Chili und Ciabatta

bbd #25: baking under the tree: Czech Christmas Vanocka

When I saw the post of Cindystar announcing bread baking day #25 - baking under the tree I immediately remembered a recipe I had read some days before in the bread-bakers digest email list.

What a perfect reason to go to the kitchen and bake a Vanocka, a czech christmas bread.

Whereas traditional recipes often call for 3 layers (a 4 strand, a 3-strand and a twisted one) the recipe of Nadine Nemechek only uses two layers.

The two layers are secured by skewers as the top braid sometimes likes to slide off to one side. (I could see this on one end of my bread although I had used skewers). I think it would even be better to make a deep depression along the middle of the finished braid for the top twist as I read in another recipe - unfortunately after I had baked my bread.

But perhaps it wasn't perfect because I didn't follow the rules:

Preparing a vanocka wasn't, and isn't, simple and therefore a variety of customs are followed in preparing the dough, braiding and baking it to ensure success. The woman of the house had to mix the dough while wearing a white apron and kerchief, she shouldn't talk, and she was supposed to jump up and down while the dough was rising. ;-)

The slices of the Vanocka - very rich, nutty and not too sweet. Delicious.

Das Rezept auf Deutsch gibt es in meinem Brotkasten.

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Vanocka (Czech Christmas Bread)
Categories:	Bread, Ethnic, Fruits, Holidays, Czech
Yield:	1 Bread

Ingredients

1	pack		Dry yeast
2/3	cup		Sugar; divided (Petra: 130 g)
1 1/2	cups		Milk; divided (360 g)
1/2	cup		Butter (110 g)
1			Egg
4			Egg yolks
1	tablesp.		Grated lemon peel
5 1/2	cups		Flour (700 g Weizenmehl Type 405); more if
			-needed (Petra: 1 tb)
1	teasp.		Salt (5 g)
1 1/4	cups		Raisins (3/4 c, 100 g)
1 1/4	cups		Slivered blanched almonds (100 g)
H			GLAZE
1			Egg; beaten
1	tablesp.		Milk
1	tablesp.		Butter; melted
			Slivered almonds
			-Edited *RK* 12/09/2009 by
			-Petra Holzapfel

Source

	adapted from
	bread-bakers.v109.n044.2
	original recipe Nadine Nemechek

Directions

In small bowl combine yeast, 1 tb sugar and 1 c warmed milk (105-115F). Set aside until foamy.

Mix flour, sugar, lemon peel, yeast mixture and remaining milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix for about 4 minutes on low speed, adding egg and egg yolks, then the butter cut in pieces. Add the salt. Knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, adding 1-2 tb flour if needed until dough is smooth and elastic and begins to clear the walls of the bowl. Mix in raisins and nuts.

Place in large oiled bowl; cover with cling foil. Let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Divide dough into 5 pieces, 3 large and 2 small (Petra: 3 x 400 g, 2 x 220 g).

Roll each into 16" lengths (40 cm). Braid 3, twist remaining 2, placing on top of braid*.

Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Secure with 4 long skewers. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise to double (Petra: 1 hour).

Preheat oven to 375F (175°C).

For glaze: In small bowl mix egg, milk and butter. Brush over braid going well into the crevices of the braid. Sprinkle slivered almonds over the bread.

Bake 25 minutes, then brush the pale spots (from the rising of the bread) with glaze, continue baking for 20 minutes, then cover upper strand with aluminum foil, bake additional 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely. Complete baking time here was about 1 hour - you might use less or more according to your oven. (Skewer test, an instant read thermometer inserted into the center should read about 180°F, 82°C)

Petra: Rich nutty and not too sweet christmas bread.

*in another recipe I read (unfortunately after baking my bread) I saw these directions: With a French pastry pin or the side of your palm make a deep depression (a sort of ditch) along the middle of the finished braid for the top braid (the top braid sometimes likes to slide off to one side).

=====

World Bread Day '09: Tebirkes - Danish Poppy Seed Rolls

When Zorra invites us to bake bread in October it's World Bread Day again!

This time I take you to Denmark, home of a special sort of breakfast rolls, the Tebirkes. 3 years ago I already tried a sort of "quick" tebirkes recipe by Beatrice Ojakangas (you can find the recipe in english here).

For Bread Baking Day I adapted a recipe by the Swedish baker Jan Hedh from his book Artisan Bread. It's more time-consuming to make the puff-pastry like dough but the result is excellent - light and buttery crunchy rolls with a lot of black and white poppy seeds.

The rolls can be frozen and reheated in a hot oven.

Cutting of the rolls: you can either make triangles as seen here or rectangles.

Das deutsche Rezept für Tebirkes gibt es hier in meinem Brotkasten.

