0 HAPPY HALLOWEEN

On the night of the 31st of October, Halloween will be celebrated by many people around the world. Although, the trick-or-treating tradition, the bonfires, the macabre decorations, the ghoulish baking frenzy and the habit of wearing fiendish custumes/disguises isn't as popular here as it is in the US or in Canada (and certain other regions of the world), I still like to do my own thing and set my mood to a fiendish modus...

I really love this time of the year marking the last day of the bright half of the year and the beginning of winter according to the Pagan tradition!

'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world.
~ William Shakespeare ~

0 BASIC PIZZA DOUGH - THE DARING BAKERS

As strange as it might appear, until now, there has been no "Daring Baker's" challenge focused on learning how to make authentic “Pizza Dough”. So, this month we all had to play pizzaiolos and toss our dough like real Italians. I can assure you that it was a lot of fun...

Originally, I was supposed to host this challenge (my 13th participation so far) together with Sher at "What Did You Eat?" (USA) and Glenna at "A Fridge Full Of Food" (USA), but, unfortunately, life’s sad events made me stride that horse alone.

As you might all know by now, the lovely Sherry passed away tragically on the 20th of July 2008 (see my tribute) after having been struck by a massive heart-attack at the early age of sixty. Glenna, on her side, decided to quit "The Daring Baker’s" and to stop her baking adventure for personal reasons. So that’s why I am the only one who is endorsing the role of host for this challenge.

Prior to her sudden death (9 days before), Sher had shared with me her recipe idea for the October challenge. When she died, it was clear for me that I would respect her choice and that I would still submit the recipe that she had embraced. This is my last ode to a very appreciated blogger, DB member, skilled baker and cook whom I miss a lot!

This easy to follow recipe for “Pizza Dough" was taken from Peter Reinhart's highly-praised cookbook “The Bread Baker's Apprentice” ("Pizza Napoletana" recipe). It yields a beautifully tasty, thin, crispy, delicate yet chewy pizza crust that'll make you reach an ectastic state of bliss and satisfaction after every bite taken into a slice of pizza made with that exquisite dough. A unique and pleasureable gastronomic experience for any gourmet in search of strong culinary sensations...

Thanks to that wonderful recipe, I have made the best pizzas ever. Even a pizzaiolo would be jealous of the results I came up with. My sweet, delightfully soothing and refined "Fig, Walnut & Cream Cheese Pizza" as well as my savory, homy and mouthwateringly scrumptious "Flamküche Pizza" (see recipes below) came out perfect, had a fantastic flavor and looked absolutely gorgeous!

If you haven't tested Peter Reinhart's recipe yet, then I warmly recommend you to get into a baking frenzy as you'll not regret putting efforts into making that awesome "Pizza Dough"!!!

~ BASIC PIZZA DOUGH ~
Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients:
4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Instant yeast
1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 Tb sugar - FOR GF use agave syrup
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE

Method:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).
2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.
The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.
3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.
4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).
NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.
5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.
NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.
6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.
7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.
NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil (a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.
9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).
NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.
10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.
During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping.
In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.
You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.
11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.
12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.
NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.
13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.
NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.
If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.
14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

Remarks:
I made two different pizzas.
Sweet "Fig, Walnut & Cream Cheese Pizza" (ingredients for one pizza):
4 Tbs Cream cheese
4 Tsps Lemon juice
2 Tbs Sugar
1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1/2 Tsp Orange rind
1 Pinch Ground cinnamon
1 Pinch Ground cloves
A handful walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 Figs, thinly sliced
2 Tsps Runny honey, to drizzle over the pizza

Mix all first 7 ingredients together and spread oven the shaped pizza dough.
Arrange the sliced figs over the cream cheese mixture.
Sprinkle with the walnuts and drizzle with the honey.
Bake as recommended above.

Savory "Flammküche Pizza" (ingredients for one pizza):
3 Tbs Sour cream
1/2 Big onion, cut very thinly in rounds
2 Tbs Speck, cut in tiny cubes
90g Grated Appenzeller cheese
1 Tsp Caraway seeds
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Spread the sour cream over the shaped pizza dough.
Arrange the onions rounds and speck.
Sprinkle with the Appenzeller cheese and caraway seeds.
Add pepper.
Bake as recommended above.

Serving suggestions:
Eat at any time of the day and with the accompaniment of your choice. And don't forget to be creative!

0 HALLOWEEN - FOOD IDEAS

On the night of October the 31st, all the children and gown-up kids that we are will be celebrating Halloween (All Hallow's Eve or Samhain), a typical Anglo-Saxon fall event (USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand Australia, but also other non-english speaking countries such as Mexico and Puerto Rico) reminiscent of paganism (see my older post for more info concerning Halloween).

