Oatmeal Cake

Close to the animal.  Close to the Tree.  Keep it Simple

Back in the 60s I didn't know a single soul who was allergic to any food.  We ate at home, cooked from scratch and usually, what we ate came from our own garden, barn or pasture.  Flour was white, sugar was either white or brown.  In fact, during harvest season  I used to work for a farmer who grew sugar beets.  My mom drove a dump truck and I sat in the scale house and weighed the trucks as they headed to the processing factory full of beets.  

Summer days were lemonade made with real lemons and real sugar.  Sometimes moms drank diet cola but not many watched what or how much they ate and there were very few overweight people.  I'm sure it had a lot to do with the fact that there were only three channels on TV and those channels were in black and white.  Very few people owned a color TV but my grandparents did, and once a year we would go across town to watch TV.  It always aired on a Sunday evening.  We loved the Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland and it just isn't the same experience to watch in black and white.

Grandma was a great cook and she always had a sweet treat for us to enjoy.  As long as we do so responsibly, whole foods that are sweet make gathering with family sweet memories.  

Oatmeal Cake

Bobbie Heap

Ingredients

1 C quick oatmeal (I use regular all the time)
1 1/2 C boiling water
1 cube butter softened
1 C brown sugar (may substitute 1/2 C molasses)
1 C granulated sugar (Raw)
2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 C whole ground wheat or spelt  flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Soak oatmeal in boiling water for 20 minutes. Cream oleo (the original term for margarine) and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs, then flour and combined seasonings. Mix well. Add oatmeal and stir.
Bake in greased and floured dripper pan at 350' for 35 minutes

Icing for the cake
1 cube butter
3/4 C brown sugar
1/4 c evaporated milk or cream
Put in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir well. Add 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts and 1 C coconut. Stir and spread on top of hot or cold cake
This cake is moist and delicious!

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.

Light Rye Bread

Light Rye Bread

Adapted from Beyond Basics with Natural Yeast by Melinda Richardson

Yields 2 loaves

Ingredients

½ C starter

2 C  water

¼ C honey

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

2 tsp salt

2 C  rye flour

3 ½-4 C whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp. caraway seeds

Setting up the dough

(at least 10 hours before baking)

Combine the starter, water, honey, oil, and salt in a mixer.  Add the rye flour, caraway and 2 C wheat flour and mix.  Add the rest of the flour and a little bit more if needed, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Let the dough sit for 5 minutes then knead until thoroughly combined.  You will see the gluten starting to form as the dough pulls into a ball and starts wrapping around the center.  (about 5 minutes.)

Place in a greased bowl with a lid, greased plastic or wet towel over. (be sure the towel stays wet during sponge period)  Minimum 6 hours.

Shaping and final rise.

Pull the dough onto a very slightly wet surface again and divide into 2 equal pieces.  Let it sit for 10 minutes while you grease 4 loaf pans.  (I like to invert the second pan on the loaf during rise to let breathe but keep from drying out.)  Keep your hands wet and press the dough into a big rectangle fold into thirds horizontally and then vertically and then tuck ends under making the top smooth.  Place in the pans and cover.  Let rise a second time.  After 2-2 ½ hours, when the dough has a nice rounded top, bake for 30 minutes in a 375’ preheated oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees.  Do not slice until completely cool or it will be doughy.

Honey Molasses Sandwich Bread

Honey Molasses Sandwich Bread

Adapted From The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast

by Melissa Richardson

Yield 2 loaves

Ingredients

½ C Start (stir before measuring)

2 1/2 C lukewarm water (not highly chlorinated. 

Use bottled water or tap water that has set out for 24 hours.)

2 tsp salt

¼ C.  honey  (Scald with water and let cool if using raw honey or consider using raw sugar as raw honey will hinder yeast growth.)

¼ C. Molasses

7-8 C whole wheat bread flour.  (I get a better texture with a couple of cups high quality white flour)

The quantity and type of sweetener can be adjusted as needed.  If you are increasing the honey or molasses, be sure to increase your flour by about double the measured amount of the sweetener.

Setting up the Dough

(at least 10 hours before baking)

Combine start, water, salt, honey, molasses and 2 c flour in bowl of mixer

I like to use the mixer whip attachment and add enough flour till the mixture is smooth with no lumps.  

