Batards with Sourdough

Sometimes it's a pain having a sourdough starter...trying to remember to feed it within a certain window of time means I can't have as much of a senior brain as my brain seems to want. Still there are advantages, too. Last weekend I fed the starter, then fed the 'toss off', let it sit overnight in the fridge, then made a lovely batard dough with it. My batards might have been ficelles...whatever you call them I got three fairly long and one shorter loaf.

I still don't have a good tool for making the crucial slashes on the top (la coupe), so I tried using a scissor and using a sharp knife. Neither worked very well, but they did the job. Strangely shaped batardes are the result, but they still taste wonderful. I did bake them on a baking stone and I did mist them with cold water every few minutes as Julia Child recommends, but I didn't really do enough steam, plus my convection oven seems to sometimes get in the way of good crust browning...or maybe I just took them out too soon. Whatever the reason, they are pale with a thin crust but the backs were dark. Still delicious. Hoping to make one into crostini for bruschetta while the tomatoes are so wonderful.

I'm including all of the many pages of Julia and Simone's recipe because you may want to try a different shape or may want to make it the classic way with yeast instead of wild yeast.

Pain Francais (French Bread)
(From Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Volume Two by Julia Child and Simone Beck) but my sourdough variation

Recipe Quantity:
3 - baguettes (24” x 2”) or batards (16” x 3”) or
6 – short loaves, ficelles, 12 – 16” x 2” or
3 – round loaves, boules, 7 – 8” in diameter or
12 – round or oval rolls, petits pains or
1 – large round or oval loaf, pain de menage or miche; pain boulot

Recipe Time: 7 – 9 hour

Additional Information About the Recipe Flour: French bakers make plain French bread out of unbleached flour that has gluten strength of 8 to 9 per cent. Most American all-purpose flour is bleached and has slightly higher gluten content as well as being slightly finer in texture. It is easier to make bread with French flour than with American flour.

Bakers’ Oven Versus Home Ovens: Bakers’ ovens are so constructed that one slides the formed bread dough from a wooden panel right onto the hot, fire-brick oven floor, a steam injection system humidifies the oven for the first few minutes of baking. Steam allows the yeast to work a little longer in the dough and this, combined with the hot baking surface, produced an extra push of volume. In addition, steam coagulating the starch on the surface of the dough gives the crust its characteristic brown color. Although you can produce a good loaf of French bread without steam or a hot baking surface, you will a larger and handsomer loaf when you simulate professional conditions.

Stand Mixer Mixing and Kneading of French Bread Dough: French bread dough is too soft to work in the electric food processor, but the heavy-duty mixer with dough hook works perfectly. The double-hook attachment that comes with some hand held mixers and the hand-cranking bread pails are slower and less efficient, to our mind, than hand kneading. In any case, when you are using electricity, follow the steps in the recipe as outlined, including the rests; do not over-knead and for the heavy duty mixer, do not go over a moderate speed of number 3 or 4, or you risk breaking down the gluten in the dough.

Equipment Needed: Unless you plan to go into the more elaborate simulation of a baker’s oven, you need no unusual equipment for the following recipe. Here are the requirements, some of which may sound odd but will explain themselves when you read the recipe.

• 4 to 5 quart mixing bowl with fairly vertical rather than outward slanting sides
• a kneading surface of some sort, 1 1/2 to 2 square feet
• a rubber spatula or either a metal scraper or a stiff wide metal spatula
• 1 to 2 unwrinkled canvas pastry cloths or stiff linen towels upon which the dough may rise
• a stiff piece of cardboard or plywood 18 – 20 inches long and 6 – 8 inches wide, for unmolding dough from canvas to baking sheet
• finely ground cornmeal or pasta pulverized in an electric blender to sprinkle on unmolding board so as to prevent dough from sticking
• the largest baking sheet that will fit in your oven
• a razor blade or extremely sharp knife for slashing the top of the dough
• a soft pastry brush or fine spray atomizer for moistening dough before and during baking
• a room thermometer to verify rising temperature

Making French Bread:
Step 1: The Dough Mixture – le fraisage (or frasage)
1 cake (0.6 ounce) (20grams) fresh yeast or 1 package dry active yeast
1/3 cup (75ml) warm water, not over 100 degrees F/38C in a glass measure

(Note: I used 1 cup of my 100% hydration sourdough starter, plus a feeding of 1 cup water and 1 cup flour instead of the yeast and water and some of the flour)
3 1/2 cup (about 1 lb) (490 gr) all purpose flour, measured by scooping
dry measure cups into flour and sweeping off excess
2 1/4 tsp (12 gr) salt
1 1/4 cups (280 - 300ml) tepid water @ 70 – 74 degrees/21 - 23C

Both Methods: Stir the yeast in the 1/3 cup warm water and let liquefy completely while measuring flour into mixing bowl. When yeast has liquefied, pour it into the flour along with the salt and the rest of the water.

