Category: Whole wheat

I’ve been searching for a whole grain loaf that is wholesome, tastes great and is relatively easy to make. Essentially, a loaf that behaves like white but is better for you. The Davinator has eaten a lot of experimental bread over the last couple of months but I’ve finally settled on this recipe. It has a manageable number of ingredients, a reasonable number of process steps and doesn’t result in carnage in the kitchen. It about 60% whole wheat, 40% white and that’s a good balance between health and taste.

You can eliminate the sunflower seeds and the rolled oats and still get a very good loaf. Use your sweetener of choice, ordinary brown sugar will do if you don’t have maple syrup or honey. Use a vegan friendly sweetener and you have a vegan loaf. Let’s bake.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 360 mls warm water (40-42C), just warmer than body temperature like a baby’s bath
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 30 grams of sweetener (molasses, maple syrup, agave, honey, brown sugar)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 10 grams flaxseed or linseed meal
• 300 grams whole wheat flour (the finest grind you can find, often call ‘whole wheat pastry flour’)
• 240 grams white flour (bread flour or all purpose flour) plus extra for binding the dough
• 15 grams sunflower seeds, raw or roasted
• 12 grams rolled oat

Instructions

1. Combine warm water, yeast, maple syrup. Whisk and leave for five minutes to give the yeast a start.
2. Put salt, flours, flaxseed in the bowl of your mixer. Add in the yeast mixture and combine to form a shaggy dough.
3. Put the dough hook on, beat for a minute. If you don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook, knead the dough in the bowl until well combined.
4. Take a look at the dough, if it’s pulling away from the sides, stop. If not, add more flour and give the dough a few turns until it is pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Transfer the dough to lightly greased bowl, turn it to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a shower cap. Let it rise at room temperature for two hours – it should be close to doubled in size. If you’ve got time and the inclination, throw it in the fridge for another hour or two. It develops the flavour but it is not necessary and I’ve forgotten this step more times than I’ve done it.
6. Prepare your loaf pan (I’m a fan of lining pans, not greasing them but choose your method).
7. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Make a hole in the dough – pour in the oats and sunflower seeds. Give the dough 20 turns on the work surface, it will give you a better quality crumb and distribute the add in through the dough. Make a loaf shape, place seam side down in your prepared pan. Cover with a shower cap or a tea towel. Let it rise at room temperature for an hour.
8. Preheat the oven to 220C (425F). Place a metal roasting pan on the bottom rack of the oven and have a cup of warm water ready.
9. When the dough and the oven are ready, slash the top two or three times (I cut mine with kitchen shears). Put the dough in the oven, throw the water in the heated pan (creates steam and gives you a good crust). Bake for about 30 minutes, should be 90C inside with a firm top crust. Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then tip out to finish cooling. Cool completely for best results before slicing.

We have found this the perfect every day whole grain loaf good for toast and sandwiches.

Thank you for reading the blog, baking the recipes and commenting. Happy baking.

I fail spectacularly at absolutes. ‘Janu-dry’ in our household has lasted – once – until 20 January. Now we practice ‘Janu-less’ and only have wine with our meals twice a week. Same with ‘veganuary’. I’m happy that I got the Davinator to embrace ‘meat free Monday’, essentially by not telling him it was happening. One of the kids ratted me out but now he rolls with it. So vegananuary is not going to work in our house. But I wanted to get more vegetables into our diet.

I’m a fan of positives and my January resolution is to have more fun with vegetables. There’s a long back story about my love hate relationship with vegetables. Netting it out – I grew up in farm country and we had a large kitchen garden. I was used to eating what had just come out of the garden or had been preserved (frozen, canned, stored) within hours of harvest. That was my experience of how vegetables should taste. That was not what I encountered in the wider world and I ate vegetables but didn’t enjoy them.

So, I’m trying to make vegetables interesting and exciting without breading and deep frying them (the Italian method) or shredding them into cake. Ironically, this recipe is an onion tart mimicking tarte tatin. It uses the same technique to make onions into an exquisite savory dish. Here’s a link to my tarte tatin recipe if you really want to make a dessert.

I must confess – I love this onion tart. Even the first attempt was excellent and I’m going to work on a couple of refinements. I started with a recipe from Delia Smith’s Winter Collection and there are many fabulous recipes there. Perfect for Lockdown 3.0

Equipment for this recipe: you need a round 9 inch pan that can go from the stove top to the oven and back again. I love my le Creuset pans. They are expensive and you might look for good quality clones ( enamel covered cast iron – still will be pricey) but I’ve got le Creuset pots and pans that are older than my children. You can do this with a sturdy cake or pie tin but it will be more difficult to handle. A pastry blender also comes in handy or you can use your food processor.

This a great recipe to brush up your onion cutting technique. You’ll find a lot of advice on how to cut onions without serious crying and honestly not many of them work that well. I use a combination of techniques: peel the onions but don’t cut them until you’re ready to use them, turn the extractor fan on high and cut nearby, throw the waste into a compost caddy with a lid after each cut and rinse your knife and cutting board from time to time. Also, I keep a candle burning nearby – but this is probably just superstition.

There’s an easy vegan flex for this one – use your hard fat of choice (should be firm at room temperature) to substitute the butter. Vegan cheese for the crust.

Time to make ourselves cry……

Recipe

Ingredients – tart

• 1 kg onions (red or white) of fairly uniform size, mine were on average smaller than a tennis ball
• 50 grams of butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Fresh thyme if you have some but dried also works fine
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (use the good stuff but sparingly)
• salt and pepper

For the pastry:

• 75 grams wholemeal flour
• 50 grams plain white flour
• 50 grams chilled butter (grated)
• 25 grams (grated)
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme

Instructions – onions

1. Prep your onions. Remove the outer skin. Trim any roots very close to the body of the onions. Put to one side. We will cut them just before we place them in the pan. Turn your oven on to about 180C (160C fan).
2. Place the pan over a medium heat melt the butter. Add the sugar to the melted butter.
3. When the sugar is blended and the mixture is bubbling, scatter six sprigs of thyme (if fresh) or a tablespoon of dried.
4. Begin cutting your onions in half and arrange them cut side down on the base of the pan. Think about doing a jigsaw puzzle as you place the onions. Once you have can put anymore halves in, start cutting wedges to fill in the gaps and the sides. The cut sides will be showing when you flip the tart so this is the moment to make it pretty.
5. Seasons the onions with salt and pepper and then sprinkle in the balsamic vinegar. Turn the heat down under the pan and let the onions cook very gently for about 10 minutes.
6. Put the lid on the pan or cover it with foil. Place it on the middle shelf in the oven and leave it cook for an hour.

Instructions – pastry & assembly

1. Combine the flours, butter, cheese in a bowl with a pastry blender or in your food processor. Pulse or blend until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add cold water, a tablespoon at a time until it forms a soft dough.
2. Gather the dough and place it between two sheets of cling film. Roll into a 10 inch round. Tuck the cling film around the dough and put it in fridge to chill. egradually add enough cold water – about 2-3 tablespoons – to make a soft dough.
3. Test the onions with a skewer at the end of the cooking time. They should be cooked through but still have texture and shape.
4. Move the pan to the stove top, turn up the oven to 200C.
5. Cook the pan on the stove top to reduce the onion butter juice. Try medium heat, keeping a close eye on the onions so that they don’t scorch. You’re aiming to reduce the juice to a syrup. This might take ten minutes.
6. Take your dough round out of the fridge. Take the pan off the heat and carefully fit the pastry over and around the onions. Tuck in the edges around the inside of the pan.
7. Put the tart back in the oven on top shelf and bake it for another 30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before flipping it. Loosen the dough around the edges if it’s stuck.
8. Find a flat plate or a cutting board. Get your oven mitts or other protection for your hands. Place the plate over the tart, take a deep breath, hold it firmly and flip it over. Be bold!
9. Some of the onions might stick to the pan or become disarranged when flipping. Just pick them up with tongs or a spoon and fit them back into your tart.
10. Voila – Red Onion Tarte Tatin!

I’m going to work on some flexes for this recipe – I fancy using concentrated beef stock instead of balsamic vinegar. Also, changing the spices. I’ve been enjoying this tarte cold as snacks and with some cheese on the side as a meal. There are no Davinator remarks because – he’s very sensitive to onions and so this one is just for me.

Thank you for reading the blog, cooking the recipes, enjoying food and sending me comments and requests. Please subscribe and tag me if you post photos on social media. @mamadolson on Twitter and Instagram. Search Mama Dolson’s Bakery & Hangout on Facebook.

Carrot cake takes misuse of vegetables to new heights. Carrots, a starchy questionable vegetable to start with, become the foundation of sweet rich lovely textured cake in this recipe from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking. If you’re interested in carrots as a vegetable, try and find heritage carrots – before the Dutch made them orange and sweet. But we’re going to make them unhealthy, so the ordinary supermarket carrots are fine.

Carrot cake is a favourite wherever you take it. If I’m transporting the cake, I over bake it slightly. It changes the texture to more chewy but it’s just as tasty. You can make a vegan version of this cake as well – substitutions are below.

My recipe calls for nuts, coconut and raisins – these can all be omitted, none are essential to the structure of the cake. If you make the classic cream cheese icing, I suggest using Philadelphia Cream Cheese. I’m not a fan of American processed food but Philly has some magic ingredients that keeps the icing from getting lumpy.

No specialist equipment is required for this recipe but a mini chopper or a food processor is highly recommended for the carrots. For the best texture, I suggest fine grating the carrots. Smaller pieces makes the cake cut better.

I bake this recipe as a sheet cake in two square cake pans: 15 cms (6 inches) by 15 cms (bake for 45 mins) It also makes 2 x 23 cm (9 inch) round layers (bake for 40 mins) or a 33 cm (13 inch) by 23 cm (9 inch) sheet or single layer cake (bake for 45 mins). I line pans with parchment paper or pre-cut parchment liners – I never grease pans.

Bake away.

