Oatmeal Rolls

October 9, 2012 in breads

So are we loving this weather or what?! (Those of you still have 90+ degree, I am sorry. You can come stay with me.) We actually had snow in our forecast this past weekend and although we didn’t get any, it was crazy cold and definitely soup weather! I made a big ol’ pot of soup and these rolls to go along with it.

These are half whole wheat and part of the reason I wanted to make them was to try out the Red Star Yeast Platinum. The Platinum is supposed to be really good for whole wheat breads since those can to be a little stubborn when it comes to rising. It blew me away! I’ve never had a wheat dough rise so well! I was especially shocked at how well it worked given how cold it was. Seriously, if you haven’t tried Platinum, go get you some!

The rolls were perfect soup rolls! I love oat breads because while the oats aren’t really obvious, they add a certain almost nuttiness to the bread. They were super soft and perfect for sopping up that last little bit of soup left in the bowl.

One year ago: Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Two years ago: Pumpkin Focaccia with Walnuts and Camembert

Oatmeal Rolls

24 rolls

adapted from Creations by Kara

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup brown sugar (or honey)
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 teaspoons active-dry yeast
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Instructions

  1. Stir together boiling water, oats, vegetable oil, and salt. Let side for about a minute; add cold water. Stir until slightly cooled.
  2. Pour into the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add brown sugar, molasses, and yeast. Add all-purpose flour and beat till smooth. Add whole wheat flour and continue beating until the dough comes together. Switch to dough hook. Allow the mixer to knead the dough for 6 - 8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
  3. Divide the dough into 24 even pieces and shape into rolls. Place in greased pan(s). Cover and let rise for another hour, or until doubled.
  4. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes, or until browned. Brush with butter as soon as the come out of the oven if desired.
http://fakeginger.com/2012/10/09/oatmeal-rolls/

This post is NOT sponsored. I just dig Red Star Yeast and their new Platinum yeast.

Yogurt Banana Bread

September 20, 2012 in breads


One of my all-time favorite foods is FAGE Total plain Greek yogurt. I love it in the morning or as a snack with lots of fruit and granola on top but I also love it as an ingredient for both baking and cooking. FAGE Total is a simple ingredient that adds a ton of taste and texture. If you were to search through my blog you would find a ton of recipes that have Greek yogurt thrown in even where you wouldn’t expect it – things like coffee cake, waffles, pita bread, and sweet rolls. My favorite trick though is using it in chicken salad instead of mayo. My husband, no lie, doesn’t even notice the difference! And that says a lot because the man loves some mayo. One of the main reasons that I love FAGE Total so much (besides the taste of course!) is that it’s packed with protein compared to regular yogurt. I buy the 0% which has only 130 calories per 1 cup serving and a whopping 23 grams of protein! It’s my go-to post-workout snack because of all that protein. It’s also made from only two or three ingredients: milk and cultures or milk, cultures and cream. Like I said, I buy the 0% and it’s still so thick and so creamy! It is really hard to believe that it’s 0%. I used the FAGE Total 0% in this Yogurt Banana Bread and it made the bread moist! That’s what’s so great about baking with yogurt: everything turns out moist and delicious! You really don’t get a whole lot of yogurt flavor but the texture alone is worth using the FAGE Total. You could, of course, use the 2% if that’s what you have in your fridge too! The bread is pretty terrific as far as banana bread goes. Even my banana hater enjoyed it! Feel free to add a handful or two of nuts if you are into that sort of thing. I usually put walnuts in my banana bread but I accidentally let my stash run out! So tell me, what’s your favorite way to enjoy FAGE Total? Do you eat it by itself? Do you use it in place of mayo or sour cream? Do you bake with it? I want to know!

Be Sure To Visit The Fage Total Plain Kitchen (http://www.fageusa.com/plainkitchen/) and submit your favorite FAGE Total recipe by 10/9/12 for a chance to have it served on the FAGE Total Plain Kitchen menu by master chef Bobby Flay, and be one of three winners to receive an all-expense paid trip to NYC for the FAGE Total Plain Kitchen Grand Opening Event.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.), 21 years or older who did not purchase any equipment for the purposes of entering this contest. Enter Contest by: 10/9/12 at 12:00 p.m. ET. To enter and for Official Rules, including prize descriptions, visit www.fageusa.com/plainkitchen. Void where prohibited.

Yogurt Banana Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup FAGE Total 0%

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and mashed bananas; beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients and the FAGE Total 0% alternately, beating until everything is just moistened. Be careful not to overbeat.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  5. Bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
http://fakeginger.com/2012/09/20/yogurt-banana-bread/

Everything Bread

July 31, 2012 in breads, spon

I have the hardest time getting back into a posting schedule after taking a blog vacation. My mom was here visiting last week and I had intended on getting a few posts up but yeah… didn’t happen. And then the day after she left, I made the brilliant decision to do a detox so I haven’t been eating and therefore haven’t really been cooking or baking much. So if things are quiet around here for a few days, it’s because I’m too busy sitting on my butt, sipping pineapple ginger juice and wishing I had a cheeseburger.

I did manage to make this bread and it was complete torture. I can’t wait until Wednesday when I can finally have a slice! I’ve made this recipe in the past though so I can safely say that it is absolutely amazing and it’s perfect for those of us that love the “everything” flavor but aren’t huge bagel fans. Last time I made it – probably a year ago – my husband was at work and I kept taking little slivers off it so by the time he made it home it was completely gone. He walked in and said “It smells like bread in here!” And I was all “Weird, right?!”

My favorite thing about this bread and what sets it apart from other “everything” recipes I’ve come across is that the seeds and dried onion and all that goodness are inside that bread too! So it’s double the flavor!

It’s such an easy recipe and as with most of their recipes, Red Star Yeast makes it even easier on you by giving you instructions for bread machines and mixers. Of course, you can use your hands too! You may want to check out the recipe on their site because they also give you 3 different size options. The one I made is the medium sized one.

My kids, who request bread with no seeds when I’m making sandwiches for them, loved this! My 2 year old broke into “There’s a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy” after his first bite! I guess they were pretty excited that I decided to share the loaf with them this time! Eep!

One year ago: Chocolate Chip Scones
Two years ago: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Everything Bread

Ingredients

1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 cup oatmeal
3 cups bread flour
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
For the topping:
1½ teaspoons water
⅛ teaspoon cornstarch
¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
¾ teaspoon poppy seeds
pinch black pepper
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
½ teaspoon dried minced garlic
¾ teaspoon sesame seeds
¾ teaspoon dried minced onion

Instructions

  1. Whisk together yeast, 1 cup flour, and other dry ingredients.
  2. Stir together liquids and heat to 120-130F.
  3. Combine dry mixture and liquid ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle or beaters for 4 minutes on medium speed. Gradually add remaining flour and knead with dough hook 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  4. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise until dough tests ripe, about an hour.
  5. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; punch down to remove air bubbles. Shape dough into a round loaf. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Cover; let rise until indentation remains after touching, another hour or so.
  6. Combine 1+1/2 teaspoons water and ⅛ teaspoon cornstarch; brush on top of bread. Sprinkle with topping. Bake in preheated 375F oven 30 to 40 minutes or until tested done. Remove from baking sheet; cool.
http://fakeginger.com/2012/07/31/everything-bread/

This post sponsored by Red Star Yeast. I really did eat an entire loaf of this though.
This post submitted to YeastSpotting

Marbled Chocolate Brioche

May 23, 2012 in breads

This is the best thing I’ve made this year.

I know I’ve probably said that 15 times already but for real. This is it.

I have been in love with brioche since the first time I made it and adding a swirl of chocolate brioche to it just intensified our love. It was flaky, buttery, and extra rich – everything a good brioche should be.

When you make a marbled quickbread, you just dollop the batters on top of each other and then you use a knife to swirl them together. But with a yeast bread, that’s not really an option. So the method for this was really interesting and fun – you stack the dough on top of each other, slice into strips, and then slice again into pieces. Then you take all those pieces and shape them into a ball.

It produced the prettiest swirls!

For being such a good looking bread, it really wasn’t much work at all. I know a lot of people say that brioche is a pain in the you-know-what to work with but I think it’s one of the easiest doughs. It’s silky, smooth, and the large amount of butter means that it really doesn’t stick to anything.

