Conchas (without food dye)

Welcome to the September edition of the Bread Baking Babes! Today also happens to be Mexican Independence Day, and since I am the this month's Kitchen of the Month, I decided it would be both fun and timely to challenge the BBBabes and all of the potential BBBuddies to head into the kitchen to bake up my personal favorite of all Mexican breads—CONCHAS!

Now, if you've been hanging around here for any amount of time, you may know that I've already shared two different concha recipes in the past—but it's been 4 years since the last time I did, so I think it's time to revisit them.

Conchas translates to shells in English, and they get their name from the beautiful sugar crust that tops them, since it is cut to resemble the shape of a seashell. If you have a good Mexican Panaderia (bakery) near you, you've probably seen these colorful sweet rolls before. If you've never tried them, I recommend getting to the bakery early and loading up a tray with a pile of them, still warm from the oven. Seriously, a concha and a cup of coffee is enough to bring a smile to anybody's face in the morning.

Acharuli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese and Egg Bread)

I'm incredibly intrigued by this month's Bread Baking Babes featured bread. Aparna is our host kitchen of the month, and she has chosen Acharuli (Adjaruli) Khachapuri, or Georgian Egg and Cheese Bread. Apparently Khachapuri, described as a "warm, gooey cheese-stuffed bread that oozes and drips with heart-stopping goodness" by the website Gudaturi, is one of the most popular dishes in Georgia. Apparently each reason is famous for a different variety of this bread. The The boat-shaped Adzharuli that is filled with salty cheese and topped with a raw egg and butter hails from the southwestern Adzharian province.

I made this very last-minute and didn't use the correct (traditional) type of cheese. Not that I could easily get my hands on a soft sheep's milk variety, but Saveur uses a mix of Muenster and Feta that looks like it might be a fairly good substitute. I actually thought that I still had some feta around, and was going to mix it with mozzarella...but apparently it was eaten sometime between when I made the bread and the last time I looked. So I had to improvise. I used mozzarella and Parmesan instead. It was good, but it didn't give me that soft gooey filling.

Tangzhong Whole Wheat Bread | #BreadBakingBabes

I'm so excited about this month's Bread Baking Babes challenge, as chosen by this month's kitchen-of-the-month, Karen at Karen's Kitchen Stories. She assigned us the task of making a Tangzhong-style bread, which is one of those things I've been wanting...meaning...to make for years. I don't know why I've put it off. I tend to do that. It was definitely worth the wait—but it does make me want to kick myself for not getting with the program sooner.

Not familiar with the Tangzhong method? Basically, a tangzhong is a cooked water roux (or flour paste). One part water and five parts flour are cooked to 149° F (or 65° C) and then cooled. The tangzhong is then used as an ingredient in bread dough, which makes for an incredibly bouncy bread that can stay soft for days.

Conchas - One SHELL of a Roundup! #BreadBakingBabes

As the designated Kitchen of the Month for the Bread Baking Babes, my challenge to both the BBBabes and anybody else who wanted to join in as a BBBuddy was to bake a batch of my favorite Mexican pan dulce—CONCHAS!

I shared a recipe in the post for a basic sweet dough, that is enriched and very slack, similar to a brioche, as well as links to a few other recipes for conchas. All of them are basically the same, producing a tender, but sturdy, base for the real star of the show—the gloriously crumbly and sweet sugar shell.

I encouraged everybody to experiment with the not only the basic ingredients such as the fat and the sugar, but also the color, flavor, and cutting/forming of the topping. As a concha lover, I dreamed of the legions of submissions that would come rolling in...making me long for a hollow leg and the metabolism of my youth. But it turns out that only three brave souls stepped up to my challenge this month.

