Well, by now you are probably tired of me posting cornbread recipes. But cornbread like this one, I can consume in moderation when paired with other foods that are high in fiber and protein.
So, the other night when I served ribs and salad along with this cornbread, I was fine. And this recipe that contains no added sugar and features rye flour, produces a cornbread that is just about as perfect for my restricted diet as cornbread can get. And it tastes absolutely great. Moist and savory, without the slightest hint of depravation. So, thank you kneadingconference.com for the bones of this recipe. I made a few changes because they worked better for me. But the main concept was all on Amy.
Now granted, this cornbread is not low in calories. But calories are not my greatest concern. My personal gremlins are sugar and white flour. So, anytime I can create a bread or goody with no white flour and a no or dramatically reduced sugar content, I am a happy camper. Especially if the recipe can also be of profit to my readers. Because as I am quickly learning, I am not alone in my quest to eat healthier and learn how to embrace life within the confines of necessary dietary restrictions.
But don’t get me wrong. I refuse to eat junk. And over the last few months I have prepared enough recipes using “alternative ingredients” to feed a family of four for a week. And some of it has gone in our yard waste barrel. Products like monk fruit sweetener when used 1 to 1 in place of granulated sugar, in my humble opinion, is horrible. Too, too sweet with a bitter aftertaste. However, when used in very small quantities, monk fruit sweetener is just fine.
So, as I continue to experiment with alternative ingredients, I will share the recipes that work with you. The dishes that I wouldn’t even feed to certain radical, greedy, and depraved politicians and journalists, I will continue to, in all good conscience, personally place in our yard waste barrel! Where incidentally, these forgettable dishes truly belong! (Right along with the aforementioned politicians and journalists I dare say!)
As always, peace and love to all. (With the exception of the aforementioned politicians and journalists, that is!)
2 c. fine to medium ground cornmeal
1 c. rye flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. (1 stick) + 1 T. unsalted butter, divided
3/4 c. whole milk
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. sour cream
2 eggs
Place a 10-inch cast iron or oven proof skillet in your oven. Pre-heat the oven (plus pan) to 425-degrees. While the oven is doing its magic, whisk the cornmeal, rye flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl.
In a large glass mixing bowl, melt the 1 stick of butter in your microwave. Then whisk in the whole milk, buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until blended.
Let the batter rest for 15 minutes. (This is an important step. Time allows the flours to absorb the liquids.)
Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Allow the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to melt in the hot pan. Using a heat proof implement, coat the pan with the melted butter.
Scoop the thick batter into the pan and level the batter off as best you can.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until the cornbread feels set to the touch and cracks appear on the surface.
OK, I am without a doubt, a member of the vast horde who truly love bread. One of those people for whom the term “daily bread” has a literal meaning. Because not a day goes by that my taste buds don’t insist upon a piece of toast or half an English muffin or bagel with breakfast. Or a couple of baguette slices with soup, or at the very least, SOME KIND OF BREAD LIKE PRODUCT somewhere along the way during the day! Face it, I’m hooked. So, there is no way I want to live the rest of my life bread free. But life has thrown me a hard ball, and I must adjust.
So, being the cantankerous (derived from contentious plus rancorous) old stinker that I am, I’ve decided to fight for my rights. And in doing so, I’m going to take you right along with me. (Now, aren’t you the lucky one!) Because what is life without the things that bring us the most pleasure. And for me, bread is one of those things! Period. End of report.
Yesterday I baked bread using the slammed together recipe you find below. I threw in every healthy ingredient I could think of, used only whole wheat flour, and sweetened the whole mess with monk fruit sweetener. And the bread turned out just fine. It has a nice nutty flavor, great texture, and perfect for my morning toasted bread fix.
So, if you too are trying to eat healthier, but like me refuse to give up the kinds of food you love, give this bread recipe a try.
As always, have fun in your kitchen. But as with all of us, there comes a time when better judgement must prevail. I’ve never been one to deny myself good food, but if I want to keep staying healthy, I need to adapt some of my favorite recipes to accommodate the changes happening to my body. And boy oh boy are they happening at a rapid rate! And time seems to be going by so darn quickly. These days a year seems to go by in, like, 6-7 months! Maybe I just missed the memo that informed us that days were being shortened and time sped up. If so, I must have been in the kitchen. Probably baking cookies. As the old saying goes “if life throws you lemons, make lemonade”. If I shouldn’t eat white flour or sugar any longer, bring on the whole wheat flour and the monk fruit sweetener!
