Pain de Savoie

Pain de Savoie

Another successful Paul Hollywood bread recipe that is lovely to look at and even better to eat.  This one was devoured at my wine group. We were doing a Riesling night and the heavy texture with cheese and bacon was a perfect paring.  (or at least I thought so)

Pain de Savoie (makes 1 loaf)

400g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

100g rye flour

10g salt

8g fast-action dried yeast

20ml olive oil, plus extra for oiling

330ml cool water

150g lardons, fried and cooled

200g Comté cheese, cut into 1cm cubes

Step 1: Mix the flours in a large bowl and add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the olive oil and 250ml of the water and mix with the fingers of one hand. Add as much of the rest of the water as you need to form a soft dough; rye flour takes a lot of water so you should need most or all of it. Tip the dough onto an oiled work surface and knead well for 5–10 minutes or more, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add the cooled lardons, working them well into the dough. Form the dough into a ball and put in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with cling film or a tea towel and leave to rise until at least doubled or trebled in size – at least 2 hours.

Step 2: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 equal pieces. Knock back by pushing down on the dough with the heels of your hands, then your knuckles and fingertips, and folding the dough in on itself several times. Form each piece into a ball.

Step 3: Oil a 20cm springform cake tin. Roll out a ball of dough to a 1.5–2cm thick circle, to fit the tin and lay it in the bottom. Scatter over half of the cheese. Roll out a similar disc of dough and lay on top. Add the rest of the cheese. Roll out the final ball of dough and place on top. Dust with flour. Put the tin inside a roomy plastic bag and leave to prove for about 1 hour, or until well puffed up. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 220°C. Bake the loaf in the oven for 30 minutes.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I am cooking my way through this book and have not yet had a failure, so really do recommend buying this book.  He shows you all the steps in wonderful photos, then shows you suggestions of what it tastes great with.  I have not been disappointed.  And I always leave the cookbook in my kitchen.  Not bad to look at either….

Happy Baking!

 

 

Pain de Savoie

Back to Baking & Soups Galore

Soups and Fall seem simultaneous. It is cold outside with a few snow flurries and I am looking out of the kitchen kneading bread and stirring soup.  This just makes my heart sing.  I some days wish I had a group of friends I could just call and say “Soup’s On”, please come on over.

I started making a lot of soup when I had a restaurant on Bainbridge Island in the 90’s.  Every day I would make a new soup, so there was always something different to try. I honestly wish there was a local restaurant that would do the same.  Most local restaurants have the same menu (and soup) day after day, month after month, and unfortunately year after year.

A little behind in my posting, but not in my cooking, so today I will add the recipes of the last week or so starting with yesterday.  IMG_6679

As a child on the weekends we often had Campbell’s tomato soup and a burnt grilled cheese sandwich (on Wonder bread). As an adult, the idea is appealing, but not the ingredients, so several years ago I started making my own tomato soup.  I don’t always use the same recipe (and now really don’t use one at all), but the ingredients must be fresh and wonderful for it to be tasty.  I love how it looks in the pot after it has been pureed.  Doesn’t that just look inviting!

This is what I did yesterday and scroll down for the Paul Hollywood Savory Brioche Couronne (bread with ham & cheese)

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Ingredients

10 Roma tomatoes

1 onion

A couple cups of home-made Chicken stock

1 tbsp of EVOO

3 – 5 garlic sliced thin ( I like garlic, so always throw in a little extra)

Hand-full of fresh oregano from my herb garden

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup or so of chopped basil

1 stick of butter ( oh yeah, that adds to the flavor)

1 cup or so of half & half or whipped cream

Fresh reggiano parmigiano for the top

Sour cream for the top  and I added chives for color (but just a little)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine quartered tomatoes, onions, whole garlic cloves, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon sugar in large roasting pan. Roast, stirring once or twice, until tomatoes are brown in spots, about 11/2 hours. Let cool 5 minutes. Working in two batches, process roasted tomato mixture in food processor until smooth. (Pureed mixture can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

2. Put the mixture back in the pot, add the chicken stock, basil, oregano, butter and cream and simmer a few minutes.  Taste it and add salt & pepper to your taste.

3. Put in a pretty bowl and top with sour cream and a little shredded parmesan.

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Ingredients

 

 

Back to Baking & Soups Galore

Soda Bread is tasty!

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Going through Paul Hollywood’s Bread cookbook, I skipped a couple pages, as I did not have all the ingredients.  (will shop today) This soda bread looked so much better than the dry soda bread I have purchased for St. Paddy’s Day.  With a little butter, this is wonderfully rich and tasty.

