Cinnamon Raisin Walnut No-Knead Bread

How in the world it has taken me this long to try this recipe out of Jim Lahey's My Bread is both a sin and a tragedy.
Thank goodness for redemption!

This bread is as fantastic as it looks. Unlike a lot of cinnamon-raisin breads, this one has no sugar, so it isn't sweet at all. Making it the perfect accompaniment for some jam. And there is just this hint of spice, from a pinch of black pepper, that is surprisingly perfect. It really elevates it.
And, of course, it is no-knead... so it is so easy to make. So, there is no excuse not to treat yourself with this bread.

As ever, start with the dry ingredients. This time, with flour, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, salt, a bit more yeast than the regular no-knead, and just a pinch of black pepper.
Add in the water. Mix it up.
Let it rise for 12-18 hours, until it has doubled in size.
Pour it out on a floured surface. Fold over the ends, spring it into something approximately something round. Flip it over, seam side down on a tea-towel dusted with flour or wheat bran.
Let that rise for 1-2 hours.
Then, plop it into your pre-heated Dutch oven. Bake it for 30 minutes with the lid on, and 15 with it off. And, I'm telling you, your apartment is going to smell delicious.

Then... you have to wait. Which is hard, but really is necessary (I did an experiment). And, then... and, then... slice into it.
Really, you cannot underestimate the pleasure you will get out of this loaf. Enjoy!
Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread (Pan co'Santi) (from My Bread by Jim Lahey)
Ingredients:
3 cups (400 g) bread flour
1/2 cup (85 grams) raisins
1/2 cup (50 grams) walnuts
1 1/4 tsp (8 grams) table salt
3/4 tsp (2 grams) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 grams) instant or active dry yeast
a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (350 grams) cool (55-65 degree F) water
wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dusting

Directions:
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, raisins, walnuts, salt, cinnamon, yeast, and pepper, mixing thoroughly. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. If it's not really sticky to the touch, mix in another tablespoon or two of water. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 12 to 18 hours.

When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or a spatula, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.

Place a tea towel on your work surface and generously dust it with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Fold the ends of the towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 F and place the covered 4 1/2-5 1/2 quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.*

Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly but gently invert the dough into the pot, seam side up. Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue back until the bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 15 to 30 minutes more.** Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to gently lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.

*Lahey has you put the rack in the lower third of the oven, but that always burns the bottom of my. So I put my rack in the middle of the oven.
**Mine is always done in the 15 minute range.

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread (aka my first kneaded bread)

Here's the thing: making your own bread makes you feel good.

The way it smells feels good. The way it looks feels good. The way it tastes feels good. I'm telling you, there are few better pick me ups than making your own bread. Not to mention, kneading turns out to be one fabulous way to relieve stress: yet another way bread makes you feel good.

Now, I have been making loaf after loaf of delicious no-knead bread, since my wonderful co-bicoastal chef introduced it into (i.e. changed) my life. But, I decided it was time to branch out. Armed with The Bread Baker's Apprentice, I was ready to be brave and try a new bread, you know the kind that you knead. The book magically opened to the page for Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread, and I knew it was meant to be.
This bread is to die for. Not to sweet, packed full of goodies: it is the perfect bread for breakfast or an afternoon snack. It is good with preserves, cream cheese, butter, nutella, or peanut butter (yes, I have tried all these variations). And it is good just by its lonesome. Couple its deliciousness with the fact that it is easy to make: you have a perfect entree into the world of kneaded bread.

This is how I made it. First things first with bread baking: mis en place (everything in place)
Next, get out your scale, and measure things by weight. It is much more precise and guarantees better results. (If you don't have a scale: buy one! They are worth it.)
Once you have all your ingredients ready, get your dry ingredients into a bowl. Careful not to let your salt and yeast touch immediately (or else some of the punch will be taken out of the yeast). Then add in your wet ingredients. Stir it with a spoon, until it comes together and forms a ball.
Now: time to knead! Get the dough on a floured surface (the silpat was great for this).
Then, you want to knead for about 10 minutes (although, if you don't have your kneading muscles yet (like me), it might take you more like 14 minutes (and, if you break a sweat, you are not alone))
With two or so minutes left, time to start adding in the raisins and walnuts. Do a little bit at a time to make sure everything is well distributed.
You know you are done with it passes the windowpane test: if when you gently stretch a small piece of dough and hold it up to a light source, you can see light through the dough, without the dough tearing, then you are done. You also want it to reach 77-81 degrees.
Now, plop your dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise for about 2 hours, until it is doubled in size.
Look at how huge it gets by the time you are done with the first rise!
Next, you want to divide and shape your dough. I divided the dough in half, and weighed it to make sure the two pieces were equal.
To shape the dough, flatten the dough into a 5 by 6-8 inch rectangle. Starting from the short side, roll it up, until you have a 8-9 inch rectangle. Rock it so it is even.
Get the two loaves in two lightly greased loaf pans.
Let them rise for the second time in the loaf pans for 60-90 minutes, until they just crest the pan.
Time to pop them in the oven. Let them bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pans (for even baking), then bake for 20-30 minutes more. You know they are done when they are deeply golden on top, the internal temperature is 190 degrees, and your apartment smells like heaven.
Now is the toughest part of all: wait two agonizing, painful, awful hours, for the dough to completely cool (if you cheat, and only let it rest for one hour, the world will not fall apart).

