Sesame Bran Bread

Here is the result of the sponge from the last post. This is a really nummy loaf of bread! After I added the rest of the ingredients, I let the dough rise for two hours at room temperature, and then punched it down. I then shaped it into loaves, and placed the loaves in a slightly warm oven to rise. I baked the loaves at 375 for 45 minutes. Mmmm! Steaming, fresh-from-the-oven bread!

Sesame Bran Bread

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Here's one of my favorite bread recipes from Mel London's Bread Winners (1979). If you ever happen to find this cookbook, I highly recommend having your own copy. I have had endless fun experimenting with the recipes of London's Bread Winners. This one was submitted by a ballerina by the name of Noelle, but, of course, I made my changes to it.
This is a picture of the sponge I made after I took it out of the refrigerator. It has 1 cup water, 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/2 teaspoon yeast, and enough whole wheat flour to make a thick pea-soup-consistency.
I then added another 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast, two eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup bran, about 1/2 cup sesame seeds, and enough whole wheat flour to make a very sticky dough. Then, I turned it out on the floured counter top, and poured on about another 3/4 cup of sesame seeds, and more flour, which I kneaded into the dough. I kneaded the dough until it was a heavy dough, but still quite sticky. Now, it's rising in the oven. I can hardly wait to have hot bread for supper!

Cinnamon Rolls and Egg Bread

Wow! These cinnamon rolls and egg bread were three days in the making. I started the sponge on Friday evening: 1 cup water, 1 cup heated milk, 1 teaspoon of yeast, and enough flour to make a very thick soup. I stirred it all together, and put it in the fridge to make the next day, but never got to it. I pulled it out this morning, added another 1/2 cup of flour, just to make extra, a 1/4 cup of melted butter, two teaspoons of yeast, three eggs, 1 Tablespoon of sugar, more flour... I put it in the oven to rise, and took a nap. When I got up, it had risen all over the oven! That was all right; I took it out, and scrubbed the oven cleaner than it was before. :-D I rolled out part of the dough, brushed melted butter all over it., and then sprinkled it very generously with cinnamon sugar. Then I rolled it up, and sliced it, placing the slices face up in a buttered casserole dish. The other part of the dough, I shaped into a loaf. I placed them both in the warm oven again, and waited about an hour, by which time they had risen like a dream! I left them in the oven, and just turned the oven on. The rolls baked for 30 minutes, and the bread for about 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Egg Bread

What a great way to warm up on a chilly day - make a batch of homemade bread! I started out just throwing ingredients together yesterday: 2 1/2 cups of water, a teaspoon of yeast, and enough flour to make a very thick soup. I stirred this until it was very thoroughly mixed, and then stirred it a good deal more to get the gluten working. After letting it sit on the counter for an hour or so, I set it in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, I added 3 eggs, 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast, a teaspoon of salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, and enough flour to make a soft dough, which I then kneaded for several minutes. I placed in a well-oiled bowl, and covered it, and then let it rise in the oven for two hours. It rose like a dream! It had risen all the way up to the plate covering when I took it out of the oven, and greased the pans. Just for fun, I made one of them a cinnamon swirl loaf. Can you guess which one it is? ;-)

Whole Wheat Bread.

I threw this one together when I got home this afternoon. I put 2 1/2 cups of water into a large bowl with a teaspoon of yeast, and then stirred in whole wheat flour until I had a very thick soup. I stirred it about 300 times in the same direction to get the gluten working, then I covered it, and left it on the counter for a few hours while I studied, worked out, and napped. Later, I added another teaspoon of yeast, for good measure, 2 teaspoons of salt, and more whole wheat flour until I had a workable dough. Then, I kneaded it for ten minutes, sprinkling more flour on the bread or the counter as needed. Then I placed it in an oiled bowl, flipped the dough once, so it was coated with oil, and let it rise, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. Then, I punched it down, and shaped it into loaves, which I placed in my loaf pans. I let it rise for another hour, and, before I baked it, I heated the oven with a brick inside. The brick is a constant source of heat, unlike the electric oven, which turns on and off again, making the heat fluctuate. I scored the loaves, and sprinkled them with flour, and then baked them for 48 minutes at 350 degrees F. Don't forget to take them out of the pans immediately, and cool them on a wire rack, so the air can circulate around them. This prevents the loaves from getting soggy as they cool. Finished.

Gingerbread Cookies

I recently acquired a copy of The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas by Jeff Smith (1992). I was home feeling indisposed this afternoon, so I tried this recipe for Gingerbread Cookies. I didn't have enough all-purpose flour, so I substituted some whole wheat. Of course, that meant I had to add a little more liquid as I was rolling them out, but these turned out spicy, crisp, and wonderful! The spiciness is due to the sheer number and quantity of spices in this recipe: cloves, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg. You can see my marble mortar and pestle in the background, because I had to grind whole cloves to make these cookies. What I found most unusual about this recipe is the tablespoon of fresh lemon juice it calls for, but I welcome any opportunity to use my trusty lemon reamer.
If you haven't checked out The Frugal Gourmet's cookbooks yet, I highly recommend them. I have tried several of his recipes so far, and have been impressed with the sheer amount of flavor in them.
These cookies were beneficial in two ways: I got a tasty treat, and my headache had even subsided a little by the time I was done baking them. Sometimes you just need to bake something.

English Muffins

I made my tried-and-true recipe for Raisin English Muffins today. Unlike the supermarket variety, these are packed with fresh, wonderful, warm-from-the griddle flavor. I've included a picture of them from right after I cut the dough with my biscuit cutter, and set them on a cookie sheet to rise. Here they are, all sprinkled with cornmeal, and studded with raisins.

Typically, I made a sponge, and let it sit, covered, for a couple of hours on the counter while I went to do homework. Then, I added the remaining ingredients, kneaded it, and let them rise again. More homework (well, and maybe there was some napping that went on, but you weren't looking). Then, I punched it down, rolled out the dough, and made the round shapes. I let them rise again, and then grilled them on a dry griddle to glorious English Muffin perfection. Mmmmmmm!