Ingredients

– 250g plain white flour

– 250g plain wholemeal flour

– 1 tsp salt

– 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

– About 400ml buttermilk (If you don’t have this on had, keep the dry mix that you can add to milk or water and have the same effect)

Soda Bread

Makes 1 small loaf
Bake 30 minutes

Ireland’s most famous bread is made with two of the oldest foods, wheat and buttermilk. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the bicarbonate of soda and creates the rise. If you have kids, do teach them how to make soda bread, because it’s great to be able to put a loaf on the table within 45 minutes. Once you’ve mastered it, try adding some grated Wexford cheese (vintage Irish Cheddar) and chopped raw onion to the dough.


1.Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

2. Put the flours, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the centre and pour in half the buttermilk. Using your fingers or a round-bladed knife, draw the flour into the buttermilk. Continue to add the buttermilk until all the flour has been absorbed and you have a sticky dough. You may not need all the buttermilk – it depends on the flour you use.

3. Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured surface, shape it into a ball and flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand. It is important to work quickly, as once the buttermilk is added it begins to react with the bicarbonate of soda.

4. Put the dough on the baking tray. Mark into quarters with a large, sharp knife, cutting deeply through the loaf, almost but not quite through to the base. Dust the top with flour.

5. Bake for 30 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Eat on the day of baking – or toast it the next day.

Paul Hollywood’s Irish rarebit recipe

Paul Hollywood's Irish rarebit recipe

Soda bread was popular long ago in Ireland, especially in rural areas where a regular supply of barm (brewer’s yeast) wasn’t always accessible to the home baker.

Here I’m giving you an Irish spin on Welsh rarebit, using Irish cheese, spring onions and a splash of stout. Rarebit is one of those great comfort foods that can be thrown together at the last minute. The mixture also keeps well in the fridge, so you can have it on standby for a quick lunch or supper.

Ingredients

Metric
Cups
Imperial
  • 150 ml full-fat milk
  • 1.5 tbsp plain flour
  • 400 g strong Irish Cheddar, grated
  • 160 g medium-fine white breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp English mustard powder
  • 120 ml Guinness or other stout
  • 2 medium egg yolks
  • 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 6 slices of soda bread
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 cup watercress, to serve
  • 5.3 fl oz full-fat milk
  • 1.5 tbsp plain flour
  • 14.1 oz strong Irish Cheddar, grated
  • 5.6 oz medium-fine white breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp English mustard powder
  • 4.2 fl oz Guinness or other stout
  • 2 medium egg yolks
  • 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 6 slices of soda bread
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 cup watercress, to serve
  • 0.6 cup full-fat milk
  • 1.5 tbsp plain flour
  • 14.1 oz strong Irish Cheddar, grated
  • 5.6 oz medium-fine white breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp English mustard powder
  • 0.5 cup Guinness or other stout
  • 2 medium egg yolks
  • 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 6 slices of soda bread
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 cup watercress, to serve

Details

  • Cuisine: Irish
  • Recipe Type: Main
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Preparation Time: 5 mins
  • Cooking Time: 10 mins
  • Serves: 6

Step-by-step

  1. Preheat your grill to high. Warm the milk in a saucepan until almost simmering, then whisk in the flour. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. The mixture should be smooth and slightly thickened.
  2. Add the grated cheese and stir over a low heat until it has melted. Add the breadcrumbs, mustard powder and stout. Continue stirring over the heat until the mixture comes together and leaves the sides of the pan.
  3. Tip the mixture into a bowl and leave for a minute to cool slightly, then add the egg yolks and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until well combined. Stir in the spring onions.
  4. Toast the soda bread on one side. Spread the rarebit on the untoasted side and place under the hot grill until bubbling and golden brown. Add a grinding of pepper and serve, with watercress on the side.

Extract taken from Paul Hollywood’s Pies & Puds, published by Bloomsbury. Photography by Peter Cassidy.

 

Soda Bread is tasty!

Making pizza

Like most families, my family love pizza.  It is such a simple easy dinner to make.  I like to make Margarita Pizza as it uses simple elements and tastes wonderful.  I serve with a salad using lettuce from my garden this time of year.  The pizza dough is from Paul Hollywood’s Bread book and is simple and simply wonderful.

