I love... Baking with Zoe!

Last night my Mom and I got to bake with Zoe. Zoe Francois from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, or in this case, Healthy Breads in Five Minutes a Day. We took the class at Cooks of Crocus Hill, a fabulous cooking-supply store in St. Paul and location extraordinaire for cooking classes with notable local and national chefs.
.
If you've ever spent any time on my blog you'll know that I've been happily baking my way through Zoe and Jeff Hertzberg's books, loving every tasty morsel that has emerged from my corn meal dusted oven. When the opportunity came up to actually take a class with them, I leapt at the chance. What a thrill the evening was! (the Master recipe, baked in a dutch oven (L) and on a pizza stone (R)

Zoe dove right in with some of the basics of their method, very helpful for the uninitiated in the class and fun for those of us who have read their words in the book and now had a chance to hear her voice saying the same words. She discussed the popularity of the 1st book (over 250,000 copies printed!) and how there was such a demand on their website for more recipes using whole grains, that they embarked almost immediately on their 2nd book. I learned later in the evening that they are in the testing mode for book number three, a flat breads and pizza book. She mixed up a batch of the Master Recipe from the Whole Grain book and allowed the participants to see how it is done, to compare the dough before and after the two hour counter rise and then also the difference between loaves just formed and post-rise.
.
For me the biggest thrill was to see her hands in action. As a trained pastry chef (and mother of two boys), Zoe obviously can work with her hands. Long, thin fingers, nimble and able, quickly whisked the dough out of the bucket and into a puff of flour, emerging only seconds later as a round ball, ready to become a beautiful loaf of whole wheat deliciousness. I tried to imagine just how many loaves she must have formed throughout the years, with this method and also during her days as a working pastry chef. I have seen the transformation in my own hands; from the first awkward and sticky batch to my recent adventures where I run in the house, open the fridge door, and with a swift pull, the bucket is in my hands, onto the counter and a loaf of bread is soon rising. It is just that fast. Really. If you haven't tried it, get moving. It really will change your dining repertoire.

.

Zoe baked up a storm along with the help of four trusty Cooks of Crocus Hill assistants, plus a dishwasher. At any given time she was working on three or four loaves, plus talking about another and answering a question about a different topic. I lost track of all the treats she created, but you'll see highlights in the photos that follow. Zoe's teaching style was entertaining and fun. She was supportive of our new baking endeavors, encouraging us to post on their website when we have questions or come up with new bread ideas. When one attendee was referring to one of the evening's creations and said, "Oooh, I can do that..." Zoe replied with a grin, "Yeah, you can!"

Pain d'epi- shaped like wheat stalks Killer pizza from the whole wheat master recipe. Msemmen (Algerian Flatbread) with an amazing combination of aromatic spices. A baguette studded with whole, raw garlic cloves. Betsy's seed bread Naan (L) and Pita bread (R)

Pear Tarte Tatin, the grande finale that came out of the oven at 9:25, though the class was scheduled from 6-9 p.m. As Zoe promised, it was worth the wait and would wow any dinner guest you'd serve it to. Mmmm.... goodness! Who wants to come over to my house to try it?

.

Another highlight for me and my mom was the group of attendees. Everyone seemed thrilled to be there, hovering over bowls of yeasty dough, sharing tips from their own experiences, telling tales of their own blogs and photo endeavors. The talent in the room was quite evident.

.

As for me? I've got a few blog-mamas coming over on Friday morning for another play date and I am trying to decide which one of these yummy breads I'll be serving with our lunch. My kitchen counter looks like a cooking show at the moment, ingredients everywhere, waiting for me to get mixing.
.

Zoe shared with us that she usually has 5-7 buckets going at any given time in her fridge. What kind do you have in yours?