Change to the dough hook and continue to add flour until dough cleans the sides of your mixer bowl.  (There may be residual bits near the top, and here and there along the sides, but the lower half of the bowl should be clean.  Once the sides have been cleaned, allow the dough to knead for 10 minutes or until the dough can be stretched between your fingers and it thins in the center that you can almost see light through it.

You may need to hand work the dough on a slightly wet surface until all flour is worked in.

Put in a large greased bowl with greased plastic, wet towel or lid.  I like my Tupperware fix and mix for this. 

Leave out on counter for 6- 10 hours. Longer will not hurt.  If longer than 24 hours, refrigerate dough after initial sponge time.   Not too cool or too warm.  Just room temperature.

Shape into 2 loaves and set to rise.  I like to grease 4 loaf pans and put one inverted on top of the rising  loaf. This allows the dough to breathe without drying out.  It isn’t necessary to put in a warm place.  The more gradual rise will result in less hollow bubbles on the surface.  If you see a bubble forming, use a pair of clean scissors to break bubble. 

Allow loaves to rise for 2-3 hours until double or the dough slowly returns a gentle fingerprint.  Check for and break bubbles.

Preheat oven to 375’

Bake for 25 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the bottom of the loaf reads at least 180 degrees.  You can also invert the loaf onto your gloved hand and thump the bottom of the loaf.  Listen for hollow sound.

Remove from pans and allow to cool completely before cutting if you can wait that long. Lol!

Cranberry Ginger Loaf

Cranberry Ginger Loaf

Adapted from Beyond Basics with

 Natural Yeast by Melinda Richardson

Yield 2 loaves

Ingredients

2 ½ C Water

½ C starter

2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

¼ C Honey

1 tsp ground ginger (or to taste)

5-6 C whole wheat flour

1 C quartered fresh cranberries

Setting up the Dough (at least 10 hours before baking)

Combine the water, starter, salt, coconut oil, honey and ginger in a mixer.

Add the flour 2 cups at a time allowing the mixer to incorporate the flour before adding more.

Continue adding flour until the dough cleans the sides of your mixer bowl.  (There may be residual bits near the top and here and there along the sides, but the lower half of the bowl should be clean.)

Once the sides have cleaned, allow the dough to knead for 10 minutes.

While the bread is kneading, prepare your cranberries.  I use the quartered berries as they are but here are a few tips: If you want your berries to bleed more color into your loaf, toss them lightly in a tablespoon of sugar and let them sit for a few minutes before adding them to the dough.  For less bleeding, toss the in a tablespoon of flour before adding them.

A few minutes before the end of kneading, dump your cranberries into the mixing bowl.

When the dough has been kneaded long enough to pass the windowpane test, remove the dough and make sure any loose berries and all flour is incorporated.  Knead a little by hand if needed.

Place the dough into a greased bowl with a lid, greased plastic wrap or wet towel.  Make sure towel doesn’t dry out during sponge time.

Place on the countertop to rise overnight or all day. (6-12 hours)

Does your starter need to be fed?  Now is the time!

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

Use a dough scraper or sharp serrated bread knife to cut the dough into 2 equal pieces.

Set pieces aside and grease your pans.  Let the dough relax for a few minutes before shaping.

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

Allow to rise in a warm place for 2-2 ½ hours or until the dough slowly returns a gentle finger print.

Preheat oven to 350’

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the bottom of the loaf reads at least 180’.  You can also invert a loaf out of the pan onto your gloved hand and thump the bottom.  Hollow sound indicates bread is done.  Rolls will be lightly brown on top and bottom.

Remove from the pans and allow to cool completely before cutting. 

Banana Bread

Banana Bread   

Yield one loaf

From Beyond Basics with Natural Yeast by Melissa Richardson

Soak

(6 hours before baking)

1 C natural yeast starter

1 egg

1 C whole wheat pastry flour or (¼ C corn starch and ¾ C whole wheat flour)

Mix together the starter and one egg.  Add flour and mix until all flour is incorporated into a rather firm ball of dough.  Cover and set to sit for 6-12 hours.

Final Batter

½ C butter or coconut oil

¾ C brown or raw sugar.  May also substitute molasses or real maple syrup.

