A Round and Crusty Old Soul.

Many a time I have written about a world renown comfort food called bread.  Every culture, every country, has a version that dates back historically to when grains were grown, ground and used to feed the community.  So, yes, it is a foundation for the continuance of a society, as is water, but why is it so comforting as well?

Scientifically, bread has a high carbohydrate content which contributes to the release of serotonin.  Serotonin is nicknamed the “feel good hormone” due its ability to regulate mood; namely feelings of happiness, well-being, and contentment.  It also promotes relaxation to induce sleepiness; interacts with cortisol and estrogen for hormonal balance, and influences cognitive functions for better learning and memory.

Remember when, at dinner time, a bread basket was always at the table.  Or, a basket of bread, crackers and butter was served at the table in restaurants.  Serotonin signals, to the body, when it is full, and helps to regulate digestion.  If you indulged the contents of that basket, now you know why you never did finish a complete dinner, and no room for dessert.

Serotonin, and the act of eating, is not all that makes bread comforting.   Baking bread can be therapeutic with its repetitive motions (kneading) which can relieve stress. Baking engages multiple senses of sight, smell, and touch. The aroma is associated with familiarity, tradition, gives a sense of security, and makes you feel pretty darned proud of yourself for creating something so tasty.

The focus of this article will be on Irish Soda Bread, but first a little information about round and crusty breads in general.  A "round, crusty bread" refers to a loaf shaped like a ball with a thick, crispy outer crust achieved through high baking temperatures and steam during the initial baking phase. While the crust of the bread has a firm crunch, the interior is an intricate webbing of ingredients that have been interwoven to create a softer and tender texture.

 

Types of rounds are the French Boule, Italian Ciabatta, Egyptian Sourdough (sorry San Francisco, but sourdough bread originated, in Egypt, around 1500 BCE), Irish Soda Bread and Basque (Spain) Sheepherder Bread (see San Juan Record, November 20, 2019, for full article).

…and now to my focus, Irish Soda Bread.

 

Irish soda bread is a quick bread made with baking soda, flour, salt, and buttermilk; no eggs needed. It is a traditional part of Irish cuisine that is often baked in skillets over coals.  Preparation is a one bowl mix, shaping the wet dough into a ball, placed in baking pan, and first baked at a high temperature, then finished off at a lower, yet still high, temperature.  This bread was created out of necessity due to the Irish Potato Famine of the 1800s.  Now here is a very interesting historical tidbit, this bread did not originate in Ireland, but from the Native Americans of the United States of America.  The natives used pearl ash which is a naturally formed “soda” from wood ashes, and acted as the leavening agent.  Their technique and recipe made it back to the Old-World countries, with actual sodium bicarbonate used instead of wood ash.  Sour milk was the liquid ingredient, but was later changed to buttermilk. Buttermilk reacts better with the soda to give an even rise, soft interior texture, and a tangy flavor to the bread.

Eaten plain, Irish soda bread is just that.  However, warmed up, smeared with butter and drizzled with honey, it becomes a perfect light breakfast, or snack for during the day.  It is best used for sopping up gravy and sauce from various dishes, such as stews, chili, and soups.  We even used it to sop up excess sauce from a stuffed shells meal, delicioso!

So, with St. Patrick’s Day coming soon, perhaps a round, crusty Irish soda bread to go along with the Irish stew, or corned beef and cabbage?

 

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

3 and ½ cups flour

1 and 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 and 3/4 cups buttermilk

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450F. 

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Gradually add the buttermilk, stirring with rubber spatula.  If dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour.

When dough is still wet, but not sticky, turn out onto a floured workspace. Shape dough into a ball.  Pat the ball in a round loaf to fit into a nonstick 9-inch baking pan. Place dough inside pan, but make sure it does not touch the sides of the pan.  Score an X on top of the loaf, approximately 1/4 inch deep.

   

Bake on center rack of oven for 20 minutes.  Do not remove pan from oven, but turn oven temperature down to 400F.  Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.  Cool on wire rack before slicing and serving.

Makes one round loaf.