Hand Method: Stir and cut the liquids into the flour with a rubber spatula, pressing firmly to form a dough and making sure that all the bits of flour and unmassed pieces are gathered in. Turn dough out onto kneading surface, scraping bowl clean. Dough will be soft and sticky.

Stand Mixer: Using the dough hook attachment on the speed the mixer manufacturer recommends for dough hook use or the lowest setting if there is no recommendation, slowly work all the ingredients together until a dough ball is formed, stopping the mixer and scrapping the bits of flour and chunks of dough off the bottom of the bowl and pressing them into the dough ball. Continue to mix the dough on a low speed until all the bits of flour and loose chunks of dough have formed a solid dough ball.

Both Methods: Turn dough out onto kneading surface, scraping bowl clean. Dough will be soft and sticky. Let the dough rest for 2 – 3 minutes while you wash and dry the bowl (and the dough hook if using a stand mixer).

Step 2: Kneading – petrissage
The flour will have absorbed the liquid during this short rest, and the dough will have a little more cohesion for the kneading that is about to begin. Use one hand only for kneading and keep the other clean to hold a pastry scrapper, to dip out extra flour, to answer the telephone, and so forth. Your object in kneading is to render the dough perfectly smooth and to work it sufficiently so that all the gluten molecules are moistened and joined together into an interlocking web. You cannot see this happen, of course, but you can feel it because the dough will become elastic and will retract into shape when you push it out.

Hand Method: Start kneading by lifting the near edge of the dough, using a pastry scraper or stiff wide spatula to help you if necessary, and flipping the dough over onto itself. Scrape dough off the surface and slap it down; lift edge and flip it over again, repeating the movement rapidly.

In 2 -3 minutes the dough should have enough body so that you can give it a quick forward push with the heel of your hand as you flip it over.

Continue to knead rapidly and vigorously in this way. If the dough remains too sticky, knead in a sprinkling of flour. The whole kneading process will take 5 – 10 minutes, depending on how expert you become.

Shortly after this point, the dough should have developed enough elasticity so it draws back into shape when pushed, indicating the gluten molecules have united and are under tension like a thin web of rubber; the dough should also begin to clean itself off the kneading surface, although it will stick to your fingers if you hold a pinch of dough for more than a second or two.

Stand Mixer: Place dough back into the bowl and using the dough hook attachment at the recommended speed (low), knead the dough for about 5 – 7 minutes. At about the 5 minute mark, stop the mixer and push at the dough with your fingertips. If it springs back quickly, you have kneaded the dough enough. If it doesn’t spring back continue to knead, stopping the mixer and retesting every 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to your fingers, toss a sprinkling of flour onto the dough and continue to knead. The dough should be light and springy when it is ready.

Both Methods: Let dough rest for 3 – 4 minutes. Knead by hand for a minute. The surface should now look smooth; the dough will be less sticky but will still remain soft. It is now ready for its first rise.

Step 3: First Rising – pointage premier temps (3-5 hours at around 70 degrees)
You now have approximately 3 cups of dough that is to rise to 3 1/2 times its original volume, or to about 10 1/2 cups. Wash and fill the mixing bowl with 10 1/2 cups of tepid water (70 – 80 degrees) and make a mark to indicate that level on the outside of the bowl. Note, that the bowl should have fairly upright sides; if they are too outward slanting, the dough will have difficulty in rising. Pour out the water, dry the bowl, and place the dough in it Slip the bowl into a large plastic bag or cover with plastic, and top with a folded bath towel. Set on a wooden surface, marble or stone are too cold. Or on a folded towel or pillow, and let rise free from drafts anyplace where the temperature is around 70 degrees. If the room is too hot, set bowl in water and keep renewing water to maintain around 70 degrees. Dough should take at least 3 – 4 hours to rise to 10 1/2 cups. If temperature is lower than 70 degrees, it will simply take longer.

When fully risen, the dough will be humped into a slight dome, showing that the yeast is still active; it will be light and spongy when pressed. There will usually be some big bubbly blisters on the surface, and if you are using a glass bowl you will see bubbles through the glass.

