Eats/Reads

TAKE 2: 2 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 c cocoa powder (unsweetened) 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp chili flakes Few grinds of black pepper 2 eggs 1 c buttermilk 1 c sugar 2 Tbsp coffee 1 tsp vanilla 4 large bananas, overripe and mashed 1.5 c 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate chips 1/2 c chopped walnuts -- 2 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 c cocoa powder (unsweetened) 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp chili flakes 1/2 c canola oil 1 c sugar 2 eggs 1/2 c buttermilk 1 c bananas, overripe and mashed (2 large) Mix dry ingredients together. Set aside.  Beat oil and sugar until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Mix in buttermilk and bananas.  Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 F for 1 hour. 

1500g bread flour 3 sachets fast yeast 3 tbsp brown sugar 3 tsp salt approx 900ml warm water Mix ingredients. Knead for 5-10 mins. Let rise until double (1 hr). Form bagels into balls (100g each), poke a hole in the middle and stretch and mold until it looks like a bagel. Center hole should be a bit larger than you think, as it will get smaller as they rise.  Place bagel on tray covered in parchment paper. Let rise until puffy (approx. 20 mins).  Boil 3 litres of water (we fill our large Dutch oven to half full). Add 1 tbsp baking soda and 1 tbsp molasses.  Boil bagels 30 secs on each side. Place them on trays covered in parchment paper. Add toppings (poppy seed, sesame seed, garlic powder, onion flakes, salt etc). Bake for about 18-10 mins total in 180C fan oven (200C conventional).  Makes a lot of bagels. You can half or third the recipe if you don't like leftovers. 

500g flour 1 packet quick yeast 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 1 egg, beaten 250ml warm milk 1 tsp oil or butter Mix all ingredients and knead for a few minutes by hand or in food processor. Let rise for about 1 hour, til doubled in bulk. Punch down dough and divide into four portions. Place in steamer. Let rise for about 20 mins. Boil water in steamer and steam for 20 minutes.

From Cuisinart site . 1 package of active dry yeast 3 cups (375g)  unbleached, all-purpose bread flour 2 eggs 4 heaping tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (125ml) warm (105-110°F) water 1 egg mixed with water for egg wash handful of sesame or poppy seeds Sprinkle yeast over water in a small bowl or cup, add sugar and watch it bubble, about five minutes. Pour the above mixture into a food processor; add flour and then the rest of the ingredients. Mix and let it rise (It’s okay to cover and leave it in the food processor or remove it to a greased bowl and cover) for about an hour. Punch down the dough (press pulse a few times) and let it rise again (about an hour). Separate the dough into four pieces. Use three to make the main bread, and use the fourth piece to make a smaller braid that you’ll pinch into place on top of the main braid. Place the braided dough into a greased bread pan and cover. Let it rise another hour. ...

So fast and easy. Nice to serve fresh with soups. This makes 4 small loaves, so you can halve or quarter it, depending on how much you want to make. 4 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup bread flour 1/3 cup rolled oats 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups buttermilk (or plain yogurt) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease two baking sheets. In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, white flour, rolled oats, baking soda and salt. Gently mix in the buttermilk until a soft dough is formed. Knead very lightly. Divide dough into 4 pieces; form into rounded flat loaves. Mark each loaf with an 'X' and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 to 45 minutes.

This is a nice moist loaf and healthy-ish too. I have never whizzed the oatmeal and it's turned out fine, but I should probably try that at least once for comparison. 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup milk Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C/200C fan). Grind oatmeal in a food processor or blender. In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, dissolve honey in vegetable oil then stir in the milk. Combine both mixtures and stir until a soft dough is formed. Form the dough into a ball and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. (Or place in an oiled loaf pan - but it will be a small loaf). Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

