Misc. Recipes

This morning the assignment I had for my cooking class required that I make “Mile-High Pancakes.” I was to mix them up according to the directions and then save out about 1/4 of the batter and mix it an additional 2 minutes. This additional mixing was to show what happens when you over-mix things like pancakes that require very little mixing. By over-mixing you develop too much gluten which then makes a tough pancake.

Mile-High Pancakes

Source: Rouxbe.com

Yield: 4 servings
Step 1: Measuring the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
*If you have griddle or flat top, then preheat it to medium-high.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp table salt
Step 2: Measuring the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and oil.
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
Step 3: Mixing the Batter
To mix the batter, first push the dry ingredients to one side of the bowl and then pour the wet ingredients into the opposite side.
Then slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet. As soon as the batter comes together, stop mixing.
Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes. The batter will thicken slightly as it sits. Do not remix once the baking powder has started to react.
Step 4: Cooking the Pancakes
1 to 2 tsp canola or vegetable oil
Before you start cooking, make sure your griddle is nice and hot. If you do not have a griddle, then preheat a fry pan (preferably non-stick) to medium or medium-high.
Once hot, ladle about 1/2 to 1 cup of batter onto the griddle. Let the pancakes cook until you start to see bubbles break the surface.
Then flip and continue to cook on the other side. It should take about 3 to 5 minutes to cook the pancakes, but this will depend on your heat source, and how thick your pancakes are.
Once done, serve immediately with butter and maple syrup.
Notes:
Swiss Cheese Pancakes: Yes, it may sound weird, but I am here to tell you they are really good.
To make them, thinly slice 2 pieces of Swiss cheese per pancake. As the pancake cooks on the first side, lay the cheese onto the raw batter. When you flip the pancake over the cheese will sort of melt and brown slightly. Once done, serve with butter and maple syrup and you are in for a real treat. It’s that whole “sweet and savory” thing all in one.

Over the years I have purchased a number of things from www.kingarthurflour.com so they send me all kinds of catalogs. I started noticing they had a couple of different stoneware pans with covers for baking bread. The purpose of these pans is “to cradle the loaf as it rises. When you put the pan in the oven, and cover it with the lid, the steam generated by the baking bread emulates a steam-injected oven, making the crispy, crackly crust of your dreams (and a moist, chewy interior, too.)”
Well, I have a lot of the Pampered Chef stoneware so I decided I would try using my regular bread pan and put another one over the top of it to see what would happen. It made a huge different. The loaf stays moist longer and the texture is light and fluffy. Next I’m going to try an artisan loaf in the round Pampered Chef stoneware that I have and see what the texture will turn out to be.
I’m thinking you can do the same with cast-iron....
Here is the bread recipe that I now use:

Instant Potato Bread

Source: The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine (modified)

1/2 c. water
1 1/4 t. salt
2/3 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 T. dark honey
2 1/2 c. bread flour
1/3 c. instant potato flakes
1 T. gluten
3/4 t. malt powder - optional
1 3/4 t SAF yeast - OR 2 1/4 t. bread machine yeast
Place all the ingredients in the bread machine pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set on dough cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with the Delay Timer.) The dough ball will be nicely formed and slightly sticky but stiff at the same time when tested. It should feel a bit sticky, so take care not to add any more than an extra tablespoon of flour. The potato flakes will soak up the extra moisture during the rises and will become smooth during the rising.
Put a 2 cup glass measure cup in the microwave - filled with water - and set it for 3 minutes about 3 minutes before taking the dough out of the bread machine. That way the microwave it warm and humid; then place the dough in a greased bread pan in the warm/humid microwave and let it rise until double or about 1 hour.
Before placing the dough in the bread pan make sure you have pressed out the air pockets and shaped it into a loaf.
Grease an additional stoneware bread pan and place it carefully over the dough that has risen and place in a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for about 30 minutes.
Remove top bread pan after 30 minutes and put back in oven for another 5 minutes to brown the top of the loaf or until an instant thermometer registers 190 F. Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.

Nutella Banana Bread

Butter and sugar two bread pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. sour milk or buttermilk
2 c. bananas - (about 6)
2 t. soda
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
3 oz. Nutella
Cream butter and sugar together. Mash bananas and combine with eggs and buttermilk. Combine soda, salt and flour. Stir in flour mixture alternately with the banana mixture, a little at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Stir 1 cup of bread batter into the Nutella.
Divide half of the plain batter into your prepared loaf pans. Top each with 1/2 the Nutella batter. Cover with plain batter and top with the last 1/2 of the Nutella batter. Use a chopstick to swirl the batters together.
Bake loaf at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until a tester comes out clean from the center.
Let loaf cool for a few minutes, then remove from pan. Serve warm or let cool completely and wrap tightly to keep fresh. Print this post