I always love having the weekend off with my hubby. Having no plans is somewhat depressing for some people but I absolutely love the solitude. I have all day to dream up what I want to make for dinner. Since I bake at work all day the last thing I want to do after a long day on my feet is bake some more. So I usually pull out whatever I've prepped and try to pull a dish together in 15 minutes. But on the weekend I'm a baking machine.
I spent most of yesterday reading blogs and recipe hunting. Which ultimately cause me to dream of food all night. I don't think I have ever had that experience before. So today I woke up ready to do some damage in my kitchen. I made Challah, Old Fashioned Lemon Buttermilk Cake (that I found on bakingandbooks.com), and lastly turkey meatball subs, as requested by my hubby.
Makes me wanna challah!
I absolutely love making bread. There's nothing better than kneading and shaping dough other than the aroma of fresh baked bread. Challah is such a versatile bread for both sweet and savory applications. My favorite way to eat this eggy sweet bread is to smear it with apricot jam and goat cheese. But I have also used it for deli sandwiches, like tuna salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and sliced red onions. YUM! Another good use for it is to make french toast, or bread pudding.
Here is the recipe I always use.
Challah
Ingredients:
4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water (110 degrees F)
2 c. hot whole milk
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter
2 tsp. salt
5 eggs, slightly beaten
10 c. all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
Topping:
egg wash: 1 egg mixed with a little water
optional: poppy seeds or sesame seeds
Directions:
1. Mix (proof) yeast with 1/2 c. warm water in a 5 qt. kitchen aid mixing bowl. Let stand 10 minutes, if the yeast does not foam up throw out your yeast and get some fresher stuff.
2. In a microwave safe container melt butter and add in you milk heating that to 110 degrees F. Whisk in sugar and salt. Combine well. Add slightly beaten eggs, and milk mixture to yeast mixture, combine well.
3. Add 2 cups flour and beat until smooth. Slowly add remaining flour until it forms a stiff dough. Knead on a floured board for 10 minutes (5 minutes with a bread hook). Place in a large glass or plastic bowl lightly greased. Turn dough over to grease both sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, dark place until doubled in volume, approximately 60 minutes. I use the top of a preheated oven.
4.Punch down, cover, and let rise again until double, approximately 30 minutes.
5.Punch again, and form into three parts. Form each part into a 20-inch roll. Braid rolls on a large, greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled.
6.Lightly coat loaves with egg wash and top with seeds. Bake in preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for about 55 minutes until nicely browned. May be made into three regular sized loaves. Reduce baking time slightly.
Here are the pics of the other two items
Anyone willing to trade challah, cake, or meatballs for cleaning some dishes?
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