July 14, 2008
Quick and Easy French Bread
A few weeks ago when Jamison's parents were here we had lasagna and I wanted a nice loaf (or two!) of bread to go with the meal. Running short on time in all the prep for Alexis' Tinkerbell cake and party I decided to just whip up some of my own!
This bread is quick and easy in that you literally just throw together the starter and let it sit all day, then you add more flour and shape it into loaves, slash, let it rise for thirty minutes to an hour and then bake. There is NO kneading what so ever! You could throw together the starter before you go to work and shape the loaves when you got home and you'd have delicious homemade bread ready when your meal was! How easy is that?
What You'll Need for the Starter:
1 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 teaspoons of yeast
2 cups of warm water
In a glass bowl mix together flour, salt and yeast until incorporated. Stir in hot water and let sit covered to proof at room temperature for 6-8 hours.
After about an hour you'll see bubbling action:
After about 6 hours you'll see that the starter has proofed up the side of the bowl even further:
When you get to this stage you're ready to proceed to making the actual loaves.
What You'll Need to Make the Loaves:
1 proofed starter (See above)
2-4 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
Slowly add flour 1 cup at a time stirring with a wooden spoon until dough forms. Your dough should look like this:
Depending on the humidity you may need some or all or the flour, or even need to add just a bit more. Bread is finicky like that, or more aptly flour is. Don't worry if you don't need to add all of the flour or even if you need a bit more than 4 cups. When you dough is soft and springy you'll know to stop.
Place the dough ball on a floured surface and then cut it in two and shape into two long loaves. Place on a baking sheet that has been lined with a silicone baking sheet:
Next comes slashing. I like to make the slashes on the top of the loaves BEFORE they rise. If you wait until after it has risen you take the risk of deflating your lovely loaves and let's face it who wants to do that? Using a very sharp knife place 3-4 slashes across the top of each loaf:
Place sheet in a warm place to rise for thirty minutes to an hour. It took these loaves about thirty minutes to rise. I placed them in my oven with the light on. The light gives off just enough heat to make them rise nicely. When they have doubled in size as shown below you're ready to bake!
Once the loaves are risen preheat oven to 425 F.
Place the risen loaves into the preheat oven and spray with a few spritzes of water from a spray bottle. Repeat this process several times throughout the baking process. I like to spritz the loaves every 5-8 minutes while baking. It helps give a lovely crust.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until loaves are golden. Let cool 5 minutes and then they are ready to slice and serve!
Notes: I want to try this process in the near future with white whole wheat flour. Some might debate the term "quick" but in terms of actually making the loaves it is very quick. You can basically ignore the starter all day and then once you're ready to make the loaves throw the rest together. That's the very epitome of quick and easy when you're talking about bread! ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 7:02 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
July 2, 2008
Apple Raisin Sconey Muffins
Apples and cinnamon...What a fabulous combination! Throw in some raisins and you've got a muffin that is begging to eaten! Top it with a little sugar drizzle and it becomes even better! This is the perfect muffin with or without topping when you need a little snack or even just want a delicious breakfast on the go!
What You'll Need For the Muffins:
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
3/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup of dried apples, chopped
1 cup of raisins, chopped
1 cup of sour cream
1 cup of milk
Pre-heat oven to 425 F.
In a large bowl stir together flour, sea salt, baking powder and baking soda until mixed. Next stir in sugar and cinnamon until incorporated. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry mixture until crumbly. Stir in apples and raisins until incorporated. Next stir in sour cream and milk until sticky batter/dough forms. Spoon dough into a muffin pan that has been lined with cupcake liners and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
What You'll Need For The Drizzle:
1 cup of powdered sugar
A few tablespoons of water
Drizzle over muffins right before serving.
Notes: Chopped pecans or walnuts would be a fabulous addition to the muffins!
Posted by Dianne at 9:15 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
June 30, 2008
Gluten-Free Dinner Muffins
Still on my quest to find a dinner "roll" for Jamison that is gluten-free. I've tried some of the recipes out there that are supposed to be to "die" for, but so far no dice. This recipe makes a quick, yeast free muffin and they are really quite good, however you would want to eat these the day you bake them or the next because after that they get kind of gummy and/or chewy.
What You'll Need:
2/3 cup of tapioca flour
3/4 cup of sweet rice flour
1 1/2 cups of sorghum flour
2 tablespoons of xanthan gum
2 tablespoons of organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder
2 eggs
1 2/3 cup of buttermilk
1/3 cup of safflower oil
Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a large bowl mix tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, sorghum flour, xanthan gum, organic cane sugar, sea salt and baking powder and stir until incorporated. Dump eggs, buttermilk and safflower oil into the dry mixture and stir until a sticky dough forms:
Next spoon the "dough" into a muffin pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray:
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes roughly 2 dozen muffins.
Notes: No notes for this one...Gluten-free baking is a pretty exact thing. If you tweak it you end up with a mess.
Posted by Dianne at 1:08 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
April 30, 2008
Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
Gluten free bread, whether commercially made, or made from scratch is largely hit or miss, especially when you are used to eating the glutenized equivalents. I've talked to several people who no longer can eat gluten and their reactions are largely hit and miss too. One person told me after not having gluten for years they still hadn't found a gluten free bread that was to their liking. Another told me that they had no problem switching over to gluten free breads and actually enjoyed their bread of choice. Jamison would squarely fall in the former category and not the latter and given he's a very picky eater (yeah I know) this bread journey has been an adventure in and of itself! I have to admit though he's been a very good sport.
