An Obsessive’s Quest for Professional Quality Baked Goods from a Home Kitchen
Posted in Rich Doughs on Mar 14th, 2010
Having made the commitment at the beginning of this year to eat only foods that are fresh, unprocessed and nutritious, I know what it feels like to give up foods that one has become accustomed to and has enjoyed over the years. It was therefore with a great sense of empathy that I learned that […]
Posted in Rich Doughs on May 17th, 2009
As a child, I, like many other Americans, had been conditioned (unintentionally, I’m sure… no conspiracy theory here!) to think of bread as merely an adjunct; a pasty white, flavorless platform for slices of lunch meat, peanut butter or any other filling that happened to find its way into my school lunch sandwich. But sandwich bread doesn’t have to be […]
Posted in Rich Doughs on Mar 29th, 2009
I think it was in a Szechuan Chinese restaurant where the list first began. After a bite of a particularly spicy serving of mapo doufu (spicy bean curd), I grabbed my glass of water, downed about half of its contents and, after reducing the fire on my tongue to a mere smolder, turned to my wife and remarked, […]
Posted in Rich Doughs, Techniques on Mar 7th, 2009
Like most major U.S. cities, my home town, Boston, is a wonderful mÁ©lange of people from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Boston’s North End, rich in colonial history, is today home to a vibrant Italian-American community. One of my favorite activities has always been to stroll along the narrow streets of the North End enjoying the commotion (I did, after all, spend my childhood years in Brooklyn, […]
Posted in Rich Doughs, Viennoiserie on Jan 1st, 2009
I know. It’s hard to get excited about yet another baking blog posting a recipe for sticky buns. But before you leave here to go send those ”Happy New Year” e-mail messages to friends and family that you should have already sent (Freudian projection, anyone?), just take a few more minutes to read further. These aren’t your ordinary, run-of-the-mill, […]
Posted in Rich Doughs, Techniques on Dec 26th, 2008
For some reason, dinner rolls have always been the preferred style of bread at my family’s holiday table. Perhaps it’s simply the comfort of tradition. Or maybe the reason is a bit more utilitarian; the convenient individual serving size saves the space needed to slice bread at the table and makes it easier for everyone to help themselves. Among the many types of dinner […]
Posted in Rich Doughs, Techniques on Nov 16th, 2008
Lately, I’ve been so fascinated by various regional French breads that I’ve all but forgotten that North America has its own traditional breads. A case in point is corn bread. To many people, the term ‘corn bread’ conjures up visions of the dense, sometimes sweet, chemically leavened quick bread that is a staple of many a Thanksgiving Day table. To my […]
Posted in Rich Doughs, Techniques, Viennoiserie on Oct 5th, 2008
If I had to choose a single pastry that is the embodiment of all that is French viennoiserie, it would have to be the croissant. In the U.S., croissants have been steadily increasing in popularity, particularly as the basis for a wide variety of breakfast sandwiches. When properly baked, the croissant has a crisp, flakey exterior with a light, open and wonderfully […]
Posted in Rich Doughs, Techniques, Viennoiserie on Sep 21st, 2008
Cooler evenings, lengthening shadows and the slightest hint of crimson on the maple trees can mean only one thing… autumn in New England is rapidly approaching! While some here may view the onset of autumn with trepidation, being the harbinger of the New England winter which can oftentimes be quite brutal, to me autumn is a season of anticipation. The cooler weather now makes […]
Posted in Rich Doughs, Techniques on Aug 30th, 2008
Here in the U.S., ciabatta has become the quintessential Italian bread. Characterized by a crisp, flour-dusted crust, a holey interior and a rustic, “slipper-like” shape, ciabatta is ideal for dipping into any one of a number of wonderfully aromatic, herb-infused olive oils. When sliced horizontally, it also makes great sandwiches, the holey crumb providing deep […]