The best homemade bread (and almond butter) ever!

While I am writing this, I am listening to the fabulous new CD of Florence + the machine, one of my favourite bands/singers. The sky is bright blue and it is about 17°C outside while we’re in November! This all makes me a very happy person, but what makes me even happier is this fabulous bread recipe with homemade almond butter.

Last week I bought a great book: Homemade by Yvette van Boven. This Dutch-Irish super creative woman (she did everything for the book herself, except for the pictures which are made by her husband) has made one of the coolest cookbooks I’ve ever seen! She tells you how to make everything from yoghurt and cheese to bread. The first recipe I tried from the books was the pan-baked bread.

I have to say that the measurements for the dough didn’t completely work for me, but with a bit of creativity it did, and worked out fantastic! My dough came out way to moist and sticky and I had to add a lot of extra flour (about 200-300 gram) to get it to the right consistency, but wait with adding extra flour until the dough has risen for the first time.   
The bread is baked in a big heavy based pan, such as a Le Creuset, to keep the moist and steam inside which helps to develop a nice and thick crispy crust.
It is a bit of a fuss with all the long rising times, but completely worth it! Just try!

425 gram flour (I used both spelt and rye flour)

1 tbsp vinegar
¼ tsp instant yeast
2 tsp salt
100 ml beer
200 ml water

Place all the ingredients in a bowl, whisk together with a wooden spoon until a ball forms. If the dough seems a little too wet, just add some more flour. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rest in a warm place for 8 to 18 hours. (I made mine before I went to bed, and left it in the oven at ± 40°C).

Place your dough onto a well floured surface and knead 10 times (if your dough is way too wet, like mine just add enough flour until you are able to form knead-able dough). Shape into a log and place onto a deep dish, which is covered with baking paper. Loosely cover with cling film and leave to rise for another 2 hours.
After 1½ turn the oven on at 200°C and place your (large) heavy-based pan (with the lid on top) into the oven.
When the dough is ready to be baked, you have to carefully make a few cuts on top, to help it rise. Now it is time to place it into the pan; lift the dough (including the baking paper) carefully into the pan and quickly place the lid back on top. You have to keep as much heat in the pan as possible.
Lower the temperature to 170°C and place the pan back into the oven. After 30 minutes you have to remove the lid and continue to bake it for another 20 minutes.
Now it is time to test your bread by knocking on its bottom; when it sounds hollow, it is done and you have to move it to a wire rack to leave it to cool.

I always thought it was impossible to bake your own artisan bread, but this recipe shows you it isn’t.

It makes your house smell gorgeous and instantly brings you into a good mood.
The bread can be eaten with everything, but I love mine with some homemade almond-maple butter.

2 cups raw almonds

4 tbsp maple syrup
A pinch of coarse sea salt
(Almond oil or another complimentary oil to taste)  

Preheat your oven to 150°C.

In the meantime you can combine the almonds, maple syrup and salt and spread it onto a baking sheet, covered with a baking mat or some baking paper. Roast the nuts 15 to 20 minutes, until they have just caramelised and are slightly crispy. Be careful to not over-roast them, or your paste becomes a little bitter.
Leave your almonds to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Pour them into a food processor and blitz until the nuts have broken down into powder. Take the lid off and scrape down the sides. Blitz again and continue this process until you end up with a thick butter. To thin it a little and make it more spreadable, just add some almond or other complimentary oil while blitzing.
Pour into a jar and store in the fridge.

Pecan biscuits and Paris

Lately I haven’t been as busy with the blog as I wanted to. I have had a well earned vacation and trip to Paris though...and it has been amazing! The weather has been great: sunny and not too cold. What else could you hope for? We stayed at the cutest apartment ever, in the Quartier Latin area and around the corner of Rue Mouffetard, which is a foodies’ paradise. There were bakeries with freshly baked baguettes, butcheries with the best dried sausages and spit roasted chickens, fresh fruits and vegetables everywhere and every other day a great market....

The breakfast ensemble in the picture is bought at ‘Le Petit Atelier de Paris’. A lovely little shop with a workshop inside; it is founded by two designers who make, design and sell their products in this little shop at the Marais district. They have wonderful products for a pleasant daily-life...and the cutest dog ever!

I will post some pictures and addresses of must-visit shops and restaurants sometime soon...

When I came back from Paris I immediately felt in need of baking something sweet, since it is almost impossible to find something sweet I am able to enjoy. Especially since the French love their cream and butter.

I just love nuts, and these pecan biscuits have a really nutty-flavour and aren’t too sweet.

Pecan biscuits

220 gram margarine

150 gram pecan nuts

50 gram fine Demerara sugar, plus 1 tbsp

300 gram spelt flour

Icing sugar, to decorate

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place the pecans on a baking tray and roast them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Finely grind them with the tablespoon of sugar in a food processor. Leave them to cool completely.

Beat the margarine with the rest of the sugar until light and fluffy.

Fold in the flour, salt and ground pecans. Break of pieces of dough and shape into 3 cm balls. Place the balls onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden.

Transfer the biscuits immediately to a wire rack and dust them with icing sugar.

A roasted vegetable tart

A terrible thing happened yesterday: my oven died! After 25 hard working years it just stopped. In between roasting peppers and baking mini quiches for a catering job (just to create some extra stress ;-)). As a fellow foodie I don’t have to tell you how annoying it is not being able to bake, roast or grill anything anymore....

But just a couple of days before this happened I made this delicious vegetable tart:

For the tart case (makes enough for 3 tart cases):

500 gram spelt flour

½ tsp salt

250 gram margarine

1 egg yolk

250 ml cold water

For the filling:

1 small courgette (zucchini) or ½ large one

1 small aubergine (eggplant) or ½ large one

200 gram pumpkin

2 red onions

150 gram or a large handful cherry tomatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chopped herbs to taste (I used rosemary, thyme and oregano)

150 gram soft goat cheese

150 ml soy milk

2 eggs, beaten

¼ tsp bouillon powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Put the margarine, flour and salt into a food processor and pulse until you get a fine crumb.

Place the mixture into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the egg yolk and half of the water. Quickly combine the wet and dry ingredients using a fork, if necessary add more water.

If you aren’t able to use the fork anymore, start using your hand to bring the dough together into a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in Clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes up to 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 225°C.

When the dough is chilled, roll it out (2 mm) onto a floured surface to fit your preferred tart pan.

Place the dough into the prepared pan, trim the edges and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile you can start preparing the roasted vegetables.

Chop all the vegetables, except for the tomatoes, into 2 cm dice and place onto a roasting tin. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and the herbs. Place into the oven and roast for about 25 minutes until cooked. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Lower the oven temperature to 175°C.

Blind bake the tart case for 30 minutes. Remove the baking beans and parchment paper, give the pastry a quick egg wash and bake for another 5 minutes.

Start making the custard by mixing the soymilk, eggs, salt and pepper to taste and bouillon powder.

Arrange the vegetables at the bottom of the tart case, pour over the custard and crumble over the goat cheese.

Bake 30-35 minutes at 175°C or until the filling has set.

Eat while still warm.

Lemon bars

I’ve been planning to make these lemon bars for months, but due to some stupid dietary restrictions (no soy products and no fruit) I wasn’t able to do it before. Last week, when I heard I was allowed to eat soy and fruits again, I was ecstatic! Never knew life would be so horrible without them! So since last week I’ve been baking non-stop to try out all the recipes I wasn’t able eat before...These lemon bars where nr. 1 on the list and absolutely worth the waiting!

For the shortbread base:

280 gram spelt flour
225 gram margarine
80 gram icing sugar
1 tsp salt

For the topping:

35 gram flour
350 gram sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Grease a 25cm square baking tin and line with baking paper. 
Put all the ingredients for the shortbread base in a food processor and blitz until the mixture just comes together in a ball. Be careful to not over mix or the dough will be too sticky. Press the dough into the tin and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Remove and let cool slightly. Leave the oven on.
Meanwhile prepare the topping. Whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice, then whisk in the flour and baking powder. Mix well and make sure there are no lumps in the batter. Add the lemon zest.
Pour the mixture over the shortbread base and bake until set, about 15 to 20 minutes
When is has cooled completely, loosen the edges with a knife and remove from the tin. Dust with icing sugar and cut into 12 bars.

A striped beetroot and apple salad

We’ve had some strange weather over here in Holland; it’s gone from autumn rain and cold to summer sun and heat. This confuses me a bit, especially in the kitchen. On Monday I was in the mood for ‘stamppot’, a typical Dutch autumn/winter dish and yesterday it was 25°C again, which made me crave something crisp and fresh like this salad.

I think it is a perfect salad in between the seasons.

The vinaigrette is sweet and slightly tart, which combines well with the earthy beetroot and crisp Delcorf apples. Which are the first apples of the season and also my favourite. The almonds give it a nice crunch, while the feta cheese balances out the dish with it’s saltiness.

3 medium striped beetroot, peeled

2 small apples, preferably Delcorf or Elstar, cored

100 gram feta cheese, crumbled

Small handful maple almonds, finely chopped

2 tsp raspberry vinegar

3 tbsp lemon oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

A small handful of basil leaves

For the maple almonds:

1 cup raw almonds

2 tbsp maple syrup

For the lemon oil:

Peel of half an organic lemon

250 ml olive oil

Start by making the maple syrup glazed almonds.

Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Mix the almonds with the maple syrup, making sure all the almonds are covered with a thin layer of syrup. Spread on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, and place into the oven. Bake the almonds during 20 minutes until they are nicely golden and crunchy. Cool.

For the lemon oil; put the oil and lemon peel in a small saucepan and heat on a low heat for 10 minutes. Strain out the peel and leave to cool.

To make the vinaigrette pour the oil, vinegar and some salt and pepper to taste into an empty jar and shake well.

Thinly slice the apple and beetroot with a mandoline.

