Amish White Bread

2 cups warm water (not hot or it will kill the yeast)

2/3 cup white sugar

1 1/2 Tbl yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cups bread flour

melted butter to brush over while baking

1) Place sugar and water in bowl.

2) Sprinkle with yeast.  Let dissolve and work 5-15 minutes.  The yeast should start to act, forming little bubbly areas in the water.  This is to check to make sure the yeast is active and not too old.

3) Add oil, half the flour, and then the salt.  Don't add the salt first, because it inhibits the action of the yeast. Mix well in electric mixer.

4) Add remaining flour.  Change to dough hook and mix until it is pulling away from the sides.

5) Pull out onto lightly floured surface and knead shortly.

6) Place in greased bowl, flipping to coat both sides.

7) Top with warm, damp tea towel

8) Set aside in a draft-free area and let rise until doubled in size (1 hour)

9) Remove cover and punch down.

10) Lay out on lightly floured surface and cut in half.

11) Flatten one half into rectangle and jelly-roll (roll the long side, not the short side) into a loaf shape.  

12) Pinch ends together and place in greased 9x5 loaf pan

13) Repeat with other

14) Cover and let rise till doubled in size, 30-50 minutes.  

15) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake 25 - 30 minutes

16) Pull out and brush with butter

17) Let rest 10 minutes before removing from pans to cooling rack

Oat Bread

1 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbl shortening (Crisco)
1 tsp salt
2 cups boiling water
1 cup 10 grain or whole wheat flour
3-4 cups bread flour
1 Tbl yeast
1/4 cup warm water

1. Combine oats, honey, shortening and salt.
2. Pour the boiling water over this mixture.
3. Stir in the 10 grain or whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the bread flour.  Let cool.
4. Nicewhile, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and let stand a few minutes.
5. Add yeast to cooled oat mixture.  Work in enough of the remaining flour to be able to handle dough. 
6. Turn onto floured surface; knead until elastic (about 10 minutes).
7. Place dough in greased bowl.  Cover loosely with a dish towel (not the fluffy kind - you don't want lint in your dough.  Use the smooth ones with the tight weave.  I collect them from places I visit, like Scotland, Australia, Maine).  Let rise until doubled in bulk.  Punch down and shape into loaf.
8. Place in a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.  Cut down the middle.  Cover and let rise until it looks big enough for a loaf for humans, not trolls.  This will get away from you and then it won't fit in any bread bag to store, and you'll have to use a plastic grocery bag.  And I know you have some, even though we should all be using re-usable grocery bags.  I'm trying, okay?
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.  Say "Siri, set a timer for 40 minutes."
10. Cover top with butter for a soft crust or leave plain for a hard crust.

Eli's Rye Bread

Ingredients:
 200g dark rye flour
 200g light rye flour
 300g white whole wheat flour
 50g pumpernickel meal
 50g chia seed (optional, but if not remove 50g water)
 20g salt (Eli sent me a note later and asked me to say 1 heaping Tbl salt, and to add it to the hot grain mix before adding the flour.  He says it's 20g of salt to 1000g of flour or 2% by bakes percentages)
 40g molasses
 700g water (room temp)
 300g sourdough starter (preferably a wheat/rye starter)
 Hot grain cereal mix (see below)
Add dry ingredients and mix.  Add wet ingredients and mix.  Autolyse: let it sit for an hour, while preparing the hot grain cereal mix. 
Hot Grain Cereal Mix:
 2 cups water
 1/2 cup oatmeal
 1/2 cup  winter wheat berries
 1/8-1/4 cup flax seeds
 ~1/2 cup flour (esp alternative flour)
Boil water, then add oatmeal and wheat berries.  Simmer for 5 minutes, then let sit, covered, for 15 minutes.  Add flax seeds, stir, and let it cool (~15 min with the lid off). Mix flour in until it is the same consistency as the bread dough.
Mix in (well cooled) cereal mix, and knead dough.  Let it prove overnight in a cool room (~60 degrees), divide, then shape loaves, and place in loaf pans or banettons. Let it rise for 4-6 hours, or for a day in the fridge.
Bake: Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a pizza stone.  Score the loaves, put then in the oven, and add water to the oven.  Lower the temp. to 380 degrees, and bake for half an hour. Remove from loaf pans, add more water to the oven, and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Let it sit for a few hours before slicing.

