"Baking With Julia" by Julia Child (2005 - )

[FoodieNerd]

I just found a perfect copy of this book in a used bookstore a few weeks ago- perfect timing. I am happy I stumbled upon this resurrected thread. I am looking forward to baking from this book and sharing my success and mess stories with you. I am so envious of you bread bakers. I SO want to learn to bake bread, but I am just not sure how to get started. Maybe this book will get me there.

[Becca Porter]

I made the French apple tart a couple night ago. My apples were a little tart, but the taste was wonderful. My apple slices on top were not quite right , but it wasn't too bad. My husband loved it.

I made the Rustic Potato Loaves last night. I was cooking a quick supper of potato leek soup and caeser salad. It was terrific with the dinner. I was pretty happy with my shaping. At least it turned out better than I expected. I just needed to make it more rounded in the middle. Mine were a little too long.

The taste was wonderful. I love any kind of potato bread and these were the best yet. I have almost finished my roll of film, so I should be able to post pictures soon.

Tonight I am making the Expresso Profiteroles. My ice cream is in the ice bath now. I have a feeling these will taste like a fancy version of fried ice cream. I can't wait.

[Ling]

I made the croissants - Top of page.

Then keep scrolling down for Ling's picture.

There were only a few items that I adapted from the Roux Recipe.

They were fantastic! Ask Ling!

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Here are Irishgirl's croissants. They were incredible!

[shaloop]

I made the croissants - Top of page.

Then keep scrolling down for Ling's picture.

There were only a few items that I adapted from the Roux Recipe.

They were fantastic! Ask Ling!

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Here are Irishgirl's croissants. They were incredible!

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Those look wonderful!! My 4yo daughter asked for croissants Friday when we passed a pastry shop where she's had almond croissants and they now only sell preordered whole cakes/desserts and so we couldn't get any So, I told her that I had a cookbook with a recipe for croissants and we would make them together. So, I guess I know which recipe is up next for me. Sometime this week.

[shaloop]

Do we want to revive this thread the way it was done before with everyone making the same recipe during a certain time frame or just post any comments, questions, and/or pictures on whatever we're making from it?

[Becca Porter]

I wouldn't mind doing both. I am running through them pretty fast. I am open to suggestions.

I am making the Cardinal Slice today. I just ate scraps from the ends, and I am wanting more. I think I may have overbaked it. I think my oven is running hot, and my oven thermometer broke. I assume the meringue shouldn't brown. It is not so overbaked that it will not be enjoyed though .

[sugar plum]

Do we want to revive this thread the way it was done before with everyone making the same recipe during a certain time frame or just post any comments, questions, and/or pictures on whatever we're making from it?

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I'd be up for this! I just bought the book from a used book store a few weeks ago. I've only made the Mocha Brownie cake and would love any excuse to bake more! Now where should we start?

[srhcb]

Do we want to revive this thread the way it was done before with everyone making the same recipe during a certain time frame or just post any comments, questions, and/or pictures on whatever we're making from it?

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Being inclined towards spontaneous menu planning, quick changes of mind, and poor shopping skills I'd favor a less structured approach. (For instance, I was going to bake Julia's Rustic Potato Bread this weekend, but forgot to get Russets, so I made the KAF 200th Anniversary Book Oatmeal Bread instead.)

Depending on how many people are involved maybe we could pick recipes by chapter, so everyone is making a Flatbread or Cookies at the same time.

Perhaps once a month we could all do one of the most popular recipes at the same time, like Croissants?

SB

[shaloop]

Being inclined towards spontaneous menu planning, quick changes of mind, and poor shopping skills I'd favor a less structured approach.  (For instance, I was going to bake Julia's Rustic Potato Bread this weekend, but forgot to get Russets, so I made the KAF 200th Anniversary Book Oatmeal Bread instead.)

Depending on how many people are involved maybe we could pick recipes by chapter, so everyone is making a Flatbread or Cookies at the same time.

Perhaps once a month we could all do one of the most popular recipes at the same time, like Croissants?

SB

Sounds good to me. Although my daughter may be a bit dissapointed, I may hold off on the croissants until I get a few more items under my belt.

[CanadianBakin']

I've been wanting to try making croissants for quite awhile and had some time without children this weekend so I took advantage of it. I was absolutely thrilled with how the dough turned out but I think I proofed them too long and they ended up quite flat. I did half with chocolate and half with the almond filling. I found a video online by the author of the recipe which is quite helpful. I still have half the dough left which I have frozen so I will try again in a couple weeks. My husband loved them as is and they did taste good but I also want them to look good. Practice makes perfect and my tasters certainly don't mind.

edited to add link to Esther's video with Julia.

