Tabla de contenidos para March/April 2024 en Bake from Scratch

Do you get our newsletter, PreHeat? These weekly emails are the best way to stay current with all things Bake from Scratch. Subscribe now at bakefromscratch.com/newsletter-signup. baking school You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home to become a better baker. Join Bake from Scratch and Willliams Sonoma live on Monday nights for our online Baking School classes. Each class is devoted to one or two recipes so you can see the entire process from start to finish while being able to chat virtually with Brian Hart Hoffman, guest instructors, and other attendees. Plus, you gain access to a private Facebook group for Baking School participants. Purchase tickets at williams-sonoma.squadup.com. baking retreats Reserve Your Spot Now for Fall Baking Retreats Immerse yourself in the culture of southern France…

1 Nordic Ware Pound Cake and Angel Food Pan Calling all tube cake fans—this pan is for you! The smooth edges and cast aluminum material ensure that all your bakes turn out evenly browned and easily release from the pan thanks to its nonstick coating. And with its 18-cup capacity, you can bake the heftiest pound cakes and the tallest angel food cakes without worry of overfilling your pan. Ready to get baking with it? Turn to page 90 for our Roasted Strawberry Pound Cake. 2 GIR Mini Spoonula This multipurpose kitchen utensil scrapes, scoops, spreads, and serves and moves effortlessly between baking and cooking, sweet and savory. It combines the everyday utility of a spatula with the curved bowl of a spoon to get in all the nooks and…

In my family, we have a dessert that’s known simply as Easter cake, and we all immediately know what it is and how good it tastes. In 1975, my dad was working as the choir director of West End Baptist Church in Clanton, Alabama, and the congregation loved to have ice cream socials after church, not just during the summer but year-round. A choir member named Ruth Ellison-Moore brought the cake to a social, and my mom loved it. Ruth was a hairdresser, so Mom made an appointment at her salon, and Ruth, who called the recipe blueberry cake and knew it by heart, dictated the recipe to Mom while she got her hair cut. When my sister and I were growing up, Mom would make Ruth’s blueberry cake—always decorated…

POWERED BY Red Star® Yeast SESAME-AND-GREEN ONION KNOTS Makes 12 rolls Filled with green onions, a.k.a. scallions or spring onions, and speckled with sesame seeds, these braided rolls are inspired by cong you bing, or scallion pancakes, a Chinese savory flatbread. 4¼ cups (540 grams) bread flour, divided, plus more for dusting2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar1 tablespoon (9 grams) plus ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided1 (0.25-ounce) package (7 grams) instant yeast*¾ cup (180 grams) whole milk½ cup (120 grams) plus 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water, divided⅓ cup (76 grams) unsalted butter2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature and divided¾ cup (64 grams) lightly packed finely sliced green onion1½ teaspoons (7 grams) sesame oil1 teaspoon (4 grams) minced garlic3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightlySesame seeds, for…

COCONUT SKOLEBOLLER Makes 12 buns Skoleboller, or school buns, earned their name from the Norwegian tradition of including them in children’s school lunch boxes as a treat. 3⅔ cups (458 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar1 (0.25-ounce) package (7 grams) active dry yeast*1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cardamom½ cup (120 grams) warm whole milk (120°F/49°C to 130°F/54°C)½ cup (120 grams) warm canned unsweetened coconut milk (120°F/49°C to 130°F/54°C)2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature and divided⅓ cup (76 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and softenedCoconut Pastry Cream (recipe follows)1 cup (120 grams) confectioners’ sugar2 tablespoons (30 grams) water, room temperatureGarnish: sweetened coconut flakes 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 2 cups (250…

Baking Season Is Year-Round As we emerge from winter’s cozy baking mood, spring greets us with a complete shift in how we bake. The lightness that makes itself known with longer days translates to the recipes we crave. This issue reflects that sentiment on every page. I often talk about different “baking seasons” as we move though the year, so humor me, and you’ll see the recipes on the following pages as an homage to my seasonal calendar of cravings and baking moods—“pound cake season,” “baking with buttermilk season,” “strawberry season,” and my never-ending “French baking season.” Some of these seasons overlap for obvious reasons, like roasted strawberries in a buttermilk pound cake. One flavor profile that seems to never fall out of craving is lemon-poppy seed—arguably one of the…

When conversations begin to match the slow flickering flame from the candles and the evening begins to tilt to an end, I am comforted knowing I have an uplifting grand finale in the form of a Bundt cake patiently waiting for me under a glass dome on the counter. All that’s needed is to whisk cold cream until it’s soft and billowing—destined to be draped on the side of a gloriously golden slice of Bundt cake alongside an etched glass bowl filled to the brim with the first of the season’s strawberries. A Bundt is incredibly satisfying with its smooth, evenly browned crust, moist crumb, and beautiful shape. It’s no wonder this iconic pan has become the quintessential American cake for any and every occasion. The pans are easy to…

