Baking Spree

I've been on a bit of a baking spree this morning, after weeks of not much baking.

Ken loves English muffin loaves, so I made a double-batch (four loaves) of them. Then I threw ingredients into the bread machine for some yeast rolls. In both recipes I replaced some of the flour with "Lola's Fix'n's," a recipe given to me by my sister, who got it in St. Croix, I think. It's a mixture of sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds (which I leave out. Don't like the flavor.), rye flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, old fashioned oatmeal, potato flakes, and cornmeal. You mix up a huge batch of this and freeze it, then add it, a cup at a time, to your bread recipes, in place of a cup of the flour called for in the recipe. I figure at the very least it adds a lot of texture to the breads; at most it also adds a great deal of nutrition.

As I said, I made a double-batch of English Muffin bread. It's quick and easy, but if I were making it for the first time, I'd make a single batch. I've had this recipe for many, many years. It comes from a Fleischmann's Yeast flyer:

English Muffin Loaves

6 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

2 T. or 2 pkgs. active dry yeast (Fleischmann's, of course)

1 T. sugar

2 t. salt

1/4 t. baking soda

2 c. milk (powdered, with water added, is fine)

1/2 c. water

Cornmeal

Combine 3 c. flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Heat milk and water until very warm (120-130°F). Add to dry ingredients. Beat well with electric mixer. Stir in remaining 3 c. flour to make stiff batter. Spoon into two 8 1/2"X4 1/2"X2 1/2" loaf pans that have been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Cover; let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes. (I prepare a "warm place" by putting a 4 c. measure, filled with 2 c. water, into my microwave, bring it to a boil, then set the pans of dough in the microwave (without turning it on!) for 30 minutes or so.) Remove from microwave and bake at 400°F for 25 minutes. Remove from pans and cool. This is delicious sliced and toasted.

Breadmaker Rolls

This recipe comes from my aunt in New Brunswick. Again, it's a recipe I've used for years. (For good cooking and baking, you can't beat a New Brunswick native!)

1 1/4c. water

2 eggs

4 T. shortening (I use canola oil)

2 T. milk powder

2 T. sugar

1 t. salt

4 c. flour

1 1/2 t. dry yeast

Put in bread machine on dough cycle. Shape into rolls and let rise (in microwave, as above) until doubled (about 30 minutes). I use a 7X11" baking pan, making 15 rolls. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Turn onto cooling racks to cool.

Lola's Bread Fix'n's

1/2 c. sunflower seeds (untoasted)

1/4 c. poppy seeds

1/2 c. sesame seeds (untoasted)

2 t. caraway seeds

3 c. rye flour

4 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. wheat germ

2 c. old-fashioned (NOT quick-cooking) oatmeal

1 c. potato flakes

3/4 c. cornmeal

Stir well and store in plastic bag in the freezer. Use 1 cup per batch of bread (in place of one of the cups of white flour called for on your recipe).

Happy Baking!