Tart Cherry, Pecan and Rosemary Boule - NFOB

National Festival of Breads photo

"This is a perfect introductory artisan style bread with unique flavors that will leave the baker feeling that they really made something special", said Kristin Hoffman of Chicago. Her entry in the National Festival of Breads was the next recipe I made from the collection of this summer's contest.

"Boule" is defined as (1) a metal ball used in the French game of boules, or (2) a round loaf of crusty bread. Indeed the finished loaf did look like a squashed ball, but luckily was very tasty. The traditional boule is often a sourdough bread but for this recipe we use the sponsor company Red Star's yeast.

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 ¼ cups KING ARTHUR® Premium 100% Whole Wheat Flour
• 3 cups, minus 1 ½ tablespoons KING ARTHUR® Unbleached Bread Flour
• 1 2/3 cups water
•  ¾ cup finely chopped toasted pecans
• 1 cup finely chopped dried tart cherries
• 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 (¼ ounce) package RED STAR® Platinum Superior Baking Yeast®
• 2 tablespoons warm water (110°F – 115°F)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 – 3 tablespoons white rice flour, for dusting

Directions

Kristin blogs under the name Baker Bettie

1. Combine in large mixing bowl whole wheat flour, bread flour and 1 2/3 cups water. Stir until shaggy and sticky. Do not add extra flour. Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap; let set for 30 minutes.
2. Sprinkle pecans, cherries, rosemary and salt over dough.
3. In small bowl, whisk yeast and 2 tablespoons warm water together. Stir yeast and honey into dough. Incorporate ingredients by stretching andfolding the dough over itself. Gently knead dough in bowl 3 – 4 minutes. The dough remains sticky but avoid adding more flour. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes.
4. To fold dough: Moisten hand, reach underneath the dough, and pull up until you feel resistance. Fold it over top of dough. Turn bowl slightly, making one full turn, to form a tightened ball. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 1 hour.
5. Dust a round 9-inch banneton basket thoroughly with rice flour. Alternatively, line a bowl with a non-terry kitchen towel dusted with flour. Moisten hand, gently perform another round of folds to form a tightened ball, without deflating the dough. Pinch seam together. Place hand over top of seam and invert bowl; transfer dough to basket, seam-side up. Cover with greased plastic wrap; let rise 60 – 90 minutes.
6. Position oven racks in center and bottom. Place baking stone on bottom rack and preheat oven to 425°F for a minimum of 1 hour. To check if loaf is finished rising: press finger in dough, ½-inch deep. If dough springs back immediately it needs extra time. If dough springs back slowly, loaf is ready.
7. Gently tip the dough out onto a piece of parchment. Score top with a lame or very sharp knife in a tic-tac-toe slash or cross-hatch pattern.
8. Transfer dough on parchment and place into a cold, 4-quart Dutch oven. Cover with lid and bake on center rack 35 minutes. Remove lid and bake 5 – 15 minutes, until crust is dark and crispy and internal temperature is 200°F – 205°F. Cool on rack before slicing.

Yield

1 large loaf, 20 servings.

The following photos are my process:

Adding pecans, cherries, rosemary and salt to the dough.

After folding in the ingredients, the dough rises
in a towel lined bowl. 

The bread is baked on parchment in a dutch oven.

After baking it is dark and crispy. 

The process made a yummy hearty bread. 

Chai Ube Rosette Rolls - NFOB

National Festival of Breads photo

Baking for others is a special kind of friendship, and baking with others is also special. At a recent friends weekend gathering my quilting friends and I not only enjoyed visiting several quilt shops, but also a wonderful brunch, a piano duet recital, 3 movies, and baking these Chai Ube Rolls. 
I was anxious to try this recipe with the ube - purple sweet potato - but haven't found it in our stores yet. But luckily our Denver friend found it and we enjoyed the ube in these rolls as well as for a side dish with one dinner. Orange sweet potatoes may be substituted for the purple ube. 
The shaping of these rolls is wonderful. I will try this with other doughs. Three circles are overlapped and rolled, then cut in two. This makes two rosettes that shape out beautifully as they rise. RaChelle Hubsmith of Utah was the champion winner in the Home Baker Division and Public Choice Award winner with this recipe. 

