Gluten-Free Onion Bagels - #BreadBakers

These bagels were a test of my gluten-free baking patience. I first made a simple version that called for oat flour and Greek yogurt. Easy peasy, not at all bagely. However, I couldn't blame the recipe. I didn't have the patience to grind my oats into a finer flour, and that definitely impacted the outcome. 

Next, I went with a cassava flour and tapioca flour recipe. Things went downhill fast. I had cake batter rather than bagel dough. Something for a piping bag and donut pan - not a hot water bath. 

So I kept adjusting until I found something that worked and did feel bagely. Was it the recipe or the fact that I was using a different brand of cassava flour? Who knows. I just noticed that a reviewer also had the same issue, so maybe, just maybe, it wasn't me.  Below you will find my adjusted recipe, and right below that, you'll find all the other bagels the Bread Bakers are serving up today. 

Look at that bagely crumb!

Gluten-Free Onion Bagels

Yield - 6 bagels

Dough

1/4 cup warm water (not too hot, it will kill the yeast)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tsp yeast

2 cups cassava flour

1 cup tapioca flour 

t tsp salt

1/4 cup oil

2 to 4 eggs

Topping

olive oil 

dried onion flakes

For Boiling 

1 quart of water

1 tablespoon sugar 

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

To a bowl, add warm water and sugar then sprinkle on the yeast. Allow it to sit until bubbly. 

To the yeast mixture, add cassava flour, tapioca flour, salt and oil. 

Stir the eggs in one at a time. You may not need all 4. 

The dough should not be sticky. If it is, add more cassava flour. 

Put the quart of water to boil and add the tablespoon of sugar. 

Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Flatten slightly and then shape into a bagel. 

Drop each bagel one at at ime into the boiling water. Boil for one min and then remove. 

Brush each bagel with olive oil and then sprinkle on the onion flakes. 

Bake 25-30 mins or until golden. 

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

• Sourdough Bagel Bites from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cinnamon Crunch Bagels from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Everything Bagel Sandwich with Halloumi and Pickles (Homemade Bagels) from Cook with Renu
• Keto Cottage Cheese Bagels from Sneha's Recipe
• Gluten Free Onion Bagels from Passion Kneaded
• Small Batch Sourdough Bagels from Food Lust People Love
• Sourdough Blueberry Bagels from A Messy Kitchen

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Oat and Raisin Quick Bread (Gluten Free) - #BreadBakers

This month, the Bread Bakers are baking up goodies with fruit. I originally pictured a berry number, but then I spotted a pretty straightforward, quick bread using mainly oats. It didn't even require eggs, which was a good thing because my berry number needed a million (OK...5... but the number of eggs coconut flour needs makes me a little dramatic), and I kept forgetting to buy eggs. 

The original recipe does not call for soaked raisins. But whenever a recipe calls for raisins, I immediately grab my bottle of rum. Is it the Jamaican in me? My childhood is filled with lots of rum and raisin ice cream on Sundays, so maybe. 

I first made this bread with almond flour, and while good, it was crumbly and a bit dense. Egg-free recipes tend to be crumbly, so that wasn't surprising. I did it again with cassava flour, and that was a winner. Much better crumb, and it held together better, too. My work schedule is crazy right now, so I loved that this was quick to whip up on a random Wednesday afternoon in between students.

Scroll down to see the list of the Bread Bakers' fruit-filled loaves for March!

Oat and Raisin Quick Bread 

Yield: 1 loaf 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup raisins (soak overnight in your favourite liquor or leave as is)

2 1/4 cup oat flour

1/2 cup cassava flour 

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon mixed spice (you can use cinnamon or pumpkin spice)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

3/4 cup water 

1/2 cup milk 

3 tablespoons oil 

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Directions 

Grease an 8-inch loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Whisk together oat flour, cassava flour, sugar, mixed spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix water, milk, oil, and vanilla. 

Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the soaked raisins. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Cool. Devour.

Notes 

• I processed my own oat flour. Pulse in a food processor until it is as fine as possible. Some people sift out the coarse pieces. I didn't, and the texture was perfectly fine. 

