I think of Goldilocks and the Three Bears when I think of porridge. When I was little, when I pretend-cooked, it was always porridge. Stirring barkdust with pine cones and pine needles, “What are you making, Rachel?” Porridge. At the beach, mixing sand and shell and water, “What are you making, Rachel?” Porridge. Last night […]
Who would have thought potatoes were the secret ingredient of excellent deep dish pizza? The reason? The high starch profile jump-starts fermentation, therein creating a complex profile of flavors, and even leaves a little sugar in excess to sweeten the deep dish crust; also, the potato starches interfere with the gluten bonding among the flour […]
If I’ve ever made April Fool’s bread it is this. I’m still learning to “de-gas” my dough in the shaping process. When you don’t properly or sufficiently de-gas, you get silly shapen loaves such as these. Basically, bread aneurysms. Pain Sur Poolish Basic Sponge Bread Adapted from the Village Baker The Poolish (sponge): 2 teaspoons […]
Happy Easter. Since we don’t have children to decorate eggs with or give baskets to, here is how we have come to treat our bulldog as child—Izzy’s story time: in the cookbook. I thought it was appropriate to make the crown loaf today, in honor of the resurrection of Our Lord. The crown loaf is […]
Finished teaching the last installment of the Mayo Medical School course Disruptions in Development today, to which Dr. Bostwick and I brought loaves baked with our own bare hands to break and share with the students on today of all days. I then read this poem, shamelessly. From the IV movement of East Coker in […]
The breads of France are beguiling, but only for their high-faluting nomenclature. Flour and water and yeast and salt. Last night’s fellowship dinner for Calvary we served the following loaf, a fail safe, I do believe. This is the basic bread in the new book, the Village Baker from my bread guru, out of print! […]
Speed post. Coffeecake in Twisted Coil with Sweet Cheese Filling Baking Illustrated Rich Coffeecake Dough 4 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (2 envelopes ) 1/4 cup warm water (about 110 F) 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces) 4 large eggs 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (21 1/4 […]
And finally, the last pizza in the pizza marathon. At the finish line was Izzy and KP. So good to be home. Sausage and Bell Pepper Pizza with Basil and Mozzarella Adapted from Baking Illustrated INGREDIENTS for the Basic Pizza Dough 1/2 cup warm water (about 110°) 1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp.) instant yeast 1 […]
The magic of the Whidbey MFA residency passed too quick! I have the post-residency blues akin to the post-pizza blues—too good, too much, too fast. And although right now I feel as if I shall be full for weeks, tomorrow, I’ll already be hungry for more. Love is half a longing possession does nothing to […]
A fable on onions from The Brother’s Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the translation by Constance Garnett: “You see, Alyosha,” Grushenka turned to him with a nervous laugh. “I was boasting when I told Rakitin I had given away an onion, but it’s not to boast I tell you about it. It’s only a story, but it’s a […]