Name: Cinnamon Raisin Whole Wheat Bread
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 2 loaves
Ingredients: 1 1/3 cup warm milk; 1/4 cup butter, melted; 1 cup raisins; 1/3 cup honey; 1 Tbsp yeast; 2/3 cup warm water; 4 cups all purpose flour; 3 cups whole wheat flour; 2 tsp salt; 2 tsp cinnamon

Baking

Cinnamon Raisin Whole Wheat Bread

I love making this Cinnamon Raisin Whole Wheat Bread anytime of year. So, I don’t mind baking bread even when it’s warm out. It’s comforting, fills the house with yeasty cinnamon aromas. And toasted cinnamon raisin bread is always good as a a snack. Store bought bread is no comparison, once you have tasted homemade bread. Anyhow, that’s why I’m posting this recipe this time of year. I figure, if I love baking bread in all weather, then someone else probably does to.

This is the dough just getting ready to rise for me.

And here is my bread after it has been rising for about 90 minutes.

This photo shows both of my loaves in their loaf pans ready to go in the oven. The loaf on the left has been brushed with butter, but not the loaf on the right. You can see the glossy coating. You don’t have to add the butter, but it adds more flavour and softens the crust.

The bread looks so nice after it comes out of the oven. The crust should be a nice deep golden colour.

Imagine someone bringing you a tray like this for your weekend lie-in. A real treat!

Cinnamon Raisin bread with butter is lovely in the morning, but I like to snack on it anytime of day.

I hope you enjoy my Cinnamon Raisin Whole Wheat Bread!

Print Recipe

Cinnamon Raisin Whole Wheat Bread

Serves: 2 loaves

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp yeast
2/3 cup warm water
4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Mix together the milk, butter, raisins and honey.

Soften the yeast in the warm water.

Add the salt and cinnamon to the flours and mix.

Add the yeast/water mixture to the liquid ingredients, making sure that the liquids are not too hot as this will kill the yeast. The water should be a tepid temperature.

Add the liquids to the flours.

Mix the ingredients until they all come together.

Knead the bread on the counter until smooth and elastic. About 8 minutes by hand, less time with a mixer and dough hook.

Let the dough rise for two hours until it is double in bulk.

Press down on the dough to release the gases and shape the dough.

Cut the dough in half and place in greased bread pans.

Let the dough rise for about an hour, until it has risen just above the sides of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush the surface of the dough carefully with an egg wash (1 egg with about 1 tsp water).

Place the loaves in the oven and bake for 45 minutes until the tops are very golden.

Remove from oven.

Leave in loaf tins for about 10 minutes to cool down.

Remove loaves from the pan. You may have to slide a knife down the sides if it looks like the bread may have stuck a bit.

Leave the loaves on a rack until they have cooled down completely.

This bread can be frozen for up to about 2 months.

Store bread in a cool and dark place.

Enjoy!

June 22, 2021

Baking

Delicious Homemade Lebanese Cheese Pies

Lebanese Cheese pies are one our favourite take out meals: soft freshly baked flat bread wrapped around 3 types of gooey melted cheese. Heavenly.

Lebanese Cheese Pies are a real treat in our family. We have a favourite Lebanese pie shop a few blocks away, that we love to pop into from time to time. Such a treat to pick up a half dozen pies for lunch or to snack on.

If you don’t have a cheese pie shop near you, these pies are super easy to make at home. And so good! Who doesn’t love a warm melting, gooey cheese sandwich made with fresh dough. I’m telling you, after you try these, grilled cheese sandwiches will never be enough.

In Lebanon, these are eaten regularly for breakfast. I also think they would be great first thing in the morning, but we usually have them for lunch or even for dinner.

Lebanese cheese pies are made from a mixture of three different cheeses: mozzarella, halloumi, and akawi. You can find halloumi and akiwe cheeses at any middle eastern shop. Akiwe cheese is quite salty, so whenever I use it, I cut it into cubes and soak it in water for 60-90 minutes.

I love the combination of freshly baked soft flat bread with this amazing mixture of cheeses: salty akawi, gooey, melted mozzarella and halloumi which gives this sandwich substance. You could make your own mix if you wanted, but I really like this combination.

What makes Lebanese Cheese Pies so delicious is that they’re made with freshly baked flat bread. To make the dough, you mix together all the dough ingredients and let it rise in a large bowl until double in bulk.