In order for you to explore the darker side of your personality and release the beast in you, and also to experiment with your skills as a cook/baker, I thought that it would be a good idea if I recommended a few recipe links as well as one or two of my festive recipes...

My Halloween Recipes:
Blood Sausage Stir-Fry (see recipe)
Bloody Banana Ketchup (see recipe)
Luscious Pumpkin Jam (see recipe)
Pumpkin Apple Bread (see recipe)
Pumpkin Challah (see recipe)
Pumpkin Latkes (see recipe)
Pumpkin Muffins (see recipe)
Pumpkin Pasta Bake With Speck (see recipe)
Pumpkin Pie (see recipe)
Roasted Pumpkin & Bell pepper Salad (see recipe)

Interesting Halloween Recipe Links:
All Recipes (see link)
BBC Food (see link)
BBC Good Food (see link)
Britta.com (see link)
Canadian Living (see link)
Cdkitchen (see link)
Cooksrecipes (see link)
Epicurious (see link)
Food Network (see link)
Halloween Recipes (see link)
Halloween Recipes 101 (see link)
Razzle Dazzle (see link)
Recipezaar (see link)
Southern Food (see link)
The Holiday Spot (see link)
Wanda's Halloween Cookbook (see link)

Have fun!!!

0 WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #177

This week, Amar & Luna at "CatSynth" (USA) are happy to announce that they are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #177...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in their blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact them via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

"I believe cats to be spirits come to earth.
A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through."
~ Jules Verne ~

0 AUTUMN FALLS OVER GENEVA

I always tend to only show you pictures of the beautiful countryside which surrounds Veyrier, yet I very seldom post pictures of the town of Geneva. That's why, today, I've decided to remediate to that "sad" situation...

Last Saturday, after having bought all the food I needed from the Farmer's Market in Rive (see post), we walked through town and I shot a few pictures of the streets and lakeside in order for you to discover the multiple faces of my city.

I hope you'll enjoy them!

0 ROASTED PUMPKIN & BELL PEPPER SALAD

Halloween is very close and pumpkin season is here again, so I thought that it would be a good idea to share with you the recipe for a delightful pumpkin salad that I invented on the spur of the moment, as I was asked to bring a salad on the occasion of a delectable Sardenian (Italy) dinner at Jessica & Jonathan's place (see Jessica's post here)...

I wanted a dish that would be very flavorful, vibrantly colorful, festive and Italianesque. After a long session of googling, notetaking and thinking, I finally came up with a gorgeous idea: I was going to make an antipasti-like salad that would be very versatile and could be paired easily with just any main dish and served at any occasion (picnics, parties, potlucks, Sunday meals, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc...).

Although I'm not the kind of person who likes to praise my exploits in the kitchen, I must say that this "Roasted Pumpkin & Bell Pepper Salad" was/is awesome. The flavor of the vegetables are sublimated by this dishe's delightfully garlicky, mustardy, maple-kissed, nectarous and sour dressing, and by it's nut and bacon sprinkles. With it's rich, smoky, sweetly acidulated, caramelly taste as well as it's interestingly contrasting textures (crunchy and soft), this salad will captivate your tastebuds and conquer your gourmet heart!

It feels like being on holiday in the Mediterranean...

~ Roasted Pumpkin & Bell Pepper Salad ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yumy Yums 2008.

Serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients for the "Salad Dressing":
6 Tbs Virgin olive oil
The juice of 1 big lemon
1 Tbs Sweet mustard (see remarks)
1 Tbs Maple syrup
1 Tsp Thai sweet chili sauce
1/2 Tsp Pimenton (or any smoked paprika)
3 Cloves garlic, crushed
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Ingredients for the "Salad":
700g Pumpkin (see remarks), peeled, seeded, and cut in 4cm (1 1/2-inch) chunks
3 Bell peppers (red and green), halved and seeded
3 Big onions, halved and sliced
A handful hazelnuts, roasted and chopped coarsely
6 Slices of bacon, fried until crispy and broken into chips

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 250°C (450° F).
2. Line a baking tray/sheet with baking paper.
3. Place the pumpkin chunks, bell peppers (face up) and sliced onions in a single layer on the baking tray.
4. Spray with some olive oil and turn to coat evenly.
5. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Roast the vegetables, turning once, for 20-30 minutes or until golden and tender (not overcooked/you might have to remove the bell pepper halves before the pumpkin chunks).
7. Remove from the oven. Wrap the bell pepper halves in aluminium foil. Set aside to cool (totally or not).
8. Meanwhile, mix together all ingredients for the dressing.
9. Peel the bell peppers and cut them into strips.
10. Cut the pumpkin into bite-sized cubes.
11. Place in a dish and drizzle evenly with the dressing.
12. Let marinade a few minutes at room temperature (if served warm) or in the fridge for a few hours or overnight (if served cold).
13. Just before serving, sprinkle with the roasted hazelnuts and bacon chips.
14. Serve.

