Fresh Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

I've beeen meaning to post about one of my recent discoveries -the fresh bread in five minutes a day method. Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois have written two books together: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The point is that it's very easy to mix up the dough (no kneading), you can store it in the fridge for up to two weeks, and when you want a loaf, you just pull off a hunk, shape, rise, and bake. It's super easy and the bread is yummy!

Here's a couple of my loaves from the Master Recipe ready to bake (I actually used 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white):


And because I haven't remembered to take any pictures of finished regular loves, I'm stealing one from Shawna, who introduced me to this whole wonderful idea:


You can probably check out the books from the library for lots of ideas (I have Artisan Bread checked out right now and am loving the easy variety!), but here's the "Master Recipe" (explanation copied from an email):

1 1/2 Tablespoons Yeast
1 1/2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt (or1 T regular salt)
6 1/2 Cups UNBLEACHED All Purpose Flour... See More
3 Cups Warm Water
A little cornmeal (not added to the mix -- used when you take some dough out and form it) or parchment paper.

Mix everything in a large container -- you mix it in the same container you are going to store it in so you don't have a dish to wash! (The next time you make the mix, don't wash the old bits out, it will help with the sourdough taste. They say to never wash the container.) Anyway, you stir it together just until there's no dry parts. Don't over-stir.

Then you lightly cover it (do not close it up tight) and let it rise out on your kitchen counter for 2 hours. After two hours, put it in the refrigerator. It can keep for up to 12 days in the refrigerator.

When you want to make some bread, take a little out (see the video on how to do this) and form it (see video) and put the cornmeal on the plate and let it rise for 20 - 40 minutes. Then cut the top a little (see video) and put in oven. You should be able to make four small loaves from the mix.

450 degrees for 30 minutes. Preheat a pizza stone. You want it as hot as possible before you put the dough on it. Use a broiler pan (I use a cast iron skillet) in the bottom of the oven and add hot water to it right when you put the dough in. You want some steam in there to make the crust hard and crunchy.

Here are a couple of videos from the authors of the books which show the method in use -
Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

and
Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day


And here's a shot of some decadent Brioche with Chocolate Ganache that I made from another recipe in the book. It was amazing.

National Blonde Brownie Day

I've always loved blonde brownies, and just recently found out that there is a National Blonde Brownie Day - and it's today. How fun is that?!

So here's my favorite blonde brownie recipe. Super easy, super yummy.

1/2 c butter, melted
2 eggs
1 c sugar
1 c flour
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract

Mix like brownies; spray 8" square pan
Sprinkle sugar, nuts, or chocolate chips on top if you want.

Bake 30 minutes @ 325'

(today I tripled this and have it baking in a 12"x17" jelly roll pan)

Beka Bread Re-visited

Since I've returned to making bread thanks to my new mixer (and to the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day concept, which needs its own post), I've been wanting to see how my favorite homemade bread recipe would do in the mixer. I've posted the recipe before, but I thought I would post some mixer adaptations as well as pictures.

Beka Bread ~ aka Honey-Wheat-Oatmeal Bread ~ Mixer Version

Combine in mixer and cool to lukewarm -
3 c boiling water
2 c old fashioned oatmeal
(you don't need to actually use the mixer yet, but why dirty another bowl?)

Add to oats once they are lukewarm -
1 c warm water
2T yeast
1 c honey
2 T oil
1 T salt
2 eggs

Combine and add 4 cups flour (half wheat/half white)
Let the dough "sponge" 15 minutes (just cover the mixing bowl/mixer with a towel and go read blogs or something)


Add 1 cup of flour at a time (alternate wheat and white) -- about 5 cups. Let the machine do the kneading for you until the dough is nice and elastic. This made a wetter dough than I've come up with doing it by hand, but I decided to go for it and see how it turned out.


Turn the dough out into an oiled bowl (yes, I'm longing for a glass bowl for my bread, but tupperware works!).



Let rise about an hour, or until doubled. My kitchen is on the chilly side, so I turn on the oven just long enough to get it comfy-warm, then turn it off use my oven for my rising station.


Form loaves - you will need to sprinkle flour on the dough and have floured hands. Like I said, it's a wet dough.


Let rise again. This batch probably would have risen more if I'd given it a bit more time, but I was impatient!


Bake @ 350' for 25-30 minutes. Let cool in pans on cooling racks before removing from pans.



Let cool so you don't smash it with your bread knife ... and enjoy!

Hot Chocolate Mix

Here's a simple and yummy hot chocolate mix. It's the one I grew up drinking, and it's still my favorite.
Health drink? No.
Comfort drink? Oh yes!

12 cups powdered milk
1 large jar creamer
2 cups cocoa
4 cups sugar
4 cups powdered sugar.

1/3 cup per serving, to taste



And if you're like me, you won't be able to wait until you get it in a gallon jar for storage before you make yourself a mug!

Self-Rising Flour

I find it handy to have these proportions around since I don't buy SR flour and some recipes call for it:

4c Flour
2T Baking Powder
2t Salt

Cranberry Dessert

Here's a simple and scrumptious little dessert that Katie and I made yesterday. The recipe is from Nancy Rollinger.

George’s Cranberry Dessert

2 cups cranberries in pie pan.
Sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar over.
Add nuts as you like.

Whisk in bowl:
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup flour

Pour over cranberries (I actually found that I needed to put little spoonfuls of the topping all over the top because it didn't "pour.")

Bake 325 40 min

Simple. Pretty. Yummy!