Tagged with no-knead bread …

Aug 09 2012
39 Comments
Bread, Crackers and Flatbreads, No-Knead Bread

Sage & Kalamata Olive Focaccia (with roasted grapes)

FocacciaIt all came about because of the grapes.  During my brief pit stop in Oklahoma recently, I strolled up to the grape vines we have growing along trellises in the middle of the garden to see how they were fairing.  When we first planted them, we encouraged them to grow up and over a large arbor made from old oil pipe and goat fencing.  The grapes refused to comply with our wishes – though a few adventurous vines reached the top, peeked over and realized they suffered from acrophobia.  So we pruned the plants back, built trellises and crossed our fingers.  Amazingly, the vines did much better with their new growing and clinging environment and we now had bunches of plump grapes to prove it.

I harvested a big batch of purple and green grapes and wondered what to do with them other than eat them straight up.  Then I remembered seeing a recipe for grape pie.  Well, grape pie wasn’t going to happen, but the idea inspired me to try roasting the grapes.  Roasting the grapes led to thinking about using them for a kind of bruschetta which in turn led to baking up a quick and easy foccacia with fresh sage and olives – both of which I thought would nicely complement the sweet, juicy grapes.  One note of caution: be sure to use seedless grapes.  I discovered this the hard way, after I’d already roasted the grapes and took my first bite.  Crunch.

Sage & Kalamata Olive Focaccia
Makes ~12 big chunks

Sponge:
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. regular yeast
3/4 cup whole wheat flour

Dough:
1 cup warm water
1 tsp. regular yeast
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
~3 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olive, sliced

fresh sage, chopped, for topping
1 tsp. kosher salt, for topping

Make the sponge:
In a large bowl, pour the water and stir in the yeast.  Let stand until bubbly and cloudy.  Stir in the flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes.

Make the focaccia:
In a small bowl, combine the water and yeast and let sit until bubbly and cloudy.  Pour into the large bowl with the sponge and add the olive oil.  Stir in one cup of flour and then the sage, salt and sliced olives.  Add the remaining flour and mix well – make sure there are no dry, floury lumps.  The batter will be wet, sticky and heavy.  Do not add more flour – you are not going to be kneading this dough.

Lightly oil another large bowl and using a bowl scraper, pour the dough into the oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for an hour or so.

Lightly oil an 11″ x 17″ baking sheet.  Transfer the dough onto the baking sheet and using oiled hands, press the dough to cover the pan.  Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes, then press the dough again – it tends to want to shrink and bounce back – until the pan is completely covered.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise again for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 425F.  Position an oven rack to the center.

When dough has risen, gently press fingertips into dough to create indents.  Sprinkle the dough with the chopped sage and kosher salt, spritz lightly with olive oil and bake for about 25 minutes.  Focaccia should be browned on the top and sound hollow when tapped.  Let cool slightly before cutting.  Serve with Sweet & Savory Roasted Grapes, if desired (see below for recipe).

Focaccia with Roasted GrapesSweet & Savory Roasted Grapes
Mix of purple or red and green (seedless…) grapes, about 4 cups
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. vegetable broth
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt & ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.  Mix everything together on a big baking sheet and roast the grapes for 20-25 minutes or until soft, fragrant and juicy.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Grapes with Spoon

Roasted Grapes

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Apr 07 2012
24 Comments
Bread, No-Knead Bread, Yeast Breads

Cardamom-Coffee Braid (Or Rolls), No Kneading Needed

Braided Loaf

Braided LoafI know, I know – it seems like I’ve been on a bread kick lately.  Actually, I’m always on a bread kick.  There is no doubt that I am a serious carb junkie.  And this loaf…this is a good one.

It’s a much simplified version of a loaf I’ve made for years, from a cookbook I can hardly believe I own: Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland, by Beth Dooley and Lucia Watson.  I bought it many years ago for its homey, comforting, slow food recipes, but there’s hardly a one I can make now without major modifications.  (It’s divided into sections with names like “Henhouse and Dairy,” “Barnyard and Smokehouse,” and “Deep Lakes and Swift Streams.”)  One of my favorite recipes was for Finnish Cardamom Coffee Bread.  It’s really delicious, but also loaded with eggs and honey and kneading it was a serious upper body workout.  And I only got one loaf out of the deal.

