Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum: March 2006 Archives

What is the difference between condensed and evaporated milk?

Condensed milk is both thicker and sweeter than evaporated milk.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.31.06 at 2:29 AM in FAQs

What is the ideal thickener for fruit pie?

The three most common starches used to thicken the fruit juices of a pie are flour, tapioca, and cornstarch. I prefer cornstarch because I find that it actually enhances the flavor of the fruit.

But as any starch in excess dulls the fresh fruit flavor and can make the texture gummy, I like to let the cut fruit sit with sugar for at least 30 minutes, drain the syrup that forms, reduce it by 1/2 to 2/3 or until very thick (I like to use the microwave but be sure to use a large liquid measure sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray to keep it from boiling over) and add it back to the fruit filling.

This way only about 1/3 the usual amount of thickener is required, the pie is just as juicy, and the bottom crust crisper.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.30.06 at 2:29 AM in Ingredients

How can I keep a pie crust from shrinking when I prebake it?

A pie crust that shrinks a great deal is also one that is tough. This is a result of too much water, too high a protein flour, and or overhandling of the pastry. My cream cheese pie crust in The Pie and Pastry Bible is one that shrinks very little.

But it will help any recipe to allow the dough to relax after rolling and lining the pan for at least 1 hour, covered and refrigerated. Lining the crust with parchment and dried beans or peas until it has set also helps to keep itís shape. A coffee filter, the sort used for coffee urns, is just the right size and shape to line the pastry.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.29.06 at 2:28 AM in General

Can you use those new low water higher butterfat butters in all baking?

Not without making changes to the recipe as it will throw off the water balance and make pie crusts and cookies too fragile without adjustment. These butters are ideal for puff pastry, Danish, clarifying butter, and, of course, for spreading on bread.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.28.06 at 2:28 AM in FAQs

My New Favorite Traditional Challah

When packing for a business trip I love to start a large bread for my husband to eat while I'm away. Challah is one of his favorites and since it's one of mine as well, I usually manage to eat a few slices myself before slicing, wrapping and freezing the rest. This is the one I made before leaving for Barcelona in February. It's similar to the one in "The Bread Bible" with one wonderful difference: I've discovered that adding some old stiff starter instead of the vinegar does wonders for elasticity making it much easier to braid. It also increases the moistness and shelf life and adds depth of flavor. And because it so exceptionally moist for a challah, the ends of the braids hold together well.

Oven Temperature: 325°F. (tent with foil after 30 minutes)
Baking Time: 35 to 40 minutes

Makes: A 16 inch by 6 inch by 4 inch high, 4 braid loaf
1 pound 14.4ounces / 861 grams

INGREDIENTS	MEASUREMENTS	WEIGHT
	volume	ounces	grams
water	1/2 liquid cup	.	118 grams
old stiff starter			75 to 85 grams
unbleached all purpose flour (use Harvest King)	3 cups	.	424 grams
instant yeast	2 1/2 teaspoons	.	8 grams
salt	1 1/2 – 1 3/4 teaspoons	.	10.7-11 grams
2 1/2 large eggs	used the remaining for glaze	4.2 ounces 120 grams (weighed without shells)
honey	3 tablespoons (1-1/2 fluid ounces)	.	60 grams
corn oil or Vermont butter	1/4 liquid cup if oil	.	54 grams 65 grams

Special Equipment: An insulated baking sheet or two baking sheets, one on-top of the other, lined with parchment. A baking stone or baking sheet

1) Mix the dough In the mixer bowl, place the water and tear in the starter. Allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and yeast; then the salt.
Add the eggs and honey to the liquid in the mixer bowl and the corn oil or butter. Add the flour and with the dough hook, mix on low until moistened. On medium (#4 Kitchen Aid) beat for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and shiny. Add flour if necessary until it almost clears the bowl The dough should be just barely tacky. (The dough should weigh about 30.2 ounces / 856 grams.) Form the dough into a ball.

2) Let the dough rise Place the dough into a 2 quart dough rising container or bowl, greased lightly with cooking spray or oil. Push down the dough and lightly spray or oil the top of the dough. Cover the container with a lid, plastic wrap or a damp towel. With a piece of tape mark on the side of the container approximately where double the height would be. Allow the dough to rise, ideally at 75 to 80 °F., until it has doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours (to 2 quarts). Gently deflate the dough by pushing it down, give it 2 business letter turns and allow to rise a second time. (The second rising takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
Flatten the dough gently by pressing down on it, so as not to activate the gluten, making it stretchy. If desired, for best flavor development, the dough now can be placed in a larger container or wrapped loosely with plastic wrap, placed in a 1 gallon plastic bag, and refrigerated overnight -- in which case give it a turn or two first. Allow it to sit a room temperature for 20 minutes after dividing in 4 pieces and preshaping into logs.
Glaze

INGREDIENTS	MEASUREMENTS	WEIGHT
	volume	ounces	grams
the remaining 1/2 of an egg, lightly beaten	1 1/2 tablespoons	.	33 grams
water	3/4 teaspoon	.	.
Optional: poppy seeds	1 tablespoon	.	9 grams

3) Shape the dough, glaze it, and let it rise Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (214 to 217 grams each). Shape them into little logs, cover them with proofer or greased plastic wrap—no need to rest unless refrigerated overnight as they get more gluten development. Start by rolling one piece of dough on the counter into as long rope, 13 inches. (Keep the rest covered while working with one-at-a-time.) Taper both ends of each dough rope to about 4 inches down so that they are narrower than the rest of the dough rope. (Allow the ropes to rest covered if stretchy.)
Starting from one tapered end, (middle, if doing a 3 strand braid) braid the strands. Pull the dough more as you come to the ends of the braid so that it comes to more of a point. Pinch the strands together at the end of the braid.
Don't allow too much bulge in the middle, i.e. braid tightly so that it doesn't spread when rising and baking. Push the ends together a little so that the loaf is about 14 inches long by 4 inches wide by 2 1/2 inches high. Place the loaf on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with glaze and cover. Let rise to 15 x 5 x 3 1/4 inches high—about 1 hour.

4) Preheat the oven: 45 minutes before baking preheat the oven to 325°F. Have the oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating.

5) Glaze and bake the challah. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the challah all over with the egg glaze, going well into the crevices of the braid. Sprinkle the top with poppy seeds if desired, tilting the pan slightly to have access to the sides.
Quickly but gently set the bread onto the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Turn it around and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes (tent loosely with a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil after 30 minutes of baking time or if the top is getting too brown). Leave on parchment as very tender. The bread should be deep-golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean. (An instant read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 180°F.)