Chai Ube Rosette Rolls                      

Our finished rolls

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup boiled and mashed Ube purple yam (about 2 medium)
• ¼ cup warm water (110°F – 115°F)
• 2 (¼ ounce) packages RED STAR® Platinum Superior Baking Yeast®
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¾ cup whole milk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 4 – 4 ½ cups KING ARTHUR® Unbleached Bread Flour

Topping

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup honey
• Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. Wash yams. In saucepan, cook yams in water until tender, drain, remove skin and mash. Set aside to cool.
2. In small bowl, whisk together warm water, yeast and sugar. Wait 5 – 10 minutes for mixture to proof.
3. In small saucepan, warm milk on medium-low until scalded (180°F). Stir in butter until melted. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Mix in brown sugar, mashed yam, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, cloves and black pepper. Mix in egg and yeast mixture until combined.
4. Exchange whisk attachment for dough hook. Gradually beat in flour until a soft dough forms. Knead 10 minutes. Transfer dough to large greased bowl. Cover; let rise until doubled.
5. Deflate dough. On floured work surface, roll dough into 24” x 18” rectangle. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
6. Using 3 ½” round cutter or wide mouth canning jar ring, cut 36 circles. Place 3 circles in a vertical row, slightly overlapping edges. Starting on short side, roll up dough and seal edges. Make one vertical cut in center to form 2 rosettes. Place each in well-greased, 12-cup muffin tins. Repeat with remaining circles. Re-roll scraps. Cover rosettes with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
7. Near the end of the rise, preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 12 – 15 minutes. Remove rolls to a rack to cool.
8. To make topping: Soften butter and stir in honey. Brush over warm rolls. Garnish with mint leaves.

Here is the process we did: 

dough is rolled out

rounds are cut - isn't this a pretty pink color? 

shaped, ready to rise

after the rise, ready to bake

baked, ready for the glaze

Blackberry Ginger Speculaas Danish Wreath - NFOB

Merry baked the wining entry in the
Food Blogger division! 

If you love the smell of break baking, like getting new recipes, looking at kitchen gadgets, visiting with friends, and watching presentations about all sorts of baking, then the National Festival of Breads was the place to be last week. And I was lucky enough to be there assisting a finalist in her temporary kitchen in the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan. 

It really is a fun and inspiring event. Eight finalists chosen from hundreds of submitted orginal recipes across the U.S. came to Kansas to learn more about wheat farming and milling and bake their entry for judges. Sponsored by the Kansas Wheat Commission with support from King Arthur Flour and Red Star Yeast along with several other donors, this bi-annual event brings hundreds of viewers to enjoy the day. 

This is the consistency of the 'slurry' of cooked liquid
and flour to go into the other ingredients. 

I always enjoy helping a contestant because I learn so much from their techniques. This year I saw the Tangzhong method of mixing dough. This is an Asian yeast bread technique we're hearing more about in American kitchens now. This method brings a new level of softness and tenderness to baked breads. With this technique a small percentage of the flour and liquid (water or milk) is cooked very briefly before combining the resulting thick slurry with the remaining ingredients. This re-gelatinizes the starches in the flour, meaning they can absorb more water. Heating the starch with water also creates structure, so it is able to hold onto that extra liquid throughout the kneading, baking, and cooling processes. This makes the dough less sticky and easier to knead, the bread may rise higher, and it stays soft and fresh longer. See the King Arthur website for more information about this method and some other recipes. 

Another thing I learned was about Specvulaas Spice, a new popular flavor that has Dutch origins. You can make your own (ingredients are listed at the end of this bread recipe) or buy it from King Arthur. 
If you aren't familiar with King Arthur Flour company, check out their website. There is lots of information as well as great recipes there. Their products are also superior quality. 

This entry is ready to go to the judges! 

BLACKBERRY GINGER SPECULAAS DANISH WREATH

Ingredients:

Spiced Dough:

3 ½ - 3 ¾ cups King Arthur unbleached Bread Flour, divided

½ cup water

1  (¼ oz) package Red Star Platinum Superior Baking Yeast

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup whole milk (115-120 degrees F.)

1 large egg

2 tablespoons cornstarch 

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon King Arthur Speculaas Spice

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Blackberry Speculaas Filling:

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup dark brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons King Arthur Speculaas Spice

2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

¼ cup blackberry seedless jam or preserves

2 tablespoons finely chopped crystalized ginger

¾ cup halved fresh blackberries

Lemon Glaze: 

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1-2 tablespoons whole milk

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Pinch of fine sea salt

Garnish:

Fresh blackberries

Fresh thyme sprigs

Grated zest of ½ lemon

Directions:

1.   In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk 3 tablespoons flour and water until thick. Transfer to bowl of stand mixer. Let cool to 120 degrees F. 

