So, you all made the pumpkin bread from the last post right?  The ingredients are at least on your shopping list for your next trip to the store, right?  At the very least, you’ve put it on your to-do list for the upcoming weekend, right?  If you haven’t done any of those things, I’d venture to guess you will as soon as you see what I’ve done here with that very same loaf of pumpkin bread.  

You’ll no doubt need to make a double batch of the bread, by the way.  One loaf will quickly disappear right out of the oven.  It can’t be helped.  The second loaf is the one you cut into thick slices and coat with a batter of farm fresh egg, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to cook up in a heavy skillet to make THE MOST DECADENT French toast you’ll ever have! 

Nothing could be lovelier for a brunch with friends and family.  Or, Valentine’s Day is heading our way once again and this would be a wonderful wake-up for the one you love.  And I tell you, if you happen to own a B&B, I can only imagine how your guests will stampede the dining room when you put this on the menu.   This is a very special dish great for grand occasions.  But bake a bunch of loaves and stash several in you freezer (double wrapped with cling wrap and foil and in a ziplock bag) and you’ll be all set to make it any old day of the week. 

This Pumpkin French Toast is especially good comfort food for a snowy day.  My friend Anne {of Eat Feed Autumn Winter fame} over at the Eat Feed blog, is doing a creative and useful series of posts on winter dishes.   So often winter is a lonesome time for those striving to eat as local as possible.  Inspirational moments and ingredients are few and far between.  Anne’s set out to put a little love back into winter eating by pooling together readers’, guest bloggers’ and her own ideas for heating up the cold months.  Please stop by and let her know what some of your best winter dishes are.   In the case against winter cooking blahs, I’m submitting Exhibit A: Pumpkin French Toast.   Many more Exhibits to follow.   

Pumpkin French Toast
A Straight from the Farm Original

8 slices (about an inch thick) of pumpkin bread
3 eggs
1/3 C. milk
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
a bottle of real maple syrup

Heat a large skillet (cast iron if you have it) over medium heat.  Grease the skillet with no-stick cooking spray or a pat of melted butter.

In a wide shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and spices.  Use a fork to dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, carefully turning the slices over to coat all sides.   Place the coated slices in the hot skillet in a single layer (you’ll have to work in batches).  Cook on one side until golden brown, about 3 minutes and then carefully flip to cook the other side until golden, about 2 minutes.   Repeat dipping and cooking process until all slices are done. 

Plate up and serve with warm maple syrup and a dollop of fresh whipped cream if desired. 

(serves 4)

I’ve told you all about my blueberry memories before here on SFTF; hinting at how these little blue orbs are such an important part of my summertime vigil over seasonal produce each year.  In short, I adore them. 

Now, let me go into the full length version of “why.”  As a young man, my grandfather planted a half dozen blueberry bushes beside the old wood shop that sits catty-corner to the rambling farm house in which I grew up.   As someone who’s now trained in the ways of horticulture and small fruit production, I marvel that these bushes have not only survived this long in this spot, but have truly flourished.  But when I was waist-high to my mom, I only cared about one thing: the big ones! 

When the first berries on the bush began hinting of blue, I’d watch them like a hawk and usually ate far more before my mom found out they were ripe than she even realizes today.   Eventually the gig was up and she would have my brother and I grab the handles of our little white plastic picking pails to go about the process of harvesting all the blueberries before the birds got them.   We’d have to pick every couple of days and the joy of it all quickly wore off on my pre-adolescent persona.    What I quickly came to learn was that every season there was one special bush that bore the biggest bluest berries you’d ever see and if I got to that bush first, I’d quickly fill my bucket and declare myself “done!” with this berry picking business long before my brother.  My poor mother always got stranded alone – my brother and I no doubt off running through the lawn sprinkler, squealing like banshees – gleaning from another bush we could count on every year to  produce the tiniest berries you’d ever see.   They were as small or smaller than  the wild blueberries I’ve seen in Maine. 

Once my mom had corralled my brother and I again and got us dried off, we went inside to wash and sort the berries so she could turn them into delicious jam or pie filling.  To do this, we’d get out great big enamel basins, paint chipped with age, and fill them with blueberries and water.   After a good swishing, we’d pick up handfuls, spread our palms flat and then use the index finger of the other hand to pass judgment on one blueberry at a time, rolling the good ones into a bowl and the bad ones into the compost bucket.   This method, which I still use today, is highly efficient and effective.  As you roll the a berry from the clump on your palm and down your fingers, you test to make sure it is firm (squishy is bad) and also see all sides of it to determine if it is blemished or still has the stem on it.   