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Tebirkes - Danish Poppy Seed Rolls
Categories:	Bread, Rolls, Denmark
Yield:	20 Rolls

Ingredients

450	grams		Bread flour (Weizenmehl Type 550)
25	grams		Fresh yeast
250	grams		Full-fat milk
25	grams		Butter
8	grams		Honey
25	grams		Egg (1/2 egg, use the other half for glazing)
8	grams		Salt
250	grams		Unsalted butter for rolling
H			AND
1/2			Egg mixed with
1	pinch		Salt
50	grams		Black poppy seeds
50	grams		White poppy seeds

Source

	adapted from Jan Hedh
	Artisan Bread

	Edited *RK* 10/15/2009 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

Cool the flour in the fridge for 60 minutes before making the dough.

Dissolve the yeast in the cold milk.

Combine bread flour, yeasted milk, honey and egg in the bowl of a stand-type mixer. Mix on low speed. When the dough comes together add the butter in flakes and the salt. Continue mixing on low speed for about 5 minutes. The dough will clear the sides of the bowl and be elastic.

Shape the dough into a ball and put it into a plastic bag dusted with flour, leave to set for 30 minutes in the fridge.

Soften the butter between two sheets of cling film by beating it with the rolling pin several times and shape into a 15 x 15 cm square. Put it in the fridge until ready to proceed.

Place the dough on the lightly floured work surface. Make an X-shaped incision on top of the dough and roll it out - it should get the form of a cross, the middle being a little bit thicker than the ends (see link).

Place the cold butter in the middle and fold the ends over, the butter has to be completely covered. Pat it into a rectangle.

Wrap the dough in cling film. Leave for 30-40 minutes in the fridge.

Lightly flour the work surface and gently roll out the dough, working from the centre towards the edges, until you have a 45 x 38 cm rectangle, make the corners as square as you can. Make sure you keep your working surface always lightly floured, nothing should stick. Fold the bottom third of the rectangle up toward the centre, carefully aligning the edges. Brush off any flour. Fold the top third down to make a neat square and brush off any flour. You will have a neat square of pastry with the fold on the bottom.

Give the square a quarter turn to the left. For maximum rising it is important that you always rotate the pastry in the same direction so the the seam is always on the same side. The fold should then be at the side.

Roll out the pastry into a 45 x 38 cm rectangle. Wrap in cling film and leave to set for 30-40 minutes in the fridge.

Give the dough again 2 turns (I gave only one). The dough is now ready to use.

Halve the dough (keep the dough you don't work with in the fridge) and roll out in approximately 20 cm wide strips with 3 mm thickness. Brush with eggwash. Fold the bottom third of the strip up toward the centre, carefully aligning the edges. Brush off any flour. Fold the top third down to make a neat strip and brush off any flour. Flip over seam down. Glaze with egg and sprinkle generously with poppy seeds. Cut off 50 g pieces.

Place on a baking tray covered with baking paper and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rise at room temperature for about 60 minutes until doubled in size. Continue with the second half of the dough.

Preheat the oven to 220°C and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve fresh for breakfast.

=====

Update: the roundup is online now

Tomato-Mascarpone-Pizzette with Goat Cheese-Parsley-Pesto

Bread Baking Day created by zorra celebrates the second anniversary. Literally in the last moment I managed to fire up my oven for the Pizza Party.

As I have already blogged about my preferred pizza recipe, I tried something new.

The original recipe for these pizzette is from Tanja Grandits Aroma pur - Meine fröhliche Weltküche.

I made a few changes: using less yeast and letting the dough ferment overnight yields a more aromatic dough.

Don't use too small tomatoes. At first I tried "Coeur de Pigeon" which produced confit tomatoes in the size of a thumbnail. So I made a second batch with cocktail tomatoes - much better.

Other than Grandits I baked the pizzette on a baking stone in a very hot oven.

The taste of the confit tomatoes on these little pizze is fantastic: sweet and incredibly aromatic. The pesto matches very well. It is originally made with cilantro instead of parsley. As I can't get fresh cilantro here I used parsley which is growing in my garden (this change made my son happy because he dislikes cilantro).

