45 posts tagged “breads”
English muffins, move over! They used to be my favorite brunch food, but now crumpets have rolled into town! I was really blind to the difference between English muffins and crumpets before. They look almost alike, in texture and taste. But recently I discovered that crumpets are thinner, moister, and have more nooks and crannies (namely many many holes) for butter and jam. Crumpets are more like really thick pancakes.
I used King Arthur Flour's recipe. The batter is so easy to put together, especially if you have a stand mixer. I don't know where I have been, having made no attempt to make these beauties before. The below photo really doesn't do crumpets justice. I have been thoroughly enjoying those holes smothered with butter and jam for the past two days.
So, this is my first VeganMoFo entry this year. I guess I will have a theme after all - things I have been wanting to make for ages but haven't for some reason (either fear or laziness). I'd better gear up for tomorrow.
I have almost found the Force again. I recently made two "quick" loaves. They were started and baked on the same day, so I consider myself very lucky to be able to enjoy their good taste without too much work. The left one is English Muffin Loaf (recipe by Bellini Valli of More Than Burnt Toast). We have been on an English muffin kick, so why wouldn't we enjoy a big loaf with endless nooks and cranks to soak up the melted butter? Match made in heaven! The loaf on the right is the Homemade Milk Bread (obviously vegan). The recipe is by Susan of She's Becoming DoughMessTic. I halved the recipe and the result was most excellent. These two loaves of bread are truly amazing. I must confess that bread baking is still my favorite thing to do in the kitchen. Hopefully I can get back into artisan bread baking soon.
Yesterday, my husband went to help a couple of friends with their computer problems and teach them how to make their own simple Web site. They in turn gave us a dozen different potted plants to put on our deck. We now officially have a modest garden. I already went online and learned a lot about these plants. We have romaine lettuce, red sails lettuce, iceberg lettuce, zucchini, basil, French tarragon, mint, garlic chives, two types of peppers (I haven't figured out which type), tomatoes, and cilantro. I harvested one romaine lettuce this morning since it is really ready for it, and our groundhog neighbor living under our deck has already sampled it for us. I trimmed off all the flowers and over-grown parts. These plants are not exactly well cared-for, but I will see what we can do in the next few weeks to bring more life back to the pots. I have never done any gardening before today, so this will be a big challenge. I am enjoying it so far (but it is only day one after all).
I felt like I hadn't made any bread in a long while, probably because I'm still trying to get used to the new environment. I'm really slow in warming up to a new house somehow. But interestingly, hubby and I are cooking more together in the new kitchen. Maybe we will produce something exciting together. We are starting a little garden project on our deck so I'm really looking forward to documenting our first garden soon.
Sadly, I wasn't able to make the injera for April's challenge because we were moving. May's challenge is the PANE DI PASTA TENERA CONDITA or the Italian Knot Bread. This Italian bread is not a crusty country bread we love so much, but its moist and soft crumbs really hit the spot for us vegan butter hounds. The only big challenge is to promise myself that I will make only half the recipe (but I still ended up with 14 knots). Otherwise our waistlines will increase another couple of inches overnight. For making the dough and shaping the knots, I got very helpful pointers from Cookie Baker Lynn and Ilva of Lucullian Delights ~ An Italian Experience. Head over to their blogs if you are interested in making these cute knots yourself.
Biga:
500 g / 1.1 lb normal bread flour
5 g / 0.17 oz fresh yeast, 1/4 tsp dry instant yeast, or 1 tsp active dry yeast
240 ml / 1 cup water
- Dissolve the yeast in a little water and quickly work the dough together.
- Put it in a container, cover it with a half closed lid or kitchen towel and leave it for 15-24 hrs.
Bread:
1 kg / 2.2 lb. flour (type 00)
60 g / 2.1 oz lard (or shortening) [I used vegan shortening.]
