Raisin Challah

Yes.  You read that right.  Raisin Challah.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again, "Raisins ruin everything."  But you know, every so often you just have to take one for the team.  And by the team, I mean the Hazz and the lovely residents of the retirement apartments that he visited this afternoon.

When The Hazz was asked to sing some Shabbat songs and hang out with the residents at a local apartment building, he of course said yes.  Then they informed him that he had to bring the challah.  So, he turned to me and asked, "Can you make an extra challah?"

Can I?  I'd LOVE to make an extra challah.  We thought about it for a moment... would the residents like sesame seeds or poppy seeds?  Honey?  Finally, The Hazz pointed out, "You know what... how about raisins." I tweaked my Basic Recipe and Half-Batch Recipe and came up with something sort of in the middle size-wise.

Yield: 2 medium to large sized loaves

1 c water
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp honey
2 eggs plus 1 more for egg wash
1/3 c vegetable oil
2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c bread flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 generous handful of raisins - we used Trader Joe's golden mix

See my Basic Challah Recipe for a complete method. Honestly, this recipe is nearly identical to the full batch and I'm slightly embarrassed really calling it a "recipe" at all. But because I've been soooo against raisins since starting this blog, I really felt the raisin challah deserved it's own post.

I don't mix the raisins in until right before braiding, but you can definitely add them before the first rise.

I try to keep the raisins inside each strand when braiding as much as possible.

Unfortunately, my beautiful {yet still terrible, ew... raisins} challah suffered a bit of an accident in the oven. Well, that is... during the turning process. Halfway through a bake, I rotate my pan 180 degrees. Somehow, that involved dropping my two challot onto the open oven door and nearly breaking the raisin challah. It survived because the bottom stayed intact, but it still was a sad, sad day!

Luckily, it tasted just great! {so they tell me...}

I still picked out all the raisins when we served it.

Best Practices: What We Use

I've been wanting to write this post for a long time.  And while it might not be one of our most interesting posts, I think it's information worth sharing.  WHAT do we use?  HOW do we bake?  What about the rest of the stuff... the oil, the eggs, etc.

The moral of the story (which you're reading before you even hear the story) is use the best you can.  I'm not advocating becoming a baking snob and spending a fortune on all your ingredients.  But find the best product for your challah.  Challah is special, and Shabbat is a special day.  Don't go crazy, but find things that make a flavor difference for you... and enjoy them!

Flour
I've blogged before about flour.  My mother-in-law, who lives in New England, is completely sold on King Arthur Flour which is made in Vermont.  And... she completely sold me.  It's wonderful.  The challot we make with it really, really, really turns out better.  Right now, I'm still buying Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, for things like cakes, scones, and muffins.  But for Bread Flour (which I use exclusively for my challot), I always use King Arthur.

I strongly suggest getting on the KAF mailing list.  They have great sales (recently 29 cent shipping on February 29th) which make the product just as cheap if not cheaper than your grocery.

PS: King Arthur has compensated me for writing the above.  They probably don't really know that I exist.  I just really, really like their product.

Eggs
We always buy cage-free eggs in our house.  The Humane Society of the United States states that... "while cage-free does not necessarily mean cruelty-free, cage-free hens generally have significantly better lives than those confined in battery cages. The ability to lay their eggs in nests, run and spread their wings are tangible benefits that shouldn't be underestimated."


Yeast
I go back-and-forth on yeast. I really, really, really like fresh yeast. Honestly, quite recently I've been back on using active dry and/or instant yeast. Our grocery store had a few particularly bad batches of yeast that were either moldy or just didn't rise quite right. If you're a newbie, active dry or instant are your best bet. And if you're a purist, active dry or instant might be your best bet. One thing I do really like about fresh yeast is how quick it works. My initial rise time can sometimes be as short as an hour.


Oil
Oil extraction is actually a sort of interesting and scary concept that I don't completely understand.  In regards to neutral oils like canola or vegetable oil, it doesn't matter that much.  In general, cold pressed is idea, expeller pressed is a lesser but still okay option, and oils extracted through chemicals are the worst.  I don't really get it, and reading about it kind of freaks me out.  Oil is not good for you.  Use it sparingly.  That's all I got, folks.