Power Bread | #BreadBakingBabes

Today is the 16th, and that means it's time to reveal this month's Bread Baking Babes challenge. One of our newest BBBabes, Judy of Judy's Gross Eats, is our Kitchen of the Month, and she challenged us to make Peter Reinhart's Power Bread. I imagine the name comes from the fact that this loaf is high in fiber and protein, which when combined, make you feel fuller with fewer calories. Protein boosts your metabolism, while fiber allows for sustained energy release in the hours after you eat. POWER!

Don't let the fact that this bread has steps or "sections" to it scare you off. The pre-soaker, soaker, and biga each only take a few minutes each to pull together, and then you let them sit for hours on their own before moving on. It looks like you'd have to start days in advance, but really you don't.

For me, it took 2 days, but most of that time was unattended. It went something like this:
Day 1

• 7:00 am - combine ingredients for pre-soaker and allow to sit at room temperature. Combine ingredients for Biga into a ball that resembled wet sand, but held together; cover and refrigerate.
• 8:30 pm - puree pre-soaker ingredients together, then combine that with the rest of the soaker ingredients until they form a "moist" ball (which I found oddly pleasing).

Muesli Rolls | #BreadBakingBabes

I'm quite sure that I have no idea how we've hit the midway point in June already. But somehow today is the 16th, and that means it's time for another Bread Baking Babes challenge reveal! This month, Karen from Bake My Day! told us that it was "time to get rolling" with a breakfast roll of champions that is packed full of seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate; it also has oats, and when combined, those are the components of Muesli—hence, Muesli Rolls!

Here's the thing, though—these rolls don't scream breakfast to me. Like, at all. I do love a good muesli in the morning, but when deconstructed and put into a substantial roll? Not feeling it. That being said, I actually loved the rolls...but I'd rather eat them with lunch or dinner. They actually seem very "harvest-like" to me, as if they'd be perfectly at home on my Thanksgiving table. Split in half, they make one heck of a perfect vessel for a turkey sandwich.

Are you with me, or are you sitting there wondering how a roll with chocolate in it could possibly taste the way I'm describing it? Here's the thing—I left out the chocolate. I'm not one for chocolate in my muesli. Instead, I used some pepitas (pumpkin seeds) that are tossed and roasted in cocoa, giving a nod to the flavor profile without having to bite into actual chocolate bits. But, do you know what's funny? When I told the other BBBabes what I did, a few mentioned that even though they used chocolate, it wasn't all that noticeable anyway. So, take that and use it as you will.

Romanian Easter Braid | #BreadBakingBabes

Today is the 16th, and that means it's time for another Bread Baking Babes reveal!  This month, BBBabe Elle from Feeding My Enthusiasms challenged us to bake up a Romanian Easter Braid. Easter may be over, but I'm pretty sure this enriched loaf would be welcome at any table year-round. The dough itself is lightly scented with lemon from the addition of some finely grated zest, and the filling is a sweet, nutty swirl that be switched up to meet anybody's preferences.

So, Elle told us that according to wiki, this Romanian bread can differ significantly from region to region. Essentially it's a sweet bread that is enriched with butter, eggs and milk, but you can find anything from the lemon zest I used to orange zest, raisins, or rum flavor in the dough itself. The actual recipe the challenge is based on used ground almonds in the filling, but I went with one of the more well-known options, walnuts. Hazelnuts, vanilla, rum, even poppy seeds, raisins, or cocoa powder are other choices.

 I did want to add a little twist to my nutty swirl, though. I liked the thought of adding rum (obviously), but I wanted something a little out of the ordinary, as well. I have a few bottles of flavored rum, and I thought the coconut variety might add a little something special if I also used some fat, dried coconut flakes. I was pretty pleased with the taste of the filling (I had to walk away from my spoon lest there be none left once the dough was ready for it).

Granary Loaf

Unbelievably, March is already halfway over. Today is the 16th, and that means it's Bread Baking Babes challenge reveal day! Our mission this month was set forth by Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups. She reeled us in with talk of a loaf that is "considered classic, simple, conservative but with a potentially unobtainable ingredient" and reminded us that creativity is as much a part of being a BBBabe as the love for baking bread is. We were to make a Granary-style loaf in which "good tasty bread", not authenticity was the goal.

