EJS's Legendary Challah

This is a guest post from ELS. You can find her complete recipes and stunning photography at Adventures of an Arbophile. Check it out!

Challah Bread:

1. Mix 1.5 tablespoons yeast in 1 3/4 cups luke warm water with 1 T sugar - let sit for 5min while beating eggs.
2. Beat 3 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs well in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add risen yeast mixture and combine with 1/2 c more sugar, 1 T salt, and 1/2 c canola oil.
4. Add flour until can't mix anymore with a fork or spatula, then use hands to knead in remaining flour on a counter top (~6-7c total) - should feel pliable but won't bounce back when poked.
5. Put dough in bowl, and then in warmed oven, covered with a dish cloth for ~2 hours or until has doubled in size.
6. Punch in middle and knead another few minutes. If you want to add fresh herbs or spices, now is the time to do it. (HIGHLY recommended: any fresh herb combo, rosemary-parmesan, cinnamon-sugar, honey-sage).
7. Follow ChaiTime directions on cutting and braiding http://chaitimeblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/03/video-braiding-a-six-strand-challah/
8. Place on 2 greased or floured baking sheets (parchment paper works too). 
9. Cover and let rise in a warmed oven for another 45min.
10. Rub all over with an egg wash (well beaten egg + 1 T water). Crack sea salt over savory loaves.
11. Bake for about 35 min on 350-375. You'll know it's done when you tap on the bottom with a wooden spoon and it sounds hollow.
12. Enjoy with loved ones.

Challah Queen.

Goodies for Ms. Mara's Graduation party. Cake recipe here.

The beautiful graduate!

Welcome to the glorious world of bread machines

 

 Okay guys, I just want to start by saying I'm not a sellout. I used to have something against the use of bread machines. They take the hard work and appreciation out of bread making. It's an art form that shouldn't be rushed and manipulated to cut corners. There's something really special about the whole process. Activating the yeast, kneading the dough with your hands, waiting in anticipation for it to rise, and finally the glorious satisfaction when your beautiful golden brown loaf is retrieved from the oven. 

     It would be delightful if there were enough time every week to bake hand made bread and still accomplish everything else that goes along with life. However, some weeks are busier than others and the only option is to eat icky store bought bread or pay an exorbitant amount of money for a hand made loaf. Or! drop all your ingredients into a magical machine before you go to bed and wake up to freshly baked deliciousness. Clearly you see where I'm coming from, right? I'm glad you've seen the light.

    Don't ever pay full price for one of these things. They are a usual player on the yard sale circuit. Everyone I know who owns one snagged it second hand for mad cheap or free. I found this one at a yard sale in Missoula for $3. It seems like they were super popular when they first came into stores but since then have petered out. When spring cleaning comes around the bread machine is one of the first appliances to get the boot (and this is where you come in and swoop it up!).

    Erin lent me an awesome bread machine recipe book, The Bread Machine Cookbook (excellent self-explanatory title). Here's one I've tried so far. Great sandwich bread. This stuff is solid! there's no way it will ever get smushed in your lunch box. 

Oatmeal Sesame Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/3 c water

2 tbs butter

2 tbs brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/3 sesame seeds 

2/3 rolled oats

3 c whole wheat flour

1 package active dry yeast

Order of operations:

First load the bread pale with your wet ingredients. Then your dry. Then dig a little whole and place in the yeast. Turn on machine. Done! You could adapt this recipe for hand making, just mix all ingredients and kneed for 10 minutes, rise in warm spot for 1.5 hrs, then bake for 45 at 350F. 

oh yummy! nothing can compare to PB&J. Almond butter, apricot jam and sliced bananas on fresh (still warm) bread.

This is why I didn't have time to bake bread :p

The mother of all loafs

I made the best loaf of my entire bread baking career this weekend! Who knew the secret was just on the backside of the Fleischmann's rapid rise yeast package? Instead of making two loafs which the recipe calls for, I combined all the dough for one massive loaf. Also, I used white whole wheat flour from Wheat Montana. This stuff is magical and I attribute a big part of the epic success of this loaf to Wheat Montana (I drive by their farm/bakery everyday at work). The recipe is pretty flawless though, you'll still end up with a great loaf with non wheat montana flour. For the beautiful glossy crust brush with egg wash (one egg beaten with a splash of water) before putting in the oven and again 10 minutes before removing from oven.


***I have failed MANY times before reaching this feat. Bread baking is always an adventure, always expect the unexpected. No two loafs will ever be the same, so enjoy each loaf as an individual.

5 cups whole wheat flour
2 envelopes RapidRise Yeast
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c water
1 1/2 c milk
1/4 c veg oil
1/4 honey (raw if you have it, yum!)


