bread

Cheese Bread

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

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The Jewish New Year has not begun well. The barbaric attack on unarmed Israeli civilians and guest workers by Hamas has shocked most civilized people in its level of brutality. For the Jewish People, the rising anti-Semitism coupled with this massacre is something that we never hoped to see again and has left many of us feeling vulnerable – and angry.

In this divisive world filled with so much hate, what makes me feel safe? When I am anxious, a large pot of soup on my stove and fresh bread in my oven calms me – at least for a time. Right now I have a large pot of my Split Pea Soup on the stove and this Cheese Bread is in the oven. It won’t solve the world’s problems. However, it warms the chills in my body that are only partly from the damp, autumn weather.

The act of chopping vegetables is very therapeutic as is kneading bread dough. And my house smells warm, comforting and inviting. So when so much is beyond my control, I can take at least take command of a small piece of my world. Feeding my family well is my love language.

The original recipe for this Cheese Bread comes from Beard on Bread, with a few tweaks by me. This bread toasts wonderfully and is perfect for sandwiches or to accompany the soup of your choice. As you can see, I’m no professional when it comes to forming the loaves, but it doesn’t prevent us from gobbling up this delicious bread.

Recipe

Yield: Two 8 x 4-inch loaves

Ingredients

1 package (2.25 teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar (I actually used Demerara since it was already out on my counter)

1.75 cups warm water (Tap water that is just warm to your fingers is perfect.)

5 + cups of Artisan Bread Flour (I like Bob’s Mill), although all-purpose or regular bread flour will also work

1 scant Tablespoon kosher salt

4 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted, softened butter

1 teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce

1 cup of freshly grated cheese (You can use cheddar, Emmenthaler, Compte, Parmesan etc. – a combination OR any one cheese.)

Directions

This can all be done by hand, but I used a standing mixer.

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water along with the sugar. Set aside and allow to proof for about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl or the bowl of your mixer, add 5 cups of the flour and the salt. Stir through and then add the softened butter, the remaining 1.5 cups of warm water, the hot sauce and the yeast mixture.

If you are using a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix everything on the lowest speed. Once you have a shaggy dough (1 or 2 minutes) turn the speed up to the second level and knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Don’t add any water or flour yet! It takes a minute or two for the dough to really start to come together. Depending on the kind of flour used, you may not need to add any additional flour or water. I did not. If you feel that the dough is really too wet, then add flour, a little at a time. If the dough REALLY seems too dry after a few minutes of kneading, then add water, one Tablespoon at a time. Scrape down the sides if necessary. As soon as the dough looks supple and smooth, stop the kneading and remove the dough from the dough hook. Place it on the counter and form it into a smooth ball.

If you are doing this by hand, mix with a wooden spoon or dough whisk until a shaggy dough begins to form. Then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 to 12 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Depending on the kind of flour used, you may not need to add any flour.

Using about 1 Tablespoon of a neutral oil, coat a large bowl. I use the same bowl I mixed the dough in because who wants to wash more dishes!? Then take your dough ball and roll it in the oil.

Cover the bowl with a towel or silicone lid and place in a warm, draft-free place. I usually use my microwave, but I’ve seen people use their dryer or in a corner on their stove. Allow the dough to rise for about 1.5 to 2 hours until doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and turn it onto a floured surface. Knead in the grated cheese, until thoroughly incorporated. Then cut the dough into 2 equal pieces and allow the pieces to rest, for about 10 minutes. This allows the dough to relax, which makes it easier to roll out.

Now roll out each piece of the dough into an 11 x 6-inch rectangle and allow these to rest for about 3 minutes. Starting with the short end of the dough, tightly roll each rectangle up, pinching the edges as you go. Then tuck under the ends so that you end up with a loaf that measures 4.5 x 7.5- inches.

Place the dough into two well-buttered or oiled baking tins. Place the tins in a warm, draft-free spot. Allow the loaves to rise to the top of the tin or even slightly above. Depending on how warm your place is, this will take about 30 to 45 minutes or a bit longer.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with a rack in the middle of the oven. When the loaves have risen, bake for about 30 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when you rap on the tops and bottoms with your knuckles or a wooden spoon. Take the loaves and place them directly (out of the tins) onto the oven rack and continue baking for 3 to 5 minutes more to firm up the crusts. Cool the breads completely before cutting.

Black Bread with Walnuts

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

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This dark, savory Black Bread with Walnuts is the perfect sandwich bread. It can be sliced thickly or paper thin and will hold up to any filling without overpowering it. With a few surprise ingredients, this bread has a long fermentation giving it a depth that no store-bought commercial bread can have. And it will hold up for over week if well-wrapped and left on a counter.

We love bread in our house and bake different kinds every week. My husband has gotten into baking and now makes the best challah hands down. It’s my recipe but his work that makes it so delicious. Andrew is more of a scientific baker, which is not surprising given his background in astrophysics. But I am an instinctual baker. I go by look and feel and smell and can’t be bothered to weigh out ingredients (except when making cakes) or to measure so that each strand of dough is the same size from week to week. Don’t misunderstand. I completely appreciate when someone can standardize things so that they will always work.

I do have a sort of formula that I follow when cooking or baking from my own recipe – just as I do when I make my salad dressings. But like a jazz musician, I’m not afraid to riff on it and go where the music – uh recipe – takes me.