Naan

Indian Flat Bread
2 c flour
1/4 unflavored yogurt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 stp baking soda
1/2 c milk
Ghee or vegetable oil
Poppy seed

Mix all ingredients except milk, ghee and poppy seed.  Stir in enough milk to make a soft dough.  Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.  Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up.  Cover; let rest in warm place 3 hours.
Divide dough into 6 or 8 equal parts.  Flatten each part on lightly floured surface, rolling it into a 6x4 inch leaf shape about 1/4 inch thick.  Brush with Ghee; sprinkle with poppy seed.
Place 2 cookie sheets in oven; heat oven to 450.  Remove hot cookie sheets from oven; place breads on cookie sheets.  Bake until firm, 6-8 minutes.

From Betty Crocker International Cookbook.  So much better than store bought!

Birdseye Cornbread Bake

Stephanie Wenner gave this recipe to Fran.  We are making it Friday to go with Fish Chowder.
2 pouches cornbread mix (6.5 oz)
16 oz sour cream
2 eggs
1 jar chopped pimiento (2 oz)
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 bag Birdseye sweet corn, thawed and drained (8 oz)
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Stir cornbread, sour cream, eggs.  Add 1/2 cup cheese, corn, green onions, pimiento.  Stir.  Pour into greased 11x7 inch dish.  Bake 35 min.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  350 degrees?

Breadmaker Mix from Make-A-Mix Cookbook

The Make-A-Mix cookbook is by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward & Madeline Westover.  Please buy it, to support the authors.  This is a great cookbook with many wonderful mixes and recipes that will become staples in your home.

I used 11 cups white flour and 2 cups white wheat flour.  I didn't have any bread flour.
I made 4 sub rolls for meatball subs, using the large loaf.

13 cups bread flour
2 Tbl salt
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c instant nonfat dry milk

To make small loaf:
1 1/2 tsp yeast
2 1/4 c breadmaker mix
1 Tbl butter or oil
3/4 c warm water

To make large loaf
2 tsp yeast
3 1/2 c breadmaker mix
1 1/2 Tbl butter or oil
1 1/4 c warm water

Mix and bake on Light setting per breadmaker instructions.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir together to distribute evenly.  Label and package in six (2 1/4 cup) containers for 1 lb loaves, or four 3 1/3 cup containers for larger capacity bread makers.  Store in a cool, dry place.  Use within 6 months.  Makes about 14 cups Breadmaker Mix.

Variations:
Cinnamon Raisin - To the basic recipe add 1/2 cup raisins and 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.  Glaze with powdered sugar glaze, if desired, while still warm.

French Bread - Eliminate the butter or oil.

Sweet Bread - Add 1 Tbl sugar with dry ingredients.  Break 1 egg into measuring cup, fill cup with water to amount called for in recipe.

Herb Bread - Add 1 1/2 tsp dry herbs (rosemary, basil, dill, etc.)

Pumpkin Spice Bread Deluxe

This is terrific, and I would make it to give as a gift!  I used homegrown pumpkin, so it was a bit more fibrous than the canned stuff, but I think that made it even better.  I got the recipe from my old Good Housekeeping Cookbook (1986) that I found at a thrift store.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9" by 5" loaf pan.
2. In large bowl, mix first 6 ingredients.  In medium-sized bowl, beat eggs with pumpkin, brown sugar, maple syrup and salad oil; stir into flour mixture just until flour is moistened.  Gently stir in raisins and pecans.  Spoon batter evenly into loaf pan.
3. Bake 1 1/4 hours or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack.

Blueberry Lemon Bread

from Bed & Breakfast Cookbook's Newcastle Inn in Newcastle, ME
6 Tbl butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 1/2 tbl grated lemon rind
1 tsp lemon juice

Grease and flour a loaf pan.  In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the eggs and mix.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the milk and sifted ingredients alternately to the creamed mixture.  Stir in the blueberries, lemon rind, and juice.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Makes 1 loaf.

French Bread

I make this whenever we want garlic bread to go with Italian food.  I know, I know, why French bread for Italian food?  What can I tell you?  It's that good.  This is from a cookbook I've had since we first got married, and I used it a lot back then because it was one of my only cookbooks:  Betty Crocker's International Cookbook.
This makes 1 loaf.

Put these ingredients in the bread machine on the "dough' setting.
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 Tbl sugar - or if you're trying to get fructose out of your diet, try brown rice syrup, really!
11/2 tsp salt
3 cups flour
1 Tbl dry yeast.  Don't buy the little packets; get a bigger container - it's soo much cheaper, and keeps just fine in the fridge.

Later on you will want
1 Tbl cornmeal
1 egg white and
2 Tbl cold water
but don't put these last 3 ingredients in the bread machine.