Combine 3 1/2 c flour, undissolved yeast, salt in large bowl. Heat water, milk, honey, oil until very warm (130 F)--I heat until on the verge of boiling and let cool for a minute or two. Gradually add to flour mixture; stir until well mixed. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. Knead for 10-12 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Shape into two loafs (or one awesome giant loaf). Let rise in warm place (oven set to warm, 115F) for 1 to 2 hours. Bake at 375F for 45-50 minutes. It's going to be difficult to dry out this bread so lean on the side of caution and go for over done than under (test doneness: flip loaf over and knock on bottom; you want to hear a hollow sound). Horay! Happy bread baking to all :)  

Dad's Chocolate Chip Muffins

A staple breakfast food in Big Steve's kitchen. Amazing with a bowl of cereal for a sweet ending to breakfast (sweet tooth runs in the family). Great with hot tea after dinner too. Every visit home involves this tasty treat.  Thanks Pa!


Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup regular flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients. Add in eggs, oil and milk and mix all together only until everything is wetted out. Stir in chips. Fill greased muffin cups ~2/3 full. Bake 350F for 10-12 minutes and then ~2 minutes at 375-400F to just get them to brown up on the top. You'll have to play around with your times depending upon the oven.

Grilled Pizza

Got the idea for this experiment after reading a recipe for a sweet potato and sausage pizza on the grill from the newspaper this week. It seems a little risky to put a sheet of thin dough directly onto a blazing grill but it worked extremely well--makes pizza just like the brick oven. The crust only needs a few minutes on the grill so you want to fry up all your veggy and meat toppings before throwing it all together on the grill. I used Bobby Flay's pizza crust recipe and picked up whatever looked good at the market for toppings.

Pizza Dough:

• 2/3 cup lukewarm water (105 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for oiling bowl
• 1 3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt

1. In a large bowl stir together 1/3 cup water, yeast, and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt andblend until the mixture forms a dough. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour, as necessary, to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth about 5 to 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.
2. Lightly oil the sides and bottom of a large bowl with oil, add the dough, turn to coat in the oil, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Gently punch the dough down and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch circle that is 1/8-inch thick. Brush off excess flour and transfer the dough to a baking sheet, cover each circle of dough with plastic wrap and continue stacking rolled out pieces on top of each other. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill. (I got two medium size pizza crusts from this recipe)

Sauce:

tomato paste

garlic powder

dired oregano, basil, thyme


Assembly:

I brushed one side of the crust with olive oil and tossed it onto the grill on low heat for about 2-3 minutes with the lid down. It's really easy to burn the crust so check often and be careful your grill isn't too hot. After flipping, load up the pie with sauce or oil and all your toppings. Cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted. 

Toppings:

Pie I:

tomato sauce

onions

mushrooms

kobasa sausage

mozzarella 

black olives

Pie II:

(white pizza)

additional olive oil

garlic powder

poblano peppers

onions

mushrooms

anchovies

goat cheese

my jealous friends 

Gluten Free Spinach and Carrot Muffins

Makes 12 small muffins

recipe adapted from Green Kitchen Stories

1 cup buckwheat flour
1/3 cup cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp flax seeds (milled) or boiled quinoa
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg (grated)
3 eggs
1 cup yoghurt (we used a dairy-free soygurt)
200 g fresh spinach leaves (roughly chopped)
2 carrots (grated)
1 onion (grated)
1/2 organic lemon (juice and peel)
1 clove garlic (mashed)

top with: 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Set the oven at 350°F. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Whip egg and yoghurt in another bowl. Add spinach, carrots, onion, lemon and garlic, stir for a minute and then add all the dry ingredients. Pour in muffin tins, top with pumpkin seeds and bake for 25 minutes.

coffee grinder--doubles as the perfect flax seed grinder. I buy whole flax seeds and grind them fresh. The oils in flax seed go rancid easily. Grinding yourself ensures all those lovely oils stay presererved.

I've been experimenting with non conventional flours lately. Here I substituted the buckwheat and cornmeal for coconut and almond flour.

cinnamon swirl bread

I love making bread. I love feeling the warm elastic dough in my hands while kneading, I love the fragrance that lingers in your entire house and on your hands all day, I love watching the dough rise into huge peaks and then watching those peaks turn a beautiful rich brown while baking. 

This is a really great cinnamon bread recipe. The bread itself is light and airy yet has enough density to satisfy your hunger. I substituted half the flour for whole wheat and it still turned out fluffy and not overly dense. The cinnamon filling is spicy and intense but not overly sweet. This recipe has intriguing depth to it.

