Gluten Free Waffles

 Gluten Free Waffles

Ingredients:

• 180g Rice Flour
• 60g Potato Starch
• 30g Tapioca Starch
• 1/4 Teaspoon Xantham gum
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Eggs, Separated
• 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil or Melted Butter
• 3/4 Cup Milk

Instructions:

1. Carefully separate the eggs, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and set aside.
2. Sift together rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, set aside.
3. Lightly whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Add the oil or butter and milk and stir together.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir to combine.
5. Stir in roughly 1.3 of the whipped egg whites, before folding in remaining egg whites carefully until there are no more large white streaks in the batter.
6. Follow manufacturers directions for cooking waffles for your waffle maker.

Enjoy!

Vegan and Gluten Free Doughnuts

Doughnuts

Left, chocolate doughnuts, right vanilla sugar

 Ingredients:

• 1 Cup 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Flour, or Tapioca starch
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Xantham Gum
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 150g Soft Tofu
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the soft tofu and vanilla together for several minutes. 
2. In a medium bowl sift together the gluten free flour, coconut flour, sugar, xantham gum, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Slowly pour the sifted and blended dry ingredients into the stand mixer, and mix until just combined.
4. Bring a deep fryer to a temperature between 320-350°F.
5. Shape the doughnuts as desired, I used my two ounce scoop to make doughnut holes. Fry in heated oil for roughly two minutes a side until golden.
6. Drain on paper towel for a moment.
7. Dust with vanilla sugar, cinnamon sugar or other toppings of your choice.
8. To make chocolate doughnuts, add 3-4 tablespoons cocopowder to dry ingredients and about 2 tablespoons water or milk to tofu.

Enjoy!

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Lemon, Poppy Seed, and Olive Oil Loaf

Lemon, Poppy Seed, and Olive Oil Loaf

Ingredients:

Two Lemons

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Butter

4 Tablespoons + 4 Teaspoons Lemon Juice 

3 Eggs

2/3 Cup Olive Oil

1 3/4 Cup Flour

1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder 

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

2 Tablespoons Poppy Seeds

1/2 Cup Icing Sugar 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a standard Loaf tin. 
2. Zest and juice both lemons
3. In a large bowl cream together the sugar, butter and lemon zest. 
4. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each egg. 
5. Cream in the olive oil and 4 Tablespoons lemon juice.
6. In a medium bowl soft together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 
7. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. 
8. Fold in poppy seeds.
9. Pour batter into prepared Loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 55-70 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean from the centre. Let cool in pan ten minutes before turning out into a wire rack to cool completely.
10. In a small bowl stir together icing sugar and remaining lemon juice to create a glaze. Drizzle glaze over Loaf just before serving.

Enjoy!! 

Gluten Free Banana Bread

Gluten Free Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup GF Rolled Oats
• 1 Cup Gluten Free Baking Flour Blend(I'm still using Our Compliments by Sobeys)
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Teaspoon Xantham Gum
• 3 Bananas
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 Eggs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a small loaf pan. 
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the Peeled bananas, and with the paddle attachment cream the bananas to mush. 
3. In a food processor pulse the rolled oats into a fine powder. 
4. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, xantham gum, salt, cinnamon and powdered oats.
5. Add the oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract to the stand mixer with the bananas. Cream everything together until relatively smooth. 
6. Pour in the sifted dry ingredients and mix until all the flour is incorporated. 
7. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan
8. Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy! 

