Sourdough is one of my favorite all time breads. From taste to texture and aroma, it is hard to compete with the culinary qualities of sourdough.  Now I still contest that the best “true” sour taste comes from the time and care of a good mother sponge.  But not every baker has the foresight to have a mother sponge available when the sourdough craving comes on.  To this end, I began my quest for the impossible: a one day (direct dough method) sourdough, that would have all the benefits of the “gold standard” sourdough made from a “mother” or “master dough.”

The art of this possibility came when I was experimenting with the James Beard Classic: Beard on Bread.  In this book Beard experiments with sour cream when he could not find any buttermilk on hand.  The bread smelled and tasted sour and had been my go-to until the development of my current creation.   Wanting a bit more nutrient value in the mix I decided to tinker with the addition of whole wheat and semolina flour, not too much that it would weigh down the dough, but enough to give it good color and texture. The liquid, an essential feature to the structural framework of the bread, was a trifecta of plain yogurt, buttermilk and lemon juice all acting synergistically to draw the yummy sourness out of one another.

Organic evaporated cane juice sugar was added for flavor and for creating a golden crust, while also providing a little extra motivation for the “yeasties.”  Unsalted butter, is added to give a tender and rich bread while improving browning.

Ingredients: (makes 3 8×4 loaves)

2 Cups Low-fat Buttermilk
2 Cups Plain Yogurt
1/2 Cup Warm Water
1/4 Cup melted unsalted butter (tempered: not over 115 degrees)
1/4 Cup Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Salt
2 pkg. Active Dry Yeast
8-10 Cups Flour
(1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour, 7-8 cups hard wheat bread flour, 3/4 cups Semolina Flour)

Directions:
Combine in saucepan: buttermilk, yogurt and lemon juice let sit for a few minutes. Then add sugar, butter and salt. Heat almost to a boil. Cool thoroughly. In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine dry yeast and water. Add yeast mixture to cool buttermilk/yogurt mixture. Mix. Gradually add flour to make workable dough. Knead 10 minutes on floured board. Place in bowl and cover. Let rise for 45 minutes. Punch down. Divide into three equal loaves. Place loaves in greased bread pans. Let rise 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Yield: 3 loaves.

Cauliflower, why?  If your like me, you were part of the incredulous “why” is this so good for me group?  Perplexed by this vegetable with an off smell and snow white color, I decided to find my transformative dish to help me transcend my childhood “cauliflower” baggage. To my surprise, soup was the answer.

It all started with the Jimtown Store Cookbook:“Vanessa’s Cauliflower Sharp White Cheddar Soup” recipe–pause, followed by consideration raced through my mind. And when I finally grew the courage to try and experiment, I was in love.  Why had I been shunning this healthy cruciferous vegetable for so long?

My new found love of this virtually fat-free, zero cholesterol, high in Vitamin C and cancer fighting vegetable got me curious.  Was there other things I could add to play off an already fantastic dish?  I was leery, as I have always heeded to the “If it ain’t  broke, don’t fix it” credo.

But to my delight, the marriage of a lovely new partner–> the parsnip, only added to the complexity and nutrient value of this already rockin’ soup.  With haste, I decided to jot down the notes of this lovely little experiment.

Adapted from the Jimtown Store Cookbook – Vanessa’s Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:

1    Large leek (white and pale green parts only)

1/2 Stick unsalted butter

2  Celery ribs finely chopped

2 1/2 tsp.
Dry mustard

1/2 tsp.
Smoked paprika – or sweet paprika

4 Cups
Vegetable stock

1 Cup
Hot water

1/2 Cup
Milk

1/2 tsp.
Fine grain sea salt to taste

4 Cups
Cauliflower florets

2 Parsnips diced

2 tbsp.
Dry sherry

1/2 Cup
Grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 bunch
Fresh thyme

1 tbsp.
Minced chives

Directions:

Step 1
Cut the leek half wise rinse under cold water and dice.

Step 2
In a medium pot over low heat, melt the butter.  Add the leek and celery, cover and cook, stirring once or twice, for 10 minutes.  Add the flour, mustard, and paprika, and cook, stirring often without browning, for 2 minutes.  Gradually whisk in the warm broth, milk and water.  Stir in 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt, add cauliflower, parsnip and bunch of thyme cover and bring to a simmer.

Step 3
Cook partially covered, stirring occassionally until the cauliflower and parsnips are tender about 20 minutes.  Cool slightly, and puree with an hand blender or food processor.  (The soup can be prepared to this point up to 3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate).

Step 4
Return the soup to the pan and set over low heat.  When the soup simmers, stir in the cheese and sherry.  Heat, stirring with out letting the soup boil.  Until the cheese has melted smoothly.  Season with pepper and adjust the salt.

Ingredients:
3 Cups:  White bread flour
1 Cup:    Whole wheat flour
2 tsp:      Fine grain sea salt
1 Tbsp:   Active dry yeast, or 1 tsp. dry instant yeast
1 Cup:    2% Milk (heated)
1/4 Cup: Wildflower, or standard honey
2 Tbsp:   Butter (I prefer Irish Kerrygold unsalted butter)

Directions:
In a bowl whisk together 2 cups of flour and salt. (set aside)

In small pot lightly warm milk and add butter and honey until dissolved.  Take off stove and cool until 115-120 degrees, no hotter – yeast dies at temperatures hotter than 120 degrees.  Mix active dry yeast to milk, honey and butter mixture and let it sit and “get happy” for a couple of minutes before adding to the flour.

