Grandma's Irish Soda...

INGREDIENTS

1 and 3/4 cups (420ml) buttermilk*

1 large egg 

4 and 1/4 cups all-purpose

flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for your hands and counter

3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar

buttermilk*

1 teaspoon of salt

5 tablespoons of unsalted butter cold and cubed

Optional one cup of raisins, currants, or similar dried fruit

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Preheat oven & pan . Grease or line with parchment paper. If using a dutch oven, bake the bread with the lid off.

2 Whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Set aside. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers until the butter is pea- sized crumbs. Stir in the raisins. Pour in the buttermilk/egg mixture. Gently fold the dough together until dough is too stiff to stir. Pour crumbly dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured hands, work the dough into a ball as best you can, then knead for about 30 seconds or until all the flour is moistened. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.

3 Transfer the dough to the prepared skillet/pan. Using a very sharp knife, score a 1/2 inch deep X into the top. Bake until the bread is golden brown and center appears cooked through, about 45-55 minutes. If bread browning too much on top, loosely tent with foil .

4 Allow bread to rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

5 Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Can be frozen for months. 

Coolrise White Bread

Bread – Coolrise White

Ingredients:

        2¾-3¾ Cups Flour

        ¼ Cup Warm Water (105-115 degrees)

        1 package yeast

        ¾ Cup + 1 Tablespoon warm milk

        1 Tablespoon sugar

        ½ Teaspoon salt

        1½ Tablespoon butter or stick margarine

Directions:

        Add water and yeast to a large mixing bowl.

        Once yeast is dissolved, add milk, sugar, salt and butter.

        Stir in 1 cup flour and beat with rotary beater until smooth.

        Continue to add flour a little at a time until it forms a soft dough.

        Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and kneed until smooth and elastic. (about 5-10 minutes)

        Loosely cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel.

        Let rest 20 minutes.

        Punch down and form into an 8x12 rectangle.

        Gently roll into an 8” tube and pinch edges shut.

        Place in a greased 8½x4½ loaf pan.

        Cover pan loosely with oiled waxed paper.  Then top with plastic wrap.

        Do NOT wrap tightly as the bread will need to rise.

        Place in refrigerator (with plenty of room above the pan for it to rise)

        Refrigerate from 2 to 24 hours.

        To bake:  remove from refrigerator and carefully remove wrapping.

        Let set at room temperature for 10 minutes.

        Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until color is nice and brown and loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped on top.

        Remove loaf from pan and place on a cooling rack.

        Resist eating it until it has cooled to near room temperature and it will have a better texture.

Pancakes - Sourdough

Pancakes – Sourdough

Ingredients: (for 2 pancakes)

        1 slice of bread

        1 egg (or equivalent egg substitute such as 2 egg whites)

        1 ounce milk (non-fat for less calories and fat)

        1/8 teaspoon of white vinegar

        ½ teaspoon baking soda

        ½ teaspoon vanilla or maple

        2 teaspoon sugar (or non-calorie sweetener)

Directions:

        Combine all ingredients in blender

        Cook in skillet or griddle until bubbles form on top then turn and cook till golden on other side.

        Top with syrup, jam or fresh fruit

Basic Roll

Bread – Basic Rolls

Ingredients:

        1 package active dry yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast

        ¼ Cup Water warm but no hotter than 110 degrees (85 for yeast cake)

        1 Cup Scalded Milk   2 Tablespoons Sugar

        2 Tablespoons Shortening

        1 Teaspoon Salt

        3½ Cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour

        1 Egg

Directions:

        Soften yeast in warm water

        Combine milk, sugar, shortening and salt. Cool to luke warm.

        Add 1 cup flour and beat well

        Beat in yeast and egg

        Gradually add remaining flour to form soft dough, beating well.

        Loosely cover and let rise in warm place till double (1½-2 hours)

        Turn out on lightly floured surface and shape as desired.

For a richer version: increase either the shortening or sugar both to 1/4 Cup

Potato Bread

Potato Bread

 

Ingredients:

        12 oz warm water (bottled or filtered)

        4 Cups flour

        2 teaspoons salt

        2 ½ Tablespoons sugar

        ¾ Cup Potato Flakes (or ½ cup potato buds)

        3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

        1 ½ Tablespoons dry yeast

Directions:

        Mix together potato flakes and flour

        Add all other ingredients to mixing bowl and briefly stir

        *If using a stand mixer set a low speed with dough hook and add flour mixture one cup at a time until it forms a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl.

        Set mixer on medium and knead for about 5 minutes.

         Shape dough into a ball and move to a large lightly greased bowl.  Turning once to coat dough.

        Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a damp towel.  Let dough rise in warm location until double.

          Once dough has risen punch down and divide into two loaf pans (or shape into one large round loaf on a baking sheet).

          Cover and let rise until double.

          Lightly score top (brush with butter, oil or egg wash if desired)

          Place on middle rack of oven preheated to 350 degrees.

          Bake until golden brown (loaf should sound hollow when thumped) about 15-20 minutes.

          Resist the urge to cut the bread while it is still hot.  Let it rest until it is just above room temperature and you’ll have a better loaf. 

Makes two loaves or one large loaf