Archive for the ‘Bread Recipes’ Category

Late April Superbaking

                                     

Patty Nally is the brains behind our whole baking operation. She has mastered the art of baking and makes practically all our schiacciata, fougasse and specialty stuffed breads.

Dag! The worse thing about having a blog and making alot of food is being too busy (and thus too forgetful) to document all the processes, recipes and drama that happpens in baking.

                                       

Above is my “Scaletta,” an Asiago-stuffed slim ciabatta with black and green Cerignola olives, Molinari pepperoni and roasted garlic.

This year, I’m trying to commit myself to document some the righteous, bodacious, delicious and downright wierd stuff we bake here at Avalanche. Luckily, I’ve got a grat guy named Keith Mc Carthy to help with photo’s. Otherwise, I’ll  stop, was my hands, grab the camera and snap away.

                                           

Here is my King Family Farm chorizo and peppered bacon meatballs on a schiacciata with Bellweather Farms Crescenza from Sonoma County, fresh mozzarella, Stanislaus Alt Cucina tomatoes, fresh basil and Calabrian chili’s. (do I even havta say ‘yum’)

                    

I love making these Boule’s or what the French call “Bowls.” I use an organic levain made with spelt flour and knead these three times over a period of 2 days while they are retarding in my walk-in, this makes for a tight but consistant crumb perfect for sandwiches or bowling. “Steeeee-rike”

Here is a video of what we baked for this weeks Farmers Market. Please try to overlook the fact that my brain is fried from baking for 12 hours straight. (I mis identify the large loaf which is actually what I call a “Flintstone Wheel” or a Tortanno-type of large bread.)

Spelt Baguettes

I love making baguettes. In my warped mind, I find solice in the creation of each long baton that takes an annoying amount of time. I can’t help but think of the metalsmiths of long-ago Japan who made the Samurai swords by folding and folding without complaint. Their final product was so strong that it cut through metal.

After an hour of folding baguettes, time becomes taffy-like and the task itself becomes very relaxing. At 3:30 a.m., it gets a little lonely and I miraculously turn into a Buddist Monk on top of a mountain in Nepal. It is then that I actually start naming my “leetle, long friends,” with names like “Mack,” “Pierre” and “Tin Tin.”

I still have alot to learn about breads, but most of the time I let the bread tell me what it needs. There are just too many people out there with strong convictions and beliefs of “what you should do” or “never do.” I like to do what is fun, different and tastes great; you gotta problem wit dat?

Here is a video of some breads we sell at Avalanche and how I fold, score and cook some eight-ounce baguettes with local spelt flour. Oh, I hope no one gets offended by my strong French accent while I work these baguettes. It’s a tick I have, (you should hear me when I make Yugoslavian cabbage bread.) Yes, that is an Ancho chile, dark chocolate and bacon batard on the end.