Recipe Shortcuts

babka
Recipes, especially online recipes from blogs or food magazines, are usually fun to read but end up being hard to use in real life, once I've printed them out. The problems I find are…
  • they are often too long to read through quickly as I'm cooking
  • they are sometimes full of useful photos — of steps I already know how to do
  • important time information is often hidden (such as "rise overnight")
  • ingredients are not listed logically ("2/3 cup sugar, divided")
  • key corrections to (or advice about) the recipe is only found in the comments section
For baking recipes, I find myself converting cups to grams in my head for flour measurements.

So, to fix these problems and make my cooking and baking time more efficient (i.e., less time reading and re-reading a recipe and more time actually grabbing ingredients from the pantry, measuring stuff, mixing stuff, and cooking) I just look over the recipe and highlight or circle the parts I might easily miss, such as the oven temp and hidden, but important, instructions for time (rising time, baking time, etc.). I sometimes also make notes to myself in the margins (circles, arrows).

However, if I have a few more minutes to fiddle with the recipe, I'll do something more drastic and create a new, shortcut recipe by either copying and pasting from the web and editing it, or typing it out from a book and editing it. This process almost always makes the baking or cooking project go much smoother. It also helps me memorize the recipe: Having a recipe (or formula) memorized is the best way I've found to fit baking into my life. If I don't have to look it up, I'm more likely to bake it.

What I Include in a Shortcut Recipe

  • simple instructions
  • for baking recipes, ingredients in grams
  • separate list of ingredients for each component (dough, filling, glaze, etc.)
  • method for each component right under the list of ingredients
  • time clearly listed for each step, especially if it involves waiting (rising, proofing, simmering, baking, freezing, cooling, etc.)
  • when to preheat the oven
  • what to do ahead
In my recipes, "flour" means all-purpose flour and "sugar" means granulated sugar. I like to write "1 tsp lemon zest" not "fresh, finely grated zest of half a lemon." I assume all eggs listed are whole and large, unless stated otherwise; and if one egg is used in the dough and one in the glaze, I'll never list "2 eggs" in the ingredient list.

Often if I'm making a shortcut bread recipe (of any kind), I'll simplify it into the following template:
  • list of ingredients in grams
  • mix
  • rest for x minutes
  • kneed or fold — note how sticky or smooth the dough should feel
  • rise for x minutes
  • shape
  • proof
  • oven temp
  • bake
Unless it's a more complex recipe, like Smitten Kitchen's Babka.

Here's how I created a shortcut version of that doozy.

 My Version of Smitten Kitchen's Babka

Note that I'm not changing her ingredients or her method in any way.

Dough 
Note: soft butter, overnight rise

530 g flour
100 g sugar
2 tsp yeast
1 tsp orange zest
3 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 tsp salt
150 g room-temp butter

Use a stand mixer.
Mix flour, sugar, yeast and zest.
Add eggs and 1/2 cup water (OK if it’s a little dry)
Add the salt, then the butter, a spoonful at a time, on low.
Mix for 10 minutes until dough is completely smooth, on medium.

Proof overnight in fridge. (Dough will not fully double; that's OK.)

Filling
130 g dark chocolate
120 g butter
50 g powdered sugar
30 g cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Melt butter and chocolate together.
Stir in powdered sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon.

Assemble loaves
Use two 9-by-4-inch loaf pans.
Coat with oil or butter, and line the bottom of each with parchment paper.
Take half of dough from fridge (leave the other half chilled).
Roll out 10 x 10 inches.

Spread half of chocolate mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around.
Brush the end farthest away from you with water.
Roll the dough up.  
Freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Repeat with second dough.

Trim last 1/2-inch off each end of log.
Gently cut the log in half lengthwise, shape into a twist with cut sides up. Pinch the top ends gently together. Put cut ends of loaf around twists.
Transfer into the loaf pans.
Proof 1 to 1 1/2 hours (room temp).

Heat oven to 375°F.

Bake 25–30 minutes

Syrup
1/3 c water
75 g sugar

Bring sugar and water to a simmer until sugar dissolves. Cool.
As soon as the babkas leave the oven, brush the syrup all over each.
Let cool about halfway in pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.

Do ahead: Babkas keep for a few days at room temperature. Or freeze them.

There you have it: An easy to skim recipe that leaves out all the personality and lovely photos you get for reading Smitten Kitchen twice a day. Believe me, I love that site. But I have a hard time using the recipes without writing myself a shortcut version.

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