Sour on the Sourdough Bread, but Sweet for the Sour Cream Coffee Cake!

My attempt at Sourdough Bread (which I discussed in an earlier entry) was not as successful as my other breads.  My starter had developed after feeding it for two days, so I followed the recipe in CIA's Baking at Home, adding a cup of the starter to the prescribed amounts of water, yeast, flour and salt.  The dough was very sticky, so I kept adding a bit more flour.  It never felt right to me, but since I've never made this before, I thought perhaps this was the consistency of this particular dough.  So I shaped it into a round and left it to proof. It didn't rise very much--even after 2-3 hours.  I was just about to toss it in the trash when I remembered something Peter Reinhart said; how you can't go wrong with fresh baked bread even when it doesn't turn out the way you want.  So I put it in the oven and let it bake.  After the suggested time of 30 minutes, it was still pale, and though the internal temperature was 200 degrees, I put it back in for another 10 -15 minutes until golden.  After cooling, the loaf felt dense and heavy and tasted doughy.  I left it overnight, cut a slice in the morning, but still was not happy with the texture, and though I thought it might work well toasted, I tossed it in the trash!  This weekend I will begin again--only this time I'm using Reinhart's San Francisco Sourdough Bread recipe on page 64 of his Artisan Breads Every Day.  I've had such good luck with his recipes.  I don't know why I didn't use his to begin with!

  

Now on the same day I made my favorite coffee cake.  Sour Cream Coffee Cake is a variation of a Betty Crocker Baking Basics recipe that includes a brown sugar and nut filling and a glaze topping.  This time I used chopped pecans instead of walnuts and it was delicious. So my baking day was not an entire waste!

                                        

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray angel food or tube cake pan with cooking spray.  (I use a bundt cake pan)

Brown Sugar Filling (Prepare and set aside)

• 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans, 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, well-mixed.

Coffee Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2  tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp salt.  Well-mixed in in large bowl, set aside.
• 1 1/2 cups of sour cream (can use light sour cream, if desired)  set aside.
• In stand mixer, beat on medium speed:  1 1/2 cups of sugar, 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks, room temperature) 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 3 large eggs.
• On lower speed, beat in 1/2 of flour mixture and then 1/2 of sour cream; repeat until mixed well.
• Spread 1/3 of batter on bottom of pan; sprinkle 1/3 of filling. Repeat twice.
• Bake 350 degrees about 1 hour--until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool about 10 minutes before removing from pan.  Cool another 10 -15 minutes.

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 6 T milk.  Mix thoroughly and then drizzle over cake.                                 

"Serious Fun"--an Oxymoron, or My Apron Arrived!

I discovered today that I am, and always will be, an English teacher, for when my new apron arrived in the mail, two words came to mind, serious and fun, and I immediately thought, oxymoron!  Let me explain. An oxymoron is a literary term meaning a self-contradictory combination of words, such as bittersweet, or jumbo shrimp, or holy war.  (Actually I just discovered that the word itself is an oxymoron, from Greek meaning sharp-dull.)  Have I lost you yet?  Are you falling asleep?  Then let me get to the photo!

Yes, I ordered an apron with Baking Daze in LA embroidered in yellow on red.  To me this apron means I am serious about my baking venture and committed to this blog, yet having so much fun!  The two words go together perfectly.

Stay-tuned for Sourdough Bread!

   

I started my first starter!  I'm using the CIA's recipe--Culinary Institute of America that is--which uses an organic potato.  1 cup of bread flour, 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of grated raw organic potato to start. I fed it after 24 hours with another cup of flour and a cup of water, then again 12 hours later.

 Now I repeat this every 12 hours for a total of 3 feedings.  Then it's ready to use.  Can't wait to try it this week!

There's Something about Baking Bread

        

I think this has now become a part of my weekly routine.  As soon as one loaf disappears, I am antsy to make another.  This time I weighed my dough--10-12 ounces each--before I formed my batards and worked them into baguette form.  I used Peter Reinhart's recipe for Classic French Bread  ( Artisan Breads Every Day page 49).    I let the crust get nice and dark and crispy.  So good!                                                                                                                                                              

And Once in Awhile...Treat Yourself! Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes!

Most of the time I am a very healthy eater, especially being vegetarian: whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables.  But every now and then I get a craving to go all out, and these cupcakes are at the top of my list.  The souffle-like chocolate cupcake is Clemence Gossett's recipe from Gourmandise Desserts: http:www.gourmandisedesserts.com  I say souffle-like because they are as moist as a souffle. Today I added peanut butter filling and used a chocolate ganache as icing because I'm not a fan of buttercream frosting.  But you can also use the chocolate ganache as filling instead and ice with whatever topping you like.

Recipe for the Chocolate Decadence Cupcakes:
      (This made about 18 cupcakes for me, so double if you need more.)  Pre-heat oven 350.
1. Place 2 sticks butter, 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt in a bowl--microwave on high for 1 minute.  Remove and stir until butter is melted. Whisk in 1/2 cup cocoa powder (I use Valrhona cocoa powder) and set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, and 1 tsp of baking soda.
3.  Using a wooden spoon, add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated.
4.  Whisk in 2 eggs until combined.  Add 1/4 cup sour cream (or creme fraiche, or yogurt) until no streaks remain.  Do not over-mix.
5. Pour into cupcake paper-lined pan.  Fill almost to the top.  They only rise a little.
6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes--until toothpick in center comes out clean.

Recipe for Chocolate Ganache:  Can use as filling and / or icing.
1.  Place 2 cups of chocolate chips in medium-sized bowl.  (I used Ghirardelli bitter sweet chips)
2.  In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream to a simmer.  Stir frequently to prevent burning.
3.  Pour the cream over the chocolate chips, wait 30 seconds, and then whisk gently until all of the chocolate has melted.  The color will deepen into a nice dark, creamy chocolate brown.

Recipe for Peanut Butter Filling:
1.  In medium bowl, beat 1 cup of creamy peanut butter and 3 tablespoons of butter until creamy.  (I used my electric hand-mixer.)
2.  Slowly add about 2/3 cup of confectioners' sugar; beat until light and fluffy.

To fill cupcake after it's cooled: Spoon peanut butter filling into a pastry bag with a 1/4 inch star tip.  Plunge the tip into the center of the cooled cupcake, not quite to the bottom. Squeeze gently and withdraw slowly.  Wipe away any off the top.

Coat top of filled cupcake with chocolate ganache.  Decorate iced cupcake with remaining peanut butter filling.

These cupcakes are small but mighty!  They have a dense, moist texture and a creamy chocolate and peanut butter consistency.  You definitely need a glass of cold milk or a cup of coffee with these babies!

Time to Get Healthy: Reinhart's Everyday Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

This week I decided to try Peter Reinhart's Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, though I did substitute about 5 ounces of oatmeal flakes to the remaining 23 ounces of whole wheat flour.  (Full recipe: Artisan Breads Every Day page 83).  I used my stand mixer to combine ingredients, then did the stretch and fold by hand as instructed, and finally put it in the frig for a slow fermentation.     

                                   

You can let it ferment up to 4 or 5 days, but I was impatient and took it out the next evening.  The dough had risen to the top of the container by then. 

                                     

The recipe said to divide dough for two loaf pans and let them proof until risen just beyond the top of the pan.   Mine ended up making it to the top, but not beyond--perhaps I should have waited longer than three hours.

                                    

I garnished the top with an egg wash (egg white and water) and sprinkled oatmeal flakes, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds.  Then in the oven at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes with a 180 degree rotation in the middle. 

They didn't rise as high as I expected, so next time I'll let them rise a bit longer in the pan before baking or put more dough in one loaf pan and make a free standing loaf with the rest.  (My pans may be bigger--9 inch--as opposed to 8 inch). But the real test was the taste!  And they were --wonderful! 

Most Requested Cookies!

There are two different cookies that I make regularly: Scharffen Berger Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies for my husband Bruce and Coconut Oatmeal Cookies for my son and daughter, Dean and Claire. 

Bruce loves my Oatmeal cookies so much that I make the dough, keep it refrigerated, and then bake 6-9 fresh cookies every couple of days until it's time to make a new batch. I used to make them with just chopped walnuts until my daughter gave me a gift of Scharffen Berger baking chunks (fine artisan dark chocolate) and I decided to add a few to each oatmeal cookie.  They were better than any chocolate chip cookie I've ever tasted.  Now I almost always include them; in fact I order  my supply of chocolate baking chunks via the internet since I can't find them locally.

Dean and Claire's favorites are Coconut Oatmeal cookies.  Whenever they come to visit, I bake enough to send home with both of  them. 

            Scharffen Berger Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

  

For the most part, I follow the recipe for oatmeal cookies found under the Quaker Oats lid, but I omit raisins and add chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts instead.

1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

½ pound (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened      

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar         
 ½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs                                                       

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups Quaker Oats (old- fashioned, uncooked)

1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
*Scharffen Berger baking chunks

• Heat oven to 350°
• Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and set aside. (flour mixture)
• In stand mixer on low-medium, mix butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.
• Add flour mixture. Mix until combined.
• Add oats, then walnuts until combined.
• Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. I press *three chocolate baking chunks   onto the tops of each unbaked cookie at this point.
• Bake 10-12 minutes @ 350 ° until golden brown. Do not over-bake.
• Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; then remove to wire rack.

I also use this recipe without chocolate for a less sweet, but still very delicious, Oatmeal cookie.

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Sift together flour mixture:                         Cream:
1 cup all-purpose flour                       ½ cup butter or margarine
½ teaspoon baking powder               ½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt                                ½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda                  1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

                             ½ cup old fashion oats uncooked

                                   1 cup flaked coconut

• Heat oven to 350°
• Sift flour mixture; set aside
• Cream butter, sugars, egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture until combined.
• Add oats and flaked coconut.
• Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle top of each with pinch of coconut flakes.

• Bake 10-12 minutes @ 350 ° until golden brown. Do not over-bake.
• Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; then remove to wire rack.