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Aug 25, 2009

HOMEMADE ROLLS AND BREAD





INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed


DIRECTIONS

1.Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix well. Heat water and vegetable oil until warm, and add to yeast mixture along with the egg. Blend with an electric mixer at low speed until moistened. Beat for 2 additional minutes. Stir in 1 3/4 cup flour while beating, until dough pulls away from side of bowl.
2.Knead in 3/4 cup flour on floured surface. Cover dough with a bowl, and let sit for 5 minutes. Place dough on a greased baking sheet. Roll out to 12 inch circle. Cover with greased plastic wrap and a cloth towel. Place in a warm place for 30 minutes.
3.Uncover dough, and poke holes in it with a spoon handle at 1 inch intervals. Drizzle olive oil on dough, and sprinkle with crushed rosemary.
4.Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 17 to 27 minutes, until just golden. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on rack.

FRENCH BREAD

Home made French bread:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup yeast (3 pkg.)
2 cup warm water
1 cup dry milk
1 qt. warm water
1/2 cup shortening
1/8 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
10 cup flour

Method:
Let rise until double in size. Form into 6 long thin leaves. Make slices on top. Let rise again. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Homemade Breads

Home made Pita bread:

Ingredients:
4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 pkg. dry yeast
1 3/4 cup water
2 tbsp. peanut oil
1 cup flour

Method:
Mix 4 cups flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Combine water and peanut oil in small saucepan. Heat to 125 to 130 degrees. Stir into flour mixture. Add just enough of the remaining 1 cup of flour to make soft dough. Knead on floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Let rest, covered for 10 minutes. Divide into 12 portions. Roll each portion into 5 inch circles on floured surface. Place on wire racks on baking sheets. Bake at 500 degrees for 5 minutes.
Makes 12 pitas.
Approximately per pita: cal. 215; T. fat 2.8 gr.; choles. 0.0 mg.; sod. 267.8 mg.; pots. 61.2.

Old-Fashioned Homemade Pies

Man's Apple Pie

Plain Pie Crust: 1-1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup shortening, 1/4 cup ice water. Method: Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening and lastly add the ice water, a little at a time, until all ingredients cling together.

Filling: 6 apples, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon mace, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese. Method: Wash apples and cut fine. Sift sugar, spice, and salt, and mix thoroughly with the apples. Turn into pie pan lined with pastry. Spread over with grated cheese. Put on top crust, pushing it towards the center and pressing off edges.

Bake in hot oven (450°F) for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking about 40 minutes. Absolutely delicious!

Cake Baking

General Cake Baking Tips


You have likely noticed that many old-time recipes are somewhat sparse on baking instructions, so experimenting with the recipes is sometimes necessary and part of the fun.



I purposely include several recipes of the same kind on each webpage since usually one or two of the recipes will suggest a baking time, type of baking pan to use, and so on. What one recipe suggests will often work with the other recipes on the page too.

Also, the old-time baking recipes are often very forgiving which is why many simply say or imply, "bake until done." The big trick successfully used in baking old-style cakes and other baked goods is to test often for doneness.

As for the size of cake pan to use, what I sometimes do is have a couple of medium-sized pans (or a medium-sized pan and one smaller pan) ready for the cake batter. In the end, I might only require the use of one pan, or I might use them both; you can sometimes decide what size is needed by judging the quantity of batter.


Old-Time Cake Baking Tips


The best of everything!"

Cake will never be better than the things whereof it is made, no matter how skilled the maker. But it can be, and too often is, dismally worse, thus involving a waste of heaven's good gifts of sugar, butter, eggs, flour, and flavors.

Having the best at hand, use it well. Isaac Walton's direction for the bait, "Use them as though you loved them," applies here as many otherwheres.



Cake Baking Tips For Cakes Great And Small

•Have the eggs very cold, butter soft but not oily, flour dry and light -- oven dry it in muggy weather.


•Let the butter soften well before undertaking to cream it. A stout, blunt wooden spoon is the best for creaming butter, along with a deep bowl very narrow at the bottom.


•Sift flour three times for ordinary cakes, twice for tea cakes, and so on, four to five times for very light things, sponge cake, angel's food, and measure it before sifting, and don't forget the needed amount -- then you will be in no danger of putting in too much or too little.


