Banana chocolate chip oatmeal bread and teaching

 

Yes! I'm still here! busy but baking and trying to post. This past two weeks have been insane. My exam at OHSU on Friday night (yes yes, Fri-day night), was the end of this crazy days of just studying. Granted I need to bake when I take a break, otherwise I'd be going insane. For real.

Anyway, other than classes, what keeps me busy is teaching. My little kiddos, or not so little, since a lot of them are decades older than me. I teach general chemistry lab. It's fun, it's a lot of work. Sometimes it's really frustrating but in general it's a dream come true. 

I honestly believe that if you can get people excited about what they do in a lab, everything becomes much easier when they go back to the textbook. I have to say, I'm a lucky gal. I had wonderful T.A's (for those who are not familiar with the terminology, teacher assistant). I loved my lab classes and I'm still really good friends with some of my teachers. 

I have to admit that I already have my favorite kids. The ones who are really interested in the class, that are excited about learning and are a pain in my ass asking questions all the time. And then obviously there's the stereotypes. Cute girl who doesn't listen to me, hot guy who thinks his 'goodlookingness' is gonna give him a good grade, smart guys who don't need any help or give me any trouble... and so on and so forth. 

The worst part is the grading. You should see my desk. Full of reports with millions of corrections. They are scary those reports. You would think that by this time, in college, students would know some grammar. Don't be fooled, they don't. I guess we'll have to teach them how to write. Right?

Anyway, the one thing I didn't expect when I started teaching was the exhaustion and the hunger. After my Wednesday evening class, which ends at 8PM, I just want to eat a dinosaur and go to bed. The key to prevent myself from starving is making big pots of soups and stews during the weekend so I can just come home and eat. Not sleep. That's not allowed yet. 

This banana bread was what happened a few days ago, when I really needed a break from grading. It was sort of a birthday gift to my friend Ali, who's birthday was around that date. It's not a cake, but it made her really happy. I'm sure you'll love it. Lots of oats, whole wheat flour, bananas and the kick of chocolate chips. Mixed and baked in an hour, self made recipe!. Too easy not to make. 

Banana oatmeal chocolate chip bread

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cups brown sugar

1 cup old-fashioned oats

2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1 stick of butter

2 large bananas mashed

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 F

In a bowl, cream the sugar and the butter. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Stir in the bananas and mix until creamy. Mix in the flour and baking powder. Add the oats and chocolate chips and combine with a spatula until homogeneous. If desired, top the bread with a few banana slices to make it prettier. Bake for about 40 min, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Let it cool before slicing so the chocolate chips remain intact.

Growing up, 'rosquilletas' and birthday cake

Yesterday I turned 25. Quarter of a century, big number, a little scary, a little wonderful. For many reasons this birthday has made me reflect a lot about past, present and future. About growing up and life choices. I guess with age, comes wisdom, even if it's not a lot of it. 

I guess all of us reach a point in our lives in which priorities change drastically. We look back and laugh at what years ago seemed so important. Having that new pair of shoes, buying a new purse, being cool or popular at school seem such silly things right now. Somehow, we all grow up, or at least most of us, to realize that life priorities usually involve people, ourselves and our career. 

By people I mean family and friends and sometimes couples. Living abroad I've realized how important it is to keep people you love close, in one way or another. The internet and its technologies make it easier to keep in touch with those who live far, but it still requires an effort. In my case, it's an effort totally worth making. Meeting new people and making new friends is always on top of the list as well. The truth is, when you live 6000 miles away from your family, friends take that place.

Once more, a few years ago, I would've complained about how sometimes my mum didn't understand anything or how my dad was grumpy and annoying or how I fought with my sisters about silly stuff. Today I'm proud and happy of having all of them in my life. I appreciate all the effort my parents have put in my education and all the nights my sisters didn't go out just to babysit me. At 25 I realize that they're probably the most important thing in my life and I wouldn't be where I am without them.

