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Baking by Hand: Oyster Mushroom, Thyme and Chevre Tart

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This post is part of a blog tour promoting the new book, Baking by Hand, by Andy and Jackie King. The publisher provided me with a copy of the book.

Baking by Hand makes my list of the 5 best baking cookbooks. If you’re interested, do check out the rest as well.

Baking by Hand

My history of cookbook purchases describes a Bell curve. I started out small, progressed to buying a car payment’s worth every month and then tapered off when I decided that I didn’t really need any more. These days, I rarely purchase cookbooks. I think I’ve bought two this entire year.

While I was given this book to read and share, I must admit that I wasn’t jumping up and down over the idea. Until I started to read. I couldn’t stop reading. I sort of felt like I was in a church listening to a sermon from a particularly passionate preacher. And he was preaching to me, the choir. I kept nodding and wanting to shout an “Amen!” or a “Preach, friends!” on more than one occasion.

When passionate people write about their passion, it shines through. And man does this book shine. Let me share a few of the more Amen-able quotes.

One of the reasons we love artisan bread is that, while is should be amazing on its own, it’s also a perfect starting-off point for greater things. I’m not just talking about food–I’m talking about gathering those you care about near to you, facing one another and sharing a meal. –Baking by Hand, p. 9

Our goal is to create a literal consumable; we want you to tear our product apart, not present it an a gallery. –p. 11

We put things on bread because it’s the perfect canvas to feature well-prepared ingredients. It’s the unsung hero of the sandwich world, which is ironic because it’s what makes those slices of cheese and meat a sandwich to begin with. Yet so many delis out there pay so much attention to the stuffing and skimp on the bread. –p. 127

Each tart is treated differently depending on the components. This is what keeps us on our toes when testing day rolls around; we are not only putting flavor combinations together, but what we create also has to work in terms of texture and function. –p. 183

The pastry dough is a great template for both sweet and savory foods, so feel free to use the recipes as a jumping-off point for your own ingredient combinations in the future.

Can I get an Amen?

When I agreed to write a post for this blog tour, I chose the recipe I would present from a short list before I’d even seen the book. While all the recipe titles sounded tasty like they’d be tasty, I decided that I would go with a savory recipe rather than a sweet one. Pastry chefs deal with pastry, whether it be savory or sweet, and I rarely flex my savory pastry muscles anymore.

Baking by Hand: Mushroom, Thyme and Goat Cheese Tart

Before baking. Concentric rings of loveliness.

I am so glad I did, too. The (Oyster) Mushroom, Thyme and Chèvre Tart was absolutely delicious and thoughtfully  composed. From the blitz puff pastry whose layers shattered like warm amber glass once baked, to the duxelles which was confident enough to rely on the alchemy of shallot, mushroom and heat alone, to the assembly: concentric rings of dark duxelles, creamy-white goat cheese shading to sienna from the heat of the the oven, and frilly mushroom caps, the entire tart was a masterpiece of simple genius. That might sound like hyperbole, but I assure you I speak the truth. This is one fine tart.

When you treat each component with care and let them shine by seasoning them simply, magic can happen. It’s the master who can make a short ingredient list sing. I cannot wait to try out some of Alan and Jackie’s other recipes, because they are masters.

I could go on about the way these two have learned to manipulate the temperature of their components in order to achieve their desired results, but I will save that for a full-on review after I’ve baked through more of the book. For now, let me just say that I am happy to announce the arrival of a baking book that you need, from which you will learn, and to which you will turn again and again.

Baking by Hand: Mushroom, Thyme and Goat Cheese Tart

A simple and elegant way to achieve both thick sides and a thin bottom crust.

I asked to share the blitz puff recipe as well as the tart recipe since the dough was a dream to work with, so here are recipes for both the dough and the tart.

A couple of notes about how my version of the Oyster Mushroom, Thyme and Chèvre Tart differs from the original:

  • I could not find oyster mushrooms, so I substituted half shiitake and half crimini mushrooms.
  • I chose to make a full-sized tart. The original recipe makes six individual tarts.
  • I gave my blitz puff pastry four turns rather than the two called for in the instructions. The dough was very crumbly after only two turns. The extra two whipped it into better shape for me, and it worked beautifully. If your dough comes together with only two turns, by all means go with it. I am tempted to make it with a full six turns next time. With as butter-rich as it is, and with as beautifully as it rose with just four turns, I imagine it will be behave almost identically to classic puff pastry after six turns.
  • Because of the extra turns, I docked (poked a bunch of tiny holes with the tip of a knife) the bottom of the tart within an inch of its life. Even so, I still had to poke it several times with a skewer during baking.
Baking by Hand: Mushroom, Thyme and Goat Cheese Tart

