Nancy Silverton's La Brea Bakery Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

This bread uses a white starter. If you already maintain a sourdough starter, use it here. If you don't have one, you'll have to start one to make this bread. You can do research online for how to make a sourdough starter if you'd like to begin one. Feel free to half the recipe and make just one loaf.


Two-Day Bread--First day:

MAKES TWO APPROX. 1 POUND 11 OZ. BOULES

--1 pound plus 2 oz. (about 2 1/4 cups) cool water, 70 degrees F
--12.5 oz (about 1 1/3 cups) White Starter
--2 pounds plus 2 oz. (about 7 cups)unbleached white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
--1/2 cup raw wheat germ
--3.5 tsp. sea salt
--1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
--4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
--Vegetable oil

Place water, white starter, flour, and wheat germ in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed for 4 min. The dough should be sticky and pliable. You may also mix the dough by hand, if you choose. Cover the dough with a proofing cloth and allow to rest in mixing bowl for 20 min.

Add salt and continue mixing for 4 min. on medium speed, scraping the dough down the sides of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula. Add rosemary and olive oil and mix on medium speed until the ingredients are incorporated and the dough reaches an internal temperature of 78 degrees F, about 5 minutes more. Remove dough from mixing bowl. It should feel soft and resilient. Knead the dough for a few minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface. Lightly coat a large bowl with vegetable oil. Place the dough in the oiled bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and let it ferment at room temperature until it doubles in volume, about 3-4 hours.

Uncover the dough and turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Using a dough cutter, cut the dough into two equal pieces. Slap each piece against the work surface a few times to deflate. Tuck under the edges of each piece, cover the dough with a cloth, and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Uncover the dough and round each piece into a boule. Place the boules smooth side down into floured proofing baskets. Cover each basket with a cloth and let the dough proof at room temperature until it begins to show signs of movement (it should rise about 1 inch), 1.5 to 2 hours.

Remove the cloth and sprinkle surface of dough with flour. Wrap each basket tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.


Second day:

Remove the boules from the fridge, take off plastic and cover baskets with cloths. Let dough continue proofing at room temp. until internal dough temp. is 58 degrees F, about 2 to 2.5 hours.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees 1 hour before baking.

Remove the cloth and lightly dust the boules with flour. Carefully run your hand around one boule to loosen it and gently invert it onto a lightly floured baker's peel. Score a tic-tac-toe pattern on top of the boule. Open the oven door, spritz heavily with hot water from a spray bottle, and quickly close the door. Open the oven door again, slide the boule onto the baking tiles, and quickly close the door. Do the same with the second boule.

Reduce oven temp. to 450 degrees. Spritz oven two more times during the next 5 minutes. Refrain from opening the oven door for the next 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check the boules and rotate them if necessary to ensure even baking. Continue baking for 15 to 20 more minutes, for a total of 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove boules to a cooling rack. The finished boules will have a rich brown color.

Recipe Request--Martha Stewart's Sticky Buns

Danish Dough for 12 buns (instructions follow)
Unsalted butter to grease muffin pans
3 1/3 cups pecan halves
2 1/4 cups light corn syrup
3/4 cups plus 2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
all purpose flour, for dusting
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp ground cinnamon



DANISH DOUGH:
1/2 cup warm milk (110 degrees)
1 pack active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp table salt
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp, cut into tablespoons
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk; stir until dissolved. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cardamom, and 4 tbsp of the room temp butter. Mix well with pastry blender or fingers until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix until dough just comes together. Add eggs and yolk and mix just until combined. Do not overmix (you can do all the mixing with a stand mixer, if you like).

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, making sure to include any loose bits left at the bottom of the bowl. Gently knead to form a smooth ball, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Wrap well in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 10 x 13 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick, keeping the corners as square as possible. With a short side facing you, evenly distribute the remaining butter over 2/3 of the dough. Fold the unbuttered third over as you would a business letter, followed by the remaining third. This seals in the butter.

Roll out the dough again to a 10 x 13 inch rectangle, then fold dough into thirds again as described above. Refrigerate for 1 hour. This is the first of 3 turns. Repeat rolling and folding two more times, refrigerating for at least one hour between turns.

Refrigerate dough, tightly wrapped in plastic, for at least 4 hours or overnight. Dough can also be frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic, for up to 2 weeks. Before using frozen dough, thaw in fridge overnight.


ASSEMBLING THE BUNS:
Let danish dough stand at room temp until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Generously butter two jumbo muffin pans. Chop 2 cups pecans, and break the remaining 1 1/3 cups in half lengthwise, keeping the two groups separate. Pour 3 tbsp corn syrup into each muffin cup, and sprinkle with 1 tbsp brown sugar. Divide halved pecan evenly among the muffin cups (I used a little less corn syrup and brown sugar, thinking it a bit too much for my taste).

