Cinnamon Bread

BREAD
4-5 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 packets (4-1/2 teaspoons) yeast (if you're using bulk yeast, you might cut back to, say, 3-1/2 to 4 teaspoons,  because this seems overkill)
2 cups water
1/4 cup oil (I used coconut oil and it was delish, but the recipe cools for veg oil or shortening)

FILLING
1/4 cup Buttery Stick margarine
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg


Grease two 8x4 or 9.5 loaf pans.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast.

Using microwave or stovetop, heat water and oil to warm, but not hot temperature.

Add oil and water to mixing bowl and blend. Then mix at medium speed for 3 minutes.

Stir in the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Use dough hook and mixer (or by hand) and knead for about 10 minutes.

Place dough in greased/oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and then a towel. Place in a warm draftless spot for about 45-60 minutes, until dough doubles in bulk.

Punch down; let rest 10 minutes.

Divide in half and roll each out to a rectangle approximately 11 x 7 inches.

Melt the butter. Mix cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar in a small bowl.

Spread half of the melted butter over surface and sprinkle with half of the cinnamon/nutmeg/sugar mixture. Roll up and pinch to seal.

Repeat.

Place in prepared pans, forming an "S' to fit.

Cover loosely with dish towel and let rise another 30-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped (mine was down about 30-35 minutes, so check early).

Coffee Cake With Streusel

Adapted from Heirloom Baking.

For streusel
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold Earth Balance butter
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

For cake
1-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup evaporated cane juice sugar
1/4 cup Earth Balance butter
1 banana, mashed
1/2 to 3/4 cup nondairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of 8-inch cake pan or baking dish with aluminum foil, shiny side up. Coat with vegetable shortening. To make the streusel: Place brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl and lightly mix. Work in butter with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add pecans and combine; set aside. To make the cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. In a small bowl, mix together banana, milk and vanilla; then combine with dry ingredients. Place half of the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel on top of the batter. Add the rest of the batter to the pan and sprinkle the remaining streusel on top. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool before cutting.

Sourdough Bread Starter

DAY 1:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup water

Mix and put in 4-cup container. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in cool area for 48 hours.

DAY 3:
When consistency is like a thin pancake batter with a few bubbles, remove and discard half of the starter. Then stir in:

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup water

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.

DAYS 4 and 5:
Discard half. Stir in:

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup water

Cover, but not at tightly. Leave at room temperature.

DAY 6:
If active, the starter will have increased in volume to at least 3 cups. If this is not the cast, continue process above.

To begin breadmaking, use half of the starter in bread recipe. If not beginning breadmaking, then discard this half.

Refresh the remaining half with 1 cup water, 1-1/2 cups flour, leaving sit for one hour before refrigerating. Repeat this refresh step once a week to feed the starter. Best to refresh day before baking.

I have used this in the No-Knead Crusty Bread recipe with success.

Zucchini Bread

Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking.

3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/2 cup water
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 cups evaporated cane juice sugar
2 cups grated zucchini (about 3, depending on size)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease two 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pans. Place water in blender and add flaxseed; whip until thick and sticky creamy/gooey. In a large mixing bowl, add oil, vinegar and sugar, mixing to combine. Add the flaxseed mixture and mix. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined. Do not overmix. Divide between the two pans and bake for 60 to 70 minutes.

Danishes

5 teaspoons yeast
1-1/4 cups warm soy milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice sugar
3 cups flour

1-1/2 cups EarthBalance butter
1/4 cup flour

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk; stir and let stand a few minutes to soften. Add salt and sugar; mix well. Pour in flour and mix briefly, just until it comes together. Set aside to prepare butter mixture: cut cold butter into small chunks onto work surface; sprinkle with flour and smear together with palm of hand; shape into rectangle 4 by five inches; place between wax paper or plastic wrap and roll to 7 x 9 inches; refrigerate.

Roll out dough to 10 x 14 rectangle. Place prepared butter at one end and fold over the top. Roll out again, then fold into thirds, wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll out and fold in thirds; wrap and refrigerate 45 minutes. Roll out and fold in thirds; wrap and refrigerate 60 minutes. Repeat one last time.

