My Bread Wears Hats

Ok.
Maybe not always Pope hats, but they certainly do wear little toques in the oven and they certainly have been blessed by the heavens.

Which brings me to the discussion at hand: namely BREAD BAKING.  A few months back I promised some lovely bake-tresses that I would post my very own bread recipe, but it's possible I became sidetracked for a hundred or so days.
I've been baking my own bread for years now, tweaking and experimenting with various recipes until finally developing a hearty loaf with a chewy crumb and a touch of sweetness that lends itself scrumptiously to poached eggs, jams of all sorts and smears of brie.  It's practically perfect in every way.

There is so much about baking bread that makes me feel intrinsically connected with the act of feeding my little family.  I know every ingredient that goes into my bread, I'm able to make purchasing choices I believe in (buying local and organic ingredients), I work over the bread, kneading and forming the loaves, timing the rises with other kitchen tasks, the whole while allowing the heady scent of bread to fill the house.  

UmberDove's
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
(makes three loaves)


You will need:
3 Cups Warm water (110 degrees F is the going rate for "warm")
2 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast (or two packets)
2/3 Cup Honey (divided)
3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Salt
5 Cups Bread Flour
1 Cup Oat Flour**
3 Cups[ish] Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seeds**

~ Step One ~
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast into warm water.  Add 1/3 Cup honey, give a stir, then add in 5 Cups of Bread Flour (stirring the dough after each cup is added will help with the mixing process).  Set the bowl aside for it's initial rise in a room temperature spot for 30 minutes - or until the dough is puffing up into a large and bubbly (but very gooey) consistency.
~ Step Two ~
Melt the butter in a small bowl, then pour over dough.  Add salt and remaining 1/3 Cup honey to dough then give the mixture a good stir.  Add oat flour, ground flax seeds and 1 Cup of whole wheat flour to dough and stir gently (I only say gently because vigorous stirring generally results in this:).

~ Step Three ~

Turn out the entire doughy mixture onto a well [whole wheat] floured surface (be it a large cutting board or a clean kitchen counter), sprinkle liberally with flour, and get kneading!  Continue to add flour as the dough becomes sticky, counting on adding anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 Cups of flour.  In the end, you want the consistency to pull back and feel tacky, no longer a gooey mess, but a smooth, easily rolled ball of dough.  At this point, grease a large bowl and set your dough inside, flipping it once to coat the dough.  Cover the bowl with a tea towel and set in a warm place to rise, about 60 minutes or until dough has doubled in size (I turn my oven to a low setting and set the bowl nearby, rotating it every 20 minutes or so).

~ Step Four ~
Once the dough has doubled in size, give a solid punch-down then turn out onto your work surface.  Divide the dough into three equal portions, then give each a light kneading and shape into loaves (more than anything here, you are making sure that any air bubbles are released).  If you need direction on shaping loaves, a simple youtube search will do the trick.  Place the bread-to-be into three lightly greased loaf pans and set back in your warm place for their final rise, about 20 minutes or until the dough has risen and topped the sides of the loaf pan by about one inch.  Meanwhile preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
~ Step Five ~
Bake Em'!
Bake your loaves for 25 to 30 minutes, interrupting the baking process half-way through to place the bread hats - a single 6"x8"ish sheet of foil - over each loaf to keep the tops from becoming too dark and hard.  Turn the loaves out onto cooling racks when done, and prepare to carb-overload!

~ A few tricks and tips ~
**I buy rolled oats - the same kind used for oatmeal - and whole flax seeds in bulk and grind them to a floured consistency in a cheap coffee bean grinder.
* Buy great quality flour.  I've always loved King Arthur flours, but recently I've been playing with a local organic flour - but of course don't let a lack of flour keep you from baking!
* When testing the bread for doneness, tap the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  A "done" loaf should give a hollow knock - but if you're still in doubt, do insert a wooden skewer and be sure it comes out completely clean.
* This recipe makes three loaves - perfect for slicing into one immediately and freezing the other two for later consumption (once the loaves are completely cool, wrap them well and pop 'em in the freezer - they'll defrost beautifully).
* Buy real butter.  I'm just saying.  Smear it on and take the stairs.

Full bellied and Loafily yours,
- Umber

Cuter than a Can of Spam

And tastier to boot, is my parent's little Vintage Cardinal trailer on it's maiden voyage through the redwoods of the north.  We called it home base while we traversed forest and fields, chattering and clucking for hours, sitting in quiet contemplation.

Mug after mug of piping coffee, steam rising up to greet the dawn song of the birds.  Hands full with crow feathers, jay feathers, and one small pup who could melt the heart of the hardest stone.

Raccoons scuttling in as soon as Mars shone bright, leaving prints of ash and mud for us to guess their sizes.  Creatures with a multitude of legs and creatures with none, joining us for first meals of the day.

And the small things, the minuscule, the detritus, the ephemeral bits of moss and the tiny legs of lichen, we took them all in.

And the light, oh that light...

Woods and water, these things fill my cup to overflowing.  And so I drink deep, ducking my head low to catch the spill and lap up all that goodness.

