Category: BREADS, BISCUITS & MUFFINS

Blueberry Muffins ~ What Did You Bake Today?

I love vintage cookbooks. Not just because they are cute and old, but because the recipes of yesteryear used less sugar and processed foods. Today’s recipe comes from The New England Cookbook published in 1956 by the Culinary Arts Institute of Chicago.Blueberry Muffins:

1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg , beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh or thawed blueberries

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowlCombine milk and eggs in another, then blend in melted butter. At this point, the recipe says to make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet and stir for no more than 25 strokes. I counted and frankly, I just couldn’t do in in 25. I stirred for more like 30 strokes. Anyway, after it is moist, lumpy and mostly incorporated, fold in the blueberries.Scoop into 12 greased muffin tins. Bake 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
What Did You Bake Today?

Homemaker Mondays and Making a Happy Home Monday ~ Holiday Bread

Homemaker Mondays is hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven
Making a Happy Home Monday is hosted by LL at As for me and my house…
HOLIDAY BREAD

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon orange peel
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 3/4 cups cool water
3/4 cups golden raisins
1/4 cup orange juice
1/8 cup salted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup minced walnuts

  • In a small bowl pour orange juice over the raisins. Let set 1/2 hour. Pour off remaining juice before using fruit.
  • In a LARGE mix together the flours, salt, yeast and water in a large bowl. Stir until you need to use your hands to form a sticky dough.
  • When the dough is smooth and uniform work in the fruit and nuts.
  • Cover the bowl with press-n-seal and let rest at room temperature for at least 8 hours or better yet over night. Dough will bubble and rise quite a bit.
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into desired shapes to fit lightly greased covered stoneware bakers. I make 2 loaf pan sizes. Place in pan smooth side up.
  • Let rise another 2 hours or until your thumb print remains when you poke the dough.
  • Just before placing in oven slice across the tops several times to allow the steam to escape.
  • Place bread in cold oven and set temperature to 450 degrees.
  • Bake 45 minutes, uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes until golden brown and 205 degrees internal temperature.
  • Cool on rack before slicing.

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The Need to Knead Bread Recipe Round Up Day is FINALLY here!!

It’s here – FINALLY!


Don’t forget to sign Mr. Linky and put your recipe in parenthesis.
Visit everyone you can for scrumptious recipes for the upcoming holiday season.
Joy at Joy of Desserts is co-hosting this with me so be sure and check out her recipes too.

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My recipe is for my favorite ‘toast’ bread.

OAT SUNFLOWER BREAD or SESAME OAT BREAD

3/4 cup old fashioned oats (DO NOT USE INSTANT)
1 1/4 cups very hot water, but not boiling
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
3+ cups bread flour
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds or toasted sesame seeds

  • Using your mixer with dough hook combine the oats and hot water. Allow to stand until soft, 5 or so minutes.
  • While these are cooling whisk together the warm water and yeast.
  • Add the honey, oil and salt to the oats until well blended.
  • Add the yeast and blend together.
  • Add the wheat flour until well blended.
  • Add 2 1/2 cups of the wheat flour and blend well.
  • Add last 1/2 cup as needed until dough forms a smooth mass.
  • Add sunflower seeds until just mixed.
  • Place dough in a an oiled bowl and cover with a light cloth and allow to rise 2 hours or until double in size in a warm spot of your kitchen away from drafts.
  • Punch the dough down and fold dough into itself.
  • Place dough onto a lightly floured work surface . Lightly sprinkle flour over dough.
  • Knead dough until all the air is worked out and you have a nice smooth mass.
  • Split into two loaves.
  • Cover them for 10 minutes.
  • Form loaves into rectangles by folding dough into itself and eliminating excess air.
  • You can either free form these or use 9×5 loaf pans. Seam side down place loaves into pans. Recover with towel.
  • Set aside and let rise another hour until dough rises above the edge of the pan.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Make diagonal cut across the top of each loaf (these allow the steam to escape).
  • Bake on the center shelf in the center for 45 minutes or until golden.
  • Cool completely on a wire rack.
  • Enjoy!

Here are a few of my other bread recipes to entice you.

 

WooHoo the long awaited Bread Round-Up is FINALLY here!!