Divide dough in half. Roll one of the two halves into 12 by 16 rectancle. Cut lengthwise into three strips. Cut each strip into 4-inch squares. Fill and shape each dough as desired (e.g., make diagonal cuts at corners and fold over filling to make a pinwheel). Place on baking sheets and let rise about one hour. Brush with soy milk and bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 12 to 14 minutes. Brush with icing.

Rosemary and Garlic Focaccia

Adapted from Flatbreads and Flavors.

1-1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon rapid yeast
approximately 4 to 5 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 more tablespoons olive oil
equivalent of 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 or so sprigs of rosemary, leaves only, lightly chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt

In a large bowl, place the water and stir in the yeast to dissolve. Stir in 1 cup of flour, stirring constantly in the same direction. Stir in another cup of flour, and then stir 100 times in the same direction, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl and let rest 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the sponge and add another 1/2 cup of flour, stirring to mix. Continue 1/2 cups of flour until too hard to stir; then turn out on floured surface and begin to knead, adding flour as necessary, just to keep the dough from sticking. Knead about 10 minutes. Then place in lightly oiled bowl and cover; let rise about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Lightly oil a 11x17 inch baking pan. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll to fit pan; place in pan. Cover and let rise 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Brush top of pizza with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Dimple the surface of the bread with fingertips. Sprinkle the garlic oil and rosemary as evenly as possible. Then sprinkle the sea salt. Bake in preheated oven for about 8 to 12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven and cut into large squares.

Wheat-flour Tortillas

Adapted from The Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy.

3-3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup hot water

Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the vegetable shortening and using your fingers, rub the shortening into the flour. Dissolve the salt in the hot water and add to the flour mixture. Knead the dough well for about 3 minutes. Wrap in plastic and set aside for at least 2 hours; do not refrigerate.

Heat a griddle or large frying pan over a medium flame. Knead the dough again for a minute or two, then take a piece and roll into a ball about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Press out evenly to a circle about 7 inches. Fry the tortilla on the griddle, about 20-30 seconds or so; then flip and fry the other side for slightly shorter time. Remove to platter and place one on top of the other and store in a plastic bag.

Apple Cobbler

Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

Filling:
about 5 or 6 apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water

Dough:
1-1/3 cups flour
3 tablespoons evaporated cane juice sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons EarthBalance butter, melted
1/2 cup soy milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the filling: In a large bowl, combine the apples with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and water. Spread evenly in an ungreased 8- or 9-inch square dish.

For the topping, in another large bowl combine the flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, bakin gpowder and salt. Add the butter and milk. Stir just until combined.

Using a spoon, scoop the dough over the fruit. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the juices have thickened slightly.

Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Victorian (Soy)Milk Bread

Adapted from Ultimate Bread. Great for toast!

2-1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1-1/4 cups soy milk, luke warm
3-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
touch of EarthBalance butter

Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup of the soymilk in a bowl. Leave for 5 minutes, then stir to dissolve. Stir in half of the remaining soymilk. Mix the flour and sale in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast. Mix in the flour. Stir in the reserved milk to form a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Put the dough in a clean bowl and cover. Let rise for 45 minutes. Punch down, cover and let the dough rise again until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Grease a loaf pan. Shape the dough into an S-shape. Cover with a dish towel and proof for about an hour. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until golden and hollow sounding when tapped underneath. Lightly brush the top of the loaf with EarthBalance butter. Turn onto wire rack to cool.

Croissants

Adapted from Cooking A to Z.

1-1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons warm soy milk
2 teaspoons evaporated cane juice
1 package yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2-3/4 cups flour

