Gimme' that slice!

I just finished loading dishes in the dishwasher and while Gwen is taking her nap, thought I'd share some bits, some slices of bread here in my blog.

We all woke up this morning not feeling well with "hard to swallow" feeling in our throat and runny nose. Gwen has been sick for almost a week now with her cough and cold and Tim and I figure we got her virus as well.

Even we overslept, I have an important task to do...turn the oven on and put in the bread I've been making since last Monday.

I got my recipe from the family we stayed for a week when we moved in here in Kentucky. The Ruhs has been very welcoming and warm to us and Barb Ruh was the first one to inspire me with baking. I love to cook, I can cook with my eyes close (just kidding, don't do that in your home). But I usually cook without even tasting what I'm cooking and do it on the final step. But baking has been a hard task for me. I'm not good in measuring stuffs and following directions. I love directions, but I hate measuring with cups and teaspoons. I use my hands and let my eye and hands do the work. I eyeball pretty much everything I measure. But with baking, you can do that! You have to be consistent and precise. Otherwise, you'll end up with a "collapsed" cake or "pancake" cookies.

My two "baking sins" I committed recently was last year, before the turn of the year. The first one was Tim's cake. I was so excited in making Tim's cake. I made him a cake a year before and it was perfect. It was a bundt yellow cake flavored with vanilla and amaretto. The finished cake was smothered with chocolate amaretto sauce on top. It was heavenly sweet!

So on his birthday last Nov. 2007, he requested a bundt yellow cake again with chocolate frosting. I guess I'm too excited to bake again for him that I forgot one very essential ingredient!
When I took out the cake from the oven, I thought..."that's weird, it's small and looks like a coffee cake". I look at the picture from the cake mix box and it's doesn't look the same as what the finished cake should be. I look at the back of the box and I was stunned to see that I forgot to put eggs!!!

So my sweet hubby Tim arrived, blew the candles on his cake wondering why the bundt cake looks small and very sweet. After he ate his cake, I told him what's missing

The next month, we purchased again packages of chocolate cookie mix from Sam's Club. I thought of making cookies for our friend Ruhs for Christmas. I use packaged cookie mix since as you can see, I'm really not good in baking. I bake two batches of cookies, one I flavored with bananas too. When I took the first batch (with bananas) from the oven, they are like pancakes! Tim said, "I told you, you should've not put bananas in the cookie mix."

When I took the second batch of cookie (withouth bananas), it still look the same as the first one. I look at the package and found out that I should've put half stick of butter on each packaged mix instead of one stick each. Oh well, the cookies didn't make it to the gift box but it made it still to our stomach.

I though, I don't want to try anymore and bake. I know already for a fact that I'm not good in baking. But Tim still encouraged me despite of that. Whenever I'm cooking, the sourdough bread recipe Barb Ruh gave me is always reminding me that I have to make it. Finally, last week I decided to give it a try.

Here's the Sourdough Bread Instructions which you can make anytime at home even you don't have bread machine, even your too busy, you're on the go or have a handful baby. Enjoy!

First, to make a bread...you need a "starter". Here's the starter recipe:


Starter: (if your don't get a 'start' from someone)
3 pkgs. of dried yeast
1 cup warm water
Combine then refrigerate 3-5 days in a quart jar with a screw-on lid (otherwise it might pop off!). Feed with starter feed again every 3-5 days.

The starter recipe above is the one I got from Barb Ruh. Now I searched online and got the simplest way to make your own starter without using commercial yeast. Here it is:

1 cup of warm water
1 cup of flour
Blend together and pour in a jar. Keep the starter in a warm place, 70-80 degrees fahrenheit.


Starter Feed:
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
1 cup warm water

Mix and add to starter. Let starter stand out of refrigerator all da (5-12 hours), lid ajar. Starter will be very bubbly. Take out 1 cup of starter to bake with, or 1 1/2 cup to "start" someone else, and return starter to frig. Repeat feeding process every 3-8 days. If you aren't going to bake, remove and dispose of 1 cup starter before returning the rest to the refrigerator.

Now, starter is like having a pet. You need to feed it since you're taking care of living yeast and bacteria.

This process can help you stay on your track without disrupting your busy schedule:

For Breakfast Bread:
Evening 1 - Feed
Next Morning - Mix dough
Evening 2 - make loaves
Next Morning - Bake loaves

For Evening bread:
Morning 1 - Feed
Evening 1 - Mix dough
Morning 2 - make loaves
Evening 2 - Bake loaves

The nice thing about this bread is it deosn't have to be babysitted. All parts are done when people are generally 'at home' (morn. or eve.) and if sits an extra hour or two, usually, no harm is done!

RECIPE FOR 2-LOAF SOURDOUGH BREAD:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup corn oil (use 1/2 cup for finer texture)
2 tsp. salt
1 cup potato-fed starter
1 1/2 cup warm water
6 cups flour
2 - 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pans, pref. glass (I used coated metal pans)

1. Spray a large bowl with Pam, if you don't have Pam cooking spray, you can just use vegetable oil and brush it generously to the bowl.

2. Combine sugar, oil, salt, starter, warm water and flour to make a stiff batter.

3. Put the dough on a clean countertop and knead the last bit of flour in.

4. Spray Pam again on the bowl or brush with oil and place the dough in. Brush or spray oil on top of the dough and cover with foil. Let stand on the counter overnight. Do not regrigerate.

5. Next morning, punch dough down. Generously grease loaf pans and divide dough into two or three pieces. Punch dough into all corners of the pan so it's level.

6. Cover with a linen-type dish towel and let rise in pans 4-5 hours (all day is okay too).

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins until golden brown and creates a hollow sound when tapped. Cool (and slice if desired) before serving or freezing.

This bread is not very sour-tasting but it's okay. Not all sourdough bread are sour-tasting. I made my first sourdough bread and I'm glad I decided to make it. What more joy can a woman feel than a husband enjoying each slices of bread you make.

Last night, I prepared two loaves of bread using two pans. But I also took some dough before making that and made an rolled herbed bread. I just made it my own. Here's the recipe if you want to try.


Ingredients for herb spread:

2 tbsp. softened butter (not melted)
italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
ground pepper
a dash of salt

1 tsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
1 cup of kneaded dough

1. Combine all ingredients of herb spread except the olive oil.

2. Roll out the kneaded dough with your hand or a roller. It's about 1 cup but it can be a little bit more.

3. Spread the herb spread on the flattened dough and roll it jelly roll style.

4. Let it stand for 5 hours or more with a linen-type towel on top of it.

5. When you're ready to bake (after 5 hrs. or longer), brush a little bit of olive oil on top and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 mins. Don't overbake it!

Now you got an herbed bread! If you want a dip, you can mix 1 tbsp. of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar to 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with dried herbs and parmesan cheese. But I don't think we even need a dip with this bread!