• Pan di Ramerino (Rosemary Raisin Buns) by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Mini Apricot Cranberry Panettones by A Messy Kitchen
• Pumpkin apple sourdough Loaf by Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Pecan Banana Bread Mini Loaves by Food Lust people Love
• Apple Crisp Sourdough Loaf by Sneha's Recipe
• Fig Bread Recipe by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Sourdough Blueberry Breakfast Loaf by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Oat and Raisin Quick Bread (Gluten Free) by Passion Kneaded

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Cheesy Twisted Heart Bread - #BreadBakers

I have really missed the smell of freshly baked bread. It's a smell associated with many fond childhood memories, since I grew up near two bakeries. Both of them would bake at the same and the neighbourhood would be filled with those delicious smells. They no longer bake at the locations near me, so I only get that smell when I bake my own bread.

Since gluten betrayed me, I haven't made any yeast bread, so pulling this out of the oven made me so happy. Yes, it is chock full of gluten. No, I didn't eat any. I just stared grudgingly at my family eating it. HAHA. I started out with a gluten-free plan using coconut flour and almond flour. But that combination just wasn't hitting the spot. I found a site with amazing gluten-free yeast breads. But it requires a million ingredients that aren't easily accessible. I need to order most of the items from Amazon - psyllium husk, anyone? Until I figure it all out, I'll just whip up something gluten-filled for my friends and family to scratch my baking itch. I'm holding out hope that one day, I'll be able to eat gluten again without getting sick. One day.

So the theme for this month's Bread Bakers is "Loaves of Love" - a beautiful theme for the month of February. I'm excited to see how my fellow Bread Bakers interpreted this one. Scroll down to see a list of their recipes and be sure to visit them. Thanks for hosting, Wendy!

Cheesy Twisted Heart Bread 

Ingredients 

Dough

3 cups of flour 

1 teaspoon of instant yeast

1 teaspoon sugar 

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, whisked

3/4 cup milk 

1/4 cup oil

Filling

2 tablespoons melted butter 

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup shredded cheese (or more, based on your preferences)

Directions

Whisk flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together. Add the egg, milk, and oil. Mix together, then knead well. until it forms a tacky dough. Place the kneaded dough in an oiled bowl, cover it, and let it bulk ferment at room temperature until doubled in size. You can also leave it in the refrigerator overnight.  I prefer to bulk ferment in the fridge. 

Prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

Divide the bulk fermented dough into two equal halves. Now, you have choices here when it comes to shaping. You can create a stencil to cut out your hearts, but doing that will waste dough. It's also hard to plan the perfect size based on the amount of dough you have. I decided to shape half my dough into a heart and use it as a stencil for the second half. It doesn't have to be perfect - have fun with it.  My heart ended up being a bit more than 11 inches across at its widest. 

Place your first heart on your baking sheet. Brush the dough with the melted butter, then sprinkle on the garlic and shredded cheese. Top with your second heart. 

Place a cookie cutter or similar in the centre of your heart. Then cut half-inch strips all around your heart up to the cookie cutter. Don't cut the very centre. Twist the strips on the right side to the right and the ones on the left side to the left.

Preheat the oven to 350 F while your heart rests at room temperature for about 20 minutes. It's not going to rise much at this point butit may look a little puffy.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. 

Enjoy

• Magical Ingredients: Beet Feta Twisted Heart Bread
• Food Lust People Love: Cheddar Marmite Rolls 
• Passion Kneaded: Cheesy Twisted Heart Bread 
• A Messy Kitchen: Cranberry Cinnamon Swirl Bread 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Double Chocolate Muffins 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Extra Gooey Sticky Buns 
• Sneha's Recipe: Heart Shaped Rolls 
• Zesty South Indian Kitchen: Rose Petal Pistachio Cardamom Sourdough Bread

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Brazilian Cheese Bread #BreadBakers

Happy New Year!

The Bread Bakers are starting off the new year with the best bread to pair with your winter soup. Or if you're in Jamaica, it's your Saturday soup. Fun fact: When I was a child, soup was the standard meal in most households every Saturday. It's also a popular street food on weekends. It's always hot in Jamaica, so we can't wait for cool weather to drink soup. Even Google's AI knows the deal.

I initially planned on some breadsticks, but then I discovered some long-forgotten tapioca flour in my cupboard. On the back was a recipe for Brazilian Cheese Bread. Sounded perfect for soup, so that won out. I didn't use the recipe on the back of the bag and went instead with one from The Kitchn. 

It was my first time having Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo). It's a chewy, tasty little morsel. I would love to add a million flavours to it. But it's also perfect as is, paired with a stew or soup.  I also enjoyed them with my breakfast with a little garlic butter. 

