While homemade bread is wonderful, there are times whem we just don't have time for a loaf or two of homemade bread. Let's face it, letting yeast rise (usually twice, with many loaves) takes time.
That's where Quick Breads come in. Check out these six yummy quick bread recipes, including Browned Butter Jalapeno Cornbread and Fluffy Cheddar Biscuits. Enjoy!
TEA TIME SCONES
This is from the infamous-long-since-forgotten emailing list. Both my son and I were on several of these lists years ago. He forwarded this to me, as he had a thing for scones. The recipe makes 12 scones.
Ingredients
Cooking spray
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine
4 eggs
1/2 cup non-fat milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, chocolate chips, baking powder, and salt. With pastry blender, cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. In medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Add egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir only until dry ingredients cling together.
On floured surface, with lightly floured hands, pat dough to 3/4-inch thickness. With 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough. Reuse scraps. Place scones on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool.
BROWNED BUTTER JALAPENO CORNBREAD
This incomes from the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of Renew by UnitedHealthcare, page 26. It begins, "Browned butter adds nutty depth and jalapeno adds a kick to this classic crowd-pleaser, made mildly sweet with honey and moist with yogurt." Makes 9 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup better
1/3 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams, then turns to a toasty brown color, about 2 minutes. Remove rom heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the browned butter to a 9X9 inch baking pan, swirling to coat the bottom.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining butter, honey, egg, yogurt and milk, whisking to combine.
Add the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder all at once. Stir together only until combined. Stir in the halapeno. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm.
Nutrition: Calories: 207, Total Fat: 6.6 g; Saturated Fat: 3.8 g; Cholesterol: 36.5 mg; Sodium: 87 mg; Carbs: 33.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g; Protein: 4.3 g
CORNBREAD
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Our quick Cornbread recipe is not only made from scratch but is melt-in-your-mouth good. No matter if you're serving it as a side at a barbeque, alongside chili or even as a breakfast option, you can't go wrong with homemade Cornbread. With only four simple steps, our easy Cornbread recipe is one you'll want to make again and again. This is all thanks to the golden brown, crispy edges and incredible flavor. You'll knock our Cornbread recipe out of the park."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 12 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups yellow, white or blue cornmeal
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Heat the oven to 400°F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan or 9-inch round cake pan with the cooking spray.
In a 1-quart saucepan, heat the butter over low heat until melted.
In a large bowl, beat the melted butter, milk and egg with a fork or wire whisk until well mixed. Add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt all at once; stir just until the flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Pour batter into the pan; use a rubber spatula to scrape batter from bowl. Spread batter evenly in pan and smooth top of batter.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.
Expert Tips
Ground cornmeal is available in different grinds, from fairly fine to very coarse. A finer grind is good for baking a cake-like bread, while coarser grinds (like for grits or polenta that are often cooked into a spoonable hot cereal) can offer more texture and bite to our Cornbread recipe. Consider using a mixture of fine and coarse meals for a crumblier, more bread-like product.
Not all cornmeal is yellow; switch things up with a white or New Mexican blue cornmeal in our easy Cornbread recipe.
Mix a spoonful of clover honey or grated orange peel into softened butter to slather on the warm bread.
Bake the batter in a round or square baking pan or try a small cast-iron skillet, muffin tin, or in a heavy corn stick pan. Like for all quick breads, just grease the bottom of the pan or muffin cups so the bread can climb up the sides easily as it rises. For a corn stick pan completely grease the grooves so the sticks slide out without sticking.
MAPLE PECAN SWEET POTATO SCONES
This comes from United HealthCare, and begins, "Tender and fluffy, these spiced scones are full of veggies, whole grains and maple syrup and are best served warm. Even better? They’re easy enough to whip up for brunch or afternoon coffee."
Yields:12
You can view this online by clicking here.
Ingredients:
Scones
2-3/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 stick cold butter, diced
2/3 cup sweet potato, cooked and mashed
1/3 cup real maple syrup
2 eggs
Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
2–3 teaspoons milk
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry blender until crumbly. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sweet potato, maple syrup and eggs until blended.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough in half and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat each half into a 6-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Transfer the two circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a knife, cut each circle into 6 wedges, gently separating the wedges with the knife until they are about 1/4 inch apart.
Bake the scones for 16–18 minutes or until golden. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the warm scones. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Yields 12. Calories: 231, Total fat: 10.8g, Saturated fat: 5.4g, Cholesterol: 51.3mg, Sodium: 96mg, Carbs: 30.8g, Dietary fiber: 3.7g, Sugars: 8.3g, Protein: 5.2g
FLUFFY CHEDDAR BISCUITS
This is from Erin Jeanne McDowell in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this wonderful recipe, Erin wrote, "These biscuits are golden and crisp outside, light and fluffy inside, and wonderfully cheesy inside and out. They come together in minutes, and triple basting them in butter (before baking, halfway through baking and once more when they come out of the oven) really takes them over the top. You may be tempted to skip the 3 tablespoons of sugar in this otherwise savory biscuit, but don’t: It’s the secret to the biscuit’s tender interior. Inspired by Red Lobster’s buttery biscuits, these are drop-style, which means you just scoop up the batter and gently plop it onto baking sheets. Try to handle the dough gently to avoid compressing it, which can result in a less-than-fluffy biscuit."
Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 12 biscuits
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020539-fluffy-cheddar-biscuits. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it. Great recipes, lots of info. If you're like me, you won't regret it.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
8 ounces sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 2 packed cups)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
Preparation
Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika to combine. Add the 1/2 cup cubed butter and toss until each piece is coated completely in flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to rub the butter into the flour, continuing to work the mixture until the butter is almost fully blended into the dough. There can still be a few larger pieces of butter, but none should be larger than a pea. If the butter feels soft or melty at any point, refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for 15 minutes before continuing.
Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the cheese into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In a liquid measuring cup or in a small bowl with a spout, whisk the buttermilk and egg until well combined. Pour the mixture into the medium bowl and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture is combined. Near the end, you may have to fold it over itself a few times in the bowl to make sure it’s uniformly combined. (Resist the urge to use your hands so that the mixture doesn’t get too soft or compressed.)
