Bread Tutorials

Lye Dipped Homemade Pretzels

The appreciation and love for Pretzels runs deep in my family. Given the fact that I’m 50% German and have spent some time in Germany AND the fact that these things are easy to make and go well with just about anything, Pretzels are one of those treats I like to make on the regular. Whenever family comes in to town, pretzels. Whenever it’s cold and I have some time to spare during the day, pretzels. Whenever I want to make a special treat for the kids, pretzels. Catch my drift?

These particular pretzels are especially simple to make and they are made with my no fail bread dough, and then dipped in a lye solution to create that perfectly authentic Bavarian crust that we crave in a Pretzel. Sprinkle in a little sea salt or bonafide pretzel salt and you have yourself the real deal with no sweat.

9.02.16 By nick Leave a Comment

No Fail Homemade Bread

Homemade bread, fresh out of the oven, is one of the easiest ways to get the family together. The smell alone is intoxicating. Add a little bit of butter to the mix and you are ready to enjoy one of the best rewards that baking has to offer. Soft crumb, nice crust, great chew…need I say more?

This is the first part of my bread baking tutorial. We’ll start with this no fail homemade bread recipe. This bread is surprisingly easy to make and is a great recipe to master as you can use it with little or no modifications and make amazing pizza dough, pretzels, bagels, and more. It is one of my favorite homemade breads to make and the kids always ask me to make more. This recipe is really easy to pull off and make, but don’t be fooled, the homemade bread that it makes is a crowd pleaser. Whether you are a new baker or an experienced bread maker, this bread formula is no fail. The hardest part about the whole thing is waiting for it to cool you remove it from the oven before eating!

This bread is a great bread to make if this is your first time baking. The ingredients are very basic and the process is quite straightforward. The only piece of machinery that I use is a stand mixer but you can also use a food processor (really, try it!) or your hands. For your very first time making homemade bread, I would recommend using your hands and big bowl so you get to know what the dough feels like at different stages, but if you don’t want to deal with dirty hands then the mixer or processor will do just fine.

27.01.16 By nick Leave a Comment

Peanut Butter & Jelly Babka

Since this is the year of the babka, I have taken it upon myself to discover new ways of enjoying this wonderful treat. Last time, the cinnamon bun babka was so good it didn’t last more than a day. This one didn’t last too much longer before it was all gone! This recipe makes 2 babkas, one for you and ~~another one for you~~ one to share.

Most of the time for me, it’s all about the process. The babka making process is fairly therapeutic. The dough is easy to work, it’s easy to shape, it’s just a stress-free pleasure trip. This babka is the epitome of a comfort food. It has the PB&J flavor while not being overly sweet. If, for some reason, the babka ends up at room temp put it in the toaster for a reheat and enjoy!

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This recipe yields two 9 inch Babka’s and is best done in a two step process. The first step is to make the dough, then it goes in the fridge for a few hours so that it is easier to roll and cut once it’s filled.

Dough

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Filling

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Glaze

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Process
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add all the dry ingredients. Heat milk to 100˚F and add to the mixer and stir gently. Add the yeast and stir until it’s incorporated as much as possible. Add the melted butter and the two eggs and mix gently until it’s a nice smooth ball, maybe 5 minutes tops.

Cover the mixing bowl with plastic and let it proof, undisturbed, for about an hour to 90 minutes.

Quickly turn the dough in to a ball and cover with plastic wrap that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Place in the fridge for up to 48 hours.

When you are ready to cook, get your baking pans ready and spray with non-stick cooking spray and pre-heat oven to 400˚F.

Make your glaze:
Put jelly and water in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil. Mix the water and the jelly and add the sugar. Boil until sugar is fully dissolved. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to another container where it can cool for about 20 minutes.

Remove the dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface divide your dough in two. Roll our the dough in to a large rectangle that’s just slightly longer than your baking pan. Spread the peanut butter all over the dough, leaving a small margin. Tightly roll your dough and cut the babka down the middle. Twist and braid the babka and transfer to your baking pan. See the video to see how I do it.

Once both babkas are ready to bake, use a pastry brush and generously spread the jelly glaze all over the tops of your babkas.

Place in the oven in the middle rack and cook for 40-50 minutes, rotating the babkas every 15 minutes to promote even cooking.

