Worth 1,000 Words

I just know that everyone's been dying to see pictures of us, so here we go:

Here's Thaden eating something red...a crayon, maybe?

Giselle, Jothan, and Thaden on an electric tractor thing during the garage sale

Giselle, Jothan, and Thaden on scooters during the garage sale, Thaden eating Giselle's thumb

Thaden playing with Mom's emry boards

Jothan and Thaden

Thaden wants Mom!

Thaden being confused

Mommy

Me at the garage sale Saturday

A teensy fraction of the books we were selling at the garage sale

Thaden at the garage sale Saturday

Aaaaand....

Russian Black Bread and Honey Wheat bread!!!


I must post the recipe for the Russian Black Bread...it's just so delicious! It is dark, though, so don't try it if you don't like bitter things. I replace the 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup with 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and the 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules with 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder. I don't use the fennel seed, because I don't have it, but I'm sure it would be delicious with it. The caraway seed doesn't have to be added, but it's so much better with it in. And the bread flour makes a nice, soft loaf, but I want to try it with all-purpose flour.
If you don't have a bread machine, there's an alternate set of instructions below. The ball and baking stone instructions are more advanced, so if you have limited bread-baking experience, use the loaf pan. THE LOAF PAN INSTRUCTIONS ARE UNTESTED, I have not baked the bread this way, but it should work. The instructions are modeled after the way other loaf breads bake. The only thing I'm not sure on is baking time for the loaf pan.

Russian Black Bread
From allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup rye flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon caraway seed
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed (optional)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place ingredients into the bread machine in order suggested by the manufacturer.

Use the whole wheat, regular (medium) crust setting.

After the baking cycle ends, remove the bread from the pan, place on a cake rack, and allow to cool for 1 hour before slicing.

Alternate directions:

Mix together the water, yeast, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Let sit for 10 mins. Add vinegar, corn syrup (or brown sugar), brown sugar, flours, salt, cocoa powder, coffee granules (or cocoa powder), caraway seed, and fennel seed. Mix with a spoon (the dough won't be dry enough to handle, and it doesn't need to be kneaded.). Add the margerine (melted). Mix until together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in your oven (before placing the dough in, turn the oven on for 30 sec, then turn off). Let rise until double, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Spoon the dough onto parchment paper and, with floured hands, form into a ball (tuck the ends under, like turning a sock inside-out). Cover with plastic wrap and "tuck in" the ball (fit the plastic wrap to the ball, barely tucking the plastic wrap under the ball). Let rise until more than doubled, about 30 to 45 minutes more.

You could also spoon the dough into a greased 13x9-inch loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until the loaf rises 1-2in above the pan, 30 to 45 minutes more.

If using a baking stone or cookie sheet (ball only): You'll be baking on the bottom rack, so take out the top rack. Preheat the oven and baking stone to 450 degrees. (If using cookie sheet, don't preheat the cookie sheet). Carefully uncover the ball and transfer with parchment paper to oven on something flat. Bake 15 mins, then turn the heat to 400 and bake for 30-45 mins more. For a crispy, crunchy crust, you can pour 1/4 cup water on the floor of the oven every 3 minutes for the first 10 minutes. Avoid the heating element if you have an electric oven. Avoid the baking stone.

If using a loaf pan: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Carefully uncover the loaf and bake on the middle rack, 45 min to 1 hour.



Let bread cool at least 30 min before slicing. It tastes good with savory things, like mint pesto, ham, cheese, etc. or with peach preserves or other preserves, jams, jellies. I like it with peach the best, though.

Enjoy!



Chloe