Remarks:
If you want to use another oil (vegetable or nut), feel free to experiment (walnut, flaxseed, peanut, colza, etc...).
I used Münchner mustard (German) for this salad, but you can also use any other sweet mustard (Swedish, etc...).
Choose a variety of pumpkin which is sweet, flavorful and which doesn't disintegrate during the baking process (sugar pumpkin, butternut squash, kabocha, baby bear, etc...).

Serving suggestions:
Serve this salad warm or cold, as a starter dish or as a side dish, alone or as an accompaniment to meat, fish, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, etc...

**************

~ Salade De Courge Et Poivrons Rôtis Au Four~
Recette par Rosa @ Rosa's Yumy Yums 2008.

Pour 4-6 personnes.

Ingrédients pour la "Sauce A Salade":
6 CS d'Huile d'olive extra vierge
Le jus d'un gros citron
1 CS de Moutarde douce (voir remarques)
1 CS de Sirop d'érable
1 CC de Sauce au piment douce (thaï)
1/2 CC de Pimenton (ou n'importe quel autre paprika en poudre fumé)
3 Gousses d'ail, écrasées
Sel de mer, à volonté
Poivre noir fraîchement moulu, à volonté
Ingrédients pour la "Salade":
700g de Courge (voir remarques), pelée, nettoyée et coupée en morceaux de 4cm
3 Poivrons (verts et rouges), coupés en deux et nettoyés
3 Big onions, coupés (pas trop finement) en demi-lune
Une poignée de noisettes, torréifiées et hachée grossièrement
6 Tranches de bacon, grillées et croquantes, émiettées

Méthode:
1. Préchauffer le four à 250°C (450° F).
2. Couvrir une plaque de papier sulfurisé.
3. Y déposer les cubes de courge, les moitiés de poivron (peau en dessus) et l'onion - en une seule couche.
4. Sprayer avec de l'huile d'olive, de manière homogène.
5. Assaisonner avec du sel de mer et du poivre noir moulu.
6. Faire cuire au four pendant 20-30 minutes (en retournant une fois) jusqu'à ce que les légumes soit tendres (pas trop cuits/les poivrons devront être retirés un peu avant la courge) et bien dorés.
7. Sortir du four. Emballer les poivrons dans du papier aluminium. Mettre de côté et laisser refroidir (complètement ou non).
8. Pendant ce temps, mélanger tous les ingrédients pour la sauce à salade.
9. Peler les poivrons et les couper en lanières.
10. Couper la courge en bouchées.
11. Mettre les légumes dans un plat et recouvrir de manière homogène avec la sauce.
12. Laisser mariner pendant quelques minutes (si la salade est mangée tiède) et quelques heures ou toute une nuit au frigo (si la salade est mangée froide).
13. Juste avant de servir, décorer avec les noisettes et le bacon émiétté.
14. Servir.

Remarques:
Pour cette salade, vous pouvez utiliser l'huile de votre choix (noix, lin, arachide, colza, etc...). Expérimentez!
J'ai utilisé de la moutarde douce bavaroise en provenance de Munich (Allemagne), mais vous pouvez prendre n'importe quelle autre moutarde douce (Suède, etc...).
Je vous recommande de choisir une courge qui ne se désintègre pas à la cuisson, qui a du goût et qui est sucrée (courge musquée, butternut, courge baby bear, courge kabocha, etc...).

Idées de présentation:
Servez cette salade tiède ou froide, en guise d'entrée ou d'accompagnement, avec de la viande, du poisson, du fromage, des oeufs durs, etc...

0 SATURDAY MORNING - FARMER'S MARKET

During the fall season, when mountains of pumpkins colorfully invade the stalls everywhere, I enjoy going to the Farmer's Market in town...

In Geneva, there's nearly one fruit and vegetable markets in every quarter or village (see info), but my favorite one is situated in Rive, on the Boulevard Helvétique (see map). Every time I go there, I get into a trance and walk like a robot down the aisles, as if drugged by all the marvelous smells and beautiful visions!

