Flour, Too by Joanne Chang - Chronicle

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO

flour, too Joanne Chang

INDISPENSABLE RECIPES for THE CAFÉ’S MOST LOVED SWEETS & SAVORIES Photographs by Michael Harlan Turkell

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO

000 I n t r o d u c t i o n

0 0 0 I n O u r V o c a b u l a r y

Sweets

00 I n O u r P a n t r y 0 00 I n O u r R e f r i g e r at o r 0 00 I n O u r C a b i n e t s 0 00 I n O u r H e a d s 0

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO

Contents 0 0 0 Classic Apple Turnovers

0 0 Cinnamon-Cream Brioche 0 0 0 Twice-Baked Brioche 0 0 0 Vegan Vanilla–Mixed Berry Muffins 0 0 0 Brown Sugar–Oat Cherry Muffins 0 0 0 Fabulous French Toast 0 0 0 Decadent Sunday Waffles 0 0 0 CJ’s Spiced Banana Pancakes 0 0 0 Denise’s Dutch Baby 0 0 0 Steel-Cut Oats with Pear Compote and 0 Crunchy Pecans S avo r i e s

0 0 0 Garlic and Rosemary Home Fries 0 0 Flour’s Famous Egg Sandwich 0 Text copyright © 2013 by Joanne Chang.

Photographs copyright © 2013 by Michael Harlan Turkell.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-0614-4 Manufactured in China Designed by Alice Chau Typesetting by Helen Lee This book is typeset in Archer and Gotham The photographer wishes to thank TK 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Chronicle Books LLC 680 Second Street San Francisco, California 94107 www.chroniclebooks.com

0 0 Smoked Salmon Sandwiches with Herbed 0 Cream Cheese, Arugula, and Red Onion 0 0 Ham and Vermont Cheddar Hot Pockets 0 0 0 Breakfast Pizzas 0 0 0 Christopher’s Oven-Baked Potato and 0 Red Pepper Tortilla 0 0 Winter Greens, Mushroom, and Parmesan 0 Strata

Salads

Snacks

0 0 0 Balsamic Vinaigrette

0 0 0 Chilled Spanish White Gazpacho

0 0 0 Flour Pickles

0 0 Roasted Tomatoes 0

0 0 Chilled Cucumber, Yogurt, and Fresh Herbs 0

0 0 0 Heirloom Tomato Salad with Feta, Pistachios, Watercress, and Nigella Seeds

0 0 0 Spectacular Spiced Pecans

0 0 Caramelized Onions 0

0 0 Vegan Carrot + Ginger 0

0 0 Farmers’ Market Salad with 0

0 0 Gougères 0

0 0 Vegetable Stock 0

0 0 Flaky Parmesan Cheese Straws 0

0 0 Chicken Stock 0

0 0 Scallion Pancakes 0

0 0 Beef Stock 0

0 0 Goat Cheese, Portobello, and Cumin 0

0 0 Flour Focaccia 0

0 0 Spicy Peanut-Squash with Chickpeas 0 0 0 Sweet Potato with Thai Curry and Coconut 0 0 0 0 Eggplant Parmesan

0 0 Smoky Tomato and Potato 0 0 0 Creamy Sunchoke 0 0 0 Spicy Three-Bean + Corn Chili 0

Buttermilk-Chive Dressing 0 0 Summer Three-Bean and Potato Salad with 0 Fresh Herbs 0 0 Asian Celery, Fennel, and Edamame Salad 0 with Candied Lemon 0 0 Warm Quinoa Salad with Roasted Autumn 0 Vegetables and Ginger-Scallion Dressing

0 0 Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean 0

0 0 Winter Paper Salad with Hazelnut Vinaigrette 0

0 0 Old-Fashioned Chicken and Orzo with 0

0 0 Blood Orange and Beet Salad with 0

Vegetables 0 0 Autumn Vegetable with Sausage and Green 0 Lentils 0 0 Mama Chang’s Hot and Sour 0 0 0 Classic Split Green Pea with Smoked Ham 0 0 0 Best-Ever Beef Stew with Pearl Onions, 0 Mushrooms, and Red Wine Sandwiches

0 0 0 Lemony Hummus with Cucumber, Radish Sprouts, and Red Onion 0 0 Grilled Tofu with Olive Tapenade and 0 Roasted Vegetables 0 0 Fresh Mozzarella with Pesto and Tomatoes 0 0 0 Curried Tuna with Apples and Golden Raisins 0 0 0 Smoked Turkey with Sharp Cheddar and 0 Cranberry Chutney 0 0 0 Chicken with Avocado and Jicama

