Buttermilk Biscuits

Whenever I make Fried Chicken I makes biscuits too. But usually I just bake the Pillsbury Biscuits that you can find in the freezer section of the store.

Well... my last Fried Chicken dinner was almost ready and I was ready to bake the biscuits when I discovered that I didn't have any!

Yikes! Now what?

I figured I could make some. I don't typically have buttermilk in the house; but since I was making fried chicken, I had some. Ok... just need to find a recipe.

Ahhh... Alton Brown! He never lets me down!



Southern Biscuits
2 C flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 TBLS butter
2 TBLS shortening
1 C buttermilk, chilled

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first.)

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

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Ok... combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then, using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into it.


Until it looks like crumbs.


Do it fast, so you don't melt the butter and shortening.

Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.


Combine just until dough comes together.




Turn the sticky dough onto floured surface.


Dust the top with flour and gently fold the dough over on itself 5 or 6 times.


You can kinda watch the sun set while I'm making the biscuits! The shadows are getting longer and longer!

Press dough into a 1 inch thick round.


Cut out biscuits with a 2 inch cutter, be sure to press straight down through the dough. I couldn't find my biscuit cutters, so I just used a can.


Place biscuits on a baking sheet so they just touch.


Reform scrap dough and cut more biscuits. Work the dough as little as possible.




Now into the oven, preheated to 450F for 15 to 20 minutes, until they're tall and golden.




Wow! These came out awesome! And they were wicked easy to make!!

Why do I buy frozen ones again??? Oh yeah... I usually don't have buttermilk... but I think I'll try to plan ahead to be ready to whip these up on a whim!

Tall and golden...


With melty butter...


Or honey...


Someone couldn't wait for dinner...


I definitely won't make Biscuits and Gravy without actually making the Biscuits from scratch!

So I was just looking to link to my Sausage Gravy recipe... and guess what?? It's not here!!

I see Biscuits & Gravy for breakfast in our very near future!

Stay tuned for the recipe!

Have some Buttermilk Biscuits while you wait!

English Muffin Bread

Yeast breads typically intimidate me. I don't really know why, because when I actually start, there's nothing to be afraid of. But still, it always gives me pause.

Anyway... am I ever glad I didn't let my fear of yeast get the better of me when I found out about English Muffin Bread!

I think I found this while browsing Pinterest. It's from a website call blisstree.com.

This is wicked easy and soooooo good!!



English Muffin Bread
5 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/4 cups warm milk
butter and cornmeal for greasing and dusting the pans

Mix the yeast, honey, and water. Set aside.
Sift the salt, baking powder, and flour.
Add the milk and one cup of the flour to the yeast mixture. Blend well.
Add the remaining flour and beat. You should have a very soft, goopy dough. (she really said goopy... and it totally is!)
Spoon the dough into 2 loaf pans that have been greased and dusted with the cornmeal. Set aside in a warm place until the batter has doubled and is at the top of the pans, or a little above.
Preheat the oven to 425F
Dust the tops of the loaves with cornmeal and bake for 15 minutes or so. Loaf will sound hollow when tapped. Bake for 20-25 minutes if you want a crisper, more golden crust.
Cool and slice.
Yield:2 loaves.

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Ok, so mix the yeast, honey and water and set it aside.

You can see it grow and come to life in my glass measuring cup.



Now right up to the spout.


mmmmm.... yeasty....

Anyway... whisk your flour, baking powder and salt.


That didn't really make for a very interesting photo, did it?

Add the milk and one cup of flour mixture to the yeast mixture.

Blend well; add remaining flour and beat.

This will be a loose sticky gooey dough.


Butter your loaf pans and dust them with cornmeal.


Spoon the dough into the loaf pans.


No kneading at all, because you don't want to squish all those voluptuous air pockets that will totally cradle the silky melty butter when you toast it.

Let them rest in a warm place until batter has doubled and is at least to the top of the pans.


Now pop them into the oven, preheated to 425F. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Loaf will sound hollow when tapped. If you want a crisper more golden crust, bake 20 - 25 minutes.



Doesn't that look beautiful?

Be sure to let it cool before slicing.

Look at those big nooks and crannies!


Now since this made two loaves, I was totally going to give one to my friend Erin across the street.

But look at this toasted golden goodness!!


And it made the BEST breakfast sandwiches!!


We rolled through both loaves in no time at all!!

Sorry Erin!!

But I didn't actually tell her that I'd planned to give her a loaf, so it's not like she really missed it or anything!

This was crazy easy and so totally delicious!!

What are you waiting for?! Go make some!

Zucchini Bread

Even though it was like 87 degrees here in Pittsburgh on Sunday, I had Zucchini Bread on the brain and just had to make some!

Friday's BakeSpace Newsletter featured Zucchini Bread. What?? You don't get the BakeSpace Newsletter??? Check out the archive HERE. You can read them from the archive or sign up to have them delivered to your email inbox!

