Sourdough Artisan Bread

 Sourdough Round Bread 

- This is Alexandra Cook's recipe. I find her recipe is a great one, but the post is too long to make it easily usable on a regular basis. This is the shortened up version for me!

100 g active sourdough starter
375 g (or more) warm water
500 g bread flour

9-12 g salt

Instructions

1. Whisk the starter and water together in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Mix to combine and form a rough dough. Cover with a damp towel and rest for 30 minutes.

2. After 30 minutes, fold it over itself 4-5 times to stretch the dough. Rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat for a total of 4 times in 2 hours. 

3. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise at room temperature about 8-10 hours. The dough is ready when it has increased by 50% in volume, has a few bubbles on the surface and jiggles when you move the bowl side to side.

4. On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a round. Let it rest seam side up for 30 minutes.  Shape it again and place it into a floured bowl or proofing basket, seam side up.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour - 48 hours. 

6. Place dutch oven in your oven and preheat to 550 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the size of your baking pot.

7. Place the parchment over the dough and invert the bowl to release. Score the dough. Carefully transfer the dough to the baking pot and cover.

8. Lower the oven temp to 450 degrees and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and lower the temp to 400 degrees for an additional 10-15 minutes. 

9. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour before slicing. 

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Snow!

We FINALLY got some snow. Even though I keep seeing pictures of folks back home who are buried in snow, it's been pretty dry around here.

So, we enjoyed getting some of the white stuff today. It's been snowing all day...7 inches and counting.

We enjoyed a snow day today. We slept in, leisurely ate a yummy breakfast, and watched a movie.

Then it was time to get outside! I walked to the store to get a little exercise and return the movie...and while I was there, found out that we get another day off school tomorrow! :)

No pics of Tyler. He and I pretty much just threw snowballs at each other so the phone was safely put away when he was around. :)

I got a turn getting swung in circles by Wayne.

The munchkin on one of her turns. I think she looks like a smooshed marshmallow in her puffy clothes.

This afternoon, I tried a couple of new recipes. This pretzel roll recipe  to go with this pulled pork. The rolls are sooo good, AND they were easy. :) The pulled pork is delicious. I'd say it was easy too...except the pulling part. ;)

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2013/04/06/high-fiber-pretzel-rolls-health-with-stealth/

Crusty Bread

I'm still on my baking kick this fall...and I have a recipe that you MUST try if you like bread. I mean, really. You have to try this. It's super easy and so delicious. Wayne and I have been looking for a long time for a good artisan-style loaf that is crusty on the outside, and airy and chewy on the inside. We've tried lots of recipes, some fairly labor-intensive, that have all fallen a bit short. We still felt like we could find a better loaf at a bakery than we could make at home.

But, thanks to Pinterest, we found The One. And it takes next to no effort. I've made 2 loaves this weekend. The first was plain the second was jalapeno and sharp white cheddar. Both delicious. Next up, rye. If I'm going to indulge in some bread, this is what I'm after. Just spread a little salted butter, or Laughing Cow cheese and salami, make a sandwich, spread a little cream cheese and jam, or eat it plain. It's all good. Mmmm. 

The link I've included gives a lot more pictures and instructions. I'm writing how I made mine, which is slightly different. 

Crusty Bread

Slightly adapted from Simply So Good - Click on the link for more pics, Q & A, etc.

3 cups bread flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon yeast

1 1/2 cups water

In your stand mixer, mix together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and let the dough hook mix it together until it comes together. (I let it go a few minutes). (Or you can just whisk it together until a shaggy mixture forms). It will be a wet, sticky dough. Place in a large bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or with a little oil.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours (or more). Overnight works great.  Alternately, I have learned from a King Arthur flour version, after covering it at room temp for a couple of hours, refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 7 days. The longer it is in the refrigerator the tangier it will be. (If you are pressed for time, put it straight in the refrigerator).

Pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set.  (OR, just scrape the dough down off the sides, so it releases some of the gases, and let it rest in the bowl until the pot is preheated). We tried it both ways and didn't notice a difference in the final result. We let it rest about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees. When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for about 10 minutes. We used our stainless steel stock pot. (She recommends preheating an enamel cast iron pot for 30 minutes).  **See below.

Remove hot pot from the oven, spray pot with cooking spray, and drop in the dough. Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 18 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.  Devour.

