7. BREADS & Such

Pat F. offers this online recipe in the area of breads. But some of us know it belongs in "main dish" as well!

Buttermilk Biscuits

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/buttermilk-biscuit-dough.aspx

Anna's Irish Soda Bread

3 1/4 C all purpose flour                                                      Preheat oven for 325º F.

1/3 C sugar                                                                         Grease iron kettle or heavy cast

1 Tsp salt                                                                            iron pan.

1 Tsp baking powder

1 Tsp baking soda

4 Tsp caraway seeds

1 Egg lightly beaten

1 1/2 C buttermilk including beaten egg

1 C raisins

4 Tsp butter melted

Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, caraway seeds in a bowl.

Pour buttermilk mixture on dry ingredients and mix.

Add raisins, stir in the butter.

Turn out dough onto a flat, floured surface.

Knead by hand until dough is like putty but not slippery. If necessary add a little more flour.

Put into the greased iron kettle or heavy cast iron pan.

With a knife make a cross on top and bake for 60 to 65 min.

Cool on rack.

Wrap in aluminum foil for best flavor. Not necessary to refrigerate.

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Recipe from Margaret McElligot, County Kerry, Ireland. 
Ms. McElligot arrived from Ireland at the age of 18 and settled in the Bronx (NY).

She married Mr. Mulcahy, who died of alcoholism and was buried in Potters Field, an island near City Island. Mrs. Mulcahy kept a boarding house where she prepared breakfast and dinner for her boarders. She brought up her two children. Widow McElligot later married a Mr. Dillon, one of her Irish boarders.

Ingredients (Recipe and bread picture from Pat T)
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 2/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
3 cups durum flour
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Sesame seeds for top crust, approximately 1 to 2 teaspoons
Cornmeal for the pizza peel
Cornstarch wash 

Process:

1. Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast and salt with the lukewarm water in a five quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
2. Mix in the flours without kneading, using a spoon , a 14 cup food processor(wirh dough attachment) , or a heavy duty stand mixer (with dough hook).If you'te not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises
and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is esier to handle when it is cold.Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use within the next 14 days.
5. On baking day, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a one pound (grapefruit sized )piece.Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides to form an oval shaped free-form loaf.Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal -covered pizza peel for 40 minutes.
6. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.
7. Just before baking, paint the surface with a cornstarch wash, sprinkle with fennel seeds (look at the botton of this post for other suggestions) and slash the surface diagonally, using a serrated bread knife.
8. Slice the loaf directly onto the hot stone. Pour one cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the over door. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until deeply browned and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will need adjustments in baking times.
9. Allow to cool before eating.

Many ethnic specialties feature yeast breads quick breads using a variety of spices and herbs.

Add the following ingredients per pound (3 to 4
cups flour) of yeast dough.1 tsp. sage, 2 tsp. caraway seed, and 1-1/2 tsp.
nutmeg;1 1/2 tbsp. sesame seeds 1-1/2 Tbsp. dill seed or 1-1/2 Tbsp. caraway seed and l/8-cup instant minced onion; or l/2-tsp. sage, l/2-tsp. thyme

Parsley Dog Biscuits

Parsley is one of the few things that are plentiful in gardens now---let it go to the dogs!
Above: a dog that deserves a biscuit---Buddy Libutti.

Fresh doggie breathe is a possibility!

Freshen Up! Dog Biscuits

2 cups whole wheat flour, or more as needed

1 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup shredded peeled apple

2 1/2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1 cup warm water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large

mixing bowl, combine the flour, carrots, apple,

honey and parsley, then add the warm water. Mix

thoroughly. If the dough is sticky, add more flour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and roll into

a circle 1/4 inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a boneshaped

cookie cutter and place on a nonstick

baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 9 to 12 minutes,

depending on the size, until the edges are brown.

Let cool on a rack, then pass out the biscuits -----as

deserved. (From Chester Garden Club.)