Step 4: Deflating and Second Rising – rupture; pointage deuxieme temps (1 1/2 to 2 hours at around 70 degrees)
The dough is now ready to be deflated, which will release the yeast engendered gases and redistribute the yeast cells so that the dough will rise again and continue the fermentation process.

With a rubber spatula, dislodge dough from inside of bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface, scraping bowl clean. If dough seems damp and sweaty, sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour.

Lightly flour the palms of your hands and flatten the dough firmly but not too roughly into a circle, deflating any gas bubbles by pinching them.

Lift a corner of the near side and flip it down on the far side.

Do the same with the left side, then the right side. Finally, lift the near side and tuck it just under the edge of the far side. The mass of dough will look like a rounded cushion.

Slip the sides of your hands under the dough and return it to the bowl. Cover and let rise again, this time to not quite triple, but again until it is dome shaped and light and spongy when touched.

Step 5: Cutting and resting dough before forming loaves
Loosen dough all around inside of bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Because of its two long rises, the dough will have much more body. If it seems damp and sweaty, sprinkle lightly with flour.

Making clean, sure cuts with a large knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into:

• 3 equal pieces for long loaves (baguettes or batards) or small round loaves (boules only)
• 5 – 6 equal pieces for long thin loaves (ficelles)
• 10 – 12 equal pieces for small oval rolls (petits pains, tire-bouchons) or small round rolls (petits pains, champignons)
• 2 equal pieces for medium round loaves (pain de menage or miche only)
• If you making one large round loaf (pain de menage, miche, or pain boulot), you will not cut the dough at all and just need to follow the directions below.

After you have cut each piece, lift one end and flip it over onto the opposite end to fold the dough into two;

Place dough at far side of kneading surface. Cover loosely with a sheet of plastic and let rest for 5 minutes before forming. This relaxes the gluten enough for shaping but not long enough for dough to begin rising again.

While the dough is resting, prepare the rising surface; smooth the canvas or linen towelling on a large tray or baking sheet, and rub flour thoroughly into the entire surface of the cloth to prevent the dough from sticking

Step 6: Forming the loaves – la tourne; la mise en forme des patons
Because French bread stands free in the oven and is not baked in a pan, it has to be formed in such a way that the tension of the coagulated gluten cloak on the surface will hold the dough in shape.

For Long Loaves - The Batard: (Baguettes are typically much too long for home ovens but the shaping method is the same)

After the 3 pieces of dough have rested 5 minutes, form one piece at a time, keeping the remaining ones covered.

Working rapidly, turn the dough upside down on a lightly floured kneading surface and pat it firmly but not too roughly into an 8 to 10 inch oval with the lightly floured palms of your hands. Deflate any gas bubbles in the dough by pinching them.

Fold the dough in half lengthwise by bringing the far edge down over the near edge.

Being sure that the working surface is always lightly floured so the dough will not stick and tear, which would break the lightly coagulated gluten cloak that is being formed, seal the edges of the dough together, your hands extended, thumbs out at right angles and touching.

Roll the dough a quarter turn forward so the seal is on top.

Flatten the dough again into an oval with the palms of your hands.

Press a trench along the central length of the oval with the side of one hand.

Fold in half again lengthwise.

This time seal the edges together with the heel of one hand, and roll the dough a quarter of a turn toward you so the seal is on the bottom.

Now, by rolling the dough back and forth with the palms of your hands, you will lengthen it into a sausage shape. Start in the middle, placing your right palm on the dough, and your left palm on top of your right hand.

Roll the dough forward and backward rapidly, gradually sliding your hands towards the two ends as the dough lengthens.

Deflate any gas blisters on the surface by pinching them. Repeat the rolling movement rapidly several times until the dough is 16 inches long, or whatever length will fit on your baking sheet. During the extension rolls, keep circumference of dough as even as possible and try to start each roll with the sealed side of the dough down, twisting the rope of dough to straighten the line of seal as necessary. If seal disappears, as it sometimes does with all purpose flour, do not worry.

Place the shaped piece of dough, sealed side up, at one end of the flour rubbed canvas, leaving a free end of canvas 3 to 4 inches wide.

The top will crust slightly as the dough rises; it is turned over for baking so the soft, smooth underside will be uppermost.

Pinch a ridge 2 1/2 to 3 inches high in the canvas to make a trough, and a place for the next piece. Cover dough with plastic while you are forming the rest of the loaves.

After all the pieces of dough are in place, brace the two sides of the canvas with long rolling pins, baking sheets or books, if the dough seems very soft and wants to spread out. Cover the dough loosely with flour rubbed dish towel or canvas, and a sheet of plastic. Proceed immediately to the final rising, next step.

