Whole Wheat Bread

(Breadmaker)
IN A MICROWAVABLE BOWL COMBINE:
1 & 1/4 CUPS WATER
2 TBLS. OIL
1/3 CUP CLOVER HONEY
1 TBLS. LIQUID LECIT-HIN (Lecithin makes whole wheat bread lighter)
1 TSP. SALT (**DONT LET SALT AND YEAST TOUCH)
MICROWAVE FOR ABOUT 1 MINUTE. POUR MIXTURE INTO BREAD PAN MIXER.
ADD:
3 CUPS FRESHLY GRQUND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR (OR 2 WHOLE WHEAT & 1
WHITE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR)
3 TSPS. YEAST
1 TBLS. VITAL WHEAT GLUTIN (KEEPS WHOLE WHEAT BREAD FROM
CRUMBLING).
Program for full Whole Wheat mix. Not rapid mix for this recipe. My bread maker takes
about three hours and twenty minutes.

Sherrie's White Bread

(Breadmaker)
1& 1/3 C WATER (Luke warm)
2& 1/2 TBLS. BUTTER (Real Butter either salted or non. I use salted)
1/3 C HONEY (Clover)
1&1/2 TSPS. SALT
3 CUPS FLOUR + 1 CUP (SCOOPED & LEVELED)
1/4 C DRY MILK (NOT INSTANT)
1&1/2 TSPS. YEAST (I use Fleischmen's Bread Machine yeast).

Baking Bread Tips & Tricks

Notes on Yeast

·         Bread Machine yeast has a finer texture.

·         Regular Dry yeast has a coarser texture. It is best started in warm water with a pinch of sugar, especially if it is older. Water should be warm to the touch but not burn your finger.

·         Rapid Rise yeast

·         Stores well in freezer

·         “1 package” = 2 ¼ teaspoons (some sources say 2 ½)

Types of Flour

·         All-Purpose:  Use for everyday baking of cookies, cakes, and some breads.

·         Bread Flour:  Has a higher protein content and gives a better rise for yeast breads.

·         Whole Wheat Flour:  Most recipes are best with a combination of whole wheat and white flour but all whole wheat can be used. Grinding your own wheat provides the freshest and most nutritious flour. Whole wheat bread can be dense and need a little help to rise well and have a better texture. Adding lecithin, vital wheat gluten, and/or other dough boosters/enhancers helps.

·         There are many varieties of flour to try such as rye and specialty “artisan” flours.

Kneading Bread Dough

Bread dough must be kneaded to develop the gluten, which allows it to rise. With heavy-duty mixers (e.g., Kitchen Aid, Bosch) and bread machines, not very many of us knead by hand anymore. For those of us who like to handle the dough and form our own loaves, here are a few things to keep in mind:

·         You can use a bread machine set on “dough cycle” to make just about any kind of bread dough.

·         After removing the dough from the bread machine, you will need to knead it to remove the air bubbles and get it ready to form into loaves.

·         Work on a lightly floured surface (wooden board, counter top, canvas cloth or other specialty mat/cloth)

Forming and Baking

A few tips for forming your own loaves and baking in the oven instead of the bread machine:

·         To form a loaf roll the dough out into a rectangle and then roll it up (as if you were making cinnamon rolls but there’s nothing in the middle). Pinch the dough to close the seam and pull some of the dough down and under at each end to make it nice and smooth.

·         Let the formed loaves rise in a warm place until they have about doubled in size.

·         Cover loaves with a clean, damp cloth while they rise to keep them from drying out. 

·         Always preheat the oven. If you are baking the bread on a stone, leave the stone in the oven while it pre-heats.

·         French and other artisan-type loaves can be baked on a stone or in special pans with perforations.

·         Steam is the key to chewy, crunchy crusts. Spritz the oven with water when you put the loaves in, place a pan with a little water in it on the bottom rack for the first several minutes of baking, or bake in a covered cast-iron or ceramic crock.

·         Bread is done if it makes a “hollow” sound when you tap on it. If in doubt, go for a few more minutes. It takes quite a while to really over-bake or burn bread.

Bread samples tonight include Sister Rydalch’s whole wheat, harvest, and rye, as well as her famous white, and Andrea’s French from a starter and oatmeal English muffin. If you would like recipes or information on starters, let us know.  

