Sourdough Rye Bread

Thanks to Scott Johnson. I've slightly modified his recipe so that it makes one loaf of bread. This is a delicious loaf. It looks a lot more complicated to make than it really is. Makes one loaf

Note: If you have already prepared a rye sourdough starter, go to the Rye Sour step, below.

Starter

1/8 t dry yeast
1/2 c (4 oz) warm water
1/2 c (2.3 oz) rye flour

In a medium mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the rye flour and mix until smooth. Cover the bowl and set in a warm place in the kitchen for 24 hours. At this point, you can refrigerate the starter, or you can begin mixing the rye "sour."

Rye Sour

1 c starter
3/4 c (6 oz) warm water
1-1/2 c (7.5 - 8 oz) rye flour
1 T crushed caraway seeds
1 T minced onion

Mix together, cover, and set aside for overnight, or until it has doubled in volume.

Bread Dough

rye sour mixture
1/2 c (4 oz) warm water
1-1/2 t dry yeast
2 + 1/2 c (7 + 2 oz) bread flour
1/2 t salt
1 T caraway seeds

Remove 1 c (8 oz) rye sour to use as a starter for your next loaf of bread. You should have about 1-1/2 c rye sour remaining. Store the starter in a glass or plastic container. Cover the container, but do not tightly seal it. Refrigerate the starter up to a week or so.

Dissolve the yeast in the water and add to the sour. Stir in 1-1/2 c bread flour, the salt, and the caraway seeds. Mix in another 1/2 c bread flour by hand. Sprinkle some flour on a board or countertop, turn the dough onto the board, and begin kneading the dough. The dough will be sticky, so gradually work additional bread flour into the dough. Knead the dough for 10 - 15 minutes until it become very elastic. Keep your work surface lightly floured to prevent the dough from sticking too much.

Cover the dough with a towel, and let it rest for 15 minutes (this helps the gluten in the dough relax). When the dough has rested, shape it into a loaf. Flour the bottom of the loaf and place on a greased baking sheet, OR flour a bread peel, and place the loaf on the peel to rise. Cover the loaf with a towel. Let the loaf rise for 2 hours.

Conventional Baking

Heat the oven to 375°F. If you have not already done so, place the loaf carefully on a greased baking sheet. Score the top of the loaf. Bake for about 45 - 50 minutes.

Dutch Oven Baking

Heat the oven to 450°F. Place a large covered dutch oven near the bottom of the oven to preheat while the oven is heating. The dutch oven should be in the hot oven about 20 minutes before you bake the bread. When the dutch oven is very hot, remove it from the oven, and remove the dutch oven's cover. Using the peel, transfer the loaf to the dutch oven. Sprinkle some rye flour over the loaf. Cover the dutch oven, and return it to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes and remove the cover from the dutch oven. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and bake another 25 minutes.

Remove the loaf from the oven, and from its pan. Cool on a rack.

Easy Bread

15 oz bread flour (or half bread flour, half whole wheat)
1 t dry yeast
1 T granulated sugar
1 t salt
12 oz lukewarm water

In a medium-sized glass mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Stir in the water, and mix until all of the flour is mixed in, and the dough is "shaggy." Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place 18 to 24 hours.

After the dough has risen, stir it down and let it rest for 15 minutes. While the dough is resting, grease a bread pan (5" x 9" x 3"). Spread 1 T flour on a cutting board or counter top. Turn the rested dough onto the floured board. Sprinkle another tablespoon of flour on the dough. Gently knead and shape the dough into a loaf and place it in the bread pan. (The dough may be very soft and somewhat sticky.)

Cover the loaf with a floured paper towel. Set it aside in a warm, draft-free place and let it rise for a couple of hours.

After the bread has risen, adjust the oven racks, so that one rack is near the bottom of the oven, and the other rack is in the center of the oven. Place a cast-iron skillet in the oven, and set the oven temperature of 450°F. When the oven is heated, bring 2 c water to boiling. Remove the skillet from the oven, and carefully pour the boiling water in the skillet, Place the skillet back in the oven on the bottom rack. Place the bread pan on the middle rack. Bake for 30 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Remove the skillet from the oven. Continue baking the bread for another half-hour. Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the bread pan onto a rack. Cool the bread completely before slicing.

Chard Panade☺

This recipe is a nod to Molly Wizenburg's Chard Panade. Just reading her blog made me want to try a savory dish like this.

