Time to Experiment Again - Tehina Rolls

I like to collect cookbooks. It's a fact. I probably have a couple of hundred 'traditional', i.e., hardcover cookbooks all displayed in maybe half a dozen different bookcases all over the house. And that's not counting the ones I've downloaded in all kinds of formats, from PDF to epub. That makes a couple of hundred more. Oh, and let's not forget my recipe collection safely stored in MasterCook (maybe 100K recipes, only some collected by me, OK only most collected by me). And everyday, I get email from more websites with recipes for ..,. well you name it. In my own defense, I don't save then all. But I do save some of them. The collection is growing.

Which only begs the question, if I have all these recipes, how come sometimes, like today, I just want to try something new. Something I haven't read about, or seen elsewhere. Something that just sounds like it should be good, so why not? That's how this recipe came about. I was going through the fridge, and came upon an unopened container of tehina, with added garlic and parsley. It just had to work, so I tried it. I wasn't wrong :).

Here's What You'll Need:

3 cups AP flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. instant yeast
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup + 1 Tbs. warm water (about 265 ml)
1/4 cup (about 60g) prepared tehina paste (with or without the added garlic and parsley)
about 1 tsp. dried garlic flakes, crushed

Here's What You'll Need To Do:

1. Place the dry ingredients (flour, salt, yeast, sugar) in a large bowl, or the bowl of a mixer, and stir to mix.

2. Add the water and the oil and mix to form a slurry, then add the tehina paste. Knead this soft dough, adding a little flour if you need to so it isn't too sticky until a rough dough form. Knead this dough for about 10 minutes until smooth. In a mixer, it will clean the bowl completely.

3. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

4. Form the dough into rolls (or leave it as is and form a loaf). Let this rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. About 15 minutes before the end of the second rise, pre-heat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

5. Bake rolls for about 15 minutes or until a light brown. A loaf will take longer, about 25 minutes (on turbo) or 30 minutes with a regular setting. The house smells amazing! Oh, and with pastrami, it's to die for.

Something Else for Autumn Comfort - Onion Rolls

Honestly, I don't know why these rolls seem so right for this time of year. Maybe because they just smell soooo good - before, during and after baking. Maybe because they compliment so well the spicy cold cuts that you can load up and cover with ketchup and/or mayo. Or maybe because anything with onions is just plain comforting. Whatever the reason, you won't need an excuse to love them. Soft and sturdy, they are definitely up to the 'sandwich' task. And like I already mentioned... the smell!

Here's What You'll Need:

4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 Tbs. instant dry yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (250 ml) warm water
3-4 onions chopped very finely

Here's What You'll Need To Do:

1. Mix the yeast with the water and sugar to dissolve. Wait about 10 minutes until it becomes nice and bubbly (and smells 'yeasty'.

2. Add the salt, oil and one of the eggs, mixing to combine. Gradually add the flour until you have a soft only slightly sticky dough. If using a mixer it will 'clean the bowl'.

3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover and let it rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until about doubled in volume.

4.Deflate the dough and stretch it out into a rough rectangle. Add about 2/3 of the onions, spread evenly over the top. Then fold the dough to cover the onions. Finally, knead the dough to distribute the onion evenly throughout the dough. You will likely find, like I did, that the onions are quite wet, adding liquid to the dough, and therefore, be prepared to add flour to the dough as you knead it.

5. Break off pieces of dough about the size of a large egg, roll into a round shape and place them on to a prepared baking sheet. When they are all rolled out, cover and let them rise again, this time for about 45 minutes. About 15 minutes before the end of this rise, pre-heat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

6. If you wish, you can brush the rolls with the remaining egg and sprinkle some left-over onion on top. I didn't because the rolls were already so 'oniony'. Bake for about 17 minutes then cool on a rack. The house will smell heavenly.

Bread for Autumn - Whole Wheat Spelt Bread

I am sitting in my kitchen waiting (impatiently, I might add) for this new bread to cool. In the end I will probably eat a piece while still warm. Even though the instructions clearly say, 'Cool completely before slicing'. Completely. On a cooling rack. This bread smells sooo good. And it is bread for the Fall of the year. Last week we had rain, for the first time since last April, and, frankly, even this rain was a bit of a surprise. Honestly, I wasn't expecting any rain until maybe the end of October, or even the beginning of November. But the leaves are turning color a little, and the flowers are starting to fade. And the evenings are cooler. And so, harvest bread filled with goodies.

