AMAZING, easy bread adapted from Epicurious.com. This took about 3 1/2 hours from start to finish, though it was delayed thanks to our carbon monoxide alarm going off in the middle of the rising process, which resulted in a visit from some very friendly Cambridge firefighters who brought a little gadget that looked kind of like the one from Ghostbusters . . . except it tested for carbon monoxide, not ghosts. Luckily, our apartment has neither.
9 large garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1/2 cup olive oil
3 (1/4-oz) packages active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups warm water (95°F-105°F)
7 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1 tablespoon table salt
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
Coarse salt for sprinkling
Freshly ground black pepper for sprinkling
Combine 6 of the sliced garlic cloves and oil in a pan and cook on VERY low heat for about 10 minutes, until garlic is softened and becomes sweet and fragrant. (You could also roast the garlic whole in the same amount of oil if you have time). Remove the garlic slices from the oil and use them for something else (we ate them by themselves -- yum!).
In a large bowl, whisk together yeast and warm water and let stand about 5 minutes, until it looks slightly creamy. Stir 1/3 cup garlic oil into yeast mixture.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour and table salt. Stir half of flour into yeast mixture, until combined. Add the rest of the flour, mixing with hands when necessary. Knead the dough in the bowl for 5 minutes, or until it's soft and slightly sticky. (Note: I needed to add a little bit more warm water in order to get the right consistency, but none of the other reviewers on epicurious seemed to have this problem). Transfer dough to a large oiled bowl, turning with floured hands to coat with oil. Cover bowl with a wet towel and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. I usually turn on the oven, let it heat for a minute or two, then turn in off and place the bowl in there so it has a nice warm place to rise.
Oil a 17- by 11-inch baking pan with some of the garlic oil. Gently press dough into pan, allowing dough to rest 5 minutes if difficult to work with. Cover the pan with the cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Make indentations in dough at 1-inch intervals with oiled fingertips. Drizzle with remaining garlic oil, and press the remaining thinly sliced garlic in the indentations (make sure each slice has some oil on it, so the slices will roast while the bread is baking). Sprinkle the bread with rosemary, coarse salt, and pepper. Bake in lower third of oven until deep golden on top and pale golden on bottom, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer bread to a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.
We used the bread to make sandwiches with goat cheese, broiled tomatoes, and sauteed portobellas -- yum!!
Showing posts with label bread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bread. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2010
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Basic Roti
Tasty Indian flatbreads that’re actually really easy! This recipe will make about 10 – 15 rotis.
2 cups atta (coarsely ground whole wheat flour . . . but I think it might be ok with regular wheat flour too)
About 1 ½ tbs oil
1 tsp salt
A few tablespoons of water
More oil, for cooking
Combine flour, oil, and salt. Add water little by little, kneading until the dough becomes a soft, pliable (but not sticky) ball. Cover it tightly and set it aside for one hour.
After an hour, knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes. Unlike yeast breads, more kneading will actually make this softer! Break off 1-inch pieces and roll into little balls with your hands. With a rolling pin, roll them into very thin little flatbreads. It’s good to find a friend for this part, so one person can roll while the other can fry!
Heat a nonstick pan, and plop a rolled-out roti onto it. Holding a balled-up dishcloth on your hands (so you don’t burn your fingers!), keep turning the roti (as in, spinning it around in a little circle, not flipping it) for the first 30 seconds, so the whole surface cooks evenly. Then, still holding the dishcloth, press down on the edges of the roti while continuing to rotate it in the pan – this makes the middle puff up (so cool!). Continue cooking this way for about a minute, then flip the roti. Spread about ¼ tsp of oil on the cooked side, then flip again and do the same on the other. Flip back and forth till both sides are golden brown.
2 cups atta (coarsely ground whole wheat flour . . . but I think it might be ok with regular wheat flour too)
About 1 ½ tbs oil
1 tsp salt
A few tablespoons of water
More oil, for cooking
Combine flour, oil, and salt. Add water little by little, kneading until the dough becomes a soft, pliable (but not sticky) ball. Cover it tightly and set it aside for one hour.
