Pizza on the grill

Summer here in Illinois is finally right around the corner.  Spring here has been cold and rainy and now finally at the end of May we are just starting to enjoy the outside.  One of my favorite parts about the spring and summer is cooking on the grill.  Grilled food tastes amazing and it is fun to chill out on the deck and enjoying the outside while preparing dinner.

A couple days ago, we decided to try making pizza on the grill*.  Last summer, we tried it once and had mixed results.  We realized that making personal sized pizzas was far easier than trying to make one giant sized pizza.  Flipping a large pizza was too difficult for us.

Pizza on the Grill
1 recipe of your favorite pizza dough.**
1/2 cup tomato sauce
6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
10 fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic salt (or fresh minced garlic)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Take your pizza dough and split in half (or quarters if you prefer even smaller pizzas).  Roll very thin.  Lightly brush with olive oil.  Put olive oil side down on the hot grill for 3-4 minutes or until the bottom is crusty.  Brush top of crust with olive oil.  Flip crust over so the doughy side is now on the grill.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Spread on desired toppings.  Ours were tomato sauce, fresh basil leaves, fresh mozzarella, red pepper flakes, and garlic salt.  Cook until the cheese is melty.  Enjoy!

*We used a gas grill, we have never grilled pizza on a charcoal grill so cooking times may vary drastically.

** I like the Pioneer Woman's Pizza Dough.  It rolls nice and thin.  Her recipe makes enough for 2 full sized crusts, so I usually freeze half for a later date.  The only change that I make is I substitute 1 cup whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the all-purpose flour.

Butternut Squash Bread

My husband and I used to live in Seattle.  He loves it there, with the temperate climate and fantastic restaurants, longtime friends and access to a lot of good jobs.  I didn't so much love living there.  I was terribly homesick for the Midwest and my family and so when given the opportunity, I jumped at the chance to move back here.

However, Seattle is such a great city to visit and because we have some friends still living there, we try and make it back for a visit every year.  This year we went back in August, for a big birthday celebration.  The friend we stayed with lives right above Macrina Bakery.  Literally right above it.  Each morning I would go down and ogle the pastry display case and wait for my coffee and cinnamon roll.  They have a huge window that faces the street that you can watch as they prepare the days cakes and other goodies.  As a souvenir for myself, I picked up the Macrina Bakery cookbook.

This delicious take on pumpkin bread is from that cookbook.  Ideally, instead of using pumpkin, you make it with roasted butternut squash.  It is packed with pecans, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds adding crunch to this super moist bread (really more of a coffee cake).

Butternut Squash Bread adapted from Macrina Bakery Cookbook
2 cups roasted butternut squash
4 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk (I used powdered buttermilk and water)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
1 cup oil (I used peanut oil)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup hulled toasted pumpkin seeds (make sure they are hulled, I used ones with the shell on and it made for some chewy bread)
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Toast the seeds for about 20 minutes and toast the nuts for about 15 minutes on 375 degrees.  Toasting the nuts and seeds add a ton of flavor.

Mix together the remaining ingredients.  Fold in the3/4 of the  nuts and seeds.

Pour the batter into two greased loaf pans.  Sprinkle the remaining nuts and seeds on the top of the loaf.  Bake loaves for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. 

Allow to cool and enjoy.

Honey Wheat Bread

I tell you what, you go on vacation for two weeks and coming home is a shocker.  I have been home for four days and am still out of sorts.  This morning before work I managed to somehow stain my shirt and then got my hair stuck in the button trying to change out of it.  I cannot manage to sleep later than 5:30AM, suffering from reverse jet lag because I am totally exhausted by about 7PM.  You would think that I would be able to transition back home better. 

This bread is a great transitional bread.  Maybe you aren't sure you want to jump feet first into the whole wheat bread thing.  Try this.  The whole wheat flour adds depth and character while still being soft and sweet.  It is one of my family's favorite breads and it makes two loaves, so you can always share.