12.01.16 By nick Leave a Comment

Cinnamon Bun Babka

cinnabon babka

On Instagram, I have declared that 2016 will be the year of the Babka. Yes, the babka aka Bobka or Kulich or Krantz cakes. Generally speaking, it’s a sweet dough that’s rolled and twisted and made in to oddly shaped delicious baked goods that are a perfect match for a cup of coffee on lazy sunny days. Or make these to take to parties and knock people’s socks off. They are that good, I can assure you, and like me I hope to get you hooked on these things. Join me on Instagram and tag your creations with the #yearofthebabka hashtag and start your year off on the right foot!

babka dough

babka dough ball

babka dough

cinnamon babka

It turns out that making a babka is a slippery slope. First you want to do it because it looks great, then you taste it and it is amazing, and then you want to make it again and change things up a bit. So when I made this one, I thought “hmmm…babka, good. Cinnamon rolls, good. Cinnamon roll glaze, good. Should I try this?! OK! I’m all in!” And I’m glad I did. This hits the spot between breakfast pastry, nails the sweet sugary/cinnamon gap right down the middle, and the light glaze on top makes it ooey gooey and just a little bit more decadent.

Cinnamon Roll “Cinnabun” Babka

Adapted from Food & Wine’s Babka recipe

This recipe yields two 9 inch Babka’s and is best done in a two step process. The first step is to make the dough and roll it out, then put it in the fridge for a few hours so that it is easier to cut once it’s filled. You can do it all at once but it might be a little messier, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Dough

4 cups AP Flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon salt1 cup milk @ 100˚F
1 tablespoon yeast
2 whole eggs
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

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cinnabun babka

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Process

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add all the dry ingredients. Heat milk to 100˚F and add to the mixer and stir gently. Add the yeast and stir until it’s incorporated as much as possible. Add the melted butter and the two eggs and mix gently until it’s a nice smooth ball, maybe 5 minutes tops.

Cover the mixing bowl with plastic and let it proof, undisturbed, for about an hour to 90 minutes.

Once proofed, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

On a floured surface, get the dough out and divide in half. Roll out each half to be just as big as your baking sheet that you previously lined. Once rolled, put first dough on the paper, then place another piece of parchment on top, then put the other dough on top. Cover the whole thing with plastic and put in the fridge for anywhere from 1-12 hours. You could probably do more but the yeast may not give you as much spring once it goes in the oven if you go longer than 12 hours.

Preheat your oven to 400˚F.

Prepare your filling – mix sugar and cinnamon. That was easy.

Take your cold dough out of the fridge. Brush just enough water on your dough to make the filling stick and spread about half of your filling on each dough.

Roll the dough as tighly as possible. It is probably easier to start with the end farthest away from you and roll towards you, making sure to keep a tight roll as you go along.

Once you have your log, use a knife and cut it down the middle.

With one half facing up and the other one facing down, tuck or cut off the ends and then ‘braid’ your babka.

Place in to an oiled 9 inch bread pan and put in the oven for about 40 minutes.

As an option, brush your babka prior to putting it in the oven with some simple syrup.

7.12.15 By nick Leave a Comment

Toasted Seed Sourdough

Whenever I have a little time to focus on baking, I’m usually happy with the creative process and the resulting loaves that come out of the oven. This toasted seed sourdough is no different.

Adapted from Chad Robertson’s Tartine Bread book, this loaf provides a slightly nutty flavor and aroma, adds a little sweetness, all the while maintaining its rustic “country bread” characteristics. I think it’s definitely a nice change to my normal routine and I believe you will be happy for trying it.

The adaptations I made were to add sunflower seeds, in addition to sesame seeds, to the mix and to lower the total amount of seeds from 1 cup to about 3/4 of a cup. I also did not fully toast the seeds before incorporating them as I was a little skeptical and thought they would burn if I’d let them bake any longer. I was right and really don’t know how Mr. Robertson roasts his sesame seeds for half an hour at 400F without scorching them and making his space smell of burnt seeds.

This bread is pretty fun to make I found it a rewarding experience. Give yourself time to let your dough work, have a cup of coffee, and enjoy the process.

It’s really a good loaf and sure to be a nice addition to any meal. I look forward to having it tomorrow morning with eggs and little spice!

Seeds:

1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

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Loaf:

200g levain (100% hydration)
100g whole wheat flour
800g AP flour
650Ml water
22g salt

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Note: Before beginning, your levain should be ready to go and at approximately 100% hydration.

Process:

Preheat oven to 350F
Build the bread sans-seeds and mix it all together until all ingredients except the salt is incorporated.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum and spread seeds evenly. Place in oven and roast. Check every 3 minutes and shake/re spread the seeds until oils start to release it before sesame seeds start to burn. This happens quickly so pay attention! Once seeds are done (7 minutes more or less) remove from oven and cool completely.
Add seeds and salt to bread and combine until fully incorporated.
Stretch and fold another two times every half hour and then let bulk ferment for 2 hours.
Divide your dough in two and pre shape. Then shape and place in proofing baskets for another 2 hours.

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Preheat oven to 450F and make sure your le cloche is in there.
Score your loaf and load on to pre heated oven. Leave covered for 15 minutes and bake for another 20-25 minutes without a lid.

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