English Muffin Bread with Whey

If you have tried to make your own mozzarella now you are probably wondering what to do with all that leftover whey – Here is another recipe:

This bread is delicious - compare to store-bought. It is very easy to make and it freezes well. I make a half recipe, because I’m not sure my mixer bowl will handle 12 cups of flour!

2 Tbsp. sugar
1 ⅓ cup warm water

Dissolve the sugar in the water.

4 Tbsp. active dry yeast

Pour the yeast into a large bowl or plastic container. Add the sugar water and let sit for at least 10 minutes.

Cornmeal, for sprinkling

Meanwhile, grease four loaf pans and sprinkle with the cornmeal.

12 cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda

In a large bowl, combine 6 cups of the flour and the baking soda.

4 cups whey
4 tsp. salt

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the whey and salt and warm over low heat until just lukewarm. Stir the yeast mixture, then pour the warm whey into it. Stir to combine.

Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and stir. Add the remaining flour and combine. (This will take a few minutes, as it makes a very stiff, dry batter. Keep stirring until all of the flour is absorbed.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pans and press flat. Sprinkle the tops with cornmeal. Let rise in a warm place until the center is 1 ½ inches above the rim of the pan. (The top of the stove is a good place to do this while the oven preheats.)

Bake for 30 minutes.
Yield: 4 loaves

Whole Wheat Rolls

My mother found this recipe on Everyday Food Storage and was raving about it. I had the chance to try it while I was visiting her and agree with her, they are really good. I got the recipe from her yesterday and tried them myself. They came together really well and tasted really good. My mother always doubles the recipe and gets a cookie sheet full of rolls.

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbs Yeast
1/4 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs nonfat dry milk
1 Tbs butter or margerine or oil

Start the yeast then mix in other ingredients. Knead for 10 minutes. Transfer to oiled bowl and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled. Punch the dough and shape into 2-3 in balls (push the dough through a ring made by your thumb and index finger to get a uniform ball). Allow rolls to rise.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes (my rolls took less than 15)

Low Fat Blueberry Oat Muffins

Another healthy muffin recipe that uses fresh blueberries. My boys also loved these. They were very moist and cinnamon sweet. I found this recipe at http://stephchows.blogspot.com

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 + cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a medium bowl combine applesauce, buttermilk, sugar, oil and egg. Make a well in dry ingredients and add applesauce mixture. Stir until just moist. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake for 16-18 minutes (I always cut the time on my oven. Mine cooked for 14 min)

Cranberry, Orange and Pecan Muffins

I found this recipe online, tried it and loved it. I then tried it again with the following modifications with whole wheat and flax. The boys love these muffins inspite of my healthy additions. I will say these are a very dense muffin and on the dry side BUT very yummy and filling. The original recipe was from www.cooksister.com

2 Cups Wheat Flour (original recipe uses all purpose flour)
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Milled Flax (not in original recipe)
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Cup Craisins
2 tsp Orange Zest
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil (original called for 1/2 Cup)
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
Whole Pecans to Decorate

Preheat oven to 375 and prepare muffin pan.

Soak the Craisins in the orange juice for 20 mins or so (I let them sit while I mix the other ingredients)

In mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, flax, baking powder and salt.

In a smaller mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs then add the oil, cranberry/orange juice mixture, and the orange zest. Then mix the dry and wet ingredients until the dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the nuts then spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and top each muffin with a whole pecan.

Bake for 13-20 muffins, until they just start to golden. Don't over cook or they will be even drier and the whole pecan will burn.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

This is the recipe I submitted. I really was coming up emptyhanded trying to figure out what to bring so I went allrecipes.com and found this recipe. It got a zillion good ratings so I thought it was a safe bet. I wasn't dissapointed. I did replace half of the oil with applesauce to make me less guilty. The result was still a yummy moist bread that smelled like heaven!

Prep Time : 15 Min Cook Time: 1 Hr

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans or 2 5x9 pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil (applesauce), water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 1 hour + in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Spice Bread/Muffins

Another recipe included in our pumpkin recipe exchange for Enrichment.

2 cups canned pumpkin
3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking bowder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground cloves

Heat the oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, sugar, water, vegetable oil, and eggs. Beat until well mixed. Measure the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and ground cloves into a separate bowl, then stir until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, beating until smooth. Grease two 9x5 loaf pans, or muffin pans and dust them with flour. Evenly divide the batter between the two pans, or fill the muffin pans 3/4 full. Bake 60-70 minutes, or 25 to 30 minutes for muffins, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Slice and serve plain, buttered, or with cream cheese.

