Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Healthy Homemade Bread and The Garden in September


This Demarle tray makes 20 mini loaves
What an absolute treat it is to have the smell of fresh baked bread in the house on these cooler summer days as we head toward fall.


This healthy recipe makes enough for 20 mini loaves and one large loaf.

3 cups fresh ground Prairie Gold Whole Wheat from Wheat Montana
6 Tablespoons vital wheat gluten from Bob's Red Mill
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2.5 cups very warm 125 degree water
1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup local raw honey
1 large lemon, juiced
3 cups fresh ground Prairie Gold Whole Wheat from Wheat Montana

In a Bosch Kitchen Center using a dough hook Mix together the first 3 cups of flour, vital wheat gluten and active yeast.  If you have veggie water left over from something, this would be a great place to use it.  Add the warm water and mix for about a minute.  Make sure it all got mixed in.  Cover and let rest for 10 or 15 minutes.
Add sea salt, coconut oil, honey and juice.  Run mixer for a minute.  Add the remaining 3 cups flour about a cup at a time.  Knead on low speed for 10 minutes . The dough should be smooth rather than sticky.

Warm the oven slightly but turn it back off before it gets hot.  Place the dough in a Demarle shape tray or bread pans such as the Demarle mini loaf tray.  If you use a regular bread pan you will need to grease it or use parchment paper.  With Demarle, no greasing should be done.

Let raise until it is how you want it to look in the end.  It will not raise during baking.  This should take about 30 minutes or so depending on how warm the oven is.

Now turn the oven to 350 degrees and time it for 23 minutes for the mini loaves or 30 minutes for large loaves.  It will begin baking as the oven is heating and it is done quick like.


And for the record, what the garden looks like in early September:




Saturday, September 5, 2015

Funnel Cakes


Warning:  This is not one of our healthy choices.

They wanted to eat funnel cakes.  I am content to stay home and didn't want to take them to the fair.  They REALLY wanted funnel cakes.

They went to the store for vegetable oil because I didn't want them using up the coconut oil for this.


Anything would be good with this much powdered sugar.

This turned out really well.  I said they could not do it inside and they could not use the good pans over the fire.    They got a cast iron skillet out of the camping supplies.   This recipe made more than  double what the two of them could eat.

 Recipe came from Food.com

Momma's Fair Funnel Cakes

Directions

  1. Beat eggs and sugar together and then add the milk slowly--beat. Add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.
  2. Pour batter into a funnel and at the same time, use your finger to plug the hole. In a large cast iron pot, add 2 inches of oil to the bottom.
  3. When the oil becomes hot, move your hand over the pot and slowly release your finger so the batter can start cooking.
  4. Move the funnel around to make designs.
  5. Brown on both sides--then immediately remove and drain extremely well.
  6. Top with brown sugar, or honey, or cinnamon sugar, or powdered sugar as a topping.
  7. BE CAREFUL AND DO NOT GET BURNED!