End of Year Baking: Pizza, Bear Claws, Dutch Crunch Rolls and Bagels
It’s been a few weeks since I posted about my baking adventures—there hasn’t been much new and I’ve been busy getting my work life in order for vacation and then vacationing.
A couple weeks ago I started my experiments with the pizza dough recipe from Pizzetta 211 (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/26335/furtherance-my-pizza-education). So far so good, but nowhere near as good as the restaurant’s. The 30 minute machine kneading gives this dough a good balance of elasticity and extensibility. I think what I need to work on is the shaping. To get the piece to 11 inches without overhandling takes a gentle touch and patience. This one is topped with homemade sausage, caramelized onions with balsamico and radicchio.
With a house full of holiday visitors the last week, I sorta put my semi-sensible diet on hold. The leftover Christmas rib roast cried out to be sliced thin, barbecue-sauced and slapped on some Dutch Crunch rolls. And I haven’t the heart to ignore a crying rib roast. These were from Reinhart’s BBA formula for Vienna Bread (with thanks to Brother David for emailing me the formula since I left that book at home).
Then, another try at my favorite Bear Claws, using the Cream Cheese Short Dough and the Bear Claw filling recipe and procedures from Inside the Jewish Bakery.
Then the last couple days I’ve baked bagels, using the Krakowski formula from Stan, but ordinary bagel shaping. Monday night, I made one-and-a-half the volume of dough in the formula and made 20 bagels on two sheet pans. Them I boiled and baked 10 yesterday morning and 10 this morning. I can now tell you that leaving the uncooked bagels in the fridge for 36 hours does no major harm. Today’s batch was delicious. The only difference is there are some bigger holes in the crumb, so the thing was not quite as chewy.
Before the year is out, I plan to find a Hamelman hearth bread formula I haven’t made before; need some crusty bread to accompany Salmon Chowder made from local fish.
Happy Holidays to all.
Glenn
Comments
Everything looks so delicious and perfect. Great presentation. Thanks for sharing.
Glenn
whenever you were quiet, Glenn, since it is apparent that being quiet doesn't equate to being inactive. ;-)
Lovely bakes, all.
Paul
that goes for pets too : )
Sylvia
By time I came around, they'd seen it all from my older siblings.
And my baking is rarely quiet. I have stereo speakers wired in the kitchen. If I recall, these bagels were made with The Butterfield Blues Band playing at an appropriate volume.
Thanks for the comment, Paul.
Glenn
Pizza and a Bagel please!!!!!
They look so good. Thank you for posting
Glenn
Your bear claws keep popping up in my mind.....now I have the book so I am thinking there is a distinct possibility that I might actually attempt baking them in MY kitchen :-) Thanks for your continued inspiration!
I liked your comment about the bagels that had to wait a day to be baked....your observation is exactly what I have found on many things I bake where daily life jumps in and makes me change my planned baking schedule - broken cars, kids needing something - an errand that takes longer than anticipated....Indeed, dough is very flexible stuff...easy to live with! Has to be which is probably one of the reasons it has been a staple of the human diet for so long....and the variances have created many a new bread sensation....One of my favorite sayings is 'If you don't make mistakes - you don't make anything' not to imply your bagle delay was a mistake but you know what I am getting at....
Anyway, thanks for the post and the nudge...
Janet
Janet--
I thought about doing two small batches of bagels for the successive bagel brunches, but decided to try out a simpler approach. I have to say that bagels aren't supposed to have an open crumb, but they taste great. There's nothing wrong with pockets for globs of cream cheese to get stuck in.
Thanks for your comments.
Glenn
Glenn, Beautiful bagels. Do you mean you are using the ITJB bagel formula? The only change I see for Krakowski is the shaping. Have you made Hamelman? How do they compare? I have only made Hamelman bagels, so I was looking forward to trying the ITJB one. -Varda
Varda--
I have only tried the ITJB formula, and some variations of my own (which were failures). I will try other formulas some time, but this one is very reliable and easy.
