Grandma's Batter Bread

This homemade yeast bread takes some time to rise, but it really couldn't be any easier to make!

Grandma's Batter Bread

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups flour

Mix together melted butter, sugar, salt, yeast and 1 1/4 cups flour.  Add warm water and beat by hand until mixture is smooth and has no lumps remaining.  Mix in remaining flour (1 3/4 cups) until dough is smooth.  Cover with a clean cloth and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).  Stir dough down gently and pour into a lightly greased 9x5 pan (the batter will be sticky).  Cover and let rise again until the dough has doubled in size (about 30 minutes). Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Lemon Zucchini Loaf with Lemon Glaze

I spotted this recipe for Lemon Zucchini Loaf at NancyCreative and when she described it as a “a moist, lemony delight” I knew I had to give it a try.  Nancy wasn't kidding...this bread is wonderful!

Lemon Zucchini Loaf with Lemon Glaze

Makes one 9×5″ loaf

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used 1/2 skim milk + 1/2 Tablespoon white vinegar)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup grated zucchini (you don’t need to peel the zucchini before grating it)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan; set aside.
In large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well, then add canola oil and sugar, and blend well. Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend everything well. Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed in mixture.
Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and blend everything together, but don’t overmix.
Pour batter into prepared 9×5″ loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Lemon Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Spoon glaze over cooled loaf. Let glaze set, then serve.

One-Hour French Bread

I have relied on my bread machine for mixing bread dough for the last 15 years, but sadly a couple of weeks ago my dearly loved bread machine mixed its last batch of dough.  I thought about looking for a replacement, but instead I did a search for a fast easy yeast bread recipe and this recipe for One-Hour French Bread showed up time and time again, so I gave it a try.  I am hooked!  This recipe makes a fantastic loaf of bread in one hour start to finish...faster and better than any bread machine!  I think my bread machine days are over and that I will just enjoy the extra counter space in my kitchen! 

One-Hour French Bread

1½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
3 - 4 cups flour (any combination of white and whole wheat)

Preheat oven 450º. Combine water, salt, honey, and yeast in a medium bowl. Let sit 5 - 10 minutes, until bubbling. Add flour, stirring with a wooden spoon, until dough is no longer sticky (I'll sometimes dump the dough out onto the cutting board with what flour is in the bowl and roll it around,adding a bit more flour, until it's not sticky). Roll dough into a 12 - 14" roll (or you can divide it in half and roll it into two long skinny baguettes). Place dough roll(s) on a cookie sheet (this won't work in a bread pan), greased or sprayed with non-stick spray, cover, and let sit 20 minutes. Make diagonal slits, 1/2" deep, on top with a razor blade. (Optional: spray with salt water). Bake 20 minutes.

Apple Bread

Apple Bread

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup apple, coarsely shredded
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

In bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, place oil, sugar, egg, vanilla and apples.  Stir into flour mixture.  Add walnuts and mix.  Pour mixture into greased 8x4 inch bread pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until bread tests done.  Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

These are my husband's all time favorite muffins!

Banana Blueberry Muffins

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/8 cup buttermilk*
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large banana, mashed
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine sugar, butter, buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Stir in mashed banana. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix just until moistened. Stir in blueberries. Spoon into paper-lined muffin cups. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick in the center comes out clean. Makes 1 dozen muffins.

* 1/2 teaspoon vinegar plus enough milk to equal 1/8 cup can be substituted for 1/8 cup buttermilk.

Not Pumpkin Bread

Has anyone else noticed that it's darn near impossible to find a can of pumpkin on the grocery store shelf? Apparently poor weather conditions have created a pumpkin shortage! In my book, it's just not Fall without pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bars or pumpkin bread. What's a pumpkin lover to do? Replace the pumpkin with mashed sweet potatoes! I used mashed sweet potatoes in place of the canned pumpkin in my regular pumpkin bread recipe and it was impossible to tell the difference!

Not Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the four, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Mix the sweet potatoes, oil, eggs and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes or until bread tests done.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In another mixing bowl combine sugar, shredded zucchini, cooking oil and egg; mix well. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in chopped walnuts, if desired.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Variations:

Zucchini Carrot Bread: Prepare as above, except use 1/2 cup shredded zucchini and 1/2 cup shredded carrot.

Carrot Pineapple Bread: Prepare as above, except omit zucchini. Drain one 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Stir drained pineapple, reserved pineapple juice and 1/2 cup shredded carrot into the sugar mixture.

Apple Bread: Prepare as above, except substitute 1 cup finely shredded apple for the shredded zucchini.

Bread Machine Oatmeal Sunflower Bread

Bread Machine Oatmeal Sunflower Bread

1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
3 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Place all ingredients EXCEPT for the sunflower seeds into bread machine pan in order suggested by manufacturer. Select the dough cycle and press start. Add the sunflower seeds at the "raisin/nut" signal. When the machine beeps indicating the dough is finished remove it to a floured work surface and shape into a loaf. Place dough in greased pan and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place 35-50 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake 30-40 minutes or until the top of loaf is deep golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped with a finger.

Bread Machine Rolls

I made these rolls for the first time the other night and I'm not ashamed to say that they were delicious!

Bread Machine Rolls

3/4 cup milk, warmed to room temperature
6 Tablespoons butter, softened and cut into pieces
1 egg, beaten
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Place ingredients into bread machine in order instructed by the manufacturer. Set machine to dough cycle. When dough cycle is complete, remove dough (dough will be sticky) onto floured board. Cut dough in equal sized pieces and shape into balls with floured hands. Place rolls into greased pan or muffin tins. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in sized. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Mmm...Biscuits

Mmm...Biscuits! Biscuits and butter, biscuits with jam, biscuits drizzled with honey, biscuits smothered in gravy, biscuits layered with whipped cream and berries...no matter how you serve them, there's nothing better than hot fluffy biscuits!

Mama's Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg, unbeaten
2/3 cup milk

Sift flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and cream of tartar into a bowl. Add shortening and cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour the milk into flour mixture and add egg. Stir until dough pulls away from side of the bowl. Turn out onto lightly dusted board and carefully knead four times (do not over knead). Pat dough to 1 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter and bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Bread Machine Bread From The Oven

I love my bread machine, but I have never cared for the way that it bakes bread. The bread is always over done, the crust too thick and to be honest I'm not crazy about the shape of the loaf once it's finished either. What I love about my bread machine is the dough cycle! Any bread machine recipe can be made on the dough cycle and shaped into dinner rolls, cinnamon buns or just a regular loaf of bread and then baked in the oven. The extra step of shaping and then baking the bread in the oven doesn't add very much time or mess and the end results are well worth it!

Basic White Bread

1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place all ingredients into bread machine pan in order suggested by manufacturer. Select the dough cycle and press start.

10 minutes after your machine has started kneading the dough open the lid and check the consistency of the dough. The dough should be tacky to the touch (like the sticky part of a Post-It Note). If the bread is too dry add 1 tablespoon of water at a time allowing a minute or two of kneading then check it again. If needed add another tablespoon of liquid. Repeat this until the dough reaches the proper consistency. If the dough is too dry apply the above steps but using flour instead of liquid.

Note... just because you had to make this adjustment doesn't mean there is something wrong with the recipe or your machine. The weather plays an important part in bread making and adjustments you make one time may not be the same adjustments you make next time. This is why it is important to check the dough consistency.

Once you have checked and if needed adjusted the dough close the lid of your machine allow the machine to complete the cycle.

When the machine beeps indicating the dough is finished remove it to a floured work surface and shape into a loaf (or in any shape you choose). Place dough in greased pan and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place 35-50 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake 30-40 minutes or until the top of loaf is deep golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped with a finger.

English Muffin Bread

Care to join me for breakfast? This English Muffin Bread is super simple to make using a bread machine and is a whole lot better than store bought English muffins!

English Muffin Bread

3 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup water

Cornmeal

Place ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle. Shape dough into a long loaf and place on a greased cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover, and allow to raise until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Banana Bread

It was pointed out to me recently that it has been awhile since I have posted a recipe. Yesterday it was cold and snowy...perfect weather for baking. Actually it looks as if this whole week is going to be good baking weather, but I remember my promise not to complain about the cold and snow, so I won't go there. Instead I am going to sip a cup of tea and have a slice of banana bread while thinking warm thoughts!

Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Finally, fold in the sour cream, bananas and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Rhubarb Anyone?

What do you do with free rhubarb? Those who aren't big fans of rhubarb might say 'throw it away', but I would be willing to bet that they haven't tried this bread recipe! This is a very sweet bread and could easily pass as a dessert if served with a little vanilla ice cream. Mmmm!

Rhubarb Bread

1 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together milk, lemon juice and vanilla; let stand for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, oil and egg. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda, stir into sugar mixture alternately with the milk mixture just until combined. Fold in rhubarb and nuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the unbaked loaves. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.