Whole wheat spelt bread uses spelt flour (go figure) that you can substitute with whole wheat flour if you wish. Spelt is an ancient grain: it is the oldest form of wheat. As such it acts much like wheat in a recipe. However, I believe it has less gluten than regular wheat flour. It is richer in B-vitamins and is even tastier to boot. Because of the lower gluten content, use a little more leavening agent (this bread uses baking soda). If using yeast with this flour, use a little more and let it rise longer. You won't be sorry.

Here's What You'll Need: (for 2 small 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 in (23X10 cm) loaves)
1 1/2 cups lightly toasted walnuts (or other nuts you may prefer)
about 5 1/2 cups spelt flour (or half whole wheat and half regular bread flour )
2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2 Tbs. molasses or honey
about 3 1/2 cups warm water (enough to make a thick batter)
2 Tbs. mixture of seeds
a little olive oil to grease the loaf pans

Here's What You'll Need To Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).
2. Place the walnuts on a roasting pan and lightly toast them for a few minutes. Just until you start to smell the great aroma they give off. Don't over roast them, as that makes them bitter. Remember, they will continue to roast in the bread!!

3. Place all of the rest of the ingredients, except the seeds in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly to make a very thick batter. Only then, mix in the seeds and the roasted nuts.

4. Place the batter into two lightly-oiled loaf pans (8 1/2 X 4 1/2 in (23X10 cm), smoothing out the top with a wettened spatula.

5. Bake for about 40 minutes (without turbo) or until nicely browned. They will sound hollow when 'thumped' on the bottom.

Kesra - Traditional Moroccan Flatbread

All over the Mediterranean and Middle East, flat breads are very popular. In fact, these breads are the most ancient breads of all with the simplest of them having no yeast. The cuisine of this area is typified by roasted meats and delicately-flavored sauces fragrant with spices like cinnamon and cumin. There are also many, many dips, the most famous being hummus and tehina paste. So the flat breads serve not only to mop up the sauces but also to work the dips. They are usually quite soft (like the pita bread) but also with a strong enough structure so they can be a vehicle for all the goodness they have to transport from plate to mouth. This bread is a Moroccan version of one of the many, many flatbreads from this region.

Here's What You'll Need: (for 2 'loaves')
sunflower or vegetable oil (for oiling the baking pan)
3/4 cup (75 g) cornmeal
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) instant dried yeast
1 tsp (5 g) salt
2 1/2 cups (600 ml) warm water
4 cups (450 g) AP flour
1 tsp. (5 g) sugar
2 Tbs. (30 g) melted butter or margarine

Here's What You'll Need To Do:
1. Mix together the flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar and salt.

2. Make a well in the center, then pour in the water and melted butter (or margarine). Mix this together to form a soft dough. You may need to adjust the flour and/or water to get the right texture. The dough should be soft but not very sticky. Knead for a few minutes to develop the gluten.

3. Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten the ball to a disk about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Place the disk on a baking tray that is lightly oiled, then sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with a damp towel, and let it rise until doubled in volume. This will take a while (2 hours?) because there is very little yeast. While you wait, the flavor is developing.

4. When the dough has risen, heat the oven to 425 F (about 220 C). Bake the bread for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 F (about 180 C) and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove the bread to a cooling rack when it is well-browned, with a crunchy crust.

5. Find some excellent hummus and dig in!!

Not a Joke - 'True' Apple Bread

I have touched on this subject before when trying to show the difference between cake and bread. I have also debated whether I should even include quick breads in the blog postings, are they cake or bread. Basically the same argument. And truly, the argument that they are baked in a loaf and eaten in slices seems like stretching it a bit - even to me. And I'm the one making the case. I should definitely stick to baking and stay away from lawyering (for lots of reasons, but that's another story for another time, maybe). But this apple bread, that I'm posting today, is truly bread, not some pseudo-bread-like loaf. It uses yeast, and rises!! So it's bread. Just look at the picture, is that a cake?

This bread makes a free-standing loaf of wonderfully textured, soft, yet firm, sandwich bread. It is flavored with fresh apples and cinnamon making it perfect for breakfast (it's great toasted, for example) or picnics, or even afternoon tea. Oh, and it's actually not difficult to make.

