BakerAunt
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Last year, I pulled out a recipe that I had printed from a now defunct website: Mini Apple Bundt Cakes with Marscapone [sic] Bourbon Cream,” by Brooke Jackson. I thought that I was baking six (1-cup) Bundt cake, but the recipe made a LOT more batter than that, and I was grabbing extra small pans left and right. I baked the recipe again, and this time used a Nordic Ware “Quartet” pan, that makes four small cakes and holds about 8-9 cups of batter. It worked perfectly. I made some changes by substituting ¾ cup barley flour for that much AP and reduced the sugar by ¼ cup. I add 2 Tbs. each of Bob's Red Mill milk powder and flax meal. I probably used more than 3 cups grated apple (about four apples). I wasn’t sure about ¾ cup olive oil. Last year I used ¼ buttermilk, ¼ olive oil, and ¼ cup canola. I don’t use the mascarpone cream topping when serving, which is not needed, but I’m sure would be delicious. The cakes bake 45 minutes in the Quartet Bundt pan.
I baked the recipe again on Sunday. I kept all my changes except that I used ½ cup olive oil and ¼ cup buttermilk. I used Jonathan apples this year. It’s a wonderful cake, and I’m looking forward to having a slice for dessert tonight, even though I should probably let them mellow overnight. At least, with the quartet pan, I only cut into one. I’ll probably freeze at least two cakes. Using the typo in the title (which is why I’ve left it here), Rottiedogs was able to find the old website last year and post a link here at Nebraska Kitchen to the recipe.On Friday, I baked a new recipe, “Barley Crispbread,” from Jan Hedh’s Swedish Breads and Pastries (Skyhorse Publishing, 2010), p. 144. I had mentioned this recipe in December at Nebraska Kitchen, since one topping mentioned is lentils. I decided not to use them, as I did some googling and did not find raw lentils used as a topping anywhere. I had some uncertainty about flours. After reading in the introduction, which is not a lot of help, I decided that “wheat flour high in protein” is probably bread flour. For “fine rye flour,” I used Bob’s Red Mill dark rye, which seems fine to me, and I used King Arthur’s pumpernickel for the “coarse rye flour.” I used BRM for the barley flour. I topped with sunflower and sesame seeds. Although it lists pumpkin seeds, in addition to the lentils, the picture does not show pumpkin seeds. I’m not sure that it shows lentils, so perhaps it is flax seed, which I don’t use. The technique for the seeds sticking is an egg wash, seeds, then I covered the dough with waxed paper, and rolled over it. That has kept almost all the seeds in place. Baking time was 20-30 minutes; I found it needed the 30 minutes. I baked it on the third rack up (slightly above the center). After they cooled, I tested one—and my husband had two. They are quite nice—crisp, with just a bit of chewiness, and a natural sweetness, although they have no sugar other than the pinch I added to proof the yeast.
I ended up with 32 10x9cm squares. The recipe states "60 rounds," which is clearly an error, since it directs that the dough be cut into squares.
Quick Note: These are somewhat salty--10g (about 3 tsp.) salt in the recipe. When I bake them again, I will cut it back to 7-8g.
I'm looking forward to reading about your rye experiments, Mike. I'm also interested in what you think of the flours you bought, as I've considered buying from that place.
I've baked two straight dough recipes from the book. The Rye Bites (pp. 225-226) I've baked twice. I've learned that when he says to use an upper oven rack when baking, I should do it. When kneading with my Cuisnart mixer, I did have to stop and adjust the dough, but that may be the result of a 7-qt. mixer.
I've also baked the Salty Rye Rolls (pp. 141-142). Again, baking in the upper third of the oven is essential to avoid burned bottoms.
I have his Yogurt Rye Recipe (pp293-294) marked to try, so maybe I'll make that my next bread. I'd need to substitute buttermilk for the yogurt, as I can only get good Greek yogurt or full-fat Stoneyfield in this area.
I'm a big fan of his pumpkin bread recipe on his site, which I've baked three times. It is a pretty wet bread, and I think that the loaf came out with the most height the first time that I bake it, but that may be due to the variations in water in pumpkin.