Serves 4

For the Panade:
5 c chicken or vegetable stock (see recipe, below)
6 T olive oil
1 large sweet onion
1 bunch chard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c shredded cheese (Swiss, sharp cheddar, gruyere)
1/2 loaf (8 - 10 oz) rustic bread, cut into 1" cubes

In a saucepan, bring the stock to a quick boil, and reduce it by about one-third.

While the stock is boiling, heat 2 T olive oil in a large iron skillet over medium high heat. Peel and thinly slice the onion (1/8"). Spread the sliced onions in the skillet and let sit for about three minutes. Stir the onions occasionally to caramelize. Take care not to burn them. Remove the cooked onions to a plate, and remove the skillet from the heat.

Stem and wash the chard. Coarsely chop it. Add another 2T olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium high heat. Spread the chard in the skillet, and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir the chard to coat with the hot oil. Add the minced garlic and stir for ten or fifteen seconds. Add a couple of tablespoons of stock, then cover with a lid, and continue cooking for about two minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside.

Butter a 9" covered casserole dish. Spread about one-quarter of the caramelized onions in the bottom of the dish. Layer one-third of the bread cubes. Cover with one-third of the chard and one-third of the cheese. Continue layering the onions, bread, chard, and cheese, finishing with the cheese. Pour the reduced stock over the casserole. Swirl the remaining olive oil over the top of the casserole. Cover the dish, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove the cover, and continue baking for another 20 minutes.

For the Vegetable Stock:
2 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 parsnip, peeled and grated
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 c red wine
5 c water
1 T fish sauce (optional)
salt to taste
3 whole allspice
3 whole cloves
1/2 t whole black pepper

Instructions for the Vegetable Stock:

Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, and fry the onion until it is dark brown and caramelized. Do not let the onion burn.

Add the carrot, parsnip and celery, and continue sauteeing the vegetables, until they begin to brown. Scrape the vegetables into a saucepan, and deglaze the skillet with the red wine. Add the deglazed liquid to the saucepan.

Add the water to the vegetables, and heat over medium high heat until the stock is boiling. Add the fish sauce, and taste for salt (it may not need any). Grind the allspice, cloves, and black pepper, and add to the stock. Keep at a simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Strain and discard the solids. Refrigerate.

Bread Salad

1/2 Baguette (or other sturdy high-gluten bread) broken into 1-1/2" cubes (about 4 - 5 c bread cubes)
2 lb ripe tomatoes
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
1 Japanese eggplant
1 medium green pepper
1/2 bunch green onions
juice of 1 lime
oregano
salt
pepper
1/2 bunch basil

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Peel the tomatoes (see note below). Remove the hard core, then scoop out the seeds, pulp, and liquid into a bowl and set aside. Chop the tomato flesh, and add to the bread.

In a large skillet, heat 2-3 T olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then add the tomato seeds and pulp and half of the minced garlic. Stir the mixture constantly until most of the liquid is boiled off, the the pulp is thickened. Remove from the heat and pour on top of the bread mixture.

Heat the oven to 400°F. Trim the end of the eggplant, and split lengthwise. Put on a rack over a cookie sheet and bake until softened (about 20 - 25 minutes). While the eggplant is baking, chop the green pepper and the green onions, and add to the bread mixture. Season to taste the bread mixture with salt, pepper, and oregano.

Remove the eggplant from the oven. Peel and chop it. Heat 2 T olive oil on medium heat in the skillet. Add the eggplant and the remainder of the minced garlic. Cook until the mixture is soft, then mash it. Season the eggplant to taste with salt and pepper. Add the eggplant to the bread mixture.

Refrigerate the salad until it is cold. You can make the salad a few hours before serving. Just before serving, chiffonade the basil, and toss the salad.

Note: To peel ripe tomatoes, fill a large bowl with very cold water and set aside. Boil two inches of water in a large pot on the burner's high setting. Add several tomatoes to the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds. With a skimmer or strainer, remove the tomatoes immediately to the bowl of cold water. Repeat until you have blanched all of the tomatoes. If your tomatoes are ripe, the skins should come off easily.

Cornbread Mix

So you like cornbread, but the mix that you've used FOR YEARS suddenly disappears from the supermarket shelves. That happened to me, so I made my own mix.

3 c flour (I use whole wheat)
3 c yellow cornmeal
3 T sugar
2 T baking powder
2 t salt

Mix all the ingredients together and store in a tightly covered container.

Cornbread

1 T butter or cooking oil
2 T cooking oil
1/2 c milk
1 egg
1 c cornbread mix

Preheat the oven at 400°F. Add 1 T butter (or cooking oil) to an 8-inch cast iron skillet, and heat the skillet in the oven while you mix the cornbread.

