Sourdough Bagels

I don’t know about you and your people situation but my people, they are bagel people, like my whole entire family (and it is a big one). I swear that they (especially the littles) could eat bagels every day and be happy about it They like them so much that we even do bagels at just about all of our special family get togethers, which is fine by me because the get togethers are always at my house and they don’t make as big a mess as lets say spaghetti. They can really make a mess with that. So bagels, they are good.

I made this batch for the littles. (And that is why I made them plain. Can’t go wrong with plain). They have winter break right now so they came over for an afternoon of sledding, hot cocoa, and lunch. I asked them the day before what they wanted me to make for lunch and they said bagels. Big surprise. HA! But really, they all know what they like so why mess with a good things?

A little about these bagels. It is not the fastest recipe you will find. The hands on time commitment is no too much but there is a good amount of time that the dough is spent rising in the fridge. Because they are sourdough the dough needs at least 12 hours to rise so if you want bagels right now then this is not the recipe to use. But the great thing about this bagel dough is that you can make it and leave in fridge for 12 hours but I have left it in the fridge for like 3 days and the dough was still great. If you want bagels anytime in the next few days, then this is the recipe for you. Also a lot of bagel recipes have barely malt and that is not always easy to find or buy in not gigantic quantities but this recipe just uses molasses and the results are pretty close to perfect. So time yes, but fancy ingredients no. And they taste amazing. Plus who doesn't want to make their own bagels and just be that bad ass? Because yes. Bagel making is badass.

Now to the bagels!

The stuff. Flour, water, salt, ripe sourdough started, yeast, and molasses.

Day one. Mix the water with the starter, yeast, and a bit of the molasses until combined. Add in the salt and flour and mix unit it becomes a shaggy dough.

Dump dough onto a floured surface and… get to kneading. About 10 minutes, (a few extra if you are slow). Have about 1/2 a cup of extra four on the side to flour the counter as needed.

soft and suple and kneaded all nice. Place kneaded dough into a clean wet bowl and cover.

Before rise and after rise dough.

Dump risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 8-12 pieces. (8 for larger bagels, 12 for smaller)

Shape bagels. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and stick a whole into the middle. Carefully stretch the hole out about twice as big as you think it should be. (it will shrink). Place shapped bagels ontoa lined and or greased baking hseet, giving each a bit of room to groww.

Now it all looks like bagels. Cover and let them sit and proof for about 35-45 minutes.

Before bagels are comeplety done their second proof, prepare the molasses water bath. Just add water and molasees to a big wide pot and bring to a boil.

Once water bath is boil and bagels are done the second proof it is time to boil. Carefully drop bagels inot boiling water and boil for 2 minutes. Flip then boil for another minute. REmove boiled bagelss with a slooted spaturla and place back on lined or greased baking sheet.

boiled bagels. Now pop the into hot oven and bake. 22-25 minutes, until nice and golden brown.

Gorgeous!

Place them on a wire rack to cool just a bit.

And then you serve them up and eat them. How do you eat the bagels is up to you. My people are easy. Plan cream cheese or peanut butter so that is what they get.

-C

---

Sourdough Bagels

makes 8- 12 (depending on size)

• 5 1/2 cups al purpose flour

• 1/4 cup active starter

• 1 teaspoon active yeast

• 1 tablespoon molasses

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups warm water

  WATERBATH

• 6-7 cups water

• 2 tablespoon molasses

In a large bowl mix the warm water, starter, yeast, and molasses until combined. Add in salt and 5 cups of flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Dump dough onto a floured surface and start kneading, dusting counter (you might use 1/2 cup or even a little more) whenever dough gets too sticky, for 10 minutes (add a few extra minutes if you are kind of slow). The dough should be smooth and not sticky and feel dense.

Place kneaded dough into a wet large bowl, cover with plastic or a silicone lid, and place in fridge for 12-24 hours.

After dough had risen in fridge, remove and dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8-12 equal sized pieces. Pinch and roll each piece into a ball then punch your thumb into the middle all the way through. Carefully stretch the hole about an inch in diameter then place the shaped bagel onto a lined and greased baking sheet. Repeat with all dough. Once the bagels are all shapped, lightly cover and let them sit and proof for another 35-40 minutes.

While bagels are proofing, pre heat oven to 450 degrees and get the water bath ready.

For water bath combine water and molasses in a pot as wide as you got and bring it to a boil.

Once bagels are done their second proof, carefully drop bagels (a few at a time so not to overcrowded) into the boiling water. Boil first side for 2 minutes then flip and boil other side for 1 minute. Remove boiled bagels with a slotted spatula and place back on baking sheets. Repeat until all bagels are boiled and once they are, pop them into hot oven. Bake for 22-25 minute, rotating baking sheets half way, until bagels are nice and golden brown.

