What are you Baking Today?|2016

[PrincessFiona60]

Gee, another year gone. Tell us what you are baking...

 

[Andy M.]

No plan to bake right now. Still trying to eat all the Christmas cookies and other baked goods. I have a couple of recipes in the queue waiting for a dessert shortage.

 

[Katie H]

I have a quantity of dough on its first rise. After it has risen, it will become two baguettes, one of which will accompany our soup for tonight's dinner.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Honey Cornbread with cheddar.

 

[Katie H]

Since we didn't get to our baked ham for our New Year's dinner, I decided to make some cast iron pan rolls to have with the ham...tomorrow. We've been eating like little piggies for several days so the ham will be a nice "normal" entree to begin our 2016 week.

Love the cast iron pan rolls. The recipe only makes a handful and I hope some of them make it to tomorrow. LOL As soon as Glenn smells them baking, he'll be in the kitchen with his butter knife.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Beer Bread.

 

[Cheryl J]

Oh, that looks good, CG. Care to share your recipe? (Just in case it's something I might actually be able to bake and have it turn out good.)

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Thanks, Cheryl. "My" recipe isn't mine. It's so easy you don't need a recipe. I must have read about seven different versions, and used two different ones. (This was the second time I made beer bread.)

Basically, sift your flour, then measure out 3 cups, using a scoop or spoon and not by dipping into the flour with the measuring cup. You do not want it packed down. Add 1 TBSP of baking powder, 1 tsp of salt, and anywhere between 3 TBSP and 1/2 cup sugar. This one got 1/4 cup. Then pour in 12 ounces of beer - canned or bottled. (You will taste beer flavor, so if you want a very subtle flavor use something *meh* like a Natural Light. This one got an old bottle of wheat beer from Williamsburg and had to be at least 5 years old. Didn't smell musky when I opened it, and the bread tasted fine.) You also need melted butter - again, a wide range of measurements over the range of recipes. Low end was 2 TBSP, high was 1/2 cup. Add the butter to the batter if you want a soft crust, pour it over for a crisp crust.

I've also seen recipes that call for "3 cups self-rising flour". But this recipe called for 3 cups flour, plus measures of the salt and baking powder. It was a bit on the heavy side. Not real heavy, but next time I'll remove an equivalent amount of flour with what the measurements for the baking powder and salt are and see how that goes.

I'll clean this recipe up and post it in the bread sub-forum. Look for it late tonight or sometime tomorrow.

BTW, Pampered Chef sells a box mix for beer bread. Includes the dry products, but you still need to add your own beer and butter. Cost? $5.99! I can make at least a half-dozen loaves for that money. Sheesh.

 

[Addie]

Thanks, Cheryl. "My" recipe isn't mine. It's so easy you don't need a recipe. I must have read about seven different versions, and used two different ones. (This was the second time I made beer bread.)

Basically, sift your flour, then measure out 3 cups, using a scoop or spoon and not by dipping into the flour with the measuring cup. You do not want it packed down. Add 1 TBSP of baking powder, 1 tsp of salt, and anywhere between 3 TBSP and 1/2 cup sugar. This one got 1/4 cup. Then pour in 12 ounces of beer - canned or bottled. (You will taste beer flavor, so if you want a very subtle flavor use something *meh* like a Natural Light. This one got an old bottle of wheat beer from Williamsburg and had to be at least 5 years old. Didn't smell musky when I opened it, and the bread tasted fine.) You also need melted butter - again, a wide range of measurements over the range of recipes. Low end was 2 TBSP, high was 1/2 cup. Add the butter to the batter if you want a soft crust, pour it over for a crisp crust.

I've also seen recipes that call for "3 cups self-rising flour". But this recipe called for 3 cups flour, plus measures of the salt and baking powder. It was a bit on the heavy side. Not real heavy, but next time I'll remove an equivalent amount of flour with what the measurements for the baking powder and salt are and see how that goes.

I'll clean this recipe up and post it in the bread sub-forum. Look for it late tonight or sometime tomorrow.

BTW, Pampered Chef sells a box mix for beer bread. Includes the dry products, but you still need to add your own beer and butter. Cost? $5.99! I can make at least a half-dozen loaves for that money. Sheesh.

