Homemade Sourdough Bagels
Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes
Wendy Irene
Having the opportunity to spend some time at home baking brings me immense joy. In a world full of convenience there's something really special about homemade. I hope the videos relax you, and inspire you to make time for the things that light up your heart. Homemade Sourdough BagelsAfter my dough was thoroughly mixed and kneaded, it took about 20 hours of rising time. Followed by another 5 hours of rising in the bagel shape under a damp towel before I boiled and baked the sourdough bagels. I boiled the bagels in water with baking soda and brown sugar for approximately 30 seconds per side, then baked them at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. Homemade Chocolate CupcakesWith love,
Wendy Irene
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Hi there! This week I used the sourdough starter I made at the beginning of March to try making sourdough hamburger buns. I am really happy with how they came out. I'll share the ingredients I used, and the recipe link I followed for inspiration. Sourdough Hamburger BunsIngredients: 1/2 cup active sourdough starter 3/4 cup warm water 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup earth balance (vegan butter substitute), melted 3 Tablespoons honey (use local to help with allergy season) 1 teaspoon of salt 1 egg Egg Wash: 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon of water As you can see from my ingredient list I didn't make these buns vegan because I used local honey and organic eggs, but you could easily replace the honey with sugar and omit the egg, making the dough a little less rich but I think it should still work. For recipe inspiration - Farmhouse on Boone: Sourdough Hamburger Buns https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/sourdough-buns Last week, I attempted making sourdough bagels. They came out a little flat. I didn't let the dough rise nearly as long as I probably needed to for making a sourdough bagel without added yeast. Sourdough Tips:
Sourdough LoafIngredients: 1/2 cup active sourdough starter 1 1/3 cups water 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons salt Wishing you a beautiful day!
"The sight and scent of a newly baked loaf has a romantic appeal that transcends all other culinary achievements." ~ Elizabeth Luard With love, Wendy Irene "If baking is any labor at all, it's a labor of love. A love that gets passed down from generation to generation." ~ Regina Brett Baking brings me so much joy! There is something so deeply rewarding about creating with your hands and heart. This year I really want to fit more baking back into my life. The past several years I've been so busy with work I haven't made enough time for the things that create a lot of happiness in my life. I recently decided I wanted to learn something new and try making my own sourdough. On March 3rd I began my first sourdough starter. Many days later I had my first loaf of sourdough bread. It took patience and daily care to go from a new starter to a loaf of bread, but it lit me up inside and I'm so excited about it I had to share! "God gives us the ingredients for our daily bread, but he expects us to do the baking!" ~ Chip Ingram Now I have 2 starters going. A spare just in case because I'm still a beginner at this sourdough thing. In case you're wanting to try something new and baking appeals to you, these are the two links that helped me the most in creating my first sourdough bread. How To Make Sourdough Starter - Good Housekeeping https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/cooking/a32416409/how-to-make-a-sourdough-starter/ Beginner’s Sourdough Recipe - Farmhouse on Boone https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/beginners-sourdough-bread-recipe There's so many sourdough recipes to try, and much more to learn! "The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight." ~ M. F. K. Fisher Warmest Wishes, Wendy Irene Ingredients: 2 ½ cups pecans, large pieces or halves ½ cup water 1 cup cane sugar ½ tsp. sea salt ½ tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. ginger 1 Tbsp. vegan butter substitute (I used Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread) 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract You Will Also Need: Candy thermometer Silpat Silicone Cookie Sheet Liner (optional) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with a silpat (optional). Spread pecans out evenly on the baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes (set your timer!). Turn the oven heat down to 250 degrees F and place pecan pieces aside on a plate or in a bowl. Allow baking sheet to cool down. Once cooled, wipe off the remaining crumbs so it is ready to use again. Reline the baking sheet with the silpat if using. Grease the baking sheet or silpat with 1 Tbsp. vegan butter substitute. In a large non-stick saucepan, or in a regular saucepan greased with vegan butter substitute, clip a candy thermometer to the side. Add water, cane sugar, sea salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Turn heat to medium high and stir frequently until sugar comes to a boil, use caution as it becomes very hot. Once the sugar is boiling stop stirring and cook over medium heat until the candy thermometer reads 235 degrees F. On my thermometer this is just about at soft ball stage. Using caution, remove the hot caramel from the heat, and quickly stir in vanilla, followed by the pecan pieces. Poor the candied pecans onto the greased baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees F for 30 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes and 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the silpat if you lined your baking sheet, or if not cool pecans on waxed paper. Store in an airtight jar or container. With love,
