Dayrecipe Food Community

Here I have come up with a lovely soft, delicately flavoured bread which is good for eating fresh with jam or with your dinner, as toast or as sandwiches – it is extremely versatile & slices well. The addition of the honey & the seeds makes it just that bit healthier too!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup warm water 
• 12 g fast action dried yeast (2×6g sachets)
• 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm fresh cultured buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons natural honey, warmed
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• 2 tablespoons melted margarine
• 6 cups strong white bread flour
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• flour, for dusting & kneading
• seeds, to decorate

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix the water, sugar & yeast together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes
2. Stir in the buttermilk, melted margarine, warmed honey, the salt & 3 cups of the flour. Mix well with your hands or a large spoon.
3. Slowly add the rest of the flour until you have a workable dough. Depending on the weather & your altitude, you may need a little extra flour.
4. Knead the dough for 30 minutes, until it is soft (but still firm), smooth & no longer sticky.
5. Dust lightly with flour & place inside a large, clean plastic bag. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
6. When doubled, remove from the bag & lightly knead to deflate to dough. Once you’ve done this, grease a large bread tin – I like to use a spring-form 12″ x 4″ round cake tin with margarine. Place the dough in the tin & gently push out until it fills the tin evenly.
7. Cover again with the plastic bag & leave to double in size.
8. When doubled, brush the exposed dough with the beaten egg yolk & sprinkle your choice of seeds of sea salt over the top.
9. Place on the middle shelf of a 180c pre-heated oven for 45-50 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven when cooked and allow to cool completely – takes around 4 hours – before eating / slicing.

TIPS:

1. If you don’t have any buttermilk, you canj mix 2 tbsp of lemon juice with 1 1/2 cups of milk.
2. Use your favourite kinds of seeds – pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, caraway etc.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Makes 12 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• for soup
• 1lb dried small white beans such as navy or great northern
• 1lb smoked ham hocks
• 1/4cup bacon drippings (from1/2lb bacon) or olive oil
• 2cups chopped onion
• 2tablespoons minced garlic
• 1lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 4fresh thyme sprigs
• 8cups chicken broth for corn bread croutons
• 3tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1garlic clove, minced
• 3cups 3/4-inch cubes corn bread
• 1lb arugula, coarse stems removed
• tabasco to taste

DIRECTIONS Make soup:
Soak beans in cold water to cover overnight (8 hours). Drain and rinse well.

Simmer ham hocks in 6 cups water in a 3-quart saucepan, partially covered, skimming foam as necessary, 1 hour. Reserve 4 cups cooking liquid and drain ham hocks.

Heat bacon drippings in an 8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened. Add tomatoes and thyme and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add soaked beans, broth, ham hocks, and reserved cooking liquid and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, about 1 hour.

Make croutons while soup simmers: Preheat oven to 375°F.

Melt butter with garlic and toss together with corn bread cubes in a shallow baking pan. Toast in middle of oven until lightly browned and crisp on the outside, about 15 minutes.

Prepare soup for serving: Remove ham hocks and shred meat. Return meat to soup and stir in arugula. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender,3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco.

Serve soup topped with croutons.

“Never have I tried a homemade bread as light and delicious as the honey-oat loaf at The Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, Vermont,” writes Rebecca Rothaug of Westbury, New York. “With your help, I would like to share this bread with my family and friends.”

Serve slices of this tender, slightly sweet bread with plenty of butter and honey.

Makes 2 small loaves.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4cups warm water (105°f to 110°f)
• 1tablespoon dry yeast
• 3/4cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/3cup honey
• 3tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 1/2teaspoons salt
• 5cups (about) all purpose flour1large egg, beaten to blend
• additional quick-cooking oats

DIRECTIONS Stir 1/4 cup warm water and yeast in large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups water, 3/4 cup oats, honey, oil, and salt. Stir in enough flour to form soft dough. Coat another large bowl with oil. Transfer dough to oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Oil two 8 1/2×4 1/2×2 1/2-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough; shape into 2 loaves. Place 1 loaf in each pan. Cover and let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush tops of loaves with egg; sprinkle with additionaloats. Bake until brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

When preparing bread salad, do not drizzle with oil and vinegar until just before serving, or the bread cubes will become soggy.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 thin french bread, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 hothouse (seedless) cucumber, peeled
• 1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, halved and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/3 cup diced (1/4-inch) red onion
• 8 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup halved yellow cherry or pear tomatoes
• 8 whole fresh basil leaves, coarsely torn
• 8 whole fresh mint leaves, coarsely torn
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Toss the bread cubes with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the salt, and pepper. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until slightly toasted and golden, about 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Set aside.

3. Halve the cucumber lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl along with the red pepper, celery, carrots, onion, tomatoes, basil, and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bread cubes. Drizzle the salad with the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the vinegar. Toss the salad and garnish with the chopped eggs.

Makes 1 loaf.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups sour milk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal, sifted
• 1/4 cup shortening melted

DIRECTIONS In a mixing bowl blend the milk with the baking soda. In a separate bowl beat the eggs. Add the salt and sugar. Blend in the milk mixture, flour, and cornmeal. Stir in the melted shortening. Mix lightly but thoroughly.

Pour the batter into a hot, greased shallow baking pan. Bake at 375° for about 25 to 35 minutes or until golden.by Elizabeth McKeon, Ralph Gevirtz, and Julie Bandy,