And finally myself. Growing up involves accepting who you are and understanding that there's not such a thing as being perfect. Might sound too typical, but it ends up being true. Dealing with your flaws, using your virtues, accepting that you might not be the smartest kid or the most good looking are sort of the painful part of getting old. Painful until you realize that there's people who love you for who you are and that those people make your life so amazing that the rest doesn't really matter anymore. 

So here it is, my growing up. And these delicious cookies I haven't talked about yet. They're the typical bread-cookie from my dad's town. I've eaten this cookies ever since I can remember and it seemed about time to try to make them myself. They're crunchy and tasty, perfect for dipping in coffee, even though they're not sweet. You can give them whatever shape you want, sticks, pretzels or round, they're all gonna taste amazing. The recipe makes a ton of them and they keep very well in an airtight container for several days, so you have no excuse! gotta try them!

'Rosquilletas' 

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons of yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

2 teaspoons anise seeds (you can omit them if you want but the cookies definitely don't taste like anise)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Mix the flour, yeast, salt, sugar and anise seeds in a mixing bowl. Stir until combined. Add the milk, the olive oil and the water. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it's soft and elastic. Let it rest for about 2 hrs or until doubled in size.

Divide the dough in 20-30 balls, depending on how big you'd like the cookies to be. I made 25 balls. Let them rise again until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Roll the balls into ropes and form a ring. Brush the top of the cookies with egg and dip them in sesame seeds. 

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the tops are golden and the cookies are crunchy. Don't overbake or else they'll be hard. 

Oh, I mentioned it was my birthday. I made myself a cake for the party we had on Saturday. I couldn't take many pictures of because it was made late in the afternoon and it was pouring water outside. So just one pic of the result. The cake was a 3 layer white cake, recipe here, filled with a mix of whipped cream  and cocoa powder, sliced bananas and shredded coconut. The frosting is whipped cream and cocoa as well and the top is a simple chocolate ganache.

BBD #33: Breads with booze Roundup Part 1 - Beer breads

Here it is! the round up of the BBD 33rd edition! Thanks so much for the huge participation and for being so enthusiastic about adding booze to your breads. Next month, instead of BBD, Zorra, the creator of the event, will be hosting the 5th World Bread Day. Get ready for it!

I've received a lot of recipes including beer so I decided to group them all in this first part of the roundup. Lots of great ideas! check them out!

Heather, 'Girlchef', from Indiana (USA), sends this yeasted beer bread

Lien, from Notitie Van Lien (Netherlands) made Anise and Guinness bread

Stefanie from Hefe und mehr (Germany) sent this Schwarzbier bread

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with puppies, (Canada), made soft pretzels with beer

Lucy from Lucy Vanilla (London, UK), made this cute looking Rum cask beer bread, you can find the recipe here

Audax sent these great 3 variations on rye, golden syrup and beer bread all the way from Australia, recipe here

Lindsey, from 'A chance of Sprinkles' (Pittsburg) sent me this great Guiness date rye loaf

Judy from 'Judy's gross eats' (Ventura, CA) made this amazing sandwich bread, adding beer, Caraway cheese loaf

Finally, Marivi from Dias de cochura, sent a mustard and beer bread

Stay tuned for the second part of the roundup! Wine, rum and sweet breads are waiting for you!

BBD #33: Banana bourbon cinnamon rolls

Hi there! Long time, no see! I apologize for the disappearance! I must confess it’s been crazy over here. I’m currently in my dad’s hometown, recovering from a week of crazy fun, lots of work and not enough sleep.

Last week we celebrated the town holidays. Putting in words what we do over here when that happens, it’s sort of complicated, but I’ll try my best. The holidays are called ‘Los toros’, literally, the bulls. There’s no animal sacrifice of any kind, but there’s bulls and cows involved. The animals are put in a ‘plaza’, people run in front of them, they run after the people. Sometimes people get caught and it isn’t pretty, but usually everything works out just fine.

