The husband and wife team Anna & Andrew Hellman relies on an international group of designers and artisans to make thoughtfully designed objects for the table. Their latest creation is the cutest bread basket I came across so far. It is made of felt and it ships flat.

With the holes, I do not think this bread basket is suitable for long storage. My guess is that it is designed more to carry the bread but it is so cute. I feel it looks like a present.

The assembled version stays upright. It even hold its shape when the front is opened to access what is inside. A bread basket will hold four bagels or a round country bread. It will become available this Spring in soft white, spring green, deep brown and quiet grey. They planned to reveal later an Autumn color collection. The Avva Felt Breadbasket was designed by Josh Jakus of Berkeley, California and it is produced for Teroforma by Buffalo Felt from Buffalo, New York.

+ Avva Felt Breadbasket by Teroforma

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I guess that a lot of college students will ask this toaster as a housewarming gift. I totally understand the appeal. You know by now that I love bringing color into my home. It is not the first time that Bodum introduced color in an unusual but tasteful way.

The Bistro Toasters is not just a pretty thing. It has nice features that would be appreciated by moms and dads. The 900-watt Bistro 2-slice Toaster is made of stainless steel that is cover with a heat-resistant rubber exterior. It is safer. The little fingers cannot be burned by touching the toaster. It is also easier to clean. No more worries about finger marks on the toaster. Cool features are a defrost mode and a cancel button.

Writing this post makes me want to change my 15-year old toaster. I would like a red one to repeat the bright red center of my kitchen cabinets.

Bistro Flatbed Toasters by Bodum

The Flatbed toaster is something that I never seen before. It will be soon available. I read that it is:

• Great for Bagels, Croissants, Baguettes & More
• Toasts one side and defrosts four traditional slices of bread at once
• Comes with an adjustable Timer
• Toast larger breads without crushing them

I am curious to know how well it performs. If you have ever tried something similar, I would like to get your input. The Flatbed toaster is available in the same 8 colors.

SOURCING:
+ Bistro 2-slice Toaster by Bodum choice of 8 colors $79.99 USD at Amazon.com
+ Black Bistro Flatbed Toaster by Bodum $79.99 USD
+ Bodum Toaster Collection

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+ Learn how to make your own no-knead European peasant bread. Pete of Pete-bakes.com used a recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. You may recall that I reviewed the book. By the way, the blog for the book is called Artisan Bread in five.

+ For breakfast, try this Bread pudding baked in a muffin tin from James Starmer

+ For a quick lunch, opt for healthy salad like the Butterbeans with sweet chili & herbs salad from A Spoonful of Sugar. You can have a slice of the European bread with it.

+ For a simple dinner, my friend Quynh of QlinArt shares her recipe for a moist and fluffy steamed omelet with pork, mushrooms and fresh dill. It sounds delicious. This dish takes 30 minutes from prepping the ingredients to the table. Perfect on a weekday!

More Vietnamese Recipes

Quynh told me her pork steamed omelet is a traditional Vietnamese family dish. This is not something you will find at a restaurant.

I encourage you to read QlinArt. She is a talented photographer and cook. QlinArt is about easy to make and tasty Vietnamese recipes. Last week, she published her delicious Vietnamese Fish Sauce Dip (Nuoc Mam). You can keep the sauce up to 3 weeks if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

CREDITS:
+ 4 first images showcased on Tastespotting – rights reserved
+ nuoc mam: image by QlinArt – rights reserved

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Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day contains nearly 100 no-knead bread recipes including French loaves, ciabbata, pita, and peasant bread. An imposing majority of the 158 reviewers on Amazon really enjoy this book.

Take the time to fully read the first chapters that explain key principles in bread baking. Then, you can start to make your own bread. One of the appeals of homemade bread is how good your house will smell. It is a good idea to bake your bread when you have guests over.

One Weakness

Unfortunately, the book does not indicate the weights for flour in recipes. The two authors decided against writing both weights and cup measures because they think most people do not use scale. Even if it is true, it would have been great to serve the minority who uses a scale.

You will be surprised on the difference you can get if you do not use the proper technique for measuring flour in a cup. Keeping the right proportions between the ingredients is crucial when you make bread and prepare pastry. Having all the facts can help you if a recipe does not turn right.

The Art of Measuring Flour

Sifting influences the weight of a cup of flour. So pay attention to the words used in a recipe. 1 cup of flour, sifted is different than 1 cup of sifted flour.

If you experience problems, know that there are many opinions on the subject. But I found a general consensus around these facts:

• a cup of all-purpose sifted flour weigh 4 ounces (113 grams)
• a cup of sifted cake flour = 3.5 ounces (100 gr)
• a cup of whole wheat flour = 4.25 flour (120 gr)
• a cup of bread flour = 4.5 flour (128 gr)

In a reader question, Zoe said that she evaluates the weight is about 5 ounces per cup of all-purpose flour. You can watch an instructional video on Star Tribune about how Jeff and Zoe make the bread on the cover of their book.

For more read making advices and recipes, consult the blog of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

SOURCING:
+ For Americans: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois – $18.45 USD
+ For Canadians: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois – $19.50 CAD

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Rustic bread is often better toasted, which makes this recipe perfect for breakfast or to prepare yummy French toasts. I serve my French toast with a couple of spoons of homemade jams on top. I cook my jam fresh on the spot, so I use it while it is still warm. You can pour a little bit of genuine maple syrup to finish it up.

After digging more this morning, I read some comments on the Web about the lack of taste of breads made with the no knead technique. It may be true with the NY Times recipe. But knowing the well-deserved reputations of the two chefs that I talked about, I feel confident that the recipes of Eric Girard and Michael Smith taste good.

One thing is clear: delicious recipes begin with best of the crop products. For success, it is crucial to start with a top of the line flour, preferably an organic one.

Michael Smith’s Real Bread seems to have fewer holes than Eric white bread. I took the photo from Michael Smith’s Web site, so I assume this is the actual product. In fact, it is gorgeous whole wheat bread.

With more than 100 loaves under its belt with its No-knead artisan bread recipe, it is fair to say that Michael Smith took a look at many aspects. I suggest you sign in to its quarterly newsletters; this is how I got its Real Bread recipe.

I want to finish this follow-up by giving you another great recipe from that same A la di Stasio episode, Dyan Saloman, the cook at Olive & Gourmando, used the no-knead bread of its partner Eric Girard to make a crostini recipe. It will be a hit as an appetizer or for quick snacks. This recipe comes handy for the nights where you prefer eating a light supper made of a nice soup.

Apple and Cheddar crostini recipe (Croûte aux Pommes et au Cheddar)

A recipe by Dyan Saloman of Olive & Gourmando

Ingredients:

Thinly sliced green apples, use a mandoline for perfect slices
A few drizzles of hazelnut oil, nut oil or simply olive oil
Slices of bread, fresh or toasted
Chopped roasted hazelnuts
Slices of Aged Cheddar, Manchego or another kind of cheese that you like

In a bowl, mix together the apple slices and a little bit of oil. Layer the hazelnuts, the oiled apple slices and top it with cheese. Grill it until the cheese is soft.

Link: Croûte aux Pommes et au Cheddar by Dyan Solomon and Eric Girard of Olive et Gourmando as seen on TV at A la di Stasio
Link: To subscribe to Michael Smith’s newsletters
Link: Web site of Olive & Gourmando, a bakery-cafe located in Old Montreal

RELATED POST:
+ No Knead Bread 101

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Bread machine and kneading are obsolete with the latest crave for no-knead bread recipe. Since the New York Times published an innovative No knead bread recipe last November adapted from Jim Lahey’s recipe at Sullivan Street Bakery, everyone made its own version.

I discovered the technique a couple months ago while watching a TV series called A la di Stasio. This show is very popular in Quebec. The recipe was given by Eric Girard, the baker of the hip and popular Olive & Gourmando bakery-café located in Old-Montreal. I was hooked.

Last week, one of my favorite chefs Micheal Smith published its No-knead bread recipe in its newsletter. Michael Smith made a normal size loaf recipe plus a larger loaf recipe, which is handy when you are entertaining. His recipe is for the more nutritious multi-grain bread. The whole wheat no-bread recipe is something different than the rest.

Basically, the three recipes are quite similar. The no-knead bread technique works on the principle that the dough has to rest for 12 to 18 hours instead of kneading it. Yeast needs time to create its magic.

While I was watching A la di Stasio, Eric Girard talked about small details that make a difference. So I want to share them with you. Moisture is crucial to activate the yeasting process. Since summer is a more humid period, the dough can rest only 12 hours. If you live in Canada and anywhere other than the south, plan for an 18-hour resting period the rest of the year.

If you use organic bread flour, you need to adjust the water quantity as the organic bread flour is more or less absorbent (I do not recall which) than an all-purpose flour.

Bread flour has more gluten, more protein and minerals than all purpose flour. Bread flour will expand more which is what you are looking for in breads. Apparently, white all-purpose flours in Canada have a higher gluten content than the United Stated. So it is something to take into account.

Whole-wheat bread flour raises less. I think this fact explains why Michael Smith recipe calls for a second round of yeast raising for about 2 to 3 hours. Most whole wheat bread recipes suggest using some part of white flour. That is what Michael Smith’s recipe does in its recipe.

To give you an idea of Micheal Smith’s Real bread recipe, here is the list of the ingredients for a normal loaf:

• 2 cups of all-purpose or bread flour
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup of any multi-grain mix
• 1/4 teaspoon of dry yeast
• 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt
• 1 5/8 cups of warm water

I just bought a bag of organic whole wheat bread flour. I like to hear from you if you give Micheal Smith’s Real Bread recipe a try. A link to the complete recipe is at the end of my post.

Eric Girard’s no knead bread recipe (Pain Maison)

I translated Eric Girard’s homemade bread recipe. This is the no knead bread recipe he does at home. This is not the bread he bakes at Olive & Gourmando.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups organic bread flour or organic all purpose bread
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 – 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup of bran flour for dusting
• A very hot preheated round Dutch oven – cast iron or enamel

In a bowl, mix the flour, the yeast and the salt. Add water and slowly mix with your hand until you form a ball with the dough. Gently deposit the dough in a large bowl and put a plastic wrap to cover the bowl. Leave it to rest 12 hours in summer, 18 hours in winter.

Preheat the oven at 500 °F (250 °C). Heat the Dutch oven for 30 minutes in the oven with the lid on.

Lightly flour a work surface with the bran flour and place dough on it. Fold the dough towards the center in four folds to form a navel.

Be careful and remove the Dutch pot from the oven. Deposit the bread with the navel below. Put the lid on and cook at 500 °F (250 °C) for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 10 minutes. This will create a nice colored crust. Let the bread cool on a grill. Enjoy your masterpiece!

The links to the two other recipes are below. I will like to know which one of the three recipes you prefer?

Link: No-Knead Bread recipe in the New York Times
Link: Real bread recipe by Michael Smith
Link: Pain maison by Eric Girard shown at A la di Stasio TV show

RELATED POST:
+ Follow-up to No Knead Bread 101

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