Black Russian Rye Bread

If you have been to Outback Steakhouse, Cheesecake Factory, and/or Bugaboo Creek, then you will clearly understand the need for any home baker to emulate those tasty delicious bread they served to you with whipped butter shortly after you placed your orders. Oh, those sweetish dark brownish morsels of baked dough goodness.....and then it hit you one day, what in God's name are those breads?

I like to think of it as in bread from the pumpernickel/rye family. If only it is that simple. For some, I don't know what reason, it tastes DIFFERENT. I have tried many a recipes that claimed to be the copycats of breads baked in these establishments but no....they didn't come close at all. That's it until I found Beth Hensperger and her Bread Bible. Of course those breads are of Russian's and Eastern European's origin. Why didn't I think of that all those years ago? Bummer!

So, step 1 to identify the recipe to follow is over. I know exactly what I am looking at and the Black Russian Rye Bread came highly recommended by other food bloggers out there. Said to be the closest and even better rendition of those tasty brown morsels of bread served at the above mentioned establishments. Good!

On to the recipe, a quick scan and the first thought that came to my mind was OMG! I have never ever see a longer list of ingredients required to make a load of bread ever in my entire life. I try to convince myself that it came highly recommended and that if I really wanna free myself of the clutches from those chain restaurants (if I am honest, I really don't care too much for their food aside from the bread. Oh, the bread!), I better give it a shot.

Will I ever attempt something like this again, OH, YES! The bread came out absolutely TO DIE FOR! If you have a stand mixer or a bread machine, it should be relatively easy to make this bread with the help of those equipment. Even if you have to knead it with your hands, please try this recipe at least once. This bread is OH, SO WORTH IT!

Russian Black Bread

(Adapted from Beth Hensperger’s The Bread Bible)Makes 2 loaves


Ingredients
2 packages (1 1/2 tablespoons) active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 cups water
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
3 cups medium rye flour
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose or bread flour
1 cup wheat bran
2 tablespoons caraway seeds or ground caraway
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds or ground fennel
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1/4 cup cornmeal (optional)
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour (optional)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

Directions

1. In a measuring cup, combine the 1/2 cup warm water, pinch of sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir well to mix. Let stand for 10 minutes till foamy.

2. In a pot, combine 2 cups of water, molasses, apple cider vinegar, butter, and chocolate. Heat over medium heat till butter and chocolate are melted. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine all the three flours. Whisk till they are well-mixed. Set aside.

4. In the mixer bowl attached with the paddle attachment, place 2 cups of mixed flours, the wheat bran, 2 tablespoon of caraway seeds, fennel, salt, espresso, and shallots.Turn mixer on to low speed. Gradually, add in the yeast and chocolate mixture to form a smooth batter. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.

5. Reduce mixer's speed to low. Gradually, add in mixed flours, half a cup at a time, till dough clears the side of bowl. Dough should be sticky but firm.

6. Stop the mixer. Remove the paddle attachment from mixer. Scrape paddle clean of dough. Replace with dough hook.

7. Turn mixer speed to low. Continue to add mixed flour to dough, 1/4 cup at a time, with the machine running till dough clears the side of bowl. You will have at least 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of mixed flours left. Let dough continues to knead for the next 3 minutes on low. 

8. Once dough is done kneading, gently roll dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use the remaining mixed flours to dust your work station. Form dough into a ball. 

9. Lightly, grease your mixer's bowl with vegetable oil. Place dough in bowl and turn it over once to grease the other side of the dough. Place a cling wrap over the bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. 

Let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 

10. Once dough is done proofing, gently deflate dough. 

Divide dough into 2 portions on a lightly floured surface.

11. Form into rounds. Place seam side down on parchment lined baking sheet.

12. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise for 45 mins to 1 hour.

13. Preheat oven to 350F. Slash a X on top of the dough right before baking.

14. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Bread is done when you can hear a hollow sound when bread is tapped lightly with your fingers. If you have an instant read thermometer, the temperature should read between 200F and 210F. Mine takes about 60-65 minutes to bake.  

15. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Note: 

-The original recipes called for the caraway and fennel used in the recipe to be in the seeds form. However, if you are like me, and do not like to bite into seeds when eating your slice, grind the seeds into powder before adding it into your dough.

-I have made this bread using ground cumin instead of caraway. It tasted great if you are a cumin fan.

- The recipe calls for wheat bran, which essentially is the outer husk of wheat. I have substitute the wheat bran with wheat germ (the inner part of the wheat) using what I have on hand aka "I have totally forgotten to buy the wheat bran on my last grocery trip", it works just fine.
-If you like a darker color bread, closer to pumpernickel, increase the molasses from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup
- An instant read thermometer is really handy in this case. The color of the rye flour, molasses, and chocolate in the recipe makes it almost impossible to approximate if the bread is done by visual appearance.
- You can also shape them into loaves and bake in a loaf pan for 50 - 55 mins.
- If you choose to make this into petite rolls, divide dough into 16 portions. Shape into rounds. Bake for 20- 25 mins.

Cheese Sticks or Buns

Nope, if you are looking for the American Cheese Stix aka thick strips of cheese, breaded, and fried.....this is not it. The Cheese Sticks I am referring to is the bread topped with shredded cheese that you can find in most Asian bakery. Why? The better question is why not? Instead of doing PB&J for lunch, something new with a little twist should make for an interesting light lunch or snack.

Yeah, I can take the easy way out and just called it Asiago bread but there is a problem to it. First, I am not using Asiago although the appearance of these buns do look like one. And secondly, I still feel that it is somehow wrong to term the Asian style bun as bread. Bread to me is more of the European style hard crust, hearty, and kinda like steel sitting in your stomach-type of bread. The Asian's bakery style bun on the other hand has a soft and thin crust with a fluffy light interior.

So, no! I don't think they are the same at all and cannot in all my years as a baker, group this different types of baked flour yeast-ed goodness in the same category. You just have to bear with me on that one. Back to the cheese sticks, these babies are really great. It is nice and soft, with the crispy crunchy melted cheese exterior. Beats those cheese crusts in Asia's pizza hut's cheesy crusts anytime. Anyone in Asia or Middle East has, by any chance, try the latest hamburger stuffed crust pizza in Pizza Hut there yet? I am curious to know how it will taste. Intrigue? Most definitely! You can read more on it at AHT - Serious Eats.

Cheese Sticks or Buns
Ingredients
Dough
300g bread flour (King Arthur brand if you can)
30g sugar
70ml warm milk
75g water roux
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
1 packet Active Dry Yeast (About 7g or 1 Tbsp)
45g butter

Toppings
2 cups of shredded Mozzarella
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 egg, beaten
Paprika
Dried Parsley Flakes

Directions
1. In a bread machine, combine all the dough ingredients in the order as prescribed by the manufacturers.
2. Set bread machine on dough cycle and let it knead and proof the bread dough till double in size. Mine take 1 1/2 hours.
3. After dough is done proofing, divide it into 10 portions (about 50-55g each)
4. Shape it into a round. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 10 minutes before shaping.
5. Once dough is done resting, press flatten one portion of dough with a rolling pin. Then roll it up into the shape of an oblong. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Cover with clean kitchen towel. Let proof for 45 to 50 mins until it doubles in size.

6. Preheat oven to 350F/175C.
7. Brush dough with egg wash.

8. Mix the shredded Mozzarella and sharp cheddar in a bowl. Generously top dough with cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan/Romano.

9. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway for even browning. Once bread is out of the oven, sprinkle lightly with dried parsley and paprika. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

The best tasting soft fluffy cheesy bread you will ever taste.

Homemade NY-Style Bagel

I was never a big fan of bagel but these homemade bagels are really good. Why will someone decide to make homemade bagel, you may ask. Well, cos I have never and I want to. See, when you are really into baking, there are a few items in the book that will give you street credit. First and foremost, making homemade croissant. That is the ultimate street cred a home baker can get from everyone.

The second one, is of course, making your own bread loaf at home. Then come the choux pastry, pies, and etc, not necessary in the order but you get the idea. So, how does bagel rank when it comes to street cred? Pretty high, since people rarely make them at home. No, they are not that difficult but it can be tedious to some, considering you have to boil them first before baking them.

