Each lunch is an entire meal containing a few recipes which of course can be cherry picked or mixed and matched. But if you're ever looking for inspiration for a simple meal–lunch or dinner, inside a factory or outside of one–our factory lunches are a safe bet.
The bread below is a simple sourdough that is ready for riffing. The timing is layed out so that your only working time is before bed, at coffee time, and at lunch time. Time ranges are suggested and you can follow the general fermentation rule, hotter is faster, cooler is slower. So if your home temperature is below 72 F err toward the longer fermentation times. If it is warmer, lean toward the shorter timeframes.
Our household has recently been transformed with the purchase of a pressure cooker, which I now understand is the key to making the most magical beans. The white bean spread below is great at the center of a simple meal like this but also works as an appetizer dip, served with toasts or pita chips. The dip benefits from a punchy, crunchy, acidic component and that is where the carrot pickles come in. And if you’ve never had Aleppo style crushed red pepper, pick some up. It has a tame spiciness, subtle sweetness, and a very full pepper flavor. I’m not sure it has an equal. Pick it up at the Middle East Bakery and Grocery on Foster in Chicago, Illinois.
And folks, please, don’t forget to eat your greens. I grew up in a house where we ate a huge green salad, simply dressed with a vinaigrette, after the main meal, every single night. It is so easy to make, so good for you, and so delicious that there is absolutely no reason (aside from lettuce allergies, of course) not to eat a simple salad every day. Here we call for kale. Of course, use any green you want. We’re now entirely spoiled because we work next to Artesian Farm in New Buffalo, Michigan and have a year-round source of the most tender, delicious curly kale you can imagine. Look them up!
800 grams bread flour
200 grams whole wheat flour
775 grams water
22 grams salt
100 grams bread flour
25 grams rye flour
100 grams water
25 grams unfed starter
454 grams dry northern white beans (1lb bag)
6 cups water
10 grams salt
1 small sized onion
1 medium sized leek
1 red bell pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
⅕ bunch of parsley
Aleppo-style crushed red pepper
Olive oil for cooking and dressing
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium carrot
Water
Sherry vinegar
Salt
100 grams kale
15 grams olive oil
10 grams vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix the starter ingredients together at night, between 8 and 10pm. Wet out the ingredients thoroughly in a clean glass container. Make cleanup easy by having two spoons at the ready; one to mix, the other to scrape off sticky starter. Wipe the spoons with a paper towel to avoid getting dough stuck in the sink. Use a plate or a loose fitting cover to close the vessel.
Mix dough in the morning, between 6 and 8am. Combine the flours in a large mixing bowl. Measure water into a medium bowl. Use warm water for a faster bulk ferment and colder water for a longer fermentation. Scrape the starter from the fermentation container and dump it into the water. The starter should be bubbly and appear two to three times larger in volume compared to the night before. Note: If the starter isn’t active you can still bake, just spike your dough with dry active yeast. Put your starter through two to three more feed cycles to build its strength. Pour the water and starter into the flour and mix well with a stout wooden spoon. Let the mixture sit at least 5 minutes before adding the salt and working it into the dough. Cover the dough and let it ferment.
Between noon and 2pm, begin the forming process. Sprinkle a bit of water onto a smooth, non-porous working surface. Turn the dough out with a scraper onto the wetted working surface. With a little water available for your hands and the blade of your bench knife, divide the dough in two.
Work the dough into a round. Scrape under the dough and work at pulling and folding the edges of the dough up onto itself, to make a rough ball shape. Turn each ball shape over so that the folded up seams are on the bottom. Slide your bench knife under the ball, pushing the ball toward your free hand to stretch the outer skin of the dough. You’re essentially tucking the dough under itself, creating tension in the outer skin. At the end of each slide, use your free hand to push the dough off of the bench knife with a tucking motion that further stretches the outer skin of the dough. The sliding motion should elongate the dough, so with each slide, rotate your approach by 90 degrees, sliding the bench knife toward one of the narrow ends of the dough. Do this a dozen or so times until the outer skin appears glossy, smooth, and taught. Try to avoid tearing. Cover the dough with a towel and rest for 45 minutes to an hour.
