Mozzarella Herb Bread

May 31, 2024 Sarah

I came across this recipe and adapted it for my Zojirushi bread machine. The Zoji heats your ingredients, whereas most bread machines do not. I find this step is why it produces much better bread, especially using 3 forms of dairy, as in this recipe.

The original recipe was created for 3 sizes of breach machines: 1-pound, 1½-pound, and 2-pounds, which led to some very odd measurements for the 2-pound loaf (how many people have a measuring spoon for a 1/3 of a teaspoon after all).

Mozzarella Herb Bread

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups whole milk
4 tsp unsalted butter ( 1 1/3 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp + ¾tsp granulated sugar
1¼ tsp fine sea salt
2¾ tsp dried basil
1¼ tsp dried oregano
500 grams of all-purpose flour
6-0ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2½ tsp bread machine/quick-rise yeast

Directions:

Following the directions for a Zojirushi bread machine –

Add the milk, butter, sugar, salt, basil, and oregano to the pan. Add the flour on top, then the cheese. Add the yeast on top, in a small well.

Set for a basic loaf, medium crust.

Check the machine during the first kneading cycle; sprinkle in more flour if it looks too sticky.

Once the bread is baked, remove it from the pan and let it cool for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack.

Once cooled, store in a bread bag.

For the best taste, eat within 24 hours.

Makes a 2-pound loaf.

Notes:

If you are using a bread machine that doesn’t heat the ingredients, the butter should be melted and slightly cooled, and the milk warmed to at least 90°. I would suggest weighing the cheese and letting it come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Don not use a delayed cycle, as this bread contains milk.

~Sarah

Recipes

Another Day, Another Loaf of Bread

May 21, 2024 Sarah

As I opened up a pantry door yesterday, I realized I was opening the last 1-pound bag of yeast I had bought before the pandemic years. It sunk in just how much bread I bake. In 2020, as the news was ramping up about issues in China, I panic-bought a lot of yeast on a prepper run to the restaurant supply store on the mainland. Which, wasn’t a a bad thing. Within weeks you couldn’t find yeast anywhere to buy. But I had it hidden away, and I got to work (for the record, I did share yeast with others, just quietly).

In theory, a one-pound bag should contain 44 Tablespoons, or 132 teaspoons, of yeast, so on average, I use 2 teaspoons worth per loaf I make, which is 66 loaves. Sounds like a lot at first. Then, realize that you bake bread 5-6 times a week. And suddenly, that isn’t so much yeast. That is just over 2 months’ worth of bread-making. A one-pound bag of active dry yeast on Amazon is in the $9’ish range. I usually pick it up at a restaurant supply store for around $8.49, where I can also buy flour in 25 to 50-pound bags to really save money.

I have often thought that one of the best things I can do is bake bread for our family. A loaf of bread at a grocery store costs $3 to $10. I won’t buy the $3 loaves. They are stale and made of low-grade ingredients. But to buy $6 a loaf of bread every two days? It’s not worth the money; the bread rarely tastes fresh. It’s already days old when you buy it, and bread shouldn’t stay “fresh” for another week. That isn’t normal. It’s food science.

Cost Break Down:

As I mentioned, a one-pound bag of yeast costs $8.49, and each loaf using 2 teaspoons costs 13 cents to make. 13 cents!

I buy all-purpose flour in 25-pound bags for $15.99, or 63 cents a pound. On average, my daily bread machine recipe uses around 18.5 ounces of flour, so I can produce 21-22 loaves per 25-pound bag. I spend about $1.20 on flour per loaf.

Less than $1.35 per loaf. For me, that is worth it. Of course, any other ingredients raise the price, but sea salt is minimal. Water is essentially free for us. Only if I add oil or butter does it go up in price. But again, not by much as we try to always buy in bulk.

It saves me money. It is always fresh. It has no preservatives.

As I opened that final bag, I knew it had been money well spent. Yeast stays good as long as it is sealed and stored in good condition. Once opened, I keep the jar in the refrigerator. For the long term, I seal and freeze, using a mason jar to keep it airtight.

Today, the loaves are different. It was a rainy day, so why not do work with my hands? Last night I did the prep for them loaves before bed.

I tried out a new recipe I had seen. While it was great bread and easy to make, I wouldn’t call it “artisan bread” as it was labeled. Instead, call it no-knead or overnight bread. The loaves are soft and tasty. Just a few minutes of work, and the rest is hands-off time.

No-Knead Bread

Ingredients:

510 grams of all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1½ tsp fine sea salt
2¼ tsp dry active yeast (1 packet)
1¼ cups water (120°)
1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Add most of the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast into a mixing bowl.

Stir in the water and oil and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Add the remaining flour, stirring well, until the flour is beaten in and the dough pulls away from the bowl’s side. The dough should be shaggy-looking but not overly sticky. If needed, work a little more flour in.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight (but no longer than 24 hours).

