Challah

Glad to be making (and eating!) bread again. And, for the occasion...even though this is about two months late, here's Anne's request for another braided loaf!

First, put 1 1/3 cups of warm water in a large mixing bowl, and add 7 teaspoons of yeast. This might seem like an exorbitant amount of yeast...I think it is, and after making this bread I wonder if the recipe I was using might have a typo there. But not to worry! No doubt it'll all work out in the end.

After the yeast has proofed a bit, add 3 eggs, 3 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of sugar, and mix thoroughly. Then slowly stir in about 5 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (one cup at a time), until the dough is fairly stiff. The dough will be fairly easy to work with, but the shear quantity of it might make kneading a fairly, let's say, aerobic experience. Anyway, once the dough is ready, put in a buttered bowl, cover, and delight in the fact that it is finally warm enough to not need an oven for the

First Rising (1 hour)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was an earthquake here last week! Just a minor one, fortunately (the only damage was a collapsed porch about a hundred miles south or so). But still, for someone who grew up in New England and hence unused to natural disasters of any sort, fairly exciting...It happened in the middle of the night, so I was woken up with the whole house shaking. But it was sort of surreal, since on the one hand it was only a small earthquake, so it wasn't as if things were falling off of the wall and out of the cupboards. And in my sleepy-groggy state I was pretty sure that Illinois wasn't sitting on any major fault lines, so I just decided that it was probably just one of those remarkably lifelike but bizarre dreams, and promptly went back to sleep. But then the aftershocks came and kept waking me up. I thought it weird that I would keep having the same dream, and it wasn't until the third time this happened that I realized I probably wasn't imagining all of this... And it was very nice to hear on the radio that morning that there had in fact been an earthquake (which saved me from what I was imagining would be a fairly sheepish conversation with whichever of my friends I ran into first that day..."So, um....was there an earthquake last night?" After all, that seems like the sort of question you shouldn't really ever have to ask; and earthquake would probably be something you'd notice, no? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Punch the dough down and cut it into six equal pieces. Take each piece, and roll it out (just like making a snake out of clay!) on a lightly floured board until it is about an inch in diameter. Pinch the six strands together, and do our standard braiding procedure that we figured out in February. Cover and let it rest. But keep a sharp eye on it lest it spill over the edge of the cookie sheet during the

Second Rising (45 minutes)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, the "first rising" was an action-packed update (well, relatively speaking), so now permit me a slightly nerdier paragraph or two... As you may know, my difficulties in finding an advisor have been a bit frustrating for me this semester. Much as I enjoy taking classes, after all, one goes to grad school to do research. Frankly, t was getting a bit disheartening not having any luck finding a research group to work with. Fortunately, though, a pair of events over the past two weeks did much to restore my spirits.

First, I was in a friend's office, chatting a bit (and, admittedly, stealing the use of her office printer), when my friend had to step outside for a few minutes. So, I just picked up the nearest book lying around, which happened to be "The Art of Electronics." Not something that I particularly care about, but a classic textbook (well, it's in a field I haven't studied but I had still heard of it before, so I assume it's a classic). Anyway, I was just leafing through the pages when I started reading about the different types of noise that can interfere with electrical signals...pretty dry stuff, right? Well, I kept reading, and learned all about this bizarre type of noise ("1/f" or "flicker" noise), which apparently we do not have a good theoretical understanding of, but which is pervasive not just in electronics but throughout nature. A quick browsing of papers on the net led me to articles on this noise in everything from classical music pitch spectra to yearly floodplain deposits of the Nile river. It sort of reminded me of a weird, frequency/noise version of the statement of Benford's Law. Anyway, like I said, fairly nerdy, but I really enjoyed reading about it for a while, and the whole experience reminded me of why I'm in graduate school in the first place: I find all of this stuff irrationally interesting.