But I digress… this story is really all about THE BIG ONES  (like the ones I had to make this incredibly moist and deliciously fruity Blueberry Banana Bread)!   So, after a successful day of berry picking and sorting, we’d have fresh blueberries over generous scoops of vanilla ice cream for dessert after dinner (or sometimes just for dinner on real hot days).  I would sit there and pick out all the big ones (bear in mind we’d quite often have a gallon of these berries) to put just on my bowl of ice cream.  I was a real brat like that.  But I swear, besides being leaps faster to pick in large quantities, the big ones taste better.  I find small blueberries to be a little tart and a little too seedy.   I know most folks will say the little ones are the sweetest ones, but I don’t abide by that.  Bigger really is better, believe me.

Blueberry Banana Bread
A Straight from the Farm Original

1 3/4 C. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. freshly ground nutmeg
1/3 C. margarin, room temperature
2/3 C. sugar
2 eggs, room temp and beaten
3/4 C. mashed bananas (2 large ripe bananas)
3/4 C. fresh blueberries (or thawed if frozen)

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease one large or two small loaf pans.  Set aside.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg (I put all mine into a ziplock bag and shake it around). 

Cream together margarin and sugar until fluffy.  Add beaten eggs and mix well.  Add a third of the dry ingredient mix, then a third of the bananas.  Continue to alternate these two until all is just combined in the batter.  Do not overmix.  Using a spatual or spoon, fold in the blueberries.

Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake for an hour or until golden brown and springy to the touch.   To store for more than two days, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in fridge.  Delicious warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

(serves 12)

Basic Pizza Dough

1 C. warm tap water (may need 1 or 2 T. more water)
1 1/2 t. active dry yeast
2 t. honey
2 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
3 C. flour

Whisk water, honey and yeast in a medium bowl until yeast has dissolved. Sit aside and cover with a towel until mixture is foamy and double in size, about 15 minutes.  Stir in salt and oil. Add flour and work mixture with a spoon and your fingers until it comes together as a dough. Add more water one tablespoon at a time if you need, but try to avoid this if you can knead the dough without more water.

Sprinkle some flour on the counter and knead the dough for a few minutes.
Clean out the bowl you used to mix the dough and coat it with olive oil (or non-stick spray).  Put the dough in, cover it with a clean dish towel, and let it rise for an hour or up to two, until it is doubled.  If dough is not showing much life, place on top of a warm oven or radiator.

When dough is doubled, gently deflate it with the heel of your hand.  Form it into a ball and let it rest on a floured spot with the bowl turned over top of it to keep out drafts. In 15 minutes, it is ready to roll out.

Makes enough dough for 4 small pizzas (if you want to personalize them for everyone at the table) or 2 large pizzas .   Dough may also be frozen, wrapped  in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag, for use on a week night.  Just pull the dough from the freezer the night before you plan to use it, unwrap it, and put it in a bowl in the fridge to thaw out.  Let it come to room temperature before rolling out.

I’m humming that song from The Sound of Music… “My Favorite Things”.  You know the one, right?  Only instead of raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens and sleigh bells and schnitzel (who came up with that last one anyway?), I’ve got a few other things in mind.  Fiery autumn leaves is obviously one of them and along with brilliant foliage displays comes myriad food associations, many of which are among my most favored of all.   Who here doesn’t drool just thinking about just-picked butternut squash, pumpkin, chestnuts, figs, apples, rutabaga, parsnips… the list of glorious local produce this time of the year is nearly endless.

Coincidentally, I’ll be bringing you recipes for each of those locally grown ingredients over the next few weeks.  I’ve had a streak of foraging luck recently that even the wildest woman would be proud of, gathering up such uncommon delicacies as hardy kiwis and tender stalks of rhubarb from rather unexpected places.  Stay tuned for those stories as they unfold in future posts.  (Yes, I’m a tease sometimes.)

At the very tippy top of this blogger’s “my favorite things” list sits a golden orb, the regal Asian pear.  Starting in mid-September, I literally haunt the walkways of farmers markets and the websites of pick-your-own orchards, ready to pounce on that first harvest of the season.  From the moment I bite that first succulent juicy sweet fruit ‘til the flood of pears dwindles to a trickle in November, I eat them like a bear getting ready for hibernation.  Fortunately, they’re so healthy, I don’t pack on the same pounds as a bear. 