Mary Cokenour

 

Copycat of a Copycat of French Bread Pizza

Way back, in 2019, I was writing up my trilogy on pizza, and the October 9^th edition, of the San Juan Record, concerned, not just Sicilian, but French bread style. Even then, the bread labeled, in the local markets, as French bread, was, in fact, just plain, soft, wide loaves of white bread.  But hey, you have to work with what you have, or make it yourself, right?

 

To make a true French bread pizza, you have to use a baguette which translates to “wand” or “baton”.  Now according to culinary sites, there are four origins to this bread.  #1 – in the 19^th century, it was brought to Paris by an Austrian officer, turned baker, August Zang.  He also created pain viennois (a sweet bread filled with cheese, jam or chocolate) and the croissant.  #2 - 1920 French law prohibited bakers from working between 10pm to 4am (strange I know, but it’s the French, so…), so baguettes could be prepared and baked within 3 hours, and during working hours.  #3 - Napoleon Bonaparte ordered local bakers to create this bread for his soldiers, as it was easier to carry in their packs than large round loaves. #4 – management of the Parisian metro asked local bakers to make a bread that was easy to tear with the hands.  Why?  Workers, using the metro, would bring knives, to cut apart hard loaves of bread to eat, on the way to work.  With everyone carrying a knife, well, violence would break out on nearly a daily basis.  Easier bread to tear with hands, meant knives could be banned on the metro, since they were no longer necessary for eating the bread.

Most culinary historians lean towards origins #1 and #2, since French law also dictates that baguettes must be made with only flour, salt, water, and yeast; and must be between 2-3 feet long, and 2 inches wide.  Which now makes me wonder, “Did the creators of Star Wars see two people dueling with baguettes, and light sabers were born?”

Now to Panera aka St. Louis Bread Company, founded in 1987, Kirkwood, Missouri, and their newest edition to the menu, Toasted Baguette Sandwiches.  The first commercial I saw was of a pepperoni pizza style, extremely similar to French bread pizza, like Stouffer's, but both sides of the bread placed together.  However, the “baguettes” they use are only one foot in length, yet still 2 inches wide; so, a baby baguette that still needs to reach its maturity?  The point is though, that Panera was making a copycat version of a Stouffer’s frozen item.

…and there I was, at Blue Mountain Foods, and what did I find in the artisan bread display?  Full Circle Market brand, take and bake, twin set of baguettes, and this is a very tasty product indeed.  At 400F, for 10-15 minutes, the outer crust becomes crisperty-crunchity; smear butter on the hot and soft inside, and it is quite easy to eat a complete loaf for a meal.  Ahem, yes, I am speaking from experience, and not ashamed of it.

But here was the question, could I create a copycat version of Panera’s Pepperoni Mozzarella Melt?  Heh, most of you know that the answer is definitely, “Of course I can!”

 

 

 

Setting the oven to preheat at 400F, I split a baguette, lengthwise, down the middle.  First a good coating of homemade pizza sauce, getting as close to the edges as possible.  Second, a generous helping of shredded mozzarella cheese.  Third, sliced pepperoni from end to end, but only on one side of the split loaf.  Now while a plain loaf would take 10-15 minutes to bake, with the toppings, it took almost 20 minutes for the cheese to fully melt, and the pepperoni to develop a crispiness around the edges (how we like it).

 

The cheese only side placed on the pepperoni layered side, and there it was, the pepperoni mozzarella melt, without having to go to Panera to purchase it (and a lot cheaper to make too).

The taste was fantastic, especially being homemade with love and passion; alright, and wanting to quiet a rumbling stomach.

 

Moral to this entire story?  If you want something badly enough, but cannot purchase it outright, then make a copycat version…period!  This is also a great way for families to get together, and have fun learning to make favorite restaurant foods.  Not only is cooking or baking learned, but accounting measures such as cost and budgeting.  Education via eating, who knew!

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always a Good Reason to Eat Strawberries.

"Strawberries, strawberries, every year

These must be eaten, enjoying here

Even the best cakes allow it when

Made in kitchen, the cook will be then

Baked with love, served with pleasure"

 

Strawberry Strawberries Forever

Sung by: Anne Lemmen

Written by: Ingeborg Bauer

Available Only At: Amazon Music

 

Strawberries are a deliciously, unusual fruit; unusual due to their structure.  With the variety of fruits and vegetables grown throughout the world, the strawberry is the only fruit with seeds on its outside, approximately 200 of them.  Due to this feature, botanists call the strawberry a false fruit, aka pseudocarp, since they look at it as a “fruits within a fruit”, and not a simple berry at all.

