Wild Violet Donuts

I've been waiting for the right moment to do these wild violet sourdoughnuts. Viola sororia, known as the common blue violet, is pretty much everywhere you look right now, from the backyard to the deep woods. The flowers and leaves of this ephemeral native flower are edible and delicious. When the petals are infused with hot water it creates a vibrant hue that ranges from blue to violet. The infusion is pH sensitive and will react differently depending on how acidic or alkali the water is and can be manipulated with a drop or two of lemon juice. I made a glaze with the violet infusion which has a nice subtle floral taste and I topped them off with granulated violet sugar to give it a little texture. These were delicate, delicious and the process is incredibly fun. Video of the whole process below.

The Violet Syrup

Ingredients:

1:1:1 ratio of …

Wild violet flowers (stems removed)

Water (distilled)*

White granulated sugar

*The violet infusion is reactive to pH levels of the water. When using distilled water, the infusion will be a bright blue color. This can be manipulated by adding a few drops of lemon juice, which turns the infusion a vibrant purple/pink. But once you add the lemon, it will begin to overpower the subtle flavor of the violets.

Directions:

1. Bring the water to a near boil.

2. Mix together the hot water and violet flowers in a glass jar, stir, and allow to steep for 24 hrs. The color will gradually deepen.

3. Strain the flowers out using a fine mesh after 24 hrs.

4. Bring the infused mixture to a very low simmer and add an equal portion of white granulated sugar. Simmer on low for about ten minutes until the syrup begins to thicken. You may notice a color shift at this stage with the introduction of the sugar.

5. Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator until use. Will last for several months.

The Violet Sugar

Ingredients:

1:1 ratio of…

White granulated sugar

Wild violet flowers (stems removed)

Directions:

1. In a food processor blend together the sugar and flowers until it turns into a nice even purple sugar.

2. Because of the moisture in the flowers, it is best to use this sugar fresh or within a few days. Over time it will lose it’s vibrant color and will lump together in a way that becomes difficult to sprinkle.

Ingredients

230 g Manitoba 0 Flour (or similar)

25 g Whole Wheat Tumminia Flour (or similar)

40 g water

40 g sugar

50 g butter (cubed)

90 g eggs (approx 2 medium sized)

5 g salt

110 g active sourdough starter

1 tsp vanilla

Approx gallon neutral oil

*makes approximately 6 - 8 donuts depending on size

The recipe is spread out over three days and in my opinion is well worth the wait. The natural leavening always yields a tastier end result. I normally start my process around 12pm on day 1 which results in fresh donuts for breakfast two days later.

The Dough

Directions:

1. 12 pm Day 1 - In a stand mixer, combine all your ingredients and mix for about 10 minutes.

2. This is very similar to a brioche dough, so at first it will feel quite sticky to the touch, even after ten minutes of mixing.

3. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover.

4. Over the next 5-6 hours you’ll want to fold the dough with your hands 4 times. Let the dough relax for at least 30 minutes in between each fold. By the fourth fold the dough will feel a lot less sticky and will be smoother to the touch. Avoid the urge to add flour if you find it is too sticky.

5. 6pm Day 1 - Transfer the covered bowl to the refrigerator and forget about it for 24 hrs.

6. 6pm Day 2 - Remove dough from the refrigerator and allow to relax for about 30 minutes. Do one more round of folding and set out at room temperature overnight.

7. 7am Day 3 - Gently flour your work surface and dump out the dough.

8. Bring your neutral oil up to 350F.

9. Use your hands to spread it out evenly. Use a rolling pin to gently roll out the dough to approximately 3/4 inch thickness. Do not press down too hard as you want to keep rise to the dough.

10. Using a circular cookie cutter approx 4” in diameter, punch out as many donuts as possible. Save the scraps for maltagliate - ugly leftover shapes of dough that shouldn’t go to waste!

11. Use another circular punch about 1/2” in diameter to punch out the holes in the center of each donut. Gently use your fingers to stretch it out ever so slightly.

