Sacred Holy Orange Rolls

Sacred Holy Orange Rolls:

From a well-used notecard

2 Cups milk

1/2 cups shortening (yikes! It was good with butter)

1/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water

1/4 tsp sugar

3 beaten eggs

2 teaspoons salt

5 3/4 cups flour

 1 grated orange rind

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

 1/4 cup melted butter for the tops

 Here's the instructions as they're written in my mom's handwriting:

"Melt shortening, sugar and milk (scalded)-- cool, soak yeast in water and sugar-- combine milk yeast eggs in big bowl-- stir in salt and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth and glossy. Add rest of flour, mix well. Cover and let double [about 45 minutes] (quite sticky)-- punch down-- roll out to 1/3 inch rectangle (let the rectangle rest if it won't roll out again)."

 Combine the orange rind, 1/2 cup sugar and butter. Spread orange rind mixture on rectangle.

Roll the rectangle up. Cut rolled dough into 3/4 inch slices, and twist them into knots or blobs or bows. Place them in greased muffin tins or on a greased sheet, and let them rise for half an hour. Drizzle melted butter over the top. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

I checked this book out from the library last year and after three days I had made a small mountain of carmel-crusted, fluffy crumbed toothsome baked goods. Two olive-oil soaked flatbreads, three loaves of crackly wholesome wheat and oat bread, and a pizza dinner later... I was convinced. I promptly returned the library book before all the pages got gummed together and Amazoned myself my own copy, now floured and gummed without fear of library fines.
I love that the authors streamlined the bread-baking event-- which I LOVE in any form-- but this just gives me an excuse to do it even more. Nearly every recipe I've tried has been show stopping, even with my piddly dink no-flash camera.
And the "five minutes" thing-- it's a teeny bit exaggerated. What it really means that the recipes are all no-knead and can be made in big batches, stored in the fridge, and baked up easily one loaf at a time. A beautiful ideal-- suggesting a life of daily fresh baked breads and pastries. The cookbook also includes other recipes that make the breads into complete meals-- soups and salads and savory grilled meats. I recommend you keep a hankie on hand as you read this book to mop up all the drool.

Becca's Tortillas

The first time I made tortillas was on the floor of my freezing cold apartment in Ueda, Japan. My companion was Karina Maqueda, from Mexico City, and we had no languages in common. We communicated in hugs and earnest gestures and feeble monosyllabic Japanese.
She was a real cook-- she would put her finger right into a simmering pot to taste, and then suck on it thoughtfully, then splash in salt or cream in a cascade, a foot above the stove. She had drama and flair. And she gave me a very stern look when she caught me eating my asparagus right out of the cooking water. "Do you always eat it like THAT?"
I wish these were her tortillas, which she threw together and rolled quickly with her palms, and spread into even perfect circles. But they're not.
I like to make these in huge batches and freeze whatever I don't use that day. So this recipe makes about 3o.

Becca's Tortillas

2 c white flour
2 c wheat flour
2 c corn meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. lard
2 and 3/4 c. hot water

Knead these together with your hands until it comes together into a ball and holds together, about 5 minutes. Then roll the dough into balls of about 2 tbsp each, flouring your hands and the board if you need to. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes.
Then heat a skillet or two to medium. Roll the balls out into even thin circles and cook in the hot pan (ungreased!) for a minute on one side, 20 seconds on the other. Adjust the heat if it takes too long or blackens too quickly. Juggle rolling pin, flour, hot pans, dough, and spatula until you have a small mountain of tortillas. Let them cool, then freeze 'em!

Joy's All-Whole-Wheat Bread Cockaigne

Joy's All-Whole-Wheat Bread Cockaigne
Combine in a large bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes

1/4 c. warm water
2.25 tsp yeast
1 tbsp brown sugar

combine:

6 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c. dry milk powder

combine, and then add to the yeast mixture:

2 cups warm water or miolk
1 tsp salt
1-3 tbsp melted butter or bacon fat
4-6 tbsp molasses or honey

Gradually add the flour to the yeast and butter mixture. Knead briefly. Allow dough to rise covered until doubled, and once in greased loaf pans, about an hour each.
preheat the oven to 350, bake about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and bottom sounds hollow. Cool completely on a rack.
Rating: B Good, but not really inspiring. I like that it's all-wheat, though...