Sesame-Peanut Bars

Place the bars in air tight containers to store.

Roll the cut bars in a mixture of white and black sesame seeds. 

This is not called for in the recipe, but I thought they were a bit sticky

once cut.  I think this helps them not get stuck together

when storing them. Plus, they look kind of cool rolled in 

the black and white mixture of sesame seeds.

You know they are done cooking in the oven, when they 

have a beautiful light brown color all around the edges.

These have to be completely cool before lifting the parchment 

out of the pan.  Use a very sharp knife to cut them into little squares.

You could even slightly chill the bars before cutting them, 

to help the bar stiffen up to make it easier to cut.

My mixture, once pressed in the pan was fairly thick, 

so I decided to cut them into little cubes, which are perfect 

bite sized pieces for snacking.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Bon Appetit, September 2015

INGREDIENTS

• Unsalted butter (for pan)
• 1¼ cups white and/or black sesame seeds
• ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¼ cup unsalted, roasted peanuts
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter or other nut butter
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

• RECIPE PREPARATION

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8x8" glass or metal baking dish; line with parchment paper, leaving a generous overhang on all sides. Mix sesame seeds, coconut, peanuts, and salt in a large bowl. Mix honey, peanut butter, and vanilla in a small bowl. Add to sesame seed mixture and mix well.
  • Scrape mixture into prepared baking dish; press firmly into an even layer. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 20–25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool until firm, 30–40 minutes. Lift out of baking dish (if it starts to crumble, let cool longer) and cut into 16 bars. Let cool completely.
  • (I cut mine into little 1 inch cubes, which is 64 pieces, cutting each side into 8 segments.)

Wrapping Bread

Well, I have been baking all these huge rustic

artisanal loaves of bread, and I don't have large bags(that are attractive)

to put the bread in for friends.

I do have lots of rolls of brown paper and a huge spool 

of bakers twine, so as the say,

necessity is the mother of invention.

Why not wrap the bread like a gift, or like they used to do

when I was a kid, wrap your bakery box with twine.  Now they just use

scotch tape.  The bread can breath, the crust will stay crisp, I can cleanly transport it, 

and best of all, it looks beautiful!!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Jon's Rye bread

This bread is very dense, and full of nuts, seeds and whole grains.

Whether eaten fresh or toasted, this bread needs a topping!

Spread some cream cheese and add smoked salmon, or sliced tomatoes.

I love this bread toasted, and avocado added to the top.

This bread takes 3 hours to bake! 

2 hours in the pans at a low temperature and 

1 hour out of the pans, with a good basting of butter.

The batter is so thick, when scooped out of the mixing bowl, it has 

to be pressed and smoothed into the pan, which needs to be heavily buttered!!

I was surprised at how, even though the dough was so thick, it did rise and puff a bit to fill 

 the pan.  Do not let the dough rise past the rim of the pan.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Source:  Scandinavian kitchen by Camilla Plum

Old Milwaukee Rye

For those who love rye bread, this recipe was a hit!

Loaded with caraway seeds and a delicious sweet note 

from the molasses.

This made the best ham and cheese and egg breakfast sandwich!

A beautiful deep brown color, right out of the oven, from the egg wash 

applied to the risen loaves.

When the loaves are shaped and done proofing for the second time, 

gently brush with egg wash and sprinkle caraway seeds all over the top.

I was delighted how this bread turned out.  It is hard to find good rye bread, especially with 

caraway seeds.

I now have a new go to favorite!

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Source:  The Rye Baker by Stanley Ginsberg

Seeded Rye Rolls

These rolls are full of nuts and seeds and whole

grains.  Super delicious, sliced open and served with

smoked salmon or sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.

Spread with butter, cream cheese, or hummus. 

