I have never been much of a bread maker. Bread and I don't get along very well, and that is kind of sad to me . . . for after all, isn't bread considered to be the "Staff of Life?"
I don't make bread, I make doorstops. Nice, heavy, doorstops.
Point in case, yesterday . . .
I thought I would make this lovely cardamom scented vanilla bread, but by heck, what did I end up with?????
A lovely cardamom scented door stop. The only thing missing was the handle.
I'm not sure what my problem with bread is. Oh, I make nice enough bread in the bread maker, but then the bread maker does all the work, I just dump the ingredients in, cross my fingers, and hope for the best!
I do make good biscuits though . . . and they are a form of bread.
Yesterday I dusted off an old recipe of mine, that I have had for donkey's . . .
After that first failure of the day, I just had to have some success at something . . . besides . . . I was hankering after bread.
After that first failure of the day, I just had to have some success at something . . . besides . . . I was hankering after bread.
And what's a gal to do when that happens . . . you bake biscuits, which are not bread . . . but are sometimes better than bread. These are fabulous.
Especially when spread with cold butter whilst still warm from the oven. Oh my . . . oh my . . .
*Cheddar Pan Biscuits*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe
Cheddar cheese and basil makes these home baked pan biscuits a tasty supper accompaniment. They are wonderful with stews and soups, and incredibly good with cold meats and salads. I guess they just go well with everything!
1/3 cup butter (75g)
2 1/4 cups flour (225g)
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
(plus about 1 ounce more for sprinkling on at the end)
1 TBS baking powder
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk (250ml)
Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Place the butter in an 8 inch square baking pan and set it into the oven to melt. (3 to 5 minutes) Remove from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile whisk together the flour, cheese, baking powder, sugar, basil leaves and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk and stir it in just until the mixture is moistened evenly. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for a minute until smooth. (about 6 or 7 turns)
Pat or roll the dough out to a 12 by 6 inch rectangle. Cut into 12 1-inch wide strips. Dip the strips into the melted butter in the pan, one at a time and then fold each strip in half. Place the folded strips in 2 rows in the same pan as you have melted the butter in. Sprinkle the 1 ounce of shredded cheese evenly over top.
Bake for 23 to 28 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with cold butter for spreading and enjoy!!
*Cheddar Pan Biscuits*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe
Cheddar cheese and basil makes these home baked pan biscuits a tasty supper accompaniment. They are wonderful with stews and soups, and incredibly good with cold meats and salads. I guess they just go well with everything!
1/3 cup butter (75g)
2 1/4 cups flour (225g)
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
(plus about 1 ounce more for sprinkling on at the end)
1 TBS baking powder
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk (250ml)
Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Place the butter in an 8 inch square baking pan and set it into the oven to melt. (3 to 5 minutes) Remove from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile whisk together the flour, cheese, baking powder, sugar, basil leaves and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk and stir it in just until the mixture is moistened evenly. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for a minute until smooth. (about 6 or 7 turns)
Pat or roll the dough out to a 12 by 6 inch rectangle. Cut into 12 1-inch wide strips. Dip the strips into the melted butter in the pan, one at a time and then fold each strip in half. Place the folded strips in 2 rows in the same pan as you have melted the butter in. Sprinkle the 1 ounce of shredded cheese evenly over top.
Bake for 23 to 28 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with cold butter for spreading and enjoy!!
Oh yes...:)
ReplyDeleteWhat could possibly be your hiccup w/ bread? Unfathomable w/ your baking /cooking expertise!!
Laziness? I don't know Monique! My ex made beautiful bread and when he kneaded it he would make the table dance across the kitchen floor! xo
DeleteYum. This looks really, really good. I learned to make bread a la Betty Crocker. It took years, I'm sad to say. The key that I often missed with yeast dough was the necessity of bringing up the gluten. Finally, I learned to get it all into the mixer bowl except half of the flour. Then, I would turn on the old Sunbeam mixer and let it mix, on low, for 10 minutes. This was long enough to make it gluey. I would, then, pour the second half of the flour out on my mat, add the mixed dough and knead it until the flour was all absorbed. Then, after years of doing that, I married a baker and he bought me a bread machine. (You thought I was going to say, from then on, he made all my bread for me, didn't you? Fat chance. I think he was very tired of making bread by the time he met me. Sniff.) I make all my bread, now, on the pizza dough setting of the machine so it takes about 45 minutes for one rising; then, into the pans for the last rising, then, baking in my stove oven. I don't bake anything in the bread machine. It takes too long. My husband added a feature to my technique, though, that has shrotened the whole process. I used to fuss over making the loaf, smacking, folding, tucking.....he taught me to just dump the dough out of the machine onto a floured mat, cut it roughly in half (without punching it down), tucking the jagged edges under, gently, and then putting it into the greased pans. I like this new, shorter method very much. Well, that's how the bread of my life came about. Hope this helps. Happy New Year. Yours in Christ, Kathie
ReplyDeleteThanks for your hints and tips Kathie! I think perhaps I will make one of my goals for 2016 to learn to make bread well. Sounds good at any rate! God bless you! xo
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