Combine milk, yeast and honey mixture with the two cups of flour and salt, gradually add the third cup of white flour in increments.  (may not need to use all of it).

Once dough comes together, sprinkle some of the last remain cup of flour and knead the bread for a good 5-10 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly greased bowl.  Cover and let rise until is doubles in size.  If the house is warm, rising should take about an hour-and-a-half.  If cool, rising could take up to four hours for a slow rise (which works just as well).

Punch down the risen dough and shape for baking,  You can use one large pan or do two small loaf pans.  I prefer on large loaf myself. Cover and let sit for another 45 minutes or so, until it has double in size.

Brush the top of the loaf with an egg white wash and sprinkle cornmeal or oats, whatever you prefer.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cook for 30 minutes. Viola!

Wait until it cools, slice and begin to enjoy the yummy goodness. Great for breakfast toast, cinnamon toast, sandwich bread.  Or whatever you can think of.

Have taste tested this with adults and kids, both gave me big smiles after their first bite.

Summer.  Long sun-filled days. And endless cookbooks to try.  My mountain retreat has turned into my cookery crucible, especially for bread.  A joy, I partake of on a monthly basis.

Two dynamic factors always make it fun to bake in the mountains: Air and Water.  Higher altitude provides less air pressure making bread rise more quickly than your sea level counterparts.   Water rich in minerals gives the bread an additional complexity that cannot be compared to average filtered water.  For these reasons alone, I commit to bread making whenever I visit the Sierras.

This weekend’s baking journey took me through the famous boulangeries of France. Bernard Clayton’s Breads of France , is a black and white cookbook that provides numerous Parisian recipes with overviews of the various cities and culture, profiles of the bakers and very straightforward instructions with pictures.

The recipe for Pain Italien comes from Monaco, France. Master baker Monsieur Albert Phillips is one of the eight bakers chosen to provide baked goods to the Royal Palace for the Rainer family including Prince Albert, Princess Grace and Princess Caroline.  M. Phillips place of business, L’Epi d’Or (the golden ear of wheat) continues to be a strong draw for locals and visitors today.  M.  Phillips was described as a spare man about five feet, six inches tall, who’s furious exits no doubt help maintain his wiry figure.

Pain Italien . Italian Bread (adapted)

• • • • • • 1 tbsp. salt
          • 1 tbsp 100% maple syrup
          • 1/3 cup non-fat dry milk
          • 2 1/2 cup cool water (75 degrees)
          • 2 packages dry yeast
          • 1/2 cool water (proofing yeast)
          • 6 cups (3 whole wheat, 3 white bread flour)
          • 1 tbsp. olive oil

PREPARATION

This recipe is good in an electric mixer for the first 10 minutes of dough development (soft batter).

10 Minutes
In a small bowl, mix the salt, maple syrup, milk and 2 1/2 cups of water until syrup has dissolved.  In another small bowl dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of water.  Stir and let stand for 3 to 4 minutes to dissolve.  In the mixer bowl, place 4 cups of flour and form a well in the center.  Pour the maple-milk mixture, stir in to form a batter and then add the yeast and oil.

MIXER

10 Minutes
Let the mixer take over at medium speed for 10 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl during the process, if necessary.  If by hand, beat with a large wooden spoon for the equivalent length of time.

5 Minutes
Stop mixer.  Add additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring first with a spoon and then working the flour into the dough by hand.  When dough is firm take out of the bowl.

KNEADING
8 Minutes

This is a wonderful dough to knead–elastic, soft, warm to the touch.  Throw the dough down on a lightly floured kneading area.  If you are using the dough hook, knead dough for about 5 minutes watching carefully as dough may creep of the hook.

FIRST RISING
2 hours

Return dough to the large washed and greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until the dough has tripled in volume.   In my large bowl this means that dough is pressing against the plastic wrap.

PUNCH DOWN
2 Minutes

Turn back the plastic wrap, punch and deflate the dough with extended fingers.  Turn dough over.  Re-cover the bowl.

SECOND RISING
30 Minutes

Allow the dough to rise.

SHAPING
20 Minutes

The boule or ball is the favored form of the Pain Italien in M. Phillips boulangerie, but it can also be made into sandwich loaves (2) 9×5 pans.  Turn the dough out onto the floured work surface and knead briefly to press out the bubbles (that’s right, bubbles – its yeasty alright!).  Divide the dough, which will weigh about four pounds, into two pieces or as many as you wish.  Form each into a ball and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

15 Minutes

For a boule, shape the dough into a ball, gently pull the surface of the dough taut with cupped hands.  Place on a parchment lined (slipmat) baking sheet.

THIRD RISING
1 Hour

Cover the loaves with a cloth (breathable preferably).  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  When breads are ready to go into the oven cut a tic-tac-toe design on the loaf.

BAKING
40-50 Minutes

Before placing into a dry oven (no water in a pan), brush the loaves with water or egg wash and bake.  If you are using two shelves, rotate baking sheets 2 to 3 times after the loaves begin to brown, about 20 minutes.  Loaves are done when they are golden brown and when bottom crust is hard and hollow sounding to the tap of the forefinger.

FINAL STEP
Place loaves on metal rack to cool.