in between ~

mise en place ~

  

nuts and fruit on orange bread dough ~

naked bread, finishing bottoms on baking stone ~  

dressed or glazed ~

sliced ~

In between taking kids to school, cleaning and running errands, the everyday things that one does, I made orange cranberry date nut bread from A Bread for All Seasons by Beth Hensperger. I have made it before and forgot how good it really is. After having a November heatwave, rain snuck it's way in, this is the best Fall treat. Perfect toasted.

I assembled my ingredients in the morning, then off to school. Mixed when I was back home and while the dough was rising I was off doing chores. Then back to the bread dough to add the nuts and fruit, more waiting and more tasks to finish. Finally, baking time and sewing for me. Out of the oven and I was off to school for pick-up. The worse part was the waiting to slice till completely cool. Worth the wait.

I have been diligently sewing projects here and there but since most of it is of the elving type I can't post the pictures just yet.

What is your favorite Fall bread recipe?

Enjoy your Fall weather where ever you happen to be

Orange-Blueberry Sweetrolls ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A summertime twist on a classic sweet bread treat. I love her description and one sentence stands out, "In an era of convenience foods, the delight of a homemade bun is very special."  I wholeheartedly agree. I would only add a drizzle of orange scented icing, but that just me. 

The recipe makes 24 rolls - so guess what's in the freezer for later?

Oatmeal & dried apricot bread ~

Before the family ate all the dried apricots, I made this yummy hearty bread. It is in the June section of the cookbook Bread for All Seasons but I would probably make it again in the winter or spring. I used dark rye because that is what I had and omitted the millet because I didn't have any in my pantry. It is perfect for breakfast with butter and your favorite beverage, hot or cold. I have fun exploring different recipes. You never know what you will find and I am constantly surprised at what my family likes. I think they surprise themselves as well.

We are experiencing hot weather but it cools off quite nicely in the evenings. Lots of dinners on the patio

good morning ~

 

yesterday ~ the Del Mar Fair and copious amounts of fried foods
evening ~ White Fog bread with Quinoa dough
morning ~ into the pans

Today is my darling daughter's last day visiting before she heads back to Vermont and her baby chickens. The time goes by too quickly ~

Maybe someday we can own a patch of land large enough for each of us to have a modest home and share our time and talents while having our own space. That would be perfect ~

keeping busy ~

two more scrappy squares 

and one ready to cut

a pretty blue Canadian maple leaf

challah from Ms Hensperger's book Bread for all Seasons

substituted fiori di sicilia for the vanilla
a lovely combination of citrus and vanilla
perfect for french toast

And out of trouble...boring!

We have a quiet weekend for the first time in a month. Resting up for a birthday celebration, speech & debate and waiting for college acceptances.

It is very exciting around here lately. Well for me anyway, this past summer I made a pillowcase using a pattern from one of the blogs I follow and she asked me if it was o.k. to include my finished project on her flickr page. Geeky and weird, I know, but very cool to me!

Have a extra nice weekend

Happy March 1st

Oatmeal Graham & White Breads ~

One of February's bread is the Oatmeal-Graham bread. A good healthy dose of whole grains and perfect for a cold, rainy afternoon. I promise I did not deviate from Ms Hensperger's recipe this time. I have made her white breads before and I like that they can be done all in the very same day. 

 

 

I love how the yeast foams up and rises while never flowing over the sides.

Perfect structure....looks like a latte.

On my cutting table is a new tote for dd #3, more flags and the scrappy trip around the world. I also have been thinking about the next SDMQG meeting. We are supposed to bring a pincushion to swap with the other members. I have time. Any suggestions from you dear readers? Would love to hear from you.

Have a great week

Baking ~

granola cooling

old fashion raisin bread with molasses glaze 

 

 

 

Sick kids in the house so it is a perfect time to cook and bake. Granola and bread for those who are well and Little House on the Prairie for those who are convalescing.

I added a few ingredients to Ms Henspergers recipe, hope she doesn't mind. Success ~There are dates, raisins, walnuts and cinnamon in this delicious bread, yum. I made 2 large loaves instead of six small loaves and I probably should have made three loaves, next time. 

On my cutting table ~ I am contemplating cutting into the Liberty Bloomsbury to make Liberty Fields, a Material Obsession pattern and inspired by a talk at the SDMQG I have gone through my stash and cut fabric to make a 'scrappy trip around the world'. There is a six strip tutorial found on Quiltville dot com. 

Stay well and wash your hands

January bread ~

White Fog Bread with Quinoa and Honey

I have been wanting to make this bread for some time now. A couple of things were holding me back. Couldn't find cold-pressed sesame oil, had never had quinoa and the book of recipes is divided into months and this yummy loaf is in January, so how could I possibly make it in June? 

I substituted vegetable oil for the 'cold-pressed sesame oil', cooked the quinoa and still there were bits of rocks or sand in the leftover quinoa I tasted and it is January, yea! I found the book in a used book store and I really enjoy her recipes, they are easy to follow and every one has come out fabulous. I was convinced that my family would not like this bread but as it turns out they love it. No one has found any bits of sand, it is a chewy moist loaf and it is perfect toasted with jam. The reason for the deep creases is that you divide the bread dough into 3 sections to break apart and give a section to your fisherman husband. How sweet is that. 

Next on my to-do list is a date nut raisin bread using Peter Reinhart's books.

Apple Walnut bread redux ~

 

Pretty little loaves without much apple flavor. I used 2 granny smith apples, cooked slightly in apple juice, dried apples and apple juice instead of water. I think apple is a subtle, delicate flavor that perhaps does not translate well in bread. The bread is moist and delicious.

 I am still thinking ~ I might try the Peter Reinhart biga and soaker method to try and bring out the flavors.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner

Have a Happy Day!

Thoughts on making bread......

Bread for all Seasons by Beth Hensperger

egg white wash sprinkled with sugar in the raw

find the wheat berries......

Making bread, the yeast, kneading, mixing and the rhythm eluded me for decades. I tried again, now in my 4th decade, and have had success. Even my family asks me to make bread, which is the greatest compliment. But here's the thing, I get bored making the same bread over and over, so I go looking for other recipes with different flavors to try.

I began my renewed  interest (and determination) in baking bread with Cooks Illustrated Anadama bread and are now mostly baking from Peter Reinhart and Beth Hensperger. Yesterday I began a recipe from Ms Hensperger book, Blueberry Cardamon Bread, with dried blueberries (I soaked mine in orange juice) and wheat berries ( soaked in water, cooked in water and cooled).

I bake it, cooled per instructions and sliced for every one to try. The wheat berries hardened up...How did that happen? So it is like eating bread with small popcorn kernels. My kids like it because they like biting on nannies. The bread is really tasty, moist and I would make it again without the wheat berries. Which brings me to these words found on Pinterest

My bread is not perfect but it is a beautiful thing!

I enjoy the process, love the result and it satisfies me that I can provide for my family. Enjoy your day and I hope that I have encouraged someone to try something new. 

Pumpkin Cornmeal Bread and pumpkin cookies

October 2010


October Breads


Since fall is here and who doesn't like the smell of freshly backed bread I went to Beth Hensperger book A Bread For All Seasons for a tasty fall bread. This recipe includes pumpkin puree, cornmeal and rye flour for a unique flavor and texture. For some reason I measured out 1 cup pumkin instead of 1/2 cup pumpkin. At first I panicked but then continued on to see how things went. It was moist but that how I prefer the dough. Half the recipe I made into rolls while the other half I shaped into a round. Both came out fine. So I would include a full 1 cup pumpkin in the future and perhaps substitute white whole wheat flour for the rye  to see how the flavor turned out...Yummy

A Bread for all Seasons

gathering the ingredients

rising dough

bread and rolls

Out of the oven and ready to wrap in coth

Rolls

So I had some pumpkin puree left over so I opened a second can and made pumpkin cookies. Also very yummy. More like a muffin top or cake than a cookie and tastes like pumpkin pie. When stacked on top of each other they stick to each other. I haven't quite figured out how to store these cookies. Sometimes I drizzle icing on the top although it doesn't call for it. This cookie dough stores quite well in the refridgerator for a couple of days and in the freezer for longer. I love freezing cookie dough. I find we eat fewer cookie and it is faster to have a batch ready a week or so later. The recipe is in a set of cookbooks my father had given me 20 years ago and many of the recipes have become family favorites.

Pumpkin Cookies

I also made a couple of loaves of white bread to satisfy my family.

white bread

And Ms Hensperger's Fresh Apple Walnut bread which tastes a bit like cinnamon raisin bread without the guilt of being loaded with sugar

Fresh Apple Walnut Bread

moist & yummy

November looks like cranberry, oranges and rice in the breads from the book. I have to say that I have my recipes gathered for Thanksgiving and my shopping list compiled so I hope this provides me with more time to sew and bake!

Gratefully
Ileen