Breads

Lately I have found some really great bread recipes. Seasonal and non-seasonal. So enjoy!

My mom recently went to see my sister in Indi and then came here for my other sister's bday and while at each location, she educated Lisa and me on the easiest, yummiest bread!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of luke warm water
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 3 Tbs. sugar, honey or other sweetener of your preference
• 2 Tbs. yeast
• 2 Tbs. dough enhancer
• 2 Tbs. vital wheat gluten
• 3 Tbs. oil

Mix all of the above ingredients together, then add 2 cups of bread flour. I use 2 cups of whoel wheat flour here and then bread flour for the 2-4 cups. Mix until combined. I Then add 2-4 cups of flour just until barely tacky (the consistency will be just slightly sticky but not stick to your counter or anything). Knead on high for 5 minutes. Divide dough in half and form loaves. A few pointers on this if you are like me and have always had a difficult time with bread or rolls:
First, get the dough into a rectangular shape and then pull each side under kneading by hand to make sure to get all the bubbles out. Then when you think all the bubbles are out, form into a rectangle and pinch the bottom of the loaf together along the middle. Spray cooking spray on 2 bread pans and flip the loaf over coating the loaf in the cooking spray. Put loaf right side up and pinch underneath if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise. For white bread, let rise about an inch above the pan. For wheat bread, let rise until it is the desired height. Cook at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Remove when top of bread is browned. My oven is hotter than most so I cook it at about 390 for 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before you let it out of the pan. You may need to slightly pull a knife through the sides in case it sticks.

I have yet to try it, but my mom said you can also had powdered milk to get even more nutrition in.

Pumpkin Gingerbread
-allrecipes.com

I made this into muffin tops and wrapped them and the zucchini bread in plastic wrap and froze them. Delish.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar


• 1 cup vegetable oil (the person I got this recipe from substituted 1/2 cup of applesauce. I substituted a whole cup of applesauce and completely omitted the oil and it turned out great.)
  


• 4 eggs


• 2/3 cup water


• 1 large (15 oz) can pumpkin puree


• 2 teaspoons ground ginger


• 1 teaspoon ground allspice


• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I substitute about half of this with whole wheat flour. )


• 2 teaspoons baking soda


• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt


• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

I added chocolate chips into some of the muffin tops and it was really good, really good without too.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).


2. Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.


3. In a large mixing, combine sugar, oil and eggs; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin, ginger, allspice and cinnamon.


4. In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans.


5. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Zucchini Bread/Muffins
I got this recipe from here.

1 large zucchini
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil or applesauce (again, here, I used applesauce.)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I also add a little nutmeg, ginger, and cloves)
3/4 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, and set aside. Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater (to yield 1 3/4 cups); set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Into a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir to combine well. Stir in grated zucchini. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack, then reinvert, top side up. Cool completely before slicing.