December 2020: Honey Bread Recipe

Hey Full Moon Bakers!

The year is just about over and we are closing out 2020 on a full moon! Something about that seems about right given all that’s happened this year. It’s been a rough one but as it comes to a close I think we are overdue for a touch of sweetness. Lets keep it simple with this Honey Bread Recipe. It’s a two-day process that includes an overnight rise that bakes-up into a loaf that is soft and on the inside with a crunchy outer crust. I know you are exhausted which is why you shouldn’t be afraid of this two-day baking process. As strange as it may sound, the “two-day” is the lazy way! I’m a lazy baker and can’t be bothered to supervise dough. This recipe allows we to through it together with minimal effort and come back to it when I’m in the mood.

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 honey

Directions

Day 1:

1. In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, and yeast.
2. In a large measuring glass (or bowl), combine the warm water and the honey and stir to combine so that the honey is well blended.
3. Pour the liquid into the flour bowl.
4. Combine, incorporating the wet and dry ingredients until a sticky dough ball forms. It doesn't need to be perfect but you want most the dry ingredients integrated so there's no flour left sitting in the bowl.
5. Cover and let rest for 6-10 hours, untl the dough has become pillowy and doubled in size.

Day 2

1. Uncover the dough and with a wet hand, gently scoop around the edges, lifting from the sides and folding the dough onto itself. (watch video here). This will release the dough from the edges.
2. On a lightly floured surface, plop your dough out and gently stretch it out on the counter.
3. Using the criss cross technique (watch my video here), gently shape your dough being careful not to degas the air bubbles.
4. Place the shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper and place into a bowl or pie pan to rest for an hour, covered.
5. Put a dutch oven with the lid in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
6. When the oven is ready and the dough has rested, remove the cover and score the top of the dough.
7. Carefully remove the dutch oven and transfer the parchment paper with the dough into the dutch oven, cover with the lid and return it to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
8. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes at 415 degrees F.
9. Then remove the dutch oven and carefully transfer the bread to a wire rack and let cool.

Freshly baked Honey Bread.

So long 2020! You won’t be missed!

Oct/Nov 2020: Soft Sandwich Bread Recipe

You know that expression, “too little, too late"? That’s how I’m feeling about this Soft Sandwich Bread Recipe…

Over the five years I was the caregiver to my father, all he wanted to eat was peanut butter and jelly. As a chef, you can imagine that was frustrating for me. I would make him these beautiful and nutritious meals and he would scoff at them, preferring his childhood favorite. The baker in me set out to add wholesomeness with homemade artisan bread, but even that fell short to his liking. The crust was too tough, or the crumb too dry… Each and every attempt to share love through a home cooked meal felt like failure and I eventually gave-up. I should have known that preparing senior meals was going to be harder than expected. I was out for creativity. He wanted soft, store bought bread slathered in traditional grape jelly with your standard hydrogenated peanut butter. It was his favorite. Who am I to argue with a man in his 80’s suffering from dementia? PS- You don’t argue with a person afflicted with dementia or Alzheimer’s. As a caregiver, you quickly learn to pick your battles, and fighting over food was not going to be one of mine.

There is another expression though. “It’s better late than never” and I guess you could say, Soft Sandwich Bread has arrived! It comes a year and a half to late for my dad but hopefully it’s right on time for you and your loved ones. As much as I love a crunchy-chewy crust, seniors with sensitive teeth might not share the love. So, in honor of my dad’s favorite meal, I’ve figured out this Soft Sandwich Bread Recipe.

This bread recipe produces a soft crumb and crust which makes it perfect for sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup warm water (seperated)
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Directions

Day 1:

1. In a large bowl mix the flour and the salt.
2. In a large measuring glass (or bowl), combine 1 cup of the warm water, melted butter, molasses, honey, and brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the rest of the water until you have 1 and 1/4 cup of the liquid mixture.
3. Add the yeast and let "bloom" for 10ish minutes.
4. Give the liquid mixture a stir and then pour into into the flour bowl.
5. Combine, incorporating the wet and dry ingredients until a sticky dough ball forms. It doesn't need to be perfect but you want most the dry ingredients integrated so there's no flour left sitting in the bowl.
6. Cover and let rest for 6-10 hours, and the dough has become pillowy and doubled in size.

