Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook

RUSTIC POTATO LOAF

Enjoyed by customers of all ages, this is Macrina’s most sought-after loaf. Some bakeries prefer to make potato bread with dried potato flakes, but this dough is made with mashed whole potatoes. I also like to leave the potato peels on, giving the bread a fuller flavor and more interesting texture.

Makes 1 large loaf

1¼ pounds russet potatoes
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1½ teaspoons dried yeast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Spray bottle of water

• Scrub potatoes thoroughly and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place potatoes and 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when poked with a knife. Measure out ½ cup of potato water and set aside. Drain potatoes in a colander and leave them to cool and dry for 20 minutes.

• Pour the ½ cup of lukewarm potato water into a small bowl and sprinkle yeast over the top. Mix with a whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.

• Place drained and cooled potatoes in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 1 minute to mash potatoes. Add olive oil and mix for another minute. Add potato water and yeast mixture and continue mixing until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. (If mixing by hand, place potatoes and olive oil in a medium bowl and smash with a potato masher. Add potato water and yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until ingredients are combined.) Switch to the hook attachment and add flour and remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix briefly on low speed to start bringing ingredients together, then increase speed to medium and mix for approximately 11 minutes. (If mixing by hand, add flour and remaining salt and mix with a wooden spoon. Knead with your hands for 10 to 15 minutes.) Dough will appear firm at first, but will become wetter as mixing

Baking with Olivia’s Class

When my three -year-old daughter’s preschool decided to have a career day, her teacher asked if I would consider baking bread with the children. It sounded like fun. I arrived at the school dressed in my standard baking outfit, lugging in my KitchenAid mixer, all of my ingredients, and a display of wheat. The kids were so excited they could hardly sit still.

I started to explain how bread was made and where ingredients such as wheat come from, but the children wouldn’t have it. They were more interested in the mixer and how it worked, and most of all they wanted to use their hands. Luckily I had thought to bring some potato dough from the bakery, so the kids didn’t have to wait while I mixed a batch.

The teachers and I sprinkled flour on one of their play tables and gave each student a piece of dough. “It’s like Play-Doh!” one of the kids squealed. They all agreed, repeating the phrase one after the other as they began flattening the dough. The sound of their little fists fiercely pounding the dough was like a drum roll. Shaping the dough into logs required concentration and patience, as it kept sticking to their hands, but the kids seemed determined to overcome their frustration.

One by one the children formed dough into their personal versions of a loaf. We watched the loaves rise and then baked them in the school’s oven. The kids were beaming with pride as the room filled with that splendid aroma. It was a great group project, and the kids were able to share their loaves at that night’s dinner tables. Olivia enjoyed hers, as usual, with a generous piece of butter.

continues. Check for elasticity by flouring your fingers and stretching some of the dough. Finished dough should stretch about 2 inches without breaking.

• Pull dough from bowl onto a floured surface and form into a ball. Place ball in an oiled, medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough proof in a warm room, 70°F, for about 45 minutes. Dough will almost double in size.

• Place dough on a floured surface and flatten it with your hands. Form dough into a rectangle and, starting with a short end, roll dough away from you into a tight log. Stop rolling just before the log is sealed, then flatten the remaining inch of dough with your fingers and dust it with flour. This will prevent the loaf from fully sealing and will cause the seam to open slightly while baking. Wrap loaf, seam side down, in a floured dishtowel and let proof at room temperature for 45 minutes. Dough will rise slightly and feel spongy to the touch.

• Place baking stone on center rack of oven and preheat to 400°F.

• Carefully unwrap loaf and set it, seam side up, on a counter or baker’s peel. Moving quickly, transfer loaf to center of baking stone and heavily mist inside of oven with a spray bottle of water. Bake for 45 minutes, misting oven once more after the first 5 minutes. Finished loaf will be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

CRACKED WHEAT WALNUT CIDER LOAF

This hearty and flavorful loaf is perfect for your favorite sandwiches. Try filling slices with roasted chicken, or reinvent the classic grilled cheese by adding heirloom tomatoes and smoky bacon.

Makes 1 ( 9 x 5-inch) loaf

¾ cup cracked wheat*
1 cup boiling filtered water
1½ cups walnut halves
1¼ cups apple cider
1½ teaspoons dried yeast
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup and 1 tablespoon coarse whole-wheat flour
2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ cup canola oil
*available in specialty shops and some supermarkets

• Place cracked wheat in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Stir with a spoon to make sure all wheat is moistened. Let sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes while liquid is being absorbed.

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 20 minutes. Let cool. Chop coarsely and set aside.

• Place apple cider in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat, just until it’s warm to the touch. Pour warm cider into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add yeast and honey and mix with a whisk until yeast is dissolved. (If mixing by hand, place warm cider, yeast, and honey in a medium bowl and mix with a whisk.) Let mixture sit for 5 minutes. Add plumped cracked wheat, 1 cup whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and canola oil. Using the hook attachment, mix on low speed for 1 minute to combine ingredients. Switch to medium speed and mix for 10 minutes. Dough will form a loose ball at base of hook. Add walnuts and mix for 2 minutes. (If mixing by hand, add plumped cracked wheat, 1 cup whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and canola oil and mix with a wooden spoon until dough comes together. Knead with your hands for about 10 minutes, then add walnuts and continue kneading until nuts are evenly distributed.)

