The Tropical Issue #thebakefeed

ONE-LAYER JAM CAKE

FROM SCRATCH
TM page 17

70
Recipes for Island
Inspired Baking
[from Hawaiian
Buns to Rum
Cakes!]

Vanilla in
the Spotlight
New Recipes
for This Pantry
Staple
Blondie
Blowout!
3 Base
Batters,
6 Ways
to Twirl
Them Up
MAY/JUN 2019 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3

FEATURING
$12.99US $15.99CAN
06

Bermuda Bakery Tour (With Recipes You Can Bake at Home!)

0 74470 01695 3
Summertime Pies: Pineapple, Passion Fruit, Mango & More
DISPLAY UNTIL JULY 15, 2019 Flour Demystified & What You Should Be Baking With

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 table of contents

15 Baker’s Picks: Flour Power

Amirah Kassem, owner of the famed Flour Shop
29 A SLICE OF PARADISE
Whether you opt for our icebox take on coconut
bakery in New York, New York, dishes on the baking cream pie or the meringue-topped passion fruit tart,
must-haves behind her viral Explosion Cakes these pies offer their very own island getaway

17 Retro Redo: Guava Jam Cake

An island local reveals the importance of guava duff 37 THE ESSENTIAL . . . ANGEL FOOD CAKE
to Bahamian culture. We reimagine it as a cake filled Follow our no-fail guide to this airy sponge cake and
with guava paste and drizzled in a rum glaze. you’ll soon master this American tube pan marvel

19 Bakery Profile: Macanese Pastry Magic

Inspired by the thriving food culture of Macau, The 45 BERMUDAFUL BAKING
Bakery at Fat Rice in Chicago, Illinois, creates bold Travel to Bermuda and experience this North
baked goods that have become Windy City staples— Atlantic island’s thriving baking scene, its top
none more iconic than their Ceylon Snickerdoodle bakeries, and the best bites to order from each stop

25 From the Pantry: Flour

From versatile all-purpose flour to high-protein
63 BREAKING BREAD THE BERMY WAY
Bake like a Bermudian with our recipes for these
bread flour, we give you the breakdown on this island bread mainstays, from raisin bread to johnny
baking essential bread

3 bake from scratch

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 67 BLONDIES HAVE MORE FUN
From party-ready blondies loaded with sprinkles to
107 Origin of a Classic: Hawaiian Buns
Retrace the steps of Hawaii’s famous pineapple-
infused buns from the ships of Portuguese settlers
indulgently gooey banoffee bites, we’re showing that to a bakery start-up in Hilo, Hawaii, and finally to the
blondies do it better in nine epic recipes home dinner table

77 THE QUEEN BEAN

A crucial ingredient in any baker’s pantry, we place 111 Test Kitchen Technique: Lemon Curd
You’re just a few steps away from a creamy, versatile
vanilla front and center in everything from a malted lemon curd you’ll turn to again and again
milk layer cake to luxurious macarons

87 A ROUND OF RUM CAKE 112 Back Page Brownie: Paradise Blondie Brownies
Take brownies to a whole new level with our
blondie-topped brownies packed with toasted
Spiked with the islands’ most famous boozy export, coconut, macadamia nuts, and chocolate chunks
classic rum cake gets a new look as a Dark ’n Stormy
Bundt Cake, sweet and spicy mini cakes, and more

97 THE ALOHA WAY TO BAKE

We chat with Alana Kysar, author of Aloha Kitchen:
Recipes from Hawai‘i, about local Hawaiian flavor and
excerpt three vibrant recipes from her cookbook

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 EXPERTLY TESTED WANT IN ON THE ADVENTURE?
Join me on our upcoming 2019 baking retreats to
RECIPES FEATURING
San Francisco, California; Alaska; and France! Visit
PREMIUM
bakefromscratch.com/baking-retreats for details.
INGREDIENTS

All recipes in each issue pass

through the hands of Bake from
Scratch’s test kitchen. Each is
flavorful and distinctive... and
developed with your unique
tastes in mind.

The below products are

partners of Bake from Scratch
magazine and used exclusively
in all of our recipes.