Some variations (all but the Jalapeno Cheddar are straight from Simply So Good):

* Jalapeno-Cheddar loaf:  2 seeded jalapenos, about 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar.

*Rye bread: 1 cup rye flour, 2 cups white flour and 1/2 tsp caraway seeds and caraway seeds sprinkled on top.

*Lemon/Gruyere/Rosemary: Zest of 1 lemon, 1 1/4 cup shredded Gruyere and chopped rosemary

*Cranberry/Orange/Almond: 3/4 cup dried cranberries, zest from 1 orange, 1/2 cup sliced almonds

**She recommends your pot to be about a 5.5 quart pot. (You can go a little smaller or a little larger). You can use any container that can handle the heat and has a lid. Other baking dishes she says have been used: Clay pots with lids, Pizza stone with a bowl to cover the bread, insert from a crock pot, Pyrex baking dish with a lid, stainless steel pot with a lid, baking dish covered with aluminum foil, old cast iron dutch oven.

Bierocks

Bierocks are a food that I had never heard of until I attended Hesston College. It's a filling of cabbage, onion and hamburger wrapped in a roll dough and baked until golden brown.

After I moved away from Hesston, I wanted to make bierocks and had been using the More with Less bierock recipe, until now. Sue had gone to a cooking class a couple of years ago and had passed along this recipe, but I had not gotten around to trying it. I made them for the first time about a month ago. We all liked them. A lot. The dough crisps up on the outside, and the filling is so good. I think the combination of adding sauerkraut and mozzarella makes a big difference. I could make a  meal of just the filling. As soon as the first batch was gone, Wayne sheepishly asked if I could make another. He loves to douse them in Sriracha. This time, I doubled the dough recipe (which is how I wrote it below). This was just about perfect, with enough dough to make 3 pizza filling bierocks for Tyler. So, here you go. Enjoy - Happy fall baking!

 

 

Bierocks

-Meta and Barry West

(Enough filling for about 3 dozen large bierocks)

 

1 large onion, finely chopped + oil for sauteing

3 1/2-4 pounds lean ground beef (optional: use part sausage)

1 head cabbage, finely chopped (3-5 cups per 1 lb of ground meat)

1 tablespoon salt

pepper, to taste

1 can of sauerkraut (regular or large depending on your preference), optional...but I believe

     essential :)

(Recipe suggested 2-4 T flour to thicken. I used 8-16 oz shredded mozzarella instead)

***

1 batch roll dough (recipe follows or use your favorite bread dough recipe)

 

Saute onion in dutch oven in a little oil. Add meat and cook until browned; drain excess fat. Add chopped cabbage, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and steam until cabbage is tender. Add sauerkraut and cheese.

 

(Other options - add grated carrots, green pepper or potato with the cabbage, a teaspoon of other seasoning, cream cheese, etc. We made a pizza filling with some leftover dough - sauce, cheese, pepperoni - this is Tyler's favorite. Or ham and cheese, etc).

 

Rapidmix Cool Rise Roll Dough

(for 1 batch bierocks or 6 dozen dinner rolls)

10-12 cups all-purpose flour

4 packages or scant 1/4 cup yeast (active, dry instant)

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons salt

2 sticks butter, softened cut into pieces

3 cups hot water

4 large eggs

cooking oil

 

Combine 4 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Stir well to blend. Add butter and hot water. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and 4 cups more flour. Beat with electric mixer at high speed for 2 minutes or until thick and elastic. Gradually add just enough remaining flour with wooden spoon (or dough hook of mixer) to make a soft dough which leaves sides of bowl. Dough should be very soft and pliable without being sticky; too much flour will yield a tough dough that is hard to form and resists sealing when formed into a bierock). Knead until smooth and elastic - 5-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top.

 

Cover, let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Dough may be used now or placed in a refrigerator (oiled and covered with plastic wrap) for 2-24 hours. Remove from refrigerator and let stand 10-15 minutes before proceeding with recipe.

 

Punch down dough. Pinch off dough balls about the size of a small orange and roll flat, about 1/8" thick. Edges should be thin to avoid a wad of dough at the closing point. The round is about 6-7" in diameter. Put around 1/3-1/2 cup filling in the center. Pull the sides up and pinch the sides together to seal. Place on baking sheets sprayed with cooking oil. Bake in a preheated oven set at 375-400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  

 

(Can be frozen and reheated).

