(S3E2) Bread Week

The Showstopper

Signature Bake: Salmon and Asparagus Flammkuchen and Blackberry Mozzarella Flatbread

Rule: You can make any type of Flatbread: Tortilla, Naan, Roti, anything you like.

Rule: 12 flavored breads. 6 with yeast and 6 without.

Rule: You can bake them anyway you want, "on the oven floor, on the wall, on the griddle. The choice is absolutely up to you." - Mel Giedroyc

Rule: No envelope. "Traditionally, its quite a sponge dough all the way through it, and not too thick." Paul says.

Basic Ingredients: Flour, water, and salt,

Time Limit: 2 hours and 30 minutes

I already knew what I wanted to do for my non-yeasted flatbread. Michael showed me a recipe when he was in the states last December that I really liked. However, I needed help deciding on what I was going to to with the yeasted flatbread; like I have said before, bread is not really my thing. Thankfully, I have Michael, who is really great with flavors!

So, my first bake is going to be a salmon and asparagus flammkuchen; which is a extremely flat piece of bread with a sour cream base and salmon and asparagus topping.

The second bake is going to be a basic yeasted flatbread with a blackberry mozzarella topping.

Now, let's get started because even I am excited!

Ready. Set. Bake!

2 hours and 30 minutes left -

I want to get my basic flatbread started because I know it is going to need to rise due to the yeast.

I mix my water, milk, sugar, and yeast together quickly.

I toss in some of the flour and start to press it together.

I add the olive oil, salt, and the remaining flour and knead.

And knead until smooth.

Now, for the required rest and rise period.

Damn, I am getting fast at this bread thing.

At least faster.

At least it seems like I am getting faster...

2 hours and 10 minutes left -

I toss a tea towel over the dough and place it by my warm heaters to rise while I work on dough number 2!

I know the flammkuchen will take some time, especially the kneading process.

The last time I made these with my boyfriend, it was definitely tough and it definitely took some time.

I mix all the ingredients for the dough, the 4 of them (flour, salt, water, and olive oil), and start kneading.

And kneading.

And kneading.

1 hour and 47 minutes left -

Until a somewhat smooth dough has formed.

Probably not smooth enough, is my fear.

But, we have to move forward.

The great thing is, is the flammkuchen dough does not need time to rise, but the longer it rests I believe the easier it is to roll out because the gluten relaxes.

This is the perfect time to get my toppings prepared for both of the flatbreads.

1 hour and 36 minutes left -

I make the cream for the flammkuchen; which does not take long. It is just sour cream and chopped parsley.

1 hour and 29 minutes left -

I prepare the toppings for the flammkuche. I pop off the bottoms of the asparagus and prepare them for blanching.

I do have to say, I really enjoy popping the bottoms off the asparagus. It is quite satisfying to hear the "POP".

1 hour and 22 minutes left -

Poached and cooling.

Now to roll out the dough.

1 hour and 17 minutes left -

I dived the dough into 6 even balls and prepare them to be rolled out flat.

Thankfully the dough is not tough and is actually quite easy to roll out.

However, the hard part is making them so thin that you can see the light through it.

The purpose is to make them crispy when they bake!

1 hour and 11 minutes left -

The first 2 flammkuchens are ready to go into the oven and are looking amazing!

These lovely flatbreads only take about 15 minutes to bake, so I can prepare another 2 in that time the first 2 are baking.

Hopefully...

1 hour and 4 minutes left -

I have them done a little early...but I can fit two baking sheets in my oven, so I toss them in together making sure I don't get my time mixed up.

55 minutes left -

I pull out the first 2 and they look so tasty!

Smoke alarm!!!

To bake these flatbreads, the oven has to be at 500 degrees F; if you are in any other part of the world, that is 260 degrees C.

So, hot!

Meaning, if there was anything in my oven on the bottom or on the sides it is going to burn, and if it burns, it smokes.

So, I open my oven to retrieve the first two flammkuchen's a few moments go by and then my smoke alarm goes off.

The cats go ballistic!

I wave a towel to get the alarm to turn off.

Run to the window and open it up.

The alarm goes off again.

I wave the towel again and get the alarm to turn off and run to find my fan.

Of course my fan is hidden because it is still cold outside and there is no reason for a fan at the moment.

Alarm goes off again.