6) Cool the challah on a rack.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.27.06 at 3:54 AM in Bread

Why do baking recipes call for unsalted butter and then add salt?

Why do so many baking recipes call for unsalted butter and then salt is added anyway?

Because the amount of salt in salt butter far exceeds the amount you would add. Also, unsalted butter has a fresher, more delicious flavor.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.27.06 at 2:28 AM in FAQs

What is the best way to stabilize whipped cream for frosting a cake?

Whipped cream tends to water out slightly after beating so to keep this from happening I use a small amount cornstarch which does not affect the texture.

It will not hold up well at room temperature but in the refrigerator will stay well on the cake for 24 hours! Many people have reported that this recipes has saved their lives!

For 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, use 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (if your cream is very low in butterfat use 1 1/2 teaspoons), and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
Refrigerate the mixing bowl and (preferably whisk) beater for at least 15 minutes.
In a small saucepan place the powdered sugar and cornstarch and gradually stir in 1/4 cup of the cream.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and simmer for just a few seconds (until the liquid is thickened). Scrape into a small bowl and cool completely to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla.
Beat the remaining 3/4 cup cream just until traces of beater marks begin to show distinctly.

Add the cornstarch mixture in a steady stream, beating constantly. Beat just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.26.06 at 2:28 AM in FAQs

What is the best chocolate to use for baking?

Generally cocoa (Dutch-processed) gives the best flavor impact in baking. In ganache (heavy cream and chocolate) or chocolate cream pie, where the chocolate is the main ingredient and does not get subjected to long heating, bittersweet chocolate is a good choice.

Brand of chocolate is entirely a matter of personal preference. What tastes good by itself will also taste good when mixed with other ingredients. You be the judge!

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.25.06 at 2:24 AM in FAQs

Why is butter better for baking than margarine or other fats?

Butter is the fat that melts closest to body temperature so there is no perception of greasiness on the palate. Not only does it offer its own lovely flavor, it also enhances the flavor of other ingredients.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.24.06 at 2:24 AM in FAQs

Why not just use a cake mix?

Cake mixes contain emulsifiers which give them what is known as tolerance, i.e., the ability to keep their texture despite additions of various extra ingredients. These emulsifiers result in an unpleasantly metallic after-taste. The flavor of a cake baked from scratch is incomparably superior.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.23.06 at 2:24 AM in General

What is the difference between 1 cup flour, sifted, and 1 cup sifted flour?

There is a big difference in the weight or amount of flour. 1 cup flour, sifted means you put the flour into the cup and then sift it. 1 cup sifted flour means to set the cup on a counter and sift the flour into the cup until it mounds above the top. Then, with a metal spatula or knife, level it off. Be sure to use a cup with an unbroken rim, referred to as a dry measure as opposed to a liquid measure which has a spout. With this second method you will have the least amount of flour because the flour is aerated. Do not be tempted to shake the cup or tap it as that compacts the flour.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.22.06 at 2:23 AM in FAQs

Is it really necessary to sift flour?

Not if you weigh it. Sifting makes it easier to measure consistently. It does not, however, evenly incorporate dry ingredients. Whisking them together by hand, beating them in a mixing bowl, or whirling them for a few seconds in a food processor does a far better job of mixing.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.21.06 at 12:39 PM in FAQs

With all the specialty flours on the market, how can you tell which to use?

When a recipe calls for cake flour, it is best to use cake flour but be sure it does not contain leavening. You can substitute bleached all purpose flour: for 1 cup of cake flour use 3/4 cup bleached all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons corn starch. For pie crust, pastry or bleached all purpose makes the most tender crusts. A national brand bread flour is usually best for bread but a strong (high protein) all purpose flour gives very similar results.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.20.06 at 12:39 PM in FAQs

How can you be sure your oven is holding the right temperature?

Most oven thermometers I have tested are unreliable. The best way is by baking a reliable recipe. If the recipe says bake 30 to 40 minutes and it is done in 25, turn it down 25 degrees. If it takes longer than 40 minutes turn it up 25 degrees. Occasionally oven thermostats become erratic and do not hold temperatures no matter what the setting. This requires professional calibration or a new thermostat.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.19.06 at 12:38 PM in FAQs

The Infamous Rosemary Focaccia

seems to me i've received more correspondence about this bread recipe than any other. some adore it and most find it impossible to make. simple as it is, as the highest water content (hydration) bread in the book it has turned out to be the trickiest. so i'm delighted that my friend jan in san diego recently wrote me how much she loves this bread--which she makes often--along with a photo of what the dough (batter) looks like after mixing!

see how it looks like melted mozarella cheese? nothing like a picture. and be sure to dimple it deeply all over right before baking to get the large irregular holes.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.18.06 at 7:52 PM in Bread

Why do recipes for beaten egg whites warn you about dryness?

Why do recipes for beaten egg whites always warn you to beat until stiff but not dry and is there a way to keep this from happening?

When egg whites are over beaten, they start to lose their moisture, airiness, and smoothness and break down when folded into other ingredients. The miracle solution here is surprisingly easy: use 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar for every egg white (1 teaspoon for 8 egg whites).

Add it to the whites soon after you begin to beat them, when they start to get frothy. Note: egg white will never beat to stiff peaks if there is it comes into contact with any grease, either from the bowl, beater or even a bit of broken egg yolk.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.18.06 at 12:38 PM in FAQs

When do you use the whisk beater versus the flat beater on a stand mixer?

The whisk beater is used to aerate mixtures such as egg whites for a meringue; the spade or flat beater to mix things together. Unless otherwise specified in a recipe, it is generally the flat beater that is meant to be used.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.17.06 at 12:38 PM in FAQs

How do I keep the top of my cakes from swelling up in the middle and cracking?