Low-Carb Focaccia-Style Flax Bread

Starting in January, 2011, Wayne suggested we start a diet. He had been reading The Four Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss and asked that I read the diet chapters so I'd know what I needed to buy for us. I reluctantly skimmed a chapter about the diet. It reminded me a lot of the South Beach Diet that I had briefly tried in the past, only with less restrictions and a built-in cheat day. Basically avoid sugar/simple carbohydrates and instead eat beans, vegetables, meat, cheese, nuts, eggs... One day a week, take off to eat whatever you want (including the forbidden foods - pizza, ice cream, etc). I thought it couldn't hurt so I gave it a try.

The first three days (of sugar withdrawal, I'd guess) were pretty tough, but it definitely got better after the first month to the point that I don't think of it as a "diet," it's just the way I eat. Recently, I have also been trying to learn more about how to get more sources of Omega 3 fatty acids in my diet.

I'm probably late to the party, yet again, to discover that flax seeds are an excellent source of Omega 3s. Lucky for me they are also low-carb and high in fiber. Perfect! With just a little looking around, I found this recipe for low-carb flax bread. I'm excited about this "bread." I can have sandwiches again! Toast! And I'm always on the lookout for easy recipes to add variety to our food routine.

I wanted to share this recipe in case anyone else out there is trying to do something similar. And if you come across any other interesting low-carb recipes, please send them my way!

Low-Carb Focaccia Style Flax Bread

Slightly adapted from Laura Dolson, About.com Guide

Ingredients:

•2 cups flax seed meal
•1 Tablespoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 Tablespoon Truvia
•5 beaten eggs
•1/2 cup water
•1/3 cup oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare pan (a 10X15 rimmed cookie sheet) with oiled parchment paper or a silicone mat.

1) Whisk eggs. Mix in water and oil.

2) Add dry ingredients, and stir until well combined. Make sure there aren't obvious strings of egg white hanging out in the batter.

3) Let batter set for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken up some (leave it too long and it gets past the point where it's easy to spread.)

4) Pour batter onto pan. Because it's going to tend to mound in the middle, you'll get a more even thickness if you spread it away from the center somewhat, in roughly a rectangle an inch or two from the sides of the pan (you can go all the way to the edge, but it will be thinner).

5) Bake for about 20 minutes, until it springs back when you touch the top and/or is visibly browning even more than flax already is.

6) Cool and cut into whatever size slices you want. You don't need a sharp knife; just cut it with a spatula.

* I keep my sliced bread in the freezer and pull out what I want to defrost or to toast. Otherwise, it will start to mold in a few days.



Happy Birthday, Sue!

Last night, Ted and Sue came over so we could celebrate Sue's birthday.

We had chicken tikka masala, naan, and apple pie. We even got to skype with Hollins, Rachel, Jillian and Reid. It was pretty low-key, but it's nice to be able to be together. Happy Birthday, Sue!

Blueberry Muffins

Thanks to my friend, Michelle, I own (and love) the cookbook, Sara Moulton cooks at home. One recipe that I have been making often as of late is Aunt Alice's Blueberry Muffins. I like the muffins best when they're still warm because they have a nice crispy top. Tyler loves to help bake, and he requested we make these tonight.


Aunt Alice's Blueberry Muffins
- Sara Moulton

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup whole milk (I substituted 1% milk)
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup fresh blueberries, preferably wild (I've always used frozen blueberries and they're very good)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and butter 15 2 1/2 x 1 1/4-inch muffin cups. Beat the butter with the sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Pour in the milk, add the egg and beat until smooth.

Sift (instead, I whisk together) the 1 3/4 cups flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just moistened. Toss the blueberries into the remaining tablespoon of flour in a bowl. Fold into batter. Fill the muffin tins halfway with the batter. (My size 30 scoop makes this go pretty quickly).

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife blade around each muffin. Lift slightly on one side and tilt gently to remove from the tin. Cool briefly on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Bran Muffins

Wayne found a bran muffin recipe that he wanted me to try because he needs "more bran." :) It was delicious. I especially love the crisp top. It probably comes from the sugar...which isn't the point in a bran muffin. I keep telling myself that they have to at least be a little better for me than a chocolate or blueberry muffin, right? But, who needs an excuse? These are the fluffiest, yummiest bran muffins!


