Rosemary, Cinnamon, & Raisin Focaccia

When I decided to bake my through "The Art & Soul of Baking," I went in with the goal of making each recipe as written. Rosemary, cinnamon, and raisin focaccia was the first recipe I was a little nervous about--to be honest, the flavor combination just sounded a bit odd. Despite my trepidation (and inner hatred for raisins) I began the recipe. After soaking the raisins, I mixed the yeast, warm milk, sugar, and flour until combined. With no starter needed, this bread came together quickly and was proofed in an hour. After the first rise, I poured the dough onto a large sheet pan and pushed I to the edges. After a coasting of olive oil, I placed it in the fridge to proof overnight so I could bake it off in the morning for a breakfast. When I woke up the next morning, the dough had doubled in size and looked beautiful. After gently dimpling the surface, I added a bit more olive oil and a liberal dusting of sanding sugar. 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven and I had a golden brown bread with the perfect open crumb texture (the marking of a good focaccia). Sadly, I have to admit that although this bread looked great, I just didn't like the way it tasted. Despite the great texture, the combination of the earthy/piney rosemary just didn't mesh well with the sweet raisins and spicy cinnamon. I will definitely try this bread again, but next time I will either go all sweet or all savory. I know I won't love every recipe I make, but that's part of the fun.

On deck: Old Fashioned Dinner Rolls

Fleur de Sel Caramels in Dark Chocolate

So this recipe isn't in the Sur La Table cookbook, but it was so yummy I couldn't resist adding it to the blog. I had a craving for caramel, so I whipped up a batch from a recipe I found on Epicurious.com. The finished caramels were soft, chewy, and had a rich buttery flavor. After 24 hours, I cut the caramels and attempted to temper a bowl of dark chocolate to dip the caramels in. I knew tempering would be a little difficult, but I had no idea it would take so much time and be so messy! After warming the chocolate to 115 degrees, I had to cool it to 86 degrees, and then warm it back to 89 degrees (while being careful not to go over 90 degrees lest risk starting the whole process over again!). Thankfully, I managed to temper the chocolate and began dipping each caramel one at a time, topping each one with a sprinkling of fleur de sel for an added layer of flavor. I think the finished chocolates looked so pretty and taste just as good, if not better than anything you can buy at the store. I am looking forward to trying my hand at more chocolates, and maybe someday I'll buy that $500 tempering machine!

9 Grain Whole Wheat Harvest Bread

This bread was so delicious I can't wait to make it again! And a major bonus was it didn't require a starter. The bread began with a trip to Whole Foods where I purchased a 9-grain hot cereal mix--the key ingredient in the recipe, adding tons of flavor and a great texture. After soaking 1/2 a cup of the cereal mix in hot water, I mixed it with bread flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, salt, and honey (for the perfect balance of sweetness!). The dough had a great texture when kneaded and quickly doubled in size during the first proofing. After shaping the loaf into a taught ball, I slashed a decorative design into the top and baked for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. The final bread had a gorgeous, deep golden color with a splintery crust. When I finally sliced into it, the crumb was moist, and tender. The cereal mix and whole wheat added a nice earthy nuttiness, while the honey imparted just enough sweetness. A slice of this with a simple topping of butter was the perfect breakfast.

Coming up next: Rosemary, Cinnamon, and Raisin Focaccia

Herbed Fougasse

This bread was a lot of fun to make. It's kind of like the French version of a ciabatta--chewy, lots of air pockets, and fun to eat. I made the starter the night before (something I'm just getting in the habit of doing) and the next night I made the dough. The recipe called for fresh rosemary and thyme--along with a generous topping of sea salt. After the first proofing it was time to shape the dough. This time instead of just forming a round loaf, I got to cut slits in the dough and shape it like a leaf. It looked so pretty and it filled the whole sheet pan. It only took 20 minutes to bake and after cooling overnight, I ate it for lunch today with some yummy olive tapenade.

Next on deck: 9-grain wheat bread

Pesto Rolls

While Ryan was out of town for the weekend, I had fun making these pesto rolls. The recipe began with a starter, which I made Saturday night. Sunday morning, I was ready to begin by making the pesto mixture that would give the rolls their pale green color. I blended fresh basil, olive oil, garlic cloves, and Parmesan cheese in the food processor until smooth. After blending my starter, pesto, and the remaining flour together, I kneaded the dough in my mixer (also known as my new pride and joy). I took the dough out a minute earlier and continued to knead by hand; just because I love the way the dough feels when it comes together. After the dough proofed for an hour, I punched it down and divided it into eight equal portions and shaped each into a small round. The shaped rolls rose for another hour before dusted them with flour, slashed them, and popped them into the oven for 17 minutes. The basil and garlic aromas filled my house and it took a lot of self-control to let the rolls cool before trying one! I enjoyed a roll today for lunch with some melted mozzarella and ripe tomato--my version of a caprese sandwich!

Pizza Dough

I've made pizza dough quite a few times, but I really enjoyed this recipe. With the option to use all purpose flour, or bread flour, I opted for the bread flour. I think this contributed to a light and chewy crust that perfectly crisped and blistered in the hot oven. The pizza dough was so easy to make--there was a quick starter and the dough only went through one rise. The recipe made quite a bit of dough, so I made a fresh margherita pizza and froze the rest of the dough for another day. The pizza only took 7 minutes to bake in a 500-degree oven, and the end result was simple but delicious. Author, Cindy Mushet, suggested brushing the finished pizza crust with a little olive oil, a trick that added a slight shine and great flavor (and something I'll do to my pizzas going forward!). I know I'll be using this recipe on a regular basis.

Rustic Olive and Thyme Bread

My second recipe was a chewy, intensely flavored rustic loaf of bread studded with fragrant thyme and briny kalamata olives. At first I was a little apprehensive about the olives--I love them on their own, but I wasn't sure they would hold up in the bread. I was wrong! The bread came out great. The finished bread had a deep golden crust, and the olives added a deep earthy flavor and great texture. The recipe made two decent sized loaves--one I shared with friends and the other I froze for a later day (I'm thinking grilled with a little olive oil...). Overall, I was pleased with the final outcome and I look forward to making this bread again.

Old Fashioned White Bread

The first chapter of Sur La Table is all about yeast breads, starting with a classic white bread. For those of you who've never made fresh bread before, you don't know what you're missing! There's nothing like the smell of baking bread wafting through the house, and the best part is, it’s not as hard as you'd think.

Instead of the Old Fashioned White Bread, I chose to do one of the variations listed in the recipe, Monkey Bread. I'd never had it before, but the prospect of butter, cinnamon, and sugar melting into little balls of dough sounded like a good idea. After 45 minutes in the oven, I wasn't disappointed! The Monkey Bread (or Monkey Balls as they came to be known in my house) was delicious, and a much easier alternative to homemade cinnamon rolls. This recipe was definitely a keeper!

Welcome!

Welcome to my first blog, and my first official blog posting! After some gentle prodding from two friends (you know who you are!) I'll be "baking my way through" the incredible, mouthwatering, inspiring, Sur La Table and documenting every step of my journey. So, with 454 scrumptious pages waiting for me, I'd better get started!