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Tomato-Mascarpone-Pizzette with Goat Cheese-Parsley-Pesto
Categories:	Pizza, Tomato, Pesto, Cheese
Yield:	8 Servings

Ingredients

H			TOPPING
700	grams		Cherry tomatoes or date tomatoes; or more to
			-taste*
			Powdered sugar
			Salt
			Pepper
2	tablesp.		Olive oil
200	grams		Mascarpone
100	grams		Freshly grated parmesan
1/2			Orange: grated peel
H			DOUGH
1/2	teasp.		Dry yeast
450	grams		Pizza flour
2	teasp.		Salt
3-4	tablesp.		Olive oil
240	grams		Water
H			PESTO
30	grams		Flat leaf parsley; chopped
1			Garlic clove
1	tablesp.		Roasted pine nuts
50	grams		Creamy goat cheese
1	tablesp.		Grated parmesan
2	tablesp.		Yoghurt
			Salt
			Pepper

Source

	adapted from
	Tanja Grandits
	Aroma pur
	Meine fröhliche Weltküche

	Edited *RK* 07/01/2009 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

Pizza dough: the evening before make an elastic dough (this can be easily done in a bread baking machine). Put the dough into an oiled freezer bag and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

Confit tomatoes: Preheat oven to 100°C. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, brush it with some olive oil. To peel tomatoes, drop into boiling water for a few seconds. Remove immediately and plunge into cold water. Peel the skin off, halve the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Place them outside up onto the baking sheet. Dust with powdered sugar, salt and pepper and drizzle with the oilve oil. Bake for 2 hours in the oven. Let cool.

For the pesto place salt and garlic into a mortar and pestle. Add parsley, pines nuts, pestle thoroughly (you can also use a mixer). Slowly add the oilve oil, stirring. Add goat cheese, parmesan and stir until combined. Salt and pepper to taste.

One hour before baking take the dough out of the refrigerator.

Mix mascarpone with parmesan and grated orange peel.

Preheat an oven to 250-275°C placing a baking stone on the lowest rack.

Divide the dough into 8 parts, keep covered. Working in batches form little round pizzette, spread with mascarpone-cheese mixture and put the tomatoes on top. Bake in the hot oven for about 5-7 minutes. If the tomatoes get to dark, cover with aluminum foil.

Serve hot with the parsley-goat cheese pesto.

Petra: Grandits uses a dough with more yeast without fermenting overnight. She bakes the pizzette at 180°C for 10 minutes. My recipe looks more like a pizza.

*I used the whole of the confit tomatoes for 4 pizzette. Cocktail tomatoes are fine.

=====

bbd #17: Crusty Potato Bread with Rye Sourdough

Lien has chosen a very interesting theme for bread baking day #17: bread and potatoes.

I really like potatoes in bread: they give a nice flavor and the bread stays fresh for a longer time. I already tried quite a lot of recipes using potatoes, so it wasn't that easy to pick an interesting new recipe for the event.

Under the christmas tree I found a new bread baking book featuring rye (Roggen Das Standardwerk). One recipe in this book uses a soaker of dried potato flakes and coarsely ground rye (which I substituted with 5 grain chops) and a small amount of rye sourdough. Of course I had to try this.

I am really very pleased with this recipe: the bread has a nice crisp crust

and an open crumb. The taste is excellent.

As the book is meant for the professional baker, the original recipe yields 20 breads. I cut it down to one-tenth.

Das Rezept für das knusprige Kartoffelbrot mit Roggensauerteig gibt es in meinem Brotkasten.

More tried potato breads (recipes in German)

• Brot mit ofengerösteten Kartoffeln
• Rustikales Kartoffelbrot
• Grumbera
• Kartoffel-Kastenbrot
• Kartoffel-Speck-Zopf
• Kartoffelbrot - Pao de Batata
• Brasilianische Süßkartoffelbrötchen
• Coca de Papatas - mallorquinische Kartoffelbrötchen
• Apulische Focaccia - Focaccia pugliese
• Kartoffel-Rosmarin-Brot
• Portugiesisches süßes Brot Variante 1
• Portugiesisches süßes Brot Variante 2
• Lindas einfaches Kartoffelbrot
• Irisches Kartoffelbrot

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Crusty Potato Bread with Rye Sourdough
Categories:	Bread, Potato, Rye sourdough
Yield:	2 Breads

Ingredients

H			SOURDOUGH
72	grams		Rye flour (Roggenmehl Type 997)
58	grams		Water
3	grams		Rye sourdough
H			SOAKER
27	grams		5-grain chops or rye chops (5 Korn-Schrot)
42	grams		Potato flakes
217	grams		Water
H			FINAL DOUGH
			Sourdough
			Soaker
81	grams		Rye flour (Roggenmehl Type 997)
412	grams		Bread flour (Weizenmehl Type 550)
12	grams		Fresh yeast
12	grams		Salt
187	grams		Water
			Potato flakes; for sprinkling

Source

	Adapted from
	Olaf Bauermann/Ines Gromes
	Roggen
	Das Standardwerk

	Edited *RK* 02/25/2009 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

Sourdough

The evening before baking mix water, sourdough and rye flour. Let ferment covered for about 16 hours in a warm place (I use my microwave oven with the door slightly open so that the light is on).

