Project Baking: 8 recipes for when you're stuck at home

It seems like most of us will be spending our days at home for the foreseeable future thanks to COVID-19. Martin works in professional soccer and MLS has suspended their season for the next 30 days, so things feel a little up in the air around here. Thankfully, since I work from home, I will still continue to develop and share recipes with you as normal for the next few weeks. I’ve decided, though, that all of this social distancing and self-quarantine is perfect for what I like to call ‘project baking’. These are recipes that you may not turn to for a weeknight dessert; they are little more labor-intensive and need a little more time (which is something we all have). So if you’re home, I encourage you to grab your kiddos or family or quarantine buddy, and hop in the kitchen. Knead some dough, decorate some cakes, and make something beautiful during this time.

Classic Sourdough- Where better to start than a good ‘ole loaf of bread. Sourdough is one of my favorite things to make, and it’s made it’s way into my regular rotation. Here you’ll find a step by step guide to starting your very own sourdough journey—everything from creating a culture to the final loaf. I also have a video of the entire baking and shaping process saved to my Instagram highlights to make things a little easier for you.

Baklava- Sure there is a bit of layering involved in baklava-making, but it is worth it. If you’re looking for a nutty, buttery dessert to share with your loved ones, this is the one for you. Plus, there is nothing more delicious than pouring honey sauce on hot baklava and watching it bubble. As Lizzie McGuire says, “This is what dreams are made of.”

Chocolate Tahini Brioche Babka- This might be my favorite recipe on the blog. It’s definitely in the top ten. Swirls of tahini and dark chocolate are tucked into fluffy brioche and the whole thing sort of melts in your month. Also, shaping babkas are fun and they’re very photogenic.

Bombolonis with Limoncello Cream- Bombolonis are Italian-style yeasted doughnuts. They are fried until they are golden brown, tossed in sugar while warm, and filled with a slightly citrus limoncello cream. Eat them for breakfast, brunch, dessert, lunch, really whenever. Also, if you tackle the Chocolate Tahini Brioche Babka (above), you can use the remaining half of the brioche dough for these doughnuts. See, you can multi-task project baking!

Chamomile Cake with Blood Orange Curd and Swiss Meringue Buttercream- Quarantine is the perfect time to dust up on your cake decorating skills. This chamomile cake feels like spring and it’s filled with a bright, citrusy blood orange curd. You can easily substitute whatever citrus you have on hand to make this cake your own.

Russian Honey Cake- I first discovered Russian Honey Cake in pastry school. We made it as a project for one of my cake classes and I’ve since added it to my own kitchen repertoire. The cookie layers are similar to graham crackers and they’re sandwiched with a dulce de leche cream that softens the cookies just enough to be able to cut through them. It’s sweet and show-stopping at the same time.

Classic Croissants- Everyone should make croissants at least once in their lives. If nothing else, you will gain a new appreciation for your local bakery that makes those perfect croissants that flake into a million pieces the second you bite into them. These are classic, but feel free to fill them with chocolate or spinach or ham and cheese—really anything your heart desires!

Multigrain Bagels with Quinoa and Arugula Cream Cheese- These bagels are filled with quinoa for a little extra protein and they freeze beautifully— a win-win in my book. Pair them with a bright, herby cream cheese and you’ve got a beautiful brunch pairing.

Classic Croissants

As you grow up, it’s interesting to discover where your characteristics come from. There are some parts of my personality that I can pinpoint to either my mom or dad, and some that are solely mine, but a large amount of my personality traits run to my Aunt Karen. (Fun fact: both my mom and dad have sisters named Karen, so we’ve always just used the terms “mommy’s aunt Karen” or “daddy’s aunt Karen” to distinguish between the two.) Daddy’s Aunt Karen and I not only share a birthday, but we also share a passion for serving for populations on the outskirts of society, a love for really good food, and a knack for great wine. Two years ago, for our joint birthday celebration, my aunt and I spent 10 days in Aix-en-Provence, a small city in Southern France, where I continued to fall more deeply in love with laminated doughs.

I could spend hours and hours reminiscing about the cobblestone streets and remembering the smells and sounds of the daily market, but today I am trying to stay focused on pastries. Croissants specifically. Croissants have always been my favorite pastry, partly because of their flavor, but mostly because of their craftsmanship. Layers and layers of butter are expertly folded into the dough, creating thousands of sheets, swirling through the inside and giving way to a flaky exterior, that shatters under the weight of any pressure. They are a beautiful work of art. Each morning during our time in Aix, someone in our group would rise earlier than the rest of the house, head down to a boulangerie just as the sun was coming up and bring back assorted breads and pastries for breakfast. (And is this not the perfect morning??) Every morning, no matter who went on the breakfast bread run, there was a pain-au-chocolat tucked in amongst the buns, specifically for me.

