Bread article is food journalism award finalist

Devoted followers with exceptional memories and uncluttered brains (that is, my kids) may remember that last May I authored a cover story on American Bread in Saveur magazine. I've learned the the piece is a food journalism finalist for the 2013 IACP awards (that's International Association of Culinary Professionals) next month in San Francisco. I'd ask you all to stuff the ballet box, except there is none (and besides, that strategy didn't work for the Quill Book Awards in 2007). Win or lose, as Sarah Palin might say, "I'm just so proud to be nominated."

All Things Bread named to top food blogs

All Things Bread, the blog you are reading, has been named as one of 100 Magnificent Sites for Chefs by CulinaryPrograms.net, a site devoted to leveraging the Internet to chefs-in-training. This is what they have to say about All Things Bread:

Best-selling author William Alexander shares his passion for the baked loaf at this blog. His cookbook, 52 Loaves, is all about baking the perfect loaf of bread, and his blog takes that perfection even further.

In other words, they liked the pretzel dog recipe. Thanks to the kind folks at Culinary Programs for their recognition and check out the other sites, but not if it means you're going to read those blogs instead of mine.

Pretzel Dogs!

Since they first appeared on the scene (longer ago than you'd think) I've been a fan of pretzel dogs, food that is greater than the sum of its parts. At shopping mall pretzel stands, however, they have often been sitting out for hours, the poor hot dog shriveled and dry. So why not make them at home? Lye, that's why. Real pretzels are dipping in lye, which I was wasn't quite ready to tackle. But then I saw Harold McGee's article on getting the lye effect (which both adds flavor and gives you that great mahogany sheen) from plain baking soda, so I no longer had an excuse. I can't say that baking soda aspect quite worked out, but more about that later. Making pretzel dough is easy (I even made some with my beloved sourdough, but they didn't prove to be any better, so I'll give the basic recipe here, with a nod to the New York Times, from which it's adapted. The result? Absolutely fantastic! And I can attest to the fact that they reheat well.

Pretzel Dogs

6 hot dogs (preferably natural casing dogs such as Nathan's or Boar's Head
425 grams (about 3 cups) bread flour
236 grams (about 1 cup) tepid water
1 Tbl instant yeast
1 Tbl lard or unsalted butter (of course, I used lard)
1 1/2 teas kosher salt
1-1/2 teas brown sugar

1 cup baking soda (for dipping)
1 egg, mixed with 1 Tbl water (optional)
Coarse sea salt

1. Prepare the baking soda dip: sprinkle about 1 cup of baking soda onto a small pan and bake at 300 deg. F for one hour.
2. Mix flour, yeast, kosher salt, sugar, lard and water and let sit for 20-25 minutes, covered with a dish towel. If mixture is too stiff add up to another 10g water.
3. Knead on a countertop for about 8 minutes. Dough will be very stiff and tight, but should become glossy as you knead.
4. Cut dough into six equal pieces of about 115 g each
5. Cover and allow to rest 5-10 minutes
6. Roll out pieces into long ropes about 20-22 inches long
7. Spiral each rope around a hot dog. Cut off any excess.
8. Cover with dishtowel; allow to rest 30 minutes
9. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
10. Preheat oven to 425 F.
11. Prepare you "lye" dip. Now here's where it get's interesting. McGee says to dissolve 3/4 cup of the baked baking soda with 2 cups water. I couldn't get that much soda to dissolve in only 2 cups water, and most other recipes that use baking soda use that much in 2 quarts of water. I think Mr. McGee may have a typo, and it should be 2 quarts. Whichever way you go, dip the pretzel dogs in the baking soda mixture, then rinse in clean water; pat dry and place on baking sheet.
12. Optionally paint with egg mixture (this shouldn't be necessary, but my first batch had no sheen at all) and sprinkle coarse sea salt onto top of each.
13. Bake for 15 minutes or so, until pretzels are deep golden brown. Let cool a few minutes before eating. Great with Dijon mustard and a cold beer

One Grain More

Occasionally, I get asked about gluten-free breads, a subject about which I'm nearly totally ignorant. But any of you have grappled with the difficulty of turning of delectable edible  gluten-free baked goods or lactose-free dairy  -- or anyone who's seen Les Miz -- or anyone with a sense of humor--  will devour this hilarious Les Miz parody.

Bravo, Michael and Lily! 

Now THAT's dedication

I really thought I was a model of determination and persistence when I baked the same loaf of bread every week for a year,  a whopping 52 loaves of peasant bread, trying to get it right (at first, trying to get it just edible), until I received the following e-mail from a fan of 52 Loaves, the book the details my half-baked adventure:

My neighbor loaned to me your $64 Tomato last summer.  I loved it since we have grown tomatoes in our garden for 40 years. I just finished your book, 52 Loaves.  I couldn't put it down since I could relate.  I have made this same bread for 42 years for our family (4 loaves every 2 weeks). 

 

Forty-two years?!  That's 4,368 loaves (compared, remember, to my 52). Surely that's qualifies for an entry in the Guinness Book of records, no?  (By the way, this looks like darn good sandwich and toasting bread.) But, wait, it gets better. She and her husband (who also bakes) grind their own wheat, in this wonderful plywood contraption here, something called a Miracle Mill, that they purchased in 1973. No little countertop Williams-Sonoma mill for these hardy Oregon (no surprise, there) homesteaders-- they feed this beast with 50-pound bags of flour!

 

 I feel like such a wimp! But it's a great (and encouraging) story, and thanks, and bravo!, my anonymous friends, for sharing and allowing me to share with you. Occasionally, something comes into your inbox which makes you feel good -- and hopeful -- about America. And for me, at least, surprisingly often, it has something to do with bread.