Back in the summer, I made a promise that I’d be blogging about bread recipes and techniques on the heels of my summer spent learning to bake artisan bread (click here, and here, and here, and here), and here I am in October, apologizing for just getting down to it now.

The  change of seasons and the upcoming holidays are putting me in the mood to start making beautiful loaves again, and rather than mourning my loss of no longer having the privilege of using the FCI’s ridiculously awesome steam-injected ovens that produce the most heavenly, crispy, and downright perfect crust, I’ve set my sights on mimicking those conditions in my home oven instead.

Over the coming weeks I’ll be testing different home sourdough starters (and restarting the one in my fridge that’s been dormant since August) and tracking down some necessary equipment to bake crusty loaves, but today I decided to at least get my hands back in the dough by warming up with some mini-brioche (or brioche à tête. In French, tête  means “head”).

Contrary to popular belief among home cooks, brioche is actually very easy to make. As with all breads, there is a lot of downtime for the cook while the dough rises, but the process itself is not that hard.

When it comes time to shape your dough, divide the pieces as evenly as possible. I use a digital scale to do this (aiming for pieces that are 50 grams, give or take a few). Pat the pieces flat, then fold the piece in half and stand it up on it’s ends (if it were a book, the spine wound be facing you). Then form a “cage” around the dough piece and form it into a ball by pushing the dough in a circular motion with your thumb and gently pressing with the palm of your hand. It takes a little time to get the hang of this, but once you do you can quickly shape the balls of dough. Once you have a ball, find the smooth top part and form the head by using the flat side of your hand to separate about 1/3 of the dough away from the original ball. rock your hand back and forth until the dough is almost, but not quite, separated from the original ball.

Place the larger side of the dough piece down into your tin (I used these fluted tins, but you can use a muffin tin just as well) and press your fingers in around the seam where the head meets the rest of the dough. The aim is to tuck the head down into the bottom dough piece while still maintaining the seam. This prevents the head from popping off during the final proof or in the oven.

Once the dough is shaped, it is important to allow it to proof ( this is a term for when the dough rises) before baking. It will puff up to a little less than double it’s original size during this time, and the elasticity will relax.

Apply a light egg wash before baking, taking care to avoid the seam around the head.

There are few kitchen endeavors more satisfying than sitting down to brunch with friends and serving them buttery, tender brioche made with your own two hands. These are as adorable as they are delicious, and totally worth the time.

Brioche à Tête
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

This is a recipe where using a stand mixer with a hook attachment or the mixing function on a bread machine is absolutely necessary – even the strongest person’s arms would fall off if they tried to make this by hand!  Cooling is an important part of the bread making process – make sure that you remove the brioche from the tins five minutes after baking and allow it to cool completely on a rack.

Makes 12

2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
3 large eggs
1/4 cup lukewarm whole milk
10 tablespoons butter

egg wash:

1 egg
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt

Directions

In a stand mixer with a hook attachment or bread machine (programmed for dough), mix together flour, eggs, yeast, and milk until they form a very stiff, dry dough. Add the butter, a chunk at a time, and the salt and sugar. Mix on medium  to form a smooth, shiny dough. Don’t worry; what starts out as a sticky mess becomes beautifully satiny as it kneads. This dough takes longer than most to develop, so be prepared to let the dough knead for up to 15 to 20 minutes in a stand mixer. If you’re using a bread machine, let it complete its kneading cycle, then continue as directed below.

Form the dough into a ball (it’ll be very soft), place it in a greased bowl, cover the bowl, and it let rise for 1 hour. Then refrigerate the dough for several hours, or overnight. This will slow the fermentation and chill the butter, making the dough easier to shape.

Divide the chilled dough into 12 pieces and roll the pieces into balls. Place the balls on a very lightly floured cookie sheet and allow them to rest for 30 minutes. The dough should lose some elasticity and become a bit bigger.

After 30 minutes, shape the dough pieces (full description with photos above) Place the dough into the greased pan(s) of your choice, spread evenly on a baking sheet if using individual tins, cover lightly, and let rise for 2 hours, until it’s doubled and looks very puffy.

Beat the egg and egg yolk together with the pinch of salt. Brush the tops of the brioche lightly with the egg wash (you really only need a little, make sure to wipe the excess off the brush before gently applying), avoid applying egg wash to the seams.

