Category Archives: BREAD, ROLL, AND MUFFIN RECIPES

ROSEMARY OLIVE BREAD

I guess while I am on my high horse about homemade bread, I might as well post a couple more of my favorite bread recipes. (Getting down off a horse any more is quite difficult, so while I am up here, I might as well make the most of my stay!)

I have been making this rosemary olive bread for about 20 years, and each time I serve it people can’t believe it was produced in my home rather than in a bakery. But I have a secret weapon! It’s called a round clay baker or if you want the official title – a Sassafras Superstone™ La Cloche Round Bread Cloche. (The name was obviously approved through the Department of Redundancy Department, but I digress.)

Regardless of how fancy you want to be about the name, this product replicates the benefits of baking in a brick oven. Ceramic bread cloches turn out loaves with tender, moist interiors and crispy, evenly golden crusts. The unglazed clay absorbs heat to ensure even baking on all sides, while the porous surface absorbs moisture to give the crust a crispy bite.

Now granted, unless you plan to bake bread on a regular basis, investing in a bread cloche (about $60) might not be the smartest use of your money. But if you do bake bread, even on a semi-regular basis or just for company, purchasing one of these babies will help guarantee a perfect bakery like bread every time. Ever figure out the difference between the cost of a purchased large round loaf of artisanal bread and what it costs you to bake a similar loaf at home? Unless you are of strong constitution, don’t do it. The cost difference is enough to make even the most stoic man or woman break into tears.

And yes of course you can use this recipe even if you don’t have one of those thingamajigs. Just place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven before your turn on the oven. The moisture created by evaporation will help give the crust a crispy texture. And needless to say, the flavor will still be wonderful. Happy Baking!

2 c. warm water
1 pkg. or 2 ½ tsp. active dry yeast
2 ½ tsp. salt
¾ c. pitted kalamata olives, halved
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
5 T. gluten flour
5 c. bread flour
vegetable oil

In the bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer, combine the warm water, yeast, and salt. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Add olives, rosemary, gluten flour, and 4 ½ cups of the bread flour. Knead dough on medium speed, adding more bread flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and soft, about 8-10 minutes. Pour a small amount of oil into the bottom of the bowl and using your hands coat the bread with the oil and round into a ball. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down and let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes. Remove dough from bowl. Stretch sides of dough down and under to form a tight, round shape. Place dough in bottom of floured cloche or on a floured baking sheet. Dust top with flour. Cover with lid of baker or tea towel. Let rise 30 minutes. Cut a large shallow X on the top of the loaf using a serrated knife.

To bake using a clay baker: Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, remove the lid, and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes or until done. When done, loaf will be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

To bake on a floured baking sheet: Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 40-50 minutes or until done. When done, loaf will be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

SOFT AND CHEWY BREADSTICKS

So, what’s not to love about homemade bread? And when the bread comes in the form of a soft yet chewy breadstick that has been liberally slathered with garlic infused butter and sprinkled with finely grated Parmesan, what could be better? Pretty much nothing comes to my mind. But then, I am a bread gal. I don’t believe I have ever turned down a piece of homemade bread. Well, except for a few pieces that came out of a friend’s bread machine. This was years ago when bread machines were new to the market; when every other cook book writer was touting the enjoyment of baking your own bread with the same ease and convenience as preparing an unforgettable dinner using your crock pot! (Throw some ingredients in a machine before you leave for work, and walk away. Come home and your main course and fresh bread are ready when you walk in the door.)

Now granted, the idea of saving time in the evening was truly appealing. What wasn’t appealing, at least to me, was the consistency of the bread and some of the strange flavors introduced to make the breads appear more exotic. Tomato Soup Bread and Curry Bread are just two examples of bread recipes that I remember from the early days of bread machines. Scary, but true!

Although I haven’t tried a bread machine for 30 years, and frankly don’t intend to in the future, if that is how you build your bread – go for it! What matters is that you have control of the ingredients when you make your own bread. No preservatives, not too much salt, no sugar if you so choose, etc. etc. However you build bread, do so at every opportunity. Not only will it save you buckets of money, your family will think you are the best thing since sliced bread! (Now I “wonder” how that phrase ever became part of the vernacular!)

1 c. warm water
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling on baked breadsticks
3 c. bread flour
extra virgin olive oil
2-3 T. butter
2 thinly sliced garlic cloves
finely grated Parmesan cheese

Pour the water into a mixing bowl, sprinkle with yeast, and stir in the sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Let rest (proof) for 5 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups flour and knead for 4-5 minutes adding flour as needed to make a fairly stiff dough. Round dough up in the bowl, pour a little olive oil over the top, and turn dough with your hands until the entire surface is coated. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for an hour. Remove the dough from the bowl; roll into a 10×12-inch rectangle. Cut into strips about ¾-inch wide, then cut strips in two. Give each strip a twist and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until just done. Do not over bake. Meanwhile melt butter and add garlic cloves. Heat until the garlic cloves begin to sizzle. Remove from heat. When the bread sticks are finished baking, remove from oven and brush liberally with the garlic infused butter and sprinkle about half of the breadsticks with grated Parmesan (go light on the Parmesan) and all of the breadsticks with a very light sprinkle of kosher salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FROSTED PUMPKIN PECAN MUFFINS

Something you should know about me. Unlike most people, I truly don’t like donuts and I don’t much care for muffins either. However, there are a few exceptions. (Aren’t there always?) I absolutely adore maple bars (really just a donut in rectangular form with maple icing) and have learned to really like a few kinds of muffins. Like this muffin for example. It has substance and flavor. It has a lovely dense yet moist consistency. In other words, it has something to offer besides airiness and idle calories. Any muffin I find myself drawn to usually contains bran or dried fruit or has some other redeeming ingredient that sets it apart from the average offering in any coffee shop display case. And truly I don’t understand why I love most cakes and dislike most muffins. They are very similar when it comes right down to the ingredients list. But I guess there is just no explaining an individual’s taste in food. And in that regard I am no different than anyone else. (Just proves what I have always said – “humans are nothing if not inconsistent!”)

