Wendy B's Wheat Bread

The second...

Wendy B's Wheat Bread

1/3 to 1/2 cup cracked wheat

2 cups boiling water

2 T. butter

Steep wheat in water until softened then cool until water is warm (not hot).

2 T. yeast (or 2 packages)

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 T. salt

Combine these 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Add to above cracked wheat mixture when cooled (to warm).

You will then begin slowly adding flour to the above mixture---amounts will depend on personal taste (either more whole wheat, equal amounts wheat/white or more white flour) and 'feel' of the dough. I like half and half which takes about

2 cups whole wheat flour

2+ cups unbleached flour

for nicer bread I also use "Vital wheat gluten flour" by Bob's Red Mix; 1 tsp. per cup of flour--it seems expensive but you use so little that it goes a long way and makes for less heavy bread.

Dough can be mixed by hand or in a large mixer (KitchenAid, etc.) with a dough hook (my preferred method). Continue to knead dough and add flour until it 'feels right'--not sticky. Put dough in greased bowl and allow to rise until double in size.

Punch down, shape and place in greased loaf pans (should make 2 loaves). Allow dough to rise again. Bake @ 400 for 25-30 minutes. After removing from oven, butter tops.

I like to double the recipe so there is plenty to share! (But give it away quick before you eat it all! )

Sheryl de Groot

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Other than wearing green so I wouldn't get pinched, I've never been big on celebrating St. Patrick's day.  My mom used to bake green bread and die our milk green and all that fun stuff, but thats about it.  I guess I just never really knew why we celebrated it in the first place.  Now that I have kids old enough to care, I'm big on holiday celebrations, so today I thought I'd find the real reason why we celebrate St. Patrick's Day (and since I'm not Catholic or a beer drinker, it might be a good idea).  Here's a few of the facts I found, so I'll pass them on to you.  You can go here or here or even here.  There's fun facts like the color of St. Patrick used to be blue not green (I personally think the green came from Ireland being so green...took a lot to figure that one out!) or that the shamrock was St. Patrick's way of teaching the people about the holy Trinity or that St. Patrick was said to have rid Ireland of all snakes (did you know that Ireland has NO snakes?), but really they think that the snakes meant Druids, who's symbol was the snake.  Anyhow, St. Patricks Day is (obviously) big in Ireland, but it seems that it came to the good ol' USA with the Irish settlers here.  I guess its a good thing I've got some Irish in me (I think) and that I like Ireland - I'd really LOVE to visit there some day and even though I can't understand 1/2 of what they say, I LOVE their accents! ;)

Alright, enough of the trivia and on with the food.  Of course I had to throw in some green food for the kids, but I wanted to make some good ol' Irish food.  I opted out of the Corned Beef & Cabbage because (gasp) I can't stand corned beef.  I know, I know.  My husband loves it, but everything about it just grosses me out.  Soooo, instead we had the following (oh and I didn't mention that we had green eggs for breakfast):

• Oven Baked Fish
• Colcannon - a traditional Irish potato dish.
• Pot O' Gold Jello - lemon (yellow) jello jigglers made in ice cube trays and stacked like gold bars.
• Irish Soda Bread
• Ginger Beer for my hubby (I can't stand the stuff).  It's not Irish, in fact its Caribbean, but the bottle was green and it gave us the feel for the Irish beer tradition without actually drinking beer...silly us!
• Sprite for the kiddies - those mini green cans were perfect!

For dessert we enjoyed:

• Shamrock Truffles from Bakerella of course!  I couldn't find Double Stuffed Mint Oreos, so I just used Mint Joe-Joes from Trader Joes and they turned out excellent!
• Leprechaun Pudding - Pistachio pudding topped with homemade whip cream.

I hope all of you had as tasty of a St. Patrick's day as we did!  

Irish Brown Bread

This recipe came from my grandparents who, a couple of years ago, traveled to Ireland and said that one of their favorite things there was the bread.  They got this recipe from a Bed & Breakfast that they stayed in.  I'm making this for St. Patrick's day today.  The best part is that you don't have to sit around and wait for it to rise...3 cheers for Irish Brown Bread!

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 2 cups ground whole wheat flour
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
  

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a cookie sheet. Whisk all dry ingredients together thoroughly. Add buttermilk and mix with fork until just moistened. Turn out on floured surface, knead gently until smooth—about 1 minute. Shape dough into a ball and place on cookie sheet. Flatten into a 7” circle about 1 1/2” thick. Cut through center with floured knife almost to the bottom. Cut through again at right angles to form a cross. Bake 35-40 minutes or until top is golden and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and brush with butter, cool.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I've been striving to make things a bit more healthy around our household and one way of doing so, I've been trying to use less pre-made ingredients, and make more homemade.  So the other night I was making BBQ Chicken Pizza and instead of using the usual Boboli pre-made crust, I decided to make my own healthier version.  It turned out really good.  Next time I think I would add more honey and use less flour (I like it a tad bit more sweet and it was slightly dry).  Remember when you're forming your dough, to make it rather thin - this crust puffs up, so unless you want all crust, make it thin.

