Monday, January 07, 2008

Sweet French Bread with Amish Bread Starter



Here is the latest Recipe for the Home Baked Sweet French Bread using Amish Bread Starter.
2 Cup Starter (only 2 days old from 5th day)
5 TBsp Sugar
3 TBsp Softened Butter
2-1/2 Cup Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

Mix all ingredients in a large plastic bowl (with lid) with Sturdy Spatula for about 5 minutes. & Hand Knead for 10 min. in the bowl.
Cover the plastic container.
Let it rise till Double about - 12 hours.

Roll the Doubled Dough into shapes of French Bread:
Divide the dough into halves.
Roll out the dough into oval shape - 1/2 in thick.
Place them on top of Non-Stick Cookie Sheet, side-by-side to each other & leaving about 2 inches of gap to allow the dough to rise till double in size.

Using sharp kitchen knife or scissors, slit the top of the bread dough about every 3 inches.

Cover it with Saran Wrap loosely and also place an empty 8 oz yogurt cup, for example to keep saran wrap from touching the dough's surface.

My kitchen temperature was about 62Degrees. To help rise the dough.
Place the cookie sheet above a pot of hot water without turning on the stove.
Change the hot water several times to help dough rise into double in size.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Egg White Wash -
Beat 1 egg white with a tablespoon of water together.
Egg white wash will give the bread nice shine and soft top.
Otherwise, just brush the top of the bread dough with Water right before baking time.

Brush each Bread dough that has rise in double with Egg White Wash.

Place at top second rack of the conventional (gas) oven
Bake for 35 to 40 min.
Bread will look shiny and brown.



The texture is more like a bread than the French Bread. Maybe less kneading will create less fine looking bread. Taste wise, it is great.

Friday, December 21, 2007

AMISH Friendship Starter Diary

Croissant and Cinnamon Roll.

The basic Amish Friendship Starter Bread recipe can be found at: http://www.armchair.com/recipe/bake002.html

Follow the recipe steps and modify as necessary. As you gain experience you can add the starter in place of the dry yeast to bake all kinds of wonderful home made breads and other favorite goodies.
Here is of mine to share:
This is how the Starter looks like between Day1 through 5.
Bubbly and plastic will expand almost like a balloon.
Be sure to keep the plastic Closed.
Do not refrigerate. There is no reason to.
Day 1 thru 5





The starter will develop into foamy bubbles at the top.
It develops pungent smell - very normal.
No discoloration, however that I have ever noticed.
Every day, pop open the plastic and carefully with your hand, just knead gently around the the plastic to subside the foam and bubbles -- basically just squeeze the plastic bag with top open a few times - every day - squeeze the plastic bag all around. You should be able to tell which part of dough is more liquidy and others drier. So, use your hand and with "open close" hand motions to mix the starter well. Be sure to close the bag.



On day 10, it's time to prepare and mix the starter with your favorite ingredients.
Be aware that it has been taking minimum of 12 hours for the dough to complete the first rise at 65Degree room temperature.
A pot of warm water is used as well to aid in rising.

If you do not have anyone to share the Starter on the 10th day and you want to continue keeping the starter for the next baking, you can adjust the Day 10's ingredient feedings to the Starter - Flour, Sugar, and Milk mixture measurement to 1/4 Cup each rather than 1 Cup each.

Amish Sourdough Bread recipe posted at the web site posted above is very easy to make. I will change the amount of flour from 6 Cups to 4 Cups, and use melted butter rather than the "oil".
Some recipe variations to try:
1. 2 Cups Starter
2. 6 TBsp Sugar
3. 4 Cups Flour
4. 1 Cup warm milk and 1/4 Cup melted Unsalted Butter
5. 2 Eggs plus 1 Egg Yolk ---Keep the Egg White for egg white wash for bread.
6. 1 tsp salt
7. Optional - 1/2 Cup Coconut Powder.

Mix all ingredients and Knead well - about 10 minutes.
The dough should be very soft to the touch.
Brush a full teaspoon of oil in a large plastic container with a lid. The dough is almost difficult to handle without additional flour, but do not add extra flour.
Let it rise over night. When the dough doubles in size, punch down and make it into variety of shapes.
Place the shaped dough on top of non-stick baking pan with lips/sides.
Let it rise again till double.
Preheat oven to 325 - 350 degrees.
Prepare egg white and 1TBsp of water. Beat it up to mix water and egg white.
Use a pastry brush to brush egg white wash on raised dough.
Enjoy watching the wonderful bread turn into golden brown.
Depending on the size of the bread - 12 to 20 minutes of baking time.

Monday, November 19, 2007

AMISH Friendship - Bread Diary



I was given a bag of Amish Friendship Starter about a month ago. I tried four different recipes thus far and these are the favorites:

1. Banana Bread
2. Bundt Pan Bread and Cup cake size bread with Raisin, Cinnamon, or plain dinner roll.

3. Coconut Mango Bread

4. Sour Dough Bread

Texture and Taste Results:

1. Banana Bread - Excellent. Cake like. Banana gave the bread the moisture without Instant pudding mix and Applesauce that the recipe calls for.


2. Bundt Pan Bread and Cup cake size bread with Raisin - So, So. Very Dense and Heavy Bread without Banana or Instant pudding mix and Applesauce. I t is very filling to last several hours.

3. Coconut Mango Bread - Very good. Tasty. Using Dehydrated Mango was a good idea. Coconut powder gave the bread the just right amount of flavor--just enough to wonder where are the coconut flakes.

4. Sour Dough Bread - Very good, but its more like Hawaiian sweet bread than the sour dough.

Photo Journal:

And here is the photo journal of how the Amish Friendship Sour Dough Bread was made.
Hot Dog buns or the home made submarine sandwich bread turned out very tasty.

Mixing the Starters with ingredients without using any "metal" utensils is one of the challenge. That means - no electric mixer; unless, you have a set of beaters made of "wood"?


After proofing the dough overnight --- till doubled in size; roll the dough into shape and let it rise again for another 8 hours.



Brush it with egg white and water wash before baking at 325 degrees
for about15 to 20 minutes.

These are Sour Dough Breads, Cinnamon Rolls, Dinner Rolls - with raisin in the Bundt Mini-Muffin pan.
They turned out to be toooo dry. Likely need less time to bake them.

The best part of all these baking is that there are no preservatives. All ingredients uses were premium quality available - butter, organic milk, organic eggs.


The "Sour Dough Bread" turned out beautifully.
They tasted more like sweet bread than "Sour Dough".





Bon Appetite!












Monday, July 30, 2007

Canneles de Polly Test Success

**Use "Canneles de Bordeaux" recipe from Foodnetwork.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_27405,00.html?rsrc=search

Foreword:
After baking 27 batches of Cannelles de Bordeaux in the year 2006, I had maybe 5 satisfactory results.    All other 22 times were exciting and delicious adventures.
The most difficult part of making Cannelles or Canneles is the Baking.   But there are few others that matters...
I always try to imagine how the nuns in Bordeaux, France would have been preparing and baking Canneles in the old days mixing ingredients, preparing canneles molds--with butter and beeswax mixture, rum...why rum...no refrigeration, so...to keep the eggs from spoiling?  or during its minimum 12-hours setting in refrigerator -- 'supposedly' curing....hmmm, very interesting.    I will leave the scientific part of what Rum is doing with Eggs and Sugar and Flour to FoodNetwork's Alton Brown, but here is my result for Year 2007, Batch 5 -- The Perfect Home Baked Canneles.


Materials to Gather:
  1. Timer Clock
  2. Gas Oven - the test completed in Large GE Gas Range Oven.
  3. 2 Large Tray with sides - to keep "butter and beeswax" from spilling out to the bottom of oven to prevent fire. or 1 Large Tray with Sides, 1 Medium Tray with Side.
  4. Cooling Rack set on top of Cookie Sheet to catch extra dripping "butter & beeswax"
  5. Extra Tray with Sides for Unmolding process Canneles before transferring to Cooling Rack
  6. Sturdy Tong that you can lift Copper Canneles Mold. Strong enough to allow you to flip the Copper Canneles Mold over.
  7. Empty mason jar to store Extra "butter & beeswax" for next use.
  8. Pastry brush just for Canneles baking stored in plastic ziplock bag in refrigerator.
  9. 18 Copper tin lined Canneles Molds or 15 minimum.
  10. Edible, clean Natural Beeswax -- not from Candle.   No color added and No chemical used during making into Beeswax block.    Buy it from Sacramento Bees store at http://www.sacramentobeekeeping.com/
  11. FAN to keep kitchen and home cool during summer as you will be baking at 445'F
  12. Flour and; Cake Flour
  13. A Strainer; Container with Cover or plastic wrap to cover the container -- glass or plastic
  14. Myers Dark Rum
  15. Vanilla Paste or purchase Vanilla Beans at Import/Export at a good price

The following ingredients are the "Control" items and based on Double Batch Recipe I prepared. Modify as needed, but do not change the sugar amount--more is Okay, but not less.


Recipe Modification --**for Double Batch Recipe:

  1. Sugar - Increase Sugar to 1-1/2 Cup.
  2. Eggs - Safeway's Organic "Large" Egg - 3 eggs. (If Double Batch Recipe - use 5 eggs Plus 1 egg yolk. ) **If Truly using Extra Large Eggs as FoodNetwork recipe calls for, and; they do weigh in to be Extra Large, then, 2 eggs + 1 yolk.
  3. Flour - 1-1/2 Cup but--its half Regular Flour, half Cake Flour
  4. Follow the FoodNetwork's recipe instruction in how to mix the ingredients.
  5. Space each Canneles 1-1/2 Inches apart from each other.
  6. Preheat oven to 445'F
  7. **Melt beeswax and butter over low heat. I use a dedicated small Pyrex "glass" saucepan with Silverstone coating.
  8. Place one oven rack at the Highest slot at the top.
  9. Place second one in 3rd slot from the top.
  10. Start your timer and start baking for 1 hour 20 min to 30 min.
  • At 1 hour into the baking, Swap Bottom tray to the Top and Top tray to the Bottom rack.
  • Before the end of 1 hour 20 minutes, using sturdy metal tong take one canneles out.
  • The Canneles should be Dark Chocolate Brown Color--Not Golden Brown.
  • Carefully Flip it Over to Receiving Tray (tray with sides). You will see extra 'butter and beeswax' pour out from the bottom of the mold.
  • Visually check its overall color. Dark Chocolate Brown--all around? but not burnt.
  • ***It should not be Jiggly like Jello - it means the Caramelization has not occurred yet.
  • Place it back into the mold and bake it longer.
  • If it feels sturdy, dark chocolate brown, Bake 10 more minutes if you would like or take one tray out---work one tray at a time.
Turn Canneles upside down, let extra 'butter and beeswax' to pour out.


Remove the mold and set it to one side of the tray.
Let Canneles cool in Receiving tray for a minute or two---Then,
Transfer it to the cooling rack.


Keep distance from each other 1-1/2 Inches apart or more to allow Caramelization to crystallize.


As Canneles cools on the rack, the Canneles' outer shell will start to form--Crunchy.


Crunchy outside, but Creamy inside.


Enjoy!



Saturday, March 03, 2007

MARRONS GLACÉS I

MARRONS GLACÉS
Photo Journal of Adventure in Making MARRONS GLACÉS
Crystallized/Glazed Chestnut

1. Purchase Chestnuts in Premium Condition. Wash and Boil until Done.
2. Keep Boiled Chestnuts in Warm water Until All Peelings are Finished.   Remove as much veins as possible without breaking chestnuts apart.
3.  Cooked chestnuts is soft and semi-translucent.  When crushed between fingers, leaves somewhat powderly texture.
 4. Pots to prepare Sugar Syrup with Rum or liqueur.   A Shallow Baking Pan for Syrup Bath.   Another Shallow Baking Pan with Cooling Rack to Dry Marrons Glacés on.

5. Carefully transfer peel chestnuts into baking pan and pour prepared Syrup to cover the chestnuts.   Soak Chestnuts overnight.

6. Day 2 -- Carefully transfer each well soaked Chestnut onto Cooling Rack to start Drying Process.
7. Day 3 -- Carefully transfer each Dried Chestnut back to bathe in Syrup for several hours.
8. Day 3 -- Transfer each Chestnut to Cooling Rack to Dry

9.  Once the Marrons Glacés are Dried, they are ready to eat or packaged individually and stored in air tight container.
10. Save crumbled bits and pieces of Chestnuts and Syrup in a tight covered jar.  Serve it over Ice Cream or any Favorite Dessert Dishes and explore its possible use. Enjoy!

