Bread
Because I was asked, here are two of the bread recipes I have made recently, sirdrow's recipe for sandwich bread, plus a scones recipe (that just came out of the oven :).
These two are from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook (revised 13th ed; paperback)
Honey Bread
(a good, lightly sweet bread. The long beating time is apparently the secret to making this bread a silky texture)
2 cups white flour (I used wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger (it doesn't specify; I used powder, store bought)
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup milk (use organic, it tastes better)
Preheat oven to 350*F. Butter a loaf pan (they suggest 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 size). Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl. Stir to blend the dry ingredients. Add the honey, egg, and milk, and beat thoroughly with an electric mixer for about 20 minutes (I paused about every 5 minutes to make sure the mixer wouldn't overheat. I don't know if it would have, but didn't want to find out). Spoon into the pan and bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.
Apple Bread
(very good, lightly sweet and desserty. Very tasty for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or warm with butter and honey)
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar (I used some brown and some refined, just because)
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour (I used wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
About 2 cups (roughly 2 whole) green apples peeled, cored, and grated (I used about 3 smaller red apples, minced)
1 1/2 tblsp lemon zest, minced (I used a few splashes of lemon juice and lime juice instead)
Preheat oven to 350*F. Butter or grease loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar (easier to do in the butter is already softened) until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs until all blended. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternately add in the dry mixture with the apple bits. Add the lemon zest (or juice) and mix well until blended. Spoon into loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on rack. (if you don't have a cooling rack, you can just put the loaf on a big plate to cool, as well)
The Fannie Farmer Baking Book
Basic Master Recipe: White Bread, pg.436 (I'll give you the ingredients, but the recipe is rather involved with rising and knead and whatnot, so I'm not typing it all up)
1/4 cup warm water
1 pkg dry yeast
1 3/4 cups milk
2 tblspn (1/4 stick) butter, softened
2 tblspn sugar
2 1/2 tblspn salt
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups all purpose flour (sirdrow used about 2 1/2 cups wheat)
This recipe is involved; I saw him warming milk, I know he let the bread rise twice, and he kneaded it by hand. However, the bread is wonderful, and makes a fantastic sandwich bread. It is very light in texture, and quite tasty. I want to try a full-wheat version, but in our first batch, we ran out of wheat flour. This recipe does make two loaves. Fortunately, the bread stores well in the freezer, and defrosts just like it had been fresh-baked.
Scones
This is a basic recipe, and I fiddled with it a little. The basic recipe is good, and holds up well if you add fruit bits, nuts, spices, or
even some liquid flavoring like vanilla, almond, or orange juice.
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tblsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 450*F. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl (including any spices you want to use). Stir well with fork to mix and aerate. Add the shortening to the flour mixture, working with fingers or two knives until mixture looks like fresh bread crumbs. Stir in milk and egg (and liquid flavor, if you want. I used a few splashes of rosewater and a tough of almond flavor). Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gather the dough into a ball, and press so it holds together. Lightly dust a surface with flour., and turn the dough out onto the surface. Knead lightly about 12 times (this is the best time to add in fruits or nuts, because you can gently work them in while kneading). Pat the dough out into a circle 1/2 inch thick. To add glaze: brush milk over the dough and sprinkle evenly with sugar (I just sprinkled with confectioner's sugar after baking). Cut the dough into 12 pie-slices. Place the scones 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 - 12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Serve hot. (very good with butter or jam!)
These two are from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook (revised 13th ed; paperback)
Honey Bread
(a good, lightly sweet bread. The long beating time is apparently the secret to making this bread a silky texture)
2 cups white flour (I used wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger (it doesn't specify; I used powder, store bought)
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup milk (use organic, it tastes better)
Preheat oven to 350*F. Butter a loaf pan (they suggest 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 size). Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl. Stir to blend the dry ingredients. Add the honey, egg, and milk, and beat thoroughly with an electric mixer for about 20 minutes (I paused about every 5 minutes to make sure the mixer wouldn't overheat. I don't know if it would have, but didn't want to find out). Spoon into the pan and bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.
Apple Bread
(very good, lightly sweet and desserty. Very tasty for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or warm with butter and honey)
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar (I used some brown and some refined, just because)
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour (I used wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
About 2 cups (roughly 2 whole) green apples peeled, cored, and grated (I used about 3 smaller red apples, minced)
1 1/2 tblsp lemon zest, minced (I used a few splashes of lemon juice and lime juice instead)
Preheat oven to 350*F. Butter or grease loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar (easier to do in the butter is already softened) until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs until all blended. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternately add in the dry mixture with the apple bits. Add the lemon zest (or juice) and mix well until blended. Spoon into loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on rack. (if you don't have a cooling rack, you can just put the loaf on a big plate to cool, as well)
The Fannie Farmer Baking Book
Basic Master Recipe: White Bread, pg.436 (I'll give you the ingredients, but the recipe is rather involved with rising and knead and whatnot, so I'm not typing it all up)
1/4 cup warm water
1 pkg dry yeast
1 3/4 cups milk
2 tblspn (1/4 stick) butter, softened
2 tblspn sugar
2 1/2 tblspn salt
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups all purpose flour (sirdrow used about 2 1/2 cups wheat)
This recipe is involved; I saw him warming milk, I know he let the bread rise twice, and he kneaded it by hand. However, the bread is wonderful, and makes a fantastic sandwich bread. It is very light in texture, and quite tasty. I want to try a full-wheat version, but in our first batch, we ran out of wheat flour. This recipe does make two loaves. Fortunately, the bread stores well in the freezer, and defrosts just like it had been fresh-baked.
Scones
This is a basic recipe, and I fiddled with it a little. The basic recipe is good, and holds up well if you add fruit bits, nuts, spices, or
even some liquid flavoring like vanilla, almond, or orange juice.
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tblsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 450*F. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl (including any spices you want to use). Stir well with fork to mix and aerate. Add the shortening to the flour mixture, working with fingers or two knives until mixture looks like fresh bread crumbs. Stir in milk and egg (and liquid flavor, if you want. I used a few splashes of rosewater and a tough of almond flavor). Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gather the dough into a ball, and press so it holds together. Lightly dust a surface with flour., and turn the dough out onto the surface. Knead lightly about 12 times (this is the best time to add in fruits or nuts, because you can gently work them in while kneading). Pat the dough out into a circle 1/2 inch thick. To add glaze: brush milk over the dough and sprinkle evenly with sugar (I just sprinkled with confectioner's sugar after baking). Cut the dough into 12 pie-slices. Place the scones 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 - 12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Serve hot. (very good with butter or jam!)