Tomato & Red Quinoa Bread

The only commentary I am going to try to make up for this recipe is, be sure to make both loafs, as this first one will not last long. Oh and don’t let the title fool you…There were 5 of us for dinner last night and we devoured 1 loaf in its entirety. (finger licking good is not just for chicken!)

Apparently we are carb loving fiends!! All is good, I am happy being one. This bread is good next morning for toast and then for lunch as an open faced sammy! It is not just about the bread and butter here.

INGREDIENTS #1

• 1/2 cup Red Quinoa
• 1 cup V8 juice

DIRECTIONS #1

Rinse quinoa in a strainer and add to pot with V8 juice. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Set aside with lid off to cool. You need it cool for the next step.

INGREDIENTS #2

• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 cups warm V8 juice
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tbs dried basil
• 2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour

DIRECTIONS #2

To the bread machine, add the yeast to the warm water and stir, let sit for 5 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients plus the cooled quinoa and mix thoroughly.  Let run through the dough cycle and sit for 1 hour.

INGREDIENTS #3

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 to 4 cups white bread flour

DIRECTIONS #3

Add the dough that has been sitting for one hour into an oiled bowl and mix the above ingredients into the dough, start with 2 cups of flour first. Place dough on a clean surface, along with 1 more cup of flour and knead that into the bread. Continue to knead bread for about 5-10 minutes or until  smooth consistency.  Dough is relatively sticky, but if it is too sticky, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time.  Once ready, place back into the oiled bowl, cover and let sit for another 1.5 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. After the 1.5 hours punch dough down and re-cover while oven is heating up.

When oven is ready, take 2 loaf pans, buttered and divide dough in half and place in pans

INGREDIENTS #4

• 3 tbs butter, melted
• 2 tsp flax seeds

DIRECTIONS #4

Slice down the middle of the dough and drizzle half of the butter over the top of loaf. Sprinkle with half flax seeds, continue with second loaf.

Bake for about 50 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes (if you can stand it) and then repeat after me:

SLICE BUTTER SCARF, REPEAT! 

 

3-Way Whole Wheat Buns, Never buy from the store again!

I’m serious when I say you will not want to buy store made buns or rolls again. This process is not only easy, but you can make a double batch and freeze what you don’t use. They will keep for 2 months time in an airtight container. You can also use unbleached all-purpose flour in place of the whole wheat, this gives the bread a fluffier texture. 

I have always been intimidated with making bread or any type of dough that deals with yeast. I found this to be a super easy dough especially using the bread machine. Even when you go to roll out the dough, it is soft and pliable with not stickiness. 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of milk
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup melted butter
4.5 cups whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat white)
1 packet, or .25 ounce instant yeast
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Warm milk slightly in the microwave (approx 40 seconds) and place in bread machine
2. Melt butter and place in bread machine, add water, sugar, salt, and egg.
3. Add flour and stir a little to combine
4. Turn bread machine on dough setting. *Mine has a 1 hr rise/rest period after it has mixed* If your’s doesn’t place in greased bowl and let rise for 1 hr.
5. Turn dough out onto a cutting board and cut into 12 – 16 pieces. Depending on if you are making burger buns, hot dog buns or rolls will depend on how you create the pieces.
6. After you have your desired shapes and pieces, brush with a little melted butter.
7. Top with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic powder, or Parmesan cheese
8. Then bake for 10-12 minutes. Mine all took 10 minutes from the get go. These are a dense bread due to the whole wheat, if you let them bake too far along you will have a rock.

Burger Buns

• place on a greased sheet pan, cover and let rise 20-30 minutes
• bake as above

Hot Dog Buns

• shape the 12 pieces into approximately  6″ x 4″ rectangle shapes. This can vary depending on the size of the dogs you use.
• starting at the long end facing you, roll tightly away from you
• pinch and tuck the ends
• place on a greased sheet pan, cover and let rise 20-30 minutes
• bake as above

Rolls

• cut into 16 pieces
• shape into smooth round balls
• place on to a greased sheet pan, cover and let rise 20-30 minutes
• bake as above

You might also like:

• Chocolate Chip Nutella Banana Bread (sweetheatchefs.com)
• Focaccia Bread (sweetheatchefs.com)
• Eggnog Rum Bread (sweetheatchefs.com)

No Santa Cookies This Year…Eggnog Rum Bread

 

So this year we will not be making Santa cookies, nope this is not a joke nor is it us protesting against Christmas. THIS year we will be making dear old Santa some  delicious, decadent, sweet, moist Eggnog Rum Bread. Crazy you say? Read this recipe I found from an awesome blogger named Robin over at Knead To Cook and you will know the only one crazy is YOU for still reading this and not checking to see if you have all the ingredients in your pantry 😀 by the way make sure to visit Robin’s page, she has a TON of great recipes to share.

I URGE you to try this recipe and leave Santa a new treat this year, he will be happy you did! 

I doubled this recipe and both loaves were gone within 3 days…just sayin, if you have a large family you might want to invest in 2 loaves! Breakfast, snack, dessert, anytime is a great time for this bread. It shows well, it maintains it’s structure and glaze really well for traveling. As Robin did, she made mini loaves for gifts, be careful with this…the people you give this to will never leave you alone again!!