Metallic cloth cake strips, available in cake decorating supply places, work very well to keep layer cakes level. Lowering the heat 25 degrees is another solution as is using cake flour or bleached all purpose which have a lower protein content.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.16.06 at 12:38 PM in General

Struan Bread

we’re off for our 30th annual ski week at what has long ago become our favorite of all ski resorts: deer valley in utah!

a few years ago, my husband had an accident skiing that prevented him from accompanying me on the slopes for the rest of the week. in all these years of marriage, i had never skied without him so it felt very odd and lonely navigating the mountain on my own. i decided to take a short break and check out the food at the snowflake lodge. somehow, inevitably, i found myself in the kitchen and that put an end to any possible loneliness at deer valley! letty flatt, who is in charge of all bakery operations at the many restaurants at deer valley, also took charge of me! on her time off we skied together and she introduced me to double black diamonds that i could handle with ease. on the chair lift we exchanged bake-talk and royal icinged (baker’s cement) a lasting friendship.

last year, at a marvelous dinner at mariposa—the high-end restaurant on the mountain—we were served a bread that both my husband and i adored. it was, of course, letty’s, but she immediately credited peter reinhart for the original recipe. comparing the two i saw that letty had used 5 times the polenta. i decided to double the original amount of polenta but also added 90 grams more flour. neither letty nor i added the optional 3 tablespoons of cooked brown rice simply because i didn’t feel like making rice just to make this bread and found it was so delicious without it i’ve yet to try it with the rice—but i will.

the first time i made this bread back at low altitude in new york city i e-mailed peter immediately saying i was proud to be in the same profession as he. he graciously e-mailed back thanking me for reminding him about one of his very favorite breads—which is now mine as well. and as toast it is unequaled. toasting seems to bring out the sweet nuttiness of the grains. the texture is—well—perfect is the word that comes to mind. judge for yourselves by the photo. and the golden specks of coarse polenta add a jewel like quality. it doesn’t get better than spread with sweet butter but the other night i served it for dinner spread with mustard mayonnaise and filled with sardines sprinkled with lemon juice. it deserved the glass of trimbach frederique emile alsatian riesling that accompanied it. gloriously simple and wholly satisfying.

Click to see the flecks!

as i now am inclined to do with most of my breads, i’ve added a small amount of old stiff sourdough starter (the consistency of bread dough) to increase shelf life and add depth of flavor and extra moistness. if you chose not to add the starter decrease the salt by 1/8th teaspoon.

Click to view the recipe

Oven Temperature: 350°F.
Baking Time: 50 minutes or til 190°F

Struan Bread

Makes: A 9 inch by 4 1/2 inch by 4 1/2 inch high loaf
33.8 ounces / 959 grams

EQUIPMENT: a 9 x 5 inch bread pan, lightly greased

Soaker

INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	volume	ounces	grams
coarse polenta	1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons	2 ounces	56 grams
rolled oats	1/4 cup	.	18 grams
wheat bran	2 tablespoons	.	7 grams
water, hot	1/4 liquid cup	2 ounces	59 grams

1) Make the soaker
In a small bowl, combine the polenta, oats, and wheat bran and add the water. cover and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. (or put in pilot light oven 3 hours)

Dough Starter (Sponge)

INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	volume	ounces	grams
water, room temperature (70 to 90°F.)	3/4 liquid cups	6.25 ounces	177 grams
3 day old sourdough starter	torn into pieces		39 grams
half unbleached all-purpose flour, half bread flour	3 cups divided		468 grams

2) Make the starter
In a medium bowl (mixer bowl if using a stand mixer), whisk together the water, starter, and 100 grams of the flour for about 3 minutes, until very smooth. Scrape it into the bread machine container if using a bread machine and sprinkle the remaining 368 grams of flour on top. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment at cool room temperature overnight. (Alternatively, add 1/4 teaspoon on the yeast with the flour and let it sit 1 up to 4 hours at room temperature.)

Dough

INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	volume	ounces	grams
light brown sugar	2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons	1.25 ounces	35 grams
honey	1 1/2 tablespoons	1 ounce	30 grams
buttermilk	1/2 liquid cup	4.2 ounces	121 grams
instant yeast	2 teaspoons	.	6.4 grams
salt at 2%	2 1/4 teaspoons		13.5 grams
optional: poppy seeds	about 1 tablespoon	.	.

3) Make the dough
Add the soaker, brown sugar, honey, and buttermilk, and mix 3 minutes (in the stand mixer, with the dough hook mix on low speed (#2 Kitchen Aid) about 1 minute, until the flour is moistened to form a rough dough.) Scrape down any bits of dough. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
Continue mixing on low speed while adding the yeast. In bread machine start the kneading cycle or in the stand mixer raise the speed to #4 and add the salt. Knead for about 7 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic, and just be very sticky. If it is not at all sticky spray it with a little water and knead it. (The dough should weigh about 35.6 ounces / 1010 grams.)

4) Let the dough rise
Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into an 2 quart dough rising container or bowl, greased lightly with cooking spray or oil. Push down the dough and lightly spray or oil the top of the dough. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. With a piece of tape, mark where double the height would be (2 quarts). Allow the dough to rise (ideally at 75°F to 80°F.) for 30 minutes until puffy. Set it on a floured counter and flour the top. Give it 2 business letter folds, stretching it to develop the gluten. It should no longer be sticky to the touch. Set it back in the oiled container and allow it to rise until doubled from the original height (to 2 quarts) 40 minutes to 1 hour.

5) Shape the dough and let it rise
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and press it down to flatten it slightly. If you want to make a rectangular shaped loaf, gently press or lightly roll the dough with a rolling pin into a wide rectangle. (The long side of the dough should be facing towards you.) The exact size is not important at this point. The dough is VERY elastic. Press the dough with your fingertips to deflate any large bubbles (I). Place it in the prepared loaf pan (no more than 1/2 inch from the top of the pan—in a 7 cup pan, when pressed down it is 3/4 inch from the top).

Cover the shaped dough with a large container or oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rise until almost doubled and when pressed gently with a finger the depression very slowly fills in. In the loaf pan the highest point will be 1 1/2 inches higher than the sides of the pan, 1 to 1 1/2 hours).

6) Bake the bread
Mist the dough with water, sprinkle with the poppy seeds if desired, and quickly but gently set the pan on the hot stone or hot baking sheet and toss 1/2 cup of ice cubes into the pan beneath. Immediately shut the door and bake 40-50 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. (An instant read thermometer inserted into the center will read minimum 190°F., maximum 211°F). Halfway through baking, turn the pan halfway around for even baking.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.15.06 at 9:42 PM in Bread

How can you be sure the cake will come out of the pan in one piece?

With the exception of foam cakes such as chiffon and angel food where the pan must not be greased, a cake pan should be both greased and floured. Solid vegetable shortening is better than butter unless you use clarified butter. A non-stick vegetable spray with flour is far easier to use than the greasing and flouring method and indispensable when using a fluted tube pan which cannot be lined with parchment.

An additional safeguard for cakes baked in fluted tube pans, particularly chocolate, is to invert the cake immediately after baking onto a flat plate and leave the pan in place. The steam thus created helps to release it from the pan. For standard cake pans I grease the bottom to hold the parchment in place and then spray the parchment and the sides of the pan with a non-stick vegetable spray that contains flour.