In that place, you'll find an outdoor market which takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 6am to 1pm and a covered one called "Les Halles De Rive" which is opened six days a week. There, you can buy everything you are looking for: fish, meat, cheese, delicatessen products, bread, vegetables, fruits, etc... It's a paradise, the Mecca of gourmet food!

In 2006, I had already blogged about both markets, so if you are interested in learning more about them, please check out those links:
The Farmer's Market - Part I (see post)
The Farmer's Market - Part II (see post)

Marché de Rive & Halle de Rive
Boulevard Helvétique
1207 Genève
Switzerland

0 WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #176

This week, Niko & Clouds at "Cats In Maryland" (USA) are happy to announce that they are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #176...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in their blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact them via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

A lazy weekend in the company of Fridolin...
No comments needed (wink).

0 OCTOBER'S RUST

It's the middle of October and most trees have turned red, yellow or orange. Some have even lost their coat. The air carries the musky smell of rotting leave and fall fires. Everything has that romantically nostalgic touch and it's getting quieter...

After a few days of Indian Summer-like weather, the air is getting crisp again, but the sun still illuminates nature's fiery landscapes. The color palette is incredible and I'm enjoying every bit of it!

0 MUFFIN MONDAY N°11 - FALL THEME

"Muffin Monday" is the name of a French muffin-oriented event (open to everybody) which enables you to have fun and, at the same time, to win a foodie gift. Since Dominique at "Cuisine Plurielle" (France) was the winner of the preceeding contest (Muffin Monday n°10), she will be hosting the 11th edition which is placed under the sign of autumn...

As a member of the jury, I am looking forwards to seeing your colorful and festive muffins! In order to participate, please visit Dominique's great blog, read the rules and get baking. Be creative and inspired!

0 CUCHAULE - WORLD BREAD DAY 2008

The 16th of October has been declared as "World Bread Day" by the International Union Of Bakers And Bakers-Confectioners (UIB). On that occasion Zorra at the great "Kochtopf" (a Swiss expat living in Spain) is organizing an event and roundup in order to celebrate bread and the art of bread making around the world. So, everybody is cordially invited to bake or buy the bread of their choice and talk about it on their blog.

As I don't write enough about the food and specialities of my country, I thought that it would be a good idea to share with you a traditional as well as seasonal Swiss bread recipe which hails from the canton of Fribourg...

"Cuchaule" is a light brioche-like sweet saffron bread which is generally baked for the Bénichon harvest celebration of thanksgiving. It is spread with butter and a spicy mustard based spread/"jam" called "Moutarde De Bénichon - Bénichon Mustard" (made with candied sugar, vin cuit - a sweet and sour, sticky substance made with reduced apple and pear juice - spices such as cinnamon, star anise, cloves and mustard powder).

The Bénichon festivities take place on the first Sunday of October in the district of Gruyères in Fribourg in all villages. During the 15th century, this event was the parish's patron feast. It used to last three days and was accompanied by a big banquet, a lot of dancing and game playing. Later on, it became a harvest time festival marked by the transhumance ("désalpe" or seasonal migration of the livestock to the winter pastures). Now, it is chiefly famous for the eating which can go on for more than six hours, although there are also dances, parades and plenty of music.

This "Cuchaule" bread is really exquisite. With it's delicate taste, fluffy inside, soft golden crust and beautiful saffron color, you'll be immediately conquered. It is a delightful treat which pairs wonderfully well with the spicy flavor of "Moutarde De Bénichon" and can be eaten together with nearly anything sweet or savory (cream cheese, jam, honey, peanut butter, pate, cheese, etc...). The sumum of Swiss cuisine!

~ Cuchaule ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2008.

Makes 1 big loaf or 2 medium loaves.

Ingredients:
500 - 550g Plain white flour
40g Unsalted butter, softened
1 Packet (7g) Dried yeast
300ml Milk
100g Castor sugar (+ 1Tbs)
1 Tsp Salt
125mg Saffron
1 Egg, to glaze

Method:
1. In a small bowl, pour 100ml of the milk and mix in 1 Tbs sugar. Sprinkle the yeast into the milk. Leave for 10 minutes, until slightly frothy and then stir to disolve.
2. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl, make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the yeasted milk.
3. Use a wooden spoon to draw enough of the flour into the yeasted water to form a soft paste.
4. Cover with a tea towel and leave to "sponge" until frothy and risen, about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, put the lerftover milk and the sugar in a pan and stir until the sugar has dissolved (over low heat). Set aside.
6. Add the lukewarm milk mixture, saffron and softened butter to the flour well. Mix in the flour to form a soft dough.
7. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth, shiny and elastic for about 10 minutes.
8. Put the dough in a buttered bowl, turning to coat evenly with butter. Cover with a tea towel. Leave to rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
9. Knock back the dough, then leave to rest for 10 minutes.
10. Divide the dough into two equal pieces (if you want small loaves).

