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Baking with the St Paul Bread Club: Recipes, Tips, and Stories
In St. Paul, Minnesota, a diverse group of men and women have found each other, united by a single passion: baking bread. Once a month, a professional production bakery is transformed into a lively forum for those hooked on this satisfying ritual. Veteran journalist and club member Kim Ode invites novices and masters alike to join these dedicated bakers in the kitchen as they share family traditions, experiment with new ingredients, exchange tips, and roll up their sleeves to work the dough. Over seventy favorite recipes emerge from intimate profiles of the club members who perfected them—from the accountant and her nearly flawless baguette to the former Iron Ranger who shares the secrets of her grandmother’s strudel-like potica. The club’s newest member, a book designer who was given a copy of The World of Breads nearly four decades ago, has since transformed the book’s anadama recipe into a peppery delight, swapping out molasses for chipotles and butter for bacon fat. Ode demystifies this ancient art with special sections on “Bread Wisdom for Beginners” and “Seasonal Favorites,” and club founder Dan “Klecko” McGleno offers a step-by-step guide to starting a bread club in your own hometown. Whether you prefer to bake in solitude or wish to build a community in pursuit of the perfect loaf, this book reveals the true heart of this everyday food.
- GenresCookbooks
160 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 24, 2011
My copy of "Baking with the St. Paul Bread Club" came to my kitchen in an interesting way. I rarely win things. I tend to be extremally fortunate with opportunities but raffles and drawings don't fall my direction very often. So imagine my surprise to be selected out of literally hundreds of people watching a demonstration of the a recipe from this book to win a copy to take home with me.
I was completely out of the habit of baking bread at the time. I dutifully carried the lovely book from Minnesota to Missouri to Florida and finally to California. After being settled in Northern California for a few years I got tired of paying extra to indulge our taste for artisan bread. Years ago I had made bread--but usually with a bread maker. I decided it was time to refresh my bread-making chops.
As a freelance writer working out of my home office the process is an ideal fit. It even gets me away from my computer every couple hours for a stretch and change of scene. Perhaps you can fit this in around a weekend morning while doing laundry or other chores. I finally remembered to pick up this well-traveled book. I was literally off and running. It is still the cookbook I reach for at least once a week to care for our bread needs. Now, I'm learning how to work in more low-gluten flours and still enjoy the end result.
I repeatedly use one recipe. The process breaks it down so you actually start things going the night before with a poolish. You get great bread, it's easy to do and the evening steps can be completed quickly before hopping into bed. I find many people are intimidated to make bread...with a good recipe it's within reach. Beginners tend to do one of two common things: over-knead or under-knead. Making a batch with someone who's experienced can help. On your own, a couple batches will set you in the right direction. You might even get lucky just by following the recipe!
Honey Wheat Bread (page 33)
Makes 3 Loaves
1 T active dry yeast
2 C water
2 C whole wheat flour
1 C honey
1 t canola oil
1 C water
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C cracked wheat flour
4 -5 C bread flour
1 T salt
The night before baking, make a poolish by combining yeast, 2 cups water and 2 cups whole wheat flour in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit in a draft free place.
The next day, combine poolish, honey, oil and remainin 1 cup of water in a large bowl. Add whole wheat flour and cracked wheat flour. Then add bread flour 1 cup at a time until dough forms a ball. Add salt, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky, adding additional flour as needed. Place in a floured bowl, turning to coat top, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch down and need to deflate bubbles, cover and let rise about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface, kneading to deflate and divide into 3 pieces. Shape into loaves, and place in lightly greased bread pans. Cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake for 20 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom. Turn out of pans, and cool on wire racks.
I've added seeds, nuts, or herbs to this bread to good effect. The honey is not overly sweet; rather it brings out the nutty quality of the whole wheat flours. Here's one of today's loaves--you see the flax seeds. I made a loaf and boule, putting in a lots of Italian Herbs while doing the final need and shape on the boule.
