Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread
Adapted from Gordon Ramsay

Sometimes, I crave homemade bread but I don't have the time to wait hours for dough to rise. These are the times when I make soda bread. All I need is an hour and then I can slather some butter on a warm slice and appease my cravings.  Soda bread has a soft, cake like texture that makes it perfect for spreads like butter and jam.

The cross on the soda bread has several explanations. My favourite is that bakers did it to "let the devil out" while the bread is baking for good luck. I'm not going to mess with the devil so I always cross my bread. ;) Enjoy!

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup old fashion rolled oats

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Sift the flours, baking soda, sugar and salt into a bowl and make a well in the middle.


3. Add buttermilk to the bowl, mixing gently with a fork or your hands as you add it. Don't overwork the dough but make sure all the dry ingredients are mixed in. If the dough seems a bit wet, add a little more all purpose flour.

4. Place the dough on to a floured work surface and sprinkle with 1/2 of the oats. Knead gently for about a minute to combine. Do not overwork.

5. Form the bread into a round loaf and sprinkle the top with remaining oats, pressing them down slightly.  Place loaf  on the baking sheet.  Use a serrated knife, cut a deep cross in the top of the loaf.

6.  Bake for 40–45 minutes until the bread is golden on the outside and cooked through inside.

7.  Cool on a wire rack. You can serve this bread warm or cold.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk Biscuits
Recipe by Dragon

I make these biscuits for Thanksgiving as a treat for my mom. She loves her biscuits warm and slathered with butter. Actually....I love my biscuits warm and slathered with butter. Like mother like daughter I guess. :). The key to tall, flaky and tender biscuits is mixing and handling the dough as little as possible. Over handling makes them tough and dense....and makes my mom unhappy. Enjoy!

Makes 12

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes & cold
1 cup buttermilk + a little more for brushing on top of biscuits

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine and sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Place the flour mixture in a food processor. Pulse the flour mixture a couple of times to make sure it's well combined.

3. Add the butter cubes to the flour mixture and pulse to cut the butter into the flour. It should resemble course meal. Don't over mix or the biscuits will not be tender and flaky.

4. Add the buttermilk to the flour/butter mixture and pulse until the dough just comes together into a ball. Again, don't over mix.

5. Remove the dough from the food processor and place it onto a well floured surface. Using your hands, pat the dough down until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough 4- 5 times then pat the dough down until it's 1 inch thick. Use a round (2 - 2 1/2 inch) cutter to cut the dough into rounds. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet. Combine the dough scraps, pat the dough down to 1 inch thick and cut out a few more.

6. Brush the tops of each biscuit with a little buttermilk. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the biscuits are a light golden brown. I rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees half way through for more even baking.

Savoury Butter Crackers

Savoury Butter Crackers
Recipe by Laura Calder

I have to warn you, these crackers will melt in your mouth and disappear quickly. I made these for my latest 7 Deadly Sins Dinner and they were to be served with the cheese course (fifth course)...my greedy guests devoured them before we were done with the aperitifs! I can't blame them, these are little bites of perfection.

I didn't change the recipe at all but I did play with the toppings; herbes de Provence, Parmesean cheese and cracked black pepper. Each of were finished with a sprinkle of fleur de sel. Enjoy!

Make about 30 crackers

Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 egg
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Toppings (use whatever combination you like)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
Fleur de Sel
cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Put the butter, sugar, salt, water and egg in a bowl and mix well.

3. Add the flour and mix quickly only until it holds together Do not overwork.

4. Roll the dough out 1/16 of an inch thick. Trim edges and cut into squares.

5. Sprinkle over the topping(s) and some fleur de sel on each.

6. Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until puffed, crisp, and golden.

Italian Bread

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 15. Italian Bread

Yay! Here is another installment of my attempt to bake my way through Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread.

The fifteenth recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is Italian Bread.

I loved this bread! This recipe produced two wonderfully tasty, soft and gorgeous loaves. Taste-wise, this has been my favourite bread so far.

Like the French bread, the dough was a little hard to knead but it came together nicely in the end. I made loaves but I think this dough would work well for making individual rolls for sandwiches or subs. I will be making this bread often. Enjoy!

Show some love to the other challenge participants in this challenge.

Up next: Kaiser Rolls!

French Bread

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 14. French Bread

Bread time again! Here is another installment of my attempt to bake my way through Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread.

The fourteenth recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is French Bread.

A beautiful French Baguette is my go to bread whenever I entertain. There is something elegant about its long narrow shape and its lovely golden crust. It makes me feel very Parisian. Oh la la. :)

The dough was a little hard to knead but it came together nicely in the end. I'm still not happy with the shape of the final baguette but it sure tasted amazing. The baguette shape perfection will come with time and practise. I plan to practise making this one again and again and again. Enjoy!

