ROSEMARY LEAVENED FLATBREAD

Texture: Soft, spongy, airy, pillowy, yummy

Serving size: equivalent of one small loaf of bread

Fun fact: The high proportion of water in the (pizza) dough is what creates air pockets throughout.

Ingredients

cold/refrigerated dough*

flaky sea salt (Maldon)

EVOO

rosemary powder

9x9 pyrex glass pan

 

* You can make your own pizza dough or if you are lucky, your local shop has pre-made refrigerated pizza dough for under $2. This recipe uses 1 LB of pizza dough.

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Directions

1. Coat the pyrex glass baking pan with EVOO (be generous)

2. Place the cold dough in, rub it with the EVOO on the pan and let it rise for 1 hour

3. Cover with a bread towel and secure it with a rubber band (or use plastic wrap)

4. Then, uncover, and gently spread it with your fingertips until it resembles the shape of the pan (it’s okay if it does not perfectly touch in every corner)

5. Sprinkle salt and gently poke it with your fingertips to create dimples

6. Sprinkle rosemary powder (from Penzey’s)

7. Then turn it upside down and do the same to the new side (gently)

8. Sprinkle EVOO on top (enough that you can see tiny puddles of it in the dough dimples)

9. Cover with a bread towel and secure it with a rubber band (or use plastic wrap)

10. Let it rise for 2-4 hours (depending on how hot or cold your kitchen is)

11. [Optional: Lightly sprinkle rosemary leaves, sesame seeds, and cracked pepper on top for looks]

12. Bake on 425 F for 25 minutes or until a crust is formed, shines from EVOO, and is golden all around

13. Remove from pan with a non-invasive wood or plastic spatula, should come out easily

14. Place on a cooling rack or onto a wooden cutting board and let sit for 15-20 mins

15. Enjoy it by cutting it into thin slices of flat bread for soups or charcuterie, or as wider sandwich bread

 

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BIG COUNTRY LOAF

Texture: Crispy, full, squishable

Ingredients

4 tsp of active dry yeast

1 cup of warm water

Let sit for 10 mins

Add 3 cups of water

Add 8 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of salt

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Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix with a fork or a spoon. Cover with foil or plastic wrap for 8-12 hours.

2. Heat oven with Dutch oven in it at 450F. Lay parchment paper on bottom. Drizzle EVOO on top and cut 3 slashes with a knife. Cook for 45 mins. Remove top and leave in there or put in on a cooling rack. Let cool for another 45 mins.

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EASY NO KNEAD BREAD

Ingredients

4 cups of bread flour

2 cups of water

2 teaspoons of dry active yeast

1 teaspoon of salt

 

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients (dry first then wet) until it looks like a shaggy dough and cover with cling wrap at room temperature for at least 8-12 hours to develop flavor.

2. Preheat oven to 450 with the Dutch Oven inside.

3. Begin to shape the bread using a floured surface and tuck it under itself.

4. Let it prove for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.

5. Lightly oil the top of the bread (and you may drizzle sesame or poppy seeds).

6. Score to shallow lines.

7. Place dough on parchment paper.

8. Take the Dutch Oven out of the oven.

9. Lift the parchment paper of dough into Dutch Oven.

10. Put Dutch Oven back in the oven and set timer for 30 minutes.

11. Take it out, remove the bread from the parchment paper; put the bread back in the Dutch Oven and put it back in the oven for 15-20 more minutes (or until golden brown).

12. Let it cool for at least 45 minutes.

 

AUDREY'S TART TATIN with Endives, Cheese, and Walnuts

Ingredients

1 pure butter puff pastry
4 to 5 endives
100 g of cheese of your choice (some sort of blue cheese that pairs well with endives: roquefort, fourme, etc.)
1 handful of walnuts
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
20 g butter
50 g of sugar (preferably golden sugar)
1 pinch of fleur de sel (finishing salt)
Herbs of Provence (mix of fennel, marjoram, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme)

 

Directions

1. Cut the endives in half

2. Heat your pan and put the sugar in the bottom. Once it's melted, add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and a knob of butter in the pan.

3. Place the endives in the pan, cut side down on the caramel

4. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes

5. Roll out the puff pastry

6. Uncover the endives and cook for another 5 minutes

7. At the bottom of your mold, place a circle of parchment paper for baking

8. Place the nuts upside down on the bottom of the mold since the tart will be turned over.

9. Add the endives stuck to each other, caramelized side on the bottom of the mold.

10. Pour the caramel remaining in the pan over the endives.

11. Sprinkle with Herbes de Provence, fleur de sel, and crushed seeds as an option.

12. Add small pieces of cheese (bleu, fourme d'ambert, roquefort...) between the endives.

13. Cover the tarte tatin with the puff pastry.

14. Lightly press to flatten and fold down the edges.

15. Bake for 25 minutes at 180°C / 350°F

16. Wait 5 minutes before unmolding it onto the plate.

 

 

BALKAN FLAT/PITA BREAD

Known as SIMITE in Albanian and LEPINJA in Serbian

 

Ingredients

10 grams Active Dry Yeast
500 grams All-Purpose Unbleached Flour
10 grams Salt
2 tablespoons Unbleached Flour (or semolina)
30 grams Canola Oil (or lard)
360 milliliters Water

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Directions

1. Make the dough. In a bowl, add the flour and salt and mix. Then make a large opening in the middle and add the water, lukewarm about 35°C / 95°F. Then sprinkle the yeast on top. Let the yeast activate (until you see bubbles starting to appear on top). Then mix with a wooden spoon.  

2. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. You can either use your hands or a stand mixer. Add the lard or canola oil and continue to knead for about 3 - 4 minutes or until smooth.

3. Shape the dough into a ball and leave it to proof for approximately 45-60 minutes. Cover with a bread towel so it doesn’t crust up. At the end of the proofing process, the dough ball should be doubled in size. (If you opt for making the dough ahead of time, then use only half of the yeast, knead the dough as instructed, then cover with a kitchen towel and set aside for 15 minutes and then place in the fridge overnight, or up to 20 hours). 

4. Divide into six parts and shape into small balls. Dust your working surface with flour or semolina. Place the Lepinja dough on the floured surface. Shape into a log and cut into six equal parts. Shape each piece into a smooth, round ball. Place back on the floured surface. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set aside to proof for 10 minutes.

5. Shape each piece of dough into a flatbread form by gently pulling and pressing into a 15 cm or 6-inches in diameter flat.

6. Place each Lepinja bread on a floured baking sheet. Leave to rest for another 10 - 15 minutes. Then, using the back (dull) side of the knife, make a mesh pattern about ½ inch squares. This helps the bread stay flat when baking and not create too big of a pocket. 

7. Preheat the oven to 250 °C / 480 °F and bake for 8-10 minutes in the middle rack until golden brown. 

8. Take them out and place them in a wire rack and gently splash with some water and cover with a kitchen towel so they remain soft. Transfer them to a wooden tray, covered with a kitchen towel and serve warm. 
   Store extra at room temperature or freeze them. 
   Note: To make the sourdough version of this bread, add 100g (3.5ounces) of your sourdough starter instead of the yeast, and proof for 3 hours.​

 

JO'S MACEDONIAN FLAT BREAD

A variation of lepinje/simite

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Ingredients

2 ¼ tsp active-dry yeast

½ tsp white sugar

1 ½ cups of warm water

4 cups of all-purpose flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

2 tsp kosher salt

3 tbsp EVOO, plus extra for greasing

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Directions

1. Place the warm water in a bowl and add the yeast and sugar. Cover the bowl with a plate or tea towel until the yeast begins to foam (about 10 mins).

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt and make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture and 3 tbsp of EVOO into the center of well. Using a spatula, gently fold the flour into the liquid until incorporated and a dough begins to form. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 mins until it is smooth and elastic. Dust the surface with extra flour if the dough starts to feel sticky.

3.  Lightly grease a large bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough inside. Brush the top of the dough with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Cover the bowl with a large plate or tea towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

4.  Return the dough to work surface and divide into 16 equal portions. Using your hands, work them into rounds ½ inch thick and 8 inches in diameter. Use a rolling pin if you want the breads to be thinner.

5.  Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with EVOO. Place a round dough on the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the grill marks are golden brown. Repeat with the remaining dough, brushing the grill pan with EVOO between each batch.

6.  Best served fresh, but you can freeze them up to 2 months and reheat as needed.

 

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SOUR CREAM CHALLAH

Ingredients

4 ½ tsp of active-dry yeast

½ cup warm water

½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temp

1 cup of sour cream

½ cup sugar

2 large eggs, whisked

1 egg white, beaten, for the egg wash

5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 tbsp canola oil

Poppy seeds and/or sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

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Directions

1. Combine the yeast and warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes.

2. Cream the softened butter and sugar in a medium bowl using a whisk until smooth. Gradually stir in the sour cream until combined. Set aside.

3. Add the eggs to the yeast mixture and mix well. Add the sour cream mixture and stir until smooth. Add 1 cup of the flour and the salt. Gradually mix in the remaining 4 cups flour until you have a shaggy dough.

4. Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Tip the shaggy dough out onto the surface and sprinkle with a couple more pinches of flour.

5. Knead the dough with the palm of your had (avoid poking it with your fingertips), adding flour as needed to prevent it from sticking to the work surface and your hands, until the dough is smooth, not sticky, and gently springs back when pressed with a fingertip (also called the ‘poke test’), about 5 minutes. (Another way to check that the dough has been kneaded long enough is by performing the ‘windowpane test’:

6. Cut off a chunk of the dough and stretch it gently between your fingers into a thin sheet. If it breaks too easily, it needs more kneading, but if you can stretch the dough thin enough to see your fingers through it when it’s help up to the light, it’s good to go.)

7. Pour the canola oil into a large bowl, then place the dough in the bowl and rotate to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and place in a warm, draft-free area for about 90 minutes, until the dough has doubled in volume.

8. Remove the dish towel and punch dough the dough. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and divide it into two equal portions. Cut each portion into thirds so you have 6 portions. Roll each of these portions into a rope on a clean workspace (or just in the air, rolling the dough between your palms) about 15 inches long. Working with three ropes at a time, braid the ropes, pinching the ends to make sure they don’t unravel during the second rise, to form two loaves.

9. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place each shaped braid on its own pan. Cover each with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free area for 30-45 minutes, until they bulk up in size a bit (but are not doubled).

10. Near the end of this proof, arrange two racks in the oven – one on the bottom notch and the other second from the top – and preheat the oven to 375F.

11. Prepare an egg wash by whisking the egg white and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl until frothy. Uncover the dough and use as pastry brush to brush the loaves with the egg wash.  Sprinkle with the poppy and/or sesame seeds, if using.

12. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the loaves are a dark golden brown and sound hollow when you knock on the underside. Make sure to switch the sheet pans’ position on the oven racks to rotate the loaves 180 degrees halfway through to ensure even baking.

13. Transfer the loaves from the sheet pans to wire racks and let cool thoroughly. Then enjoy!

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BUTTERMILIK BISCUITS WITH HONEY BUTTER 
Yield 8 4" biscuits
Ingredients
Biscuits
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, frozen
1 cup cold buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
Honey butter:
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed quarter-baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. To prepare biscuits: In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk to combine.

3. Using the largest holes on a cheese grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour and mix with a fork to coat the butter with the flour.

4. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk; use the fork to mix just until the mixture forms large clumps and starts to come together.

5. Turn the biscuit dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 1-inch-thick rectangle.

6. Using a 4-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 8 rounds and transfer them to prepared baking sheet.

7. Brush with beaten egg and transfer the biscuits to the oven.

8. Bake until golden-brown and cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.

9. Transfer the biscuits to a rack and let cool for at least 5 minutes.

10. To prepare honey butter: In a small bowl, stir together the softened butter, honey, and salt using a fork. Set aside.

11. To serve: Transfer biscuits to a large warmed platter and serve immediately with honey butter.
     

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