This I Believe (too)

I believe in making bread.

I love the texture and taste of homemade bread. I love the smell of a well-cooked crust. I love knowing which ingredients I and my family are eating ... no mystery chemicals this time.

I especially love the excitement of my daughter when it is time to take the bread out and she has waited patiently (or not so) to get to taste the first piece. She does a little jig, then a giggle, and her hands involuntarily plunge out in the "give me" stance. I ask her what she wants on it. "Honey bear, honey bear" is invariably the reply. We watch the butter melt then add the honey from the bear-shaped bottle. It melts too.

She eats.

I wait.

Finally, after mouthfuls of crust and innards have been disposed, I hear the critique, "it's 'ummy, mommy, 'ank you."

My husband comes home and the bread is no longer hot. Only faint hints of the fresh bread aroma remain. I serve him dinner. I include some bread. The scene nearly repeats itself. "This bread is so good, honey. It turned out great again, you rock." He thanks me five more times before our heads occupy our pillows.

Baking bread definitely makes sense in a cost/benefit world. It costs me a little bit of time and a few ingredients but the benefits go beyond healthier eating or more economical feeding. The biggest benefit is the love.

Bread making is all about love.

I was talking to my mom a few weeks ago and she had just taught a bread making class for Enrichment*. Most of the women who signed up to attend were younger mothers. As my mother prepared and prayed about this assignment she was convinced that her real purpose was to teach these women that bread making is all about love. You can buy good bread (especially in Utah where there are bread stores everywhere), that isn't necessarily the point. The point is that in baking bread you show others you care for them.

I had a friend from graduate school who made bread. He once said to me, "I'll never use a bread machine because how else can I knead the love into my bread?" He knew that bread making is about love.

As I was thinking about this concept, I thought about how often Christ is referred to as the "Bread of Life" in the scriptures. We are told to partake from the Bread frequently and generously. Each week we partake of the Sacramental bread in remembrance of Him.I think there is no coincidence that He chose to compare Himself to bread. Bread sustains and comforts. Bread fills and satisfies. Bread is love. Think about it, is there any other kind of food that even makes sense when you try to use it as an analogy for Christ? I've tried to earnestly think of a few and they just sound lame. Spinach is very fortifying but that definitely doesn't work. Chocolate is comforting but still falls short. Hot oatmeal warms and fills but ... nah.

I believe in bread making. It is one of the ways I show love. In eating it with excitement, delight, and enthusiasm, my family returns that love.



*Enrichment is short for Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment. At least once a month women from congregations of the LDS church get together to learn and share and do in ways that are enriching to themselves, their families, and others. It is fairly informal and usually is held in someone's home. For more information go here.

Food Friday - Simple Whole Wheat Bread

I found this on allrecipes.com. It was submitted by Nita Crabb. It really is fairly simple (bread always takes time but this one isn't complicated) and the texture is amazing and the taste is fabulous! Oh, and you can freeze one of the loaves for later.

Ingredients:
3 C warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
1/3 C honey
5 C bread flour (I just used all purpose)
3 T melted butter
1/3 C honey (yes, more honey)
1 T salt
4-6 C whole wheat flour
2 T melted butter (yes, more butter)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 C honey. Add 5 C white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
2. Mix in 3 T melted butter, 1/3 C honey, and salt. Stir in 2 C whole what flour. Knead, adding more wheat flour until it pulls away from the counter but is still sticky to the touch. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough (this helps keep your dough moist). Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
3. Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9x5" loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 T melted butter to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely.

I seriously want you all to try this at least once! It very well may turn you into a homemade bread loving creature. Alisha was here the first day I made this so I expect her to post a comment telling you all how delicious it is! The rest of you can leave a comment after you've tried it. I'm serious here. I don't often make requests of you but this is a recipe you really need to try and then leave me a comment about your experience. What else are you going to do with the next three hours of your life?

Besides, bread takes 3 hours but it doesn't require your attention for most of that time so you can mix it up and while it rises the first time you can watch American Idol or Biggest Loser (or whatever is sitting unwatched in your DVR) and then you can make it into loaves and while that rises you can take a nap. Then you can get up and bake the bread and everyone (especially your husband) will be so impressed that you made bread today! It won't matter if the beds aren't made because you made bread! It won't matter if the laundry isn't folded because you made bread! Oh, and you can give one of the loaves away thereby adding blessings to your tally - and we all need those. So there you have it, you are so making bread today!

