bread

Soda Bread

Ingredients

1/2 c water
1 c buttermilk +2T
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 T unsalted butter
2 T molasses
1 c whole wheat flour
2 c bread or cake flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t kosher or sea salt
2 t yeast
2 t caraway seeds optional
1 c currants and/or raisins optional

Instructions

Place all ingredients in the bread machine in order – liquid ingredients at the bottom and dry ingredients on top. I like to put the yeast in last, making a little divet in the center of the flour.
Set bread machine to "Quick" cycle. Go live your life for a couple hours.
When the bread machine beeps, you can add seeds and fruit to the cycle if using.
Allow bread to set for 10 minutes before removing it from the bread machine. It'll steam a bit and be softer.
Serve sliced warm with salted Irish butter and/or jam.

I thought it’d be fun to make King Cake for me the kids.

In the bread machine because that’s easier.

Wet ingredients, then dry, then turn on dough cycle:

A couple hours later, beautiful soft dough!

I cut the dough in half.

1st ball. Flatten dough. Cut into wedges.

Then sprinkle that with cinnamon and sugar

Roll into pretty crescent shapes. Place seam down on the baking pan or they’ll pop open during baking.

2nd ball. Flatten dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar

Choose a baby to fit into the cake. We found these at Hobby Lobby in the baby shower décor section.

Roll dough into a snake, with cinnamon and sugar on the inside, and form into a wreath. Let rise and bake!

Then it comes out looking like this:

Yeah, I know what it looks like. Too much yeast, ya think?

Receive compliments from daughters that it still looks and smells delicious!

Accept compliments with grace.

Decorate with cream cheese icing and sprinkles!

And of course, the kids come out of the woodwork to lick the bowl and beaters.

These were a big hit!

Of course, Alex wouldn’t really touch it with the cream cheese frosting. But the girls loved it!

Options: This dough is very versatile.

The crescents are yummy plain or with ham and cheese or chocolate chunks inside. The crescents freeze beautifully too! To bake, set frozen rolls out on baking sheet with parchment or Silpat and let thaw and rise until size doubles.

Add pecans with the brown sugar and cinnamon, roll into a snake, and slice into chunks to make them great cinnamon rolls! Place them in a high-sided baking pan to contain the goodness of the cinnamon rolls.

You can cool on wire racks so the bottoms don’t get soggy. But we seldom wait that long! (You should let them cool a bit if you frost them or the frosting melts!)

Do you like King Cake? Do you have a favorite recipe?

Easy Bread

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups AP flour
1 t salt
1 T yeast

Instructions

Place the ingredients in order into the bread machine.
Set on dough cycle. Go read a book!
You can also do this manually in a mixer and the kneading and the letting it rise.
375° for 12-15 minutes