Start out by boiling 1/4 of a cup of water and pouring it over a generous pinch of saffron threads. While that's cooling down, proof 2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast in a mix of 3/4 of a cup of warm milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
After a few minutes, pour those two liquid mixtures into a mixing bowl, and add 1/2 a tablespoon of salt and 3 cups of all-purpose flour. Now, I'm not sure why, but this ended up being the most rock-solid, difficult to knead dough I've made in a long, long time. As a result I'm afraid I might have under-kneaded this one a little bit, which in turn was potentially reflected in the end result....we'll see. Anyway, put the kneaded dough in a greased bowl, cover, and set aside for the
First rising (2 hours)
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So, this was my week to showcase my apparent inability to get the food I was aiming for. First, I was at my favorite cheese shop, looking for my cheese of the week. After finally settling on my choice, I asked to have a section of the wheel of double-cream gouda, thinking it would go well with lunch this week. Well, while I was searching the rest of the store for this and that, the person behind the counter sliced the cheese, wrapped it up, and put it in a bag. I was quite happy with that, until I got home, opened the bag, and discovered that I had been given not double-cream gouda, but a triple-cream brie! Okay, well, admittedly, not exactly the worst thing that could possibly happen, but I was still pretty surprised. I mean, "brie" and "gouda" don't exactly sound that similar...
I have to admit, though, that the second time something like this happened to me this week, it was entirely my fault. I was trying to pick up a small jar of cinnamon, and there were really quite a few to chose from on the shelf. So, forgive me if I didn't exactly pay attention to which one I picked up...all I cared was that when I looked down into the shopping cart, I saw something that, rotated around as the jar was, looked like it ended in "...amon." Well, that'll teach me, as I now find myself in possesion of a small jar of cardamom. Which I haven't the foggiest idea what to do with. (So, incidentally, if you have any suggestions, do send them along!)
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Punch the dough down (it will have risen maybe 150% or so), knead for another minute, and then put in a 9x5 bread pan. Cover again at let rest for the
Second rising (1 hour and 30 minutes)
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Went to the yearly Asian film fest at Boardman's again, where I saw "Train Man"...
Immediate reaction: most obtrusive use/misuse of music in a movie I've seen
Immediate generalization: Asian film is strange.
Slightly more considered modification: But not more so than the independent cinema of english-speaking countries.
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Despair a bit that the bread isn't looking so shapely. Sigh twice, then bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees, then bake for another 25 minutes.
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Tasting verdict: First, let me say from the outset that this is probably the most aesthetically challenged loaf I've yet made. But that's okay, this is the "tasting verdict," after all, and while this won't be winning any bread beauty pagents, it does actually taste pretty good. Really just a nice, substantial sandwich-type loaf, but with a nice added saffron flavor.
1 comment:
Yea cardamom! If you are not making Indian food (particularly Indian desserts) much, you likely have a ridiculous amount of cardamom. It is very strong and numbing in large amounts--I would start by adding only an eighth of the amount of cardamom as you would cinnamon. In American cooking, it's used mainly with sweets. You can use it in many of the same recipes as cinnamon (not in place of, but additionally), or in place of /additionally to some of the allspice or nutmeg (but use a bit less than you would of these). E.g. apple pie (yum), pumpkin pie, carrot cake (I've never tried that), or with sugar on top of hot cereals (Glenn loves that). Also, my spice book contains the excellent recommendation to sprinkle allspice on top of grapefruit with a bit of sugar, but you can use cardamom instead. It might be good in some breads, but I can't think of many spicy breads that are sweet. Maybe coffee cake or cinnamon rolls.
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