Those of us who have volunteered to test recipes for Norm's book have received our first recipes. We have been asked to not share the recipes, naturally, but Stan has told me it's okay to post photos. It's a bit of a tease, I know, but, from another perspective, it's publicity for a much-anticipated project of two esteemed TFL members.
For those other recipe testers willing to share their own results, I propose using this topic to collect photos of your breads/pastries/cookies in one place.
My first recipe was for "Bakery Pan Challah." It is sinfully delicious fresh baked and as toast this morning, with butter and cherry-plum jam. I'm betting it will make fabulous French toast tomorrow morning, as well.
Here are some photos:
Loaf
Slices
Crumb
David
That looks like a much more successful loaf than I made. Have you tasted it yet? Mine was quite dry and tough--good flavor but a mandible workout! I had to substitute the coarse rye meal with rye berries I coarsely ground myself. I thought the substitution would be close enough but maybe not...
Its almost gone. Thick crust with lots of chew gave way to a moist dense crumb. Strong rye flavor.
By accident we found out that it is FABULOUS grilled. The strong flavor holds up well and still shines through the flavor imparted by grilling.
I am lucky enough to live near War Eagle Mill and had a supply of Course Rye. My local market had Bob's Red Mill Dark Rye flour.
Hi everyone,
I doubled the recipe when I made the Plovnik and chose to shape it elongated since I didn't want gigantic slices. Since I didn't wrap the bread after cooling, I found it difficult to slice. At first I used a knife and it was too much of a workout. Then I switched to an electric knife and got really thin slices, but I thought I was overheating the knife. Today I went to the supermarket and had the bakery slice it in the machine. It's not as thin as I would like it, but it is absolutely delicious. I served it with smoked salmon, red onions and capers. My picture is posted above.
Betsy
in old time culture were never sliced. the were presented to the table whole and passed around to each dinner that tore off a hunk and then passed the bread to the next person. thats how the very old saying of breaking bread started and asking some one to shair your meal was done by asking the person to " come and break bread with us(me)" and was considered and accepted as a high honer. the most important guest or the head of the family was allowed to break the bread first.
Now with the strong metals that our knives are made of bread is commenly sliced but some of the old time breads have such a strong crust they can make even the strongest of knifes cry out for mercy.
I will say that eather way torn, sliced, plain or with salmon i am realy happy you liked it :)
A little sloppy but that doesn't detract from the taste. They are made with a cream cheese pastry.For some reason I can't rotate the picture but you get the idea.
It's been enjoyable seeing what everyone is doing with Norm's recipes. I'm posting here just so I don't miss anything.
Great Job everyone.
weavershouse
I am not sure even where to post this, and confess to having trouble finding the new posts in the middle of this huge thread
Today I baked "Salt Sticks", and they are awesome! Not sure I shaped them correctly, but I include two photos, the first of the incredible rise of the dough (I went to the grocery store, came back in one hour and found it in that state.... can you say overproofed? :-)
still, they had plenty of lift still and turned out really tasty - I added caraway seeds only to half of them, as stepson is not too crazy about that flavor
I think posting at the end of the thread is just right, since yours is the first post on this particular recipe.
I've never had a NY salt stick, but from what I've read (in Greenstein) and what I've found in California Jewish bakeries, yours are puffier and have fewer rotations than "standard." They were thinner and longer than a croissant, and had a gentle curve.
The ones I've had were delicious when very fresh but staled very quickly.
David
Oh, shoots....
I guess I should have googled for images of "salt sticks", so I would not butcher mine...
They taste really wonderful - husband gave two thumbs high up!
I think your salt sticks look great ... just not exactly like the ones I've had. And, as we know, the proof of the salt stick is in the eating. I'm sure if your husband had 3 thumbs, they would merited "three thumbs high up."
In context, the lesson is that the recipe authors may need to provide better shaping instructions and some photos or illustrations.
David
if you were working for me as a baker i would have no problem with putting them in the roll case and i am sure they would sell so fast that there would be no stale rolls to make bread crumbs.
good job!
And thanks for posting your pics. I'm having trouble visualising how the sticks should look going purely by the textual recipe description and am glad to now have some idea from your interpretation. They sure look yummy!
