Whey Honey Baton

Guest Post by Angie, Angie's Recipes

Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained, it is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese. Liquid whey contains lactose, vitamins, and minerals along with traces of fat.

Quark, a type of fresh cheese, is soft, white, un-aged, similar to fromage frais, and it has no salt added.

Recipe adapted from Then Handmade Loaf -- Dan Lepard

Whey:

150 g Quark 40% (or Fromage fraise)
500 g Fresh milk 3.5%

Dough:

1+1/2 tsp Fresh yeast, crumbled
300 g Whey (from above)
50 g Honey
500 g German #550 bio flour (white bread flour)
1+1/4 tsp Sea salt
50 g Unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

1. Whisk together the quark and milk in a medium bowl. Set aside in a counter at room temperature overnight. The following day, gently warm the sour milk so that curds form. Strain the sour milk for a few of hours through a sieve lined with cheese cloth set over a pot. The strained curds can either be seasoned with sugar (salt if preferred) and used as a spread, or to make a cheesecake.
   
   
   
   
2. To make a dough, whisk the yeast with whey and honey. Stir in half flour and salt to make a yeast batter. Leave the batter, covered, in a warm place for 30 minutes. Rub the butter into the remaining half flour, until it is evenly incorporated and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
   
   
3. Stir the yeast batter into the butter-flour mixture. Combine together until a soft dough forms. Cover the bowl and leave for 10 minutes. Rub the work-surface with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and knead the dough for 10 seconds, ending with the dough in a smooth, round ball. Wipe the bowl clean and rub with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, return the dough to it, cover and leave for 10 minutes. Repeat the light kneading twice more, at 10-minute intervals, then leave the dough for 30 minutes until it has become soft and elastic.
   
   
   
   
4. Shape the dough into a baton (or a ball) and place it smooth-side down into a flour-dusted cloth. Leave it for about 1 hour at room temperature.
   
   
   
   Preheat the oven to 210C/410F. Upturn the dough on to a flour-dusted baking tray. Make a few of slashes over the top.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Bake the bread in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes or until the loaf is a good brown colour. Cool on a wire rack.

***

Angie's Recipes is an interactive blog dedicated to sharing yummy & creative recipes, helpful cooking hints and tips. For more of Angie's fabulous recipes, please go to http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com.