Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread

A late response Liz, but here is a homemade bread recipe I make a lot and really enjoy. I always sub half the bread flour for white whole wheat flour though to make it more of a wheat bread (I need to just change the recipe, but I always forget to). It is pretty light in texture and is really good as toast or fresh. I always err on the side of a tackier dough with this recipe and try not to add too much flour, because the oats will absorb some of the moisture. 

I am like you, I am trying to find a good, not too dense recipe for a traditional honey wheat bread. I have tried some recipes that are pretty good, but if I find a great one, I will let you know!  

Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread

1 teaspoon sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

3 tablespoons warm water (about 110 degrees F)

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons honey

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 ½ - 3 cups bread flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

Olive oil

Proof the yeast by mixing water, sugar, and yeast together in a small bowl. Set aside and let sit for at least ten minutes, until foamy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together buttermilk, oats, melted butter, salt, honey, 1 cup of flour, and baking soda. Mix until well combined.

Mix in another ½ cup of flour, then add the yeast mixture. Mix, add another ½ cup flour, then mix well to combine.

Mix in another ½ cup of flour.  If dough looks really wet and sticky, add a little more flour, just a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough comes together. It should be a little tacky, but not too sticky. Let knead in the mixer for about 10 minutes on low, until soft and smooth.

Let dough rest for a few minutes. Lightly coat a large bowl with olive oil. Gently form the dough into a ball, place in bowl, and turn to evenly coat with oil. Cover lightly with a tea towel. Let rise until doubled, about an hour to an hour and a half.

Once doubled, punch down gently, knead a few times. Lightly oil a standard size loaf pan. Form the dough into a loaf, and add to pan. Let rise again until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the over to 350 degrees F. Brush the top of the loaf with olive oil. Bake for about 55 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when bottom is gently tapped.

Allow bread to cool on a rack before slicing.

Homemade Hummus

I know I am incredibly late in posting this recipe from February's LC4L. Thompson and I have been fighting a nasty cold-turned-sinus infections, but are trying to catch back up on life now that we are both getting better.

This recipe makes TONS of hummus, so unless you eat this stuff like crazy, I would half it. Also, I have always just used dried garbanzo beans, because I have heard they taste better for hummus (and they are cheaper), but the recipe would be simplified a lot if cut out the soaking/boiling beans part, so I think I will try canned beans next time. I would probably use 3-3.5 cups canned beans to the 1.5 cups dried. If any of you try it with canned beans, let me know if it is still delicious!

Homemade Hummus

From Paula Wolfert, via The Wednesday Chef.

Makes about 4 cups of hummus.

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

2 small cloves garlic, peeled

¾ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

½ cup fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

½ cup water

Paprika

Olive oil

Rinse the soaked chickpeas well and drain. Place in a saucepan and cover with plenty of fresh water. Bring to a boil, skim off foam, and cover and cook over medium heat for about 1 ½ hours, until the chickpeas are very soft, adding more water if necessary. Drain the chickpeas, reserving the cooking liquid.

Crush the garlic and ½ teaspoon salt together. Add to the bowl of a food processor, along with tahini lemon juice. Process until mixture has lightened in color and has become quite thick and contracted.

Add ½ cup of water and process until completely smooth.  Add chickpeas and process until well blended and smooth. Thin to desired consistency with reserved chickpea liquid. Adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice to desired taste. Serve, drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with paprika. 

Flax Seed Wheat Bread

Flax Seed Wheat Bread
*from my kitchen*

I am working on perfecting this bread recipe. It's adapted from a couple different bread recipes. The trick with bread is practicing. However, as long as you follow the directions, I have found this recipe to be pretty easy and forgiving. Best of all, if you have a KitchenAid or Bosch, you hardly have to even touch the dough. :) A few things to know about whole wheat bread. The finer your flour, the finer your texture. I have given a couple of tips on flour below. Also, you'll need vital wheat gluten as whole wheat flour doesn't have this added (all-purpose flour does). Finally, I sometimes replace 1 T. sugar with 1 T. soy lecithin, which is supposed to help bind the dough and aid rising. I got it at the Bosch store and I have a big bottle--if you're interested in trying it, let me know and you can have some.

2 1/2 c. hot water
3 T. oil
1 T. salt
3 T. sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 T. yeast (I use Saf Instant.)
1/2 c. ground flax seed meal (I like Bob's Red Mill. This ingredient is optional. I like the "nutty" flavor of flaxseed, and it has great nutritional properties. If you'd rather have a completely smooth texture, you can leave it out. You may or may not need to add 1/2 c. flour in its place.)
1/2 c. vital wheat gluten (This can be hard to find. Try Sunflower or Whole Foods. I get mine at a food storage distributor in Brigham City.)
5 c. white whole wheat flour (I grind my own white wheat on a pastry setting, so it is extremely fine, but you can use store bought whole wheat flour. I would use white whole wheat flour if you can find it. In my experience, red whole wheat is coarser and may result in a denser bread.)

In a standing mixer bowl, whisk together water, oil, salt, sugar, yeast, egg, ground flax seed, and wheat gluten. Add 2 cups flour. Whisk until combined. Attach dough hook. Add remaining flour, until the dough cleans the bowl as it mixes. The dough will still be sticky! Resist the impulse to add more flour. It will be easy enough to handle after the rising sequence. Let bread rise in the mixer for 10 minutes. Mix to break rise. Repeat four more times, for a total rising time of 50 minutes, mixing to break the rise a total of five times. Preheat oven to 375. Grease two loaf pans. Halve dough and shape into two loaves and place in pans. Allow to rise 30 minutes or until doubled. Bake for 25-30 minutes. (I usually bake mine for 26 minutes, but it depends on your oven. I know it's done when I can see the bottom is a golden brown through the bottom and sides of my glass loaf pans.) Let cool about 5 minutes and then remove from pan to a cooling rack.

This bread freezes nicely. I started making it about a month ago when my husband requested we avoid store bought bread. Since then, I have probably made 12-14 loaves and it has turned out yummy each time. :) Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions.

Homemade bread

Ladies-

I'd like to get a good homemade bread recipe.
Something fairly easy. And yummy.
Something that doesn't require a bread maker!

If you have one, please share!
I would sure appreciate it.

Thx,
L

creamy chicken noodle soup

hello!

Thanks for coming by today. Kalie, sorry you couldn't make it--
hope Isaac is feeling better.

2 t chicken bouillon
2 cans chicken broth
2 cups chopped chicken
2 cups chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups cooked diced chicken
2.5 ounces (4 cups) egg noodles

Heat broth and bouillon, add veggies, simmer until tender, add cream of chicken and milk.
Lastly, add chicken and noodles. Salt and papper to taste!

Remember that time we went to the Discovery Gateway?

And yes. My child is the blur in the backseat trying to devour a plastic watermelon on the run.

Pass of All Passes

Hi Girls! My friend just told me the Salt Lake Seven Peaks (Raging Waters) Pass of all Passes is only $19.95 today on City Deals. Kids 3 and under are free. I've never been to Raging Waters but it might be a fun way to spend some summer days. :)

Here's the link.