Category Archives: baking

Cottage Loaf

Over on my Facebook Fan Page I wrote about a recent experiment in bread making. I took one of my favorite quick rise bread recipes and used the baking method from no-knead bread. The bread rose really well. At first I was sort of disappointed because it rose REALLY well, I was making it in 2 quart pyrex containers (I don't own a 5 quart cast iron dutch oven as called for in no-knead bread) and I wound up with 2 quart-casserole-dish-shaped bread. However, as you can see from the picture, once turned out of it's container I realized it looked beautiful. I got a fabulous rise and the crumb is very even and beautiful.

Helayne asked for the recipe so here it is:

Cottage Loaf
[makes one loaf but doubles very well]

5-6 C. bread flour
2 T. yeast
2 T. evaporated cane juice crystals
1 T. sea salt
1 t. ground ginger
2 C. hot water

In a large bowl mix together 2 C. flour, the yeast, salt, sugar and ground ginger
Add hot water and stir well
Add flour 1 C. at a time until dough is no longer sticky
Knead for 8 minutes until dough is ready (I have a really big bowl and I just knead directly in the bowl)
Oil dough and return to the bowl
Cover with a dishtowel and let rise in a draft free place for one hour
Punch down, shape dough into a ball and place in a bowl lined with a well-floured towel
Recover dough
Take 2 quart covered casserole dish and place in the oven
Set oven to 475
When oven is done preheating open dish, slide dough into dish, place lid back on casserole
Bake 30 minutes then remove lid and bake another 20-25 minutes until bread is done
Remove bread from casserole and cool on wire rack completely before cutting

The waiting part is very difficult to accomplish as the smell of freshly baked bread permeates the house like nothing else and draws hungry folk in a hurry.

I made this bread using King Arthur Bread Flour. Although I bake a lot of bread using whole grain or fresh ground flours occasionally I will use unbleached all-purpose or bread flour. Then I experiment from there to see how much I can modify it and change to less processed grains. The next experiment with this loaf will be to see if I can substitute 1/2 of the flour for whole wheat and what happens from there.

I'll keep you posted.

Homemade Rolls

by Mirabaking, bread, questions

Susan asked, “I wondered if you might have a resource for homemade wheat rolls (or other dinner-y kind of breads) that could be made up to a certain point and then frozen. So that you could make up a whole bunch when you have time, and then just cook a few at a time when you want them. I've been googling and haven't really come up with anything. We're trying to accommodate the starch eater/cravers in the household while substituting for healthier alternatives. Thank you very much for any ideas.“

I don't have any whole grain par-baked bread recipes. Part of the difficulty, as I find it, is that working with whole grains changes the gluten structure, the higher fiber retards the rise. So when I try to par-bake and freeze the rolls they never rise right. Freezing the unbaked dough is tough because the freezing process kills the yeast and the thawing bread never seems to rise correctly, adding extra yeast doesn't work because then you're starting all over again.

My suggestion would be to find a whole grain bread recipe that you like and make rolls, soft bread sticks, even slice the loaf after baking, and freeze the results. You can thaw them for those that want it and then warm it up in the over for that “fresh-baked” aroma and warmth.

photo courtesy of Fir002 | Wikimedia Commons

Diana’s Delights

by Mirabaking, recipes, substitutions

I brought a batch of cookies to my book club meeting last night and they were a big hit. Everyone enjoyed them and I came home with only my plate and a few crumbs.

The recipe is one that I created for my daughter, Diana, it is her favorite cookie. This is a recipe that I give out freely in my cooking classes and I thought I would share it here for those who read the blog. There are two changes in the recipe below from what I hand out in class. The original uses fresh ground wheat and I've changed it to King Arthur Whole Wheat for those who don't grind their own flour. I also substituted evaporated cane juice sugar for the sucanat. To learn more about grain substitutions you can read this post and my notes about sugar substitutions can be found here.

Diana's Delights

½ C. butter
1 C. evaporated cane juice crystals
1 egg
½ t. vanilla
1 C. + 2 T. sifted whole wheat flour
½ t. salt
½ t. baking soda
1 C. rolled oats
½ C. chocolate chips
½ C. shredded coconut

preheat oven to 375º
cream butter and sucanat together
add egg and vanilla and mix well
add flour, salt and baking soda and mix well
add oats, chocolate chips and coconut and mix well

scoop 1 tsp balls of dough, roll into rounds and place on greased cookie sheet
bake 10 minutes
let cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet before moving to wire rack

Enjoy!

Rescuing Biscuits

by Mirabaking, grains, substitutions

“Even in failure there is success” or words to that effect.

I recently tried to create a biscuit recipe using 100% whole grain flour. To get to the rescuing part skip to the end; to learn how I got there, read on.

