Sprouted Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I first discovered a new packaged sprouted whole wheat flour a few weeks back at Whole Foods. I had the intention of buying it that afternoon, but then noticed it would be on sale (along with all other baking items) the following day...needless to say, I went back to save 15%! It was surprisingly affordable even when not on sale, only about a dollar more for 5 pounds as compared to the other whole wheat flours available.

I've been using this flour a lot in the past few weeks, but mostly to make this pizza crust. The result is a dough slightly heavier than using all-purpose / white flour, but noticeably less dense than 100% whole wheat. I think it's a great balance between the two. I had previously tried soaking wheatberries, then drying, and grinding into a flour in the Vitamix, but the result was a bit lackluster (and a lot of work!), not forming a fine enough flour. No such issue with this.

Sprouted Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 tsp yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/3 C warm water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 - 4 C sprouted wheat flour

Method

1. Combine yeast, sugar, and water in a stand mixer bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.
2. Add the olive oil, salt, and sprouted wheat flour, mixing into the liquid with a spoon to combine.
3. Using the hook attachment of your mixer, knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add flour as necessary if the dough is too sticky.
4. Spray the dough and bowl lightly with oil, then turn the dough in the bowl, cover with a towel, and put in a warm place to rise for an hour.
5. Punch the dough down and cut into two halves. Roll your dough out thinly to form your pizza crust and store the other half for another day (fridge for up to two days or tightly wrapped and frozen). Use as you would any other pizza crust, including thickness, oven temperature, and time.

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Korean Brown Sugar Pancakes

I discovered this browsing the internet on my phone and have had the page saved for a month now! I'd been craving something doughy and sweet for several days when I suddenly remembered this hidden gem saved. Simple, sweet, and tasty, I think I'll be making these again.

I tweaked the recipe a bit, using maple cinnamon nuts, vanilla sugar, and vanilla bean seeds in the filling. The subtle cinnamon flavor reminded me of cinnamon rolls!

Korean Brown Sugar Pancakes

Adapted from Notions and Notations of a Novice Cook

Ingredients

• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C warm water
• 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
• 1 tsp dry active yeast
• 2 tsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp chopped maple cinnamon nuts, or toasted nuts
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• Coconut oil, for frying

Method

1. In a bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, yeast, oil, and salt. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast begins to foam up. If this does not happen, dump out and begin again.
2. Stir in the flour to make a wet dough. Cover and let sit in a warm spot to rise for about an hour, until doubled in size. Punch the dough down, cover again, and allow to rest for about a half hour.
3. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, nuts, and vanilla bean seeds. Set aside.
4. Pour dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly, adding flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Cut into four evenly sized balls.
5. Take one ball of dough and flatten it in your hand. Place a heaping tablespoon of the brown sugar filling into the center of the dough, then carefully pinch the sides of the dough to the top to seal the ball. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
6. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add enough coconut oil to lightly cover the pan. Place one or two dough balls, seam side down, onto the hot pan.
7. Allow to cook and begin to brown, checking after 30 seconds. Flip, then press down with a spatula to flatten. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Flip once more, cover, and let cook for a minute to heat the center.
8. Cook the remaining dough following the same method.
9. Serve warm.

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Eggnog French Toast

Lost and forgotten in the depths of the archives, I just found this recipe which I never got around to posting. Not overly fitting to be posting a recipe with eggnog in the middle of the summer, but perhaps it'll get you thinking ahead...? Here's to hoping :)

This recipe came about during a post dinner dessert hunt. With eggnog and maple syrup in the refrigerator and a loaf of crusty bread going unused on the counter, why not make some french toast? I cut the bread into little rounds using a biscuit cutter and garnished with chocolate chips.

Eggnog French Toast

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp eggnog
• 1 tbsp dark rum
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 egg
  Crusty bread, sliced

Method

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat.
2. In a bowl, whisk all ingredients until thoroughly combined.
3. When skillet is hot, dip bread slices into egg batter until coated, and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown.

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Stollen

When it comes to desserts, David Lebovitz is someone I trust unconditionally. His blog is good, his information great, and recipes phenomenal. Last time I was looking around his site, I saw his recipe for stollen and just had to make it. And hey, 'tis the season, as they say. Mine turned out deliciously and look surprisingly just like his.

I looked around for other stollen recipes but they all seemed to use candied fruits (more like a fruitcake) and that just wasn't appealing. Then I was going to blend recipes, but they used varying ingredient amounts with different yields. In the end, I basically followed his recipe, so I'll just link it here. Of the slight changes I made:

• Substitute Grand Marnier for the rum to soak the fruits
• Omit the candied ginger (due to its extreme price) and citrus peel (due to its apparant unavailability at grocery stores around here)

My only complain is not knowing when the bread is done cooking. Sure, he suggests using a digital thermometer, but come on, it's bread! Mine ended up being slightly overcooked I think, but delicious none the less. The recipe makes four loaves which makes it great for gift giving!

