Bake a Bun, Leave the Cannoli
March 21, 2020
“Be crumbled
So that wild flowers will come up where you are.
You have been stony for too many years.
Try something different.
Surrender.”
~ Rumi
So, with most of us home and walking that tightrope between hope and despair, I decided to scour my old blog posts, going back to 2010 (when I first began posting), in search of a few easy, homemade bread recipes.
I encourage you to give one of these a try, even if you’ve never baked anything. There’s nothing like bread, just made and still warm, to comfort your spirit. Plus, you’ll feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment and also look super cool after you FaceTime your finished bread for your fellow shelter-in-placers.
Before you bake, remember to wash your hands. In case you were wondering why soap and water conquers this and other viruses and why the experts are stressing to make sure to wash for 20 seconds, here is a short video, showing why and how soap and water works:
And now that your hands are clean and virus-free, here are three super simple recipes for bread that you can make without a bread machine, without yeast and with little to no kneading:
Super Easy Homemade Bread
No need to let this bread rise or to knead it endlessly. With a texture resembling a biscuit or scone, and a choice of tasty toppings, this bread is a delicious warm treat from your oven with minimal effort.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter at room temperature
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten (to brush top of loaf)
Choice of topping (see below)
Toppings:
Seeded
2 tablespoons of any combination of sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or fennel seeds
Herb
2 teaspoons of your choice: dried dill, oregano, thyme or crumbled dried rosemary
Cheesy
1/4 cup of grated sharp cheddar or Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F
Grease a 9-inch cake pan with butter and set aside
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add butter and mix well into flour mixture using a long fork. Add egg and milk. Mix until a sticky dough forms, then knead in the bowl using your hands until dough is smooth and formed into a ball.
Press dough into greased cake pan so that bottom of pan is evenly covered. Brush surface of bread with beaten egg (you won’t use all of it). Sprinkle topping evenly over surface.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is golden. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan. Cut into wedges and serve warm. Or, if not eating immediately, let loaf cool completely on wire rack and wrap cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap.
Makes 12 servings
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Piadina – Homemade Italian Flatbread
Piadina is the name for a popular flatbread in Italy. It’s easy to make at home and requires no yeast. There are many versions of the recipe, depending on the region and preference of each cook. Piadina is traditionally made with lard, which I’m not a fan of. This is my personal version of the recipe, made with butter (that’s a photo of mine above). You may substitute olive oil, if you wish.
3 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus some for rolling out)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
5 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Optional:
Additional warm water
Extra virgin olive oil
In a large bowl, add flour and make a well in the center. Add salt, egg and butter and mix with a fork until crumbly. Make a well in the center again and mix in the milk, warm water and baking soda.
Knead with your hands until soft and smooth, but not sticky (if too sticky, add a bit of flour; if not soft enough, add a small amount of olive oil and/or warm water). Continue kneading for 10 minutes total.
Make a ball with the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour (you can refrigerate it at this point and let it come to room temperature for one hour before rolling it out).
Make the large ball into six smaller balls. On a clean, lightly floured surface, using a lightly-floured rolling pin, roll each of the balls out into large, thin circles. Put plastic between each as you make them, to keep them from drying out.
Heat a large griddle pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Prick each piadina over its entire surface with a fork. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until brown spots appear all over the bottom. Flip over and cook the other side.
Serve warm (I reheated them the next day with great results).
You can cut them into triangular pieces and use to scoop up dips, clean your pasta plate of tomato sauce or dunk into soup. You can use a whole piadina as a base for a quick pizza.
You can also top or stuff them with various fillings.
Here are some suggestions:
Grated mozzarella, mortadella, saffron mayonnaise
Smoked sockeye salmon, avocado, honey, smoked paprika
Bacon, arugula, burrata cheese, fig jam or balsamic glaze
Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, chives
Sautéed mushrooms, soft goat cheese, thyme
Roast chicken or turkey, pesto mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese
Peanut, almond or sunflower butter, banana slices, grated chocolate
Makes 6 piadina
~~~
Ancient Roman Libum with Lavender
Libum was a type of bread made in Ancient Rome. This recipe is easy to make and results in the yummiest, moistest bread rolls. They are delicious with poultry, soups, salads, or served as an appetizer. Be sure to use lavender that you know to be free of pesticides. You can find lavender suitable for cooking at specialty stores and online. You could also substitute dried rosemary or thyme for the lavender.
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 oz of whole-milk ricotta cheese or small-curd cottage cheese
1 large egg, beaten
2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender
Pinch of salt
Extra virgin olive oil, for greasing pan
About 8 to 12 sprigs of fresh thyme*
*If substituting rosemary or thyme for the lavender, you can use 4 to 8 dried bay leaves here.
Preheat oven to 400°F
In a small bowl, beat cheese with a fork until it is soft (use an electric mixer, if necessary).
In a large bowl, combine flour, lavender, salt, beaten egg and softened cheese. Mix until a soft, sticky dough is formed.
Grease a baking pan (one with a little bit of depth) with a layer of olive oil.
Divide dough into 4 pieces and shape each piece into a bun shape. Place buns on oiled sheet with 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme or 1 or 2 bay leaves under each bun (this helps keep them from sticking to the pan and adds flavor).
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a pale golden brown.
You can serve these with honey or cheese, but they are delicious just plain.
Makes 4 rolls
~~~
Happy baking! And don’t forget to smile while you are out there being socially distant ?
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