Multigrain Bread

I love bread. There's not too many smells better than yeast and flour baking together in a hot oven. The smell permeates the entire house causing your mouth to water in anticipation of that warm bread slathered in a delicious salted butter. I do believe that this combination is truly a bite of heaven.

This recipe came about because of a girls visit to the beach with my mama and my daughter this summer. We found this little bakery, and with noses and mouths covered we ventured inside to see what they made. One of their specialties was homemade bread with no preservatives, and my mom decided to try a piece of their multigrain bread. 

As we were walking back to the car, my mom said, "You could totally make a multigrain bread like that." Well, yeah, I guess I could. I've been experimenting with bread making during the pandemic, and I've gotten much better at it. And since my mama asked me to, well... 

I did some research, and ended up coming up with my own recipe. I did goof on the photo and forgot to add the sugar and olive oil to the ingredients, so don't forget those. But you know what? It's pretty tasty. It's got a great texture, and overall it's pretty darn healthy as bread goes. If you want  to make it "whole wheat" you just need 51 percent whole wheat flour, so increase whole wheat flour to 2 cups and reduce the bread flour by 1 cup. 

You're going to want to give this recipe a try. You're family won't be disappointed. I promise!

 2 1/2 to 3 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup multigrain hot cereal (I use a 10-grain version)
2 cups boiling water
2 1/4 tsp active yeast

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp barley malt

2 tsps salt

1 tsp pepitas or sunflower seeds

1 tsp triticale or oats

1/2 tsp flax seed

1/2 tsp poppy seeds

1/2 tsp oat bran

1/2 tsp sesame seeds

1/2 tsp everything bagel seasoning

Put the 1/2 cup of multigrain cereal in your stand mixer and add 2 cups of boiling water. Stir until combined. Allow to rest 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally

until the mixture cools to 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add poppy seeds, flax seed, sesame seed and oat bran to a small bowl; combine well. Put pepitas and triticale in another small bowl. I don't put these together because I've found that they don't blend well; they separate.

Add 2 1/4 tsp active yeast and 1 Tbsp sugar; stir. Allow to rest and bloom for about 10 minutes. The top should be foamy, and you should be able to smell the yeast.

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil (use a good one with flavor to add depth to your bread), 2 tsps salt, 1 cup whole wheat flour, and 2 1/2 cups bread flour. Begin mixing and kneading the dough with a dough hook; knead for 8 minutes. Add flour about a tablespoon at a time until the dough doesn't stick to the bowl anymore. Proceed cautiously, and try not to add too much flour.

Place dough in a well-oiled bowl - I use a spray bottle of olive oil; it gives me good coverage without wasting too much. Cover with a clean tea towel, and allow to rise for 90 minutes.

Punch down dough and knead on a clean cutting board a few times. Decide what shape you're making your bread. I've made this batch as six small sandwich-shaped loaves, two round loaves, and one round loaf or one long oblong loaf. Any version is fine. Gently shape the loaf, pinching  together on the bottom. Ensure it is smooth. I did mine in two loaves - sprinkle about a quarter of the seeds on the the board and roll the bottom of the shaped loaf in the seeds to press them into it. Place the loaf on a silicone baking mat on a cookie tray. 

Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes. I lightly spritz mine with a little water so they don't dry out. Turn the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Put a small pan of water in the oven and let it heat up.

Put another quarter of the seeds on top and gently press them info the dough. Sprinkle a little flake salt on top, about 1/8 tsp or so. Do the remaining loaves. Slice the tops of the loaves and then spritz with water. Put the bread in the oven and spray several more times. Close the door quickly and bake bread for 25-30 minutes until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap it. My oven is crazy and cooks unevenly, so about 10-12 minutes in when I turn the pan, I cover the loaves with aluminum foil.

Let cool, and enjoy this delicious bread with some tasty salted butter!

Apple Spice Cake with Maple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

I love autum. I always have, but that love has definitely intensified througought my adult years. 

In my childhood, fall always meant new beginnings for me. That's when school started and everything was new. New schools, new friends, new relationships. It was a time for beginnings, even as nature began exploding with the colors and smells of dying. 

I love the temperature change, the crispness to the air, and the smell of smoke from fireplaces and outdoor fires. I love carving pumpkins and roasting pumpkin seeds and creating pumpkin treats such as Pumpkin Spice Bread. 

I also love apples - a good crisp sweet and tart apple to enjoy, especially a Granny Smith coated in hard red cinnamon candy... you know, candy apples, and making apple sauce for my daughter with as many varieties of apples as I can get my hands on. The batch I made for her the other day had 10 different apples in it. That is what makes a delicious apple sauce! 

Which leads me to my new adventure - using apples in cakes. Y'all. Seriously. This is a cake you need to make. I use some brown sugar for a more caramel flavor to the cake and a ton of spices, which I love. But if that isn't enough fall goodness for you, I then top the cake with a Maple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing. Yep. It's a mouthful, but it is amazing. Let me know if you give this cake a try and how you like it!

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda 

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp clove

1/4 tsp allspice

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups olive oil (vegetable oil works as well; I've just really been enjoying the extra flavor and moisture of olive oil).

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts - walnuts or pecans will work

Another 1/4-1/2 cup nuts for toasting for garnish

3 cups shredded apples - honeycrisp, Granny Smith, gala, Fuji, Macintosh, or pink lady are good options (you have more flexibility here - if you like chunks of apple, just dice these small, or use the large or small shredder depending on the texture you want from your apples. The smaller you shred, the more it will just melt into the cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a skillet over medium heat, toast pecans until fragrant; shift them around often so that they don't burn. Allow to cool completely. Combine the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, and spices into a large bowl. Use a whisk to combine all the ingredients together. If your flour is clumpy, you should seriously consider sifting it into your bowl. If you don't you might end up with flour clumps throughout your batter.

Shred the apple. If you want color and more texture, don't peel your apples. If you don't, then peel them. It's your preference here. I ended up peeling two of my apples and not peeling two of them for a bit of color and texture.

Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

Fold in the apples and nuts until mixed.

Spread batter into a prepared 9x13 or bundt pan. Spray it, use crisco and flour, or use parchment paper.

Bake 35-45 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. If baking cupcakes, bake 15-20 minutes until done. It can have a few moist crumbs, but you don't want the toothpick to be wet.

While the cake cools, prepare the frosting.

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz unsalted butter

4 cups powdered sugar

1-1 1/2 tsp maple extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of salt

In a large bowl or stand mixer cream the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy with the whisk attachment. As with the flour, you might want to sift your confectioner sugar if its clumpy. Add part of the confection sugar and blend in. Add the remaining confectioner sugar and combine. Add the vanilla and maple extracts and the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.Whisk until incorporated; scrape down sides, and then mix some more. Turn speed up to high and whip some air into the frosting until it's light and fluffy. Frost the cake, and then top with toasted pecans. Now, enjoy!