Brioche & French Toast

I've never been great at making french toast...but then I got to thinking, maybe it's the bread's fault.  I don't mean to blame the bread entirely, but, I am going to.  Brioche is definitely a better fit for french toast than my typical 100% whole wheat sandwich bread.  Unfortunately, it's also kind of a pain to make - so if you prefer the easy route, you could certainly purchase a loaf of brioche or other type of light, airy bread for your french toast.

This recipe is not hard - it just requires time and patience - both of which I do not always have.  You will need to start this the night before you intend to bake it.  If you want to make it into french toast the next day, you'll want to get up a few hours before you intend to eat so you have time for the 2nd rise and bake time.

Even though I will probably not make this a weekly staple, it does make two loaves which is nice so you can freeze one for later - and if you want something special for guests or a weekend brunch, it is worth the time because it is delicious! :)

Brioche Bread

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons lukewarm whole milk

1/2 ounce instant yeast

1 pound 2 ounces all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sea salt

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened, plus more for pans

1/4 cup superfine sugar (you can use a food processor to make regular sugar superfine)

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon milk

Directions:

Place the milk and yeast in a small bowl; stir to dissolve.

Place the flour, salt, and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment; add yeast mixture and mix on low speed to combine and knead, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula; knead on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar. Add a few small pieces of butter mixture to dough; with the mixer on low, add remaining butter mixture, a little bit at a time. When all the butter mixture has been added, increase speed and continue mixing until smooth, shiny, somewhat comes away from the sides of the bowl, and is elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.  It will be super sticky and not form a solid ball of dough – that’s okay – that’s how it’s supposed to be.  Fear not!

Butter a large bowl, transfer dough to prepared bowl, and cover with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume about 2 hours.  Since it’s freezing here in the winter and our house is not very warm, I like to pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees, then turn off and place the bowl of dough in the warm oven for the 2 hours.

Lift dough from bowl and drop back into bowl to deflate; repeat process once or twice. Cover bowl and transfer to refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.

Butter two loaf pans and divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Divide each piece of dough into 8 equal pieces; form each piece into a ball. Place 8 balls of dough in each loaf pan, side-by-side.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and milk. Brush dough with egg yolk mixture, reserving remaining. Spray two pieces of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray; cover dough in both pans, cooking spray-side down and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Brush each loaf very lightly with reserved egg yolk mixture. Transfer pans to oven and bake until brioche just begins to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees conventional oven and continue baking until deep golden brown.  Remove from oven and let brioche cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and place onto a wire rack and let cool completely.  Be careful – the bread is delicate.  If you will not be using both loaves right away, you can freeze one by wrapping it in tin foil and sealing it in a large Ziploc bag.

Brioche is great for many things but my favorite way to use it is by making French toast.  It’s also great for grilled cheese, burger buns, dinner rolls, and peanut butter banana toast.

If you’re looking for a tasty French toast recipe – you can check out the one below that some friends made for us.  I instantly fell in love with it and knew I would need to make it at home.  The brie melts in your mouth and the subtle hint of rosemary in the wine syrup somehow makes you feel – more awesome…if that’s possible.

Enjoy!

Wine & Rosemary French Toast

Ingredients

Roasted Red Grapes:
1 cup seedless red table grapes, sliced in half
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
1/2 teaspoon very finely chopped rosemary

Pinch sea salt

Wine & Rosemary Syrup:
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon (or any red wine)

1 fresh rosemary sprig
1/3 cup maple syrup

Egg Wash:
3 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

French toast:
6 1-inch-thick slices brioche bread
2 tablespoons butter
French brie, sliced

Directions

For the roasted grapes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the sliced grapes, coconut oil, rosemary and salt. Mix to coat the grapes evenly. Scatter the grapes on a sheet pan covered in tin foil and roast in the oven, 15 to 20 minutes. They should not be shriveled up, just plump and juicy.

For the syrup: In the meantime, in a stainless steel saucepan, add the wine and rosemary sprig. Simmer on medium-low heat until reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the rosemary, add the syrup, turn off the heat and let rest. (This can be done ahead of time)

For the egg wash: In a bowl or casserole dish large enough to fit the bread flatly on the surface, beat the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat until all the ingredients are well combined.

