Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Tortilla)

The dish is known Spanish tortilla or tortilla Espanola. The Spanish tortilla is a delicious potato-egg appetizer that is found in most tapas restaurants. The ingredients are simple but the results are amazingly delicious.

I used to think that in order to create delicious food, the ingredients must be complicated and sometimes obscure. I've tried several recipes that discredits this belief. These minamalist recipes showcase simple and pure ingredients. For example my almond shortbread is simple, just a handful of ingredients found in the pantry come together to create a melt in your mouth cookie. This tortilla is such a recipe. Potatoes, onions, eggs, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

When making something with so few ingredients I tend to use the best ingredients. This is so unlike Asian cooking. Asian cooking usually involve a long list of ingredients and it is fine to not use all the best or freshest ingredients. The long list of ingredients come together and the end product is a medley of the wonderful flavors.

This makes a delicious simple meal, a no fuss hors d'oeuvre, or a portable picnic meal. I have even taken it tailgating. Who takes tortilla Espanola to a tailgate? Why not?

This is sometimes referred to as a Spanish omelet but I find it very un-omelet-like. The dish is more about the potatoes than the eggs. In fact there is only enough eggs to bind everything together. I've seen several recipes that use a lot more eggs. I find that the proportion of 4 yukon gold potatoes and 4 eggs perfect.

Tortilla Espanola also reminds me of Pommes Anna or Potatoes Anna. The ingredients are slightly different.

Tortilla Espanola

½ cup olive oil
1 large onion
3-4 medium potatoes
4 extra large eggs
sea salt
pepper


1. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes and onions. You can use a mandoline or a food processor but I find it pretty easy to slice with my all-purpose chef knife. Why dirty another item if it is not necessary?

2. Heat oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the potato slices and onions.
3. Cook the potatoes until they are tender. Turn the potatoes every few minutes You do not want the potatoes to brown or get too crispy. It is almost like boiling the potatoes in oil. This can take a little while. Nuke the potatoes after frying for a few minutes if you get impatient. Season potatoes with salt & pepper when done.
4. In a large bowl, beat eggs with salt & pepper.
5. Drain the potatoes, reserving the oil.
6. Let the potato mixture cool slightly and then add to the egg mixture. Let this sit for about 10 minutes. You want the potatoes to absorb the eggs.
7. While the mixture is sitting, clean out the skillet.
8. After the mixture sits for 10 minutes, heat the cleaned skillet over medium heat. Add enough of the reserved oil to coat. Cook about 5 minutes.
9. Using a spatula, loosen the edges of the tortilla to make sure it will slide from the pan. Carefully slide the tortilla on to a plate. Cover with another plate and invert. Add a little more oil to the pan. Carefully slide the tortilla in the skillet. Cook another 5 minutes.

After the flip. The pan is a little messy but it wasn't a complete disaster.

10. To serve, slice into wedges or little cubes. Serve the tortilla warm or at room temperature.

The bf thinks the little cubes are too small. He usually will cut the tortilla in half and place half on his plate.

Note: If you do not want to risk the flipping, you can cook in an ovenproof skillet and put the tortilla in a preheated oven and bake until the top sets.

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Spice Reorg

I bought 72 new square spice tins to reorganize all my spices. I had a bunch of those round metal favor tins but they were too small. I searched for the perfect size. I was searching for containers that were large enough to hold enough spices so that I did not have to refill the containers every two days but I didn't want them too large that they would take over the entire kitchen. I found 4 ounces a good compromise.

They are just like these but cheaper http://www.spicecubed.com/

The company shipped one box of 24 and the rest was backordered. I went ahead and started the repacking and labeling process. I have 48 more to package.

I need to come up with a game plan on how I want to store them. I am thinking either just stacking them inside a drawer or applying magnets to the back and sticking them onto either the refrigerator or on a magnetic dry erase board. I found a stainless steel finish magnetic dry erase board. I would then mount the board on the back of the pantry door. I'll have to see. It is still a work in progress.