0 0 Applewood-Smoked BLT 0 0 0 Roast Beef with Horseradish Mayo, 0 Crispy Onions, and Tomato 0 0 Roast Lamb with Tomato Chutney and 0 Rosemary Goat Cheese

Toasted Walnuts, Goat Cheese, and Blood Orange Vinaigrette 0 0 Seared Flank Steak Salad with 0 Crumbled Blue Cheese, Glazed Onions, and Worcestershire Vinaigrette

Empanaditas Desserts

0 0 0 Pavlova with Plums, Figs, and Plum Wine 0 0 0 Lemon-Ginger Mousse

0 0 Sugared Crêpes with 0 Rum-Butterscotch Bananas 0 0 Apple Pithivier 0

0 0 0 Braised Chickpeas and Vegetables with Couscous, Harissa Yogurt, and Soft Eggs 0 0 Mushroom and Leek Lasagna with 0 Creamy Béchamel 0 0 Triple-Cheese Pizza 0

0 0 Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cake 0 0 0 Best Boston Cream Pie 0 0 0 Bittersweet Chocolate–Espresso Terrine 0 0 0 Croquembouche 0 0 0 Bûche de Noël 0

Thick-Cut Bacon 0 0 Pan-Seared Maine Crab Cakes with 0 Spicy Celery Root Rémoulade 0 0 0 Corey’s Homemade Chicken Potpie

0 0 Buttermilk-Fried Chicken 0 0 0 Jeff’s Spicy Turkey Burgers with 0 Tomato-Onion Jam 0 0 Roasted Pork Loin with Chive Spaetzle, Slow0 Roasted Balsamic Onions, and Oregano Mojo 0 0 Braised Beef Short Ribs with 0 Parmesan Polenta

0 0 Pastry Cream 0 0 0 Lemon Curd 0 0 0 Frangipane 0 0 0 Buttercream 0 0 0 Ganache 0

0 0 Kouign-Amann 0

0 0 New England–Style Baked Beans with 0 0 0 Slow-Baked Atlantic Salmon with Tabouli 0

0 0 Puff Pastry 0

0 0 French Macarons 0 0 0 Maple-Apple Upside-Down Buttermilk Cake 0

Mains

0 0 Basic Brioche 0

0 0 House-Made Raspberry Seltzer 0 0 0 Cantaloupe-Mint Seltzer 0 0 0 Cranberry-Lime-Ginger Seltzer 0 0 0 Mulled Apple Cider 0 0 0 Super-Rich Hot Chocolate 0 0 0 Kids’ (of All Ages) Chocolate Milk 0

0 0 0 A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s 00 I n d e x 0

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO

Soups

Decadent Sunday Waffles

1½ cups/210 g all-purpose flour 3 tbsp packed brown sugar 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp kosher salt ¾ cup/180 ml nonfat buttermilk, at room temperature ½ cup/120 ml crème fraîche

sweets

CJ’s Spiced Banana Pancakes

¼ cup/60 ml soda water, at room temperature

One of the benefits of working in a bakery is

1 cup/140 g all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp kosher salt 1½ tsp ground allspice

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO

sweets

¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp packed brown sugar 1 large egg 1 cup/240 ml whole milk

having a wonderful selection of tempting break-

4 tbsp/55 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more at room temperature for serving

Chef Jeff at Flour2 made these pancakes for his

fast items to enjoy each morning. Shall I have an

2 large eggs

so much I asked him to make some for us to try

apple turnover today or an egg sandwich with

1 tsp vanilla extract

at work. Before I knew it, I had eaten four at one

2 to 3 tbsp unsalted butter for cooking pancakes, plus more for serving

special secret sauce? On my weekends, however, I

Maple syrup for serving

sitting. That’s how I know when something is up

Maple syrup for serving

like to take the time to make things that we don’t offer at Flour. My husband especially enjoys the new dishes I create from my experiments. Waffles are his weakness, and after years of experimenting with every waffle recipe under the sun, this one was declared our hands-down favorite. I shouldn’t

s p e c i a l e qu i p m e n t : waffle maker

1.

Preheat the waffle maker. The higher heat

settings are better, because the outside of the waffle will turn crisper faster.

be surprised; I love crème fraîche in (or on) just

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour,

about everything, and its addition to this basic

brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

son, Julian, one weekend and raved about them

to Flour standards: I can’t stop eating it. There’s so much banana in here that the pancakes are

2 tbsp vegetable oil 4 medium ripe bananas, cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces

s p e c i a l e qu i p m e n t : rimmed baking sheet, large flat nonstick skillet

incredibly moist and naturally sweet. A touch of freshly ground pepper and allspice elevates this

1.

homey breakfast treat to something truly special.

rack in the center of the oven. Put a wire rack on

I’ll bet that like me you can’t eat just one.

the baking sheet and place it in the oven.