For the French toast: Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet to medium-high. Dip the bread in egg wash on both sides, allowing the egg wash to soak in but not over saturate the bread. Add the butter to the skillet and let melt. Place the bread in the skillet and let brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the bread over and place some brie on the cooked side of 1 slice of bread. Allow the cheese to soften while the second side cooks to golden brown. Turn off the heat and sandwich the 2 slices together. Cut the bread on a diagonal and plate. Top with roasted grapes and drizzle with wine syrup.

Recipes adapted from Martha Stewart & Food Network

Lemon Cranberry Bread

Lately fresh lemons have been a staple on my grocery list.  I wish they were more affordable this time of year but they are still worth it for certain recipes and cocktails. 

This bread was super easy to whip up and also a good way to use up some dried cranberries and yogurt I had on hand. 

 Mmm...lemon glaze. 

I just love those little curls of lemon zest! :)

Lemon Cranberry Bread

Ingredients

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice
½ cup Dried Cranberries
1 lemon, zest of 1

Lemon Glaze: 
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl, until light and fluffy. Add yogurt, eggs and lemon juice; mix well. Stir in dried cranberries and lemon zest. Add to dry ingredients. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Combine glaze ingredients in small mixing bowl. Drizzle over cooled bread.

Makes 1 loaf.

Whole Wheat Crescent Rolls {& more!}

 I love this recipe.  I have to give credit where credit is due...and the credit goes to my mother!  I adapted this recipe from her long-standing well-loved whole bread recipe.  This dough can be used for bread, pizza dough, rolls, buns, sweet rolls, and more!  For instance, I like to split up the dough to make 2 loaves of bread and 3-4 pizza dough servings, or 2 loaves of bread and 8 buns, and 12 crescent rolls.  You can find the recipe for the dough below, and here are the steps for making the crescent rolls: 

For crescent rolls, roll out into a 9-inch circle about ½ an inch thick. 

  Spread with melted butter.  

Cut into pie shapes and roll up to form crescent shape.  After they rise for about 25 minutes, brush lightly with slightly beaten egg and sprinkle with assorted seeds & seasonings (I used poppy seed, sesame seed, and minced garlic).  

   (Bake 15 – 18 minutes or till golden brown).  Very lightly brush with melted butter.

As you can see...it makes enough to feed a small army...or two people for awhile if you freeze most of it :)

Whole Wheat Dough (for Bread, Rolls, & More)

First, mix in stand mixer with the dough attachment- -

1 egg

2/3 cup oil

2/3 cup honey

Then add - -

5 cups hot water

5 cups ground whole-wheat flour 

2 Tbsp. Vital Wheat Gluten

1 Tbsp. (heaping) salt

Mix together, then - -

Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. & 1 tsp. yeast on top

Mix and let rest 5 min.

Add - -

8-10 more cups of whole wheat flour (when it starts to pull away from the sides slowly add until sides are clean of dough)

Mix 10 min.

For Bread - -

Take out of bowl and shape into loaves and place in greased bread pans.  Let raise 20-25 min. or until double.  Bake at 350 degrees 30 – 35 minutes until golden brown and bread pops out of pan easily.  Butter outside of bread, let cool and enjoy!

For Buns - -

Form 2 oz. of dough into ball, place on pan and press down with palm of hand.  Raise 25-30 minutes, and bake (15 -18 minutes or till golden brown).  Brush with melted butter.

zucchini bread

On a cool, early fall Saturday afternoon, I can't think of anything better than a cup of coffee and slice of spiced zucchini bread.  It's so comforting...so full of fall flavor...not to mention a great way to use up the abundance of zucchini from the garden. :)  (in this case...a friend's garden provided the zucchini)

I have cooked a lot of things with zucchini this year, but one of my defaults is zucchini bread.  It's so easy and delicious - and my favorite part is that I can freeze the shredded zucchini ahead of time in 2 cup portions and then thaw it before making the bread. 

Here is my new favorite recipe...hope you enjoy! 

Zucchini Bread (with or without nuts & chocolate...depending on how you like it!)

