The Wonder of White Bread - Baking with Julia

My first experience in baking bread was back in the early ’90s in a tiny kitchen apartment in Montana.  I’m not even sure if the kitchen had two workable feet of counter space.  Not sure why, but I felt compelled to know how to bake my own bread.  Flash forward twenty years and I’m back in the kitchen baking white bread reminiscing about my first loaves of bread and how proud I was to have accomplished that feat. 

Yeast mixture 

Just add flour, the KitchenAid was working overtime

With the abundance of great artisan breads available in the markets,  I have not done a lot of bread baking the past 10 or so years.  With that being said, what I have baked in the last five years has been in the Cuisinart Bread Machine.  So it was with a little fear and trepidation that I approached the White Bread recipe for the first Baking with Julia challenge.  Would baking bread be like riding a bicycle?  What about kneading, are my arms strong enough to handle it?  Would it be therapeutic and all my frustrations from the past 18 months would disappear into the dough?  Why is it every time I tell someone I’m a “Banker” they immediately respond how great it must be to be a “Baker”.  Should I be reevaluating my career choice?  So many questions and only the dough would know the answers.

Roll out to shape

Tucked away nicely and ready for a warm resting place

Ready to bake!

I’m happy to report that yes, baking bread is like riding a bicycle and gets easier with age unlike riding a bike which seems so much more complicated with age (balance, helmets, hearing, eyesight).  Within a few minutes of compiling and mixing ingredients it was all coming back to me.  The kneading was not as tough as I remembered, and though it was therapeutic it did not do away with 18 months of frustration.  When the finished product was done and the aroma of freshly baked bread filled the kitchen, I remembered why the labor of bread baking is so treasured.  A sense of complete satisfaction beamed from me when I removed the two perfectly golden, crusty white loaves from the oven.  I could not help but grin from ear-to-ear when I cut into my loaf and found that the texture was near perfect, no big holes or gaps for the toppings to fall or drip through.  It was the same feeling of victory I had from my first loaves of bread twenty years ago.

I really need a better studio for photographs, but they loaves were gorgeous

 My career is still undetermined, but who knows maybe between French Friday’s with Dorie and Baking with Julia  my career will find its own evolution and reinvention in something other than the world of finance.

Completely cooked, nice crust, and near perfect texture

To read more, or join the group  Baking with Julia (aka Tuesday’s with Dorie):

http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/lyl-white-loaves/#comments

For the recipe:

Go to slush and  Someone’s in the Kitchen.

Viennoiseries - Brioche with Seared Ahi and Asian Slaw

Brioche with Seared Ahi and Asian Slaw

Viennoiseries, or “things of Vienna,” are baked goods made with a yeast rising dough but have added ingredients, such as eggs, butter, milk, cream and sugar, that give them a sweeter, deeper, and pastry like quality.  They are usually eaten as a snack or at breakfast.

Buttery, Rich, Fresh Brioche

Brioche is of the “Viennoiseries” family.  They are light and fluffy, with a buttery like quality that causes them to melt in your mouth, and make a wonderful breakfast accompaniment or side to a nice charcuterie platter.  Day-old brioche can elevate an ordinary bread pudding or French toast to a more elegant level and form.

Seared Ahi Brioche Slider 

Fresh brioche can also be the perfect platform for your “sliders,” whether beef, turkey, or seared-ahi tuna.  La Brasserie is one of our favorite lunch spots in the Palm Springs region, and it serves a delectable Seared-Ahi Tuna Burger on Brioche with a side of Asian Slaw.    Since we were making brioche for this week’s French Fridays with Dorie, I decided to make my version of the La Brasserie favorite.     

Some notes about making brioche:

Don’t under-knead the dough; it needs kneading to become light and fluffy.

Dough needs to work it's way all the way up dough hook -
great photo of how this should look in Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan

The dough needs to rest overnight – plan accordingly. 

After an overnight resting the dough is divided into 12 pieces

After resting overnight, the dough needs a little bit more time to rise before baking.  Rest the dough another hour or so after you put it into the brioche tins. 

Each of the 12 pieces is cut into 3 pieces and rolled into balls

Balls are placed into muffin tins, or Brioche tins for an additional rest

After about an hour, the Brioche has filled the tin

The bubble-top brioche does not work well for sandwiches.  The bubbles tend to separate and allow your sandwich ingredients to drop onto your plate, if you are lucky, or your lap, if you are not.  So for a brioche sandwich, use a small loaf shaped tin and don’t shape with a bubble-top. 

A glass of sparkling wine always enhances the baking process, and I find some “Midnight in Paris” music is just right for creating a “Paris” baking mood.

The recipe for Bubble Top Brioche can be found in Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan, or by clicking on:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bubble-Top-Brioches-355196

To read more French Fridays with Dorie experiences with Bubble Top Brioche:

www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com

My recipe for the Asian Slaw is as follows:

Asian Slaw

 Asian Slaw -Serves 4

1 Tablespoon Honey

2 Tablespoons Wasabi Paste/Cream

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 Thai Green Chile – seeded

1 Red Chile - seeded

Zest of one Tangelo (or orange)

Segments from Tangelo (or orange)

Sesame Seeds

Broccoli Slaw

For the dressing, combine the honey, wasabi, and soy sauce in a bowl and mix until all ingredients are combined and smooth.

Add Thai green chile, red chile, and broccoli slaw to the dressing and toss.  Next add the tangelo (or orange) zest, tangelo (or orange) segments, and sesame seeds.  Lightly fold these ingredients into the dressed broccoli slaw. 

The Asian Slaw is now ready to serve.  If you have basil, mint, or peanuts on hand, they make a beautiful and tasty garnish to the Asian Slaw.

Place dressing in bottom of bowl

Add chiles to dressing

Ready to serve

Just add Sake and lunch is ready!