ABC's of Bread

I'm one of those people who make New Year's resolutions without fail. Some resolutions survive the year and others don't (but we won't talk about those!!) This year one of my resolutions is to bake more bread at home. I do a lot of baking and supervise a lot of baking at my job as a pastry chef instructor but my family misses out on a lot of these efforts. I also want to increase my knowledge and skill in bread baking as well. So here is my first effort - starting with A for Anadama bread.

There are many stories on how this bread got its name, one being that Anna left her husband for another man and left nothing at home but cornmeal, flour and molasses. The unfortunate husband put it all together, added some yeast all the while yelling "Anna, damn'er!" and this bread was created. I'm not sure about the accuracy of that story, but it sounds funny enough to keep repeating!

Here's an adaption of Mr. Reinhart's recipe. Thanks to my wonderful husband for the beautiful picture!!

Anadama Bread (adapted from Bread Baker's Apprentice - Peter Reinhart)

Soak for 24 hours:

1 cup cornmeal in 1 cup room temperature water

4 1/2 cups Bread flour

2 tsp instant yeast or 3 tsp active dry yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

1 1/2 tsp salt

6 Tbsp molasses

2 Tbsp butter (unsalted)

After your cornmeal has soaked for 24 hours add 2 cups of flour, instant yeast and lukewarm water to form a sponge. Stir together well, cover and let sit at room temperature until bubbles begin to form - about one hour. Stir in the rest of the flour, molasses, salt and butter. If using a Kitchen Aid mixer, use the dough hook and mix on low speed for about 6 - 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and cleans the side of the bowl. Stop mixing, remove dough hook and spray with oil. Cover and let double in size. Divide dough in two and shape into loaves. Place in parchment lined loaf pans and let rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan. Bake at 350F for 20 - 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on cooling racks.

Banana Bread and Rainy Days

Ah spring! At least I think it's spring. Living in Nova Scotia next to the Atlantic ocean you can be guaranteed a few things: fresh lobster, beautiful blueberries and a rainy, foggy spring! One week ago it snowed but today it rained buckets through thick fog, washing winter away for good.

So while it was grey and dreary outside I warmed up the inside with the smell of fresh baking. I decided to use up some ripe bananas and make banana bread. Now banana bread can be a heavy, greasy mess if you use too much butter and it can be tough if it is mixed too much. This recipe makes a dense loaf with a nice crunchy crust on top but it's not too heavy or at all greasy due to the addition of yogurt and gentle mixing by hand.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
3/4 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 2 loaf pans by spraying with pan spray and lining with parchment.

In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Divide batter into the two prepared pans and bake for approximately 40 minutes, until the loaves have risen and a golden crust has formed. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn out the loaves onto a cooling rack and let cool before slicing.

Bread Making 101 - Part 2

I really enjoy making bread by hand. I feel like I am really in touch with my food when I make a loaf or two. I enjoy the process of kneading, the feeling of the dough as I pat it down and shape it and the anticipation of the final results while it is baking in the oven. I also love the looks of wonder and appreciation when my family enjoys the results because nothing tastes like homemade bread fresh from the oven!

French Bread – adapted from Peter Reinhart’s “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice”

Pate fermentee from previous recipe
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 ¼ cups bread flour
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp instant yeast
1 ¼ cups water, lukewarm

Make sure to remove the pate fermentee from the fridge at least one hour before you are going to use it to take off the chill. To warm it quicker, cut it into small pieces, cover with plastic and let sit for an hour.

Stir together dry ingredients, yeast and pate fermentee. Add the water and stir until everything comes together. Adjust the flour or water if necessary – you want a dough that is not too sticky, almost rubbery. Knead by hand for about 10 minutes or with a dough hook for about 6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and springy and have an internal temperature of around 80F.
Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn the dough over to coat lightly in oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.

Gently remove the dough from the bowl and put it on a lightly flour counter. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, taking care to degas as little as possible. Form the pieces into baguettes or long cylinders by rolling gently. Place on a parchment lined baking tray and let proof at room temperature for 45 minutes or until the loaves are about 1 ½ times their original size. Spray loaves with a fine mist of water and slash the loaves with 3 or 4 short diagonal cuts using a very sharp knife, razor or baker’s blade.

Preheat oven to 500F and make sure to have an empty tray in the bottom of the oven – you’re going to use this to make steam.

Put the loaves in the oven or transfer to a baking stone (if using). Pour 1 cup of hot water into the pan at the bottom and close the oven door. After 5 minutes lower the oven temperature to 450F and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pans to ensure even baking and bake for another 10 – 20 minutes until the crust is a deep golden brown and the internal temperature registers at least 205F.

Remove the laves fro the oven and cool on a rack for at least 40 minutes before slicing or serving.

Wish List

Working as a pastry chef is different than baking at home. Most people don't realize that being a pastry chef is hard work. It is a very physical job where you're on your feet for 8 to 10 hours a day, you are constantly lifting heavy bags of flour or big bowls of dough and the heat in the kitchen can be hotter than Hades on some days.

However, there are advantages. Most professional kitchens are just that - professional. Your equipment is at your fingertips, ingredients are organized and in bins just where you need them, tables can be scraped and wiped down with ease and you have large ovens that fit all of your trays and give a nice, steady heat especially if you are lucky enough to have a convection oven. Essentially, the kitchen works with you.

Which brings me to today. I am at home baking bread, something I know how to do. I used to make at least a dozen loaves a day when I worked at the restaurant, no problem. And still, most of my baking is done at work not in my own home kitchen. My problem today was with my oven, an ordinary electric oven that heats from the top and bottom. Unfortunately for me it heats more from the top than the bottom so my bread was baked on the top but not on the bottom.

So my wish for today is that somehow, someday I will get a convection oven. I already have my eye on a steam assisted convection oven from KitchenAid. Perhaps Santa will think I've been a good pastry chef and send one my way next Christmas....then again, my birthday is coming up - perhaps he'll show up early.