Martin Philip understands what it’s like to be a beginner bread baker.
The former Opera San Jose singer made a pair of career changes in the early 2000s that led him to the King Arthur Baking Company, where he’s now a lead baking ambassador and award-winning cookbook author.
But when he first started in 2006, he was terrified. Baking a simple pan loaf felt like a huge accomplishment.
“It would take me time to learn this craft,” he said.
Now Philip is sharing all King Arthur’s bread recipes in “The King Arthur Baking Company’s Big Book of Bread: 125+ Recipes for Every Baker,” by Jessica Battilana, Martin Philip and Melanie Wanders (Simon Element, $30), which was released Oct. 22.
Philip sat down recently to share some bread-baking tips and discuss his path from Opera San Jose to King Arthur Bread Company.
Among the recipes in this book are some classic holiday treats, including a caramelized apple and honey challah, the “most-chocolaty” babka and King Arthur’s twist on a traditional German stollen.
Philip believes the challah should be one of the most beginner-friendly recipes in the book.
Here’s his parting wisdom for those giving it a try: “This is important: the dough must be well mixed. That’s going to be really helpful. Give it a good long mix in the mixer.”
In the cookbook, they write: “Apples and honey are traditional foods for Rosh Hashanah, and on that holiday, round challah replaces long braided loaves; the round shape represents continuity and the cycle of the seasons. This challah crown is studded with bits of tart apple and is flavored with citrusy coriander, which complements the glossy honey-orange glaze that gets brushed on the loaf after baking. Don’t worry if some of the apple pieces pop out of the dough when shaping (they likely will). Just tuck them into the folds of the braid or scatter them over the top of the loaf, where they’ll become deeply caramelized as the bread bakes.”
Caramelized Apple and Honey Challah
Makes one large loaf
INGREDIENTS
Preferment
90 grams (1/4 cup plus 2½ tablespoons) warm water
50 grams (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) unbleached all-purpose flour
6 grams (2 teaspoons) instant yeast
Dough:
325 grams (2½ cups plus 3 tablespoons) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 large eggs (100 grams total)
1 large egg yolk (14 grams; reserve the white for brushing)
64 grams (3 tablespoons) honey
56 grams (generous 1⁄4 cup) vegetable or other neutral oil
11 grams (¾ teaspoons) fine salt
3 grams (2 teaspoons) coriander seeds or 2½ teaspoons ground coriander
6 grams (1 tablespoon) grated orange zest (from 1⁄2 large orange; save to juice for glaze below)
1 large Granny Smith apple (250 grams)
Glaze:
63 grams (3 tablespoons) honey
14 grams (1 tablespoon) fresh orange juice
DIRECTIONS
Toast the coriander seeds: In a small skillet, toast the seeds over medium heat until they are fragrant and a shade darker than when you began, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a small bowl to cool to room temperature, then use a coffee/spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind them into a fine powder. If using ground coriander, skip this step.
Make the preferment: In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together the water, flour and yeast and mix until no dry spots remain. The mixture will have the viscosity of pancake batter. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour. There will be many small bubbles on top and the mixture will have grown in volume.
Make the dough: Add the flour, whole eggs, egg yolk (reserve the white for brushing on later), honey, oil, ground coriander, orange zest and salt to the preferment. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium-low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl well, then increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and is shiny and smooth, 8 to 10 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; the dough will be sticky. Cover and let rise in a warm place until slightly puffy, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and core the apple, then cut into 1⁄4- to 1⁄2-inch cubes.
Lightly flour a work surface, then use a plastic bowl scraper to ease the dough out of the bowl onto the work surface. Gently deflate the dough and pat it into a rectangle. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 16- by 11-inch rectangle, adding just as much flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
With a long side facing you, lightly score the dough crosswise into thirds, then sprinkle about one-third of the apple pieces evenly over the center third of the dough. Fold the left side of the dough up and over to cover the apples in the center, then press down on the dough to remove any air pockets trapped within the layer. Sprinkle half of the remaining apples on top of the folded dough, then fold the right side of the dough up and over to cover the apples. Press down on the dough to remove any air pockets. Sprinkle the remaining apples on top of the layered dough block, then fold the block in half to form a square, enclosing the apples. Press down on the dough to remove any air pockets, then gently pinch the edges to seal. Return the apple-filled dough square to the bowl, cover, and let rest an additional 45 minutes.
Divide and preshape the dough: Lightly flour a work surface, then use a plastic bowl scraper to gently ease the dough out of the bowl onto the work surface. Using a bench knife or a knife, divide the dough into 4 equal portions (each about 230 grams). Gently deflate each piece of dough and lightly preshape into tubes. Some apples may be sticking out of the dough; this is OK. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
Shape the challah: On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece of dough out into a 14- to 16-inch log. To do this, place one hand in the center of the dough and begin rolling it back and forth under your hand so that the ends are thicker and the center thinner; it will resemble a dog bone. Next, place your hands next to each other in the center of the dough and apply pressure in a “down-and-out” motion, moving your hands away from each other to elongate the log. If the dough resists stretching and shrinks back, set that piece aside and work on the other pieces before trying to roll it again. Even a short rest can help relax the gluten just enough to make shaping easier. Some apple pieces may pop out of the dough when rolling it into logs. Tuck some of them back into the dough once you’ve rolled it to the required length. Save any other pieces of apple to sprinkle on top of the bread once it’s shaped.
The logs will not look smooth at this point; this is normal. Additionally, the dough may thin or tear near the apple pieces; if this happens, just pinch the dough back together. If the dough sticks to the surface, use a bench knife to scrape up any residual dough and add just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking. If it is difficult to form the log because the dough is sliding on the surface, use a very lightly dampened kitchen towel to remove any excess flour from the surface and create some tension for the dough to roll more easily.
Place a piece of parchment paper on the work surface, then lightly dust with flour. Arrange 2 strands of dough horizontally on the parchment, spacing them about 1⁄2 inch apart. Place the remaining 2 strands of dough vertically on top of the horizontal strands, also about 1⁄2 inch apart. At this point the strands of dough should look similar to a number sign (#). At the center where the strands converge, they need to alternate in an under, over, under, over pattern, like weaving (or making a lattice pie crust). Braid your way clockwise around the loaf, weaving the strands so that the ones that were under are now over. When you get back to where you started, reverse direction; again, the strands that are under are lifted over. When the strands become too short to weave, tuck the ends under. Don’t worry if your loaf looks imperfect at this point; after proofing the imperfections will be hidden. (Watch Martin Philip demonstrate the technique for this, as well as a 3-braid challah at www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJCrj07L2MM.)
Once the loaf is shaped, evenly distribute any leftover apple pieces over the top, tucking them into the braided edges. Cover and let rise until noticeably puffy and when the dough is pressed with a lightly floured finger, a small indentation remains, about 45 minutes.
Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and arrange a rack in the center.
Generously brush the challah all over with the reserved beaten egg white, taking care to brush some into the cracks of the braid. Bake until the crust is evenly deep golden brown (even where the strands cross) and the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees, about 30 minutes.
Make the glaze: About 5 minutes before the challah is fully baked, in a small saucepan, combine the honey and orange juice and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Alternatively, combine the honey and orange juice in a microwavable measuring cup or bowl and microwave until the mixture comes to a boil, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Remove the challah from the oven, then brush all over the top and sides with the hot glaze. Let the loaf cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve the challah warm or at room temperature. Store leftover challah in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage. Stale challah makes excellent French Toast.
— Courtesy “The King Arthur Baking Company Big Book of Bread: 125+ Recipes for Every Baker,” by Jessica Battilana, Martin Philip, and Melanie Wanders (Simon Element, $30).