Tag: bread

Holiday Bake: Challah Bread

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Being that we have made the slow crawl into December this year when I was still firmly convinced it was march I decided to start baking some bread. It makes the house smell amazing and having fresh bread in the house gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling of accomplishment.

What is it?

Challah is a special bread in Jewish cuisine. It is normally braided and served on ceremonial occasions and Jewish holidays except Passover. You can add sesame seed, poppy seed or sometimes even raisins in your bread.

I used everything bagel seasoning on mine because I didn’t have anything else in my spice cupboard.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 packet instant yeast
  • 1/2 tbsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 5 oz of water (tepid)
  • 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  • everything bagel seasoning (poppy, sesame seeds are more traditional)

Directions (stand mixer)

  • Place the flour in the bowl of your stand mixer. Place the sugar in the middle. The salt on one side and the yeast on the other. Mix the ingredients together using your fingers.
  • In another bowl mix together the oil and one egg and the egg yolk. Make a well in your flour and put in your egg mix and water.
  • Mix it with a fork until it becomes a shaggy dough. Transfer to your mixer with a dough hook knead for 5-10 minutes. (I normally take the dough out halfway through kneading and knead it with my hands. You can feel the texture of the dough change better when you knead it by hand.)
  • If you do take the dough out to knead by hand then put it back in the mixing bowl and cover. Let it rest for at least two hours so it can double in size.
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set it aside.
  • Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface and knock out all the air bubbles. Cut the dough into three equal pieces and roll them out into ropes of about 12in long. Pinch the ends of one side together and braid the dough together. Then pinch the ends together at the end of the braid. Tuck both ends under so you can’t see them. Place it on the baking tray.
  • Let it rise for another 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 390 degrees.
  • Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush the top of your loaf. The more egg wash you put on the darker it will become. Then top it with your seeds.
  • Once your oven is heated bake it for 30-35 minutes. You are looking for a golden brown and a hallow sound when you tap the bottom.

Enjoy everyone!

Rosemary Parmesan Foccacia

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The smell of rosemary and garlic fills my house every time I bake this. The olive oil on top creates a moist garlic bread taste without all the shattering crumbs of a crusty french bread. I used cheap Walmart extra virgin olive oil and it tastes delicious. If you have a fancy olive oil try it out on this recipe. See what kind of flavor it brings to the bread.

Garlicky and Cheesy

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cup warm water
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 1 pack active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • olive oil for drizzling

Directions

  1. Add your water, honey and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. Let sit for a couple of minutes to let the mixture get frothy.
  2. Gradually add your flour, oil and salt and mix for five minutes. The dough should be fairly smooth.
  3. Grease either this mixing bowl or a new one with oil and cover the dough. Let rise for 60-90 minutes.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle shape. Place it on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover it with a tea towel. Let it rise for about 20 minutes.
  5. Use your fingers and poke holes all over the dough. Go all the way to the baking sheet!
  6. Sprinkle garlic, olive oil, rosemary, cheese, and salt all over the top of the bread. The holes you’ve poked will catch all the oil.
  7. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
  8. Resist the urge to eat it all.

Potato Bacon Soup and Dinner Rolls

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In our quest to explore the world of food through the origin of Disney stories we have found our way to germany next. The world of snow white, tangled and sleeping beauty. From what I have noticed of German food it is made of easily attainable ingredients and warm spices that fill the home and the bellies of the people that live there with happiness. This bacon potato soup and hot roll combo is my interpretation of snow white feeding supper to the dwarves.

Tip: you will need to start your hot rolls about two hours before you start your soup. Your rolls and soup take the same amount of time to cook so you want to get all the proofing and dough forming out of the way.

warm soup and fresh bread can’t be beat

Ingredients

Soup

  • 6 slices of bacon, chopped
  • bacon grease/butter
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups milk
  • 8 red potatoes, thick dice
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

Bread

  • 2 tsp yeast (active dry)
  • 3/4 cup water (warm, 95 to 110 degrees F)
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 cups bread flour

Directions

Soup

  1. Dice your bacon into small chunks and place in a large pot. Cook on medium high until crispy then remove the bacon and set aside. Leave the bacon grease in the pot.
  2. Turn the heat down to about medium low and add a tablespoon of butter.
  3. Add you shallot and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes until your shallots have some color on them.
  4. Add your flour and stir continuously for about a minute until fully combined.
  5. Add stock, milk and potatoes. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until potatoes are cooked through.
  6. Add cheese, sour cream and bacon and cook until cheese is melted.

Bread

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment (You can also just do this in a medium bowl) add your yeast and water. Stir until the yeast dissolves.
  2. Stir in the honey, salt, butter and egg. Add the flour and mix well. You want the dough to stick to the hook. If your mixing in a bowl you want the dough to follow the spoon around the bowl.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes. You want the dough to be smooth and elastic. If you poke it you want it to spring back slowly.
  4. Place the dough in a clean oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour till it doubles in size.
  5. Punch dough down to knock the air out of it. Turn it back out onto your floured surface and knead for about five minutes.
  6. Divide dough into about ten equal pieces. Take each piece and roll it into a ball. Tucking the edges in underneath the dough to make a nice round surface. Place in a round greased pan and over with a clean kitchen towel for about 45 minutes. Don’t let them rise too high or they will be hard to turn out once you cook them. (Speaking from experience)
  7. Bake in a 375 degree over for about 20 minutes. Till the tops are golden brown. Turn them out onto a rack to cool.

If you do manage to let them rise a little long I ended up having to use a paring knife to cut them out. They were still warm and delicious. Just not nice and round.

Garlic Butter Naan Bread

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

  1. Stir honey and warm water together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir until honey dissolves.
  2. Add yeast to bowl and stir together. Wait about 5-10 minutes until the yeast mixture becomes frothy. Mix with a spatula until the dough comes together. It should be slightly sticky.
  3. Remove the dough from the bowl and oil the sides of your mixing bowl. Flour your work space and knead the dough into a smooth ball. Place it back into the bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let it proof in a warm spot in your kitchen for about an hour. You want it to double in size.
  4. While the dough is proofing melt the butter in a pan and place the garlic in the butter. Cook for about 3 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant then remove from the heat. Strain some but not all of the garlic out and set the butter aside in a small container. (I used a tiny Tupperware container)
  5. When the dough has doubled in size transfer it to a floured surface and cut it into 8 pieces. Roll it to about 1/4 inch thick into whatever shape it takes. An oval or some oblong square is what I ended up with.
  6. Heat a large saute pan to medium heat and place naan in the pan. Cook on one side for a minute then flip and cook for a minute on the other side. It should rise in the pan and get small brown spots.
  7. Now I brushed the dough with the butter after I cooked it, but after cooking it I would recommend brushing the dough before you cook it.
  8. Cover the naan until you are ready to use it so it doesn’t dry out.