The standard 9 or 10-inch cake should cool on a rack for 10 minutes which gives it a chance to shrink from the sides of the pan. Itís also a good idea to go around the sides with a small metal spatula or knife, pressing it against the sides of the pan, to be sure none of the cake has stuck.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.15.06 at 12:32 PM in FAQs

Fragile cookies vs. tough cookies?

For fragile cookies use low protein flour and high fat, For chewier cookies, use higher protein flour such as unbleached all purpose or bread flour with a little water added before the fat to develop gluten.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.14.06 at 12:32 PM in FAQs

How to get your cookies to come out higher?

Use all or part solid vegetable shortening, chill the shaped dough well before baking, use lower protein flour such as bleached all purpose flour, or use egg with an acidic ingredient such as brown sugar, sour cream or cake flour to set it faster.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.13.06 at 12:32 PM in FAQs

How to get your cookies to come out flat?

Use butter, high liquid, and higher protein flour such as unbleached all purpose or bread flour.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.12.06 at 12:32 PM in FAQs

Substituting ingredients: Can you? Sure. Should you? Usually the answer is NO.

Baking is a delicate balance and substituting one ingredient for another will almost invariably throw it off and produce something different which may be better but more often than not is not! Things such as water and protein content make a significant difference to texture. If you would like to experiment, change only one ingredient at a time and see the results. It is a great learning experience.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.11.06 at 12:32 PM in FAQs

Can you use more rye flour in a rye bread that suggested?

Your rye breads have a very small amount of rye flour in proportion to white. Can you use more rye flour in a rye bread?

My preference is for a light rye flavor and texture so I use just under 18% rye. If you want higher than 20% rye you need to make a sourdough rye because the acidity of the sourdough is necessary to keep the crumb from getting sticky (due to the pentosans in the rye flour).

To make a bread with about 42% rye, convert the sourdough starter to a sourdough rye starter by feeding it medium rye flour instead of bread flour. You will need a few extra drops of water to achieve a smooth consistency. It will take 9 feedings until you have replaced all the white flour in the starter with rye. (You can do the feedings every 12 hours, leaving the starter at room temperature, or more gradually, refrigerating the starter as per the chart on page 437.) Then use this starter to make the Sourdough Rye on page 451.

When making the bread, feed the starter only medium rye flour but in the dough, omit the 3/4 cups of rye flour, and use a total of 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (11.5 ounces/325 grams) of bread flour. The dough will rise much more quickly using this high a percentage of rye flour (about 2 hours after the first 2 business letter turns and about 2 1/2 hours after shaping).

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.09.06 at 12:23 PM in FAQs

Do you have a recipe for 100% whole wheat bread?

I find regular whole wheat flour to be to dense when used as the sole flour for a bread. White whole wheat flour, however, produces a delicously wheaty, crunchy, fine-textured bread. It's especially fragrant when you grind the flour yourself shortly before mixing the dough. Simply replace all the flour in the "Basic Hearth Bread" on page 305 with equal weight white whole wheat flour. The first rise will take about 2 hours intead of 1. (I especially like the "Prairie Gold"hard white spring wheat berries or flour from Wheat Montana: www.wheatmt.com, 877-535-2798.)

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.08.06 at 12:23 PM in FAQs

Barcelona Brownies

i promised to write about my recent trip to barcelona but that was before i knew that in three days i would be doing 5 demos, 2 newspaper interviews, 2 t.v. shows, and a 5 hour photo session! i never saw much of barcelona but i did eat and drink wonderfully! i’ll just have to go back on vacation some day soon.

the visit officially began with a demo in a chocolate museum school, followed by a lecture to the baker’s guild of spain. the challenge presented by the demo was to offer a recipe that was chocolate, was uniquely american, didn’t take long to prepare or bake, showed off the lékué silicone bakeware—my host—and not be dependent on either flour or leavening. it has been my experience that european flour produces vastly different results from what i am accustomed.

after much deliberation, it turned out that there was only one perfect possibility: the beloved brownie, baked in individual molds. the traditional small ingot shape of the financier mold seemed like an excellent choice. and now that i’ve perfected this recipe i’ll probably never make brownies in the usual square pan again! in the silicone financier pan, the brownies pop right out—each with a perfect shape and size and fine crust all around that keeps them from staling. it’s far easier getting the batter into the molds than having to cut them afterwards! You can even use the batter to make madeleines.

this batter can be made ahead and transported as there is no leavening to dissipate.

these brownies are light in texture but get their exceptional moistness from cream cheese and fudginess from the best quality cocoa and chocolate. for extra creaminess optional little plugs of ganache are poured into holes made with a chop stick after baking. it was gratifying to see the students casually pop a brownie in their mouths expecting something ordinary and then watch their eyes widen in glad surprise. chocolate never gets better than this.

Oven Temperature: 325°F.
Baking time: 12 to 15 minutes

Makes: Fourteen 3 inch by 1 inch by 1 1/8 inch high brownies

INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
room temperature	volume	ounces	grams
pecans, broken or chopped medium-coarse	2/3 cup	2.6 ounces	75 grams
unsalted butter	about 9 tablespoons	4.6 ounces	132 grams
bittersweet chocolate, preferably no higher than 62% cocoa mass	.	2 ounces	56 grams
unsweetened cocoa (preferably fine quality Dutch-processed, page 00)	6 scant tablespoons	1.2 ounces	33 grams
sugar	3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons	5.5 ounces	157 grams
2 large eggs	3 fluid ounces	3.5 ounces (weighed without the shells)	100 grams
pure vanilla extract	1 1/2 teaspoons	.	.
cream cheese. cut in pieces	2/3 of a 3 ounce package	2 ounces	56 grams
all purpose flour	1/3 cup	1.7 ounces	47 grams
salt	a pinch	.	.
Optional Ganache Plugs bittersweet chocolate (see above), coarsely chopped	,	2 ounces	56 grams
heavy cream (room temperature)	1/3 liquid cup	2.7 ounces	77 grams

Special Equipment:

Financier molds, preferably silicone, filmed with baking spray with flour or shortening and flour.

Preheat the Oven

20 minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.

Toast the Pecans

Place the pecans on a cookie sheet and toast them, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool completely.

Melt the Chocolate and Butter

In a double boiler over hot water or microwave-proof bowl, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring 2 or 3 times.