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Potatoes and Chicken in a Tikka Masala Sauce

Ever have a cooking failure? As much as I would like to believe that I only know how to create amazing food, it does not always happen. Tonight was such a night. I am venturing into the world of Indian cooking. Indian food is still very foreign territory to me. I can eat it but when it comes to cooking it I am very lost. You see I'm not quite sure how all the various spices come together to make that distinctive Indian flavor. We were not taught Indian cooking in school. It is a cuisine that is probably hard to teach in culinary school where the chefs were all trained in the classic European technique. I don't have any friends of Indian descent and we all know authentic recipes are usually family recipes passed on from mother to child and not posted on the internet.

Despite all this I still wanted to test the waters. After all it was trial and error that helped me perfect my Thai red curry. So I searched and searched through various recipes for a chicken tikka masala. After doing my internet research and reading through such reliable sources as wikipedia, I discovered that tikka masala is not a true Indian dish. It is British in origin. It is said that a Bengali chef prepared chicken tikka for his clients. His clients sent it back and asked for a sauce. How can you serve meat that is not nappe with sauce? In order to appease the British palate, the chef created a sauce using Campbell's Cream of Tomato soup doctored up with a few Indian spices. I'm not sure if this legend is entirely true. Is Cream of Tomato popular in Great Britain?

With so many varying recipes I decided to stick with Savory Spice Shop's Tikka Masala blend as a starting point. I can then work from there. After all it is just a mixture of various spices. A co-worker speaks highly of the spice blends at Savory. Savory Spice Shop specializes in spices for the average home cook instead of supplying the Denver area restaurants. The blend contains: Spanish sweet paprika, cumin, coriander, ginger, guajillo chile, aji amarillo chile, garlic, turmeric, black pepper, black cardamom, charnushka, spearmint, cloves, mace, cinnamon and bay leaves.

The owner of the shop put together a recipe for using his blend. Below is his recipe.

Ingredients:
1lb. sliced chicken breast
31/2 -5 tbsp. tikka masala powder
1 1/2 tsp. honey
3 1/2 tbsp. tomato powder mix into 8 oz. water
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup half & half
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2mcup plain yogurt
12oz bag frozen vegetables or 2 cups of sauted, fresh bite-size vegetables

Directions:
Convert tikka powder into paste by following the instructions on the label and set aside. If using, thoroughly mix tomato powder, honey powder and water into a smooth sauce and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium/high heat. If sauting veggies, do so now and set aside. If using frozen, pop in microwave for 2-2 1/2 minutes. Next, lightly brown the sliced chicken on both sides and remove to a cutting board. Lower heat to medium, add veggies and stir in tikka paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite-size pieces and stir into veggies. Next, stir in lemon juice, sea salt, your tomato choice and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Mix together the yogurt and the half & half in a small bowl. Reduce heat to a simmer and thoroughly stir in the yogurt mixture. Cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serving Suggestions:
Over rice with chopped cilantro and pita, tortilla or naan bread. Start cooking rice simultaneously and it should be ready to serve when the tikka masala is complete.

You can use 3 1/2 to 5 tbsp. Tikka Masala powder depending on the level of heat and depth of flavor desired.

Recipe Summary:
Servings: 4
Total time: 1/2 hour

Thanks to: Mike Johnston, Savory Spice Shop Owner

Reflections:
1. I didn't use vegetables because I've never had tikka masala with vegetables before. I did have some purple potatoes that I needed to use. Potatoes and chicken sounded like a great combination.
2. The tomato powder and water mixture made something that looked like canned tomato sauce. Is tomato sauce made from a mix?
3. 3 1/2 tablespoons of tomato powder was too much. It tasted too tomato-ey(?)
4. Since I added uncooked potatoes, I needed to add more water and cook it longer.

I wasn't thrilled about the flavor. Maybe it needs to sit in its own juices and all the flavors will then meld together. I could barely eat my dinner. I didn't finish it. Most of it went into the garbage disposal.

