Christianity Oasis Forum

[kimberly]

Ok, I haven't rambled much lately...everything has been stuff I already made...reruns :D and there are too many of those going on haha.
Anyway, we (mom, me and my daughter,) were out roaming the aisles of Hobby Lobby and came upon this pan:




Well, how can you not pick it up and take it home??? (especially with 40% off--we do love a sale, don't we? .)

This Saturday I decided to try it out. It took a huge amount of batter...6 cups to do both sides. I used the recipe that came with it. It's rich and chocolatey:

Chocolate Pound Cake for giant cupcake pan.

in 1/2 cup boiling water, mix 1/2 cup cocoa powder, and 2 tsp. instant coffee. Set aside.
Stir together 3 C flour, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt.
Next cream 3 sticks softened buttter with 2C granulated sugar and 1/2 C brown sugar til light and fluffy. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time. Add 1 C sour cream and cocoa mixture.
Add 3c flour, one C at a time. beat til all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in 1C chocolate chips.

Grease (spray) and flour pan. 41/2 C batter in bottom of cupcake, the rest in the top. It WILL hold it all. Bake 250 degrees for 50-60 min...til pick comes out clean. Cool on rack 15 min, then invert onto rack and cool completely before frosting.
When using cake mixes, takes 6 C batter to fil pan (2/3 full on each half).
Lower temp by 25 degrees.

This would also make a 12 C bundt pan full, and a huge amount of cupcakes.
It IS a pound cake, so it didn't rise hugely, and the cake is dense.
But if you're a chocolate lover, oh boy!

So after glazing the bottom half, (very easy, take 1C chocolate canned icing--yeah I cheated-- microwave it 25 seconds, and spoon over cake, letting it run down sides. As it cools, it gets set and is not sticky.)

Here is the finished cake:



This was so fun! We are talking about making all kinds of these...a filled one would be great for our Easter dinner!

Now, I gotta go lick the chocolate off my fingers!

[kimberly]

When you are stuck in the house for two icy days, what do you do?
After you watch the birds and squirrels eat the suet you made, and read a bit because the satellite is frozen up, and the computer is knocked out too, what is there to do?
Ummm,.....er....Oh I know!

BAKE BREAD!

You knew I was going to say that, right? Sure you did. while the wind blew and the ice pelted the windows we made good old veggie soup, and that just calls for warm bread to dip in it.

First, the sourdough rye...because Dad likes a ham sammich with his soup.



(Mom ans I whittled that loaf down by making toast.)
Next, there was the Confetti Fiesta Bread:



It's full of bits of bell pepper, corn, onion, cheddar cheese, and a touch of jalapeno. We had it with the potato soup Mom made. Who cares if the doors are frozen shut and the driveway looks like glass?
We are blessed to have electricity, good soup and bread, and each other's company.

After all that, you need something good for making (more) sandwiches, and what's better than our favorite?--
Sourdough Baguettes!



(Yep, that's my fat finger in the picture, .)

Well, this has been a lovely retreat, the past 3 days, but I think we're going out for breakfast! ...soon as I find my shoes.
:D

Happy Rising,
Kimberly

[kimberly]

Well, I was so proud that I made all this in one day:




AND I tore up the oven door! (I"M not so proud of that part.) I had 5 loaves in the oven, and went to open the door, and the handle came off in my hand. The door itself separated into outer and inner doors--no one else was home....SOOOO, I sat there for 25 minutes holding the door together while my bread finished, LOL. Do ya think I use the oven a bit? Hehe.It's ONLY 3 years old. Sheesh.
Good thing my brother was coming down that evening. He took a look and knew what to do--he bought epoxy and put it all back together....even though I had stripped the holes where the door screws went in, . Oh my.
Will I stop making so much bread? Not a chance.
God knew exactly when to bring my brother around, not only to take my dad for a new pacemaker, but to fix the oven door. What a Planner. I'm using the oven again today, and if it happens again...well, there will be an answer.
God has an answer for every mis-step, unfortunate incident, or any bad thing you can imagine. Always.

Happy rising,
Kimberly

[mlg]

What a blessing to read of your mishap Kimberly...I bet you wondering how I found a blessing out of it...well it's because I see that despite your mishap...you made the best of it and were blessed with some really delicious looking bread.

luv ya

[Shan]

Praise God! He is so good!

Your bread looks so yummy. Perfecto. Beautiful. I'm wanting to make a loaf of sourdough now, never done it but I have always liked it, just looks intimidating...

[Shan]

How do you store all that bread?

[kimberly]

Sourdough is so easy...it just takes time. You can mix up the dough and let it sit and ferment....look for "no-knead" recipes. Youtube is full of videos.
I store it in a bread keeper that is hard plastic and has airholes for circulation so the moisture doesn't collect--or it freezes beautifully in plastic zip bags. Then I thaw it in the bag, and if we want it crisped up I lay it on the rack in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
Fortunately, I have family and friends who haul it off, so I get to make it at least once a week.

[kimberly]

I was so excited to find small 2 quart covered cast iron pots for my sourdough. (Yeah I'm THAT posessed :D ) With these pots, I can bake without worrying about using steam...the pot catches the steam inside the loaf and helps it expand that way. The pots make a small, 1 lb. loaf that is crusty and chewy with lots of holes.
This bread is pure sourdough, no yeast- just flour, water and salt. I used white whole wheat flour.

[Shan]

Sounds like my kind of instrument for when I try to make sourdough... Where did ya find em'?

