Table of contents for September/October 2023 in Bake from Scratch

AN ODE TO AUTUMN This time of year is more than just leaves changing colors, pumpkin spice lattes, and breaking out your cozy sweaters. There’s something about fall that has bakers running to their ovens, and here at Bake from Scratch, we are no different. By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be exploring the markets in Paris and Burgundy, France, with fellow bakers and teaching with Erin Jeanne McDowell in the Bake from Scratch test kitchen in Birmingham during our fall baking retreats. Even with the hustle and bustle of traveling, my mind and heart are in a perpetual state of cozy with thoughts of warming spices wafting from the kitchen and crisp, mottled apples lining my countertop with their inviting autumnal hues, begging to be transformed into countless…

On that first cool, crisp, delicious autumn morning when summer seems to give way to fall seemingly overnight, I can find few things that encompass the season like an apple. The beloved autumn gems gleam in hues of gold, pale and vibrant greens, blushing pinks, and majestic reds, filled with juices with the perfect balance of both sweetness and acidity. Their firm flesh makes them ideal for baking and perfect for snacking on alone as the superlative crunch of an apple breaks the calming silence of the season, ushering in whispers of warming spices, ethereal piecrust, and the aroma of caramel blipping away on the stove. These scents bring me back to a memory that is most potent this time of year. One morning in late October, I recall stashing…

This bronzed, wispy-textured yeast bread is a symbolic centerpiece for Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) and High Holy Days, including Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The dough is beautifully soft and smooth, making it an ideal candidate for braiding. The six-strand braid makes the most striking presentation. Crisscrossing it is pleasantly tactile, and the result is always impressive. If the plaiting seems intimidating, fear not as we walk you through our step-by-step process that will leave you with confidence to create a beautifully braided loaf. The dough is also versatile, lending itself to sweet variations like our honey-kissed and cinnamon-spiced Honey-Apple Challah Knots. Making challah in any incarnation will reward you with faith in your bread-making abilities in every burnished slice and oh-so-supple mouthful. CHALLAH Makes 2 braided loaves This…

PUMPKIN DOUGHNUT HOLES Makes about 40 doughnut holes These easy-peasy doughnut holes are pure magic and as perfect for a cozy fall breakfast as they are served at a dinner party as a retro dessert of sorts. A simple muffin-like batter is flavored with pumpkin purée and warming spices and baked up in a mini muffin pan. Once out of the oven, each little muffin is dunked in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, transforming these cuties into little “fried” doughnut holes. If you don’t have a mini muffin pan, you can use a regular-size muffin pan; just fill each cup about two-thirds full and bake a few minutes longer. Batter: 1 cup (220 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled¾ teaspoon…

Whether cut into flour for scones or piecrust, laminated into dough for puff pastry, creamed with sugar for cakes and cookies, or simply brushed onto a bread loaf warm from the oven, butter just can’t be beat. But with so many options available, it can be hard to know which to choose. Here’s the Bake from Scratch guide to butter. There are numerous brands and styles of butter to choose from, but all butter is created the same way: cream is churned or stirred until the solids and liquid separate. The liquid is buttermilk, and the fat solids are kneaded or mixed together until they form a large, cohesive piece. Salt is optional, but it is frequently added to help preserve the butter and enhance taste. Types of Butter AMERICAN: American butter…

Gesine Bullock-Prado’s passion for pastries began early in life. She was born in Washington, DC, but she traveled with her mother, a German opera singer, in Europe at a young age. “I think when you grow up in Germany and Austria around some of the best pastries in the world, it just becomes second nature to appreciate and love them a ton. And growing up as well in the States, where my mother wouldn’t let me have any of the fun American food, my neighbors had it and that’s where I learned to appreciate Oreos, Twinkies, and all the fabulous Hostess products. There was never a moment where I didn’t want to eat pastry. I always wanted to make pastry and bake since I was able to reach an oven.”…

CARAMEL APPLE CREAM PUFFS Makes about 15 cream puffs A velvety cream layers the center of these pastries alongside a festive apple filling. Baked to golden perfection, these handheld dreams are the ideal shareable treat! ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cubed½ cup (120 grams) water½ cup (120 grams) whole milk2 teaspoons (8 grams) granulated sugar½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour4 to 5 large eggs (200 to 250 grams), room temperature1 cup (240 grams) cold heavy whipping cream½ cup (60 grams) confectioners’ sugar1 cup (225 grams) mascarpone cheese*1½ teaspoons (6 grams) vanilla extractApple Compote (recipe follows)Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe on opposite page) 1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. Using a permanent marker, draw 8 (2½-inch) circles 1…