And, more directly related I'm sure to why I'm more optimistic these days, is that I might have found a group to work with, at least for the summer. Not set in stone yet, but hopefully the details will be finalized this coming week. Just see the "currently reading" section for a flavor of what I'll probably be doing for the next few months at least.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While it is warming up, beat together an egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Brush the bread with the mixture, and then liberally sprinkle with poppy seeds -- Sorry Anne...I know Wegmans makes theirs with sesame seeds, but I didn't have any in my kitchen. Bake for 35 minutes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tasting verdict: Well, first I have to say, as my parents have just learned about this blog, that of course this is nowhere near as good a challah as Mom could make. No surprises there, of course! But still, I am quite proud of this one... a fairly crispy crust (have I mentioned how much I like the egg yolk wash?), with an awesomely chewy middle. As far as egg-breads go, I like this one a bit more than the "Country Style" loaf, which was also quite tasty but was perhaps a bit too rich with both the milk and half a stick a butter. This recipe I think hits a much better balance. But I do think the next time I make it I'll have to remember to use a bit less yeast...this bread rose probably a third over again while it was in the oven, and very nearly ended up both colliding with the top of the oven and spilling over the side. Neither of which would have been so good.

Currently reading:"Collisions, Caging, Thermodynamics, and Jamming in the Barrier Hopping Theory of Glassy Hard Sphere Fluids," "Dynamical Fluctuation Effects in Glassy Colloidal Suspensions," and other such elaborately titled papers.

Currently eating: Gelato!! (or should that be, "mmmm...gelaaaatoooooo"?) Anyway, it feels like it's already summer here, and I just had my first gelato of the season: Cappuccino Chocolate Chip. Very tasty.

Graham Bread

Start out by stirring 2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast and 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar into 1/4 of a cup of warm water. While the yeast is proofing, heat up 1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk, 1/4 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 1 tablespoon of salt in a saucepan. When the butter has melted add the liquid to the yeast mixture, and then stir in 2 cups of graham flour (so that's why they're called Graham Crackers!), followed by 2 cups of all-purpose flour.

As you knead the dough (stickier than usual but otherwise pretty unremarkable) work in about another 1/2 cup of flour so that the dough has a nice, resilient consistency. When the dough is good and springy, put in a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm spot (the temperature has plunged into the low thirties again here, so that means the bread is rising in the oven this time around) until it has doubled in bulk during the


First Rising (45 minutes)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, this was a good week, and one in which I managed to get not one but two servers to laugh at me. Let's take them in reverse chronological order...

A few days ago some of my friends and I went out to this place called "The Apple Dumpling," a real country sort of greasy diner (complete with waitresses wearing matching bib overalls). The kind of place where $7 buys you half of a chicken, deep fried, with a side of canned peas and a plate of potatoes. Well, I made the mistake of asking if I could have the chicken without any potatoes. First, there was just a look of shock ("What, like no potatoes at all?"). Later, when the food was ready, the waitress couldn't remember who had ordered what, so she just started putting the plates down. And then she looked at me, started laughing ("hahaha...oh yeah! You're the guy that didn't want potatoes!"), and gave me my chicken. As it turns out, the answer to the question "Can I please get that without potatoes?" is "No. No you cannot." Well, they could serve them, but at least they couldn't make me eat them.

Rewind to a day earlier, when a friend and I were just leaving the skating rink. It was about 9:30 or so, but I hadn't had dinner so we were walking towards the Indian restaurant to try to get a quick meal, only to discover that they were closing early for the night. Well, I was a bit distraught...so weak with hunger that I couldn't think of where else to go to get food. Now, I know that you won't believe me, but I just want to say for the record that it was my friend, with no hints or prompting at all from me, that suggested maybe we should just get ice cream instead (there's a Cold Stone Creamery just down from the Bombay Grill, as it turns out).

