Pain D'épices

Pain d'Epices

Ever since I saw this recipe posted on David Lebowitz's fabulous blog I knew I had to try it out. It appealed to my bread-loving self and my cake-loving self. Who am I kidding? It mostly appealed to my I-need-something-to-butter-with-my-tea-self. And boy did this recipe deliver.

The bread is slightly spicy and sweet at the same time. Hard to describe exactly, but altogether delicious, with fabulous texture and complex flavour. Definitely worth the effort required to, well, to butter the pan. I suppose that's it. Oh- and to eat it.

Here's the link to the recipe, thank you very much David Lebowitz!!

PIZZA

On international taxes... or at least thats what I wanted to name this post, but no one would have read it. That's what I'm supposed to be studying right now. And yet.... pizza baking called to me. Thats exactly the excuse I'm going to use for my professor when I fail my exam. Wish me luck.

This recipe is courtesy of Nancy Baggett's 60- minute bread book:

• 3- 3 1/2 c flour
• 2 1/14 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp (heaping) salt
• 1 1/4 c hot water (125-130 degrees)
• 1 T olive oil

Whisk together dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, and stir to get a shaggy dough. knead on a clean lightly floured surface until a smooth and malleable but still moist dough is formed. cover, and set aside in a warm place for about fifteen minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare greased pizza pans, and preheat oven to 475. Prepare tomato sauce. I always use my mom's recipe- tomato paste (and a tsp of sugar if its not in your tomato paste) , a little bit of hot water, some crushed oregano, salt and garlic powder.

Knead dough briefly. divide in half and spread dough out on pan. spread dough with sauce, cheese and any desired toppings (mushrooms, veggies, spinach (yum!), olives, basil, parsley, etc.) Bake for 19-22 minutes or until pizza is lightly browned and bubbly. Serve!

on why I love my friends

Because they bought me a present because they love me.

This week I tried out a recipe for multigrain bread courtesy of Mark from the Back Home Bakery. I've never made mutligrain bread before, and found the recipe somewhat challenging for a few reasons (which totally have to do with my inexperience and not with the recipe)-

1. I think my scale isnt accurate enough- I found measuring the salt really difficult with my scale and the final bread was too salty.


2. The summer heat and humidity here are incredibly high- I think proofing takes about half the time- and its quite possible I overproofed. the loafs were huge, and didnt rise too much in the oven.

3. I didn't time the recipe right- so I ended up staying up till all hours of the night to bake it= cranky baker. not smart.


All in all, it came out tasty, with a good texture, and it was not too bad for a first try. I'll have to try again with my new pizza stone (you guys are the best! )

Summer Blues

My older sister was apt when she said that in this town, she doesn't get the winter blues, she gets the summer blues.

For the past week its been higher than thirty degrees every day and HUMID. When you walk outside its as if youre walking through a warm bath- and if this sounds nice to you, trust me, its not- not to mention terrible hair frizziness. Summer also means impending doom- exams are coming. Add the two together, and you get one cranky student who does not want to make the trek to campus (in case you were wondering, that cranky student is me).

So, I decided to make some comfort food, and to me- thats muffins. Quick, easy, and satisfying. Muffins were the first thing I learnt how to bake, and right now what I could really use is one big cup of coffee (maybe ill make it iced), and a muffin.

Bran Muffins

• 1 c. wheat bran
• 1 c flour
• 3/4 c (scant) brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 c milk
• 1/2 c oil
• 1 large ripe banana, mushed
• chocolate chips or raisins (optional)

Mix together bran, flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. make a well in the middle and add remaining ingredients. Mix until just combined- do not over mix. Spoon into prepared muffin tin.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Challah

Every Friday, almost weekly for about two years, I wake up in the morning and walk, bleary eyed, to the cupboard. I take out the yeast, the sugar, the flour and the eggs. I make myself a cup of coffee, put on an apron, and begin the challa baking process.

To me there is nothing that says Shabbat more than the aroma of freshly baked challot, and there is no more intensely satisfying bread-baking experience.

I'm submitting them to this weeks yeastspotting.

Well, onto the recipe I suppose!

• 5 c flour
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
• 1 1/2 c warm water (95-105degrees)
• 2 eggs
• 4 T margarine, melted
• 1 egg yolk + 2 tsp water for egg wash

• Mix together flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Form a well. Mix together water, 2 eggs and margarine. Place in the well. Mix thoroughly. Knead until dough is smooth, not sticky.


• Allow to rise for thirty minutes. Punch down. Let dough rise again. Punch down and form into two large challas. Brush with egg wash. Place on sprayed/lined coookie sheet. Bake in 325 oven for 45-50 minutes.

Notes: I've found that my challa dough is always way stickier in Israel than in Canada- must be a gluten thing. Resist the urge to add too much flour or your challahs will be dry. I like to add a bit less yeast and let the dough rise longer- I think it gets more flavour that way. Also, sometimes I double the recipe so that I can make four large challot- there's no need to use twelve teaspoons of yeast- i would use a lot less than that. I'm sure it will still turn out. Also- I use a mixture of ketsach seeds (nigella/black cumin) and sesame seeds on top. A little unconventional, but makes for pretty challas :)