Cinnamon Pull Apart Monkey Bread

I have been looking into joining a CSA. In Googling, I came across a new acronym: CSB. Community Supported Baker(y). And it occurred to me, why am I not doing this? I could operate a very small CSB. Every time I make bread, I could just make two (I am quite space limited since my oven is smaller than the average American body habitus, also time and stress limited because I am a graduate student). I haven’t figured out my rates yet (maybe I’ll just charge in volumes of flour). But I’ll keep one spot open for anyone who wants to sign on as my guinea pig CSB client. And KP and Izzy, you both don’t count.

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread, or Monkey Bread

(except I don’t Monkey around)

from Kelly Almon, my snazzy interaction designer friend from SPU

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

3 Tbs olive oil

1 cup of sourdough starter

1/2 cup warm water

5ish cups of flour (use half wheat flour)

Lots of butter (about 1/2 a cup)

Lots of cinnamon mixed with sugar (about 1/3 a cup)

More of each for the second method.

Make bread as you normally would (this is Kelly’s instruction to me– but if you’re like, what is normal?– mix the sourdough and water together, then add flour, sugar, milk and oil. Slowly add the the rest of the flour and salt, kneading at the end. Knead until the dough is smooth and silky)

After dough is made, you have two options– this post features option two:

For cinnamon loaf: let rise once for about an hour. punch down and roll into a ball. Let set for about ten minutes, then roll out into a rectangle on a well-floured surface. Spread butter out generously over the rectangle, leaving 1/2 – 1 inch bare around the edges. Then spread the cinnamon sugar mixture generously over the buttered area. Roll the dough up, buttered side in. seal the seam with the unbuttered edge of dough. Press ends together to seal. Place into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes.
For pull-apart bread: let rise for about an hour. punch down and roll into a ball. Let set for about ten minutes. Portion the dough into small balls, around 1-1/2 inches large (larger pieces means less work, but smaller pieces means more gooey goodness). Roll the dough portions into balls and then coat in butter. Roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place into a lightly greased bundt pan. Do this with all the pieces until you are out of dough. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes.

These were immensely tasty. We shared them with friends Tim and Alicia who are expecting their first baby in less than two weeks! I treasure knowing that some of the calories and atoms from these cinnamon buns were incorporated into the fetus. So essentially, I too helped make that baby. These buns in the oven helped make another bun in the oven…ha.

As feature on Sourdough Surprises, Feb 2014 – http://sourdoughsurprises.blogspot.com/

Multi-Grain Bread with Sesame, Flax, and Poppy Seeds

Dear world, thank you for fiber and for recipes that make it palatable. Also, thank you for making my duodenum impassable to long, firm tubes. Long story, but it involves my signing up to be a study patient, suffering the “introduction of a plastic tube past my oropharynx” as the technician neatly summarized a wild experience of gag and snort and pain, and finally, getting disqualified because my duodenum had an anatomical variation, an unexpected hairpin turn, that prevented the tube from reaching the ligament of Treitz. Fortunately, because I don’t have the NG tube and the hospital diet tonight, I can feast on whatever I want—like this tasty bread:

Multi-Grain Bread with Sesame, Flax and Poppy Seeds

Adapted from Bon Appétit
1/2 cup unsweetened multi-grain cereal (such as 7-grain)
2 cups boiling water
1 envelope dry yeast
4 1/3 cups (about) bread flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons flax seeds
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 cups water

Place cereal in large bowl. Pour 2 cups boiling water over. Let stand until mixture cools to between 105°F. and 115°F for about 20 minutes.
Sprinkle yeast over cereal. Add 1 cup bread flour, oil, sugar and salt and stir until smooth. Gradually mix in enough remaining bread flour to form dough. Cover dough; let rest 15 minutes.
Turn out dough onto floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 10 minutes. Oil large bowl. Add dough to bowl; turn to coat. Cover bowl with clean kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm area until doubled, about 1 hour.
Mix all seeds in bowl. Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly oiled surface. Knead briefly. Shape into 12×4-inch loaf. Sprinkle baking sheet with 2 teaspoons seeds. Place loaf atop seeds. Cover with towel. Let rise in warm area until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
Position an oven rack in center and one just below center in oven. Place baking pan on lower rack and preheat oven to 425°F. Brush loaf with water. Sprinkle with remaining seed mixture. Using sharp knife, cut 3 diagonal slashes in surface of loaf. Place baking sheet with loaf in oven. Immediately pour 2 cups water into hot pan on lower rack in oven (water will steam).
Bake loaf until golden and crusty and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Super tasty. I actually made this while in Portland visiting my family, and I believe it was enjoyed by all there as well. Someday I plan to write about all of my adventures as a test patient in a book that will probably be titled The Lessons of a Kamikazee Guinea Pig.