Honey Wheat Bread
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 cup wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons instant yeast
1 egg
4-5 cups all purpose flour

Combine water, cottage cheese, honey, and margarine in a saucepan and heat until the butter is melted.  Remove from heat and allow toll cool a bit.

In another bowl, combine 2 cups of all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, yeast and egg.  Add warm liquid and stir together.  Stir in remaining flour until you have a stiff dough.

Knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes).  Place in a greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise until dough is doubled in size (about 45-60 minutes)

Turn dough out on floured surface and knead again for a minute.  Divide dough in half and shape into two loaves.  Place into greased bread pans, cover, and allow to raise again until the loaves just rise over the rim of the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes for full loaves.  Allow to cool.

Daring Bakers October: Doughnuts!

I have been wanting to make doughnuts for a long time and as usual I have never found time.  The hot oil intimidated me.  Of course, that's when the Daring Bakers Challenge comes in.  I chose to make the first recipe of classic yeasted doughnuts, but decided to switch it up by adding apple cider instead of milk.  It is the season for apple doughnuts and I love them.

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

Yeast Doughnuts

1 cup apple cider
1/3 cup shortening
4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/3 cup warm water
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4-5 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

1.  Melt shortening in a glass measure in the microwave
2. Put the cider, yeast, shortening and warm water in a large bowl (for stand mixer if you have one)
3. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment of your mixer (if you have one), combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined.
4. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well.
5. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. If you do not have a dough hook/stand mixer – knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
6. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
7. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick. (Make sure the surface really is well-floured the dough is very sticky)
8. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter or pastry ring or drinking glass and using a 7/8-inch  ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking sheet (of course I did not follow this part of the directions and my dough stuck like crazy leading to misshapen doughnuts), cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
9. Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 °F/185°C.
10. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side or until golden brown.
11. Roll in granulated sugar.

Rye Bread

Honestly, there is not much good for me to say about this bread.  This baby looks pretty but tastes terrible!  I was looking for a savory loaf to enter in a local baking competition.  Naturally I turned to Peter Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice.  This book really has never failed me in the past.  The recipe for marbled rye looked so beautiful with its bulls eye swirls of dark and light rye.

Making the dough couldn't have been easier.  The two doughs are identical except for some coloring put into the dark rye.  Peter Reinhart recommends using caramel coloring, carob powder, or cocoa powder.  He warns against using cocoa powder because it can lend a bitterness to the dough.  The only thing I had was cocoa powder, so that is what I chose to use.  I have had trouble finding caramel coloring.  He was right, it does impart a bitter flavor into the bread which really turned me off.

I also had trouble with the bread being gummy.  I know that it is possible to overwork rye flour and I thought I was being careful.  I did use my stand mixer to mix the dough and so its possible that I overworked the dough without realizing it.  Maybe in the future I should hand knead rye bread.

This is the second time I have made this recipe without success.  Hopefully I can tweak my technique some more and have a reliable recipe for a savory direct method rye.

Strawberry Bread

Typically, I only make this bread at Christmas time.  My mom and sister and I make a bunch of mini loaves to make and add to our cookie plates.  This bread is a perfect winter bread, it calls specifically for sweetened frozen strawberries.

Now due to a cancellation, my angel food cake had to find another home (my husband's work) and I had to find a new occupation for my  thawed strawberries.  Strawberry bread it is.  This bread is moist, sweet, and perfect for breakfast or gift giving.  You can easily wrap and freeze this bread and it tastes just as good as when you baked it.

Strawberry Bread
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 24 ounce package frozen sweetened strawberries, juice and all
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup pecans, optional

Mix together wet ingredients.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix until just combined.  Add pecans last.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour

Whole Wheat Potato Rosemary Bread

Sometimes, when the world beats you up, its nice to come back to something familiar yet challenging.  The past couple of weeks have been rough on my psyche and baking bread has been just what I needed to sooth my mind.  These humble looking loaves have taste depths that are difficult to describe.  The rosemary and the roasted garlic add a bit of awesome that you can't quite place.  It tastes great on its own and even better slathered in butter.  I served it as a side to beef kabobs and it was perfect.  I was a little sad, this bread did not have the lift I am used to.  I presume it was because of its whole wheat nature.  I used Gold Medal whole wheat flour, I have been told that possibly trying different flours might give more height to the end bread.  Even so, it was delicious.  I wish that I had thought to photograph the inside.  I am going to submit this Potato Rosemary Bread to Wild Yeast's Yeast Spotting event this week.