30 g fresh yeast , or 2 Tbsp active dry yeast
450-550 ml / 1.9-2.3 cups water, handwarm
25 g salt (about 2 Tbsp)
50 g/ 1.7 oz extra-virgin olive oil
25 g / .88 oz honey [I used agave nectar.]
500 g / l.l lb. biga
- Put the flour either in a big bowl or on a baking board, add the lard (or shortening) and mix it with your fingers until it has 'crumbled' and is completely mixed with the flour.
- Dissolve the yeast in little tepid water and add it to the flour. Mix as well as you can.
- Mix salt, olive oil and honey with the handwarm water and add it to the flour. Now work it it until it holds together and then add the biga.
- Work the dough until it is smooth and doesn't stick.
- Put it into a big bowl, cover it with plastic film and leave to rise until it has doubled.
- Now take up the dough and divide it into 12 equal parts and roll them it into long strands (about 30-35 cm).
- To make the knots: (Ilva's page has pictures of this)
1- Roll out the dough into snakes and lay them out on a flat surface.
2- Make a semi-circle with the dough strands.
3- Twist the two ends together like in the photo.
4- Bring the two ends towards the upper part of the circle.
5- Lift/fold the top part over the twisted part.
6- Take the two end and join them together under the actual knot, this will make the knot part come out more and it hides the ends.
- Put the knots on baking sheets and leave to rise (covered) until they have doubled in size.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven (200°C/390°F) for 25-35 minutes until golden brown.
Sadly, I wasn't able to make the injera for April's challenge because we were moving. May's challenge is the PANE DI PASTA TENERA CONDITA or the Italian Knot Bread. This Italian bread is not a crusty country bread we love so much, but its moist and soft crumbs really hit the spot for us vegan butter hounds. The only big challenge is to promise myself that I will make only half the recipe (but I still ended up with 14 knots). Otherwise our waistlines will increase another couple of inches overnight. For making the dough and shaping the knots, I got very helpful pointers from Cookie Baker Lynn and Ilva of Lucullian Delights ~ An Italian Experience. Head over to their blogs if you are interested in making these cute knots yourself.
Biga:
500 g / 1.1 lb normal bread flour
5 g / 0.17 oz fresh yeast, 1/4 tsp dry instant yeast, or 1 tsp active dry yeast
240 ml / 1 cup water
- Dissolve the yeast in a little water and quickly work the dough together.
- Put it in a container, cover it with a half closed lid or kitchen towel and leave it for 15-24 hrs.
Bread:
1 kg / 2.2 lb. flour (type 00)
60 g / 2.1 oz lard (or shortening) [I used vegan shortening.]
30 g fresh yeast , or 2 Tbsp active dry yeast
450-550 ml / 1.9-2.3 cups water, handwarm
25 g salt (about 2 Tbsp)
50 g/ 1.7 oz extra-virgin olive oil
25 g / .88 oz honey [I used agave nectar.]
500 g / l.l lb. biga
- Put the flour either in a big bowl or on a baking board, add the lard (or shortening) and mix it with your fingers until it has 'crumbled' and is completely mixed with the flour.
- Dissolve the yeast in little tepid water and add it to the flour. Mix as well as you can.
- Mix salt, olive oil and honey with the handwarm water and add it to the flour. Now work it it until it holds together and then add the biga.
- Work the dough until it is smooth and doesn't stick.
- Put it into a big bowl, cover it with plastic film and leave to rise until it has doubled.
- Now take up the dough and divide it into 12 equal parts and roll them it into long strands (about 30-35 cm).
1- Roll out the dough into snakes and lay them out on a flat surface.
2- Make a semi-circle with the dough strands.
3- Twist the two ends together like in the photo.
4- Bring the two ends towards the upper part of the circle.
5- Lift/fold the top part over the twisted part.
6- Take the two end and join them together under the actual knot, this will make the knot part come out more and it hides the ends.
- Put the knots on baking sheets and leave to rise (covered) until they have doubled in size.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven (200°C/390°F) for 25-35 minutes until golden brown.