So just in case there are any readers who share my eccentricity about muffins, I’m going to post a few really outstanding muffin recipes I have learned to make over the years. I’m not going to post them in any kind of sequence or series. Even though I have learned to really like them, they will simply never hit my every day or even every week “must have, absolutely crave” list. None-the-less, they are very good and in some cases, fairly nutritious too. And muffins are easy to make, keep very well, and most normal people think are just a delightful treat. And at this busy time of year, almost indispensible as a tasty sweet to serve friends and neighbors who drop by with holiday greetings.

Because I have been so frank about my general dislike of muffins, I feel compelled to say I’m sorry to any muffin lovers out there if I have in any way offended you. Also, if your meaning of life comes from jelly donuts, I offer my heartfelt apologies for casting aspersions on something so near and dear to your heart. In fact, I’m feeling so contrite I’d be willing to make it up to you. Let’s meet for a maple bar!

Muffin Ingredients:

2 c. whole wheat flour
1½ c. all purpose flour
¾ c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 teaspoon each cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
½ c. chopped toasted pecans
1 (15-oz.) can pure pumpkin (or 2 cups puree)
½ c. olive oil
¼ c. real maple syrup
3 T. milk
3 eggs, room temperature

Frosting Ingredients:

2 T. butter
1¼ c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 T. maple syrup
1-2 tsp. water

Muffins: Combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, sugar, and nuts in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, milk, and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl and stir only until combined. Do not over-mix.

Lightly grease each muffin cup with cooking spray. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin tin almost to the top with a scoop of batter. (If you don’t have a large ice-cream scoop, just fill using a large spoon.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the muffins comes out dry. Remove the muffins from pan and let cool before frosting. (If you have time, bake the muffins ahead and let them take a cold vacation for a few days in your freezer. Baked goods that contain fruit or vegetables are almost always more moist and flavorful after being frozen. However, if you do freeze them, don’t frost them until just before serving.

Frosting: Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add water until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over cooled muffins. Allow the frosting to harden and store in an airtight container.

BREAKFAST ROLLS

One of the joys of traveling in Italy is the continental breakfast that is almost always provided as part of the cost of your hotel or B&B room. And as can reasonably be expected, the size and amount of dishes offered depend almost entirely on the size of the hotel or B&B. So in a small B&B you might just get cold cereal, yogurt, individually wrapped croissants, fresh fruit, juice, and coffee. While in a larger hotel, the variety and choices can be almost endless.

In a medium sized hotel (we didn’t stay in any large hotels) you are almost always presented with a cheese and sausage platter or two, wonderful chewy baguette slices, plastic wrapped biscuits and Melba toast, various pastries including croissants, hard boiled eggs (or sometimes scrambled eggs), fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal (both corn flakes and cocoa puffs), juice (often fresh squeezed), and espresso drink(s) of your choice.

But by far the best breakfast bread I tasted was in our first hotel in Rome. It was a not too sweet, hollow brioche type roll made I’m sure by forming several small balls of dough and placing them together in some sort of a large cupcake shaped pan to bake. So when you broke them open, you had several lovely little concave pockets on which to spread your butter and contain the honey. I’m tellin’ you, these babies were enough to make a grown woman swoon. OMG they were good.

So of course when I arrived home, one of the first things I wanted to duplicate were these wonderful rolls. The difficult part of finding a recipe for a one of a kind roll is, well duh, they’re one of a kind! I have spent hours looking, believe me. But when I do figure it out, you, my faithful readers will be the first to know!

In the meantime I’m going to share the recipe for my first attempt. This recipe is easy to make and produces an absolutely divine tasting roll. And when spread with butter and honey, well it’s just a heavenly experience. These would also be fabulous served at Thanksgiving. So give them a try. But keep posted (so to speak). I have only begun to search for the roll of my dreams.

1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar
1 pkg. or 1 T. active dry yeast
2 T. warm water
2 eggs, room temperature
3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
small amount of vegetable oil
melted butter

Scald milk; stir in butter, salt, and sugar. Cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast on warm water in the bowl of your heavy duty mixer; stir to dissolve. Add the lukewarm milk mixture along with the eggs. Beat in flour a little at a time, to make a soft dough. Knead with your mixer or turn onto a floured surface and knead lightly until dough is smooth and satiny. Pour a small amount of oil over the dough in your mixing bowl and turn dough to coat all of the surfaces. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place free from drafts until doubled, about 90 minutes.

Punch down and turn out on a floured surface. Butter 12 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces using a bench scraper; cut each piece into thirds.

Roll each small piece into a ball. Place 3 balls in each prepared cup (dough will fill cup).

Place muffin pan in a warm draft-free area; lay sheet of waxed paper over the rolls. Let dough rise until almost doubled (dough will rise 1/2 inch to 1 inch above top rim of muffin cups) about 45 minutes.

