Shallot Sage Bread Recipes

SHALLOT SAGE BREAD

Steps:

• In a skillet melt the 1 tbsp butter,cook shallots 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
• Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl,stir together 2 cups of the flour,yeast and sage,set aside.
• Heat and stir water,butter,sugar and salt just until warm (120-130) and butter almost melts.
• Add shallots and water mixture to flour mixture.
• Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds,scraping bowl.
• Beat on high speed 3 minutes.
• Stir in as much of the remaning flour as you can.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.
• Knead in enough of the remaning flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic.
• Shape into a ball.
• Place dough in a lightly greased bowl,turning once.
• Cover and let rise in warm place until double,about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.
• Divide in half.
• Cover,let rest 10 minutes.
• Grease 2 baking sheets,set adide.
• Shape each half of the dough into a 6 inch round loaf,tucking edged beneath.
• With a sharp knife make 3 wvwnly spaced 3 inch cuts toward center of rounds.
• Place rounds on prepared baking sheets.
• Cover and let rise in warm place until nearly double,30-40 minutes.
• Bake in 375 oven 40 minutes.
• Remove from pans and cool on racks.

HERBY FRIED SHALLOT AND BREAD CRUMB CRUNCH

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the bread until no pieces larger than a pea remain. Set aside.
• Line 2 baking sheets with paper towels and set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium saucepan. Set aside.
• Combine shallots and oil in a second medium saucepan or a wok, and place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until shallots begin to bubble, about 2 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. With the shallots constantly bubbling - the constant bubble is key - continue frying. Stir regularly to ensure even cooking, until shallots turn pale golden brown, 24 to 28 minutes longer.
• Quickly and carefully pour the shallots and the oil into the prepared strainer, draining the oil into the first saucepan. (The shallots will continue to carry over to a deep golden brown as they cool and crisp up.) Carefully spread out the shallots to cool onto one of the prepared trays and season lightly with salt. Set aside.
• Reset the strainer over the now-empty pot and set aside. Place the saucepan with the strained oil over medium-high heat, and add a sage leaf to test the temperature. (Alternatively, use a thermometer to check that the oil is at 360 degrees.) When it sizzles, add the rest of the sage and the rosemary, and stir with a slotted spoon or spider. As soon as the bubbles subside, after 20 to 30 seconds, remove the herbs from the oil and spread them out onto the second baking sheet.
• Add the bread crumbs to the oil and stir. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then quickly and carefully pour the bread crumbs and oil into the prepared strainer. Spread bread crumbs on the baking sheet beside the rosemary and sage. Season herbs and bread crumbs lightly with salt. Set aside and allow to cool.
• To assemble, in a large bowl, toss together shallots, bread crumbs, crumbled fried herbs, parsley and thyme, and 3/4 teaspoon flaky salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

FOCACCIA WITH SAGE

Steps:

• FOR SPONGE:
• Place 1/2 cup water in large bowl. Stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture is cloudy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour. Cover with plastic. Let stand until very bubbly, about 45 minutes or less
• FOR FOCACCIA:
• Place 1 cup water in small bowl. Stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture is cloudy, about 10 minutes. Stir dissolved yeast mixture and 1/4 cup olive oil into sponge in large bowl. Stir in 1 cup flour. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped sage and 2 teaspoons salt. Add remaining flour in 2 batches, mixing until well blended after each addition. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead dough until soft and velvety, about 10 minutes.
• Oil large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat with oil. Cover with plastic. Let dough rise in warm area until doubled, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Oil 11x17-inch baking sheet. Punch down dough. Transfer to prepared sheet. Using oiled hands, press out dough to cover bottom of pan. Cover dough with kitchen towel. Let stand 10 minutes (dough will shrink).
• Press out dough again to cover pan. Cover with towel. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, position rack in center of oven. Place baking stone on rack and preheat oven to 425°F. (Baking stones are available at cookware stores. Unglazed quarry tiles, available at tile stores and some building supply stores, can also be used. If unavailable, heat another baking sheet in oven 10 minutes).
• Using fingertips, press dough all over, creating dimples. Drizzle dough with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sage and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Place pan directly on pizza stone. Spray oven with water from spray bottle. Bake until focaccia is golden and top is crisp, spraying oven with water twice more during first 10 minutes, about 25 minutes total. Transfer bread to rack. Cool slightly. Serve bread warm or at room temperature.

CREAMY BREAD & SHALLOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a deep non-stick pan. Add the shallots, cloves and bay leaves, and gently cook for 10 mins over a low heat until the shallots are soft and colouring a little. Pour in the milk, then part-cover the pan and leave to simmer on a very low heat for 10 mins.
• Remove the cloves, then add the bread and cream to the shallot mixture. Grate in half the nutmeg, then cook for 5 mins, or until the bread absorbs the milk and starts to break down a little but still has a texture. Can be made 1 day ahead (you may need to thin with a little milk). Grate over the remaining nutmeg to serve.

BUTTERY SHALLOT BREAD SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil in a pan, then add the shallots, cloves, thyme and bay and cook very, very gently for 15 mins until soft, translucent and pale golden.
• Remove the cloves, add the milk and pepper, then bring to a gentle simmer for 10 mins. Stir in the breadcrumbs, give it another 5 mins or so over a very low heat until the bread has plumped up nicely, then stir in the cream and nutmeg. Fish out the stalks from the thyme - the leaves will have fallen off. Season to taste. To serve, grate over a little more nutmeg, drizzle with a little more cream and decorate with a bay leaf.

BLUE CHEESE & SHALLOT BREAD

Steps:

• In a small skillet, saute shallots in butter until tender; set aside., In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and mustard. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, combine egg and milk. Stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. Fold in cheeses and reserved shallot mixture., Transfer to a greased 8x4-in. loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

FRIED SAGE SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the shallots and vinegar, and set aside for 15 minutes to soften. In a medium bowl, combine parsley, olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Set aside.
• Pour the neutral oil into a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. After 2 minutes, add a sage leaf to test the temperature. (The oil should be around 360 degrees.) When the sage leaf sizzles, add the rest of the sage and stir with a slotted spoon or spider. As soon as the bubbles subside, after about 20 seconds, remove the herbs from the oil and spread them out onto the prepared baking sheet. Season lightly with salt. The sage will get crisp as it cools.
• Just before serving, use a slotted spoon to add the shallots (but not the vinegar, yet) to the parsley oil. Stir, taste and add salt and vinegar as needed to achieve a nice tang. Crumble and stir the sage into the salsa. The final sauce should be loose enough to drizzle from a spoon, so adjust with a little more oil if needed, then taste and adjust with salt and vinegar one last time before serving. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. It makes an excellent accompaniment for Thanksgiving dishes, as well as any other roasted meats, vegetables or grilled fish.