After an hour, knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes. Unlike yeast breads, more kneading will actually make this softer! Break off 1-inch pieces and roll into little balls with your hands. With a rolling pin, roll them into very thin little flatbreads. It’s good to find a friend for this part, so one person can roll while the other can fry!
Heat a nonstick pan, and plop a rolled-out roti onto it. Holding a balled-up dishcloth on your hands (so you don’t burn your fingers!), keep turning the roti (as in, spinning it around in a little circle, not flipping it) for the first 30 seconds, so the whole surface cooks evenly. Then, still holding the dishcloth, press down on the edges of the roti while continuing to rotate it in the pan – this makes the middle puff up (so cool!). Continue cooking this way for about a minute, then flip the roti. Spread about ¼ tsp of oil on the cooked side, then flip again and do the same on the other. Flip back and forth till both sides are golden brown.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Chocolate Parathas
Um, yes.
My friend Anshuman invented these last weekend, and they were beyond fan-tabulous served with channa dal (yellow lentils simmered with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and meat masala). Sound like the strangest combination, I know, but he was convinced that the sweetness and spiciness would be brilliant together, and it was. My friend Martha and I agreed that this kind of crazy combination can only work in India.
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour
cinnamon
Mashed potatoes (no spices added)
Chocolate (he used Cadbury milk chocolate, but I bet it would also be yummy with dark)
For the dough:
Place a cup or two of whole wheat flour in a bowl along with a healthy dash of cinnamon. Add water in small amounts, kneading with hands, until dough is a soft and manageable ball – about 10-15 minutes. It should smell deliciously cinnamon-y. Let it rest for about an hour.
For the filling:
Melt the chocolate, and mix with the mashed potatoes. Proportions are up to you. The ones he made weren’t very sweet; the potatoes turned a dark chocolate-y brown, but the taste carried more of a hint of sweetness than an overwhelming rush of chocolate.
From here, you can basically follow the directions for cooking Aloo Parathas (a few recipes down), with the following changes:
When you fill the parathas, add about a teaspoon of honey before closing up the little dough balls and rolling them out.
When frying them, brush the tops with butter (he used ghee, but I think butter should be fine), and dab tiny pats of butter around the pan so they melt and run into the edges of the paratha.
Martha and I agreed that you could also up the chocolate level and top them with ice cream and strawberries to make an amazing dessert. Also, she gets MAJOR points for making a salad, with LETTUCE, that we ate with this meal without getting sick! A-mazingness!
My friend Anshuman invented these last weekend, and they were beyond fan-tabulous served with channa dal (yellow lentils simmered with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and meat masala). Sound like the strangest combination, I know, but he was convinced that the sweetness and spiciness would be brilliant together, and it was. My friend Martha and I agreed that this kind of crazy combination can only work in India.
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour
cinnamon
Mashed potatoes (no spices added)
Chocolate (he used Cadbury milk chocolate, but I bet it would also be yummy with dark)
For the dough:
Place a cup or two of whole wheat flour in a bowl along with a healthy dash of cinnamon. Add water in small amounts, kneading with hands, until dough is a soft and manageable ball – about 10-15 minutes. It should smell deliciously cinnamon-y. Let it rest for about an hour.
For the filling:
Melt the chocolate, and mix with the mashed potatoes. Proportions are up to you. The ones he made weren’t very sweet; the potatoes turned a dark chocolate-y brown, but the taste carried more of a hint of sweetness than an overwhelming rush of chocolate.
From here, you can basically follow the directions for cooking Aloo Parathas (a few recipes down), with the following changes:
When you fill the parathas, add about a teaspoon of honey before closing up the little dough balls and rolling them out.
When frying them, brush the tops with butter (he used ghee, but I think butter should be fine), and dab tiny pats of butter around the pan so they melt and run into the edges of the paratha.
