What I have been up to in the kitchen this week:
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Makes 1 9” x 5” loaf
1 ½ C Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Organic Flour
1½ C King Arthur Bread Flour
½ to 1 ½ C Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Organic Flour
½ — 1 ½ tsp salt
1 ¼ C warm water 113º
2 Tbs honey
2 tsp Red Star Active Yeast
3 Tbs olive oil
In a large bowl (not stainless steel or aluminum) mix the whole wheat flour, bread flour, ½ C of the all purpose flour and salt.
Heat the water in a measuring cup in the microwave. When it reaches 113º add the honey and yeast, stir well and let sit until it is foamy on the top. Then you know your yeast is active. Add the olive oil and stir.
Pour the liquid into the flours and mix well. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead adding the reserved flour until the dough is not sticky but smooth.
Place the dough smooth side down in an oiled bowl and then turn the dough over. Top the bowl with a tea towel and place in a warm place to double in size. About 45 minutes. For me in a colder climate, I turn on my oven light when I start making this bread. By the time I put it in the oven, it’s a good temperature to rise the dough.
Grease your 9” x 5” bread pan with olive oil or a little butter. When the dough has doubled, turn it out on a surface. Stretch it into an oblong to fit in the loaf pan. If you have to turn the ends under, pinch them to the loaf. Place in the loaf pan smooth side up and cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise outside the oven until it is about 1” over the top of the pan. This should take about 30-45 minutes.
Heat the oven while the dough is rising to 425º.
Slash down the center of the top with a sharp knife. (I have a single edge razor blade I keep in a wine cork to use for slashing bread). This allows for expansion while the bread is baking. Cook for about 30 minutes. If the bread is browning too fast, tent with foil. When the interior temperature is 190º it’s done!
Take the bread out of the oven, sit it on a rack for 5 minutes then turn it out on the rack to cool.
This is the kind of bread that is best for sandwiches, toast, a side for soups, etc. Not fancy but an easy and nice tasting bread.
Chicken Sausage Zucchini Spring Soup
2 Tbs olive oil
2 plump chicken sausages,cut in 1/4” coins (3/4-1#)*
1 white spicy onion, slivered
3 medium zucchini, halved long wise and cut in 1/2” slices (1- 1 1/2#)
¼ a red bell pepper, sliced thinly
½ tsp dried sage
½ tsp marjoram
5 C chicken broth
1 dried bay leaf
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Brown rice, already cooked
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Pour the chicken broth into a pan with the bay leaf broken into three bits. Heat until a low simmer.
Using a soup pot like a cast iron dutch oven with a lid, add the olive oil and heat, add the chicken sausages and brown on both sides. Remove.
To the soup pot add the onion and cook till soft and translucent. Add the zucchini and herbs. Cook until the zukes are soft. Add the red bell pepper and stir well.
Add the chicken broth, straining out the bay leaf bits. add the sausage back in. Put the lid on and heat gently. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Serve over brown rice and add grated Parmesan if you like.
*Costco has a really nice package of 15 chicken sausages with bacon and cheese in them!
Such an easy and delicious soup for a cool Spring day! Goes well with a piece of the bread toasted.
There are many ways you could take this soup. Use Asian seasonings, ginger and soba or udon noodles. Or Mediterranean with oregano, tomatoes, garlic and spaghetti. Or?
On a personal note, please send me your good thoughts on Tuesday. I will be having surgery behind my left eye on my sphenoid sinus. It is quite delicate.
Please think about doing a diary for WFD. It will get your creative foodie juices flowing!
Cheers,
Scotia