9 bake from scratch

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 from the editor

THE TROPICS AWAIT… This issue embraces the Bermuda—bakeries, gas stations, home kitchens—everywhere. Then
there’s the sweet-meets-savory combo of a fried cod sandwich on raisin
restorative power of tropical tastes, from a creamy, dreamy pie
bread. One taste of this bread (recipe on page 65) and you’ll wonder
roundup to a collection of recipes highlighting one of the greatest
where this swirling, subtly sweet masterpiece has been your whole life.
ingredients to come from these warmer climes: vanilla. Our cover
I was often aided on my journey by Kristin White, a native Bermudian
star, the Guava Jam Cake (page 17), is inspired by Bahamian resident
who ushers visitors to the best culinary spots in St. George’s, and by my
Angelika Bacchus’s love for the local guava duff, a jammy steamed
local guide and fast friend Larry Rogers, who shared his local favorites
pudding that always gets drowned in a rich butter rum sauce. Then
with that classic Bermudian sense of hospitality. All of this exploration
there are the blondies, an epic bake-your-own-adventure feature (page
eventually led me to the next great love of my life, Bermuda Banana
67) that offers three perfect base recipes and six creative variations.
Snickerdoodles (page 54). Everything on this trip confirmed what I
Plus, we’re diving into the history of the Hawaiian bun (page 107), that
already felt in my heart: Paradise is worthy of active exploration, from
addictive bread roll that’s always a welcome sight at the dinner table.
Hawaii to Bermuda and everywhere in between.
And, yes, there’s plenty of rum cake—five recipes, to be exact.

Happy baking, Visit

I can’t talk about this amazing issue without placing Bermuda and our bakefromscratch.com
and follow us
extensive article on it firmly at its heart. While you can’t find a happier for daily baking
inspiration. @thebakefeed
man than me riding around the Bermudian streets in the cockpit-
style two-seater Twizy, wearing a “Bermuda suit” (a unique style
found only in Bermuda), this island is much more to me than a place Bake from Scratch @thebakefeed
Brian Hart Hoffman
to vacation. It’s home to some of my very favorite people and dishes. Editor-in-Chief
First up, there’s my obsession for their banana bread. It’s everywhere in

may | june 2019 10

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 bakery profile

Bakery Profile MJ.indd 19 3/14/19 8:17 AM

 MACANESE
PASTRY MAGIC
HOW THE BAKERY AT FAT RICE BECAME A VIBRANT
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ICON DELIVERING NOSTALGIA
LIKE YOU’VE NEVER TASTED
BY MAGGIE HENNESSY
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY THE BAKERY AT FAT RICE

T
here’s a fragile millisecond of resistance when you bite into The Bakery
at Fat Rice’s pastel de nata (egg custard tart) and your teeth meet the
brûléed top. It dissipates instantly as you descend through creamy,
lightly sweet egg custard before tearing into the flaky, croissant-like shell.
Sort of Macanese by way of Portugal, it’s a pastry greater than the sum of its
parts—at once dead simple and elusive with baking alchemy. You’ll wonder
how the team consistently achieves this result in a single bake.

“It was a seven- or eight-year process,” says Abe Conlon, chef and co-owner
with Adrienne Lo of the Chicago pastry shop attached to Fat Rice, their
relentlessly thronged Macanese restaurant. They first made egg custard tarts
while hosting X-marx, their underground supper club that predated Fat
Rice’s opening in 2012. A few attempts morphed into a full-blown quest once

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 A SLICE OF

Pa ra dise
THIS SUMMER, WE’RE SERVING UP A TASTE OF THE TROPICS
WITH VIBRANT PIES THAT CELEBRATE THE FRESH FRUITS AND BRIGHT
FLAVORS OF THE ISLANDS, FROM OUR ICEBOX KEY LIME PIE TO A
CUSTARDY ROASTED PINEAPPLE AND MANGO MARVEL
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM DICKEY
STYLING BY MARY BETH JONES

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Tropical Pies.indd 30 3/14/19 8:19 AM
 ANGEL FOOD CAKE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM DICKEY
STYLING BY CAROLINE BLUM

FROM PICKING YOUR PAN TO WHIPPING YOUR EGG WHITES, WE

GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS OF RECREATING THE ULTIAMTE
AMERICAN SPONGE CAKE

37 bake from scratch

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 F irst printed in The Kentucky Housewife in 1839, Lettice Bryan’s
“White Sponge” was the American entry into the global sponge
cake canon: a snow-white cake supported by whipped egg
whites, and with more sugar than flour and completely fat-free. Over
the years, this delicate cake benefited from a few handy inventions—
While a simple dessert in appearance, the path to angel food cake has
an involved process that can be tricky to navigate. A lot can go wrong
with this finicky sponge: The egg whites can lose volume during
folding; the cake can deflate during cooling; even the way you cut
the cake could ruin the airy texture. But if you stick to our foolproof
like energy-saving rotary egg beaters—and would go on to take the recipe and tried-and-true technique, you’ll be reminded of all the
U.S. home baking scene by storm, heralded as the most ethereal of things that can go right with this beloved
cakes, or food fit for angels. The angel food cake was born. American classic.

may | june 2019 38

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 Bermudaful BAKING
BERMUDA MAY BE POSTCARD-PERFECT, BUT THERE’S MORE TO THIS SUBTROPICAL
SMATTERING OF ISLANDS THAN SPARKLING PINK SANDS AND TURQUOISE TIDES. WE TRAVERSE
THE FISHHOOK-SHAPED ISLAND NATION FROM TIP TO TAIL TO BRING YOU THE MUST-VISIT
BAKERIES (AND WHAT TO TRY AT EACH) FOR AN AUTHENTIC BERMUDA EXPERIENCE.