For Long Thin Loaves – Fincelles: Follow the steps above but making thinner sausage shapes about 1/2 inch in diameter. When they have risen, slash as with the Batard.

For Oval Rolls – Petits Pains, Tire-Bouchons: Form like batards, but you will probably not have to lengthen them at all after the two foldings and sealings. Place rolls on a floured canvas about 2 – 4” apart and cover with plastic to rise. When they have risen, make either 2 parallel slashes or a single slash going from one end to the other.

For Small, Medium, or Large Round Loaves – Pain de Menage, Miches, Boules: The object here is to force the cloak of coagulated gluten to hold the ball of dough in shape: the first movement will make cushion; the second will seal and round the ball, establishing surface tension.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.

Lift the left side of the dough with the side of your left hand and bring it down almost to the right side.

Scoop up the right side and push it back almost to the left side. Turn the dough a quarter turn clockwise and repeat the movement 8 – 10 times. The movement gradually smooths the bottom of the dough and establishes the necessary surface tension; think of the surface of the dough as if it were a fine sheet of rubber you were stretching in every direction.

Turn the dough smooth side up and begin rotating it between the palms of your hands, tucking a bit of the dough under the ball as you rotate it. In a dozen turns you should have a neatly shaped ball with a little pucker of dough, le cle, underneath where all the edges have joined together.

Place the dough pucker side up in a flour-rubbed canvas; seal the pucker by pinching with your fingers. Flour lightly, cover loosely and let rise to almost triple its size. After unmolding upside down on the baking sheet, slash with either a long central slash, two long central slashes that cross at right angles, or a semi-circular slash around half the circumference.

For Small Round Rolls – Petits Pains, Champignons: The principles are the same here as for the preceding round loaves, but make the cushion shape with your fingers rather than the palms of your hands.

For the second stage, during which the ball of dough is rotated smooth side up, roll it under the palm of one hand, using your thumb and little finger to push the edges of the dough underneath and to form the pucker, where the edges join together.

Place the formed ball of dough pucker side up on the flour rubbed canvas and cover loosely while forming the rest. Space the balls 2 inches apart. When risen to almost triple its size, lift gently with lightly floured fingers and place pucker side down on baking sheet. Rolls are usually too small for a cross so make either one central slash or the semi-circular cut.

For Large Oval Loaf – Pain Boulot: Follow the directions for the round loaves except instead of rotating between the balms of your hands and tucking to form a round loaf, continue to turn the dough from the right to the left, tucking a bit of each end under the oblong loaf. In a dozen turns you should have a neatly shaped oval with tow little puckers of dough, le cles, underneath where all the edges of have joined together.

Place the dough pucker sides up in a flour-rubbed canvas; seal the puckers by pinching with your fingers. Flour lightly, cover loosely and let rise to almost triple its size. After unmolding upside down on the baking sheet, slash with parallel slashes going diagonally across the top starting from the upper left and going to the lower right.

Step 7: Final Rise – l’appret - 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours at around 70 degreesThe covered dough is now to rise until almost triple in volume; look carefully at its pre-risen size so that you will be able to judge correctly. It will be light and swollen when risen, but will still feel a little springy when pressed.

It is important that the final rise take place where it is dry; if your kitchen is damp, hot, and steamy, let the bread rise in another room or dough will stick to the canvas and you will have difficulty getting it off and onto another baking sheet. It will turn into bread in the oven whatever happens, but you will have an easier time and a better loaf if you aim for ideal conditions.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees about 30 minutes before estimated baking time.

Step 8: Unmolding risen dough onto baking sheet – le demoulage.
The 3 pieces of risen dough are now to be unmolded from the canvas and arranged upside down on the baking sheet. The reason for this reversal is that the present top of the dough has crusted over during its rise; the smooth, soft underside should be uppermost in the oven so that the dough can expand and allow the loaf its final puff of volume. For the unmolding you will need a non-sticking intermediate surface such as a stiff piece of cardboard or plywood sprinkled with cornmeal or pulverized pasta.

Remove rolling pins or braces. Place the long side of the board at one side of the dough; pull the edge of the canvas to flatten it; then raise and flip the dough softly upside down onto the board.

Dough is now lying along one edge of the unmolding board: rest this edge on the right side of a lightly buttered baking sheet. Gently dislodge dough onto baking sheet, keeping same side of the dough uppermost: this is the soft smooth side, which was underneath while dough rose on canvas. If necessary run sides of hands lightly down the length of the dough to straighten it. Unmold the next piece of dough the same way, placing it to the left of the first, leaving a 3 inch space. Unmold the final piece near the left side of the sheet.