Blitz Puff, four turns worth

Oyster Mushroom, Thyme and Chevre Tart
What You'll Find in This Post Click to view ToC

Oyster Mushroom, Thyme and Chevre Tart

Yield: 1 tart. Serves 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Recipe from Baking By Hand by Andy King and Jackie King (Page Street Publishing; August 2013) Printed with permission. Available through Amazon.com We have a real weakness for fresh goat cheese, and we’re lucky enough to be surrounded by local producers here in northern Massachusetts. Pairing it with mushrooms and thyme gives you a really traditional, tantalizing, savory treat. The oyster mushrooms add a pretty touch to the presentation, but piled shiitakes (or even raw cultivated enokis) would work just as well.

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Lazy Baker’s Puff Pastry Dough, (page 185)
  • 1 lb /450 g oyster mushroom stems, (reserve the flowery caps for garnish)
  • 3 minced shallots
  • 3 oz /75 g unsalted butter
  • Fine sea salt
  • 3 oz /80 ml heavy cream
  • 15 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Egg wash, , consisting of 1 beaten egg and a splash of water
  • 6 oz /175 g fresh chèvre, , crumbled
  • Extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450˚F/230°C, with the baking stone in place.
  2. For the crust, roll out the dough to about 14 inches × 27 inches/35 × 70 cm, about ⅛ inch/3 mm thick, and cut out six 7-inch/18-cm circles.
  3. Place six 5-inch/12-cm flan rings on a parchment-lined sheet pan, and spray with cooking spray.
  4. Place one circle on top of each ring. Lifting up around the entire perimeter of the disk, “settle” the dough into the corners of the rings. Then, working from the outside in, roll the overlapping dough until you can press the roll into the side of the flan ring, creating a thicker outer crust with a thin bottom.
  5. Chill until ready to use.
  6. Separate the stems from the tops of the oyster mushrooms. Finely chop the stems.
  7. Mince the shallots and then sweat them in the butter over medium heat. Once the shallots are soft and translucent, add the chopped mushroom stems to the pan.
  8. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms brown a bit and all the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt.
  9. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream.
  10. Coarsely chop 12 sprigs of the thyme and add to the mixture. Set aside to cool.
  11. Once the mixture is cool, assemble the tarts.
  12. Egg wash the rim of the pastry crust and put about 2 ounces/50 g of the duxelles in the bottom of the chilled pastry circles, spreading it evenly.
  13. Then add 1 ounce/30 g crumbled chèvre in the very center, leaving a ½-inch/1-cm border of the duxelles visible.
  14. Toss the tops of the oyster mushrooms lightly in olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Place these in the center of the tart on top of the goat cheese.
  15. Bake the tarts directly on the baking stone. After about 10 minutes, the pastry dough will start to puff and may need to be pricked with the tip of a knife or a wooden skewer to release the steam. Otherwise, the tart will keep expanding and blow up; you may need to prick it a few times at various points.
  16. Rotate the pan and bake for another 10 minutes. then, move the pan up to the middle rack and bake for another 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the mushrooms have browned and cooked down a bit.
  17. Remove from the oven and remove the rings. Strip the remaining three thyme sprigs of their leaves and sprinkle evenly over the tops of the tarts.
  18. Cool and eat warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 371Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 88mgSodium 333mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 3gSugar 2gProtein 9g

The stated nutritional information is provided as a courtesy. It is calculated through third party software and is intended as a guideline only.

© Alan & Jackie King, Baking by Hand
Cuisine: American / Category: Pies and Tarts
Lazy Baker's Puff Pastry

Lazy Baker's Puff Pastry

Yield: 0

Recipe from Baking By Hand by Andy King and Jackie King (Page Street Publishing; August 2013) Printed with permission. Available through Amazon.com Making real puff pastry is a beautiful thing, with all of those flaky layers, brittle and shattering. It's also a huge time commitment, so we like to use this adaptation of dough that we first came across in one of our much-loved King Arthur baking books. This dough is flaky and extremely rich and tender due to the high percentage of butter and sour cream. Its acidity helps tenderize the dough and the fat adds more richness. Lastly, the baking powder helps to give the layers their needed puff in this short cut version of this pastry classic. We have created many bakery favorites using this versatile recipe.

