Bread

Honey Beer Bread

3 Comments

I love to bake, especially in the Fall.  Unfortunately, I don’t always have time to wait for bread to rise.  Plus, I’m very impatient.  That’s where this bread comes in.  Have basic pantry ingredients?  Have a beer in the fridge?  Then you have the ingredients to make this quick bread.  My family loves it and begs for it on holidays.  It’s perfect for a dinner bread or as a dessert bread, spread with butter and drizzled with extra honey.  I think that’s why we love it so much… bread with dinner and bread for dessert!    ~Erin  

  • 3 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 T. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ c. honey, plus 2 T. for drizzling (optional)
  • 1 (12 oz.) bottle of beer
  • ¼ c. butter, melted

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

In a non-metallic bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Make a well in the center and pour in a ¼ cup honey and the beer.  

Using a non-metallic spoon, stir the dry ingredients together with the beer and honey until just combined.  Do not over mix.

Pour a little of the melted butter in the bottom of a loaf pan and brush it up the sides of the pan.

Pour in the batter and spread it evenly.  

Pour the remaining melted butter over the top of the loaf.

Bake 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Optional:  Microwave about 2 tablespoons of honey for 5 seconds to thin it, and drizzle it over the loaf during the last few minutes of baking.  This gives the top a sweet, buttery glaze my family loves.

Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing to a bread board/cutting board.

Slice with a serrated bread knife. 

Serve with butter and, if desired, honey.

Blueberry Bagels

Leave a comment

I’m sure by now you’ve heard of 2-Ingredient Bagels.  I’m not sure where the recipe originated but it can be found on many, many recipe sites.  The basic recipe consists of equal parts nonfat, plain Greek yogurt mixed with self-rising flour… brush with egg wash and sprinkle with toppings (sesame seeds, dried onion flakes, etc.) if your heart desires.  They are tasty and I make them often.  I even have a Savory Bread Pudding recipe that uses 2-Ingredient Bagels!  If you haven’t made it yet, what are you waiting for?!

Whether or not you know and love the classic version, I have something even better… my Blueberry Bagels.  These Blueberry Bagels are like the regular 2-ingredient bagel’s classier step-sister.  They are sweeter, prettier, and fancier.  They are the Cinderella of all the homemade bagels, with only a couple extra ingredients required beyond the normal two.  Worth it?  Slather one with a little butter or cream cheese and you’ll see it’s definitely worth it.  ~Erin

20190606_143018.jpg

  • ½ c. Blueberry Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt, stirred
  • ½ c. self-rising flour
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¼ c. blueberries
  • Cooking spray
  • Egg white, beaten

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spray parchment with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Using a spoon or rubber scraper, begin to mix the yogurt, flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.  When it’s nearly mixed, incorporate the blueberries and combine thoroughly.  Divide the dough into two sections.

Spray your clean hands with nonstick cooking spray and, working with one section of dough at a time, form it into a ball and then roll into a snake.  Connect the ends to make a circle and place on the parchment-lined sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and brush with egg whites.  Return to the oven and bake 5-10 more minutes, until golden brown.

Let the bagels cool to room temperature before slicing.

WW Freestyle Info.:  Makes 2 bagels.  Each bagel is 4 SmartPoints.

20190606_152234.jpg

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Leave a comment

My older son is headed into pre-finals week of his second semester of college, and when I think about studying, I think about comfort food and care packages.  So, even though I personally hate all things banana, sometimes I have to take one for the team and make something that the men in my household love. “Dead week” is one of those times since both my boys LOVE this recipe – especially when you throw in some chocolate chips (of course, they think everything is better with chocolate chips, and they’re not wrong).  If you are a banana lover, make this your go-to recipe for banana bread. The expert banana bread eaters in my family guarantee you’ll love it. ~Tracy

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ c. sugar
  • ½ c. stick butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ c. mashed ripe* banana (usually approx. 2 large or 3 medium bananas)
  • ½ c. buttermilk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 ½ c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 c. mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mash bananas in small bowl until they form a sticky paste – set aside.

Mix sugar and butter in a large bowl.  Stir in eggs, one at a time, until well blended.  

Mix in bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.

Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt just until all ingredients are mixed together.  

Gently fold in chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into two greased and floured loaf pans (8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½).

Be sure oven rack is centered so that the tops of bread is positioned in the center of the oven.  Bake on 350°F for approximately 1 hour, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean (I start checking mine after about 50 minutes).  If tops begin to brown too much before done, loosely lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the loaves until they finish baking.  

When done, cool for approximately 10 minutes before removing from loaf pans. Cool completely before slicing.  

*Bananas are best for banana bread when the skin begins to blacken slightly and the bananas begin to feel somewhat mushy.

Potato Bread

Leave a comment

PotatoBread_wLogo

This is a recipe Kathy has been using for a while.  It has never disappointed!  For a yeast bread it is quite easy.  It has great flavor and texture from the mashed potatoes.  Spread a little butter on it while warm and you will know why this is a family favorite.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cup warm water (baby bath temperature)
  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 1 cup prepared mashed potatoes (left overs work great; instant potatoes also work)
  • 2 T sugar
  • 2 T butter, melted
  • 1 T salt
  • 4 ½ to 6 cups flour

Instructions:

Prepare potatoes and allow to cool. If using leftover mashed potatoes, allow them to come to room temperature.

Melt butter and set aside.

In large mixing bowl, combine warm water and yeast.

Allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes.

Stir in potatoes, sugar, butter and salt; Mix well.

Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. It will look kind of “shaggy”.

Turn dough onto floured surface and knead five to eight minutes, adding flour as needed to create a smooth, elastic dough.

Place dough in bowl, cover, and allow to rise for one hour.

Punch down and divide in half.

Shape each half gently into a rectangle.

Roll into loaf starting at the short end.

Place in buttered loaf pan and let rise 30 – 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Bake in preheated 350˚ oven for 30 – 35 minutes, until lightly browned.

Turn out of pan, butter the top, and allow to cool on wire rack.

Tips: 

I use leftover mashed potatoes so often there are pieces of potatoes and flecks of pepper you can see.

I have a plastic dishpan that I use only for bread making, instead of using a mixing bowl.  Works great even for large batches!

If you live at high altitude, start with 4 cups of flour adding flour as necessary. Generally above 5500’, you will need slightly less flour.

You can knead the dough in a stand mixer for about 4 minutes.

This recipe also makes great clover leaf rolls.