Ciabatta Bread

 

Making ciabatta bread is cool, interesting, and very artistic. I already have my bags of flour measured and weighed and bagged. I even have my oil measured and in a container. My yeast is also weighed out and wrapped in a jar.

 

When I am ready, I spray the large mixer and paddle, measure the warm water, pour it into the bowl, and mix it with the yeast. When it is dissolved, I add the oil and mix that for a few seconds. When everything is dissolved, I add my first bag of flour and mix it until the flour is totally mixed. I have to scrape the bowl and paddle a few times. I make sure not to beat the flour mixture too much. When it is ready, I pour it into a sprayed pail and set it up by the warm oven.

 

When the flour mixture doubles in size, I pour it back into the mixing bowl that I have sprayed with cooking oil once again, along with the paddle. I add the second bag of flour, which has salt and mix it until it is dissolved. I scrap the bowl and the paddle, making sure that I get all the dry flour mix in. When it is completely mixed, I scrap the dough into the pail, which I have sprayed with cooking oil. I carry the pail back and set it next to the warm oven.

 

When the dough doubles in size, I pour it into two large sheet trays. The sheet trays have parchment on the bottom and a baking collar around the outside. I spray all with cooking oil and sprinkle cornmeal on the bottom. I divide the dough into the two sheet trays. Dipping my hands into oil, I spread the dough. When it fits the sheet, I carry it to the cooling rack and let it double in size.

 

When the bread is ready to bake, I place the sheets in a preheated oven of 325 degrees and bake for 55 minutes. The kitchen fills up with the aroma of freshly baked bread. I pull out the sheets of bread, and lay them on the prep table, and take the collars off. The smell of freshly baked bread and the golden brown crust makes it difficult not to want to cut into the bread.

 

Sometimes, I do cut a small piece off of the side of the bread. Then I place it into the cooler. The ciabatta bread is used at my daughter’s deli for her sandwiches.

 

Baking the bread is a bit of a chore but it is well worth it. The customers love the bread and when I finish baking it and see and take a small slice of the bread, I am totally satisfied with my work.

                                                      

                                            The Magic of Bread and Xanthan Gum

 

   What is the magic in the bread that I make? One word...YEAST! That's the magical ingredient in my ciabatta bread. If a recipe calls for yeast, that's the magical ingredient that makes bread rise. Along with the yeast, it's important to use warm water. The warm water activates the yeast. Cold water won't do the trick and hot water will actually kill the yeast. 

                                         

    Where yeast is the magical ingredient for bread, Xanthan Gum is the magical ingredient for making gluten free scones, cookies, or muffins, and other baked goods. Xanthan Gum is what makes the other ingredients come together. It is the thickening agent that pulls the dough together.

 

    So, as a baker, I have to salute Yeast and Xanthan Gum. Those are the two ingredients that makes my ciabatta bread and my gluten free bakes a success.

Heroes Live Forever

 (My tribute to these fallen heroes, written on April 4, 2009)

If you believe that good exists, then you have to believe evil exists. On April 4, 2009, evil reared its ugly head in the form of a 22-year-old man, Richard Poplawski, when he killed three police officers and wounded two others. These were the first city of Pittsburgh police officers killed in 18 years. The day began early when the police officers said goodbye to their families. No one ever expected that they would not be coming home. A domestic call came in from the mother of Poplawski resulting from an argument between the two. She wanted the officers to remove her son from the home.

The shootout occurred in the Stanton Heights Neighborhood of Pittsburgh at 7:11 a.m., where Poplawski was wearing a bulletproof vest in the home, lying in wait for the officers. He shot Officer Paul Sciullo, 37, in the head, and then Officer Stephen Mayhle, 29, in the head. Officer Eric Kelly, 41, was on his way home from his night shift when he heard the call for help on his radio. He arrived at the scene to help both officers, and Officer Kelly was shot and killed. Two other police officers were injured at the scene. Poplawski was armed with a semi-automatic AK-47 style rifle and two other guns. While Poplawski silenced and destroyed the lives of those three policemen, he is alive, he is in jail, and as of yet, he hasn't been tried.

