Sunday Bread - Orange Marmalade Bread

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Jan 16, 2011 at 08:21:50 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we are going to make a whole wheat quick bread. Unfortunately this quick bread is anything but quick. However your time will be well rewarded when you serve up thin slices of Orange Marmalade Bread.

This recipe was originally from the mother of a girlfriend of mine. I think it was an old, old family recipe because of the way that it had you make the orange syrup which is the heart of the flavoring of this bread, that is more than half way to making marmalade. After a few years of making the way I was taught I decided to update the method and that is what you get today.

Let's Bake!  

Sunday Bread - Cloud Bread

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Jan 09, 2011 at 09:29:11 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads. I went back and forth about posting this today, given the events in AZ yesterday but my Grandmother taught me that life has to go on and that when there is tragedy one of the most life affirming things is food. So today we will affirm life and dedicate this post to all the dead and wounded in AZ.

We have baked a couple of different types of French bread in the past. Folks are always concerned with the crumb and wanting to get more airy open crumb. I don't have a problem with getting that so I have come to the conclusion that part of the trouble is experience. To help out those who don't have the time to bake a few hundred batches of bread, today we'll bake a new loaf I came up with, call it Cloud Bread.

Sunday Bread - Vort Limpa

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Jan 02, 2011 at 08:54:21 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads! And welcome to the New Year!

It is hard to believe that I have been posting about baking for an entire year, but the calendar does not lie. This week we're going to take care of a request. A while back a reader asked if I knew of a black bread that was sweet but with a bitter overtone and might be served in a bread basket at a German restaurant. I did, though it is actually a Swedish bread called Vort Limpa.  

Sunday Bread - Croquembouche! (Creampuff Tower)

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Dec 26, 2010 at 11:03:39 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

We are in the trough of the Holiday season, the time between Solstice and New Years. Even though the "eating" holidays are pretty much over there is a still one last chance to rock the world of your friends and neighbors with a New Years Eve dish. One of the best show stoppers you can make is the Croquembouche.  

Sunday Bread - Chocolate Covered Caramels

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Dec 19, 2010 at 09:21:31 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread (Candy) Heads!

All knowledge is dangerous, some pieces more so than others. This week I'm going to share a very dangerous piece of knowledge, how to make caramels!

Like bread there is a lot of really crappy caramel out there in the world. Good caramels should be creamy, with a strong dark note of cooked sugar. It should not be too soft nor too sticky. The good news is that I have a perfect recipe for caramels that anyone with a candy thermometer can make.  

Sunday Bread - The Oxford Fruit Cake

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Dec 05, 2010 at 07:51:55 AM MST

When people tell me that they don't like fruit cake, I completely understand. They have never had a real fruit cake, instead they have had some gloppy over processed thing with one of the greatest sins against nature, the commercially candied green maraschino cherry. Who could like such a thing?  

Sunday Bread - Dog Biscuits

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Nov 28, 2010 at 08:09:28 AM MST

Happy Holiday Sunday, Bread Heads!

This week I got a request for something fun that kids (under ten) could help with. Thinking about it, Dog Biscuits came to mind. There is almost no way to mess these treats for hounds up, it involves using cookie cutters and the dough is stiff enough that is can be mixed by putting little hands right in the bowl and mashing the ingredients together!  

Sunday Bread - Toasted Oat Scones

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Nov 21, 2010 at 08:45:33 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week is of course the week where we thank the monkey, you know Thanks, Gibbon! Okay so now that we have dispensed with my seven year old nephews joke let's talk about baking. Most folks will be telling you things you can make for the holiday, but I want to give you something for that day after, Black Friday.

If you are going to be out there braving the crowds (not my idea of fun, but your mileage may vary) you need something that will give you plenty of energy and keep you going with others 52oz Mocha Latte has worn thin. For this application there is nothing better or easier than a Toasted Oatmeal Scone.  

Sunday Bread - Chocolate Center Loaves

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Nov 14, 2010 at 09:33:22 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

So, lets start with a little housekeeping. This series is in the process of becoming a book. I am working on re-baking all the recipes from this series and taking new pictures for the book. I am self publishing it through Amazon and have high hopes that it will be ready in the first week of December (we'll see and I'll keep you posted if that changes). It is tentatively going to be called "A Liberal Sprinkle of Flour".

But enough of that, you came here to get a new bread recipe and I have a good one for you. It is another version of bread with chocolate. This recipe is similar to Petite Pan Au Chocolate, but it much easier and faster. Instead of individual brioche rolls filled with chocolate, these are actual loaves with of white bread with a rich chocolate center. The bread is made with milk and butter so it is also rich, but without the eggs that make a brioche.

So, let's bake!  

Sunday Bread - Raisin Coffe Cake (But Its Really Bread!)

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Nov 07, 2010 at 10:06:26 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we're going to blur the line between cake and bread. This recipe has  a bread that is filled with nearly half as much raisins as flour! It is topped with a streusel topping and goes by the name Raisin Coffee Cake. While it might not be what most folks like of as "coffee cake" there are very few who refuse a second piece.

 So, enough teasing, let's bake!  

