If years of telephone calls with my mother have taught me anything, it is that morning television has all the answers to life's issues. My mother is a little A.D.D. and she has remote fever. As soon as there is a break for commercial she is flipping back to the Today Show from Good Morning America, but don't mention that CBS show because she does not like it. If you have a spare 45 minutes, I am sure she would be happy to tell you all about it.
Thank you Robin Roberts, Meridith Vieira, and Ann Curry for all your "How To:" tips that my mother has recorded for just such an occasion. Mother keeps a note pad by the television and take frantic notes for future telephone calls. Part of our weekly updates are the highlights or bullet points from the list appearing on the TV screen. She doesn't always get all the information down on paper or sometimes she forgets to write down the topic so she only has a list of items, so for me, it is more of a test of patients and hope for a glimmer of understanding from the cryptic clues of why she thought I might be interested in black trench coat, back A-line skirt, white button-down top ,etc...what the hell is this about? Oh yes! The "Ten closet must-haves for summer!" Ta Da! God bless you mother. I do appreciate those lists!
Like a good daughter, I am doing all those things you are supposed to do when you suddenly find yourself unemployed and with limited resources. I've set my career goals high in the sense of personal freedom and personal integrity and the task of work I've chosen is fun and passion filled. I've taken positive steps towards my goal and it is working out so far. I have an interview for the Wine Intern position at an awesome wine shop to bump up my knowledge. I've applied for Unemployment and am awaiting a ruling. I've updated my resume and am frequently and regularly checking job options, bulletin boards and alumni job sites. I've contacted friends in the industry and let them know of my situation and that I am looking for employment.
And I've made Brioche dough. I am not sure on which show they say to make Brioche...okay. Maybe no one tells you once you find yourself suddenly unemployed, it is time to make desserts good enough to make Julia Child cry. That is my culinary goal. I want to bring giant, wet crocodile tears to Julia Childs old, sad powder-blue eyes. Unfortunately, Julia Child is dead. Who could ever fill her shoes as to making a master brought to tears over a magnificent dessert? For now, it is going to have to be me. I must channel the spirit of Julia through this dough. I must be moved to tears. I must satisfy my inner-Julia and I must make the most awesome Brioche ever!
Let's go! Please feel free to grab your "Baking With Julia" cookbooks for this segment of our program.
I am using the Brioche recipe in the Baking with Julia" cookbook published way back in the day of 1996 by Dorie Greenspan, who just happens to be one of America's best baking/cookbook author in my opinion. And I would like to clarify that I am in no way trying to rip off any lame Hollywood movie or book like Julia and Julia. If you know me at all, you know that I have been a passionate baker since my first poison Popsicle which I made at age 8. I received a lot of answers about my path in life at the age of 8 years old and baking has always been one of my most favorite forms of expression. Another thing about me is that I don't collect cookbooks or baking books. I am really stingy when it comes to buying cook books because I have been so screwed in my day by books that don't deliver on their glossy photo promises. Many years ago at the Culinary Institute of America, (CIA) I picked up some gems of secretes from the Chef-Instructors and one of my favorite is to NEVER buy a cookbook without first testing a few recipes yourself at home in your setting. In the old days, I would copy a recipe out of a cookbook at the Library and try it at home. Later, Barnes and Nobel became a great resource before the internet made it possible to find many many recipes. . Testing a cookbook before purchasing it has saved me a lot of heartache and money. I highly recommend it.
I've made this basic Brioche dough on pages 42 and 43 now that the dough has rested for 18 hours or more (my notes, not theirs!) it is time to move forward. I am torn about what to do next with this dough and I haven't started a back-up batch yet. It is good to see what stresses me out because I start to worry that I won't have enough dough to do what I want to do! But I have time, so I must start another batch today!