Cheers
Ross
I think in the recipe evaluation I will suggest a little more detail in the shaping, possibly with illustrations.
I think it's the dough. I had a rough time rolling them up as well. I'm going to try them again sometime but with a different trick. Rolling out in pizzas first, rest, cut into segments and then roll up. I've had more luck with that approach. I still think they look good they just don't look like these: http://theinversecook.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/salzstangerl/
The ones that are hollow were filled with nuked garlic in mash potatoes.
Mini
Mini i make these yeasterday and yours look exactly like mine!!!
MAYBE BETTER :(
what elce can i say... :)
:-)
VERY cold ambient temperatures where I am at the moment (max inside temp 14C/57F today). Far from getting the dramatic lift Sally's pic shows, I ended up having to extend the recommended bulk and final proof times.
Pleased with the end result. Had these babies with a big bowl of peasanty spicy Italian sausage and vegetable soup for dinner tonight, accompanied by a nice shared bottle of Cab Shiraz. There are worse ways to compensate for a chill winter's night!
But wait... is that an ear? I don't remember reading any allowments for ears! I think I would have to eat that one if I was anywhere nearby. You're lucky mister, I'm grounded. And a crispy ear at that... tempting me with such goodies. :P
Ok, Ross, ready to do the twist?
Mini
...ah'm ready, like I wasn't last summer!
Never made challah - never even tasted it! If anyone could educate me on how it's usually eaten (accompaniments, at end of meal, beginning, as a snack etc), would be appreciative.
Ta for your kind comments on my salt sticks, BTW. Of course, that ear was a result of imperfect shaping, but I'll take happy accidents like that whenever they come my way...!
Cheers
R
I have been on vacation and just catching up on my baking. I had never baked either recipe so it was interesting to say the least. The Egg Bagels were fun and easy - I learned a bit about seeding the bagles (not so good looking but good tasting). I should have let the bagels drain on the rack before placing them in the sesame seed bowl - my seeds got all wet and messy. Next time will be better ....
I was assigned plovnik - black rye. I will start by saying I am not a big fan of any kind of rye unless it is two pieces of rye sandwiching a lot of corn beef, sour krout and Swiss cheese - and it is grilled in butter. Ok with that said I will give my woes on this assignment: (1) could not find dark rye or rye meal - I live in North Carolina, (2) do not have a rye sour and based on my like for rye did not want to invest in starting one, and (3) following the formula seemed to result in a wet dough for me and the bake came out a little flat - it did get some oven spring but not much. The bright side of all this is my wife LOVES rye. I am sharing my photo of it to set a new "low" for the group and make everyone else feel good :-)
Egg Bagel
"NOT SO BLACK" Plovnik (really "just" rye)
On to cookies now - I can taste the "sweet" life already.
Ben
I made them also. They were very easy to make. They didn't have any chew though, kind of bready. What did you think? I think a longer turn in the malt bath would help improve the chew. Stan said on the Montreal bagels lack of retarding also effects this.
Don't be so hard on yourself!! Your rye looks respectable and if your wife says it tastes good..who are you to argue ; )
Betty
Betty,
The rye was suppose to be "black rye" bread - it is "red rye" bread.
Yes, my egg bagels wee a little bready but I thought that may because of the eggs and oil. They are pretty much gone
My next recipe is the horseshoe cookies - 24 of them = 12 for me and 12 for my wife OR a more sensible strategy would be to share with some of my neighbors - I am a diabetic :-) (really no laughing matter, but it is getting late).
Ben
is retarding in the fridge for tomorrow. Are you baking tomorrow?
If you have your numbers under control..do enjoy one..but be good to yourself and share with the neighbors : )
I'll be watching for your test results.
Betty
These sweet rolls look like cinnamon rolls, don't they?
I always want to like cinnamon rolls but generally find them boring except for being too sweet, which is annoying.
These rolls are to die for (or from, if you have a cholesterol problem already). These rolls are not boring and are just the right sweetness, to my taste. My wife, who does not like very sweet stuff but loves pastry took seconds and said, "I could finish them."