Right after we found out that Jamison couldn't eat gluten we purchased a bread machine
This bread is really good for gluten free. It doesn't dry out after a day or two after some gluten free baked goods do. It has a very nice texture and a nice crumb too. The taste is also mild and it doesn't overpower what you're putting on your sandwich. We've been really pleased with this concoction and I bake a loaf every week or so so that Jamison has bread for his lunch to take to work. I have not tried it out in a conventional oven, though I intend to do that one day soon. So far we've just stuck to the bread machine
What You'll Need:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups of warm water
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of honey
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons of powdered milk
1 tablespoon or organic cane sugar
2 cups of sweet rice flour
1 cup of tapioca flour
1/2 cup of sorghum flour
2 tablespoons of xanthum gum
2 teaspoons of sea salt
4 teaspoons of yeast
Into the well of your bread machine dump eggs through organic cane sugar. The machine will do the mixing for you so don't worry about stirring.
In a large bowl whisk or sift together sweet rice flour through sea salt until well incorporated. Once mixed dump the dry mixture on top of the wet ingredients. The machine will mix these together too. Dump yeast on top of the dry mixture and set the machine on the Basic 2 pound setting.
My machine also has a setting for light, medium or dark crust. If yours has this setting too then set it for medium. Start the machine and go back in and take a look between five and ten minutes to make sure that all the flour is incorporated. You may need to scrape down the sides of the well to make sure everything incorporates. I'm not sure why this is the case with gluten free breads, but I've had to do this with every loaf I've made even the mix
After the first mix and when you've scraped down the sides the dough will look like this:
The dough is very shaggy and makes a very rustic loaf.
After it has risen it will look like this:
Still shaggy, but roughly doubled in size.
The top and sides turn a lovely brown:
And thus your have your finished loaf. It's moist and holds up well and is easily sliced with a bread knife. It's just perfect for sandwiches.
Notes: Make sure that you use sweet rice flour and not just plain brown or white rice flour. It really adds to the texture and taste of the bread. Also the tapioca flour helps retain the moisture and give you the tender crumb. You could most likely use all honey or all organic cane sugar and it should work fine. The olive oil also lends to the crumb and flavor. You could substitute safflower oil or something if you wanted, but I wouldn't recommend that substitution.
Posted by Dianne at 9:21 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
April 17, 2008
Banana Bread with Toasted Pecans
Right before Grant was born my sister and I were discussing banana bread as I had a ton of bananas that were past eating stage, but just right for baking banana bread. She told me about a recipe that utilized toasted pecans, but I am really a sold on my adapted version of my mom's banana bread recipe and I think it's the best banana bread I've ever had, though the idea of the toasted pecans intrigued me. So what to do? I decided to toast some pecans and add them to my base recipe and I have to admit it was really good!
This recipe is a simple, quick solution that makes use of those bananas that are past their prime. The banana gives the bread such a lovely undertone, while the toasted pecans give it just the right punch. The best part is that the recipe makes two loaves so you have one for you and one to share or you can even freeze a loaf for later!
This bread is wonderful sliced right out the oven and it's also good at room temperature. You can eat it plain, spread on a little butter or even a little peanut butter and you've got a wonderful snack or even breakfast! What's not to like?
What You'll Need:
6-8 very ripe bananas
1 cup of organic cane sugar
1/2 cup of safflower oil or unsweetened apple sauce (Note: The apple sauce would make it healthier all while helping hold together the bread as the oil does. I make it with oil sometimes, but for the most part I utilize the apple sauce instead.)
4 eggs
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder
4 cups of unbleached all purpose flour (Note: You can use white whole wheat flour if you like. This batch was made with all purpose flour, but normally I use the white whole wheat flour instead.)
2 cups of pecans, chopped and toasted
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In the bowl of a mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat bananas until smooth.
Next add sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil or apple sauce to the bananas and mix until smooth.
In a large bowl sift or whisk together flour, sea salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix dry ingredients in with the banana mixture and stir until mixed. Set aside.
In medium sized skillet add chopped pecans and toast in a dry pan over medium heat until they turn slightly brown and you begin to smell their nutty flavor. Add nuts to the batter and stir to mix throughout.
Spray 2 loaf pans with non-stick spray and half the batter between the two pans. Place the pans on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes until bread is done through. Let sit in the pans for 5-10 minutes and then turn out to cool.
Makes two loaves.
Notes: For an added bonus you can stir in chocolate chips or raisins or even blueberries. You could also use a different type of nut. It's all up to you and your tastes.
Posted by Dianne at 7:16 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 29, 2008
Daring Bakers February 2008 Challenge: Julia Child's French Bread
This month's challenge was hosted by Mary from The Sour Dough and Sara from I Like To Cook and they chose Julia Child's French Bread and let me tell you the finished product is to die for! I ended up baking one batard and two round loaves and I was very pleased with the result.
Up front I have to admit I've never really been a huge fan of Julia Child. I saw her as a child on television here and there and I knew she cooked, but she never really made that much of an impression on me. I know there are a lot of food bloggers out there that were big fans however and when this challenge was announced they were thrilled. The Julia factor didn't mean that much to me personally, but when I found out we were making French Bread however I was ecstatic! I mean homemade French Bread...What's not to love??
I've always wanted to try to make homemade French Bread, but just never got around to making any. I took one look at the recipe and its length and then coupled with some of the chatter from some of the other Daring Bakers I began to feel a bit of apprehension, but that apprehension was completely unfounded. The recipe, while in-depth, was actually quite uncomplicated and straight forward, though honestly it was time consuming, but in the end the effort was well worth the results.
