Banana Nut Streusel Muffins

A long overdue trip to Rhode Island had been scheduled for this past March. But then the world suddenly changed and that much anticipated trip was cancelled. While travel has yet to return to the old normal, I very much need a change in scenery. With a significant birthday coming up in September I had a difficult choice to make. Head to sea on the East Coast or go back to the mountains in Colorado. Risk traveling during both a pandemic and hurricane season. Or take my chances traveling during a pandemic and only have to worry about crossing paths with a wild animal while out hiking in the mountains. After going back and forth between these two options, I decided if my favorite cabin overlooking the Front Range at Chautauqua was available, the mountains would be my birthday trip destination. I have between now and then to get over my fear of larger than life wildlife. Keeping my fingers crossed that nothing will cause this 'happy birthday to me' trip to the mountains be scraped.

Staying in a cabin has many benefits. Maybe none as important as being able to stock it with groceries and wine for the week. Making it possible for me not to have to worry about going out for meals. I am not yet ready to eat out regularly or even irregularly at restaurants. Regardless if that changes over the course of the next several months, I look forward to being able to starting the day making a good breakfast, putting together hiking snacks, and enjoying a leisurely, solo dinner in front of a fireplace. Even though my upcoming trip is three months away, I am already starting to put together some tentative lists of the food I want to bring from home. Definitely near the top of the list will be these incredibly scrumptious, packed with flavor Banana Nut Streusel Muffins. As they would not only be perfect for breakfast but great to take on a hike. Not only will they travel well, they have a freshness life of at least a week (if I keep them refrigerated). 

I have always had a weakness for those bakery style muffins. You know the ones with high, perfectly rounded tops. Yet up until I made these Banana Nut Streusel Muffins I had hit or miss success getting mine to have that irresistible muffin look. In doing some banana muffin research I learned a muffin making life changing lesson. A blast of intense heat from baking muffins at a high temperature (425 degrees F) temperature for only the first five minutes activates the leavening. Thereby causing the muffins to puff up sky high. All my baking life I thought it had more to do with the amounts of leavening ingredients used. Imagine how happy I was to learn all it took was a brief period of high heat to create the muffins of my unfulfilled dreams. Upon discovering this baking technique, it felt like I had either unearthed some well-hidden secret or was allowed in to an exclusive muffin making club. When these Banana Nut Streusel Muffins came out of the oven I was beside myself. Almost to the point of hyperventilating from joy. They were the most beautiful muffins to ever come out of my oven.

There are three components to these Banana Nut Streusel Muffins: the muffin batter, the streusel, and the glaze. Together they create a muffin eating experience on par with the euphoria of a Rocky Mountain high. From the deeply flavorful, perfectly textured muffin, to the brown sugar, spiced, crunchy streusel topping, to the just right amount of sweet glaze, these Banana Nut Streusel Muffins are the be all and end all of high topped muffins. 

The recipe makes a dozen muffins. Fill your cupcake papers almost to the top leaving only a little bit of room for the streusel topping. Note: You may have a couple of tablespoons left of the streusel topping and enough batter for maybe two miniature muffins.

After baking the muffins in a preheated 425 degree (F) oven for five minutes, reduce the oven the temperature down to 350 degrees (F) and continue baking for 16-20 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean or only with a few moist crumbs). Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from pan, place on a cooling rack, and let cool for at least additional 10 minutes before drizzling on the glaze. Note: If you add the glaze while the muffins are still hot, it will melt into the muffin.

These Banana Nut Streusel Muffins wouldn't just be a serious contender in a beauty contest, they are what I would call throw down worthy!

If I have one baking regret from the last four months, it's that I wish I had been making these Banana Nut Streusel Muffins instead of using the perfectly ripened bananas for all of those loaves of Banana Bread. So in the next new normal, ripe bananas will now be used for Banana Nut Streusel Muffins.

If you too have longed to make those beautiful, delicious high topped banana muffins, well, now you can. Bake up a batch, eat some, share some. Wait a week or two, then bake up another batch. If anything should go on regular repeat in the months ahead, it's going to be these gorgeous, mouthwatering Banana Nut Streusel Muffins.

