Looper's Cookbook

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Make the red sauce: combine the salt, black pepper, Baharat, paprika, tomato paste, minced garlic, 1/3 cup olive oil, date syrup, and boiling water in a bowl. Mix well until the tomato paste is incorporated.
• Drizzle an oven-safe pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with the flaky salt. Arrange the sliced tomatoes and red onion in a single layer.
• Spread the washed and drained basmati rice evenly over the vegetables and arrange the chicken thighs on top.
• Gently pour the red sauce evenly over the rice and chicken.
• Cover the surface with wet parchment paper, then cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake at 400°F for 1 hour.
• Remove the parchment paper and aluminum foil. Transfer to the broiler for 5-7 minutes, until the chicken and top are golden brown. Serve hot.

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent.
• Add the Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, black pepper, red pepper flakes, all-purpose seasoning, chicken bouillon base, and a conservative amount of salt. Stir briefly to bloom the seasonings.
• Deglaze the pot with some of the chicken stock, scraping up the flavorful bits from the bottom.
• Add the smoked turkey thigh or leg and enough additional chicken stock to mostly surround it. Add the fresh thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
• Cover and braise in a 400°F oven until the turkey is tender enough to shred, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on size.
• Remove the turkey from the Dutch oven. When cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones and shred the meat. Leave the braising liquid in the pot.
• Return the pot liquor to a boil or strong simmer. Add the fresh green beans and cook until tender, about 25 to 35 minutes. These are intended to be soft, Southern-style green beans rather than crisp beans.
• Return the shredded smoked turkey to the pot and stir through the beans. Taste and adjust the dry seasonings as needed.
• Add the whole stick of butter, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke. Stir until the butter is completely melted into the pot liquor. Taste before adding more liquid smoke, vinegar, salt, or seasoning. Simmer a few minutes and serve hot.

• Grind the dried peas to a coarse flour.
• Mix with the barley and emmer flour.
• Work in the salt, linseed and melted fat.
• Add water until a stiff dough forms.
• Flatten into small rounds by hand.
• Bake on a hot stone or iron griddle.
• Turn once and eat warm with butter.

• Combine the water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil.
• Move the pan briefly off the heat. Add all of the flour at once and stir until combined.
• Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 1/2 minutes to release as much moisture as possible. The dough should pull together into a smooth mass.
• Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until the dough has cooled and no more steam is coming off.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Continue until the batter is thick and smooth.
• Heat several inches of neutral oil in a wok or deep, heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F (175°C).
• Using two spoons, scoop and shape small portions of batter and carefully drop them into the hot oil. Fry in batches, turning the zeppoles so they brown evenly, until deeply golden and puffed.
• Remove the zeppoles from the oil and drain briefly.
• Put the warm zeppoles in a brown paper bag with a generous amount of powdered sugar. Close the bag and shake until thoroughly coated. Serve warm.

Make the tangzhong

• Whisk the 85 g milk and 18 g bread flour together in a small saucepan until completely smooth.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture becomes a thick paste and a spoon or spatula leaves visible tracks across the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the tangzhong to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix and knead the dough

• Add the cold milk to the warm tangzhong. Add the bread flour, salt, sugar, instant yeast, and softened butter.
• Mix until a cohesive dough forms. Knead until smooth, elastic, and tacky rather than dry—up to 15 minutes by hand or about 10 to 12 minutes with a stand mixer on medium-low speed.
• Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a covered bowl, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes. It should look distinctly puffy, though it may not fully double.

Prepare the filling and pan

• While the dough rises, stir the melted butter, brown sugar, bread flour, cinnamon, and pinch of salt together. The filling should resemble damp sand.
• Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.

Shape the rolls

• Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface. Press or roll it into a neat 10-by-9-inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
• Distribute the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch bare strip along one long edge.
• Starting at the opposite long edge, roll the dough into a snug log. Lightly mark the log into 6 equal pieces, then cut at the marks with dental floss, a bench knife, or a sharp knife.
• Set the rolls on the prepared baking sheet with at least 2 inches between them and from the pan edges. Tuck each loose spiral end underneath its roll to prevent unraveling.

Second rise and bake

• Cover the shaped rolls and let them rise for 30 to 60 minutes, until puffy. When gently pressed, the dough should not spring back immediately.
• About 20 minutes before baking, position an oven rack in the upper third and preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, until lightly golden and approximately 190°F in the center. Use the shorter time for especially soft rolls and the longer time for more color and a slightly firmer exterior.
• Move the baking sheet to a rack. Immediately brush the hot rolls with half of the melted finishing butter, then cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Ice the rolls

• Combine the remaining melted butter with the vanilla, salt, and confectioners’ sugar. Stir in milk, cream, or buttermilk a little at a time until the icing is thick but spreadable.
• Spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve.
• For cream-cheese icing, blend 43 to 68 g very soft cream cheese into the icing. Mix fully before adding extra liquid, then thin only as needed.

Lime Loaf

• Place the whole limes in boiling water and cook until very soft. This softens the fruit and reduces some of the bitterness from the peel and pith.
• Let the cooked limes cool enough to handle. Remove any seeds, then use the softened peel, pith, and flesh as the lime base for the batter.
• Combine the cooked limes, eggs, granulated sugar, neutral oil, and vanilla until fairly smooth and pale yellow-green.
• Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold or stir just until combined into a thick cake batter.
• Transfer the batter to a greased or parchment-lined standard loaf pan and smooth the top.
• Place a thin strip or small pats of butter lengthwise down the center of the batter to encourage a neat center split as the loaf rises.
• Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 45–55 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Cool the loaf completely before glazing.

Lime Glaze

• Mix the powdered sugar with enough fresh lime juice to make a thick but pourable glaze.
• Pour the glaze generously over the cooled loaf and allow it to run down the sides. Let the glaze set before slicing.

Vanilla Wafers

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and creamy.
• Add the eggs and mix until incorporated.
• Add the vanilla extract and vanilla powder. Mix until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
• In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Sift the dry ingredients together.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until a soft, uniform cookie dough forms.
• Portion the dough with a small cookie scoop and roll each portion between your palms into a smooth ball.
• If desired, freeze the portioned dough balls for later baking.
• Arrange the dough balls well apart on the prepared baking sheet to allow for spreading.
• Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 15 minutes, until golden with deeper browning around the edges.
• Allow the wafers to cool on the baking sheet until set, then transfer to a rack or container for storage.

Prepare the rye sour and soaker

• Mix the rye sour ingredients until fully hydrated; the mixture will be very stiff. Cover and leave at about 70°F for 13 to 16 hours.
• Cut the bread for the soaker into roughly 1-inch cubes, moisten with the cool water, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, squeeze out excess water and break the bread down to a stiff-oatmeal consistency. Measure 85 g and bring it to room temperature.

Mix and rise

• Combine the dough ingredients in a mixer. With a dough hook, mix on the lowest speed for 3 minutes, then on speed 2 for 3 minutes. Aim for a finished dough temperature near 78°F.
• Transfer to an oiled, covered bowl and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough and let it rest, covered, on a floured surface for 10 minutes.

Shape and bake

• Preheat the oven and a baking stone, if using, at 460°F for 1 hour. For steam, preheat a cast-iron pan on a lower rack.
• Shape into a bâtard/football-shaped loaf without tearing the surface. Place on lightly greased parchment dusted with coarse cornmeal, cover, and proof 40 to 45 minutes in a warm place.
• Moisten the loaf surface, add caraway seeds if desired, and score five crosswise cuts, slightly shorter toward the ends.
• Transfer the loaf to the hot stone or a baking sheet. Partially cover with a large metal bowl to retain steam. Add 1/2 cup boiling water to the preheated pan and bake 10 minutes, then remove the bowl.
• Reduce the oven to 430°F and bake another 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden brown and at least 205°F internally.
• Moisten the crust again after baking and cool completely on a rack overnight before slicing.

Make the rye sponge

• Mix the dill or sour-pickle juice, sugar, rye flour, and instant yeast into a soft, thick batter. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes to hydrate the rye.

Make the dough

• Add the sour cream or Greek yogurt, caraway seeds, salt, all-purpose flour, and vital wheat gluten if using. Knead until fairly smooth. The dough will naturally be sticky; avoid adding excess flour just to make it behave like white bread dough.

First rise

• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until noticeably puffy.

Shape and second rise

• Gently deflate the dough, knead very briefly, and shape into one long oval loaf. Place on parchment, cover, and proof for about 1 1/2 hours, until noticeably puffy. Near the end of the proof, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Score and bake

• Lightly mist or brush the top with water. With a very sharp knife or razor held fairly upright, make one confident lengthwise slash about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) deep.
• Bake on the center rack. Check the loaf after 35 minutes for color and internal temperature, then continue baking as needed, about 45 to 50 minutes total for one large loaf. Aim for an internal temperature of 205–210°F (96–99°C). If the loaf is getting too dark, loosely tent it with foil after about 25 minutes.
• Transfer to a rack and let cool before slicing. For a softer crust, optionally brush the hot loaf with melted butter.