Scoop the dough into 12 even portions (about 1/2 cup each) onto the prepared sheet pan. Stagger the biscuits on the baking sheets. (You should have 6 biscuits per sheet pan.)
Brush each biscuit with the melted butter (you won’t use it all) and divide the remaining shredded cheese among the tops of the biscuits (about 2 teaspoons per biscuit).
Transfer to the oven and bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, then brush each biscuit with butter again, and rotate the pans between the oven racks. Continue to bake until the biscuits are light golden and the cheese on top is deeply golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. The biscuits should spring back gently when touched in the center.
Brush the finished biscuits generously with the remaining butter. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving warm (or cool completely and serve at room temperature).
BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD WITH CORN KERNELS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, though it states that it's from The Working Family's Cookbook.
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 30 minutes; Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1-1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup fresh, or frozen and defrosted corn kernels
1 cup buttermilk
2 medium-size eggs, lightly beaten
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put 1 tablespoon of butter in a 9-inch cast iron or ovenproof frying pan or a square baking pan and heat in the oven until it is hot and the butter is melted.
Meanwhile, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and corn kernels in a bowl and mix to blend. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and combine with the buttermilk and eggs in a bowl. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just to combine (do not overmix).
Swirl the butter in the frying pan to coat the sides and pour the batter into the pan. Smooth the top of the batter and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a knife inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
Showing posts with label Fluffy Cheddar Biscuits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fluffy Cheddar Biscuits. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Bread
There's something wonderful about homemade Bread. It smells great, tastes wonderful, and is great for sharing. To that end, here are six bread recipes to help you through the day, including Irish Wheaten Bread and Fluffy Cheddar Biscuits. Enjoy!
NO-KNEAD BREAD
This is from Jim Lahey and adapted by Mark Bittman in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipes, Mark wrote, "Here is one of the most popular recipes The Times has ever published, courtesy of Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery. It requires no kneading. It uses no special ingredients, equipment or techniques. And it takes very little effort — only time. You will need 24 hours to create the bread, but much of this is unattended waiting, a slow fermentation of the dough that results in a perfect loaf. (We've updated the recipe to reflect changes Mark Bittman made to the recipe in 2006 after publishing and receiving reader feedback. The original recipe called for 3 cups flour; we've adjusted it to call for 3-1/3 cups flour.) In 2021, J. Kenji López-Alt revisited the recipe and shared his own tweaked version."
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Total Time: 2 hour 30 minutes, plus about 20 hours resting time; Yield: One 1-1/2-pound loaf
This was featured in "Three Recipes to Savor to the Last Crumb," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread.
Ingredients
3-1/3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting
Generous 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran, as needed
Preparation
In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1-1/2 cups/345 grams water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
EGG CINNAMON BREAD
I've been making this for years – actually, for decades – and almost always gotten rave reviews on this recipe. It got to the point that several people have specifically requested this recipe – and, if I'm visiting, it's pretty much expected that I'll bake up a batch. This recipe makes three loaves.
Ingredients
2 envelopes yeast
1 C warm water
1-2 T honey
1 C milk (Note: 1 cup soy milk can be used in place of the milk)
1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2 eggs, beaten
6-7 C unbleached white flour
1/4-1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2-3 C cinnamon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
Stir honey into warm water. Stir in yeast. Set aside.
Heat milk until warm. Pour into large bowl and add 1/2 C margarine, cut into 4 pieces. Stir, allowing margarine to melt. Cool to room temperature. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and eggs. Add flour, 2 cups at a time until stiff. Place dough on floured towel and knead for 4-5 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl. Oil dough, place in bowl, cover with clean towel and place out of draft in a warm place. Allow to rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until double.
Melt 1/4-1/2 C margarine. Grease 3 loaf pans. Punch dough down, then divide into three sections. Roll out with rolling pin, then brush with melted margarine. Spread cinnamon sugar over melted margarine, then roll all three sections into loaves. Place in pans, place clean towel over pans, and allow to rise again for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove towel, then place loaf pans into preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
FLUFFY CHEDDAR BISCUITS
This is from Erin Jeanne McDowell in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this wonderful recipe, Erin wrote, "These biscuits are golden and crisp outside, light and fluffy inside, and wonderfully cheesy inside and out. They come together in minutes, and triple basting them in butter (before baking, halfway through baking and once more when they come out of the oven) really takes them over the top. You may be tempted to skip the 3 tablespoons of sugar in this otherwise savory biscuit, but don’t: It’s the secret to the biscuit’s tender interior. Inspired by Red Lobster’s buttery biscuits, these are drop-style, which means you just scoop up the batter and gently plop it onto baking sheets. Try to handle the dough gently to avoid compressing it, which can result in a less-than-fluffy biscuit."
Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 12 biscuits
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020539-fluffy-cheddar-biscuits. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it. Great recipes, lots of info. If you're like me, you won't regret it.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
8 ounces sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 2 packed cups)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
Preparation
Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika to combine. Add the 1/2 cup cubed butter and toss until each piece is coated completely in flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to rub the butter into the flour, continuing to work the mixture until the butter is almost fully blended into the dough. There can still be a few larger pieces of butter, but none should be larger than a pea. If the butter feels soft or melty at any point, refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for 15 minutes before continuing.
Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the cheese into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In a liquid measuring cup or in a small bowl with a spout, whisk the buttermilk and egg until well combined. Pour the mixture into the medium bowl and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture is combined. Near the end, you may have to fold it over itself a few times in the bowl to make sure it’s uniformly combined. (Resist the urge to use your hands so that the mixture doesn’t get too soft or compressed.)
Scoop the dough into 12 even portions (about 1/2 cup each) onto the prepared sheet pan. Stagger the biscuits on the baking sheets. (You should have 6 biscuits per sheet pan.)
Brush each biscuit with the melted butter (you won’t use it all) and divide the remaining shredded cheese among the tops of the biscuits (about 2 teaspoons per biscuit).
Transfer to the oven and bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, then brush each biscuit with butter again, and rotate the pans between the oven racks. Continue to bake until the biscuits are light golden and the cheese on top is deeply golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. The biscuits should spring back gently when touched in the center.
