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Fun to look back at one of my favorite weddings of last year on a recent Snippet & Ink Post– Ritzy Bee coordinated, Kate Headley photos–
Today Kate Headley posted photos from a recent bread making class at 1508.
Earlier this week Washington Bride and Groom blog featured a fall wedding coordinated by Amber Karson Events and photographs by Alexandra Friendly.
Just got these photos back today, from a bread class at 1508, taken by my friend the talented photographer Kate Headley!
Someone from last weeks cooking class organized a group for a cooking class yesterday which included both adults and off from school kids... We are having fun with these classes and are open to doing more of them in the future. We baked bread, made spreads and then enjoyed eating our labors... Special requests included bread sticks and chocolate bread. Below is a bread stick recipe, we made them a little too thick yesterday I think the key is to roll them as thin as a pencil.
Rosemary Bread Sticks
2 teaspoons fresh compressed yeast
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup whole wheat flour (substituting this for 00 flour would result in a lighter breadstick but I like the whole wheat for both taste and nutrition reasons)
1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary, could substitute other herbs, seeds, minced garlic...
In a medium sized bowl combine the yeast, water and oil. Mix in the flours, salt and rosemary and knead until dough is very smooth.
Prepare a baking pan by spraying with oil and sprinkling with cornmeal. Roll out long thin bread sticks and cook in a 375 degree oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Eat hot or very crispy at room temperature.
A close friend organized a group for a bread making class (click link for the recipes from todays class) at 1508 this morning. Enjoying these classes and open to doing more of them.
I have always been a fan of both giving and receiving goodie bags. When we do Home Restaurants we send guests home with something in hand, often warm bread just out of the oven– eaten by some on the way home from dinner and others for breakfast the following morning. My favorite take home gift of the moment is chocolate, dried fig and walnut bread. The bonus is that we always make an extra loaf or two so we can enjoy it for breakfast the morning after we cook.
Home Restaurants are where we feed most people these days...It continues to be a pleasure welcoming people to our home, sharing our favorite foods and wines and creating an in between place to dine and visit.
In December a few people who eat at 1508 often and who I have cooked for and done flowers for over the years asked if we would be willing to do small Sunday night dinners at their homes. Fully understanding how much pleasure this brings me, I said "of course"!
One of the dinners–
Passing
Guinea Hen Confit, Kohlrabi, Thyme
Jowl Bacon, Egg, Toast, Chive
Scallop, Sorrel, Pickled Beet
Seated
Baby Mizuna, Baby Arugula, Chestnuts, Parsnips, Pomegranate, Banyuls Vinaigrette– 48 Hour Farm Bread
Beef Short Ribs, Tiny Potatoes, Celery Root, Turnip, Carrot, Shallots, Young Kale– Sorghum Wheat Berry Bread
Appalachian Cheese, Walnut Cracker
Soft Gingerbread, Pear, Chocolate Sauce, Whip Cream, Cocoa Nibs
Tiny Cookies: Pistachio Coconut, Salty Rosemary Walnut, Chocolate Mint
bread making photo by Erik Johnson from a sunny day...today, it was dark and rainy– perfect bread making weather!
An enthusiastic group came to 1508 this morning for a bread class– it was fun.
We all kneaded bread, talked about gluten, different types of flours and grains, how to comfortably fit bread making into everyday life...and we made a whole lot of bread.
The recipes–
48 Hour Farm Bread
1 tablespoon fresh compressed yeast
1 ½ cup water at room temperature
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoon salt
1.Combine yeast and water in a large bowl.
2.Add additional ingredients and mix until incorporated.
3.Cover with plastic and let sit in a warm spot for 48 hours.
4.Lay a dish towel out on a flat surface and dust generously with flour.
5.Dump dough onto the towel and make into 10 inch square.
6.Fold square into thirds, dust top with flour, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
7.Fold in thirds using short end.