Uncover the dough and sprinkle flour over the dough and the surrounding work surface. Scrape under the dough from a couple of directions to free it from the work surface and flip the dough, wet side up. Reach under the dough and lightly pull the edges to make a uniform oval or rectangle. Beginning at the end furthest from you, fold a third of the dough up onto itself. Repeat with the opposite end. Reach under the dough and rotate it 90 degrees. Reach under the far end of the dough and roll it toward you. With the seam down, quickly and firmly pinch the ends of the roll closed. Roll the dough over and pinch the bottom seam closed if needed. Try to use only as little flour as is needed to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface as too much flour will make seams harder to close after rolling.
Sprinkle a little flour in an oval banneton. If the outside of the dough is really sticky, roll it in some of the flour on the work surface. Place the dough in the banneton and repeat the process with the second dough. Cover the banneton by placing a lid on top or wrapping a large tea towel around it. Place them in the refrigerator to rest and ferment.
The following day, bake anytime. Preheat your oven and Fourneau Grande baking cloche to 490-500 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes to an hour. If possible, place the cloche to one side of the oven to allow room for a baking tray on the oven rack next to the cloche. Get your hot pads ready, get out the scoring lame, put some water into your steam pitcher, and have the removable tray handle at the ready. Take a banneton out of the refrigerator, uncover or unwrap it, place a fourneau baking tray on top of the banneton and flip the tray and banneton together to remove the dough. Score your dough from end to end with a lame and load the tray into your Fourneau Grande. Pour a tablespoon or so of water into the baking chamber before closing with the hatch. Bake for 20 minutes at 490 with the hatch in place. Remove the tray and place it to the side of the Grande in the open oven. Load your next loaf into the cloche and reset a timer for 20 minutes. When the time is up, remove the first loaf from the oven and allow it to cool. Move the second loaf from the cloche to the open oven and allow it to finish baking for 20 minutes, removing it from the oven to cool at the end of that time.
Fresh bread should be allowed to cool for at least an hour before slicing. It can be eaten fresh or left to sit out on the counter for the rest of the day. After 12-24 hours we recommend storing the remaining bread in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator and refreshing via toasting.
When freezing bread, consider shaving a few minutes from the second stage of baking to produce a less-browned loaf. Allow the bread to cool completely before putting it into a freezer bag and popping into the freezer. Frozen bread can be refreshed in the oven at 325 F for 15-25 minutes with this baking completing the browning process on the crust.
Dry beans cooked in a pressure cooker works best but canned beans or boiled beans can be used as a stand in. Soak beans for 1-24 hours. Rinse the beans and add them to the pressure cooker with a whole onion, salt, and about 6 cups of water. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the leek and dice the bell pepper. In a tablespoon or so of olive oil, cook the leek on low heat until it starts to lightly brown. Add the bell pepper and soy sauce and cook on medium low heat until the peppers are soft.
When the beans are done, drain them and retain the liquid. Allow the beans to cool for a few minutes. Add ⅓ to ½ of the beans to the pan with the cooked leek and pepper. Turn the heat to medium low and cook together for five minutes or so. Combine the contents of the pan with the remaining cooked beans in a bowl and blend with an immersion blender, adding liquid retained from cooking the beans to achieve a spreading consistency. Taste the spread and add salt if needed. Add cracked black pepper to taste. Leave some of the beans whole for texture.
The spread can be enjoyed right away or stored in the refrigerator. It should be warmed to room temperature before serving or served warm. Serve drizzled with your favorite olive oil and garnish with pickled carrots, finely chopped parsley, and Aleppo style crushed red pepper. The pickled carrots add an essential acidity to the dish but they can be replaced with other tangy favorites. Salty, oil-cured olives accompany the bean spread beautifully!