Summary:  On my next adventure in this Marrons Glacés II making, the preparation methods resulted in better looking Marrons Glacés.  Of course, the practices make it perfect, too.  The finishing texture is much desirable than this preparation method when the cooked and peeled chestnuts were heated through in the prepared syrup as prescribed.
So, hope you will check the other Marrons Glacés journal and find out for yourself.

Wondering how the commercial Marrons Glacés looks like? Here is the Link: http://www.clementfaugier.fr/fr/v4/v4_accueil.aspx

Links to Recipe:
Here is an interesting recipe you might want to try: http://www.harmonysweets.com/harmonysweets/croissant-chocolate-marrons-glace.jsp


For recipe with better result, please check out my other blog on Marrons Glaces Part Deux at http://rockdavinci.blogspot.com/2010/01/maron-glace-part-deaux.html

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Where to buy Canneles Baking Molds

I came across quite a few web forum asking where to buy the Canneles baking molds.     The molds are sold at limited number of places in US, I think. However, depending on how you spell the word "Canneles", the result group in web search engine differs.     By the way, there are Copper tin-lined mold, aluminum, non-stick aluminum, Copper and inox steel lined, gastroflex mold, and elastomold.     When you do an entry phrase in any of the web SEARCH ENGINE, you need to type: Canneles de Bordeaux molds or Caneles molds or Canneles copper tin mold.     The mold is sold individually and priced anywhere from $6 to $25, depending on who you are buying from.
Some of the sites are: **Some sites may have changed. Some might have discontinued.
Tip: Go to their Main Home Page and Do Search.

Interested in testing with Aluminum Cannele Molds?     Great affordable price at $4.99 ea.      How good is the mold?     I am not sure, yet.  I am waiting for my shipment (Purchased 12/29/2009 just now) from http://www.fantes.com/stacks.html



MYCHEFSFAVORITES thus far has the affordable copper tin-lined Canneles molds. 
http://www.mychefsfavorites.com/baking/cannele-and-charlotte/cannele--copper--tin-lined.html


http://culinary-direct.com/store/index.cfm?displayMode=catalog&action=search&viewmode=search&searchType=items&searchTerm=CANNELE

Other favorite sites are:
http://www.fantes.com/stacks.html
or
http://www.meilleurduchef.com/cgi/mdc/l/fr/boutique/produits/moule_cannele/index.html
The reason being that they do have promotional sales.
I am waiting for next group of Canneles molds to arrive to test my batch 9 and 10. Someone asked me whether I can use Low Fat Milk, etc.     Only a test will tell. However, I think in French cooking, the real butter and "whole" of something is the key to their wonderful rich taste.

So far, I have seen Canneles mold (moule in French) being sold individually.      I was very lucky to have acquired a set of 15 from France over e-Bay. It was a lucky buy.
I am interested in buying Copper Cannele Molds lined with inox steel, but I have not found anyone selling it.

Photo Journal of Canneles de Polly

Canneles de Bordeaux adventure continues - After 14th batch baking test of Canneles recipes and baking time, I finally found the right combination of sugar and temperature that produced wonderfully crunchy outer shell and custardy center.   There is a recipe that produces bread like texture of center of the Canneles, but after 14th batch of test baking two different recipes, I like the custardy center the best.


Here is the Photo Journal of Canneles Preparation Process - batch 15 - 20th:


Scald 3 Cups of whole milk and 1 TBSP of Vanilla Paste (or 1 Vanilla Bean).      Stir frequently to keep the milk from burning at the bottom and keep "the skin" from forming at the top.     When it reaches 180F. Turn off the heat and Add 3 TBSP of unsalted Butter.     Let it cool to lukewarm.     Make sure the milk mixture is cool to the touch.
Beat 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolks with 1-3/4 Cups of "Baker's Sugar."     It should become Lemony color.     All recipes called for "whisking" the egg, then add 3 TBSP of Dark RUM, but after 14th batch of testing, I find beating the eggs and Baker's Sugar brought a better result - the result is browning of outer shell -- "caramelizing".     Still need one more testing of just "whisk" together ingredients the same way the recipe called for.
 Get 2/3 Cup of Cake Flour ready.