Anyway... After reading the newsletter, it occurred to me that I haven't had Zucchini Bread in easily more than 10 years. My mom used to make it often growing up. The grocery store usually only has those tiny zucchinis, but the zucchinis that came from my grandfather's garden were easily the size of your forearm. They made a TON of zucchini bread.

So even though it was VERY hot for an April day, I fired up the oven and made some Zucchini Bread.



Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 C zucchini, peeled & chopped or shredded
1 C vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 C nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 325F
In medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
In a mixing bowl, combine oil & sugars, mix well
Add eggs & vanilla, mix well.
Add flour mixture and mix well.
Add zucchini & nuts, combine.
Bake at 325F in two greased or parchment paper lined loaf pans for 60 minutes or until pick comes out dry.

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Preheat oven to 325F.

These worked out to be about a cup each.


Shred or chop the peeled zucchini.


In a mixing bowl, combine oil & sugars, mix well


Add eggs & vanilla, mix well.


Add flour mixture and mix well.

Add zucchini & nuts, combine.


Pour batter into greased or parchment paper lined loaf pans.

Bake for 60 minutes at 325F or until pick comes out dry.


This tasted exactly how I remembered!


YUM!!!

When your garden is overflowing this summer... don't forget about Zucchini Bread!

Pan de Sal

Ok... I tried to make this a few weeks ago for Tawny's birthday... but ended up with a gooey mess. I don't know what I did wrong... well... I guess the first thing was not paying attention.

Anyway... I asked for dinner suggestions on Saturday and Tawny asked for the Chicken Adobo I didn't make on her birthday. Sure I can totally do that. I told her I'd make Pan de Sal too. And this time it came out great!

Pan de Sal is a Filipino sweet bread roll.

Pan de Sal (printable recipe)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons softened butter
1 tablespoon oil
4 cups flour
3 teaspoons yeast
bread crumbs

Place all ingredients except bread crumbs into a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
Select the Dough cycle, and press start.
When the cycle has ended, remove the dough from the machine, and form into 2 inch balls.
Dip each dough ball in bread crumbs.
Place the rolls on a parchment lined, baking sheet crumb-side up.
Cover loosely with a cloth or plastic, and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Bake rolls for 8 minutes, or until golden brown on the top and bottom.

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Here's what you need


Place all ingredients except bread crumbs into a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.

Select the Dough cycle, and press start.

When the dough cycle has ended, pull the dough out. I just plop it onto one of my parchment paper lined baking sheets.


Roll into two inch balls and dip into bread crumbs.


My dough balls are more blob shaped than ball shaped.


Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes or until about doubled in size.


Preheat oven to 350F.
Bake 8 minutes or until golden.


These are great dinner rolls... they are also really good with jam or cheese.

Dia de los Muertos ~ Pan de Muerto

And, as promised last year.... Pan de Muerto. Now I KNOW I didn't have enough time to make this last year, after work! It took quite a long time today!

I used a recipe I found on boston.com.

It's a sweet egg bread. I don't typically care for anise flavor. But it's really subtle and delicious in this bread! It took a long time, but I was really pleased with it. Although, I do need practice making dough shapes.

You'll need:
4 TBLS anise seeds, divided
3/4 C water
1/2 C sugar
zest from 2 large oranges
1 TBLS plus 2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 tsp salt
5 cups flour, plus extra for work surface
3/4 C unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 egg yolks, with one of the whites reserved and refrigerated, plus 2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vegetable oil

In a small saucepan, bring 2 tablespoons anise seeds and 3/4 cup water to a boil.

Remove from burner, cover, and steep for 10 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer, reserving the water and toss out the seeds.

In a mixer bowl, using paddle attachment, beat on low, the sugar and zest until sugar well mixed

Add remaining anise seeds

Add yeast & salt

Add 3 cups of flour

Mix well on low

Then add anise water

Add melted butter mix well on low.

With mixer still on low, add 2 beaten eggs

 

And 4 egg yolks

Then add the remaining 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface

Knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Place dough into an oiled mixing bowl, and turn to coat with oil

Cover and place in a warm, draft-free place for 1.5 to 2 hours. until dough has doubled in size.

Until dough has doubled in size.

Put dough on lightly floured surface, punch down and divide into two equal pieces.

Pinch off about a 1/5 of each dough ball and decorate dough balls with bone designs. (my designs need a lot of work!!)

Lightly cover and place in warm, draft-free place until dough doubles in size, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Brush loaves with beaten egg whites and bake in oven, preheated to 375F, 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Rotate pan halfway through.

Cool bread on wire rack.

While bread is still warm, brush with glaze made from zest from one orange, 2 1/2 TBLS orange juice and 1/4 C sugar. Boil on stove until for 2 minutes.

Brush generously over warm bread.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Enjoy!