Featured at The Essentail Homemaker

Listen up peeps.  :)

Today I'm over at The Essential Homemaker teaming up with my lovely sister and sharing with ya'll one of my favorite tasty treats.  So so yummy!

Come on over and check it out.

Hang out for a bit and take a look around.

She's got some amazing things to see.

Bread Baking Basics and a Recipe, too.

Now, I am no bread baking expert.

I know this may come as a shock to some of you.

I was married for almost 9 years before I baked my very first loaf of bread.  No joke.  I was afraid of it.  "Too much work", I thought.  But I was wrong.  Surprisingly enough...it was a lot easier than I imagined it to be (especially if you have a mixer, like I do, that does all the kneading for you). 

In fact, for the past year now, homemade bread has been used almost exclusively in this house.  It took my boys a while to get used to the idea ("No more store bought bread?") but they are quite on board with it now. 

I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes and some bread making tips (marked with "*"), which have become quite useful in the past year as I have learned and experimented with the "art" of bread making.

Simply Perfect Setpoint Bread

Medium Batch--4 loaves

10-12 cups whole wheat flour *1 (about 7 cups pre-ground whole wheat)
2 tablespoons dry instant yeast *2
1/3 cup high-gluten (80%) flour (optional) *3
1/2 tsp vitamin C powder (300 mg) (optional) *4
4 cups warm water (120 to 130 degrees) *5
1/3 cup vegetable/canola oil
1/3 cup honey or sugar
1 TBSP salt

Place 6 cups whole wheat into mixer bowl equipped with kneading arm.  Add dry yeast, gluten flour , and vitamin C.  Pulse to mix well.  Add water, and mix for 1 minute.  For lighter bread, turn off mixer, cover bowl, and let dough sponge (*6) for 10 minutes.  Add oil, honey or sugar (*7), and salt.  Turn on mixer, and quickly add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough forms a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl (you should be able to see the bottom of the bowl too).  The amount of flour needed may vary.  Knead 4-6 minutes (*8) in a mixer and 12-15 minutes, at least, if kneading by hand, until dough is smooth and elastic.

Lightly oil hands and counter top.  Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Shape into loaves (*9) and place into greased bread pans.   

Fast Rise:  While shaping dough, preheat oven to lowest setting (at least 150 degrees).  Once oven has preheated and bread is ready to go in turn the power off.  Place bread in oven, arranging pans with space between to allow heat to circulate freely.  Watch closely.  Let rise until almost double in bulk, approx. 20-30 minutes.  Leave bread in over and turn heat to 350 degrees.



Normal rise:
Leave bread in pans, uncovered, on the counter top until double, approx 1 hour (depending on the temp in your house).  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

 Immediately remove pans; let bread cool on wire racks.  For a soft crust, mist lightly with water from a spray bottle (*9) while still hot.  Or, lather tops in butter or shortening. 

Slice bread when cool.  Store in plastic bags in freezer, not refrigerator.

Tips/Notes:
 *1 Hard white wheat is best if grinding wheat for bread.  To assist in making the transition to 100% whole wheat bread, replace a fourth to half of the whole wheat flour with unbleached white flour.  Gradually increase the ratio as time goes on.

*2  There is a difference between instant yeast (and bread machine) and regular.  Regular yeast has to be cultured in warm liquid before being added into a recipe, instant (and bread machine) does not.
*3 High-gluten flour is a high protein (80%) flour available at most health food stores.  It adds volume and improves texture in whole wheat bread.
*4  Can add 2 TBSP lemon juice (with wet ingredients) instead of vitamin C powder for improved texture).
* 5  For improved texture, add 1 cup buttermilk or yogurt in place of 1 cup of the water.  (you can make your own buttermilk by placing 1 TBSP lemon juice in a 1 C measuring cup and then filling the remainder with milk).
*6  Not a necessary step because recipe calls for instant yeast BUT sponging dough makes lighter bread and reduces kneading time.  This is very important if kneading by hand.
*7 If diabetic or hypoglycemic, or you just want to, you  can substitute a natural sweetener for the honey or sugar, such as 1/2C to 3/4C unsweetened applesauce, or you can use Diastatic malt.
*8  Recipe says 7-10minutes of kneading in a mixer.  I've read that 4-6 is enough.  My mixer has a self kneading button and it only kneaded it for 3min and 27 seconds.  Look for a smooth and elastic (springs back when touched) texture.
*9  Place divided dough on an oiled (not floured) surface and pound dough to get the air out.  Shape into an oval shape and roll around until it reaches the desired length.  Pinch ends together in the center on the underside and place in bread pan.