Mix the Batter

Beat in the cocoa, then the sugar, beating until it is incorporated. (If you are doing this by hand, use a whisk.) Beat in the eggs and vanilla. When incorporated, beat in the cream cheese until only small bits remain. Add the flour and salt and mix only until the flour is fully moistened. Stir in the nuts and scrape the batter into a piping bag or freezer-weight zipseal bag. (You can use a spoon but it’s a lot faster and easier to use a pastry bag or zipseal bag with one corner cut.)

Fill the Molds

If using a silicone mold, set it on a baking sheet and pipe the batter into the cavities, filling them about three-quarters full (1.5 ounces/45 grams in each). With a small off-set spatula or the back of a spoon, smooth the tops.

Bake the Brownies

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the batter has set. The batter will puff and rise a little above the top of the cavities but sinks slightly on cooling. An instant read thermometer should register about 194˚F. and if pressed lightly with a finger tip they will spring back.

While the Brownie are Baking, Prepare the Ganache

Melt the chocolate in a microwave, using 15 seconds bursts on high power and stirring several times, or in a double boiler over hot but not simmering water, stirring occasionally. Add the cream and stir gently until the mixture is smooth and dark. If necessary (if the cream was too cold and the mixture not entirely smooth), return it to the heat until totally fluid and uniform in color.

Fill the Brownies

As soon as the brownies are removed from the oven, grease the end of a wooden chopstick or dowel (1/4 inch diameter) and insert it into the brownie, at 3 evenly-spaced intervals, all the way to the bottom, twisting slightly as you insert and withdraw it. Fill the holes with the ganache until slightly rounded above the surface of the brownie.

Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely. The ganache will sink in as it cools and more ganache can be added, to fill in any depressions, as long as the brownie is still warm enough to melt it. (If necessary, you can set the brownies under a lamp to heat the ganache puddles and make them smooth.) If making the optional ganache plugs, allow it to sit at room temperature until the puddles are firm to the touch. Then invert the mold of if using silicone, push each out with your finger pressed against the bottom of the mold. (If not making the ganache the brownies can be removed after 10 minutes of cooling.

Store wrapped airtight in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container: 1 week at room temperature, 1 month refrigerated, or several months frozen. Try eating them frozen or chilled if you like a chewy brownie, room temperature for a softer creamier texture.

Cherry Version

Replace nuts with 2 ounces dried tart cherries, chopped plus 2 T Cherry Herring or half Kirsch half water.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.07.06 at 6:35 PM in Travel Adventures

Do you have any other use for excess sourdough starter?

Do you have any other use for excess sourdough starter aside from giving it to friends?

Yes! When I feed my starter, if I know i'm going to bake a hearth bread within the next 3 days, instead of throwing out the excess, without refreshing or feeding it I simply refrigerate up to 1/3 cup starter (about 2.75 ounces / 75 grams) per loaf.

Just before adding the salt to the dough, I tear the starter into about 8 pieces and knead it into the dough. The starter dough adds extra depth of flavor and moisture, and also speeds the fermentation (rising) slightly even in a dough using the usual amount of instant yeast. (You should also add an extra 1/8 teaspoon plus 1/16th teaspoon of salt to balance this extra amount of dough--less if using less starter dough.) The starter dough serves as a "preferment" making it possible to use the quicker "direct" method of mixing the dough. (Simply combine the flour and yeast from the sponge or biga in the recipe with the flour and yeast for the dough.)

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.07.06 at 12:23 PM in FAQs

ChocolateChocolate Nominated for IACP Book Awards

i'm delighted to announce that my dear friend and colleague lisa yockelson's glorious book ChocolateChocolate has been nominated in in the baking category. the award ceremony will be held on april 1 at the international association of culinary professionals conference in seattle washington. by a happy coincidence, i will be the presenter of the awards in the baking category.

below is a photograph taken the day before the nominations announcement, of me (left), our beloved editor pam chirls of wiley, and lisa

photo by adam schneider

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.06.06 at 4:10 PM in Announcements

How do you keep a crust crisp?

Allow the bread to cool completely before placing it in a brown paper bag. If the loaf has been cut into, store it in a plastic bag and recrisp it in the following way. Place the loaf cut side down on the oven stone or baking sheet. Turn the oven to 400°F. and check after 7 minutes. The crust should be crisp and the crumb will be warm.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.06.06 at 12:21 PM in FAQs

How can you tell when the bread is fully baked?

The only way to know for sure is by inserting an instant read thermometer into the center of the bread. It should read between 180 to 212°F.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.05.06 at 12:21 PM in FAQs

Sourdough Starter's Need To Breath

MARYN QUESTION

Feedback: I have been storing my sourdough starter in a crock. Now I read that a wire-bail jar is better. Does starter need a little air, or can it survive air free. I don't want to kill my starter! Thanks.

ROSE REPLY

you would kill your starter if you removed all the air by vacuum but there is enough air in the head space of the container to give it breath even when the container is covered. covering keeps it from drying out.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.04.06 at 8:49 PM in Sourdough

Making a Cake in a Different Size Cake Pan

DIANNE QUESTION

I wanted to bake your white chocolate whisper cake but use a tube pan instead of the round cake pans. Is this possible and what do I need to know to make this work?

ROSE REPLY

on page 455 of the cake bible is a chart listing the volume of most cake pans. of course if you have an odd-shaped pan you will need to measure the volume yourself by pouring water into it. if it's a two-piece pan first line it with a clean garbage bag.

compare the size and volume of the pans specified in the recipe to the one which you want to use and then either increase or decrease it proportionately.

a cake in a tube pan will take longer to bake than in a 9 x 2 or 9 x 1 1/2 inch pan but use the usual tests of springing back when touched lightly on top and a cake tester inserted in the middle between sides of pan and tube comes out clean.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.04.06 at 3:12 PM in FAQs

Are there any tips to getting a crisp crust?

Choose a bread that does not have a high amount of fat (or sugar). Spritz the shaped, risen dough with water just before placing it in the oven and steam the oven (using boiling water or ice cubes poured into a preheated pan on the floor of the oven). Leave the oven door partially ajar for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking. Bake the bread until it is 212°F. so that residual steam inside the bread does not soften the crust on cooling.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.04.06 at 12:21 PM in FAQs

What is the best surface on which to bake bread?

