Table of contents for Winter 2016 in Bake from Scratch

COLD WINTER DAYS mean one thing in my house–baking! This time of year, I crank up my oven and pack it full of a steady rotation of comforting treats to share with family and friends. From reinvented muffin flavors that bring excitement to your morning routine to cozy cast-iron desserts, these pages are full of incredible recipes we can’t wait to share with you. In this issue, we take you behind the scenes for an exclusive look at all-night baking with our friends at Willa Jean in New Orleans. “The Third Shift” (page 61), showcases the talented Lisa White and Kelly Fields as they craft perfect pastries, breads, and confections. The magic happens overnight so their bakery shelves can be filled at first light. We are thrilled for you to…

BLOOD ORANGE LOAF CAKE Makes 1 (8x5-inch) loaf The addition of zest and a glaze heightens the subtle blood orange flavor in this cake, which manages to be moist without being dense. 1½ cups (216 grams) all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder 1 teaspoon (5 grams) kosher salt 1 cup (215 grams) sugar 1 cup sour cream 3 large eggs 2 tablespoons blood orange zest ½ cup blood orange juice ½ cup (110 grams) vegetable oil Blood Orange Glaze (recipe follows) Garnish: halved blood oranges 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, and line with parchment paper. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat…

WHILE MOST OF NEW ORLEANS SLEEPS , the lights burn bright at Willa Jean, which opened the middle of last year in the city’s new South Market District. Conceived as a partnership between superstar pastry chef Kelly Fields, accomplished baker Lisa White, and Crescent City restaurant magnate Chef John Besh, the restaurant garnered instant local and national acclaim for its Southern-inspired dishes and its ambitious in-house bread-baking program (which includes comforting white bread, crusty baguettes, and three-day aged Siciliano loaves). To keep the restaurant stocked, Willa Jean’s bakery runs around the clock. The Third Shift, led by Lisa, bakes the loaves, buns, cookies, and croissants that have brought early attention to the new restaurant/bakery. Willa Jean’s multi-day rolling schedule of mixing, proofing, shaping, and baking blurs the lines from one…

DANIEL SCHUMACHER Daniel, an enthusiastic eater and seasoned home cook, is constantly on the lookout for unique stories, delicious recipes, and food trucks. In this issue of Bake from Scratch, we sent him to join the crew at Willa Jean bakery in New Orleans for their all-night third shift (page 61). Daniel began his career as a food writer and editor in New York City before moving South. For more than three years, he has lived in New Orleans serving as the editor of Louisiana Cookin’, a Hoffman Media magazine and the only national publication devoted to true connoisseurs of Louisiana’s unique culture, cuisine, and travel destinations. Go-to hot toddy: “I stick pretty closely to the classic hot toddy recipe, though I don’t use much honey, and depending on my…

1966 Liz’s mother, Carol, a talented home cook and baker, gives her three-year-old daughter an Easy Bake Oven that seeds a lifelong passion. 1990-1993 Liz and Chad meet at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and are fatefully paired as classroom partners. After graduation, Liz works at Montrachet in NYC, and Chad finds his mentor Richard Bourdon at Berkshire Mountain Bakery in Massachusetts. They wed soon after graduation. 1995 The couple spends the year traveling throughout France, working in esteemed bakeries, such as Boulangerie Artisinale des Maures and Boulangerie Savoyarde, in Provence and Savoie and immersing themselves in traditional baking methods and classical French techniques. 1995—2000 The couple moves to California’s Bay Area and open Bay Village Bakery in Point Reyes Station. Their work catches the…

CINNAMON ROLLS Recipe adapted from Kelly Fields, Willa Jean Makes 6 Dough: 2 (0.25-ounce) packages active dry yeast 6 tablespoons (72 grams) granulated sugar, divided 1½ cups warm whole milk (100° to 110°) 1 large egg 6 tablespoons (90 grams) unsalted butter, softened 5 cups (700 grams) all-purpose flour, divided 1½ teaspoons (4.5 grams) salt Pastry Cream: 2 cups whole milk ¼ cup plus 5 tablespoons (112 grams) granulated sugar, divided 3 large egg yolks 1 large egg 3 tablespoons (27 grams) cornstarch ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup (58 grams) unsalted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Cinnamon Mixture: 1 cup (185 grams) granulated sugar 2 tablespoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt Glaze: 2½ cups (334 grams) confectioners’ sugar 3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1. For…

TURKS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR SWEET TOOTH. From Istanbul to Izmir, dessert shops called tatlici dot the streetscape, hawking everything from nut-laden baklava to rosewater-laced confections. Nejla Orgen, born in Ankara, now claims Auburn, Alabama, as her home—and has for the past 34 years. There, she and her husband, Tarik, raised two boys and worked at Auburn University, she in international admissions and student life, he in architecture. Though she’s now been away from Turkey longer than she ever lived there, she returns often to visit friends and family. “I can’t diet in that country,” she says. “You’re constantly encountering desserts dripping with syrup in the tatlici shops. It’s like a pick-me-up food. You pop in, have a Turkish coffee, and get a sugar high.” When she can’t make it…

The molasses we find on the grocer’s shelf comes to us as an emissary from a long-ago time. We pour this mahogany treacle, the by-product of sugar refining, from bottles depicting an Old South Plantation, Brer Rabbit, or a white-haired grandma. Indeed, we use molasses primarily for vintage recipes. Think baked beans, shoofly pie, and gingersnaps. Just remember: Grandma was young once, and molasses must have been the salted caramel of her day—sweet and appealingly bitter, with a racy complexity. It amps up the flavors of baking, encouraging spoonfuls of warm spices—clove, cinnamon, nutmeg—rather than sprinkles. It has a particular affinity for the peppery bite of ginger. Because molasses is highly acidic (indeed, much of the nation’s output goes into the production of citric acid), bakers didn’t need any sour…

rye sandwich bread Makes 1 (9x5-inch) loaf We love this loaf because of its unbeatable texture, deep rye flavor, and versatility. It can be baked in a standard loaf pan, a Pullman pan, or hand-shaped into a rustic bâtard or boule. This kind of versatility makes a perfect starter loaf for the timid baker! 2 cups (287 grams) all-purpose flour 1 cup (169 grams) light rye flour 1 cup warm whole milk (85°) ¼ cup molasses 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter 1 tablespoon (7 grams) caraway seeds 2 teaspoons (10 grams) kosher salt 2 teaspoons (8 grams) active dry yeast 1 large egg 1 tablespoon water 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine all-purpose flour, rye flour, warmed milk, molasses, butter,…

THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN, FLAKY HAND PIES STUFFED WITH MEAT DOT THE CULINARY LANDSCAPE. They’re meat patties in Jamaica, pates in the U.S. Virgin Islands, pastelitos in the Dominican Republic, and pastechis in Aruba. Regardless of what you call them, the meat pies of our southern neighbors all have roots in the colonial era, when the Caribbean’s African population was first introduced to Cornish pasties. And today, the varieties are endless. Whether you like yours hot or prefer something a little sweeter, here’s the skinny on the unofficial roadside snack of the Caribbean. U.S. Virgin Islands In the Virgin Islands, look for pates, which tend to be light on spice and heavy on juicy meat. CAROL AND PAUL MOBILE FOOD TRUCK, ST. THOMAS Seventh Street near Roy Lester Schneider Hospital Sugar…

The quietly unassuming cousin to the king cake, the galette des rois enters the pastry scene at the tail end of the holiday season. For centuries, this golden round of puff pastry and rich almond frangipane has marked Epiphany or Twelfth Night, a January 6 celebration of the three kings (or wise men) arriving in Bethlehem. In fact, the French government, who has never shied away from their role in defining the eating and drinking habits of the nation, traces the tradition back to early Roman times. Though it might lack the live-out-loud vivacity of its New Orleans cousin (colored sugar, thick cream cheese filling, encircled by Mardi Gras beads), this traditional galette is the center of gatherings among family and friends all throughout January, and often up until March.…