Oh, I should tell you, I bake late at night normally. So, right now, it is about 10pm and I live in a apartment complex. If my alarm is going off, that is bad.

And this is the third time it is going off.

I wave my towel around it again to get the alarm to turn off, plug in my fan, and point it towards the smoke alarm to keep the alarm for going off while I pull the remaining flammkuchen's out of the oven.

Okay, back to the bake, after 7 minutes of running around.

48 minutes left -

The good thing is is the second batch is already done and the last batch wont take long to roll out, prepare, and bake.

43 minutes left -

Rolled out, prepped, and tossed in the oven.

The fastest flammkuchen ever!

However, I need to get my second batch of flatbreads rolled out and cooked.

And yes, I mean cooked. Not baked.

I have never fried raw dough before, but I do have to admit, I am kind of excited.

The dough has risen beautifully and I have divided it into 6 evenly weighted clumps.

39 minutes left -

I heat some oil in my pan and start to roll the clumps out.

The dough is super elastic, so it is a little hard to roll out, but I have to work quickly.

35 minutes left -

Great news, even though the dough is super elastic, it does not take long to roll out.

Also, my last batch of flammkuchen is baked!

And my oil is heated!

I am feeling good, but a little rushed.

I toss my first flatbread into the skillet and wait for the bottom to brown.

Should only take 3 minutes and then 3 minutes for the other side.

However, have you ever noticed that the first pancake takes longer than all the other pancakes?

Same thing happens with these too.

25 minutes left -

The first one is just getting done.

However, I don't have enough time to cook the other 5 in 25 minutes with 1 pan because I still have to bake them a little before serving too to melt the cheese.

I have to get moving fast, so I grab a second pan!

Thankfully, these are frying pretty quickly.

15 minutes left -

As the flatbread keep frying, I can prepare the others for baking.

I add the olive oil.

Added the mashed blackberries.

I added the cheese, basil, and whole blackberries.

7 minutes left -

All 6 are ready to bake!

I don't know if I will have the time to bake them enough to melt the cheese.

But I will just have to wait and see.

1 minutes left -

I need to pull them out because I need to let them cool for a moment before serving.

But they look really great.

And beautiful.

Done!

These flatbreads were definitely a pain, but they look beautiful.

Very north western flatbreads.

The Tasting:

Now for the closeups!

The salmon and asparagus flammkuchen looks beautiful. I think the colors look great and I would definitely love to see this on my plate at a restaurant.

However, there is something missing.

It is slightly bland.

Darn...

I believe it just needed a little pepper. That is all. That is all I needed to add to make this an amazing flatbread.

Paul would have said the same exact thing, I believe. The good thing is, I believe he would have enjoyed the texture of this flatbread as well. I know I did!

Now for the blackberry and mozzarella flatbread.

I have to say, the colors on this flatbread are gorgeous. If this could be a piece of art, I would hang it on my wall!

But again, the flavors are not just there yet. However, I think that is mostly the season of blackberries.

They are still out of season, so the flavors are not so strong, but all in all the flatbread itself is still...okay. I will give it an okay at best.

The bread itself is nice and fluffy and I actually believe Paul would have been happy with it too.

All in all, not too bad.

I don't know what Paul or Mary would have said about the flatbreads, but I hope it wouldn't have been bad.

Aftermath: after watching the episode I realized I should focused more on the bread than the toppings. Darn...

Well, oh well...we just have to move on.

Now, for the technical challenge...

Technical Bake: 8 Strand Plaited Loaf

Rule: Use the same ingredients and instructions

Ingredients:

- 500 grams flour

- 7 grams dried yeast

- 10 grams salt

- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

- oil for the bowl

- 1 large egg

Instructions:

- Make the dough

- Rise

- Divide the dough into 8 logs

- Braid - 1) 8U7O1 2) 8O5 3) 2U3O8 4) 1O4 5) 7U6O1 Repeat 2-5

- Rest

- Bake

Rule: The bread should be crispy

Information: The bread is a simple dough - mix the flour, water, yeast and salt

Time Limit: 2 hours and 30 minutes

I know how to braid a 3 plaited braid, I have never done more than 3 and I have definitely never thought about doing more than 3, especially not 8...This should be very interesting.

Ready. Set. Bake!

2 hours and 30 minutes left -

The dough itself is pretty easy.

I toss the the flour, yeast, salt, water, and oil all into a bowl and mix.

2 hours and 20 minutes left -

As I am mixing everything together, I realize this dough is pretty tough, but I am not sure if I should add water or not...

1 hour and 50 minutes left -

This dough is a pain in my...arms...

I had to add a little water because this dough is not smoothing out at all.

I know not all dough is the same, but from what I understand, all dough should become smooth before proofing.

At least I think so...

Not really positive.

Am I?

No matter, I added a little water and kept kneading.

1 hour and 39 minutes left -

My arms are so sore I can't knead the dough anymore...

It is not completely smooth either, but it is as good as it is going to get.

I oil the bowl, oil the dough, and toss a tea towel over it to let it rise.

As I let the dough rise, I need to practice this braiding strategy.

However, I have nothing in my apartment to practice with.

I'll practice...in my head.

1 hour left -

I don't have much time to let the dough rise now because I spent so much time kneading it at first, but I have to move on.

I brake the ball into 8 equally sized pieces.

57 minutes left -

I need to roll out each piece into a long rope, but unfortunately the dough is so elastic that it is taking time.

45 minutes left -

Finally, they are all rolled out and stuck together on one end.

I could imagine that the strings are are numbered 1 through 8 and the "O" is over and the "U" is under.

So, I follow the instructions 1) 8U7O1 2) 8O5 3) 2U3O8 4) 1O4 5) 7U6O1 Repeat 2-5 and realize that the ropes don't keep their original numbers, they instead get the new number for whichever spot they take over.

Trying to keep track of their original number was very difficult...

40 minutes left -

I have to start over.

38 minutes left -

It does not look right, so I have to start over again.

35 minutes left -

It still looks weird, but I have to continue on because I need to get the dough rested and then baked.

30 minutes left -

Well....hum...

Does not look right, but not terrible,

Right?

I don't have the time to let this dough rest before baking...

27 minutes left -

I put an egg glaze over the dough and toss it into the oven.

1 minute left -

I am going to wait for the last few moments.

I need to give this braid all the time I can.

5 seconds left-

It is out and served!

Done!

I know Paul Hollywood had mentioned that when you can see the cracks in the top, the dough itself may have not been kneaded enough or maybe it didn't rise enough.

Then, when cutting into the braid, it is what I suspected, the braid is under proofed.

Definitely too dense.

Way too dense.

However, the flavor is really good. The outside has an excellent crust and the inside is at least baked through and has a nice flavor.

Except, again, the dough is too dense.

Bummer.

However, now that I know how to do a 8 plaited braid, I may have to try this again and take my time.

The Showstopper: Blueberry and Lemon Bagels and Everything Bagels

Rule: Make 24 bagels: 12 sweet and 12 savory

Rule: You can work your own special flavors into the dough, bake them on top, or both

Rule: Use poaching as well as baking

Time Limit: 4 hours

Now, for the bagels.

I have never even considered baking bagels before.

Not because I don't love bagels, because I do, but because they are quiet intimidated.

Should be exciting!

Ready. Set. Bake!

4 hours left -

The bagel batter does not seem to be too difficult, I just have to make sure I keeping kneading it until it is smooth and I don't give up.

FYI, it is really fun to say bagel batter.

Anyway...

3 hours and 50 minutes left -

I have the the yeast soaking in the water, which will take about 10 minutes to rest.

The second set of bagels will also be made from the same dough, it will just have the blueberries and lemon zest kneaded into the batter.

3 hours and 40 minutes -

With that being said, I start a second bowl of yeast and water right before I start adding the flour and remaining ingredients to the first bowl of yeast and water.

There is so much water, I am concerned that it won't come together.

But thankfully, it does.

And it is beautiful!

2 hours 47 minutes left -

Now, to oil the dough up, cover, and let it rest.

2 hours and 43 minutes left -

Back to the second batch, I need to add the remaining ingredients, knead, and get them resting as well.

Hopefully, with the yeast sitting in the water for longer than 10 minutes, it does not negativity effect my bagel batch.

But, we will move forward and hope for the best.

2 hours and 18 minuets left -

Second batch kneaded, oiled, and resting!

Now, to get working on building the first batch of bagels because if I don't, I won't have enough time to bake all 24 bagels.