Ingredients

  • 11 oz /300g all-purpose flour
  • 1 scant tsp/3 g baking owder
  • 3/4 tsp /5 g fine sea salt
  • 13 ox/370 g cold unsalted butter
  • 6.5 oz /180 g cold sour cream

Instructions

  1. Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a container that will easily fit in your freezer. Chill the mixture for 30 minutes or overnight. You can't chill it for too long.
  2. In the meantime, cube your butter into about 1/2-inch/1-cm cubes. Keep chilled in the refrigerator.
  3. Once the flour has chilled sufficiently, put it in a bowl and add the chilled butter. Rub the butter through the flour to break it up and incorporate it.
  4. Keep at it until the butter is broken down but you still see chunks of butter. The chunks should be a little larger than large peas.
  5. You want the butter to stay in large chunks in order to create a flaky crust.
  6. Add the sour cream to the dry ingredients and mix by hand. Form a shaggy mass of dough just untill all of the moisture is absorbed and there are no dry spots. You do not want to overwork it so much that you break down the butter completely.
  7. Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and form into a rough rectangle. Roll the dough out until it becomes a larger 6-inch x 16-inch/15 x 40-cm rectangle.
  8. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, grab the left hand side of the rectangle and place one-third of the surface into the middle. Then, do the same with the right side, completely overlapping the left side with this "envelope folkd."
  9. Rotate the dough 90 derees.
  10. Roll out to another 6-inch x 16-inch/15 x 40-cm rectangle, then lightly flour and fold the dough again as before.
  11. Take this packet of dough, place it on a sheet pan and wrap in plastic wrap.
  12. Chill the dough for 1 hour to relax before using, or wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze.
© Alan & Jackie King from Baking by Hand

I am very much looking forward to baking more treats from this book. As well, I will update this post with the other stops on the tour. Currently, one other post is up from Colleen at Soufflé Bombay: Spiced Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Maple Glaze.

UPDATE: Karen from Karen’s Kitchen Stories posted The Massachusetts Un-Roast Beef Sandwich and Baguette Recipe. Nice!

Baking by Hand: Mushroom, Thyme and Goat Cheese Tart

Thanks so much for stopping in and reading. Have a wonderful day!

Love This? Please Share It!

Welcome!

I’m Jenni, and I’m here to help you be Fearless in the Kitchen! Search for what you need, or give me a shout. I am only an email away and am happy to help you with any baking or cooking questions you have. I’m honored to be able to help. Learn more about me on my About Page.

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What Others Are Saying...

  6. Diane Borus says

    Hi Jenni –
    This book looks fabulous. I have been baking all my life (for fun). I am embarrassed to admit I have always been intimidated by bread. I have recently become intrigued by all the beautiful breads I keep seeing online. I think I am ready to enter the brave new world of bread baking. This book seems like it would be the perfect guide! And, I have to mention, my beloved Kitchenaide just quit on me after 25 years of faithful service! So, “by hand” is perfect!!

    Reply

  12. Lisa Howell says

    I learned how to bake bread from my Mom. Our tradition started one Thanksgiving after she clipped a savory herb bread recipe from the newspaper. That homemade bread is still one of my favorites to make. Now as a Mom myself, I am guilty of taking short cuts when baking. When I use my kitchen toys (either a kitchen aid or bread machine) to mix & rise the dough, I find myself missing the interaction of the feel of the dough coming together. Does that make sense? I would love to be a better home baker and share what I will learn from this new cookbook with my young son. I’d like us both to get our hands dirty with flour, punch down risen dough & have fun together in the kitchen while starting our own new traditions. I’m eager to see who wins & get great baking ideas from A&J on FB.

    Reply

  13. Rowland charlton says

    I love to cook/bake. When I moved to Brasil I was unable to bring all of my books with me and would like to start rebuilding. Hopefully there will be things in the book I can use when I finally open my bakery here.

    Reply

  16. Nicole Moy says

    I hope to learn more about baking homemade bread and pastries. I haven’t learned how to make bread yet and this will be a way to learn.

    Reply

  19. Sandy W. says

    I want to make Fougasse and North Shore Sourdough — since I’m 2 towns over from A&J King, I can legitimately call it “north shore sourdough”. I’m following A&J King on both facebook & twitter already.

    Reply

  20. Cindy Myers says

    Puff pastry intimidates me; but learning new tart, gazette, and recipes and techniques for my 1 1/2 year old sourdough starter would be awesome! This tart looks awesome and I always need new vegetarian recipes and ideas. And I love playing with my hands. Even made homemade playdough fro the kids so I could squish 😉

    Reply

  23. Aviva says

    OMG! How to make tart dough that looks as soft as a baby’s tush lol! The crust is so smooth I want to touch it! Which leads me to believe that the rest of the book will also be amazing

    Reply

  25. Aviva says

    Following on Twitter and PS since their bakery is not kosher and I am, the only way I will get to experience ecstasy is by winning the “Baking by Hand” baking book!

