Marbled Rye

We needed extra rye bread for Reuben sandwiches, so I whipped up this rye bread. Make sure you roll the loaves together tightly, so you don't have air pockets in your baked bread. It's probably a good idea to use your rolling pin to gently roll the rye and white pieces together.


Marbled Rye
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. dark molasses
1 1/4 cups rye flour

In large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour and yeast. In saucepan, heat milk, sugar, oil and salt until warm (between 120ºF and 130ºF). Add milk mixture to flour and yeast. Beat on low to medium for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes.

Divide batter in two equal portions. Stir in as much remaining all-purpose flour as possible with one portion. Knead until moderately stiff, and shape into a ball. Place into greased bowl, and cover.

With other portion of batter, stir in molasses, rye flour and as much all-purpose flour as possible. Knead until moderately stiff, and shape into a ball. Place into a greased bowl, and cover. Let doughs rise until doubled, approximately 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Punch down each dough. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough portion into a 12 by 8 rectangle. Layer doughs, and roll up starting from a short side. Place seam side down into a greased bread pan. Cover and let rise until doubled (30 to 40 minutes).

Bake at 375ºF for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Dutch Easter Bread

With Easter right around the corner, I had to try a seasonal bread recipe. This is my first attempt with a true sweet yeast bread.


Dutch Easter Bread
1 large egg beaten with scalded-then-cooled milk to measure 1 1/3 cups
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. grated lemon zest (I used orange peel, which I had on hand.)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup mixed dried or candied fruit
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Glaze: 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. milk

Icing and Decoration:
1 cup powdered sugar mixed with 2 to 3 Tbsp. milk and 1/2 tsp. almond extract
Additional fruits, if desired

Warm the egg under hot tap water and crack into a measuring cup. Heat the milk until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Add to egg, filling measuring cup to 1 1/3 cups. Pour mixture into warmed mixing bowl with yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add butter, sugar, zest, salt, wheat flour and half the bread flour. Beat well. Cover and let rest 15 minutes.

Stir in fruit and almonds. Slowly add remaining bread flour and beat well. Knead until smooth and springy but still soft to the touch. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Lightly grease baking sheets. Punch dough down on lightly floured surface and divide into two. Shape each into a round loaf, and place smooth side up on the baking sheets. Cover and let rise 45 to 50 minutes until doubled.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Glaze loafs with egg mixture. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until loaves are golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool loaves on wire rack.

Loaves can be frozen at this point for later use or frosted for immediate eating. Drizzle or spread glaze on loaves and sprinkle with fruits. (If bread has been frozen, let thaw at room temperature prior to frosting.)

Rye and Sauerkraut Bread

With St. Patty's day tomorrow, it is definitely time for Reuben sandwiches. What better bread than one that combines all those delicious flavors? I would imagine this bread would also be excellent with hearty soups.Rye and Sauerkraut Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. active dry yeast
3 Tbsp. dark molasses
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. caraway seeds
1 cup dark rye flour
3 cups bread flour
3/4 cup sauerkraut, well drained (lay on paper towels for 10 minutes)

Heat the water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into large, warmed bowl and add yeast and molasses. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add oil, salt, caraway seeds and rye flour. Beat well, and then cover and let stand 15 minutes. Add sauerkraut to dough. Slowly add bread flour, beating until a smooth dough forms. Knead the dough until soft and springy but still soft to the touch. Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Punch down and shape into as many loaves as desired. (I would recommend three.) Place loaves on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes. Bake at 375ºF for 30 to 35 minutes until loaves are golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

Tomato Wheat Baguettes with Garlic and Rosemary

Although my baguette-shaping skills need a bit of improvement (this was my first attempt), the flavor of these loaves is excellent. It's a pretty bread that goes well with any Italian food.

Tomato Wheat Baguettes with Garlic and Rosemary
1/3 cups tomato juice
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Heat tomato juice until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into large, warmed bowl and add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add salt, oil, rosemary, garlic and wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Slowly add half the bread flour and beat until a soft dough forms. Cover, and let stand 15 minutes. Knead dough on medium, adding remaining bread flour, until smooth, springy and soft dough forms. Knead in tomatoes. Remove the dough hook, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Punch down, divide and shape into two baguettes. Lightly grease a baking pan, and place the loaves, smooth sides up, on the pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Slash the top of the loaves, and brush with water. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until loaves are golden. Cool on wire racks.

