The name pompe à l’huile is an indication of how this Provençal specialty is made: dough pumped full of oil. Might as well be proactive and drown the bread in extra-virgin olive oil ahead of time if you’re going to do it anyway.

Saveur describes it as a cross between a focaccia, because it is shaped into a round flatbread, and a brioche. I can’t see how pompe à l’huile is similar to a brioche, though. Sure, it has high fat content, but there are no milk, eggs, or butter in it.

All overthinking pedantic musings aside, what we have here is a flaky flatbread in a class all its own. I tweaked the original recipe by giving the poolish a 16-hour headstart, instead of 30 minutes, for that extra hint of complexity that can only come from slow fermentation. It’s how bread geeks do.

recipe adapted from Saveur
Bread Baking Day #22: Sweet Breads hosted by Hefe und Mehr
Yeastspotting at Wild Yeast Blog

Pompe à l’Huile
Provençal Sweet Olive Oil Bread

makes one 12-inch flatbread

Notes:

• You’ll need exactly one 1/4 ounce / 7 gram sachet of instant yeast. Take a small pinch out for the poolish and reserve the rest for the final dough.
• Other recipes for pompe à l’huile call for some combination of anise seeds, orange flower water, and orange zest. These additional ingredients are also common in Gibassier, a close sugar-topped relative.

For the Poolish:

Poolish Directions:

1. Pour the water over the yeast and stir to dissolve. Add the flour and mix until thoroughly hydrated.
2. Cover and and let stand at room temperature for 14 to 16 hours.

For the Final Dough:

Final Dough Directions:

Mix. In a large bowl, mix together the poolish, flour, sugar and yeast, just until the flour is thoroughly hydrated and a shaggy ball of dough is formed.

Gradually add the olive oil a few tablespoons at a time, mixing to incorporation with each addition.

Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. It will be very slippery because of the olive oil.

Bulk Ferment. 2 1/2 to 3 hours at room temperature. Begin preheating your oven to 400ºF / 205ºC towards the end of bulk fermentation.

Prepare a half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Shape Roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle. Using a knife, cut 5 slits in the center of the flattened dough to resemble a sand dollar (or make up your own pattern). Stretch out the holes using your fingertips to keep them from closing.

Bake for 15 minutes at 400ºF / 205ºC, until well-browned around the edges.

Cool. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely at room temperature.

Sweet, tender, and flaky, kind of like a brioche. Now I get it.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Pompe à l’Huile – Sweet Olive Oil Bread

Similar Posts:

1. Pan de Leche – Filipino Sweet Bread Rolls
2. Pane Francese – Northern Italian French Bread
3. Rosemary Potato Bread
4. Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread – 100% Whole Wheat
5. Blueberry-Cranberry Bread
6. Sourdough Italian-Style French Bread

I have a new bread baking gadget and its name is Pullman, a right-angled pan used for shaping rectangular loaves that would make your Geometry teacher proud. You may also know Pullman-style loaves as pain de mie, French for “bread of crumb,” because loaves baked with the removable sliding cover prevents a stiff crust from forming. We won’t need the lid for this rye sourdough, though.

Instead of starting off with homemade Wonder Bread, I’m going with the polar opposite. This version of German vollkornbrot from Jeffrey Hamelman is a 100% whole grain rye with nary a pinch of white wheat in it.

I couldn’t find a source for rye meal so I used pumpernickel flour, which is as coarse a grind as I can get short of milling rye berries myself. Not gonna happen. I consider myself very geeky about bread, but milling my own flour is a line that must not be crossed.

recipe adapted from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes
Yeastspotting at Wild Yeast Blog
Bake Your Own Bread

Vollkornbrot
German 100% Whole Grain Rye Bread

makes one 13- x 4-inch loaf, about 4.5 pounds before baking

Notes:

• I need to let vollkornbrot stand for 48 to 72 hours before slicing? Is that a typo? 100% rye breads need time to set, but most importantly, the long rest allows the bread to fully develop its flavor. As Alton Brown would say, your patience will be rewarded.
• Slice as thinly as possible to serve, unless you want to tone your jaw muscles.

