Table of contents for May/June 2021 in Bake from Scratch

WELCOME SUMMER May and June mark the sweet shift from warm spring into hot summer, a time when bakers reap a number of benefits. Market offerings of ripe stone fruit, berries, and herbs open up fresh opportunities for cakes, cookies, and pastries. And the longer days promise more time to bake in the blissful daylight. This issue takes every advantage of this golden time. From The Essential … Baguette (page 37) to our crusty breads feature (page 65) that spans the globe, artisan bread bakers can find a number of recipes to bring bakery-style loaves to the dinner table. If you’re looking to revisit a beloved classic cookie, our nostalgic Everything Snickerdoodle (page 57) is the cinnamon-coated extravaganza you’ve been waiting for. My enduring love for the snickerdoodle makes this…

How did you get started with Lovely London Delights? London Warrick: I started baking in May 2020 on Mother’s Day when I made a whole cake for my mom. We cut the cake into individual slices and shared it with other mothers I knew. They loved it and started asking me to bake them cakes. Because school had been moved to an online classroom, I had a lot of free time where I could bake, so I decided to bring happiness to others through my baking. The recipe I first used is an old family recipe from a friend, and I added two different secret ingredients to make it extra special. At the beginning, when people started asking us for cakes, I wasn’t sure what to do, so we started…

One of the largest capitals located in the Midwest, Columbus, Ohio, has become the base of a diverse culinary renaissance. The finest jewel in the crown might be Japan Marketplace, a charming cluster of restaurants and shops that acts as a beautiful microcosm of Japanese cuisine and culture. It’s the work of Takashi Takenaka, an entrepreneur who immigrated to the United States in 1972. Nestled in the back of Japan Marketplace is the fifth addition to Takashi’s empire, Belle’s Bread. This French-inspired Japanese bakery is the sweet cap to an enduring vision. Walking in, a display case greets you with feather-light sponge cakes in pastel shades of matcha green and snowy white, glossy fruit-topped pastries, and custard-gold wedges of cheesecake. Shelves are stacked with perfect rectangles of pillowy shokupan. Perhaps…

WHAT IS A SNICKERDOODLE? When you think of snickerdoodles, you may only consider their classic pairing of sugar and cinnamon. But the iconic cookies aren’t defined simply by their signature spice. A true snickerdoodle recipe has a chewier texture than your average sugar cookie due to a secret weapon: cream of tartar. A byproduct of the wine-making process, cream of tartar is an acidic white powder often favored as a stabilizer in making meringue. In a snickerdoodle cookie, it works with baking soda as a leavener, creating a fluffier cookie with a signature tangy flavor. As for the cookie’s precious name, The Joy of Cooking claims that the term “snickerdoodle” comes from the German term schneckennudel (or snail dumpling), a German pastry swirled like a snail’s shell. However, this is…

Coconut Q&A CRACK INTO THE COCONUT CASE WHAT IS COCONUT? The fruit of the coconut tree, coconut fruit is a drupe, not a nut. So, think of it as more like a peach rather than a pecan. The milk and flesh yield a variety of products, including coconut milk, coconut cream, cream of coconut, coconut flakes, and more. WHAT IS COCONUT MILK? Coconut milk is the white liquid pressed from the mature coconut flesh. The full-fat coconut milk we refer to in our recipes is not like the refrigerated cartons of coconut milk you can buy as a dairy alternative. These “coconut milks” often have water and sugar added to them. Instead, buy canned full-fat unsweetened coconut milk. In cold temperatures, coconut milk will naturally separate in the can, with…

Vanilla. Chocolate. Caramel. Reduced to its three base flavors, the Dobos torte may seem an unlikely cake to hold the distinction of the greatest dessert to come from Budapest, Hungary. But this description considers the cake without the accompanying impressive visual. One slice reveals five to seven fine layers of vanilla sponge alternating with equally slender coats of chocolate buttercream. On top is a gleaming disc of honey-hued caramel. One bite and the Dobos torte reveals itself again as a true wonder. Blending the pleasures of silky cocoa buttercream with tender cake, its caramel cap works as a sweet seal, trapping the rich moisture and flavor all inside. It is simple, yes, but it is also perfect, the epitome of restrained elegance and culinary balance. The cake’s enduring legacy can’t…

The golden secret to moist baked goods that remain tender for days? Humble, helpful cooking oil. Cakes made with oils have a lightness and fluffiness that butter can’t match, and when it comes to cacao-based treats, like your favorite decadent brownies or a chocolaty cake, baking with oil boosts the perception of richness and turns up the moistness factor. Why is it that cakes made with oil are loftier and more tender? Refined oils are reduced to their most basic components—unsaturated triglycerides that are liquid at room temperature—and are less dense than butter. As you can imagine, this leads to cakes that are light as air, with an even crumb structure, like the cross-sectional piece of our Honey-Lavender Bundt Cake presented on page 24. When recipes that contain heavier flours…

