Communion and Hospitality

Tomorrow I will be talking with my house about bread. Actually, that was the purpose of this blog, to get me prepared, but I haven't really utilized it as well as I had hoped, but I'm really enjoying this blog and learning new things all the time. I'm having one of my friends take some pictures and I'll post more about what I said and what we did soon. My friend, Vincenzo, will want to edit the photos before he gives them to me, lol.
Anyway, thank you for taking this journey with me. I can't imagine stopping this blog, right now. Many more posts to come, especially since I juts made a new kind of bread today, Portuguese Sweet Bread, which of course I will post about later. Right now, I need to go to bed. I'm up in about 5 hours so, sleep well!

With Bread,
~Chad

Love for Liberia

Last year in June I went to Liberia to help with a school that gives good education to the less fortunate. Over there the fortunate are just about par with our homeless in dear old Seattle, or perhaps less so, then the less fortunate are in pretty bad shape. In 2003 they had just gotten out of a 14 year civil war that devastated EVERYTHING! In power was a corrupt warmonger by the name of Charles Taylor, the second person EVER to be charged with war crimes while still in office. There was indiscriminate missile fire from all sides, taking down buildings filled with innocent bystanders. Only recently has travel been opened up between us and Liberia again.

While I was there I was able to bring art to kids who haven't had much exposure to it. The war stopped pretty much all production of any thing artistic and destroyed so much. A lot of their culture was lost and many don't even remember the names of certain rivers anymore and have no way of finding out what they were. The sketchbook I brought, however, had more of their drawing than mine. :) I got to spend some time in the kitchen helping to cook dinner, too.

I fell in love with the people there. They taught me so much. It was difficult to leave and I could talk about these guys forever, but that's not this blog. BUT on June 4th there is a fundraiser for the organization that I went with, Serve the Children, based in Gig Harbor, WA. They're holding a dessert auction and last year one dessert went for $2000! I cried so hard. Anyway, I'm going to make a Bread Basket filled with different breads for the auction. I'm darned excited. So, in the upcoming weeks before the auction, I'm going to be practicing with the basket making process and coming up with the contents as well. I'm so FREAKING EXCITED! Send prayers and inspiration my way.

With bread,
~Chad

Bread Day - April 16

On Saturday my friend Natalia and I hosted our monthly Bread Day. We started this in January, inviting our friends over to make bread with each other and enjoy the fruits (?) of our labor. Natalia and I experiment on a new kind of bread each event. Nat made a Rosemary Olive bread using whole wheat flour. It had a few issues rising for a while, but after a bit of futzing, it decided it was time to start doing it's job.









We had 6 doughs being made at once so the kitchen was indeed full. 4 Challah, 1 Wheat Bread with a few alterations made by my cousin Jaclyn, and Natalia's Rosemary Olive.
Noelle (right) is a newcomer to bread making and she joined in the Challah fray with the rest of the bunch. Tammy and Noelle made some beautiful 3 strand braids.

Devin made his braid into a wreath and it turned out really cool. Scott made. . .a tumor. He calls it his :"bee hive". Whatever it is, it is a mass.



What is bread without it being broken over some food? Sadly enough the bread wasn't ready by dinner time, but as it is another tradition on bread day, we eat. Natalia made Pesto Chicken Wheels paired with Penne pasta with some more pesto and salad. I wasn't able to make any bread that day, sadly, but I made a Ginger Creme Brulee with a Lime Sauce. Pretty good, but the ginger wasn't strong enough.







Bread days hold so much excitement here. It's amazing how we can make something so basic to life. Bread is such a blessing.

With bread,
~Chad

Bread Day - Anadama Bread

Today wasn't a scheduled bread day, but it turned into one anyway. At my house on Thursdays we have communal dinners. We have groups that take turns cooking and cleaning. This quarter, because most of the people here go to the University of Washington, we're "traveling around the U.S." in foods. Last quarter we went around the world and got to try a bunch of different styles of cooking. AWESOME! Today we visited the New England region. I know what you're thinking, because everyone elses responses went a little like this, "*GASP* Are we having New England Clam Chowder!?!?!" No, we did not have New England Clam Chowder. Our budget doesn't cover seafood often. So we had American Goulash, Succotash, and Roasted Potatoes. Where this ties in to this blog is the bread I made for it. I made Anadama Bread. LOVE! Again, thank you allrecipes.com.