For the Rye Sourdough:

For the Rye Chop Soaker:

Rye Sourdough and Rye Chop Soaker Directions:

1. Make the rye sourdough. Pour the water over the sourdough starter and stir to dissolve. Add the pumpernickel flour and mix until thoroughly hydrated.
2. Make the rye chop soaker. In a separate bowl, stir together the rye chops and water.
3. Cover the bowls and let stand at room temperature for 14 to 16 hours.

For the Final Vollkornbrot Dough:

Vollkornbrot Directions:

Mix. In a large bowl, mix together all of the final dough ingredients, just until thoroughly hydrated and a shaggy ball of dough is formed.

Continue mixing in the bowl for about 10 minutes, either by hand or using the first speed of your stand mixer. The dough will have weak gluten development and will be very sticky.

Desired Dough Temperature. 85ºF / 29ºF (slightly warm to the touch)

Bulk Ferment. 10 to 20 minutes at 82ºF / 28ºF (slightly warmer than room temperature)

Prepare a Pullman loaf pan by oiling and dusting with rye meal or pumpernickel flour.

Shape into 13- x 4-inch logs. Heavily dust your hands and work surface with whole rye flour for easier handling. Gently place the log in the oiled Pullman loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap.

Final Proof. 50 to 60 minutes at 82ºF / 28ºF.

I was a bricklayer in a previous life.

Preheat Oven. 470ºF / 245ºC

Steam. 1 cup of boiling water poured into a heavy steam pan, preferably cast iron.

Bake for 15 minutes at 470ºF / 245ºC. Open the oven doors to let the steam out, lower the heat to 380ºF / 195ºC, and bake for another 60 minutes. Towards the end of the 60 minute baking time, prepare a sheet pan.

Remove the bread from the pan and immediately place on the sheet pan. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.

Cool. Let the loaves cool completely on a wire rack at room temperature. Wrap the vollkornbrot in linen and store in a cool draft-free place. Let rest for about 48 to 72 hours before slicing.

Storage. Vollkornbrot will keep for several weeks wrapped in plastic and refrigerated.

Was it worth the wait? You bet.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Vollkornbrot – German Whole Rye Sourdough

Similar Posts:

1. Sourdough Flaxseed Rye Bread – Leinsamenbrot
2. Sonnenblumenbrot – German Sunflower Seed Bread
3. Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
4. Whole Rye and Wheat Sourdough
5. Sourdough Italian-Style French Bread
6. Injera – Ethiopian Sourdough Flatbread

Each movement of the serrated knife shoots sesame seeds in all directions, but it’s a minor annoyance that is easily justified. Baking releases the fragrance of the sesame seeds onto the crust and makes a noticeable difference. I should’ve done the same thing with the second loaf.

Inside, the flaxseed aroma is more subtle but thoroughly permeates the sour boule. Lightly toasting a slice wakes up the flaxseeds in the same way your oven does the sesame seeds on the outside.

I used dark rye flour instead of medium rye so these came out denser and more deeply browned than intended in the original recipe. I’ll stick with the dark rye when (not if) I make another batch.

recipe adapted from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes
Yeastspotting at Wild Yeast Blog
Bake Your Own Bread

Leinsamenbrot
German Sourdough Flaxseed Rye Bread

makes two loaves, about 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-pounds each

For the Rye Sourdough:

For the Flaxseed Soaker:

Rye Sourdough and Flaxseed Soaker Directions:

1. Make the rye sourdough. Pour the water over the sourdough starter and stir to dissolve. Add the rye flour and mix until thoroughly hydrated.
2. Make the flaxseed soaker. In a separate bowl, stir together the flaxseeds and water.
3. Cover the bowls and let stand at room temperature for 14 to 16 hours.

For the Final Dough:

Flaxseed Rye Bread Directions:

Mix. In a large bowl, mix together all of the final dough ingredients. Continue mixing until thoroughly hydrated and a shaggy ball of dough is formed.

