Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Irish Soda Bread

 

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups gluten-free flour

1 tsp xantham gum (if not in gluten-free flour)

1/4 cup sugar 

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, chilled and solid

1 1/2 cups almond milk

2 tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and arrange oven rack to middle position. Line a cast iron skillet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients; flour, xantham gum, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Whisk well.

3. Add the solid coconut oil to the flour mixture and press it into the flour with the back of a fork until all the oil is incorporated (it will look like the texture of sand).

4. Add the almond milk and lemon juice, mixing until you get a shaggy dough. Shape into a ball.

5. Place the ball of dough on skillet and cut a cross on the top of the bed.

6. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour until golden brown and crusty on top and the loaf sounds hollow when you knock on it. 

7. Cool completely before slicing.

Vegan/Allergy-Friendly Banana Bread!

 (from ambitiouskitchen.com)

INGREDIENTS:

Wet

3 big bananas mashed, 4 or 5 if you have shrimpy ones (1 1/3 cup mashed)

1/3c melted and cooled oil (called for coconut but canola was fine)

1/2c packed brown sugar

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

2tbsp dairy-free milk of choice

Dry

1 3/4c flour of choice (Bob's 1-1 is a great gf option)

1tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2tsp salt

1/2 cup dairy/soy-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is the best brand!)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Line a tin (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 is recommended) with parchment paper and grease inside of pan. *Wasn't sure if they meant grease the pan under the liner or the liner...so I did both!

Mix WET ingredients together in a big bowl.

Mix DRY ingredients together and whisk. 

Add DRY ingredients to WET ingredients and mix together until just combined. Lumps are ok!

Add in chocolate chips and mix.

Put batter into pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Allow bread to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes then remove from pan and place on a wire rack to finish cooling. Slice and eat when cool!

Savory Soda Bread

Savory Soda Bread

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp finely chopped herbs of your choice
2 tbsp chopped scallions
2 oz. cubed sharp cheddar cheese *or cheese of your choice
2 oz. shredded cheddar *or cheese of your choice
1 cup buttermilk (1 cup milk and about 1 tbsp lemon, which you let sit 5-10 minutes)
1 large egg
1 tbsp melted butter
1/4 c roasted sunflower seeds
a bunch of cloves of garlic, chopped and sauteed until golden brown
at least 4 slices of cooked and largely crumbled bacon


DIRECTIONS:

1.) Preheat oven to 425. Line sheet pan with parchment paper, sprinkle lightly with flour

2.) In a medium-large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Add herbs, scallions, cheese, sunflower seeds, bacon, and garlic. Stir again. Run through the dough with fingers to break apart diced cheese that has stuck together.

3.) Combine the egg and buttermilk in a small bowl or cup until well combined.

4.) Make a well in the center fo the flour mixture and add the buttermilk and egg. Stir just until all the flour is incorporated.

5.) Turn the dough out onto a work surface that has been generously dusted with flour. Turn the dough several times to coat with flour then form into a round loaf. If the dough is sticky and difficult to shape, add a little extra flour to the work surface and your hands if need be.

6.) Transfer the loaf to the sheet pan. With a sharp derated knife, cut an "X" on top of the loaf (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep).

7.) Bake for 20 minutes. Cover with foil if getting too brown. Bake for another 8-10 minutes. The top should be a nice golden brown.

8.) Remove from oven. Brush the loaf with melted butter and allow to cool for about 20 minutes before slicing.

Fresh Corn Cornbread

You can always count on America's Test Kitchen for a delicious recipe.  Sure, there might be much simpler versions out there on the internet, but you get to feel like a real chef.  Here's the latest:

Recipe

1 1/3 c cornmeal
1 c all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 ears-worth of corn kernels
6 tbsp butter
1 c buttermilk
2 eggs plus another egg yolk

Preheat oven to 400.  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Process the corn kernels until smooth, then cook in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir constantly until thick and rich yellow.  Remove from heat and add in 5 tbsp butter, then the buttermilk, then the eggs.  Mix into the dry ingredients.

Meanwhile, melt the last tbsp butter in a cast-iron skillet or baking dish.  Spread batter into the dish, then pop it in the oven.  Bake about 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick/fork/knife/whatever comes out of the middle clean.  Let cool and sit for a while if you can.

Notes

As much as I'd like to follow these intricate recipes as closely as possible, I did take a couple liberties.  Regular milk, only two eggs, but also what I think was a nice idea - using maple syrup instead of sugar.  My baking dish was also a little smaller than what they recommend (10" skillet), and it rose a bit to give me a surprise the first time I checked on it.  Since it was thicker, I had to bake it longer to let it set; it got a nice crust, maybe a touch dry and crumbly, but very nice!  Not too sweet, so if that's what you prefer, up the sugar (or syrup).  Finding a few different uses for the rest of the loaf (e.g., the base of an open-faced bacon & egg sandwich).

Beer Bread

I haven't been much inclined toward baking, but I also kind of hate buying a whole loaf of bread that I'll use sporadically and then throw out half.  So why not try my hand at something more interesting that I'll actually want to use?  This just looked so simple it was worth a shot.

Recipe

2 1/2 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 12 oz beer

Preheat the oven to 375.  Combine dry ingredients, and slowly mix in the beer.  Get the dough nice and even, put into a *greased* loaf pan, and bake about 45 minutes.

Notes

I understand none of the chemistry of how this works, but whatever. Having tried it twice with very positive results, I think if beer wasn't a major component, this would be the recipe you have your kids bake you.

The recipe also promises to be easily customizable, whatever you want or have on hand in terms of flour, sweetener (except I will save you the Googling - baking powder and baking soda are not substitutes).  I fully encourage experimentation, with corresponding labels such as "honey-lager bread" or such.