Salt
We sometimes use sea salt and sometimes use table salt.  Make sure to always pre-mix your flour and salt together.  Salt kills yeast, so you don't want to add it directly to your yeast slurry or as the first dry ingredient after the oil and eggs.  At the very least, plop in a cup of flour in your bowl and then add the salt on top.

Toppings
This is a complete personal preference. One thing we found that we really like are toasted sesame seeds. One can definitely toast their own sesame seeds, however we really like these from the Asian food aisle at our local grocery store. The toasting really makes a big difference.


Baking Tidbits
I LOVE my insulated baking sheet.  I find it keeps the bottom of the challah from getting too dark, and the rise is all-over great.  I always use parchment paper because I like lots of honey drizzled on my egg wash.  Clean up is a breeze, and you don't have to scrub at the crystalized honey.


Baking Methods
You can read about some of my adventures in oven-temps here.

Hunger Games Challah: Peeta's Bread

When I passed the baker's, the smell of fresh bread was so overwhelming I felt dizzy.  The ovens were in the back, and a golden glow spilled out the open kitchen door... There was a clatter in the bakery and I heard the woman screaming again and the sound of a blow, and I vaguely wondered what was going on.  Feet sloshed toward me through the mud and I thought, It's her.  She's coming to drive me away with a stick.  But it wasn't her.  It was the boy.  In his arms, he carried two large loaves of bread that must have fallen into the fire because their crusts were scorched black... 

The boy took one look back to the bakery as if checking that the coast was clear, then his attention back on the pig, he threw a loaf of bread in my direction.  The second quickly followed, and he sloshed back to the bakery, closing the kitchen door tightly behind him... It was a good hearty bread, filled with raisins and nuts.

This is a bread that I've been mulling over in my head for a while and have been trying to figure out the best combination of ingredients.  I actually did two versions of this bread.  The first was sort of a Peeta's bread inspired challah (basically my 1/2 Batch with some mixed grains and other stuff thrown in).  I experimented with using applesauce instead of oil, and I really liked the result.  I'd like to try it again on a regular old challah just to see what the result is.  Stay tuned.

So here are the necessity's for Peeta's bread (in the book and in my humble opinion)...

• Raisins or another Dried Fruit.  (I hate raisins.  They ruin everything.  I should have this shirt. But Peeta's bread is supposed to have nuts and raisins. Oh dear. Well, I thought I'd compromise and find some sort of other dried fruit. I came across some dried cherries and decided on them instead. It was a pleasing overall result. The toasted almonds and cherries work well together, but perhaps would be even better in a completely white flour challah. The wheat kinda brought them down.)
• Nuts - I tried both almonds and walnuts
• Some portion of Whole Wheat - I figured that, while the bakery bread would not necessarily have to have the mealy Tesserae grain that Katniss talks about, it wouldn't be Capital bread either.  So it would have some darkness to it.

So, without further ado, I bring you the first (in a series!) of Hunger Games Challah!

Peeta's Bread - Challah Version

I'm luke-warm on this bread.  It's fine.  But it's nothing special.  And I feel like the Boy with the Bread's bread ought to be something really special.

I'm going to share what I did with you anyway.  But, it's not all that special.  Here's what I used...

3/4 c water
.6 oz (1/3 block) fresh yeast or 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp honey
1/2 c dried fruit (see note above)
1/4 c chopped toasted almonds
1 egg
1/3 c applesauce (I used natural chunky because it's what I had)
1 1/2 c bread flour 
1 c white whole wheat flour (I LOVE this so much more than regular whole wheat)
1/4 c mixed grains (I used whole flax, kamut, and wheat gluten, though I think I'd used millet next time)
1 tsp salt

The result is just kind of lame.  I braided it, because Peeta might have braided it, I told myself. But I think I was stretching here.  It's not challah.  It's bakery bread.  And this was challah trying to be something it couldn't.  So, I moved on and tried again...

Peeta's Bread - No-Knead Version

I've read a little about no-knead overnight breads, and I've tried doing french baguette once before.  I'm not ready to publish the baguette recipe here, because it's still in the works and still largely a conglomeration of a few other recipes but not really my own yet.  But for this loaf, I got creative and tried out my own.  Here's what you'll need...


1 1/2 to 2 c water (NOT hot)

1 tsp active or instant dry yeast

1/2 c dried fruit (see below... oh boy)

scant 1/4 c chopped walnuts

2 c bread flour 

1 c white whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

TIME (about 18 hours...)
A baking crock or Dutch Oven

About the Dried Fruit:  Okay, I'm going to eat my words.  I used raisins.  I had some lying around from an Iranian Haroset I made during Passover (Still good, right?  They last, right?)  So, I used them.  But not a ton.  I added some chopped dried apples too, because I thought Peeta might have used those too.  Maybe?

What's really neat about no-knead bread is how you just toss it all together.  As I was making this, I commented to The Hazz who has never read The Hunger Games how much I liked to the idea of a long-rising bread.  A bakery would have the time, because they'd just start loaves as others were finishing and being sold.  But in District 12, they wouldn't have stand mixers.  So I opted not to use my lovely Kitchen Aid.  Instead, I just dumped all the ingredients except for the water in a bowl and pulled out my wooden spoon.  Once everything was all incorporated, we started adding water, mixing first with the wooden spoon before just going in with my hands.

Once everything is incorporated, leave covered in at room temperature overnight for 12-18 hours (longer is better).  I read a few places about 70 degrees is preferable, but it's winter here, so I'm sure it's not that warm in my house!

Turn the dough out on a lightly flour surface and form into a shape that fits your Dutch oven or baking crock.  We don't have a baking crock (but now I want one!), so I used our LeCreuset Dutch Oven.  However, keep in mind that the standard knobs aren't oven safe to high temperatures (I think it's 325...?).  You can buy a replacer knob.  For the meantime, I took out my knob and flipped the screw so it was sitting on top.  Just make sure it doesn't fall in your oven and get lost!  (Note: I started with my 5 quart LeCreuset in red, but decided to switch to my purple 3 1/2 quart because Mark Bittman recommends a smaller size for an ultimately higher loaf.)

Form into a log.  I tried to kind of tuck in my fruit and nuts so they were sitting at the bottom of the container (trying to prevent too much stuck to my pan).  Flip the log or round and lay on an oiled baking sheet on a lightly floured surface. (I messed this step up.  One site recommended oiled, but MANY, MANY others recommended floured bowl, cloth, or countertop.  After beginning to worry about my loaf sticking to my LeCreuset, I changed over to a floured surface.)  Let rest an additional 2 hours covered in a clean cloth.

After 1 1/2 hours have passed, place your heavy baking dish (Pyrex, ceramic baker, or cast iron pot) in a cold oven and preheat.  For my cast iron pot, I preheated to 425, but you could preheat higher.  When the last 1/2 hour has passed, remove pot from the oven (carefully!) and plop in the dough in the pan (make sure to check one last time for any sticky parts and flour as needed).

Bake with the lid on for 20-30 minutes, checking to make sure it doesn't rise too much or brown too much.  Remove the lid and bake another 15-25 minutes.  I did 30 minutes with lid and 15 without.  Tip your bread out of the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

The result? OM NOM NOM, you guys.  Wow.  Like, seriously, this might be the best thing I ever made.  It's soooooo rustic.  The crust is delicious and crumbly.  The inside is chewy just like what you would imagine from a bakery.  In fact, The Hazz said, "It's like REAL bakery bread."

Would the Boy with the Bread be proud?  Is this his bread?  I like to pretend this is what it would have been like.  I'm not about to start burning this bread.  It's deliciously awesome just as is.  It takes time, but it's not time consuming.  You just have to wait.  It might actually be less hands on than most of my challot.  But the result is so, so, so worth the wait.

Next up, well there are lots of breads in The Hunger Games.  I think next up in the books are rolls from the Capitol dipped in hot chocolate.  I'm game, are you?

May the odds be EVER in your favor! (and Shabbat Shalom!)

View of Shabbat - August 19

I'm running late (haven't showered yet, haven't set the lights, blah blah), so I promise to make a REAL post later this weekend... I already have a great title for it. But, here's a teaser for you.


Shabbat Shalom from our bayit to yours!

The Fresh Yeast Chronicles

A few weeks ago, I spotted a little block of fresh yeast nestled in between the eggs and the cottage cheese at my local grocery store.  Excited, I dropped it in our cart and brought it home for some experiments.

I'd read in several of my cookbooks some conflicting ideas on fresh yeast. Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook says:

Our recipes call for fresh or dry yeast.  To substitute one for the other: One cake compressed fresh yeast (.6 ounces) equals one envelope (1/4 ounce or 2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry or instant yeast... Fresh yeast, also known as compressed yeast... should be smooth, relatively dry (not soggy), and free of any mold.  A good test of freshness is to press a piece of the yeast between your fingers--it should flake and crumble easily.  If there is any hint of gumminess or moisture, the yeast is probably past its prime.  Both fresh and dry yeast should be stored in the refrigerator to maintain their potency.

In Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, he writes:

The process [rising] is as old as baking--that is, thousands of years--but it's been understood only since the mid-nineteenth century, when o' Louis Pasteur discovered that yeasts are living, single-cell fungi that produce carbon dioxide through fermentation (baking and brewing have a lot in common).  Before then, most breads were risen with sourdough starters, which contin wild yeasts, but shortly thereafter commercial yeast production began.  Now, of course, you can buy yeast in various forms at the supermarket, including fresh, active dry, and instant, which is the most recent addition to the group and bay far the most convenient... Many bakers contend that fresh yeast tastes better than dry, but I don't see it.  It is kind of fun to work with, but for me instant is the way to go.

So, using Martha's measurments of .6 oz equaling 2 1/2 tsp active dry (what a coincidence), I divided my 1.8 oz block into three and made three weeks worth of fresh yeast challah.

Week 1 - Made alongside Hippy Dippy Flax Seed Bread, this was our actual challah for Shabbat.  It seemed to rise "faster" to me, but it was very, very hot at home, so I couldn't be sure.  Fresh yeast has a ripe, yeasty flavor (duh!), that reminds me a lot of beer.


Week 2 - Made alongside Double Chocolate Challah, wooza!  I left for a haircut and came back an HOUR AND A HALF later (short rise!) to find this explosion.

A quick braid and second rise (maaaaybe 25 minutes, again, quick), baked. Completely golden. This time, we decided we really noticed a qualitative change in the challah. Softer, yeastier (again with the uncreative adjective), and yet a more delicate yeastiness. It's hard to describe. It seems very yeasty but it doesn't taste overly yeasty. If you've ever accidentally used too much yeast in bread, you know what I mean.


Week 3 - We were having a BIG crowd of IMPORTANT people that I wanted to IMPRESS (more on this another time), so we needed to full size challahs. But, since I wanted to try the fresh yeast more time, I made two half-batches -- one with fresh and one with active dry. The active dry was about 10 minutes "behind" the fresh yeast (that is to say, I started ten minutes after the other). No question, however. The fresh yeast rose faster. Waaaaaaaay faster...

The dough felt pretty much the same. To keep everything very standard, I used the same baking sheet. The active dry continued to rise while the fresh was in the oven, until it appeared to the same size in the bowl. Once baked, side by side, the loaves do look different. The active dry (with poppyseed) sort of collapsed open in the oven and isn't quite as lovely. At the Shabbat table, we tasted and compared.


The Verdict - Side by side, the fresh yeast tastes better. As I said, it a mild, but stronger yeastiness. The texture is a little "doughy-er" which I like (both were baked to around 185 degrees in the center). Fresh yeast certainly isn't all that more expensive when you're talking about 50 cents per loaf. That said, my friend pointed out that her giant bag of active dry from Costco can last several months. I'm planning on buying fresh yeast when I can. But, honestly, you're not really missing much if you don't want to bother with it. It's worth trying for fun and I'd definitely be interested in experimenting more with it for more "pure" breads like baguette and things where there isn't honey and eggs in the equation.

Have YOU ever used fresh yeast? Have any other secret yeast tips?