Chili und Ciabatta

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!

bbd #7: Georgian Cheese-Filled Quick Bread

I have to admit: Though I'm the host of bread baking day #7 (deadline March 1st, that is tomorrow!) I was not quite sure which flatbread I would bake until this morning. A little bit late, isn't it?

But don't worry somehow I managed to fulfill the task by making a really quick bread:

Georgian Cheese-Filled Quick Bread (emeruli khachapuri) from Jeffrey Alford's and Naomi Duguid's Flatbreads & Flavors.

And here is a little photo tutorial how to get the cheese-filling into this flat bread:

Flatten 1/8 of the dough to a round and place 1/8 of the cheese filling in the middle.

Bring the dough all the way around the circle to the center.

You should end up having a dough-covered mound.

Flatten the mound with the palm of your hand, then turn it over and roll it out again. You could make the khachapuris a little but larger and thinner but I wanted four of them to fit on my baking sheet.

Alford recommends the khachapuris as a snack or a complement to soups of all kinds. So when I saw Nicky's tomato soup with red lentils indian style today I knew this would be a perfect team.

The only changes I made to the soup: I doubled the recipe, using a diced onion with the garlic and omitted the cilantro (no fresh cilantro around) and the mustard seeds (I forgot them as I was too busy with the bread).

Das Rezept für das georgische Schnellbrot mit Käsefüllung auf Deutsch gibt es in meinem Brotkasten.

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Georgian Cheese-Filled Quick Bread - emeruli khachapuri
Categories:	Bread, Cheese, Georgia
Yield:	8 Breads

Ingredients

H			CHEESE FILLING
120	grams		Mild Cheddar or mozzarella; chopped (I used
			-parmesan)
60	grams		Feta cheese, well crumbled
2	cups		Plain yogurt
2	tablesp.		Plain yogurt
1	large		Egg
H			DOUGH
3-4	cups		Unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2	teasp.		Baking powder
1/2	teasp.		Salt
2	cups		Plain yogurt

Source

	Jeffrey Alford, Naomi Duguid
	Flatbreads & Flavors

	Edited *RK* 02/29/2008 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

You will need two baking sheets, a medium-sized bowl, a large bread bowl, and a small rolling pin (optional).

Place an oven rack at the lowest position, and preheat the oven to 450°F (I used 250°C). Lightly oil two baking sheets.

To prepare the cheese filling: Blend together all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together 1 cup flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add the yogurt and stir well. Then continue stirring in flour until the dough has lost its stickiness and can be worked with your hands. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and slightly elastic.

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Keeping the remaining pieces covered with a cloth, work with one piece of dough at a time. Flatten the dough with the lightly floured palm of your hand. Then, either stretching the dough or using a small rolling pin, flatten it out to a round about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese filling in the center of the dough. Pinch an edge of the dough between your thumb and forefinger and stretch it halfway over the filling to the center of the dough round. Then pinch the edge an eighth of a turn along from the first position and bring it to the center. Continue all the way around the circle, stretching the dough as you do so, and pleating it over the filling, until you have a dough-covered mound. Pinch the pleats closed, and then, with the lightly floured palm of your hand, gently press down on the top of the mound to flatten it. Turn the bread over and gently press down again on the other side. This will push the filling out into the edges of the bread; it should be 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick and 7 to 8 inches in diameter.

Place the bread on a prepared baking sheet and continue making breads until the first baking sheet is full. Bake the breads for 5 to 6 minutes, then remove from the oven, slide into a basket lined with a cloth, and cover to keep warm. Prepare the remainder of the breads while the first batch bakes, and then cook in the same fashion.

Georgians eat khachapuri as a snack or for lunch as a light but satisfying meal; it is also a good complement to soups of all kinds. The breads are soft and surprisingly thin, about a quarter inch thick, so the cheese is a mild flavoring, not an overpowering taste. Once you are used to mixing and shaping the breads, they will take you only twenty minutes from start to warm-bread-on-the-table finish.

Petra: I made the breads a little bit thicker so that 4 of them had place on my baking sheet. So the baking time was a little bit longer, about 8-10 minutes until brown spots arrived.

=====

Pan de Hojaldre - Pane sfogliato

Eva from Sweet Sins is our host for bread baking day #6. Her challenging theme: shaped breads.

This immediately reminded me of a bread I had seen in a little book of the Italian sisters Simili: Sfida al matterello, which tells you how to make good home made italian pasta. Bread in a pasta book? Yes - because it's a very special bread using the techniques teached in the book.

Pan de Hojaldre or Pane sfogliato, a bread from Valencia.