Therefore, I hesitated writing down how I make my weekly bread. It’s never quite exactly the same. But I love that freedom and innovation. However, this bread was so delicious and has such a wonderful crumb that I felt I should try to make it replicable.

My flour comes from an organic farm in Illinois that I began buying from during the pandemic when flour and other staples had disappeared from grocery shelves. I love it so that I buy 25 pound bags of it now. And they have heritage flours that you might not see anywhere else.

As any bread-maker will tell you, there are many factors that can affect your finished product. The flour, the water, the yeast, the humidity, your oven and on and on. So can I say that your bread will turn out exactly like mine? In all honesty, I cannot. But if it inspires you to make your own delicious bread, then it is worth the journey. And this one is just too good to pass up.

You will need a Dutch oven to make this bread as well as parchment paper. I know that some people are put off from baking bread because it seems to be so labor and time sensitive. But it doesn’t have to be. The actual amount of hands-on time for this bread is under an hour. There is no long kneading and the bread rests overnight while you are sleeping or doing whatever it is you do at night. Then the bread is formed and has a second shorter rise while your oven heats up. It bakes for about 40 minutes and you have a gorgeous loaf of bread and a house that smells AMAZING.

There are many wonderful bread recipes on my blog so if this one doesn’t float your boat or if you are looking to expand your repertoire, please check them out.

Recipe

Yield: One large loaf

Ingredients

1.5 teaspoons Active (or instant) Dried Yeast

3 cups of lukewarm water (You may not need all of it)

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, lightly pan-toasted

Rounded 1/2 cup dark rye flour

2 Tablespoons diastatic malt powder

1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon instant espresso coffee

1 Tablespoon Kalonji (Nigella) seeds

2.5 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

1/4 cup Black Emmer flour (This is an ancient grain, high in protein and with a wonderful depth of flavor. You could substitute another whole grain flour, but I encourage you to try using this wonderful flour.)

2.5 cups Artisan Bread Flour ( I use Janie’s but Bob’s Mill Artisan Flour is also good)

2 cups whole kernel bread flour (Use whole wheat if you are not buying specialty flour)

Flour for dusting the counter and bread

You will need a Dutch oven to make this bread as well as parchment paper.

Directions

Mix together all of the dry ingredients (including nuts and seeds) either using a whisk or your hands (nature’s whisk!) There is no necessity to proof your yeast even if using active dry yeast as I do. Unless your yeast is really old, there shouldn’t be a problem. Most of the fermentation is achieved slowly and naturally overnight. This slow fermentation also gives exceptional depth of flavor and allows the bread to hold up well for days.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add 2 cups of the lukewarm water and slowly start to gather in the dough, adding water as necessary to allow the dough to come together. As the dough begins to form, remove it to a board or counter and knead just enough so that all of the flour is incorporated. When you can form the dough into a smooth ball with no visible signs of dry flour – STOP. That’s it. Place it back in the bowl and cover it.

Place the bowl in a draft-free place and let it rest overnight. The dough can rest for anywhere between 10 to 14 hours. You have leeway.

In the morning, place a Dutch oven (at least 6 quarts) in the oven and preheat the oven and pot to 485 degrees F. You want the Dutch oven and your oven to be hot.

Gather the dough from the bowl, lightly flouring it if it is sticky and form it into a ball. If you have a 9-inch banneton flour it and place the dough ball inside. If you don’t have a banneton, just use a stainless or other bowl that will hold the dough ball with only a little room to expand.

Cover the dough and allow to rise to the top of the banneton or bowl. This takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on how warm your place is and the amount of yeast spores floating around your place. The more you bake, the more of these spores exist and the faster (generally) your bread will rise. I have made certain of these slow-rise breads with as little as a 1/2 teaspoon of active yeast.

When the dough has risen, remove the very hot Dutch oven from the oven. Carefully turn the dough out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment. Carefully place the parchment and dough into the HOT Dutch oven.

Cover the Dutch oven and place it in your HOT oven for 40 minutes. Then partially uncover the Dutch oven and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. The internal temperature should be about 205 degrees F. (I rarely check by temperature but use the smell and knock test. I take a wooden spoon and knock on the bread. If it sounds hollow, the bread is done.) Turn the dough out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Then enjoy.

Oatmeal Protein Muffins

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

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Satisfying and super healthy Oatmeal Protein Muffins are my new go-to breakfast. While I love breakfast foods, unless I am hiking or in Israel (where breakfast is an experience), I seem only able to have milky coffee and something very small to eat first thing. For some time now, I have been eating a single medjool date and a few almonds or pistachios along with my coffee and 8 Greens.

But I have realized that I am just not consuming enough protein in the morning to keep me going strong throughout the day. So I decided to look for something that is relatively high in protein, low in calories and unnecessary fat or sugar that would satisfy me without making me feel too full. And because while I may love to cook, I generally do not want to cook at breakfast. So something I could make ahead.

After checking out several recipes – and reading the comments – on line, I came across a recipe for Protein-Packed Oatmeal Muffins. I decided to give them a try, with a couple of my own tweaks.

They came together easily, but I was highly skeptical of how they would bake up. The batter seemed soooooo liquidy that I thought it would never come together as a muffin. Even when they had baked for the suggested amount of time, I thought, well this is a noble failure. Thankfully, I was wrong.