12. Drop each circular dough into the oil and fry for about 3 minutes each side until golden brown.

13. Remove from the oil and set onto a rack or paper towels to dry off and cool slightly.

The Finished Donut

Ingredients:

1 cup Confectioner’s sugar

Wild violet syrup

Wild violet sugar

Flowers for garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare the violet glaze by mixing together about a cup of confectioner’s sugar with 1/4 cup of the wild violet syrup. Adjust accordingly so that the glaze is nice and thick, so it sticks to the donuts. Add more syrup if too thich, and add more confectioner sugar if too thin. *In a subsequent version of this I added blended flowers to the glaze which gave it nice flecks of purple color.

2. Once the donuts have cooled sufficiently, dip each one in the bowl of glaze and set onto a tray.

3. Sprinkle the violet sugar on top while the glaze is still wet so it sticks and binds together as the glaze hardens over the next few minutes.

4. Add a few wild violet flowers for garnish.

5. Enjoy.

Sourdough Bagels, Homemade Cream Cheese, and Gravlax

After a few iterations on this sourdough bagel I am finally happy to share the recipe. The texture and taste fall somewhere in between a New York and Montreal style bagel. Along with the homemade gravlax and cream cheese, this makes for an incredibly satisfying breakfast/brunch combination. A detailed video of the whole process is below.

The Bagels

The whole process takes about 22 hours from start to finish and a little bit of smart planning. Ultimately it is a very approachable recipe if you have the right ingredients on hand. I typically start my process around noon on day one and bagels will start coming out of the oven around 10am the next morning. These bagels are approximately 55% hydration which seems to be the gold standard when researching recipes.

Ingredients (for 5 bagels)

250 g water

65 g active sourdough starter

450 g bread flour

10 g salt

4 g barley malt syrup (for the dough)

3 g barley malt syrup (for the boiling water)

1 tsp baking soda (for the boiling water)

semolina (for dusting the tray)

Sesame and poppy seeds (for topping)

*The one ingredient you’re most likely not to have in your kitchen is the barley malt syrup. While it is possible to make bagels without it, it does serve a very specific purpose and is what many New York / Montreal bagel makers use in their formulations. It adds color, sweetness, and helps to condition the dough through the enzymatic processes that it contributes. If you don’t have barley malt syrup, you can use honey, brown sugar, or molasses to add a touch of sweetness - but keep in mind they function very differently.

Instructions

1. Mix all of your ingredients together in a stand mixer with the dough hook (except for the additional 3 g malt syrup, baking soda, and semolina). Mix for about 10 minutes starting at the slowest setting and gradually increase to medium speed. This can be done by hand but it will take a lot longer to get to the right consistency. When fully mixed the dough should be tacky to touch, but not overly sticky. Cover the bowl and let ferment for 3 - 4 hours at room temperature depending on how warm your area is. Cooler ambient temperature will require longer ferment time.

2. After 3 - 4 hours, dump your dough onto a clean (lightly floured) work surface and divide into 5 equal portions. Use your hands to roll each piece into a cylinder approximate 8 inches long and about an inch in diameter. Wrap the cylinder around your hand, press the two ends together, and gently roll the seam with your fingers to form a circular shape with a hole in the middle. This may take a few times to get it right, where you have uniform size all the way around each bagel.

3. Transfer the bagels into a tray, lined with parchment paper and dusted with semolina. Cover with plastic wrap, and a light weight cloth or towel. Allow to ferment at room temperature for one more hour.

4. Transfer the tray into the refrigerator to cold ferment overnight.

5. In the morning, around 8am, remove the tray and allow to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to a boil, mix in the baking soda and 3 g of additional malt syrup. Set your oven 500 F. Mix together the poppy seeds and sesame seeds (or whatever topping you like) in a medium sized bowl.

6. Gently drop a few bagels at a time into the pot of boiling water. They may sink at first, but they should rise to the surface relatively quickly. Boil each side for about 1 minute each. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the boiled bagels to your tray for a few seconds, before transferring them into the bowl of toppings. Use your hands to roll the bagels around so there is a nice even coating on both sides. Transfer the bagels back into your tray. Repeat until all bagels are done.

