Welcome to the 9th HBinFive Bread Braid

This week for our HBinFive Bread Braid we made Gluten-free Bread. I have to say that this was the strangest bread recipe I've ever made and I've made quite a bit of bread! The bread did not taste badly at all and was actually good toasted with lots of butter and if we were having guests that had a wheat restrictive diet, I would not hesitate to make this bread! Mr. Tastebuds said that "it tasted better then Wonder Bread"

Like I said the taste was not that bad but the texture was dry probably due to the amount of cornstarch in the recipe. But I'm going to play around a bit and substitute some of the bean and nut flours and maybe add butter or sour cream just to see if I can improve the texture a bit. But I am certainly more sympathetic to people with Celiac Disease and food allergies now. The dough rose and baked beautifully as you can see from the below photo.

I did make some changes to the recipe. For 3 1/2 c. cornstarch I used 2 1/2 c. cornstarch and 1 c. Garbanzo Bean Flour. I skipped the xanthan gum altogether and I used Fresh Yeast.







And I made my very favorite bread, Italian Semolina, from "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" which made scrumptious Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!


Grilled Cheese...The Ultimate Comfort Food





If you are participating in the HBinFive Bread Braid, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general address.

Please leave a comment. Every once a while Mr. Linky flies the coop and we can then find your photos by clicking on the comment links.

Don't forget to copy and paste the HBinFive Badge in your Bread Braid post or somewhere on your FB Page. Or you can mention HBinFive but your blog post must be identified with HBinFive.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Big Black Dog, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your HBinFive post or pictures are actually published.

***If any HBinFive member is concerned about linking up to the Bread Braid Gadget please send an email to me at ms dot bigblackdog at gmail dot com with your name and the URL of your pictures and I will link you up as soon as I can.


Please feel free to click on any of the links below and visit some of our HBinFive Members and see their wonderful interpretations of this recipe!








All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Welcome to the 8th HBinFive Bread Braid

Spring is such an interesting time of the year. One day it can be 70 degrees with everyone in short sleeves and the next day we could have snow! But Mother Nature has finally turned over and we're heading into Spring! The Garlic that I planted last October is coming up and so is my Rhubarb, Egyptian Onion and Parsley! And my Bluebirds have been busy checking out the Bluebird houses and deciding which one to claim as their own. I have five Bluebird houses and I'm hoping this year all are filled with little blue eggs. The below picture is from my 2008 Bluebird Nesting Census.





For our Spring Celebration HBinFive Bread Braid we made Carrot Bread and Olive Spelt Bread and both were unique and delicious, with our favorite being the Olive Spelt Bread. Mr. Tastebuds thoroughly enjoyed the Olive Spelt Bread and almost ate the entire loaf by himself!

The Carrot Bread was wonderful toasted served with some of my homemade Carrot Cake Jam. And the Olive Spelt Focaccia turned a simple Drunken Red Wine Pasta into a very special meal. If you would like to read more about these recipes, please click on the below titles for more information.


Carrot Bread with Carrot Cake Jam





Drunken Pasta and Olive Spelt Focaccia





If you are participating in the HBinFive Bread Braid, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general address.

Please leave a comment. Every once a while Mr. Linky flies the coop and we can then find your photos by clicking on the comment links.

Don't forget to copy and paste the HBinFive Badge in your Bread Braid post or somewhere on your FB Page. Or you can mention HBinFive but your blog post must be identified with HBinFive.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Big Black Dog, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your HBinFive post or pictures are actually published.

***If any HBinFive member is concerned about linking up to the Bread Braid Gadget please send an email to me at ms dot bigblackdog at gmail dot com with your name and the URL of your pictures and I will link you up as soon as I can.


Please feel free to click on any of the links below and visit some of our HBinFive Members and see their wonderful interpretations of this recipe!








All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Welcome to the 7th HBinFive Bread Braid

This week for our HBinFive Bread Braid Challenge we made two very unique recipes, Avocado-Gaucamole Bread and Pesto Pine Nut Bread. Originally when I was planning the baking schedule, I thought these breads would be slightly green colored for St. Patrick's Day but as you see they are not green at all! But we enjoyed each of the breads although I do think the Pesto Pine Nut Bread was our favorite!

For the Avocado-Gaucamole Challenge I made Pulled Pork Sandwiches and All-American Cheese Burgers. And then with the Pesto Pine Nut Bread I made a Fried Egg Sandwich Deluxe with Bacon and by clicking on the below titles you can visit the posts for more information.