Add egg mixture to the flour. Gently fold eggs into the flour.     It will look lumpy.


Make sure the milk mixture is cool to the touch.
Next, Add milk mixture to the flour mixture. Whisk to mix gently.


Strain the mixture.


Refrigerate for minimum of 12 hours. I've tested with 6 hours with my new recipe combination and it turned out satisfactory.     However, I noticed the difference in batter's aroma, it lacks the sweet mature aroma of rum and sugar when it is refrigerated less than 12 hours.
When ready to bake, bring it out to room temperature for minimum of 1 hour.

Coat each Canneles molds with unsalted melted butter or "beeswax and butter".
Tip**Leave the molds in the refrigerator for a few minute.   Although this image shows copper tin-coated canneles molds, I have acquired Non-Stick Aluminum canneles molds as well, and have successfully baked the Canneles in them.

 Preheat oven to 180C or 365F -- Electric Convection Oven brought the best results in testing last 5 batches.     Nice even brown and within a reasonable time.     Baking Canneles in Conventional GE Gas Oven/Stove worked out well, but the results have been a bit unpredictable.     But I am sure it is more than the temperature that played a role producing perfect Canneles, such as thickness of the baking pan that molds were sitting on, how many molds were on it, which height level the baking pan were set in... all these seemed to have tampered the result of the Canneles.


Use 1/3 Measuring Cup to scoop batter mixture into molds.
**Do not fill up the mold.
 Stir batter mixture often to make sure that flour mixtures are evenly distributed before scooping into molds.
Line up the molds on a baking pan with rim to catch butter spill during baking.
*I've used melted 100% pure beeswax and butter as the traditional recipe calls for.     I find the unsalted butter working just as well and giving the shell the "shine".     However, without beeswax mixed with butter coating Canneles Molds, Canneles tend to get stuck during demolding.    
Tip:  You can order 100% Pure Beeswax with no chemical additives at Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies, http://midtowngrid.com/sacbeekeeping/sacbeekeeping.shtml.     
* Never use Candle Wax from your ordinary candle.


This batch is baked in the conventional gas oven.    Make sure not to crowd the molds on the pan.    As you can see, the batter starts to puff up above the rim.

Baking period seems to be the most critical part of the Canneles baking.
Baking for 1 hr 30 min in gas oven still did not brown the Canneles -- the recipe from Foodnetwork's "Canneles de Bordeaux." Additional 15 to 20 min were required for pan of 15 canneles molds to become beautiful brown.

Towards the end of baking period, I took one out of mold to check the status of shell caramelization. Reverse the mold and tap it gently and Cannele should slide down. If it is still pale, I baked it longer; however, I noticed that the longer you bake, the tougher the center. Which is true with any custard or working with eggs. So, again, here the counter-top electric convection oven I bought brought the best timing in baking and in texture and taste.



These are the ones done in gas oven---after close to two hours of baking.


This batch is baked in my new counter-top electric convection oven.     Molds are non-stick aluminum coated with melted butter or" beeswax and butter" mixture.     After batch 14, I dared myself to come up with my own recipe mix.     This is Pumpkin Buttermilk Canneles de Polly.     I decided to honor my new convection oven with this recipe.
Tips:  Do not buy and use non-stick Cannele molds.  The fume from the teflon burning at 450'F is a killer. 

The result of Pumpkin Buttermilk Canneles de Polly is surprisingly delicious.     The recipe measurements were done after deduction of study of recipe of Canneles from www.MeilleurChef.com and Foodnetwork's "Canneles de Bordeaux" recipe and Gale Gand's recipe and of course, after 14th batch baking tests.



















This is the recipe of Foodnetwork's Canneles de Bordeaux that I baked in Batch 18, except I modified the way I mix and amount of sugar. As I mentioned above, I beat the eggs and sugar together till lemony rather than just "whisk" eggs and add rum. & increased the sugar from 1 Cup to 1-3/4 Cup. I think 1-2/3 Cup will do just well -- I will test that on the next batch.



















I hope this will add some flavor and encouragement to your adventure in Canneles baking. They are just YUMMMY!!