Thursday, October 9, 2014

A Trio of Seasonal Treats From One of New York’s Best Bagel Bakers

T Magazine: A Trio of Seasonal Treats From One of New York’s Best Bagel Bakers

Melissa Weller at home in Brooklyn.Credit Paul Quitoriano



The people behind Manhattan’s latest white-hot restaurant-opening streak - Torrisi Italian Specialties, Carbone, ZZ’s Clam Bar and Dirty French - recruited the pastry cook Melissa Weller for their next project, Sadelle’s, a new restaurant and bakery established in open in the spring. And a recent visit to her Brooklyn residence found the girl hard at work on recipe development.

“When I make bread for personally, I’m not much into the kneading, ” she said as she turned on the girl stand mixer and began prepping the brioche dough for her pumpkin sticky buttocks. “I think you should have a good time making bread at home. ” She’s one of many within the cooking industry who pulled a 180, switching from a traditional, less satisfying career (chemical engineering) to something she loved (baking) in 2002. 2 yrs later, after graduating from New York City’s French Culinary Institute, she guaranteed a position with Gina DePalma at Babbo. And in her spare time, Weller started baking bread at her apartment - “because there were no good bakeries within New York City a decade ago” - and teaching herself how to make bagels. When the girl arrived at Per Se in 2008, she served them for staff meal upon “deli day” Fridays.

Weller left Per Se in 2010, when she was expecting with her son Wyatt. She was burned out and longed to launch her very own business - but heard the team behind Roberta’s in Bushwick was looking for the baker. “I could make my own bread, and nobody else’s bread, in a wood stove. Who would pass up that opportunity? ”

Clockwise from top left: Ruby celebrates her birthday with a sticky bun; Weller works on her Concord Grape Slab Pie.Credit Paul Quitoriano

For the next two years, she developed bread that was, as she puts this, “crusty, with a moist-holed crumb, and dark brown crust; my ideal bread provides extensive of moisture and I bake it really dark. ” It became so popular that the girl realized she could take her skills on the road and finally go it alone. And also to differentiate herself, she turned, again, to bagels. “They’re something I enjoy to consume and something I enjoy to make, ” she said, before adding, “and they’re simpler than a straight sourdough bread because they have a commercial yeast in addition to sourdough beginner in them. ”

That’s how, in April of 2013, before the current kleines, rundes br?tchen hysteria hit the Big Apple, Melissa Weller found herself peddling her bagels in order to hungry crowds on weekends at Brooklyn’s outdoor food market Smorgasburg. Along with crucial acclaim came the invitation from the gang from Major Food Group -- Rich Torrisi, Mario Carbone and Jeff Zalaznick - about going in upon Sadelle’s together.

“Think Barney Greengrass meets Balthazar, ” explains Weller, who is currently busy coming up with new items for the menu. Back in her small kitchen area on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, kept company by her pugs Dark red and Simon, she tested pumpkin brioche sticky buns, concord grape piece pie and herb-fragrant zucchini bread. The recipes for each follow - as well as although you may not see them on Sadelle’s menu this time next year, you’re prone to find something similar.

Pumpkin Brioche Sticky BunsCredit Paul Quitoriano

Pumpkin Brioche Sticky Buns

Yield: 18 sticky buttocks

For these sticky buns, Weller turned to Dorie Greenspan and Julia Child’s “Baking with Julia” for a laminated brioche recipe. Layering additional butter into this particular dough “isn’t typical for brioche, because it has more moisture, ” the girl explained. “But the flakiness is worth it. ”

Pumpkin Brioche

2 ½ cups (355 grams) all-purpose flour

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (140 grams) pumpkin puree

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (95 grams) whole milk

three large (155 grams) eggs

2 teaspoons (9 grams) fine sea salt

two tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (35 grams) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast

½ teaspoon (1 gram) grated nutmeg

1 tsp (2 grams) ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground all-spice

one stick plus 5 tablespoons (180 grams) unsalted butter, softened; plus an extra 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter, cold, with regard to lamination

1 . In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix all of the ingredients except the butter. The liquid ingredients should go into the dish first, followed by the dry ingredients. Mix on low to medium pace for 5 minutes. Add the 180 grams of softened butter and mix upon low until the butter is thoroughly incorporated into the dough. Remove the dough connect, cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough ferment at room temperatures for 1 hour.

