I have been trying to spruce up the (yummy) but kind of plain bread recipe I have posted on here. I wanted something a bit heartier and not so.....white....and plain.
I ended up adjusting the recipe as follows:
substitute 1 c. flour for 1 c. rye flour.
added about 2-3 tbsp caraway seeds (can be more/less to your liking)
and then tossing in about 2 handfuls of unsalted plain sunflower seeds
The results were amazing. The bread reminded me so much of the bread my Opa used to make when I lived in Germany. Also, if you have not used rye or wheat flour in your baking before, don't make the mistake of substituting the entire amount of flour for all rye/wheat flour. Your dough will be impossible to work with, and I think you need the gluten that is in regular white flour for everything to rise correctly. You can't quote me on that, but it is just one of those things that seems like the right explanation to me in my head.
I didn't get a chance to grab any photos of this bread, since it somehow magically disappeared very, very quickly. But I am sure to make another batch soon.
Tomorrows experiment to come: herbed foccacia! I am making the poolish for it now, and have decided to let it sit overnight. Then tomorrow, the long processes of folding, resting, and repeating many time will take place. Wish me luck!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Vegan Strawberry Cake
On Sunday, I went to Sauvie Island here in Portland to pick some fresh strawberries. I had read that this weekend was going to be the prime weekend for strawberry weekend, and with the weather not being too sunny or warm, it was the perfect opportunity to snatch up some yummy strawberries!
In Germany, we had a strawberry field, and the summer was filled with all kinds of strawberry deliciousness. I was inspired to make a cake I remember my Oma making, and here is my Vegan interpretation of it!
Ingredients for the cake:
6 tbsp earth balance
3/4 c. vegan sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp baking power (aluminum free)
1 pinch of salt
3 egg substitutions of Enger-G
1/3 c. soy milk (vanilla is good!)
2 tsp. organic vanilla
other:
strawberries
vegan gelatin (i used strawberry)
Add the earth balance and sugar, beat for about 5 minutes until it is nice and fluffy. Slowly add the flour, salt, baking powder. In a small bowl, mix together the Enger-G with warm warm. Add this to a bowl containing the milk and vanilla. Mix these wet ingredients together, and slowly add it into the cake mixture, and mix until everything is nice and smooth.
Pour the cake mix into a 10" spring form pan. Don't worry, this should not be like a normal cake, it should only be enough to make a thing layer. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until it is done. I just check this by inserting a fork in the middle, and see when it comes out clean.
While you let the cake cool, take your strawberries, slice off the ends, and then slice them in half. When the cake is cool to the touch, arrange the strawberries on top of your cake while it is still in the springform pan. I arranged mine working a circle from the outside to the inside of the cake.
You will get a nice and neat arrangement layer of strawberries on top of your cake. When you're done with this part, set it aside and start making your vegan gelatin. Mine was made pretty much like regular Jell-O. I boiled 2 cups water and then took it off the burner. I added the mix to the water, and mixed it for about 5 minutes. Mixing it for a few longer minutes allowed for the gelatin to turn into a liquidy gel substance, not just hot water. This lets you pour over the gelatin a bit easier.
Pour the gelatin mixture over the middle of the cake, it will seep outwards towards the edges. It should be enough to almost cover all of the strawberries. Put it in the fridge to cool down, mine was set after only about 1/2 an hour.
And Voila!
Thank You Rachel for taking these lovely photos!
In Germany, we had a strawberry field, and the summer was filled with all kinds of strawberry deliciousness. I was inspired to make a cake I remember my Oma making, and here is my Vegan interpretation of it!Ingredients for the cake:
6 tbsp earth balance
3/4 c. vegan sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp baking power (aluminum free)
1 pinch of salt
3 egg substitutions of Enger-G
1/3 c. soy milk (vanilla is good!)
2 tsp. organic vanilla
other:
strawberries
vegan gelatin (i used strawberry)
Add the earth balance and sugar, beat for about 5 minutes until it is nice and fluffy. Slowly add the flour, salt, baking powder. In a small bowl, mix together the Enger-G with warm warm. Add this to a bowl containing the milk and vanilla. Mix these wet ingredients together, and slowly add it into the cake mixture, and mix until everything is nice and smooth.
Pour the cake mix into a 10" spring form pan. Don't worry, this should not be like a normal cake, it should only be enough to make a thing layer. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until it is done. I just check this by inserting a fork in the middle, and see when it comes out clean.
While you let the cake cool, take your strawberries, slice off the ends, and then slice them in half. When the cake is cool to the touch, arrange the strawberries on top of your cake while it is still in the springform pan. I arranged mine working a circle from the outside to the inside of the cake.
You will get a nice and neat arrangement layer of strawberries on top of your cake. When you're done with this part, set it aside and start making your vegan gelatin. Mine was made pretty much like regular Jell-O. I boiled 2 cups water and then took it off the burner. I added the mix to the water, and mixed it for about 5 minutes. Mixing it for a few longer minutes allowed for the gelatin to turn into a liquidy gel substance, not just hot water. This lets you pour over the gelatin a bit easier.
Pour the gelatin mixture over the middle of the cake, it will seep outwards towards the edges. It should be enough to almost cover all of the strawberries. Put it in the fridge to cool down, mine was set after only about 1/2 an hour.
And Voila!
Thank You Rachel for taking these lovely photos!
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