Copyright ©2007- 2020 Donna Goff

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Lloyd's Whole Wheat Bread

My friend Lloyd is always experimenting with bread to improve the nutrition and quality of loaf for his large family. By adding ascorbic acid and lecithin the loft and crumb of the bread is better.  The lecithin also provides the needed amino acids to make this a complete protein. This is his current recipe. Yum!!!  Makes 6 loaves, or 4 extra long loaves. (updated 22 May 2010)

Ingredients:
11-12 cups of Hard White Spring Wheat (Golden 86) ground fresh into flour.

6.5 Cups Hot Water

1 Tablespoon Oil
3/4 Cup Honey
1/4 Teaspoon Ascorbic Acid or 1 Vitamin C, crushed (500 mg)-
4-6 Tablespoons Lecithin
1 Tablespoon Salt

3+ Tablespoons Yeast

Directions:
1. Grease pans.
2. Swish 1 tablespoon cooking oil in glass measuring cup and then pour into Bosch mixing bowl. As a side benefit this will make it easier to measure the honey and pour it out.
3. Measure 3/4 cup honey in the same glass measuring cup and then pour into mixing bowl.
4. Measure  in the same glass measuring cup- hot water from the tap as hot as you can get it and pour into mixing bowl. As a side benefit using the same measuring cup will result in rinsing all the oil and honey from the cup.
5. Measure 1/4 teaspoon Ascorbic Acid or crush 500mg of Vitamin C. This acid will bind the enzyme in the wheat that interferes with the yeast rising.  Adding this can make the loaf lighter.
6. Measure 4-6 tablespoons granulated Soy Lecithin and pour into mixing bowl. If you use powdered Lecithin, the powder can be added in with the wheat flour. Soy Lecithin provides Lysine to complete the amino acids to make this bread a complete protein.  This helps make the bread hold together better.
7. Measure 1 tablespoon salt and add in the mixing bowl.
8. Turn on the mixer.
9. Add 2/3s of the fresh ground wheat flour to the mixing bowl. This should make a lukewarm mixture that is like a thick pancake batter.  You want it warm, but not hot, so the yeast will rise.
10. While mixer is still on, add 3+ tablespoons SAF or Fermi-pan Instant Yeast. You may need to add more yeast if it is older yeast towards the end of its shelf life. (Fleischmann's does not perform well in this recipe).
Mix in until yeast is mixed in and cannot be seen.
11. While mixer is still on add wheat flour until dough pulls away from the sides and the center post. Add another 1/4-1/2 cup wheat flour.
12. Continue mixing on medium speed for 7-10 minutes.  If you are to err let it be longer rather than shorter mixing.  Gluten takes longer to develop and loses its elasticity slowly. If the dough gets sticky again it is over mixed.
13. Divide dough into six equal balls.
14. To form loaves, roll into rectangles, and then roll up the rectangle and fold ends under and place in pans.*
15. Cover with lightly floured dish towel. Let rise 30+ minutes (until more than double) in a warm oven (not more than 140 degrees). Place a cake pan of warm water in the bottom of the oven while rising, it keeps the dough from drying out while rising.
16. Remove dish towel and the pan of water from the oven. Turn oven to 325 degrees while bread is still in oven and bake for about 38-40+ minutes. Loaf should sound hollow when thumped.
17. Remove bread from pans while still hot. 
18. Butter loaf tops and cover with towel. Even if the first loaf cut is not as done as you would like, the towel covered loaves will continue to cook on the counter.  This will make six light crusted loaves of whole wheat bread.

If loaves cracked then heating oven with loaves in it was done too quickly.  Next time gently remove and preheat and then return bread to oven for approximately 40 minutes.  If you are not gentle in dealing with risen but uncooked bread, the rise of the bread will drop.So, be careful!

Dough can be used to make rolls or cinnamon rolls.

* Note on Freezing Uncooked Bread Dough: I am presently experimenting with freezing the dough at this point for baking in the future.  My family size has decreased and I no longer need such a large batch. I will post here when I have satisfactorily worked out the results. When freezing bread dough it is usually just after forming into loaves or rolls.  When forming loaves I would put it into the pan and freeze it a few hours then dump out of the pan and store frozen loaf in a plastic bag.  Rolls would be frozen on a cookie sheet and then poured into a plastic bag. When you want fresh bread, remove from freezer and place in prepared loaf pans or on a prepared cookie sheet. Continue with step 15 above.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Donna's Almost Homemade Red Velvet Cup Cakes

For Our Annual Super Saturday Craft's, Day the Relief Society provided lunch and dessert was pot luck. I decided to make red velvet cake but did not have enough time, so I opted for using a box mix, altered to be moist as home made. I topped it with easy roses made of the "original Heavenly Frosting" recipe I use on my Red Velvet Cake.

Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 1/4 water
1/3 cup Crisco shortening- melted, instead of oil. This makes the cake moist like homemade.
3 extra large eggs

Directions:
Mix well and pour into 24 cup cake wrappers. Bake at 350 for 19-223 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

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Heavenly Frosting
This is the original frosting used on the red velvet cake.

Ingredients:
5 heaping tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 cup softened butter ( I have also used margarine or Crisco™ when I did not have butter)

Optional: 1 drop green food coloring

Directions:
Cook flour and milk in a sauce pan on the stove, stirring constantly; with a wire whisk until thickened, like a thick white cream sauce, or pudding. Cool mixture completely. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, beat in vanilla and food coloring. Whip in cooled cooked mixture, on high speed until fluffy like whipped cream.

Easy Decorating:
#20 Star tip from Wilton (six slits)
12 In Wilton Decorator Bag
No coupler needed, just slip the star point down into the bag and out the hole. I use a bag that is already trimmed to use with a coupler.

Fill bag with Heavenly Frosting. Start in the center of the top of the cup cake, squeeze frosting through tip as you spiral outward, moving around the center, ending at the edge. This will make a quick shabby chic rose on the top of the cup cake, no rose pedal tip needed.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Boiled Snow Crab

We like to get crab when it is on sale and freeze it for special occasions. This is a rare treat.

Ingredients:

Snow Crab

Crab boil:
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 2 teaspoons whole allspice
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 3 bay leaves
  • Salt and cayenne pepper
Directions:
Mix spices and pour into pot of boiling water. Toss in crab and cook 5-6 minutes. Fresh non-precooked crab needs to cook about 20 minutes until the crab turns red. Most crab purchased in American supermarkets is already pre-cooked when you buy it in the store, so you are merely heating it through and flavoring it. This can be served hot with lemon and clarified butter, or it can be chilled and served on salad.

Tuna Sandwiches

My aunt Grace asked me to make tuna sandwiches for the lunch held the day of the joint memorial service for her husband and my mother. I made the version below, minus the cucumber slices. Just as I was ready to actually assemble the sandwiches aunt Grace handed me some of her sweet green tomato relish and suggested I add a teaspoon. I dutifully did so. I had never heard of sweet green tomato relish. Secretly, I thought YUK! However, my mom taught me to eat what was served and look for a way to compliment the chef. This time I was the chef, but my aunt was the head chef. I tried the sandwiches, I was surprised and yes I had another sandwich. The flavor was an unexpected delight! That is what I get for being brave;)


Ingredients
1- 6 oz. can tuna drained
1 thin slice of onion, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery finely chopped
Kraft mayonnaise
onion salt

Optional
1 teaspoon sweet green tomato pickle relish (this adds a sweet zip)

Toppings
cucumber slices
lettuce leaf
whole wheat bread slices


Directions
Drain tuna. Slice and chop the onion slice. Chop the celery stalk. Combine tuna, onion, and celery. Add mayo and mix to desired spreading consistency. Onion salt to taste and mix well. Optional: add sweet green tomato relish, mix well. Spread on whole wheat bread, top with cucumber slices, a lettuce leaf, and a second slice of whole wheat bread. Slice the sandwich diagonally and serve!

Donna's Tuna Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb small shell macaroni (or substitute any other macaroni)
1- 6 oz. can tuna, drained (or 2 cans depending on your preference)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup frozen peas, rinsed
1/8 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar, Colby, or Colby/Jack)
Kraft Mayonnaise (or half and half with plain yogurt, or ranch dressing)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook macaroni to package instructions, rinse, and drain. Drain fluid from tuna. Chop celery. Rinse peas in cold water to thaw. Finely chop onion. Grate cheese. Mix ingredients in large bowl. Gently stir in mayo/dressing to desired consistency. Season to taste, chill for one hour or longer, serve.