Ever tried to make biscuits and they just come out of the oven like dry pieces of cardboard? Or they carry a taste reminiscent of baking soda?
Tag: bread
Beer Bread
Beer Bread is one of the quickest bread recipes out there, with a distinct flavor and an awesome moist texture.
Beer has rising agent in it already, but most store-bought beer will not have enough of it to make the bread rise; for this, most beer bread recipes include baking powder, which reacts with the beer to lets the bread rise and develop air pockets. Because of this process, Beer Bread is certainly a ‘quick bread’ – the recipe consists of mixing the dry ingredients together, then mixing in the melted butter & beer, then baking right away. There are no rising times or kneading.
New YouTube Video: Garlic Spiral Rolls
Just wanted to let everyone know that a new video is up on my YouTube channel! This one is a recipe video for my Garlic Spiral Rolls, which were posted on my blog last year, and you can find them here on my blog.
If you like the video, please subscribe for more! I’m planning on releasing a couple more just over the next week, and am hoping for more to follow in the near future.
30 Minute Dinner Rolls
These rolls are quick and easy to throw together, and turn out amazingly! They rise quickly, are soft and fluffy, taste great with a bit of butter (and maybe some jam) and make an awesome side to any meal.
Check out the new RECIPE VIDEO on YouTube!
30 Minute Dinner Rolls Recipe – – – PRINT
Protein Sandwich
Hello all, thanks for tuning in on today’s recipe! This one is a really really awesome sandwich that you can make at home–it is full of healthy good protein and offers a healthy lunch.
You also have the option to make-ahead if that’s how you like doing things. The protein in here is simple: Boiled eggs and meat. (In this recipe I use pastrami, but you can use whatever meat you so desire.)
This method of eating is important for those of you who, admittedly, rarely eat wholesome foods because (like me) you are picky, or are constantly on the go and simply grab whatever is within reach.
A tip for those who like throwing things together quickly: Boil lots of eggs and slice them ahead of time. This way, you can simply throw everything on your sandwich when it’s time to consume.
OK, now for a bit of NEWS. As you might know, not only do I like making food, but I like writing, so I decided to shake things up a bit on my food blog and and start including not only a recipe but also a poem I wrote before I give the recipe (below):
Ok here it goes: (if you hate poetry you can skip down to my recipe)
The Seasons by Michael Metzler JR
Spring grows most plants in rocky soil,
It takes new life to withered things.
Death defying through turmoil,
And to new life it spreads and clings.
Summer swathes the world in heat
It drapes the land around in glow
It bakes the clay and warms the feet
It is not spring and is not snow.
Autumn brings a yellow air,
It scatters orange like the sand.
Sprinkling leaves as though to share.
It is most glorious and grand.
Winter veers around the bow
With clutching hands and stale breath
It swarms the earth in clear-white snow
It brings no warmth and sometimes death.
End.
Here’s the recipe for my PROTEIN SANDWICH:
Protein Sandwich recipe – – – PRINT
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin season is here, so why not celebrate the upcoming holidays with a simple PUMPKIN bread recipe? This recipe is easy to follow and allows the option to make your own pumpkin puree, the recipe you can find on my blog.
This pumpkin bread is a simple quick bread recipe full of pumpkin and rich with the spices of cinnamon and ground cloves.
I usually make my pumpkin recipes now with Homemade Pumpkin puree, and recommend you do, too. It makes it so that this major ingredient is fresh, and just pureed at home. Not that I have that much against canned pumpkin; the store-bought stuff is great if you are pressed on time and want to quickly and easily make a pumpkin dessert. Honestly, the taste isn’t compromised all that much–but it is cool (and maybe healthier?) to make your own pumpkin puree, which you can then use for all sorts of things including this wonderful fall Pumpkin Bread recipe.
Feel free to add different things to the finished batter of this bread before baking it: Chocolate chips, maybe some hazelnuts? Depending on your tastes. Either or both work well. Perhaps some dried fruit wouldn’t be wasted here, but I’ve never tried it.
