Honey Oat Bread.

I have been talking a lot on my facebook page about this amazing bread recipe I found.  Finally I am getting around to posting the recipe so that you too can take part in some delicious bread eating!

I was at the Amish market recently and thought I would buy a different kind of flour.  (Usually I do the 1-cup whole wheat to 2-cups white).  I settled on oat flour.  After I got home and started searching for recipes I found out that maybe oat flour wasn't such a good choice.  Oat flour is heavy and contains little to no natural leavening agent.  I had a difficult time finding something that could take the place of my old stand-by bread recipe.  I needed something that would taste good from the time I took it out of the oven to later in the week when it was being toasted for breakfast...

In the end it was King Arthur Flour that came through for me.

Honey Oat Bread

(Adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1 cup water
1/3 cup milk
1/2 stick butter (softened)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup oat flour (could also ground your own oats)
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour

...and now comes the point where I make a confession.  Once I have the ingredients gathered I place in the bread machine - liquid on the bottle and yeast placed into a hole of flour...then I turn the bread machine to the dough setting and walk away for an hour and a half.  When I return I remove the dough from the machine, work it into a log, place in a loaf pan, cover with a towel, and walk away again.  I return in 45-60 minutes to place the bread in a pre-heated 350 degree oven to bake for 35-40 minutes.

I realize it's kind of like cheating, but at the same time it's not cheating at all.  And it beats store-bought bread by a million!!  

This bread is tender, moist, and has a hint of sweetness to it.  It tastes phenomenal straight from the oven slathered with butter (it really does) and it tastes just as a great toasted a few days later.  Best.bread.of.the.moment. 

Go ahead and challenge yourself to make this!  If you don't have a bread machine you can go to King Arthur for totally from scratch directions.  

Too Hot to Cook.

Not only has it been too hot to cook; we've been without a working refrigerator for a few days. The combination of the two have left us looking to friends and family for meals.

Thank you to those who fed us! We've eaten well!

Back to regularly planned cooking and baking in the coming days!

Oven Fried Zucchini Fries.

You had to know zucchini recipes would be popping up and here one is! These were super tasty and are best served right from the oven with some marinara to dip them in. I will admit that they are a little time consuming, but you won't regret the time spent. Plus, they are easier than the other zucchini fries that require frying.

Oven Fried Zucchini Fries

(Adapted from For the Love of Cooking)

2 small/medium sized zucchini - cut into wedges

2 eggs - beaten

1 cup italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine bread crumbs, cheese, and seasonings into shallow bowl. Dip zucchini wedges into egg mixture - covering completely - followed by coating with crumb mixture. Place on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Once sheet is filled, spray the top of wedges with cooking spray. Bake for 12 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Turn oven to broil and allow fries to crisp for 1 minute. Cool slightly and devour!

These made a tasty appetizer to go with our brats and burgers the other night! Head out to your garden or local farmer's market and grab some zucchini. You won't be disappointed!