Granola Drops

Granola Drops

Adapted by Lynette Robinson from a recipe by Melissa Richardson in Beyond Basics with Natural Yeast.
These can be baked right away or stored in the fridge until later.  Leftovers freeze well.

Diabetic Friendly:  Because of the higher protein and natural sugars in this recipe, it is a wonderful way to help return blood sugar levels while the protein helps maintain.

Yield 15-24 cookies

Ingredients
2 tsp flax seeds or flax meal
2 tsp chia seeds

Grind the seeds in a coffee or spice grinder

In food processor
6 prunes
1/4 C golden raisins
1/4 C pecans
1/3 C shredded coconut

Grind all the ingredients including flax and chia in food processor until most is small.  Not powder but not whole pieces.
At this point I change to my cookie dough attachment. or mix by hand
add 1/2 C oatmeal (purists will want to either sponge at least 6 hours because of the flax, chia and oatmeal or substitute other previously soaked ingredients)
1/2 tsp baking soda (sift or break up really well)
1/4 C starter
1 egg (beaten if mixing by hand,.then blended with starter before adding to mixture.)
1/2 Milk or dark chocolate chips (optional) mini chips or slightly chopped disperses them more)

Mix well and drop on greased or parchment lined cookie sheet.  I use a small scoop.
Bake at 350' for 8 minutes.  Let them cool down on the pan.  (they will be gooey but turn spongy as they cool.

You can change this recipe a million different ways.  I have used walnuts, apricots, almonds.
Any dried fruit or nuts work.  I just always use what I have on hand.

Raisin Nut Bread

Raisin Nut Bread     

Yield 2 Loaves

Lynette Robinson Keep it Simple Food

Adapted from Baking with Natural Yeast by Melissa Richardson

Ingredients

½ C natural yeast starter (stir before measuring)

2 C lukewarm water, unchlorinated

½ plain yogurt or milk kefir

2 tsp salt

½ c real maple syrup

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

5-6 C Whole Wheat flour

2 C fresh white flour

½ C soaked Raisins  (I like to heat the water and lightly blend in blender)

½ c chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds or a mixture)

½ C shredded coconut

Setting up the dough

(at least 10 hours before baking)

Combine starter, water with chopped raisins, yogurt, salt, maple syrup, oil and 2 c whole wheat flour in mixer. At this point I use a wire whisk if by hand or use whip in my mixer and beat until smooth.

Change to dough hook and add flour a cup or two at a time and mix until smooth or until dough cleans the sides of your mixer bowl. (There will be residual bits near the top and on the sides but the dough will pull into a ball.

Allow the dough to knead for 10 (Yes Ten) minutes.

While the bread is kneading, prepare your nuts and coconut.  If your coconut flake is large you may want to pulse it once or twice in a food processor or blender to make it extra small.  Some people love the flavor but not the texture of shredded coconut.  A few minutes before the end of kneading, dump your chopped raisins, nuts and coconut into the mixing bowl with the dough.

When the dough has been kneaded long enough to pass the “windowpane test” remove the dough and any loose fruit and nuts onto a slightly damp work surface.  (You want just enough water to keep the dough from sticking, but not enough to waterlog your dough.

Wet your hands with water, and knead the dough a few times, until the texture is uniform and the remainder of the fruit and nuts has been incorporated into the dough evenly.  This can take a minute or two so be patient.

Place dough smooth side up into a pre-greased bowl or container.  Remember to choose a container that allows room for your dough to double in size.  You can also split your dough and use two smaller bowls.

Cover your bowl with greased plastic wrap or with a thick, damp kitchen towel. (Thin towels dry out too quickly and stick to the dough)

Place on countertop to rise overnight or all day for 6-12 hours.

If you haven’t fed your starter, now is the time. 

After a minimum of 6 hours, turn dough out of bowl onto wet work surface.

Wet hands and use dough scraper or sharp serrated bread knife to cut the dough in 2 equal pieces.

Set pieces aside on a damp surface and grease your pans. (This gives your dough time to “relax” before shaping.)  Take one dough section and pat it out on your damp work surface.

Shape each piece individually into sandwich loaves, artisan boules, or rolls.

Allow the loaves to rise in a warm place until the dough slowly returns a gentle fingerprint.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Bake for 25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the bottom of the loaf reads at least 180 degrees.

Remove from pans and allow to cool completely before cutting.