1-1/4 cups EarthBalance butter (cold)
3-4 tablespoons flour

Place 1-1/4 cups soy milk in large bowl. Add sugar and mix. Sprinkle yeast over milk mixture and let sit a few minutes to dissolve. Then stir to mix. Add salt and flour to form a rough, sticky dough that holds together. Set aside. Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour; cut butter into tablespoons on top of floured work surface. Sprinkle with 3-4 tablespoons more flour and, using heel of hand, mash butter and flour together, smearing across work surface. Gather together and, on further floured surface, form a 6x8 inch rectangle; place between two pieces of wax paper and refrigerate. Wipe work surface clean, sprinkle with flour and turn out dough. Roll to 10 x 14 inches. Place cold butter on one end and fold over the other; seal edges. Roll to 9 x 17, continuing to add flour as necessary. Fold in thirds and roll to 9x17 again. Fold in thirds again and refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll to 9x17 and fold in thirds; refrigerate 45 minutes. Repeat one more time and refrigerate 60 minutes. Roll out dough to 10x20 inches. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut into four 5-inches squares; cut each square into triangles to form a total of 16 pieces. Working one triangle at a time, gentle stretch base points to 7 inches wide; then stretch top point 5 inches. Roll from base, like a crescent roll. Pull points down, toward each other, to form a crescent shape. Place croissants on baking sheet about 2 inches apart and cover with towel; let rise about 1-1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place on middle rack. Brush each with a little soy milk before baking until well browned and puffy, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Delicate Ginger Muffins

Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking.

6 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1/4 cup finely minced fresh ginger

1 cup evaporated cane juice sugar

grated zest of one lemon

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup EarthBalance butter

1 cup soy milk

juice from one lemon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12-muffin tin with cupcake papers. Place water in food processor; add flaxseed and whip until thick. In a small saucepan, combine ginger and 1/2 cup of the sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar melts and combines with the ginger -- just a few minuges. Set aside to cool; then add the lemon zest. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda. In a large bolw, beat the butter until smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until blended. Add the flax mixture and stir. Add the milk and lemon juice; mix well. Add the combined dry ingredients and ginger/sugar mixture -- stir just until blended. Spoon into muffin tin and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in tins for a minute or so before removing to a wire rack.

Basic White Bread (Pain Ordinaire)

Adapted from Ultimate Bread.

2 teaspoons yeast
1-1/2 cups water, warm but not hot
3-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle yeast into 1/2 cup of water in a small bowl. Proof for five minutes; stir to dissolve. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Make a well in the center and pour the dissolved yeast. Draw enough of the flour into the yeast to form a soft paste. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it sit for about 20 minutes to create a "sponge." Pour about half of the remaining water in the center of the well and mix in the rest of the flour. Add more water as needed to form a firm, moist dough. Turn out onto floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic -- about 10 minutes or so. Put dish in clean bowl and cover with dish towel; let rise about 2 hours. Punch down; let rest 10 minutes. Shape and place on floured baking sheet or in greased tin; cover with towel again and let proof about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Slash top if desired. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 45 minutes (loaf); 25 minutes (rolls); or 20 minutes at 425 and 20 minutes at 400 for a loaf. Turn onto wired rack to cool.

English Muffins

This recipe, adapted from the Urban Vegan, tasted good, but didn't seem to have any "nooks and crannies" associated with English muffins. But it's worth continued experimentation.

For the starter:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon yeast

In a medium bowl, mix and let sit overnight at room temperature--up to 12 hours.

For the dough:
2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
3/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
1 teaspoon yeast
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder

Heat the soy milk, water and Earth Balance just until butter is melted (warm, not hot). In a mixing large bowl, mix the starter dough, soy milk mixture and the remaining ingredients until very smooth--about 5 minutes in a stand mixer. Cover and let rise about 90 minutes. Using a 1/4-cup measure, drop onto dry medium-hot skillet. Cook about 4 minutes, flip, cook about another 2 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Scones

Hearty yet sweet, this recipe (adapted from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The Joy of Vegan Baking) is a great start to the day.

1-1/2 teaspoons egg replacer
2 tablespoons water
2-1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Earth Balance butter, cold
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup plus 2-3 tablespoons soy milk
2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a cookie or baking sheet. In a small bowl, whip together the egg replacer and water until thick and creamy. In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the cold butter. Add the egg replacer mixture and the 1/2 cup of soy milk, mixing as little as possible. Using your hands, bring the dough together, adding just a little more milk or flour as necessary. Turn onto lightly floured surface and pat or roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into triangles and transfer to baking sheet. Brush with remaining soy milk. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle on top. Bake about 12 to 15 minutes.

Sage Dumplings

We still had a significant amount of leftover Minestrone Soup, so to dress it up I decided to prepare some dumplings using fresh sage from the garden. Here is the recipe I used after reviewing a variety of online examples. This brought enough dumplings to the soup that it will make at least one if not two more meals, a real bonus in crazy economic times like these.