Peace and love to all.
1½ c. warm water
⅓ c. powdered milk
1 T. instant yeast
2 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the bowl
2 T. monk fruit sweetener (I like the “golden” type)
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 T. vital wheat gluten
1 c. old-fashioned oats
2 T. wheat germ
2 T. flaxseed meal
¼ c. sunflower seeds
2 T. sesame seeds
2¾ – 3 c. whole wheat flour
Mix the warm water, powdered milk, yeast, and olive oil together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add the monk fruit sweetener, salt, vital wheat gluten, oats, wheat germ, flaxseed meal, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and most of the whole wheat flour. Using your dough hook, knead the dough until it holds together, but is still a bit tacky to the touch.
Pour a bit of olive oil in the bowl, and using your hands and a stiff rubber spatula, form the dough into a greased ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about 90 minutes or until roughly doubled in size.
Punch down and shape the dough into a loaf (or 2 loaves), then place in 1 greased 9 × 5-inch or 2 – 7.5 x 3.5-inch loaf pan or pans. Pat the dough into the corners of the pan(s) and flatten the top(s) as much as possible.
Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with cooking spray (greased side down). Let rise for 90 minutes or until the dough has risen a bit. At this point, pre-heat your oven to 375-degrees. (This should give your oven plenty of time to pre-heat as your bread finishes rising.)
Bake for 40-50 minutes (9 x 5-inch loaf) or about 30 minutes (7.5 x 3.5-inch loaves) or until the bread is nicely browned and registers at least 200-degrees on an instant read thermometer.
Remove from oven and tip the loaf or loaves out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing. Store in an airtight container.
We love cornbread. That’s why you will find several cornbread recipes on this site. All are delicious, but all, until this recipe, contain unbleached white flour.
In my attempt to cook healthier, I still wanted to serve cornbread with the chili I had planned for dinner last evening. Because, truly, I can’t even begin to think about serving chili without cornbread.
So, yesterday, my exploratory food mission for the day was to find a recipe for cornbread that contained only whole wheat flour and monk fruit sweetener. And I also wanted to use olive oil instead of butter or some other type of veggie oil. Yadada yadada!
Whereas usually I find a plethora of recipes for any given combination of ingredients, I couldn’t find a single cornbread recipe that contained only whole wheat flour, used monk fruit sweetener, and called for olive oil. OK, there were a few that had all three of those ingredients, but they also included white flour, or brown sugar, or both. So, that left me no choice. I had to come up with a recipe ALL BY MYSELF!
So, I came up with the recipe you find below. And low and behold, the cornbread was edible. (Actually, a great deal more than just edible.) In fact, it was pretty darn tasty. And the texture was fabulous.
So, if you too are endeavoring to up your healthy cooking game, I suggest you give this recipe a try. The cornbread was absolutely perfect served with my healthy Ground Beef and Black Bean Chili. A delicious combination, if I do say so myself.
As always, think healthy, eat healthy, and help those around you stay healthy too. As cooks, we can make a huge difference in our family members health. Serving lots of veggies beautifully prepared. Reducing the amount of sugar wherever possible and encouraging good eating habits can do a lot to prevent problems in the future. Of course, all of us as we get older find ourselves with diminished abilities. Goes with the territory. Now, where was I going with this thought again? I have no idea.
Peace and love to all.
1 c. buttermilk
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
¼ c. milk
2 lg. eggs
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. cornmeal
2 T. monk fruit sweetener (I use the “golden” monk fruit sweetener)
2 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. kosher salt
Grease an 8- or 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking or baking spray.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the buttermilk, olive oil, milk, and eggs together.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the whole wheat flour, cornmeal, monk fruit sweetener, baking powder, and salt together.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir together just until combined. Don’t overmix. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 20-22 minutes or until light golden brown and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.
