From the 2023 Supreme Bowl founding charter (an email): “It’s like a Super Bowl party, but without the distraction of football. Basically, an excuse to eat all the game day favorites”.

For future reference, here’s this year’s menu:

Photo of whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread partially sliced on a wood cutting board.

This recipe uses 50% whole wheat flour, which gives it a nutty flavor and some bite, but not too much. There’s a hint of sourdough tang, but not overpowering. All that and the dense crumb makes for great sandwiches. It is our current house bread.

The basis for the recipe is this Hearty Sandwich Bread (the former house bread). Timing has been changed to allow for the longer sourdough fermentation time. The weights have also been increased a touch so it fills the pan more.

I continue to refine my technique on this. I’m on the fence about metal vs. glass pans (I like the browning that comes from glass) and to slash or not to slash (I have a hard time slashing this wet dough). If I come to any conclusions, I’ll update the recipe here.


Recipe

Active time: 10 minutes | Inactive time: 12.5 hours (18.5 – 20.5 hours including starter feeding)

Equipment: Large bowl, 1 pound (8.5″ x 4.5″ x 2.5″) loaf pan, scale, scraper, oven

Ingredients

100gActive whole wheat starter
230gBread flour
180gWhole wheat flour
7gSalt
320gWater (room temperature)
  1. If needed, feed starter. I usually set out the filtered water so it comes to room temperature. Once the starter has at least doubled in size, go to step 2.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well with a spoon or hand until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
  3. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow dough to ferment for about 10 hours, it should double in size.
  4. Grease the loaf pan with butter.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface–it’s going to be very sticky.
  6. Sprinkle a bit more flour on top and with floured hands, pat the dough down to remove any large gas bubble and form a rectangle.
  7. Fold the rectangle over on itself in thirds.
  8. Repeat the patting process forming rectangle that will fit the loaf pan, lengthwise.
  9. With a scraper and floured hands, roll the rectangle into a loaf and place in the pan seam side down.
  10. Cover pan with plastic wrap and proof until the dough is rising up to the top edge of the pan, about 2 hours.
  11. About 30 minutes before the loaf is ready to bake, preheat the over to 450º F.
  12. Slash the top of the loaf with a razor or sharp knife, or don’t. It might be difficult to get a clean cut since the dough is quite wet.
  13. Place in oven, bake for 15 minutes. Then, turn oven down to 400º, rotate pan 180º and bake for another 17 minutes.
  14. When done, the top of the loaf should be medium-dark brown with an internal temperature of 190 – 200º
  15. Remove from oven and turn loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

  • After trying metal and glass pans for this recipe, I’ve settled on glass. It browns the crust more than metal.
  • My preference for sandwich bread not too brown on the top. Turning the oven down after the first 15 minutes is just right for me. If you prefer yours more bien cuit, leave the oven at 450º and cook for 15 rather than 17 minutes more.

This is the current house bread here. It’s a half-recipe of Carey Nershi’s No-Knead Sandwich Bread with a couple minor tweaks. The whole wheat and rye flours make for a fairly dense loaf that works well for sandwiches and toasts. There’s usually a sliced loaf in the freezer. When there are only a couple slices left, it’s time to make another loaf.

Given the rise times, it won’t be ready quickly. However, after the experience of a couple loafs, the active time is quite minimal and can be worked in somewhere during the week. I usually mix it on a weekend morning while making coffee.

  • 216g Bread flour
  • 109g Whole wheat flour
  • 108g Dark rye flour
  • 3g Active dry yeast
  • 7g Salt
  • 8g Caraway seeds
  • 354g Water
  1. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Add water and mix with hand into a shaggy dough ball.
  3. Cover and let rise for 5-6 hours at room temperature1.
  4. Butter a loaf pan.
  5. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface, it will be very wet.
  6. Add some flour to the top and pat down with hands.
  7. Using a dough scraper, fold the dough over onto itself a couple times.
  8. Roll into log shape that will fit into the loaf pan.
  9. Place in pan seam side down. Sprinkle top with a bit of flour.
  10. Cover and let rise for about an hour or so, until it has doubled in size.
  11. Preheat oven to 450º F.
  12. Slash top with a sharp knife and cook for 25-30 minutes (watch that the top doesn’t burn).
  13. Carefully turn out of pan immediately and let cook completely on wire rack before slicing.

1 After the initial rise, dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks until ready to bake. If using refrigerated dough, expect the second rise to take a bit longer.

Gochujang Ribs
Photo credit: Angela Lin

This is a recipe from the New York Times with some minor tweaks. I’ve made these several times and I think this is approaching perfection.

Total cooking time 7 hours plus overnight seasoning

Ingredients

2 Racks baby back ribs

Rub

4 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
4 Tablespoons Packed Light Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Ground black pepper

Glaze

1/4 cup gochujang
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon paprika

The day or evening before, remove silver skin from ribs and apply rub. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, rinse ribs in cold water and pat dry. Return to fridge and allow to dry/cool for an hour or so. Putting in freezer for an hour right before cooking might increase smoke ring.

Prepare a fire for indirect cooking at around 250º. Add some hardwood for flavor (I use 5-6 chunks of cherry or apple). Allow temperature to stabilize and wait for the blue smoke.

Smoke ribs for 4 hours, maintaining 250º temperature.

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for glaze.

After 4 hours, glaze ribs all over. Repeat every hour.

At 7 hours total cooking time, check for doneness (your preference, toothpick, bend, whatever). Let them cook without additional glaze if they need some more time. When they are done, take them off and glaze one last time.

Allow ribs to rest for 10 – 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

To celebrate Independence Day, we served pulled pork–as tacos.

Here are the recipes, and some notes…

Meat

Pork Shoulder

This was a much smaller piece of meat than I’ve cooked in the past–about 4.5 pounds and boneless. I followed the same instructions from past cooks, for the most part. I didn’t inject, and I forgot to add more rub before cooking. It was tasty, but I think the larger, bone-in ones were slightly moister and more flavorful. Not sure if this is because they are larger, or they have the bone, or both. The cooking temperature was very steady around 250º for the entire time, and it took about 9 hours to get to 195º internal temperature. I’m going to up my timing calculation to 2 hours per pound next time, to be safe.

Sides etc.

Roberto Santibañez’s Truly Mexican is the go-to book for Mexican cooking around here, and provided these delicous recipes

The Smashed Potato Salad with Chorizo, Aioli, and Scallions was a winner.

I also over grilled some zucchini, not a winner.

Dessert

Nectarine and Blackberry Cobbler