BY SOPHIA JONES
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHANIE WELBOURNE STEELE AND ROHAN SHASTRI

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 C  arved out by 10,000 years of Atlantic
waves, Bermuda’s coastline is an array of
sweeping crescents of pink-flecked sand,
towering palms, and crystal clear ocean-fed lagoons.
Beyond the shore, centuries-old pastel-colored
cottages dot the lush hillsides, and hibiscus and
oleanders drape the byways in bold pink blooms.

Bermuda is a kaleidoscope of color and life, and its

baking culture is no exception. While you may be
drawn to this island for the gleaming waters and
vibrant vistas, you’ll leave blown away by the baked
goods. Sink your teeth into a warm slice of rich
gingerbread, a cheesy scone made with sweet Bermuda
onion, or a Bermudian fish sandwich piled high with
fried fish, tomato, lettuce, and tartar sauce on raisin
bread (more on that later). To fully experience
Bermuda, you have to taste it. That’s where we come
in. You probably won’t travel to Bermuda solely for a
bakery tour, but while you’re there, you should enjoy
the most epic baked goods the island has to offer.

One hundred thirty-eight islands make up this

subtropical archipelago, stretching 22 miles long
and about a mile across, and we’re covering all of
it. Only about 655 miles due east of Cape Hatteras,
North Carolina, Bermuda is a convenient 90-minute
or two-hour flight from most major airports in the
eastern United States. It is split up into nine parishes,
including St. George’s (the “tip” in the East End, where
our bakery tour starts), Devonshire, Hamilton, Paget,
Smith’s, Pembroke, Southampton, Warwick, and
Sandys (at the West End’s “tail,” where we’ll finish up).

From the ooey-gooey cinnamon buns in the East End

to the ultimate rum cake in the West End, there is an
all-around standard of excellence when it comes to
Bermudian baking. The homemade breads and cake
slices sold in gas stations are as delicious as the ones
spotlighted on the menus of five-star restaurants, and
you can barely make it a mile without running into
another must-visit bakery. It’s rare to come across
a Bermudian who didn’t grow up elbows-deep in
flour, baking with loved ones. Almost every baker,
professional or hobbyist, bakes from generations-old
family recipes that utilize locally made ingredients and
fresh seasonal produce, like loquats, grapefruit, and
bananas. While most claim their banana bread is “the
best on the island,” Bermudian bakers are gracious and
humble in their work, just as they are in all aspects
of life. Professional training and accolades aren’t as

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 BAKERY Bucket List 1

FROM A PORTUGUESE CAFÉ IN THE CAPITAL CITY TO A RUM CAKE

FACTORY IN THE ROYAL NAVAL DOCKYARDS, HERE ARE THE TOP
15 SPOTS MAKING WAVES IN BERMUDA’S BAKING SCENE N

W E
9

S
2

8
1. , Victoire Café + Cycle Club / Sweet + Kind Bakery,
4 Sweet P at Lili Bermuda Perfumery, Sweet SAAK Bakery
5 3
2. Windybank Farm/Bouquet Garni Gourmet Foods
3. Salty Lime Café
4. Café Acoreano, Crow Lane Bakery, Glaze Bakery-Café,
7 The Pie Factory
5. D’Angelini’s Café, The Supermart
6. Tuck Shop Desserts & General Store
6
7. The Bridge Trading Post
8. De Island Shack
9. Bermuda Rum Cake Company

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 Bermuda’s heritage comes to life in quaint St. George’s
EAST at the eastern tip of the island. Home to the island’s
first permanent settlement and former capital dating back to 1612, St.
George’s is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Storytellers in period
costumes guide groups through the cobblestone streets and perform live
17th-century reenactments. Behold the ruins of the island’s (and some of
the world’s) oldest churches and forts—there are 90 island-wide.

