Recipe: Apple Butter

So, what to do with left over apple pulp and skins from our Hard Cider Homebrew session on the Thanksgiving weekend?

Throw it away?   That seemed like a big waste.
Turn it into compost?  Well, it has to age for about 2 years due to the high acidity - it will kill plants.
Use it to kill plants?  Not a bad idea if I had a fence line I wanted to keep weed free... but no fence lines for me right now.

How about making some apple butter?  Perfect!

Apple butter is not really butter (from milk), but it is a creamy, concentrated apple sauce with spices.  It is delicious on a piece of warm toast or on a hot biscuit.  It was a common sweet treat, side dish, ingredient in baked goods, or condiment in the Colonial United States.  I can see why.  I have only met one person (eh-hmm, Veronica), who does not like apple butter.  However, everyone else usually goes back for seconds and thirds when a jar is opened.

We ended up with a bunch of pulp after juicing close to 200 lbs of fruit.  Well over half of it was from uncored apples, so it had bit of stem and seed in it.  However, thanks to Jake's forethought, we cored a decent amount of apples and quince and saved that pulp for making apple butter.

Here is the basic recipe for apple butter:

Ingredients:

• 4 parts fruit (this can be cored apples, skins, or pulp)
• 1 part sugar (this can be brown sugar, white table sugar, or honey)
• Spices to taste (common spices are cinnamon and cloves)

 The heated apple mixture (left)

Pureeing the mixture (center)

The pureed apple mixture (right)

Method:

• Heat the fruit, sugar, and spices over low medium heat until tender - keep stirring to avoid scorching (you can see this being done in the photo at the top of this post)
• You may need to add some water to help with consistency
• Transfer to a blender or food processor or food mill and puree it until smooth (like apple sauce)
• Put back on the heat and simmer until reduced and darkened - it should be thick and almost creamy... buttery!

The spices I used in this recipe

(cloves, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and black pepper)

Notes:

• Many spices can be used.  I used cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and black pepper.  Yeah, black pepper.  If used in small amounts in sweet dishes like apple butter and apple-quince pie is basically a natural flavor enhancer.
• This is a very easy recipe to make, it just takes some time and attention.  
• A crock pot works great for cooking the pureed fruit.  I put mine in over night on low and then simmered it down on the stove for a few hours more the next morning.

The finished apple butter... dark, glossy, and creamy!  Delicious!

How to Make Cordial

Black Current Cordial

http://semiswede.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/img_4308_cremedecassis.jpg

I had a great black current cordial while visiting Luxembourg.  

It was made to raise funds to support restoration and maintenance on Castle Beaufort.

Here is a photo of me and my boys exploring Castle Beaufort!

Cordial.  What is it and how do you make it?

Cordials are a fun way to use fruits from our land, either cultivated or wild.

A cordial is a drink, usually an alcoholic liqueur, with a strong fruit component.  It is typically sweet and very strongly flavored.  While not always alcoholic, most cordials have either brandy or a grain alcohol as its base.  Brandy (distilled wine) is the most common alcoholic base for making cordial, but Vodka (distilled grain or potatoes) is often used.  Whiskey (distilled barley, rye, wheat, or corn) can also be used as well as about any distilled alcohol.

One of the most common non-alcoholic cordials is elderflower cordial.  Instead of an alcoholic base, this cordial is steeped in a concentrated sugar solution.  A cordial that is non-alcoholic and then concentrated is usually called a squash.  Squashes are often mixed with still or sparkling water and served cold.

Traditionally, some cordials were mixed with herbs and were used more as a medicine.  Due to the high alcohol content, cordials were seen as a stimulant, an invigorating drink, a warming drink, or a tonic... a drink that gave a feeling of vigor or well-being.  Alcohol can obviously reduce anxiety and give a feeling of well-being due to its intoxicating properties.  We also now know that alcohol dilates surface blood vessels which happen to be near our skin's temperature sensors.  So when we drink a strongly alcoholic beverage, we get the sensation of warmth.  In reality, our core temperature doesn't change at all.  In older (and colder) times, when a person was trying to stay warm in frigid weather, a nip of strong alcohol was thought to help keep them warm.  In reality, it made them feel warmer, but the dilation of blood vessels close to the skin actually caused a person to lose body heat.