For me, as a someone who really loves to be successful at everything the very first time I do it, croissants are a reminder to slow down. Like any good artist, practice and repetition are key to creating a masterpiece and croissant making is no exception. As I continue to practice, my hands will learn the motions and the feel of the dough, my layers will get flakier and my crumb more even. Until then, making croissants at home brings me back to a little town in the South of France and reminds to slow down and enjoy each and every part of the journey.

*Some Notes: 1) Because they use bread flour, which has a higher protein level, these croissants are a little more bread-like than others. They are still light and flaky, but they are also able to hold up if you want to split them open and use them to make breakfast sandwiches throughout the week. 2) I put the measurements are in both grams/ounces and cups for ease of use, but I highly recommend you use grams/ounces when making any sort of bread. You can get a cheap-o kitchen scale on amazon and it will quickly become your best friend.

Classic Croissants

Yield: 12 large croissants 

Ingredients: 

for the dough (detrempe): 

5 1/4 cups (690g) bread flour

1 1/4 cup (310g) whole milk

2 eggs

1/3 cup (81g) sugar

2 tsp (13g) salt

2 1/2 tsp (9g) instant yeast

1 tbsp (19g) unsalted butter 

for the butter block: 

3 sticks (330g) unsalted butter, room temp

1 tbsp (9g) flour 

Procedure:

To make the butter block:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add flour and mix until butter and flour are completely incorporated.

2. Fold a piece of 13x18 parchment paper in half, crease and open it up on the table. Place the butter so that it lines up with the crease and fold the remaining three sides of the parchment to create a 6x8 envelope around the butter. 

3. Roll the butter out towards the edges so that the butter completely fills the envelope. Freeze until solid. 

Making the dough: 

1. Scale ingredients and bring butter to room temperature. Make sure milk and eggs are at 60 ℉ and hydrate yeast in milk.

2. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed with a dough hook. When all ingredients are mixed together with gluten development (about 2-4 minutes), increase speed to medium and mix for another 30 seconds. 

3. Remove dough from mixer and allow to proof at room temperature for 2 hours. 

4. Loosely shape dough into a rectangle and place on a plastic lined half sheet pan (I used a 12x17 sheet pan). Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight. (Or proof for 1 1/2 hours and freeze for 30 minutes)

5. Transfer the dough to the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes. Soften the butter block until it achieves a pliable consistency. 

Laminating the dough:

1. Roll dough into a 13x9 rectangle. Place butter block in the center of the dough with short ends touching the long edges of the dough. Fold the two edges of the dough in so that they meet in the center and press the seam together with your hands. 

2. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough lengthwise until it is about 1/2 in thick. Fold dough in a letter fold (trifold). Place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. On a floured surface, place dough in front of you with the short end closest to the edge of the table and roll the dough lengthwise to 1/2 inch. Complete another set of letter folds. (2 folds each time, you should now have folded the dough 4 times.)

4. Rest dough in freezer for another hour. Roll out and fold again. 

5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and rest in freezer for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight.

Dividing: 

1. Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll the dough to an 18x11 rectangle. Dough may need to rest for 10 minutes in the freezer in between passes. 

2. Using a pastry wheel, trim the edges. Use a ruler to mark dough at 3 inch intervals along both long sides of the dough. Lightly join the marks with one long mark. 

3. Mark the center of each section with a notch on the top and bottom of the dough. 

4. Use the pastry wheel and ruler to cut a straight line from each base mark to the corners of the strip opposite it at the top. 

Shaping/proofing/baking: 

1. Place a triangle of dough in front of you with the top pointing out. Starting with the base of the triangle, roll up the dough completely. 

2. Place croissants seam side down on a parchment lined sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let proof at room temperature for 2-2 1/2 hours. 

3. Preheat oven to 400 ℉ about 30 minutes before baking. 

4. Brush the croissants with egg wash and bake for 15-20 minutes, until deep brown and cooked through. 

Sample Production Schedule:

Day 1 (10:30 AM)- Make butter block; Make detrempe (proof for 1 1/2 hours, freeze for 30 minutes)

12:30 PM- Roll out dough and complete first fold, refrigerate for 1 hour

1:30 PM- Roll out dough and complete second fold, refrigerate for 1 hour

2:30 PM- Roll out dough and complete third fold, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Day 2 (AM): Roll out, cut and shape dough

Proof for 2 1/2 hours, until size increases by 50%; brush with egg wash and bake at 400 ℉ until deeply golden.