Whole Wheat Potato Rosemary Bread adapted from Peter Reinhart

Boil one medium to large (6 oz)  potato in 3-4 cups of water until the potato is tender.  Save the water for the soaker and the biga.  Mash up the boiled potato and save until the final dough.

Biga
8 ounces whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 cup potato water
2 tablespoons regular water

Mix together.  Knead for a few minutes.  Refrigerate overnight.  Remove from the refrigerator about 2 hours before mixing the final dough

Soaker
3/4 cup potato water
Pinch of Kosher salt
8 ounces of whole wheat flour

Mix together and cover.  Leave out on counter for overnight.  If you are not going to make the final dough for a few days, whip the soaker in the frige

Final Dough
6 ounces mashed potato
All of the biga
All of the soaker
2 1/4 instant yeast
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 springs of fresh Rosemary about 3-4 inches long
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bulbs roasted garlic, mashed
Black pepper to taste
8 tablespoons whole wheat flour

To roast the garlic:  Take 2 bulbs of garlic and cut the tops off.  Rub olive oil on the exposed cloves of garlic.  Put on a baking sheet and bake for 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the cloves are squishy.

Mix everything together except the flour.  Knead the remaining tablespoons of flour in as needed.  The dough should be tacky.  Allow the dough to rest for a few minutes and then knead again until the dough passes the window pane test.  Cover and allow to raise about an hour.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute.  Shape into round loaves.  Brush with egg wash.  Allow to raise for another hour.

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Put a cast iron pan in the bottom of the oven and the baking stone on the second rack.  When the loaves are ready, brush them with the egg wash one more time.  Put in the oven and pour a cup of warm water into the cast iron pan.  Allow to bake for a couple of minutes and then turn the heat down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bake for another 45-50 minutes or so.

Walnut and Blue Cheese Sourdough

So a little while ago, I tried my hand at another batch of sourdough bread. Since I already had the barm, I was able to simply refresh it for a few days and then Saturday morning I was on my way. This bread has a starter that takes four hours to make. I again chose to spike the final dough with a tsp of yeast in order to have a simple 60-90 minute fermentation time. This time, however, I decided to try one of the variations that Peter Reinhart suggests and incorporate walnuts and blue cheese into the dough. The dough is very stiff to knead. I initially put it in my Kitchen Aid mixer and then after listening to it struggle, I pulled the dough out to knead by hand. It took a lot of kneading to become a smooth and elastic dough that passed the window pane test.

The final bread was fantastic. The blue cheese was a subtle overtone and the walnuts provided crunch as well as a crimson ribbon running through the bread. I did not know that the walnut oil turned the dough red until now. Because of the stronger flavor (both the sour flavor and the blue cheese) this bread makes a fantastic appetizer bread that pairs easily with wine. I also found some artichoke antipasto at Trader Joe's that is absolutely wonderful spread on the bread.

Scotch Ale Spent Grain Bread

I was recently lucky enough to acquire some spent brewer's grain from hard core home brewers that my husband works with. Rumor has it, this scotch ale that they make was amazing.  Not being a beer drinker myself, its hard to say, but the spent grain from this ale made fantastic bread.  The final product was a sweet and moist bread that was delicious on its own or paired with a little butter or cheese.  The best part about it, it is whole wheat.  I only used a few tablespoons of regular bread flour to soften it a touch and frankly, because I had run out of wheat flour.

I had enough spent grains to make two batches of this bread.  On the second round I tried making a rye soaker, but my husband and I both preferred the whole wheat soaker.  Ingredients like buttermilk, honey, and olive oil were added for flavor and softness.  Those can be omitted or reduced as desired.

