Cookie Chick

One of our favorite breakfast haunts is the Original Pancake House, not to be confused with the International House of Pancakes or IHOP. The Original Pancake House is also a chain, but one of greater distinction. Founded in 1953 in Portland, Oregon it is still a family run business with franchises coast to coast.

We’ve been patrons of the Original Pancake House since the early 1990s. We can’t remember who introduced us to this culinary delight, which is a shame since a sincere “thank you” is owed.

Our favorite meal at the Original Pancake House is the 49er Flap Jacks. They are large, crepe-like pancakes that are both tender and chewy. Over the years, I’ve tried various recipes seeking to duplicate or at least approximate this family favorite. Recipes online often call for a sourdough starter, but I’ve never tasted sourdough in the 49ers.

A friend recently shared a recipe for Palacsinta, a Hungarian Crepe that her grandmother used to make for her. I made her recipe and it was oh so close to 49ers. The next try, I adjusted the recipe slightly by cutting back on the sugar, adding a bit of salt and a bit more flour. We now have something that comes close enough to satisfy our 49er cravings, at home and on the cheap.

I now use my blender to mix the batter the night before as a tip from Alton Brown when making crepes. It’s easy and quick. The batter can be used right away, but the overnight stay in the refrigerator helps the bubbles escape and improves the flavor.

49er Flap Jacks (Approximation)

• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Blend the sugar, salt, eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla in a blender for 3 seconds. Add the flour and blend until combined, 5 - 10 seconds more. If any flour remains on the sides, scrape down and blend again for a few seconds until combined.

Pour batter into a covered container and refrigerate one hour or overnight.

When ready to cook the flap jacks, preheat a 10″ non-stick skillet or crepe pan on medium low heat until the pan reaches 325º or until a drop of water “dances” across the surface. If it evaporates immediately, the pan is too hot. Turn down the heat and try again. Brush the surface of the pan with melted butter and pour 1/2 cup of batter in pan. Swirl pan to cover the bottom evenly with batter. Cook until the edges begin to brown. Flip over the flap jack and cook until the other side browns lightly.

Serve with pure maple syrup and slices of lemon.

Always a day late and a dollar short, I just discovered this intriguing book. I first read about it on one of my favorite food blogs, KitchenNut. I was so curious that I went to Amazon, read all the rave reviews and placed the book in my shopping cart. However, since I just purged a dozen or so cookbooks I rarely use by donating them to the local library, I hesitated buying another book. So I moved it to my Wish List and moved on.

Later that week, Dave and I were at Bed, Bath and Beyond buying a shower curtain liner when we ran into a colleague of his from the university. C was in the baking section looking at pizza peels. He told us he had become obsessed with bread making after buying….yes, Artisan Bread Making in Five Minutes a Day. I saw this as a sign and went home and ordered the book from Amazon.

Last weekend I was able to try out this new method of bread making. The method is simple, you mix the ingredients by hand (or mixer or food processor) and let the dough rise for two hours in a covered container. You can do this in a bowl or even a plastic 6 quart container. I used one of the 6 quart square Cambro storage boxes that I use for flour. The liquid ratio is much higher than traditional recipes. No kneading at all. Each recipe will make several loaves. You cut off the amount you need and store the rest of it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The flavor develops the longer you store it.

Here are my observations so far:

1. It is very easy to make bread with this method. Other than the initial two hour rise, you do not have to wait around. You can make bread on your schedule.
2. It works very well for artisan breads with a crisp crust and open crumb. It’s not the best method for soft sandwich bread.
3. The flavor does indeed develop. Bread made after a 3 day sit in the refrigerator was tasty. One complaint I had with the No Knead Bread was the lack of flavor.
4. The dough is very wet and sticky. The book authors recommend flouring the dough in the container and before grabbing off a chunk to cut off. I read that dough will not stick to wet hands. So now I just wet one hand hand and grab the dough and use the other hand with a serrated knife to cut off a chunk. I can then drop it into some flour to form the boule. I found that the extra flour left in my dough bucket would harden for the next batch.

