What are you Baking the Week of January 21, 2024?

[Mike Nolan]

No baking plans here yet.

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[BakerAunt]

On Monday, I made another batch of Maple Granola, which I have been eating at breakfast with milk, as lately, I have wanted a lighter breakfast than my bowl of steel-cut oats.

I timed baking the granola so that the oven was used three times today without turning it off. I sandwiched the granola between the roasted pumpkin and the dinnertime fish and chips. The oven is now having a well-deserved rest, as am I.

[BakerAunt]

On Tuesday, I made the Sugar Crusted Apple Cobbler recipe from King Arthur that I first made in the fall. I made the same changes by replacing the butter with oil, halving the boiled cider and vanilla, and using white whole wheat flour. I baked it first, while putting together the dinner chicken pot pie, and it cooled and set while that was baking. Since my oven vent heat outside when I turn it off, it is nice to be able to do recipes in tandem so that there is only one cold start, and I can use the heat that is already present. We really like this recipe, and it is the only apple cobbler that I will make now.

[kimbob]

Just getting back into baking bread again. Last 2 weeks been making golden egg bread which is great for French toast especially when using eggnog.

[BakerAunt]

Kimbob--It's good to hear from you and to know that you are baking bread again!

It was a rainy Wednesday, but at least the temperature is above freezing. We escaped the ice storm that was forecast for yesterday, so the rain is welcomed. In the morning, I baked Soft Oatmeal and Raisin Cookies, so that we would have cookies to go with tea. In the afternoon, I baked my Rye and Barley Crispbread. I have not baked it for a while, usually because I am baking sourdough crackers for my husband. He is not as keen on the Crispbread as I am, so I should have it around for snacking for a couple of weeks, especially if I bake him more sourdough crackers.

[chocomouse]

Hi Kimbob -- glad you have joined us again! I look forward to sharing bread baking ideas with you.

[skeptic7]

I don't know if it counts as baking but I made steamed roast pork buns, char sui bao, on Sunday. It turned out just okay. Sauce was too salty and the bread part didn't rise as much as I hoped. I made the rest of the bao into plain bread, mantou, which turned out better. Lighter and fluffier but I could let it rise longer without worrying about the meat stuffing spoiling.

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic--could you do a long rise in the refrigerator for your buns? That would give the dough more rising time and protect the meat filling.

[kimbob]

Thanks. The first time I've baked in a long time was Christmas when I made just a few cookies for my husband and me. Haven't been feeling like doing much of anything since I'm always going to the nursing home to feed mom lunch, taking the dog to the park twice a day and in the yard, and taking care of my husband. I haven't had the time nor inclination to bake and I used to bake bread and make yogurt weekly! Maybe I'm getting my MOJO back. 😊 I bought a couple old local church cookbooks at the antique emporium and made 2 recipes from them which are really good. One is for cinnamon chip scones and the other is crab quiche. I'll post them when I get a chance. I love reading cookbooks especially ones from various organizations. I have to catch up reading the forums here -- its been a while since I logged in.

[RiversideLen]

I'm making a batch of burger/sandwich buns.

[BakerAunt]

On Thursday, I baked five mini-loaves of Whole Grain Pumpkin Bread. (It's my adaptation of a recipe here at Nebraska Kitchen.) This time I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and ¼ cup barley flour for the whole grain portion. My plan is for us to have one for dessert on Friday and Saturday and to freeze the other four for dessert emergencies.

I also made dough for Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers, which I will bake next week.

[skeptic7]

BakerAunt;
I did a short rise, about an hour, at room temperature. I guess I could try a longer rise in the refrigerator some time and see what happens.

[BakerAunt]

We used up the bread at lunch on Friday, so into the kitchen I went. I baked two loaves of "Mixed Grains Bread," a recipe that I baked once before (week of December 11, 2022). The recipe, from Martha Rose Shulman, had come to me in an email from Zester Daily some years before, a site that no longer exists. (I could not find the recipe anywhere on the internet.) I liked the recipe but have not gotten around to a second bake of it until now. I have adapted it to use a stand mixer, where she had mixed and kneaded by hand. I replaced 2/3 of the water with buttermilk, reduced the salt by 25%, and replaced the 2 cups of AP flour with an equal weight of bread flour. I omitted the sesame seed topping in deference to my husband. The bread has a sponge and three risings, so it is an all-afternoon project that can be interspersed with other activities. One of the grains it uses is millet flour, and I have some in the freezer to use up. It made two lovely loaves. I will see, when I slice a loaf for lunch tomorrow, if this bread is as wonderful as I recall. I think it will be, as the dough itself had a wonderful aroma, as did the loaves as they baked.

[Mike Nolan]

Diane is making oatmeal-date-raisin spice cookies today.

[BakerAunt]

Tonight, I am baking Bischofsbrot for my birthday tomorrow.

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