Monkey Bread

Last night we had our "Ball" dinner and for dessert I decided to make these to carry on the ball theme. I've made them before but never in a muffin pan. The muffin size is perfect for the kids and portion sizing. The recipe was adapted from one on The Pickey Palate. I used my french bread recipe and used half for a loaf of bread and the other half for the monkey bread. I am sure you could use your favorite bread recipe or any Pillsbury dough.

Bread Dough
6 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons Cinnamon
½ Cup butter, (1 stick)
½ Cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With kitchen scissors, cut dough ½ inch little cubes/balls. Combine sugar and cinnamon into a large bowl. Gently toss all pieces of dough into sugar mixture.
2. Spray a 12 count traditional muffin pan with non stick cooking spray. Divide bread pieces into the 12 muffin cups with or without paper liners. Set aside.
3. Place butter and brown sugar into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted and bubbly. Pour evenly over each muffin cup. Place muffin pan on foil lined cookie sheet (mine bubbled over a bit in the oven).
4. Bake for 18-20 minute or until bread is cooked through. Remove from oven and let sit in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Basic Bread

This bread seems to be fool-proof, turning out nice loaves that are hard to resist right out of the oven and slice well for sandwiches. It makes the most amazing french toast!

Basic Bread

6 cups HOT water
2/3 cup oil (olive oil or canola)
2/3 cup honey (sugar is fine)
1 to 2 tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten (Found near flour in grocery store. Wheats have different protein content and this ingred helps your bread to rise uniformly)
1/2 cup powdered milk (optional)
6 cups whole wheat flour
2 T. yeast
2 T. salt
10 cups flour (Whole wheat, or mix with white flour to your family's taste)
butter

Mix hot water, oil, honey, Vital Wheat Gluten, powdered milk, and first 6 cups of flour. At this point the batter should be lukewarm so it doen't kill the yeast. Add yeast.

Gently mix to blend and then let it sit to sponge about 10 min. Add salt.

While stirring gradually add additional flour until the dough begins to "clean" the bowl. If the sough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, continue to add flour. Your can test for enough flour by gently touching dough with your finger. If cough sticks to your finger, add flour and keep kneading. When dought barely does not stick to finger, stop adding flour.

Knead on low speed for 8 min. Turn dough onto oiled surface (do not use flour). Turn dough a couple of times to coat with oil. Cut dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a loaf and place in a sprayed bread pan. Cover and let dough rise 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. A great place for bread to rise is under the lights on your range.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake loaves for 26 to 28 min. Remove from oven and brush tops with butter. Let loaves sit 5 to 10 min. before removing from pans. Cool on a wire rack.
(Recipe from "The Essential Food Storage Cookbook")

No Fail French Bread

2 TBS yeast
5 TBS oil
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 TBS salt
2 TBS sugar
6 cups white flour

Mix all ingred. together and knead in machine 5-10 min. Let rise until double in bowl. Punch down.

Divide and form into 2 french loaves on cookie sheet or baking stone. Gash top of loaves 3 imes with a serrated knife. Brush with beated egg white. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Let rise until double (about 30 min.) Bake for 20-30 min. at 400 degrees. (Shorter for a soft crust, longer for a thick and chewy crust.)

Pulla

This is a Finnish sweet bread.

2 cups milk
2 eggs
½-¾ cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cardamon
2 Tablespoons yeast
6¼cup flour
2 cup margarine

1 egg (beaten)
course decorative sugar
sliced almonds

Heat milk to 110º. Add yeast. Mix in eggs and sugar. Add flour, salt and cardamon. Knead for a few minutes. Add softened margarine and Knead for a few more minutes. Let rise for 2 hour.
Form dough into balls (about the size of a ping pong ball), dip in beaten eggs, then sugar then almonds. Place on cookie sheet. Let rise again until double (about 2 hour) Bake at 390º for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Spinach pies

Another arabic bread that my great-aunt makes. I use half a bread dough recipe and use the other half of the dough for sfeeha.

2-10 oz blocks of frozen spinach
1 onion, finely chopped
4-5 Tbs of lemon juice
2 Tbs oil
salt and pepper to taste

Defrost spinach under running water in strainer. Squeeze out excess water with hands. Sprinkle with salt and alow to sit in strainer for 15 minutes.

Mix with all the ingredients.

Pinch off 2 1/2" balls of dough and roll out into 4" squares. Put a heaping tablespon of filling on each circle (kind of in a triangle shape, pointing to one of the corners of the square). Fold up from the bottom of the triangle and bring in the sides to the center. you will have formed a triangle. Press down seams firmly and pinch ends together.

Place on greased cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil. Bake at 400 until golden brown.