Food Friday - One Hour Rolls (the best yet!)

I have been on a quest. Not a quest for treasure or fame. Nay, what would I do with those things? My quest has been for a roll recipe that works well here (my mom's awesome recipe has been ok here but not the quality I was used to while living out West). I have failed to modify her recipe in order to make it work here. Is it the humidity? Is it the altitude? I know not and I have been very sad about it. During my quest to find a good dinner roll recipe (one that could compete with mom's) I have had another quest. I don't know about you but quite often I don't have three hours to make rolls. I REALLY wanted to find a good, yet quick, roll recipe.

Little did I know that my two (seemingly separate) quests would converge and be won simultaneously!

Behold, the fabulous one-hour roll that actually tastes better than my mom's recipe does here (it isn't quite as good as my mom's recipe at home).

5 t Yeast
1/4 C warm water
1 1/2 C buttermilk (I think this is the real key)
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C oil
1 t salt
4 1/2 C flour (I did 2 1/2 of wheat and 2 C white)
1/2 t baking soda

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl.
   
2. In mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, sugar, oil, and salt, then mix.
   
3. Add the yeast mixture once it has become frothy, then mix well.
4. Add flour and baking soda.
5. Knead (with machine or by hand) until the dough is smooth (2-5 minutes).
6. Let stand for 10 minutes.
7. Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
8. Cut into triangles and roll from wide side to thin (forming a crescent).
9. Place on cookie sheet (with nonstick spray on it).
10. Let rise for 30 minutes.
11. Bake in preheated 425f oven for 10 minutes.

These have a fabulous texture. This week I used honey instead of sugar and that worked great. I also reduced the oil slightly.

Enjoy making really good rolls in an hour!

Food Friday - Banana Bread

I adjusted my mom's banana bread recipe (which is so good!) so that it is a little more healthy. It tastes great!

1/2 C sugar
1/2 C honey
2 eggs
2 medium (ripe) bananas
1/4 C oil
1/2 C fat free sour cream
1 t almond extract
1 t vanilla
1 C flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Cream sugar, honey, oil, eggs, bananas, sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract.
Add flours and soda and salt.
Mix well.
Pour into greased/floured bread pans.

Bake at 350
50-60 minutes for standard loaf pan
25-30 minutes for mini-loaf pans

Food Friday - 1 hour Rolls

I found this online and made them. I love that they are one hour rolls (instead of 2 or 3!). I thought they had a great texture, they were plump and brown and looked great. They tasted pretty good except next time I'm going to add a little salt. When I asked Eden if they were "yummy" she replied without missing a beat, "no." Funny kid.

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 31/2 cups all-purpose flour

Combine milk, water and butter, and bring to baby-bottle warm. To start the yeast fast, dissolve the sugar and the yeast in the milk mixture. Add the flour a little at a time until you get your desired consistency.

Knead, place in oiled covered container, and let rise in a warm place 15 minutes.

Punch down, and shape into about 24 small rolls in a shallow greased baking pan. Sides should just touch--don't pack. You have to work quickly, because this dough rises fast!

Let the shaped rolls rise 15 minutes. Bake in a preheated 450 oven 12 minutes, or until nicely browned.

World Bread Day - Food Friday Extra - Mom's Rolls

I grew up on these rolls. My mom is known in four states for these rolls. Phil said he didn't really marry me for these rolls but that they are "an excellent perk!" He also told me he didn't want me to share them on Food Friday because they are soooo special.

A special recipe is certainly fitting for a special day.

Today is World Bread Day (see the link to the left - under the CD giveaway announcement). People all over the world are making bread, enjoying it, and blogging about it.

I made mom's rolls (and cinnamon rolls). Yummy!

And now ... drum roll (pun intended) ...
the recipe:

In a small bowl combine and then brew until very frothy (usually about 5 minutes):
1/4 C warm water
2 T yeast
1 t sugar

In a large bowl stir/dissolve:
1/2 C oil
1/2 C sugar
3/4 C hot water

Add and stir well:
2 t salt
3 eggs
yeast mixture

Mix in (it should still be somewhat sticky and a little lumpy):
4 1/2 C sifted flour

Raise for one hour.

Punch down and on a floured surface roll out until about 1/3 inch thick rectangle. Brush softened butter on the dough. Cut into triangles and roll from the fat side to the point. Place rolls on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray (like Pam).

Raise for an additional hour.