Here's What You'll Need: (one 23 by 13cm, or 9 by 5in loaf pan)
1/2 Tbs. instant yeast
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk (I used soy milk to avoid dairy)
3 to 3 1/4 cups AP flour
1 large tart apple peeled, cored and chopped coarsely
1/4 cup dried currants (or raisins)
1.4 cup chopped walnuts
1 Tbs. oil
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 Tbs. salt

Here's What You'll Need To Do:

1. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a mixer) combine the yeast, water, milk, sugar and 1 cup of the flour. Mix to form a slurry, then cover and let it sit, at room temperature, for about an hour.

2. Add the apple, currants (or raisins), walnuts, oil, egg, spices and enough flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead for about 5 minutes in a mixer (or 10 by hand), adding flour as needed, to form a very smooth and slightly tacky dough.

3. Let the dough rise in a covered, lightly-oiled container until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

4. Gently deflate the dough, form it into a loaf, then place it in an oiled loaf pan. Cover to let it rise again about an hour. About 20 minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 200 C (about 400 F).

5. Place the bread int he oven, reduce the heat to 180 C (350 F) and bake for about 30 minutes or until well browned. It will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a rack completely before slicing.

6. This bread freezes well (double wrapped) and will be good for several months. But honestly, will it make the freezer? I don't think so.

Easy and Fast (sort of...) Sourdough Bread

The most ancient method for making bread, bar none, is without doubt, sourdough. All other aspects of bread making aside, the oldest method is clearly sourdough. It requires patience above all because, when done in the traditional way, just setting up the process can sometimes take weeks or months. And once the 'starter' is working, then you have to let the dough sit and ferment and grow sometimes for days. This comes from the days when there was no instant yeast or even fresh yeast, the kind we buy in small cubes of 50g (almost 2oz.). So... you have to set up a water and flour solution and leave it uncovered to ferment and, hopefully, collect some wild yeast from the air in your kitchen. Different places have different strains of yeast, and so some sourdough 'starters' are particularly prized. But actually, because wild yeast is pretty much anywhere, you can always start your own starter, with a lot of patience, and a little luck.

But there is another way. Let's be clear about this. Yeast, whether wild from the air, or from a package at the supermarket, is still yeast. We can help the process along, and have sourdough bread almost identical to the artisan breads that take weeks to produce. Here's how...

Here's What You'll Need:

for the starter:
1 cup AP flour
1 cup warm water
1/4 tsp. instant yeast

for the dough:
1 cup rye flour
1 cup AP flour
all of the starter
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. instant yeast
enough water to make a soft (slightly sticky) dough

Here's What You'll Need To Do:
1. Mix the flour, water and yeast together in a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, then leave it on the counter, at room temperature for at least 24 hours. The starter will bubble up then collapse. When you open the plastic wrap, it will smell sour.

2. The next day, mix all the remaining ingredients in another bowl, adding just enough water to make a soft, but slightly sticky dough.

3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, covered with plastic wrap, until it doubles in size. This will be slower than usual, about 2 hours or more depending on the temperature in your kitchen.

4. Remove the dough from the bowl without deflating too much. Divide it into two pieces and shape into loaves. Place each piece in a loaf pan 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 inches. Cover and let the loaves rest for about an hour or until they rise just over the tops of the pans.

5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350F (175C). Cool on a rack.

Vegetables or Fruit - You Decide! Zucchini Muffins

I don't usually toot my own horn, but sometimes it really is the right thing to do. This week Breadmantalking has been chosen by Become.com as one of the Best on The Web and is featured on their website. You can visit their website here.

This is a very serious question. Is zucchini a fruit or a vegetable? Or something in between (is there such a thing?). It's true we eat it (usually) like a vegetable. In stir-fry for instance. Or stuffed with luscious risotto style rice and other veggies. Some people eat it raw in a salad like a cucumber, which is, after all, a first cousin. So which is it? In truth it is confusing, because we actually eat it as a vegetable, usually, but it is a fruit. BTW, so are tomatoes, peppers and even eggplants! So this recipe, rather than confusing, should actually straighten you out a bit. But I suspect you will end up even more confused!

Here's What You'll Need:

1 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cups grated or finely chopped zucchini
1/1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 to 1/2 cup raisins or currants

Here's What You'll Need To Do:

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line muffin tin(s) with papers, or grease each cup.


2) Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla till smooth and somewhat lightened in color, about 1 minute at high speed.

3) Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, beating to combine.
4) Add the flour, beating just till smooth.
5) Add the zucchini, nuts, and raisins or currants.

6) Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.

7) Bake the muffins for 18 to 20  minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy!!