If you decide to bake this for the holidays this year, feel free to let me know how it goes! Also be sure to check out some other great recipes on my blog.
-Michael
Pumpkin Bread recipe – – – – PRINT
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread is an easy-to-make quick bread that tastes sweet and full of lemon flavor. It is a great summer dessert to make, made better with the addition of lemon glaze drizzled over the top.
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe — — — — PRINT
Hot Cross Buns recipe
Hot Cross Buns are sweet bread rolls, traditionally made for Easter, and have icing drizzled in the form of a cross. The bread is moist with a hint of cinnamon.
This recipe is different from others because of the two egg yolks that are added to the dough. Make sure to save the 2 egg whites in two separate containers, though: you’ll need one for the icing, and one to spread thinly over the rolls just before baking them.
It makes around 18 rolls, but you can make them alot smaller if you want to serve them to a larger group of people. The balls of dough initially look small, but after their second rise time on the baking sheet, they should grow more than double in size, and get even larger in the oven. So don’t be fooled by their previously small appearance.
The ones in the picture (above) started at 1-inch balls of dough–so you can see how much larger they got.
Be sure to make these delicious rolls for your Easter celebration! And, although they are traditionally made for Easter, they make great rolls anytime of the year if you simply desist from adding the icing (WARNING: icing is a strong temptation). Remove the icing cross, and you have made these into multi-purpose baked goods.
Enjoy!
Hot Cross Buns Recipe Print
Olive Garden Copycat Breadsticks
These flavorful breadsticks were made to copy the ones made at Olive Garden, and can be made in just over 90 minutes.
Spread the hot breadsticks with melted butter, and season with a bit of garlic powder to finish it off.
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups warm water
2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 ¼ cups flour, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
Sprinkling of garlic powder
DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, put in the warm water, yeast, and sugar, to proof the yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix 2 cups of the flour and salt briefly to combine. Add in the yeast mixture, and stir till all combined. Begin to gradually pour in the remaining 1 ¼ cups of flour until stretchy and smooth looking. Add in the 2 tablespoons of oil and continue to knead with the knead attachment in the bowl mixer. If the mixture is too wet and sticky, add in more flour.
Once dough is the right consistency, take dough out of bowl, spray bowl with nonstick spray, and put the dough back into the bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for an hour, until doubled in size.
When done rising, cut dough into 12 equal sized pieces, and roll each piece into long breadstick-shaped logs. Place on a greased baking sheet, and let rise for another 20 minutes in a warm place. While rising, preheat oven to 425.
When rise time is done, place the breadsticks in the oven, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Once out of the oven, brush the breadsticks with the melted butter, and lightly sprinkle with garlic powder.
Buttery Dinner Rolls
This dinner rolls are a perfect side to any meal. The dough is rolled around softened butter much like cinnamon rolls, and then baked in muffin tins.
Ingredients: (makes 12 rolls)
INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup milk
¼ cup butter
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
¼ cup water
Filling:
⅓ cup butter, softened
DIRECTIONS:
Heat butter with milk in a microwave until butter is melted, stirring in between.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
Pour water, egg yolk, and milk-butter mixture into the flour mixture. Make sure that the milk mixture is very warm. Stir into flour mix until sticky and wet.
Replace mixer with a dough hook. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour carefully, kneading with dough hook constantly until the dough is wet but doesn’t stick to your hand. It should take all the flour. If it is still sticky, add more flour. Once dough is done, take the dough out of the bowl and hand knead it. Then grease the large bowl, and put the dough back in. Let rise in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Roll dough out on a large flour surface into a 12×9 inch rectangle.
Spread softened butter over rolled out dough evenly.
Roll dough up, starting at the 12 inch side, until it is a long log. This is very similar to cinnamon rolls. Cut out 12 even rolls from this long log. Place each roll in a greased muffin tin.
Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. After ten minutes of rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees; then continue with the other 20 minutes rising.
After rise time is up, bake the rolls in the pan in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm.
See my original post of this recipe on instructables.
