Bagels

Today's Tuesday's with Dorie are Bagels from the Baking with Julia Cookbook based on Julia Child's PBS series of the same title.

I have made bagels before this recipe the difference being I used my bread machine for the dough and the recipe did not have nearly as many steps, and they didn't turn out as nicely as this recipe. I like recipes that explain why you are supposed to do something like roll the dough into balls to develop the gluten on the outside of the bagel so it keeps it shape - I do this kind of rolling when I make rolls but didn't know why. This recipe has quite a few techniques that I found useful.  I read the directions to remove the bagels from the water bath to the floured towel but then didn't quite get where I was moving them too, either a peel or the flour covered towel? Not wanting to bake on my stone I lined a baking sheet with parchment to prevent the egg white wash causing the bagels to stick to the pan as I knew I would never be able to wash the bagels so neatly that it did not drip! What a tall order that is. I did forget that parchment should only be used up to 425F so it burned just a bit but my bagels did not stick! 

I have not tried a bagel yet but plan on having one with my tea in the morning! 

Find the recipe over at Heather's Bytes.

Wonderful Wheat Bread

TWD - Whole Wheat Loaves

Wheat bread is one of my favorite breads along with rye bread, well, truthfully, I find it hard to turn down any kind of homemade bread.  Making homemade bread is an adventure full of twists, turns and surprises all the way from the smell of the yeast, the feel of flour, deciding on the correct texture of the dough, the wonder of the rise and the aroma of the baking all the way the to the first taste. If I kneaded my dough by hand I would add the effort of the knead as well.  As a child my parents experienced a year marked with hardship and my mom made homemade bread and I don't remember the hardships but I do remember the comfort and feeling safe and secure when I smelled bread baking and seeing the loaves lined up on the counter. 

The funny thing about wheat bread in my childhood family is that no one likes wheat bread.  My mother had an aversion to it as did my grandmother and my grandfather thought Wonderbread was the epitome of bread.  I can only think that wheat bread must have been a very dull and dry product back in those old days.  Today we are so spoiled with such a variety of flours and other ingredients that a delicious loaf is almost a guarantee.

Today's recipe was easy to follow with only the unusual ingredient of malt extract which I didn't have but after a quick search I found that I could substitute molasses for it.  I would like to try the malt extract as I read it has a distinct flavor and will look for it the next time I am at Whole Foods or Sprouts but will try it only if the price point is reasonable. One thing I learned today that when you make a loaf that you fold the rectangular dough from short end versus the long end which is what I have done previously with mixed results.

The recipe stated to flatten dough into a 9x12 inch rectangle and "with the short side facing you, fold the dough about two thirds of the way down the rectangle, then fold again so that the top edge meets the bottom edge; seal the seam by pinching it.  Turn roll so that the seam is in the center of the roll, facing up and turn the ends of the roll in just enough so that the roll fits in the loaf pan."

For the recipe from the fabulous cookbook Baking with Julia, you can find it on Michele's blog veggie num nums and  Teresa at The Family that Bakes Together.  Thank you ladies for a wonderful choice.  

I just love Teresa's blog concept  - 3 generations of her family bake these recipes together! How fun!

Popovers for Tuesday's with Dorie

I never had a popover until today though I have heard a lot about them. My girlfriend raves about the Yorkshire pudding and roast beef her mother made at Christmas. Popovers remind me of choux pastry with the eggy interior. I think I over cooked mine a little bit as the interior wasn't too wet and the outside was really crunchy. I served a beef stew for dinner and the popovers were really great dipped into the broth. I don't know if I will make them again, perhaps the Yorkshire style using the hot oiled pan which might make them a bit softer. 

Today's recipe is part of the Tuesday's with Dorie challenge where the recipes are selected from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Baking with Julia. I received this cookbook in 1997 from my sister and I fondly remember watching the program on PBS.  I rely on the book for the basics and its cracked spine is a testament to my using it as a cross reference when I am looking at other similar recipes. 

For the popover recipe check out  Paula at Vintage Kitchen Notes or Amy at Bake With Amy. 
I look forward to trying new recipes that I would not choose for myself with TWD.