Day 2

1. Uncover the dough and with a wet hand, gently scoop around the edges, lifting from the sides and folding the dough onto itself. This will release the dough from the edges.
2. On a lightly floured surface, plop your dough out and gently stretch it out on the counter.
3. Using the criss cross technique (watch my video here), gently shape your dough being careful not to degas the air bubbles.
4. Place the shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper and place into a bowl or pie pan to rest for an hour, covered.
5. Put a dutch oven with the lid in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
6. When the oven is ready and the dough has rested, remove the cover and score the top of the dough.
7. Carefully remove the dutch oven and transfer the parchment paper with the dough into the dutch oven, cover with the lid and return it to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
8. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes at 415 degrees F.
9. Then remove the dutch oven and carefully transfer the bread to a wire rack and let cool.

The best Soft Sandwich Bread Recipe ever!

I hope you love this sandwich bread recipe as much as I do. Report back you thoughts. I know kids and seniors alike both love soft bread so give it a try and let me know what you think. Sending love and lots of good sandwiches!

Bread Steak (A Simple Meal For Hard Times)

I know what you’re thinking. “Bread Steak? What the heck is Bread Steak?”

Well, it’s basically a thick slice of bread that you griddle, and then top with all the fixin’s. It’s more of a formula than a recipe but nonetheless, it comes in handy. I like to think of it as the poor (wo)man’s gourmet as it has allowed for a taste of the “good life” even during hard times. Ugh… pandemic much? Between lockdowns, curfews, and cases of Covid-19 currently surging, trips to the store are rather infrequent. So, this is one way I stretch a dollar and ingredients…

Step 1: Get onboard with baking bread!

For a minute there, baking bread was all the rage. Although it seems to have passed, I would encourage everyone to embrace it as more than a fad. Baking bread is simple and cheap. Sure, there is some technique to get down but that’s just a matter of practice. And assuming we are all still laying low due to the virus, why not use the time as bread boot camp? I equate bread baking to a life skill, on par with things like building a fire or changing a tire… It’s the art of making something work. If you can make bread, you can make toast, or sandwiches, or pizzas, or pretty much anything else utilizing dough. There are endless possibles which is why it should be of no surprise that I’ve decided Bread Steak should be a thing! It’s a riff on classy when you’re feeling financially stretched.

If you need a place to start your own bread journey, consider this basic bread recipe. You can also follow along with the Full Moon Baking Club where each full moon a new baking recipe is released. Long story short, baking bread is cheap and we all should be doing it. It requires the most basic of ingredients and yet once you have them, you can make all kinds of things. Get on it!

Step 2: Understand the Bread Steak formula.

By formula I mean the process rather than ingredients. Whatever you decide about embarking on the quest to bake your own bread, a good slice remains essential to getting your “steak” on. Ideally you will cut yourself a nice fatty that you slather up with butter or mayo and then griddle in a skillet. (Yep! I said mayo as in mayonnaise. It’s a culinary hack for all you grilled cheese makers waiting too long for your butter to soften.) Sear it on both sides like you would a steak, and no; you can’t use a toaster for this. It’s not the same you lazy cheaters!

Once the bread is griddled on both sides you can start in with your toppings. I like to add a base layer of some kind of spread that will help cradle the other goodies. Cream cheese and ricotta work well, as does yogurt, nut butters, and hummus. Think of it like the binding agent that’s going to hold everything together. Next, give it some kind of bedding. This could be anything from mixed greens to sauteed onions or mushrooms, or even sliced fruit. Think of it as a layer of bulk that provides nutritional balance to the bread slice. Lastly, add a finishing topping. There are endless possibilities here. The final topping is an element of contrast that helps tie it all together. It might be a poached egg or sliced fruit, cured meat, or perhaps a drizzle of honey with a sprinkle of seeds. Mostly these layers are a matter of composition. The formula, rather than recipe, gives you the freedom to work with what ya got.