I didn't know you ferment sourdough! That is very interesting since I'm learning about the benefits of fermented foods.

[kimberly]

I found the pots on Ebay (you could buy them outright), and Amazon has them too.

Sourdough is a virtually gluten-free bread - If you're interested, here are some intersting facts:

Health Benefits of Sourdough
Sourdough breads are leavened by a starter that contain natural yeasts and acids. The airborne yeast creates the enzymes needed to eat up or predigest some of the toughest-on-your-belly parts of the grain. This action creates carbon dioxide, which gets trapped in tiny pockets of dough, resulting in a natural rising of the bread.
Breaks Down Gluten
The longer soaking/rising time breaks the proteins (gluten) down into amino acids, making it more easily digested. This is why some who have a gluten sensitivity can tolerate sourdough wheat breads.

Better Nutrient Profile
Like all other fermentation processes, the bacteria present in the sourdough starter eat the starch and sugars present in the grain. This results in a lowering of the starch or carbohydrate content of the bread, which is helpful for keeping blood sugar levels regulated. It also increases some of the vitamin and mineral content of the grain.
Naturally Preserves the Bread
The lactic acid in the bread creates a lovely tang and predigests the grain for you. The acetic acid produced in the souring process helps the bread to store longer, inhibiting the growth of molds.
Neutralizes Anti-Nutrients
Finally, the bacteria present in the sourdough help to activate phytase, an enzyme that breaks down an anti-nutrient present in all grains, beans, and seeds – phytic acid . This may seem minor, but phytic acid is known to strip your body of minerals and can be hard on your digestion.
None of this can be said of the quick action of commercial yeast.


THIS is why I bother with sourdough I'm diabetic, so all the above matters even more.

[kimberly]

Pretzel Bread.
Who knew? Not me. But my brother did.... he called me to say for his birthday, he and a friend had lunch at a restaurant in Kansas City that served a small, warm, round loaf of it before the meal.
How was it made? I asked. I got the answer I expected--"I don't know- but it was the best bread..."
Well, there's the challenge only a sibling would hear, haha. My brother eats a lot of my bread. Each time he visits, I bless him with several loaves I lovingly made (ok, ok, I was making it anyway :D ) and frozen for him to haul home.
Now, he Loves Pretzel Bread-- that I didn't make!
So, I look it up on the internet (where else), and it looks easy to make. Just takes a little time, but well worth the effort.
Pretzel Bread:
2 ¼ tsp yeast
1 cup water (110-120 degrees)
2 Tbsp room temperature milk (I use dry milk in my bread recipes, so I increased the water by 2 Tbsp. and used 1/4 C dry milk)
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp kosher salt
2 ½ – 3 cups bread flour(I use (Montana White in all my brerad because it's unbleached and unbromated--you know I have a thing about chemicals :D )

4 quarts water (I used 3--I don't have a pan that will hold 4 and not over flow when the bread goes into it. It worked fine.)
½ cup baking soda (since I used less water, I cut the baking soda to 1/3 cup. A very important note: add this to the boiling water VERY slowly, like a tablesp at a time. Otherwise, the water foams wildly and will over flow.)

Kosher salt to taste
1 egg + 1 tsp water, beaten rogether

Add yeast, water, milk, brown sugar and butter into a large bowl, whisking until all ingredients are combined. Let mixture rest for 10 minutes for yeast to activate. Mix in kosher salt. Start by adding two cups of the flour to the bowl, combining it with other ingredients. Add more flour as it’s needed, reserving just a bit for coating the dough mat later.

The dough should form a slightly tacky, but firm ball. Oil the bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl, and cover with a damp towel for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, knead the dough by hand or machine for at least 5-10 minutes until the dough is elastic and satiny. Place dough back in the bowl and re-cover for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bring the 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and gently degas it. Form two separate balls of dough, forming them into the shape you want. Drop one of the smaller balls into the baking soda bath for no longer than 30 seconds, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water from the dough and place it on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with second ball of dough.

Brush each loaf with the beaten egg. (This helps the salt stick and browns the crust nicely) Sprinkle the kosher salt over the bread to your specific tastes, and make sure to use a knife to cut a small incision on the top of the bread so the dough has somewhere to expand.
Bake 22-25 minutes in a 400 degree oven Cool on a wire rack.
Why is it called "Pretzel Bread"? Because warm out of the oven, it tastes just like a warm soft pretzel! Yum.

[kimberly]

OK, only a breadbaker would be excited by this....

There's something called 'Tangzhong' method in breadmaking...do you know about this? Why wasn't I informed??? How did I not know this! It's amazing if you want light fluffy yeast bread. (Who doesn't?) This works for ANY yeast bread recipe--Here I used it on my Toasted Oat Bread--



What is it? Simply this:

1 cup water
1/3 cup bread flour (you can try all-pupose, I used unbromated unbleached flour)

Whisk these together in a small pot til smooth. Then cook over medium heat, stirring, until it thickens. (temp says 65 degreesC, 149F--I did it til it thickened, not boiled. There are videos on youtube if you're serious.)
Cool this til it's room temp and add it to your bread recipe.

Why does this work? It pre-develops the gluten in the flour, and the gluten is the riser. It helps the rest of the batch rise, like a yeast-booster. It's amazingly light, fluffy bread.
(Guess what I'm trying it in next? Yeah, SOURDOUGH. Is that cheating? LOL.)
The possesion continues.
:D
Happy rising,
Kimberly