Sunday Bread - Honey Dinner Rolls

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Oct 31, 2010 at 07:45:56 AM MST

This week we're going to fulfill a request for dinner rolls. Specifically rolls that the dough can be made ahead of time and just pinch off enough for the amount of rolls you want to make. This is good timing as it is that time of year where more dinner parties are starting and, of course, Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  

Sunday Bread - Pumpkin Walnut Bread

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Oct 17, 2010 at 05:01:48 AM MST

This week was a bit of a tough one, I had to run to Michigan for my Grandmothers funeral. That does not mean that there was not time to make some fabulous bread; just that it had to be rather quick and easy.  

Sunday Bread - Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Sep 26, 2010 at 08:59:52 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we're going to make Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread. This is bread that an old co-worker used to make just at Holiday time. Personally I think it is too tasty to be reserved just for the holidays, plus there are other breads I like to make then. I think that the lovely crumb that the eggs, butter and oatmeal give are just the right vehicle for the cinnamon sugar swirls.  

Sunday Bread - French Harvest Loaf

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Sep 19, 2010 at 09:00:02 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we are going to take a little break from the sourdough and bake one of my favorite fall breads the French Harvest Loaf. Why is it the Harvest Loaf? I have no clue, it is what this recipe was called when I learned it and it was always at this time of year when it was baked. It has a cool feature that will seem intimidating until the first time you do it. That is the wheat stalks which decorate the loaf.  

Sunday Bread - Whole Wheat Sourdough

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Sep 05, 2010 at 07:29:37 AM MST

Happy Holiday Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we're still working our way through some sourdough breads. Hopefully by now you have given into guilt and made a starter. If not, I'll give the starter instructions below.

There have been lots of requests and questions about making bread with whole wheat flour. Most of the more fancy recipes I have shared really can't be made with whole wheat flour (okay you could make them with it but they don't turn out like you would expect, especially croissants and the like, trust me on this). However, there are plenty of great whole wheat breads. A whole wheat sourdough is one of them. This recipe gives a really tart sour flavor and a little of the nuttiness that whole wheat brings. It does require a cup of white flour, though. Without it the dough will not rise enough and you will wind up with a sourdough brick and no one wants to eat that.

So, on to the bread!  

Sunday Bread - Sourdough Pumpernickel

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Aug 29, 2010 at 08:45:12 AM MST

This week we're going to handle a request and keep going on the sourdough breads. Sourdough Pumpernickel is one of the great sandwich breads of all time. The dense crumb and complex flavors make this bread more than just the base for some meat and cheese, it makes it part of the overall meal.  

Sunday Bread - French Chocolate Sourdough!

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 08:36:55 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads!

This week we're going to make French Style Sourdough Bread. The idea for this bread comes from a great bakery deli just tucked away off the main campus of the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), Zingerman's Deli. They make a Chocolate Sourdough bread that is out of this world. It also cost $10 bucks plus shipping so I decided to see if I could replicate the recipe and share it with you.  

Sunday Bread - Chocolate Bread

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Aug 08, 2010 at 09:25:27 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads! This week we are going to fulfill another request, sort of. One of the Bread Heads asked for a chocolate bread recipe like the one that they found at an on campus store. This bread is a quick bread, meaning that is made from a batter and is not raised. I have recipes for that, but I got to thinking about actually yeast chocolate breads. So, this week we are going to do chocolate bread that is more like bread and less like cake.

This bread is not sweet at all, it uses unsweetened Dutched Cocoa and just four tablespoons of sugar. It also has orange zest which gives a lovely aroma to the bread. While it is not sweet, it is also not exactly the kind of bread you would make a sandwich on. This a bread that is best served at brunch or tea with lots of butter and just a bit of sage honey.  

Sunday Bread - Marbled Vegetable Bread

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Aug 01, 2010 at 08:28:53 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads! This week we are going do a recipe that is  a little more advanced than some of the others. That said, there are no baking techniques that will trip you up, what is challenging here is the organization. This bread is made by making three completely separate dough's, then rolling them together. Since all of them have to rise before they can be worked together you will be making dough after dough after dough and then doing the rest.

It is not hard but if you don't have your bowls ready and don't stay focused it can be pretty frustrating. So, as always, read the recipe a couple of times. Think about what you need in terms of cook ware and ingredients and plan it out before you start. If you do that you too will be able to make the fabulous Marbled Vegetable Bread!  

Sunday Bread - Challa

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Sun Jul 25, 2010 at 09:51:34 AM MST

Happy Sunday Bread Heads! This week we'll be fulfilling a request for Challa. Now, we have done braided breads before and almost always someone says "Hey Challa!". The thing is, while all Challa have some type of braid, not all braided breads are Challa. Part of what makes Challa...er..um.. Challa, is saffron.

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. Below is a picture of what $20 worth of saffron looks like. You can get much better prices buying it in bulk, but who needs that much saffron? Here is the dirty little secret; you can make perfectly fine Challa without the saffron. It makes the bread just a little yellower and it gives only a slight overtone in the overall flavor of the bread. So, if you find that buying saffron is a bridge too far, then just leave it out, no one will ever know.