Seattle Thursday: Hey Macrina!

Thursday we had the entire morning and afternoon before we were scheduled to pick up my nephew Justin. At my friend Wathana’s recomendation, we went looking for the Macrina Bakery. It was only blocks from our hotel. It really was a fantastic location. We picked up some pastries for the road.

Macrina has a wide selection of breads, all formed by hand, including

Macrina Casera
“Of This House”
1.5 lb Loaf ~ $3.55
This bread is leavened with a natural wild starter made from organic grapes, coarse whole wheat and unbleached flours. Designed for any meal. It has a mild sour flavor.

Giuseppe
1.5 lb Loaf ~ $3.55 • 2.5 oz Roll ~ $0.65
1.75 lb Sliced Loaf ~ $4.15
8 oz Panini ~ $1.65
Our classic, crusty Italian loaf. Leavened with biga (traditional sponge starter) and unbleached flour. Lighter in salt and perfect for dipping in your favorite olive oil.

Olivetta
1 lb Loaf ~ $4.05 • 2.5 oz Roll ~ $0.65
Similar in texture to our focaccia, this moist and savory loaf is packed with whole green olives and fresh oregano. Baked on semolina and brushed with extra virgin olive oil.

and the fascinating

Vollkorn
1.25 lb Loaf ~ $4.05 • 2.5 oz Roll ~ $0.65
A German-style, 6-grain seed bread. This beautiful loaf is leavened with a beer starter and sweetened with a touch of honey and molasses. Its braided design makes it perfect for breaking with friends.

Their antique pastry case has been offering up goodies since 1993. Like the Roly-Poly, “our homage to the classic cinnamon roll, enhanced with coconut, raisins and walnuts”.

Macrina’s Fresh Fruit Coffeecake

For September, we are featuring our Fresh Fruit Coffeecake. To make the best possible cake, use freshly picked berries at the height of their growing season. Usually, berries are at their best in September. Pick blackberries, raspberries, blueberries or huckleberries (perfect in mid-September) and toss them in the batter.

Makes 1 bundt cake

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups ripe fruit (whole berries or fruit cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
Edible flowers and powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º F. Oil a 12-cup Bundt pan.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and toss with your hands to combine. Remove 1/4 cup of the flour mixture and set bowl aside.

In a separate medium bowl, combine fruit and the reserved 1/4 cup of flour mixture. Toss until fruit is evenly coated and set aside. Tossing the fruit in flour helps keep it from sinking to the bottom of the coffeecake – a true disaster!

Combine butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment for 5 to 8 minutes on medium speed. The mixture will become smooth and pale in color. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure the first egg is fully mixed into the batter before adding the other. After the second egg is incorporated, add vanilla extract and mix for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix for another 30 seconds to make sure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Alternately add small amounts of flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter mixing with a wooden spoon just until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Gently fold in the flour coated fruit making sure the fruit is evenly distributed through the batter. Spoon batter into the prepared Bundt pan filling two-thirds of the pan.

Bake on the center rack of the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Check the center of the coffeecake with a skewer. It will come out clean when the cake is done. Let cool in a pan for 45 minutes.

Loosen the sides of the cake with a sharp knife. Place a serving plate upside-down on top of the cooled Bundt pan and invert the pan to remove the cake.

This delicious coffeecake is perfect just the way it is, but I like to jazz up the presentation with a few fresh, edible flowers and a dusting of powdered sugar.

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