Remove bagels from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Eat right away or whenever you want. Bagels can be stored in airtight container or bag for 3-4 days at room temperature but if you are not eating them within a day or two, it is better to slice and freeze them. Frozen bagels last a few months and are easy to pop from oven and toast!

Beet Focaccia

This is me trying to get into the holiday spirit (and also trying to keep my kitchen warm. We have’t turned the heat on yet), but I think I might be thinking of the wrong holiday. Whatever. Pink bread can be spooky and Halloweenie right? And it really doesn’t even matter cause it is bread and pink and awesome so no holiday needed to eat it.

So this focaccia is pink because it is made with pureed beets and before you go and say anything, no it doesn’t really taste like beets. It tastes like amazing bread with a soft tender interior and a nice crispy crust that might have a very slight earthiness to it that only makes it better. It is simple and delicious and again, pink. That is it.

Now you want to make it and all you need is a few beets, flour, yeast, salt sand oil then you are good to go. What a nice little weekend baking project for the last few days of October. And if the pink bread creeps anyone out, well all the better!

Now to the beet focaccia.

The stuff. Roasted beets, flour, yeast. salt, water, and there should definitely be olive oil in this picture.. I don’t know where it went.

First, peel your roasted beets (or roast them and then peel them) The skin should come right off and a little left over skin is fine. Oh and make sure you eat left over skins. They are fanatic.

Now puree the skinned beets unite smooth.

Pureed beets and water go into a big bowl along with the yeast and get mixed around. Then add in flour and a little salt and mix until a shaggy dough is formed. Cover and left rise.

Risen dough.

Grease baking sheet and add a puddle of olive oil to the middle. Scrap dough into the oil and gently smoosh and push dough into pan. Cove and let rest for another 1/2 hour and preheat oven.

Once dough has rested, drizzle more oil on top and dimple the dough with your fingers. Sprinkle the top with some good salt and pop into the hot oven and bake for about half an hour.

Done!

Pink and pretty and all sorts of good. Focaccia at its finest!

Now cut it up and eat it!

---

Beet Focaccia

makes a 9x13 inch loaf

• 4 cups all purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons yeast

• 1 cup pureed roasted beets (3-4 medium beets should do)

• 1 cup warm water

• 2-3 teaspoons salt

• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil

If you haven't roasted your beets yet, do that. Just toss beets on a sheet pan and stick into hot (like 450 degree) oven for about an hour until tender.

Start with beets. If still hot from roasting, wait until cooled and peel off skin. Place peeled beets into a blender and blend until smooth. You should get about a cup if puree. Any extra, well you got yourself a snack

Place the cup of beet puree into a large bowl along with the warm water and yeast. Mix until combined. Add in a teaspoon of salt and the flour. Mix until a shaggy and wet dough forms and there is not dry flour left. Scrap all the dough into a ball and then cover bowl with a bowl and place somewhere warm to rise for an hour, to an hour and a half (longer if your kitchen is cold)

Once dough has doubled in size, preheat oven to 425

Grab a 9x13 sheet pan and grease with a butter or shortening (this helps with sticking) them drizzle 2 tablespoon of olive oil in the middle. Scrap the dough into the oil oil puddle the with oiled fingers gently smoosh the dough into the pan. Cover again and le dough rest and poof up again for about 30 minutes.

The oven should be nice and hot and when you check the dough it should have poofed up a bit and spread little. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil on top of dough and with oiled fingers, dimple the dough. Press nearly to the bottom of the pan but be gentle about it to try and not knock all the air out. Once dimpled sprinkle the top with a teaspoon or two of good course or fishing salt and pop into the oven. Bake for about a 1/2 hour or until the top is starting to brown. Remove the bread from oven and let cool a few minutes in pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool some more. Or just cut into it warm and eat it.

Focaccia is best eaten within a day or two but freezes well.

Fall Spiced Banana Bread

I am not going to call a spice mixture pumpkin spice when there is no freaking pumpkin involved in the spice at all. If there is in fact some pumpkin in the whatever you are eating and or drinking, well then sure. But people need to stop referring to things as pumpkin spice if the pumpkin is not there. It is very misleading and it drives me nuts.

Sorry (not sorry) if you disagree, but friend, you know I am right.

With that said, I offer you a warm fall spiced (because there is no pumpkin here) banana bread. It is your basic, fantastic, banana-y bread with a good kick of warm fall spices to make it just a tad more fantastic. A loaf to celebrate the cool and cozy season to come. And a great way to use up all the bananas that we (me) might have forgotten were in the fridge.

And really, who doesn't want to turn on the oven now that it is a bit chilly these days, no? Banana bread will keep you warm while baking and make your house smell amazing. Win win win!! (Third win is because you get to eat banana bread.)