Nothing beats lacto fermented carrots, but quick pickled carrots are a quick to make stand in. Simply slice the carrot into thin slivers or slices, place in a container with a tight fitting lid, and add water to just about cover the carrots. Top off the water with a dash of sherry or red wine vinegar and add salt to taste. The “brine” should be presently vinegary and noticeably salty. This can be left out for the day and used from the fridge for about 3-5 days.
We get our curly kale from our neighbors, Artesian Farm in New Buffalo, Michigan. It’s hydroponically grown and picked young so the leaves are tender and the stalks are small. It makes a great salad green and will even stand up to sitting dressed if you need to make your “factory lunch” at home in the morning before work. To make the dressing, our olive oil into a mixing bowl, add vinegar, and salt and pepper. Whisk with a fork and taste the dressing, adjusting with a drop of oil if it is too tangy or with a little vinegar if there isn’t enough punch. Prepare the kale by pulling out any large stems, rinsing the leaves in cold water, and spinning them dry in a salad spinner. Add the kale to the vinaigrette and toss until thoroughly dressed, using two clean hands.
The first thing you'll want to do is clean the mushrooms thoroughly. Insects love to hang out in the gills of oysters, so soaking them briefly in water to evict any bugs that are taking up residence is often a necessary step. After you've soaked the mushrooms, dry them thoroughly before cooking.
Once your mushrooms are clean and dry, make a simple marinade of lemon zest, crushed garlic, fresh thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and urfa pepper.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the mushroom stems, as they are typically too chewy to enjoy. Cut the mushrooms into large chunks.
Dip the mushrooms quickly into the marinade, and then place them gills down on a baking sheet.
Cook the mushrooms for about 10 minutes on each side, or until they start to turn a bit golden.
Remove from the oven, let them cool a bit, and then chop coarsely.
While mushrooms are cooling, toast your sourdough.
Spread a good quality goat cheese on the toast, and then pile on the chopped mushrooms.
If desired, add micro-greens or any other garnish that is desired.
Enjoy!
Ingredient recap
A large handful of fresh oyster mushrooms, cleaned
Fresh goat cheese
Crusty sourdough bread
One large lemon, juiced and zested
One garlic clove, crushed
A few fresh springs of thyme
Olive oil
Salt
Urfa pepper
Micro-greens, such as radish (optional)
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Here is the gist:
Season your chops with salt and pepper and cook them with indirect heat. We built a fire in the middle of our fire pit grill and cooked the chops on the ring grill until they were almost cooked through, about 120ºF.
After stoking the fire with some new splits of wood, we added the center grate and heated the cast iron griddle on top of that. It only takes a few moments to sear the outside of the chops on that hot iron.
With the chops seared, we add butter and oil to the pan, fry the sage leaves for a moment, pour in the blackberries, stir, and then deglaze with a pour of water. I add salt, sugar, and vinegar to taste. If the pan is extra hot the sugar goes in right at the end to avoid burning. There is enough water in the pan to boil the blackberries and break them down. More water can always be added to extent the cooking. When the sauce is reduced to a consistency you like, quickly toss the chops in it and pour the rest of the sauce on top. The chops will be well rested at that point and ready to serve.
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The classic Spanish paella pan – the paellera – has all of those characteristics, but it needs the kind of dispersed heat that you can only get from a special gas cooking ring or a gas grill. On a stovetop gas burner the thin metal of the classic paellera fails to spread the heat, resulting in a scorched center and undercooking around the edges.
The Fourneau Paella Pan changes all of that, and makes it possible for the home cook to produce a perfect paella on a gas stovetop. The heavy cast iron construction of the pan spreads the heat, and the pan’s size and shallow sloped sides are similar to those of the classic Spanish paellera. The elegantly sculpted pan goes from stovetop to table, making for a beautiful presentation of the finished paella.
