Whole wheat Rosemary Olive No Knead Bread

This loaf has got it going on. It boasts a crunchy crust with a soft and fluffy inside delicately perfumed by olives and rosemary. NOM NOM NOM!


You've probably heard about the famous "No Knead" recipe from Jim Lahey (see NY Times article). The recipe yields delicious homemade artisan bread with little effort. The magic of yeast and time (18+ hours to rise) is enough to convert any novice into a professional baker. My first attempt at homemade bread was pretty good - I followed a simple version of the no knead recipe from the Italian Dish blog. I had success and a delicious plain white loaf.

I was hooked, but if you know me, I am always trying to incorporate whole grains into my baking. Next, I tried a recipe for a 100% whole wheat loaf. This recipe involved a crazy flour called "vital wheat gluten" to boost the gluten chains (erm..?)This effort was a DISASTER.

I consulted a foodie friend, Odile of Fruippé. Her blog is a dazzling array of sweats and savory recipes that will leave you amazed and hungry. Odile, with her infinite baking wisdom, pointed me towards this recipe. I adapted her adaptation and I think you should adapt mine and keep the party going.

Olive rosemary artisan loaf

Adapted from Nourish Network’s Kneadless Olive Rosemary Bread

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached, organic bread flour
1.5 cups organic white whole wheat flour (King Arthur)
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup coarsely chopped Kalamata olives (Greek)
4 sprigs coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
16 warm ounces water
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

Preparation
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl (flours, salt, yeast) as well as the rosemary and olives. Pour in the water and mix until it all comes together. Make sure all the flour is incorporated, but try not to over handle the dough (remember, it's kneadless!)

Cover the bowl partially and let it sit for 20 minutes on the counter- I used a lid that has a small air hole. This allows your dough to give off gases. Odile plastic wrapped her bowl, and opened it after 30 minutes, then closed it.

Place your bowl of dough in the fridge and forget about it for at least 18 hours. I read that your dough can sit in the fridge for up to 14 days! In fact, the longer the yeast has to act, the tastier your bread will be.




18 hours later, you should have a bubbly bowl of sticky dough ready to be baked. Dump your dough onto a floured cutting board and fold it over itself twice so you create surface tension on the top and a seam on the bottom. Watch this video from the Italian dish for pointers.

Once shaped, place your bowl upside down over the dough and let it sit for 15 minutes.

After 15 mins, dust a small kitchen towel with flour (necessary) and polenta (optional). Place the dough on the towel and fold the towel over it to cover. Place this package of joy into a plastic grocery bag and tie it up. Let it sit for an hour (the final rise!!)

About 15 minutes before you plan to bake, preheat your oven to 500 degrees and put your dutch oven w/lid on into the oven. The dutch oven creates a humid environment for the bread and also gives it an even crunchy crust.

Plop your bread into the hot dutch oven, and be sure to cut a few slits in the surface. This will not only make your bread pretty, but also helps when the bread rises. Pop the lid on and bake for 30 minutes at 425. After 30 minutes, take the lid off and bake for another 30 minutes.

Tadaaaa - fresh bread! Cool your bread on a wire rack and try to wait for a few minutes before tearing into it. I've already devoured 1/4 of my huge loaf... carb overload and I love it.

White whole wheat pappardelle

The Italian grandmother in me loves making homemade pasta. I've done it a couple times now, and it's always exciting. This time I opted for a whole-wheat version. I'm obsessed with white whole wheat -which comes from a different variety of wheat than normal whole wheat flour. It's still a whole-grain, but has a softer texture that I've found works well as a substitute for AP flour.

Ingredients



2 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (King Arthur's)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
A tiny bit of water, as needed


Mound the flour on a clean work surface and make a large deep well into the center. Crack the eggs into the well and add the salt.

Stir the eggs and salt together and then gradually incorporate the flour from the sides of the well. Work the ingredients together until it forms a rough and sticky ball. If dough is too sticky, add a small amount of flour. If dough is too dry, add a few drops of cold water.You can also mix everything in your kitchen aid w/the dough hook attachment.