My first Brioche desire is: Pecan Cinnamon Sticky Buns. Holy mother of god.....when I first made this recipe I devoured four of these puppies in one breath. Note: Food Porn photo of these amazing Sticky Buns is in the "Baking With Julia" (BWJ) page 172 and 173. The sweetness of these caramelized pecans made me fall-down and wet my pants, no lie...they were that good. These Sticky Buns inspired me to start the Brunch Club in Brooklyn. The Brunch Club is a weekly gathering of people who are interested in food who want to try these dishes I'm making and talk about food with other foodies. There is a donation that goes towards ingredients and efforts. It's a great way of connecting with others who have the same interests and it is a great way to taste my buns!
Back to the Brioche.
Another thing I do with my cookbooks is I write all over the pages when I am making stuff. Some authors like their desserts much sweeter than my tastes and I usually change quantities after the first try. I take that follow-the-direction approach on the first time making a dish and then alter as see fit. It takes a little courage to write in the pages but the notes are a life-saver. On page 190 of BWJ, the rested Brioche is the canvas for these flaky wonders. I'm feeling adventures today and I'm going to divide this dough and make half the way the instructions say and the other half with a twist. What is CRAZY about this recipe in the baking world is that it is taking a buttery Brioche dough and adding MORE BUTTER! Folding it in in layers like a puff pastry or Danish dough. Who ever thought of this technique was a frikking genius. So let's take a moment to pay homage to the mighty dough gods.
Instead of folding a traditional organic, unsalted butter into the folds of the Brioche dough, I am taking the butter and making a slightly sweet compound with cinnamon and sugar and then folding that into the dough to add slightly sweetened, cinnamon layers in addition to the caramelized pecans to be added later. See, crazy does as crazy sees...and when I sees someone fold butter into Brioche dough, well, it moves me to a new culinary place.
So that is the next step. I am adjusting the recipe and adding the slightly sweeteened cinnamon butter to the dough, folding it like a business letter, rotating the dough one quarter a turn, rolling it carefully out careful to not over-roll on the folded layers, folding it again like a business letter and wraping it in plastic. Now the dough must rest for at least 30 min before doing anything else to it. This is Brioche's secret. You work it a little, you let the dough rest and recover. This is why making a double batch is such a good idea so you can make other items while one batch of dough is resting. Another batch can be doing something else. But not everyone is unemployed like me. It only seems like everyone is unemployed! This is the time when we work the dough a little, let the dough rest a lot.
After the afternoon nap, it is time to fill the dough which means rolling it out again and rolling in more sugar, butter, cinnamon and chopped pecans. I like to roll the dough pretty thin and try to make mini size Sticky Buns so I can eat more of them and think that I'm consuming less. Once they are filled and rolled into a tube, the dough must rest for another 45 minutes. This is why Brioche rolls in most bakeries are $2.75 each! Look at this, we are on day 2, at least 28 hours into operation by now and this dough must rest and it is preferred if the dough is frozen for at least 45 minutes. Then AFTER the dough is frozen and more butter is put into the pans and layered with whole pecans, this dough now must RISE FOR TWO HOURS!!! Do you see how much time these frikking buns take? I mean, maybe I am crazy to make this dough...but the pay off is so sweet. Okay. Moving forward. Honestly, I can only say thank you Unemployment for granting me the ridicules amount of time that it takes to make this flaky, buttery sensation. Thank you, thank you thank you!
So that is where we are. The dough is filled, rolled, rested, rolled again and filled again, rested again and in the freezer waiting for yet another day so they may be cut, proofed and baked so I can finally taste this dough to see if 36 hours of my time has been well spent.
To do: File my Unemployment claim today. Complete stage two of the Brioche (and start a second batch to be ready tomorrow too!) Oh lord, thank goodness I am unemployed so I have enough time to finally do Divine Work! Pray for me people, that my unemployment is awarded to me as I continue to look for a job and make Brioche.
When in doubt, roll, fold, and rest. Roll, fold, and rest. Roll, fold, rest.
So much love,
All the way from over here...
Linda
1 comment:
I did not know you had such patience! This sounds fantastic.
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