Bake at 400 f for 9-12 minutes.

total project time: 2.5 - 3 hours
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For cinnamon rolls follow the above through brushing the rectangle with softened butter. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll the rectangle then cut. Place on baking sheet (or to make a nice give away, arrange them on a circular cake pan - you can then place them on a round plate as a tasty gift).

Raise for an additional hour.

Bake at 375 f for 22-28 minutes.

total project time: 3 hours

Food Friday - Hamburger Buns

These have a really nice texture and taste. We had them last week with sloppy Joes and they were enjoyed by all: 5 Celery Sticks* from the whole Bamafam.

You can do this either by hand or in a Kitchen Aid (or whatever).

Brew:
1 T Yeast
1 T Sugar
1/2 C Warm Water

Mix:
1 T Butter
1 Egg White (save the yolk)
1 1/2 t Salt

Add:
Yeast Mixture
1 T Honey

Knead in:
1 3/4 C Flour

• Knead by hand for 10 minutes or with machine for 5 minutes. The dough will be pretty soft and sticky.
• Cover and let rise until double in size (60-90 minutes).
• Punch down (use flour to lessen the stickiness).
• Divide into two lumps and then divide each lump into three parts.
• Form six round lumps of dough and place on a greased cookie sheet.
• Using your leftover egg yolk and 1 T of water, make an egg bath and coat your buns generously. (At this point you can also top with sesame seeds, garlic salt, onion salt, or whatever tickles your fancy.)
• Cover and let rise 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 f and bake 15 minutes.
• Cool, slice in half, eat.

*Food Friday has a new rating system (as opposed to the old one? I know...). If I share a recipe that we have recently tried, I will let you know how we enjoyed it. Stars just don't seem culinary enough though so we will rate it on a scale of 1-5 Celery Sticks (5 being the best of course). Some day Phil is going to create me an image that I can actually show the ratings but for now you will have to be content to read the ratings.

Food Friday - World Bread Day

I found this site and learned of World Day of Bread (third annual!).
Hey Food Friday Folks, let's participate!

Food Friday - Banana Spice Muffins

I found this recipe this week online at cookinglight.com. They are yummy!

2 1/2 C Flour
1/3 C Sugar
1/3 C Brown Sugar
1 T Baking Powder
1 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Salt
1 t Allpsice (ground) (I didn't have allspice so I just used cinnamon)
1 t Ginger (ground)
1 C Mashed Ripe Banana (about 2 small)
2/3 C Milk
1/3 C Buttermilk
1/3 C Ricotta Cheese (I know, who would have thought!)
2 T Vegetable Oil
1 T Vanilla
1 Egg
1 Egg White (I'm lazy and just did two eggs)

Preheat oven to 400

Combine first 8 ingredients (flour through ginger) in a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Combine banana and the next 7 ingredients (banana through eggs) in a bowl, and add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400 for 18 minutes or until done. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on a wire rack.

Nutritional Info (if you use low-fat ingredients):
Calories 125
Fat 2.4g
Protein 3.2g
Cholesterol 13mg
Calcium 59mg
Sodium 194mg
Fiber .8g
Iron 1mg
Carbs 22.6g

(These freeze really well too!)

enjoy!

Food Friday - French Bread

I got this recipe from my cousin, Jaime, who got it from her MIL. It is really easy (especially with a Kitchen Aid) and has a fabulous taste and texture.

French Bread

Combine all ingredients (except flour) in your bowl (or Kitchen Aid bowl) and mix:
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. oil
1 T. yeast
Add:
3 to 4 Cups Flour (I use more like 4 1/2)
Mix until the dough is smooth. Then let it rise for 1 hour. During that hour punch the dough down every 10 minutes. (I just keep it in my Kitchen Aid and then turn it on for 20 seconds every 10 minutes.)

After an hour, use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle shape and then roll up like a cinnamon roll (don't be afraid to use more flour here). Place on a greased cookie sheet. Slit the top with a sharp knife. Rub your loaf with egg white; let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes (golden brown). Great for French toast, too!

The crust is nice and crunchy and the inside is moist and yummy. Enjoy your bread. We had it last night with our black chicken.

Thanks to everyone who shared cooking tips last week and for taking the poll.

Food Friday - Saturday Edition

Ok, so I've been in Utah to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday (I'll post on that soon) and so I think I have two recipes to make up for. So here is the Saturday Edition of Food Friday.