These are not the most beautiful muffins you will ever see and the texture, while fine, is not a traditional muffin. So don’t go in with that expectation. These muffins are gluten-free since only oatmeal is used as the base. I personally do not have a problem with gluten so I did not choose them for that reason. But if you do limit or cut out gluten from your diet, these muffins are for you as well.

The muffins are very tender and moist (why do people have a problem with that word??). I upped the spicing and used some fresh berries as a topping. The Oatmeal Protein Muffins are very open to changes in spicing and toppings. You could use hemp or pumpkin seeds on top and use pumpkin spice or any other mixture you like. For an afternoon snack, you could even go a more savory route. But below is what I did.

These should be stored in an airtight container in a cool place or frozen for future use. They rewarm in the microwave in about 10 seconds. I ate mine with a bit of almond butter on top for an extra hit of protein.

The waiting time before removing them from the muffin tin is essential. The oatmeal continues to absorb the liquid after they come out of the oven and this allows the muffins to firm up. Mine were baked directly in the well-PAMed muffin tin, but I might use paper or foil muffin cups next time to make it even easier to remove from the pan.

Give them a try if you want a muffin that is actually healthy for you.

Recipe

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (Do NOT use quick-cooking oats)

3 scoops vanilla protein powder (I used a whey protein powder, but plant-based is fine, too)

1 tsp baking powder

1 rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or nutmeg

Zest from one medium lemon

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce OR one ripe banana, peeled and smushed

1/2 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or Agave

1 cup unsweetened soy or other plant-based milk

2 tablespoons pumpkin or hemp seeds (OPTIONAL)

Berries or mini dark chocolate chips (OPTIONAL but recommended)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine oats, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt.

In a separate bowl combine eggs, vanilla extract, applesauce, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon zest and soy milk.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine. The batter will be VERY wet!

Grease a muffin pan very well with vegetable spray or coconut oil. You could also line the muffin tin with paper or aluminum muffin cups.

Divide batter evenly across the muffin tin. (I used a cookie scoop to do this evenly)

Lightly press in your toppings of choice into each muffin. You can alternate toppings. There is no need for them to ll be the same.

Sprinkle hemp or pumpkin seeds evenly across cups, if using. (I did not)

Bake for 15-20 minutes (mine took 20 minutes)

Allow to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes. The muffins will firm up during this time. Then using a tin spatula or spreader, remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for up to 5 days. OR freeze for up to 3 months. Warm in a microwave or oven before eating for best taste.

Turkish Pide Bread

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Normally I am Team Dark, Crusty Bread. However, this traditional Turkish flatbread, which is soft and fluffy on the inside and golden on the outside, has given me pause. I first tried this bread at a local Turkish restaurant that my husband and I stumbled into after one of our long walks around Chicago. It was served warm and fresh from the oven and we fell immediately in love. Frankly, we happily could have been satisfied to only eat that with some feta cheese and a salad or dip. I knew that I had to find a recipe to make this at home.

Turkish Pide Bread is relatively quick to make and is perfect for lapping up sauces and spreads. It is best enjoyed the day you make it, fresh from the oven. However, we have eaten left-overs drizzled with olive oil and lightly toasted. The version I made contains dairy, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be made vegan with non-dairy milk and yogurt.

Turkish Pide Bread comes in several versions, including a boat-shaped version with meat or veggie toppings. The recipe below is referred to as Ramazan Pidesi and is often served for iftar during Ramadan. It has a classic woven pattern on top and is liberally sprinkled with Nigella and sesame seeds.

As I always do with a new recipe, I searched my extensive selection of cookbooks as well as the web. I then often mix and match, choosing ingredients from one with a method from another etc. This version comes from Zerin and Yusuf although the method was from watching various YouTube versions.

Enjoy this lovely bread soon.

Recipe

Yield: One large round loaf – about 8 servings

Ingredients

Dough

3 cups of unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons active, dried yeast (you could use instant yeast)

3 Tablespoons olive oil (I used a wonderful flavored oil from Sciabica but any good quality EVOO would do.)

1 cup lukewarm milk

2 to 3 Tablespoons warm water (more if necessary)

Topping

1 egg yolk (skip if making this a vegan version)

1 Tablespoon milk or natural yogurt (dairy or non-dairy)

About 1 to 2 Tablespoons of sesame or nigella (or a mix) seeds

Directions

Mix the yeast, sugar and warm milk and allow to proof. If you are using instant yeast, you can skip the proofing step.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and EVOO. Add the warm milk with the yeast and sugar. Gently mix it with your hand, slowly adding just enough warm water to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. (I would not use a mixer for this. It’s too easy to add too much flour that way.) Only knead it enough to incorporate the flour for a smooth-ish dough. Roll the dough ball in about 2 teaspoons of EVOO and cover the bowl to allow it to rise. Depending on the warmth of your kitchen and your yeast, the dough can take anywhere from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours to rise. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.

Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Using your hands, gently release the air and push the dough into a circle or oval, leaving and thicker edge all around.

Using your finger tips, firmly press down into the dough to make the woven pattern.

Allow the dough to rest uncovered for about 15 minutes. Then stir your topping and brush the entire surface with the mixture.

Liberally sprinkle with your seeds.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven serve immediately. If you are not serving it immediately, wrap in a clean, slightly damp tea towel to keep the bread soft.

