BBD #20

The theme for this month BBD #20, is on multigrains.  I enjoy using different grains in my breads and was happy to remake the following recipe.  The bread is dense yet moist. We enjoy the flavor from the molasses.  I got this recipe from a neighbor when we lived up in Manhattan, KS. Both of us were moving about the same time and gave each other a parting gift.  Mine was a little booklet of recipes from Kansas. Me being a California girl was very excited to receive something from Kansas.    Our host for the BBD is from blog: http://tangerineskitchen.blogspot.com

Thanks Rachel for hosting!  BBD,  a monthly event founded by Zorra is an event for passionate and to-be bread bakers, I enjoy this group of people and have found many wonderful bread recipes.

War Bread (Multigrain Bread)

 

Combine in a large bowl:

1 cup rolled oats             

1 cup corn meal

1 cup whole wheat flour

Add stirring till smooth:  3 cups boiling water cool till 105˚.

                          

Next add:

1/3 cup molasses                                                      

1 tablespoon shortening or oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

 

Sprinkle one package dry yeast on batter and blend. Gradually add 4 ½ to 6 cups all-purpose flour until soft dough is formed.

 

Knead 10 minutes. Allow to rise in greased bowl, covered, until doubled. Punch down. Knead 30 seconds, and allow dough to rest while greasing baking sheets. Divide and form into 2 round loaves. Cover and let rise on baking sheets, score with a sharp knife just before baking.

 

Bake at 350˚, for 45-60 minutes, check to make sure they are baked all the way through. Remove from oven and brush tops with melted butter.                                                                                            From: Kansas Wheat Commission                                                                                                                                                     

Anniversary Surprise!

Saturaday would have been mine and James 23rd anniversary. I think about our anniversaries, but don't do anything special.Of course when James was alive, we did do special things on our anniversary day. Today I was cleaning out my hope chest (cedar chest) so that I could give it to Michelle as part of her wedding present. My mother gave my oldest daughter her hope chest and my second daughter bought one, so I thought it approciate to give mine to daughter number three. 

As I got down to the bottom of the chest I saw little scraps of paper and thought nothing of it, except that it was for the trash. As I turned it over and saw it was a little card you can get when you buy flowers, I read it and it said, 'Happy Anniversary'! It was a card from James that I must have saved from before. At first I read it and thought nothing about the day, but then realized it was my anniversary, that day! So then, I thought wow, how nice to find this card. Who knew for my 23rd and on May 23, I would refind this card? 

A very happy day! Can't wait to see him again....                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Having Fun with Spelt Flour!

   Sally Lunn bread 
The last couple of days, I made some bread and was pleased with the results!

I enjoy reading 'Life's a Feast', blog.  Jamie has a great recipe for these bread sticks, called 'Grissini',  http://lifesafeast.blogspot.com/2009/05/grissini.html. They looked so good I had to make them.  I changed them just a bit and added some wheat and spelt flours to the recipe.  I also loved how she used different flavorings, so I just added all three at once and it still tasted great! Thanks Jamie, we all love them!

The picture of the loaf is the 'Sally Lunn' recipe again mixing different flours. I am finding out by adding the spelt flour, my loaves seem a little lighter.  

         Grissini, bread sticks.

Sally Lunn (recipe from Sourdough Cookery)

1 cup milk

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup butter 

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups sourdough starter

3 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 cups flour (calls for all-purpose, but I have mixed in different kinds, as long as it equals the 4 1/2 cups)

In a small saucepan, heat milk almost to a boil over medium heat.  Do not boil.  Set aside to cool 10 minutes.  Sprinkle yeast over water.  Set aside to soften 5 minutes.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth.  Stir in sourdough starter and softened yeast mixture until combined. Stir in cooled milk and eggs; set aside.  Stir salt into flour.  Add to sourdough mixture; beat until smooth.  Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place free from drafts.  Let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. Generously grease two 8-inch square baking pans, or one 9"x5" loaf pan and one 7 1/2 "x4" loaf pan.  Stir down batter.  Pour into prepared pans until each is half full.  cover lightly with waxed paper and set in a warm place free from drafts.  Let rise 1 to 1/2 hours or until just to tops of pans.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown and sruface springs back when touched with your fingers.  After 30 minutes, if loaves are golden brown, cover with a tent of foil to prevent further browning.  Serve hot or cold.  Cut in wedges or slices.  Makes 2 loaves.

another one of those days....

                                                                                                            



Today I wanted to make some bran muffins for breakfast and realized I was almost out of flour. So instead of jumping in the car and getting some, I decided to make these muffins with what I had on hand. Here is the orginal recipe and then I will explain what I did to change it, just a bit......

All-Bran Muffin Mix

 

2 ½ cups sugar

4 eggs

4 teaspoons soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 quart buttermilk

2 cups All-Bran®(by Kellogg’s)

4 cups Bran-Buds® (by Kellogg’s)

1 cup shortening

5 cups flour

 

1) Pour buttermilk over All-Bran®, let set.

2) Cream shortening with sugar and egg. Add All-Bran® and buttermilk along with dry Bran-Buds®.

3) Sift flour, soda and salt together; add and mix.

4) May be refrigerated (don’t freeze) up to six weeks or baked immediately.

5) Bake in pre-heated oven 400˚ for 16-19 minutes.

6) Makes 3 quarts of dough (about 80 muffins).

 

                                                                                                   What I did different, with what I had on hand. I used 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups white spelt flour, 1 cup wheat, 1/2 cup whole spelt flour for the 5 cups of flour called in the recipe. 

Didn't have a full quart of buttermilk, so used 1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup yogurt, 2 cups milk.

You can use vegetable oil in this recipe, as I have done it many times, but this time, because of the extra types of flour I did use Crisco® . These muffins came out just as light and fluffy as the regular recipe, maybe even a bit lighter.

I also baked the entire recipe and froze 2 1/2 dozen. It only made 3 1/2 dozen, not 80 muffins. Probably because I fill the muffin tin 2/3 full. 

No changes in temperature or baking time.

Since I had the powered milk out; I did go ahead and make up some yogurt, more buttermilk and sourdough. Now I will be baking!!!!!

*The beverage in the picture is a fruit, yogurt shake. Yogurt, milk, fresh blueberries and frozen stawberries, with a tad of honey. Yum!!! I am starting to freeze some fresh fruits, so that they can be the 'cold' in my fruit shakes, that way I don't have to add extra ice. I have frozen: strawberries, blueberries, pieces of fresh pineapple, raspberries and even bananas.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there and am hoping you are being spoiled for the weekend!

Recycled?

Got a cute wedding announcement a few weeks ago. Forgot to get a card so I thought I would make one and send it back in the extra envelope that the announcement came. I was thinking what a good way to recycle as it was saving an extra envelope. Well, when I went to mail this cute card, it cost an extra 20 cents. It wasn't the correct size for mailing . So, here I thought I was clever by recycling something and it cost me more to do it! I really didn't mind paying the extra, just thought it was weird. The envelople was 5"x5", who would of thought extra cost for postage?