•Always put a pinch of fine salt in the bottom of the mixing bowl, which should be freshly scalded and wiped very dry. A damp bowl clogs with either sugar or flour, making the stirring much harder.


•Unless specifically directed otherwise, separate the eggs, set the whites on ice till time to whip them, beat the yolks very, very light -- to a pale, frothy yellow; add the sugar, free from lumps, a cupful at a time, then the butter beaten to a creamy froth, beat hard together for five minutes, then add alternately the flour and the egg whites beaten to the stiffest possible froth. Add a pinch of salt as beating begins, and if the egg supply is scant, a teaspoonful of cold water to each white. This will increase the quantity and help to make the cake lighter, as it is the air bubbles imprisoned in the froth which give it its rising virtue.


•Add fruit and flavoring last thing. Fruit should be well floured but never clotted.


•If batter appears to be too stiff a little whisky thins it excellently, and helps to make it lighter. Put in two tablespoonfuls to six eggs, using more in proportion. Rose water or a liqueur have the same effect but give their own flavor -- which whisky does not.


•Grease deep cake tins plentifully, with either lard or butter -- using only the best.


•For heavy cakes such as fruit, spice, and marble cake, line tins with double thicknesses of buttered paper and either set shallow pans of water in the oven while baking or stand the pans themselves in other pans with a quarter inch of water in the bottoms.


•If cakes brown too fast, open the oven door, a trifle, and lay over the pan a thick, well buttered paper until the oven cools.


•Never jar the oven while cake is baking in it -- neither by banging the door, nor dumping heavy vessels on top of it. Beware likewise slamming kitchen doors, or bumping things about in the room. Fine cake demands as many virtues of omission as of commission. Indeed, the don'ts are as essential as the doings.


•Layer cakes need to be mixed thinner than deep ones. The batter must run freely. Half fill the tins and set in a hot oven, taking care not to scorch before rising is finished. Butter tins very freely -- it is economy in the end. Be sure the tins sit level in the oven -- thus you escape an ungainly final loaf. Get filling ready as baking goes forward so as to put your layers together while still warm and pliable.


•Let cake cool before frosting, so as to trim sides smooth.


•Take care fillings are not too watery, also that they are mixed smooth. Spread evenly, and press down a layer firmly all over, before putting filling on top.


•Layers simplify greatly the problem of baking, but to my mind, no layer cake, not even the famous Lady Baltimore, is equal to a fine deep loaf, well frosted, and meltingly rich throughout.






Wood Stove Oven Temperatures Chart

Very Slow Oven = 275°F (135°C)

Slow Oven = 325°F (163°C)

Moderate Oven = 375°F (190.5°C)

Hot or Quick Oven= 425 °F (218°C)

Bread or Pastry Oven = 360°F (182°C)

Pastry Oven = A piece of writing paper will curl up brown when it's at the proper heat for baking pastry.

Note: Oven baking temperatures can vary 25°F (4°C), plus or minus.

Carefully testing for doneness every few minutes is recommended for best baking results.

CHOCOLATE COOKIE RECIPE






Chocolate Cookie Recipe Ingredients


2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces (2oz)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans



Chocolate Cookie Recipe Directions

Prepare you oven for baking by preheating to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate microwaveable bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Melt the chocolate without burning by microwaving for 1 minute then stirring vigorously. Microwave for 20 seconds and stir again. Continue heating and stirring until the chocolate and butter are completely melted.

Add brown sugar and egg to the chocolate. Add half of your dry ingredients to chocolate mixture and stir until completely combined. Stir in milk and the remainder of the dry ingredients. Fold in chopped pecans with a spoon.

Grease a shiny cookie sheet. Using a 1/2 teaspoon as a measure, drop small amounts of dough onto cookie sheet.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. These cookies are especially good if frosted with chocolate icing while cookies are still hot.

These drop cookies can also be baked as bar cookies quite easily. Spread the dough in a greased pan until dough is approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Bake for about 20 minutes or until done. Cut into bars when cool.
Store both drop cookies and bar cookies in an airtight container. If you choose to frost the cookies, place sheets of wax paper between the layers of cookies to keep them from sticking together during storage.