Slice into that delicious bread you made and enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread (from The Bread Baker's Apprentice)
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread flour
4 teaspoons (.66 ounces) granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons (.31 ounce) salt
2 teaspoons (.22 ounce) instant (rapid rise) yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons (.16 ounce) ground cinnamon
1 large (1.65 ounces) egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) shortening, melted or at room temperature
1/2 cup (4 ounces) buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup (6 ounces) water, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) raisins, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped walnuts

Directions:
Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the egg, shortening, buttermilk, and water. Stir together with a large spoon until the ingredients come together and form a ball. Adjust with flour or water if the dough is too stick or too dry and stiff.

Sprinkle flour on a counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing on medium speed with a dough hook). The dough should be soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky. Add flour as you knead, if necessary, to achieve this texture. Knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes* (or by machine for 6-8 minutes). Sprinkle in raisins and walnuts during the final 2 minutes to distribute them evenly. The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77-81 degrees F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and form them into loaves. To do this, flatten the measure piece of dough with your hand, holding in the edges to make an even-sided rectangle about 5 inches wide and 6-8 inches long. Working from the short side of the dough, roll up the length of the dough one section at a time, pinching the crease with each rotation to strengthen surface tension. The loaf will spread out as you roll it up, eventually extending to a full 8-9 inches. Pinch the final seam closed with the back edge of your hand or with your thumbs. Rock the loaf to even it out; do not taper the ends. Keep the surface tension even across the top. Place each loaf in a slightly oiled 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch pan. The ends of the loaf should touch the ends of the pan to ensure an even rise. Mist the tops with spray oil, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the dough crests above the lips of the pans and is nearly doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Place the loaf pans on a sheet pan, making sure they are not touching each other.

Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes, depending on the oven. The finished bread should register 190 degrees F in the center and be golden brown on top and lightly golden on the sides and bottom. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.

Immediately remove the breads from their pans and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours, before slicing or serving.

*If it takes you 14 minutes, don't feel bad. Just think of it as an extra work-out.

Banana-Nut Muffins

The search is over. The perfect banana bread recipe is mine.

Goodbye hours spent buried in cookbooks. Goodbye time wasted scouring websites and food blogs. I don't need you any more. This recipe for banana bread from joyofbaking.com is it. I am never ever going to search for another banana bread/muffin recipe, ever (well, at least that's what I'm claiming for now).

The first time I used the joyofbaking banana bread recipe was for this Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread that changed my life. This time, I used it for some Banana-Nut Muffins. And, I am telling you, this banana bread is the real deal.

Using the same banana bread base I used before, I omitted the chocolate chips and added some walnuts and cinnamon instead.
And used a muffin tin instead of a loaf pan (it cooks quicker, if you are short on time).
The results were spectacular. Not only did my house smell like delicious banana baked goods for at least a day, but also the muffins themselves were scrumptious.
How sweet it is for the search to be over!

Banana Nut Muffins (from joyofbaking.com)
1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ripe large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place oven rack to middle position. Grease a muffin tin, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth). Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes and then remove the bread from the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate-Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

Dipping double chocolate biscotti in coffee is officially one of my favorite experiences so far this year. Biscotti are traditional Italian cookies that that are twice-baked ('bis' = twice, 'cotto' = baked). And that is how they get that marvelous crunch. They are not too sweet, not too heavy: an ideal way to start the day and an even better way to pick-yourself-up in the afternoon. They are easy to make, and keep for a good while.

Typically, biscotti are filled with dried fruit and nuts. But not these...
Did I mention they are chalk full of not one, but two kinds of chocolate and walnuts?

To prepare them, you start like they are any other chocolate-filled cookie. Get your dry ingredients together (flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt).
Beat together your butter and sugar. And then beat in your eggs.

