*Cheers* and Happy New Year!
Hello and Happy New Year everyone!
I thought it would be fun to open up a bottle of something bubbly (a bottle of Guinness) and bake a loaf
for New Year’s…started on New Year’s Eve, and baked on New Year’s Day :^)
Katie’s Stout and Flaxseed Bread (thanks to Andy for originally posting about this, and to Karin for the reminder):
Crisp crust, delightfully delicious flavor, rich and nutty. (Why did I wait so long to try making this?!)
Last October, I used Guinness beer in another bread, trying a recipe for Dark Malted Bread with Dried Fruit from Martha Rose Shulman’s book, Great Breads (this bread had a terrific depth of flavor from the Guinness barm (poolish) and blackstrap molasses). (Thanks to MC for posting about Martha Rose Shulman’s beautiful breadsticks, another reminder for me, of Ms. Shulman’s book I had been neglecting):
I adapted the formula, including a preferment:
One last bake with Guinness!: this cake, Sticky Toffee “Pudding” from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Heavenly Cakes, also included Guinness beer. This cake was really delicious, with the Guinness-soaked dates and butterscotch toffee sauce :^)
(my apologies in advance…unfortunately I did not get permission to share the recipe but if this cake interests you I hope you can get access to the book):
Best wishes to everyone, for Happy Baking in 2012!
:^) from breadsong
Comments
Well, your NY day is probably past. I bet the bread and cake have mellowed even tastier from 2011 into 2012. They both look so delicious. Nice write up too!
My best to you in the year ahead!
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia,
We're PST so only a couple of hours left now - it was a lovely day, with the discovery of Katie's bread.
Thanks so much for your nice wishes!
:^) from breadsong
I don't why! I keep thinking you live in England..and I know better : )
Sylvia
Beautiful loaves, breadsong. Been thinking of using beer/ale for breadmaking, but haven't done it yet. Got to do it this year. (a new year's resolution! :p)
Sticky toffee pudding looks dangerously yummy, too!
Very best wishes for 2012!
Hi lumos,
Thanks for your compliments and kind wishes!
I'm sold on using beer as a liquid for preferment/dough - it's making some very tasty bread.
That cake was a good one - used some moist, dark demerara sugar for the toffee sauce - the sauce has a touch of fresh lemon juice which cuts the sweetness a bit. Delicious.
Wishing you the best with this resolution, and any others!
:^) from breadsong
I never realized that bubbly included Guiness but obviously I was just thinking wrong. You've totally convinced me. Gorgeous loaves and cake. I love the scoring in the top picture and I'm fascinated by what the taste must be like. Great loaves for the new year. -Varda
Hi Varda,
This article in Modern Baking about Pain à la bière talks about using different kinds of bubbly for the bread (different varieties of beer, sparkling cider, champagne)...sounded like a great idea to me :^)
I remember these beautifully-scored loaves of yours, and should try scoring like that for my next batard.
The flavor of Katie's stout and flaxseed loaf is delicious and the crumb soft and moist; it tasted nice and nutty, almost as though there were sesame and sunflower included.
Thanks so much for your comment!
:^) from breadsong
Beautiful, as always, breadsong. Love the cross section of that batard: has the same diameter as a football. All you need is one good quarterback and you could long pass that beauty all the way into your neighbour's yard. Wish I lived next door in that case!
Happy New Year,
Syd
Hi Syd,
Well, the loaf in the picture was a little fatter at one end, versus the other...might make for a wobbly spiral!
Thanks for your kind words, and for the smile,
:^) from breadsong
It all looks sooo good, I'm torn between the gorgeous crumb and cracking crust of your breads and the sinfully rich look of the Sticky Toffee Pudding. Your posts are always such a feast for the eyes, but this one is a knockout breadsong! I keep going back to the "Guiness soaked dates and butterscotch toffee sauce" you mention and imagine just how tasty that combination must be. Somehow, some way, I'm going to have to source that recipe and try it out for myself. :^) Thanks for another awesome post and all the best for the New Year.
Franko
Hello Franko and thank you so much!
These stout and flaxseed loaves sang quite nicely when I took them out of the oven and this made me optimistic for the crust.
This bread was a joy to discover, along with Ms. Shulman's fruit bread, and of course that cake.
Wishing you the very best for 2012 also!
:^) from breadsong
Great choice of breads to make Breadsong, and the cake looks wicked too.
Guinness has the strongest flavour of any Stout I can think of, and I'm sure the bread tasted amazing.
A very Happy New Year to you
Andy
Hello Andy,
Many thanks to you for posting about Faye's and Katie's breads...both absolutely delicious...and for your good wishes!
Best wishes to you too, for your studies and baking, in the New Year.
:^) from breadsong
I had a few of those back in college days ;-).
The breads and cake are beautiful, Breadsong (as we have come to expect from you). I think I'm sold on the beer bread idea.
Happy New Year Baking!
Glenn
Thanks for the laugh, Glenn :^)
...and for the compliments and good wishes;
all the best to you for the New Year!
:^) from breadsong
And Happy New Year to you!
David
Thank you so much, David, and best wishes for 2012 to you too!
:^) from breadsong
Great start to the year breadsong,
The malted fruit loaf's ingrediants especially caught my eye ... helped also by the lovely colour of the crumb.
wow, the cake looks really wicked but after the Christmas we have just had I can no longer be tempted by sweet treats. I am done :)
Best wishes for your 2012 ... Cheers!
Phil
Hi Phil,
I too really liked the color of the malted fruit bread's crumb, nice and dark; there was a depth of flavor, almost bitter?, that played nicely against the sweetness of the fruit.
I'd wait awhile before making that cake again - lots of sweets here, too, over the holidays :^)
The cake was baked in October - but enjoyed it very much then.
Thanks so much for your comment - and wish the very best for you and your baking in the New Year too.
:^) from breadsong