The pinnacle of the French boulangerie tradition, the baguette is often an elusive conquest for the home baker. The French word baguette translates literally to “wand” or “baton,” which describes the crusty bread’s iconic elongated shape. Although the origin of the loaf’s characteristic length remains up for debate, many sources will tell you that a single advance in technology made the baguette what it is today: the steam-injected oven. A Viennese invention, the modified oven was brought to France around 1839 by Austrian baker and entrepreneur August Zang. Still applied today, the clever use of steam in bread-baking increases the surface temperature of the dough rapidly, causing quick expansion of the gas and an extra-light loaf. Furthermore, steam hydrates the surface of the dough, preventing the crust from forming too…

CHILE WHO: Pilar Hernandez is a Chilean writer and baker who documents her baking adventures on her blog, Pilar’s Chilean Food & Garden. Pilar recently released her cookbook, The Chilean Kitchen (Skyhorse, 2020), which features many of her traditional Chilean recipes, from alfajores to empanadas. WHAT: Marraqueta, a crusty fermented dough shaped and baked into a four-roll loaf WHEN: Late 19th century WHERE: Chile A BREAD OF MANY NAMES Marraqueta is the most-consumed, well-known, and beloved bread in Chile. I can’t even remember my first taste of marraqueta—it has always been in my life. Marraqueta is very similar to the baguette. We haven’t had a lot of immigrants from France in Chile, but we think that either an English or German immigrant familiar with the baguette may have brought the original…

In 1945, Dave Dalquist returned home to Minnesota, where he reunited with his adoring wife, Dotty, after serving in World War II. Just a year later, combining two ideas, a small amount of cash, and a whole heap of courage, the couple took a leap of faith, launching their very own kitchenware company. They named their enterprise Nordic Ware and soon started manufacturing the iconic Bundt pan—a pan inspired by a curvy, large, and cast-iron bundkuchen design. After 75 years of high-quality all-American bakeware, we wanted to pay tribute to Dave and Dotty’s courageous entrepreneurship with two extraordinary recipes written specifically for the 75th Anniversary Bundt Pan. From a rich and flavorful banana bread-inspired stunner to a decadent brownie of epic proportions, the sleek design of the 75th Anniversary Nordic…

GRUYÈRE, ONION & PEPPER BISCUITS Makes 16 biscuits The secret to the flakiest, fluffiest buttermilk biscuits is cold ingredients and a quick layering process. Once formed, our shaggy dough is swiftly quartered and stacked, creating unmistakable layers that lead to tall and flaky biscuits. In this savory recipe, nutty Gruyère cheese, dried minced onion, and spicy black pepper take biscuits to all-new heights. 4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar1½ tablespoons (22.5 grams) baking powder4 teaspoons (12 grams) kosher salt1 tablespoon (8 grams) dried minced onion1½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground black pepper¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda1 cup (227 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed1⅓ cups (151 grams) shredded Gruyère cheese, divided1½ cups (360 grams) cold whole buttermilk1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter, melted 1. Preheat oven…

I have inherited thousands of recipes from my grandma Naida—but before I tell you about my culinary heirlooms, let me tell you about the woman behind them. When I think of Grandma Naida, I remember her being the woman behind all of the food for our special occasions. A specific memory is baking my brother’s birthday cake during vacation. I was 5, standing on a stool, helping her create our family recipe for crumb cake. She let me stir the batter and, best of all, lick the spoon. My mom didn’t usually let me do that, so I probably remember it so well because of that sweet detail. Grandma Naida died when I was 7, but I still cherish each of those memories and I know my love of baking…

STRAWBERRY-ORANGE BLOSSOM CORNMEAL CAKE Makes 1 (9-inch) cake Baking with oil is an excellent choice for cakes that have denser flours like the cornmeal in this enchanting one-layer cake. The texture is beautifully tender, and orange blossom water adds delicate floral notes, creating a sensory experience that’s reminiscent of strawberry shortcake—only better. 1 cup (200 grams) plus 1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar, divided½ cup (120 grams) sour cream, room temperature½ cup (120 grams) heavy whipping cream, room temperature¼ cup (56 grams) neutral oil1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature1 large egg yolk (19 grams), room temperature2 teaspoons (6 grams) tightly packed orange zest¾ teaspoon (3.75 grams) orange blossom water1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour½ cup (80 grams) fine-ground yellow cornmeal2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher…

PURSUING MUFFIN PERFECTION WE’VE SEARCHED HIGH AND LOW FOR THE BEST MUFFINS AND CAME ACROSS FOUR MUFFIN MERCHANTS WHO EXCEL IN THESE COMFORTING TREATS LEVAIN BAKERY MULTIPLE LOCATIONS IN NEW YORK; WASHINGTON, D.C. Levain Bakery’s Blueberry Muffins are the poster treats of this classic, displaying sugary muffin tops that expertly spill over the pan, an explosion of blueberries with each bite, and a sweet and fluffy moist center. Pick up these beauties in one of seven bakery locations throughout New York, or check out the D.C. location. If you’re outside the area, shop online for the bakery’s extra-thick specialty cookies that have perfectly crisp exteriors and satisfyingly thick and gooey centers. EBRU COFFEE AUDUBON, PENNSYLVANIA Muffins and coffee were meant to be together. Specializing in pursuing farm-to-cup ecology and roasting…