Scrape the dough that sticks to the countertop or cutting board and press the dough into a rough ball and knead as you would bread. Knead for 5 minutes. Dough should be very smooth and elastic.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Unwrap the ball of dough and cut into 1/8 pieces (golf-ball size), keeping the remainder wrapped in plastic wrap.

Following your pasta machine manufacturer's instructions, feed the flattened piece of dough into the machine. Fold the dough into thirds, then feed again into the machine. Repeat folding and rolling two additional times.

Increase the roller setting one notch. Sprinkle the pasta lightly with flour and feed through the rollers again, unfolded.

Turn the roller setting another notch and repeat the rolling, then continue without folding the dough until you get to size 6 or 7. I made mine a little thick, so next time I want to get it thinner.

Cut the pasta using a pizza cutter into fat strips.

To freeze pasta, place loosely in a large ziploc bag and place flat on a freezer shelf. Thaw frozen pasta for about 15 minutes before cooking in boiling water. Do not store at room temperature - your pasta will attract mold.

Serve w/your favorite tomato sauce or rabbit ragu.

Wintry Rabbit Ragu w/homemade wheat pappardelle

According to the Chinese calendar, we are currently in the year of the Rabbit. My off-beat sense of humour decided that my rabbit ragu is a really tribute to the upcoming year. If the year is as delicious as my creation, then oh what a sweet time we'll all have. However, something as wonderful as rabbit stew does not come cheap. First, rabbits are expensive ($30/rabbit!). Second, not all high-end grocers have rabbit (I got mine at central market). Third, you probably have to thaw your little 4-legged friend, which takes longer than expected.

So, a word of caution: allow ample time to procure/thaw/debone your rabbit. Otherwise, you'll end up like naive me: eating dinner at 10:45pm... Oops!

Rabbit Ragu

Adapted from a New York Times recipe found on http://mixbakestir.com

Ingredients:

1 rabbit (~3 lbs), cut into 8 pieces, bone in
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
Pinch of red-pepper flakes (mine was generous!)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup seeded, chopped San Marzano tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
12 ounces pappardelle
Pecorino Romano cheese, for grating


Preparation

Step 1: Thaw your rabbit ahead of time!! If you don't have the time, however, you can give the rabbit a "bath" of lukewarm water to thaw. Change the water every 10-15 minutes. It will probably still take an hour, but you can start chopping and prepping everything else.

Step 2: Watch a video on how to butcher a whole rabbit. I was lucky enough to have practiced during a cooking class last May, however, it was still VERY tricky. You will need a boning knife and I found kitchen shears very helpful. Alternatively, have your butcher do this step for you!

Now you are ready to.....


Pat the rabbit pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the oil and brown the pieces, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery, stirring until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add the red-pepper flakes, garlic and tomato paste, stirring for another minute. Deglaze the pan with the wine, turn the heat to high and boil to burn off the alcohol, about 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, broth, bay leaves and thyme. Return the rabbit pieces to the pot, spacing them evenly so they are partly covered by the liquid. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rabbit is falling off the bone, about 2 hours.Turn the pieces at least once. Time enhances the flavor and gives the rabbit it's texture, so don't be in a hurry.

Turn off the heat and discard the thyme and bay leaves. Remove the rabbit from the sauce and let cool; then pull the meat from the bones (Don't eat too much of it!). Shred some pieces and leave others large. Return the meat to the pan and simmer the sauce until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the butter, piece by piece. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pappardelle until al dente. Before draining, save a cup of the pasta water. Toss the pappardelle with the sauce over low heat, adding pasta water as necessary if the sauce is too thick. Divide among pasta bowls and top with the grated cheese.

This makes about 6 servings - Boyfriend and I had rabbit ragu for at least 2 more full meals!

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

As a child I would never really understand when my mom would say "I was an italian in my past life." Now that I have fallen in love with dough making, I believe I too was an Italian (please note, not a guidette). I image myself as a heavy-set matriarch with leathery, worn hand. I pick tomatoes off the vine and young kids from the neighborhood call me "Nonna." I make fresh bread and pastas everyday.

So, while I may not resemble "Nonna" in my current life, I am channeling my pseudo-Italian heritage into various dough experiments. My most recent dough undertaking was a whole wheat pizza crust. It's approximately a 1:1 ratio of whole grain flour to white flour, so I guess it's not as legit as other completely whole grain crusts... but, it's delicious and light. I'm very proud of my first pizza crust! I "knead" more practice, but I encourage you give this recipe a try.

