Homemade rye bread

Damn do I love me some homemade bread. And to be honest, once I got into a rhythm of it, I didn't feel like it was much work at all - even though for years I thought it was.

Never mind the fact that I loathe getting my hands dirty, and kneading bread falls firmly into "getting my hands dirty" territory. It's like scones - the work is so worth it in the end! I've been making it more and more lately because I kept buying it from farmer's markets for $5 a loaf when I knew full well I could make good bread, and for a fraction of the cost. I just kept telling myself it was too much work, even though I know it's not.

Explain that logic, someone.

Lately I've been eating it with a LOT of organic salted butter. Sometimes a little local honey. often with my homemade strawberry jam. Sometimes with peanut butter and the aforementioned honey. Sometimes with vegemite, or homemade pesto, or whatever else takes my fancy.

But always with the butter. So much butter. Except not with the peanut butter because that is WEIRD AND OH MY GOD WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?

I'm looking at YOU, Beth Babymac. Weirdo.

Anyway. The bread. Do it. It's not much work, it's a hell of a lot of reward, and did I mention the butter?

The b.u.t.t.e.r.

Ingredients:

1 7g sachet yeast

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup warm water

2.5 cups white flour

1/2 cup wheatgerm

1 cup rye flour

1 tbsp olive oil

pinch salt

1 cup warm water

Directions:

1. Mix yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a cup and leave to ferment for 5-10 minutes.

2. Add flours and salt to a bowl. Pour in olive oil and yeast mix.

3. Add the 1 cup warm water and mix until it starts clumping together, then turn out onto a floured surface and with floured hands, knead for 10 mintues. Add flour as necessary, I find this one's a little sticky.

4. Pat into a ball and place in an oiled bowl with a tea towel over the top.

5. Put somewhere warm - I put mine in the sun or on the stovetop if I'm preheating the oven. Leave to rise for at least an hour.

6. Punch down the dough and give another quick knead. I hate dirtying my bench again, so I either do it in the bowl or squeeze it just between my hands for a couple of minutes. It seems to work ok!

7. Put it in your tin or on a greased baking tray. Leave half an hour or so for a second rise.

8. Brush top with milk if you like and place in a hot oven - I do more than 200C at least to help it do any more rising and get a nice crust. Bake 30 minutes or so.

9. I leave to cool in the tin for a bit and then place on a wire rack.

I find it keeps for a couple of days just even out on the bench. It's dense, but a nice dense and makes great toast. The crust is awesome and so crispy. Exactly what I like in bread.

You could always add more rye, or substitute the wheatgerm for either more rye or more white flour. I just throw it in because I bought a big jar of it and don't want it to go to waste! I work on the basis of 4 cups flour.

Second rise... looks like bread. WIN!!

Jalapeno Bagels

Bagels. They just remind me of New York City. In my mind I'm sure people eat them during their morning commute with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. If this assumption is incorrect, I don't want to know!

Bagels aren't big in Australia... there is a perfunctory offering in supermarkets of either plain or cinnamon raisin, and they can be hard to find. Why? I've no idea. Bagels are amazing. Bagels are crunchy and chewy and delicious with cream cheese and should be delivered to my door in a variety of flavours on a regular basis.

The humble jalapeno bagel entered my stratosphere when we went to visit Veggie Dad's brother in Vancouver. The jalapeno bagel entered my mouth one morning and I did not want it to leave. I envied those that could easily purchase the gigantic bag that from the nearest Safeway and pop them into a toaster without a care in the world, ready for breakfast any time. 

When we stopped in New York on our whirlwind North American adventure, I ate bagels. I ate a lot of bagels.



I could have eaten them at the top of the Empire State Building.




I could have eaten them in Central Park.




I could have eaten them in Grand Central Station.




I could have eaten them in Times Square.




Me and Teddy Roosevelt could have eaten them at the American Museum of Natural History.



I could have eaten them while looking at the Statue of Liberty.



I could have eaten them at the New York Public Library. Would probably get thrown out though...




I could have eaten them on Broadway.



I could have eaten them on the Staten Island Ferry, looking at the New York City skyline.

When we got home, the first thing I did was make a batch of jalapeno bagels. And they go a little something like this. (And are way easier than I ever imagined!)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup lukewarm water

1/2 teaspoon dried yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

5 cups flour

1/3 cup jalapenos

Directions:

1. Mix water, yeast, salt and sugar. Add flour and jalapenos and mix into a ball.

2. Knead for 10 minutes. You may need to add more flour if necessary, until dough is stiff. I use jalapenos in a jar and they can be a bit damp, and need more flour. You could also press out the liquid with paper towels.

3. Let dough rest 10 minutes, then cut into 12 pieces.

4. Roll each into a sausage shape. Overlap the two ends and make sure they stick, turning them into little rings.

5. Cover with a damp towel and let rise 1 - 1.5 hours.

6. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Place bagels in boiling water until they float to the top - about 20 seconds.

7. Remove, draining all water and place on a greased tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Now I can eat jalapeno bagels in my own kitchen. And back yard. And dining room. And bedroom. And anywhere I damn well please! They also freeze well, but you might want to cut them in half first.

Oprah's Menu: No-Knead Dinner Rolls

I love Oprah. There, I said it.

If she has it, I want it. Therefore when her previous personal chef Art Smith said he made these dinner rolls for Oprah's Thanksgiving once, I needed to make them too. And I'm actually glad I did. They're little, soft, perfectly browned and soak up butter like nobody's business. Best of all, they're easy to make and making your own rolls just sounds so darn impressive.

Yep. Try and reisist that.

I made 12 rolls, but the original calls for 24. It's easily doubled. Perfect recipe for those people like me who love cooking, but hate getting their hands dirty. Especially when it comes to dough - I avoid it at all costs. I don't have a KitchenAid who will lovingly and mechanically knead or mix dough for me, so I have to hit it 1950s -style and mix it myself. With this recipe, I don't have to!


Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 package 1/4oz dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon salt
3 cups plain flour
1/5 tablespoons melted butter

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 200C

2. Pour water in large bowl and sprinkle yeast over. Leave for 5 minutes.

3. Add sugar, eggs, almost all the oil, and salt. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a smooth ball.

4. Lightly brush the top with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let stand for one hour until doubled.

5. Brush round cake pan with butter. Punch down dough and separate into 12 pieces with floured hands.

6. Keep flouring your hands and form the dough into rough balls. Arrange in pan.

7. Cover loosely and stand 35 minutes until doubled.

8. Brush with melted butter, bake 20 minutes or until golden. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes.

9. Accept the accolades that come with baking your own bread.

It looks just like real bread!