It is just not my cooking day. The second disaster was the rice. I've cooked hundreds of pots of rice and I'v'e never had a bad pot of rice. I put the basmati in my trusty rice cooker. As the water boiled, it created all these bubbles that threatened to lift the lid right off the pot. It looked really dry. I added more water. After the pot switched from cook to keep warm, I got a wet uncooked mess.

Both the rice and the potatoes & chicken in the tikka masala sauce was not entirely disgusting it just wasn't amazing. The rice was edible and the masala was bearable.

Look at the pretty purple potatoes.

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Black Rice Pudding with Taro

This is one of my mom's favorite desserts. Black rice has a wonderful fragrant aroma and chewy texture. This rice is sometimes steamed and topped with an sweet egg custard, mashed mung beans, or sweetened shredded coconut. I like to make it into a pudding-like dessert. It is not exactly pudding-like since I prefer mine with a little more liquid. It will actually thicken up a bit as it sits in the liquid.

Black rice can be found at most asian grocery stores. It is sometimes labeled Indonesian black rice or forbidden rice. I think real forbidden rice is different from black rice but many "exotic" ingredients are often mislabeled. You have to look for the long-ish grain. Forbidden rice is a shorter grain rice. Both are very high in an antioxidant called anthocyanin.

I always end up with more than what I plan for because this rice really expands in the water. I tried to stick with just half a cup of rice this time. Some people will mix regular glutinous rice when making black rice to extend it. I see this in the steamed version.

1/2 cup black rice
water, as needed
1 can Savoy brand coconut milk (I use Savoy brand for desserts. The coconut cream doesn't solidify when cold.)
pinch sea salt
1 to 2 cups diced taro root
sugar, as needed
few drops pandan extract, optional

1. Rinse black rice several times. Bring black rice and water to a boil. You will need to add more water as it is absorbed by the rice. Boil for about 30 minutes.
2. Cover and let stand a few hours or boil until tender. I like the boil, cover, and leave it method because I don't have to monitor the pot and it allows me to leave to run errands.
3. Boil taro root until tender and add to rice.
4. Add coconut milk, sugar, salt, and pandan extract.

The lighting is a little off. The color is not quite right. It is a deep purple color.

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Chicken Baozi or Steamed Chicken Buns

Growing up my mother and my grandmother made shortcut steamed buns. They purchased large packs of refrigerated Pillsbury biscuit dough. The filling was homemade, usually ground pork with various seasonings. I used to help by cutting sheets of college ruled lined notebook paper into little squares. I'm not sure about the toxicity of lined notebook paper. We all ended up fine...well perhaps just a little strange but none of us had notebook paper ink poisoning. I'm using parchment paper instead of the notebook paper. The buns do not stick to the parchment.

These buns vary from country to country. The Chinese versions are usually filled with char sui or roast pork. The Thai version is called salapao and made with rice instead of wheat flour. The filling takes on a different flavor. In the Phillipines it is called siopao and often filled with a chicken adobo or an asado type filling. My favorite is the Vietnamese version called banh bao. I like the flavor. I often find Chinese flavors a little too boring for my Xipsongpanna taste buds. A close second is the chicken version found at dim sum. These are smaller in size and the filling is made with chopped cooked chicken and dominated with ginger.

I ventured to duplicate the dim sum ginger chicken version this time around. I wanted to practice before attempting the Vietnamese version. (Plus I suspected the Vietnamese version used a type of flour or combination of flours that I did not have at home.) Even for these dim sum versions, I didn't have the bleached wheat flour. I only buy unbleached all purpose and unbleached bread flours. I had bleached cake flour but I wanted to stick with the recipe I found. The buns are not snow white in color. They have a slight yellow tint. They still tasted wonderful. I shaped them two different ways. The first is like a hostess snowball. The second is more traditional where the edges are gathered together at the peak. The are supposed to slighly come a part or "smile" and reveal part of the filling. The snowballs are easier to do. The traditional smile is hard to achieve but you get more fluffy dough at the top.

I looked at a few different recipes. I liked this one http://www.shesimmers.com/2009/02/plain-chinese-steamed-buns-sword-heroes.html but I wasn't sure about the tablespoon of yeast to less than two cups of flour. The yeast to flour ratio seems a bit high.

Dim Sum Ginger Chicken Steamed Buns

Makes 24 medium-sized buns

Sponge:
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup baker's sugar
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup lukewarm water

Dough:
4 1/2 cups bleached all purpose flour (unbleached is fine but the color will not be snow white)
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup baker's sugar
3 tablespoons butter, margarine, vegetable oil, lard or shortening

1. Make a sponge starter by mixing all sponge ingredients together. Let the mixture stand for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare 24 3"x3" pieces of parchment paper.
3. Once the sponge is ready, add to the mixing bowl the dough ingredients. Add to the mixture just enough lukewarm water for the dough to form a ball. Using a dough hook, knead dough about 8 minutes. Alternatively you can knead by hand. I usually aim for about 15 minutes when kneading by hand. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
4. While the dough is rising, hardboil six eggs and prepare the filling. (See below for instructions on making the filling.)
4. Cut small pieces of dough with a dough cutter or scissors. You can roll the dough into a log and cut it into 24 pieces but I like to live dangerously and cut off pieces. I ended up with different size buns but I didn't care too much. I wanted large and small buns.
5. Roll the dough into a five inch circle. Fill each circle with 1/4 slice of hardboiled egg, chicken filling, and two slices of chinese sausage. Place each bun on prepared parchment square.
6. Place on baking sheet and allow to rise in proofing box (aka oven with light on).

7. Allow buns to rise about 45 minutes. Prepare the steamer. Fill the bottom with water and bring to a boil. Place buns on the steamer tiers, leaving about 1 to 2 inches of room in between each bun. They will expand a bit. I have a smaller size two-tiered aluminum steamer. My mother and grandmother have larger ones. I can only fit four buns on each layer. I also have smaller bamboo steamers, a steamer insert for my pasta pot, and a steamer basket for my rice cooker. I get fairly good result with those steamers and I do use them when I need to steam most things. But my ideal steamer is the aluminum one. I only break it out for large steam jobs. This steamer has a domed lid so the water from the steam collects on the lid and then slides down the side. There are grooves on the perimeter of the steamer tray to collect the water. The water doesn't drip on your food. If you are using a regular without the high-tech moisture catcher system, you want to cover your buns with a damp towel. The towel will collect the condensation.

5. When the water comes to a boil, steam the buns for about 10 to 15 minutes. You will have to steam in batches. Check water level often. You don't want to burn the bottom layer.

Filling:
I'm not completely satisfied with the filling. I think next time I will leave out the garlic, fish sauce and oyster sauce. I didn't measure any of the seasonings. I used two 1-pound bags of boneless skinless thighs from Costco. They are a little more expensive but so darn convenient.

Group 1:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
Garlic
Ginger
Salt
Msg
Pepper
Oyster sauce
Fish sauce
Soy sauce
Sugar
Sesame oil

Group 2:
Cornstarch
Green onions, sliced
Woodear Mushroom

Group 3:
Hardboiled eggs, sliced
Chinese sausage sliced

1. Mix all of group 1 ingredients together and let marinate for about 3 minutes. Pour everything into a dutch oven and cook until chicken is no longer pink and liquid is absorbed.
2. Remove chicken pieces and dice.
3. Mix in group two ingredients.

All wrapped in saran wrap and ready for the freezer.

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Pan de Sal

My mom used to stop by Valerio's Bakery every couple of days to pick up freshly baked pan de sal for us. It was so cheap. I think they were 18 for $1. Why make them if they are that cheap? Well unlike San Diego, Denver does not have a huge filipino population. There is no Valerio's Bakery. I still crave these rolls from time to time and I do not like to haul food on the airplane so that I can freeze it for later. The only way for me to enjoy fresh pan de sal is to make it myself. These rolls are little mounds of heaven.

I came across this recipe http://pinoyamericanrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/10/pandesal-philippine-dinner-rolls.html and tried it a few weeks ago. It is a bread machine recipe so I adapted it for my Kitchenaid. I also tweaked it a little to get a flavor closer to Valerio's. The flavor of the original recipe was good but it wasn't as sweet as I remembered. I'm just used to what I grew up on. The tweaked recipe is nearly identical in taste to Valerio's. The recipe is actually really easy compared to a lot of other bread recipes. It doesn't require a pre-ferment, a ferment, a starter, a second rise, or even a first rise. You simply mix the dough, let it rest a few minutes, shape, let rise, bake and enjoy. The results are amazing.

1/2 stick butter, cut into small pieces
2 1/2 cups whole milk (I don't usually have whole milk in the house. I used 2 cups skim and 1/2 cup of half and half)
1 extra large egg
1/2 cup baker's sugar
5 to 6 1/2 cups bread flour (the original recipe calls for 5 cups of flour but after some feedback, I'm listing a range)
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons dough enhancer
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

To dust:
Plain bread crumbs

1. In a large measuring cup, combine butter and 1 cup milk and microwave about 1 minute. Make sure butter is all melted. Add the rest of the milk and egg. Beat everything together. Check the temp of the liquid. Make sure it is under 100 degrees.
2. In the bowl of stand mixer, combine the rest of the ingredients (start with about 4 1/2 cups of flour) and mix together. Add milk mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. You may need to ditch the wooden spoon and continue mixing with your hand.
3. Using the dough hook, knead for about 8 minutes. I usually have to knead for about 4 minutes. Let the mixer cool a few minutes and then finish kneading. While kneading, add the reserved half cup of flour a tablepoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. You want a dough that is wet enough but not too wet.
4. Rest the dough about 15 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into two pieces and flatten into a rectangle about a half in thick and 18 to 24 inches wide. Roll the dough like making cinnamon rolls, starting from the edge closer to you. You want to roll it very tight. Seal the seams and ends, using your thumb and index finger. I like to squeeze the dough towards the middle and stretch it back out to get a more uniform roll. Cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces.

The oil and spices in the background were for the tomato sauce I was simultaneously making for the lasagna.

6. To shape: Take a piece of of dough, flatten between the palms of yours hands. You want to flatten the cut ends. How do I describe it? The two cut sides should touch each palm. You want a flat retangle. Roll each piece in plain bread crumbs and place on a silicone lined baking sheet about an inch apart. It is okay if they touch.

Flip the dough so that it is sitting on one of the cut ends. Pick it up and place on your left palm, take your right palm and flatten.

Roll in plain bread crumbs.

7. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft free place about an hour.
8. Bake in 350 degree preheated oven about 20 minutes or until slightly golden.

First batch:

Both batches:

***Edit***
I make this recipe often. Below are pictures from a batch I made on February 20, 2010.

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Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes

2 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoons sifted cake flour
scant 1 teaspoon baking powder*
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon red gel food coloring (I used Wilton brand. It is cheaper than buying regular food coloring)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups baker's sugar (use slightly less than 1 1/2 cups)
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
scant teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. (I did half regular white cupcake liners and halt nut cups. For the nut cups, make a small snip on the edge of the cup to make it easier to remove the cupcake from the cup.)

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Using my Kitchenaid it took about a minute. First start off slow and increase speed.

4. Beat in eggs, one at a time and then beat in vanilla and red gel color. Remove from stand mixer.

5. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Using a spatula, fold until incorporated. Add half of the buttermilk and fold until incorporated. Fold in last half of flour mixture and then last half of buttermilk. (The reason why I use a rubber spatula instead of finishing with the Kitchenaid is because I do not want to overmix the batter. It is too easy for my to overmix in the stand mixer. I sometimes walk off to do something and then momentarily forget that the mixer is still running. It is a habit because I do a lot of bread dough.)

6. In the mixing cup used to measure the buttermilk, add baking soda and vinegar. Add the vinegar mixure to the batter and mix well.

7. Fill muffin cups half full. Bake in a single layer in middle rack for about 20 minutes. Do not open the oven door.

8. Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting from the Barefoot Contessa:

• 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until light and fluffy. This can take a few minutes.

High altitude and tips for success:

1. Use slightly less leavening (baking soda and baking powder).
2. Increase flour by a few tablespoons.
3. Use extra large eggs when recipe calls for large eggs. The lecithin in the eggs help. The Barefoot Contessa said in her most recent book that her baking improved when she started using extra large eggs. I now buy only extra large eggs.
4. Use slightly less sugar.
5. Fill only half the cup. These cupcakes gets so much rise. I have to bake the ones in the nut cups in muffin tins. I once tried baking them on a baking sheet. I also filled them 2/3 full and they overflowed and there was no lip of the muffin tins to catch the overflow. They went straight down the sides of the nut cups. They were not pretty.

*I tried a recipe that only used baking soda as the leavening. The cupcakes sunk in the middle. When I used baking powder in addition to the soda, the cupcakes started to sink but as they heated up, they started to rise. Baking soda rises when wet. Double-acting baking powder rises when added to liquid and rises again when heated. I also read somewhere that in order to get domed instead of flat cupcakes I should heat the oven to 400 degrees, put the tins in and lower the temp to 350 degrees. I'll try it next time.

I used two different liners. I used nut cups and regular white liners. I also have red liners that I found in the asian section of Cost Plus. Both are very pretty. I don't like those pastel Reynold's baking cups. I buy cupcake liners whenever I find cute ones. I would love those fancy wrappers but they are too expensive to be practical. I am cheap.

I don't believe in piping frosting.

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Sourdough Bread Take Two

This time around I made it with Aki the organic rye berry and pineapple juice starter. (By this time Aki had been converted to a white starter.)

1 1/2 cups of starter
1/2 cup rye flour
3 cups unbleached AP flour (maybe more or less depending on the hydration of the starter)
1/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast (for insurance)
1.5 cups water
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons salt

Sunday night:
1. Take a little starter and feed it about 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon rye flour and water. I do it approximate and eyeball the consistency. I left it out about four hours at room temperature, refrigerated it overnight, and then took it out to monitor. The reason why I did this was because on Sunday morning I threw out most of the starter and fed it in the morning. I didn't allow the starter to double. I only left it out a few hours and then stuck it in the fridge. Later that night I had an urge to make sourdough and my starter was not exactly ready to for another feeding.

Monday evening 6pm
2. I poured the starter into the bowl of my Kitchenaid mixer. I added slightly warmed water and whisked it until it was a liquidy.
3. I added honey and whisked while the water was warm.
4. I added 1/4 teaspoon of yeast for insurance. I wanted to make sure the bread rose since the I didn't feed the starter correctly. I was more interested in the taste of the bread than in remaining a wild yeast purist.
5. I added the rye flour and mixed.
6. I slowly added AP flour a cup at a time until the dough was stiff enough to handle. The dough was still fairly moist. I read that larger holes are achieved from wetter doughs but you often get a flatter bread as a result. How to compromise? I baked it in a cast iron skillet so it wouldn't spread out more than the perimeter of the skillet.
7. Knead for about 4 minutes on setting 2 of the Kitchenaid.
8. Let it sit for about 30 minutes covered in the mixing bowl.
9. Add salt and knead another 4 minutes.
10. Place in an oiled boil that is flat and wide enough to allow folding without having to remove it from the bowl.
11. Let the dough ferment at room temp for 2 1/2 hours with folds at 50 and 100 minutes.
12. Shape the dough into a nicely rounded boule and divide into smaller pieces to make smaller boules. I did one big one in a 9 inch cast iron skillet lined with parchment. If making several loaves, divide dough and then let it rest about 20 minutes before shaping.
13. After shaping, cover dough and let rise for 1 1/2 hours at room temp and then refrigerate for up to 16 hours. I shaped, let it rise for 1 1/2 hours, and refrigerated the entire cast iron skillet. I covered with a large plastic bowl. I don't like to use plastic wrap much and avoid it whenever possible.
14. In the morning, preheat oven to 475 degrees. While the oven is preheating, take the dough out of the refrigerator. Also boil a pot of water in an oven-proof pan and fill a spray bottle with water.
15. When oven is preheated and water is boiled, put the pot of water on the first shelf of the oven. Bake the bread on the second shelf. Turn down the heat to 450 degrees. Generously spray the loaf with water about every five minutes for the first 20 minutes of baking. The pot of water should boil during the entire baking process.
16. Bake for about 30-40 minutes. (Depends on the size of your loaves.)
17. Let cool before slicing. (Something I never do.)