Pulled Pork Sammie





All-American Cheese Burger





Fried Egg Sandwich Deluxe with Bacon





If you are participating in the HBinFive Bread Braid, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general address.

Please leave a comment. Every once a while Mr. Linky flies the coop and we can then find your photos by clicking on the comment links.

Don't forget to copy and paste the HBinFive Badge in your Bread Braid post or somewhere on your FB Page. Or you can mention HBinFive but your blog post must be identified with HBinFive.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Big Black Dog, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your HBinFive post or pictures are actually published.

***If any HBinFive member is concerned about linking up to the Bread Braid Gadget please send an email to me at ms dot bigblackdog at gmail dot com with your name and the URL of your pictures and I will link you up as soon as I can.


Please feel free to click on any of the links below and visit some of our HBinFive Members and see their wonderful interpretations of this recipe!








All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Welcome to the 6th HBinFive Bread Braid

This week for HBinFive we are making 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Olive Oil which makes a good flatbread. I decided to add some sourdough starter to the dough and bake the bread on our gas grill.

Baking bread on a grill is very easy but with my first attempt I had my doubts and thought for sure the raw dough would ooze down between the grates! And I could just hear Mr. Tastebuds' frustration if I made a mess of his brand new grill! But the bread baked perfectly and the taste of fresh bread grilled directly over an open flame is unique and so delicious! Baking bread on a grill is fun and I do have the entire process, in a simple Step-by-Step if you're interested.





Due to some tummy problems, I am staying away from spicy, hot seasoning until my stomach settles down so I made a unique vegetarian pizza type flatbread by topping it with fresh Mushrooms, Arugula, fresh Tomatoes and a mix of Mozzarella, Parmesan and Provolone. I was not sure how the Arugula would taste but it was delicious and the pseudo pizza did not bother my stomach at all! WOW...a dinner that did not involve oatmeal sure tasted good! But the 100% Whole Wheat Bread with the added sourdough starter was definitely the star of this meal!





For my other two breads for this challenge, and again taking care to eliminate any spicy seasoning, I made Welsh Pasties and Aloo Partha. If you would like to read more about this breads please click on the below title to visit the post.


Welsh Pasties and Aloo Partha









If you are participating in the HBinFive Bread Braid, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general address.

Please leave a comment. Every once a while Mr. Linky flies the coop and we can then find your photos by clicking on the comment links.

Don't forget to copy and paste the HBinFive Badge in your Bread Braid post or somewhere on your FB Page. Or you can mention HBinFive but your blog post must be identified with HBinFive.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Big Black Dog, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your HBinFive post or pictures are actually published.

***If any HBinFive member is concerned about linking up to the Bread Braid Gadget please send an email to me at ms dot bigblackdog at gmail dot com with your name and the URL of your pictures and I will link you up as soon as I can.


Please feel free to click on any of the links below and visit some of our HBinFive Members and see their wonderful interpretations of this recipe!







All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Welcome to the 5th HBinFive Bread Braid

I was so looking forward to making the Red Beet Bread for HBinFive. **WOW** I was not disappointed in the least! This bread was over-the-top fabulous!

One thing this recipe taught me is that I am not a very tidy baker. But grating has never been one of my specialities and grating juicy, red beets is an accident just waiting to happen. I tried to keep the juice contained but honestly afterwards I felt like a member of a CSI team at a multiple murder investigation! Geesh, there were spatters of red beet and juice every where! I was careful to not use anything that could stain easily but one of my spatulas did suffer and it's now a gorgeous shade of pale pink!

I made Hamburger Buns with the Red Beet Dough and served Grilled Turkey Burgers Deluxe. And to dress up the Turkey Burgers just a bit I made a Mayonnaise with Tarragon and Roasted Garlic which is definitely a keeper recipe!







Mayonnaise with Tarragon and Roasted Garlic
Recipe developed by BigBlackDog

6-8 large cloves of garlic, not peeled
4 large egg yolks
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon water, or more if mayonnaise is too thick
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp dried Tarragon
5-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups canola oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 Green Onions, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Topping: Save some of the chopped green onion stems for garnish.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Take a small piece of aluminum foil. Put the unpeeled garlic cloves in the middle and fold the aluminum foil letter style so it covers the garlic cloves. Roast in oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cloves are soft. Set aside.

In a food processor or blender add the egg yolks, mustard, water, Thyme, Tarragon, salt and pepper. With the machine running, drizzle the oils in a thin stream until completely blended. If the garlic has cooled squeeze out the softened garlic. Add softened garlic, onions, lemon juice and blend thoroughly.





