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Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake

Hi there! It’s Fall, which means that Pumpkin Season is officially upon us! That also means that the time for this Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake HAS ARRIVED!

Pull up with your pumpkin spice tea and your coziest cardigan, Beloved. This one’s quite a read. It also includes a picture tutorial so that we can make it together!

In this Post:

About Pound Cakes

The quintessential American pound cake got its name from its ingredients. A pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of eggs, and a pound of butter. In theory, you should be able to take (roughly) a pound of each of those ingredients, with some milk, maybe a splash of leavening, salt and other accouterments added, and come up with a delightfully dense, rich cake with a tight crumb.

For many Black Americans in the United States, the words “pound cake” evoke powerful memories. To this day, pound cakes appear at weekly Sunday dinners and also at special holiday dinners. Pound cake travels neatly with the beloved family who’s leaving to go home after a wonderful visit. Pound cake can be a vehicle for ice cream, but also does just fine by itself. Pound cake still represents home to those who have moved far away from family.

My first memory of pound cake included me watching my mother use her Cuisinart hand mixer to mix her famous 7-Up cake, while telling me stories about what it was like to grow up in Demopolis, Alabama. She told me stories about her first crush, about growing up as the youngest of seven(!) children, and about how my grandmother was love personified while she mixed that batter. We also had some challenging conversations when she told me–over pound cake–what it was like for her as a young Black girl to come of age in the Deep South during the 1950s and 1960s. And every single one of those stories meant everything to me. They mean even more to me now that she’s not here and I’m raising my own children.

When she was done telling stories, that 7-Up cake would be in the oven and and a beater would be in my hand. I understood my assignment. That was the magic of pound cake for me; it was a connection between me and the family that was very far away. Pound cake, to me, meant connection. That connection endures to this day.

There are innumerable stories about Black people boarding buses and trains from Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and the entire Southeastern United States, heading north and west to Los Angeles, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, and New York during The Great Migration. Those migrants carried with them with bags of homemade rolls, fried chicken, and pound cake. It is a cake that endures even today, connecting generations of families in a special way that many foods cannot.

It is why, when I re-opened my custom bakery (The Gloria Bakery) in fall 2021, pound cakes were prominently and proudly featured on that menu.

About This Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake

This pound cake in particular was really fun to develop. First of all, it involves pumpkin spice, which I’m told is pretty popular in the fall (????). Also, because pumpkin is full of water (it is about 94% water), it presented an interesting challenge for me to get the texture just right.

I love the tight crumb of a well-executed pound cake. It’s just so…satisfying. Plus, I can walk around the house with a slab of pound cake and not have it crumble all over my clothes. #NoJudgmentZone

To maintain that tight crumb with this pound cake, I ended up using pumpkin puree (not canned pumpkin pie filling) for the bulk of the liquid in this amazing cake. While you can replace canned pumpkin puree with the fresh stuff, it’s difficult to know the water content of a particular pumpkin, and whether that means you’d have to add more butter, or reduce the buttermilk.

The Technique for this Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake

Mise en Place

The cake in this recipe has a lot of dry ingredients, which can make it seem like a much more complicated bake than it really is. But once those dry ingredients are tucked into their bowl and stirred together, the rest is easy peasy!

As usual, Beloveds, the secret is in the mise en place. Any recipe can look complicated before your ingredients are neatly prepared and ready to go.

For this recipe, my mise en place (before sifting my dry ingredients) looks something like this:

For you eagle-eyed readers out there, the final recipe calls for six eggs. ????

As you can see, my dry ingredients are together in their bowl, and all of my other ingredients are separated and measured as well. At this stage, I’m ready to mix!

In the Mix

Like many standard American pound cake recipes, this one uses the creaming method. The creaming method simply means that you mix room-temperature (70°F) butter and sugar together until the mixture has increased in volume, the the color is lighter, and the texture is much less grainy. You can click here to read more about it.

There’s video too! Click here to learn the stand mixer technique, or here to see how it’s done with a hand mixer.

Proper creaming is absolutely essential for this recipe to succeed. If you’re looking for help to figure out proper creaming technique, I hope that blog post and those videos help you achieve the pumpkin spice pound cake of your dreams!

Here’s what the creamed butter and sugar should look like:

Once the butter has reached this stage (~3-7 minutes on low/medium speed in a stand mixer, or ~5-12 minutes on medium speed with a hand mixer, as long as you’re using room temperature butter), you’re ready to add your eggs. For eggs, add them one at a time and mix each one on medium speed until thoroughly combined. For a recipe with six eggs, I usually scrape the bowl after the third and sixth eggs.

Once all of the eggs are incorporated, your batter should look dreamy and luscious.

Time for your two teaspoons of vanilla and another good mix until incorporated:

After the vanilla, give your bowl a good scraping with that silicone spatula. This is the last time during this mixing session that you’ll be able to mix mix mix to your heart’s content with a machine.

Because now it’s time for that flour mixture. First, add the first half of your flour and mix on lowest speed until just combined. You can even leave a few streaks of flour at this point:

Remember, Friend, that the introduction of flour means the start of gluten development. And too much gluten development will mean a tough cake!

Once you’ve gently mixed your first batch of flour, add all of your pumpkin at one time. Again, mix until just combined. With half of your flour already onboard, you’ll want to reduce the mixing time at this point.

From the “after” picture, above, you can see that the the pumpkin is mostly incorporated, but it’s not completely mixed into the batter. That’s okay! You can stop mixing at this point. Time for your second flour addition:

The mix on the right is where you should stop ???? mixing with a machine. It’s at this point that my handy-dandy silicone spatula comes into play.

I use the silicone spatula to get a get a good final scraping in my mixing bowl. Going around the sides and bottom of the bowl, I collect all of the loose flour and then do 10-15 good turns around the bowl. The result is always a smooth batter that’s not over-mixed and is ready for the oven. This is a thicker batter, and that’s okay!

Into the Oven!

This next part is not a popular opinion.

But I’m going to tell you anyway.

I don’t prepare my cake pans before I start mixing my cake batter. I know this is not a normal recommendation, so feel free to disregard it.

If you’re still reading, hear me out!

In my experience, butter and flour left in a cake pan for too long can cause an unappetizing crust on the outside of my finished pound cake. And, since the outside of the cake is so prominently featured on a pound cake, who wants that?!