Cherry Cordial (jar on the left) steeping in the sunlight.

http://www.vickismenu.com/vickismenu/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CherryCordialCandy1.jpg

So how are cordials made?

The basic cordial recipe:

• One large jar of fruit (if fruit is large, cut into small chunks)
• Enough alcohol to cover
• About half as much sugar as alcohol
• Add all ingredients together, cover tightly (airtight is best), and wait anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks, gently shaking the jar about once a week.
• Strain the liquid and store in a glass jar or bottle.
• The cordial often improves with age (3-6 months) - unless it contains citrus

This is really about it.  Honest.  There are many, many variations based on ingredient.  We can add spices or herbs, adjust times of steeping, mash the fruit first, freeze the fruit first, use a variety or mix of base alcohols... the possibilities are limited only by our imagination.

Some tips:

• If the cordial is too sweet, we can add some watered alcohol to balance the sweetness.  This is just a 1:1 ratio of water to whatever alcohol we used to make the original cordial.
• We are shooting for a 20-30% alcohol content (40-60 proof alcohol by U.S. standards).  If the cordial is too strong, we can add some sugar water (again about a 1:1 ratio) or some fruit juice.
• Use perfectly ripe fruits - maximum sugar content will give maximum flavor.
• If our cordial starts to become less sweet over time in storage, don't worry.  This is a natural process of the more complex white table sugar (composed of glucose and fructose) breaking down into its less sweet component parts.  We can fix this if you want by just adding a bit more sugar.
• Honey can be substituted of the white table sugar.  We may need to use less since honey is sweeter.  However, honey (especially depending on the type) does have a unique flavor profile that we may or may not want in our final cordial.

A beautiful blackberry cordial.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2521/3852554081_409843e459.jpg

Some one-ingredient cordials that I have seen (some I have tried) include:

• Cherry
• Blackberry
• Raspberry
• Black Currant
• Red Currant
• Rose Hip
• Prune
• Plum
• Blueberry
• Cranberry

Here are some combination-ingredient cordials:

• Raspberry and Lemon
• Gooseberry and Lemon Verbena
• Rhubarb and Strawberry
• Apple and Cinnamon with Cloves
• Orange (fruit and peel), Lemon (fruit and peel), and Vanilla Bean
• Banana, Pineapple, and Vanilla Bean
• Coconut, Pineapple, and Vanilla Bean

Recipe: Whipped Honey

Whipped Honey... You've got to try it!

http://www.honeylocator.com/images/interface/form-whipped.jpg

For anyone who has ever tried Whipped Honey, you understand why this form of honey is so popular.  Of course, regular liquid honey is the most commonly sold and used form of honey, but whipped honey is a fantastic way to enjoy this sweet treat.

Perfect accompaniment for breakfast or light snack.

http://www.goldendelighthoney.com/Spun_Honey.jpg

What is Whipped Honey?
Whipped Honey is also called Creamed Honey, Spun Honey, Churned Honey, Candied Honey, Set Honey, Honey Fondant, and Spreadable Honey.  These names suggest that maybe some ingredient was added to the honey or that the honey was churned or spun.  In reality, Whipped Honey is nothing more than a type of crystallized honey.

Most of us are familiar with how honey crystallizes.  It often occurs around the lid, but honey crystallization can occur throughout the entire jar.  This is not a sign of spoiling or bad honey.  All honey can and will crystallize if old enough or cold enough.  You can reverse this by placing the jar or bottle of honey in some warm water or a sunny window.  The quality will still remain good, because honey truly never spoils unless it is contaminated.

The crystals in our old or cold honey are large crystals.  You can eat this honey.  It is crunchy.  I actually like it on a peanut butter and honey sandwich.  In contrast, the crystals in Whipped Honey are much smaller.  They are so small that they give the honey a smooth and spreadable consistency.  Also, these small crystals prevent the formation of the larger, harder, and crunchier crystals in the honey.

The Dyce Method
The first practical method of making Whipped Honey was developed in 1928 by Elton .J. Dyce, Ph. D., professor of Apiculture at Ontario Agricultural College, while he was working at Cornell University.  After finely grinding large, hard honey crystals, he added between 5-10% of the fine crystals to 90-95% regular, liquid honey.  The crystals are gently stirred into the liquid honey and allowed to rest at a temperature of 57 F (14 C).  In about a week, the "seed" crystals have converted most of the liquid honey to Whipped Honey.  The "seed" crystals don't actually "reproduce" themselves as some have suggested, but it is rather a chemical/physical reaction that spreads through the honey, and the "seed" crystals act as the impetus.