Step 9: Slashing top of the dough – la coupe.
The top of each piece of dough is now to be slashed in several places. This opens the covering cloak of gluten and allows a bulge of dough underneath to swell up through the cuts during the first 10 minutes of baking, making decorative patterns in the crust. These are done with a blade that cuts almost horizontally into the dough to a depth of less than half an inch. Start the cut at the middle of the blade, drawing toward you in a swift clean sweep. This is not quite as easy as it sounds, and you will probably make ragged cuts at first; never mind, you will improve with practice. Use an ordinary razor blade and slide one side of it into a cork for safety; or buy a barbers straight razor at a cutlery store.

For a 16 to 18 inch loaf make 3 slashes. Note that those at the two ends go straight down the loaf but are slightly off centre, while the middle slash is at a slight angle between the two. Make the first cut at the far end, then the middle cut, and finally the third. Remember that the blade should lie almost parallel to the surface of the dough.

Step 10: Baking – about 25 minutes; oven preheated to 450 degrees (230 degrees C).

As soon as the dough has been slashed, moisten the surface either by painting with a soft brush dipped in cold water, or with a fine spray atomizer, and slide the baking sheet onto rack in upper third of preheated oven. Rapidly paint or spray dough with cold water after 3 minutes, again in 3 minutes, and a final time 3 minutes later. Moistening the dough at this point helps the crust to brown and allows the yeast action to continue in the dough a little longer. The bread should be done in about 25 minutes; the crust will be crisp, and the bread will make a hollow sound when thumped.

If you want the crust to shine, paint lightly with a brush dipped in cold water as soon as you slide the baking sheet out of oven.

Step 11: Cooling – 2 to 3 hours.
Cool the bread on a rack or set it upright in a basket or large bowl so that air can circulate freely around each piece. Although bread is always exciting to eat fresh from the oven, it will have a much better taste when the inside is thoroughly cool and has composed itself.

Step 12: Storing French bread
Because it contains no fats or preservatives of any kind, French bread is at its best when eaten the day it is baked. It will keep for a day or two longer, wrapped airtight and refrigerated, but it will keep best if you freeze it – let the loaves cool first, then wrap airtight. To thaw, unwrap and place on a baking sheet in a cold oven; heat the oven to 400 degrees. In about 20 minutes the crust will be hot and crisp, and the bread thawed. The French, of course, never heat French bread except possibly on Monday, the baker’s holiday, when the bread is a day old.

Step 13: Canvas housekeeping
After each bread session, if you have used canvas, brush it thoroughly to remove all traces of flour and hang it out to dry before putting away. Otherwise the canvas could become mouldy and ruin your next batch of dough.

The Simulated Bakers’ Oven

Baking in the ordinary way, as described in the preceding recipe, produces an acceptable loaf of bread but does not nearly approach the glory you can achieve when you turn your home oven into a baker’s oven. Merely providing yourself with the proper amount of steam, if you can do nothing else, will vastly improve the crust, the color, the slash patterns, and the volume of your bread; steam is only a matter of plopping a heated brick or stone into a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. The second provision is a hot surface upon which the naked dough can bake; this gives that added push of volume that improves both the appearance and the slash patterns. When you have the hot baking surface, you will then also need a paddle or board upon which you can transfer dough from canvas to hot baking surface. For the complete set up here is you should have, and any building-supply store stocks these items.

For the hot baking surface: Metal will not do as a hot baking surface because it burns the bottom of the dough. The most practical and easily obtainable substance is ordinary red floor tiles 1/4” thick. They come in various sizes such as 6 x 6, 6 x 3, and you only need enough to line the surface of an oven rack. Look them up under Tiles in your Directory, and ask for “quarry tiles” their official name.

For unmolding the risen dough from its canvas: A piece of 3/16 inch plywood about 20 inches wide.

For sliding the dough onto the hot tiles: When you are doing 3 long loaves, you must slide them together onto the hot tiles; to do so you unmold them one at a time with one board and arrange them side by side on the second board, which takes place on the baker’s paddle, la pelle. Buy a piece of plywood slightly longer but 2 inches narrower than your oven rack.

To prevent dough from sticking to unmolding and sliding boards: White cornmeal or small dried pasta pulverized in the electric blender until it is the consistency of table salt. This is called fleurage.

The steam contraption: Something that you can heat to sizzling hot on top of the stove and then slide into a pan of water in the oven to make a great burst of steam: a brick, a solid 10lb rock, piece of cast iron or other metal. A 9 x 12 inch roasting pan 2 inches deep to hold an inch of water and the hot brick.