1 egg

2 1/3 C. over ripe bananas (about 6 large bananas)

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350’.  Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the egg.  Add  sponge mixture  in chunks, mixing well after each addition.  Add the mashed bananas.  To bake walnuts into the loaf, add them now.  Sprinkle the baking soda and salt across the top and mix well.

Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan.  To bake walnuts into the crust only, sprinkle walnuts over the top and press gently with the flat of your hand or the back of a spatula to set them into the batter.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  If the top of your loaf is browning too quickly, cover it with tented tin foil and continue to bake. 

As impossible as this sounds, try to wait until the loaf is relatively cool before cutting.  While hot, it will be more prone to crumbling.

Sprouted and Fermented Sandwich Bread Recipe

Such a long title but well earned for such a delicious staple in your kitchen.

A year or two ago I was chatting with the owner of our local flour mill and she was telling me that they sell wheat sprouts for baking.  I really wanted to try them but I never got around to going there to get them.

A couple of weeks ago I had an extra tray in my sprouter so I put some white wheat in it.  A couple of days later I had some really cute shoots and I decided to try some sprouted wheat bread.

My go-to bread recipe is adapted from a very old pioneer recipe that was in our church recipe book.  My

White Wheat Sprouts

young friend Ryan Smith actually went to Neta Allen's house and watched, measured and recorded the pinches, handfuls and dollops of ingredients.  Thank you, Ryan and Neta.  Neta has since passed on and I feel her spirit with me often as I make her recipe which was actually used in the advertising the Young Women in our ward who sponsored the book as a fundraiser for camp.  "Order our book!  It contains Neta Allen's bread recipe!"  Oh, yes. I snapped that thing right up.  It is full of great, yummy goodies from people I know and love.

I also love freshly ground wheat and then I use a little unbleached, un-bromated white flour that I buy from our local grain mill.  I know it's fresh and it helps the texture.  I made a batch last week and have another batch of Sprouted and Fermented Sandwich Bread in the bowl on my counter getting happy for a day.  This also makes the most amazing toast!

I'm not one who likes to scroll through lots of fluff and talk so I'll get right down to the recipe.

Sprouted Sandwich Bread

makes 4 loaves

5 C Scalded milk (cooled) or water with 1/3 C powdered milk
4 C wheat sprouts
1 C Organic Sugar. (white sugar won't feed natural yeast growth)
1 1/2 Tbs Salt
1/2 C oil
1/2 C natural yeast start

Blend milk/water and milk powder, and sprouts in blender.  I use a Vitamix and it is pretty much liquified
Pour liquid into large mixing bowl (I use my Tupperware fix and mix with the lid but you can also use your Kitchen Aid or other bread mixer.)

Natural Yeast Start

Add 1/2 c. natural yeast start, (be sure to feed your start and return to fridge.) sugar, salt, oil and 3-4 c. flour of your choice.  Mix well.  (I use a whisk for this part then use a wooden spoon until the dough is ready to be kneaded by hand.)  Keep adding flour and kneading until your dough is smooth and elastic.  Make sure all the flour is incorporated and the dough is still slightly sticky.
Put on a lid or wet dish towel and let set for at least 8 hours. If it raises out of the bowl, punch it down and continue setting. (I typically make it one day and bake the next..  This dough also stores wonderfully in the fridge so you can make scones or bake at different times.)

The dough should at least double and then it is ready to shape into loafs and let rise in pans. If your room is cool, let it set a while longer to fully feed.  Natural Yeast will actually pre-digest the things in the wheat that makes it easier to digest and uptake the vitamins and minerals.

I grease two bread pans for every loaf and put the second pan upside down over the bread.  This gives it protection from drying out and lets it rise.  Natural yeast bread tends to rise more slowly than yeast bread but my sprouted bread was a little quicker.  Just watch it.

When your bread is ready to bake, preheat your oven to 365', turn it down to 350' as you put in your bread and set your time for 25 minutes.  Oven temperatures and times may vary. 

When done your loaves should be golden brown on top and sound somewhat hollow when you tap the bottom.  Internal temperature should be between 195' and 200'.It's better to over-bake a little than to under-bake it.

Natural Yeast bread tastes fresher longer and does not mold as quickly as traditional yeast baked breads.  Please let me know how it goes for you.