Bread--Two Ways!

I was so excited for Bread Month! I love bread! Who doesn’t like bread?!?!?! Everyone likes bread! But great bread is made by the bread-fairies, and not commoners like me. But I wanted to give focaccia a try because it’s Dan’s favorite. So I went on a search for focaccia bread recipes and they seemed easy-ish. I was wrong! Focaccia isn’t easy; only the recipes seem easy. L I found a recipe for a healthy, whole-wheat focaccia and I wanted to try it. I followed the recipe, but the dough didn’t rise enough and the bread came out a little dough-y. Dan liked the final product, but I wasn’t too happy with it.

So I wanted to give bread another try but I wanted to go a different route. A few months ago, I stumbled on a cornbread recipe that seemed complicated, so I decided to try it (you’d think that I would want to try something easier after the focaccia failure but, clearly, I wanted to fail even more miserably). The happy news is that the cornbread turned out much better than the focaccia. The chipotle peppers added a spicy kick to it so, naturally, I loved it. Dan liked it, too!

I’ll continue on this bread quest until I reach near-perfection (I’m looking at you, focaccia). For now, here the recipes for the whole wheat focaccia and the spicy chipotle cornbread.

Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread (recipe courtesy of Wholefully: https://wholefully.com/30-minute-whole-wheat-focaccia-bread/)

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cup warm water

• 2 1/4 teaspoon (1 packet) dry active yeast

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided

• 3 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour (recommended: King Arthur Flour)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Spray a 13 x 9 baking pan, set aside. In the basin of a mixer fitted with a dough hook or a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, honey, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Stir or mix until just combined. Let bloom for 1–2 minutes, or until a little foamy.

2. Add in the flour, salt, and minced garlic. Mix until it forms a sticky dough. If using a mixer, knead on low using the dough hook for 3–4 minutes, or until it starts to lose some of its stickiness. If mixing by hand, dump onto a floured surface and knead for 5–7 minutes.

3. Spread the dough in an even layer in the prepared baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (e.g., in the oven under the oven light or on a heating pad) for 10–15 minutes, or until noticeably puffy.

4. Once the dough is risen, preheat the oven to 375° F. Remove the plastic wrap, and using the end of a wooden spoon, press indentations in the dough every 1–2 inches. Drizzle over the remaining olive oil, and sprinkle on Italian seasoning and cheese.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the top is just golden brown. Remove from pan, and slice into 16 even pieces.

Spicy Chipotle Cornbread (recipe courtesy of Love & Lemons: https://www.loveandlemons.com/spicy-chipotle-cornbread/)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water

• 1 cup cornmeal (I like Arrowhead Mills)

• 1 cup flour (all-purpose or white/wheat mix)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, at room temperature

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• ½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

• 1 chipotle from canned chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped

• ¼ cup chopped scallions

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 3 inches of overhang on two sides, or lightly spray with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flaxseed and water. Set aside to thicken for about 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. Stir the flaxseed mixture, then add the almond milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, and apple cider vinegar.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the corn kernels, chipotle, and scallions. Don’t overmix. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.