Scroll down to see what other breads you need to make to go with your soup.

Brazilian Cheese Bread 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup milk 

1/4 cup oil 

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 oz tapioca flour

1 egg

1/2 cup cheese (I used a Mozarella mix, but I think a sharp cheddar would have been even better.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 F. Grease the wells of a mini muffin tin. You can also use a lined parchment sheet, but I wanted a little shape insurance.

Bring the milk, oil, and salt to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat and pour into the bowl of a mixer. Add the tapioca flour and stir with a wooden spoon until there are no more streaks of dry tapioca flour. 

Beat with a paddle attachment until the dough has cooled. Add the egg and mix until full incporated. Next, beat in the cheese. 

Use a 1 oz scoop to scoop the dough into the wells of the muffin tin. 

Lower the oven's heat to 350 F.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan, halfway through. The bread should have puffed, the outside should be dry, and it should be lightly browned. 

Enjoy!

 

• Artisan Bread Bowls from Food Lust People Love
• Brazilian Cheese Bread from Passion Kneaded
• How to Make a Crusty French Baguette from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• No Knead Bread from Making Miracles
• Pao de Milho from A Messy Kitchen
• Skillet Corn Bread from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Soft Bread Rolls for Soup from Sneha's Recipe
• Sourdough Breadsticks from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Whole Wheat Rolls for Soups and Sandwiches from Karen's Kitchen Stories

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Bao Buns | #BreadBakers

I fully planned on shying away from Asian steamed bread for this month's "Steamed Breads" theme. I've tried doing them before, and it has always been a relatively hot mess. I had mentioned what I was doing to a friend, and she immediately vetoed my first choice of steaming bread in a Bundt pan. 

So here I am, outside of my comfort zone, doing something Asian. But you know what? It wasn't a hot mess. Apparently, using an actual steamer makes all the difference. Who would have guessed? 

So step out of your comfort zone with me and try all the steamed breads that the Bread Bakers are making this month. Thanks, Sneha, for hosting!

Bao Buns

Yield: 16 buns

Ingredients 

320g flour 

20g cornstarch 

12g sugar 

3g salt 

3g yeast

110g milk 

80g water 

22g oil plus additional oil for brushing 

Directions 

Whisk flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add milk, water, and oil. Mix together until it starts to form a cohesive dough then knead for approximately 5 minutes. Dough should be soft and smooth but not sticky. 

Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature until doubled. 

Cut a piece of parchment that fits into your steamer. 

When the dough is ready, divide it into two equal halves. I have a single-layer steamer and couldn't steam all of my buns at once, so I worked with half of the dough at a time. If you have a single layer, place one half in the fridge while you work. This stops it from overproofing. 

Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Roll each ball into a 5" circle, brush it with dough, and then fold it in half. Place the folded dough on the parchment. Repeat with each ball. 

Cover and let proof for 20 minutes. 

While the dough is proofing, fill your steamer with water to about 2 inches from the top. Bring to a boil. After it starts boiling, reduce to a simmer.

When the dough is ready, cut the parchment into pieces around the bao. This is a great method to ensure you only roll out exactly what will fit in your steamer. 

Remove the lid from the steamer, dry it, and then wrap it with a towel or paper towel. I used a paper towel. Place each bao and its parchment into the steamer and cover. 

Cook for 10 minutes, then turn the heat off and let the bao sit for 10 minutes covered. Remove from heat and serve. 

Notes

• Recipe from Breadtopia.

• Bao Buns from Passion Kneaded
• Dessert Bao (Chocolate Steamed Buns) from A Messy Kitchen
• Keto Chinese Steamed Buns from Sneha's Recipe
• Paczki na Parze (Polish Steamed Donuts) from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Buns {Sheng Jian Bao) from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Steamed Cranberry Pecan Honey Bread from Food Lust People Love

Butter Naan - #BreadBakers

Indian breads. My kitchen nemeses. I don't know what it is about them that I just can't seem to master. My favourite, paratha, is always a hit or miss, with more misses than hits. It could be the rolling. I'm still not very good at rolling out dough, especially when the dough needs to be on the thinner side. I can never get it even, which risks some areas being overcooked and others being undercooked. It could also be the heat of my tawa. Too high or too low - hardly just right. 

It took me a while to one to work on for this month's Bread Bakers. Naan won, because naan didn't look "perfect". I could focus on making it even without worrying if it were a circle. In fact, the blog that I was reading highly recommended hand-stretching over rolling. I could aim for an oval-ish and stress a tad less. A tad. 