The recipe said to let the bread rest for several hours before cutting into it, but we ended up enjoying one of the round loaves right out of the oven and it was heavenly! The bread was very good the next day reheated as well, but there is just something about bread right out of the oven and I actually liked it best freshly baked, but again it was really good the next day too, so you wouldn't really be cheating yourself by waiting.
I baked my loaves on my Silpats and I also placed a dish of water in the oven before preheating it to make a nice, moist baking environment. Another trick I used was spritzing the loaves with water with a spray bottle a couple of times both before baking and during the first ten minutes of the baking cycle. I also spritzed them once after removing them from the oven. I do this when I bake sour dough bread (minus the last spritz once out of the oven) and it just creates an unbeatable crust and helps the bread itself as it's baking.
The round loaves would be just perfect to hollow out and use a bread bowl for soup, chili or stew. They could also be used to serve dips or something of that nature at a party or pot luck for a little extra pizazz and flare. Most of all they could just be eaten as is, because after all we are talking homemade French Bread here and what's better than homemade bread! ;o)
The batard, the long loaf, turned out just how you would expect a loaf of French bread to turn out. Jamison actually enjoyed some of this the next night with a little butter to accompany his spaghetti. The round loaves were impressive, but the long loaf was really just beautiful. The way it baked, the slits just split perfectly, the crumb was gorgeous and I had no complaints whatsoever.
The dough itself was just gorgeous too. This is before the first rise:
It was supple and very smooth.
The next picture is after the first rise:
There were lovely little gas bubbles throughout the dough. You can see one of them poking out there on the back side.
Another element I really liked about the bread was the crumb as I mentioned above. It was so light and airy, yet it had a substance to it as well.
As I mentioned above the recipe is quite detailed. Instead of putting it here I'll just let you visit Mary and/or Sara and see the details there. Thanks ladies for a great challenge! Also don't forget to stop by the Daring Baker's Blog Roll and see how the other ladies and gentleman's loaves turned out.
I can't wait to see what next month's challenge brings! :o)
Posted by Dianne at 6:48 AM | Comments (31) | TrackBack
December 10, 2007
Banana Carrot Bread
Most everyone liked freshly baked breads and that makes them the perfect holiday gift! Bread doesn't have to be your standard white bread either. You can do all sorts of things with various fruits, veggies and grains! Throw in some nuts and you've got a wonderful loaf that makes a gift that bread lovers will love to receive.
This recipe is wonderful in that it makes two loaves, so you have two to share, or one for yourself and one to share. You can even make muffins instead of loaves and have a few dozen muffins to share! This is also one of those breads that freezes beautifully so you can make it now and share it later or pull it out for a special holiday breakfast. No matter what you do if you like bananas and carrots, or know someone that does, then this is the bread for you!
What You'll Need:
5 bananas, mashed
1 cup of organic cane sugar
1/2 cup of natural brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 cups of flour (Note: You can use whatever type of flour you want. All purpose, white whole wheat, whole wheat, etc.)
2 cups of carrots, shredded
2 cups of pecans, chopped (Note: Measure two cups of pecans and then chop them)
1 cup of raisins
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl mashed bananas. Add sugars, eggs and vanilla and mix until creamed. Stir in sea salt, baking powder and baking soda until just mixed. Next add flour and mix until just incorporated. Stir in carrots, nuts and raisins and pour batter into two loaf pans that have been greased or sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour until bread sticks clean.
Notes: If you want you can add in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg to the mix. You could also "frost" the loaves with cream cheese icing for a more cake like gift. The texture of this bread is amazing. It's moist and the bits of fruit and nuts add just the right touch.
Posted by Dianne at 12:12 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 26, 2007
Daring Bakers: Tender Potato Bread
I have joined the Daring Bakers and this months challenge was Tender Potato Bread! The recipe is from Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour & Tradition Around the World by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid and was given by this month's host Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups.
Now let's talk about the bread itself! This truly is a delicious bread! You simply have to try it! It can be made into so many different things and nothing is better than a versatile recipe! ;o) Tanna's directions are below and my notes follow.
What You'll Need:
4 medium to large floury (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks. (Tanna Note: For the beginner bread baker I suggest no more than 8 ounces of potato; for the more advanced no more than 16 ounces. The variety of potatoes you might want to use would include Idaho, Russet & Yukon gold, there are others.)
4 cups(950 ml) water, reserve cooking water
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 ½ cups to 8 ½ cups (1 kg to 1350g) unbleached all-purpose
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (130g) whole wheat flour
Making the Dough (Directions will be for making by hand):
Put the potatoes and 4 cups water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook, half covered, until the potatoes are very tender.
Drain the potatoes, SAVE THE POTATO WATER, and mash the potatoes well. (Tanna Note: I have a food mill I will run my potatoes through to mash them.)
Measure out 3 cups(750ml) of the reserved potato water. Add extra water if needed to make 3 cups. Place the water and mashed potatoes in the bowl you plan to mix the bread dough in. Let cool to lukewarm (70-80°F/21 - 29°C) – stir well before testing the temperature – it should feel barely warm to your hand. You should be able to submerge you hand in the mix and not be uncomfortable.
Add yeast to 2 cups all-purpose flour and whisk. Add yeast and flour to the cooled mashed potatoes & water and mix well. Allow to rest/sit 5 minutes.