Bourbon Pecan Bread

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Bourbon Pecan Bread

This fragrant quick bread is easy to make and even easier to eat. While flipping through one of my old hand-written books of favorite recipes, I came across this Bourbon Pecan Bread. I hadn’t made it in years and the recipe said that it made three mini-loaves. Clearly this was a recipe that I used to make as gifts to friends and teachers. However, I wanted to only make a single larger loaf this time around. Like most quick breads, this one comes together quickly and bakes for about an hour. These breads are really not breads at all but are simple cakes that are perfect with tea or coffee pretty much anytime of day. They all have the traditional crack down the middle that you see in cakes made with baking soda.

Bourbon Pecan Bread doesn’t need any glaze or embellishments. With holidays and maybe even some friends or family visiting, it’s great to have this absolutely wonderful quick bread in your back pocket. The most difficult part will be not jumping in to eat it before its cool. These make wonderful “host/hostess” gifts. And wrap it in some cellophane and tie a pretty bow on for a gift that anyone would be happy to receive.

Now I’m sure that the recipe comes from somewhere. Unfortunately, several decades ago when I was writing it down, I wasn’t concerned with provenance. So, that said, my apologies to whoever conceived the original, wonderful recipe. Though uncredited, it is truly appreciated. I did make a few tweaks, but nothing substantial.

This recipe was made using a food processor. However, it could also be made by hand, or using a hand or stand mixer. There are just a few things to remember: don’t over mix the batter once you start adding the flour and make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature.

You could swap out walnuts for the pecans and some sort of cognac or Armagnac for the Bourbon. But there is just some wonderful alchemy that happens when pecans and Bourbon are in the same recipe. Bourbon is an American whiskey made from distilled corn mash. And pecans are the only indigenous American nut. So perhaps, that is why something so magical happens when they are paired in things like Bourbon Pecan Pie or this Bourbon Pecan Bread.

Bourbon Pecan Bread

While there is alcohol in this recipe, it cooks away in the baking process, leaving only its flavorful depth and essence behind. There is no non-alcoholic substitute that would work here.

Tightly wrapped once it has fully cooled, this Bourbon Pecan Bread will last for several days and can be frozen for later enjoyment. However, when this intoxicating smell wafts out of your oven, you will have to be of a stronger will than I have to not eat it right away.

Recipe

Yield: 3 mini-loaves or one 9 x 5-ince loaf

Bourbon Pecan Bread

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup real maple syrup

1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk or plain kefir

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, lightly pan toasted

3 Tablespoons Bourbon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

About 2+ Tablespoons Demerara or other coarse sugar (optional, but a nice touch)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease (I used cooking spray) a loaf pan. Line the bottom and sides with parchment with a 2-inch overhang. Grease the paper as well. Sprinkle the Demerara sugar un the bottom of the pan, if using. Then carefully turning the pan, coat the bottom and sides with the sugar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and then add the salt.

Using a food processor or mixer (or by hand), cream the butter, brown sugar and maple syrup until fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes if you are using a machine. Add the eggs and mix well. Then add the Bourbon and vanilla.

Starting with the flour, add one third to the butter mixture and process in pulses just until barely combined. Then add half of the buttermilk and lightly pulse or mix it through. Repeat with the next third of the flout and the remaining buttermilk. Add the toasted pecans to the final bit of flour and toss them together. This will help prevent the nuts from all sinking to the bottom. Now add this last amount of flour/pecan mixture and pulse it through the batter or mix with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix the batter once you have begun adding the flour or the final cake will be gummy and tough.

Pour or spoon the thick batter into the prepared pan. Tap it lightly on the counter to even things out. Lightly sprinkle with the coarse sugar if using and bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. For mini-loaves, bake these beauties for about 45 minutes. If your oven bakes as unevenly as mine, turn the bread about half way through. Don’t worry about the top cracking down the middle. That is classic for this kind of bread. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then carefully lift out the Bourbon Pecan Bread, using the parchment sling. Remove the parchment and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Now enjoy!

Flaky Flatbread

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments
Flaky Flatbread with Fenugreek

These Flaky Flatbreads are fun to make and so versatile. Make them ahead and they reheat beautifully. While I make mine with a Bulgarian or goat yogurt, any yogurt will work, including non-dairy. And even though I brush mine with fresh garlic butter, you can use either a good EVOO or vegan butter instead. Recently, my husband was out of town and I made up a batch of these. I wrapped the leftovers in foil and reheated them in my toaster as needed. The outside got slightly crispy. And the layers flaked into these lovely fragrant pieces of dough that were perfect for dipping into soups and spreads.

Since I began doing more Indian cooking, I have become familiar with spices and herbs that I had not traditionally used before. Two of my favorites now are carom seed (ajwain) and fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi). Either one, or dried mint, cumin seed (or nothing at all) works wonderfully in this flaky flatbread. And because you control the seasoning, your flatbreads will be unique to you!

Unlike most breads, these flaky flatbreads don’t require any rising time. The dough comes together in just minutes. Then we let it have a nice rest until it becomes supple and easy to roll out. This resting time can be a 20 minute catnap or as much as a couple of hours. Your schedule can dictate the time. The longer resting time makes them a bit easier to work with, but I have made them both ways successfully. We enjoy these flatbreads at least once a week. They are the perfect compliment to Middle Eastern/Mediterranean foods as well as South Asian.

I came across many iterations of this basic recipe online so it is difficult to say exactly which one I ended up using. And the addition of the fenugreek and garlic butter is my own twist. How you use this flaky flatbread is only limited by your imagination. Leave out the garlic and this becomes a great bread for breakfast or snacking. Just add your favorite nut butter, smushed avocado or preserves. Smear on tomato sauce or pesto with the toppings of your choice and you have mini pizzas. Did I mention that this was versatile?

I am not going to claim that these are as healthy as the two ingredient lentil pancake/flatbreads that you can find all over YouTube. But eaten in moderation with an otherwise healthy meal, they are fine. And as much as I love a good lentil dish, these really do taste better than those pancake/flatbreads.

Flaky Flatbread with Fenugreek

Recipe

Yield: 8 flatbreads

Ingredients

2 cups of all-purpose flour, plus about 1/4 cup more for dusting the dough

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1.5 teaspoons fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) Optional, but recommended

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup plain natural yogurt (I like full-fat)

8 ounces melted butter

2 large garlic cloves, crushed Optional, but recommended

Directions

Measure out the flour, salt, baking powder and dried herbs, if used, into a medium bowl. Using a fork or whisk, mix everything together so that the salt, baking powder and herbs are well distributed. If the bowl is wider and shallower, it is a bit easier to work with, but any bowl will do. You can do this ahead and cover it until you are ready to make the dough.

Flaky Flatbread

Add the yogurt and mix through the flour until you get a shaggy dough. I found that it was easiest to use my hands for this. It should take only about 1 to 2 minutes.

Flaky Flatbread

Then using your hands, gently knead the dough until the moisture from the yogurt is distributed throughout and you end up with a smooth, moist dough. Depending on the shape of your bowl, it might be easiest to transfer the dough to your counter to work with. If you use a thicker yogurt, like a Greek or Icelandic yogurt, you might need to add a Tablespoon of water to the dough. Natural yogurts are more liquidy and preferable for this recipe.

Form the dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover it lightly with plastic wrap or a plate. This entire process from the time you add the yogurt to the time you form your dough ball should take no more than 5 minutes and possibly as little as 3 minutes.

Flaky Flatbread

Allow the dough to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes and up to 2 hours. It will not double in size. We are not using yeast. But the dough will become more relaxed and supple and will be easier to roll out.

When the dough has rested, remove it from the bowl and divide it into 8 pieces. Unless you are doing this for a living, just eyeball the pieces. It is not necessary to weigh them out to be sure that they are exactly equal in size.

Flaky Flatbread

Cup your hand over the dough piece and roll your hand in a circle against the counter to form a ball. Lay the pieces out on the counter or a baking tray or platter to make it easier to work with.

You want to work with one section or ball at a time. I found it easiest to put 1/4 to 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl or container rather than sprinkling my counter. I then slightly flatten the dough ball with my hand and dip each side into the all-purpose flour. If I need to double dip, I can. Any excess flour can be sealed in a container and used for the same purpose since no raw dough gets mixed in. I know, but trust me on this.

Flaky Flatbread

Years ago, a dear friend, now dead, gave me a wonderful marble rolling pin to use in making mu shu pancakes. I never actually used it for that purpose, but it is perfect for these flatbreads and I think of Marge with great fondness whenever I handle it. But any rolling pin or empty wine or beer bottle will work too.

Place the flattened dough ball on the counter or board and roll it out as thinly as possible. Don’t worry too much about the shape. If it is round or oblong, or even slightly misshapen, this will still work. I am no expert! Brush the dough lightly with some of the melted garlic butter. Then working from the longest end, tightly roll up the dough into a log. Perfection is not necessary! If butter got on the board or counter, just wipe it away with a paper towel. Otherwise the next ball will be difficult to roll out. It doesn’t have to be perfectly clean – just wipe up any excess butter or oil.

Then take one end of the log and curl it in on itself and keep doing this to form a flat snail. [See the speeded up video below] Lay the snail onto the baking sheet lined with a silicone sheet. If you don’t have that, you can use a sheet of parchment barely dusted with flour. Those with more experience may try to pleat the dough instead of folding it. This is something that I saw Chetna Makan do. The more folds that you have, the more layers of flakiness. But honestly, life is complicated enough!

Keep repeating this until you have 8 flat snails. Cover them with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow them to rest for as little as 20 minutes or up to an hour.

Quick tutorial on rolling out flaky flatbreads
Flaky Flatbread

When you are ready to cook the flatbreads, set an untreated non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet on medium high heat. If you have a bigger pan, use it so you can cook several flatbreads at once. If all you have is a small skillet, don’t fret. It will take more time to cook everything, but it will work just as well.

Take one snail at a time, keeping the remaining snails covered while you work. Again, dip both sides of the snail into your reserved flour. Using your rolling pin, roll the dough out into an approximately 5-inch diameter circle. If it isn’t a perfect round, it’s okay. I have yet to achieve a perfect circle! Try to keep the roll from opening up. It seemed to work best for me to just flatten the snail a bit with my hand first before applying the rolling pin.

