Thanksgiving 2015

My favorite holiday! I love to host Thanksgiving. It's an excuse to cook all day. Other people even pitch in to watch the children and wash dishes. How fantastic!

Here's a lineup of the recipes I'll be making this year.

Alton Brown's Roast Turkey, simply the best. Not sure I'll ever make a turkey any other way.

Alton Brown's Green Bean Casserole which has no canned soup. All from scratch!

Sweet Dinner Rolls, a recipe that started from something in some cookbook I've forgotten. It's changed over time. I've tweaked it over the years and finally settled on this version. We love these, but only make them for special occasions. This is no healthy bread!

Pumpkin Cheesecake because pumpkin pie tastes boring after you've had this.

Apple Pie with a streusel topping.

Some things don't really have a recipe (mashed potatoes) and other things are being made by other family members. I try to delegate a few dishes.

Happy Thanksgiving! Don't forget to be thankful. :)

Sandwich Bread

Whole wheat flour is completely different from refined (white, all purpose, or bread) flour. If you take a white bread recipe and substitute whole wheat, you probably won't be thrilled with the results. This bread turns out just as tender as a refined flour loaf. You can use a sourdough starter or not.

The basic method begins with two separate bowls: One for the soaker, and one for the sourdough starter (or biga, if you are not using a culture). Leave those two bowls on the counter so the flour can absorb the liquid. Whole grains take a lot longer to absorb liquid than refined ones.

After the soaking period, the two bowls will be mixed into one with some additional ingredients for the final dough. The final dough in kneaded, allowed to rise, shaped, allowed to rise again, and then baked.

This recipe is adapted from Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads.

Soaker

8 oz (1 3/4 c) whole wheat flour
4 grams (1/2 tsp) salt
7 oz (3/4 c plus 2 Tbsp) milk, buttermilk, or yogurt (water is fine too, the finished bread will just be a little less tender)

Mix together until all of the flour is hydrated and the dough can form a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature 12-24 hours.

Sourdough Starter

2.5 oz (5 Tbsp) mother sourdough starter
7 oz (1 1/2 c) whole wheat flour
5 oz (1/2 c plus 2 Tbsp) water at room temperature

Mix together until all of the flour is hydrated and the dough can form a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature 4-12 hours, until the dough is bubbly and rising. If needed, refrigerate while the soaker finishes soaking.

Biga (if making bread without sourdough starter)

8 oz (1 3/4 c) whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp instant yeast
6 oz (3/4 c) water

Mix together until all of the flour is hydrated and the dough can form a ball. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. Remove from the fridge a couple of hours before mixing the final dough to take off the chill.

Final Dough

Soaker
Sourdough starter (or biga)
2 oz (7 Tbsp) whole wheat flour
5 grams (5/8 tsp) salt
7 grams (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast
1 oz (2 Tbsp) honey or molasses, or a mixture of both
1 Tbsp (0.5 oz) unsalted butter, melted

Combine all of the final dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Knead until all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated. If the dough is very wet, add more flour one tablespoon at a time. The dough should be tacky, but not chewing gum sticky. If the dough is very dry, add water one tablespoon at a time. Knead thoroughly after each addition.

Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes. Wash bowls while you wait. Knead the dough a few more times, until it can pass the windowpane test. Form the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl. Cover and let rise for about an hour, until dough doubles in size.

Grease a loaf pan. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a loaf and place it in the greased pan. Cover and let rise for 30-60 minutes, until it fills the pan. When you gently poke the dough, it should leave an imprint.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 35-40 minutes, until the bread is nicely browned and sounds hollow when you thump it. The internal temperature should read 195 degrees F in the center of the loaf. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges of the pan and invert, sliding the loaf out of the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

PDF version

Crusty Sourdough Baguette

Soaker

16 oz (3 1/2 c) whole wheat flour (or a combination of whole wheat and all purpose flour)

8 g (1 tsp) salt

12 oz (1 1/2 c) water

Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead until all of the flour is hydrated. Cover and leave on the counter for at least 8 hours and up to 24.

Sourdough Starter

4 oz (6.5 Tbsp) sourdough starter

9 oz (2 c) whole wheat flour (or a combination of whole wheat and all purpose flour)

8 oz (1 c) water

Stir together a shaggy dough forms. Knead until all of the flour is hydrated and dough becomes smooth and tacky. Dough will be on the wet side. This is necessary for a more open crumb in the final bread. Use less water if you want a stiffer dough (as little as 6 oz, or 3/4 c). Cover and leave on the counter for at least 6 hours and up to 12 or so. The warmer the temperatures, the less time it will take for the dough to develop.

After the prefermentation, mix together the final dough.

Final Dough

Soaker

Starter

10 g salt

3/4 tsp instant yeast (optional; bread will have more sourdough flavor without it)

Knead the dough until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated and dough becomes smooth and can pass the windowpane test. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

After the refrigeration (which is to develop flavor), leave the dough at room temperature for a couple of hours to remove the chill. Knead gently to degas the dough without breaking the structure the yeasts have been building. 

Place in a bowl, cover, and let rise for 2 hours. Punch the dough down. Let rise 1 hour. Punch the dough down a final time. Let rise 1 last hour. 

Remove the dough from the bowl very gently. Don't pop too many air bubbles. Cut (don't tear) the dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape into batards or baguettes. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour. Turn on the oven to 450 degrees F with a baking stone on the center rack and a metal bowl with a cup of water of the oven floor. 

