Passport
Baker
Vicki
Location
Madison, WI
Baking Challenge
Eight-Strand Plaited Loaf
Give your bread a name and tell us about your recipe.
Eight-Strand Plaited Loaf with Three Cheeses
Would you describe yourself as a rogue baker, or do you strictly adhere to the recipe?
I usually adhere to the recipe when baking.
Tell us about how you added a Wisconsin twist to your bread creation.
For this week’s baking challenge, I used Paul Hollywood’s recipe for the Eight Stranded Plaited Loaf. To add a Wisconsin twist, I used the following Wisconsin cheeses in three of the eight strands:
Sundried Tomato-Basil Cheddar from Hook’s Cheese Company in Mineral Point, WI
Smoked Pepper Jack from Carr Valley Cheese in La Valle, WI,
Natural Olive Cheddar Cheese from Renard’s Cheese in Door County, WI
As you can see in the photo, I baked two loaves. The first became an experimental loaf as I mistakenly put the egg that was to be used as an egg wash on the top of the loaf into the dough. And, I added all the recipe’s water which made the dough too wet. Once I started kneading the dough, I had sticky mess on my hands and my kitchen counter. Fortunately, my wonderful husband was nearby to grab more flour and my bench scraper to save the day. By adding a little flour at a time, the dough finally came together and I put it aside to let it rise. I was afraid the dough would not rise or it would end up dry and hard, so I decided that first loaf would be plain and I would make a second loaf with the three cheeses (using a little less water and the egg wash as intended). Thankfully, both loaves rose, baked beautifully, and looked and tasted like I had bought them at a bakery.
How did you do?
Pleasantly satisfied.
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