Soaker

Mix 5 grain chops, potato flakes and water and let stand covered for about 15 hours at room temperature (20°C)

The next day combine sourdough, soaker, rye flour, bread flour, water and yeast in the bowl of a stand-type mixer. Mix on low speed for about 4 minutes (Kenwood on 1), then add the salt and mix another 5 minutes on medium speed (Kenwood on 3). The dough will clear the sides of the bowl. Desired dough temperature 28-30°C.

Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let ferment covered for about 40 minutes.

Divide the dough into 2 halves (each about 560 g). Preshape lightly into rounds and let relax covered for about 5 minutes. Then shape into oval loaves, brush the surface with a little bit of water and sprinkle the loaves with potato flakes. Put the loaves upside down into floured bannetons an let rise covered for about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven with a baking stone to 250°C.

Transfer the risen loaves seamside down onto a peel.

Score the loaves lengthwise and load them into the oven, spritzing in water twice in the first 5 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 230°C and bake for another 35 minutes. Use aluminum foil if the bread gets too dark.

Let cool the breads completely on a rack before slicing.

Very crusty breads with an open crumb. Very nice taste.

=====

Schweizer Dreikönigskuchen - Swiss Kings Cake

Zorra invites us to bake a Kings Cake for January 6.

In these days the Sternsinger (see Star Boys' Singing Procession for Germany) - children dressed as the 3 kings - visit almost every house here, collecting money for charity and writing C+M+B (the abbreviations for "Christus mansionem benedicat", some believe it to be the initials of the three kings' names) above the main door of the home to confer blessings on the occupants for the New Year.

Although a kings cake has no tradition in our family, for me it's the third one: in 2007 I baked a mexican rosca de reyes, in 2008 a french gâteau des rois and this year I chose a swiss Dreikönigskuchen.

For the cake I used a mixture of all-purpose flour and swiss Zopf flour, a mixture of about 90% wheat flour and 10% spelt flour.

It was me who found the almond :-)

Das Rezept auf Deutsch findet sich hier in meinem Brotkasten.

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Swiss Kings Cake - Schweizer Dreikönigskuchen
Categories:	Bread, Cake, Switzerland
Yield:	1 Cake

Ingredients

H			DOUGH
250	grams		All-purpose flour (Weizenmehl Type 405)
250	grams		Special "Zopfmehl", a mixture of 90% wheat and
			-10% spelt flour
1	pack		Instant yeast or 20 g fresh yeast
3	tablesp.		Sugar
250	ml		Milk
1	teasp.		Salt
1	teasp.		Finely grated lemon zest
100	grams		Soft butter
100	grams		Raisins
1			Egg
1			Almond; blanched
1			Egg yolk; for brushing
H			DECORATION
25	grams		Apricot jam
1-2	tablesp.		Water
2	tablesp.		Coarse grained sugar, sugar crystals

Source

	adapted from Brückenbauer 1
	3. Januar 1996

	Edited *RK* 01/06/2009 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

Make a yeast dough by hand or machine, kneading in the raisins at last.

Let the dough rise in the refrigerator for about 4 hours, then turn it out onto the working surface.

Divide the dough into 6 smaller parts (mine were about 140 g) and one bigger part, roll the dough into balls, placing the almond into one of the balls.

Butter a tart pan (30 cm diameter) or use baking paper. Put the big ball in the middle surrounded by the smaller balls. Cover and let ferment in a cool place until doubled (I used the cool cellar steps which took about 4 hours and 1 hour at room temperature; you can also leave the cake in the fridge overnight).

Preheat the oven at 175°C (350°F).

Brush the cake with an egg yolk mixed with some drops of water or milk.

Bake the cake in the lower third of the oven for about 40-50 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and put it on a rack.

Mix the apricot jam with 1-2 tb of water (it should not be too fluid), warm it up a little bit and pass it through a sieve. Brush the warm cake with the jam and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Original:

:http://www.migrosmagazin.ch/pdfdata/pdfarchiv/bb/Bb-1996/01/BB01s32. pdf

=====

World Bread Day '08: Taralli al Peperoncino

As already in the last two years today Zorra invites us again to bake a bread for World Bread Day. Whereas I baked bread loaves in 2006 and 2007 this year I went for something different.

On one of our last visits to Italy I bought a bag of spicy Taralli al Peperoncino, Chilli Taralli. Taralli, the oval-shaped bread"sticks" originating in the southern Italian region of Puglia, make a very nice snack food with a glass of wine or a cold beer. They may be flavored savory or even sweet.

Back home I used a recipe from Maggie Glezer's Artisan Baking Across America for Fennel Taralli, omitted the fennel and added both ground and crushed chiles.