This recipe will produce four generous servings of the best stovetop paella imaginable. Mix and match your veggies with whatever is in season.
RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
2 medium tomatoes
1.5 cups Spanish Paella Rice (bomba)
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp saffron
7-8 Marinated artichoke hearts
1 Roasted red bell pepper
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup manzanilla olives
Salt
Olive Oil
Directions:
Finely chop the onion, garlic and tomatoes. Heat a hearty glug of olive oil in the Fourneau paella pan until the oil shimmers. Add onion and cook until translucent and soft. Add the onion, tomatoes, paprika and saffron and stir until a jammy sauce forms. Add a generous pinch of salt.
In a medium saucepan, begin to bring the vegetable broth and white wine to a boil. Add the paella rice to the paella pan and stir to incorporate and slightly toast the rice. Salt again generously. Spread the rice mixture evenly throughout the pan and slowly pour the boiling water & wine mixture over the rice. Set heat to low and without stirring, let the paella cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
During the last five minutes of cooking, sprinkle the peas, roasted red bell pepper, artichoke hearts and olives on top of the rice. This is the moment for cool creative paella vegetable designs.
When the vegetable toppings have warmed through, remove the pan from heat and bring it right to the table. Garnish with lemons and serve warm alongside crusty bread and dry white wine. Provecho!
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When Kristyn from @oldoaksourdough reached out to us sharing her personal story of healing with sourdough, we found it so inspiring that we wanted to ask more and share it with the world. In this interview, she shares about her gluten intolerance and how she came to find a sourdough solution. We want to celebrate bakers like Kristyn, who is working toward starting her own small business, focusing on sourdough exclusively, and teaching families with gluten intolerance how to bring sourdough into their lives.
Before starting my healing journey, I spent about 7 years having increased digestive issues. This is what prompted me to start looking more closely at the foods I was eating. My current doctor unfortunately, was not too helpful during this time, and I really struggled to find a doctor that would listen to me. My digestive issues included daily stomach bloating, distention, and pain. Whether I was sleeping, sitting, or walking, my stomach always felt very tender. The discomfort impacted me daily. I would find some relief while I slept, but I still had a low constant ache; the cycle would start new every day. The inflammation caused my bladder to feel constricted and it felt almost like UTI or cystitis of the bladder; there was a constant pressure and ache. There was so much inflammation within my stomach, it was putting pressure everywhere.
I think our bodies are very capable of healing given the correct support. I finally found a doctor that listened and said my discomfort might be caused by a gluten sensitivity. Removing gluten gave me the most immediate results and reduced my discomfort, however it wasn’t a cure all.
Moving away from gluten was one of my biggest dietary adjustments. It can be an overwhelming process to really heal your gut, and I was grateful to work with an Integrative Medicine Doctor and Nutritionist that listened and helped look at the big picture. I made some significant dietary changes for about a year and removed inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy, alcohol, and raw veggies from my diet; I also ate grain-free for about 6 months. During that time of healing, I took in gentle, healing foods like bone broths and soups. I also worked with a chiropractor to adjust my stomach, which brought me a lot of relief as well. Healing was and continues to be a layered process working with different doctors, dietary changes, and lifestyle changes. I also integrated yoga to help move my body gently, specifically my stomach.
During this time, I also had my 2 children and my son, specifically, started having tummy discomforts around age 2, saying his tummy hurt and spending a lot of time in the bathroom. We came to the same conclusion, that gluten affected him as well. After making this dietary change, he immediately improved.
Sourdough didn’t become part of my diet until I slowly had re-introduced many foods back, but gluten was still something my stomach could not tolerate. As I continually researched health and wellness, I often read that eating sourdough was a possibility for those that could not tolerate gluten. The first sourdough I ate was my own homemade loaf, and from there I found that properly prepared sourdough with organic grains, long and slow fermentation, and minimal pure ingredients was gentle enough for my body to tolerate. As I learned and began baking sourdough for myself and my family, it has now become a central part of our meals! My son also digests it very well, and while we still consider ourselves gluten-free, the exception is sourdough!