• 3 tbsp olive oil
  
• 2 tbsp honey, natural
  
• 1 1/2 cup flour, all purpose
  
• 1 1/2 cup flour, whole wheat
  
• 2 tsp salt, kosher
  
• 1 cup water, warm
  
• 1 package Active Dry Yeast
  
• Sauce
• Cheese
• Toppings

In a 2 quart bowl, mix yeast with warm water, let sit for 5 minutes.   Add 1 tbsp honey, salt, and 2 tbsp oil to yeast.  Mix in whole wheat flour, slowly.  Mix in all purpose flour, slowly (if it appears too dry, don't use all the flour).  When you have a solid mass, move to a working surface and knead into a smooth ball, folding repeatedly for five minutes.  Lightly cover the ball and the bowl in non stick cooking spray, put the ball in the bowl, set the bowl in a warm spot, covered with a towel, and let dough rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or longer if you wish.  About 15 minutes before you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 500 degrees.  Cover a 12x18 cookie sheet with foil, and spray with nonstick spray.  Shape dough into crust on a 12x18 cooking sheet, cover evenly with sauce, then cheese, then whatever other toppings you would like.  Bake at a preheated 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is browned.

Serves 10.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Thanksgiving: Rolls

Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the rolls!  Mmm, I love bread and I love yummy dinner rolls.  Here's 3 different recipes you can try.

French Croissants

• 5 c all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 1/4 c water
  
• 1 lb sweet butter
  

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and 1 c lukewarm water. Mix together to form a firm, elastic dough. If too dry, add additional water. Form dough into ball and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead for 20 minutes, or until smooth. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. Remove chilled dough and roll out onto floured surface. Form a rectangle about 8x18”. Cream butter over top 2/3 of dough. Fold bottom 1/3 of dough halfway over bottom section. Form portion down over butter, and fold buttered dough into rectangle again. Fold ends of rectangle to meet in center. Fold dough in half two times, making 4 layers. Refrigerate covered dough for one hour before rolling again. Repeat folding and buttering process two more times. Dough should be well-covered in refrigerator for 2 hours before final rolling. Cut dough into triangle shapes. Roll up each triangle beginning on long side. Curve in crescent form. Place chilled dough on baking dish which has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Bake for 30 minutes at 350° or until light golden brown. Serve warm directly from pan.

Makes 24.

Refrigerator Rolls

• 1 cup milk
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1 cube margarine
  
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 5 1/2 to 6 cups flour
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 1 cup lukewarm water
  
• 1 Tbsp sugar
  
• 2 Tbsp yeast
  

Scald milk. Add 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and margarine. Beat eggs in bowl and add milk, etc. mixture. When lukewarm, add yeast mixture of water and 1 Tbsp sugar. Add flour and stir until thoroughly mixed. DO NOT KNEAD. Dough will be very soft. Cover and leave in refrigerator overnight. Toll out on well floured board and shape into desired rolls. Brush with butter if desired. Let rise 1 hour. Bake at 350° until golden brown.

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

• 6 1/2 cups flour
  
• 3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
  
• 2/3 cup sugar
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp ginger
  
• 2 tsp vanilla
  
• 2 pkg dry active yeast (make sure its fresh)
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1/2 cup margarine
  
• 1 cup pineapple juice (including some crushed pineapple if you’d like)
  
• 3 eggs
  

Soak 2 packages dry yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and 1 tsp sugar. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup mashed potato flakes, 2/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp ginger. In a medium sauce pan heat 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup margarine until very warm, but do not let it boil. Blend milk mixture and add 1 cup pineapple (with some crushed pineapple), 3 beaten eggs, 2 tsp vanilla for together for 3 minutes on low speed and then add the yeast mixture. By hand, stir in approximately 3 cups flour to form stiff dough. On a floured surface, knead dough, adding flour as necessary, until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover lightly with a cloth, and place in a warm area with no drafts until it doubles in size. This should be approximately 1 hour. Then, turn the dough out on a floured board and punch it down. Divide the dough in two equal parts and then form into biscuits (each 1/2 of the dough should make approximately 24 rolls for a total of 48 rolls). Cover rolls and let rise until they double in size. This should be approximately 1 hour. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30-35 minutes. Make sure to remove the rolls from the pan immediately.

Serves 24.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Buttermilk Coffee Cake

I thought I'd make some coffee cake this morning for Sunday breakfast, so I whipped out my trusty Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook and found this.  I'm always kind of put off by recipes that call for buttermilk because I think its so gross, but the truth is that some of the best things come from it...buttermilk biscuits, cole slaw, and now buttermilk coffee cake.  It turned out very moist and delicious.  My only complaint would be that it needs more crumb topping!

