Saturday, November 17, 2007

Recipes to celebrate National Bread Day

Homemade bread can't be beat, so El Defensor Chieftain staff members took advantage of National Homemade Bread Day on Nov. 17 to dig into their recipes.

Some of these have been in our families for who knows how long, while others are new discoveries or our own adaptations.

If it's too much trouble to slice sweetbreads, remember that the batter can become muffins just as easily as loaves if the baker simply pours it into muffin tins.

For yeast breads, make sure the yeast isn't too old and the water it dissolves in isn't too hot. If the yeast is dead, the bread won't rise.

The best temperature for proofing yeast is lukewarm water, 110ºF.

If you want a something different for a snack or need to use up extra pears or even a can of beer (the alcohol cooks out), take a look and enjoy.

Carrot Pear Bread

Courtesy of American Profile Magazine

Submitted by Evelyn Cronce

El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

I found this recipe in the American Profile Magazine. It caught my interest because there is a pear tree in our yard that belongs to our landlord. He does not harvest the fruit himself.

The tree seems to have had a good yield this year, and I've been looking for recipes to make using the pears.

When I made the recipe, I was concerned with the small amount of batter for two loaf pans.

It did fluff up nicely, and the bread is light and tasty, but I did expect larger loaves.

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more to taste)

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup pears, peeled and cut into small chunks

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans or one 9-inch square baking pan.

Combine the sugar, eggs and oil; beat until well mixed.

Combine the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix into egg mixture.

Stir in carrots, pears and walnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serves 4-6

Banana-Cranberry Bread

By Argen Duncan

El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

I found a recipe for banana-cranberry bread in a magazine, and modified it to make it healthier and give it more flavor.

The same recipe makes about two dozen muffins if muffin tins are used instead of loaf pans.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2-1/2 cups mashed ripe banana

(about 5 medium), divided

1/2 cup skim milk

4 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

9 ounces dried cranberries,

or to taste

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl mix butter, 1/2 cup mashed banana and sugar. Add remaining banana, milk and eggs; mix well. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until moist. Stir in dried cranberries.

Spray two standard loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Spread batter evenly in pans. Bake for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing.

Makes 2 loaves

Nancy's Ice Box Rolls

Submitted by Argen Duncan

El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

My mother got this recipe from my paternal grandmother, Nancy. I have no idea how long it's been in the family.

Mom makes the rolls with dinner for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. She also makes cinnamon rolls with the same dough for Christmas morning.

1 cup hot water

6 tablespoons vegetable shortening

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 package yeast, dissolved in 2

tablespoons warm water

1/4 cup sugar

4 cups flour

Pour hot water over sugar, salt and shortening in bowl. The shortening needs to melt. Then cool liquid mixture. Add yeast when cooled. Add egg and flour. Mix. Store in refrigerator in tightly closed container.

For dinner rolls, form a ball of dough about the size of a pingpong ball for each roll. Arrange in a baking dish with the balls touching. For cinnamon rolls, roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into long strips. Brush each strip with melted butter and sprinkle on ground cinnamon and brown sugar to taste. Roll up strips with cinnamon and sugar to the inside. Place in a baking dish.

Let rise, covered with a towel, in warm place for about an hour and bake at 350ºF until lightly browned.

Cranberry Bread for the Bread Machine

Submitted by J.M. England

El Defensor Chieftain Staff

A friend gave me this recipe years ago. It has a wonderful tangy smell when baking, almost like sourdough. For a real treat, try it toasted with more marmalade. Yum!

1-1/4 cup cranberry juice

3 cups white bread flour

2 tablespoons powdered milk

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/3 cup dried cranberries

(or Craisins)

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

Add all ingredients to bread pan in the order given in your bread machine's manual. Be sure to keep cranberries away from liquid. I usually add cranberries and yeast last to my bread machine. Some machines call for adding nuts and other items at the "beeps," but this is not necessary for this bread. Set for regular bread cycle and press Start.

Makes a 1-1/2 pound loaf

1-2-3 Beer Bread

By J.M. England

El Defensor Chieftain Staff

This is one of my "learning to cook" recipes. I'd found an interesting recipe for beer bread that I wanted to try, but didn't have all the ingredients called for in the recipe. Being rather adventurous, I tried it with what I had, and it turned out great. This is another bread that smells wonderful while baking.

1 can (12 ounces) beer at room

temperature, any brand

(1-1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons sugar

3 cups self-rising flour

Melted butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350šF. Generously grease a loaf pan with shortening; do not use non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together flour and sugar. Stir in beer. Dough will be very sticky. Scrape dough into greased loaf pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Turn loaf out onto rack and brush top and sides generously with melted butter.

Makes 1 loaf

Old-Fashioned Bread

By J.M. England

El Defensor Chieftain Staff

Here's another of my "desperation" recipes from college days. This is one I adapted from a recipe my great-grandmother had given me that called for "hog grease," which is the result of rendering hog fat after butchering.

2 cups lukewarm water (110šF.)

1 package (1/4 ounce) dry yeast (or 2-1/4 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 cups white flour

In a very large, nonmetal bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Blend in sugar and salt.

Let stand for 30 minutes. Blend in oil. Stir in flour gradually and mix well until a stiff dough forms.

Dust counter or table with flour. Turn dough out onto counter and knead until smooth. Wash mixing bowl and dry thoroughly, then grease inside of bowl with more vegetable oil or shortening.

Shape dough into a ball and place into greased bowl. Turn ball over once to grease top. Cover with a dishtowel and let sit in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough, then turn out onto floured counter or table, and divide the dough in half. Grease two loaf pans well.

Shape each half of dough into a loaf and place in loaf pans.

Set covered pans in a warm place; let rise again for about an hour until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350š F. Bake loaves about 60 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn loaves out onto wire rack to cool. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired.

Makes 2 loaves

French Breakfast Puffs

Submitted by Audry Olmsted

El Defensor Chieftain Managing Editor

This is an easy family muffin recipe that my mother used to eat as a child. Although it does have cinnamon and sugar, the muffins do not taste too sweet. They are a great breakfast food, and best served warm.

Sugar mixture:

1/3 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

Flour mixture:

1-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

Topping:

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat together the sugar mixture and flour mixture in separate bowls.

Alternate pouring the sugar mixture and the milk into the flour mixture.

Pour mixture into greased muffin pan, filling each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350ºF.

When the muffins are removed from the oven, immediately remove them from the pan and roll the tops in the topping mixture. Serve hot.

Makes about one dozen muffins.

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