Challah

This recipe is so good! Challah is a rich, eggy bread that is traditionally kosher and served on the Jewish Sabbath. Since I don't need to keep kosher I opted for the more decadent version of the recipe with milk and butter in place of the water and oil. Like the last few breads, this one didn't need a starter so the whole thing came together really quickly. After mixing and kneading the ingredients, I let the slightly sticky dough proof for one hour. The doubled-in-size dough was then cut into three equal portions so I could braid it into the customary shape. I had never braided dough before and it was much easier than I had expected (way easier than braiding hair!). The braided loaf was left on the counter to proof one more time before baking. After a quick 25 minutes in a 375-degree oven, the challah was done. The egg wash created a beautiful deep golden crust and the dough smelled fragrant and almost sweet. I resisted the urge to dive in (it was already past 1 am) and waited until today to try it. The bread has a great soft texture, with a slightly crusty exterior. I froze most of the loaf and I’m excited to use it for the best bread pudding ever!

Martha Stewart's One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

This recipe isn't part of the Sur La Table series, but it's so good I didn't want to leave it out. A friend at work is getting married next week, so our marketing team decided it would be fun to surprise him with a collection of our favorite recipes and relationship words of wisdom. I was in charge of bringing something sweet and chocolate cupcakes seemed to fit the bill. These cupcakes are awesome because they only use one bowl (easy clean-up for late weeknight baking!) and you mix everything by hand so no need to pull out the mixer. After blending the dry ingredients (cocoa powder, all purpose flour, baking soda/powder, and salt) the wet ingredients are folded in (eggs, vanilla, melted butter, buttermilk) and you're done! They baked in a 350-degree oven for 13 minutes and cooled on the counter while I prepared the filling and frosting. I decided it would be fun to fill these cupcakes with marshmallow crème since they were so chocolaty. A quick mix of butter and marshmallow fluff and it was time to stuff the cupcakes. After the cakes were all filled, I turned my attention toward the rich and super easy chocolate frosting. I whipped butter and powdered sugar together and added in a generous 1.5 pounds of melted/cooled dark and milk chocolate--yum! The frosting cooled in the fridge for thirty minutes before I whipped until it was fluffy and lighter in color. I finished the cupcakes with a cute idea inspired by Martha Stewart--I bought Necco wafers from the store and using royal icing I inscribed each wafer with the bride and groom's initials (in their wedding colors of green and white). Once they dried I sprinkled them with luster dust and topped each cupcake. I think they looked simple but pretty and they sure tasted good!

Old Fashioned Dinner Rolls

After the let down of the last recipe, I was looking forward to these rolls--straightforward, simple, and hopefully delicious! The recipe called for cooking a russet potato and adding that to the dough, along with some of the leftover cooking water. The potato serves two purposes in the dough, first it adds starches that the yeast love to feed on, and second, it keeps the dough extremely moist and helps create a tender roll. Although the potato has obvious benefits, it made for one sticky dough and required an unusual method of chilling the dough in the refrigerator overnight after the first proofing. The next day, after the dough was chilled, I cut it into 3 oz portions and rolled them into taught balls. A quick 40-minute proof and I was ready to bake! The rolls baked at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The finished rolls came out golden brown, tender, and delicious! I enjoyed two rolls, split open and topped with butter. This recipe definitely delivered and I think they'll make a nice addition to our Thanksgiving table this fall.

Next up: Challah

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