Bread Machine (186 page)
T
he southwestern corner of Germany just across the river from Alsace and bordering Switzerland—the region of Baden in the Black Forest—is known for having the best food in the country. The combination of chocolate and cherries is a traditional culinary favorite there, a reflection of the fertile orchards of the area. Serve slices of this dessert bread with cups of hot tea or a sparkling white wine after a traditional meal that would make your
Grossmutter
proud: smoked pork chops and sauerkraut, skillet potato pancakes, steamed asparagus, and crusty rye bread. This loaf is simply wonderful with cream cheese.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1
/
2
teaspoon vanilla extract
1
/
2
teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2
7
/
8
cups bread flour
1
/
3
cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1
/
4
cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon gluten
1
1
/
4
teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
3
/
4
cup
snipped glacéed tart dried cherries
2-POUND LOAF
1
1
/
3
cups milk
1 large egg
3
/
4
teaspoon vanilla extract
3
/
4
teaspoon almond extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3
3
/
4
cups bread flour
1
/
2
cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1
/
3
cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
2
1
/
2
teaspoons SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast
7
/
8
cup
snipped glacéed tart dried cherries
Place the ingredients, except the cherries, in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on medium and program for the Basic or Sweet Bread cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with the Delay Timer.) When the machine beeps, or between Knead 1 and Knead 2, add the cherries.
When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
Leftover Bread Cookery: Bread Puddings
A fabulous way to use up the leftovers of a good soft white, challah, sweet bread, chocolate bread, or brioche is to make a bread pudding. One of my old cookbooks describes bread pudding as “a dish of many virtues,” referring to its incredible versatility. Bread puddings can be laced with spirits like brandy and rum, flavored with fresh and canned fruits, from blueberries and figs to peaches and plums, topped with meringues and luscious sauces; you can even make a chocolate bread pudding or one that is served flambéed. All the puddings contain the basics: bread cubes, sugar, milk, and eggs. I am surprised at how many distinctively different desserts can be made with these ingredients as a base. Not only can the flavors vary, but the textures can be different, too, by using different ratios of bread to milk to eggs—puddings of different densities will result.
Since I adore custard in any form, I prefer a bread pudding that merges the dense texture of the moist bread with a flan-like silky custard. As quick and easy as bread puddings are to assemble and bake, somehow I think they have gotten a bad reputation by consistently being too bready. You can increase or decrease the amount of bread in any recipe given here; experiment until you achieve the texture you like. Fresh bread needs to be toasted first, but if your bread is a day or two old, you can skip toasting if you cut the cubes and let them sit out at room temperature overnight, just as for stuffing.
Please do note: After a bread pudding comes to room temperature, be sure to store the uneaten portion, covered, in the refrigerator.
Every-Night Bread Pudding
Serves 4 to 6
This is an old-fashioned bread pudding that is easy to whip up for dessert any night of the week. I make it with all milk, but you can use heavy cream or half-and-half for up to half the amount of milk if you want to make it richer. There is also a lovely white chocolate sauce to pour over. I’ve included some of my favorite variations, too, each better than the next.
3
1
/
2
cups (about
1
/
2
loaf) day-old white, wheat, panettone, chocolate, or egg bread, crusts removed and cut into
3
/
4
-inch cubes
2 cups whole milk
2
/
3
cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1
/
2
teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, for sprinkling, optional
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet. Toast until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 325°F and butter an 8-by-8-inch Pyrex baking dish.
Transfer the bread to a large mixing bowl. Scald the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat (or heat it in the microwave). Pour over the bread and let stand for 15 minutes.