The dough is flattened into a rectangle after its first rising, 

then layered with seeds on the bottom and the top.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Source :  Scandikitchen- The Essence of Hygge by Bronte Aurell

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup chopped rye kernels

3/4 cup sunflower seeds(reserve 1/3 cup for topping)

3/4 cup pumpkin seeds(reserve 1/3 cup for topping)
1/4 cup flaxseeds
2 1/2 tsp dried active yeast
7 Tbs. warm water
1 cup buttermilk
4 tsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. barley malt syrup
1 1/2 cups whole grain rye flour
3 1/2 cups bread flour
egg wash for brushing

2 baking sheets lined with parchment

Makes 18 rolls

  Place rye kernels, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseeds in a pan.  Cover with water, bring to a boil, allow to boil for a few minutes. Pour into a sieve/strainer, run cold water through to cool, Then press out the excess water.( on the second time of making these rolls, I put the flaxseed in a microwave dish with water and cooked them seperately in the microwave. When the flaxseed is cooked, it creates a very glutinous film.  This was hard to strain when combined with the other seeds.)

Add yeast and warm water to a bowl, whisk. Let stand for 15 minutes to activate.

Warm the buttermilk and add to the yeast in the mixing bowl. Add oil, salt, syrup and stir.Then add rye flour and boiled seed mixture.  Slowly start adding the bread flour. Keep kneading for about 5 minutes. The dough should be a bit sticky, but stretchy. Leave covered to rise for about 1 hour.

Tip out dough onto a floured surface. Knead it through. Roll dough to a 8x17 inch rectangle. Spread 1/3 of the reserved seeds onto the dough, pat in.  Flip dough and brush with egg wash, sprinkle on remaining reserved seeds.  Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 18 equal pieces.  Place rolls on the prepared baking sheets.  Let rise 30 minutes.  Place in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Italian Fish Soup

Lots of fresh Italian parsley gives this clear broth based soup

a fresh bright taste. 

Most Italian soups are tomato or possibly cream based.

Sometimes it is nice to have just a simple broth with a clean

taste of vegetables and herbs.

This soup is quick to put together, yet it has a complex

taste by adding many different liquids.

Add the white fish of your choice, but keep it simple, this is 

what would be in old Italy considered food of the peasants or poor.

As Always,

ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 onion

3 carrots

3 celery ribs

2 bay leafs

1 sprig fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic

2 medium potatoes

6 cups seafood stock

1 bottle clam juice

2 cups dry white wine

1/2 lb.  raw large shrimp with shell

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. fresh white fish (cod, rockfish, talapia, snapper, etc.)

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

   Shell shrimp, save raw shrimp for a different dish.  Place a drizzle of olive oil in a small pot heat on medium, add shrimp shells.  Cook until bright orange.  Deglaze pan with 1 cup white wine, bring to a boil and add 1 cup water.  Lower heat and simmer 15-20 min.  

   In a large pot, drizzle with olive oil, turn to med. high heat.  In food processor, add onion and garlic, chop until fine.  Add to hot pot.  Stir, but don't let burn. Next add carrots to processor and chop fine, add this also to the pot.  Next add celery to processor and chop to fine, add this to the pot as well. 

 Cook these vegetables for 3- 5 minutes, until soft.  Add 1 cup white wine, bay leaves, and thyme and salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes.  Now add clam juice, and strained shrimp liquid. 

     Peel potatoes, and cut into very small cubes.  Add this to the pot.  cook 5-10 minutes until potatoes are just tender.  Cut white fish into very small cubes, add this to the pot, and lower temperature to med/low. Simmer the fish for a few minutes.  Add chopped parsley.  Slowly add in seafood stock, keeping the pot at a low simmer.  simmer for 15-20 minutes more, until fish is very tender and flavors have blended well.  Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

   Serve with Rustic Italian bread!

   

Crispbread with Sourdough

A tower of Crispbread 

These cracker like breads are just so pretty, even to 

simply look at!

The whole cut in the middle, is so the breads can be placed on 

a dowel or string and stored for later use.  Since they are cooked

crisp and dry, they store well for later use. 