Sourdough has become a huge passion and part of my life, as well as for my family. I make fresh loaves each weekend that the four of us enjoy all week. We use it for French toast and sandwiches and it’s in most of our main meals during the weekend. Whatever is left, I pre-slice and freeze for use during our week. I introduced it very slowly, but now I eat sourdough daily.
I like using a blend of flours to develop different flavors and nutritional components, as well as producing a beautifully baked loaf! I consistently use Organic APF from Central Milling and love that it is available at Costco for a great price. I use Organic King Arthur bread flour because it’s a higher protein flour and gives great strength to dough structure, and I use an Organic Sprouted Spelt flour by One Degree Organics that I get at a local health food store. The recipe I am sharing today is a blend of all these; the flavor of the spelt gives a nutty and rich flavor profile. It produces a hearty and dense loaf, and it is my favorite for morning toast and to eat with soups!
All images courtesy of Kristyn @oldoaksourdough
Old Oak Sourdough-Ancient Grain Spelt Loaf
150 g Organic Sprouted Spelt
150 g Organic Bread Flour
150 g Organic AP Flour
335 g Filtered Water
150 g Levain (sour starter)
12 g Fine Sea Salt
This loaf also contains turkey tail mushrooms, which are plentiful in the forests of the Northeast, where I live. They are packed with antioxidants, contain immune-boosting polysaccharopeptides, may improve immune function in people with certain cancers, and may enhance gut health. I pull a couple of turkey tail mushrooms on almost every hike I take in the Hudson Valley region of New York, where I live. They don’t grind up well at all unfortunately, so I just dry and slice them up for my dough. That seems to work fine.
I also included Chaga mushrooms, which do grind up well. Chaga is packed with B-complex vitamins, vitamin D, potassium, amino acids, fiber, zinc, iron, manganese, magnesium, and calcium.
This is a 20 hour rise all together. 18 hours for the initial rise and then another 2 hours after a fold.
Ingredients:
1 cups organic all purpose four (APF)
1 cup organic rye flour
1 cup organic spelt flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp yeast
1 2/3 ish cups water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup organic sunflower seeds
1 TBS ground dry chaga mushroom
1 TBS shredded dried turkey tail mushrooms
1 TBS ground dried elderberry (you can buy dried elderberry in bulk at some natural food stores. I ground mine in a coffee grinder that I use exclusively for grinding my own herbs.
Tools:
9 x 5” loaf pan
Grande bread oven
Mix dry ingredients together thoroughly then add the water.
Mix the dough completely (a fork or spatula works fine).
Cover the dough in a bowl with room for it to rise.
Keep the dough in a warm location (68-72 degrees, ideally) for 18 hours to let it rise.
Hour 18: Uncover dough and fold it in half in one direction, and then in half again the other direction (get some air in the dough).
Cover again and let the dough sit an additional 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 475-500 degrees (with the Fourneau Grande bread oven inside).
Coat a 9x5 inch loaf pan with a light layer of oil (I use grapeseed oil because it has a high smoke-point). Transfer the dough into the pan.
Place the loaf pan in the Fourneau Grande. Close the cloche and cook for 26 minutes.
Open the cloche and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. You can remove the steam bowl for this portion if you’re baking sans cloche.
Remove loaf from oven and from loaf pan and let cool on a rack.
It is my opinion that this bread should only be eaten well-toasted. I love this loaf sliced and toasted with a slather of goat cheese, a drizzle of honey, and fresh rosemary or thyme sprinkled on top. You can also slice and freeze this loaf.
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CLICK HERE to view and download our free updated recipe book.