Cut the dough into 8 pieces and rolled slightly into balls. Let these rest for about 30 minutes.

Once the balls have rested for 10-15 minutes, you can roll them out. They should be about 30-35 cm long. You don’t have to be too accurate. Place them on a baking sheet. Bake the rolled out dough for about five minutes. It will start to form small bubbles on top. Sprinkle with a handful of a mixture of the cheeses, about 50 grams. Don’t let the cheese get too close to the edges. Continue baking the cheese pies at 425 F for another 10-15 minutes. The cheese will be bubbly on top and the flat bread dough will be golden underneath. Remove the cheese pies from the oven and fold over immediately.

They will be really hot when they come out of the oven. You may need to wait a couple of minutes before they cool down. But then, dig in. You’re going to love them.

Print Recipe

Delicious Lebanese Cheese Pies

Serves: 8-10

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

500 grams flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp warm water
3/4 cup warm water
80 mL yogurt (I used full-fat yogurt)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Cheese filling:
150 grams mozzarella
150 grams akawi cheese
150 grams halloumi cheese

Instructions

Dissolve the yeast in the 2 Tbsp warm water with the sugar.

Mix together the 3/4 cup of water, yogurt and olive oil in a medium bowl.

Add the salt to the flour and stir.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry.

Mix together using the dough hook with your mixer.

Do this until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Let the dough rise in a warm place until double in bulk. This will take between 45 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Punch the dough down and then cut into 8-10 balls. Depending on how big you want your cheese pies.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Let the balls of dough sit (covered with a tea towel) for 10-15 minutes.

Roll out 2 balls of dough.

Place these on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake in the oven until they start to bubble up; about 5 minutes or so.

Remove the tray from the oven.

Sprinkle on a handful of cheese; somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2 cup depending on how big your cheese pies are.

Fold over and continue to bake until the cheese melts; about 5 minutes.

Let cool before eating, as they will be very hot.

May 20, 2021

Baking

Fantastic Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Bread

I love love love cornbread, and this Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Bread has it all! This corn bread is going to take any meal up a notch with its A-list of ingredients: corn kernels, buttermilk, loads of cheddar cheese and a few nice spoonfuls of pickled jalapeno peppers.

I don’t know if you’re like me, but for some dinners, I just love having bread on the table. I don’t really have time to make yeasted breads everyday, and I don’t necessarily need that kind of bread every meal. Quick breads are amazing, because not only are they quick, but they are often fill with amazing flavours! For us, this quick bread really hits the spot. You can have it ready for dinner in about one hour. And it’s just so darn good.

Let the cornbread cool on a rack until it’s just slightly warm…but without the parchment paper!

All ready for slicing up!

This cornbread has a nice amount of cheddar cheese and just the right hit of jalapeno peppers. It has a bit of brown sugar in it, but it’s just enough to give this cornbread a nice mellow flavour.

You can also bake this cornbread in a square 8 inch pan, if you like. I personally like using loaf tins, especially glass ones. The outside of the cornbread browns up really nicely in a glass pan.

This cornbread is delicious on its own, or you can spread it with butter if that’s what you prefer. Also, if you have a favourite flavoured butter recipe, now would be a good time to pull that out and whip some up. Not that this cornbread needs anymore flavour, but there are some great flavoured butter recipes that could take this up a notch.

Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Bread can accompany so many dishes: soups, chili, ribs or stews. Easy to make, and so nice to enjoy.

Let me know how yours turns out!

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Cheddar jalapeno Corn Bread

Serves: 12-16

Cooking Time: 25-35 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups corn meal
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 cups buttermilk
4 large eggs
1 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
3 pickled jalapeno peppers, finely minced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

Line two bread loaf pans with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne pepper and 1 cup of grated cheese.

In a food processor, add the brown sugar, corn, and buttermilk and blitz for about 5 seconds. Add eggs and blitz another 5 seconds.

Stir the jalapeno peppers into this mixture after it has been processed.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry in a big bowl.

Fold the ingredients together, until just combined.

Add the melted butter and fold some more until the mixture looks moistened.

Pour the batter equally into the two lined bread pans.

Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top of each loaf.

Bake until the cornbread is a nice deep golden colour which should be about 25-30 minutes.

Let the loaves cool in the pans on a rack for about 10 minutes.