Yup, not only will you need the patience to knead them, let them rise, shape, let them rise again, you will also have to boil them prior to the final baking process. Plus, you can pretty much get bagels everywhere. The homemade once though are pretty specials, you can add whatever toppings you want.You can also opt to make it as chewy as you like, just add the boiling time. Enough said!

Homemade NY-Style Bagel (Adapted from Sophisticated Gourmet)
Ingredients
300g King Arthur's Bread Flour
200g King Arthur's White Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Directions
1. In your bread machine, add in water and sugar. Add salt to flour. Mix well. Add the flour to the water-sugar mix. Make a well in the center and add in your yeast. Set bread machine to the dough cycle and let it go.
2. Once dough is done proofing in bread machine, turn it out onto a clean work surface. Punch down dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 8 equal portions.
4. Shape dough into balls by molding the dough using the palm of your hands against the work surface in circular motions.

5.Using your finger, poke a hole in the center and stretch the dough to about 6-inches in diameter.
6. Place dough on baking sheets covered with parchment paper. Cover with clean kitchen towel. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add in a tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir till dissolved. Also, preheat oven to 425F.

8. Once water comes to a rolling boil, reduce heat to medium low. Boil bagel about 2 minutes per side.
9. Place boiled bagels on baking sheets. Once all bagels are done boiling, bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes till golden brown.

10. Let cool on wire rack. Serve with cream cheese, butter or preserves.

Ham and Cheese Pockets

There comes a time in everyone's kitchen, the day after holidays celebration and you find that you are stuck with leftovers. Make that plenty of leftovers. Being the frugal me, I hate to throw food out and my family is not big on eating leftovers the next day unless I turn them into something new.

The day after New Year and I found myself stuck with 4lbs of honey crunch ham. They taste really good and it will be a shame to toss them out later during the week. What will one do with that many ham left in the fridge? Make ham and cheese pockets, of course.

Ham and Cheese Pockets 
Adapted from Stolen Moments)
(Makes 12)
Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 Tbsp (or 1 packet) yeast
• 1 c. warm water, divided
• 1 t. sugar
• 1/4 c. melted butter, cooled to room temperature
• 2 1/2 – 3 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

For the filling:

• 1/2 lb. sliced ham
• 1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, sliced 

To assemble:

• 3 T. butter or margarine, melted (optional)
• 1 t. coarse salt (optional)

Directions

1. In a bread machine, combined all dough ingredients as per manufacturer's direction. Put machine on dough cycle and let the machine does the work. Once the one hour proofing time is over, punch the dough down. Let it rise for another 30 minutes.

2. Divide dough into 12 equal portions.

3. Roll dough out into 6-inch diameter squares.

4. Place filling at the center of each dough. Seal the edges tight and crimp with a fork.

5. Preheat oven to 375F. Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

6. Bake for 15-18 minutes till lightly golden brown.

7. Serve warm.

Warm Cinnamon Rolls

If you have ever tasted a homemade, fresh, hot off the oven cinnamon rolls, you will never want those sold in a plastic wrap or the mediocre bread dough rolled in cinnamon sugar that many baked goods retailers try to pass on as Cinnamon Rolls. Okay, maybe Cinnabon's once a year, but the pool of frosting they slathered on those buns can't be that good for my buns, can it?

So, twas the days leading to new year and I am on vacation. What is a girl to do but to indulge in her baking and cooking activities......and yes, I have been deprived of my hobbies in the name of work. With a little help from my trusted bread machine (you can do it by hand but I do have a bread machine), off to making cinnamon rolls. Once baked, the aroma of cinnamon sugar, butter and yeast filled the house with love and joy! The world should be filled with cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Rolls
(Adapted from The Joy Of Baking )

Dough:

3 cups bread flour

1 1/2 - 2 cups all-purpose flour

1 package (1/4 ounce) (7 grams) rapid rise yeast

1 cup (240 ml) milk

1/3 cup (75 grams) butter

1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon (2.5 grams) salt

3 large eggs

Filling:

