Enriched Doughs, aka The Ones That Make Us Fat

Bread Block:  Week #2.  This week was all about enriched doughs, meaning bread dough that is "enriched" by butter, eggs, milk... - all the tasty things.  It was a nice, slow paced week and we learned both of our test items on Monday and Tuesday, so Wednesday and Thursday were pretty relaxed.  We did, however, have to learn more math.  Baker's percentages.  It's not that difficult, you just have to remember the formula and not get percents mixed up with ounces.  Chef has a very simple way of teaching it, hopefully we don't all blank on test day.

Sticky Bun

Iced Cinnamon Rolls

Pre-Icing

 On Monday we started Brioche dough which has about a million eggs and a billion pounds of butter.  There is so much butter in this dough that you have to mix all the ingredients and bring the dough together then slowly add the butter bit by bit so that it all incorporates.  It is so soft that it had to be bagged and refrigerated for production the next day.  We also made Sweet Roll dough.  All I can say is YUM.  I think if you learn this one you will never be able to eat the pop-n-bake grocery store cinnamon rolls.  We made Cinnamon Rolls and Sticky Buns and they were tasty.  One batch of dough made a big batch of each.

Challah, no toppings

Challah ready for the oven

Tuesday we shaped and baked the Brioche and made Challah.  We didn't just make and bake Challah dough, we learned how to braid it into a Star of David shape.  Very interesting.  It was fun but we did it in groups and will have to do it alone on test day, so I made one at home.  Normally you sprinkle the top with salt, poppy seeds and sesame seeds, but I just made it plain.  It is pretty good.  I think manfriend ate half the start fresh from the oven.  The Brioche shapes are kind of weird and silly, but we have to make these little heads on top to represent Marie Antoinette getting her head chopped off.  Strange and historical.  They are delicious either way.

Tray of Brioche, large and small

 We are also continuously feeding baby Yeast Ledger.  It's getting pretty strong and I can't wait to make delicious Sourdough bread out of him next week.  MMM....

On Wednesday we made cakey breads - items that are bread but they have so much sugar and butter and added ingredients that they were considered cake in the old days and still are in Europe, but they are technically breads.

Kugelhopf

Stollen and Kugelhopf are tasty but contain dried fruit - like raisins - so, I wasn't super hopeful regarding how much I would like them.  The Stollen has a small roll of marzipan running through the bottom that is supposed to represent Baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes (you can see it in the top of the slice to the left - it looks like an almond).  He's a little sweet for my taste, but the dough had a nice texture and flavor from the subtle cinnamon.  It is also buried in powdered or granulated sugar after being brushed with melted butter.  Who wouldn't like that?  The Kugelhopf is named for the turban worn by 17th century Turkish invaders of Austria.  Traditionally it is baked in a dome shape, but we just used small angel food pans.  It is baked with a coating of almond slices and topped with powdered sugar.  It really tasted like cake and would be delicious with a fruit other than raisins.
     We also made Babas/Savarins dough.  Two different products, same dough.  They are baked one day, left to harden overnight and then soaked in rum sauce the next day.

Savarin

Savarin

So, Thursday we mixed our Brioche dough for tomorrow's test.  I really worked my butter in and my dough was so light and fluffy that I could barely bag it.  I hope it turns out ok tomorrow.  We also soaked our Babas and Savarins in a simple syrup flavored with orange, lemon, cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves and finished with dark rum.  We soaked all of the little cakes and then decorated them with creme chantilly and berries.  The syrup is a little sweet for me, but most people like it.  They were fun to make.

Chef gives this Brioche a thumbs up

Babas

This week we also found out that one of our classmates has dropped the class and withdrawn from school.  I hate to say it (not really), but we are quite glad that this person made this particular decision.  I don't think they they were all that serious and committed to the class and they were certainly not a team player.  We do wish her luck in future endeavors.

Tomorrow we take another test with baker's percentages and measurement math.  We also have to make the Brioche and the Challah star, so it will be a busy day.  Hopefully I will survive and live to bake another day.  Until then, ciao!

-The Queen of Tarts-