Then remove from pans and let the loaves cool for another 10 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

These loaves freeze up beautifully. Wrap the loaves well, pop in the freezer and use within one month.

slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Baking book

March 14, 2019

Baking

Banana Bread with swirls of Nutella

I made so much nutella the other day, I didn’t think we would ever finish it. So, I decided to make this Banana Bread. And who doesn’t love banana bread with chocolate chips and swirls of Nutella!

I have made loads and loads of banana bread ever since I was a teenager. When I was 17, I won a contest for banana bread in our local newspaper. The prize was kitchen flooring which my parents really loved. I really wanted the silver tea set that the person one down from me won, but c’est la vie. My parents were happy.

This quick bread has it all; moistness from the bananas; just enough sweetness from white and brown sugars and nutty aromas from the browned butter. And if you slice it up while it’s still warm, the nutella and milk chocolate chips will be warm and molten. Double yum!

This bread is also a great way to use up bananas that are over ripe. This can happen especially quick in the summer. Blackened bananas freeze very well. I used to freeze bananas in their skin. And that technique works just fine, but then you have to thaw them to get the skin off. So, now I peel the overly ripe bananas, chop them up and place them in a freezer bag. And I always label the date and how many bananas are in the bag. So helpful down the road when I pull them out to use them.

I made this bread with browned butter to amp up the flavour components. I have instructions in a previous post on how to brown butter, if you have never done that. It’s really easy, by the way!

This banana bread is absolutely delicious on its own. You don’t need to add butter or anything. I think it’s absolutely delicious on it’s own. It would be fantastic with a large mug of a spicy herbal tea or a chai latte. So good!

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Serves: 2 loaves

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

3 very very ripe bananas, mashed or pureed
1 cup butter (browned)
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups white flour
1 cup white spelt flour
1 cup oat flour (whole oats pulverized in your food processor)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nutella (warmed)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line two loaf tins with parchment paper.

Brown the butter (see instructions above).

Add sugar to browned butter.

Once the egg and butter mixture has cooled, add in the eggs, vanilla, yogurt and bananas.

In a separate large bowl, stir together the flours and baking soda.

Add butter and sugar mixture to dry ingredients.

Stir all ingredients together until mixed.

Add chocolate chips.

Add about 1/4 of the mixture into each loaf tin.

Spread 1/4 cup of the warmed nutella down the centre. Swirl with a butter knife.

Add the rest of the batter overtop of the nutella. Then spread another 1/4 cup of the nutella on the top. Swirl with a butter knife, mixing the batter with the nutella.

Bake in the oven for about 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let it cool in the loaf tins for about 10 minutes. Then remove from the loaf tins and cool on a rack.

Notes

These loaves freeze very well. If freezing, dont forget to label the package with the date and the name of the bread. Use within 3 months.

February 15, 2019

Baking

Dairy-Free Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread

Who’s up for Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread! This bread has everything: subtle spicy sweetness rolled inside a delicious pumpkin enhanced bread with a really good crumb. It is delicious on it’s own or toasted and spread with cinnamon butter.

I always make pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and then wonder why I don’t cook with pumpkin more often. Pumpkin is fantastic in so many baked goods. It has a beautiful colour and texture. And it is the perfect vehicle for all those delicious baking spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

This Dairy-Free Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread is made with coconut milk, so it’s a dairy-free dessert. Whether you eat dairy products or not, you will not miss them in this sumptious loaf.

This bread has two rises in it, so it’ll take a few hours before it comes out of the oven. But a lot of that time is inactive, just waiting for those busy yeast cells to multiply and plump our dough up. So, while the bread is doing both of it’s rises, you could do some other fun stuff like read a chapter in a book, do some gardening, or go for a nice long walk. However you spend your day, you will definitely have a feeling of satisfaction when this lovely Dairy-Free Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread comes out of the oven.

Not only do I love the taste of pumpkin, I just love the look of them: big, orange globes that come in so many shapes and sizes. Pumpkins are super fun to grow. As they grow on a meandering low-trailing vine, you don’t necessarily need a separate, huge garden to grow them. They can wind their way through your flower garden, too. We grew some a few years ago, in a small veggie garden we created in our backyard. It was super fun. Our kids really enjoyed watching the pumpkins grow throughout the summer. Our pumpkins didn’t get super big, but by the end of October we had six pumpkins that we drew faces on for Hallowe’en. How fun is that!!!!