Sfeeha (meat pies) & Laban

This is another arabic dish that my family makes. You can use your favorite bread dough (I used my mother-in-law's roll dough) to make these. I usually make one batch of dough and use it to make both sfeeha and spinich pies. The recipe is adjusted to use half a bread dough recipe for each. These are great dipped in laban-a yogurt spread.

1 lb ground beef (or lamb)
1 onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper and allspice to taste


Brown the pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside.

Saute the onion is butter. Add meat and spices. Saute until tender. Add browned pine nuts and lemon juice. Mix well.

Roll dough into small balls (raquet ball size), flatten into 3 inch circles in greased cookie sheet. Spread meat stuffing evenly on top of circles to within 3/8" from the edge.

Bake at 400 until meat and dough are lightly brown (about 7-8 minutes)


Laban:

Plain yogurt
Cheesecloth

Put your yogurt in the cheesecloth. The yogurt will start to drain off liquid. Allow it to drain over night in the refridgerator. (you will have to figure out a way to hang the cheesecloth over a bowl without touching the liquid) The result is a creamy spread that is yummy on meat pies and pita bread.

Basic Sweet Roll Dough

This is one of those recipes that my mother taught me when I was an early teen. This dough works great for cinnimon rolls as well as orange rolls. I mix it all in my bosch and let it do all the work for me.

2 1/2 cup warm/hot water
2 Tbs yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup dry milk solids
2 ts salt
2 eggs beaten
6-7 cups flour

Sprinkle yeast over water, let sit and soften. Add sugar, shortening, milk solids, salt, 4 cups of flour and stir until smooth. Add beaten eggs and 2 cups flour and mix well. Add additional flour until soft dough results. Kneed well, keeping the dough very soft. Let rise until doubled, and roll as desired.

Cinnimon Rolls: roll out the 1/3 off dough in a thin rectangle. I use a butter spread and spread butter all over the rectangle. Sprinkle with a cinnimon/sugar mixture. Roll dough up with cinnimon inside and cut into 1 1/2 inch rings with a thread.

Orange Rolls: Combine 6T butter, 1 cup sugar and grated rind from one orange. Cook on stovetop to spreading consistancy. Roll out dough the same as cinnimon rolls, spread on orange mixture.

Place on greased cookie sheet or muffin pan, let rest in pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes (time could be less).

I use a tub of cream cheese frosting to glaze the rolls while they are still warm.

Rolls

These are my favorite rolls. I can't make them as good and my mother-in-law yet (I got the recipe from her), but mmm... I always eat more of them than I should.

2 cups hot water (120º)
1 T. Sugar
2 T. yeast

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
2 t. salt
6-7 cups flour

Mix water 1 T sugar and yeast in a bowl. Let sit till softened. Mix sugar, oil eggs and salt in mixing bowl. Add 1 cup flour. Mix in yeast mixture. Add 5 cups of flour. Knead for a few minutes. Gradually add last cup of flour till you have a soft dough. Let rise. Punch down. Form into flattened balls. Dip one end in melted margarine fold in half and place on cookiesheet. Let them rest/rise. Bake at 400º for about 10 minutes until golden brown.

Quick Pizza Crust

This is one of my old reliables. I always have cheese and turkey pepperoni on hand and can make this in a pinch for lucnh or dinner adding whatever other toppings I might have on hand. For Valentine's Day I cut hearts out of the pepperoni circles and make the crust heartshaped. Currently one pizza feeds my family for dinner, but it won't be too long before I will need to make two. In all this recipe can take as little as 30 minutes-start to eating.

Place pizza stone in oven. Preheat to 450 degrees.

2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
Mix and set aside

1 Tbs yeast
1 Tbs Olive oil
¾ -1c. warm water
Mix oil, water and yeast and let sit for a couple minutes while you prepare toppings. Then add to flour/salt mixture. It is better to have the dough too sticky and add more flour than the other way around.

If making more than one pizza I repeat the steps above in a separate bowl.

Let dough rest while you finish preparing sauce and toppings. Roll kneaded dough into a 14” circle. Transfer to paddle or cookie sheet (I use a thin cookie sheet without sides) sprinkled liberally with corn meal (dough should be able to slide off easily).

Sauce:
1 can pealed crushed tomatoes
1 tsp minced garlic
Italian seasoning (and/or oregano, basil) and salt/pepper to taste
Process in food processer.

Add desired toppings. Transfer to hot pizza stone. Bake for 10 minutes. Take pizza out using the cookie sheet, slice and serve. (I leave the hot pizza stone in the oven and just let it cool down after I turn the oven off)

Note: I have also used this recipe to make calzones. One dough batch makes 3 fair sized calzones. The sauce makes a fair amount (for 3-4 pizzas). I just save the extra in a tuperware in my fridge until the next time I want to make pizza.