I hope this helps some of you who are just starting out.  Experiment.  Have fun!

And ENJOY the fruits (warm tasty bread with melty butter and jam on it) of your labors.

Heaven On Earth "Skinny" Soda Bread

Have you ever heard of Tastefully Simple? I LOVE Tastefully Simple food. So, so good. So many favorites...this Beer Batter Bread being right at the top.  Others super tasties include, but are not limited to their Key Lime Cheese Ball and my newest indulgence the Irish Cream Fudge Sauce  (added a TBSP to my hot chocolate yesterday.  Squeal! I think I may be drooling...yep, I'm drooling.) 

Anyhow...

I'm not trying to steal their thunder here. I promise.  I LOVE them.  And it's not the price of their products either, okay....maybe a little...but usually I am totally willing to pay that kind of money for that kind of perfection.

That's not the problem .  The problem for us is that a lot of my favorite products, including the Beer Batter Bread, are manufactured in a plant with peanuts/tree nuts. That doesn't bode well for my child who is deathly allergic to cashews. I can make it here but he can't have any.  Which means I can't give any to my other kids ("not fair").  Which means I end up making it AFTER the kids are in bed.  And then it's just the hubby and I.  And then I end up eating half of the loaf on my own (true story, happened yesterday).....and that doesn't go along so well with the whole "trying to lose weight" thing so I just HAD to find a better solution. These kids should not have to be deprived of such a delicacy and I should not be allowed to indulge alone in it.

I found a simple copy cat recipe and tweaked it a bit, making it a bit more skinnylicious.

So, without further ado.

Heaven on Earth "Skinny" Soda Bread  

(commonly known as Beer Batter Bread)

adapted from this recipe at Food.com

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 TBSP baking powder
3 TBSP sugar
1 tsp salt
1 (12oz) can carbonated soda**--see notes
3 TBSP unsalted butter, melted (omit for "skinny"--trust me, it doesn't need it)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Add soda/beer all at once.  Mix vigorously for 20-30 seconds, just until well combined.  Batter will be thick and lumpy.  Scrape and spread batter into a greased 9x5inch loaf pan.  Bake in the oven 35-40 minutes, until sides separate from pan and knife in the center comes out clean.  Turn out onto rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.   12 servings per loaf  (Nutrition Info--each slice:  calories: 125, carbs: 30g, fat: 0g, protein 3g)

Notes:
The sweeter the soda, the sweeter the end product will be.  Lemon-lime is fairly middle ground.  Orange soda will make it VERY sweet and ginger-ale or club soda will drastically cut it down.  Play with the recipe.  Experiment.  You can even use rootbeer, cola, or carbonated juice.  Whatever.  The carbonation is the key.

 This recipe is fantastic as is.  FANTASTIC!

But it's also very versatile.  If you feel like mixin' it up a bit, here are a few variations.


Melanie's (that's me) Cinnamon and Sugar Soda Bread (pictured above)
Prepare recipe as directed above.  Once the loaf is spread into the pan, pour 1 TBSP melted, unsalted butter over the dough.  Combine 3 TBSP sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon.  Sprinkle over melted butter and bake as directed above.   Or divide into muffin tins for a scrumptious breakfast treat.  12 servings per loaf. (Nutrition info--each slice:  calories: 145, carbs: 33g, fat: 1g, protein: 3g)

Other ideas from Tastefully Simple, themselves:
*Mix Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese into batter for an Italian twist. 
*Add carbonated juice, nuts, and diced fruit to make muffins or breakfast breads.
*Make cornbread by substituting liquid with a 16 oz can of creamed corn and 1/3 cup oil.
* Drizzle with honey
*Spread with butter and sprinkle with Seasoned Salt; then grill.
* Use cubed bread for bread pudding.