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

small bunch of fresh sage leaves, to taste, minced

freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons EarthBalance butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup soy milk

soup or vegetable stock

In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, sage, salt and pepper. Cut in the butter. Add just enough soy milk (a little at a time) until the mixture comes together to a soft dough. Tear off pieces and shape or roll into small balls. Drop into soup or vegetable stock that is simmering at a near-boil. Cook the dumplings about 10 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until the dough is no longer raw.

Biscuits

A multipurpose quick bread that is a warm-and-cozy accompaniment to soup, turned into an entree when served with a hearty mushroom gravy, or even made into a breakfast sandwich with vegan sausage. This recipe was veganized from Better Homes and Gardens' New Cook Book, 10th edition.

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons evaporated cane juice sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup EarthBalance butter
scant cup unsweetened MimiCreme (or 2/3 cup soy milk)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt; mix well. Cut in butter until well distributed and mixture is coarse and mealy. Add Mimicreme and stir until dough comes together. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead only 10-12 times to bring together. Roll or pat into 1/2-inch thickness and cut out 2- to 3-inch buscuits. Place on baking sheet and bake in 450-degree oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm.

Cinnamon Blueberry Coffee Cake

Coffee cake makes a great breakfast: substantial without being overly complicated. Add some fruit, and it can be healthy enough, too. Or at least I can be convinced it is. This recipe is adapated from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup Earth Balance butter, melted

1 cup flour
1/2 cup evaporated cane juice sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup soymilk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vinegar

1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and walnuts. Pour in melted butter and mix into a crumble. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, blend the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend. Pour batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with blueberries. Cover with layer of crumble topping. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Rosemary Crackers

I saw this recipe on one of my favorite Portland vegan food blogs, Everyday Dish, which also broadcasts a vegan Internet cooking show, too! Although I've never met her, host Julie Hasson seems like a cool person and a great vegan chef. Here's how I adapted the recipe for Rosemary and Garlic Crackers that she posted on her blog Everyday Dish.

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary, stripped and minced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse sea salt crystals

Preheat oven to 400°F.2. In a bowl, mix the flours, nutritional yeast, baking powder, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Add the water and olive oil, stirring until dough comes together. Divide dough in half and roll each out very thin. Transfer to Silpat and score the crackers. Sprinkle with coarse salt, lightly pressing into the dough with a rolling pin. Bake for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees until crisp and golden. Hold in pan a bit to cool before removing.

Cornbread

What goes best with Drunken Beans or any kind of chili? Why, cornbread of course. This sweetly savory starch is a great way to temper some of the heat from a spicy stew -- a good balance. This vegan version is adapted from a recipe in Jeanne Lemlin's Vegetarian Pleasures.

1-1/4 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup agave syrup
3 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
1-1/2 teaspoons egg replacer
2 tablespoons water
1-1/4 cups soy milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a glass 8x8 pan with vegetable shortening. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, place agave syrup and butter; microwave to melt butter and mix together. In another small bowl, place the egg replacer and add the water; whip until frothy and add to syrup/butter mixture along with the soymilk. Blend liquid ingredients and then add to dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. Scrape into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

Bagels

The bagel is ingenious: handy shape, complex texture, versatile vehicle. Plus they really aren't that complicated to make at home. This recipe is adapted from Ultimate Bread by Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno.

1-1/2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice sugar
1-1/4 cups warm water
2 teaspoons dry yeast
3-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Mix the sugar and one cupe of the water in a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the sugar-water mixture. Leave for about five minutes. In a large bow, sift together the flour and the salt. Make a well in the flour and pour in the dissolved yeast. Add the remaining water and mix in the flour. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Add flour as much as possible to make a stiff dough. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down and let rest about 10 minutes. Cut the dough into six equal pieces. Shape into a ball; then push your finger through the center of the ball to make a ring. Twirl the ring of dough to stretch gently. Place the bagels on a lightly oiled baking sheet and let rise again for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pan of water to boil. Lower bagels into water and cook a few at a time for about 1 minute (until they rise), cooking some on each side. Remove, drain and transfer to lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees until golden; cool on wire rack.