Recipe
Banana Nut Streusel Muffins
Makes 12 regular sized muffins

Ingredients
Streusel Topping
1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts (from the 1/2 cup of walnut halves used in the muffin batter)

Banana Nut Muffins
1/2 cup (58 g) walnut halves, toasted and divided
2 1/2 cups (325 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 Tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla
3 large, very ripe bananas (12 ounces/338 g) peeled and mashed

Glaze
1/2 cup (60 g) plus 1 Tablespoon confectionary sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon good quality vanilla
2 Tablespoons whole milk

Directions
Streusel Topping
1. In a small bowl, combine the light brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, Kosher salt, unsalted butter, and walnuts. Mix until well blended. Set aside.

Glaze
1. In a small bowl, whisk the confectionary sugar, Kosher salt, vanilla, and milk until smooth and creamy. Note: If the glaze is too thin add a little more confectionary sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk.

Banana Nut Muffins
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F). Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, Kosher salt, and sugar. 
3. In a medium sized bowl, combine the mashed ripe bananas, sour cream, whole milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Whisk until well blended.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold until well combined.
5. Divide the batter equally between the 12 muffin cups. Generously top with the streusel topping.
6. Bake muffins for 5 minutes at 425 degrees (F). Immediately reduce the temperature to 350 degrees (F) and continue to bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
7. Transfer muffin tin to a cooling rack. Let rest for 5 minutes.
8. Remove muffins from the tin and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool for at least another 10 minutes.
9. Drizzle the muffins with the glaze.
10. Serve and enjoy with a cup of hot coffee or tea. 

Notes: (1) Baked muffins can be frozen. Do not glaze the muffins before placing in the freezer. Can add the glaze when you thaw and serve them. (2) Muffins will be good for several days if left at room temperature, lightly covered.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Earlier this week we finished a brand new, gorgeous frame worthy, yet incredibly challenging 1,000 piece puzzle. Except this puzzle came with only 999 pieces. No, there weren't any dogs or cats here to eat puzzle pieces. Nor were there any children to blame for the missing piece. Yes, I crawled on the dining room floor at least a half dozen times wishing it would miraculously just appear. Yet, much to my chagrin it wasn't anywhere to be found. It felt as if I stared at that unfinished, finished puzzle for what seemed like an eternity. But I needed to move on. While I can't be absolutely certain, but I convinced myself the missing piece simply stayed behind in Italy. Because there was no other plausible explanation my conspiracy theory mind could come up with. When earlier in the week my sister told me they too had a new puzzle with a missing piece, I told her one of her dogs probably ate it. Being the older sister, I took that 'you know I'm right' low road. Well, as they say karma is a.......I will let you fill in the blank here. For those of you who are also spending some of your unexpected, new found discretionary time putting together puzzles, may you never have the experience of discovering your puzzle masterpiece, the one you spend hours and days working on, is missing a piece. Because it's worse than not being able to find flour, yeast, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, Clorox wipes, or Topo Chico at the grocery store.

If this past week wasn't challenging enough, one of my running friends gave me a baking challenge. To create and make a chocolate chip zucchini bread. But I decided to take this challenge to whole different level. Why just make a zucchini bread with chocolate chips? Why not make a make a Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread instead? Because sometimes more is better. Right? Yes, yes, yes! But I first had to find some fresh zucchini at the grocery store. Considering we aren't in the height of the summer zucchini season, I initially thought this would be my first challenge. But unlike not being able to find the missing puzzle piece, finding zucchini turned out not to be a problem at all.

Okay, before you decide to leave this post because you aren't a big fan of plain zucchini bread, let me say, please stay. If ever there were a game changing zucchini bread recipe for all of the non-zucchini bread lovers out there, this is the ONE. And for those of you who have been smitten with zucchini bread since forever, you are going to flip out when you taste this fudgy, moist, just the right amount of sweet, chocolatey version. One whose texture is a cross between and a cake and a quick bread. The most difficult decision you will have to make will be what to drink with it. Should it be milk, coffee, or tea? Tough decision.