But really, if you’ve never had an Asian pear (versus, say, a more common Bartlett), you haven’t let your taste buds really experience life.  These pears are so tender and oh-so juicy.  No matter how careful you are, juice is going to dribble down your chin and you’re going to giggle when it does because Asian pears make you so very happy. 

Generally I don’t cook with these pears though.  Why cook them when they’re already perfect fresh?  I tried making pear butter with them last year though and found that while it was good, it wasn’t any better than eating them raw.   This year, after getting my initial “fix” on the amazing pears from North Star Orchard, I decided to try cooking with them once more.  Just when you think you can’t improve upon perfection, along comes Sweet Gorgonzola and Pear Bruschetta.

My, oh my, what a match made in heaven:  slightly tangy and pungent blue cheese (which, by the way, I don’t typically like so try this even if you aren’t a gorgonzola fan) meets effervescently sweet and caramelized grilled pear slices and together they tumble into a bed of toasted multigrain baguette, using bits of walnut to hide their torrid affair.  Need I say more?  Perhaps I should go into writing romance novels as a second career?  Even I’m a little hot and bothered by that description.   Or maybe it’s just the memory of how magnificent this bruschetta was.

Once again, I am raving about a recipe from Totally Vegetarian.  In case you’ve been asleep for the past month on SFTF, let me just cut to the chase and insist that you get yourself a copy of this cookbook.  I’m about 10 recipes into it now and every single one has been a show-stopper.  

Sweet Gorgonzola and Pear Bruschetta
Adapted from Totally Vegetarian

1 large ripe Asian pear
1 multigrain or French baguette
1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
¼ lb. Gorganzola dolce (creamy, not crumbly)
½ C. walnuts, toasted in a skillet if desired
1 T. extra virgin olive oil

Cut the pear in half and core it.  Slice thinly and set aside.  Heat a grill pan over medium heat and brush with oil.  When the pan is hot, place the slices of pear on it and grill on each side just until soft and displaying grill marks.  Remove pear from grill pan and set aside.

Leave the pan on low heat while you slice the bread into half inch thick pieces. Brush the grill pan with a little more oil and return heat to medium high.  Grill the bread slices on each side until golden.  Turn off heat and immediately rum the outside edges of each slice of bread with the garlic clove. 

Next, spread each slice of warm bread with Gorgonzola and top with pieces of walnut and grilled pear slices.  If desired, drizzle a little more oil and/or honey over the bruschetta just before serving. 

(serves 4)

I don’t know about where you are, but around here, the smell of fall has been in the air all week.  It’s especially heavy in the dewy cool morning light.  I smile like the Mona Lisa when I’m walking to class or working in my garden.  I’ve pulled the light sweaters out of the cedar chest.  What is it about autumn that just makes life a little sweeter?  And is there anyone out there that “hates” fall the way some people hate winter or summer?  I can’t imagine disliking cool nights, crisp mornings, and warm (but not hot) sun in the afternoon. 

With the advent of autumn on my doorstep, I start to move my menus from light cool fare to hearty comforting dishes.  Today’s Corn and Tomato Bread Pudding is a great bridge between the bounty of summer and the more selective nature of fall.  Fresh sweet corn cut off the cob pairs beautifully with hefty cubes of whole wheat bread, slivers of oven-dried tomatoes, and a generous sprinkling of sharp cheese. 

I must say I was rather pleased to find my oven-dried tomatoes from last year that I’d tucked away in a cupboard and all but forgotten the past six months were still in perfect condition and very tasty in this dish.  I’m actually about to start making a new batch of them now that my tomato plants are in overdrive, but its good to know the dried ones last so long.  In lieu of your own oven-dried tomatoes, use store-bought sun-dried (don’t be fooled; there’s no “sun” involved, just sulfur) tomatoes that are packed dry, not in oil. 

This dish makes for fantastic segues…first oven-dried tomatoes and now on to oven-dried corn.  Yes, I’ll be drying more corn this year.  I’d encourage you to do the same.  And, after making this bread pudding, I think it’s a perfect candidate for dried corn in winter too.  I plan to reconstitute the dried corn in a little warm milk and then continue with the recipe as instructed.  It’s a relief to know I can still savor the flavors of local sweet corn and tomatoes in the midst of a snow storm. 

And, while on the subject of preserving summer’s flavors, don’t forget to gather up plenty of fresh basil to puree and freeze.  I’m fairly certain tossing a thawed cube of basil puree in the winter version of this bread pudding would be a smashing success. But!  Don’t wait for cold gusts of wind to try this recipe.  It really is a superb late summer dish too, with all the intensity of flavor that only fresh produce can provide.

Ironically, after all this hubbub about heartier dishes for fall and getting prepared for winter, I just made a few other recipes I’ll be posting shortly that are all about the easy breezy summer salad mentality.  But when you think about it, that’s just what this short and sweet time of year is all about: getting to take your pick of both seasons! 

Corn & Tomato Bread Pudding
Adapted from Fresh and Simple Vegetable Dinners

3 tablespoons chopped dried tomatoes
4 beaten eggs
1 ½ C. half & half
1 T. fresh chopped basil
4 C. cubed day-old wheat bread
1 ½ C. fresh corn kernels
1 C. shredded cheddar or herbed hard cheese

Place dried tomato in a small bowl and cover with hot water.  Allow to soak for 10-15 minutes to soften.  Drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, and basil.  Set aside.  In an ungreased two-quart baking dish, toss together the bread cubes, corn, cheese, and softened tomatoes pieces.  (If you wish to make this dish ahead of time, cover and refrigerate the egg mixture and bread mixture separately for up to 24 hours.)

Carefully pour the egg mixture over the bread in the baking dish.  Bake at 375 F for 35-40 minutes, uncovered, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool slightly and serve with fresh wedges of tomato. 

(serves 6)

How many of you are members of a cooperative, or co-op?  I became a member of a large, well-establish co-op (the one associated with Weavers Way Farm) here in the city awhile back, and I’ve seen a few co-op apartments advertised around the neighborhood.  But generally speaking, I always saw co-ops as these big entities that somehow solidified when no one was looking.  Of course, I know that some energized and creative folks worked hard to start them at one point, but I’d never seen it happen.  

Thanks to some creative minds at Weavers Way Farm, the development of a co-op has been demystified for me.  Farmer Dave and the great interns working with him this year, Nina and Nicole, decided to start a bread co-op.  Knowing how much I love to be in the kitchen, they invited me to “join”.  Now, I’m guessing you might have had some of the same questions I did.  What is a bread co-op?  How does it work?  Is there a membership fee?  How do I benefit?  What kind of bread do I need to make?

It’s so simple and so brilliant, it makes me grin from ear to ear when I think about it.  This particular co-op has only one goal: get everyone a loaf of delicious homemade bread once a week.  Since there are now four households/individuals in our little co-op, this means each “member” has to bake bread – four loaves to be exact – once a month.   It can be any kind of bread: flat breads, sourdoughs, yeast or soda bread, quick breads, even cinnamon rolls (I asked, and no one objected).  The bread gets distributed at the Headhouse Market where we all end up nearly every Sunday anyway.  So now, along with all the amazing fresh produce I’m buying at market, I’m also coming home with a loaf of homemade bread.  Fantastic, yes?!  

The benefits of this little arrangement are probably obvious, but I’ll spell out a few anyway.  First, having homemade bread every week is just wonderful for eating purposes.  It also means that we’re eating more “local” and without preservatives.  It’s also an interesting way to think about saving money as the prices of wheat products continue to rise.  I personally plan on buying flour in bulk now and this co-op will make bread much less expensive for me.  And, above all, the co-op is a great way to gather together a little community and to inspire creative cooking. 

Now, here’s where you get to benefit too.  I’m going to post the recipe for my contribution to the co-op each month, along with a list of the loaves I received from the others. First up is a moist and slightly sweet loaf of oatmeal Bread. I hope it inspires you to think about creating a homegrown co-op centered around homegrown/made food. 

OATMEAL BREAD
Adapted from The Big Book of Bread

2 C. whole wheat bread flour
1 C. white bread flour
1 ½ C. old-fashioned oats
2/3 C. oat bran
1 sachet fast-action dried yeast
2 t. salt
1 T. honey
2/3 C. warm milk
1 C. warm water

Grease a baking sheet and set aside.  Using your hands or a food processor, rub the old-fashioned oats until they are much finer.  Mix together with the flour, oat bran, yeast and salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Add the milk, honey and half the water to the well.  Mix to begin forming a dough.  Add more water as needed to created a soft pliable dough. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for five minutes or until smooth and elastic.  Using your hands, shape the dough into a tight round loaf and place on the baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. 