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1-1/2  cups packed brown sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup butter, margarine, or shortening
  
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
• 1-1/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
  
• 2 egg, beaten
  
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
  

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease an 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour and brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture to sprinkle over batter. Stir baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg into remaining crumb mixture. In a small bowl combine buttermilk and egg; add to crumb mixture, stirring just until moistened.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared baking pan. If desired, stir nuts into reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over batter. Bake in the preheated oven about 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool slightly. Serve warm. 

Makes 18 servings.

*Note: To make 1-1/3 cup sour milk, place 1-1/3 Tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1-13 cups total liquid; stir. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes before using.

Variations: Next time try folding one of the following into the batter: 1/2 cup dried cherries and 1/2 cup semisweet baking pieces; 1 cup raisins, dried cherries, or other chopped dried fruit; 1/2 cup shredded coconut and 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts; 1 cup toffee pieces; 1/2 cup chopped peanuts and 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces; 2 cup fresh blueberries, raspberries, or coarsely chopped strawberries.

(recipe courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens)

Julie R.

AG, CA

Basic White Bread

Other than in a bread machine, I haven't really made bread before, but want to start making it, so this was my first attempt.  I don't think I let it rise enough, so the loaf was kind of small and a little dense (but really not too bad), but altogether actually very good.

• 1 (1/4 oz) pkg yeast
• 3 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp dry milk
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 1/4 cups warm water

Mix ingredients.  Cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled in size.  Form into a loaf and place into bread pan.  Bake at 350° until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when you knock on it - about 1 hour.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Good Food Review: Tastefully Simple

I thought that instead of posting a recipe tonight I'd do a Good Food Review.  If you happen upon some food item that you just can't live without (or just think is good), feel free to write your own Good Food Review.

I don't know if any of you have heard of Tastefully Simple.  Its one of those network marketing kind of companies like Avon or Pampered Chef.  About a year or so ago I went to one of those T.S. parties where they let you sample a bunch of their food, they give you their blurb on how great their stuff is and how and why you want to join their team.  I went in with the only intent of supporting my friend...I came out with a tasty order that I just COULDN'T wait to receive!  So here's what I ordered (and it was ALL awesome!):

Bountiful Beer Bread Mix:  This bread is SO easy to make and so sweet and delicious!  You just add 12 oz. of beer, soda, or carbonated juice and 3 Tbsp of butter (which is optional).  We tried Sprite, 7-Up, and Root Beer, but our favorite by FAR was Sprite.  

Cinnamon Muffin Melt Mix:  The title says it all.  These just melt in your mouth.  They're yet another simple recipe (hence the name "Tastefully Simple" I guess)...simply add butter and water.  Last time I made these, every time I'd walk in the kitchen, there was another muffin missing and crumbs leading right to my little preschooler.

Pomegranate Chipotle Sauce:  This sauce is sweet, but has got a kick to it...not too big of one (my 5 year old ate it just fine), but just enough.  I followed their recipe for Pomegranate Chipotle Pork Roast.  You cover the roast in bacon strips and smother it in sauce.  I could have done without the bacon, but the sauce was wonderful.  In fact we added more to our plates and dipped the roast in it.

Creamy Wild Rice Soup:  So I'm not really sure if thats the name or not.  They only have this at certain times of they year, so I couldn't find it online, but it is so creamy and tasteful.  It is the perfect food for a cold evening.  Just wonderful!

And to save the best for last...Creamy Caramel Sauce:  Oh my goodness!  THIS IS SOOOO GOOD!  Many of you already know that I am somewhat of a caramel "cone sure."  I LOVE good caramel, so if I'm going to have some caramel, it had better be good!   This is GOOD caramel.  At the T.S. party a lady was saying that she would hide it in the back of the fridge so her family couldn't find it...she'd even tell them that it was gone so they wouldn't look for it...and she'd reward herself each day with a spoonful (yes, right from the jar).  I have to say I thought she was a little strange and I was very skeptical of trying it seeing that most people just aren't at the same caramel level as I am.  Yeah, I am SO glad I tried it.  I became one of those people who would reward myself with a spoonful.  I even temporarilly took to eating ice cream so that I could have some.  The sad thing was that my husband loved it just as much as I did, so one sad sad morning I woke up, opened the fridge and found an empty jar with a note from my husband saying "I'm SO sorry I ate your caramel, but it was SOO good and I just couldn't stop!  I'll buy you 2 more jars!  Love You!"  I'm still waiting for those jars.  If you don't try anything else, try this (but I hope you try the other stuff too)...it is heavenly!

So if you like what you've seen, you can check out Tastefully Simple's website and either order online or find a consultant near you (most likely there is a party being hosted near you, so you can go try the food before you buy).  

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more Good Food Reviews in the near future.

(photos courtesy of Tastefully Simple)

Julie R.

AG, CA