Gingery Zucchini Bread

Monday morning and I felt like that Fall was finally approaching. The sky was grey and my feet walking barefoot around the house were a bit nippy and I wanted to bake. I looked around the house and saw the huge zucchini we got from our neighbor's garden. A couple of weeks ago we received 3 of these foot long summer squashes. My mom had already made a zucchini meal of grilled zucchini, roasted zucchini and korean zucchini pancakes a week before and froze the second one.

I was fascinated by 101 cookbook's zucchini bread - the additions of crystallized ginger and walnuts seemed like a wonderful addition so thought I'd give it a try. Then I found out that there was only 2T of butter... But I was set on making THIS zucchini bread... So I substituted 6T with Smart Balance butter spread.... more on this decision later.

I cut down the amount of walnuts to 1/4C because my mom hates it when I steal all the nuts, 1/3 C of crystallized ginger because I was unsure if I'd like it, and 1t of curry powder because I am a conventionalist at heart and 1T curry powder seemed too much! I also did not have poppy seeds or lemon zest.

Zucchini Bread 
Recipe from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups grated zucchini with skin, squeeze out the moisture and fluff up
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon curry powder

2 loaf pans (5x9 inches)

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Butter and dust loaf pans (or Pam cooking spray with flour)

3. In a small bowl combine walnuts and ginger

4. Beat butter until fluffy using a stand mixer (or hand mixer in a separate bowl). Add sugars and beat until no longer crumbly. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Add zucchini lowering the speed.

5. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and curry powder.

6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in two batches.

7. Fold in walnuts and ginger by hand. (If you like save some to sprinkle on top of the loves.)

8. Divide batter between the two loaf pans.

9. Bake for 45-50 minutes on the middle rack. 

10. Remove and cool for about 15 minutes. Take them out of the pan to cool completely.

The result: a soft moist zucchini bread with the subtle surprise of the crystalized ginger and crunch of the walnuts, however a bit on the salty side. Perhaps it was the Smart Balance butter spread or 1 teaspoon is a bit much. I believe that the Smart Balance butter spread also affected the crumb making it a bit loose and crumbly. So lesson: USE REAL BUTTER.

-Eunice

Ultimate Banana Bread

I'm definitely on a banana kick lately.  When I've let my bananas sit on my counter a little too long (and didn't make them into ice cream), I stick them into the freezer.  Once I have collected enough super-ripe bananas (think waaay beyond spotty...these bananas are so ripe they aren't even yellow anymore) it's time for the next best thing: banana bread!

(Image source: Cook's Illustrated)

The July issue of Cook's Illustrated had a banana bread recipe that sounded so strange, I knew I had to try it.  It involves microwaving bananas.  Weird!  But as weird and unnecessary as it sounds, this banana bread was possibly the best banana bread I have ever had!  It was really banana-y, dense and moist, but not soggy, and still fluffy.  And the smell of it while baking....mmmm my apartment has never smelled better!

The secret to this ultimate banana bread is definitely the use of more bananas than a typical recipe.  This recipe calls for 5 bananas, which would typically make a banana bread way too dense and soggy -- enter the microwaving part.  The microwaving makes the bananas release their juices.  Then you simply strain the bananas, cook the liquid on the stove until it reduces, and then add it back into the dough.  This intensifies the banana flavor, but doesn't make the bread soggy.  Voila!  Ultimate Banana Bread!

Ultimate Banana Bread
recipe from Cook's Illustrated, July 2010

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 very ripe bananas (plus one mostly ripe banana for garnish, if desired)
• 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped, if desired (I omitted the walnuts)

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position, and heat to 350 deg F.  Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Place 5 bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with a sharp knife. Microwave on high until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (you should have ½ to ¾ cup liquid). [Note - if you don't have a fine mesh strainer (like me!) you can put a paper towel into a regular strainer placed over a bowl, and it will work just as well]
   
   
   
   
   (weeeiird! microwaved bananas!!)
   
   
4. Transfer liquid to medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.
   
5. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
6. Slice remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices. Shingle banana slices on top of either side of loaf, leaving 1½-inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes.
8. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cinnamon Rolls!

I love this week between Christmas and New Years. It's a short week because of the holiday, and it's quiet because most people are on vacation. The train is less crowded in the mornings, there are fewer people on the road, and there just seems to be a little bit more time in the day to do things like make your own cinnamon rolls.

Ever since getting the Bread Baker's Apprentice (remember its first appearance?), I've been eying these cinnamon rolls. But unlike the cinnamon rolls you buy in a can, roll out of bed and dump into a pan before the sleep is out of your eyes, these take a little more than 30 minutes to make. And by a little more, I mean a lot more. This is a serious undertaking, people. Not because of the labor involved (these are really no sweat!) but because of the time. Like all good breads, these rolls have to rise for 3 hours.

I know.

How is anyone supposed to make these for breakfast without waking up at an unholy hour?! Bakers lead crazy lives, I tell you! So I think I figured out a way to make them and have them ready for breakfast, but not lose out on sleep. Traditionally, you make the dough, let it rise for 2 hours, then shape the rolls and let them proof for 90 minutes. But instead of waking up 4 hours early, I made the rolls the night before, then instead of letting them proof, I put them on a pan and into the refrigerator overnight. I set my alarm for 5am, rolled out of bed and took the pan out of the fridge, then immediately went back to bed for 3 hours. (The rolls now need 3-4 hours to proof because they were chilling in the fridge all night). So when it came time to actually wake up for the day, the rolls were ready to put in the oven!

