Chocolate Babka / Orange And Chocolate Bread Pudding

Ever so often the food blogging world gets swept away by a certain trend or dish and everywhere you look, be it blog or on social media, you will find the aforementioned dish. When I first started blogging it was all about cupcakes and macarons. And over the years, everything from avacado on toast to smoothie bowls to I have lost count of all that has trended on the food blogging scene. And this is in addition to the annual calendar that is almost set in stone. January for clean eating and March for chocolate in time for Easter. Then there's berries for Summer and stone fruit for later and who can forget Pumpkin for October. And before you know it, it's pies for Thanksgiving and then all that Christmas baking in December before it starts all over again.

Now, if you know anything about this blog, despite my best attempts I have rarely been able to climb along with any trend. If you must know, the first year I put up my Christmas post in January. Little wonder then that my mother is the only dedicated reader of this blog. I'd like to proclaim that I'm above trends but the truth is somewhere between I don't have the requisite skills or I've just been lazy.

Anyhow, the point I'm leading to is that last year or was it the year before that, around this time of the year, babkas were all the rage. Everywhere I looked on blogs and social media, there would be a pic of this loaf of bread with a golden crust and all these chocolate swirls running through the loaf. I'm sure there are other babkas but all I saw were the chocolate ones. 

So, I read up on them and it was everything I liked. An egg and milk sweetened yeast dough that is then filled with a chocolate and nut filling and then rolled and twisted and baked to perfection. How could I not want to bake it. So, I chose the easiest recipe I could find and just about a year on, I finally mustered up the courage and baked one this weekend.

And it was everything it promised despite all my slip ups. I baked it in a tin smaller than the one specified so the top poofed up quite a bit during proving and something about the way I spread the filling, one half of the loaf had more filling than the other half. Ah well! And it took a whole day to prep and bake and I don't have a stand mixer so had to do most of the kneading by hand and let's not forget all those calories in every bite. But, notwithstanding all my dodgy photographs, it was all worth it.

The bread was soft and flavourful and that filling of chocolate and almond was equal proportion of texture and sin. Like I said this bread is not for the calorie conscious but live a little and bake this bread. You will not regret it. The recipe is Yossy Arefi's on Food52 and simple one to follow. I have given a recipe link below which comes with pictures to make life even simpler. 

Well, we had it for breakfast and we had it for tea and then, we realised we were still left with half a loaf and Navratri was fast approaching. For the nine days of Navratri, we are vegetarian at home. So, prodded on by the weather, we used the remaining half for a bread pudding. 

And as the skies rumbled and the rain lashed outside, we stayed indoors with a warm, comforting bowl of babka pudding. It is like any other bread pudding  with a crisp top and all warm and soft underneath but that chocolate and almond filling of the babka running through the pudding just takes it to another soul comforting level. Again, not for the calorie conscious. But, oh do live a little!

Chocolate And Cardamom Scented Swirl Buns

There's something about the Olympics that grips me every time. I don't have an athletic bone in my body and I have hardly played any sport. And it's not just about watching sports being played at the highest level that has me fixated on the Sports channels. It is about watching these athletes pursue a goal, in exclusion of everything else in life, with a single minded focus and dedication. That years of preparation and training, against all odds, to compete at the highest level comes down to a result that is determined within minutes or in some cases, seconds. While the exuberance of watching the champion succeed is special, it is even more inspiring to watch other athletes who face disappointment but pick themselves up to fight another day. Add to that, the personal stories of these athletes and the challenging circumstances they overcome to pursue their dreams and you are left with nothing but the highest respect and admiration. 

It's been a real bummer that because of the time difference with Rio, we haven't been able to catch all the events as they happen. The events I look out for are gymnastics, athletics, synchronised swimming, archery and shooting. What about you??

As for these swirl buns, they are a product of a rainy afternoon when staying in was the only option. And afterall, is there anything more appropriate than a calorie loaded chocolate bun while watching these athletes perform with their beautifully toned bodies and washboard abs?!

