"Bakers Banter" news and stories

I know it's still early in the week, but it's never too early to start thinking about what you want to cook this weekend. Tuesday afternoon is the perfect time to start planning your lazy Sunday morning meal! If you maintain your own sourdough starter, this recipe is a sure winner. If you don't, why not start one!

If you have your own starter, sourdough waffles are a great way to use up some of the excess that you might normally throw away. This recipe comes courtesy of Bakers' Banter, and you can find great images to walk you through the whole recipe.

I think sourdough waffles are an excellent idea. I'm definitely trying them this weekend, even though I don't keep my own starter. Mixing one half cup each of flour and water with the tiniest pinch of yeast about 3-6 hours before you need to use it should supply the amount of starter needed. The waffles won't taste exactly the same, but it should be pretty close.

Today for lunch, my sister and I did something we don't do very often. We went to an Italian restaurant. Italian just isn't one of my favorite cuisines. After a minute of looking at the menu, she asked me what cannelloni was, at which point I realized I had no idea. Imagine my surprise when I got home and found this post from Baker's Banter. It's a how-to on Sara Moulton's (Sara's Secrets) version of cannelloni, which uses crepes rather than pasta sheets. It looks incredibly delicious, and would probably make a great, easy, special dinner.

According to this article in Wikipedia, cannelloni can be made with either pasta sheets or crepes and still be considered correct. It was really interesting to learn about this dish, especially since it found me rather than the other way around. It occurred to me that cannelloni is similar to baked enchiladas. Now I'm curious if there are similar recipes from other cuisines. What do you think?

Do you love fresh bread? Are you thinking about some for dinner tonight? You could always go to the local bakery and pick up a loaf baked that morning. Or you could pull some out of your oven about five minutes before you sit down to eat.

King Arthur's blog Baker's Banter has a post about a loaf it's calling Blitz Bread. They claim the bread is done in two hours from start to finish, and the trick is to use a lot of yeast. Using extra yeast will speed up the process. The only downside is that you lose the complexity and flavor that smaller amounts of yeast creates. However, if you're having something that involves tomato sauce, then the super fresh bread is a great option.

The blitz bread looks a lot like a focaccia loaf, and since it only takes a couple hours to make (most of which time will be spent on letting the bread rise and then baking it) it's a great week night dinner option. Baker's Banter walks you through the process, from start to finish, with great photos for every step. Don't be afraid and have some fresh bread with dinner.