Category: Bakery

French Bread

Created on 11/11/2023

Ingredients:

  • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (9 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (4 grams) (use honey if you prefer)
  • 1 ¼ cups warm water (300 grams)
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons (8 grams) kosher salt
  • 2 ½ to 3 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour (400 grams) plus extra for dusting  (see recipe notes)

Instructions:

Step One: Combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in a large mixing bowl (you can also use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook)

Step Two: Let the yeast proof for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is foamy

Step Three: Add flour to bowl. Mix with a sturdy spatula until the dough starts to come together, then add salt and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. For best results, mix until no dry bits of flour remain. Note: This is a relatively slack (wet) dough, so it may seem a bit shaggy and sticky at this point. Don’t worry – it will become more smooth and elastic as we go!

Step Four: Cover bowl with a clean tea towel and let rise on the counter for about 1 hour, until dough has doubled in size

Step Five: When dough has risen, lightly flour a large cutting board. Tip the dough out of the bowl and onto the cutting board. DO NOT PUNCH THE DOUGH DOWN – you want to keep all those nice air bubbles intact so you have an airy, delicious loaf of bread. (Note: If the dough is sticking to the bowl a little bit, wet your hand with a bit of cold water and gently separate the dough from the bowl to get it all out)

Step Six: Shape the dough into a round loaf: Pull each corner of the dough in towards the center (like you’re folding an envelope) and repeat until the dough feels tight and begins to resist your folds. Flip the dough over and pull it into a round loaf. Watch the video(s) above to see exactly how we do this

Step Seven: Flour a proofing basket or a medium bowl and place your loaf into it seam-side down. Cover with a tea towel and let rise another 30 minutes or so while you preheat the oven. Note: I like to line my proofing basket or mixing bowl with a clean linen napkin to distribute the flour more evenly and help with cleanup

Step Eight: While bread is rising, place an empty dutch oven (with the lid on) in your oven and heat to 460 degrees Fahrenheit

Step Nine: When the oven is hot, you’re ready to go! Use oven mitts to pull the dutch oven out and remove the lid

Step Ten: Lay a piece of parchment paper down on your counter or cutting board (optional – it makes transferring the bread easier!)

Step Eleven: Tip your bread dough gently out of the proofing basket onto the parchment paper. Make sure the seam side is up this time – this is what will create those beautiful cracks on top of the bread

Step Twelve: VERY CAREFULLY (without burning yourself!) use the sides of the parchment to lift the bread up and place it into the hot Dutch oven

Step Thirteen: Put your oven mitts back on, place the dutch oven lid back on the pot, and slide the whole thing back into your hot oven

Step Fourteen: Cook bread for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid from your dutch oven. The bread should be taller, crusty, and very lightly browned. Continue cooking the bread, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes more until the bread has deepened in color and you have a beautiful brown crust

Step Fifteen: When bread is done, use oven mitts to pull the pot out of your oven. Use a long spatula or the corners of your parchment paper to lift the bread out of the dutch oven and onto a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it. Slice, slather with butter, and enjoy!

Notes: Measure the flour by weight instead of cups. You can use instant yeast for this recipe, use 1 1/2 teaspoons instead. The best flour for this recipe is King Arthur All Purpose Flour. You can add garlic , nuts or spices to this recipe.

Blueberry Bagels

Created on 2/15/2021

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups warm water (105 – 110 degrees)
  • 1 (1/4 ounce) packet of instant dry yeast
  • 5 cups bread flour
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 large egg white

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

Instead of blueberries, you can substitute chocolate chips or keep the bagel plain.

