COUNTRY SKILLS SERIES

GUIDE TO
HOMEMADE
BREAD

75+
KEYS TO
GREAT HOMEMADE
BREADS
PLUS:
• More Than 117 Delicious Recipes!
• Learn about Bagels, Biscuits, and Buns Display Until November 13, 2017
Vol. 11 No. 3 • $6.99
• Make Your Own Flour With a Grain Mill
• No-Knead and Other Artisan Breads
• What is Gluten-Free and 6 Substitute Items Vol. 6Vol.
Winter
Issue
5 • 2016
No.
No. 13
 Everything you need to

Bake Better
Bread

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Mill Your Own Flour ”‡•ŠŽ›‹ŽŽ‡†ƪ‘—”‹•‘”‡—–”‹–‹‘—•ƒ†„‡––‡”
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ˆ—Ǧƒ†ˆƒ•–Ǥ‘—…ƒ’”‘˜‹†‡Š‡ƒ”–Š‡ƒŽ–Š›™Š‘Ž‡‰”ƒ‹„”‡ƒ†•ˆ”‡•Šˆ”‘–Š‡
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 You Too Can Bake Bread
8 Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned baker, our bloggers
offer encouragement for your bread-making endeavors.

5 Reasons Why Your Bread Dough Doesn’t Rise

13 An experienced baker provides insight on this frustrating
obstacle to baking great bread.
8
Milling About
GETTY IMAGES/KA067
14 Take your baking a step further with a home grain mill that
produces delicious flour.

How to Make Homemade Flour

18 Fresh, homemade flour is less expensive, more nutritious
and more flavorful than store-bought flour. Learn how
to make homemade flour, from choosing a grain mill to
grinding technique, with these handy tips.

Easy, No-Knead Artisan Bread

22 22 Methods guaranteed to make everyone a baker!

Going Gluten Free

28 Seven indispensable ingredients make your transition easier.

What’s Up With Gluten?

31 Why does it have such a bad rap?

Break Your Fast With Bread

32 A hearty breakfast keeps you going all morning, and what
better way to start the day than with homemade bread?
32
Daily Breads: Potato, Oatmeal, White, and Rye
36 With a Starter
42 Make flavorful sandwich bread out of quality ingredients to
save money and warm a gathering or just your kitchen for
the day.

Back-to-Basics French Bread

42 Whether you enjoy it as sippets, bread pudding, or toast
with butter and jam, bake this historic bread recipe, based
on English and classic American cookbooks.
www.Grit.com 1
 Savory Sourdough
46 Starter gives this bread its unique, tangy taste.

50 Pizza Perfection
Forget takeout and turn your kitchen into a pizzeria.

Stale, But Not Forgotten

54 Don’t throw out your dry, brittle bread … give it new life
50 with these fresh recipes.

58 Begging for Bagels

Boiled breads — like bagels, pretzels, and dumplings — turn
out soft and chewy.

64 Cornmeal to Cornbread
A chunk of this savory yet sweet concoction makes a meal all
by itself.

Biscuits and More

70 Treat your taste buds to a culinary delight with homemade
biscuits, tortillas, dumplings, and noodles.
58
Something Sweet
74 A touch of sugar adds a touch of home to delicious breads.

How to Bake Using an Earth Oven

80 Once you’ve tasted bread baked in this old-world structure,
you’ll never go back to baking in the kitchen oven.

Flatbread Fiesta!
84 Call it tortilla, naan, matzo, or crackers, there’s a version in
every culture.

74 Creating a Food Business on the Homestead

88 Take your kitchen skills, add a great recipe and fresh
ingredients, and combine for a great way to make yourself an
88 income opportunity.

Recipe Index
95 A list of all the recipes that appear in this year’s Guide to
Homemade Bread.

Recommended Resources
96 Everything you need to start baking the best bread in your
own kitchen.
2 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
 THE FOLK SCHOOL
CHANGES YOU.

We still make real bread, music, yarn, poetry, and friends. And we have
helped to preserve the traditions, tools, and techniques of Southern Appalachia
and shared them with the world. Check out our new classes online today.
Engaging hands and hearts since 1925. Come enjoy making crafts and
good friends on 300 natural, scenic acres in western North Carolina.

JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL

folkschool.org 1-800-FOLK-SCH
BRASSTOWN NORTH CAROLINA
 .COM
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73% of GRIT readers say taste
is key to baking their own bread Dutch oven for baking bread
4 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
GRIT on Social Media Send Us Your Photos
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23% occasionally use a
Featured Comment
“Some people let their dough
rise until it doubles, punch
it down, knead it again, and
then mold it into buns or
shove it into a loaf pan and
then let it rise again. This is
absolutely fine and your bread
will be fabulous. But you don’t
have to let it rise twice. If you
don’t feel like doing two rises,
you don’t have to. ... Why do
people let their bread rise
twice if it’s not necessary?
Flavor. I think two rises allows
the yeast to further develop
and spread, and the result is
a more flavorful bread. But I
think the bread tastes great
with one rise. I don’t like
extremely yeasty bread.”
—Candi Johns, The Farm Barbie
in “Homemade Yeast Rolls”
Do you enjoy baking biscuits, baguettes, and
other homemade breads? Have some great
shots of loaves fresh out of the oven? Send
us your photos and a few details about your
fresh-baked creations. Send them to jteller@
ogdenpubs.com, and a photo may be featured
on our social media platforms or in a future
issue of the magazine.
 Join the Conversation
On Facebook
I am a traditional hearth-loaf baker, and my
bread is famous in local circles. I do shapes,
I do savory, and sweet, hearty and soft, and
more often than not it’s gone as soon as
it comes out of the oven. ... When I came
across the recipe for the quick-and-easy
Dutch oven bread ... I had to try it. I’ll try
any recipe once. I’m young, I’m curious, and
I don’t mind an adventure in the kitchen.
That said, nothing could have prepared me
for ‘The Easiest Bread You Will Ever Bake.’
It was a series of one horrific mishaps
after another. ... (By) the end of the ordeal
I was left with a burn on my neck, holes
melted into the kitchen floor, and a loaf
of something the chickens, my black-hole
garbage disposal chickens, would barely
touch. ... (After) all the hassle and suffering
and an understandable great loss of self-
confidence in the kitchen, I can’t help but
wonder that maybe the old ways are best.
—Dani Sweet, via Facebook
I learned to bake bread from the Amish. They
told me their secrets to breadmaking for
tender fluffy loaves. ... I put no salt or sugar
or any sweeter and the bread comes out
delish. Fifty-nine cents for a 2-pound loaf
versus $3 or more for a 1-pound loaf at the
grocery store.
—June Butler, via Facebook
While I love breads and rolls of many kinds,
I find being able to make my own crackers
and pretzels most rewarding.
—Merry C. Carey, via Facebook
GETTY IMAGES(3)/IRIGRI8 (2), KA067; FOTOLIA/GEORGE DOLGIKH
The worst thing to happen to me baking
bread was I left the salt out of a batch of
sourdough for Thanksgiving dinner. You
wouldn’t think that it would make much
difference. It did. It was edible, but just
barely. Best tip I have is using good *bread*
flour. It really does make a difference.
—Jackie Edmonds Kylander, via Facebook
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
Old-fashioned junior high home economics
class. So out of date. So needed!
—Kathlyn Czako, via Facebook
Reader Blogs
GRIT is proud to offer blogs written by our readers from across North America. If you would
like to become a GRIT blogger, email aevans@grit.com for more details.
Sorting Out Leavening Agents
By Lois Hoffman
“Baked goods need something to help the dough rise or ‘leaven.’ This
something can be anything that produces gas in the dough to cause
expansion. The simplest way to do this is by manually turning the dough
or beating air into it. However, this method usually doesn’t give enough
rise to bread, soufflés, cakes, and other desserts. A substance that
produces gas — namely carbon dioxide gas — is usually needed. Yeast,
baking soda, and baking powder are the three main agents that are
used in baking to produce this lift. They can be used singly or in com-
bination. The big question is knowing which one to use when.” — from
Country Moon
Lois grew up in rural Michigan and married a farmer from Pennsylvania. She now lives on a hobby
farm of 37 acres, and continues her freelance work as a writer and photographer.
Winter Bread Recipes
By Connie Moore
“Years ago, my mother-in-law asked me to help her bake quick breads
for a fundraiser in Germantown. It was a marathon baking session,
which I loved — I baked 22 loaves in three mornings. Today, I’m doing
good to get just one loaf out of the oven. It seems the older we get, the
slower the mixer goes. Well, I can blame it on the mixer or the oven or
anything else, but the truth of the matter is that we just don’t eat as
much bread as we used to around here.” — from At Home In Ohio
Connie has always lived in a rural setting, gardening, cooking, and writing.
She “considers country life to be the best way to live and learn in order to realize our potential.”
Of GRIT Readers Who Make Homemade Bread
17% bake bread monthly
82% bake cornbread; 72% bake muffins;
70% bake white bread
10% have used an outdoor oven to bake bread
56% buy local, artisan bread
42% say taste is most important;
37% point to nutrition
13% routinely use a bread machine
13% bake bagels
48% bake bread occasionally
Grit.com Become a GRIT blogger. Email aevans@ogdenpubs.com for details.
www.Grit.com 5
 Channel
Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
After churning up a batch of homemade butter,
you’re left with delicious buttermilk that can be
utilized in a number of ways. One of the easiest
and most delicious ways is in this recipe for
Buttermilk Drop Biscuits (bit.ly/1RG16IK). Serve
these biscuits with any meal, and they’re sure to
be a hit.
Grinding Your Own Wheat
A simple way to increase the flavor and nutrition
in your homemade bread is to grind your wheat
flour fresh on the day you bake. (Turn to Page 14
for more on grain mills and how to grind your own
flour.) Hank Will demonstrates during a morning
visit to a local television station in this video,
bit.ly/2jA48c8.
Grind Corn With Bike-Powered Mill
Relieve stress and produce food at the same
time with a bike-powered grain mill. Join Jennifer
Kongs and K.C. Compton as they demonstrate a
fun and easy way to grind your own cornmeal at
home using GrainMaker brand grain mill. Check
out the video at bit.ly/2aiRVzH.
Homemade Bread Made Easy
Homemade bread doesn’t have to be difficult to
make. In fact, there are a number of ways you
can put fresh-out-the-oven bread on the sup-
per table with minimal time and energy. Watch
how easy it is to make a loaf of wheat sandwich
bread, requiring basic ingredients and minimal
dough handling. Go to bit.ly/1Usg0X9 to watch.
How to Churn Butter
Butter is a key ingredient for biscuits, pies and
pastries, and adds rich flavor to meat and veg-
etable dishes. Home cooking simply would not
be the same without it. Learn how to turn fresh
cream into the best you’ve ever tasted. Assistant
Editor Kellsey Trimble takes you through the steps
of making homemade butter in this cooking
tutorial, bit.ly/1TIuxvv.
Visit youtube.com/gritmagazine to find more great food-related videos, and be
sure to subscribe to be updated on new additions to the channel.
6 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
GUIDE TO HOMEMADE BREAD 2017 •
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 Can Bake Bread
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned baker, our bloggers offer
encouragement for your bread-making endeavors.

Compiled by GRIT Staff

Super Simple Flourless Egg Bread
Grit community is filled with
The great cooks, some of whom
blog for us at www.grit.com. We’ve
compiled a few of their recipes to give
you a taste of the great breads they
produce on a regular basis.
Baking is a labor of love for many of
your fellow Grit readers, and each and
every one of them would encourage you
to join their ranks: Baking bread is good
for your health, your pocketbook, and
your soul.

Super Simple
Flourless Egg Bread
By Leigh Schilling Edwards
About two years ago, I found out that
I could no longer eat any gluten prod-
ucts. As if suddenly going completely
gluten-free in my 40s wasn’t hard
enough, I came to realize that a loaf
of gluten-free bread was roughly four
times the cost of a regular loaf. So, I got
creative. Here is what I came up with. Is
it real bread? No. Will it satisfy a crav-
ing or help make a sandwich? Yes. And
best yet, the ingredients can be modi-
fied to make anything from sandwich
bread to garlic bread to gingerbread.
Yields 2 servings.
SANDWICH BREAD
7 farm-fresh eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash of salt
1
⁄4 cup sugar, or the equivalent of your
favorite sweetener
1
⁄4 teaspoon caramel extract, optional
1
⁄4 cup oat bran, optional (but it does
give it a more breadlike texture)
1 Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 8-by-
8-inch square pan, 9-by-5-inch loaf pan,
or any equivalent, and set pan aside.
2 Separate eggs, placing yokes in
small bowl and whites in large bowl.
3 To egg whites, add cream of tartar,
salt, and sugar. Using hand mixer, beat
on high until stiff peaks form. Mix in
caramel extract and oat bran, and then
mix in egg yolks, beating only until
blended — no more than 10 seconds.
4 Transfer mixture to prepared pan,
and bake for 35 minutes, or until flaky
and golden brown on top. Because of
the lighter texture and consistency, slic-
ing the loaf like a hamburger bun works
best. Fill with your favorite sandwich
fillings and eat!
NOTE: You may need to experiment
with what baking times work best for
your oven. If the bread comes out too
moist and “eggy” inside, cook your next
loaf for an additional 5 minutes or so.
VARIATIONS: For variations, mix
in the following ingredients when you
mix in the oat bran. For Gingerbread,
add 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon,

8 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1⁄4 teaspoon Poppy Seed
ground cloves, and 2⁄3 cup sugar (total). Bread
For Garlic Bread, add 1 tablespoon
ground garlic powder, 1 teaspoon
ground onion powder, and 1 teaspoon
salt (or to taste).

Poppy Seed Bread

By Lee Ann
Making bread is one of the basic bits
of knowledge we need on the home-
stead. Once you master a basic bread
recipe, you can experiment with addi-
tives to make new treats for your family.
This recipe for Poppy Seed Bread is one
of those experiments that turned out
quite yummy, if I may say so myself.
Enjoy! Yields 2 loaves.

11⁄2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1
⁄2 cup sugar
21⁄2 cups water, divided
1
⁄3 cup cooking oil
1
⁄2 tablespoon salt
6 cups (or more) unbleached white
flour
Handful of poppy seeds, or to taste

1 Dissolve yeast and sugar in

1
⁄2 cup warm water. Stir in oil, salt, and
remaining water, and mix well. Add
flour and poppy seeds, and mix until
you have a smooth and flexible, but not
sticky, dough.
2 Knead for a couple of minutes on
floured board. Let rise in large greased
bowl until doubled in size. Turn out
onto board, and knead again.
3 Split into 2 equal portions, and
place dough in greased loaf pans. Let
rise until dough fills about 2⁄3 of pans. Rhubarb
Bake in preheated 350 F oven for about Bread
30 minutes.
SCHILLING EDWARDS; FOTOLIA (2)/MANYAKOTIC, SPAPARTNERS

4 Turn out onto racks to cool.

Rhubarb Bread
By Ginnie Baker
This recipe is from the Amish Cook
column in the local newspaper in
Ginnie’s hometown of Bellville, Ohio.
11⁄2 cups brown sugar
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: LEIGH
1 teaspoon baking soda buttermilk, salt, baking soda, vanilla
1 teaspoon vanilla and flour. Stir in rhubarb and nuts; mix
21⁄2 cups all-purpose flour well.
11⁄2 cups diced rhubarb 2 Pour into well-greased loaf pan.
1
⁄2 cup chopped nuts Sprinkle sugar over top and drizzle with

2
⁄3 cup vegetable oil 1
⁄2 cup sugar melted butter.
1 egg 2 to 3 tablespoons butter, melted 3 Bake at 325 F for 40 to 50 minutes,
1 cup buttermilk or until toothpick inserted in center
1 teaspoon salt 1 Mix together brown sugar, oil, egg, comes out clean.

www.Grit.com 9
 Christmas
Lemon Loaf

Christmas Lemon Loaf
By Meg With Modern Roots
This sweet loaf will be a hit come
time for holiday gatherings.
BREAD:
11⁄2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1
⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1
⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
11⁄2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 tablespoons butter, room
temperature
1
⁄2 cup oil
1
⁄3 cup lemon juice
ICING:
1
⁄2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1
⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon water
1 Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9-by-
5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2 Whisk together all bread ingredi-
ents in large bowl until incorporated.
Bake in prepared pan for 45 minutes.
3 Cool in pan for 20 minutes, and
then turn out onto wire rack and allow
to cool completely.
4 To make icing, combine all ingredi-
ents and mix until thoroughly blended.
Drizzle over cooled bread before serving.
Basic Biscuits
By April Freeman
This is a recipe that took me 10 years
to perfect. It’s one of my kids’ favor-
ite things to eat for breakfast, and they
munch on the leftovers all day.
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
1
⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1
⁄2 cup butter, cold, cut into small bits
1
⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup buttermilk
1 Preheat oven to 425 F.
2 In large mixing bowl, combine
flour, baking powder, salt, and baking
soda with fork.
3 Using pastry blender, cut but-
ter into dry ingredients until mixture
resembles cornmeal, with a few larger
chunks. Add buttermilk. (This part is
the hardest because I don’t measure ex-
actly. I just pour in a bit, stir the dough
gently with a wooden spoon and evalu-
ate. It may need a touch more. When
the dough looks evenly moistened, stop
adding buttermilk. You want the dough
to just stick together — not too sticky
to handle, but not too dry either. Don’t
worry, once you make the recipe a few
times, you’ll get the knack for it.)
4 Scatter generous handful of flour
on countertop. Place dough on floured
surface. Using floured rolling pin, gen-
tly roll dough out to 3⁄4- to 1-inch thick-
ness. Using floured biscuit cutter, cut
rounds out.
5 Place dough rounds in cast-iron
pan about 1⁄2 inch apart. (If you don’t
have a cast-iron pan, a baking sheet will
work, but if possible, keep your eyes
open at the flea market for a good cast-
iron pan, as it makes a huge difference
in the biscuits.)
6 Bake biscuits in center of oven
for about 15 minutes, or until lightly
browned on top. Serve piping hot with
butter and homemade jam.
Homemade Crescent Rolls
By Carol Winn
Crescent roll dough has a different
texture than regular dough. It’s lighter
and softer, and it needs to be treated
delicately. When I use these rolls for
hotdog buns, after the first rise I do not
roll up the pieces I’m going to be us-
ing for hotdogs. I let them rise flat af-
ter they’ve been cut, and then place the
hotdog on the wide edge of the dough
and roll up just before baking.
They are so good, and if using them
as hotdog buns, you could make your
favorite sauce to dip them in instead of
putting your condiments on the hot-
dog. We learned from experience that
you must let them cool before biting
into them. The hotdog stays quite hot
for a while. One of these days, I plan on

10 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 Basic Biscuits
dividing the dough into 4 equal parts
and making them smaller for dinner
rolls. Yields 16 crescent rolls.
2
⁄3 cup nonfat dry milk
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1
⁄4 cup organic cane sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1
⁄2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
41⁄2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 In large bowl, dissolve dry milk in
warm water. Lightly stir in yeast, and
give it a couple of minutes to rest in the
liquid. Mix in sugar, salt, butter, egg,
and 2 cups flour. Slowly add 2 more
cups flour, and start stirring swiftly.
Add another 1⁄2 cup flour, and mix until
smooth.
2 Place dough in oiled bowl. Cover
(2)/MSPHOTOGRAPHIC, BIGGORIDER
with pastry cloth or plastic wrap
sprayed with oil so it doesn’t stick. Let
rise for 45 to 60 minutes. It should eas-
ily double in size. Divide in half and
roll each half into circle on pastry mat
LEFT TO RIGHT: ISTOCK/GOURMETPHOTOGRAPHY; FOTOLIA
sprinkled with flour.
3 Cut each circle into 8 even pie-
shaped pieces. Roll each piece into
crescent starting with outside edge and
rolling toward center. Place on pan
lined with parchment paper, and let rise
again. Preheat oven to 375 F.
4 Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Baking Powder Biscuits
By Morgan Crumm
Buttermilk biscuits typically require
a combination of baking powder and
baking soda to achieve the proper acid-
base balance for optimal leavening.
Since my biscuits would lack butter-
milk’s acidic kick, I left out the bak-
ing soda (a base) and relied solely
on double-acting baking powder (an
acid-base mix activated by water based
liquids and heat). The result was but-
tery, fluffy, and delicious biscuits. Yields
8 biscuits.
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons double-acting baking
powder
11⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
8 tablespoons butter (preferably
cultured), cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces and
placed in freezer for 10 to 30 minutes
1 to 11⁄4 cups whole milk, divided
1 to 2 tablespoons butter, melted,
divided
1 Preheat oven to 450 F. Line baking
sheet with parchment paper. Place anoth-
er large piece parchment paper on coun-
ter for shaping and wrapping dough, and
sprinkle very lightly with a bit of flour.
2 In medium to large mixing bowl,
whisk together flour, baking powder, salt,
and sugar. Use pastry blender, two knives
Homemade
Crescent Rolls
or forks, or food processor to cut in fro-
zen butter, repeatedly pressing or slicing
butter into flour until largest slivers or
chunks of butter are no larger than very
small peas.
3 Slowly pour 1 cup milk into flour
mixture, and use wooden spoon or sili-
cone “spoonula” to gently incorporate just
until dough comes together. Add remain-
ing milk as needed. The dough should
not be wet or overly sticky. It should be a
little scrappy looking.
4 Turn dough out onto prepared
parchment paper. Lightly flour your
hands and then gently pat dough into
1-inch-thick rectangle, approximately 8
inches by 6 inches. Wrap rectangle up in
parchment paper and place in freezer for
5 to 10 minutes.
5 Use pizza cutter to cut chilled dough
into 8 rectangles approximately 2 inches
by 3 inches. Place biscuits on prepared
baking sheet and brush tops gently with
half the melted butter.
6 Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffed
up and light golden brown. Remove from
oven and brush tops with remaining
melted butter. Serve with your favorite
accompaniments.
NOTE: Leftover biscuits can be cooled
completely and then stored in a zip-top
bag or well-sealed container at room tem-
perature for up to two days. Reheat left-
over biscuits in a 350 F oven for about 5
minutes.
www.Grit.com 11
 ‘Spent’ Grains
Bread
Oatmeal Bread
By Sue Van Slooten
Oatmeal is probably my favorite bread
in loaf form. It’s wholesome, slightly
sweet, makes great sandwiches and toast,
and is just plain tasty. It’s a loaf that,
frankly, I don’t make enough. You can
vary the flavor by adding cinnamon, or
use maple or brown sugar to give it a
little more sweetness.
Without further adieu, here’s the reci-
pe, adapted from King Arthur’s Vermont
Oatmeal Maple-Honey Bread. Yields 2
loaves.
21⁄4 to 21⁄2 cups boiling water
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon thick oat flakes
(rolled oats), divided
1
⁄2 cup maple sugar or brown sugar
(although pricey, I think the maple
sugar is worth it)
1
⁄2 teaspoon maple flavoring, optional
1 tablespoon honey (I substituted
maple syrup)
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon instant yeast
11⁄2 cups whole-wheat flour
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 In large mixing bowl, combine boil-
ing water, 1 cup oats, maple sugar, maple
flavoring, honey, butter, salt, and cinna-
mon. Let sit until lukewarm.
2 Add yeast and flours, and stir to
form dough. Knead for 7 to 8 minutes
12 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
by hand, or 5 to 7 minutes using dough
hook and stand mixer. Dough should be
smooth and satiny — that supple feel
you get with properly kneaded dough.
Put in lightly greased bowl, cover with
plastic wrap or silicone cover, and let rest
for 1 hour.
3 Divide dough in half; shape each
half into loaf. Place in 2 greased 8-by-4-
inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise until 1
inch above pan, about 1 hour.
4 Preheat oven to 350 F.
5 Brush tops with beaten egg and
sprinkle with remaining oats. Bake for
35 to 40 minutes, checking for doneness
after 30 minutes. Bread is done when
internal temperature registers 190 F on
instant-read thermometer.
‘Spent’ Grains Bread
By Sue Van Slooten
Spent grains are grains that have been
used in the brewing process — mostly
barley, but also includes wheat.
I brought some home to bake with,
thinking, “Start with an oatmeal bread
recipe as that is most closely allied with
a quantity of whole grains going in the
mix.” I subbed in the grains for the oat-
meal, did away completely with the hon-
ey, maple flavoring and brown sugar, and
used maple syrup instead.
I’m happy to say it was just right, with
the chewy grains giving it a little bit of
heartiness. The method for this bread is
different, but worked well. Yields 2 loaves.
1 to 11⁄2 cups spent grains
Oatmeal
Bread
About 21⁄2 cups boiling water
4 tablespoons butter
1
⁄3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
11⁄4 cups whole-wheat flour
31⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour,
more or less
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 Place spent grains in large bowl and
add boiling water. Stir in butter, syrup,
salt and cinnamon. Let cool until warm.
(If it is too hot, it will kill the yeast.)
2 Once sufficiently cooled, add flours
and yeast, and stir well to combine. Turn
out onto floured board and knead for
5 to 7 minutes, or until dough comes
together and is smooth.
3 Place dough in greased bowl (make
sure bowl is about twice the size of the
dough); turn to grease other side of
dough. Cover and let rise for about 1
hour, or until doubled in size.
4 Punch down dough, and then knead
briefly. Divide dough in half, and place
in 2 greased loaf pans. (I used the smaller
8-by-4-inch pans, but I’ve also used the
STUDIO; ISTOCK/NIGHTANDDAYIMAGES
9-by-5-inch pans, and they worked well,
too.) Let rise until dough is above rims,
about 1⁄2 inch for large pans or 1 inch
for small.
5 Bake at 350 F for 35 to 40 minutes,
or until top is nicely browned and loaf
LEFT TO RIGHT: FOTOLIA/AFRICA
sounds hollow when tapped, or when in-
stant-read thermometer inserted in cen-
ter of loaf registers 190 F. Cool for a few
minutes in pan before turning out.
 5 Reasons Why Your
Bread Dough Doesn’t Rise
An experienced baker provides insight on
this frustrating obstacle to baking great bread.
By Renee Pottle
several people have
Recently,told me, “I can’t make
bread. It won’t rise.” Despite our best ef-
forts, sometimes flour + water + yeast
doesn’t equal a tantalizing loaf of bread; it’s
just a large lump of dough.
Needless to say this can be frustrating.
Making a loaf of bread is a commitment.
We carve time out of our day to plan and
mix in anticipation of something that can’t
be recreated at the grocery store: a freshly
baked loaf of bread, its aroma wafting
through the house. Having that experience
crash and burn may dissuade us from ever
trying again. And that would be too bad,
RENEE POTTLE
because chances are one of these reasons de-
flated your dough:
Old dead yeast. Dry, inactive yeast can
live for years. But if you used a packet of
yeast found hiding in the back of the re-
frigerator, chances are it was dead. Yeast
submitted to fluctuating temperatures may
be dead too, no matter how recently it was
purchased. Don’t automatically assume you
did something wrong. It could be as simple
as dead yeast.
Yeast is too hot. Recipes that call for
active dry yeast direct you to dissolve it in
warm water. Sometimes the recipe calls for
the liquid to be heated with fat and then
added to the yeast. Either way, if the liquid
is too hot, it will kill off yeast cells. Invest in
a kitchen thermometer so you can test the
water temperature next time.
The room is too cold. Yeast prefers a nar-
row temperature range, usually between 75
and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a little
wiggle room on either side, but not much.
So if the dough sits too long in a cold room,
the yeast will eventually become dormant or
die. You can set the rising dough in a warm
place, like on top of the refrigerator or in a
gas oven that has an always-on pilot light. I
usually turn my electric oven on preheat for
just a minute or two, turn it off and let the
bread rise in the oven.
Not enough time to rise. We live in an “I
want it now” world. But rising dough takes
time. A longer rise time could be due to a
room that is a bit too cold or it could be that
the yeast was dead. It could be because you
are using a different kind of flour, or whole-
grain flour. If the dough hasn’t risen much,
give it more time.
The wrong size pan. Sometimes it isn’t
that the dough didn’t rise, but that it doesn’t
look like it rose. Usually it is because the pan
is too large for the amount of dough. Use
this rule of thumb:
• A recipe with approximately 3 cups of
flour is perfect for an 81⁄2-by-41⁄2-inch pan.
• A recipe with approximately 4 cups of
flour is perfect for a 9-by-5-inch pan.
• A recipe with approximately 41⁄2 cups of
flour is perfect for a 10-by-5-inch pan.
What to Do?
In the meantime, what can we do with
that flat lump of dough that didn’t rise?
• Roll some of it out and bake homemade
crackers.
• Wrap strips around sticks and let the
kids cook it over an open fire — still one of
my favorite memories from childhood.
• Stretch it thin and bake into flatbreads.
• Stretch it thin, cook in a skillet, and
spread with butter, cinnamon and sugar.
Your dough may not have risen, but that
doesn’t mean you can’t make bread. It just
means you made a bread alternative and
now you can try again. Good luck!
www.Grit.com 13
 Take your baking a step further with
a home grain mill that produces delicious flour.

By Carol J. Alexander

can resist a loaf of bread, warm from the oven with a slab of cheddar on top?
WhoOr whole-wheat pancakes slathered in butter and maple syrup? What about
tortillas fresh off the griddle, filled with beans, rice, salsa, and sour cream? These
mouthwatering temptations can be staple foods at your home, made with flour milled
right in your kitchen.

14 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 Choosing the best mill for your family’s
needs is the first step. Considering the invest-
ment in a grain mill, an understanding of the
different types of mills is important before mak-
ing your decision.
Grain mills come in two types: the electric im-
pact mill that bursts the grain open, and the burr
mill, which rubs the grain between two wheels
of stone or stainless steel. Neither mill is better
than the other; they just operate differently and
perform different tasks. It’s important to know
what your purposes are before purchasing a mill.
Any mill on the market can produce flour of
varying coarseness, but if you want to crack your
grains for grits, or mill oily grains, seeds, and
beans, you need a burr mill. Even then, some
burr mills do not accommodate oily grains, be-
cause the mills are sealed and cannot be cleaned
after use.
Generally, burr mills are hand cranked. Don’t
let that deter you, though. Some manufacturers
also sell motor and bicycle kits (pedal-powered
milling). Most homesteaders accustomed to
DIY projects can handle this adaptation with no
problem at all.
The advantage of the electric impact mill is
speed. This type of mill goes from whole grain to
fine flour as fast as a fighter jet — but it sounds
like one, too. Impact mills only produce flour,
and never from an oily grain or seed. They require
electricity, so if you do not have power, you can-
not make bread.
Once you understand the different types of
mills, you have the knowledge necessary to start
comparing brands. The following mills are con-
sidered some of the most popular on the market.