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Lightly brush top of risen loaf with   water and sprinkle with a few oats.  Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 400 F. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow with tapped on the bottom. 

Cool and serve in slices with a drizzle of honey. 

(makes one loaf)

Alright, so first, let me tell you how grateful I am for the outpouring of support for my thematic tweaking of the blog and for my gutsy or wacky, depending on which peanut gallery you’re seated in, career change.  You ladies and gents rock!  I mean that!  I really have been second guessing my sanity the past few weeks so any and all morale boosters are much needed.  Did I mention I ticked off another decade this past week too?  I’m not telling you which one, but let’s just say I’m fearful I’ve left the “young woman” stage of my life behind.  On my birthday, I was on my knees, pulling weeds, and wondering which synapse exactly in my aging brain short-circuited when I decided to leave my cushy manager’s position for *this*.  Fortunately, I’ve since halted plans to surgically remove that faulty synapse, realizing after planting several 10-15 feet tall trees among towering 200 year old Hemlocks today, that this new role is pretty darn cool. 

So anyway, eons ago, when the temperatures were below freezing (strange how that seems far in the past already), I had those wonderful Weeks of Bread.  Remember?  And in one of those carbohydrate crazy posts, I showcased a recipe for Pumpernickel Bread that proved to be a bit untraditional and promised to make a stab at a more traditional recipe in the near future.  Well, let’s see…3 months later, I’ve finally got that traditional Pumpernickel Bread recipe for you.  This batch was much more along the lines of what most people think of when they imagine those dark, dense loaves with a molasses nip in the flavor. 

It is very time consuming though, so be forewarned.  And it still didn’t meet the standards of the pumpernickel aficionado (D), supposedly too “homemade” tasting.  Um, yes, it is homemade, my dear; how insightful of you.  I personally enjoyed its moist dense interior and crackly exterior, but I guess D was expecting, yet again, a loaf much more similar to that which he buys in the store.  Take that review for what it’s worth.  I would suggest trying this recipe for yourself and, assuming you like it as much as I did, planning to bake big batches of it at a time and freezing it until ready to use.  The fermenting period, coupled with the long sauna session in the oven, make this particular bread a bit difficult to “whip up”.  For the record though, the initial step of getting the ingredients incorporated into a dough is one of the fastest and easiest of any bread I’ve ever made. 

As may be foreshadowed by my slowness to post this recipe, making traditional pumpernickel is only for those with some reserves of patience or mad multitasking skills. 

Traditional German Pumpernickel Bread
Taken from The Practical Encyclopedia of Baking

4 C. rye flour
2 C. whole-wheat bread
2/3 C. bulgur wheat
2 t. salt
2 T. molasses
3 ½ C. warm water
1 T. vegetable oil

Lightly grease two loaf pans and set aside.  Combine the rye flour, whole-wheat flour, bulgur wheat and salt in a large bowl. 

Mix molasses with the warm water and vegetable oil.  Add liquids to the flour mixture and combine to form a dense dough.  (You do not need to need this bread at all, just mix with a spoon.)

Divide dough between the two prepared pans, pressing it into the corners and leveling the top.  Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for 18-24 hours (the longer the better). 

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 225 F.  Remove the plastic wrap from the pans and then cover them tightly with aluminum foil.  Fill a roasting pan or other large baking dish three-quarters full with boiling water and carefully place on the lower rack of your oven.  Place covered loaf pans on the top rack directly above the pan of water.  Bake the loaves for 4 hours.

Raise the oven temperature to 325 F.  Uncover the loaves and add more water to the pan below them if needed.  Bake for another 40-45 minutes or until the loaves are firm and the tops crusty. 

Let cool in the pans for a few minutes before turning out onto a rack or towel to cool completely.  Wrap tightly in plastic and let “cure” at room temperature for 24 hours.  Serve sliced thinly, topped with cold cuts or pate.

(makes 2 loaves)

You know what I love most about blogging?  With a little dedication, time and encouragement, a virtual community starts forming and the flow of ideas starts going both directs – me to you and you back to me.  Actually, I guess ideas really start flowing three ways when you consider readers sharing hints with other readers in the comments section.  In short, you guys rock! 

Why the sudden outpouring of love?  Well, the Yeast Primer post got a lot of great discussion going in the comments, and I’ve started getting regular emails with helpful ideas and recipes too.  For example, the base recipe for today’s Seasoned Bread Bowls, the last of the bread recipes until next winter probably, comes from reader, Kim, and it helped me to offer an easy method for making bread bowls, a request made by another loyal reader, my mom. 

 

The original recipe was meant for baguettes, I believe, but I thought the seasoned dough would make nice bowls for soups too, adding a little extra flavor in the background.  This dough was very interesting to work with as it wasn’t like any other I’ve made before.  It started with making a batter!  And then beating that batter until it was nearly frothy wiht a heady yeast smell.  Then it became a very fast riser and generally much shorter process from start to finish, which is perfect if you’re trying to get a bunch of them together for a dinner party. 

Thanks to the milk, butter and egg, the resulting crumb of the bread is very light and soft with a good crust – perfect for bread bowls. The seasoning wasn’t as prominent as I expected so I’ve added some extra in the recipe below that I think will give it a boost.  I found I liked my second bread bowl better than the first since it had sat for a day, getting ever so slightly stale (I forgot to seal the bag) and developing its flavors more. 

  

I don’t have any to test it on, but I think this would be a great recipe to get the kids involved with, particularly the shaping of the dough balls.  The dough is super easy, even downright fun, to work with so have them thump it around a bit and then use their little hands, which are much better proportioned than adult hands, to rotate the dough to form small taught balls.   And how excited will the be to then eat their soup out of the bread bowls?  I know I sure was! 

 SEASONED BREAD BOWLS
Recipe adapted from one submitted by reader, Kim, and her mom
 
4-5 c. white bread flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. wheat gluten
2 packages of rapid rise yeast
1 package of Ranch-style Buttermilk Dressing Mix, 2 t. reserved
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. dried dill
1 ½ c. buttermilk
½ c. water
¼ c. margarine
1 egg, beaten
1 t. salt dissolved in warm water
1 T. melted butter

Combine 2 cups of the white flour with the yeast, wheat gluten, and the Ranch mix (reserving 2 teaspoons) in a large mixing bowl.  In a small saucepan, melt the quarter cup of margarine.  Add the water and buttermilk and heat until warm. 

Add the warmed buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined.  Add the egg and mix vigorously for about three minutes until you can really smell the yeast and the batter is noticeably airy.  Gradually stir in the wheat flour and then as much of the remaining white flour as needed to form a firm dough. 

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for five minutes or more until smooth and elastic.  Place in a greased bowl, turn the dough over to grease both sides.  Cover and let rise in a warm spot, such as on top of a warm stove or radiator, for 20-30 minutes.  If it’s not rising, you can use the oven on its lowest setting to give the dough a boost.

Punch dough down and divide into eight equal pieces.  Press a piece out into a rough rectangle and fold over in thirds like a business letter.  Turn dough over, forming a ball, and rotate with your palms against the counter until a taught surface forms on the dough ball.  Set on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with each remaining piece of dough.  Place four balls evenly apart per baking sheet.   

Cover dough balls and let rise in the warm spot again for about 20-30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Brush the tops of each dough ball with salted water and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.  Once removed from the oven, brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with some of the remaining Racnh dressing mix.

Store in a ziplock bag until ready to use.  Cut off a thin slice from the top of each bread bowl and scoop out the insides.  Fill with hot soup and serve immediately.  These little bread bowls also work well for serving dip or really thick burger rolls.

(makes 8 bread bowls)

Ye who are faint of heart, step aside.  Ye who love a hefty loaf of bread, come right this way!  If ever there was a bread recipe that could serve as the poster child Slow Food International, this Honey Multigrain Loaf is it.  And I mean that in the nicest way possible.  You see, this meal-in-and-of-itself loaf requires a little advanced planning and time, but it’s well worth it in the end when you’re slowly making your way through a chewy nutty slice of wholesomeness. 

I’m proud to say this recipe is an original creation of yours truly, but I can’t take all the credit.  A coworker and recent bread making convert had asked me to post a recipe for bread using sprouted grains or wheat berries or something with more “umph” than your typical off-the-shelf loaf.  Ironically, she actually beat me to the punch and adapted the Miracle Bread recipe to include wheat berries and chopped walnuts.  Yes, she’s a superstar SFTF pupil!  But by the time I tasted her lovely loaf, I was already too deep in my noodling process to call off the hunt for a really hearty bread recipe. 