At the end of the rise, the dough should be nicely puffed up, but not baggy or gassy looking. A gentle poke with your finger should leave an indent in the dough. For a glossy crust, brush the dough with the white of 1 egg mixed with a tablespoon of water (optional). Score the loaves. Slide them into the hot oven. Splash 1/4 c hot water onto the oven walls and floor to create steam. One minute later, splash water into the oven again. Repeat a third time one minute after that. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F and bake 15 minutes. Rotate the loaves and lower the heat to 350 degrees F. Bake another 15 minutes. 

Cool on a wire rack. Flavor improves over the next 48 hours. Can be frozen in a heavy plastic bag. Reheat in a 300 degree F oven for 10 minutes to return crispness to the crust. 

Sourdough Pita Bread

If you don't have a sourdough culture, try the non-sourdough version. 

Soaker

8 oz (1 3/4 c) flour

4 g (1/2 tsp) salt

6 oz (3/4 c) water

Stir together until a shaggy dough forms. Knead until all the flour is hydrated. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24.

Sourdough Starter

2.5 oz (5 Tbsp) mother sourdough starter

6.5 oz (1 1/2 c) whole wheat flour

5 oz (1/2 c + 2 Tbsp) water

Stir together until a shaggy dough forms. Knead until all the flour is hydrated and dough becomes smooth. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24. 

After the period of time for prefermentation, mix together the final dough. The use of instant yeast is optional. I use it when I want the dough to finish at a more predictable time. If you have time to wait and watch your dough, skip the instant yeast and let the sourdough culture do the rising work. There will be a more noticeable sourdough flavor to the finished pitas without the instant yeast.

Final Dough

Soaker

Sourdough starter

4 oz (3/4 c + 2 Tbsp) whole wheat flour (can use high extraction or all-purpose flour here if you are afraid of 100% whole wheat)

5 g (5/8 tsp) salt

2 tsp instant yeast

.5 oz (1 Tbsp) olive oil

Knead together all of the final dough ingredients. Dough will be sticky at first. Wet your hands and your work surface to help keep the dough from sticking to your hands and counter as you knead. When the dough begins to turn from sticky to elastic, let it rest for 3-5 minutes. Knead a few more times. It should be strong enough to pass the windowpane test. 

Cover and let rise for about an hour, until it doubles in size.

Gently gather the dough out of the bowl, being careful not to tear it. Cut it (don't tear it) into 8-10 even pieces. Roll each piece into a tight ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until the pieces of dough grow to 1 1/2 times their original size.

Heat a grill (or oven) to about 500 degrees F. Roll out each ball of dough until it is flat and 4-5" in diameter. Dust with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Starting with the first disc again (so they all rest for similar amounts of time), roll out to 1/4" thick. Dust with flour as needed to prevent sticking. To make a good pocket form, don't roll out thinner than 1/4". 

Begin baking with the first disc, again to give them all similar rest time. To help a pocket form, let the first disc rest for at least 5 minutes before cooking. Grill (or bake) the pitas. They should start to puff up in about 1 minute. Once the dough puffs, let cook for another 20 seconds, and then remove from the grill (or oven). As the pitas cool, they will flatten again. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. 

French Toast with Peach Syrup, Whipped Cream, and Home Fries

In my house, one big factor in eating plenty of vegetables is simply serving them. People tend to eat what is available rather than go hungry. So make fruits and vegetables available.

Overview

First priority is to get the potatoes frying since those will take the longest. Here is my method for home fries. Next is to start the peaches simmering. Then you will start the French toast. Last is to whip up the cream. 

I like this French toast recipe because it includes cinnamon and vanilla. Though I use a bit more milk -- about 1/2 cup milk for 4 eggs. If you use a nonstick skillet, you probably won't need the melted butter. I don't add any sugar or sweetener.

We will be making a peach syrup rather than using maple syrup to cut down on the sugar intake. If you are going to use maple syrup, go with the real stuff. If it isn't real, pure maple syrup, it is maple-flavored corn syrup.

It only takes a minute with a hand mixer to whip cream into whipped cream. Totally worth it!

30 minutes before serving

Wash the potatoes. One medium potato per person will likely leave you with some leftovers. Yum!

Cube the potatoes following the directions in the linked recipe. Put them in the hot skillet. 

Get out the saucepan for the peaches follow the recipe instructions through adding everything into the pot. Let them start simmering while you mix up French toast batter.

20 minutes before serving

Heat your skillet for cooking the French toast. This can be a stove top skillet or an electric skillet set to 350 F. Whisk together the ingredients for the French toast batter. Dip your bread and get them toasting. As they finish cooking, keep them warm in a basket lined with a kitchen towel, or in an oven on its lowest setting.

Don't forget to flip your potatoes and stir your peaches from time to time. When the peach syrup has thickened, turn off the burner.

5 minutes before serving

Pour 1 cup of whipping cream (or heavy cream) into a bowl that will hold at least 4 cups. Use a hand mixer to beat on high speed until the cream begins to thicken. Add 2 drops liquid stevia extract or 2 Tbsp powdered sugar. Add about 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Continue to beat on high speed until the cream has soft peaks. To check, turn off the mixer with the beaters still in the cream. Lift the whisks out. The cream should leave little peaks that flop over. 

Season the potatoes.

Serving

Plate a piece (or two) of French toast. Pour on a 1/4 cup or so of peach syrup and a dollop of whipped cream. Add a helping of crispy potatoes.