I'll start with a confession and tell you that I while I consider myself to be a fairly good baker and certainly do well with most baked goods there are two things that I'm still working hard at improving. One is pie crusts and the other is biscuits. They usually taste good and are certainly edible but don't always come out the way I envision them.

We recently had a curried sweet potato zucchini soup for dinner and I wanted to serve biscuits with it. Being the whole grain advocate that I am I, of course, wanted them to be 100% whole grain biscuits. One of the challenges of baking with whole grain flour is the way it changes the moisture content and also the loft, or rise, of whatever you are making. This can even be true in recipes where you make a simple switch from all-purpose to whole wheat flour. The additional fiber affects the dough.

As you can see from the picture, the biscuits did rise. But they didn't rise as much as I had imagined they would. Because of the amount of baking powder and baking soda I wasn't sure how much salt to use. They wound up not having enough so they were a bit bland. Although they were tasty enough with the soup, which was very flavorful and satisfying, they were not going to be tasty enough for jam biscuits to go with breakfast the next morning. As a matter of fact they hardened up just enough that I didn't think anyone would want to eat them.

This is where my curious nature sometimes comes into play. Faced with a half a batch of leftover biscuits (the recipe made a dozen) I wondered what you could do with leftover biscuits. My initial thought was to split them, lay them on the bottom of a casserole dish and then pour some sort of a hot fruit compote over them and see if that would work as a bottom crust. When I thought about it further I decided that might not be the best option because it would then probably result in a mushy mess at the bottom of the compote; I couldn't be sure that the biscuits would hold together enough.

Then inspiration struck (here's the rescuing part) since they weren't too salty I wondered if they could be turned into something sweet? I ground them up in my cuisinart. It turns out that 6 biscuits makes approximately 1 1/2 C. of biscuit crumbs. Combined with 6 T. of butter, 2 T. of sugar and a dash of cinnamon they create a nice graham cracker-type crust at the bottom of a pie dish. Topped with a sweet cheese filling (I used quark) and some sour cherries it made a tasty dessert.

While I certainly do not plan on making biscuits for the purpose of their crumbs I now know that at least they can be used to make a decent crust if needed.

What Is Arrowroot: Origins, Health Benefits, And Uses

by Mirabaking, gluten free, substitutionsarrowroot

Arrowroot has many uses especially in the powdered form. Its most common use is as a thickener. Often people will use it instead of cornstarch which is especially helpful for those who are allergic to corn. It’s also a gluten free starch so many people who follow a gluten free diet will use it in their recipes.

Where does arrowroot come from?

Arrowroot is a starchy root vegetable similar to cassava, sweet potato, taro, and yams. It is native to the tropical regions of Central America, South America, and the West Indies. Here in the United States, it can be cultivated in parts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

In its raw form the arrowroot rhizome is a good source of vitamins A and B6, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, manganese, folate, phosphorus, iron and potassium. Once it is processed into a powde it loses many of these nutrients, but it does retain its status as a resistant starch which can be good for gut health.

Health benefits of arrowroot

Satiety – The resistant starch can help slow your rate of digestion, helping you feel full longer. This can help regulate your appetite which may in turn lead to weight loss.
Gluten-free Baking – Arrowroot is gluten free which can be helpful for those with celiac disease. When baking with it, it can add body to nut flours and help hold structure. The flour is easy to digest.
Glucose and Lipid Levels – Using arrowroot flour can help keep glucose and lipids within normal limits.
Feed Probiotics – Probiotics are important for your overall health. It is important to feed these probiotics to keep them strong and active. Prebiotics are what the probiotics feed on. In one study it was found that arrowroot carbohydrate extracts have been shown to enhance the survival of probiotics in yogurts.
Ease Diarrhea – In a small study of individuals who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, arrowroot was found to reduce abdominal pain and many of the participants felt diarrhea was less of a problem. In the West Indies it is a well-known remedy for diarrhea when boiled in water or milk and seasoned.
Gastroprotective Agent – In a rat study, arrowroot starch was shown to provide protection for the stomach lining. It was also shown to decrease the ulcer index. These gastroprotective effects are known to contain carbohydrates and flavonoids that play a role in reducing inflammation. As it is easy to digest, it may be supportive for overall gut health too.

Using arrowroot

If you’re substituting it for cornstarch in a recipe, you’ll want to use twice as much arrowroot as cornstarch. It works very well for fruit pies and fruit cobblers to provide structure and body to the filling. One nice benefit is that using arrowroot does not interfere with the color of your pie or cobbler as it sets clear.

Arrowroot can also be used in gravies but be aware that extended heat with vigorous boiling will reduce its thickening properties. It should not be boiled and it’s best to add it in the last 10- to 15 minutes before you are ready to serve your dish.

