Breads, Biscuits

Pancakes

The 1-2-3 Family Recipe used for years— Makes twelve 4" pancakes.

1. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl.
2. Make well in dry ingredients and dump wet stuff in.
3. Mix together with a few quick strokes—it’s okay if you have some lumps. (Beating it too long will make stiff pancakes.)
4. Let stand for 5–10 minutes — this allows batter to get “gassy” and light.
5. Cook on hot, greased skillet. Turn when bubbles pop through. You may have to play with the stove heat ... first batch takes a long time, later ones cook faster.

Home-made biscuits

Much more work than using biscuit mix, but worth it if you have time

1. Make a well in above and add 2/3 cup milk.
2. Stir until all the dough is in one lump—shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds.
3. Turn dough onto floured board and knead gently but quickly—only 8–10 folds.
4. Roll to about 1/2 inch thickness, and cut with biscuit cutter.
5. Keep folding remaining dough over in order to cut more.
6. (Dip cutter in flour to keep from sticking. Cut straight down, don’t twist cutter.)
7. Bake in preheated 450° oven, only 12 to 15 minutes.
8. Should make around 12–15 1-1/2 inch biscuits of tall light layers.

Scones

(which we stubbornly pronounce as rhymes-with-“buns” rather than rhymes-with-“bones”)

1. Add 1 Tbsp sugar to “biscuit” dry ingredients above and combine with butter.
2. If you want raisins or currants, add them to flour mixture.
3. Then, make a well and add 2 eggs beaten with 1/3 cup cream. (Reserve 2 tsp of beaten egg.)
4. Combine with a few swift strokes. (You don’t need to knead/fold.)
5. Turn onto floured board and pat down until 3/4" thick. Cut with cutter.
6. (This is a sticky dough, so you will need to dust the cutter and your hands with flour.)
7. Brush tops with reserved egg—this will make for a nice golden glaze.
8. Bake in preheated 450° oven for 15 minutes.

Cornbread

Right off the Albers Cornmeal package

1. Add wet to dry, stirring only until just blended.
2. Pour into greased 8x8 pan. Bake in preheated 400° oven for 25 minutes.

Homemade granola

To eat for breakfast, snacks, or to bake into cookies

1. Toss it thoroughly in a big bowl. (Make sure bowl is big enough!)
2. Flavor with cinnamon powder.
3. Bake in a big flat pan (broiler pan works) at 325°, stirring often with spoon so that granola browns evenly. (Mix it up after 15 minutes, then another 15 minutes, then 10, then every 5 minutes. After 35–40 minutes total baking time, it needs to be watched carefully or it’ll burn on top and sides and still be unbaked in the middle.
4. After it’s golden-toasty, remove from oven and let it cool completely before adding dried fruit (raisins, currants, chopped peaches/apricots). Fruit added while granola is still hot will become really dry and hard.

Basic muffins

(Joy of Cooking, tweaked)

1. Mix wet and dry ingredients with a few quick strokes. (Beat too long and biscuits will be stiff.)
2. Drop into greased muffin pans.
3. Bake in preheated 400° oven for 20–25 minutes. Yields 18–24 muffins.

Bran muffins

1. Mix wet and dry ingredients with a few quick strokes. (Beat too long and biscuits will be stiff.)
2. Drop into greased muffin pans.
3. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 25 minutes. Yields 18 muffins.

Super simple whole wheat bread

1. Knead. YOU MAY NEED TO ADD UP TO 1/2 CUP FLOUR.
2. Cover with dishcloth and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size.
3. Punch down, knead and shape into loaf. Put in pan and let rise again.
4. Bake at 350° about 40 minutes.

Dilly bread

complicated, but an old favorite

1. Add part of flour to cottage cheese mixture and blend well.
2. Add, and blend: 1 egg
3. Add yeast mixture and blend well.
4. Add rest of flour and mix well. Knead. Cover and let rise until doubled.
5. Punch down, shape into round or standard loaf or 8–9 rolls and let rise in pan.
6. 350° 40–50 minutes for round loaf in casserole
7. 325° 40 minutes in loaf pan
8. 350° 35–40 minutes for small rolls