Scenes from Pre-Thanksgiving

 

1. live turkey from a local farmer, the only way I could source a heritage breed a week before the normal turkey day 2. brining the turkey 3. jiggly gelatinous turkey foot stock 4. rolling homemade yeast rolls 5. Lil calculating dough ball weight 6. baked rolls 7. knife sharpening observed by a springer spaniel 8. making cocktails 9. Lil and her Thanksgiving menus 10. the roasted bird

We're traveling to Saint Louis later this week to meet a new nephew so we had an early Thanksgiving meal with other family this weekend. Everything was made from scratch, many ingredients were locally sourced, and we enjoyed great company alongside the food.

What are your Thanksgiving plans?

Scenes from Pre-Thanksgiving

 

1. live turkey from a local farmer, the only way I could source a heritage breed a week before the normal turkey day 2. brining the turkey 3. jiggly gelatinous turkey foot stock 4. rolling homemade yeast rolls 5. Lil calculating dough ball weight 6. baked rolls 7. knife sharpening observed by a springer spaniel 8. making cocktails 9. Lil and her Thanksgiving menus 10. the roasted bird

We're traveling to Saint Louis later this week to meet a new nephew so we had an early Thanksgiving meal with other family this weekend. Everything was made from scratch, many ingredients were locally sourced, and we enjoyed great company alongside the food.

What are your Thanksgiving plans?

Sourdough Challah {Recipe}

What is there to write about the best bread ever? The sourdough challah that Alex spent a year perfecting? The recipe we're baking for the third time this week today?

Alex's sourdough challah tastes mildly tangy, sweet, and rich. The texture is dense but smooth. We eat it plain, with butter, covered in honey (Lil's favorite), or as a base for sandwiches.

This challah is enriched with two things we have in abundance - eggs and sourdough. Both contribute to the luxurious flavor and enhance the nutritive content beyond  standard sandwich bread. This is a good thing for Lil and I who work and play outside for hours a day and want quick snacks frequently.

A great bread like this takes effort, however. Our sourdough pet requires thrice weekly feeding. And the overnight rise takes time too. We use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients which initially seems complicated but will change your baking for the better as it eliminates variations due to moisture. Alex typically weighs and kneads the dough before bed, braids in the morning, and I bake sometime around noon. Don't be afraid of the process though - the routine doesn't feel like much work when the reward is so abundant.

Sourdough Challah

Time: 15 minutes mixing, overnight rise, two hours rising and baking next day Makes one large loaf

6 grams/0.2 ounce instant dry yeast 400 grams/16.8 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour 100 grams/4.2 ounces whole wheat flour 60 grams/2 ounces warm water 90 grams wet sourdough starter* 3 large eggs, plus 1 yolk for glazing 8 grams/0.3 ounce table salt 55 grams/1.9 ounces vegetable oil 85 grams/3 ounces mild honey or 70 grams/2.4 ounces granulated sugar approximately 10 grams poppy seed, optional

1. Measure ingredients except egg yolk and optional poppy seeds into a bread machine, stand mixer, or large bowl. 2. Mix until they come together. 3. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about ten minutes. 4. Let rise in an oiled and covered bowl overnight in cool place. 5. Divide dough into thirds and roll into 18 inch long ropes. Braid ropes and place on a silpat-lined baking sheet. 6. Beat egg yolk in a small bowl. Brush yolk on the top of the loaf to glaze it. Sprinkle on optional seeds. 7. Bake at 325 F for 20-30 minutes or until top is browned and bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Tent with foil if you desire a lighter colored crust.

*Sourdough starter is a topic that deserves its own post, but for here's the pertinent info for this recipe: We keep our white flour starter fairly liquid-y, about the consistency of cultured buttermilk. Local folks, we share our starter freely so contact me or see me at the Swainway Urban Farm booth at a farmers' market if you want some.

Sourdough Challah {Recipe}

What is there to write about the best bread ever? The sourdough challah that Alex spent a year perfecting? The recipe we're baking for the third time this week today?

