leftover

Thinner's Bread

June 30, 2016


I was thinning out seedlings in a kitchen garden when I looked at the tiny vegetables closer. They were so pretty that I didn't had a heart to toss them away. I put them into a bread dough - where else!  This time I was thinning out radish and cabbage rows. Both of them have a strong taste and I thought it was wise to use only 2 dl of seedlings. If you have milder vegetables, you can safely use 3 dl.

 If you don't have a vegetable garden, go and get something green from the nearest grocery.

1 bread

First day, evening

1 dl (100 g) sourdough starter
4 dl (400 g) lukewarm water
7,5 dl (490 g) wheat flour

Combine the starter, water and flour in a mixing bowl. Cover with a tea towel and store the starter dough in the refrigerator overnight.

Second day

1 dl (100 g) lukewarm water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp honey
2 dl (1,8 cups, US) seedlings, rinsed and chopped
4 dl (260 g) wheat flour

Blend lukewarm water, salt, honey and seedlings with the starter dough. Keep kneading and adding flour for 10 minutes.

Cover and leave to rise until doubled in size. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Use a dough scraper to assist you and fold the dough gently. Shape it into a loaf. Line a baking tray with a parchment paper and put the bread on it. 

 Cover and leave to rise.

Preheat the oven to 250°C. Moisten the top with a spray bottle and put the bread in the oven. Turn the temperature down to 200°C and bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack.

tin

Blueberry Wreath

June 22, 2016


This must be the best recipe I have made for decades! I'm so proud of it!

 Not only the taste is marvelous, but Blueberry Wreath is also healthy. There is not much oil used and some fresh jam with only little sugar in it is the best choice for this recipe (max. 47 % sugar / 100 g jam). This is a perfect choice if you are on a diet, but still want something sweet and delicious on your plate. 

 If you want this to be even lighter, fresh or frozen blueberries can be used as an alternative to jam. My Finnish readers have told me that the result is delicious. 

 3 dl (300 g) skimmed milk
25 g fresh yeast
2 tbsp sugar
0,5 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil (not olive oil)
6,5 dl (420 g) wheat flour
Filling:
100 g cream cheese
200 g blueberry jam
Glaze:
1 egg
pinch of salt

Stir the yeast, sugar and salt into the lukewarm milk. Add oil. Gradually mix in the flour and knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it gently. Roll the dough to an 1/2-inch thick, 14 x 18 inch rectangle. Spread the cream cheese and the jam on the top. Starting at the wide ends, roll up the dough and cut into 9 pieces. Place the pieces in an oiled cake tin.


Cover and let rise 30–40 minutes.

Add a pinch of salt into the egg and whisk slightly. (The salt breaks down the globs, making the egg watery and easier to spread.) Brush with a beaten egg. 

Preheat the oven to 225°C. Bake for 30 minutes. If the top seems to brown too quickly, cover with a piece of foil.

If you want, you can bake 12 rolls in paper cases instead of one bread. Preheat the oven to 225°C and bake only for 15–20 minutes.


Enjoy! 


I had to be quick to take the photos. This was eaten in no time. "So fluffy!" my mother said –and took the third piece. 

no-yeast

Seed Rolls

June 15, 2016



It's time to take out the sourdough starter. In summer it's happy and works well, a dough will rise quickly in a warm place.

12 pcs.

 This is where the magic begins, the sourdough starter.


First day, evening

1 dl (100 g) sourdough starter
1 dl (100 g) lukewarm water
2 dl (60 g) graham flour
1 dl (65 g) wheat flour

Combine the ingredients in a lidded bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave at room temperature (22–24°C) for one hour. Cover loosely with the lid and store the starter dough in the refrigerator overnight.

Second day, morning

the starter dough from the evening before
1 tbsp honey
5 dl (500 g) lukewarm water
1 tbsp salt
2 dl (120 g) sesame seeds
1 dl (70 g) chia seeds
10 dl (650 g) wheat flour

Blend the honey, lukewarm water, salt and seeds with the starter dough. Keep kneading and adding flour until the dough is bouncy and elastic. 

Cover and leave to rise until doubled in size. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it gently. Roll the dough into a rope. Cut the rope into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into an oval. Line two baking trays with parchment papers, place the rolls on them.

Cover and leave to rise.

Moisten the tops with a spray bottle and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Preheat the oven to 250°C and bake for 12–15 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack.

energy bars

Cranberry Bars

June 08, 2016


Energy bars are easy road trip snacks and perfectly portable hiking food. But, one euro for a small energy bar is far too much! The outrageous price made me first consider making them myself. Another great thing about making these myself is having full control of the ingredients.

 10 pcs.

1,5 dl (0,6 cup, US) chopped dried cranberries
1 dl (0,4 cup, US) light syrup
1 dl (0,4 cup, US) cashew nuts
1 dl (0,4 cup, US) chopped almonds
1 dl (0,4 cup, US) rolled oats
4 tbsp sunflower seeds
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp linseeds (flaxseeds)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp millet
hint of salt

Line a 20-cm square baking pan with a parchment paper. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Spread evenly and very firmly flatten the mixture in the pan. 

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly browned at the edges. Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan.

Cut into 10 bars. Cool completely. Tightly wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap. Keep them in the refrigerator for up to one month or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

oat

Easy-peasy Loaf

June 02, 2016


Easy-peasy Loaf doesn't look much but the taste is phenomenal! What's more, it keeps fresh well. I love making homemade bread for my family and this plain ordinary loaf is a good reason for doing so. 

1 big loaf 

1 L (1 kg) lukewarm water 
50 g fresh yeast 
1 tbsp salt 
3 dl (100 g) rolled oats 
1 L (650 g) wheat flour 
1 L (650 g) dark wheat flour (also called yeast bread wheat flour) *

* Dark wheat flour is one of my favorite flours for baking. It contains part of the bran layer. That's why it's darker in color and contains more vitamins and minerals than regular white wheat flour. It adds flavor to basic breads and produces nice, not so fluffy texture.

Dissolve yeast and salt into lukewarm water. Add rolled oats, mix well. Gradually mix in the flours and knead the dough about 10 minutes. 

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for one hour. 

Turn the dough out onto a baking tray covered with a parchment paper. Use a dough scraper to assist you and shape it into one big loaf and put it straight into the oven. 

Preheat the oven to 250°C. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 200°C and bake for a further 30 minutes. The bread is ready if it sounds hollow, when you knock on its base. 

Let cool on a wire rack.