If you have the right spot, making Whipped Honey is very easy!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qz9aE02ggbw/SReyR6-h8qI/AAAAAAAAA9M/5WHCHriQlRc/s320/whippedhoney.jpg

Making Whipped Honey at Home
We can make Whipped Honey relatively easily at home if we have a place that stays at a steady cool temperature of 55-59 F, ideally at 57 F.

• Find a location with a steady, cool temperature.
• Purchase a good quality Whipped Honey - this will be your "seed" or "starter".
• Take a clean jar and fill it 90-95% with liquid honey.
• Fill the remainder of the jar with Whipped Honey (less than 5% will produce coarse crystals, and more than 10% is not needed).
• Stir the Whipped Honey through the liquid honey.
• Let sit in the cool location for 1-2 weeks.

Previous related articles:

Honey

Beekeeping

Recipe and Permaculture Tip: One-Minute Bread

An ridiculously easy recipe for a great loaf of bread!

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/kitchen-hack-one-minute-ciabatta-bread.html

Here is the list of ingredients... yes, that is it.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/kitchen-hack-one-minute-ciabatta-bread.html

ONE-MINUTE BREAD

(click here for the recipe)

A good friend of mine (Jake) sent me this link quite some time ago.  This is a simple bread to make, and it is really quite good.  It obviously takes more than just one minute to make the bread, but the active amount of time you are really doing anything with this bread is under ten minutes.

There really are only four ingredients.  I use one bread yeast pack which is the 1/4 teaspoon required.  You can add any number of spices if you want at the end.

I will use this recipe when I want something that is a bit more bread-like than my Beer Bread but less time and quantity than the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  It is great served with a good quality cheese or sliced thin lengthwise and used for sandwiches.

It is so easy!

Permaculture Tip
This tip was told to me by Jake (who sent the link above) a few months after sending me the bread recipe.  

For all you homebrewers out there...  You know when you are done fermenting a batch of beer and you have that stuff left over on the bottom of the carboy?  The technical term is "trub" (it comes from the German word for lees).  Well, this sediment that remains is composed of heavy fats, proteins, and inactive yeasts.  Jake and his friend were sitting in the kitchen cleaning up after bottling a batch of beer.  Jake's friend says, "I bet you that stuff there would be great in bread."  He was right!

This was a brilliant "ah-ha!" moment.

Now, whenever I drain the beer off the trub, I always save it.  I try to use it later that night.  I will substitute one cup of water for one cup of trub in the recipe listed above.  Sometimes I'll use a little more.  I may need to add a bit more warm water to get the consistency of the dough right.  Just experiment and see what works.

We will end up with a richer, more complex-tasting bread that has an amazing flavor.  This is a implementation of Permaculture Principle Six: Produce No Waste.  What we have been throwing away, discarded as waste, is an amazing ingredient in bread adding nutrition and flavor.  What a great idea!

Thanks, Jake!


A Permaculture Tip is an idea that is derived from observing and interacting with nature.  It is simple.  It is safe.  It is effective.  It helps build a sustainable system of agriculture and life in general.  If you have any Permaculture Tips you would like to share, please let me know.  I will post it here, give you the credit, and post a link to your blog or website if you have one.  Email me here: kitsteiner@hotmail.com

Recipe: Apple-Quince Pie

http://cookingallday.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/12.jpg?w=300&h=300

Apple-Quince Pie
Since I just posted about Quinces and mentioned my holiday pie, I thought I would share that today. For more information about Apples and Quinces, read these previous posts.