Irish Soda Bread in the Denver Area

Just came home from a visit to my brother who lives near Denver. You might know him from this blog as NoHandle. One of his requests for the visit was for me to bake Irish Soda Bread, which I was happy to do since it is a favorite of mine, too.

Denver airport

First I looked up what changes are necessary for baking at high altitudes, and made adjustments to the sugar, baking soda and liquid, plus preheated the oven to be hotter. Then I cut the cold non-dairy margarine (instead of butter) into the dry ingredients, measured out a combination of almond milk and soy creamer and added lemon juice (instead of the buttermilk - but it's better with buttermilk if you can tolerate dairy). Golden raisins were added to the dry mixture and tossed around to coat, then I made a well in the dry ingredients and added the wet mixture. Somehow the recipe I was using called for twice the liquid needed, so the mixture looked like pancake batter...not the look we were going for.

I added more flour...and more flour...and more flour until it looked right, then shaped it on a parchment lined baking sheet and cut the cross shape all the way through and baked it. Well, it took a LOT longer than it should have and the texture was much denser than normal. It did taste terrific, so not a waste of time or ingredients, but not the bread I was hoping for either. Went back and checked the recipe and found the mistype. Changed the amount of liquid in that post...which is many years old, so not too many have baked that recipe I'll bet. Below is the correct recipe, and some photos of the bread we ate. If you try this recipe as now written, your bread will likely be a bit lighter in texture and perhaps a bit more crumbly. You can, of course, use currants or regular raisins in place of the golden ones. Even plain with no added fruit is delicious.

Tea or coffee go really well with this. It's national coffee day or something, so treat yourself...bake some Irish Soda Bread and have it with some coffee and remember that life is good, even when there are parts of it that are heartbreaking.

Mini Golden Raisin Soda Bread Loaf
Makes one mini loaf

1 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 cup tablespoons sugar
4 oz. (½ stick) cold butter, in thin slices
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup dried golden raisins, plumped with hot water, then drained

Mix the dry ingredients, in a bowl. Add the butter slices  and cut in well with a fork or pastry blender. Add the golden raisins. Add the buttermilk and mix just until mostly moist - don’t over-handle. Some dry stuff is OK but the dough should be sticky. Pat into a round on a parchment-lined or silpat lined cookie sheet. Cut a cross on top all the way through. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degree F. Tap bottom to make sure bread is cooked through. It will sound hollow. Cool a bit before slicing.

Cake Slice of Austria for September

The Cake Slice Bakers have four choices every month. This month I chose the Linzer Torte from World Class Cakes, but I chose to make it as small tarts instead of one big one.

 Because I'm avoiding so much egg yolk, I also used a dough recipe from another book.

My grandmother is from Linz, Austria. Her last name was Linz as well, so I always think of her when I make this delicious pastry. The ground almonds, cinnamon, lemon zest, and a touch of cloves are the dominate flavors in the crust, and they offset the sweetness of the raspberry jam. If you take the time to roll out some of the dough fairly thin and freeze it, it is pretty easy to work with and you can create a lattice top or pretty cut outs. I took these to a P.E.O. meeting today and everyone ooohed and aahhhed over how pretty they were. Delicious, pretty, and perfect with tea...what more can you ask?

These are fussy little pastries, but the finished product is well worth the effort and quite a few dirty bowls.

Linzer Torte
based on a recipe by Maida Heatter

1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon powdered cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 pound (1 stick, 8 oz.) non-dairy margarine, cold
2 1/2 oz. almond flour
1 egg at room temperature
Finely grated rind of 1 large lemon - zest only
1 8 oz. jar raspberry preserves, best quality

Adjust the oven rack one-third up from the bottom and preheat to 375 degrees F. On a large baking sheet place a silicone mat or parchment paper, then put a 9 or 10-inch tart pan on top, or a selection of small tart pans.

Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, the baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, salt and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and mix with clean fingers, breaking up any lumps, until the mixture is well combined.

Add the ground almonds (almond flour) to the dry ingredients. Add the butter, cut into pieces, and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two knives, until butter is in tiny pieces mixed into the flour mixture.

In a small bowl stir the egg with a fork to break up, then add the lemon rind and stir to mix. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Removed 3/4 cup of the dough to another small bowl and reserve.

Add the three tablespoons of flour to the reserved dough and mix into the dough with the pastry blender or two knives, finishing with a fork. The mixture should be a dough when you are done.