Recipe for Dough

For the pizza dough

  • 250g/9oz strong white flour, plus extra for flouring
  • 5g/¼oz salt
  • 30ml/1fl oz olive oil
  • 5g/¼oz fast-action yeast
  • 180ml/6fl oz water
  • semolina, for dusting (optional)
  • Method

    1. For the pizza dough, mix the flour, salt, olive oil, yeast and water together in a bowl.

    2. Turn the dough out onto an oiled work surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cut off a small piece of the dough and stretch part of it as thinly as you can. If you can see the shadow of your fingers through the dough – the light should shine through the dough like a window pane – without the dough tearing, it is ready to prove.

    3. Shape the dough into a ball and tip into a bowl.

    4. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for an hour.

    5. Divide the mix into three balls. Roll out on a floured surface into circles. Place each circle on a flat baking tray or a plastic chopping board dusted with semolina (so the pizza can be easily transferred to the oven later).

    6. Place a pizza stone or an upturned baking tray into the oven and heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 (in a non-fan oven).

    7. Add the topping of your choice and cook for 10 -12 minutes.

I like to make a very simple marinara sauce:

Ingredients:

1 can chopped tomatoes (low sodium)

5 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1/4 cup olive oil

Oregano and thyme from my garden

Salt & pepper

I cook this for about 20 minutes, then puree, so it is very fine.  I put it on top of the pizza within about 1/2 inch of the edge.  I top with small/good fresh mozzarella balls and cut basil.  I think you should use what ever amount makes you happy and looks good.  I then cook, as described before for about 10-12 minutes in a hot oven.  I do use a pizza stone and put it in the oven to heat first, then add the pizza on a pizza pan on top.  Makes the crust on the bottom cook to perfection.

Making pizza

Yesterday’s Bread is Tonight’s Dinner

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Yesterday I posted the Rye, Ale and Oat Bread yesterday, so tonight I cut it up and served it with a couple of cheeses, some radishes cut on my very “dangerous” mandolin and Plum & apple chutney.

Main course was Borscht saved from an earlier day of cooking, served with sour cream and dill fresh from my garden.

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I think it tasted better today, than when I made it.  Don’t remember where the recipe came from, so will not include it, but it does have beets, potatoes and apples with lots of seasoning.

Since I am on a roll to cook all the breads in Paul Hollywood’s Bread book I added another one today, Stilton and Bacon Rolls.  Can’t wait to try it, but wait for tomorrow night.  He pairs it with Celery Soup which sounds good to me.

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Originally from Paul Hollywood’s Bread.
Makes 7 rolls. (times two so 14)
500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
7g salt
10g fast-action dried yeast
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
320ml cool water
130g dry-cure back bacon rashers, rind removed
150g Stilton, at room temperature, crumbled
1. Put the flour in a large bowl and add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the butter in small pieces and mix with your fingers. Add 240ml of the water and mix it into the other ingredients using the fingers of one hand and a clawing action. Now add the remaining water a little at a time until you have a soft, sticky dough and you’ve picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all of the water; it will depend on the absorbency of the flour you’re using.
2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for 5-10 minutes (or longer if you’re a beginner). It will become less sticky as you knead and eventually turn into a small ball with an elastic texture.
3. When the dough is smooth and stretchy, put it into a large bowl. Cover with cling film or a tea towel and leave to rise until doubled or tripled in size – at least 1 1/2 hours, but it can take up to 2 or even 3 hours.
4. In the meantime, heat your grill to medium-high and grill the bacon rashers for a minute or two on each side until cooked. Set aside to cool, then cut into small pieces (you need 90g).
5. Tip the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knock back by folding it in on itself repeatedly until it is smooth and all the air has been pushed out. Use your hands to mix the crumbled Stilton and bacon into the dough, really crushing them in so they are evenly distributed.
6. Roll the dough into a long sausage and divide it into 16 equal pieces. The easiest way to do this is to cut the roll in half, then cut each piece in two, then repeat twice more. You can weigh the dough to be sure the pieces are the same size, and they’ll cook evenly.
7. Now roll each piece of dough into a ball between the palms of your hands. Alternatively, you can shape each one into a ball by rolling it around on the work surface using the cupped palm of one hand (or use both hands to roll two balls at a time).
8. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment or silicone paper, unless you have good non-stick trays. Place a roll in the centre of each tray and arrange 7 rolls around it, so they are almost touching. The rolls will come together as they rise to form a tear-and-share loaf.
9. Put each tray of rolls inside a large plastic bag, making sure there is plenty of space above the rolls so they won’t touch the plastic and stick to it as they rise.
10. Leave the rolls to prove, or rise again, until they have doubled in size and come together. This will take about 1-1 1/2 hours. The dough is ready for the oven if it springs back when you push a finger into it. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 220C.
11. Spray the rolls with water, using a spray bottle, and then dust with flour. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

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Here is the second batch.  I need to find somewhere to give away extra bread.

