May 2016 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Twist Bread

This month, we Daring Bakers were challenged by Tandy ( of Lavender and Lime) to make twist bread. Oh darn! That sounds horrible ... NOT!!!

Tandy gave us the freedom to select the filling, so I went with a riff on cinnamon bread because I'm lazy and I had the ingredients on hand. (Let's be honest, eh?) I would really like to try this again with a savory filling (maybe sundried tomatoes, mozarella, and basil??) but didn't get around to that in time for posting here today. If you're so inclined, here is the link to Tandy's challenge recipe.

I found this recipe quite easy to follow (woo hoo!). The only struggle I had was after I sliced the loaf down the middle and then had to twist it. The outer layers sort of peeled away from me as I attempted to twist the loaf. Once I managed to get a "that's good enough" twist (an extra set of hand would have definitely helped ease the process!), I shaped the loaf into a ring (re-twisted a bit along the way), brushed it with an egg wash, and popped it into the oven. About 15-20 minutes into the baking process, the house started to smell amazing! You really can't beat the cozy smell of cinnamon wafting from a hot oven.

The final verdict? Eric thought it was ok but not spectacular. The kids loved it; Annika gladly put on her newly self-appointed food critic hat to let me know it was "flavorful and had good texture." I thought it was good, but could have used more of the cinnamon sugar filling. My co-workers (who got the remainder of the loaf the next day) inhaled it. So, there you are!

Thanks, Tandy, for this fun and yummy challenge. Can't wait to try it again!!

Applesauce Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Bread

I have VERY happy co-workers this morning. Why? Because I brought in two loaves of homemade applesauce oatmeal cinnamon chip bread. Why? Because we have so much applesauce in our freezer that we're getting accosted by it when we open the big freezer in our basement. It was time to take action!!

A very good family friend is an AMAZING cook/baker. (I remember taking a stained glass cookie class from her when I was probably 8 or 9 years old). Anywho, After deciding to put the applesauce to use sooner rather than later, I looked on our family friend's web-based recipe collection and saw an entry for Applesauce Oatmeal bread. Unfortunately, the link to the recipe was broken and she didn't recall the recipe. Bummer! To solve the problem, I did what I often do when I need a recipe... I turned to the Internet. I ran across a recipe on the King Arthur Flour site that looked promising and then ran across a recipe from a blog called Tracy's Culinary Adventures that was loosely based on the King Arthur Flour recipe. (It felt like the baking gods were telling me something.) SO, I decided to use those recipes as inspiration and dive in using those recipes as my jumping-off point.

Annika's eyes about popped out of her head when she took her first bite of the bread. For a half second, I couldn't tell if she loved or despised the bite in her mouth. Another half second later, I realized that she was infatuated. Win!!

Without further ado, here is my version of the applesauce oatmeal bread recipes I discovered online.

One of the plates of bread I left out for my co-workers

Applesauce Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Bread ala Meredith

(I doubled this and made 2 loaves and 2 mini loaves)

3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oats
1 cup applesauce (I used homemade)
1/2 bag of cinnamon chips (I use Hershey's brand - found on baking aisle by the chocolate chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Pam a 9x5-inch bread pan, line the pan with parchment paper, then Pam the parchment paper.
3. Mix all ingredients (except cinnamon chips) in stand mixer or by hand until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Gently mix in the cinnamon chips.
5. Pour or spoon the batter to the prepared pan. (I had a bit more than would fit in the pan, so I put the extra in a disposable mini 2x4-inch bread pan.)
6. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
7. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, remove bread from pan and parchment paper, allow the bread to  completely cool on wire rack.

September 2015 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Soda Bread

This month's Daring Bakers' challenge was a bit of a double-edged sword for me. It was very exciting because it was the first time I was the challenge host. It was a little bit of a let down because there wasn't the anticipation of "what will this month's challenge be??" on the first day of the month.

As the host, I was able to choose any baking task that my little heart desired and my heart chose to challenge our bakers to make soda bread. I thought it was a fun nod to my Irish ancestry and my desire to travel to Ireland.

I made the whole wheat soda bread recipe my parents brought back from their first trip to Ireland in 1985 as the example for the challenge when I wrote it up a few months ago. To keep things fresh, I opted to make my other go-to soda bread recipe when I baked for the actual challenge this month. It is definitely a comfort food for me and it didn't fail to hit the mark.

Interestingly, I made the soda bread and banana bread (ewww!) the same day. The kids had slices of each as a scientific experiment. Both kiddos gave a thumbs up to the banana bread (probably because of the chocolate chips I included in the batter) and a "so so" rating to the soda bread. (I'm ok with that ... more soda bread for me!) What really tickled me was when Annika referred to the soda bread as "caffeine bread" because she thought the "soda" of soda bread was in reference to soda pop, not baking soda. :)

Annika: Bread Judge #1

Conor: Bread Judge #2

My Irish soda bread - ta da!