Recipe from http://www.sophistimom.com/

1 scant tablespoon instant or rapid rise yeast (1 packet)

3 1/2 cups (350g) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups (295mL) warm water (110 degrees)

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons honey

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

butter for pan and brushing on finished bread

1 egg white

1 cup (150g) granulated sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1. In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and set to low speed, mix together yeast and 3 cups of flour. Pour in the water, oil, honey, and salt. Mix on low speed for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Add up to a 1/2 cup more flour if needed.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead by hand a few times. Drizzle the inside of the mixer bowl with a bit more oil. Roll the dough around in the oil and cover in plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
3. Butter a large loaf pan and set aside. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out into a long rectangle the width of the loaf pan.  In a small bowl, mix together the egg white, sugar, and cinnamon, and spread out evenly across the dough.  Roll up carefully, and pinch the dough on the ends, and all along the edge to create a seam that will hold in the filling.  Lay the dough, seam side down, in the prepared pan.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until almost doubled in size.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Bake for 25-30 Turn minutes, or until the top and bottom of the bread is golden brown. Brush the top of the bread with butter. Tilt the bread pan on its side and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Turn the bread out and allow to cool completely, if you can with that long. 

apple, cranberry and walnut bread

recipe from The New Glucose Revolution Vegetarian Cookbook

Makes 12 slices, preparation time 40 minutes,  cook time 45 minutes

1/2 c rolled oats

10 oz milk

1 1/2 c self-rising whole wheat flour

(I only had regular whole wheat flour. Recipe for self rising flour: 1 c flour,  1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt)

1 tsp baking powder

4 1/2 oz dried cranberries

2/3 c firmly packed dried apple, cut into small dice

1/3 c brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/3 floral honey

1/4 c walnuts, finely chopped

1. place rolled oats in a bowl, pour over the milk and set aside 30 minutes.
2. preheat oven to 350 F.
3. Sift flour and baking powder into large bowl. Add the oat mixture, cranberries, apples, sugar, spices and honey and mix well to combine. (I only had fresh fruit and agave nectar, worked fine).
4. Spoon mixture into non-stick (or greased) loaf tin, sprinkle with the walnuts. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour. 

This is great with a spoonful of ricotta cheese drizzled with honey. 

Borek ( Spinach and feta layered Turkish bread)

Recipe from Home Cooking in Montana. This girl is great, I love her blog. I book marked this recipe months ago and finally got around to making it for my backyard knitting bbq this weekend. I pretty much followed her take on the recipe except I used active yeast instead of instant. So here's deal about yeast:

Instant yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients. Active dry yeast has to be re-hydrated first. To do this you must use water that is no hotter than what you can comfortably put on the back of your wrist. If the water temperature is hotter the yeast will start to die. When substituting active in place of instant use 25% more.

I also didn't have a mixing machine with a paddle so I just kneaded the dough by hand (about 10 minutes, or 3 songs on my ipod shuffle). It's really difficult to over knead bread by hand so don't be afraid to go at it. In retrospect, I could have kneaded the dough even longer. My bread didn't rise as much as Ellie's, but it was still delicious.

Valuable lessons from my 5th grade science project (What factors affect bread making?): The dough kneaded for longer than the recipe called for came out better, almost double the size. The bread made will boiling water to activate the yeast came out terrible. Killing the yeast with hotter water is what will do your bread making in. So be careful!


Kneading dough= great release for built up stress.

Our Best Bran Muffins

This is one of my favorite recipes from my Mommom. The crucial thing here is to not over bake them. If you leave them in the oven too long they taste like a substandard dried out mass of bran. If you bake them just right they taste like a glorious bran success, and they stay moist for many days to come. You have to know your oven just right to get the correct bake time. In my oven it takes about 16 minutes.



OUR BEST BRAN MUFFINS

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder (I make these VERY generous)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups 40% Bran Flakes
1 1/4 cups milk (or buttermilk, if you don't have any you can add a tbsp of vinegar to the milk and get the same effect)
1 egg
1/3 cup veg oil

1. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt & sugar. Set aside.
2. Measure bran flakes & milk into mixing bowl. Stir to combine, let stand 1-2 min or until cereal is softened. Add egg & shortening, beat well, with a spoon.
3. Add dry ingredients to cereal mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion batter evenly into 12 muffins.
4. Bake in oven at 400 degrees about 25 mins or until golden brown (keep an eye on your muffins. as soon as they bounce back to a poke, take them out. they will continue baking even after you remove from the oven by the residual heat of the muffin tin)

DON'T OVER BAKE!

Apple Carrot Muffins with Cinnamon Oat Topping

Happy Valentine's Day! I went shopping at Value Village the other day and found a heart shaped muffin tin. Only set me back $4. Was feeling festive and domestic so I made muffin hearts for the roomies. Found this recipe on Taste Spotting. It is AMAZING. I was afraid I over baked them but the shredded apples and carrots kept them super moist. The crumbly topping is like icing on the cake. AWESOME RECIPE.




3/4 cup sifted whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons mac nut oil (or canola, olive)

1/2 cup grated carrots (one medium carrot)
1/2 cup grated apples with skins (one medium apple)
3 tablespoons cranberries (or raisins)

Topping
2 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
3 tablespoons rolled oats (quick cooking or regular)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Makes 6 muffins

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease muffin tin or line with muffin papers.

Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the grated carrots, apples and berries.
For the topping, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Using your fingers, rub the butter and the other ingredients together until you get a crumbly mixture.
Fill the muffin batter into the muffin tin. Top each one with a tablespoon of the topping mixture. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.