September 2019: Basic Baguette Bread Recipe

Baguettes can be tricky but I’m here to tell you to forget goals of perfection and just get on with yo’ baking selves. There is no reason to let authenticity keep you from making things. I believe it’s far better to fumble through something with decent success than to avoid it all together and be dependent. Perfection often stands in the way of progress. Just try and and you’ll find yourself well on the way to becoming a more competent human. Yes, still far from perfect but more capable and self-reliant which seems like a good first step toward reducing your personal footprint and living a more sustainable lifestyle.

You’re shocked right? Who knew you could get so eco-friendly from baking baguette? Hey, you gotta start somewhere. And if you’re not convinced on the lifestyle, maybe you’ll be inspired by convenience. The great things about have baguettes in your life (besides crostinis) is the easy in feeding a crowd. I got two words for you: Sub and Sandwiches…

This baguette recipe was perfect for shaping long, beautiful loaves.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour (extra for dusting your surface and as necessary)
• 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

Directions:

Phase 1

1. In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, and yeast together.
2. Add the warm water and mix to form a shaggy dough ball.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 8 to 12 hours or overnight in a cool environment like a basement. (You can place it in your fridge, but remove it and let it come to room temperature for a few hours before starting the next phase.)

Phase 2

1. Remove the plastic wrap and carefully dump the dough out onto a floured surface.
2. Divide the dough in half and gently work one piece at a time into a long 16 inch length baguette loaf. (For shaping tips click here.
3. Place on an oiled baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 30 minutes.
4. Repeat the process with the second piece of dough.

Phase 3

1. Place a small bread pan with an inch of water in the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F. (The pan of water will help create a crispy crust that you want for the exterior of your baguettes. You can read about creating crispy crusts at home by clicking here.)
2. When the oven is ready, remove the plastic wrap, score the tops of your baguettes and place the baking sheet with the loaves in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes, carefully remove the pan of water from the oven and continue baking for another 10 to 15 more minutes until the crust is a golden brown.
4. Carefully remove the baguettes from the baking sheet and let them cool on a wire rack before cutting into them.

And now that you have your baguettes you can make epic sub sandwiches! Perhaps it was grow-up experiencing Subway’s party sub at childhood birthday parties but I’ve forever thought the execution wicked long sandwiches was brilliant for crowd feeding. Just cut it lengthwise and top it with the goody of your choice and then slice and serve to the masses. It’s seriously easy. I made this falafel version for a group of 25 starving sailors the other day and rejoiced in the easy labor of it all. Would I make 25 individual sandwiches for them? Heck no! Ain’t nobody got time for that! Work smarter not harder folks… You need this recipe in your back pocket.

Enjoy the full moon! Its the weekend. Go bake!

August 2019: Anadama Bread

Hey Moon Bakers,

As you read this I’m settling into Rockland, ME with the Sea Education Association where I’m cooking for the crew of the Corwith Cramer for the next couple of months. I’m beyond excited to be back with this organization after a five year caregiving break and I’m equally excited to be back in New England where my bread making journey began. Anadama Bread seems a fitting recipe for adventuring back to the north. It’s legendary in these parts and if you’re curious on why, you can click here. The recipe below is slightly less traditional substituting a couple table spoons of honey for some of the molasses but really, it’s all about course corn meal. By soaking the cornmeal overnight and creating a sponge to help with fermentation, this bread produces a light crumb that’s full of texture. It also makes for quite a large loaf. You’ll have sandwich bread for days so you better plan a picnic and invite some friends!

Ingredients:

Soaker

• 1/2 cup coarse corn meal

• 1/2 cup warm water

Sponge

• 1 cup flour

• 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

• 1/2 cup warm water

• Plus the soaker

Dough

• 1 1/4cup flour

• 3/4 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp molasses

• 1 tbsp softened butter

Directions:

1. Make the "soaker" by mixing the corn meal and water in a small bowl and rest covered for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

2. Transfer the soaker to a large bowl and add all the other "sponge" ingredients and mix well.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for an hour or until bubbles begin to form.

4. Add all the "dough" ingredients to the sponge and mix to combine.

5. Work the dough and help it form a rough ball then transfer onto a floured counter top.

6. Begin to knead the dough adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

7. Knead consistantly for 15 to 20 minutes until all the ingredients are well combined and the dough is soft and pliable. (This dough has a tendancy to be dense so it's important to knead it thoroughly to produce a light and airy finish.)

8. Once the dough is well formed, placed it in large bowl that’s been greased and then cover and let rise at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes or until double in size.

9. Remove the dough to a counter and reknead adding additional flour if necessary as you degass any trapped air bubbles.

10. Gently shape the dough into a loaf shape and place into a greased loaf pan and then cover again and let rest for another hour.

