Bird Houses by Chuck



           Birdhouses;  my yard is full of them, and they are fun to watch.  Some birds come back to the same bird house year after year.  I made a couple last year from ceder cut down in the back woods.  I made them into log homes.  Just like my walking sticks I made one with no power tools, you can see it in this photo with the ceder roof.  I put it together with a glue gun.  Guess that has power.  Then I took some blocks of ceder and mill them into square logs.  This bird house I put up in my woods.  With in a few days a bird moved in.



           Birdhouses like this are time consuming, from milling the wood to putting them together.  So this year I bought a band saw, hopefully cut down on some of the time to cut wood.  Right off the bat, I started breaking saw blades.  Now working in a small shop in the shed I have started making more, and more birdhouses.

  

           The birds don't have to have a fancy bird house, they make homes in my shed.



           The first birdhouse I made was another log home.  They are still time consuming.  Then, with the new saw, I started breaking blades at $7.50 a piece.  Part of the breaking of the blades comes from having to learn to setting up the saw.  After breaking 3 blades, I still have not set it right.  Well, the blades are made in China. 

 

           Speaking of China,  breaking the $100.00 problem with the things I make.  Everything in America comes from China today.  We also know the Chinese are used as slave labor, yet we keep buying Chinese products.  You know it is actually hard not to buy Chinese, because just about everything is made in China. 

           In this birdhouse the logs are put together by drilling a hole and putting nails down threw the logs so as not to split the wood.  No glue is needed this way, and the logs just look stacked.  With my next birdhouse the wood from a pecan tree had worm holes threw it.  When making the birdhouse I decided to put it mounted on a pole.  I was worried that this airy home had to many holes for a bird, but a Carolina Chickadee moved in the next day.  Wow, that was fast.  Then the following day a Bluebird tried to move in and move the Chickadee out.  That was the best day ever watching these two birds fighting over one of my birdhouses.

 

           This next birdhouse is occupied every year by the same type of bird and most likely the same family.  They move in every spring and stay all summer having 3 or 4 sets of off spring before winter.

 

           They're 10 birdhouses in the woods and around the back yard, yet they have several nest inside the shed.  They're 2 in the other end, where we keep the garden tools.  So if you live in a subdivision, or even in town, you need to get some birdhouses.  All the trees in the back of our house and neighborhood, and the birds still fill up my birdhouses.  Also we have 3 birdbaths, 3 bird feeders, and 2 humming bird feeders







           With this birdhouse; for the first time I hinged the back so the roof will raise up to clean it out.  Also breaking the $100.00 barrier, this simple birdhouse I put at $65.00.  Then for my next birdhouse I added more details till I was back above the $100.00's.  Calling this next one the bait shop, I hit the too cute mark.  

  

           Now,I had to look up what other people are charging for birdhouses, and found them from $20.00 up to $289.00, and even higher.  With this bird house move the barrel and the top front swings down to get inside.  This bird house I decided to put at $115.00.  Not that the ones I seen on other sites at $189.00 and up are any better.  As a matter of fact the difference in prices on that site from $50.00 and up did not compare to mine.  I do feel as a Folk Artist the time I put in the different piece justifies my prices.  They are all one of a kind.

 

           The Chelsea Hotel inspired the next birdhouse that I made it like the one in my yard that has had many family's in it over the past 15 years or so.  It has no door and the birds clean it their selves.  My brother calls it the Dr. Seuss house, that was not even on my mind when I distorted its shape.  Creating this shape involved cutting wood strips very, very thin so they could bend.  Then covering it with painted on cloth, sort of like the method you do papier mache.  Keeping in mind that shipping will have to be added I have put the hotel at $135.00.  With the two coats of red and excellent paint job on the trim, I have never picked put any thing in a gift shop painted this well.

 

 

           This shows you just how well done my bird houses are made.  The next birdhouse just like the bait shop is just too cute.  The Church I still need to add the vents to the top part, but I can almost hear the bell ringing with out them.





           Keeping this at the same price as the bait store $115.00.  I hope the ideas keep coming because the next is a hardware store with a sign for Weber Wagons 1845, Coca-cola, Dry Goods and more.  This one is setting my goals even higher as I keep working on the just too cute factor.

