Whole Wheat and Rye Bread Rolls

A long-time reader Raissa asked if I have the recipe for the Cheesecake Factory® dark bread that the restaurant chain serves along with a sourdough loaf. I have never been to CF and I presumed it would be a dark whole wheat roll. I searched online for description and photos of the bread and found several copycat recipes, from pumpernickel with a little rye flour with cocoa powder and coffee, to sweetish squaw bread. I combined all the recipes with Peter Reinhart's soft rye sandwich bread method of retarding the dough in the refrigerator and came up with a sweetish soft delicious rolls. The rye flavor is almost indistinct and I think they came out a bit lighter in color than the photos. I will add more rye flour and a teaspoon more of caramel powder to the next batch. The old-fashioned oats on top give the loaves a good crunch and texture. I love it freshly baked with unsalted butter. I'll try to get some of the CF loaves to have a taste and to know if I did a good copy of their bread.

Whole Wheat and Rye Rolls

1 cup bread flour

1¼ cups whole wheat flour

½ cup whole grain rye flour
½ tablespoon vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoons instant yeast
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon caramel powder

¼ cup powdered milk

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup room temperature water

3 tablespoons light olive oil

2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon molasses

extra oil for folding and shaping

water in a spray bottle

old-fashioned oats for topping

• Mix all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add all the liquids and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-low and mix for another minute. Replace attachment with the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Shape the dough into a ball and transfer, smooth side up, into a lightly oiled plastic container (with a lid). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough on all sides, shape into a ball, flip, and return to the container. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold, cover with plastic wrap and the lid and refrigerate overnight. [The reason for the stretch and fold is to make the dough stronger since it is a very sticky dough and difficult to knead by hand or machine.]
  
• The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into four 7-ounce pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Shape the dough pieces into small logs 7 inches long and 2 inches thick. Arrange on a sheet pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 2 hours or until doubled in size.
• 20 minutes before the rising period ends, place a rack on the lower third position and preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Just before baking, score the loaves ½ inch deep right down the middle. Let it spread a little then spray lightly with water. Sprinkle oats on top of the loaves and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for 7 - 10 minutes more or until nicely browned.

the loaves have a sweetish soft crumb

Mango Tart

The recipe for this delicious Filipino mango tart is adapted from a recipe I found in one of the countless Filipino recipe directories on the web. It's a bit involved but worth making. The baked shell is very crispy and flaky and the tart is really really yummy.

Mango Tart
pastry shell, homemade or store bought
pastry cream
sliced ripe mangoes
meringue buttercream

pastry shell
1½ cups pastry or all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1½ tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
2 tablespoons shortening, cubed and chilled
1 large egg

• Sift together flour, sugar, and salt. With fingertips mix in butter and shortening until crumbly. Add the egg and stir with a fork. Form into a ball/s. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour. Roll out thinly and ease into tart pan/s, trim edges. Bake in a 400°F oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool. Remove from pans and set aside.

pastry cream
6 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs yolks
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup milk, scalded

• In a saucepan, mix the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch with a rubber spatula. Pour the scalded milk and cook over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Strain into a shallow container and cool for 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  

meringue buttercream
2 egg whites
pinch of fine sea salt
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 teaspoon rum or mango vodka, optional

• In a small saucepan, boil sugar and 3 tablespoons water to to 230°F. In a standing mixer with the wire whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until until stiff but not dry. With mixer on high speed, slowly pour hot syrup and beat until the bowl is cool to the touch. Add butter one piece at a time and continue beating until it holds its shape. Add rum or vodka if using.

Assemble the mango tart: Fill tart shell/s with a ½-inch thick layer of pastry cream. Arrange mango slices on top of cream. Top with meringue buttercream.