With the Chocolate Espresso Bread I made Chocolate Cherry Pocket Pies and Mini Loaves of Bread which I sliced and served with fresh Kiwi Fruit drizzled with Ganache. Just click on the title to visit the post and recipe.


Chocolate Cherry Pocket Pies




Mini Espresso Bread with Kiwi and Ganache





If you are participating in the HBinFive Bread Braid, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general address.

Please leave a comment. Every once a while Mr. Linky flies the coop and we can then find your photos by clicking on the comment links.

Don't forget to copy and paste the HBinFive Badge in your Bread Braid post or somewhere on your FB Page. Or you can mention HBinFive but your blog post must be identified with HBinFive.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Big Black Dog, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your HBinFive post or pictures are actually published.

***If any HBinFive member is concerned about linking up to the Bread Braid Gadget please send an email to me at ms dot bigblackdog at gmail dot com with your name and the URL of your pictures and I will link you up as soon as I can.


Please feel free to click on any of the links below and visit some of our HBinFive Members and see their wonderful interpretations of this recipe!







All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Welcome to the 4th HBinFive Bread Braid

I know..I really pushed the envelope this week HBinFive's Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread! But I had so much fun in the process!

And I had just enough of the laminated dough left over from the Chicago Deep Dish Pizza to make six Pocket Apple-Cranberry Pies and oh were they good! And I used my 5" Dough Press which always does such a great job and it's so easy to use. I filled the Pocket Pies with a mix of Chopped Apple, Fresh Cranberries, Cinnamon, Granular Artificial Sweetener and Chopped Pecans.







To make the Pocket Pies:



The Dough Press is actually two tools in one. On one side there is a cutting edge similar to a cookie cutter and you can cut a disk of dough. And on the other side is a crimping edge where you can crimp the dough and form a moon-shaped Pocket.

1. Roll out the dough to about 1/8" thick.

2. Press the cutting edge into the dough and cut a disk of dough. Flip the Dough Press over and position the disk of dough so that it's adequately covering the Crimping Edge.

3. Sprinkle about a 1/2 tsp cornmeal or semolina on the filling area of the dough. The cornmeal/semolina helps to soak up any juices released during baking and keeps the bottom crispy.

4. Then add 2 TBL of filling on just one side of dough disk, making sure that no filling is spilling into the edges that are going to be crimped together.



5. Brush egg wash on the edges.

6. Using the hinge, flip one side of the Dough Press over the other and with both hands press, lightly but firmly, making sure that the crimped edge is completely sealed.

7. Place the Pockets on a parchment lined baking sheet.

8. Brush the Pocket with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar or topping of your choice.

9. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until the Pocket is a nice golden brown.








With the rest of the Soft Whole Grain Sandwich Dough I made a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza and Angelo's Coney Island Hot Dogs served on a homemade Bun. If you'd like to read more about these recipes, just click on the below titles to visit the post.



Chicago Deep Dish Pizza





Angelo's Coney Island Hot Dog





If you are participating in the HBinFive Bread Braid, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general address.

Please leave a comment. Every once a while Mr. Linky flies the coop and we can then find your photos by clicking on the comment links.

Don't forget to copy and paste the HBinFive Badge in your Bread Braid post or somewhere on your FB Page. Or you can mention HBinFive but your blog post must be identified with HBinFive.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Big Black Dog, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your HBinFive post or pictures are actually published.

***If any HBinFive member is concerned about linking up to the Bread Braid Gadget please send an email to me at ms dot bigblackdog at gmail dot com with your name and the URL of your pictures and I will link you up as soon as I can.



Please feel free to click on any of the links below and visit some of our HBinFive Members and see their wonderful interpretations of this recipe!









All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Welcome to the 3rd HBinFive Bread Braid

Whew...glad the holidays are over and I can sort of relax a little bit. I do love celebrating and seeing friends but it can be so trying at times. The old saying There's just not enough hours in a day must have been coined sometime around December 1st because that is when I feel the holiday pressure to get things done and the countdown begins.

I did have a wonderful Christmas and received some very cool kitchen gifts which are my favorite kind of gifts to receive. Yes, I am spoiled...very spoiled. But I did receive one special bread pan that I've wanted for some time now, 9" Pain de Mie bread pan with lid and you can find it at Amazon.com too. The first pan I received was bent and I could not slide the lid and I had to send it back so last week was the first chance I've had to bake in my new pan. So far I love it!