Brush the finished biscuits generously with the remaining butter. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving warm (or cool completely and serve at room temperature).
BROWNED BUTTER JALAPENO CORNBREAD
This incomes from the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of Renew by UnitedHealthcare, page 26. It begins, "Browned butter adds nutty depth and jalapeno adds a kick to this classic crowd-pleaser, made mildly sweet with honey and moist with yogurt." Makes 9 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup better
1/3 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams, then turns to a toasty brown color, about 2 minutes. Remove rom heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the browned butter to a 9X9 inch baking pan, swirling to coat the bottom.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining butter, honey, egg, yogurt and milk, whisking to combine.
Add the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder all at once. Stir together only until combined. Stir in the halapeno. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm.
Nutrition: Calories: 207, Total Fat: 6.6 g; Saturated Fat: 3.8 g; Cholesterol: 36.5 mg; Sodium: 87 mg; Carbs: 33.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g; Protein: 4.3 g
IRISH WHEATEN BREAD
Years ago, when my better half and I first got cable, I was channel-surfing, something most of us have done occasionally. I ran across a baking show on PBS called Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, featuring Fr. Dominic Garramone. I fell in love with the show, and watched it almost every time it was on. (Unfortunately, it only ran from 1999 to 2001.)
Anywho, this recipe was featured on his show; you might even find it in one of his many cookbooks (and yes, I’m planning to pick up a copy of at least one or two of said cookbooks).
Makes 1 loaf.
Ingredients
2 to 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 envelope FLEISCHMANN’S RapidRise Yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt and baking soda. Heat buttermilk, water and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees); mixture will curdle. Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining whole wheat flour to make a stiff dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Form into 5-inch smooth ball. Place in greased 9-inch round pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
With sharp knife, make an “X” (1 / 2-inch deep) on top of dough. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.
TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS
Yield: 12 rolls.
I frequently make these (from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic) to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!
Ingredients:
2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6-1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Directions:
Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.
While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.
Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.
"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)
NO-KNEAD BREAD
This is from Jim Lahey and adapted by Mark Bittman in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipes, Mark wrote, "Here is one of the most popular recipes The Times has ever published, courtesy of Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery. It requires no kneading. It uses no special ingredients, equipment or techniques. And it takes very little effort — only time. You will need 24 hours to create the bread, but much of this is unattended waiting, a slow fermentation of the dough that results in a perfect loaf. (We've updated the recipe to reflect changes Mark Bittman made to the recipe in 2006 after publishing and receiving reader feedback. The original recipe called for 3 cups flour; we've adjusted it to call for 3-1/3 cups flour.) In 2021, J. Kenji López-Alt revisited the recipe and shared his own tweaked version."
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Total Time: 2 hour 30 minutes, plus about 20 hours resting time; Yield: One 1-1/2-pound loaf
This was featured in "Three Recipes to Savor to the Last Crumb," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread.
Ingredients
3-1/3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting
Generous 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran, as needed
Preparation
In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1-1/2 cups/345 grams water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
EGG CINNAMON BREAD
I've been making this for years – actually, for decades – and almost always gotten rave reviews on this recipe. It got to the point that several people have specifically requested this recipe – and, if I'm visiting, it's pretty much expected that I'll bake up a batch. This recipe makes three loaves.
Ingredients
2 envelopes yeast
1 C warm water
1-2 T honey
1 C milk (Note: 1 cup soy milk can be used in place of the milk)
1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2 eggs, beaten
6-7 C unbleached white flour
1/4-1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2-3 C cinnamon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
Stir honey into warm water. Stir in yeast. Set aside.
Heat milk until warm. Pour into large bowl and add 1/2 C margarine, cut into 4 pieces. Stir, allowing margarine to melt. Cool to room temperature. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and eggs. Add flour, 2 cups at a time until stiff. Place dough on floured towel and knead for 4-5 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl. Oil dough, place in bowl, cover with clean towel and place out of draft in a warm place. Allow to rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until double.
Melt 1/4-1/2 C margarine. Grease 3 loaf pans. Punch dough down, then divide into three sections. Roll out with rolling pin, then brush with melted margarine. Spread cinnamon sugar over melted margarine, then roll all three sections into loaves. Place in pans, place clean towel over pans, and allow to rise again for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove towel, then place loaf pans into preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
FLUFFY CHEDDAR BISCUITS
This is from Erin Jeanne McDowell in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this wonderful recipe, Erin wrote, "These biscuits are golden and crisp outside, light and fluffy inside, and wonderfully cheesy inside and out. They come together in minutes, and triple basting them in butter (before baking, halfway through baking and once more when they come out of the oven) really takes them over the top. You may be tempted to skip the 3 tablespoons of sugar in this otherwise savory biscuit, but don’t: It’s the secret to the biscuit’s tender interior. Inspired by Red Lobster’s buttery biscuits, these are drop-style, which means you just scoop up the batter and gently plop it onto baking sheets. Try to handle the dough gently to avoid compressing it, which can result in a less-than-fluffy biscuit."
Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 12 biscuits
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020539-fluffy-cheddar-biscuits. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it. Great recipes, lots of info. If you're like me, you won't regret it.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
8 ounces sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 2 packed cups)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
Preparation
Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika to combine. Add the 1/2 cup cubed butter and toss until each piece is coated completely in flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to rub the butter into the flour, continuing to work the mixture until the butter is almost fully blended into the dough. There can still be a few larger pieces of butter, but none should be larger than a pea. If the butter feels soft or melty at any point, refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for 15 minutes before continuing.
Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the cheese into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In a liquid measuring cup or in a small bowl with a spout, whisk the buttermilk and egg until well combined. Pour the mixture into the medium bowl and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture is combined. Near the end, you may have to fold it over itself a few times in the bowl to make sure it’s uniformly combined. (Resist the urge to use your hands so that the mixture doesn’t get too soft or compressed.)
Scoop the dough into 12 even portions (about 1/2 cup each) onto the prepared sheet pan. Stagger the biscuits on the baking sheets. (You should have 6 biscuits per sheet pan.)