So, now you've run the bread machine on the dough setting, and it's done.
Punch it down and let rest 15 minutes.  Don't try to get every air bubble out -that's too much.  Just punch it down a couple of times, and that's enough.
Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Grease it, and sprinkle with cornmeal.
On a big giant cutting board (or your counter if it's got a big clean area, which mine often doesn't), roll dough into rectangle, 15 x 10 inches.  Roll up tightly; seal edge.  Place on parchment papered cookie sheet.  Make 1/4 inch slices in loaf at 2 inch intervals, or make 1 lengthwise slash.  Brush top of loaf with cold water.  Let rise uncovered until double, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Heat oven to 375.  Brush loaf with cold water.  Bake 20 minutes.  Mix egg white and 2 Tbl water; brush over loaf.  Bake until loaf is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped, about 25 minutes.

In a pinch, you can skip the second rise if you don't punch it down, and just gently dump it out of the bread machine onto the parchment paper.  No rolling, no second rise, just pop it in the oven.

Cheddar Biscuits

This is delicious, and has no sugar.  The original recipe called for 2-3 Tbl of cracked pepper, but Bart knocked my grinder behind the stove while trying to get out the salt grinder that I had knocked behind the stove.  So I used a generous sprinkling of Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute.

4 c bread flour
2 Tbl baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbl 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's
1 1/2 c milk
1 egg
1 tsp water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a bundt pan.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add cheddar and seasoning; mix well.  Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, and add the milk all at once; stir just until moistened.
Knead by hand in the bowl until just mixed completely, but no more.  Pat into bundt pan.  In a small bowl, whisk egg and water.  Pour over batter.  Bake for 18 - 22 minutes.  Serve warm.

Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 c sugar
1 c canned pumpkin
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c water
2 eggs
1 2/3 c flour
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t baking powder
1/2 c chopped pecans

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water and egg.  Sift together dry ingredients in a separate bowl and gradually add to pumpkin mixture.  fold in pecans.  Pour into greased loaf pans or mini loaf pans or muffin tins.  Bake at 350 for 70 - 80 min for loaves, or 25 - 30 min for muffins or mini loaves - until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.  Yield: 1 loaf or 12 mini loaves.
I made this in early November 2012 to send to Mollie and Irene in care packages at college.  Bart said this was a particularly good recipe.

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Dough1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1 package yeast (1/4 ounce) 

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Filling
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened

Spread for Cinnamon Roll Dough1/4 cup butter, softened

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Icing
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt 

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Recipe Instructions

Microwave the milk for 45 to 60 seconds. Then, dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Dust your hands lightly with flour and then hand knead the cinnamon roll dough into a large ball.

Put the ball of dough into a bowl that is sprayed with cooking spray.  Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for roughly 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.  We turned the oven on and then put the cinnamon roll dough on top of the stove.  The heat generated caused the dough to rise.

Once your dough has risen, it’s time to move on to the next step.  In a new, small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter.  Mix them well.  Spray a flat surface with cooking spray or sprinkled flour.  Roll out your dough ball into a 16″ x 21″ rectangle roughly 1/4 inches thick then spread a 1/4 cup of softened butter on the dough.  Next, sprinkle the rolled, buttered dough evenly with the sugar/cinnamon/butter mixture you prepared in your small bowl.

Roll up the dough starting with the longer side and cut into fourteen (14) cinnamon rolls (or more smaller rolls, if you prefer). Place the cinnamon rolls in a lightly greased 11″ x 15″ glass baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and let the cinnamon rolls rise until nearly doubled, which should take around 30 minutes.  Note that in our Cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe, we had made two (2) of the fourteen (14) cinnamon rolls consist of the “end” pieces that weren’t as developed or good as the other twelve (12).  

Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.  Once your cinnamon rolls have risen, bake them in the preheated oven until golden brown, approximately 18 to 20 minutes (we used a professional General Electric gas-range oven at 20 minutes exactly).  The dough should still be soft, though fully cooked, especially toward the center of the rolls.    

As your cinnamon rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt for the Cinnabon cinnamon roll icing.  The icing should be spread on your cinnamon rolls when they are still warm, shortly after being taken out of the oven so that the frosting melts into the cinnamon rolls.  This is reportedly part of the official Cinnabon process according to some of the employees.  

Recipe copied from Joshuakennon.com

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

pita

• 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Organic 100% White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water*
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• plain or herb/spice infused olive oil, to brush on finished pitas
• *Use the greater amount in winter or in a dry climate; the lesser amount in summer or a humid climate.