But it is a bit different baking with the Pain de Mie. First of all you can't see the bread while it baking so I had no idea if the bread was done or not unless I removed the pan from the oven and slide open the lid. And I was not sure just how much dough to put into the pan to get a nice sized loaf. But these small problems will work themselves out and being the bread baked so nicely with the most amazing crust, I will most definitely be using the Pain de Mie again!





This week for HBinFive we had assigned to make the Master Whole Grain Bread recipe and make a loaf of bread, a shaped bread and Spicy Whole Grain Snack Crackers.


I almost did not finish the Epi because I had an accident with a knife and my thumb was out of commission but I managed to finish it with my left hand. I know the Epi is not perfect but it's done!





With the wonderful loaf of bread I did serve Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for dinner, making one of my all-time favorites, Grilled Cheese with Brie and a Fresh Slice of Apple. Brie and Fresh Apple is also very good on a hamburger...yummy!






The Spicy Whole Grain Snack Crackers I served with a big pot of Chili and then made some Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup. Just click on the title to visit the post and recipe.


Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup with Whole Grain Snack Crackers







If you are participating in the HBinFive Bread Braid, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general address.

Please leave a comment. Every once a while the Mr. Linky flies the coop and we can then find your photos by clicking on the comment links.

Don't forget to copy and paste the HBinFive Badge in your Bread Braid post or somewhere on your FB Page. Or you can mention HBinFive but your blog post must be identified with HBinFive.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Big Black Dog, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your HBinFive post or pictures are actually published.

***If any HBinFive member is concerned about linking up to the Bread Braid Gadget please send an email to me at ms dot bigblackdog at gmail dot com with your name and the URL of your pictures and I will link you up as soon as I can.



Please feel free to click on any of the links below and visit some of our HBinFive Members and see their wonderful interpretations of this recipe!









All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Welcome to the 2nd HBinFive Bread Braid

Whenever I bake my three Rottweilers like to keep me company in the kitchen but I can not maneuver in my kitchen with three fully grown Rottweilers under foot! So I've drawn invisible lines on the floor that are not to be crossed and the dogs know exactly where the lines are located. And my male Rottweiler, Archie, generally claims the most coveted spot safely outside the invisible line yet just close enough to spy any thing that falls on the floor! The dogs know that they can not begin a food search until I give the command "scavenge" and then all three bolt into the kitchen and the search is on!

In the below photo, Archie's wide-eyed, confused expression is because he knows he is well over the invisible line and he's wondering why I'm taking a photo and not correcting him. He's like frozen in place waiting for the correction-of-death which consists of a tug on his collar and then the final blow of "Bad Boy"! OH...the shame of it!





As I stood at my island rolling out dough, I had no idea what I was going to make and I glanced down at Archie and thought "This boy is definitely due for a pup pedicure". And then it hit me! Hmmmm.....Rottweiler Claws! And being I have wanted to make Zoe's Bear Claws for a while now, my decision was made. Of course I'd have to put my own spin on the pastry and I just happened to have absolutely everything I needed....YES!







Rottweiler Claws
Recipe developed by BigBlackDog

1/2 Recipe of Whole Grain Challah with Cranberries and Orange Zest (Makes about 12 Rottweiler Claws)

My alterations and additions to the Whole Grain Challah Recipe:
2 c. AP flour
1 c. White Whole Wheat Flour
1 c. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/4 c. soft butter
1 tsp Vanilla
Fresh Yeast

Filling:
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. golden raisins
Zest of 1 large Naval Orange
1/4 c. ground almonds

Topping:
Egg Wash (1 egg slightly whipped with a tsp of water) or Cream
Coarse Sugar
Whole Cashews

In a food processor add cranberries, brown sugar, raisins, orange zest and ground almonds and mince. Set aside.

Roll out dough to a little bit less then 1/4" thick. Cut into about 6-8" squares.

The filling will be sticky and easily formed into 5-6" logs. Place a log of filling at about the half mark.

Dampen the short end and down the sides of the square with egg wash and then flip it over the filling log and tap it down so that it adheres.



Trim the toe area to about 1" and then cut the 5 individual toes. I know dogs only have 4 toes and a dewclaw but only 4 toes looked silly...so I'm using my pastry maker's license.

Curve the Paw area into a crescent so that the toes separate and spread out.



I brushed with Egg Wash but it came out sort of blotchy where the sugar is and I'm not quite sure why this happened. I think if I had brushed with cream my Rottweiler Claws would have been prettier, if it's possible for Rottweiler Claws to be pretty!