8.Brush off excess flour and gently stretch top layer over the seams visible on 2 sides of the dough.
9.Cover ½ of a clean dish towel generously with flour and top with several tablespoons of wheat bran.
10.Place bread on part of towel covered with flour and sprinkle top with more flour and bran.
11.Cover with the remaining half of the towel and let rise for 2 hours.
12.After 1 hour of rising place a 2 quart casserole (I use a Le Cruset, enamel covered cast iron pan) with a cover in a 500 degree oven.
13.After an hour remove cover, place dough in the casserole and cover and bake for 30 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.
14.Remove bread from the casserole and let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Cracked Wheat Bread
*¼ cup cracked wheat, soaked for 24 hours in 1 cup water
1 ½ cups warm water
3 tablespoons fresh compressed yeast
¼ cup good quality olive oil
¼ cup molasses, maple syrup, honey or sorgum syrup
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup flax seeds roughly chopped
¼ cup chopped walnuts
4 cups plus stone ground whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1.In a large bowl combine yeast and water.
2.Add oil, molasses (or other), sunflower seeds, cracked wheat, 2 cups flour and salt.
3.Mix until thoroughly combined.
4.Add remaining flour and knead until smooth, add a little more flour if sticky.
5.Lightly coat a clean bowl with olive oil, place dough in bowl and cover with a damp cloth.
6.Let dough sit in a warm spot until doubled, about 40 minutes.
7.Divide into two, shape into loaves and place in oiled loaf pan.
8.Put in a warm place, cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
9.Bake in a 375 degree oven until top is browned and loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes.
Foccacia
1 ½ tablespoon fresh compressed yeast
1 ½ cup stone ground whole wheat flour
1 ½ cup all purpose unbleached flour
2 heaping teaspoons of salt
about 2 tablesoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano, rosemary or thyme
¼ cup roughly chopped olives (optional)
1 teaspoon medium coarse sea salt
1.Combine 1 ½ cups of water and the yeast, mix until smooth.
2.Add the flour and salt.
3.Knead this dough until thoroughly combined and then an additional 2 minutes.
4.Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
5.Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
6.Take a large baking tray, and lightly cover it in olive oil. Spread the dough on the tray, and create little indents with your fingers for the oil to soak in.
7.Coat top with a thin layer of oil and top with oregano, sea salt, and olives (if using).
8.Cook for 8-10 minutes in the oven.
9.Cut as soon as you take the focaccia out of the oven.
Pizza Dough
1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup 00 flour
2 tablespoons fresh compressed yeast
1 ½ cup lukewarm water
2 slightly heaping teaspoon of salt
1.Mix the flour and salt.
2.Dissolve yeast in the water and add to the flour mixture.
3.Knead this dough by hand until thoroughly incorporated and then continue kneading for 2-3 more minutes.
4.Cover with plastic and leave to sit at least 45 minutes or up to 24 hours.
5.Pat out dough by hand to desired thickness and cook in pizza oven or conventional oven at 450 on a stone.
No Recipe Bread (this is a rough recipe, start with this experiment and make it your own)
3 cups water
2 tablespoons fresh compressed yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons finely ground sea salt
4 cups spelt flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 1/2 cups organic all purpose unbleached flour (exact amount determined when making)
Olive oil or olive oil spray for pan
1.In a large bowl combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt . Mix until smooth. Gradually add flour, about 2 cups at a time, switching back and forth between the spelt, whole wheat and the all purpose unbleached. Knead in flour after each addition.
2.When the dough can stick together as a ball take the dough out of the bowl and place on a clean surface. Knead the dough adding more flower until it stops sticking to your hands. Knead dough vigorously for about 2 minutes.
3.Place bread in a clean bowl and let rise at room temperature or place in refrigerator to use later.
4.When ready to bake you can bake in a loaf, in a boule shape, as a flatbread...in a 375 degree oven until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
5.Possible additions are wheatberries, rosemary, nuts, seeds, olives...
