Homemade Bread à la Sophie Dahl

Marissa and I were in New York City last week - visiting family, getting lost in Central Park, soaking up the heat and braving NYC transportation all in the name of vacation. It was FANTASTIC!

As soon as we got back, Marissa decided to make a homemade loaf of bread...because, you see, we came back to a still-dreary Seattle and oats, wheat and delicious jam seemed the proper antidote to post-vacation depression.

This recipe comes together quickly and as Marissa likes to say, it's "no-fail" (if you've ever worked with yeast, you know this kind of claim is hard to come by). It's taken from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights, one of my favorite cookbooks, merely because of it's simplicity. However, Sophie also shares some of her ups and downs as a child and teen, coming into her own and discovering the ways in which food shapes her experiences - her stories are very personal but also very humorous and dare I say, relatable?

This recipe is actually listed under "Autumn Breakfasts" but seeing as how Autumn seems to haunt Seattle nearly all year long, it seemed to fit the mood. However, if you don't live in Seattle you could still make this because it's delicious! It's best served with butter and seasonal jam but Miss Dahl also suggests it served with "mustard and a big slice of Parma ham." (Note: if it's 90+ degrees outside, don't turn on the oven. This bread is very yummy but not worth the extra sweat - just saying)

 

Homemade Bread
from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl
Makes 1 large loaf

• 4 cups of whole wheat or spelt flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 large Tbsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 Tbsp honey

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. In a large Pyrex jug, mix together the warm water, sunflower oil and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients in a large bowl, mixing them together. Cover and put in a warm place. It should stay for 20 minutes, or until it's doubled in size.

Once it has doubled, stir it with the wooden spoon until the air is gone and it is back to its original size. Trust me on this. Place the dough in an oiled 6 3/4-cup (9x5x2.5-inch) loaf pan and banish it back to the warm place for another 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F oven.

Put the bread in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how it looks.

Serve with butter, mustard and a big slice of Parma ham - or, if you're like me, simply butter and marmalade.

No puedo esperar! - Demystifying the homemade tortilla

Friends...I'm giddy. This is our first recipe post!! And I'm so excited about more recipes, stories and food-related finds to share with you in the near future. I could wax poetic about what an awesome journey this food-blogging business will be for hours, but in an attempt to save you from that, I will get right down to it.

Marissa and I find it fitting that the first recipe we decide to share with you is for homemade tortillas - we grew up on homemade Mexican food and I often think about/eat it when I'm craving "comfort". It is, in essence, a recipe wholly representative of our food education: simple, delicious and made with love.

These tortillas are easier to make than your average pizza dough. The only special equipment needed is a tortilla press, which you can find at any specialty kitchen store (we found ours at Sur La Table). We ate our tortillas with homemade chipotle-spiced beans, guacamole and marinated radishes.

These tortillas are pretty small, so I don't recommend using them for tacos, but I imagine they would be a good side for chili or mole. Also, the recipe calls for instant corn masa flour, which is carried at most grocery stores, in the specialty foods or Mexican cuisine aisle.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Adapted from Maseca

Serves 4-8 (Makes 16 tortillas)

• 2 cups Instant Corn Masa Flour (We used the Maseca brand)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup warm water

1. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands for about a minute, until a thick dough forms.

2. Heat a skillet on medium heat while you prepare the dough. Divide the dough into 16 balls and put them in a bowl and cover with a damp paper towel.

3. When you're pan is hot, you can start pressing the dough. Line each side of your tortilla press with plastic wrap. Place a ball of dough in the middle of the press and use the lever to flatten.

4. Place the tortilla on the dry skillet, for about 50 seconds on the first side, or until the tortilla starts to crisp. Flip, them and let them cook for another 30 seconds.

5. Store them in a tortilla holder or a warm, dry towel while you finish the rest of the tortillas. Serve immediately.