Place the pan(s) into a preheated 375°F oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes (tent after 10 minutes if they’re browning too quickly). Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Store in a closed paper bag for up to two days or double-wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer for up to one month.

I no longer make official resolutions at new years, because I’ve found that no sooner than I’ve proclaimed loudly to the world that I resolve to be more virtuous or less gluttonous, I’m right back at the vice within the week. However, I did make one quiet, non-resolution resolution to just myself this year. I (un)resolved to make more (and buy less) bread.

I really believe that this is a (non-) resolution that even I can keep. And I’m getting my motivation on thanks to the February 2009 Gourmet that arrived a few weeks ago, full of pretty pictures of roll varieties. I (non-) resolve to make them all.

The thing is, bread is not hard, although many people think it’s just impossible. After all, someone invented a large, appliance/consumer of precious counter space that everyone was told in the late 80s was completely essential for making bread. Thus, I blame bread makers (and the rediculous infomercials ) for the popular notion that bread making is difficult.

I also think it has something to do with the fact that there are lulls in the action as you wait for the dough to rise – it gives folks the perception that bread takes too much time, which is simply not true. It is perfectly sensible for one to come home from work, throw the ingredients together, knead for a little bit (that takes about a total of 10 minutes work), then let the thing rise and go to the gym. Or clean the house. Or have a glass or two of wine while listening to Bloc Party in your pajamas. Presto – before you know it, it’s ready to go in the oven (OK, another 30 seconds worth of work).

This bread may look complicated, but it’s dead simple, I promise.

And I added another use to the growing list of uses for the kitchen shears, which have become an East Village Kitchen essential. If you are in NYC, you can get a nice, heavy duty pair that can cut through pretty much anything, for cheap in the restaurant district.

It’s pretty fun to mess around with the dough. The idea here is to end up with rolls on a “stalk” that can be placed at the center of the table for guests to tear off. I wasn’t having a party  (just killing time while my onions were caramelizing), but rolls are great if you’re like me and don’t eat a whole lot of bread, as they can be stored in the freezer and thawed out in the oven as needed.

Spritzing the rolls with water several times within the first five minutes of baking was a very effective method for developing a thick crust. I also recommend placing a pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven to keep things nice and humid in there. Humid ovens make the best crusty bread.

Using this technique, you will end up with perfectly crusted outsides and warm chewy insides with a great flavor and texture from the cornmeal. There is simply nothing better than eating bread that you have made yourself, making it an easy new habit to form.

Crusty Cornstalk Rolls
Adapted from Gourmet, February 2009 

1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast (from a 1/4-ounce package)

1 1/4 cups warm water (105–115°F), divided

1 teaspoon mild honey or sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for kneading and dusting

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon stone-ground yellow cornmeal, divided

Equipment: a spray bottle filled with water

Stir together yeast, 1/4 cup warm water, and honey in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)

Mix flour, salt, 1/2 cup cornmeal, and remaining cup warm water into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.

Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and knead, dusting surface and your hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.

Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Punch down dough (do not knead) and fold into thirds like a letter (dough will be soft), then gently roll into a 12-inch-long log with lightly floured hands.

Sprinkle a large baking sheet evenly with remaining 2 tablespoon cornmeal and put dough diagonally in center. Alternating sides, make 3-inch-long diagonal cuts, about 1 1/2 inches apart, into sides of log using kitchen shears (ends of cuts should not touch; maintain a center “stalk”). Gently pull apart cuts to stretch dough, forming rolls that are separate (about 1 1/2 inches apart) but connected to center stalk. Cover with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Set a pan of water on the bottom rung.

Spray rolls with water, then bake, spraying into oven 3 times in first 5 minutes of baking (to help form a crust), until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer rolls to a rack and cool at least 20 minutes.

Cooks’ note:Rolls are best the day they’re made, but whole baked stalk can be frozen (cool completely, then wrap well) 1 month. Thaw, then reheat on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes.

My mother’s side of the family has always been a little obsessed with the traditional holiday rolls, which look like small popovers and are baked in muffin tins. These rolls are made from a challah recipe that my grandmother found sometime before the late-seventies and are so good that my cousins and I fight over who gets to take the leftovers home after the meal. My grammy, my aunts, and my mother swear that there no other rolls can touch these tiny masterpieces.  Until now. Because I’ve bested them.

