Congratulations Maureen Lindsay and Hollie Jones
While these are something I am not likely to make often, when I do make them I want to make them well. Like croissants, baguettes, rye bread and ficelle, all of which Brettschneider has comprehensive instructions for in his latest book Baked: Treats for Breakfast, Lunch & Tea.
Baked isn’t just about recipes that take half a day from start to finish though, you will also find quick to make treats such as wholemeal oat ginger crunch cookies with ginger icing, triple chocolate chunk & almond cookies and chicken cranberry and camembert pies (my mother would adore those!).
For a regular size cookbook that is reasonably priced $45, Baked is literally stuffed full with all the information needed to help you to become a proficient pastry cook and baker, whether it be sweet or savoury.
Dean Brettschneider as well as being a judge on NZ Hottest Home Baker, also has a string of bakeries around the world, making him truly a Global Baker. At any given day at his bakeries you will find freshly baked croissants, American-style muffins, chocolate cakes, Danish rye bread, hazelnut biscotti, Turkish pide and a selection of homemade jams and chutneys. The jams and chutneys are also covered in Baked as are toppings and sauces such as caramel sauce, spiced berry compote and almond filling.
Reasons for failures are explained and you will also find quick recipes for basics that we haven’t always mastered such as a sponge or chocolate sponge cake.
In searching through Baked and critically looking for what I might want that isn’t there, I can’t find gaps. In fact I think you could confidently say that this book has it all!
italian bomboloni
makes 20 doughnuts
These small Italian doughnuts are half doughnut and half filling. They taste amazing and
can be eaten in one or two bites. Before you know it, you’ve eaten the whole lot. Make sure to fry these doughnuts to a rich dark brown colour so they have a thin crisp coating, then toss them in the sugar almost immediately. Pipe cream or jam into them while they are hot and the dough is still soft on the inside.
bomboloni
500g strong bread flour
1½ tsp salt
60g sugar
10g active dried yeast
75g butter
2 eggs
230ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 litres canola or sunflower oil
200g granulated sugar (not caster sugar)
400g Crème Pâtissière (see below) or quality raspberry jam
Place all the ingredients for the bomboloni into a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, combine to form a dough mass.
Tip dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10–15 minutes, resting it for 30 seconds every 2–3 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. It will be sticky to the touch, but don’t be tempted to add excessive amounts of flour during the kneading process. Place dough into a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes to allow it to double in size.
Knock back the dough in the bowl by gently folding it onto itself three to four times. The dough will deflate slightly, but this will help it develop more strength. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for 30 minutes.
Tip dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 20 equal pieces, approximately 50g each, then roll each piece into a small ball. Place approximately 2cm apart onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to prove for 1 hour or until dough balls have doubled in size.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan to 180°C – check temperature using a sugar thermometer. Carefully lift one dough ball at a time and place into the heated oil. Fry five to seven balls at one time to ensure even cooking. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. As the balls fry, they will increase in size. Remove with a large slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain for about 15 seconds.
While bomboloni are still hot, roll them in a bowl filled with granulated sugar until evenly coated. Using a sharp knife, make a small hole on the bottom of each bomboloni. Spoon Creme Patissiere or raspberry jam into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm plain tip. Place the tip of the piping bag into the hole and squeeze until the bomboloni feels heavy and the filling comes oozing out.
crème pâtissière or pastry cream
3 egg yolks
45g sugar
20g plain flour
250ml milk
30g sugar
1 vanilla pod, split
Whisk together egg yolks and first measure of sugar until pale. Sift in flour and mix until the mixture is lump-free.
Place milk, second measure of sugar and vanilla pod into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. When milk starts to bubble, remove from the heat and pour about one-third of it into the yolk mixture. Whisk to combine.
Once combined, return mixture to the saucepan and continue to whisk over a medium heat. Be sure to keep stirring to avoid custard burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. After a few minutes, the custard will start to thicken. Remove from the heat when the custard is at a fairly thick stage. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Pour through a sieve into a prepared container to ensure there are no lumps. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Cool and refrigerate until needed.
Reproduced with permission from Baked by Dean Brettschneider. Published by Penguin Group NZ. RRP $45.00. Copyright © 2013 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd.