I’ve been collecting recipes for all my life it seems. When I decided to do this bread round up I scoured my files for every recipe that had been handed down from family or given to me by a co-worker or one that has become one of our family favorites. Ironically I found 4 different recipes for Buttermilk Biscuits. The recipes stem from really easy to more involved and are all slightly different in taste and texture.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS (most similar to the Colonel’s)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup club soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups Bisquick baking mix

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  • Combine all the ingredients
  • Lightly flour your hands
  • Knead the dough by hand until smooth
  • Pat the dough flat to 3/4 inches
  • Cut out biscuits
  • Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown
  • Makes about 18 biscuits

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS with MAPLE BUTTER (a little lighter and sweeter with the maple butter)
BISCUITS
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons Crisco
1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 egg
BUTTER
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Spray an 8 inch cake pan with PURE.
  • Sift together the 1 cup of the flour, cake flour, salt, baking powder and soda.
  • With a pastry blender cut in butter and Crisco until mixture is coarse and crumbly
  • Stir in buttermilk.
  • In a mixing bowl add the remaining 1/2 cup flour.
  • Drop the dough 1/4 cup at a time into the flour.
  • Shape into balls.
  • Arrange all the balls in the pan.
  • Beat egg with water. Brush tops of dough.
  • Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
  • To make this ahead of time do all steps except the buttermilk, cover and refrigerate until needed.
  • Stir syrup into butter.
  • Transfer to wax paper.
  • Top with another sheet of wax paper.
  • Press into a 1/4 inch thickness and freeze for 10 minutes.
  • Using a rolling pin roll smooth.
  • Remove top sheet of wax paper and sprinkle with brown sugar.
  • Using small cutouts, cut butter into desired shapes.
  • These can be made ahead of time and frozen.

BUTTERMILK SPOON BREAD (more like a souffle – light and fluffy)
7 large eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups yellow cornmeal

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray 9×13 baking dish with PURE.
  • In a large bowl whisk the eggs and whipping cream together until smooth. Set aside.
  • In a large sauce pan bring the buttermilk, water, salt, pepper and butter to a boil.
  • Gradually whisk in corn meal.
  • Reduce heat and and simmer until thick and smooth, stirring frequently.
  • Remove from heat and gradually whisk the cornmeal mixture into the egg mixture.
  • Transfer the batter to the baking dish.
  • Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.
  • Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
  • Serve warm.
What makes biscuits rise?
Baking Powder and Baking Soda are both leaveners and when activated creat carbon dioxide which produces the rise. Baking Soda aka sodium bicarbonate has been commonly used for 200 years and works by simple chemistry. It’s reaction is immediate, but does not continue once the biscuits are in the oven. Ironically Baking Powder is the main ingredient in Baking Soda, but baking powder also includes an acid or two. Double acting baking powder is the perfect one for biscuits because it has the immediate acting acid as well as the heat activated acid. In order to use baking powder alone you have to use way too much and it dries out the dough. So finding the perfect combination of baking powder and baking soda is the key to tall and fluffy biscuits.

PERFECT TALL & FLUFFY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
2 cups flour + 1 cup flour
1 tablespoon double acting baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons butter, diced
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk

  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
  • Spray a 9 inch cake pan with PURE.
  • In a food processor pulse dry ingredients several times to combine.
  • Add butter pieces scattered over dry ingredients and pulse until crumbly.
  • Transfer to a medium bowl.
  • Stir in buttermilk. (Dough will be wet and lumpy).
  • Spray a 1/4 cup measure with PURE.
  • In a mixing bowl add the remaining 1 cup flour.
  • Drop the dough 1/4 cup at a time into the flour.
  • Shape into 12 balls. Shaking off excess flour.
  • Arrange balls (9 around the perimeter and 3 in the center) in the pan.
  • Brush tops of dough with melted butter.
  • Bake 5 minutes.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees.
  • Bake another 15 minutes.
  • Cool 2 minutes.
  • Invert biscuits into a clean towel, turn right side up breakaing them apart and cool another 5 minutes.

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Then Need to Knead is this wednesday

It’s almost here!! Don’t forget.

The need to knead is almost here. I thought maybe it was time to share with you some food for thought (Pun intended) with a few great resource sites for baking.