Consumer wise, we tend to see strawberries make a huge appearance in supermarkets around April.  While they are available year-round, prices vary due to the quantity available, where they were shipped in from, and method of growth (fields or greenhouses).  Being a cool weather plant, home growers plant April to May, or mid-spring; first harvest is typically June, with a second harvest occurring in the early fall.  With the high heat of July and August, like humans and animals, these plants shy away from the scorching sunlight.

In a very detailed, scientific 2019 study done on the nutritional and health benefits of strawberries (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7202899/), “Strawberries, are a rich source of nutrients that helps reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The nutrients lower the post-meal spike in blood sugar and insulin in adults with obesity or excess weight who have insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.”  In a Medical News Today article (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271285), “Strawberries are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.”  In layman’s terms, this fruit is really, really healthy for the human body!

That is if you eat them plain, no dipping in sugar, whipped cream or chocolate.  No adding into baked desserts loaded with high carb ingredients like flours and sugars; and if they are, moderation is the key word.

When it comes to purchasing fresh strawberries, I personally tend to wait for the sales, and buying, what others would say, is way too much.  Why?  To process them into manageable savings of course!  Removing the leafy top and center white part, place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid, at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a resealable freezer bag, and store for up to 3 months.  Baked goods, such as muffins and quick breads, should be individually wrapped in plastic, and can be frozen up to 2 months.

So, it came to pass that, once again, I had overripe bananas waiting to be, frozen, or baked into bread.  At the same time, there were enough strawberries remaining, just about to enter their “icky” phase of ripening, so what did I do?

 

Strawberry Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (add 3 Tbsp. for high altitude)

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup (6 oz. container) vanilla yogurt (or sour cream and increase vanilla extract to 4 tsp.)

2 eggs beaten

3 overripe bananas, mashed well

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup thickly sliced, or large dice strawberries   

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9”x5“ loaf pan with baking spray.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl whisk together the butter and sugar. Then whisk in the yogurt, eggs, bananas, and vanilla.

 

 

 

Gradually add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients, folding them together until just combined; do not overmix.  Gently fold in the strawberries. The batter will be very thick, but loose.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick, inserted in center of the bread, comes out cleanly.  Remove pan from oven and let bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove bread and transfer to a cooling rack for an hour before slicing.

 

Store in plastic wrap; bread will last up to 3 days in refrigerator, or 2 months in freezer.

Makes one loaf.

Think of it this way, all these yummy bread recipes I have been sharing is increasing your recipe card file.  The holidays will be here sooner than later, and homemade baked goods make great gifts!  …and yes, you can substitute with blueberries, blackberries or raspberries; still a one cup ratio, or 1 and ½ cups, who keeping score, right?

Mary Cokenour 

The Poof is in the Honey.

 The watering stations, in the backyard, are beginning to see more activity.  Honey bees are finding their way back, with flowering plum and apricot trees to provide pollen as well.  Around the stations are a plenitude of flowering, what some call weeds, but are pretty flowers to me.  The bees do not complain, so why should I?

I am hoping that some of these bees are relatives of the ones saved in June 2020.  Cindy and Mack Smith helped rescue, and introduce, them into their existing hives.  Since then, the Smiths have given us a jar of their precious, and most delicious honey each year; and we are so very grateful for the generosity.

In our home, the honey is never wasted as it sweetens are tea, is used for cooking, and most definitely for baking, especially bread products.  When baking up bread, even rolls, that require yeast, some sort of food is needed to feed the yeast, a sweet food.  Most recipes call for sugar, but, in comparison, honey makes it more flavorful, and sugar is, well, sort of bland.  Now many will agree, and many will disagree, and that is perfectly alright as taste is in the mouth of the person eating.  However, I know many who will drizzle honey over their sugar infused bread, and they are making my point, honey makes it better!

As I have stated many times, I like it easy; easy recipes, easy preparation, and easy techniques.  Recently I came across a recipe for 5-Ingredient Bread with the yeast being fed by honey…perfect for me!  While it makes an airy white bread, I played with the recipe and introduced potato flour to the all-purpose flour.  The first batch was terrible.  While the outside was crusty and golden brown, the interior was a complete mushy mesh.  What went wrong? 