 

           With B.W. Burdett & Bros on the top banner and a coca cola sign above the door, this bird property will bring $129.99.  With me being a house painter for 30 years or so, they all are caulked and painted to keep the little families warm and dry.  I'm thinking about a general store, a grocery store, maybe a fire department, or even a barn.  I have not made any patterns for these so each one is a one of a kind.  No two windows on the Church are the same as a matter of fact. 





           That rustic split-log bird house with a ceder roof is $109.00 and the wire in the middle is wrapped around the ridge pole.  If you decide not to hang it just cut it with wire cutters.  As I make more and start shipping more I'll better be able to guess the shipping cost.  The weight is different on everyone.  I wish a gift store or Folk Art store might be interested.  In the past Art Gallery's doubled my price and made good money off my paintings.  By trying to keep my prices in the $100 zone, room is left for someone to do just that.

           You can find me on facebook or message me here in the comments.  I look forward to talking with you and your ideas.  As always share Charles Kenneth's Corner with your friends.

             

Sourdough



          Sourdough,  since I first stared reading about making bread, it falls back to wild yeast.  The part that got me, was throwing away flour, while making your starter.  I don't like throwing away money, and throwing away flour is the same thing.  I'm on my third jar of yeast now, and have decided not to do the starter thing.  Sourdough recipes, I just replace the starter with the yeast sponge, and it has been working just fine.  I have gotten some great recipe. 

           Well, I got to thinking, and decided I would try a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon warm water, in a jar.  Just to see what happens.  I went to bed and the next morning I added one tablespoon flour and water.  That night the same thing, the next morning, so on and so on.  After three of four days smelling the brew, it smells like flour dough. nothing bad.  I decided to move it up some.  Made it heaping spoon fulls. 

           It has been a week, and no dark spots, doesn't smell bad, but is starting to smell some what sour.  So before I go to bed I put 1/2 cup of flour, and 1/2 cup warm water in.  Tomorrow going to see what happens.  In everything I've read the starter should double.  Mine bubbles up some, but doesn't double, and they say it has to be at least a week old. The thing is it not going to rise.  I think about using yeast and adding the brew for the sour taste.  I pour one cup into a mixing cup, what is left I add some flour and warm water.  That, that is left is the photo above.  I put this up for next time.

           San Francisco is where sourdough is famous.  The germ that is the yeast, is called San Francisco sourdough yeast.  No, it's not, I made that up, but it is named after San Francisco, it's called (sanfranciscensis), that is real.  The lactic acid is the bubbles, and what makes the bread rise.  I also read Pumpernickel means; well nickel means Devil and pumper means fart.  So you have a bread that will make the Devil fart.  If you want to know more about gas, and bram, go to Wikipedia.  I did learn if your starter is to sour, feed it more.  If it is not sour enough, feed it less.  The one I made is very sour, with a strong taste, might even have San Francisco beat.

            

           In this picture the dough has been rising about four hours.  When I made this I just went by my regular bread recipe.  Adding milk, water, sugar, honey, salt, and butter.  I ended up adding a lot more flour, so next time not a whole cup of water and a whole cup of wet starter.  As you can see it has risen, and that is about double.  Notice I sliced the top and it did not fall.  At this point I pre-heated the oven at 350 degrees.  I've been having trouble with the oven being to hot.  With this bread I should have heated it to 400 degrees.  It ended up taking longer to bake, try the hotter oven next time.



           Look how that bread has risen.  Not one bread I have made using yeast has risen that much, not once.  At this point I put foil over the top to keep it from burning.  I close the door and wait the full thirty minutes, and take the foil cover off to let the top brown. 



           Sticking the thermometer in the bottom to see if it is 190 degrees I pull it out and wet dough is still on it.  Back in the oven.  This bread ended up cooking for an hour.  That is why I said I should have baked it a 400 degrees.  I'm learning and this has turned out as one nice bread.



           The top where I cut it turned out beautifully.  Now I let this sit till it cools off.  I'm very nervous about this bread.  Knowing that I grew the wild yeast, and it is basic bacteria.  Boy, did it rise.  Reading more about sourdoughs.  Salmonella, and ecoli, start coming to mind.  Cutting into the bread a very rich sour smell.  Not a bad smell mind you,  I taste it, it cut nicely I might add.  It is good.  San Francisco is famous for the most sour, but I think mine is right up there.  The slice is so large it just fits in the toaster, end to end.  After it is toasted I half it and make a ham and cheese sandwich.  It is so good. 