  • Recipe Curio has a lot of wonderful tips as well as many vintage recipes
  • Yeast Dough gets down to the basics of the ingredients and how to work with them.
  • Bread World is Fleischmann’s Yeast site for recipes and baking tips.
  • Bread Baking 101 is all encompassing site of information and recipes.
General Tips to remember:
  • Baking in a high place, a dry place or in a place that can have sudden changes in barometric pressure. All these factors can alter how yeast breads knead, rise and bake.
  • To determine if your yeast is still active, dissolve 1 tsp. sugar in 1/2 cup lukewarm water in a see-through measuring cup. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. yeast slowly over the water. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes. At the end of this time, the yeast should have foamed up to reach the 1 cup mark. Yeast that does not reach this mark in 10 minutes will not produce a good loaf and should be discarded.
  • Water can replace milk. The texture will change a little, but the bread will still be very tasty and good to eat.
  • White sugar, brown sugar, honey and molasses can be interchanged equally in bread dough. The sugar in bread dough supplies the tiny yeast plants with instant food and gets them off to a fast start. Artificial sweeteners are not recommended for yeast breads because they cannot be used by the yeast as natural sweeteners can.
  • Fats can be replaced with applesauce or prune puree. The texture of the bread will be more dense. A general rule of thumb is to substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons of applesauce/prune puree for every 3 tablespoons of fat.
  • Salt is added to yeast breads not only for flavor but also to keep the yeast fermentation in the bread dough under control. Too little salt will allow the yeast to push the dough so high that it may even collapse. Too much salt will keep the dough from rising enough.

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The Knead to Need is almost here!

The need to knead is almost here. I thought maybe it was time to share with you some food for thought (Pun intended) with a few great resource sites for baking.

General Tips to remember:

  • Baking in a high place, a dry place or in a place that can have sudden changes in barometric pressure. All these factors can alter how yeast breads knead, rise and bake.
  • To determine if your yeast is still active, dissolve 1 tsp. sugar in 1/2 cup lukewarm water in a see-through measuring cup. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. yeast slowly over the water. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes. At the end of this time, the yeast should have foamed up to reach the 1 cup mark. Yeast that does not reach this mark in 10 minutes will not produce a good loaf and should be discarded.
  • Water can replace milk. The texture will change a little, but the bread will still be very tasty and good to eat.
  • White sugar, brown sugar, honey and molasses can be interchanged equally in bread dough. The sugar in bread dough supplies the tiny yeast plants with instant food and gets them off to a fast start. Artificial sweeteners are not recommended for yeast breads because they cannot be used by the yeast as natural sweeteners can.
  • Fats can be replaced with applesauce or prune puree. The texture of the bread will be more dense. A general rule of thumb is to substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons of applesauce/prune puree for every 3 tablespoons of fat.
  • Salt is added to yeast breads not only for flavor but also to keep the yeast fermentation in the bread dough under control. Too little salt will allow the yeast to push the dough so high that it may even collapse. Too much salt will keep the dough from rising enough.

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Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Bread Edition ~ Bubble Bread

BUBBLE BREAD
BREAD
1 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1teaspoon salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup minced walnuts
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 Jumbo eggs, beaten
4 1/2 – 5 cups flour
TOPPING
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted
OPTIONAL GLAZE
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup powdered sugar

  • Soften the yeast in the warm water.
  • Stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
  • Soak the raisins in the rum until needed. Drain before adding to the bread.
  • Combine the milk, shortening, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
  • Add yeast to milk mixture and then the eggs, the raisins and nuts.
  • Add the flour. Mix to a soft dough.
  • Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl. Turn over once, cover with a cheesecloth and let rise until double in size.
  • Punch down and let stand ten minutes.
  • Roll into many small balls about the size of golf balls.
  • Dip each one in the melted butter and then the cinnamon topping.
  • Grease a bundt cake pan.
  • Arrange the balls haphazardly in the cake pan.
  • Allow to rise until double in size (about 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours)
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
  • Glaze if you choose.
  • Enjoy
For the updated & much quicker version visit Overwhelmed with Joy for her Monkey Bread Recipe.

Have you heard about the Need to Knead Bread Roundup? We will roundup all types of bread recipes. We already have a number of people signed up and it promises to be great. You are all invited to participate. We would love it if you would join us, and we would love it if you would help us spread the word by putting this button in your sidebars or even writing a short post about the roundup. Just come back here on October 15th & sign Mr. Linky. We’ll see you then.

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Needing to Knead is almost here…

Have you heard about the Need to Knead Bread Roundup? I wanted to do a bread round up and Joy at Joy of Desserts, another Scrumptious Sunday offered to make this great button and co-host this bread Roundup on October 15th along with the help of Barbara at Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers who has so generously offered to be our Mr. Linky person. We will roundup all types of bread recipes. We already have a number of people signed up and it promises to be great. You are all invited to participate. We would love it if you would join us, and we would love it if you would help us spread the word by putting this button in your sidebars or even writing a short post about the roundup.

