Recipes and Cooking Advice

[~baby~doll~]

i have thought about this for a few weeks posted a few recipes on different threads. They received a good response so i think a recipe sharing thread might be fun. Many of U/us have family recipes W/we might like to share to tickle the fancy of the palette. W/we can also talk about dining and how important it be as a family meal a celebration. i will begin with a recipe for Russian rye or black bread.

4 cups unsifted rye flour
3 cups unsifted white flour
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 cups whole bran cereal
2 tbsp. crushed caraway seed
2 tsp. instant coffee or powdered used coffee grounds
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. fennel seed, crushed
2 pckg. active dry yeast
2-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar (or 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar)
1/4 cup DARK molasses
1 square (1 oz) Unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup COLD water (*icy* cold!)

Combine the rye and white flours. In a second bowl blend 2-1/3 cups of the flour mixture, the sugar, salt, cereal, caraway seed, coffee, onion powder, fennel seed and un-dissolved dry yeast.

Combine 2-1/2 cups of water, vinegar, molasses, chocolate and margarine in a saucepan. Heat on low until very warm not boiling. Butter or margarine and chocolate don’t need to melt. Gradually add the liquid to the dry ingredients, beat a couple of minutes with a mixer, scraping the bowl from time to time. Add 1/2 cup of the mixed flour. Beat at high speed about two minutes, scrape the bowl occasionally. Stir in enough additional mixture of the flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured board cover and let it rest about 15 minutes. Knead until smooth and elastic about 10 to 15 minutes. The dough may be sticky, but that’s okay. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the dough as well as the bottom.

Cover and let it rise in a warm place, free from any draft. When the dough doubles in bulk in about an hour, punch it down, turn it out onto a lightly floured board. Divide in half. Shape each half into a ball about 5 inches across. Place each ball into the center of a greased 8-inch round cake pan.
Cover, and let it rise until they’re both doubled, usually an hour, depending on the weather.
Bake at 350 degrees 45 to 50 minutes, or until done check with toothpick. Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and ice water. Cook over medium heat, stir constantly, until the mixture just begins to boil; continue to cook, stir constantly, for another minute. As soon as the bread is baked, brush the cornstarch mixture over the loaves. Return the bread to the oven and bake for another two or three minutes, until the glaze is set. Remove from the pans and cool.