Yesterday’s Bread is Tonight’s Dinner

Another Yummy Bread

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Working my way through Paul Hollywood’s Bread book, today’s selection is Rye, Ale & Oat Bread with a Plum and Apple Chutney.  The bread is dense and rich with great flavor and a little sweetness from the Ale.  I used a dark ale, as that was what was in the refrigerator and I must say, it is yummy.  It is suggested in his book to serve with chutney, cheese, a slice or two of apple or maybe radishes, with a tad of watercress on the side. Might be tomorrows dinner.  Tonight I made Margarita pizza, but forgot to take a photo.  (next time)

Rye, Ale & Oat Bread

Ingredients

For the beer batter topping

Method

  1. Mix the flours, salt and yeast in a bowl. Add the treacle, 100ml/3½fl oz of the water and 150ml/5fl oz of the ale. Using your hands, stir the ingredients together until all the flour leaves the side of the bowl. Gradually add the remaining ale and water if needed – the dough should be soft and all the sides of the bowl should be clean.

  2. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. The dough will be wet initially but will become smooth once worked. When the dough has a smooth skin put it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and leave for two hours.

  3. For the topping, mix the ale with the rye flour and a pinch of sugar to form a thick batter.

  4. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a ball. Spread the ale paste over the loaf and sprinkle over the jumbo oats. Place the loaf onto a baking tray lined with parchment. Leave to prove for one and a half hours.

  5. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

  6. Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and bake for a further 10 minutes.

  7. The loaf will be golden-brown and should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Plum & Apple Chutney

Plum & Apple Chutney

I could not find the recipe online, so I scanned it for you.  It is very easy and has a wonderful sweet taste.  I used a small bottle of malt vinegar and that worked perfectly. It called for 3.8 cups, but I didn’t have that much.

This would lovely in the evening, sharing a nice glass of Pinot Noir with a friend.  It might just be dinner tomorrow night.

Enjoy!

 

Another Yummy Bread

Happy Easter

Easter was always a special day in our lives when my sons were young and we were a family of five.  The boys were dressed alike, of course I had a new hat with matching dress or visa versa and we all went to church and shared Easter Egg hunts and Pot Luck brunches at one of our houses.  It was a wonderful of great friends, good food and happy children chasing around the yards in a frenzy looking for the best egg or surprise, as we hid trucks and etc.

As the years passed and the boys grew and we moved away from that community, Easter has become quieter.  I no longer have that great group of friends to say to “Come on over and bring the kids”, so it looks differently these days.  My youngest son came to dinner, so I had a lovely morning cooking.

Paul Hollywood’s Chocolate Almond Cake is wonderful with a cherry infusion and chocolate ganache frosting.  After a taste we sent it next door to my neighbor having a bigger get together.  Dinner was simple with a butterflied, rolled and stuffed leg of lamb.  Using Giada De Laurentils recipe, it was a tad dry, so would add a stock bath in the pan next time.  The Arugula Salad sitting on Ricotta was tasty, but I would use a lot less dressing than she called for in her recipe.  The Artichoke Risotto was perfection.

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Happy Easter

Breaking Bread

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With Easter coming soon and Spring baking bread seems the perfect way to spend a day. When I was younger I often “attempted” to make bread, but always seemed so busy raining my three sons, there was never enough time to devote to it.  Now I have the freedom of time, it may be fun to see just how many different kinds I can successfully and perhaps unsuccessfully make.

Yesterday it was plain white bread, like my wonderful German mother-in-law, Josephine  used to make with my sons every time she came to visit.  Looking back I wish I had taken the time to watch, learn and listen as she worked with the boys.  At the time, I wanted to give her some one on one time with my sons.  I can still them working together in the kitchen.

The Great British Bakeoff gave me a little inspiration, so I ordered Paul Hollywood’s cookbook.  Not really sure if I bought it for contents or cover. (If you know what I mean)  It has lots of good recipes, but get out your calculator as it is all grams and liters versus Teaspoons, Tablespoons and Cups,

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Wonder what bread would be fun to try next.  I now understand why people bake bread. It tastes great right out of the oven.  You feel great slamming that dough around.  Aggressions disappear and you kneed and roll that dough.

Ever having a bad day, just make some bread dough, take a walk while letting it rise, then knead some more.  Have a cup of tea (or a scotch) while it rises, then bakes.  They hopefully you will enjoy a little slice of heaven with butter and jam.

Can’t wait to make bread with my six year old granddaughter this summer.

Happy Baking!  Cheers!

Breaking Bread