french loaf pan

I bought a french loaf pan from williams sonoma
makes my french breads less flat and more delicious
I've been searching all over the place for a french bread pan; really annoying to try to find. Basically 40 dollars later, I finally have one and feel that I am baking better

BakingWithSneakers.com

start of a new year with a website.
pretty much the same junk that's on here is going to be on http://www.bakingwithsneakers.com once it is up and running. It just redirects back to my blog; which is fine by me for right now. but eventually it will become a full fledged exciting place to be! Updates will follow with periodic blog posts. I was a little baked out after the Christmas haul. I've only been baking stuff I have before, that's why I've not been updating...

slow rise panettone

not joking on the slow rising..

1 cup raisins
1/4 cup rum

2/3 cups warm water
1 tablespoon warm honey
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast

3 + 3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavouring
3 eggs
12+ 1/2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup candied fruit bits

okay so I don't have any panettone paper molds so I used a bundt pan, seemed to work.
heat up rum in microwave in a bowl or measuring cup for 20 seconds, just to get warm.
add in the raisins, let soak for one hour- then strain.
mix warm water, sugar, salt, honey, and yeast together in mixing bowl. let get bubbly

add rest of ingredients, including the strained raisins.
whip around with the paddle attachment for about 6-8 minutes. until a sticky ball forms. let raise for 12-18 hours in a bowl but don't tightly cover the bowl.

once raised take out and put in paper mold or bundt pan, raise until reached almost the top of the pan or paper.
bake at 370F for 1 hour to 1 hour 15.

hot chocolate

2 1/2 cup soy milk
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of cinnamon

put all together in a sauce pan whisking vigorously, just until it is the temperature you'd like to drink it at.
yummy yummy

makes two servings

thick pita

these are really thick and don't normally split open like the others I have made, they are good for dipping.
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup warm water



add the oil, warm water yeast salt and sugar together with 1/2 cup of flour. mix until it is foamy. sit until it starts forming more bubbles
add the rest of the flour. if it is too sticky add a tablespoon of flour at a time

raise for 1 hour

cut off small portions and roll flat or flatten with your palm, on a floured surface

bake 3-6 minutes 500F

yule log with home made hazelnut spread

I give you the spread first cause the cake takes like 10 minutes, and you need the spread right away when the cake comes out of the oven
2 cup roasted hazelnuts
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
a little water

put hazelnuts on a pan at 350F for 15 minutes or until the skins crack
roll in a towel, get most the skins off
put the warm hazelnuts in the food processor, grinding them down as much as you can, add the oil, add everything else, and if it is too sticky, and not blending well add some water tablespoon at a time to make it smoother

can be stored in the fridge for around 3 weeks


for the cake :
3 large eggs separated
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

line a 15x10 jelly roll pan with parchment paper

preheat oven to 425F

put egg yolks and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl beat until creamy
beat egg whites until frothy, add icing sugar beat until stiff peaks form.
add flour and baking powder to egg yolk mix
fold in the egg whites

pour onto the parchment paper and spread out to an even layer.
bake for 8-10 minutes

as soon as the cake comes out of the oven, while still warm, spread the hazelnut spread onto the cake. roll up while still warm- roll it the 15 inch way so you have a long log.
cut off both ends and put aside.
spread the hazelnut spread on the outside of the cake, and to the two cut off ends, attach to cake with tooth picks using the hazelnut spread as a glue. onto the hazelnut spread with a knife or chopstick, make lines like the bark on a log.
put in the fridge until the hazelnut spread hardens.
take out the tooth picks and dust with a mix of cocoa and icing sugar


perfect!

easy french bread

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cup warm water

450F
20-25min


makes two loaves


raise until doubled
drop the sticky mass onto a floured surface
cut into two
roll or stretch flat into the length you want the loafs

fold the width-wise edges in ontop of each other(next time I make this I'll take pictures) to make a skinny log that's folded together.
do this to both loafs

cover with saran wrap or a damp towel, leaving room to raise some more.
once they have raised to a rounded loaf again
preheat the oven
cut some slashes
spray with water
and toss them on in there!