Irish Soda Bread Rounds

Mar 13, 2013 by lovelypantry

After a week of sniffles and being under the weather, I am so glad that it is almost over and I can finally breathe again. I think I really needed some rest and being sick helped me to achieve that a little. It was great to get back into the kitchen and catch up on my cooking and baking. I’m looking forward to a relaxing March break with my family and an awesome Spring! This recipe is a great way to start the season and is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.

The recipe I’m sharing with you today has got to be one of the best breads I’ve had in a long time. I have baked Irish Soda Bread before, but these little darlings are way better. I couldn’t believe how good they were! I almost kicked myself that I reduced the recipe by half. But then again, I would have had more than I should have. So I suppose it was a good thing. We all enjoyed it very much and both my children raved about how good they were.

 

 

 

 

I made some changes out of necessity. The original recipe called for buttermilk which I did not have. So I substituted with some plain organic yogurt that I had and added a tablespoon of milk to thin it out just a little. Thank goodness I had it ~ I don’t care for plain yogurt very much so this recipe was right on time to use it up. I also used butter  instead of shortening. The dough came together quite well and it was easy to divide it into 4 portions using a sharp knife. I was sure to score the top of each round prior to baking.

 

 

I loved that this was a yeast-free bread. The kneading that was required was done by my mixer which truly earns its keep. This was very easy to make and was ready in under an hour.

 

 

These Irish Soda Bread Rounds are a perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee. We had ours while it was still warm – it was absolutely delightful with butter. I know my parents would love this. It reminds me a lot of a raisin bread. I chose to brush it with a light sugar/water glaze for a little added sweetness.

 

 

 

I hope you get to try this recipe. I was so happy with the results. My family enjoyed it and I’d bet yours would too.

~Lyn

 

 

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Cardamom Bread {No Knead} #TwelveLoaves

Feb 21, 2013 by lovelypantry

I realized that after the initial excitement, and few failures ( just that one time when I didn’t activate my yeast and my dough didn’t rise) in bread making thus far, the entire process has become quite relaxing. Therapeutic, if you will. The process of gathering the ingredients, weighing, measuring, proofing yeast… I could get used to this. With my new-found appreciation for bread making, I have found a few groups dedicated to the love and art of baking bread. As often as I can, I will be linking up my bread recipes and seeing what other food bloggers are creating in their ovens. Making bread is truly a beautiful thing.

Todays bread was quite interesting. We ate it happily. But it had a taste that I was not familiar with. I’ve had cardamom in recipes before, but this was just different. The process was easy since I’ve been using the Kindle eBook called Easy Fabulous Bread Making. Total success thus far. I’m sure if I made this bread again and had people try it, they would be clouded with mystery as to whats in it

 

 

 

Working with this dough was tricky. The dough was quite sticky and I needed to have a floured surface in order to be able to manipulate it and form a loaf. It got quite messy in the process but its all a part of the deal, isn’t it. I deviated from the instructions just a bit so that I could really get my hands in there. I think I need an apron. And perhaps a bakers hat too.

 

 

I was eager to get this bread out of the oven. I had to know what this bread tasted like. The smell was interesting enough – I wanted a slice!

 

 

After the sticky dough, and the intense curiosity – the texture of this bread was awesome – soft and light. The aroma… like something I’ve never tried. Excellent with butter.

 

 

This is my contribution to the February 2013 #TwelveLoaves challenge. Lora of Cake Duchess created this awesome group where the participants bake according to the theme for the month. This month’s theme is open, so members can bake whatever they like. What an awesome adventure. And what a great way to get baking! I can’t wait to go proof some yeast and bake something.

 

Would you like to join the #TwelveLoaves group? Here’s how!

1. When you post your Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, make sure that you mention the Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post; this helps us to get more members as well as share everyone’s posts.
Please make sure that your Bread is inspired by the theme!
2. Please link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of my blog. It must be a bread baked to the Twelve Loaves theme. 
3. Have your Twelve Loaves bread that you baked this February, 2013 posted on your blog by February 28, 2013.

 

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Portuguese Sweet Bread {No Knead}

Feb 13, 2013 by lovelypantry

I think I’ve been converted. As I told both my Brother and my Best Friend…we will never go hungry – Lyn knows how to make BREAD! Why is it that I did not take the plunge sooner? Every bread recipe that I see now, I take a second glance to see if its one that I can do. My husband has even started to request bread with specific ingredients. Well, ‘scuse me Mister! When did I become the bread lady? Ok fine…*taking notes* He knows I’ll try

I am a true lover of bread. Give me bread and butter and I’ll be okay. I grew up in a bread household. If there was anything that we always had – it was bread. And for that, I’m thankful. I’m also thankful for the Kindle book that I got from Amazon with all these wonderful bread recipes. Its called Easy Fabulous Bread Making. A Collection of quick, no knead, homemade bread recipes. I feel that it has helped me jump right into bread making, giving me the confidence as a beginner to make fresh bread at home! I like the technique, so when I’m good with this, I can move on providing that my wrists can take the pressure. Bring on the BREAD!

