The Holidays

Prepared for some fun in the rain!

Since I have guests over the holidays I don´t spend much time in front of my computer. Today we went to Sonoma. It´s a beautiful, small town in Napa Valley. There are lots of vineyards, beautiful houses and small shops. It was raining today but we had a good time anyway.

When we came home Hayley and  I played with our dogs. They need stimulation even on rainy days!

Joel and I made ginger bread dough. The dough have to rest in the fridge until tomorrow for perfect ginger bread! I´ll post pictures and recipe on my baking blog tomorrow. http://bakethebestbread.blogspot.com.




Here´s some pictures from today.

















Joel and Hayley

A Christmassy Feeling



Looking forward to introducing Hayley to all
 the scents that are connected to Christmas.

It´s been a very sunny day today. The morning was freezing but the rest of the day was warm. I sat outside the house playing with Hayley for a couple of hours in the afternoon only wearing a tank top and sweating. Lovely California!

Strangely enough I´ve felt a strong Christmassy feeling for a few days (despite the luck of snow and cold weather). I´m planning to do some major grocery shopping for Christmas baking tomorrow. Can´t wait to fill the house with the yummy scents of Christmas. I´m talking about traditional Swedish Christmas candy that I don´t even have English names for but I promise to take pictures and publish the recipes if someone feel like trying them J

Talking about Swedish. . for a couple of months I´ve been writing all my posts in Swedish and English. However I´ve decided that from now on I´m only going to write in English. That would free up time for a better content and all my fellow Swedish friends understand English perfectly. I don´t know if my American friends knows this BUT in Sweden you start with English as a second language in Preschool Class, when you´re 6 years old. That´s in public schools, some private schools starts earlier. (When I was a kid we started with English in 4^th grade, 10 years old. That´s my excuse for my sucky grammar..still working on that ..)

Cinnamon Buns - recipe

I´ve received a few requests for the recipe on the Cinnamon Buns I baked yesterday. Here it is:

dough

¾ OZ dry yeast (3 small packages)

1 cup sugar
a little bit of salt
approximately: 6cups wheat flour

10oz butter
3cups of milk

2eggs

Mix the dry ingredients with a fork in a big bowl. Melt the butter; add milk, heat to 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients.  Mix thoroughly. Let rest for 10min.

filling
150g butter
Cinnamon + granulated sugar

When the dough rests, you can melt the butter for the filling and mix sugar (about 1 ½ cups), and cinnamon in a small bowl. Prepare three baking sheets.

Preheat the oven to 480degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle, spread the melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon / sugar mixture. Roll up the rectangle into a long snake. Divide the dough into 24 parts. Add 8 on each plate. Let rise for 20 minutes.

Brush with 2 eggs.

Bake in middle of oven about : 6-7 minutes (depending on oven.)

Once cooled, add a topping made of powdered sugar and vanilla extract (liquid).

 

Yummy!!

Bullrecept

 

 

Har fått en del förfrågningar efter recept på bullarna jag bakade igår. Det är en helt vanlig vetedeg med vaniljglasyr. Här är receptet:

Deg

2pkt jäst

250g  smör

8dl standard mjölk

2½ dl socker

½krm salt

Ca:2½l vetemjöl

2ägg

 

Smält smöret på låg värme tillsätt mjölk, värm till fingervarmt. Häll blandningen över jästen som du smulat i en bunke. Blanda noga. Tillsätt övriga ingredienser till degen men spar lite av mjölet till själva bakningen. Blanda tills degen fått en bra konsistens. Låt jäsa 30 min.

 

Fyllning

150g smör

Kanel+ strösocker

När degen jäser kan du smälta smör till fyllningen och blanda socker (ca:1½dl) och kanel i en liten skål. Lägg bakplåtspapper på tre plåtar.

 

Sätt ugnen på 250grader Celsius.

Kavla ut degen till en rektangel, bred ut det smälta smöret och strö på kanel/socker blandningen. Rulla ihop rektangeln till en lång orm. Dela degen i 24 delar. Lägg 8 på varje plåt. Låt jäsa 30min.

Pensla med 2 uppvispade ägg.

Grädda mitt i ugnen ca:6-7 min (beroende på ugn.)

Låt svalna på galler under duk.

När bullarna svalnat lägg på en glasyr som du blandat av florsocker och vaniljextrakt (flytande).

 

MUMS!