Unlike most of my other recipe posts I am not going to spend a lot of time giving you a narrative of the directions. Instead I am going to just highlight a few things about the recipe.  So here it goes. Use unsweetened cocoa powder not Dutch-processed cocoa, bittersweet chocolate chips deepen the chocolate flavor even more than semi-sweet chocolate chips, creme fraiche takes this bread to a whole new level (although you can use plain Greek yogurt), use an 8" x 4" pan (a 9" x 5" pan is too large), one medium sized zucchini will give you the shredded one and a half cups needed, and always, always top your bread with a handful more of chocolate chips.

This Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread had the right amount of sweetness for me, but if you like your zucchini bread a little sweeter, use 3/4 of cup of granulated sugar instead of the one half cup and 2 Tablespoons called for in this recipe.

And like some of my other recipe advice, don't be so quick to tell your fussytarian friends or family this bread is made with zucchini. Wait until they polish off the piece you gave them. Then, if they ask what's in it, tell them. But only if they ask.

Considering the amount of chocolate and cocoa in this bread, I wouldn't say this zucchini quick bread is healthy. However, I would say it's healthy-ish! It's also unbelievably good. Like seriously good.

You definitely need this Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread in your life. Otherwise it's like you are metaphorically living your life with a missing piece to the puzzle.

And whatever you do, don't wait until the summer to make this Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread. Life is too short to put off having a slice or two.

Recipe
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients
1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso
3/4 cup (135 g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (plus a handful for the top of the bread)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup (60 ml) canola oil
1/4 cup (60 g) creme fraiche (or plain Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (135 g) granulated sugar 
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 medium zucchini, after shredding should yield 1 1/2 cups (225 g)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Generously spray an 8" x 4" baking pan with vegetable spray. Set aside.
2. Shred the zucchini over a double layer of paper towels and then place a single paper towel over it. Press down to help absorb some of the moisture in the zucchini. Roll the paper towels and lightly squeeze. Note: Some of the moisture in the zucchini should remain.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, instant espresso and chocolate chips. Set aside.
4. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs, canola oil, creme fraiche, vanilla, and sugar.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Lightly whisk until combined.
6. Stir in the zucchini with a spatula.
7. Pour the thick batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with a generous handful of chocolate chips.
8. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note: Rotate the pan midway through the baking process.
9. Place baking pan on a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before unmolding onto a platter. 
10. Cut into thick slices. Serve with a large glass of cold milk, a cup of hot coffee, or a mug of tea. Then sit back and slowly savor.

Notes: (1) Inspiration for this recipe came the Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe from Joy of Baking as well as the Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread from Sally's Baking Blog. (2) The weight of the zucchini is before most of the moisture is removed.

Banana Bread w/ Streusel Topping

Happy April Fool's Day! Considering that it felt like March would never come to an end, I am just happy we are finally in a new month. One having only 30 days, thank goodness! As much as we all need a bit more humor in our lives these days, I think there should be a moratorium put on April Fool's Day pranks and hoaxes this year. Or maybe forever. Yes, I am actually proposing we get a temporary or better yet a permanent reprieve from those centuries old traditions. Considering we are living in such unprecedented times of uncertainty, I fear some pranks and hoaxes might cause even more harm or add to the anxiety some of us are already feeling. As much as I need to laugh out loud a bit more these days, I just couldn't laugh at someone else's expense right now. However, I do think we should all find a way to channel our need for humor into something that makes us all feel a little more connected to one another.  And if we can all find more clever or even cheesy ways to make one another laugh, maybe we can bring a bit more joy and maybe even some healing into our lives. Because at the moment being able to laugh really does matter. Like hearing good news, humor can be a saving grace.

Whenever I post a photo of something I baked or cooked on my Facebook page, I look forward to the clever comments made by my doctoral program roommate. As he has the uncanny ability to make me laugh out loud. Sometimes his comments are pure genius wit, sometimes they are so absurd you can't help but laugh, and then sometimes they are so clever I can't help but wonder if he should have been a comedy writer instead of an educator. But they are always kind hearted. Now more than ever, I am thankful he continues to share his gift of humor with me. If he and his wife (my doctoral dissertation advisor) didn't live a little more than a 1,000 miles away from me, I would definitely be dropping off little packages of goodies on a regular basis to show my gratitude. 