11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

12. Once the dough has doubled in size, place it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

13. Rotate the pan and continue baking for another 25 minutes.

14. Carefully remove the bread from the oven and turn out the loaf onto a wire cooling rack.

15. Let cool before slicing. (I know this part is hard but the bread is so light and fluffy inside that you risk tearing it if you don't wait.)

Do you like Anadama Bread? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

November 2018: Cranberry Sauce Bread

With the November 2018 full moon falling the day after Thanksgiving, cranberry sauce was begging to be a signature ingredient for the Full Moon Baking Club. Every year I make a cranberry sauce and every year I have leftovers. So this year, I made sauce with a plan. One of my favorite bakeries, Pain D’Avignon in Hyannis, MA makes these delicious cranberry-pecan rolls so I wanted a cranberry sauce that could steer me in that direction. I made this cranberry sauce using some during my Thanksgiving meal and the rest in this bread. It used walnuts instead of pecans but… close enough. My goal was texture.

Speaking of texture, I baked this bread in a dutch oven because it makes a world of difference when it comes to the crust. If you want that crispy/chewy/artisan bread effect at home, bake your breads in a dutch oven. The lid helps trap moisture and produces steam while baking. That humid baking environment, matched with high heat equals crusty loaves that mimic professional bakery results. It’s one of the simplest answers to creating rustic breads in an everyday home kitchen.

If you find yourself needing a dutch oven, I recommend the one linked below made by Lodge Cast Iron. There are a lot on the market, some quite a bit more expansive than others but I prefer this one because it’s affordable, comes pre-seasoned and is made entirely of cast iron. Some have nobs on the lids with a lower heat tolerance than the pot which can throw off one’s cooking plan. Whatever style you prefer, just make sure it’s safe for high temperatures. You’ll need it to handle temperatures of at least 450 degrees for breads.

Lodge L8DOL3 Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Dual Handles, Pre-Seasoned, 5-Quart

Lodge

I forgot to take pictures of the bread in progress so hopefully you checked-out the video when it was all going down on Instagram The high was making pink dough. The low was a mild panic where it suddenly occurred to me I was making a fruit cake. Otherwise, you didn’t miss much. I did however snag a few shots of the cranberry sauce in the works. Also, if you need a holiday gift, this mixing spoon and several others are still available.

Ok bakers, it’s time to get on with this recipe because there are only two weeks till the next full moon. Do you even still have cranberry sauce? Probably not and that’s my fault for being so slow on posting the recipe but all the more reason to archive this recipe for next year! Or, if you’re really game to make bread (which you should be), I encourage you go for it! Just omit the cranberry sauce and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised. That’s the beauty of bread. With a little practice, you’ll find it’s a very forgiving art.;)

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup cranberry sauce
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions

1. In a bowl mix together the water and cranberry sauce.
2. Add the yeast and let it disolve.
3. In a separate, large bowl, stir together the four and salt.
4. Pour the cranberry mixture into the bowl with the flour and mix to combine.
5. Mix the ingredients together helping to form the dough.
6. Gently form the dough in the bowl, then turn it out onto a floured surface.
7. Knead the dough on the counter for at least 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to keep it from sticking.
8. The dough should become smooth and springy with all ingredients throughoughly combined. Keep kneading if feeling unsure about the consistancy. It's practically impossible to over-knead dough by hand and if anything, more kneading will only improve the texture.
9. Once well formed, shape it into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rest/rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
10. Once doubled, knead it again for another 10ish minutes, dusting with flour to keep it from sticking if necessary.
11. After kneading, shape into a round form and place smooth side up on a piece of parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. (I like to place my dough and parchment on a pie plate to help keep the round shape during the second rise.)
12. Let it rise for another hour or until doubled in size.
13. Preheat the oven and your dutch oven to 450 degrees F.
14. When the dough is ready, carefully transfer the parchment paper with the dough into the dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 25 minutes.
15. Next, remove the lid and reduce the temperature to 410 degrees F. Bake for 15 more minutes or until the inside temperature reaches 190 degrees F.
16. Cool on a rack for 20ish minutes before slicing.

Ok folks, we got two weeks! The holiday and the Full Moon Baking Club countdowns are on so lets role with the festive and make Eggnog Bread! Do people even like eggnog? Probably not, yet somehow it winds up in the fridge every year. Well, this year we are gonna use it up! Eggs, milk and sugar can make for a tasty loaf so let’s just do it and embrace the holiday spirit. And since the full moon is on the 22nd of December, we can count on some leftovers to make holiday french toast.

See you in a couple of weeks! And if you made it this far and have no idea what the Full Moon Baking Club is click here, catch-up, and join us on the 22nd!

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