Edited October 17, 2006 by CanadianBakin' (log)

[Dorie Greenspan]

It's great to see croissants "back in the news again". As I mentioned earlier, after I got my croissant lesson from Esther McManus, I made them five days in a row. This is really a case in which practice makes perfect.

In fact, this is true with doughs in general, I think. At the beginning, each time you make a dough, a bread dough, puff pastry, croissants, pie dough, tart dough, you learn something about how to mix it, to knead it, to roll it, to shape it.

Doughs are very physical and I think you really have to get to know them, to understand how to treat them. That said, doughs are pretty finicky too -- they can rarely be counted on to behave the same way every time. It's why bread bakers used to keep (and some still do keep) diaries, recording the day's temperature and humidity as well as the results. Of course, there are the days when I think that the only thing that really affects the dough is my temperament, but that's another story ...

[Chihiran]

Do we want to revive this thread the way it was done before with everyone making the same recipe during a certain time frame or just post any comments, questions, and/or pictures on whatever we're making from it?

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I would love to do this! What's the first recipe?

[Roxie]

I made the cheese and tomato galette last night and got really great reviews....didn't think to take a picture but it was wonderful.

Not sure I am ready for croissants, but I could be convinced.

[Becca Porter]

I finally got most of my pictures back. My croissant pictures are on my sisters digital camera and I am having trouble getting to them. Hopefully soon. Here are my most recent pictures.

Sticky Buns

French Apple Tart

Rustic Potato Loaves

Espresso Profiteroles

Cardinal Slice

Edited October 18, 2006 by Becca Porter (log)

[srhcb]

Now I'm REALLY sorry I haven't made the potato loaves yet!

SB (duely impressed)

[Becca Porter]

Thanks Steve .

[CanadianBakin']

Becca, how did you like the Cardinal slice? It looks great!

[Becca Porter]

I really liked the cardinal slice. It was so pretty. It was really hard to pipe the genoise batter because it was a little loose. The espresso couleur is amazing. I can't wait to use it in other things.

[RuthWells]

I really liked the cardinal slice. It was so pretty. It was really hard to pipe the genoise batter because it was a little loose. The espresso couleur is amazing. I can't wait to use it in other things.

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I've been meaning to make the cardinal slice forEVER. Good thing the holidays are coming.

[Roxie]

the sticky buns look amazing and I'm off to read up on the Cardinal Slice.

Anybody have any ideas what we should do next?

[Dorie Greenspan]

Becca, your desserts look gorgeous! It's so wonderful to see the Cardinal Slice -- it's a spectacular cake, but it's not one of the recipes that gets made very often.

[shaloop]

I really liked the cardinal slice. It was so pretty. It was really hard to pipe the genoise batter because it was a little loose. The espresso couleur is amazing. I can't wait to use it in other things.

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I was waiting for pics of your cardinal slice. It looks great (along with everything else.)

[snowangel]

Oh, I am so proud of my epi and my other loaves! I used the recipe for the mixed started. I am a huge Steve Sullivan fan, given that my sister lives but a couple of blocks from Acme, I am used to a decent supply of their loves.

And, since I seems to have been bread impaired, I held out little hope, especially since I had to modify the rising schedule due to a family crisis. (I had to fridge the dough after the first rise.)

But, thanks to the ink that SethG provided (I'd have to search for it again) for the epi shaping and the other mistakes I made (I think my couches aren't sturdy enough, and I made a big mistake about not enough flour on the parchment that I, ahem, used on the couches, I think I did very, very well. The flavour was fab, and I had HOLES!

Note that on the "baguette", my slashing wasn't deep enough, and I need more tiles for the oven so that I can accommodate a longer loaf:

Holes!

I think I'm arriving. Don't be afraid of water, and I learned that in the winter, more water is necessary. And, don't be afraid to use flour in rising the loaves.

Now, if I could just get my kids to love this bread with cultured butter...

[alanamoana]

congratulations susan!!! beautiful loaves

[lovebenton0]

stunning, Susan... the holes are gorgeous. fabulous looking epi too. you can rightfully brag over these.

Oh, I am so proud of my epi and my other loaves!  I used the recipe for the mixed started.  I am a huge Steve Sullivan fan, given that my sister lives but a couple of blocks from Acme, I am used to a decent supply of their        loves.