Sprinkle with course sugar. Press 1 whole Cashew into each toe to make the claw.

Cover and let rise for about an hour.

Bake at 350 degrees until Claws are a nice golden brown.







Below are more of my creations I made with our Bonus December Recipe, Whole Grain Challah with Cranberries and Orange Zest. Just click on the title link to find the post and recipe.


Poppy Seed Roll




Whole Grain Challah with Cranberries and Orange Zest






If you are participating in the HBinFive Bread Braid, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general address.

Please leave a comment. Every once a while the Mr. Linky flies the coop and we can then find your photos by clicking on the comment links.

Don't forget to copy and paste the HBinFive Badge in your Bread Braid post or somewhere on your FB Page. Or you can mention HBinFive but your blog post must be identified with HBinFive.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Big Black Dog, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your HBinFive post or pictures are actually published.

***If any HBinFive member is concerned about linking up to the Bread Braid Gadget please send an email to me at ms dot bigblackdog at gmail dot com with your name and the URL of your pictures and I will link you up as soon as I can.



Please feel free to click on any of the links below and visit some of our HBinFive Members and see their wonderful interpretations of this recipe!









Don't forget that December 15th is the last day to enter my A Bag and a Book Giveaway.

Every comment left on this post is one entry into the Giveaway!

The Bamboo Bread Bag is impeccably designed by Ann Arnold. And the book, "The Adventurous Chef: Alexis Soyer" was authored and illustrated by Ann Arnold.

And Ann has a special offer for all HBinFive Members!







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Welcome to the 1st HBinFive Bread Braid

For our first recipe for HBinFive we made Pumpkin Pie Brioche and we had the option of doing whatever we wanted with the dough. So as usual I went a little overboard to say the least.

I mixed the recipe exactly as written except I did use fresh yeast. The directions said "Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours." So I sat the bucket of dough on my kitchen counter and went about my day. About an hour later I walked through my kitchen and I was very surprised! I swear it was only AN HOUR LATER and the dough has risen to almost the 6 qt level! This was one happy dough I had going there! The dough did fall a little bit after refrigeratation but not by much.







I made two large loaves of Pumpkin Pie Brioche topped with raw sugar and coarse white sugar which baked beautifully. From the Pumpkin Pie Brioche I made utterly delicious Pumpkin French Toast which we totally enjoyed. And I also made Pumpkin Bread Pudding with a Cinnamon Bourbon Sauce. Both of the variations are pictured below and for the recipes just click on the title link.







And I used the remainder of the dough to bake 12 muffins which I topped with Cream Cheese Streusel. For the muffins I just filled each cavity about half full and sprinkled some Streusel Topping on each one. After the muffins were baked and cooled, I piped on some Cream Cheese and again sprinkled with some of the Streusel.








Streusel Topping
Recipe adapted from "not a clue"

1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TBL butter

In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut the butter in with a pastry knife until you have a coarse mixture. Spoon the topping onto the muffins before baking. Save some to sprinkle after the muffins have cooled.


Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe adapted from Sprinkles

8 ounces cold cream cheese
1 stick butter, firm but not cold
1/2 tsp salt
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine butter, salt, and cream cheese in mixer and beat on medium speed 2-3 minutes. Add sugar until just incorporated. Don’t over mix. It should be thick but not fluffy. Add vanilla. If necessary, add milk to thin.



Pumpkin French Toast






Pumpkin Bread Pudding with a Cinnamon Bourbon Sauce







If you are participating in the HBinFive Bread Braid, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general address. And if you have time please leave a comment. Every once a while the Mr. Linky flies the coop and we can then find your photos by clicking on the comment links.

Don't forget to copy and paste the HBinFive Badge to your computer so you can add it to your side bar, HBinFive Bread Braid post or somewhere on your FB Page. That way visitors will know that you are a member of HBinFive.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Big Black Dog, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your HBinFive post or pictures are actually published.

***If any HBinFive member is concerned about linking up with the Mr. Linky Gadget please send an email to me at ms dot bigblackdog at gmail dot com with your name and the URL of your pictures and I will link you up as soon as I can.



Please feel free to click on any of the links below and visit some of our HBinFive Members and see their wonderful interpretations of this recipe!









And we have a winner in our last drawing for a free signed copy of "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day".

Drum Roll Please!!!!

And the WINNER IS...........Joanna of Go Ahead and Snicker! Congratulations Joanna!!






All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog