Irish Soda Bread

 Irish Soda Bread

Alexandra’s Kitchen

Yield: 1 round loaf

• 4 c.  all-purpose flour (510 g)

• 2 tsp salt 

• 1 TB sugar

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 egg

• 1¾ cups buttermilk (diy buttermilk ok, or powdered buttermilk and water as noted on container)

• 2 TB melted butter

*Option to add 1 c. dried currants for Irish sweet bread taste*

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. 

Grease a 9- or 10-inch pie tin or cast iron skillet (or other similarly sized oven-safe vessel) with softened butter. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda (and powdered buttermilk if using, and currants if using)

In a medium bowl, beat the egg and liquid buttermilk. 

Add the melted butter and stir to combine. 

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. 

Mixture will be sticky. Lightly flour your hands and sprinkle a little flour over the sticky dough ball. 

Use your hands to scrape the dough from the sides of the bowl and to quickly shape the mass into a ball, kneading lightly if necessary. 

Transfer to prepared skillet, making sure it spreads out a tiny bit (still domed but not a tall ball)

Sprinkle with a teensy bit more flour. 

Use a sharp knife to make an X across the top of the dough ball. 

Place in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Sometimes mine takes longer, but you don’t want it dark brown.

Remove from oven, transfer to cooling rack, and let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

For Whole Wheat Irish Soda, Use These Proportions:

2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour

1½ cups (192 g) whole wheat flour

½ cup (55 g) wheat germ

Challah

 Challah Bread

Compiled by Kristen

Yield: 1 loaf

For the dough:

• 1 c. lukewarm water

• 2 tsp yeast

• ½ tsp sugar

Place the 1 cup lukewarm water in a small bowl (not stand mixer yet). Sprinkle with 2 tsp yeast and 1 pinch of the granulated sugar - stir to combine. Let sit until you see a thin frothy layer across the top, 5 to 10 minutes. 

• ¼ c. granulated sugar

• 4 ½ c. all-purpose flour (plus more as needed)

• 1 TB kosher salt

• 2 large eggs

• 1 large egg yolk (reserve the white for the egg wash)

• ¼ c. neutral oil (or butter - if kosher not needed)

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• For the egg wash:

• 1 large egg white

• 1 TB water

Whisk flour, remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and salt together in a stand mixer. 

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. 

In a tiny bowl, mix - the 2 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk, and 1/4 cup neutral oil to the well. Whisk this mixture, then pour into the flour well.

Whisk  to form a slurry, pulling in a little flour from the sides of the bowl.

Pour the yeast mixture over the egg slurry. 

Mix everything together until a shaggy dough that is difficult to mix forms. You want to be able to touch it without it being crazy sticky. Add a tiny bit of flour if needed.

RISE:

Lightly coat a large bowl with oil. Transfer the dough ball into the bowl and turn to coat in the oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours

**BRAID - choose a method below to braid your loaf.

When finished braiding and shaping, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the braided loaf on top and sprinkle with a little flour. 

RISE:

Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place away from drafts until puffed and pillowy, about 1 hour. About 20 minutes before baking, heat the oven to 350°F.

Whisk 1 large egg white and 1 TB water together in a small bowl with a fork. Brush it all over the challah, being sure to get in the cracks and down the sides of the loaf.

Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the challah is deeply browned, about 30 to 35 minutes total. Transfer the challah onto a wire rack and let cool (easier to cut and hold shape if you let it cool at least 15-20 mins)

(Store leftovers airtight if you have any! Leftovers make amazing French toast)

BRAIDING!

3 STRANDED STANDARD BRAID

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces (can use kitchen scale for more equal braid size)

Working on a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece of dough into a long rope about 16 inches long. If the ropes shrink as you try to roll them, let them rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten and then try again.

Arrange the ropes vertically, then gather and squeeze them together at the very top.

Braid in a standard braid (outer piece over neighboring piece and into the middle - alternate starting sides)

Tuck ends under and adjust loaf shape.

6 STRANDED SIMPLE BRAID

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srn6WmO5mbY

-Pinch ends together at the top and separate into two groups of 3 strands.

Alternate sides, taking the outermost strand and bringing it across to become the innermost strand on the opposite group.

6 STRANDED CHALLAH BRAID

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (about 3 ounces each). Working on a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece of dough into a long rope about 16 inches long. If the ropes shrink as you try to roll them, let them rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten and then try again.

Arrange the ropes vertically, then gather and squeeze them together at the very top.

Think - "over two, under one, over two." Carry the right-most rope over the two ropes beside it, slip it under the middle rope, and then carry it over the last two ropes.

 Lay the rope down parallel to the other ropes; it is now the furthest-left strand. 

Repeat this pattern until you reach the end of the loaf. 

Try to make your braid as tight as possible. 

Your braid will start listing to the left as you go; it's ok to lift it up and recenter the loaf if you need to. 

Once you reach the end, squeeze the ends of the ropes together and tuck them under the loaf.