OK folks, bread baking can’t get much easier than this. So, if you have been holding off baking bread that looks and tastes like it came from a fancy bakery, there is no time like the present to put on an apron and have at it! And I know, this bread could contain one less ingredient if the recipe didn’t call for added yeast. But I believe I have mentioned before that I hardly ever plan-ahead on the type of bread I am going to bake. It’s more of a spontaneous result of realizing while I am making breakfast that we are almost out of bread. See how that works. Running low on bread equals, get your tush in gear and make more! Simple. OK, in my own defense, I do think ahead sometimes. But not nearly as often as I would like. Thus, the added yeast in this recipe. (I never claimed to be a kitchen goddess. But I do qualify for a B+ on consistent behavior. Pavlov would be so proud.)
Anyway – this recipe makes a really great loaf of bread. Perfect for sandwiches, smothered with Garlic Herb Butter (see recipe below) as an accompaniment for Italian food or soup, made into crostini, as the base for bruschetta, or any time a lovely slice of bread is warranted. This recipe basically produces an all-around, delicious, lightly flavored, firm textured, chewy crusted sourdough bread. And super easy to build.
Well, that’s it for today. As usual I have a protagonist to accompany as (in this case) he unravels the mystery of who killed Cock Robin? Not really Cock Robin. But you catch my drift!
Plus, I’m making meat loaf for dinner. And I still haven’t figured out what side dish to serve. Also, salad or veggie? Sometimes it boggles my mind how many choices I make each day that are mostly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Will my dinner choices have any impact on world peace, for example? Of course not. Will my choices affect our continued good health? You bet your bippy my choices make a difference! So, no pressure Patti! But make the right choices.
And yes, I know. Preparing the menu for every stinkin’ meal, every stinkin’ day takes a lot of thoughtful decision making. But good, healthy food can make all the difference in the world to your family when it comes time to sit down together and share a meal.
So, keep preparing delicious, healthy food for the enjoyment of every person at table. Your reward will be the smile on their face(s). And the knowledge that you are not alone! Every meal planner around the world shares the same predicament!
Peace and love to all.
1½ c. warm water
¾ c. sourdough starter discard, room temperature
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1½ tsp. kosher salt
4 – 4½ c. bread flour, or as much as needed
extra virgin olive oil
Place the warm water, sourdough starter, and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add the salt and 1½ cups of the bread flour. Mix together with your bread hook. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add enough remaining bread flour to make a soft, elastic dough. Dough should ball up around the bread hook, leaving just a bit stuck to the bottom of the bowl. The dough should be a bit sticky, but not tacky. Pour a bit of oil in the bowl and using your hands and a stiff rubber spatula, form the dough into a ball, completely greased with the oil.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in volume, 60-90 minutes. Punch down once during this rising.
Cover a cookie sheet with a rectangle of parchment paper. Use enough parchment paper to allow for lifting the dough into a Dutch oven or clay baker (bread cloche). Gently shape the dough into a ball but avoid kneading. Place the dough ball on the parchment paper. Cover with the same piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place in a warm, draft free spot for an hour.
In the last half hour of rising, preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place your clay baker or Dutch oven on the middle rack of the oven at the same time you turn it on. You want your clay baker or Dutch oven to get hot right along with the oven.
Once the oven comes to temperature, slash an “X” on the top of the dough. (Don’t use too much force or you will deflate the bread.) Just let the weight of the knife do the work.
Remove the Dutch oven or clay baker from the oven being very careful not to burn yourself. Carefully, using the sides of the parchment paper, lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven or clay baker. Cover the Dutch oven or clay baker and place in the oven.
Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and allow to finish baking. Total baking time is about 35-40 minutes. (Mine is perfect after a total of 35 minutes.) The top should be dark golden brown. The internal temperature should reach at least 205 degrees.
Remove from oven and carefully lift the parchment paper and bread out of the clay baker or Dutch oven onto a wire rack to cool. Cool completely before slicing.
Please note: A trick I use to make lifting my clay baker in and out of the oven, is to place it on a low sided baking sheet before it ever goes into the oven. It’s much easier to lift a baking sheet in and out of the oven than a clay baker. Much less likely to burn yourself. Dutch ovens – no problem. They have nice handles made for the purpose.
Also, if you don’t own a clay baker or a Dutch oven, simply bake the bread as is. It may take longer to bake then the time given above, so to be certain, take the breads temperature to make sure it is done to perfection.