Spelt Bread With A Mixed Bean/Lentil Soup

 

 

 

Today is Cinnamon Bun Day in Sweden. http://www.su.se/english/about/news-and-events/cinnamon-bun-day-kanelbullens-dag-1.5166

I guess I should be baking Cinnamon Buns today, maybe I´ll do it later. We were out of bread and convenient enough I really felt like baking! I decided to make Spelt Bread. I haven´t done that in a long time. Spelt is an ancient grain with many nutritious benefits. (As far as I know Cinnamon Buns only have emotional and social benefits J Still I´m the first in line to say that I love them!)

 

 

Spelt Bread


 

 When it comes to taste I would choose spelt before wheat any time. It has a richer taste. Spelt is much higher in fiber, magnesium, Vitamin B, protein and complex carbohydrates than its distant relative wheat. Spelt is a boost for the immune system. Many people that are allergic to gluten tolerate spelt. (Spelt does contain gluten so be careful and consult your doctor before trying!) Spelt is rich in insoluble fiber which according to some recent study’s help women avoid getting gallstones and prevent breast cancer. As if boosting your immune system and delicious taste wasn´t enough! http://www.ispub.com/journal/the-internet-journal-of-nutrition-and-wellness/volume-4-number-2/health-benefits-of-whole-grains-a-literature-review.html

 

 

You can use spelt instead of wheat in any recipe. Use a little less liquid than the recipe says or add a little more flour. Don´t mix the dough too much, no more than 3 min by hand (if you´re asking me. It´s not scientific, only my own opinion after experimenting.)

 

This is the bread I baked today:

 

Mix

3cups spelt flour

A little bit of salt, I used a garlic salt today but that´s optional

¾ OZ dry yeast (3 small packages)

Add

1½ cup water 115 degreese Fahrenheit

½ cup olive oil

A little bit of honey

 

Mix by hand 2-3 minutes.

Cover and let the dough rest for ten minutes.

Cut the dough into 12 pieces and place them on a baking sheet let it rest for 20 min.

Bake them in the middle of the oven 430degreese Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Enjoy your freshly baked bread with a nice warm soup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I made the dough I started a mixed bean/lentil soup that was slowly boiling, taking care of itself while I was baking. (This was about the same time Hayley fell asleep next to the dishwasher. I admit..I started it half full just so that she would sleep. Little princess woke up without fever but got it back before noon. I feel so bad for her. I breastfeed her as much as she would eat. That and holding her when she needs soothing feels pretty much like all I can do right now. We´re going to the doctor tomorrow. I believe that when she´s stuffed with food some sleep helps her too.)  I love eating good soups during the cold season but I need a good bread to go with it! The soup I made today was from a mix of dried beans and lentils you can buy by weight on Whole Foods, I just added water, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and oregano. When the bread was done so was the soup J This was our lunch today.

Spelt bröd och soppa med blandade bönor och linser

 

 

 

Idag när det är kanelbullens dag så borde jag väl egentligen baka kanelbullar. http://www.su.se/english/about/news-and-events/cinnamon-bun-day-kanelbullens-dag-1.5166

Men vi var utan bröd och jag hade dessutom lust att baka bröd. Vem vet, jag kanske bakar kanelbullar senare idag ;)

Spelt är ett urgammalt sädesslag. På avlägset håll släkt med vete men innehåller betydligt mer nyttigheter. Spelt är fiberrikt, innehåller massor av B vitamin, magnesium och kolhydrater. Ny forskning visar att den sortens fibrer som finns i spelt kan hjälpa till att förhindra gallsten och bröstcancer. Dessutom är spelt en boost för immunförsvaret. När det kommer till smak så väljer jag helt klart spelt framför vete. http://www.ispub.com/journal/the-internet-journal-of-nutrition-and-wellness/volume-4-number-2/health-benefits-of-whole-grains-a-literature-review.html

 

Du kan byta ut vetemjölet I vilket recept som helst mot speltmjöl. Dra ner lite på vätskan i receptet eller tillsätt extra mjöl. Tänk på att inte arbeta degen lika länge som en vetemjöls deg. Jag tycker att 3minuter för hand är lagom. Spelt innehåller ett annat sorts gluten än vete. Det som binder samman degen. Många som är gluten intoleranta tål spelt, men inte vete. (Rådfråga dock din doktor först innan du testar om du är allergiker eftersom det trots allt är gluten.)

