Seedless Jewish Rye

Okay, so I took this recipe from several other recipes, changed it a bit and came up with this. Mostly, it is attributed to Bernard Clayton Jr.'s New Complete Book of Breads "Seeded Rye" recipe. I am not a fan of caraway seeds. the original recipes I took this from used tons of caraway seeds and caraway seed powder. I left it all out.

This is one of the first recipes I have made that not only included bits of a previous loaf in it, but also included no additional water or sweetener whatsoever. The result was amazing. I am probably going to tweak it just a bit in the future to get a more perfected recipe.

Seedless Jewish Rye

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups pieces of previous rye bread
3 cups rye onion sour (click here for recipe)
2 tsp yeast 
2 tsp salt
3+ cups unbleached or bread flour

Directions:
1) Soak old loaf pieces in water and squeeze out water. Place them in the bowl.
2) Add sour, yeast, and salt to bread pieces. Mix until well-incorporated.
3) Add flour to mixture one cup at a time until mixed. Do not over-flour.
4) Mix together thoroughly. If too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time. If too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time.
5) Knead by machine for at least 8 minutes.
6) Place dough in lightly-oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit 1/2 hour only.
7)  On floured surface, punch down dough and separate into two loaves for bread or into 6-8 smaller rolls if preferred. Shape how you pretty much want it.
8) Let rise in oiled pans 1/2 to 3/4 hour only.
9) Cut design and add egg wash if desired.
10) For Bread loaves:
    Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 25-30 min.
    For Rolls:
    Bake in preheated oven at 400 F for 10-15 min.
11) Let cool on wire racks.

To Keep Moist:
While still slightly warm, place in bread bag and tie it off.

For Better Slicing:
Let sit in refrigerator overnight.

Remember that this bread has no preservatives and requires refrigeration if you intend to keep it longer than a day. This bread freezes well and should taste fresh after a month.

Rice Bread Experiment #1

This recipe took a lot of research just to discover. I could not find a recipe anywhere for rice bread that had gluten in it. I was not looking for gluten-free or wheat bread with rice in it. I was looking for bread made entirely from rice! Well, after much research, I came across a site somewhere that described a scientific experiment on creating rice bread. They had some weird-named chemical they used to thicken and bind it. I did some conversions from their scientific recipe and did further research to finally come up with the following recipe. Mind you, it failed, but it was delicious!

 As good as it was, we used what was left as a binder for fish cakes (as a replacement for crackers) made from some apple-wood smoked tilapia we cooked earlier. Neither the fish nor the rice bread were outstanding alone, but smooshed together with a little oil and some spices. . .wow! I could not stop eating them!

A note on the "binder": this is what keeps the bread together and gives it substance. I was tempted to use vital wheat gluten or even an egg. In the end I decided to use chia. I may try the others later and see. This bread came out very salty tasting as well. I would drop the salt content down by half or more next time.

Rice Bread Experiment #1

Ingredients: 
3/4 cups warm water 
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp yeast
1 cup finely ground rice flour
2 tsp binder (for this recipe I used 2 tbsp chia seeds)
1 tsp salt (or less)

Directions:
1) Dissolve sugar into water and add yeast to proof.
2) Add chia seeds to water and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
3) Sift flour to mixing bowl with salt and mix. Make a well in the middle.
4) Add liquid mixture to dry in the well.
5) Mix together thoroughly. It will be like porridge.
6) Place dough in lightly-oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit until doubled in size (or whatever it will); about 1/2 an hour.
7) Let rise in oiled loaf pan until doubled in size (or as much as it will)
8) Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 25-30 min.
9) Let cool on wire racks.

Yield:
One Loaf

To Keep Moist:
While still slightly warm, place in bread bag and tie it off.

For Better Slicing:
Let sit in refrigerator overnight.

Remember that this bread has no preservatives and requires refrigeration if you intend to keep it longer than a day. This bread freezes well and should taste fresh after a month.

Grandmother Bread

Here is the original Grandmother's Bread recipe. My wife's favorite. I decided it was finally time to actually type it in because I use it as the base for so many others. Of course, this is the one recipe I did not invent, however, the one listed below is mine for all intents and purposes as it is is different from the original. Click here for the link to the original recipe.

Grandmother Bread

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp honey, molasses, or sugar
2 tsp yeast
3 1/2 cups unbleached or bread flour
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1) Dissolve sweetener into water and add yeast to proof.
2) Sift flour to mixing bowl with salt and mix. Make a well in the middle.
3) Add liquid mixture to dry in the well. 
4) Mix together thoroughly. If too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time. If too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time.
5) Knead by machine for 3-8 minutes.
6) Place dough in lightly-oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit until doubled in size; about 1/2 an hour.
7)  On floured surface, punch down dough and separate into two loaves for bread or into 6-8 smaller rolls if preferred.
8) Let rise in oiled pans until doubled in size.
9) For Bread loaves:
    Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 25-30 min.
    For Rolls:
    Bake in preheated oven at 400 F for 10-15 min.
10) Let cool on wire racks.

To Keep Moist:
While still slightly warm, place in bread bag and tie it off.

For Better Slicing:
Let sit in refrigerator overnight.

Remember that this bread has no preservatives and requires refrigeration if you intend to keep it longer than a day. This bread freezes well and should taste fresh after a month.

Rye Onion Sour

So here is a winning sour I used for some amazing rye bread. I altered the recipe quite a bit and had more than enough. The original asked for no sweetener and also added caraway. I am not a fan of caraway so I left it out. I did however, want a nice molasses taste and added that in! I took the leftover and am making some sourdough waffles with it!

Rye Onion Sour

Ingredients: 
1 onion, chopped
2 cups rye flour
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp molasses
2 tsp yeast
cheesecloth


Directions:
1) Chop onion coarsely and wrap in cheesecloth.
2) Add rye flour to bowl.
3) In separate dish dissolve molasses in the water.
4) Add the yeast to the water to proof.
5) Pour water mixture onto flour and mix thoroughly.
6) Place wrapped onion in the center of the mix.
7) Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 12-24 hours on the counter.
8) After your desired wait time is over, pull onion out and scrape it off. Either discard it or put it in the bread you're making!

Yield:
4 cups

Roasted Chile Paste

I had an abundance of chiles one day from the leftovers of a charitable service by one of my former colleagues at work. I had, oh, 30 or so serano peppers! There was no way I could eat that many plain fast enough before they went bad (even though I do eat several at a time with a meal).

I decided to mash them up and make a chile paste! It was so good, I did it again when I had even more.

Roasted Chile Paste

Ingredients: 20-30 serano chiles (or use chile of your choice)
1-2 bell peppers  (optional)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar (separated) 1-2 tsp olive or sesame oil
1 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Directions:
Put on gloves for working with chiles unless you enjoy your hands burning for hours afterward!
1) Slice the chiles and bell peppers in half or quarters.
2) Place them in a gallon bag with 1 tsp vinegar and the oil and shake to cover peppers.
3) Roast them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil at 350 F for 15-20 minutes until skins are browned. Make sure you flip them half-way through the baking.
4) Place peppers (skin and all) in food processor and pulse until level of desired mash is obtained. Add in all spices and remaining vinegar and pulse until thoroughly mixed.
5) Store in glass bottle in the fridge and eat as desired. 
6) For longer storage times, store in freezer or can them.

Yield:
Approximately three cups of paste. Two cups if omitting the bell pepper.

Bacon Tamales

Bacon Tamales

My wife and I really do not know how to make tamales. These are, by far, not traditional in any way. In fact, we were just trying to do them with whatever we had around the house and see what would happen. This is what we came up with, which, quite frankly, taste great!

Bacon Tamales Recipe

Base:

2 lbs unprepared (wet) masa

8 oz bacon grease/shortening

4 oz (1 cube) butter

2 heaping tbsp Better than Boullion (roasted chicken flavor)

2 tsp salt

1-2 tsp ancho powder

1 tbsp roasted chile paste (we used seranos, click here for recipe)

~1 cup water

3-4 slices of thick bacon, chopped

Other ingredients:

Roasted chiles (Anaheim or pablano (pasilla)

Oaxacan string cheese

Corn husks

Assembly: 

1) Soak corn husks for 1-2 hrs in water. 

2) Mix all base stuff together. Add only enough water to reach thick porridge consistency. Resist the urge to add more masa if it is runny. Refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes to solidify the fats. 

3) Spread about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of mixture on corn husk toward wide portion. 

4) Place a strip of chile and some cheese on the mash. 

5) Fold it in and, if desired, fold another husk over the top. 

6) Place in steamer standing up tightly together, but not over-stuffed. 

7) Steam on medium heat for about 2 hours. Check every half hour that water level is still good. 

8) Let cool slightly before serving.

9) Warm back up to serve later. 

Yield:

Approximately 25-30 tamales.

Remember to keep them refrigerated. Can be frozen for a good long time in freezer bags.

Roasted Orange Bell Pepper Bread

Roasted Orange Bell Pepper Bread

This is a light, fluffy, delicious recipe I invented around Thanksgiving with a neat orange color from orange bell peppers.

Bell Pepper Mash Ingredients:
2-3 orange bell peppers
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 tsp olive or sesame oil

Bell Pepper Mash Directions:
1) Slice two-three orange bell peppers in half or quarters.
2) Place them in a gallon bag with the vinegar and oil and shake to cover peppers.
3) Roast them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil at 350 F for 15-20 minutes until skins are browned. Make sure you flip them half-way through the baking.
4) Place bell peppers (skin and all) in food processor and pulse until level of desired mash is obtained.

Loaf Ingredients: 
1+ cup bell pepper mash (skin and all)
1 cup water
1/4 cup water (approximately)
2 tbsp honey or molasses
2 tsp yeast
3 1/2 cups unbleached or bread flour
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1) Dissolve honey or mollases into water and add yeast to proof.
2) Add flour to mixing bowl with salt and mix with spatula.
3) Add liquid mixture and bell pepper mash.
4) Knead by machine for 3-8 minutes. If too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time. If too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time. 
5) Place dough in lightly-oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit until doubled in size; about 1/2 an hour.
6)  On floured surface, punch down dough and separate into two loaves for bread or into 6-8 smaller rolls if preferred.
7) Let rise in oiled pans until doubled in size.
8) For Bread loaves:
    Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 25-30 min.
    For Rolls:
    Bake in preheated oven at 400 F for 10-15 min.
9) Let cool on wire racks.

To Keep Moist:
While still slightly warm, place in bread bag and tie it off.

For Better Slicing:
Let sit in refrigerator overnight.

Remember that this bread has no preservatives and requires refrigeration if you intend to keep it longer than a day. This bread freezes well and should taste fresh after a month.