BREAD SCIENCE: A Simple Grain Dissection

Grains are the seeds from grasses that are grown to be used as food. The grain seed is made of three basic parts; bran, germ, and endosperm.

PICTURE SOURCE

The ENDOSPERM makes up the bulk of the grain seed and is sometimes referred to as the kernel. It is mostly starchy material with little nutritional value but provides an energy source for the germ.

The GERM is the reproductive part of the grain seed. This is where a new plant will begin to grow so the germ is packed full of nutrition.

The BRAN is the outer coating of the grain seed. It is full of fiber which provides a protective layer for the germ and endosperm.

There are lots of types of grains such as rye, barley, and quinoa, but wheat is the most commonly used.

SOURCES

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

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=66

http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/definition-of-whole-grains

 http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/whole_grains.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whole-grains/NU00204

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/health-gains-from-whole-grains/

PASTA: Basic Pasta Dough

A little while ago a friend gave me a bottle of garlic infused grape seed oil to try. The fragrant aromas remind me of Italian food and what is more Italian than pasta! I used this oil in the dough recipe below and it turned out fabulous!

PICTURE SOURCE

PRODUCT REVIEW: KitchenAid Pasta Roller Attachment

I got a new toy recently, the KitchenAid pasta roller attachment. It is amazing! The device is really easy to use, not too difficult to clean, and fun!

Milk Bread

Master Recipe #3: Milk bread

Remember, you can find this recipe in Bread Made Easy found here.

This recipe didn’t appear much harder than the other recipes I’ve tried from this book. However, I’m not sure that my bread turned out how it was supposed to. I’m going to try this recipe once more now that I’ve learned a few things.

BREAD SCIENCE: Need Kneading?

Wheat contains two proteins, glutenin and gliadin which, when mixed with water, make our friend gluten. We learned from the Gluten Glue Post, that gluten makes the dough elastic and stretchy so it can hold the gases produced by the yeast in fermentation.

 PICTURE SOURCE

Italian Herb Cheese Rolls

My inspiration for this recipe was a container of left over Romano cheese that needed to be used.

FUN FACT: True Romano cheese is actually called Pecorino Romano and originated in Rome, Italy.

The old cheese told me that it would very much like to be part of a roll and so that is what I made it into.

These rolls turned out better than I expected. I guess that means I am learning to make bread! Huzzah for me!

Whole Wheat Burger Bun

I am always searching for that perfect whole wheat burger bun. This isn’t the perfect roll, but it is pretty tasty and a step in the right direction to find that flawless healthy bun.

FUN FACT: Hamburgers were originally served between two pieces of bread. The bun was introduced years later!

These buns have a crusty outside but a soft fluffy inside making them a great companion to juicy homemade hamburgers!