    Reply

  26. Genell {Nel's Nook} says

    I would love to learn how to make bread – it’s something I haven’t tried much yet! And more savory dishes – I am a sweets girl at hear but would love to expand my knowledge! PS I love the new site – its so fancy!

    Reply

  30. Lisa says

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, my pastry skills need some serious fine tuning and the fact that this book will help you make it better WITHOUT a mixer is just what I need because I don’t have a mixer! LOL! 😀

    Reply

  33. deb in Georgia says

    I tried to make croissants once but the recipe used way too much butter. That was a LOT of work for a pile of greasy dough. I’m hoping to master THE CROISSANT!

    Reply

  35. Michelle Thayer says

    I’d like to master breads. I love the taste of artisan breads and would love to be able to make some at home.

    Reply

  36. Ilke says

    I hope to learn A LOt from this book, like how I can put on five pounds easily within a week by eating all those goodies!
    Seriously, looks like it has great variety of recipes with common starting point – dough. I love books like that. The tart looks appetizing… would go well with a glass of red wine 🙂

    Reply

  37. Laura says

    Drat you! 😉 Now if I don’t win this book, another book is getting added to my wishlist, i.e., my Must Own list. That looks awesome and I loved the quotes. I have still never done puff pastry so that is what I hope to finally do with this book.

    Reply

  45. Elle says

    I want to learn to master this blitz puff pastry! I’ve made the real thing, and by real, I mean the butter block, folding like a letter, waiting, repeat, repeat, repeat. And it was fabulous, but a quick method? Sign me up! (This tart looks absolutely stunning!)

    Reply

  53. Jessica K. says

    I love baking, but the majority of my baking is semi homemade. I would like to win this book so I can learn to bake from scratch the way my grandmother & great grandmother did.

    Reply

  55. John Dahlgren says

    I have just begun baking after shying away from it because I’ve been just too impatient. I would love to learn technique even more than recipes. I need to know HOW to do things more so than WHAT to do.

    I’ve also followed them on Facebook and on Twitter.

    Reply

    • Jennifer Field says

      Fantastic! I think that this book can definitely help you with those goals, and that is what I’m all about here on the blog too! Please leave the fb and twitter follows in separate comments so you’ll get your 3 separate chances, John!

      Reply

  56. Brooks says

    Jenni, your tart is tantalizing! The Blitz Puff Pastry has me most intrigued and by your thoughtful praise it says I need to peruse this book. BTW, has there been some renovating done here? Your place looks terrific.

    Reply

    • Jennifer Field says

      You will not believe how rich the dough is, Brooks! 11 oz flour/13 oz butter plus the sour cream?! Wow!

      Thanks for noticing the facelift! It just went live on Monday afternoon, and I just love how it turned out!

      Good luck in the giveaway (and you will want this book, whether you win or not. Seriously).

      Reply

  60. Janice Lawandi says

    OMG! The trick for the sides, folding over the edge to thicken it up: GENIUS! I’ve already learned something and I haven’t even perused the book 😉
    I’m very mixer-dependant when it comes to bread/yeasted doughs. I mean, I’ve made brioche by hand, repeatedly slapping it down on the counter to knead, but it was kinda a messy endeavour 😉
    That being said, I’d like to get “the feel” for making doughs by hand. And I have this romantic notion of how relaxing it can be to knead dough…

    Reply

    • Jennifer Field says

      Right?! That side thing is the best!

      The cool thing about them (and this is not unique to them, but the idea certainly seems to be spreading): there is no knead for hard-core kneading. They teach a fold and rest technique that I need to start using. Way more relaxing than continuous kneading while sweat drops off my nose and into my dough!

      Reply

  61. Larissa Prusak says

    I would love to learn how to make dough for pies with no machines and different taste for pie, bread fillings.

    Reply

  62. Larissa Prusak says

    I liked A&J King Artisan Bakers side on Facebook.
    I would love to learn how to make bread, Tartes, pies by hand and find new fillings for them, too.

    Reply

  68. Amy Lucero says

    I hope to learn … anything! I don’t bake at all; don’t want to buy the fancy equipment – so this sounds great!

    Reply

  69. Katelyn says

    I have everything to learn about baking and cooking by hand! I don’t have a mixer, and often make bread by hand, but would love how to really make great bread and other things too!

    Reply

  74. Sandy Liu says

    I already do 90% of my baking by hand as I’m too lazy to haul out my 1000lb kitchen aide mixer and I’m too cheap to buy a hand mixer =) So, I’m hoping to reinforce my skills. I’m totally buying the book even if I don’t win, but winning is always fabulous!!