I am going to submit this baby to Susan's weekly Yeast Spotting.  

SPENT GRAIN BREAD adapted from Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Bread

Soaker
8 ounces whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Mix ingredients together and leave covered overnight at room temperature.  I was unable to use it the next day so after being out overnight, the soaker was placed in the fridge for a couple of days.

Biga
8 ounces whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 cup water at room temperature

Mix ingredients together.  Knead for a few minutes.  Cover and place in the fridge.  I also had this in the fridge for a couple of days.

Final Dough
All of the soaker at room temperature
All of the biga at room temperature
4 ounces spent grains
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
5-7 tablespoons bread flour

Mix together all of the ingredients.  Once they come together in a ball, knead with the dough hook adding up to 7 tablespoons of bread flour as needed.  Allow mixture to rest for about 5-7 minutes and then knead until bread passes the windowpane test.  Allow to raise for about 1 hour.

Shape as desired.  I made this bread in a loaf pan and as a free standing loaf.  The dough is soft and does a bit better in a loaf pan.

Allow to raise again.  Heat oven to 450 degrees for 20 minutes and then turn temperature down to 350 degrees.  Bake bread at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade cinnamon rolls are hands down my favorite breakfast food.  My mom used to only make them for special occasions, like Christmas, and I would anticipate them for weeks.  I love these cinnamon rolls plain, warm, with icing, a few days old, any which way.  The basic sweet dough that makes these delicious lovelies also makes a fantastic clover dinner roll.

Cinnamon Rolls
2 packages active dry yeast (or 4 teaspoons instant yeast)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk, scalded and then cooled
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup margarine
4 1/2 to 5 cups all purpose flour
sugar and cinnamon to add to the inside of the dough

Microwave the butter and milk.  Add water and eggs to the mixture and stir.  Feel the bowl, if it is only lukewarm, add the yeast.  Mix in the rest of ingredients in, taking care to use the flour sparingly.  Knead for a few minutes and allow to rise until doubled.

Once the first proof is over, turn dough out onto a lightly flofured surface.  Roll dough out into a rectangle.  Melt some butter/margarine.  Brush melted butter onto the dough.  Sprinkle the buttered dough generously with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.  I use a mixture that is a little heavier on the sugar than cinnamon, but my husband prefers it opposite.  Roll the dough up and slice into rolls of desired thickness.  Honestly, these rolls are best a bit on the thin side.  I have tried making them fat, but the ratio of dough to filling was not as tasty.  Place the rolls on a pan.  Above I used a round cake pan, which makes the rolls nice an soft.  My mother always used a cookie sheet, which is very good, but makes for crustier outsides.

Allow rolls to rise for about an hour.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bake the rolls for 25 minutes or so.

Ice as desired.  My mother's icing was just a simple combination of powdered sugar, milk, and a teaspoon of vanilla.  Use as much milk as you would like to make the icing as thin as you like.

White bread with Asiago Cheese

I have found that basically any bread that you add cheese to, especially a nice strong cheese like asiago, is awesome.  This bread is soft, yet a bit chewy.  It has a creamy mouth-feel.  I have head that description for bread a million times, but did not really understand what it meant until I tasted this bread.  It tastes great with just a little butter but is sturdy enough to make a sandwich with.

ASIAGO CHEESE WHITE BREAD
adapted from Peter Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice

21.7 ounces bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup powdered milk
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 large egg, cold
4 tablespoons melted margarine
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup Asiago cheese, shredded

Mix together the ingredients and half of the cheese until they come together.  Knead with a dough hook for about 6 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test.  Then knead by the remaining cheese in by hand.  You can knead the whole thing by hand if desired, but it will take more time.

Allow to raise 1-1 1/2 hours.  Shape as desired.  I made one into a boule and one into a loaf.  Both worked great although this is a soft bread, so the loaf ended up being my preferred shape.