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]]>Gneiss Spice (say "Nice Spice") magnetic jars take your cluttered spice situation and transform it into a functional work of art. The jars can be stored on a fridge or steel backsplash for easy access—no more digging through cabinets! With spices in sights, you’ll use them often, becoming a more adventurous and confident chef. Gneiss Spice carries over 250 organic spices, and refills are packed in compostable packaging, making this a zero-waste spice storage solution. www.gneissspice.com
Cast Iron Skillet Seared Shawarma Chicken w/ Za'atar Roasted Carrots & Pomegranate Sumac Greens
Serves 4
Ingredients
Steps:
Carrots:
Take six medium carrots and cut them into oblong pieces about ¼” thick.
Season carrots with oil, salt and pepper, and ground cumin seeds and place in a cast iron pan or baking sheet.
Roast in a 450ºF oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Allow carrots to cool in the pan and sprinkle with za’atar.
Salad Dressing:
Combine the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, vinegar, mustard, sumac, salt and pepper in a salad bowl and mix.
Add lettuce of your choice (we suggest baby arugula).
Chicken:
Cut six boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1” by 1” pieces and array them on 8 skewers.
Sprinkle them with salt to taste and dust with shawarma spice on both sides.
Turn the oven to broil and heat a cast iron skillet under the broiler for several minutes.
Add the high temp oil to the skillet before heating under the broiler.
TIP: when the oil just starts to smoke, the skillet is hot enough to sear the chicken.
When the pan is lightly smoking, remove it from the broiler and add four skewers.
Place back under the broiler and cook for 3 minutes before flipping and cooking another 3 minutes.
Repeat with the last set of four skewers.
Serve:
Place dressed salad on a plate and top with carrots. Serve the skewer to the side of the salad with a lemon for seasoning.
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This is the recipe that got us into baking bread at home. My Dad bakes baguettes exclusively and now bakes two at a time on the Fourneau tray. A few of these are demi baguettes are always at the ready in the freezer; they reheat beautifully into extra crusty loaves that accompany any meal.
]]>A perfect recipe for baguettes, inspired by the “no knead” method
This is the recipe that got us into baking bread at home. My Dad bakes baguettes exclusively and now bakes two at a time on the Fourneau tray. A few of these are demi baguettes are always at the ready in the freezer; they reheat beautifully into extra crusty loaves that accompany any meal.
Ingredients:
500 g | 3 cups | Unbleached white bread flour |
2 g | 1/2 tsp | Active dry yeast |
10 g | 2 tsp | Salt |
375 g | 1 5/8 cup | Water |
MIX:
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly.
Add water to dry mixture and mix until all of the flour is saturated.
RISE:
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise for 12-18 hours, depending on weather and temperature.
FORM:
Turn dough out onto a floured work surface.
Divide the dough into four parts. Flatten the dough, and then fold it in half. Flatten it again, and then fold it in half again. Pinch the seam closed. Giving it a tug or “cigar” roll can help to elongate the dough further if desired. Set the formed loaf seam side down on your floured surface, and then pinch the end seams closed.
Cover with a floured towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. Fold the loaf one more time along its length, and then let sit for another 30 minutes. Before baking, you can “twist” the ends of the loaves to give them a characteristic baguette point.
When ready to bake, carefully lift the formed loaf onto the baking tray. Alternatively, roll the loaf onto your silicone mat before transferring to the tray.
BAKE:
Pre-heat oven to 475°F - 500ºF while the loaves are rising, at least 45 minutes before you bake.
Score the loaf with three angled slashes using a razor.
Insert the tray into the Fourneau and close the hatch.
Cook with the hatch closed for 15 minutes.
Remove hatch and cook with hatch off for an additional 5-10 minutes, depending on your preferred level of browning. Alternatively, remove the tray and cook the loaf in the open-oven for the second stage of baking. This frees the baking chamber for your next loaf.
When finished remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
If you prefer to make two loaves versus four baguettes, modify the cooking time. Bake with the hatch on for 20 minutes and with the hatch off for 5-10+ min.
If you prefer to bake two demi baguettes, side by side, consider rotating the loaves between the first and second stages of baking. Rotate each loaf 180º so that the sides that were facing in are facing out for the second stage of baking. This will result in more even browning.
Bread is done baking when the interior temperature of the loaf reaches 200º F
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If there could possibly be something better than a burger to serve on Father's Day, a Croque Monsieur might be it ...
]]>For two sandwiches, here's what you'll need:
Start with a simple white loaf bread. It should be on the wider side, though you can certainly make a croque with baguettes. Cut the loaf in half vertically, and then cut the halves in half again, but laterally this time. Then, carefully cut the top and bottom crusts off each piece of the bread. Save the crusts for making into bread crumbs.
Melt butter in a pan at medium temperature. Add bread to pan and allow it to absorb the butter and soften up on both sides. You can use as little or as much butter as you like ... we tend to use about 1/2 tbsp per piece of toast.
Once the bread is deliciously buttery and soft, remove it from the pan and set it on a foil lined baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of the Dijon mustard on one side of the toasts, and then sprinkle a thick layer of the Gruyere over each piece. Place in the broiler and bake until cheese is melted, bubbly and golden.
Remove from the broiler and add the ham to one side of each sandwich "set." Press the two halves together, and then return each sandwich to the pan. Toast on each side until golden and brown, adding more butter if needed.
Optional — add more cheese to the outside of the sandwich, and serve with a fried egg on top if desired.
Et Voila! Bonne Fête des Pères!
Dried figs and crushed fennel are a marriage made in bread heaven ...
]]>Dried figs and crushed fennel are a marriage made in bread heaven. I adore having this loaf as a breakfast bread, but it is also wonderful as the foundation for an open faced sandwich. My favorite recipe is to spread a layer of fresh ricotta cheese on the bread, and then top it with speck (or prosciutto) and vinaigrette-dressed arugula. It's a perfect light lunch or snack.
This recipe combines white bread flour with whole germ APF; this is whole wheat flour that has had the bran sifted out, but the flour still contains the wheat germ. If you are not able to find whole germ flour near you, I recommend using "white whole wheat."
Recipe: Fig + Crushed Fennel Bread
350g Unbleached white bread flour
150g Whole germ all purpose flour (or white whole wheat)
375g Water
130g Sliced dried figs (be sure to remove the hard stems)
2 tsp Crushed fennel seed (crush with a mortar and pestle)
10g Sea salt
2g Yeast
see bottom of page for volumetric measurements
MIX |
Mix all dry ingredients together thoroughly, including fennel seed. |
|
RISE | Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise for 12-18 hours, depending on weather and temperature. | |
FORM |
Turn dough out onto floured work surface. |
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BAKE | Slide loaf off peel into the Fourneau and close hatch. Cook with hatch closed for 15-20 minutes. Remove hatch and cook with hatch off for an additional 5 minutes. Note that the sugars in the loaf will cause extra caramelization, thus the slightly shorter secondary bake. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. |
Recipe: Fig + Crushed Fennel Bread (by volume)
2 cups Unbleached white bread flour
1 cup Whole germ all purpose flour (or white whole wheat)
1 3/4 cup Water
1/2 cup Sliced dried figs (be sure to remove the hard stems)
2 tsp Crushed fennel seed (crush with a mortar and pestle)
1 tsp Sea salt
1/2 tsp Yeast
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In Chicago, people take St. Patrick's Day very seriously. In honor of the Saint who banished the snakes from Ireland, we put on a giant parade, run wild in the streets, and dye the river green. As Chicagoans, we feel we need to honor this holiday, and as bread heads, we feel it is best done with a tribute of baked goods ...