Even though that’s one of the main activities, there’s many others. The ‘cuadrillas’, which are groups of friends around the same age, get together and party all day long. At night there’s the ‘charanga’. That’s a popular procession around the town, following the town’s band, asking (literally) for water. No joke. The idea is to get totally soaked with the water that people throw down their balconies while dancing around and singing traditional songs. After midnight, there’s always dancing of some kind and ‘toro embolao’ which feels too complicated to explain.

In addition to the regular lack of sleep, this year, my group of friends, were organizing the holidays. That means assembling tons of stuff, setting up tables, serving drinks and controlling that all the rules are followed when there’s bulls involved. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s been totally worth it. There’s no better way to bond with your friends than staying awake day after day, past dawn and looking at each other with tired eyes and a smile on your face.

Like I said, it’s hard to put into words what’s been going on. What isn’t hard to make or enjoy are these bourbon banana rolls. They’re made with a simple sweet dough and filled with bourbon cooked bananas mashed with some cinnamon. One could say they are bananas flambé inside a brioche. I got the sweet dough recipe from ‘Artisan baking’. The process is quite long but totally worth it. You’ll get the softest rolls you could imagine.
This is my contribution to the BBD# 33: Breads with booze which I have the pleasure to host this month. There’s still plenty of time to participate, so go for it!

BOURBON BANANA CINNAMON ROLLS
For the sweet dough
From ‘Artisan Baking’
Makes  18 rolls

½ cup milk
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter

Microwave the milk for 4 min or heat it in a pan until bubbles form around the edges and the milk smells cooked. Let it cool to 105 F and dissolve the yeast in the milk. (Scalding the milk denatures the proteins that prevent gluten formation). Let it stand for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, add the flour and then the yeast mixture and eggs. With a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic and let it stand for 15 to 20 min.
Add the salt to the dough and mix until combined. Take the dough out of the bowl  and knead until smooth, for about 10 min. The salt will incorporate just fine. Add half the sugar and keep kneading, then add the other half. Finally, add the butter in 2 additions and knead it into the dough until this is satiny and soft.

Place the dough in a covered container in the fridge, for at least 8 hrs and up to 48.

For the filling
Makes 9 rolls

4 very ripe bananas
½ cup bourbon
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cut the bananas into big chunks and cook in a pan with the bourbon until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the bananas to a bowl and mash together with the cinnamon. Let the filling cool.

To assemble the rolls

Roll the sweet dough into a rectangle, ½ inch in thickness. Spread the cooled banana filing and roll the dough like you would do with a swiss roll. Cut the dough into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces and place them in a round pan. Let them rise for 30 min. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 325 F. Brush the rolls with egg wash. Bake them for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let them cool slightly before eating.

Announcing Bread Baking Day #33: Breads with booze

Yes! you read it correctly! I'm happy to announce that I'll be hosting the Bread Baking Day #33!

What's the Bread Baking Day you ask? It's a bread baking event created by Zorra from 1x umrühren bitte
which has been going on for already 3 years! Check out the latest roundup of Italian Breads at Family, Food and other things.

So what's Breads with booze? any yeasted bread which contains booze in any way. You  can make a filling with kirsch, a glaze with rum or use beer as your bread's yeast, the limit is your imagination.

How to participate in BBD #33?

• Bake your bread
• Post about it on your blog with a link back to this post.
• Send in one recipe from each blog please.
• Your recipe can be written in English, French, German, Spanish, Catalan or Italian.
• Non-bloggers can email me the necessary details and your entries will be included.
• Send me an e-mail at efectegerundi@gmail.com and include:
  
  
  • Your name
  • Your location
  • Your blog’s name and URL
  • The name of your bread and the post URL (permalink)
  • A picture of the bread 250 x 250 pixels 
  • Subject line: BBD#33: Breads with Booze!
• Deadline for submission is September 1st, 2010. 

I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! I hope all of you participate, the more, the merrier!