Melt about a tablespoon of butter in your microwave. Gently brush melted butter over each roll. Bake rolls in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. (Check after the first 10 minutes. If rolls are already golden brown, cover with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.) Allow rolls to cool for a few minutes in the baking pan then transfer to cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ITALIAN FLATBREAD

OK, so as you know, I love all things bread. And in Italy, the bread is heavenly. Every meal begins with a big old basket of bread. Butter is rarely served. (It’s really only served when a crazy from the States or Canada asks for it. And that does not include me, let me assure you.)

The bread in Italy is always fresh, usually chewy, and always irresistible. But of all the bread I ate while recently in Italy, the best was in a very small ristorante in Francavilla Al Mare (near Ortona, on the east coast of Italy, slightly north and east of Rome.) The following recipe is as close as I can get to that perfect bread without owning a bread oven. (That’s a broad hint Mr. C.) But to completely set the stage for this recipe, I must tell you the whole story of one absolutely perfect meal we experienced while in the Italian region of Abruzzo.

We arrived at our destination (the Setteventi B&B – 40 Euros a night) after a leisurely drive along the Adriatic from our previous night’s stay in Vieste. The seaside town of Vieste is on the beautiful Gargano Peninsula which is lovingly referred to as the spur of the Italian boot. Not as many tourists from America visit this incredible part of Italy, which in my opinion is a real mistake. The people are charming and the terrain and food incredible. But I digress.

We checked into our room at the B&B (a very modern home) and asked the manager where we could eat dinner that evening since our B&B was on a semi-country road on the hill above the main part of town and we really didn’t want to drive any distance for dinner. She asked us if we enjoyed seafood. We said yes. She told us the ristorante just across the street from the B&B was wonderful. Works for us.

Since it was late afternoon and we had been in our car all day, we decided to take a walk and explore our environs. So off we went to explore. We quickly realized that zoning must not be an issue in Italy, because in less than a km, we walked by individual villas, multi-family residences, vineyards (people actually picking grapes that had grown along an overhead trellis), 2 working wineries (saw grapes being crushed), our B&B, and a small elegant 7 table ristorante that provided us with one of our most cherished dining experiences ever.

But first let me continue setting the stage for this amazing meal. Our B&B hostess had told us the restaurant was right across the street, or at least that is what we had gathered from her pretty good English. So at 7:30 we headed out the door of the B&B (actually at the back of the building) and walked up the driveway to the road. We had not really seen any evidence of a restaurant when we had gone out for our afternoon walk, except for a small graveled area reserved for restaurant guests to park. We just assumed that in the evening the restaurant entrance would be quite evident. Well it was not. The building we thought housed the restaurant really just looked like a three story villa. Luckily a gentleman came out of a nearby residence and we asked him for the location of the restaurant entrance. He indicated that he really didn’t know how to get in except to ring the buzzer and wait. Well he rang the unnamed buzzer alright, along with the other two that were labeled with people’s names. Great! Your first night in town and you become your own worst nightmare, a pain in the — tourist! But luckily, as soon as the un-labeled buzzer was pushed the garage gate opened and we were admitted. The restaurant owner came to greet us from the side entrance path and we were escorted down into the restaurant. Even though the ristorante didn’t officially open until 8:00pm, we were made to feel like honored guests. (Actually when we left the restaurant, the side gate was open and the small unassuming name plate of the restaurant (L’Angolino sul mare) was dimly lit making it appear much more like a restaurant entrance than just a lighted path to the ground floor apartment. Well of course it looked different. The restaurant was actually open when we left. Silly Americans!) But back to our amazing dining experience….

Once we sat down at our table the fun began in earnest. As in many Italian restaurants, a little something complimentary is provided as an appetizer or a small glass of lemoncello is offered after the meal. But at this restaurant, they raised “complimentary” to an art form. At L’Angolino sul mare, our first complimentary item was a little nibble in the form of a gorgeous and tasty mini slider bun filled with perfectly cooked shrimp in a delicate sauce. Just large enough for 2 small bites. Along with this came a complimentary glass of Prosecco, along with a basket of flatbread (thin with a very crunchy top crust) and pieces of bread studded with black olives. After that we ordered our primi and secondi. (We usually shared our first and second courses.) For our primi we chose Carbanara de Mare Al Lemone (small pieces of shellfish in a light lemon cream sauce with pasta). OMG – amazing. For our second course we ordered Misti al Forno with Creamy Potato (perfectly prepared salmon, tuna, shrimp, scallops, sardine, calamari, and white fish, with a small ultra creamy potato cake on the side). Again, absolute perfection. We also ordered a lovely bottle of the local wine Trebbiano d’Abruzzo to go along with our meal.

As on many other Italian menus, the dolce (sweet) offerings included cheesecake. We had resisted cheesecake until this evening, but when the cheesecake was presented as “della casa”, we ordered one serving to share. But before our cheesecake arrived, we were each brought a complimentary dolce. The five little bite sized sweets were served on a raised thin rectangular clear glass tray with indentations for each individual item. The items included a creamy chocolate nut ball rolled in cocoa, a small chocolate mousse topped with a tiny macaroon square, a dark chocolate peanut ball, a tiny green meringue filled with lemon cream, and a perfectly candied whole almond. Fantastic presentation and each bite a culinary miracle.