Once you have the circle rolled out, generously brush the surface with the garlic butter. Immediately pick up the dough and place it in the hot pan, butter side down. Then brush the top side with butter. If your pan will hold more than one flatbread, immediately roll out your next snail, repeating the above process. Each side takes about 5 minutes to cook. The dough may puff up a bit while cooking. That’s okay. Take a flat spatula, and gently press down on the top of the dough. You don’t need to pop the bubbles, but you don’t want them to get away from you or when you turn the flatbread over, it won’t cook evenly. All of the surfaces need to hit the pan.

You know the side is done when you have nice brown spots all over. If your heat is too high, the outside will burn before the inside is cooked. If the pan isn’t hot enough, the dough won’t really get that nice browned look that you are going for. As with pancakes, the first one out of the pan is never quite as good as the subsequent ones. I always go for the darkest bread at the bakery. So check your bread after 4 minutes to achieve the desired doneness.

When each flatbread is finished, you can place it on a baking sheet in a warm oven until you are finished and ready to serve. If you are not eating all of the breads in one go, allow the leftovers to cool and then wrap the rounds in foil. They will keep in the fridge for several days or even on your counter if your house is cool. When you are ready to eat them, warm them in the oven or a toaster. Do not microwave them!

Fast Fabulous Focaccia

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Fast Fabulous Focaccia

Fast Fabulous Focaccia – a chewy, crusty, fragrant bread – that’s perfect with salads, beans and pastas. We make and eat a LOT of bread in our house. I can easily imagine living without meat, but not without bread. Since none of us is over-weight, we must be doing something right. This Fast Fabulous Focaccia comes together literally in minutes. After a proving time of about 1.5 hours it goes into a hot oven and is ready to eat. Fresh bread in about 2 hours!

I’m looking out my window at yet another rainy day with somewhat coolish temperatures for this time of year. While I might feel a bit droopy, my plants are on over-drive. Our terrace garden has never been more vibrant and my herbs are growing like crazy. I have been making pesto and mint chutney, putting rosemary into breads and stir-fry with handfuls of my Thai basil. So last night I decided to make a beautiful salad with ripe tomatoes, arugula, bocconcini mozzarella that I had marinated and fresh basil. I cooked up some pasta that I served with my pesto. But I wanted a bread to help soak up all of those beautiful flavors and olive oil. Since it was already 4:00, I knew that I needed to think quickly if we were going to have fresh bread with dinner. Enter this focaccia.

Having made some wonderful focaccia (see below for links to recipes) I knew 2 things: 1) I didn’t have quite enough time to make my best focaccia and 2) those recipes simply made too much for what I wanted. I turned to Molly Yeh. She is VERY perky – frankly, I find it a bit exhausting. And I wouldn’t make most of the foods that she makes – way to fatty. But she is very clever at decorating foods even if she is a bit too in love with sprinkles.

However, I have made two recipes that were wonderful and that worked exactly as written – her falafel and this focaccia. My version is delicious and easy and beautiful in its simplicity. If you choose to make it with elaborate vegetable designs like Molly Yeh and others I have seen, you can find instructions on the web.

A word about EVOO

The olive oil that you use will make or break this recipe. It is used at different stages of the recipe and truly makes the focaccia magical. As EVOO has become more popular, so has fraud in the industry. So don’t take for granted that the EVOO you are buying is actually what it says it is, especially if you are buying a flavored oil. I love using flavored oils in baking and cooking. If you choose to make your own – great. A Mediterranean blend with oregano, rosemary, basil and garlic was what I used. A good quality plain EVOO or one flavored to your choice would all work.

Focaccia is meant to be eaten fresh and warm with freshly drizzled EVOO on top. But we are only two people and even this more manageable-sized focaccia is too big for us to finish off in one night. Left-overs make wonderful croutons or can be used in a bread salad. The focaccia can be re-heated and we did eat it that way. It is definitely edible but it won’t be as amazing.

For other focaccia recipes:

Focaccia

Olive Rosemary Foccacia

Recipe

Fast Fabulous Focaccia

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1.24 cups room temperature water

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1.5 teaspoons active dried yeast (or instant yeast)

About 9 Tablespoons EVOO, divided

3 to 3.25 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour

2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves (optional, but recommended)

Maldon or flaked sea salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and yeast in a measuring cup or bowl. Allow to prove for about 10 minutes. If you are using instant yeast, there is no need to prove the yeast.

Once the yeast has started to get creamy, whisk in 3 Tablespoons of the EVOO. Then add this to 3 cups of flour and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix by hand just to moisten everything.

Using the dough hook, knead the dough on medium-high until the dough is smooth and elastic and forms a stretchy ball. If the dough appears to be too wet (humidity and different brands of flour will all affect the moisture level) add a bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency. Mine came together perfectly with just the initial 3 cups of flour. It was a lovely, supple dough.

Brush a quarter-sized sheet pan with 2 Tablespoons of EVOO. Place the dough directly onto the oiled pan and coat it in the oil. Using your clean hands, gently press out the dough to almost fill the pan. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and leave in a draft-free place. I use my microwave. It should double and fill the pan. Depending on the temperature of your room, this will take 1 to 1.5 hours.

About 45 minutes in to the rising time, heat your oven to 400 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone or steel, place it on top of the rack in the oven and allow it to heat.

When the dough has doubled, remove the plastic. If it hasn’t totally reached the end of the pan, you can gently press it out to the edges. Add your rosemary leaves, if using. With your fingertips, dimple the dough, gently pressing the rosemary into the dough. Drizzle with 2 more Tablespoons of EVOO. Honestly, I just eyeball it. All of the dimples that you made will allow the EVOO to pool in the dough, a classic sign of a focaccia. Sprinkle with the flaked salt. If you prefer or if you forgot, you can sprinkle with the salt after it comes out of the oven.