Today I’m sharing a bread that we fell in love with. The texture, the flavour – it was lovely. I forgive myself for the really thick slice that I cut for a late night snack. Portuguese Sweet Bread – I heart you!

 

 

 

 

This bread seemed easy enough to just mix by spoon. But it was a breeze using my standing mixer. This dough takes no time to come together.

 

 

The exterior is crusty but not hard. The bread itself – soft, chewy, slightly sweet and an absolute delight to the palate. Perfect with butter or cream cheese.

 

 

I love that I just popped a slice in the toaster and topped it with cheesy scrambled eggs. Breakfast has never been so satisfying. One centre slice goes a long way!

 

 

Funny how bacon seems to be making an appearance quite often these days…

 

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Hawaiian Bread

Jan 31, 2013 by lovelypantry

I did  it!! I got my list of breads that I would like to make, and went for it. I feel so accomplished right now. Making bread has been on my culinary bucket list since forever. I have been quietly saving, comparing, pondering recipes for some time now. Of course, Pinterest is where I store many bread recipes, but I have also been looking in books, magazines and e-books too. You’d be surprised to know how many free Kindle e-books are available on Amazon as a promotion. Either free or cheap. Either way, I’m all over recipe books.

This bread was very different to me. I had no idea how the taste/texture would be but I thought it was pretty cool that pineapple juice was an ingredient. When I took the bread out of the oven, I started taking pictures with my phone. I had to tell my friends and loved ones what I did! This is the kind of news that can’t be kept to myself!

 

 

 

 

Just to clarify, in the photograph above, I have 2 bowls with flour. I split it but realized after that I didn’t need to do two portions.

One of the things I loved about this type of bread, is that it requires no kneading. This is a very important aspect of the recipe for me. Why? Well because kneading wouldn’t be a good thing for me to do. A few months ago, I developed tendonitis in my right thumb joint. So something as simple as writing can be slightly painful. I fully realize that the hours spent on the computer and on my cell phone are wreaking havoc on my hands. My left wrist is showing signs of stress also. I was advised to step away from the computer. Chances of that happening are pretty close to nil, although I have decreased my online activity a little. Less time on the computer doesn’t mean I’m resting though. Because I’m in the kitchen making AWESOME breads like this one!

I was so excited about making this bread that I went ahead and prepped 2 more no-knead breads. That’s another great thing about this recipe. You can prepare from the night before so you can have fresh bread in a jiffy. Also you can store the dough in the freezer for up to 3 months, and take it out as needed. Just allow it to thaw and rise again in the fridge.

I learned something about yeast while making this bread. When using Active Dry Yeast, you have to proof it before you incorporate it into the batter otherwise the dough wont rise. Lesson learned. No more wasting ingredients!

Proofing your yeast

In a small bowl, add 1 package of active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 Tsp). Add 1 Tsp sugar and 1/4 cup of warm water. Allow to stand for about 10 minutes. If the mixture starts to foam and increases in volume, you can use it in your recipe. If it doesn’t foam, discard it. I added the yeast to the wet ingredients just before adding the dry ingredients.

 

 

 

Is this bread perfect? I’m not sure. It’s my first homemade bread. It tasted much different from the commercially made bread that I have become accustomed to. But I’ve always heard that once you start making bread at home, you may not want to go back to store-bought bread. We’ll see!  I probably don’t have the perfect technique when it comes to bread making yet, but I’m looking forward to learning more and most definitely baking more. I can’t wait to make the second portion of this recipe. And then some other recipes from the eBook.

 

 I’m really happy.

No no-knead recipe is safe now that I’ve made my first bread.

I’m sooooo doing the happy dance right now.

 

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Lyn’s Banana Bread

Jan 6, 2012 by lovelypantry

I’ve been making this banana bread for a few years now. It somehow never fails. Everybody loves it and I’m so happy to be sharing it with you. It’s definitely “lighter” than most recipes which is great because I really don’t care for the guilt that comes along with loaded baked goods. So this recipe satisfies me. I found this recipe on Food Network Canada and I’ve made my changes to get it to where I like it.

Bananas should never EVER go to waste. I learned a few years back that over-ripe bananas can be stored in the freezer for baking. That advice was like gold to me. I now use frozen bananas for porridge, smoothies and banana bread.

I love Banana Bread. Even more so with dark chocolate chips.

I use 2 bananas because I found using 3 made the bread overly moist, which wasn’t so nice for me. I love that yogurt is used as the binding agent instead of eggs. Notice too, that butter is absent. The garnish on top is optional too, it’s really there to make the cake look even prettier. The cake on its own is delicious. Yes, even without the chocolate chips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you ever get around to making this bread, please do think of me. Imagine me with a big smile on my face, whispering sweetly…”I told you so”

Have an amazing weekend!

 

~Lyn   XoXo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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