If, by chance you are looking for away to show someone a bit a gratitude for the joy they bring into your life, (and they live within walking or driving distance), make them a loaf of this moist, flavorful Banana Bread w/ Streusel Topping. Actually, you should make two loaves. One for them and one for yourself.

Unlike some of the other recipes on the blog, the ingredients for this Banana Bread w/ Streusel Topping are generally readily available at the grocery store. And while you might think creme fraiche isn't something your would consider one of those easy to find ingredients, sour cream and/or whole plain yogurt will work just as well. Which means the only thing preventing you from making it sooner rather than later are ripe bananas. So I recommend you look for bananas you wouldn't necessarily want to eat, but would be perfect for baking. There always seems to be an abundance of much too yellow for me bananas at the grocery store. 

Like most quick breads, this one also comes together in a couple of bowls, some whisks, and a spatula. The wet ingredients get mixed into the dry ingredients, then scraped into a heavily vegetable sprayed 9" x 5" baking pan, and finally topped with the streusel topping before going into a preheated 350 degree (F) oven. Note: Make the streusel topping before you being assembling the banana bread batter.

Putting the filled baking pan on a large baking pan makes it easier to rotate the bread midway through the baking process. Baking time for this bread ranges from 75 to 80 minutes (my baking time was closer to the 80 minute mark).

Waiting the Banana Bread w/ Streusel Topping to cool is the hardest part. 

Allowing the Banana Bread to cool completely makes it much easier to cut nice clean slices. I would definitely recommend you cut this bread into thick 1" slices.

I loved everything about this Banana Bread. It was dense, yet tender. The slightly sweet, crunchy streusel topping paired perfectly with the lightly cinnamon flavored banana bread. While you knew you were eating a piece of banana bread in the first bite, the bananas didn't overwhelm all of the other spices and flavors. In other words, this is an incredibly delicious and definitely gift worthy Banana Bread. If you can't find a way to bring humor into the lives of your family and/or friends, then bring them Banana Bread joy. 

My only mistake in making this bread was in not buying more bananas. Because now I may have to wait a little more than a week for the yet to purchased bananas to ripen to make another loaf. There are a few people I think would love getting a surprise delivery of a few thick slices of this Banana Bread w/ Streusel Topping. 

Recipe
Banana Bread w/ Streusel Topping 
Makes one 9" x 5" loaf. Enough to share, but recommend you making 2 loaves. One for you and one to share with others.

Ingredients
Streusel Topping
1/2 cup (67 g) all-purpose flour 
1/4 cup (48 g) light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 Tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, room temperature

Banana Bread
1 1/2 cups (202 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (204 g) granulated sugar
4 medium sized very ripe bananas (385-390 g), mashed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons good quality vanilla
1/3 cup (85 g) creme fraiche (or whole plain yogurt or sour cream)
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Optional: 1 cup of miniature chocolate chips

Directions
Streusel Topping
1. In a medium sized bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, kosher salt, and unsalted butter. Mash with a fork until the mixture is well blended and crumbly. It's okay to use your fingers too. Set the bowl in the refrigerator while you assemble the banana bread.

Banana Bread
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Generously spray a 9" x 5" baking pan with vegetable spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, creme fraiche, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and creamy (approximately 1-2 minutes). Then stir in the mashed bananas mixing until they are fully incorporated.
4. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix them together. Do not over mix, but do not leave any streaks of flour. (Note: If adding chocolate chips to the bread, stir them in now.)
5. Scrape the bread mixture into the prepared pan.
6. Sprinkle on the streusel topping. Use all of it! Don't let any of that goodness go to waste.
7. Set the baking pan on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 75 to 80 minutes rotating the tray midway through the baking process. The banana bread is done when an inserted skewer comes out clean.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bread rest for 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.
9. When cooled, cut into thick 1" slices, pour yourself some coffee or make some tea and sit back and just breathe. Eat slowly to get the full calming effect this moist, delicious banana bread will have on your spirit.
10. Keep any leftover bread tightly covered. I sometimes like to store my banana bread in the refrigerator and reheat slices in the microwave so it tastes like it just came out of the oven. Or sometimes I even like to toast it.