ANADAMA BREAD
Origins: This is a true bread of the United States. There is a little discrepancy on the true origins of it, but the one I like the best is this - way back when in Rockport, Massachusetts a woman left her husband in a flurry and the man was livid furius, not only for leaving him, but she had the nerve to only leave behind a pot of cormeal mush and some molasses for dinner. He threw together those two along with some yeast and flour all the while exclaiming, "Anna, Damn 'er!", which was later changed to Anadama, to be a little less offensive.
Characteristics: Depends on your molasses. Peter Reinhart mentions in his book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice, that the molasses drives the flavor because of how strong it is. People testing his recipe preferred Brer Rabbit Golden Molasses because of its lightness. "Molasses is high in iron and other minerals, but some brands are harsher and darker." He advises to get lighter, more refined brands, unless a more intense flavor is preferred. I do prefer the darker, more rich taste.
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 2 1/2 hours Total; 20 minutes Prep; 100 minutes Rising; 30 minutes Cooking
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110 F)
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used bread flour)
1 tsp salt

Bring water and cornmeal to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir occasionally and cook until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the butter and molasses then let cool to lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let sit for about 10 minutes. Combine the two mixtures then add 2 cups of the flour and salt. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly each addition. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let sit for an hour.

Punch down the dough and form into a loaf. Either place in a bread pan or place on a cookie sheet with a little corn meal. Let rise for 40 minutes.




Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 30 minutes or until the top is a darker brown and when tapped, the bottom sounds hollow.

RESULT
AMAZING! I got so many compliments on this bread. One friend said it was the best bread I've made yet, whether this is true or not is debatable, but man-o-man, it was tasty.

With bread,
~Chad

Bread Day - Rye

I have a friend who is intolerant/allergic to wheat gluten and I always feel bad because she doesn't get to have bread often and if she does she suffers for it. I wanted to make a bread that she can enjoy, so this is my search for today, a good wheat free rye bread. Apparently rye bread using straight rye flour is hard to find in cookbooks. Thank God for allrecipes.com. The reviews were varied. The people who didn't like the recipe had certain dietary needs going in and were expecting a result equal to regular bread. Rye is not wheat.

STUFF:
2 cups milk
2 2/3 tsp dry active yeast
2 tbsp molasses
1 egg (I used 3)
7 1/2 cups rye flour
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp caraway seeds

Heat the milk in a sauce pan until it bubbles, then remove from heat and let cool to a lukewarm temperature. Add the yeast and let sit for 10 minutes until milk thickens. (I didn't quite understand that part. My milk didn't thicken.)

In a large mixing bowl, mix the yeasty milk with the molasses then combine with eggs, 4 cups of the flour, salt and seeds. (I used flax seeds because I couldn't find my caraway and I wanted some extra fiber in it, though if you want the true rye flavor, go with caraway.) The mixture will look like soft cookie dough. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 45 minutes.

Stir in the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time making sure the dough is mixed thoroughly after each addition. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly coat a large bowl with oil and turn the dough around inside of it until greased. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

I look back at my saying how Rye is not Wheat. Boy, am I right. Kneading this dough is like kneading a large lump of playdough without the salty smell. Partially, this frustrated me because it was completely new and didn't work the way I wanted it to, but it doesn't have the wheat gluten which keeps it together like the regular doughs, which is the point of making this rye bread, so my complaining is kept in check.

Punch down the dough and separate into 2 lumps. Place each into their own greased bread pan and press down until flat on top and the dough meets the sides and corners. Cover with the damp towel and let sit for 40 minutes or until it has doubled in size. (I sprayed a mist of water on the top and pressed down some more flax seeds on top.)

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. The top should be golden brown and should sound hollow when the bottom is tapped.

RESULT

My bread came out super dense and didn't really rise that much. Maybe I killed my yeast with too hot of milk or rye just doesn't contain the gas that the yeast produces. The consistency of the dough would support that theory. I suppose the eggs I added to the recipe didn't help with the fluffiness either. It still tastes good. I think the only improvement would be to work it enough to create bonds in the dough to hold in the gas from the yeast.

Let it sit for a little bit before slicing, then dig in.

With bread,
~Chad

Bread Day - Challah

I got to go visit back home this last week and see my new niece for the first time. She's SO SMALL! While I was at my parents I made Challah, and my other sister-in-law was really excited. She really likes bread and certainly had her fill. She's got a baby comin' in a little over a month. Pretty excited for that one, too. Anyway, being home I had access to Dad's camera, which is one hekuva step up from my cell phone, so I got some nicer pictures this time.

This picture came from the book Baking Artisan Bread, you'll find more on the book in the labels.

