Blueberry Orange Bread

A tasty loaf for citrus-season, special occasion or brunch.

Prep:  25 minutes

Bake: 1 hour at 350 degrees

Makes: 1 loaf (16 servings)

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

1 T all-purpose flour

1 t. finely shredded orange peel (zest)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup honey or other sweetener)

1 T baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 t EnerG Egg Replacer + 2 T warm water (or 1beaten egg)

1 1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 tsp vanilla

1.  Grease bottom and 1/2 of sides of loaf pan; set aside.

2.  In small bowl, combine blueberries, 1 T flour and orange peel, toss lightly to mix; set aside.

3.  In large mixing bowl (Bosch), combine 3 cups flour, sugar(or substitute with wet ingredients), baking powder, soda, and salt.  Make well in center of dry ingredients; set aside.

4.  Mix in egg, milk, orange juice, oil, vanilla (and sweetener if subsituting for sugar).  Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened (batter will be lumpy).  Fold in blueberry mixture.

5.  Spoon into prepared pan.  Bake @350 for about an hour, or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  (cover with foil for the last 10-15 mintues of cooking time to prevent overbrowning).  Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool thouroughly on wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.  (This can be made in advance and frozen for later use).



Famous Rolls

We first enjoyed these rolls at a Thanksgiving dinner shared with The Quinn Family in our home.  They are Amy's mother's famous rolls and the extended family requested that she bring them to each Thanksgiving gathering.  We can understand why.  They're delicious and the recipe feeds a crowd!  Even with our substitutions they're great!

1/2 Batch (2 Dozen Rolls)

2 pkgs active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast)

1/4 cup warm water

1 Tbsp sugar/honey

1/2 cup Smart Balance

1 cup water

4 1/2 tsp EnergG Egg Replacer + 6 Tbs. water

1/2 cup sugar/honey

4 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp salt

Full Batch (4 Dozen Rolls)

4 pkgs active dry yeast (9 Tbs. active dry yeast)

1/2 cup warm water

2 Tbs sugar/honey

1 cup Smart Balance + some to brush on top of rolls when they are baked

2 cups water

3 T EngerG Egg Replacer + 3/4 c. warm water)

3/4 cup honey

9 cups flour

4 tsp. salt

Directions for a full batch (4 dozen rolls):

1.  Dissolve 4 packages yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and 2 Tbsp sugar/honey.  Cover with Saran Wrap and set aside to rise (if it doesn't foam, you did something wrong and need to start over).

2.  In a sauce pan, melt SmartBalance in the 2 cups water until hot, not boiling.  Beat EnerG Egg Replacer and water together.  Mix into the eggs, 1 cup sugar/honey, hot water and SmartBalance and then the foamy yeast.  Then stir in flour and salt.  You don't want to touch the dough now beacuse it is very sticky!  Just stir with a spoon (bamboo or wooden spoon).  Cover with a towel or the bowl's lid, and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (the dough should double in size).

3.  Add some flour so it isn't too sticky, and divide dough into 4 equal sections.  Roll out, one section at a time, on a floured board or counter top to 1/2  " thickness.  Cut into 12 triangles (like a pizza).  Roll up each triangle--start at the wide edge and roll towards the center.  Put on greased baking sheet about 2" apart.  Cover with Saran Wrap and let rise 1 hour.

4.  Bake at 400* for 10 minutes.  Check the tops and bottoms of rolls.  If both are light brown, then rolls are ready.  If they are too light, then they aren't fully cooked so put them back in for a minute or two more until they are light brown.  Brush tops of rolls with Smart Balance as soon as they come out of the oven so the Smart Balance melts.  Enjoy!

*Quinn Note:  If using Rapid-Rise yeast, cut the rise times in half.  Everything else is the same.  Personally, I like to use regular because with rapid-rise you can taste the yeast more, but if you are crunched on time, rapid-rise will work and they'll still taste great!

*Lori Note:  Instead of the Eggs or EnerG Egg Replacer, I can also use 1 T ground flax and 3 T water per egg and 1 t. baking powder.  I also usually end up using an added 1-3 cups flour...depending on the humidity of the day I make these.  Extra rolls freeze well for later meals.

English Muffin Bread

This no-knead bread is Ryan's specialty.  It has a coarse texture, which we love eating toasted, with soups, stews or as toast for breakfast, sometimes spread with honey or jam.--Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, p. 142-143.

Prep: 20 min; Rise: 45 min; Bake: 25 min
Preheat: 400 degrees; Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients:
Cornmeal
6 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. yeast (2 packages Active Dry Yeast)
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups RiceMilk
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs. sugar (honey)
1 tsp. salt

1.  Grease two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans.  Lightly sprinkle pans with enough cornmeal to coat bottom and sides; set pans aside.

2. In large mixing bowl, (we use the Bosch), combine 3 cups of flour, the yeast, and baking soda; set aside.  In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, water, sugar/hone, and salt just until warm (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F).  Using a wooden spoon, stir milk mixture into flour mixture.  Stir in remaining flour.

3.  Divide dough in half.  Place dough in prepared pans.  Sprinkle tops with cornmeal.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 45 min). 

4.  Bake in 400 degree oven about 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Immediately remove bread from pans.  Cool on wire racks.

Soft Wheat Bread

Based on Meghan's delicious Soft Wheat Bread, with our necessary specifications.  We always double her recipe and everyone we share this with either asks for the recipe or hopes for more....it's so yummy!

Yield: 4 loaves

2 Tbsp. yeast
4 cup warm RiceMilk (OR 4 c. hot water and 2/3 cup powdered RiceMilk)
3/4 cup honey
2/3 cup shortening OR Smart Balance
5 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups all purpose or Better for Bread flour (plus more if needed till dough pulls off bottom of bowl)
12 Tbsp. Wheat Gluten
2-3 tsp. salt

1.  Place honey, yeast, and warm RiceMilk (or hot water) in the bowl of an electric mixer for about 10 minutes.

2.  In a separate bowl, combine the flours, salt, wheat gluten (and powdered milk if using).

3.  Add the shortening to the water mixture.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the water and shortening mixgture.

4.  Knead the bread dough for 10 minutes (5 minutes Bosch) or until smooth.  Knead for a couple minutes on the counter until smooth and elastic.

5.  Place dough in a large greased bowl and allow dough to rise for 1-1/2 hours.  When dough has doubled in size, punch down and let sit on a counter for about 5 minutes.  Separate dough into 4 equal sections and shape into loaves.  Place in 4 greased loaf pans.  Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise for about 1 hour till dough has doubled.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (or til internal temp is 200 degrees).  Turn out of pans onto wire rack until cool.  Serve hot or slice and bag or freeze to thaw and serve later.