A preheated baking stone or quarry tiles are ideal. Allow it or them to preheat for a minimum of 45 minutes. Stone retains heat, giving better oven spring or rise to the loaf, and absorbs moisture yielding a crisper crust. To avoid sprinkling flour or cornmeal on the stone, Silpain, or Silpat (both are silicone mats but Silpain is black and has little holes for breathing), or parchment, can be placed directly on the stone.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.03.06 at 12:18 PM in FAQs

Articles by Me

May 2005, Food Arts Magazine, Best Bakeries of the Bay Are

April 2005, Food Arts Magazine, a new 100% whole wheat walnut bread recipe to satisfy the new dietary guidelines

Food Arts, May 2004: Article on the new technology in thermometers

March 2005, Hemispheres Magazine (United In Flight Magazine) Bread story (with recipe on their website www.hemispheresmagazine.com, click on cyber bar)

Food Arts November 2003 pages 94 - 102: "Rose's Vanilla Bible"

Bride's Sept/October 2003 pages 169 – 171 Wedding Cakes

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.03.06 at 10:07 AM in Publications

What is the best flour for bread baking?

All purpose flour is fine as long as it is unbleached as bleaching weakens the protein which is needed to give a good texture or crumb to the bread. Bread flour has higher protein and will make a chewier bread. Regional flours may be lower in protein than ones available nationally such as Gold Medal, or Pillsbury. For quick bread containing softened but unmelted butter, however, it is essential to use bleached all purpose flour or the center of the bread will fall and have a gloppy texture on cooling.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.02.06 at 12:18 PM in FAQs

Interview in Food Forum

The following is an interview I did with Marguerite Thomas for IACP Food Forum, the publication of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. It was published in the early part of 2006. You can download the 500k PDF here.

Let's start with the beginning, The Cake Bible, the book that made your name when it came out in 1988. The Pastry Bible and The Bread Bible followed. Did you first come up with the concept of a book, or a series, and the "Bible" title, or did you write the first book and then you and your editors worked out that brilliant title?
I had it in back of my mind to do a "bible" sort of definitive book, and though the word "bible" did occur to me, I would never have had the temerity to call it that if, not for [the late food writer] Bert Greene, who was my best friend. He came up with the title entirely on his own. He insisted that I call it a bible because, he said, I was his muse and he knew that's what the book would be because of my approach to baking. I resisted at first, but when everyone at the publishing company starting calling it by this name -- and giving it more respect -- I started to reconsider.

It's hard to imagine not liking that title.
I asked the bicoastal restaurant consultant Clark Wolf, whose opinion I greatly valued, what he thought of it, and he said it would be like sticking my chin out and saying, "Here! Punch me!" This clever assessment helped me to realize that I believed 100 percent in what I was doing and that I was willing and ready to take it on the chin!

Was The Cake Bible your first book?
My first book was Romantic and Classic Cakes (Irena Chalmers Great American Cooking Schools Series, 1981). It was written on an IBM Selectric typewriter, and it was a great dress rehearsal for a larger book. I could never have written The Cake Bible, with all its depth and continuity, without a computer.

(More after the jump)

Did you set out on a straight path directly into the world of food?
No, in 1967 I was actually a student at FIT [New York's Fashion Institute of Technology]. I had a job as a medical secretary at the time, and the doctor I worked for persuaded me that I was too thin-skinned to survive in the tough garment worker environment. I realized he was right, so I transferred all my credits to New York University to major in food.

Who were the people who most influenced you when you were growing up?
My mother was a pioneer of sorts, being the only woman in the entire dental school where she was a student. Because she worked full-time, I was raised by my grandmother, who had been a sample maker in the garment industry. She taught me magical things, such as how to make a piercing whistle from a single blade of grass, how to draw nectar from a honeysuckle blossom, how to cross-stitch, and how to tell a story (she regaled me with tales from czarist Russia, which she called the Old Country.) My father was a skilled cabinet-maker and still marches to his own drummer. But it was my great-uncle Nat, who was the designer of the Movado Museum watch, who taught me how to think beyond the obvious.

You have written cookbooks and articles about food not related to baking (Rose's Celebrations, in 1992, and Rose's Melting Pot, in 1994, both published by William Morrow), but many of us have always felt that baking and cooking require very different mindsets -- a left brain-right brain kind of thing maybe. As someone who has been successful in both, give us your take on this truism.
Julia Child advised me that it is very hard to get out of the baking pigeonhole, but that it could be done. Baking requires precision. With cooking, one can be more free-spirited. It took me years to feel free to cook by heart without measuring or being locked into a recipe, including my own! (I once found myself saying "it says" -- and then realized the "it" was I.) I find that most bakers can cook well, but the reverse is not necessarily the case.

Book editor Maria Guarneschelli has said that the best food book authors she's worked with have all been uniquely focused on their careers. You, of course, are among the ones she mentioned. Is this particular kind of focus something you've developed, or is it an inherent part of your personality?
Maria and I always worked well together because we agreed on so many basic principles, including this one. I have long considered my ability to focus my greatest asset. I'm not sure if it is genetic or if I learned by example, because both my parents embodied this quality.

What aspect of your personal road to success are you most proud of?
My greatest joy, and what I consider my greatest achievement, is having touched other people's lives in a positive way. For example, people who have never baked before have started successful businesses using my recipes.

You are a prodigious writer of books and articles, and you also have successfully marketed many products. Tell us about your most recent venture.
I am the spokesperson for Lékué of Spain. I also have my own line of ceramic bakeware with them called roselevybakeware. It includes Rose's Perfect Pie Plate and a Sweetheart Crème Brûlée set. (Both Lékué and my line are distributed by Harold Imports).

Along with books, articles, product lines, and the rest, you put together and obtained all the underwriting for a 13-episode baking show on PBS. Do you have an agent who helps you market all these unusually successful concepts?
I have two business managers who handle everything including my book contracts. One is also the business manager for the Rolling Stones, the other is working on the upcoming Canadian Olympics [in Vancouver, in 2010], so their vision goes beyond my food world.

Do you have any tips for others about how to keep one's name out there once a book, television show, or a magazine series has come out?
I was greatly influenced in this by my friend and colleague Shirley Corriher. In the early days of IACP she advised me to travel and teach in order to get my name out there. She said that at most schools the owners also make sure to get their guest-teachers publicity via local radio, TV, and print. Since we share a great love of food science, the food profession, and people in general, Shirley and I made a point of attending every food symposium we could, including the chefs groups, which at that time were entirely separate from IACP. I also wrote as much as possible for the food magazines. I think this helped establish my credibility with the press so that when my first big book came out they were already acquainted with my work, and they did wonders to publicize it.