It worked. My naan worked. Did I struggle a bit with the best cooking times? Yes. But did I have very delicious, fluffy naan at the end? Yes, yes, yes. I might even try this again.

Thanks for pushing me out of comfort zone, Renu! Scroll down to see how others mastered Indian breads this month!

Butter Naan

Yield:  8 naans

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar 

3/4 teaspoon active yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup ml yogurt

6 tablespoons milk 

2 tablespoons melted butter

Melted butter for brushing

Directions

Whisk flour, sugar, yeast, and salt together. Add yogurt, milk, and melted butter. Knead until you have a soft, smooth dough. Add more milk if needed. Dough should be tacky.

Cover and rest until the dough doubles in size. You can also refrigerate overnight. 

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. 

On a floured surface, roll (hand-stretch) each ball into an oval that's about 8 inches by 5 inches. Don't stress too much about getting the perfect size. 

Heat a tawa (or griddle) over medium heat. Place the naan on the heated tawa. After about a minute, it should start bubbling. Flip the naan, and cook for another minute to minute and a half.  Remove from the tawa, brush with butter, and repeat.

Serve immediately. 

• Butter Naan from Passion Kneaded
• Cheese and Garlic Naan from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Gujarati-style Savory Pancakes from Food Lust People Love
• Gulachi Sanjyachya Polya with Whole Wheat Flour from Sneha's Recipe
• "Instant" Appam from A Messy Kitchen
• Khamiri Roti from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Litti Chokha from Cook with Renu
• Magical Avocado Paratha from A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Butter Naan from Passion Kneaded
• Cheese and Garlic Naan from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Gujarati-style Savory Pancakes from Food Lust People Love
• Gulachi Sanjyachya Polya with Whole Wheat Flour from Sneha's Recipe
• "Instant" Appam from A Messy Kitchen
• Khamiri Roti from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Litti Chokha from Cook with Renu
• Magical Avocado Paratha from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Filled Wool Rolls #BreadBakers

*Dusting away the cobwebs*

I had a goal for 2025. I was going to participate in every Muffin Monday and Bread Bakers. I barely participated in 2024, and I needed this for my sanity. My oven had other plans. A few days before Christmas, as I was whipping up the Christmas cakes, my oven said, "NOPE!" Luckily, the Christmas cake recipe is flexible,  so I had to quickly set things up to steam them instead. So close to Christmas, I didn't want to bother calling the repairman. 

And then work happened. 

There was just never a convenient day for me to deal with a repairman. It got to February, and I decided enough was enough. Because I don't even like cooking on the stovetop. Called the repairman, and he took forever to come. He showed up one Monday and said he'd be back in a week, "after the holiday." Listen, Jamaicans are the worst. That holiday was Ash Wednesday. ONE SINGLE DAY and he was taking a week off.  He didn't show up that Monday or the next. Excuses upon excuses. I was too busy to research a better option, so the oven just sat there. It wasn't until April 1 that the oven was finally fixed. April 1. 

Work and life were so hectic in March that I needed April to recuperate. So now it's May, and I've finally made something other than dinner. But this something was definitely worth the wait. Little wool rolls filled with a coconut cream cheese filling.  DELICIOUS. 

Filled Wool Rolls 

Ingredients 

Tangzhong 

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons milk, 

2 tablespoons bread flour 

Dough 

2 1/2 cups (300g) bread flour

1/2 cup (113g) milk

1 egg

4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup (50g) sugar

1 1/2  teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Filling 

8 tablespoons (113 grams) cream cheese

8 tablespoons shredded coconut

1 tablespoon sugar 

splash of vanilla

Topping 

Milk 

Sugar

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine all the tangzhong ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring regularly until it thickens to a paste. This can happen within 2 to 4 minutes, so do not walk away.

Transfer the tangzhong mixture your mixing bowl, and add all the dough ingredients. Knead with a dough hook for 8 to 10 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, you can sprinkle in a little more flour. However, this dough should be very tacky. It will stick to the bottom of a bowl.  Form the dough into a ball, and place in a covered, greased bowl. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. The chilled dough is much easier to handle.

Grease and/or line an 8 inch square pan.

Mix all the filling ingredients together. Taste and add more sugar, if you desire. 

