BBB: Apple Bread with Cider and Calvados

October’s Kitchen of the Month was Kelly from A Messy Kitchen.  The target bread:  Apple Bread with Cider and Calvados from Swedish baker, Jan Hedh.

Every challenge, I begin with good intentions.  Will this be the month I do it correctly?  Will the dough behave?  I’ve come to realize and accept that there will always be some deviance; that my bread will be not be perfect, not like everyone else’s.

I began by researching the recipe and looking for alternate ingredients.  I found the original recipe, in grams, so proceeded from there.  Not having dry cider, I substituted champagne.  It’s been in the refrigerator for quite a while, so I figured this was a good use for it.  (Don’t judge me – my alcohol supply has been known to last for decades.  Good thing it doesn’t spoil.)   And, while I should probably invest in some calvados, knowing it will last a life time, I substituted boiled cider.

Instead of the overnight proofing of the polish, I did the four-hour version.  I did, however, run out of time in between the first and second proofing for the dough, so I did put in the fridge for an overnighter.    All was well in the morning.  I had also set the cooked apples aside overnight.  They were reluctant to be incorporated into the dough, so situated themselves along the edges of the loaf.  Pockets of apples.

The dough rose enough, and had great oven spring.  It actually turned out fine; definitely one of a kind.

Head over to Kelly’s blog to get the recipe and see how beautiful her bread is.  Also, check out the efforts of the other Babes.  

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth 
• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna  (Kitchen of the Month)
• Bread Experience - Cathy
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
• Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle

 

Interactive Bread

Or, pull-apart bread, if you will.  Interactive bread is much more fun to say and do.

This month’s recipe was provided by Kitchen of the Month, Elizabeth, from Blog from Our Kitchen.   

While the original recipe called for wild sourdough starter, I was, sadly, unable to comply.  The starter that began in March met its untimely end in early August with an attack of the pink funkiness.   Care and feeding of a new batch just didn’t seem economically feasible for just one or two tablespoons, so I opted for a yeast-based version that I found on the King Arthur Flour website. 

I also steered away from cutting out circles, in the interest of time (which is precious little lately), and did a strip and stack method.

Overall, I’m pleased with the outcome.  I’ve been wanting to make this style of bread for quite a while now, so I didn’t want to pass up the chance.  A very minor issue occurred when I took the bread out of the pans:  the loaf began falling apart, section by section.  That didn’t affect the taste, of course, which is delicious.

If you’re looking for a fun bread to make, please give this a try.  You can find Elizabeth’s recipe on her website, or use the same one I did from KAF.  Either way, it will be delicious.

Stop by the other Babes' websites to see what they did.

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth 
• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna  (Kitchen of the Month)
• Bread Experience - Cathy
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
• Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle

 

Octopus Bread

 

It’s time for another bread baking challenge.  The August Kitchen of the Month is Cathy of Bread Experience.   Cathy shared a recipe for a sourdough version of Sunshine Bread.  

The first step is making a starter the night before, using either traditional yeast or a method with sourdough starter.  I chose to use the yeast version, although I did add some of my starter to the dough during the final mixing.  (My issue with the sourdough version is that it only uses one tablespoon of starter.  One tablespoon?  That hardly makes a dent, so it’s not worth it in my opinion.   A half- to one-cup’s worth of starter would be more like it.)

 

I really do try to remember to take photos, but I get so caught up in the process that I usually forget.  You can see that the dough rose just fine for the first proof.  I like using the marked containers, because they take the guess-work out of determining if the dough has doubled or not.

Next, I did all the rolling and shaping and assembling.  (Forgot that photo op.) 

  

The bread came out of the oven looking like an octopus.  Not sunshine.  A friend, looking at the photo, thought the same thing, so Octopus Bread it is.  It was really tough and chewy, just like a real octopus.

If you would like to be a Buddy Baker, check Cathy’s website for the recipe and the instructions.

Meanwhile, you can stop by the other Babe’s blogs and see how theirs turned out.

Good luck!

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth 
• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna  (Kitchen of the Month)
• Bread Experience - Cathy
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
• Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle