danlepard

Devlin, they look pretty amazing!! Excellent crumb. I remember, not that many years ago on one of the newsgroup bread threads, someone suggesting that breads like yours owed more to photo-shop than baking. If only they knew! Dan

and if you do make some, enter this competition here: http://www.marmaladefestival.com Was up there last year and it was extraordinary. Will there be any egullet member entries this year? Dan

I stayed clear of the whole "definitive pork pie" thing, and the one in the newspaper tomorrow is a gammon and pork pie. The gammon (uncooked cured pork) is mixed with the fresh pork overnight in the refrigerator, together with the spices, and this makes the pork go a little pink. It isn't nearly as hard as traditional wisdom says it should be, and I suspect the pork pie establishment put out scare stories to ward off renegade home bakers whipping up pork pies in their kitchens. I let the dough get to room temperature, and make it with lard and a little butter. I would even say it was easier to make a good hot water crust pie than you might imagine. A world-class championship one? That might be difficult. But a very good one should be an easy task for anyone willing to put a bit of time into it. Dan

Try this one: http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,1591172,00.html It has a pound cake texture and the sherry/cherry combination work well, but you could just leave the cherries out to give you a simple sherry pound cake. Dan

Really very good, not too expensive, intimate without being fusty. Perfect steak, the hottest and crispest freshly made shoestring potatoes I've ever had; no menu, just "how would you like your steak cooked). Delicate small salad of tender mixed baby leaves to start, desserts (a warm soft moist chocolate cake and a creme brulee) very fine. Superb red wine list. Thanks Filipe, one of the best meals I've had in a while. Dan

What if we work towards an "Egullet guide to recipe writing"? There has been other threads that I remember that have tackled this, maybe it would be good to put together a online guide? We know that authors, editors and publishers snoop around egullet. Why not give them something that might change things? Dan

Hi Chris, We were all asked, back in September 2003, for a set personal recipes that would fit the chapter heading and that list was then refined once everyone had sent theirs in, so if there were any gaps then ideas could be suggested. I wouldn't have expected a chef from a European country with a strong culinary identity (like France, Italy, Germany, etc) to have an international outlook - so Pierre Herme's recipes were just what you would expect to get from him beyond flavours and combinations. To have a chef from the US devote his life to deeply understanding Mexican food like Rick Bayless has done and sharing that knowledge; I can't imagine (for example) a French chef living in France devoting his life to understanding German cooking and becoming well known in Germany for that. This forum is a testament to the fascination so many of us have for the food of other cultures, far removed from putting curry powder in a baguette dough and treating foreign culinary traditions like mere condiments. Once the recipes were agreed an overall edit by Jill Norman was done (in April 2004) to get the style right. This is typical on old style book production. However, Dorling Kindersley are one of a type of publisher we call a book "packager" in the UK (like Hachette, Mitchell Beazley, Kyle Cathie, Quadrille etc) who start with a format and commission the content to fit - as opposed to starting with a manuscript and asking the designers to find the best format for the work - and these type of publishers are now very common the book publishing world. From this point on the design dominated the project and everything done to fit with the predetermined format. Text would be run in to the layout, cut to fit by another editor who would then go through the text and suggest the content for the photography. On the shoots for my section (October 3rd ,4th and 5th 2004) there was a prop stylist to keep with the pale colour theme, a home economist to make sure the recipes followed the text, a text editor from the publisher to check that the steps would fit the words, a junior art director to check that the images matched the specification sent to every photographer around the world working on the project. The final text and image matching was finished by March 2005 By September 2005 we had copies, and by the end of the year it was in the bookshops. Dan

It's would be hard to give a definitive answer without comparing each chef's published recipes with those in the book. Certainly all the chefs involved signed contracts with the publishers saying that the work is original, but when your talking about generic recipes and methods it gets a bit tricky as you could end up adding a trick or twist for the sake of the copyright agreement. Jill Norman is a very knowledgeable and somewhat tough old-school editor, and I don't imagine she'd let old published recipes slip through no matter how big the ego of the chef was. I noticed a few very polite cc'd emails from chefs to Jill, from chefs not known for politeness, so I'd assume they worked a bit harder on this book. The original brief each chef was given was to... Now I've got some distance from the project I've become a big fan of it (and others have too; it's sold about a quarter of a million copies worldwide in half a dozen languages) and I've learned so much from the other chefs work in it. If you bought it and found there was too much overlap with books you already have then I'm sure you'd think of someone to give it to as a starting-out present. Dan

