Cranberry Walnut Multi Grain Bread With Double Orange Blossom Honey Butter

Cranberry Walnut Multi Grain Bread

1 1/2 cups warm water (105-110 degrees, esp. not over 120 degrees - kills yeast!)

1/3 cup molasses, pref. un-sulfured. (I use regular)

1 T. rapid rise yeast

3 cups total bread flour, divided

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup rye flour

1/2 cup while wheat flour

3 T. cocoa powder, sieved

3 T. vital wheat gluten (Important step- you need to do this- it makes bread rise). Store in fridge

2 tsp. espresso powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup good quality dried cranberries (should be pliable not hard nuggets)

1 cup chopped walnuts (or your favorite nut)

2 generous T. walnut oil (store in fridge- will go bad)

Cornmeal for dusting

Put dough hook on mixing bowl. Place warm water, molasses and yeast in the mixing bowl. Let stand until mixture is foamy.

Meanwhile, combine 2 1/2 of bread flour with whole wheat, cornmeal, rye, wheat  gluten, espresso, cocoa and salt. Whisk well.

Add flour mixture to yeast mixture & mix on speed 2 ~ 2 min.

Add the cranberries, walnuts, and oil & mix on speed 3 for another 2 min. or until mixed. Con't on speed 3, add rest of the flour- 1/2 cup- a little at a time until a dough ball forms.

Knead in the bowl speed 2 for 4 minutes.

Put in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap- not a towel to preserve heat. Let rise in a draft free place x 2 hours or so.

Knead in, gently, any stray berries or nuts. shape into a 13 x 4 loaf. Place on a large bake sheet covered with parchment paper. Spray lightly with Pam and sprinkle cornmeal for dusting.

Cover again with plastic and let it rise 40 min.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Cut 5 diagonal slices across the top. Bake on center rack so bottom doesn't burn. Bake 35-45 min. (Until center temp 205). The bread should sound hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.

Double Orange Blossom Honey Butter

Whip 1 stick unsalted softened butter until fluffy. Beat in 2 T. good orange blossom honey or more, to taste. Add 1/8 tsp. orange oil or 1/2 - 1 tsp. orange extract.

Makes a wonderful combination

This recipe was from Rita Heikenfeld's Gifts from the Kitchen Class.You could easily make smaller loaves. This also makes great sandwich bread. Mmmmm sliced turkey, a light cheese.....enjoy.

Rita says "It doesn't matter where the recipe came from, it only matters where it's going"

Lemon Tea Bread (Page 62)

LEMON TEA BREAD from  Kathy Brinkman
3/4 c. milk
2 tsp. each lemon thyme, lemon verbena and lemon balm (or just of verbena)
1 c. sugar
1 T. lemon zest
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
Confection sugar-add enough to thicken but still be runny
2 lemons (the juice from 2 lemons)

Spray or butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Chop lemon herbs. Heat milk (don't boil) and
add chopped herbs. Allow it to steep until it cools. Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a
separate bowl add flour, baking powder and salt, whisk to blend. In another bowl,
cream the butter and gradually add in the sugar. Beat until lighter and fluffy. Beat in
eggs, 1 at a time. Add lemon zest. Add flour mixture, alternating with herbed milk.
Mix until just blended and pour into the pan. Bake for 50 minutes, until a toothpick in
the center comes out clean. While cake is baking, mix the juice of 2 lemons and
enough powdered sugar to make the glaze thick, but pourable. Remove pan from oven
and place on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax paper. While the bread is still hot,
pour the glaze over the bread. Top with a few sprigs of lemon thyme.

Note: This is my favorite recipe from my friend, Kathy, who is in our herb club. It's a great use for those lemony herbs. This freezes well and is delicious to taste in the fall! You can always put the glaze on as it thaws, too. 1 year I used all lemon balm and it was fine, but verbena is best. Using all lemon thyme wouldn't be my choice.

Cranberry Walnut Multi Grain Bread

1 1/2 cups warm water (105-110 degrees, esp. not over 120 degrees - kills yeast!)
1/3 cup molasses, pref. unsulfured. (I use regular)
1 T. rapid rise yeast
3 cups total bread flour , divided
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 T. cocoa powder, sieved
3 T. vital wheat gluten (IMPORATANT_NEED- makes bread rise) Store in fridge
2 tsp. espresso powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup good quality dried cranberries (should be pliable not hard nuggets)
1 cup chopped walnuts (or your favorite nut)
2 generous T. walnut oil (store in fridge- will go bad)
Cornmeal for dusting