This recipe, on the other hand, doesn’t require that you train for two weeks prior to making it.  It has all of the flavors of the original – and of which I’m completely enamored: cardamom, coffee and maple.  And, you get two loaves out of it – or lots of rolls, if you prefer.  If you can braid or twirl or loop (and of course you can!), you can create some very impressive baked goods.  Store the dough in your refrigerator for up to five days – fresh bread for the week.  Super toasted for your breakfast or wonderful at sandwiching PB&J.

Cardamom-Coffee Braid
Makes 2 loaves (or a mess of rolls)

Bread Slices2 cups almond milk, plus more for brushing top of loaf
2 tbsp. flaxseed meal
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
4 oz. unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp. instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds, crushed with mortar and pestle (remove husks after crushing)
2 tbsp. freshly ground coffee
1/2 cup roasted, chopped pecans
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tbsp. Demerara sugar, for sprinkling

In a large container with lid (or big glass bowl), mix together the almond milk, flaxseed meal, maple syrup, applesauce, yeast and salt.  Add flours and pecans and mix, making sure ingredients are combined thoroughly with no dry flour remaining.

Cover container with lid (or bowl with plastic wrap) and let sit at room temperature for about 2 hours.  Transfer to refrigerator overnight.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Divide dough in half, returning one half to the refrigerator for later use.

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and on a floured surface, gently roll pieces into 18″ long ropes.  Place the ropes side by side, about 2″ apart, on the prepared baking sheet.  Pinch on end together and tuck under.  Loosely braid dough and again, pinch the end and tuck under.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Brush top of loaf with almond milk and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 30-45 minutes.  Transfer loaf to a cooling rack.

Rolls in a Bowl

As rolls.

Ground Coffee, Cardamom Pods

Ground coffee and crushed cardamom pods.

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Feb 21 2012
9 Comments
Bread, Yeast Breads

No-Knead Anadama Bread

Anadama Loaf, Aerial

Before I begin extolling the virtues of baking Anadama bread, I want to thank some of my fellow bloggers.  Isobel Morrell (Coldham Cuddlies Calling) – my wonderful email pal from England – gave Dough, Dirt & Dye a Versatile Blogger Award a few days ago.  And Trish at one my favorite blogs, In Fine Balance, passed along a Versatile Blogger Award to me here at AURV.  By the way, one of Trish’s posts, “Red Light, Green Light, Go,” made it into Healthy Living Daily Buzz Top 9 – congratulations, Trish!  Last but not least, I just heard from Natalie at Insatiably (great name, no?) whose blog I’ve been enjoying a lot – that she’d given AURV a Versatile Blogger Award, too.  Holy TVP!  I need to get a bigger mantelpiece!  Thank you, ladies.  Since I dedicated a post on Dough, Dirt & Dye to a previously won Versatile Blogger Award, I’m going to use the March edition of “A Carnival of Vegans” to point to several really great blogs.

Okay.  Anadama bread recipes – I swear – appear in just about every cookbook I own.  And until recently, I’ve never made it.  Not sure what it was about it that didn’t interest me, but I got over it and finally broke down and tried it.  I figured I’d dislike it and then with clear conscience I could avoid the recipe for the remainder of my time on this earth.  Well…the thing is…I liked it.  I liked it a lot.  The cornmeal doesn’t overpower, the molasses isn’t cloying and the bread is hearty without being heavy.  The crumb is wonderful and it works with both sweet jam and tempeh bacon.  Even better, this is a no-knead recipe which means I can stir it together and bake it when I need it.  So, take my advice.  Don’t avoid making Anadama bread.

Anadama Bread
Makes 2 large loaves

Sliced Anadama Bread1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups AP flour
1 1/2 tbsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
3 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup molasses

In a large lidded container, mix the cornmeal, wheat germ, flours, salt and vital wheat gluten.  Combine the water and molasses and then mix into the dry ingredients.  You may need to use wet hands to get all of the dry bits incorporated.  Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature for about 2 hours.  The dough will rise and then fall a bit.  Cover completely and put into the refrigerator overnight or for up to 7 days.  You can use the mixture immediately after the two hour rise, but it will be more difficult to handle the dough.