Country Living Grain Mill since sons have the habit of growing up and Above, left to right: The
BELISAMAIMAGEBROKER/AGE; COURTESY GRAINMAKER; COURTESY LEHMAN’S; COURTESY COUNTRY LIVING

We chose the Country Living Grain Mill for moving out of the house. If you don’t have a motor Country Living mill can
produce cracked grains,
our home, because we could operate it during a on hand, Country Living sells a motor kit for this
grits, and even peanut
power outage and use it for grinding corn or beans. purpose. Instructions are on their website. butter with a special
My favorite feature is that while most mills pro- attachment; the Diamant
duce only flour, the Country Living mill can also Diamant Grain Mill mill pre-cracks grains
produce grits or cracked grains for cereal. It also Another popular hand-operated mill is the before grinding into flour.
grinds oily grains or peanuts, and, in fact, they of- Diamant. Made of solid cast iron and weighing
Top: With stainless steel
fer a special attachment for making peanut butter. 58 pounds, it is a workhorse. Like the Country augers and hand-cut
The first thing you will notice about the Coun- Living mill, you can attach the Diamant to a burrs, the GrainMaker can
try Living Grain Mill is that muscles are required peripheral motor. produce a large quantity
to operate it. However, the large flywheel and long Brian Thomas of Missouri purchased his of flour in a short amount
of time, and it carries a
extension bar make it easier to turn than other Diamant 15 years ago. He attached an electric
lifetime warranty on all
hand-operated mills. As a small-framed woman, motor and has used it for several years in his parts, if used under normal
I did find turning the mill challenging. For the small-scale bakery operation without so much household conditions.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:

first year, my sons ground all our flour. Eventu- as a hiccup. Now, he cranks it by hand to create
ally, my husband attached an old washing ma- flour for his family.
chine motor to it so I could operate it myself — “The hand cranking is more of a mental

www.Grit.com 15

Breads made with freshly
milled grains taste
delicious and contain a
wealth of nutrients.
Right: The KoMo Fidibus
Classic is a compact and
attractive mill; you might
even keep it on display.
challenge than a physical one,” Thomas says.
“You have to face the fact that you have to sit
there for 20 minutes doing nothing but turning
this crank.” But when I asked him if someone
with less strength could handle it on a regular
basis, he wasn’t so sure.
Unlike the Country Living mill, the Diamant
has pre-grinding teeth to crack the grains into
smaller pieces before they are pushed through
to the grinding plates. These teeth eliminate the
need for changing augers for larger grains or
beans, but you cannot grind peanuts or other oily
grains in the Diamant.
Considerably more costly than other hand-
crank mills, Thomas feels the price is worth the
investment. “The money I made from selling
bread more than paid for it. And, it’s built to last
generations,” he says.
16 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
GrainMaker
The GrainMaker, manufactured by Bitterroot
Tool & Machine of Montana, is another burr
mill. The basic model weighs in at 25 pounds and
measures a little more than 13 inches tall. Con-
structed of solid steel, this high-end mill comes
with a lifetime warranty on all parts, including
the burrs.
Features that set the GrainMaker apart from
the rest of the pack include the stainless steel
augers and the hand-cut burrs. Other manufac-
turers pour their burrs into a mold. GrainMaker
machinists cut each burr by hand.
Cindy Connor of Virginia used a Country
Living mill for 11 years before seeing the Grain-
Maker at a Mother Earth News Fair. After try-
ing it out, she bought it on the spot. Compar-
ing the two, she prefers the GrainMaker, which
she operates on a regular basis by hand. Why?
With 300 revolutions of the crank, the Grain-
Maker produces twice the volume of flour than
the Country Living mill.
According to Bonnie Jones, co-owner of
GrainMaker with her husband, Randy, the size
of the burrs and the pattern cut in the burrs ac-
count for this dramatic difference in the volume
of flour.
WonderMill
One of the most popular electric impact mills
is the WonderMill. The WonderMill ranks as the
quietest of the impact mills with a decibel rating
of 49 (typical conversation is around 60). Angi
Schneider of Texas owns both the WonderMill
and the Blendtec Kitchen Mill (also known as
the K-tec mill) and says, “The WonderMill is just
a little quieter.”
The WonderMill grinds 90 pounds of flour in
an hour. Its hopper holds six cups of grain, and
the flour is dispensed into a bin that sits next to
the mill.
Blendtec Kitchen Mill
The Blendtec Kitchen Mill compacts for
easy storage, which is a great selling point, says
Schneider. The canister holds more flour than
the WonderMill, but you have to disassemble the
unit to remove the flour. Schneider purchased her
Blendtec more than 15 years ago and still loves
it. “I love them both,” she says. “They both have
pros and cons, but they’re both great machines.”
NutriMill
Christina Kamp of Oklahoma likes know-
ing that the flour she cooks with has the highest
 nutritional value possible and is not contami-
nated with anything. She also buys
non-GMO wheat from a local
farmer, so she knows the bread
products she bakes for her
husband and seven day-care
children are the best she can
make.
A major selling point on
the NutriMill website is that
it is “self-cleaning.” Kamp
says she only has to wipe the
flour residue out of the hopper
— it’s that easy. She also appre-
ciates the more compact construc-
tion of the NutriMill, noting that the collection
bowl of this mill is underneath the mill, which
helps to conserve space. She also says that the
hopper holds more grain than other brands of The WonderMill is able to produce flour quickly, while keeping noise at a minimum.
Inset: The Blendtec mill is dependable and compact; perfect if kitchen space is limited.
mills.

KoMo Grain Mills

KoMo manufactures both electric and hand- Resources
crank models. If you opt for an electric model,
it combines the speed and ease of an electric ■ COUNTRY LIVING GRAIN MILL ■ THE WONDERMILL
mill with the versatility of a burr mill. As pre- Country Living Products The WonderMill is sold by
viously mentioned, impact mills have special 14727 56th Ave. NW select retailers. To find a
rules. With one, you add the grain and turn it Stanwood, WA 98292-8909 retailer, or for more information
on. With another, you turn it on and then add 360-652-0671 about the mill, visit the website,
the grain. If you forget and do it in the wrong info@countrylivingmills.com call or email.
order, you run the risk of damaging your mill. A www.countrylivinggrainmills.com 208-234-9352
burr mill is not complicated, which also applies service@thewondermill.com
to the KoMo. ■ DIAMANT GRAIN MILL www.thewondermill.com
“It seems to me to be the mill with the least Lehman’s is the sole U.S. distributor
trouble,” says Daisy Siskin of Tennessee. “With of the Diamant Grain Mill. ■ THE NUTRIMILL
the KoMo, there is less risk in terms of doing 4779 Kidron Road NutriMill Corporate Office
something wrong.” She pointed out that she Dalton, OH 44618-9287 (Customer Service)
can even change the fineness of her flour in the 800-438-5346 50 E. 100 S.
PLEASANT HILL GRAIN; FOTOLIA/TIMMARY; COURTESY BLENDTEC; COURTESY WONDERMILL

middle of operating the mill. www.lehmans.com Suite 201

The KoMo mill is beautiful and compact, St. George, UT 84770-2316
taking up only 8 square inches on your counter. ■ THE GRAINMAKER 800-692-6724
The corundum-ceramic burrs are housed in a GrainMaker Products sales@nutrimill.com
sealed hardware cabinet that requires no clean- P.O. Box 130 www.nutrimill.com
ing. And while it is almost as fast as an impact Stevensville, MT 59870-0130
mill, it is much quieter. 855-777-7096 ■ KOMO GRAIN MILLS
“The mill is less noisy than my Ninja mixer,” sales@grainmaker.com Pleasant Hill Grain of
says Siskin, “and I’m not at all concerned of www.grainmaker.com Nebraska is the sole U.S.
waking a sleeper when running it.” distributor of KoMo Grain Mills.
This is just a sampling of the grain mills on ■ BLENDTEC KITCHEN MILL 210 S. 1st St.
the market for home kitchens. Determine what Blendtec Corporate Headquarters Hampton, NE 68843-9348
CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY

you need from a grain mill, and choose one that 1206 S. 1680 W. 866-467-6123
fits your budget and will help you satisfy your Orem, UT 84058-4938 info@pleasanthillgrain.com
baking needs. Whichever one you choose, your 800-748-5400 www.pleasanthillgrain.com
family is sure to notice the difference when you www.blendtec.com
start using freshly milled grains.

www.Grit.com 17
 How to Make
Homemade Flour
Fresh, homemade flour is less expensive, more nutritious and more flavorful
than store-bought flour. Learn how to make homemade flour, from choosing a
grain mill to grinding technique, with these handy tips.

By Tabitha Alterman
make homemade flour?
Why Here are a few of the great
reasons to try your hand at homemade
flour:
FLAVOR. Freshness, which can be
equated with both flavor and nutrition,
is the No. 1 reason to mill flour.
The moment after grains become
flour is the moment of the flour’s
maximum potential flavor, after which
oxygen goes to work scavenging flavor
molecules and degrading fatty acids.
Some types of fresh flour, including
buckwheat, corn, oats, and rye, are
even more susceptible than wheat to
fast degradation. This is no different
than what happens to coffee beans once
they’re ground. Many coffee aficionados
wouldn’t think of brewing coffee with
beans ground a week or more ago.

18 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 VARIETY. With more than thirty
thousand varieties of wheat in exis-
tence, you’d think options for nutritious
flours would be numerous. Sadly, this
is not the case. Research conducted by
Dr. Donald R. Davis, a former nutri-
tion scientist at the University of Texas,
demonstrates how wheat has declined
nutritionally over the last 50 years as
farms have become more industrial.
“Beginning about 1960,” Davis told
me, “modern production methods
have gradually increased wheat yields
by about threefold. Unfortunately, this
famous Green Revolution is accompa-
nied by an almost unknown side effect
of decreasing mineral concentrations in
wheat. Dilution effects in the range of
20 percent to 50 percent have been doc-
umented in modern wheats for mag-
nesium, zinc, copper, iron, selenium,
phosphorus, and sulfur, and they prob-
ably apply to other minerals as well.”
In addition, some of today’s variet-
ies have only half as much protein, and
there is evidence that old wheat varieties
often have substantially higher amounts
of valuable phytochemicals.
A few intrepid artisan companies are
bucking the trend.
Wheat Montana Farms, for example,
is one of the few companies where you If you plan to mill larger quantities of whole-grain flour, choose a grain mill designed specifically
can buy wheat directly from the farmers for that purpose, rather than a multipurpose appliance.
who grow it. Their two special varieties,
Prairie Gold and Bronze Chief, were se- the easiest way to get these flours is to sorghum or a bold accent from teff. By
lected for superior protein content. grind your own. Buckwheat tastes noth- milling your own flour, you have con-
A t Bl u e b i rd Gr a i n Fa r m s i n ing like wheat. This is an advantage, not trol over all this. You can custom-blend
Washington state, the nutritious heir- a disadvantage. I use buckwheat when I exactly the mix you need, without buy-
loom wheats einkorn and emmer are want its earthy flavor. I use fresh corn- ing several different bags of flour that
grown sustainably and are milled to or- meal when I want sweet corn flavor. I you’ll then have to find room for in
der or sold whole. use oat flour when I want tenderness, your freezer.
Similarly, Bob’s Red Mill, King and flour made from toasted quinoa Home milling affords control over
Arthur Flour, Pleasant Hill Grain, and when I want extra nuttiness. Variety is texture, too.
Urban Homemaker, among others, sell the key. With a good grain mill you can turn
high-quality, whole, unmilled grains for CONTROL. Not only are many of any grain into a fine, medium, or coarse
home grinding. If you have a great bak- today’s flours likely inferior to their pre- flour to suit your needs.
ery near you, find out where they buy decessors, but they can also be incon- COST. Whole grains are less expen-
their flour — many small mills will ac- sistent from one brand to another. For sive than the flours that are made from
commodate special orders. If you notice most bread making, high-protein hard them.
that a farmers’ market stand offers fresh wheat is ideal. Lower-protein soft wheat Depending on the price you pay for
(2)
COURTESY VOYAGEUR PRESS

flour, ask if you can buy some grains to flours are better for pastries. Maybe you unmilled grains, you can easily make
grind at home. like the taste of white wheat better than homemade loaves of bread for less than
If you want to bake with a variety red, or perhaps whatever you’re baking a buck. However, don’t expect to be able
of grains beyond wheat, sometimes could use a little extra sweetness from to offset the purchase of a mill with

www.Grit.com 19

Burr mills use two plates, which may be natural stone, composite or metal, to crush grain into
various degrees of coarseness.
grocery savings unless you plan to re-
place a great deal of store-bought goods
with homemade versions.
CONVENIENCE. When did people
decide shelf life was the prime virtue?
I don’t choose ripe tomatoes or fresh
fish based on the fact that these items
will last forever in my kitchen. Yet we’ve
been trained to think flour lasts forever,
when it really shouldn’t.
Unmilled grains, on the other hand,
can easily last 20 or 30 years, or possibly
forever. And, they won’t take up space
in your fridge or freezer.
Choosing a Grain Mill
A few different machines can make
whole-grain flour. Which one you need
depends on how often you’ll use it, how
easy you want it to be, whether or not
you need the machine to perform oth-
er tasks, and how much money you’re
comfortable spending. If you’re serious
about putting the best food on your ta-
ble, any of these is a smart investment.
20 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
Some of these well-made machines
may even stick around for your lifetime
plus perhaps your children’s.
Multipurpose Appliances
The following appliances serve dou-
ble- or triple-duty at least.
These aren’t the ideal grain grinders
if you’ll be making flour or cornmeal a
heckuvalot, but they offer a nice com-
promise if it’s something you plan to do
occasionally.
COFFEE/SPICE GRINDER
A coffee grinder is good enough to
make flour from some items, such as
soft grains, seeds, and flakes. Sift any-
thing ground in any sized coffee grind-
er through a fine sieve to remove any
chunky pieces.
FOOD PROCESSOR
If you can grind it in a coffee grinder,
you can grind it in a food processor.
The blade technology is similar, but the
capacity is larger. I’ve had great success
using the KitchenAid 13-cup model.
Food processors can be used for an
amazing array of other tasks too.
HIGH-POWERED BLENDER
BlendTec and Vitamix both make
powerful blenders that grind an impres-
sive variety of items, even hard grains.
Do not assume that another blender can
handle this task, unless it has been ex-
plicitly rated to do so. A good blender
can do many of the same things a food
processor does. If you’ll use one a lot —
for example, to make smoothies, soups,
sauces, nut butters, and flour — you
won’t mind coughing up the $400 or so.
The BlendTec machine can grind nearly
anything. The Vitamix can too, but it
comes with separate pitchers for wet
and dry ingredients, making it pricier.
STAND MIXER
KitchenAid makes a grain-grinding
attachment to fit its stand mixers. These
are good for small batches, but be sure
to give the motor time to cool between
batches to prevent overheating flour.
Stand mixers range in price from $350
to $1,100, and the grain-grinding at-
tachment is $150, so this is no small
investment.
Like a food processor, however, a
stand mixer has a number of useful ap-
plications, and they can last a lifetime.
My mother-in-law has had her hard-
working KitchenAid since the 1960s.
Dedicated Grain Mills
There are many types of grain mills
on the market, ranging in price from
$70 to more than a grand.
Google “grain mills” or search for
them on Amazon to begin comparing
models. Some grain mills are hand-
operated, but don’t think about getting
one unless you seriously believe you will
use it. It’s possible to enjoy the manual
labor, but if you know you’re not that
kind of person, it’ll be a waste of money.
Grain mills are also classified based
on how they crush grain: burr or impact
plates.
In a burr mill, grains are crushed be-
 tween two plates into various degrees
of coarseness. If you’ve heard of stone-
ground flour or cornmeal, it was pro-
duced in a burr mill in which the plates
were made of real stone. Most burr mills
today have composite or metal plates.
Real stone mills are prohibitively ex-
pensive, plus they require more mainte-
nance over time. They also sometimes
have trouble with especially hard items
like dry beans or popcorn. Most com-
posite stones can handle these materials.
Some mills with metal plates can handle
even oily nuts for making nut butter.
Burr mills grind slightly more slowly
than impact mills, usually just enough
to prevent an undesirable amount of
heat from ruining the nutrients and
gluten in your flour.
Durable electric burr mills include
Family Grain Mill ($280), KoMo/
Wolfgang ($400 to $1,100), and Golden
Grain Grinder ($480 to $800).
High-quality hand-crank burr mills
include Victoria (formerly called An old-fashioned millstone was one method used by our ancestors to grind grains into flour.
Corona, $75); Back to Basics ($90);
Family Grain Mill ($185); Schnitzer cessor, grind small batches. Let the ma- cranking. Let your mill cool down be-
Country Mill ($500); Country Living chine cool between batches. tween batches to prevent overheating
Grain Mill ($450); GrainMaker Grain Sift flour through a fine sieve to re- the flour.
Mill No. 99 ($675) and No. 116 move any chunks that made it through Keep your mill free of flour buildup
($1,200); and the wildly popular and largely unscathed. If a good deal of the by following its instructions for clean-
well-made Diamant ($999), which has resulting flour is coarse, sift the finer ing. With my KoMo mill, all I do is
been rated by Lehmans.com as the fin- flour out and return the chunky portion occasionally dust it thoroughly with a
est grain mill available today. to the machine to grind again. stiff brush.
Many of these are convertible to elec- If using a grain blender or stand mix- Never grind items that your mill is
tric power with separate attachments er with grain mill attachment, follow not meant for.
(not included in these prices), and also your machine’s instructions to select the Some mills cannot grind oily items,
offer flywheel attachments to make appropriate settings. such as corn and soybeans. After grind-
manual grinding easier. If using a dedicated grain mill, se- ing oily items in mills that have been
In an impact mill, two interlocking lect coarseness and pour grain into the made to handle it, it’s a good idea to
cylinders spin within one another while hopper while the machine is running. pass a handful of wheat berries through
grains pass through. These don’t always Or, with a manually operated machine, afterward to pick up and remove resid-
make the finest flour. On the other select coarseness, add grain, and start ual oil.
hand, they are inexpensive compared
to burr mills. The most popular elec-
LEFT TO RIGHT: COURTESY VOYAGEUR PRESS; FOTOLIA/MUDRETSOV

tric impact mills include K-Tec Kitchen Reprinted with permission from Whole Grain Baking
Mill ($250), GrainMaster Wonder Mill
Made Easy: Craft Delicious, Healthful Breads, Pastries,
($250), and Nutrimill ($300).
Desserts, and More by Tabitha Alterman and published
Make Homemade Flour by Voyageur Press, 2014. Buy this book and other great
Before milling any grain, make sure titles from the GRIT bookstore, www.grit.com/store.
it’s dry and mold free. Pick out any
rocks and pieces of chaff.
If using a coffee grinder or food pro-

www.Grit.com 21
 Easy,
No-Knead
Artisan Bread
Methods guaranteed to
make everyone
a baker!

Article and photographs

by Karen K. Will

used to be intimidated by bread bak-

Iing. I thought it was a monumental
task that only homemakers invested in ...
mixing, kneading, waiting for rises, expen-
sive stand mixers with dough hooks, etc. I
hate to admit it, but I went to the grocery
store and bought the mini loaves of “arti-
san” bread trucked in from California.
My excuse for not baking bread from
scratch was that I didn’t have the time,
nor the fancy equipment. Enter no-knead
bread — a magical mixture of flour, salt,
yeast, water and time. The world of home-
made, thick-crusted, moist-crumbed, real
artisan bread opened up to me, and it will
for you, too.
After seeing a blurb about Jim Lahey’s
book My Bread (W.W. Norton & Co. Inc.,
2009) in a magazine, I was intrigued, and
rushed out to get it. According to Lahey,
anyone could easily make no-knead, ar-
tisan-style bread in their home kitchen
with a minimal amount of time, equip-
ment and effort. Really? It all sounded

22 GGRIT
22 RIT’s’SGuide
GUIDE TO HOMEMADE
to Homemade Bread BREAD
too good to be true … but as it turned
out, it wasn’t.
The following method of bread making
takes a bit of forethought, some mixing,
and a lot of time in between. It’s a “slow
rise” method in which the flavor is a result
of slow fermentation, and the texture is
the result of baking in a cast-iron pot. The
yeast is eased to life over 12 to 18 hours,
rather than shocked to life with warm wa-
ter and sugar (this type of bread doesn’t
require any added sugar at all). The ingre-
dients are pure and simple — the white
loaf calls for flour, salt, yeast, water — and
most are probably already in your pantry.
Due to the nature of slow fermentation,
you’ll need to start your bread the day be-
fore you want to consume it. This may
be hard to get your mind around, but the
effort is well worth it. There isn’t space in
this article to go over the culinary science
and reasons behind this method — from
fermentation to singing (the wonderful
crackling sound the loaf makes as it’s
removed from the oven that signals the
beginning of the important cooling pro-
cess) — so for that, please get a copy of
Lahey’s book and commit it to memory.
My method slightly deviates from
Lahey’s. After baking several hundred
loaves at the time of this writing, I found
a few things that worked better for me in
my home kitchen, resulting in less clean-
up and better results. I’ve detailed two
methods here for baking. The first is the
most commonly used; the second is for
use with recipes calling for buttermilk —
dairy products burn more easily at higher
temperatures.
Feel free to take liberties with these reci-
pes to determine what works — or tastes
— best in your kitchen, and to come up
with new flavors.
Bread is a forgiving medium for ex-
perimentation … whenever you combine
flour, yeast, water and heat, you’ll usually
end up with bread in some form, regard-
less of your kitchen credentials.

Basic White Bread

3 cups bread flour
11⁄4 teaspoons salt
1
⁄4 teaspoon active dry yeast
11⁄2 to 13⁄4 cups cool water, divided
Coarse cornmeal for dusting

BREAD BAKING METHOD 1:

1 Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in large mixing bowl.
2 Add 11⁄2 cups water, and stir with rubber spatula. Add
remaining water (and possibly more) as needed until you
have a thoroughly mixed, wet, sticky mass of dough. (The
dough will not be like any other bread you’ve made — this
will be much wetter and will not form a ball.)
3 Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room tem-
perature, out of direct sunlight, for 12 to 18 hours.
4 After 12 to 18 hours have passed, your dough should
be dotted with bubbles and more than doubled in size. (It
may also have a strong alcohol smell to it, but don’t mind
that, it will burn off in the baking.) Dust wooden cutting
board with bread flour and, using plastic dough scrapers,
scrape dough loose from sides of bowl and turn out onto board in one dough carefully and let it fall into preheated pot by slowly separating
piece. (Dough will be loose and sticky, but do not add more flour.) Dust scrapers. Dust top of dough with coarse cornmeal.** Cover pot and
top of loaf lightly with a little flour, and cover with clean cotton or linen bake for 30 minutes.
tea towel (terry cloth will stick and leave lint on the dough). Let dough 8 After 30 minutes, remove cover from pot, and continue baking for an
rise for another 1 to 2 hours. additional 15 minutes, or until loaf is browned but not burned.
5 About 30 minutes before second rise is complete, place cast-iron 9 Remove pot from oven. With sturdy wooden or metal spatula, pry loaf
pot, without lid, on rack positioned in lower third of oven — not at the from pot and transfer to cooling rack. Let bread cool for a minimum of 1
very bottom — and heat oven to 475 F. hour before slicing. (This cooling time completes the process and should
6 Once oven has reached 475 F, remove pot using heavy-duty pothold- not be overlooked!)
ers (be very careful at this stage, as the pot and oven are extremely hot). * For rye bread, sprinkle rye flour on bottom of pot.
Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon coarse cornmeal evenly over bottom of pot.* ** For wheat bread, dust top with wheat bran; for rye, dust top with rye
7 Uncover dough and, using 2 plastic dough scrapers, shape dough flour; for oat raisin, dust top with old-fashioned oats; and for cardamom
into a ball by folding it over onto itself a few times. With scrapers, lift cherry, do not dust top with anything.

www.Grit.com 23
 Wheat Bread
21⁄4 cups bread flour
3
⁄4 cup whole-wheat flour
11⁄4 teaspoons salt
1
⁄2 teaspoon active dry yeast
11⁄2 to 13⁄4 cups cool water, divided
Wheat bran and coarse cornmeal for dusting

Use Bread Baking Method 1 on Page 23.

Dill Bread 3
3 cups bread flour ⁄4 cup buttermilk
3
2 tablespoons dried dill weed ⁄4 to 1 cup cool water, divided
11⁄4 teaspoons salt Coarse cornmeal for dusting*
1
⁄2 teaspoon active dry yeast

BREAD BAKING METHOD 2:
1 Whisk together flour, dill weed, salt, and
yeast in large mixing bowl.
2 Combine buttermilk and 3⁄4 cup water in
measuring cup, and add to dry ingredients.
Stir with rubber spatula. Add remaining water
as needed until you have a thoroughly mixed,
wet, sticky mass of dough. (The dough will be
much wetter than typical bread dough and will
not form a ball.)
3 Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at
room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for
12 to 18 hours.
4 After 12 to 18 hours have passed, your
dough should be dotted with bubbles and
more than doubled in size. (It may also have a
strong alcohol smell to it, but it will burn off in
the baking.) Dust wooden cutting board with
bread flour and, using plastic dough scrapers,
scrape dough loose from sides of bowl and
turn out onto board in one piece. (Dough will
be loose and sticky, but do not add flour.)
Dust top lightly with flour, and cover
with cotton or linen tea towel (terry
cloth will stick and leave lint on
dough). Let dough rise for another 1
to 2 hours.
5 About 30 minutes before second
rise is complete, place cast-iron pot,
without lid, on rack positioned in
lower third of oven — not at the very
bottom — and heat oven to 450 F.
6 Once oven has reached 450 F, remove pot 8 After 35 minutes, carefully remove cover
using heavy-duty potholders (be very care- from pot, and continue baking for additional
ful, as the pot and oven are extremely hot). 10 minutes, or until loaf is browned but not
Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon coarse cornmeal burned.
evenly over bottom of pot. 9 Remove pot from oven. With sturdy wooden
7 Uncover dough and, using 2 plastic dough or metal spatula, pry loaf from pot and
scrapers, shape dough into a ball by folding transfer to cooling rack. Do not slice bread
it over onto itself a few times. With scrapers, for a minimum of 1 hour — this cooling time
lift dough and let it fall into preheated pot by completes the process and should not be
slowly separating scrapers. Dust top of dough overlooked!
with coarse cornmeal.* Cover pot and bake * For chocolate cherry bread, do not dust top
for 35 minutes. with anything.

Oat Raisin Bread

3 cups bread flour 1 tablespoon wheat
1
⁄2 cup old-fashioned bran
oats 11⁄4 teaspoons salt
1 1
⁄2 cup raisins ⁄2 teaspoon active
1 teaspoon dry yeast
cinnamon 13⁄4 cups cool water
1
⁄4 teaspoon allspice Coarse cornmeal for
1
⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg dusting

Use Bread Baking Method 1 on Page 23.

24 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 Cardamom Cherry Bread
3 cups bread flour 11⁄4 teaspoons salt
3 1
⁄4 cup dried tart ⁄2 teaspoon active
cherries dry yeast
1
⁄2 cup chopped walnuts 13⁄4 cups cool water
13⁄4 teaspoons ground Coarse cornmeal
cardamom for dusting

Use Bread Baking Method 1 on Page 23.

Seeded Kamut Bread

21⁄4 cups bread flour
3
⁄4 cup Kamut flour
11⁄4 teaspoons salt
1
⁄2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon ground flax seed meal
1
⁄2 cup pumpkin seeds
1
⁄4 cup sunflower seeds, plus extra to sprinkle on
top before baking
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, plus extra to sprinkle
on top before baking
Pumpkin Bread
21⁄2 cups bread flour 3
⁄4 cup cool water
1
1 tablespoon poppy seeds, plus extra to sprinkle on ⁄2 cup spelt or whole-wheat flour 1 cup puréed pumpkin or butternut
top before baking 11⁄4 teaspoons salt squash, mixed into the cool water
11⁄2 cups cool water 1
⁄2 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, to sprinkle
1 teaspoon honey, mixed into the cool water 1 teaspoon cinnamon on top before baking
1
⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
1
Use Bread Baking Method 2 on Page 24. ⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves Use Bread Baking Method 2 on Page 24.

www.Grit.com 25
 1 In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, yeast, and sugar.
2 Add water, and stir with large rubber spatula until you have a
thoroughly mixed, wet, sticky mass of dough.
3 Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature, out of
direct sunlight, for 12 to 18 hours.
4 After 12 to 18 hours have passed, your dough should be dotted with
bubbles and more than doubled in size. Dust wooden cutting board
with bread flour and, using plastic dough scrapers, scrape dough loose
from sides of bowl and turn out onto board in one piece. Using dough
scrapers, fold dough over and onto itself a few times to form a neat
round of dough.
5 Pour a little olive oil into bowl, and brush surface of dough with oil.
Sprinkle on a few pinches of kosher salt, then cover loosely with clean
Baguette cotton or linen tea towel. Let dough rise for another 1 to 2 hours.
Prepare to become addicted: This baguette is unlike a traditional 6 About 30 minutes before last rise is complete, heat oven to 475 F.
baguette in that it’s soft and flavorful — you can easily tear off chunks 7 Once oven has reached 475 F, brush some olive oil in baguette pan,
from the loaf. coating all surfaces thoroughly. Uncover bread and, using dough scrap-
It’s perfect for dipping in olive oil or spreading with butter — or even ers, cut dough circle in half. Separate halves and, using scrapers again,
on its own, thanks to the olive oil and salt on top. It’s also good for gradually work dough to elongate each piece to 12 inches. (You may
sandwiches, and it makes a great base for bruschetta. have to fold the ends under or stretch it a bit with your hands to get an
To make this bread, you’ll need a baguette pan. Matfer blued steel even baguette. Just don’t overwork it or obsess about perfect shape.)
pans from France are a great choice. You can find them online through 8 Dust hands with flour, then transfer each piece to baguette pan,
specialty baking sites or Amazon. stretching a little as you move it. Brush olive oil over top of each
baguette, and sprinkle a little more Kosher salt. Bake for 15 minutes.
3 cups bread flour 11⁄2 cups cool water 9 Remove from oven and slide onto cooling rack. Allow to cool for at
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt Extra-virgin olive oil and flaked least 1 hour before slicing.
1
⁄4 teaspoon active dry yeast kosher salt Recipe from Plowing With Pigs and Other Creative, Low-Budget
3
⁄4 teaspoon sugar Homesteading Solutions, by Oscar H. Will III and Karen K. Will.

No-Knead Ciabatta Bread

Yields 2 loaves.
ON DAY 1:
STARTER (DAY 1): 1 Two days (48 hours) before serv-
1 cup unbleached ing bread, prepare starter by stirring
all-purpose flour together flour, yeast, and water in small
1
⁄8 teaspoon instant bowl. Cover and let stand at room
yeast temperature for 24 hours.
3
⁄4 cup water, room ON DAY 2:
temperature 2 After 24 hours, prepare final dough flour (about 1 teaspoon) in spots where loaves will go.
by whisking together flour, salt, sugar, 5 Turn dough out onto floured surface and sprinkle with lots of flour.
FINAL DOUGH (DAY 2): and yeast in large bowl. Add water, oil, Shape dough into log, and cut in half. Transfer halves to prepared
21⁄2 cups unbleached and starter, and stir with dough whisk or baking sheet, with logs set parallel with short end of pan. Press dough
all-purpose flour spoon until mixture just comes together out to 10-by-4-inch rectangles. Dimple surfaces with floured fingertips.
13⁄4 teaspoons salt into wet, sticky dough. Cover with plastic Sprinkle each rectangle lightly with flour, then cover with floured tea
1 teaspoon sugar wrap; let sit for 19 hours at room towel or oil-sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise for 2 hours.
1
⁄8 teaspoon instant temperature. 6 About 20 minutes before rise is complete, preheat oven to 450 F.
yeast 3 Using wooden spoon, stir dough a 7 Uncover dough and place in oven on center rack. Reduce oven
1
⁄2 cup plus 2 couple of strokes. Cover with plastic temperature to 425 F, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until crust is
tablespoons water, wrap; let rest for 2 additional hours. golden. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack for 1 hour.
room temperature 4 Lightly spray 17-by-11-by-1-inch 8 Store bread, wrapped in aluminum foil, at room temperature for up
2 tablespoons extra- baking sheet with baking spray. Line to 2 days. This bread is best the day it’s baked, but can be reheated in a
virgin olive oil sheet with parchment paper, and lightly 350-degree oven until it crisps up again, about 10 minutes.

26 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

Chocolate Cherry Bread
21⁄2 cups bread flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1
⁄2 cup cocoa powder 11⁄4 teaspoons salt
1 1
⁄2 cup dried tart cherries ⁄2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1
⁄2 cup bittersweet chocolate ⁄2 cup buttermilk
chips 11⁄4 to 11⁄2 cups cool water
1
⁄4 cup chopped walnuts Coarse cornmeal for dusting

Use Bread Baking Method 2 on Page 24.