With clean hands compress the dough and flatten it on a clean, floured work surface into a disc.
Place the disc between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Roll out with a rolling pin until dough is very thin. Remove the top sheet of paper, put the dough still on the paper onto a baking sheet and put into the freezer for a few minutes while preparing the bottom crust.

Prepare the bottom crust by pressing the original dough into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan(s). Try to make the bottom as even as possible. Remove any dough that sits above the tart sides.

In a small bowl, stir the preserves slightly to soften. Spread them evenly over the layer of dough in the pan(s).

Remove the chilled rolled dough from the freezer and quickly cut strips for lattice work or shapes with cookie cutters for a decorative topping. If the strips break you can press them lightly together, even over the jam. Once the bake you won't be able to tell the difference. If the dough softens too much, return to the freezer to firm up.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the top is a rich golden brown. Smaller tarts will require less time, so check them after 20 minutes.

Cool completely in the pan(s). When completely cool, with a small,sharp knife, loosen the sides and remove the tart. If your pan has a removable bottom, loosen the sides, then push up on the bottom and the sides should fall away.

A light sprinkle of powdered sugar is a nice touch when serving the tart (see photo at top of recipe).

An InLinkz Link-up

Squash and Maple Syrup - A Match Made for Roasting

Went to a wonderful birthday party yesterday. The birthday girl combines kindness, consideration, imagination, artistic talent, literary talent, high intelligence, beauty inside and out, with gratitude, love and grace in amounts unusual in an 18 year old. She is a winner in so many ways.

A nice aspect of the party was that Sweetie and I got to meet her neighbors and friends and adults who have been a wonderful part of her journey to adulthood. Thank you Natasha. Lots of fun discussions took place, including one about this blog. I mentioned a recipe I first made a few years ago, which has become a favorite. It includes Delicata squash, olive oil, spices and maple syrup. Often I make it with those and some yams. Today I used butternut squash, so it was very squashy and good. I like using Moroccan spices with it but today used Zatar, which includes sumac, thyme, white sesame seed and salt. It was delicious with the squash.

The seeds are easily removed from the halved squash with a melon ball tool.

Sometimes I leave the skin on the delicata squash as I did today, but that is usually when I grew it myself as I did this one. When I get it from the market, or just want all the squash to be soft (because the skin does get chewy and a bit crackly), I peel the thin skin off with a paring tool. I used that tool for peeling the butternut squash, which works very well.

This is a sweet/savory dish and is great when the weather starts to cool off enough to roast things in the oven. We served it with grilled chicken and a tomato/cucumber salad with a red wine vinaigrette.
The squash is soft and delicious, with bits that are browned and a little chewy and totally wonderful. Give it a try. You might become a squash convert.

Delicata and Butternut Squash with Olive Oil and Maple
Serve 4-6

2-3 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash, seeds, if any, removed
1 Delicata squash, seeds removed, peel removed if desired, cut in half and sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon zatar spice mix, or your favorite mix of spices that are warm (cardamom, curry, coriander, etc)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a large plastic bag (I used clean produce bags from the market), combine the squash, olive oil, salt and pepper, maple syrup and zatar spices. Close bag tightly and shake to completely coat the squash with the wet ingredients and spices.

Pour coated mixture on the parchment lined sheet pan and use the bag to spread the squash out in the pan into a single layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Use a spatula to turn the squash pieces over, then roast an additional 10 - 15 minutes until edges are browned and squash is softened.

Serve while hot.

Swiss Rye Ring with the Bread Baking Babes

This month our lovely Babe Cathy from Bread Experience invites us all to gather around the kitchen table and bake a complex and delicious rye bread that is formed into a wreath shape. This one takes a bit of planning because you need to make a sourdough sponge with rye and a firmer poolish with wheat. It also requires an agile mind and attention to detail as you add flour, to know when the dough is stiff enough, but not too stiff.

Mine seemed very stiff when I made the dough, but when I shaped it and let it rise, it slumped down and spread out, so I had a wide, thin ring of delicious rye bread with a nice, tight crumb and a delightful crust and chewy texture. It's possible that I let it over proof, too. My days have been packed and I might have let it sit just a little too long before baking it. The docking didn't help, knocking some of the air that was left right out of it. Perhaps the docking should happen before rising??

Do try this bread. Your's will probably be higher and nicer than mine and even if it droops like mine, the taste and chew make it an adorable bread to eat. So far I've just cut a slice or two and buttered them to go with soup or salad, but I think I'll be trying slices with salami and with sardines, too.