GARLIC HERB BUTTER
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ tsp. Italian seasoning
¼ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Mush all together and serve at room temperature. Let people slather the butter on themselves, or place sliced bread on a baking sheet and spread liberally with the butter mixture. Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until the bread is crusty around the edges and the butter topping is very hot. Serve either piping hot or at room temperature.
And yes, that little unshaped biscuit is from the last bit of dough. And it matters not that it is misshapen. It’s mine, all mine!
Sometimes all I want is a really good biscuit. Biscuits are so easy to build, and are such a wonderful accompaniment to soups, stews, chili, and chowders. They simply make the meal. But my personal favorite is when I get to have a biscuit with breakfast. And I must say, these biscuits are absolutely perfect along with a bit of breakfast meat and an easy over egg. No jam, jelly, honey, etc. required. Just a bit of unsalted butter melted on each half. Fabulous.
But of course, these biscuits are wonderful anytime a bit of bread would make a meal complete. And I have to admit, for me, bread makes any meal better. I don’t allow myself bread with every meal because, well, it wouldn’t be good for health reasons. But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss it!
Even when we go out to dinner, I always hope that a basket of bread will be the first offering to be placed on our table. Well, that is, after my martini, of course! But when no bread appears, I always feel a bit cheated. Over the years I have learned to hold back any tears that might come unbidden from my disappointment. But if I were the one who paid the check, the tip would, I’m sure, always be a little less if no bread was delivered. (And yes, I know, it’s not the waiter’s fault that no bread is included with the meal. But to my thinking, these waiters should have thought of that before they chose to work in an establishment that doesn’t know or understand the needs of their clientele!) Luckily for these waiters, I rarely pay the check. And Mr. C. is far too kind to punish anyone for another’s transgressions!)
I guess what I am trying to say, is that these biscuits are really, really yummy. I found the recipe on the bostongirlbakes.com site. And believe it or not, I didn’t change a thing. Just as written on Heather’s blog. So, thank you Heather for this amazing recipe.
So, to all of you who are true bread lovers, please give this recipe a try. The biscuits are easy to prepare, contain no fancy ingredients, and possess a delightful flavor and texture. And just the right size to alleviate guilt, but not feel stinted either.
As always, be happy. Those of us with a roof over our heads, enough food to feed our family, and friends who care about us even if at times our inner 2-year-old screams to be set free, are truly lucky. And of course, you do realize that I would never take my aggression out on a waiter. However, there are times when it’s a good thing the cook doesn’t come out of the kitchen to ask patrons how we enjoyed our meal? There are just too many times when that person would get more than he or she bargained for if I were asked that question!
Peace and love to all.
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. yellow cornmeal (fine grind cornmeal is best)
5 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ c. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 c. cold buttermilk
1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
3-4 T. chopped fresh chives or 2 T. dried chives
melted butter
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in your food processor. Pulse a couple of times to mix the ingredients. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks granular.
Add the cheese and chives. Pulse until the ingredients are evenly combined.
Pour in cold buttermilk and pulse a few times until a shaggy dough forms. The dough will be sticky at this point.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Bring the dough together gently. Knead the dough by pressing the dough down into about a ½-inch thickness, then fold in thirds (fold the right side over, then left side over the dough). Repeat 3 times to create flaky layers.
Pat the dough into a 1 inch-thick circle. Cut the biscuits into rounds using a 2½-inch biscuit cutter. (Remember, when cutting biscuits, press straight down on the biscuit cutter. Do not twist as you press down.)
Press the scraps together and cut out remaining biscuits. Place on prepared pan about 1½-inches apart.
Bake in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for about 15 minutes on the middle rack of your oven. When done, the internal temperature should be between 205 and 210-degrees and the biscuits should be a nice golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to continue to cool. Brush tops with melted butter.
Store the biscuits in an airtight container in the refrigerator. These biscuits are best when re-heated before serving.
OK, this is going to be the easiest recipe I ever shared with you. But this may be one of the best recipes I ever shared with you. And why is that you might ask? Well, for several reasons. Not only is crostini easy to prepare and delicious, it’s crunchy. And who doesn’t love crunchy! Crostini (meaning “little crusts” in Italian; singular crostino (but who could ever eat just one) are simply that much needed crunch so often missing in a meal of soup or stew and bread. And we all know how wonderful soup and stew are when served with a nice soft roll or baguette slices. But with crostini, you have the lovely bread, but also the delightful crunch.