When it comes to tomato and citrus based foods arrowroot is actually superior to cornstarch for thickening.

It can also act as a binder to replace egg, gum, flour, or nut proteins when baking.

In conclusion

As you can see, arrowroot is a great substitute for cornstarch and can provide a number of health benefits especially for gut support.

[expand title="Sources"]

Cooke C, Carr I, Abrams K, Mayberry J. Arrowroot as a treatment for diarrhoea in irritable bowel syndrome patients: a pilot study. Arq Gastroenterol. 2000 Jan-Mar;37(1):20-4. doi: 10.1590/s0004-28032000000100005. PMID: 10962623.
Deswina, P. and Priadi, D. Development of Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea L.) as Functional Food Based on Local Resource. 2020 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 439 012041DOI 10.1088/1755-1315/439/1/012041
Guly HR. Medical comforts during the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. Polar Rec (Gr Brit). 2013 Apr;49(2):110-117. doi: 10.1017/S0032247411000799. Epub 2012 Jan 20. PMID: 26366016; PMCID: PMC4563790.
Jayampathi, T. and Jayatilake, S. Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) Extract Increases the Survival of Probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus. Journal of Probiotics & Health. May 21, 2018. DOI: 10.4172/2329-8901.1000199.
Soepomo, J.L. and Janturan, S.H. The Gastroprotective effects of arrowroot tuber starch (Maranta arundinacea L.) on ethanol-induced gastric damages in rats. Pharmaciana. Vol. 10, No. 1., March 2020, pages 35-42. DOI: 10.12928/pharmaciana.v10il.12318.

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Banana French Toast

by Mirabaking, breakfast, recipes, substitutions, vegetarian

Banana french toast makes a delicious breakfast. It's a great way to use up that last banana or two that is close to the edge if you don't have any more room in your freezer.

I freeze bananas two different ways. Peeled and stored in a ziplock they are great for throwing in to smoothies. The frozen consistency gives a little “slush” to the smoothie. If I'm going to use them for baking I leave them in their peels. That way when they are thawed you can snip the ends and they “goosh” right out.

But we've had our fill of smoothies and banana-baked goods lately. Not wanting to store the last banana I decided to use it up a different way. When they were little my girls used to make banana milk by blending together a banana, a cup of milk, and a splash of vanilla. I did made some and soaked the bread in it (leaving out the egg) to make banana French toast. It was delicious. A nice delicate banana-y flavor and we didn't even miss the egg at all. You could even make this vegan by using almond or rice milk instead of cow's milk. I topped mine with some orange marmalade and it was fabulous.

So if you need another way to use up some bananas give this a try, I think you'll enjoy it.

photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

Local Grain Source

by Mirabaking, bread, grains

As many of you know I love to bake. Specifically I love to bake with whole grains. This way my family gets all of the benefit of the grain, the fiber to help slow down the digestion of the starchy endosperm and help stabilize blood sugar, and the germ with all of it's nutrient goodness.

When we moved here I felt fortunate that our local grocery store carried whole grains in the health food section. Unfortunately they recently decided to stop carrying them which left me without a local source. But all of that has changed now thanks to my friend Jinks. Her new website Yummy Bread Kneads is a new local source for whole grains and she'll be sharing some great recipes.

Be sure to check it out.

photo courtesy of Rainer_Zenz | Wikimedia Commons

No-knead Mesquite Bread

by Mirabaking, bread, gluten free, legumes, recipes

Those inventive folks over at Craftzine.com have come up with a new twist on the, by now, ubiquitous no-knead bread. Laura, one of the Editorial Assistants, found my post about mesquite flour and emailed me to let me know about this really fun article on how to harvest and process mesquite to make the flour. It includes a recipe for No-Knead Mesquite Bread which they said I could share with all of you. Living here in Texas I know we have mesquite, but there isn't any in my area. I'm going to have to learn to identify it though so that if I find any in my travels I can harvest the pods.

No Knead Mesquite Bread Recipe

3 cups white flour
3 tbls mesquite flour
½ tsp yeast
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups of water

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl
Add water and mix
Stir with fork (mix will be sticky)
Cover in a bowl, let sit overnight
Place bread dough on cutting board covered with towel for 2 hours
In metal bowl bake in sun oven @ 350 for 1 hour

photo courtesy of: Wendy Tremayne

Strawberry-Colada Scones

by Mirabaking, gluten free, grains, oats, recipes

Having leftover fresh ground flour from the ricotta pancakes, I decided to make some scones.

Scones are great! Not as dense as muffins, the right size for a snack and, like muffins, very pliable to modification.