Wendy Irene Ingredients: Nut layer: 1 Tbsp. vegan butter substitute, room temperature ½ cup pecans Caramel layer: ¾ cup vegan butter substitute, I used Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread ¾ cup cane sugar 1 ½ cups almond milk ¾ light organic corn syrup (organic recommended to avoid GM corn) ¾ tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Chocolate layer: 1 - 10 oz. (283.5g) bag semi-sweet non-dairy chocolate chips You Will Also Need: Candy thermometer Directions: Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F. Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes. Add toasted pecans into a food processor, and pulse a few times until the pecans are coarsely ground. Alternatively, you can chop pecans or crush them in a zip top bag. Grease generously a 9x13 inch pan with 1 Tbsp. vegan butter substitute. Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the bottom of the greased pan. Set aside. Measure 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and set aside so it is ready to add to the caramel as soon as it comes to temperature. In a deep sided pot over medium heat add ¾ cup vegan butter substitute, sugar, almond milk, corn syrup, and salt. When the ingredients combine turn heat up and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Insert a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature of the caramel. Continue to boil and stir the caramel until the temperature reaches 285 degrees F, soft crack stage. Please use caution it is very hot. When the caramel has reached 285 degrees F, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Poor the caramel over the chopped pecans. It helps to spread the caramel by pouring it around the pan because it hardens quickly. You may want a second set of hands to hold the pot while you scrap the caramel out. Spread the caramel as evenly as you can with a metal spatula or butter knife. You’ll need to move quickly. Set aside and allow the caramel layer to harden. Meanwhile, in a food processor add the chocolate chips. Pulse the chocolate chips about 40 times until they resemble crumbs. Scrap down the sides, and run the food processor for one minute. Scrap down the sides and allow the chocolate to rest for 1 minute. The chocolate will become a solid mass. Using a clean, dry spatula break the mass apart. The process of running the food processor for 1 minute, scrapping down the sides and letting the chocolate rest for 1 minute is going to be repeated 4 or 5 times until the chocolate becomes a smooth, fluid consistency. This is a method for tempering chocolate that I learned from watching Alton Brown. Ideally you want the chocolate to reach the temperature of 88 - 91 degrees F but not rise above 94 degrees F. When the chocolate becomes a melted consistency use a candy thermometer to check the temperature. If it is not close to 90 degrees F you can run the food processor for 30 seconds or so longer, and check the temperature again. Tempering the chocolate gives the chocolate a pretty shine and makes it snap when it is hardened and you break it. If you don’t have a food processor you can alternatively melt the chocolate in a double broiler, or in the microwave stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the hardened caramel, and allow the chocolate to set and become firm. I did this by placing it in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Using a thin metal spatula or butter knife, pop the toffee out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Using a heavy sharp knife cut the chocolate caramel pecan toffee into large chunks. Start by cutting the toffee into large chunks because you can always break them smaller if desired. My personal favorite way to store the toffee is in an airtight container in the fridge. Toffee makes a wonderful homemade Christmas or hostess gift. With love,
Wendy Irene Serves: 4 Ingredients: 2 large sweet potatoes, the thicker around the better for shapes 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp. sea salt ¼ tsp. white pepper *Cayenne pepper (optional), a small sprinkling for spicy version Directions: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat, or parchment paper to prevent sticking. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into ½ inch thick rounds. Using a paring knife, or a small pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter, cut rounds into a pumpkin shape, making a stem, and trimming the bottom slightly. Each one will be different and unique, just like real pumpkins! In a large bowl, gently toss the pumpkin-shaped sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the sweet potatoes, spaced evenly apart on a baking sweet. *Spicy Version – Add a small sprinkling of cayenne pepper to the pumpkins for a boost in flavor! Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until a fork can be easily inserted into the sweet potatoes. With love,
Wendy Irene Ingredients: 4 lbs. apples, approximately 8 large apples ½ cup + ½ tsp. coconut sugar, divided 2 Tbsp. brown rice syrup 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (juice from ½ a lemon) 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. vegan butter 2 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tsp. apple pie spice ¼ tsp. sea salt 2 disks pie dough Directions: Peel, core, and thinly slice apples about ¼ inch thickness. In a large bowl toss the apple slices with lemon juice, brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla. In a very large skillet melt ¼ cup vegan butter. Sauté the apples over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Juices will be released as the apples soften and that’s OK. Add the flour, apple pie spice and sea salt and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Cool the filling completely in the fridge. The filling can be prepared the day before if desired! Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Put first disk of pie dough into the pie plate, and prick the bottom with a fork a few times. Add the apple filling, and dot with the remaining 2 Tbsp. vegan butter. Carefully roll out the top crust over the filling, and pinch along the sides to close the top and bottom crust together. Cut a few slits in the top crust. *Decorative Option – Roll out the top crust with flour. Using a cookie cutter cut out 3 shapes, such as hearts. Place the top crust over the filling mixture. Pinch along sides to close top and bottom. Gently place the shapes back over their holes slightly off center so there are still openings to allow the pie to vent. Brush a light amount of water over the top of the pie and sprinkle with ½ tsp. coconut sugar. Put the pie in the oven and turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Cook for 1 hour. With love,
Wendy Irene Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 4 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. ginger 1/8 tsp. nutmeg 1/16 tsp. cloves, ground 1/3 cup pumpkin puree 1 1/3 cups vanilla soy milk Directions: In a large bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Whisk to sift and combine. Add the pumpkin puree and soy milk to the bowl and whisk until combined. Poor about ¼ cup batter per pancake onto a hot, greased griddle. When the pancake is bubbly, slightly dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom; flip and brown the other side. With love, Wendy Irene Yields: 12 muffins Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour (Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour also works) ¾ cup cane sugar ½ brown sugar, packed ¾ teaspoon baking soda ¾ teaspoon salt ¾ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ginger 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/16 teaspoon cloves 3/4 cup coconut milk 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1 cup pumpkin puree ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Combine flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl, gently whisking to sift ingredients. In another large mixing bowl, add coconut milk and apple cider vinegar, stir and allow to rest for 2 minutes. Next, add the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree to the coconut milk mixture. Whisk together until well combined. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the bowl and gently stir just until combined. Distribute batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake for approximately 25 – 33 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. With love,
Wendy Irene Yields: 6 pumpkin cinnamon rolls Ingredients: Dough: 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 2 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. vegan butter spread, room temperature, plus more for greasing pan (I used Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread) ¼ cup Almond milk ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree Filling: 1 Tbsp. vegan butter spread, melted ¼ cup brown sugar 1 ½ Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice Frosting: ½ cup powdered sugar 1 Tbsp. vegan butter spread, room temperature Seeds from 1 vanilla bean 1 ½ tsp. almond milk, plus more if needed to reach desired consistency Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cake pan with parchment paper, grease paper and pan with vegan butter spread to prevent sticking. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, blend vegan butter spread, pumpkin puree, almond milk and vinegar until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, half at a time; gently mix until combined being careful not to over mix the dough. On a generously floured surface (flour the rolling pin too!) roll the dough into a rectangle ¼ inch thick. Cut the edges of the dough with a pastry cutter or knife into fairly straight lines. The approximate size of the rectangle should be 8 inches wide, by 14 inches long, and ¼ inch thickness. In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. In another small bowl, melt 1 Tbsp. of vegan butter spread, and brush evenly over the top of the dough. Sprinkle the sugar spice mixture over the dough, leaving a ½ inch border along all sides of the dough. Starting on a smaller side of the rectangle, the 8 inch side; gently roll the dough into a log. Cut into 6 equal size pieces. Place cinnamon rolls into the greased cake pan. Bake for approximately 16 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vanilla bean frosting. Mix together the powdered sugar and earth balance. Cut a vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Use a knife to scrap out the seeds of each half, placing the seeds into the mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp. of almond milk and mix until seeds are evenly distributed throughout the frosting. Add ½ tsp. at a time of almond milk until you reach the desired consistency. I like the frosting on the thick side so I only did that one time. When the pumpkin cinnamon rolls are done baking, spread the frosting evenly over the tops of each roll, and serve. *Tip: Reheating cinnamon rolls for leftovers takes about 10 seconds in the microwave. With love,
Wendy Irene |
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