Are you a Procrastibaker? If so what do you like to bake?

Hello Bakers,

Have you ever procrastibaked? Ever pushed chores, to do lists, laundry and maybe even called in sick to stay home and bake? This is a growing trend and I would love to know if my bakers are procrastibaking and if so - do you use your time to bake simply or showstoppers? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email at bakingwithcolette@gmail.com. Thanks in advance.

Why am I asking? Thinking about the subject for a new baking book.

Full disclosure: When I procrastibake (if I have enough time) I like to make beautiful tarts. I can really get lost in composing a fruit tart or piping meringue - I bet you all get lost in your baking too.

In the 90 second video clip I explain "procrastibaking" and give some tips about how to successfully procrastibake? 

Happy Baking! Colette

Peach Turnovers - Celebrating Stone Fruit and Perfect Pastry

Hello Bakers,

I am eight weeks into hip replacement recovery and it is going well. I am now walking pretty much on my own. Getting around the kitchen is not nearly difficult as it was when I wrote my last post. However, physical therapy has taken up a lot of time so I apologize for not having a chance to write until now.

In this post, I am going to show you a delicious quick puff pastry - it is easy and quick. Then we will use it to make peach turnovers. The peaches have been especially good this summer. Cherries have been delicious too.

The dough can be used for any recipe that has uses puff pastry. This is another excellent Albert Kumin recipe that I have adapted. Blitz puff is a great dough to master. It does not need a long rest, the turns are all done at once and it is a good stand in for most puff pastry projects. It is especially good for turnovers like these, galettes, fruit bands, and cheese straws.

Happy Baking! Colette

Blitz Puff Pastry

Yield: 20 ounces of dough - yield 9 turnovers

Equipment: Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, bowl scraper, rolling pin, dry pastry brush.

8 ounces (227g) Unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 ounce (15g) Granulated sugar

7g Fine sea salt (scant teaspoon)

8 ounces (227g) Cold Butter, cut into 1” pieces

4 ounces (113g)  Very cold water - I make a batch of ice water and the measure off the 4 ounces (113g) from that ice water.

Blitz Puff Pastry Mise en Place

Place flour, sugar, salt and butter in the mixer.

Scatter butter on top of the flour, sugar and salt.

Turn the mixer off and on (pulse) until the butter is about the size of big corn flakes - the butter pieces should be visible.

This is how the butter should look. 

Add cold water and mix turning the mixer off and on until the dough just comes together.

Stop mixing when the dough comes together

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, roll out to  14" x 8" give 1 book fold, then roll out to 14" x 8", give a single fold, and then roll out, for a last time to 14" x  8" and finish with one more book fold.

The dough on the work surface.

Roll out to 14" x 8" - the rough edges are ok.

First book fold...

Finished first book fold

Immediately roll out again to 14" x 8" - make sure that the dough isn't sticking.

Second fold is a envelope (aka a tri fold or single fold)

Roll out again to 14" x  8" - you can see how the dough changes and smoothes out.

Final book fold - finish, wrap and chill.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 60 minutes before using. It can be frozen for up to one month at this point. If freezing, place in a freezer bag before freezing.

Peach Filling

Equipment: Medium size saucepan (this will be used twice), slotted spoon or skimmer, bowl of ice water.

Peach Filling Mise en Place

3 medium size peaches

3 1/2 ounces Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cornstarch

1/2 teas. Cinnamon

1 Tablespoon Lemon juice

pinch nutmeg

1. Prepare peaches by cutting an x into the bottom of each peach.
2. Carefully drop into boiling water and boil for 1 minute or until the peach skin by the cuts curls back. Sauce pan will be used again to cook filling.
3. Then drop into an ice water bath. 
4. Peel and cut into small chunks. (About 14 ounces of prepared fruit)
5. Toss the peaches, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. 
6. Dump the filling ingredients into the sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring until filling thickens and is no longer cloudy. Move to a bowl and let cool until room temperature. You may have a little filling left over - I tried the filling with 2 medium peaches and it was not enough.

Assembling the Turnovers:

Equipment: Rolling pin. Extra flour for dusting, pastry brush, pastry wheel, ruler, paring knife,  egg wash: one egg whisked with 1 Tablespoon water or cream, sanding sugar or granulated sugar. 1 baking tray lined with parchment paper and an extra baking tray to double pan the turnovers halfway through baking. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (conventional) or 350 (convection).

     1. Take the puff pastry out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.

     2. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll out to about 15”x 15” square. Puff pastry is rolled thinner then any other dough - so the thickness is about 1/8” thick.

15" x 15" approx.

    3.Cut the turner overs in 5” squares.

   4. Brush the 2 bottom sides of the pastry squares with egg wash. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling onto the pastry right below the center of the square.

   5. Fold the squares over and seal with a fork. Move to parchment lined baking sheet. Trim edges with pastry wheel if they get a little distorted.

On baking tray - ready to trim and make pretty with the pastry wheel.

   6. Egg wash the tops and sides of the turnovers and sprinkle with sanding sugar or granulated sugar. Use the paring knife to cut small slits in the tops.

Baking: Bake the turnovers for 15 minutes and then double pan, bake for until the turnovers a deep golden brown - that could take an additional 10-15 minutes.

Baking after surgery and starting with Albert Kumin inspired Brioche

Hello Bakers.

Three weeks ago, I had my right hip replaced. My plan was not to blog for several weeks. I knew that my mobility would be limited and that the usual energy I put into my posts and Ingredient Function Friday would not be available. So I was going to just hide and recover but....

It occurred to me that part of my recovery besides all the exercises and walking is baking.  And instead of disappearing on you until I back to normal - I decided, bakers, to you on this journey with me. 

The photos are simple and I am not quite up to shooting video yet. I am using a walker and I have learned a lot about preparation. Normally, I fly around the kitchen but for now every step is calculated. There is no multi-tasking and no starting without having everything organized. It all took much longer too. So if you ever find yourself recovering from surgery or illness and you want to bake or cook be patient with yourself, very patient. 

For this first bake, I decided to dig into the recipe packet that one of my culinary instructors sent me. Chef Josephine was one of my instructors at New England Culinary Institute and she had studied with Albert Kumin - who was one of the best pastry chefs who ever lived. In the 1980s, Chef Albert taught at the International Pastry Arts Center and Chef Josephine was one of his students. A few months ago, she sent me a copy of her recipe packet from a class in 1988.

Baking this Brioche and then sharing it with you would be my first Baking Therapy session. I guess we could call it BT.  

The original recipe yielded over 10 pounds, so I scaled it down, used instant yeast instead of the original fresh yeast, and came up with 2 pounds of delicious Brioche.  I did post a recipe for Brioche a few years ago but it doesn't hurt to revisit. They are both good - this one is special because it is connected to Chef Albert. I was able to study with him for 3 weeks back in 1992 and it changed me as a baker. He was amazing.

You can use this dough to make rolls, burger buns, brioche a tete, and loaves. 

Here are the yields: 3 mini loaves, 1 large loaf and I mini loaves. Burger buns are scaled at 113g wet dough weight and this recipe will yield 8. Brioche freezes really well if there are leftovers or you want to get ahead.

Happy Baking! Colette

Chef Albert inspired Brioche

• Equipment: Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, dough hook attachment, loaf pan (used 3 mini loaf pans) well greased and lined with parchment, pastry brush, bowl scraper, spatula

Ingredients: (sponge)

Sponge ingredients

• 182g Milk - can be right from the refrigerator

• 9g (2 teaspoons) Instant yeast ***if you don't have a scale that measures 10ths of grams like a diet scale it is best to use the teaspoons.

• 182g Bread flour

Ingredients: Main dough

Freshly mixed sponge

Brioche mise en place - note how high the sponge has risen

• 65g Sugar

• 102g Butter

• 2 Egg yolks

• 1 Whole egg

• 1/2 teaspoon malt syrup - optional

• 318g Bread flour

• 9g (2 teaspoons) fine sea salt  

• Egg wash: One egg and a pinch of salt whisked together until smooth. Refrigerate until you need it.

1. Make the sponge. Combine the milk, yeast and flour, stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until combined. Cover and set aside for 45 minutes at room temperature.

2. In the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar on medium speed for 8 minutes until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down at least once.

Butter and sugar, light and fluffy with eggs

1. Add the egg yolks and mix on low speed for 20 seconds and then medium speed for 25 seconds. Stop mixer, scrape down and add the egg and repeat, low speed for 20 minutes, medium speed for 25. Add the optional malt, mix one minute on low speed.

2. Stop mixer, scrape down and add yeast paste - mix on low speed 1 minute, then medium speed for 3-4 until the mixture is smooth. Change to dough hook.

3. Add flour and salt, mix on low speed for 2 minutes, then medium speed for 6-8. The dough should come away from the side of the bowl and be nice and smooth.

Nice and smooth brioche dough ready to be covered

      Remove from mixing bowl - to make the same day, move to a buttered bowl, cover and proof 1 hour at room temperature. To bake the next day, pat dough onto a buttered, parchment line quarter sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

1. To shape: For my mini loaves, I scaled 2 ounce (57g) pieces and 4 fit into each mini loaf. If you are doing a large loaf (1#) you will want to use 8 pieces.

Freshly formed Brioche mini loaves

1. Brioche proofs relatively quickly - we want it to come to the top and slightly above the edge of the loaf pan. You can set up your proofing bag with a cup of hot water or forgo the hot water and proof at room temperature. Be the loaves must be lightly covered or else they will form a skin. If you are using cold dough, it will take a little longer to proof.

Proofed and egg washed, ready to bake...

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Once the loaves are proofed, egg wash carefully and bake for 30 minutes - larger loaves can take up to 40 minutes. The loaves are done when they have reached an internal temperature for 205-210 degrees. They will be a deep golden brown from the egg wash, the eggs inside the dough and the sugar. Enjoy! 

Elderflower Cordial...Ingredient Function Friday - Royal Wedding Edition

Hello Bakers,

Were you like me? All i wanted to see was the cake? Yes, the dress was important and the event was lovely but what was the cake going to look like....

We had know for a while that the flavors were elderflower and lemon.

The cake was baked by Claire Ptak of Violet Bakery in London.  I started thinking about elderflowers as soon as the announcement was made. Now we don't have lots of elderflowers here in the states - but they are all over the UK and in Canada too. Wasn't there an elderflower cordial in Anne of Green Gables...?  Sorry I digress. Here in the states, they are grown in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. I hope they planted more elderflower bushes.

Elderflower will be big throughout the summer.  Royal wedding trends tend to hang on for a while. Here is a recipe for Elderflower cordial, which can be used straight as a soaking syrup for cakes, added to buttercream or crafted into cocktails.

For my macaron bakers, you will need elderflower extract and that is available through the Amoretti Store, here is the link: 

https://www.amazon.com/Amoretti-Natural-Elderflower-Extract-Ounce/dp/B00KS3LN6O/ref=sr_1_9_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1527716843&sr=8-9&keywords=elderflower+extract

There are essences available too but I have yet to try them. if you do make sure they are water based. - you could also use St Germain elderflower liqueur to flavor your shells. No more then 1/2 - 1 teaspoon.

Here is how to make your own elderflower cordial - it makes 4 cups. Please watch the Ingredient function Friday episode on Elderflowers to learn more and see the how to demo.

Happy Baking!

Colette

Elderflower Cordial

Equipment:  medium saucepan, whisk, scale, 4 cup mason jar (cleaned and sterilized) with screw top or clamp lid, bowl and strainer. Plus, decorative bottles, funnel and strainer.

• 16 ounces water (454g)
• 14 ounces granulated sugar (397)
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1/2 pint of elderflowers (4-5) ounces or 8 ounces dried 
• 2 teaspoons citric acid** helps the cordial not get cloudy.

1. Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Whisk to dissolve sugar, let it come up to a low boil and turn down heat.
3. If using fresh elderflowers, swish in a bowl of cool water to remove and bugs, dirt or dust.
4. Place flowers in mason jar, add lemon slices and citric acid.
5. Pour hot simple syrup over flower, lemon slices and citric acid.
6. Fill to the top, leave a small bit of headspace to close lid and place in the refrigerator for 24-72 hours. 
7. Strain the elderflower cordial into well washed decorative bottles and seal. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.