Yes, I wanted to kill myself when my alarm went off at 5am, but I was only awake for about 2 minutes, so really, it wasn't bad at all. And these cinnamon rolls are totally worth the slightly interrupted sleep. No matter how you decide to make them, please make them. I'm never buying cinnamon rolls in a can again!

Cinnamon Rolls

from the Bread Baker's Apprentice

makes 8-12 large cinnamon rolls

Rolls

• 6 1/2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 5 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 3 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 pkg active dry yeast (prepared as directed on package)
• 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 c. whole milk at room temperature
• 1/2 c. cinnamon sugar (6 1/2 tbsp. sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon)

Glaze

• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. of orange extract (or vanilla, lemon, or rum extract...whatever flavor you want!)
• 6 tbsp to 1/2 c. warm whole milk

To make the rolls:

1. Cream together the sugar, salt and butter
2. Whip in the egg and lemon juice until smooth
3. Add the flour, yeast and milk
4. Mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until the dough forms a ball
5. Switch to dough hook and increase speed to medium, mixing for about 10 minutes (or knead by hand for 12 to 15 minutes) until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. You may need to add a little flour or water during the process to get this texture.
6. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
8. Mist the counter with oil, then transfer the dough to the counter.
9. Roll dough into a large rectangle about 2/3 inch thick (about 14 inches wide x 12 inches long). Do not roll the dough too thin!!
10. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the dough
11. Roll the dough up into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon-sugar spiral as you roll
12. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8 to 12 even pieces about 1 3/4 inch thick
13. Line one sheet pan with parchment paper
14. Place the buns approximately 1/2 inch apart so they aren't touching, but are still close to one another
15. Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minutes. OR retard the shaped buns in the fridge for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the fridge 3 to 4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof
16. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F with the oven rack on the middle shelf
17. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown
18. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes then streak with white glaze across the tops while the buns are warm but not too hot

To make the glaze:

1. Sift powdered sugar into a large bowl
2. Add the 1 tsp. extract and slowly add warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved (add only as much milk as needed to make a thick, smooth paste)
3. Dip a fork into the glaze and then let the glaze drip off the fork onto the cinnamon rolls in streaks.

Happy almost 2010!

-Erin

Easy Challah

I am so excited right now…! Today, I am jet-setting to Seattle, where I get to stay with Linda and have an ultimate foodie weekend! PacificThyme is coming together at last! We met a little over a year ago at “New Hire School,” the introductory training program that all employees of our company go through. We hit it off at training, then went back to our respective offices (San Francisco and Seattle) and kept in touch. When we decided to start this food blog, it had been about a year since we had met, and we knew that we needed to see each other again. And the idea for this weekend was born!

And boy, do we have plans.

A few other friends will be in town too, so to celebrate, we are throwing a Big Saturday Brunch. The menu planning has been a little overwhelming, to say the least, but we’ve had fun tossing different ideas back and forth. I am excited to share one in particular: Challah French Toast.

Now, I love bread, but it used to really intimidate me. A friend in college had a bread machine, and she would always be making fresh, hot bread. But I don’t own a bread machine, so how could I possibly make my own bread? Then I met Challah. And Challah is now pleased to meet you!

This beautiful braided bread is so easy to make! No fancy bread machine is needed, not even a stand mixer! You just need a big bowl, a big spoon, and a quick braiding lesson. You don’t even have to knead this for long, just a minute or so until it is smooth. Incredibly easy! Now, Challah is a traditional Jewish bread, but this Catholic girl has gladly adopted it. Bread this wonderful is meant to be shared and loved by all.

When you bake this golden, eggy bread, the smell will envelop your kitchen and hang around all day, putting you into an incomparable state of bread happiness. It makes perfect French Toast after a day or so, that is, if you can restrain yourself enough to have some Challah left over. But that’s what double batches are for, right?

Easy Challah
From The Smitten Kitchen
Makes 2 loaves (you’ll want both, believe me)

• 1 1/2 packages active dry yeast (1 1/2 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp plus 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tbsp salt
• 8 to 8 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl, mix yeast, and 1 tbsp sugar with 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water to dissolve. Then add remaining sugar and olive oil. Beat 4 eggs in 1 at a time. Slowly add the flour, mixing until it all comes together. The dough should not be sticky – add more flour if it is.

On a floured countertop, knead the dough until smooth, then place into a large oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Punch down the dough, recover the bowl, and let sit for another 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, take half of the dough and divide it into 6 balls. Roll the balls into 6 long snake-like strips and place them parallel to each other on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Gather the strips together at one end. Now comes the fun! Braiding Challah is actually very easy, if you know the trick. Are you ready?

Over two, under one, over two. That’s it!

Working from right to left, take the rightmost strip, wrap it over two strips, under one strip, and over the last two strips. Tada! Repeat! Take the rightmost strip, wrap it over two strips, under one strip, and over the last two strips. Repeat until you can braid no more, and tuck the ends under the braided loaf. Isn’t it pretty?

Repeat for the second loaf. You now have two beautiful braided loaves!

Beat the remaining egg and brush over the tops of the loaves, and let rise for 1 hour. After about 50 minutes, preheat your oven to 375 deg F.

Brush the tops of the loaves with another coat of egg, then bake for 40-50 minutes. (Revel in the wonderful fresh bread smell!) Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack until you can’t stand it anymore and have to have some delicious bread.

One of my loaves is on its way up to Seattle with me, to be turned into French Toast on Saturday morning. I can’t wait!