Alex's sourdough challah tastes mildly tangy, sweet, and rich. The texture is dense but smooth. We eat it plain, with butter, covered in honey (Lil's favorite), or as a base for sandwiches.

This challah is enriched with two things we have in abundance - eggs and sourdough. Both contribute to the luxurious flavor and enhance the nutritive content beyond  standard sandwich bread. This is a good thing for Lil and I who work and play outside for hours a day and want quick snacks frequently.

A great bread like this takes effort, however. Our sourdough pet requires thrice weekly feeding. And the overnight rise takes time too. We use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients which initially seems complicated but will change your baking for the better as it eliminates variations due to moisture. Alex typically weighs and kneads the dough before bed, braids in the morning, and I bake sometime around noon. Don't be afraid of the process though - the routine doesn't feel like much work when the reward is so abundant.

Sourdough Challah

Time: 15 minutes mixing, overnight rise, two hours rising and baking next day Makes one large loaf

6 grams/0.2 ounce instant dry yeast 400 grams/16.8 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour 100 grams/4.2 ounces whole wheat flour 60 grams/2 ounces warm water 90 grams wet sourdough starter* 3 large eggs, plus 1 yolk for glazing 8 grams/0.3 ounce table salt 55 grams/1.9 ounces vegetable oil 85 grams/3 ounces mild honey or 70 grams/2.4 ounces granulated sugar approximately 10 grams poppy seed, optional

1. Measure ingredients except egg yolk and optional poppy seeds into a bread machine, stand mixer, or large bowl. 2. Mix until they come together. 3. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about ten minutes. 4. Let rise in an oiled and covered bowl overnight in cool place. 5. Divide dough into thirds and roll into 18 inch long ropes. Braid ropes and place on a silpat-lined baking sheet. 6. Beat egg yolk in a small bowl. Brush yolk on the top of the loaf to glaze it. Sprinkle on optional seeds. 7. Bake at 325 F for 20-30 minutes or until top is browned and bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Tent with foil if you desire a lighter colored crust.

*Sourdough starter is a topic that deserves its own post, but for here's the pertinent info for this recipe: We keep our white flour starter fairly liquid-y, about the consistency of cultured buttermilk. Local folks, we share our starter freely so contact me or see me at the Swainway Urban Farm booth at a farmers' market if you want some.

The Lemon Meringue Pie Test

If there were a Homemakers Award system with a Home Baking merit badge, lemon meringue pie would be the final exam. This diner dessert requires mastery of a flaky crust, no-fall meringue, and tempered egg filling. These elements must be managed in quick succession so that they come together for a final bake before sogging the crust. Then, the whole thing must chill before service just enough that beads of moisture do not form on the meringue. In my first sitting for the lemon meringue exam, I failed.

First, the sides of my all-butter crust slumped during the blind baking stage. I deduced that the oven was not hot enough. A second crust in a hotter oven retained its shape.

I read the recipe for the filling a half dozen times. The process starts by dissolving cornstarch and sugar into solution and then one tempers egg yolks into the pot. Off the heat, the recipe calls for adding lemon juice and butter before pouring it into the shell.

This all sounded a little fishy to me - every lemon meringue pie I've eaten tastes like the filling is lemon curd and this cornstarch solution isn't part of lemon curd. Yet I persisted. I emptied our cornstarch jar with just a little less than the recipe called for but the yolks tempered beautifully. I timed every step and poured the 'isn't-that-a-little-runny' filling into the crust just as egg whites came to a stiff peak in the mixer.

I scraped the meringue over top, learning that why a piping bag would make that step much more efficient. Again, I followed the recipe to a T, spreading the meringue to touch each edge. I carefully transfered the pie to the oven.

Top browned, I removed the pie, noticing the top quaking like a leaf on a rippling stream. When would that filling set up? Perhaps in the cooling. The pie sat at room temperature and then on our chilly porch for four hours.

Carrying it over to friends', the filling was still a running river. When it was time to serve, our lovely hostess presented a knife. I asked for a spoon.