Ingredients

• 4 quinces
• 4 apples
• 1 lemon
• ½ cup dried raisins or other berries
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 bottle of sweet white wine
• 2 Pie Crusts

Information on ingredients:

• Quince:  Use quinces that are just barely soft, completely yellow, and very fragrant. 
• Apples: Traditionally use Granny Smith, but just about any variety of apple will work just fine.  I’ve used Macintosh and Pink Lady and had good results.
• Lemon:  We just need the juice of one lemon.  Meyer Lemons are great with this, but any lemon will do.
• Dried Fruit:  I typically use a mix of dried golden raisins and other dried berries (cherries, blueberries, cranberries, currants, and a mix of other raisins), but I have also thrown in some fresh currants and fresh blackberries as well.
• Vanilla Bean: cut lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and use both the bean and the seeds.
• Black Pepper: The little bit we add will not be noticed as “spicy” but will enhance the flavor of the pie.
• Wine: Many types of wine can be used, and I don’t think I have used the same one twice.  A sweet dessert wine, like a Muscat, is great, but I have used a sweet Riesling with good success as well.
• Pie Crusts:  If you have the time, energy, good recipe, and good success, then make your own pie crusts.  I usually cheat and buy some premade, rolled pie crusts in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  Since I typically make this pie with many other dishes as part of a holiday meal, I just don’t have the time or energy to make pie dough from scratch, although the few times I have, I think the pie is better for it.

Directions:

• Peel the quince.  Save the peelings.  Halve the quinces. 
• In a saucepan, add quince, peels, vanilla bean and seeds, ¼ cup sugar, wine, and just enough water to cover.
• Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer.
• Simmer until quinces are tender when poked with a fork.
• Strain the contents of the saucepan, reserve the liquid, set aside the tender quince to cool.  Toss the peels and vanilla bean into the compost pile.
• Add the liquid back to the saucepan and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by about 2/3 to ¾.  The liquid should be like syrup.  Can take about 30 minutes.
• Add the dried fruit to the hot reduced poaching liquid and let soak.
• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Peel and core the apples.  Cut into wedges.  Place in a bowl and toss with lemon juice.
• Add flour, remaining sugar, and spices to apples and toss to coat.
• Either with a melon baller or a pairing knife, seed and core the cooled quinces.  Slice into wedges.  Add to the apple mixture.  
• With a slotted spoon, strain out the soaked dried fruit (which should have plumped up a bit) and add the fruit to the apple mixture.  Toss to mix.  Make sure to save the remaining poaching liquid.  
• Place one pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan or dish (I have even seen a very similar pie made in a cast-iron skillet, but I have yet to try it).  
• Fill with the fruit mixture.  Add some of the poaching liquid.  I have also added a small pat of unsalted butter.
• Cover with remaining pie crust.  Pinch the crusts together to seal the edges.  Cut vents in the top in whatever pattern you choose.  Alternatively, you can cut the top crust into pieces and arrange them over the top leaving the center of the pie open – giving a more “rustic” appearance.  You can lightly brush with water and sprinkle with sugar if desired.
• Bake for about one hour to one hour and 20 minutes.  Until the crust is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling over.  You can always cover the pie with foil if the crust starts to brown too quickly – a lot depends on the type and quality of the oven you are using.  If you leave the center open, and the center begins to look dry, then you can spoon some of the poaching liquid on top a little at a time.
• Allow to cool for a bit – enough to allow the fruit to “set” a bit.  I like to serve it while it is still a little warm with a scoop of homemade or good quality vanilla ice cream.

Dandelion Wine

Dandelions... Weeds to Wine!

http://thriftyliving.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/dandelions-2.jpg

Full disclosure first:  I have not made nor taste dandelion wine... yet.  I usually only share recipes that I have made myself numerous times so that I can give real advice about them.  However, dandelion wine has been on my mind for some time.  I don't want to forget about it or have to search for the recipe when I have  the chance to make it.  So here goes.

There is no "right" way to make Dandelion Wine.  I came across literally hundreds of recipes in my search.    The basic components are as follows:
Dandelions - either petals only or petals with the flower head and no stalk
Water - Needed for volume.
Body building agent - since dandelion wine is a light wine without body (sense of alcohol and a sense of feeling in the mouth), other ingredients are used to add body.  Golden raisins, white grape juice, figs, and dates have all been used.  The lighter the color, the more "true" the dandelion wine will look.
Acid - Citrus is used most often as lemons and oranges, but a bottle of "acid blends" can be used as well
Sugar - Needed for alcohol production. Granulated sugar is most common but other sugars can be used.  Honey can be used to make a Dandelion Mead.  The amount of sugar affects the end alcohol content.  But before you dump a bunch of sugar to make a high alcohol wine, remember that only certain yeasts can continue to make alcohol in a high alcohol environment.  Higher alcohol will usually make the wine drier.
Yeast - Typically white wine yeast is used.  There are so many available.  Each yeast strain will give its own subtle flavor differences, so experiment!
Yeast Nutrient - This is usually used in non-grape wines so that the growing yeast can continue to propagate.

