Vegan Italian Garlic Focaccia Bread

Tonight we're having a simple dinner of lasagna and a vegetable.  I made the lasagna a couple of months ago when I was stocking the freezer, and now it's time to eat it (once again with trying to use up the food we have before we move, so we don't have to attempt to move food!).  I always like to serve a nice home made bread with such a simple dinner, because it really dresses things up a bit and makes dinner a tad more interesting.

This is a pretty easy recipe, as far as bread recipes go.  It takes a bit of time, but most of that time is spent doing other stuff (packing, anyone?) while the bread rises.  This isn't quite as easy as the Super Fast Dinner Roll recipe, but it's pretty darned close.

Italian Garlic Focaccia

Ingredients:

For the bread:

• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 1 TBSP raw cane sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 3 TBSP vital wheat gluten
• 1 TBSP olive oil

For the top:

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP vegan Parmesan
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

Directions:

1.  Combine yeast, warm water, and sugar in a large bowl.  Cover with clean dish towel and let sit for ten minutes.

2.  Add salt, flour, vital wheat gluten, and olive oil (1 TBSP).  Mix until everything is well incorporated.  Dough will be sticky.

3.  Turn out onto well floured surface and knead until smooth and shiny, about five minutes.

4.  Shape dough into ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover and let rise until double in size, about one hour.

5.  Punch down dough and divide in half.  Form each half into a ball, and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed and lightly dusted with cornmeal.

6.  Roll each ball into an eight inch circle.

7.  Press fingertips into the dough to make indentions.

8.  Cover dough and let rise until double in size, about 20 minutes.

9.  Drizzle each loaf with 1 TBSP olive oil (I used my handy Misto oil sprayer; it makes things so much easier!).  Sprinkle 1 TBSP vegan Parmesan, 1 TBSP minced garlic, and 1 tsp Italian seasoning on top of each loaf.

10.  Bake at 375° for 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.

Enjoy!

Super Fast Dinner Rolls

Well, I suppose that fast is subjective here, but compared to the three hours it generally takes to produce a good yeast bread, this is fast.  If you've got an hour, you can have some dinner rolls.  I made these for dinner tonight.  They go with my "Steak House" dinner theme.  We're having grilled steak-seasoned seitan, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and dinner rolls.

Super Fast Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 2 TBSP vital wheat gluten (this isn't totally necessary, but it sure does help them rise up nice and fluffy and tender)
• 1 TBSP raw sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 tsp yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• Substitute equal to one egg (or if you aren't vegan, use an egg or Egg Beaters)  I used the ground flax method
• 2 TBSP olive oil

Directions:

1.  Mix one cup flour with sugar, yeast, and salt.

2.  Stir in water, egg substitute, and oil

3.  With electric mixer, beat until bubbly and smooth--and I mean REALLY smooth!  It'll be runny.

4.  Cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

5.  Stir in remaining flour and vital wheat gluten.

6.  Turn out onto a VERY WELL floured surface and knead for three minutes, until smooth and elastic.  The dough is exceptionally sticky, so you need to flour the surface, and your hands, well, and as you knead incorporate some of that flour into the dough.  (If you need directions on how to properly knead bread, take a look at this.)

7.  Divide dough into 12 pieces and shape into rolls.

8.  Arrange on a greased baking sheet for soft sided rolls or in a greased muffin tin for crusty rolls.

Yup, I know they look pretty small, but I promise they'll get much bigger.  Yes, in only 30 minutes!

9.  Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

You see?  They got so big, they grew together!

10.  If desired mist with olive oil or brush with soy milk.  This step is totally optional.  I misted mine with a bit of olive oil and added a few herbs to the tops of the rolls.

11.  Bake in a 450° oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until just slightly browned.

Enjoy!

Italian Marinara Seitan on Herbed Ciabatta Rolls

Drew requested that I attempt to make my seitan "lunch meat" in an Italian flavor so that could have a sandwich like the Italian Meatball Sub from Subway.  I'm pretty proud of this actually, because this is only the second recipe I've ever made up completely by myself.  I didn't even wait for it to cool off when it came out of the oven before I tasted it, and I immediately had to text him "I made up something, and it's GOOD!"  I was so excited.  I have a few tweaks already in mind, but for now, this turned out fantastic, so here it is.

Italian Marinara Seitan Lunch "Meat"

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Italian seasoning, to taste.  I used 2 TBSP.
• 1/3 cup marinara sauce + enough cold water to make 3/4 cup
• 4 tsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 2 TBSP cold water

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 325°

2.  Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix them VERY WELL.

3.  In a liquid measure, measure out 1/3 cup marinara sauce and then add enough cold water to make 3/4 cups.  Mix well.

Apropos nothing, this measuring cup belonged to my grandmother, and I'm inordinately attached to it.  She died when I was 15, and to this day, she remains just about my favorite person ever.  I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to cook without this particular cup!

4.  Place marinara/water mixture into small bowl, and add the rest of the liquid ingredients. Whisk well.

5.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and mix with hands.

6.  Knead until fully incorporated.  There will be a point where it looks like it's not going to mix.  Keep kneading.  It will mix.

 When you're finished kneading, you will have a very unappetizing looking lump.  Don't worry; it's supposed to look this way.

7.  Roll into a log shape and wrap in two layers of foil, making sure the seam is in a different place both times.

Don't worry about trying to smooth it out and make it even.  It will plump and snap into shape in the oven.  All you need to do is make it vaguely log shaped, and you're good to go.