Classic Bran Muffins
-Janet Kalman/ allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins (I didn't put these in)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease muffin tin (12-regular) or line with paper liners.
2. Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla. Add bran mixture. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into buttermilk mixture, just until blended. Fold in raisins. Spoon into prepared pan(s).
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

Banana Bread

I made this banana bread recipe last evening from Orangette's blog. I had a couple of large overripe bananas sitting on the counter and this used them nicely. I love the way she writes - enjoy.

Sunday

Wayne reminded me that we still have not officially welcomed our new neighbors with a plate of cookies or something. So, today after church, I decided to make cinnamon rolls. My aunt, Delilah, gave me her recipe. I hope it's okay that I'm sharing it. They are the best cinnamon rolls I've ever had. After they were done, I let Tyler have a small one. His review is the following, "Yeah...good...really good." (scarf, scarf)

Cinnamon Rolls - Delilah Yoder

3/4 cup water, very warm/hot

3 rounded Tablespoons yeast

pinch sugar

Mix and set aside

5 eggs, beat until light and foamy

Meanwhile, heat on stove until "almost boiling":
3 cups milk

1 cup margarine

Add to milk mixture:

1 cup sugar

3 tsp salt

Add milk mixture to egg mixture, then add yeast mixture.
Finally, add 11-12 cups flour. I substituted 2 cups of the white flour with wheat flour. I think I added more than 12 cups. Basically, add flour until the dough is still tacky, but you can work it without it sticking to everything. I used my stand mixer to a point. It just made too much dough to fit it all in there.

Oil a bowl, place dough in bowl and oil the top. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down. Let rise again and punch down. Divide into 6 balls. Let rest 10 minutes. Roll one ball out into approximately a 12-inch square. Brush with melted margarine and sprinkle (lots) of cinnamon sugar. Cut into 1-inch rolls. I was never told this, but they look much better if you trim off the very ends and don't use them. Well, actually when I was all done, I put the ends in another pan and baked them like monkey bread. Also, don't seal the edges and roll loosely. It makes for rolls that lay more nicely. Place into a greased pan. (I used 6 8-inch foil pans). Continue with remaining dough. Let rise again. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown (or until internal temperature reaches 170-190 degrees). Let cool on cooling rack.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup half and half (plus more)

2 pound bag powdered sugar

Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil on low heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Add half and half. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Cool - but you really don't have to wait too long. Add powdered sugar and beat to make it more fluffy. If needed, add extra half and half. (I added more). The consistency should not be too thick -almost runny. Spread over cinnamon rolls.

I made 1 1/2 the recipe and had plenty of frosting leftover, but I love frosting and wanted to have enough. I felt my butt getting bigger as I sampled them, but they are yummy.

Breakfast

Last night, Wayne asked Tyler what his favorite food is...as usual, he replied, "Eggs!"
Wayne asked what is the best way to eat them. Tyler replied, "Stab them!" Wayne soon got out of Tyler that he likes them scrambled. That is what he requested for breakfast, with homemade bread and jam.


Here is my favorite whole wheat bread recipe. I think my aunt, Anna, got the recipe from her Amish neighbor.

Whole Wheat Bread

2 T yeast
1 c warm water
1/4 t sugar

2 c hot water
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c shortening, melted
1/4 c oil
1/4 c honey
1 T salt
2 c whole wheat flour
5 1/2 c All-purpose flour (I add 2-3 T gluten or use bread flour)
Optional: I usually add around 1/2 cup of flax meal, wheat flakes, oat bran, or wheat bran

1. Mix the yeast, 1 c warm water and 1/4 t sugar; set aside.

2. In an 8 quart bowl, mix 2 c hot water, brown sugar, shortening, oil, honey and salt. Add whole wheat flour and mix well. Add yeast water, mix well. Add white flour a few cups at a time until it is all worked in and the dough is smooth and elastic. Occasionally I have to add a little more or less.

3. Let rise until double (around 1 hour); punch down.
Let rise again until double (around 45 minutes); punch down.
Roll out 3 or 4 rolls. Place in greased loaf pans.
Let rise until doubled (30-45 minutes).

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped). Let sit in loaf pans for a couple of minutes then move to cooling rack. Brush with butter. I usually make a batch or two and freeze it until I'm ready to use it.