So, what types of bread make the best crostini? Glad you asked. Rustic peasant bread, ciabatta, and different types of baguettes all work great. If you are into baking your own bread, I would recommend Chewy Sourdough Baguettes, Thin Sourdough Baguettes, Overnight Sourdough Baguettes, Soft French Baguettes, or Classic Italian Baguettes. All found on this site.
And then guess what else is great about crostini? You can top the little darlings with any old thing you want. For example – Kalamata Olive Spread, Creamy Feta Cheese Dip, Mushroom Pâté, Herbed Cream Cheese with Black Pepper Spread, and of course bruschetta. (See recipe below.) Or provide a variety of different toppings for family and friends to smear on crostini all by themselves. (Sounds like a party to me.)
Speaking of parties, I’ve had the pleasure of listening to the Whistle Lake Jazz Quartet rehearse in our living room. Furniture scattered to the four winds. Beer glasses everywhere, and happy, wonderful guys truly enjoying themselves making beautiful music. I feel like I’m in heaven. Just sitting in our den, writing up this recipe, it feels like magic happening all around me. There is simply nothing better than live music. And when it’s in your own living room – well, nothing compares. For pictures of the quartet practicing, see the bottom of the post.
So, as always, bring a little magic into your life. Be it listening to beautiful music, looking at fabulous art, reading good books, playing with your children, making someone else’s life a little bit better, or whatever feeds your soul. If it makes you smile, then it’s worth the effort.
Peace and love to all.
baguette
extra-virgin olive oil
flaky or fine sea salt, to taste
Pre-heat your oven to 450-degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
Slice the baguette on the diagonal into pieces no wider than ½-inch. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with olive oil.
Place the slices in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet and bake them on the middle rack for about 9 minutes, until they are crisp and nicely golden on top. Remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve immediately.
Bruschetta
crostini – just out of the oven
1 garlic clove
extra virgin olive oil
chopped fresh basil
chopped tomato
freshly ground black pepper
Scrape the warm crostini with a garlic clove. Drizzle on a bit of olive oil, then top with diced tomato, chopped fresh basil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve to only those who deserve the best.
Mr. C. on piano
Mr. C. and Todd on drumsTim on bass and Jamie on guitarAll together now, all together now……..
For those of you for whom French is not your first, second, or even third language, a “bâtard” is essentially just an oval shaped loaf of bread. It just sounds so much more sophisticated to call it a bâtard rather than referring to it as just an oval loaf of bread. And you know, I am nothing if not the very essence of sophistication. Yah right?!?!
But when it comes to bread, I can get quite high on my horse about it. Especially good homemade bread. Because, frankly, there is nothing more delicious. And this bread is a perfect example of really good bread. Absolutely perfect for toast in the morning and especially fabulous when served as crostini. (See recipe below.)
It is however, a bit of a pain in the patootie to make. And probably not a good bread for a beginner to tackle. Unless of course, you are one of those people who overachieves at everything you have ever tried. On the first try! Then go for it. For the rest of us, I would say a bit of bread baking experience would be wise.
I found this recipe, much changed by me, on the King Arthur baking site. The instructions from the good folks at King Arthur would have me start the process with “fed” sourdough starter. For me, that would make it a three-day process. I simply don’t think that far in advance. As it is, even with my changes, it takes two-days to produce this lovely loaf. That much I can handle. And totally worth the effort.
But my way does require the addition of a small amount of active dry yeast. And even though not called for in the original recipe, I managed to slip in a bit of olive oil action too. (I love olive oil with this type of bread.)
So, in conclusion, if you have the time, discipline, and fortitude, please give this bread recipe a try.
As with everything, you will never achieve if you don’t first try. It always amazes me when people can’t believe I made the bread they are enjoying. When actually, homemade bread is one of the easiest and most forgiving baked good you can produce. But then, if you don’t try, you don’t know. So, try things folks. We are only on this planet for a very short time. Who knows, you might find that collecting the elusive chanterelle mushroom from its hiding place under a Douglas fir to be the best and most rewarding fun you ever had. Or learning to play the ukulele or the joys of down hill skiing in your mid 40’s. There are an infinite number of possibilities. But each require that first step. And with first steps, as in first steps taken by babies, you might fall on your face. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again. It’s called life. And life is meant to be lived! And cherished. Baby steps, successes, failures, and everything in between!