Pumpkin Seed Bread

I am so pleased to have returned to the Village Baker, the best bread cookbook I’ve ever read, to finish out the book’s recipes with a series on Germany, a country I know very little about. For example, who knew there were over 2,600 breads unique to Germany? And among the five or so that are included in the The Village Baker, there are such strange ingredients that I had to go to the health food store to stock up on things like millet and soy beans and whole barley and rolled wheat and pumpkin seeds. This first one uses an interesting technique called rye sour which is the best way, in my opinion, to put rye into a bread recipe—to spongify the rye changes the flavor profile completely.

Pumpkin Seed Bread

Adapted from The Village Baker

Seed mixture:

½ C unhulled sesame seeds

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 C. pumpkin seeds

Rye sour (sponge):

1 cup sourdough starter

2½ C. warm water

1½ C. organic dark rye flour

1 C unbleached organic AP flour

Dough:

All of the rye sour from previous step

2½ C. unbleached organic AP flour

1 Tbs. salt

All but ¼ the seed mixture

To make the seed mixture:

Toss the sesame seeds with the soy sauce until well coated and toast them in a 350°F oven for between 15 and 20 minutes until just browned. Toast the pumpkin seeds dry in a separate pan at the same temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring around a couple of times for even browning.

Let all seeds cool down completely, and then grind half the sesame seed mixture and one-third of the pumpkin seeds until you have a medium powder. Add that to the whole seeds, mix together and set aside.

To make the rye sour (sponge):

Mix all the ingredients together, cover with plastic and let sit overnight at moderate room temperature for 12 hours.

To make the dough:

Transfer the rye sour to the bowl of your stand mixer, but begin the process by hand with a wooden spoon. Slowly add the flour, a handful at a time and stir vigorously after each addition. When you still have about a cup of flour left, add the salt. dough will be moist and sticky. Flatten the dough on your board and add all but ¼ cup of the seed mixture. Incorporate by kneading and folding into dough.

Place in lightly oiled bowl and allow to rise until doubled.

Remove to lightly floured board and roughly pre-shape. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for half and hour. Shape into an oval. I probably should have kneaded mine more, it had a tendency to blob, not much structure. It sprawled in the proofing. At this point, allow to rise once more on a piece of parchment or in a banneton.

Just before baking, glaze the top with 1 whole egg whisked with 1 Tbs. milk, then sprinkling with the seeds. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Massive, absolutely massive. Soy sauce, I’ve decided, is not a flavor I enjoy in bread at all, so I would probably not make this again, or if I did, it would be with a topping that is not roasted in soy. Otherwise, the bread was a Bavarian pleasure.

Country View Estates in Hudson, Wisconsin

A hot weekend for a return to simplicity, but tranquility trumps humidity. KP and I went to relax at the Country View Estates B&B in Hudson, Wisconsin for our anniversary yesterday. We would Definitely go back. Our room had a fire place, a two-person jacuzzi (with built-in neck pillows!), no TV, no internet access, and a snack fridge.

During the day, we went hiking at Willow Falls State Park, which could have been a veterinary nightmare with Izzy had not there been a cool stream and an ice-cold waterfall as setting for Izzy’s first swim lessons/heat stroke prevention class. The falls were gorgeous although well-stocked with nudist teenagers trying very hard to earn paralysis and neck braces with their youth-emboldened stunts off the wet rocks. Got a great video of Izzy pretending to swim with KP holding her up in her harness. At the end of the 90 degree day, after drinking three waterbottles full of clean water and God knows how much pond scum, she collapsed into a fit of dreams (and, thankfully, no Giardia fits of diarrhea). KP and I, on the other hand, got dinner at Bayport BBQ (amazing pulled pork and awesome signage– see Diet Coke)

And had dessert at my favorite ice cream parlor in North America, Selma’s in Afton, MN, right on the Mississippi River, where they iron their own waffle cones, and usually give you an extra scoop for free.

We now march boldly onward into our seventh year of marriage, smug that we still got it for each other and know how to celebrate 🙂 Cheerios and all.

Almond Granola with Dried Fruit

While KP and I were hiking the South Downs Way in Sussex, we brought along this incredible granola that I stirred up from a recipe Mom sent. It was sooo easy, and it kept for the three weeks that we packed it along as a tasty treat. Since we’re back on the road again today for our anniversary, it was the first thing I wanted to pack.

Almond Granola with Dried Fruit

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Mag, sent by Mom

1/3 C maple syrup

1/3 C packed (2 1/2 oz) light brown sugar

4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C vegetable oil

5 C old-fashioned rolled oats

2 C (10 oz) raw almonds, chopped coarse

2 C raisins or other dried fruit, chopped

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Fold in oats and almonds until thoroughly coated.

