Winter has barely started and we've got quite a bit of snow on the ground. Every afternoon, I'm outside with the kids and the dog. One day it's a snowball fight, the next day they are battling their way up the hill only to slide back down.
Our dog is always in the middle of the action chasing any flying snow. She plays a mean game of snowball, but she plays as shortstop. Her mission is to jump up and stop the balls before they can hit anyone.
It's been so cold, we bought her some Muttluks for her feet. She hasn't gotten used to them yet. Poor thing just minces around until she can manage to shake one of them off her feet.
For us, cold days require a bowl of soup served with a crusty roll. After spending a few hours in the cold, there is nothing better to warm your body back up. Well, hugging the radiator works really well too.
This is a wonderful loaf of bread, that smells heavenly while it's baking. It has a crackly crust that snaps nicely when you break apart the leaves. If you don't have any soup, warm your bread and serve it with a variety of cheeses. Delicious.
Recipe
Yield: 1 1-lb epi wreath
Protein Content:
Original Amount: 28.34 g
Gluten Free Amount: 29.708 g
Poolish
16 g brown rice flour (1.44 g)
16 g sweet rice flour (0.96 g)
16 g arrowroot starch (0.03 g)
19 g almond meal (4.32 g)
18 g white bean flour (4.085 g)
12 g instant yeast
90 ml water (115 to 120 deg F/46 to 49 deg C)
15 ml agave syrup
Dough
25 g brown rice flour (2.25 g)
25 g sweet rice flour (1.5 g)
24 g arrowroot starch (0.3 g)
30 g almond meal (7.2 g)
28 g white bean flour (6.02 g)
6 g sea salt
6 g chia seed meal
4 g agar agar powder
130 g poolish
30 ml agave syrup
60 ml water (115 to 120 deg F/46 to 49 deg C)
Directions for Poolish
Pour all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and blend together. Then add the water and agave syrup and stir until incorporated. Set the bowl in a warm location to rise for 30 minutes.
Directions for Final Dough
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir together. Add the poolish, water and agave syrup and blend together until a soft ball forms.
2. Place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with arrowroot starch. Gently roll the dough into a cylinder about 15 in/38 cm long. Gently ease the ends of the dough together into a circle. Press the ends of the dough together. Take scissors or a sharp knife and holding them at a 45 degree angle, make diagonal cuts down the center of the ring. Place each cut piece to the side as you cut it. Then place a parallel slice on either side of the center cut. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 1 1/2 hours.
3. Place an oven proof bowl filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Then place a baking stone on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F/246 degrees C. Slide the loaf on the parchment paper onto the baking stone. Thenspray water over the oven box and the top of the loaf. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Prop the oven door open and continue to cook the bread for another 5 minutes. Remove the loaf and allow it to cool before serving.
What's Going On?
I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their DVD's from my family for my birthday. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.
Want more?
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Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts
Baking & Pastry Week 18 - Poolishes
Baking & Pastry #34 - Almond Buckwheat Batard
Baking & Pastry #33 - Stollen
Baking & Pastry Week 17 - A Sponge and a Poolish
Baking & Pastry #32 - Gugelhopf
Baking & Pastry #31 - Panettone