Chicken Tikka Masala and Naan

In Lawrence, we ate at the Indian Palace buffet. Their food is fabulous, down to the Indian tea which is piping hot and has just the right spices and sweetness. We all loved the chicken tikka masala and were lamenting the fact that there is no Indian Palace in Wichita to satisfy our cravings. So, I set out to try to duplicate at least the naan and chicken tikka masala.

While there seemed to be common themes in recipes, per Wikipedia, "Chicken Tikka Masala is a westernized Indian dish...There is no standard recipe...a survey found that of 48 different recipes the only common ingredient was chicken."

So, I made lots of adjustments from a base recipe and ended up with what I think is pretty close to what we had in Lawrence. If you'd like to try it...

Chicken Tikka Masala - Melody's imitation of Indian Palace
1 cup plain yogurt
1 T lemon juice
1 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or equivalent in thighs, tenderloins, etc)

1 T butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup (or so) onion, diced
3 T sugar
2 t ground paprika
1 t ground cumin
1 t salt
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/8 t cayenne pepper
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, optional, for garnish

1. In a bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 1 t salt, and black pepper. Stir in chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Or several days, if you don't get to it). Or, if you don't marinate, sprinkle salt, pepper and lemon juice on chicken before cooking.
2. Lightly oil grill grate. Grill chicken until juices run clear, approximately 5 minutes per side. (Until it reaches an internal temp of 165*).  (Or roast in 375 degree oven until internal temp reaches 165 degrees). Let rest five minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion until onion is translucent. Add spices and saute briefly. (I let the sugar get liquidy/start to caramelize). Add tomato sauce and cream. Stir to combine. Add chicken and heat through. Simmer until slightly thickened. If it becomes too thick, may add extra water. Garnish with cilantro, if desired. Serve over rice.

Naan - Manjula
3/4 cup warm water
1 t yeast
2 t sugar
2 cups flour
1 t salt
1/8 t baking soda
2 T oil
2 1/2 T plain yogurt

1. Mix yeast, water and sugar and stir to dissolve. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add oil and yogurt and mix well. Add yeast water and knead to make a very sticky dough. (I use my stand mixer). Oil the dough, place in medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for four hours.
(You may form into 6-10 balls at this point and freeze. Remove from freezer several hours before baking).
2. Preheat the oven and baking stone to broil/500 degrees for 20 minutes. Oil hands and divide dough into 6-10 balls. Roll balls in flour. Using a rolling pin, roll to 1/4 inch thick. Wet hands and place naan on baking stone. Bake for 3 minutes. Remove from oven. Brush with melted butter (or ghee - clarified butter).

Enjoy!

Saturday zzzzz's

Well, I didn't think we had much of an exciting Saturday. Ty and I went to the library and the grocery store...

I was busy making pretzels and pretzel covered hot dogs for supper (OK, not the healthiest, but yummy)

But when I called the boys for supper, I discovered that Tyler had fallen asleep. I tried unsuccessfully to wake him, then moved him to the couch thinking the commotion would wake him. Instead, he appeared to make himself comfortable (I guess) on the couch.

Recipe for pretzels, for anyone who is interested...

Pretzels
1 ½ cup warm water
1 1/8 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ cup shortening, melted
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk for glaze
¼ cup butter, melted

Mix yeast, water and 1 teaspoon sugar, stir to dissolve. Mix brown sugar, salt and melted shortening. Add yeast water. Add flours and knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Let rise at least ½ hour. Punch down and allow to rise again.

While dough is rising, heat a saucepan of salted water to a bare simmer.

After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll to a long rope (1/2 inch thick or less - should be very, very thin) and shape. Let rest for 10 minutes. Drop into simmering salt water and remove after it floats to drain and move onto a dish towel. Place onto a greased baking sheet.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with salt.

Bake in 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. Remove and brush with melted butter.

Option: Instead of using the poaching and egg wash, you can simply dip in 2 cups warm water mixed with 2 tablespoons of baking soda.
Option: Mix cinnamon and sugar and dip pretzel in butter then cinnamon mixture.
Option: Wrap hot dogs with pretzel. Allow to rise. Follow above instructions. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.


Honey Mustard Sauce
Mix mayonnaise, honey and mustard to desired taste.