Breads I’ve Made

Master Recipe

First loaf from master recipe.

Second loaf from master recipe.

Sliced loaf

This is the first recipe they recommend making. It’s a basic recipe with only flour, yeast, salt and water which is common for artisan bread. Dave was so intrigued that he didn’t want to wait for an overnight sit in the refrigerator. I made the first loaf shortly after the first two hour rise. The dough was very wet but I was able to form a craggy boule. I formed it on parchment paper dusted with cornmeal and baked it on the parchment on my cast iron pizza pan. I don’t have a pizza stone. I steamed it by adding hot water to pan below the bread per the book’s instructions. It rose beautifully with great oven spring and formed a lovely boule. We couldn’t wait for it to cool and ate it warm with cheese. It was good but the flavor was still a little bland.

The following day I made another loaf. It was a little better in flavor and just as pretty. The third day we had company and I made two loaves. We ate one and I gave the other one to our guests. This loaf was delicious. It was also the first time we had waited for the bread to cool.

Light Whole Wheat

This is very similar to the master recipe, but has a small amount of whole wheat. I used King Arthur White Whole Wheat. I’ve made one loaf so far with this recipe. It was very good. The crumb is slightly darker and it has a slightly more complex taste.

Soft Sandwich Bread

I tried this recipe as a hope for an easy substitute for our favorite Potato Bread. Sadly, there is no comparison. The dough is too slack to form a nice loaf. The method of forming a loaf is similar to a boule but you then place the dough in an oiled loaf pan. It requires at least 1 hour and 40 minute to rise which takes away from the convenience of the other methods. The dough is denser than kneaded breads and does not rise as well. The crust is crisper which is not something I’m looking for in a sandwich bread. Also, I was not crazy about the flavor. It was too sour for my tastes. Dave liked it but also prefers the Potato Bread. He suggested trying my Potato Bread recipe using this method, which I may do this weekend.

Olive Oil Dough

Pizza made with olive oil dough

This recipe is meant for pizza and other flat breads. I altered the recipe slightly by adding two tablespoons of honey instead of one tablespoon of sugar. I also cut the salt back to a little over 1 tablespoon. I’m using Morton’s Kosher salt per the book’s suggestion, but have found the loaves a little salty for my taste. The authors suggest using less or more to taste.

I mixed up a batch of the dough on Wednesday night to make pizza on Thursday night. This was a huge hit. I had tasty pizza on the table within 40 minutes. I took a hunk of the dough out of the container when we got home and formed a boule on cornmeal dusted parchment paper. I let it rest for about 10 minutes while I preheated the oven and got the other ingredients together. After about 20 minutes of preheating the oven I slid the pizza into the oven on the parchment. It baked up in 20 minutes. The crust was crisp and the bread had a nice airy crumb. The flavor was fantastic. Using the parchment paper insured it did not stick to either the peel or the pan. Clean up was a breeze.

Conclusion

Well, I haven’t really concluded anything. It’s an amazing method for certain types of bread. I think I prefer a more traditional method for sandwich breads. I’ll continue to experiment with the method as it is a lot of fun and requires little equipment. There are some sweet breads that I want to try as well.

It’s a great method for novice bread bakers who are afraid to try making homemade bread. I’m not quite a novice anymore, but I still have my training wheels and am excited to try new techniques. It’s also quick and easy.

This is a great book. I’d highly recommend it. The authors, Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg, are active on many cooking bulletin boards and answer many questions. Zoe Francois is a professional chef and has her own blog, Zoe Bakes. The book also has a website where you can contact the authors and read updates and corrections in the book.

We make sandwiches for our lunch on most days. We’ve grown accustomed to homemade bread and store bought will just not do anymore. For months, I’ve been tinkering with a potato bread recipe. I based it on a recipe from the King Arthur Flour web site. I added a bit and substituted a bit until I found a recipe that works well for me each time.