PANE DI PASTA TENERA CONDITA is being served up as the Bread Baking Babes challenge of the month. May's challenge is hosted by Ilva of "Lucullian Delights ~ An Italian Experience", May’s kitchen of the month. If you also want to become a bread baking buddy and earn a badge, you have until May 30th to bake this bread and submit it to Ilva. Check out further details on becoming a buddy on My Kitchen in Half Cups.
This is my first attempt at the Chinese steamed buns. I used this recipe from Kat of "A Good Appetite". My filling was some leftover tofu and veggie bake. Obviously, I still have to work on the cosmetics, but the texture and taste were really really good. I made these steamed buns right before we left Florida to travel north. We are on the road again, so I won't have much desire to cook or bake until we settle down in the middle of next week. Till then, take care and God bless!
I got myself into a bit of a busy week. Not much time to comtemplate what to eat or cook. This semolina bread is probably the most interesting thing among all that I have been cooking or baking in the kitchen. The recipe is from Di's Kitchen Notebook. I took the liberty of doubling the amount of semolina flour and reduced the bread flour accordingly. The result was excellent. There are no huge air holes but the bread has a very dense and meaty texture. Your butter certainly will stay on and it is a very hearty bread to pair with any good soup or make sandwiches with.
First, I need to rant a little. I have been holding back for a while, but today I just have to say it. Flying sucks! The flights are often delayed, which leads to serious consequences and major inconvenience, especially when you are trying to make a connecting flight. You could be stuck somewhere (that you don't want to be) overnight, or worse. And the prices are high! OK, I feel better now.
I must declare that semolina cornbread is by far the best cornbread I have had. From now on, I will make sure that I use some semolina flour in my cornbread. In fact, I plan to make a semolina cake soon. The awesome semolina cornbread recipe is from Jude of Apple Pie, Patis, and Pâté (another great blog that I visit often). This cornbread has a better texture - more substantial and toothsome. The flavor is very pleasant too.
To make a vegan version, use a tiny bit more soy milk than required with one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and omit the eggs. Use Earth Balance butter instead (same amount).
I must declare that semolina cornbread is by far the best cornbread I have had. From now on, I will make sure that I use some semolina flour in my cornbread. In fact, I plan to make a semolina cake soon. The awesome semolina cornbread recipe is from Jude of Apple Pie, Patis, and Pâté (another great blog that I visit often). This cornbread has a better texture - more substantial and toothsome. The flavor is very pleasant too.
Anyone who bakes bread regularly but has never tried making bagels at home, please raise your hand. Or, is it just me? I have been completely under the impression that homemade bagels mean nothing but a huge mess after much toiling. It proves my irrational fear was almost insurmountable that I have saved Vegan Dad's bagel recipe for almost a year before delving into it at all. Now that I have tried it, I honestly can only ask myself "is it what I was so afraid of?" There was no mess. Nor was there any toiling. There were only fresh beautiful bagels that constantly lured us into the kitchen.
As you can see, my shaping technique can be greatly improved, but I am still happy with the result (first time after all).
This is not a pretty sight. I eagerly split open a very hot bagel. I should say "ripped it open" despite the bagel's struggle in my hands. Needless to say, that one didn't survive too long.
It's that time of the month again, for the Bread Baking Babes challenge. Our versatile host, Sara of "i like to cook", in her role as the Kitchen of the Month, chose this wonderfully light Pane Francese bread which almost has no sour taste.
This bread is rather different from all the other breads I have ever baked. What is entirely new to me is that this bread uses a chef (see definition on Wiki) to leaven the dough. A chef is actually a small piece of dough from a previous batch of bread dough, and this is the only source of yeast in the recipe. I had to look it up on Google. Of course, I had my little reservation before trying to make my bread using a chef. Will such a small piece of old leavening agent actually work?