Brush each biscuit with the melted butter (you won’t use it all) and divide the remaining shredded cheese among the tops of the biscuits (about 2 teaspoons per biscuit).
Transfer to the oven and bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, then brush each biscuit with butter again, and rotate the pans between the oven racks. Continue to bake until the biscuits are light golden and the cheese on top is deeply golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. The biscuits should spring back gently when touched in the center.
Brush the finished biscuits generously with the remaining butter. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving warm (or cool completely and serve at room temperature).
BROWNED BUTTER JALAPENO CORNBREAD
This incomes from the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of Renew by UnitedHealthcare, page 26. It begins, "Browned butter adds nutty depth and jalapeno adds a kick to this classic crowd-pleaser, made mildly sweet with honey and moist with yogurt." Makes 9 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup better
1/3 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams, then turns to a toasty brown color, about 2 minutes. Remove rom heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the browned butter to a 9X9 inch baking pan, swirling to coat the bottom.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining butter, honey, egg, yogurt and milk, whisking to combine.
Add the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder all at once. Stir together only until combined. Stir in the halapeno. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm.
Nutrition: Calories: 207, Total Fat: 6.6 g; Saturated Fat: 3.8 g; Cholesterol: 36.5 mg; Sodium: 87 mg; Carbs: 33.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g; Protein: 4.3 g
IRISH WHEATEN BREAD
Years ago, when my better half and I first got cable, I was channel-surfing, something most of us have done occasionally. I ran across a baking show on PBS called Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, featuring Fr. Dominic Garramone. I fell in love with the show, and watched it almost every time it was on. (Unfortunately, it only ran from 1999 to 2001.)
Anywho, this recipe was featured on his show; you might even find it in one of his many cookbooks (and yes, I’m planning to pick up a copy of at least one or two of said cookbooks).
Makes 1 loaf.
Ingredients
2 to 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 envelope FLEISCHMANN’S RapidRise Yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt and baking soda. Heat buttermilk, water and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees); mixture will curdle. Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining whole wheat flour to make a stiff dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Form into 5-inch smooth ball. Place in greased 9-inch round pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
With sharp knife, make an “X” (1 / 2-inch deep) on top of dough. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.
TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS
Yield: 12 rolls.
I frequently make these (from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic) to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!
Ingredients:
2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6-1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Directions:
Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.
While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.
Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.
"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Homemade Bread
There's something wonderful about Homemade Bread. It makes the house smell wonderful as it bakes, it tastes great, and it feels good to have made something this good.
To that end, here are six homemade bread recipes to help you through the day, including Egg Cinnamon Bread and Browned Butter Jalapeno Cornbread. Enjoy!
BURGER BUNS
This was from Fr. Dominic Garramone (aka The Bread Monk). I first ran across his show, Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, years ago on PBS. The show has since left television (at least, as far as I can tell), but you can still check out his recipes and books on his website (above).
Yield: 8 buns
Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
2 packages FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast
3/4 cup warm milk (100 to 110 degrees)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1-1/2 tablespoons dried minced onions (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
4-3/4 to 5-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
Dried minced onions or poppy seeds (optional)
Directions
Place warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add warm milk, sugar, butter, 1 1/2 tablespoons minced onions (if desired), salt and 2 cups flour; blend well. Stir in 2 eggs and enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Punch dough down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface; divide into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into smooth ball. Place on large greased baking sheet. Flatten balls to 4-inch rounds; cover. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 20 to 40 minutes.
Lightly beat remaining egg; brush on rolls. If desired, sprinkle with minced onions or poppy seed. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until done. Remove from baking sheet; let cool on wire rack.
SOFT PRETZELS
This was from Fr. Dominic Garramone (aka The Bread Monk). I first ran across his show, Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, years ago on PBS. The show has since left television (at least, as far as I can tell), but you can still check out his recipes and books on his website (above).
Yield: 14 pretzels.
Ingredients
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 package FLEISCHMANN'S RapidRise Yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt or grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt. Heat milk, water and oil until very warm (120 to 130 degrees); stir into dry ingredients. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cover; let rest on floured surface 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 14 equal pieces. Roll each piece to 20-inch rope. Shape into pretzels: Curve ends of each rope to make a circle, cross ends at top, twist ends once and lay down over bottom of circle. Place on two greased baking sheets. Cover, let rest 5 to 10 minutes, until risen slightly.
Brush with beaten eggs. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven; brush again with eggs and sprinkle with sesame seeds, salt or cheese. Return to oven and bake for additional 15 minutes or until done, switching positions of sheets for even browning. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire racks.
EGG CINNAMON BREAD
I've been making this for years – actually, for decades – and almost always gotten rave reviews on this recipe. It got to the point that several people have specifically requested this recipe – and, if I'm visiting, it's pretty much expected that I'll bake up a batch. This recipe makes three loaves.
Ingredients
2 envelopes yeast
1 C warm water
1-2 T honey
1 C milk (Note: 1 cup soy milk can be used in place of the milk)
1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2 eggs, beaten
6-7 C unbleached white flour
1/4-1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2-3 C cinnamon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
Stir honey into warm water. Stir in yeast. Set aside.
Heat milk until warm. Pour into large bowl and add 1/2 C margarine, cut into 4 pieces. Stir, allowing margarine to melt. Cool to room temperature. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and eggs. Add flour, 2 cups at a time until stiff. Place dough on floured towel and knead for 4-5 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl. Oil dough, place in bowl, cover with clean towel and place out of draft in a warm place. Allow to rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until double.
Melt 1/4-1/2 C margarine. Grease 3 loaf pans. Punch dough down, then divide into three sections. Roll out with rolling pin, then brush with melted margarine. Spread cinnamon sugar over melted margarine, then roll all three sections into loaves. Place in pans, place clean towel over pans, and allow to rise again for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove towel, then place loaf pans into preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
FLUFFY CHEDDAR BISCUITS
This is from Erin Jeanne McDowell in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this wonderful recipe, Erin wrote, "These biscuits are golden and crisp outside, light and fluffy inside, and wonderfully cheesy inside and out. They come together in minutes, and triple basting them in butter (before baking, halfway through baking and once more when they come out of the oven) really takes them over the top. You may be tempted to skip the 3 tablespoons of sugar in this otherwise savory biscuit, but don’t: It’s the secret to the biscuit’s tender interior. Inspired by Red Lobster’s buttery biscuits, these are drop-style, which means you just scoop up the batter and gently plop it onto baking sheets. Try to handle the dough gently to avoid compressing it, which can result in a less-than-fluffy biscuit."
Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 12 biscuits
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020539-fluffy-cheddar-biscuits. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it. Great recipes, lots of info. If you're like me, you won't regret it.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
8 ounces sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 2 packed cups)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
Preparation
Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika to combine. Add the 1/2 cup cubed butter and toss until each piece is coated completely in flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to rub the butter into the flour, continuing to work the mixture until the butter is almost fully blended into the dough. There can still be a few larger pieces of butter, but none should be larger than a pea. If the butter feels soft or melty at any point, refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for 15 minutes before continuing.
Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the cheese into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In a liquid measuring cup or in a small bowl with a spout, whisk the buttermilk and egg until well combined. Pour the mixture into the medium bowl and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture is combined. Near the end, you may have to fold it over itself a few times in the bowl to make sure it’s uniformly combined. (Resist the urge to use your hands so that the mixture doesn’t get too soft or compressed.)
Scoop the dough into 12 even portions (about 1/2 cup each) onto the prepared sheet pan. Stagger the biscuits on the baking sheets. (You should have 6 biscuits per sheet pan.)
Brush each biscuit with the melted butter (you won’t use it all) and divide the remaining shredded cheese among the tops of the biscuits (about 2 teaspoons per biscuit).
Transfer to the oven and bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, then brush each biscuit with butter again, and rotate the pans between the oven racks. Continue to bake until the biscuits are light golden and the cheese on top is deeply golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. The biscuits should spring back gently when touched in the center.
Brush the finished biscuits generously with the remaining butter. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving warm (or cool completely and serve at room temperature).
BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD WITH CORN KERNELS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, though it states that it's from The Working Family's Cookbook.
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 30 minutes; Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup fresh, or frozen and defrosted corn kernels
1 cup buttermilk
2 medium-size eggs, lightly beaten
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put 1 tablespoon of butter in a 9-inch cast iron or ovenproof frying pan or a square baking pan and heat in the oven until it is hot and the butter is melted.
Meanwhile, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and corn kernels in a bowl and mix to blend. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and combine with the buttermilk and eggs in a bowl. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just to combine (do not overmix).
Swirl the butter in the frying pan to coat the sides and pour the batter into the pan. Smooth the top of the batter and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a knife inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
BROWNED BUTTER JALAPENO CORNBREAD
This incomes from the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of Renew by UnitedHealthcare, page 26. It begins, "Browned butter adds nutty depth and jalapeno adds a kick to this classic crowd-pleaser, made mildly sweet with honey and moist with yogurt." Makes 9 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup better
1/3 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams, then turns to a toasty brown color, about 2 minutes. Remove rom heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the browned butter to a 9X9 inch baking pan, swirling to coat the bottom.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining butter, honey, egg, yogurt and milk, whisking to combine.
Add the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder all at once. Stir together only until combined. Stir in the halapeno. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm.
Nutrition: Calories: 207, Total Fat: 6.6 g; Saturated Fat: 3.8 g; Cholesterol: 36.5 mg; Sodium: 87 mg; Carbs: 33.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g; Protein: 4.3 g
To that end, here are six homemade bread recipes to help you through the day, including Egg Cinnamon Bread and Browned Butter Jalapeno Cornbread. Enjoy!
BURGER BUNS
This was from Fr. Dominic Garramone (aka The Bread Monk). I first ran across his show, Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, years ago on PBS. The show has since left television (at least, as far as I can tell), but you can still check out his recipes and books on his website (above).
Yield: 8 buns
Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
2 packages FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast
3/4 cup warm milk (100 to 110 degrees)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1-1/2 tablespoons dried minced onions (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
4-3/4 to 5-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
Dried minced onions or poppy seeds (optional)
Directions
Place warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add warm milk, sugar, butter, 1 1/2 tablespoons minced onions (if desired), salt and 2 cups flour; blend well. Stir in 2 eggs and enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Punch dough down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface; divide into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into smooth ball. Place on large greased baking sheet. Flatten balls to 4-inch rounds; cover. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 20 to 40 minutes.
Lightly beat remaining egg; brush on rolls. If desired, sprinkle with minced onions or poppy seed. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until done. Remove from baking sheet; let cool on wire rack.
SOFT PRETZELS
This was from Fr. Dominic Garramone (aka The Bread Monk). I first ran across his show, Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, years ago on PBS. The show has since left television (at least, as far as I can tell), but you can still check out his recipes and books on his website (above).
Yield: 14 pretzels.
Ingredients
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 package FLEISCHMANN'S RapidRise Yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt or grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt. Heat milk, water and oil until very warm (120 to 130 degrees); stir into dry ingredients. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cover; let rest on floured surface 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 14 equal pieces. Roll each piece to 20-inch rope. Shape into pretzels: Curve ends of each rope to make a circle, cross ends at top, twist ends once and lay down over bottom of circle. Place on two greased baking sheets. Cover, let rest 5 to 10 minutes, until risen slightly.
Brush with beaten eggs. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven; brush again with eggs and sprinkle with sesame seeds, salt or cheese. Return to oven and bake for additional 15 minutes or until done, switching positions of sheets for even browning. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire racks.
EGG CINNAMON BREAD
I've been making this for years – actually, for decades – and almost always gotten rave reviews on this recipe. It got to the point that several people have specifically requested this recipe – and, if I'm visiting, it's pretty much expected that I'll bake up a batch. This recipe makes three loaves.
Ingredients
2 envelopes yeast
1 C warm water
1-2 T honey
1 C milk (Note: 1 cup soy milk can be used in place of the milk)
1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2 eggs, beaten
6-7 C unbleached white flour
1/4-1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2-3 C cinnamon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
Stir honey into warm water. Stir in yeast. Set aside.