3. Transfer oat mixture to prepared baking sheet and spread across sheet into thin, even layer (about 3/8 inch thick). Using stiff metal spatula, compress oat mixture until very compact. Bake until lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan once halfway through baking. Remove granola from oven and cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour. Break cooled granola into pieces of desired size. Stir in dried fruit. (Granola can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

I would say it can be stored for more than two weeks. You can also keep it in granola bar shape, or crumble it up over yoghurt, or just snack on it like trail mix. I also varied the type of oats—I used milled and rolled oats. I don’t know what it is about eating granola that makes me acutely aware that I am from Portland, OR.

Finnish Sweet Cardamom Raisin Bread

We’re back! KP and I just returned to Minnesota, having just completed marathon #22 in Missoula, Montana. The night before we left Seattle to run this race, I baked this amazing loaf and brought a nice chunk along for carbo loading.

Finnish Sweet Cardamom Raisin Bread

Adapted from Gourmet via epicurious.com
1 cup raisins (I used currants because I insist that raisins are too big and off putting with their texture)
1/4 cup warm water (105-115°F)
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
5 cups all-purpose flour (I used more than 4 cups whole wheat)
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups warm whole milk (105-115°F)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten with
1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Soak raisins in hot tap water to cover until plump, about 20 minutes, then drain.
Meanwhile, stir together warm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)
Stir together flour, sugar, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl, then blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in milk, whole egg, and yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead, dusting surface and hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.
Pat dough into a 9-inch square and sprinkle with raisins. Fold dough over to enclose raisins and pinch edges to seal. Knead, dusting surface and hands lightly with flour, until raisins are distributed. (Dough will be lumpy and slightly sticky; if any raisins pop out, just push them back in—this step I forgot completely, and tried to sprinkle the currants on top before I baked it. Bad idea, burnt the currants to little charcoal crisps. Next time will try to remember to incorporate into the bread 🙂 Form dough into a ball.
Put dough in a buttered large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Punch down dough (do not knead), then halve. Cut each half into thirds and roll each piece into a 15-inch rope. Braid together 3 ropes to form a loaf, then transfer to a parchment-lined large baking sheet, tucking ends under.

Make another loaf with remaining 3 ropes (I just made one giant loaf), arranging loaves 4 inches apart. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Brush loaves with egg wash and bake until golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

The bread was SO GOOD, as was the Missoula marathon course. KP made me laugh by reminding me of the very apt Dumb and Dumber quotation that certainly applied in unexpectedly flat Missoula, “Thought the Rocky Mountains would be rockier than this. That John Denver is full of sh*t.”

Also, notice the awesome KP custom-made T-shirt I’m wearing: “Do these shorts make my Butte look big?” Very happy there were so few hills on the marathon course so my Butte can stay the pleasant size it is…

Molten Lava Cake

KP and I were taken out to dinner at Tanglewood for our anniversary (6^th!) by KP’s parents Ralph and Marilyn. For dessert, the four of us split a dark chocolate lava cake, which was perhaps 3 inches in diameter. It was delicious and also no where near enough. I decided in that moment that there was no reason why I could not learn to make these myself (and for probably a lot less than $7 each). Last night, wonderful relatives Lynn and Susan from California were at KP’s parents’ house for dinner, following a spectacular visit to the Ballard Locks with Grandma Alice (pictured in the center, age 95 and looking darling as ever!)

Their visit was the perfect excuse to break out the semi-sweet chocolate squares. For a first pitch, these were a hit out of the park.

My Molten Lava Cake Attempt #1

Adapted from Brandielle, at the Tasty Kitchen

4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate

½ cups Butter

1 cup Powdered Sugar

2 whole Eggs

2 whole Egg Yolks

6 Tablespoons Flour

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Grease 4 ramikens with olive oil and place on cookie sheet. (Silly sidenote, when I first read the word “ramiken” I was sure it was a Tolkien character. No, it actually looks like this: (I bought a pack of 4 at Safeway for $8—I figured it was a worthy investment since I plan to make these now every night.)

Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted.

Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.

Divide between cups.

Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.

Invert onto a plate, and top with whipped cream, ice cream, or sprinkle with powdered sugar as you like!

This was the Tanglewood cake that gave me the inspiration:

I can’t believe how perfect these came out on the first try. This must mean it is a fool proof recipe. We served them with vanilla ice cream. Because I made the special purchase of the ramekins, I feel (to get my money’s worth) I must make a few more molten lava cakes (to see which recipe is the best). Best challenge I’ve ever made to myself.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

So, my brother didn’t believe these were whole wheat. These pitas puff up perfectly and the secret is you need to keep your oven hot hot hot and use a pizza stone.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Adapted from Gourmet
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon honey
1 1/4 cups warm water (105–115°F)
1 cups bread flour or high-gluten flour, plus additional for kneading
2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal for sprinkling baking sheets

Stir together yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
While yeast mixture stands, stir together flours in another bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup flour mixture into yeast mixture until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Stir in oil, salt, remaining 3/4 cup warm water, and remaining 2 1/2 cups flour mixture until a dough forms.
Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, working in just enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and put in an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough and cut into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten 1 ball, then roll out into a 6 1/2- to 7-inch round on floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer round to 1 of 2 baking sheets lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Make 7 more rounds in same manner, arranging them on baking sheets. Loosely cover pitas with 2 clean kitchen towels (not terry cloth) and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
Set oven rack in lower third of oven and remove other racks. Preheat oven to 500°F.
Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, directly onto oven rack. Bake until just puffed and pale golden, about 3 minutes. Turn over with tongs and bake 3 minutes more. Cool pitas on a cooling rack 2 minutes, then stack and wrap loosely in a kitchen towel to keep pitas warm. Bake remaining 4 pitas in same manner. Serve warm.

Yum! And, if you want this to be more like naan, just take a fork and punch a bunch of holes in the dough before putting it in the oven. Punctures the pocket. Otherwise, stuff your pocket bread with hummus or garlic and spinach or some of my quinoa corn salad. Or money.

Sesame and Sunflower Whole Wheat Bread

While in Portland, we visited with Barb and Stan Smith (See the Challah bread story) who now own a beautiful standard schnauzer with the temperament of Miss Piggy, named Macy Gray.

They gifted Izzy with a porcelain figurine of herself, which she took to with the zeal of idolatry, and in turn we gifted Barb and Stan with a section from this massive loaf of yummy whole wheat bread.

Sesame and Sunflower Whole Wheat Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 envelope dry yeast
1 1/2 cups milk (I used water because Mom’s allergic)
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon sesame or vegetable oil (I always use olive oil)
1 egg, separated
1/2 cup cracked wheat* (I used wheat germ)
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup salted shelled sunflower seeds
2 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons chopped pecans (didn’t have)
2 teaspoons rolled oats
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Combine 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and yeast in large bowl. Heat milk, honey and sesame oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat to 115&F., stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients. Stir in egg yolk, remaining 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, cracked wheat and salt. Mix in enough all purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time to form soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, adding more all purpose flour if very sticky, about 10 minutes.
Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat entire surface. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 3/4 hours.
Grease cookie sheet. Punch dough down. Mix in sunflower seeds and 2 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into 1 1/2-inch-thick round. Place on prepared sheet. Cover and let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled, about 1 1/4 hours.
Preheat oven to 375F. Using sharp knife, cut 1/8-inch-deep, 1-inch-diameter circle in center of one round. Starting at outside of circle, cut 1/8-inch-deep slit to edge of loaf. Repeat 4 more times, spacing evenly apart and dividing bread into fifths. Repeat with second loaf. Beat egg white with 1 tablespoon water. Brush over loaves. Sprinkle pecans in center of each loaf. Sprinkle oats, caraway seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds into divided spaces.
Bake until loaves are brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, about 50 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool slightly. Serve bread warm or at room temperature.

Very tasty. Mom said she thought this loaf looked like the surface of Mars. I sure hope they have bread on Mars. Here is Izzy and mini-Izzy. Thank you Stan and Barb! It was so wonderful to see you!

Protein Power Bars

In my last few days at the house of health, my mom has been making smoothies and homemade protein bars. Here is one of her favorite go-tos (although for it to be palatable to me, I have to double the sugar in the recipe below and where mom likes banana, I substitute apple sauce).

Protein Power Bars

Adapted from No Meat Athlete

1 pound black beans

½ cup peanut butter

¼ cup honey

¼ cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ cups oats

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

½ cup flour

Optional stir ins— (1 cup)

Dried cranberries

Raisins

Dried apricots

Dry cereal

Crushed pretzels

Chocolate chips

Food process beans, peanut butter, honey, applesauce, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Add oats and cocoa and flour and pulse to combine. Add stir-ins and pulse again. If the consistency is spreadable, you’re done. Otherwise, add ¼ cup water and pulse.

Grease a 13×9 pan with baking spray or rub with 1 tbsp oil, then spread mixture into pan. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.

These were okay. To make all the protein palatable, I think there is no shame in adding more sugar (in the form of honey or agave). Mom says to watch out for their “fart power.”

Last night we went out with friends to the new minor league baseball stadium and watched the Hillsboro Hops. Classic Americana, but made better with the Hops unique brew from Bridgeport. In particular, I love the hops mascot, which if I were a child would probably think was a dancing artichoke.