Here comes a little photo tutorial:

The kneaded dough is shaped into rolls of about 20 cm length (I doubled the recipe in the book and made 2 breads).

Roll out the dough into a rectangle of about 20x50 cm. Pour 15 ml olive oil onto the dough and spread it evenly, leaving out the edges.

Fold the 2 short sides into the middle, sealing the edges.

Fold the dough in half, you will now have 4 layers.

Carefully roll out the folded dough into a square of 60x40 cm. Spread again 15 ml olive oil.

Roll the dough from the short end without tightening it too much.

With a sharp knife make two deep slashes into the bread, leaving the middle intact.

The finished loaves: you can easily see the single layers. The bread has a lot of crunchy crust and tastes very good. I would rather break than cut it.

Hinweis: Das Rezept auf Deutsch gibt es hier in meinem Brotkasten.

==========	REZKONV-Rezept - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Titel:	Pan de Hojaldre - Pane sfogliato
Kategorien:	Bread, Spain
Menge:	1 Bread

Zutaten

H			PRE-DOUGH
50	Gramm		All purpose flour
30	Gramm		Water
2	Gramm		Fresh yeast
H			FINAL DOUGH
250	Gramm		All purpose flour
125	Gramm		Water
10	Gramm		Fresh yeast
1/2	Essl.		Olive oil
5	Gramm		Salt
30	Gramm		Olive oil, divided

Quelle

	adapted from
	Sorelle Simili
	Sfida al materello

	Erfasst *RK* 14.01.2008 von
	Petra Holzapfel

Zubereitung

Mix the ingredients for the pre-dough, form a ball and put it into a bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled (1-1 1/2 hours).

Mix flour, water, yeast and the pre-dough adding olive oil and salt. Don't overwork the dough. Form a roll of about 20 cm length and let rest covered on the working surface for about 15-20 minutes.

On the floured working surface roll out the dough into a square of 20x50 cm. Pour 15 ml olive oil onto the dough and spread it evenly leaving out the edges. Fold the two short sides into the middle. Press the edges to seal. Fold again like you would close a book you now have 4 layers.

Flour your working surface and carefully roll out the dough into a rectangle of 60x40 cm (a little bit of oil may ooze out - that doesn't matter).

Pour another 15 ml olive oil onto the dough and spread it evenly leaving out the edges. Beginning from the short side roll the dough without tightening it too much.

Lay the roll seam side down onto a baking tray covered with baking paper. With a sharp knife make two deep slashes into the roll leaving in the middle about 3 cm intact.

Brush the roll with a little bit of olive oil, cover and let ferment until doubled (45-90 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Bake the bread for about 30-35 minutes.

Let cool on a roast.

The recipe can easily be doubled.

=====

bbd #5: Rarif al Rarif - Egyptian Cheese Rolls

The theme of Bread Baking Day #5, this month hosted by Chelsea from Rolling in Dough, is filled breads.

Whereas I have made sweet filled breads like the orange cinnamon swirl bread, this time I wanted to bake a savoury bread. I chose the "rarif al rarif", cheese filled rolls from Maggie Glezer's A Blessing of Bread. The recipe comes from Ofrah Sadeh, an Egyptian-Iraeli cook who bakes these very crispy and buttery rolls for a light dairy lunch or dinner. To stay authentic, you could dipp them in za'tar oil.

The rolls are originally filled with Brinza Cheese. Glezer proposes queso fresco or Monterey Jack Cheese, I took Gouda. I think, Feta also would be a good choice.

For flaky rolls the dough is rolled into a square, smeared with butter and twice folded like a business letter. After a stay in the fridge this procedure is repeated.

The cheese is rolled into cut dough rectangles.

The stuffed rolls in the pan ready to be glazed and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

The baked rolls.

==========	REZKONV-Rezept - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Titel:	Rarif al Rarif - Egyptian Cheese Rolls
Kategorien:	Bread, Rolls, Cheese
Menge:	8 Cheese-stuffed rolls

Zutaten

1	Teel.		(3 g/0.1 ounce) instant yeast
500	Gramm		(3 3/4 c/17.6 ounces) bread flour
280	Gramm		(1 1/4 c/10 ounces) warm water
2	Teel.		(10 grams/0.4 ounce) table salt
1	Teel.		(4 grams/0.1 ounce) granulated sugar
2	Essl.		(27 grams/1 ounce) vegetable oil
115	Gramm		(1 stick/8 tb/4 ounces) unsalted butter,
			-softened, plus
			Extra butter for buttering the pan
225	Gramm		(8 ounces) brinza cheese, queso fresco or
			-Monterey Jack cheese (Petra: Gouda)
1			Egg for glazing
			Sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)

Quelle

	adapted from
	Maggie Glezer
	A Blessing of Bread

	Erfasst *RK* 30.12.2007 von
	Petra Holzapfel

Zubereitung

In a mixer bowl, whisk together the yeast and 1 1/4 cup (170 grams/6 ounces) of the flour, then whisk in the warm water until smooth. Let slurry stand uncovered for 10 to 20 minutes, or until it begins to ferment and puff up slightly.