One day, purely by happenstance, I forgot to prep a pan before mixing my cake batter, so I just took four minutes after the batter was done and prepped the pan at that time. I’ve done it that way ever since, using the good old butter/flour combo to make sure that things don’t stick. Before I prep my pan, I also check my cheap-o oven thermometer to make sure that my oven is truly at 325°F. (For my top oven, this means setting it to 350°F.)

You have to work pretty quickly if you choose to prep your pan after your batter! That’s why it’s helpful to take out some extra butter for your pan at the same time that you take out the butter for your recipe.

With all bundt pans, you have to butter them to within an inch of their lives before moving on to the next step. Please, Family, do not fall for the “non-stick” cake pan claims. THEY ARE NOT TRUE. I’m also not a huge fan of cooking sprays, since I find they don’t help produce the caramelization that I like to see on the top of my bundt cakes.

This is what I mean by “butter them to within an inch of their lives”:

After you’ve reached this stage, add flour and maneuver the pan around until you’ve covered all of the buttered surfaces. It’s important to remove any remaining flour when you’re done with this step (I remove extra flour by banging the pan over a countertop or clean sink):

After this step, I gently pour my batter into my prepped pan and gently even out the top with my silicone spatula:

Then it’s onto a baking sheet and into my 325°F oven for 70-80 minutes. The cake is done when a cake tester comes out clean and the top springs back under your finger, OR when an instant-read thermometer reads somewhere between 210°F and 215°F.

At this point, you can place the cake on a cooling rack and place the cake and cooling rack on top of some parchment paper. Allow it to cool for about ten minutes.

After the ten-minute timer goes off, invert the cake on top of the cooling rack, gently put it down atop the parchment paper, and say a very quick prayer (if you pray).

Then, gently lift the pan and wait for release. While there will inevitably be a few tiny crumbs that are left on the pan, as you can see, the beautiful detail from the cake pan is clearly present in the finished cake.

The Game-Changer: Simple Syrup

::Friends, come close::

This next tip is the real difference between home bakers and pros.

Two words: simple syrup.

Simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar boiled together until they achieve a watery-syrup texture. There are innumerable variations on a “simple” simple syrup, but the most common one is the plain one. For bundt cakes, I find that 100 g (.4 c) of sugar and 100 g of water (.4 c) is the perfect amount.

I make the simple syrup by just adding those two ingredients together, bringing them to a boil, then reducing to a simmer just until all of the sugar is dissolved. I do not want simple syrup that has the consistency of corn syrup or maple syrup. I prefer that it be closer to a watery texture, so that it doesn’t grab crumbs from the warm cake when I’m brushing it onto my cake with a pastry brush.

For a great video tutorial on how I use simple syrup on my cakes, check out my YouTube video, entitled “Three Tips for Making Great Cakes”! Specifically, you can jump to 3:15 in the video for the simple syrup technique.

YouTube video
Or you can watch the whole thing because I kinda love it. ????

I brushed simple syrup on half of the cake and snapped a quick picture so that you can see the difference:

The Final Glaze

This, Friends, is the hardest part of the proceedings. This is the part where you wait.

Once that warm cake is brushed with warm simple syrup, it’s time to leave.

No, really. Go do something else. Because it’s going to be 3-5 hours before you can touch this cake again for the final glaze. It needs to be completely cooled before you do this last step.

To make the glaze, mix the maple syrup, maple extract (not mandatory, but extremely delicious), confectioner’s sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Whisk the mixture gently until combined. Don’t worry about lumps! Just keep stirring gently.

You’re done when the mixture has the texture of thick honey.

At this point, you can either use a spouted measuring cup or a plastic squeeze bottle to pour the glaze on your finished, cooled cake.

This has been a go-to for glaze lately.

That’s it! You’re done! Time to enjoy this wonderful taste of fall that was inspired by the humble, amazing pound cake.

You’re ready! I hope you love this pumpkin spice pound cake as much as my family does. If you tried it and love it, tag me on Instagram @beginwithbutter so that I can see your masterpiece!

The Recipe

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Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake

A delightful fall treat that incorporates classic Southern bundt cake techniques with a delicious pumpkin spice blend!

  • Total Time: ~5-7 hours
  • Yield: 14 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the cake:

  • 384 g (3 c) all-purpose flour, plus two tablespoons for dusting bundt pan
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 227 g (1 c) butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing bundt pan
  • 500 g (2.5 c) sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 425 g pumpkin puree, fresh or canned (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 63 g (1/4 c) buttermilk

For the Simple Syrup:

  • 100 g (.5 c) granulated sugar
  • 100 g (.4 c) water

For the Maple Cinnamon Glaze:

  • 90 g (1/4 c) maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp maple extract (optional)
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 90 g (3/4 c) confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

For the Cake Batter:

  1. Set your oven to 325°F.  It’s highly recommended to use an oven thermometer for baking, since ovens themselves are often inaccurate when it comes to temperature.
  2. Soft together the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Combine the buttermilk and pumpkin puree in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
  4. Place room temperature butter into a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and mix by itself on medium speed until smooth.
  5. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add sugar to the smooth butter.
  6. Mix on medium speed for 3-10 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl every 1-2 minutes, until the butter/sugar mixture is light and fluffy.  For more on how to properly cream butter and sugar (one of the most important steps!), click here.
  7. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after the third egg and the last egg.
  8. Add vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.
  9. With the mixer on low speed, gently add half of the flour mixture.  Mix until almost combined, with a few streaks of flour remaining.
  10. With the mixer off, add all of the pumpkin puree/buttermilk mixture at one time.  Mix until just combined.
  11. Add the rest of the flour, again mixing until combined (or until you see no more streaks of butter in the mixture).  There may be just a few streaks of flour remaining.  (See photo above.)
  12. Remove the mixer from the bowl and finish mixing the recipe by hand by scraping the sides and bottom with a silicone spatula and doing a final mix (about 10-15 turns).  
  13. Prep your 10-cup bundt pan using the reserved, softened butter and flour.  
  14. Put batter into the prepare pan and bake at 325°F for 70-80 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out completely clean.  Alternatively, you can check with an instant-read thermometer.  The cake will be done when the internal temperature reaches 210°F to 215°F.
  15. After removing the cake from the oven, place on top of a cooling rack for ten minutes while you make the simple syrup.

For the Simple Syrup:

  1. Combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan.
  2. Heat on medium-high heat until mixture is boiling.  Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  3. Remove from heat immediately once the sugar is completely dissolved.  Use a pastry brush to brush simple syrup on the whole cake.  Allow to cool completely (3-5 hours).