This loaf is perfect as it is, but if you wanted extra sweetness, you could add a drizzle of icing over the top of the loaf.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread

Serves: 12-16

Cooking Time: 40-60 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup warm water
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 egg
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tablespoon oil
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat spelt flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
Cinnamon Filling
water
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger

Instructions

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

After the yeast is frothy, add the milk, egg, pumpkin, oil, 2 cups of flour, brown sugar, salt, and spices to the yeast mixture.

Stir by hand or use an electric mixer and mix for about one minute.

Using a dough hook, add remaining flour in small increments. The end result should be a dough that is just slightly sticky.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

After the dough has doubled in size, roll into a 9" X 18" rectangle.

Rub the water over your hands and then over the surface of the dough.

Sprinkle the spice and sugar mixture over top of the dough, covering the entire surface.

Beginning at the short side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Pinch the seams to close. You may have to use some water to seal the seams closed.

Place the dough, seam side down, in a buttered bread pan.

Cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm area and let rise until almost doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for about 45 minutes until golden brown on top.

Let cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Then remove from pan and let cool.

Recipe is adapted from Karma Per Diem’s Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Yeast Bread

October 11, 2018

Baking

Focaccia Bread with Sea Salt and Black Pepper

The first time that I had focaccia bread was at a little sandwich shop in downtown Toronto. It was so delicious: chewy, warm, fragrant with olive oil drizzled on top and crunchy with salt and rosemary.

Years later Ifinally learned to bake it myself, after I had bought Antonio Carlucci’s Italian Feast cookbook.The back cover of his cookbook shows four variations of focaccia bread, each one as delectable ss the next.

I don’t know why I waited so long to bake sme, as Focaccia bread is very simple to make. It only has one rise so there is minimal kneading, and it is baked flat on a cookie tray – so no shaping! And in the summertime, we bake ours on a pizza stone on the barbeque, so you don’t even need to turn on the oven.

Focaccia bread is delicious eaten plain at dinnertime, or you can use it for sandwiches. You can also make killer breakfast sandwiches with a simple omelette nestled inbetween two soft warm slices of focaccia.

This bread is delicious at room temperature, but I love it when it’s soft and warm. To warm the focaccia, simply wrap some slices in tin foil and put in the oven on low for about ten minutes, or inside the barbeque for 3-5 minutes.

Focaccia is an excellent starter bread for beginners. This bread bakes up very fast and when baked on the barbecue has a lovely smokiness to it. Baking bread on the barbecue means you can bake anytime of the year. And the crust is simply amazing; crunchy, hot, smoky. Yum!

Focaccia makes great picnic food. It pairs well with sliced meats, cheese, tomatoes, roasted red peppers and other pickled vegetables. And makes fantastic picnic food.

Sometimes on a hot summer night, we’ll just pack up all our picnic foods and lay them out in the backyard. A picnic in your backyard: nothing could be simpler.

Print Recipe

Focaccia Bread with Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 15 - 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Dough
500 g (1 1/4 lb) strong white plain flour
15 grams fresh yeast or 7 grams dry
300 ml lukewarm water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10 g sea salt
For the Topping
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper (or chopped onions rosemary or other herbs)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 475 deg F (with pizza stone) or preheat BBQ with pizza stone

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Once yeast has bubbled up, add to flour along with the rest of the water, oil and salt. Mix everything together and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and springy. You can do this in your kitchen mixer with the dough hook.

Put the dough in a bowl that has been slightly oiled with olive oil. Place a damp cloth over top and leave it for one hour until double in size.

Knead the dough again after an hour to knock out any bubbles. Flatten the dough until it is an oval shape and about 1" thick. To create indentations, press your knuckles into the dough several times, keeping the indentations about 1 inch apart. Spread about half the olive oil over the dough. Sprinkle on the toppings. Leave to rise again for about 30 minutes, then pop in the hot oven or BBQ for about 15 minutes until the base sounds hollow when tapped, or when the bottom and top are a nice golden colour.

Adapted from Antonio Carlucci’s cookbook, Italian Feasts.

July 10, 2018

Baking

Pirozhki Meat Stuffed Buns Recipe

I absolutely love pirozhki buns! Pirozhki buns are bread dough stuffed with a variety of savoury fillings. They are popular in Russia and the Ukraine. This Pirohzki recipe is filled with seasoned ground beef and cheddar cheese. You can also make vegetarian pirohzki filled with cabbage, mushrooms, onions or chopped hard boiled egg.

A few years ago, my parent’s neighbour mentioned how he loved to make homemade buns stuffed with meat and cheese. He would freeze them and then pack them up for lunch on a workday. I had never heard of that idea but loved it right away.