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to an 18 x 14 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Using a spatula, spread the sour cream over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Dust the sour cream with cinnamon, and sprinkle with chopped pecans and remaining 2/3 cup brown sugar. Roll up the dough tightly lengthwise to form a log about 3 inches in diameter, and trim the ends using a serrated knife. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Using a sharp knife and a sawing motion, slice the dough crosswise into 12 rounds, about 1/2 inch thick, and place in prepared pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until 1/2 inch above the cups, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to the oven, placing a baking sheet on the rack below to catch drips. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until buns are dark golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Immediately turn out buns onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Replace any pecan halves that have fallen off. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temp. Sticky buns are best eaten the day they are baked.

Note: You may be tempted to skimp on the refrigeration time, but do not. This dough requires multiple refrigeration times to keep the butter cold, to rest, and to develop flavor. It won't disappoint, though! Just plan ahead and do it over two days when you have the time to spare. These sticky buns are worth the wait. Better than the prestigious "Cinnabon" in my opinion. And the satisfaction you get from making this beautiful, buttery, flaky, soft dough all by yourself is incomparable. Love it!

Homage To The Lemon

One of my favorite flavors is lemon, without a doubt. I incorporate it into so many things that I prepare. I love its versatility, that it can compliment sweet and savory dishes alike. I love its uniqueness. It's easy to pick out that lemony bite in most anything you put it in. But at the top of my list of lemony treats is lemon curd. I loves me some lemon curd.

After I made some a few weeks ago, I took the time to savor a couple of spoonfuls before I spread it onto a cake. I thought about my impressions of it, what I love about it. Here are my thoughts: I love the explosion of tartness in your mouth balanced by the sweetness from the sugar. To me, lemon curd has so many, if not all, the characteristics that make me swoon. There's that tartness and sweetness, but it's also tangy, creamy, buttery, and rich. I'm very content to eat a couple of spoonfuls without any accompaniments (or guilt), but it's at its best when harmonizing with a moist layer cake, or cupcake...say, a lemon meringue cupcake?

Lemon curd is incredibly easy to make. If you have some lemons on hand, some eggs, sugar, and butter, you are on your way to lemony heaven. There is a way to do it that's more time consuming and requires more eggs and butter (see the Lemon Curd Cake recipe from a previous post), and, admittedly, the flavor achieved with that version is more complex. But I promise you, this one is almost as good. It won't disappoint you in flavor. I use this version more than the one I use to make the Lemon Curd Cake because of its simplicity to flavor ratio. Here's what you do: Put 4 eggs, 2/3 cup of sugar, the zest of 1 lemon, and 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice in a heavy bottomed saucepan and whisk until smooth and slightly pale in color (about 2 minutes). Put the saucepan over low heat and whisk until it thickens. Make sure you use low heat at all times or you will have lemony scrambled eggs! If your heat is low and you use a heavy bottomed saucepan, you should have no problem. It may take 5 minutes before it begins to thicken, but once it begins, it will be very thick in no time. The curd should be very thick, but still pourable. At this point, take it off the heat and stir in 3 tbsp cold butter until it's melted. To keep the curd from forming a skin on the top, cover with plastic wrap and press the plastic directly onto the surface of the curd.

Note: Although the flavor isn't as pure, bottled lemon juice can be substituted and the zest omitted if you have lemon juice in the fridge, but don't have any lemons.

Because of my love affair with lemon, I seem to never tire of eating "piccatas". Chicken? Turkey? Pork? Veal? Sole or another fish? Give me all of them. That combination of lemon, butter, and spices in the sauce is a winner with me. To make chicken piccata, buy some chicken cutlets and season them lightly with kosher salt and cracked pepper. Dredge both sides of the cutlets in flour and brown them all, using equal parts butter and olive oil. I like to use my large electric skillet because I can do them all at once (6 cutlets), but you can use any large skillet and brown your cutlets in batches. When golden brown on both sides, remove from skillet. Pour in 1/2 cup dry white wine and 1/3 cup lemon juice. Return the chicken to the skillet and scatter 1 tbsp drained capers on top (more if you want), 6 lemon slices on top of the chicken cutlets, and 1 tbsp of chopped Italian parsley. Continue to cook until sauce is thickened slightly. Take off heat and stir in 1 tbsp butter. Yum!

Lemon really does have a unique way of transforming a dish. When I feel like something's "missing" in a dish, sometimes a dash of lemon juice is what is needed to bring it all together. It adds a special quality to foods in that it can be both bold and delicate, depending on how it is used. In lemon curd, the flavor is bold. The lemon flavor takes center stage. But in homemade mayonnaise, for example, lemon flavor comes through tenderly, quietly, breathing a touch of refreshing acidity to those egg yolks, mustard, spices, and oil.

So today I pay homage to the lemon. You will forever have a place, albeit many places, in my kitchen. Thank you, lemon, for the fruity acidity that you bring to our tables. Your ability to equally triumph in the spotlight and rest in the shadows is admirable to me, the home cook, who is fond of adaptable ingredients. Lemon, you are appreciated, honored, and thankfully inexpensive! Your oil is fragrant and pleasing to most. Lemon, we pay you tribute for all you offer to our cooking!

Recipe Request--Mushroom Barley Soup

4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cups sliced portabella mushrooms
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 tbsp minced garlic
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1.5 tsp dried herbes de provence
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 celery hearts, thinly sliced
2 white potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks (optional)
3/4 cup apple juice
1.5 tbsp tomato paste
about 4 quarts chicken stock or chicken broth
1.5 cups quick-cooking barley



Heat a large, heavy bottomed stock pot on medium high heat. Add butter and oil. Add mushrooms, onions, garlic, spices, and herbs. Sauté on medium high heat until very tender. Add celery and carrots (and potatoes, if using) and continue to sauté for about 3 minutes. Add apple juice to deglaze bottom of pot and stir until nearly evaporated. Add tomato paste, chicken stock and barley and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow barley and vegetables to cook until nice and tender. Stir soup often. Barley will thicken soup naturally. The more you stir, the more starch is released into the stock and the thicker the soup. If you find you need more liquid at the end (ie soup is too thick), add some water until desired thickness. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Recipe Request-- Lemon Coconut Cheesecake

This cake has a layer of cheesecake and a layer of lemon sponge cake. Between the layers and to frost and decorate the cakes, there is lemon curd, coconut, and whipped cream. It does take some time, but man is it worth it.

For the cheesecake:

24 oz regular cream cheese at room temp.
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs
2/3 cup whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside in aluminum foil, covering the bottom and sides of pan.

Beat 8 oz. cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and cornstarch until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in remaining cream cheese (8 oz. at a time). Increase mixer speed and beat in the remaining sugar. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add cream and mix just until blended.

Spoon batter gently into springform pan and place into a large shallow pan containing hot water. The water should come about 1 inch up the side of the pan. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove cake from water bath, transfer to cooling rack, and allow to cool in pan for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate in pan until completely cold, about 4 hours.

For the spongecake:

1/2 cup sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 extra large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp lemon extract
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Oven should be kept at 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round cake pan. Line the bottom only (not the sides) with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl. Beat egg yolks in large bowl on high for 3 minutes. Slowly add 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until thick, light yellow ribbons form, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the extracts. Sift flour mixture over the batter and stir it in with a spoon, just until no white specks are visible. Blend in the melted butter. Put egg whites and cream of tartar in clean bowl and beat until frothy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form and whites look glossy. Fold about 1/3 of whites into the batter, then fold in the rest of the whites. Gently spread batter over bottom of prepared cake pan and bake until golden and toothpick comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on cooling rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pan, peel away parchment paper and allow to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to assemble.

For the lemon curd (makes 4 cups):

16 large egg yolks
Finely grated zest of 4 lemons
1 cup plus 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2.5 sticks (20 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

Whisk yolks, zest, juice, and sugar together in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium- high heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, and the temperature of the mixture is 160 degrees. Remove from heat. Add salt and butter, one piece at a time, stirring after each piece until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour.

For the frosting and decoration:

1 quart whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 cups coconut flakes

When ready to assemble, beat whipping cream until soft peaks began to form. Slowly add sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Remove cheesecake, spongecake, and lemon curd from refrigerator. Place spongecake, top side down, on a cake plate. Spread with a layer of whipped cream. Sprinkle a layer of coconut on top of whipped cream. Spread a layer of lemon curd on top of coconut. Place cheesecake, top side down, over lemon curd. Frost entire cake with whipped cream (leave some to pipe decorations). Sprinkle coconut on top and gently pat on sides of cake. Spread a layer of lemon curd on the very top of the cake for a dramatic effect and beautiful color. Pipe decorations of your choice around the top (and bottom) edges of the cake, using the remaining whipped cream. Keep the cake refrigerated.

Recipe Request--French Brioche

(makes 1 loaf)

3 cups white bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 ounce fresh yeast OR 1 tbsp active dry yeast
4 tbsp lukewarm milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp sugar

For the glaze:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk

1. Sift flour and salt into large bowl and make a well in center. Put the yeast in a measuring cup and stir in the milk. Add the yeast mixture to the center of the flour with the eggs and combine to form a soft dough.

2. Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

3. Cream butter and sugar using mixer. Gradually add butter mixture to the dough, making sure it is well incorporated before adding more. You can do this with a stand mixer with dough hook or just knead it in by hand. The dough should look smooth, shiny, and elastic when you are finished.

4. Oil a clean bowl lightly with vegetable oil and put dough in. Turn to coat both sides. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.