The Perfect Pot

I began baking my bread in 5- or 6-quart cast-iron and/or enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens, but my
gooey dough didn’t seem to fill the expanse of those pots, and I ended up with a flat, sometimes
odd-shaped loaf. After stumbling upon a rare 31⁄2-quart enameled cast-iron Dutch oven at my
local hardware store, I knew it was the perfect size just by eyeballing it. The bottom was smaller in
circumference than the larger pots I was using, and the sides gently curved upward, giving the loaf a
more defined shape and some needed rise. The only problem was that doggone plastic knob!
The plastic knobs on the lids of most cast-iron Dutch ovens will melt in a 475-degree oven. Here’s
a simple fix: Replace it with a metal cabinet- or drawer-type knob from the hardware store. If its
screw is too long for the lid, use washers or nip off the end of the screw to secure it tightly.
You can find a selection of 31⁄2-quart cast-iron Dutch ovens online by doing a search; they aren’t
usually stocked on the shelves of local big-box stores or even specialty cooking stores.
The other unique item on the equipment list (see “Bread Booty” below) is the elusive plastic
dough scraper — not to be found in town! Do a web search, and several will turn up on specialty
and/or commercial-baking supply sites.

Bread
Booty A Note on Cleanup
Let’s face it, wet, sticky dough is hard to clean up. Instead
of ruining your scrubbers and sponges — and taking the
• 3 ⁄ -quart cast-iron pot
1
2 chance of clogging your sink — by attacking the problem
with lid and metal knob directly, use these methods:
(do not use a pot with •Dirty dough bowl: Swirl a little water in the bowl. Dump it
a plastic knob, or it will out. Wipe a dry paper towel all around the bowl, picking up
melt in the oven) all the bits of dough, and discard.
• large mixing bowl •Tea towels: Pick off bits of dough before laundering.
• dry measuring cups • Cutting board: Use your plastic dough scrapers to scrape
• liquid measuring cup up all the leftover dough bits before cleaning it with soap
• measuring spoons and water.
• large rubber spatula
• 2 plastic dough scrapers
• large wooden or glass
Order Plowing With Pigs
cutting board
• cotton or linen tea towels and Other Creative, Low-
• heavy-duty potholders Budget Homesteading
• sturdy wood or metal
Solutions by Oscar H. Will
spatula
III and Karen K. Will by
• cooling rack
visiting www.grit.com/store.

www.Grit.com 27
 Going Gluten
Free
Seven indispensable
ingredients make your
transition easier.

By Craig Idlebrook

growing number of Americans have

A become aware that they suffer from
some level of gluten-sensitivity, a condi-
tion that can seriously impact a person’s
overall health.
Gluten-sensitivity encompasses a wide
range of conditions, from a mild wheat
allergy to celiac disease. Some gluten-sen-
sitive people are seemingly asymptomatic.
For others, avoiding gluten can be a case
of life and death. Rose O’Carroll, owner
of Rose’s Wheat-Free Bakery and Café in
Evanston, Illinois, says her mother was
confined to a wheelchair before being
diagnosed with celiac disease. Thomas
Mercer, chief operating officer for the
IBS Treatment Center in Seattle, tells
of a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s
disease-like symptoms, who became com-
pletely lucid after gluten was eliminated
from her diet.
Gluten is a mainstay in the American
diet. Found in grass-related grains, such
as wheat, rye, and barley, it shows up in
much of the processed food sold in the
United States. And some crops, like corn
and oats, can be contaminated with glu-
ten because they are grown or processed
near wheat. Altering your diet to avoid
gluten may seem overwhelming.
Luckily, there are many staples still
available to the gluten-free cook. Also,
food manufacturers and restaurant own-

28 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 ers have learned there’s money to
be made catering to the gluten-free
market. And with a little practice
and some out-of-the-box thinking,
gluten-sensitive cooks can continue
to enjoy their favorite baked goods.
Below are seven ingredients that
come in handy in the gluten-free
kitchen. All can be found in super-
markets or natural food stores.
Rice
There’s a reason why this grain
is a staple throughout much of the
world. If you’ve only eaten instant
white rice, try brown basmati rice
for a richer flavor.
Rice is easy to digest and good
for those with multiple food aller-
gies; that’s why it’s often a baby’s first
grain. It also has a stickiness factor
that makes it popular with wheat-free
noodle manufacturers. Rice is versa-
tile enough to be used for all three
meals, and it is easy to pair with vegeta-
bles, beans and seafood.
For an easy treat, make rice pudding.
Cook brown rice, then cover with milk
or soy milk and let sit overnight. Add rai-
sins, a cinnamon stick, and a long dash
of maple syrup. Heat up and let simmer
for 30 minutes, stirring and adding milk
as needed. It’s a good dish for breakfast
or dessert.
Quinoa growing in a field in Peru.
It is best to wash quinoa in a strainer
to remove the bitter outer coating. It has
a nutty flavor that makes it a welcome
addition to vegetables, but the same
flavor makes it a bit strange as a sub-
stitute for pasta with any kind of
tomato sauce.
Some dancers I know love to start
their day with a bowl of quinoa and
toasted walnuts drizzled with maple
syrup. They say it keeps them moving
all morning.
Amaranth
Amaranth is another nutritional
powerhouse that came from pre-
colonial times, this time thanks to the
Aztecs. Suppressed by the Spanish for
its use in human sacrifice ceremonies,
amaranth now is valued for both its
high nutritional content and its abil-
ity to grow on marginal land.
Technically an herb, amaranth
doesn’t match the protein content
of most quinoa, but it still packs a
punch that outperforms wheat and
rice. It also tops wheat in iron and
fiber, and has three times the calcium
level of milk per serving.
Amaranth has a stickiness that can
make it good for casseroles and in baked
goods. But overcooking can make for a
gluey mess. Like quinoa, it’s versatile
enough for most veggie and meat dishes.

Quinoa
While quinoa once was considered
sacred in the Incan empire, Western
cuisine only recently has embraced this
(2)/ SAYARIKUNA, BEASTFROMEAST

wonderful food.
For more than 5,000 years, quinoa
was treasured and cultivated by Incans,
both for its ability to thrive in high al-
titudes and for its high energy content.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: GLUTEN-FREE BANANA BREAD, LAURI PATTERSON; ISTOCK

Spaniards suppressed quinoa cultiva-

tion, but it escaped the conquistadors’
swords and continued to grow wild in
the Bolivian mountains.
Good thing, too, as it is a perfect pro-
tein. Technically a seed, quinoa usually
outstrips wheat and rice in protein con-
tent, topping out at 22 percent. It also
is a complete protein, meaning quinoa
doesn’t need to be paired with other foods
to have its protein accessible to your body. Amaranth is a beautiful plant, and even more striking when mixed with marigolds.

www.Grit.com 29
 Amaranth enthusiasts like to pop it
like popcorn. Use a hot skillet without
any oil. Pour a small amount of ama-
ranth in the pan, no more than to cover
the bottom. Some folks cover it with
a lid. Amaranth pops quickly, so don’t
walk away or it will blacken.
Combine with herbs, butter, sweetener
or all three.
Millet
Millet makes good bird seed, and it
can find a home in your kitchen, too.
Millet challenges rice’s dominance in
parts of China and is one of the most
important grains in the world.
It’s prized because it’s drought-
resistant, easy to store and requires little
input to grow.
Want proof? Take a look at the crab-
grass that pops up in manicured lawns.
Millet at work.
Millet’s nutritional content isn’t as
high as that of quinoa, but it still out-
performs wheat. It’s high in protein and
amino acids, and seems to have some
cancer-fighting properties.
Millet has a nutty flavor and can add
a nice crunch to baked goods, such as
cookies or bars.
To prepare millet, wash first. Some
cooks prefer to toast it before using in
baked goods. It’s also good in puddings
and sauces.
It can be cooked until creamy. To add
some nutritional kick to a favorite com-
fort food, some millet enthusiasts add it
to mashed potatoes.
Egg, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum,
Potato Starch, Tapioca Flour
and Other Binders
Gluten is a handy thing for binding
your baked goods together. That’s one of
the reasons wheat rules in the bakery busi-
ness. Try to make bread without a gluten
replacement, and your results may fall flat
of your expectations.
Gluten-free bakers have learned to sub-
stitute starches, gums and some flours for
gluten to create a glutenlike effect in their
baked goods. It’s not an apples-to-apples
swap, but it seems to do the trick.
Egg is a natural binder and leavening
agent, if you’re not vegan. Xanthan gum
30 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
Millet must be washed before cooking, and some cooks prefer to toast it before baking.
is a popular binder with an added bonus
of helping to prevent tooth decay. If you
don’t have potato starch handy, you can
grate a potato in a pinch and let it drain
over a bowl. Pour off the liquid. What
remains is the starch.
Using binders is an imprecise science,
and most gluten-free bakers say they
use a combination of xanthan gum and
other binders.
If you’re starting out, consult a gluten-
free cookbook until you get the hang
of it. As one gluten-free baker said,
while combining the ingredients may
One possible gluten-free baking mix might be
chocolate chip dessert squares like these.
seem easy, it’s the key to gluten-free
baking technique.
Non-wheat Flours
Many people grew up believing wheat
is the only type of flour. Actually, you can
make flour out of almost anything. Rice,
potato, soy, millet, bean … the possibili-
ties are endless.
Again, gluten-free bakers tend to mix
and match their flours. Your best bet is to
follow a cookbook until you get a feel for
what works.
Rice flour tends to add a fun crunch to
cookies and cakes. Garbanzo bean flour
makes a nice approximate to wheat. Bean
flour, when combined with other flours,
can help make a complete protein out of
your baked good.
Most natural food stores will carry at
least five or six of the flours that are alter-
natives to wheat.
A Gluten-free Baking Mix
(Preferably Brownie)
OK, so this isn’t indispensable, but you
should take time to treat yourself with
something easy as you adapt to a gluten-
free lifestyle. Otherwise, it might be easy
(2)/NATALLIA YAUMENENKA, LAURI PATTERSON
to give up.
Natural food stores usually have more
than one gluten-free baking mix. Many
supermarkets and natural food stores also
carry gluten-free flour mixes. You also can
find such mixes online.
A gluten-free diet is not a life sentence
TOP TO BOTTOM: ISTOCK
to bland food. Instead, it can be a chance
to improve your diet and experiment with
wonderful dishes.
 GLUTEN?
What’s Up With

Why does it have

such a bad rap?

By Jennifer Nemec

days, the phrase “gluten

Thesefree” seems to be every-
where. I feel like half of my friends
stopped eating gluten overnight. We
added a gluten-free option at group pot-
lucks, I tried my first rice cracker, and I
watched as people who had been fight-
ing health issues started raving about
how good they felt. Grocery stores (even
in our not-so-metropolitan Kansas town)
now have gluten-free aisles. But what is
gluten, and why does everyone suddenly
want to be free of it?
Gluten is actually an important pro-
tein complex in bread and other foods.
The Chinese call it “the muscle of flour.”
Found in wheat and its close relatives,
gluten is made up of glutenin and gliadin
(in wheat), secalin (in rye), and hordein
(in barley). It doesn’t dissolve in water,
and comes from the endosperm — the
starchy part of the seed that provides nu-
trition for the developing plant.
Gluten plays a celebrated role in bread
making. A “gluten network” gives struc-
ture and makes the dough elastic enough
to rise. Many of the steps in bread making
are about creating this network.
Food expert Alton Brown compares
the structure of proteins to old-fashioned
coiled phone cords. At the beginning of
bread making, a gluten molecule is much
like a well-used phone cord. It’s twisted
back on itself, and you’re having trouble
getting it to stretch at all. Weak bonds
SARRAGA
water; this starts the process and allows
the cords to unfold.
Imagine that the ends of these no-
longer-tangled cords can attach to one
another to form chains. The stretching
and folding of kneading allows these now-
linear phone cords to align and join to-
gether. Once they are side by side, parts
of the coils can then connect with each
other. You have now created a kind of
mesh structure made with chains of coiled
gluten proteins in the dough.
During the rising phase, yeast adds
carbon dioxide bubbles to the dough,
which also assists in the lining up and
stretching out of the gluten strands.
When you put your bubble-filled gluten
mesh into the oven, the heat solidifies
the gluten and starch, and the structure
of bread is formed.
Gluten is also what makes gravy thick
and pasta able to soak up sauce. It’s used
in some meat substitutes (like seitan), pri-
that need structure or absorbency — like
popsicles and ice cream.
For most of us, gluten is nothing but a
regular part of our diet. However, a grow-
ing number of people’s bodies see gluten
as an enemy invader and react accord-
ingly. A genetic, autoimmune disorder
known as celiac disease afflicts about one
in 100 Americans (2.5 million are undi-
agnosed), and an additional 18 million
are “gluten-sensitive.” In autoimmune
disorders, your immune system malfunc-
tions (or functions too well). In this case,
a gluten protein triggers the immune
system, creating havoc in the small intes-
tine. Once rarely considered, these life-
changing diagnoses have become more
common as information and testing have
become more available.
The treatment for both of these disor-
ders involves removing gluten from your
diet. This is not easy because gluten is
found in many common foods. As the

have even formed between different areas marily because of its texture and absor- number of people avoiding gluten has in-
ISTOCK/KAREN

of the coils to keep it in a folded mass. bent qualities. These qualities also make creased, a world of gluten-free foods has
One way to untangle these cords is to add it a good culprit for being added to foods hit the shelves.

www.Grit.com 31
 A hearty breakfast keeps you going all morning, and what better
way to start the day than with homemade bread?

By Evan Blake Welch

say breakfast is the key 1

⁄4 teaspoon baking powder 1 Heat oven to 350 F. In large bowl,
Experts meal of the day. After 3
⁄4 cup cocoa combine dry ingredients. Mix in all wet
all, the meal does break the fast we’ve 1
⁄2 cup oil, or, for low fat, 11⁄2 cups ingredients. Place dough in 2 loaf pans,
experienced since last night’s dinner or applesauce and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
bedtime snack. And what better than 3 eggs 2 Variation: Use 3 teaspoons cinnamon
homemade bread to get you off on the
right foot?
Just think of it: Hot tea, whole-grain
scones and the sun peeking over the
Pineapple-Zucchini Bread
Recipe by Joanne Wright Schulte,
foggy horizon. The perfect start to an Santa Ana, California Yields 2 loaves.
excellent day.
Say no to a dull breakfast and comple- 3 eggs 2 teaspoons baking
ment your morning with a hearty, savory 2 cups sugar soda
bread. There’s a reason breakfast bread has 1 cup salad oil 1 teaspoon salt
been human tradition for centuries: It’s a 2 teaspoons vanilla 1
⁄2 teaspoon baking
great source of energy. With stimulating 2 cups coarsely powder
flavor and arousing crunch, bread is even shredded, unpeeled 11⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon
better made from scratch. zucchini 3
⁄4 teaspoon ground
We’ve sought out and found some of 1 can (81⁄4 ounces) nutmeg
the tastiest, heartiest, and soul-warming crushed pineapple, 1 cup finely chopped
breads known to humankind. well drained walnuts
3 cups all-purpose flour
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Recipe from Rowena McDermott, 1 Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 2 loaf pans
Phelan, California (9-inch); set aside.
2 In mixing bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Beat in
2 cups all-purpose flour sugar, oil, and vanilla. Continue beating until mixture
2 cups sugar is thick and foamy. Stir in zucchini and pineapple.
1 teaspoon salt 3 In second bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg,
3 cups zucchini, grated (thawed and and nuts. Add to zucchini mixture and stir just until all flour is moistened. Spoon batter into
drained, if frozen) prepared pans. Bake 50 to 60 minutes.
2 teaspoons baking soda

32 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in place
of cocoa.
Apricot Granola Biscuits
Recipe by Pat Crocker,
Neustadt, Ontario, Canada
If cicely is not available or not to your lik-
ing, try lemon thyme. Yields about 31⁄2
dozen biscuits.
1
⁄2 cup rice or soy milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups whole-grain granola (homemade
or store-bought)
1
⁄2 cup whole-wheat flour
1
⁄4 cup chopped dried apricots
3 tablespoons organic cane sugar
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh sweet cicely
or chervil
1
⁄4 cup shredded coconut, optional
1 Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil 2
baking sheets; set aside.
2 In large bowl, beat together milk and
egg until frothy. Beat in oil. Stir in gra-
nola, flour, apricots, sugar, sweet cicely,
and coconut, if using.
3 Drop by tablespoon, about 1 inch
apart, onto prepared baking sheets.
Flatten slightly with fork.
4 Bake 10 minutes, or until golden
brown. Remove to cooling rack. Store
cool biscuits in airtight container up to
5 days; store in freezer up to 2 months.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Recipe from Helen Lamison,
Carnegie, Pennsylvania
2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened
chocolate
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
LEFT TO RIGHT: ISTOCK/RTYREE1; FOTOLIA/JJAVA
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3
⁄4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 2
loaf pans (9-inch); set aside.
2 In microwaveable bowl, microwave
chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally 2 cups all-purpose flour
until chocolate is smooth. 11⁄4 teaspoons baking powder
3 In large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda
oil, zucchini, vanilla, and chocolate; beat 1
⁄4 cup poppy seeds
well. 2 eggs
4 Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, and 3
⁄4 cup lemon yogurt
cinnamon; mix well. Fold in chocolate 3
⁄4 cup milk
chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.
5 Bake 1 hour, or until toothpick in- GLAZE:
serted in center of loaf comes out clean. 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Lemon Glazed 2 teaspoons reserved lemon zest
Poppy Seed Muffins
Recipe from The Herb Companion 1 Heat oven to 375 F. Butter muffin
These lemon-glazed poppy seed muffins pans; set aside.
are quick and easy to make for breakfast, 2 Combine zest (reserving 2 tea-
lunch or snacks. Yields 18 muffins. spoons), 1⁄4 cup sugar, and water in small
saucepan.
MUFFINS: 3 Cook over medium heat, stirring
Zest of 3 large lemons, finely chopped, constantly, for 2 minutes, or until sugar
divided dissolves.
1
⁄2 cup sugar, divided 4 Add butter and continue cooking
2 tablespoons water until melted. Remove from heat and set
5 tablespoons butter aside.
Cinnamon Rolls
1 cup milk
3
⁄4 cup sugar, divided
1 package yeast
1
⁄4 cup warm water
1
⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
41⁄2 cups flour, divided
1
⁄4 cup lard
1 cup mashed potatoes
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
Butter
Cinnamon-sugar mixture
Brown sugar
Nuts
1 Scald milk in saucepan. Stir in 1⁄4 cup 4 Roll dough out into 1⁄4-inch-thick rectangle,
sugar; set aside to cool to lukewarm. 15 inches wide by any length. Brush dough
2 Sprinkle yeast into warm water, which has with butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar
been placed in large bowl; stir until dissolved. mixture. Roll up jellyroll-style, pressing edges
Stir in cooled milk mixture and nutmeg. Beat in firmly. Cut into 1-inch-thick slices.
2 cups flour until mixture is smooth. Cover with a 5 Melt a little butter in a 9-by-13-inch baking
clean cloth and let rise in a warm place. pan. Sprinkle in a little brown sugar and a
3 In medium bowl, cream lard and remaining generous amount of nuts. Place sliced rolls close
sugar. Blend in mashed potatoes. Stir in salt together in pan. Let rise until doubled in size.
and eggs. Blend mixture into yeast mixture. 6 Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes. Invert
Mix in remaining flour. Place dough in a pan on a cooling rack so nut topping will be
greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled on top.
in size. 7 Serve warm or cooled.
www.Grit.com 33
 Breakfast Biscuits With Cinnamon
Marie Burns, Lindley, New York, sends a breakfast biscuit recipe. Yields 12 biscuits.

13⁄4 cups all-purpose flour 1 Heat oven to 400 F.

1
⁄4 cup wheat bran 2 Combine flour, bran, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon,
2 tablespoons granulated and salt. Cut in butter. Make well in center of dry mixture.
sugar Add milk and fruit bits; stir just until moistened.
1 tablespoon baking powder 3 Turn dough out onto floured surface. Quickly knead
1
⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon dough 10 to 12 strokes, or until nearly smooth. Pat or lightly
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt roll dough to 1⁄2-inch thickness. Cut dough with floured
1
⁄2 cup butter 21⁄2-inch biscuit cutter.
2
⁄3 cup milk 4 Place biscuits 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet.
1
⁄2 cup mixed dried fruit bits Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Remove biscuits
1
⁄2 cup sifted confectioner’s from baking sheet and cool slightly on wire rack.
sugar 5 Meanwhile, stir together confectioner’s sugar and enough
2 to 3 tablespoons orange orange juice to make icing easy to drizzle. Drizzle icing over
juice, milk or water biscuits; serve warm.

Orange Biscuits
Nancy Smyer, Lufkin, Texas, is one of many to send in the recipe, and several people
wrote in that these are delicious! Yields 9 biscuits.

1
⁄4 cup butter 1 Combine 1⁄4 cup butter, orange juice,
1 1
⁄2 cup orange juice ⁄2 cup sugar, and orange peel; cook 2 min-
1
⁄2 cup sugar utes. Pour into greased 9-cup muffin tin.
2 teaspoons grated orange peel 2 Sift flour, baking powder, salt; cut in lard.
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour Add milk; stir until dough follows fork. Knead
3 teaspoons baking powder 15 seconds; roll dough to 1⁄4-inch thickness.
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt 3 Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with
1
3 to 4 tablespoons lard ⁄4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll as for jelly
3
⁄4 cup milk roll. Cut 1-inch slices; place cut side down
Butter, melted over orange mixture in muffin tin.
1
⁄4 cup sugar 4 Bake in very hot oven (450 F) for 20 to
1
⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 25 minutes.

Banana Sour Cream Muffins

From CAPPER’s Farmer Recipe Archives. Yields about 18 muffins.

1 teaspoon baking soda 1 Heat oven to 350 F. Grease muffin tin or line with
1 teaspoon water paper baking cups; set aside.
1
⁄2 cup oil 2 In mixing bowl, dissolve baking soda in water. Mix
1 cup sugar in oil, sugar, egg, flour, mashed bananas, sour cream,
1 egg, beaten wheat germ, and vanilla.
13⁄4 cups flour 3 Pour batter into prepared muffin tin, filling cups
2
1 cup mashed ripe ⁄3 full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until tops are golden
bananas and a toothpick inserted in muffin centers comes
1
⁄4 cup sour cream out clean. Serve warm or cold, plain or topped with
1
⁄8 cup wheat germ icing, fruit preserves, or a sprinkling of brown sugar
11⁄2 teaspoons vanilla and cinnamon.

34 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 5 In medium bowl, combine flour,
baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds,
and remaining sugar.
6 In large bowl, whisk eggs, yogurt, milk,
and lemon mixture until smooth. Add flour
mixture and stir until blended.
7 Fill muffin cups to within 1⁄4 inch of
top and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until
toothpick inserted in center of a muffin
comes out clean.
8 For glaze, combine confectioner’s
sugar, juice, and reserved lemon zest;
blend well to spreading consistency.
9 Remove tins from oven and top muf-
fins with Lemon Glaze. Serve warm.

Whole-Grain Scones
Recipe by Pat Crocker,
Neustadt, Ontario, Canada
These tarragon-spiked breakfast favorites
are superb. For a tasty change, add low-
glycemic pizza toppings (a few possibili-
ties are listed below). Yields 6 scones.
11⁄2 cups whole-wheat flour
1
⁄2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or spelt
flakes
3 tablespoons organic cane sugar crystals
or granulated sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large egg
1
⁄2 cup buttermilk
* Or, substitute fresh oregano, marjoram,
thyme, and/or sage.
Optional Pizza Toppings: tomato sauce,
hummus, black bean spread, cooked
chicken, smoked salmon, tuna, onion,
(2)/ CRAIG VELTRI, GEORGE BAILEY; FOTOLIA/TRINITY
Banana Bread
1
⁄2 cup lard Yields 1 loaf.
1 cup sugar 1 In large bowl, cream lard and sugar until fluffy. Add
3 eggs, beaten beaten eggs and mix thoroughly.
23⁄4 cups all-purpose flour 2 In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder,
1 teaspoon baking powder baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture alter-
1
⁄4 teaspoon baking soda nately with bananas and vanilla. Stir in nuts.
3
⁄4 teaspoon salt 3 Pour mixture into greased and floured 9-by-5-by-
11⁄2 cups mashed bananas 3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for about 60 minutes.
1 teaspoon vanilla Cool overnight before slicing.
1 cup chopped nuts 4 To serve warm, simply microwave for a few seconds.
4 Bake 15 minutes, or until lightly 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
browned. Cool. Store scones in airtight 1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
container up to 3 days, or store in freezer 11⁄2 cups grated cheddar cheese
bag in freezer up to 1 month. 2 apples, coarsely chopped
5 To make pizzas: Split scone in half 1 egg
and arrange on baking sheet. Spread 1 cup applesauce
about 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, hum- 1 cup plain yogurt
mus, or bean spread over each half. Top 1
⁄4 cup liquid honey
with chicken or fish, vegetables, and 3 tablespoons oil

peppers, mushrooms, shredded ched- herbs. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese

dar, feta cheese, additional herbs
1 Heat oven to 400 F. Lightly oil bak-
ing sheet; set aside.
2 To make scones: In bowl, combine
flour, oats, cane sugar, tarragon, baking
powder, and salt. With fork, beat olive oil
CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: FOTOLIA/FOTOGAL; ISTOCK
over top. 1 Heat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil muf-
6 Bake at 400 F for 8 minutes, or fin tin (or line with paper cups); set aside.
until cheese is melted and bubbly. 2 In bowl, combine flours, rolled oats,
baking powder, sage, and salt. Stir in
Morning Energy Muffins cheese and apples.
Recipe by Pat Crocker, 3 In separate bowl, whisk egg. Whisk
Neustadt, Ontario, Canada in applesauce, yogurt, honey, and oil. Stir

and egg into buttermilk. Use fork to mix
liquid ingredients into dry ingredients.
Dough should be dry enough to handle. If
not, add up to 1⁄4 cup additional flour.
3 Turn dough onto prepared baking
sheet. Pat dough into circle about 6 inches
in diameter and 1 inch thick. Using sharp
knife, cut circle of dough into 6 wedges.
For a spicy variation, replace sage with
1
⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1⁄4 tea-
spoon ground ginger. Yields 12 muffins.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1
⁄4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
egg mixture into flour mixture, stirring
just until moistened.
4 Spoon into muffin cups, generously
filling each to top. Bake about 20 min-
utes, or until cake tester comes out clean
and tops are golden brown. Cool. Store
in airtight container up to 5 days; store in
freezer up to 2 months.

www.Grit.com 35
36 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
 Make flavorful sandwich bread out of quality ingredients to save money
and warm a gathering or just your kitchen for the day.

By Wendy Akin
bread is something
Baking people have practiced
for centuries but have partly forgotten in
modern life. It’s a skill worth relearning
for the pride and joy of putting a lovely
loaf on the table, knowing it was our
care and skill that made this beautiful
bread for family and guests.
When we bake our own bread, we
know what’s in our food. In today’s
world of unpronounceable ingredients,
this is reassuring. We purchase the best
flour available and combine it with only
the healthful ingredients of our choice.
The breads we bake at home have more
flavor because we allow the loaves time
to develop, so they never have that odd
processed aftertaste.
We can also save money by baking our
family’s sandwich bread. You can make
a very basic sandwich bread loaf with
high-quality flour for about 70 cents.
Adding organic milk, butter, and eggs
will bring the cost up to nearly $1.50.
Even so, that’s savings.
Expanding into more fancy artisan
breads can yield even more savings. As
home bakers, the entire world of breads
is available to us — we can duplicate the
breads of any culture right in our own
oven and all at a modest cost.
A day spent baking bread is a good
day. Great satisfaction comes with see-
ing loaves out of the oven, cooling on
the rack. The house smells fabulous. For
some, bread baking starts with just a basic
loaf for family sandwiches. Success can
lead to passion — for creating the perfect
artisan loaf, the perfect pizza, the perfect
sticky bun. The more we learn, the more
we want to learn.
Getting Started
I figure, if you’re going to get all the in-
gredients out and make a mess, you might
as well bake a lot of bread, especially on a
cold day. I certainly don’t want to have to
wash the bowl in between! The following
recipes include mixer instructions, but as
home bakers have mixed bread for centu-
ries, you can certainly mix any of these by
hand — which will take longer but will
build your arm strength.
I hope you enjoy the process, fill your
table, and warm your kitchen with these
breads.

Above left: Bakers use a bench knife — also called a bench scraper, dough scraper, or pastry scraper — to slice and move dough or scrape a work surface.
Above right: A lame (pronounced “lahm”) is used to slash the dough, allowing it to expand during baking. A very sharp knife or razor blade also works.

www.Grit.com 37
 White Sandwich Bread
With a Starter
This basic recipe is for white bread,
but feel free to use half bread flour and
half white-whole-wheat flour or whole-
wheat flour.
You can also use all white-whole-
wheat flour plus 1⁄4 cup vital wheat
gluten, and add it along with the salt
and yeast. Yields 2 fat loaves or boules.