Oatmeal English Muffin Bread

5 ¼ C flour

1 C oats

2 pkgs yeast (about 4 ½ t)

1 T brown sugar

2 t salt

¼ t baking soda

2 C milk

½ C water

  

In a large bowl, combine 2 ¼ cups flour, oats, yeast, brown sugar, salt and baking soda. Combine the milk and water and heat the mixture until it is very warm but not hot to the touch. Gradually add it to the dry ingredients and beat well. Stir in remaining 3 cups of flour to make a stiff batter. Spoon into two greased loaf pans. You can coat the greased pans with cornmeal if you wish. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from pans immediately. To serve, slice and toast.

Pain au Levain – French Bread From a Starter

Starter:

½ C bread flour

1/8 t yeast

¼ C warm water

Combine ingredients in a large glass container. Let sit at room temperature for 2-5 days, stirring daily. You can increase the amounts to make more starter, but keep the flour to water ratio the same (2 parts flour to 1 part water).

Sponge:

1 ¼ C bread flour

½ C warm water

¾ C any sourdough starter

Mix ingredients in bread machine on “dough cycle,” which is mixing/kneading and the first rise.

Dough:

1 t bread machine yeast

1 C warm water

3 C bread flour

1 – 1 ½ t salt  (I use a rounded teaspoon)

Add ingredients to bread machine, stir to make sure flour is mixed in a bit, and run on dough cycle again (mixing/kneading and one rise). When dough cycle is complete, remove the dough from the pan onto a lightly floured surface. Knead to remove air bubbles. Save ¾ - 1 C to be your starter for next time. Add any extras you’d like (rosemary, roasted onions, olives, pepper….) and form the loaves. Cover with a clean damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until about doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Just before baking, slash the tops of the loaves with a sharp knife and brush with a mixture of 1 egg white and 2 T water. Spray the oven with water and then spray it again 4-5 times during the first 10 minutes of baking or put a pan with a little water in the oven on the rack under the bread so you don’t have to keep opening the oven (which lets the heat out and could make the bread fall). Bake until the bread is a deep caramel color and makes a hollow sound when you tap on it. The actual time will vary depending on the size of your loaves (long thin baguettes, a large round, etc.).

Freezer Jam

1 quart of raspberries or blueberries

4 C sugar

2 T lemon juice

1 package CERTO liquid pectin

You can make many varieties of freezer jam (see recipes in the CERTO package for amounts of fruit, sugar, lemon juice and sometimes water needed). All the instructions are included on the insert that comes with every package of CERTO (available at Target, grocery stores, etc. – about $3.50 for a box of two packages), so I am not going to retype them here. Just remember when making freezer jam:

·         You will get a fresher fruit flavor because the fruit is not cooked

·         If you use a food processor, lightly chop the fruit. DO NOT puree it. You want chunks of fruit.

·         Use the exact amounts of crushed fruit and sugar called for or it might not set

·         Do not reduce the sugar or use sugar substitutes; it will not set. Look for Sure-Jell reduced sugar pectin if you want to make reduced sugar jam. It comes in a pink box. I don’t know if it is freezer or cooked…

·         Leave about ½” at the top of your containers when you fill them because the jam will expand in the freezer

·         After filling containers, let the jam sit at room temperature for 24 hours to set. Then keep it in the fridge for several weeks or the freezer for up to a year. 

Sweet Potatoes with Apple Butter

4 pounds sweet potatoes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup apple butter
Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until very tender.

2. Peel the sweet potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher until creamy, then mash in the butter and apple butter. Season with salt and serve.

Contributed by: Marcia Kiesel viaFood & Wine

Apple Crumb Pie

Cook Time: 50 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes Ingredients: 9-inch pastry shell, unbaked, chilled 1 cup sifted flour 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup soft butter 6 cups peeled, sliced cooking apples 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Preparation: Combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter; blend until crumbly then set aside. Combine apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon; mix gently to coat apple slices. Pack apple mixture into chilled crust. Sprinkle crumb topping over apples. Bake in 375° oven until apples are tender, about 50 minutes. Serve this apple pie with vanilla ice cream.