5. Gently turn out dough from bowl to deflate. Place dough right back into bowl, recover, and refrigerate for 8-10 hours or overnight.

6. Lightly grease a 7-cup brioche mold. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Cut off almost a quarter of the dough and set it aside. Shape the remaining dough into a ball and place it in the prepared mold. Shape the reserved dough into an elongated egg shape. Using two or three fingers, make a hole in the center of the large ball of dough. Gently press the narrow end of the egg-shaped dough into the hole.

7. Combine the egg yolk and milk for the glaze, and brush a little on the brioche. Cover with the oiled plastic wrap and let rise, in a warm place, for 1.5 - 2 hours, or until dough nearly reaches the top of the mold.

8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Brush the brioche with the remaining glaze and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Turn out onto wire rack to cool.

**There is lots of waiting time with this bread. But don't let that deter you. This rich-tasting, buttery, light and airy loaf will be worth the wait!

**You can look for fresh yeast in your natural foods store (refrigerated section) or your local bakery. If you can't find it, just use active dry yeast. You'll get similar results.

Recipe Request--Peach or Pear Jam

(makes about 3 cups)

--2 cups finely chopped, pitted, peeled peaches OR 2 cups finely chopped, cored, peeled, fully ripe pears
--1 tbsp lemon juice
--1/2 tsp butter
--1 tsp cinnamon
--1/2 tsp allspice
--half of a 1.75 oz. package of regular powdered fruit pectin
--2.5 cups granulated sugar


1. Add first 5 ingredients to a large saucepan (preferably stainless steel) and whisk together until well blended. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Pour in the sugar and allow to come to a full rolling boil again and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

2. Fill clean 8 ounce mason jars with the hot jam and allow to cool. Put the lids on and refrigerate. (If you would like to keep the jam for a long period of time, you'll need to learn how to sterilize your jars and heat process your jam to preserve it. We eat ours within a few weeks, so I don't worry about this process when I make jam for our house.)

**See how easy making jam is. It's an uncomplicated process, but it tastes so much better than store-brought. You'll enjoy the burst of fresh fruit in your mouth that store-bought won't give you.

Recipe Request--Honey Whole Wheat Bread

(makes 2 loaves)

3.5 cups warm water
3 tbsp honey
2 packs active dry yeast
4.5 cups white bread flour
4.5 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ
2 tbsp fine coarse salt
vegetable oil for bowl, pans, and plastic wrap
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp heavy cream

Combine water, honey, and yeast in medium bowl with a whisk and allow to sit/proof for 10 minutes, until foamy.

In large bowl, add 4 cups white bread flour, all of the whole wheat flour, the wheat germ, and the salt. Whisk together until blended. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon gradually incorporating the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the remaining 1/2 cup of white bread flour, a little at a time. Continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes by hand. Pat dough into a ball and flatten slightly. Place into a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat both sides. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap to help keep moisture in and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Brush 2 loaf pans with oil. Gently turn out dough to deflate it and divide it in half. Shape into loaves and place in pans. Cover pans with oiled plastic wrap. Let rise again in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees 20 minutes before baking.

Using a baker's lame, razor, or sharp knife, slash loaves down the center in a quick and even motion.

In a small bowl, beat egg yolk with the heavy cream, and brush over the tops of the loaves.

Bake until bread is deep golden brown, about 50-60 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool.

**You can use non-stick foil to line your loaf pans instead of oiling them. I use it all the time and love it because it eliminates clean up!

**Take care and knead dough well. The time you spend kneading and allowing dough to rise will be well rewarded with delicious and nutritious loaves of bread.

**Humidity and environmental factors can affect the water to dough ratio. You may find you need a little less flour or a little more flour to create good doughs on some days.

Recipe Request--Strawberry Balsamic Jam

(makes about 4 cups):










--4 cups whole strawberries
--1/2 tbsp lemon juice
--1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
--1/2 tsp butter
--half of a 1.75 ounce package of regular powdered fruit pectin
--3.5 cups granulated sugar
--1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper

1. In a colander, rinse strawberries with cool running water. Drain thoroughly and hull. Transfer berries to a bowl or dish and crush them with your clean hands (or potato masher) until they are good and juicy and you have 3-3.5 cups mashed strawberries.

2. Place berries in large saucepan (preferably stainless steel). Whisk in lemon juice, vinegar, and butter. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Pour in the sugar and allow to come to a full rolling boil again and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Take off heat and whisk in the pepper.

3. Fill clean 8 ounce mason jars with the hot jam and allow to cool. Put the lids on and refrigerate. (If you would like to keep the jam for a long period of time, you'll need to learn how to sterilize your jars and heat process your jam to preserve it. We eat ours within a few weeks, so I don't worry about this process when I make jam for our house.)

**One thing I love to do with this jam is to put a couple tablespoons in a cup of plain, fat-free yogurt and give it a stir. Delicious.