Peace and love to all.
1 c. sourdough starter discard, room temperature
1½ c. lukewarm water
½ tsp. active dry yeast
2½ tsp. kosher salt
5 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
extra virgin olive oil
In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together the starter, water, yeast, and 3 cups of the flour. Beat vigorously for 1 minute. (I use my paddle attachment for this rather than my dough hook.)
Cover and let rest at room temperature for 3 hours. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 12 hours. (The dough will expand some during it’s time in your refrigerator.)
The next day, add the salt and enough flour to form, with your bread hook, a smooth firm dough. For me, this took the full 5 cups of flour, and then some. Just be sure to touch the dough. Because, when I first started adding additional flour, 5 cups looked like too much. But when I actually touched the dough after 4½ cups, I quickly realized that the look of this dough is deceiving. It looked like it had enough flour, pulled away from the bottom of the mixer bowl like it had enough flour, but when I poked the dough and actually felt its density, in no way would it have held its shape. Simply not enough flour. So, I added enough more flour to create the dough required to hold a shape.
When your dough is nicely kneaded and ready for the next rise, pour a bit of olive oil in the bowl, and using your hands and a stiff rubber spatula, work the dough into a ball entirely coated with the oil.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until it’s light and airy, with visible gas bubbles. Depending on the starter you use and the temperature of your kitchen, this may take 4 to 5 hours. (Mine took 4 hours.) For best results, gently deflate the dough once an hour.
Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Then pour a bit of olive oil in a small container and lightly grease your hands. (Take your rings off first. Don’t forget where you left them!) Gently pat the dough to deflate it slightly and remove any large bubbles. Divide the dough in half, right in the bowl. Form each half into a loose ball, then gently stretch the dough while tucking the dough under itself as you form an oval. (I know there are fancy ways to shape a Bâtard, but frankly, I don’t have time or the inclination for fancy-schmancy loaves of bread. I just shape the loaves as best I can in my hands, then plop the darn things on the prepared pan! If they look a little misshapen, I mess with them a bit more on the baking sheet.) (If you have any leftover olive oil gently smear it on the loaves.)
Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 2 hours. Don’t worry if the loaves spread more than they rise; they’ll pick up once they hit the oven’s heat. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425-degrees. While the oven heats, place a pan of water on the bottom rack. I use a 9-inch cake pan half full of water.
Spray the bâtards with lukewarm water; this will help them rise in the oven by initially keeping their crusts soft and pliable.
Slash the bâtards. Try one slash down the length of the loaf, two diagonal slashes, or another symmetrical pattern of your choice. Make the slashes fairly deep; a serrated bread knife or lame, wielded firmly, works very well.
Bake the bâtards for 25 to 30 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 208-degrees. Remove from oven and cool on a rack before slicing.
Store bâtards, loosely wrapped, for several days at room temperature. Freeze for longer storage.
This bread makes great crostini. (See recipe below.)
CROSTINI
crusty bâtard (like this one) or a French baguette
extra-virgin olive oil
flaky or fine sea salt
Pre-heat oven to 450-degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the bread on the diagonal into pieces no wider than ½-inch. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with olive oil.
Place the slices in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet and bake them on the middle rack for about 9-11 minutes, or until they are crisp and nicely golden on top. Remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve immediately.
We love homemade pizza. And I especially love thin crust pizza. Not so much for the overall taste, but more for the reduction of carbs. Less dough, less carbs and calories. So, I decided to come up with a crust that I could pat out very, very thin. Just enough crust to support all the yummy topping ingredients. And while I was at it, I decided for the pizza I was building that evening, and because I had some fresh basil in the fridge that was quickly becoming tired, I would work up a pesto like sauce. So, you will find that recipe below too.
So, nothing more to say except I didn’t take a picture of the finished product. (Hard to take a picture of the bottom crust of a pizza after it’s been baked. If you don’t believe me, try it yourself sometime. But only if you plan to serve upside down pizza!)
As always, peace and love to all.
1 c. warm water
½ tsp. granulated sugar
1 pkg. or 1 scant T. active dry yeast
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
½ c. whole wheat flour
1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, more or less
Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add the salt, olive oil, whole wheat flour, and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour.
Using your dough hook, mix/knead until the dough is smooth and elastic using as much flour as required.
Cover and let rise for 20-30 minutes. Divide dough in half. (Dough can be used immediately or a portion frozen for later use.)
To bake your pizza on a pizza pan or baking sheet:
Lightly grease a 12-inch pizza pan. Sprinkle with a bit of cornmeal. Place one of the half pieces of dough on the prepared pizza pan and pat it with your fingers until it stretches over the whole pan. Make sure the edge is a bit thicker than the rest.
Place in a pre-heated 475-degree oven for about 8 minutes to set the crust. Remove from oven and spread with pizza sauce and toppings of your choice.
Return to the oven and continue baking for 10-20 minutes longer or until the crust is a nice golden color and the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into slices.
To bake your pizza on a pizza stone:
Pre-heat your oven and pizza stone to 475-degrees. (This takes longer than just heating your oven. So, you may want to start heating your oven at the same time you start making your dough. Rise time and all.)
Place a piece of parchment paper on top of a pizza peel or a baking sheet with only one edge. Pat one of the half pieces of dough out as thin as possible. Then, place your topping ingredients over the crust.
Transfer the pizza (parchment paper and all) off the pizza peel or baking sheet onto your pre-heated pizza stone and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and wait 5 minutes before cutting. (I don’t have a pizza peel. I use a one-sided baking sheet. When the pizza is ready to come out of the oven, I just slide the pizza, parchment paper and all, back on to the baking sheet.)
BASIL PESTO PIZZA SAUCE
2 garlic cloves
2 c. packed basil leaves
tiny pinch kosher salt
a couple grinds black pepper
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Place all the ingredients in your food processor. Whirl until you reach desired consistency.
Slather the sauce on unbaked or partially baked crust. Use as much of the sauce as you want. That may be only half of the sauce, or every last bit scraped out of the food processor.
I am always trying (most times not terribly successfully) to remove added sugar from recipes. So, the other evening to accompany Vegetarian Lentil Soup, I decided to develop a sugar-free cornbread recipe. I perused a few sites looking for the perfect recipe, but some had bacon fat, or some other ingredient that just didn’t work for me. So, I cobbled together this recipe. And fortunately, it worked. Boy did it work! I can honestly say I had no feelings of guilt eating this cornbread. Of course, there was butter in the recipe. But the no additional sugar helped me from becoming guilt-ridden. And I really didn’t miss the sweetness that I always find appealing about this wonderful and easy to prepare bread. Of course, the next morning I did serve it drizzled with warm maple syrup for a special breakfast treat. But that’s a story for another time.
Anyway, this cornbread is inexpensive and easy to prepare (only 7 ingredients and no mixer required), and a dish that everyone in your family will love. And of course, if you must, you can gently warm the bread and slather it with butter to further enhance its enjoyment. (I can’t speak from experience on this myself. But I’m sure Mr. C. could attest to the fact if gently coerced.)
So, if you too are trying to avoid added sugar, but still want to enjoy life’s little pleasures like cornbread, give this recipe a try. It’s darn good. That’s all I’ve got to say!
Peace and love to all.
½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ c. cornmeal
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
5 T. unsalted butter, melted
1¼ c. buttermilk
1 egg
Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Then whisk in the buttermilk and egg until well combined.
Stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients just until blended.
Spoon the batter into a greased 9×9-inch square baking dish, smoothing the top before placing in the oven.
Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
First let me say that I love the flavor and texture of challah. Toasted, buttered, and slathered with local honey is fantastic. But, with these two loaves, I cut them into small cubes and toasted/dried them in the oven for turkey dressing. (Of course, I did save 2 thick slices for toast one morning, but I still had plenty for the dressing.) And just like every other time I’ve made dressing, I over-achieved. Way too much dressing, and not up to my usual standard. I thought I didn’t have enough challah cubes for the dressing, so I used some whole wheat bread cubes, and even cut up a few slices of seed bread I had in the freezer.
So, I must say, the next time I make dressing, I will use only challah bread. The toasted whole wheat and seed bread cubes were just too heavy. Had I just used the challah cubes, the dressing would have been fine. (And a reasonable amount. What was I thinking?)