Thankfully, the first batch I made has risen absolutely beautifully.

I plop the dough ball onto the counter and divide it into 12 equal balls.

However, I need to smooth each ball to make sure each bagel is pretty and not misshapen.

Would you eat a bagel that looks like the rolls above, or would you rather eat a bagel that looks like the rolls below?

2 hours and 12 minutes left -

Thankfully, I have had the chance to practice this before, so it does not take me long.

I poke a hole into the middle of one ball with my thumb and start to turn it until the hole is about 2 inches big.

Then, I continue with the remaining 12 balls.

Weirdly, this is pretty relaxing.

1 hour 52 minutes left -

Now, to let them rest for a moment while I start boiling some water with honey.

Once the water starts boiling, I turn it down and start dropping the bagels into the water, only three at a time to keep the bagels from being too crowded.

I don't know if that is really a thing, but I am going to make it a thing.

Thankfully, they only take about a minute on each side and once done, I can place them on a cooling rack.

Not to cool, but to let some of the water drop off of them.

1 hour and 16 minutes left -

As I get closer to completing the first set of bagels, I start shaping and forming the second set of bagels. However, I need to add the blueberries and lemon zest.

I am not exactly sure how I am supposed to add flavors into a bagel dough, but I figured I could just knead it in.

However, it is a mess and I think I have done it wrong...

But, I have to keep moving forward, I don't necessarily have the time to start over.

1 hour left -

Before I deal with the blueberry bagel issue though, I have to toss my first set of bagels, the everything bagels, into the oven.

I cover them with an egg wash and then sprinkle them completely in sesame-seed, poppy-seed, pepper, and salt.

Now, they are looking pretty tasty!

I toss them into the oven for 23 minutes and go back to my blueberry bagels.

I smooth the blueberry bagels out.

And then create the hole.

As you can tell, these ones are definitely not as pretty and organized as my first batch.

But they are ready to boil.

I add new water and honey to the pan, while the blueberry bagels rise, and bring the water to a boil.

42 minutes left -

The bagels are ready!

In addition, the everything bagels should be finishing soon.

29 minutes left -

Done!

The everything bagels are completed and the blueberry bagels have finished boiling.

I get the baking sheets redressed with parchment paper and the bagels prepared and toss them in the oven.

27 minutes left -

Hopefully they finish in time...

3 minutes left -

The bagels are done!

However, I am smelling something a little off.

I flip the blueberry bagels over and realize the bottoms are a little browner than they should have been...

But, the bagels are done.

I definitely cannot bake a batch of bagels in 3 minutes.

So, the bagels are done!

All 24 of them.

Golden brown, pretty, and smelling...yeah...

The Tasting:

I slice the everything bagel in half and it looks very nice. Just like a bagel should.

They smell as a bagel should smell.

They feel as a bagel should feel.

Now, lets see if it tastes like a bagel should taste.

And yes! It does!

They are fricken amazing!

In addition, the crust of the bagel is absolutely perfect. I could say, I am actually so glad I learned how to make a bagel and they are not as hard as I thought they were going to be.

I absolutely love this bagel! It is so amazingly tasty!

But now...to the blueberry bagels.

Which...are not so great.

The flavor is not that strong, so I can't even really taste the lemon or the blueberry. I kind of wish I would have added cinnamon or something else to enhance the flavors.

Also, I can taste the darkened bottom...

Darn...

However, the crust is still really good and the inside is baked really well.

Just a few minor tweaks and these bagels would have been really great.

So, Paul would have been probably quite happy with the texture of the two and the taste of the everything bagel, but he would have been very displeased with the blueberry and lemon bagel.

And I mean very disappointed.

If you know Paul's disappointed look, you would be seeing it now.

But, I am pretty happy with those everything bagels. Not going to to forget about those.

Ending Result:

I do believe this bread week went a lot better than my last.

Maybe it was because there were some stressful moving issues during the week, so it was perfect timing to punch down some dough and knead until my arms could not knead any more.

Bread is definitely the best anger management technique I have learned.

However, new week and new bakes.

Thankfully everything is falling together a lot better now with the move because next week is Tart Week and tarts definitely do not need tough loving. Instead they need patience and love.

Again, thankfully, we have cleared up some of the moving issues because those tarts would have not survived the weekend if otherwise.

See you all soon!