Babushka Delight: BREAD: Oatmeal Bread

Babushka Delight

As a child, Liz’s father did the bulk of the cooking in their home. Norm Robinson was a creative and resourceful culinary artist, never cooking from a recipe and always applying the creativity required when feeding a family on a meager budget. As a hungry child, when Liz began smelling tasty aromas waft from the kitchen she would consistently ask, “Dad, what’s for dinner?” And much to her chagrin he would he would respond, “Babushka Delight…and then insert a random number.” A variation of Baked Ziti would be called Babushka Delight #14 and Pork Chops and Rice entitled Babushka Delight #982…no rhyme or reason for the numbering system and never a dish or number repeated. Night after night, meal after meal, our table and stomachs were warmed with a series of meals made by a loving father each entitled Babushka Delight. As a child, anxious for dinner, Liz found his predictable answer a bit silly. Now, as an adult, when contemplating the daily questions, what shall we have for dinner?” she hears the trusted words of her father ringing clearly in her mind…”Well, tonight we are having Babushka Delight.”

Burke grew up working inside the delicious walls of a professional kitchen at his families business, Jacob Lake Inn nestled near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. While standing on milk crates Burke joined his parents to help peel potatoes, crack eggs, flip burgers, and sling hash. Through this process Burke developed the confidence of a chef, the speed of a line cook, and the creativity of a working mans Iron Chef.

Growing up in a foodie family has real benefits for a newly married couple. For Burke nothing brings a bigger smile than the potential of a handful of chopped onion, celery, carrot, and garlic sautéing in a few hearty splashes of a fine olive oil…and Liz is more than happy to sample the tasty outcomes.

Together Burke and Liz enjoy nothing more than a fine meal shared with family and friends. In keeping with tradition of both families, Babushka Delight is a collection of their favorite recipes and culinary creations.

Enjoy!

The Texas Rich’s

Sunday, January 16, 2011

BREAD: Oatmeal Bread

Oatmeal Bread

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/oatmeal-bread-recipe

This tender, high-rising bread makes wonderful sandwiches and great toast.

Ingredients

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

1 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned oats)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons brown sugar or honey

2 teaspoons instant yeast OR 1 packet active dry yeast*

1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk

3/4 cup raisins or currants (optional)

*If you use active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk before combining with the remaining ingredients.

1. In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an an electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients, mixing to form a shaggy dough or Knead dough for about 10 min.

2. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow it to rest for about 1 hour or until it becomes quilt puffy (this dough may not double in size).

3. Shape dough into loaf and transfer to slightly greased bread pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 to ½ hours or until its 1” to 2” off the rim of the pan.

4. Bake bread in a preheated oven 350 degree for 35 to 40 minutes.

Reflection:

This is a good recipe and I can see why it has such great reviews online. I think that the addition of milk does make a difference in the overall flavor of the bread. The recipe calls for raisins or currents but I decided that before I augment the original flavor I should try it undiluted. I was surprised at how wet the dough was and I guess I know understand what a shaggy dough is. I was surprised how much flour it required to make the shaggy dough less shaggy. I am curious how the rolled oats will affect the glutton ribbons. It seems to me that if whole-wheat cornels will cut the glutton ribbons then oatmeal flakes will as well. Hum. I enjoyed kneading the bread dough and kept remembering what Ben taught me last week. He is a champ!

Again, it took longer for the bread to rise than I had anticipated. Perhaps, I need to adjust my time expectations for bread to rise in our house. It tends to be pretty cold in our kitchen and all of the cookbooks suggest a warm, dry environment. Also, this dough continues to be quite sticky, even after it has risen. I hope I added enough flour. Hum. One week too much flour, the next week not enough flour….practice! practice! Practice!

Much to my surprise the bread looks beautiful and I guess the sticky-ness worked out okay. This bread is moist and like most things, only gets better with butter. Anyway, the bread looks beautiful and this is another successful week of bread making. I would say that I am feeling a lot more confident in my ability to produce a loaf of bread.

This bread is much better when warm. It smells great while it’s baking and right after its cut. But it gets a bit dry after it cools. I think it would be better toasting and smothered with jam. This is not stand-alone bread. It clearly needs something to be added in order for it to really work. 1

Babushka Delight