Roasted Onion & Asiago Miche: BBA

I finally reached the end of the BBA Challenge! The 43rd and final bread in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice is Roasted Onion and Asiago Miche.

Wow! What a way to end! The last bread in the Bread Baker's Apprentice is another extraordinary bread from Bennett Valley Bread and Pastry Bakery. This is a huge and very flavorful bread made with roasted onions, chives, scallions and cheese.  It has a thin and crispy crust on the outside and a soft and flavorful crumb on the inside.  Delish!

This bread usually takes 3 days to make; however, it took me a total of 5 days to make both loaves. I baked the first loaf on the 4th day and the 2nd loaf on the 5th day.  Originally, I was going to halve the recipe because the loaves are huge, but then I changed my mind.  I decided to give most of the 1st loaf to my main taste tester.  He didn’t get to try the Potato, Cheddar & Chive Torpedos so I thought it was only fair that he got his share of this one.  He really liked it!

To make this bread, you begin by making the sponge one day before making the dough and 2 days before baking the bread (or 3 days before making the bread in my case).

Making the Sponge

To make the sponge, mix together the starter, water, and flour in a bowl until the flour is completely hydrated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Ferment at room temperature for 8 hours, or until the sponge is very bubby.  If it is a cool day and the sponge is fermenting slowly, you can leave it out overnight (which is what I did).  Then put it in the refrigerator.

 

Remove the sponge from the refrigerator about 1 hour before making the dough to take off the chill. 

While the sponge is resting on the counter, roast or sauté the onion and set aside.  Or, you can do this the day before, which is what I did.

 

Making the Dough

To make the dough, stir together the flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and the sponge and stir until all the ingredients are evenly distributed and the dough forms a ball.

Let sit for 5 minutes. Then add the salt and olive oil and stir to distribute.  I did this by hand and it was pretty tricky getting the salt and the olive oil mixed it.  I literally used my hands.

Add half of the grated cheese (I used parmesan) and all of the chives and scallions.

Transfer the dough to a counter sprinkled with flour.

Knead the dough for about 4 minutes, or until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed, adding additional flour as needed to make a soft, tacky, but not sticky dough.

Fermenting the Dough

Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Ferment at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough nearly doubles in size.

Shaping the Dough

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, mist with spray oil, and dust with cornmeal.

Dust the counter with flour and transfer the dough from the bowl to the counter, taking care not to degas the dough. Divide the dough into two equal pieces.

Gently shape them into large boules. Place a round of dough on each pan.  Mist the dough with spray oil and cover with plastic wrap.  Place the pans in the refrigerator overnight.

Proofing the Loaves

Remove the pan from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to bake.  You can hold them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, baking each pan on a different day which is what I did.  Proof the dough for approximately 2 hours at room temperature.

 

Baking the Loaves

Prepare the oven for hearth baking by placing a baking stone on the middle rack and a steam pan underneath.  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil.

Using your fingertips, make dimples all over the dough, pressing almost to the bottom of the loaf and creating a series of ridges and pockets all over the surface.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top of each loaf.

Divide the roasted onion pieces into 2 portions and evenly distribute them over the top of the cheese.  Let the dough rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the loaves to the baking stone.  Pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan and close the door.  After 30 seconds, open the door, spray the walls of the oven with water, and close the door.  Repeat twice more at 30-second intervals.  After the final spray, lower the oven setting to 450 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.

Rotate the bread 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes. 

The bread should be golden brown and the cheese melted and brown. 

The loaf should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.  If the cheese seems to brown, but you still need more baking time, cover the top with aluminum foil or a piece of baking parchment to protect the top.  I covered mine with aluminum foil but the onions still got a little charred. 

Transfer the finished bread to a rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving. 

Here it is!  A big, beautiful loaf of deliciousness!

This is the crumb from the first loaf.

Here is a close-up of the crumb from the 2nd loaf.  It was so good!  I really, really like this bread!

 

That’s it for this bread!   

Wow!  Is the BBA Challenge really over?  It’s been a great ride!

 

Which breads are my favorites from the book?  Let me see…

Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread hands down is my very favorite enriched bread.  It’s beautiful as a braided bread and it tastes great, freezes great, and is great toasted! A very versatile bread indeed!

