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. 

Rosemary Focaccia

The menu was Italian Vegetable soup - and sides. What to bring to the after-Christmas family gathering? For shared dinners I like to rely on my experience with the Kansas Wheat Commission to find a bread recipe to add to the meal. This time is was Rosemary Focaccia, not from the KWC, but inspired from working with a focaccia bread from the 2017 contest. 
Focaccia is a yeast bread, but not shaped into a loaf. Instead it is a large, round flat Italian bread, sprinkled with olive oil, salt and often herbs before baking. The recent popularity of the book (and Netflix series) Salt Fat Acid Heat describes cooking as the balance of these four edible elements. Focaccia is a great way to bring the fat of olive oil and salt of Kosher salt together with delicate flavors of herbs and hardiness of bread. 
This recipe is from onceuponachef.com. I used a lemon infused olive oil, next time I will use an herb infused oil. Do be sure to use a good quality olive oil. This is an easy bread to prepare, mostly kneaded in the mixer, but it does take time! I started at 6:15 a.m. to have this ready to leave home by 10:00.

Be sure to allow time for both rising times, before putting in the pan and after, that happen before baking time. 

ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

Servings: 24 (2 ½” x 3”) to serve 10-12 

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cup warm water

1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for oiling the bowl and drizzling on top

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 

Instructions: 

1.   Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl; stir to dissolve the sugar and yeast. Let sit about 10 minutes, until the mixture is foamy.

2.   In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, (or with a whisk in a bowl) combine the flour and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, mix briefly to combine. Combine the flour mixture, yeast mixture, and ½ cup of olive oil; mix with a dough hook on low speed until the dough comes together, then turn the speed up to medium and continue to knead for 5-6 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and soft. Sprinkle with a bit of flour if the dough is really sticky. 

3.   Transfer the dough to a clean, very lightly floured surface. Knead by hand briefly until the dough comes together into a smooth ball. 

4.   Clean the mixer bowl and coat the inside of the bowl with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Return the dough to the bowl, flipping once so that both the top and bottom of dough are lightly covered with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm, draft-free place until the dough has doubled in size, 1-2 hours. 

5.   Coat a 12”x16” rimmed baking sheet with ¼ cup of olive oil. (this will make the bottom crisp). Place the dough onto the prepared pan and begin pressing it out with your hands to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over a few times to coat both sides with olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan, then spread your fingers out and make impressions almost all the way through the dough. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the warm, draft-free spot again until the dough has puffed up and doubled in size, about 1 hour.

6.   While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Set the oven rack in the middle position. 

7.   Sprinkle the top of the focaccia with the remaining ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and rosemary, then lightly drizzle 1-2 teaspoons olive oil on top so it pools in the indentions. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into squares. Can be served with olive oil for dipping. 

Judging Yeast Breads

Everyone thinks it would be a fun and tasty job to judge 4-H foods at the state fair. Let me tell you, it is harder than it looks! This year I judged yeast breads, and thanks to helping with National Festival of Breads and the Kansas Wheat Commission, it was a fun and tasty job.

This blog will share some photos of the variety of breads I judged and give you some tips for your own baking with yeast breads. When judging, the judge looks for certain standards for each product as well as a product that is so unique and/or perfect that is stands out from the rest. The advice I give 4-Hers is that you probably won't win top awards with chocolate chip cookies or white dinner rolls or banana quick bread. Those are the most common things cooks enter and their entry has a harder time being noticed.

There is a complete "What Happened to the Yeast Bread?" chart at www.homebaking.org. It outlines problems such as too much or too little volume, pale or dark color, cracked or blistered crust, coarse or heavy or dry and crumbly texture, or poor flavor. The Kansas Wheat Commission also has good references and recipes (http://nationalfestivalofbreads.com/recipes)  Check out those sites for specific concerns, but here are some general tips for the best yeast bread product:

* yeast - measure accurately, use correct temperature for water or flour mixing, be sure yeast if fresh.
* Check the oven temperature. Use an oven thermometer to be sure it is correct and place the bread in the center of the oven.
* Measure accurately! Too much sugar or salt can greatly affect the outcome. This is not a time to try to adjust the recipe. Flour should be 'fluffed' with a whisk to lighten it and measure more correctly. Weigh ingredients for the most accurate measurement.
* Temperature is very important with yeast breads - for the yeast to dissolve, for the bread to rise, as well as baking.
* Kneading is also important. Kneading develops the gluten and helps distribute the ingredients. Under kneading or mixing will give you a heavy textured bread or a crumbly and dry loaf.
* Careful shaping gives the bread an attractive appearance. Judges look for dinner rolls that are the same shape and size. Weighing the dough when making the rolls is a good way to achieve this. Loaf breads are rolled out like you might for cinnamon rolls, then rolled into a loaf shape with the ends tucked under. Be sure to roll tightly or there will be holes in the loaf.

There were several Challah breads - quite a challenge for 4-Hers. 

Multigrain Sourdough Boule

This was one of the most unusual. Bird Seed Bread.
The topping is assorted seeds or grains such as millet, poppy seeds, sesame seeds. 

Poppy Seed Twist loaf was another method of
a shaped loaf. 

Kansas Style Bierrocks

Bierrocks, Runzas, krautburger, fleischliche, stuffed rolls, what ever you call them, this is a true midwest comfort food. With the weather teasing spring but keeping temperatures chilly, it was time for a warm, comforting supper. This recipe by Mariam Rubin, a food journalist for the Pittsburgh (PA) Post-Gazette, combines an easy dough with a savory midwest favorite.  Ms. Rubin had visited Kansas and the Kansas Wheat Commission to learn about wheat and flour and discovered our Kansas and Nebraska favorite. Her recipe adds some whole wheat flour and features a Kansas Wheat Commission dough recipe. There's also a neat trick for rolling out the dough so it doesn't stick to the surface!

HOT POCKETS – KANSAS BIERROCKS

Bierrocks:

For the Dough:

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup lukewarm water (105° - 115°)

4 tablespoons butter cut up and softened

2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fine table salt

2 – 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

For the Filling:

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1 pound lean ground beef

2 cups finely shredded cabbage

½ cup finely chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

1 teaspoon kosher salt or ¾ teaspoon fine table salt

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Hot pepper sauce, to taste

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 3 - 5 minutes until frothy.

Stir in butter, sugar and salt. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and beat at medium speed until smooth. At low speed, beat in whole-wheat flour and as much remaining white flour until dough comes together in a ball.

Knead with dough hook or by hand, adding additional flour, as needed, 6 – 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover dough in bowl and let rest 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Crumble in beef and cook until the pink color is gone. Mix in cabbage, onion, garlic (if using), salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until vegetables are tender. Drain well and cool slightly. Taste, adding salt and pepper, plus hot sauce, as needed. The mixture shouldn’t be spicy, just well-seasoned.

Punch dough down. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a heavy baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Lightly grease counter or a large plastic cutting board with shortening or cooking spray. Stretch and roll the dough to a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Cut into six 4-inch squares.

Place ½ cup filling on each square. Pick up the corners of each square and pinch together. Pinch each diagonal seam so square is sealed well, making a fat bun. Place seam-side down on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until well browned on top and on sides. Serve warm or freeze and reheat.

 

Here are the steps for wrapping the meat mixture.
Notice the oiled plastic cutting sheet - it kept the dough
 from sticking to the surface it was rolled on.
1. Roll out, cut into squares
2. Add meat mixture
3. Pinch corners together
4. Seal edges

Turn the sealed edges down for baking

This was a good comfort meal for a cool evening with bierrocks, fried potatoes and onions,
and salad with ranch dressing.