Side Dishes--Bread Edition

I'm sure there will be many more bread editions to come because I think it is so much fun to make homemade bread to serve with dinner (and eat the next day as a snack, breakfast, or with lunch!).

All of the following bread recipes are very easy to make.  I'm still a novice bread maker, so I'm starting out with the basics.  But someday I hope to master the art of breadmaking to such a degree that I can churn out artisan breads such as ciabatta, sourdough, and other such yummy crusty loaves.

But for now, the following is what I have the time and skill to make!

Albers Corn Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup Albers Yellow Corn Meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease 8-inch square baking pan.

Combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.  Combine milk, oil, and egg in small bowl; mix well.  Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended.  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Serve warm.

Recipe notes:

Recipe may be doubled.  Use greased 13x9-inch baking pan; bake as above.

For muffins: Spoon batter into 10-12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups filling each 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

High altitude (3500-6000 feet): Cornbread--bake for 22-24 minutes.  Corn muffins--bake for 15-17 minutes.

Source: I found this on the back of my box of corn meal.  As you can tell above, it is Albers brand yellow corn meal.

Notes: This was fantastic.  You can serve it with a little butter and drizzled with honey.  Or, you can make your own honey butter by softening 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter and mixing in 1/3 cup of honey (or to your taste).  Either use the softened honey butter, or put the butter into molds and refrigerate until set.

Bannoch

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Into a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.  Sift the mixture two more times.  Add buttermilk and sour cream; mix well.  Form dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly floured surface (dough will be sticky). Roll dough into a 12x7x1-inch oval; score the top carefully and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake about 30 minutes or until loaf is brown.  Serve warm.

Makes 1 loaf.

Source: Worldwide Ward Cookbook: Secret Recipes! by Deanna Buxton.  Recipe submitted by Clark Manning of the Chevy Chase Ward in the Washington DC Stake.

Notes: I didn't roll the dough out, I simply shaped it into an oval with my fingers.  This was super yummy and made for a very pretty bread.  It looks like it would be a crusty bread like French bread, but it isn't.  It's chewy...more like a savory quick bread.

Zesty Cheddar Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (from 7-oz can)
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 eggs
2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (3 oz)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease bottom only of 8x4- or 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir buttermilk, oil, sugar, chipotle chiles, and eggs until well mixed.  Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened.  Spread in pan.

Bake 8-inch pan 45-55 minutes, 9-inch pan 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (do not underbake).  Cool 15 minutes in pan on cooling rack.  Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan to cooling rack.  Serve warm, if desired.

Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 slice is 150 calories, 6 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 410 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 5 g protein.

Source: Eat Better America recipe found here.  They are a division of General Mills and feature many of the same recipes as the Betty Crocker website.

Notes: I loved this.  It is a wonderfully easy savory quick bread and it has a fun chewy texture.  I would suggest using it to soak up extra sauce/juices from your favorite Mexican foods. Or lightly butter it.

I haven't been able to try this yet, but I think a fantastic variation would be to use Pepper-Jack Cheese in place of the Cheddar and canned diced green chiles in place of the chipotle peppers.  Hmmm.  Maybe I'll have to try that this week and report back!  Yum!

Mango Salsa Bake

Ingredients:

20 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup mango salsa (or favorite chunky salsa)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Brush a 9x13-inch pan with butter. Cut each roll into 4 pieces. Line bottom of pan with rolls. Brush tops of rolls with butter. Top with salsa. Mix mozzarella and cheddar cheeses together and sprinkle over rolls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes.

Source: Rhodes Bread website found here. 

Notes: I went to a Rhodes Bread demonstration for a Relief Society meeting and they showed us how to make these and served us the finished product.  They are soooo easy and soooo good.  They used the mango salsa from Costco at the demonstration, so when I made it myself, I did the same.  It is super yummy.  If you can't find the mango salsa or don't have a membership, I would suggest that you use your favorite jarred salsa.  If you absolutely have to try the mango (and I wouldn't blame you), here's what I suggest: buy a jar (in the refrigerated section of the produce section) of mangoes.  Chop them up and mix them into your salsa.  You could even add some chopped canned peaches in addition to or instead of the mangoes.  Trust me, this bread is awesome.  It makes a great side served with a Mexican soup or your favorite Mexican dish.

Above: The pictures don't do it justice.  I guess I'll just have to make it again so that I can take more pictures.  Shucks (as I snap my fingers and pull a "poor me" face).  :)