Boules added to the menu

Well, what a hot summer day we are having in Kansas City.  And if the forecasters are correct, the next two days will be even hotter.  After that, however, we are due for a cool-down.  All in all, we can't be too unhappy with the relatively mild summer we've had so far.

Hot or not, it's always a great time to eat bread.  My last post was about making boules.  Well, as of today, there are now two boules on the menu.  Both are the same kind, so it's really only one boule.  But one is large, about 9 inches, and the other is small, about 6 inches.

I love eating these.  They are soft on the outside and the inside is moist with a little chew and an herbal fragrance that is absolutely wonderful.  

I love the days on which I get to add new items to the menu.  I'm working on adjusting loaf sizes for a honey oatmeal bread right now.  And I'm doing final tweaks for an almond snack cake which I think I will pair with a blueberry sweet cream.  And I'm also doing final tweaks on waffle cones and waffle bowls for ice cream.  These will all be added to the menu very soon.

However, my favorite that will make it's first appearance on the menu soon is chocolate mousse.  It's easy to eat lots and lots of this smooth creamy chocolate concoction.  In order to choose one for the menu, I've been doing single-elimination cook-offs with several chocolate mousse varieties that I love to make.  The only problem is that when I make them, my fridge is filled with lots and lots of mousse.  After doing three rounds several days ago, I decided to push off the next rounds in order to take a break and hopefully withstand the temptation to eat all the chocolate mousse I was making.  I think I will start the final rounds next week.  And I think that as soon it's on the menu, I will add to a weekly food menu immediately so that everyone can give it a try.

Oh, I have so many more things I want to add.  All in time, I suppose.  In any event, keep watching the menu to see what new things show up.

Have a great week and enjoy our midsummer days.

Boule with herbs

Today I'm making boules.  What is a boule?  It is basically a round loaf of bread, often very crusty, and always very delicious.  They aren't hard to make, and so they are great to add on short notice to a day's meal plan.

For this boule, we're going to start with all-purpose flour, add a little instant yeast, some sugar, some salt, a little baking powder, and whisk it all together.  Then warm water is added, about 120 F.  Once all the dry ingredients are combined in the water, fresh chopped herbs are added.  In this case, I'm using parsley, thyme, and basil, and I'm adding a lot.  I want this loaf to be very fragrant.  All of this is kneaded for about 6 minutes in the mixer with a dough hook on medium high speed, or longer if doing it by hand.  You can see the finished dough above.  

Now the dough rises for about 45 minutes in the bowl.  And then it's removed, deflated a bit, and formed into a round ball and then pressed until it's about 7 inches in diameter.  Place it into a round cake pan which has been lubricated with butter, brush the dough with melted butter, and let it sit another 25 minutes or so.  When it's done rising, it should pretty much fill the pan and it will have risen a little above the top of the pan.

Then it's brushed with melted better again, and put into the oven at 375 F for about 20 minutes.  And here's how it comes out.

Beautiful, isn't it?  Let's cut it open and see what it looks like inside.

It looks delicious.  And as you can see, when you cut it open all those herbs are found sprinkled throughout the bread.  It is soft, fragrant, and flavorful.  I like to eat it plain but you can put anything on it you wish.  It's great to have with soups and stews to soak up the juices and broths and gravies.  It's great with a little melted grated cheese on it.  There are so many ways to eat this.  And it is really quite easy.  This particular loaf has a very soft crust, but many boules are very crusty.

Eating a slice now and ...... it's yummy!  Put this out as part of a family dinner, and it will quickly be gone.  This will soon be on the full menu at Bruce Bakery Bistro.  I hope everyone will like it.

Rye bread

It's Saturday in Kansas City.  It looks like it's going to be a mild day with temps in the 80s.  We are having a pleasantly warm and rainy summer so far, the complete opposite of what is happening in so many other parts of the country where it is hot and dry.  

In recent blog post, I mentioned that my oldest daughter sent me some really great flours to try.  Pictured above is one of those:  a beautifully ground whole grain rye flour.  Although I am quite experienced in many other breads, I have never made rye bread before so here was the catalyst for making my first attempt.