3/4 cup (160 grams) packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup (35 grams) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (113 grams) butter, cold (cut into pieces)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or raisins (optional)

1 egg, beaten

Sugar Glaze:

In a medium-sized bowl stir together:

1 cup powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2-3 Tbsp milk (depending on how thick you want the glaze)

Directions

1) I used my bread machine to make the dough but you can also use a stand mixer or knead the dough by hand, if you have the time. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, sugar, salt, and butter. Heat till butter is melted. Let it cool to 110F or put a drop of mixture on your wrist. It should feel warm, not scalding hot. Pour the mixture into the bread machine. Mix in the three beaten eggs, flour, and yeast. (Follow the manufacturer's direction). Turn the dough cycle on and let it mix and proof till cycle ends.

2) Once dough is done proofing, deflate dough. Place on a well greased work surface.

3) Roll dough out into a rectangle (approx 12x16).

4) In a bowl, combine all fillings ingredient except for egg.

5) Brush beaten eggs onto the dough. It will help to hold the filling ingredients in place.

6) Spread the filling evenly onto dough, leaving about 2 inches of the dough free of fillings.

7) Roll the dough towards you, gently but firmly, to form a log. Seal the edges.

8) Grease a 12-inch round pan or a rectangle pan.

9) Slice dough into 8 and place in pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise till double in size. (45 minutes to 1 hour). Alternately, you can slice dough into 16 and place them in a large rectangle pan or 2 9-inch round pan.

10) Preheat oven to 375F or 190C. Dough should puff up to fill the pan. Brush top lightly with milk or cream to help browning. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes till done.

11) Let cinnamon rolls rest for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Let it cool for a further 5 minutes before drizzling the glaze over them. Glaze is optional but really...can there be too much sugar?

12) The cinnamon rolls came out light and moist. I will definitely recommend to divide the dough into 16 to get smaller cinnamon rolls. These babies were huge but then again, if you have cinnamon rolls lovers at home, who cares if these are of gigantic portion.

Mum's Stuffed Roasted Chicken

We love mum's stuffing. Not just on Thanksgiving day. Her stuffing recipe is so versatile that we used it in chicken, of course, pork and steak. I have written a post on her stuffing when dad was making his super delicious stuffed flank steak a few months ago. When the craving hits, once again, I recruited mum to make her stuffing. The end result was a delicious golden roasted chicken with mum's stuffing.

Mum's Stuffed Roasted Chicken
(Serves 8-10)
Ingredients

7- 8lb whole chicken, preferably a roaster
Salt to taste






Mum's New England Style Bread Stuffing
1 loaf of white bread (24oz)
1 1/2 tsp of Bell's seasoning
2 tsp of rubbed sage
1 stick of butter
1 rib of celery,  finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
salt & black pepper, to taste

Directions

 Step 1: Prepare stuffing. Diced bread into small cubes.

Step 2: In a microwave safe bowl, nuke butter with onion and celery till butter is fully melted for about 2 minutes. Check after a minute, stirred.

Step 3: Combined butter-celery-onion mix with bread.

Step 4: Add in Bell's seasoning and rubbed sage. Toss to mix well. Set aside until ready to use. Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 350F or 176C.

Step 5: Pat chicken dry with a paper towel once removed from its packaging. Place chicken on top of a baking pan lined with wire rack. Sprinkle the chicken lightly with salt.

Step 6: Stuffed the chicken with stuffing by making a small snowball of stuffing and placed it inside the cavity. Press lightly to fit. You do not want the stuffing to compress tightly.

Step 7: Using metal skewer, pull the flaps of skin at the cavity's opening together and secure tightly. You may need to use 2 or more metal skewer to seal it properly.

Step 8: Do not worry about the unused stuffing. Just place it in a baking dish or wrapped it in foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven prior to serving.

Step 9: Bake chicken, breast side down first. It will take between 20 and 25 minutes per lb to cook the bird. Turn the bird halfway, breast side up to ensure even browning. Serve with mashed potato, chicken gravy, cranberry jelly and salad/steamed greens.