Irish Soda Bread and St Patrick's Day!

Hello, my name is Christian Owens and this is my second semester working in the bakery. I suppose I could be considered a veteran baker, but there is still always something new to learn. Baking is like building a Lego masterpiece, starting with a small amount of ingredients that all add up to a tasty and fantastic looking bread. They both have the same great satisfaction. Growing up, I always loved to make things, whether it was in the kitchen, making food or making a fort in the backyard. In high school, I took a cooking class and it was certainly one of my favorites. When I got to Hiram, I had no idea what freshman colloquium and freshman seminar to take. I then saw one about baking bread and knew that was the one I wanted to do. I am now in my second semester as part of the Terrier Bakery and loving every minute in the kitchen with my classmates and teacher.
This week is St. Patrick’s Day and with that comes Irish Soda Bread. Irish Soda Bread originated in Ireland back in the 1800’s and is considered a quick bread, so it is fairly easy process to make. It does not require yeast, as the basic ingredients include flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. The Irish used to cook it in a big cast-iron pot with a lid right over hot coals. The bread should be a dense bread with a crunchy crust and is complimented nicely with warm butter. Make sure to grab one this week at the Terrier Bakery, as you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

Tea anyone?

Hello!  My name is Natalie Roth and I am in Ella Kirk’s Class, “Transforming Your Dough into A Life of Sweet Success.”  It was last semester that I had the chance to be a part of the freshman colloquium course, “The Art of Making Dough.”  In that class, I got to work in the bakery for the first time.  I liked it so much that I knew that I had to take this course, which has not only given me the opportunity to create the wonderful treats that you know and love in the Terrier Bakery, but it has also inspired me and given me appreciation for the art that is baking.  I’ve been encouraged to seek out new recipes as well as try old family recipes.   

Today, I’m going to share a recipe for English tea scones.  A scone is a pastry or a quick bread that can be sweet or savory depending on the recipe.  It was commonly eaten at Afternoon Tea because of a Duchess of Bedford named “Anna.”  In her time, there were only two main meals.  She started a habit of having tea and breads – including scones- around four or five in the afternoon, eventually inviting friends to join her.  This ritual became known as Afternoon Tea.  Some scones are made with blueberries or raisins, but they are most commonly left plain so that they could be eaten with jam.  This particular recipe has raisins.  Enjoy!  

Ingredients:     2 Cups Flour 

½ Tsp Salt 

1 Tbsp Baking Powder  

¼ Cup Sugar 

1 ¼ Cup Heavy Cream 

½ Cup Raisins  

(Separately) 

¼ Cup Butter  

4 Tbsp Sugar 

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and raisins together.  Add 1 ¼ Cup of heavy cream.  Stir slightly.  Turn onto floured surface.  Knead lightly (7 or 8 times).  Make into pie-shaped mound.  Using knife, score slices (as you would a pie).  Then, cut through lines, separating slices and placing on aluminum foil-covered baking tray.   

Melt ¼ cup of butter in microwave.  Using pastry brush, spread butter evenly over scones (including sides).  Sprinkle with sugar.  

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  

These scones can be enjoyed with whipped cream and jelly if desired.   

   

                       

                                         Valentine’s Day Blog

Hello! Happy Valentine’s Day on behalf of the Terrier Bakery. I’d like to start out by introducing myself. My name is Lena LePelley and I am a freshman here at Hiram! This is my second semester as a part of the Terrier Bakery. Last semester, we focused on how to bake basic breads, and I specialized in baking our New York Jewish rye. While normally we stick to making customer favorites such as the French baguettes, monkey muffins, and cheddar rolls, this semester we’re kneading our dough in a bit of a new direction, as we are learning to make pastries. This Valentine’s Day, I would like to introduce you to a pastry called Choux à la crème, also known as Cream Puffs. In French, “choux” means cabbage. It is also used in many expressions of endearment, such as: “Tu es mon petit chou,” meaning “you are my little cabbage” or “you are my little darling.”

Cream puffs were introduced in the United States in 1880 although this sweet treat was said to have originated from Europe around 1540. There are many myths about how, who, and where the cream puff was first created. Some believe they were created when a pastry chef made them for Henry II of France. This pastry chef worked for Catherine De Medici, who was the daughter of the famous Renaissance family in Italy, and the Queen of France.

 Cream Puffs are an odd pastry. They are created when flour is added to a boiling mixture of butter and water. After that, they are then cooked at a very high temperature, until they form into a small hollow ball. Before cooling down, these small hollow balls are to be cut in half or else they will completely deflate. By doing this, you can then fill the puff with a sweet cream. Below is a picture of cream puffs, along with a recipe you can use to make this delicious treat!     

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/bakingdesserts/r/Cream-Puff-Recipe.htm

A Behind the Scenes Look at the Terrier Bakery

Hello, my name is Sebastian Jenkins, and I am a freshman at Hiram College! I am also new to the Terrier Bakery this year, and I play football and baseball here at the college. But this week, I want to talk to you about our very own Professor, Ella Kirk.  I decided to interview her and her experience not only within the Terrier Bakery, but also her time here at Hiram College. I was inspired just by the smile she had on her face. Also, while I was talking to her, it was easy to tell that she loves what she does. She began her career at Hiram in 1993, and she was simply looking for a job; however, Ella came to Hiram because she loved her Hiram students, and it was also a great fit.

Ella began her love for baking after living in France where she had a very good experience with food. She also said she loves to bake because bakers love to eat! Once she came back, she wanted to learn how to make certain foods from France.

 Ella has run the bakery here at Hiram College for five years. The first three breads she started baking with her students in the bakery included French bread, pain de mie, and a wheat bread, which was very unpopular, so she decided to stop making it. The first two breads, the French bread and the pain de mie, are still made in the bakery today.  Ever since she started, she has always had between 10 and16 students in her class who assist her in the bakery. She is hoping for some expansions on the bakery, and she especially wants to have a bigger kitchen because right now there is not a lot space. The team now uses their resources wisely and makes the small amount of space work well.  

 Ella’s door is always open and she always has great stories to tell. Thank you, Ella for starting the bakery and working to help it grow each and every year.  I am very thankful to be a part of your class and the bakery this semester for many reasons, including my love for the food.kirkew@hiram.edu

A New Year for the Terrier Bakery!

Hello, and welcome to the Terrier Bakery Blog.  My name is Joshua Smith, and I will be kicking off the blog this year!  I took the freshman colloquium, “The Art of Making Dough,” with Ella my first semester here at Hiram College. Before the class and working in the bakery, I had never successfully baked anything, but I thought the class would be a great way to learn. I was right! Throughout the 12 weeks, I learned many new things not only about bread and baking, but also about myself. The Terrier Bakery is a student-run entrepreneurial enterprise. It is actually the most successful entrepreneurship program at Hiram, and it is flourishing. In the bakery, I learned to bake many different kinds of bread, such as the Baguette, Pain de Mie, Bagels, Banana and Pumpkin Breads, Jewish Rye, and many other varieties. Every student must become proficient at making Baguettes, the hardest bread to make. Pain de Mie is a basic dough that can be used as base for many other types of bread. It can be sprinkled with cinnamon and rolled to make delicious cinnamon swirl. When sliced and tossed with a precise mix of cinnamon and brown sugar you can make monkey muffins, another Terrier Bakery classic. Now that I am in the Freshman Seminar “Transforming Dough into a Life of Sweet Success,” I am able to continue learning, while passing on the knowledge I have gained to the new members of the class. This blog will be updated weekly by my fellow classmates and bakers. So, don’t forget to check back each week to see what’s going on in the Terrier Bakery!