"Cinnamon Breads, Fresh from your Oven"October 21, 2010 - Volume 2 - Issue 20
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Baking Season
| What's better than sliced bread? Fresh bread straight from your own oven! With cooler weather upon us, it's baking season. Specific flavors come forward and mark these autumn moments - cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and clove. Our breads, (and apples, pumpkins, and squash) hunger for the company of these spices, and our kitchens gladly oblige.
 IN THIS ISSUE, we celebrate autumn with a "how-to" on making bread. We delve a bit into the world of cinnamon deepening our appreciation for this ubiquitous spice, and finish with a small primer on a key baker's tool, the stand up mixer. We offer tips and answer questions on all of the above, and finish with three premier bread recipes. The aromas of cinnamon bread flowing from the oven are unrivaled - try it, you'll like it!
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November Open House & VIETRI Event
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How to Make Bread
| The alchemy of baking bread is easy and within everyone's reach! The key to bread making is in paying attention to temperatures along the way, and in massaging the dough to build the bread's character. Yeast multiplies and thrives at warmer room temperatures. Kneading the dough allows the grain's glutens to form and become elastic. Follow these steps to make the perfect loaf of raisin cinnamon bread. (Recipe below).
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Cinnamon Spice and All Things Nice
| Cinnamon ranks in spice popularity right behind salt and pepper. It flavors breads, pastries, pies, and all sorts of baked goods, but also provides key character to curries, tagines, stews, casseroles, and so much more.
 Cinnamon is the inner bark of the cinnamon tree. Branches are cut from the tree, the outer bark pounded away revealing the inner bark that peels away and curls up. The bark peel is dried and cut into small lengths.
We find cinnamon in powdered form, and in a stick form, also known as a cinnamon quill. Sticks of cinnamon keep their flavor longer, while ground cinnamon has more potency. Store cinnamon tightly sealed in a dry, cool, and dark place. Cinnamon will keep its flavor about six months in powdered form, and about one year in stick form.
Variations of cinnamon come from different species of the cinnamon tree, genus Cinnamonum, and differ based on where the tree is grown. While there are hundreds of variants, here are some more culinary cinnamons:
- Ceylon Cinnamon - This cinnamon is considered the norm, or "true cinnamon" with subtle characteristics that are considered most desirable and refined. It is said to have a spicy, citrus quality. Ceylon cinnamon quills have paper-thin layers and are easily ground.
 Cassia Cinnamon - This Chinese variety is more common and less expensive than Ceylon cinnamon. It is said to have a harsher flavor than the complex Ceylon cinnamon.- Korintje Cinnamon - An Indonesia cassia variety, this cinnamon has the least potency and is the least expensive. Because of its availability, it is most frequently used in baked goods even though it is considered a lesser product.
- Saigon Cinnamon - Grown in Vietnam, this cinnamon, also a cassia variant, has a bold, pungent flavor, and is available as powder or bark chips.
- Madagascar Cinnamon - Marketed as an elite cinnamon, Madagascar cinnamon is the closest to Ceylon Cinnamon. It has a lighter color and a subtly sweet taste. It also shares the paper-thin bark layers of "true cinnamon."
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Stand Up Power
| Many cooks comment, "I can't believe I waited this long to get a stand
mixer!" The might and versatility that a good stand mixer provides can
revolutionize your cooking routines. A stand mixer provides heavy-duty
power for the more strenuous tasks in the kitchen. If you're a baker,
mixing heavy doughs such as cookie doughs or bread doughs, can be
difficult by hand and beyond the ability of a hand mixer. A quality
stand mixer provides the necessary power to make mixing easy for the
baker, and the best part, mixing is a hands-free operation.
Considerations for Choosing a Stand Mixer - When considering a stand mixer, consider the following characteristics:
 Size Matters
- Determine how you plan to use the mixer and match the size of the
bowl and the motor to your needs. Some mixers quantify in easy terms how
many loaves of bread it can make, how many dozen cookies, or pounds of
mashed potatoes. These real-world measurements help guide your choice.- Ease of Operation
- Assess the ease of operating the stand mixer. Are the On-Off and
speed controls easy to operate? Is it easy to place and remove the bowl?
Are the attachments easy to get on and off the drive shaft?
- The Bowl
- In addition to size considerations check that the bowl fits snuggly
in its place. A secure bowl that will withstand powerful mixing without
slipping or wobbling is important. Practice placing and removing the
bowl to judge the ease of working with the locking mechanisms.
- The Attachments
- Most stand mixers come with three standard attachments: a paddle for
mixing and stirring, a whisk for whipping tasks, and a dough hook for
mixing bread. Additionally, most upper-end mixers will also include a
shield that reduces splattering from the bowl, or loose flour from
flying around.
- The Color - Gone are
the days of white-only mixers. Mixers come in all kinds of colors and
finishes. Not only is the stand mixer a valuable tool, it looks good in
your kitchen while working or idling.
More Than a Mixer- Lending heavy-duty power to kitchen mixing tasks is reason enough to
invest in a stand mixer. However, the unit possesses additional "motor
skills." Specific attachments are available according to your cooking
interests: pasta rolling, grinding meats and foods, sausage stuffing,
juicing and straining, shredding, slicing, and even ice cream making.
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Smart Bread Making Tips
| Tip #1: For breads that have fillings, like the raisin swirl bread or the sticky buns below, chill the dough overnight, or freeze for 30 minutes. The cold will stiffen the dough, make it less sticky, and increase your ability to roll it out to the desired size.
 Tip #2: Beater Blades� are an aftermarket product that incorporate a sturdy rubber edge to the paddle attachment. The result is a mixing process that does not require frequent stopping to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Beater Blades� are configured for all major brands and specific models of stand mixers.
Tip #3: When mixing bread doughs in a stand mixer, allow time for the flour to be absorbed and activated by the liquids. Sometimes doughs benefit from standing a few minutes before the kneading step. An important chemical reaction is taking place that cannot be hurried with faster mixing. The moistened flour changes again during kneading. Knead the bread for the full time required.
 Tip #4: Bake breads in heavier metal bakeware that transfers heat evenly and simultaneously insulates the outer crust. Alternatively, bake (and serve) in stoneware that also evenly heats and protects the baking bread.
Tip #5: Check your bread after about 20 minutes of baking. If it is browning too quickly, tent the pan with aluminum foil set loosely on top.
Tip #6: Dissolve yeast in warm water or liquid that's between 105-115�F. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature, or check with a drop to the inside of your wrist; it should feel warm, not hot. Add ingredients to the yeast mixture that are at room temperature; cold eggs, for example, will shock the yeast at this early, tender stage and stunt its growth.
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Q & A's
|  Q: What is the difference between "active dry yeast" and "instant dry yeast?" Does it matter?
A: Active dry yeast is a more traditional dry yeast form and requires a dissolving or proofing step prior to adding the flour.  Instant Yeast (aka "Fast-Rising�," "Rapid Rise�," "Quick Rise�" "Bread Machine") has a smaller granule size and, therefore, absorbs liquids much faster. It is generally not necessary to dissolve or proof instant yeast. Most often, when using active yeast, two rises of the bread are used, where with instant yeast, a short resting period followed by the final rise is common. Four parts active yeast equates to three parts instant yeast if substituting one for the other.
Q: Why did grandma use an old crock as her bread-making bowl?
A: Grandma knew the secret of temperature when making bread. The magic of bread making happens when the yeast grows and the glutens form and stretch. Both taste and structure develop in the process. Yeast grows at just the right bread making speed in warm room temperatures. Stoneware provides an insulating capability that moderates the temperature of rising bread from drafts and ambient temperature changes.
Q: How can I tell if my bread is done?
A: There are several ways to assess doneness. First of all, follow a reliable recipe and its instructions for pan size, oven temperature, and timing. Check the color of the baking bread. Invert a loaf and tap on the bottom; it should sound hollow. Or, use an instant read thermometer. Breads with primarily flour and water will be done when the internal temperature registers around 200�F. Breads containing eggs or fat will be done at around 185�F internally.
Q: What are the no-knead bread making methods that one hears so much about today?
A: Today's no-knead bread methods are actually a throwback to older bread making techniques where time compensates for kneading through "micro-kneading" action of the yeast. Check out last year's e-newsletter on No-Knead Bread Making for more information and recipes.
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Cookbook Review
| Baking, from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan published by Houghton Mifflin, New York, NY. Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.
#1 in the 2010 Baker's Dozen List of "Essential Baking Cookbooks of All Time"
by the James Beard Foundation Book Awards Committee
2007 Winner of the James Beard Foundation's Cookbook Award
Baking and Desserts Category
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This
hefty book is worth its weight in gold! We're long time fans of Dorie
Greenspan and her earlier tome, Baking with Julia. In Baking, From My
Home to Yours, we're treated to expert guidance in all manner of baking
ranging from breakfast sweets, cookies, cakes, pies, tarts, "spoon
desserts," and, of course, breads. It's much more than a collection of
recipes that define the number of cups or teaspoons of this or that. She
lets you in on the artful side of baking. Her imaginative writing
paints a picture for such esoteric concepts as a "shaggy dough," or a
"silken batter." It's like having an expert over your shoulder
navigating baking nuances with you, teaching you texture, look, and the
changing character of your evolving creation. Her style of presentation
entertains as well as informs. The photographs by Alan Richardson
replete with many vintage-inspired scenes, completes the aptly crafted
recipe/stories. These recipes fall into the "trusted" category, the type
that always work, gain raves all-around, and become "true keepers."
This is a book that we always reach for when its time to turn on the
oven and bake! |
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Three Fresh Bread Recipes
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Raisin Swirl Bread
View & Print
When comfort food comes in a loaf, it's as cinnamon raisin bread. This recipe produced a generous, delicious loaf with plenty of raisins, just the right amount of cinnamon all captured in a swirl of bread. The bread dough assembled easily and was a delight to handle. As hard as it is to wait, it will slice best when cooled.
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Golden Brioche Loaves
View & Print
A brioche is a bread boosted with plenty of eggs and butter. The result is a very rich bread with plenty of taste. A stand mixer facilitates the formation of the dough that requires a fair amount of mixing. The flavors develop further through an overnight refrigeration step. It's easier than it appears, and totally worth it when you take the first bite of a toasted slice.
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Pecan Sticky Buns
View & Print
Based on the brioche dough above, these pecan rolls rate top on our list, and we consider ourselves sticky bun experts! The chilled brioche dough rolls out well, and curls well around a filling of butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and white sugar. The dough pinwheels are placed on top of a layer of caramel and pecans. Life is sweet with these buns on your plate!
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Recipes from Baking, from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan through permission of Houghton Mifflin, New York, NY. Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.
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James Beard said, "Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of
all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts." We
heartily agree!
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Lorraine, Katie, and all of the Staff at Beyond Pots and Pans
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