Heat milk until warm. Pour into large bowl and add 1/2 C margarine, cut into 4 pieces. Stir, allowing margarine to melt. Cool to room temperature. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and eggs. Add flour, 2 cups at a time until stiff. Place dough on floured towel and knead for 4-5 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl. Oil dough, place in bowl, cover with clean towel and place out of draft in a warm place. Allow to rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until double.
Melt 1/4-1/2 C margarine. Grease 3 loaf pans. Punch dough down, then divide into three sections. Roll out with rolling pin, then brush with melted margarine. Spread cinnamon sugar over melted margarine, then roll all three sections into loaves. Place in pans, place clean towel over pans, and allow to rise again for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove towel, then place loaf pans into preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
FLUFFY CHEDDAR BISCUITS
This is from Erin Jeanne McDowell in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this wonderful recipe, Erin wrote, "These biscuits are golden and crisp outside, light and fluffy inside, and wonderfully cheesy inside and out. They come together in minutes, and triple basting them in butter (before baking, halfway through baking and once more when they come out of the oven) really takes them over the top. You may be tempted to skip the 3 tablespoons of sugar in this otherwise savory biscuit, but don’t: It’s the secret to the biscuit’s tender interior. Inspired by Red Lobster’s buttery biscuits, these are drop-style, which means you just scoop up the batter and gently plop it onto baking sheets. Try to handle the dough gently to avoid compressing it, which can result in a less-than-fluffy biscuit."
Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 12 biscuits
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020539-fluffy-cheddar-biscuits. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it. Great recipes, lots of info. If you're like me, you won't regret it.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
8 ounces sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 2 packed cups)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
Preparation
Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika to combine. Add the 1/2 cup cubed butter and toss until each piece is coated completely in flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to rub the butter into the flour, continuing to work the mixture until the butter is almost fully blended into the dough. There can still be a few larger pieces of butter, but none should be larger than a pea. If the butter feels soft or melty at any point, refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for 15 minutes before continuing.
Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the cheese into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In a liquid measuring cup or in a small bowl with a spout, whisk the buttermilk and egg until well combined. Pour the mixture into the medium bowl and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture is combined. Near the end, you may have to fold it over itself a few times in the bowl to make sure it’s uniformly combined. (Resist the urge to use your hands so that the mixture doesn’t get too soft or compressed.)
Scoop the dough into 12 even portions (about 1/2 cup each) onto the prepared sheet pan. Stagger the biscuits on the baking sheets. (You should have 6 biscuits per sheet pan.)
Brush each biscuit with the melted butter (you won’t use it all) and divide the remaining shredded cheese among the tops of the biscuits (about 2 teaspoons per biscuit).
Transfer to the oven and bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, then brush each biscuit with butter again, and rotate the pans between the oven racks. Continue to bake until the biscuits are light golden and the cheese on top is deeply golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. The biscuits should spring back gently when touched in the center.
Brush the finished biscuits generously with the remaining butter. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving warm (or cool completely and serve at room temperature).
BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD WITH CORN KERNELS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, though it states that it's from The Working Family's Cookbook.
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 30 minutes; Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup fresh, or frozen and defrosted corn kernels
1 cup buttermilk
2 medium-size eggs, lightly beaten
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put 1 tablespoon of butter in a 9-inch cast iron or ovenproof frying pan or a square baking pan and heat in the oven until it is hot and the butter is melted.
Meanwhile, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and corn kernels in a bowl and mix to blend. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and combine with the buttermilk and eggs in a bowl. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just to combine (do not overmix).
Swirl the butter in the frying pan to coat the sides and pour the batter into the pan. Smooth the top of the batter and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a knife inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
BROWNED BUTTER JALAPENO CORNBREAD
This incomes from the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of Renew by UnitedHealthcare, page 26. It begins, "Browned butter adds nutty depth and jalapeno adds a kick to this classic crowd-pleaser, made mildly sweet with honey and moist with yogurt." Makes 9 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup better
1/3 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams, then turns to a toasty brown color, about 2 minutes. Remove rom heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the browned butter to a 9X9 inch baking pan, swirling to coat the bottom.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining butter, honey, egg, yogurt and milk, whisking to combine.
Add the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder all at once. Stir together only until combined. Stir in the halapeno. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm.
Nutrition: Calories: 207, Total Fat: 6.6 g; Saturated Fat: 3.8 g; Cholesterol: 36.5 mg; Sodium: 87 mg; Carbs: 33.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g; Protein: 4.3 g
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Homemade Bread and Quick Bread
THere's something wonderful about Homemade Bread and Quick Bread (including muffins and biscuits). They taste wonderful, make the house smell wonderful while they're baking, and are sure to please.
To that end, here are six bread and quick bread recipes to help you throuogh the day, including Browned Butter Jalapeno Cornbread and Fluffy Cheddar Biscuits. Enjoy!
EGG CINNAMON BREAD
I've been making this for years – actually, for decades – and almost always gotten rave reviews on this recipe. It got to the point that several people have specifically requested this recipe – and, if I'm visiting, it's pretty much expected that I'll bake up a batch. This recipe makes three loaves.
Ingredients
2 envelopes yeast
1 C warm water
1-2 T honey
1 C milk (Note: 1 cup soy milk can be used in place of the milk)
1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2 eggs, beaten
6-7 C unbleached white flour
1/4-1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2-3 C cinnamon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
Stir honey into warm water. Stir in yeast. Set aside.
Heat milk until warm. Pour into large bowl and add 1/2 C margarine, cut into 4 pieces. Stir, allowing margarine to melt. Cool to room temperature. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and eggs. Add flour, 2 cups at a time until stiff. Place dough on floured towel and knead for 4-5 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl. Oil dough, place in bowl, cover with clean towel and place out of draft in a warm place. Allow to rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until double.
Melt 1/4-1/2 C margarine. Grease 3 loaf pans. Punch dough down, then divide into three sections. Roll out with rolling pin, then brush with melted margarine. Spread cinnamon sugar over melted margarine, then roll all three sections into loaves. Place in pans, place clean towel over pans, and allow to rise again for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove towel, then place loaf pans into preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
FLUFFY CHEDDAR BISCUITS
This is from Erin Jeanne McDowell in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this wonderful recipe, Erin wrote, "These biscuits are golden and crisp outside, light and fluffy inside, and wonderfully cheesy inside and out. They come together in minutes, and triple basting them in butter (before baking, halfway through baking and once more when they come out of the oven) really takes them over the top. You may be tempted to skip the 3 tablespoons of sugar in this otherwise savory biscuit, but don’t: It’s the secret to the biscuit’s tender interior. Inspired by Red Lobster’s buttery biscuits, these are drop-style, which means you just scoop up the batter and gently plop it onto baking sheets. Try to handle the dough gently to avoid compressing it, which can result in a less-than-fluffy biscuit."
Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 12 biscuits
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020539-fluffy-cheddar-biscuits. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it. Great recipes, lots of info. If you're like me, you won't regret it.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
8 ounces sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 2 packed cups)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
Preparation
Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika to combine. Add the 1/2 cup cubed butter and toss until each piece is coated completely in flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to rub the butter into the flour, continuing to work the mixture until the butter is almost fully blended into the dough. There can still be a few larger pieces of butter, but none should be larger than a pea. If the butter feels soft or melty at any point, refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for 15 minutes before continuing.
Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the cheese into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In a liquid measuring cup or in a small bowl with a spout, whisk the buttermilk and egg until well combined. Pour the mixture into the medium bowl and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture is combined. Near the end, you may have to fold it over itself a few times in the bowl to make sure it’s uniformly combined. (Resist the urge to use your hands so that the mixture doesn’t get too soft or compressed.)
Scoop the dough into 12 even portions (about 1/2 cup each) onto the prepared sheet pan. Stagger the biscuits on the baking sheets. (You should have 6 biscuits per sheet pan.)
Brush each biscuit with the melted butter (you won’t use it all) and divide the remaining shredded cheese among the tops of the biscuits (about 2 teaspoons per biscuit).
Transfer to the oven and bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, then brush each biscuit with butter again, and rotate the pans between the oven racks. Continue to bake until the biscuits are light golden and the cheese on top is deeply golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. The biscuits should spring back gently when touched in the center.
Brush the finished biscuits generously with the remaining butter. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving warm (or cool completely and serve at room temperature).
IRISH WHEATEN BREAD
Years ago, when my better half and I first got cable, I was channel-surfing, something most of us have done occasionally. I ran across a baking show on PBS called Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, featuring Fr. Dominic Garramone. I fell in love with the show, and watched it almost every time it was on. (Unfortunately, it only ran from 1999 to 2001.)
Anywho, this recipe was featured on his show; you might even find it in one of his many cookbooks (and yes, I’m planning to pick up a copy of at least one or two of said cookbooks).
Makes 1 loaf.
Ingredients
2 to 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 envelope FLEISCHMANN’S RapidRise Yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt and baking soda. Heat buttermilk, water and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees); mixture will curdle. Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining whole wheat flour to make a stiff dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Form into 5-inch smooth ball. Place in greased 9-inch round pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
With sharp knife, make an “X” (1 / 2-inch deep) on top of dough. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.
VEGAN BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
This was in the June 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 11), and begins, "'I came up with this because I couldn’t find easy baked-goods recipes for vegans,' says Laurie Dolan. I saw in a PETA newsletter a while back that you could substitute applesauce and baking powder for eggs, so I started experimenting with basic cookie, cake, and muffin recipes. One of my favorite results was this vegan blueberry muffin recipe.'"
Makes 12 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/vegan-blueberry-muffins/.
Ingredients
1/4 cup soy margarine
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup soymilk
2 cups fresh blueberries
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners, or spray with cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients together in mixing bowl. Spoon into muffin cups, filling three-quarters full.
Bake 35 minutes, or until tops are firm. Cool slightly on rack.
BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD WITH CORN KERNELS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, though it states that it's from The Working Family's Cookbook.
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 30 minutes; Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup fresh, or frozen and defrosted corn kernels
1 cup buttermilk
2 medium-size eggs, lightly beaten
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put 1 tablespoon of butter in a 9-inch cast iron or ovenproof frying pan or a square baking pan and heat in the oven until it is hot and the butter is melted.
Meanwhile, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and corn kernels in a bowl and mix to blend. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and combine with the buttermilk and eggs in a bowl. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just to combine (do not overmix).
Swirl the butter in the frying pan to coat the sides and pour the batter into the pan. Smooth the top of the batter and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a knife inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
BROWNED BUTTER JALAPENO CORNBREAD
This incomes from the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of Renew by UnitedHealthcare, page 26. It begins, "Browned butter adds nutty depth and jalapeno adds a kick to this classic crowd-pleaser, made mildly sweet with honey and moist with yogurt." Makes 9 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup better
1/3 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams, then turns to a toasty brown color, about 2 minutes. Remove rom heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the browned butter to a 9X9 inch baking pan, swirling to coat the bottom.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining butter, honey, egg, yogurt and milk, whisking to combine.
Add the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder all at once. Stir together only until combined. Stir in the halapeno. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm.
Nutrition: Calories: 207, Total Fat: 6.6 g; Saturated Fat: 3.8 g; Cholesterol: 36.5 mg; Sodium: 87 mg; Carbs: 33.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g; Protein: 4.3 g
To that end, here are six bread and quick bread recipes to help you throuogh the day, including Browned Butter Jalapeno Cornbread and Fluffy Cheddar Biscuits. Enjoy!
EGG CINNAMON BREAD
I've been making this for years – actually, for decades – and almost always gotten rave reviews on this recipe. It got to the point that several people have specifically requested this recipe – and, if I'm visiting, it's pretty much expected that I'll bake up a batch. This recipe makes three loaves.
Ingredients
2 envelopes yeast
1 C warm water
1-2 T honey
1 C milk (Note: 1 cup soy milk can be used in place of the milk)
1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2 eggs, beaten
6-7 C unbleached white flour
1/4-1/2 C margarine (1 stick)
2-3 C cinnamon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
Stir honey into warm water. Stir in yeast. Set aside.
Heat milk until warm. Pour into large bowl and add 1/2 C margarine, cut into 4 pieces. Stir, allowing margarine to melt. Cool to room temperature. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and eggs. Add flour, 2 cups at a time until stiff. Place dough on floured towel and knead for 4-5 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl. Oil dough, place in bowl, cover with clean towel and place out of draft in a warm place. Allow to rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until double.
Melt 1/4-1/2 C margarine. Grease 3 loaf pans. Punch dough down, then divide into three sections. Roll out with rolling pin, then brush with melted margarine. Spread cinnamon sugar over melted margarine, then roll all three sections into loaves. Place in pans, place clean towel over pans, and allow to rise again for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove towel, then place loaf pans into preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
FLUFFY CHEDDAR BISCUITS
This is from Erin Jeanne McDowell in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this wonderful recipe, Erin wrote, "These biscuits are golden and crisp outside, light and fluffy inside, and wonderfully cheesy inside and out. They come together in minutes, and triple basting them in butter (before baking, halfway through baking and once more when they come out of the oven) really takes them over the top. You may be tempted to skip the 3 tablespoons of sugar in this otherwise savory biscuit, but don’t: It’s the secret to the biscuit’s tender interior. Inspired by Red Lobster’s buttery biscuits, these are drop-style, which means you just scoop up the batter and gently plop it onto baking sheets. Try to handle the dough gently to avoid compressing it, which can result in a less-than-fluffy biscuit."
Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 12 biscuits
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020539-fluffy-cheddar-biscuits. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it. Great recipes, lots of info. If you're like me, you won't regret it.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
8 ounces sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 2 packed cups)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
Preparation
Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika to combine. Add the 1/2 cup cubed butter and toss until each piece is coated completely in flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to rub the butter into the flour, continuing to work the mixture until the butter is almost fully blended into the dough. There can still be a few larger pieces of butter, but none should be larger than a pea. If the butter feels soft or melty at any point, refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for 15 minutes before continuing.
Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the cheese into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In a liquid measuring cup or in a small bowl with a spout, whisk the buttermilk and egg until well combined. Pour the mixture into the medium bowl and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture is combined. Near the end, you may have to fold it over itself a few times in the bowl to make sure it’s uniformly combined. (Resist the urge to use your hands so that the mixture doesn’t get too soft or compressed.)
Scoop the dough into 12 even portions (about 1/2 cup each) onto the prepared sheet pan. Stagger the biscuits on the baking sheets. (You should have 6 biscuits per sheet pan.)
Brush each biscuit with the melted butter (you won’t use it all) and divide the remaining shredded cheese among the tops of the biscuits (about 2 teaspoons per biscuit).
Transfer to the oven and bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, then brush each biscuit with butter again, and rotate the pans between the oven racks. Continue to bake until the biscuits are light golden and the cheese on top is deeply golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. The biscuits should spring back gently when touched in the center.
Brush the finished biscuits generously with the remaining butter. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving warm (or cool completely and serve at room temperature).
IRISH WHEATEN BREAD
Years ago, when my better half and I first got cable, I was channel-surfing, something most of us have done occasionally. I ran across a baking show on PBS called Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, featuring Fr. Dominic Garramone. I fell in love with the show, and watched it almost every time it was on. (Unfortunately, it only ran from 1999 to 2001.)
Anywho, this recipe was featured on his show; you might even find it in one of his many cookbooks (and yes, I’m planning to pick up a copy of at least one or two of said cookbooks).
Makes 1 loaf.
Ingredients
2 to 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 envelope FLEISCHMANN’S RapidRise Yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt and baking soda. Heat buttermilk, water and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees); mixture will curdle. Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining whole wheat flour to make a stiff dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Form into 5-inch smooth ball. Place in greased 9-inch round pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
With sharp knife, make an “X” (1 / 2-inch deep) on top of dough. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.
VEGAN BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
This was in the June 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 11), and begins, "'I came up with this because I couldn’t find easy baked-goods recipes for vegans,' says Laurie Dolan. I saw in a PETA newsletter a while back that you could substitute applesauce and baking powder for eggs, so I started experimenting with basic cookie, cake, and muffin recipes. One of my favorite results was this vegan blueberry muffin recipe.'"
Makes 12 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/vegan-blueberry-muffins/.
Ingredients
1/4 cup soy margarine
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup soymilk
2 cups fresh blueberries
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners, or spray with cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients together in mixing bowl. Spoon into muffin cups, filling three-quarters full.
Bake 35 minutes, or until tops are firm. Cool slightly on rack.
BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD WITH CORN KERNELS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, though it states that it's from The Working Family's Cookbook.
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 30 minutes; Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup fresh, or frozen and defrosted corn kernels
1 cup buttermilk
2 medium-size eggs, lightly beaten
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put 1 tablespoon of butter in a 9-inch cast iron or ovenproof frying pan or a square baking pan and heat in the oven until it is hot and the butter is melted.
Meanwhile, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and corn kernels in a bowl and mix to blend. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and combine with the buttermilk and eggs in a bowl. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just to combine (do not overmix).
Swirl the butter in the frying pan to coat the sides and pour the batter into the pan. Smooth the top of the batter and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a knife inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
BROWNED BUTTER JALAPENO CORNBREAD
This incomes from the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of Renew by UnitedHealthcare, page 26. It begins, "Browned butter adds nutty depth and jalapeno adds a kick to this classic crowd-pleaser, made mildly sweet with honey and moist with yogurt." Makes 9 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup better
1/3 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams, then turns to a toasty brown color, about 2 minutes. Remove rom heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the browned butter to a 9X9 inch baking pan, swirling to coat the bottom.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining butter, honey, egg, yogurt and milk, whisking to combine.
Add the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder all at once. Stir together only until combined. Stir in the halapeno. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm.
Nutrition: Calories: 207, Total Fat: 6.6 g; Saturated Fat: 3.8 g; Cholesterol: 36.5 mg; Sodium: 87 mg; Carbs: 33.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g; Protein: 4.3 g
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