Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Torpedoes: BBAC#42

The Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge #42: Potato, Cheddar, And Chive Torpedoes

Boy, am I grateful to Peter for sharing this bread recipe from one of his former bakers, Tim Decker, because it is simply superb. Just like Potato Rosemary Bread, I love everything about it: the soft somewhat elastic slightly open crumb that is moist and flavorful with a subtle garlic flavor from the chives, the most wonderful chewy dark brown crust, and its aroma, oh yeah. The aroma wafting through the house while baking makes you want to tear at the bread right after it comes out of the oven. Anyway, I made two 25-ounce loaves, each grew really big at 12 inches long, 6½ inches wide, and 3-inches tall. That's a lot of bread!

The recipe is an easy to make same-day bread leavened with both wild (sourdough) and commercial yeasts. Boiled chopped unpeeled potatoes and chives are added to the dough. Slices of sharp cheddar cheese are laid on the dough halves that are shaped into 6 x 8-inch rectangles. The doughs are rolled jelly roll style then shaped into torpedoes, the cheese creating pockets that look nice when the bread is sliced. I used white extra sharp Vermont cheddar cheese, sooo good. I will increase the amount of cheese next time I make these which is going to be very often. I love this bread!

Rating:
flavor 5
texture 5
visual appeal 5
ease of preparation 5
performance 5
worth 5
Total: 30
Average: 5

Year of The Tiger And JR Celski

Happy Chinese New Year!

And congrats to JR Celski for winning the Olympic bronze medal in short track speed skating

photo DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images

Lasang Pinoy Sundays: ♥y

puso ng saging

lechon kawali kare-kare

Hearty is the theme for this week's Lasang Pinoy, Sundays and I'm thinking more of hearty stews than the greeting card company's holiday. Banana blossom, puso ng saging (heart of banana) in Tagalog because of its shape is one of the must have vegetables when making the hearty ox tail stew Kare-Kare. The unusual version here with crispy pork belly confit is also good but not as yummy as ox tail.

Lasang Pinoy Sundays, a gallery of food photography, Filipino style, is hosted by SpiCes.

Food Friday: Puto Pao

are they puto or siopao?, they're both, sort of

  

Check out Maiylah's blog for more FoodFriday

Puto Pao

puto
3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
¾ cup sugar  
2 tablespoons baking powder
1½ cups milk
7 egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
8 tablespoons sugar

filling
2 cups flaked or finely chopped char siu (Chinese roast pork)
2 tablespoons hoi sin sauce


topping
grated cheese
thinly sliced salted duck eggs, optional

• Grease puto molds or cups with vegetable oil or spray.
• In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and baking powder. Slowly stir in milk and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth. Set aside. 
• In a stand mixer with the balloon whisk attached, beat on low speed the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Slowly add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and beat on high until stiff but not dry. 
• Fold in the flour mixture into the beaten egg whites. 
• Mix flaked char siu and hoi sin sauce.
• Fill molds half full with batter, spoon 2 tablespoons pork filling, top with a little more puto mixture to just cover the filling. Sprinkle with cheese and add a slice of egg on top.
• Steam in rapidly boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove from molds and serve while hot.