M a k e s 7 o r 8 pa n c a k e s

Preheat the oven to 200°F/95°C, and place a

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour,

waffle batter makes these super-rich and deca-

If necessary, break up the brown sugar lumps with

baking powder, salt, allspice, pepper, and brown

dent. The soda water adds a little oomph to the

your fingers to make sure the sugar is evenly mixed.

sugar. In another medium bowl, whisk together

batter, so your waffles are extra light and crispy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk,

the egg, milk, and vegetable oil until blended; add

crème fraîche, soda water, melted butter, eggs,

about 3 of the bananas (reserving the rest for

and vanilla until well combined. Make a well in the

serving). Make a well in the dry ingredients and

middle of the dry ingredients and pour the wet

pour in the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula

ingredients into the well. Using a whisk and a fold-

or wooden spoon, fold the wet ingredients into the

ing motion, gently fold the wet and dry ingredients

dry ingredients just until combined. Don’t overmix.

together until combined.

It will be a thick, gloppy, lumpy batter. (Sounds

M a k e s 6 wa f f l e s

delicious so far, doesn’t it?)

3. Brush the preheated waffle grids with melted butter or vegetable oil or coat with nonstick spray.

continued

Ladle the batter onto the bottom grid according to the manufacturer’s directions and close the lid.

Be sure to bake the waffles until they are golden brown; if underbaked, they will be floppy and more like bumpy pancakes than crisp, light waffles. Serve the waffles hot with softened butter and copious amounts of maple syrup.

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In the skillet, melt about 1 tsp of the butter over

pan; if the water sizzles on contact, the pan is ready.

Pour a scant 1⁄2 cup/120 ml of batter into the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the edges

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3.

medium heat. Sprinkle a few drops of water into the

of the pancake start to brown and small bubbles begin forming along the edges and in the middle of the cake. With a flat metal or plastic spatula, carefully flip the pancake over; the first side should be golden brown. Cook slowly for another 2 to 3 minutes. Gently press the pancake in the middle with the spatula to flatten it out a bit and make sure the center is cooked through. Adjust the heat as needed so the pancake browns nicely but doesn’t burn on the second side. Remove the finished pancake from the skillet and place it on the wire rack in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining pancakes.

4. Cook the remaining pancakes the same way, adding another 1 tsp or so of butter before adding the batter each time. For these pancakes, a slower and lower heat is better; once the pan has been seasoned by the first pancake, you should be able to cook the remaining pancakes on medium-low heat. Serve immediately with butter, maple syrup, and the remaining banana.

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Garlic and Rosemary Home Fries

2 lb/910 g Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed clean and unpeeled ¹⁄³ cup/80 ml vegetable oil 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary 4 garlic cloves, smashed and cut in half 1¼ tsp kosher salt

s avo r i e s

Flour’s Famous Egg Sandwich

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Truffle pigs are renowned for their ability to sniff out aromatic truffles, highly sought-after

s p e c i a l e qu i p m e n t : rimmed baking sheet

¾ cup/180 ml half-and-half

½ tsp chopped fresh thyme

Sundays in a limited amount and on a first-come,

sense when Chef Jeff is making these home fries

2. Cut the potatoes into 1- to 1 1⁄2 -in/2.5- to 3-cm

first-served basis. The original Flour is just a

years we were open, we only offered them on

4 slices sharp Cheddar cheese

short walk from one of Boston’s classic diners,

4 slices good-quality ham, or 8 slices thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, cooked in the oven until barely crisp (see page 00)

Mike’s City Diner, which serves a killer egg sand-

¼ cup/60 ml good-quality mayonnaise ¼ cup/60 ml Dijon mustard

the oven or the luscious cakes being draped in

3. In a small saucepan, combine the vegetable oil,

wich along with its characteristic sassy attitude.

chocolate ganache, it’s these home fries that lure

thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Warm over medium-

We figured our customers would come to us for

me out of the office or away from the mixer, and

low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the oil is hot.

pastries and head to Mike’s if they wanted a more

I end up hovering at Jeff’s station, where trays of

Turn off the heat and let the seasonings sit for

substantial eggy breakfast.

these crispy, garlicky, piping-hot potatoes await.

2 minutes. Pluck out the garlic halves and discard.

I try to limit myself to just one or two (“Testing

9 large eggs

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

rack in the center of the oven.

pieces and place in a large bowl. Set aside.

