Some Swirl In Your Bread

Do you remember THIS RECIPE?? I have experimented countless times to find the recipe that works for our family. It may or may not work for your family as well. It's all a matter of preference! But, I continue to experiment so we can have fun with the same stuff.

About 6 months ago I tried making those sandwich rounds you find in the grocery store for $4 per half-dozen or so. After reading a bit about the subject, I discovered people making them with the recipe they enjoy. So, I did! So easy!!

Make your favorite bread dough recipe. When it tells you to shape into loaves, instead shape into 1 1/2" balls, press/roll flat to about 1/4" thick, 3-4" circle. (I like to use my tortilla press.) Place a dozen on a cookie sheet and cover. Preheat oven to recipe temperature. Don't let the rounds rise, just plump ever-so-slightly. Before placing in the oven, "dock" the rounds by taking a fork or the end of a chopstick, and gently prick it to prevent bubbles. Bake for approximately 10 minutes... until baked, but not golden. This is because you want them crust to be tender and soft, not, well, crusty. Remove and cool. Enjoy!!! A little difficult to slice, but you get the hang of it. Definitely worth the calorie cut, taste, and you can use them for mini pizzas in a jiff!!!

Onto the SWIRLS!!! Same idea, except roll out the dough equivalent of a loaf until it is a rectangle, about 1/4-1/2" thick. Brush some water on the bread to just moisten it. Sprinkle with mixture of cinnamon and sugar. (In this recipe I used some strawberry flavored apple pieces from my food storage that I ground in the blender with the cinnamon and sugar.) Roll like cinnamon rolls. Cut to approximately 1-1 1/2". Press to rounds, just like the normal ones. Bake as other rounds. The kids have gone as far as to call these mini cinnamon rolls! Love it!!!

Provident Living Activity... AKA Food Storage Activity

Don't forget the Provident Living Activity is coming up!!

TOPIC: Powerless Cooking

 Tuesday, August 23rd 

10:30am & 7pm

Be there!!

Rice Flour: On hold!!!

Okay, that was not as much fun as I thought. I don't know if it was the cookbooks or what. My first use of rice flour was great! Tasty!! Wonderful!!!! However, when I opened my gluten-free cookbook to do a bit more, it was horrible! Powdery!! Bleh!!! One recipe I made (among others I looked at) called for 1/4 cup cornstarch!! CORNSTARCH!!! I realized soon into it that I am not experienced at making gluten-free products, so I reluctantly made the recipe, as written... YUCK!!!

I have decided to put it on hold for now. I am preparing for our 3rd Annual Stake Preparedness Fair (August 27th) among other things. So, this will continue later. For those who were following anxiously, my advice is to experiment! Try supplementing rice flour in your already successful recipes. Go from there. But don't give up!!

Experiments With Rice Flour: Part 1

For the upcoming Stake Preparedness Fair, I have been challenging myself to some different baking. To be more specific, Gluten-Free Baking. I know that not all of my recipes will be purely gluten-free. And I will try to give reasons for that along the way... after all, we are all learning!

To start off, none of what I bake will be purely gluten-free. Why?? Because I use the same grinder for my wheat as I do for my rice. Why??? Because I do not have the same worry in my home as others do, such as those with strong allergies/sensitivities to gluten and/or those with Celiac's, etc. But, those who do have these concerns most likely know already that the flour they buy should state on the package, "Gluten-Free".

I have also recently learned that oats are naturally gluten-free. However, because some farmers grow oats in the same field, harvest them with the same harvesting tools, or process them in the same plant as wheat, there can be a gluten contamination (Wheat mixing in with the oats in some way or another). So, you still need to make sure your packaging states it clearly.

Moving on. I first ground rice in my grinder only a week ago. I had also ground my wheats and some corn, so I was ready to bake for a couple weeks (especially since I freeze my flour). My first attempt with rice flour I thought I would just substitute in a recipe I commonly make now, except using whole wheat flour. So, to make it more hearty, I used some oats. With that, I give you Blueberry Rice Flour Waffles:


Dry:
2 1/2 cups white rice flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS baking powder

Wet:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups soured/buttermilk
4 eggs

Berries:
1 1/2 cups frozen/fresh blueberries
1 TBS sugar

Mix blueberries with sugar in small microwavable bowl (you can also simmer on stove over med-low heat for about 10 minutes) and heat in microwave at 45 second increments, until sugar dissolves and you get a little blueberry juice with your blueberries... this brings out the blueberry flavor. Meanwhile, mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Beat eggs, combine with other wet ingredients. Add wet to dry, just til combined. Fold in blueberries.

Pour batter on preheated waffle iron, and spread. This is key. This batter cooks the instant you add it to the iron. I found spreading made it not so dense and filled up the iron. You can just leave it, but then it won't spread. It will just be a yummy dense waffle, instead of a full-size, lighter waffle.

Our favorite way to enjoy waffles?? Place one waffle on plate. Spread your preferred yogurt over waffle. Place another waffle on top. Drizzle LIGHTLY with preferred syrup. The yogurt compliments the soured milk SO WELL!!!

Some good information I found...

I have signed up on my Facebook page for local news reports. This one came up tonight and I thought it would be great to share with y'all! Just click here... How to program your weather radio.