Whisk together the oil, milk, and egg. Pour over the cornbread mix, and stir together until mixed. Pour the batter into the heated skillet and bake for 12 - 14 minutes. Do not overbake.

Corn Cake

1 c cornbread mix
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c yellow cornmeal
1/4 t baking soda
3 T cooking oil
1 egg
2 t vinegar
1/2 c milk
1 t vanilla

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and sprinkle cornmeal in an 8-inch cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, mix together the cornbread mix, cornmeal, sugar, and soda. In a measuring cup, mix the vinegar and milk. Add the egg, oil, and vanilla. Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients, and stir until well mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cool the cake for about 10 minutes, and turn it out onto a rack to cool completely. You can frost the cake, or serve the cake with jam or jelly.

Note: Add the zest of an orange or a lemon to the dry ingredients. Add the juice of the lemon or lime and enough milk to make 1/2 cup to the other liquid ingredients. Dust with powdered sugar.

Coffee Cake

2 c flour
1/2 t salt
4 t baking powder
2 T sugar
1/2 c milk
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1/2 c shortening
1 egg

Mix as you would for biscuits. Pat dough into pan (8 x 8) and top with:
1/4 c sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
2 T butter

Bake in hot (400°) oven.

Light Fruit Cake

Mrs. Mildred McIlvaine

1 c shortening
1 c sugar
1/2 c honey
3 c flour
1/4 t soda
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 c milk
1 c apricot jam
1 c coconut, chopped
1 jar fruit mix
grated rind 1 orange
grated rind 1 lemon
4 eggs, separated
1 c white raisins, chopped
1/2 c citron, chopped
1 c candied cherries
1/2 c candied pineapple
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 c almonds
1/2 c cherry juice
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c orange juice

Cream shortening and egg yolks. Add sugar, gradually, then honey and jam. Beat well.

Sift 2 c flour with soda, baking powder, and salt. Use remaining c of flour to flour fruits and nuts.

Add the sifted flour alternately with milk to the creamed shortening mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in the coconut and grated rinds.

Whip egg whites until they hold shape, almost stiff, and fold in. Stir in flour fruits and nuts.

Bake in slow oven (300°) for 1-1/2 hours. This will make 3 small cakes or 2 large ones.

Pour fruit juice over dake while still warm.

We made this fruitcake many times over the years. This is mother's version of Mrs. McIlvaine's recipe. You can tell it's a popular recipe, because the card is spattered with many years of cake batter.

White Fruit Cake

1 c butter
1-1/2 c sugar
1/3 c pineapple juice
1 T lemon juice
2 T orange juice
2/3 c coconut
1/2 c almonds
1 jar fruit mix
2 t baking powder
1/4 c white raisins
1/3 c chopped candied cherries
1-1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t salt
1/3 c chopped figs
1/2 c chopped dates
5 eggs beaten
2 c flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into a loaf pan that has been lined with waxed paper. Bake 2 hours in a slow oven. Increase heat and bake for 20 minutes. Put pan of water in oven.

Note: Slow oven is 300°. I'm pretty sure you put the pan of water in the oven when you increase the heat to 350°. I'm guessing that you can substitute 1 lb of mixed candied fruit for the jar of fruit mix.

Dark Fruit Cake

1 lb (2 c) buter
2 c brown sugar
1 c dark molasses
1 c dark jam
6 eggs
4 c flour
1/2 t soda
1/4 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 t allspice
1 t mace
2 t nutmeg
1/2 t cloves
1 c coffee, triple-strength
1/2 c orange juice
2 T lemon juice
2 c currants, chopped
2 c raisins, chopped
1 c dates for figs, chopped
2 c citron, chopped
1 c candied cherries
1 c candied lemon rind
1 c candied orange rind
1 c almonds
1 c walnuts

Cream butter, add brown sugar. Stir in molasses & jam & add egg yolks, beaten slightly. Beat until creamy & smooth. Reserve 2 c flour for nuts & fruits & sift rest with soda, salt, & spices. Stir in flour mixture alternately with coffee & fruit juices & beat thoroughly. Whip egg whites until they hold shape, almost stiff & fold in. stir in floured fruit, rind, & nuts.

Bake in cake pans lined with thin waxed paper. Bake 3 hours in very slow oven (250°) for large cakes; 2-1/2 hours in slow oven (300°) for small ones. This will make 2 large or 4 small cakes.

I grew up with this recipe. Every year during the long Thanksgiving weekend, Mom, Dad and I would make this fruitcake recipe, or the white fruitcake. I always like this one the best. This is a very good recipe. The cakes should be tightly wrapped and aged for at least a month before eating.