Now to the spiced banana bread!

The stuff. Really ripe bananas, flour, baking powder and soda, salt, brown sugar, oil, apple cider vinegar, an spices. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and a touch or black pepper.

Banana bread basics. Mash bananas in a big bowl until a small chunky goop. Add in sugar, oil and vinegar and mix until combined. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small separate bowl then add to the wet. Gently fold the dry into the wet until the mixture is completely incorporated but then stop, do not over-mix.

Pour batter into a well greased loaf pan and sprinkle the tip with sugar then pop that bad boy into the oven to bake. After about an hour, once it loos all nice and dark brown and a tester comes out clean, remove pan from oven. Let cool a minutes then pop the bread from pan and place on a wire rack to cool for a little bit.

Once cooled (or cooled enough), slice it up and eat it. Make sure the slices are nice and thick, then pour yourself a hot drink (I recommend coffee or strong black tea) and go sit someplace warm and cosy and enjoy yourself a nice fall moment.

-C

---

Fall Spiced Banana Bread

makes 1 loaf

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg*

• 1/4 teaspoon clove*

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger*

• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon*

• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper *

• 1/4 teaspoon allspice*

• 4 very ripe bananas (about 2 cup mashed banana)

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup neutral oil

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar (to sprinkle on top. Optional)

*Note. If you already have a spice blend like pumpkin spice, you can just use a tablespoon of that.

Preheat oven to 375.

Grab a big bowl and throw in unpeeled bananas. With a fork or potato masher, mash bananas up until kinda smooth (some chunks are good). Add in brown sugar, oil, and vinegar and mix together. Add flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and all the spices into a separate bowl and whisk together. Then gently fold the dry mixture into the wet until completely combined but do not over mix.

Pour batter into a well greased loaf pan then sprinkle the top with raw or brown sugar (optional). Place pan in oven and bake for 55- 60 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown and when a test poke comes out clean.

Remove pan form oven and carefully remove bread from loaf pan. Place on a wire rack to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting into it, but when you do, cut thick slices and eat warm or cold or whatever.

Store bread at room tepature in a airtight container for 3-4 days or in fridge for a week. Individual pieces can be wrapped and frozen as well, but you probably will just eat it all before that needs to happen.

Beans and Greens on Toast

It was a toss up this week. Share this recipe or share home remedies for flatulence!!!! Mah haha! (But honestly, should I share some home remedies for bloating and the toots?)

Ok, so we all know what is going on in the world at the moment and jeezm fuck. I’ll leave it at that.

Word on the streets (or in the news) is that everyone and their mom went out the past few weeks and stock piled a shit ton of food, especially beans. And you know what, that’s cool because beans are amazing and sometimes the silver lining behind bad shit is that you discover something magical. Like beans.

But there is also the issue of all the food people stocked up on in a slight frenzy and might not have had exact intentions for it. Maybe some greens? Did you buy greens? Are they, right now, sitting in your fridge, maybe a little sad, getting neglected because you have been binge eating up the rest of the girl scout cookies like what?

Well maybe this is a good time to use those greens before they go completely bad and you end up tossing them. Even though shit is mad crazy right now, we need to get perspective, especially on food. Waste is preventable. You don’t need to be that person. If you bought it, you for sure better be eating it.

But let me be clear. This is not just a recipe to use up greens and beans because you have to. No no no. These beans and greens are so freaking delicious. It is spring after all and greens are so bountiful and amazing right now. All I want to do is stuff handfuls of the tender green things into my mouth. After months of roots on top of roots, I could gladly eat nothing but greens for the next month. (Until all the other spring veggies start growing!)

This dish is quick and easy and tasty as AF. You can use any type of bean that you have, pretty much any greens you have, and any bread you have. As for the tahini sauce that gets drizzled on top, if you don’t have tahini, you can make it with another nut butter or just use some other dressing situation. It really is that simple and adaptable. And delicious and nutritious. All the boxes are checked!✔️

Now to the beans and greens on toast!

The stuff. Beans, greens. bread, tahini, an onion, a lemon, a little garlic powder, salt and pepper, and olive oil.

Chop onion.

Onions into a skillet with a touch of oil. Cook until soft.

Once onions are soft, toss in the beans! Keep on heat and cook for a few minutes.

And lastly the greens. Right on in, just mix then around and let them wilt down to your preferable wiltedness.

Tahini sauce. All you do is mix the thin with lemon, garlic, a little pinch of salt and pepper, and water until it is creamy.

Lastly, toast the bread. I used a skillet but use the toaster or oven. Whatever you want to do.

And that is it. Toast on plate, pile on the beans and greens and get that tahini sauce drizzled also over!

Now eat. And revel in the greatness of all the good that is now in your mouth!

Stay safe and healthy and aware!

-C

---

Beans and Greens on Toast

Serves 1

• 2 cups cooked or canned beans (I used navy but any bean will work)

• 2-3 large handfuls of greens (I used a mixture of spinach, kale, and chard, but again, any green will do, even romaine or spring mix)

• 1 small onion

• 2 pieces of bread

• a lemon (you can sub a tablespoon vinegar if you don’t have a lemon)

• a tablespoon or so water

• a clove of garlic minced or a pinch of garlic powder

• olive oil

• salt and pepper

First dice up the onion and toss into a medium sized skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place on medium heat and cook until soft which should take about 5-6 minutes. Once cooked, add in the beans and stir around.

Let those hang out for a few minutes and start the toast. I think you can figure out how to make toast so I will let you do that. Also make the tahini sauce. Mix the tahini, the juice of the lemon, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper together until completely incorporated. Drizzle in enough water to thin it out to a drizzle-able consistency.

After beans and onions have had the past few minutes to warm and cook, toss in all the greens and a splash of water. Cook for another minutes to 2 or until greens have wilted.

Grab a plate, place toast on plate, pile the beans and greens on toast then drizzle all the tahini sauce on top. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Smile and then eat.

Cranberry Orange Soda Bread

One of my go to things to do when I am feeling feelings of stress and or anxiety (or angry , or happiness, or sad… all the emotions really) is to bake. I have a feeling that I am going to be baking quite a bit in the next few weeks. And due to the fact that when I went to go buy my usual 25 lb bag of flour the other day and all the flour, at multiple stores, was sold out, I think some of you might be planning on some baking soon too? I sure hope so because I am gonna be pissed if I find out that people are just hoarding all the flour and not using it. 😁

Anyway, soda bread. This bread is not like a soft and fluffy yeasted bread. It is thick and hearty and this one is full of orange zest and dried cranberries to give it just a little more flavor. Of course I was thinking of St Patricks Day next week when I made it because we all know that Irish soda bread is well, Irish, and St Patricks Day is an Irish celebration, but I was also thinking that the mr was coming home for lunch and my sourdough was only about an hour into it’s 8 hour ferment and I had no back up bread for lunch food. So soda bread is what I made. Quick to throw together, bakes within an hour, and is every bit as fantastic as any yeasted bread. The mr was very much pleased to have a nice sturdy, fragrant, hunk of a this bread situation when he came home for lunch and I was a little less crazy stressed because of it. Plus, as usual when baking nice things, the house smelled so good! I think I sometime just bake things just for the smell that lingers for the day. I love it when my hair smells like bread. HA!

Now go grab that flour your hoarding and get at this bread!

The stuff. All purpose and white whole wheat flour, some oats, baking soda and powder, salt, soy milk, brown sugar, oil, dried cranberries, a bit of apple cider vinegar, and an orange.

First add vinegar into milk and stir it up.

Zest the orange into the bowl with the dry stuff, add in the sugar, and give it a good stir to fully combine it all.

Add in the cranberries. Make sure they are not all stuck together and stir them in.

And lastly, add in the milk and oil and stir until a dough forms.

The beauty of unbaked bread dough.

Turn the dough out onto a well floured baking sheet and knead it a few times. Then shape into a big ball and score the top with a big X. Then you just pop it into the oven to bake.

There she is. A big, beautiful loaf of bread. And guess what, you don’t have to wait forever to cut into it. Just 15 minutes of so.

Now you got what you were waiting for. Warm fresh bread, maybe some buttery spread, and a plate (if you a civilized). You eat, you feel better.

Stay well folks!

-C

---

Cranberry Orange Soda Bread

makes 1 loaf

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 cups white whole wheat flour

• 1/2 cup old fashion oats

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 cups plant milk

• 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1/3 cup neutral oil

• a large orange for zest

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

preheat oven to 375

Mix together the apple cider vinegar with the milk and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together both flours, the oats, the brown sugar, the baking soda and powder, the zest of the orange, and the salt, until full incorporated. Then toss in the cranberries (make sure they are not all stuck together) and mix them in. Lastly, add in the oil and milk and vinegar mixture and stir until completely combined.

Turn out dough onto a well floured surface and knead a few times, adding more flour to keep your hands from sticking then place on a well floured and parchment lined baking sheet. Form dough into a ball and then score the top with a big X that is about a third of the way deep. Place into oven to bake for 50-55 minutes or until bread is a deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Once bread is baked, allow to cool for at least 15 minutes or so on a wire rack before cutting into it, but you can cut while still slightly warm.

And then eat

Store uneaten bread in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, but it is actually better to eat it within the first 2 days. It does great when sliced and frozen and then tossed back to life.