We had to start the book off with our ultimate versions of the great peanut butter sandwiches. Both are fully homemade: the bread, jam, peanut butter, and even the marshmallow cream! They’re a lot of work— busy cooks may be tempted to bypass them—but once a year, break out the ultimate sandwiches and see how much applause a little work and a lot of peanut butter will bring.
Honey Oat Bread
Refrigerator Strawberry Jam
The Ultimate Creamy Peanut Butter
We’re about to start turf wars. We think the ultimate PB&J is made with strawberry jam. Maybe it was a childhood in the late sixties when strawberry jam was starting to challenge grape jelly as top dog; maybe it’s just that we like its texture with the Ultimate Creamy Peanut Butter. (More turf wars! You’re free, of course, to use the Ultimate Crunchy Peanut Butter, page 22, and free to use any bottled jam or jelly you like.) This recipe makes a refrigerator jam, not processed or canned; simply store it in your refrigerator in sealed bottles or plastic containers for up to 2 weeks. What else do you need for the Ultimate PB&J? Fresh warm oat bread, of course.
MAKES 12 SANDWICHES
MAKES 2 LOAVES
21/2 cups boiling water
1 cup rolled oats (do not use steel-cut or quick-cooking oats)
One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water, between 105°F and 115°F
2 tablespoons honey (see page 10)
2 tablespoons peanut oil, plus additional for greasing the bowl and pans
2 teaspoons salt
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
MAKES ABOUT 11/2 CUPS
31/2 cups fresh hulled strawberries
21/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
MAKES ABOUT 11/2 CUPS
21/4 cups dry-roasted salted peanuts (3/4 pound)
11/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1. Pour the boiling water over the oats in a large bowl and set aside to soak until all the water has been absorbed and the mixture is lukewarm, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
2. About 5 minutes before you’re ready to start making the bread, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a small bowl, stir gently, and set aside until frothy, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir the honey, oil, and 2 teaspoons salt into the softened oats, then stir in the dissolved yeast mixture.
4. If you’re using a stand mixer: pour the yeast mixture into the attachable bowl, snap on the dough hook, and begin mixing the dough, adding the flour in 1/2-cup increments until a pliable but firm dough forms, one that’s not sticky but is nonetheless stiffer than many white breads. You’ll use more than 6 cups of flour, probably even 63/4 cups, but this will depend on the day’s humidity and the glutens in the brand of flour you’re using. Continue kneading at medium speed for 10 minutes, adding splashes of flour if the dough starts to stick or crawl up the hook. Don’t use all the flour unless you need to—you simply want a smooth dough that’s not tacky or gummy.
If you’re working by hand: stir about 4 to 41/2 cups of flour into the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon. Once the dough begins to form and becomes difficult to stir, turn it out onto a clean, floured work surface and begin kneading in more flour in small increments until a pliable, firm dough forms; continue dusting the work surface and your hands with ample flour to prevent sticking. Knead for 10 minutes, grinding the heel of one hand into the dough while pulling it with the fingers of the other, until the dough is smooth, somewhat elastic, but also a little stiff.
5. Grease a large bowl with peanut oil, gather the dough into a ball, place it in the bowl, and turn it over so that it’s coated in the oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 11/2 hours.
6. While the bread is rising, place a 2-cup heavy-duty resealable plastic container or a 1-pint glass canning jar and its ring lid in an empty dishwasher and run through a wash-and-dry cycle. If you don’t have a dishwasher, use very hot, soapy water and rinse thoroughly. If you’re working with a plastic container, it must be a heavy-duty one; flimsy containers will melt when the hot jam is spooned into them.
7. To make the strawberry jam, stir the strawberries, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the strawberries begin to break down. Bring the mixture to a low simmer, then reduce the heat and cook slowly until thick and jamlike, about 20 minutes, perhaps longer if the day’s humidity is high. If you’re using a glass jar, spoon the jam into it while the jam and the jar are hot, then seal it with the lid and the ring; refrigerate the jar after 10 minutes. If you’re using a plastic container, cool the jam for 10 minutes and then spoon it into the container, seal it, and immediately place it in the refrigerator.
8. Once the bread has doubled in bulk, remove the plastic wrap or the kitchen towel and gently but firmly plunge your fist into the dough, thereby deflating it without flattening it. Divide the dough in half and turn it out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Shape each loaf into logs about 8 inches long. Use peanut oil to grease two 5 × 9-inch loaf pans. Place the loaves in the pans, turn them over so they’re coated with oil, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and set aside to rise until again doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
9. Meanwhile, make the creamy peanut butter. Place the peanuts in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade; process until smooth—the heat and friction will release the peanut oil and the mixture will eventually convert from grainy to smooth. Add the butter and corn syrup; process until creamy. Set aside at room temperature until the bread is ready or spoon into a resealable plastic container and store at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; stir well if any of the oil falls out of suspension.
10. Once the loaves have doubled in bulk, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the loaves in their pans until brown and somewhat hollow to the tap, about 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn the bread out of the pans and continue cooling for at least 10 more minutes before slicing, or until room temperature. Once the loaves have completely cooled, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature for up to 3 days; or freeze them for up to 3 months, allowing them to thaw to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing.
11. To make the ultimate PB&J, use a serrated knife to slice the loaves into 3/4-inch-thick slices (12 slices per loaf). Spread half the slices with 2 tablespoons homemade crunchy peanut butter; spread the other half with 2 tablespoons refrigerator strawberry jam. Place the bread slices together, peanut butter to jam, and chow down.
Before smearing on the peanut butter, spread the bread with a little softened unsalted butter.
Toast the slices before you spread them with the peanut butter and jam.
Layer apple slices, banana slices, or fried bacon strips onto the peanut butter before you close the sandwich.
Grill the sandwiches—just heat a grill, griddle, or sandwich maker and toast the sandwiches for no more than 1 minute on each side, just until the jam starts to melt.
Make hot sandwiches by melting 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Slip one or two sandwiches into the pan; cook until brown, about 25 seconds; then flip and brown the other side. Repeat with more butter and sandwiches, as desired.
The Ultimate White Bread
Marshmallow Cream
The Ultimate Crunchy Peanut Butter
Marshmallow cream and crunchy peanut butter: now there’s a combo right out of our childhoods. We brought these sandwiches to a New York City choir rehearsal one evening—they didn’t do much for the singing, but they sure were a showstopper.
MAKES 12 SANDWICHES
MAKES 2 LOAVES
One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water, between 105°F and 115°F
3 cups whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing the bowl and the pans
1 tablespoon salt
7 to 8 cups all-purpose flour
MAKES ABOUT 11/2 CUPS
1 large egg white
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, or even a little more to taste
MAKES ABOUT 11/2 CUPS
21/4 cups dry-roasted salted peanuts (3/4 pound)
1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
11/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a small bowl, stir gently, and then set aside until foamy, about 3 minutes. (If the mixture does not foam, start over—the yeast was bad or the water was too hot or too cold.)
2. Meanwhile, stir the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, and salt in a medium saucepan set over low heat until the sugar dissolves, the butter melts, and the mixture is just warm to the touch, certainly not hot, no more than 120°F (use a candy thermometer clipped to the inside of the bowl to be sure). Pour the milk mixture into the attachable bowl for a stand mixer or into a large mixing bowl, stir in the yeast mixture, and add 3 cups flour.
3. If you’re using a stand mixer: attach the dough hook and begin mixing the dough at medium speed, adding flour in 1/2-cup increments until a soft and smooth dough forms, not sticky at all but quite pliable. Stop adding flour the moment the dough reaches this consistency and then continue kneading at medium speed for 10 minutes, adding small amounts of flour if the dough starts to crawl up the hook.
If you’re working by hand: stir in about 1 to 2 more cups of flour with a wooden spoon just until a dough starts to cohere; then turn the dough onto a clean, well-floured work surface and begin kneading in more flour in 1/2-cup increments until a soft, smooth dough forms. Dust the work surface again with flour and continue kneading the dough for 10 minutes, digging into it with the heel of one hand while pulling it with the fingers of the other. Add more flour if the dough gets sticky, but do not add more than is absolutely necessary so that the bread does not turn out tough.
4. Place a small amount of butter on a piece of wax paper and grease a large bowl. Gather the dough into a ball, put it in the bowl, turn it over so that it’s coated with butter, and cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. Meanwhile, make the marshmallow cream by first beating the egg white in a second large bowl until foamy with an electric mixer at medium speed (if you’re using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment for this task). With the beaters running, slowly drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the corn syrup; continue beating until soft peaks form in the place where the turned-off beaters are lifted out of the mixture. Set aside.
6. Put the remaining 1/3 cup corn syrup, the 1/3 cup sugar, and the water in a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until all the sugar dissolves. Clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan without its touching the bottom and continue cooking, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 248°F (often marked “firm-ball stage” on a candy thermometer; see Note). Remove the pan from the heat, remove the thermometer from the pan, and set aside.
7. Turn on the electric mixer at medium speed and beat the hot sugar syrup into the egg-white mixture in a slow, steady stream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then continue beating until thick, very white, creamy, but quite sticky, like the inside of warm, campfire marshmallows, about 5 minutes.
Beat in the vanilla. Remove the beaters or whisk attachment, scrape them down to get all the cream possible into the bowl, and set the mixture aside to cool for at least 10 minutes or until the bread has baked and cooled. To store, let the mixture cool to room temperature, then spoon it into a large 1-quart canning jar or a resealable plastic container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
8. When the bread dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down by gently pushing your fist into the mound, taking care to deflate it without flattening it. Cover again and set aside in the same warm, dry place to rise until again doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, make the crunchy peanut butter by first placing 2 cups of the peanuts in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Process until the mixture flows smoothly around the bowl, then add the shortening and 11/2 teaspoons corn syrup. Continue processing until smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 cup peanuts and pulse two or three times to chop lightly and combine. Set aside at room temperature until the bread is ready, or spoon into a resealable plastic container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
10. Once the bread has risen a second time, punch the loaf down again and then turn it out onto a clean, well-floured work surface. Divide the dough in half; shape and roll each half into a loaf about 8 inches long. Use a little butter on a piece of wax paper to grease two 5 × 9-inch loaf pans. Place each loaf in a pan, cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 more hour.
11. After positioning the rack in the center of the oven, preheat the oven to 375°F.
12. Bake the loaves in the pans until brown and hollow when tapped, about 40 minutes. If you want, throw a crushed ice cube or two onto the oven’s bottom when you first begin to bake the bread so that the steam will make a crunchier crust on the bread. Cool the loaves on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn them out of their pans and continue cooling for at least 10 minutes, or to room temperature. Once thoroughly cooled, the loaves can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or they can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw by unwrapping the loaves and letting them come to room temperature on a wire rack.
13. To make the sandwiches, slice the bread with a serrated knife into 3/4-inch-thick slices (12 slices per loaf). Spread half the slices each with 2 tablespoons of the crunchy peanut butter; smear the other half of the bread slices each with 2 tablespoons of the marshmallow cream. Sandwich the slices together, peanut butter to marshmallow cream, and step out of the way of the impending stampede.
NOTE: If you’re boiling sugar syrup at high altitudes, you must adjust the temperature to account for the altered air pressure. Start by bringing some water to a boil in a saucepan, clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan without its touching the bottom, and measure the water’s boiling point. Subtract this number from 212°F, then subtract this difference from any requisite candy-making temperature in the recipe. For example, if water boils at 206°F where you live, you need to deduct 6°F from the temperature to which the sugar syrup should be cooked.
Spread a little butter or honey on each slice of bread before slathering on the peanut butter and marshmallow cream.
Spoon a little jam or jelly on top of the marshmallow cream before closing the sandwich.
Layer a thinly sliced banana on the sandwich before closing it.
Sprinkle on a few chocolate chips before closing it.