Did you like the process of creating and appearing on your own TV show? Do you feel that you can reach people in a different way through television rather than print?
"Show and Tell" was always my favorite subject at school, and TV is the "show" to the "tell" of my books. I find the process of cookbook writing more gratifying than the process of television production because during most of the former I have total control and can be obsessive about detail. TV is a huge challenge. It forces you to think in an entirely different way, and to give up control. For a good performance one must trust the producer. But TV also provides a huge opportunity to reach many more people and to demonstrate visually techniques that are difficult to grasp, even with the most carefully chosen words.

Have you had ideas that were held close to your heart but that you have not been able to bring to fruition?
I've always longed to do a four-color cake book. Having studied fashion design, I have a strong feeling for the visual art of design. And I think people want and need to see what a cake looks like. I've been exceptionally fortunate in being able to realize most of my goals and visions, and now that I have just signed a contract with Pam Chirls at Wiley for a comprehensive four-color cake book, I will realize this dream too.

When you were growing up in New York City, was good baking, or simply good food, a part of your home environment?
Neither! My mother was a dentist, so sweets were not big in our household. But her mother, who lived with us, used to have a candy store, and she would make rock candy, crystallized on dental floss. I only remember my grandmother baking once in all those years. It was an apple pie, and it was wonderful. Her comment when I praised it was that it wasn't worth the trouble. Grandma wasn't a very good cook either, so my interest in food was avoidance more than enthusiasm. But when I discovered how wonderful food could be when prepared well, I was completely seduced by the possibilities. I wanted to spend all my time cooking and baking. Surprisingly, my mother turned out to be an excellent cook after her retirement. Actually, perhaps it wasn't so surprising. I remember her saying when I was growing up that she loved to eat. Of course at the time I thought she was crazy!

You have attended all but three IACP conferences, most recently the regional conference in Sweden. You've also traveled twice to Australia to be a presenter at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Any other major, or upcoming, trips?
I have been a presenter at the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, and I traveled to Japan to research sugar for an article for Food Arts. Earlier this year I was in Ireland, and I have upcoming trips planned to France and Spain.

In addition to networking at conferences (and aside from the basic hedonistic pleasure that many of us get from travel), in what way do these experiences influence your work?
My baking and cooking have both been influenced profoundly by my extensive travels around the world -- by my exposure to different ingredients and how they are used in cooking and baking. In recent years, the Internet has also provided an amazingly effective vehicle for connecting to people. Recently a woman living in Samoa reported her pleasure in being able to make a multigrain bread from my newest book for her husband, who longed for the bread of his childhood in Germany.

I love that you've included the Internet as another means of world travel -- because, of course, you're right to underscore the point that the connection to other people is one of the most compelling reasons for visiting a foreign culture. And in its own way, the Internet enables us to do some of that.
I'm really excited about the possibilities of my new baking blog, sponsored by Gold Medal Flour. It will provide a platform for sharing ideas. The world has never seemed so wonderfully and easily accessible.

I envision you typically starting each day with a wonderful breakfast of homemade chocolate croissants, or muffins and scones just out of the oven. Of course if this vision of your early morning routine is anything close to accurate, you must have the metabolism of a hummingbird to maintain your trim shape.
My routine actually begins with a one-mile swim at a nearby pool. Then coffee, and around 11:30 a small lunch, often something I've baked. If I'm wandering around New York during the day, my lunch is usually a banana from a stand. I usually walk wherever I'm going, as I spend so much time at the computer. I try to get exercise whenever I can since I don't consider baking much exercise! Come to think of it, my greatest achievement is not getting fatter than I am given the temptation of wonderful food and desserts I am always surround by.

Who -- in the entire world -- would you most like to have dinner with some day?
I love this question. "Some day" implies someone with whom I've not yet dined, but if it could be a repeat dinner it would unquestionably be Michael Batterberry, the visionary publisher of Food Arts magazine. He is wondrously erudite and endlessly fascinating, funny, warm, and entertaining. And his knowledge of food and wine are legendary. But if I had to choose a fantasy -- a never-before-experienced dining partner -- I can narrow it down to three. Lionel Poilâne, if only he were still alive. (He was arguably the world's most well-known bread baker, who started a movement towards a return to artisinal bread that spread from Paris around the world). I met Poilâne once at the Chocolate Show in Paris and was utterly taken by his charm, his passion for life, and his métier.
And I'd want to dine with Pat Conroy, my favorite novelist, and a brilliant raconteur who also adores food and wine. Also, Martha Stewart, who constantly inspires me with her genius for innovation, self-creation, and a towering creative talent in so many of the arts, including business. I could learn so much from even one dinner with any of these delightful people.

As with any author of cookbooks, you surely have more food than you and your husband and friends can possibly consume. Even with plenty of freezer space, have you come up with any creative way to dispose of baked trial runs (short of the garbage disposal)?
The garbage disposal starves in my house. A neighbor once told me, as I was headed to the incinerator room, that my failures are her life's delights! Whatever we can't consume I give to the people who work in our building. I've known most of them for over 30 years now and they have become like family. In fact, several of the handymen have very discerning palates and are great "tasters." Alec, from Croatia, is an excellent cook, and Willy, the doorman, used to be a baker. Kenny and Eddy are teaching me Spanish -- just in time for my trip to Spain! It's great to get feedback so close to home.

Speaking of feedback, do you have other tasters whose opinion you rely on?
My husband Elliott has a fantastic palate, and thankfully is completely honest. I value his discernment and input. But having said that, ultimately I go mainly with my own taste. As Elliott once advised me in his direct but loving way: they're paying for your taste buds, not mine!

Rose Levy Beranbaum has written numerous books, including The Cake Bible (William Morrow, 1988), a culinary best seller currently in its 34th printing. Other award-winning books include Rose's Christmas Cookies (Morrow, 1990) and The Pie and Pastry Bible (Scribner, 1998). Her newest and most all-inclusive publication is The Bread Bible (W.W. Norton & Company, 2003). She is currently working on a comprehensive book on cakes for John Wiley & Sons. Beranbaum is a contributing editor to Food Arts Magazine, and her work has appeared in numerous publications including The Washington Post, Fine Cooking, Bride's, Reader's Digest, and Hemispheres. She has been a guest on a number of television shows, and now appears in her own PBS show called Baking Magic. She also writes a blog called "Real Baking with Rose," sponsored by Gold Medal Flour. She recently launched a new product line, roselevybakeware, and is spokesperson for Lékué, a silicone bakeware manufacturer based in Spain. Beranbaum lives with her husband of 30 years, Elliott Beranbaum, in New York City.