But please don’t limit your enjoyment of challah to using it in turkey dressing. It has so much more to offer. It is perfect just toasted, but when turned into French toast, even the dullest of mornings becomes special. Slathered in butter and topped with warm maple or berry syrup, absolutely nothing is more delicious. (And yes, always warm syrup before serving it to the most important people in your life. I mean really! Who could possibly be more important or deserving than the people sitting around your breakfast table?)
Well, that’s it for now. I’m not going to bore you any more rhetoric today, except to say, if you are a bread lover, give challah a try. You will forever be thankful for discovering this culinary treasure.
And a big thank you to Lora, from the savoringitaly.com site, for this splendid recipe.
And as always, peace and love to all.
1 c. warm water
1 pkg. or 1 scant T. active dry yeast
1 tsp. plus ⅓ c. granulated sugar, divided
2 tsp. fine sea salt
4½ to 5 c. bread flour, divided
4 lg. eggs, divided
¼ c. vegetable or canola oil, plus more for greasing the mixer bowl
1 c. room temperature sourdough discard
poppy or sesame seeds, opt.
In a mixer, with a dough hook attachment, combine the warm water, yeast, and the 1 teaspoon sugar. Let the yeast bloom for about 5 minutes. Then slowly mix in the salt and 1 cup of the bread flour until well combined.
Mix in 3 of the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the remaining one-third cup sugar, oil, and sourdough discard. Add enough remaining flour to create a dough that is a bit sticky, but soft and smooth. (This should take several minutes of kneading to achieve.)
Pour a bit of oil over the dough and form into a ball. There should be a film of oil over the entire surface. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 60-90 minutes).
When the dough has risen, punch it down. Shape each portion per instructions given below for either classic or batard shaped loaves.
Classic Challah Shape: (this method makes 2 challah loaves)
Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and allow to rest covered with plastic wrap for 5-10 minutes.
With clean, lightly floured hands, begin to shape and gently stretch three of the dough balls into log shapes. Place the dough logs on a very lightly floured work surface and use your hands to roll and pull them into long rope-like strands. Use even pressure as you roll the dough to maintain an even thickness along the length of each rope. Place the challah dough ropes on a baking sheet that has been lightly greased or lined with parchment paper. (The ropes should be lined up, side by side, but not touching. Leave at least an inch between each rope so that you have enough room to braid. If one of your dough ropes is thicker or smaller than the others, make that one the center strand.
Firmly pinch the ends of the dough ropes together at the top end. This will hold the top of the loaf together while you braid the dough. Tuck the braid ends under the loaf to help hold them together while you braid, and while the challah bakes.
Begin to braid the challah by lifting the dough rope on the right and passing it over the center rope (the rope to the immediate left). The rope that was originally on the far right now becomes the center rope. The original center rope is now on the right. The rope on the left has not moved. Take the dough rope on the left and pass it over the center strand (the rope to the immediate right). The rope that had been on the left is now in the center. Continue braiding the challah by alternately placing the right rope over the center rope, then the left rope over the center rope. Try to keep the braid fairly tight as you work your way down the loaf. When you’ve braided all the way to the bottom of the loaf, pinch the ends of the dough ropes together, and tuck them under the loaf. This will give your challah an attractive, tapered shape, and help hold the braid together while the loaf rises and bakes.
Repeat the process with the other 3 strands of dough.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft free place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
When ready to bake, brush with egg wash. (Egg wash is made with the remaining egg and a few drops of water whisked together). Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds if desired.
Bake the challah in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 190-degrees. (Check after 30-minutes. If the bread is getting too brown, cover with aluminum foil for the remaining time in the oven.)
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Batard (Football) Shaped Loaves: (this method makes 2 large loaves) (I bake the bread this way when I am using the bread for bread pudding, stuffing/dressing, or any recipe that calls for an egg rich bread.)
After the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide into 2 pieces. Shape into 2 elongated loaves and place on a lightly greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover, and allow the loaves to rise for 45-60 minutes. Brush with egg wash. (Egg wash is made with the remaining egg and a few drops of water whisked together).
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 190-degrees. (Check after 30-minutes. If the bread is getting too brown, cover with aluminum foil for the remaining time in the oven.)
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