• Transfer dough to an oiled, medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let proof in a warm room, 70 to 75°F, for 2 hours. Dough will almost double in size.

• Pull dough from the bowl onto a floured surface and punch it down with your hands to release air bubbles. Form dough into a 12 x 6-inch rectangle and position it so that a long side is facing you. Fold the 2 short ends onto the top so they meet in the middle. Starting with the closest end, roll dough away from you into a tight log.

• Place loaf in an oiled 9 x 5 x 4-inch loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let proof at room temperature for 1 hour. Loaf will rise to slightly above the top of pan.

• While loaf is proofing, preheat oven to 385°F.

• Remove plastic and dust top of loaf with remaining tablespoon of whole -wheat flour. Place pan on center rack of oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes. Finished loaf will be medium brown on top. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the sides of the loaf to release it from the pan. Invert pan to remove loaf.

CHALLAH

The recipe for this traditional Jewish braid comes from our friend Andy Meltzer. A former baker at Macrina, Andy is currently a baking instructor at the Culinary Institute of America. The recipe was passed to Andy from family friends in upstate New York and made its way to Seattle, where we bake it every Friday.

Makes 1 braided loaf

½ cup warm filtered water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons dried yeast
¼ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 eggs
2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Egg wash made with 1 egg and 1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

• Place warm water and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast on top and mix with a whisk until yeast is dissolved. (If mixing by hand, place water and yeast in a medium bowl and mix with a whisk.) Let rest for 5 minutes. Yeast will bloom and the mixture will look foamy. Add canola oil, honey, eggs, flour, and salt. Using the hook attachment, mix on low speed for about 2 minutes to bring ingredients together. Increase speed to medium and mix for another 10 to 12 minutes. (If mixing by hand, add oil, honey, eggs, flour, and salt and mix with a wooden spoon. Knead with your hands for about 15 minutes.) Dough will remain wet and will have good elasticity when stretched.

• Coat your hands with flour and pull dough from bowl onto a generously floured surface. Form dough into a ball. Place ball in an oiled, medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set bowl in a warm room, 70 to 75°F, and let proof for 2 hours. Dough will almost double in size and will become much easier to handle.

• Place dough on a floured surface and flatten it with your hands to release excess air bubbles. Pat dough into a rectangle and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope approximately 10 inches long. Line the ropes up side by side and, starting at either end, braid the ropes. Pinch ends together to form a seal and fold ends underneath.

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lift braid onto center of baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let proof at room temperature for 40 to 45 minutes. Loaf will rise slightly and feel spongy to the touch.

• While loaf is proofing, preheat oven to 375°F.

• Remove plastic wrap and brush loaf with egg wash. Sprinkle poppy seeds over the top. Place baking sheet on center rack of oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Finished loaf will be a deep reddish brown on the top and bottom. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

OATMEAL BUTTERMILK BREAD

This tasty loaf can easily be made in less than four hours. With its slightly nutty flavor, thin crust, and soft interior, it’s ideal for kids’ sandwiches such as peanut butter and jelly.

Makes 1 ( 9 x 5-inch) loaf

1½ cups rolled oats
1 cup boiling filtered water
¼ cup warm filtered water
2 teaspoons dried yeast
1½ cups buttermilk
½ cup canola oil
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup coarse whole-wheat flour
3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 spray bottle of water

• Set aside ¼ cup of rolled oats. Place the remaining 1¼ cups of oats in a medium bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling water. Mix with a spoon to moisten all oats. Let bowl sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, while water is absorbed.

• Place ¼ cup of warm water in the bowl of your stand mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Mix with a whisk to dissolve yeast. (If mixing by hand, combine warm water and yeast in a medium bowl and mix with a whisk.) Let rest for 5 minutes. Add soaked oats, buttermilk, canola oil, brown sugar, whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and kosher salt. Using the hook attachment, mix on low speed for 1 or 2 minutes to combine ingredients. Increase speed to medium and mix for about 10 minutes. (If mixing by hand, add soaked oats, buttermilk, oil, sugar, flours, and salt and mix with a wooden spoon. Knead with your hands for 10 to 12 minutes.) Dough will be wet at first, but will eventually form a ball. Ball will have a satiny finish and will bounce back quickly when poked with a finger.

• Place dough in an oiled, medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Proof in a warm room, 70 to 75°F, for about 1 hour. Dough will almost double in size.

• Pull dough from bowl onto a floured surface and flatten it with your hands, releasing excess air bubbles. Form dough into a 12 x 6-inch rectangle and position it so that a long side is facing you. Fold the 2 short ends onto the top so they meet in the middle. Starting with the closest end, roll dough away from you into a log. Let loaf rest on its seam for a few minutes.

• Transfer dough to an oiled 9 x 5 x 4-inch loaf pan, seam side down. Using your hands, push down on dough to make sure it extends to all corners of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let proof in a warm room for 35 to 45 minutes. Loaf will rise to slightly above the top of the pan.

• While loaf is proofing, preheat oven to 385°F.

• Remove plastic and mist top of loaf with a spray bottle of water. Sprinkle with remaining oats. Place pan on center rack of oven and bake for approximately 1 hour. Top and sides of finished loaf will be deep golden brown. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, then run a sharp knife around sides of loaf to release it from the pan. Invert pan to remove loaf.