First we have to make a starter.  This is comprised of bread flour, rye flour, rapid-rise yeast, and warm water, about 110 F.  This is mixed together and left to sit overnight at room temperature.

Here's what it looks like at first.  But after sitting several hours, it smooths out, and increases in volume to become a spongy mass that fills about half this bowl.  I meant to get a picture of that, but it slipped my mind as I was excited to get going on making that actual bread once the starter had finished it's sitting period.

Now we take more bread flour, more rye flour, vegetable oil, honey, more rapid-rise yeast, more water and salt, and add the starter.  All of this comes out into a pretty large amount of bread dough that is then put aside to rise for a while after it is kneaded.  Here it is before rising.

And here it is after rising.  It is a monster rise!

Very satisfying, don't you think?

Now we remove the dough from the bowl and punch it down a little, flatten it, and form it into a rough rectangle.  We fold the top and the bottom into the center, pinch the seams together and compress the loaf a bit.  Then we flip it over and form it into a rough torpedo shape.

I put a dinner spoon by the dough for a size comparison.  You can see we have a pretty large mass of dough.  This sits for a while and grows even larger.

Well, this has become quite a mass of dough. It can be seen that it is tearing just a little as the rising happens.  The gluten should be developed a bit more from the kneading to allow it to stretch and hold together during the rising process.  Next time, more kneading.

After preheating the oven at 500 F for an hour with pizza stones in it, I scored the dough down the center with a knife, placed the dough on parchment on the pizza stones, and turned down the temperature to 425 F.  And you can see what comes out:  a nice crusty rye loaf.

And here's the loaf cut diagonally.  The bread is dense, a tiny bit crusty on the outside, soft on the inside,  and very tasty.  Warm or cooled, it is a wonderful eating experience.

So there we go.  A beautiful rye bread.  Thanks to "oldest daughter" for sending me the flours.  She sent me a total of three, so I imagine I'll do more posts soon on making breads from the flours.

Have a great weekend everyone and don't forget to take the time to enjoy good food.

A nice weekend

 

Happy Sunday evening, everyone.  What a nice weekend it has been: lots of cooking, some good movies, very mild temperatures, and wildlife visiting my yard.  The beautiful doe shown in the picture above has been around more than once to steal a bit of birdseed from the feeders in my yard.

Today has been a nice day of cooking.  I distributed foods from this week's menu offerings yesterday and today.  It was nice to get back to making food for everyone after being on hiatus for so long due to the pandemic.  I hope everyone who got some food from my kitchen this weekend enjoyed it.  I've already updated the next two weeks of menus.  I hope you will all give something a try.

Today I began preparing to add chocolate mousse to the menu.  I have multiple recipes that I like to use.  I'm going to choose one that will soon be available for everyone.  That means I will be making multiple batches this week and next in order to decide on which variety to add to the menu.  I guess I'll be eating a lot of mousse.  I'm not complaining one bit!

Here's one of the batches I made today.  They are in the fridge now, setting up in the chill air.  I won't touch them until tomorrow. 

I also began a rye bread today.

For the most recent Father's Day, my oldest daughter sent me three special flours.  One of these is the rye flour shown above.  So today I began experimenting with this.  To be honest, I've never used rye flour before.  For my first time using it I'm going to make a New York deli style rye bread.  Here's the starter dough shown below.

This starter will sit in this bowl sealed under plastic for many hours as it increases in volume.  I will let it sit overnight and make the bread in the morning.  

I will be experimenting with the other two flours sent by my daughter later this week or next week.  This month I have lots of time for cooking, a great way to spend the midsummer days.

Allspice snack cakes and mini bread loaves

 

This week, there are two new additions to the full menu.

First, I have added allspice snack cakes.  These are 4-inch diameter cakes that are perfect for when you have a craving for something mildly sweet.  Allspice is in the cake as well as in the sweet topping. 

Second, I have also added mini-loaves of the soft white bread that was already on the menu.  Each min-loaf is about 5 inches long.  It's something one person can easily devour in a single sitting.  Well, maybe not everyone would eat that much, but I would, and I did today as a matter of fact.  