Small handful of all-purpose flour for sprinkling on the rolls

become famous. In fact, for the first seven or so

in the forest; I am notorious for being able to

Regardless of the buttery cookies coming out of

½ batch Flour Focaccia dough (see page 000), or 1 lb/455 g store-bought pizza dough

¾ tsp kosher salt

1.

all the way from the other side of the kitchen.

Small handful of cornmeal for sprinkling on the baking sheet

We never meant for our egg sandwiches to

and difficult-to-find delicacies that grow deep

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C, and place a

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO

s avo r i e s

Since our kitchen isn’t really set up for a diner-

2 cups/40 g mesclun greens or other mild lettuce 1 ripe tomato, cut into 4 thick slices s p e c i a l e qu i p m e n t : rimmed baking sheet, 8-in/20-cm square or round cake pan, roasting pan or other large, shallow pan

Chef! Making sure they’re okay!”), but it’s usually

4. Pour the hot oil over the potatoes, add the salt

style egg sandwich, with eggs cracked into

about half a tray later before I pull myself away.

and pepper, and toss well. Spread the potatoes on

a skillet and fried to order, we had to come up

the baking sheet. Bake, turning the baking sheet

with a way to precook the eggs so they could

from back to front and stirring the potatoes once

simply be reheated and assembled quickly to

halfway through baking, for 40 to 45 minutes, or

order by the counter staff. We tried to bake the

2. Shape the dough into a 4-in/10-cm square,

until the potatoes are cooked through and golden

eggs ahead of time, but they turned rubbery as

then divide the square into four equal pieces.

brown. Serve immediately.

soon as they were chilled. So we brought in our

Shape each piece of dough into a ball by stretch-

pastry knowledge that fat—in this case, half-and-

ing it flat on a work surface and then bringing

half—keeps eggs tender and soft. Thus our egg

the edges inward to meet in the center. Turn the

soufflé was born. We bake the eggs in advance

dough piece over and keep tucking the edges of

and then reheat them with cheese, meat, and

the dough underneath until you have a small ball

Serves 4

1.

Sprinkle the baking sheet liberally with the

cornmeal. Set aside.

tomato to order. Our homemade focaccia roll

with a taut surface. Place the dough ball on the

is slathered with dijonnaise, a mix of Dijon mus-

prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remain-

tard and mayonnaise that we dub our (not any

ing three dough pieces. Sprinkle the dough balls

longer) “secret sauce.” These egg sandwiches

with some of the flour, lightly cover them with

have become so beloved that now we offer them

plastic wrap or a lint-free cloth, and place them in

seven days a week all day long, and some cus-

a warm area (78° to 82°F/25° to 27°C is ideal) for

tomers only know us as the Egg Sandwich Place.

about 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size and is soft and wobbly.

M a k e s 4 s a n dw i c h e s continued

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3. About 30 minutes before you are ready to bake

8. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the may-

the rolls, preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C, and

onnaise and mustard and stir until blended. Split

place a rack in the center of the oven. Coat the

each cooled roll in half horizontally, and spread the

bottom and sides of the cake pan with nonstick

mayo-mustard mixture evenly on both cut sides

spray or liberally coat the bottom and sides with

of each roll. Divide the mesclun equally among

vegetable oil.

the roll bottoms. Remove the egg patties from the

4. Uncover the dough balls. Sprinkle them with the remaining flour, and then slap each ball flat with the palm of your hand to deflate it. Bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

oven, place a patty on top of the greens, then top each pile of greens with 1 tomato slice. Close each sandwich with a roll top and press down to smush everything together. Serve immediately.

Transfer the rolls to a wire rack to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F/150°C.

5.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together until

blended. Whisk in the half-and-half and salt until combined. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared cake pan.

6. Place the cake pan in the roasting pan, and place the roasting pan on the center oven rack.

Pour hot water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This water bath will ensure that the egg soufflé will cook slowly and evenly. Drape a piece of aluminum foil over the cake pan or place a baking sheet directly on top of it, then carefully slide in the oven rack and close the oven door. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove the foil or baking sheet and sprinkle the pepper and thyme evenly over the top. Cover again and continue baking for about 20 minutes longer, or until the center of the egg mixture is just barely set and no longer wiggles when you jiggle the pan.

7.

Remove both pans from the oven, and care-

fully remove the cake pan holding the eggs from the water bath. Leave the oven on. Let the eggs cool and set in the pan for about 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Cut the eggs into four equal portions. Using a spatula, carefully remove the egg patties from the cake pan. (Egg patties may be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.) Place the egg patties on the baking sheet and top each patty with 1 slice of the Cheddar and 1 slice of the ham or 2 strips of bacon. Put the baking sheet in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt.

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