Garlic Spiral Bread Rolls
These Garlic Spiral Bread Rolls are made like Cinnamon Rolls. But instead of spreading on sugar, you roll in fresh garlic, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. This makes a great savory twist on a dinner roll and is a good side dish to any dinner entree.
Ingredients: (makes 12 rolls)
¾ cup milk
¼ cup butter
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 egg
¼ cup water
Filling:
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
DIRECTIONS:
Heat butter with milk in a microwave until butter is melted, stirring in between.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, garlic salt, and salt. Pour water, egg, and milk-butter mixture into the flour mixture. Make sure that the milk mixture is very warm. Stir into flour mix until sticky and wet. Replace mixer with a dough hook. Add the remaining cup of flour ¼ cup at a time carefully, kneading with dough hook constantly until the dough is wet but doesn’t stick to your hand. It should take all the flour.
Once dough is done, take the dough out of the bowl and hand knead it. Then grease the large bowl, and put the dough back in. Let rise in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Roll dough out on a large flour surface into a 12×9 inch rectangle. Mix the parsley, Parmesan, and garlic in a small bowl until thoroughly mixed. Spread softened butter over rolled out dough evenly. Then sprinkle cheese-garlic mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
Roll dough up, starting at the 12 inch side, until it is a long log. This is very similar to cinnamon rolls. Cut out 12 even rolls from this long log. Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Place rolls face side up in the pan. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
After ten minutes of rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
After rise time is up, bake the rolls in the pan in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm.
Overnight Soaked Flour Sandwich Bread
This Soaked Flour Sandwich bread is healthier than regular bread, in that the flour soaks overnight before baking. This has numerous health benefits, even though it is time consuming. But even though it is ‘time consuming,’ you don’t have to spend a relatively long amount of time in the kitchen; and you can eat healthier. The time is worth it.
Sally Fallon, author of the book “Nourishing Traditions” explains some of the reasons why soaking your flour before baking is healthier:
-activates the enzyme phytase, which breaks down phytic acid (phytic acid inhibits the absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc)
-provides lactic acid and lactobacilli, helping to break down complex starches and proteins
-increases vitamin content
-makes the nutrients in grains more readily available
-softens whole grain flour, making it more palatable
Ingredients (makes 2 loaves):
2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup buttermilk (or make your own, see directions)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup room-temp water (or more if too dry)
½ cup oil
¼ cup warm water
2 ½ teaspoons active-dry yeast
2 ½ tablespoons coconut sugar (or honey)
2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
If you don’t have 1 cup of buttermilk, then you can make some; in a 1 cup liquid measuring dish, pour 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Then fill the rest of the cup up with milk. Let rest for a few minutes, or until curdled.
In a large bowl, or stand mixer, combine flours. Then add buttermilk, apple cider vinegar, ½ cup water, and oil. Mix and stir until thick, tough, and homogeneous. Plastic wrap the bowl, and let rest on counter overnight. (12-24 hours).
The dough, after sitting overnight, will be slightly larger, browner, and less tough.
When ready to complete bread, place the dough in a warm oven (170 degrees) to warm up, for 10 minutes.
In a small dish, combine very warm water (¼ cup) and active-dry yeast, and coconut sugar. Mix, and let rest for 5 minutes, or until yeast has bloomed.
Pour yeast mixture into soaked flour dough mixture, and mix/knead in until fully combined. Let rest for 30-45 minutes, in a warm place.
On a floured surface, turn dough out. Sprinkle over with all the salt, and knead and knead for a few minutes, until all the salt is mixed in, and dough is smooth. Separate dough into two smooth logs. Place each of these logs in two greased loaf pans.
Set pans atop the warm oven, and let rise for another half hour.
When you are about ten minutes away from being done with rise time, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
When dough is done rising, place in oven to bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Take out of oven, and let cool a bit. Take loaves out of pans, and let them cool some more before cutting into slices and serving.
Once loaf is entirely cool, you can store it in a Ziploc plastic bag.
Michael's Test Kitchen 