7. The bagels can be baked right in the tray or directly onto a pizza stone if you have one. Bake for 7 minutes and then flip, and then 7 more minutes - 14 minutes total time.

8. Allow to cool slightly before enjoying.

Shaped and proofed.

Bagels will float when properly fermented and proofed.

The Gravlax

This recipe is heavily inspired by a recipe from George Lang that my dad always used to make during the holidays. With the exception of a few minor tweaks, it is very similar to his original recipe.

Ingredients

2 pounds salmon with skin on

2 tbsp Aquavit or Vodka

1/3 cup coarse salt

1/3 cup white sugar

2 tbsp crushed black pepper

4 oz fresh dill sprigs (chopped)

Instructions

1. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Place it in a bowl or tray.

2. Coat the salmon with the aquavit or vodka, rubbing it evening on all sides of the fish.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, pepper, and dill. Using your hands, pack the mixture onto all sides of the fish. Make sure there is an even coat all around. If some area seem like the fish is exposed, you can sprinkle on a little more salt.

4. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the fish. Now you need something heavy to weigh down the fish. I use a small piece of bluestone, but anything will work. Wrap the bowl/tray/weight with another piece of plastic wrap to ensure it is completely sealed. Transfer into the refrigerator.

5. After 8 - 12 hrs, flip the salmon over onto the other side, put the weight back on, wrap again in the plastic, and put it back into the refrigerator for another 12 - 20 hours. For a thicker piece of salmon, you’ll likely need more time so the salt can properly penetrate the meat.

6. Remove the salmon and rinse in cold water. I like to leave a little bit of the cure on the outside, but that’s a personal preference.

7. Now thinly slice the meat, and serve with crackers, on a bagel, or just eat it by itself.

Day 1: Packing the salmon with salt, sugar, pepper, and dill.

Best when sliced thinly.

The Cream Cheese

It’s hard to compete with Philadelphia cream cheese, but what you’ll get by making your own is a heavenly and luxurious texture and something that feels a little more wholesome. The flavor is a bit more “farmy,” especially if using farm fresh milk and cream so it’s not for everyone - but for me the whole experience was well worth the effort just to be able to experience the difference between homemade and store-bought.

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk

3 cups heavy cream

1/4 tsp mesophilic culture

3 drops of rennet (dissolved into a tablespoon of water)

Chives/scallions (optional)

*You’re going to need a few obscure items here to make homemade cream cheese, but all are readily available either through Amazon or local distributors. Rennet, mesophilic culture, and butter cloth are all important to ensure you have success. This is a two day process, so you’ll need to plan ahead. I start my process at 2pm on day 1 and finish at about 4pm the following day.

Instructions

1. Combine the milk and heavy cream into a heavy duty pot.

2. Set your stove top to the lowest setting and bring the mixture up to 75/76 F. You need to pay close attention here so that it does not overheat.

3. Once you’ve reached temperature, sprinkle in the mesophilic culture and rennet diluted in water, and stir until well incorporated.

4. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 12 - 18 hours.

5. When ready, you’ll notice that the whey has separated and there will be a big block of cheese that has coagulated. Take a spatula or spoon and gently break it apart.

6. Line a medium sized bowl with a folded piece of butter cloth, and carefully transfer the cheese into it. Pull up the corners of the butter cloth, and tie it together in a tight ball. You’ll need to hang the ball over the bowl for the next 8 hours, so you may need to get crafty with how you do this. Over the 8 hours, all the whey will drain out, leaving you with a super creamy ball of cream cheese.

7. Open the butter cloth and transfer to a clean bowl. It might seem a little stiff at first, but use a spatula to spread it around and reveal it’s velvety texture. Season with salt to your preference. Add in scallions/chives if you’d like. Enjoy!

After the rennet has done it’s work, this is the moment the coagulated cheese is broken.

