Double Almond Pumpkin Bread

Some recipes are an essential part of acknowledging the change of seasons for me and Double Almond Pumpkin Bread is definitely one of them for me. For passionate pumpkin lovers, there’s no such thing as too many pumpkin bread recipes and I’ve tried a lot of great ones of the years both in my kitchen, that friends have made and shared, and at coffee shops all over. And I frequently like them. But for me, Double Almond Pumpkin Bread, which my mother made in the fall, with its almonds and almond extract is my favorite; perhaps because it’s quite unique. The orange and almond extracts fill out the pumpkiny flavor and make it more complex. But all of this flavor comes at quite the price. Beware! Double Almond Pumpkin Bread is really a delicious coffee cake calorically. It’s definitely dessert. That said, the recipe is quite flexible and you should feel free to reduce the butter and sugar drastically (I cut butter down to ½ cup and leave out the granulated sugar altogether and then remove 2 tablespoons of flour as well) and it still tastes great, but I’ll give you the recipe as I learned it. I also tend to … Continue reading

Homemade Pita Bread

One of the first breads I really mastered was homemade pita bread, and for good reason. It’s really simple, and for fresh bread, it’s also quite fast. And you get a lot of bang for your buck. There’s something about serving homemade bread at a dinner party that really wows guests like no other entree. I’m not exactly sure why, either, but hey, let’s go with it. It’s one of the many recipes that I learned from my sister, who is a talented baker as well as winemaker. She really pushed me to make homemade pita, citing it’s simplicity and big payoff in the style department. And she is so right! I love making homemade pita because it’s so warm and tender. Few store-bought pita breads can compare to warm, yeasty, fresh pita straight from the oven. It’s worth it, whether you serve it with store-bought or Homemade Hummus. It’s perfect for getting Middle Eastern Feasts and Jerusalem Cookbook Dinner Parties started. And if you have any leftovers, store them at room temperature and reheat them in the toaster. If they make it around the house long enough to become stale, first of all, I am shocked! but second of … Continue reading

Pantry Tips: Yeast Lesson

Yeast is a type of fungus used in baking, brewing and wine making. Via fermentation, it converts carbohydrates to carbon dioxide and alcohols. During the baking process the carbon dioxide emission fills the small pockets in dough and forces them to expand. This is how bread gets its airy texture. I tend to work with SAF Red yeast. It’s an instant yeast. I store it in the freezer (you should too). It keeps over a year and can be used cold; no need to bring it to temperature. Fresh Yeast is sold in cake form. It’s great to work with but doesn’t store well (about 10 days) and doesn’t perform well in bread machines. It’s also easier to kill, so mind your water temperatures. And if you kill the yeast, it won’t eat the sugar and produce the gas and the bread won’t rise. Instant Yeast is usually sold in granulated form and is more finely ground in appearance than active dry yeast. It absorbs water faster than active dry and typically doughs made with instant yeast need only rise once. Active Dry Yeast is also sold in granulated form. Doughs made with active dry yeast should rise twice to … Continue reading