A Bread A Day

Week Four: Savory Quick Breads

mediterranean olive bread

Originally, I had planned to make a different recipe, one for Spoon Bread.  Spoon bread is another Southern specialty, more often seen in the Low Country area of the South than anywhere else, alongside Hoppin’ John, Frogmore stew, and other traditional dishes.  I knew it was similar to cornbread, but as I looked at the recipe, I decided it was a little too similar.  Yes, it’s more like a soufflé than a bread, but the basic ingredients are just about the same as for cornbread.  It most certainly is a savory quick bread, but the clincher was that the method is just not a quick-bread method.  Spoon bread is made with a hot cornmeal mush and whipped eggs, rather than simply stirring dry and wet ingredients together.  So I began the search for a different bread I could make then and there, with only the ingredients I had on hand – I refused on principle to run to the store for one ingredient when it was 3 degrees outside.

Many of my cookbooks don’t even mention bread, except in a token loaf or two, so my search was already narrowed somewhat.  Nearly every other cookbook that contains a bread section, though, include no savory quick breads, or only ones that I had already made.  So I went for the sure thing: the Quick Breads section of  The Joy of Cooking, that venerable tome.  I flipped quickly past biscuits and scones, past soda breads and banana breads, past muffins and muffins and muffins. I was starting to wonder if I could finagle something savory out of the apples in the refrigerator, or the chopped onions in the freezer, when my eye fell upon a recipe entitled Mediterranean Olive Bread.  And lo and behold, we had just hosted a dinner party earlier in the week, which meant there were leftover kalamata and herbed green olives still hanging around.  Fortune smiled upon me!

The text accompanying the recipe describes it as “easy-to-make”, good with fresh mozzarella or soft goat cheese, and that it “stays moist for 2-3 days and makes good toast”.  Perfect!  I could imagine what I would serve for dinner in the next few days: mixed greens, dressed with oil and vinegar, topped with toasted walnuts, diced pear, generous wodges of the brie also left over from the aforementioned dinner party, and crunchy cubes of this olive bread, crisped in an oven to make croutons.  Picturing a steamed filet of fish with herbs and yogurt alongside, with a glass of wine, and I could almost taste it.

The bread turned out wonderfully, very easy to make, as promised, and full-flavored without being overwhelming.  There are definitely olives in this bread, but they don’t punch you in the tastebuds.  It is bread first, then with a healthy olive flavor.  The herbs are just right, not taking over the olive flavor, but enhancing it.  This bread was a hit as a post-dinner, mid-card-game snack for impromptu guests, and was light enough to enjoy first thing in the morning for breakfast too.  If you don’t manage to finish a loaf before it goes a bit stale (though I’m not sure how it could possibly go uneaten that long), I could easily see crumbling this bread onto a sheet pan, drying it out in a low oven, and running through a food processor for the most flavorful bread crumbs ever.  It would be absolutely delicious used as a crumb topping over a mild fish, like trout, grouper, or halibut; and just superb mixed with grainy mustard, olive oil, and fresh mint, and pressed onto lamb rib chops.  Keep a loaf of this in the freezer, and you’ll never be at a loss for unexpected hosting duties.

Mediterranean Olive Bread
From The Joy of Cooking

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped pitted imported olives

1.  Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350º F.  Grease an 8×4 (6 cup) loaf pan.  

2.  Whisk both flours, baking powder, rosemary, and salt together.  Mix eggs, milk, and olive oil together to blend, in a large bowl.  Add the flour mixture, and fold until about three-quarters of the dry ingredients are moistened.  Add the walnuts and olives, and fold just until the pieces are distributed and the dry ingredients are moistened; the batter will be stiff.

3.  Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.  Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on the rack.

Notes:
1.  I used a mixture of dried rosemary, sage, and thyme (no parsley, I’m afraid), since I love the blend of flavors.
2.  My bread felt done after 40 minutes, but took another 4 or 5 to get golden brown on top.

Week Four: Savory Quick Breads

northern cornbread

Cornbread is a decidedly American bread.  And, like another Southern favorite, the biscuit, there are two major schools of thought concerning the end product.  But while the biscuit is split (no pun intended) into factions that concern texture, i.e. flaky vs. fluffy; the differences in types of cornbread mostly concern flavor.  Cornbread comes in two basic breeds: Northern and Southern.  Northern cornbread is sweeter, tends to be a little more cake-like, and generally uses yellow cornmeal; whereas Southern cornbread is definitely savory and saltier, uses white cornmeal, and can even end up looking like a pancake.  Picking one kind can be like picking children, but if you can get a table full of foodies arguing about what and who makes better cornbread, you’ll see that the difference is no trifle.  (Yes, I am deliberately leaving out Tex-Mex style jalapeño cornbread, and any other sort that has little things added.  We’re talking basics here, people.)

Despite having grown up in the South, I have finally come to terms with the fact that, yes, I prefer Northern Cornbread.  I know, blasphemy.  And it’s funny; usually I don’t like things with a whole lot of sugar in them.  But to me, cornbread without sugar just tastes kind of… flat.  Maybe it comes from growing up on Jiffy Cornbread Mix.  Have you ever had it?  It’s so good!  And cheap!  But being the discerning and health-minded cook that I am, I like to make things from scratch as much as possible.  So there came a time to put away childish boxes of mix, and begin the search for a Good Cornbread Recipe.

I began mixing and baking, tasting, and freezing uneaten portions.  This one was too dry, that one not sweet enough.  That other one calls for sour cream?  Gross.  I turned out loaf after loaf of uninspired, dense, gooey, heavy, dull cornbreads.  None matched up to the fluffy sweetness of the bygone Jiffy Mix.  None was as gently crumbly.  None were the proverbial “just right”.  Until, that is, I picked up a copy of Cook’s Illustrated’s The Best Recipe (and if there was ever a more enticing name for a cookbook, I haven’t seen it).  There, in the bread section, was not one, but two recipes for cornbread: one Northern, one Southern.  I had made enough cornbread at this point to know I was going for the Northern style, and quickly gathered the ingredients.

The batter didn’t look all that different from any other cornbread batter, but it tasted intriguing – not too sweet, not too grainy, not too tangy.  And when I pulled it out of the oven, its cheerfully cracked top smiling at me with a golden, toothy grin, I could tell I was on to something.  Five minutes later, as I tasted my first crumbly slice, I knew I had found it.  I had my cornbread recipe!  The years of searching were over!  And yes, I have modified it the tiniest bit, but only so slightly.  The basics are all there, so feel free to add flavorings as you see fit.  Jalapeños?  Grated cheddar or Monterey Jack?  Corn kernels?  All of the above?  Throw ’em in!  Just be careful of added moisture, since it can throw your cornbread’s texture a little off.

So here I give you the Best Cornbread Recipe I Have Found Yet.  Now, if you’ve got a cast iron pan, you’d better get it out and get it cranked up, because it’s really going to help you out here.  I know the recipe says to use a square metal pan; but come on, it’s cornbread.  Why else do you have that small cast iron pan?  I know you aren’t frying chicken in it.  (Also, I don’t even have a square metal pan.)  Just don’t preheat it first, like you might for Southern-style cornbread; the extra heat will just overcook the outside and make the crust tough.  As for serving, cornbread goes well with any number of foods, but I think there’s no better match in the world for cornbread than a pot of white beans.  Either in the form of soup, white chili, or just plain over rice, cornbread and white beans are like basil and tomatoes, like blue cheese and port, like caramel and salt.  One of my favorite winter dishes is to simmer white beans all day, with rosemary and thyme, serve over brown rice, with a warm and toasty wedge of this fluffy cornbread on the top.  It just doesn’t get any better than that.

Golden Northern Cornbread
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated The Best Recipe
Makes 9 servings

1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing pan

1.  Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 425º F.  Grease a 9-inch square metal pan.

2.  Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in large bowl.  Push dry ingredients up side of bowl to make a well.

3.  Crack eggs into well and stir lightly with wooden spoon, then add buttermilk and milk.  Stir wet and dry ingredients quickly until almost combined.  Add melted butter; stir until ingredients are just combined.

4.  Pour batter into greased pan.  Bake until top is golden brown and lightly cracked and edges have pulled away from side of pan, about 25 minutes.

5.  Transfer pan to wire rack to cool slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.  Cut cornbread into squares and serve warm.  (Pan can be wrapped in foil up to 1 day.  Reheat cornbread in a 350º F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.)

Notes:

1.  If you don’t have a square metal pan, use a round metal cake pan, or a small, unheated cast iron pan.  Glass will get too hot, and make the crust too tough and overdone.
2.  No buttermilk?  Warm 2/3 cup of milk in the microwave for 30 seconds, then add a splash of white vinegar.  Let it sit for five minutes, then use as directed.
3.  I have increased the amount of sugar in this recipe, to make it what I consider the perfect level of sweetness.  The original recipe only called for 4 teaspoons, so if you prefer it a little less sweet, go right ahead.
4.  Again, mix quickly!  The more you stir it, the tougher it will get.  And get that pan in the oven quickly, since the baking powder starts acting as soon as it touches liquid.

Week Four: Savory Quick Breads

a pear bacon cheddar walnut muffin

For the last three months, the wonderful Dorie Greenspan, a longtime contributor to Bon Appétit Magazine, has been running a series of articles, collectively titled “The Baker”.  I’ve ripped out and saved all three recipes, but the first one piqued the most interest.  A dried fruit tart and a spiced bundt cake just don’t have the same thrill as “Bacon Cheddar Quick Bread with Dried Pears”, now do they?  I held on to this recipe, occasionally remembering it in the back of my mind, as I will; and this week was finally the perfect time to make it.

As a side note, I keep printed-out recipes in those clear plastic sheet protectors, an old culinary school trick.  Sometimes, I’ll stack several pages in one holder, to remind myself to soon make something that sounds intriguing, or out of laziness in putting them away properly.  This quick bread recipe was on the back side of another recipe I was making a few nights ago.  As another side note, there is an unfortunate but small gap between the backsplash of the kitchen counter and the wall, from where the old building has settled.  I tend to lean my recipes up against the wall, held precariously in place with the magnetic-racked-knives.  You may see where this is going; but for those who don’t, I lost my recipe behind the kitchen cabinets.  It’s there, stuck behind the dishwasher, probably to be found only when they renovate in thirty years.  Luckily, the internet comes to the rescue!  I found the recipe easily at Epicurious.com, Bon Appétit’s online recipe repository.

Then, oh, and then, I found them: the Reviews.  (dum dum dummm!)  As it turns out, people found this bread to be dry, lacking in flavor, and all in all not really worth the effort.  Horror!  But it’s got bacon!  And cheese!  And pear!  How could it possibly go wrong?  I decided to play around with this recipe, and if it turned out badly, I could just blame the recipe.  If it turned out well, of course, then I would get all the credit.  I can’t lose!

The two most common complaints were that the bread was dry and bland.  Many reviewers found that it cooked about ten minutes (!) faster than the recipe indicated, and one said that the crusty outside was the best part.  Most increased or substituted the flavoring ingredients (cheese, bacon, herbs), and one switched olive oil for butter.  That’s not quite my style, though; I’d much rather make healthier food that tastes good, than just load everything up with butter and bacon.  I feel better when I eat that way, and I’m not going to advise anyone to do any different, especially not for the sake of a quick blog post.  So my mission became this: to make this bread work, without making it any more fat- or calorie-laden.

Thinking to kill two birds with one stone, I replaced the original dried pears with a diced fresh pear.  The fresh one would obviously impart more liquid into the batter, helping with the dryness, and adding flavor along the way.  The bacon, I left alone, because bacon is meat candy and it is delicious.  But I didn’t add any more, either.  I actually decreased the amount of cheese, but that was because I bought one nice block of cheddar for two recipes, and that was all I could safely allot without affecting the other recipe.  I also decreased the amount of olive oil, since I feel that adding a lot of fat is a bit of a crutch for many recipes.  I made up for the lost liquid by adding more milk, to which I added white vinegar, to make buttermilk; which gave it another layer of flavor.  And lastly, I included two tablespoons of ground flaxseed, because it actually adds moisture in addition to a nice nutty flavor.  I baked the very sticky and very chunky dough in muffin cups, hoping to get more of the lovely crust spoken so highly of.  I had done my best, and there was nothing to do now but wait.

One other thing the reviewers noted was the heavenly smell given off by this bread.  Well, duh; it’s got bacon in it.  Of course it’s going to smell great.  But behind the bacony smell was melting cheese, sweet pears dissolving into the batter, crisp nuts, and fragrant sage.  It really was a gorgeous combination of scents.  Surely something that smelled so good had to taste good, too!  But remembering the warnings of those who had reviewed before me, I held my optimism in check.

Thirty-five minutes later, I pulled the lumpy little things out of their tins, snapped a few quick pictures, and gave one a less-than-hopeful taste.  Hmm, lovely crusty outside, check; but what of the taste?  The meaty flavor of bacon gave way to sweet pear, all flavor, the texture having cooked away into the bread.  The cheddar might have been a little sharper, but I liked that it didn’t overwhelm.  It was just a little dry, if I’m honest, but I think that wouldn’t have been a problem if I had replaced the decrease in oil with applesauce, or a mashed overripe pear.  These were definitely savory, but also had a surprising sweetness from the fresh pear.  While they would be fine for breakfast, they would make a perfect little snack, or accompaniment for tea.  You know, for those of you who have tea parties.

Dorie Greenspan suggests playing around with the flavorings, replacing any and all with your favorites.  Many online reviewers had success with stronger flavors, like kalamata olives, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, apples, gruyere, rosemary, even sautéed onions and garlic.  If you make it into a loaf, you can take Ms. Greenspan’s excellent suggestion of cubing it, toasting it, and using as croutons in a salad, or to top a bowl of soup.  Depending on the ingredients, it would be a lovely pair with wine.  Try a blue cheese instead of cheddar, sticking with fresh pear and walnuts, and serve with port!

all the little muffins

Pear-Bacon-Cheddar-Walnut Bread
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan
Makes 1 loaf or about 20 muffins

5 bacon slices, chopped
5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, divided: 3 1/2 ounces shredded, 1 1/2 ounces diced into small quarter-inch cubes
1 pear, diced into small pieces, or about 3/4 cup
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 large eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
About 1/3 cup milk

1.  Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously butter 8×4 inch metal loaf pan, or use nonstick muffin tins. 

2.  Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

3.  Measure olive oil in glass measuring cup, add vinegar, and enough milk to measure up to 2/3 cup total liquid.  Let sit about five minutes, then whisk in eggs to blend. 

4.  Combine bacon, all cheese, diced pear, walnuts, and sage in medium bowl.  Whisk flour, flaxseed, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in large bowl to blend. 

5.  Pour egg mixture over flour mixture and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Add bacon-cheese mixture and stir until incorporated (dough will be very sticky). Distribute dough evenly among muffin tins; or transfer to prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.

6.  Bake bread until golden on top and slender knife inserted into center of bread comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes for muffins, or 40-45 minutes for loaf. Remove muffins as soon as possible to a cooling rack.  If using loaf pan, cool bread in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely. 

Notes:

1.  This bread can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic, then foil, and store at room temperature.
2.  Be sure not to overmix the dough when adding the cheese, pears, and etc.!  It is very easy to do, since it’s so thick and sticky.
3.  Again, it’s best if all your ingredients are at room temperature.  They’ll mix more easily, and produce a better result.  Eggs and milk, I’m looking at you!

Week Four: Savory Quick Breads

molasses bread

This bread is a textbook example of a savory quick bread.  It is a little sweeter than most “savory” breads, but it’s still decidedly in the savory camp.  Full of whole-wheat flour and cornmeal, it’s nothing but whole grains.  Much of the time, a whole-grain bread can be very dense and brick-like, but this is nothing of the sort.  I wouldn’t go so far as to call it fluffy, but it’s definitely not dense.  It comes together in absolutely no time, and has a rich flavor that belies its rapid creation.

I think this bread is a faster, more grainy take on Anadama bread, a relatively obscure New England specialty.  Anadama bread is usually made with white flour, cornmeal, and molasses, and is yeast-leavened.  This bread, because of all the whole-wheat flour, needs a fair amount of rising power, provided by the relatively high proportion of buttermilk and baking soda.  The buttermilk also gives it a wonderful tangy flavor that cuts the sweetness of the molasses, and mellows the taste into a nice balance.  Paired with a backdrop of nutty whole-wheat flour, set off with the slightly-sweeter cornmeal, it’s a fantastic combination.

The smell is mesmerizing, with a hint of gingerbread from the molasses, and that great “I just baked bread, and you didn’t” scent that will drive everyone else in your condo building nuts.  This rustic loaf would go very well with a lighter meal, a brothy soup, or chicken prepared simply; it’s a little too full-flavored to go really well with heartier fare.  As with most quick breads, it’s made all the better by slicing and toasting quickly under a hot broiler; and you can always gild the lily by adding a pat of butter.  If you’re up for something a little more adventurous, though, top a toasted slice with bits of good dark chocolate – it’s delicious!  If you like it well enough, next time throw in a half-cup of mini chocolate chips, and have a dessert that you can feel pretty good about eating.  (Yes, bread can be dessert!)  The whole grains are certainly good for you, there’s no added fat if you use skim buttermilk or yogurt, and molasses (though very sugary) has vitamins and minerals from here to next week.  (I’m not saying you should eat the whole thing; but come on, it’s certainly better for you than chocolate cake.)

Again, play with the versatility of this bread!  You can play up the sweetness by adding things like orange zest, cloves, or the aforementioned chocolate chips; or you can stay on the savory side by adding a pinch of cayenne pepper, chopped toasted pine nuts or walnuts, or some grated Parmesan or sharp cheddar.  You could even decrease the molasses a bit, though I would add more liquid to make up for it.  Have fun with it!  It’s so fast and easy, there’s no reason not to!

molasses bread

Quick Whole Wheat and Molasses Bread
From The New York Times

Oil or butter for greasing pan
1 2/3 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt, or 1 1/2 cups milk and 2 tablespoons vinegar (see step 2)
2 1/2 cups (about 12 ounces) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup molasses

1.  Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease an 8×4 or 9×5 inch loaf pan, preferably nonstick.

2.  If using buttermilk or yogurt, ignore this step.  Make soured milk: warm milk gently – 1 minute in the microwave is sufficient, just enough to take the chill off – and add vinegar.  Set aside.

3.  Mix together dry ingredients.  Stir molasses into buttermilk, yogurt, or soured milk.  Stir liquid into dry ingredients (just enough to combine) then pour into loaf pan.  Bake until firm and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Notes:
1.  My bread was baked at just over 45 minutes.  Because of the dark color from the molasses, its hard to tell if it’s done just by looking.  You can always remove it from the tin and tap the bottom to see if it sounds hollow, but I find that a little tricky with a hot pan.  I press on the top of the loaf, in the middle, and check the resistance.  If it feels a bit squishy, it needs more time.  If it feels firm (like the outer edges should), then it’s done.

2.  Use unsulphured molasses if possible.

3.  The milk-and-vinegar trick in step 2 works like a charm!  I rarely buy buttermilk anymore, and just do this.  I never seem to be able to use up all the buttermilk before it goes bad, and the same with the last 2 cups of a gallon of milk.  (Though you can use soured milk in place of buttermilk, I don’t really recommend using old buttermilk, unless you’re making cheese.)

Week Four: Savory Quick Breads

popovers

Now may be a good time to discuss exactly what I mean when I say “savory quick bread”.  Obviously, savory is the opposite (well, basically) of sweet, so there’s that.  The term “quick bread” is defined by Merriam-Webster as “bread made with a leavening agent (as baking powder or baking soda) that permits immediate baking of the dough or batter mixture.”  Typically, quick breads use chemical leavening; that is, they rise due to chemical reactions that produce gases.  They are usually soft-crumbed, and therefore little gluten development is wanted; which means that you, the cook, had better not over-mix that batter, and you’d better move quickly before all those chemical reactions happen.  But there are also quick breads that are physically leavened, which means they rise due only to steam expansion, from any and all liquid in the dough.

Technically speaking, there are actually three methods for making quick breads: the creaming method, the biscuit method, and the quick-bread method.  You may recognize the creaming method from making cakes or cookies – fat and sugar are “creamed” together, then eggs are added, then other liquid flavorings, and lastly the dry ingredients.  This method was used in the Poppy Seed Bread recipe last week.  The biscuit method involves cutting cold fat into flour, then adding just enough liquid to make it come together.  This method is used in scones, pie crusts, and, uh, biscuits.  The quick-bread method mixes the wet and dry ingredients separately, then quickly combines the two.  This is the method I’ll be focusing on all week, since I figure it’s the strictest interpretation of the term “quick bread”.  Not to mention that it’s very easy to find savory breads that use the biscuit method, and nearly (if not completely) impossible for the creaming method, since it really requires sugar.

Having said that, today I’ll be talking about a recipe that kinda-sorta takes liberties with the quick-bread method: popovers.  Usually, you want little to no gluten in a quick bread, which means you mix the ingredients very quickly, just until they’re moist.  Lumps of flour are perfectly fine; in fact, if you don’t have lumps of flour, you’ve probably over-mixed.  WIth the popover, however, a little gluten is just what the chef ordered, and holds in the steam that gives them their characteristic rise.  Alton Brown’s recipe, in fact, uses a blender to mix them up, which creates lots of tiny bubbles that contribute to a taller popover.  A blender!  For a quick bread!  I’d be horrified, if he wasn’t absolutely right.  (The illustrious Mr. Brown did an entire show on popovers, incidentally, which was quite good.)

Popovers are an unjustly obscure baked good.  Based on a Yorkshire Pudding, and rather similar, they are purely American in origin.  They used to be baked with meat drippings rather than butter, which sounds completely awesome to me.  Fast, easy, delicious, and impressive, why have they slipped of the culinary radar?  Who can say?  My best guess is the myth that they must be baked in a very special popover pan.  The absolutely tallest popover does require the use of a popover pan, true; but I sure don’t have room for one.  They do just fine in my muffin tins, and I dare say are much easier to remove from the pan.

If you’ve never had a popover, you’re missing out.  Imagine a warm, mushroom-shaped bun.  The crispy exterior gives way easily to a nearly hollow inside, webbed a little with a soft, doughy structure.  A hint of butter fills your nose and dances over your tongue, if I may be a little twee.  I could probably go on and on about popovers.  I just love them.  Crunchy yet squishy, ethereal yet substantial, simple yet soigné.  They’re the perfect balance.

The room for variation is nearly unlimited.  This recipe uses a lemon-pepper combination that is versatile with a wide range of foods, but is especially good with seafood.  I could easily see one of these with the top removed and filled with a good tuna salad.  Served with a side of mixed greens, it’s a perfect light, quick, and special lunch!  Of course, any minced herb, fresh or dried, would be excellent.  Add cloves, cumin, allspice, nutmeg, Creole seasoning, or whatever your favorite spice is!  Blend some up: lemon zest with thyme, rosemary with lavender, cayenne with smoked paprika.  Go nuts!  (Hey, literally… add a tiny bit of finely chopped walnuts or pecans, why not?)  You could even add some sugar, and serve them with a fruit salad inside.  Grate some cheese into the batter, and serve with tomato soup.  You could even tear a plain one in half, spread it with Nutella, and have yourself an ersatz eclair!  Oh, good lord.  I’m so glad I have some of these left over!

popovers filled with my favorite tuna salad

Lemon-Pepper Popovers
From Gourmet Magazine

3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in lower third. Generously butter 6 cups of a popover pan.

2.  Whisk together milk, water, eggs, and zest in a bowl, then whisk in butter. Add flour, salt, and pepper and whisk until batter is combined well but still slightly lumpy.

3.  Divide batter among popover cups and sprinkle tops with additional pepper as garnish. Bake until puffed and golden, about 40 minutes. Cut a slit about 1/2-inch long in top of each popover with a small sharp knife, then bake 5 minutes more.

Notes:
1.  Popovers can be made in 9 buttered (1/2-cup) muffin cups; bake about 30 minutes before cutting slits.

2.  For the highest-rising popovers, make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature, and heat your (ungreased) pan in the oven.  If you’re really detail-oriented, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then drop it to 375 when you put the popovers in.

3.  I used olive oil instead of butter for greasing the pan, and it turned out just beautifully.

4.  I have not tried Alton Brown’s method of blending all the ingredients up together, but his methods have never failed me, and I’m sure it would work just fine with this recipe.  A whisk worked just fine for me, but who knows?  They may have risen more.

5.  Cutting the slits is a very important step!  If you don’t, the steam will get trapped inside and make them gummy, and then they’ll deflate; and then you won’t have popovers, you’ll have sad little pancakes.  Awww.

Week Four: Savory Quick Breads

After the sugar rush of this weekend (poppy seed bread and cinnamon rolls!), I need something savory.  And, if I’m honest, my schedule this week really doesn’t permit me to spend the time needed for a good yeast bread.  I need something fast, that I can just throw together without even thinking about it.  I need a savory quick bread.

