Cinnamon Batter Bread

I saw these mini loaf pans and knew that I had to have them. They spoke to me when I saw them and what they said was, “Bake some kind of sweet bread in me.” So that is what I did, because the pans said too.

When creating this cinnamon batter bread, I was hoping for a cinnamon roll-type taste, but ended up with more of a cinnamon-raisin tasting bread, minus the raisins.

FUN FACT: I found on wikipedia that in clinical studies cinnamon has some crazy medicinal purposes. It has shown to inhibit development of Alzheimer's in mice, improve type 2 diabetes, and has anti-viral properties!

The batter was very fragrant and gave me great hopes that this would turn out well. The cinnamon, brown sugar and butter were all mixed together and then added to the batter.

It was really hard to spread the batter between four pans because the dough was so sticky. Some of the loaves were a little smaller than others, but oh well!

I loved the size of the loaves when they were done! So cute and tiny! The bread had a very creamy texture to it and was very moist. The cinnamon flavor was nice and strong but not overbearing.

And, they made the cutest little French toast: cinnamon and syrupy goodness, in a tiny compact size!

CINNAMON BATTER BREAD

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter melted

¼ cup granulated sugar

3 TBSP brown sugar

1 TBSP cinnamon

¾ cup cream

¾ cup water

1 TBSP active dry yeast

¼ TSP ground ginger

2 TSP salt

4 ¼ cup flour

Directions:

1. Mix the yeast, ginger, and a pinch of brown sugar in a bowl with ½ cup warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is foamy.
2. Mix the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl and set aside.
3. Combine the cream, remaining water, salt and 1 ½ cup flour in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium for about 1 minute.
4. Add the yeast mixture to the batter and mix for an additional minute.
5. Add the cinnamon mixture to the batter and mix until incorporated.
6. Continue adding the remaining flour and the remaining water.
7. Once all the flour has been added, mix on medium high for 2 minutes.
8. Pour batter into pans and let rise until double in size.
9. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 200°.
10. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack.

BREAD SCIENCE: How Yeast Works

A lot of the ingredients in bread contain large molecules, such as proteins and starches. 

 (That's what a protein molecule looks like super close up)

Science has taught us that large molecules have little to no flavor. Yeast is helpful because it breaks down these large molecules into much smaller ones, allowing the dynamic flavors of bread.

When yeast is activated, natural enzymes break down complex sugars into simple sugars. The yeast then consumes the simple sugar (YUM!) and releases carbon dioxide bubbles. 

As the dough forms, it creates a matrix. The carbon dioxide bubbles get trapped in the matrix. As more and more bubbles become trapped, the dough starts to rise. 

The biochemical process at work here is called fermentation. It’s through the process of fermentation, breaking down carbohydrates into alcohols and carbon dioxide, that yeast acts as a leavening agent.

SOURCES

http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/how-does-yeast-make-dough-rise

http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/how-did-people-discover-yeast-for-baking-and-when

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/bread6.htm

http://www.wisegeek.com/why-does-yeast-make-bread-rise.htm

http://www.preparedpantry.com/howyeastworks.aspx

http://www.finecooking.com/articles/yeast-role-bread-baking.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermentation_%28food%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leavening

Orange Rye Batter Bread

 This week I tried orange rye batter bread.  This is a substitution variation of the master recipe that turned out exactly as I expected; a deep, rich flavor. If you are a fan of rye, then this bread is for you!

The new flavors were molasses, rye flour, and orange.  The orange flavor was added through zest and orange juice concentrate.  

SIDE NOTE: When zesting a citrus fruit, make sure to get only the colored part of the peel, the zest, and not the white part, the pith.  The pith has a bitter taste unlike the sweet citrus taste of the zest.

FUN FACT: In botanical terms, zest is called exocarp meaning the outmost layer.  Exocarp is full of flavedo which contains, among other things, the aromatic oils that give citrus fruits their great scent.

