Recipe | Easy Bread Dough

Bread is a staple in the pantry.  I do buy store bought bread often because it is so convenient.  But nothing beats homemade, fresh out of the oven.

Whether you have a stand mixer or not, you can make beautiful bread.  And beautiful bread starts with well made dough.  Dough is so versatile too, it’s a good skill to have in your cooking toolbox.

I think of dough as a method, rather than a recipe.  Using the same method, by varying a few ingredients, you can make so many things.

Bread, buns, pizza crust, bagels, pretzels, cinnamon buns, pita bread, naan, brioche …. Etc

You can buy different kinds of yeast, you can enrich the dough with eggs and milk, you can choose different grades of flour or mix the flour with other grains.

The basics are:
Warm water, yeast, sugar (or some form of sugar to feed the yeast), oil or butter, salt and flour.

I have been making bread since I was about 16 (when bread makers had 10 fingers and were at the end of your arms), nearly 25 years now and have learned many shortcuts.  I have even, in a pinch, done without salt or oil.  Just water, sugar, yeast & flour will make bread.  My pantry is never without those items.

My “recipe” yields one loaf of bread, or 8 large buns, or one large pizza crust:

1.5 cups warm water
1 tbsp honey or sugar
1 tbsp yeast
4 tbsp oil
1 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
3-3.5 cups flour 

Watch my video for the “how-to” on making this recipe.  My video uses a stand mixer with a dough hook, but I learned how to do this using a bowl, a wooden spoon and my hands.  Don't let the lack of fancy tools stop you from trying.  :)

Making bread is very tactile.  You really just need to do it over and over until you are able to read your dough to tell when it is done.  This should not be a discouragement from starting. 

https://youtu.be/QThvr7d22sM

Fondly,

Charity

Facebook: www.facebook.com/northernhomespunlife

Instagram: www.instagram.com/northernhomespun

Pinterest: www.pinterest.ca/northernhomespun

Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/designers/charity-gruenwald

Etsy: www.etsy.com/ca/shop/MrsBeeKeeper

Blog: https://northernhomespunlife.blogspot.ca

Email: homespun.charity@gmail.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCOrJC4Qg7ijc9Pv8sni0SFQ

Pattern | "Steps" Buttoned Cowl

Bulky yarn, large needles and a simple design make this pretty cowl a quick and easy project.

This is my first time making my own pattern.  How exciting!

I made several of them while I was testing the pattern and filming the video (twice).  So I have listed them for sale on my Etsy shop.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/579343636/buttoned-cowl?ref=listing_published_alert

But, if you are inclined - the pattern is available as a FREE download from my Ravelry page:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/steps-buttoned-cowl

A tutorial on knitting this pattern is available on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/0UEfGK1dyqA

I used this pattern as a stash buster.  I had been given several large bags of varying kinds of yarns.  I happened to grab a bulky yarn.  If you want to use some of your stash, but don't have any bulky yarn, try holding several strands of worsted weight together.

Tag me if you make this cowl.  I'd love to see your creations!

Fondly,
Charity

Facebook: www.facebook.com/northernhomespunlife
Instagram: www.instagram.com/northernhomespun
Pinterest: www.pinterest.ca/northernhomespun
Ravelry: www.ravelry.com/designers/charity-gruenwald
Etsy: www.etsy.com/ca/shop/MrsBeeKeeper
Blog: https://northernhomespunlife.blogspot.ca
Email: homespun.charity@gmail.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCOrJC4Qg7ijc9Pv8sni0SFQ

Recipe | Fresh Mozzarella

I'll start by saying - I'm no great cheese maker - but I will continue until I am (persistence in all things).  I made cheese successfully a couple years ago, then put my cheese making aside to learn other things.

My husband suggested some fresh mozzarella for this past weekend, and I was on board.
(Recipe card and video link at the end of this post.)

The last time I made cheese, I was reading other recipes after the fact and found another recipe from seriouseats.com I wanted to try.  So I chose that one to follow on this occasion.  I followed the recipe exactly, but felt that I perhaps stirred my curd a little much after adding the rennet.  I also started to feel a little rushed at the end (because I had gotten a late start and had a guest for dinner - who arrived on time and I wasn't ready).  So I rushed the end process and got mixed results.  And the next day I discovered, my video footage was out of frame!  Sigh. Overall - I ended up with a passable cheese.  On the day I made it, we had beautiful homemade pizza, and the fresh mozzarella melted wonderfully and was delicious.  I had leftover cheese and refrigerated overnight.  When I tasted the next day, I thought the texture was good, but was a little bland.  I added a little salt on top and it was remarkably tastier.  Good even.


Because my video footage didn't work out, I decided to do a second batch using the recipe I first did 2 years ago.  A noted difference is the addition of lipase.  Everything was going well, so I thought, until I removed the curd from the pot.  Now it appeared I didn't stir it quite enough - it was far too soft - not enough whey had been expelled.  I got my whey hot enough for pulling, and the first ball seemed to turn out ok.  But still was breaking apart (I believe because there was too much whey in the curd).  The second ball wouldn't hold together at all.  But all my video footage was in frame.  :)  All in all, the cheese is edible.  The curd that wouldn't stretch into mozzarella can still be eaten in poutine.  Fresh cheese curd will make excellent poutine.

Before making any cheese, whether you use my recipe / method below, or another you find online, make sure you read through at least 2 times.  I encourage you to then write out the process on your own.  Make sure you have all the right tools & ingredients.

Cheese does require a few special ingredients.  I have bought from Glengarry Cheese before.  They are a good one stop shop.  But I wanted to see if I could get them locally.  I contacted a local cheese maker to see if they would sell me rennet and they did so happily (and at a good price).  (Be sure to have them clarify if it is regular strength or double strength).  The citric acid was available at the local wine making shop.  I still had some lipase from my last cheese making, double bagged - stored in the freezer.  (But I'm pretty sure I saw lipase at the wine making shop also.)

Rather than give you the 2 recipes I used this weekend, below is a hybrid - and the method I will continue to use until it's perfect.

With that all said, here's a look at how my process went.

https://youtu.be/Dferf3BQftk

Fondly,
Charity

Midweek Planning - Mozzarella

I still didn't know what I wanted to do for crafting this weekend.  I had asked on Facebook, but hadn't heard any definite suggestions. But my dear husband piped up and said he'd like me to make some cheese.  Some lovely fresh mozzarella.

This one takes some planning ahead.  And I'm glad I spent some time to think about it today.  I need to get some ingredients and take out all my cheese making supplies to give them all a good sanitation.  I know I need to get some rennet, and I need to see where I can get some better milk.  The last time I made cheese I used the wrong milk (more on that when I actually make the cheese) and I had disappointing results.

I look forward to bringing you all along for the process.  And I hope it inspires you to try it yourself.

(PS - I see pizza bread and caprese salad in our future this weekend.)

Fondly,
Charity

Recipe | Lemon Butter

Over the weekend, I filmed and uploaded my first real YouTube video: Canning Lemon Butter.

This blog post is a companion to that video.

I have to start by saying how nervous I was at first, but actually really enjoyed the process and look forward to making other videos.  It took me over an hour to set up my shot - to figure out what angle would work best.  But now that I have, the next time I do a cooking or canning video, I will know how to set up and it shouldn't take so long.  I also still had to learn more on using my video editing software, but I think I've got it down now.

My video started with a post on Facebook about what you wanted to see.  Most people suggested a canning video.  Since it's January, there's not much fresh produce to can.  Though it doesn't always have to be fresh produce in order to can - there will be more videos on canning coming.  I had some lemons on hand and decided on lemon butter.

If you're anything like me, I go through phases in the kitchen.  I'll make biscuits 3 times in a week, and then not again for 3 months.  Or I'll make 12 batches of cookies, and then no cookies for a year.  As such, when I'm making a recipe that uses equipment that might have been in the cupboard for months, that I give everything a good wash before I start.  Especially when canning, which I only do a few times a year, everything needs to be sterilized with boiling water.

I also read through a recipe a couple of times and then prep all the ingredients in to prep bowls.  For below, instead of cracking eggs into the sauce pan, and then measuring sugar directly from the canister to the pan, I have made sure all the ingredients were measured and set aside before starting.

If you are going to can this recipe, before you begin, get out canner and supplies and 4 jars with new lids and rings.  Heat jars in canner while cooking the Lemon Butter.  Then ladle hot liquid into jars.  Wipe rims with a cloth dipped in vinegar and add to canner.  Return canner to a full roiling boil and set timer for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes turn off heat and wait for water to calm.  Carefully remove jars with tongs and set on a towel.  Leave undisturbed until lids "ping" - vacuum pulls seal down.

Label jars and store on shelf.  I've read that it should be used within 4 months.  With other jams, the shelf life is much longer.  But because this has both eggs and butter, it should be used sooner.

For myself, if it's past the date, I check the seal.  If it is still intact, then I observe if there is any visible colour change.  If the colour is good, then I open and check the smell.  If all those pass, then I will taste a small amount.  I haven't ever had to discard spoiled canning to date.

Here's a picture of some foods I've water bath canned in the last few years:

Pictured left to right:
Spiced pears (with vanilla bean, cinnamon & cloves), cherries, plain pears, garlic dill pickles, peach syrup (leftover from canning), tomato sauce, blueberry jam, sweet pickles, peaches, pickled beets and relish.

Well I'll keep this post short and sweet.  Hope to have something new for you again next week!

Fondly,
Charity

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