Another sourdough experiment gone right. I know, I know, I’ve been going a little overboard with the bread-baking these past few weeks, but soon it will be summer and I won’t want to bake bread nearly as often. Anyway, this is a traditional German Bauernbrot — German-style Farmer’s Bread. It’s a combination of rye, whole wheat and high-gluten bread flour, and a wee combination of some typical bread spices: caraway and fennel seeds, a bit of ground anise and coriander. None of those spices on their own are my favorites, but put together, they do taste like traditional bread. And the loaf turned out fairly pretty so I am happy. Yay!
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Sandwiches/Paninis
Brötchen/Brötle, Semmel, Weck/Weckle/Wecken, Bömmel, Schrippe, Rundstück, Laible, Weggen … and I am sure that I am missing some! Germans and their regional words for “bread roll” … English speakers aren’t much better, but when it comes to Germans and their love of the bread roll, it goes to a whole new level. These rolls even reference that Germanic culture in that they are Kaiser Rolls, with their distinct markings. I used a roll press to imprint them and they sort of stayed imprinted — I think my baker’s ratio made a little bit too lose of a dough (and I have to admit, Alice, my starter, was especially bubbly yesterday afternoon). These are delicious and light and perfect for breakfast with butter and jam, or a lunch sandwich. Just the perfect amount of crunch. Pleased with the result. You can also make them with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.
Appetizers/Starters, Breads, Lunch, Sandwiches/Paninis, Sweet Snacks
Rosemary Olive and Honey Sourdough Focaccia
The issue with baking artisan sourdough bread is that it is delicious. And addictive. And frankly, I could eat this entire loaf of focaccia, if I didn’t have any self-control. It is *that* good. Salty and briny from the olives, sweet from the honey. Hearty. Stop me, before I just gobble this all up. Great as a bread side to dinner, with garlic olive oil as a started or a snack. Sneak a piece when no one is looking. It’s seriously delicious.
So, I am headed out on my travels today — I know, it seems so strange to say that these days, am I right? — and I have this extra special tendency to take a long a sandwich, just in case there is no food. I also bring along apples, but that isn’t nearly as fun to write about. At any rate, I made the rolls this morning and will be makeing a couple of sandwiches shortly. There is nothing like freshly baked bread!
Lunch! I don’t normally show off my lunch — heck, most of the time, I skip lunch altogether — but today, for the CSPS Cook/Bake-a-Long Seafood Week, I made these awesome Open-face Crabmeat Melts with a fresh tomato from my garden (the only really big tomato that really did well, though I did grow hundreds of cherry tomatoes). The crabmeat was from Maine, but any fresh crabmeat will do. Now I ate too much and could really use a nap! 🙂