Heirloom Tomato Tart with Pesto - The DoughDr Archive 7/29/23

Hello Bakers,

Here is the recipe and tutorial for the Heirloom Tomato Tart we made on Saturday’s show. Here is the link: Saturday's Show

We are using the quick puff pastry that we made last week. The quick puff pastry recipe is detailed in the previous post.

We put the pastry together very quickly and learned that quick puff pastry works well when you want all the buttery flaky goodness of puff pastry but you aren’t looking for it to have a lot of height and volume.

Equipment: Baking tray lined with parchment or silpat, rolling pin, pastry rulers (a yardstick cut in half works great), bench flour, pastry brush, 9” cardboard round, small of bowl of water for sealing crust, fork.

Ingredients: Completed puff pastry, pesto, prepared or homemade, 3-4 ripe tomatoes, grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Heirloom Tomato Tart MEP

1. Divide the dough in half, place the other half back in the refrigerator while rolling the first. It is important to keep the dough cold.

2. Roll the dough into a 10” x 10” square. Cut 3 strips off the sides - 3/4” thick, set aside. Using the cardboard round as a guide, cut a 9” round and move to the prepared baking tray. Dock the pastry with a fork so that it bakes evenly. Press the edges lightly with water and place the strips on the edge to build the rim.

Quick Puff Pastry partial bake before topping.

Quick Puff Pastry Tart topped before final bake

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Chill the pastry while the oven preheats.

4.Partially bake the tart for 15-20 minutes - if the crust rises at all poke it with the fork.

5. Brush the bottom with a thin layer of pesto. Arrange a layer of the sliced tomatoes on top. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

6. Place the tart in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 375 degrees. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cheese has melted and the crust is a deeper golden brown.

7. Cut into thin wedges and serve warm out of the oven.

Quick Puff Pastry - The DoughDr Recipe and Tutorial from July 22, 2023

Hello Bakers,
On today’s show I demoed how to make a quick puff pastry. Here is the link: Saturday's Show
Quick puff pastry also known as Blitz puff pastry is perfect when you need sheets of dough. The drawback is that it doesn’t have the lift of regular puff pastry but works great for turnovers, tarts. cheese straws and galettes. And it is quick.
For demo I used the mixer but a food processor can be used - just make sure everything (including the flour) is very cold as the motor warms up the ingredients in the work bowl.
This week it’s all about making the dough and freezing it. Next Saturday I will be using the dough to make a delicious savory pastry. The shopping list will be posted on Wednesday in my IG post @bakingwcolette if you would like to bake along.

Equipment:
Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scale, bowl scraper, rulers, rolling pin
Ingredients:
227g all unbleached purpose flour if using King Arthur Flour (it has enough protein) if not using KA then use half all purpose and half bread flour.
227g unsalted butter - cubed and chilled - 3/4” chunks work well
113g cold water
5g salt (3/4 teaspoon)

1. Combine the flour and salt in the mixer bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine.

2. Stop the mixer and scatter the butter over the flour. Turn the mixer on low speed and let the paddle break up the butter into the flour until it is the size of chickpeas or cornflakes.

3. Add the water and mix on low until the dough comes together.

4. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin gently tap the dough into a rough rectangle approximately 6” x 14”.
   Next we’ll complete the first fold or turn - this dough gets 4 “turns” in total.
   Here is the sequence.
   a.) fold the dough in half to gently mark the halfway point
   b.) open the dough and then fold the bottom edge to just below the center mark. Make sure all the edges line up, and then fold the top edge to just above the center. You want a little space in between the two edges so that it folds neatly.
   c.) repeat steps a & b
   d.) slide the dough in a ziploc bag and freeze for 10 minutes. Set a timer.
   e.) Remove the dough from the freezer and complete 2 more folds.
   f.) if using the dough the same day or next day - chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. The dough can be frozen for up to one month - and if freezing you can roll it out to a 1/2” rectangle or square - wrap well and freeze.
   *rolling the dough a little thinner before long term freezing helps it thaw more quickly. Frozen quick puff should be thawed in the refrigerator.

   That’s it Bakers - make your dough and freeze it. Stay tuned.
   
   
   
   

Chocolate Icing - Light and Delicious - Plus how to Cake Drip....The DoughDr 7/15/2023

Hello Bakers!
On Saturday’s show we had so great questions both saved and in the moment. Here is the link: Saturday's Show
Demo was all about making a fluffy chocolate frosting that marries American buttercream and ganache. For the finale, I showed you how to create an elegant “cake drip” with ganache.
Let’s jump right in - any questions let me know and please tag me in your beautiful bakes @bakingwcolette on Instagram.

