Breaking the Bread Jinx

ATK (Almost) No Knead Bread 2.0

Apart from Irish Soda Bread, which uses no yeast and is easy, yeasted breads have for some reason challenged me. Yeast never did that bubbling thing. I could never get the dough to rise. For a long time I gave up. Perhaps not a big deal – except in a previous blog post I mentioned that in the “last supper game” – I’d be wanting bread – so one would think I should be able to make it. Before Christmas (2014) I announced to my sweet DIL that one New Year’s resolution was to successfully bake bread. She ensured that bread flour from a fab Kensington Market bakery – Blackbird – appeared under the Christmas tree. They say if you really want to achieve a goal announce it publicly. If you are feeling ambivalent – maybe best to tell no one – haha. Added to this, America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) published their “All Time Best Bread Recipes”. The planets were aligning – time for me to tackle bread-making and break the jinx.

The bread recipe that motivated me was ATK’s (Almost) No Knead Bread 2.0. Why “almost”? Why 2.0? 

"No knead bread" got a lot of publicity back in 2006, from an article by Mark Bittman who, among other things, writes for the New York Times. He interviewed and recorded for posterity a no knead bread recipe from Jim Lahey of NYC’s Sullivan Street Bakery. They debated whether a 4 year old could make it – and Bittman concluded it would have to be at least an 8 year old. Central to the recipe is that time replaces the work done by kneading – and we’re talking here of a long time – Lahey advises about 18 hours. I knew of this story – listened to a CBC Radio personality trying to master this bread - but did not take the plunge until ATK’s 2.0 version.

ATK is a “test” kitchen and they test, test, test to perfect recipe variables and outcomes.  Their changes to Lahey’s recipe are primarily: first rise can be 8-18 hours, they add beer to boost flavour, and they knead the dough after the first rise (only) 10-15 times. The dough requires a second rise. It is baked in a Dutch oven. I began this on an evening around 8:00 and dinner (supper) the next day was accompanied by a fabulous bread. ATK offers variations: olive / rosemary / Parmesan; cranberry / pecan; seeded rye; whole wheat.

I have since tried another bread recipe which will appear in a future blog – comparing the two, this one had a great (better) crust and great flavour. Click here for the ATK 2.0 recipe and my tips. (Click coming soon...)

If you want to read more about the Bittman / Lahey story here are some links. The original article; Lahey's recipe and the video.

This satisfying baking adventure is not likely to turn me into a regular bread maker. I still buy bread. Compared to decades ago, there seem to be a proliferation of bakeries these days. [2020 Update - Love the Potato Sour Dough from 193 Bench, and Cafe Baffico makes great bread and croissants.]

When it comes to bread, for me it has to compete with a food memory – bread eaten in Hungary decades ago. I am not sure why that was so good. The closest thing I have found here is the Potato bread from de la terre bakery.   If you visit their little storefront in Vineland, you may be disappointed by what’s left. Almost easier to find their bread at Goodness Me, Picone’s and the Hamilton Farmers' Market or these other locations.   See also Best Breads in Toronto. Would be a interesting project to check out each of those TO bread bakeries!

Might be fun to make this blog a bit interactive. Use the Comments tool below to share your favourite bread. Comments do not require you to leave your full name.

Chocolate Walnut Cookies – bet you can’t eat just one…

For several years, we have travelled to NYC annually to visit our favourite scholar. One year we finally decided to visit Grand Central Station/Terminal. The iconic station is itself a sight to behold, but the visit is enhanced by checking out the Grand Central Market on one end, and the shops at the other end. It was the "year of macarons", and I was drawn to the displays of a shop called Financier Pastries. In addition to buying gorgeously coloured macarons, I grabbed a wee bag of chocolate walnut flourless cookies. They were so wonderful, I had to find a recipe replicating them. For years, I was using the one from Epicurious. Recently, I have found a recipe that is the original.

The cookies contain no flour, so are gluten-free and Passover friendly. Because the recipe uses egg whites, there is a sort of meringue chew – combined with texture from the walnuts - and the inside is moist and fudge-y. The crackle top retains the shiny quality. It is gorgeous to look at, and tastes heavenly. 

All sources I found referred to these as Payard’s cookies.  They write about this revered pâtissier as if he’s dead, but apparently not. He has several shops in Manhattan (and Japan and Korea). Am feeling red-faced that I have never tracked down one of the locations – will be on the list for this year.

Quirky trivia – the Financier Pastry product line includes Payard’s cookies, and Payard’s product line includes “Financiers”.  The website for Financier Pastry says their name is inspired by the financial district where their flagship store is located, but the name also evokes their custom - with each coffee they give a small French pastry in the shape of a gold bar called a “financier”. Payard also sells financiers – not in the shape of a gold bar. In fact, they look a bit like cupcakes, and Smitten Kitchen offers us a recipe for this treat which uses almond flour.

The cookies I make tend to be about 1.5 inch diametre - though if the batter is a bit runny, the cookies tend to flatten and spread to about two inches.  Apparently, the original Payard cookies, that he sells to this day, are huge – four inch diametre. That being the case, "one" might be all any person could eat.

I went through a spell of making these often, and recently dusted off the recipe to make a batch for this blog entry. I was alone in the kitchen, tasting the first batch and practically startled myself with my “out loud voice” making all sorts of mmm, nomnom sounds. Love these cookies – resistance is futile!

Click here for the recipe. It’s another simple one that can be mixed by hand or mixer. Add it to the list of recipes that use up leftover egg whites.