"Baking With Julia" by Julia Child (2004)

[arbuclo]

Well, here's what my naan looked like

Those are beautiful! Well done!

I'd love to try rugelach pg 325, some time. I'd be up for the Danish Pastries if they taste good for more than a day b/c I'll have to take them into the office. (We just can't eat all that I bake on our own!)

[alacarte]

Welcome JanKK!

Danish pastries sound good to me too.

I didn't make the nan bread (would you believe the grocery store was out of yeast??? Outrageous!!!) but I wanted to highlight the nan recipe instructions: it was encouraging that the instructions included an alternate method for baking if you don't own baking tiles, peels, and other fancy baking equipment. (Invert a baking pan on the center oven tray.) For a novice home baker like me, this is valuable info to have.

[SethG]

I haven't reviewed the recipe, but danish sounds good to me.

[SethG]

Okay, here's the ugliest Persian naan in the history of the world:

It was fine, all stretched out and dimpled and flat, then I decided I could just plop it in my oven right from my hands. Big mistake. It got all caught and bunched up and there was nothing I could do about it. So it's a naan dumbell.

The Oasis naan came out fine. I made one with cumin and one with caraway. Both were delicious.

By the way, I took a look at the danish, and I might bow out of doing it this week. I made croissants last week, and I think I may have had enough rolling and folding for a while. But the danish appears to call for less difficult rolling and folding than the croissants, so maybe I'll change my mind.

[JanKK]

Actually, the danish is really pretty easy --the dough is fabulous to work with -not nearly as difficult as croissants.

And is it OK the next day?

Hmmm.....I don't think I've ever had any make it to the next day :X My personal favorite is about an hour or two out of the oven. Actually, I do think once there were some left the next day and while not AS good as the first day, still pretty damn fine.

--Jan

[Wendy DeBord]

Personally I think the danish dough recipe is the best recipe in the book, o.k............one of the best of the best. You've got to go for it!

It freezes beautifully too.

[brngckn]

Oh, I wanna do the Danish!! I'm tied up through Saturday, but I can do it Sunday.

Edited April 29, 2004 by brngckn (log)

[Rhea_S]

I only made oasis naan and they look very much like dahomechef's naan although I had a difficult time keeping the center from puffing. I pierced it thoroughly with a fork, but it still puffed in places. What texture was everyone else's naan? Mine was awfully chewy, more like foccaccia, and I was disappointed. I thought it would be a bit more soft. I'm going to try the baking powder naan recipes in eGCI to see if those are the type of naan I like.

I'm in for Danish. Maybe it would be a good warm up for croissants or puff pastry.

[mdt]

I have been way too busy these past couple of weekends and have not baked anything at all! Good thing is that I will have time this weekend and the danish sounds wonderful!

[yorkshirepud]

Hi Everyone,

New here!

I have been itching to participate on this thread, but due to technical difficulties (i.e. couldn't post -- talk about feeling like the fly on the wall ), I wasn't able to. However, as you can see, now is all well.

Anyway, thanks to this thread, a certain book landed on my doorstep this week. So, I am now ready to break in my Julia Child book. Actually, I just did. I just got done with the Wholewheat Bread (had to do something). Very good. Not at all dense. I was particulary impressed with the dough. It came together beautifully (did inital mix in KA as suggested, then kneaded by hand). Of course, I just had the obligatory warm slice. Delicious!!!!! It has a slightly nutty, sweet undertone that I just love. Definate repeater.

Anyway, I may do a little backtracking if that's okay. I am extremely intrested in trying out the Challah. I just did the one from BAA earlier this week, and while it was yummo after baking and a few hours after, it was awfully dry the next day. Is this typical of Challah? This was my first.

I also want to try out the X cookies. Oh yes, I also plan on doing the Pizza Rustica.

Oh, and funnily enough, as I was sat browsing BWJ last night, I told myself I must try the Danish. Pop in this morning to check out the thread, and it seems, that's the direction your heading in next. I'm in! I may not get to it this weekend (potentially going away) and if so, most certainly will do it next weekend (assuming I'm not moving into my new kitchen -- near the end of my kitchen reno). I plan to do the Apricot and Pastry Cream variation. Regardless, I will do it and post, though it may be later than most.

Okay, rambled on enough!

Thanks for an enjoyable read so far and I hope to continue on your adventure with you.

