Gallimaufry To Go was a gourmet take-out food store near Davol Square. The shop, which had several owners, also did a lot of catering for high profile, charity events.
The baker was Sarah Carlson. It was said her breads were so flavorful that one could make a meal of them alone.
The last reference in The Journal archives refers to it moving to larger quarters at 143 Point St. in 1999.
A reader reached out to me during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, looking for some of their recipes. I wasn’t shocked to find them. The Journal has always covered food as other newspapers cover politics or sports.
I had hoped to find some photos to run with the recipes but that has proved elusive.
So without further ado, here are the recipes for those who remember Gallimaufry’s food fondly or for those who want to try something new.
The recipes come from Carlson. Her tips, as noted in the archives, include:
“Proofing simply means mixing the yeast with a little sugar and liquid that’s warm enough to activate the yeast (about 110 degrees), and then waiting 5 to 10 minutes to see if it foams up. If it doesn’t foam, your bread would have been flat.
“Letting the kneaded dough rise is a key part of bread-baking. You want the dough to increase to about double its original size. The time that takes will vary greatly, depending on how warm the dough is while it’s rising.
“For speedy rising, place the bowl of dough on top of the refrigerator, in a large pan of warm water, or in a barely warm oven (about 85 to 95 degrees). For slower risings, let the dough sit at room temperature.
“You can even let the dough rise in the refrigerator. You can come back to it the next day.
Carlson recommended augmenting a basic white-bread recipe with grated cheeses, such as Cheddar or Gruyere, or sprinkling in some herbs for a delicately fragrant loaf.
An easy way to add drama to a meal is to serve a bread sculpture. This was a specialty at Gallimaufry.
Carson said that with using the Sculpture Bread recipe, you can try your hand at “bread art” and be as witty or whimsical as your imagination allows. Your bread creation could make your great meal the greatest.
ALL-PURPOSE WHITE BREAD
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon (1 package) dry yeast
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk
2 teaspoons salt
6 to 6 1/2 cups flour
Sprinkle sugar and yeast on warm water to proof it. (When the mixture foams, you will know that the yeast is active.) Add other ingredients and 3 to 4 cups of the flour. Mix dough until smooth. Add remaining flour and knead until dough loses its stickiness and is springy to the touch. Let rise to double in bulk. (Time will depend on temperature.) Punch dough down and form into two loaves. Fit these into greased loaf pans (9 by 5 by 3 inches) and let rise again until almost doubled in bulk.
Brush loaves with egg beaten with a small amount of water. Bake at 35 0degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. Test loaves for doneness by removing from pans and rapping the bottoms with your knuckles. You should hear a hollow sound.
Vary the recipe, if you wish, by adding 3/4 of a cup minced onion to the batter, reserving a tablespoon or so to sprinkle on top before baking. Other good additions: herbs or grated cheese. Cheddar, Gruyere or fresh Parmesan are best, and these may be added to the batter or sprinkled onto rolled out dough, which is then rolled up and baked for a spiral effect.
If you like sweet bread, increase the sugar in the recipe to about 1/2 cup, use 2 tablespoons yeast, and increase butter to 4 to 8 tablespoons.
SCULPTURE DOUGH
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup warm milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
5 to 5 1/2 cups flour
Dissolve yeast in water. Add next five ingredients and stir until smooth. Beat in 4 3/4 cups flour. Do not knead. Cover and let rise until dough is doubled in bulk. Punch down and knead until smooth. Form into whatever shape you choose. Make sure to exaggerate any details to allow for increased puffiness as the dough rises. Let rise to almost double.
Brush bread with beaten egg, then bake at 350 degrees for about 3 5minutes, checking after 15 to 20 minutes that sculptured details aren’t browning too quickly. If they are, cover the areas with aluminum foil for remaining baking time.
Recipe from “The Sunset Cookbook of Breads”
FRENCH BREAD
2 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup mashed potatoes, or use 2 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes and increase warm water to 3 cups
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon salt
6 to 7 cups wheat flour
Sprinkle yeast on water and potatoes. Allow to proof a few minutes.
Add salt and half of flour and beat hard and continuously for 7 to 10 minutes. This makes the gluten in the flour very elastic.
Mix in enough more flour to get dough to pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
Turn out on a floured board and knead until dough is springy and no longer sticky.
Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled in bulk. Shape into four long baguette loaves and place on trays that have been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal.
Slash loaves diagonally five or six times and let rise again.
When risen, bake in oven at about 410 degrees.
Now, to make that typically French crisp crust, get out your plant mister. Fill it with water, and spray the loaves every 8 to 10 minutes as they are baking. They should take about 44 minutes in the oven.
GALLIMAUFRY’S SPINACH STUFFED BREAD
2 2/3 cups warm water
2 teasp
oons sugar
2 packages dry yeast
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups flour
Filling:
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
Glaze:
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
For dough, put water into large mixing bowl, sprinkle with sugar and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes, until yeast if foamy. Gradually mix in about 5 1/2 cups flour. Remove dough to floured surface and knead, adding more flour if necessary, until dough is no longer sticky and feels elastic to the touch. Place in greased bowl, cover and let sit in warm place to rise until doubled, an hour or so.
Combine all filling ingredients.
Divide dough in half. Roll each piece out on floured surface into 8×14-inch rectangle. Divide filling and spread half down one rectangle lengthwise in center, leaving a 2 or 3-inch margin.
Brush egg glaze along edges of dough. Fold over ends, then fold one side over the other, envelope-fashion, totally encasing the filling. Pinch edges to seal. Place seamside down on greased baking sheet. Brush top with egg glaze. Cut 2 or 3 slits in top.
Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven 35 to 40 minutes, until golden. Makes 2 loaves.
SARDINE PATE
1 can sardines
1 stick butter, softened
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons minced scallion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Few drops tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons sherry or cognac
Cream butter and cheese together, then blend in remaining ingredients. Serve on crackers or hunks of French bread.
TUNA AND BEAN SALAD
1 small can tuna, drained, or 1/2 pound leftover meat cut into chunks
1-pound can white or kidney beans
3/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black olives
Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 to 2 cloves garlic, mashed and chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
Optional garnishes: tomato slices, cooked green beans or pepperoni.
Mix salad ingredients. Stir dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, toss with salad and marinate an hour or more. Garnish and serve.
DRESSING FOR FRUIT SALAD
1 cup corn oil
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons minced onions
Shake ingredients in a bottle or jar, and pour over canned or fresh fruit such as bananas, apples, oranges and melons. This dressing is also delicious on vegetable salads.
Get more of the inside scoop with Gail’s Food Feed: A weekly newsletter recapping the news shared among friends.CLICK HERE to sign up for Gail’s Food Feed