PRO TIP The line of butter on top of the batter helps create the signature domed rise and lengthwise crack in the top of a quick bread loaf—not mention a little extra flavor! APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUT LOAF Makes 1 (8½x4½-inch) loaf A crunchy sprinkle of cinnamon sugar simply but elegantly finishes this fragrant bread. 4 cups (960 grams) apple cider⅔ cup (133 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar, divided½ cup (120 grams) unsweetened applesauce⅓ cup (75 grams) neutral oil1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract2⅔ cups (333 grams) all-purpose flour1 tablespoon (6 grams) plus ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon, divided2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder1½ teaspoons (4.5 grams) kosher salt¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda1 teaspoon (4.5 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature…

There is very little that compares with the glory that is sticky toffee pudding. In the UK, in addition to meaning a cooked custard, “pudding” is used informally to mean a sweet dish that’s traditionally boiled or steamed, and it can also mean simply, “dessert.” Sticky toffee pudding is an unapologetically sweet, rich cake that gets its inherent depth of flavor from intensely dark dates, treacly brown sugar, and golden syrup, giving it rich, decadent intensity. A wonderful undertow of ginger, cloves, and vanilla complements the rest of the ingredients beautifully. Last but not least is the drizzly, caramelly sauce that soaks the still-warm pudding, a.k.a cake, after coming out of the oven. The pudding is often served alongside whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to complement the molasses-like sauce.…

One of my fondest memories of my grandmother was baking cookies every fall. We made at least 15 different varieties of cookies, and as she made them, we would divide them into small tins on her living room table. These tins would be hand-delivered to neighbors, teachers, and friends. Her baking was unmatched, and ever since she passed away in 2009, I’ve been looking to find time to re-create her delicious cookies. One of the most popular, and most requested, is her Cream Cheese Rugelach. Her recipe for rugelach differs from the traditional rugelach, as it’s shaped a bit differently and has a different filling and a different overall flavor. My grandmother used to make this cookie for everyone’s birthdays, holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, and on snowy, wintry days.…

CRANBERRY DANISH Makes 2 (15-inch) Danish Our buttery pastry gets layered with a rich cream cheese spread and a deep red berry jam and drizzled with a sweet orange glaze, creating a delectable fruit-filled treat. These are best served the day they’re made, but we doubt you’ll have leftovers anyway! Yeasted Rough Puff Pastry (recipe follows)1 (8-ounce) package (226 grams) cream cheese, room temperature½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar1 large egg yolk (19 grams)½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extractCranberry Compote (recipe follows)1 large egg (50 grams)1 tablespoon (15 grams) water1 cup (120 grams) confectioners’ sugar5 teaspoons (25 grams) fresh orange juice 1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. On a lightly floured surface, roll Yeasted Rough Puff Pastry into a 15x10½-inch rectangle (about ¼ inch thick). Cut pastry…

APPLE CRUMB PIE Makes 1 (9-inch) pie A spice-tinged buttery crumble is not only the crowning glory on top of a towering display of sliced fruit but also doubles as the press-in piecrust. 2¼ cups (281 grams) plus ⅓ cup (42 grams) all-purpose flour, divided1¼ cups (250 grams) granulated sugar, divided2½ teaspoons (5 grams) apple pie spice, divided1½ teaspoons (4.5 grams) kosher salt½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract7 cups (670 grams) ⅛-inch-sliced Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples1 tablespoon (15 grams) fresh lemon juice 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9-inch deep-dish metal pie plate with baking spray with flour. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together 2¼ cups (281 grams) flour, ¾ cup (150 grams) sugar,…

As we wind through row after row of flowering trees in a pecan orchard just south of Albany, Georgia, Francis Putney “Putt” Wetherbee III—whose namesake is philanthropist and planter Francis Flagg Putney—proceeds to shimmy his truck up next to a branch that’s extending just shy of the dirt road. A fifth-generation grower, second-generation owner, and the president of Georgia-based Schermer Pecans, Putt shows me the “flowers” or “nutlets” starting to open on the pecan tree, a marker for a full-fledged pecan come fall. As we make our way through the 3,600-acre property, we take in the solitude the orchard provides on a balmy day in late spring. Arriving at a small fishpond scattered with bass and speckled perch, Putt recalls the fond memories it holds, from his own childhood as…

SWEET POTATO-PECAN SWEET ROLL Makes 1 (6-inch) roll Everyone needs a go-to sweet roll recipe, and this easy-to-bake treat is ready to eat in no time. Golden brown and packed with warm, rich spices, this decadent roll is perfect eaten alone or shared with a friend! 1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting5 tablespoons (70 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar, divided1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt1 teaspoon (3 grams) instant yeast⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg⅓ cup (80 grams) whole buttermilk⅓ cup (80 grams) mashed baked sweet potato (see Note)5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter, softened and divided1½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground cinnamon1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground ginger⅓ cup (37 grams) chopped toasted pecans, dividedButtermilk Glaze (recipe follows) 1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 2 tablespoons…