Det här är brödet jag bakade idag (observera att det svenska receptet ser lite annorlunda ut än i den amerikanska versionen det är för att ingredienserna har något annorlunda karaktär i de olika länderna. Det är t.ex. i stort sett omöjligt att få tag i färsk jäst där vi bor. Vilket försämrar resultatet märkbart..):

Lös upp 50g färsk jäst i 2dl fingervarmt vatten. Tillsätt 0,5 dl olivolja, 2msk honung, 1tsk salt (jag använde ett vitlökssalt idag) och 5-6 dl spelt mjöl. Arbeta ihop degen (ca: 3min.) Låt jäsa 20 min. Dela degen i 12 delar, lägg på plåt med bakplåts papper. Låt jäsa 30 min. Grädda i mitten av ugnen 225grader Celsius. Låt svalna på galler under duk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Innan jag gjorde degen satte jag en bön/linssoppa att puttra sakta på spisen. (Ungefär här somnade febriga Hayley till ljudet av diskmaskinen.) Jag använde en mix av torra bönor/linser som jag köper på lösvikt. Det går att använda vilka torra bönor och linser som helst. Sen tillsatte jag krossade tomater, salt, svartpeppar och oregano. När brödet var klart var soppan klar. Jag älskar att äta en god soppa under vinterhalvåret men ett gott bröd är ett måste till!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whole Wheat Bread with raisins

I felt like baking bread this morning and did some experimenting in the kitchen. The result was this recipe; a soft healthy bread with lots of fiber.

Mix with a fork in a big bowl:

3 cups white flour for bread

6 cups whole wheat flour

¾ OZ dry yeast (3 small packages)

A little bit of salt

Add:

4 cups water (110-115 degreese Fahrenheit)

¼ cup maple syrup

½ cup olive oil

Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon/fork. 

Add ½-1 cup raisins. 

 

Let the dough rest for ten minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare two baking sheets.

Cut the dough into 16 pieces and roll them into round buns.

'

Let the pieces of dough rest on the baking sheets for about 20 minutes. Place one of your hands on them and put a light pressure to make them more flat = easier to make sandwiches of.

Bake them in the middle of the oven for about 13 min.

Enjoy them as they are or with a cup of tea/coffee/juice, a soup or a summer salad. Feel free to add butter/cheese/meat/vegetables and turn them into healthy lunch sandwiches.

My baking addiction 2 - Blueberry Dream

Since I was a little girl a lot of things that was important to me have changed but some things remains the same; like my love for horses, photography and baking.

When I was a teenager it was very important for me to get my own apartment. In order to do so I had to make my own money and to get a job I needed a driving license. I figured that becoming a baker was the one of my passions that would help me reach my goals. At age 15 I entered a 3year long baking school to become a professional baker. During holidays I worked at a bakery and saved for my driving license.

When there were other opportunities to make money I took them. I often baked and sold my stuff at farmers markets and fairs. One of the pastries that helped me the most to get my driving license was “Blueberry Dream”. A delicious blueberry bun, not very sweet but perfect to a hot cup of tea. Yesterday I found an old book with handwritten recipes from that time of my life. I got lost reading recipes and notes I´d taken working at different bakery´s as a teenager. I just had to try some.

Blueberry Dream

6oz (3/4 cup) butter

¼ gallon milk

Melt the butter in a big pan on low temperature, add the milk. Heat up slowly.

Mix the following dry ingredients (in a separate big bowl,) with a fork.

2lbs white flour for baking

¾ cup of sugar

A little bit of salt

¾ OZ dry yeast (3 small packages)

After mixing the dry ingredients thoroughly add the milk/butter mix (about 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Add two eggs.

Mix by hand with a wooden fork/spoon or in a machine.

If needed add a little bit of flour (not too much!)

Let the dough rest for about ten minutes while you´re preparing for the next step.

Prepare two baking sheets.

Whisk two eggs together.

Preheat the oven 480 degrees Fahrenheit.

Have your choice of jam ready (I prefer one that is not too sweet, without corn syrup and with berries as major ingredient.)

Dice some almonds for topping.

Use a rolling pin and make the dough into a rectangle.

Cut it into 12 equal pieces.

Put a little bit of jam in the middle of each piece.

Fold the pieces into triangles.

“Glue” the pieces together with a fork on the edges.

Place six Blueberry Dreams on each baking sheet.

Paint the pieces with the eggs and put some diced almonds on top.

Bake your goodies for 5-6 minutes in the middle of the oven.

They are most delicious when they´re warm. It´s perfectly fine to heat them up in the microwave before serving them at a later occasion.  

Enjoy!!

Ps. If you exclude the sugar and use meat/cheese/veggies inside you have the most perfect picnic food J

I did get my driving license when I was 18(the legal age in Sweden) and my first apartment the same year. After graduating from school I got my first real job as a baker on Café Olympia in Åre, Sweden. I loved working there J

I don´t bake for a living today since the early mornings doesn´t go very well together with family life but I still enjoy it as much, if not more. There is a time for everything and right now I have much more time for horses and photography. There are always open doors.

Love Maria