Notes: (1) This is a slightly adapted recipe of the Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread from Now, Forager. (2) Definitely use a 9" x 5" baking pan. To determine the size of the pan, measure the bottom side of the pan rather than measuring the top of the pan.

No Knead Rustic Artisan Bread

Funny how life causes or rather I should say forces you to revisit some of your life decisions. The important ones as well as the seemingly less significant ones. As much as the current pandemic is causing so many of us angst, it seems to be responsible for jolting us into seeing things a bit differently. Sometimes it means taking a second look at a decision we once made, sometimes it means taking a leap of faith, sometimes it means to finally stop procrastinating on a promise we made to ourselves, and sometimes it means overcoming our (rational and irrational) fears. Like you, I am having some really good days and some challenging days. But for as long as I possibly can, I am going to choose to believe we will collectively and individually be better when we settle in to yet another new normal. That may sound a little too Pollyanna and possibly a bit surreal given all the unknowns before us, but the world we are living in feels terribly surreal at the moment. At least it does for me.

Stress and angst are not new to my life. I have just tried to find things to help me cope with them. Thankfully running returned back to my life five years ago, yoga came into for the first time only two years ago, but baking and cooking have always helped to keep to me grounded. Although I consider myself a pretty good baker, I have kept myself distanced from bread baking. While I have dabbled in it every now and then, I generally steer away from bread recipes involving yeast. Although with a few exceptions. I have wanted little to nothing to do with it. Not just because my bread needs could be met shopping at the grocery store, but because I convinced myself it would be a new source of stress. In other words, I had long ago resigned myself to believing that bread baking wasn't in my wheelhouse. However, the events of the past week compelled me to rethink this. Maybe learning how to bake bread wasn't something to be feared but something to be embraced. And maybe M. F. K. Fischer, the preeminent food writer, was even wiser than I thought, when she said "The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight." I realize I had been looking at bread baking all wrong. I had seen it as difficult, complex, and riddled with risks. When instead I should have been looking at it as one of those often under appreciated simple things having the power to bring great joy to one's spirit and soul.

This shift in thinking about bread baking happened almost instantly this week. I didn't spend very much time belaboring the decision or revisiting all my old reasons why bread baking wasn't for me. I just said 'yes, let's do this'. So finally after all of these years of bread baking avoidance (or distancing I should say), I have come to the realize bread baking needs to be in my life. But I am going to take it a little slow and start simple.  My entry into the bread making world would be this beautiful, delicious, yet simple to make No Knead Rustic Artisan Bread.

The recipe is inspired by the one Jim Lahey, extraordinary bread maker at Sullivan's Bakery in New York City. But it was heavily influenced by Aysegul, my food blogging friend at foolproofliving, and LeAnne, a bread making influence at lionsbread. Both of these women made some ingredient and technique nuances to Jim Lahey's original recipe that were worth following. The No Knead Rustic Artisan Bread has minimal ingredients. Only four. Bread flour, dry active yeast, kosher salt, and lukewarm water. 

After the dry ingredients are mixed together in a large bowl, the lukewarm water (80 - 90 degrees) is added in. The entire mixture is stirred with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a sticky dough. Mine was sticky using the ingredient measurements listed below, but if yours isn't, add in one tablespoon of lukewarm water at a time in order to achieve the sticky consistency. Think slow and easy when mixing. Then cover the bowl with a towel and put in the warmest draft-free place in your house for 18-24 hours. Before placing the towel on the bowl you can first cover the bowl with plastic wrap (I didn't do this, but it is an another option.)

The 18-24 hour wait for the bread to rise may be a test in patience, but definitely worth the reward. 

To bake the bread you will need at least a medium sized cast iron pan, one having a lid, as the bread bakes in a 450 degree (F) oven. Cast iron not only is able to withstand that heat, it is a great heat conductor as well.

In Jim Lahey's recipe, the bread is given a second rise before it's baked in the oven. I gave it only a 20 minute rise (setting my bread board on top of the warm stove) and it came out perfectly. 

Before the dough goes into the cast iron pan, two things need to happen. First, you need to let the pan and lid preheat in the 450 degree oven for 20 minutes. Second, you need to take sharp knife and score the top of the bread. This isn't a really deep cut, only a surface cut. Scoring the bread helps some of the steam release during the baking process.

The bread bakes for 25 minutes in the oven in the pan with the lid on. After that time, the lid is removed and the bread continues to bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the bread crust is deeply golden brown. To achieve an even crispier crust, remove the parchment paper holding the bread loaf from the pan, return it to the oven, and continue baking with the oven door ajar for an additional 10 minutes. I was a bit nervous about this technique so I only let it bake for another 5 minutes. Next time I will take a deep breath and let it sit in the slightly open oven for the full 10 minutes.

After removing the bread from the oven, let it sit on a cooling rack for an hour before you slice it.

And just look at that gorgeous texture! All of those air pockets were made possible in large part because the air bubbles in the dough weren't popped by kneading. No only does a no knead bread save you an upper arm workout, it gives you a sinfully beautiful bakery and texture to your bread.

The best way to slice this crusty, earthy bread is to first cut it down the center and then cut perpendicular slices. Cutting it this way ensures each piece is enveloped on three sides by it's incredibly delicious crust. 

Make this No Knead Rustic Artisan Bread and I promise you will never ever want to buy this kind of loaf from the store again. If there was ever a time to return back to a simpler time, this would be it. And a loaf of homemade bread on one's table is just one of the ways to remind us simpler pleasures may be the best ones of all. Happy no knead bread baking! 

Recipe
No Knead Artisan Bread (recipe and directions inspired from multiple sources)
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients
3 cups (360 g) bread flour, plus a little more for dusting the counter
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 1/3 cups (332 ml) lukewarm water (temperature should be between 100-110 degrees F)

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt, and yeast. Pour in the lukewarm water and use a wooden spoon to mix until the dough is blended, sticky, and a little shaggy. Note: If your dough isn't sticky, add in water 1 Tablespoon at a time.
2. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel (and plastic wrap if you wish). Place the bowl in a warm draft free place in your house and let it rest for 18-24 hours. It should have doubled in size and the surface should be dotted with air bubbles.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (F). Place your cast iron pan (preferably a Dutch oven) and it's lid in the oven for at least 20 minutes.
4. Generously flour a work surface and very gently slide the dough out of the bowl on the floured surface. Use a rubber spatula around the bowl to release the sticky dough while trying to avoid disturbing the air bubbles as much as possible.
5. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough. Then gently fold each side into the center of the dough. Carefully flip the dough over so the folds are facing down. Lightly dust your hands with flour and shape the dough into a ball by pulling it toward you a few times. Whatever you do, do not knead this dough.
6. Place the dough, seam side down, onto a sheet a parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to make a slash in the top of the bread. Place the parchment paper on bread board or flat pan. Let the dough sit, covered with a kitchen towel, on top of the stove for 20 minutes. OR alternately cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise for an additional 1-2 hours until it doubles in size.
7. Carefully remove the cast iron pan from the oven. Gently lower the piece of parchment paper holding the dough into the pan. Cover the pan with the lid, return to the oven, and bake for 25 minutes. 
8. Remove the lid from the pan and continue baking the bread for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the crust is deeply golden brown.
9. For an even crispier crust, remove the parchment paper holding the bread from the pan. Return it back to the oven, keeping the oven door slightly ajar, for an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and place the bread on a cooling rack.
10. Let the bread cool for forty five minutes to one hour before slicing using a serrated knife. 
11. To cut the bread, slice down the center, then make perpendicular slices.
12. Store any uneaten bread in a paper bag. 