Like bagels Taralli are boiled before they are baked in the oven. Taralli keep very well.

Das deutsche Rezept für Chili Taralli gibt es hier in meinem Brotkasten.

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Taralli al Peperoncino - Chilli Taralli
Categories:	Bread, Chilli, Italy
Yield:	60 Taralli

Ingredients

1/2	teasp.		Dry yeast
250	grams		Water
450	grams		All-purpose-flour
120	grams		Durum flour
9	grams		Salt
3	tablesp.		Olive oil
60	grams		White wine
1-2	tablesp.		Crushed Chiles; (I used 10 g Tien Tsin, seeded,
			-crushed )
1	teasp.		Ground chiles, extra hot
2	tablesp.		Olive oil; for the boiling water

Source

	adapted from
	Maggie Glezer
	Artisan Baking Across America

	Edited *RK* 10/13/2008 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

In a small pitcher, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, stir, and let stand for 5-10 minutes.

Combine the all-purpose flour, durum flour, ground and crushed chiles and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, white wine and yeasted water. Mix the dough together, then knead this incredibly stiff dough until it smooths out a little.

Immediately after mixing, cut the dough in about 60 pieces (each 3/4 oz, 20 g). Place a cup of water next to you to help you roll. Dampen your hands with just a few drops of water and roll a piece of dough into a rope about the thickness of a pen. It should be about 7-8 inches long (18-20 cm). Pinch the ends together hard. Hold the rope ring together at the seal and let it drop into an elongated oval shape. Place it on a tray. The seal should be at the top curve. Continue to roll and shape the rest of the taralli.

Cover the taralli with plastic wrap and let them rest for 2 hours. They will not appear to rise at all.

Preaheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).

Fill a wide pot three-quarters full of water, add some salt, bring it to a boil, and then lower the heat so that the water simmers. Add the olive oil to the simmering water. Line a baking sheet with some tea towels. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper.

Boil the taralli in batches small enough to fit comfortably in the pot. They will sink at first then quickly float (if they do not float, let them continue to rest for another hour, then boil them). After they float and puff up a bit, after about a minute of boiling, skim them from the pot and let them drain on the tea towels. Boil the remaining taralli. After each batch has drained, move them to the paper-lined baking sheets.

When you have finished boiling the taralli, bake them until they are golden brown and very dry, about 45 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway into the bake. Let them cool on a rack and store them in a sealed container.

Petra: the dough is really incredibly stiff. If it is to stiff to handle, add a few drops of water.

=====

bbd #12: Crispy Cornsticks

Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen is the host of the 12th edition of bread baking day: she has chosen small breads as theme.

Some days ago I stumbled upon my heavy cornstick pan which I haven't used for years. I bought it in a mexican food store. This event is a good occasion to reactivate it!

You don't need much time to make these little breads looking like corn on the cob. They are delicious hot from the oven with butter and honey but also plain with soups and stews.

Hinweis: Das deutsche Rezept für die knusprigen Maiskolben findet sich in meinem Brotkasten.

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Crispy Cornsticks
Categories:	Bread, Corn, USA
Yield:	14 Corn sticks

Ingredients

130	grams		(1 cup) yellow cornmeal
65	grams		(1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
2 1/2	teasp.		Baking powder
1/2-1	teasp.		Sugar
1/2	teasp.		Salt
1/8	teasp.		Baking soda
2			Eggs
240	ml		(1 cup) buttermilk
2	tablesp.		Cooking oil

Source

	Frances Jolley Syfan
	in
	Better Homes and Gardens
	America's Best-Loved Community Recipes

	Edited *RK* 07/28/2008 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Heavily grease cornstick pans and place them in the oven to heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center, set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the eggs, buttermilk and oil. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients all at once. Stir by hand just until smooth.

Transfer the mixture to a large sturdy plastic bag. Cut off one corner. Carefully squeeze the mixture into the hot cornstick pans.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cornsticks are golden.

For corn bread, you can bake this batter in a 9-inch square pan, bake in a 450° oven for 25 minutes.

Frances Jolley Syfan said that she makes her Crispy Cornsticks the old southern way: preheating the cornstick pan gives you more of a crispy crust, with a tender inside.

=====

bbd #11: Sprouted Wheaten Bread

One year bread baking day! My congratulations go to zorra, the founder of bbd, who hosts this month's edition Breads with Sprouts.

I already baked with sprouted wheat: Sweet Heart of Sprouted Wheat Bread adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum uses only a small amount of sprouts, the bread turned out very nice. Another attempt after a recipe from Linda Collister using much more sprouts ended in a bread with a very moist crumb (grainpower gained similar experiences with his bbd #11 bread).

