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April 6, 2020This is about...
Bracing for the Worst and Hoping for the Best,
and EASY Buttermilk Sandwich Bread---YUM!
Bracing for the Worst and Hoping for the Best,
and EASY Buttermilk Sandwich Bread---YUM!
HI EVERYONE! I HOPE YOU ARE ALL SAFE AND HEALTHY. With every passing hour, it seems that the best thing that we can all do is to JUST-STAY-HOME! On that rare occasion, IF YOU DO HAVE TO GO OUT, MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A MASK AND GLOVES, USE HAND SANITIZER, AND WHEN YOU GET HOME, WASH YOR HANDS FOR 20 SECONDS. It's not worth the risk to expose yourself to this virus.
My cupcake shop is sadly closed until this is over. It was, and is, a major part of my life in every way and I do miss it.
NOT SURE HOW YOU ARE FEELING...., but some nights, I'm having a hard time sleeping, and I feel like this gray cloudy vibe is hanging over me, even in the safety of my house. The problem here is that even though there are a ton of things I always wished I had time to do, and I could do now--I just don't have the motivation to do them. All I want to do is stuff my face with potato chips and chocolate. I've talked to a bunch of my friends and they feel the same way. It does come and go, but with no hard and fast end in sight, I know it will probably be lurking around for the time being.
So-----if you have that gray malaise hanging over you, know that you are not alone. Focus on being grateful for what you have, breathe, get some fresh air in your lungs, turn off your mind and think with your heart, and most importantly shut off the news every once in a while. I know that helps me.
WE ARE LUCKY THAT WE DO HAVE THE INTERNET ---zoom, facetime, skype, the phone are all there for us. Please promise me that you will reach out over those platforms and talk and talk to your friends and loved ones. Human contact is so important to us humans, especially when you have ended up home alone.
SHELTERED IN PLACE MEANS THAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR A LOT OF YOUR FOOD CHOICES FROM INSIDE YOUR HOME, I.E. YOUR PANTRY. If you're lucky enough to have one with some basic staples in there, you can whip up some deliciousness without ever leaving the house. Over the next posts, I'll be using up what I have in the house and sharing the recipes with you.
OK, I'M GUESSING THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME TIME ON YOUR HANDS? So why not try to make some homemade bread? This one is a perfect beginner loaf. Super easy, no kneading, no proofing, no waiting around all day before you can eat it. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, YOU CAN HAVE A FRESH BAKED LOAF OF BREAD IN UNDER 2 HOURS! It's got a nice crumb, and it's a little sweet, a little tangy, perfect for sandwiches or your morning toast.
I found all of the ingredients here in my house. There's all-purpose flour, buttermilk, butter, salt, sugar, yeast and one egg. That's it. Oh, and more butter too for greasing the pan, brushing on top of the loaf, and for eating of course. Luckily I found an old package of yeast under a tomato paste tube in the door of my refrigerator. It had expired, but only last week. I was hoping that it would still be good. Just to be safe, I did take one extra step to make sure it was still active before I went any further with the recipe. The other wild card for you might be the buttermilk. I had it, but if you don't, you can easily make your own with some fresh lemon juice or white vinegar and regular milk.
SO WHY NOT GIVE IT A GO? If you have kids, they will be amazed how quickly you'll have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for.......dinner?
P.S. WE ALL NEED TO SEND OUR PRAYERS, LOVE AND THANKS
TO ALL OF THE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, FIRST RESPONDERS
AND ALL OF THE ESSENTIAL PEOPLE STILL OUT THERE
HELPING TO KEEP US SAFE AND TAKEN CARE OF.
THEY TRULY ARE HEROES!! AND THEY DESERVE OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE!
LESSONS Learned:
1. Make sure your yeast is active. It's easy to do. Just dissolve it in some of the slightly warmed buttermilk, not too hot with a little sugar and let it sit for a few minutes. If it starts to bubble the yeast is active, and you're good to go. If you are sure that your yeast is good, you can skip this step and just add the dry yeast and sugar in with the rest of the dry and add the 1/4 cup buttermilk to the 1 cup.
