Todays bread post is brought to you by the cookbook * Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes A Day*!
As you may, or may not know, I’m baking bread with a fabulous group of bakers. We are baking our way through the cookbook, Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes A Day. Due to life and computer issues, I missed out on telling you about our last bread assignment. Those breads, compounded with with the Valentine inspired breads for the beginning of February, are what we have for today.
The first assignment I missed out on telling you about was the master recipe for Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread. A whole batch of this recipe yields about 4 one pound loaves. We were to make the master recipe, bake a loaf of bread, a batch of hamburger or hot dog buns, and an apple strudel loaf.
Let’s start with the loaf of whole wheat sandwich bread.
I loved this bread. I made sandwiches with it, but my favorite way to eat this bread was simply toasted with a bit of jam.
The second assignment, should we choose to accept it, was the buns. It’s nice to be able to pull a grapefruit size ball of dough out of the refrigerator and have fresh buns in about 2 hours with only 5 minutes of active hands on time.
Then there was this delightful apple strudel loaf. We enjoyed this loaf also but I added a bit of almond meal in place of nuts and I used some Date sugar. Next time I’ll stick to the recipe and use regular sugar, real nuts, and chop my apples into smaller chunks. But all in all, it was a great bread.
Those were the last of January’s bread.
But we were in for a treat with these next breads.
Our assignment?
Chocolate Espresso Bread, Tangerine bars made with the chocolate espresso bread dough, and Red Beet Buns!
My favorite bread, hands down, is the chocolate espresso loaf. But I bet that doesn’t really surprise you though, does it?
This bread was a great anytime bread. I just sliced a piece (after piece, after piece,) and slathered on some homemade Chocolate Covered Strawberry Jam. You wouldn’t believe the sounds that comes out of my mouth while indulging in this treat. The oohs, and mmmm’s were the only audible sounds of life as I continued to indulge. This bread will be made again (and again, and again). In fact, I made two mini loaves, one for my family, and one to give away.
Confession: I didn’t give the other loaf away. We devoured it!
With some of the chocolate dough, we were to try these Tangerine bars. They had Tangerine zest, cranberries, and more chocolate incorporated into the dough. It was very, very good. I used an orange flavored cranberry that I got from Trader Joe’s. Next time, I wouldn’t mind just incorporating all the extra goodies into the dough and just making more loaves of the bread. Then it would be a Chocolate Espresso Tangerine Bread. And if I baked the whole batch, I might have some extra to give away. Just saying!
Finally, we get to the beet buns. I thought this was a great bun for Valentine’s Day. The beets make the bread a little red (pink?) with crimson colored flecks through out the buns. I couldn’t detect a beet flavor (and I love beets) but the Hubby could. To me, it was a beautiful onion flavored bun. I didn’t get pictures of the finished product (shame on me!), but I have a picture of the unbaked buns. Just look at that color! This is one of those recipes that I would have probably never had made if it weren’t for this baking group.
Whew, that’s a lot of bread! Do you realize the money I would have spent, if I had bought all that bread?
Or, let me rephrase that. Do you realize all the money I saved, by baking my own bread?
It just goes to show that a little well spent money, can save you big bucks over the long haul. The book will pay for itself in no time, or in my case, about a month! The ease of these recipes, with only five minutes of active, hands on time, make baking bread enjoyable, affordable, and down right delicious!
Have you bought your Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes A Day Cookbook yet?
For less then Twenty dollars, you can get it right here!
Check out the other bread baking babes at our leaders blog Big Black Dogs
For tips, recipes, and inspiration, check out authors Dr. Jeff and Zoe’s blog, Artian Bread in Five Minutes a Day
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh wow….you’ve been busy! Everything looks wonderful! I still have a little bit of the chocolate dough left…I’m hoping its enough for a mini loaf. I just have to do SOMEthing with. good stuff!
I loved working with the Soft WW Bread dough! And your first loaf looks gorgeous and the buns are so nicely shaped too.
I could not taste beets either but we sure enjoyed the Red Beet breads.
The smell of fresh bread is probably the best! You are definitely making me want to buy this book. Maybe I’ll put it on my wish list for my birthday in a few months
I’m going to buy that book. How did you like the hamburger buns? Were they soft and fluffy?
Everything looks great! I especially like the homemade chocolate covered strawberry jam. Yum!
I loved the chocolate bread myself, but I think the addition of chocolate covered strawberry jam sounds just divine! I’m totally swiping that recipe!
~Jenny~
you had yourself a little baking marathon there. You might just created a new disciplin to be featured in a future olympic. The chocolate bread is quite appealing and so good with just a bit of butter on top
I’m still baking bread the “old school” way and really must give this new approach a try. Many thanks for this great recipe.
OMG you made a ton of bread!!! Love that book, haven’t made any for awhile though… that needs to change
Ooh, you got me with that Chocolate Espresso Bread. Only recently have I eliminated my fear of making bread or using yeast. It’s actually quite fun. I will be trying this recipe. Yum, I can taste it now.
All of your breads are lovely! I agree though, I love that chocolate espresso bread!
I would like to hear you eating the chocolate bread! Maybe we’ll have to Skype next time you make it! It all sounds wonderful! I need to bake some bread!
I am thinking that I am really going to have to get this book!!
Wow! Oh boy that Apple Strudel Bread looks amazing! You are so lucky to review this book. I have mine on reserve at the library and wish listed at amazon. Gina over at Home Joys has been posting lots on the first book of artisan breads http://homejoys.blogspot.com.
Thanks for the inspiration
Wow – that’s a lot of great bread! I just made chocolate bread from their first book – and after seeing the chocolate espresso bread, I really need to purchase the second book.
So many carbs, so little time……
What gorgeous bread- love the wheat bread and the chocolate expresso. YUM!
You are just so awesome, really. All your breads look incredible.