Recipe

Cake

• 4 large eggs
• 295 grams (10.5 ounces) of vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 295 grams (10.5 ounces) caster (white) sugar
• 90 grams (3.25 ounces) brown sugar
• 225 grams (8 ounces) whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 250 grams (8.75 ounces) finely grated carrot
• 100 grams (3.75 ounces) pecans or walnuts, chopped
• 85 grams (3 ounces) shredded or flaked coconut
• 340 grams (12 ounces) raisins

Cream cheese icing

• 85 grams (3 ounces) unsalted butter, softened, at room temperature
• 225 grams (8 ounces) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 450 (1 lb) icing (confectioners) sugar, sifted
• 90 grams (3.25 ounces) chopped candied ginger (optional)
• 110 grams (4 ounces) chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans

Vegan option: use 260 grams of unsweetened applesauce instead of the eggs in the cake. Try this recipe for vegan vanilla icing.

Instructions

1. Prep your pan or pans. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Grate the carrots. Chop the nuts. Combine all in a bowl and put to one side (stir ins).
3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices in a separate bowl (dry ingredients).
4. Beat the eggs (or applesauce) in the mixing bowl of your stand mixer. Add the oil while the mixer is running. Add the vanilla and the sugars and beat until smooth.
5. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter until well combined. Don’t over beat.
6. Add the stir ins. Scoop batter into prepared pans.
7. Bake for the amount of time appropriate to the pan size. Use a toothpick to test, if it comes out clean the cake is done. Cool on a rack when done, then dust with confectioners sugar or use the cream cheese icing. Decorate the top with ginger or nuts.

I hope you enjoy the blog. Please ask questions and send comments. If you bake any of the recipes, please post a photo and tag @mamadolson on Instagram or Twitter.

This is an updated version of a previous post. Working through my store cupboard of less well used ingredients.

Everyone (well every American cook) is likely to have a can of pumpkin rattling around in the cupboard and god only knows how old it might be. If you don’t have canned or tinned then you can make this recipe with just about any squash except courgette (zucchini to los Americanos).

Oven bake the squash – split, remove seeds, brush surfaces with vegetable oil and roast until soft. Then scrape the inside out and weigh. One butternut squash should make about the right amount. Or peel, seed, cut into chunks and boil until soft. Drain and mash. You don’t need exactly the ‘right’ amount. If you’re within 20% plus or minus you should still be okay.

Don’t have the ‘right’ ingredients in your cupboard? Here are some flex suggestions and there’s a vegan version also.

Flour: any old plain wheat flour will do. Not self rising but white or whole wheat and any mixture of those. I also mixed in 10% by weight of potato flour.

Sugar: any brown sugar will do, even those dried up lumps you’ve found in the cupboard. You can reduce the sugar by 25% and still get a great result.

Spices: use what you have, spices add to the complexity of the flavour but not the basic taste or structure.

Nuts, raisins, chocolate: any or all can be omitted. Any dried fruit can be used, cut into raisin sized chunks. I didn’t use any chocolate in the version pictured here.

Vegan version:
– use 1/2 mashed ripe banana per egg,
– use vegetable shortening (trex or crisco) in same quantity
– reduce sugar by 20%

This is a straightforward ‘quick’ bread designed to use one can of pumpkin adapted from a King Arthur recipe. Depending on what pans you have:

• 3 x one pound loaves (small loaf pan, 400gms).
• 1 x two pound loaf (large loaf pan) and 1 x one pound loaf
• 2 x one pound loaves and 6 to 9 muffins.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 340 grams whole wheat flour (I used 60 grams of potato flour and 280 gram of mixed quality whole wheat flour)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 170 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 320 grams brown sugar (light or dark)
• 70 grams caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 can of pumpkin puree (Not pumpkin pie filling) or (400 grams of cooked pureed squash of your choice)
• 115 grams of chopped nuts (walnut or pecan)
• 170 grams of ‘mix in’ I used raisins but any dried fruit chopped to the right size will do. Substitute a portion for chocolate chips for a decadent effect.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170C (350f) if making smaller loaves or muffins. 180C if making larger loaves. Prep your loaf pans or muffin tins – I use paper liners for my loaf pans as well as muffin tins.
2. Chop the nuts and fruit. Combine with the chocolate chips if using. Put to one side.
3. Combine the butter and the sugars. This can be done by hand but easier in the mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl to ensure everything is combined. Then beat in the vanilla and the pumpkin or squash.
4. Whisk the dry ingredients together: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg.
5. Stir your fruit, nuts and chocolate chips into the dry ingredients. Coating them with flour seems to distribute them more evenly throughout the batter.
6. Add the dry ingredients in three batches to the butter/sugar mix. Don’t over beat, but make sure all the dry ingredients are moistened.
7. Put the batter in your prepared pans. I like to use a trigger ice cream scoop, this batter does not pour well.
8. A large loaf will need an hour in the oven. Small loaves about 45 minutes and a muffin tin 35 minutes. Check the temperature – should be above 90C. The bread or muffins should look ‘dry’ across the top.
9. Take the bread out of the oven and place the pan or pans on the rack to cool for 15 minutes. Then remove from the pans and allow to cool completely.

And then enjoy. We like to eat this for breakfast with cream cheese. Please let me know if you’re baking the recipes. Thanks for reading, following, sharing. Happy baking.