Yes, I bake sometimes.
Eric
PX S’ Orange Macerated Cherry Focaccia with Urfa Biber and Almonds
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Tag Archives: Bread
Macrina Bakery and Hightower Cellars Team Up For Unique Artisan Bread
I love anything Macrina Bakery does…..I’ve had their bread on here before many times without mentioning it but I should have (click). I was told that they teamed up with Hightower Cellars to make a ciabatta bread with grape yeast. I thought, “HOLY AWESOME”. So they sent me some and it is, “HOLY AWESOME!”.
Here is a bit more information from Macrina Bakery and Hightower Cellars!
11.09.2009 – Seattle, WA — >> Leslie Mackie, founder, co-owner and head chef of Macrina Bakery and Kelly and Tim Hightower, owners and winemakers of Hightower Cellars, today introduced an artisan bread made from grape yeast cultivated from Hightower Cellars estate vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The proprietary bread called the Pane Francese Loaf will be permanently added to the Macrina Bakery bread menu and sold at all locations for $3.25 per loaf starting today.
“Developing the artisan Pane Francese Loaf in partnership with Hightower Cellars was a fun and innovative process,” said Leslie Mackie. “The high quality of the Hightower Cellars estate vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and the similarities in the approach to our crafts (winemaking and bread making respectively), made this project special from the beginning.”
Pane Francese is a combination of the French baguette and Italian Ciabatta, combining the best qualities of both loafs. The bread is shaped in long sticks (like a baguette with lots of crust) but with the texture and hydration of a Ciabatta. The bread is made with Hightower starter, unbleached all purpose flour, Shepherd’s grain whole wheat flour, dried yeast, filtered water and salt.
“We are excited about this unusual collaboration,” said Kelly Hightower, owner and winemaker at Hightower Cellars. “Leslie has taken the time to cultivate yeast from our estate vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and developed a one-of-a-kind artisan bread that speaks to our approach at Hightower Cellars – Handpicked – Handsorted – Handmade.”
The bread making process, which started earlier this fall with the development of the bread starter from the Hightower Cellars estate vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, took just under a month to complete and the process is highlighted by Leslie Mackie on Macrina Bakery’s website via the following link: http://www.macrinabakery.com/breads/starter/index.html
The Pane Francese Loaf provides the perfect texture and taste profile for any Bruschetta recipe paired with a bottle of the Hightower Cellars 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon or 2007 Murray Cuvee (one of the Hightower’s first wines produced with grapes sourced from its Out of Line estate vineyard).
For 16 years, Seattle patrons have started their day with a legendary morning breakfast from Macrina Bakery & Café. Located in the heart of Belltown, Queen Anne hill and the SODO district, Macrina offers the finest in pastries, delicious artisan breads, classic cakes, cookies, tarts and organic coffee. Open for breakfast, lunch or weekend brunch. For more information, call the Belltown location at (206) 448-4032 or visit www.macrinabakery.com.
Handpicked – Handsorted – Handmade is the motto and method for Hightower Cellars. Owners and winemakers, Tim and Kelly Hightower, strive to make world class red wines of elegance, depth and complexity. Established in 1997 in Woodinville, Washington – Hightower Cellars moved to 15 acres high on Red Mountain in 2002. www.hightowercellars.com
Buerre Blanc Sockeye with Caramelized Sprouts and a Pecan Compound Butter Bread
My roommates said this was the best salmon they have ever had. I take that as a huge compliment but it all has to do with the quality of the fish. I’m not kidding when I say this, I have a direct link to the best sockeye out there and it’s awesome! 
Ingredients:
- Sockeye salmon rubbed with parsley infused salt and black pepper
- Brussels sprouts vichy (click for recipe)
- Compound butter on pecan bread (click for recipe)
Procedure:
- Pan sear the salmon with clarified butter then serve with buerre blanc over the top.
Enjoy,
Eric
Compound Butter
That new mixer is awesome! There are things I was only able to do at class or at work (more information coming soon). One thing I like to make in class is compound butter. Take a stick of butter, let it get to room temperature, then place in mixer and fold in other ingredients to make it more exciting. You can do this manually but it’s a pain in the butt and the ingredients won’t spread across the butter evenly…….this is why you haven’t seen this on this blog yet. Mixer = game changer!
Equipment:
- Stand Mixer!
- Spatula
Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter at room temperature
- Fresh parsley and tarragon
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt
- Whole egg, (optional)
- Parmesan Cheese (to top on bread)
- The bread I used is ciabatta, if you’re curious
Procedure
- Place butter in mixer then set to a medium mix and cream it.
- Slowly add ingredients. At this point you can wrap it in clear wrap and place in the refrigerator or you can apply it directly in something……..steamed vegetables, baked potato, baked bread, etc……
- Only add the egg if you are going to place it on bread and bake it. It will add a little fluff to your butter…appearance people!
- EAT IT!
Aioli- Revisited
Late night snacking! The pictures don’t do this any justice. It was too late for me to care.
It’s late, you want something easy, and you don’t want to make a huge mess…………WHAT DO YOU DO?!?!?! I do aioli over some bread with garden fresh tomatoes and herbs.
Equipment:
- Mortar and Pestle
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients:
- 7 cloves organic garlic
- 1 garden fresh tomato, sliced as shown
- Fresh rosemary
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Cheddar Cheese, grated
Procedure:
- Whisk egg yolk then slowly add extra virgin olive oil while whisking
- Crush garlic cloves, rosemary, salt, and pepper in mortar and pestle
- Mix egg yolk and olive oil mixture into mortar and pestle
- Place cheese and tomato over bread then add aioli
- Place bread on baking sheet and cook at 400F for 5-7 minutes
- Serve!
Enjoy,
Eric
Them: “What’s in this?”
Me: “Is it good?”
Them: “Yes”
Me: “Then don’t worry about it”
Basic French Toast
Nothing too exciting about these. Take this as a simple recipe for French Toast and do your own thing to it…….do it. I’ll be revisiting this recipe later in the week for a more deluxe version so stay tuned!
Ingredients:
13 eggs
1/2 gallon milk
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 loaf of bread
Mix the eggs, milk, cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Heat up a large skillet (I used a larger outdoor oven for this……it was awesome…..cooking outside is the best ever!) then douse the bread in the mixture and place on the skillet and cook each side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. SERVE, with a little syrup!
Enjoy,
Eric
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Bonus Bread!
(Click each picture to make it larger)
I bought some basil at the market yesterday and I was planning on making some pesto with it but plans changed. My wife wasn’t feeling so hot so I figured a little comfort food would do the trick. I think it worked
Ingredients:
6 tomatoes on the vine, you can do this with smaller tomatoes but I’m a little dramatic
Olive Oil
Pinch of kosher salt
Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and pour a little olive oil and salt over the top of the tomatoes then bake them for 4 hours at 200F. Remove the tomatoes from the oven then peel the skin off and throw the vines away. Then move to the next steps.
4 cloves of fresh garlic
1 cup fresh basil diced with an additional 6 leaves for garnish
A little fresh oregano, thyme, and rosemary
3/4 cup heavy cream
Cheese, I used a roasted red pepper goat cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Place the tomatoes and garlic into a blender and liquify. Pour the newly liquified mixture into a sauce pot then bring to a simmer. Place the oregano, thyme, and rosemary in a tea infuser then throw it in the soup. Once you have a nice simmer going then stir in the basil and heavy cream, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Enjoy,
Eric
BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD BONUS BREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Take a small loaf of french bread and cut it in half then chop up a tomato, 1 fresh garlic clove, a couple basil leaves, some diced up onion, and add a little salt and pepper then throw that mixture into a small bowl and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. Put some bread on that there butter then spread the tomato concoction from the bowl on the bread then place it on a cookie sheet and cook in the oven at 425F for 10 minutes. Serve it with this soup above……………..
Enjoy,
Eric
Bachelor Dude Food: Day 1 LUXURIOUS GRILLED CHEESE
(Click each picture to make it larger)
Mindy, my wife, and I have been married for 8 years. I really don’t have any idea what it would be like to be a bachelor so here is my best guess. I miss her…………..she’s with her friend, Audrey, for Audrey’s birthday. I was going to go but I have to work, SCHOOL IS EXPENSIVE! So here you go, expensive grilled cheese sandwich….leftovers from the 24, 24, 24, contest.
Ingredients:
Campo de Montalban Cheese, grated
Iberico Ham
Bread
Butter
Take a non-stick pan place 1 tbsp. butter in the pan then heat. Place bread on the pan with butter and ham and cheese filling then cook for 3 minutes on medium-high heat. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve.
Enjoy,
Eric
Bachelor Dude Food!!!