• tips from our bakers

  • Why the addition of orange juice in the pita dough? It helps tame the mildly tannic flavor of whole wheat. Can you leave it out? Of course; simply substitute water.
  • 1) Combine all of the pita ingredients (except the oil for brushing), and mix and knead to make a soft, smooth dough.
    2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or large measuring cup, cover it, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it's just about doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rising time, start to preheat your oven to 450°F, with a pizza stone on the bottom shelf, if you have one.
    3) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, cover them, and let them rest for 10 minutes.
    4) Working with two pieces of dough at a time, roll each into a 6" circle. If you roll the dough about 7" wide, it'll shrink back to about 6".  Don't roll them too thin, or they won't puff up.
    5) Carefully flop the dough onto the hot pizza stone. If you're not using a pizza stone, put it on an ungreased baking sheet, and put the baking sheet on your oven's bottom rack.
    6) Bake for 4 minutes. The pitas should rise enthusiastically. If they're on a stone, they'll probably puff up like balloons; if they're on a baking sheet, they'll still expand; just not as vigorously.
    7) Turn the pitas over, and bake for an additional 60 seconds.
    8) Remove them from the oven, and brush with your favorite olive oil, plain or flavored. Wrap lightly in a cotton towel, to keep them soft. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
    
    

French Cheese Braid

This recipe is from Betty Crocker International Cookbook.  I've made this recipe for almost 30 years.  In French it's called Natte, and it's similar to Challah.
1 Tbl yeast
3/4 c warm water
1 Tbl sugar
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 c butter, softened
3 1/2 - 4 c bread flour
1 1/2 c shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese
Pam spray
1 egg yolk
2 Tbl water

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl.  Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, butter and 2 cups of the flour.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle.  I put it in the electric mixer with the dough paddle and mix it about 5 minutes on low.
Spray dough with Pam and cover with a cloth.  Let rise 1 - 2 hours, until indentation remains when touched).
Punch down dough; knead in cheese until well-distributed.  Divide into 3 equal parts.  Roll each part into a rope, 15 inches long (as long as your cookie sheet).  Place ropes together on lightly greased cookie sheet (in photo you can see I use my Silpat silicone sheet under the bread, and don't grease it).  Braid ropes gently and loosely; do not stretch.  Pinch ends to fasten; tuck under securely.  Spray with Pam (I use Olive Oil Pam).  Let rise until double, 40 - 50 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 deg.  Beat egg yolk and 2 Tbl water slightly; brush over braid.  Place on oven rack below center of oven.  Bake until braid sounds hollow when tapped, 25 - 30 minutes.  (If braid is browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil).
As you can see from the photo, I made a double recipe, as we're bringing one loaf and a batch of cookies to a "Transit of Venus" party tonight (June 5, 2012).  The other loaf will stay home so the family doesn't feel deprived.  Our family loves bread!!
The first picture was taken right after braiding.  This next one is just out of the oven.  Smells so good!

Herbed Onion Focaccia

1 cup water (luke warm)
1/3 cup minced fresh onion
1 Tbl sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground pepper
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp active dry yeast
Topping:
1 Tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp salt or sea salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper

In bread machine, place the first 11 ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer.  Select dough setting.
When cycle is completed, turn dough onto greased baking sheet (spread olive oil on pan and keep it on your hands to work with the sticky dough).  Punch down dough and spread into a 9 inch circle.  Brush with olive oil; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, around 45 minutes.  Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cut into wedges and serve warm (with olive oil and herb dip if you like).
Yield: 1 loaf, 1 1/2 lbs

Zucchini Bread

Add to sifter:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Sift into mixing bowl and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350.
Spray pans with Pam: Muffin, loaf or mini-loaf
In a separate bowl, mix:
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
Optional: 1 cup raisins or craisins, and 1 cup chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds
Beat thoroughly.

Stir egg mixture into flour and combine.
Pour entire mixture into pans
Bake 40 minutes for loaves, or 20 minutes for muffins or 30 minutes for mini-loaves.
They are done if center springs back when they are lightly touched.

In my cookbook I wrote: "brought to playground w/Dana and Alisha 7/25/92."
"6/23/07 w/Fran + Henry, Rachel, Jtte + Ralph - Eli graduated H.S."
"8/1/11 w/Allen, Anna, Saige, Liz, Mollie + Irene"
I make this every summer several times, and sometimes even buy zucchini out of season because the family requests it.