Place the slices of apple and beetroot with half the amount of vinaigrette in a large bowl and carefully toss with your hands. Every slice should be covered with a nice thin layer of dressing. Transfer to a nice serving platter and sprinkle over the feta cheese and almonds. To finish of the dish, sprinkle over the basil leaves and the remaining vinaigrette.

tomato and roasted pepper soup with tomato and basil focaccia

Since the summer in Holland is dreadful I needed something to cheer me up! We have had this autumn like weather for weeks now. The only way to let the sun shine is on your plate...and this tomato soup does the trick for me. Combined with the focaccia (which makes your house smell amazing) it gives you the exact amount of comfort without making it to autumn-y.  

Tomato and roasted pepper soup

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 kilo pomodori tomatoes

1 kilo red bell peppers

1-2 red chillies, deseeded
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
600 ml vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat your oven and grill to 300oC.

Half you peppers lengthwise and deseed them. Place onto a baking sheet covered with baking paper.
Place the sheet into the oven and grill for about 15 minutes, or until the skins have become black and blistered. Now place the peppers into a bowl and cover with cling film.
While the peppers are cooling down score in the back of the tomatoes and blanch them for about 20 seconds in boiling water. Now you should be able to take the skins of easily.
Roughly chop the tomatoes and set aside.
Peel the peppers and slice them up into 2 cm squares.
Finely chop the chillies and garlic.
Place a heavy bottomed pan onto the stove and pour in the olive oil.
Put in the garlic and chillies and fry for about a minute. Now add the peppers and tomato paste. Place a lid onto the pan and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for another 15 minutes.
You can make it a little more smooth using a hand-held-blender, or just leave it the way it is.
If you like drizzle in some good quality thick and syrupy balsamic vinegar or some basil oil to add an extra dimension, but it is already good as it is...

Tomato and basil focaccia

15 gram fresh yeast or 10 gram dried yeast

15 gram honey

3 dl lukewarm water

400 gram spelt flour

100 gram fine ground corn flour or polenta

15 gram sea salt

Extra flour and polenta for dusting

4 to 6 tbsp basil oil

About a handful cherry tomatoes

Dissolve the yeast and honey in halve of the water.

Heap up the flour, polenta and salt and make a well in the middle.

Pour in the yeast mixture and mix in using one hand until everything is incorporated.

Now mix in the remaining water until everything is incorporated and you end up with smooth dough.

Now the kneading begins! Knead the dough for about five minutes.

Dust your workface with polenta and shape the dough into a ball and place it on a baking sheet.

Score the dough with a sharp knife, so can relax and rise faster.

This is the first time you will let the dough rise and it should double in volume. To maximise this effect you can cover the baking sheet with cling film that you have brushed with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Place it in a warm and draft-free area. I prefer the warming compartment of the oven.

The dough will need to rise 40 to 90 minutes until it has doubled in volume.

When the dough is ready, beat and knead out all the air for about a minute.

Now it is time to grab your rolling pin and roll the dough out into a 1 ½ cm thick piece. Transfer the dough onto the baking sheet.

Spread the basil oil onto the dough. ‘Dimple’ the dough with your fingertips, making sure you don’t press all the way to the bottom. You can put your tomatoes whole or halved into these ‘dimples’.

Cover with a clean tea towel and let it rise for another 45 minutes or until it has doubled in volume.

Preheat your oven to 250oC.

Place the baking tray carefully into the oven and bake the focaccia during 15 to 20 minutes golden and brown.

*When you like your focaccia a little moister, just add about 4 to 6 tablespoons of olive oil to the last batch of water.

Basil oil

A good two hands full of basil leaves

8 tablespoons of olive oil

A pinch of salt

Crush your basil leaves with a sprinkle of salt in the pestle and mortar or in a food processor.

I prefer to do it in a p&m because it gives a more fragrant result.

Add the oil and combine to a nice and fragrant basil oil.

Kohlrabi and pecorino soup

A couple of weeks ago I bought two kohlrabis at my local farmers market.

Since I never had kohlrabi before, I did some research and found a recipe for a kohlrabi and pecorino soup.  I adapted the recipe from the book ‘Zoete en hartige heerlijheden’ (sweet and savoury delights) by Kirsten Eckhart en Jan Willem Hendricks form the Amsterdam based restaurant Gartine.

For me this soup is a keeper: once cooked the kohlrabi may have quite a strong cabbage smell, but the flavour is much more subtle and it combines perfectly well with the salty sharpness of the pecorino cheese.

Ingredients:

2 kohlrabis

4 medium potatoes

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 litre vegetable stock

2 medium onions, diced

A bunch of parsley, finely chopped

Salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste

30 ml olive oil

Pecorino to taste

Heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan and add the onions and garlic. Turn the heat down, place the lid on the pan and fry for about 10 minutes, until the onions have softened but not browned.

In the mean time peel the kohlrabi and potatoes and cut into a 2cm dice. Add the kohlrabi, potatoes, parsley and stock and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes, until all the ingredients are cooked, and blend in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with some freshly grated pecorino and chopped parsley.