Irish red soda bread recipe from Samuel Adams

Ingredients

• 1 cup Samuel Adams® Irish Red 
• 1/4 cup milk 
• 4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder 
• 1 tablespoon caraway seed (optional) 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup raisins or currants (optional) 
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 
• 2 whole eggs lightly beaten 

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let beer stand until flat, about 20-30 minutes. Spray 9” cake pan with cooking spray then line bottom of pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, caraway seeds, and salt. Stir in raisins. Stir in beer, milk, butter, and one egg until a dough forms. On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Shape into round loaf. Cut a 1/2" deep X into the top of the bread. Lightly beat remaining egg and brush over dough. Bake 55 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Remove from pan and cool on rack. Eat warm for best taste!

Maple oat bread recipe

Oats (Photo credit: Farmanac)

MAPLE OAT BREAD

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 1/3 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

TOPPING

• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats

Directions

Place oats in a blender or food processor and process oats for 5-10 seconds, until coarsely chopped. Pour chopped oats and boiling water to a small bowl. Let stand until mixture cools to approximately 115 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup warm water. Add syrup, oil, salt, oat mixture and 2 cups flour and beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic(8-10 minutes).  Place in an oiled bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a flattened 9-in. round loaf. Place in a greased 9-in. round baking dish. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with oats. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

Garlic herb bread recipe

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This recipe makes a delicious loaf of bread that pairs well with Italian foods, soups, stews and chilis. 

GARLIC HERB BREAD

• 2/3 cup warm water (90-100 degrees)
• 1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons butter, softened
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

In a small bowl, add warm water, yeast and sugar. Allow to sit, undisturbed, until foamy (about 10 minutes). While yeast is foaming, add butter, garlic, flour ans seasonings to a large bowl and mix thoroughly with your fingers. While mixing, "rub" the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers-this will create small crumbs. When yeast is ready, slowly pour wet ingredients into the dry, stirring with a wooden spoon. When mixed, turn out onto a floured surface and knead 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.  Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of the bowl and add dough, turning once to coat. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm spot for an hour. After an hour, punch down dough to remove air bubbles. Shape into a loaf and place in a well sprayed and floured bread pan. Cover and allow to rise an additional hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake bread 30-40 minutes, until golden on top. Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes before gently turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

Easy drop biscuits recipe

I must admit, I have been a very bad cook. For the last several years I have been snubbing homemade biscuits in lieu of the convenience of refrigerated ones. Shame on me! It has become entirely too easy to buy those tightly wound cardboard rolls of mass produced dough instead of making the real deal. Well, last night I was craving biscuits and gravy. Lo and behold! I was out of Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits. After looking in the cupboard and finding a can of shortening, I proceeded to leaf through my recipe collection until I found one for biscuits. Never again will I use refrigerated dough in place of made from scratch biscuits. What is in the can shouldn't even be allowed to call itself a biscuit. For those of you who may be intimidated by the mere thought of making homemade biscuits-you shouldn't be. These are quite easy to make. Just be sure to use baking powder, not baking soda!

EASY DROP BISCUITS

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat in egg and milk, stir until just combined. Flour your hands well and knead dough by hand 15-20 times. Drop by generous tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.

Cook's Notes-if you prefer the tidy look of cut biscuits, turn this dough out onto a well floured surface and roll 3/4 inches thick. Cut with a floured 2 1/2 inch round cutter. Bake the same amount of time.

If you have never cut shortening or butter into flour, here is a great tutorial that I found on YouTube.

Italian bread bowls recipe

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ITALIAN BREAD BOWLS

• 1/2 ounce active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/2 cups warm water 110-115 degrees F
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 7 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal

• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

In a large bowl, add yeast, sugar and water. Cover and place in a warm location to "feed" for 10-15 minutes. Add salt, oil and 4 cups of the flour to the yeast and beat well. Add remaining flour, a little at a time, until dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5-6 minutes until elastic and smooth. Add a little oil to the bowl used to mix the dough and place the kneaded dough in, turning to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes. Punch dough down and divide into 6 portions. Form each portion into a round loaf. Spray baking sheets with non-stick spray and lightly sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves on baking sheets, cover, and let rise an additional 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and water to make an egg wash. brush loaves with wash just prior to placing in oven. Bake 15 minutes then brush again with egg wash. Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes. Allow to cool on wire racks. Serve mini loaves as an accompaniment to soups, stews or chilis or cut off the top and hollow loaves to use as bread bowls.

Multi-grain bread recipe

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This hearty bread is a tasty way to boost your intake of grains. You can use it to make sandwiches, toast or shape it into rolls to serve with your dinner. 

MULTI-GRAIN BREAD

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 ounce active dry yeast
• 4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup rye flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt

Directions

In a saucepan, heat milk, water and oil to 110-120 degrees F. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and yeast. Cover and set somewhere warm to "feed" for 10 minutes. Beat in 2 cups flour, wheat flour, rye flour, brown sugar and salt, beat until smooth. Add remaining flour to create a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 6-8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Add a little oil to a large bowl and add dough, turning to coat dough. Cover and place somewhere warm to rise for 1 hour. Punch dough down and divide into 2 portions. Spray (2) 9X5 loaf pans with non-stick spray. Form each portion into a loaf shape and place in a pan. Cover and allow to rise for an additional 45 minutes, Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake bread 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Allow bread to rest for 5 minutes before removing from pans and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Cook's Notes-If you want your bread to have some crunch, mix in 1/2-1 cup of shelled sunflower seeds when adding the flours to the liquid.