Anyway, we're waiting in line, and I'm getting pretty excited about dinner/dessert. I was, as I mentioned, already pretty hungry...and to top it off it had been probably a few months since the last time I had ice cream (um...that's probably just not true... but at least, I hadn't had very much ice cream over the last few months). Plus, all of the "Signature creations" at Cold Stone just sound hilarious and oh-so-delicious. So, admittedly, I was probably beaming like an idiot by the time I got to the counter, but again, when I ordered (an "All Lovin', No Oven" sundae with an extra brownie, in case you were wondering :-) ) my server started laughing at me. A quick query revealed that, apparently, in her time working there she had never seen anybody "as excited and animated" about ordering ice cream. Which is a shame, really, because ice cream is a pretty exciting sort of thing to get to order! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Punch the dough down, cut it in half, place in a 9x5 and an 8x4 inch bread pan, cover, and return to a warm spot for the

Second Rising (1 hour)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also occurring this week was my rediscovery of coffee shops. Usually I just eat breakfast at my apartment before going to the office for the day, but last Thursday I was running a bit late, and in my rush to make my class on time I had to skip breakfast. So, one I finished teaching I ran over to one of the (many many) local coffee shops...this one called "Cafe Paradiso" or something like that. Anyway, sitting there with a bagel and an oversized mug of some sort of tea (I had a cold at the time and couldn't have tasted what kind of tea it was to save my life) was just excellent. Maybe it was just finally being able to sit after a few stressful weeks of work, but the whole atmosphere was peaceful, relaxing, and whatnot. Anyway, I think if the physics department ever decides to pay me an extra chunk of change I might have to make coffeeshops and bagels (maybe with a newspaper thrown in for good measure) a more regular event.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bake for 10 minutes as 425 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 and bake for another 25 minutes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tasting verdict: A very unusual loaf. To be honest, I kind of think the taste is as lopsided as the loaf itself. On the one hand, the graham flour lends it a very...I don't know how else to put this...wholesome flavor. Really, you take a bite of this and you just know that you are eating something healthy for you. But! At the same time this bread has a fair amount of fat and sugar in it (both from the butter and the evaporated milk), so it also has a fairly rich texture. Almost as if someone was trying to make an unhealthy health-food version of the country fair bread from a while ago. But, on the whole it's not so bad...I think it will work fairly well as a base for deli sandwiches.

Currently reading: Just about to start "The Winter's Tale."

Next week: ?

Elissa's Maple Walnut Oat Loaf

Well, another exciting milestone for Daniel's Bread Blog this week as I made the first in what I hope is a series of mailed-in recipes (I mean, after all, my cookbook only has so many recipes...and besides, it's awfully fun to make something that you know comes so recommended that they took the time to send it through the mail!)

So, first, take about a cup and a half of oatmeal, and put it through a food processor for maybe a minute or so. Now, I didn't have a food processor before I started this, but I had to go to the supermarket anyway to pick up some of the ingredients, and I found one on the shelf. If it were a radio station I would get to describe it as "broadcasting live from Illinois with 30 watts of bone-crunching power!" But, sadly, it was not a radio station; it was a cheap $6 blender that groaned and struggled through the oatmeal, leaving me to wonder what it would actually be good for...parsley, perhaps? Or maybe it could stir liquids? I'll think of something to do with it, I'm sure.

Anyway, back to the bread! Add 2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast to just more than a cup of warm water, and then stir in 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of some delicious, homemade maple syrup. While you leave that to proof for a few minutes, combine the (very coarsely) ground oatmeal with 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt and 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil (to be honest, I didn't have veggie oil, so I substituted the some of the immense store of peanut oil I had left over from my very infrequent attempts at Asian-inspired cooking). Add in the yeast mixture, and then stir in 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour. Add 1 cup of chopped walnuts and, when they are pretty well mixed in, stir in 1 cup of all-purpose flour.

The dough will still be quite sticky, but fortunately it is a very easy dough to work with. So, knead in about another 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (until it becomes much less sticky and much more resilient.) Also, I have to admit that even though this dough doesn't put up the kind of fight I usually like when kneading, it is still a lot of fun to work with. The coarse oatmeal gives it a funny kind of texture, and having sharp little bits of walnut waiting to stab you adds a little variety to life. Anyway, when the dough is ready roll it around in a buttered bowl and put in the oven (turned to it's absolute lowest setting) for the


