Hard-working bread

The big reason that no-knead bread appealed to me is that I find the traditional way of kneading, pressing the dough and folding it, to be really tiring. Fortunately, by the time I decided that I needed to knead my breads after all, I had discovered other ways to knead the dough.

Happy Bread

Success! I managed to bake a bread I like. It domed up in the oven, and held its cute, round shape. I think I made it on myself than I had to, but I can’t care. It not only tastes good, it looks good.

A beauty only crust deep

So here’s my first challah of the year. It’s getting better. Hardly perfect, though.

Unintentional flatbread

I was not trying to bake a ciabatta. Or naan. Or a flying saucer. But that’s what I got. Dang, that is one ugly loaf of bread.

A New Year’s harvest

Collards are great plants but they aren’t looking too great in the snow. Even so, today I managed to clip a handful of young leaves. They were so tender, all they needed was a quick blanch to turn bright green and crisp. Yum. And of course they were just a side to a batch of […]

So — a sourdough

Today’s bread was a sourdough. My breads are still not rising as much as I’d like, but oh my god this one tastes good. Sweet and sour and nutty. I want another slice. Maybe I should say: Tasted.

My flirtation with no-knead bread

Like so many people, I have been ensnared by the promise of great bread with little effort extended by the infamous Bittman/Lahey recipe, in particular the version presented on Good Food. The pot boule is a brilliant innovation. You mix up a wet dough, let it ferment overnight, and pour it (gently) into a hot […]

Christmas (eve) goose

Some birds get fed. Some birds get eaten. I can’t take credit for this roast goose, but I can hear what it’s saying.

Tarte Tatin

Ah, well, sometimes socializing trumps blogging. And sometimes socializing involves baked goods. Like maybe … apple doughnut pie!

Pickled tongue

While this tongue was simmering, I remembered making pickled tongue with my father. We would simmer the tongue first. Then I took the job of peeling the skin off. Finally we would slice it and chill it in a brine of pickling spices. Inspired by this recipe, I went in the opposite direction of my […]