Gently adjust loaf shape as desired (can “plump” the loaf by moving ends towards each other)

6 STRANDED DOUBLE WEAVE BRAID

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=455917212168333

4 STRANDED ROUND CHALLAH

https://www.westoftheloop.com/2014/09/11/round-challah-rosh-hashanah/

SEARCH other options and get creative!

CHALLAH TIPS:

https://thekosherbaker.com/challah-braiding-artistry-tips-from-the-challah-prince/

Banana Bread (Mels)

 Banana Bread (Mels)

Yield: 1 loaf

Courtesy of Mels:

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/sour-cream-banana-bread/

1 c granulated sugar (212g) (can reduce to ¾ c if using very ripe bananas)

½ cup oil (or melted butter, can also sub up to 50% with applesauce)

2 eggs

1 c mashed ripe bananas, about 3 ripe bananas (227 g)

½ c sour cream (113 g)

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ c all-purpose flour (213 g) (can use up to 50% whole wheat flour)

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 deg.

Grease and flour a 9X5-inch loaf pan (or several mini loaf pans).

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil. 

Add the eggs, bananas, sour cream and vanilla; blend well.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Cool for five minutes in the pan. Gently turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. 

Store covered at room temperature (the bread also freezes great).

Pretzel Bites

 Pretzel Bites

Courtesy of Sally’s Baking addiction

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/soft-pretzel-bites/#tasty-recipes-74980

Yield: 60-70 pretzel bites (I like to double this recipe)

-single recipe makes 2 baking sheets worth

DOUGH

1 ½ c warm water (360ml)

2 ¼ tsp instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet, 7g)

1 TB brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 TB unsalted butter, melted and slightly cool (14g)

3 ¾  – 4 c  all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), (469-500g)

topping: coarse salt/coarse sea salt

BAKING SODA BATH

½ c baking soda (120g)

9 c water

Make the dough: 

Mix warm water, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer (dough hook). Cover yeast mixture and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until foamy on top (yeast is activated). 

Add salt, melted butter, and 3 cups of flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed, then add ¾ cup of flour. Beat on low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. (if dough is super sticky add 1 TB flour at a time until it isn’t as sticky (up to 4 TB)

Knead the dough: 

Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 tsp of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. 

-After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. 

Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10-30 minutes and get baking soda bath ready

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats (or greased parchment paper.) 

Shape: 

With a pizza cutter, cut dough into 6 equal pieces. Sprinkle work surface very lightly with flour. Roll each piece of dough into a 20-inch rope. If the ropes keep shrinking and stretching the dough becomes difficult, stop what you’re doing, lightly cover all of the dough, and let it rest for 10 minutes so the gluten can relax. Then, return to rolling it into ropes. Cut each rope into 1 – 2 inch pieces to make bites. (I like to fit all the cut pieces from 1 recipe on 1 baking sheet for ease of putting them through the baking soda bath)

Baking Soda Bath: 

Mix water and baking soda together in a large sauce pan or fry pan (low sides). Bring to a boil. 

Place 2-10 pretzel bites into the boiling water for a quick 10-15 seconds. (Any longer and your pretzels could take on a metallic taste.) Using a slotted spatula or spoon, lift the pretzel bites out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place bites onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each with coarse sea salt while they are still wet or leave plain if using cinnamon sugar topping. Repeat baking soda bath with remaining pretzel bites.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

-you can serve with:

Queso

Pato dip

Spinach artichoke dip

Nacho cheese dip

Pizza sauce

Pretty much anything!

(If needed, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked bites for up to 24 hours before baking. You can also refrigerate the dough before shaping. Just shape and allow an extra 30-60 minutes to come to room temp once shaped before baking.)

Cinnamon Sugar option: Bake the pretzel bites completely plain without salt in step 7. As the pretzel bites bake, melt 4 TB unsalted butter. Set aside. Combine ¾ c granulated sugar and 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon. Set aside. Once the pretzels are done and still warm out of the oven, brush each with melted butter then generously dip into cinnamon sugar. Cinnamon sugar pretzels are best served that day because the melted butter topping causes them to become soggy after a few hours.

Kanelbullar Swedish Cinnamon Rolls

Kanelbullar

Yield: 12-14 buns

Adapted by Kristen

For the dough:

1 c. warm water (to activate yeast in)

1 tsp sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons (7 g) instant-rise yeast

½ c. powdered milk

3 ¼ c. all-purpose flour (405 g)

¼ c. white granulated sugar (50 g)

2 tsp ground cardamom

¾ tsp fine sea salt

¼ c.  melted butter (56 g)

Filling Ingredients:

½ c. unsalted butter (1 stick, or 113 g) 

½ c.  packed brown sugar (100 g)

2 TB ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping before baking:

1 egg (whisked together with 2 tsp water)

pearled sugar (like Lar’s)

INSTRUCTIONS-

Activate the yeast in the warm water and tsp sugar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, ground cardamom and salt and mix briefly.  Add yeast mixture and melted butter and stir until the dough begins to form. Knead in mixer for 6-8 minutes, adding a touch of flour if the dough continues to stick to the sides and won’t form.