This time I tried do stay in the middle. I baked the bread for quite a long time and let it rest for 12 hours before cutting it.

The crust is relatively thick and the bread a little bit crumbly. The taste is ok, but it will not enter the list of my favourites.

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Sprouted Wheaten Bread (Petra)
Categories:	Bread, Sprouts
Yield:	1 Bread

Ingredients

170	grams		Wheat sprouts (from 100 g wheat berries)
250	grams		Whole-wheat flour
250	grams		Bread flour (12,5% protein)
20	grams		Fresh yeast
250	grams		Water; more or less if needed
12	grams		Salt

Source

own recipe

	Edited *RK* 06/24/2008 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

Begin about 3 days in advance: Rinse the whole wheat berries, put in a large bowl, and cover with cold water to about 2 inches above the surface of the berries. Soak for 12 hours. Drain well, put into a large glass jar and cover with cheesecloth. Leave in a shaded place. Rinse the wheat berries in the morning and in the evening by adding enough water to cover them through the top of the jar, swirling them around in the jar, then inverting the jar to drain them, until the berries sprout and the sprouts are the same length as the wheat berries, about 2-3 days.

If the sprouts are ready before you are ready to make the bread, refrigerate them. Rinse and drain thoroughly, then transfer to a food processor or mixer and chop to the consistency of coarse oatmeal.

Mix the flours in the bowl of a stand-type mixer. Stir in the chopped berries. Crumble the yeast into a small bowl, add half the water, and stir until dispersed. Pour into the mixing bowl, then add the remaining water. Mix to make a dough, adding more water as necessary. Mix for about 5 minutes on low speed, then add the salt, mix for 4-5 minuten on medium speed. The dough should clear the bowl, it should be elastic and firm.

Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface and let rest covered for about 5-10 minutes. Shape into a round loaf and place it seam side up into a floured banneton. Let rise covered for about 40-50 minutes.

Preheat the oven with a baking stone to 425°F.

Transfer the risen loaf seam side down onto a peel, score as desired, and load the bread into the oven, spritzing in water twice in the first 5 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 400°F and bake for about 45 minutes or until the bread turns a good golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Turn off the oven and leave the bread there for another 15 minute with the door slightly open. Cool on a wire rack.

The bread is best left for 12 hours before eating.

=====

bbd #8: Easter Pinza

Wild Yeast as the host of bread baking day #8 has chosen a very beautiful theme: celebration breads especially for spring or birthday breads in honor of zorra who originally initiated bbd.

As I was invited to make a post as a guest blogger for the new german cooking portal Küchengötter about an easter bread (which is online now) I carried out research about breads celebrating easter in different countries. So I came upon Pinza or Pinze, a special bread found in parts of Germany, Austria and Slowenia.

The Pinza is typically cut into three sections. These tree parts stand for the Holy Trinity. Sometimes the Pinza is decorated with a red egg in the middle. By the way, the eggs in red and blue you can see in the pictures I bought from a Czech vendor at an easter egg market. The pattern is painted with white wax on dyed eggs.

I adapted the recipe from the well-known bakery Rischart in Munich (Original). It uses 2 pre-doughs and the long fermentation delivers an exquisite result. I cannot but highly recommend the bread.

Das Rezept für die Osterpinze auf Deutsch findet sich hier in meinem Brotkasten.

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Osterpinze (Easter bread)
Categories:	Bread, Easter
Yield:	3 Breads, Austria

Ingredients

H			FIRST PRE-DOUGH
75	grams		All purpose flour
25	grams		Fresh yeast
65	grams		Milk
H			SECOND PRE-DOUGH
165	grams		First pre-dough
165	grams		All purpose flour
35	grams		Milk
35	grams		Sugar
50	grams		Egg yolks
H			FINAL DOUGH
450	grams		Second pre-dough
275			All purpose flour
35	grams		Milk
35	grams		Sugar
75	grams		Eggs (weight without shells)
75	grams		Butter
5	grams		Salt
1			Vanilla pod: seeds
1			Lemon: 1 tb juice and grated peel
H			EGG WASH
1			Egg
1	tablesp.		Milk
1	pinch		Sugar
1	pinch		Salt

Source

	adapted from
	rischart.de

	Edited *RK* 03/11/2008 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

Dissolve yeast in the milk. Add flour and make a batter. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.

Add the ingredients of the second pre-dough, mix with a handmixer, cover and let stand for another hour.

Add the second pre-dough together with the ingredients for the final dough - except for the butter - to the bowl of a stand-type mixer and mix with the dough hook on first speed for about 3 minutes, then on second speed for about 8 minutes adding the butter in pieces until the dough is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.

Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and let ferment for 1 hour.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into three parts. Lightly preshape, allow the dough to relax covered for about 10 minutes.

Cover a baking sheet with baking paper.

Give the breads a final rounding and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Let rest covered for 15 minutes, then brush with egg wash. Let rest uncovered for 5 minutes and give them a second brush. Let rest uncovered for another 10 minutes.

In the meantime preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

To achieve the typical form of a Pinza make three deep cuts into the loaves with an oiled pair of scissors.

Bake the breads for about 20 minutes then let cool on a rack.

=====

bbd #7 Flatbreads - The Round-Up

I'm really happy! Peeking in my mailbox I found 47 flatbread entries for bread baking day #7. I had to pick up some of them from the spam folder - so if I missed something or forgot somebody please tell me and I will add it.

First of all I have to thank you so much for all the interesting recipes! What I like is that many breads are really easy to make and often don't even require an oven. So no more excuses - everybody can bake bread!

Now let's begin with the flatbreads in order of their arrival. The entries are in english if not otherwise specified.

	Alexandra (New York, USA) from Addicted Sweet Tooth made Focaccia topped with tomatoes, rosemary and sea salt. Just enjoy the bread as it comes out of the oven or even cold - no other spread is necessary!
	Irma Rode (Germany) from Catatan Irma takes us to Scotland where the traditional Baps are served for breakfast.
	Dani (Brasil) from Gatinha na Cozinha shows us in a photo tutorial how to make pão arabe recheado, a stuffed bread baked in a pan. Her entry is in portuguese but there is a translator in her blog.
	Asha (NC, USA) from Foodie's Hope served Lavash (Naan-e Lavash) with a Pomegranate soup (Aash-e Anar). This thin bread comes from Persia.
	Dhivya (California, USA) from Culinary Bazaar brings us Ksra - Moroccan Anise Bread which she finds is similar to naan.
	Srivalli (India) from Cooking 4 all Seasons makes Stuffed Aloo Parathas after her Ammas recipe - a timeless favorite!
	Judy (Ventura, California, USA) from Judy's Gross Eats baked Algerian Flatbread on her comal. These spicy flatbreads can also be used to wrap a savory filling.
	Laurie (Anchorage, Alaska) from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska recommends Piadine, a soft and chewy Italian Flatbread to be served with White Bean Hummus.
	Arfi (New Zealand) from Homemades made the Garlic and Rosemary Oil Flatbread as a nibble for the children. What a nice picture - I can almost smell the rosemary!
	Karla (Heidelberg, Germany) from Chaosküche shares with us an easy to make recipe for Swedish Knäckebrot.
	Susan (California, USA) from Wild Yeast says: no more store-bought crackers if you use the pasta roller attachment to your kitchen mixer to make these quick Sesame-Semolina Flatbreads!
	Melissa (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) from Mighty Muffin topped her Whole Grain Naan Bread with garlic, olive oil, parmesan and turkish oregano. The two-day-bread rewards you with a rich and complex taste.
	Although Boaz (USA) from Folding Pain didn't find the recipe of her his childhood, she he thinks her his pletzlach with a topping of onions and poppy seeds are a tasty alternative.
	Leigh (Tampa Bay, Florida) from Lemon Tartlet And The Dust Bunnies baked crispy Thin Wheat Crackers. Looking at the photo it seems they are great for a picknick!
	Zainab (Jubail Indl City,Saudi Arabia) from Arabic Bites teaches us how to make Al3ish Albalady (Egyptian Flat Bread)
	Amber (Indiana, USA) from Amber's Delectable Delights provides us with a fabulous Focaccia infused with herb oil.
	Chriesi (Zürich, Switzerland) from Almond Corner fills her first ever baked flatbread with spinach and pecorino.
	Bee and Jai (Northwestern US) from Jugalbandi fill their parathas with cauliflower and pomegranate seeds. The photos are very inviting, so if I ever stumble upon dried pomegranate seeds I will try these!
	Y (Sydney, Australia) from Lemonpi tells us "Flatbread doesn’t get quicker, easier and flatter than Chapatis". She baked the Northern Indian Bread in a frying pan.
	Trisha (Phoenix, Arizona, USA) from The Zest: Cooking Like I Mean It philosophizes over bread and the world and is happy that the Algerian Flatbread takes her to North Africa even though her oven is down.
	Zorra (Andalusia, Spain) from 1x umrühren bitte aka kochtopf wanted to bake a bread of her neighbour country. Her Morrocan Flatbread is a sourdough bread - perhaps not really authentic but fluffy and loved by everyone!