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Cold Butter
• 2 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1/2 Cup Sourdough Starter
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar or Honey
• 1 Cup Milk
• 3/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 Tablespoon Nutmeg
• 1/4 Cup Butter, Melted

Instructions:

1. Cut butter into flour with a fork, or in a food processor until it resembles fine sand.
2. Stir in the sourdough starter, milk, sugar and bring everything together into a soft dough.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the fridge for 7-12 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
5. Sift baking soda and baking powder together in a small bowl.
6. Turn dough out onto a well floured work surface.
7. Sprinkle the baking powder and baking soda over the dough and need to mix in the extra leavening agents.
8. Knead dough until smooth.
9. In a small bowl sift together the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, set aside.
10. Roll dough out into a large rectangle roughly 1/8 of an inch thick.
11. Brush entire surface with melted butter.
12. Sprinkle the brown sugar blend over the entire surface.
13. Starting at the short end, roll dough up tightly into a log.
14. Cut log into 1 inch wide slices and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. let rise about 20 minutes.
15. Bake risen cinnamon rolls in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Cupcakes

Gluten Free Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 280g Gluten Free Flour (i'm still using Our Compliments by Sobeys)
• 1 Teaspoon Xantham Gum
• 54g Cornstarch
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 140g Butter, room temperature
• 300g Sugar
• 2 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/3 Cup Milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line or grease about 18 muffin cups.
3. In a large bowl sift together GF flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, xantham gum, and salt. Or if you do not have a sifter, whisk thoroughly for several minutes to ensure complete blending.
4. In a medium bowl, using electric beaters, or with a standmixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This takes at least 5 minutes, sometimes more.
5. Mix in vanilla.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
7. Add creamed butter/sugar/egg mixture to dry along with all of the mix and beat with electric beaters until just combined.
8. Do not over mix. The moment most of the flour is incorporated stop beating. If needed stir batter by hand to finish mixing in flour.
9. I personally use my icecream scoop to portion out cupcake batter and find one just heaping scoop makes a perfect cupcake.
10. Bake in heated oven for 18-21 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
11. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Made these for my sons daycare for his birthday, they are just as good as standard cupcakes, not grainy and good crumb texture.

Gluten Free Pancakes

Gf Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 Cups Gluten Free 1:1 Flour Blend
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt, flavored or plain
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar 
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Milk

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl sift together one cup of the flour, sugar and baking powder. Set aside. 
2. In a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, egg and vanilla. 
3. Add the yogurt mix to the dry ingredients and stir together. 
4. If mixture is dry or very thick, add milk 1-2 tablespoons at a time, stirring well until a pour-able batter forms. 
5. Heat a skillet over medium heat, and lightly oil. 
6. Add pancake batter to pan in about 1/4 cup portions to create small pancakes. 
7. Fry pancakes until edges are just starting to firm up and small bubbles form over the surface. 
8. Flip pancake and cook am additional 1-2 minutes. 
9. Repeat with remaining batter. 

Enjoy!!

Notes:

So this recipe is designed to be able to deliver as much nutrition as possible to my son, who is a picky eating toddler with Celiac disease. So all my gluten free recipes are for him, and pass my own bar for what good baking should taste like. As mentioned, he is a picky toddler, so most of the gluten free recipes are going to be designed to try keep a small human alive, I have substituted mashed fruit like banana or avocado for the yogurt, but my own little one would eat fruit until he became that fruit, but protein is not easy, and Greek yogurt is my crutch to keep him on a balanced diet.

Speaking of Greek yogurt; My biggest problem with a lot of gluten free recipes is that they often have textural problems or sometimes grittiness which is not ideal. I've had really good luck adding a bit of Greek yogurt to a lot of gluten free baking recipes, it helps the rising agent in baking work better by adding a bit more acid to the recipe and just generally improved the final baked texture of whatever its added to. 

I might try in the future to experiment more with a wider variety of allergen free baking recipes, but until I get a feel for gluten free baking i'm just going to focus on it on its own.