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups of regular eggnog (not low fat)
2 tsp Spiced Rum
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter @ room temperature
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 (3.4 ounces of powdered) package of instant French vanilla pudding mix
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray your loaf, muffin etc. pan with non stick spray with flour. 

In your stand mixer use your paddle attachment and mix together the eggs, eggnog, rum, sugar, vanilla and butter. The butter will remain clumpy but that is just fine.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

Add the dry mixture to the wet and blend until incorporated. Avoid over mixing. The butter will remain clumpy and this is how the batter should look, the butter will melt when cooking.

Pour into your prepared choice of pan(s). Bake mini loaves for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. A regular loaf pan will take about 45-55 minutes. A double batch using 2 loaf pans take about 80 minutes. Just be sure to check, check and check you don’t want this over done. All your hard work put into this decadent bread you won’t want it ruined, especially after you smell the batter alone, you can imagine how scrumptious the actual cooked bread will turn out.

Lemon Rum Glaze:

1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
2 teaspoon eggnog
2 tablespoon Spiced Rum
1/8 tsp of ground nutmeg
Lemon zest, about 1/4 of a lemon ( I added this to the original recipe, you can omit)

Whisk together and pour over your cooled eggnog bread. (If you can wait until it’s cooled)

The glaze recipe yields enough for both loaves with a lot left over, don’t be worried about really drizzling until your heart’s content! I wish I had used more…NEXT TIME, NEXT TIME!

Homemade Breadcrumbs – Because it’s too easy not to!

You know those pesky ends to the bread no one eats? Or when you have a toddler who is on a kick of I won’t eat the crust on my sammich!? What a better way to make use of those left overs is to make them into bread crumbs. Throughout the month I toss ends and left over bread scraps into a bag in the freezer and once a month I get out the food processor and the frozen bread and go to town for the morning making bread crumbs. I freeze them so they don’t get moldy before I am ready to use them. You can make plain ones or seasoned ones just like you can buy in the store. But the best part is you make them with natural ingredients and they types of herbs and seasonings YOU like. You are not limited to what is supplied in the supermarket. This could not be a simpler project to take on, in fact my 2 year old loves to whirl the food processor in what he thinks is his all acclaimed part of helping in the kitchen 😀

INGREDIENTS:

• Left over bread ends, scraps, hot dog buns, hamburger buns, whatever bread product you have that you won’t use.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to  375 degrees F.
2. In a food processor tear up bread and pulverize until consistency you like for bread crumbs. I generally use a medium to smaller consistency. 
3. Line a sheet pan with foil and toss about 2 cups worth of the mixture (which for me is 1 container full from the food processor) onto the sheet pan.
4. Bake for   12 – 15 minutes.
5. Watch it your first time to make sure they don’t over cook. I have made extra crispy ones and the flavor was not all that great. 
6. Halfway through the baking process I toss and break up the bread crumbs to ensure a nice even browning.

 

ITALIAN SEASONED INGREDIENTS:

• 2 teaspoons dried ground thyme
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried ground basil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

ITALIAN SEASONED DIRECTIONS:

Follow the steps above for the plain crumbs, except before placing in the oven toss with the ingredients above.

You can create whatever seasoning suits you. I make a lot of Italian food, so this is my go to mix.

Store in an airtight container or zip lock bag in freezer for several months.

Back To School Bread

Berries…the wonders of antioxidants and their heavenly smell are wonderful. Since raspberries are in season now, I wanted to make something unique and quick for my kids to grab and go as either an after school snack or running out the door in the morning to catch the bus breakfast. It needs to travel well and be portable as well as fill them up without unnecessary crap, aka, preservatives and the like. I want a quick breakfast that has nutrients, antioxidants and a little somethin’ special that makes them WANT to eat it! Instead of traditional muffins, I decided to make bread where 1 slice is filling enough and all they have to do is grab-n -go!

INGREDIENTS
2 c. white flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tblsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c rolled oats
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. vanilla
1 banana, mashed
1 c. raspberries, washed and sliced
1 c. peaches, washed, pitted and mashed
1/2 c.  white granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1 c. applesauce
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
1/4 c. toasted pecans
1/4 cup toasted coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Butter a bread pan and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, EXCEPT, white sugar.  Mix using a whisk or through sifter to get all lumps out.
4. Wash, mash and cut all fruit and mix together in a small sized bowl. Add vanilla. Set aside.
5. Beat 3 eggs in a bowl and add granulated white sugar, add to fruit mixture and stir gently just to combine.
6. Add applesauce, coconut oil and fruit mixture to the dry ingredients. Fold everything in until just moistened but combined so no dry ingredients remain.
7. Pour half of the batter in the bread pan, place 1/2 of the dark chocolate chips, pecans and toasted coconut. Add remaining batter to pan and top with the remaining dark chocolate chips, pecans, and toasted coconut.
8. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until no batter remains on a toothpick when inserted into center.

Batter before it gets mixed

Bread going in oven

Bread out of the oven

Finished bread, before devourment!