I want full credit for not tasting them until they were cooled and even getting a photo with all seven intact. I hope there are some left for breakfast.
David
They look wonderful and I'm looking forward to finding out what makes them tick!
I love Sticky buns..to me like a Cinnamon bun with a caramely (sp?) glaze rather than cream cheese and sugar..which is too cloying for me.
Need to raise your cholesterol some more..split them in half crosswise and make French toast with them. No syrup needed..just some more butter!
My assignment for this weekend is Horseshoes..an almond paste filled pastry. The dough is retarding overnight and I will share my luck, good or bad, tomorrow!
Betty
...and then there were none! Thanks for the visual goal for my own effort with the Seven Sisters.
David G.
Which one of you was an Austrian Baker in a former life?
it was this very recent life
if there is another after this however
i would do it all over again.
Having trouble uploading photos... all seems to be going well with Group A breads, though I was very disappointed with my Plovnik. The crumb seemed gummy and sour, even though I let it rest for the 2 full days.
other 3 recipes were great... looking forward to horsehoes.
rozzibread,
I was not too surprized that my Plovnik did turn out so good - have not cut it yet since it still has another 24 hour to "stablize". Youe photo looks nice - sorry the crumb is gummy. I was curious - was your final dough very soft, wet and sticky?
Ben
Yes - but I wouldn't call it "soft". Sticky & wet, yes - but very dense. Shaping didn't take much, because it just acted like a lump. I fear that I did something wrong in the sponge stage, because the sponge never doubled (thought it did get bubbly and fresh-sour smelling). Could also be that it just needed to bake longer than 2 hours.
I expected a dense bread, but not like this. I think I'm also just used to a springy-er dough that has some elasticity - which may not be inherent to this bread.
Hope yours is better!
I made another Kornbroyt today to take with me on vacation. For this bake, I decreased the caraway seeds by 20% (personal taste) and docked the loaf, to see if I would get less bursting. I also used a thicker cornstarch glaze, because I prefer a shinier loaf than I got with the one recommended.
Well, I still got some bursting at the juncture of the side and bottom of the loaf - two small areas 180º apart. I'm not sure how much of the decrease can be credited to the docking. In any event, I'm happy with the result. I think my family will be too.
David
I also used a thicker glaze, for the same reason, on my test loaf. I'm baking a couple loaves of this bread in six weeks as 'thank you' bread for folks putting us up as we travel north for a couple of weeks. I think it will be well received.
David G
I think this is a good choice for traveling. It should keep fresh (and improve in flavor) for a few days.
David
I'm not really sure what Horseshoes are supposed to look like, but probably not like these. I think they deserve a more genteel name..Almond Twists or Almond Commas LOL! Slightly sweet, faintly almond and would be wonderful with your coffee or tea.
Betty
I don't know what they "are supposed to look like" either, but yours sure look good. They sound like something I'd like, from your description.
David
I made Mild Deli Rye for this weeks recipe test and it turned out very nice. This 4 weeks in group A has been a kick and I am looking forward to the next 2 categories.
Sorry, the crumb shot is a bit out of focus.
Dwayne
Mild or Light Deli Rye is my most favorite rye bread. Your's look fantastic.
David G
David,
Thanks, I did not put caraway in as I could not find it in our spices so maybe next time. The texture and flavor were very nice. I think I associate Rye with Caraway too much. Sometime I'll delve into rye breads more.
Dwayne
I baked them twice, in serial, learning a lot from the first baking.
The exposed crumb is from the first baking. The crumb is more cake-like, than traditional cinnamon rolls or sticky buns, but that might be due to a technical mistake I made mixing the dough.
Flavor-wise I can't add much to David's comments, except to say this recipe is layers on layers of flavor.
David G
Picture perfect!
It looks like you got much more expansion of the rolls than I did. I really think the yeast made a big difference.
Were the rolls expanded during proofing, or did the merging occur with oven spring?
David
but, subjectively, more occurred from oven spring than final proofing.
David G
P.S. I'm a bit slow understanding "merging". The rounds were barely touching when I put them in the oven
Horseshoe cookies are a much BIGGER hit with the family than Plavnik - go figure - what is this world coming to.