Beautiful color in this finished Dandelion Wine

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QutLlpcOWkk/TZhndaOgCnI/AAAAAAAABTs/Ytp00J-aRc0/s1600/Dandelion+Wine+Final.jpg

Here is the recipe that I like the most (i.e. the first one I will try).  It is from amateur wine maker Jack Keller with some minor changes/explanations by me.

Ingredients

• 1 qt dandelion petals
• ¾ lb chopped or minced golden raisins
• 2 lbs finely granulated sugar
• 3 lemons, juice and zest
• 3 oranges, juice and zest
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 7½ pts water
• wine yeast

Directions

• Prepare flower petals beforehand. 
• Put water on to boil and pour over dandelion petals in primary fermenter (glass jug or sterile food grade bucket). 
• After 2 hours, strain, press and discard petals. 
• Return water to heat and bring to low boil. 
• Stir in citrus juice and sugar, stirring well to dissolve. 
• Add citrus zest and chopped raisins. 
• Remove from heat and set aside to cool. 
• When room temperature, stir in yeast nutrient and activated yeast and recover. 
• Stir 3 times daily for 10-14 days. 
• Strain into secondary fermenter and fit airlock. 
• After 3 weeks, rack (transfer the liquid part and leave the sediment) into another sanitized secondary fermenter, top up with sterile water and reattach airlock. 
• When wine clears, wait 30 days and rack, top up and refit airlock. 
• Repeat racking procedure every 3 months for 9 months. 
• Rack into bottles and age 6-12 months or longer.

Earth Eats

http://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/

Earth Eats is a weekly podcast and public radio program that highlights local food and sustainable agriculture.  The podcast is a weekly program that provides current agricultural and food news, interviews with farmers and authors, and my favorite, recipes and cooking tips from Chef Daniel Orr.  He calls his cuisine "real food for real people", and his recipes highlight local foods - produce and meats you can buy from your local farmer's markets, raise yourself, or forage from wild spaces near where you live.

Each of the 10 -15 minute programs are funded by Indiana Public Radio, so the production is of the highest quality.  If you are interested in the topics listed above, I highly recommend checking out their website and downloading their podcasts.

LINKS:
Podcasts can be found and downloaded here (or you can find them on iTunes).
Click on this link and then choose the RECIPES tab to find all the recipes highlighted on the podcasts.

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

As much as I would love to take credit for this entire recipe, I cannot.  This recipe is based (okay, it is almost identical) on one Bobby Flay developed for his Mesa Grill restaurant.  I have made this a number of times, and I have yet to meet someone who doesn't love it.  I've actually caught a few people eating it by itself with a spoon... yeah, it's that good!  It can be used with almost all grilled meats, but it is particularly good with a build-your-own-fajita (veggie, chicken, beef, or pork) style meal.

Recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
4 Red Peppers (see note below)
1/2 Small Red Onion, chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1-2 Tablespoons Honey (I use 2 T since I like it sweet)
1 Tablespoon Mustard (Dijon is preferable, but I have used regular yellow mustard)
1 Tablespoon Chipotle Chile Puree (see note below)
1/2 Cup Oil (I have used Canola and Olive oils)
Salt (I prefer Kosher, but regular table salt will do)
Pepper (Fresh ground is best, then coarse ground, then regular black pepper)

Note:
Red Peppers:  Bell peppers work great, but any large, sweet pepper will work well.  Where I am living overseas, I often do not have the classic Red Bell Peppers to work with, so I use the local longer and thinner skinned red peppers.  They still taste great, but are a bit harder to work with.

Red Pepper Preparation:  Wash the peppers and place on a very hot grill or over a gas burner on high.  The skin will blister and blacken (char).  Watch closely and keep turning with a pair of long handled tongs until the entire pepper is black, not just blistered.  This takes longer on a gas stovetop.  If doing this indoors, just make sure your stove vent fan is on! Remove from the heat and let the peppers cool.  Peel the charred skin off.  I find that doing this under slowly running water and over a colander is easiest and cleanest.  Then seed and chop the pepper.