Then we were served our cheesecake in a bowl. The cheesecake was about the consistency of Zabaglione and of the most delicate cream cheese (probably part Mascarpone) flavor imaginable; lightly sprinkled with slightly sweet dried bread crumbs and tender dried cherries. As each of us spooned up a bite of this delicious mixture we practically moaned out loud. Absolutely too delicious to be true.

And last but not least, we were brought a complimentary aperitif sized glass of Passito, a delightful sweet dessert late harvest wine made from grapes that have been dried on straw. This deep yellow-gold hued wine tasted of honey, sweet vanilla, apricot nectar, and fragrant flowers. (Actually Passito is very reminiscent of Vin Santo, another sweet dessert wine we love traditional to Tuscany.)

Of all the fantastic meals we shared in Italy, this meal I truly hope will remain in my memory until I take my last breath. And all for 65 (including tip) Euros. When we reached our room Mr. C looked and me, and with a big happy grin on his face said, “If I complain about the visa bill when we get home, just remind me of C. da Setteventi #14 (our B&B) and the ristorante across the street!”

Buon Appetito!

1 1/3 c. warm water
1 T. active dry yeast
2 ½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
3 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Combine the warm water, yeast, and 2 teaspoons salt in a mixer bowl and let proof for about 5 minutes. Add olive oil and enough flour to make a soft dough. Let rise covered with plastic wrap until doubled, about an hour. Punch down and spread out on an olive oil greased 13×17 (or larger) pan. (Pour enough olive oil on the pan to make a rather slick surface. In other words, don’t be stingy. You are not lightly greasing the pan!) Add dough, then turn dough over and spread out with your hands. (Use some of that nice olive oil on the pan to grease your fingers so they don’t stick to the dough.) The dough should look more like you are making a thick pizza crust than bread. Cover again with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough is soft and puffy, about 45 minutes. Using a pastry brush, gently slather top of dough with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt.

Bake in a 20 minute pre-heated 500 degree oven (reduce to 450 when you place the dough in the oven) on top of a pizza baking stone, if you own one. Bake for about 10 minutes, then, if you have the option, turn on the convection setting and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Total baking time should be about 15 minutes.

Serve the flatbread warm or at room temperature. No butter or additional olive oil required. Great served with antipasto or any of your favorite pasta dishes. Also great served with soup.

And yes I wish the top was as crusty and crunchy as the bread I had at the ristorante in Francavilla Al Mare, Italy, but until I get my own bread/pizza oven, this version will have to do. At least the flavor is as I remember. You gotta give me credit for that!

BREAD BAKING 101

The first thing you need to know about baking yeast bread is that it is really easy. It does not require a chemistry degree or a diploma from a fancy cooking school. Honest! It just takes time and a few simple, inexpensive ingredients. In fact, I think yeast bread is easier to bake than cake or cookies because it doesn’t contain baking soda or baking powder.

With any type of recipe that requires baking powder or baking soda, you can’t mess around with the ingredients as much as you can when you are using yeast as your leavening agent. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is alkaline in nature, and when combined with an acid and a liquid like buttermilk, for example, it creates carbon dioxide bubbles, giving rise to the dough. Baking powder, which is basically a blend of an acid like sodium acid pyrophosphate and an alkali (sodium bicarbonate – baking soda), produces the same chemical reaction when added to a liquid. Again, carbon dioxide is the byproduct. The interesting part about baking soda when mixed with an acid liquid, and baking powder when mixed with any liquid, is that in both cases, gases begin to be released immediately. (No waiting time required.) And in the case of double-acting baking powder (which is mostly what you find in your average grocery store), it releases leavening gases on contact with moisture and again during the baking process. A double whammy of leavening action! When a recipe calls for both baking powder and baking soda, the baking powder does most of the leavening. The baking soda is mainly added to neutralize some of the acid and to help ensure a tender crumb. When using baking soda or baking powder, you have to use ingredients in a fairly exact proportion.

Yeast on the other hand, is a living organism that really likes to eat. Active dry yeast (a living microscopic fungus) is activated by giving it a nice warm bath and then something yummy to eat. Yeast works as the leavening agent in bread dough by eating the sugars (sucrose and fructose) or by converting the starch in flour into sugar. The byproduct of all this sugar being gobbled is CO2. When CO2 is released it is trapped in the bread dough’s elastic web of gluten, in much the same way air is trapped when a balloon is inflated. And although yeasty beasties are hungry little cuties, they can only eat so fast! Thus the time it takes for yeast bread to rise. But unlike other leavening agents, yeasty beasties won’t stop eating until they have metabolized every possible bit of sugar available. So when you are baking bread, if you add a little extra ingredient here and there like extra oil, some dried onion or an herb or two, or need a little more flour than the recipe calls for – no problem. (In fact your little friends the yeasty beasties will love you all the more!) So it is truly pretty darn hard to mess up bread dough.

There are some bread bakers out there who swear by their bread machine. I had one once, and yes there was swearing involved. But in my case the words were aimed at the machine, not to offer it praises. The bread wasn’t bad, it was just boring. Frankly all the bread machine recipes tasted the same. And the texture or crumb was disappointing. Give me a KitchenAid mixer complete with a bread hook attachment any day over a bread machine. And yes, I cheat. I use my mixer because I’m lazy and frankly my hands aren’t as strong as they used to be! But in my defense, I know after 40 some years of using a heavy duty mixer to prepare bread dough that my mixer is never going to do me wrong. But if you enjoy kneading bread by hand, by all means please do so. (More about kneading bread in the Glossary and to follow in the Bread Baking Instructions.)

So in order to help you with your first few loaves of bread, or to help you improve your bread baking technique, I am going to include some recipes for very basic breads and I’m going to tear the recipes apart, bit by bloody bit. (If you are not a novice, please bear with me as I try to help those who are beginners.) And just for the record – no one is born gluten impaired. Everyone can learn to make great bread. There is no such thing as a predisposition to fail when working with gluten!

So have fun baking bread. It truly is not rocket science (although there is some science involved). And if you get stuck, just send me an email and I will help any way I can. apcarr08@wavecable.com

The first recipe we are going to make together is Foccacia. I choose this recipe because at first sight it appears to be terribly complicated with lots and lots of ingredients. But when you stop to really examine the ingredient list and the instructions, they are really quite straight forward and there are only 6 ingredients in the bread itself. 6 ingredients!

But before we go any further, I thought it best for you to become acquainted with the basic ingredients you will be using to bake yeast bread. (Not all breads have all of the ingredients listed below.)

BASIC YEAST BREAD INGREDIENTS:

Eggs – Eggs add richness, color, and wonderful flavor to bread.

Fats – Oil, butter, and shortening add flavor to bread and make for a tender crumb. (Do not use reduced fat products, whipped butter, or margarine when baking bread because they contain water and the composition of the dough will be weakened and the quality of your bread will be negatively affected.)

Flour – Flour is the basis of good bread. Be sure to use a good quality flour; one that is untreated with either bleach (powdered bleach belongs in your laundry, not in your bread), or potassium bromate, a suspected carcinogen. The flour you choose for your bread makes a difference in the quality of the final product. If you are a beginning bread baker, I would advise following recipes as written.

Unbleached all-purpose flour works just fine in most bread recipes.

Bread flour usually makes for a superior loaf, but for rustic bread, unbleached all-purpose flour is your best choice.

Whole grain flours and other types of flour add color, texture, and flavor to breads. These flours don’t usually contain enough gluten to produce a perfect loaf on their own, so usually all purpose or bread flour is added to provide structure.

Cake flour does not work for bread because there isn’t enough protein, or gluten, to withstand the pressure of the gasses created by the metabolizing yeast.

Liquid – When liquid is added to flour, two proteins, glutenin and gliadin, combine to form gluten. Gluten forms a network of proteins that stretch through the bread dough like a web, trapping air bubbles that form as the yeast ferments. This creates the characteristic air holes of perfect bread. The type of liquid you use will change the bread characteristics. Water will make a loaf that has more wheat flavor and a crisper crust. Milk and cream-based breads are richer and possess a finer texture. They also brown more quickly because of the additional sugar and butterfat added to the dough.

Salt – Salt is essential to every bread recipe. It helps add flavor, contribute to good texture, and control yeast development which prevents bread from over rising.

Sweeteners – White sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, agave, molasses, honey, maple syrup, concentrated fruit syrup are all examples of the type of fuel that is needed by yeast in order to produce carbon dioxide. (Some bread recipes don’t use sugar, but depend on sugars in the flour to provide food for the yeast.)

Yeast – the leavening agent used to make bread dough rise. (I use Active Dry Yeast purchased in bulk (4-oz. jars which equals 16 envelopes) which tends to be fresher and definitely less expensive than buying the individual little packages. I don’t recommend rapid-rise yeast (unless it is specifically called for in a recipe) because the longer the rise (and fermentation process), the better the flavor.

BREAD RECIPES:

FOCCACIA

1 1/3 c. warm water
1 T. or 1 pkg. active dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
about 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

Pour warm water into a mixing bowl, sprinkle with yeast, and stir in sugar, salt, and ¼ cup of the olive oil. Let rest (proof) for 5-8 minutes. (Refer to Basic Instructions #1 below) Add two and a half cups of the flour and knead (Refer to Basic Instructions #2) for 4-5 minutes adding flour as needed to make a smooth and soft dough. (Refer to Basic Instructions #3) Round dough up in the bowl, pour a little olive oil over the top, and turn dough with your hands (the best tool in your kitchen, by the way) until the entire surface is coated. (Refer to Basic Instructions #4) Cover with a tea towel and let rest for an hour or until it has doubled in size. (Refer to Basic Instructions #5) Pour about a tablespoon of the remaining olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Punch down the dough (Refer to Basic Instructions #6), remove it from the bowl, and place it on the greased baking sheet. Pat dough out until it is about ½-inch thick. (It should not be a perfect rectangle.) Poke deep indentations all over the surface. Slather enough of the remaining olive oil over the dough to completely cover the surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toppings of choice. (see below) Let rest for about 30 minutes. (Refer to Basic Instructions #7), Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let bread cool on pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Toppings:

large crystal sea salt or kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable Choice (pick one or more)

chopped onion,coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olive, sun-dried tomato packed in oil, 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped, sliced mushrooms

Cheese Choice (pick one or more)

crumbled feta, shredded parmesan cheese, diced goat cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, crumbled blue cheese

Herb Choice – 1 tsp. (pick one or more)

rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, chives

BEER BREAD

12-oz. bottle of beer (I like Alaskan Amber)
¼ c. water
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 T. sugar
2 T. butter
2 T. yeast (or 2 pkgs.)
5 c. flour
cornmeal