Fast Fabulous Focaccia

Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, drizzle with more EVOO and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Remove the focaccia to a cutting board and serve!

Fast Fabulous Focaccia

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Cranberry Orange Bread

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Cranberry Orange Bread


Cranberry Orange Bread is sweet, tart, citrusy and nutty. Perfect for Thanksgiving! Cranberries are one of nature’s superfoods and they taste great. I love their bright tartness that is only enhanced with the addition of orange. And they are so pretty to look at – little scarlet jewels that add a dash of autumn color to any dish. When they are dried, I actually prefer them to raisins.

This recipe (with a few changes from me) comes from Beard On Bread and makes one large loaf. I have another recipe which I have been making for over 40 years and can be found hand-written in a book that I keep of favorite recipes. Unfortunately, I have no idea where it originated. It is substantially similar to the Beard recipe but fits a more conventional 9 X 5-inch pan. You can’t go wrong with either one.

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

A Note on Hoarding (Okay, a justification)

As it happens, I have the larger 10 X 5-inch pan called for in the James Beard version, so that is what I made this time. More Cranberry Orange Bread for me! However, I have given the proportions below for the smaller version as well since that is the size pan that most people will have on hand. Honestly, I don’t even know why I have the larger pan. It sat in the back of a cupboard rarely used and I have no recollection of ever buying it. Probably just one of those things I inherited or picked up over the years.

Matthew and Frances will probably hate me when I die because I have collected so much stuff that they will have to sort through. But I’ve been married for over 36 years. So not only did I manage to buy things during that time, but my mother and some of her friends recognized a kindred entertaining spirit in me and gifted things to me.

Don’t get me wrong. There are some real treasures – beautiful silver serving pieces, antique hors d’oevres plates, some antique table linens that I picked up on a trip to Taormina, Italy. Decorations unique to each holiday. Well, you get the idea. It all seems kind of pointless now since there are no more large family gatherings. But the optimist in me hopes that maybe there will be a few more in my lifetime. Who knows? Maybe a grandchild or niece or nephew will want some of it. It could happen.

But I digress. This Cranberry Orange Bread is lovely on the Thanksgiving table but it’s also great anytime for brunch or an afternoon snack. I have even been known to cut a thick slice, lavishly butter it and stick it under the broiler briefly just to toast the top. OMG that is sooooooooooooooo good.

Since it is almost Thanksgiving, whether you are having any friends or family over, you also might look here for some inspiration:

Let’s Talk Turkey

Orange Cranberry Relish

Cranberry Orange Bread

Recipe

Yield: 10 X 5-inch Loaf (See below for 9 X 5-inch loaf)

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter

3/4 cup orange juice plus 1/2 cup milk (non-dairy is fine) (I actually used buttermilk)

Grated orange zest of 2 large navel oranges

1.25 cups fresh or frozen raw cranberries, cut in half (I find that freezing the cranberries first makes them less likely to “bleed” when mixed with the batter.)

3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 to 2 Tablespoons of crumbled brown sugar (Optional)

Cranberry Orange Bread

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour (Baking spray with flour works well) a 10 X 5-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Using a standing mixer or hand beater, beat the eggs and sugar until well blended and fluffy. Stir in the melted butter, orange zest, milk and OJ. Add the flour mixture and mix just until blended. Do NOT over-mix.

Gently fold in the cranberries and nuts by hand. Don’t worry if the cranberries “bleed” a little into the dough. Carefully spread the thick batter into the pan so that it is even. If you are using the brown sugar, crumble some over the top and lightly press into the batter.

Bake for about 75 minutes or until the center of the bread springs back when lightly touched or a cake tester comes out clean. If it seems to be browning more than you like but isn’t finished baking, cover it lightly with foil and continue baking. Ovens vary so start checking after one hour and don’t worry if it takes longer.

Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes or until you can just handle the pan with your bare hands before turning the bread out onto a cooling rack. This is best made a day ahead of serving for all of the flavors to fully develop. Wrap it tightly once it is completely cooled.

Note

Because this is a “quick” bread made with baking soda and baking powder, it is normal for a crack down the top to develop during the baking. Why is it called a quick bread? Because it rises without yeast or a long fermentation process. The baking soda and baking powder make the bread rise as soon as it is mixed in and you pop it in the oven.

And because this is a particularly moist bread that will get even moister over time, it is best stored in the fridge or a very cool spot in your house. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Measurements for 9 X 5-inch Cranberry Orange Bread or 3 Mini-Loaves

2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg

1/4 melted, unsalted butter

3/4 cup orange juice

Grated zest of 1 large orange

1 cup raw fresh or frozen cranberries, cut in half

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Follow Directions as above

The baking time is about an hour for the 9 X 5-inch loaf and about 45 minutes if using the mini-loaf pans. Always check when you begin to really smell the baking since all ovens are different.

Guinness Gingerbread Loaf

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment
Guinness Gingerbread Loaf

Guinness Gingerbread Loaf is dense, dark, rich and satisfying with autumn flavors. When you bake this loaf, light a crackling fire and snuggle up with some loved ones – furry, children or adults. The house will smell so inviting that you just may have to turn your neighbors away.