           After it cools I bag it and put it away.  Later as the evening goes on the sourness, I start feeling it in my stomach.  Well it is germs that make sourdough what it is.  No where did I read that any one died from making sourdough.  O there was "Death by Sourdough" but it was a lady was hit by a bread truck.  All the next day I didn't eat any of the sourdough.  I ate the rest of another bread I had made.  Always looking at how perfect the sourdough bread looked.  Nice and big just like I had wished my other breads had turned out.  Everywhere on the net, nothing.  It said if it had dark stuff growing in it, or if it had a fowl smell, throw it out and start over.  It had neither, it smelled kind of good. 

           San Francisco is world famous for having the most sourest, sourdough.  I think I just tied with Boudin Bakery on my very first try.  I didn't die that first night, and since then I have had it for breakfast with butter, and another ham and cheese.  This time a whole sandwich.  It does leave you knowing that it is a special bread.  Most all bread is made from yeast from beer brewing.  The active dry yeast in the packages comes from beer yeast.  To get this strong, sour bread, you got to grow your own, yeast that is.

           Now; to make everything clear.  I did not add yeast to start my starter.  I did not throw any away.  Everywhere I read said one cup flour, one cup water, throw away one cup or bake with it.  I started with one level tablespoon of flour, and add to it twice a day.  I only increased the amount of flour after the forth day.  All I used was flour and warm water.  You do not want a real warm place to keep this.  In San Francisco it is rainy and wet, and the 49er's did take it to Alaska for the Gold Rush.  They kept it close to their body.     

            

              

The Caramel Slam Brownie

          This is the ultimate brownie, and I spent most of the afternoon making this and a Chocolate Crazin Bread.  You know you want some and this is a bad photo.  Inside this hand full of chocolate is 50 individually wrapped caramel squares melted in a sauce pan with a can of  sweetened condensed milk.  A cup and a half of chopped pecans.  This thing is packed with chocolate chips.  I had pieces of bags of chips in the freezer so, you said it, in it went in.  Here is what you need to be the best mom, wife, or husband in the world.  

Caramel Slam Brownie  

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cup flour ( all-purpose)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup pecans chopped

14 oz caramels ( 50 each )

1 can condensed milk



          In a bowl mix on low sugar, cocoa powder, oil, eggs, and milk.  When smooth add flour, baking powder, salt and after is mixed well stir in with spoon chips and 1/2 your nuts.  This is where I set the measuring cup on the table I poured in white chocolate chips to about a third maybe 1/2, then add bittersweet mini- chocolate chips, then piled the rest of the cup over-flowing with semi-sweet chocolate chips.  No level cup here, and pecans about 2/3 a cup. 

          Put 2/3 of this batter into a 9X13 pan sprayed with vegetable oil.  Place in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  In a sauce pan melt your caramels and sweetened condensed milk on low heat stirring the whole time.  Do not stop stirring, keep it from burning on the bottom.  When the 12 minutes are up pull out the brownies and set on wire racks.  Pour the melted caramel on to the brownies spreading evenly.  Now add 2/3 cup more pecans on top of caramel coating.  Notice I came up with an extra 1/2 cup of nuts.  On top of this pour the remaining brownie mix you have in your bowl.  Spread evenly with a spoon.  Now taking a butter knife make swirling motions mixing to marbleize the top.

          Place back in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. 

          Now Go Get A Paper Towel and clean the drool off of your computer table.  Sit up straight in your chair, that is exactly why there is no center fold picture included with this recipe.  I have been told that my recipes are "food porn" and hard for some readers to handle.  Come back for more great things at Charles Kenneth's Corner, and do share with your friends.  