Chana masala, naan bread and my addiction to Indian food

I don't know what it is about Indian food, but I'm addicted. I think it's the simplicity of some dishes, that without any fancy ingredients, get the flavor from wonderful combinations of spices. For instance, this Chana Masala. Take chickpeas, plain, maybe even boring, add some cumin, turmeric, garam masala and magic happens. 

Before moving to the US I had barely tried any Indian food. It's not really popular in Spain and there's very few restaurants that serve the real deal. Plus, back then, I was a little terrified of spicy food. Then at the MIT lab I had several Indian coworkers, who introduced me to all sorts of great dishes. Not like I really had a choice! One wonderful thing about Indian culture is the concept that sharing food makes it even better. According to my labmate, if you make a very elaborate dish that takes you several hours to prepare, it's almost a duty to share it with as many people as possible. So yes, they all feed me like my mum would. But hey, share the goodness! way to go. 

In my current lab, every once in a while we have Indian food lunch. That is, my coworkers make a bunch of traditional dishes and we all get to try them. Needless to say, they make them real spicy. I'm not sure as to how I got used to the heat. I think I killed several taste buds along the way and told my stomach to deal with it. So far, a few things I'm in love with are Senvian Kheer, Dhokla and of course Samosas. 

By all means, if any of my readers happens to have good traditional recipes for any of them, please share them with me! I'd love to try! Also feel free to correct me if I'm not using the right names. In my attempt to recreate some Indian dishes at home,I think I'm on my way to mastering Lentil Dahl. This was my first try with Chana masala and Naan bread and they came out pretty tasty! I highly recommend you give both a shot. They're simple yet tasty foods that anyone can make. 

Print these recipes

Chana masala

Serves 2, adapted from here

1 tablespoon butter, ghee or oil (I used vegetable oil)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 pint chopped tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes)
1/2 cup water
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a pan, cook the onion until golden and soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Stir in the coriander, cumin, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Cook briefly, for about half a minute, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook for about five minutes or until tender. Then add the chickpeas and water, bring the mixture to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Add the paprika, garam masala, salt and lemon juice and cook for about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Naan bread

Makes 8 pieces

Adapted from here

300g / 10.5 oz bread flour

10 g fresh yeast or a packet of dry yeast (I used dry)

1 cup plain yogurt 

100 mL / 3.4 fl oz. lukewarm milk

1 tablespoon olive oil/ghee + 2 tablespoons for brushing

1 tsp salt

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk and let it proof. In a bowl, sift together flour and salt and make a well in the center. Add the yogurt to the milk and yeast and pour it in the middle of the well. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Transfer to a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes or until elastic and not sticky. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl until it doubles in size or for 1 hr. 

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and flatten them with your knuckles, giving them an oval shape. Transfer them to your baking sheet and let them rest for 20 minutes. 

Preheat your oven to 300 F and brush the bread with the ghee or oil. Bake for 12 minutes. Serve warm. 

Buttermilk cornbread and the best concert of my life

Friday I went to a concert. The best concert of my life. Period. The band? 'Cake'. Why is it not surprising that I like a band named cake? But seriously, they are awesome. They are not superstars, they don't need a very elaborated staging with fancy lights and huge screens. They make simple yet amazing music and make shows a true enjoyment for their fans.

The show was in Lowell, MA. The place was already promising. It's the city where Jack Kerouac was born. (Please tell me you know who Kerouac is, please). I loved it. Very typical New England town. Small houses, lots of parks and cobblestone streets. And unfortunately, lots of rain. We made it there just in time for the show. It was raining cats and dogs and the concert was in a park. Seemed like a bad start.

'Cake' requested to delay the show a bit and see if the rain passed. Mostly because electricity and water are not good friends. The storm didn't seem to be willing to go, so they started anyway. It rained and rained during the entire show. None of us cared. We danced, sang, screamed and a tree was given away. They sang some of their most popular songs and a couple from the new album. One of them mentioned Barcelona and a big smile appeared on my face.