Whole Wheat PIzza Crust

Adapted from localkitchen recipe

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 and 1/4 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

In a 2-cup measuring cup, add yeast and sugar and 1 cup warm water. Stir and leave for 10 minutes to get foamy. After 10 minutes, add Tablespoon of olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour and the salt.

Sprinkle a little extra flour on your clean kitchen top, then pour the flour on to the counter. Make a well in the middle of the flour, and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix together in a circular motion until the dough forms. It will be a quite sticky.

When the dough comes together, fold it into thirds, like you would a business letter. Fold down the top and fold up the bottom, then the two sides until each side has been folded onto itself and the dough is roughly in the shape of a square. Cover this with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit for 20 minutes. This will help make the dough less sticky and it will be easier to knead. While the dough is resting, ready a bowl oiled with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.

After 20 minutes, knead the dough until you can form a ball (5-10 minutes) Push the dough away from you, not directly down into the counter. Make sure you have enough flour on your hands and work surface to prevent sticking! When ready, place this ball into the oiled bowl and cover the ball with oil.

Now, turn on oven to 250 degrees and let it warm up for 1 minute. Turn the oven off and put the bowl of dough into the oven. It needs to rise in a warm place for approximately 45 minutes. It should be about 1.5 times its original size when ready.

After 45 minutes, punch down your puffy dough in the bowl (fun!) and fold it a couple of time to remove the air pockets. Form into another ball. Cover with the towel again and let it rise again for 25 minutes. This will help the texture!

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Put a baking sheet into the oven so it can warm up. You can also bake on 500, but be careful not to burn it! It will definitely come out crispier at a higher heat.

Once the dough rises a second time, it's ready to be used. Cut the ball into half with a dough scraper. Set one ball aside. Roll out dough with rolling pin and then stretch by hand to your desire thickness. This dough works well for both thick and thin crusts.

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and SPRAY WITH COOKING SPRAY. (I forgot this step on the first pizza and we ate parchment paper pizza crust.... oops!). Also, trim away excess paper, because it will burn and make a mess. Believe me, I know.

Bake the dough separately for 3 minutes, then add sauce and toppings and bake for another 4-6 minutes.



If you don't want to use all your dough now, you can half-bake it, and then freeze. Bake the dough in the oven for 2-3 minutes in a 500 degree oven. Take it out and let it cool, then freeze. When you want to use it, just add toppings and pop straight into the oven.

This recipe makes enough dough for 2, 10-inch pizzas.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

I am a sucker for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, so it's only appropriate that I learn to make a "healthy" version of my favorite treats. I use the term somewhat loosely, since I do not skimp on the amount of chocolate chips in the dough. However, the recipe does eliminate processed sugar and uses whole grain flour. Close enough... right? Because of the honey, these cookies are not overly sweet and, depending on how long you leave them in the oven, the consistency can range from soft and chewy to a little crunchy.

Before you put on your apron, beware- they never last longer than 2 days in my apartment. A friend of mine can devour a entire batch in a matter of hours. Don't say I didn't warn you....

Dark Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from a Whole Grains Gourmet recipe

Dry ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour from the bulk foods section of Central Market)
1 1/2 cups of large flake rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg (optional)

Wet ingredients

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup olive ol
1/4 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1 Tablespoon Maple syrup or Molasses
1 egg (beat with 1 Tbsp Water)
1 tsp Vanilla

Optional ingredients

1/2 cup dark choc chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries, cherries, or favorite nuts

Preparation:

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.

In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together. Note: Spray the measuring cup with a little pam to prevent your honey from sticking to slides.

Mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff. Add the choc chips/dried fruit. If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit of flour. This dough will seem a bit wetter than normal cookie dough and will be pretty grainy because of the oats. It's okay though!

Cool the mix for about 20 minutes in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 335 degrees (honey burns more easily, so the temp needs to be lower).

Use a teaspoon to drop the dough on to a baking tray (spray with pam to prevent sticking!) Press down with a fork to ensure even cooking.

Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie. Makes approximately 20 cookies, depending on size.