Knead for 4 to 5 minutes. The dough will have weak gluten development and may be very sticky.

Desired Dough Temperature. 80ºF / 27ºF

Bulk Ferment #1. 30 to 45 minutes at 80ºF / 27ºF  (slightly warmer than room temperature)

Divide. 2 pieces

Shape. tight boules or ovals

Final Proof. 50 to 60 minutes at 80ºF / 27ºF

Preheat Oven. 460ºF / 240ºC

Moisten the loaves and gently press sesame seeds on top (optional, but highly recommended).

Steam. 1 cup of boiling water poured into a heavy steam pan, preferably cast iron.

Bake for 15 minutes at 460ºF / 240ºC, then lower the heat to 440ºF / 225ºC and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool. Let the loaves cool completely for a few hours before slicing, preferably overnight.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Sourdough Flaxseed Rye Bread – Leinsamenbrot

Similar Posts:

1. Whole Grain Sesame Flaxseed Bread
2. Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
3. Sourdough Italian-Style French Bread
4. Flaxseed and Oat Bran Broom Bread – 100% Whole Grain
5. Vollkornbrot – German Whole Rye Sourdough
6. Sesame Flaxseed Crackers

UPDATE: We have a winner! Comment #78 belongs to Nancy. Congratulations and thanks to everyone for participating!

I started this blog a year ago. The first post was about Peter Reinhart’s French Bread from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. 60 bread-related posts later, my hands are supple from kneading all that dough but the list of recipes to try has never been longer.

Joining The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge increased the queue by 43 items. This post will be updated regularly as MY way of keeping track of MY progress .

Since this self-serving post has zero value to you, I’ve decided to give away a copy of your Peter Reinhart book of choice. The book you see above has all sorts of suspect stains and crustiness, but if you want it, I’ll gladly send it over.

On second thought, that’s the first bread book I ever owned so its sentimental value is off the charts. May I suggest picking a brand new copy from this list instead?

If you win, tell me which book you want and I’ll send it to you directly from Amazon. It’s sort of like buying you a beer but with more carbs and less buzz. If I understand Amazon’s international shipping policy correctly, they’ll send books anywhere so feel free to enter wherever you are.

Just leave a comment and say hi, tell a joke, or write about the meaning of life. All I ask is that you enter only once. I’ll randomly select one winner on May 31.

My Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge Index

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge, a Year of Blogging, and a Giveaway

Similar Posts:

1. Anadama Bread
2. Announcing Bread Baking Day 13: 100% Whole Grains
3. Peter Reinhart’s French Bread
4. Rosemary Potato Bread
5. Cranberry-Walnut Bread
6. Potato, Cheddar Cheese, and Chive Bread

There are several bread-centric blog events and groups that I try to keep up with:

• Bread Baking Day (monthly), which I even hosted once
• Bread Baking Babes (monthly)
• Bake Your Own Bread (biweekly)
• Yeastspotting (weekly)

The newest addition to my list is the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge (weekly), where participants bake through Peter Reinhart’s unofficial bible for the beginning bread nerd.

Yep, I’m officially in over my head. I do have a bit of a headstart, though.

Since we’ll bake from front to back and the recipes are alphabetical, we begin with A. A is for Anadama Bread, a New England specialty baked with cornmeal and molasses.

I used dark molasses so the crumb turned out almost as deeply browned as this 100% whole grain anadama bread I posted ages ago. Notice how much more trigger happy with the camera I was back then. There’s even an embedded YouTube video about how to shape a sandwich loaf.

recipe adapted from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice
The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge
Bake Your Own Bread

Anadama Bread Recipe

makes 2 pan loaves (8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch )

For the Cornmeal Soaker:

Cornmeal Soaker Directions:

1. Mix together the cornmeal and water. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 8 hours.

For the Sponge:

Sponge Directions:

1. Mix together the cornmeal soaker, water, bread flour, and yeast until the dough is thoroughly hydrated.
2. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour. The sponge should rise considerably and be slightly jiggly.