Lightly oil a large baking sheet. Place on a heating pad set to medium or high (depending on how cold your home is).

Flour your hands, and divide the dough in half.

Gently stretch the dough in your hands, making a ball by wrapping it to the bottom. Gently pinch the bottom to seal.

Place each ball on the baking sheet about 5″ apart.

Lightly oil a piece of plastic wrap and cover loosely.

Let rise for 1½ hours.

Near the end, preheat the oven to 375°.

Boil a kettle full of water. Place an 8″x 8″ glass baking pan on the lower rack of the oven and fill it ¾ of the way with hot water.

Take off the plastic wrap, use a serrated knife, and gently slash a tic-tac-toe design on the top of each loaf.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Remove and transfer to a cooling rack immediately.

Makes 2 loaves.

~Sarah

Recipes

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

May 20, 2024 Sarah

Do you want soft dinner rolls with only a few minutes of hands-on time? This dinner roll recipe will quickly make them, and the only real work is shaping the dough into balls.

The recipe is designed to work in a Zojirushi bread machine; if using a different brand, follow its directions. The Zojirushi prewarms the ingredients; for other machines, you will want the water to be 110-120°.

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup water
2 Tbsp softened unsalted butter, sliced up
1 egg, room temperaturee
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt
400 grams all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp bread machine/rapid-rise/quick-rise yeast

Directions:

Add ingredients in the order listed to the bread machine pan.

Set for dough cycle (our machine takes 1 hr 50 minutes). As it starts to knead, check on it to see how the dough looks; it should be smooth and elastic. If it looks too wet, add in a bit more flour.

Lightly flour a work surface. Remove dough from the pan and let rest, covered with plastic wrap, for 10 minutes.

Lightly oil a large-rimmed baking sheet.

Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 14 sections. Gently shape each piece into a ball and set it on the baking pan.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 40 minutes. In cooler houses, using a prewarmed heating pad set on medium will ensure a good rise.

Preheat oven to 375° in the last 10 minutes of rise.

Place rolls in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden on top.

Let cool on a rack.

Makes about 14 rolls.

Note:

While I didn’t do it, you can brush the tops with melted butter immediately after taking them out of the oven for a softer roll. One Tablespoon is plenty.

~Sarah

Recipes

Bread Machine Tomato Basil Bread

March 21, 2024November 11, 2024 Sarah

A savory big loaf of bread is perfect for pairing with warming soups. We paired the tomato basil bread with beef tips and mushrooms cooked in an InstaPot. It was great on a cool Spring evening.

The boys said the flavor of this bread reminded them of spaghetti sauce. I think it’d also be great with Parmesan cheese mixed in at first kneading.

Bread Machine Tomato Basil Bread

Ingredients:

1½ cups tomato juice*
2 Tbsp olive oil
510 grams of all-purpose or bread flour
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp dry milk
1½ tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp dry active yeast

Directions:

Add ingredients in the order listed in the bread machine. Set for a Basic/White 2-pound loaf.

We use a Zojirushi bread machine, which heats the ingredients. If using other brands of bread machines, follow the temperature recommendations for the liquid.

Once baked, remove promptly and knock out; let cool on a rack.

Store in a bread bag once cooled.

Makes one 2-pound loaf bread.

Notes:

*Finding tomato juice outside of the section in stores for making Bloody Mary drinks is not easy these days. You could also use V-8 or similar flavored tomato juice. Instead, I used what I had on hand: 6-ounce cans of tomato paste. In a 4-cup measuring cup, stir together one can of tomato paste and four cans of water. Measure out the juice as needed. It’s considerably cheaper than buying canned tomato juice! Use any leftovers in a soup or rice recipe for no waste.

You can also use flavored tomato paste, with herbs added, for more flavor.

~Sarah

Recipes

Bread Machine Cornmeal Cranberry Bread

March 15, 2024March 15, 2024 Sarah

Cranberries produce an interesting loaf of bread. Unlike raisins, the cranberries are tart enough to keep the loaf from being a sweet dessert bread.

If you want dark brown bread, use molasses; use honey for a light-colored loaf. We used molasses because of its deep flavor.

Bread Machine Cornmeal Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup + 1 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp molasses or honey
2 Tbsp butter, diced up
390 grams of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1½ tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp bread machine or quick-rise yeast
½ cup dried cranberries

Directions:

We use a Zojirushi bread machine, which heats the ingredients. If using a different bread machine, follow the machine’s directions for water temperature.

Ass ingredients in the order listed to the machine, but do not add the cranberries yet. Set for a 1½ pound loaf, White Basic with a Medium crust.

As the dough starts to knead and all the flour is mixed in, add in the cranberries.

Once baked, remove it and let it cool on a wire rack. Store once cooled in a bread bag.

Makes one 1½ pound loaf.

~Sarah