Having visited more than 33 countries, Maryland-based Britney Brown-Chamberlain draws inspiration for her blog, Britney Breaks Bread, from each region she encounters, making Britney a deliciously welcome addition to our magazine as the Bake from Scratch 2024 contributing editor. Follow Britney on Instagram at @britneybreaksbread and her website, britneybreaksbread.com. ROSE CUPCAKES WITH PISTACHIO FROSTING Makes 12 cupcakes Embark on a floral-infused journey with rose cupcakes crowned with a pistachio buttercream that adds a delightful nutty yet buttery flavor. These cupcakes are a sublime blend of elegance and indulgence. Cupcakes: 1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature2 large eggs (100 grams)2 tablespoons (28 grams) vegetable oil½ cup plus 2 tablespoons…

VANILLA-LEMON-POPPY SEED LAYER CAKE Makes 1 (8-inch) cake We used the reverse creaming method to create a cake batter that bakes up nice and level with a delicate crumb to absorb every drop of the lemon curd between its layers. 3¼ cups (406 grams) all-purpose flour2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar2 tablespoons (18 grams) poppy seeds2 tablespoons (6 grams) lemon zest2½ teaspoons (12.5 grams) baking powder½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened1 cup (240 grams) whole milk, room temperature3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extractVanilla Buttercream (recipe follows)½ cup (160 grams) lemon curd*Garnish: poppy seeds, lemon twists 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line…

If you consider the start of the macaron’s history to be the moment when a little sandwich made of two almond flour meringue cookies with a ganache filling was created, you don’t have to look far back in time at all. However, the truth is that the original macaron was just one simple cookie, and it has a history going back more than a millennium. While it’s most famously known as a French delicacy, the macaron is more global than one might expect. The true, ancient origins of macarons are unclear. Like many desserts, macarons have evolved over centuries into the small, colorful, bite-size sandwich cookies we know them as today. It’s believed that in the ninth century, around the year 830, Arab merchants from what is now known as…

BUTTERMILK-ORANGE PUDDING CAKES Makes 4 cakes These airy, soufflé-like cakes strike a great flavor balance of sweet vanilla and tangy citrus. 1 cup (240 grams) whole buttermilk, room temperature½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, divided2 large eggs (100 grams), separated and room temperature2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted2 teaspoons (12 grams) vanilla bean paste1 teaspoon (1 gram) orange zest3 tablespoons (24 grams) all-purpose flour¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray 4 (1-cup) baking dishes with baking spray with flour. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar, egg yolks, melted butter, vanilla bean paste, and orange zest until well combined. Add flour and salt; whisk together until smooth. 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk…

PETIT FOUR LOAF CAKE Makes 1 (9x5-inch) cake Sometimes you crave something but want to take the easy way out—that was the case here. I took the traditional petit four recipe and made a single loaf that's filled and glazed just like the originals but without the longer process to assemble and decorate. This laid-back version is great to slice and enjoy with a cup of coffee of tea. Petit Fours batter (recipe on page 51)¼ cup (80 grams) strawberry preserves*Strawberry Fondant Glaze (recipe follows) 1. Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C). Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with baking spray with flour. Line pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan. 2. Prepare Petit Fours recipe through step 3. Spread batter into prepared pan, smoothing with an offset…

Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left behind after butter had been churned from fresh milk. Since the fat was removed as butter, the remaining milk was essentially low-fat or nonfat. Natural cultures would then take over, souring the buttermilk and creating its characteristic flavor. Today, most commercial buttermilk is cultured, similar to yogurt, by adding microorganisms to nonfat, low-fat, or whole milk. When it comes to whole buttermilk, the higher fat content may lead to a richer product; however, buttermilk is most often chosen for baking for its high acidity. Acids react with baking soda in recipes, causing carbon dioxide production and subsequent leavening of baked goods. Thus, low-fat and whole buttermilk can often be used interchangeably without great differences in the final product. Whole buttermilk is more frequently found…

During the 19th century in France, bakers discovered they could utilize the residual warmth of their stone ovens after extinguishing the initial intense heat. This blazing hot setting used to bake crusty loaves of bread was called grand four or “big oven.” The latent heat was enough to cook tiny, individual pastries as the oven cooled. This cool-down setting gave rise to the name petit four or “small oven,” et voilà, the creation of petit fours! The small pastries eventually assumed the name of the oven setting they were baked in, and they have since been elevated into various small, exquisite pastries, now treasured worldwide. The adorable cakes we consider petit fours are just one type, called petit fours glacé. The Components Our petit fours are comprised of buttercream with…