Bread Baking 101

Ready for the Oven

          Wow;  Let's see, it is the last day of the month, and this is only the second blog.  I must say it was a busy month, the first one of the year and all.  Yesterday, I tilled the garden spot.  We're in what seems like an Indian Summer.  The weather is mild, and really nice out, but winter is not over yet.  As you know from the last couple of blogs that I have always wanted to bake bread.  Those blogs show that even if you don't know what you are doing, you can still eat the bread.  So far the only bread the birds and squirrels got was the Jumbo Soft Pretzels the next day.  They were good the night I baked them, but the next day not so good.  I used to much XVOO and didn't have pretzel salt.  
           In today's blog I'm going to let you know this, there has been something wrong with every bread I've baked.  I have not yet been able to cut the top of the loaf with a razor, that it hasn't fell.  Painting the egg wash on too, has made it fall.  So even after a month, I'm still learning about yeast, water temperatures, and the chemistry of bread making.  I can say I have confidence in the kitchen, while making the breads, because they have all tasted good.  Whether you are making pizza or an olive loaf, you will enjoy what comes out of the oven.  I even saw on the Fleischmann's web site, a great video making bread with kids.  It is all mixed in a freezer bag, and if kids can do it so can the rest of us.  
            When it comes to bread rising, that is the yeast.  Louie Pasture I thought just gave us penicillin but he also gave us baker's yeast.  I started reading about sourdough, and by the way that is where I have got some great recipes.  More about that later, but sourdough is basically yeast.  To make sourdough is easy, yeast is in the air just like the mold on your bread, and so is the yeast.  Get some water about 100 degrees and flour and in 12 hours it will double in size.  In 12 hours or twice a day add flour for the yeast to feed on and in a week it will fill a swimming pool.  To keep the sourdough for baking, every time you add a cup of flour you take a cup of dough starter to bake with.  
            To me, I don't plan to bake a couple of loafs of bread every day, and 2 cups of flour to be thrown away seems like a waste.  That is how friendship breads get started, but I don't have that many friends, so in come baker's yeast.  When I first started I bought a jar of the bread machine yeast.  I've gone threw 2 jars, and every thing has been fine.  I bake breads where the recipe calls to have water at 120 to 130 degrees.  Then recipes that say anything over 100 degrees kills the yeast.  Then I have recipes that say make a yeast sponge, or to proof the yeast.  
           Well, as you can see it all gets confusing. Next after it is mixed with one recipe you let to bread rise for an hour in an oiled bowl for an hour, and in the next recipe you let it sit for 10 minutes before shaping into a loaf, then that rises for an hour.  What's more is breads don't have eggs, the a recipe has an egg.  Another recipe has 2 eggs, and even another recipe had 5 eggs and 12 egg yokes.   OK, I'm going to take all that out.  We here at Charles Kenneth's Corner we keep things simple.  When I bought my 3rd jar of yeast it said Active Dry, not Bread Machine Rapid Rise.  When I looked up the difference in them, I got a small incite.

  

           Bread machine yeast you let sit 10 minutes, then shape into loaf, let rise till double ( about an hour) then bake.  Active Dry, or baker's yeast you need to proof, or make a sponge.  To proof you put yeast in a bowl with 100 degree water.  To make a sponge just add flour.  This you let sit until rises double or 1 hour.  This part I have done with both yeast and it works just fine.  At this point you have the start of your bread.  Whether a sourdough recipe, bread machine recipe, or a recipe for yeast bread.  I do not have a bread machine nor do I want one.  I wanted to learn to make bread, not have a machine do it for me.

           The part about the 15 eggs, turns out that was for, 4 loaves of a Jewish bread and the egg yokes give it a nice yellow color.  So what I have done in the breads I bake, is reduce them to just 1 or 2 loaves of bread.  Now I'm going to leave you with a 100% Whole Wheat Recipe for one loaf of bread in a loaf pan.

2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

Yeast (2 1/4 tsp or 1 packet)

1 tlb sugar

2 tlb honey (does not have to be exact)

1 tsp salt

1 cup water ( 100 degrees)

1/4 cup milk warm

1 tlb butter ( margarine, vegetable oil, EVOO)

           Using the water, 1cup of flour, and yeast make your sponge and let sit for about 1 hour.

           In a small pot put milk, honey, and butter.  Warm to melt butter no hotter than 100 degrees.

           Combine these ingredients in a mixing bowl, adding 1/2 cup flour sugar and salt.  Mix on low speed for 4 minutes.  Take out and add flour mixing with spoon, until it starts to thicken.  Flour a spot for kneading, sprinkle the top with flour, and pour out on counter.  Start kneading by taking the heel of your hand pushing down into the dough and away from your body.  Spinning it as you knead and adding sprinkles of flour.  