2.   Using paddle attachment, stir in 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, butter, milk, egg, cornstarch, lemon zest, vanilla, Speculaas, salt and ginger; mix on low speed 2 minutes. Scrape bowl. 

3.   Switch to dough hook; add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead 5-6 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover, let rise until doubled.

4.   Line an extra-large baking sheet with parchment, and place it on top of another extra-large baking sheet, to prevent over-browning of bottom crust. Grease the outside of a 3” oven-safe ramekin and invert into center. 

5.   For filling: in small bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, Speculaas, flour and zest until smooth. 

6.   On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into 20” x 12” rectangle. Spread filling over dough, then jam, leaving ½” border. Sprinkle on ginger and halved blackberries. Starting at the 20” side, roll dough into tight log; pinch edges to seal. 

7.   Wrap log, seam-side down, around ramekin. Pinch ends together. Cut 12, 1 ½ “ slices, ¾ of the way to center leaving center circle attached. To form heart-shape rolls, twist first roll to the left, and place spiral facing up. Twist roll on the right of spiral to the right, and place spiral facing up. Repeat until 6 large hearts are formed. Cover; let rise until almost doubled. 

8.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 30 – 35 minutes until golden, rotating pan halfway through baking. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before sliding to rack. After 15 minutes, remove ramekin and parchment; let cool. 

9.   For lemon glaze: In small bowl, whisk together ingredients and drizzle over wreath. Decorate with blackberries and thyme. Before serving, finely grate lemon over wreath. Store in refrigerator. 

Yield: 1 wreath, 12 servings. 

·     To make your own Speculaas: Whisk together 2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ground white pepper (optional), ¼ teaspoon ground anise, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom. Store in sealable container. 

Storage Tip:  Wrap individual rolls in parchment paper and place in sealed container; refrigerate up to 7 days. To reheat: Leave individual roll on paper, and heat in microwave, on HIGH, 10 seconds. Serve immediately. 

Rising Tip: Place kneaded dough in lightly oiled 8-cup container and cover. When the dough has risen to the 8-cup mark, it is ready to form! 

Merry rolling the dough with filling.

Shaping the spiral hearts of dough. 

Hot soup for a Hygge evening

     There's been a lot of social medial discussion about Hygge this winter. Hygge is a Danish term (pronounced hoo-gah) and a Scandinavian practice to create a cozy atmosphere during the long winter. The Scandinavian origin is to "cherish oneself, to keep or make one's self snug". It is about enjoying simple pleasures of friends, family and graciousness. The Danes are said to be the happiest people in the world, so they must be on to something. 

    Although our winters aren't usually terribly long like theirs, and our temps this year have bounced from 6 degrees to 60 degrees, I thought this sounded like a good idea. What's not to like about soft music, candles, warm decor, popcorn, hot and hardy foods, and warm drinks? 

     So for a recent UMW gathering, that is what we planned. To focus on a conscious appreciation of just being present and to simply enjoy being together. I promised no business meeting, just asked women of our church to come and enjoy an evening together. We dimmed the lights in a classroom, brought in softer seating and an electric flame heater (to mimic an old fashioned warm stove), and the office secretary brought her beautiful vases of Valentine flowers. We enjoyed visiting, a short devotional, and some chair yoga. Warm soups and tasty desserts (as well as some leftover Valentine's Day candy) were the meal. 

I made this Southwest Potato-Corn Chowder as well as the
Toasted Cardamon Nordic Crown bread from NFOB.

SOUTHWEST POTATO-CORN CHOWDER

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 ½ pounds red potatoes (about 5), peeled, cubed

1 small onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 can (10¾ oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

3 cups milk

8 oz pasteurized process cheese food (like Velveeta)

1 package (10 oz) frozen corn, thawed

¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:

Cook bacon in a large saucepan until crisp, stirring frequently. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in pan. Drain bacon on paper towels.

Add potatoes, onions and celery to drippings; cook and stir 2 minutes.

Stir in soup and milk; bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients; cook 5 minutes or until process cheese food is completely melted and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Note: I increased the amounts slightly for our gathering, more potatoes and milk. You can thin with additional milk or chicken broth if the chowder gets too thick. You could also add some chopped chicken along with the cheese food, corn and pepper. 

This soup stays warm well in the slow cooker

We enjoyed eating as well as visiting!