CHALLAH
Origins: This is a Jewish ceremonial bread used to celebrate the Sabbath. The braids in the traditionally separated the bread into 12 sections that represented the 12 tribes of Israel. Characteristics: Braided, light, fluffy.
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 4 1/2 hrs total Prep 10 - 15 minutes; Fermenting, shaping and proofing 3 1/2 hrs; 20 - 35 minutes baking.
4 cups unbleached bread flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 tsp instant yeast
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp water, room temp.
2 egg whites, whisked until frothy
Sesame or poppy seeds for garnish

Bowl 1: Combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Bowl 2: Whisk oil, eggs, egg yolks and water. Pour mixture from bowl 2 into bowl 1 and mix with a spoon until everything forms a ball. (I just start kneading when I get tired of mixing, and the ball only really forms when you're using an electric mixer.) Add more water if you need to.

Knead the dough on a flour dusted surface for about 10 minutes. The dough should be soft and supple, but not sticky, common theme in bread dough. When properly kneaded it should pass the windowpane test. Form into a boule (ball) place in an oiled bowl, coating the dough thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature for an hour.

Take out the dough, knead for about 2 minutes to degas. Re-form the dough into a boule and replace it into the bowl, covering with plastic wrap to again ferment for another hour.

It should grow to at least 1 1/2 its size. Divide the dough into 2 parts, one 1/3 the size and the other 2/3. Divide each again into 3 parts. Form each piece into a boule and cover them with a towel to sit for 10 minutes. Take the large boules and roll each into a strand, fatter in the middle and tapered off at the ends (mine didn't do that so well. I'm not so great at that yet). Braid the strands together. Do the same to the smaller boules and place on top of the larger braid. Press down lightly to make them attach, it does only so much, but it's better than nothing.

Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and place the braided loaf onto the sheet. Brush the loaf with the egg wash the spray with oil. Cover with plastic wrap loose enough for the dough to rise 1 1/2 times larger. Allow about an hour to do so.

Have the oven ready at 325 F with the oven rack on the mid shelf. Brush with the egg wash again and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate 180 degrees and bake for another 20 to 45 minutes. By the way, the loaf gets HUGE! The bread should get to a lovely golden brown. Just to make sure, insert a thermometer. It should read 190 F.

Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for an hour before consuming. (That's part of the recipe. I disagree. Bread, especially this one, should be eaten warm, and oh it is so good.)

With bread,
~Chad

Bread Day - Barbari

Ok, so it's been a while since I last posted, I did have a bread day last week and I made Barbari, and bread native to Iran. They're little flat buns with a few slashes in them.

I had some trouble with this recipe. I want to blame the book, but it could have just been me, haha. Anyway, after adding the water to the flour mixture, it just seemed like too little, so I added another cup. This is where my frustration started. I got all of the water mixed in with the flour, but it was all clumpy. UGH! I decided to let it rest and rise so it would be easier to work with. Once I came back I kneaded it like was supposed to be done before. In the end it worked out. The taste wasn't that amazing but I really think that's because I wasn't able to work with it enough so it's true character wasn't found. Never-the-less, they disappeared quickly in my house full off people.

SO! Here's the recipe and my edits, . . . or edit.

BARBARI
Origins: Iran/Persia. It's called Barbari because of who originally made it, the Barbars, a group of people in Persia. Genius! In restaurants it's served with a cheese similar to Feta, Tabriz.
Characteristics: Small, flat and ovular with 2 slashes diagonal. Traditionally, this bread is much larger and thinner, kind of like a thin pizza crust, its slashes going lengthwise as opposed to diagonal. Not sure how it's supposed to taste.
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 2 1/2 hours
Prep; 20 minutes, rising; 1 1/2 hrs, baking; 30 minutes

This is the first recipe used from this book, Classic Breads. I forgot to take a bunch of pictures on this one. I took a few, but not enough.

STUFF

4 cups + 1 1/3 oz all-purpose flour
2Tbsp fresh yeast or 2 1/2 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup + 2 1/4 oz lukewarm water (I go with straight 2 cups, maybe a little more)
3 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Sift the flour into a large bowl and carve out a well in the center. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water then pour into the well. Now you get a little dirty, swish your fingertips in the water and add flour from the sides until it becomes a creamy mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

After about 15 minutes, remove the plastic and mix in the rest of the flour along with the salt. Knead the dough thoroughly and form into a boule (ball). It should not get sticky.

In another bowl, pour in the olive oil. Place the dough in the oil and swirl it around until it is evenly covered. Again, cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise for 40 minutes.

Take the dough out and put it on your work surface. Divide it into 12 equal portions and shape into ovals. Flatten the dough and slash diagonally twice. Grease with oil, cover with a towel and let rise again for another 30 minutes.

Preheat over for 425. Place the little guys in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

Addition: If you like, half way through baking, take out the buns and brush with oil or water and sprinkle on either caraway or sesame seeds and let them finish baking.

With bread,
~Chad