Chocolate-Cherry Cobbler

We have quite a few bags of cherries occupying precious freezer space. (I have to have someplace to store all my extra loaves of bread.) So I searched for recipes that include tart cherries, since that's what our Door County cherries are. This recipe is easy to make and quite tasty. I was extremely pleased with the simple recipe for thickening the cherries, as the end result is almost like pie filling.

Chocolate-Cherry Cobbler
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
16 oz. frozen tart cherries, thawed, with juice
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cocoa
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 375ºF. Mix 2 Tbsp. brown sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Stir in cherries, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in almond extract. Pour into ungreased 1-quart casserole dish.

Mix flour, cocoa, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, baking powder and salt together. Cut in butter until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in vanilla and milk until soft dough forms. Drop dough by six spoonfuls onto cherry mixture.

Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes until cobblers are no longer doughy. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.

Cinnamon-Pecan Wheat and Rye Bread

Such a long title. Such a good bread.


This is an excellent breakfast bread, toasted with butter or flavored cream cheese. It's also great as a dessert or used in desserts, like the Chocolate Bread Pudding recipe posted earlier on this blog.

Cinnamon-Pecan Wheat and Rye Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. active dry yeast
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. non-fat dry milk
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup light rye flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Heat water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into large, warmed bowl and add yeast, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add butter, dry milk, wheat flour and rye flour. Beat until smooth. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add bread flour, kneading until soft and smooth but still springy to the touch. Knead in pecans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Grease two loaf pans. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, punch down and shape into two loaves. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until loaves are golden. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Barley Wheat Bread

I was home last weekend, and this was the bread my dad selected. It had a really chewy texture and is possibly my best bread yet in my husband's opinion. It isn't my favorite, but to each their own.

Barley Wheat Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup barley flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. gluten
2 1/2 cups bread flour

Heat water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into large, warmed bowl and add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes. Add honey, salt, barley flour, wheat flour, gluten and half the bread flour. Beat until smooth. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add the remaining bread flour, and beat until a soft, rough dough forms. Knead the dough with a dough hook until smooth and springy but still soft to the touch. Remove the dough hook, cover the bowl and let dough rise one hour.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and punch down. Shape into two round loaves. Place loaves, smooth side up, onto the baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Brush loaf with beaten egg and sprinkle with sunflower seeds, if desired. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until the loaves are golden and a wooden skewer inserted into loaf comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

Pork Chops with Feta and Spinach

This is one of those recipes that sounds fancy and requires a bit of effort, but it is definitely worth the work. The end result is a fantastic combination of flavors that makes you feel like you're at a fancy restaurant.

Pork Chops with Feta and Spinach
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/8 tsp. black pepper, divided
3 sun-dried tomatoes (w/out oil) diced
5 oz. spinach (thawed, drained and squeezed dry)
1/8 cup feta cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp. cream cheese
2 pork chops
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. oregano

Preheat broiler. Heat large skillet and spray with non-stick spray. Add 3 garlic cloves and cook 1 minute. Add half the salt and pepper, the tomatoes and spinach. Cook, stirring often, until moisture evaporates. Remove from heat, and stir in cheeses.

Slice pork chops horizontally to form pockets. Stuff each chop with half the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on sprayed aluminum foil sheet placed on broiler pan.

Combine remaining garlic, lemon juice, mustard and oregano and mix well. Brush half mixture on chops. Broil 6 minutes and flip chops. Brush with remaining mixture. Broil 2 to 4 more minutes, until cooked through. Serves 2.

Potato-Spinach Swirl Casserole

This recipe isn't even a disguise to trick people into eating healthier vegetables like spinach. It's a fantastic potato casserole that freezes well if you make a double batch and want to save one for later. The potatoes are creamy and rich.