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source:  The Scandinavian Kitchen by Camilla Plum

Starter

2 cups milk

1 oz. yeast

3 Tbs. honey

1 cup rye flour

1/2 cup spelt or wheat flour

scant 1/4 cup sourdough starter

Dough

1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt

14 oz. flour( a mix of wheat, rye, barley and oats)

   Heat the milk to lukewarm, add the honey and yeast, stir to dissolve. Add flour and sourdough to the milk, knead to a smooth dough. Cover, let rest 2 hours. 

   Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Add other ingredients to starter and knead into a dough. Divide into 14 round buns.  Roll the buns into very thin rounds. Prick all over with a fork, cut out centers, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake on baking sheet or stone in hot oven for 5 minutes.  When all breads are baked, lower the heat, and return all breads to oven for another 7-10 minutes until golden and crisp.

Danish Rye Bread

Dense, coarse, grainy and seedy,

are all great textural descriptors of this 

bread, but the taste is what is really amazing!

In every bite, there is so much flavor from

the variety of grains, nuts, seeds and barley malt syrup.

Serve with a thick layer of good quality butter, or layer on sharp cheese,

a slice of ham or some smoked fish.  These are all complimentary

flavors to the strong bread.

 The interior of this bread is very moist, even though it bakes in the oven for 

over and hour.  I used a loaf pan here, as I do not own a 

pullman loaf pan.  Therefore, my bread is more rectangular 

in shape.  Traditionally, with the correct pan, the bread is almost a

perfect square.

The bread must completely cool and then be stored for

24-48 hours before cutting into very thin slices.

This allows the flavor of the bread to develop. 

Just as many people know we store fruitcakes, once baked, 

for quite some time before serving, for the flavors to mature.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source:  The Rye Baker by Stanley Ginsberg

SCALD(Day 1 Evening)
240 grams medium rye flour
400 grams boiling water
27 grams salt
160 grams sunflower seeds
40 grams flaxseed
   
   Combine the scald ingredients in a bowl and cover. Let cool to room temperature 1-2 hours, and
then refrigerate overnight 8-10 hours.

FINAL DOUGH(Day 2 Morning)
867 grams scald(all of it)
240 grams coarse rye meal
240 grams medium rye flour
240 grams cracked wheat
400 grams warm water(105 degrees)
20 grams instant yeast
240 grams light molasses or malt syrup
vegetable shortening for pan- as needed

   Combine the scald and the remaining ingredients in the mixer and use the flat paddle at low speed,
12-15 minutes. Use a plastic dough scraper and wet  hands to transfer the dough to the prepared pan,
9x4x4 inch pullman loaf pan. Cover and proof at room temperature for 40-45 minutes.  There will be little or no visible expansion of the dough.  (Mine seemed to have quite a bit)
    Preheat oven to 465 degrees, with a steam pan and the baking surface in the middle.  Bake with steam for 10 minutes, remove steam pan and bake for another 35 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the loaf thumps with tapped with a finger and the internal temperature is at least 198 degrees, another 30-40 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a rack to cool thoroughly.  For best flavor let the bread rest for 24-48 hours before slicing.

Beurre de Baratte(Churned Butter)

Who could resist this charming butter, 

stamped with a cow and formed with scalloped edges.

Best of all, the taste is heavenly!

Who even needs bread to eat this?

This lovely French butter is available at 

Andrew's Cheese Shop.

I feel so lucky it is not too far from my house, 

and with all my bread baking, I have the perfect topper.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Salt Rising Bread

A fine tight interior that really has body.

This bread makes the most amazing toast or 

grilled cheese sandwich!

Always experimenting, I am still trying to find the best

sponge for this bread.  A long time favorite in my family, especially for 

toast lovers.  This bread is no longer available commercially, 

so I am making it at home.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: King Arthur Flour Co.

STARTER 1

• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon sugar

STARTER 2

• 1 cup hot water (120°F to 130°F)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

DOUGH

• 4 tablespoons soft butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Instructions

1. To make Starter 1: Heat the milk until it's nearly but not quite boiling; small bubbles will form around the edge of the pan (or microwave container), and you might see a bit of steam. This is called "scalding" the milk.
2. Cool the milk until it's lukewarm, then whisk together the milk, cornmeal, and sugar in a small heatproof container. The container should be large enough to let the starter expand a bit. Whisking vigorously will help prevent lumps.
3. Cover the container with plastic wrap, and place it somewhere warm, between 90°F and 100°F. We find our turned-off electric oven, with the light turned on for about 2 hours ahead of time, holds a temperature of 95°F to 97°F, perfect for this starter.
4. Let the starter rest in its warm place overnight, or for 8 to 12 hours. It won't expand much, but will develop a bubbly foam on its surface. It'll also smell a bit fermented. If it doesn't bubble at all, and doesn't smell fermented, your starter has failed; try again, using different cornmeal, or finding a warmer spot.
5. To make Starter 2: Combine the hot water (120°F to 130°F) with the salt, baking soda, and sugar, stirring to combine. Add the flour, stirring until everything is thoroughly moistened.
6. Stir Starter 1 into Starter 2.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place it in the same warm spot Starter 1 was in. Let it rest until very bubbly and doubled in size, 2 to 4 hours. If it's not showing any bubbles after a couple of hours, move it somewhere warmer. If it still doesn't bubble after a couple of hours, give it up; you'll need to start over.
8. Transfer your bubbly starter to a larger bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer (or your bread machine bucket).
9. Stir in the soft butter, salt, and flour. Knead until smooth; the dough will be soft, and fairly elastic/stretchy.
10. Shape the dough into a log, and place it in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.
11. Cover the pan, and place it back in its warm spot. Let the loaf rise until it's crowned about 1/2" to 3/4" over the rim of the pan, which could take up to 4 hours or so. This won't form the typical large, domed top; it will rise straight up, with just a slight dome.
12. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
13. Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, until it's nicely browned. Again, it won't rise much; that's OK.
14. Remove the bread from the oven; if you have a digital thermometer, it should read about 190°F to 200°F at its center. Wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.
15. Store cooled bread at room temperature for 5 to 7 days; freeze for longer storage.
16. Yield: 1 loaf.

Rye and Wheat Sourbread with Caraway Seeds

    

A rye and wheat blend gives good flavor and 

a bit of rising power to this loaf. 

The addition of caraway seeds adds 

a sweetness to what people sometimes say," rye

has a bitter sour taste."

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: The Scandinavian Kitchen by Camilla Plum

INGREDIENTS

10 1/2 oz. sourdough starter

1/2 oz. yeast

1 1/4 lb. wheat flour

14 oz. rye flour

1 Tbs. coarse sea salt

2 1/2 - 2 3/4 cups buttermilk

2 Tbs. caraway seeds

  Mix all ingredients, knead well for 20 minutes. Let rise until doubled, 6-12 hours. Shape both loaves and let rise until fluffy and spongy. Bake on stone in oven 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
   Let rest 24 hours before cutting.

Tartine Country Style Bread

A generous blend of wheat, rye and spelt flours

give this bread a hearty flavor with a great dense chewy interior.

A dark brown crust, gives great texture and 

crunch to the crust.

As Always,

ENJOY! 

Recipe Source: Trevor J. Wilson, YouTube

INGREDIENTS

250g bread flour

96g spelt flour

48g rye flour

330g water

Autolyse 1-2 hours

75g starter

9g salt

Mix final dough until smooth. In the first 2 hours do 4 folds.  Let rise 12 hours retarded ferment in the refrigerator. Bake in a dutch oven at 475 for 30 min. covered and 20 min. uncovered.

Pain De Campagne

Rustic or Artisanal bread, especially a loaf like this

goes well with whatever you are serving.

On a cold evening it is great with soup, or sliced it is 

wonderful for a sandwich or toast.

The interior is soft and chewy, with a complex
flavor that comes from the levain.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast by Ken Forkish

Field Blend Artisan Bread

This beautiful loaf is full of goodness!

That goodness being wheat and rye flours plus

cracked wheat kernels.

I love the dark brown crust that is formed from

baking it at a very high temperature in a dutch oven. 

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Source : Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast by Ken Forkish