[Cullinary Challenge] Bread Bake-Off!!

by **Gossamer** on January 27th, 2019, 1:35 am

Hello Folks!

In the spirit of contests long past... we're going to hold our first Culinary Challenge for a Medal of the year. The rules are simple. Between now and the end of the month (which granted is just a few days), you must bake some bread! The bread can be any type you want... from elaborate yeast breads to quick breads that take a few moments to make. Then you must post the recipe (in English!) and pictures showing you did in fact bake the bread.

The winner will receive a Power Fork Medal!

If you earn three or more Power Forks, you are eligible for a Thunderspork Medal!

Good luck and have fun! Also, feel free to comment on this thread, say your gonna jump in, or cheer others on. This is for fun and community building!

Goss

by **Lani Stranger** on January 27th, 2019, 11:29 pm

Pesto Cheesey Pull-Apart Bread
Original Recipe

I'm just going to copy and paste the original recipe because I followed it almost exactly with a few tweaks (which are noted).

Ingredients:

2 cups strong bread flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast
⅔ cup warm water
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, plus a tiny bit for greasing
⅔ cup pesto
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used a the whole packet)
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used the whole packet)

Directions (With Pictures)

≻ Combine the flour, salt, and yeast together, then form a well in the center. Add the water and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and stir until the mixture holds together.

Ingredients :

≻ Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 7-10 minutes.
≻ Put the dough into a bowl greased with olive oil, cover with cling film, and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

A Successful rise :

≻ Knead the dough again for another minute or so, then form the mixture into 18 even-sized balls (or 16 because cutting thirds is hard)

Lil Bread Babies :

≻ Coat each dough ball in a generous helping of pesto.

Drown Them :

≻ Place the dough balls into a large cake tin, cover (with cling wrap again) and rise for another hour.
≻ Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C.)
≻ Cover the dough balls with the cheddar and mozzarella.

Bury Them :

≻ Bake for 20~~-25~~ minutes.
≻ Raise oven heat to 400°F and bake for 5 minutes to brown top.

Otherwise it looks like this :

≻ Enjoy!

Dat Cheese Pull Doe :

Final Product!

by **Kelski** on January 27th, 2019, 11:59 pm

French Bread

2 cups warm water, divided (110 degrees F)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 ⁄2 teaspoon active dry yeast (or use two .25-ounce packages yeast)
1 teaspoon sugar
5 1⁄2-6 1⁄2 cups bread flour (more if needed)
3 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons sugar
5 tablespoons vegetable oil (or use Canola oil, DO NOT substitute butter or shortening for the oil it will affect the texture)

Instructions :

Attach the dough hook to heavy duty stand mixer.
In a small cup or bowl mix 1 teaspoon sugar into 1 cup warm water until combined.
Stir in 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast and mix gently.
Cover the cup and allow to proof until foamy (about 8 minutes, if the yeast does not foam discard and make again).
Place 5-1/2 cups flour in the stainless steel mixing bowl along with the salt, sugar and 5 tablespoons oil.
After the yeast has proofed add to the bowl along with remaining 1 cup warm water.
Start kneading process adding in more flour a tablespoon at a time as needed to create a soft smooth semi-sticky dough (kneading should take about 8 minutes).
Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface; cover with a clean tea towel and let rest for 3 minutes (this is important, allow to sit for 3 minutes).
Oil a large deep bowl.
Gather up the dough and gently knead into a ball (the dough will come together easily after resting).
Place the dough into the bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled.
Punch down the dough and remove to a lightly floured surface.
Divide the dough evenly in half.
Cover both pieces of dough and allow to rest for 5 minutes (this will make shaping the dough easier).
Roll each dough into about a 9 x 12-inch rectangle, then roll up jelly-roll fashion starting at long edge.
Seal edges and seam of each loaf.
Grease a large jelly-roll pan then sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons cornmeal.
Place the two long shaped loaves onto the pan seam-side down spacing apart.
Using a razor blade or a small sharp knife slash each loaf 3 times diagonally.
In a small cup whisk an egg white then brush over each loaf.
Sprinkle the tops with about 2 teaspoons sesame seeds for each loaf (optional).
Cover with a clean tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown

.

by **Asterope** on January 29th, 2019, 2:08 am

Savoury Quick Bread

I didn't have yeast in the house, so I decided to do a quick bread for the challenge! It can be made savoury or sweet; I followed the directions for the savoury bread and added in my own mix of herbs. The texture is a bit crumbly and more like a cake than bread due to the lack of yeast, but I'm still pleased with how it turned out.

(Original recipe)

Ingredients
✧2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
✧1 tbsp baking powder
✧1 tsp salt
✧3 large eggs
✧1 1/2 cups milk (buttermilk can be used instead)
✧6 tbsp oil (I used olive, but you can also use vegetable or canola)

I also added:

✧2 tsp rosemary
✧2 tsp basil
✧1 tsp parsley
✧1 tsp thyme

Directions
✧Preheat oven to 350F and grease your pan well
✧Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and herbs) in one bowl
✧In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (eggs, milk, and oil) together
✧Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until well-mixed
✧Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes (I found my bread needed an extra 10 minutes after the initial 45 min, but it depends on your oven and how dry you like your bread)

And that's it! Quick and easy bread; it was perfect for someone like me to make, since I have no experience with baking and tend to be a disaster in the kitchen lol.