Fried Bread

4 C Flour
4 t Baking Powder
1 t Salt
2 C Milk

Mix dry ingredients. Add milk and stir 10 minutes (I use my trusty Kitchen Aid). Put some oil in a shallow pan and place on medium-high heat. Knead dough until it is rubbery. Divide into small flat pieces. Pinch a small piece off and place it in the oil. When it quickly bounces to the top and begins to fry, you know it is ready. Fry in oil - turning it over once.

Serving suggestions: eat with butter and jam; sprinkle cinnamon sugar on it; squeeze honey all over it; use it as the base for Navajo Tacos. YUM!!!!

Crepes

3 Eggs
1 1/3 C Milk
3 T Butter (softened but not melted)
1 C Flour
1/2 t Salt

Mix all ingredients with either a hand mixer or (and this is my little secret trick) a blender (because then you can pour the batter right out onto your pan). Heat a small round frying pan with sides on medium-high. When the pan is hot pour a small amount of batter (maybe 1 1/2 T) into the pan and swirl the batter all around (the thinner the better). When the batter doesn't look wet anymore, carefully flip it and brown the other side (maybe 30 seconds).

Serving Ideas: eat them for breakfast with sugar, cinnamon, jam, fresh fruit and whipped cream, or make a yummy center and have stuffed crepes for dinner (suggestions for stuffing available if there is interest).

Buttermilk Pancakes/Waffles

These are so good! They've been in the Beck family for years (as long as I can remember). They are pretty easy and if you cut the recipe in 1/3 it is perfect for a couple.

Buttermilk Pankcakes/Waffles
3 C flour (1C)
1/4 C sugar (1T)
1 rounded T baking powder (1 rounded t)
1 t salt (1/3t)
3 T oil (1T)
3 eggs (1)
1 C buttermilk (1/3C)
2 C water (2/3C)

Mix dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and stir just enough to make flour wet (lumpy is ok). You don't want to over-stir because then you'll have tough pancakes.

Bonus Recipe
Caramel Syrup (perfect on top of your waffles)

In large pan combine:
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C sugar
3/4 C buttermilk
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
2 T Karo syrup

Mix and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.

Yummmm!

Pizza Crust and Breadsticks

I found this recipe for quick breadsticks and decided to use it for pizza crust too and it is the best I've found (for quick recipes).

Pizza Crust/Breadsticks

Brew:
1 T (or package) dry yeast
1/2 C warm water
1 t sugar

(you can combine these ingredients right in your mixer or bowl and let them brew, make sure you wait to add the following ingredients until the yeast is frothy)

Add:
1 C warm water
3 C flour
1 T sugar
3/4 t salt
knead (by hand or with mixer) for 3 minutes

Add:
1 C flour
blend this last flour into the dough until well mixed

You can immediately form into pizza dough or into 24 breadsticks. Create and cook your pizza according to your pizza recipe. Brush the breadsticks with egg (well beaten) and sprinkle with garlic and/or parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes.

enjoy!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Introducing a new feature on this blog ... "Food Friday". Each Friday (for as long as I'm amused by this) I will post a recipe. This will accomplish two things: 1) eventually I will have all my recipes available on this blog for myself to access and search - so much easier than my disorganized recipe book; 2) others will have access to some tried and true recipes.

Today's Recipe is for:

Buttermilk Biscuits
3 C flour
2 T sugar
1 T (rounded) baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
1/3 C shortening
1 C buttermilk
water as needed (approx. 1/3 to 1/2 C)

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add shortening and crumble. Stir in buttermilk and enough water to make a moist (but not runny) dough. You can either roll these out and cut them into circles or spoon drop them with a large tablespoon. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

Variations:

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits - add 1/2 C of shredded cheddar cheese to the dry ingredients.

Garlic Biscuits - add 2 t of minced garlic just before the buttermilk -OR- sprinkle biscuits with garlic powder or salt before baking.

Parmesan Biscuits - sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of biscuits before baking.

Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits - add 1/2 C of raisins to dry ingredients. After mixing the dough lightly fold in a mixture of 1 1/2 t cinnamon and 1/2 C brown sugar. This mixture should not be mixed all the way in but should be "marbled" throughout. You can glaze with a powder sugar glaze or serve "as is."

Blueberry Biscuits - After mixing the dough, lightly fold in 1/2 C of blueberries. These may be glazed as well.

NOTE: when making these for just Phil and me, I will third the recipe and it is just the right amount.