Put dough hook on mixing bowl. Place warm water, molasses and yeast in the mixing bowl. Let stand until mixture is foamy.
Meanwhile, combine 2 1/2 of bread flour with whole wheat, cornmeal, rye, wheat gluten, espresso, cocoa and salt. Whisk well.
Add four mixture to yeast mixture & mix on speed 2 ~ 2 min.
Add the cranberries, walnuts, and oil & mix on speed 3 for another 2 min.or until mixed. Con't on speed 3, add rest of the flour- 1/2 cup- a little at a time until a dough ball forms.
Knead in the bowl speed 2 for 4 minutes.
Put in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap- not a towel to preserve heat. Let rise in a draft free place x 2 hours or so.
Knead in, gently, any stray berries or nuts. shape into a 13 x 4 loaf. Place on a large bake sheet covered with parchment paper. Spray lightly with Pam and sprinkle cornmeal for dusting.
Cover again with plastic and let it rise 40 min.
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Cut 5 diagonal slices across the top. Bake on center rack so bottom doesn't burn. Bake 35-45 min. (Until center temp 205). The bread should sound hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.

Double Orange Blossom Honey Butter

Whip 1 stick unsalted softened butter until fluffy. Beat in 2 T. good orange blossom honey or more, to taste. Add 1/8 tsp. orange oil or 1/2 - 1 tsp. orange extract.
Makes a wonderful combination
This recipe was from Rita Heikenfeld's Gifts from the Kitchen Class.You could easily make smaller loaves. This also makes great sandwich bread. Mmmmm sliced turkey, a light cheese.....enjoy.
Rita says "It doesn't matter where the recipe came from, it only matters where it's going"

Rita's Pepperoni Bread (Page 64)

PEPPERONI BREAD
3 c. all purpose flour, unbleached, plus
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
more if needed
1 T. sugar
1 pkg. dry yeast (equals about 2T.)
1 tsp. salt
1 c. pepperoni, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1 1/4 c. water
Optional glaze: 1 egg yolk - small amt. of milk to mix with egg yolk
In an electric mixer bowl, combine flour, yeast, and oregano. In a small saucepan,
heat garlic, water, olive oil, sugar and salt to 115 degrees (any hotter can kill the
yeast). Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add wet mixture to the dry mixture and
combine with a wooden spoon. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Gently stir the
pepperoni in with the paddle attachment on low speed. Add more flour if you need to
so dough is pliable. Switch to dough hook and knead on #2 speed. You may need to
add even more flour. You want the dough to pull away from the sides.(Or you can do
by hand on a floured surface, adding pepperoni, then flour to make the dough smooth
and elastic.) The dough shouldn't be sticky. Place in an oiled bowl, flip once so the
top is oily. Cover with saran wrap in a draft free area. Allow it to rise until doubled,
about 45 minutes. Punch down the dough and form into 1 large round loaf (or 2 smaller loaves, adjust baking time). Place on a cookie sheet that has been lightly oiled
and dusted with cornmeal. Let it rise again for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375
degrees. Bake for 30 minutes (maybe less for smaller loaves). For a new glaze brush
egg/milk mixture onto the bread about 18-20 minutes into the baking.
Note: Don't cut the bread while it's hot. It will mash down. This is wonderful served
with Rita's white bean Italian soup! Heck this is wonderful served with anything!
Do Ahead: You can freeze the dough as soon as it is made (no rising!) OR bake it to finish and freeze the individual slices. We just pull out a slice from the freezer and toast lightly. Great with soup.

Egg Bread

Egg Bread

2 Tbsp. (or 2 pkgs.) Dry active yeast at room temperature

½ cup warm water (between 105-115 degrees)

¼ cup sugar

¼ unsalted butter at room temperature

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 ½ cups warm milk (105-115 degrees)

6 ½ to 7 cups unbleached flour

2 teaspoons salt (the only “exact” measurement!)

Glaze: 1 beaten egg with 1 Tbsp. cold water

Sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional)

In a lg. bowl stir yeast into water and soften (pinch of sugar optional). Once it’s softened stir in sugar, butter, eggs, milk and 3 cups of flour. Beat vigorously with a heavy whisk x 2 minutes or use Kitchen aid with paddle at #6 for 2 min. It should be like cake batter. This is called a sponge. Cover it with a moist heavy towel or pam-sprayed plastic wrap x 30 min. (It can be done 24 hours in advance).

Then add 2 tsp. salt and remaining flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away . (Use the dough hook x 4 min. at level 4). If no mixer, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Put in an oiled bowl, turning once. Cover and let rise 40 min-1 hour.

Lightly oil a work surface and turn out the dough. Divide into thirds and roll equal lengths of long dough about 20 inches each. Lay each strand side by side on a well greased or parchment covered baking sheet. Braid bread tucking each end under. Allow to rise 30 - 45min. covered with a towel. Then brush entire surface with egg wash and sprinkle optional seeds. Bake at 375 for 45 min. until internal temp = 190 degrees.