I hope you'll try your hand at making bread starting with a poolish. A jar of yeast used over 6 months and the cost of flour is much less than purchasing quality bread outside the home. And there is no comparison for the over-inflated, bleached-out product that's called bread on most grocery store shelves.
Enjoy!
Heidi
I was completely out of the habit of baking bread at the time. I dutifully carried the lovely book from Minnesota to Missouri to Florida and finally to California. After being settled in Northern California for a few years I got tired of paying extra to indulge our taste for artisan bread. Years ago I had made bread--but usually with a bread maker. I decided it was time to refresh my bread-making chops.
As a freelance writer working out of my home office the process is an ideal fit. It even gets me away from my computer every couple hours for a stretch and change of scene. Perhaps you can fit this in around a weekend morning while doing laundry or other chores. I finally remembered to pick up this well-traveled book. I was literally off and running. It is still the cookbook I reach for at least once a week to care for our bread needs. Now, I'm learning how to work in more low-gluten flours and still enjoy the end result.
I repeatedly use one recipe. The process breaks it down so you actually start things going the night before with a poolish. You get great bread, it's easy to do and the evening steps can be completed quickly before hopping into bed. I find many people are intimidated to make bread...with a good recipe it's within reach. Beginners tend to do one of two common things: over-knead or under-knead. Making a batch with someone who's experienced can help. On your own, a couple batches will set you in the right direction. You might even get lucky just by following the recipe!
Honey Wheat Bread (page 33)
Makes 3 Loaves
1 T active dry yeast
2 C water
2 C whole wheat flour
1 C honey
1 t canola oil
1 C water
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C cracked wheat flour
4 -5 C bread flour
1 T salt
The night before baking, make a poolish by combining yeast, 2 cups water and 2 cups whole wheat flour in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit in a draft free place.
The next day, combine poolish, honey, oil and remainin 1 cup of water in a large bowl. Add whole wheat flour and cracked wheat flour. Then add bread flour 1 cup at a time until dough forms a ball. Add salt, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky, adding additional flour as needed. Place in a floured bowl, turning to coat top, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch down and need to deflate bubbles, cover and let rise about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface, kneading to deflate and divide into 3 pieces. Shape into loaves, and place in lightly greased bread pans. Cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake for 20 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom. Turn out of pans, and cool on wire racks.
I've added seeds, nuts, or herbs to this bread to good effect. The honey is not overly sweet; rather it brings out the nutty quality of the whole wheat flours. Here's one of today's loaves--you see the flax seeds. I made a loaf and boule, putting in a lots of Italian Herbs while doing the final need and shape on the boule.
I hope you'll try your hand at making bread starting with a poolish. A jar of yeast used over 6 months and the cost of flour is much less than purchasing quality bread outside the home. And there is no comparison for the over-inflated, bleached-out product that's called bread on most grocery store shelves.
Enjoy!
Heidi
February 13, 2012
This is a decent book with interspersed stories and recipes. The stories are short (2-3 pages) and well-written, and provide a bit of interesting bread history along with personal anecdotes.
There are a large variety of recipes here, so if you're into bread, you should find something you like. I tried the focaccia recipe and it was very tasty. (It was my first attempt at focaccia.)
I wouldn't recommend this book for the beginning baker, however. For example, the french bread recipe assumes some knowledge and I was rather lost, being barely beyond novice-level myself. But if you've baked a few loaves and can use the google hivemind as back-up, you'll be okay.
There are a large variety of recipes here, so if you're into bread, you should find something you like. I tried the focaccia recipe and it was very tasty. (It was my first attempt at focaccia.)
I wouldn't recommend this book for the beginning baker, however. For example, the french bread recipe assumes some knowledge and I was rather lost, being barely beyond novice-level myself. But if you've baked a few loaves and can use the google hivemind as back-up, you'll be okay.
August 11, 2012
Great recipes, great stories - and the author is from Brandon!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews