Baking by the Book @bakingbythebook - Tumblr Blog

Well, I did it! I baked every bread in Paul Hollywood’s book Bread that I received for Christmas in 2019. A few recipes are definitely keepers and have become a family staple such as The Bloomer and Sourdough bread. Others went straight into the trash, such as the Parkin. (Bleh!) I have learned a lot through these bakes and Paul’s guidance in the book. I also had quite a bit of fun! So much fun, in fact, that I am trying to decide on the next book to conquer. Stay tuned for my next adventure in baking!

Final bake: Fougasse sans (yucky) olives

#bread #baking #2020goals #fougasse

Molasses and Marshmallow Buttercream sandwich cookies.

#sandwich cookie #molasses #baking

I could not bring myself to care about baking a fougasse today. Pumpkin, Maple, Pecan Whoopie Pies for the win!

#baking #whoopie pies #pumpkin

Approaching the finish line! Two more bakes and I will have baked every bread in Paul Hollywood's book Bread this year. This is the Basil and Coriander Sourdough. Can't wait to cut into it to see the crumb!

#baking #bread #sourdough #2020goals #paul hollywood

Today's bake was Lardy Cake. More dried fruit in bread. Ugh! BUT surprisingly pleasant. Must be the presence of lard and butter. I enjoy the cinnamon-roll-esque layers. Though, all said and done I would have preferred to spend the time making cinnamon rolls.

#lardy cake #baking #bread #fat equals flavor

eisbecherovka

Old school German gingerbread (Lebkuchen) recipe

This recipe has a prep time of 2 months–yes, months! Allowing the dough to ripen makes the cookies dark, complexly flavored, and chewy.

Ingredients:

250g honey 250g light brown sugar 100g butter 500g flour 25g or one packet gingerbread spice mix 2 tablespoons cinnamon zest of one lemon 2 tablespoons cocoa powder scant tablespoon potash/potassium carbonate (or half a tablespoon of baking soda) 1 tablespoon Kirschwasser, other fruit schnaps, or just regular water 2 eggs

Method:

Melt honey and sugar together, remove from heat, add butter. In a separate bowl, combine flour, spices, lemon zest, and cocoa powder. Dissolve the potash in the schnaps. Make a well in the flour mix, crack eggs into the well, whisk, then slowly add the honey mix, then the schnaps/potash mix. Continue mixing for 5 minutes; the dough should glisten faintly.

Scrape the dough into a ceramic bowl and cover with a plate (or just put it in some tupperware…according to the recipe it needs to be able to “breathe” but I’ve never had problems with an airtight covering). Store in a cool, dark place (ideally a cellar, but your fridge is fine) for at least one day and up to two months - the longer, the better.

Before baking, knead the dough thoroughly. Roll out and cut out cookies in desired shapes. Allow them to rest for 1-2 hours before baking. Bake at 165°C/320°F for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

Orange and Dark Chocolate Brioche. Im going to be real here. I have learned a lot from baking through the breads in this book. I have 4 more breads to bake before my goal is complete and I am quite pleased. However, I am so over British recipes. My American palate, though some may say unrefined, craves FLAVOR. Something aside from simple variations of dried fruits and nuts, pleaseeeee. Or perhaps, STOP putting dried fruits and nuts in everything. There's something to be said for a plain bread, well done, no extras.