Internet searches and endless page flipping in my private cookbook collection yielded very little, at least for bread recipes including wheat berries, which I knew I definitely wanted to use.  There is one age-old recipe out there for sprouted grain bread, called Ezekiel Bread for its supposed roots in biblical times.  But frankly, after reading over several recipes for it, I didn’t find the idea of it very appetizing.  The [fruitless] search continued.

What’s a bread baker to do when she can’t find the right recipe?  First, she takes out a piece of scrap paper, paces back and forth in front of her pantry shelves, and scribbles down a rough inventory of the grains on hand.  Next, she takes that same scribbled piece of paper, flips it over and starts scribbling rough measurements – ratios really – for the available grains.  Then, she decides on a general method for the bread, including proofing the yeast first and the best shape for the loaves. [By the way, proofing the yeast first was very fortuitous as the first three batches failed to show any signs of life, and it would be a real pain in the buttocks to have prepared the wheat berries and wheat germ only to have the bread not rise in the end.]  Finally, she has to find another piece of scrap paper and a pen she doesn’t mind getting covered in flour so she can take notes throughout the assembly process as she adjusts the amounts of this and that, depending on how forgiving the dough turns out to be. 

WA-lah!!  I would say though that I have a little more fine-tuning to do, most of which is reflected in the recipe below.  The honey wasn’t prominent enough so I upped it a bit.  And the wheat berries were just a touch too prominent so I downed them a bit.  And the alfalfa seeds were delightful so I tacked on another tablespoon.  Otherwise though, I wouldn’t change a thing and plan on making this honey multigrain loaf a regular visitor to our dinner table.  I think I’ll also use it for sandwiches in my packed lunches.  It’s so filling that I’ll surely not be hungry again until dinnertime rolls around (I have a chronic problem with getting the “munchies” around 3 o’clock every day). 

Now, a word to the wise for the newbie bread bakers out there: this loaf is a tad tricky to knead so if you’re not comfortable just yet with the kneading process, you might want to practice with a few of the other bread recipes on the blog first.  The dough is sticky, making it very tempting to keep adding flour to it.  Since there is so much “stuff” in the dough already demanding more moisture than normal, you really have to let it just be sticky so the resulting loaf doesn’t turn out disappointingly dry.  Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it! 

Oh, and I realize my grains inventory might have been a little more diverse than some folks’ might be.  If you’d like to adapt this recipe to what you have on hand, I’d strongly advise keeping the wheat berries for the chewy texture.   You can get them at Whole Foods, Wegmans, or other stores with a diverse selection of grains (they are often found in the bulk bins near the produce section). If you can’t find the wheat berries, a potentially good alternative would be spelt, although that may be equally scarce.  Trust me though; it’s worth hunting these ingredients out.   Otherwise, you can easily substitute different varieties of grains for what is listed in the recipe; just keep the ratios about the same (approximately 5 cups of flours to 2 cups of other stuff). 

And remember to chew slowly!  There’s a lot to be savored in a slice!

HONEY MULTIGRAIN BREAD
A Straight from the Farm Original

2 c. warm water
1 package (2 ¼ t.) dry active yeast
1 t. sugar
3 c. white bread flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. rye flour
1 ½ t. salt
3 T. wheat gluten (optional, but recommended)
1/3 c. uncooked wheat berries
½ c. rolled oats
½ c. coarse wheat germ
2 T. alfalfa or flax seeds
3 T. honey
1 t. of salt dissolved in warm water

In advance… 

Prepare the wheat berries by combining with 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes.  Remove from microwave and let sit for at least an hour.  Drain.  This could be done a day in advance – after draining, cover and store in the fridge.

Prepare the wheat germ by combing with just enough water to cover in a microwave-safe bowl.  Cover and microwave for a minute or until liquid is absorbed.  Allow to cool.  Note: If you are using the finely milled wheat germ that closely resembles flour, you do not have to cook it as directed here. 

Making the bread… 

Proof the yeast by combing it with 1 cup of warm water and the sugar in a small bowl.  Cover with a towel and let rise for 10 minutes or until foamy. 