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and allow to rest for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece into an 8 inch square. Add a quarter of your filling to the bottom half of the dough. Use a dough cutter to cut the uncovered dough into thin 1/8 inch strips. Roll up the log starting from the filling covered end to the strips. Cut the log into 4 pieces and place in alternating rotations in the prepared pan. 

Repeat with the other three pieces of dough. 

Cover and let rise until puffy. This could take up to an hour depending on your room's temperature.  Before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 350 F. 

When they're puffy, gently brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool. Enjoy. And consider sharing. 

Notes

• I originally wanted two different fillings but my jam and cream cheese filling failed spectacularly. It was much too loose to spread. I will try again with a different brand of jam. 
• I would have preferred fresh coconut since I do live in the Caribbean and actually have coconut trees in my backyard. But those trees are tall, and I need a brave person to climb them. Any volunteers?

• Alabama Orange Rolls from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cheesy and Spicy Wild Garlic Stuffed Spelt Rolls from Cook with Renu
• Filled Wool Rolls from Passion Kneaded
• Hoagie Rolls from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Käsebrötchen from Food Lust People Love
• Orange Date Sticky Toffee Buns from A Messy Kitchen
• Soft and Fluffy Sourdough Hamburger Buns from Sneha's Recipe

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Christopsomo (Greek Christmas Bread) #BreadBakers

The Bread Bakers are feeling festive! We have baked Christmas breads from all across the world. Scroll down to see the list of offerings today. But first, let's talk about mine. 

Christopsomo, literally "Christ Bread" is a sweet, rich bread enjoyed in Greece at Christmas. It's filled with walnuts and often raisins and different spices. The decoration is what drew me to it. There is the symbolic cross as well as nuts on the outside. They typically place an unshelled walnuts in the center but I don't have access to that here so I used an almond. I also saw that many families add decorations that symbolize the family's main profession. Be sure to look at all the decoration possibilities when you're ready to make your own. 

Christopsomo

Ingredients

500 grams flour 

60 grams sugar 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of ground cloves

280 ml water

50 ml oil

100 grams raisins

100 grams walnuts chopped

1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water for egg wash.

Nuts for decoration

Directions

Whisk the flour, sugar, cinnamon, yeast, salt and ground cloves then add the water and oil. Knead until a soft dough forms then cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Now this is critical: I saw several ways how the cross was handled. Some persons removed a chunk of dough at this point. Others waited until after the raisins and walnuts were added. Others made new dough. I first did it the second way. DO NOT DO THAT. Trying to roll small dough ropes that has raisins and walnuts is NOT how you want to spend your baking session. You can either remove about 280 grams of dough at this point or knead about that much separately. That was my second option -hence the cross being a different colour in these pictures and I actually prefer that look. For that, I used  190 grams of flour, 90 grams of water, a bit of salt and a pinch of cinnamon.

Make your decision then proceed. 

Take your dough and add in the chopped walnuts and raisins. Some persons turn the walnuts into almost walnut flour to make this easier but I left chunks for texture. Knead well until it's incorporated and then place in a greased, covered dough to bulk ferment. I do an overnight bulk ferment for all my doughs and that works best for me. 

After the dough has bulk fermented, it's time to shape. So your main dough will be shaped into a lovely boule. Take your cross dough and divide into two equal halves and then divide those into three. Roll into balls and then roll out into thin ropes. I aimed for about 45 cm/18 inches. Plait three of those ropes together and then drape over your boule in the shape of a cross. Perfect. 

I placed my boule  in a greased and lined 8 inch pan to allow it to have some structure. But you can bake it without it. 

Now decorate!! Add some nuts wherever you like but you definitely want one big one in the center. I've seen persons add cloves as well. If you're feeling artistic, add something that represents your household. 

Cover and allow to proof until puffy. 

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

When the dough is ready, brush it with the egg wash and place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until your dough is golden. 

Remove. Cool. Enjoy. 

Merry Christmas!

• Passion Kneaded: Christopsomo (Greek Christmas Bread) 
• A Messy Kitchen: Joululimppu 
• The Wimpy Vegetarian: Julekake : A Norwegian Christmas Bread 
• Food Lust People Love: Lassy Raisin Bread 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Laufabraud 
• Zesty South Indian Kitchen: Sourdough bobalki (Slovak Christmas eve bread) 
• Sneha's Recipe: Vánočka/Vanocka - Czech Christmas Bread 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Venezuelan Christmas Ham Bread - Pan de Jamón

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Focaccia Bread Art - #BreadBakers

I have wanted to make focaccia bread art for a very long time but just never had the opportunity. When I offered to host this month's Bread Bakers and chose the theme "Flatbreads", I already knew what I wanted to make. It was going to be amazing. Now, what's that saying? Man plans and God laughs?