Martha and I agreed that you could also up the chocolate level and top them with ice cream and strawberries to make an amazing dessert. Also, she gets MAJOR points for making a salad, with LETTUCE, that we ate with this meal without getting sick! A-mazingness!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Buttermilk Cornbread
Delicious crispy buttery cornbread! Fast and easy to make and so yummy with hot soup or stew. This recipe is my own take on a recipe I found on allrecipes.com.
1/2 C butter
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 C buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 C cornmeal
1 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 ear corn, boiled and kernels cut from cob
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a cast iron skillet and put it into the oven to get nice and hot.
In a saucepan on the stove, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar. Quickly, add each egg and whisk well. Measure out your buttermilk and whisk the baking soda directly into the milk. Add to the egg mixture and mix. Add in cornmeal, flour, and salt, and mix just until combined. Using a spatula, fold in the corn kernels.
Remove the skillet from the oven and quickly spread the batter into the pan. Place back in the hot oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Chris proclaimed this the best cornbread he's ever had...so there you go.
1/2 C butter
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 C buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 C cornmeal
1 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 ear corn, boiled and kernels cut from cob
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a cast iron skillet and put it into the oven to get nice and hot.
In a saucepan on the stove, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar. Quickly, add each egg and whisk well. Measure out your buttermilk and whisk the baking soda directly into the milk. Add to the egg mixture and mix. Add in cornmeal, flour, and salt, and mix just until combined. Using a spatula, fold in the corn kernels.
Remove the skillet from the oven and quickly spread the batter into the pan. Place back in the hot oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Chris proclaimed this the best cornbread he's ever had...so there you go.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Aloo Paratha
So . . . this is even more of a giant guesstimate, since I’m trying to recall all this from yesterday, when a new friend very nicely let me peer over his shoulder while he was making it. However, it was amazingly delicious and I didn’t want to forget it, so just consider it to be more of a jumping-off point than an actual recipe!
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour
Corn flour
Potatoes
Cumin
Chili powder
Salt
oil
For the dough:
Mix together equal parts whole wheat flour and corn flour. Add water in small amounts, kneading with hands, until dough is a soft and manageable ball – about 10-15minutes. My coworkers tell me that if you don’t knead enough, your bread will end up hard, so don't even think about getting lazy on this one. Let the dough ball rest for about an hour
For the filling:
Boil and mash some potatoes. Add cumin, chili powder, and salt to taste.
After the dough has gotten a good little rest, knead it again for a few minutes. Then, break off maybe a 2-inch ball. While holding it in both hands, stick your thumb into the center and move it outwards, flattening the dough out. Rotate the ball and continue – kind of like you’re molding a little bowl. Do this until you can about fit your fist into the dough-bowl. Scoop some of the potato mixture into the center, and close the edges of the dough around it, so you have a little dough-ball filled with potato yumminess.
Heat a nonstick pan over a medium-high flame. As it's heating, roll out the dough-ball with a rolling pin till it’s maybe a quarter of an inch think (maybe even a tiny bit thinner?). Ideally, the potato filling should stay inside the dough. Plop the paratha onto the pan and let it cook for about 2 minutes; it should start to puff up a teeny bit. Then, with a pastry brush or a spoon, spread a little oil evenly over the top of the paratha. Flip the paratha and repeat the oil-brushing on the other side. Cook for several minutes, flipping every once in a while until each side turns golden brown.
Serve hothothot with vegetable curry, dal, raita – y’know, general yumminess. So. Friggin’. Good.
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour
Corn flour
Potatoes
Cumin
Chili powder
Salt
oil
For the dough:
Mix together equal parts whole wheat flour and corn flour. Add water in small amounts, kneading with hands, until dough is a soft and manageable ball – about 10-15minutes. My coworkers tell me that if you don’t knead enough, your bread will end up hard, so don't even think about getting lazy on this one. Let the dough ball rest for about an hour
For the filling:
Boil and mash some potatoes. Add cumin, chili powder, and salt to taste.
