Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Can't remember where I found this one, but my husband gobbles it up! And it freezes well.

2 small zucchini grated = 2 cups grated

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2, 8" x 4" loaf pans

Mix:
4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Add:
1 1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Stir in zucchini and 1 cup chocolate chips

Bake for about 1 hour and 15-20 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean.

Yummy!

Batter-Fried Zucchini Sticks

This is a take-off from a steak restaurant's appetizers we enjoyed many years ago.


Heat oil to about 375°F. Should be about 2" deep.

Wash, trim ends, and cut zucchini into quarters lengthwise. Cut sticks about 3" long. Let sit on paper towel.

Put some flour in a bowl. (I use a cereal bowl.)

Mix together in bowl:
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat together:
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. oil

Slowly add liquid to dry. Beat until smooth.

When oil is hot, roll zucchini stick in flour, then  dip in batter. Carefully drop in hot oil. Fry for about 2-3 minutes. You may need to roll the zucchini to brown both sides. Drain on paper towels. Good plain or with salt, seasoning salt, or Ranch dip.

Dehydrating Fruit

It is canning season here and I've been putting up peaches and pears.

Sometimes you have some prepped fruit left-over, I've found my guys enjoy dried fruit when hunting or traveling.

I simply slice the prepped fruit in 1/4" slices, lay it out on the trays, and let the dehydrator do it's job.

Deep-Dish Pies

Deep-Dish Pies are usually fruit filled, are faster to make and make more servings, and are wonderful to take to Pot-lucks and such.

This is a Deep-Dish Peach pie made with peaches left-over from canning.

Grease or spray a rectangle baking dish for the size "pie" you need.

Heat oven as you would for a normal pie.

Place your pie filling in the baking dish. Season just as you would for a normal pie.

Roll out a crust to fit the top of your baking dish. Place over pie filling.  Crimp the edges to the side of the dish. Cut vent holes and sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top the crust or brush with milk to help it brown nicely.

Bake until your crust is browning and the fruit tests done.

Grain/Bread Class 4

Most of the yummy artisan breads are based on sourdough recipes using Baker's Percentage. Here is what I've learned:

    A good starter (storage leaven) will be approximately:
    1/2 flour and 1/2 water

    Baker’s Percentage measures all ingredients relative to the weight of the flour in the recipe.
    Example:    100% flour            65% water        =  65% hydration dough

    Typical doughs have a water hydration of 60-75% of weight of flour.
    • Use a lower percentage with lower protein/lower gluten flour.
    • Higher percentage with higher protein/higher gluten flour.
Because your protein/gluten will absorb more moisture!

    Natural leavens should be actively fermenting and reproducing when they are incorporated into a dough. They will have elasticity and be lively.
        Thin–bubbly, frothy
        Thick–spongy, gassy

    The yeast cells are converting carbs into equal amounts of CO2 and alcohol, making other organic molecules as by-products = fermentation.
   
    If there is a bad smell, throw it away. It is from die off.
    A thick storage leaven lasts longer.
    To long term store–refresh, (mix in new flour and water, get lively) then put in freezer. When taken out of the freezer you will need to refresh once or more times before using.

    Water Issues:
    •Chlorinated water kills
    •Too alkaline–harder time starting
    •Too soft–sticky, poor holding gases

Here are the steps to a yummy Sour Dough Loaf. I usually make round loaves.


1. Refresh storage leaven with a factor of 5
Mix in large plastic, glass, or wood bowl.
(Do not use metal with fermented doughs.)
Cover. Let rest 8-12 hours.

2. Increase leaven by a factor of 3
Mix in. Remove storage leaven after:
    1 hour using in 1 week.
    3 hours using in 3 days.
    5-6 hours using next day.
Cover. Let rise until active, lively.  Should
be within 4 hours.

3. Mix/knead in remaining four, salt, and water.
If making a high hydration dough. Mix in last
of water at end by poking holes with finger
dribbling water in hole, then kneading.
Cover let rise about 3 hours.


4. Divide into loaf size.
•Round loaves.
Dough should be tense but not ripping.
Cover and rest 15-20 minutes.
•Shape-gentler than rounding. Slash for peel.
Place on pans. Cover.

•Proof at kitchen temperature (70°F) for
about 3 1/2 hours.–last rise.

5. Preheat oven to 450°F
Place pan of water on lower rack if you
want chewier crust.
Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes.
Continue to bake at 350° for about:
25 minutes 1 # loaves
35 minutes 1.5 # loaves


Notes:
To retard: Retard after 1 hour of proofing.
Cover loaves with cloth or plastic wrap. Place in
refrigerator. Bring out 3 hours before baking.

Ciabatta is 80% hydration.

At 58% hydration you will get more bloom at slash.

2 oz. per pound loss in baking




Examples (follow steps above):

10 pounds of dough

1. 1 # starter (leaven)
+ 1 # Prairie Gold Flour
+ 1 # water                = 3 # dough


2. 3 # active leaven
+ 1.5 # Prairie Gold Flour
+ 1.5 # water                = 6 # dough
1-6 hours later remove -1.5 # to storage                                            = 4.5# dough


3. 62 ounces Natural White Flour
26 ounces water
3 ounces salt (4.5 Tbsp)                = 10# dough


4. Shape in 6–1.5 pound loaves
or 8–1.25 pound loaves




2 pounds of dough

1.
2 oz. starter (leaven)
+ 4 oz. Prairie Gold Flour
+ 4 oz. water                    = 10 oz. dough


2.
10 oz. active leaven
+ 10 oz. Prairie Gold Flour
+ 10 oz. water                   = 30 oz. dough
1-6 hours later remove -4 oz. to storage                                          = 26 oz. dough


3.
4-5oz. Natural White Flour
1-2 oz. water
.75 oz. salt (1 Tbsp)                               = 2# dough


4.
Shape in 2–1pound loaves