Cheeseburger Piroshki

Cheeseburger Piroshki

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 1 Cup Milk, warmed
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon dry active Yeast
• 3+ Cups Flour
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon soft Butter
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Egg and 1 Tablespoon water

Filling:

• 1/2 Pound Ground Beef
• 1 small Onion, finely minced
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheese
• 1 Teaspoon dry Thyme
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 Teaspoon dry Basil
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

1. Warm the milk until it is warm but not hot.
2. Add the sugar and yeast and stir well. 
3. Let the yeast proof for ten minutes.
4. Mix in 2 cups of flour, one egg, 1 tablespoon butter and salt.
5. Knead in as much of the remaining flour as possible. 
6. Dough should be soft and slightly sticky, but will pull away from the edges of the bowl easily. 
7. Cover bowl with a clean, damp tea towel and let rise in a warm place for one hour. 
8. While dough rises, make the filling. 
9. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. 
10. Add the ground beef and minced onions to the pan. 
11. Scramble cook until beef is cooked through, onions are soft and beef has broken down into small bits. About 5-10 minutes.
12. Stir in the thyme, basil, onion powder, garlic powder and season with salt and pepper. 
13. Remove pan from heat and stir in shredded cheese. 
14. Once the dough has risen, transfer dough to a well floured surface 
15. Divide dough into about 16 equal pieces.
16. Work with one piece at a time and keep remaining dough covered.
17. Roll one piece into a palm size circle, spoon a generous tablespoon of filling onto the dough.
18. Roll the dough up over and around the filling and roll between your hands a few times to make a smooth ball.
19. Place the rolled prioshki on a baking rry lined with parchment. 
20. In a small bowl whisk together the egg and water, brush the egg wash over the prioshki. 
21. Repeat the rolling, filling, shaping, egg wash steps with all remaining dough. 
22. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes. 
23. Preheat oven to 375°F.
24. Brush risen piroshkis again with egg wash right before baking. 
25. Bake piroshkis in heated oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. 

Enjoy! 

Gluten Free Muffins

Gluten Free Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 Teaspoon Xantham Gum
• 1 3/4 Cups Gluten Free 1:1 Flour Blend
• 2/3 Cup Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Optional up to 1 Cup Blueberries, Chocolate Chips, or whatever mix in you like for muffins. 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Sift or stir up or if your flour blend is in a large jar like mine lightly shake the flour blend to redistribute its components more evenly. This is important for any gluten free baking. 
3. In a large bowl blend together the flour blend, xantham gum, salt, sugar, and baking powder. 
4. In a small bowl whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract. 
5. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, mix everything together until all the flour is incorporated. If adding blueberry or chocolate stir in now. 
6. Grease or line with baking paper 12 muffin cups. 
7. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. I like to use an icecream scoop to aim for more evenly sized muffins. 
8. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until tops are golden and bottoms are just lightly browned. 
9. Cool on a wire rack. Then store in a sealed container. Will keep for up to 4 days. 

Enjoy! 

Notes:

I use Our Complements brand gluten free flour blend right now. 

Even if your gluten free flour blend contains xantham gum I would still add in the extra just to help create a better a better muffin texture. 

Vegetable oil like canola or sunflower or similar low taste oils is best for this recipe instead of butter, as the vegetable oils tend to be more liquid at room temperature which helps the muffins retain moisture and a better texture. Trust me I use butter literally any chance I get, so when I suggest a veg oil, it's because it really does work better. 

Sourdough Biscuits

Sourdough Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 2/3 Cups Butter, cubed, and at room temperature at least 30 minutes
• 2 Cups Sourdough starter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Cut in butter until mixture is sandy and crumbly and butter is evenly distributed. If the butter is not mixed in well enough it may seep out of the biscuits while they bake and that is no good at all.
3. Measure out the sourdough starter, it doesn't need to be exact. Fold together the flour/butter mixture with the sourdough starter until just combined .
4. Divide dough into 16 portions and shape each into a little puck like shape and place on prepared baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.
5. Let biscuits rest and rise for about 20 minutes in a warm draft free place.
6. Bake biscuits in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until bottoms are browned and tops are golden.
7. Allow to cool on wire racks for at least 5 minutes before serving. Any leftover biscuits should be allowed to cool completely and then stored in small airtight containers. If stored properly and quickly after cooling they can keep for several days.

Enjoy!

Notes:
I just love sourdough. In all forms, in all ways.

Other Places:

What was cooking one year ago?

Slow Cooker Ginger Beef

What was cooking two years ago?

Spicy Taco Mac and Cheese

Overnight French Toast Bread Pudding

French Toast Bread Pudding
Ingredients:

• 1/2 Loaf day old bread
• 2-3 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup
• 1-2 Teaspoons Vanilla
• Optional, 1/2 Teaspoon each of nutmeg and/or cinnamon

Instructions:

Night Before

1. Slice the bread into small cubes. In a large bowl add the bread cubes.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, sugar, vanilla and optional spices.
3. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Using a large spoon gently toss the bread with the eggy mixture to coat. Cover the bowl and chill over night.

Morning

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Lightly mist a bread pan with cooking spray. 
3. Uncover the bowl of cubed bread and gently toss and turn the bread over. Pour the bread cubes into the prepared pan into an even layer.
4. Bake the bread pudding for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown and toasty.
5. Serve hot, with maple syrup if you like it extra sweet, or powdered sugar dusted over top.

Enjoy!

Other Places:

What was cooking one year ago?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

What was cooking two years ago?

Brunch Skillet

Green Onion Asian Pancakes

Green Onion Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 Cups Flour
• 1 Cup Water
• 8 Green Onion stalks, thinly sliced
• Salt
• Sesame Oil

Dip:

• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/4 tsp powdered garlic

Instructions:

1. In a medium sized bowl using a fork mix together 1 cup of water with 1 cup of flour, slowly adding in as much flour as possible. Knead in more flour until dough is firm and not sticky. Oil the outside of the dough with a sesame oil, cover and let rest 30 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
3. Working with one portion at a time and keeping the remaining dough covered, roll a dough portion into a large rectangle roughly 1/8 of an inch thick or thinner if possible. 
4. Oil the top of the rectangle with sesame oil, season lightly with salt and sprinkle one of the sliced green onion stalks over the entire rectangle. 
5. Starting at the long end of the rectangle carefully and tightly roll the rectangle into a snake-rope shape. 
6. Cut the long rope in two, and coil each half up into a flat circle, like a snail shell. Use a rolling pin to flatten the circle and help it keep the round shape. 
7. Repeat with the other dough rope.
8. Repeat above process with all dough portions.
9. Heat a skillet to medium heat and lightly oil the pan.
10. Cook each pancake for about 2 minutes a side until golden brown.
11. Serve warm, with the dip recipe listed above if desired.
12. Makes 8 pancakes, great as a snack or as a side.

Enjoy!

Notes:

These were so tasty, I made them quite a while ago and might have forgotten about them a bit. I think I will try these again sometime real soon.

Other Places:

What was cooking one year ago?

Steak au Poivre

What was cooking two years ago?

Sundried Tomato Sausages

Rainbow Citrus Poppy Seed Muffins

Poppy Seed Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Poppy Seeds
• 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Power
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup Soft Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Lime
• 1 Orange

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease or line with paper 12-18 muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer blend the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In a medium bowl whisk the soft butter until somewhat fluffy. Zest* the lemon, lime and orange into the butter, then add the juice from the lemon, lime and orange. Whisk to combine together. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until blended. Stir in the milk and vanilla.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and blend just until everything comes together and no pockets of flour remains.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling until just below the top.
6. Bake in preheat oven for 5 minutes, then without opening the door of the oven reduce heat to 375°F and continue to bake for 10-18 minutes. Muffins are cooked though when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Enjoy!

Notes:

* When trying to zest the rind of a citrus fruit you only want to zest off the colorful part of the rind. The white part under the color is very bitter and does not taste very nice.