Form the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise in a warm space for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, stir together the filling ingredients in a separate mixing bowl until evenly combined.

SHAPING--

Once the dough is ready to go, turn it out onto a large floured work surface.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 22 x 15-inch rectangle.  Carefully and evenly spread the filling mixture across the entire surface of the dough.  Then (as pictured above) fold the left third of the dough in towards the center, and fold the right third of the dough over that towards the center, like you’re folding a business letter.  Gently run the rolling pin over the dough to press out any big bubbles.  Then roll the dough out a bit more so that it forms a 15 x 8-inch  rectangle.

Using a pizza cutter, pastry cutter or a knife, slice the dough into even 2 x 20-cm long strips. Take one strip and twist it several times, gently stretching it as you do so until it nearly doubles in length.

Grab one end of the twisted strip and loosely wrap the dough around two fingers twice, like a bandage.  Then loop the rest of the dough perpendicularly around the dough so that it forms a knot, and tuck the loose end in at the bottom.  Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough strips.  (twisting tightly will help filling stay in during baking)

(Here is a great visual for twisting the dough) https://www.jamieoliver.com/inspiration/beautiful-vegan-swedish-cinnamon-buns/

Loosely cover the dough buns with sprayed saran wrap clean kitchen towel and let them rise for 45-60 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375°F.  Brush each bun with the egg wash, then sprinkle with a pinch of pearled sugar.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the rolls reach your desired level of golden brown.  (I like mine just very lightly golden, so that they stay super soft.)  

Transfer to a wire baking sheet and let cool for 5 minutes.  Then serve warm and enjoy!! 

 

These rolls are best enjoyed the day that they are baked. If there are leftovers, cover tightly and reward in the oven to eat the next day.

*If you want to prep the knots the night before, make the dough and form the knots, then place immediately in the fridge overnight. Place out on the counter for 60-90 minutes to return to room temp and let rise. Then bake.

Focaccia Bread

 

The Best, Easiest Focaccia Bread Recipe

• Author: Alexandra Stafford
 

• Yield: one 9x13 loaf

Cold, refrigerated dough is the secret to making delicious focaccia! Allowing the dough to rest 18 to 24 hours (or for as long as 3 days) in the fridge will yield extra-pillowy and airy focaccia, though if you are pressed for time, you can make this start-to-finish in 3 hours.

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Ingredients

• 4 cups (512 g) all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 2 tsp (10 to 15 grams) kosher salt
• 2 tsp (8 g) instant yeast
• 2 cups (455 g) lukewarm water, made by combining 1/2 cup boiling water with 1 1/2 cups cold water
• butter for greasing
• 4 TB olive oil, divided
• flaky sea salt
• 1 to 2 tsp whole rosemary leaves, optional 
• Other optional add ins (mix into flour mixture before adding water) garlic, roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes, etc
• Optional toppings added just before baking, but coat with oil so they don't burn: thin sliced zucchini or potato, chives, red pepper, feta, or use spices and herbs to decorate 

Instructions

1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast (if using active dry yeast, add to the lukewarm water instead). Add the water and mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball. Rub the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a lid and place in the refrigerator immediately for at least 12 hours or for as long as three days. (See notes if you need to skip the overnight rise for time purposes.) 
2. Line two 8- or 9-inch pie plates or one 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper or grease with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray. (Note: This greasing step may seem excessive, but with some pans, it is imperative to do so to prevent sticking. With my USA pans, I can get away with olive oil alone; with my glass baking dishes, butter is a must.)
3. Pour a TB of oil into the center of each pan or 2 tablespoons of oil if using the 9×13-inch pan. Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl in quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball. If using two pie plates, use the forks to split the dough into two equal pieces. Place one piece into one of the prepared pans. Roll the dough ball in the oil to coat it all over, forming a rough ball. Repeat with the remaining piece. Let the dough balls rest for 3 to 4 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen (Note: no need to cover for this room temperature rise).
4. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 425°F. If using the rosemary, sprinkle it over the dough. Pour a tablespoon of oil over each round of dough (or two tablespoons if using a 9×13-inch pan).  Rub your hands lightly in the oil to coat, then, using all of your fingers, press straight down to create deep dimples. If necessary, gently stretch the dough as you dimple to allow the dough to fill the pan. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt all over.
5. Transfer the pans or pan to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp. Remove the pans or pan from the oven and transfer the focaccia to a cooling rack. Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving
6. To store the focaccia: When it has completely cooled, transfer it to an airtight bag or vessel and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. Otherwise, freeze it for up to 3 months. Always reheat it on subsequent days to revive its crust: 350ºF for 15 minutes. 

• Plan ahead: While you certainly could make this more quickly, it turns out especially well if you mix the dough the day before you plan on baking it. The second rise, too, takes 2 to 4 hours.
• If you are short on time and need to make the focaccia tonight: Let the mixed dough rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1.5 to 2 hours. Then proceed with the recipe, knowing the second rise will only take about 30 minutes.