Notes: (1) I used King Arthur's Unbleached Bread Flour. (2) If you buy the packaged yeast, place package with the leftover yeast in a ziplock bag and store in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. (3) If you want a herbed version of the No Knead Rustic Artisan Bread, add 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped rosemary into the dry ingredients before adding the lukewarm water. (4) Lastly, I used a large sized versus a medium sized cast iron Dutch Oven and my bread baked up beautifully.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Every Christmas since they were born, my niece and nephew have always been given a gift of Christmas ornaments. Now that they are each in their early 20s they probably have enough of an eclectic ornament collection to decorate a small tree. Unlike one of my friends who had the brilliant idea of finding Christmas ornaments to match her grandchildren's Halloween costumes each year, I sometimes, but not always, had a specific theme in mind when I was on the ornament hunt. But this year I was specifically looking for one symbolizing the place my nephew currently works and lives. So someday when or if he is living in another state, the ornament will remind him of the place he once called home. He currently lives in Alabama. It seemed only fitting one of his Christmas ornaments this year needed to be a biscuit. And it was. The other one was a hot dog truck to serve as a reminder of Chicago, the place he grew up near.

But this biscuit ornament represented more than his current home state, at least it did for me. While visiting him earlier in the fall we had breakfast one morning at my favorite place for biscuits, The Alabama Biscuit Company in Birmingham. It is my hope that when he hangs the biscuit ornament on all of his future Christmas trees it reminds him of not one, but two memories.

For a long time I have wanted to make a really, really, really good biscuit. The kind with tender flaky pull apart layers, a golden crisp exterior and a buttery interior that melts-in-your-mouth in the first bite. One anyone, but especially a Southerner, would not only swoon over, but might wonder where I grew up. Having looked at biscuit recipes for quite some time now, I knew mine would have to be made with White Lily Flour, aka the secret ingredient of Southern bakers. On my recent trip to Birmingham (AL), I stopped in one of the grocery stores to bring home a bag (I should have bought two of them) as its' more readily available in the south than it is up here in the midwest. If you are going to make a quintessentially Southern food, especially biscuits, one needs to use locally sourced ingredients. This would be one of those rather strong opinions or strong beliefs developed over the years. Having lived on the east coast for several years permanently spoiled me for fresh lobsters and freshly made lobster rolls. Returning back to the midwest, I can no longer bring myself to buy or order a lobster or order a lobster roll. They aren't the same. And a biscuit made with all-purpose flour isn't the same as a biscuit made with White Lily Flour. That is, unless you don't want one having a rich yet tender crumb, perfect layered flakiness, and that airy cakiness. All qualities of a perfect biscuit.

The ingredients in most biscuits generally include flour, unsalted butter, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and buttermilk. Some biscuit recipes call for the use of an egg for structure, height, and richness while others don't. In a recent biscuit bake-off article, the authors noted that "...biscuits baked without egg were more purely buttery and slightly less chewy-the ideal if you want the most tender, buttery biscuit." And I wanted to make the most buttery, tenderest biscuit possible. Mine would be eggless.

Biscuit makers swear by the use of butter, shortening, or a combination of the two in their biscuit recipes. Next to the egg or no egg preference, the butter vs shortening debate is real. The decision as to which one(s) to use may ultimately come down to either personal perceived preference or remaining faithful to the beloved family recipe handed down through the generations. If you have had amazing biscuits made with shortening, you are more than likely to use shortening. The same would be true if your favorite biscuits were made with butter. Each of those ingredients contributes differently to the finished biscuit. But if a biscuit recipe calls for the use of buttermilk, well butter and buttermilk are a match made in heaven. So this recipe uses butter, cold butter, an unsalted European-style butter, a cold unsalted European-style butter because it has the highest amount of butterfat and the lowest amount of water. A butter with more butterfat and less water results in an incredibly flavorful biscuit.

After reading about and comparing more than a couple of dozen biscuit recipes I finally made a decision as to which recipe had the most potential to create a biscuit that wowed! With a few minor tweaks to the ingredients and biscuit assembly, my recipe closely mirrors the one from  Bon Appetit in April 2016.  In addition to using White Lily Flour versus an unspecified all-purpose flour and using an European-style unsalted butter versus an unspecified unsalted butter, I increased the amount of sugar from two teaspoons to one tablespoon. Unlike many of the biscuit recipes I reviewed, this one used a food processor to combine the dry ingredients and the butter. Some say the food processor method doesn't work as well as other methods (e.g. grating frozen butter, using a pastry cutter, etc.) but my results said otherwise.