VICTOIRE CAFÉ + CYCLE CLUB /

SWEET + KIND BAKERY
1 Water St., St. George’s
@victoirecafe | sweetandkindbakery.squarespace.com

Victoire Café + Cycle Club is the island’s trendiest new coffee shop. Serving
up top-notch brews and a smorgasbord of Scandinavian treats (owner Tyler
Simmons’ mom is Swedish), the light-flooded, minimalist space has quickly
become a hub for those biking Bermuda. Sweet + Kind Bakery founder Nea
Pantry bakes the Kladdkaka cupcakes (Swedish chocolate cake), Drommar
(Swedish Dream Cookies), and cardamom cookies (our favorite) offered in the
café. Find Nea’s guilt-free baked goods at Italian coffee shop Milan Milan and
Windybank Farm Market on Fridays and Saturdays.
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 BLONDIES
Have More Fun
NUTTY, BOOZY, OR STRAIGHT-UP TRADITIONAL, WE GIVE YOU THREE VERSATILE
BLONDIE BATTERS AND SIX CUSTOMIZABLE WAYS TO TWIRL THEM UP SO YOU CAN
BUILD THE ULTIMATE BLONDIE BOMBSHELL OF YOUR DREAMS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE DU BOIS / RECIPE DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD STYLING BY ASHLEY JONES
STYLING BY BETH K. SEELEY

67 bake from scratch

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 TRADITIONAL
Sprinkle Blondies
page 70

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e Qun Bean
GROWN ON FLOWERING ORCHIDS IN THE TROPICS, VANILLA IS
OMNIPRESENT IN BAKING. HERE, WE PROVE THAT THIS PANTRY
STAPLE IS MORE THAN WORTHY OF THE SPOTLIGHT.

RECIPE DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD STYLING BY LAURA CRANDALL

STYLING BY SIDNEY BRAGIEL

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 Vanilla Milk Ruffle Pie
page 86

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 A Round of RUM CAKE
BOOZY, BUTTERY, AND ULTRA MOIST, RUM CAKE HAS LONG REIGNED AS
THE QUINTESSENTIAL DESSERT OF THE CARIBBEAN, THE BAHAMAS, AND
BERMUDA. FROM A LAYER CAKE SOAKED IN THE BERMUDIAN RUM SWIZZLE
TO SWEET AND SPICY COCONUT CAKES, OUR TROPICAL TWISTS ON THE
CLASSIC WILL PUT YOU IN THE ISLAND STATE OF MIND.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE DU BOIS

RECIPE DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD STYLING BY LAURA CRANDALL
STYLING BY BETH K. SEELEY

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 Rum Swizzle Cake
page 95

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 origin of a classic

Hawaiian Buns FROM THE LAVA ROCK-FASHIONED FORNOS OF

THE 1800S TO THE INDUSTRIAL OVENS OF TODAY,
THESE ICONIC BREAD ROLLS CONTINUE TO
ENCHANT ALL WHO TASTE THEM

BY KYLE GRACE MILLS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHANIE WELBOURNE STEELE
RECIPE DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD STYLING BY TRICIA MANZANERO
STYLING BY SIDNEY BRAGIEL

107 bake from scratch

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 L ike most food stories, the tale of Hawaiian buns begins come plain or wrapped around a sizzling Portuguese sausage. Also
with immigrants in search of something better and new. on Oahu is the equally beloved Ani’s Bake Shop, where Ani and Abe
Tanaka’s pillowy sweet bread recipe rocketed a home-based experiment
They came from Madeira and the Azores, Portuguese islands dotted into a million-dollar business. For truly old-school pão doce, visit the
with volcanoes, craggy cliffs, and rocky beaches. In the late 19th Kona Historical Society on the Big Island and bake a classic version
century, they came to work the sugar plantations, bringing their in a historian-approved reconstruction of a kiawe-burning forno.
families and culture to take root in their new Hawaiian home. These
Portuguese transplants brought to Hawaii music (ukulele), dance, and, But what separates the pão doce from the golden Hawaiian bun
most deliciously, their cuisine. Rising, literally, above the Portuguese derivative? Although pão doce can be baked into lofty bread loaves or
sausage and bean stew is pão doce, Portuguese sweet bread that’s rich boules as well as bread rolls, its Hawaiian bun incarnation is strictly
in sugar and eggs but light as a feather—one bite and it completely a pull-apart affair. Either arranged in a flower-like halo of rolls in a
collapses in on itself. To recreate the authentic sweet buns of their pie dish or lined up in rows in a 13x9-inch baking pan, Hawaiian buns
homeland, they used what was familiar, volcanic rock, to build a are a favorite of both the barbecue and luau cookout based on their
stone oven, known as a forno, powered by something that was new, shareable, tearable nature. And then there’s the sweetener. During
kiawe, a Hawaiian-grown mesquite tree that burns low and slow. the early 1900s, sugar was almost exclusively considered an expensive

Once the Portuguese decided to permanently settle onto the

islands, many went on to open up their own businesses. A
common choice for the Portuguese was to open bakeries that
often specialized in the addictive Portuguese classic pão doce.

The multicultural melting pot of Hawaii has a delicious consequence

when it comes to recipes: You can expect a different pão doce from
each of the eight islands and every bakery and home kitchen on
them. At Oahu favorite Leonard’s Bakery, the pão doce can

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 115 bake from scratch

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