Baking Bread at Home Finale!

Baking Bread at Home III

     Earlier this week we baked whole wheat bread and learned about the science that is baking. For our Grand Finale, we're going to bake a nifty little loaf of Earl Grey Bread and make Homemade Corn Bread. This post is all about the recipes, let's hop in. 

Earl Grey Tea Loaf

Rule 3: Quality ingredients create quality baked goods.

   Moist and lightly spiced, this loaf is perfect for breakfast or an afternoon tea break.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. softened butter
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 3/4 c. flour (I prefer unbleached all purpose flour)
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder (without aluminum)
• 1/2 t. sea salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1/2 t. orange zest
• A pinch each of powdered cinnamon, cardamon, and nutmeg
• 3/4 c. milk
• 3 bags of your favorite earl grey tea

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the milk until nice and hot - do not scald. Tear open the bags of tea and sprinkle into the milk. Remove from heat and allow to steep until the milk takes on the color of the tea and it has a nice strong scent. Set aside and allow to cool completely. 

2. Set your oven to 350 degrees to preheat. Beat the butter and eggs with a hand/stand mixer until the butter becomes fluffy. Beat the eggs in, one at a time, then add vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and milk.

3. Pour your wet mixture slowly into the dry while beating the mixture. 

4. Either prepare your loaf pan by placing parchment paper into the pan and spraying with cooking spray (leave an overhang) or by greasing and then very lightly flouring the pan.

5. Add the dough to the pan and bake for approximately one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of your loaf comes out completely clean. 

6. I like to drizzle honey mixed with a bit of orange zest over the loaf as soon as it comes out of the oven. 

7. Allow to cool for approximately one hour then transfer to a rack to finish cooling before slicing. 

Homemade Corn Bread - Try not to think about the calories...

Rule 4: Over-mixing can ruin soft breads like this.

Ingredients:

• Just under 1 c. of buttermilk (if you must be precise, 14 T.)
• 1 3/4 c. flour
• 1 c. cornmeal
• 1/8 to 1/4 c. honey
• 2 t. baking powder (no aluminum!)
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 4 T. unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
• 4 T. bacon fat
• 1/4 c. crumbled bacon
• 3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 T. fresh chives, chopped
• Approximately 1/3 c. of creamed corn
• 1 large egg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Add the bacon drippings to a large cast iron skillet and place into the hot oven for 10 minutes.
2. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda in a glass bowl.
3. To this mixture add the creamed corn, crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, and the chopped chives.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, melted butter and the egg.
5. Pour the liquid (all at once now) into the dry ingredients and mix just until all the dry ingredients are lightly moistened. Pour the hot fat on the batter (which will pop and bubble so be careful) and mix just until the oil is completely absorbed into the batter.
6. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
7. Let this delicious corn bread cool 5 minutes before you slice it. I know it's killing you, just wait or it will be a wreck. 

That's all for this week. I hope you enjoyed my little baking bread at home week. Coming up next week, we're going to talk about a few basic household fixes including how to fix a broken door handle. 

Hope to see you all back then!

~DIY Spice!~

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