Some recent bakes

First up, Hamelman's Quarkbrot.  The formula calls for 60% bread flour, 20% medium rye flour, and 20% rye chops.  It also includes quark cheese.  Since the medium rye flour and rye chops and quark cheese are scarce as hen's teeth in my corner of northern Michigan, I was forced to adapt.  My trusty Komo grain mill does just fine at producing whole rye flour and cracked rye, so I used those.  The cracked rye was treated to a hot soak, rather than the cold soak for the rye chops; this per Hamelman's suggestion in a different recipe.  And Hamelman suggests that yogurt is an acceptable substitute in this bread for the quark cheese, so I used plain yogurt.  The one unplanned departure was that I had to use substantially more bread flour, almost a cup, than the formula called for.  I suspect that the yogurt I used has a higher moisture content than does the the titular cheese. 

The resulting bread is a lovely light rye with a pleasant chew that is accentuated by the rye chops.  The crumb is particularly tight nor especially open.  It's very good in sandwiches and toasted. 

I also made a double batch of cream cheese braids, three blueberry and three cranberry-orange, for a fundraiser at our local library.  I used the recipe posted here.  That post contains a link back to the original recipe, in case you want to use that instead. 

For that same fundraiser, we auctioned off a "bread of the month" prize that wound up going for $200.  Turns out one of our village council members is a budding sourdough enthusiast and is eager to broaden his horizons.  The December selection was a Kanellangd; literally, "cinnamon length".  It's a Swedish (or Swedish style) bread that has a cinnamon-sugar filling and cardamom in the dough.  The recipe that I worked from isn't particularly well-written. It contains some old myths (put the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl) and a much too high baking temperature (415F).  On my second attempt I found that 375F was more suitable.  Don't get me wrong.  I like boldly baked breads and we've been happily munching on that first attempt but not everyone wants a crust that dark.  The initial version is shown below.  The second version was noticeably lighter in color.

Today's bake was Beth Hensperger's Sweet Vanilla Challah that I've posted about previously.  These are destined for gifting to friends locally.

That may well be the last of my baking for the year.  We're leaving the day after Christmas to meet kids and grandkids in Kansas City, since that's kind of a midpoint for those of us who have to travel farthest.

I wish you much joy for whatever holidays you will celebrate and a blessed New Year.

Paul