BREAD WINNERS

TESTED TILL PERFECT

classic brioche

ORANGE CARDAMOM BUTTER

P. 122

Bread

WINNERS

These perfectly paired breads and spreads are the ultimate homemade treat. Make them in advance, stash them in your fridge or freezer and then serve to last-minute holiday guests.

BY GILEAN WATTS & THE TEST KITCHEN

white sourdough boule

CULTURED BUTTER

WHITE SOURDOUGH BOULE

Hands-on time: 45 minutes Total time: 8 days Makes: 20 servings

You’ll need only a half batch of Sourdough Starter to make this tasty loaf. Pass on the remaining starter— along with instructions on how to feed it (see tip, right)—to friends so they can make their own sourdough bread at home. Serve the boule with our easy Cultured Butter (see recipe, opposite).

half batch Sourdough Starter (see recipe, right) 1 cup warm water (100°F) 4 cups white bread flour (approx) 2 tsp salt 1 tbsp cornmeal 1 egg

In large bowl using wooden spoon, stir starter with ¾ cup of the warm water until combined. Stir in 1½ cups of the flour until smooth; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for 12 hours. (Make-ahead: Let rise for up to 24 hours.)

Stir in remaining warm water. Stir in 1¾ cups of the remaining flour and the salt. Turn out onto floured work surface. Knead dough, dusting with as much of the remaining flour as needed to prevent sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free place until tripled in size, about 2 hours. Punch down dough; turn out onto floured work surface. Knead dough about 10 times to remove air bubbles; cover with tea towel. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Line 12-cup bowl with tea towel; dust with some of the remaining flour. Shape dough into ball. Place, seam side up, in bowl; cover with clean tea towel. Let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.

Dust rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Place dough, seam side down, on pan. Whisk egg with 1 tbsp water; brush over dough. Using serrated knife or kitchen scissors, cut three ½-inch deep slashes in top. Sprinkle with 1 tsp of the remaining flour. Bake in 425°F oven until golden and loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on rack for 45 minutes.

PER SERVING: about 132 cal, 5 g pro, 1 g total fat (trace sat. fat), 25 g carb (1 g dietary fibre, trace sugar), 5 mg chol, 232 mg sodium, 45 mg potassium. % RDI: 1% calcium, 13% iron, 25% folate.

SOURDOUGH STARTER

In 8-cup container, stir together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup warm water (100°F) and ¼ tsp active dry yeast; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until tripled in size, about 8 hours. (Make-ahead: Let rise for up to 24 hours.) Refrigerate for 3 days. Stir in ½ cup each all-purpose flour and water; cover and refrigerate for 3 days.

Makes 1 batch.

Feeding the Sourdough Starter with flour and water is essential to keeping the yeast active. To feed, stir in 1¼ cups all-purpose flour and ¾ cup water or milk. Refrigerate for at least 2 days or for up to 1 week. Repeat feeding once a week until ready to use.

CHANGE IT UP

SOURDOUGH LOAVES

Follow first 2 paragraphs of White Sourdough Boule recipe as directed. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, press into two 1-inch thick circles. Fold each circle, 1½ inches from edge farthest from you, pressing with hands; repeat folding, pressing each into torpedo shape. Pinch seams to seal. Dust rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Place

dough, seam side down and 4 inches apart, on pan; cover with clean tea towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1½ hours. Using scissors, cut 3 slashes crosswise on surface of each. Whisk egg with 1 tbsp water; brush over dough. Sprinkle with 1 tsp of the remaining flour. Bake in 425°F oven until golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 25 minutes. Let cool on rack for 45 minutes.

CULTURED BUTTER

Hands-on time: 30 minutes Total time: 13 hours Makes: about 2 cups

We’ve used a standard food processor to churn this tangy homemade butter. The liquid that’s drained off is buttermilk; if you like, reserve and refrigerate it in an airtight jar or container for up to a week.

4 cups whipping cream (35%) ¼ cup buttermilk 1 tsp salt

In large bowl or 4-cup glass measure, combine cream and buttermilk; cover and let stand at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.) Line fine-mesh sieve with triple layer of cheesecloth, leaving 5-inch overhang. In food processor, whirl cream mixture until liquid is separated and solid mass is beginning to form, about 10 minutes. Scrape mixture into sieve; press on solids with spatula to create well in centre all the way to cheesecloth. Press solids against sides of sieve to drain excess liquid. Let stand for 30 minutes. Gather edges of cheesecloth and twist to form ball; squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer solids to bowl. Add enough cold water to cover; drain. Repeat until water runs clear. Transfer solids to paper towel–lined bowl; pat dry, changing paper towel as necessary, until completely dry. Remove paper towel; stir in salt. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 weeks.)

PER 1 TBSP: about 92 cal, trace pro, 10 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), trace carb (0 g dietary fibre, trace sugar), 38 mg chol, 79 mg sodium, 15 mg potassium. % RDI: 11% vit A.

Rinse off as much of the milky liquid from the butter as possible, making sure the water runs clear. Any residual buttermilk will cause the butter to turn rancid much more quickly.

Hands-on time: 1 hour Total time: 11½ hours Makes: 20 brioche

This brunch treat is made by forming the dough in the traditional à tête style (individual buns with a smaller dough ball, called a “head,” on top), so everyone gets a serving with the perfect mix of dark-golden exterior and soft, buttery interior. Serve with our Orange Cardamom Butter (see recipe, right).

5½ cups all-purpose flour (approx) ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 tbsp active dry yeast 2½ tsp salt 1 cup hot water (120°F to 130°F) 6 eggs 1 cup butter, cubed and softened 2 egg yolks

In stand mixer with paddle attachment, stir together 1 cup of the flour, the sugar, yeast and salt. Add hot water; beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in 2 cups of the remaining flour. Add butter, a few cubes at a time, beating until completely combined between additions. Gradually beat in 2 cups of the remaining flour to make soft sticky dough; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 3 hours. (Make-ahead: Let rise in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.) Gently deflate dough; cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or for up to 18 hours. (Make-ahead: Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 weeks; thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours before continuing with recipe.) Turn out dough onto lightly floured work surface. Using no more than ½ cup of the remaining flour to keep hands floured during shaping, gently knead dough into ball. Divide into quarters; divide each quarter into five equally sized pieces (each about 70 g) to yield 20 pieces total. Remove 1 tsp dough from each piece; roll into 20 small balls. Shape 1 of the large dough pieces into ball, folding ends underneath and pinching at bottom; roll on work surface in circular motion, seam side down, into smooth ball. Repeat with remaining large dough pieces. Divide large dough balls among 20 well-greased brioche moulds or wells of muffin pan. Using scissors, cut deep X in top of each; nestle 1 small ball into each X. Cover with lightly floured tea towel. Let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Whisk egg yolks with 1 tsp water; brush over brioche. Bake in 400°F oven, switching and rotating pans halfway through, until golden, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool slightly in pans. Remove from pans; serve warm or let cool completely on rack. (Make-ahead: Let cool completely. Store in airtight container for up to 24 hours or freeze in resealable freezer bag for up to 1 week; thaw in bag at room temperature. Reheat in 325°F oven until warm, about 5 minutes.)

PER BRIOCHE: about 238 cal, 6 g pro, 12 g total fat (7 g sat. fat), 26 g carb (1 g dietary fibre, 3 g sugar), 92 mg chol, 373 mg sodium, 66 mg potassium. % RDI: 1% calcium, 14% iron, 11% vit A, 33% folate.

For perfect, evenly sized brioche buns, be sure to weigh the dough balls with a kitchen scale.

Apply only gentle pressure when grating the orange zest, otherwise you’ll get too much of the bitter pith. Your microwave is the ideal place to let the dough rise quickly. It’s well insulated, so it can protect the yeast from any drafts during fermentation.

ORANGE CARDAMOM BUTTER

Hands-on time: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Makes: about 1 cup

Creamed honey gives this butter an extra-smooth texture and creates the prettiest swirl.

1 cup butter, softened ⅓ cup creamed honey ¼ tsp grated orange zest ¼ tsp ground cardamom

In bowl, beat butter with 1 tbsp of the honey until fluffy; beat in orange zest and cardamom. Spoon half of the butter mixture into serving dish; drop half of the remaining honey by spoonfuls over top. Repeat with remaining butter mixture and honey. Using skewer or tip of knife, swirl honey into butter mixture, smoothing top. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before using.)

PER 1 TBSP: about 123 cal, trace pro, 12 g total fat (7 g sat. fat), 6 g carb (0 g dietary fibre, 6 g sugar), 31 mg chol, 82 mg sodium, 7 mg potassium. % RDI: 10% vit A.

RUSTIC NO-KNEAD WHITE BREAD

Hands-on time: 35 minutes Total time: 15 hours Makes: 24 servings

Our easiest-ever white bread requires absolutely no kneading. Simply fold the dough into a torpedo shape, let rise, then bake! Serve with our Slow Cooker Apple Butter (see recipe, opposite).

6 cups white bread flour (approx) 2 tsp salt 1 tsp quick-rising (instant) dry yeast 2½ cups warm water (100°F) 1 tbsp cornmeal

In large bowl, whisk together 5 cups of the flour, the salt and yeast. Stir in warm water until well combined; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 12 hours. (Make-ahead: Let rise for up to 18 hours.) Sprinkle work surface with ⅓ cup of the remaining flour. Scrape dough onto work surface; sprinkle with ¼ cup of the remaining flour. Cover with tea towel. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Using floured hands, press dough into 1-inch thick circle. Fold dough, 1½ inches from edge farthest from you, pressing with hands; repeat folding, pressing into torpedo shape. Pinch seams to seal. Dust rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Place dough, seam side down, on pan; cover with clean tea towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.

Using scissors, cut 3 slashes crosswise on surface of dough. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of the remaining flour. Bake in 425°F oven for 10 minutes. Decrease heat to 375°F; bake until light golden and loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or let cool on rack. (Makeahead: Let cool completely; wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze in resealable freezer bag for up to 3 weeks; thaw in bag at room temperature. Reheat in 325°F oven until warm, about 5 minutes.)

PER SERVING: about 105 cal, 4 g pro, 1 g total fat (trace sat. fat), 21 g carb (1 g dietary fibre, trace sugar), 0 mg chol, 192 mg sodium, 32 mg potassium. % RDI: 10% iron, 20% folate.

rustic no-knead white bread

SLOW COOKER APPLE BUTTER SLOW COOKER APPLE BUTTER

Hands-on time: 20 minutes Total time: 6¼ hours Makes: about 3 cups

This richly spiced apple butter makes more than you’ll need for a single loaf of bread, but it’ll keep in your fridge for a week or in your freezer for up to two months. Spread it onto warm bread and rolls, or stir it into cake batters in place of applesauce.

8 cups chopped cored peeled baking apples (about 1.25 kg) ½ cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup granulated sugar 2 tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp each ground cloves, ground allspice, nutmeg and salt 1 tbsp apple juice or apple cider 2 tbsp lemon juice

In slow cooker, combine apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Stir in apple juice; cover and cook on high until apples are very tender, about 4 hours. Scrape mixture into large bowl; using immersion blender, purée until smooth. (Alternatively, in batches, purée in upright blender.) Stir in lemon juice. Bring to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months; thaw before using.)

PER 1 TBSP: about 23 cal, trace pro, 0 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 6 g carb (trace dietary fibre, 5 g sugar), 0 mg chol, 13 mg sodium, 24 mg potassium. % RDI: 1% iron, 2% vit C.

For the best flavour, use a combination of your favourite sweet-tart cooking apples. We used a mix of McIntosh, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Gala.