           With vegetable spray, spray a bowl and place dough ball into bowl, and lightly spray the top, cover with plastic rap, and sit for 1 hour.  After it has risen punch it down a couple times letting the gases out, knead lightly again and place in baking loaf pan that has been sprayed, cover and let rise a second time.  After an hour it has risen double, place in pre-heated oven at 375 degree.  After baking for 10 minutes cover the top with tinfoil.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes total.  Check with tooth pick to see if done 

  

          Now, if you replace the 100% whole wheat flour, with all-purpose flour you get french bread, dinner rolls, or a wonderful loaf of white bread.         

Challah

          I have been asked to share this recipe.  This is a recipe I got off of Mike's web site, Sourdough.  Mike got the recipe off of Breads Bread.  Mike changed Beards recipe from using yeast, to a sourdough recipe.  Because I'm still learning about sourdough, I changed the recipe back to a yeast, recipe.  If you follow my blog you know I'm just starting to learn about breads.  I went to the Fleischmann's yeast web site, and just started baking using their recipes.  Every recipe there has heat your water to 120 -130 degrees.  When I went to Mike's web site, he says anything over 100 degrees kills the yeast.

           I have lost count of how many breads I have made.  Some where over 12 breads now, I have decided, that I'm not happy with the way they are rising.  Because of that I have been read more web sites.  By reading about the sourdough, I better understand the yeast.  Just like feeding the sourdough starter,  and the whole filling up a swimming pool in 12 days thing.  I am now back blogging.  Even though the breads I made were good.  Now, I better understand how it works. 

            In this bowl I am making a yeast sponge.  In the bowl we put 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of warm water.  I made sure it was under 100 degrees.  To this I added 2-1/4 teaspoons of yeast, which is equal to one packet.  Cover and let sit for 1 hour.  This is a Jewish Bread which has no milk, and uses Kosher salt.  Also note I added the pecans to the recipe myself.

1 cup of starter @100% hydration

(this is for a sourdough, I replaced it with the sponge)

1/2 cup water (leave this out water is in sponge)

Sift about 4 cups of flour

2 tsp. Salt

1/4 Sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg lightly beaten

2 egg yolks lightly beaten

Poppy Seeds

Sesame Seeds

1 cup pecans chopped

           The pecans I chopped up the by hand because in the chopper, it chops them up to fine.  I put these to the side.  In a large bowl I put 2 cups of flour, in the center of flour I made a ditch.  Into this I put the egg, 2 egg yolks, sugar, kosher salt, and oil.  Mixing all this with a wooden spoon, then add the sponge, and mix with the mixer on low 2 or 3 minutes.  Add flour until just before dough is formed.  Change mixer to dough hooks, or remove from mixer and stir in pecans with spoon. Turn out on floured table and knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.  Cover and let rise until triple in size.

 

           In this picture it is about double in size.  It will continue to rise until the bowl is full and touching the plastic wrap.  In the recipe of the 1920 Nut Bread I made in the past, you fold the nuts in after it has risen.  I decided I would try adding earlier this time and it worked just fine.  Guess you can do it either way.  It did seem to mix better while the batter was still wet. 

           When the dough has tripled in size, punch out the dough and pour out on flour table.  Knead briefly, then cut into 4 equal parts.  Cut one of the parts into 3 pieces and form 12" to 14" ropes.  You should have 3 small ropes and 3 thick ropes.  Take the 3 large pieces and braid, then braid the smaller ones.  Taking the side of your hand, make a dent the length of the large braid.  Brush it with water and place the smaller braid on top of the larger braid.

 

           The recipe calls for using another egg, but I added a tablespoon of water to the egg whites that were left over.  Place the loaf on a baking sheet cover in a coat of 100% Whole Wheat flour.  Paint the loaf with egg and cover with plastic wrap, let rise until double in size.  This recipe calls for baking on a baking stone, but my bread is bigger that my baking stone.  So, I just placed this baking sheet in the oven on top of the baking stone.  Hey, it worked.  Another thing that worked, was the yeast sponge, and changing the water temperature to under 100 degrees.

           Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, with a Baking Stone or tiles this will take about 45 minutes to an hour.  When oven is ready brush loaf with egg wash again.  Bake about 35 minutes, or until golden brown.  Check the inside with toothpick.  If while baking the top cooks to fast place parchment paper or foil tent over bread.