For the Final Anadama Bread Dough:

Anadama Bread Directions:

Mix. In a large bowl, mix together the soaker, bread flour, salt, molasses, and butter until a shaggy ball of dough is formed.

Knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

Bulk Ferment #1. 45 minutes at room temperature

Stretch and Fold.

Bulk Ferment #2. 45 minutes at room temperature

Prepare 2 lightly greased 8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans.

Divide. 2 pieces

Shape. tight sandwich loaves

Final Proof. 60 to 90 minutes at room temperature, or until almost double its original size.

Preheat Oven. 350ºF / 175ºC

How to cut down on plastic wrap usage: use a bus tub with a tight lid for proofing.

Dust the tops with additional cornmeal right before baking if you feel like it.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350ºF / 175ºC. Rotate the pans and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown on all sides. The loaves will register 185ºF to 190ºF in the center when done.

Cooling on a rack.

Anadama bread crumb.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Anadama Bread

Similar Posts:

1. Whole Grain Anadama Bread
2. Potato, Cheddar Cheese, and Chive Bread
3. Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge, a Year of Blogging, and a Giveaway
4. Sourdough Flaxseed Rye Bread – Leinsamenbrot
5. Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread – 100% Whole Wheat
6. Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread – 100% Whole Grain

Injera, an Ethiopian staple traditionally made with teff flour, is a spongy flatbread made with a thin sourdough batter. Served in a communal place setting, assertively spiced sauces and stews are ladled on overlapping rounds and pieces are torn off to scoop up the chunkier bits. Additional injera may also be neatly folded into quarters and served on the side.

Ethiopian food is very well-represented in Chicago. I’ve somehow developed an addiction a taste for it, much like the occasional Chinese or Indian food cravings. If you’re going to an Ethiopian restaurant, keeping in mind that you’ll share a common plate and eat with your hands, it’s good to know a few things about dining etiquette:

• Use your right hand for eating, because it is assumed that the left hand is used for less savory personal activities.
• Keep your fingers from getting in contact with the sauces and your mouth. You’ll never find an Ethiopian restaurant with a slogan of “Finger Lickin’ Good.”
• If someone offers to feed you a morsel, open up and say ahh. I’m sure you can think of many worse things that someone can pop in your mouth.

recipe adapted from Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads
Bread Baking Babes: Ethiopian Injera
Yeastspotting at Wild Yeast Blog

Injera (100% Teff)
Ethiopian Sourdough Flatbread

makes about 4 to 6 injera

Notes:

• If making injera for the first time, use white or whole wheat sourdough starter instead of the teff starter. Mary also has a recipe for making the starter from scratch. She also has a collection of Ethiopian recipes to serve with injera.

Injera Directions:

Mix. Place the starter in a bowl. Pour the water over the starter and stir to dissolve. Add the teff flour and mix until the batter is smooth. It will have the consistency of thin pancake batter.

Ferment. Cover and let stand for 5 to 6 hours at room temperature. Reserve 1/4 cup of the starter for the next batch.

Add the salt and stir to dissolve.

Heat a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat (you’ll also need a tight-fitting lid). Using a paper towel, wipe the skillet with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Pour about 1/2 cup (for a 10-inch skillet) or 3/4 cup (for a 12-inch skillet) of batter in the center of the skillet. Tilt and swirl the skillet immediately to coat evenly. Let the bread cook for about 1 minute, just until holes start to form on the surface.

Cover the skillet with the lid to steam the injera. Cook for about 3 minutes, just until the edges pull away from the sides and the top is set.

Storage. Transfer the injera to a wire rack and cool completely. Wrap tightly with plastic and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can you see the Virgin Mary? Me neither.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Injera – Ethiopian Sourdough Flatbread

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2. Sourdough Italian-Style French Bread
3. Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
4. Whole Rye and Wheat Sourdough
5. Vollkornbrot – German Whole Rye Sourdough
6. Sourdough Flaxseed Rye Bread – Leinsamenbrot

If, in a cheese bread recipe, you were told to deeply cut into the proofed dough to allow the cheese to ooze out while baking, wouldn’t you be interested in seeing what happens? The potential for a crusty-smoky mess in the oven is high, but don’t let that keep you from trying this recipe out.

