A Whole Grain Focaccia

Creating variations of this bread baking is really becoming a fun thing!

This recipe is almost the same as the previous except for the flour and the seeds/seasonings I added to the dough. Next time I might use some corn flour and increase the yeast a bit.

200g Italian 00 flour - from Caputo, Italy
3T ground flax seed + enough rye flour to = 100g

7g everything bagel seasoning
1/2-1t Himalayan pink salt

4.5g active dry yeast

280g warm (115°) water

2t raw organic honey

Whisk the flour and seasoning in a big glass bowl. Heat the water to 115° and stir in the yeast and sweetener. Once dissolved, let it activate for 10 minutes or so. Pour this into the flour bowl. Working quickly with a silicone spatula, mix this together until all the flour is absorbed.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in your unheated oven with the light on. That brings the temperature to around 85° and there are no drafts to interfere with the rising process. When it's doubled in size, in an hour or two, take it out of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 395°F (200°C) Butter a glass baking pan very well* Pour and scrape the dough into the pan using the spatula to spread it evenly to the corners.

Drizzle with EVOO and oil your fingers. Poke them into the surface of the dough to make little 'wells'.

Sprinkle the top with flaked salt or any seasoning you like. I used everything bagel seasoning just before baking.

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy on top. Cool 20 minutes or so then remove from the pan - this time the bread removed very easily. Cut it into strips and squares. This is really good split and toasted when used as the base of an egg sandwich or avocado toast. . .Lin

Whole Grain, Seed-and-Flax Artisan Bread

Just so you know. . .baking artisan bread is pretty time intensive. It would be good to read all the way through this process so you're not surprised by that. Knowing that, I decided to have a late night and didn't start this process until noon today. . .

I've been looking for just the right recipe that fits the title I created for a special artisan bread. I found something similar but very basic. I used it as a guide for proportions, but I had to make many changes and additions - and came up with this.

In taking this photo, I realized it looks like a Bob's Red Mill ad! That wasn't intentional, but I've found the Red Mill products to be highly rated and they work well for me. When you find ingredients from one source, they often create a more predictable, quality product.

2-1/2c Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour

1/2c organic rye flour

3T Bob's Red Mill ground flax seed

2T Everything Bagel Seasoning

1-1/2t Himalayan pink salt

1/2t Bob's Red Mill active dry yeast

1-1/2c warm water

1T raw unfiltered honey

Whisk the first group of ingredients together in a big bowl. In a measuring container, mix the warm (110°) water and honey then stir in the active dry yeast. Let it sit 5-10 minutes to get foamy. Add this to the dry bowl mixing with a silicone spatula until the dough is shaggy but the flour is all incorporated. Transfer this to a sheet of wax paper. Wash the bowl then drizzle it with a generous amount of good quality EVOO. Put the dough back in the bowl, flipping it a couple times to get the surface completely oiled. Cover and let it rest on the counter, away from drafts, for 8-10 hours. If your kitchen is cool, like mine, it might be good to put it in your oven with the oven light on for just a tiny bit of warmth.

Preheat your oven to 450° Put a 4 or 6 quart Dutch oven into the oven for 30 minutes to preheat. Use a 4 quart for a higher loaf, a 6 quart for a flatter, wider loaf.

While that's happening. . .turn the dough out onto a floured surface, forming it into a ball with floured hands. Cover with plastic or a large inverted bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.

After this time elapses - working quickly - open the oven, and pull out the rack, flour your hands again and put the dough ball into the hot Dutch oven. Cut a "slash" across the top, about 1/2" deep, with a very sharp serrated knife.

Cover this with the lid and bake 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue baking another 10 minutes to brown up the top. Cool completely before slicing. . .Lin

Cranberry-Orange Healthy Nut Muffins

If you don't like overly sweet muffins, this recipe might be what you're looking for.

1c organic rye flour

2c unbleached all-purpose flour

1T pumpkin pie spice

2T each: ground flax, chi seeds

1/2c each chopped: pecans, walnuts

1t each: salt, baking soda, baking powder

1T pure vanilla

1c coconut sugar

3 pasture raised eggs

3/4c each: single source EVOO

3/4c plain whole milk Greek Yogurt

2 whole Cutie mandarins - chopped

2c chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat your oven to 350°

Whisk the first group of dry ingredients together in the big glass bowl, then do the same with the next group in the other bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry bowl. Mix well but quickly, only until all the flour is incorporated. Spoon into muffin cups and/or greased loaf pans. Bake the muffins about 20 minutes. The loaf pan will take an additional 5-10 minutes.

This made 24 muffins and a muffin loaf. Good for breakfast or a healthy snack. . .Lin 

Vegetable, Fruit, Seeds and Nuts, Corn, Wheat and Rye Quick Bread - Muffins

In a big glass bowl, whisk together these dry ingredients:

1c rye flour

1+1/2c all purpose flour

1/2c corn flour

1t salt

1t baking soda

1t baking powder

1T pumpkin pie spice

2T chia seeds

2T ground flax seeds

1c chopped pecans or walnuts

In a smaller bowl, stir together:

3 lightly beaten lg. eggs

3/4c single source EVOO

3/4c plain Greek yogurt

3/4c dark brown sugar

1c raisins

1T real (Mexican) vanilla

When ingredients in the smaller bowl are combined, stir in:

2 med. carrots + 1 8oz. zucchini - shredded

Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Pour the ingredients from the smaller bowl into the big bowl. Stir-mix well with a rubber spatula. The batter will be heavy - my spatula was able to stand up in the center of the bowl. Using a serving spoon, fill each paper lined muffin cup 3/4 full with the batter.

The remaining batter will keep several days in your 'fridge, or you can bake it into a loaf of quick bread in a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins and bread with spiced sugar if you want, just before baking.

Bake the muffins for 20 minutes or until they pass the toothpick test. The batter in the bread pan will probably take another 5-10 minutes to bake all the way through. . .Lin