Well, I may disappoint, because I went completely authentic. After doing a bit of reading on granary bread, I discovered that it's something of a treasure. People love it; it has a flavor all its own that comes from the flour which contains slowly toasted malted wheat flakes. Um, hello! I wanted to try the original before getting all creative up in here. So, I did what anyone who loves a good loaf of bread but can't find the proper flour locally would do—went directly to Amazon.

And guess what? I found it. Before I could think too hard (about the price), I added a bag of Hovis Granary Bread Flour to my cart and immediately checked out. It was shipping from the UK, so I had a good amount of time to anticipate its arrival. Three weeks later, the most expensive bag of flour I've ever purchased arrived on my doorstep.

Kouign Amann

Before I say anything else, I have to tell you to muster up every last ounce of your willpower and let these cool to room temperature before eating them. It'll be hard, this I know. Actually, go ahead and eat one while it's still really warm—I want you to compare. You see, once they've come to room temperature, and you bite through the crisp outside and into the soft, flaky layers...the cooled butter and sugar will have formed these gooey little sugar pockets that explode onto your tongue. It's kind of magical.

Kouign Amann, pronounced "koo-WEEN a-MON" or "queen a-mahn", is this month's Bread Baking Babes pick as chosen by Lien (our BBBabes Kitchen of the Month). I'll go ahead and admit that when Lien told us what we'd be making this month, I had never heard of it. But after looking around a bit, I first discovered that the name translates to "butter cake" in Breton, which is the ancient Celtic language of Brittany, France. Well, that in itself is enough to get me excited.

Chapati, aka Roti (Indian Flatbread)

It never ceases to amaze me the amazing things that result from using only three simple ingredients: flour, salt, and water. That is exactly the case with this month's Bread Baking Babes challenge—Chapatis (Roti), issued by BBBabe Elizabeth. Elizabeth mentioned that "something nice and plain after all our excesses over the holidays" was in order. I had to agree. Even though I didn't make the gorgeous Nutella Brioche flowers that the BBBabes made last month, there was still excess.

As soon as I read through the instructions for making Chapatis, I realized that making them is basically like making flour tortillas. It's pretty amazing how so many different cultures make a very similar version of the same food, don't you think? Each may have a slightly different method, or use a slightly different technique or tool. Different, but not.

Elizabeth made a very helpful video (included after the recipe below) that actually helped me see the major difference between making tortillas and making chapatis. Of course, she uses an electric stove, and I use a gas stove, and that actually makes a difference, as well.

Havarti Ham Apple Braid

I'm am such a sucker for a soft, pillowy pile of risen dough. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Ninety-nine percent of of the time (maybe more), it produces the type of bread that disappears in the blink of an eye in my house, as well. A soft white bread with a tender, sometimes chewy (depends on how it is formed and baked) interior, enclosed neatly inside a golden crust. That is exactly the category that this loaf falls into.

This braided loaf is my interpretation of this month's Bread Baking Babes challenge, as chosen by our hosting BBBabe kitchen of the month, Katie at Thyme for Cooking. Now, Katie's choice was actually a braid stuffed with caramelized onions, herbs, and cheese. I basically ignored that filling idea, instead going in an entirely different direction. It's not that I don't love caramelized onions (I totally do), my brain just wouldn't latch on to the concept this month. Apparently, I wanted meat.

So, the day before I made this loaf, I'd stopped at the deli and ordered a pound of shaved tavern ham (my favorite type of ham). While the slicer was doing its thang, the lady behind the counter got busy, and I got lost in thought. That resulted in what we'll call an enthusiastic pile of shaved hame. Apparently they don't want to stick any shaved ham in the deli case alongside the thicker slices (or she was just in a good mood), because after weighing out the pound and giving me that price, she threw the extra ham into the bag. Score!