6 cups bread flour, divided, plus more

in reserve
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons instant yeast
16 ounces pre-fermented starter, about
Overnight Starter for 3 Batches of Bread 1
⁄3 of a batch (see recipe, left)
European breads are frequently made with an overnight starter, called a poolish or biga. 2 cups hot water
This way of developing dough — which I learned from Peter Reinhart, of The Bread Baker’s 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
Apprentice — has helped me to quickly put together some delicious, full-flavored sandwich 1 tablespoon oil (optional)
breads. Watch a video on how to stretch and fold the starter at goo.gl/zH46BA.
Directions: You can use a mixer with a dough hook, or it’s easy enough to stir this up by 1 Set up a mixer with a dough hook.
hand — just approximate the mixer directions. Whichever you choose, begin by putting the 2 Put 4 cups of the flour and the rest of
flour into a good-sized bowl, tall rather than wide (your mixer bowl will work well). Put the salt the dry ingredients into the bowl — salt
on one side of the bowl and the yeast on the other, and then stir together. and yeast on opposite sides. (Otherwise
Make a little well, then pour the water into the mix. Run the mixer on the stir setting until the salt will delay the yeast.) Give it a stir.
the flour is taken up. Turn the mixer off and let it rest for a minute or two, then turn the mixer 3 With your bench knife (see photo,
on #4 or the knead setting and run for 2 minutes. Rest a Page 37) or your hands, cut the starter
minute, and then run it on #4 again for a couple of min- Ingredients into about 10 pieces, dropping them
utes. Repeat. The dough will clear the bowl but will still • 6 cups bread flour into the dry ingredients. Add the hot
look shaggy. • 11⁄2 tsp fine sea salt water and honey, if using, and turn on
Put out a large cutting board (mine is 16 by 20 inch- • 11⁄2 tsp instant yeast the mixer to #1 or the stir setting.
es) — or a sheet pan will do. Pour the oil on the board, • 21⁄2 cups tepid water 4 Run the mixer until the flour is
smear it around with your hands, and leave your hands • 1 tbsp oil nearly taken up, and then turn up the
greased. Then, dump the dough out. Pat the dough into an speed to #4 or the knead setting. Run
oval, about 10 by 12 inches. on #4 for at least 5 minutes — the
Now, pick up the back edge of the dough (it will be wet) and pull and stretch it away from hunks of starter will be well-incorpo-
you, then fold it back onto the rest of the dough. Pick up the front edge, pull and stretch it and rated into the dough.
fold it back onto the dough. Turn the dough over so the stretched and folded surface is now on 5 Add most of the remaining flour,
the bottom. Repeat the pull-and-stretch, and turn the dough over. holding back a little. Again, run mixer
Walk away for a few minutes. Because the dough is oiled, you don’t need to cover it now. on the stir setting until the flour is tak-
Go back and repeat the pull-and-stretch on both sides, and again let it rest for a few minutes. en up and then turn to #4, or knead, for
Repeat one more time. If you pull and stretch a small area, you’ll see the “window” — a bit of a good 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough
dough that will stretch so thin you’ll be able to read through it. This indicates that the dough is has come together well.
nicely developed. 6 Drizzle a bit of the oil down the
Put the dough into a greased bowl large enough to allow it to fully double. Cover the side of the bowl to help the dough clear
bowl and put it in the refrigerator overnight to rest and develop flavor. The dough will the bowl, if needed.
rise to nearly double, then deflate a bit. (It can rest for as long as two nights if you’re 7 When it all comes together, transfer
not ready to bake.) the dough into a rising bucket or bowl.
Now, you’ll be ready to make the sandwich bread or rye bread recipes that follow. Allow it to rise until nicely doubled and
What to do with leftover starter: If you don’t want to make three whole batches of bread, puffy. This could take from 1⁄2 hour to
you can make really nice ciabatta-style hamburger buns. I just pat out the starter on a an hour or longer, depending on the
lightly floured board and cut it with a bench knife into pieces just a little smaller than a room temperature.
burger. The dough will spread a little as it rises. Square is fine! Is there a rule that says 8 Turn the dough out onto a floured
burgers must be round? kneading board. Knead several turns,
adding a little bit of reserved flour if

38 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread


Using a starter will help you make a rye bread that’s moist and has a chewy crust.
needed, until the dough is smooth, sat-
iny, and doesn’t stick.
9 With your bench knife, cut the
dough in half, as evenly as you can. Pat
each half into an oval, about 8 by 10
inches, and then, stretching it a bit, roll
it up into a nice, fat loaf. For a rustic
36-37, FROM LEFT: FOTOLIA (2)/MASTER1305, IMFOTOGRAF; STOCKFOOD/PHOTOALTO
appearance, pick up a little flour from
the board and sprinkle a bit on the top.
10 Put each loaf into a greased or well-
seasoned loaf pan to rise.
11 Cover the loaves with greased plas-
tic wrap or a proof cover and allow
them to rise until fully doubled. While
the loaves rise, check them a time or
two. If you see a big bubble on the top,
pinch it carefully so you won’t have a
burned blister on the top of your bread.
12 Just before the rise is complete,
make a slash or two with a lame (see
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ISTOCK/OLAFSPEIER; FOTOLIA/NATA_VKUSIDEY; ISTOCK/STEVE FROEBE; PAGES
photo, Page 37) or a very sharp knife or
razor blade.
13 Heat the oven to 350 F. Bake
your loaves for about 50 minutes, un-
til they’re a nice dark-gold color, and a
thermometer inserted through the side
reads 190 degrees. Turn out the loaves
immediately onto a wire rack. Never cut
a loaf until it’s completely cool.
14 Wrap the loaves well to freeze
them. I put each loaf or half loaf into
a cheap plastic bag and then place two
loaves into a 2-gallon zip-close bag.
Try rustic boules and pizza crust:
This dough also makes great sandwich
rolls, boules, rustic loaves for the dinner
table, and my favorite: pizza crusts.
I love to form several pizza crusts to
stock up. A chunk of dough about the
size of a baseball makes a 10-inch pizza;
use a hunk the size of a softball if you’d
like a 12-inch pie.
To make pizza crust: Pat, roll, and
stretch the crust to the size you’d like.
Place each crust on a piece of parch-
ment on a baking sheet.
Make a loaf of white bread, form the dough into boules or pizza crust, or try a whole-wheat version.
Allow the crusts to rise until puffy. If
the crust tries to hump up in the center,
give it a stab with a knife.
You can freeze crusts by partially bak-
ing them about 10 minutes at 450 F,
cooling them, and then placing them
in zip-close bags separated by sheets of
parchment.
Rye Bread With a Starter
Rye bread is a challenge for many
bakers. There are so many “hockey
puck” disasters. This recipe works!
You’ll make a loaf with a moist, open
crumb and a chewy crust, just like the
best deli loaves.
You can form your dough into two
fat loaves in loaf pans, a huge artisan
boule, or two smaller boules — or even
use some for crusty, chewy rolls, which
are fabulous for thick sandwiches. Even
if you don’t like the whole caraway seeds
in your bread, be sure to put in the
ground seeds. Yields 2 standard loaves
or a huge boule.
3 cups rye flour, preferably whole rye
3 cups bread flour, divided, plus more
in reserve
1
⁄4 cup vital wheat gluten
4 tablespoons caraway seeds, divided
Pinch of citric acid
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons instant yeast
www.Grit.com 39
 16 ounces pre-fermented starter, about
1
⁄3 batch (see recipe, Page 38)
2 ⁄4 cups hot water, 105 F
1

2 tablespoons molasses or sorghum syrup

1 tablespoon oil (optional)
Cornmeal (optional)

1 Set up a mixer with a dough hook.

You’ll probably want the mixer for this
dough — rye dough takes a lot of mus-
cle. Put the rye flour, 1 cup of the bread
flour, and the vital wheat gluten in the
mixer bowl.
Oatmeal Bread 2 Grind 2 tablespoons of the cara-
This is the absolute best bread for a PB&J sandwich! You can substitute a cup of whole wheat way seeds and the citric acid in a spice
for 1 cup of the white bread flour to achieve a deeper flavor. As for the oats, you can use grinder. Add this mix and the salt to
“quick-cooking” oats (never “instant”) if that’s what you have, but rolled or “old-fashioned” one side of the bowl, and add the yeast
oats lend a chewier, heartier texture. on the other. Then, add the other 2 ta-
Directions: Set up a mixer with a dough hook. blespoons of whole caraway seeds. Stir
Put 4 cups of the flour in the mixer bowl, with the salt on one side of the bowl and the yeast only to mix the dry ingredients.
on the other, and give it a quick stir. 3 With your bench knife, cut the
If you can get scalding-hot water from the tap, use Ingredients starter into about 10 pieces, and drop
that. If not, heat the water to not more than 115 F. In a • 6 cups bread flour, them all into the flour mix.
measuring glass, stir together the water and milk. (The divided, plus more in 4 Measure out the hot water. Spoon
ideal temperature will be between 90 and 105 F, but it’s reserve the molasses or sorghum into the water
fine to approximate.) Spoon in the honey or sorghum and • 1 tbsp fine sea salt and stir. Make a well in the flour mix
stir to mix. • 2 tbsp instant yeast and pour in the wet ingredients. Turn
Add the liquid to the flour and give it a quick stir to • 11⁄4 cups very hot water on the mixer to #1 or the stir setting to
start incorporating. Run the mixer on the stir setting until • 1 cup whole milk begin incorporating the flour. When it’s
the flour is mixed in, and then knead on #4 for 5 min- • 3 tbsp honey or sorghum mixed in, let it all rest for a few minutes
utes. You should see the beginning of gluten strands in a • 2 cups rolled oats to give the rye flour a chance to absorb
smooth batter. • 1 tbsp oil (optional) the liquid.
Add the oats and most of the remaining 2 cups of • 1 tbsp melted butter 5 Turn the mixer on #4 or the knead
flour — but hold back just a little — and run on the stir setting and run for at least 5 minutes.
setting until the flour settles in. Then knead on #4 for 5 Add 11⁄2 cups of the bread flour. Run on
to 10 minutes until the dough comes together and clears the sides of the bowl. You want a soft the stir setting until the flour is mixed
but firm dough. If it seems too soft, add flour bit by bit. in, and then again on #4 for at least 5
If the dough seems to need “help” coming together, run a bit of oil or melted butter down minutes. Rye dough should be soft but
the side of the bowl. firm, but it stays rather sticky. Add only
After it all comes together, transfer the dough into a rising bucket or bowl. Allow it to rise enough of the remaining bread flour for
until nicely doubled and puffy. This could take 1⁄2 hour to an hour or longer, depending on the the dough to come together; don’t let
room temperature. the stickiness tempt you to overdo it. If
Turn the dough out onto a floured kneading board. Knead several turns, adding a bit of flour needed, drizzle a little of the oil down
if needed, until the dough is smooth, satiny, and doesn’t stick. With your bench knife, cut the the inside of the bowl to help your
dough in half, as evenly as you can. Pat each half out into an oval, about 8 by 10 inches, and dough clear the bowl.
then tightly, stretching it a bit, roll it up into a nice, fat loaf. 6 Transfer the dough to a rising buck-
Sprinkle just a bit of oats into the bottoms of your loaf pans and set in your loaves. et or bowl and allow it to double. Rising
LEFT TO RIGHT: ISTOCK/NANCY KENNEDY; FOTOLIA/SONYA KAMOZ

Brush the tops of the loaves with a bit of melted butter and, if you’d like, pat on a small may take longer than other breads. Be
amount of oats. Cover the loaves with greased plastic or a proofing cover and allow the loaves patient.
to rise until doubled and puffy, prettily rounded over the tops of the pans. 7 When it’s fully risen, turn your
While the loaves rise, check them a time or two. If you see a big bubble on the top, pinch it dough onto a floured kneading board.
carefully so you won’t have a burned blister on the top of your bread. Give it several turns, again resisting
Heat the oven to 350 F. Bake your loaves for about 50 minutes, until they’re a nice dark- adding much flour. When the dough
gold color, and a thermometer inserted through the side reads 190 degrees. Turn out the feels nice and smooth and elastic, form
loaves immediately onto a wire rack. Never cut a loaf until it’s completely cool. your loaves.
Enjoy and wrap the loaves well to freeze. 8 Decide which loaves you want

40 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

and divide accordingly. Form a big
boule with about 2⁄3 of the dough, and
try a few smaller sandwich rolls with
the remaining dough. Form two stan-
dard sandwich loaves, as in the White
Sandwich Bread recipe on Page 38, for
more uniform sandwiches.
9 For the boule, pat out the dough
into an oval, then roll it up tightly. Try
not to totally deflate the dough; be
gentle with it. Coax the dough into a
rounder shape, pulling the edges to the
bottom to create surface tension.
10 Put the boule on a greased baking
sheet dusted with a small amount of
cornmeal.
11 If you’re making regular loaves,
you can first sprinkle a little cornmeal
on a baking sheet and drag the loaves
through it to lightly coat the bottom.
Place the loaves into greased or well-
seasoned loaf pans.
12 (For a crackly crust, lightly beat an
egg white with 1 teaspoon water and
brush the crust before baking. Sprinkle
on a few more caraway seeds if desired.)
13 Cover your bread with a proof
cover or greased plastic wrap. Allow it
plenty of time to rise to almost doubled.
14 Bake at 350 F for about 50 minutes
until a thermometer inserted through
the side registers 190 F.
15 Remove the bread from the pan or
baking sheet and place on a wire rack
until it’s completely cooled before wrap-
ping or cutting.

Basic White Potato Bread

My grandmother taught me that when making mashed potatoes, you
should cook one potato per person and one more “for the pot” —
but I usually add more. Sometimes when I see potatoes starting to
sprout in the bin, I’ll go ahead and cook those up and mash them.
Waste not, want not; potatoes make good bread.
Any leftovers go into baggies, approximately 1 cup into each, and
I tuck these into zip-close bags. The night before I plan to bake,
I get out as many baggies of mashed potatoes as the number of
batches of bread I intend to bake. By morning, they’ll be at room
temperature. Yields 2 loaves in standard 9-by-5-inch pans.
Directions: Set up a mixer with a dough hook. Put 4 cups of the
flour, the salt, and the yeast into the bowl. Always put the salt on
one side and the yeast on the other. Give it a quick stir.
Add the hot water, potatoes, and honey, if using, and stir the
mixture with a spatula to begin incorporating the flour. Turn on your
mixer to the stir setting or #1 for a minute, and then turn it up to #4 proof cover and allow them to Ingredients
or the knead setting. Machine-knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes. rise until doubled. • 6 cups bread flour,
You’ll see some strands, indicating the formation of gluten. While the loaves rise, check divided, plus more in
Stop the mixer and add the remaining 2 cups of flour. Again run them a time or two. If you see reserve
the mixer on the stir setting as the flour mixes in, and then run on #4 a big bubble on the top, pinch • 1 tbsp fine sea salt
or the knead setting for a couple of minutes. The dough should be it carefully so you won’t have a • 2 tbsp instant yeast
coming together. You want a firm but moist dough. Depending on the burned blister on the top of your • 2 cups very hot water
humidity, you may need to add more flour, a tablespoon at a time. bread. • 1 cup mashed potato
If it seems the dough needs a little help clearing the side of the Just before the rise is com- • 1 tbsp honey (optional)
bowl, drizzle just a tablespoon or so of oil down the inside of the bowl. plete, make a slash or two with • 1 tbsp oil (optional)
The dough will then quickly clear the sides of the bowl, and conve- a lame or very sharp knife or
niently, you’ll also have a greased bowl so the dough dumps out easily. razor blade.
After it all comes together, transfer the dough into a rising bucket or Heat the oven to 350 F. Bake your loaves for about 50 minutes,
bowl. Allow the dough to rise until it’s nicely doubled and puffy. This until they’re a nice dark-gold color, and a thermometer inserted
could take from 1⁄2 hour to an hour, or even longer, depending on the through the side reads 190 degrees.
room temperature. Turn out the loaves immediately onto a wire rack. Never cut a loaf
Turn the dough out onto a floured kneading board. Knead several until it’s completely cool.
turns, adding a bit of flour if needed, until the dough is smooth, satiny, Wrap the loaves well to freeze. I put each loaf or half loaf into a
and doesn’t stick. cheap plastic bag, and then group two loaves into a 2-gallon zip-close
With a bench knife, cut the dough in half, as evenly as you can. bag. You can reuse zip-close bags several times.
Pat each half out into an oval, about 8 by 10 inches, and then tightly, For white-whole-wheat bread: Following the recipe above, substi-
stretching it a bit, roll it up into a nice, fat loaf. tute 6 cups white-whole-wheat flour for the bread flour, and add 1⁄4
Pick up a little flour from the board and sprinkle it on top, if you cup vital wheat gluten to the ingredients list. Add in the vital wheat
wish, for a rustic appearance. Put each loaf into a greased or well- gluten along with the salt and yeast, then proceed with the recipe
seasoned loaf pan. Cover the loaves with greased plastic wrap or a directions.

www.Grit.com 41
 Back-to-Basics
Whether you enjoy it as sippets, bread pudding, or toast
with butter and jam, bake this historic bread recipe, based on
English and classic American cookbooks.

Article and photos by William Rubel
French have two distinct bread
The traditions. One is of breads that
are crusty, crunchy, and limited to four
ingredients: flour, leavening, salt, and
water. They’re the sexy, trendy breads of
today. When the leavening is sourdough
rather than yeast, the resulting loaves
are those featured in “artisan” bakeries
and those that inspire many of us to
bake our own bread at home.
For several hundred years, when
English speakers said “French bread,”
we didn’t think of the golden, rough-
textured breads we so love today. And
we never thought of sourdough! Sour
was a taste we didn’t like in bread.
Cookbooks in the 19th century advised
adding soda to neutralize any starter
or bread dough that had even a hint of
sourness.
Historically, the breads we emulated
in our bakeries and homes were the sec-
ond kind: soft white breads lightly en-
riched with butter, eggs, and milk, and
leavened with yeast. Cookbook authors

42 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread


Because this bread isn’t kneaded, it has an
almost cake-like texture. It’s a bread meant
for homemade jam and butter.
from the 1600s and 1700s called those
loaves “French bread,” and later authors
called them “French rolls.” In their soft-
ness and subtlety of flavor, they remind-
ed us of the sensuous sophistication of
French food in particular, and of French
culture more generally.
While this “French bread” fell out
of fashion, it never went away. If you
break American bread recipes down
to their underlying ingredient ra-
tios — how much milk to flour or fat
to flour — you’ll find that we never
abandoned the French bread of previ-
ous centuries. Between the white, yeast-
ed, enriched French breads published
in France (and interpreted by British
Basic French Bread
In 1708, when this recipe was published, eggs were backyard eggs, milk was raw, and
butter was freshly churned. The white flour was slightly less white than ours today, but not
by enough to matter. I have backyard chickens that lay eggs with such rich, dark yolks that
when I serve this bread, friends sometimes ask, “Why is this bread so yellow?”
To be honest, I have only just started using the sugar and full complement of salt. I’m
loving it! I hope you’ll find a new appreciation for yeasted, lightly enriched breads and for
the American loaf bread tradition. Yields 1 loaf.
Directions: In a bowl, add flour and optional salt, mix, and set aside. In another bowl,
break eggs, add optional sugar, then mix and set aside.
In a small saucepan, add the milk and softened butter, broken into small pieces. Warm
to 110 to 115 F. Stir to help the butter melt. Add the
warm milk and yeast to the beaten eggs and mix.
Ingredients
Set a “sponge” (pre-ferment) by adding about 1
• 4 cups (21 ounces)
cup of the flour/salt mixture to the egg mixture to
unbleached white flour
form a batter. Mix until smooth. Dust with flour, cover,
• 11⁄2 tsp salt (optional)
and set aside in a warm place. Add the rest of the
• 3 eggs
flour mixture when the sponge is clearly active, has
• 2 tbsp sugar (if making
risen, and the dusting of flour has cracked. Form into
American variation)
a rough mass by hand or with a mixer. Historically,
• 1 cup warm milk
this bread was not kneaded, giving it a cakey texture.
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter,
Cover and set aside in a warm place to double in size.
softened
When doubled, remove to a lightly floured counter.
• 21⁄4 tsp yeast
Then, gently pressing with your hands or working
gently with a rolling pin, form a perfect rectangle the
length of the tin and twice as wide. Roll into a cylinder and place seam side down in a
well-buttered baking tin, 10 inches by 4.25 inches by 3 inches. Cover, and set aside in a
warm place until dough has risen just above top of the pan. For a shiny crust, brush with
a beaten egg. Bake for 40 minutes in an oven set at 350 F. Remove from the oven, tip the
loaf out of the pan, and set it on a rack. Wait 2 hours, until the bread has cooled, to cut
and serve.
www.Grit.com 43
 authors in the 1600s and 1700s) and
the classic American bread that was the
star of cookbooks throughout most of
the 19th and 20th centuries, the only
difference is that bakers started adding
a little sugar to the dough and bumped
up the amount of salt. Because most of
that sugar is consumed by the yeast in
the same way that a cider or wine goes
“dry” during the fermentation process,
adding a little sugar is more to soften
the bread and increase its loft than to
make it taste sweet.
I want to reintroduce you to American
sandwich bread from its real source:
France, via early British cookbooks.
Fantastically, the French bread recipe I
offer you here, first published by Henry
Howard in 1708 in England, is the same
recipe for sandwich bread published in
two classic American cookbooks —
the 1924 Boston Cooking-School Cook
Book and the 1970s edition of Joy of
If you try only one of these variations, make it the British sippet, fried on a griddle until light brown.
44 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
Bread crisps are easy to make and great for spreads or served alongside soups.
Cooking. The only effective difference
between the 1708 recipe and the mod-
ern American recipes is the addition of
sugar. The white, enriched American
loaf breads you find in cookbooks and
online are direct descendants — and
virtually unchanged at that — of what
the French used to call pain de luxe :
bread of luxury. They are breads of lux-
ury. They deserve a fresh look.
Abundant Uses
This bread was meant to be served
along with other foods — spread with
butter and jam or toasted and put into
soup. To help you get into this bread,
I’ve included, along with the basic rec-
ipe (on Page 43), some of the ways I
most often use it.
Sandwiches. This is the classic home-
made sandwich loaf — soft, and a lovely
yellow. Slice thinly and fill with your
favorite sandwich ingredients.
Bread and butter. Here’s a reason to
make your own butter and jam: the
simple yet out-of-this-world flavor of
spreading them on warm, classic French
bread.
To make butter, whip some cream
in a food processor until it “breaks”
(when the fat separates from the liq-
uid). Pour into a bowl, and then pour
off the liquid. Add some cold water.
Using a spoon, work the butter in the
cold water to rinse out the buttermilk
and repeat until the water remains clear
(meaning you’ve removed all the milk).
Next, drain it, work the butter one
more time to eliminate at least some of
the water trapped inside, and then place
the butter on a plate and serve with the
bread and jam. Ideal for a holiday gath-
ering.
Sippets. If you only try one of these
recipes, this is the one to choose. The
British sippet takes many forms. The
version I offer here falls into that class
of foods I label “beyond delicious.” All
 it’s a dish full of memories. My mother
made it in late fall through early spring,
when the nights were cold. What makes
a bread pudding a pudding is the cus-
tard it’s soaked in.
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make the custard, lightly whisk 4
eggs in a bowl, along with 1⁄4 cup sugar,
add 1 quart milk, and set aside. Then,
Classic cinnamon toast smeared with butter evokes childhood and warms up cold mornings. bring 2 cups of water to boil and add 3⁄4
cup raisins.
I could say when I tested the recipe for beaten with 1⁄4 cup milk. Pour into a Parboil (partially cook) the raisins for
this article was, “Oh, my God!” That’s flat-bottomed dish, soak each slice until 3 minutes, strain, and set aside. Cut off
how great it is. saturated, 1 or 2 minutes per side, and the crust on all four sides of a loaf that
To make, prepare a few slices of bread then fry in butter over medium heat weighs 1 pound, and slice it into 1⁄2-inch
about 1⁄4 inch thick, trim off the crusts, until brown. Serve with the topping of slices. Butter one side with room-tem-
and lightly spread with butter on both your choice, such as maple syrup or a perature butter. Then, butter the sides
sides. Fry on a griddle over medium sprinkling of sugar and lemon. (See an- of a 9-cup soufflé mold.
heat until light brown. Cut in half or other recipe for Pain Perdu on Page 57.) Layer the bread, butter side down,
quarters, place a few pieces in a soup Bread and butter pudding. I put spreading raisins on each layer. Add the
bowl, ladle on some soup, and enjoy. this in the class of “dangerous dishes.” custard. Let stand for 30 minutes, and
Bread crisps. These are delicious I don’t make this often because I can’t then bake for 1 hour, or until the top is
crackers that are easy to make. Thinly stop eating it. browned and a knife inserted comes out
slice a few pieces of bread (no more This is the recipe I grew up with, so clean.
than 1⁄4 inch). Trim off the crust, and
then cut in halves or quarters. Toast to
golden in an oven heated to 300 degrees
Fahrenheit. Perfect for cheese, spreads,
liver pâté, and country pâté.
Cinnamon toast. A warming top-
ping for toast on cold winter mornings
and always a favorite of children. Take
one slice of cinnamon toast with tea
medicinally when you’re feeling down.
Mix cinnamon and sugar in a ratio of
1 part cinnamon to 2 parts sugar, and
then adjust to taste. Toast bread, spread
liberally with room-temperature but-
ter, sprinkle thickly with the cinnamon
sugar, and serve hot.
French toast. The French call it pain
perdu, or lost bread. I think of it as
found happiness. I have been known to
mix up a batch of this French bread just
to make it into French toast.
Per thick slice of bread, use 1 egg Bread and butter pudding, soaked in custard, is a dish the author classifies as “dangerous.”

www.Grit.com 45
 Savory
Sourdough Starter gives this bread its unique, tangy taste.
By MaryAnna Clemons

been obsessed with sourdough
I’ve since I was a child. I’ll never
forget the moist, warm air surrounding
an oven bursting with fresh-baked bread
and the tangy scent of sourdough when
my mother walked with me through
the restaurant where she worked as a
bookkeeper. As I grew up, sourdough
bread with a sufficiently crispy outer
crust — not too hard to eat, but chewy
enough to be considered a bit of culinary
work — was just an arm’s length away.
Imagine my surprise when I moved away
from the central coast of California and
realized that great sourdough was truly a
regional treat.
Sourdough is the oldest form of leav-
ened bread, dating back 6,000 years to
ancient Egypt. Wild yeast and bacteria
(lactobacilli) feeding on a mixture of wa-
ter and flour formed a bubbling starter
that when used to make dough resulted
in a bread full of air pockets with a tangy
flavor. Starters came and went, but many
were kept alive for centuries, if not lon-
ger. In 19th-century America, sourdough
bread was so important to California
miners that they kept their starter close
and even slept with it in the winter to
prevent freezing. Pioneers traveling West
often shed items that no longer seemed
worth the trouble to carry; however, their
sourdough starter and cast-iron cookers
weren’t on that list.
Start Your Own Starter
Creating your own sourdough starter
is simple. Take your flour of choice and
room-temperature water in equal parts and
mix them together in a glass or crockery
bowl (start small and add to it each day,
1
⁄4 cup of each is plenty). Be sure the water
 isn’t too warm or you might end up kill-
ing the microbes responsible for initiating
fermentation. Although not recommended
by all sourdough makers, I add a touch of
honey to “feed” the starter, which speeds
up the process.
Always use a glass container, preferably
with a wide opening, and a wooden spoon.
Metal and acid don’t mix well, and you can
ruin your starter by storing it in metal.
To increase the amount of starter, place
your container in a warm, draft-free loca-
tion, like the inside of a pilot-ignited gas
oven, on the top of the refrigerator or in a
nice warm cupboard. Be prepared to feed
and stir the new starter daily with equal
parts flour and water. When the batter is
bubbly and you detect a slight sour smell,
it’s ready to use, or you can store it in the
fridge for later.
160-Year-Old Starter
If you want to consume a bit of history
and help keep it alive, obtain a sourdough
starter sample from Carl’s Friends (www.
carlsfriends.org), a group of people who
continue to maintain a bread-making brew
that traces its beginnings to an 1847 wagon
trip on the Oregon Trail. It turns out that
Carl T. Griffith’s great-grandmother cre-
ated the starter in 1847 as she journeyed
(and cooked) along the Oregon Trail from
Missouri to Oregon. She kept the starter
going, as did subsequent ancestors, until
Carl passed away in 2000 at age 80. But
the starter was far from lost because for
years, Carl had carefully dried and mailed
it to anyone who asked and included a
self-addressed and stamped envelope with
their request. Today, the Carl’s Friends
organization continues that tradition.
From his writings, we know that at 10
years of age, Carl learned to cook with his
great-grandmother’s starter in a Basque
sheep camp on his family’s homestead
in the Steens Mountains of southeastern
Oregon. He made his bread in a cast-iron
(2)/DEBBI SMIRNOFF, PAL ESPEN OLSEN
Dutch oven over in-ground coals, covered
with dirt (the same way many chuckwagon
enthusiasts still cook).
When I received my dried starter and
reactivated it, the instant tang of sour-
dough greeted me like an old friend.
LEFT TO RIGHT: ISTOCK
Once revived, I put my 1847 starter to
use for a batch of no-knead bread using
a traditional recipe that I modified just a
Basic Sourdough Starter
1
⁄2 cup very warm water
(105 F to 115 F)
1
⁄2 teaspoon sugar
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup all-purpose flour
1
⁄2 cup whole-wheat flour
3
⁄4 cup water
1 In glass measuring
cup, stir together warm wa-
ter and sugar. Stir in yeast
and let it proof. Let mixture
stand 5 to 15 minutes, until 1⁄2 inch of bub-
bly foam forms on top.
2 In large bowl, combine all-purpose flour
and whole-wheat flour. Add yeast mixture
and water; stir until combined. Let stand,
loosely covered, for 2 days or until liquid
separates and floats on top. Starter is now
ready to use.
bit. I put my (well-seasoned) cold Dutch
oven in the oven and warmed them both
together. Then, I literally poured my no-
knead recipe into the hot Dutch oven,
covered it and baked it.
The smell permeated the house; children
and husband hovered about wondering
what was baking. We got our “real” butter
ready and after letting the bread cool for
about 10 minutes, we cut into the loaf. It
was a bit flat, but the holes were nice and
big. The crust was the best part, just chewy
enough to give texture, but not so chewy to
cramp the jaw while eating it.
Next time, I plan to use a smaller Dutch
oven to get the bread to rise a bit higher.
But you can’t beat the no-knead recipe for
ease in making sourdough bread.
Sourdough Recipe
Recipe by MaryAnna Clemons,
Colorado Springs, Colorado
1 cup active sourdough starter that has
reached room temperature (remove
from quantity stored in refrigerator) **
3 to 31⁄2 cups (depending on your alti-
tude) bread flour
1 to 11⁄2 cups water (room temperature to
lukewarm)
1
⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
3 Place starter in crock or other
nonmetal container with loose-fitting cover.
Store in refrigerator until needed.
4 Once a week, stir 1⁄3 cup water and
1
⁄2 cup flour into starter and let stand at room
temperature for at least 4 hours, or over-
night. Stir and return to refrigerator.
1 Heat oven and baking receptacle
(Dutch oven, stone, covered dish) to
450 F.
2 In large glass bowl, stir ingredients to-
gether with wooden spoon. You want the
dough somewhat firm.
3 Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let
sit in a 70- to 75-degree (or so) room for 12
to 18 hours.
4 Using well-greased fingers or spatu-
la, pry sticky dough from sides of bowl
onto lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with
more flour and let dough rest for 15 to
20 minutes.
5 With floured hands and a bit more
flour on the ball of dough, return to glass
bowl between floured cotton cloth, like a
towel sandwich, until it doubles in size,
usually 4 hours.
6 Pour dough from bowl to baking
receptacle (I prefer a cast-iron Dutch
oven) and bake for 70 minutes, or until
browned and you can “knock” on crust.
Before baking, I sometimes add a touch
of olive oil and some herbs to crust, or
just brush it with melted butter, for a fan-
cier crust.
** You’ll have leftover starter; this is for
next time. Feed it a fresh cup of flour and
warm water, stir well and cover loosely.
Keep in the refrigerator.
www.Grit.com 47
 Sourdough Rye Bread
Recipe by Gayle Brown, San José, California
“This recipe is a family favorite that comes from my grand-
mother. The biscuits are delicious with a hearty stew, or as a
sweet treat spread with butter and honey. They are almost fool-
proof; just don’t handle the dough too much.”

STARTER: 1
⁄2 cup mashed potatoes
3 cups milk, whole or skim 2 tablespoons honey or
2 cups unbleached white maple syrup
flour 2 tablespoons light oil
BREAD: 2 teaspoons salt
1 cup starter 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
31⁄2 cups rye flour, divided 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
31⁄2 cups (or more) un- 1
⁄2 teaspoon grated orange
bleached white flour, peel
divided 1
⁄4 cup molasses
1 cup warm water, divided Melted butter
1 tablespoon dry yeast Cornmeal for dusting

1 For starter, let milk stand 24 hours in glass, plastic or crock-

ery bowl, covered. Be sure bowl is very large. Stir in flour. Cover,
and let stand for several days in warm place. When mixture is bubbly
and smells sour, transfer to covered jar and store in refrigerator. For
extra insurance, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1⁄2 tablespoon dry yeast can be
added with flour.
2 For bread, in large plastic, glass or crockery bowl, mix together
starter, 1⁄2 cup of each type of flour and 1⁄2 cup warm water. If batter
seems too stiff to beat, add a little more water. Cover with plastic wrap
and let sit 6 hours or overnight.
3 Add yeast, remaining 1⁄2 cup warm water, mashed potatoes, honey
and 1 cup of each type of flour. Mix and let stand again, covered with
plastic, at least 6 hours or overnight.
4 Add oil, salt, fennel, caraway, orange peel, molasses, and 2 cups
of each type of flour. Stir until dough is too stiff to mix further by
hand. Turn dough out onto floured board and knead until smooth and
elastic, adding more white flour if dough remains sticky. Don’t add too
much flour too soon or dry bread will result. Place in buttered bowl,
brush top with melted butter, cover with damp towel and let rise until
doubled in bulk.
5 Punch dough down, turn out onto lightly floured surface, knead a
few times to press out air bubbles; divide in half, cover and let rest for
about 10 minutes.
6 Heat oven to 425 F. Lightly grease cookie sheet and dust with
cornmeal.
7 Shape dough into 2 ovals or rounds, put on sheet and brush tops
with melted butter. Cover again with towel and let rise until almost
doubled. Bake for 15 minutes.
8 During baking, loaves may be misted with cold water 2 to 3 times
to get a hard crust.
9 Reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake an additional 15 to
20 minutes, or until bottoms sound hollow when tapped.

San Francisco 3 Store unused portion in a covered for 3 to 4 minutes. Cover and let rise until
Sourdough Starter container in the refrigerator. double in size.
1 package yeast 3 Mix baking soda with remaining
21⁄2 cups warm water, divided San Francisco flour and blend into dough.
2 cups sifted flour Sourdough Bread 4 Knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Shape
1 tablespoon salt 1 package dry yeast into two round or oval loaves. Place on
1 tablespoon sugar 11⁄2 cups warm water lightly greased baking sheet. Make diago-
1 cup San Francisco Sourdough Starter nal slit in top of each loaf; let rise until
1 Dissolve yeast in 1⁄2 cup warm wa- 5 cups flour, divided double in size.
ter. Stir in remaining water, flour, salt and 2 teaspoons salt 5 Heat oven to 400 F.
sugar. Beat until smooth. 2 teaspoons sugar 6 Just before baking, brush surface of
2 Let stand, uncovered, at room tem- 1
⁄2 teaspoon baking soda each loaf with warm water. Place shal-
perature for 3 to 5 days. Stir three times low pan of water on bottom rack of oven
SCHON

a day. Cover at night to prevent drying. 1 In large mixing bowl, soften yeast in during baking (this is essential for the
ISTOCK/TORSTEN

The starter should have a strong, yeasty water. Blend in starter batter. traditional crustiness). Bake for 35 to 40
smell. 2 Add 4 cups flour, salt and sugar. Beat minutes, or until browned.

48 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

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Article and photographs

by Karen K. Will

you live rurally, you probably haven’t

If “enjoyed” the convenience of home
pizza delivery in years. But there’s no
sense crying over lukewarm, medio-
cre pie, when you can make your own
right at home! Homemade pizza is not
only delicious, it can be an adventure.
Deciding on a crust, the toppings and
sauce, and who’s going to do what,
makes pizza night an event, not just
another meal.
As the vehicle for transporting pizza
toppings, the crust is the most impor-
tant part of this equation. The choice
usually boils down to the weather: If
it’s cold and blustery, maybe a Chicago-
style deep-dish pizza — the kind where
one slice weighs about a half pound. If
it’s midsummer, perhaps a thin, crispy
crust gently sprinkled with fresh moz-
zarella and garden veggies. As tempting
as it may be to pile on the toppings,
remember to give the crust a fighting
chance. Use a light hand when it comes
to toppings, and allow the crust to bake
and crisp.
Whether you’re new to baking pizza
or an old experienced hand, I’ve pre-
sented the easiest methods for the home
cook and flexibility when it comes to
baking vessels: baking sheets, pizza
stones and cast iron all work.
Pizza crusts
CHEWY SEMOLINA PIZZA CRUST
Yields 2 large crusts.
11⁄4 cups warm water (105 to 115 F)
1 teaspoon honey
21⁄2 teaspoons active dry yeast
13⁄4 cups semolina flour
11⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3
⁄4 teaspoon salt
Olive oil
1 In bowl of stand mixer, combine
water, honey and yeast. Let stand for 5
minutes, or until yeast is foamy.
2 Add flours and salt, and knead
with dough hook for 4 to 5 minutes, or
until dough is smooth yet still sticky to
the touch.
3 Shape dough into ball and put
in oiled bowl, turning once to coat
all sides. Cover with plastic wrap, and
place in a warm spot to rise for 45 to
60 minutes.
4 Turn dough out onto floured sur-
face. Punch down and divide into 2
equal parts. (If you do not intend to
use both crusts, place leftover dough in
plastic bag, and refrigerate for up to 2
days or freeze up to 1 month.)
TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
5 Preheat oven to 500 F. Rub olive
oil generously on heavy baking sheet or
round pizza pan.
6 Using fingers, press out dough
roughly into 8-by-6-inch rectangle or
to partially cover baking vessel. Brush
with a little olive oil. Cover and let rest
for about 15 minutes. Roll or press out
to fit prepared pan entirely.

50 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 7 Spoon on sauce, followed by
desired toppings.
8 Bake for 12 to 13 minutes,
or until crust is golden brown,
toppings are hot, and cheese is
melted and bubbling.
9 Slide pizza off baking pan
onto cutting board. Cut into
slices and serve.
CRISPY PIZZA CRUST
Yields 2 large crusts.
21⁄2 cups unbleached all-
purpose flour
11⁄2 teaspoons quick-rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3
⁄4 cup warm water (105 to 115 F)
2 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 In bowl of stand mixer, com-
bine flour, yeast and salt. Stir in
water, honey and olive oil un-
til combined. Knead for about
6 minutes, or until dough is smooth
and satiny.
2 Shape dough into ball and place
in oiled bowl, turning once to coat all
sides. Cover and let rise in warm spot
for about 11⁄2 hours.
3 Turn dough out onto floured work
surface. Punch down and divide into 2
equal parts. (If you only plan to use one
crust, put remaining dough in plastic
bag, and refrigerate for up to 2 days or
freeze for up to 1 month.)
4 Place dough on oiled baking sheet
or cutting board, and allow it to rest for
10 minutes.
TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
5 Preheat oven and baking stone,
pizza pan or baking sheet to 500 F.
6 Sprinkle dough with flour and,
based on pan you’re using, roll out to
9-by-13-inch rectangle or 12-inch cir-
cle, about 1⁄16-inch thick.
7 Drape dough over rolling pin and
transfer to preheated vessel, carefully
unrolling it – and being very careful not
to burn yourself.
8 Quickly spread sauce over crust,
and then assemble desired toppings.
9 Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or
until crust is golden brown and cheese
is melted and bubbling.
Classic Sausage,
Olives and Onion Pizza,
recipe on Page 53.
FOCACCIA CRUST
Yields 1 large crust.
21⁄4 teaspoons active dry yeast
11⁄2 teaspoons honey
1 cup lukewarm water
21⁄2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour,
divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3
⁄4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 Mix together yeast, honey and wa-
ter in bowl of stand mixer. Add 1⁄2 cup
flour, and combine well with rubber
spatula. Cover with clean tea towel, and
let rest in warm place for 30 minutes.
2 Add olive oil, salt and 1 cup flour.
Attach dough hook to mixer, and mix
until thoroughly incorporated. Increase
speed to kneading, and gradually add
remaining flour until dough adheres
to hook. (It will be soft and sticky.)
Continue kneading for about 5 min-
utes, or until dough is smooth and elas-
tic, yet still quite sticky.
3 Remove dough from bowl and
shape into ball. Place in oiled bowl, and
turn to coat all sides. Cover bowl with
towel, and set in warm place for 1 hour,
or until doubled in size.
4 Punch down dough and turn out
onto lightly floured surface.
Knead a few times, just until
smooth, no longer.
5 Transfer dough to oiled
baking sheet and, with finger-
tips, press into large rectangle,
12 inches by 8 inches. Brush
dough with additional olive
oil, and let rest for 30 minutes.
6 Using fingertips, press
dough to fill baking sheet.
(There should be evenly spaced
indentations all over surface
without any tears.)
TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
7 Preheat oven to 375 F.
8 Drizzle oil or sauce over
dough, and then arrange de-
sired toppings.
9 Bake for about 25 minutes,
or until crust is golden brown
and crisp on bottom, and cheese
is melted and bubbling. Let cool
for a few minutes before slicing
pizza into squares to serve.
CRUNCHY CORNMEAL PIZZA CRUST
Yields 2 large crusts.
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 F)
11⁄2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1
⁄2 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 cup bread flour
1
⁄4 cup cornmeal (medium grind)
11⁄4 teaspoons salt
1 In bowl of stand mixer, whisk to-
gether water, yeast and honey. Set aside
for 10 minutes to proof. When surface
appears foamy, stir in oil.
2 In separate bowl, whisk together
flours, cornmeal and salt. Add to liq-
uid mixture in bowl of stand mixer,
and knead for about 5 minutes, or until
dough is soft and pliable.
3 Place dough in oiled bowl, and turn
to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap
and set in warm spot to rise until doubled
or tripled in size, about 11⁄2 to 2 hours.
4 Punch down dough, and then
divide into 2 equal portions. (For por-
tions you don’t plan to use within 2
days, freeze for up to 1 month.)
www.Grit.com 51

TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
5 Preheat oven and pizza stone or
pan to 475 F.
6 Roll out dough into thin round,
and carefully transfer to prepared pan.
7 Spoon sauce over crust, and as-
semble desired toppings.
8 Bake for 12 minutes, or until crust
is brown and cheese is bubbling.
Sauces
FRESH AND EASY TOMATO SAUCE
This light sauce doesn’t need to be
cooked before using on your favorite
pizza. It will heat through while the
pizza cooks. Yields enough sauce for 4
large pizzas.
1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes (the best
quality available)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
1
⁄2 cup fresh basil leaves, or
1
⁄2 teaspoon dried herbs (oregano,
basil, thyme, etc.)
1 Empty tomatoes into colander.
Drain for 15 minutes, then transfer to
52 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
Pear, Prosciutto and
Goat Cheese Pizza
food processor or blender.
2 Add oil, garlic, salt and basil, and
process until smooth.
3 Use immediately, or store in refrig-
erator for up to 3 days or in freezer for
up to 3 months.
CLASSIC ITALIAN PESTO
Yields 1 cup.
1
⁄3 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
2 cups packed basil leaves, washed and
dried
1
⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt
1
⁄8 teaspoon black pepper
1
⁄3 cup grated Parmesan cheese,
optional
1
⁄2 teaspoon white vinegar or
lemon juice
1 Combine nuts and garlic in bowl
of food processor; pulse until crum-
bly. Add basil, oil, salt, pepper, cheese
and vinegar, and process until smooth,
scraping down bowl once or twice.
2 Use immediately, refrigerate up to
2 days, or freeze up to 6 months.
SPICY OLIVE OIL
This is the “lazy man’s pesto.” I start-
ed fixing this when I wanted a simple
herbed oil to use as pizza sauce. Yields
enough for 1 large pizza.
1
⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Handful of fresh minced herbs (basil,
cilantro, oregano), or 1 teaspoon
dried herbs of your choice
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of sea salt
1
⁄4 teaspoon dried red chile flakes,
optional
1 Place all ingredients in small bowl,
and muddle together. Let stand for 30
minutes, or use immediately.
NOTE: This doesn’t keep well, so just
make enough to use right away.
BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
This addictive, delicious white sauce
is multifunctional. It can be used as a
base for pizza, a pasta sauce, the binder
for macaroni and cheese, and so much
more. Yields 11⁄2 cups.
11⁄2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Scant 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
1 Heat milk in saucepan over me-
dium heat just until it boils. Remove
from heat and set aside.
2 In separate saucepan, melt but-
ter over medium heat. Blend in flour,
cooking and whisking constantly for 2
minutes.
3 Slowly add hot milk, whisking fu-
riously to avoid scorching. Cook sauce
over low heat for 10 minutes, or until
thickened, stirring frequently with rub-
ber spatula.
4 Remove from heat, and stir in salt.
Season with pepper and nutmeg.
5 Let sauce sit for 10 to 15 minutes
before using on pizza.
Specialty pizzas
The sky is the limit as far as pizza top-
pings go — you’re only limited by your
imagination. Think about combining
sweet and savory foods for some inter-
esting flavors, and always pat dry the
toppings before assembling the pizza so
the crust doesn’t become soggy.

CLASSIC SAUSAGE, OLIVES

AND ONION PIZZA
1 Chewy Semolina Pizza Crust (recipe
on Page 50)
1
⁄2 cup Fresh and Easy Tomato Sauce
(recipe on Page 52)
1
⁄2 onion, sliced
1 to 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 ounces kalamata olives, pitted
2 ounces dry sausage (salami) or
pepperoni, sliced thin
1
⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 fresh basil leaves

1 Preheat oven to 500 F. Rub olive

oil over entire surface of heavy baking
sheet or round pizza pan.
2 Using fingers, press out dough to
partially cover baking sheet, roughly
an 8-by-6-inch rectangle. Brush dough
with a little additional olive oil, and let
rest for about 15 minutes.
3 After dough has rested, press it out
with fingers to fill baking sheet, or roll
out into 12-inch round and transfer to
prepared pizza pan.
4 Spoon sauce over dough, and layer
on onion slices, mozzarella, olives, sau-
sage and Parmesan.
5 Bake for 12 to 13 minutes, or until
crust is golden brown, toppings are hot,
and cheese is bubbling.
6 Scatter fresh basil over top. Slide
pizza off baking sheet onto cutting
board, and cut into slices to serve.
BLUE CORNMEAL, CHICKEN
AND CHILE PIZZA
1 Crunchy Cornmeal Pizza Crust
(recipe on Page 51 — make it with
blue cornmeal)
1
⁄4 cup Béchamel Sauce (recipe on
Page 52)
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken breast
1
⁄2 red onion, sliced
2 jalapeños, 1 seeded and diced,
1 sliced with seeds intact
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 Place pizza stone or pan in oven
and preheat to 475 F.
2 Roll out dough into thin round,
about 1⁄16-inch thick. Fold dough over
rolling pin and carefully transfer to pre-
pared pan.
3 Spread Béchamel Sauce over
dough, and then scatter garlic, mozza-
rella and pepper jack cheeses, chicken,
onion slices, jalapeños and pine nuts as
evenly as possible.
4 Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes,
or until crust is brown and toppings are
bubbling.
PEAR, PROSCIUTTO AND
GOAT CHEESE PIZZA
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1
⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt
3 cups baby spinach
1 Crispy Pizza Crust (recipe on
Page 51)
1 red pear, thinly sliced
11⁄2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
Blue Cornmeal, Chicken
and Chile Pizza
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1
⁄4 cup walnut pieces
1 Preheat oven and baking stone,
pizza pan or baking sheet to 500 F.
2 In small bowl, make dressing by
whisking together oil, honey, lemon
juice, thyme and salt.
3 Reserve 1 tablespoon dressing mix-
ture to top hot pizza.
4 Place baby spinach in large bowl,
and pour remaining dressing over top.
Toss to coat well.
5 Sprinkle dough with a little flour,
and roll out to irregularly shaped rect-
angle or circle about 1⁄16-inch thick.
6 Drape dough over rolling pin and
transfer to prepared vessel, carefully un-
rolling it. Scatter dressing-coated spin-
ach, followed by pear slices, prosciutto,
goat cheese and walnuts over dough as
evenly as possible.
7 Bake for about 10 minutes, or until
crust is golden brown and crispy.
8 Drizzle reserved dressing over top.
Transfer pizza to cutting board, and
slice to serve.

www.Grit.com 53
 Don’t throw out your dry, brittle bread
… give it new life with
these fresh recipes.
Article and photographs by Karen K. Will
all this bread you’re baking, you’re bound to have
Withsome turn stale on you, especially since chemical
preservatives aren’t in your ingredient list. But before you
toss it to the hogs, consider all the marvelous dishes that
have been built with old bread. Our parents and grandpar-
ents who lived through the Depression, as well as frugal
homemakers all over the world, have come up with some
ingenious and delicious uses for stale bread. They looked at
stale bread and knew it had value, and you should, too. If
you’re thinking like a homesteader, you’ll find a way to wring
every last crumb from a loaf.
Keep in mind that many of these recipes are flexible, depend-
ing on the amount of stale bread you have on hand, so just use
your best judgment if exact measurements aren’t specified.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE STOUT CAKE
Yields 8 servings.
11⁄2 cups Double Chocolate Stout beer (Young’s)
1
⁄2 cup heavy whipping cream
1
⁄2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
11⁄4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups stale artisan white bread with crust, cut into
1-inch cubes
1 In medium saucepan, combine beer, cream, and 1⁄2 cup
sugar, and heat over medium heat until just simmering. Remove
54 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
from heat, and stir in 1 cup chocolate chips, stirring until melt-
ed. Set aside and let cool slightly.
2 Heat oven to 325 F. Butter 11⁄2-quart casserole dish and
set aside.
3 In large bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. One ladleful
at a time, add warm chocolate mixture, whisking well after each
addition. Add breadcrumbs and mix to coat.
4 Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle top with remain-
ing chocolate chips and remaining sugar.
5 Bake for 55 minutes, or until custard is set and bubbling.
Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with (Slightly)
Whipped Cream (recipe follows) over the top.
(SLIGHTLY) WHIPPED CREAM
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1
⁄8 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
1 Place all ingredients in bowl and whisk by hand until
slightly thickened (not whipped, still a little runny).
2 Serve over Double Chocolate Stout Cake.
RIBOLLITA SOUP
Ribollita translates to “reboiled” in Italian, as this soup is
traditionally made a day ahead and then reheated. Stale bread
plays a big role, as it is sliced and toasted, then served under the
soup, making it a filling meal as well as a great way to use up
stale bread. Prepare this soup the day before you want to serve
it and refrigerate overnight. Yields 8 servings.
3
⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped,
plus 1 whole clove for rubbing
1 small head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 large potato, chopped
4 zucchini, chopped
2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini
beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 fresh sprig or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried
rosemary
1 fresh sprig or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried
thyme
1 fresh sprig or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried red chile flakes
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
2 quarts water
1 pound savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
8 slices crusty Italian bread
Grated Parmesan cheese
Breadcrumbs
1 Cut stale bread (up to a whole loaf) into cubes and place on baking sheet over-
1 In large saucepan, heat ⁄ 2 cup
1
night to dry out.
olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped
2 In morning, heat oven to 400 F, and bake cubes for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
onion, carrot and celery, and cook gently
3 Run cooled bread cubes through food processor or blender until coarsely pulver-
for about 10 minutes.
ized. Store crumbs in airtight jar in pantry, where they’ll keep for several weeks.
2 Add chopped garlic and cook for a
NOTE: Use breadcrumbs to coat things like chicken or fish, to top au gratin dishes
few additional minutes.
such as macaroni and cheese or potatoes, or to mix with other ingredients to beef up
3 Stir in red cabbage, potato and zuc-
a dish like meatloaf or meatballs. Breadcrumbs can even be utilized for dessert. Try
chini, and cook 10 minutes more.
this: Mix dried breadcrumbs with a little cinnamon and sugar. Place 2 tablespoons of
4 Add beans, tomatoes and spices,
mixture in custard cups, and fill with your favorite custard mixture. Bake according to
and season with salt and pepper. Pour
custard recipe.
in water, using enough for everything
to be well covered, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for
about 2 hours. SPICE PUDDING 3 In large bowl, beat egg until pale.
5 Remove a few ladlefuls of soup and Yields 6 servings. Whisk in sugar, milk, spices, salt and
mash or purée, then return to pot (this butter. Pour over cranberries.
will thicken the soup a little). Add sa- 11⁄2 cups stale breadcrumbs 4 Place dish in pan of hot water, with
voy cabbage and continue simmering 1 cup chopped dried cranberries water coming up about 1⁄2 inch around
for another 15 minutes. 1 egg sides. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or un-
6 Remove soup from heat and allow 1
⁄2 cup sugar til pudding is firm. Remove from heat
to cool to room temperature. Cover and 2 cups milk and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm
refrigerate overnight. 1 teaspoon cinnamon with Hard Sauce (recipe follows).
7 The next day, reheat soup over low 1
⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
heat, stirring in remaining olive oil un- 1
⁄2 teaspoon allspice HARD SAUCE:
til well-blended. 1
⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg 1
⁄2 cup butter, room temperature
8 Toast bread slices under broiler. 1
⁄8 teaspoon salt 11⁄2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
Cut remaining garlic clove in half, and 1 teaspoon melted butter 2 tablespoons rum, brandy or whiskey,
rub each over toasted bread. or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 To serve, place 1 slice toasted bread 1 Heat oven to 300 F. Grease 8-by-8-
in bowl and ladle soup over it. Drizzle inch baking pan; set aside. 1 In bowl, cream butter and confec-
with a little additional olive oil and top 2 Place breadcrumbs in prepared pan tioner’s sugar until light and fluffy. Beat
with Parmesan cheese. and scatter cranberries evenly over top. in rum until fluffy.

www.Grit.com 55
 Parmesan Breadsticks
Stale bread
Melted butter
Finely grated Parmesan cheese

Breakfast Bacon 1 Heat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper;

& Greens Strata set aside.

Stratas (essentially a stale-bread casserole) not only use up a ton of
stale bread, but this dish can be made the night before, and it allows for
scores of substitutions. Feel free to use whatever combination of meat,
veggies and cheese you have on hand. Stratas are perfect when you have
overnight guests because you can bring it together the night before, and
sleep well knowing your friends will be treated to a delicious breakfast
2 Cut stale bread into strips about 5 inches long and about
1
⁄2 inch wide. Roll in melted butter, and sprinkle with Parmesan
cheese. Place on prepared baking sheet.
3 Bake for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned. Serve
alongside soup, or with cheese or dip for a snack.

1 large onion, chopped 7 cups cubed artisan white

1 tablespoon butter
1 pound bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1
⁄2 teaspoon black pepper,
divided
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 large bunch Swiss chard or
spinach, chopped
bread, about 3⁄4 loaf, divided
6 ounces (2 cups) grated
fontina cheese, divided
2 ounces (1 cup) finely grated
Parmesan, divided
10 eggs
3 cups milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 In large skillet, sauté onion in butter until onion begins to soften. Add
bacon, and sauté until it starts to cook. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and
1
⁄4 teaspoon pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, and cook
for a few minutes more. Add greens and continue cooking until wilted
and tender. Remove from heat.
2 Butter 3-quart baking dish, and scatter half the bread cubes in bot-
tom of dish. Spoon on half the greens-bacon mixture, then top with half
of both cheeses. Repeat layers.
3 In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, and remaining salt
and pepper. Pour evenly over layers in dish; cover with foil and refriger-
ate overnight.
4 The next morning, let strata stand at room temperature for 30 min-
utes while preheating oven to 350 F.
5 Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes, or until strata is puffed and
golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with sour
cream or hot sauce.

56 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

Roasted Pepper Bruschetta Croutons
Yields 8 to 10 servings. 1 Heat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with parchment
paper; set aside.
4 bell peppers of different colors 2 tablespoons chopped fresh 2 Cut stale bread into cubes, and place in large mixing
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil basil bowl. Add enough olive oil to coat bread but not drown
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Sea salt and pepper, to taste it, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, and
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar 1 to 2 stale baguette loaves mix thoroughly. Pour onto prepared baking sheet, and
bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned, turn-
1 Adjust oven rack to middle position. Heat broiler. ing once halfway through baking time.
2 Place peppers on lightly oiled baking sheet, and roast under broiler 3 Serve croutons with salad, or eat as a snack. They’re
until skins are blistered and charred, about 10 to 15 minutes, turning much tastier than potato chips any day!
them frequently.
3 Remove peppers from oven, and place in paper or plastic bag; seal
bag. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes so peppers will steam and skins
will loosen.
4 Peel charred, papery skins from peppers. Slice open peppers and
remove membranes and seeds. Dice peppers thin.
5 In large bowl, combine peppers, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, basil, salt
and pepper; toss to coat. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.
6 Slice baguette into rounds, and place on baking sheet. Broil for 2
minutes; remove and let cool. Top each with about 1 tablespoon roasted
pepper mixture, and season to taste with a little sea salt.
NOTE: The pepper mixture can be refrigerated up to five days if you want
to prepare it ahead of time.

Pain Perdu
“Pain perdu” translates to “lost bread” in French, and is called such
because it’s a way to reclaim “lost,” or stale, bread. In France, it’s
considered dessert, breakfast or an afternoon snack.

1
1 egg ⁄4 cup milk
1
Pinch of salt ⁄8 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons sugar 4 slices stale bread

1 Heat oven to 400 F. Butter 9-by-13-inch baking pan; set aside.

2 In medium bowl, beat egg. Add salt, sugar, milk and vanilla, and beat to
combine. Pour mixture into shallow dish.
3 Dip each bread slice into egg mixture, letting it sit for a few moments to
soak up batter. Arrange slices in prepared pan, and bake for 30 minutes, or
until dry and browned. Serve with butter and honey or syrup.

www.Grit.com 57
 BAGELS

58 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 Boiled breads — like
bagels, pretzels and
dumplings — turn out
soft and chewy.
Article and photographs
by Karen K. Will
read somewhere that “an unboiled
Ibagel is just a roll with a hole,” and
it caused me to think about the intri-
cacies of various foods, how they’re
made, and what makes them unique.
Good boiled breads, such as bagels
and pretzels, are soft and chewy, and
they take a while to get through.
Fresh from the oven, they’re shiny
and deliciously yeasty.
It’s amazing how different something
can taste when it hasn’t been corrupted
by preservatives, trucked 1,500 miles
Plain Bagels
41⁄2 cups bread flour, divided
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
11⁄2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, optional
WATER BATH:
1 gallon water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 In large bowl, mix together 2 cups flour
and yeast.
2 In separate bowl, combine warm water,
to a grocery store, and aged on the shelf
for days. Mass-produced bagels are
vastly different from homemade. Most
brands sold today are extruded, meaning
the dough is forced through tubes, me-
chanically cut, and steamed rather than
boiled. This process turns out thousands
of “units” per hour, but it stresses the
dough. Hand-forming a bagel, followed
by boiling, gives much better results.
Why boil? Let’s look at bagels — boil-
ing is responsible for this holey bread’s
unique qualities. Boiling serves three
purposes: First, it sets the shape and kills
some of the yeast on the outer surface of
the dough, limiting the bagel’s expansion
when it’s baked. Second, it gelatinizes the
starches on the surface, leading to a shiny
coating and a chewy texture. And finally,
it activates the yeast in the inner layers
of dough.
Creating boiled breads is a multistage
process. They aren’t a snap to make,
especially when it comes to rolling and
1 tablespoon sugar and salt; combine with
flour mixture.
3 Beat at low speed for about 30 seconds,
scraping sides of bowl; beat an additional 3
minutes on high speed. Incorporate as much
of remaining flour as possible.
4 Turn out dough onto lightly floured board.
Knead in additional flour to make moderately
stiff dough. Knead until smooth and elastic.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for
15 minutes.
5 Divide dough into 8 equal portions, and
roll into balls. Punch hole in middle with
floured finger and gently pull to enlarge hole
to 2 inches.
shaping pretzels, but they aren’t micro-
surgery either. After bringing together
the dough, there’s shaping, rising, broil-
ing (to brown the surface), boiling, and
baking. If you have modest kitchen acu-
men and a little experience handling
dough, you should be able to pull off
something resembling a bagel or pret-
zel on your first try. But don’t expect to
just whip these things out while chatting
with company in the kitchen. Give your-
self a few quiet hours to assemble your
equipment and ingredients, play with
your dough, and bake the finished little
masterpieces.
Have fun with these recipes — add
toppings (see “Just Top It” on Page 61),
or create uniquely flavored bagels by fol-
lowing the plain recipe and adding your
favorite herbs, veggies, dried fruit, or
spices. Freeze excess bagels and pretzels,
and when you’re ready to eat them, de-
frost in the microwave and pop into the
toaster oven for a few minutes.
6 Place bagels on greased baking sheet;
cover with tea towel and allow to rise for 20
minutes.
7 Meanwhile, heat oven to broil. Prepare
water bath and put it on to boil.
8 After bagels have risen for 20 minutes,
broil for 11⁄2 minutes on each side.
9 Once water bath is boiling, reduce
heat. Place bagels, 3 at a time, in water
for 11⁄2 minutes, turning after 45 seconds.
10 Drain bagels and place on greased baking
sheet.
11 If desired, brush with egg wash (beat egg
with 1 tablespoon water).
12 Bake at 400 F for 20 to 25 minutes.
www.Grit.com 59
 Let's Make Bagels
By Annie Kelley
I love bagels! They are one of the most versatile
and satisfying breads you can make or buy.
Because so many bagel shops are specialty
stores, I automatically thought making bagels
must be complicated, or take special devices,
utensils or machines. Nope ... turns out they are
amazingly easy to make.
You can make bagel dough using a stand
mixer with a dough hook or a bread machine.
I use my trusty KitchenAid. You can also use
different kinds of flour.
BAGELS
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 cups flour (I use 3 cups unbleached and
1 cup white whole wheat)
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon barley malt syrup
12 ounces warm water
1 Combine all ingredients in mixer bowl.
Turn machine to medium-low, and mix well for
about 10 minutes. (This is a stiff dough, it will
try to gallop your mixer across the counter, so
keep an eye and a hand on it. I make sure the
mixer has incorporated all flour into the dough
and then let it run for almost 10 minutes,
kneading the bread thoroughly. You want to
develop the gluten.)
2 Stop mixer and put dough into lightly oiled
bowl. Cover with towel, and let sit for about
11⁄2 hours. The dough will puff up, but won’t
necessarily double in size. (To use your bread
machine, follow the same instructions, except
place it in the machine on the dough cycle.
Complete the cycle after you check it once to
60 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
make sure it's incorporated all the flour.)
3 Prepare work surface (I use a pastry board
or a piece of waxed paper on my counter to
keep the cleanup to a minimum), and then
transfer dough to lightly floured or oiled surface.
Cut dough into 8 or 12 equal pieces (depending
on how big you want your bagels).
4 Roll each dough piece into ball, and cover
with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for about 30
minutes; the dough will puff a little more.
5 It's time to get the kettle boiling. For this
important step, you'll need a large Dutch oven
or soup pot. Fill pot with hot water, and put on
stove to boil.
6 When hot, add 1 tablespoon barley malt
syrup, stirring well until dissolved. Keep mixture
at simmer.
7 Preheat oven to 425 F.
8 Take dough balls, 1 at a time, and poke
hole in center. Wiggle your fingers and twirl
dough to stretch hole until about 2 inches
across. (See photograph at left.) Place each
bagel on baking sheet that has been lightly
oiled or lined with parchment.
9 Turn up heat on water, and bring to boil.
Transfer bagels to boiling water; depending on
size, do 4 or 6 at a time. When water is boiling
again after addition of bagels, set timer. Cook
for 2 minutes on first side. Use large slotted
spoon, turn each bagel over, and boil for 1
more minute.
10 Use slotted spoon to remove bagels, 1 at a
time; place back on baking sheet.
11 Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden
brown. (I like mine a little on the softer side.)
12 About 15 minutes into baking time, turn over
bagels to keep them round.
13 Cool on racks.
VARIATIONS: To fancy up your bagels, make
an egg wash using 1 egg white mixed with 1
tablespoon water, and brush top of bagels with
mixture.
Before baking, sprinkle bagels with sesame
seeds or poppy seeds (or any other type of seed
you like).
For onion bagels, bake bagels for about 20
minutes, pull out of oven, brush with egg wash,
and then sprinkle with dried onion. Bake for
about 2 minutes, watching carefully as dried
onion burns easily.
Like cinnamon-raisin bagels? Add 1⁄2 cup
raisins during last few minutes of kneading.
Before transferring dough to work surface,
sprinkle heavily with cinnamon and sugar.
Knead dough, and as you do, it will pick up
cinnamon mixture. After making dough into
balls, roll in more cinnamon-sugar, if desired.
(2)/MSPHOTOGRAPHIC, DEYAN GEORGIEV
The possibilities are endless, both in the type
of bagels you can make and the different things
you can top them with. One of my favorites is
a lunch bagel topped with peanut butter and
jalapeño jelly. My husband likes butter and
cream cheese on his. And we both like cream
TOP TO BOTTOM: FOTOLIA
cheese and sweet red pepper jelly. Use your
imagination ... and enjoy those homemade
bagels!
 Herbed Cornmeal Just Top It
Dumplings For a little variety, top
your boiled breads –
1 cup fine-ground cornmeal after boiling and before
1 cup all-purpose flour baking — with any of the
4 teaspoons baking powder
following:
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
• Poppy seeds
2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs,
• Sesame seeds
such as tarragon, parsley, thyme, sage,
• Caraway seeds
dill, or basil
• Dried onion flakes
3
⁄4 cup whole milk
• Dried garlic flakes
• Red pepper flakes
1 In bowl, sift together cornmeal, flour,
• Parmesan cheese
baking powder, and salt. Stir in herbs.
• Cinnamon-sugar
2 Add milk, and mix to form soft dough,
mixture
adding more milk if necessary. Let stand
• Sunflower seeds
for 5 minutes.
• Dried savory herbs
3 Drop by tablespoons into simmering
• Pumpkin seeds
stew, and cook for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Bagels

4 cups bread flour, divided
4 teaspoons active dry
yeast
1 cup warm water
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
1
⁄2 cup brown sugar
3
⁄4 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
11⁄2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
WATER BATH:
1 gallon water
1 tablespoon sugar
EGG WASH:
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

1 In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour and yeast.

2 In separate bowl, combine warm water, salt, brown sugar,
pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Add to flour
mixture, and beat at low speed for about 30 seconds, scraping
sides of bowl. Increase speed to high, and beat for 3 more min-
utes. Incorporate as much of remaining flour as possible.
3 Turn out dough onto lightly floured work surface. Knead in
additional flour to make moderately stiff dough. Knead until
smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for
15 minutes.
4 Divide dough into 8 equal portions, and roll into balls. Punch
hole in middle with floured finger, and gently pull to enlarge hole
to 2 inches. Place on greased baking sheet; cover with tea towel
and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
5 Meanwhile, heat oven to broil. Prepare water bath and put on to boil. water for 11⁄2 minutes, turning after 45 seconds. Remove and drain, and
6 After bagels have risen for 20 minutes, broil for 11⁄2 minutes on each place on greased baking sheet.
side. 8 Make egg wash by beating egg with water. Brush over bagels, and
7 Once water bath is boiling, reduce heat. Place bagels, 3 at a time, in bake at 400 F for 25 minutes.

www.Grit.com 61
 Soft Pretzels
11⁄2 cups warm water
21⁄2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
31⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
Coarse or kosher salt
WATER BATH:
1 gallon water
1 tablespoon baking soda
EGG WASH:
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

1 In large bowl, mix together warm water,

yeast and sugar; let sit for about 5 min-
utes, or until foamy.
2 In separate bowl, combine flour and
salt. Add to yeast mixture, and mix until
it comes together. Use your hands to
combine into ball. On lightly floured work
surface, knead dough for a few minutes,
until a smooth, sticky dough forms.
3 Place dough in large oiled bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 45
minutes.
4 On lightly floured work surface, divide
dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each
piece into long rope, 18 to 20 inches long.
(Don’t over-flour hands or work surface as
this will make the pieces more difficult to
roll.) Twist each piece into pretzel shape
by placing arc of pretzel at bottom (closest
to you). Round the two ends so they’re
facing arc, and twist them around; “paste”
them to opposite sides of arc, using a little
water, if necessary. Place on baking sheet
covered with parchment paper.
5 Prepare water bath. Once boiling, use
slotted spoon to transfer each pretzel into
water; let boil for 3 minutes, flipping once
halfway through. Drain on cooling rack,
then transfer parboiled pretzels back to
parchment-lined baking sheet.
6 Preheat oven to 400 F. Make egg wash
by beating egg with water. Brush gener-
ously over each pretzel, and sprinkle with
coarse or kosher salt.
7 Bake for 25 minutes.

62 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

Love at First Bite.
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and enlightened health-care professionals. Unlike many margarines and vegetable shortenings, non-
hydrogenated lard contains no trans fat and up to 54 percent less saturated fat than butter and some
plant-derived fats. Lard: The Lost Art of Cooking with Your Grandmother’s Secret Ingredient
offers you the opportunity to cook like your grandmother, while incorporating good animal fat into your
diet once again.

Don’t be afraid to bring a little lard back to your table.

Your taste buds will be glad you did.

Sunshine Shortcake

From the Editors of Find out more at

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or call 866-803-7096
Please mention code MGRPAHZ3.

Item #5901
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 Cornmeal to
Cornbread

A chunk of this savory
yet sweet concoction
makes a meal all
by itself.
By Jean Teller
pot of ham and beans simmers on
Athe back burner of your stove. Salad
fixin’s are in the fridge just waiting for
dinnertime. You stand back and think,
“Wait, something’s missing.”
That missing guest at your dinner
feast is cornbread.
Many people take a hunk of corn-
bread, break it into crumbly goodness
on a plate, and ladle the hot ham and
beans over the top. I like the cornbread
on the side, slathered with melting but-
ter. Right this moment, the memory of
that sweet taste has my taste buds on
high alert.
Whatever bowl of stew or soup you
have planned for tonight’s main attrac-
tion, a slab of cornbread, hot from the
oven, is just the side dish your family
will rave about tomorrow. And leftovers
are a snap. Cold cornbread for break-
fast, anyone?
Our archives yielded several tasty
twists on the traditional cornbread; try
your own variations for the best taste,
and your family’s appreciation.

64 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 Spicy Vegetable
Cornbread
Yields 8 large servings.
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
11⁄2 tablespoons baking powder
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
11⁄3 cups milk
1
⁄2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup canned sweet corn kernels,
drained, or frozen, thawed and drained
1 cup shredded Colby cheese
1
⁄2 cup finely chopped carrots
1
⁄2 cup grated onion
1
⁄4 cup finely chopped, seeded fresh
jalapeño peppers, optional
1 Heat oven to 400 F. Grease 10-inch
cast-iron skillet; set aside.
2 In large bowl, mix cornmeal, flour,
baking powder, salt, and brown sugar.
3 In medium bowl, whisk together eggs,
milk, and butter; stir into dry ingredients.
4 Add corn, cheese, carrots, onion, and
peppers; stir until thoroughly combined.
5 Pour batter into skillet and bake for 30
to 35 minutes, or until center tests done.
Cut into pieces and serve from skillet.
NOTE: This can be prepared in a muf-
fin tin, if preferred. Bake at same tem-
perature until muffins test done. Yields
12 muffins.
Savory Cornbread
Yields approximately 6 servings.
8 ounces flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
5 ounces polenta (cornmeal)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons summer savory
8 ounces milk
3 ounces butter, melted
2 eggs
2 ounces sugar
1 Heat oven to 425 F. In large bowl, sift
together flour and baking powder; add po-
lenta, salt, and savory.
2 Combine milk and butter; stir into
flour mixture.
3 Beat together eggs and sugar; add to
flour mixture. Stir well, but don’t beat too
much.
4 Pour mixture into buttered 8-inch
square pan.
5 Bake about 30 minutes, until bread
is well-risen and golden brown. Allow to
cool in pan for at least 5 minutes, then turn
out onto wire rack to finish cooling. Freezes
well.
NOTE: This bread is slightly sweet, but
mainly savory. Its texture is not so much
bread-like as cake-like. The polenta gives it
a rather coarse texture and wonderful gold-
en yellow color. The savory flavor comes
through well, whether served warm or cold.
For a real treat, top it with a sliver of ma-
ture cheddar cheese. Serve with a hearty
soup for lunch, or as a starter course with
an interesting salad and a glass of light red
wine.
Cornmeal Sticks
Yields 41⁄2 dozen.
2 cups cold water
11⁄2 cups yellow cornmeal
3
⁄4 teaspoon salt
11⁄2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar
cheese
Shortening
1 Combine water, cornmeal and salt in
heavy saucepan; mix until smooth. Cook
over medium heat, stirring constantly, un-
til mixture is very stiff, thick and pulls away
from sides of pan, about 6 to 9 minutes.
2 Remove from heat; add cheese and
stir until melted.
3 Pat mixture evenly into ungreased
13-by-9-by-2-inch utility dish; let stand,
uncovered, at room temperature for 30
minutes. Cut into 3 lengthwise sections
and 18 crosswise strips.
4 Heat shortening to 365 F in deep
saucepan or deep fryer. Fry 3 cornmeal
sticks together, adding one at a time, for 3
minutes, or until golden brown. If dough
runs together, cut apart after frying and
draining.
5 Remove with slotted spoon and drain
on paper towels. Serve warm.

Mexican Cornbread
Recipe from Alda Geist, Frederick, Oklahoma

2 cups yellow cornmeal 2 cups Mexican-style whole

11⁄2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sweet milk
1 stick margarine, softened
(2)/NAZREEN ESSACK, JAN INFANTE
kernel corn, drained
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups grated American
cheese

1 Sift together cornmeal, salt and baking soda.

2 Beat eggs; add milk and combine with sifted ingredi-
ents. Add margarine, corn and onions.
3 Pour half the batter into greased 9-by-13-inch pan.
Top batter with grated cheese and carefully cover with re-
LEFT TO RIGHT: ISTOCK

maining batter.
4 Bake at 350 F to 400 F for 45 minutes.

www.Grit.com 65
 Skillet Cornbread With Cheddar, Corn, and Chiles
Recipe by Susan Belsinger, Brookeville, Maryland
This savory cornbread is rich, cake-like and full of flavor. Taste your sage to see how strong it is; if you use a strong-flavored one like Berggarten, use
only about 3 tablespoons. Oregano and marjoram are also very tasty used in place of the sage. This is a great accompaniment to baked beans and
coleslaw. Yields 8 servings.

1 cup unbleached white flour 3 extra-large eggs 1

⁄2 cup finely sliced green onions or
1 cup cornmeal, preferably stone-ground 1
⁄4 cup cold-pressed vegetable or corn oil chopped onion
1
⁄4 cup whole-wheat flour 2 tablespoons honey or sorghum 2 or 3 serrano or jalapeño peppers,
21⁄2 teaspoons baking powder 4 tablespoons finely shredded fresh stemmed, seeded and minced fine
1 teaspoon salt sage or 11⁄2 tablespoons crumbled dried 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon chili powder sage 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup whole or 2 percent milk 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Heat oven to 375°F. Rub 10-inch iron skillet

with oil.
2 In large bowl, combine white flour, corn-
meal, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and
chili powder; blend well.
3 In another bowl, combine milk, eggs, oil, and
honey, and whisk for 1 minute. Stir in sage, garlic,
onions, peppers, and corn.
4 Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients along
with cheese and stir until just mixed. Pour batter
into prepared skillet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes,
or until cake tester inserted in center comes out
clean. Let cornbread cool in skillet for 5 to 10 min-
utes before cutting and serving.

Steamed Cornbread Cush the loaf can be sliced and served with jam,
Recipe from Mrs. Paul Duell, 2 tablespoons meat drippings margarine or jelly, as for pancakes.
Salem, Oregon 2 tablespoons margarine
Yields 6 large servings. 3 cups broken-up cornbread (use leftover Fruit Cornbread
cornbread or prepare it for this recipe) 1 cup flour
1
⁄2 cup sifted flour 2 cups broken-up biscuits 1
⁄4 teaspoon salt
1
⁄2 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs, beaten 3 teaspoons baking powder
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground sage 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 medium onion, chopped 11⁄4 cups yellow cornmeal
3
⁄4 cup milk Salt and pepper 1 egg, beaten
1
⁄2 cup molasses Milk 11⁄3 cups bottled or diluted
1 egg, beaten Cinnamon, optional evaporated milk
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine Allspice, optional 1
⁄4 cup melted shortening
1 cup dried peaches, apricots or apples,
1 Sift together sifted flour, baking 1 Heat oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf cut into small pieces and cooked
soda, and salt. Add remaining ingredi- pan; set aside.
ents; mix well. 2 In skillet, heat drippings and marga- 1 Sift together flour, salt, and bak-
2 Pour into greased, 1-pound rine. Add cornbread, biscuits, eggs, sage, ing powder; add sugar and cornmeal.
coffee can. onion, salt and pepper. Stir and brown Moisten with egg, milk, and shortening,
3 Cover tightly with aluminum foil lightly. Add milk to make a soft mush mixing thoroughly.
and steam 3 hours on rack in covered batter; cook until fairly dry. Add spices, 2 Stir in fruit and turn into hot, well-
kettle, with just enough water to simmer if desired. greased, shallow baking dish.
below can. 3 Pour into prepared pan and bake 15 3 Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes. Serve
4 Before serving, remove bottom of can to 20 minutes. Can be served hot or cold. as bread, or as dessert with additional
and use spatula to remove bread from can. NOTE: If this is baked in a loaf pan, stewed, juicy fruit.

66 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 Gram’s Cornbread 2 eggs, beaten 1 In bowl, sift together cornmeal,
Recipe from Mrs. Warren Bogda, 21⁄2 cups buttermilk flour and salt. Stir in enough boiling
Blue Island, Illinois 1
⁄4 cup (1⁄2 stick) butter, melted water to make mixture consistency of
1 cup shredded provolone cheese dough.
5 cups cornmeal 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 2 While dough is still hot, scoop out
2 cups flour 1 cup chopped roasted red peppers lump the size of a golf ball. Roll and flat-
3
⁄4 teaspoon salt ten in wet palm to the shape of a biscuit.
4 teaspoons baking soda 1 Heat oven to 350 F. Repeat procedure for remaining dough.
2 cups brown sugar 2 In large bowl, sift together cornmeal, 3 In well-oiled skillet over medium
1 cup shortening flour, baking powder, baking soda, and heat, fry cornbread to a golden brown on
5 eggs, beaten salt; set aside. both sides, adding oil as needed. Drain
3 cups sour milk or buttermilk 3 In medium bowl, whisk together cornbread on paper towels.
eggs, buttermilk, and butter; stir in
1 Blend together cornmeal, flour, salt cheeses and peppers. Add to dry ingredi- Traditional Virginia Spoon Bread
and baking soda. ents, stirring just until combined. 1 pint water
2 Cream together brown sugar and 4 Spoon into 2 buttered 8-by-5-inch 1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
shortening; add eggs. loaf pans and bake for 1 hour, or until 1 cup stone-ground white cornmeal
3 Alternately add dry ingredients and centers test done. 2 tablespoons butter
sour milk to creamed mixture. 5 Remove from oven and let cool for 4 eggs, beaten
4 Pour batter into three loaf pans and 5 minutes. Turn onto wire rack and cool 1 cup cold milk
bake at 350 F for 45 to 60 minutes, or completely.
until bread is solid. 6 When wrapped airtight, bread loaves 1 Heat oven to 400 F.
may be frozen for up to 1 month. 2 Boil water in saucepan; add salt.
Cheesy Red Pepper Add cornmeal and stir 1 minute. Re-
Cornbread Fry Cornbread move from heat and add butter.
21⁄4 cups cornmeal 1 cup white cornmeal 3 Beat mixture well, then add eggs.
21⁄4 cups flour 1
⁄2 cup self-rising flour Beat in cold milk.
21⁄2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 4 Beat again and pour into hot, but-
1 teaspoon baking soda Water, boiling tered baking dish. Bake 25 minutes.
1 teaspoon salt Oil, for frying Serve from baking dish.

Skillet Sage and Peppered Cornbread

6 slices bacon 1 teaspoon paprika 1 Heat oven to 425 F. In 9- or 10-
11⁄4 cups cornmeal 11⁄4 cups buttermilk inch cast-iron skillet, fry bacon until
3
⁄4 cup flour 1 egg crisp; reserve fat. Crumble bacon; set
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons molasses or honey aside.
3 teaspoons baking powder 3 tablespoons sage, freshly chopped 2 In medium bowl, mix cornmeal,
1
⁄2 teaspoon red chili pepper, dried, 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped flour, salt, baking powder, chili pepper,
crushed 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly white pepper, and paprika; blend with
1
⁄4 teaspoon white pepper, ground grated fork.
3 In small bowl, mix buttermilk, egg,
and molasses, then mix with dry ingre-
dients. Add chopped sage (make them
generous tablespoons), green onions,
Parmesan cheese, and crumbled bacon.
4 In skillet, heat 1⁄4 cup reserved ba-
SUSAN BELSINGER; ISTOCK/DAVID SMITH

con fat to near smoking, then pour into

cornmeal mixture. Immediately return
batter to hot, greased skillet and bake in
oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden
brown on top. Do not overcook.
NOTE: Vegetarians can substitute
LEFT TO RIGHT:

1
⁄4 cup oil for bacon fat.

www.Grit.com 67
 Cranberry Cornsticks Polenta
With Chives
Recipe by Kris Wetherbee, In some cultures, this dish is just called
Oakland, Oregon “grits.” The names and textures might
These herb-enhanced cornsticks are a differ slightly, but it’s all soul food. Yields
tasty change from the white buns or rolls 6 servings.
typically served at holiday meals. Yields
14 cornsticks. 23⁄4 cups water
3
⁄4 cup yellow cornmeal
3
⁄4 cup cornmeal 1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
3
⁄4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour 1
⁄2 teaspoon mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
1
⁄4 teaspoon baking soda 1 Combine water, cornmeal, and salt in 2-quart microwave-safe dish. Microwave, cov-
1
⁄4 teaspoon dried orange peel ered, on high 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once. Stir in mozzarella; let stand, covered,
1
⁄3 cup dried cranberries 2 minutes.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 2 Spread mixture into lightly oiled 9-inch round pan. Cool slightly.
1 egg, lightly beaten 3 Cover, then refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight. Cut into 6 wedges.
2 tablespoons canola or corn oil 4 Grill 12 to 15 minutes, turning once. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over warm wedges.
1 cup buttermilk

1 Heat oven to 450 F. Place 2 well-

greased cast-iron cornstick pans in oven
for 5 minutes or until hot.
Cornbread
2 Combine first eight ingredients in 1 cup all-purpose flour
medium bowl; make well in center. 1
⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
3 Combine egg, oil, and buttermilk in 2 teaspoons baking powder
small bowl; add to cornmeal mixture, stir- 1 tablespoon sugar
ring just until blended. 1 teaspoon salt
4 Reduce oven temperature to 400 F. 3
⁄4 cup cornmeal
Spoon batter into hot cornstick pans, fill- 1 cup buttermilk
ing 3⁄4 full. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until 2 eggs
golden; remove from pans. 3 tablespoons melted butter

Quick Cornbread 1 Heat oven to 375 F.

Yields 9 servings. 2 Sift together flour, baking soda,
baking powder, sugar, salt, and corn-
1 cup cornmeal meal. Combine buttermilk, eggs,
1 cup all-purpose flour and butter; beat into dry mixture.
1 teaspoon baking soda 3 Pour batter into baking pan or
1 teaspoon salt skillet and bake until brown.
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream, or 1 cup buttermilk Buttermilk Bacon Cornbread 1 cup buttermilk
with 2 tablespoons butter Recipe from Mrs. Blanche Thompson, 1
⁄2 cup melted fat or salad oil
1
⁄4 cup boiling water Montello, Wisconsin
Yields 8 to 10 servings. 1 Blend together flour, sugar, baking
1 Sift
together dry ingredients and set powder, baking soda, and salt; stir in
aside. Beat eggs and add sour cream. 1 cup sifted flour cornmeal and bacon, mixing well.
(2)/JASON LUGO, ILBUSCA

2 Add egg and cream mixture to dry
ingredients; add boiling water and stir un-
til just moistened.
3 Pour batter into 8-by-8-by-2-inch
2 teaspoons sugar, optional 2 Combine eggs, buttermilk, and fat;
11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder add to flour mixture and blend — do not
1
⁄2 teaspoon baking soda beat — until flour is evenly dampened.
3
⁄4 teaspoon salt 3 Pour batter into 7-by-11-inch pan
TOP TO BOTTOM: ISTOCK

greased baking pan. Bake at 375 F for 1 cup cornmeal and bake at 400 F for 25 minutes, or un-
25 minutes, or until bread top is golden 1
⁄2 cup diced bacon, fried and drained til brown. Cut or break into pieces and
brown and springs back to the touch. 2 eggs, beaten serve warm.

68 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

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 Biscuits
More Treat your taste buds to a culinary delight with
homemade biscuits, tortillas, dumplings and noodles.
By Traci Smith
you’re dreaming of a
Whetherdelicious breakfast,
lunch or supper, or even an afternoon
snack, we have just the thing. Easy to
prepare, and oh-so-good fresh from the
oven, biscuits go great with butter and/
or jelly or honey, or even topped with
country gravy. When your stomach starts
rumbling midday, satisfy your hunger
with a flour tortilla topped with ham and
cheese, or head south of the border with
Mexican toppings. For supper, mix up
a batch of dumplings or noodles to go
along with soup or broth; your family
will love it.
Grit put together an exciting cookbook
that features an old-fashioned key ingredi-
ent: lard. All of the recipes in this article are
from Lard: The Lost Art of Cooking With
Your Grandmother’s Secret Ingredient.
70 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
In addition to the basics — lard, flour,
and some sort of leavening agent —
biscuits can be prepared with a variety of
ingredients, such as herbs, cheeses, yo-
gurt, buttermilk or sour milk. No mat-
ter what ingredients your recipe calls for,
using lard as the shortening will ensure a
rich, flaky biscuit.
If you’ve never had homemade tortillas,
you don’t know what you’re missing. Made
with five simple ingredients, tortillas are
versatile. Use them for wraps, burritos, soft
tacos or tostadas. The options are endless.
Do you remember the dumplings and
noodles from your childhood? Now you
can treat your family to homemade reci-
pes like those Mom and Grandma made.
Dumplings made with a biscuit mix and
noodles purchased in the freezer section
of your local grocery store just can’t com-
pare to homemade.
We hope you enjoy all of these wonder-
ful recipes we’ve collected over the years
from our loyal readers.
Cheese Roll Biscuits
These delicious little rolls are so
much more than biscuits. Bread flour
gives them a chewy texture and crisp
crust, and the addition of cheese and
buttermilk introduces extra protein
and makes for a satisfying side dish
or snack. Make them with Monterey
Jack or cheddar cheese for a brunch or
potluck. Yields 2 dozen.
1
⁄4 cup lard, cold and coarsely
chopped, plus more for
greasing pan
21⁄2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1
⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
 1 cup grated cheese of your choice
1 Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease bak-
ing sheet with lard; set aside.
2 In large bowl, sift together flour,
salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Using pastry blender, cut in lard until
texture resembles coarse crumbs. Add
buttermilk, and mix lightly with fork.
3 Turn dough out onto lightly
floured surface. Knead lightly and roll
out to 1⁄4-inch thickness using floured
rolling pin.
4 Sprinkle cheese evenly over dough,
and then roll up as you would jellyroll.
5 Cut into 3⁄4-inch-thick slices. Place,
cut-side down, 1 inch apart on prepared
baking sheet.
6 Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until
puffed and golden.
Sky-High Biscuits
These jumbo-sized biscuits are aptly
named because the combination of
working yeast, baking powder, baking
soda, cream of tartar and yogurt en-
gages in a bubbling chemical reaction
that fills the dough with carbon diox-
ide, causing them to rise “sky high.”
Make them when you have guests to
impress or lots of mouths to feed. Yields
1 dozen.
1
⁄2 cup lard, cold and coarsely chopped,
plus more for greasing pan
21⁄4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1
⁄4 cup warm water (105 to 115 F)
21⁄2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3
⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
11⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup plain yogurt
1 Preheat oven to 425 F. Grease bak-
ing sheet with lard, and set aside.
2 In small bowl, dissolve yeast in
warm water. Let stand until foamy, 5 to
10 minutes.
3 In large bowl, mix together flour,
sugar, baking powder, salt, cream of
tartar, and baking soda. Using pastry
FOTOLIA/ROBYNMAC (2)
blender or two knives, cut in lard until
coarse crumbs form.
4 Make well in center of flour mix-
Grandma’s Homemade Biscuits
These biscuits are as authentic as they come, from a time when lard from the family’s hog and
milk from the backyard cow were common fare. The dough can be rolled and cut with a biscuit
cutter or dropped from a wooden spoon. Make these for a big family supper, because they are
best when eaten fresh from the oven. Yields 1 dozen.
1
⁄3 cup plus 1 tablespoon lard, cold and 3 teaspoons baking powder
coarsely chopped, plus more for 1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
greasing pan 1 cup milk
21⁄2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
divided
1 Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease baking sheet with lard; set aside.
2 In large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Using pastry
blender, cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk, and stir to form ball.
3 Sprinkle remaining flour on sheet of wax paper, and turn dough mixture onto it. Knead for
about 5 minutes, and then roll out dough to 1-inch thickness. Cut with biscuit cutter and place
1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet, or drop dough using large spoon, onto baking sheet, and
pat down. Brush tops with melted butter.
4 Bake for about 20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.
at once. Toss with fork until dry ingre- To order Lard:
dients are moistened. Do not overmix. The Lost Art of
5 On floured surface, roll dough Cooking with Your
out to 3⁄4-inch thickness using floured Grandmother’s Secret
rolling pin. Cut biscuits using floured Ingredient by the
21⁄ 2-inch-round biscuit cutter. Gather Editors of GRIT, visit
trimmings and repeat. the GRIT Bookstore at
6 Place biscuits 1 inch apart on pre- www.grit.com/store.
pared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15
minutes, or until puffed and golden. there are no leftovers. Yields 1 dozen.
Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes on
wire rack. Serve warm. 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
Freezer Biscuits 1
⁄2 teaspoon cream of tartar
The concept of freezer biscuits is a 1
⁄4 teaspoon salt
solid one — make them one day, eat 2 tablespoons sugar
them all month; that’s how long they’ll 1
⁄2 cup lard, cold and coarsely chopped
keep. Just pop a few into a hot oven, 2
⁄3 cup milk
and you’ll have crisp and flaky home- 1 egg, beaten
www.Grit.com 71
 1 In large bowl, mix together flour,
baking powder, cream of tartar, salt
and sugar. Using pastry blender or two
knives, cut in lard until mixture resem-
bles coarse crumbs.
2 In small bowl, beat together milk
and egg; add to flour mixture, and stir
until ball forms. Turn out onto lightly
floured surface; knead for a few minutes.
3 Line baking sheet with wax paper
and set aside.
4 Using rolling pin, roll out dough
to 3⁄4-inch thickness and cut with biscuit
cutter. Place biscuits on prepared bak-
ing sheet, and cover with plastic wrap.
5 Freeze biscuits until solid — about
6 hours — then transfer to zipper-seal
plastic bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.
6 To use: Preheat oven to 425 F. Line
baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place frozen biscuits 1 inch apart on
lined baking sheet. (Do not thaw be-
fore baking biscuits.) Bake for about 20
minutes, or until biscuits are puffed and
golden brown. Serve warm with butter
and honey.
72 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
Indian Fry Bread
Fry bread is the Native American counterpart to Mexican tortillas. Thicker and
more substantial than tortillas, fry bread is delicious and filling. Made with lard
and dry milk, it is truly authentic, as American Indians did not commonly have
access to fresh milk. To substitute fresh milk, use 2 to 21⁄2 cups warmed milk and
omit the water. Serve with seasoned meat, cheese, onions, lettuce, salsa and
beans for a fun twist on “taco night.” Yields 12 pieces.
4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour 1 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder 2 to 21⁄2 cups warm water
3
⁄4 cup instant dry milk Lard, for frying
1 In large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, dry milk, and salt. Mix in just
enough warm water to form soft dough. Cover and set aside for 2 to 3 hours.
2 Turn dough out onto floured board, and knead for 1 minute. Shape dough into
log, and then cut into 12 even pieces.
3 Using floured rolling pin, roll each piece out into 5-inch round.
4 Heat lard to 1⁄2 inch deep at 360 F in cast-iron skillet. Fry dough pieces, 1 at a
time, for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Drain and cool on
paper towels.
Homemade Flour Tortillas
If you’ve never looked at the ingredients list on a package of store-bought
tortillas, you should. Forgo the additives and make your own — authentically
made with lard — from pure ingredients. Serve warm with butter and honey
for a snack, or with fixings for burritos or wraps for a meal. Yields 12 tortillas.
3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 6 tablespoons lard, cold and coarsely chopped
11⁄4 cups warm water
1 In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using pastry
(4)/OLGA NAYASHKOVA, FKRUGER, MSHELDRAKE, MARCO MAYER
blender, cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add warm water,
a little at a time, adding just enough to form dough that is soft and no longer
sticky (do not use hot water).
2 Turn dough out onto floured board, and knead until soft and pliable, 2 to
3 minutes. Divide dough evenly into 12 portions the size of golf balls. Cover
with cloth and let dough rest for at least 10 minutes.
3 Dust each ball with flour, and roll out with rolling pin or “palote,” as thinly
as possible without tearing, 1⁄16 inch or thinner.
4 Heat griddle, comal, or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. (Do not
CLOCKWISE FROM LOWER LEFT: FOTOLIA
use a very hot griddle or the tortillas will cook too quickly.)
5 One at a time, lay tortilla on hot griddle. Let brown for a few seconds on
one side, then turn over. Each side should be nicely speckled.
6 Place cooked tortillas on towel or in tortilla warmer and cover while you
cook the remaining tortillas. Serve warm.
Dumplings
This very old-fashioned rendition of chicken and dumplings is probably the way your grandma
used to make it. Nothing extra has been added — no vegetables, no noodles — this really is just
chicken and dumplings. A free-range organic bird is all you need to celebrate the true flavor of
chicken. Add a teaspoon or two of your favorite dried herbs and a bay leaf to spice up the broth.
Or add vegetables of your choice. Yields 6 servings.

1 broiler chicken, dressed and cut 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

into 8 pieces (3 to 5 pounds) 4 teaspoons baking powder
Water 2 tablespoons lard, cold and
1
⁄4 teaspoon black pepper coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons salt, divided 1 cup milk

1 Place chicken pieces in large saucepan, and add enough water to cover. Add pepper and 1
teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 1 hour.
2 Meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder, and remaining salt in large bowl. Using pastry
blender or fork, cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk, 1⁄4 cup at a time,
and mix until soft dough forms; set aside.
3 Once chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink at the bone, transfer to cutting board, and
cool slightly. Remove skin, shred chicken, and discard bones.
4 Return meat to pot. Bring stew to boiling, and then drop dough by teaspoonfuls into pot.
Cover, and boil broth and dumplings for 12 minutes, or until dumplings have doubled in size.
Serve immediately.

Homemade Noodles
You’ll be delighted at how easy it is to make homemade noodles. Whenever you have leftover chicken or turkey from a meal, toss it in some broth with
these noodles, and you’ll have a simple, nourishing supper — perfect for a cold winter evening. Yields 6 servings.

3 eggs 2 to 21⁄4 cups all-purpose SOUP:

1 tablespoon water unbleached flour, divided 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken or turkey broth
1 tablespoon milk 1 scant teaspoon baking 5 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tablespoon lard, melted powder 11⁄2 cups cooked and chopped chicken or turkey
and cooled 1 teaspoon fresh or dried herbs of your choice

1 In large bowl, combine eggs, water, and milk. With electric mixer,
beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Beat in lard and salt.
2 In separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour and baking
powder. Add gradually to egg mixture, beating on low speed. Using
rubber spatula, stir in more flour, up to 1⁄4 cup if needed, to make stiff
dough.
3 Turn dough onto floured board, and knead into ball. Sprinkle more
flour on board and, using rolling pin, roll out dough as thinly as pos-
sible, about 1⁄16 inch.
4 Using pizza wheel, slice dough into strips 1⁄4 inch wide, then slice
again in half crosswise. Transfer noodles to wire rack and cover
loosely with lint-free cloth. Leave to dry for 2 hours.
5 To make soup, place broth in stockpot and bring to boil. Whisk in
flour to thicken, and then add poultry and noodles. Reduce heat to
medium, and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until noodles are tender
and broth is thickened. Stir in herbs.
6 Serve piping hot.

www.Grit.com 73
 Something A touch of sugar adds
a touch of home to

Sweet
delicious breads.

By Evan Blake Welch

tempting whiff of the aroma

Onefrom my mom’s freshly
baked bread pudding was all she
needed to call my friends and me in
from our various outdoor pursuits.
How could we not drop everything to
taste that mouthwatering creation?
Seated around the table with ruf-
fled hair and dirt clinging to our
shirts, we’d devour the treat, and un-
knowingly develop fond memories
of what it meant to be home. The
pudding was gone within minutes of
our arrival — Mom always said that
was the best compliment a baker
could receive.
When the smell of sugary good-
ness is coupled with the hearty scent
of bread, the reaction is universal. All
neighbors, friends and even enemies
are compelled to join together, and
sometimes come to an agreement.
One such tasty treat, shortbread,
was born of a battle in 12th-century
Scotland when mothers and bakers
fought to call the butter-filled cookie
shortbread instead of short biscuit,
to avoid the ominous biscuit tax.
No doubt victory was secured with
the help of a few sweet, delicious and
crispy bribes.
Once a morsel nibbled on almost
exclusively by wealthy Scots, short-
SPEED PRESS; KAREN K. WILL

bread can now be savored around

the world by those who desire a rich,
homey taste as a dessert or snack.
Whether these scrumptious relics
LEFT TO RIGHT: JIM FRANCO/COURTESY TEN

of home are baked for your favorite

holiday or an afternoon treat, sweet-
tasting breads are sure to evoke trea-
sured feelings of home in every heart.
Bake up your own homemade mem-
ories with the recipes that follow.

74 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

French Toast Coffee Cake
By Joy Pierson, Angel Ramos
and Jorge Pineda
(photograph on opposite page)
Yields 8 to 10 servings.
1 cup vegan cream cheese
3 cups plain unsweetened soy milk
3 tablespoons unrefined sugar
1 tablespoon egg replacer
1 1⁄ 2 tablespoons fresh ginger juice
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon,
divided
8 slices sourdough bread, cut into
1- to 2-inch rounds
1
⁄4 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons buttery spread, melted
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose
flour
Maple syrup and fresh fruit, optional
1 Preheat oven to 400 F. Oil 9-inch
springform pan; wrap base in alumi-
num foil to prevent leaking. Set aside.
2 Combine cream cheese, soy milk,
sugar, egg replacer, ginger juice, and 1
tablespoon cinnamon in blender, and
blend for 5 minutes. Transfer mixture
to large, shallow dish. Add bread, and
let sit for 5 minutes, turning bread piec-
es occasionally.
3 In bowl, mix coconut sugar, re-
maining cinnamon, buttery spread, and
flour until of crumby consistency.
4 Layer half the bread, half the cream
cheese mixture, and half the coconut
sugar mixture in prepared pan. Repeat
with remaining bread, cream cheese
mixture, and coconut sugar mixture.
5 Bake for about 45 minutes, or until
golden brown and cake tester comes out
clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes.
6 Unmold coffee cake and cut into
wedges. Serve with maple syrup and
fresh fruit, if desired.
The above recipe has been reprinted
with permission from Vegan Holiday
Cooking from Candle Café by Joy
Pierson, Angel Ramos and Jorge Pineda,
published by Ten Speed Press, 2014.
Shortbread Cookies With
Orange Peel and Thyme
By Joyce Ellenbecker
This shortbread cookie recipe is an
ideal accompaniment for a quiet after-
noon tea. A food processor or blend-
er prepares the dough in minutes,
which makes it an excellent choice
for any last-minute parties. Keeping
the dough in the refrigerator makes it
easier to slice. Yields 2 dozen cookies.
1
⁄ 2 cup pecans
1
⁄ 2 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon finely chopped orange
peel
1
⁄4 cup butter
1
⁄ 2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1
⁄ 2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 Process pecans in food processor
or blender for 1 to 2 minutes, or until
finely chopped. Add remaining ingre-
dients, one at a time, processing for
15 to 30 seconds after each addition.
2 Turn dough onto countertop,
and dust lightly with additional flour.
Form into roll, and wrap in wax pa-
per. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3 Preheat oven to 350 F.
4 Slice roll into 1⁄ 2-inch-thick cook-
ies. Place on ungreased cookie sheet,
and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Coconut Bread Pudding

By Karen K. Will
Yields 8 servings.

1
⁄2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla, divided
2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup stale 1⁄2-inch cubes
1 cup whole milk bread
1 cup coconut milk 2 egg whites
1
⁄2 cup sweetened, 2 tablespoons confectioner’s
shredded coconut sugar

1 Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter 8-inch or 2-quart baking dish; set aside.
2 In large bowl, combine sugar, salt, and eggs. Gradually whisk in
milks. Add coconut, butter, and 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla.
3 Scatter bread cubes in prepared dish, and pour milk mixture
over top. Place dish in pan of hot water, with water coming up about
1
⁄2 inch around sides. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until firm.
4 Meanwhile, beat egg whites until stiff. Add confectioner’s sugar
and remaining vanilla, and continue beating until very stiff. Spread
over cooked pudding, creating peaks and valleys. Sprinkle with a
little additional shredded coconut, and heat until meringue is light
brown. Serve warm or chilled.

www.Grit.com 75
 Blueberry-Infused
Homemade Bread
By Jonathan Sadowski
As I was wracking my brain try-
ing to think of a way to use all these
blueberries as I was sipping my home-
made blueberry milk, I thought for a
moment, said “Huzzah!” and I got to
work on this recipe. It has a tinge of
extra sweetness, and its coloring is quite
unique.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1
⁄2 cup blueberry milk
1
⁄2 cup warm water
4 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons agave nectar
11⁄4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate-Bacon Muffins
By Karen K. Will
21⁄4 teaspoon (1 packet) yeast

These special muffins qualify as sweet and savory, and for anyone who scoffs at the bacon- 1 In large mixing bowl, combine all
chocolate pairing, try it before you knock it. The salty, smokiness of the bacon marries with the ingredients, and stir until no dry spots
sweetness of chocolate, and a perfect union is formed. It may become a new favorite! Yields 12 are visible. Cover bowl with plastic
muffins. wrap or towel; let sit for 1 hour.
2 After dough has risen, place it in
6 slices bacon 1 cup warm water greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise for
13⁄4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour 1
⁄4 cup walnut oil or melted butter another hour.
1
⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown 1 tablespoon strong coffee 3 Preheat oven to 350 F.
sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 Bake for about 35 minutes, or until
1
⁄4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa 1 large egg bread sounds hollow when tapped.
1 teaspoon baking powder 3
⁄4 cup semisweet mini chocolate 5 Turn bread out of pan, and let cool
1 teaspoon baking soda chips, divided on wire rack for about 10 minutes.
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt NOTE: The baking process is not
complete until the cooling process has
1 Preheat oven to 400 F. Place 12 muffin cup liners in muffin tin; set aside. been completed, so no matter how
2 Fry bacon until cooked but not crispy. Transfer to plate lined with paper towels, and let cool. tempting it is, do not skip this step.
Chop into 1⁄4-inch pieces. Set aside.
3 In large mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and Chocolate Chip
salt, and whisk to blend. Banana Bread
4 In separate bowl, combine water, oil, coffee, vanilla, and egg. Stir in 1⁄2 cup chocolate chips By Morgan Crumm
and half the bacon. Add to flour mixture, and stir just until moist. You would think I should have bak-
5 Divide batter evenly among muffin cup liners. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips and remain- ing down by now. I have been cooking
ing bacon evenly over batter. and baking for most of my life, and I
6 Bake for 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes left culinary school with a perfect 4.0
before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator. grade-point average. I have churned out
flawless souffles and stunning French

76 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 Glazed Orange-Pecan Bread
By Toni Leland
Yields 12 servings.

1
⁄4 cup butter or margarine, 21⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
softened 1 teaspoon salt
3 3
⁄4 cup sugar ⁄4 cup plus 21⁄2 teaspoons orange
2 medium eggs, beaten juice, divided
1
2 teaspoons grated orange rind ⁄2 cup chopped pecans
1
2 cups all-purpose flour ⁄2 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

1 Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; set aside.

2 In bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in sugar. Add eggs and orange rind, and mix well.
3 In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture,
alternating with 3⁄4 cup orange juice, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing
well after each addition. Stir in pecans.
4 Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick
inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove from pan and
cool completely.
5 Combine remaining orange juice with confectioner’s sugar; drizzle over cooled loaf.
6 Wrap bread in plastic wrap and let stand overnight before serving.

fruit tarts ... and yet ... sometimes
I struggle with the simplest of baked
goods.
Both because I find it completely irre-
sistible on my plate — and lips — and
because I can never seem to get it quite
right, banana bread has always been my
kryptonite.
Whether developing my own recipes
or attempting to follow one in a cook-
book, something always went wrong in
the execution.
Recently, with a bunch of bananas
steadily blackening on my countertop,
I decided to give it another go — and
this time something magical happened:
success!
Many banana bread recipes request
buttermilk for its signature tang and
KAREN K. WILL; JONATHAN SADOWSKI; LORI DUNN; MORGAN CRUMM
21⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1
⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate chips
3 ripe (very spotty) bananas
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease and
flour standard-sized Bundt pan, making
sure to get into all nooks and crannies.
Place pan on rimmed baking sheet; set
aside.
2 In large bowl, whisk together flour,
salt, baking powder, and baking soda
dry ingredients remain. (Be careful that
you don’t mix too aggressively, though,
which could deliver a tougher texture to
the finished bread.)
7 Pour batter into prepared pan, and
bake for about 45 minutes, or until cake
is golden brown on top and toothpick
inserted near center comes out clean or
with just a few moist crumbs clinging
to it.
8 Cool in pan on cooling rack for at
least 20 minutes, or until bread starts
to pull away from sides of pan, before
inverting onto cooling rack to finish
cooling completely.

acid content, but this go-round I opted
for something a bit different. Pineapple
juice stands in to lend sweetness, gentle
acidity, and a fruity boost to the banana
flavor.
Dark chocolate chips provide depth
and contrast, but you could omit them
or swap them out for 1⁄ 2 cup coarsely
chopped nuts if desired.
I find that the bread batter bakes
CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT:
until all ingredients are thoroughly
combined. Stir in dark chocolate chips;
set aside.
3 In medium-size bowl, use fork to
mash bananas with brown sugar.
4 Use whisk to thoroughly incor-
porate oil, pineapple juice, and vanilla
into banana mixture.
5 Whisk eggs, one at a time, into ba-
nana mixture until well-blended.

more evenly in a Bundt pan than it does 6 Use wooden spoon or rubber
in a loaf pan or cake pan. Be sure to spatula to make well in center of dry
grease (I use butter) and flour the pan ingredients. Pour banana mixture into
for best results. well, and stir until no visible pockets of

www.Grit.com 77
 Chocolate Chip-Banana Muffin
Recipe and photograph
by Laura Theodore
These moist muffins are sweet but
not overly so, making them a scrump-
tious treat for breakfast, an afternoon
snack, or dessert. This recipe uses ripe
bananas rather than eggs for binding.
Wheat germ adds both texture and nu-
trition, while dark chocolate contrib-
utes antioxidants, not to mention a
decadent taste.
Yields 6 large muffins.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1
⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
1
⁄2 cup brown sugar
1
⁄2 cup toasted wheat germ
11⁄4 cups plain or vanilla nondairy
milk, plus more as needed
3 ripe bananas, mashed until smooth
1
⁄4 cup vegetable oil
1
⁄2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
31⁄2 ounces vegan dark chocolate,
chopped
1 Preheat oven to 400 F. Oil six-cup
standard muffin tin; set aside.
2 Put flours, baking powder, and salt
78 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
in large bowl and stir with dry whisk to
combine. Add brown sugar and wheat
germ and stir with whisk to combine.
Stir in nondairy milk, bananas, and oil
and mix just until incorporated.
3 Stir in chocolate chips and chopped
chocolate. Mixture will be thick, but if
it seems overly dry, stir in a bit more
nondairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Don’t overmix or muffins will be tough.
4 Mound mixture into prepared
muffin cups. Put pan on baking sheet
and bake for 20 minutes. Decrease tem-
perature to 375 F and bake for 20 to
25 minutes, until golden and toothpick
inserted in middle of muffin comes out
almost clean.
5 Place pan on wire rack and loosen
sides of each muffin with knife. Let cool
for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove
muffins. Serve warm or at room tem-
perature.
Freckled, Pumpkin Yeast Bread
Recipe and photograph
by Renee Pottle
Autumn is actually pumpkin season
for many, which means pumpkin-fla-
vored items are popping up every-
where. The airwaves and reader boards
are filled with ads for pumpkin lattes,
pumpkin scones, pumpkin donuts,
pumpkin ice cream treats and even
pumpkin milkshakes.
I get it. I like pumpkin too. But all
that sweetness is a bit much for me.
So when I found myself with leftover
pumpkin puree after making a batch
of homemade Pumpkin-Blueberry
Muffins, I knew just what to make —
a pumpkin-flavored yeast bread that
wasn’t sweet and that left out the typical
pumpkin pie related spices.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTES
1. The bread is freckled with chopped
pecans, but toasted walnuts or even
dried cranberries would work equally
well.
2. Pumpkin puree adds a savory flavor
and helps keep the bread soft. Cooked,
mashed buttercup or Hubbard winter
squash would make a nice substitute,
although it would give the bread a more
delicate flavor.
3. I used some Kamut® flour to add
whole grains and because its nutty
flavor enhances the pumpkin. White
whole wheat or additional all-purpose
flour could be used instead.
11⁄2 cups Kamut flour
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
11⁄2 tablespoons brown sugar
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
21⁄4 teaspoons active dry yeast
11⁄4 cups pumpkin puree
3
⁄4 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
2 tablespoons olive oil
3
⁄4 cup chopped pecans
1 Add ingredients except pecans to
large bowl or stand mixer bowl. Mix
well to combine.
2 Add nuts. Knead by hand until
smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes,
or using a stand mixer to knead dough
for 5 to 8 minutes.
3 Place in greased bowl, cover and
let rise in warm place until almost dou-
bled, about 11⁄2 hours.
4 Gently fold to deflate.
5 Shape dough into a ball and place
in floured brotform or proofing con-
tainer. You could also shape the dough
into a free-form oval. Cover and let rise
30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in
size.
6 Preheat oven and baking stone to
400 F.
7 Gently flip bread out of brotform
and onto parchment-lined peel. Score
round with sharp knife.
8 Slide loaf onto baking stone and
bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until in-
terior temperature reaches 195 to 200 F.
9 Remove from oven and let cool for
up to 1 hour before slicing.
Vegan Banana Bread
With Sunflower Seeds
By Laura Theodore
This bread is a true quick bread, in that
it prepares for the oven in about 10 min-
utes. It’s great slathered with whole fruit
preserves or your favorite nut butter.
Yields 1 loaf.
11⁄3 cups sliced bananas (about 1 very
large or 2 small)
12⁄3 cups nondairy milk (a thicker
variety works best), divided
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
4 tablespoons ground golden flaxseeds
21⁄4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1
⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup raw unsweetened shredded dried
coconut
1
⁄2 cup Sucanat, brown sugar, or your
preferred dry sweetener
1
⁄2 cup pitted and diced dates
1
⁄2 cup roasted, unsalted sunflower
seeds
1 Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat
9-by-5-inch loaf pan with vegan mar-
garine.
2 Put banana slices and 1⁄3 cup non-
dairy milk in small bowl and, using po-
tato masher or large fork, mash until
smooth.
3 Put flour, flaxseeds, baking powder,
cinnamon, and sea salt in large bowl and
stir with dry whisk to combine. Add co-
conut and Sucanat; stir with whisk to
combine. Stir in remaining nondairy
milk and mix until incorporated.
4 Fold in dates and sunflower seeds.
Transfer mixture to prepared pan and
smooth top.
5 Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until
toothpick inserted in center of bread
comes out clean.
6 Put pan on wire rack and let cool
5 minutes. Gently loosen sides of bread
with knife. Carefully invert loaf onto
wire rack.
7 Allow loaf to cool for 20 to 30
minutes before slicing.
8 Covered tightly and stored in re-
frigerator, loaf will keep for 3 days.
Recipe reprinted with permission from
Laura Theodore’s Vegan-Ease, ©2015 by
Laura Theodore.
www.Grit.com 79
 How to Bake Using an
EARTH OVEN Once you’ve tasted bread baked in this old-world structure,
you’ll never go back to baking in the kitchen oven.

Article and photographs

by Lydia Noyes

in an earth oven is a
Baking wonderful culinary
experience. Also called cob, an Old
English term for “lump,” earth ovens
are built with layers of clay, straw and
mud that dry into a smooth brick-like
substance. This style of architecture
has been used throughout the world,
from the adobe homes of the American
Southwest to 500-year-old cob homes
in Devon, England.
When properly cared for and kept out
of bad weather, cob structures retain
heat very well and can last for centu-
ries. Unlike the convection oven in your
kitchen that simply heats the air around
your food, cob ovens use three forms
of heat transfer: radiant heat from the
walls, conduction heat from the floor,
and hot air convected throughout the
oven space. This creates a blisteringly
hot steam that caramelizes the sugars on
the outside of a loaf and forms a thick,
chewy crust. After cooking your bread
in a cob oven, the results from your
kitchen oven will seem bland and dry.

Building Your Oven

Numerous resources are available
concerning how to cheaply construct
a cob oven, often using predominately
local supplies. When my husband and
I moved onto our historic Appalachian
homestead, we were happy to discover
that the previous inhabitants had built
a gorgeous earth oven just off the kitch-
en. These original builders relied on the

80 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

book Build Your Own Earth Oven by
Kiko Denzer and Hannah Field. This
fabulous resource will answer every
question you have from sourcing ma-
terials to deciding on a size, as well as
give you a look at the rich history of this
ancient cooking method.

Using Your Oven

Whether you build your own oven or
inherit it like we did, cob ovens are dead
easy to use with some prior planning.
Give yourself two to five hours for the
entire process, depending on how much
food you want to make and the required
oven temperature. Begin the baking
process by following the steps below.
First, soak the oven baking door in
a bucket of water. A good soak for a
couple hours ensures total saturation
and will prevent it from catching fire.
The water will also produce steam for
the baking process to keep your bread
moist.
Build a fire in the oven using small,
dry pieces of wood. Kindling-like piec-
es are best because they have a lot of
surface area. The goal is to burn small
loads of wood fast and hot. Feel free to
use scrap lumber, but make sure that it
hasn’t been treated with toxic chemicals
you don’t want in your food. Plan on
burning several loads of wood to get the Immediately after firing, the oven floor Your method and baking time will
oven to the desired baking temperature. will be at different temperatures, which change depending on how hot you have
Learn to estimate the oven tempera- could cause uneven baking. To even out the oven: bread can be cooked “fast and
ture by touching the outside. It should the temperature, close the oven opening hot” or “slow and cool.” Earth oven
be hot but not unbearable for a few sec- with a metal cookie sheet or something prowess comes from practice and in-
onds of contact. One to three hours is similar and let the oven set for 15 to tuition, so keep trying different things
typically long enough for the oven to 30 minutes, though the time isn’t too until you get a feel for it!
fully heat up. When the black soot on important. Don’t use the baking door When the crust of your bread is
the outside begins to burn off, the oven for this step. brown and textured, pull it out of the
has exceeded 600 degrees Fahrenheit, Now, get a feel for the interior tem- oven with the peel.
which is typically hot enough for one perature. If you can hold your hand The oven will retain heat for several
bread bake. inside for eight seconds, it’s ready for hours so you can plan out your baking
Hotter ovens will cook better pizzas, bread. If it’s too hot for that, you can to maximize the available heat by cook-
so let the oven go for another hour or so cook a pizza or wait for the oven to lose ing multiple dishes over several hours,
for exceptionally delicious crusts. some heat. starting with pizza, then bread, fol-
Pull out the remains of the fire with Load your loaves into the oven with a lowed by a casserole and finally cookies
a metal ash shovel. Be careful to get the peel (a thin-bladed paddle) or a narrow or brownies.
edges of the oven. The interior tempera- wooden board. Use cornmeal on the Tasting homemade bread or pizzas
ture will be too hot for your hands to peel to help the bread slip off easily. It straight from a cob oven is a supremely
handle for long, so wear gloves! When will go directly on the floor of the oven. satisfying experience. Put some time
the embers are gone, remove the ashes Immediately block the oven opening and effort in crafting an oven and per-
with a brush and clean the floor space with the baking door to trap in steam. fecting your baking technique and you
to prepare it for food. While baking, check your bread every will be enjoying fresh baked bread from
Next, “soak” your oven with heat. few minutes to ensure it doesn’t burn. your backyard for years to come.

www.Grit.com 81
 Adobe Bread
Begin to fire your oven about 3 hours before you plan to bake. The whole process takes about 11⁄2 hours, so plan accordingly.

3 cups very warm water Optional: If you use whole

3 teaspoons salt rye or other specialty flour 4 Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, and either roll into long
1
⁄4 cup sugar, honey or without much gluten, add loaves or shape into round ones. Allow to rise again until almost
sweetener 1
⁄2 cup gluten flour doubled in size. Near end of this rising, remove ashes from the
3 tablespoons baker’s yeast Cornmeal oven, scuffle the floor clean, and close the door with a damp
7 to 9 cups flour, any kind towel to soak.
5 Carry risen loaves carefully to oven. Open door and set
1 In large bowl, combine water, salt and sugar. Sprinkle yeast aside. Gently set each loaf on peel, position peel inside oven, and
on top, and allow to foam, about 15 minutes. Mix in flour until with quick thrust, set loaves on oven floor. Close door.
mixture becomes stiff but not dry. 6 Bread should bake in about 20 minutes, but there are many
2 Turn onto floured countertop (hint: sprinkle cold water on the variables with your handmade oven. Keep your nose and intuition
countertop and smooth lengths of plastic wrap on it to facilitate attuned for when bread is done. Loaves should be brown and
easier cleanup), and knead until springy, about 10 minutes. If you crusty when done, and you can tap on loaf and listen for hollow
add flour during kneading, make sure dough remains moist, not dry. sound to double check.
3 Place dough in oiled bowl and allow to rise until almost dou- 7 Use peel to remove baked loaves, and allow them to cool for
bled in size. Sprinkle cornmeal on cookie sheets. 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

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82 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

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 F LATBREAD
Fiesta! Call it tortilla, naan, matzo or crackers,
there’s a version in every culture.
By Jean Teller
act of adding ground grains
The to water, then mixing in a
bit of salt, has created simple doughs
throughout the ages. No one knows
when the recipe was first used — it’s
that ancient. Our ancestors rolled the
dough flat, and baked it on rocks,
inside ovens, or on early griddles, and
we still emulate this life-sustaining act
with tortillas, pitas, matzo, naan and
other types of flatbreads.
Depending on the place and taste,
this simple recipe may include yeast and
herbs, and the cooked flatbread may be
served flat, wrapped around fresh pro-
duce, or filled with meat and veggies
and drizzled with a dressing.
Whatever you decide to do, make
these recipes your own with the addi-
tion of favorite flavors and ingredients.
HOMEMADE
WHOLE-GRAIN TORTILLAS
By Tabitha Alterman
Making homemade tortillas takes a
little more time than buying them, but
your efforts will be rewarded with deli-
cious, nutritious tortillas that burst with
fresh flavor and no preservatives. Using
whole-wheat flour ups the nutrition
84 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
ante as well. Making them from scratch
also allows you to use locally milled, or-
ganic wheat, if you are lucky enough to
have a source for it. To search for organic
mills where you live, visit localharvest.
org. Yields about 10 tortillas.
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, butter or lard
1
⁄2 to 1 cup warm water
1 Whisk together flour, baking pow-
der and salt. Stir in oil.
2 Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time,
until dough can be gathered into ball.
Let dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
(It is almost always a good idea to let
whole-grain doughs rest a while so the
grains will absorb some liquid and soft-
en up.)
3 Knead dough on floured work sur-
face for a few minutes, and then let rest
for another 10 minutes or so.
4 Pinch or cut dough into about 10
small chunks, and roll into balls. Cover
with towel, and allow to rest for a few
minutes more.
5 Roll each ball of dough into thin
round on floured work surface, adding
more flour as needed. Layer rolled-out
tortillas between wax paper while wait-
ing to be cooked.
6 Heat ungreased skillet or griddle
to medium-high heat, and cook each
tortilla for about 30 seconds per side. It
will puff a bit and form a few bubbles.
Keep cooked tortillas warm in oven or
wrapped in kitchen towel.
HOMEMADE MATZO
By Jo Ann Gardner
It’s fun and challenging to make matzo
and try to complete the whole job in less
than 18 minutes. (This is approximately
the amount of time it takes for water
mixed with flour to begin to ferment,
or leaven itself.) However, among other
requirements, unless the flour is certified
for Passover, these would not be consid-
ered kosher. Yields 4 (7-inch) matzos.
2 cups unbleached flour, or 11⁄2 cups
all-purpose and 1⁄2 cup whole-wheat
1
⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup cold water
1 Preheat oven to 500 F.
2 Mound flour, and make well in
center. Pour in 1⁄2 cup water, and work
into dough, adding more water as nec-
essary so dough ball is barely sticky.
 3 Pull dough apart into 4 pieces the
size of golf balls. With floured rolling
pin, roll out balls into rough squares or
circles as thin as possible (so you can
almost see through them). Place on
lightly greased cookie sheet, or non-
stick sheet, and prick dough in rows
with fork.
4 Bake for about 10 minutes, or until
edges turn golden brown.
NOTE: These are best when hot and
soft. When completely cool, they won’t
be as crisp as commercial types. Store
leftovers in airtight container.
Homemade Crackers
and Hummus
By Annie Kelley
It’s easy to make homemade crackers.
The nice thing about making crackers
at home is that you have the option of
making a lot of different styles — and
the opportunity to make them more
healthful than those at the market. The
downside is the shelf life is only about
5 to 7 days, but the batches are usually
small enough to freeze, or only make
them for big gatherings.
ANNIE’S CRACKERS
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
2
⁄3 cup warm water
1
⁄3 cup good-quality olive oil
1 In bowl, mix ingredients together
with fork or spoon, just until combined.
(At this point, you can add some extras.
I like to add flax seed meal, sunflower
seeds, black sesame seeds and garlic gran-
ules. Add some rosemary if you like. Add
whatever flavors and herbs you and your
family likes. If you put in too much, it
will start feeling dry, and if that happens,
you can add a little more oil.)
2 Preheat oven to 375 F. Line bak-
ing sheet with parchment paper, and set
aside.
3 Oil hands and start patting dough
(2)/ANJELAGR, CHIYACAT
out as thin as possible.
4 Using pizza cutter, ravioli wheel
or sharp paring knife, cut dough into
squares or rectangles. (At this point, I
LEFT TO RIGHT: ISTOCK
grind a little bit of fresh black pepper
and sea salt onto the tops of them.)
5 Place dough squares on prepared
Basic Pita Dough
By Debbie Whittaker
Yields 8 pitas.
1 package active dry yeast 3 tablespoons olive oil (flavored with sage,
1 teaspoon honey rosemary or thyme, if desired)
11⁄2 cups warm water 11⁄2 cups whole-wheat flour
3
⁄4 teaspoon salt 11⁄2 to 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 In large mixing bowl, stir together yeast, honey and water. Add salt and oil. Add whole-
wheat flour, stirring vigorously for 3 minutes. Gradually add and stir in enough all-purpose
flour to make soft dough that pulls away from side of bowl.
2 Knead dough on lightly floured work surface for 5 to 10 minutes, or until smooth and elas-
tic, using only enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking. Place dough back in bowl;
cover and let rest in warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
3 Preheat oven to at least 500 F, with pizza stone or oiled baking sheet on lowest rack.
4 Punch down dough and cut into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into smooth, round ball with
no creases. Remove 2 balls, and cover rest.
5 Working with 2 balls of dough, flatten them into disks, then roll out with rolling pin until
each is 1⁄8- to 1⁄4-inch thick. Using cornmeal-covered peel or spatula, slide 2 pitas onto hot
pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Don’t open oven door during baking.
6 Place baked pitas in paper bag to keep soft while they cool. Repeat with remaining pieces
of dough.
7 Store cooled pitas in plastic bag at room temperature, or freeze for longer storage.
baking sheet. (Depending on size of HUMMUS
baking pan, you may need to divide Annie’s Crackers are great as appetiz-
dough in half and do it in 2 batches.) ers, topped with something as simple as
6 Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a small piece of cheese ... or hummus.
crackers are golden brown. Here’s my favorite hummus recipe,
7 Transfer crackers to cooling racks; made with canned chickpeas. It’s easy
they will crisp up as they cool. and quick to make.
NOTE: Instead of patting out the
dough with your hands, you can lay a 1
⁄4 cup lemon juice
sheet of parchment paper on the coun- 1
⁄4 cup water
ter, and use a rolling pin to roll the 2 cans (15 ounces each) garbanzo
dough out as thin as possible. This will beans, one drained, one undrained
create a more uniform dough, which 1
⁄4 cup raw sesame seeds
will allow you to square up the dough 1 tablespoon olive oil
a little better. The crackers will look a 2 garlic cloves, peeled, or to taste
little less “homemade,” but they will 1 teaspoon ground cumin
bake more evenly. 1
⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
www.Grit.com 85
 Indian Flatbread
By Susan Belsinger
These puffy disks of bread are simple, quick and versatile. Prepare a batch of dough and
leave it covered to rest — it takes only minutes to roll out a few flatbreads and bake them on
a griddle or in a heavy skillet. The dough can refrigerated overnight. Flatbreads and
Flavors, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid (William Morrow, 1995), has detailed instruc-
tions for rolling and cooking them, which I have adapted here. Yields 8 flatbreads.

11⁄4 cups whole-wheat flour 1 tablespoon olive oil

3
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour ⁄4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sea salt

1 In bowl, combine flours and salt. Drizzle oil over top, and work in with fingers or wooden
spoon. Add water, and work contents into soft dough.
2 Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 3 to 5 minutes, or until smooth.
Add a little more water if dough is too dry, or a little more flour if sticky. Wrap dough in plastic
wrap or cover with inverted bowl, and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
3 Cut dough into 8 equal pieces, and roll each into ball. Place balls on lightly floured surface
and flatten gently with hand. Using lightly floured rolling pin, roll each ball into 6-inch round.
Don’t flip dough over while rolling or it won’t puff as well during baking.
4 Heat iron griddle or skillet over medium heat.
5 Place 1 flatbread on hot surface for about 15 seconds, then flip. After 1 to 11⁄2 minutes,
little bubbles should rise on top surface, and bottom should be flecked golden brown. Flip to
precooked side. It should begin to puff up a little. Press on it gently with clean cotton towel to
encourage it to puff. (If it doesn’t puff, it will still taste good.) Wrap cooked flatbreads loosely
in towel to keep warm. Serve immediately with butter or olive oil.
NOTE: You may cook these in advance, cool them, and wrap them in foil. Reheat in oven at
300 to 350 F until warmed through.