Loaf right out of the refrigerator.

I wanted a little more blistering. The blisters are present but really small. I guess I have to refrigerate it longer?

I never wait for the bread to cool before slicing.

I think the dough was a little too wet because the bread was too moist and almost gummy. Not gummy like the no-knead bread but definitely a little gummier than I would like. After the bread cooled, the gumminest went away and was perfect. The entire loaf was gone by the end of the day.

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Carl Griffith's Oregan Trail Sourdough Starter

I received Carl Griffith's 1847 sourdough starter a few weeks ago. I was getting ready to leave town and did not want to activate it and leave. Taking the starter on the trip with me was not an option. I was tired all of last week and actually contemplated holding off on activating it since I have my other two starters in the refrigerator. They take up too much room. I actually don't keep a huge amount of starter on hand. I keep just a few tablespoons and allow it to rise. I think I can actually move them from the quart containers into smaller containers.

On a whim I decided to activate Carl's starter. I ran out of my quart containers. I thought it was impossible but it is possible. I just had soupgroup and I just made a huge pot of pho and froze the extra soup broth in the containers. I am curious how the Oregon Trail starter tastes. Barry (aka starter B) rose really well, smelled great, but I wasn't thrilled with the flavor. I got a really sour bread but the flavor was flat. I didn't get anything else. Maybe it needs to mature a little more. I baked with it when it was only a few weeks old. The pancakes were yummy but I think that was because of the milk and the other ingredients I used.

Aki (aka starter A) was turned into a loaf today. It is sitting in my refrigerator. I will bake it in the morning. I discard most of it on Sunday morning and fed it. I threw away part of it because I wasn't really planning on baking bread. More on Aki Sourdough loaf on a different post. Back to Carl.

I mixed the dried starter with bottled water, stirred, and stirred some more to get the particles to dissolve. It is pretty much like concrete. I let it sit a while. It took a while before it all dissolved. I smelled it. It already has a sour-ish smell. Not the good sour smell but the early stages of the starter smell.

After sitting for fifteen minutes and I still had huge chunks.

Finally after about half an hour the bits of dried starter started to dissolve. I then added bread flour for a thick pancake-like batter.

About 36 hours after reviving. The starter was all bubbly when I woke up in the morning. It looks like a metal spoon in the container but it is actually a plastic spoon that looks like metal.

I didn't throw away half before feeding because I was giving half of it away. It still more than doubled. The starter smells really yummy!

It is definitely easier to get a starter going with dried starter. I have some of Barry dried. I need to dry Aki and the Oregon Trail starter just in case something happens. I think I have too much Barry starter. I need to start giving some away.

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Lavender Shortbread Cookies

I used my regular recipe for shortbread cookies, subbed vanilla extract for the almond extract and added about a tablespoon of dried lavender.

• 1 cup butter, softened
  
• 1/2 cup white baker's sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon dried lavender buds
  
• 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• milk, as needed

1. Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla extract and lavender, beat until mixed.
2. Slowly mix in flour.
3. Drizzle in a little milk until dough forms a ball. You want a very dry dough but I find that a little milk helps pull it all together. I also live in Denver where it is very dry and I often need to add a little more liquid or less flour whenever I make a dough.
4. Refrigerate dough. I left the dough on the counter overnight. It is cold downstairs in my house.
5. Roll dough out about 1/4" thick. Cut with small cookie cutters. I used small hearts. I really wanted small daisy shaped cutters.
6. Bake in a 300 degree oven for about 25 minutes until bottoms are slightly browned.

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