Flour Tortillas

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Homemade Four Tortillas

(adapted from LaDonna's recipe at allrecipes.com)

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons lard (or shortening)
1 1/2 cups water (I used hot water based on reviewer comments)

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers (or a food processor!) until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic (or knead with food processor!). Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer (or under tea towel); continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

Challah Bread

Recipe from cuisinart recipe book that came with my food processor:

Challah Bread (adapted from Cuisinart's recipe book)

3 tbs white sugar, divided  (I probably used more like 3 tbs + 2 tsp)

1 package active dry yeast (googled to be 2 1/4 tsp)

1/4 cup warm water

3 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour (406 grams)

1 1/2 tsp table salt

1/2 cup cold water

1/3 cup butter, melted (76 grams)

1 large egg, mixed

egg glaze (1 large egg + 1 tbs water)

cooking spray

In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, combine 2 tsp sugar, yeast and the warm water.  Let stand until foamy, ~5min.

In food processor using dough blade, add flour, 3 tbs sugar and salt.  Pulse 2-3 times to mix.

In the cup with the proofed yeast, add cold water, melted butter and the egg.  With the food processor on, slowly pour in the liquids in a steady stream.  Let the food processor knead the dough for 45 seconds (I'm obsessive so I actually timed this exactly).  Place dough in a plastic ziplock bag and let rise for 1-1.5 hours (1 hour was good for me) until doubled in size.

Place dough on lightly floured surface and press down.  Divide into 3 equal pieces and roll into long ropes (1 1/2 x 14 inches, again I measured because I like measuring).  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, set the three ropes onto the sheet and braid.  Tuck the loose ends under and let rise another 45 min until doubled in size.  (Cover with a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking)

Preheat the oven to 375F, 15 minutes before you are ready to bake.  Mix up the egg glaze and brush on the top of the bread.  Bake for 20 minutes on the lower third of the oven and then turn the heat down to 350F and bake another 10 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  

Multigrain Bread from Cook's Illustrated

I haven't tried this myself yet but Ferret will give this the test run and report back.

MAKES TWO 9 BY 5-INCH LOAVES

Don't confuse 7-grain hot cereal mix with boxed, cold breakfast cereals that may also be labeled "7-grain." Our favorite brands of 7-grain mix are Bob's Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills. Leftover bread can be wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 3 days; wrap with an additional layer of aluminum foil and the bread can be frozen for up to one month.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 1/4ounces 7-grain hot cereal mix , 1 1/4 cups, (see note above)
• 20ounces boiling water (2 1/2 cups)
• 15ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (3 cups), plus extra for dusting work surface
• 7 1/2ounces whole wheat flour (1 1/2 cups)
• 4tablespoons honey
• 4tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
• 2 1/2teaspoons instant yeast
• 1tablespoon table salt
• 3/4cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, (unsalted)
• 1/2cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Place cereal mix in bowl of standing mixer and pour boiling water over it; let stand, stirring occasionally, until mixture cools to 100 degrees and resembles thick porridge, about 1 hour. Whisk flours in medium bowl.
2. 2. Once grain mixture has cooled, add honey, melted butter, and yeast and stir to combine. Attach bowl to standing mixer fitted with dough hook. With mixer running on low speed, add flours, 1/2 cup at a time, and knead until dough forms ball, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes; cover bowl with plastic and let dough rest 20 minutes. Add salt and knead on medium-low speed until dough clears sides of bowl, 3 to 4 minutes (if it does not clear sides, add 2 to 3 tablespoons additional
   all-purpose flour and continue mixing); continue to knead dough for 5 more minutes. Add seeds and knead for another 15 seconds. Transfer dough to floured work surface and knead by hand until seeds are dispersed evenly and dough forms smooth, taut ball. Place dough into greased container with 4-quart capacity; cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.
3. 3. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and pat into 12 by 9-inch rectangle; cut dough in half crosswise with knife or bench scraper. Follow illustrations 1 through 3 below to shape loaves and coat with oats; cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes. (Dough should barely spring back when poked with knuckle.) Bake until internal temperature registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and cool on wire rack before slicing, about 3 hours.

Amish White Bread

Lifted from Allrecipes.com

1.5 cup water
4.25 cups bread flour
3 tbs white sugar
2 tbs dry milk
2 tsp salt
2 tbs butter
2 tsp active dry yeast

Smaller loaf:
1 cup, 2 tbs water
3 cup, 3 tbs flour
2 1/4 tbs sugar
1.5 tbs dry milk
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tbs butter
1.5 tsp yeast

Jo's Rosemary Bread

Lifted from Allrecipes.com

1-1/3 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

3-1/2 cups bread flour

2 tsp white sugar

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbs minced fresh rosemary

2 tsp active dry yeast