As I was browsing the King Arthur Flour online recipe collection last week, I noticed a very interesting looking recipe for Almond Puff Loaf. When I saw the picture accompanying the recipe, I thought the item was a Danish of some sort and I was puzzled why the recipe was called a "Puff Loaf." When I looked at the step-by-step pictures of the recipe on the King Arthur Baking Banter blog, the plot thickened. This is not a Danish made with laminated dough as I had assumed from the photo. Instead, this pastry is made with two layers -- the bottom layer consisting of a rather austere mixture of flour, butter, salt and water, and the top layer being almond-flavored choux paste. Choux paste is what you use to make cream puffs or profiteroles -- so it's no wonder that the loaf puffs up during baking (and accordingly, the name "puff loaf" makes perfect sense).
How on earth could this really work? And how does the final result end up looking like a Danish? I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't made it myself. The loaf puffs in the oven but deflates upon cooling to become fairly flat, and the inside ends up being filled with moist layers of pastry that are essentially what you get inside of a cream puff (although with a cream puff, these are the excess bits of dough that you pull out and throw away to make more room for filling). The top and bottom of the pastry are crusty, just like a Danish. I'm still amazed that this little culinary magic trick works.
I topped my puff loaf with apricot jam. The icing -- which I made exactly according to the recipe -- was tan colored. I have a hard time believing that you can add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to a half cup of powdered sugar and end up with a lily white icing like the one in the King Arthur picture. But no matter. The whole thing was delicious and I'm not complaining. Each bite has a fabulous variety of textures -- the crisp top and bottom layers, the moist inner layer, and the crunch of almonds. Even though there is no sugar in the pastry itself, the overall amount of sweetness with the jam and icing is perfect. If you like almonds, I can't imagine you won't like this pastry.
I think I might have underbaked my puff loaf slightly. In the center of the loaf, the interior was quite moist and the layers of dough were pretty compact (as in the picture above). Around the edges of the loaf, there was a bit more puffing, and the interior layers of dough showed more separation (as in the photo below).
Apparently this recipe is a classic of sorts that has been around for years. I don't know how I never came across it before now, but better late than never!
Recipe: Almond Puff Loaf from King Arthur Flour.
How on earth could this really work? And how does the final result end up looking like a Danish? I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't made it myself. The loaf puffs in the oven but deflates upon cooling to become fairly flat, and the inside ends up being filled with moist layers of pastry that are essentially what you get inside of a cream puff (although with a cream puff, these are the excess bits of dough that you pull out and throw away to make more room for filling). The top and bottom of the pastry are crusty, just like a Danish. I'm still amazed that this little culinary magic trick works.
I topped my puff loaf with apricot jam. The icing -- which I made exactly according to the recipe -- was tan colored. I have a hard time believing that you can add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to a half cup of powdered sugar and end up with a lily white icing like the one in the King Arthur picture. But no matter. The whole thing was delicious and I'm not complaining. Each bite has a fabulous variety of textures -- the crisp top and bottom layers, the moist inner layer, and the crunch of almonds. Even though there is no sugar in the pastry itself, the overall amount of sweetness with the jam and icing is perfect. If you like almonds, I can't imagine you won't like this pastry. I think I might have underbaked my puff loaf slightly. In the center of the loaf, the interior was quite moist and the layers of dough were pretty compact (as in the picture above). Around the edges of the loaf, there was a bit more puffing, and the interior layers of dough showed more separation (as in the photo below).
Apparently this recipe is a classic of sorts that has been around for years. I don't know how I never came across it before now, but better late than never!Recipe: Almond Puff Loaf from King Arthur Flour.
Comments