Show some love to the other challenge participants in this challenge.

Up next: Italian Bread!

Focaccia

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 13. Focaccia

It's time for another installment of my attempt to bake my way through Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread.

The thirteenth recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is Focaccia.

I love Focaccia and would eat it every day if I could but I don't make it all that often. I was so happy when this recipe came up in the book! The book had several variations but I decided to do the simple herb & garlic one.

Now, this isn't the healthiest bread ever made but boy is it darn tasty. My favourite part of the process was massaging the herbed oil into the dough. I like it when I can get down and dirty with my food. ;) Enjoy!

Show some love to the other challenge participants in this challenge.


Up next: French Bread!

Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 11. Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread

It's time for another installment of my attempt to bake my way through Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread.

The eleventh recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread.

I was looking forward to making this impressive looking sweet & spiced bread baked in a double braid. It all went according to plan, the dough came together wonderfuly and the kneading seemed effortless. I made two braids; a big one and a smaller one. I put the small braid on top of the large braid and set it aside. Yup, it was all good until the final proofing. I left the dough to proof too long and the bottom braid knocked the top braid off to the side. Disaster! I tried in vain to coax the little braid back on top of the main one but no luck. It was a mess. Sigh.

I decided to bake it anyway and although it may not have been as pretty as I would have liked, it was absolutely delicious. The flavour is sweet with just a hint of spice. Perfect served with an afternoon tea or coffee. Enjoy!


Show some love to the other challenge participants in this challenge.

Up next: English Muffins!

Corn Bread

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 10. Corn Bread

It feels like forever since I've posted anything for the BBA challenge and I aim to remedy that but getting back into the swing of bread baking this year. Each week (or so) I will be making a bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. I must admit I have missed baking my own bread. There is something theraputic about it and I look forward to improving my bread making skills

The tenth recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is Corn Bread.

I love corn bread and I must say this is the BEST recipe I've ever tried. The addition of the whole kernels of corn helped keep the bread moist and sweet tasting. The bacon takes this bread over the top in flavour and given a choice I wouldn't skip it in this recipe.

For my corn bread, I decided to make it in muffin tins and I used turkey bacon. They were a hit and taste even better the second day.



Show some love to the other challenge participants in this challenge.

Up next: Cranberry-Walnut Celebration Bread!

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 9. Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread

Each week (or so) I will be making a bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. The nineth recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread.

Growing up it was always a real treat when my mom brought cinnamon raisn bread home. I loved it toasted and smeared with butter. There were times, when I'd go through half a loaf in one day. When my mom asked about it, I blamed it on my brothers. :)

This was my first time making this bread on my own. I made one loaf with the walnuts and one without. I liked the flavour of the walnuts in this bread but I didn't like the texture. I prefer the soft bread that I remembered from my childhood.

This is a wonderful recipe and I know I'll be making this bread over and over again.

Show some love to the other challenge participants of this challenge.

Up next: Corn Bread!

Cinnamon Buns

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 8. Cinnamon Buns

Each week (or so) I will be making a bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. The eighth recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is Cinnamon Buns.

I made these Cinnamon Buns for my co-workers on my birthday back in August. I got to tell you, I loved working with this dough. It was soft, pliable and easy to work with. As much as I love the dough, these were not my favourite cinnamon buns. They weren't gooey enough. I followed the recipe but I think next time I'll add more butter, sugar and cinnamon in the filling.

The icing consistency was great but the taste missed the mark. The recipe said to use lemon extract. After using it for the first time, I've decided that I don't like lemon extract. It smelled like Lemon Pledge and it gave the icing an artificial taste. I think lemon juice would have tasted better. This cinnamon bun recipe could be a winner for me with just a few changes. I'll definitely try it again.

Be sure to check out what the other challenge participants have done.

Next bread: Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread!

Ciabatta

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 7. Ciabatta

After taking some time off, I'm happy to be back to baking bread. Each week (or so) I will be making a bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. The seventh recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is Ciabatta.

Ciabatta is a wonderful bread from northern Italy. The flat shape of this bread gives us its name which means "slipper" in English. Ciabatta bread is characterised by a crunchy, floured crust and a soft crumb.

I found preparing and shaping this dough a bit difficult. I didn't achieve the 'holey' crumb that I was expecting. I think I must have overworked the dough. It tasted great though and I'll definitely be making this again.

I took the ciabatta loaves with me to the cottage. We sliced the bread, grilled it on the BBQ, rubbed a garlic clove over the surface and then brushed it with fruity olive oil. Yum!

Be sure to check out what the other challenge participants have done.

Next bread: Cinnamon Buns!

Challah

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 6. Challah

Each week I will be making a bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. The sixth recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge was Challah.

Challah is a loaf of yeast-leavened egg bread that is traditionally eaten by Jews on the Sabbath, holidays, and other ceremonial occasions.

This bread is beautiful, impressive and easy to make. Compared to the other breads this one came together quickly. I also found this dough to be the most fun to play with. The kneading was effortless and I loved the feel of the dough in my hands as I worked it.

For me, the hardest part of making this bread was the braiding. I tried several times to do the six strand method but I wasn't able to follow the directions in the book. It just didn't work for me. So, I settled with making a couple of three strand loafs instead.

Once in the oven, they didn't take long to fill my kitchen with the heady scent of fresh bread. The egg wash gave them a lovely golden colour. They turned out perfect. I served this bread with some of the red currant jam that I had leftover from the weekend's Daring Baker's challenge.

This morning, my friend sent me this link on how to do a six braid bread. Um, great timing. :) I'll be making this bread again and as God is my witness, I'll master the six braid loaf! Enjoy!

How To Braid a Six-Strand Challah Bread Loaf:


Braid a Six-Strand Challah Bread Loaf -- powered by eHow.com

Be sure to check out what the other challenge participants have done.

Next bread: Ciabatta!

Casatiello

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 5. Casatiello

Each week I will be making a bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. The fifth recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge was Casatiello.

This bread is Italy's answer to a brioche. It doesn't quite contain as much butter as a brioche though. So it is easier on the old waist line. :) Casatiello is a savoury bread that is traditionally made with meat and cheeses. The bread is perfect on it's own served with a nice salad and a cold glass of beer.

For my Casatiello, I added crispy pancetta cubes, shredded provolone cheese and finely chopped rosemary. The dough came together easily and it rose beautifully. I baked it in a 9 inch springform pan and it baked into a tall, lovely boule.

You know, I think I might just be getting the hang of this bread baking business.....(famous last words). I really loved the Casatiello bread and I think it is my favourite one so far.

Be sure to check out what the other challenge participants have done.

Next bread: Challah!

Brioche

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 4. Brioche

Each week I will be making a bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. The fourth recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge was Brioche.

Brioche is a rich & sweet French bread with a flaky texture, almost like a croissant. The richness comes from the butter used in the recipe. I chose to do the Rich Man's Brioche and it called for 2 cups of butter. That's right, 2 cups of butter! I knew it was going to good.

This bread is a little tricky to make. My first attempt making brioche fell flat. Literally, flat. The brioche only rose a little in the loaf pans and it didn't rise at all in the oven. It tasted OK but I was so disappointed with how it looked. I couldn't face trying to make it again for a few days. I asked for advice from the other BBA participants and one recommended that I let my butter stand at room temperature overnight. I tried that and it seemed to do the trick. My Brioche loaves came out perfect. It looked great, tasted amazing and just melted in my mouth. I can't wait to make it again.

Be sure to check out what the other challenge participants have done.

Next bread: Casatiello!

Bagels

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 3. Bagels

Each week I will be making a bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. The third recipe in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge was Bagels!

I was so excited to get to this recipe in the book. I love bagels and I've always wanted to try my hand a making them. I won't lie; so far this has been the most labour intensive recipe and the first one that I'm not happy with. I followed the recipe completely but for some reason only half my bagels turned out well. The other half came out flat. I'm not sure where I went wrong. It seems strange that the same dough produces different individual results.

The bagels tasted great, even the flat ones. I boiled them for a total of 3 minutes each to give them a chewier texture. I topped them with a little kosher salt, poppy seeds and sesame seeds.

I'd appreciate any advice you may have on how to avoid the flat bagels. Let me know your tips to get the perfect shape.

Be sure to check out what the other challenge participants have done.

Next week: Brioche!

Artos: Greek Celebration Bread

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 2. Artos: Greek Celebration Bread

Each week I am making a bread recipe from Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. The second bread in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge was Artos: Greek Celebration Bread. The Greeks are always celebrating something. Any excuse to get together with friends, family and great food. We should all be a little more Greek.

There are several variations of this bread, each one for a specific celebration. I chose to do the Christopsomos version. It is traditionally served at Christmas and has a 'unique bread-dough cross laminated on top of a round loaf'.


The glaze on the bread crust is made with water, sugar, honey and lemon. It gives this bread a gorgeous shiny surface. This bread is scented with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. It smells amazing. I added some raisins, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. I can't wait to make this one again.