Last week, I baked up some meat filled buns for my husband’s lunch and he couldn’t have been happier. After he polished off my first batch, he said, “When are you making more?”.

The dough for these pirohzki is made with sour cream. I love the tart and creamy flavour it imparts. You could also use regular bread dough without sour cream. Or pastry dough or puff pastry if you want something flaky. Personally, I love that fresh bread taste, as opposed to pastry.

The seasoned ground beef and cubes of cheddar cheese wrapped inside the rich bread dough tastes amazing! Almost like a hamburger without the toppings – but better! My pirozhki were about six inches long, which is great for a packed lunch. You can also make them smaller if you wanted to serve them with soup.

As I researched pirohzki I discovered many similar buns from around the world. Greece makes a deep fried version called pirouskia. In Iran, pirashki is sweet and filled with custard. Estonia makes pirukad which has a meat and chopped hard boiled egg filling. In Finland, karelian pastries (open-faced egg tarts) are very popular and eaten for breakfast. And in Japan they fill their savoury buns with curry. They all sound amazing to me!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we have. If you experiment with a different filling – let me know. There are so many variations to try. Pirozhki are so versatile!

Print Recipe

Pirozhki Meat Stuffed Buns Recipe

Serves: 16

Cooking Time: 15-20

Ingredients

Dough
4 cups all-purpose flour (480 grams)
1/2 cup sour cream (113)
1/4 cup softened butter (57)
1/2 cup water
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp active yeast (or 1 package)
Filling
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
250 grams ground beef
170 grams cubed cheddar cheese
1 large egg mixed with 1 tbsp water to spread on dough

Instructions

Dough: Proof yeast in water for 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, sugar, sour cream, soft butter and eggs to mixing bowl. Using dough hook, mix until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.

Rub olive oil in a separate medium sized bowl and place dough in bowl. Let dough sit for about 90 minutes, until puffed up. It does not need to be double in bulk.

For Filling: heat oil in pan, add onion and garlic cloves. Saute until onions are soft and garlic is fragrant. Add chilli powder, salt and pepper and mix in. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink.

Place beef mixture in a bowl and let cool until room temperature. Then stir in cheese. You can make this filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to use.

Divide the dough into 16 equal sized pieces. This is easiest if you have a scale. Each piece of dough should weight about 2 oz or 55-57 grams each. If you do not have a scale, just try to make sure each bun is close to the same size. (A tip to get similar sized dough balls: flatten dough slightly, and then divide dough in half, then divide each half in half so that you have four equal sized pieces of dough. Divide each piece in half again, and now you'll have 8 pieces. Divide each of the 8 pieces in half to get 16.)

Shape each piece of dough into a nice ball shape. Place on a parchment lined baking tray, cover with a clean tea towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

Flatten each piece of dough into a 5 inch oval shape. Brush the surface with the egg wash. Scoop up about 2 tablespoons of filling and place it in the centre. Pull the dough over the filling and seal the opposite edges.

Place on baking sheet and let it rest for one hour, until slightly puffy.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, about 10-15 minutes before the end of the rise. Brush the egg wash over the buns.

Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes, until they are a nice golden brown. Don't worry if some of the seams come undone. Remove from oven and place on wire rack for about 15 minutes before eating.

Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator when thoroughly cooled. You can eat these hot or at room temperature.

Pirozhki can also be frozen for up to one month. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

Adapted slightly from King Arthur Flour Stuffed Buns

May 25, 2018

Baking

Irish Oat Soda Bread Recipe

Irish Oat Soda bread is an amazing bread to make. You can make it so fast. It’s great for beginners or even experienced bakers who want some fresh baked bread on the table in under an hour. The first time I made soda bread I couldn’t believe how quick it was ready.

Irish Oat Soda bread can be made quickly because it is leavened with baking soda, not with yeast like most breads. When mixed with an acidic ingredient, in this case the buttermilk, the combination of the baking soda and acid produces carbon dioxide after it is exposed to heat.

When baking with baking soda, it is important to measure accurately. Too much baking soda and your batter will rise too much and then collapse. Also, using too much baking soda, or baking without an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk, yogurt, brown sugar, molasses, chocolate and cocoa will make your baked goods taste soapy. This happens because the baking soda doesn’t have anything to react with and will break down to produce sodium carbonate which is very alkaline and makes your baking taste soapy. Too little baking soda will produce a flat and dense product. So, measure accurately and always double check that there is an acidic ingredient in the recipe to react with the baking soda.