A quick google for “savory quick bread” turns up… a whole lot of nothing but random recipes from untested, untrusted sources.  A glance at Food Network’s website and Epicurious.com reveals a few savory bread puddings, but not a whole lot else.  But surely, in all of human history, there must have been some hurried cook with no sugar, who just had to throw together some sort of non-sweet bread, and fast.  Not to mention that just from my own experience, I know there’s some recipes out there.  Thanks for nothing, internets; it’s up to me to fill in the gap.  Thinking for a moment on the subject, I quickly recall not only a few types of bread, but several favorite recipes, given places of honor in my culinary repertoire.  Cornbread is a classic example of a savory quick bread, despite the Northern tendency to add a bit of sugar to the batter.  (Full disclosure: I actually prefer Northern-style cornbread, fluffy and just sweet enough to bring out the flavor of the cornmeal, over the flatter, much more savory Southern cornbread.)  Another favorite is a popover, more air than bread, really, but incomparably delicious.  But noticing the chill outside, the perfect bread for today is Irish Soda Bread.

Apparently, many Americans have an idea of soda bread that includes an ultra-rich dough with sugar and eggs, caraway seeds, raisins, and nuts.  But I’ve truthfully never run across such a thing; or, if I have, it was called something else.  And if you really want to nit-pick, that is not Irish Soda Bread.  If it’s got raisins, it’s called Spotted Dick, or Spotted Dog.  If it’s got sugar, etc., then it’s a cake.  True Irish Soda Bread, the kind I’m more accustomed to, is made of nothing but flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk.  (This recipe takes some liberty with that restrictive list, but the result is just wonderful.)

Soda bread first originated in Ireland with the introduction of (wait for it…) baking soda.  Amazing, I know.  But the timing of its arrival is what cemented its, um, popularity: it showed up around 1840.  What else happened in the early 1840s?  Yes, the Great Potato Famine.  Their main source of food gone, the Irish made do with what they could: flour, baking soda, salt, and soured milk, all cheap foods, all somewhat available.  So the bread didn’t exactly become popular because of its own virtues, but those virtues have certainly helped it stand the test of time.  Thick-crusted, but not impossibly so, crunchy and soft at the same time, crumbly yet slice-able, the mild flavor just enough to accompany any food, yet not overwhelm.

I usually like to make whole-wheat soda bread, which is called Brown or Wheaten Bread in various parts of Ireland.  I think the rustic shape of the loaf is perfectly complemented by the grainy texture of whole-wheat flour, and it tends to stand on its own a little better, whereas white soda bread is best eaten with something.  And thinking about it, I don’t remember ever having made white soda bread before, so I thought I’d give it a go.  I think my dough was a little wet, because it was very sticky to work with, and ended up just a bit too dense for my taste.  But the flavor was spot on, with that lovely slight tanginess from the buttermilk, and the crust was crunchy and thick.  I think I still prefer a brown soda bread; but toast a few wedges of this and serve it with a hearty soup, and it just doesn’t get much better on these frigid winter nights.  Though it takes a while to bake and cool, his bread comes together so quickly (the quicker, the better, actually) that you can throw it in the oven, make your main dish, and they’ll be ready to eat at about the same time.  A classic pairing would be Beef and Guinness stew, but why not put it with your favorite chili recipe?  Lentil soup would be a natural, as would a simple (but so good!) Potato and Leek soup.  As for leftovers, I can easily see cubes of this bread crisped in an oven and served as croutons in a salad.  Or if, like me, you’re already brainstorming for next Thanksgiving (what?), crumble half a stale loaf into your favorite cornbread dressing, and have everyone guessing at what you added that made it so good!  It’s super versatile, super savory, and super delicious – you can’t go wrong.

Classic Irish Soda Bread
From Cook’s Illustrated The Best Recipe
3 cups low-protein all-purpose flour, such as Pillsbury, plus more for work surface
1 cup cake flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus 1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing on crust
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1.  Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.  Whisk flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt together in large bowl.  Work softened butter into dry ingredients with fork or fingertips until texture resembles coarse crumbs.

2.  Add buttermilk and stir with a fork just until dough begins to come together.  Turn out onto flour-coated work surface; knead until dough just becomes cohesive and bumpy, 12 to 14 turns.  Do not knead until dough is smooth, or bread will be tough.

3.  Pat dough into a round about 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches high; place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.  Score dough by cutting cross shape on  top of loaf.

4.  Bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted into center of loaf comes out clean or internal temperature reaches 180 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and brush with melted butter; cool to room temperature, 30 to 40 minutes.

Notes:
1.  As with all quick breads, speed is the key.  The more quickly you can get it in the oven, the better.  Also, the less you stir or otherwise handle the bread, the less tough it will be.
2.  Feel free to add herbs to this as you like.  Rosemary or sage would be wonderful.