Note about Adding Yeast: If using Active Dry Yeast or Fresh yeast, mix & stir yeast into cooled water and mashed potatoes & water and let stand 5 minutes. Then add 2 cups of flour to the yeast mix and allow to rest several minutes. If using Instant Dry Yeast, add yeast to 2
cups all-purpose flour and whisk. Add yeast and flour to the cooled mashed potatoes & water and mix well. Allow to rest/sit 5 minutes.
Sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon salt and the softened butter; mix well. Add the 1 cup whole wheat flour, stir briefly.
Add 2 cups of the unbleached all-purpose flour and stir until all the flour has been incorporated.
(Tanna Note: At this point you have used 4 cups of the possible 8 ½ cups suggested by the recipe.)
Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, incorporating flour as needed to prevent sticking. The dough will be very sticky to begin with, but as it takes up more flour from the kneading surface, it will become easier to handle; use
a dough scraper to keep your surface clean. The kneaded dough will still be very soft. Place the dough in a large clean bowl or your rising container of choice, cover with plastic wrap or lid, and let rise about 2 hours or until doubled in volume.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead gently several minutes. It will be moist and a little sticky.
Forming the Bread:
Divide the dough into 2 unequal pieces in a proportion of one-third and two-thirds (one will be twice as large as the other). Place the smaller piece to one side and cover loosely.
To shape the large loaf:
Butter a 9 x 5 x 2.5 inch loaf/bread pan. Flatten the larger piece of dough on the floured surface to an approximate 12 x 8 inch oval, then roll it up from a narrow end to form a loaf. Pinch the seam closed and gently place seam side down in the buttered pan. The dough should come
about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 35 to 45 minutes, until puffy and almost
doubled in volume.
To make a small loaf with the remainder:
Butter an 8x4X2 inch bread pan. Shape and proof the loaf the same way as the large loaf.
To make rolls:
Butter a 13 x 9 inch sheet cake pan or a shallow cake pan. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball under the palm of your floured hand and place on the baking sheet, leaving 1/2 inch between the balls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 35 minutes, until puffy and almost doubled.
To make focaccia:
Flatten out the dough to a rectangle about 10 x 15 inches with your palms and fingertips. Tear off a piece of parchment paper or wax paper a little longer than the dough and dust it generously with flour. Transfer the focaccia to the paper. Brush the top of the dough generously with olive oil, sprinkle on a little coarse sea salt, as well as some rosemary leaves, if you wish and then finally dimple all over with your fingertips. Cover with plastic and let rise for 20 minutes.
Baking the bread(s):
Note about baking order: bake the flat-bread before you bake the loaf; bake the rolls at the same time as the loaf.
Note about cooling times: Let all the breads cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Rolls can be served warm or at room temperature.
For loaves and rolls:
Dust risen loaves and rolls with a little all-purpose flour or lightly brush the tops with a little melted butter or olive oil (the butter will give a golden/browned crust). Slash loaves crosswise two or three times with a razor blade or very sharp knife and immediately place on the stone, tiles or baking sheet in the oven. Place the rolls next to the loaf in the oven.
Bake rolls until golden, about 30 minutes. Bake the small loaf for about 40 minutes. Bake the large loaf for about 50 minutes.
Transfer the rolls to a rack when done to cool. When the loaf or loaves have baked for the specified time, remove from the pans and place back on the stone, tiles or baking sheet for another 5 to 10 minutes. The corners should be firm when pinched and the bread should
sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
For foccaia:
Place a baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles, if you have them, if not use a no edged baking/sheet (you want to be able to slide the shaped dough on the parchment paper onto the stone or baking sheet and an edge complicates things). Place the stone or cookie sheet on a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F/230°C.
If making foccacia, just before baking, dimple the bread all over again with your fingertips. Leaving it on the paper, transfer to the hot baking stone, tiles or baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack (remove paper) and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
Dianne's Notes: First off this recipe simply makes a very beautiful dough. It's just perfect!
The recipe said to bake for almost an hour at 400 F. The bread was done after 30 minutes and if I had left it in the oven for an hour it would have been burned to a crisp. If I made this again I would drop the temperature to 350 F and bake for about 45-50 minutes instead of the higher temperature.
On the potato front I ended up with twice what I needed. I think two potatoes would be more apt to the amount needed, but as Tanna mentioned it all is in your perception of what a medium potato might be and I'm sure everyone would look at that differently.
I ended up baking two loaves of bread. A big one and a small one. I braided the bigger one, but it was hard to see in the baked outcome. The smaller loaf was "prettier", but it all tastes the same in the end! ;o)
I would like to try it with one of the more "healthy" potatoes such as sweet potatoes or blue potatoes to see how it would turn out. I would also like to try it with all whole wheat or white whole wheat flour instead of using white flour.
That was fun! I can't wait to see what December's challenge brings! ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 4:40 PM | Comments (32) | TrackBack
November 15, 2007
Thanksgiving Yummy: Maple Pumpkin Bread
Oh my what a day, what a DAY! I don't think I've made an entry this late in the day (or night as the case may be! ;o)) since I started Dianne's Dishes, but that's neither here nor there. Let's get on to the Thanksgiving recipe instead, shall we? ;o)
Even on Thanksgiving you've simply got to eat breakfast! Why not go with a pumpkin theme? Mmmmm Pumpkin! Maple Pumpkin Bread is just the thing to get the day started off on a holiday note. This bread is simple, quick and delicious! The best part is that you can make it ahead of time and simply enjoy a leisurely breakfast before all the joy and thankfulness! ;o)
What You'll Need:
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour OR white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice mix
1 1/4 cup of natural brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup of maple syrup
2 eggs
1 cup of buttermilk
1 - 15 ounce can of pumpkin (Note: NOT pumpkin pie mix!)
