Originally posted on June 7, 2012
RAISINS are a very familiar type of food worldwide. It’s a kind of comfort food that we all (well, almost all!) grew up eating. They go into our breads, pastries and desserts. We munch on them as a sweet and healthy snack. We even add it to our breakfast cereals, and the natural sweetness and gummy texture of raisins when we bite into them provide a very nice complement to the crunch of cornflakes and the creaminess of milk. Raisins also go into our cocktail nut mixes to provide sweetness that goes perfectly with the saltiness of nuts. But raisins are not just about Raisin Bread, Cinnamon Roll, Fruitcake and Apple Strudel. They’re so versatile that you can create a thousand and one delicious bites with them. Truth to tell: You can even cook savory dishes with them. A lot of professional chefs have tried incorporating raisins into their dishes, and they’ve been highly successful doing so. Still, raisins are best when used in baked products, as they work well with practically any ingredient.
To demonstrate the versatility of raisins and to share fresh new ideas and great new raisin recipes with Filipino bakers and pastry chefs, the Raisin Administrative Committee and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Foreign Agricultural Service in Manila recently brought in Chef Nathan Mitchell Stamm for a baking workshop at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. Chef Mitch, as he likes to be called, works as an Associate Instructor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. He has had several years of experience working as an Executive Pastry Chef in Denver, Idaho and Michigan, and since he has won several awards in baking contests in the United States of America, he coaches the culinary teams for competitions. As proof of his many achievements and his important contributions to the pastry industry, Chef Mitch was voted as one of the Top Ten bakers in the U.S. by the professional magazine Dessert.
Chef Mitch was recently in Manila to conduct the California Raisin Journey workshop at Makati Shangri-La, where he demonstrated how to make Couronne Aux California Raisins, California Raisin Brioche, All the Gold in California Raisin Foccacia, California Raisin Cloud and California Raisin Kuchen. I shall be sharing with you Chef Mitch’s All the Gold in California Raisin Foccacia here simply because it’s one of my favorites among the baked products that Chef Mitch made during the workshop. A whole afternoon session, California Raisin Journey also gave workshop participants a taste of all five recipes featured — and more! There were also savory dishes, such as Thai Crab Cakes and canapes, as well as other baked goodies, including Raisin Buns, on the cocktail buffet spread that participants were invited to partake of during the break in session.
Before he started baking, Chef Mitch talked about the advantages of incorporating California Raisins into baked products. First, he stressed the health benefits that raisins provide. They are rich in Potassium, Phosphorus, Calcium, Magnesium and Manganese as well as trace minerals Copper, Zinc and Iron. They are also packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Niacin, Vitamin B6 (which stimulates metabolism), Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin and Folacin.
Apart from these health benefits, using raisins in baked products enhances the flavor and texture of these products and extend the shelf life of bread products because they are a natural substitute for preservatives. Raisins also sweeten and color baked products naturally and act as a binder. They maintain structural integrity and are able to hold up well during mixing.
These days, a lot of professional bakers and pastry chefs no longer use just any type of raisins, preferring California Raisins since these are produced, packed and shipped following strict and high quality standards so they are assured of product quality, hygiene and safety.
Assisted by the chefs of Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Chef Mitch spent the whole afternoon baking and sharing not just recipes but a whole range of experiences and important techniques that assure a positive outcome. He sent the aroma of freshly baked breads and pastries wafting in the air, giving workshop participants a whole sensory experience to savor.
ALL THE GOLD IN CALIFORNIA RAISIN FOCCACIA
The preferment:
640 grams bread flour
353 grams water (at 21ºC)
2.56 grams instant yeast
1. Combine ingredients in the bowl of a planetary mixer fitted with dough hook. Mix on low speed to incorporate ingredients, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Place in a covered container. Set aside for 15 hours in a 15ºC environment.
The California Raisin Soaker:
900 grams Golden California Raisins
1 kg. water (at 21ºC)
1. Place raisins in a container. Cover with water, and set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Drain and spread raisins on a flat surface. Leave, uncovered, overnight.
The final dough:
1414 grams water
160 grams olive oil
150 grams Golden California Raisin Paste*
Preferment
1800 grams bread flour
200 grams whole wheat flour
52 grams salt
11 grams instant yeast
California Raisin Soaker
110 grams Parmesan cheese, grated
50 to 60 grams fresh rosemary, chopped
4 grams grated lemon zest
1. Place water, olive oil and Golden California Raisin Paste (*can be bought in major baking supply stores) in the bowl of a spiral mixer.
2. Chop the preferment and add to the mixture.
3. Blend bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt and instant yeast. Add to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for about 4 to 5 minutes or until the “clean-up” stage (*when the dough comes together and no traces of splattered ingredients are left on the sides of the bowl).
4. Mix on high speed for 2 minutes. Make sure the dough has developed 80% at this stage.
5. Add the Golden California Raisins from the Golden Raisin Soaker left overnight. Also add the Parmesan cheese, rosemary and lemon zest.
6. Mix on low speed until inclusions are evenly distributed in the dough.
7. Place dough in an oiled and covered container. Set aside for 1 hour.
8. After 1 hour, stretch and fold the dough, then return to the covered container and set aside for another hour.
9. Remove dough from container. Divide into 3 slabs weighing 1850 grams each.
10. Spread 60 grams of olife oil on the surface of a 45.72 cm x 60.96 cm pan.
11. Shape slab of dough to fit the pan. Brush surface of dough with olive oil. Cover and place in a 26ºC environment. Set aside for 1 hour.
12. Dimple the surface of the foccacia dough and bake in a deck oven at 237ºC for approximately 45 minutes of until golden brown.
13. Remove from oven, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with fleur de sel and additional chopped rosemary. Let cool, then cut and serve.
Makes 3 slabs of 1800 grams each.