YP aka Adele

Edited April 29, 2004 by yorkshirepud (log)

[SethG]

Wow, if Danish turns out to be the most popular suggestion ever made on this thread, I'll just have to join in. I must have never had a proper Danish.

Rhea, I agree, the naan was a little chewy/pretzel-ish, although I liked it. I want to know how Dahomechef got his to puff so evenly around the rim.

[Dahomechef]

yorkshirepud--welcome. Haven't tried the whole wheat bread, but it sounds good!

SethG--well, you see, the reason I stacked the naans for their photo op was to put the best one in front! Actually, I baked 6 of these and the first one came out pretty perfect. It may be that in my addiction to crunchy crust I baked them a bit long and that's why my scallion bits burned. As I moved on the the second, etc., they did begin to bubble a bit in the middle, so I started really going at them with my fork (dimpling instrument of choice). I stabbed (there's no other word) until I could feel the counter and just paved the whole center with holes, making a pretty even border and that seemed to help. I liked the chewy-ness, although i do prefer softer naan and would be interested in a recipe. These need to be eaten the day they're made--the next day they were Oasis Rock Naan.

Danish! Yesss... Might have to do these on Sunday so the overs can go the the office.

[Dahomechef]

It was fine, all stretched out and dimpled and flat, then I decided I could just plop it in my oven right from my hands. Big mistake. It got all caught and bunched up and there was nothing I could do about it. So it's a naan dumbell.

SethG, I've had the exact same thing happen with pizza dough, but it's worse with the tomato sauce and toppings dripping over my hands while my head is stuck inside a 500 degree oven while I'm cursing like a sailor while someone sings out from the next room, "need any help?" Arrrgh. Took a few iterations, but learned the lesson. Bought a nice wooden peel and things are much better. However, even with the peel, any moisture (stray droplets of evo work well here) will cause the dough to catch on one side or the other. Now I always "shake the peel" when I'm working with dough on the peel, when I've finished working the dough, and when I'm getting ready to go into the oven, just to make sure it's still slip-slidin' along.

[Rhea_S]

I liked the chewy-ness, although i do prefer softer naan and would be interested in a recipe. These need to be eaten the day they're made--the next day they were Oasis Rock Naan.

There's a class on North Indian breads over in eGCI and the naan recipes look very promising: North Indian Breads

[yorkshirepud]

yorkshirepud--welcome. Haven't tried the whole wheat bread, but it sounds good!

Thanks!

DH declared the WW bread awesome (although he will eat anything I bake, disasters and all). He just got done hacking at it with peanut butter and honey.

I'm going to bake up another batch tomorrow to take up north to our cottage. I think I may also try the white bread and see how it compares to my usual. I'll take pictures if you like. It's all about the visuals.

Btw, not of any great importance, but I baked this freeform and slashed it 3 times before baking.

Sorry, I realise I'm digressing here as this bread hasn't been 'chosen' yet. Oops. What can I say -- I'm a babble mouth.

[arbuclo]

DH declared the WW bread awesome (although he will eat anything I bake, disasters and all). He just got done hacking at it with peanut butter and honey.

I'm going to bake up another batch tomorrow to take up north to our cottage.

I think you've talked me into doing the ww bread. I need to make some more bread this weekend anyway! May I suggest that you also try the rustic potato loaves. I've done them a couple of times and though I have yet to perfect the shaping technique the bread itself has the most gorgous texture!

[yorkshirepud]

May I suggest that you also try the rustic potato loaves.

Suggest away!

Actually, the picture of these really caught my eye (how could it not?) and I would of made them had I had potatoes in the kitchen. I see them in the near future!

Oh yes, if you plan to do the bread freeform as I did (I halved the recipe too), I baked it for approx. 45 mins (I started checking after 40 mins) and rotated my baking sheet after 20 mins.

Mmm, perhaps another slice is in order. It's not like I just ate dinner or anything!

Edited April 29, 2004 by yorkshirepud (log)

[JanKK]

Hi yorkshirepud!! I've made both the White Bread and the Challah recipes and both are fabulous. The white bread is strange to make, because you beat the butter in *after* kneadiing, but it makes huge beautiful tasty loaves. This was the first Challah recipe I tried, so I can't compare it to others, but I think it's excellent ---and when it's a few days old it makes PERFECT french toast :) I do sometimes have a problem with it getting too browned, but maybe that's just my oven.

Look forward to seeing how they turn out for you!