    Reply

  75. Wendy says

    Jenni, first off I’ve got to say your description of that tart has my tastebuds dying to try it. My stomach is literally growling!

    “…we want you to tear our product apart, not present it an a gallery.” Amen! That’s the kind of baking I want to learn, and that’s what I expect to from this book.

    Reply

  81. Carol Peters says

    I’ve been thinking about learning how to make bread for a while now. Sounds like this would be the perfect teacher. I would love to make any homemade bread.

    Reply

  83. Dede Gaude says

    I remember watching my Grandmother bake bread when I was little. She never used a recipe that I saw. I love the whole thing of not using mixers…nothing like the feel of dough in your hands!

    Reply

  88. Niki Shepherd says

    Eep! Oh man, I don’t even know where to start! I love the idea of doing everything by hand. I tend to do things the long way rather than the easy way as it is, so this awesome book sounds like its right down my alley! I love baking from scratch and this book intrigued me from first time you started talking about it Jenni!

    Reply

  90. Tricia White says

    For years, I was always afraid of making anything that was related to pastry crusts and bread. Over the past two years, I have mastered rolling and making crust and feel a bit more comfortable using yeast. I love any opportunity to learn more about breads and pastries and this book look phenominal.

    Reply

  95. Stacy says

    Oh, my goodness! This is the book I just ordered for the virtual shower Jenny is holding on Cookbook Junkies. Of the wish list, it was the one I most wanted and you know how they say you should buy folks what you want? That.

    I am looking forward to nestling in bed with a hot cup of tea and learning it ALL. I’ve Liked ’em and Followed ’em too. Do you need a comment for each of those things? If I don’t win this one, it’s going on my Christmas wish list.

    Reply

  96. Susan says

    What I hope to learn – When I bake my breads – I want more flavorful dough AND I want the outer crust crispy and the inside fluffy. Love you site! Thanks,
    Susan

    Reply

  102. Lisa H says

    I am a Culinary student at LeCordon Bleu in Atlanta. I have “issues” with pie crusts & yeast. I hope this book will help me get over my fears.

    Reply

  105. Dennis S says

    I hope to get back into artisanal baking again… I used to do it several years ago but with a move fell away from doing it.

    Reply

  107. Kimberly Yue says

    I am a baker of necessity. My daughter developed allergies to soy, dairy as well as a several more. This precludes me from buying nearly everything pre-packaged or made outside of our home. I’ve got the bread thing down now and I’m looking to expand. I’m adept at exchanging ingredients in recipes and I would love to expand our array of dishes. Your food just looks gorgeous–I’m dying to have something yummy. We eat only what our daughter (who is 8) can eat so that she doesn’t feel left out, but my husband and I are feeling deprived, too. It’s time to whip this family up something decadent and restaurant quality–please help!

    Reply

    • Jennifer Field says

      You’re good parents to eat by your daughter’s restrictions! I think this book can help you certainly, and I also know some folks whose blogs and pages focus on cooking for people with food allergies. I’ll be happy to hook you up!

      Reply

  110. Merrilee Frazier says

    I would love to win this book. I really need to make bread that rises and doesn’t fall when baking and learn to make flaky pie crusts.

    Reply

  112. Liz says

    I would love to add a few savory bread recipes to my repertoire! This book must be fabulous if captured your attention so thoroughly!

    PS…I’m honored to have my little ol’ button in your side bar. THANK [email protected]@@

    Reply

  119. Christine Wendell says

    What a beautiful book! I hope to experience the art of baking with patience and love with this book. I am trying to incorporate patience in the art of breadmaking at home. I want to really experience the art of baking by hand, instread of just mixing with my kitchenaid to “hurry up’ and get the bread baking process “done”.

    Reply

  124. L Page says

    I am not a novice to bread making, but after a recent trip to central/ eastern Europe, I have A LOT to learn!! I am hoping that Baking by Hand will be a perfect learning tool this winter and beyond!!

    Reply

  127. Gina says

    I would benefit so much from this book as I am on the cusp of starting my own baking business after 20 years behind a desk. Please pick me! 🙂

    Reply

  131. Katie Zack says

    Just getting back to baking bread after a short break. I always make bread by hand since I burned up a Kitchenaide over 30 years ago making bread. Ready to try new things!

    Reply

  133. Lisa Smith says

    I would like to learn more about artisan bread baking. That has always been my weakest baking skill, and the one I am striving to improve. Thanks!

    Reply

  137. Micaela P. says

    I’m the epitome of the lazy baker, so I hope to learn more “lazy baker” methods for coaxing the yum out of flour and all & sundry in my kitchen!

    Reply

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