skifurthur
02-26-2007, 12:06 PM
I recieved this recipie from Christine Lavin recently and thought I would share it with all of you. Although I love to cook, baking is real trouble for me...a mess is sure to happen all around me that day. hmmmm. Maybe I should set up a live camera, stream it on the web and call it performance art!
Christine Lavin’s Petit Pan Au Chocolat recipie
(Start the night before)
1 packet yeast (1 Tablespoon)
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Approx 3-1/2 to 4 cups all purpose unbleached flour
¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups water (total amount)
8 oz. milk chocolate (Favergi or Ghirandelli are excellent)
4 buttered baby pan loaf pans
1. In a medium size bowl, dissolve 3/4 cup hot water, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1 packet yeast. Stir, then mix in 1 cup of either white bread flour or all-purpose unbleached flour. Stir with a big wooden spoon til it's all mixed. Then cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter overnight. It will rise, then fall, and look like a weird sponge from outerspace.
2. In the morning, stir down the sponge. Then stir in 1/2 cup warm water, 1/4 c. nonfat dry milk, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 3 Tablespoons softened butter. Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time (again, use either bread flour or all-purpose unbleached. I like to use both, a half-and-half combination), til you have a good, elastic bread dough. The amount of flour varies, based on humidity, but around 3 cups is what you'll use, but it's OK if it's more. Dough should no longer be sticky.
3. Turn out onto floured counter and knead for 8 minutes. Add flour a tiny bit at a time if it is still sticky.
4. Put in a greased bowl, turn it over to get it buttered on all sides, then cover with plastic, let rise for 1 hour.
5. Punch down, knead out the bubbles, separate into 4 small balls, cover with a towel and let rest for 5 minutes.
6. Flatten each ball into an oval, then place approximately 1-1/2 oz. of cut up milk chocolate squares (Bakers' German chocolate or Girandhelli baking chocolate is good, though you can also get fancy chunks from fancy food stores) into each oval, fold over, pinch tightly closed, fold under ends, then put into a greased baby loaf pan.
7. Line up the 4 baby loaf pans and cover with a sheet of wax paper. After 20 minutes, preheat over for 375 degrees. Let bread rise for another 20 minutes while oven is preheating.
8. Uncover breads, then place them in the oven, spaced apart. Bake for approximately 25 minutes. Top of bread should be golden brown. Tap the bottom of loaf and it should sound hollow., Cool on a rack for just a few minutes, and serve very warm. Or wrap in aluminum foil and freeze. When you are ready to serve it, thaw, then place in a 200 degree oven for about 15 minutes to soften the chocolate. Or slice, then zap it in the microwave for a few seconds (but unwrap it first! You don't want to know what happens to aluminum foil in the microwave). It's great for a fancy breakfast or brunch, or serve it at tea time. Does anyone still celebrate tea time? I bet Martha Stewart does. Enjoy!
Christine Lavin’s Petit Pan Au Chocolat recipie
(Start the night before)
1 packet yeast (1 Tablespoon)
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Approx 3-1/2 to 4 cups all purpose unbleached flour
¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups water (total amount)
8 oz. milk chocolate (Favergi or Ghirandelli are excellent)
4 buttered baby pan loaf pans
1. In a medium size bowl, dissolve 3/4 cup hot water, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1 packet yeast. Stir, then mix in 1 cup of either white bread flour or all-purpose unbleached flour. Stir with a big wooden spoon til it's all mixed. Then cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter overnight. It will rise, then fall, and look like a weird sponge from outerspace.
2. In the morning, stir down the sponge. Then stir in 1/2 cup warm water, 1/4 c. nonfat dry milk, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 3 Tablespoons softened butter. Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time (again, use either bread flour or all-purpose unbleached. I like to use both, a half-and-half combination), til you have a good, elastic bread dough. The amount of flour varies, based on humidity, but around 3 cups is what you'll use, but it's OK if it's more. Dough should no longer be sticky.
3. Turn out onto floured counter and knead for 8 minutes. Add flour a tiny bit at a time if it is still sticky.
4. Put in a greased bowl, turn it over to get it buttered on all sides, then cover with plastic, let rise for 1 hour.
5. Punch down, knead out the bubbles, separate into 4 small balls, cover with a towel and let rest for 5 minutes.
6. Flatten each ball into an oval, then place approximately 1-1/2 oz. of cut up milk chocolate squares (Bakers' German chocolate or Girandhelli baking chocolate is good, though you can also get fancy chunks from fancy food stores) into each oval, fold over, pinch tightly closed, fold under ends, then put into a greased baby loaf pan.
7. Line up the 4 baby loaf pans and cover with a sheet of wax paper. After 20 minutes, preheat over for 375 degrees. Let bread rise for another 20 minutes while oven is preheating.
8. Uncover breads, then place them in the oven, spaced apart. Bake for approximately 25 minutes. Top of bread should be golden brown. Tap the bottom of loaf and it should sound hollow., Cool on a rack for just a few minutes, and serve very warm. Or wrap in aluminum foil and freeze. When you are ready to serve it, thaw, then place in a 200 degree oven for about 15 minutes to soften the chocolate. Or slice, then zap it in the microwave for a few seconds (but unwrap it first! You don't want to know what happens to aluminum foil in the microwave). It's great for a fancy breakfast or brunch, or serve it at tea time. Does anyone still celebrate tea time? I bet Martha Stewart does. Enjoy!