After the show, we bought our more than necessary t-shirts. And then all the sudden, someone told us the singer was gonna come to sign some autographs. He did come, with his beer and his cigarette. With a big smile on his face. He signed my t-shirt, we talked about Barcelona. He was simply a guy who makes music and shares it with people. I definitely couldn't like this band more than I do right now.

The night couldn't get more perfect. But it did. We were looking for a place to eat and we suddenly ran into a place called 'Dharma Buns'. My friends automatically thought of 'The Dharma initiative', I thought of 'The Dharma bums'. It ended up being a really cool mix of both. Dharma logos all over the place and lots of Kerouac references and posters. My perfect place... plus I ate the best veggie bean burger ever.

But wait, I haven't told you why the cornbread. I figured since we had a 40 minute drive to Lowell, I had to pack up some goodies for the ride (ok, maybe it wasn't strictly necessary). This cornbread was perfect. Soft, moist because of the buttermilk, with a crunch from the kernels. I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil, which added an extra something to it. If you like cornbread, you have to make this. If you haven't ever tried it, please do, you'll love it.

Buttermilk cornbread (adapted from here)
Print this recipe

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup corn kernels
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat your oven to 350 F

In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Mix together the eggs and oil. Alternately add the dry mix and the buttermilk to the wet mix. Stir in the corn kernels. Pour into a 9 inch round or an 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. Let it cool and cut into pieces.

Rosemary whole-wheat focaccia and my last name

I have a very uncommon last name. Bon. I also have a last name that makes for a lot of jokes. The main one, 'You're Bon, Adriana Bon'. And now you tell me that you don't see what's so funny about it. Well, Spaniards pronounce Bond and Bon pretty much the same way. So I'm officially the niece of agent 007.

Even though there's a large number of  'Bons' in the region where my dad is from, Castellon, the name comes originally from a region in Italy, Veneto. My sister, who is a librarian, found out our origins after thorough research on the subject. Still, we have never met anyone with the same name outside of our little reduct in Spain.

Here's where life gets very ironic. The same sister who found out about the last name, moved to Italy 3 years ago. She lives in 'La Spezia', which belongs to the region of  'Liguria'. Turns out, right by the train station of the city, there's a piazza with a really curious name. Piazza Saint Bon. My sister didn't even tell me about it until the first time I went to visit. When she pointed at the sign with the name and started laughing.

This is the reason why, when I found out the Bread Baking Day of this month was about italian breads, I had to make the typical bread of Liguria, Focaccia. This light, crispy on the outside and soft in the inside bread, is ideal to munch on. It accepts whatever toppings you want to bake it with. I chose rosemary, but you can definitely add tomatoes, olives, capers or whatever herbs you want.

I've seen focaccias of all thicknesses possible. Mine is on the thin side, probably because of the addition of whole wheat flour. I feel like it adds a depth of flavor to it. Of course, the olive oil does a great part of that job. Don't substitute it, please, the result won't be as good.

Rosemary whole-wheat focaccia
Print this recipe

1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 packet instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil

For topping
1 tablespoon rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil

In a big bowl, mix together the flours, salt and yeast. Add the water and oil and mix until combined. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Grease a bowl and place the dough to rise until doubled in volume or for 1 1/2 hours. 

Transfer the dough into a 17 by 9 inches baking sheet. Press it down until it covers the entire pan. With the tips of your fingers, make indentations on the dough. Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with the rosemary and let it rest for about 20 minutes. 

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Bake the focaccia for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let it cool and cut into squares. 

Like I said, this post is part of the Bread Baking Day challenge of this month, Italian breads and it will also be sent to Yeastspotting

Soft pretzels and barbecue pretzel bites

I tried pretzels for the first time at the Reading Terminal Market in Philly. I was visiting my friend Michael, who lived there at the time and who insisted I had to try 'those' pretzels. I had tried pretzels before, German style, at the cafeteria of the Goethe Institut in Barcelona, exactly during the World Cup of 2006. Liked them, but not so much. I've always been more of a hard pretzel person. Or I was until I tried 'those' pretzels.

They were soft, warm, yummy, salty but not so much and the perfect snack. I think I ate mine in 30 seconds flat. No kidding. It was that good. I thought making them at home would be an impossible mission. Oh boy, was I wrong. Ok, I'll admit it's not the best thing to bake in a hot summer day, but still, I survived the mission.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with them, the secret to that hard crust and soft inside is baking soda. The pretzels are briefly boiled in a bath of water and baking soda and then baked until golden brown. Of course, they wouldn't be authentic pretzels without those perfect coarse salt crystals.

Now, those are not salt crystals, or twisty pretzels. What are they you ask? Barbecue pretzel bites! My friend B is obsessed with those barbecue pretzel bites from Snyders. He always says that they are the pretzel pieces that fall in the floor when they are making them in the factory. And obviously, to masquerade the floor-taste, they cover them in barbecue flavored powder. Hilarious, ain't it?

Well, floor or not, those bites are really yummy. I toyed with the idea of making hard pretzel bites, but apparently hard pretzels are not so easy to make. Instead I cut some of the pretzel dough in pieces and coated them with barbecue spice mix (the one you find in the supermarket for your meat). Not quite the same thing, but pretty tasty and more 'natural' than that suspicious red powder that coats the store bought pretzels.

Honestly, however you make them, just make them. They are ideal for some snacking at your summery grilling!



Recipe adapted from  Tracey's culinary adventures
Note: I made half recipe, got a bunch of bites and 16 small pretzels

Print this recipe

1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 F)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled just slightly
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

For the soda bath:
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
For coating:
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
coarse sea salt
barbecue spice mix

Proof the yeast in half a cup of lukewarm water and the sugar. In a bowl, place the flour (start with 4 1/2 cups, you'll add the rest if necessary) and make a well in the center of it. Add the yeast, cooled butter and the rest of the water. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is not sticky, adding more flour if necessary. Let the dough rise for about an hour or until doubled in size. On a floured surface, roll the dough into long ropes, as thick or as thin as you want. Shape the dough with the traditional pretzel shape or cut it into little bites.

Preheat your oven to 400 F

Boil the pretzels in the soda bath for about 30 seconds each. Place them on a baking sheet, brush them with egg wash and sprinkle them with salt or barbecue mix. Bake the pretzels for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

These pretzels were submitted to this week's yeastspotting!

Seeded soda bread buns

Lately I'm all about new whole grains and seeds. Quinoa, millet, barley, buckwheat... you name it, I've probably tried it. Poppy seeds? we already know I have a severe addiction to them. Sesame seeds? they are healthy, tasty and easy to combine with pretty much anything.

Baking bread is dangerous. Once you start, you can't stop. I've been making all kinds of yeasted bread but I hadn't tried soda bread yet. I know I know, living in New England, soda bread is a must. So I went for it, with lots of seeds and whole grains. And I didn't get disappointed!

The recipe comes from the queen of things healthy, Heidi. I made a few changes to the original. I had no spelt flour and no pumpkin seeds, so I used whole wheat and a combination of what I had in my pantry. I split the dough in 10 pieces to make buns instead of a big bread.

What I like best about this bread is not only that it's flavorful and hearty, but it's also really really fast to make. No waiting for anything to rise. Just mix the ingredients and the buttermilk and baking soda do the rest for you!

Printable recipe

1 3/4 cups (250 g) whole wheat flour

2 cups (250 g) unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 3/4 cup (400 mL) buttermilk

2 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds

2 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 1/2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

2 1/2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

Preheat your oven to 400 F

Sift the flours and baking soda in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the flours and add the buttermilk. Add the mix of seeds but save about 3 tablespoons. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until combined. Transfer to a floured surface and knead for a couple minutes. Split the dough in 10 buns or make a big bread round. Score the top and sprinkle with the remaining seed mixture. 

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the top is crusted and the buns sound hollow when tapped. 

Makes for a great manchego, aurugula and tomato sandwich! Enjoy!

