Tag: baking

Homemade Bread Day 2

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens, Cooking3 Comments

I love experimenting with recipes! In my last post, I wrote about two recipes for some wonderful homemade bread. These are artisan-type loaves that produce a wonderful, chewy, toast-worthy bread. Especially the cranberry-nut loaf.

My husband loves a softer product for his sandwiches, so I set about researching and testing a few more recipes. I finally found one that is truly easy and makes a beautiful loaf of truly tasty bread. I will put a link down below for the original website. I couldn’t download and print the recipe, so I hand wrote a shortened version for my use. There was a link to print on the site, but it looked sketchy, so I didn’t click on it. However, the author does have a cookbook available that you may want to look at.

What I liked about the bread:

  • Few ingredients
  • Easy to put together
  • Knead or No-knead instructions included
  • Done in a few hours
  • Wonderful taste
  • Dense crumb
  • Easy to slice

I made one or two substitutions. Mainly with the oil. I use half olive oil, and half ghee. I think the ghee enhances the flavor slightly. I used the no-knead, but if you have a stand mixer or you just love to knead dough, this is a good recipe for that. It will be even quicker if you do all the kneading up front.

I suggest that you read through all of the baker’s instructions (she provides photos as well) before trying this bread. Then refer back to her website as needed. But once you get the hang of it, this is a super-easy recipe that comes together quickly. The bulk of the time is spent waiting for the dough to rise. I do the stretch-and-fold every 30 minutes through four repeats. If I’m writing, this gives me ample opportunities to get up and move around every few minutes.

I would like to thank Emma Fontanella for this excellent recipe. I’ve baked this bread four times now, and it is consistently good.

So, without further ado, here is my finished product:

Yes, I bought a breadbox (on Amazon*) to keep my freshly baked bread nice and fresh for several days.

*I don’t make any money off the referrals here

As you can see, the slice is beautiful! It is dense, but soft and the crust is kept soft by applying melted butter immediately following the baking. So, I suppose you could call it “butter crust” bread.

In conclusion: This bread makes wonderful sandwiches. I like to toast it slightly for mine. And it passed the grilled cheese test! It held together very nicely and came out golden brown, just the way I like it. 🙂

Note: I allow the loaf to cool completely – a couple of hours at least – before I slice it with an electric knife. It’s easier to slice that way, and my slices are more consistent.

Happy Baking!

At Home and Homemade

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens5 Comments

I love the smell of yeast bread baking! I’m inhaling the wonderful aroma right now. Recently, I began testing easy recipes for bread and found two that we love. Both recipes are super simple (no-knead) with only a few ingredients. I use organic bread flour and organic yeast. My husband, Bob, loves the taste of both of these loaves. He commented, “it doesn’t hurt my stomach the way store-bought bread does”. I had noticed that, too.

So, once a week, I bake bread. Both these recipes call for mixing the dough and allowing it to rise for 12-18 hours, either at room temperature, or in the refrigerator. I let it sit in my kitchen. The long rise allows the dough to ferment slightly, which improves the taste.

Right now, I’m baking two recipes, Honey Oat Bread (on left) and Cranberry Nut (on right). The cranberry nut is my favorite. It’s made as a rustic loaf and baked in a Dutch oven or heavy roasting pan. If you’re interested in trying these breads, there are links below to the website. There are other recipes on there, but these two are the only ones I’ve tried so far.

I have not bought bread at the grocery for almost a month now! Of course, I did buy the flour, yeast, etc. All told, I spend about 3 hours of labor on these loaves. That’s not bad, for bread-baking. And I love the process. It gives me such a feeling of accomplishment. A wonderful thing for a writer who struggles to finish her books!

Another wonderful thing–in light of recent climactic events–these breads can be baked outside. You can bake them on your grill as long as you close them up tightly in a covered pan, like a Dutch oven or covered iron skillet. This is how our ancestors got the job done.

What will I turn my hand to next? Maybe I’ll try making my own butter. I’ve heard it’s super easy.

On a different note, we had our first frost for the season last night, so my garden doesn’t look like this now. But, this is how I choose to remember it as I sit here in my warm jacket and enjoy a hot cup of creamy coffee, along with a slice of cranberry-nut bread. Yum!

My prayer for you today:

Our Father, give us this day our daily bread. For spiritual nourishment, as well as physical strength. May God’s love light your way and give you peace.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

Until next time!

Links to bread recipes: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/no-knead-cranberry-nut-bread/

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/no-knead-homemade-honey-oat-bread/

Smaller Servings

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens

VeggieSoupNow that the big dinner is over, I’m back to learning something new. Cooking for two. My tendency is to fill a big pot and cook so much, we have to eat it for days. So I’m training myself to create smaller servings.

legs-434918_1280You can take the girl out of the country … you know that saying. I’ll always be a country girl at heart. I love a piping-hot skillet of cornbread. So I figured out how to make it smaller. I buy a well-known brand of cornmeal that comes in a round box with a recipe on the side. I follow the recipe and combine all the dry ingredients. That’s my “step one.”

Step two – I get out my kitchen scale. I love that thing. You can also use measuring cups, but for what I’m about to do, the scale is easier. I divide the dry ingredients in half. I try to get as close as possible. I bag up one half, label it as “cornbread mix,” and put it aside. Then I finish the recipe with the other half.

I think heating the pan with the shortening in it makes a big difference. You can use an 8″ skillet, an 8″ pie or cake pan–I’ve even used a glass pan–like the one you use for a small batch of brownies. I put half the amount of shortening in the pan (remember you’ve halved the recipe). I have to say here, I’m generous with shortening. I use half butter and half coconut oil.

You can’t halve an egg, so I use the whole thing, then half the milk–pay attention to this one–I tend to pour in the full amount. Yeah, thin batter. Take the hot pan out of the oven and pour most of the melted shortening into the batter and mix it. This is why I’m generous with the shortening. I leave a good layer of it in the pan. Pour the batter into the hot pan (I love the sizzle). Then place the pan back in the oven and leave it there for the required time. By the way, you can also heat the pan on the stove top or the microwave (if it’s glass) to melt the shortening. Handle with care.

I go away and do other things. It seems to take a long time for the stuff to cook, but that’s only because I’m waiting. It’s like waiting for water to boil. Now, don’t burn it, but don’t take it out too soon. In the last couple of minutes, it turns this beautiful, toasty brown. I love that. It has a nice crispy, crunch to it, and the center is moist.

cornbread2If you’re a fan of cornbread mixes, you’re probably wondering why I go to all this trouble. Here’s the reason: because I want to–it’s very satisfying–and I like it better than any mix I’ve tried.

So I guess my last “Thankful” is that I’m cooking for two, not one. We almost lost one this year.

I love learning new things. Actually, I try to make enough to send to work with hubby the next day. So maybe I’m actually cooking for three.

What’s your favorite small recipe? As the Christmas holidays approach, sometimes it’s easier to pick up a meal out, but what if you’re on a budget? I’ve found many things I can cook at home quicker and easier than waiting for someone else to do it. I know the ingredients are quality, and I trust the cook. 🙂

Link to simple cornbread recipe: http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipe/golden-corn-bread

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