Heat beer, water, salt, sugar, and butter until very warm. Pour into the bowl of your stand mixer. Allow to cool to proper temperature for yeast to be added, about 105 degrees F. Add yeast; allow liquid mixture to sit (proof) for about 5 minutes. (Refer to Basic Instructions #1) Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. (almost feels dry to the touch) Knead for about 5 minutes. (Refer to Basic Instructions #2&3) Add a tiny bit of vegetable oil to the bowl and coat the entire surface. (Refer to Basic Instructions #4) Cover and allow dough to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes; punch down. (Refer to Basic Instructions #5) Let rest 15 minutes. Shape in 2 long rolls on cornmeal covered pan. (Refer to Basic Instructions #8) Let rest another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place a pan with 2-3 cups of water on the bottom rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. (Refer to Basic Instructions #9) When the oven is hot and the bread is risen and ready to be baked, place bread pan on a rack in the middle of the oven. Quickly close the oven door to capture the steam. Bake for about 25 minutes or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when lightly tapped. (Refer to Basic Instructions #10) Serve bread warm with lots of lovely, room temperature butter.

LIGHT RYE BREAD

2 T. or 2 pkgs. active dry yeast
2 1/2 c. warm water
2/3 c. molasses
1 T. kosher salt
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 c. rye flour
5 c. bread flour
cornmeal

In the bowl of a heavy duty mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water; add the molasses. Let proof for about 10 minutes. (Refer to Basic Instructions #1) Add salt, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, 2 cups of the rye flour and 2 cups of the bread flour. Mix until all of the flour is absorbed. Add the remaining 3 cups bread flour until the dough pulls away from the bottom of the bowl and the dough is smooth and elastic. (This step may take more or less than 3 cups of bread flour.) (Refer to Basic Instructions #2) Pour a small amount of vegetable oil over the dough, turning it so it gets coated in the oil. (Refer to Basic Instructions #4) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, gently punch down the dough and divide it into 2 equal parts. Shape each half into a torpedo shaped loaf (Refer to Basic Instructions #8) and place both loaves well separated on a greased baking sheet that has been lightly sprinkled with corn meal. Cover with a clean tea towel. Let rise again for about 45 minutes. Just before placing in a pre-heated 350 degree oven, cut 5 shallow diagonal slashes across each loaf. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when gently tapped. (Refer to Basic Instructions #10)

PICNIC BUNS

¼ c. warm water
1 T. or 1 pkg. active dry yeast
¾c. warm, scalded milk (not too warm or your yeasty beasties won’t be happy)
¼ c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg, room temperature
¼ c. Crisco (sometimes I use butter – sorry grandma)
3 ½ c. or more flour
vegetable oil

In a large mixing bowl, (I use the bowl of my Kitchen Aid mixer), combine the water, yeast, milk, sugar, salt, egg, and Crisco. Let proof for about 10 minutes. (You’ve got the idea by now!) Add 2 cups of the flour and mix thoroughly. Add enough remaining flour to form a medium stiff dough. (Not sticky when you touch it with your finger, but not dry feeling either.) Pour about a teaspoon of oil over the dough and roll into a ball. When dough ball is completely greased, cover the mixer bowl with a tea towel, let rise for about 90 minutes or until doubled. Punch down and let rise again until doubled, about 30 minutes. Butter a 9×13-inch pan. Punch down dough again and divide into 18 pieces. (I just squeeze off small balls of dough as I place them into the prepared pan.) Cover with a tea towel again, and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until a nice golden brown. Serve warm.

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS

1) The secret to getting your yeast to perform as required is to treat it right. Yeast loves warm liquid and just gets all warm and fuzzy if at the same time it is sitting in the tepid liquid, it is given a little nibble of something on which to munch. In most cases, it’s a wee bit of sugar or honey, but sometimes it’s just some flour. If the yeast is behaving properly, and you haven’t given it too hot a bath or it’s already gone to its happy home in yeasty heaven, after a couple of minutes you will see little bubbles form around the rim of the bowl. Then after a few more minutes it will look like the liquid is alive. This is what you want. You have proven that the yeast is not only happy, it is alive and well. It is safe to go on to the next step in your recipe. BTW, if your liquid doesn’t start to churn, you either used water which was too hot, or your yeast is dead. Pay close attention to the expiration date on your package or container of yeast. If the yeast is past its prime, toss it and start over with a fresh package.

2) To knead bread dough by hand, place it on a floured surface. Pick up the far edge of the dough and fold it over the bottom edge. Press down with the heels of your hands, pushing the dough away from you. Turn the dough one quarter turn and repeat the process. Add additional flour as needed. When properly kneaded, bread dough will be smooth and satiny, stretchy and no longer sticky. This process takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes.

To knead bread dough using a heavy duty mixer like a KitchenAid, add most of the flour called for in your recipe. Continue adding the remaining flour in very small increments until all of the dough pulls away from the bottom of the bowl. (It will look like someone cleaned the bowl for you.)

3) Will look smooth and slightly shiny, almost satiny.

4) Many recipes will instruct you to get a clean bowl, grease it with shortening, and place the kneaded dough in the new bowl and turn it so all surfaces are greased. Ridiculous! Use the bowl in which you originally mixed your bread ingredients! Pour a little oil down over the bread, and with your hands roll the dough into a ball making sure that every bit of the surfaced is lovingly covered with a thin film of oil.

5) Tea towels or plastic wrap help keep the dough warm and draft-free while the yeast does its magic. During this time the dough should double in size. To make sure your dough has risen sufficiently, poke it with 2 fingers. If the dough holds the indentation, it’s ready.

6) We punch dough down after the initial rising for several reasons: to relax the gluten, get rid of some of the carbon dioxide formed by the yeast, and to equalize the temperature. A couple of gentle punches are sufficient. (This is not the time to think of the IRS!)

7) Allowing the bread dough to rise again just adds volume and makes for a softer crumb.

8) Use your hands to shape the dough. Divide the dough in half and basically just roll each piece and stretch it in the air with your hands to the desired shape before placing it on prepared baking sheet. (Refer to the picture to see general desired shape.)

9) In the first few minutes of baking, loaves of bread will rise rapidly as the gases trapped inside expand and the yeast has a final burst of activity. Steaming within this time helps keep the crust soft. This allows the bread to continue expanding freely. The steam that has settled on the surface of the bread also dissolves sugars in the dough. As the bread stops expanding and the steam begins to evaporate, the sugars are left to caramelize and create a glossy crust.

10) Bread literally sounds like a hollow drum when it is baked. But tap gently, don’t pound on it like you are trying to wake up a teenager by knocking on his or her bedroom door at 11:00 on a Saturday morning.

GLOSSARY

CRUMB – the soft inner portion of a bread (distinguished from crust)

FIRST RISE – This is the initial fermentation when yeast produces carbon dioxide bubbles that leaven the bread. The first rise (fermentation) usually takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. After the first rise, the dough is punched down to get rid of some of the carbon dioxide formed by the yeast, to relax the gluten a little, and to equalize the temperature.

KNEAD – Bread dough is kneaded to distribute the yeast and develop gluten for an even texture or crumb.

To knead bread dough by hand, place it on a floured surface. Pick up the far edge of the dough and fold it over the bottom edge. Press down with the heels of your hands, pushing the dough away from you. Turn the dough one quarter turn and repeat the process. When properly kneaded, bread dough will be smooth and satiny, stretchy and no longer sticky. This process takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes.

To knead bread dough using a heavy duty mixer like a KitchenAid, add most of the flour called for in your recipe. Continue adding the remaining flour in very small increments until all of the dough pulls away from the bottom of the bowl. (It will look like someone cleaned the bowl for you.)

PROOF – Measure out the yeast and mix it with the water called for in the recipe. Yeast is happiest at about 75°-80°, so the water should feel barely warm or lukewarm to the touch. Add just a pinch of sugar or whatever ingredients are called for in the recipe to give the yeast something on which to munch. Let the yeast and water sit for a few minutes. First, the water will dissolve the dry coating around the granules of yeast, releasing the active yeast inside. The active yeast will go to work on the sugar and a bubbly foam will start to form on the surface from the carbon dioxide being released. This foam is “proof” that the yeast is active, and once you see it, you know the yeast is alive and well and will leaven your dough.

SECOND RISE (PROOFING) -After you’ve punched down the dough, you want to gently knead it again while it is still in the bowl. Then shape the bread according to the recipe instructions and let it rise again until it nearly doubles in size (which will take less time than the first rising). Sometimes bread will not rise as much the second time as the first. Again, it’s important that the bread rise in a warm, draft-free area. To test for doneness, again use the finger test. Poke it with 2 fingers; if it holds the indentation, it’s ready.

WARM (TEPID) WATER – Yeast needs a warm liquid to wake up. I define the perfect temperature for yeast to be happy as about the same temperature in which you would bathe a new born baby. Lukewarm. Not hot. Not cold. Slightly warm.

YEAST – the leavening agent used to make dough rise. Yeast is actually a living microorganism. And this darling little critter lives just to convert fermentable sugars into (among other things) carbon dioxide.

LIGHT RYE BREAD

When I think about bread, and I think about bread a lot, my thoughts always drift to the types of bread I have yet to perfect. And light rye has always been one that I could never get just right.

I have a great recipe for pumpernickel, but I could never get a light rye to come out with just that perfect balance of sweet and pungent. And as much as I like caraway seeds in some things, I just don’t like them in rye bread. So never one to be discouraged, I went on line and tried once more to find the rye bread of my dreams. And believe me, there are lots of recipes out there for light rye bread. But only one caught my eye. So I decided to give it a try and see if I could finally check light rye bread off my list. And yes indeed ladies and gentlemen, I made the perfect loaf of rye bread this weekend, thanks to George. I found the recipe on a great blog www.simplyrecipes.com and I recommend visiting this wonderful cooking resource at your earliest convenience. And yes, of course, I changed the instructions to fit my way of bread baking, but the ingredients, except for the optional 2 tablespoons caraway seeds (and yes, you can add them if you must), is right off George’s recipe. So thank you George, whoever and wherever you are, for this amazing recipe. I will send good thoughts your way every time I sit down to a Reuben sandwich or smear soft butter over a warm piece of your incredible bread.

2 T. or 2 pkgs. active dry yeast
2 1/2 c. warm water
2/3 c. molasses
1 T. kosher salt
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 c. rye flour
5 c. bread flour
cornmeal

In the bowl of a heavy duty mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water; add the molasses. Let proof for about 10 minutes. Add salt, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, 2 cups of the rye flour and 2 cups of the bread flour. Mix until all of the flour is absorbed. Add the remaining 3 cups bread flour until the dough pulls away from the bottom of the bowl and the dough is smooth and elastic. (This step may take more or less than 3 cups of bread flour.) Pour a small amount of vegetable oil over the dough, turning it so it gets coated in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, gently punch down the dough and divide it into 2 equal parts. Shape each half into a torpedo shaped loaf and place both loaves well separated on a greased baking sheet that has been lightly sprinkled with corn meal. Cover with a clean tea towel. Let rise again for about 45 minutes. Just before placing in a pre-heated 350 degree oven, cut 5 shallow diagonal slashes across each loaf. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when gently tapped.