Transferring the cheese into the butter cloth.

Hanging the cheese for 8hrs to drain the whey.

The moment the butter cloth is opened.

Spring Morel + Ramp Oil Pizza

This is one of those pizzas that only happens once a year. It is spring at its best in pizza form. And after several years unsuccessfully searching for morels I finally had an opportunity to do what I've been thinking about for a very long time. Sauteed morels, ricotta and mozzarella cheese, ramp oil, wild violet flowers, fresh mint, and a little drizzle of honey on a sourdough crust wood fired in my Ooni Pro. Video of the whole process is embedded below.

Ingredients:

Fresh morels (sauteed in olive oil)

Fresh ricotta cheese

Shredded mozzarella

Ramp Oil (see instructions below)

Fresh mint

Wild Violet Flowers

Honey

Instructions:

The Morels

1. The real heart of this pizza are the morel mushrooms. For this recipe I chose only the ones in most perfect condition and sliced them in half lengthwise.

2. Saute the morels in olive oil on medium low heat until they begin to brown. This will take about ten minutes to soften them up. It’s important to cook morels thoroughly.

The Ramp Oil

1. Clean your ramp leaves in a cold bowl of water to remove any bits of dirt.

2. Trim the stems off completely leaving only the leaves behind.

3. Lay in the ramp leaves into your food processor (or blender) and add in good quality olive oil. You’ll have to use your best judgement on the amount depending on how many ramps you’re using. The consistency should be thinner than pesto.

4. Add a little dash of salt, and blitz for about a minute.

5. Transfer the puree into a fine mesh sieve and use a rubber spatula to press the oil down into a bowl. What’s left behind is a fragrant mash of ramp leaves with some traces of oil. This can be saved / frozen / and incorporated into countless other dishes. For now, you’re focusing on just the extracted oil that comes out of the sieve.

6. Transfer the oil into a container, ideally a squeeze bottle with cap. It’s ready to go. Store in the refrigerator.

The Dough

For the pizza dough I have been very happy using a Ken Forkish recipe from Flour Water Salt Yeast for an overnight dough with levain. It’s one of the few recipes that I have decided not to mess with as it always yields great results.

The Assembly & Finishing

1. Stretch your dough and drizzle first with a little bit of olive oil.

2. Layer on your shredded mozzarella cheese.

3. Now evenly distribute the sauteed morels.

4. Using a spoon, dollop on the fresh ricotta evenly across the pie.

5. Bake your pizza. I use a wood fired Ooni Pro but use whatever works for you.

6. Drizzle on a generous amount of ramp oil.

7. Drizzle on a swirl of honey.

8. Top with fresh mint and wild violet flowers.

9. Enjoy!

Tumminia Flour Sourdough Zeppole

I never dared mess with my Nonna’s zeppole (sfingi) recipe but after a few weeks of shelter in place all rules are out the window. If she were here to taste the result I think she’d approve. The addition of the sourdough yeast and the Sicilian tumminia flour give the sfingi a much more distinct flavor and spongy texture which I quite like. The shell also ends up being much crispier so there is an audible crunch upon taking your first bite. They behave a little differently in the hot oil and require some manual nudging of the dough as they cook - where as in the original recipe they did all the work themselves (flipping and turning over all on their own). I also added some vanilla while I was at it. And since I already committed my crime against tradition I made a simple chocolate sauce instead of the confectioner’s sugar. These were incredible and I look forward to making them again and again. 

The process is a bit more complicated and time consuming but it’s still a relatively approachable recipe.

Ingredients

80 g tumminia flour (or regular whole wheat flour)

70 g 00 Flour 

50 g active starter

4 eggs

6 tbsp butter

Pinch of salt

½ tsp vanilla

1 cup of water

Zest or orange (optional)

For the sauce

½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chunks

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil. Add butter, and a little bit of salt. Stir in the flour and mix thoroughly, and quickly. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature. 