Zuchini Bread

Mix together:
3 beaten eggs
1 c oil
2 c sugar
2 c zuchini (peeled and grated)
3 t vanilla

Sift together:
3 c flour
1 t soda
3/4 t nutmeg
3 t cinnamon

Combine first and second mixtures. Add 1 c chopped nuts. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Divide mixture. Bake at 350° for 1 hour (slightly lower heat for glass pans).

Easy Bran Bread

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Soak 1 c raisins in 2 c of sour milk at least 1/2 hour. Also soak 2 c of bran buds, flakes, or 100% bran in the sour milk. Then add and stir in 1 c brown sugar, 2 c flour, 2 t salt, and 2 t soda.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Makes 1 large loaf or 2 small loaves (not quite so long for small loaves).

Hush Puppies

1/2 c flour
2 c cornmeal
1 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1 egg
1 t salt

Mix all dry ingredients and sift together. Mix equal parts water and sweet milk (approximately 2/3 c) and add along with egg. Blend the mixture until to the right consistency to mold into small pones and drop into deep fat. Fry until golden brown.

Rye Bread

Scald 1 cup milk.

Put in mixing bowl:
2 T sugar
2 t salt
2 T shortening

Add scalded milk. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve 1 package yeast in 1/2 c water. Stir until softened. Add to mixture.

Add 3 c white flour (or 2 c white & 1/2 c whole wheat). Mix until smooth. Sprinkle 3 t. caraway seeds & 3 T chopped onions on dough. Add enough rye flour (1-1/2 c). Knead until elastic. Rise once. Knead again & shape. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.

Yorkshire Pudding

1-1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
3 eggs, well beaten
1-1/2 c milk
1/3 c shortening or beef drippings

Mix flour & salt. Add to beaten eggs & milk. This will make a thin batter. Set in refrigerator for 1 hour. Melt shortening in pan to be used for baking, to boiling hot. Pour batter into 9 x ll baking dish. Batter should be about 1/2 inch deep. Can be in muffin tins. Bake at 30 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve at once.

Note: You'll notice that Mother didn't specify an oven temperature. Try 400° for a metal pan or 375° for a glass pan. If you aren't using beef drippings, use butter. You can get by with 1/4 c.

Master Mix

10 c flour
5 t salt
5 T baking powder
1-1/2 c shortening
3-1/2 c dried milk

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Store in air tight container. Can be use for biscuits, piecrusts, etc.

This is homemade version of Bisquick® (although Betty Crocker® might have some words about that), and we used it for just about everything when I was a kid.

Jelly Pancakes

1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 egg
1 c hot milk
3 T melted shortening

Sift flour, salt, baking powder together. Whip egg until light. Add hot milk to shortening. When slightly cool, stir into other ingredients. Whip until smooth. Bake on ungreased griddle (about 1/4 c mixture for each pancake). Spread with jelly and roll.

French Breakfast Puffs

Mix together thoroughly:
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c soft shortening
1 egg

Sift together:
1-1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1-1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t nutmeg

and stir in alternately with 1/2 c milk. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake until golden brown. Immediately roll in:
6 T melted butter

Then in a mixture of:
1/2 c sugar
1 t cinnamon

Serve hot. Temperature: 350°, 20 - 25 minutes. Makes 12 medium-sized muffins.

Breakfast Cake

3 c flour
1 t soda
1/2 t clove
1/2 t nutmeg
3/4 c honey
3/4 c evaporated milk
1/2 c milk
3/4 c brown sugar

Sift flour, measure & sift with dry ingredients. Combine honey with the milks. Add liquids as for muffins. Pour into greased loaf pan (8-1/2 x 5). Bake in slow oven (300°) for 1-3/4 hours. Cool before serving.

Biscuits for Shortcake

2 c flour
2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
4 t. bk. pd.
1/4 t cr. tartar
1/2 c shortening
2/3 c ilk (scant)

Measure sifted flour; sift with other dry ingredients into mixing bowl. Cut shortening in quickly, to coarse crumb texture. Scoop deep well in middle of mixture & add milk all at once. Stir gently with fork until flour is dampened. Stir vigorously, just until dough follows dough around bowl; place on board & pat to 1/2 in. thickness. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 450° for 12 - 15 min. Makes about 10 biscuits.

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 c sifted flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 c cold shortening
2/3 c cold milk

Mix quickly after adding milk. Knead for few seconds; pat to 1/2 inch thickness; cut; bake 12 minutes in 450° oven.