Instructions:

Step One: Combine 2 cups of bread flour, yeast, honey, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Mix on low and slowly add 2 more cups of flour

Step Two: Mix on low until most of the loose flour has been worked into the dough and the dough looks shredded, about 2 minutes. Add the blueberries. Dough may get wet as they incorporate, add more flour as necessary. Increase the speed to medium low and continue mixing until the dough is stiff, smooth, and elastic, about 8 to 9 minutes more. Add more flour if necessary

Step Three: Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a large oiled bowl, and turn it to coat in oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place, until it is puffy and springs back when you poke it, about 20 minutes. It will not double in size

Step Four: While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 425°F. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer. Cover until you’re ready to boil the bagels. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper greased with oil or cooking spray. Place a metal rack inside of a second baking sheet and set aside

Step Five: Turn the risen dough out onto a dry surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 3 ounces each, for smaller bagels, or into 8 pieces, about 4 ounces each for larger bagels. Roll each piece into a 9-inch-long rope, lightly moisten the ends with water, overlap the ends by about 1 inch, and press to join so you’ve created a bagel. As necessary, widen the hole in the middle so it is approximately the size of a quarter. Cover the shaped bagels with a damp towel and let rest 10 minutes

Step Six: After resting, stretch the dough to retain the quarter-size hole (the dough will have risen a bit) and boil the bagels, taking care not to overcrowd the pan (I could only boil 2 at a time). Make sure they have room to bob around. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side until the bagels have a shriveled look, then remove to the baking sheet with the rack in it. Adjust heat as necessary so the water stays at a simmer

Step Seven: Stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Once all of the bagels have been boiled, whisk together 1 tablespoon water and the egg white until evenly combined. Brush the egg white mixture onto the bagels. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the bagels

Step Eight: Arrange the bagels on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 1-inch apart and bake. You may need to do it in two rounds. Rotate the pan after 15 minutes and bake until the bagels are a deep caramel color and have formed a crust on the bottom and top, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes so the interiors finish cooking and the crusts form a chewy exterior

Burger Buns

Created on 11/18/2022

Ingredients:

  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast)
  • 1 pound all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup warm water (105 degrees)
  • 2 large eggs, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 1/4 salt
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions:

Step 1: Place yeast into a bowl of a large stand mixer; whisk in 1/2 cup flour and warm water until smooth. Let stand until mixture is foamy, 10 to 15 minutes

Step 2: Whisk 1 egg, melted butter, sugar, and salt thoroughly into the yeast mixture. Add remaining flour (about 3 cups)

Step 3: Fit a dough hook onto stand mixer and knead the dough on low speed until soft and sticky, 5 to 6 minutes. Scrape sides if needed. Poke and prod the dough with a silicone spatula; if large amounts of dough stick to the spatula, add a little more flour

Step 4: Transfer dough onto a floured work surface; dough will be sticky and elastic but should not stick to your fingers. Gently form dough into a smooth, round shape, tucking loose ends underneath

Step 5: Wipe out the stand mixer bowl and drizzle in olive oil. Place dough in the bowl and turn it several times until the surface is thinly coated with oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours

Step 6: Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper

Step 7: Transfer dough to a floured work surface and pat to flatten any bubbles; form into a slightly rounded, 5×10-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Dust dough lightly with flour if needed and cut into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a round shape, gently tucking ends underneath as before

Step 8: Use your hands to gently pat and stretch the dough rounds into flat, 1/2-inch-thick discs. Arrange buns about 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Dust buns very lightly with flour. Drape a piece of plastic wrap over the baking sheet (do not seal tightly). Let buns rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour

Step 9: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)

Step 10: Beat remaining egg with milk in a small bowl, using a fork, until mixture is thoroughly combined. Very gently and lightly brush tops of buns with egg wash without deflating the risen dough. Sprinkle each bun with sesame seeds

Step 11: Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on top, 15 to 17 minutes. Buns will stick together slightly where they touch. Let cool completely. Tear the buns apart and slice in half crosswise to serve

Notes: These freeze great. Keep in a gallon size freezer bag. When ready to use, take the amount you need out of the freezer bag and allow to thaw on a paper towel for 30 min to an hour. Buns can be microwaved for 30 seconds for a quicker thaw method.