2 . After 1 hour, scrape the dough out onto the lightly oiled, parchment-lined baking sheet tray. Gently coax the dough right into a square shape. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.

3. Begin the actual lamination process: Just before you remove the brioche from the refrigerator, prepare the roll-in butter. Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out the butter into a seven. 5-inch square. Remove the chilled brioche and on a generously floured work surface area, roll the dough out to an 11-inch square.

4. Place the butter within the dough so that the points of the butter square are centered along the sides from the dough. Fold one flap of dough over the butter toward you, extending it slightly so that the point just reaches the center of the butter. Repeat using the other flaps. Then press the edges together to completely seal the spread inside the dough. (A complete seal ensures butter won’t escape. )

five. Lightly flour the top and bottom of the dough. With the rolling pin, strongly press the dough to elongate it slightly and then begin rolling rather than pressing, focusing on lengthening rather than widening the dough and keeping the edges directly.

6. Roll the dough until it’s 8 by 24 inches. When the ends lose their square shape, gently reshape the corners with your fingers. Brush any flour off the dough. Pick up the bottom end of the dough as well as fold it back over the dough, leaving one-third of the other end of bread exposed. Brush the flour off and then fold the exposed side on the folded side.

7. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll the actual dough out again until it’s 8 by 24 inches. Fold the base edge up and the top edge down like you are folding a notice. Place the dough back onto your parchment lined sheet tray and refrigerate half an hour.

8. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the dough in half. Refrigerate one of the halves while you are working on another. Roll out the dough into an 11-by-13-inch rectangle. The 13-inch side ought to face you. With a pastry brush, brush the top of the dough with drinking water. Spread Cinnamon Sugar (see recipe below) generously over the dough. Starting with the medial side closest to you, roll the dough up, jelly roll style, to form the log. Freeze on a parchment-lined sheet tray with the seam side down. Replicate with the second log. The logs can remain frozen for up to a week.

nine. Remove the sticky bun logs from the freezer and let rest at room temperatures for 45 minutes.

10. While the sticky buns are thawing, make the Brown Sugar as well as Butter Topping (see recipe below).

11. Divide the sticky bun leading equally between two 8-inch cake pans. Using a small offset spatula distribute the topping evenly over the bottom of the pans. Slice the logs in to 1 . 5-inch pieces and arrange cut-side up in the pans. Cover the actual pans with a light tea towel and proof the sticky buns within a slightly warm place for 1 . 5 to 2 hours until these people show signs of growth and start to touch each other.

12. Bake the sticky buttocks in a preheated 350-degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes until light brownish. Remove from the oven and let the pans rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then change the pans onto serving plates.

*Cinnamon Sugar

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 . Mix together and set aside for cinnamon logs.

*Brown Sugar and Butter Topping

1 ¼ cup (250 grams) light brown sugar

2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250 grams) softened, unsalted butter

Make this topping just before proofing the sticky buns, preferably while the freezing logs are thawing.

1 . In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a exercise attachment, combine the brown sugar and butter on low speed until completely combined.


Concord Grape Slab PieCredit Paul Quitoriano

Concord Grape Slab Pie

Yield: one 10 x 15 " pie

Weller borrowed the pâté brisée crust for the slab pie through Sherry Yard’s “Secrets of Baking, ” but substitutes whole-wheat for some from the all-purpose flour to make it “more nutty and buttery. ”

2 recipes’ really worth pâte brisée, chilled (see recipe below)

2 quarts (1, 135 grams) concord grapes, halved with seeds removed (see note)

¾ cup (140 grams) light brown sugar

½ cup (100 grams) turbinado sugar

¼ mug (35 grams) cornstarch

Juice of ½ lemon

2 pinches of sodium

1 egg

1 . Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a gently floured surface, roll out one of the chilled pâte brisée squares into a good 11-by-16 inch rectangle. Use dusting flour as needed to prevent the dough through sticking. Chill the dough for 15 minutes in the freezer on the back part of a sheet pan, lined with parchment paper. While the dough is chill, work on the second chilled pâte brisée. Roll this square into an 18-by-13 inch rectangle. Fit this piece of dough into a lightly buttered 15-by-10 " rimmed baking sheet. Press the dough into the corners and allow the bread to drape over the sides of the pan. Refrigerate the dough while focusing on the decorative top.

2 . Remove the top piece of dough from the freezer. Let it stay on the parchment-lined sheet pan and with a sharp knife, cut free-form decorative designs, using all of the dough. Leave the shapes in place and refrigerate while focusing on the filling.

3. Make the filling: Combine the grapes, sugars, cornstarch, juice of lemons and salt in a large bowl. Fill the bottom crust with the filling. Defeat one egg with a pinch of salt to prepare the egg wash. Take away the decorative top from the refrigerator and brush the entire surface with the egg clean. Arrange the decorative pieces across the entire pie, using all of the pieces. Clean again with egg wash.

4. Bake until the crust is golden brownish and the filling is bubbly, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from the stove and let the pie cool down to room temperature, at least one hour.

*Note: To prepare the actual grapes, remove the stems and freeze in a single layer. Remove the frozen grapes along with a sharp serrated knife slice in half. Remove the seeds with the tip of the cutting knife. If the grapes start to get soft while deseeding, refreeze them for a few minutes. Deep freeze the halved grapes until ready to use. Seedless concords may be used in place if they happen to be available.

*Pâte Brisée

Makes one bottom or top crust

1 ½ cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour

1 cup (105 grams) stone-ground whole-wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon (7 grams) fine sea salt

2 tablespoons (26 grams) granulated sugar

2 sticks (227 grams) cold unsalted butter, reduce into ½-inch pieces

½ cup (115 grams) cold water

1 . Within the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flours, salt as well as sugar and mix on low. Add butter and continue to mix on lower until for 1 to 2 more minutes until butter is broken up into the flour mixture. Pinch flat any large pieces of butter. With the mixer running, include the cold water and mix just until the dough comes together.

2 . Turn the actual dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough in the plastic material and with a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a large square. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Zucchini BreadCredit Paul Quitoriano

Zucchini Bread


Yield: 2 loaves

Weller doesn’t like any of her goodies too sweet, and her zucchini bread might be the best example of that predilection; it’s borderline savory, and that’s, in part, because of an herb called tasty.

1 cup (100 grams) walnut pieces

2 small zucchini, about second . 5 cups grated (290 grams after squeezing water out)

2 tablespoons (7 grams) fresh summer savory

2 tablespoons (7 grams) fresh oregano

2 tablespoons (7 grams) thyme

1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour

1 cup (130 grams) whole-wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder

½ teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda

1 teaspoon (7 grams) fine sea salt

2 teaspoons (5 grams) ground cinnamon

¼ tsp (1 gram) freshly grated nutmeg

1 1/3 cups (265 grams) granulated sugar

3 (150 grams) large eggs

1 cup (210 grams) extra-virgin olive oil

1 . Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-by-4-inch loaf pans and set aside. Place the walnuts in a single layer on the baking sheet and toast for approximately 10 to 12 minutes in the stove until they are a light to medium golden brown. Remove from the oven and enable cool. Once the walnuts are cool, chop them into small pieces.

second . Shred the zucchini using the large holes of a box grater onto the kitchen towel and squeeze out the extra water. Set aside.

3. Chop the actual herbs and set aside.

4. Sift together the flours, baking powder, cooking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl, and set aside. Within a large bowl, lightly whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Stir the dry ingredients gently into the wet components. Then add the zucchini, walnuts and herbs and finish mixing in.

5. Separate the mixture into two greased and floured 8-by-4-inch loaf pans. Cook for approximately 45 minutes, rotating halfway through to ensure even baking. Let the loaves awesome for 10 minutes and then remove from the pans.



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