The bread is light and fluffy and makes amazing toast. The butter melts into the crumb and is delightful. The following recipe will make two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaves.

Potato Sandwich Bread

1 1/2 cups water (room temperature) - OR 1 1/2 cups milk at room temperature

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk (omit if using milk instead of water)

2 teaspoons table salt

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

6 ounces mashed potato*

1 large egg, lightly beaten (room temperature)

4 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (18 oz)

*You can certainly used mashed potato flakes, but it’s very easy to put a large, thoroughly pricked baking potato (such as an Idaho) in your microwave oven, microwave for 3 minutes, then turn over and microwave for a further 3 minutes. Let the potato cool, peel it, and mash it. This is pretty simple, and the flavor is significantly better. You can also use leftover mashed potatoes or frozen mashed potatoes that have been prepared.

Measure the water (or milk) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in the dry milk, salt, yeast, egg, and melted butter. Attach the bowl to the mixer with the paddle attachment. Blend in the potato. Add the flour several cups at a time and continue mixing on low. When most of the flour is incorporated, switch to the dough hook and add the remaining flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the bread rest or autolyse for twenty minutes. Knead on speed 2 for 6 minutes. Add more flour as needed. The dough should come away from the sides but will be sticky. After 6 minutes try the windowpane test by taking a small amount of dough and stretching it between thumb and forefinger. If it forms a “windowpane” before breaking the gluten has been developed enough and you will get a nice rise.

Scrape the dough out of the bowl into an oiled bowl or covered dough doubler. Roll the dough to cover it in oil. Let the dough rise for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until doubled.

Gently knock the dough down and turn it out onto a floured surface. Cut it in half and pat each half into an oiled loaf pan; the dough is wet enough to resist shaping. Spray tops of the loaves with oil and cover the dough and let it rise for 45 minutes to an hour.

About 15 minutes before you want to bake your bread, preheat your oven to 350°F. Brush the tops of the loaves with an egg wash. Bake the two separate loaves for 35 minutes. Turn the loaf (or loaves) out and let them cool on a rack. Yield: About 30 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (1 slice, 36g): 69 cal, 1g fat, 2g protein, 13g complex carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 160mg sodium, 62mg potassium, 5RE vitamin A, 1mg vitamin C, 1mg iron, 40mg calcium, 28mg phosphorus.

I never seem to be able to get my loaves of bread to reach the heights I aspire to. I see photos of towering loaves cresting voluptuously out of bread pans. Mine peek their tops over the edge, yet seem to shrink down a bit while baking. I don’t get ‘oven spring’, I get ‘oven shrink’.

This may attributable to a couple of things:

• My oven may not be hot enough.
  It’s an old, apartment grade gas range which works but takes a while to heat up. A new oven is planned, but it goes along with the kitchen remodel that we need to save up money and energy to complete.
• I may not be kneading the dough long enough to properly form the gluten.

Peter Reinhart’s “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” has been a valuable resource for creating better bread. I’m learning to trust my limited experience and not to follow the recipe to the letter. The dough speaks to you, letting you know what it needs. To develop this relationship with the dough, you need to touch it. I do most of my mixing in my trusty KitchenAid stand mixer, Stella. She’s not only beautiful but a work-horse. However, I now stop the mixer during the knead to see how the dough feels. I’m even attempting the “window pane test” to see if the gluten is properly formed.

Yesterday, I experimented a bit with a potato sandwich bread I’ve been making. I substituted some ingredients and added one large egg. I also kneaded the dough longer than I normally do because my dough failed the window pane test. Once it got close, I scraped the dough out onto a floured board and hand kneaded until it passed.

The dough rose nicely and was supple to to the touch. After the first rise, I separated the dough into two pieces and formed boules. I let the dough rest for 20 minutes and then formed the dough into loaves.

I preheated the oven for 30 minutes to make sure it was hot enough when the dough was ready. I have made the mistake of waiting too long and having the dough over-rise during the second rise. This almost always guarantees a fall.