The recipe starts out in an unusual place – the microwave oven. This may be the first time I’ve put raw food in there, but it does the trick nicely and today I am glad that our new apartment has one. You get the potato soft enough to push out of its skin. The recipe recommends using a potato ricer, but I found a fork to be a sufficient tool for getting the lumps out.

Once the potato is in, this recipe isn’t that much different than others I’ve done that call for eggs and milk in the starter. The rising time for me was about an hour, but that may have had something to do with the starter’s proximity to the heating unit. Either way, wait for it to double in size.

After the starter has risen, it will be extremely sticky and elastic. My mother recently gave me her stand stand mixer and I am no longer forced to wrestle with these types of sticky situations, but I know that doing the job with a lot of elbow grease and a big wooden spoon is not outside the realm of possibility. Every time I use my mixer I remember the character-building days when I made do without it. It was like walking to school everyday. In two feet of snow. Uphill. Both ways.

Once again, the second rising time was shorter for me than the recipe stated. I recommend checking on it after an hour has passed. 

Don’t be like me and dump an excessive amount of flour – just lightly dust the surface and your hands. This dough easily turns out and is easy to knead. 

Another word to the wise – when cutting the bread into strips, make sure they are even as possible. when the recipe recommends 32, they meant them to be smaller than mine came out. I ran out of strips before filling my second pan as a result. Making the balls is a cinch, just tuck all of the edges underneath, like tucking a sheet under a mattress.

The baking time for me was much faster than the forty minutes quoted. I recommend checking at 20 then again at 30. It would be a shame to over-bake these. When they come out, they should be brushed with butter and go straight to the table for maximum effect. These rolls are as beautiful as they are squishy and delicious. Now I’m off to exercise away the carbs.

Potato Rolls

Adapted from The Food Network

1 medium baking potato (about 6 ounces) 

1/2 cup hot water (115 degrees F) 

2 large eggs, at room temperature 

2/3 cup sugar (4 1/4 ounces) 

2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise yeast (1/4 ounce package) 

1 teaspoon fine salt 

4 1/4 to 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (13 1/8 ounces) 

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature, plus more for brushing

Equipment: 2 (9-inch) round or square cake pans

Cook the potato in a microwave on HIGH until soft and it squeezes easily, using the designated baked potato setting, or up to 15 minutes. Peel and pass the warm potato through a potato ricer or food mill into a large bowl. (You should have 1 cup pureed potato.)

Stir the hot water, eggs, half the sugar and yeast into the potato. Add 2 cups of the flour and the salt and mix with a wooden spoon to make a sticky, shaggy dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Beat the butter with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Switch to the dough hook and add the risen dough to the creamed butter. Continue to mix on low until the butter and dough come together, about 1 minute. (Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl if needed; the dough will be very sticky.) Gradually add the remaining 2 1/4 cups of flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, to make a shaggy dough that pulls away from the side of the bowl. Continue kneading on medium speed until dough is smooth but still tacky, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand until dough is smooth and no longer tacky, 1 to 2 minutes more. (If the dough is still sticky, gradually add 1/4 cup flour.) Shape dough into a ball.

Brush a large bowl with butter and turn dough around in bowl to coat lightly. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, trace a circle the size of the dough on the plastic, and note the time. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Generously butter two 9-inch round or square cake pans. Turn the dough out of the bowl and pat into a rectangle about 16- by 8-inches, gently pressing out excess air. Divide the dough into 32 equal portions, about an ounce each, with a pizza wheel or bench scraper.
(If you don’t have a scale, divide the dough in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise. Cut each of those four sections into 8 equal-sized rolls.)

Tuck the edges of the dough under to make round rolls and place them seam-side down in the prepared pan, leaving a little space in between each roll. (See Cook’s Note) Cover the pan with buttered plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the rolls rise almost to the rim of the pan and have more than doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Bake rolls until golden brown and puffy, and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the rolls registers 190 degrees F, about 40 minutes. Remove rolls from the oven and quickly brush the tops with soft butter.

Cool the rolls in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack in one piece. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature in one piece or pulled apart as individual rolls.

Cook’s Note: At the point the rolls are formed, placed in the pan and covered, they can also be refrigerated overnight. If rolls have been refrigerated overnight, the final proofing time will be closer to 1 1/2 hours.

Storing Tips: Storing and serving rolls in one piece keeps them moist and soft. Store baked and completely cooled rolls in one piece in an air-tight plastic bag, or wrapped loosely in plastic wrap, then foil.