Ingredients

1/2  cup  canola oil (plus extra for the pan)

1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon  baking powder

1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

1/2  teaspoon  ground ginger

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1/4  teaspoon  baking soda

1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg

pinch ground cloves

1/2  cup  light brown sugar

1/8  cup  agave nectar (you can also use honey or sugar – since agave nectar is twice as sweet as sugar, double the amount if you use granulated sugar)

2  large eggs

1  teaspoon  pure vanilla extract

2 cups shredded zucchini

¼ cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. Oil an 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves.

In a large bowl, mix together the oil, light brown sugar and agave nectar, eggs, and vanilla; mix in the zucchini, chocolate chips and/or nuts (if desired).  Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from real simple

Healthy Multi-Grain Artisan Bread

After visiting my sister-in-law a couple weekends ago, I was inspired to try some new recipes she shared with me.  I have been making homemade bread consistently now for the last two months.  However, I have been mainly using the bread machine that I got at a garage sale.  It is an investment at first to make homemade bread, but once you have all the flour, yeast, and any other ingredients - it can be cost effective, healthy, and delicious. 

I decided to try a new approach to making bread instead of just using the bread machine.  This approach uses the classic artisan method and is simplified in the book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" and "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day" by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.  The best part is that it is easy, healthy (there is no added sugars, milk, etc), and and delicious!  (and I think it looks fancy too)

I encourage you to check out the Whole Grain Master recipe from the book...but here are the modifications I made to make the loaf you see pictured. :) 

Healthy Multi-Grain Artisan Bread

Ingredients: 

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 2/4 cups bread flour

1 1/2 cups rye flour

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp yeast 

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

4 cups luke-warm water (about 100 degrees) 

Directions: 

1) Mix all ingredients in a large bowl or container (a one gallon ice cream pail works well) till there are no dry bits of flour. Put the lid on with a slight opening for air to escape. Let rise 2 hours on countertop.

Either refrigerate* or continue... 

2) Place parchment paper and/or cornmeal on large cutting board.  Sprinkle dough with flour and pull up a grapefruit size amount.  Use more flour so it doesn't stick to your hands.  Form a dough ball by pulling the top under, place on cornmeal, and let sit for 40 min (or 90 min. if refrigerated).   

3) Preheat oven to 425 with a baking stone or pan on middle shelf, with a broiler pan or shallow pan on lower rack.

4) Before sliding bread in oven, brush water on top of loaf and add salt, seasonings, seeds, etc (I used a blend of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt, and minced garlic) and slash loaf 1/4" deep in scallop (or any) design with large serrated knife.  Slide loaf onto a baking stone on the middle shelf, then pour 1c water in pan (the steam helps make the crust nice) and bake bread about 30 min at 425.   

5) Remove bread from baking stone and set on cooling rack.  Wait until cool before cutting into slices. 

*The bucket of dough can be stored in the fridge for about 2 weeks, pulling out dough as needed. It makes about 4 small loaves.

Adapted from: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes

100% Whole Wheat Bread

I rarely pass up a good deal.  Especially if it's something I've been looking for. 

I have been wanting a bread machine lately but didn't want to go out and spend money on a brand new one. Much to my delight, I found one at a garage sale for $7!  The lady there said she had only used it a few times...and I believe her because it looks brand new!  I was super excited.  

I grew up with fresh baked bread.  Not bread machine bread...homemade...self-kneaded...shaped with love...and baked by my mother.  She even grinds her own wheat.  Talk about impressive!  Maybe someday I'll get to that level.  But for now, the bread machine is my new best friend.  Pour in the ingredients and press a button...and fresh bread comes out?  Um...yes, please!  

So here was my first attempt.  I was really happy with how it turned out, especially since I had never made anything with the bread machine before.  I'm excited to try new recipes and keep "homemade bread" on hand instead of having to buy it from the store.  That's my goal...we'll see how long I can stick with it... :) 

100% Whole Wheat Bread 

Makes 1.5 pounds

All ingredients at room temperature (70-80 F)

8-9 ounces water**

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon molasses

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten

1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Add ingredients in bread machine in order (starting with liquids).  Select Whole Wheat setting.  Press Start.  When the display reads 0:00, press Stop and remove the bread. Allow bread to cool on a cooling rack before slicing. 

**I started with the lower amount of water (8 ounces) and then after the first 5 minutes, checked the dough consistency and added the remaining ounce of water.  If the dough is dense, you will want to add the water until the dough is soft and pliable.  

Enjoy!