To become a Buddy, bake the bread, take a photo, and email Cathy with a short description of your baking experience (couldn't resist) and the photo. She will send you a badge and include you in the round-up. Deadline to get it to her is Sept. 29th.

Be sure to check out the other Babes this month to see how their ring turned out!

Swiss Rye Ring/Brasciadela/Kantonsbrot Graubünden

By Stanley Ginsberg http://theryebaker.com/swiss-rye-ring/#more-335 

Rye %:	69%
Stages:	Rye sponge, Wheat poolish, Final dough
Leaven:	Rye sour culture, Instant yeast
Start to Finish:	13-15 hours
Hands-on Time:	30-35 minutes
Yield:	Two 1¼ lb. (575 g.) loaves

Graubünden is Switzerland’s largest canton, extending eastward between Austria to the north and Italy to the south. It’s also Switzerland’s most mountainous canton, home to several glaciers, as well as the 11,853-foot Tödi and 13,284 foot Piz Bernina. Not surprising, then, that its bread culture is based on rye. Like the circular breads of Scandinavia, Brasciadela’s ring shape made it easy to store the breads on poles hung from the ceiling during the long Alpine winter.

I adapted this bread from a recipe I found in the wonderful blog Bernd’s Bakery, which is written by a Bavarian baker who lives in northern Switzerland and who generously has shared his collection of traditional Swiss breads. The original recipe calls for Type 1150 rye, a medium-light grade that’s unavailable in the US; instead, I used a blend of white and medium rye that produces a virtually identical composition.

Like many Alpine breads, this one is built on two sponges – a low-hydration sour rye sponge that favors acetic acid formation and a high-extraction wheat flour poolish that’s refrigerated overnight to bring out the wheat’s nutty sweetness. The preparation and baking are straightforward and the result is a smooth, tight crumbed loaf that combines the tang of its sour, the spiciness of rye, and the mellowness of a well-matured wheat sponge. This is a tasty and basic all-around rye-wheat mischbrot, as good with butter and fruit preserves as with strong-flavored cured meats and fish.

Rye Sponge:

Ingredient	Grams	Ounces	Baker’s Percentage
Medium rye flour	300	10.60	100%
Warm (105°F/41°C) water	200	7.05	67%
Rye sour culture	20	0.70	7%

Combine the sponge ingredients by hand into a stiff dough, cover and ferment at room temperature (70°F/21°C) until doubled in volume 10-12 hours or overnight.

Wheat Poolish:

Ingredient	Grams	Ounces	Baker’s Percentage
First clear flour	200	7.05	100%
Cold water	200	7.05	100%
Instant yeast	8	0.30	4%

Mix the poolish ingredients by hand, cover and refrigerate 10-12 hours or overnight.

Final Dough:

Ingredient	Grams	Ounces
Rye sponge	520	18.35
Wheat poolish	408	14.40
Medium rye flour	110	3.88
White rye flour	210	7.41
First clear flour	82	2.89
Warm (105°F/41°C) water	170	6.00
Salt	20	0.71

In the mixer, combine the final dough ingredients and use the dough hook at low (KA2) speed to mix into a stiff, slightly sticky dough that leaves the sides of the bowl and gathers around the hook, 6-8 minutes. Cover the dough and bulk ferment at room temperature until doubled in volume, 60-75 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into two pieces weighing about 26 oz./750 g each. Form each piece into an oblong about 18 inches/45 cm long and 2 inches/5 cm in diameter. Shape each into a ring, wetting the ends to seal, and place on a well-floured peel, if using a baking stone, or parchment-lined sheet pan.

Cover and proof at room temperature until the breads have visibly expanded and surface shows cracks or broken bubbles.

Preheat the oven to 480°F/250°C with the baking surface in the middle and a steam pan on a lower shelf. Dock the surface of each loaf thoroughly and evenly to a depth of at least ¼”/0.6 cm. with a fork, chopstick or docking wheel.

Bake with steam 15 minutes, then remove the steam pan, reduce the temperature to 410°F/210°C and bake until the loaves thump when tapped with a finger and the internal temperature is at least 198°F/92°C, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool thoroughly before slicing.

 Baker’s Percentages:

Ingredient	g	%
TOTAL FLOUR	902	100.00%
Medium rye flour	410	45.45%
First clear flour	282	31.26%
White rye flour	210	23.28%
Water	570	63.19%
Salt	20	2.22%
Instant yeast	8	0.89%
Rye sour culture	20	2.22%
TOTAL FORMULA	1,520	168.51%
% total flour prefermented	500	55.43%
% rye flour prefermented	300	33.26%
% wheat flour prefermented	200	22.17%