Do you know the absolute worst time to need a variety of colourful vegetables? No. Well, let me tell you. It's right after a hurricane has ravaged your island leaving most of the farms flattened so vegetables are scarce and hence EXPENSIVE. Tomatoes and sweet peppers are about US $10 per pound. O my heart. Cabbage? Unthinkable. Hopefully, we can get past this very soon. 

In any event, I pushed on and did something. I made this a few times. The first time, the focaccia was a little blah so for subsequent versions, I made an herb oil for use in and on the dough. That was a game changer and what I highly recommend. 

Focaccia Bread Art

Ingredients 

Sponge

1 cup flour 

1/2 cup water 

a pinch of instant yeast 

Herb Oil 

5 tablespoons olive oil 

Herbs of your choice (I used rosemary and 3 minced cloves of garlic)

Rest of the dough

2 cups flour 

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast (or 2 1/4 t of active dry yeast)

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons herb oil from above 

Toppings (your choice)

Remaining herb oil 

Sweet peppers  (in different colours)

Parsley 

Rosemary 

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Escallion

Directions

Mix together the sponge ingredients and let sit at room temperature for 14 hours. 

Add the herbs and garlic to the olive oil and gently warm. You don't need it to be hot. I did this in a bain marie for just a couple minutes. Let the oil sit.

When the sponge is ready, add the flour, salt, yeast, water, and oil. Knead together to make a soft dough. Let rise at room temperature in an oiled bowl for about an hour until doubled. You can also proof the dough in the fridge at this point as well. The slower rise develops more flavour.

While the dough is rising, slice your vegetables and herbs to get them ready to quickly top your focaccia. 

When the dough is ready, lightly spray a baking sheet and also drizzle with a little olive oil. 

Gently pull and shape the dough into a rough rectangle or oval. It should be about 3/4" to 1" thick. Use your fingers to dimple the dough then drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Next, have fun and add your vegetables and herbs in any pattern you desire. Remember to use the herbs from your oil here as well.

Preheat oven to 425 F. 

Let the focaccia rise until puffy. 

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. 

Eat and enjoy. 

• Eggless Keto Naan from Sneha's Recipes
• Focaccia Bread Art from Passion Kneaded
• Magical Oreo Paratha from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Nan-e-Barbari from Ambrosia
• Rosemary Onion Socca - Chickpea Flatbread from Food Lust People Love
• Sourdough Pizza Bianca from Karen's Kitchen Stories

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Ceckerboard Bread - #BreadBakers

So the theme for August's Bread Bakers is "Picnic". You think long and hard and finally come up with the perfect idea. You feel witty. Checkerboard bread to mimic picnic blankets. Get it? Checkerboard? Picnic blanket. Perfect, right? You submit your idea and then immediately remember that picnic blankets are plaid not checkered. 

Doh!

Plaid or not, I'm glad I can participate in this month's Bread Bakers. Work won't let me be great so I'm missing out on a lot of baking but this month's Bread Bakers is super special. It's our tenth anniversary. I still remember how excited I was when Stacy first posted about this group. I had just begged my way into the original bundt baking group and was very excited that there was another group to join. 

If you're wrapping up your summer with a picnic or too, scroll down for some options for your spread.

Checkerboard Rolls 

Ingredients 

4 1/2 cups (540 grams) flour 

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 eggs

1 cup milk 

1 tablespoon oil 

2 to 4 tablespoons water 

2 tablespoons cocoa powder 

2 teaspoons water to make a paste with the cocoa

egg + tablespoon of water for an egg wash

Directions

Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Add eggs, milk, and oil. Knead together. You want your dough to be soft and tacky so add a little of the water at a time to achieve this. My climate is extremely humid and I only used about 2 tablespoons. 

Knead the dough for a few minutes until it is almost smooth and then divide into two equal pieces. Put one piece aside and continue kneading the other until it is smooth, soft, and tacky. Place in a covered, oiled bowl. 

Next, add the cocoa paste to the other half of the dough. Thoroughly knead until the cocoa paste has been fully distributed. This is the hardest part for me. I always question my choices whenever I decide to colour dough. Will it blend? But don't worry, it will come together.

Put the chocolate dough into an oiled bowl and cover.  At this point, I prefer to put the dough in the fridge for a slow, cold rise. But you can let the dough rise at room temperature. 

When the dough has doubled, grease a 9" x 13" baking pan. 

Working with one piece of dough at a time, divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth tight ball. Place alternating colours into the baking pan. 

Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled and puffy. This could take about an hour.

With about 20 minutes left, preheat the oven to 375F. 

When the rolls are doubled and puffy, brush with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes or until the lighter coloured rolls are golden.

Cool and enjoy. 

• Baked Whole Wheat Kachoriby Cook with Renu
• Checkerboard Rollsby Passion Kneaded
• Cheddar and Herb Loafby Palatable Pastime
• Easy Sourdough French Country Breadby Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Eggless Fruit & Nut Chocolate Banana Loaf by Sneha's Recipe
• Garlic Herb Fan Rollsby A Messy Kitchen
• Hushpuppiesby A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Niçoise Picnic Squaresby Food Lust People Love
• Schiacciata all'Uva by Culinary Cam

Spicy Cheesy Breadsticks - #BreadBakers

I teach until 9:30 on Monday nights and sometimes I'm barely keeping up after class. Tonight was a little hard because I'm battling a headache. I was mentally planning the last couple hours of my Monday night (exercise? Connections? Duolingo?) when I noticed a notification on my phone. I'd seen it before but never really paid attention. But now, something said LOOK. It was the Facebook notification for our Spicy Bread with Peppers event being hosted by Radha.

Oh crap! I had completely forgotten that this was due tomorrow. I made my entry over a month ago (never happens) but just never had time to write up the post. And now, here we are on a night when I have no gas in the tank and a ridiculously early morning ahead. Well, let's do this! Forgive my mistakes, please. 

Be sure to scroll down to see all the peppery offerings today.

Spicy Cheesy Breadsticks

Ingredients

Dough 

3 1/2 cups flour 

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt 

1 1/3 cups water

2 tablespoons oil 

Topping

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions

Whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Next, add water and oil and knead for about 7 minutes or until you have a soft tacky dough. Transfer the dough to a covered, oiled dough. I like to proof my dough overnight so I placed the dough in my fridge. However, you can proof at room temperature for about an hour or until doubled. 

Preheat the oven to 425F. 

Combine melted butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Set aside. 

Divide the dough into two. You will only need a half for this recipe. Or you could double the topping ingredients and make two sets of cheesy breadsticks. On a sheet of parchment, roll the dough out into a 9" x 13" rectangle. 

Brush the melted butter mixture across the dough and then sprinkle evenly with cheese. 

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Slice into sticks and serve. 

• Garlic Chili Pepper Flatbread from Food Lust People Love
• Hatch Chili and Gouda Sourdough from A Messy Kitchen
• Jalapeño Popper Pizza from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Radish Stuffed Calzone from Sneha's Recipe
• Roasted Pepper and Onion Spelt Flour Bread from Cook with Renu
• Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Red Chili Sourdough from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Sambal Oelek Milk Bread Buns from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Spicy Cheesy Bread from Passion Kneaded

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Italian Easter Bread #BreadBakers

It's Bread Bakers Day! And today the bakers are making Easter breads. Be sure to scroll down to see the list of Easter delights we have for you today.     

Italian Easter bread has been on my to-bake list for the longest while. The sprinkles. The coloured egg. It's so very inviting. But somehow, I never made it until this year. Colouring eggs is not part of the Jamaican Easter tradition - our focus is on eating and partying - so this is the second time I've ever coloured eggs. The first time was for another Easter bread.  I was nervous about colouring the eggs because I only have brown eggs. In fact, it wasn't until I was thinking about colouring eggs for this recipe that it even occurred to me that brown eggs are the majority here. But it turned out perfectly fine. The eggs took on the colour quickly and got darker as time passed. 

I loved the flavour of this bread - the recipe calls for orange juice, zest, and anise. I don't have access to anise so I followed the instructions and substituted with cinnamon and nutmeg. It's a very subtle taste but still very good. 

Italian Easter Bread

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar 

zest of an orange

480 to 600 grams flour 

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 eggs

juice of an orange (approximately 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup oil or melted butter

1 egg + 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash

sprinkles 

6 coloured eggs (no need to boil)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, rub the zest into the sugar. Add the dry ingredients (starting with 480 grams of flour)  and thoroughly combine. Next, add the eggs, orange juice and oil. 

Knead until you get a soft, tacky dough. You don't want it to be sticky or twisting will be messy. Ask me how I know. If it's sticky, add in a little more flour. 

Allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature until doubled or you can do this in the fridge overnight. This is my preferred method. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

When the dough is doubled, divide into 6 equal pieces. Next, divide each piece into two pieces. Roll each piece out to a 14-inch log. You're then going to twist two pieces together and bring the ends together to form a wreath. If your logs are sticky, dust them with some flour. 

Place each wreath on the baking sheet to proof until puffy. 

When they are almost ready, preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Mix the egg and water together for the egg wash. Brush the proofed wreaths with egg wash and then sprinkle on as much sprinkles as your heart desires. 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until your bread is golden brown. 

Cool and devour. 

What Smells So Good: Bunny Bread
Palatable Pastime: Carrot bread
A Messy Kitchen: Carrot Milk Bread
Magical Ingredients: Carrot stuffed buns
Sneha’s Recipe: Carrot Whole Wheat Bajra Flour flatbread
Ambrosia: Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Casatiello Napolitano Italian Easter Bread
Passion Kneaded: Italian Easter Bread
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Hot Cross Buns Muffins
Zesty South Indian Kitchen: Sourdough Osterbrot:German Easter Bread

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Chocolate Swirl Buns #BreadBakers

Wendy chose chocolate as this month's Bread Bakers theme. Pretty much the best theme ever if you ask me. I've wanted to do cinnamon rolls in this style for a while so it was an easy switch to add chocolate instead. The only problem is that I made these on the evening before I needed to do a fasting blood test. I planned on eating one during one of my class breaks but I was caught up doing rosters and looking up other stuff and completely forgot about them. When class wrapped up at around 10:40, I was STARVING and couldn't eat anything - not even one of these buns. I honestly contemplated putting off my bloodwork just so I could try one of these. I was hungry, man. I had to WAIT until the next day to try these. TORTURE. Don't be like me. Plan ahead. 

Scroll down to see what other chocolate yumminess is coming your way today.

Cinnamon Swirl Buns

Ingredients

300 grams flour 

30 grams sugar

2 tablespoons dry milk 

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt 

100 ml milk 

1 egg

60 grams butter

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Filling 

5 tablespoons sugar (see note)

4 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons cocoa 

1 tablespoon flour 

a pinch of salt 

Egg wash

1 egg

a splash of water

Directions

Whisk together flour, sugar, dry milk, yeast and salt. Add in the remaining dough ingredients and knead for approximately 7 minutes or until you have a smooth tack dough that pulls away from the mixing bowl. 

Place in a greased bowl and allow to bulk ferment at room temperature for about 2 hours until doubled or overnight in the fridge. I used the fridge option. 

Mix all the filling ingredients together. 

Grease a 12 cup capacity muffin tin. 

When the dough is ready, roll out to approximately 32 cm x 36 cm.  

Spread the filling on thinly. 

With a short side facing you, fold the dough in thirds. You should now have a 32 cm x 12 cm rectangle. 

You can chill the dough at this step or wait until after you cut into strips. Chilling makes it easier to work with. 

Cut the dough into 8 strips (4 cm x 12 cm). 

Next, use a sharp knife to cut twice down the length of each strip to make three strands. Plait the three strands together. 

Roll the plait along its length into a ball and place in the greased muffin tin.

Cover and allow to proof for an hour. 

When the buns are almost ready, preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Just before baking, brush the buns with the egg mixed with water. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. 

Remove from the pan as soon as you can or they might stick to the pan.

Notes

• This is not very sweet. Feel free to taste the filling and add more sugar as needed. Next time I might use powdered sugar so that I can skip the flour and have a smoother filling. 

• Chocolate Chip Breadsticks from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves from Food Lust People Love 
• Chocolate Crepes from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chocolate Fudge Sauce Star Bread from Sneha's Recipe
• Chocolate Protein Oat Banana Waffles from Cook with Renu
• Chocolate Swirl Buns from Passion Kneaded
• Double Chocolate Chip Bread from Palatable Pastime
• Lemon and Ginger Scented White Chocolate Sourdough from A Messy Kitchen
• Milk and Chocolate Rolls from Magical Ingredients

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.