	Ulrike (Northern Germany) from Küchenlatein explains us the difference between Staffordshire Oatcakes and Scottish Oatcakes. Her Cranberry Oatcakes which she likes with cheese belong to the latter ones.
	Lamiacucina (Basel Switzerland) from lamiacucina is a phantastic pasta maker. Hence, it is not surprising that he uses the pasta roller for his first bread: Lingue di suocera, wonderful crisp crackers with rosemary. The post is in german.
	Astrid (Vienna, Austria) from Paulchen's Foodblog discovered that her Lavash is tasty and crunchy and it’s easy and quick to make. What else can you wish?
	Nils (Germany) from Ye olde bread blogge took part with a french style loaf. His French cobblestone has to be treated very gently. The overnight retardation in the fridge improves the flavor.
	Divya (Glendale, California) from Dil se... learnt this recipe for Aloo Paratha from her mother in law who is an expert in preparing them.
	Smita (Rochester, NY) from Smita Serves You Right gines variety to the bread color. Her Methi theplas' (flatbread with fenugreek leaves) have a nice green.
	Pepy (Winnipeg, MB, Canada) from The Art and Science of Food melted two recipes for her Indonesian Roti Maryam and finally found the texture she wanted to achieve.
	Aparna (India) from My Diverse Kitchen baked this beautiful Naan in her pan. She likes this method better because she thinks that oven-baked naans tend to be a bit more chewy.
	Laura (Oxford, Ohio, USA) from The Spiced Life also turned to Indian Bread: Dahi Chapati are her contribution.
	Sarah (Oshawa, ON, Canada) from What Smells So Good? submited Herby Chickpea Crackers, a gluten-free, fat-free bread.
	Deeba  (Gurgaon, North India) from assionate About baking...& beyond wraps it up: she serves her Indian Flatbread as Chapati Wraps with Turkish Kebabs.
	Tommi (Arcata, Ca) published his entry at The Fresh Loaf. He loaded the Barbari, an Iranian flatbread with sesame, poppy seeds and sunflower seeds.
	Melissa (Birmingham, UK) from Hecticium boiled potatoes and mixed them with double cream, butter and self rasing flour. This makes a dough for Norwegian Lefse. She likes them with a little sugar and cinnamon.
	Pam (Victoria, Australia) from The Backyard Pizzeria leads us to France, the home of the Fougasse. She also used some potatoes in her dough.
	Lynne (Georgia, USA) from Cafe Lynnylu baked her beautiful Three Color Focaccias in cast-iron pans, showing an over 50 year old skillet from her mother.
	Lien (Netherlands) from Notitie van Lien also made Chapattis, Additionally she tells us what to do with leftovers. Her post is in dutch and english.
	Gabi (Rhede, Germany) from Crockyblog serves her Aloo Paratha (indische Kartoffelfladen, potato filled flatbread) with a salad and a yoghurt dip. Her entry is in german.
	Zlamushka (Malmö, Sweden) from Zlamushka's Spicy Kitchen started experimenting and created Chestnut Flatbread, her new favorite.
	Maddy (Los Angeles, California) from Honey Pot used olive oil, sesame seeds, sea salt, dried thyme and oregano as the topping for her Not So Flat Flatbread.
	Pooja (NY, USA) from An attempt to spread Love by cooking (resp. My Creative Ideas) teaches us how to make really neat triangular Garlic Parathas.
	Elizabeth (Toronto, Canada) from blog from OUR kitchen takes us to China with her Green Onion Cakes (Chinese flatbread). Whereas the recipe she shares with us "is still a work in progress" I'm sure she is on the right way to flaky and crisp bings. Have a look at the interesting comments - this is what I like about blogs :-)
	Manuela (Massachusetts, USA) from Baking History uses rye flour in her Zwiebelplatz - very interesting because rather unusual for flatbreads.
	Sus (Griesheim, Deutschland) from CorumBlog shows us her version of Chapati with a special hint for using teflon-coated pans. (Es gibt den Eintrag auch auf Deutsch)
	Chris (Atlanta, GA, USA) from Mele Cotte made a Classic Tuscan Flatbread before saying goodbye to carbs for a while ;-)
	Just in time for this round-up Eva (Australia) from Sweet Sins arrived with a Herbed Focaccia. After another recipe turned out to be a flop she now is pleased with this one!
	Finally my own contribution: the Georgian Cheese-Filled Quick Bread (emeruli khachapuri) goes very well with soups of all kinds.

If you still haven't got enough from flatbreads after browsing through all the entries there are 2 more recommendations (thanks to Foodfreak who made me aware of these websites!)

On the flatbread trail by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, with an interesting flatbread glossary

Flat out simple, The trail of Mediterranean flatbreads leads around the world, an article in the San Francisco Chronicle

Our next host will be the talented Susan from Wild Yeast. I'm really curious about her theme!