The water used for cooking the potatoes is the hydrating agent of choice, so don’t forget to reserve it afterwards. Potato water does magical things to bread. It noticeably softens the crumb and somehow makes the crust more thin and crackly.

With freshly chopped chives kneaded into the dough, the bread reminds me of a baked potato. It’s just begging to be served with a side of sour cream and bacon (probably not a good idea but worth a try).

recipe adapted from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice
Bread Baking Day #19: Spring Country Bread hosted by Cindystar
Yeastspotting at Wild Yeast Blog

Potato, Cheddar Cheese, and Chive Bread
(using a liquid sourdough starter)

makes 2 large loaves

For the Liquid Sourdough Starter:

Liquid Sourdough Starter Directions:

1. Place the liquid starter in a bowl. Pour the water over the starter and stir to dissolve. Add the flour and mix until thoroughly hydrated.
2. Place in a bowl and cover. Let stand at room temperature for about 24 hours before using in the final dough.

For the Final Dough:

Potato, Cheddar Cheese, and Chive Bread Directions:

Boil the Potatoes. In a medium saucepan, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the coarsely chopped potatoes and simmer until soft. Drain, reserving the water. Let the potatoes cool completely before continuing.

Mix. In a large bowl, mix together the sourdough starter, half of the flour, half of the lukewarm potato water, instant yeast, and the cooked potatoes until evenly incorporated. Try to mash the potatoes into the dough at this time.

Rest. 30 minutes

Mix. Add the rest of the flour, lukewarm potato water, and salt. Continue mixing until a shaggy ball of dough is formed.

Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is only slightly sticky. Add the chives towards the end of kneading.

Bulk Ferment. 90 minutes at room temperature, or until about double its original size.

Prepare a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Divide. 2 pieces

Preshape. Pat the dough into rectangles about 6 inches wide by 8 inches long. Layer the slices of cheese on the dough.

Shape. Roll the dough beginning from the 6-inch side to form a spiral of cheese within. Shape into tight ovals.

Final Proof. 60 minutes at room temperature, or until about 1 1/2 times its original size.

Preheat Oven. 450ºF / 230ºC

Score. 1 or 2 deep diagonal cuts, until you reach the layer of cheese inside the dough.

Steam. 1 cup of boiling water poured in a heavy steam pan (preferably cast iron).

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 450ºF / 230ºC, rotating the loaves halfway through baking if necessary. The loaves will register about 200ºF / 93ºC in the center. The cheese may ooze out of the cuts and form a crust.

Cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing and serving.

Crusty cheese or cheesy crust?

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Potato, Cheddar Cheese, and Chive Bread

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2. Rosemary Potato Pizza
3. Whole Grain Rosemary Potato Bread
4. Juustoleipä – Finnish Bread Cheese
5. Croque Madame – Grilled Cheese, Ham, and Egg Sandwich
6. Ensaimada – Filipino Cheese Brioche

English hot cross buns are scented with allspice and baked with dried currants and candied citrus peel. The buns are traditionally enjoyed for breakfast on Good Friday, but that doesn’t keep me from baking these all year round. It’s ready in about three hours so it’s quick as far as yeast rolls go.

The dough is also an excellent base recipe for pillowy, moist, and lightly sweetened rolls. Even with the cookie-like cross on top, most of the sweetness comes from the additional dried fruits and candied citrus peel. Variations with spicing, fruits, and even nuts makes this recipe an easy way to use up odds and ends from baking other stuff.

The crossing paste is piped right before baking. The cross ends up crisp, much like lemon vanilla cookies, and goes well with the softness of the buns. Most versions I’ve tried are topped with a thick cross of icing after baking and tend to be way too sweet to my liking.

I should mention that the cross adds an agreeable vanilla-citrus crunch and is definitely not just for decoration. I’m thinking of using different extracts and flavorings for the paste, perhaps as an addition to brioche. It’s kind of fun to doodle on dough and bake.

Happy Easter!

recipe adapted from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes
Yeastspotting at Wild Yeast Blog
Bake Your Own Bread

Traditional English Hot Cross Buns

makes 12 buns

Components:

Sponge
Simple Syrup Glaze
Crossing Paste
Hot Cross Bun Dough

Special Equipment:

• A pastry bag
• A #11 or #12 round pastry tip (about 1/4-inch opening)

For the Sponge:

Sponge Directions:

1. Whisk together the warm milk and sugar to dissolve. Add the instant yeast and flour and continue whisking until smooth.
2. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the sponge is 3 to 4 times its original height. The sponge will be frothy and slightly jiggly.

Mmm yeasty.

For the Simple Syrup Glaze:

Simple Syrup Glaze Directions:

1. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. The simple syrup can be used as a glaze while still hot or made ahead and refrigerated.

For the Hot Cross Bun Dough:

For the Crossing Paste:

Notes:

• Make the crossing paste just as the shaped rolls are almost done proofing. The paste may stiffen if made too far ahead.

Hot Cross Bun Directions:

Mix. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and softened butter. Add the egg, sugar, salt, and allspice and continue mixing until evenly incorporated. Add the sponge and continue mixing until a shaggy ball of dough is formed.

Knead for 4 to 5 minutes, until the dough is only slightly sticky. Add dried currants or raisins. Fold the dough over itself gently until the dried fruits are evenly distributed in the dough.

Bulk Ferment #1. 30 minutes at room temperature

Lightly knead the dough inside the bowl.

Bulk Ferment #2. 30 minutes at room temperature

Prepare a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Divide. 12 pieces

Shape. tight round rolls

Final Proof. 60 minutes at room temperature, or until about 1 1/2 times its original size

Preheat Oven. 440ºF / 225ºC

Make the Crossing Paste. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sugar and mix thoroughly (the sugar won’t be completely dissolved at this point).

Remove from the heat. Add the milk, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and egg. Continue whisking until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the sifted flour and mix only until a smooth paste is formed.

Pipe the Crossing Paste. Use a round pastry tip with a 1/4-inch opening. Pipe the paste after the dough is done proofing and right before baking.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes at 440ºF / 225ºC, until the buns are well browned and the crossing paste is lightly colored.

Glaze. Brush with the simple syrup glaze immediately after removing from the oven.

Serving / Reheating. This just in: hot cross buns are best when fresh and served hot. Reheat day-old buns at 350ºF / 175ºC for about 6 minutes before serving.

This is a first. Half the buns are usually gone in the time it takes to shoot a camera.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Hot Cross Buns Recipe

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2. Challah Recipe from The New York Times
3. Easy Pear Tart Recipe
4. Dulce de Leche Recipe
5. Angel Food Cake Recipe
6. Irish Soda Bread Recipe

A Croque Madame is a grilled cheese and smoked ham sandwich topped with a sunny side up egg. I used Black Forest ham, Gruyère cheese, and whole wheat sourdough bread because I want to be known as That Guy who makes a mean sandwich.

Within minutes, this mini-sandwich was reduced to traces of errant crumbs and fingertip grease. No egg yolk dribbled and wasted.

Skip on the fried egg you sissy and you end up with a Croque Monsieur. Who knew that eggs can define gender? Oh, nevermind.

The sudden need to make such a sandwich came from an unexpected source. You may have heard that expressing random thoughts in 140 characters or less is what the cool kids are doing right now. You’re not limited to digital words, though. You can also tweet links to photos of all things mundane. Such as dinner.

Which leads to this awe-inspiring photo of Croque Madame served with tempura green beans. Does that look good or what?