When baking day comes, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  While the dough is still in the container dust the surface lightly with flour and divide the dough in half.  Return one half to the refrigerator to use later.  Quickly shape the dough into a ball, using flour as needed and place the ball on the parchment paper.  Cover loosely with a clean (not terrycloth) towel and let rest for 90 minutes.

About 30 minutes before the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 450F.

Lightly spritz the dough with water and quickly make a couple of slashes in the top of the dough.  Slide the baking pan into the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes.  The loaf should be dark brown and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.  For the last 10 minutes or so of baking, I usually remove the loaf from the pan and place it directly on the oven rack so that the bottom has a chance to brown and crisp up.  Allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

(This recipe is from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg, MD and Zoe Francois.)

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Feb 09 2012
6 Comments
Bread, Yeast Breads

The Sweet & The Savory: “Half-Pint” Pinwheel Rolls

Collage of Pinwheel RollsPa’s name for little Laura Ingalls, remember?  Yep, these rolls are small, but…and here I could write something like, “but what they lack in size they make up for in flavor” or some such nonsense, but that would make me feel silly…so I’ll go with: they’re tasty.  But, you ask, “If they’re so small, what good are they?”  Well, they have several things going for them: one is that the dough doesn’t require kneading; and two, you mix up the ingredients and put the dough in the refrigerator overnight where it magically develops flavor while you are happily in dreamland; three, you can fill the rolls with whatever strikes your fancy, from an herby-garlicky deal to your standard cinnamon-sugar-raisin combo; and four, they’re as cute as – little Laura Ingalls with her pigtails.

The original recipe for these diminutive rolls came from an issue of Cooking Light.  I added whole wheat flour and played around with the filling – Cooking Light’s filling was thyme and olive oil – making some with different herb combinations and also the aforementioned cinnamon, sugar and raisin batch.  Then I filed the recipe and forgot about it.  Until I made Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread… Seemed like a match made in heaven.  So – I doubled the batch and made some with an herb and nut filling (but no added oil) and some with chocolate-hazelnut spread and dried apricots.  Hard not to snarf down these little half-pints.  The sweet rolls make for a lovely tea break and the savory rolls enjoy being around soups, stews and salads.  As they fit perfectly on a cocktail napkin, they would make great little party snacks, too.

Sweet & Savory Pinwheel Rolls
Makes 16

Dough:
1 tsp. regular yeast
4 tbsp. warm water
2/3 cup soy milk
1 tbsp. maple sugar or agave nectar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. egg replacer + 3 tbsp. water (whisk together until foamy, then set aside for a minute to thicken)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Sweet filling:
1/2 cup Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread
1/4 dried apricots, finely chopped

Savory filling:
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 head garlic, roasted
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
2 tbsp. vegetable broth (or water)
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
dash black pepper

Make the dough:
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for about 5 minutes.  When bubbly, pour in the soy milk, the maple sugar, salt and egg replacer and whisk well.

In a smaller bowl, combine the whole wheat flour and two cups of the all-purpose flour and stir until a dough starts to form.  Add more flour if too wet or more water (a little, little bit at a time) if too dry.  The flour should be all worked in – no dry spots.

Transfer dough to a bowl that’s been lightly sprayed with cooking oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rest overnight.  It won’t go crazy high in there, but will puff up a little.

When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and turn the oven on to 400F.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half.  Set aside one half and cover to keep moist.  On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of the dough into a 12″ x 7″ rectangle.  Spread with one of the fillings (below; if starting with the savory filling, brush the dough with water or vegetable broth before spreading on the filling).  Roll up beginning with the long side – just like making cinnamon rolls.  Using either a knife or a little piece of dental floss (this method prevents the rolls from flattening), cut the log into 8 portions.  Now do the same with the second half of the dough.

Cover rolls and let rise for one hour.

Pinwheel Rolls in PansMake the sweet filling:
Put the chocolate-hazelnut spread in a microwave-safe bowl and warm for a few seconds or until the spread is slightly warm.  Spread the filling evenly over the rolled-out piece of dough and sprinkle with the chopped apricots.  Roll up dough and cut as described above.

Make the savory filling:
In a small bowl, squeeze out the roasted garlic and mash until you get a nice, thick paste.  Add the Bragg Liquid Aminos, vegetable broth (or water), parsley, nutritional yeast, walnuts and pepper and stir well.  Spread the mixture evenly over the rolled out dough, roll and cut as described above.