Lorinda, I was trying to explain that the recipe authors don't have their own way when it comes to recipes. Editors can and do insist on changes to suit different markets and the author has to submit. Back in middle of 2004 this was one battle I was involved in. I received an email from an editor working on a US edition explaining: and my reply Can't say I've ever met any authors who patronise their readers. The number I've met care passionately about their recipes and want the reader to get the best result every time. Send emails to publishing house and magazine editors, let them know you're out there. Dan

kit, My guess is that it was printed that way because it was originally written that way. When recipes are subjected to a house format they do need to be tested again, and I'd imagine that rather than do that the recipe was left in its original state. Reformatting recipes is very time consuming, and on the modern scaled-down publication there just isn't the time (or the money to pay for it) any more. So if a recipe comes in written in cups, spoons, bottle tops and ounces then it stays that way. There is an enduring assumption amongst editors that readers want instructions that sounds homely and comforting. 16 tablespoons sounds easy and comfortable whereas 225g sounds threatening if you've never baked before. That's the assumption behind that approach. But I get emails from readers asking both "why do you weigh X" and why don't you weigh X", so I prefer the 50g rule: anything under write as spoons, anything over write as weight. Dan

You can do either. The idea is to gently disturb the aeration so the newly formed bubbles and slightly stretched and elongated. Either a very gentle knead without trying to knock the gas out too much (nothing vigourous), or the slightly more elaborate patting the dough out on a lightly oiled or floured surface and folding it in on itself as if your making puff pastry. Yes. It should read "6.30 pm Bake at 220C for 40 minutes covered with foil for the last 10 minutes (see note) and the missing note should say Cover the loaves with a small sheet of aluminium foil if they start to brown too much, but don't just remove them from the oven early as the baking is as much about building a crust through prolonged heat as it is about achieving a certain crumb temperature. I judge the baking time of the loaf by the development of the crust. Hmmm. Perhaps it's a bit steep but I went through a heavy dark crust phase back then. If you look at the loaves that the great Parisian baker Poujaran is sitting next to in the "Rose Bakery" book out last year, they look quite perfect to me, charred blossomed loaves. But 45 minutes sounds a little short for 800g loaf to build up a thick crust. Try reducing the temperature to 170C and bake for 50 min to an hour. Dan

I recommend Judges Bakery in Hastings (not too far). Ask head baker Emmanuel whether he will make a special order for you. The website is here: http://www.judgesbakery.com Dan

Hi Rhubarb, Lemon juice contains (virtually) no pectin, but as an acid is used in jam and preserve recipes in order to release pectin from the pith or flesh of the fruit. So concentrated lemon juice is fine for providing this acid, but no good for providing pectin. Under-ripe apples, picked from the tree, are great. But I've used crisp new season apples, like granny smiths, just brought from the shop and they've worked really well. You can see the result here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...dpost&p=1258293 Redcurrants and whitecurrants are good for pectin too. Dan

The other way you could do it with your existing recipe is to mix all of the water, oil, and an equal weight of flour with a fraction of the yeast and leave this to bubble for 4 - 6 hours. Then later, with the children, they would mix the remaining flour and salt into it, knead it, and so on. This should soften the final dough to give a much more pleasant taste to the bread. Adding a hard fat like butter will give a softer texture than oil (and crisco or similar will make it even softer). fyi, here is a recipe you might want to try from my my guardian column back in Feb this year: Pigs in duvets The hefty dose of yeast in this quick brioche-like dough keeps it working fast despite all the butter. You could replace the butter with olive oil, the milk with water and the yolks with 50g mashed potato (and extra water to make a soft dough*), and halve the yeast. Or fill these with strips of roasted vegetables, leaving the little pigs to play undisturbed. 2 sachets easy-blend yeast 100ml warm milk (about 35C) 1/2 tsp sugar 550g strong white flour 150g melted butter 6 egg yolks 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt 8 warm cooked sausages (from a 450g pack) English or Dijon mustard a beaten egg Stir the yeast, warm milk and 50g flour together and leave for 30 minutes to bubble. Beat in the butter and yolks till smooth, tip the remaining flour and salt into a big warm bowl and work the buttery mixture into a soft dough. Leave for 30 minutes, kneading the dough for 10 seconds every 10 minutes. Then cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes to make it smoother to roll. Flour the worksurface and roll the dough to about 40cm x 20cm, then cut into 10cm squares. Spread a little mustard on each square then roll a sausage in each, lengthways not diagonally, and seal it tight. Rest seam-side down on a paper lined tray, cover with a cloth, for 45 minutes or until doubled in height. Heat the oven to 200C (fan assisted), brush with beaten egg and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until puffed and golden.