           The picture is not that good, but the bread is great.  I hope you try this bread with or without the pecans.  I'm also sure this is one bread, that I won't be eating by myself.  As you can see I forgot to put the Poppy Seed and Sesame Seed on it.  You are suppost to put them on after the second egg wash is put on, and before you put it into the oven.  Well, there is always next time.

         

Moving on from first breads



           This is so far, the best thing I have baked, since I started baking.  Baking the last two weeks is what some call their bucket list.  One of the things you always wanted to do. Yes, something that I could have done anytime.  There are things in every ones life like that.  Things you just haven't done, for what ever reason.  This beautiful thing with the icing melting off the picture is a "Stollen" I believe, it is from Germany.  I've been seeing them in the check out at the grocer, and since I'm baking I thought I would give it a try.  I stared baking to make my own pizzas, and have loved the aroma of fresh bread.  I did start with a bread that sounded easy enough.  It didn't rise the way I hoped, but it tasted really good.  Not discouraged, I went to your basic, all round french bread, or recipe for bread sticks.



           This is good, but here again they are not rising enough.  Don't get me wrong if it was easy we would all make bread at home.  Actually it is hard work.  A friend who bakes told never let the salt met the yeast.  Then I watch a video of baking bread , and he pours the salt right on top the the yeast, in the bowl.  He said the yeast is dead, right, OK.

 

           Now, this has rose up nice, but when the egg wash went on top it fell some.  This is looking so good though.  Just looking at the picture, I wish I had made one today, for supper.  For this Master Dough, it makes two loafs.  5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, the reason for the difference is temperature, moisture in the air, time of day, a lot of things.  3 tablespoons of sugar, sugar speeds up the action of the yeast.  Next the yeast 2 envelopes, I bought a jar of yeast.  I know I'm going to be making bread often.  I also know I'll be messing up.  With the jar of yeast it is 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast to make one packet.  Now 2 teaspoons of salt, just on the safe side I'm not going to let them touch any ways.  The yeast has to be kept in the refrigerator when not in use.  I put it in the bowl first, while I get the rest stuff together.  That lets it get to room temperature.

 

           That was it for the dry ingredients.  In a small pot on the stove put 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, 1/2 a stick, 1 1/2 cup of water, and 1/2 of milk.  Warm this to 120 - 130 degrees.  On every bread this is the same.  It is important to the yeast, below 120 is not good, and above 130 is to hot.  The water is important or they would not tell me this on every bread.  Also this french bread looks good and even taste good, but when the melted butter was painted on top it fell.  When it came out of the oven it is heavy.  

           With this recipe you just but 2 1/2cups of flour in the bowl, add the warm butter, milk, and water and mix with a mixer at low speed.  Then after it is mixed for about 2 minutes, add 1/2 cup flour and mix on high speed for 2 minutes.  With a wooden spoon add the remaining flour to make soft dough.  Smooth and elastic about 8 - 10 minutes, cover and let rest 10 minutes.

           After the 10 minutes, split dough into two pieces.  Take one piece split it into 3 pieces. Roll out each piece into ropes and braid on a greased cookie sheet, pinching the ends together.  The other one roll out into a long rope, and with a knife cut off 16 small pieces.  Roll these up into individual bread sticks twisting and pinching the ends to a greased cookie sheet.  Into the oven at 400 for 10 - 20 minutes.  The braided loaf bake about 25 minutes, or until done.

     

            The next bread is the Harvest Stuffing Bread, and yes it taste like Dressing at Christmas.  Once again when I put the egg wash on top it fell.  This is a hardy bread full of flavor, and just like in the video it is great for making sandwiches.  I tried slicing it at an angle to make the slices bigger.  I ended up eating it like cornbread, but once again it has kind of heavy.  Even though I'm not getting these breads just right, they still taste good.  I'm eating them, nothing in back yard for the birds yet.  This bread is so good I have baked it twice.  It fell both times, the second was in a loaf pan so it was a little taller, but still heave.

           This one has 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tbs sugar,1 envelope yeast, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbs minced onions, 1 tbs parsley flakes, 1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning.  Here I used just 1/2 tsp sage.  Even with Christmas Dressing go lite on the sage.  Most important, go lite on the sage.  Wish someone had told my Grandmother that.

That is it for the dry ingredients.  Warm up 1 1/4 cup of water and 1 tbs butter, 120 to 130, cooking at 375 for 35 minutes.

  

           This is the main reason I want to make yeast breads.  Home made pizza better than Pizza Hut, or Papa John.  I have been making pizza's, with french bread from the grocer.  French bread makes a good pizza, but I want the real thing, and I did it.  The pizza you see here was great.  Question, are you supposed to put the pepperoni, onions, and olives on top of the cheese or under it?  I went to Wal-mart just to buy a large pizza pan cookie sheet.  Got 2 of them.

           If it is your dream to make pizza's at home like mine, then just follow these easy steps.  Remember practice makes better.  We need 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 envelope yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup water, and instead of butter, 1 tablespoons of EVOO.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Put a small pot on the stove with the water and EVOO.  Heat it between 120 and 130 degrees.  Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl.  With mixer on low add warm water and EVOO, mix for 2 minutes.  Then with a wooden spoon stir in the rest of flour a little at a time until smooth and elastic.  About 8 to 10 minutes.  Cover and let sit and rest for 10 minutes.

           Unless you know how to stretch dough and throw it in the air like they do at the pizzeria.  Then let me warn you that rolling out a circle and place on a greased baking sheet is not easy.  What I did is lay down wax paper with some XVOO on it.  I Rolled it out on that, lay ed the pizza pan on top, and flipped it over.  Then just pill ed the wax paper off.  Poke some fork holes in the dough, and put in an oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.  Take it out, put my topping on, lowered the temperature to 375 and baked for 20 minutes.  It was the best pizza ever.

           As always share this Blog with your friends.  If you were hoping for the recipe for the German Stollen.  Guess what?  You have to read it in my next Blog.  Charles Kenneth's Corner is a collection of stories about family, art, and such.  Lots of good food recipes for young people just starting out.  Some recipes of bread as I'm learning the ins and outs of baking.  Don't be afraid to try something new, even if you mess up you tried.  If you have never fail or messed up.  You are not living.  Yeast was $5.00 and all-purpose flour was less than $2.00.  So far I was able eat it myself.  If not the birds and squirrels won't mind.  O, you just might have fun while you are doing it.  

  

            

            

           

First Bread



           I have always wanted to make bread.  The smell of fresh bread, well it is just wonderful.  When I was stationed in Germany their were bakeries and guest houses everywhere.  Shoppes that sold cheese, wines, and bread, with tables to sit at.  Eat it there if you like, or take it home.  Well 35 years later I decided to buy a jar of yeast.  My Mother said I was on my own with this.  I guess my love of yeast rolls goes back to grade school.  I asked the cooks in the cafeteria for the recipe to their rolls we had at lunch.  Kids today should get the lunches we did.  My mother, she only tried to bake the rolls once.  That's why I'm on my own with this now.

         After all those years that recipe for rolls is still in Mom's box of recipes.  I decided not to try that as my first attempt at baking.  Getting out the trusty cookbook "the Betty Furness Westinghouse, Cook Book", from 1954.  This the second copy my Mother has, the first was burned in a house fire.  My sister was lucky to find another copy.  The notes and stuff are missing, but it is a great cook book.  Now the chapter on yeast bread comes with pointers.  I read this part many times before attempting to bake.

          To start off with it list 5 tricks to baking bread and I'm going to share them with you.  Guess you might need to know them if you decide to try it to.  Tip one is be careful about the temperature of liquid used.  Yeast should never be put in liquid hotter that 85 degrees.  It also said it is like checking a babies bottle.  Tip 2, use fresh yeast.  Tip 3, keep the bread dough away from drafts.  Between 80 and 85 degrees is ideal.  Tip 4, if the house is chilly, when you finish kneading the dough.  Turn on the oven for 1 minute, then turn it off, set dough in and let it rise.  This only works in an electric oven.  And tip 5, have a large bowl for the dough to rise in, and don't let it cascade over the side.  Measure accurate, follow recipe, and be sure to use all-purpose flour.

