Way back in the 1980’s a young lady who worked at Sweet Dreams Bakery in Carmichael, California shared her Irish grandmother’s recipe for soda bread. We made it at the bakery and felt proud that it was the “authentic” way to prepare this classic for St. Patrick’s Day. The bakery disappeared long ago, but the recipe remains a good choice for the holiday. Continue reading
Category Archives: Bread
90-minute Beer Rye Bread
Nothing beats the aroma of homemade bread emanating from the kitchen—unless it’s the taste of the bread once it is out of the oven and ready to be sampled! The return of gray skies and rain to our Sacramento area invites even the busiest person to spend a little time in the kitchen creating the aforementioned delights. Continue reading
Onion Pletzel
This flat-bread, also called an onion board, is a Jewish delicatessen treat that I remember from my days growing up in Baltimore. It’s good as is or slathered with sweet butter or cream cheese. This recipe is written for a large or mid-sized food processor with dough blade. Because poppy seeds can go rancid, it’s a good idea to store them in the freezer. To prepare 3 pletzels in a small processor with steel blade, use half the ingredients. Continue reading
Mouna (Algerian Orange Bread)
After three preliminary batches from several sources I finally chose Joyce Goldstein’s recipe in her SAFFRON SHORES as my starting point for this dense, flavorful bread, brought to France by Algerian Jews. After three more times I simplified the method by eliminating her preliminary sponge and altering the ingredients slightly. Some recipes for mouna include jam in the middle of the loaf. I like to buy my anise and sesame seeds from the bulk foods in the grocery store. Sesame is usually with the nuts and grains, while anise can be found where bulk spices and teas are displayed.