2. An instant read thermometer will help to make sure the buttermilk doesn't get too hot and kill the yeast.
3. Depending on how much moisture is in the air, your dough may turn into a soft ball, or be sticky. Either way will work.
4. The temperature in your kitchen will determine how long you will need to let the dough rise-colder will take longer, but check it early, just in case.
5. You want a nicely browned on top, which might take anywhere for 35-45-minutes, depending on your oven. So again check it early just in case.
6. Make your own buttermilk: Stir 1 Tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 1/4 cups whole or 2% milk, and let sit 5-10 minutes to thicken and slightly curdle. Makes 1 1/4 cups buttermilk.
EASY Buttermilk Sandwich Bread
(slightly adapted from Elinor Klivans, "Fast Breads")
Ingredients:
1/4 cup buttermilk (either low or full fat)
1 teaspoon sugar
----------------
1 cup buttermilk (either low-fat or full-fat)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, one 1/4 ounce packet
1 large egg , room temperature
2 teaspoons melted butter, for brushing the loaf
Make the bread:
Butter a 9"x 5"x 3" loaf pan. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees F.
If you want to check your yeast, in a small saucepan, heat the 1/4 cup buttermilk until warmed, between 110 and 110 degrees F, no hotter or you will kill the yeast. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir to combine and let sit for a few minutes to let it bubble. If it doesn't, your yeast won't work.
In another small saucepan, heat the buttermilk and butter over medium heat until it registers about 130ºF on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the heat.
In a stand mixer fit with the flat beater, mix together 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, on low speed just until combined. Add the warm buttermilk mixture, and give it few turns on low speed. Add the yeast mixture, and mix until all the ingredients are smooth and combined. Add the egg and continue beating for 1 minute.
Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour all at once, and continue mixing for a full 5 minutes. The dough might turn into a soft dough and pull away from the sides of the bowl, or it might be a little sticky and stick to the sides of the bowl. This all depends on the moisture in the air that day. But either way, the bread will still work. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and brush the top with the melted butter. If you want a crustier top.
Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise to within 1 inch of the top of the pan, about 25-45 minutes. Start checking at 25 minutes. Bake the loaf until the top feels firm and is nicely browned, about 35-45 minutes. Start checking at 30. Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the rack, and let it cool completely before slicing.
Makes one large loaf. YUM!
My cupcake shop is sadly closed until this is over. It was, and is, a major part of my life in every way and I do miss it.
NOT SURE HOW YOU ARE FEELING...., but some nights, I'm having a hard time sleeping, and I feel like this gray cloudy vibe is hanging over me, even in the safety of my house. The problem here is that even though there are a ton of things I always wished I had time to do, and I could do now--I just don't have the motivation to do them. All I want to do is stuff my face with potato chips and chocolate. I've talked to a bunch of my friends and they feel the same way. It does come and go, but with no hard and fast end in sight, I know it will probably be lurking around for the time being.
So-----if you have that gray malaise hanging over you, know that you are not alone. Focus on being grateful for what you have, breathe, get some fresh air in your lungs, turn off your mind and think with your heart, and most importantly shut off the news every once in a while. I know that helps me.
WE ARE LUCKY THAT WE DO HAVE THE INTERNET ---zoom, facetime, skype, the phone are all there for us. Please promise me that you will reach out over those platforms and talk and talk to your friends and loved ones. Human contact is so important to us humans, especially when you have ended up home alone.
SHELTERED IN PLACE MEANS THAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR A LOT OF YOUR FOOD CHOICES FROM INSIDE YOUR HOME, I.E. YOUR PANTRY. If you're lucky enough to have one with some basic staples in there, you can whip up some deliciousness without ever leaving the house. Over the next posts, I'll be using up what I have in the house and sharing the recipes with you.