1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (Also know as pepitas)
Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a large bowl mix flour through pumpkin pie spice mix, along with 1 cup of brown sugar and stir to mix. Add maple syrup through pumpkin and stir to mix thoroughly. Stir in nuts and pumpkin seeds until incorporated. Pour batter into 2 greased or sprayed loaf pans. Sprinkle the batter with 1/4 cup of brown sugar spread evenly between the two loaves.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool to the touch before removing the loaves from the pans. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes: You could easily make this batter as muffins. They would most likely bake for 12-15 minutes or until they stick done. You could also add in a cup of raisins or use another type of nut. 2 cups of chopped apple would be a nice addition as well. You can serve it right out of the oven OR you can freeze it for up to six weeks and thaw before using. You can even top a slice with a little peanut butter...It sounds weird, but it's great so what are you waiting for? ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 9:56 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 8, 2007
Batter "Muffins"
I've been experimenting lately with breads that don't require yeast. Sometimes it's just nice to whip up a batch of something without having to wait for proofing and rising and such. These "muffins" are quick, easy and delicious. They are just perfect as a complement to a quick week night meal!
What You'll Need:
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 tablespoon of organic cane sugar
2 eggs
1-1 1/2 cups of buttermilk
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a large bowl mix flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and sugar with a spoon until incorporated. Add eggs and enough milk to make a thick batter. (Note: Due to humidity you may need more or less milk. Eyeball it. You want the batter to be much thicker than pancake batter, but not quite dough like.) Spoon batter into a muffin pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray filling each cup 3/4ths of the way full. Bake for 10-12 minutes until "muffins" are golden brown.
Notes: You could add in 1/3 cup of chives and 1 cup of cheddar for Cheddar Chive "Muffins". You could even add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or salt as well, but if you choose garlic salt, omit the sea salt from the recipe above.
Posted by Dianne at 9:00 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 30, 2007
Whole Wheat Sunflower Seed Herb Bread
Nothing beats home baked bread. It tastes heavenly and it doesn't have all those nasty preservatives, high fructose corn syrup or trans-fats! If you have a bread maker it's even easier! By utilizing whole grains and natural sweeteners you can make a killer loaf of bread that isn't so bad for you.
What You'll Need:
1 1/4 cup evaporated skim milk
1/3 cup of warm water
1 1/2 cups of white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of honey
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried basil (optional)
1 teaspoon of dried thyme (optional)
4 teaspoons of yeast
1 tablespoon of wheat germ
1 tablespoon of wheat bran
1 tablespoon of ground flax seed
1/2 cup of raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
Dump ingredients into a bread maker and set to the 2 pound whole wheat cycle.
If you wanted it would be simple to make this bread the traditional way too. Mix the ingredients until the dough forms. Let rise in a greased bread pan for 1 hour. Preheat you oven to 375 F and bake until golden brown (approximately 30-40 minutes).
Notes: You can use any herbs you like. 2 tablespoons of chopped dry rosemary and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for Garlic Rosemary bread. You could add in a couple of tablespoons of dill and a cup or so of cheddar for a lovely Cheddar Dill Bread.
Posted by Dianne at 7:15 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 24, 2007
Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
This recipe is a healthier take on my Mom's traditional Banana Bread recipe utilizing whole grains and natural sugars. The great thing is that in muffin form it's also quick and easy! They are good hot right of the oven or cold the next day. If you like banana muffins then these are the way to go!
What You'll Need:
1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup of honey
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped (Note: You can use any nut you like or even omit them.)
2 cups of white whole wheat flour
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cream bananas, honey, eggs and apple sauce until relatively smooth. (Note: A few banana chunks here and there is not a bad thing.) Add remaining ingredients, except flour and mix well. Stir in flour until just incorporated.
Scoop out into a muffin pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or has liners and bake from 12-15 minutes until golden brown and muffins stick done.
Makes approximately 24 muffins.
Notes: You can add in a cup of other fruits along with the bananas if you like such as peaches or blueberries. You can also add in a cup of peanut butter for a different twist.
Posted by Dianne at 7:43 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 27, 2007
Lazy Weekend
We had a very lazy weekend this weekend. It was fabulous! I also took a break from cooking. I know, I know...Me not cooking? Scandalous isn't it? ;o)
Here's a couple of picture of the rolls I made on Friday before my cooking strike. I found a recipe for Parker House Rolls over at Dine and Dish and decided to try them and oh my they were heavenly!
The dough was beautiful!
It was elastic and wonderful! Truly some of the best dough I've worked with!
And the rolls turned out beautifully too!
They rose perfectly and continued to grow while they were in the oven!
And the inside...
The inside was light and airy! Delicious!
Now the basics of what I did. I halved the recipe and it made about 15 rolls. I also let my mixer do the last kneading step with just the regular paddle attachment for 2 1/2 minutes on low instead of 10 by hand. I cut the rolls, but didn't fold them. I just left them to rise and then brushed them with butter before baking. I'll definitely be making these again!
I'll be back tomorrow with a new recipe and such. My cooking strike is over! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend as well. I know I did!
Posted by Dianne at 10:49 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 1, 2007
Fried Buttermilk Chicken and Biscuits
It would appear I'm on a southern food kick this week! It must be this god awful heat that is making me think of childhood comfort food from Tennessee! ;o) Fried Chicken is the very epitome of what you think about when you think of southern cuisine. Throw in some Buttermilk Biscuits and mashed potatoes and you've got southern through and through!
What You'll Need For the Buttermilk Fried Chicken:
1 chicken, cut into pieces
1 quart of buttermilk
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 tablespoon of paprika
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
3 tablespoons of Vogue Cuisine Instant Vege Base Soup and Seasoning or vegetable bullion powder
Sea salt
Black Pepper
Oil for frying (I like safflower)
You can either buy the whole chicken cut up by your butcher or you can cut it up yourself. Either way, once it's in pieces wash chicken and pat dry. In a large container with a sealable lid place layer the chicken and cover with the quart of buttermilk. Place container in the fridge and leave it there for at least 24 hours.
When ready to make chicken heat oil to 350 F in a large skillet or stock pot. ( I prefer to use a stock pot...Less splashing and chance for burns!) Preheat oven to 425 F.
While oil is heating mix together flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and Vogue Cuisine Instant vege Base Soup and Seasoning and place in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Then dredge each piece in the flour mixture to cover completely. Place directly into heated oil and cook until each piece is golden brown turning once or twice to ensure all sides are browned.
Place fried chicken on a baking sheet that is topped with a cookie wrack or a broil pan with top and bake for 10-12 minutes to make the chicken crisp. Drop heat to warm (about 170 F) and leave chicken in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
Notes: The larger the piece the longer the frying time. It takes roughly 7-10 minutes per side for a large breast piece. A wing takes about 2-3 minutes per side. Watch the color and you want it to just be golden. You also don't want to completely cover the chicken with oil. You just want it to come up the sides of each piece. 2-3 inches of oil is usually what you're looking for. Fried Chicken also makes a good picnic food the next day cold.
I decided to change my regular biscuit recipe a bit and play around with it a little. This was the result...I was very pleased!
What You'll Need For the Buttermilk Biscuits:
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon of organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 stick of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups of buttermilk (Note: You made need more or less depending on humidity. Add slowly and once the dough forms stop!)
Melted butter for brushing, optional
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and sea salt into a large bowl or into the bowl of your food processor. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or the food processor until crumbly. Add buttermilk and stir until just mixed. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out the dough and cut into biscuits using a glass or biscuit cutter. Place on a baking sheet that has been lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. Let the biscuits sit for 20-25 minutes and rest. Then brush with melted butter if desired and baked for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Posted by Dianne at 9:49 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
July 23, 2007
Yeast Rolls
This morning when I was perusing my daily RSS feeds I came across this recipe on the food blog called What Geeks Eat.
Oh.
My.
Gosh!
These are so good! I didn't have any milk so I used a pint of half and half instead. I also only used a teaspoon of salt, instead of two. Jamison thought they needed a bit more sugar, so I may experiment with that next time, but personally I think they were good as is! Alexis liked them too!
And the dough...
The dough is soft and supple and is a joy to work with!
The rolls also rise up like a dream...
And they almost double in size when baked!
If you get a chance try these rolls! They are extremely simple to make and I think you'll love them!
Posted by Dianne at 8:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 6, 2007
Banana Bread
This recipe is quick and easy! It's a great way to get rid of those bananas that are bit too ripe! Who doesn't have a few of those lying around? ;o)
What You'll Need:
1/2 cup of safflower oil or unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup of organic cane sugar
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (or nuts of your choice), optional
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Beat together bananas, sugar, eggs and apple sauce. Add remaining ingredients, except flour and mix well. Stir in flour until just incorporated.
Pour batter into a loaf pan or muffin pans that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake loaf for 1 hour or until loaf sticks done. Bake muffins for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Makes 1 loaf or about 24 muffins.
Notes: You can add a cup of raisins or chocolate chips to mix it up a bit. As stated in the recipe any type of nut will work as well. Blueberries would make a nice addition or peaches, for a multifruit loaf. As always play around with it...You never know what you might come up with! ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 10:25 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 1, 2007
Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Bread is one of those things that immediately sounds delicious if you're in to such things. There are many variations of this bread, but my recipe is an adaptation of my mom's Banana Bread. I've even seen recipes that called for chocolate chips! The possibilities are endless, but anyway you slice it (yeah I went there again! ;op) it's delicious!
What You'll Need:
2 large zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup of safflower oil or unsweetened apple sauce
2 eggs
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of heavy cream or half and half
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup of raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat together oil (or apple sauce) and sugar. Stir in eggs and zucchini. Add remaining ingredients and place batter into one prepared loaf pan. Bake for 35-30 minutes or until golden brown and sticks done.
Posted by Dianne at 8:15 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
March 30, 2007
Yeast Muffins
These are a staple around my household. Alexis and Jamison love them! I adapted the recipe from one of my Mom's recipes and I even tweak it to this day. You can add cheese and garlic to make garlic cheese muffins, or onions and rosemary for another twist. The possibilities are endless! They are quick, easy and delicious when you really want a yeast bread and fast! There is no rising process...What's not to like?
What You'll Need:
1 cup of warm water
1/3 cup of organic cane sugar
4 teaspoons of yeast
1 stick of butter, melted
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of low-fat sour cream
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Mix yeast and sugar into water and let sit until foamy. (About 2 minutes.)