Robert May's French Bread (a historical bread from 1660)

Well, the 16th is here once again, and believe it or not, I'm actually posting my Bread Baking Babes loaf on time. With my mind set on a trip to Seattle this coming weekend, I almost let the day float past without making it. But in light of my resolve to remember to slow down and bake bread, I took some time yesterday to make this simple (yet entirely appreciated) loaf.

Our host Babe for the month is Ilva from Lucullian Delights, and her assignment for us was one rooted deep in history—354 years to be exact. This French bread was originally published in 1660, in one of those glorious old cookery books that now take a bit of study to interpret, The Accomplisht Cook; or the Art & Mystery of Cookery by Robert May. And yes, accomplisht is the proper old-English spelling. The recipe saw a bit of a revival when it appeared in the pages of the 1977 cookbook English Bread and Yeast Cookery, by British cookery writer Elizabeth David (you may remember her being on the list of 50 Women Game-Changers in Food that I cooked through a couple of years ago).

Well, the BBBabes are making old new once again. Ilva invited us to bake this simple egg white-infused bread (not sure exactly what role the egg whites played, but I went with it)—the actual challenge lying not so much in the recipe itself, but in the decoration of the bread. We were to get creative with the presentation.

Polenta Bread

This beautifully rustic bread is speckled with bits of yellow polenta throughout, has a slight tang from preferment, and is surround with a thick and pleasantly chewy crust. It also happens to be this month's Bread Baking Babes bread of the month, as chosen by BBBabe Elizabeth of blog from OUR kitchen.

And I'm late. Thirteen days late. I blame it on school starting this month. I was so preoccupied with back-to-school shopping and preparation for the kids, that the 16th came and went without blip on the radar. But, I'm making up for it now. I actually took my time and went nice and slow on these loaves. Every thing about making them felt right, and I think that's because I didn't even glance in the direction of my bread machine.

What's a bread machine got to do with it (or rather, the lack of)? Well, I've become pretty dependent on mine. Here's the story: years ago, I discovered how convenient it was to let my bread machine do all of the mixing and kneading, and subsequently the first rise, for me when I was busy. So, during the holidays, the bread machine came out. It freed up time and precious counter space. Once the madness subsided, it was tucked back in its place on the basement shelf.

Panmarino (Italian Rosemary Bread)

It's the 16th, and you know what that means - Bread Baking Babes time! Cathy from Bread Experience is our BBBabe kitchen of the month, and her bread choice was influenced by her Tuscany state-of-mind (after spending time there recently). Can you blame her? Not me. I don't think I'd get it off the brain for years. It's been my numero uno destination spot for as long as I can remember. Her choice: Panmarino, or Italian Rosemary Bread.

Described as a bread that's fragrant with rosemary, with a crust that "sparkled with diamonds", I couldn't wait to pull mine from the oven. It's a fairly simple recipe. Aside from the Biga* that needs to sit for at least 14 hours before you make the bread, it comes together quickly, as well.

The original recipe makes 4 one-pound loaves. That's actually not too much, as I bet neighbors and family and friends would readily welcome one into their kitchen (or you could freeze a couple). But I decided to halve the recipe the first time around.

Beaujolais Bread Rolls | #BreadBakingBabes

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!

Ten days late to be exact. For you see, it is not the 16th, but the 26th...and I am just now sharing this month's Bread Baking Babes bread of the month. I'm not exactly sure where those ten days went. I won't even try to claim that I had the bread baked and ready before the 16th, anyway. I'm in a perpetual state of hurry-up lately.

But, as you can plainly see by the title and the pretty purple tint, I couldn't let the month slip away without making these rolls. I absolutely cannot resist a bunch of rolls formed into the shape of a bunch of grapes. They are also studded thoughout with salami. Cured meat, wine, bread, and me? We get along just fine.

Which brilliant BBBabe is behind the Beaujolais Bread bakig assignment? That would be Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups. Even though I'm late, you still have 3 days left to bake along with us this month - so get that dough started!

Wild Rice and Onion Baguettes

Is today seriously the 16th already? Apprently it is. That means that it's time to reveal the Bread Baking Babes bread and kitchen of the month! Babe Karen of Bake My Day has chosen a bread that is fairly hands-off. It can be mixed and kneaded and then stored in the fridge overnight (or over a couple of nights), and then be formed, let to rise, and baked when you're ready: Wild Rice and Onion Bread.

Initially I planned to turn the dough into rolls and add them to my Easter bread basket. But that meal came and went in the blink of an eye. And I forgot. So, on to Plan B (which had not yet been thought out).

I toyed with making a boule or a sandwich loaf until I remembered my lonely baguette pan. I think it's been in the same spot for so long that I don't really see it anymore. Do you know what I mean? My eyes just sort of graze over it like it's part of the woodwork. Somehow I managed to actually see it, and then I knew my decision was clear. I needed baguettes.

Pretzel Croissants Challenge Answered - Bread Baking Babes and Buddies

In the middle of April, I announced that I was the Bread Baking Babes kitchen-of-the-month, and with that my bread choice - Pretzel Croissants. Many of the BBBabes rose to the challenge, you can see the results in this photo collage above.

Then I set forth the challenge for any and all bakers to join us in our folding, rolling, and most of all, patience endeavors! I issued a call for all would-be Bread Baking Buddies to try their hands at combining two of my personal all-time favorite bready-things and making them one.

Four brave (and ridiculously talented) souls rose to the challenge, and earned their BBBuddies badges this month. Let's just say, that not only did they attempt it, they knocked it out of the park! Here are this month's Pretzel Croissants by the Bread Baking Buddies.

Pretzel Croissants

Guess whose turn it is to be the Bread Baking Babes Kitchen of the Month? Yes, mine! As the host, it's my responsibility to choose what we will be baking. Now, I like to choose a bread that is one (or more) of these things:

a) a challenge - something that takes a while to make or introduces a new technique
b) a favorite - something that I already love and think that everybody should know how to make
c) new to me - ummmmm, self-explanatory

The bread that I chose this month is sort of a combination of all three of my self-imposed requirements.

Water-Proofed Bread {Bread Baking Babes}

Water-PROOFED. Not to be confused with water proof. If you were carrying a loaf of this bread unwrapped and found yourself caught in a downpour without an umbrella, it would not survive.

However, if you happened to be making the dough in India and were caught in a monsoon, I bet you could wrap the dough and set it in the monsoon, it would rise beautifully. Because it's usually pretty darn hot during monsoon season, right? It might blow away, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Anyway. When Elle announced that our Bread Baking Babes adventure for this month involved making a beautiful egg-and-butter-enriched dough, and then putting it into a bowl of water to rise, I was intrigued to say the least. So, of course, I waited until the day before reveal day to make it. Typical.

Rghaïf (Moroccan Flat Bread) - Bread Baking Babes

This month marks the 6-year anniversary of The Bread Baking Babes! Congrats Babes, it's been a pleasure both baking along with you, both as a former BBBuddy and a current BBBabe. And welcome to our brand new Babes, Aparna and Cathy - we are once again a complete dozen!

Lien is our kitchen-of-the-month, and she has chosen a Moroccan Flat Bread (Rghaïf) as our challenge. Rghaïf is a common street food in Morocco, and often eaten at breakfast or tea time. We were warned that they were a bit tricky to make. So of course, in usual fashion, I set about making them at the last minute.

At the risk of sounding like a pompous arse, I'm gonna go ahead and put this out there - I actually found these super simple to make. Making them is basically like making flour tortillas, except that you have to stretch and roll them thinner; paper-thin, actually. And in case you were wondering, yes, they taste like a tortilla, too. A thick, layered tortilla, but still a tortilla.