Whisk the salt, sugar, and oil into the puffed yeast slurry until smooth. Knead in the remaining 2 1/2 cups (330 grams/11.6 ounces) flour all at once. Knead on low speed (Kenwood 1) for 3 minutes, then for 3-4 minutes on medium speed (Kenwood 2-3).

The dough should feel firm, stick to itself easily but not to the work surface, and be easy to knead.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough ferment until it has at least doubled in bulk, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a thin 16inch (41-cm) square. Smear it with half of the butter. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter, rotate it a quarter turn, and fold it into thirds again. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it relax for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Repeat the rolling out, buttering, and folding, using the remaining butter. Refrigerate the dough for an hour or two to get flaky rolls.

Heavily butter a 13-by-9-inch (33-by-23-cm) baking pan. Gut the cheese into eight 4-inch-(10-cm-) wide blocks*.

Roll the dough out again into a 16-inch (41-cm) square. Gut the dough in half, then cut each piece into four equal rectangles, 8 inches by 4 inches (20 cm by 10 cm). Arrange the cheese on the dough. Fold the sides of each dough rectangle over the cheese, then roll the piece into a neat cylindrical bundle, making sure that the cheese is completely enclosed, and place seam side down in the prepared pan, making two rows of four equally spaced rolls.

Cover the pan well with plastic wrap. (The rolls can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours at this point.) Let the rolls proof until well expanded about 2 1/2 -3 hours.

Meanwhile, 30 minutes before baking, arrange an oven rack in the lower third position, and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/gas mark 6). Beat a pinch of salt into the egg for glazing the rolls.

When the rolls do not push back when gently pressed with your finger but remain indented, brush them with the egg glaze and then sprinkle them with sesame seeds, if desired. Bake the rolls for 30 to 40 minutes, until very well browned.

When the rolls are done, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool.

*I cut about 8-cm blocks and placed them on the short side of the rectangles. Next time I will try Feta cheese.

=====

SHF #38: Sformato di Panettone - Panettone Pudding with Coffee Sauce

"The proof of the Pudding is in the eating" says an old proverb  - and I am very happy that zorra chose this motto for Sugar High Friday, the great event she is hosting this month. Otherwise I probably would have never tried the recipe which has been sleeping in my recipe database for years ...

Last week I made my first sourdough Panettone (it tasted really good but unfortunately wasn't quite as fluffy and light as I had hoped.) Reading zorra's own entry for SHF I remembered a recipe for a Sformato di Panettone, a Panettone Pudding. When you stumble upon Panettone Pudding this often is a kind of bread pudding - but not this one. Here the Panettone is totally dissolved in the custard. I'm sure if somebody eats this without knowing the name he will be very curious what the special ingredient in this pudding could be!

I served the Sformato di Panettone with a coffee sauce which goes very well with the creamy pudding.

Das Rezept auf Deutsch gibt es hier.

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Sformato di Panettone (Panettone Pudding) with Coffee Sauce
Categories:	Dessert, Pudding, Sauce, Coffee, Italy
Yield:	6 Servings

Ingredients

300	ml		Milk
100	grams		Panettone; cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2	small		Eggs
50	grams		Sugar
2-2 1/2			Sheet gelatin
200	ml		Whipping cream
H			CHOCOLATE SAUCE
1/4	liter		Milk
3			Egg yolks
80	grams		Sugar
2	grams		Instant coffee (1 cup portion)

	Edited *RK* 12/19/2007 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

Place the milk and the Panettone in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Let simmer until mixture thickens.

Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Dribble about half of the hot panettone-milk into the egg mixture, then place all of the egg mixture into the saucepan over medium heat. Heat to 77°C (170°F) and stir for about 3 minutes (don't boil). The mixture will be thick. Remove saucepan from the heat.

Meanwhile soak the gelatin sheets completely in cold water for about 5 minutes. Squeeze excess water from softened gelatin sheets and add them to the hot mixture, stirring well. Let cool.

Beat chilled whipping cream into stiff peaks and fold it into the Panettone Custard.

Fill jelly moulds (pudding forms, about 125-150 ml each) or cups with the Panettone pudding and place them into the fridge overnight.

