Sugar and Spice

Last week I got a new cookbook! (Thanks Mom!) But not just any cookbook, a bread book.  Since we always have ripe bananas in our house, I decided to try making their banana sandwich bread, a nice departure from our usual banana quick bread.  But, I should have known that when something calls for the zest of not 1, but 2 oranges, you're not going to be tasting anything else...  Still, the bread had a wonderful texture and their method of making it is something I'd never tried before (the sponge method?) so I decided it was blog-worthy.  I can't wait to try some of the other tasty recipes (accompanied by equally tasty-looking pictures!) this book has to offer.

Also featured in this post: Gingersnaps!  I made these a while ago when my dad came to visit - my dad is the ultimate chocoholic but can no longer have chocolate.  I was looking for something that 1) did not have chocolate (I have very few recipes that meet this criteria to begin with...); and 2) could be made from ingredients I already had in my kitchen.  And as usual, when I'm trying to meet criterion #2, the Joy of Cooking made itself useful.  Though these gingersnaps were not actually crunchy, they had a great taste and went fast!

Gingersnaps
From: The Joy of Cooking
Grade: A-  Pretty easy to whip up, but could not get them crunchy.  Still, great taste!

This is the original recipe and makes 6 dozen cookies.

3 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup dark molasses
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp orange or lemon zest

Combine dry ingredients.  Beat together sugar and butter, then add remaining wet ingredients.  Stir in the flour intil smooth.  Roll small 1" dough balls and place onto a greased cookie sheet.  Flatten the tops slightly.  Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes.


Whole Wheat Orange Spice Bread (or "lightly spiced" Banana Sandwich Bread)
From: The Tassajara Bread Book
Grade: A- if you want an orange bread, C+ if you were hoping to taste any banana...  But a wonderful texture!


Caution: This recipe makes 2 loaves, something I always forget to check when making bread and before I know it, I'm elbow deep in way too much dough to handle.  So, I'd highly recommend cutting this in half.  Also, I have an extra loaf of this in my freezer if you want to save yourself the trouble...

For the sponge:
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water (or 2 cups if using real milk)

1 1/2 tbsp dry yeast
1/4 cup honey
1 cup dry milk (I used 1/2 cup real milk instead - it's an optional ingredient anyway)
2 bananas, mashed
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp cinnamon
grated peel of 2 oranges (you've been warned)
2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour


For the dough:
4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 cups whole wheat flour
extra whole wheat flour (~1cup) for kneading



Okay, here we go.  This book is not just a cookbook, it's also a spiritual Zen guide to baking.  I'm going to try to distill down the instructions, but if you want the full experience, you'll just have to read the whole thing straight from the book.  (Or, if you're in Boston this weekend, you can check this out: How to Cook Your Life)  To make the sponge, combine the yeast, water, honey and milk.  Add the eggs, cinnamon, orange, and bananas, then add the flour 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition.  Continue adding the flour until all 4 cups are in, beating the sponge, pulling the dough from bottom to top, to get all the flour in.  Once it is all in, beat the dough 100 times (Zen) again pulling from bottom to top in a circular motion.  Cover with a damp towel in an oiled bowl and let rise 45 minutes.


Fold in the remaining dough ingreadients about 1/2 cup at a time - do not stir or cut the dough.  Turn out the dough and knead, working in extra flour as necessary.  The dough is basically ready for the second rising when it stops sticking to your fingers and the board.  Cover with a damp towel in an oiled bowl and let rise for ~1 hour or until doubled.


Punch down the dough 15-20 times, then cover and let rise again 40-50 minutes or until nearly coubled.


Turn out the dough and shape it into a ball.  Hopefully, you won't need flour, but add a little if the dough is too sticky.  Cut into 2 pieces and shape each into a ball.  Let them sit for 5 minutes, then knead the dough again with the right hand, turning it with your left (they liken this priming of the bread to winding up a watch).  Roll each piece of dough into a log, pinch the seams shut, square off the edges, and place in an oiled bread pan with the seam up.  Pat the dough with the backs of your hands so it fills the pan, then turn the dough over seam side down and flatten the top of the dough.  Cover the loaves and let them rise 20-25 minutes, then cut 1/2 inch slits in the top to let steam escape.  Brush with egg wash if desired (I skipped this but I would recommend it).  Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.  Cool on a rack.