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Bagels

I had my first cheese bagel the other week and was blown away by how delicious it was. I decided I needed to make my own, as spending $1.50 for an impulse snack seems unnecessary, especially since bagels are so easy!

Here is my favorite bagel recipe: http://www.tammysrecipes.com/homemade_bagels

I've made this recipe several times, last time I believe was around Mother's Day for brunch. They are really easy to make, especially if you have experience working with yeast, as this can sometimes be tricky.

To make these "cheese bagels", simply sprinkle with shredded cheddar after brushing with egg, and bake for the specified time.

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Chapati with Coconut-Peanut Butter

I originally saw these flatbreads on Guy's Big Bite, then again in another cookbook and decided to give them a whirl. I love 'em because they are super easy to make and would go well with a lot of different flavors. I also make mine entirely with whole wheat flour. Yes, it may sound a bit scary, but I think it works. Feel free to stick to the "real" recipe and use regular flour.

Chapatis

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup water

Method

1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl, then stir in water until a stiff dough forms. Let rest for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat a skillet over medium to medium high heat.
3. On a floured surface, take small bits of dough (a bit larger than golf ball size) and roll out to 1/4 inch rounds.
4. Cook the rounds for 30 to 60 seconds per side. Be careful not to overcook!
5. Serve warm with your choice of toppings (see my favorite below), or plain if you like.

Coconut Peanut Butter

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp coconut milk

Method

1. Combine ingredients well.

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Whole Wheat Pita Bread

I was at Trader Joe's the other day and tried a sample of their quad pack hummus spreads. It was so good I had to buy it! Costs $4.99.

Starting from top, clockwise: Roasted Garlic, Plain, Tomato Basil, Spicy.

To go along with this store bought hummus, I baked up some whole wheat pita bread (that baked into pockets). It's a relatively easy dough to make I found, taking only a few pantry ingredients.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

I got the recipe from a new vegan cookbook I checked out from the library. I decided to look into vegan and vegetarian cookbooks as a way to prepare balanced meals without animal products as the protein source.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Whole Wheat Pita Bread, from "The Complete Vegan Kitchen" by Jannequin Bennett.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 tbsp dry active yeast
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• olive oil

Method

1. In mixing bowl, combine sugar, 1/2 cup of the water, and yeast; let stand about 5 minutes, until foamy.
2. Meanwhile, mix both flours and salt in separate bowl.
3. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups warm water to the yeast mixture, then whisk in half the flour mixture until smooth. Stir/fold in the last half of the flour mixture until combined. Knead the dough until smooth, about 10 minutes by hand (or use a stand mixer with dough hook).
4. Place dough in bowl with a bit of olive oil in the bottom, turn dough to coat. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 450.
6. Punch dough down and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut dough into 8 pieces; roll each into 6-8" rounds, with thicker edges.
7. Place baking sheets in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Then place pita dough rounds onto baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, until browned and puffy.

Use for pita sandwiches, or slice into pieces and toast for 5 minutes or so in the oven and serve with hummus!

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blueberries continued

I made the best blueberry scones again the other night. I got the recipe from Food Network, it's by Tyler Florence: Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze. These are the best scones I've ever had, so yummy! I've made them without the glaze which definitely cuts back on the sugar, but I must say they are WAY better with the glaze. I transfer mine from the baking sheet directly onto a cooling rack, then put the rack over the baking sheet. This way I can add the glaze and the excess drips onto the sheet for easier cleanup.



I used another 2 cups to make multi-grain blueberry muffins last night. Here's a link to the original recipe: Multigrain Muffin, but I'll go ahead and post my slightly modified version. I enjoy this recipe because it is so simple to make and is a little healthier than the average blueberry muffin recipe with the addition of whole wheat flour and oat bran.


Blueberry Multigrain Muffins

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oat bran
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 eggs
1 egg white
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup demarara sugar*
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups fresh blueberries
Start by preheating the oven to 375. Spray or line a muffin tin.

1. Whisk flours, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs and egg white; add the buttermilk, sugar, and oil. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture until just evenly moist; the batter should be very thick--if not, add a bit more flour.
3. Toss blueberries with a bit of flour to coat evenly; gently fold into batter.
4. Fill each muffin cup with batter and bake 25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Turn muffins out onto rack and enjoy!

*Substitute with regular brown sugar. I've been experimenting with unprocessed sugars, like demarara sugar which I bought in the bulk section.

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