1 Put all ingredients into blender and
process until smooth.
2 Serve as dip or sandwich spread.
NOTE: For even better flavor, make
hummus ahead of time and refrigerate
for a while to allow flavors to meld.
Masa Flour Tortillas
By Farm Aid and homegrown.org
Corn tortillas require Masa Harina
flour, which is corn (nixtamal or homi-
ny) treated with a diluted alkaline solu-
tion and ground into a fine flour.
FIRST METHOD
This first time, I used pickling lime
(calcium hydroxide or “cal”) to make
the nixtamal. Making it increases the
nutritional density of the corn by free-
ing up proteins and B vitamins.
2 pounds dry corn (dent or flour are
recommended, but field corn is fine)
3 quarts water
1
⁄2 cup pickling lime*
1 Rinse corn and remove debris.
2 Place water in large nonreactive
pot — stainless steel or copper; do not
use aluminum.
3 Add pickling lime, and allow to
dissolve, then add corn. Bring to roll-
ing boil, and allow to boil, covered, for
15 to 20 minutes.
4 Remove from heat, and let cool.
Refrigerate mixture for 8 to 10 hours
or overnight.
5 Corn should now be plumped up
and skins should be falling off. Skim any
loose skins off top of water. Strain nixta-
mal in colander, and rinse.
6 Roll kernels in hands to remove ex-
cess loose skins. (Our corn came out of
the alkaline solution almost black, and
once the skins were removed they were a
rainbow of colors.)
7 Rinse nixtamal at least 2 more
times. If corn isn’t rinsed well enough,
it will be bitter. Once corn is no longer
wet, you can run it through a grain mill.
(With our mill, within about 30 min-
utes, we had run 8 cups flour through
3 times.)
8 For every 2 cups of flour, add about
1 1⁄ 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt.
Allow to rest for 20 minutes.
9 Roll dough into balls about 1 1⁄ 2
inches in diameter. Slightly flatten and
put in center of tortilla press between 2
sheets of wax paper.
10 Cook each tortilla on hot griddle
for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each
side. Allow to cool thoroughly, and then
freeze until needed.
NOTE: These Masa Flour Tortillas
are really tasty. Ours came out a cool
bluish-purple color, which makes them
distinctive.
*Pickling lime and lye water (men-
tioned in the recipe on the next page)
are caustic and can cause irritation and/
or burns if wet hands are exposed to ei-
ther for too long.
If the mixtures come into contact
with your skin, rinse immediately. If
any spills onto any surface, wipe up im-

86 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 Homemade Crackers
By Adrienne Kane, from United States of Bread 1 Preheat oven to 400 F. Arrange cutter to cut 11⁄2-inch squares.
Yields 40 to 50 servings. racks on bottom and top third of 6 Place crackers on prepared bak-
oven. Line 2 baking sheets with ing sheets. The crackers will spread
These homemade crackers balance sweet and salty, and parchment paper; set aside. very little during baking, so it is
taste nutty from the whole-wheat flour. United States of 2 In bowl of food processor, pulse fine to place them close. With tines
Bread (Running Press, 2014), by Adrienne Kane, contains flour, salt and honey until combined. of fork, prick each cracker several
75 vintage American bread recipes. The following is from Add butter, and continue to pulse times. Sprinkle additional salt on
the chapter “Flatbreads & Fry Breads.” until mixture resembles coarse meal. top, patting it lightly into crackers.
“The most difficult part to homemade crackers is rolling 3 With food processor running, add 7 Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or
them out. The thinner the dough is rolled, the crisper the water, and continue to process until until lightly browned around edges,
cracker will be. This dough is not too sticky, and the gluten dough begins to form ball. This may rotating pans halfway through bak-
structure is not too strong, so rolling the dough is relatively require a bit more water. If so, add a ing process. Baking time will be
easy. Just make sure your work surface is well-floured; it bit of ice water by the teaspoonful. dependent upon how thick the
would be a shame to roll out your dough only to have it 4 Place dough on well-floured work crackers are.
stick, making the transfer to the baking sheet impossible.” surface. Lightly flour top of dough 8 Cool crackers slightly on baking
as well, and roll out to no more than sheets, and then transfer to cool-
1
⁄8-inch thick. ing rack and allow them to cool
11⁄4 cups (61⁄4 ounces) 2 tablespoons honey 5 With cookie cutter or 11⁄2-inch completely. Homemade crackers will
whole-wheat flour 4 tablespoons unsalted biscuit cutter, cut dough into continue to firm and crisp as they
3
⁄4 teaspoon table salt, butter, chilled cracker shapes. Alternately, to make cool. Store in airtight container for
plus more for sprinkling 5 tablespoons ice water squares, use sharp knife or pizza up to 1 week.

mediately and rinse area. I found out

the hard way that the compounds will
etch stainless steel (even though it’s
Naan (Leavened Bread)
By Jeeti Gandhi
nonreactive) and granite countertops if
not cleaned up right away. Yields 8 large naan.

SECOND METHOD 21⁄2 teaspoons active dry yeast

The other method of making nixta-
mal is by using wood ash.
It’s important that the wood ash is
from hardwood, and that it’s thorough-
ly burned, resulting in nearly white ash.
Add 2 double handfuls of wood ash to
3 quarts water.
Boil for 1 hour, and let sit overnight.
This creates lye water* (also used to
make soap).
Strain the precipitated ash out of the
water before using.
Use this lye water the same as you
COCA; FOTOLIA/INDIGOLOTOS; ISTOCK/JOE GOUGH
1
⁄4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
2
⁄3 cup milk, room temperature
2
⁄3 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain, low-fat
yogurt, whisked
1 egg, beaten (extra 1⁄4 cup yogurt can be
1 In bowl, combine yeast, water and
sugar; let stand for 3 to 4 minutes, or
until frothy.
2 In separate bowl, mix together milk, yogurt, egg and butter; set aside.
3 In large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Make well in center, and
add yeast and milk mixtures. Fold all ingredients together, then knead until smooth.

would the water with the pickling lime
added.
Follow the rest of the instructions as
listed in the first method.
This recipe was originally published as
“Homemade Tortillas 101” by Rachel
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: JOE
4 Cover bowl tightly with foil or plastic wrap, and set in warm place for 45 to 60 minutes, or
until dough has almost doubled initial volume.
5 Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease baking sheets; set aside.
6 Divide dough into 8 equal portions, and shape each into ball. Work with 1 portion at a
time, keeping rest covered with damp cloth or plastic wrap. Flatten ball slightly with fingertips,
and roll out on floured pastry board with rolling pin. Pull 1 edge to give naan a tear shape,
which should be about 10 inches long and about 6 inches wide at widest point.

Hoff for homegrown.org. Check out 7 Brush top surface with oil, and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Place on prepared baking sheet.
Rachel’s blog at www.dogislandfarm. Repeat with remaining dough.
com, and share your own food skills at 8 Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.
www.homegrown.org.

www.Grit.com 87
 Take your kitchen skills, add a great recipe
and fresh ingredients, and combine for a great way to
make yourself an income opportunity.

By John Ivanko and

Lisa Kivirist
all jammers, bakers and
Calling canners. You could be
part of a growing movement of people
starting small food businesses in their
homes. No capital needed, just good
recipes, enthusiasm and commitment,
plus enough know-how to turn ingredi-
ents into sought-after treats for your local
community. Everything you require is
probably already in your home kitchen —
and you can start tomorrow.
Thanks to new laws on the books in
42 states, specific food businesses can
now be launched from home kitchens.
These state laws, often referred to as
“cottage food laws,” allow you to sell
certain food products to your neigh-
bors and in your community. By certain
foods, the laws mean various “non-haz-
ardous” food items, often defined as
those that are high-acid, like pickles and
preserves, or low-moisture, like breads
or cookies.
“After the Great Recession started in
2007, states started implementing cot-
tage food laws to help boost their local
economies,” says David Crabill, found-
er of Forrager.com, an online commu-
nity where people can ask and answer
questions, connect with each other, and
add their cottage food operation to the
directory. “Today, almost every state has
some way to allow home cooks to start a
food business with relative ease.”
What’s for Sale?
States now make it possible for any-
one to earn some income, follow a cu-
linary passion or dream, and have some
fun at the same time. From pies to pick-
les, wedding cakes to granola, preserves
to decorated cookies, fledgling food
entrepreneurs no longer need to sink
thousands of dollars into a commercial
kitchen or fork over $50 an hour to rent
a licensed facility to turn Aunt Emma’s
biscotti recipe into a money-making
dream business. We now have the free-
dom to earn.

88 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 Cottage food laws vary a lot by state, so I have so many extra tomatoes
follow the one for your state. That said,
there are four key questions answered in from my garden each summer.
your state’s cottage food law:
It’d be great to sell some salsa.”
■ WHAT PRODUCTS CAN YOU SELL?
Your state’s legislation will specifically out-
line the “non-hazardous” food items you can
produce under cottage food law, generally
grouped as high-acid canned food products
(preserves, pickles and salsas) or low-mois-
ture baked goods that don’t require refrigera-
tion. Sometimes the legislation will itemize
what you can or can’t sell, but they may also
include candy or dry mixes. Focus on what
you can legally make, and don’t waste time,
energy and money spinning your wheels on
what you can’t. Of course, you can always
dedicate the time and energy needed to
potentially change your state’s law to bet-
ter meet your aspirations; many laws came
about because of such active citizenship.

■ WHERE CAN YOU SELL YOUR PRODUCTS?

Each cottage food law will dictate where
you can sell your product directly to the
public. Farmers’ markets and special com-
munity events are among the most common
venues. Even if your state’s law allows sales
at a farmers’ market, that doesn’t mean this
venue must allow you to sell there. Some
farmers’ markets have bylaws or rules that
exclude cottage food enterprises. The states
with the greatest sales venue options often
include direct orders, home pickup and mail
order.

■ HOW ARE YOU ALLOWED TO SELL YOUR

PRODUCTS?
All cottage food laws permit direct sales
to the public. Some of the more restrictive
states, however, only allow direct-to-custom-
er sales, meaning no indirect sales to other
businesses that could resell your product.
But in more than a dozen states, products
(2)

can be sold through indirect or wholesale

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ISTOCK/BLUEBEARRY; JOHN IVANKO

channels, to restaurants, specialty food shops

or the local food cooperative. However, un-
der no circumstances are you ever “cater-
ing.” You’re welcome to produce certain
foods in your home kitchen and have them
consumed off premises — just don’t slice,
plate or otherwise be involved in serving Homemade pickles are one of our specialties.
your product. Top: Liam and Lisa man the pickle stand at a recent farmers’ market.

www.Grit.com 89
 Peppermint Biscotti
Recipe from Farmstead Chef (FarmsteadChef.com)
by Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko
Yields 3 dozen biscotti.
One winter we realized we had accumulated a large plastic bag filled
with various candy canes and peppermint candies. We hate to throw
things out — yet we realized we’d never eat the candies. So we developed
this “repurposing” recipe to transform those candy canes and mints
into something new and improved.
3
⁄4 cup (11⁄2 sticks) butter, softened
3
⁄4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
31⁄4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt
11⁄2 cups crushed peppermint candy, divided
White chocolate bark, melted, for frosting
1 Preheat oven to 350 F.
2 In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time,
beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract.
3 In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in 1 cup
crushed candy. Gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until blended
(dough will be stiff).
4 Divide dough in half. On baking sheet, roll each portion into 12-by-
21⁄2-inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick, then roll dough from long side into
long, thin roll, similar to jellyroll or baguette. Place seam-side down on
baking sheet.
5 Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully remove to
wire rack, and cool for 15 minutes.
6 On cutting board, cut at angle into 1⁄2-inch-thick slices. Place cut-side down
on baking sheets. Bake for an additional 12 to 15 minutes, or until firm.
7 Drizzle melted chocolate over cookies in swirled designs and sprinkle
with remaining crushed candy.
Inn Serendipity’s Cottage Food
Enterprise: Year 1
On our small homestead, where we also operate Inn Serendipity Bed &
Breakfast, we’ve embraced our state’s cottage food law by turning our
cucumbers into pickles, cabbage into sauerkraut, rhubarb into shrub, and
pumpkin into pickled pumpkin.
We’ve already boosted our bottom line by more than $200 in our first
year out, with zero investment, no regulatory headaches or even much
marketing effort. We’ve sold products at a holiday farmers’ market and
on-farm events. To boost sales further, we’re working on getting our state’s
cottage food law changed to permit the sale of baked goods as well, plus
raise our sales cap.
90 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
■ HOW MUCH CAN YOU SELL OF YOUR PRODUCTS?
Most states have a gross sales cap on the prod-
ucts you’re selling. This refers to the maximum
gross sales your operation can reach per year,
which can range from $5,000 to $45,000. Some
states, however, have no sales cap at all, but those
states may require more in terms of regulatory
oversight and inspection.
Once you’ve answered these four questions and
understand how the cottage food law operates in
your state, you’ll then need to figure out whether
what you love to make is worth selling. If people
are clamoring for your artisan bread or straw-
berry jam, that’s an excellent sign. In the end,
your ability to sell products is based on creating
items your customers want, need, and are will-
ing to purchase at a fair price that they, not you,
determine. That’s where marketing comes in.
Selling Your Story
A wide range of different elements go into de-
fining a great product, including the uniqueness
of the recipe, the quality of the ingredients, the
packaging, perhaps the specific small-batch pro-
duction process, and even the messaging you’ve
created to promote your product.
Marketing covers everything from developing
your product, its packaging and label to shar-
ing the story you create around it on a website.
While the tendency is to focus on the product —
say your family’s favorite salsa recipe — when
you’re selling to the public, what you sell must
ultimately satisfy the needs of your customers.
Understanding your customers increases your
likelihood of success.
As we write about in Homemade for Sale, there
are seven Ps of Marketing (not just four such
points covered in some marketing textbooks):
Product, Price, Place (distribution), Promotion,
People, Partnerships and Purpose. The most ef-
fective marketing efforts are those that combine
all seven Ps into one cohesive, integrated and
clear plan that can be effectively implemented.
Making a great-tasting product is only the start.
PRODUCT
Most cottage food operators should start with
their product, testing their recipes. Besides taste
and flavor, you’ll want consistency. Often, the
product is made in small batches, with special-
ized or unique recipes and with real ingredi-
ents. Added to this are the growing issues more
Americans have with respect to what they eat;
 allergies or sensitivities to peanuts, soybeans, I love baking, but I really have
gluten and dairy products have exploded.
Cottage food enterprises sometimes address no interest in starting a full-time
these growing trends.
Determine what makes your product dif- bakery, especially being a stay-at-
ferent — and better than others.
In some cases, if your ingredients are from home mom with young kids. But doing
your apple orchard, you’re using a cherished
ethnic recipe passed down several genera- something part-time from my home
tions, or you have a unique product you’ve
developed and perfected, these may be rea- kitchen? That’s something for me.”
son enough for a successful launch in your
community.
Your target market is the audience or po-
tential customers you want to reach, serve
and satisfy with your products. They’re often
defined by demographics, like age or geog-
raphy, as well as psychographics, which are
attitudes, beliefs and values.
Your product will occupy a niche in the
larger market, and you’ll need to “position”
your product — the expression of differen-
tiation. For example, a gift-oriented jar of
jam attractively packaged is quite different
than the same product sold as a staple for
the pantry when it comes to the price you
can charge.
The cottage food law for your state will
dictate exactly what must be on the label of
any canned products.
In addition to a list of ingredients in order
of greatest to least used and by weight, along
with a processing date, most states require a
sentence with your name and contact infor-
mation, plus a statement like “Manufactured
in a home kitchen” or “Not prepared in a
state-approved commercial food facility”;
the exact wording is usually specified by
your state.
Exceptions exists, of course, like if you
make any health claim. So keep it simple
and avoid making health claims. For any
product, packaging should be chosen to en-
sure the product’s safety, quality and com-
pelling presentation. Remember, we eat with
our eyes first.

PRICE
KAREN K. WILL

Price can appeal to a customer on a limit-

ed budget, or deter an upscale clientele that
TOP TO BOTTOM: JOHN IVANKO;

might happily pay a premium for an item

made with organic ingredients or one fresh
from the oven. For many impulse purchases, White No-Knead Bread was on the menu for a local bread baker.
convenience, comfort or hunger may drive the Top: We also offer Peppermint Biscotti at the Inn (recipe on opposite page).

www.Grit.com 91
 Pros and Cons
for Cottage Food Operators
(from Homemade for Sale)
PROS
■ Little to no capital needed; you probably have everything you need in
your kitchen already.
■ Fast start-up. Most states have a simple, low-cost registration process.
■ May already have a recipe and be experienced in what you want
to make.
■ Sell directly to the customer and keep more profit.
■ There’s nothing like the flexibility and freedom of being your own
boss — you get to call your own shots.
■ You’re helping build a stronger local economy and community
connections.
■ Defining success on your own terms.
■ Opportunity to grow and expand after you prove a successful market.
CONS
■ State regulations limit what products you can make, some
more than others.
■ States may also have limitations on where you can sell; some do not
allow special orders and restrict sales to farmers’ markets or
public events.
■ With any food product, you’re liable for what you make and need to
insure yourself for the risk you take.
■ Baking, canning and other food preparation is hard work on your
feet, especially if you have to make multiple fresh items at once.
■ Bookkeeping is a must since you’re required to keep track of
sales, expenses and inventory. A real chore, if you don’t like
crunching numbers.
■ May stir up some negative vibes when viewed as competition by
local businesses, such as an established commercial bakery.
exchange; customers may pay a premium for any of these qualities.
Setting a price for your product can involve comparing it to your
competition, establishing a market value for it, or calculating a cost-
input value that captures your ingredients and time. It can also be a
combination of these approaches.
PLACE
Clearly defined by your state’s cottage food law, where you can sell
your product often includes farmers’ markets, community events, and
other venues that allow you to sell directly to customers. Only certain
states permit indirect sales or wholesale distribution.
PROMOTION
You need not empty the bank to promote your product to let poten-
tial customers know your product exists. Depending on your skill set,
92 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread
comfort with a computer, time and budget,
there are many free or nearly free promo-
tional opportunities. Promotion includes
both advertising and public relations (PR).
Advertising is purchased, perhaps in the
form of promotional posters or flyers, while
PR, whether solicited or unsolicited, is free,
but it will take time and effort.
Most cottage food operations quickly set
up an attractive website; you can set up
one for free on Wix, Weebly or Wordpress.
Everything you do is about sharing your
story. Don’t overlook ways to let your cus-
tomers do this for you as well. To build
awareness around your product, you’ll need
to get people to try it, love it, and share what
they like about it with others in your com-
munity. Social media, including Facebook
and Twitter, provides free options to build
relationships and reach out to potential cus-
tomers.
PEOPLE, PARTNERSHIP AND PURPOSE
One way or another, your food product
must satisfy some need of your customers in
a delicious way.
Customer referrals and word-of-mouth
endorsements remain the most powerful
form of promotion, which is why many
food entrepreneurs follow the 80-20 rule,
recognizing that 80 percent of their business
comes from 20 percent of their customers.
Go out of your way to keep them happy
and engaged; throw a private “tasting party”
for them.
Partnerships can be magnified by cottage
food operators, especially if you’re able to
connect with like-minded organizations. If
you sell fresh bread, connect with a jam and
jelly maker at the market — or vice versa.
Collaboration can go a long way in boosting
sales for both partners and taking better care
of customers.
Finally, let your passion for your products
sing through everything you say and do.
Your sense of purpose is a part of your in-
spiring story and helps you put a face to the
food item that your customers then savor,
one bite at a time.
Organize Your Kitchen
You already know your way around a
kitchen, but now it’s time to operate an ef-
ficient production facility where you pump
out your pickles and pound cake like
nobody’s business.
Take your kitchen setup seriously and
take the time to organize systems that
ensure food safety.
As much as you can, separate personal
use from business use; in some states,
this separation is required by law. Items
that are definitely business-only — such
as product ingredients — need to be
stored, labeled clearly, and tracked sepa-
rately.
You don’t have to go out and buy
a bunch of new equipment, though.
Under cottage food laws, you can use
what you already own.
When starting out, get a handle
on your equipment and ingredients.
Determine how you will use your kitch-
en space most effectively to access these
items when you’re in production flow.
Next, focus on efficiency, cleanliness,
ease of use, and food safety when deter-
mining your layout.
Clear clutter, set aside business-only
storage areas, and set family boundar-
ies for times when you’re in produc-
tion. Most laws need the cook to keep
children out of the kitchen when food
items are being made; some laws have
stringent regulations related to pets in
the home.
Again, consult with the laws in your
state for specific requirements.
Most important of all is food safety.
You wouldn’t poison your own family,
so why would feeding the public be any
different?
State food safety requirements may
be as simple as practicing basic food
handling procedures, like sanitizing
counters, washing hands, and keep-
ing a thermometer in your refrigerator.
In some states, there may be a specific
requirement list and a mandatory on-
site inspection; in these states, however,
such regulation is balanced by a greater
opportunity for sales.
Business and
Bookkeeping Basics
Just as with any business, you’ll need
to keep track of what you sell and the
expenses associated with doing so.
Income minus expenses equals prof-
it, and it’s this profit that the Internal
Revenue Service wants to see at least
three of every five years for your busi-
ness to be legit.
Some basic registrations you’ll need
to complete to legally operate as such
a business include getting licensed by
your state’s Department of Agriculture
or a similar agency handling cottage
food enterprises, and securing a busi-
ness license.
Setting up your business can be as
simple as a sole proprietorship.
Look at adding some liability pro-
tection as a limited liability company
(LLC) or corporation, both of which are
more involved and costly. Additional
insurance, while not required, should
seriously be considered, if what you
do is not already covered under your
homeowners’ insurance policy — some
cottage food enterprises could be cov-
ered as “incidental to the home.”
There’s nothing more satisfying
than making and sharing
my fruit jams and jellies with others.
I keep giving everything away, but
my friends tell me they’d be happy
to buy from me. But I don’t have big
bucks to start a full-blown
commercial operation.”
To order Homemade for Sale by
Lisa Kivirist and John D. Ivanko,
Keep in mind that, in nearly all cases,
cottage food laws by their very defini-
tion apply only to non-hazardous food
products.
Recognize that the cottage food
movement represents more than an
enjoyable way to secure a new income
source. You’re helping to grow the local
food movement in your community by
providing “direct-to-the-food-artisan”
connections.
“Home cooks often start these busi-
nesses to make more money, but many
ultimately find that it’s the personal
connections they make that matter
most,” Crabill says.
“Cottage food businesses have the
opportunity to positively impact their
communities in so many different
ways.”
Best of all, thanks to cottage food
laws, “fresh from the farm” and “home-
made” on the label means exactly what’s
written.
visit the GRIT Bookstore,
www.grit.com/store.
www.Grit.com 93
Bring tasty, old-fashioned comfort food
to your table at every meal!

Home cooks from all over the United States

have contributed their best recipes to this
collection—cooks who grew up on the farm,
eating waffles after chopping firewood and
picking the peaches that filled that evening’s
pie, and cooks with vivid memories of
Mom’s chicken and dumplings and Dad’s
bachelor casserole. Open up the Comfort
Food Cookbook and discover how easy it is
to make delicious comfort food with a few
wholesome ingredients.

Order today!
Call 866-803-7096 or visit
www.Grit.com/Store
Item #7289 Retail $24.99
promo code: MGRPAHZ3
RECIPE INDEX
Adobe Bread ............................................ 82
Anne’s Crackers........................................ 85
Apricot Granola Biscuits............................ 33
Bagels ..................................................... 60
Baguette.................................................. 26
Baking Powder Biscuits ............................ 11
Banana Bread .......................................... 35
Banana Sour Cream Muffins ...................... 34
Basic Biscuits .......................................... 10
Basic French Bread ................................. 43
Basic Pita Dough ...................................... 85
Basic Sourdough Starter ........................... 47
Basic White Bread .................................... 23
Basic White Potato Bread.......................... 41
Béchamel Sauce ...................................... 52
Blue Cornmeal, Chicken, and
Chile Pizza ......................................... 53
Blueberry-Infused Homemade Bread .......... 76
Breadcrumbs ........................................... 55
Breakfast Bacon & Greens Strata ............... 56
Breakfast Biscuits With Cinnamon ............. 34
Buttermilk Bacon Cornbread ..................... 68
Cardamom Cherry Bread ........................... 25
Cheese Roll Biscuits ................................. 70
Cheesy Red Pepper Cornbread ................... 67
Chewy Semolina Pizza Crust ...................... 50
Chicken Noodle Soup ............................... 73
Chocolate Cherry Bread............................. 27
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread ................... 76
Chocolate Chip-Banana Muffins ................. 78
Chocolate Zucchini Bread ......................... 32
Chocolate Zucchini Bread ......................... 33
Chocolate-Bacon Muffins .......................... 76
Christmas Lemon Loaf .............................. 10
Cinnamon Rolls ........................................ 33
Classic Italian Pesto ................................. 52
Classic Sausage, Olives, and
Onion Pizza ........................................ 53
Coconut Bread Pudding ............................ 75
Cornbread ................................................ 68
Cornmeal Sticks ....................................... 65
Cranberry Cornsticks With Chives ............... 68
Crispy Pizza Crust..................................... 51
Croutons .................................................. 57
Crunchy Cornmeal Pizza Crust ................... 51
Cush ...................................................... 66
Dill Bread ................................................ 24
Double Chocolate Stout Cake .................... 54
Dumplings ............................................... 73
Focaccia Crust ......................................... 51
Freckled, Pumpkin Yeast Bread ................. 78
Freezer Biscuits ....................................... 71
French Toast Coffee Cake .......................... 75
Fresh and Easy Tomato Sauce ................... 52
Fruit Cornbread ....................................... 66
Fry Cornbread .......................................... 67
Glazed Orange-Pecan Bread ...................... 77
Gram’s Cornbread ..................................... 67
Grandma’s Homemade Biscuits ................. 71
Hard Sauce.............................................. 55
Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings ..................... 61
Homemade Crackers ................................. 87 Basic White
Homemade Crescent Rolls ........................ 10 Bread, Page 23
Homemade Flour Tortillas ......................... 72
Homemade Matzo .................................... 84
Homemade Noodles ................................. 73
Homemade Whole-Grain Tortillas ............... 84
Hummus ................................................. 85
Indian Flatbread ....................................... 86
Indian Fry Bread ...................................... 72
Lemon Glazed Poppy Seed Muffins ............ 33
Masa Flour Tortillas .................................. 86
Mexican Cornbread ................................... 65
Morning Energy Muffins ............................ 35
Naan (Leavened Bread)............................. 87
No-Knead Ciabatta Bread .......................... 26
Oat Raisin Bread ...................................... 24
Oatmeal Bread ......................................... 12
Oatmeal Bread ......................................... 40
Orange Biscuits ........................................ 34
Overnight Starter ...................................... 38
Pain Perdu............................................... 57
Parmesan Breadsticks............................... 56
Pear, Prosciutto, and Goat Cheese
Pizza.................................................. 53
Peppermint Biscotti .................................. 90
Pineapple-Zucchini Bread ......................... 32
Plain Bagels............................................. 59
Polenta .................................................... 68
Poppy Seed Bread ...................................... 9
Pumpkin Bread ........................................ 25
Pumpkin Spice Bagels .............................. 61
Quick Cornbread ...................................... 68
Rhubarb Bread ........................................... 9
Ribollita Soup .......................................... 54
Roasted Pepper Bruschetta ....................... 57
Rye Bread With a Starter ........................... 39
San Francisco Sourdough Bread ................ 48
San Francisco Sourdough Starter ............... 48
Savory Cornbread ..................................... 65
Seeded Kamut Bread ................................ 25
Shortbread Cookies With Orange Peel
and Thyme ......................................... 75
Skillet Cornbread With Cheddar, Corn,
and Chiles .......................................... 66
Skillet Sage and Peppered Cornbread......... 67
Sky-High Biscuits ..................................... 71
(Slightly) Whipped Cream.......................... 54
Soft Pretzels ............................................ 62
Sourdough Bread...................................... 47
Sourdough Rye Bread ............................... 48
‘Spent’ Grains Bread................................. 12
Spice Pudding ......................................... 55
Spicy Olive Oil ......................................... 52
Spicy Vegetable Cornbread ........................ 65
Steamed Cornbread .................................. 66
Super Simple Flourless Egg Bread ............... 8
Traditional Virginia Spoon Bread ................ 67
Vegan Banana Bread
With Sunflower Seeds.......................... 79 Vegan Banana Bread
Wheat Bread ............................................ 24 With Sunflower
White Sandwich Bread With a Starter ......... 38 Seeds, Page 79
Whole-Grain Scones.................................. 35
www.Grit.com 95
 RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
BAKING SUPPLIES
Azure King Arthur Flour The Urban Homemaker Nesco/American Harvest
971-200-8350 800-827-6836 800-55-BREAD 800-288-4545
www.azurestandard.com Baker’s Hotline: (800-552-7323) www.nesco.com
855-371-2253 www.urbanhomemaker.com
Bob’s Red Mill www.kingarthurflour.com Pantry Paratus
800-349-2173 War Eagle Mill 406-334-0185
www.bobsredmill.com Lehi Roller Mills 866-492-7324 www.pantryparatus.com
877-311-3566 www.wareaglemill.com
Cultures for Health www.lehirollermills.com Pleasant Hill Grain
www.culturesforhealth.com Wheat Montana Farms & Bakery 866-467-6123
Marias River Farms 800-535-2798 www.pleasanthillgrain.com
Domino Sugar 406-450-5549 www.wheatmontana.com
www.dominosugar.com www.mariasriverfarms.com Superior Clay Corp.
Whole Earth Sweetener 800-848-6166
Florida Crystals Montana Gluten-Free 800-824-2334 www.superiorclay.com
877-835-2828 406-600-7400 www.wholeearthsweetener.com
www.floridacrystals.com www.montanaglutenfree.com The C.S. Bell Co.
Wholesome Sweeteners 888-958-6381
Great River Organic Milling Now Foods 800-680-1896 www.csbellco.com
608-687-9580 888-669-3663 www.wholesomesweeteners.com
www.greatrivermilling.com www.nowfoods.com Vermont Marble, Granite,
EQUIPMENT/TOOLS Slate & Soapstone Co.
Heartland Mill Nu-Life Market GrainMaker 802-468-8800
800-232-8533 866-962-5236 855-777-7096 www.vermontwoodstove.com
www.heartlandmill.com www.nulifemarket.com www.grainmaker.com

Hodgson Mill Organic Valley Family of Farms Kitchen Krafts ORGANIZATIONS/

800-525-0177
www.hodgsonmill.com
Jack’s Country Store
360-665-4989
www.jackscountrystore.com
BOOKS
Artisan Pizza and Flatbread,
Gluten-Free Artisan Bread,
Healthy Bread, and
New Artisan Bread
... in Five Minutes a Day
series by Jeff Hertzberg
and Zoe Francois
Build Your Own Earth Oven
by Kiko Denzer
The Bread Lover’s Bread
Machine Cookbook
by Beth Hensperger
888-444-6455 563-535-8000 WEBSITES
www.organicvalley.coop www.kitchenkrafts.com www.bbga.org
The Bread Bakers Guild of
Purity Seeds USA Mountain Feed & Farm Supply America (website for the artisan
605-532-7333 855-696-8226 baking community)
www.purityseedsusa.com www.mountainfeed.com
www.breadexperience.com
The Bread Experience (recipes,
Gluten-Free 101 Lard: The Lost Art of baking and millling supplies, and
by Carol Fenster Cooking with Your a baking blog)
Grandmother’s Secret
Gluten-Free Bread Ingredient www.breadworld.com
by Ellen Brown by the Editors of GRIT 800-777-4959
BreadWorld.com (from ACH Foods
Homegrown Whole Grains Plowing with Pigs and Fleischmann’s Yeast)
by Sara Pitzer by Oscar H. Will III
and Karen K. Will www.thefreshloaf.com
Gluten-Free Breakfast, Brunch The Fresh Loaf (website for
and Beyond Whole Grain Baking amateur bakers and artisan bread
by Linda J. Amendt Made Easy enthusiasts)
by Tabitha Alterman
The Gluten-Free Gourmet www.ibabaker.com
To order these and other great titles,
Bakes Bread visit the GRIT Bookstore, 202-333-8190
by Bette Hagman www.grit.com/store. Independent Bakers Association
(trade association)

96 GRIT’s Guide to Homemade Bread

 BAKE
LIKE A
PRO
NON-GMO GRAINS • NOTHING ARTIFICIAL
SMALL BATCH QUALITY

It’s simple: when you bake with the best ingredients, you can taste the
difference. Our family has been sustainably farming and milling whole grain
flours in Southwest Montana for three generations. We grow our grains under
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