Potato flour is not the same as boiled, mashed potatoes apparently, even though the flour is made from, what else, potatoes.  Potato flour is made from potatoes that have been cooked, dried to remove all water, then ground; however, it retains the starch.  Adding mashed, wet potatoes means it is retaining the starch which makes the bread denser, but liquid has to be limited.  Potato flour sucks up water like a sponge, so additional water needs to be constantly added to the mixture for a dough to eventually form.  Too much water though, and the bread will bake on the outside, but leave a wet mess inside.  It seems to be a matter of trial and error.

How to fix this?  For every 3 complete cups of all-purpose flour, only add ¼ cup of potato flour.

Back to the honey.  While waiting for the yeast to grow inside the mixture of warm water and honey, expect to be amazed.  In 15-20 minutes, the entire mixture will simply grow and grow!  I used a 4-cup bowl, and good thing a clean towel was over it, as the mixture had doubled and would have been dripping over the sides.  Oh, and the smell of the yeast and honey is intoxicating!

Now to the recipe; try it as written, but I definitely suggest adding a little potato flour to the mixture.  The bread will be slightly denser, so you will think you are eating cake, instead of bread.  As is, or with butter smeared over, is lovely. Toasted, with butter and jam, jelly or marmalade, now we are talking heavenly.

 

5-Ingredient Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water (105F-110F)

2/3 cup honey

1 and ¾ Tbsp. active dry yeast

1 and ½ tsp. salt

5 cups all-purpose flour (or 4 and ½ cups all-purpose plus ¼ cup potato flour)

 

 

 

 

Preparation: 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together warm water and honey until honey is dissolved. Add yeast, and cover with a towel. In about 10-20 minutes, mixture will be frothy and double in size.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir in salt, and add flour one cup at a time.  Flour hands, remove dough to board, or clean counter, and knead for 5 minutes. Place kneaded dough in a large, greased bowl and cover with towel.

After an hour, dough should have risen to almost top of bowl. Punch the dough down once, remove to board or clean count; knead again for 5 minutes. Divide into two lightly-greased loaf pans, cover with towel; allow dough to rise for 30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated oven at 325F for 30-35 minutes. Many bread recipes use an oven at 350F, but 325F works better when using honey.

 Makes two loaves.

To freeze a loaf, wrap completely in plastic wrap, place inside a freezer type plastic bag, and label with date as it will only keep for 3 months.  That is if it can last that long before both loaves are eaten.

Enjoy baking and eating this bread, and remember to always be kind to the bees.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

Playing with Pumpkin.

I have often wondered why pumpkin was so important for the fall and winter holidays.  Of all the squash varieties available, why this particular species?  Let’s do a bit of time travel to 7000 BCE, and a favorite winter vacation spot, Mesoamerica aka Mexico.  The Native tribes lived off the land; growing, harvesting, collecting seeds to plant for new growth and harvest.  One method used necessitated a water source, The Three Sisters of squash, beans and corn.  This method allowed each crop to help each other while growing along a river bed.  Vines of beans created a trellis upon the corn, and added nitrogen into the soil.  The trellis provided shade for the pumpkin while the pumpkin vines helped the shallow roots of corn stay stable in wind.  The corn stalks would allow the beans and pumpkins to lift off the ground slightly, so wet ground would keep them from rotting. 

Pumpkin was not so named until Europeans began exploring Mexico.  The name of this squash comes from the Greek word Pepõn which means “Large Melon.” The French took this word for themselves as well, the English were good with it too.  American English though had to have its own pronunciation, and "Pumpkin" was formed.  Even back in the 16^th and 17^th centuries, settlers of North America were having fun with phonics!

Squash, including pumpkins, is normally a fall weather crop.  The large orange pumpkins are often emptied of pulp and seed, a face carved in the hard shell, and a candle placed inside.  Now do you know why?  Jack O’ Lanterns are based upon an Irish myth.  Stingy Jack drank with the devil twice, but tricked him both times, so Jack did not end up paying.  Jack’s luck ran out though; he died and heaven refused him entrance due to his track record of bad deeds.  Down to hell he fell, but the devil held a grudge and would not allow Jack admittance as well.  However, the devil gave Jack a burning ember, so his spirit could walk the earth forever, and have something to light his way.  Jack carved out a potato, placed the ember inside, and became known as Jack of the Lantern. 

