Skip to main content

Poppy Seed Braid

In the mood for something different for breakfast, I decided to make the poppy seed braid from Classic German Baking.

The dough actually combines two doughs: something similar to a pie crust and a sweet yeasted dough. I made each. They are combined into the same dough to make a composite.

To combine them, I decided to roll out the pie crust and apply it in sheets similar to the technique used to add butter to a croissant. After combining, I let the dough rest.

I made the poppy seed filling. The poppy seeds need to be ground to release their flavor. I decided to try grinding them in my spice grinder. I’m not sure that it did a thorough job but it at least ground some of the seeds.

I then rolled out the dough and applied the filling. The recipe makes enough for two rolls.

After rolling, I cut the roll and twisted the pieces to make a faux braid.

I let the roll rest in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, out it came and info a 400 degree oven. After baking, I coated it with a glaze of powdered sugar and water.

The result was excellent and a nice change of pace. Grinding the poppy seeds does indeed release additional flavor---somewhat mineraly in what I consider to be a pleasant way. Baking at a high temperature gives a crispy crust that is then softened by the glaze.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Eating Around Georgia Tech: Ecco

Our Texas Instruments colleague Cathy Wicks was gracious enough to host several of us at Ecco tonight. This is one of those restaurants that has been on my list for a long time. Even though it is within easy walking distance of Georgia Tech, I hadn't made it there until tonight. The menu is a combination of Italian, Spanish, and French that make use of some local Georgia ingredients. The combination of those three countries is sometimes a little forced, although the georgia ingredients (fruit, cheese) were all great and perfectly appropriate. We started out with a meat and cheese board. This actually reverses the French tradition, where cheese usually follows the main course. Everything was excellent. The Georgia cheese was a big hit, as was the French cow/goat cheese. I thought the sauscisson was very subtle and very good. The waitress said that the roast pork pasta was their signature dish, so I had to try it. It had traditional broad pasta (fresh, of course)
Post a Comment
Read more

Pressure Cooker Candied Ginger

I made candied ginger a few years ago. It's not something I would do every day but I had a lot of fun doing it. I recently acquired a pressure cooker and it inspired an interesting idea to me: why not make candied ginger in the pressure cooker? It should be very soft and flavorful. Here is the result. I peeled two large ginger roots, cut them into small cubes, and put them in the pressure cooker with heavily sugared water. The traditional method first boils the ginger in plain water to soften it and then again in sugar water to candy it. The resulting candy was very tender but still with the characteristic ginger texture. It was also sweet without being overpowering. The traditional method leaves a lot of sugar crystallized around the ginger. The pressure cooker gives a much more subtle result. The ginger stays moist even after it cools but you can dry it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. That inspired me to dip it in chocolate. While I was in the b
2 comments
Read more

DCA: Cava Mezze Grill

Cava is a DC area chain with light Mediterranean food. Saibal encouraged me to try lunch at their airport location and I was very happy with the experience. I ordered falafel on SuperSalad with assorted other toppings. The falafel was tasty. The SuperSalad was light, flavorful, and very easy to eat. Overall, a healthy and enjoyable lunch, something you can't always say about airport eating.
Post a Comment
Read more