After the dough has gotten a good little rest, knead it again for a few minutes. Then, break off maybe a 2-inch ball. While holding it in both hands, stick your thumb into the center and move it outwards, flattening the dough out. Rotate the ball and continue – kind of like you’re molding a little bowl. Do this until you can about fit your fist into the dough-bowl. Scoop some of the potato mixture into the center, and close the edges of the dough around it, so you have a little dough-ball filled with potato yumminess.
Heat a nonstick pan over a medium-high flame. As it's heating, roll out the dough-ball with a rolling pin till it’s maybe a quarter of an inch think (maybe even a tiny bit thinner?). Ideally, the potato filling should stay inside the dough. Plop the paratha onto the pan and let it cook for about 2 minutes; it should start to puff up a teeny bit. Then, with a pastry brush or a spoon, spread a little oil evenly over the top of the paratha. Flip the paratha and repeat the oil-brushing on the other side. Cook for several minutes, flipping every once in a while until each side turns golden brown.
Serve hothothot with vegetable curry, dal, raita – y’know, general yumminess. So. Friggin’. Good.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread
Swiped directly from epicurious.com. With the belief that food time is play time and that cooking should be an ongoing experiment in tasting and smelling and intuiting what foods/spices/herbs belong together, I am usually unable to follow recipes with any precision. When it comes to baking, however, I am under the impression that there is a very strict magic at work that turns goo into cake (or bread or pie or whatever other wonderfully sweet treat you are creating). So after reading rave reviews about this gingerbread, I decided I had to make it, and made no alteration other than to use fresh ginger instead of powdered and whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose. I think that nutty chewiness that the whole wheat flour adds is actually quite lovely. Let me know what you think!
1 C Guinness Stout
1 C dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 C whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 C grated fresh ginger (or 2 TBSP ground ginger)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cardamom
3 large eggs
1 C packed dark brown sugar
1 C granulated sugar
3/4 C vegetable oil
Confectioners sugar for dusting
Generously butter a 10" bundt or springform pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in baking soda, then cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, sift together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugars, and fresh ginger (if you're using ground ginger, add it with the other spices to the flour). Whisk in oil, then cooled molasses mixture. Add to flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
Pour batter into pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs adhering, about 50 minutes. Watch carefully to keep from burning! Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.
Dust cake with confectioners sugar, and serve with freshly whipped unsweetened cream. Gingerbread is better if made a day ahead, and will keep 3 days, covered, at room temperature.
1 C Guinness Stout
1 C dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 C whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 C grated fresh ginger (or 2 TBSP ground ginger)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cardamom
3 large eggs
1 C packed dark brown sugar
1 C granulated sugar
3/4 C vegetable oil
Confectioners sugar for dusting
Generously butter a 10" bundt or springform pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in baking soda, then cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, sift together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugars, and fresh ginger (if you're using ground ginger, add it with the other spices to the flour). Whisk in oil, then cooled molasses mixture. Add to flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
Pour batter into pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs adhering, about 50 minutes. Watch carefully to keep from burning! Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.
Dust cake with confectioners sugar, and serve with freshly whipped unsweetened cream. Gingerbread is better if made a day ahead, and will keep 3 days, covered, at room temperature.
Monday, July 28, 2008
za'atar pita
I got seriously addicted to this while in Israel . . .
ingredients:
pita bread
za'atar (I haven't been able to find it here, so the recipe is below)
olive oil
sea salt
for za'atar, combine:
1/2 cup thyme
1/4 cup sumac
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
mix 1-2 tablespoons za'atar with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and spread on warm pita bread. sprinkle with sea salt. so good! also yummy with a little yogurt on top :)
ingredients:
pita bread
za'atar (I haven't been able to find it here, so the recipe is below)
olive oil
sea salt
for za'atar, combine:
1/2 cup thyme
1/4 cup sumac
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
mix 1-2 tablespoons za'atar with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and spread on warm pita bread. sprinkle with sea salt. so good! also yummy with a little yogurt on top :)
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Pita Bread
This bread takes literally an hour to make from start to finish, and it's a bajillion times better than any pita you'll get in the supermarket. It's best straight out of the oven when it's almost too hot to eat, dipped in some really good olive oil or hummus. You can also freeze it by wrapping it in tin foil after it's cooled and then reheating it for a few minutes in the oven.