Rummaging around the pantry and fridge revealed some strawberry yogurt and the last little bit of shredded coconut so strawberry-colada became the flavor of the day.

Unfortunately, I did not have any fresh or dried strawberries which I think would have made these scones even better; the currants worked well but the scones were a little light in the strawberry flavor.

In the future, I'll make sure to have strawberries available the next time I want to bake these.

In the past when I have made scone recipes using fresh ground flour I find that sometimes they are more dense than I'd like. Wanting to make sure these were light more fluffy I separated the egg. If you are using whole grain flour you may want to do the same.

Strawberry-Colada Scones

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Ingredients

1 C. oat flour
1 C. brown rice flour
1/3 C. evaporated cane juice crystals
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
generous pinch of sea salt
1 C. strawberry yogurt
1 egg separated
1/4 C. coconut oil melted
1/2 C. currants
1/2 C. shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400
Beat egg whites until peak forms, set aside
Mix together egg yolk, coconut oil and yogurt until fully blended
In a separate bowl mix together flour, cane juice crystals, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
Add dry mixture to yogurt mixture until just moistened
Gently fold in currants and shredded coconut
Gently fold in egg whites
Drop by tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet
Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown
Let cool 2 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to rack. Enjoy!

Banana Bonanza

by Mirabaking, gluten free, recipes

Bananas are a comfort food for almost everyone. Creamy, tasty, and sweet, they are easy to eat. Everyone knows they are good for you (and unlike most other “good for you” foods this does not seem to bother anyone). Everyone also knows that bananas are a very good source of potassium. Most people, however, don't realize that there are a number of other healthy reasons to eat bananas.

Why eat bananas

They are high in fiber, in the form of pectin, which is excellent for helping to ease constipation (because of the high potassium content bananas are also a good choice when it comes to replenishing the electrolytes lost due to diarrhea). Bananas also provide a high percentage of our daily amount of vitamin B6, which, according to Phyllis Balch, author of Prescription for Nutritional Healing, “is involved in more bodily functions than any almost any other single nutrient.” B6 is important for the immune, nervous and cardiac systems and is also important for circulatory health. Another helpful component of bananas is something called protease inhibitors; these can be helpful in stopping the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers.

Starch versus antioxidants

Although we are used to seeing only two to three different varieties in the supermarket, there are believed to be around 500 varieties, including plantains. They come in all different colors and sizes. Bananas can be eaten when they are green, providing something called resistant starch which has a fiber-like effect on your system and also helps to promote “good” bacteria. The riper the bananas are when you consume them, the more antioxidants they provide, making them a great all-around fruit.

How to freeze bananas

Most people do not like to eat very ripe bananas. When the fruit starts to get spotted on the outside they are frequently considered to be “over-ripe” although this is usually not the case. But if you won't eat them the issue becomes what to do with them. If they are too ripe for your palate and you are not in the mood to bake you can freeze them.

If you want to use bananas in smoothies you can peel them and then freeze them. Be sure to lay them flat while freezing to make it easier to remove from the container and throw into your blender.

If they are going to be used in baking you can simply freeze them peel and all. I would, however, suggest still bagging them together. Otherwise, you wind up with a rather large collection of frozen bananas in all corners of your freezer (ask me how I know this LOL). Freezing bananas in the peel is fabulous because when you are ready to use them you simply let them thaw on the counter. After they thaw you can snip the end off the banana and let it “goosh” into your mixing bowl where it will incorporate itself very nicely into the batter.

Banana Pecan Chocolate Bundt Bread

Today I happened to have 5 very ripe bananas and decided that it was a good day to bake. The following recipe is modified from one originally given to me by my friend Theresa. She got it from her grandmother, the family name for it was 1940's Banana Bread. The basic recipe is the same, I've merely changed the flour to gluten-free, the sugar to evaporated cane juice, and added pecans, chocolate chips, and a little vanilla to make a wonderfully tasty banana bread. Theresa bakes hers in loaf pans but I love making this in a bundt for that little extra touch.

4-5 ripe bananas

2 eggs

2 C. gluten-free flour (such as Pamela's)

1 C. evaporated cane juice crystals

2 t. baking soda

1 t. vanilla

1/2 C. chopped pecans

1/2 C. chocolate chips

preheat oven to 325 degrees F

grease a bundt pan and set aside

in a large mixing bowl mix bananas together

beat in eggs one at a time

add in flour, sugar and baking soda until well incorporated

add in vanilla, pecans and chocolate chips until well incorporated

pour batter into bundt pan

bake 1 hour or until cake pick inserted into batter comes out clean

remove cake from oven and let sit 10 minutes on cake rack

invert to release cake from bundt pan and let cool completely