Allow to raise again for about another hour.  Egg wash the top and sprinkle some of the shredded Asiago cheese on top of the loaves.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Homemade Cheese and Pizza

I am not really sure what possessed me, but I recently got the bug to make homemade cheese.  My husband and I visited a dairy a few weeks back on the way home from his brother's graduation and I thought that the cheese that they made was absolutely divine.  Since I tend to find myself interested trying what I can make things from scratch, I thought cheese would be the perfect addition.

I looked around online a bit and found what seemed to be a fairly easy recipe for mozzarella cheese.  Perfect.  A nice soft cheese that tastes so much better fresh than in a block from the store.  Following the directions couldn't have been easier.  A gallon of whole milk, a little citric acid and rennet, a little salt and stretching and you have yourself some lovely homemade cheese.

My husband and I choose to use this homemade cheese to make some homemade pizza.  I have been struggling to find a pizza recipe that I really like.  The one from the Bread Baker's Apprentice is good, but takes two days to make and I rarely plan that far ahead.  My  mother had one, but oddly enough, it was too sweet.  Finally, I think that I have found my go-to.  Of course its from the Pioneer Woman.  I received her cookbook last Christmas from a former college roommate and decided to give it a whirl.  It was a good choice.  You can find it online here.  The dough was quick and easy.  It made enough for 2 pizzas so I was able to stick some in the freezer for another day.  It also baked up very nice and crispy, just what we look for in a pizza crust.

Tomato Basil Bread

My husband and I frequently eat at the chain restaurant Panera Bread.  They have pretty good food for your money and it is relatively quick to eat there without the greasy cheeseburgers.  I typically have their turkey sandwich on tomato basil bread.  It is a soft bread with a nice crust.  The tomato and basil flavors are there but subtle.  I decided that it should be a fairly simple recipe to try and recreate at home.

For my base recipe, I chose Peter Reinhart's White Bread Variation 1 out of his book The Bread Baker's Apprentice.  It was purported to be a soft bread, ideal for sandwiches.  Exactly what I was looking for.  Also, it used powdered milk and water to tenderize the bread rather than liquid milk, so I could easily substitute tomato juice for water.  I chose to use V8 as my tomato flavor, because it is a bit thicker than plain tomato juice and it happened to be what I had on hand.  I was also able to use fresh basil from my tiny herb garden on my deck.  Because the V8 was thicker than water, I did need to use more of V8 than the recipe called for.

The bread turned out to be a nice soft yet sturdy sandwich kind of bread.  My husband said it tasted like tomato soup in bread form.  I think that it will make quite delicious grilled cheese.

Tomato Basil Bread  loosely adapted from The Bread Baker's Apprentice

22.5 oz bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1/4 cup nonfat instant milk
3T and 1/4 tsp sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 cups low sodium V8
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped up

Mix together dry ingredients.  Pour in wet ingredients and mix together.  Knead for 6-8 minutes or until dough passes the windowpane test.  Dough at this point is quite wet.  Allow to raise for 1 hour.  Turn out onto well floured board and knead by had 2-3 minutes.  Shape into loaves and allow to raise for another hour or so.

Egg wash if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees until done. (Approximately 30-40 minutes)

Variations on a familiar theme

When I was a little girl, the fifth grade was the year you could join the band.  The real band.  Not the plastic recorder band, the real band with real instruments.  There was a day when you go and try out all of the instruments and the band director sort of guides you as to what instrument you should play based on what instrument you can make a noise out of.  I became a flutist.  We each got little purple books with songs to practice each week after lessons.  One of the first songs that we learned was "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."  After that there were songs labeled "Variations on a Familiar Theme" which were just more complex versions of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."  Those versions had slightly more complicated tempo, maybe a few eighth notes mixed in with the quarters and half notes.  Enough variation to make you feel special, like you could play something more complex.

This bread is like that.  I took the wonderful white potato bread recipe I have made a hundred times and jazzed it up, just a little.  Enough to taste more complex than it is.  A little healthier, a little deeper in flavor, but just as wonderful as the original.  I love this bread because is utilizes leftovers, but is just as tasty if you only have instant mashed potatoes.  I made two variations, because I had a lot of leftover mashed potatoes from Easter.  Both have the same directions, the ingredients are just a bit different.