Yet, the three police officers are dead. Two leave wives and a total of five children. The other officer leaves a fiancee. All three policemen leave parents, siblings, and friends. Life will never be he same for the families. Kelly and Mayhle will never see their children grow up. They will miss out on all the important days of their lives. They will never see their grandchildren or grow old with their spouses. Sciullo will never get married; he will never have children or grandchildren. Poplawski stole those dreams away from the three officers when he killed them. In an outpouring from the city and suburbs of Pittsburgh an other areas and states a fund was set up for the three families and the total keeps growing. The city and suburbs stood as one.

Maybe the people of Pittsburgh will become gentler from this tragedy? I don't know?
Everyday men and women put on their uniforms and answer calls for help. The most dangerous calls are the domestic violence calls. One never knows what waits on the other side of the door. Usually the officer tries to help and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. When the domestic incident is over, sometimes the officer finds himself or herself in danger or on the defensive, injured or maybe dead.

We expect more from the police, from the ones who wear the blue uniforms and the badges and the guns. But there are good and bad police men and women, just like there are good and bad doctors, good and bad lawyers, good and bad teachers, good and bad people in general.

I have a soft spot for the police. My son is one and I am proud of him. I worry about him and pray for him, as does his wife. I try not to think about the dangers that he faces. But I know on April 4, 2009, he was at Stanton Heights, Police Zone 5. He also volunteered to take duty for the officers from Zone 5, so that they could attend Officer Mayhle's burial.

For whatever it is worth, I have kept Officers Kelly, Mayhle, Sciullo and their families in my prayers along with my son and all those who don the blue uniforms.

Savory Cornmeal Muffins

The two months leading up to Christmas were busy ones with making extra cookies for catering events and specialty pastries for the Deli. Now I can relax and go back to finding different recipes and adding them to the Deli baked goods menu.

Yesterday, I pulled out my recipe for Cornmeal Muffins. This one called for chopped red peppers, green peppers, and onions. I decided to try out the recipe before doubling it to see how the muffins would sell at the Deli.

I chopped and sautéed the peppers and onions, until they were tender. Then I melted butter and added it to a bowl with milk and eggs and mixed it. In another bowl, I measured out the dry ingredients and whisked them: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. I added the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mixed it well, and folded in the peppers and onions. I filled 12 muffin cups, baked them in the oven for 20 minutes until they were golden brown.

The muffins were perfect…nicely golden brown and the red and green peppers added to the muffin. The savory Cornmeal Muffins will make a tempting invite for the customers who are tired of the usual holiday sweet treats!

Pumpkin...Pumpkin...Pumpkin

    

It’s that time of the year…Pumpkin time. With the leaves turning colors and dropping to the ground, pumpkins are making their appearance inside and out. Halloween will be here in a matter of weeks and so will pumpkin bakery treats.

Coming to the Deli…treat your-self with a scrumptious Pumpkin Loaf Cake with raisins, nuts, and delicious spicy frosting, Pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin mousse filling, and a buttered brown sugar icing, frosted soft pumpkin drop cookies, and pumpkin scones, drizzled with a spicy vanilla icing.

Along with the pumpkin flavored treats there will be other types of scones, cookies and bar cookies to tickle your palate!

LMS on Wagner Road

Same name with a new twist, LMS on Wagner Road. The greenhouse is located on its original site, and has re-opened under new ownership and new management, Jane Getsey. Getsey, the new owner is not a stranger to the greenhouse. She was employed there for a number of years, as an employee and manager. She has also worked at a number of other garden centers as well.

Getsey’s knowledge and expertise in gardening and in greenhouse work has led to a number of changes at LMS. The biggest one is that the greenhouse will specialize in native perennials to the Pennsylvania area.

Stop in at LMS and shop for annuals, perennials, herbs, succulents, house plants, bushes, and trees. The main store has a number of interesting gardening ideas, pots, garden statues, fairy garden needs, and a number of gardening necessities. With Christmas slowly creeping up, the greenhouse will carry Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands. One can have a wreath made to order or come in and decorate one’s own wreath.

Make LMS your garden destination. The greenhouse is located at 3312 Wagner Road in Allison Park. The hours of operation are Tuesdays – Saturdays 9 am to 6pm. The greenhouse is closed on Sundays and Mondays.  Check out LMS's website for more information and directions.

While browsing around, add your email to LMS mailings for the latest news. Stop in to shop, look around, or just say “Hi” to its new owner, Jane!