Bread + Spread + Bedding + Topping = Bread Steak

It’s a privilege to be able to race out to the store and grab supplies when necessary. Some of us live in food deserts. Others are fighting the loss of income. Not all of us are in positions to stock-up on items and therefore must be creative with what’s on hand. I know personally that both my pantry and my bank account have been dwindling as years of financial hardships accumulate. I also see the internet continue to entice with it luxuries. Everything from home goods to gourmet fare seem to fly in the face of those struggling; begging us to be impulsive and spend money we don’t have. The good news though is you don’t need a lot of money to feel rich when it comes to your diet. You can find ways to have more with less, without feeling like you’ve sacrificed something. The Bread Steak is my steak. It’s not a fillet or a T-Bone but it’s juicy nonetheless, and there’s nothing better than cutting into it with a fork and knife and knowing it’s a treat. It often falls apart and turns into a mess that spreads all over my plate but that mess brings out my inner bon viviant, reminding me that it’s not what I buy, but what I make with what I have… Such is life?

Bread steak with ricotta, arugula, mushrooms, shallots, goat cheese and thyme.

So, go find your fancy. Search for it in the unexpected and remember that simple pleasures are often hiding behind an elaborate veneer. A decadent steak doesn’t have to be meat. By the way, have you ever looked up the word decadent? It’s not the glory you might think. Anyway, good luck you fine people! Make good food and trust that you can nourish your health on a budget, and liberate yourself from the elitism surrounding our food culture. You got this!

September 2019: Basic Baguette Bread Recipe

Baguettes can be tricky but I’m here to tell you to forget goals of perfection and just get on with yo’ baking selves. There is no reason to let authenticity keep you from making things. I believe it’s far better to fumble through something with decent success than to avoid it all together and be dependent. Perfection often stands in the way of progress. Just try and and you’ll find yourself well on the way to becoming a more competent human. Yes, still far from perfect but more capable and self-reliant which seems like a good first step toward reducing your personal footprint and living a more sustainable lifestyle.

You’re shocked right? Who knew you could get so eco-friendly from baking baguette? Hey, you gotta start somewhere. And if you’re not convinced on the lifestyle, maybe you’ll be inspired by convenience. The great things about have baguettes in your life (besides crostinis) is the easy in feeding a crowd. I got two words for you: Sub and Sandwiches…

This baguette recipe was perfect for shaping long, beautiful loaves.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour (extra for dusting your surface and as necessary)
• 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

Directions:

Phase 1

1. In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, and yeast together.
2. Add the warm water and mix to form a shaggy dough ball.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 8 to 12 hours or overnight in a cool environment like a basement. (You can place it in your fridge, but remove it and let it come to room temperature for a few hours before starting the next phase.)

Phase 2

1. Remove the plastic wrap and carefully dump the dough out onto a floured surface.
2. Divide the dough in half and gently work one piece at a time into a long 16 inch length baguette loaf. (For shaping tips click here.
3. Place on an oiled baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 30 minutes.
4. Repeat the process with the second piece of dough.

Phase 3

1. Place a small bread pan with an inch of water in the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F. (The pan of water will help create a crispy crust that you want for the exterior of your baguettes. You can read about creating crispy crusts at home by clicking here.)
2. When the oven is ready, remove the plastic wrap, score the tops of your baguettes and place the baking sheet with the loaves in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes, carefully remove the pan of water from the oven and continue baking for another 10 to 15 more minutes until the crust is a golden brown.
4. Carefully remove the baguettes from the baking sheet and let them cool on a wire rack before cutting into them.

And now that you have your baguettes you can make epic sub sandwiches! Perhaps it was grow-up experiencing Subway’s party sub at childhood birthday parties but I’ve forever thought the execution wicked long sandwiches was brilliant for crowd feeding. Just cut it lengthwise and top it with the goody of your choice and then slice and serve to the masses. It’s seriously easy. I made this falafel version for a group of 25 starving sailors the other day and rejoiced in the easy labor of it all. Would I make 25 individual sandwiches for them? Heck no! Ain’t nobody got time for that! Work smarter not harder folks… You need this recipe in your back pocket.

Enjoy the full moon! Its the weekend. Go bake!

August 2019: Anadama Bread

Hey Moon Bakers,

As you read this I’m settling into Rockland, ME with the Sea Education Association where I’m cooking for the crew of the Corwith Cramer for the next couple of months. I’m beyond excited to be back with this organization after a five year caregiving break and I’m equally excited to be back in New England where my bread making journey began. Anadama Bread seems a fitting recipe for adventuring back to the north. It’s legendary in these parts and if you’re curious on why, you can click here. The recipe below is slightly less traditional substituting a couple table spoons of honey for some of the molasses but really, it’s all about course corn meal. By soaking the cornmeal overnight and creating a sponge to help with fermentation, this bread produces a light crumb that’s full of texture. It also makes for quite a large loaf. You’ll have sandwich bread for days so you better plan a picnic and invite some friends!

Ingredients:

Soaker

• 1/2 cup coarse corn meal

• 1/2 cup warm water

Sponge

• 1 cup flour

• 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

• 1/2 cup warm water

• Plus the soaker

Dough

• 1 1/4cup flour

• 3/4 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp molasses

• 1 tbsp softened butter

Directions:

1. Make the "soaker" by mixing the corn meal and water in a small bowl and rest covered for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

2. Transfer the soaker to a large bowl and add all the other "sponge" ingredients and mix well.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for an hour or until bubbles begin to form.

4. Add all the "dough" ingredients to the sponge and mix to combine.

5. Work the dough and help it form a rough ball then transfer onto a floured counter top.

6. Begin to knead the dough adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

7. Knead consistantly for 15 to 20 minutes until all the ingredients are well combined and the dough is soft and pliable. (This dough has a tendancy to be dense so it's important to knead it thoroughly to produce a light and airy finish.)

8. Once the dough is well formed, placed it in large bowl that’s been greased and then cover and let rise at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes or until double in size.

9. Remove the dough to a counter and reknead adding additional flour if necessary as you degass any trapped air bubbles.

10. Gently shape the dough into a loaf shape and place into a greased loaf pan and then cover again and let rest for another hour.

11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

12. Once the dough has doubled in size, place it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

13. Rotate the pan and continue baking for another 25 minutes.

14. Carefully remove the bread from the oven and turn out the loaf onto a wire cooling rack.

15. Let cool before slicing. (I know this part is hard but the bread is so light and fluffy inside that you risk tearing it if you don't wait.)

Do you like Anadama Bread? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

October 2018: Squash + Maple + Walnut Loaf

Sorry for the delay! It took a whole month for me to get this posted here but I promise to do better moving forward. My goal is to have the recipe posted before the coming new moon, giving ample time for all to get their bake on! It also gives me a deadline to work towards. The Full Moon Baking Club is part baking creativity and part time tracking. It’s all in effort to account for the slipping of time. And slip it does!!! Most days I have no idea where time goes but at least this monthly infusion of bread baking will hold a mirror up to the hours.

I also want to thank those of you that joined me. I loved seeing your breads and breaking them with you!

Ingredients

• 1 cup squash puree (I used roasted buttercup squash but can pumpkin can replace fresh squash.)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 4 cups flour (and more for dusting)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the squash, maple syrup, and yeast.
2. Add the flour, salt, water and walnuts.
3. Mix to combine so the dough starts to come together.
4. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead the dough untils its smooth and well formed (Could take 10 or so minutes.)
5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour.
6. After the first rise, knead the dough again on a floured surface and then place it into an oiled loaf pan.
7. Cover and let rise for another hour.
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
9. Bake for 35-45 minutes and then cool on a wire rack.

Freshly baked and sliced Squash + Maple + Walnut Loaf from the 2018 October launch of the Full Moon Baking Club.

Disclaimer:

Here’s the thing about homemade bread… It’s great fresh from the oven. Seriously, nothing compares. But later in the week it tends to lose its appeal. The hack for that is heat! You can wrap it in foil with a sprinkle of water and the heat plus moisture will help revive that freshness. Or you can do what I typically do which is make lots of grilled cheese type sandwiches, panzanella salads, and eggs-in-a-hole. There’s nothing like a hot skillet to bring dead bread back to life!

See you soon!

PS- If you are playing Winter Squash Bingo then I feel it’s important to share I used this recipe for #how2ButtercupSquash. ;)