A Kitchen Frenzy and the Great Foodie Swap 2010

I've been trying to rest, promise I have, but the coastal summer that is dancing on these shores just teases me to the breaking point. And honestly, certain combinations work like a drug; take for instance:

Blue Skies + Temps around 65* + HOURS logged inside reading "Radical Homemakers" + The season's first plums and cucumbers, as well as bounties of strawberries and fresh lavender at the farmer's marker + A fire in my fingertips to create ANYTHING

equals

JAMTACULAR!

It's that season again, the time of bounty, the time when the gardens jump into overdrive, pumping out beans and cucumbers and tiny berries smoother and sweeter than any factory could dream of. It's the time of year I begin craving long days in the kitchen, when I start counting the number of empty mason jars, factoring in fresh produce and deciding just how many different types of preserves a gal can make on strictly coastal produce.

This weekend's frenzy included:

8 jars of Plum Jam

8 jars of Strawberry Lavender Jam (a la Sunny Rising)

2 jars of Dill Pickles

1 Cup of Lavender Honey Butter (I could eat it straight on a spoon. I could also gain a few sizes after smearing it on every surface in sight. Don't judge me)

1 mandatory batch of Whole Wheat Scones as the vehicle for jam consumption

I'm a strong believer in local foods, in swapping recipes at the farmer's market, in putting up food when the harvest is at it's prime, in knowing exactly what it is I'm putting in my mouth. There is a value in all this that feels far greater than strict monetary savings; there is a joy I derive from knowing I can produce food for my tiny family, that we are supporting our community by buying direct from the farmers, that the foods we ingest were grown thirty miles away from my kitchen.

All this has got me thinking.

I think we need a swap.

A swap of the foodie type.

So if you are interested, here's what I'm thinking:

"Foods" can include jams, jellies, preserves, pickles or anything else that is shelf stable. They must be either 1) created with your two ever-loving hands or 2) purchased from the ever-loving hands of their creator (if you are not a canner, or not ready to take on that kind of challenge but want to be involved, please be sure that the jars you purchase are locally made - farm stands, farmers' markets, and even neighbors are all good resources).

THE GREAT FOODIE SWAP 2010

1. If you want to be a part, email me at kclarkstudios@gmail.com by MONDAY JULY 12TH with your name, address (and blog if you keep one), what type of food you want to swap, and if you have any food preferences (if you are deathly allergic to blackberries, now would be the time to fess up). We'll be exchanging 1-2 jars (or items) - just take into account the general size and quantity that you are sending - not too much, and not too little. I will send you the name and address of your swap partner as well as any other details after the 12th and we'll all have a grand time!

2. The official swap date (meaning the date all packages must be mailed out) will take place July 30th, giving us all time to choose our jars carefully.

3. After you receive your swap package, please please snap a photo or two and email them to me! I'd love to put together a collection for all y'all to see our bountiful harvests!

Now.

If you'll excuse me, there is a scone singing my name and some strawberries doing a little lavender dance of sweet sweet temptation.

Cheerio me chickadees!

Squeeze and Zest Baby, squeeze and zest

Have you ever in your whole life seen a kitchen more fit for lemon bars than this one?

I confess to a case of sour-obsession. As a child I would slip out into the front yard, pluck lemons straight off the tree and devour them like candy. At the ice cream parlor I would choose the tartest sorbet over any syrupy-sweet milky treat. And just yesterday I made myself a bit sick after popping a whole bowl of kumquats, one rindy orange ball after another. And while I avoid the twin evils, Corn Syrup and Red Dye No. 40, like the plague, every once in a great while I cave to the lure of a bag of sour candy (the devil made me do it).

(for the record, 10:00 am is a perfectly acceptable time for a lemon bar)

So it really comes as no surprise that the only baking recipe I can call 100% my own creation is one for Lemon-Limey Bars. It took months of experimentations and more than a sack of citrus but I must say, I'm pretty pleased. I'm not sure what your plans are this weekend, but I suggest they start with a bag of flour and a handful of limes.

(BC ate half)

- For your baking pleasure -

UmberDove's Lemon-Limey Bars

you will need:

1 Cup Butter

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

4 Eggs (beaten well)

2 Cups Granulated Sugar

4 Tbsp All Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup mixed FRESHLY SQUEEZED lemon and lime juices

1 1/2 Tbsp-ish grated lemon and lime peel

Preheat oven to 325* fahrenheit and get out your favorite 9"x13" baking dish (mine is bright orange, which I think encourages the little citrus along). Cut the butter into the flour and powdered sugar, knead until well mixed. Press into your unbuttered 9"x13" pan, pop that baby into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. The crust will still be pale, with a little golden hint around the edges.

Meanwhile prepare the filling...

Beat those eggs well, then mix in the sugar, flour, juice and zest. A word on the citrus: I generally go through two limes and two lemons here. Zest the citrus before juicing it to make your life a whole lot easier and if possible, use organic fruit as you're eating the peel! Pour this mixture over the hot crust, sling it back into the oven and bake for another 20 minutes. Cool as long as you can hold out, dust with powdered sugar if you're fancy and serve up!

(Cheers!)