Also...a not so sweet version of this is SO SO SO GOOD with warm dips.  Think spinach, and/or artichoke, nacho cheese, you get the idea.  Ooohhhh...I think I may need a bib.

I hope you enjoy it.  I know I will.
 

Amish Friendship Bread

This is what I gave out for frugal neighbor gifts this year and, I must say that we, ourselves, have been enjoying it (every 10 days...he he he) ever since.

It's the gift/recipe that just keeps on giving and giving and....you get the idea.

What I like most about it is that it's cheap, it's flexible and it always turns out very tasty.

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD

IMPORTANT NOTES:  Do NOT use ANY type of metal spoon, bowl, whisk, or beaters...

(see note* below).

DO NOT refrigerate

Batter will rise, bubble and ferment...

if using a plastic bag, let air out as needed.

STARTER:

1 pkg active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)

1 cup sifted flour

1 cup white sugar

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees)

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes.  Stir well.  In a 2-quart glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine flour and sugar.  Mix thoroughly (or flour will get lumpy when milk is added).  Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture.  Loosely cover the mixture with lid or plastic wrap...or place in a plastic zip bag.  The mixture will get bubbly, let air out as needed.  Consider this Day 1 of the 10 day cycle, or the day you received the starter.  For the next 10 days handle the starter as follows:

Day 1- make or receive the starter, do nothing

Day 2- Stir starter in bowl, or if starter is in a plastic bag, mush the bag

Day 3- Stir or mush bag

Day 4- Stir or mush bag

Day 5- Stir or mush bag

Day 6- Add 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk.  Stir to mix or mush the bag.

Day 7- Stir or mush bag

Day 8- Stir or mush bag

Day 9- Stir or mush bag

Day 10- Follow these instructions

If in a bag, pour the contents of the bag into a non-metal bowl.  Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cup flour and 1 1/2 cups milk.  Stir (with a non-metal spoon or whisk).  Measure one cup batter into four 1-gallon zip bags and give away, along with a copy of the recipe.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Add the following to the remaining 1 cup batter:

3 eggs

1 cup oil (or 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce)

1-2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 large or 2 small boxes instant pudding**

1/2 cup milk

1 cup sugar (some recipes don't call for this)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

Grease two large loaf pans.  In a small bowl, mix together, an additional, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon.  Dust the greased pans with 1/2 of this mixture.  Pour batter evenly into the two pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the top.  Bake 50-60 minutes.  Cool bread until it loosens evenly from the pan (about 10 minutes).  Serve warm or cold.  

*NOTE:  Because of the starters extremely acidic properties, the use of metals can cause a chemical reaction that messes with the fermentation process and basically kills the yeast (not to mention contaminating the starter).  There are some arguments as to whether clean, stainless steel can be used for the starters.  I don't use it.  I do, however, use my stainless steel beaters after the starters have all been divided up and placed in bags and I am prepping the rest of the ingredients for baking. 

**You can use any flavor pudding you want.  Try using one small vanilla and one small banana cream.  Try one large chocolate pudding plus add 2 TBSP cocoa powder for super yummy chocolate bread.  The possibilities are endless.  You can find lots of varieties (like lemon poppyseed, banana or apple) on allrecipes.com .  

Today I tried 1 small box butterscotch and 3 boxes chocolate pudding...then added chocolate chips (pictured above).  SO YUMMY!

Helpful Hint (I got this idea from my mom):  When giving away to others, it's always nice to include the date of your starter (day 1), the date they will need to add ingredients (day 6), and they date they will bake (day 10).  like so:

Remember that if you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking it every 10 days.  If you get tired of the cycle....give all the starters away and make some for yourself again when you are well rested and ready to go again.  :)

Happy Baking and Making Friendships!