OK, I'M GUESSING THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME TIME ON YOUR HANDS? So why not try to make some homemade bread? This one is a perfect beginner loaf. Super easy, no kneading, no proofing, no waiting around all day before you can eat it. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, YOU CAN HAVE A FRESH BAKED LOAF OF BREAD IN UNDER 2 HOURS! It's got a nice crumb, and it's a little sweet, a little tangy, perfect for sandwiches or your morning toast.
I found all of the ingredients here in my house. There's all-purpose flour, buttermilk, butter, salt, sugar, yeast and one egg. That's it. Oh, and more butter too for greasing the pan, brushing on top of the loaf, and for eating of course. Luckily I found an old package of yeast under a tomato paste tube in the door of my refrigerator. It had expired, but only last week. I was hoping that it would still be good. Just to be safe, I did take one extra step to make sure it was still active before I went any further with the recipe. The other wild card for you might be the buttermilk. I had it, but if you don't, you can easily make your own with some fresh lemon juice or white vinegar and regular milk.
SO WHY NOT GIVE IT A GO? If you have kids, they will be amazed how quickly you'll have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for.......dinner?
TO ALL OF THE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, FIRST RESPONDERS
AND ALL OF THE ESSENTIAL PEOPLE STILL OUT THERE
HELPING TO KEEP US SAFE AND TAKEN CARE OF.
THEY TRULY ARE HEROES!! AND THEY DESERVE OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE!
LESSONS Learned:
1. Make sure your yeast is active. It's easy to do. Just dissolve it in some of the slightly warmed buttermilk, not too hot with a little sugar and let it sit for a few minutes. If it starts to bubble the yeast is active, and you're good to go. If you are sure that your yeast is good, you can skip this step and just add the dry yeast and sugar in with the rest of the dry and add the 1/4 cup buttermilk to the 1 cup.
2. An instant read thermometer will help to make sure the buttermilk doesn't get too hot and kill the yeast.
3. Depending on how much moisture is in the air, your dough may turn into a soft ball, or be sticky. Either way will work.
4. The temperature in your kitchen will determine how long you will need to let the dough rise-colder will take longer, but check it early, just in case.
5. You want a nicely browned on top, which might take anywhere for 35-45-minutes, depending on your oven. So again check it early just in case.
6. Make your own buttermilk: Stir 1 Tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 1/4 cups whole or 2% milk, and let sit 5-10 minutes to thicken and slightly curdle. Makes 1 1/4 cups buttermilk.
(slightly adapted from Elinor Klivans, "Fast Breads")
Ingredients:
1/4 cup buttermilk (either low or full fat)
1 teaspoon sugar
----------------
1 cup buttermilk (either low-fat or full-fat)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, one 1/4 ounce packet
1 large egg , room temperature
2 teaspoons melted butter, for brushing the loaf
Make the bread:
Butter a 9"x 5"x 3" loaf pan. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees F.
If you want to check your yeast, in a small saucepan, heat the 1/4 cup buttermilk until warmed, between 110 and 110 degrees F, no hotter or you will kill the yeast. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir to combine and let sit for a few minutes to let it bubble. If it doesn't, your yeast won't work.
In another small saucepan, heat the buttermilk and butter over medium heat until it registers about 130ºF on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the heat.
In a stand mixer fit with the flat beater, mix together 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, on low speed just until combined. Add the warm buttermilk mixture, and give it few turns on low speed. Add the yeast mixture, and mix until all the ingredients are smooth and combined. Add the egg and continue beating for 1 minute.
Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour all at once, and continue mixing for a full 5 minutes. The dough might turn into a soft dough and pull away from the sides of the bowl, or it might be a little sticky and stick to the sides of the bowl. This all depends on the moisture in the air that day. But either way, the bread will still work. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and brush the top with the melted butter. If you want a crustier top.
Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise to within 1 inch of the top of the pan, about 25-45 minutes. Start checking at 25 minutes. Bake the loaf until the top feels firm and is nicely browned, about 35-45 minutes. Start checking at 30. Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the rack, and let it cool completely before slicing.
Makes one large loaf. YUM!