For the month of September Meredith from the Poco Loco Olsons challenged us to experiment with soda bread. (HEY! That's ME!) 

December 2014 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Dutch Sweet Bread

This month, we Daring Bakers were challenged to make Dutch sweet bread. We could choose from three recipes that were provided by the challenge's host. I opted to make kruidkoek,which is a quick bread that is seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg.

I was grateful that this month's challenge wasn't going to be overly time consuming, considering how crazy December gets. I was also grateful, after my first attempt at the challenge, for golf's creation of the Mulligan. I made the kruidkoek early in the month and really should have measured my bread pan prior to putting the batter in it. My pan was about 2 inches shorter than the recipe called for, but I decided to go for it anyway ... big mistake. The bread was still raw in the middle and the outside looked like someone put dynamite just under the surface. We chose to call it "interesting" and "unique" instead of the more fitting "ugly as all get out." On an up note, the taste was quite lovely ... very Christmas-y.

Today (nothing like working right up to a deadline, eh?), I tried the recipe again, but put the batter into two bread pans in hopes that would accommodate the quantity of batter better and allow the middle to bake all the way though. Well, I found success in terms of the batter not over-taking the pan, but still ran into the problem of the middle not being done and the outside being over done. Again, the flavor was nice, but it was tough to get past the raw middle texture and crouton exterior.

For the month of December, Andrea from 4pure took us on a trip to the Netherlands. She challenged us to take our taste buds on a joyride through the land of sugar and spice by baking three different types of Dutch sweet bread

September 2014 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Kolaches

Whoops!!! Funny how your life can get turned on its ear when you have surgery! My apologies for the delayed Daring Bakers' reveal post... my nap schedule and foggy brain got the better of me. (Side note: all is going well and I'm recovering quite nicely.)

In September, we Daring Bakers were challenged (once again) to create something I've never heard of. I think that is one of the main reasons I really enjoy these monthly challenges. Most of the time, I am creating something completely new and out of my baking comfort zone.

Basically, Kolaches are a yeast-based sweet bun that is formed into a sweetened cheese-filled purse and then topped with a dollop of plum jam and a streussel-esque topping. Amazingly, I had JUST made plum jam courtesy a friend who shared part of her plum crop with me, so I was ready to go without a store run. How great is that??

I thought these treats were quite tasty. They reminded me of a cheese danish in some ways. They were definitely best warm. Eric found them a bit too doughy for his liking, however. I took the extras to work (Lord knows I didn't need to eat the entire batch by myself!) and got rave reviews from my co-workers.

The September Daring Bakers' challenge was brought to us by Lucie from ChezLucie. She challenged us to make a true Czech treat - Kolaches!

May 2014 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Pao De Queijo

Please don't ask me how to pronounce this month's challenge. My high school German is rusty at best ... and my Spanish is practically non-existent, aside from asking where the bathroom is located, asking how to get to the beach, and ordering beer.

I'd never heard of this food and thought it would be an interesting challenge. Come to find out, the real challenge was getting my hands on the required tapioca starch. I looked high and low locally, but wound up having to order it from Amazon.

The dough came together really easily. (Easy project = good!!) We served them alongside some BBQ'd steaks and asparagus. We found the pao de queijo to be less flavorful that we expected. I think using a stronger cheese (Parmesan, perhaps?) instead of the called-for Jack would have gone a long way. Annika LOVED them and asked if we can have them every day. Conor didn't like them at all.  Eric and I gave them a so-so review. Nothing bad, just nothing exceptional about them. I do, however, give them a thumbs up for ease. :)

Ready for the oven

Baking,baking,baking

All done

First bite ... they're really HOT

Crunchy outside, chewy inside...just like they're supposed to have!

This month's Daring Bakers' Challenge took us on a trip to beautiful Brazil! Renata of "Testado, Provado & Aprovado!" taught us how to make Pao De Queijo, tasty cheese buns that make the perfect snack or treat, and that will make your taste buds samba!

Catholic Girl Challah

I've been slowly eeking out my own challah recipe and finally have gotten to the point where it is ready for prime time!

It is fairly safe to say that my family and co-workers, Annika's teachers, and a few of our neighbors probably have challah coming out of their ears. Little tweaks here and there resulted in many, many, many loaves of bread. That said, I'm pleased as punch with where the recipe is now ... not to mention the evolution of my braiding techniques. The 4-strand round and 6-strand oblong loaves are definitely my favorites, but I turn to the standard 3-strand braids when I'm in a hurry.

Thank you to all of my taste testers; you definitely helped shape this recipe.

(Please ignore the fact this isn't a bread knife!
I took this picture at work and we don't have a proper bread knife here)

Without further ado....