For a little extra pizazz, toss a small handful of chopped nuts and coconut in a little maple syrup and sprinkle on top of your loaves just before placing them in the oven.  These will brown and crisp, creating a pretty topping for your bread.

Protein Punch Chia Flax Loaf

Protein Punch: Chia Flax Loaf 

Diabetic Friendly

Adapted from a recipe from Beyond Baking with Natural Yeast by Melissa Richardson

Yield 2 Loaves

Ingredients

2 ½ C water

½ C starter

2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Honey (optional.  Raw honey is antimicrobial and will inhibit the growth of your start.  Use pasturized honey, scald it in the water or use alternate sweetener.)

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

¼ c chia seeds

¼ c ground flax seed

5-6 C flour

Setting up the Dough

(at least 10 hours before baking)

Combine the water, starter, salt, honey, coconut oil and seeds in mixer bowl.

Add 2 C flour and beat until smooth.

Change to dough hook and add flour 2 cups at a time until mixer cleans sides of bowl.  There may be bits near the top and here and there in the sides but the dough ball should come together cleanly. 

Allow the dough to knead for 10 minutes or until it passes the window pane test.  (dough stretched between hands looks almost translucent in the center.)

Pull the dough out of the mixer and knead on a damp surface with slightly wet hands until all flour is incorporated and dough is smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a greased bowl with a greased plastic, lid or wet towel.  The dough will double  in size so be sure bowl is big enough.  Towel must stay wet during entire sponge process.

Place bowl of dough on countertop to rest and get happy for a minimum of 6 hours. (I love my Tupperware fix and mix bowl with lid for this)  Up to 24 hours, then may be refrigerated for up to a week.

Shaping and final rise

Turn dough out of the bowl onto your damp work surface.  Divide in two equal pieces.  Shape loaves and place in greased pans.  Invert another greased pan on top of each loaf to allow it to breathe without drying out.

When loaves are double and rounded tops,   (2-2 ½ hours) check for bubbles and pop with sharp knife or scissors. 

Preheat oven to 350’

Bake for 35 minutes or until thermometer inserted into the bottom of the loaf reads at least 180 degrees.  You can also invert a loaf from the pan onto your gloved hand and thump bottom with your other hand.  Hollow sound and crusty bottom indicates that it is done. 

Remove from pans and allow to cool completely before cutting.

Neta’s Bread 

White Pioneer Recipe adapted for Natural Yeast  (Yield 3-4 loaves)

4 C milk, scalded and cooled

½ C Natural Yeast Start

1 C Sugar

1 ½ Tbsp. Salt

½ C. oil

5-6 C Flour.  This recipe calls for white flour but I usually add a cup or two of whole wheat or spelt flour.

Do not use flour with Bromate.  It will inhibit the growth of your start.

Mix all ingredients plus 2 C. of  Flour. 

Once mixture is smooth with no lumps, continue to add  flour  a cup at a time and mix until all flour is incorporated before adding more.  Continue to knead until smooth and elastic and all flour bits are mixed in.

Place in clean greased bowl with lid or plastic wrap coated with oil or cooking spray.

Allow to rest on your counter at least 6 but as long as 24 hours.  Refrigerate dough if you aren’t ready to bake for up to a week.

Shape in to loaves and let rise until double in bulk. 2-2 ½ hours

Preheat oven to 350’ and bake 30 – 35 minutes or until done.  Turn loaf out of pan onto your gloved hand and thump bottom.  Hollow sound indicates it is done.  Internal temperature at least 180’

Orange Pecan Swirl Rolls

When you have a beautiful batch of dough, your options are only as limited as your imagination.  Neta’s Bread makes luscious loaves but today I wanted to make sweet rolls.  I rolled the dough with a rolling pin.  If it seems very elastic and reluctant to roll yo 1/2”thickness, let it rest on your surface ten minutes.  Then roll.

Filling: cream cheese with a few drops orange flavoring.  I colored the cream cheese with three drops of red and two drops of yellow and mix well.  Spread mixture on rolled out dough.  Sprinkle generously with sugar and chopped pecans.  Roll and cut into 1” slices. (I use dental floss) Place on greased jelly roll or dropper pan.  Bake at 400’ for 15-20 minutes until lightly brown.  When cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.


Cinnamon Rolls

Follow the above instructions but for filling use melted butter, brown or Rae sugar, sprinkle generously cinnamon, raisins and nuts.