Browsing Tag

bread

Breads, Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, Sweet Snacks

Croissant & Custard Casserole for 2

Today is a very important holiday. I mean, critically important. Yes, it’s Lunar / Chinese New Year, but no, that isn’t it. It’s National Croissant Day! See, told you it was important. 🙂

I decided to mark the occasion not by making croissants — I have made them before and they are a lot of effort — so I decided to make something with croissants instead: this Croissant and Custard Casserole. Essentially it is an overnight French toast casserole or a fancy bread pudding made with croissants. Great for breakfast as you can assemble the evening before, and have it all ready to bake up in the morning. With the buttery croissants, this is a totally decadent breakfast dish.

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Breads, Breakfast/Brunch, Sandwiches/Paninis, Savory Snacks

Multigrain Clover Honey Sourdough Bread

I bought myself a baking cloche for my birthday. What is a baking cloche, you ask? well, in essence, it is a glorified up-side-down cast iron dutch oven. Normally, I do my bread baking in a 6 Quart round or oval Le Creuset pot, so this is similar, only the bottom is shallow and the top is bell shaped. I didn’t notice much of a difference in all in the baking (though I will say that the Multigrain Clover Honey Sourdough Bread that I made is super delicious), but it sure was easier not to burn myself trying to get the loaf out.

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Breads, Breakfast/Brunch, Sweet Snacks

Swiss-style Dreikönigskuchen (Three Kings Cake)

Happy Epiphany! Today marks the end of Christmas. As most of you know, I am not particularly religious, but I do love the cultural aspects around some traditions, and as far as this one goes, I’m in because it involves food. So, this is the day, allegedly, that the three wise men or three kings came to present offering and a little boy rocked out on the drums. In some cultures, there is a three kings cake — galette des rois and gâteau des rois in France, the roscón de reyes in Spanish-speaking countries, the Bolo-rei in Portugal, in Greece there is the vasilopita which is similar, and in German-speaking countries, there is the Dreikönigskuchen. It’s also the beginning of the Mardi Grad / Fasching / Carnival season, where New Orleans has it’s traditional, very colorful King’s Cake.

What is common in all of these is that there is a toke hidden in the cake — a nut, a coin, a marble, or in the case of the New Orleans style cake, a baby figurine. If you are lucky to find the token, and not break your teeth in the process, you will have luck and prosperity for the coming year.

So here is my version: is a Swiss-inspired style Dreikönigskuchen made with a yeasted, or in my case, sourdough base. There is a marble in there some place and I was going to make an actual crown, but my baking skills are better than my arts & crafts skills.

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Breads, Breakfast/Brunch

Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Toasting Bread

It’s been a while since I posted one of my breads, but I was talking with my sister about the versatility of sourdough h the other day, so here is a good example: Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Toasting Bread. Really flavorful, light and airy and a perfect autumn breakfast treat. Delicious!

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