Friday, June 10, 2022

Paprika-Sahne-Hähnchen

 Paprika Cream Chicken

4 Chicken breasts

2 red peppers, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 onion, halved and sliced

2 cloves garlic

1 dried chili pepper

200 ml cream

200 g sour cream or creme fraiche

1 tsp tomato paste

125 ml vegetable broth

1 Tbs paprika

1 tsp hot paprika

100 g grated cheese (I used Parmesan)

Oil

Salt and more paprika

Wash and dry the chicken breasts. Sprinkle with salt and paprika and place in a casserole so that the breasts will be very close to each other. Put pepper slices over chicken breasts. Heat the oil and saute the onions. Add the chili pepper and press the garlic cloves into the onion mix. Add the 2 paprikas and tomato paste. Pour in the broth and scrape up the bits. Add the cream and sour cream; salt to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and pepper strips, making sure all is covered by the sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 355 for about 30 minutes. Serve over wide egg noodles, Spätzle, or rice.


This would be even better if chicken breasts are flattened well prior to baking. Could potentially work well in the crockpot, probably on high for 4 hours or low for 6. Add cheese afterwards and then broil to melt the cheese. Possibly shred the chicken if done in the crockpot!

Saturday, March 19, 2022

Country farmhouse white sourdough loaf

 65 g bubbly active starter


300 g warm water


12 g sugar


15g (1 tbsp) oil plus more for coating the pan


400 g bread flour


100 g all-purpose flour


9g fine sea salt


A few days before baking, feed your starter until bubbly and active. Store at room temperature until ready to use. 

MAKE THE DOUGH: In a large bowl, whisk the starter, water, sugar, and oil together with a fork. Add the flours and salt. Combine to form a rough dough, then finish mixing by hand to absorb all of the dry bits of flour Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your schedule. Meanwhile, replenish your starter with fresh flour and water, and store according to preference. 

After the dough has rested, work it into a semi-smooth ball, about 20 seconds. The dough will feel stiff but much softer than earlier.

BULK RISE: Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise at room temperature, 70°F (21°C), until doubled in size, about 8 to 10 hours. 

SHAPE: Remove the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently dimple the surface of the dough with your fingertips to release any large air bubbles. Roll the dough into a log, tucking the ends underneath. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly coat a 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13-cm) loaf pan with oil. With floured hands, cup the dough and pull it toward you to tighten its shape. Place into your loaf pan, seam side down.

SECOND RISE: Cover the dough, and let rest until it has risen about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the rim of pan. This will take about 1 to 2 hours, depending on temperature.

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

BAKE Bake the dough on the center rack for about 40 to 45 minutes. The loaf will be beautifully risen and golden brown when ready. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.


This sandwich loaf will stay fresh up to 3 to 5 days, stored in a plastic bag at room temperature.


VARIATION: For a richer sourdough, replace the water with warm milk, whole or 2%, and swap the oil for melted unsalted butter

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Whole wheat Japanese milk bread


for the tangzhong:

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

for the rest:

3/4 cup whole milk

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)

4 1/2 cups (525 g) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup rolled oats (optional; if not using, you may want to add another 1/4 to 1/3 cup White Whole Wheat Flour)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp milk powder

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 eggs

6 tbsp (3/4 stick, or 85 g) butter

for baking:

1 egg and a splash of milk or cream (optional)

1/2 cup rolled oats (optional)

Instructions

The night before baking: In a small saucepan, whisk together 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup bread flour until no lumps remain. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for about 2-3 minutes. The mixture should thicken to a gel-like consistency. As soon as lines appear in the mixture when stirred, remove from heat and transfer to a small, clean bowl. Let cool to room temperature.

Next, heat the milk briefly to just above room temperature, about 110 degrees or lukewarm to the touch. I do this simply by microwaving it for 10 seconds. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and set aside for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to activate. The milk should foam.

In the meantime, sift together the white whole wheat flour, oats (if using), salt, sugar, and milk powder in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl or a measuring cup, whisk together the tangzhong, cream, and egg.

When ready, add the milk and yeast mixture to the wet ingredients, then make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the mixture forms a loose, shaggy dough. At this point, let the dough rest for 20 minutes before kneading.

Knead for 4-5 minutes, or until the dough forms a semi-smooth ball. The dough will be very, very sticky, though it should hold its shape and should not be gloppy. I found it sufficient to “knead” by using my spatula to fold the dough in on itself repeatedly.

Add the butter to the dough in batches, two to three tablespoons at a time, kneading after each addition. Add the next batch of butter only after the first has been fully incorporated. Here, I found it easier to use my hands — the butter should help the dough from sticking to your hands. Knead for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until butter is fully incorporated. Dough will still be a bit craggy. No worries. The long rise will help.

Place the dough in a large bowl with plenty of room and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel (or these wonderful dough caps). Let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator, about 10-12 hours or at least 6 hours. The dough should be fine for up to 24 hours. If planning to do a two-day rise, decrease the yeast to 1 1/2 tsp. (Note: The dough will also be fine with a traditional 1- to 2-hour rise on the countertop at room temperature, but I prefer the overnight rise to give the whole wheat flour time to hydrate and the gluten extra time to develop. Also, this longer rise will soften the bran nicely.)

The day of baking: Line a 9×13 glass or metal baking dish with parchment paper, or butter it well. Once the dough is doubled, turn it out and roll it into a large rectangle. Cut into 24 equal pieces (for regular dinner rolls) or up to 32 or 36 for mini dinner rolls. For each piece, tuck the edges into the middle of the ball to form a smooth-topped ball, and roll a few times to create a bit of tension on the top. (Here’s a great video illustrating how. If you’re shaping these cold out of the fridge, this dough will be sturdier and less soft than the video shows, but the concept is the same.) Place seam-side down in the baking dish with the sides barely touching the next ball. Let proof until nearly doubled, another hour or so.

After about 40 minutes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Test the dough by pressing gently with one finger; when the indentation bounces back slowly but remains visible, the dough is ready to bake. Whisk an egg with a splash of cream and brush the egg wash over the dough. Sprinkle with oats, if you like. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden-brown on top. When it’s done, the bread will sound hollow when tapped (or, if you have one of these most magical Thermapens, should be about 190-200 F in the center). Let cool briefly, then enjoy warm.


Find it online: https://tworedbowls.com/2016/05/24/whole-wheat-milk-bread/