Hazelnut chocolate swirl bread

Lately I've been thinking about food a lot. Well, that's not really surprising. But I've been having serious conversations with myself about it. Ugh, that sounds weird. Let's start again. Lately I've been having deep, elaborate thoughts about cooking, baking and food itself. About how what I put in my mouth affects my moods, my body and my health. That's more like it. 

I look back a couple years ago and realize I've changed a lot the way I eat. I've never been one for packaged stuff like Ding-dongs or Twinkies, in fact I find them really gross. Nor am I miss butter-y girl either. I don't cook with butter and I try to reduce amounts of it in baked goods. You could say I don't like greasy stuff, even if I really enjoy well made fries. But still, a year ago, you could find me devouring, quite often, all the baked goods that my roommate brought from the bakery she worked at. Indeed they were fine pastries, cakes and cookies, but the sugar levels were sort of scary.

I'm done with sugar comas. I enjoy dried fruits more than I enjoy candy (although I do eat gummy bears every so often), I like raw sugar much better than the refined one and I'm definitely not into buttercream frosting. I also use and abuse whole grains on a daily basis and try to stay away from anything pre-made or pre-packaged, even the bread. Call me a freak if you wish.

This bread is the result of those two years of changes. Of how much I enjoy a freshly baked loaf of home made bread, be it sweet or not. This bread has the perfect amount of sweetness, the creaminess of the chocolate and the crunch from the hazelnuts. The  hard crust prevents it from drying and keeps all the flavor inside. A great substitute for those of you who could die for a toast with nutella. The perfect sunday morning breakfast.

I baked this one along with a cinnamon swirl bread soon to come. I plan on baking many more breads in the future, I'm even toying with the idea of a 'one bread a week' sort of thing. I'm also moving towards more elaborate pastries, cookies and others. I feel like I need to use more with fruits in season in my baked goods, along with almonds, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, honey and other natural sources of flavor. Stay tuned folks, nothing bad can come out of this!

The recipe is a remake from the cinnamon swirl raisin bread from the Bread Baker's apprentice. I left the same basic dough but took out the cinnamon and added chopped hazelnuts and chocolate. I also changed instant yeast for active dry yeast. Since the recipe yields two loaves, I made another one braided and with cinnamon, no raisins. Coming soon!

This bread was sent to the Bread Baking Day event of this month, breads with nuts! You can find it here

Print this recipe

3 1/2 cups bread flour (16 oz)
4 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
1 large egg beaten
2 tablespoons butter melted
1/2 cup buttermilk (you can substitute for whole milk)
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Dissolve the yeast in the 3/4 cups of water and add a teaspoon of the sugar. Let it sit until the yeast 'wakes up' and doubles in volume. In the meantime, combine flour and sugar in a bowl and separately, melt the butter. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast, mix until combined. Add the egg, buttermilk and butter and mix until the ingredients come together to form a ball. Place the ball in a floured surface and knead for about ten minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and let it rise overnight in the fridge or for about 2 hr at room temperature (proofing in the fridge gives depth of flavor).

Once doubled, split the dough in half. Roll each ball into a rectangle about half an inch thick. Spread the hazelnuts and chocolate and roll the dough like a swiss roll. Starting on the longest side of the rectangle. Tuck the ends of the dough underneath the rest and place it in a loaf pan. Let it rise for an hour. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with more hazelnuts.

Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes rotating the pan half way through the baking time. The bread is done when it makes a hollow sound if thumped.

Braided baked chicken

One word. Delicious.

You know I don't usually blog about savory stuff. Not that I don't love to cook and I do quite often, but this blog is more about learning to bake and sharing the experience on the way. Well, this braid is worth sharing and being as it is, baked, it's not really cheating. Right? right.

I made this as part of my small feast for my friend S birthday party, which included paraguayan corn bread, cake, skewers and other goodies. According to birthday girl it's like a giant hot pocket but much better. There were absolutely no leftovers and it was gone in a minute.