First Rising (1 hour and 10 minutes)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I'm happy to say that I am once again well rested, and that hopefully I won't have too too much work for another few weeks or so (just the usual problem sets...very manageable). Also, over the last week I've gotten to see my share of absurd and absurdly hilarious things. Two quick examples: first, whoever lives downstairs from me (Side note: I've never actually seen anybody else that lives in my 4-unit apartment building...I only ever see trace bits of evidence that I'm not the only person there...the mail will disappear from mailboxes every week or so...sometimes somebody else has moved the trash cans to the curb on pickup day, that sort of thing. But never any lights on in the house and only twice in the last eight months have I even heard music playing elsewhere in the house) left a stack of old magazines outside her door by the steps. And the only one whose cover is visible has two big, bold-faced headlines: "The 10 Most Dangerous Health Issues for Women" and "Tasty-Yummy Meals for Thanksgiving!" So anyway, that's been sitting on the steps for about a week now, and so far it hasn't failed to make me laugh a bit each time I see it at the end of the day. And then there's the fact that somebody brought the game "Rock Band" to the physics grad student lounge. Of course I'm not really good enough to play, but it is certainly hilarious just watching other people go at it. I don't think I've laughed as hard as I did listening to someone try to sing "Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a good time to comment on how variable this baking and rising times can be. The original recipe suggested that it would take closer to 1.5 hours for the first rising, and even more different close to 2 hours for the second rising. But, apparently different temperature/humidity conditions can have a ridiculous effect on baking, so I've learned (correctly, I hope!) to mostly ignore the times and just go by a few rules of thumb (i.e., something is done rising when it's about doubled in bulk, or when it doesn't spring back at all when poked).

But, anyway, back to the fun: time to punch that dough down! Then knead it a bit, and shape it into one large free-form loaf. Put a few diagonal slashes on top to add that extra pizzazz to the presentation, and then put on a buttered cookie sheet and put it on the kitchen floor by the window. Give the cookie sheet a periodic little kick to keep it in the moving square of sunlight as it goes through the

Second Rising (50 minutes)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And, spring is most definitely here, it seems. The robins showing up last week were a hint, but the pigeons that appeared yesterday seem like a pretty strong confirmation. So anyway, the last few days have been pretty much glorious: bright and sunny, but still not too hot for me. Today I very much enjoyed the opportunity to do my work while sitting outside at a park. Off hand, I'm going to go ahead and say that under such circumstances I work about three times slower than I would if I were at home or at my office. But I'd also say that I work about four times happier, so I think that all works out for the best. Hope it's as nice wherever you happen to be these days!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes (as usual, until it sounds hollow when tapped).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tasting verdict: Two things have to be acknowledged about this loaf. First, and perhaps most importantly, it is phenomenally tasty (a quick aside - Does anybody else remember the Bill Nye spoof of the lucky charms commercial... "Frost-ed luck-y stars are astro-nomic-ally delicious"?...well, that's the first thing I thought of after trying this bread...aaannd I'm a huge nerd.) But seriously, the taste is fantastic. There is a great balance between the hint of maple syrup that still comes through and the walnuts, and the oatmeal (I'm not sure if it was supposed to be ground more finely, so this might be an unintentional benefit) gives the bread a nice, medium-density texture. However, the second thing that must be acknowledged, and which the photos don't really show very clearly, is that this bread is, in addition to being fantastically tasty, also fantastically thin. Maybe an inch and a half at its highest. To get a good idea, if you cut a medium slice of this bread you would get something almost exactly the size of a coffee shop biscotti. This makes it slightly awkward when it comes to lunchtime sandwiches, I'm afraid. So, next time I make this I think I'll have to either use bread tins or just make two small free form loaves in the hopes that they would be stiff enough to hold up better and not spread out so much (admittedly, this is what the original recipe called for...sadly, my second cookie sheet apparently had a prior engagement and was thus nowhere to be found when I needed it).

Currently reading: Still reading Mencken, and, based on the length of the book, probably will be next week, too. He's such a good writer that even when I don't care much about what he has to say (frankly, political conventions during the 1920's aren't exactly what I spend my spare time thinking about), I just love hearing how he goes about saying it. I think he should have been required reading in substitute for some of the nonsense we had to read for Writing Workshop, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, the book is awesome and hilarious.

Next week: Ah, the great mysteries of life!