Your's look a whole lot better than mine!!!!
Paddycake,
Thanks - you are kind, yours are really beautiful and your presentation makes them irresistable. Well, if "speed of consumption" is any indicator mine were a smash - 36 cookies disappeared very quickly - my wife, her friend, neighbors and even me too. It is hard to go wrong with sugar, eggs, almonds and "cake" crumbs - oh, I left one recipient out, the manager at my local grocery store who provided me with two 5-inch cake layers for crumbs on the house (he got three cookies for his kindness). I am sure these cookies will be baked again pretty soon. Now, on to the apple cake...
This was a fun and interesting recipe, and as I was unable to find "Almond Paste" locally, I made my own. Slivered and toasted the remainder for the top.
I'm sure made all the difference in the world! Very nice Horseshoes! I had a heck of a time shaping them, the gluten needed to rest! I probably should have let the logs rest between each stage of rolling them out.
Betty
Alabubba,
"Now, those aren't just lunch" (inside joke) - your horseshoes are extremely nice and I am sure just as delicious!
Ben
Thank you for your kind words, These were delicious, but I thought them overly fussy and complicated, and if I hadn't had such fine examples to go by, I am not sure how they would have came out.
Here's the plain coffee ring (I shaped it differently from what the recipe suggested)
and mohn kichelach (poppyseed cookies):
If anyone gets the schnecken, they take a bit more work but are definitely worth it!
- Jackie
Group C here.... individual challah twists, are supposed to be shaped as a figure 8
I am having a bit of trouble - it says that the ends of the dough have to be facing up during the final rise - but then you just slide the bread into the oven, without inverting it back
isn't it suposed to be inverted, so that the smooth side stays up???????
Well, I am not sure I got the shaping right, but they turned out pretty good, I guess I'll be able to send the report on time even after all the struggles to get the recipe
you can see a short slide show here, but I include one photo
http://picasaweb.google.com/SallyBR2007/IndividualChallahTwists#
I'll be happy if mine work out nearly as well! Still struggling to catch up after the delays and email confusion...hopefully will manage to do these before the weekend.
Anyway, always good to have some pics like yours as an example, although you've got the bar raised pretty high!
Cheers
Ross
I'm not sure I understood those directions either, but your twists look awesome to me! Are they dinner roll or sandwich size? Hard to tell..
Betty
I got called to Scrabble while these were in the making. We had them with real English Lemon Curd! I'm showing them because I sprinkled them with a special sugar (hagelzucker) which helps identify them as a sweet tasting bread. (Snow = Alps!) They were a hit!
and comparison photos below with the dough rope "twisted" and "straight"
Mini in Austria
Those look delicious, Mini! What a great summer time treat, especially together with lemon curd. Yum! Simply ausgezeichnet.
NOW I understand the shaping....
very nice! Great job!
I say 'my take' because I couldn't for the life of me decipher the shaping instructions (and I'm a pro copy-editor of 20 years standing!). Anyway, recalling Mini's reference to Hamelman I consulted 'Bread' on braiding and went with his figure 8s. As can be seen from the pics, the rise took out a lot of the 8s, but no matter - they looked sorta cute, if flawed (you know what they say about mothers and their babies...well, suspect it's the same with dough dads!).
This was my first time making Danish and I think that these turned out pretty well despite the many mistakes that I made. I will make this again!
This one is for Me!
Dwayne
Funny. Mine looked exactly like those. And I mean exactly.
I could not believe how delicious they were.
My camera broke, so I am not able to post pics.
you are enjoying the danish but it looks like ether
you are not closing them tight enough or under proofing them which will cause them to open during baking
i will be making some this today and tomorow so i wiss take pics of the whole procdure from mixing to baked and will post them so please dont reply so i can edit this later
Did you forget?
and as a result i never got a chance but i will do it this weekend
I'd love one! Better you are enjoying them than me. The pounds look better on you :)
Betty
Ok, a cake recipe so easy even a bread baker can make it. Baked the Apple Cake this afternoon and once it was cooled I gave some to two different neighbors who have agreed to be NYBaker Cookbook EATERS for the remainder of the testing period - boy it is nice to have friends like that :-). Here are a couple of photos
Looking forward to seeing what Stan and Norm have in store for this week.