Now go make your own or visit the Paramount Room if you’re in the neighborhood.

recipe adapted from Nancy Silverton’s Sandwich Book: The Best Sandwiches Ever
Grilled Cheese Pageant hosted by Kathy

Croque Madame
Grilled Cheese and Ham Sandwich Topped with a Fried Egg

makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices crusty white OR whole wheat bread (preferably sourdough) OR brioche
softened butter
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced
3 to 4 ounces smoked ham, preferably Black Forest, thinly sliced

1 fried egg, sunny side up
kosher salt or coarse sea salt, to taste
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Brush one side of each slice of bread lightly with softened butter. With the buttered side down, evenly cover one slice of bread with cheese and smoked ham. Place the second slice of bread on top, buttered side up.
2. Place the sandwich in a preheated panini-style grill or between a hot cast iron skillet and press. Grill until the bread is sizzling and lightly browned.
3. Top the grilled sandwich with the fried egg. Season with salt and pepper.

A Croque Monsieur about to be emasculated by… laying an egg on top? Alright, then.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Croque Madame – Grilled Cheese, Ham, and Egg Sandwich

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2. Sandwich Merguez Au Harissa
3. Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread – 100% Whole Grain
4. Grilled Chicken with Espelette Pepper
5. Juustoleipä – Finnish Bread Cheese
6. Potato, Cheddar Cheese, and Chive Bread

This whole wheat sourdough recipe takes about 3 days from refreshing your starter to baking. It takes that long because the shaped loaves are refrigerated and allowed to rise slowly for about 16 hours. The dough fully develops its flavor and sourness during this time.

My fridge keeps a temperature of 40°F so adjust the final proofing time accordingly, anywhere from 12 to 18 hours, depending on your numbers.

The bread is equal parts white and whole wheat flour. Since the previous sourdough bread post was all white, a 100% whole wheat recipe seems like the next logical step, isn’t it? Not much luck with that, though. The loaves either fall flat or turn into bricks, but we’ll see what happens. Can you recommend any 100% whole wheat sourdough recipes?

recipe adapted from Michel Suas’ Advanced Bread and Pastry
Yeastspotting at Wild Yeast Blog

Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe

makes two loaves

For the Stiff Levain / Wild Yeast Starter:

Ingredients                  Volume          Ounces          Grams
stiff levain (50% hydration)    1/4 cup           2             57
water, room temp         2 tbsp + 1 tsp           1.25          35
unbleached bread flour          1/2 cup           2.5           71

Stiff Levain / Wild Yeast Starter Directions:

1. Cut the stiff levain into small pieces and place in a bowl. Pour the water over the levain and stir to dissolve. Add the flour and mix until thoroughly hydrated. Knead for a few minutes until a smooth dough is formed.
2. Place the levain in a bowl and cover. Let stand at room temperature for about 12 hours before using in the final dough.

For the Final Dough:

Ingredients                  Volume          Ounces          Grams
all of the stiff levain, cut into small pieces
water, room temp     1 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp         11.1          315
whole wheat flour                 2 cups          8.8          248
unbleached bread flour        1 1/3 cups          5.9          167
salt                              2 tsp           0.4           11

Directions:

Mix             In a large bowl, Pour the water over the levain
                pieces and stir to dissolve. Add the flours and salt.
                Mix until the dough is thoroughly hydrated and a
                shaggy ball is formed.

Rest            Cover the bowl and let stand for about 10 minutes.

Knead           8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and only
                slightly sticky.

Bulk Ferment #1 90 minutes at room temperature

Stretch and Fold

Bulk Ferment #2 90 minutes at room temperature

Divide          2 pieces

Preshape        loose rounds

Rest            20 to 30 minutes

Shape           tight round or oval loaves

Final Proof     Refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours. Loosely cover with
                plastic wrap or store in a large airtight container.

                Remove the loaves from the refrigerator just as the
                oven is preheated. The proofed dough will be at room
                temperature for about 45 to 60 minutes before baking.



Preheat Oven    450ºF / 230ºC

Score



Steam           1 cup of boiling water poured in a heavy steam pan
                (preferably cast iron)

Bake            Bake for 35 minutes at 450ºF / 230ºC, rotating the
                loaves halfway through baking if necessary.

Cool            Let the loaves cool completely at room temperature,
                at least 1 hour.

Single slash down the center for the win.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

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