Baking Lately #1
Hello & Happy 2024,
I wanted to start a new avenue of sharing my baking with you called Baking Lately. In this series I will check-in with you and share some of my favorite new bakes along with bakes I make time & time again. I thought this would be a fun way to stay connected with you, share my new baking experiences, and gather insight into bakes that I just can't get enough of. Without further ado, here is what I have been baking lately (#1)!
Homemade Bagels
I’ve only made homemade bagels once before, but they are so worth it. The biggest difference I find between homemade and store-bought bagels is that homemade bagels have a more delightful crispy exterior. Plus, they require no eggs & no butter which can be a bit costly these days. I followed the Preppy Kitchen recipe.
I used instant yeast, brown sugar where it called for sugar or barley malt syrup, and did the first rise as an overnight rise. I love recipes that allow me to do part of the recipe ahead of time/ the night before. Plus, this recipe requires minimal ingredients!
The one challenge I find of making bagels is shaping them so that the hole in the middle is wide enough while the bagel has an even thickness all around. That is something I look forward to continuing to work on! If you are looking for something fun & different then try your hand at homemade bagels!
Homemade bagels
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
One of the first breads I ever baked that made me fall in love with bread baking was Peter Reinhart’s Cinnamon Raisin Bread. There is nothing better then a toasted slice (or two) of this bread causing the cinnamon swirl to get gooey and soft. Slather with some softened butter & kick your feet up with a cup of tea and a good show. Plus, the recipe makes 2 loaves so you can enjoy one loaf now and freeze one loaf for later. There are recipes floating around the internet for the Cinnamon Raisin Bread on the internet, but I baked from the recipe in The Bread Baker’s Apprentice . Additionally, I left out the raisins and just did the cinnamon swirl. I did find the swirl did not stay completely sealed once I baked and have read that a way to remedy that is to add a layer of egg wash onto the dough before adding the cinnamon sugar mixture. That way the cinnamon sugar will have something to adhere to as it bakes. Regardless, the bread was delicious.
Cinnamon swirl bread makes for the perfect breakfast or anytime treat.
White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, and Toasted Pecan Blondies
Some days you want to bake something with minimal dishes, low effort, and high reward. These blondies fit the bill. They can be made largely in one bowl, require no stand mixer, and can be prepared quickly. I did not snap a great picture of them but they were just the sweet treat I was looking for. I baked out of my Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book , but it is the same recipe on her website here . The only difference I made was for the mix-ins I did 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup toasted pecans! Bake until they are just set (about 28 minutes) for ultimate texture and chewiness.
So far 2024 has been off to a great baking start! I look forward to doing more of these posts for you to share more of what I have been baking lately. Please leave a comment with what you have been baking lately or what I should try!
Happy baking :)