Catholic Girl Challah
Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 1 c warm water 
• 1 pkg yeast 
• 1000 g AP flour 
• 1 c + 2 T sugar 
• 2 tsp salt 
• 2 T honey 
• 1/2 c butter (melted and cooled) + 85 g vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
    

• Egg wash: 1 egg, 1 T (approx) water whisked together 

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast and 2 T sugar in warm water. Allow to proof 10 minutes. 
2. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. 
3. With motor running (low), add eggs, yeast mixture, honey, butter, and oil. 
4. Knead (low) for 6-7 minutes. 
5. Knead (med) for 3-4 minutes. 
6. Drizzle lightly with vegetable oil, turn dough to coat, cover loosely with plastic wrap. 
7. Let rise in draft-free location until double in size (60-90 minutes). 
8. Gently punch down dough and cover with plastic wrap.  
9. Let rise again in draft-free location for 60 minutes. 
10. Divide dough into two even portions and shape each half into a braided loaf. 
11. Place each loaf on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. 
12. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 60 minutes. 
13. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
14. Using pastry brush, coat exterior of loaves with egg wash. 
15. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

May Daring Bakers Challenge: One challah good challenge!

As those who are close to me (or are just within earshot while I'm gabbing about my baking) know, I've been on a serious challah kick over the past couple of months. When I saw that the May Daring Bakers challenge was to make challah, I giggled with glee and did a rather elaborate happy dance.

The initial  reason behind my challah journey was simple: challah makes great French toast (how multi-cultural, huh?). I looked on the Internet and through my cookbooks for a good recipe, but wasn't sure which would fit the bill. So, I did what any person in my situation would do, I called my honorary auntie who is Jewish! Mrs. Simon isn't a baker herself, but offered to look through her recipes to find a good recipe for me and wound up emailing two from her synagogue's cookbook. She also regaled me with humorous stories of her husband--a wonderful, wonderful man, but also not a baker--when he attempted to make challah. (I can listen to her tell stories all day long ... the laughter is wonderful for the soul!)

I whipped up the recipe from Mrs. Simon and was very happy, but still tried a few others that I found online. Eventually, I started to mix this recipe with that recipe and throw in a few of my own ideas. Eric and I realized we like the sweeter challah recipes (more often used for holidays) and I kept that in mind as I worked on my own recipe. I also liked how some of the recipes called for the addition of honey, which added a wonderful depth of flavor that I fell in love with. After many, many, many, many loaves of challah, we officially have a winner, which I have dubbed Catholic Girl Challah.

Not only do I enjoy baking and eating challah (really, who wouldn't?), but I also find myself drawn to the braiding side of challah. I prefer the 6-strand braid (definitely not easy to get the hang of, but so pretty) and I like braiding the 4-strand round loaves. Pretty and yummy .... win, win!

Voila!

6-strand Catholic Girl Challah

Up close and personal

May’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge was pretty twisted – Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to make challah! Using recipes from all over, and tips from “A Taste of Challah,” by Tamar Ansh, she encouraged us to bake beautifully braided breads.

March Daring Bakers Challenge

This month, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Dutch Crunch Bread. I had absolutely no clue what this was, so it was an added bonus to learn about a new source of carbs, which we all can agree is a really good thing! Dutch Crunch bread is (apparently) quite the commodity in San Francisco and often is one of the first bread to sell out during the lunch rush.

Not only were we challenged to make this beautiful bread, but we also had to make a sandwich out of it. The bread's crunch topping called for rice flour, which isn't one of the staples in my pantry; fortunately, it wasn't tricky to find at our local grocery store. The basic idea is to make the bread dough, make the crunch topping, smother the bread dough in the crunch topping batter, and then bake. Not only was it a tasty experiment, it was also quite easy... bonus!

Here's the bread dough after it rose and was ready to be shaped.

This is the "crunch" batter all whipped up and ready to go.

My dough shaped into rolls (I figured that would be a fun presentation, instead of sliced bread loaves)

My gooped up rolls. The recipe instructed us to not go skimpy; skimpy = not decent cracks in the topping. I think I took that a bit too literally; the topping was oozing down onto the baking sheet by the time I was done applying it. I wound up having to scrape a bit of it off, but I'm glad I did.

Ta da!! Don't they look pretty??

I made a quick veggie sandwich, just to make sure I got the required sandwich picture,
but then deconstructed it and just ate the salad. :D

I was inspired (the next day) to make a grilled cheese sandwich (using 3 kinds of cheese and the Dutch Crunch bread).  MY OH MY, was it ever good! I dipped the sandwich in the tomato soup and tasted a little bit of Heaven with each bite. So good!

Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses! Sara & Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping. Sara and Erica also challenged us to create a one of a kind sandwich with our bread!