SOFT PRETZEL BITES

So once upon a time I went to the Bellevue Mall and saw a shop offering soft pretzels for sale. Being a sucker for soft pretzels I felt duty bound to help this struggling new business get a foot hold in an arena that caters to the terribly sophisticated Bellevue elite. (I only went there about 3 times after is became Bellevue Mall. I was simply not worthy. I felt much more suited to the old Bellevue Square. But I digress.)

So I ordered a plain pretzel and took my first bite. Now, I am not a sugar person. I like salt. And I like bread. And I like butter. And this chewy, salty, savory pretzel was just about the best thing I had ever tasted. And to this day, I simply can’t resist a warm, soft pretzel. So when I was preparing the Oktoberfest menu for our JazzVox (www.jazzvox.com) concert this past weekend, I decided to see if I could locate a recipe. Well not only did I find a recipe, I found the recipe. And through one of the best sites out there for all things baked – www.bobsredmill.com

I of course changed the instructions a bit to make them work for me, but the basic recipe is all Bob’s. Hopefully you too will enjoy preparing this simple recipe for soft pretzels. They are just unbelievably delicious.

2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. sugar
7/8 to 1 cup warm water*
2 c. (or more) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. water
2 T. baking soda
coarse salt, kosher or pretzel, opt.
3 T. butter, melted
mustard for dipping, opt.

*Use the greater amount in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall.

Combine yeast, salt, sugar, and the warm water in heavy duty mixer bowl. Let proof for 5 minutes. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Pour a little flour in bowl, coat dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes. While the dough is rising, prepare the water and soda bath. Pour water into a medium sized frying pan. Bring water to boil, turn off heat and stir in baking soda, stirring until the soda is totally (or almost totally) dissolved. Allow to cool to lukewarm (or cooler). After the dough has risen for the allotted time, punch down and transfer to a lightly greased work surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces with a bench scraper or a sharp knife. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Roll each piece of dough into an 8-9 inch thin rope and cut in 4ths. Working with a few pieces at a time, place them in the pan with the baking soda/water for 2 minutes, spooning the water over their tops. (This baking soda “bath” will give the pretzel bites a nice, golden-brown color. And yes, they will get a little mushy from their bath, but they will be just fine.)

Place the pretzel bites on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with vegetable oil. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and allow them to rest, uncovered, for about 10 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to 475 degrees. Bake the pretzels for about 6 minutes. If you have a convection oven, bake them for 4 minutes on the regular oven setting, and the last 2 minutes using the convection option.

RUSTIC GREEK BREAD – PSOMI

OATMEAL PANCAKES

My daughter Paula asked me if I had any good gluten free recipes. One of the ladies she works with recently discovered that she can no longer tolerate gluten. I reminded Paula that “gluten free” was not really my specialty, but that I did have a few fabulous recipes I would be happy to share.

The first recipe that came to mind is this recipe for Oatmeal Pancakes from Bob’s Red Mill Flour. Now, the foremost thing you need to know about my choice of featuring this recipe is that I basically hate oatmeal. I could no more eat a bowl of oatmeal than I could, for example, ride a horse for eight hours downhill! (If you have never ridden a horse, then you haven’t had the joy of being over 60 with knees that scream at the merest suggestion of an incline or decline to begin with! Then multiply that by 100, and you will know how I was feeling after I got off a horse after only riding 2 hours, the last 30 minutes of which were downhill!) So for me to tell you that oatmeal pancakes are my favorite should give you some indication that they are very, very good indeed!

I found this recipe a few years back when I was researching a gluten free diet. I thought I might possible have an intolerance, but tests revealed that gluten was not the problem. And even though I am not sensitive to gluten, a few of the recipes I found during my “gluten free” phase are still part of my life. During that time I also discovered that cornstarch and potato starch/flours are fine thickening agents for sauces, gravies, and soups. That rice pasta isn’t half bad (beats no pasta at all)! Polenta and grits are food from the Gods. And soy bean and sorghum flours are about the worst tasting ingredients I ever tasted!

So setting my scary memories of bread made with sorghum flour aside, I am going to swear off gluten for the next couple of weeks, and feature a few fantastic recipes that contain not a hint of protein composites found in foods processed from wheat or related grain species.

So please join me as I explore the gastronomic gourmet world of “gluten free”. You might even find that you can actually reduce the amount of gluten in your life without feeling like you have lost your best friend. And don’t forget – “gluten free” is trendy. It’s totally hip, cool beans, groovy, the bee’s knees, and in-like-Flynn. Be there or be square!

1 c. milk
¾ c. quick cooking rolled oats
2 eggs, separated
¾ c. oat flour
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 T. vegetable oil

Heat milk in a saucepan until it feels very hot to the touch. Remove from heat and stir in the oats; let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile whip the egg whites to stiff peaks; set aside. Combine the oat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the cooled oat/milk mixture, egg yolks, and oil. Fold whipped egg whites into batter. Fry as you would any pancake. Serve with butter and your favorite syrup. Hint: Always warm syrup before serving. It’s just the right thing to do!

CHEZ CARR CUISINE

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