I also like (in alphabetical order, couldn’t rank them if I tried):

• Light Wheat Bread 
• Multigrain Bread
• Marbled Rye Bread
• New York Deli Rye
• Pane Siciliano (loved the semolina in this bread)
• Pain Poilâne
• Pizza Napoletana (fabulous pizza)
• Potato Rosemary Bread  (loved the flavor combinations)
• Stollen
• Sunflower Seed Rye  (loved the seeds and rye flavor)
• Swedish Rye (Limpa)
• Tuscan Bread (I liked it even without the salt)
• Potato, Cheddar & Chive Torpedos  (Delicious! Absolutely delicious!)
• Roasted Onion & Asiago (Parmesan) Cheese Miche

 

I want to thank Nicole of Pinch my Salt for creating the BBA Challenge and for bringing all of the wonderful bread bakers together around the world.  It’s been a wonderful and rewarding experience.

To all my fellow BBA Bakers, I wish you well and hope to continue seeing all of the wonderful bread and other goodies you’ll be baking.

So what’s next…

I bid farewell to the BBA Challenge, but look forward to new experiences with the Mellow Bakers Group and continuing baking with the HBinFive Group and canning with the tigress can jam. 

I’ve also got a few other surprises that I look forward to sharing with you so please come back for a visit soon.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Potato, Cheddar & Chive Torpedos: BBA

We’re almost finished with the BBA Challenge!  Forty-two breads baked, one more to go!  #42 is Potato, Cheddar & Chive Torpedos. 

These batards are made using the mixed-method which means it utilizes wild yeast spiked with commercial yeast.  I like how Peter Reinhart describes these loaves: “They pucker open with a grigne of crispy Cheddar cheese, followed by a beautiful soft cheese spiral highlighted with bits of green chives.”

I loved this bread!  It was so good.  I thought it was very fitting that Mr. Reinhart saved this bread and the next one for the end of the book.  He tells a very interesting story of Tim and Crystal Decker; then shares two of the most popular breads from their Bennett Valley Bread and Pastry Bakery.  This is one of those extraordinary breads.  Tim bakes his breads in a wood-fired oven, but I’ll have to make do with a simulated hearth oven.

 

Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Torpedos

Makes: two 1 1/2-pound loaves

Adapted from: The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 small unpeeled potatoes, coarsely chopped, boiled in 3 cups water until soft, and cooled. *
• 1/2 to 1 cup potato water, lukewarm (saved from above)
• 1 1/2 cups of mature sourdough starter
• 4 cups unbleached bread flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 6 thin slices sharp cheddar cheese
• Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

* Yukon Gold or regular baking potatoes will work for this recipe, depending on your preference.

Directions:

Prepare the potatoes in advance and let them cool to lukewarm.  Set the potatoes and lukewarm water aside until needed.

Take the sourdough starter out of the refrigerator and measure the required amount.  Let it sit for 1 hour before making the bread to take off the chill.

Stir together the starter, half of the flour, the yeast, cooked potatoes, and 1/2 cup of the potato water in a mixing bowl. 

 

Let the mixture rest uncovered for 30 minutes. Add the rest of the flour and the salt and mix together until the ingredients form a ball.  Add as much of the remaining water as necessary.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 6 minutes, adding flour or water as necessary.

Add the chives and continue kneading until they are evenly distributed.  This will take about 2 minutes.

The dough should be very tacky but not sticky.  Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it in oil.

 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature for about 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size.

Transfer the dough to the counter and cut it into 2 equal pieces.

Press each piece into the shape of a rectangle approximately 6 inches wide by 8 inches long.  Place slices of cheese on each rectangle.  You can use more cheese if you like to give it more cheese flavor.

Tightly roll up the dough, from bottom to top, jelly-roll style, creating a spiral with the cheese.

It should look like a log.

Seal the ends of the rolled dough into points.  This will give them a torpedo shape, plump in the center and tapered at the ends.  I’m not sure if I achieved that, but I liked the way they looked.

Place the loaves on a sheet of parchment paper sprayed with spray oil and sprinkled with cornmeal.  Mist the tops lightly with spray oil, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature for approximately 1 hour, or until the dough nearly doubles in size.

Prepare the oven for hearth baking by placing a steam pan in place.  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.  Score the top of each loaf with 2 diagonal slashes, making sure to cut through to the first layer of cheese.