          As I'm reading in this book, and pondering over all these recipes, I come upon Oatmeal Bread.  I love Oatmeal Cookies, this looks like a good one, until words like sponge, and dough as separate parts.  OK , I have a recipe for sponge, then combine the ingredients of dough.  As I read down some more it said this makes 3 loaves.  I don't think I want to mess up 3 loaves of bread my first time trying.  Is that wrong, well the lady who taught me to cook, refuses to help bake bread.  With that said, I'm going to pick something easier.  Plymouth Bread is only one paragraph, this is it.

          The first ingredient is corn meal.  Corn meal in bread?  OK; but it doesn't look hard.  2 cups water, 2 tablespoons butter, or margarine, and a 1/2 cup sorghum molasses.  Then more water, some salt, and 4 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour.  As I read it, it said stir corn meal into boiling water, stirring constantly.  I can do this, it's not rocket science.  Famous last words, before I mess up all 5 tips, and bake bread for the first time.  I start by putting a pot of water on to boil, then start getting out my ingredients.



           I messed up already.  Pour out the boiling water, measure out 2 cups of water put back on the stove.  Make sure you have all your ingredients ready before you start.  Now add 1/2 cup of corn meal stirring constantly thing.  Messed up again, this is where not having 3 hands comes in.  I was supposed to pour the corn meal slowly with one hand, stir with the other hand and keep the pot from falling off the stove with the other hand.  O Well, I'll break up the lumps on the side of the pot, since I have to stir for 5 minutes.  Now, with another hand put 1/2 cup of lukewarm water into a bowl.  In this we add 1 cake quick-acting yeast.

         Yes I have messed up again.  I bought a jar of yeast, and 2 1/4 teaspoons equals 1 package or 1 cake of yeast.  I measured out 2 1/4 tablespoons.  I did realize it in time though.  It looked like to much, so I poured it back.  Measuring it again 2 1/4 teaspoons, I add the 1/2 cup warm water.  To my corn meal boiling and still stirring, I add 1/2 cup molasses, and 2 tablespoons margarine.  The margarine and molasses all mixed together with the corn meal I turn off and let sit.  This is not going well.

          Going over to the counter I measure 4 3/4 cups of flour.  Putting it in a large bowl.  Check the mixture on the stove.  The old milk on the wrist trick, right, I stuck my finger in the pot.  It didn't burn, it was just warm, so I poured in the bowl of melted yeast.  Stirring in the yeast mixing it well, then pouring into the bowl of flour.  Now taking the wooden spoon and mixing it all into the flour.  The direction say knead the mixture, but this isn't right.  The mixture is sticking to my fingers.  I thought kneading was folding the mixture over and over.  This is just sticking to my fingers.



          The book said let the mixture rise to double in size.  This does not look like what I thought it should.  I just set it on the stove and realized I had just used self-rising flour, instead of plain flour.  I got the flour off the counter, and the all purpose flour is in the cupboard.  I do not believe this.  What else can go wrong.  I just can't believe I just messed up that bad.  What is done is done.  Worse thing will be throwing it in the trash and starting over.  The biggest lost is the molasses.  I have totally messed up, but an hour later I split this in two well greased bread pans.



           It said do not cover, seems like they covered dough when it rises.  I covered it and thought about it, then decided to turn the oven on for 1 minute.  Turning off the oven, I un-covered them and stuck them in for about 1/2 hour or so.  I didn't leave covered long but since I made every mistake in the book, thought it made a great picture.  When they had doubled in size I took them out, turn the oven on to 350 to pre-heat.  Popped them back in to bake.  What can it hurt now, the book said one hour.



Looks like Bread

          Looks like maybe I should have checked on it before the hour was up.  Just one more mess up, check on it next time.  Some ovens cook faster than others.  We are going to taste it, before throwing it away.  You know I think maybe, that molasses might be why the dough, doesn't look like dough.  That molasses is some sticky stuff.  Well lets cut one of these loaves.  They do feel spongy, I wonder how they taste. 



That doesn't look so bad

With a little melted butter

           Well, I guess, seeing one loaf is almost gone.  Considering everything I did wrong, you know you can use yeast with self-rising flour.  Now, if you think you can't bake.  I have just done everything wrong, and the Plymouth Bread taste great.  I do hope my next bread goes better.  If not at least I hope it taste as good as this one.  As always share with your friends.  Thank-you for reading Charles Kenneth's Corner.