Other Places:

More Muffins

Easy Cheesy Breakfast Biscuits

Breakfast Biscuits with Cheese and Sausage

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Flour
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Pound Breakfast sausage meat, cooked and crumbled
• 8 Ounces Aged White Cheddar Cheese, shredded (or your favorite)
• 1 Cup Butter Milk
• Cooking Spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Blend in the vegetable shortening until the mixture looks sandy and the vegetable shortening is evenly blended into the flour mixture.
3. Fold in the crumbled sausage and shredded cheese.
4. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the milk to the well and mix gently until dough just comes together.
5. Spray a 9X13X2 baking dish with cooking spray and press the dough into the pan into an even layer.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until bottoms are browned and tops are golden. Allow to cool in pan at least 10 minutes before cutting.
7. I like to serve these slightly warm.

Enjoy!

Notes:

I think a little bit of green onion would be awesome in these. I know I love green onion too much, but it really does add a nice something-I-can't-put-my-finger-on to so many savory foods.

Or cut one of these in half and put a fried egg in the center, man that would be a great breakfast!!

Sourdough Bread Recipe

Sourdough Bread

Ingredients:

• 5/8 Cup water
• 3/4 Teaspoon Dry Active Yeast (Unless you have a well aged starter mine is still very new)
• 1 Cup Sour Dough Starter
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
• 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 Cups Flour
• Cooking Spray
• Butter

Instructions:

1. Dissolve the yeast into the water in the mixing bowl of a stand-mixer.
2. Using the Dough Hook attachment stir in the sour dough starter.
3. Sift together the flour and salt.
4. Add about 1 1/2 Cups of the sifted salt and flour blend to the bowl and beat with the dough hook on stir for a few minutes. Add the remaining flour blend in small amounts until a the dough pulls into the center and looks pretty smooth and is tacky, but not too sticky.
5. Lightly oil a bowl with the cooking spray and turn the dough into the greased ball. Cover with a warm damp clean kitchen towel and set to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2-2 hours, until about double in size.
6. Turn out risen dough on lightly floured work surface and knead gently for about a minute. Shape into a sandwich loaf or round ball.
7. Butter the loaf pan of your choice, either a traditional loaf or a round pyrex or other small round bake-ware also makes nice loaves.
8. Set the shaped dough into the prepared pans and let rise about 1 1/2 hours, or in the fridge over night.
9. Heat the oven to 450 °F . Once the oven is heated place the loaf in, or take the loaf out of the fridge for 1 hour, before heating the oven and then baking it.
10. Bake the loaf at for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 400 °F and bake for an additional 20-35 minutes, until golden toasted on the top.
11. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool at least 20 minutes before trying to slice it.

Enjoy!

Notes:

This was a dream come true! Ever since I read The Little House on the Prairie Books and how they made a sourdough starter to make bread before there was a town around them to buy things at. Sorry but I just don't know enough about trying to maintain my starter yet to try and share how to do it, but google is a very helpful place to get started.

Also worth noting, I tried the sourdough bread recipe from Emeril Lagasse and had terrible results. . . Maybe it might work better for you but I pretty much got a brick instead of bread after trying that recipe.

Side note I am unwell, and typing is and working with pictures is pretty unpleasant right now, so sloppy blogging for a few days until I till feel better, then I will fix and touch things up a bit. This bread recipe was just too yummy to lose before I saved it.

No Knead Peasant Bread

Peasant Bread

Been seeing this recipe kicking around on Buzzfeed and some other cooking blogs, people do seem to swear by their simple no knead bread recipes, so thought I would also give one a try.

Original Recipe:

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2012/11/07/my-mothers-peasant-bread-the-best-easiest-bread-you-will-ever-make/

Followed the recipe to the letter, except I only made a half loaf this time because I am a little short on flour at the moment.