Chipotle Chile Puree:  Chipotle Peppers are just smoked and dried jalapeno peppers.  They are available dried, but more commonly sold in a can with adobo sauce (a classic tomato based marinade).  To make the Chipotle Chile Puree, take one can of Chipotle Peppers and place in a blender.  Puree until smooth.  Put in a small container in the refrigerator where it can store well for at least a month.

Combine red peppers, onion, garlic, vinegar, mustard, and chipotle pepper puree in a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper (a pinch or three of each).  While the motor is running, add the oil slowly until incorporated (emulsified) into the sauce.  You can strain the sauce through a thin mesh vegetable strainer for a smoother sauce, or don't strain for a thicker sauce.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Beer Bread

Beer Bread... so easy and so delicious!

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/honey-beer-bread11.jpg

After my previous post on the book, Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day, I couldn't resist adding one of my favorite quick bread recipes.  Beer Bread is a thick, hearty bread that is great on its own, but it can also have so many variations and improvisations.  No, it doesn't taste like beer!  However, it will have the essential character of the beer, so a dark beer will give more rich flavor than a light beer.

The beer's carbonation, along with the baking powder, is what gives the bread volume and "rise".  It is not the yeast in the beer (if any are left).  Making this bread with homebrewed beer is especially rewarding.


Here is the basic recipe for Beer Bread:

3 cups All-Purpose Flour (or Self Rising Flour)
3 Tablespoons White Sugar 
3 teaspoons Baking Powder (omit if using Self Rising Flour)
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self Rising Flour)
1 bottle (12 ounce) Beer

- Preheat oven to 350-375 F (175-190 C)
- Sift the flour.
- Add sugar, baking powder, and salt to flour.  Mix lightly.
- Pour in beer.
- Mix batter with wooden spoon until all dry ingredients are mixed in.  Don't over mix.  Batter will be very sticky.
- Pour into greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes.
- Allow to rest for only a few minutes before cutting and serving.
- I have no idea if this bread lasts more than a few days, because it is always gone by then.

A few tips:

• Always sift the flour - I will often sift 2-3 times.  Omit this step and your bread will be a brick!
• Use a good quality beer.  I think the richer and more complex and dark the beer, the more flavorful the bread.  One of my favorites is Blue Moon... but I also really enjoy my own dark ale.
• You can add any spices you would like; it just depends on what you are going to eat with it.  For example, add some rosemary and thyme to make a good bread with a roast.  Add some basil and garlic powder with an Italian meal.  Add some sugar and cinnamon for a dessert style bread. 
• Sprinkle some cheese on the top, or mix it with the batter.
• One of my favorite ways to eat this is fresh and hot, smothered with butter and fruit preserves or honey... amazing!

Book Review: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

This book is a must read for three distinct groups of people:  Anyone who is intimidated about making bread, Anyone who thinks they know how to make bread, and Anyone who enjoys eating great-tasting bread.  If you fall into one of these categories (yeah, that is pretty much everyone) then you should get this book.  Buy it, borrow it, or check it out from the library.  I think it is that good.

Plus, it's a cookbook written by a physician.  I love it!  No, I don't have any stock in this book or author, but I am a huge fan.  The key to making this bread so quick and easy is the "no knead" techniques that the authors perfected.  It is so simple.  Really.  Trust me.

Plus, and I think this is really fantastic, the authors give away their "Master Recipe" on their website.  With this recipe, I was making Boule, Baguette, Batard, Ciabatta, and Couronne loaves... and they tasted amazing.

For me, cooking is a vital part of self-sufficiency and homesteading.  I actually plan on having a few small plots of grains at my Permaculture farm one day so I can make my own bread literally from scratch, but more on that in a few days.  So, give this easy recipe a try!

Boule

French for "ball" - this is a simple free form loaf

http://toxobread.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/20080925boule02.jpg

Baguette

Classic loaf!

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/attachments/11/11195d1236625454-boring-baguette-img_1600.jpg

Batard

Perfect for slicing into sandwich bread.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/files/u14703/Pain%20au%20Levainstiff.jpg

Ciabatta

Slice this loaf down to middle to remove the top half, fill with cheese and meat or veggies, and then bake it again to make amazing panini!

http://www.ciabattarestaurant.com/images/bigstockphoto_italian_and_ciabatta_loaves_of_806313.jpg

Couronne

French for "crown", this is a delicious and decorative loaf perfect to sprinkle herbs on before baking.

http://zebbakes.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/couronne.jpg?w=557&h=418