Table of contents for Fall 2015 in Bake from Scratch

These words are often spoken by people like me who love all things baking. I might be just a weekend baker, but that doesn’t stop my inner pastry chef from dreaming. In my mind, I’ve named my bakery. It’s located on the perfect Parisian corner, and I can see the lines forming at the door each morning. The bakery’s just a dream, but I do get to work with amazing pastry chefs to bring bakery-worthy recipes to your home. In this first issue, we’ve captured fall—from apples and nutmeg to sweet potatoes and sage—with an irresistible collection of cakes, scones, tarts, and more. For anyone who is obsessed with all-things-flour like I am, the magic doesn’t stop in your kitchen. There are pastry masters like Dominique Ansel who is building…

VANILLA IS THE CHANEL NO. 5 OF THE BAKING WORLD—the iconic scent that adds a stirring fragrance to all manner of sweet (and sometimes savory) foods. An edible fruit of the orchid family, it contains hundreds of subtle flavor compounds. Its smooth, heady aroma rounds out the richness in cakes and cookies and enlivens raw or cooked fruits. Vanilla amplifies the qualities of chocolate, butter, coconut, almond, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Solo, its floral complexity comes through most intoxicatingly in custards, particularly ice cream and other frozen treats. The word has become synonymous with “boring,” but in looking at its history, cultivation, and different product styles, it becomes immediately clear that vanilla is anything but plain. Native to Central and South America as well as the Caribbean, vanilla…

the starter The name is no mistake: Starter is the beginning for all sourdough bread. Creating a workable sourdough starter can take anywhere from 5 to 12 days depending on a variety of factors, like the temperature, and the availability of (good) bacteria in your kitchen. Take the time to get yours going, and it will pay off for years to come—we know people who have been feeding the same starter for over three decades! WHAT YOU NEED » A scale (highly recommended to measure both flour and water, but measuring cups will do in a pinch). » A 2-quart container (glass or plastic) with a lid. » Flour (we use all-purpose, unbleached flour, but whole wheat also adds a nice depth of flavor to your final product). » Water:…

BABKA Makes 2 (8x4-inch) loaves Use this basic babka recipe and add your filling of choice. Dough 6⅓ cups (795 grams) all-purpose flour 3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar 1 tablespoon (9 grams) active dry yeast 1 tablespoon orange zest 4 large eggs 3/4 cup whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 tablespoon (18 grams) kosher salt Egg Wash: 1 large egg 1 tablespoon water Lightly beat together egg and water. Simple Syrup: 1/2 cup (93 grams) sugar 1/2 cup water Dough: 1. Spray 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray, and line with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and zest. With mixer on low speed, add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat…

BLACK PEPPER, CHEDDAR, AND PECAN SCONES Makes 8 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon (16 grams ) baking powder 2 tablespoons (32 grams) granulated sugar 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 to 3 teaspoons ground black pepper, according to preference 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 1½ cups grated Cheddar cheese ½ cup toasted chopped pecans 1 cup plus 1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream, divided 1 large egg Ground black pepper and Maldon salt, for finishing (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly flour an 8-inch cake pan. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pulse to combine. Add cold butter, and pulse until mixture is crumbly. 2. Transfer dough to a large bowl,…

When Tami Hardeman, often referred to by her blog’s name, Running with Tweezers, speaks about the importance of feeding hungry kids, she chokes up. “As a food stylist, I see a lot of food waste at work. I style food for a photo, and then it gets thrown in the trash,” she says. “But the fact is, in many cases, the only meals some children are receiving are the ones they’re getting at school. I’ve never known what that’s like, to not get to eat because my parents aren’t home or because I live in a food desert.” So when fellow food blogger Gaby Dalkin approached her in 2009 about participating in a bake sale to benefit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, Tami jumped at the chance. The…

JULIA BAINBRIDGE Julia is a classically trained cook and food writer. For this issue, she dug into the ever-growing world of superstar pastry chef Dominque Ansel (page 17). Formerly the food editor at Yahoo Food, where one of her stories was nominated for a 2015 James Beard Award, and a senior editor at Bon Appétit, Julia has also worked at Condé Nast Traveler and Food & Wine. She throws a lot of dinner parties. (A lot.) Favorite birthday cake: “Carrot cake. I don’t care if it’s truly a birthday cake or not—it’s the best cake there is!” If you were a pastry, what would you be? “Pain aux raisins. It’s buttery, just slightly sweet, and fun to eat coil by coil.” BILL ADDISON Bill is the restaurant editor and national…

VANILLA EXRACT Liquid form is the easy, all-purpose addition to baked goods, custards, and ice cream. The source of the beans used to make the extract determines subtle but distinct differences in flavor. VANILLA BEANS Scrutinize beans before buying them: They should be plump and glossy, never reedy or brittle-looking. VANILLA PASTE Made by mixing vanilla seeds with water, sugar, and a natural thickener, the flavor of the paste won’t be as vivid as the bean, but it’s also less hassle. Use paste in the same ratios as extract.…

HOW TO MAKE BROWNED BUTTER In a medium saucepan, melt cold unsalted butter over medium heat. Cook for about 14 minutes, swirling occasionally, until butter turns a medium-brown color and has a nutty aroma. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Cook times may vary depending on your cooktop or type of skillet. Use our handy photo guide to make sure you’re on track. APPLE AND BROWNED BUTTER HAND PIES Makes 24 Dough: 2½ cups (320 grams) all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons (12 grams) kosher salt 5 grams (1 teaspoon) sugar 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces 4 to 8 tablespoons ice water Filling: 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely diced 1 cup Browned…

BASIC 1-2-3-4 CAKE Much like pound cake, the 1-2-3-4 cake gets its name from the proportions of its base ingredients: one cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs. It’s so straightforward, you may not even have to write it down—making it easy to impress friends and family with, oh, just a little something you whipped up. Makes 1 (9-inch) cake 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 2 cups (370 grams) granulated sugar 4 large eggs 3 cups (384 grams) cake flour 1 tablespoon (12 grams) baking powder 1 cup milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. (You can use baking spray with flour.) 2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a…

From the Editor Page 6 EnGRAIN walnut countertop, 866-583-4200, EnGRAINtops.com; Pepin French Taper Rolling Pin by Wooden Palate, 310-866-3116; thewoodenpalate.com; custom-created apron from Butcher & Baker, butcherandbaker.com. The Cocktail Party Up-Do Pages 13-16 Pierre Paillard, Brut Grand Cru, NV provided by DNS Wines, San Francisco, CA, 415-758-3679; dnswines.com; Wimmer Czerny, Blanc de Noirs, Wagram, 2010 provided by Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN, 800-557-8864, blackberryfarm.com; Domaine Huet, Vouvray, Petillant 2009 imported by The Rare Wine Company, rarewineco.com and provided by International Wines & Craft Beer; Schramsberg, Blanc de Blancs, Calistoga, 2012 provided by International Fine Wines & Craft Beer, iwinebeer.com; Iron Horse, Wedding Cuvée, Green Valley of Sonoma, NV provided by United-Johnson Brothers of Alabama, ujbal.com; Krug, Grand Cuvée, NV provided by United-Johnson Brothers of Alabama, ujbal.com; Mestres, “1312,” Cava, NV imported…

KRONUTS, DOUGHSANTS, CROUGHNUTS, DOISSANTS. THESE ARE JUST FOUR OF THE COUNTRY'S SUGARY HANDFULS OF CRONUT IMPOSTERS. The Cronut, a confection so special it is protected by trademark and has its own reservation system, is made only by the hands of a French-born baker named Dominique Ansel (or those of one of his team members) and can be purchased only at Dominique Ansel Bakeries in New York City and, now, Tokyo. The croissant-donut mash-up inspired all of the aforementioned rip-offs— just as it inspired these fighting words from Ansel himself on Twitter: “Hey there copycats, if we’re ever in a room together, I will be able to look you in the eye. Will you be able to do the same?” In case you forgot, we’re talking about a pastry. It’s five…

APPLE-MAPLE TART Makes 1 (9-inch) tart Pate Brisee (recipe follows) 1 1/2cups real maple syrup 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 3 large egg yolks 1/4teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 cup (37 grams) cornstarch 1/4cup water 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice Garnish: Candied Apple Slices (recipe follows) 1. Preheat oven to 350°. 2. On a lightly floured surface, roll Pâte Brisée into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing into bottom and up the sides. Top with a piece of parchment paper, letting ends extend over edges of pan. Add pie weights. 3. Bake 20 minutes. Remove paper and weights. Bake another 5 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. 4. In a medium saucepan, bring maple syrup and…

ASK MOST ANY NEW YORKER THEIR FAVORITE BAGEL SHOP and they will likely tell you the one across from their apartment building, the one on the way to the train station, the one that will deliver in under 10 minutes (shout out to Bagel Bob’s on University Place). Even in this carb-crazed, gluten-averse world, a bagel (with butter, with cream cheese, scooped out, toasted, or not toasted) is a New Yorker’s God given right of passage into the day. And, like all things seemingly quotidian in New York, there are the fanatics, the connoisseurs, the obsessives, and the ones who make it their jobs to not just provide a teeming city with what it needs, but with the very best of Most of those New Yorkers will tell you it’s the…

O nce upon a time there was a noble Milanese falcon trainer named Ughetto, who fell in love with Adalgisa, the daughter of the town baker. It pained Ughetto to see his crush working so hard at the struggling bakery, so he posed as a peasant and offered to work there for free so she didn’t have to. He got the idea to boost business at the bakery by enriching its breads with butter and sugar and eggs—luxuries in 15th-century Milan, even for a nobleman. So Ughetto sold some of his birds to buy the ingredients, blended them into a cake-like bread studded with raisins and candied citrus, saved the bakery, and took Adalgisa’s hand in marriage. This is the origin story of panettone, the famous fruitcake that went on…