This lead us to develop what is quite possibly the greatest St. Patrick's Day bread recipe ever ... it has both Irish beer and Irish whiskey in it (by way of the cheese), and it is mind bendingly delicious. The richness and color of the Guinness make the crumb a warm brown, and an earthy sweetness comes through in the aroma and the taste. By cutting the cheese into small chunks and folding it into the different layers of the bread during forming, you'll have delicious pockets of cheese dotting the interior. Making somewhat deeper score lines in the bread allows the cheese to oooze up to the surface.
This loaf is delicious, beautiful, and quite easy to make; you should be able to find all of the ingredients at your grocery store. Enjoy!
Recipe: Guinness Bread w/ Whiskey Cheddar
500g Unbleached White Bread Flour
250g Guinness Beer
125g Plain kefir (or yogurt)
10g Sea salt
2g Yeast
150 g of Kerrygold Whiskey Cheddar chopped into small pieces
MIX |
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly. (Not including cheese.) |
|
RISE | Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise for 12-18 hours, depending on weather and temperature. | |
FORM |
Turn dough out onto floured work surface. |
|
BAKE | Slide loaf off peel into the Fourneau and close hatch. Cook with hatch closed for 15-20 minutes. Remove hatch and cook with hatch off for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. |
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When spending time in the Banderas Bay area, we are always amazed by the delicious seafood ...
]]>A favorite thing to do with this lovely seafood is make a ceviche; blending the fresh flavors of a mahi mahi with lime, cilantro, onion, and tomato is a delicious, cooling lunch or snack.
On our most recent trip, the weather was frequently quite cool in the morning and into the midday, so we decided to make a "warm" version of ceviche, and serve it on some of our freshly toasted bread.
We hope you'll enjoy this recipe as much as we did! We toasted the thick slices of bread, and then dressed them with freshly made aoli before topping them with a mixture of sauteed zucchini and onions. This was the foundation for the "warm ceviche," (shrimp salad) — see the complete recipe below.
Ingredients
Serves 3-4
For the shrimp salad:
1 lb fresh shrimp, shell-on
2 small roma tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
small bunch cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
garlic aoli (see below)
salt + pepper to taste
For the sauteed vegetables:
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp butter
salt + pepper to taste
For the aioli:
Yolk from one fresh farm egg
EVOO
1 garlic clove, minced
Sautee the zucchini and the onions in the butter over medium heat until very soft and reduced, about 10 minutes or more. It should be in an almost spreadable state when done.
Grill or griddle the shrimp with shells on. When pink on both sides, set aside on a plate to cool slightly. While shrimp cool, make the aioli; Place the egg yolk in a bowl, and slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl in a slow stream. Keep adding EVOO and mixing slowly until the aioli takes on the desired consistency. Add salt if desired, and add the minced garlic, mixing thoroughly. Set aside some of the aioli for the toasts.
Remove the shells from the shrimp, and then chop into coarse pieces. Add the chopped shrimp to the aioli, and mix. Once mixed, add the tomato, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. Mix again, and then gradually add the lime juice and the salt and pepper to taste.
Toast the bread, and then spread with the reserved aioli. Dress the toasts first with the zucchini onion mix, and then top with the shrimp salad. Enjoy as you watch the sunset.
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This is one of my absolute favorite bread recipes. There is something about pecans that amplifies the sweet and nutty flavors in whole wheat ... it's just incredible.
]]>This is one of my absolute favorite bread recipes. There is something about pecans that amplifies the sweet and nutty flavors in whole wheat ... it's just incredible. The addition of whole grain teff is also really special. In the finished loaf, it lends a subtle color and visual texture that is quite beautiful. I hope you'll enjoy it! This is the recipe that I used in our video "Baking Bread In The Fourneau," if you want to see more, be sure to check it out!
Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached organic white bread flour
1 cup organic whole wheat flour
1 tbsp whole grain teff
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp yeast (you can of course substitute starter, just adjust accordingly)
13 oz water
Ferment Time:
20 hours
Method:
No Knead Method
If you want to learn more about the method, watch this and read this or read this.