Melt butter in a large glass bowl and add yeast mixture and salt. Stir in sour cream and flour and mix well. Dough will not form into a ball. It's a very sticky type dough that resembles very thick pancake batter. Scoop into a muffin pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes about 12 muffins.
Posted by Dianne at 6:37 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 19, 2007
Irish Soda Bread
I've always loved Irish Soda Bread and have made it several times over the years. This recipe is adapted from The Little Irish Baking Book
What You'll Need:
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
6 cups of whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 quart of buttermilk
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Mix all ingredients in a very large bowl until dough forms. Divide dough and shape into two large or 4 small round loaves. Cut an X on the top of each loaf and bake for 40 minutes to an hour, until bread is browned and sounds hollow when tapped.
Note: Smaller loaves will take less time. Check them 30 minutes into the baking process and keep an eye on them from there if they aren't done yet. They brown quickly, but the inside takes longer to bake.
Posted by Dianne at 9:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 10, 2007
Potato Soup With Buttermilk Biscuits
There's nothing like a warm, creamy, potato soup! It's comforting and oh so good! Throw in some buttermilk biscuits and you've got comfort food to a tee!
What You'll Need For The Potato Soup:
3 small potatoes, peeled and cut into rounds
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 of a large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 of a large leek, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of heavy cream
2 cups of skim milk
Peel 3 small potatoes and slice into rounds. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain and mash. Set aside.
In a medium sized pot sauté onion, leek and celery until tender. Stir in cubed potatoes a little sea salt, some freshly ground black pepper and cook for about 2 minutes. Add butter and let melt. Once butter is melted stir in heavy cream and skim milk. Cook for 30 minutes and then stir in mashed potatoes to help thicken the soup. Cook for an additional 30 minutes and serve warm.
Makes 2-4 servings.
What You'll Need For The Buttermilk Biscuits:
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of transfat free vegetable shortening
2 cups of buttermilk
Butter, melted (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Mix flour, sea salt, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut vegetable shortening into the flour mixture. Stir in buttermilk until dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead a few times. Roll out dough with a rolling pin and cut biscuits with a glass or biscuit cutter. Place onto a baking pan that is lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. Brush the tops with melted butter if desired. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Makes about 15 biscuits.
Posted by Dianne at 11:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 27, 2007
Homemade Loaf Bread
I've been making a lot of bread lately and it's true...Once you start making your own, the stuff you buy at the store just doesn't seem that appealing! This is an old recipe that I've had for years. I remember making it when I lived in Knoxville and I left there in 1997, so it's been a while. I believe I copied the recipe from my Mom's recipe box, but I can't remember for sure and of course being me I've adapted it over the years. Regardless it's extremely good! Try it...You'll like it! There's just nothing like freshly made bread right out of the oven!
What You'll Need:
4 teaspoons of yeast
1 1/4 cup of warm water
2 tablespoons of melted butter
2 teaspoons of sea salt
2 tablespoons of honey
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
Mix yeast, water, butter, salt and honey and stir to mix. Add flour and stir until a sticky dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes until elastic. Place in an oiled bowl in a warm spot and cover. Let sit for 45 minutes to 1 hour and let double in size.
Punch dough down and shape into a loaf. Place in a bread pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, cover and let rise again for 45 minutes to 1 hour and let the dough rise and fill the pan. (I have a larger bread pan and when I first put the dough in it doesn't "fit" the pan, but after it rises for a while it fills in nicely!)
Preheat oven to 375 F and bake for 30 minutes.
More bread to come. I'm trying to find one that Jamison adores, and anyone that knows him knows how picky he is! This one wasn't quite what he was looking for, though I liked it a lot! My goal is to not have to buy the nasty stuff at the store anymore! ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 8:45 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 26, 2007
Dianne's Take On Semolina Bread
A few days ago I came across this recipe for Semolina Bread and I knew I would have to try it! The below recipe is my adaptation. Even Jamison liked it! ;o)
What You'll Need For The Starter:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of warm water
1 teaspoon dry yeast
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Mix water and yeast in a bowl and let sit until yeast foams. Add flour and stir until dough is incorporated. Dough will be sticky. Transfer starter dough into a large oiled bowl and let rise, covered overnight. (I usually let bread rise in my oven with the light on. It gives off just enough heat to make a wonderful raising area.)
What You'll Need For The Semolina Bread:
1 cup of starter
3 cups warm water
3 teaspoons dry yeast
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
4 cups semolina flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 egg, beaten
In a large bowl add 3 cups of warm water and add yeast. Let yeast sit until foamy. Add starter to yeast mixture (reserve left over starter in fridge to make bread again) and stir until it begins to dissolve. Sift together salt and flours. Add flour mixture to water mixture until a dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Place dough in a large oiled bowl and let sit for 45 minutes until 1 hour until doubled in size.
Punch down dough and cut into 4 pieces. Roll out once section of dough until it's flat:
Then roll the flat dough into a tube:
Twist dough tube into a figure eight and place on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper:
Brush with a beaten egg:
Top with sea salt and/or sesame seeds and/or herbs or leave plain with just egg wash:
Repeat procedure with other 3 pieces of dough.
Let shaped dough rise for 30-45 minutes until it rises again.
Preheat oven to 450 F and bake loaves for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 4 small loaves, 2 medium loaves or 1 large loaf.