B-day girl enjoying her giant 'hot pocket' filled with chicken

The dough is homemade and the filling is a combination of grilled chicken, tomato sauce and monterey jack. You can change the tomato sauce for barbeque sauce, fry the chicken, throw in turkey or a different kind of ground meat, add more or less cheese. If anything this recipe is very versatile. And really the only thing that takes a bit of work is the homemade bread dough, but it's totally worth it!

Here's the recipe, adapted from Mangio da sola via Remena Nena

Printable recipe

For the dough
2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast
3/4 cups lukewarm water

Mix the yeast with the lukewarm water and the tablespoon of sugar and let it proof. Add the yeast to the bread flour and stir in the vegetable oil. Knead the dough for about 8 minutes until it's smooth and not sticky at all. Place the dough in a greased bowl and let it rise until doubled in volume. I let it rise overnight in the fridge. Deflate the dough and roll until it's about half an inch thick.

For the filling

2 cups grilled chicken breasts, shredded (I pulled them apart with two forks)

1 1/2 cups homemade (or bought) tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups monterey jack shredded

Herbs for seasoning

In a bowl, combine the chicken with the tomato sauce. Place the mixture in the center of the bread dough. Top with the seasonings (I used oregano) and sprinkle the cheese on top. Slice the sides of the dough in stripes and cross them over the chicken to form a braid. Bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes until bread is golden and cheese is melted. Cut and enjoy while still warm.

This recipe was submitted to Yeastspotting, check it out!

Step by step Challah

I feel like making bread is like making babies Frankensteins. (Considering the whole process, seems like baby making is not the best metaphor). Like making Young Frankensteins. Please tell me you've seen the movie. If not, go watch it. Now. Well, finish reading this, then go.

(By the way, I just can't compare making bread with the real Frankenstein, I don't take myself that seriously.)

So, bread making. You have your pieces... your flour-legs, water-arms and different combinations for the torso. It can have eggs, oil, milk or just a pinch of salt. And once you have everything together, you need an infusion of life. You guessed right, that would be the yeast. You crumble it, put it in water and it's like giving electricity to Frankenstein. It's aliiiiiiiiiiiiveeeee!!!

Finding fresh yeast in Boston has proven to be a difficult task. Sure you can substitute for dry and create wonders, but I really wanted to try the real deal. I finally found some fresh yeast at the grocery store and wanted to work with it right away. Since my labmate was organizing a dinner party I offered to bring some homemade bread. And I decided to try making a Challah.

For those of you not familiar with it, Challah is a traditional jewish bread. It contains oil and eggs, which give it a soft, almost brioche-like texture and shiny top. The most popular shape for Challahs are three strand braids, although in Rosh Hashana (Jewish new year), the braid is usually shaped as a circle.

Raisins can be added to the bread, but I find it delicious plain. Toasted or not, combines equally well with sweet and savory stuff. And making it was really easy.

Let's go through the process together...

Printable recipe

First, mix 1 yeast cake (17 g fresh yeast) with 125 mL  (1/2 cup) of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar... and let the magic happen...

In a bowl, combine the foamy yeast mixture with 2 cups of flour (about 250 g), 30 mL oil (6 teaspoons), a pinch of salt and 1 large egg. Knead the dough until smooth and not sticky. If kneading doesn't do the job, you can add a bit more flour. Oil a bowl and let the dough rest for 2 hr, until doubled in volume or, if you have more time, overnight in the fridge, which is what I did.

Punch down the dough and cut in three equal pieces. Roll the pieces into strands and braid them.

Brush the challah with egg and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if you wish. Let the dough rise for about an hour or until doubled in volume. Believe me, it does double.

Bake at 350 F for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the surface is golden shiny brown. It is done if it sounds hollow when you tap it. 

 

Sorry I didn't get to take any shots of the inside, but I promise it was amazingly soft with an almost brioche texture and a crunchy top. It was a complete success and I'm sure this is not gonna be the last challah I make.

This recipe was sent to yeastspotting and to the Bread Baking Day challenge # 30, twisted breads

Recipe adapted from here