Ingredients: (Small 6 inch loaf)

• 2 Cups Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 2 Teaspoons Dry Active Yeast
• 2 Teaspoons Sugar
• 1 Cup Warm Water
• Butter

Instructions:

1. Dissolve the sugar into the warm water and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Allow the yeast to proof for 10 minutes until foamy and bubbly, if the yeast doesn't foam then it is dead, try again or else you wont get any rise in the bread.
2. Sift together the flour and the salt, once the yeast has proofed add the flour to the yeast and stir with a fork until the dough pulls into a small ball and away from the edges of the bowl. Cover with a clean, damp tea towel and allow to rise for about 1 hour.
3. After one hour, preheat oven to 425°F.
4. Stab the center of the dough ball with a fork, and then turn and lift all around the dough, trying to basically turn it over on itself. 
5. Butter a six inch round bake-able bowl or casserole dish, or line a pizza stone with parchment paper to make a real peasant loaf. Peasant didn't have spare bowls or baking dishes so bread was baked on flat stones or in a wood oven. Baking the bread on a pizza stone makes it very similar to the bread I had when I went to visit a "Living" Historical fort back in Cape Breaton. 
6. Turn the risen dough into the baking dish or transfer it onto the pizza stone. Cover with the damp tea towel and allow to rise another 20-30 minutes.
7. Bake the twice risen dough in preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 375°F. Continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes, until top of dough is golden-toasted and the dough sounds hollow when tapped.
8. Turn the bread out onto a cooling rack for 10 minutes before slicing.
9. Serve warm with butter for best results.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Made this last night for dinner with my friends and they literally ate the entire loaf in one sitting. I would say that makes this a keeper.

Other Places:

Other bread recipes:

White Bread

Grandma's Bread

Spiced White Chocolate Pumpkin Monkey Bread

Pumpkin Monkey Bread

The white chocolate is stuffed inside each pull-apart bite!

It's pretty easy to make, it just takes a bit of time.

Ingredients:

Monkey Bread

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Salt
• 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 Egg
• .25-.3 Ounces Active Yeast
• 3+ Cups Flour
• 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ginger
• 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon Allspice
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cardamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

Glaze

• 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ginger
• 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon Allspice
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cardamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4-1/2 Cup Melted Butter

• 2 Cups White Chocolate Chips
• Cooking Spray

Special Tools:

Bunt Pan

Instructions:

1. In a small sauce pan over low heat melt the butter, add the water and dissolve in the 1/4 cup of sugar. Check that the temperature is only warm and not hot, then add the yeast, stir to dissolve and allow to stand about 5-10 minutes, until the yeast starts to proof.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, and cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cardamon, ground cloves and salt.
3. In a stand mixer measure out 2 cups of flour and fit the mixer with the blade attachment.
4. When yeast is proofed, add the pumpkin mixture and yeast mixture to the flour. Blend with the blade until a very very soft dough forms. Add in about 1 cup of flour gradually while you continue to mix until dough comes away from edges.
5. Switch to the dough hook and knead dough for 5 minutes, adding more flour if needed. Trying to keep the dough as light as possible.
6. Turn out dough onto a floured surface, knead again until dough is no longer too sticky.
7. Grease a large bowl, place the dough in the greased bowl and cover and allow to rise until double in size. Roughly 60-90 minutes.
8. To prepare glaze, melt the butter in a small bowl, and stir together the sugar and spices in a separate bowl.
9. Once dough has risen cut dough into small ounce sized chunks. Place a few white chocolate chips in the middle of the dough and roll into a ball. Dip in melted butter and arrange in a well greased bunt pan. Repeat with all the dough.
10. Allow the assembled cake to rise an additional 20-30 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 375°F.
12. Bake risen cake for 30-50 minutes, until puffed, golden and each bite feels hollow when tapped.
13. Cool cake in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a platter carefully.

Enjoy!

Notes:

So yummy, but it does take an awful long time to make it. Be careful to make sure that your bake the cake all the way through. Doughy undone bites are not very yummy.

Other Places:

Last years Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread

Buttermilk Muffin Batter

Buttermilk Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Allspice
• 1/2 Cup Melted Butter
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 1/3 Cup Buttermilk
• 1 Egg
• 3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips or Blueberries, or your favorite muffin add in

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Line or grease 12 muffin cups.
3. In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and all spice. Make a well in the center and set aside.
4. Melt the butter in a small microwave safe bowl. In a medium bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk and vanilla.
5. Pour the buttermilk mixture and melted butter into the well of the dry ingredients. Mix well into a batter. If batter is too dry or thick add some extra buttermilk about 2-3 tablespoons at a time.
6. Stir in chocolate chips or blueberries.
7. Spoon batter into muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for 17-20 minutes, until baked through and lightly golden on top.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Buttermilk might be quickly becoming one of my most favorite ingredients to cook with. Makes delightful baked goods, is excellent to use in a chicken brine, and savory biscuits. Buttermilk makes me happy!

Other Places:

What was cooking (roughly) one year ago?

Baked Veggie Dumplings

Buttermilk Biscuits

So easy. So very very easy to make, and then eat all of them.

Buttermilk Quick-Drop Biscuits

Serve with fresh butter. Butter and Buttermilk back together is a good thing.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2-2 Cups Flour
• 1/2 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Generous Tablespoon Sugar
• 1/2-3/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 3/8 -1/2 Cups Vegetable Shortening
• 1/2 Generous Cup Buttermilk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. In a stand mixer or in a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
3. On low speed or with a fork mash the vegetable shortening into the flour mixture until crumbly and sand-like in texture. If you are using a stand mixer keep an eye on it as this step does not take long!
4. Once mixture is crumbly, remove from stand mixer.
5. Make a small well in the center of your crumbly mixture.
6. Pour the cold buttermilk in all at once and fold in gently with a fork until just coming together. Mix carefully to just incorporate everything together.
7. Over mixing biscuits is a bad thing to do, it does take practice to get it just right.
8. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or use an non-stick baking sheet.
9. To shape biscuits gently pluck a golf-ball sized portion of dough, barely shape into a round and drop onto prepared pan. Repeat process with all biscuit dough.
10. Bake in preheated oven for between 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and bottoms are done.
11. Allow to cool on pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
12. Best served warm with butter.

Enjoy!

Other Places:

What was cooking one year ago?

Herb Roasted Taters which I ultimately make at least once a week to be honest.

Sesame Burger Buns

Sesame Burger Buns

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Milk
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Dry Active Yeast
• 4 1/2-6 Cups Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Egg
• Olive oil
• 1 Egg White
• 2 Tablespoons Sesame Seed Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
• 2-3 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds

Instructions:

1. In a medium sauce pan gently heat the milk, water and butter over medium heat until very warm and all the butter is just melted. Remove from heat and let stand several minutes until it isn't scalding hot any longer.
2. In a large bowl combine the yeast and sugar, set aside. 
3. Add the warm milk and butter mixture to the yeast and sugar, whisk gently and let stand 7-10 minutes. Until a frothy foam is present. 
4. Stir in about 1 1/2 Cups flour and the teaspoon of salt as well as the egg. Mix well until egg is evenly incorporated. Continue to stir in flour with a fork until it becomes too thick, then turn dough out on a floured surface and continue to knead and add flour until dough is smooth and elastic. 
5. Oil the entire surface of the dough ball with olive oil and place in a bowl to rise for about 15 minutes. 
6. After 15 minutes, divide dough into 10-12 portions and shape into burger buns. Place Shaped Buns on a greased baking sheet about 1 inch apart. 
7. Cover and let rise 10 minutes. 
8. Preheat oven to 400°F.
9. In a small bowl combine the cider vinegar, sesame seed oil and egg white, whisk well to blend. 
10. Using a silicone baking brush, brush the egg wash mixture over top of each bun and sprinkle each well with sesame seeds.
11. Bake buns for about 15 minutes in preheated oven, until golden brown. 
12. Use for sandwiches, burgers, etc.

Enjoy!

Other Places:

Grilled and herb rubbed steak!