I hope you're having a sweet weekend, and in case it isn't, you might want to sweeten it with a piece of bread filled with homemade jam. It works for me 馃檮 I find it particularly satisfying after eating fish, so when I came with the fresh fish from the fishmonger, I knew exactly what I wanted for dessert.
Do you usually have dessert at home? I didn't grow up with this habit. We were six kids at home and I guess it was enough of an effort for my parents to feed us well; besides, treats were an afternoon thing. Now, for maybe twenty years, I feel that I can't give up dessert after lunch.
If you ask me, this jam filled bread is too ideal for Sunday brunch and snacking anytime.
In my house, we like to have homemade treats with our afternoon coffee, so you can imagine how much we enjoyed this snack. You may want to know how I made it; I'm showing you below 馃憞
One of my favorite poets, Sor Juana In茅s de la Cruz, spoke of the benefits of the act of cooking to encourage thinking about so many things in life; the way ingredients mix, react and change tells us a lot about the world.
I remember her words when I make jams, because watching ripe, sometimes overripe, fibrous fruit soften into an ointment must be something sacred in some corner of the human. The fruit that would soon have become useless, especially in this scorching heat of Cuman谩, extends its life so much that it seems eternal, holy.
Or I could simply say that I'm really in love with making and eating homemade jam 鉂わ笍 And homemade jam-filled bread, well, is just heavenly for me 馃槆
For this bread, I used a simple preferment: I mixed some of the flour in the warm milk, along with the sugar and instant yeast. It was ready to use in 20 minutes or so. Then I added the rest of flour and the salt. The margarine would come a little later.
I kneaded it without much protocol until the mix wasn't sticking to my fingers.
I let it sit for 20 minutes...
...and then kneaded to incorporate the margarine.
I worked out and let it sit intermitently until until it became elastic.
I folded it back on itself once every 6 minutes a couple of times until it became more elastic. At this point, the dough was ready for the filling.
I used peach, apple, prunes, orange juice, and lemon juice to make this jam. Those were the fruits that had been long enough in my fridge, so I felt like it was time to use them smartly 馃構
I washed the peaches and cut the pulp leaving the skin on. Squeezed some fresh lemon juice on it.
I washed, peeled, and chopped a small granny Smith.
Once I was finished cutting the fruit, I squeezed some old oranges to make orange juice for flavor and natural pectin.
They're our local oranges, small but juicy.
I'd use the orange juice to cook the fruit instead of water. I got a little more than a cup.
I also added some of my homemade can honey, which I also keep in my fridge. So useful; it add sweetness and aroma 馃檪
This was ready to take to a rolling boil, so I added the salt and a stick of cinnamon. The salt helps to enhance the sweetness of the jam, whereas the cinnamon stick adds flavor and aroma. Sometimes I add Jamaican pepper too.
I wasn't so sure about adding the prunes directly in the jam, but when the fruits started to give off that citrusy smell that I love, I knew they would turn even more delicious if I added them.
After 15 minutes or so, the liquid was half gone and the syrup had turned thick enough. I removed the pot from the fire and let it cool a little before giving the cooked fruit a couple of whirls in the blender.
The cinnamon stick had to go.
The blender did its job.
This was the final texture of the jam when it was still warm. Pretty good for spreading it without hurting the dough.
As you can see below, the dough tripled in volume while I made the jam. I rolled out the dough to about one centimeter thick and confirmed the size according to the baking pan.
I buttered it up to about 3 centimeters from the edges and started filling it with the warm jam.
I had some nuts. I thought, why not? So I crushed them a little and put them inside the filling.
I chose this design 馃憞 But then I added so many sliced almonds on top that you couldn't see it 馃槒
I made some egg wash to brush it onto the top of the filled bread before baking it and "sprinkled" some sliced almonds.
It baked in my little electric oven for 25 minutes at 300掳F.
We were super hungry. This bread would be dessert.
I like something sweet after I eat fish and more if the meal is light, like baked fish & potatoes and salad in this case. A good portion of dessert with a cup of coffee is what I need to be happy after this; it's what I call a well rounded meal, when you eat nutritious food and feel fully satisfied.
鈽曪笍馃構
As usual, I hope this post has been useful 馃榿
@andresromero 馃枻