tick, tock...

We started the bread block 2 weeks ago with quick breads.  The breads that we made last week were yeast breads which took about 2-4 hours to make.  We are making sourdough breads this week.  Even if you disregard the process of making the sourdough starter (Levain for you french majors), these breads still represent a 24+ hour process.  These are typically the more favorable breads due to the long fermentation time.  Good things come to those that wait...

rose to the occasion...

I had practical test #2 in the yeast bread block today. The Challah (Holl-a) bread braid went pretty well but the Brioche is still a work in progress.  Our final exam next Friday is a bread of our own creation.  The only requirement is that it be a yeast bread and it needs to represent the things we personally desire in bread - flavors, texture, etc.  Yikes.  I'm not quite sure where to start but I'll let you know how it goes.

mojitos in cake form....

Baba and Savarin cakes are soaked in a rum spiked sugar water flavored with citrus and cinnamon sticks.  They are literally soaked in a large pot until completely saturated. The Savarin is a plain, ring cake (about the size and shape of a small donut). The Baba cake has marinated raisins in the dough and it is typically topped with fruit or creme chantilly (whipped cream). It's the size of a small cupcake but much more fun.

not your basic fruitcake....

We made Stollen and Kugelhopf bread today. Stollen bread is typically served at Christmas and it has German roots back to the 1300s.  It is full of fruit that has been marinated in sugar and rum. Yikes. 

Kugelhopf is from Austria and it is baked in various versions of a bundt tin. It's a light, sweet cake with shaved almonds on the edges.  Both breads are better suited for breakfast than for dinner. What a way to start the day.

i can braid bread but not hair....

Challah (Holl-a) means "offering" in Hebrew and it is commonly served at Jewish holidays. The original Challah bread was braided with 3 strands of dough which represented Truth, Peace and Justice. The Challah loaf that I did was with 8 strands.  The loaf in the picture is about 10 inches in length. If you like the taste of butter, you'll like this bread.

not bad buns for an old guy....

The breads from last week were lean breads (yeast, water, flour, salt). This week, the breads are enriched, with the emphasis on rich.  We did sticky buns, cinnamon buns and a cinnamon swirl loaf today. Life was more fun when I didn't know how much butter and eggs went into these guys.  I'm just doing my part for the dairy industry.  Note: we have been told, in so many terms, to erase the word margarine from our vocabulary.  OK; done

happy feet....

Week 4 is history. Today's practical exam included baguettes made from standard French dough and dinner roll knots made from Pain Au Lait dough.  It went very well.

I spend the majority of each day on my feet. The standard issue shoes are heavy, steel toed clunkers. Some of my running buddies chipped in and got me a gift certificate for some Birkenstock chef shoes.  They are very comfortable - and fashionable, too. They go very well with my checked chef pants!