Potato-Spinach Swirl Casserole
1 cup hot water
1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 package (7.2-oz. size) sour cream and chive instant mashed potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
5 oz. frozen spinach, prepared as directed and drained well
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat water, 1/2 can of soup and butter to a rapid boil. Remove from heat, and stir in potatoes and sour cream until just moistened. Let stand one minute and whip with fork until smooth.

Stir together remaining soup and spinach. Alternately spoon spinach and potatoes into greased 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Run knife through spinach and potatoes to swirl. Top with shredded cheese.

Bake, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Broil 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is golden.

Olive and Herb Bread

If I'm home for the weekend, it's almost a given that I'll bake bread. I had some good quality olives on hand, so I had to try this Olive and Herb Bread. It smelled like pizza while baking in the oven and tastes great ... the olive flavor permeates the loaf without being overpowering.

Olive and Herb Bread
1 1/3 cups water
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 1/4 cups bread flour
2 tsp. rapid-rising or active dry yeast
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, well-drained Greek olives

Heat water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into large, warmed bowl and add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the oil, oregano, garlic, salt, whole wheat flour and half the bread flour. Beat until smooth. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add remaining bread flour and beat until a soft dough forms. Knead until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and is smooth and springy but still soft to the touch. Knead in the olives. Remove the dough hook, and cover. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Punch down, and shape into 4 small circular loaves. Place loaves, smooth side up, onto lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Using a sharp knife or a razor, slash the tops of the loaves. Brush with water. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until the loaves are golden. Cool completely on wire racks.

Bagelmania

This project was similar to my English Muffin experience in the sense that I had never contemplated creating my own bagels until I saw the recipe in a cookbook. The three-step cooking process (broil, simmer and bake) intrigued me, so my bagel adventures began.

I created a double batch since I wanted to play with more topping options. The cooking process is a bit involved, especially when you're coordinating a double batch. Still, after 2 1/2 hours, I had 24 delicious bagels. I can't wait to make a batch solely to take into work and see my coworkers reactions when they realize they're homemade.

Bagels
2 3/4 to 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 package active dry yeast (2 tsp.)
1 1/2 cups warm water (120ºF to 130ºF)
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
6 cups water
1 Tbsp. sugar

Toppings:
Egg yolk
Sesame seeds
Poppy seeds
Flax seeds

Stir together two cups flour and yeast. Add 1 1/2 cups arm water, 3 Tbsp. sugar and salt. Beat on low to medium for 30 seconds, scraping sides constantly. Beat on high 3 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to stir in as much of the remaining flours as possible.

Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead in remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (approximately 6 to 8 minutes total). Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Grease a large baking sheet. Working quickly, divide dough into 12 equal portions, shaping each into a smooth ball. Punch a hole in the center of each ball, and pull apart gently to make a 2-inch hole. Place on baking sheet. Cover and let rise 20 minutes.

Broil bagels 5 inches from heat for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once. Bagels should not brown.


Meanwhile, bring water and remaining sugar to a boil in a deep skillet or large pot. Add bagels, 4 or 5 at a time, and simmer for 7 minutes, turning once. Drain bagels on paper towel.

Grease baking sheet. Brush bagels with egg yolk mixed with water and sprinkle with desired toppings.
Bake at 375ºF for 25 to 30 minutes or until tops are golden. Cool on wire racks.

Note: 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 cup dried cranberries or other fruit can be kneaded into dough prior to resting and rising.

Rhubarb Right-Side-Up Cake

Technically this recipe creates an upside-down cake, but I found the mess factor to exceed any presentational value. Therefore, this is now Rhubarb Right-Side-Up Cake, which is perhaps my favorite method to use rhubarb. This relatively healthy dessert has a nice balance of sweet and tart.

Rhubarb Right-Side-Up Cake
5 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb (1/2-inch pieces), thawed and drained
1 package sugar-free strawberry jello
1/2 cup splenda
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 yellow cake mix
1 can clear diet soda
Whipped topping, optional

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place rhubarb in greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle evenly with jello, splenda and marshmallows. In separate bowl, combine cake mix and diet soda. Mix until batter is smooth, typically following package directions. Pour batter on top of marshmallows.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes until cake layer is done. (Use a toothpick to test, but beware the the rhubarb layer is gooey.) I prefer this served warm with a dab of whipped topping.