For the sauce place the milk in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Beat egg yolks and sugar until light in colour. Slowly add some of the hot milk to the egg yolk mixture, permanently stirring. Then add the egg mixture to the rest of the hot milk in the saucepan. Add the instant coffee and stir until the custard has thickened and will coat the back of a spoon. Strain and let cool.

Unmould the puddings by running a knife around the top edge of each mould and dipping the mould into hot water for a few seconds. Turn them out onto plates and surround them by the coffee sauce.

=====

bbd #04: Pfeffernussbrot - Pepper Spice Bread

Hey, hey - it's already bread baking day #4! The theme chosen by bakinghistory is "Bread & Spices".

In Bavaria, where I live, rye breads with spices are quite common - usually they are flavoured with a special Brotgewürz (bread seasoning), often containing fennel, coriander and caraway. Unfortunately I'm not really fond of this bread, so I was looking for something different. 

Yesterday I was flipping through Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Bread when my eyes fell on a recipe for Pfeffernussbrot (pepper spice bread). Yes - very interesting idea! This recipe was handed down by Germans living in Russia, who had settled along the Volga and Black Sea at the invitation of German-born Catherine the Great - and it fits perfectly in this season where Christmas Cookies and Lebkuchen are baked in almost every family in Germany.

The spices: cinnamon, allspice, Lebkuchen-Gewuerz (a  spice mix containing cinnamon, orange peel, coriander seeds, mace, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom which I substituted for Clayton's aniseed) and freshly ground black pepper. Besides the spices some roughly chopped walnuts (or pecans) are added to the dough.

The preshaped balls for 2 braided loaves

The braided loaves ready for rising

The baked loaves. I brushed the right one with a little bit of milk before baking. This gives a shiny surface.

A slice from the bread. I was astonished how good the bread tasted! It isn't too sweet and has a complex and seductive flavor with a slightly peppery aftertaste. The crumb is fluffy and soft, the crust a little bit crunchy.

Hinweis: Das Rezept auf Deutsch gibt es in meinem Brotkasten.

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Pfeffernussbrot - Pepper Spice Bread
Categories:	Bread, Spices
Yield:	2 Braided loaves

Ingredients

H			SPONGE
850	grams		Bread flour; approximately (5-6 c)
1	pack		Dry yeast
1	teasp.		Salt
100	grams		Sugar (1/2 c)
75	grams		Nonfat dry milk (1/2 c)
360	ml		Water
H			DOUGH
115	grams		Butter; room temperature (1/2 c, 1 stick)
2			Eggs
75	grams		Molasses (1/2 c, I used Zuckerrübensirup)
1	teasp.		Freshly ground black pepper
2	teasp.		Lebkuchen Gewuerz*
1/2	teasp.		Ground allspice
1/2	teasp.		Ground cinnamon
75	grams		Roughly broken walnuts (3/4 c)
			Milk; for brushing

Source

	adapted from Bernard Clayton's
	New Complete Book of Breads

	Edited *RK* 11/29/2007 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

To make the sponge, in a mixer bowl measure 300 g (2 c) flour and add the yeast, salt, sugar and dry milk. Stir in the water to make a batter. Cover with plastic wrap and put aside at room temperaure to bubble and rise more than twice its original volume, about 2 hours.

To make the dough, uncover the sponge and stir in the butter, using the mixer. Add the eggs one at a time. Pour in the molasses, blend, and add the pepper and spices. Add the broken walnuts.

When all the ingredients have been added, stir in additional flour until the dough is a rough mass that can be lifted to the work surface - or left in the mixer bowl and kneaded under the dough hook.

Knead by hand or in the machine for 10 minutes (Kenwood 2/3) until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Transfer the dough from the mixing bowl to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature to double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Divide the dough in half. For braided loaves divide each ball in 3 parts. Preshape lightly into round and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape the balls into little logs. Start by rolling one piece of dough on the counter into as long rope, 35 cm (12-14 inches). Keep the rest covered while working with one-at-a-time. Taper both ends of each dough rope down so that they are narrower than the rest of the dough rope. Braid from the middle to one end, pinch to close and then turn the braid around and braid the other end. Place on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Repeat for the second piece.

Cover the loaves and leave at room temperature until they are puffy and have doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).

For a shiny bread brush with milk.

Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes. The loaves should turn dark brown.

Remove the breads from the oven and let cool on a rack.

*Clayton uses 2 ts ground aniseed instead of Lebkuchen-Gewuerz. The Lebkuchengewuerz used here consists of cinnamon, orange peel, coriander seeds, mace, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom.