--Jan

[JanKK]

Any btw...my Danish Pastry dough is in the fridge!! ;) That's one of the great things about this stuff ...at each stage you refrigerate it, you can leave it for up to several days (whatever fits your schedule, as Julia says! ;)

[yorkshirepud]

Hi yorkshirepud!!   I've made both the White Bread and the Challah  recipes and both are fabulous.  The white bread is strange to make, because you beat the butter in *after* kneadiing, but it makes huge beautiful tasty loaves.    This was the first Challah recipe I tried, so I can't compare it to others, but I think it's excellent ---and when it's a few days old it makes PERFECT french toast :)  I do sometimes have a problem with it getting too browned, but maybe that's just my oven. 

Look forward to seeing how they turn out for you!

--Jan

Hi Jan,

I was just reading over the white bread recipe last night, and like you, I found in strange that you beat in the butter at the end. I think I will try the recipe out this morning.

Does the Challah dry out at all? My Challah was dry the next day like I said. A bit of a disappointment. Perhaps I stored it wrong. I just drapped a tea towel over the cut end. I will have to see how's Julia's recipe is. This one seems to have more fat, and I think uses milk (my recipe just called for water), which may make a difference to its longevity.

I agree about the Danish preperation being very convenient. If they turn out like I hope, I think it would be the perfect 'welcome' for my parents visit from England for our first breakfast together. Everything, including the fillings can be premade. My kind of recipe. Looking forward to seeing your results. I'm not sure when I'll get around to trying it, although it'll be within the next 2 weeks. Everything is out of whack for me right now as I don't have my main kitchen and I'm using a small kitchenette in my basement. I think this will be a fun recipe to try out once my new kitchen in finished (end of next week *fingers crossed*).

Edited April 30, 2004 by yorkshirepud (log)

[jgarner53]

Brand new here. And I am hoping hoping hoping that one of the birthday presents I'll be getting will be BWJ (I gave enough hints to DH -- let's hope so!). As I am opening them tonight, I should be able to join you all in baking this weekend. I read through the whole thread the other day and was sorely tempted to abandon my horrible temp job (where I had nothiing to do anyway) and come home and bake. Something. Anything! All your pictures look great.

Unfortunately, DH is on his way to Tokyo tomorrow for 2 1/2 weeks, so I won't be able to post any pics until later in the month (if I can figure out how )

Cheers!

[yorkshirepud]

jgarner53,

Welcome. I'm new here too so we can be newbies together.

Like you, seeing all the pictures and reading the thread gave me an unstoppable urge to bake, bake, bake -- and buy the book! I work from home so it's even more tempting. Actually, I've been baking all day from BWJ. This morning I made white bread, ww bread (neither chosen as 'recipes to try' here, but I wanted to try nonetheless) and I just put the brownies (reviewed/tested a while back) in the oven. OMG! I have stomach ache just from sneaking some of the batter and licking the spoon. From what I can tell, they are winners. Super decadent and deadly. Everything a brownie should be.

Hope you get the book tonight. And if not, treat yourself anyway. You are the birthday girl afterall!

[yorkshirepud]

Question about these brownies

I know many of you found them very gooey but do you really think they are supposed to be this gooey? They are almost like those pudding cakes that self sauce.

I was a little weary when I took them out of the oven (I baked them for 26 minutes), stuck in a skewer, and as recommended, decided not to put them back in the oven as they were barely set and gooey. So, I go upstairs thinking "Adele, don't put them back in the oven, they'll set up as they cool." Well, I just went and had a sneak peak and they are still gooey as hell. Will they ever set up? The edges are perfectly fudgey (yes, I had to do some patchwork ), but the centers (in fact, everything but I'd say a 1/4 inch border) is goo, goo, goo! I've got the oven heating again and I'm going to throw them back in for 10 minutes.

Oh, but are they goooooooooooood!

Edited April 30, 2004 by yorkshirepud (log)

[SethG]

Mine had a very fudgy center but were not runny. They remained in the realm of the solid. Maybe this means they were overcooked!

[yorkshirepud]

Mine had a very fudgy center but were not runny. They remained in the realm of the solid. Maybe this means they were overcooked!

Oh poo!!!! Okay, back in the oven they go! I hope I don't screw them up. They have been out of the oven for a good 40 mins or so.

I don't think they could be overcooked, because I began checking after 23 mins and they were still gooey. Now, the oven downstairs is a crappy old thing, so perhaps it was running low.