This bread will be going to my nieces who are half Greek. I hope they like it as much as I do. Be sure to check out what the other challenge participants have done.

Next week: Bagels!

Anadama Bread

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: No 1. Anadama Bread

Nicole over at Pinch My Salt came up with a fun idea. She decided to make every recipe in Peter Reinhart’s wonderful book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. Well, a few people asked to join her and soon Nicole had a tribe of over 200 bakers ready to take up the challenge. I am one of them. :)

Nicole says, The goal is to push our boundaries, learn new techniques, and introduce ourselves to breads we might otherwise never have a chance to taste. It will be fun, it will be challenging, it will be frustrating, but ultimately it will be rewarding!

I couldn't have said it better myself. I'm looking forward to challenging myself with recipes like rye bread, brioche and bagels. Every week (or so), I will be attempting a new recipe from the book and posting my results. I won't be posting the actual recipes, so if you want to follow along, please get a copy of the book. It is a real treasure and should be in every foodie's library. Also, check out the progress of the other participants. Show them some love and encouragement.

The first recipe I tried was Anadama bread. Anadama is a traditional New England bread made with flour, corn meal and molasses. The molasses gives this bread a wonderful, subtle sweetness. The outer crust is thin and not too hard and the inside is soft and sweet. Perfect!

The hardest part of making this bread was the kneading. I kneaded the bread for a good 12 minutes before the dough was perfect. I twittered that I was going to have arms like Michelle Obama by the time I finished all the recipes in the book. Heather from Flour Girl, replied that I should rename the bread "Michelle Obama Anadama". I think that has a nice ring to it.

The second hardest part of making this bread was waiting for it to be cool enough to slice into. Really hard! I loved the smell of this bread as it baked. It filled my kitchen with a warm sweet scent. I'd wear it like perfume if I could bottle it. The recipe gave me 3 loaves of bread. Each loaf was golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside. I'd say my first challenge was a success. I can't wait to start the next one. Come back and see how I did next week.

Garlic, Herb and Parmesan Bread

Garlic, Herb and Parmesan Bread
Recipe by Dragon

The mixed fresh herbs and nutty parmesan cheese make this garlic bread truly memorable. The top is crunchy and the middle is moist and buttery. You won't ever go back to store bought garlic bread once you've tried this beauty. I admit, it's not exactly a low fat savoury treat but you only need one or two (ok, or three) slices to be satisfied. Enjoy!

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 large Baguette or French Loaf
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
2 teaspoons rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice baguette in half lengthwise. Prick to top of each slice with a fork.

2. Combine butter, garlic and herbs. Season the butter with some salt and pepper. Generously spread the butter mixture on each slice.

3. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly on top of the butter.

4. Place the bread on a foil lined baking sheet. Place the bread in oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the top is toasted to your liking.

Rosemary Baguette

Rosemary Baguette
Recipe by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois
Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day

This past week I've used the bread making techniques in the book Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

My first loaf of bread was a wonderful success. From the master dough recipe I've been able to make in total, four loaves of bread. No, I didn't eat four loaves of bread all by myself. I took two to work and now I have some very happy coworkers.

According to the book, the longer the dough is left in the refrigerator, the more flavourful it becomes. The dough takes on a sour dough quality. I definitely tasted that in the final loaf of bread. I also found that the last loaf of bread was a little more salty than the previous loaves. It wasn't overly salty; just saltier.

For my last loaf I decided to make a baguette instead of a boule. I inserted fresh rosemary sprigs into the dough slashes for flavour. The rosemary made the baguette look even more beautiful when it was baked. It smelled, looked and tasted great. I'm definitely a fan of this bread making method.

Who knew I could make bread!

Herbed Artisan Bread

Herbed Artisan Bread
Recipe by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois
Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day

Ah, bread. For me, it needs to be crusty on the outside and warm and chewy on the inside. But, other than using my bread maker, I haven't ventured too far into the art of bread making. I've always been intimidated by the work and time involved. So, I was thrilled when I found the book Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

Their techniques revolutionize the art of bread making. With a little prep work at the beginning of a week, you can have fresh artisan quality bread every day in just a 5 minutes (not including baking time). Seems too good to be true, no? I bought the book and gave it a try.

I made the master recipe dough with a mix of herbs on Saturday night before I went to bed. I baked my first loaf on Sunday afternoon. According to the book, the longer the dough sits, the more flavourful it will become. I can't wait to try another loaf.

I think the first loaf turned out pretty well. What do you think?

Herbed Artisan Bread