Cutting an X or cross across the top of the bread allows the center of the loaf to cook properly as it’s such a thick loaf and rises and bakes ratherly quickly.

I love the dense earthy aroma of the wheat and oats and the smooth and tangy flavour of the buttermilk. Since soda bread is made from very basic ingredients: flour, baking soda, soured milk (or buttermilk) it’s easy to whip up on the spur of the moment. In this recipe I’ve added butter, but some recipes leave that out. You can also add raisins or caraway seed, but traditionally, it is just those three basic ingredients.

Originally, soda bread was made regularly in Irish farming households. Unlike families in England, who would buy their bread from local bakeries, many Irish families lived in isolated farmhouses, far from any shops, so everyone had to do their own baking. The introduction of baking soda around 1840 provided poor Irish families with a means to make delicious bread as often as they wanted and for a very low cost. Homes in Ireland did not have ovens, only open hearths. So the bread was cooked on griddles over aromatic turf fires. The bread would be tender and dense with a nice thick crust and was eaten every night for dinner.

Soda bread is made all over Ireland but each region makes it differently. In the north, it is flattened into a disk, cut into 4 equal sized wedges and then cooked on a griddle. These are also called Soda Farls. The word, farl, comes from the scottish word, fardell, meaning a fourth. In the south, it is shaped into a thick round disk and the top is scored deeply with a large X or a cross.

Here are some Soda Bread Secrets as recommended by Colman Andrews in The Country Cooking of Ireland.

Use irish flour if possible as it’s a soft flour. if you don’t have access to any, (like me), use pastry flour that is stone ground, organic and fresh.
Sift your flour, or atleast make sure there are not any lumps.
Use cold buttermilk, not warm as you would with yeasted breads. Warm milk will activate the baking soda too early and prevent it from rising in the oven.
Use a very light kneading if you must – but not kneading at all is the best.
It is better to overbake your Irish Soda Bread than underbake it. Just don’t burn your bread!
Soda bread is best eaten within 24 hours or so.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Print Recipe

Irish Soda Bread with Oats

Serves: 8

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups unbleached white pastry flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup whole oats
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 stick cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/3 cup buttermilk, cold and cut into small cubes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix together all of the dry ingredients. Stir to combine thoroughly.

Add the butter and cut it into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter. You can also use your hands to quickly mix the butter into the flour, until the butter is pea sized and coated with flour.

Add the cold buttermilk. Mix quickly.

Sprinkle your table with some flour. Place the soft sticky dough on the flour and quickly shape into a loaf about 6 inches across.

Cut an X on the surface of the dough. No more than 1/2 an inch.

Bake on parchment paper on a baking tray for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool slightly on a baking rack.

adapted slightly from The Gourmet Cookbook

March 15, 2018

Baking

Oatmeal Molasses Brown Bread Recipe

This recipe for Oatmeal Molasses Bread is from my friend, Angie, from New Brunswick. She made this delicious bread for a Christmas get-together years ago when we both lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She lived in a lovely flat on the second and third floor of an old house near downtown Halifax with her husband and four children.

On that particular day, food, of course, was the theme of the party. Small tables overflowing with homemade cookies, cheese and crackers, and veggies and dip were scattered throughout the flat, so that you didn’t have to walk more than a few feet to grab something to nibble. And in the dining room was a huge oak table absolutely covered with plates, bowls and platters of traditional Christmas fare.

There was one table that really won me over. It was a small wooden table, at the top of the stairs by a window, with a cutting board, a bread knife, a bowl of butter and this lovely Oatmeal Molasses Brown Bread laid out on top, all ready for slicing. It was so good. I don’t meet too many people that make homemade bread. Angie was a medical intern and mom to four young children, so I thought hosting a Christmas party was enough work. I was deeply impressed that she would also go the extra mile to make sure there was homemade bread at this event. I’m so glad she did!

This bread is very popular on the East Coast. As I’m from Toronto, it was very different to what I was used to: a sweeter, richer, earthier bread. I was super excited to sample some local cuisine – and even better that it was homemade. The sweet molasses flavour pairs well with cold creamy butter. I phoned Angie up a few days later and she gave me the recipe over the phone. This recipe was her grandmother’s and was the only bread she ever made. I can see why.

I made this bread with some locally ground flour from Watson’s Mill that I bought at the Manotick Farmer’s Market and boy was it good.

This bread smells amazing when it is baking: the aroma of whole wheat flour, oats, molasses and butter is so delicious you will want to eat it right out of the pan. But, let this bread cool awhile before slicing, as it’s so dense.

This bread is a dense and moist brown bread sweetened with molasses. The whole oats add some texture to each slice. The combination of molasses and oats is so perfect!

What I also love about this bread is that it’s so easy to whip up on a wintry afternoon. The taste is sublime spread with butter and served with cubes of cheese. It is also an amazing accompaniment to soup.

Print Recipe

Oatmeal Molasses Brown Bread

Serves: 2 loaves

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

7 grams or 2 1/4 tsp of yeast (or one packet)
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
2 T butter
1 cup molasses
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cups boiling water
2 cups oats
approximately 3.5 cups of white flour and 2.5 cups of whole wheat flour.

Instructions

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water with 1/2 tsp of sugar.

Pour boiling water over the oatmeal and add the molasses and the butter.

Mix together the flours and salt.

When oatmeal and boiled water has cooled to a tepid temperature, add yeast mixture and stir together.

Stir in flour until a smooth, thick dough is formed. Knead the dough on a table sprinkled with flour until smooth and elastic. Only put a tiny amount of flour on the table, otherwise the bread will be too dry.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Punch down and knead for a few seconds to form an oblong shape. Cut the dough in half lengthwise. Place each half into a greased bread pan with the smooth side up. Cover the pans with a clean tea towel.

Let the dough proof in pans for about 1 hour until the dough as risen to the top of the pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake in oven for 1 hour, until golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Let the bread cool before slicing.

Thanks Angie! We’ll always remember the fun times we had with you and your family!

March 13, 2018

Baking

Alevropita Feta Tart Recipe

Greek food is one of my favourite cuisines. I was lucky enough to visit Greece many years ago. Of course, it’s the food that I remember particularly well: sitting in outdoor cafes sipping espresso coffee in the tiniest cups, nibbling on appetizers of anise scented greek bread, dipped in the best olive oil I had ever tasted alongside small bowls of the blackest olives and the most creamy tangy feta cheese with a big glass of red wine. Pure heaven.

When I’m feeling nostalgic for the time we spent in Greece, I like to prepare a Greek dish at home, like a simple greek salad or this Alevropita feta tart.

To make this dish really shine, try to buy the best feta that you can. I don’t know about you, but in my grocery store there is a wide variety of different feta cheeses to choose from. And I’m never sure which one to buy. As I was writing this post, I thought I would do a bit of feta cheese research and let everyone know a bit about this amazing cheese..

There are many different types of feta available in grocery and specialty cheese shops. I’ll start with Greek feta, as that’s where it all began.

Greek feta was actually granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) by the EU in 2005. So, the only place in the world to buy true genuine Greek feta cheese is Greece.

In 2005, the EU’s highest court set very strict specifications for making and selling feta cheese. Genuine Greek feta cheese can only be made in the regions of Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, Thessalia, Mainland Greece, the Peloponnese peninsula and the Island of Lesvos. Feta cheese is made with sheep and goat’s milk and where the animals graze affects the taste of their milk. This in turn affects the flavour profile of the cheese. If feta is made from sheep and goats that graze in a different geographical region, the flavour of the milk would be different and so would the cheese.

True feta can be made with either 100% sheep’s milk or as much as 30% goat’s milk, but not higher. Also, the average composition must be 52.9% moisture, 26.2% fat, 16.7 % proteins, 2.9% salt and 4.4% pH.

You can still buy feta cheese in the EU, outside of Greece, but any other country in the EU must label it feta-style chesese, or some such label. Outside of Greece there are no specifications for this cheese which can be produced using whatever percentage of sheep, goat or even cow’s milk that they prefer.

Greek feta is salty and tangy with a bit of a lemony flavour. It can be dry and crumbly or rich and creamy depending on how much goat’s milk is in it. The more goat’s milk, the more crumbly it is. It is made using the slower traditional method, not the ultrafiltration method which is used in Denmark. Not very much Greek Feta is exported, there just isn’t enough of it to go around.

Even though the origins of feta cheese began in Greece, you can still buy some wonderful tasting feta cheeses that are made around the globe. Here are a few.

Bulgarian Feta: This is made with sheep’s milk and a yogurt culture. It has a very tangy flavour.