MARGUERITE THOMAS is travel editor for The Wine News and she writes "The Intrepid Gastronome", a monthly column for the Los Angeles Times International Syndication. She is the author of The Elegant Peasant, Light and Simple Variations on Traditional Country Fare (Jeremy P. Tarcher)

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.02.06 at 9:09 AM in Press Mentions

Press Photos

Here are several images of Rose you can use. You can preview them on the individual entry page (after the jump).

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Click to download a high-res version.

Click to download a high-res version.
Photo Credit: Ben Fink.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.02.06 at 3:29 AM in Publicity

Refiners Syrup

FRED QUESTION

Is refiner's syrup the same as cane syrup? In other words, is Steen's syrup the same as Lyle's Golden syrup? Thanks.

ROSE REPLY

Lyle's Golden syrup is a natural byproduct of cane sugar refining. It is cane syrup with no artificial colors flavors or preservatives.

I'm not familiar with Steen's syrup. Lyle's is the only refiners syrup I know of. Look on the label of the Steen's to see what it contains. A side-by-side tasting is the best test. as they say, the proof is in the syrup -- or was that pudding?!

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.01.06 at 5:27 PM in Ingredients

Barcelona Brownies

MARY CARMEN QUESTION

Dear Levy,
I am a spanish woman (from Barcelona) and I read that you made a brownie called Barcelona. ¿Is it truth?. I want, if it is possible a recipt of this brownie. I can't find it in your website. Thank you in advance and sorry for my bad english.
Mary Carmen Artiga

ROSE REPLY

thank you for asking for the recipe. I will post it on the blog this month, along with a little story of my visit to Barcelona.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.01.06 at 5:23 PM in Questions and Answers

Challah

NANCY QUESTION

Feedback: I followed the traditional challah recipe exactly and caught the mistake to add the 1 tsp yeast to the sponge. After many hours in a very warm environment, the dough hardly rose. I tried it several times with no luck and even switched yeast which is very much alive. There is definitely something wrong with the proportion of ing. I'm an advanced baker and it's gotta be a problem with the recipe. also after making the sponge, do i immediately add the flour blanket or let the sponge sit for an hour first? When the flour blanket is added, can i refrigerate it that way? If so do i taked it out to come to room temp and then mix? I searched the book for answers and was more confused. Please help. I know once its right it will be sooo delicious like so many of the recipes i've made from the cake bible. I'm a diehard baker and have learned more from your books than any other. Thank you.

ROSE REPLY

bread that is rich in egg, butter, and sugar or honey, is very slow to rise. You can speed rising by putting it in a warm environment with hot water in a container, such as an oven without a pilot light but with just the light bulb on. You don't want the temperature to be above 85°. If this doesn't work, it has to be the yeast. I'm sure as an experienced Baker you'll are not killing the yeast with excessive heat. you could also try increasing the yeast. But the recipe as I wrote it works for me.

When making a sponge, I always like to put the flour blanket on it as soon as possible. Then I cover the bowl with plastic wrap to keep any part of the sponge that bubbles through the surface of the flour blanket from drying, and refrigerate it. I do mention in the book temperature the dough should be depending on the different methods of mixing it, for example, if you are using a stand mixer, you want it to be colder when you start mixing then if you're using a bread machine, because the friction of the beater raises the heat of the dough. When using a food processor, I have everything as cold as possible because the movement of the blades creates the most heat. Please look through the book, exact temperatures are given for all methods.

In the coming weeks, I will be offering my new recipe for challah, that incorporates old sourdough starter. It makes braiding dough much easier because of the extra elasticity, and I think the resulting bread is even more delicious. I can't wait to post this recipe -- the picture is so stunning! But I wanted to answer everybody's questions before I posted any new things.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.01.06 at 5:05 PM in Bread

Cheesecake Containers

IRINA QUESTION

Feedback: Dear Rose,

I am so psyched about this blog, you have no idea. I proudly own all of your books and swear by them. The Cake Bible is my enduring source for my home baking business. What an absolute gem!

Recently, I've been asked to supply cheese cakes for a charity bookstore and I thought you might be able to point me in the right direction for individual disposable baking cups. I had in mind something like what Panettone is baked in? A "waxed" paper type wrapper? I figure this would be cleaner and neater to serve to a customer. And who doesn't love their very own cheesecake?!

Thanks so much for any advice you can offer,

ROSE REPLY

I love those little panettone containers, but I personally wouldn't use them for cheesecake, as I like to bake cheesecake in a water bath so that it's at its most creamy. if you used foil custard cup liners you could still use a water bath.

If you want to get the Panettone containers wholesale you'll need to go to a food show where they have packaging or search online. I don't get them in large quantity so I get to mind from la cuisine.

thank you for your appreciation and encouragement!

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.01.06 at 4:54 PM in Equipment

Making Larger Cakes

KIM QUESTION

I have a question about augmenting your White Chocolate Whisper Cake for use in my friend's wedding cake. Is there a rule of thumb I can go by when converting any of your cakes to larger or smaller sizes?
I hope to achieve the larger volume of the recipes you've designed in your wedding cake section of the Cake Bible. The tiers are slightly higher and more dramatic than the recipes from the butter cake chapter.

Thanks so much,
As always, your devoted fan,
Kim

ROSE REPLY

In my new book I plan to work on creating recipes for larger cakes based on favorite smaller ones. It can sometimes taken many tests to get it right. One of the cakes I've planned on is the white chocolate whisper cake! I think that's one that won't require much adjustment. You simply need to decrease the baking powder in proportion to the amount of flour as indicated in the charts in the wedding cake section.

Do let me know how it works for you so it will give me a leg up on my recipe testing!

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.01.06 at 4:30 PM in Cakes

I’m afraid I’ll kill the yeast—can this happen?

Yeast that needs proofing (soaking in warm water), such as active dry or cake yeast, will die if the water is hotter than 120°F. (or if the water is ice cold). Instant yeast, also called Rapid Rise, QuickRise, Instant Active Dry, Perfect Rise, or Bread Machine Yeast, can be mixed right in with the flour without soaking it in water first. Store it in the freezer and it will stay alive for at least year.

From the kitchen of Rose on 03.01.06 at 12:18 PM in FAQs

This scratch baking blog, featuring baker and cookbook author Rose Levy Beranbaum, is an online journal of Rose’s baking adventures, cooking tips, and scratch recipes. Her cookbooks include Bread Bible, Pie and Pastry Bible, Rose’s Christmas Cookies, Passion for Chocolate and The Cake Bible.

March 2006

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