2. Add the starter yeast and mix together well. Cover and set in the refrigerator overnight. 

3. In the morning, take out the dough and allow to get back to room temperature so the dough begins to soften again. 

4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing very well until there are no clumps of flour. Add in lemon or orange zest. Add the vanilla. The consistency should be smooth, thicker than pancake batter, but thinner than a bread dough. Let rest for a few more minutes. 

5. Bring canola or peanut oil in a dutch oven or deep fryer to 350 F. 

6. Using a spoon, drop globs of batter into the hot oil. This recipe will require a little extra attention than the traditional non-sourdough recipe. You’ll need to manually flip them once they are fully cooked on one side. Once fully browned and crispy, remove the zeppole with a slotted spoon and let rest in on a baking rack or in a bowl with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. 

7. In a small saucepan, melt together the chocolate, butter, and sugar and simmer for a few minutes - stirring well. 

5. Once the zeppole have cooled a bit, drizzle the chocolate sauce all over the top of the zeppole and enjoy.

Whole Wheat Oat Bran Seeded Sourdough

Mix together 430 g of water, 424 g of bread flour, 106 g of whole wheat flour and 15 g of oat bran and set to autolyse for up to six hours.  Add 15 g of salt and 90 g of active sourdough starter and start working into the dough with your hands or with a rubber spatula until more or less homogenous. Let rest for 45 minutes. You’ll want to fold the dough two more times (with your hands) over the course of the next 1 - 2 hours to develop the gluten. By the end the dough should be very smooth and should not stick to your hands while folding. Cover and rest for about 10 hours at room temperature. For timing, I normally will aim to start mixing in the salt and active starter around 7pm. By 9pm I leave it alone for the bulk ferment at room temperature.

In the morning (around 7am) transfer the dough to a clean working surface lightly dusted with flour. Divide the dough into 4 - 6 equal parts depending on the size and shape of the rolls you’re making. Shape each piece being careful not to degas the dough. Gently roll each dough into a mix of seeds. I like to use golden flax, sesame, and poppy seeds. Cover and let rise for 2 - 3 hours. 

Set oven to 450F. Using a bread laim, score each dough. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes with a heat proof bowl of water in the oven to create ambient moisture. Remove rolls from oven and allow to cool before slicing.

This recipe also works really well for a larger loaf which I bake in a Dutch oven t 475F for 20 minutes with the lid on and 20 minutes with the lid off. See below.

Detroit Style Sfincione Pizza

I’ve been in a focaccia / pan pizza kind of mood recently and decided to give a go at a hybrid of a traditional Sicilian Sfincione and a classic Detroit pizza. It’s really the best of both worlds where the salty umami punch of the sfincione meets the crispy caramelized crust of the Detroit pizza. Short video about the process below.

The dough is an adaptation of my focaccia recipe (link here) where I have increased the hydration by 2%.

Ingredients:

2 large onions 

6 drained, peeled, crushed tomatoes from can

Grated parmigiano or fresh diced caciocavallo

Anchovy fillets mashed into small pieces to taste

Dried oregano to taste

Olive oil

Toasted breadcrumbs preferably coarse

Salt and pepper

Pizza dough

Directions:

Oil a rectangular pizza pan liberally. Line the edges of the pan with shredded mozzarella and spread the dough out with your fingers so that it covers the bottom evenly. Press into the dough to ensure you’re spreading it evenly across the pan. Add more shredded mozzarella to the top side of the dough along the edges. 

Cover with a cloth and allow it to rise for about 1 hour. In the meantime finely dice 2 yellow onions. Saute onions in olive oil on medium heat until golden. Mix in half a cup of breadcrumbs and dried oregano and toss until evenly mixed through. Allow to cool. 

Using a spoon or your fingers, sprinkle the mashed anchovies across the surface of the dough. Spoon on a thin layer of the crushed tomatoes so it covers the entire surface. Using a cheese grater, add a layer of caciocavallo evenly across the entire surface of the dough. On top of the grated cheese, spoon on the sauteed onions mixture and spread out evenly across the entire surface. Using a knife, cut thin strips of caciocavallo and line the top edge of the pan, on top of the shredded mozzarella, with even more cheese. 

