French Herb Bread

French Herb Bread

(from allrecipes.com)

4 T active dry yeast
¼ C butter
2 T white sugar
½ C minced onion
1 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced
3 1/2 C all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 C milk
1 T minced parsley
1 T distilled white vinegar
2 T butter

• Large bowl combine yeast, sugar, 1tsp salt, and 1 ½ cups flour
• In saucepan combine milk, water, ¼ cup of the butter until 110 degrees F (38C).  Add milk mixture and vinegar to flour and blend at low speed of mixer, until moistened.  Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.
• Stir in 1 ½ cups additional flour to form sticky dough.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead adding ½ to 1 cup more of flour until dough is smooth and pliable.  Place dough in large greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
• Punch down and roll into rectangular shape about 16×8 inches.
• In a saucepan heat the onion, garlic, ½ tsp salt, parsley and 2TBSP of butter until butter is melted.  Spread over the dough rectangle and starting from the 16” side, roll up like a jelly roll.
• Place bread, seam side down onto a greasedcookie sheet and let rise until doubled in size
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Bake until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.  Brush hot bread with melted butter and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Russian Black Bread

4 c. rye flour
3 c. white flour
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 c. whole bran cereal (All Bran or similar)
2 tbsp. caraway seeds
2 tsp instant coffee
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp fennel seed crushed (mortar & pestle is good)
2pkt active dry yeast or 2 tbsp bulk active dry yeast
2 1/2 c water
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/4 c molasses, the darker the better
1 sqr unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 c margarine

GLAZE:
1tsp cornstarch
1/2 c water

Mix rye and white flours until evenly combined.
Combine 2 1/3 cup flour mix and remaining dry ingredients.
Heat liquid ingredients to very warm; melt chocolate and margarine in hot liquid.
Add to dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Using electric mixer, mix at high speed 2 minutes (or beat 120 strokes by hand).

Mix in enough of remaining flour mixture to form soft dough.
Flour work surface with flour mixture, turn dough out and let rest 15 minutes (cover with mixing bowl to protect from drying out) Knead until smooth (dough will be a bit sticky because of rye flour) and gluten is well developed. Place in greased or sprayed bowl, turn over so greased side is up, let rise.

Shape into 2 rounds (these will be about 6″ in diameter at this point).
Grease a cookie sheet; sprinkle two circles in diagonally opposite (kitty-cornered) corners with cornmeal.
Place loaves on cornmeal; leave 2′ at least from sides to allow for rising expansion. Let rise until about doubled in bulk.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 350F.
Bake approximately 50 minutes.
Toward end of baking time, boil the cornstarch and water together for about 1 minute (mixture will thicken and turn clear)
When bread is done (tap on bottom produces hollow sound) brush loaves with the glaze and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes to set glaze. Cool on racks.

Cornbread

1 cup corn kernels
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup shredded old Cheddar
1/2 cup minced jalapenos

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
In another bowl, beat eggs, milk and oil.
Stir corn, cheese and pepper to egg mixture.
Blend into dry mixture.
Pour into greased 9 by 9 pan.
Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.