Thanks for the comment.
Glenn
Nice Baking Glenn,
great range of tasty items
Happy New Year to you
Andy
Happy New Year to you, too.
Glenn
As does everything else. I'm sure I would like bagels with such an open crumb. One of your bear claws would taste so good right now. You have been feasting well. Looks like you'll be ready for some good walks around the beach and back on track after the holidays. A good homemade chowder sounds perfect..I'll have mine in a crusty bread bowl, please. What a wonderful sounding meal. I love a good soup bowl..in fact nothing pleases me better than a good hearty bowl of soup with some good crusty bread.
Well, I've managed to stay away from eating my bakes of sweets. I gifted them all. I've managed to loose a couple and stay on my goal. I did enjoy plenty of Christmas eve seafood with family.
I'm looking forward to your next blog. I hope you post your chowder recipe and photos along with your bread.
I hope to get some bread baking done now that the holiday rush is over! I'm especially looking forward to pizza..it's been so long...I could eat several of your pizzetties.
It's a long story..but my 3 dog's ate the whole box of chocolate truffles accidently left amongst some gifts on the dining room table. I was putting my turkey into the oven and Mike was off for his daily bike ride. I was lucky it was dinner only for us. The rest were all off for a skiing trip.
Imagine my horror as Joey the JR terrier came in chewing a choc. holder paper tray.
My Bella, is a pro at opening things that smell of food..to say the very least. I spent most if not all of christmas day at the vet's office and the dog's have been enjoying a blan diet of my christmas day turkey and rice. All are doing very well and I was spared a very large vet bill by getting them attended to immediately after consumption. I'm usually very cautious, it's Bella that's the climber, purse, bag, zipper and box opener, but, now I know chocolates can come in unmarked packages. That's why nothing ever goes under the tree on left on tables..but this one was missed on the table.
Happy New Year!
Sylvia
Sylvia--
It sounds like time for canine reform school. We once found our uncle's sheltie lying under the table after Thanksgiving dinner, unable to move...and a whole cube of butter missing from its dish. Maybe dogs just need attention around the holidays...even if it's veterinary attention.
As for working off the extra calories, we've been getting some good hikes in, but today it turned drizzly. We'll get to the beach tomorrow, come rain or come shine. Then Salmon and Crab Chowder with Hamelman's Whole Wheat Multi-grain.
Thanks for the comments.
Glenn
The chowder sounds devine! What perfect weather for chowder with wwm.
Sylvia
We're having BBQ'd beef sandwiches for dinner tonight, but made with brisket and on double knot rolls made with the ITJB Vienna (medium) dough. Will post.
David
The Bear Claws were really the star of the week. They keep well and are great re-warmed three days after they're baked.
I'm sure you're BBQ beef sandwiches were great. I bet we used the same sauce...Firehouse No. 2.
Thanks.
Glenn
Bearclaws with that creamcheese dough are definitely on my to-bake list.
The BBQ beef sandwiches were fantastic! (See my blog.) You are correct regarding the sauce. I'm on my last bottle of the case. Fortunately, I have a new case in the pantry. LMK if you need some more.
David
Lovely baking Glenn. Like Sylvia, I wouldn't mind my bagels with a bit more of an open crumb even though it isn't very traditional. I wasn't brought up on bagels and don't even know what a proper bagel should taste like, but pictures of them have always struck me as being dry and a bit of a mouthful to chew. However, I am sure that isn't the case in reality. Anyway, it does once again serve to prove that a long, cold, slow rise always produces an open crumb.
Best wishes for the new year,
Syd
are "a mouthful to chew". They are dense and somewhat tough, but delicious. I soften them up a bit by using 25% bread flour instead of 100% high-gluten. And the 36 hour fermentation makes them a bit lighter.
They were great with our local smoked Salmon.
Happy New Year to you, too.
Glenn