The dough rose nicely but did take an extra 10 minutes. I didn’t rush it but kept an eye on the dough using the technique where you push lightly on the dough. If it springs back quickly, it’s ready.

I was pleasantly surprised that this time I got oven spring and then some. My loaves crested mightily and did not fall. Nor did the crust wrinkle while cooling. This may have been the egg white wash I employed or that I let the loaves cool for 10 minutes in the oven with the heat turned off and the door ajar. (A tip I read in the King Arthur Baker’s Companion.)

Success at last.

I have been on a bread baking journey since March of this year. It has become a weekly ritual in which I bake sandwich bread for our lunches during the week. Some times I succeed, sometimes I fail. Each time I learn something new.

I have had Peter Reinhart’s “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” in my Amazon Saved Items to Buy Later queue for months. Although it is highly rated, I was intimidated by the idea of pre-ferments and the commitment that true bread artisanship takes. However, I decided the time was right and purchased it two weeks ago.

It is a great book with several chapters about the art of making bread. Making bread is something you have to love or it is not worth the effort. You can buy bread inexpensively in any store. You may not want to eat store bought bread, but that’s another story. (Whole Food’s Organic Sandwich breads are awful.) Good bread can be purchased from local bakeries or even chains like Panera.

Hand crafting your own loaf is something that is worth the effort even if things don’t always go perfectly.

Today I tried Reinhart’s Potato Rosemary bread. I started yesterday by creating a biga which is a pre-ferment added to the bread to fully develop the flavor. It is a mix of water, flour and a small amount of yeast that is allowed a long, slow rise and a chill in the fridge overnight. The biga I made is enough for several loaves, so I froze the rest. He said you can refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for 3 months.

Today I removed my biga from the fridge and let it rest for one hour to come back to room temperature. I followed the recipe but found that my dough was a little slack. I’ve made potato sandwich bread before and have found that to be the case with bread made with potatoes. I’m afraid I didn’t quite get to the “window pane” test, which I will try harder for next time.

The bread dough came together nicely and rose well. I did run into problems with the doughs slackness when trying to form my boules. The dough stuck to my hands and I had a difficult time getting the tension on the top of the loaves. I believe this is the reason the loaves rose out instead of up. I did get some vertical lift, but not as much as I had hoped for. I’ll try to make sure I get the gluten formed well in the mix next time.

The one good thing about homemade bread is no matter what goes wrong, it’s always tasty. My loaves may not be as tall or pretty as I had hoped, but I’m happy with my first attempt at using a biga. The flavor is complex not only because of the rosemary and roasted garlic, but the full flavor of the wheat flour was developed creating a delicious bread.

Potato Rosemary Bread

Peter Reinhart, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice

• 1 1/2 cups (7 oz.) biga
• 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons (14 oz.) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (.38 oz) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon (.03 oz) black pepper, coarsely ground (optional)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (.14 oz) instant yeast
• 1 cup (6 oz.) mashed potatoes
• 1 tablespoon (.5 oz.) olive oil
• 2 tablespoons (.25 oz.) coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons to 1 cup (7 to 8 oz.) water, at room temperature (or warm if the potatoes are cold)
• 4 tablespoons (1 oz.) coarsely chopped roasted garlic (optional)
• Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting
• Olive oil for brushing on top

Remove the biga from the refrigerator 1 hour before you plan to make the bread. Cut it into about 10 small pieces with a pastry scraper or serrated knife. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour to take off the chill.

Stir together the flour, salt, black pepper, and yeast into a 4-quart mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add the biga pieces, mashed potatoes, oil, rosemary, and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water. Stir with a large spoon (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) for 1 minute, or until the ingredients form a ball. Add more water, if necessary, or more flour, if the dough is too sticky.

Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin to knead (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook). Knead for approximately 10 minutes (or 6 minutes by machine), adding more flour if needed, until the dough is soft and supple, tacky but not sticky. It should pass the windowpane test and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees F. Flatten the dough and spread the roasted garlic over the top. Gather the dough into a ball and knead it by hand for 1 minute (you will probably have to dust it with flour first to absorb the moisture from the garlic.) Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 2 equal pieces for loaves, or 18 equal pieces (about 2 oz. each) for dinner rolls. Shape each of the larger pieces into a boule, or shape the smaller pieces into rolls. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment (use 2 pans for rolls) and dust lightly with semolina flour or cornmeal. Place the dough on the parchment, separating the pieces so that they will not touch, even after they rise. Mist the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

Proof at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours (depending on the size of the pieces), or until the dough doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Remove the plastic from the dough and lightly brush the breads or rolls with olive oil you do not need to score these breads, but you can if you prefer.

Place the pan(s) in the oven. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking. The loaves will take 35 to 45 minutes total to bake. Bake the rolls for 10 minutes, rotate the pans, and then bake for 10 minutes longer. The loaves and rolls will be a rich golden brown all around, and the internal temperature should register at least 195 degrees F. The loaves should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. if the loaves or rolls are fully colored but seem to soft, turn off the oven and let them bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.
Remove the finished loaves or rolls from the oven and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour for loaves and 20 minutes for rolls before serving.

Reinhart’s commentary: You can attractively garnish this bread by embossing a sprig of fresh rosemary in the top of the loaf. Mist the dough just after the final shaping with water and lay the spring flat so that it adheres fully. Don’t leave any of the needles hanging in the air, as they will burn during the baking stage without the protection of the dough.

I’ve been a subscriber to Cook’s Illustrated, both print and online for a few years. I watch America’s Test Kitchen faithfully and own many of their cookbooks. Their claim to fame is that they test recipes to perfect them so you don’t have to. For the most part this has been true. I’ve mostly had success with their recipes with the occasional failure upon which I usually blame my own novice cooking skills.

I’ve been baking bread regularly for six months now. I’ve gained some skill along the way, understanding the look and feel of a good dough, how it should rise and taste, how to shape a loaf, and how to get even slices. My weekly bread has been Cook’s Illustrated’s Oatmeal Sandwich Loaf which after a few tries has been a consistent standard. It’s moist, yet light and slightly sweet. It’s fantastic with both sweet and savory fillings and keeps well at room temperature for almost a week.

I wanted to try something new, so I looked through CI’s bread recipes and decided to give their Multigrain Bread a try. I braved the new Whole Foods in Tustin just to buy a bag of Bob’s Red Mill 7 Grain Hot Cereal, the grain part of this recipe. I had all the other ingredients. By the way, the new Whole Foods market is huge and amazing, but far too crowded this holiday weekend. I get a bit anxious when trying to fight my way through the Orange County yuppie hoards. I’ll miss our small but charming Whole Foods that was within walking distance of our house. We still have our Trader Joe’s so I can’t complain too loudly. Maybe a Mother’s Market or Henry’s will fill the void left by Whole Food’s departure? One can dream, right?

But, I digress…

I followed the recipe for Multigrain bread exactly. I knew from the start that this dough was different. The oatmeal dough is rather slack and generally requires that I add more flour than the recipe calls for. This dough was the opposite. The only moisture comes from soaking the hot cereal in boiling water. The dough was stiff and a little dry and definitely cleaned the sides of the mixer bowl. The first rise went fine, but the second had just a little lift. I popped the loaves in the oven hoping for oven spring, but alas the little buggers were squat and dense. Not the light, fluffy bread the recipe claimed. It tasted fine, however.

I went to the Cook’s Illustrated boards on their web site only to find a 21 page thread on this very recipe. Some people had great success with light and fluffy loaves. Others had the exact same problem I did. I read through all 21 pages gleaning knowledge from those who succeeded and those who failed. One main thread was the dryness of the dough.

Armed with this new knowledge I decided to give it another go. So this time, I held back on the flour only giving the dough what it needed, I measured temperatures and weighed my ingredients for accuracy. The dough was much easier to handle and rose beautifully on the first rise. The second rise also did better, cresting the tops of the pans at least one inch. I dutifully put the lovely loaves in the oven only to pull out squat little bricks once again. Not only did the loaves have no oven spring, they had oven shrinkage.