Avocado quick bread recipe

English: Avocados (Persea americana) Français : Avocats (Persea americana) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have never been much of a fan of avocados, but my exposure to them has been very limited. Limited only to guacamole, which as a child, I found to be quite disgusting. I wasn't a fan of the color, texture or flavor of the green condiment so many seem to love. Luckily, I outgrew my irrational hatred of the avocado and now embrace it as a part of my mostly vegetarian lifestyle.

AVOCADO QUICK BREAD

• 2 2/3 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe avocado
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans and set aside. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then mix in the mashed avocado. Stir in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk until just combined. Fold in the chopped pecans and orange zest. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow loaves to cool in pan for at least 20 minutes before turning out and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Cook's Notes
This can also be made in mini loaves or muffins. Please adjust baking times accordingly, approximately 45 minutes for minis and 20-25 minutes for muffins.

How to freeze bread dough

Bread dough which has risen and is ready to go in the oven (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For those of you new to baking, you may be asking yourself why anyone would want to freeze bread dough. Well, there are two main reasons for doing so. Sometimes a recipe will yield a large amount of the finished product, for example 3 loaves of bread, and it is more than the baker can consume before it goes to waste. It is often easier to make the full batch of dough and freeze what won't be baked than to try and cut the recipe in half. Frozen dough will also take up less room in the freezer than a baked loaf of bread. On the other hand, a baker may wish to double or triple a recipe and freeze the extra to bake at a later date. This is especially true for those who love fresh baked bread but lack the time to make a batch it whenever the whim strikes or during the busy holiday season. Here are the steps necessary to successfully make, freeze and bake bread dough.

1. Follow the ingredients in the recipe exactly with this one exception-double the amount of active dry yeast called for. This will compensate for the yeast that gets killed off during the freezing process.
2. Follow your recipe's instructions through the first rise. After the dough has risen the first time, punch it down then portion out and shape loaves. Place the loaves into pans sprayed with non-stick spray and cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Place in freezer and allow to freeze for 10 hours, or overnight.
3. Remove from pans and individually wrap, bag and date the frozen dough before returning to the freezer. If you are freezing more than one type of dough, be sure to label the variety. Also, rotate your frozen bread to ensure freshness. Frozen dough should last for four weeks.

When you are ready to bake a loaf of fresh bread, place a frozen loaf in a sprayed bread pan and cover with plastic wrap. The dough will need to thaw and complete the rising cycle before it can be baked. There are three options to complete this cycle: allow the bread to proof in the refrigerator (overnight), your kitchen (4-8 hours) or in the oven (2-3 hours).

REFRIGERATOR METHOD: Place the covered dough in your refrigerator and allow to thaw. This should take 6-8 hours. Remove from refrigerator and allow dough to rise for an additional 2-3 hours, until the dough is approximately 1 inch above the top of the bread pan. Preheat oven to the temperature required in the recipe and bake as directed.

KITCHEN METHOD: Place the covered dough on your counter and allow to thaw and rise until approximately 1 inch above the top of the bread pan. Preheat oven to the temperature required in the recipe and bake as directed. The amount of time it takes for the dough to rise will depend on the temperature of your kitchen. The warmer the room, the quicker it will thaw and rise.

OVEN METHOD: if you are using this method, do not cover the dough with plastic wrap. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F. Boil a large pot of water then place it on the low rack of your oven. Turn the oven off and put the dough on the top rack, above the water. Allow the dough to rise for 90 minutes, then check every 20 minutes to ensure the dough does not rise too high. It is ready to bake when it is approximately 1 inch above the bread pan. Leave the dough in the oven and preheat oven to the temperature required in the recipe and bake as directed.

This same basic method can be applied to a variety of yeast based baked goods, including rolls, buns and breakfast goods, such as cinnamon or pecan rolls. Please be aware that rising times are dependent on heat and humidity and the time it takes to thaw and bake dough will likely vary every time you bake with frozen dough.

Maple oat bread recipe

Oat Crop in Delta (Photo credit: David Bradbeer)

This hearty bread features the yummy flavor of maple. It makes a delicious toast for breakfast and even even tastier bread for sandwiches.

