Sourdough Bread

Don't you just love sourdough bread? This recipe uses some starter and is quite easy to make, it just takes a little time. Although I like this bread, I still prefer the no-knead recipe that I've been using for a number of years now. But you have to keep experimenting!

1 C sourdough starter ("baby sponge")***

1/3 C warm water

1 tsp salt

2 C bread flour

1/2 tsp instant yeast

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl

Knead the dough in a food mixer for 10 minutes.

Put the dough ball in a large oiled bowl (I use olive oil), and roll it gently so that it doesn't stick.

Proof the bread dough in a warm and sheltered spot (around 85°F) for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Knead the dough on a table sprinkled with some regular flour. Feel free to add a little flour if the dough is a bit sticky. You can also put a few drops of olive oil on your hands to help too.

Cover the bowl with cling film and allow to rise for about 2-1/2 hours or so, until the dough has doubled in size.

*A good rule of thumb is that the dough is ready when you poke it with your finger and the dough doesn't ooze into the hole.

Line a loaf tin with foil, and rub it lightly with some olive oil. Gently roll the dough into the loaf tin.

Score the top of the dough with a sharp knife

Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Place a casserole dish with about 2 inches of hot water on the bottom shelf. When the water begins to steam, remove the dish.

Bake the bread in the middle of the oven and reduce the heat to 425°F. Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Cool the bread on a wire rack for a few minutes before you dive in!

***Baby Sponge Starter recipe

4-1/2 C whole wheat flour

Zucchini Bread

3 C flour

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp baking powder 

3 tsp cinnamon 

3 eggs, beaten 

3 tsp vanilla 

1 1/2 C brown sugar 

1/2 C white sugar

1/2 C apple sauce 

1/2 C oil (mild olive or canola)

3 1/2 C zucchini, grated (squeezed to remove excess water)

1 C walnuts, chopped 

1 C dark chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

Line and butter 2 loaf tins (5" x 9")--I like to use Pyrex. 

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, mix the eggs with the vanilla. Add the sugar, apple sauce and oil and mix well. 

Add the sifted flour ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture. Mix well. 

Then stir in the zucchini, walnuts and chocolate chips. 

Distribute the mixture evenly between the two loaf tins and bake for approximately 55-70 mins until a knife comes out clean.

Allow the zucchini bread to cool slightly in the loaf pans before lifting them out to cool properly on wire racks. 

To serve: slice, lightly butter and add a little dollop of whipped cream if desired. 

Enjoy!

No-Knead Rye Bread

Ever since discovering Mark Bittman's no-knead bread recipe several years ago, I've been obsessed with the concept of no-knead bread. Of course you just need to be patient while the dough is rising.
This bread has a beautiful dark color from the molasses and a delicious flavor from the rye and caraway seeds.

2 C white whole wheat flour

1 C all-purpose flour
1 C rye flour
2 Tbsp caraway seeds
3 tsp Kosher salt
1/4-1/2 tsp yeast
2-3 Tbsp molasses
2 1/8 C warm water
Thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl dissolve the molasses in the warm water, and then add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. The dough will be a bit shaggy but that's fine.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put somewhere warm for about 12 to 18 hours.
The dough will increase in size and be quite bubbly and wet. Scrape out on to a well-floured board and roll the dough into a ball. Cover loosely with a well floured tea towel, and allow to rise for about 2 hours.
Put a Le Creuset Dutch oven in the oven, and preheat to 475°. 
With very thick oven gloves remove the Dutch oven, and pour in the dough ball. Give the Dutch oven a good shake to even out the dough. Add the cover and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 5 minutes.
Carefully turn out the bread on to a cooling rack, and allow to cool before cutting.
Let me know what you think!

Strata Bread

1 lb loaf French bread, or any other bread you have
8 oz cream cheese
8 eggs
2 1/2 C milk
6 T butter, melted (optional)
1/4 C maple syrup
1/2 C apple sauce

Butter a 9" x 13" pan or casserole dish and set aside.
Cut the bread up into cubes, and put half of them in the casserole dish. Top with cubed cream cheese.
Pour on the apple sauce, and cover with the remaining bread.
Blend the eggs, milk, melted butter and maple syrup and pour over the bread with a spatula, pressing down to help the bread absorb the liquid.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 1/2 hours or overnight.
Bake at 325º for about 35-40 minutes.
Serve with the warm apple sauce or maple syrup.
This dish is the perfect thing to make when you have guests visiting and you want to make breakfast super easy. Everyone loved this when I served it this week. 

Banana Bread

This is one of the most tasty banana bread recipes I've tried. It's a Nigella Lawson recipe, and I have to say it's a keeper!
2/3 C golden raisins
5 Tbsp Gosling's dark rum
1 1/4 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
9 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 C light brown sugar
2 eggs, well-beaten
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 C walnuts, chopped
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Cover the raisins with the rum and microwave for about a minute. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for about 15 minutes, before draining.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl and stir.
In another large bowl, mix together the melted butter and brown sugar until the mixture begins to froth and bubble up.  
Add the beaten eggs and the mashed bananas. Mix together, then add the walnuts, drained raisins and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients in batches and stirring well each time.
Line a loaf tin with wax paper or lightly buttered foil, and then pour in the mixture.
Bake for about 1 1/4 hours until done. Allow to cool before slicing.

No-Knead Bread

This bread is superb and always receives rave reviews!

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

Time: About 1 1/2 hours plus 12 to 20 hours' rising
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 5/8 cups water

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for at least 12 hours, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle with a little more flour. Fold it over on itself once or twice, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. Wash and dry the bowl in preparation for the next step.
3. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Line the bowl with a cotton tea towel, sprinkle it with flour, then add the dough and dust again with more flour. Cover with another tea towel and leave it rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, the dough will bulk up in size and not spring back when poked.
4. Half-hour before dough is ready, put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron) in the oven as it preheats to 450 degrees. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the hot pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn the dough over into pot; it may look like a mess, but that is fine. Shake pan once or twice to even out the dough. Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 5 minutes or so, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1 1/2-pound loaf.