Pinwheel RollsBaking:
After the rolls have risen, put them in the oven and immediately reduce the baking temperature to 375F.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.  Serve warm – or let cool completely on wire racks, wrap tightly and store in the freezer.

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Dec 20 2011
1 Comment
Bread, Yeast Breads

Onion & Walnut-Stuffed Beer Bread

Slices of Onion Stuffed Beer BreadTime this month has been in short supply, but one still needs to put bread on the table.  Since I’m currently lacking in the patience to spend 10-12 minute kneading dough, I’ve repeatedly turned to my no-knead bread books for inspiration.  When I came across the recipe for “Bradley Benn’s Beer Bread,” I knew that was the one I was going to make this week.  Not only does it make a beautiful, savory swirled loaf, the dough all by itself makes a wonderful all-purpose bread for sandwiches and toast.  As with all no-knead recipes, the initial time investment is small; the good flavor and texture work is done while you are busy doing other things.

As I mentioned on Dough, Dirt & Dye, I’m going to fill the second dough with a combination of unsweetened applesauce (in place of butter/shortening usually used), cinnamon, maple sugar, golden raisins and toasted pecans.  Cinnamon & raisin-swirl bread…

Onion & Walnut-Stuffed Beer Bread
Makes 4 small stuffed loaves or 2 large plain loaves

3/4 cups light rye flour
Two Loaves Beer Bread5 cups whole wheat white flour
1 1/2 tbsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups beer
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp. maple syrup

Onion Mixture (per loaf):
1 medium-size onion, chopped
2 tbsp. vegetable broth
splash of soy sauce
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Whisk together the flours, yeast, salt and vital wheat gluten in a 5- or 6-quart food grade container.  Add the water, beer, oil and maple syrup and mix until there are no dry floury bits remaining.  You may need to use wet hands to get in there and mix thoroughly.  Loosely cover the container and let rest at room temperature for two hours.  The dough will puff up slightly – but not as much as with other doughs.  After two hours, transfer the bucket (securing the lid) to the refrigerator – or use immediately if you wish.  FYI, the dough will be harder to work with if used right away and won’t have developed as much flavor.

Prepare the onion mixture by heating the vegetable broth and soy sauce in a small skillet and sauteing the onion, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Cook until the onion is tender.  Add more vegetable broth if needed to prevent sticking.  You can prepare this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When you’re ready to bake, take a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.  ( If using a baking stone, instead of lining the inside of a baking sheet with parchment paper as described above, turn it over and line the outside bottom – this way you can easily slide the dough/parchment onto the baking stone.)  Sprinkle a little bit of flour over the surface of the dough in the container, then remove half of the dough.  Roll the dough out to about a 1/4″ thick.  Spread the onion mixture over the surface and sprinkle on the toasted walnuts, leaving about a half inch border.  Starting from the long end, roll the dough up – just like making cinnamon rolls.  I found that I had to cut the roll in half to get it to fit on my baking sheet.  Just use your judgement.

Cover the loaves with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest for 90 minutes.   Cover loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest for 90 minutes.  The loaves will not rise very much (or maybe my house is just cold!).  About an hour into the rest, slide the baking stone (if using) into the oven and preheat to 400F.  If not using a baking stone, just bake the bread on the prepared baking sheet.  Just before you’re ready to put the dough in the oven, spritz the loaf with water.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.  The bread should be a deep brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Allow the loaves to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into it.

Baked Loaves

(Thanks to Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day for this recipe.  The only change I made was to omit olive oil when sauteing the onions and rosemary.)

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Dec 13 2011
4 Comments
Bread, Yeast Breads

Cracked Wheat No-Knead Bread

Slices of Cracked Wheat BreadIs it wrong to wax eloquent about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (as I do on my sister blog, Dough, Dirt & Dye)?  Well, if it’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.  This whole grain, soft, chewy and crunchy bread makes a killer PB & J and it’s a snap to make.  Without a lot of effort, you’ll get two big round loaves of bread from this batch – or make a whole bunch of small rolls with which to make sandwiches or as a wholesome side with soups, stews and salads.