Ben
Your take of the cake looks great. What size pan did you use? I thought it called for a 9" tube or 13x9. That looks more like a 9x9? I ended up using a bundt pan, so I lost the effect of the apples on the top. I bet this would be good used as the cake part of a strawberry shortcake since it is not overly sweet. Boy, I love adding the calories!
Luckily, most of this went home with my daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughter.
Betty
Betty,
It is an optical illusion - I used a 9X13 as instructed. I would have had too much batter and apples for anything smaller. I apologize for the photo quality - these photos are the result of a blind man who loves to bake using a Logitech PC camera intended for Skype use because his lovely wife went to visit her Mom and took our real camera. All this does not change the calories in this desert one bit.
Ben
Is this baker european? I'm seeing LOTS of things I see at Ethnic bakeries and from when we go to my husband's country, Croatia (influenced by Hungary, Austria as well as Turkey)
I am so glad to see this thread - I was wondering how all the rest of the test bakers are doing. I don't have time to read all the comments now as I'm headed out of town shortly but will definitely come back when I'm home on Sunday and go through them one by one.
Not sure why that photo posted twice but I will leave well enough alone =)...
I've been on a quest to find a recipe for Poppy Horns for a long time. You did a beautiful job with yours, how I wish I had the recipe...NOW :0)...but I know I have to wait till the book comes out.
Great job Trish!
weavershouse
Thanks! was really pleased with how these turned out - it was the first time I had made anything like this. I will be making these again.
These cookies put my pathetic piping skills and equipment (Ziploc bag with the tip cut off) through their paces. Wildly uneven cookie sizes and really poor piping skills do not do these cookies justice. They are delicious, though -- don't let their kindergarten looks fool you.
However, the flavor of the cookie is not assertive enough to overcome poor jam, so I'd definitely use a really outstanding jam or filling for these.
Oh, and skip the Nutella as filling. Overly sweet without enough flavor. I used homemade apricot and wow, they're great, delicate and light.
Yum! Do you deliver?
To Austria, I would have to hand-carry them to make sure they made it promptly. There would probably be a hefty courier charge, but I'm sure we can arrange something. ;)
Is it too late to sign on with the NYBakers/Norm's Book Recipe - Tests ?
I'm off from teaching during the summer and would love to take part. I've been baking for years at home. I use to work part time at a local pastry shop decorating specialty cakes.
Thanx Gene
ya never know. We started about 7 weeks ago. You can TFL message Elagins and ask.
Betty
Hi David
Great shots/ Glaze and crumb. Looks right out of a Jewish bakery I frequent in Brooklyn. Can you forward any information about signing on to be a tester?\
Gene
The Corn Rye was the best Jewish rye bread I've ever tasted. I've never had any from NYC, though.
I'm afraid the deadline for sign-ups was prior to the first post in this thread.
David
Just to let everyone know that I will not be posting photos of my Apple Cake. It is wonderful to see all the fabulous photos posted on here but we all know that sometimes even experienced bakers make mistakes.
My oven has a small switch that turns the top element on. It is for use with the broiler setting on the oven. If this switch is set to "ON" when baking ONLY the top element works. I never use this setting so I didn't notice that it had been switched to ON (probably when I was cleaning up).
The end result was my Apple Cake was burnt on top, and gummy on bottom. We carved off the char and tasted it and it was delish but the ducks got the rest.
P.S. I didn't notice the broiler switch until I had almost burnt my chocolate roll. Lets hope I caught it before it was too late.
will post pics tomorrow. Haven't tasted ours yet. Loved the butter cream, the cake smelled awesome. Found the final chocolate glaze needed to be thinner. See what you think, but by my trial I would try 2 tsp oil. See what you think after 1.
Betty
get some biter or semi sweet dark chocolat and melt it slowly in a bain marie or dry heat warmer. when th is melted add some very hot 180 Degree F WATER
YES I SAID WATER!!!!
the choc will cease up turning it into a lumpy paste that looks like something you ate and lost
the trick is to not stop keep adding hot water (slowly in small amounts you can add more but you can never take it out) untill the choco becomes smooth again and pourable like thick whiping cream doubble cream if you are on the other side of the water.
pour this over the chocolet roll checker board cake or seven layer or layer cake what have you.
when it is covered and stops driping place the whole thing in the fridg and wait the chocolet will set up not hard but to a fudge like consistency
play with it you can add sugar if you want it sweeter or even a little sweet butter for taste.
this is not for cookies because it will not get hard again but for a cake or pastry this fudge like coating is perfect
this is certainly different than the instructions that came with the Chocolate Roll recipe we tested. Which one is going to be in the book?
The roll is awesome, by the way!!
Betty
Here is my version of the babka and a pic of some little sultana buns made with the babka dough and ground up cake crumbs from another test cake (I listened to that lesson Stan!) that I froze for a couple of weeks wrapped in clingfilm, took out on Friday night, forgot about in the fridge tilll Sunday night.
The crumb of the little buns is really tender and I really like the idea of freezing portions of sweet enriched dough to use later. I had never tried that before and it worked brilliantly so many thanks :)
I’ve fallen by the wayside on the testing, being on cookie rotation and having no one who eats cookies here, but I hope I can join in again when my group does breads if I’m allowed.. In the meantime thanks for allowing me to participate so far. Zeb
That Babka, OH!! so glad it resides in your house!! Your rolls look wonderful, but that Babka would be my undoing, WOW!
Betty
Made it this past weekend, very easy and very tasty, only problem is that it took longer to bake than 30-35 minutes as the recipe states, but apart from that, no problems
The loaf would not win beauty contests, though.... but that's a baker's handicap
You will laugh now.... from the instructions, I thought it was SUPPOSED to be like that - because it said to soak the bottom part of the loaf in warm water and then ROLL it on the cornmeal... I made sure to roll REAL good :-)
Lesson learned...
A new style is born!
Betty
I guess one can look at that this way..... :-)
Didn't get the nice shine you did with your glazing, Sally (think I overdid the glaze, despite the recipe caution on this). I also had to increase the baking time...and my proofs ended up being far longer than the recipe recommended. But that is due to the lowish ambient temperatures here at the moment, I suspect.
This was a good tasting bread, I found. Had some last night with a mushroom risotto, and although I imagine that's not a usual context for this bread, it went well.
Cheers
Ross
I haven't baked mine yet. Too hot here still. If we get a thunder storm tonight, I'll bake it. I've never applied a glaze before. This ought to be interesting. I think the secret would be to use a large brush to apply the glaze and thin (as in watery & add water) if needed. Will see what I can find...
Mini
... well I got the thunderstorm and then some... flooding. Gotta watch out what I ask for...
The loaves are in the oven and the glaze was so thick I couldn't spread it if I wanted to, let alone brush it on. I took about 1/3 of the goop and added about 3x the amount of water until I could nicely coat the back of my hand with the brush. Looks like I'll be wall papering in the next few days or making paper creations. Suggestion: use less starch.
...but nope, that wasn't it in my case. I did as the recipe instructed and applied the glaze AS SOON as I took the bread from the oven. I only made one loaf, so there was no waiting time at all.
I can only think that I put too much glaze on, although I was aware of the cautioning against that in the recipe, also. Have never glazed bread before, so was probably heavy-handed and lacking a deft touch, despite my efforts to coat the crust lightly.
I suspect Mini's large brush idea is a good one. Mine was a pretty small pastry brush.
I used a large-ish brush, made of silicone. Not sure if that helped, but decided to let you know....
Fantastic Job! Great proportion of dough to filling. The labor of love finds me doubling the recipe often, so I freeze extra babka's. I wrap in plastic - wrapped in paper towel then placed in second plastic bag. Paper keeps any warm air out (opening & closing door )& subsequent frezzer frost and burn. Especially with the large amount of moisture in the filling. Defrosts superbly.
I'm thinking of using your photo as wallpaper on my PC. Thanx Gene
It is so hard to look at the bakes weekly & not be able to try them.... Please hurry with the book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Margie