Posted by Dianne at 1:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 7, 2007
Butternut Squash Soup And Cheese Muffins
We woke up this morning with snow on the ground and on days like today I want to bake things and I want to make soup! I decided I wanted to make an old stand by of mine Butternut Squash Soup and then my mind flew to Cheese Muffins and I wondered how the two would go together. It turns out they compliment each other quite well!
What You'll Need For the Soup:
1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 large sweet potato, cut into cubes
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large apple, cored and chopped
1 large stalk of celery, chopped
Coarse ground pepper
Pinch of sea salt
1 container of vegetable broth
Place veggies and apple in a large stock pot and pour in broth. Add water until the veggies and apple are just covered. Add salt and pepper. Bring ingredients to a boil over medium heat and cook until tender. Remove vegetables from broth, reserving the liquid. In a food processor or blender process veggies until smooth adding broth as needed to smooth out the mixture. (Normally no more than 1 cup of broth total).
Serve immediately.
Note: Leave the peels on the potatoes and apples for added vitamins. You can also add 3 or 4 garlic cloves if you like. It's a healthy, easy soup to play with and it's delicious!! I usually reserve the left over broth to make lentil soup or something later.
For The Cheese Muffins:
1/2 cup of butter, melted
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 cups of buttermilk
2 1/2 cups of shredded cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, etc.), divided
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Mix melted butter, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and milk until a very sticky dough forms. Stir in 2 cups of shredded cheese and stir until incorporated. Spoon into a muffin pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and put a little cheese on the top of each muffin. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes about 20 muffins.
Note: You can add in garlic salt with parsley or garlic powder and they taste very similar to the garlic cheese biscuits they serve at Red Lobster.
Posted by Dianne at 12:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 6, 2007
Bread Machine Brown Bread
I love brown bread! The darker the better in fact! I was recently very surprised to learn that the flour is not what makes the bread brown, but in fact the addition of unsweetened cocoa (no you didn't read that wrong...COCOA!) and/or coffee are what do the trick! I even asked a local baker what they used and their reply was "You won't believe me, but cocoa!" So I knew the recipes I was finding must not be off, though at first I was convinced that there were a lot of typos out there! ;o)
My pumpernickel flour has not arrived yet, but I decided to try a dark rye bread instead. This recipe is an adaptation from page 94 of the book "The Cook's Encyclopedia Of Bread Machine Baking" by Jennie Shapter
The bread is very hearty and soft. It's perfect! And I'm really beginning to believe the old adage if you make you own bread you won't want the stuff that comes from the store. It just tastes better!
What You'll Need:
Almost 1 2/3 cups of water
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons of honey
1 1/4 cups of rye flour
3/4 cup of whole wheat flour
2 1/4 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
3 tablespoons of wheat bran
3/4 cup of bread crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of yeast
Place in your bread maker's pan and set to the whole wheat cycle. (I used the 2 pound whole wheat rapid cycle). Sit back, let it do it's thing and in a few hours you'll have a scrumptious loaf of brown bread!
Posted by Dianne at 2:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 1, 2007
Everyone's Doing It: No Knead Bread
For a while now I've been reading with interest the buzz around the food blogs concerning a no knead bread recipe that was published in the New York Times. The recipe is adapted by Jim Lahey of the Sullivan Street Bakery and I decided that it sounded good and had to be tried. The results were excellent!
My next endeavor is going to be figuring out a whole wheat version, as well as a dark pumpernickel version, but for now I share with you the basic white no knead bread! It's super easy. What's not to like?
What You'll Need:
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water
Mix the ingredients together in a large dish and cover with a towel or saran wrap and sit in a warm place for 12-20 hours. (I've done two loaves and have let one sit 18 hours and one about 19.5.) I usually just put the dish in my oven with the oven light on. The light makes enough heat to make a nice rising place.
After it has risen it should look something like this:
This is a sitcky dough so don't let that make you think something is wrong. It isn't. It should be sticky.
Using a little bit of flour or corn meal turn the dough out onto a flat surface and fold over once. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.
At this point I deviated a bit from the recipe after the first go around. The recipe calls for taking a cotton towel (not terry cloth) and placing it in a bowl. Then you are supposed to cover the towel in flour and place the folded dough into the towel lined bowl. I did this the first time and the dough stuck to the towel . It wasn't pretty! It was a mess! So the next time I made it I lined my bowl with aluminum foil and sprayed it with a little non-stick spray. That worked MUCH better!
Let dough rise in the line bowl for about 3 hours. After 3 hours it should look something like this:
After the dough has risen for 3 hours you need to preheat your oven to 450 F WITH the bowl/pot you plan to bake the bread in in the oven. I used a Pyrex dish with a lid. I've seen it done in cast iron skillets or pots. It's up to you. I only heated the dish and not the lid.
Once the oven and dish/pot is preheated then remove the dish and dump the bread dough into the hot dish/pot carefully. Shake it around a couple of time with a pot holder to settle the dough. It may look lumpy, but don't worry it will all work out in baking. Put the lid on the dish/pot and bake for 30 minutes. Do NOT grease the pan. I know it sounds counter intuitive, but trust me it works!
At the end of 30 minutes take the lid off of your dish/pot and let the bread continue to cook for 15-20 more minutes or until browned.
You'll end up with a crusty, hearty white bead that is to die for!
At first when I saw this recipe, though everyone kept going on and on about how simple and good it was I hesitated due to the fact you have to let it sit so long the first rise. The best thing to do is mix it up in the afternoon and let it rise over night and then begin in the morning. It's really quite easy and it's really quite good! Try it...You'll love it!
Posted by Dianne at 2:33 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack