BBA Challenge: Cinnamon Walnut Raisin Bread
September 2, 2009 by Andrea 
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I hummed happily as I made this bread, enjoying how easy the process was. Then I accidentally left the dough for too long during the final rise and my first effort ended in abject failure when not just one, but both loaves fell in the oven. I was crushed, but at least my children ate those bricks as if nothing were wrong. I had a feeling this bread could become a family favorite and the second attempt proved me right on that point: the boys begged for slices with our homemade apple butter. Because I think of this as a homey bread I decided to skip making the swirl design, I just wanted a bread I could mix, rise, shape, and put into the pan without much fuss. I modified the recipe a bit, using 1-1/2 cups of whole wheat flour in place of some of the bread flour, and we liked the flavor and hearty texture. Read more
BBA Challenge: Ciabatta
August 25, 2009 by Andrea Print This Post
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I’m slowly catching up with the rest of the BBA Challenge crew, though summer keeps trying to derail my plans. Baking in the summer is always a challenge for me, whether it’s the heat making the kitchen unbearably hot or the distractions of three boys, each with his own agenda. The boys were my distraction during the ciabatta, when means I forgot to snap a photo of the poolish, and the final rise was about double what it should have been. My loaves didn’t stretch quite so well before going into the oven and were much higher than expected even though I dimpled the loaves. One even had a big gaping hole right under the crust.
Other than my challenge with over-rising, the ciabatta is not difficult to make and doesn’t require any special skills for shaping. If you can pick up a piece of dough and stretch it, you can make this bread. Read more
BBA Challenge: Challah
August 11, 2009 by Andrea Print This Post
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When done properly, Challahs are one of my favorite breads. The shape is beautiful, especially the celebration breads with multiple layers or multiple braids or when adorned with raisins or seeds.
I enjoyed making this loaf, though I had a few distractions along the way that caused the dough to over rise twice. Then I seemed to overwork the dough because the rolls were never quite smooth and my challah looks stretched, like it’s splitting open in the middle. One of those things I have to work on.
Thanks as always to Nicole of Pinch My Salt for organizing the BBA Challenge! For more bread inspiration, check out the BBA Challenge photos in the BBA Challenge Flickr photo group.
BBA Challenge: Casatiello
July 26, 2009 by Andrea Print This Post
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The next brioche in the BBA Challenge was an Italian variation, a casatiello, which is usually made with some type of cured meat and cheese. Reinhart suggests a good melting cheese such as Swiss, Gouda, Cheddar or any of their variations. For meats he suggests salami, pepperoni, bacon, pancetta, chorizo, or sausage. I chose some applewood smoked ham and provolone, two flavors I like together.
The bread starts with a quick sponge, followed by mixing and two risings. Casatiello is traditionally baked in paper bags or panettone molds, though I used a tall round 8-inch cake pan, which worked well. The bread was popular with my family, so much so that Monkey Boy took a huge hunk out of it while it sat cooling on the wire rack. We liked the slightly salty flavor of the ham and the Provolone melted just right. Even after a day the flavor was still present. Read more
BBA Challenge: Brioche Muffins
July 13, 2009 by Andrea Print This Post
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It’s been a month since I last posted a BBA Challenge bread, a deliberate decision on my part. Our air conditioning was out for 29 days and since the kitchen is the hottest room in our house even with functioning air conditioning, I just couldn’t bring myself to turn on the oven and add to the heat. In the winter I bake all the time and it helps keep the house warm, but we didn’t need that in the heat of summer without any air conditioning for relief.
The next bread for me to tackle in the challenge was the brioche, a decadent bread with plenty of eggs and butter and a rich flavor. Of the three options—Rich Man’s, Middle-Class, or Poor Man’s brioche—I chose the Middle-Class version, which has less butter than the ultra buttery Rich Man’s version. Read more
BBA Challenge: Whole Wheat and Rye Bagels
May 30, 2009 by Andrea Print This Post
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My first attempt at Reinhart’s bagels ended with flat wrinkled hockey pucks, so this weeks BBA Challenge was a welcomed opportunity to improve on my previous attempt. I made a whole wheat starter with one cup of rye flour in the final dough, and shaped my bagels in a small two-ounce size, perfect for little appetites. For the toppings, I used Alaea sea salt
For more bagel inspiration, check out the BBA Challenge photos in the BBA Challenge Flickr photo group.