Cutting the biscuit dough with a knife into twelve squares eliminates any waste or the need for any re-rolling. Which meant, my large collection of biscuit cutters would have to be put to other uses. Once rolled and cut, the biscuits go into the freezer for 10 minutes prior to baking. After brushing the tops of biscuits with melted butter they go into a preheated 425 degree (F) oven quickly reduced to 400 degrees (F) as soon as the baking pan goes into the oven. In just 20-25 minutes the most heavenly, beautiful, flaky, buttery, golden brown biscuits are ready to be inhaled.

Eating a warm biscuit right out of the oven might just put you in a food coma.

For me drizzled honey over a warm biscuit is the bees knees. For you the humble biscuit might be elevated to an ambrosial level when smeared with butter, a great jam, gravy, or pimento cheese. Maybe the biscuit becomes a sandwich filled with a thick slices of ham. Maybe you like to break up pieces of your biscuit and put them in your favorite soup. Or maybe your sweet tooth craves one topped with an apple compote and some vanilla ice cream. In other words, the number of ways to enjoy a buttermilk biscuit are practically endless. 

I really do think it takes eating a really great biscuit to want to make a really great biscuit. Once you do, you come to believe biscuits aren't something nice to have, they are something you need to have. No longer do you need to secretly wish for friend who learned how to make buttery, flaky, tender biscuits by watching her memaw, the person who could make biscuits with her eyes closed. Nor do you have to drive or fly to Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, or any other southern state claiming to make the world's best biscuits. Now you can make them at home with this recipe. No sorcery or alchemy is necessary to transform ordinary ingredients into something extraordinary. Like these ethereal buttermilk biscuits.

Recipe
Buttermilk Biscuits 
Makes one dozen biscuits

Updated July 2022

Ingredients
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups (438 g) White Lily Flour OR Gold Medal Unbleached Flour
1 cup (16 Tablespoons) cold unsalted European-style butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup cold buttermilk (shake the container well before pouring into a measuring cup)
2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter OR 1 egg yolk and 1 Tablespoon heavy cream

Serve with honey, preserves/jam, pimento cheese, etc. They also are a great accompaniment to soup and/or make for a great ham sandwich.

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Pulse the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large food processor to combine.
3. Add the butter and process until the largest pieces of the butter are the size of a pea.
4. Transfer the flour/butter mixture to a large bowl.
5. Gradually pour in the cold buttermilk, stirring with a fork as you go to incorporate.
6. Knead the mixture briefly in the bowl until a shaggy dough forms. Not to worry if it looks a bit dry.
7. Turn out onto a clean surface, knead for another minute before forming into a 1" high square. Cut the square in half, place one half on top of the other, and roll out to a 1" high square. Cut the square in half a second time, place one half on top of the other and then roll out to 1" high rectangle. Trim the edges of the dough and cut into 12 biscuits using a sharp knife. Do not re-roll out any of the scraps.
8. Transfer the cut biscuits to the baking sheet, leaving at least one inch between each of the biscuits. Place the tray of biscuits in the freezer for 10 minutes.
9. Remove from the freezer, and brush melted butter on the top of each biscuit. Alternately brush the tops of the biscuits with an egg wash made with one egg yolk and one Tablespoon of heavy cream.
10. Place the baking pan in the oven and IMMEDIATELY reduce the oven temperature down to 400 degrees (F).
11. Bake until the tops of the biscuits are deeply golden brown on the bottom, approximately 20-25 minutes.
12. Serve warm. Get ready to be transported to biscuit heaven.

Notes: (1) Make certain your baking powder is fresh. Check the freshness or expiration date before using. (2) I used a scale when I measured out the flour using a 125 g to 1 cup ratio. (3) The biscuits are best enjoyed on the day they are made. You can store them in a plastic bag and reheat them the next day. They will still be good but the texture may not be the same as the day they were made. (4) I have made these biscuits using both White Lily and Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose flour. Both flours worked, but the texture of the biscuits made with White Lily Flour was slightly flakier and lighter.