Some determined folk on the boards kept trying failure after failure. Not me, I want a recipe that is consistent and this one is not it. So please, Erika Bruce, go back to the Test Kitchen with this one and find a better recipe. She actually commented about 2/3 of the way through on the thread so hopefully they’ll come up with a better recipe and pull the old one.

If you are interested in trying this, I wish you all the success in the world. Bob’s Red Mill publishes the recipe on their web site if you are not a Cook’s Illustrated subscriber.

Since mid March I have been making bread weekly. I even purchased a new KitchenAid mixer for the new spiral dough hook. I am proud of the fact that I have used it so regularly and that we have been enjoying luscious homemade bread. Somehow it justifies in my mind the unneeded expense.

The one thing I didn’t realize was how dependent I was becoming on good bread. Last week we were deprived. First I got sick with a summer cold and then I was out of town on a business trip. We had to resort to buying our bread.

We went with an old stand-by at Trader Joe’s, the Organic Whole Wheat, which used to do quite nicely. Now, it seemed bland and stale. It was fine for toast, but naked on a sandwich it tasted like sandpaper.

I also missed the sensual sensation of kneading the last bit by hand. There is nothing quite like the feel of dough squishing up through your fingers.

So be warned if you head down the road of making your own bread. You may never be able to go back.

My sister invited us to an impromptu barbecue for the July 4th holiday. As the only vegetarians, she asked us to bring something we could eat because the main dish would be ribs. The vegetarian burgers we had in the freezer seemed like a good choice.

Instead of buying hamburger buns, I decided to try making them. I found a recipe in the King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion that claimed to be the “Best”. The description read, “soft, yet vaguely sweet and golden yellow from the butter and the egg, these simple buns are perfect for burgers, but also for any kind of sandwich.” I decided to try this recipe out. I could always stop at the store if they didn’t turn out well. Also, we would be the only ones having burgers so the pressure for perfection was off.

The dough came together nicely. It had a soft, supple texture. I used all-purpose flour, but I would imagine some whole wheat would work nicely as well. The book also described a method of rolling out the buns by cupping your hand around the dough and rolling it on an unfloured surface. I had to flour the table slightly or the dough stuck and wouldn’t roll. Although the dough balls were not perfect they baked into beautiful buns. My nephew was a little surprised. He said, “You MADE hamburger buns? That’s crazy.”

Crazy or not, these buns are worth the extra effort. They should freeze nicely, if you have any left. We didn’t. These have become a big hit with Dave. I have a feeling I’ll be making them often.

Beautiful Burger Buns

• 1 cup of warm water (110ºF)
• 2 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 3 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried onion (optional)

Mixer Method

In bowl of standing mixer, whisk the flour, salt, sugar and yeast together to combine. Attach dough hook and bowl to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and add water, butter and egg. Mix until dough comes together clinging to hook and cleaning sides of bowl. Add more flour if needed. The dough should be smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a covered bowl or other container and let rise for one hour.

Bread Machine Method

If you have a bread machine, this is even easier. Just add the ingredients in the order recommended by your machine and turn to the “dough cycle”. Continue with the next steps…

Both Methods

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll dough in cupped hand to form a ball. Place dough ball onto a greased cookie sheet or one lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise for 30 - 40 minutes until puffy.

Bake in a preheated 375ºF oven for 12 - 15 minutes until golden. Cool on wire racks.

(Modified from Alton Brown’s Instant Pancakes)

These pancakes are so good that I’ve become very picky about the ones I have in restaurants. Restaurant pancakes just don’t live up to the possibility, often times they are tough and flavorless. This recipe is actually quite easy. I usually already have everything except the buttermilk. AB recommends making the “mix” (the dry ingredients) in bulk so that you only have to add the wet. I did this for a while, but our waistlines didn’t like eating pancakes that often. This recipe is modified to make the pancakes without the “mix”.

Pancakes

• 2 cups/10 oz/284 g of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon/2g of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon/6g of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon/8g of table salt
• 2 teaspoons/10g of granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 cups/488g of buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter

Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and sugar. Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the butter and egg yolks. Add the yolks and butter to the egg whites and buttermilk, whisk until combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the dry ingredients. Using a whisk, mix the batter gently to combine. Stop as soon as you don’t see any more flour. The lumps will cook away.

Check to see if the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water on the griddle. The griddle is ready when the water dances across the surface. If it evaporates immediately, it’s too hot. Turn the griddle down and try again in a few minutes. Electric griddles work very well for this because you can set the temperature. I have a Cuisinart Griddler. A very nice appliance for under $100.

If your griddle is non-stick you may not need to butter it. If you are not sure, lightly butter the griddle and wipe off the extra with a paper towel.

Gently ladle the pancake batter on the griddle. I like to use a 1/4 cup disher or ice cream scoop. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the underside is a golden brown, gently flip pancakes. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

You can freeze the leftovers by placing them on a baking sheet and freezing individually. When they are frozen through, place them in a zip lock bag or use your FoodSaver.

Part of my bread making marathon has been the search for a soft, tasty loaf that would be great for sandwiches. I’ve always been partial to oatmeal bread and have tried several recipes. All were good, this one is great.

I adapted the Cook’s Illustrated “Oatmeal American Loaf Bread” recipe after several tries. All were delicious, but I found the liquid to flour ratio to be off for me. I kept having to add more flour to get the dough to come together. I’ve tried using less milk instead of more flour, but have found that I prefer the whole amount of milk and add up to a cup more flour if needed. I was using All Purpose (AP) flour, which is part of the issue. I’ve tried making it with bread flour, but have found that I actually prefer the AP flour. I get a more tender and moist bread.

Note: After reading the King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion, I realized I should not double the yeast when doubling the recipe for bread. They recommend 1 tablespoon for up to 8 loaves. The rise time may slow, but it works out better. I found this to be true, as doubling the yeast made my loaves rise too quickly causing air bubbles.

Oatmeal Bread

Makes two 9 x 5 inch loaves.

• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats
• 6 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (plus extra for work surface)
• 2 teaspoons of table salt
• 2 cups of milk, warm (110 degrees)
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons of honey
• 1 tablespoon of instant yeast

Directions

1. Bring water to boil in small saucepan. Add oats and cook to soften, about 90 seconds. Set aside. The oats will absorb the water.
2. Whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the cooked oatmeal and attach the dough hook and start mixing at speed 2 (KitchenAid mixers). Mix the milk, melted butter and honey in a 4 cup measuring cup. With the mixer running at speed 2, slowly add the liquid. If the dough is too wet, add 1/2 cup of flour at a time until the flour is combined. When the dough comes together and pulls away from the side, continue kneading for 2 - 4 minutes longer. Dough will be sticky.
3. Divide dough into two equal pieces. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead briefly with floured hands to form a ball. Place dough ball in lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with second piece. (A dough bucket works very well for the rising process.) Let rise in warm place (70 - 80 degrees) for 40 - 50 minutes or until doubled.
4. Form dough into loaf by gently pressing the dough into a rectangle, one inch thick and no wider than the length of the loaf pan. Next, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam side up and pinch it closed. Place dough in the pan and press it gently so it touches all four sides of the pan. Finally, place dough in greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.
5. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside in warm spot until dough almost doubles in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees, placing empty loaf pan on bottom rack. Bring 2 cups water to boil.
6. Remove plastic wrap from loaf pan. Place pan in oven, immediately pouring heated water into an empty loaf pan; close oven door. (Note, this step is important. Without it, the bread will not rise as high or be as moist.) Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted at angle from short end just above pan rim into center of loaf reads 195 degrees, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove bread from pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.