For the Final Glaze:

  1. Combine maple syrup, maple extract, confectioner’s sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  
  2. Stir gently with a small whisk until smooth.
  3. Using a squeeze bottle or spouted measuring cup, pour the glaze over the inside and outside of the cake.  Some of the glaze will spill over the sides.  
  4. Allow the glaze to set up for 15-20 minutes and enjoy!

Notes

  • This is a big, flavorful cake.  You’ll need at least a 10-cup bundt pan to make sure that it doesn’t overspill.  The combination of leavening and the air pockets from your creamed butter and sugar will make it overspill a smaller bundt pan.
  • This can be halved and made into a pumpkin loaf as well!  A 9″x5″ loaf pan is best for this one.
  • It’s especially important to measure the confectioner’s sugar for the final glaze on this cake.  Too much (>100 g) will cause the glaze will develop small holes after setting.  It will still taste delicious, but it’s a disappointing way to end all of your hard work.  
  • To store: This cake needs to be refrigerated once it’s complete.  It can last for up to seven days in the refrigerator.
  • Author: Shani
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes (active)
  • Inactive Time: 3-5 hours
  • Cook Time: 70-80 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 477
  • Sugar: 55.1 g
  • Sodium: 175.9 mg
  • Fat: 16.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 78.5 g
  • Protein: 6.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 116 mg

I hope you enjoy this little taste of fall from Begin with Butter! If you make it, don’t forget to tag @beginwithbutter on Instagram so I can cheer your success!

-S ??


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    Grilled Peaches with Fresh Whipped Cream

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    Friends, I’m excited today to announce the start of a new initiative at Begin with Butter. I’m calling it the “Lil’ Something Sweet” series, where we’re going to be making some easy desserts that you can make in minutes! First up is one of my favorites for summertime: these grilled peaches with fresh whipped cream!

    This is a picture of grilled peaches with fresh whipped cream.

    The grilling process helps these peaches develop the most beautiful complex flavor and texture, and helps them reach ultimate decadence.

    An Ode to My Daddy

    This recipe was 100% inspired by my Daddy. When I was growing up, peaches didn’t stand a chance in our house. Whether my mother purchased them from a farm stand or a grocery store, he would hoard those grapefruit-sized peaches in his giant hands and eat them two-fisted. Any peaches that I got were purely by happenstance most of the time. Unless I happened to help my mother with groceries and I saw them peeking out of the bag. If that happened, I would grab one in both hands and run.

    This is a picture of grilled peaches.

    My father also had a serious thing for peach ice cream; we made it at home. My parents had a teamwork approach to making this ice cream that seemed quite cruel to me as a child.

    My mother would leisurely make the ice cream base, my father would come up with the perfect mixture of ice and ice cream salt for the saltwater slush, and then us kids would nearly break our arms and dislocate our shoulders cranking out that ice cream with a hand crank ice cream maker. I had so many numb arms, Friends. But it was always worth it, because that was the absolute best peach ice cream I’ve had in my life. To this day, I haven’t found a recipe that tops my mother’s.

    After making that ice cream, do you think we got to indulge? NOPE! My daddy would give us each a single stingy scoop and then declare the rest of it his. I relished those peach ice cream scoops and am not ashamed to say that I licked those bowls clean.

    Apparently, when my father was young, my grandmother used to “put up peaches” for the winter. Risking a beat down, he would abscond with her put up peaches and HIDE THEM UNDER HIS BED where he could enjoy them with fresh biscuits.

    Between my Peach Cobbler Pound Cake, my Peach Cobbler Muffins, and my Peach Hand Pies, I’m not sure which one he’d like most. I am sure that he’d taste-test every single one thoroughly before making a decision, though.

    Y’all. My Daddy had a serious thing for peaches. So this recipe had to be perfect.

    About these Grilled Peaches with Fresh Whipped Cream

    For a girl who loves a fresh peach, this is a huge deal. Anything that heightens the taste of summer’s perfect fruit is a win in my book. And the grilling process-without any additional help from any seasonings whatsoever-actually improves the flavor. It seems impossible but it is entirely true; peaches actually taste better with a little char because it brings out the natural sugars in the fruit.

    If the grilled peaches weren’t enough, I have found a whipped cream with the *perfect* amount of sweetness to complement the beauty of these late-season peaches. With these grilled peaches, you don’t want a whipped cream that is too stiff or too sweet. Too stiff and the texture of the dessert gets lost. Too sweet and the taste of the peaches gets lost. For the whipped cream, you want just a kiss of additional sweetness and a touch of salt to balance the dessert. A luxurious soft-whipped cream is perfection here.

    It all comes together in less than fifteen minutes, and can be served with any late summertime meal! It is truly perfect for a special dinner al fresco with friends, or a Tuesday when you want a “lil’ something sweet.”

    How to make these Grilled Peaches with Fresh Whipped Cream

    When I say that this dessert can be done in fifteen minutes, it can absolutely be done in fifteen! However, as my friend Hammed from The Prince Eats says so eloquently all the time, “the meal is won in the prep.” Same concept with dessert. While I talk about mise en place all the time, to execute this dish in fifteen minutes, you’ll really have to have things ready to go!

    What does it mean to have things ready to go? It means having a stainless steel bowl and balloon whisk chilling in the freezer. It means having very cold heavy whipping cream that comes out of the refrigerator immediately before you use it. It means having salt, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla out, measured and ready to go. It means a preheated grill and clean yellow peaches (this recipe doesn’t work nearly as well with white peaches).

    This is a picture of grilled peaches with fresh whipped cream.

    And that’s it. You could actually skip chilling the bowl and balloon whisk, but this dessert comes together much faster if you do this step. And Friends, you’ll want this dessert to come together fast.

    The Grilled Peaches

    To start, you’ll warm your grill to about 350°F-375°F, or warm your cast iron grill plate over medium heat on the stove. If you cook these peaches too high and fast, you could make them bitter, and that would be a shame.

    It doesn’t matter if you’re using gas or charcoal, and friends, I’m not entering that debate. I am completely lazy when it comes to grilling, so I use gas. That is not to say that gas grillers are lazy. I speak only for myself.

    While the grill is preheating, cut your clean peaches in half. To get the best halves, slice lengthwise with a sharp knife (be careful!) around the entire peach pit. Then twist! One side will likely have the pit in it. Make sure you remove the entire pit with either a sharp knife or spoon. Some peach pits will split a bit when you cut into the peach, so make sure to grab the small pieces that may have broken off!

    Once the grill is preheated, place the peach halves, face down, on direct heat and close the grill lid. You’ll want to use tongs to check them at about the 6-8 minute mark. You’re looking for a reddish color (we definitely want yellow peaches for this recipe!), and some char marks. If you want to get really fancy, you can rotate the peaches halfway into the cooking time to get crosshatch grill marks. Grilling may take anywhere from 6-10 minutes, depending on the actual heat of your grill.

    The peaches are finished when they have turned a deeper golden color and they are lightly charred. You want them to soften a bit from the grilling process, but you don’t want them to turn to mush.

    The Fresh Whipped Cream

    Once the peaches are done, it’s time to make the whipped cream. I said what I said, Friends. Don’t make the whipped cream before the peaches are finished. The peaches need to cool slightly anyway, so this is the perfect time to set them aside and make your whipped cream. Plus, if you’re entertaining, this is the ideal time to show off for your guests.

    To make the whipped cream, add the cold heavy cream, tiny pinch of fine salt, and the confectioner’s sugar to your chilled bowl. Stir gently with the chilled balloon whisk to combine.

    NOTE: you can absolutely do this step with a hand mixer or stand mixer if you’d like!

    Once all of the ingredients are combined, whisk gently until it starts to thicken, turning the bowl with your non-dominant hand to make sure that everything gets combined evenly. Whisk gently, making sure to keep your wrist, elbow and shoulder loose. You don’t want to injure yourself making whipped cream!

    At the beginning, the heavy whipping cream will be very loose and milky, but as you continue working with the balloon whisk, you’ll start to notice the *slightest* resistance as the cream begins to thicken. Keep going, remembering to keep your wrist, elbow and shoulder nice and loose.

    Whip the heavy cream until it is a loose, floppy whipped cream texture (about 4-6 minutes total, but it might not take that long). Add the vanilla and whip for another 30 seconds or so at a leisurely pace. The heavy cream for this recipe is intentionally soft, because I love the texture of the soft whipped cream against the grilled peach. But if you want a stiffer whipped cream, just keep working that balloon whisk!

    Once the whipped cream is done, place it on the grilled peaches and serve immediately. The whipped cream will melt like ice cream, and that just adds to the decadence of this beautifully quick dessert.

    This dessert is so simple and special. I am absolutely in love with its accessibility and I can’t wait to make it over and over…or at least until peach season has come to an official end.

    Ciao until next time!

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    Grilled Peaches with Fresh Whipped Cream

    These grilled peaches with fresh whipped cream are so easy and so fast that it’s impossible to believe they could be so delicious.

    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 2 large yellow peaches (white peaches work, but not as well)
    • 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil (for drizzling on the peaches)
    • 125 g (1/2 c) heavy whipping cream
    • 14 g (1/8 c) confectioner’s sugar
    • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Instructions

    Before You Start:

    1. Place a stainless steel mixing bowl and balloon whisk in your freezer while you make your peaches.

    To Make the Peaches:

    1. Heat a grill to about 350°F-375°F, or heat a grill pan thoroughly on medium heat.  (See Note)
    2. Cut clean peaches lengthwise, carefully going all the way around each peach.  Twist to separate and fully remove the peach pits.
    3. Drizzle olive oil on cut side of each peach.  Brush to distribute evenly.
    4. Place peaches, cut side down, on the grill over direct heat.  Don’t be afraid if you hear a bit of a sizzle!
    5. Gently check the peaches with tongs about every 2 minutes.  You’re looking for peaches that have slight char (grill lines are a bonus, not a necessity) and are a darker golden color.  Additionally, the texture should be slightly softened, but not mushy.
    6. Total time will depend on the size and ripeness of the peaches, but this generally takes anywhere from 6-10 minutes.  Peaches that started off more firm will take a few minutes longer; soft late summer peaches will likely be on the 6-8 minute end. 
    7. Once the peaches are done, place on a heat-proof serving plate and set aside.

    To Make the Whipped Cream:

    1. After the peaches are done, place cold heavy cream, fine sea salt and confectioner’s sugar into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Stir gently until the confectioner’s sugar is completely covered in heavy cream.
    2. Mix at a medium pace with a ballon whisk or in the bowl of your mixer for 1-2 minutes, or until very very soft (floppy) peaks form.  
    3. Add the vanilla extract to the floppy peaks and continue whisking on medium speed (or on high speed in a stand mixer) for another 30-45 seconds.  
    4. For this dessert, we want a soft whipped cream.  For that reason, you want to stop when you still have soft peaks.  It makes for a beautiful presentation and the most decadent mouthfeel from this particular dessert.
    5. Add a dollop of whipped cream to the cut side of each peach and serve immediately.  The whipped cream will get melty the longer it sits on the warm peach, so you could even do this last step after the peaches are on the table in front of your guests!
    6. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Make sure that you don’t grill these too high and fast!  You risk the fruit becoming bitter, instead of drawing out the natural sweetness in the fruit.
    • Author: Shani
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Category: dessert

    Keywords: grilled peaches, grilled peach, whipped cream, fresh whipped cream

    Simple, Classic Affogato

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    Friends, I am HOOKED. Absolutely hooked on this simple, classic affogato. Because something this simple to make should NOT taste this amazing.

    This is an overhead picture of simple, classic affogato

    ***Note: This post may contain affiliate links***

    Hear me out. The key to amazing affogato is in the quality of the three ingredients involved. So, between the gelato/ice cream, the espresso, and the amaretto, the quality of the ingredients will determine whether you have meh affogato or OMG AFFOGATO.

    And if I’m eating affogato, I want OMG AFFOGATO.

    I have tested affogato numerous times over the past few weeks. Needless to say, I… have not been sleeping much lately. Because espresso. Because hooked. Because I love y’all.

    You’re welcome.

    What is Affogato?

    Affogato is an absolutly delectable Italian dessert that has three simple ingredients: incredible gelato or ice cream, a shot of good espresso, and (if the kids aren’t eating it) a shot of Amaretto. It is so satisfying because it sings so many beautiful dessert notes. It is sweet without being cloying, boozy without being intoxicating* (unless you indulge in many of them…which is an actual threat), and the sweetly bitter flavor of the espresso balances perfectly all of it.

    This is a picture of simple, classic affogato

    My mother always wanted a “little something sweet” after a meal. Something she could make quickly that would be absolutely satisfying. If she was a coffee drinker, I am sure that affogato would have been at the top of her list.

    The simplicity of this dessert cannot be overstated. But it is precisely because of that simplicity that you want to use absolutely incredible ingredients.

    Simple, Classic Affogato Ingredients

    Have I stressed enough that there are only three ingredients in this dessert? They are:

    • Gelato/Ice Cream
    • Good Espresso
    • (Optional) Amaretto

    If you want to get really jazzy, you can add chocolate shavings, crumbled amaretto cookies, or even raspberries.

    Frankly, that’s just an additional step that I’m usually too lazy to take when I’m trying to get to affogato. So, I usually dispense with it, even though I can imagine how wonderful it might be. You, however, are welcome to try the toppings and report back with your findings.

    The Gelato/Ice Cream

    This is where I’m going to frustrate you just a tad. Because if you don’t start with good gelato or ice cream, you’ve failed before you even start. However, you know I’ve got you! With this recipe, you’re getting an absolutely incredible recipe for my favorite no-churn Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It’s the perfect base for this dessert. I am currently a vanilla bean fiend, Friends. I cannot get enough of any dessert that features this special ingredient.

    I hear-tell that my Salted Caramel No-Churn Ice Cream works wonders in this Simple, Classic Affogato as well. Feel free to try it and report back!

    How to Make the Ice Cream

    To make the ice cream, First, you just have to take out the ingredients: heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, kosher salt, and a vanilla bean. That is…truly it.

    This is a picture of vanilla bean ice cream

    Combine the sweetened condensed milk and kosher salt in a medium bowl. Mix to combine completely and set aside.

    This is a picture of an ice cream base

    Place the cold heavy cream into a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Carefully cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the vanilla beans. Add the vanilla beans to the cold heavy cream and whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks. It is incredibly easy to whip heavy cream into whipped cream; it typically takes 5-7 minutes with a hand mixer, and 3-4 minutes with a stand mixer.

    We add the vanilla beans to the heavy cream to make sure that we get great distribution in our finished ice cream. Vanilla beans have a tendency to clump a bit, so adding them to the heavy cream prior to the whipping process gives them an opportunity to distribute beautifully throughout the finished ice cream.

    This is a picture of whipped cream

    Once the whipped cream is complete, place half of the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk mixture and fold gently to combine. I don’t completely combine the two mixtures at this point; it’s kind of lumpy like an old futon when I move onto the next step.

    Add the sweetened condensed milk mixture back into the whipped cream mixture and fold gently until smooth. Place the ice cream into a chilled 9″x5″ loaf pan and chill for 4-6 hours.

    After the ice cream has set, you’re ready to make this simple, classic affogato.

    Congratulations, the wait is over! It’s time for good stuff!

    This is a picture of completed vanilla bean ice cream

    To Make this Simple, Classic Affogato

    Once the ice cream is set, you’re all set to make this “lil’ something sweet” for a perfect after dinner treat! And remember, you need three ingredients: ice cream/gelato, espresso, and Amaretto. Dassit.

    This is a picture of affogato ingredients

    To build this dessert, first add a generous scoop of the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream to a mug or tempered glass jar. Next, add a generous shot of espresso (I like Illy for this dessert because of its commercial availability, but you can absolutely get espresso from your local Italian market), and (if you’re feeling daring) another generous shot of amaretto.

    Eat this dessert just like this, or top with my friend’s favorite: crumbled Amaretto biscuits. Either way, your eyes will roll all the way to the back of your head in pure pleasure. Eat it immediately, but make sure to savor every bite. The espresso will melt the ice cream, and you will get to drink the last part of this dessert. It is truly a sensory miracle.

    This is a picture of vanilla bean ice cream and illy espresso

    This is one for the books, Friends, and it is incredibly easy to execute! I hope you absolutely love it as much as I do!

    Until next time!

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    Simple, Classic Affogato

    This dessert has no business being this simple and this delicious.  It’s the perfect dessert to accompany a delicious meal, and it takes only a few minutes and a few ingredients to make!

    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

    500 g heavy whipping cream, chilled

    397 g sweetened condensed milk (one 14-oz can)

    1/2 tsp kosher salt

    1 vanilla bean

    For the Affogato:

    1.5 scoops Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

    1 shot fresh brewed espresso

    1 shot Amaretto (optional)

    Instructions

    To Make the Ice Cream:

    1. Add the sweetened condensed milk and kosher salt to a medium bowl.  Combine completely.
    2. Add the heavy whipping cream to a large bowl. Carefully cut the vanilla bean pod lengthwise and scrape all of the vanilla beans out of the vanilla bean pod.  Add the vanilla beans to the heavy whipping cream.    Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks.
    3. Place half of the whipped cream into the bowl with the sweetened condensed milk mixture.  Fold gently until a few lumps and bumps remain.  
    4. Add all of the sweetened condensed/whipped cream mixture to the first bowl that contains the second half of the whipped cream.  Fold gently until the mixture is completely smooth.
    5. Add the vanilla bean ice cream mixture to a chilled 9”x5” loaf pan or ice cream storage container (like this one from Tovolo).  
    6. Allow to chill in the freezer for at least six hours before devouring.  This is the most difficult part.
    7. You’re now ready to make affogato!

    To Make Simple, Classic Affogato:

    1. Prepare your espresso.  My favorite stovetop espresso maker is the classic Bialetti.
    2. Add a generous scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream to a mug or heat-proof glass jar.
    3. Add a generous shot of espresso to the ice cream.  Measure with your heart (but remember that you’ll have to sleep eventually).
    4. If you’d like, you can add a generous shot of Amaretto to the top of this dessert.  I find that this step takes this dessert over the top in decadence.
    5. Either top with amaretto biscuits, chocolate shavings, or even raspberries, or eat right away.  Either way, this will be one of your favorite desserts.
    6. This dessert is really meant to be savored; the ice cream will likely melt before you finish eating it.  In that case, enjoy the melted ice cream/espresso/amaretto mixture that is at the bottom of your cup.
    • Author: Shani

    One Step That Will Improve Your Baking

    12

    Hello Friends! Welcome to summer baking! When it is too hot to turn on an oven, but we persist anyway. When our pie crusts melt right underneath us, but we stress out and make them anyway. But this is also a perfect time to work on those techniques that will improve our baking in the fall, so here we are!

    I’ve been on a bit of a mission since the beginning of Begin with Butter, to help people reach their personal baking zenith. It’s the central premise of BwB really to leave you a better baker than I found you (hopefully!).

    http://www.ashleighbingphotography.com/

    Today, I want to reiterate that there is one technique that, if done correctly, will dramatically improve your baking almost instantly.

    What is that step, you ask?

    Creaming butter and sugar properly.

    This, Again?

    Yes. Again. Because this oft-overlooked technique is an important key to your baking success. If you want to see the original post about how to execute this fundamental technique, take a look right here! You can read about it, see photos of it, and even watch two different videos.

    I…like to be thorough.

    Today’s post is more about why it’s important, as well as a deeper dive into how to increase your chances for success with this ultra-important technique.

    Y’all. I am on a crusade. Because this is one of the most important keys to good baking.

    Why It’s Important

    When we cream butter and sugar together, we’re doing a couple of things:

    1. We are combining the butter and sugar to make a cohesive base for our cake batter or cookie dough; and
    2. We are filling this mixture with air, to help with the rise and texture of the finished product.

    When I say that it should be creamed properly, this is what I mean:

    “Alexa, play ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ by Stevie Wonder.”

    Or this…

    And I am NOT talking about this:

    The third picture is completely different from the first two. While it’s the same batch of butter and sugar from the other two pictures, it’s still quite crumbly, and the butter itself is still very yellow.

    What’s the Difference and Why Does it Matter?

    The third picture is what many people mistake for “creamed” butter and sugar. They start adding their eggs when the butter and sugar are still crumbly, and it’s a huge mistake to do so. Because you’re not going to get the full, glorious impact from the technique, and that’s a shame.

    When you cream butter and sugar together properly, you’re creating tiny air pockets where the carbon dioxide from your leavening can get all snuggly. That’s what creates the biggest boost of rise in your cakes and cookies, and helps give you a tremendous texture, or crumb.

    Properly creamed butter is: 1) much more voluminous than it was in the beginning; 2) fluffy like a cumulus cloud; and 3) substantially lighter in color than the yellow butter that you started with.

    Need a refresher on the actual technique for creaming butter and sugar? I’ve got you! Click here for the blog post, click here to watch a video on how to do this technique with a stand mixer, and click here to watch a video on how to do this technique with a hand mixer.

    Now that we know why it’s important, I want to share how to get the best results from this technique.

    Start With Just the Butter

    I’ve recently (within the last couple of years) started the creaming process by just mixing the butter until it is completely smooth. I am now a full convert to this part of the technique.

    I said before that the whole point of creaming butter and sugar together is to force air into your batter or dough. That that impacts the rise of your baked goods during the baking process, and ultimately the texture of your finished product. I’ve found that starting by smoothing the butter all by itself enhances this effect because it forces even more air into the final creamed butter and sugar. And this, Friends, is good.

    Adding the sugar to already-smooth butter helps distribute the sugar more evenly, which means an even more uniform mixture during the creaming process. With good technique, that means that the whole mixture will end up uniformly fluffy and perfect.

    How Long Does it Take to Properly Cream Butter and Sugar?

    It can take anywhere from 2-10 minutes, generally, to properly cream butter and sugar. This depends on a few variables:

    • Whether your butter was actually room temperature when you started;
    • The specific fat(s) and sugar(s);
    • How much butter and sugar you’re creaming together;
    • The equipment you’re using (because it will generally take longer with a hand mixer than a stand mixer); and
    • The speed of your equipment (I don’t run any mixer over speed 3 or 4 for creaming butter and sugar…there is literally no need to do that).

    Stay with me, Friend, because I know you’re looking like this right now:

    Your butter needs to be room temperature to start. This is the most important step.

    Starting with room temperature butter is of paramount importance for this technique. By “room temperature”, I mean that your mixer beaters should go through your butter very easily without any force. This generally happens for butter that’s been left out for at least an hour.

    Starting with cold butter will make it extremely difficult to get the proper fluffy texture in your creamed butter and sugar. If it creams properly, it’s going to take much more effort with your mixer.

    And that’s a big “if”.

    Don’t worry. We’ve all made this mistake.

    I forgot to take out my butter!

    I’m going to share a little tip my Mommy shared with me when I was a kid. If your butter isn’t at room temperature before you start baking, put it in your bra for about 15-20 minutes while you grab the rest of your ingredients and check your recipe.

    The whole point is to get body heat on the butter so that it can gently come to room temperature in a hurry without melting. If you don’t want to put it in your bra, you can also put it in your waistband. It’s a little unorthodox, but I can confirm that it works.

    Of course, you want to keep it in the wrapper when you do this. But, if you forget to take your butter out of the refrigerator at least an hour before baking, putting your butter in your bra or waistband for 15-20 minutes will help get it where it needs to go.

    (And by the way, your liquid and eggs should be room temperature too, but please don’t put those in your bra.)

    The amount of butter and sugar matters too.

    If you’re doubling a recipe, or if you’re working with a recipe that uses a lot of butter and sugar, expect the creaming process to take longer. This is just chemistry and physics at work. It will take longer to cream three sticks of butter and 600 grams of sugar than it will to cream one stick of butter and 200 grams of sugar. Expect it to take at least 2-3 minutes longer, but the other variables could make this process take even longer for large loads of butter and sugar.

    Just account for this variable when you’re planning for your bake and you will be fine.

    The specific fats and sugars matter too.

    The specific fats and sugars definitely make a difference when creaming butter and sugar. While we often refer to butter and sugar when talking about this technique, there are actually multiple types of solid fats that we use in baking. Common fats used are butter, cream cheese, and even vegetable shortening. I often add a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil to the solid fats to give my cakes a big punch of moisture too.

    Common sugars for creaming are granulated sugar and brown sugar (light and dark). We cannot use confectioner’s sugar for this step because it won’t create the needed texture. Save the confectioner’s sugar for buttercream!

    Now, keeping in mind that all solid fats should be at room temperature, there is absolutely nothing like creaming butter and cream cheese together with granulated sugar. It’s my most favorite combination. No other fat/sugar combination beats the lightness and fluffiness of this mixture.

    Creaming butter and brown sugar is different from creaming butter and granulated sugar. First, expect it to take about a minute or two longer to get a brown sugar mixture to a cloud-like state. That’s solely because of the molasses in the brown sugar. Also, if you’re using brown sugar, make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl more frequently. I scrape the bottom and sides three times on average for a granulated sugar mixture. For a brown sugar mixture, it’s usually at least four, if not five. Be patient with brown sugar. It takes a little more time, but it will get there. And it will be worth it.

    Equipment Matters

    This one is simple. A stand mixer will generally do this technique more quickly than a hand mixer. It has everything to do with power in the stand mixer, and nothing to do with technique. Expect a stand mixer to take 1-2 minutes less than a hand mixer because of the more powerful motor.

    That being said, there’s absolutely nothing that teaches feel for this technique like a hand mixer. With a hand mixer, you can actually feel the moment that the butter and sugar have reached that beautiful, cloud-like texture. Unless you’re standing over your stand mixer (no judgment from me, I’ve done it too), you could miss this crucial window.

    The Speed of Your Mixer Matters

    A few months ago, I wrote a whole blog post about how I broke my first stand mixer. the TL;DR version is that I burned out the motor by running it too high for too long.

    From that agonizing experience, I learned to slow down with my baking. There was absolutely no reason to run that mixer at that speed for extended periods of time. Running a KitchenAid stand mixer on speed 7 for creaming butter and sugar is just…outrageous. It puts way too much unnecessary stress on your motor. That wear and tear builds up over time. And if you bake all the time, you will expedite your mixer’s demise.

    Since that unfortunate time, I tell my students that there’s absolutely no need to run your mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer) above speed 3 or 4 to cream butter and sugar. Indeed, you can get through an entire mixing process at this speed. Save your mixer and your sanity and go slowly.

    Now…Go Forth and Bake!

    Friends, I hope you’ve found this blog post exceedingly helpful for learning about this important baking technique. Mastering this technique taught me that I could be a legitimate baker, and it improved my baking instantly. I hope that it does the same for you.

    Until next time!

    My Favorite Summer Pound Cakes

    Summer is the perfect time to celebrate the season’s bounty with an amazing selection of summer pound cakes. And if you’re here…you know that we have pound cakes (also called bundt cakes) in spades.

    These charming and elegant cakes are perfect for any occasion, from backyard barbecues to brunches, to adorable evening garden parties. Bursting with vibrant flavors and adorned with seasonal decorations, summer pound cakes are a true delight for the senses. Check out this collection of irresistible recipes that will elevate your summer gatherings to new heights.

    Chai Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

    The tangy brightness of lemons combined with the burst of fresh blueberries creates a harmonious blend of flavors in this Chai Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake. Enhanced with the flavor of chai (tea), this is one of the most special cakes I’ve ever created for Begin with Butter; it disappears so fast every time I make it. It’s moist and tender, and is the perfect accompaniment for a sunny summer afternoon. The lemon cardamom glaze drizzled over the cake adds a spicy sweetness to this special occasion cake and enhances its citrusy appeal. This one is a must-make!

    Strawberry Pound Cake

    Strawberry Pound Cake is a must-have during the summer. It’s beautiful, sinfully decadent, and yet delightfully sweet and charming. The huge strawberry flavor comes from freeze-dried strawberries, which means you can save the deep red, juicy, sweet strawberries from the farmer’s market for your belly (or an incredible garnish). She’s topped with a strawberry glaze that perfectly complements the luscious cake underneath.

    Sweet Potato Pineapple Pound Cake

    Y’all might be thinking that this is a fall cake and you would be wrong. This Sweet Potato Pineapple Pound Cake happened in a flash of inspiration earlier this year, and it’s been in very heavy rotation since then. Moist and fragrant, this cake as perfect for sandy beaches and swaying palm trees as it is for riding boots and changing leaves. A dazzling pineapple glaze finishes this pound cake, and it’s beyond dreamy.

    Orange Creamsicle Pound Cake

    Remember the nostalgic flavors of childhood (and all those skinned knees) with this delightful Orange Creamsicle Pound Cake. The combination of orange zest and creamy vanilla in the cake creates a cake that’s reminiscent of the beloved frozen treat. The creamy mascarpone glaze drizzled over the cake adds a luscious touch, and you can garnish with orange slices or zest to enhance its visual appeal even more. This cake, Friends, is the treat that reminds me most of my childhood summers.

    Mommy’s Lemon Lime Soda Pound Cake

    Mommy’s Lemon Lime Pound Cake

    My Mommy made several kinds of pound cake when I was growing up. This Lemon Lime Soda Pound Cake, Friends, was my favorite of hers. It’s got the sweet and tangy bite from the lemon-lime soda (which also serves as its leavening), and the sweet glaze is a kids’ favorite! Enjoy this cake for any occasion: Sunday dinner, a garden party, or just because. I’d like to think that this one makes my Mommy really proud.

    Very Vanilla Pound Cake

    There is literally never a bad time for a Very Vanilla Pound Cake. Because this pound cake, Friends? THIS POUND CAKE? It has been a sensation on my site since it arrived, and with good reason. It is the perfect vehicle for any and all dessert toppings. Want to top it with The Best Strawberry Sauce? Bring it on. This cake loves it. Want to use a fresh peach compote or The Easiest Whipped Cream? This cake is literally the perfect canvas for any of those. Or-and hear me out here-you can eat it without any of those things and it will be utter vanilla perfection. This simple cake is ready for any summer culinary adventure. It just needs to be made.

    Enjoy the Summer Pound Cakes of My Dreams…

    You can find all of the pound cakes on the Begin with Butter site right here; any of these incredible cakes can really bring an element of elegance and luxury to your summer gatherings. With their intricate designs and irresistible flavors, these cakes embody the spirit of the season. From citrus-infused delights to tropical sensations and berry explosions, there’s a pound cake for every summer occasion. So, don your apron, gather the freshest ingredients, and embrace the warmth of the sun and the joy of shared moments as you savor each delectable slice. Happy baking!

    My Favorite Baguette

    0

    They say that good things come to those who wait. And they are not wrong. Friends. FRIENDS. This baguette is the one that I envisioned in January 2022 when I started working on this recipe. It didn’t come together like I wanted it to back then, so I put it on the back burner for a bit.

    This is a picture of three baguette loaves.

    Inspiration to work on it came roaring back this week, and the issue that plagued me all those months ago just…disappeared.

    My Friends, she is my absolute favorite baguette and she is finally ready to make her blog debut. I honestly feel like she is owed a name, for how long she took to create, but that’s another issue for another day.

    She is here.

    About this Baguette

    When I am in the mood for baguette, I want it to be right. It has to have a crackly crust and be pillowy soft inside. The flavor must be delectable enough to stand alone, but perfectly complemented by an amazing butter, goat cheese, or even wine.

    It must be sturdy enough for a sandwich, but a star in its own right. With just a kiss of good salt, a good baguette can make your whole day better.

    And this, Friends, is ALL OF THAT.