Making this bread takes 3 stages. Stage 1: create the levain (the chef mixed with flour and water). Stage 2: create the second-stage levain (the levain mixed with more flour and water). Stage 3: finally create the dough using the second-stage levain with more flour and water. The recipe is not about being intimidatingly complicated, but it did take me altogether 3 days to finish the whole thing.
pinch of yeast
180 gr. (1 4/5 cups) bread flour
120 gr. (1/2 cup) water
Combine and knead for a couple of minutes, resulting in a soft sticky doughball. Cover and leave overnight at room temperature. (I had to use a bit more water than required by the recipe. About 2 Tbsp. more.)
Creating the Levain
chef (1/4 cup old dough, or 1/4 cup sourdough starter, unfed)
1/4 cup warm, water
1/2 cup Bread Flour
Let the chef soften in the warm water, then whisk out any lumps. Mix in the flour until you've formed a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead it for 5 to 8 minutes. The chef (now called a levain) should be moist but firm. Place the levain in a bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place till doubled. This will take 5 to 6 hours.
Second-Stage Levain
All of the levain (from above)
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups Bread Flour
"Refresh" the levain by placing it in a medium-sized bowl, chopping it into small pieces, and adding the water and 1/2 cup of the flour, stirring till smooth. Add the remaining flour gradually to create a stiff dough. Knead the dough for several minutes, then return it to the bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rise for 3 to 5 hours, till it doubles in size. Punch down the risen levain, and reserve 1/4 cup as your next chef. (Wrap in plastic and store in the fridge for later use).
Dough
all of the second-stage levain (from above)
3/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups Bread Flour
Chop the levain into small pieces, and mix them with the water, stirring till they begin to dissolve. Add the salt, then 1 1/2 cups of the flour. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured or lightly greased work surface, and knead until the dough is smooth and satiny, adding only enough additional flour to keep the dough from sticking unbearably. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for 8 to 10 hours. (I left the dough rising overnight again, which yielded an amazing result. The dough was rather sticky, and I didn't dare to add more flour to affect the result.)
Shaping: Cut the dough into 2 pieces, and shape each piece into a round or oval. Transfer the loaves to a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, or to a floured banneton; cover with a heavily floured cloth, and allow them to rise for 2 to 3 hours, or until they're almost doubled in bulk.
Don't slash or glaze the loaves. Bake the bread in a preheated 450°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until they're a deep, golden brown. (I don't really know why we shouldn't slash the loaves, but my loaves got quite a bit of oven spring anyway.)
Yield: 2 loaves.
Verdict: I will definitely make this bread again, but next time I will try to make the dough even wetter. I'm still a little afraid of shaping the delicate dough before baking. I think I can do better if I follow those ciabatta shaping videos more closely.
EDIT: This is three days later. We're still loving the bread! We had it with some quick asparagus stir-fry on the side.
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Pane Francese is being served up as the Bread Baking Babes challenge of the month. March's challenge is hosted by Sara of "i like to cook", March’s kitchen of the month. If you also want to become a bread baking buddy and earn a badge, you have until March 29th to bake this bread and submit it to Sara. Check out further details on becoming a buddy on My Kitchen in Half Cups.
I saw these beautiful English muffins on Purplesque's blog. I am a huge lover for English muffins (only homemade ones though). I also used the recipe on kjknits's blog.
I had just enough starter for these English muffins and two loaves of Pane Francese. Even when I was half way through, I didn't think my starter would work. My first starter-raising experience was a little botched because of my careless mistakes in the feeding process. But to my amazement, the starter apparently worked. My English muffins rose so much in the pan. I was expecting them to rise a lot but still I was impressed with the "growth" of these little guys.
Let me first say that I love these quick flatbreads! I finally got to make these Chinese scallion pancakes and they are 100% made of light spelt flour. The great recipe is by Ricki of "Diet, Dessert, and Dogs". It's just like what Ricki said about these pancakes. They are indeed good and worth the little effort.
I'm definitely more interested in making my own roti bread now.