It's always fun having small versions of foods available in the kitchen.  That being said, I always opt for large versions of some things, like ice cream sundaes, for example.  And if I have a plate of pasta, it's going to be a large serving on a large plate.  What about large hamburgers?  I have found that I prefer a smaller burger, a single rather than a double.  I find the balance of meat and bun to be much nicer when it's a single.  It took me years to learn that fact, and now I can't believe I ever ate double burgers.

OK, OK, I can ramble on and on about the size of food portions.  All that matters is that whatever the size is, there's enough for seconds if you want it. 

Get ready to order again

It is yet another wet day here in Kansas City.  We have had a lot of rain the last several days.   But if the forecasters are correct, that is going to end with the advent of a drier period starting tomorrow.  I have been out trimming some of the landscaping the past couple days in between periods of rain.  The plants are loving the rain as well as the atypical cooler June temperatures we have had.

Starting next weekend, July 9th-11th, I will resume taking food orders.  We've had a long period of time during which I closed everything down due to the pandemic.  But it's time to start it up again.  I've already put out the first two weekly menus.

The passcode to get into the website is still the same.  If you've forgotten it, just let me know and I will remind you.  There are FAQs on the website to review if you wish, as well.

Remember the ordering process is simple.  Choose what you want from the appropriate weekly menu.  Indicate what day you'd like to pick these items up and how many -- remember some items are ordered individually and some are ordered as a group, for example, 6 cookies in one order.  You'll see a spot to leave a note for me in the ordering process as to the day you'd like to pick them up.  And I will be in touch to confirm your order and then later again to let you know that items are ready for pickup.

When you select an item from the weekly menu, you'll see a note indicating how many of the item are still available; for example, "5 of 10 left".  The ordering page will not let you order more than what are available.

Check back every week to see what new items are being offered and also to see new additions to the full menu.  If you see items on the full menu you'd like to see in a weekly rotation soon, just click on the item on the FULL MENU page and the individual item page will appear with an indicated spot to let me know.

Remember that for those who are invited friends and family, everything is free, my gift to you.  It is my pleasure to share my favorite foods with you. 

Bisques

Today it is very wet here in Kansas City after a couple rounds of heavy rain over night.  Some of the plants in my garden have been beaten down by the rain and are low to the ground.  Hopefully, they will right themselves soon.  

It seems like a good day to make carrot bisque.  Bisques are traditionally a creamy soup made with crustaceans such as lobster.  However, I am quite fine calling my carrot bisque by that name rather than soup.  It's not really a soup.  It's thick and very creamy, and to me it is a bisque.  Could it simply be called a "cream soup"?  Well, it still seems more like a bisque to me, albeit without the seafood.

Quite long ago I wanted to have a carrot soup of some sort, and so I spent some time experimenting.  And what I came up with was a combination of carrots, water, cream, broth (chicken or veggie), coriander, nutmeg, and salt and pepper.  Once this cooks for a long while, I puree the mixture until it is smooth and creamy, and then I cook it a bit longer to reduce its volume and intensify the flavors.

I had this idea of doing this same process with various other vegetables.  So I chose celery next.  That was a mistake.  Boiling celery in water results in an aroma which is not at all pleasing to me.  So I never tried it again.  However, I've also not tried other vegetables since then.  But I'm going to make an effort to do that over the next short while.  I can see beet, broccoli, or asparagus working well as a bisque.  Cauliflower might be nice as well, but I like to make that as mashed cauliflower dish similar to mashed potatoes.     

When I made the carrot bisque, I initially did it in small batches.  And then one day I tried to scale it up to a very large batch, but I wasn't as happy with the result.  Some things, I am convinced, are simply better when made in small batches.  This bisque is one of them.

Well, I'm off to cut up carrots now.  In a while I will have a wonderful aroma spreading from the kitchen.

Enjoy the final weekend of June, everyone.

Hazelnuts and July food offerings

 

Happy Saturday!  It's a very warm week here in Kansas City, although not as warm as some other parts of the country.  It's a good day to stay inside out of the heat and the humidity.

Yesterday, my order of hazelnuts was delivered.  Two pounds.  Many people prefer to get their hazelnuts already completely skinned.  However, I like to just take them with the skins on, roast them, and then roll them in a towel or in a plastic baggie to take off some but not all of the skin.  When they are ground, I like seeing some of the darker color that comes from the skin.  

These hazelnuts will be part of the first weekly menu in July.  I am excited to get back to making food for everyone.  Typically, each weekly menu has 3 items on it.  I've decided that one of the items will be hazelnut Florentines.  I love making these little lacy-thin cookies.  They are such a great combination of sweet and savory.  

Another of the items will be ice box dessert, one of the newest items on the menu.  I've just procured lots of wonderful vanilla beans for making French vanilla ice cream which is part of the ice box dessert.  Some of those vanilla beans will also be used for vanilla creme caramel, pastry cream, and other things over the next short while.

As for the third item to appear on the first weekly menu of July ... I haven't figured that out yet.  But I'm having fun thinking about it.

Enjoy the weekend wherever you are.  Try to stay cool.  And indulge in some yummy food.  It's good for the soul.

New item - roasted tomatoes

 

Good morning, everyone!

The summer heat here in Kansas City is finally about to make it's first appearance.  I have been quite happy to have a rainy mild spring.  And since it was so mild, I'm not at all worried about the summer heat that will soon hold sway for several weeks.  

Summer is a great time for tomatoes.  Well, I supposed I have to say any season is a great time for tomatoes.  I love tomatoes.  I keep cherry tomatoes on my kitchen counter to snack on frequently.  I love having sliced tomatoes with a light sprinkling of sugar.  I love tomatoes in salads and sauces and stews.  And I especially love them roasted long and slow on low heat.

Today, I have added slow-roasted tomatoes to the full menu.  These are Roma tomatoes sliced in half with a small wedge of the core cut away, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with a combination of seasonings that I like to use just for these.  They are roasted at a low 225 F for three hours.  

They come out with wonderful flavor, tender and juicy.  And they reheat beautifully.  You'll see them on a weekly menu offering in July and probably frequently thereafter. 

I have a handful of other new items that will also be added soon, so keep a close eye on this blog and on the menu at www.brucebakeryandbistro.com.

Enjoy our beautiful sunny weather and don't forget sunscreen if you're going to be for long in the sun.

Bon appetit, everyone!

Deer food and food waste

Good evening, everyone.  Just a few minutes ago I had a beautiful deer stop in my yard to eat some dinner.  She seemed to like what was found here.  I watched her for a minute or two from the house.  Then I managed to step out the door to get a clear picture without scaring her away.  She didn't stay long once I was outside, but long enough for me to get a good picture.  Deer often stop in my yard during the dark hours of night, but I've never seen one out in the late afternoon.  Needless to say, I was quite excited as I pulled my phone out to take this snapshot.

I don't mind the local wildfire foraging, although I have to admit I don't like it when the deer eat the fresh hosta leaves as they grow each spring.  But they seem to leave them alone once they leaves are no longer tender.  I actually encourage wildlife.  The squirrels here can get quite fat eating from various things that I toss out from the kitchen.  Sometimes these are failed cooking experiments.  Sometimes they are just old bread and other similar things that need to be disposed of.  I can count on the squirrels and birds and racoons to eat those leftovers.

I don't like to waste food.  I like to see things get used up.  And if they don't, they become squirrel food or become part of my landscaping beds, improving and enriching the soil.  Even eggs shells can go out in the soil.  They are actually quite beneficial.

I was planning on cooking today, but I got distracted.  It sometimes happens.  How did I get distracted? Relaxation was the culprit, although the live feed of the Geldingadalir volcano in Iceland also has to take some of the blame.  However, I used my relaxation time well by thumbing through recipe books, and recipes online, looking for ideas, reading up on techniques, and so on.

I will do more of that tomorrow, but I also plan on doing some actual cooking as well.

Have a great weekend!