=====

2nd onion day: Caramelized Onions

Last week I made a chinese dish called "Sizzling Chicken with Shallots" which I intended to present for the second edition of zorra's onion day. But then I came across some photos I had made quite a long time ago which show the making of caramelized onions, a dish I had never blogged about. I think this recipe fits the occasion better as onions really play the primary part.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it immediately bubbles when an onion touches it. Add the onions (I used about 1 kg of red onions, peeled, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise), sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until they wilt completely and begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, 10-20 minutes (much of the onions' moisture will evaporate and the pan will begin to brown; the cooking time varies with the onions' moisture content).

Reduce the heat to medium low, add some balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and cook, stirring and scraping the pan with a wooden spoon every few minutes. If the pan begins to look like it's burning, add 2 tablespoons water, stir, and lower the heat a bit. Cook, stirring and scraping and adding water as needed, until the onions are a uniform caramel brown, another 30 to 45 minutes. (If they haven't begun to brown much after 20 minutes, raise the heat to medium.) Add a couple of tablespoons of water and scrape the pan well.

You can use the caramelized onions right away (we had them sprinkled with chives to accompany a nice grilled steak) or spread the onions on a baking sheet and let cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

The onions are great in soups, pasta sauces, stews and braises, on top of a pizza or a burger.

World Bread Day '07: Sourdough Bread with Hulled Hemp

Of course it's a great pleasure to follow Zorra's invitation for Bread Baking Day 2007!

In July I hosted a food blogger meeting. Ilka and Ulli from Rezkonv Suite Blog gave me flowers flours and hulled hemp seed which I had never used before. Hemp is a very old useful plant. After decades of illegacy it is now booming again.

For World Bread Day I decided to bake a sourdough bread with hemp seed.

I used a mixture of bread flour (wheat flour), spelt flour and whole-wheat flour. The hemp seeds (or "nuts") give the bread a very nice aromatic and nutty flavour. We ate half of a bread for breakfast ;-)

Of course you can use only wheat or try other ratios.

Hier geht's zum Sauerteigbrot mit geschälten Hanfnüssen in meinem Brotkasten.

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe - RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Sourdough Bread with Hulled Hemp Seed
Categories:	Bread, Sourdough, Seed
Yield:	2 Breads

Ingredients

H			LEVAIN
15	grams		Fermented firm sourdough starter; refreshed 8
			-hours before
45	grams		Lukewarm water
75	grams		Bread flour (Weizenmehl Type 550)
H			DOUGH
475			Bread flour (Weizenmehl Type 550)
125	grams		Spelt flour (Dinkelmehl Type 630)
100	grams		Whole-wheat flour
455	grams		Lukewarm water
15	grams		Salt
135	grams		Fermented levain
125	grams		Hulled hemp seed

Source

my own recipe

	Edited *RK* 10/15/2007 by
	Petra Holzapfel

Directions

Dissolve the sourdough starter in the water. Add the flour and knead the stiff dough until it is fairly smooth. Place it in a covered container and let ferment overnight, about 12 hours.

For the dough combine the flours and the hemp in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer and add the water. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed just until the dough is combined, about 3 minutes. Cover the bowl and let rest for 10-30 minutes.

Add the salt and the levain and mix the dough on medium speed just until it is smooth, about 4 minutes. Remove the dough from the mixer and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap. Let it ferment until it is airy and well expanded but not yet doubled in bulk about 4-5 hours, giving it a stretch and fold after 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Cut the dough in half (each piece should weigh about 710 g). Lightly round the pieces and cover them loosely with plastic wrap. Let rest until well relaxed, 15-20 minutes.

Shape the dough into even and tight round loaves without deflating them. Place the shaped dough smooth side down in floured bannetons. Lightly sprinkle them with flour and place them in large plastic bags. Proof the dough until it is well expanded and springs back slowly when gently pressed with a floured finger, about 2 1/2 hours.

At least 45 minutes before the dough is fully proofed preheat the oven with a baking stone to 220°C.

Turn the loaves out onto a peel with cornmeal and slash a large and deep X into the top of each. In the center of each quarter slash a small dash.

Slide the loaves onto the hot stone and pour a cup of water into the oven. In the first 5 minutes spray 3 times water from a plant mister into the oven. Bake the breads until they are very dark and evenly browned all around and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom, 40-45 minutes.

Let the breads cool on a rack.

The breads have a very nice aromatic taste and a good shelf life.

=====

I'm already looking forward to all the other entries!

Here you can find my bread for bread baking day 2006.

Update: the round-up is online - with 183 posts!