Cheesy Garlic and Herb Bread

My name is Vinni and I’m addicted to carbs.

There is no way that I could ever follow a diet limiting carbohydrates. Whether it’s sweet bread, potatoes, or toast, I love carbs in every shape and form. That’s why when I came across this recipe from pinterest, I was determined to bake it. I didn’t attempt to make the twisted braid detail in the original recipe, but my easier version of flipping the dough seam-side up turned out quite nicely. B and I enjoyed this bread as a snack and as a side to our lasagna (stay tuned for a future post about it) dinner. B’s reaction was, “You made this?!” I don’t know why he sounded so suprised… ;)

Ingredients

• 6 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour (can also use all purpose)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 5 tbsp. white or brown sugar (or 3 1/2 tbsp. honey or agave nectar)
• 1 cup lukewarm water, about 95° F.
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. lukewarm buttermilk or milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp. instant yeast
• 1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter or vegetable oil

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or about 2 tsp. minced fresh)
• 1/4 cup minced herbs (parsley works well)
• 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar* together. (Tip: If measuring your flour in cups, without a scale, hold back 1 cup to add as needed later). *If you’re using honey or agave, add with the liquid ingredients instead.
2. In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine the water and buttermilk and whisk in the yeast until dissolved. Add this mixture, along with the melted butter, to the dry ingredients. Mix by hand or with a dough hook, until the mixture is combined, about 2 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
3. Continue mixing the dough, adding more flour or water, as needed, until the dough becomes soft, smooth and tacky, but not sticky.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, then form dough into a ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and either refrigerate for up to 4 days, or allow to sit at room temperature until doubled in size (about 60-90 minutes).
5. Note: If you have refrigerated your dough, remove from the refrigerator 2 hours prior to baking to allow it to come to room temperature.
6. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Dust each with a bit of flour and then, using a rolling pin, roll into a rectangle approximately 10 inches wide and 16 inches long.
7. Spread most of the filling ingredients evenly over the surface of the dough. Roll the dough up jelly-roll style and pinch the seam together.
8. Grease two 8-inch by 4-inch loaf pans.
9. Place dough in pans seam-side up. Sprinkle top of dough with remaining filling ingredients.
10. Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake for 45-50 minutes total, but after 25 minutes of baking, rotate pans front-to-back in the oven and loosely cover with a piece of aluminum foil, to prevent the top from over-browning. Bread should reach about 185° F. internal temperature in the center.
11. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for a couple of minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the bread and carefully remove the loaves to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for 1 hour before slicing.

Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 50 min | Total time: 4 hours

*Makes: 2 loaves

Gram Flour Toast

Let me preface this by explaining that gram flour (also known as besan) is a flour made from ground chickpeas. While it is commonly used in Indian cooking, I admittedly don’t use it very often. It has a wide variety of applications, and is particularly handy when you have a minor crisis and need to fix a meal pronto. For example, I made gram flour toast last weekend only after realizing that I ran out of eggs. B and I were hungry for a gourmet, albeit easy-to-make breakfast, which can be challenging without using eggs in some way. I fortunately had a jar of long-forgotten gram flour and created this little gem of a breakfast. It requires a few simple ingredients, is simple and quick to prepare, and is quite satisfying. This recipe is a great addition to your morning routine if a) you ran out of eggs like I did or b) don’t eat eggs or c) want to add some variety to your breakfast (or any meal) regimen.

Enjoy the toast with ketchup or cilantro chutney on the side.

Ingredients: 

4 bread slices

1/2 cup gram flour

1 tbsp chopped onions

1 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

1/2 tsp chopped green chillis

2 tsp salt

Water to make pancake batter-like consistency

Directions:

Cut each bread slice diagonally into 2 pieces. Set aside.

Mix remaining ingredients and stir batter well until lumps are gone. Dip each bread piece into batter until thoroughly coated. Heat a greased gridle or a cast iron skillet. Place bread onto pan and heat both sides until the bread is well cooked and golden brown.

Enjoy with ketchup or chutney.

Original recipe here has been slightly adapted.

Banana Bread

I’ve been on a little baked-goods craze lately. It’s so fulfilling to put a whole bunch of ingredients in a bowl, mix it up, put a giant glob into a pan, slide it into the oven, and 45 minutes later, VOILA, a masterpiece! I’ve talked about how much I love having readily available baked goodies at home, but this classic banana bread wasn’t actually for me. Last week was National Dental Assistants Week so I decided to whip up a batch for my dear assistant as a small token of my appreciation. Although I haven’t really done it before, giving food as a gift was so great that I will definitely be doing it more often. I love how it’s a personal and useful gift that the recipient will likely enjoy. Food makes a great hostess gift, a “Hey, I’m grateful for our friendship” gift, or a “Hey, I’ve been bragging about how good a cook I am, here’s a sample for you to try.” That last one sounds totally like me ;)

Wrapped and bowed bread, ready to gift. My assistant loved it :)

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• Handful coarsely chopped almonds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last and mix together. Pour mixture into a greased 4×8 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle chopped almonds on top. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

*Makes one loaf.