Fluffy Chocolate Frosting:
Yield: Enough to fill and decorate an 8” cake

Mise en Place Fluffy Chocolate Icing

Part 1 - Make chocolate ganache:

Equipment: - small saucepan, whisk or spatula, scale

Make ganache - half will be used with the icing and half will be used for the drip.

8 ounces chocolate (56% cacao or higher helps) - chopped fine if not in chip form.
8 ounces heavy or whipping cream

1. In a small saucepan heat the cream until it reaches a low boil. Pour over the chocolate and gently shake the bowl to submerge the chocolate. Let sit for 1-2 minutes. Stir until smooth with a whisk and spatula.

Equipment: Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, spatula

Part 2 Make American Buttercream Base
227g (2 sticks) unsalted butter - partially softened
16 oz (454g) powdered sugar
15g (1 tablespoon) milk
6g (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
pinch salt

1. Start with the butter in the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on low speed until the butter is smooth (1-2 minutes).

2. Add half the powdered sugar and mix on med/low speed until the sugar and butter are combined. Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl, add the remaining half of powdered sugar. Mix until smooth 1-2 minutes.

3. Scrape the mixer down and add milk, vanilla and salt.

4. Mix for 2-3 minutes on med-high speed until light and smooth.

   Add 6-8 ounces of the chocolate ganache to the buttercream and mix until smooth. For a lighter chocolate flavor add 6 ounce (170g) use the full 8 ounces (227g) for a full chocolate flavor.

   The icing can be made ahead, wrap well, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

   For the Drip:
   Place the remaining ganache in a squeeze bottle - make sure it flows out of the bottle freely. If it is stuck - rewarm for a 10-15 seconds in the microwave.
   
   

Scones Master Recipe - The DoughDr Archive July 1, 2023

Hello Bakers,

Here is the recipe from Saturday's Show where I demoed how to make scones in the mixer. We also discussed customizing flavors - not only the scones but also the delicious flat icing that can be spread on top. This may seem a little over the top but I think it makes them extra delicious.

One last thing - these scones do not have to be made in a mixer - but if you have one use it - most cut in doughs can be made in the mixer - if the butter or other fat is cold and the speed is kept on low.

I encourage to whip up a batch. They can be made the night before and chilled and baked the next day. Have fun, be creative and tag me on IG @bakingwcolette. I love to see your beautiful bakes.

Scones: Yield 8 3”x 4”

Equipment:
Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (large bowl and bowl scraper if mixing by hand), bowl scraper, pastry brush, ruler, rolling pin and a half sheet tray lined with a silpat mat or parchment paper, scale, knife or bench scraper.

Scone MEP

Ingredients:
300g all purpose flour
38g sugar
4g baking powder
3g baking soda
2g salt

113g butter (1 stick) - chilled cut into small cubes and refrigerated
201g heavy cream, buttermilk, plant based milk or regular milk
Note: lower in fat milks will impact the keeping quality of the scones but freezing leftover scones and then thawing and refreshing them in a 350 degree oven will bring them right back to deliciousness.
Additions can be any citrus zest, dried fruit, chocolate chips, frozen fruit
For pumpkin or banana scones I need to create a new formula as the water content in pumpkin and banana those off things off.

Show Flavors: I large orange zested, 85g dried cranberries.
1. In the mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds.

2. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of corn flakes - as the butter is breaking down, turn the mixer off from time to time.

3. Add the cream and mix on low speed until the dough becomes a cohesive mass. It will be necessary to stop the mixer and scrap the paddle and the mixer bowl.

4. As the dough forms an almost cohesive mass, the sides of the bowl will be mostly clear - they might be a little power dust on the bottom of the bowl. Add the cranberries and mix briefly until they are dispersed evenly.

5. Dump the dough out on the work surface and fold over with a light touch a few times to make sure that everything is incorporated and any dry bits are worked into the dough.

Shaping in process

6. Roll the dough into a 4” x 12” rectangle. make sure the sides are straight and the corners squared off. On the long side, measure off 3” increments - cut into rectangles at the 3” mark and then cut the rectangles in half forming triangles. The desired thickness is about 3/4”.
7. Transfer the scones to the prepared sheet tray and brush with heavy cream or the milk you used to make them.

Brushed and ready for chilling

8. Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes to overnight.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes until they are a light golden brown.

Let the scones cool for a few minutes before serving. They are delicious served with this flat icing.

Flat Icing:
170g powdered sugar, sifted
28g melted unsalted butter
28g milk or fruit juice - in the show I used orange juice and some zest
4g vanilla (not for a citrus glaze) but great for the rest.

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk until smooth.