Bob's idea is a good one. It's very difficult to get tenderness in a dough that only has a hour from mix to bake, whereas a buttermilk biscuit or scone dough will be very quick and taste great too. Dan

Hi cookman, I printed a banana cookie recipe in the Guardian a few weeks ago: http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,2065992,00.html that you might like. They are plain chocolate, very rich, and are dredged with confectioners sugar before baking to so they get that sugary crackled crust. 125g castor sugar 125g soft light brown sugar 2 very ripe bananas, mashed 250g unsalted butter, softened 2 tsp vanilla essence 200g plain flour 50g cocoa 2 level tsp bicarbonate of soda 175g rolled oats lots of icing sugar Beat the sugars, banana, butter and essence until fluffy. Sift the flour, cocoa and soda together, beat this in followed by the oats. Cover and chill the mixture for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 180C (fan assisted) and lightly grease a baking tray. Spoon nuggets the size of unshelled walnuts (40g - 50g) out of the bowl, roughly shape into balls then press these onto the tray spaced 3-4 cm apart. When the tray is full, return the bowl to the fridge, then get cracking with the dusting. Using a tea -strainer heavily sift a load of icing sugar over each unbaked blob so it disappears under the whiteness. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until the cookie looks baked (it's a tricky one to judge) then leave for a moment before easing each off the tray with a spatula onto a wire rack, and repeat with the remaining mixture.

Rondo are very good, have never had a problem with one. Also, the speed is good. Some of the cheaper ones I've used don't more as swiftly. I don't have any experience with a doyon, but I like the sound of it. http://www.doyon.qc.ca/en/mainen.html Could you test one, would the rep offer one to try or introduce you to a baker who has one? Dan

Thanks Paul, will definitely check out Marcolini and Wittamer. I know LpQ well, they're very good. Dan

Bread in Brussels. Are there any must-see bakeries, for interesting and favoursome simple breads? Or any great traditional, or young and innovative, bakers or pastry chefs I should look for? Dan

Hi Stacy, Sorry, I forgot to say it will work with your recipe too (I thought it but forgot to type it ). Placing the dough in the fridge after the first rise is the best bet. If the dough still looks too puffy and on the point of collapse then reduce the yeast by a quarter next time. As JFLinLA says, you can try it different ways, at any or all stages. But watching carefully and remembering for next time is the key to repeating your success or avoiding failure here. It's hard to exact as it will depend on your fridge temperature, starting dough temperature, the stage the dough is at when it goes in the fridge, the amount of liquid in the dough, so many things. But...it's easy once you get the hang of it. Here's the way it works. When you mix the yeast, water and flour (plus any other ingredients) together you start a series of chemical and yeast/bacterial reactions that will speed up, slow down or stop according to the temperature. These changes will cause the dough to puff up with gas, the starch and protein to beak down and soften, and the natural sugar (called maltose) to get used up, to the point where the dough falls apart. At room temperature this happens relatively quickly. But in the refrigerator, at say 40F (4C), this break down takes a long time to happen. Bakers often call this process the maturation of the dough, and will talk about dough being "young" or "old" according to how far along the process the dough is. Ideally, just before the loaf goes into the oven, the dough should be midway in the maturation process. It should have puffed up, the starch and protein softened but still slightly elastic and springy (enough for one last burst in the oven), and with enough natural sugar so that the dough bakes to a golden colour. Dan

Hi Stacy, I do this all the time and it works out really well. The very long rise helps to break down the protien and bran in the flour and, to me at least, it seems easier to digest. This is the recipe I use: The two-day loaf for the ferment 375ml-400ml warm water (30C) 1 tbsp live yoghurt 1 tsp active dry yeast 150g strong white flour 150g wholemeal, spelt or rye flour for the dough 1 tsp barley malt extract or brown sugar 300g strong white flour 2 level tsp salt At about 8am place the warm water, yoghurt and yeast in a 3-pint bowl. Stir until dissolved then add the flour and mix to a smooth batter. Cover and leave on the kitchen worktop until 7pm or after. Then stir the malt (or sugar), add the flour and salt and stir to a sticky soft dough. Leave the dough for 15 minutes then lightly oil your hands and the worksurface and knead the dough for about 10 seconds. Repeat at 15 minutes intervals for 45 minutes then shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl lined with a heavily floured cloth. Leave chilled (at 4-6C) for 24 hours, then take out and leave until doubled in size. Get the oven to 220C (fan assisted), roll the dough carefully onto a floured baking tray, slash the top, bake for 25 minutes then bake for 20 minutes longer at 180C. There is a picture of the final loaf, and a thread about it, here: http://www.danlepard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1187 Hope your bread turns out great. Best Wishes Dan