MAPLE OAT BREAD

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 1/3 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 cups  flour

TOPPING

• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats

Directions
Place oats in a blender or food processor and process oats for 5-10 seconds, until coarsely chopped. Pour chopped oats and boiling water to a small bowl. Let stand until mixture cools to approximately 115 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup warm water. Add syrup, oil, salt, oat mixture and 2 cups flour and beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic(8-10 minutes).  Place in an oiled bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a flattened 9-in. round loaf. Place in a greased 9-in. round baking dish. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with oats. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

Country white bread recipe

Growing up, fresh baked bread was a special treat. I was especially fascinated by watching the yeast come to life as my mother mixed the other ingredients together. To this day, the smell of fresh baked bread brings back childhood memories. It is no surprise that I went on to work in 2 local bakeries as I grew older. If you are new to baking bread, this country white recipe is a great starter recipe. It requires no fancy ingredients or techniques. If you are a more advanced baker, it provides a great base recipe to build off of. The most difficult part of baking this bread will be waiting for it to cool enough to cut and eat.

COUNTRY WHITE BREAD

• (2) .25 ounce active dry yeast packets OR 2 full tablespoons from a jar
• 2 cups warm water (110-120 degrees F)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus additional for oiling bowl
• 6 cups all purpose flour, plus additional for dusting your work surface

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, water and honey, stirring well. Set aside in a warm area and allow yeast to feed for 10 minutes. While yeast is feeding, mix together salt, eggs, oil and 4 cups of flour.  Add to yeast mixture ans stir until smooth. Add remaining 2 cups of flour and mix to form a soft dough. Generously flour work surface and turn dough out. Knead 10-12 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Add oil to coat the bottom of the bowl, place dough in bowl and turn to coat entire surface. Cover and let rise in a warm location for 1 hour. Grease 2 9X5 inch loaf pans while dough is rising. After 1 hour, punch dough down and divide into 2 equal pieces. Pop any air bubbles and shape into loaves. Place in bread pans, cover and allow to rise for another hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake bread 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then finish cooling on wire racks.

Jalapeno cheddar bread recipe

Baking bread is therapeutic to me. The measuring of the ingredients, the smell of the yeast as it comes to life, the kneading of the dough, the smell as it bakes, the taste of a still warm loaf. Yes, I love every aspect of baking bread. Perhaps my favorite aspect of baking bread is experimenting. I like to play around with different ingredients to achieve unique flavor combinations. The following recipe is the end result of my many experimentations.

JALAPENO CHEDDAR BREAD

• 8 cups flour
• 5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup minced jalapeno peppers (1 small can)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water (110-120 degrees F)
• 3 packages (.25 oz) active dry yeast
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine 7 cups of flour, cheese, jalapenos, 7 tablespoons sugar and salt. Mix all ingredients well. In a separate bowl, combine water, yeast and remaining sugar. Stir until all yeast is dissolved and let sit for about 10 minutes. Add olive oil to the liquid mixture, stirring constantly. Add half of liquid mixture to the flour and mix with hands to moisten flour as much as possible. Add remaining liquid to dough and mix until flour is thoroughly mixed into the liquid. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic (approximately 15 minutes). Use remaining 1 cup of flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Pour a little olive oil into the bottom of a large bowl and add dough. Invert dough and cover with a dry dishcloth and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size (approximately 1 hour). Punch dough down. Divide into 3 equal portions, form each into a ball, then stretch dough and tuck edges under so create a smooth surface. Pop any noticeable air bubbles then form into loaves. Place in a sprayed 9X5 loaf pan, cover again with a towel and allow to rise until almost doubled again (45-60 minutes). Bake at 325 degrees F for about an hour. Halfway through, rotate pans to ensure even baking. Crust will be a rich, golden brown (see photo above) when done. Remove from pan as soon as bread will easily lift out and allow to cool an hour before slicing.

Cook's Notes-The beauty of this recipe is its versatility. It has a rich, warm flavor that can be tweaked to please your personal palate. Like more heat? Add a couple dashes of your favorite hot sauce or a few shakes of red pepper flakes. If more cheese is your thing, add another cup to the recipe. You can also try different types of peppers and cheeses until you find the flavor that suits you best.

Strawberry pecan bread recipe

I was recently asked if there was such a thing as a strawberry sweet bread, my reply was "Yes, but a good recipe is hard to come by". Adding fresh fruit to bread recipes can be problematic, especially fruits as juicy as strawberries. I have researched and tested and tweaked until I came up with a recipe that I feel is just right. I would have provided pictures, but it didn't last long enough with my hungry tribe.

STRAWBERRY PECAN BREAD
Ingredients

• 3 cups strawberries
  
• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
  
•  1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 3/4 cup oil
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Slice strawberries and sprinkle with sugar. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugars, cinnamon, salt & baking soda. Add vanilla, oil, eggs, berries and pecans. Stir until just moistened. Divide between pans and bake 45-50 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out of pans to cool completely.

Cook's Notes-frozen berries work well in this recipe, too. Add chocolate chips for a delicious flavor twist.

Photo Credit MVI

Almost no fat banana bread recipe

The New Year has begun and it seems everyone has made resolutions to watch their weight. It is easy to indulge and maintain a healthy weight if you do it intelligently-watching your fat intake is key. This recipe can help quell your sweet tooth while staying on track. Please note, this recipe does still include sugar.

ALMOST NO FAT BANANA BREAD

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 egg whites

1 cup banana, mashed

1/4 cup applesauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add egg whites, bananas and applesauce; stir just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Turn out onto wire rack and allow to cool before slicing.