Mix the white flour, rye flour, rolled oats, salt and wheat gluten in a large mixing bowl.  Add the prepared wheat berries, wheat germ, and alfalfa seeds, tossing to combine and coat with flour.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add yeast mixture and honey.  Begin combining and add about 1 more cup of warm water until a soft dough is formed. 

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead for five minutes until relatively smooth and elastic.  This dough will be somewhat difficult to work with so just knead it as best you can, adding only enough flour to keep it from sticking too much. 

Clean out the mixing bowl, spray lightly with non-stick spray and place dough inside.  Cover with a towel, place in a warm spot, and let rise for two hours or until doubled in bulk. 

Turn dough out again onto a floured countertop and knead for a minute or two.  Divide dough in half and form two oval loaves.  Place loaves on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats.  Cover and let rise for at least 30 minutes and up to 90 minutes – the longer it rises, the less dense the loaves will be. 

Preheat oven to 425 F. Using a sharp knife, scour the tops of the loaves for decoration and brush with the salt water.  Sprinkle tops with seeds, oatmeal, wheat germ or all three as desired.  Bake loaves for 10 minutes and then lower heat to 400 F. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.  Let cool on a wire rack. 

(makes 2 hefty loaves)

I think I might have to officially declare today “Idiot Day”.  I can’t disclose the full details of why I’ve made this official declaration since it has to do with my professional life and apparently somewhere along the way someone coerced me into signing a document that said I wouldn’t blab on the internet anywhere about topics concerning my job.  I suppose this agreement is ultimately in my best interest too, so let’s just leave it at this: my day isn’t going so smoothly. 

But enough of that; my time is limited today.  Let’s move promptly along to a much more pleasant topic – making your own artisan crackers at home.  Crackers are, after all, a form of unleavened bread, so I thought I’d sneak them in here during our last Week of Bread together.  I got my inspiration from Rebecca over at New Old Fashioned Gal when she submitted the recipe to last week’s Carnival of Recipes: A Menu. 

 

The possibilities of these crackers are endless, since you could very well use a limitless combination of seasonings and probably not have to make the same kind twice for a year if you really put your mind to it.  You could also get fancy with the edges and shapes, using special cutting wheels and cookie cutters.  I see my next batch as being round with wavy edges…

So I mulled over my choice of seasonings for quite a few days before making my first foray into cracker crafting.   I settled on giving priority to some of my dried herbs from the farm on this first go-around since they really are the best seasonings in my pantry – superb flavor and quality.  To keep the dill and oregano company, and mostly because I somehow think everything is better in three’s, I threw in coarse black pepper at the last moment.  Boy, did that pepper make them pop! 

I don’t think these would necessarily make good soup crackers – I mean, they might, but why bother smothering them in soup unless it’s rather bland and needs a cracker with seasoning.  My bag was quickly consumed by scooping up soft goat cheese and just plain snacking while I watched – gasp – the Knight Rider network movie on NBC Sunday night.  It didn’t take a genius to know that piece of entertainment wasn’t going to offer any Emmy-winning performances, but I was blissful in my viewing with my nostalgia and homemade crackers to keep me amused.  

Sadly, I’m now all out of crackers.  It’s comforting to know - especially on a day like today - that when armed with a nearly idiot-proof recipe like this , I can easily make some more.  What combination of seasonings do you think you’d like to try first?

Artisan Herb Crackers
Adapted from A New Old-Fashioned Gal

2 ½ c. flour
3 t. dried herbs/seasonings*
1 t. salt
4 T. olive oil
¾ c. cold water
coarse salt for sprinkling on top

*I used dill, coarse cracked pepper, and oregano.  Other tasty combinations might include parmesan, basil, rosemary, sage, cumin, cayenne, garlic salt, and onion powder.
 
Preheat oven to 400 F.  Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl being sure to get everything well blended.  Add the oil and half of the water and begin mixing.  Add more water as necessary to form a rough dry dough.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead just until it comes together into a cohesive ball.

Divide dough into even quarters.  On a silicone mat or piece of parchment paper, roll dough as thin as possible until it’s nearly the size of a baking sheet.  Cut the dough into squares or other desired shape and use a fork to prick each square two or three times.  Sprinkle with course sea salt. 

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown, turning the sheet once half way through.  While the first batch is baking, roll out another quarter of dough.  Let baked crackers cool before breaking apart.  Store in a ziplock bag. 

(makes about 5 cups of crackers)