Hi Miriam, I prefer the onions fried before mixing the dough. This is the recipe I use: Deli bread This is Saturday night, Sunday morning bread - only the slightest bit rye but perfect as the base for a salt-beef sandwich. 2 tsp easy-blend (or other) dry yeast Extra flour and water for the yeast A pinch of sugar 1 small onion, thinly sliced 6 tbsp sunflower oil Approx 5 tbsp mashed potato 150ml warm water 300g strong white flour 100g rye flour 1½ tsp fine salt 2½ tsp caraway seeds Mix the yeast with 50ml hand-hot water, a pinch of sugar and 2 tsp flour, stir well and leave for 30 minutes. Place the onion and oil in a pan and cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring well. As soon as it's golden, pour into a sieve over a bowl, and cool. Combine the onions and oil with the potato, water and yeasty mix. Then pour this liquid in with the dry ingredients, mix to a dough and leave covered for 10 minutes. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 seconds, return to the bowl, cover, and chill for 12 hrs. Next, knead it lightly and flatten on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle 20cm x 15cm, then roll it tightly. Drop it seam-side down into an oiled and floured loaf tin. Cover for 2-3 hrs until doubled in height. Preheat the oven to 210C/425F/gas mark 7. Flour the top, cut a slash in the centre, bake for 35 minutes, lower the heat to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack. There is a picture of the loaf on my forum here: http://www.danlepard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1049 regards Dan

Hi Niamh, Looking at the recipe on amazon.com, these are the changes I would make to stay true to the author's method but ensure a better result. I only have access to the US edition which is in cups but you should get the gist of it. I have a topic on my forum about what type of flour to look for in Spain: http://www.danlepard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=51 First of all the instructions (on page 110 in the US edition) for the starter might not always work well. Working "1 cup of flour with 1/2 cup of water to make a thick cream" (para 1 in the method) will probably make dough rather than a thick cream, so start with 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup water. Try mixing equal quantities flour and water, ideally part whole-wheat or rye flour as this will be more likely to contain the wild yeast and bacteria you need for fermentation. Next, Luard leaves the starter mixture for 24 hours, then adds another "cup of flour and 1/2 cup water. Set aside for another 24 hours to bubble and ferment." Though in the book Luard describes people making a sourdough from scratch with only 48 hours for the fermentation to set in the starter, I have never encountered this nor been able to make it happen that way, unless there is someway to add some old starter - perhaps some that remains on the inside of a favourite wooden mixing bowl. People making bread the traditional way sometimes have a wooden bowl they use to make bread in, that is only just scraped "clean" after the dough has been made. Traces of yeast and bacteria would be left in the bowl ready to be reawakened the next baking day, and perhaps this is the secret to this loaf? What I would do is, after leaving it for 24 hours initially, stir in another 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup water. Leave this another 24 hours then remove 3/4 and add in 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup water. Continue doing this until the mixture is bubbling and smells slightly acidic. If you continue doing this day after day, eventually fermentation will commence. You just need a little faith along the way, nature will do the rest. Then, as the recipe says, freeze half of the starter. I've been hearing many reports from bakers telling me this works well for them, though I haven't tried it myself. Back to the recipe. Once your starter is bubbling, use the amount Luard suggests - 1 cup starter, 5 1/2 cups flour and 2 1/2 cups (I would use 3 1/2 cups) water - to "make a soft, very wet dough." As in the recipe leave this at warm room temperature (22C - 25C) for 12 hours. Then add 5 1/2 cups water, 4 - 5 level tsp salt, and sufficient water to make a soft dough - the recipe says 1 1/2 cups but you may need more. Knead as the recipe says, but where you are told to "leave the dough for an hour or two until it doubles in size" I would guess you should leave the dough for 4 - 5 hours (at 22C - 25C) until you can see bubbles forming in the dough. Then follow the remaining instructions for the recipe. Hope this makes sense. Dan

Glad you liked the pics, Sean. It was a chance to follow the food and record the chefs preparing and serving in the kitchen, over weeks and months rather than days. Peter Williams took the pictures in Baking with Passion, a great photgrapher working in a classic style. Dan

that looks pretty perfect. Must say, for a sourdough virgin it's an impressive debut. Dan