    This baguette is classic in the sense that it uses a pre-ferment called a poolish. Not to be confused with a starter (although that is the mother of all pre-ferments), poolish makes all the difference in this wonderful bread.

    To use a poolish, you’ll need to start this bread a day ahead of time, but Friends, it’s absolutely worth it.

    The Stages of Poolish

    It is true that this baguette takes a bit of patience. But it is also true that the payoff is entirely worth it.

    Why does it take patience, you ask? Because of the poolish. Poolish is a pre-ferment where you take some of the flour from the recipe, some of the liquid from the recipe, some of the yeast from the recipe, and a *kiss* of honey and stir it all together until it’s thoroughly mixed and loose.

    Then you leave it alone for 15-18 hours and go on about your day.

    The final mix should jiggle like good cellulite, and be near the point of collapse when it goes into your recipe. This, Friends, is the optimal time for this poolish. The flavor that it imparts on these baguettes when you give it enough time to do its thing is just…as the French say, “superbe”.

    If you need some help figuring out the basics of bread, check out this post! Want even more help? You can take my Bread Bootcamp course!

    The Baguette Dough

    Once the poolish is ready, it’s time to get busy! You add the whole mixture to the rest of your flour, water, salt and yeast, and it makes the most incredible dough. When it’s finished with its initial mix, it will be bumpy and quite sticky. It will pass the windowpane test, though, so you know it’s ready to rest!

    This is just a tremendous dough.

    This is a picture of baguette dough.

    Once the dough is finished, let it rise for an hour, then pull the four corners to the center, just like you would with focaccia dough.

    Cover the dough and allow it to rest for another hour. This additional hour gives the dough time to develop more strength and elasticity, so you don’t want to skip this step.

    Once the two-hour rise time is over, it’s time to separate the dough into three equal parts. Make sure to use your digital kitchen scale for this step, since you’ll want loaves that bake equally. Don’t shape the dough just yet; just make three dough balls and put them onto a very lightly greased countertop under a clean dish towel. Leave them for 15-30 minutes.

    Seriously. Go do something else.

    This is a picture of dough rising under a tea towel that says "Every Day I'm Brusselin"

    Because once you return to the dough, it will be time for one of my favorite parts. Shaping the dough. This incredible video from King Arthur Baking will help you if you have never shaped baguettes before. Once they’re shaped, put them either on a baguette pan (like this one!) and cover them with a clean tea towel, and allow them to rise for another 45 minutes.

    While the loaves are rising, it’s time to preheat your oven to a true 425° and put your bread stone in the middle of your oven. An oven thermometer will help you know when your oven is at the right temperature. You need a good long preheat for these loaves, so that you can get the right crackle on the bread, so make sure to preheat your oven for the entire time that the loaves are proofing!

    Ten minutes before baking, add a cup of boiling water to the bottom of a loaf pan. Handle with care; the pan will be hot! Put the loaf pan on the bottom rack or bottom of your oven. The steam will help create that beautiful baguette crust that you want!

    Once the bread is done rising, slash each loaf 4-6 times. Place loaf pan into the oven on top of the bread stone to bake for 18-25 minutes, or until the loaves are a deep golden brown.

    The Finished Product

    When the bread is done, the crust will have a gorgeous crackle to it. One of the hardest parts of this whole process is waiting until the baguettes are cool enough to eat.

    Because…look at them.

    This is a picture of three baguette loaves.

    They’re gorgeous. And when you bite into them, that crackle is life-giving.

    I hope you all love these baguettes as much as my family and I do. They’re truly one of the highlights of my 2023, and I can’t wait to hear how they go for you!

    Enjoy, Friends!

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    My Favorite Baguette

    These baguettes have an amazingly crusty exterior and a perfectly soft interior.  Enjoy with butter, cheese, soup, or your favorite wine…there’s literally nothing that you cannot pair with these!

    • Total Time: 19 minute
    • Yield: 3 baguette loaves 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    For the Poolish:

    • 105 g cold water
    • 1/4 tsp dry yeast
    • 1/4 tsp raw honey
    • 105 g bread flour

    To Make the Baguette Dough:

    • Poolish
    • 289 g water
    • 1.5 tsp dry yeast
    • 407 g bread flour
    • 3/4 tbsp kosher salt

    Instructions

    To Make the Poolish:

    1. Mix water, yeast, and honey together thoroughly, mixing until there is no dry yeast.
    2. Add flour and stir until the mixture is combined and loose.  Even after the mixture is combined, you’ll need to stir for a while longer to get the right consistency.  The final poolish should be slightly jiggly when you’re done.
    3. Allow the poolish to rest, at room temperature, for 15-18 hours before using.

    To Make the Baguette:

    1. Add the water, poolish, yeast, bread flour, and salt to a large mixing bowl.  
    2. Mix on low speed (or by hand) for 8-10 minutes before adding any additional flour, 1/2 tbsp at a time.  You should not need more than an extra 1.5 tbsp unless you are in an extremely humid area. The finished dough should be sticky, but it should pass the windowpane test.  It will stick to the bottom of the bowl a bit, and that is totally normal.
    3. Place the dough into a greased bowl (I used the bowl of my stand mixer) and allow to rise, covered with plastic wrap, for 1 hour.  Make sure to vent the plastic wrap slightly to allow gases to escape.
    4. Bring the four corners of the dough to the center and turn over the dough in the bowl.  Allow the dough to rise for another hour.
    5. Use a digital kitchen scale to split the dough into three equal parts.  Form each part into a dough ball and place on a lightly greased surface.  Cover with a clean tea towel and allow them to rise for another 15 minutes.
    6. Shape the baguettes, using the letter fold.  Place the baguettes directly on your loaf pan after shaping.
    7. Allow the baguettes to rise for another 45 minutes on your baguette pan.
    8. While the baguettes are rising, heat your oven to 425°F.  Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of your oven.
    9. Five minutes before baking, place 1 c boiling water into a shallow pan.  Place the pan in the oven with the pizza stone.
    10. When the baguettes are finished proofing, slash them 4-6 times and then place them into the oven.  Bake for 18-24 minutes, or until they are a very deep golden brown.
    11. You can either remove these from the oven immediately upon baking, or you can allow them to cool completely in the oven with the oven door opened about 2”.  Either way, you’ll end up with beautifully crusty baguettes.
    12. Allow baguettes to cool slightly (20-30 minutes) before cutting.  
    • Author: Shani
    • Prep Time: 20 hours
    • Cook Time: 18-24 minutes
    • Category: Bread

    Keywords: baguette