8.  Twist ends tightly to seal.  It should like like a giant Tootsie Roll.

9.  Bake 90 minutes, rolling log over halfway through.

Though it looks like it, it's not burned on one end.  That's my shadow, because I was ditsy enough to stand in the light while taking the picture.  See how nicely it snapped into shape?  Drew likes this, because it's got the texture of Summer Sausage.  He's all about the texture; there are things that he actually thinks taste good but he can't eat because the texture isn't right.  Woohoo WIN!

Herbed Ciabatta Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 TBSP vital wheat gluten
• 2 1/4 tsp instant dry yeast
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 scant TBSP dried Italian seasoning (or use 1/2 cup fresh herbs)
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 TBSP olive oil

Directions:

1.  In food processor, mix flours, vital wheat gluten, salt, sugar, herbs (either dried or fresh), and yeast.

2.  Transfer dry ingredients to large mixing bowl.

3.  Turn on faucet until water runs as hot as it will get.  Measure 1 cup water and add to dry ingredients.

4.  Knead until blended.

5.  Add olive oil and knead for another three to five minutes until well incorporated.  Yes, the dough is supposed to be very soft and very sticky at this point.

6.  Place dough in a greased bowl, coating all sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise somewhere warm for 20 minutes, until dough has doubled in size.

7.  Punch dough down.

8.  On a well floured surface, portion dough and form into round or oval shapes.  How many you make depends on what you're making.  You should get about 12 dinner sized rolls or 6 sandwich sized rolls.

9. Coat dough with flour and place on a greased cookie sheet.

I made sandwich rolls.  Ciabatta is the perfect bread for something you want to eat with lots of sauce, because it's dry, and all of the nooks and crannies hold the sauce well.  They plumped up to about twice this size after the final rise.

10.  Cover all rolls with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes or so.

11.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in 350° oven, until bottoms of rolls are golden and tops are soft.

I mixed up the seitan first and started it baking, and then I started on the rolls.  The timing came out almost perfect, and the rolls were ready to go in when the seitan came out.

Slice the seitan into coins, slice open a roll, add as much lunch meat as you wish, top with soy cheese of choice (or actual cheese if you eat dairy), and add some more marinara sauce.  Pop the whole thing in the microwave for 30 - 40 seconds, and you've got yourself a completely vegan Italian sub!

Enjoy!

Five Grain Bread

This isn't necessarily fast or easy (though if you've got a decent food processor, it can do a great deal of the work; if you don't have a decent food processor, then what's wrong with you?  Go get one!), but it's certainly good.  Even the husband likes it, and he's not so much with the grains.  This is originally a Country Living recipe, but I've adapted it to make it vegan.  It didn't take much adaptation at all, and the resulting loaf is amazing.  It makes a HUGE loaf with a dark chewy crust and light airy inside. It is quite yummy, and everyone loves it.  In fact, Drew requested this particular loaf, so here it is.

Five Grain Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups bread flour (If, like me, you don't tend to have bread flour on hand, you can use regular all purpose UNBLEACHED flour plus one tablespoon of wheat gluten per cup of flour.)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup cooked brown rice (can use cooked quinoa instead)
• 1/4 cup vegan brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/2 cup "buttermilk", warmed to 100 degrees (Once again, if like me you don't tend to have buttermilk on hand because you think it's a vile vile creation and you don't drink dairy anyway, you can make your own--It's one tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice to one cup milk. I used white vinegar and organic soy milk.  Be sure to let it sit for about five minutes before you use it.)
• 3/4 cup (add more as needed) spring water, warmed to 100 degrees
• Olive oil for coating bowl
• Olive oil or soy milk for brushing loaf

Directions:

Make the dough:

1.  In a large bowl or food processor fitted with metal blade, combine the flours, cornmeal, 1/4 cup oats, wheat germ, rice, sugar, yeast, and salt.

2.  In a small bowl, combine the agave and buttermilk and stir into the dry mixture with a wooden spoon, or pulse into a course meal with the food processor.  It should look like this when it's mixed correctly.

3.  Using a wooden spoon to mix by hand, add the water 1/4 cup at a time until a stiff dough comes together, or process until dough comes together and rides around the bowl with the blade.  Add the water SLOWLY.

4.  On a work surface lightly dusted with whole-wheat flour, knead dough by hand until glossy and elastic, about 10 minutes, or process in food processor for 45 more seconds.

Proof the dough:

1.  Coat a large bowl with the vegetable oil.  It doesn't take much--just lightly mist the bowl.

2.  Shape dough into a ball and place in the bowl, turning dough to coat all sides.

3.  Cover bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 1 to 11/2 hours.  (Because my house is really freaking cold, bread does not rise properly just on a counter top.  I turn on the oven light and let it rise in there.  It works like a charm every time!)
 
Form the loaf:

1.  Punch down the dough and shape into a tight ball.

2.  Return dough to the floured surface, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.

3.  Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal.

4.  Shape the dough into a 10-inch oval, tapering the ends, and place on the baking sheet.

5.  Cover with damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size -- about 1 hour.
 
Bake the bread:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Mist loaf with olive oil or brush with soy milk.

3.  Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon rolled oats.

4.  Using a sharp knife, cut 3 diagonal slashes in the top of the dough.

5.  Bake in the lower third of the oven until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped--50 to 60 minutes.

6.  Cool on a rack.

Serve at room temperature or toasted.
Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!