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Honey Banana Whole Wheat Bread


Honey Banana Whole Wheat Bread
1 1/2 pound loaf

1/2 cup 1% milk, room temperature
1 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
3 tablespoons honey
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup bread flour
1 medium banana sliced
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

The beauty of bread machines is that they always want the same layering.
Liquids
Butter chunks, vanilla, egg & honey
Flour & Sugar
Yeast
The key to any good bread is using quality fresh ingredients.
Just remember, garbage in is garbage out.
Let your bread maker do the rest!

Don’t forget to come back and join us for the Bread Round-Up on October 15th.

Scrumptious Sunday ~ Bread is the Theme ~ Cinnamon Raisin Loaf & Cinnamon Banana Bread

Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks

CINNAMON RAISIN LOAF
2 cups + 2 teaspoons warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
5 3/4 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons cultured Buttermilk powder
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups golden raisins
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 Jumbo egg, beaten
1 egg white, beaten

  • Combine 1/4 cup of the warm water and yeast in your mixer’s bowl.
  • Let sit until creamy, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the flour, buttermilk powder, 1/4 cup of the sugar, salt, 3 tablespoons of the butter and the remaining water.
  • Mix on low just until combined.
  • With dough hook mix on medium 5 minutes.
  • Add raisins and mix until firm.
  • Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball.
  • Oil a large bowl, place dough inside, cover and let rise in warm place until double in size – about 1 1/2 hours.
  • Generously spray 2 loaf pans with PURE.
  • In a small bowl combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon, setting aside a tablespoon as topping.
  • Split dough in half re-wrapping 1/2 in the oiled bowl.
  • Press the other piece of dough into a 10×12 rectangle.
  • Brush with 1/2 the whole beaten egg.
  • Sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar.
  • Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.
  • With the back of a spoon lightly rub over the butter and cinnamon blending the butter and sugar mix.
  • Starting with the short end roll up the dough gently.
  • Pinch the ends together.
  • Transfer to pan, seam side down.
  • Cover with greased plastic and allow to rise 1 hour.
  • Repeat with other loaf.
  • At 45 minutes pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Brush each with the egg white.
  • Top with 1/2 the reserve sugar/cinnamon mixture.
  • Bake 15 minutes and then lower temperature to 400 degrees.
  • Bake 15 minutes more and lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes more.

CINNAMON BANANA BREAD
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 + 1/2 cup butter, softened
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
2 Jumbo eggs
1 3/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cinnamon

  • In a small bowl pour the orange juice over the raisins and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • In a small saucepan melt 1/2 cup butter.
  • Stir in brown sugar until dissolved.
  • Add bananas and walnuts, stirring to coat.
  • Cool.
  • In a large mixing bowl cream 1/2 cup butter and sugar until fluffy.
  • Add eggs mixing well after each addition.
  • Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder.
  • Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture blending well after each addition.
  • Add in cooled banana mixture.
  • Divide batter between greased loaf pans.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool in pan 10 minutes & then finish cooling on wire rack.

1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
4 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • Combine all together.
  • Drizzle over breads.
Don’t forget to come back and join us for
The Bread Round Up on October 15th.
Click here to learn more.

Buttermilk Bread

BUTTERMILK BREAD
1 1/2 pound loaf

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
3 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

The beauty of bread machines is they always want the same layering.
Liquids
Butter chunks & Honey
Flour, salt & baking soda
Yeast


The key to any good bread is using quality fresh ingredients.
Just remember, garbage in is garbage out.
Let your bread maker do the rest!
Don’t forget to come back and join us for the Bread Round Up on October 15th.

Try these too:

Happy Accident = New Recipe = Tropical Apricot Mango Bread

I was trying to make beer bread last Sunday to go with our chili when I had a happy accident. Well it wasn’t so happy at the time, it actually ticked me off. You know how you reach for something and don’t think at the same time? I reached for a beer, but grabbed a Bartles & Jaymes Tropical Mango. I had twisted the cap and poured it in before I realized it was the wrong bottle. I didn’t want to throw out the entire batch so baked it anyway and was pleasantly surprised. I baked it again adding diced dried apricots and then slathering on fresh honey butter and the results were PURE heaven!
  • 3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 12 oz. Bartyles & James Tropical Mango
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots, cut into small bits
  • 1 stick butter, melted

Mix flour, sugar, salt, apricot bits and topical mango together. Add a couple of ounces of the butter. Knead together uniformly, but do not over work. Form into a well greased loaf pan. Pour remaining butter over top of loaf. Bake for 1 hour.
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