Original
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 eggs
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4-6 cups all-purpose flour

Variation 1
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups water
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 cups all-purpose flour

This variation is very mild.  The only change was the addition of some whole wheat flour, which I always think adds a delicious flavor and a bit of healthiness without sacrificing softness.

Variation 2
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups water
2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

This was the second variation I made and I decided to increase the amount of whole wheat flour to see if the bread would still be as soft.  I also changed the white sugar to honey because I am experimenting with substituting honey for sugar where I can.  In certain things it just is not the same, but it seems to work well in bread.  In this variation, I seemed to need more flour.  I attribute it to the fact that the honey is liquid at room temperature where the sugar is a solid and thus the honey absorbs more flour.

Directions:
Mix ingredients together until all incorporated.  I used the paddle attachment of my KA mixer until it got too firm and then I switched to my dough hook.

Knead with dough hook or by hand until dough is a smooth ball.  I actually like to leave this dough a little sticky at this stage because I always end up incorporating more flour at the second kneading

Allow the dough to raise until double.  Put dough on floured bread board and shape as desired.  I always make this bread in loaf pans.  Its a loaf pan kind of bread.  Allow to raise until it just reaches the top of the pan.

Bake at 400 degrees until done.  This takes about 40-45 minutes with regular sized loaf pans.  I also like to use mini loaf pans which only take about 25 minutes to bake.

Allow to cool and enjoy with some butter or jam as desired.  This bread is quite sweet and I typically enjoy it for breakfast.  I suppose you could use it as a sandwich bread, but it does not hold up particularly well to a lot of weight.

No Knead Bread

I know, I know, everyone has posted about no knead bread.  Up to this point I have ignored all the hype about no knead bread.  To me, it felt like a cop out.  Like I wasn't putting enough effort into the bread by not kneading it, how could it possibly be as good?  But it is GOOD.  Really really good.  I was totally stunned.  This beautiful crusty loaf with a soft chewy middle actually required very little effort on my part.  Now, you do need to do a bit of planning because it is yeast bread and does have more than just one step.  However, your efforts will be rewarded.  This loaf tastes like something from a restaurant.  It is delicious on its own, but puts me over the moon when eaten with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic.

I got this recipe from the April issue of Martha Stewart Living. (Yes, I read the actual magazine...the photographs are just amazing!)  She was doing and interview with Jim Lahey, coauthor of My Bread.  This was the recipe he shared.

No Knead Bread-adapted from Martha Stewart Living
12 ounces bread flour
4.3 ounces whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoons table salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 cups room temperature water

Stir ingredients together in a bowl.  Cover and leave at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.  The next day, lightly knead the dough.  The dough will be stringy and sticky and so it is imperative to flour the bread board that you knead your bread on.  Shape into a boule and allow the dough to raise for another two hours.

Preheat your oven 475 degrees with the Dutch oven inside.  When the oven is sufficiently preheated then roll the dough into the hot Dutch oven.  Bake covered for 30 minutes and then uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.  The color of the crust is a nice dark brown.

Immediately remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool.

100 Percent Whole Wheat Bread

For Christmas, my sister-in-law got me Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Bread's.  Until now I have been too busy to even sit down and read it, let alone make anything out of it.  I have been interested in getting into whole grain breads for a little while now, several people, both friends and family have to switch over to whole wheat bread for health reasons.  Store bought whole wheat bread still has much of the same softness that white bread does and a lot more flavor.  However, I have tried making whole wheat bread before, and to me it tastes like eating my horse's grain.  It's ok, but only when slathered with butter, therefore negating some of the health benefits of eating whole wheat bread.

Peter Reinhart's book is interesting, in that he explains that the job of the baker is to evoke that best possible flavor from the grain.  He challenges us to use different methods to do this.  The recipe for the above bread is for his 100 percent whole grain sandwich bread.  This bread uses a soaker and a biga starter.  The idea behind the soaker is to start the activation of enzymes in the whole wheat flour.  Those enzymes start to break down the carbohydrate chains to release the sugars.  The biga is made separately with a little bit of yeast to start the process of fermentation.  Both the biga and the soaker are made on day one of the bread making process.

100 Percent Whole Grain Bread adapted from Whole Grain Breads

Soaker (day 1)
8 ounces whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 plus 2 Tablespoons milk (I used 2 percent milk cold, unscalded)  You can optionally use water

I mixed the ingredients together in a glass bowl with a metal spoon.  In the cookbook, Peter Reinhart states that the book that the soaker should be a firm ball.  My soaker however was more like a thick paste.  I am not sure if I used too much liquid or what.  I covered the soaker with plastic wrap and left it at room temperature overnight.

Biga
8 oz whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp instant yeast
6 oz water (I used room temperature filtered tap water)

I mixed these ingredients together in a metal bowl with a metal spoon until they came together into a ball.  I then kneaded it by hand for 2 minutes and let it rest for 5 minutes.  I then kneaded it for an additional minute, covered it with plastic wrap and stuck it in the refrigerator.

In theory, I was going to make this final dough the next day.  However, life got in the way and so I did not get around to making it until a couple days later.  If that is the case, just stick your soaker in the fridge along with your biga.  The soaker will get gross if you leave it out on your counter for 3 days.

Anyway, the day that you want to make your final dough, take both the soaker and the biga out of the fridge a couple of hours early to take the chill off.

Final Dough
All of the soaker
All of the biga
7 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Chop up the biga and soaker into pieces into your bowl.  Add the additional ingredients and mix together until the ingredients form a ball.  Here Peter Reinhart recommends autolaysing the bread for a few minutes to allow the gluten to start forming on its own.  When I made this bread I was dog sitting my sister's 1 year old lab and she managed to break the line she was tied out on and I had to chase her around the neighborhood.  Thus my bread autolaysed for 10-15 minutes, not the recommended 5.  However, it seemed to work out fine.  The directions in the book also indicate that you should only have to knead for 1 additional minute after the autolayse, however, in order to pass the windowpane test I had to knead (with my KA mixer) for more like 7 minutes.  I then let it raise for about an hour and a half.

After that additional hour, I kneaded it for about 1 minute and shaped the bread into a boule.  I then let it raise for another hour.  I baked the bread at 425 degrees for twenty minutes and then reduced the temperature to 350 degrees and baked for another 10 minutes.

This bread turned out so much better than I was anticipating.  It was soft and subtly sweet.  The sweetness was similar to that of breads I had made before with much more honey or sugar.  I believe that the soaker and the biga really contributed to the sweetness.  This bread is a great choice for some breakfast toast or for a sandwich. 

Grandma Goodell's Whole Wheat Bread

 I think that it is interesting how people are able to live on through recipes and through our taste memories.  This recipe for this bread was that of my husband's grandmother.  He tells me that this is the only bread that he can remember her making.  Sadly, she is no longer with us and I never really knew her, but through her bread he can remember her and I can get to know her.  It is a wholesome bread that tastes amazing.  It is healthy without being being boring.  Perfect for anyone at any age.  The recipe actually comes from my husband's uncle, but since it was his grandma who made if for him, it shall forever be Grandma Goodell's Whole Wheat Bread.

I had never made a 100 percent whole wheat bread recipe before.  It always intimidated me too much.  I was pleasantly surprised with the results.  The seeds and whole wheat flour provide a wonderful texture in the mouth, while the honey gives a sweetness and moisture.

Grandma Goodell's Whole Wheat Bread
6 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/3 cups dry milk
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (I used 3/4)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons wheat germ
6 tablespoons honey (I used 1/2 cup; technically 6 tablespoons is about 3/8 cup)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups hot water ( I ended up using 2 1/2 cups water)
1 1/2 Tablespoons active dry yeast ( used 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast)
1/4 cup oil or melted butter

If using active dry yeast, proof in 1/4 cup warm water for 10-15 minutes.

Mix together flour, seeds, and milk.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the remaining hot water.  Add the honey, oil, and yeast.

Mix together until you can not stir anymore.

Knead 10 minutes by hand (shorter if using a mixer)

Allow to rise for 1 1/2-2 hours (do not skimp on this time, because of the weight of the whole wheat flour it takes quite awhile for the bread to rise)

Knead briefly and then divide into two loaves (I made 5 mini loaves) and allow to rise until the bread dough peeks over the top of the bread pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (I baked mine for 25 minutes because they were mini)

Notes:
I do not feel that I got a very glutenous bread.  I am not sure if it is because I did not knead the bread long enough (it did not pass the windowpane test, however I am unsure if whole wheat flour will pass the windowpane test) or if it is because of the weight of the whole wheat flour.

Cranberry Pecan Bread

This bread is a great bread for this time of the year.  Its a sweet dough that incorporates dried cranberries and pecans.  The original recipe calls for walnut instead of pecans, but I just love cranberries and pecans together.  This is another recipe from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice.  The dough goes together easily, however, it is a bit tricky to incorporate all of the nuts and cranberries.  The smell of the dough is to die for though, the recipe calls for both lemon and orange extracts that are intoxicating for your olfactory senses.  I have made this bread before without the extracts, but it  adds a punch to add them in.  This bread is a dream to shape.  Above I shaped the dough into a round loaf, however, I typically make it in a double braid and have also baked it in just a plain loaf pan.

Panic

My baby sister is getting married in March. She is a total carboholic. She and her fiance decided to have a bread bar as appetizers for their reception. And she wants me to make the bread. Holy cow. I said yes like an idiot, thinking that it would be a fun challenge. What? Bread for 240 people that looks and tastes awesome enough for a wedding. What was I thinking? Her finace is in the military and is home for the weekend this weekend coming up so my mother and I decided to make some bread for them to kind of choose what they like and what they don't. I made potato bread, Challah, breadsticks, garlic bread, Norwegian rye bread and prezels. My mom and I together whipped up zucchini muffins, oatmeal rolls, savory cheese bread, parmasan bread, and corn muffins. That is a lot of bread! We are still trying to figure out the best way to present it. We are not sure if we should make loaves or rolls, if we should go with bread baskets or a dramatic presentation of everything on the table. We still are unsure of what we want to put on the breads. I am going to make a variety of flavored butters and cream cheeses, but beyond that we are drawing a blank.

Bread Machine Bread

The bread machine is a strange beast to me. I have never made anything in a bread machine. I always thought that it was a fine machine, but nothing I was interested in. To me, its about the process. It's seeing the dough come together, feeling the smooth elasticity in the kneading and the shaping of the dough.

However, there was a contest I was a bit interested in and one of the categories was bread machine white bread. So, I dug through my mother's cabinets and found her bread machine. I read the directions and decided to whip up some traditional white bread. It seemed easy enough. Pour the ingredients into the pan, push the buttons, wait three hours and I will have fantastic bread. Lo and behold, beautiful fluffy white bread emerged from that machine. I was stunned. Why didn't people make bread in bread machines all the time? I mean, making bread from scratch takes time and effort, but bread machine bread makes itself. If you are having people over and don't have time to whip up a batch of scratch bread, just toss some ingredients in your bread machine and go. My husband and I cut into it and a soft fat piece of perfect bread came off. Then another. Then the third cut and clang. The knife isn't going through this perfect soft bread. What is going on? We flipped the bread over and the little beater bakes itself in to the bread. What? How are you supposed to have perfectly shaped loaves of bread if you have to cut a huge chunk out of the bottom?

Well, we did cut a chunk out of the bottom and it was still white and fluffy. It tasted good, but it lacked the depth of some of the bread that takes me all day to make (or two or three days). I think that I will continue to use this bread machine, for whipping up a loaf of bread in a hurry. But I still enjoy the process of making the bread, possibly more than eating the bread itself. So I will continue making my bread from scratch.