the diced vegetables in the olive oil or butter until the vegetables are al dente. If you are not using the oil or butter or if you are using potatoes or other slow-cooking vegetable, add a few tablespoons of water, cover, and steam to finish cooking the vegetables.
Dice the meat (if you are using it) and add to the vegetables.
Mix the water and flour until the lumps are gone. This can be done with a whisk or by shaking the flour and water together in a jar.
Pour the floured water and the evaporated milk into the vegetables and meat. Stir to mix.
Bring to a simmer and turn the heat down to medium low. Continue to simmer slowly, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the flour has been fully cooked and the soup has thickened.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and other additions.
Optionally, whir with an immersion blender to have a smoother soup.

Serve hot.

Some suggested variations:

Diced leeks, potatoes and ham
Mushrooms, onions, and turkey
Corn, potatoes, onion, and bacon
Onions, potatoes, and haddock (can start with raw or even frozen fish)
Celery, shallots, and cumin (no meat)
Spinach, roasted garlic, grated parmesan and nutmeg (no meat)

January 5, 2011 · Heidi · One Comment
Tags: evaporated milk · Posted in: Soup

Honey-Dill Shredded Carrots

Turn carrots into a wonderful side dish for fish, ham or pork. Sweet from the honey and carrots, aromatic from the dill, with a little lemon bite! Shred the carrots but keep them al dente and they seem like a new vegetable.

Ingredients for two servings:

4 medium carrots, washed and hard ends removed
juice from 1/2 a lemon (1 to 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon dried dill weed or 1 tablespoon fresh dill finely minced
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small dice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (less if using salted butter)

Directions:

Shred the carrots using the shredding blade of a food processor or the large holes on a grater.
Put the carrots in a microwaveable dish with cover.
Add the remaining ingredients and toss together to mix.
Cover and microwave on high for two minutes. Toss to mix again.
Cover and microwave another two minutes. Toss and test done-ness and seasonings.
If necessary, adjust the seasonings, cover and microwave for another minute.
The carrots are done when they are still a bit crunchy but have lost their raw flavor.

Serve as a hot and steamy side dish.

January 4, 2011 · Heidi · One Comment
Tags: carrots, dill, honey · Posted in: Veggies

Shredded Beef

When chuck roast is on sale it’s a good day to “feed the freezer” with some shredded beef. A 3 1/2 pound roast results in about eight 4-ounce servings. It can be reheated easily for quick week-night suppers.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil or other cooking oil
1 cup homemade or reduced sodium beef broth
3/4 cup brown barbecue sauce, for example Country Bob’s Sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 275F.
Heat a heavy “dutch oven” on medium high heat and coat the bottom with the oil. Brown the meat on all sides.
Remove from heat, pour in the broth and distribute half the barbecue sauce on the top of the meat.
Cover and bake for 2 hours.
Turn the pieces of meat over and spread with the remainder of the barbecue sauce. The juice should have increased in volume to almost reach the top of the meat. If it hasn’t, add more broth or water.
Leave uncovered and bake another 2 hours for a total of 4 hours.
Remove from the oven. Check to see if the meat pulls apart easily. If it does not, return it to the oven for more cooking.
When the beef is cool enough to handle but still warm, remove the meat from the juice. Pour the juice in a glass container and refrigerate it for the fat to solidify.
Using forks and your fingers shred the beef, discarding any fat or sinews. Doing this while the beef is still warm is easier than when it is cold.
When the fat has jelled on top of the juice, remove the fat with a slotted spoon. Discard the fat.
Divide the meat into meal-sized portions and add the juice. Freeze.
To serve, microwave until heated through.

January 3, 2011 · Heidi · No Comments
Tags: Beef · Posted in: Beef, Stocking the Freezer

Foccaccia – Italian flat bread

Semolina flour and olive oil give this loaf a wonderful taste and tender crumb. Cut wide pieces off and split crosswise like an English muffin to make sandwiches.

Ingredients:

1 envelope fast acting yeast
1 cup luke warm water (less than 110°F)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups bread flour + additional for dusting the kneading surface
1 cup semolina flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/3 cup olive oil + additional for coating bread twice
Optionally, dried herb seasoning, grated hard cheese, or other flavor enhancement to sprinkle on top before baking

Directions:

In a 2-cup measuring cup, stir yeast, water, and sugar together. Allow to sit and develop bubbles while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, mix bread flour, semolina flour, and salt.
Pour yeast mixture and olive oil into flour mixture and stir until a ragged mass is formed.
Dump this dough onto a floured surface, such as a counter, and knead to mix thoroughly. Once all the ragged pieces are incorporated, knead (push away and fold back) 200 strokes, flouring your hands and the counter as necessary to prevent sticking. The dough will remain grainy due to the semolina flour. Form into a ball. Your ball will have a smooth side and a broken side.
Pour a little olive oil into the mixing bowl, and place the ball of dough in the oil, rolling it around to coat all surfaces. Rest the ball, broken side down in the bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Allow the covered bread to rise in a still, warm place, 1-2 hours. It may not double in size but that is okay. An oven with the light bulb on works well. The cooler the rise, the slower it will be but do not put the dough in too hot a spot or you will kill the yeast.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and press the dough out into a 7″ x 12″ rectangle or until the dough is a bit less than an inch thick. With the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes about 1 inch apart in the top of the bread. Allow it to rise for another hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Coat the top of the bread with olive oil. Optionally top with dried herbs, cheese, smoked salt, garlic flakes, or other flavoring of your choice.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Cool on a rack. To use for sandwiches, cut in rectangles and then crosswise to open as you would an English muffin.

December 21, 2010 · Heidi · No Comments
Posted in: Bread

Pre-Cooked Bacon: A Money-Saving Recipe

Pre-cooked bacon is convenient for using a slice at a time. This is great when you are cooking for one or two or when you need a bit of cooked bacon to flavor a chowder or garnish a salad. Store bought packages of pre-cooked bacon are quite expensive. Baking a full package of bacon and freezing the results means you can have the convenience of pre-cooked without the added cost.

The math (using current prices for the same brand of bacon at a local supermarket):

1 pound of raw bacon, which cooked using this method is reduced to 6.9 ounces, is $7.99 or $1.16/oz.
A 2.10 ounce package of fully cooked bacon is $3.99 or $1.90/oz.

Pre-cooking the bacon at home costs a few extra cents in energy, paper towels, foil and wrapping but you save almost 40% on the cost per strip of the bacon and have larger quantities of pre-cooked bacon at hand. Waiting until regular bacon is on sale or BOGO will increase your savings.

For each pound of bacon, line two large, rimmed baking sheets with foil.

Make sure the rims are deep enough to hold any melted fat.

Lay the strips of bacon on the foil in a single layer.

Put on racks in the middle of a cold oven and turn the oven on to 400F.

Bake for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, turn the sheets around and switch shelves to encourage even cooking.

Bake a second 10 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure you are not overcooking the bacon.

Remove the bacon to plates or baking sheets lined with paper towels to drain.

When sufficiently cooled, layer with freezer paper, parchment, or waxed paper in between and freeze.

To serve, briefly microwave between layers of paper towels or pan fry. Use as-is for dishes that will be further cooked such as chowders and casseroles.

December 19, 2010 · Heidi · No Comments
Posted in: Uncategorized

Pumpernickel Bread

Nothing warms the house like the smell of pumpernickel bread cooking in the oven. Lace it with caraway seeds and the smell is even better.

Though hard to find in the grocery store, pumpernickel flour and rye flour are easily obtained via the internet. There are many vendors and I have been happy with both My Spice Sage (free shipping on $40 orders) and Barry Farm Foods.

I learned working in a bread factory that, even when made with precise measurements in a controlled environment, weather, temperature, and other factors affect the bread. Thus, measurements given for flour and rising times in bread recipes are always approximate.

Ingredients: 2 rounded cups bread flour 2 rounded cups pumpernickel flour 1 tablespoon kosher (coarse) salt; less if you use table salt 1 envelope rapid rise yeast 1 to 2 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional) 1/4 cup molasses 2 cups water 1 to 2 cups rye flour, whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, or additional bread flour
Put the bread flour, pumpernickel flour, salt, yeast, and caraway seeds in a large bowl. Stir to mix thoroughly.
Add the molasses and the water and stir to mix. You should have a ragged dough. If the dough is very dry, add water, 2 tablespoons at a time. If the dough is very sticky, add the rye flour, 1/2 cup at a time.
Dust a clean counter top with rye flour. Flour your hands. Dump the dough and any loose flour onto the counter. Work the dough with your hands until it comes together.
Knead dough approximately 100 strokes, adding flour to the counter as necessary to prevent sticking. At this point you will have a relatively smooth ball. The dough will always be somewhat grainy due to the coarse pumpernickel flour and the caraway seeds.
Place the ball of dough back in the bowl. Moisten the outside with a spray bottle or your wet hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place in a warm, quiet place to rise. An oven with the light turned on works well for this. The cooler the rise, the longer it takes. Too hot a rise will kill the yeast. Allow the dough to rise 2 to 3 hours or until it doubles in size.
When the dough has doubled in size, knead it a few more times to redistribute the yeast and form into an egg-shaped loaf. Line the pan with parchment paper. If the dough is stiff enough to maintain its shape, use a baking sheet. If it is too soft to maintain its shape, use a pan with sides to give it vertical support. Optionally, score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or scissors. Spritz with water. Let rise a second time in a warm, quiet place. This second rise is likely to take less time than the first.
When the bread has risen to at least twice it’s previous size, preheat the oven to 440°F. Optionally, paint the loaf with olive oil, an egg wash, milk, or water to achieve the crust you want. Put the bread in the middle of the hot oven and turn the temperature down to 350°F. Bake for 50 minutes.