Panettone – a Proper One

It’s a labor of love making one of these Panettone, the delightful gorgeous looking Christmas season bread from Milan. A few years ago I made one based on my knowledge and experience in baking and treated it like a regular sourdough bread. It was ok, not what I had envisioned though and not a proper…… Continue reading Panettone – a Proper One

Pretzel Mini Batards

I wanted to have some good buns on hand for a package of Bockwurts made by the good folks at Olympia Provisions. What I did not want was to go to the store and buy any bread. It was still early in the day and I knew the Bouchon Bakery book recipe for soft pretzels…… Continue reading Pretzel Mini Batards

Hot Cross buns

They look cool and are pretty simple to make, hot cross buns are in the family of enriched fruit/nut breads that are typically associated with a holiday of some sort. Others in this family include breads like Stollen, Panettone and various other European confections. I love them all. Hot cross buns are an Easter specialty…… Continue reading Hot Cross buns

Naturally Leavened Panettone

This is another recipe from this past holiday season and it is worth recording for reference (and I got it posted before the end of January!). It worked very good but I will need to change a few things next time around, so a quick record of it is a good idea. Usually I make…… Continue reading Naturally Leavened Panettone

Greens, Pumpkin and Rice Torta

If I had to pick all time favorite vegetarian meals they would have to be Mediterranean. They probably focus on lots of greens and wrapped in thin flatbread or dough (proper Falafel is probably on the top of that list). This Italian gem of a recipe from Paula Wolfert is one of those recipes and…… Continue reading Greens, Pumpkin and Rice Torta

Bread: 100% Rye Starter, Tartine and No-Knead Brioche

It’s time for a proper bread baking post. It’s been a long time since I’ve dedicated an entry to bread and the last one was not that informative. It’s truly fascinating as to how much we can do to stretch the capabilities of what flour and water with a bit of bacteria (yeast) can do. The…… Continue reading Bread: 100% Rye Starter, Tartine and No-Knead Brioche

French Laundry: ‘Coffee and Donuts’

Yeah, foam is a crazy new fad. Afterall, no chef was making any food with “foam” ten or 50 years ago. Right? Well, no. Wrong. Foam in cooking, baking and beverages is everywhere. Sometimes it is obvious like a nice froth on a cappuccino. Other times, like in this dessert, it’s a bit less recognizable.…… Continue reading French Laundry: ‘Coffee and Donuts’