I’m not a huge fan of rye because of its distinct flavor.  I think of rye as something old men eat, probably because my grandpa loved rye bread for sandwiches.

FUN FACT: Rye is a cereal grain, closely related to barley and wheat.  It is higher in fiber content but lower in gluten than regular wheat flour. The color of rye, light, medium, of dark, depends how much bran has been left in the flour.

The orange in the bread adds a good flavor kick while the molasses adds depth. 

Overall, it was an interesting bread to make because it is not something I would normally have tried.  

Recipe:

Using the master recipe here

Substitute 1 cup rye flour for 1 cup all purpose flour

Substitute molasses for the brown sugar

Add zest of one large orange

Add 2 tbsp orange juice concentrate

BREAD SCIENCE: A brief, and gross, Yeast history

Introducing Saccharomyces cerivisiae, or baker’s yeast. 

Out of the many characters that take part in bread making, yeast is the most common star for leavened bread. Even though it is so small, one gram of yeast contains 20 billion tiny cells, it plays such a crucial role.

Yeast is a simple one-celled plant that likes temperatures between 70 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit.  Temperatures too hot will kill it and temperatures too low will cause it to hibernate.

The use of yeast supposedly started in ancient Egypt when they used their feet to kneed the bread instead of their hands.  The yeast that naturally occurs between toes was incorporated into the dough and helped turn their flat unleavened bread into a version of the light, fluffy stuff we know today.

Once it was discovered that yeast was the cause of the delicious bread, many bread makers would leave their dough exposed to the air to let the wild strains of yeast, found naturally in the environment, supply the enzymes to leaven their bread.

For many generations the same strain of yeast has been grown commercially making it a “tame” strain.

Under ideal conditions one gram of yeast can turn into 15 tons in five days!

When yeast is bought from the store, it is in a dormant state waiting for the ideal conditions of moisture, warmth, and a food source to awaken and become active again.

The proofing process lets you know the yeast is alive and active, ready to help you make your dough into bread.

Sources

http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/who-discovered-that-yeast-makes-breads-rise

http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/how-does-yeast-survive-in-sealed-packages-in-the-store

http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/what-is-bakers-yeast-and-can-vegetarians-eat-bakers-yeast

http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/how-did-people-discover-yeast-for-baking-and-when

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker's_yeast

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/bread/yeast_temp.html

Whole Wheat Cranberry Almond Bread

Wow, this week’s recipe sure has a long name! It is my first attempt at a semi-original recipe and I think it turned out pretty well. 

What I was attempting, was to combine two of the master recipe variations into one totally awesome bread.  The two variations are a whole wheat batter bread and a batter bread with cranberry and nut mix-ins. I love craisins so I was excited to see how this would turn out.

 

I started off as usual by proofing the yeast, which worked perfectly.  I am getting so good at this part! Then the milk, ½ cup water, butter, honey, salt, a little cinnamon, and the whole wheat flour all get mixed together.

Next, the active yeast gets added.  The craisins and almonds were mixed in with the remaining flour and then slowly added to the mix. 

SIDE NOTE: In retrospect, I would add the craisins and nuts to the dough after all the flour has been thoroughly mixed in.

You can almost see how good it smells.

When the dough was finished mixing, it smelled so wonderful!  The whole wheat, honey, and cinnamon made the most delicious smelling combination.

I’m trying out a different pan again this week; the fluted tube pan or the bundt pan.

FUN FACT: A tube pan usually refers to a pan that has flat, straight sides.  A bundt pan is usually decorated or fluted around the sides.  They seem to be in the same family of pans, like cousins.

Bake for 45 minutes at 375° and ta-da, whole wheat cranberry almond batter bread!

Because of the way the pan cooks the bread, there is a lot more crust than usual.  Most of the whole wheat bread that I’ve had has really dry crust and this bread was no exception, making the increase of crust not a good thing.  The finished bread wasn’t as flavorful as I was expecting with how great the dough smelled.  Also, I think it could have used more craisins! 

Whole Wheat Cranberry Almond Bread

INGREDIENTS

•  1 Tablespoon (1 package) active dry yeast
•  A pinch of brown sugar
•   ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
•  1 cup warm water
•  1 12 oz can evaporated milk
•  2 teaspoons salt
•  2 tablespoons melted butter 
•  1 teaspoon cinnamon
•  1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
•  2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
•  ½ cup craisins
•  ½ cup chopped almonds

DIRECTIONS

1.  Add the yeast, ginger, brown sugar, and ½ cup water to a bowl.  Stir until dissolved and let stand about 10 minutes.
2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the milk, honey, salt, butter, and whole wheat flour.  Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute.
3.  Add the yeast mixture and beat for an additional minute.
4.  Add the all-purpose flour on low speed ½ cup at a time, adding more water 1 tablespoon at a time to maintain a sticky batter.
5.  When all the flour has been added, beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes.
6. Slowly fold in the craisins and almonds.
7. Grease the pan.
8. Add enough dough to fill the pan half way to two-thirds full and cover with plastic wrap.
9. Let the dough rise until double in size.
10. Heat oven to 375° and bake 40-45 minutes.  A bread tester should come out clean and an instant read thermometer should read 200°.
11.  Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove bread from pan and let cool completely

Cornmeal-herb Batter Bread

This recipe book is setup with a master recipe and then multiple variations of the master recipe.  Each variation teaches you a new technique.

The white velvet batter bread here was the master recipe and now I’m going to start on some variations. The first variation I’m attempting is cornbread, substituting a little cornmeal for the flour and then adding some spices.

Here it is all done!  Isn’t it pretty?

This variation calls for tarragon leaves, summer savory leaves, and thyme. Since I’m not sure what summer savory leaves are and I’m too cheap to buy a whole bottle of spice for one recipe, I’m going to use what I have already; parsley, thyme, and rosemary!

(Yes, I buy generic spices; remember that part about how I’m cheap.)

SIDE NOTE: Turns out summer savory is the name of an herb.  There is also a winter variety: winter savory.  There is a great article all about it here.

To make this variation, I started following along the recipe as normal. I added an extra ½ cup water at the beginning this time, when the milk is put in, instead of tablespoon by tablespoon.

I substituted ½ cup cornmeal for ½ cup flour. Next, I mixed the spices, a short ½ teaspoon of each, and the cornmeal together with the remaining flour.

Remember, after you mix everything together your dough should be like a batter.  In addition to the ½ cup water I already put in, I still needed one more tablespoon of water. 

Look how sticky my dough is this time!  I’m learning!

For those of you worried about trying to find a baking canister or coffee can, fear not!  Batter recipes can be made in other types of molds. 

SIDE NOTE:  Since batter breads are so moist, they need to be baked in some kind of mold because they cannot hold their own shape like other yeast breads.

This week I’m going to use a springform pan. 

FUN FACT: According to wikipedia, a springform pan is a type of bakeware that features sides that can be removed from the base. The name refers to the construction style of this pan with the base and the sides as separate pieces that are held together when the base is aligned with a groove that rings the bottom of the walls. The pan is then secured by a latch on the exterior of the wall. This tightens the 'belt' that becomes the walls of the pan and secures the base into the groove at the base of the walls. Neat!

 Here is the dough in the pan

It was a lot harder to tell how much the dough was rising, so I had to put a toothpick in to measure. The dough was taking forever to rise. I let it rise for two hours and then called it good.

The cornbread smelled very aromatic as it was cooking.  When it was done, I smothered it in butter.

We are going to have this tonight with some home-made-from-a-can chilli! I really enjoyed how this variation turned out.  Since the basic recipe had a sweet flavor, I was surprised to find out that this one didn’t.  The herbs and the cornmeal alter it just enough that it tastes like a completely different bread recipe.