These are spongy bread dumplings which are the perfect accompaniment to goulash . I wasn't happy with my old recipe so on Sunday I tried this one, and it was really nice. 1 pkg dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water 1 tsp sugar 1/3 cup warm milk 1 egg 2 Tbsp melted butter 1/2 tsp salt (use less if using salted butter) About 2 or 2 1/2 cups flour Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar and let rise about 10 minutes. Warm milk slightly on stove, add in butter. Remove from heat. Mix in egg and salt. Add the milk mixture to the yeast. Now add flour, kneading well with hands and adding more flour if necessary for a firm dough. Cover and let rise 1 hour in warm place. Punch down dough and cut into six portions. Form a ball with each portion and place in a steamer. Let rise for about 20-30 minutes. Then steam for 15-20 minutes. Do not lift cover while steaming. Serve warm with gravy.

This was nice - not super sweet but felt special and Easter-y. If I'd had an orange or lemon in the house, I would have grated in the zest for more citrus-ness. 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 tsp. salt 2/3 cup warm milk (120-130°F) 2 tbsp. butter, softened 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup candied citrus peel, chopped 1/4 cup raisins Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour in milk and softened butter. Beat with whisk for a couple minutes. Stir in 2 eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and 1/2 cup flour. Beat 2 minutes. Stir in dried peel and fruit; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (you do not need to add it all). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a bowl greased with oil; turn once so that dough is lightly coated in oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until ...

I've been playing around with a very simple white bread recipe which I mix and knead (mostly) in the food processor. It's so easy I've actually made it several times in the past two weeks. Next: Play around with adding wholemeal, wholegrain and rye flours, and with using quick-rise yeast. 300 ml warm water 2 tsp dry active yeast 1 tsp sugar 1 lb flour (strong white bread flour is best) 2 tsp salt 1.5 Tbsp butter (or vegetable oil) Dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Let stand for 15 minutes, until bubbly and frothy. Meanwhile mix flour, salt and butter in food processor, until butter is crumbly. Once the yeast is ready, put food processor on low speed, and pour the yeast mixture through the funnel. Let it go until the dough clumps up into a big ball. Remove dough from food processor bowl and put in a largeish bowl with about 1 Tablespoon of flour. Knead for a few minutes. Lift dough and oil bowl, spreading oil on both sides of the dough. Cover bowl with cling film and let ri...

I've become dissatisfied with the price and quality of bread in our neighborhood, so am trying to come up with a quick, easy, good bread recipe which I might actually have time to make a few times a week. The first mistake I've made (sort of) is to by active dry yeast - quick or ready bake yeasts tend to be, well, quicker. This one was nice - moist, slightly sweet, not too dense. Next up: using the food processor to knead. 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 2 tsp active dry yeast 2 tablespoon honey 1 2/3 cups white flour 1 tablespoon canola oil 2 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup whole wheat flour need in another 2/3 to 1 1/3 cup tablespoons whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons butter, melted Mix warm water with yeast, 2 T honey and 1 2/3 cup white flour. Wait 30 mins, until big and bubbly. Mix in oil, 2 T honey and salt. Mix in 2/3 cup whole wheat flour. Then start mixing/kneading in another 2/3 to 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour. Knead for a while, until the dough is...

We finally broke down and made Mexican food at home. Our nice Aunt Sarah had sent us some enchilada sauce (tasty - thanks!) so all we had to do was make tortillas and the filling. Result: Very tasty! Need to work on making tortillas softer. It could also have been spicier (maybe add more chili to beef?). If we get this recipe down, we're really never returning to the States! The tortillas: If you live in the sort of glorious locale where good tortillas (i.e. no additives and very tasty) are available at the store, by all means skip this step and just buy a pack. 250g plain white flour 150ml water 5g (about 1 tsp) salt Knead ingredients together until smooth. Let sit for about 30 mins. Divide into eight. Roll each portion into a ball. Roll until 2-3mm thick. Place frying pan on medium height. Cook for about 1 minute on each side. Wrap in tea towel to steam. [Note: Mine were a little tough. Not sure if they were too thick, or needed to be kneaded more/less. Will investigate purchase ...