Cover again and allow to rise for one more hour. Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes, checking periodically. As it bakes the outer edge of cheese will form a wonderful crispy crust. 

"The Rockaway" Frittata Sandwich

Over the past few years I’ve been collecting food memories from my parents with the hopes of preserving them before they disappeared. One particular story from when my mom was a girl growing up in Brooklyn recently stood out to me as something I needed to explore further. Video is below.

“The trip out to Rockaway Beach was always by train. We took the L to Myrtle Ave where we transferred to a train to Jamaica Station. There we transferred again and took another train over the causeway. The long rides were always fun, hopping around with our friends. I tagged along with my older sister Josephine who was ten years my senior. We would pack the leftover frittatas from the night before and would be the envy of all the friends with their plain old bologna sandwiches.”

Today a bacon, egg, and cheese on a round roll is one of the more ubiquitous breakfast sandwiches in the Northeast. Through the memory my mom shared, and the reimagined sandwich that followed I somehow arrived back at that classic combination - and dare I say made it even better. This version was a pepper, potato, scallion, bacon and cheese frittata served on a pillow of thick focaccia with flaky sea salt and will definitely be repeated.

The Fritatta:

All of the ingredients should be precooked before the introduction of the eggs. This will ensure everything is tender and perfectly cooked when you remove it from the oven.

If using potatoes, break them down into small pieces and boil for a few minutes. Drain them and let them air out for a few minutes while you work on something else. Once they’ve lost a lot of their moisture, I saute them in olive oil until crispy and set aside.

Mix together all of the cooked ingredients in your skillet and bring up to medium heat. Sprinkle in shredded cheese over the entire mixture. Pour in your mixed eggs so it covers the entire surface. You’ll need to use your best judgement depending on the size of your pan and the amount of ingredients you’re using. Sprinkle more cheese on the top of the entire surface. Bake in the oven at 375F for 20 minutes, or until fully cooked through in the center. You can finish it off by crisping it up under the broiler for another minute or so.

The focaccia recipe was an adaptation of the sesame sourdough rolls I have been making recently, with increased hydration. Recipe can be found here. You can really dress the sandwich up with anything but I like the combination of spicy aioli and baby arugula. Crumbled sausage also works really well as an alternative to the bacon.

Sourdough Focaccia

This is my baseline focaccia recipe. From here, I will often tweak the flour blend to incorporate more whole wheat into the dough, but this works well using plain old all purpose flour. This is a 79% hydration dough which can be baked directly in an oiled pan, or directly on a pizza stone.

Feed your starter appoximately 5-6 hours before you’re ready to build your dough. This recipe is designed to do a bulk fermentation at room temperature overnight so I aim to start building the dough around 7pm. Mix together 420 g of water and 530 g of all purpose flour, cover and set to autolyse for up to six hours. Make sure to incorporate all the flour so there are no dry spots. I generally do this anywhere from 3-6pm in the afternoon. Add 15 g of salt and 90 g of active sourdough starter and start working into the dough with your hands or with a rubber spatula until more or less homogenous. Let rest/relax for 30 minutes. You’ll want to fold the dough at least two more times (with your hands) over the course of the next 1 - 2 hours to develop the gluten. If you have time to continue to repeat folds until you’re ready to go to bed, it will result in a superior structured crumb. By the end the dough should be very smooth and should not stick to your hands while folding. Cover and rest overnight at room temperature (approximately 10 hours). 

In the morning transfer the dough to well oiled pan. Spread the dough out so it has a uniform thickness. Drizzle more olive oil on top of the dough. Use the tips of your fingers to press down into dough to create little pockets. Sprinkle with flake salt and herbs (if you like). Let proof in the pan (covered) for about another 2 hours. You should observe big gas bubbles forming, and the dough should be very soft and pliable.

Set oven to 450F. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown and well risen. Remove from oven and allow to cool briefly.