That is what makes me cook from scratch all the time.

 

[GotGarlic]

Cheryl, have you thought about getting a bread machine? It makes baking bread so easy, it's amazing.

Just measure your ingredients into the pan and turn it on to the dough setting. Let it do its thing for 10 minutes, then check and make sure all the flour has been incorporated into the dough ball. If not, use a spatula to mix it in. If it looks dry, add 1 tbsp warm water at a time and let the machine knead it in till the dough ball holds together. Then let it go.

It will beep after a couple of hours. Remove the dough from the machine and prepare it for baking. You can put it in a loaf pan or divide it into rolls and put them on a sheet pan, depending on what you're making. Cover with a cloth and put in a warm place (microwave works well) for an hour to rise again. Preheat the oven and bake.

Alternatively, you can put the machine on one of the other settings and let it bake right in the machine.

It's really that easy! And of course, a quick bread recipe like CG's beer bread is even easier since there is no rising time. Go for it! I got a bread machine and two bread-machine cookbooks for $3 at a Master Gardener sale last year, so a used one can be found really cheap.

 

[Cheryl J]

Thank you GG, for your very informative post! Actually, I have thought about getting a bread machine, and after reading more and more about how fun and easy it is, I'll be looking into it. I have a lot of time on my hands and learning to make bread would be a fun and productive way to spend some of it.
Off to browse Amazon...

 

[GotGarlic]

Yay, Cheryl! Let us know what you come up with

 

[Addie]

Thank you GG, for your very informative post! Actually, I have thought about getting a bread machine, and after reading more and more about how fun and easy it is, I'll be looking into it. I have a lot of time on my hands and learning to make bread would be a fun and productive way to spend some of it.
Off to browse Amazon...

When you are young and not tied down to a houseful of children, making bread by hand is very relaxing. As I would stand there kneading the dough, I would let my mind just wander. Now that I am older, these arthritic hands simply will not allow me to do anymore kneading. And the family has spread out on their own. Living alone I no longer make bread by hand. It would be more wasteful than a financial benefit. It would still hold the mental benefits for me though. But believe me if there was any money saving advantage for me to making bread, I would beat you to buying a bread machine. Pirate loves artisan bread. A nice hard crust, and do not slice the loaf. But unfortunately for him it is presently not part of his diet. If he can lose 50 lbs., then he can take up eating bread again and I might just consider buying a machine. Nothing like the smell of bread baking.

Go for it girl!

 

[GotGarlic]

This is what I baked yesterday: I made lard from some beautiful pork fat I bought at the hog-butchering demo I attended Wednesday. Then I made jalapeño corn muffins with lard instead of butter. Yummy!

I'll make some more lard today. I'm planning to make tamales next week.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Yum, GG!

 

[Dawgluver]

Yum the second, GG!

 

[CWS4322]

I am doing pull apart orange rolls. This is a recioe I have tried off and on for 30 yesrs. My grandma used to buy these rolls at the local bakery. It is the glaze that has been a struggle. This tine I am doing simple syrup made with fresh orange juice, zest, orange extract and sugar. We'll see.

 

[Addie]

I am doing pull apart orange rolls. This is a recioe I have tried off and on for 30 yesrs. My grandma used to buy these rolls at the local bakery. It is the glaze that has been a struggle. This tine I am doing simple syrup made with fresh orange juice, zest, orange extract and sugar. We'll see.

When I make a glaze for such as cinnamon rolls, I just use 10X sugar and flavor it with orange juice or any other flavored liquid. Let it sit for a while and then drizzle. I know, it is more like a frosting than a true glaze. But if I make it thick enough and let it dry, it works out for me.

 

[CWS4322]

The glaze is not a frosting...more like a simple. Syrup. I am letting the dough ferment. I will bake them off tonight and see if they are as I remember.....

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Forgot to mention Sunday that I baked a triple chocolate cake . So easy Himself could do it - but he never bothers! It's basically a dump cake, putting all the ingredients into the baking pan and mixing them up in there . So good, it's hard to believe it's that easy.