Next, stir the chocolate-flour mix into the wet-mix. The dough will be stiff. But that is how it is supposed to be.
Now, stir in your chocolate chips and walnuts.
(YUM!)

Get the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and divide it into two.
Shape each half into a 12-inch log.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Pop them in the oven, to bake the first time, for 35 minutes.
(I can't even begin to describe how delicious these smell as they are baking. You will want to eat the air.)

Take them out of the oven, let them cool on the rack for 5 minutes, and then cut them with a serrated knife. This recipe is great because the biscotti are still warm when you cut them, which prevents the severe crumbling biscotti are wont to do.
Get them back in the oven for 10 minutes, or until dry to the touch.
Let them cool on the rack. And there you have it... absolutely delicious chocolate-chocolate walnut biscotti.
Happy crunching!

Chocolate Chocolate Walnut Biscotti (from epicurious.com)
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt*
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped**
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or butter and flour it.

In a bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs and beat until combined well. Stir in flour mixture to form a stiff dough. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips.

On prepared baking sheet with floured hands form dough into two slightly flattened logs, each 12 inches long and 2 inches wide,*** and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.**** Bake logs 35 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool biscotti on baking sheet 5 minutes.

On a cutting board cut biscotti diagonally into 3/4-inch slices.***** Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes.****** Cool biscotti on a rack. Biscotti keep in airtight containers 1 week and frozen, 1 month.

*I thought they were a touch salty. Next time I will use 3/4 tsp salt

**You could always omit the walnuts, or change them out for something like almonds.

***Mine were 12 inches long, but more like 3 or 4 inches wide.
****I only used about 1/2 Tablespoon of powdered sugar
*****Using a serrated knife is the best for this
******10 minutes was just about perfect. You know when they are done when they are dry to the touch.

A whimsical pumpkin muffin

The month-o-squash continues with these muffins:How fun, right?

While things got a little messy
they were very easy to make (no electric mixer needed). And they were delicious. They have a subtle molasses flavor that just makes the pumpkin and spices sing.

First, soak the raisins in a cup of hot water for five minutes. This helps the raisins plump up and retain their moisture in the baking process.
In the meantime, mix together your dry ingredients. How is it that the smell of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg never ceases to intoxicate me?
Next, add your brown sugar to the dry ingredients. This adds more hints of molasses, as brown sugar is white sugar with molasses.
Now, for the pumpkin-y wet ingredients. Whisk together butter, pumpkin, buttermilk, eggs, molasses, and vanilla.
Now, make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients.
And pour in the pumpkin mix.
Stir that until just combined. Really, no overstirring is allowed at this point. Overstirring develops glutens in the flour which makes for tough muffins. Yul. Stirring until just combined, on the other hand, makes for light, fluffy wonderful muffins. Yum!
Now, stir in your raisins. I made half of this recipe with raisins and the other half without (apparently not everyone realizes that pumpkin and raisins were meant to be).
Spoon that lovely batter into your pre-greased muffin tins. I like to use a ice-cream scoop for this. It ensures that every muffins cup has the same amount.
And, for my favorite part, top each muffin with chopped walnuts. This is what I love about the recipe: you still get the walnut taste; but instead of being hidden and boring on the inside, they are on top looking fun.
Then, into the oven they go. Twenty minutes later, you get these gorgeous muffins.
Let those sit for five minutes in the pan and turn them out.
Just look at them, who wouldn't find these delightful?

Pumpkin Walnut Muffins (adapted from epicurious.com)
Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin*
1/4 cup well shaken buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour (or 1 cup all purpose and 1 cup white whole wheat)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon**
1/2 tsp ground ginger**
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins*** (golden or regular, as you see fit)
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (about 3 ounces)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease 12 1/2-cup muffin cups.

Melt butter and cool slightly. In a bowl, whisk together butter, pumpkin, buttermilk, eggs, molasses, and vanilla. Into a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Whisk in brown sugar. Make a well in the center of the flour mixutre and add the pumpkin mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir in raisins and divide batter among cups. Sprinkle walnuts evenly over batter in each cup. Bake muffins in middle of oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffed and a tester comes out clean.**** Cool muffins in cups 5 minutes and turn out onto a rack.

*The original recipe calls for 3/4 cup pumpkin, but having experimented, I think 1 cup is better (December 2010)
**I always make my cinnamon and ginger heaping. But this is a bad idea with cloves and nutmeg, because those are really strong spices.
***The original recipe calls for 3/4 cup pitted dates (about 4 ounces). 1/3 cup of raisins does not make for a very raisin-y muffin. If you like your muffins full of raisins, you may want to try 1/2 cup of raisins.
****20 minutes was perfect in my oven