Slide the loaves onto the baking stone. After 30 seconds, open the door, spray the walls with water, and close the door.

Repeat twice more at 30-second intervals, then lower the oven setting to 450 and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.  After 15 minutes, rotate the breads 180 degrees for even baking. 

The loaves should be nicely browned all over, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.  The cheese will bubble out of the cuts, crisp up, and also brown.

Transfer the baked loaves to a wire rack and cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing or serving.

This was hard to do with this bread. It looked so good, I just wanted to eat it right when it came out of the oven, but I refrained and waited until it cooled to slice it. 

Then I sliced it.  You can see the hole where the cheese melted through.  Yummy!

On this one, you can actually see the cheese spiral.  And yes, I did eat both of those slices and enjoyed them immensely.  I didn’t need another taste tester for this one.

 

I will definitely make this bread again.   It is a keeper for sure.

Thanks for joining us again in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge.

 

These Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Torpedos have been YeastSpotted. Please visit Wild Yeast to view all of the lovely breads in the roundup.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

100% Whole Wheat Bread: BBA

The 41st bread in the BBA Challenge is 100% Whole Wheat Bread. Some of the other bakers in the challenge commented that this bread was not one of their favorites, but I still had high hopes for it because I really like to make whole wheat bread and I thought using freshly milled grains would make a difference.

The book states that the best way to evoke flavor in whole grain breads is to give the enzymes enough time to break out the sugars trapped in the starches. This can be done by using a large amount of pre-ferment, such as a poolish or soaker. This formula utilizes both types of pre-ferments so I thought certainly this combination would produce a good loaf of whole wheat bread.

 

So, I set out to make a loaf of 100% whole wheat bread.

 

Making the Soaker and Poolish

For the soaker, I used fresh coarsely-milled whole wheat flour from hard red spring wheat and mixed it with spring water. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature overnight until you’re ready to bake the bread.

 

For the poolish, I used freshly milled whole wheat bread flour milled from hard red spring wheat and mixed it with some yeast and water. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours, until it bubbled.  Then put it in the refrigerator overnight.

 

Making the Dough

The next day, remove the poolish from the refrigerator 1 hour before you plan to bake the bread to take of the chill.

Stir together the dry ingredients. Add the poolish and the soaker, and the liquid ingredients and mix the dough until it forms a ball, adding more water or flour as needed. 

Transfer the dough to a counter sprinkled with whole-wheat flour and knead the dough until it forms a firm, supple dough.  This will take about 10 to 15 minutes by hand.  The dough should be tacky not sticky.

Fermenting the Dough

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and roll it around in it to coat it with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Ferment at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Shaping the Loaves

Divide the dough into 2 pieces and shape them into sandwich loaves as shown. Flatten the dough with your hand and fold in the edges to make a rectangle about 5 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches long.

 

Roll up the dough one section at a time, pinching the crease with each rotation to strengthen the surface tension.

 

Pinch the final seam closed with the back of your hand and rock the loaf to even it out.

Keep the surface of the loaf even across the top. 

Place the loaf in a lightly oiled 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. The ends of the loaf should touch the ends of the pan to ensure an even rise.

 

Proofing the Loaves

Mist the tops with spray oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature for about 90 minutes, or until the dough nearly doubles in size and is cresting above the lip of the pans.

Baking the Loaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. with the oven rack in the middle of the oven.  Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes.

 

Then rotate them 180 degrees for even baking.  Continue baking for 15 to 30 minutes longer. The finished bread should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom and be golden brown all around and firm on the sides as well as on the top and bottom.

When the loaves are finished baking, remove them immediately from the pans and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving.  I brushed the loaves with melted butter, then let them cool.

Then I sliced the loaf and tried a piece with peanut butter because that’s one of my favorite taste tests.

I thought this bread was ok, but it’s not one of my favorites from the book. The bread seemed rather dry to me even with the soaker and the poolish. I used freshly milled grains so I thought it would improve the flavor and the texture, but it didn’t seem to make a difference.

I’ve been wowed by several of the other breads in the book so this was a bit of a let down.  However, I guess they can’t all be keepers. I don’t think I’ll be making this one again since there are other whole wheat bread recipes that I like a lot.

Hopefully, we’ll have better luck with the next bread: #42 Potato, Cheddar and Chive Torpedos.

 

Happy Baking!
Cathy