11. Chaffe each piece (or the single piece of dough) to form a ball and then flatten them (it) a little.
12. Place on a baking sheet and cover with a tea towel.
13. Prove until doubled in size, about 30 - 45 minutes.
14. Twenty minutes before baking the bread, preheat the oven to 180°C (350° F).
15. Brush with the egg glaze (egg and 1 Tsp milk) and make crisscross patterns with the help of a knife.
16. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until richly golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
17. Cool on a wire rack

Remarks:
While kneading the bread, don't forget to dust your working surface with flour.
Add only 1 Tbs of flour at a time if the dough tends to be too sticky.

Serving suggestions:
This brioche bread can be served at any time (breakfast, lunch, teatime, supper, etc...) and with the sweet or savory spreads/accompaniments of your choice.

See my other bread recipes here.
Virginie at "Un Petit Tour Dans Ma Cuisine" (France), Chrystel at "Entre Rire Et Cuisine" (France) and Yasmeen at "Health Nut" (USA) also made my bread. Wow, what an honor!

***************

~ Cuchaule ~
Recette par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2008.

Pour 1 grose brioche ou 2 cuchaules moyennes.

Ingrédients:
500 - 550g de Farine blanche/fleur
40g de Beurre non-salé, en pommade
1 Sachet (7g) de Levure sèche
300ml de Lait entier
100g de Sucre cristallisé (+ 1CS)
1 CC de Sel
125mg de Safran
1 Oeuf battu, pour dorer

Méthode:
1. Mettre 100ml de lait tiède dans un petit bol, ajouter 1 CS de sucre et saupoudrer avec la levure. Mélanger pour dissoudre et laisser reposer, à température ambiante, jusqu'à ce que le mélange devienne mousseux, pendant environ 10 minute.
2. Dans un grand bol, mélanger ensemble la farine et le sel. Créer un puits et y verser le mélange lait/sucre/levure.
3. A l'aide d'une cuillère en bois, ramener suffisamment de farine afin d'obtenir une pâte visqueuse telle une pate à pancakes.
4. Couvrir avec un linge et laisser la "pâte" lever pendant 20 minutes.
5. Pendant ce temps, mettez le restant de lait et le sucre dans un casserole. Chauffer à feu doux afin de dissoudre le sucre, puis mettre de côté.
6. Ajouter le mélange lait/sucre tiède, le safran et le beurre mou dans le puits et bien mélanger afin d'obtenir une pâte souple.
7. Sur un plan de travail fariné, pétrir pendant 10 minutes, jusqu'à ce que la pâte soit élastique.

8. Mettre la pâte dans un grand bol légèrement huilé/beurré et faites-la tourner dans le bol afin de bien l'enduire d'huile/de beurre. Couvrir avec du film alimentaire, puis avec un linge.
9. Laisser lever, à température ambiante, jusqu'à ce que la pâte ait doublé de volume, pendant 1 à 1 1/2 heures.
10. Dégonfler la pâte et la mettre sur une surface farinée.
11. Diviser la pâte en deux parts égales.
12. Donner la forme d'un pain rond et légèrement applati, puis transférer sur une plaque recouverte de papier sulfurisé. Couvrir avec un linge.
13. Laisser lever pendant 30 à 45 minutes, jusqu'à ce que le pain ait doublé de volume.
14. Vingt minutes avant d'enfourner le pain, préchauffer le four à 180° C (350° F).
15. Juste avant d'enfourner vos pains, les badigeonner avec le glaçage à l'oeuf et, à l'aide d'un couteau, créer un motif d'échiquier.
16. Cuire pendant 30 à 35 minutes, jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés et sonnent creux.
17. Mettre les pain à reffroidir sur une grille.

Remarques:
Lors du pétrissage, si votre pâte colle, saupoudrez-la d'un peu de farine (1 CS à la fois).

Idées de présentation:
Cette brioche peut être servie à toute heure de la journée (petit-déjeuner, déjeuner, goûter, souper, etc...) et mangée avec l'accompagnement salé ou sucré de votre choix.

Consultez mes autres recettes de pain ici.
Virginie de "Un Petit Tour Dans Ma Cuisine" (France), Chrystel de "Entre Rire Et Cuisine" (France) et Yasmeen at "Health Nut" (USA) on aussi fait ma brioche. Wahou, quel honneur!