I have been seeing these buns by Donal Skehan all over social media and had to give them a try. It helps that he has put up a video that explains the whole process in simple steps. It is a dough that is enriched with milk and butter that is then filled with a layer of dark chocolate and then twirled into these buns. The dough is flavoured with cardamom, in the tradition of Scandinavian breads, which pairs beautifully with the chocolate. The swirls and twirls all look a bit complex but see the video, it's actually quite simple!

What comes out of the oven are these beautiful, soft cardamom-scented buns with that swirl of dark chocolate. And despite all the issues that we have with metabolism, I insist that you should make them. And oh yes, do eat them warm, straight out of the oven!!

What could I have done better? I could have shaped the buns smaller and more compact and since, I didn't have any eggs at home, I gave the buns, a cream wash rather than an egg wash which would have resulted in a more richer golden brown colour on them. Pointers for the next time, for I'll be definitely making these again.

As for the Olympics, I think we all stayed awake at Midnight to watch Dipa Karmakar make history and show us the champion she is. Happy Independence Day everyone..I hope you've enjoyed the long weekend..x!

Pea And Bacon Soup / Rustic Focaccia

I am not being paranoid but anybody else, here in India, feel that Summer is coming on a bit too early this year?! And no, all those of you living in sub-zero temperatures, I don't expect you to understand my line of questioning!

But, it is just mid-February and the days are already feeling uncomfortable. Winter, as always, seems to have just whizzed by and it feels like I was sick for half of it. And this year, many said we had a longer than usual Winter. So, where did it suddenly disappear?? Ok, maybe I exaggerate. The nights are still pleasant but you will agree that Summer is approaching a bit too fast for my liking!

 

I started Winter with a soup out here, so it's only fair that I bid it farewell with a soup too.

 

I have gone seasonal with the peas and have kept it classic by pairing it with bacon. To go along with it, I thought I'd give making focaccia a shot one more time. The last time I gave it a go, it all went horribly wrong and I was left with a thin, crispy flatbread!

 

The soup is made in minutes. Although, I do recommend that you get your hands on some fresh, tender peas. Not only do they taste much fresher and sweeter, they also cook much faster. For those who do not eat bacon, I'd recommend pairing the peas with some fresh mint instead.

 

I have gone with a Popina bakery recipe for the focaccia. While the purists might raise an eyebrow at how the recipe simplifies matters, it does make life so much easier!

 

 

This is a thick and wholesome soup where the flavour of bacon is a dominant one. And that's why this focaccia is a perfect complement to the soup. It is light and flavoured with olive oil and herbs that are fresher on the palate.

 

If you are in the mood for a light dinner, this should do the trick!

 

The seasons are changing. For those covered under all that snow, I know you can't wait!! What about the rest of you?

Herb And Cheese Pull-Apart Bread / Roasted Tomato And Carrot Soup

I am not a big fan of soups and yet this past month, a mug of vegetable soup has been the provider of my daily dose of nutrition. Ideally, nothing beats a bowl of steaming chicken soup when you are sick but I wasn't feeling up to having anything do with meat. So, vegetable soup it's been. Tomato, carrot, spinach, pumpkin, cabbage, cauliflower and any other veggies than you can think of putting in a soup, we've had it in some permutation and combination!!

Since I've been feeling better this week, I've been enthused to hunt around for a good bread recipe to go with soup. At first, I thought of a baguette but then while googling around, I came across a few pull-apart breads and the decision was made.

 

Pull-apart breads are all about the visual. They look like a sequence of bread slices that have been stitched together into a loaf. Essentially made from a regular bread dough that is rolled out, sprinkled all over with a filling of your choice and then the dough is cut into strips and then again into squares to get the requisite look. It might sound complex but if you follow the pictorial step-by-step link that I have provided ... it's all quite simple!