You better believe I’m making French toast with it this morning.

One year ago: PB&J Cookies
Three years ago: Caramel Pecans Rolls
Four years ago: Israeli Couscous with Pistachios and Apricots

Marbled Chocolate Brioche

adapted from The Modern Baker

Ingredients

For the brioche:
½ cup milk
2¼ teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2½ cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
For the chocolate enrichment:
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon baking soda
pinch of ground cinnamon
1½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Butter a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and line with parchment. Butter parchment.
  2. To make brioche:
  3. Heat the milk in a saucepan until lukewarm (about 110F). Pour milk into a bowl and whisk in the yeast; stir in 1 cup of the flour, making sure it is all moistened. Cover the bowl and set aside for 20 minutes.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, salt, egg, egg, yolks, and lemon zest until all is combined. Scrape the yeast mixture in and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining flour and mix just until combined.
  5. Remove dough and place on a floured work surface. Divide into thirds. Place 2 of the thirds back in the stand mixer bowl, this time fitted with a dough hook. Turn the mixer on medium and mix until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Return dough to floured work surface and divide into 2.
  6. Place remaining third of the dough into the stand mixer. Make chocolate enrichment before proceeding.
  7. To make chocolate enrichment:
  8. Whisk together water, baking soda, cinnamon, and melted chocolate.
  9. Add the chocolate enrichment to the stand mixer bowl with the dough. Turn mixer on medium; add the 3 tablespoons of flour. Mix until dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Remove to floured work surface.
  10. Press one of the pieces of plain dough into a 5-inch square on the floured work surface. Repeat with the chocolate dough, placing it on top of the plain dough. Repeat with the last piece of plain dough. It doesn’t need to be perfectly lined up.
  11. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 3 strips, each about 1¾ inches wide. Cut each strip into ten ½-inch pieces of bowl. Place the cut pieces of dough into a bowl.
  12. Slide your hands, palms upward, under the pieces of dough and toss them gently.
  13. Sprinkle the pieces of dough in the bowl with 1 teaspoon of water. Gently press and squeeze the dough together into a ball. Move dough ball to your floured work surface and press into a thick 4 x 8-inch rectangle. Place the dough in the prepared pan and press to fill the pan completely.
  14. Cover the pan and let the dough rise about 1 inch over the top of the pan, 1-2 hours.
  15. Preheat your oven to 350F about 20 minutes before the loaf is fully risen. Place a rack in the middle of the oven.
  16. Bake until the loaf is well risen and deep golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack.
http://fakeginger.com/2012/05/23/marbled-chocolate-brioche/

This post submitted to YeastSpotting.

French Fridays with Dorie – Provencal Olive Fougasse

May 11, 2012 in ffwd

May is turning into such a great month for French Fridays with Dorie! First there was almond-coated fish and now bread! My favorite! And something I haven’t been making a whole lot of lately.

This is a Fougasse which is one of those breads that had always intimidated me. For starters, it just looks complicated. It’s also one of those breads that needs to sit overnight before being shaped and baked. The overnight sitters are always tough for me because I very rarely plan that far ahead. And it also means that I’m thinking about bread all night long. Torture!

The Fougasse is not nearly as difficult as I thought it was going to be. Like I said, it sits overnight before being rolled out, marked, and then only has to rest for about 15 minutes before going in the oven. Probably one of the easier “fancy” breads I’ve attempted since it really doesn’t have to be a specific shape.

This Fougasse is studded with olives, rosemary (I used dried), and lemon zest. The olives, even though they are so strong, don’t really add the typical olive flavor, just more of a saltiness. My 2 year old can’t stand olives but he loved the bread!

Fougasse is a cousin of focaccia so it had that crisp exterior with a nice, fluffy interior. Mine didn’t rise in the oven as much as I’d hoped it would but it was likely an issue with my oven and not the recipe. I’m looking forward to trying other Fougasse recipes now that I know how simple they are.

(The members of French Fridays with Dorie aren’t sharing all the recipes because we want to encourage you to check out Around My French Table.)

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