Better Banana Bread

16 ounces, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter or shortening at room temperature (I use butter flavored Crisco)
20 ounces brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
20 ounces ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease three loaf pans.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Using paddle cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Mix in eggs, one at a time, waiting for each to incorporate completely before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla and continue mixing for 2 to 3 minutes until mixture is light and fluffy.
Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/3 of the buttermilk, then 1/3 of the bananas, repeating until all the ingredients have been added. Mix until the flour is just absorbed and the batter is smooth.
Pour batter into pans, filling no more than two-thirds.
Bake for 45 minutes then reduce oven to 325° and bake an additional 15 minutes. Internal temperature should be between 180° and 185°. Skewer poked in center should come out clean.
Let loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes then turn out onto a rack to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Basic Banana Bread

3 Ripe Bananas, well mashed
2 Eggs, well beaten
2 cups flour
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Grease loaf pan. Mix bananas and eggs together in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt and soda. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for one hour. Remove from pan to a cooling rack.

100% Whole Wheat Bread

Yields two 1 1/2 pound loaves

• Grind 25 ounces wheat. Spring wheat is preferred but Hard Red Winter works as well. (50% Spelt or Kumet can be substituted for the wheat but hydration will need to be adjusted). Yield approximately 24.5 ounces of flour.
• Add 1.2 ounces of Vital Wheat Gluten.

Mix together:

· 16 ounces flour mixture.

· 2 teaspoons Yeast.

· 16 ounces Water.

· Cover and ferment for 4 hours.

Make Raisin Juice and Brown Rice.

• 75 grams Brown Rice cooked with 150 grams water yield 6 ounces
• ½ cup raisin soaked in ½ cup water for 1 hour. Place in blender and blend into a pulpy liquid.

Combine:

• All of the sponge from above.
• 8 ounces flour mixture.
• 1 ½ teaspoon Salt.
• 1 teaspoon Yeast.
• 2 ounces Honey.
• 2 ounces Raisin Juice.
• 6 ounces cooked Brown Rice.
• Mix and knead with dough hook for 12 minutes.

Place in greased container and allow to proof for 90 minutes or until doubled.

Divide and shape. Place into greased loaf pans and proof for 60 to 90 minutes until doubled and crests pan; domed but not expanded past pans.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Rotated pans and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes. Internal temperature should be 185°.

Remove from pans and cool on wire racks for 90 minutes.

Kent's Sandwich Bread

Make Biga on the afternoon before baking.

16 Ounces bread flour
10 Ounces cool water (65º to 70ºF)
1 Teaspoon instant yeast

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Stir with wooden or metal spoon until dough forms a ball.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until flour is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and tacky but not sticky. Adjust as needed with flour or water as needed.

Place in a clean bowl large enough to allow doubling. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for 3 to 5 hours until the dough increases at least 1 ½ times.

Use immediately or punch down and refrigerate, well covered, overnight.


16 Ounces Biga
16 Ounces Bread Flour
2 Teaspoons Salt (0.5 oz)
3 Tablespoons Sugar (1.5 oz)
1 1/4 Teaspoon instant yeast (0.15 oz)
6 Ounces Whole Milk, at room temperature
4 Ounces Unsalted Butter, softened

Cut Biga into small pieces.

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl with dough hook.

Mix for 1 minute on low speed and then 10 to 12 minutes on medium speed. Dough temperature should be between 77º and 80ºF and pass window pane test.

Round dough and place in greased container and allow to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour. Dough should be 1 ½ times original size.

Remove dough and knead by hand for 5 minutes. Round again and return to container. Rise for an additional hour until increased 1 ½ times again.

Divide into 2 equal pieces and shape.

Place into greased 5x9 loaf pans. Cover and rise at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes until nearly doubled.

Bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes, rotating after 20 minutes.
Internal temperature will be 190º F.

Turn out onto racks and cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Kent's Bread

Kent’s Rustic Pain Ordinarie

8 Ounces Bread Flour
12 Ounces Water
½ Teaspoon Dry Active Yeast

Whisk to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment 8 to 12 hours.

8 Ounces Bread Flour
1 ½ Teaspoon Salt
1 ½ Teaspoon Dry Active Yeast
1 Pinch Ascorbic Acid


Combine with pre-ferment and stir vigorously until dough comes together and becomes smooth and elastic or place in mixer with paddle and mix on low speed. The dough will be quite slack.

Place in a greased container and allow to proof for 1 hour.

Fold gently from outside in and recover. Allow to proof for 1 hour.

Grease a 9” cake pan.

Dust board liberally with flour.

Pour dough out into board and dust and give dough a letter fold and turn.

Place in prepared cake pan and cover with dome. Allow to rise for 2 hours.

Bake at 425º for 1 hour with steam for the first 2 minutes. Remove cake pan for the last 20 minutes.

Internal temperature 210º

Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

*Found in a Penzey's catalog. Using their spices makes all the difference. YUMMO!

2 sticks butter, softened
1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. Double Strength Vanilla
1 ½ Cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Ground Allspice
¼ tsp. Ground Cloves
3 Cups uncooked quick oats
6 oz. raisins
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 Cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat Oven to 350°.
Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda, salt and spices.
Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture; mix well.
Stir in oats.
Add raisins, butterscotch and nuts; mix well.
Drop by tablespoon onto greased or parchment lined cookie sheets.
Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool for one minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

Serving size: 2 cookies
Calories 310
Calories from fat 140
Total fat 16g
Cholesterol 40mg
Sodium 180mg
Carbohydrate 40g
Dietary fiber 2g