While pumpkin seeds can be roasted and salted for a tasty snack, the pulp is often used to make baked goods and soups.  Americans love this squash so much, they extend its use into the next fall holiday, Thanksgiving; then into winter with Yule and Christmas.  Thankfully, due to home canning, and the aluminum can industry, pure pumpkin is available year round!  Now to my playing with pumpkin, and the goodies I enjoy baking, and most of all, eating.

Back in October 2016, my recipe for Pumpkin Bread appeared in the San Juan Record.  Since then, I have found many more uses for that recipe besides loaves of delicious cake-bread.  The same recipe can be used to make muffins!  Divide the batter into 3rds, leave one third plain; to the next 3^rd, add semi-sweet chocolate chips; the last 3^rd is a power punch of chopped walnuts and dried cranberries.  Want more fun?  Use enough of the batters to make 24 muffins; then put the rest into a loaf pan for an awesome mixture of pumpkin, chocolate, walnuts and cranberries.  To die for!

Here’s the basic recipe again, but need to wow the family, and guests, with a fancier treat?  Bake up Biscotti!  An Italian cookie whose name means “twice baked”, and you just have to change the basic recipe a wee bit.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

 2 cups cooked pumpkin puree or 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree

 4 eggs

 1 cup canola oil

 2/3 cup water

 3 cups sugar

 3 cups flour

 2 tsp baking soda

 1 ½ tsp salt

 1 tsp each ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and allspice

 ½ tsp ground cloves

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350; lightly butter and flour (or use baking spray) three loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together well the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices; add 1/3 of dry mixture into pumpkin mixture and mix well; repeat until all dry ingredients have been incorporated into the wet mixture. Divide batter between prepared loaf pans; use a soup ladle to get three full cups into each loaf pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out cleanly. Let loaves cool before inverting and removing.

Makes 3 loaves.  Or makes 30 muffins which are baked for 30 minutes (use cupcake liners for easy removal from muffin tins).

Normally biscotti is twice baked to allow each slice to crisp up, making it perfect for dipping into coffee or hot chocolate.  Not everyone enjoys very crisp cookies, so the baking time can be adjusted to allow for a softer cookie.  Do not make them too soft though if intending to dip them into melted chocolate for that fancy touch.  Again, since the main ingredient is pumpkin, favorite additions of chocolate chips, dried fruit and nuts will be perfect enhancements for the biscotti.

Pumpkin Biscotti

Ingredients:

½ cup (4 oz.) pure pumpkin

3 tsp. flour

1 tsp each ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and allspice

 ½ tsp ground cloves

4 large eggs

1 cup canola oil

¾ cup sugar

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

Additions, if desired: ½ cup chocolate chips, ½ cup chopped walnuts or pistachios, ½ cup dried cranberries, or go wild and add ¼ cup of two or three.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix together pumpkin, 3 tsp. flour, spices; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together eggs, oil and sugar.  Add pumpkin mixture from small bowl, and mix well.  Slowly add in 3 cups flour and baking powder.  If dough is very sticky, add in flour, teaspoon at a time, until it no longer sticks to the hands or bowl.

Remove from bowl to floured board, lightly work in additions (chips, nuts, fruits).  

Divide into 3rds, roll into flattened logs and place on parchment paper; score logs into 8 to 10 pieces.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, bottom will be slightly browned.  

Remove logs to cutting board to cool for 5 minutes.  At score sites, cut logs into individual pieces, place back onto parchment paper, and back into oven for 10-15 minutes.  The longer in the oven, the crispier the cookies become.  

Remove cookies to cooling rack and let cool completely.

Option: After cooling, drizzle, or dip into, melted white chocolate for a lovely contrast of color.

Makes 24 to 30 cookies.  Store in glass or metal containers, in a cool area, to allow cookies to keep their crispiness.

A tin, of these pretty cookies, will make a wonderful gift.  Enjoy and happy holidays!

Mary Cokenour