I’m looking out on a dreary, rainy, chilly fall day. But inside, my husband and I (with our cat, Zoya) are snug and happy to be at home, waiting for this delicious Guinness Gingerbread Loaf to come out of the oven. I’ve recently started watching Laura in the Kitchen and when I saw this, I knew that I had to make it. It isn’t fancy and that is perfect. While I may enjoy the artistry of a beautifully sculpted and plated confection, generally I want something that is delicious without being precious or too fussy. And please, NO SPRINKLES!

This Guinness Gingerbread Loaf comes together fairly quickly and with easy- to-find ingredients. And even though the recipe uses Stout, the alcohol cooks away in the baking process leaving only that delicious molassesy, caramelly taste. The spicing is just right. My husband and I ate this still warm from the oven and after one bite we just looked at each other with these slightly silly grins. So, so good. There is just a bit of crust and then you sink into this dense, moist cake. Did I say that this was delicious?

Guinness Gingerbread Loaf

I wouldn’t hesitate to give this to kids – as is or with a shmear of cream cheese or good butter. When my son was little, I would whip up gingerbread for him to eat when he got home from school. So even though many kids are schooling remotely from home, that doesn’t mean that wonderful treats shouldn’t await them when the school day ends.

There truly isn’t enough comfort in the world that we couldn’t use a bit more. Mix up this wonderfully comforting Gingerbread Loaf and take a breath. Let the autumn leaves fall and bring on the chill!

For other delicious gingerbread recipes try these:

Chocolate Stout Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread

Recipe

Yield: 8 to 12 slices

Guinness Gingerbread Loaf

Ingredients

  • 2-1/3 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp of baking powder
  • 2 tsp of ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp of ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp of kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup of unsalted butter softened at room temperature
  • 1 cup of full flavor (robust) molasses or treacle (I actually used a combination of molasses and treacle since I didn’t have quite enough molasses on hand.)
  • 1 cup of Guinness Stout (or other Stout)
  • 2/3 cup of dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Leave a 2-inch overhang with the parchment. It isn’t essential to do this step but makes getting the loaf out of the pan a little easier, especially if you aren’t using a non-stick pan. Spray the parchment.

Combine the butter, Guinness Stout and molasses in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring once or twice to make sure that the butter melts. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for about 15 minutes.

Mix the flour baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla nd brown sugar, breaking up any lumps. Add the dry ingredients along with the Guinness mixture and stir until combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour or until a tester comes out clean. I thought that my loaf was still a bit moist after one hour but didn’t want to overbake it. So I turned off the oven, cracked open the door and left it in for another 10 minutes. I allowed it to cool on a wire rack for about an additional 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

The bread can be cut while it is still slightly warm, but allow it to cool for about an hour first. You can sprinkle with powdered or icing sugar for presentation, if you like.

Cheesy Cornbread

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Cheesy Cornbread is moist, flavorful and with a wonderful texture to accompany chili or soup. While many parts of the country – and world – are experiencing record heat waves, fall nevertheless has started. Cooler days and nights and trees turning golden turn my thoughts to earthy chili, stews and soups. And what better side than this delicious, Cheesy Cornbread.

Cheesy Cornbread

The addition of corn kernels give this cornbread a marvelous texture, With every bite you get a little pop from the kernel. I used canned corn, but you could use fresh or frozen. And while I didn’t put any cheese on top, go ahead if you want a bit of extra cheesiness.

I used a cheddar jack cheese, but for a more pronounced flavor, use the sharpest cheddar you can find. No matter which cheese you use, though, this cornbread comes together quickly and can be eaten right out of the oven. Since it is just my husband and me these days, I had left-overs which kept for several days, wrapped well and refrigerated.

Cheesy Cornbread is made with ingredients that are easy to keep in the pantry and fridge, so you can whip up a batch with very little notice. It is almost instant gratification and a wonderful thing for novice cooks or making with children.

While this recipe is clearly not vegan, you can check out my Vegan Corn Muffins for another delicious cornbread option. And here are some delicious ideas that would all benefit from Cheesy Cornbread as an accompaniment. So rather than dreading those long, chilly winter evenings, relish all of the rich and wonderful foods that make those months bearable.

Corn Muffins – Vegan

Lamb and White Bean Chili

Vegetable Chili Con Carne

Beef Stew

Crock-Pot Beef Stew

Split Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Short Ribs with Brown Ale and Buckwheat Honey

Recipe

Yield: About 9 servings

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground

3/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large eggs

1 can (about 15 ounces) corn kernels, drained well or 1.5 cups of fresh or frozen kernels

1 cup buttermillk’2 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 generous cup grated Cheddar cheese (4 ounces) or any grated cheese you prefer (Cheddar Jack, Pepper Jack or shredded cheese blends)

1/4 cup, seeded and finely chopped jalapeno, Serrano, Shishito or even bell pepper (how spicy you like things is up to you)

Directions

Grease a 9-inch square or round baking pan or 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Using a separate medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs and combine them with the corn, buttermilk, melted butter, cheese and peppers.

Heat the greased pan for about 5 minutes.

Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture just enough to combine the ingredients, but do not over mix. Pour the mixture into the hot pan. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the bread is golden and a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

You can eat this straight from the pan or turn it out onto a cutting board for presentation.