Of course, because the filling never set, the crust was a soggy mess too. The flavors were all good, so we ate the pie soup. Lil consumed only the meringue top to her piece - a choice I can't fault, as it was the only truly successful part of the dish. We forgot the delightful candied lemon garnish which could have pulled the pie into passing territory.

Someday I'll attempt making lemon meringue pie again. Until then, if you are looking for your Homemakers Award, I recommend anything but this recipe.

Really, Rugelach? {Wordless Wednesday}

Lil and I made Mrs. Wheelbarrow's rugelach for a cookie exchange last week. Lil loved rolling peach, blueberry peach, and sour cherry preserves with almonds in the rich butter and cream cheese dough. She even made her own creation, chocolate with no nuts.

The recipe is time consuming and made me break up with my food processor but the results are outstanding. This is the perfect cookie for me - not at all sweet but full of flavor from homemade jams. Mrs. Wheelbarrow's recipe also suggests a bacon jam version which a friend made and paired with scotch. Yum!

Holla Challah!

Challah is said with a 'holla!' attitude in this house. I apologize to Jewish families who eat challah as a sabbath bread, but I really can't even think of this bread without the tune of Hollaback Girl rising in my mind. It doesn't matter how you say it or whether you think of the song: challah is a rich beautiful bread worthy of baking and eating regularly.

If I am working alone, I form the dough into a double braid as is traditional.

If Lil is hosting a play date, I often make a batch of challah dough, let it rise and then divide into four or six pieces. I help the children shape braids, spirals, letters, or 'rocks'. They rise a second time while the kids play. We bake their creations and watch the shapes change. Finally, we eat the delicately crumbed breads together, sharing for some kids their first yeast bread baking experience.

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Holla Challah makes one large loaf or four-six smaller loaves

adapted from the The Book of Bread

1 1/4 tablespoons active dry yeast 3/4 cup warm water 1 tablespoon sugar or honey 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour 1 1/2 - 2 cups bread flour

optional glazes: 1 egg yolk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon water, poppy seeds

1. Stir yeast and sugar into warm water in a mixing bowl. Allow to proof for five minutes.

2. Add eggs, salt, vegetable oil, and white whole wheat flour. Begin stirring, or start KitchenAid /stand mixer with dough hook if you have one.

3. Add bread flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl cleanly.

4. Turn onto a floured board and knead at least ten minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. (Alternately, use dough hook of stand mixer to knead for 5 minutes.)

5. Put in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, approximately 1 hour.

6. Punch down dough and allow to rest for a few minutes.

7. Divide dough into portions for kids to shape. Help them make shapes and place on a Silpat lined cookie sheet with plenty of space between creations.

8. For a double braid, divide into two portions, one approximately a third of the dough and the other two thirds. Further subdivide each part into three equal parts. Roll each into a rope. Braid the larger three ropes, tucking ends under the braid, and place on a Silpat lined cookie sheet. Braid the smaller ropes, tuck in ends, and settle on top of the bigger braid.

9. Cover and allow to rise again until double in bulk, approximately forty five minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

10. Brush risen dough with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.

11. Bake ten minutes at 400 degrees F. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35-40 minutes longer. Cool on a rack.

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Get ready for some meat curing posts - I'm participating in Charcutepalooza. Read my article about the year of meat project on Technorati.

Challah recipe added to Hearth and Soul blog hop.

Happy Turkey Day!

Here's the only turkey we cooked this year:

It's an eggy buttery bread shaped like a turkey, entirely Lil's idea.

Thinking about thanks, read Teacher Tom's As Big As That Perfect Everything.  He eloquently describes how rote 'thanks' is meaningless compared to the childlike understanding that we're all in this world together, all thankful for all being.

What Food Says About Class In America is another good read for this day of feasting.

May your meals be delicious and fulfilling today!

PS.  Don't forget to save the turkey bones and make stock.  You can even offer to take it off the hands of your hosts and share the bone broth with them.