Cracked Wheat No-Knead Bread
Makes 2 large boules

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup cracked whole wheat
1 1/2 tbsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
4 1/4 cups lukewarm water

In a 6-quart food grade bucket, whisk together the flours, cracked wheat, yeast, salt and vital wheat gluten.  Add the water and mix until there is no dry flour left.  You may need to get your (wet) hands in there to make sure everything is mixed together.  The dough will be heavy and wet.

Loosely cover the bucket and let sit out on the counter for two hours.  The dough will puff up quite a bit.  After two hours, transfer the bucket (securing the lid) to the refrigerator and let it ferment for at least eight hours.  This dough needs this time so that the cracked wheat can absorb the liquid and become soft.  You don’t want hard little wheat bullets in your otherwise tender bread.

When you’re ready to bake, take a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.  Sprinkle a little bit of flour over the surface of the dough in the container, then remove as much dough as you’d like (depending on the size loaf you want to make).  Quickly shape the dough into a boule using more flour as needed, and place on the prepared baking sheet.  (If using a baking stone, instead of lining the inside of a baking sheet with parchment paper as described above, turn it over and line the outside bottom – this way you can easily slide the dough/parchment onto the baking stone.)  Cover loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest for 90 minutes.

An hour or so into the rise, preheat the oven to 450F.  (If you’re baking on a stone, place it in the oven at this time.)  If not using a baking stone, just bake the bread on the prepared baking sheet.  Just before you’re ready to put the dough in the oven, spritz the loaf with water then quickly and firmly slash the loaf about 1/4″ deep using a serrated knife.  I usually do a simple cross or parallel lines.

Bake for 35-45 minutes.  The time will depend on how big the loaf is.  The bread should be a deep brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Allow the boule to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into it.

(Thanks to Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day for this recipe.)

Cracked Wheat Boule

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Dec 08 2011
2 Comments
Bread, Yeast Breads

Rosemary Whole Wheat Rolls

Rosemary Whole Wheat Rolls on RackDig out that six quart food grade bucket and add a mere ten ingredients, then apply a little bit of elbow grease and stir.  Let sit on the counter for a few hours (where it will rise to glorious, fragrant heights) before popping it into the refrigerator.  Go to bed that night knowing that while you wander through dreamland, good things are happening in that food grade bucket.  Mysterious, yeasty things that will yield crunchy-outside, soft-inside rolls, baguettes or boules with a rich, rosemary-sourdough essence.  No incantations necessary and no kneading required.  Just patience.

Rosemary Whole Wheat Rolls Prior to BakingRosemary Whole Wheat Rolls
Yields 12 sandwich rolls, 4 baguettes or 2 boules

3 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 tbsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
3 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 oz. unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp. dried rosemary (or 3 tbsp. fresh, minced)

Whisk together the dry ingredients then add the water, olive oil, applesauce and rosemary.  Stir or use your hands to mix everything together until there is no dry flour left.  Mixture will be wet.  Cover loosely and let sit for two hours.  Dough will rise quite a bit.  It’s ready to use at this point, but it’s easier to work with (and you’ll get tastier bread) if you put the dough in the refrigerator overnight – or even up to 10 days.

When you’re ready to bake, take a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.  Sprinkle a little bit of flour over the surface of the dough in the container, then remove half of the dough (for 6 rolls, 2 baguettes or 1 boule; leave the rest for another batch).  Divide the dough into 6 roughly equal pieces (for rolls).  Quickly shape the dough into balls using more flour as needed, and place on the prepared baking sheet.  (If using a baking stone, instead of lining the inside of a baking sheet with parchment paper as described above, turn it over and line the outside bottom – this way you can easily slide the dough/parchment onto the baking stone.)  Lightly sprinkle flour over the rolls and cover loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest for about 90 minutes.

A half hour before baking preheat the oven to 450F.  (If you’re baking on a stone, place it in the oven at this time.)  If not using a baking stone, just bake the bread on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake rolls for about 25 minutes or until a rich brown on top.  When you tap the bottom of a roll, it should sound hollow and feel firm.

Transfer rolls to a wire rack to cool completely.

(This beautiful recipe is adapted from the book, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg, MD and Zoe Francois.  I reduced the olive oil called for by half – subbing unsweetened applesauce for the remainder – and I omitted the egg white wash.  You could spritz the tops of the rolls with water prior to baking, if you wish.)

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