Makes 8 small pita breads
2 1/2 cups BREAD flour (not all-purpose -- it makes a huge difference), plus more for sprinkling and rolling out dough
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
2 tsp active (or fast-rising) dry yeast
2 Tbs good olive oil
1 cup warm water (105 - 110 degrees)
8 8-inch squares of aluminum foil for baking pitas
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour with the salt, sugar, and yeast. Add the oil and water. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoons for three minutes, then stir in the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time. The dough should be a rough, shaggy mass that will clean the sides of the bowl. If the dough is moist, add a small amount of additional flour.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 6 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll into balls, dust lightly with flour, and cover with a damp tea towel. Let rest for 40 minutes. (If the dough isn't rising after 20 minutes or so, it's a good idea to place them in an oven that's been preheated to about 200 degrees and then turned off).
Use the palm of your hand to flatten each ball into a disk. Finish with a rolling pin, rolling them into disks about 6 inches in diameter. Use as few strokes as possible -- over-rolling seems to keep the pita from puffing.
Place each round on a square of foil, and carefully place them directly on the oven rack. Do not roll out pitas until you're ready to slip them into the oven -- they'll harden as they sit out. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until they are puffed, golden brown, and smell delicious.
Yummy!
Makes 8 small pita breads
2 1/2 cups BREAD flour (not all-purpose -- it makes a huge difference), plus more for sprinkling and rolling out dough
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
2 tsp active (or fast-rising) dry yeast
2 Tbs good olive oil
1 cup warm water (105 - 110 degrees)
8 8-inch squares of aluminum foil for baking pitas
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour with the salt, sugar, and yeast. Add the oil and water. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoons for three minutes, then stir in the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time. The dough should be a rough, shaggy mass that will clean the sides of the bowl. If the dough is moist, add a small amount of additional flour.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 6 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll into balls, dust lightly with flour, and cover with a damp tea towel. Let rest for 40 minutes. (If the dough isn't rising after 20 minutes or so, it's a good idea to place them in an oven that's been preheated to about 200 degrees and then turned off).
Use the palm of your hand to flatten each ball into a disk. Finish with a rolling pin, rolling them into disks about 6 inches in diameter. Use as few strokes as possible -- over-rolling seems to keep the pita from puffing.
Place each round on a square of foil, and carefully place them directly on the oven rack. Do not roll out pitas until you're ready to slip them into the oven -- they'll harden as they sit out. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until they are puffed, golden brown, and smell delicious.
Yummy!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Herb and Onion Bread
My favorite bread to make, because it is so damn easy! And it's really great with whole wheat flour...
1/2 C milk
1 1/2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP butter
1 package yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 C white or whole wheat flour
1 small onion, minced
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp crushed rosemary
Scald the milk and dissolve in it the sugar, salt, and butter; cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add the cooled milk, flour, minced onion, and herbs, and stir well with a large wooden spoon.
When batter is smooth, cover bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until triple in bulk - about 45 minutes. Stir down and beat vigorously for a few minutes, then turn into a greased bread pan. Let it stand in a warm place about 10 minutes before putting it into a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake about 1 hour.
1/2 C milk
1 1/2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP butter
1 package yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 C white or whole wheat flour
1 small onion, minced
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp crushed rosemary
Scald the milk and dissolve in it the sugar, salt, and butter; cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add the cooled milk, flour, minced onion, and herbs, and stir well with a large wooden spoon.
When batter is smooth, cover bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until triple in bulk - about 45 minutes. Stir down and beat vigorously for a few minutes, then turn into a greased bread pan. Let it stand in a warm place about 10 minutes before putting it into a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake about 1 hour.
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