 

 

For this dough, I went with a cheese, garlic and herb filling as these are flavours that would go with most soups. Although for this post, I played it safe with a roasted tomato and carrot soup. There is nothing much with the soup. It just involves roasting all the veggies and then blitzing it all up and you are done.

 

 

I am not sure on how to describe the final flavours of the soup, other than to say that roasting the veggies evokes the flavours of the Mediterranean. The natural sweetness of the carrots are the perfect foil for the sour tomatoes. Once roasted, there is not much to add to the soup except for the seasoning.And this bread is the perfect accompaniment to it.

 

Like I said earlier, a pull-apart bread is all about the visual. The golden crust speckled with herbs and cheese is impressive. The best part of this bread is the contrast between the golden-brown hard crust on the outside and that pillowy soft inside that tastes of garlic, cheese and the herbs. Straight out of the oven with all those heady aromas wafting about, I think you'll find the bread simply irresistible!

 

 

The seasons have changed and while much of India is yet to experience it, keep this bread in mind for the Winter ahead. Hope you're having a lovely weekend!!

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

Despite being such a retro classic, I have never gotten round to making a bread pudding. It's just never appealed to me. There are so many better things to make than a pudding made out of stale bread, I have always reasoned. And yet, last week I found myself with these hot cross buns I had baked, getting a bit old. They were delicious but it was one of those rare times, when I couldn't find anyone to share them with. And really, there's only that much hot cross buns one can have, however gorgeous they may have been. So, bread pudding it was going to be!!

 

 

Googled around and zeroed in on a Nigella recipe. She takes a traditional bread pudding recipe and jazzes it up with chocolate chip, milk, cream and a good splosh of dark rum. Perfect recipe, I reckoned for the cross buns I had, which were themselves studded with raisins and chocolate chips and flavoured with cinnamon and vanilla. My own little touch was the zest of an orange because I just love how an orange refreshes and livens up a dessert.

 

There is hardly much for you to do for a bread pudding. Maybe, that's why they are so popular. I'll come to how it tasted but can I just say that the kitchen smelled divine!!

 

 

Before, you pop the pudding in the oven, you've got to sprinkle some brown sugar all over the top. So, while the pudding bakes, this sugar on top caramelises and forms this golden brown, crispy crust. And underneath that crust is this soft, custardy bread that has soaked up all those beautiful flavours along with those molten chocolate chips. And yes, the orange zest does its job to ensure that all that cream, milk and eggs does not get too rich and heavy on the palate.

 

It helped that I used the cross buns which already had their own flavour profile that just added bags of flavour. I might have left it in the oven for five minutes more than what was needed. It felt slightly dry and could have done with some vanilla custard or for that matter, ice-cream.

 

 

This bread pudding lays no claim to being an on-trend dessert but it endears itself to you with a familiarity that is comforting in a way only a warm pudding can be on a cool night or a rainy day!!

 

Hot Cross Buns

The other day, I stopped by my local bookstore. Going there after what seemed like ages, I realised how much I miss this whole experience, of which I seem to be doing much lesser these days. I have fallen for the practicality and convenience offered by e-retailers that deliver books right to my doorstep and honestly, I haven't been able to resist their phenomenal discounts either. And yet that day I understood why an hour or two at a bookstore is so precious. You walk around the aisles, peep into the shelves, browse through the books and then pick up one at random. Not because the book is on some bestsellers' list but because maybe the title caught your eye or the author is an old favourite or the book jacket is eye catching or even better, it is the compelling synopsis at the back.

 

And then there's the personal equation with the bookstore owner who not only gives you your time and space to browse around but every once in a while directs your attention to a book that he thinks might interest you. Not guided by some algorithm based on your browsing history but as someone who has seen your sensibilities mature and your interests develop. Agree??

Talking about things I haven't done in a while, I realised baking bread is one of them. So, I baked a batch of these hot cross buns, studded with raisins and dark chocolate. Traditionally, these buns are baked for Easter and that's when I first tried them this year but never got round to blogging about them. These are adapted from a recipe by the Bake Club's Anneka Manning. It's a simple one that any baker reasonably comfortable with yeast can attempt.

 

Never judge a book by its cover and don't judge these buns by my clumsy piping of the crosses or for that matter, my not-so-clever idea of squishing them in a round tin that resulted in these slightly misshapen buns. Because the end result is simply delicious, for lack of a better word. The milk, eggs and butter in the dough ensure that the final buns are soft, tasty and have that beautiful golden crust. You can have them slathered with butter but do remember, they are best had warm and plain, straight out of the oven,  when the little chocolate chunks have not yet set and still molten and melting. Ah heaven!!

 

 

These are best made for a leisurely weekend morning when you can indulge yourself after a week of muesli-yoghurt breakfasts!!

 

I am currently reading Elif Shafak's 'Forty Rules of Love', highly recommended by the guy at the book store. What's been occupying your bed side table??

Danish Braid : 'TWD : Baking with Julia'

When I first started with 'TWD : Baking with Julia' group, I used to be almost religious with the bake-along. I attempted to do at least one recipe every month. And yet, these past six months I have been extremely erratic, if not missing from the forum. And it's time to correct this.

 

Because it's this group and this book that have single-handedly taught me to bake. The recipes in the book, written by Dorie Greenspan, are so lucid and well written, that even a novice like me could recreate the recipes with reasonable success. And then there have been the fellow bakers who have been exceptionally encouraging. One important lesson I have learnt from them is to adapt recipes and ingredients to what is locally available. And my recipe index is testimony to that. I have been able to attempt a decent array of baking recipes, all thanks to this group. 

 

So, to get back in the groove with this group, I chose a recipe that they had attempted way back in October last year. Its a braided breakfast pastry, made with a Danish pastry dough and filled with a strawberry jam filling.

A Danish pastry dough is made along the lines of a croissant or puff pastry dough i.e. you have to roll out and fold the dough a couple of times to create the many layers. However, this recipe uses a cheat's version to achieve the same result but with much lesser work. If anything, its way easier than you think!

 

The tough part for me was the braiding. I'd like to blame the heat that I keep whining about these days but its just down to my clumsiness. As you can see to salvage the situation, I cut the braid and then took the pics!

 

There is a jam filling which was made in a microwave. Even if the dough does not interest you, the jam recipe is a keeper.

 

The end result is slightly sweet, rich, buttery, flaky pastry which encases that vibrant jam filling that peeks out through the gaps. Although, I must confess, my pastry was not as flaky as desired and I get the feeling that may have something to do with the quality of the yeast. Even if my attempt was not visually appealing, the flavour more than made up for it. The sweet yet slightly tart strawberry jam is a beautiful accompaniment to that rich, buttery pastry.

 

This is an indulgent breakfast pastry but, I'd only recommend it to the enthusiastic baker. There is a fair amount of time involved in making it. And do not attempt this in the summer heat. If you are keen on how this braid should look, do check out this page for the links from the other bakers who have done a fabulous job!! 

Orange Marmalade French Toast / Challah : 'TWD : Baking With Julia'

This week, the group at 'TWD : Baking with Julia' decided to bake Challah. Challah, for those not in the know, is a special Jewish braided bread eaten on Sabbath and holidays. But, for me, Challah is one of the most beautiful looking breads in the bread basket. If the sourdough exudes the rustic and rugged charm of a country guy, the challah is the slick, city boy in comparison. It is glossy, golden brown, beautifully braided and speckled with seeds, making it one impressive looking loaf. It's a different matter that yours truly couldn't even manage to braid the loaf in a straight line!!

And why won't it be good looking?! The dough is enriched with milk, butter and eggs that ensures that only do you get that beautiful colour but also that the bread is rich and beyond delicious. Even the seeds on top add to the taste and overall appeal of this  bread. The golden brown, glossy crust hides a soft, slightly sweet crumb that just cannot disappoint anyone.

 

The bread is beautiful, just eaten by itself, straight out of the oven. But, every challah recipe will recommend that this bread is excellent to make French toast. Now, that's an idea that will always find favour. Who doesn't like that sweet, fried, eggy bread that comes with a memory all the way from your childhood Sunday mornings??

 

But, because I put in all that effort to make the Challah, this wasn't going to be any, ordinary French toast. I thought I'd make things interesting with Nigella's recipe for Orange French toast that adds orange zest to the egg mixture and is then served with an orange marmalade syrup.

 

 

The citrus hit gives the French toast a zingy freshness and the slightly bitter undertones of the marmalade ensures that things don't get too sweet. The syrup hardly takes a few minutes, so, there is no elaborate prep required. I used challah and homemade marmalade but regular white bread and shop bought marmalade would do the trick equally well. It is such a small twist to your regular French toast and yet, the end result is the perfect indulgence for a lazy, weekend morning. All that's left to do is wash it all down with a cup of coffee!!

 

 

This weekend, I'll leave you with words of one of the most inspirational men of our times, "Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again." Rest in Peace, Nelson 'Madiba' Mandela!

 

Cheese and Ham Herb Bread / Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Can you feel it?? There is a slight nip in the early morning air and at night. Winter's round the corner and you know what that means .. milder temperatures, increased appetites and loads of baking!! After months of erratic baking, I see a busy few months on this blog. Soups, cakes, cookies, stews and warm puddings.. .. I want to make it all this winter!!

 

 

But for today, we'll start slowly with a soup. In deference to the pumpkin craze all this month on blog-o-sphere, I decided that my first soup of the season should be a roasted pumpkin soup. If you are looking for a fuss-free recipe that is full of flavour, you turn to Donna Hay.

 

The pumpkin is roasted along with an onion and a couple of garlic cloves. The best part, there is no peeling and chopping involved. You roast the veggies, just as they are, with a drizzle of oil. Once they are roasted, you simply peel off the skin and blitz it all and then add some chicken stock, milk and a teeny bit of honey. That's all there is to it!! Now, you know why I chose this recipe.

 

 

To go along with the soup, I made this bread. The recipe uses no yeast. So, anyone out there who's had a difficult relationship with yeast, this is for you!! It is bread speckled with ham, cheese, mustard and herbs... perfect with a soup.

 

Except for roasting the veggies that took an hour, making the soup and baking the bread, took a little over an hour. The soup is such a beautiful celebration of the vegetables involved. Roasting them heightens their flavour and brings out their natural sweetness. You balance the flavours and texture with some chicken stock and milk. We were won over!!

 

 

Since no yeast is used, the bread has a more denser and tightly packed crumb than usual. But, the flavours are all there and you will taste each and every component...the ham, cheese, herbs, the mustard.. all of it!! And did I mention, it also uses whole wheat flour.

 

The two dishes are wholesome and complement each other. In fact, keep the bread in mind for any soup you might have in mind. Sounds like just 'soup and bread', but it is a complete meal.

 

 

Winter is so gentle out here, that it brings a spring in my step and a smile on my face. What about you.. how's winter looking in your part of the world??

 

Buttermilk Scones with Plum Jam

Some pairings are just meant to be. Calvin and Hobbes, Batman and Robin, Cain and Abel, Taylor and Burton, Popeye and Olive Oyl, Pav and Bhaji, Bennett and Darcy, Fish and Chips, Tom and Jerry, Yuri and Lara, Vanilla Ice-cream and Chocolate Sauce, Asterix and Obelix, Gin and Tonic, Yin and Yang and so on. Well, add one more to the list .. Scones and Jam!!

This is a post that should have come up a few weeks back. I first made a batch of these scones, the day after I made my jar of plum jam. They were so good that we finished them before I had a chance to photograph them. So, I finally got round to making a second batch yesterday before the jam ran out.

These scones are along the lines of British scones. They are made even lighter by the use of buttermilk rather than the more traditional option of cream. Also, these are not sweet scones but plain ones with a hint of salt. I prefer that the sweetness come from the jam alone.

The final product is light and moist at the same time. According to the 'Hairy Bikers', the hallmark of a good scone is that you can pull it apart without any resistance rather than cutting them in half. The scones from this recipe pass that test with full marks. And that plum jam, I have already introduced to you earlier, is just perfect, even if it's me saying so!!

These scones are best served warm, just out of the oven. I had them with just some jam but you could have them with some butter and jam. And since these are not sweet, you can even add some herbs to the mix and they would be excellent with some soup.

This takes 15 minutes to put together and another 15 minutes in the oven. So, in thirty minutes, you have a delightful tea-time treat.

Now, how 'bout you tell me, some of your favourite pairings?? 

Croissants et Petits Pains au Chocolat : 'TWD : Baking with Julia'

When I first started baking from the book, 'Baking with Julia', I remember looking at the recipe for croissants and shaking my head and saying, "It will be a long time before I even muster up the courage to look at this recipe"!! And yet, little over a year after we started with the book, we were ready to tackle the recipe. That I believe is a big compliment to the book, that a bunch of amateur bakers can today muster up the courage to tackle a complex recipe like croissants and achieve reasonable success with it.

A couple of pressing issues saw me missing the deadline of last Tuesday, when this post should have gone up. However, I was extremely keen on baking these croissants along with the rest of the group because then you get to learn from the experiences and tips of others in the group, making it that much simpler for you. So, better late than never!

I won't get into too much detail on the recipe. You can see this video where Esther McManus (the contributing baker) shows Julia Child the entire process of making these croissants. But, I will say this much, the recipe is 6 pages long and took me 3 days from start to finish. There was an obnoxious amount of butter involved that we had beat into submission. The dough is subjected to 3 'folds' so that we can achieve those multitude of layers that one sees in a croissant. If anything, it is almost an anti-climax, when after all that bashing, folding, rolling, shaping and flour all over your clothes, it takes the croissants barely 12-15 minutes to bake!!

The weather out here has gotten hot and dry and that made working with all that butter, tedious and frustrating. For the purpose of making it easier, the final dough is divided into two parts before shaping it. My first attempt with one half of the dough was such a disaster that I despaired about all the effort and butter that had gone into it.

Two days later, with a calmer mind and an air conditioned room, I attempted them again. And this time round, I simply stared at the baking tray, not quite believing that I had actually made croissants. Are they perfect?? Of course NOT!! Owing to my clumsy rolling, these croissants turned out smaller than intended, with fewer folds. But,am I proud of them?? Oh.. You bet I am!!

These beautiful, golden-brown croissants were buttery, flaky and tender. Cut through the centre and you can see all those beautiful layers that you worked hard to achieve. These are so buttery that you can eat them just plain.

But, my attention was won by the immensely delectable petit pain au chocolat. Unlike the traditional crescent-shaped butter croissants, these are rectangular in shape. Take a bite and when you reach the luscious, dark chocolate through the various, pillowy layers of buttery pastry, you can't help close you eyes and smile! You will understand why these are the traditional late afternoon snack for French school children. If it were not for a small issue of metabolism, these would be my favourite tea-time treat!!

Would I make these again?? Initially, right after I pulled them out of the oven, my answer would have been that this was, at best, an academic exercise for an enthusiastic baker. It was just too much work. A few days on, I am feeling a little more pleased with myself and am amenable to giving it another shot at a later date, probably when the weather is cooler and more charitable.

Because there is an inexplicable charm and romance to baking your own croissants. It almost transports you to one of the many quaint sidewalk cafes and patisseries of Paris!!

Focaccia : 'TWD : Baking with Julia'

Every once in a while, you embark on a recipe where the final result fails so spectacularly, that you have to blog about it. You follow the recipe to the last word, everything happens as the recipe says it should, you check the correct temperature  of the oven and then you pop it in, confident of the final product. And then.... you pull it out of the oven and your heart sinks, it looks nothing like it should .. it's a complete fail!!

That's what happened with me, when I had to make focaccia for this Tuesday's bake together for "TWD: Baking with Julia" group. I popped the dough into the oven expecting a soft, well risen and fluffy bread. Instead I got a hard, thin bread that had hardly risen in the oven.

 

And what I don't understand is, where did I go wrong?? Till I popped it into the oven, the dough behaved as it should. It was soft, elastic and full of bubbles. The dough even squeaked as the recipe said it would. I even rested it in the refrigerator for 36 hours as the recipe recommended. As for spraying the oven with water, I did that too!! And yet... it flopped!! Any suggestions on where I went wrong??

 

What is even weirder, is that even though the bread did not rise in the oven to turn out fluffy and soft, with its liberal topping of thyme and salt, it was still delicious!! My end result was a crispy exterior and a thin chewy interior. The verdict at home was that it would go well with soup, something like bread soup sticks. But, I still can't figure out where I went wrong!??!

Finnish Pulla : 'TWD : Baking With Julia'

As far as 2012 goes, we are in the home stretch now. Your time to ponder on what you could've, should've and would've done with the year, has come and gone ... You should have already done that by now! Now, all eyes are on 2013 and all that remains for us to do is bring in the new year with hope, excitement, optimism and of course, a party!!

 

And for the last 'TWD : Baking with Julia' post of the year, the group has chosen the Finnish Pulla. The book describes it as a celebration loaf, apt for the mood of the season. In this version, it is braided into a wreath which fits in beautifully with the Christmas theme.

 

I was quite excited to try my hand at this bread because of its Finnish origin. For us in India, Scandinavia seems so far away. It's not the physical distance as much as how different  the culture, the people, the climate, the landscape and the food is compared to ours.. it all seems so different and exotic to us. And am pretty sure, the feeling is mutual from their end towards India.

 

And yet, this Finnish recipe has a tiny Indian component, cardamom. Grown in abundance in southern India, cardamom is used extensively in Indian cuisine. I reckon, the spice trade of yore was responsible to taking it to Northern Europe. My guess is that coming from so far, it must have been considered exotic and used mainly for times of celebration, such as in this pulla. Do correct me if I've got it wrong!! 

 

Much like the brioche dough that was used to make these sticky buns, this loaf is also made from an egg and butter-rich dough. Fairly simple to put together, the stand-out feature of the recipe is the addition of crushed cardamom seeds to the dough.

 

The dough performs beautifully and even clumsy fingers like mine could shape it into a wreath without much fuss.

 

Pull the bread out of the oven and you know you are onto a winner. This bread scores the maximum when it comes to its visual appeal. That beautiful, golden-brown crusted bread accompanied with the faint smell of cardamom looks so impressive that you can't help pat yourself on the back. That's the beauty of this recipe and the book that a novice like me can attempt this bread and actually pull it off!!

While the egg and butter keeps the bread soft and light, it also makes this bread a wee bit rich. It is slightly sweet tasting with the flavour of the cardamom shining through. Although a familiar flavour for me, I can well imagine the cardamom being an exotic taste for others. If you've never tried cardamom before, you are missing a good thing!! A piece of this bread would be ideal with your morning coffee!!

If you are an enthusiastic baker, keen on trying out new recipes, I'd recommend that you make this bread atleast once. It is definitely one to be added to your repertoire! 
 

Whole Wheat Bread : 'TWD : Baking with Julia'

What a difference eight months has made! It was in February that we started baking from the 'Baking with Julia' book. And I clearly remember how I almost chickened out of the group when I saw that they had chosen 'White Loaves' to be their very first recipe. Yeast had never been my friend and my melodramatic post at the time was about how I still went ahead and was, surprise, surprise, successful. I still remember how I fretted through that whole recipe and patted myself on the back, with a certain amount of relief and wonder, when that loaf emerged from the oven!!

 

All these months on and a number of bread recipes with yeast under my belt (all thanks to the 'Baking with Julia' group), I made a go at the whole wheat version of the white loaf!! And what a breeze it was! I am now happy to announce that yours truly has conquered the beast called yeast. I may have lost my fear of yeast, but evidently, I haven't lost the touch of drama in my writing!!

 

The recipe for this whole-wheat bread is more or less along the lines of the white loaf of bread with the ratio of the whole wheat and plain flour being roughly 50:50. Because of the presence of the whole wheat, we add a bit of honey to help the yeast along. And no, the bread does not taste sweet!!

 

A shade darker in colour than the white loaf of bread, this bread can simply be described as a wholesome and tasty bread. As with any homemade bread, there is a certain freshness of flavour that is always appreciated. You can also clearly see the tight crumb of this bread from the photographs.

Importantly, the presence of whole wheat makes it a tad healthier than its all white flour counterpart. As I have become more comfortable with yeast, I can easily see myself revisiting this recipe again and again.

 

Dorie Greenspan writes how this bread is ideal for sandwiches. It is such a flavourful bread that when taken out fresh from the oven, you can eat it plain. So, I simply toasted a few slices and slathered some butter that just melted on the hot toast. Paired that with a steaming cup of chai, that uniquely Indian  concoction of milky, sweet tea that is flavoured with a whole lot of spices. It really doesn't get better than that!!

Bagels : 'TWD : Baking with Julia'

My first brush with bagels was in University. Every friday night, before heading out for the night, my Brazilian flatmate and his friend would have the same dinner of beer and bagels. And it never changed. It was almost like a weekly bonding ritual between them. Even the bagels would have the same filling!! It would start of classically with a layer of cream cheese, then a layer of smoked salmon and then, get this.. a layer of the red-packet 'Kettle Chips'!!! Dude food, anyone???

 

It's been a while since University, but that food memory with bagels has endured. And then Hollywood and American television would imprint the bagel as the classic 'on-the-move' breakfast along with that towering cup of coffee!!! And that's how I've always seen them, as something that is bought and left to the professionals. But, there's always a first time. So, it was time to make bagels for the 'TWD : Baking with Julia' bake-together.

 

For anyone contemplating this recipe, a 'heads-up' on the fact that the recipe is almost 4 pages long!!! Coming back... bagels are made with the usual suspects - flour, yeast and water. The dough is proofed, shaped into their distinctive round shapes, boiled in hot water and then baked. All sounded pretty straight forward, albeit tedious, when I read it.

Now, I don't know if it was only me, but I found dough extremely wet and sticky to work with. And that made the whole thing a verry messy affair. Apart from that sticky issue, no complaints really with the process!!

The verdict : the bagels looked like how they should, but, as you can see from the photographs, uniformity in size is not one of my strengths. The slightly wrinkly crust had a crunch when you bit into it, before you encountered the soft bread inside. I did wonder though, should the bagels have been plumper and smoother?? Any thoughts on that...

There are tons of fillings to go with your bagels, varying with the time of day. I went with a simple schmear of butter and a cheese slice to go along with my morning cuppa. Have one and it will fill you up for a while...

But, I'll be honest, I'd only recommend this recipe for the enthusiastic baker, to understand the entire process that goes behind making a bagel. Personally, while I enjoyed the bagels, I found the recipe, especially the dough, a bit too tedious to work with. And it is one of those instances where the practicality and convenience of buying bagels from a good bakery wins over making them at home.