Israeli Feta: This is a full-flavoured, creamy and not overly salty feta. It is usually made from sheep’s milk.

French Feta: This is often made with sheep’s milk. It is mild and creamy. Some feta in France is made with goat’s milk and is usually drier and more tangy.

Danish Feta: This is made from cow’s milk. It has a milder flavour and a creamier texture compared to other feta cheeses. It is made using the ultrafiltration method. This method is used to speed up cheese making. It produces a cheese that is smooth, creamy and closed (no openings between the curds).

Australian Feta: This is usually made from cow’s milk. The texture and flavour can vary. It usually tastes in between salty greek feta and a creamy feta.

American Feta: This is made from sheep, goat or even cow’s milk. It is usually tangy and crumbly.

If you can’t find greek feta cheese in your shop, but want to get one that is as close to genuine feta as possible, the following are some tips for finding a good feta.

Tips on Choosing Feta Cheese

Ingredients: Feta should be made with only sheep’s milk or with some goat’s milk, rennet and salt. Never cow’s milk.

Tasting: If you buy your feta from a cheese shop ask the sales clerk if you can taste some feta. Feta should taste tangy and salty and have a lovely rich aroma. It should not taste sour, bitter or have no taste at all. These are signs that it is old. Feta comes in 3 different textures; hard, medium-hard and soft. Choose the one you like best.

Colour: Feta should be white. If it is a bit yellowish, then it’s been out of the brine for too long and has dried out a bit and become sour.

Holes: Feta cheese should have a few small holes on the surface. This shows that the feta was made in the traditional way with slow even turning and draining.

If feta is too salty for you, rinse it with plain water and then soak a piece of feta in some milk for 1-3 hours, or overnight. Then drain and store in plain water.

Nutritionally, feta cheese is lower in fat and calories than cheddar or parmesan. However it is high in sodium. If you are on a sodium restricted diet, feta cheese probably isn’t a good choice for you. Feta has twice the amount of sodium than cheddar cheese. An ounce of feta has 300 mg of sodium vs 170 mg in cheddar. It also has 75 calories, 1 gram carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 6 grams of fat (4.2 grams of saturated fat).

Ok, now that you know a few things about feta cheese, you’ll be ready to make this delicious feta tart. Make sure you use really good tasting feta, as that’s the primary flavour in this tart. The other strong feature of this tart is the crispy crust. Make sure that you preheat your oven with the baking pan inside, so that the pan gets really hot. This is what makes the tart crisp.

Make sure you have your oven mitts nearby for taking the empty pan out of the oven and be very careful not to touch the pan with your bare hands. It’s hot!!!

This recipe for Alevropita Feta Tart is very quick to make as the base is made from a batter so there is no rising involved. Yay! The feta cheese will not melt and spread, but will brown nicely in the oven. The salty tangy feta cheese paired with the eggy crispy crust is such a delicious combination. This tart will soon become a family favourite.

And the crust gets nicely browned and crispy.

It is delicious with soup, or greek salad, or even with a pasta dish.

Here are some fun links for additional information about feta cheese and greek culture:

How traditional feta cheese is made

How to make homemade feta

If you are interested in learning more about Greek culture, check out one of these Greek Festivals.

Greek Festival in Vancouver

Greek Festival in Toronto

Greek Festival in Ottawa

Greek Festival in Montreal

Greek Festival in Halifax

Print Recipe

Alevropita Feta Tart

Serves: 12-16

Cooking Time: 20

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp rum
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
10 ounces feta, crumbled
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, cut into very small cubes
freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 °. Place an 18" X 13" X 1" rimmed baking pan in the oven for about 10 minutes to heat up.

Whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, rum, eggs and 1 cup water in a medium size bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter is formed.

With oven mitts, remove the baking pan from the oven. Brush the 4 tablespoons of olive oil over the hot pan with a silicone brush.

Pour the batter over the pan and smooth out evenly with a spatula.

Sprinkle the feta cheese evenly over the batter.

Sprinkle the top evenly with the small cubes of butter.

Grind some pepper over the top. Use as much or as little as you like.

Bake the tart for 20 minutes, rotating after about 10 minutes.

It is done when the cheese and the crust is golden brown and the edges look crunchy.

Cool slightly before slicing and serving. Best served immediately.

Adapted slightly from Saveur’s Epiran Feta Tart

February 15, 2018