If you make bread on a regular basis for your family, you know you almost always end up with some stale pieces. Toast, croutons, bread pudding and now these nice “Piedras” are all excellent ways to avoid wasting your good breads!
Using a food processor, make fine bread crumbs from leftover stale heels and slices of bread. Measure out 4.5 cups into a mixing bowl.
Add the flour, sucanat, soda and baking powder and mix well.
Melt the butter and add to the dry mixture.
Work the butter in thoroughly with your hand.
Begin adding milk, a little at a time and squishing and kneading it over and over with your hand, until it is a nice soft, moist dough. Continue to work it with your hand. It should be like cookie dough.
Add vanilla and work that in well.
Place 1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels in a dry cast iron skillet. Place it on medium heat on your kitchen stove, and stirring, cook until fragrant and several of the seeds have turned brown. Do not burn them. Add them to the bowl.
Add the raisins, and again, working it with your hand, combine thoroughly.
Cover bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to bake, the next day, leave it out on the counter for at least 1 hour to warm up. It needs to be soft enough to scoop out.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cover baking a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Use a 2.5-inch ice cream scoop to measure out the Piedras dough. Place the scoops 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. If you have a scoop with a mechanism that slides and removes the contents, use that, but if not, dip the scoop in water between each Piedra. Alternately, you can use a big spoon and just form them with your hands.
Mix 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon into 2 Tablespoons of Sucanant and sprinkle a little of that over each Piedra before baking.
Bake for about 20 minutes at 350. They should be set and the bottoms beginning to turn brown.
Remove to a clean dish towel on the counter to cool.
This recipe is versatile. Feel free to add other nuts, seeds, chopped dried fruits, etc. Just don’t add too much or the Piedras will not hold together well. 1 cup total of additions is about right. Cinnamon and vanilla are optional. You may also increase or decrease the sweetening to your taste.
These may be frozen. If you flash freeze them, and store in an airtight container in the freezer, you can add one to a lunch box at the last minute and it will thaw nicely by lunch time.
Coffee cake usually has some sort of a crumbly topping, but this lil’ dish o’ goodness needs no such thing. It’s already plenty sweet and satisfying on it’s own, and simplicity is the name of the game. No one would ever guess it’s made with almond flour; even the gluten-free-wary can’t help but delight in a square. Or two.
Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 9×13 pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients but the apples and beat on high for about 1 minute. Add grated apples and stir on low just until incorporated.
Scrape batter into greased pan and bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are brown and the middle doesn’t wiggle. Cool for about 10 minutes and serve warm.
Babka bread originally came to this country from Poland and is traditionally served at Easter. There are many recipes available. This is my super-healthy adaptation.
Grease 2 medium-sized loaf pans with coconut oil.
Measure the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the salt.
Pour milk into a small saucepan and scald (heat gently until bubbles form all around the edges) and add the coconut oil to allow it to melt. Add the honey and when the mixture is lukewarm, add the eggs and beat together.
Heat 1/4 cup water to 110 – 115 degrees F. Sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir with a fork.
Add the milk mixture, 1 3/4 cups more water and the yeast/water mixture to the bowl containing the flour and salt.
Stir thoroughly, and if need be, add more sprouted whole wheat flour to make a soft kneadable dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, adding more bits of flour to prevent sticking.
Wash and dry the bowl and grease well with more coconut oil.
When the dough is springy and elastic, place it in the greased bowl, rub a little more coconut oil over the top and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
Allow to raise until it doubles in bulk in a warm place. (80 degrees F.) You can tell when it is double if when you poke it with your finger, it “sighs” and the hole does not fill back in. Watch it carefully. You don’t want it to rise beyond that point.
Press the dough down to release the gas, re-cover, place in your warm place again and allow it to raise for 30 more minutes.
Flour your work surface (continue to use the sprouted wheat flour) and pour the dough out. Do not handle the dough anymore than necessary. Cut it in half and place the extra piece back in the bowl.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle, approximately 20 by 10 inches.
Combine the Rapadura, cocoa and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the dough rectangle.
Check my blog for pictures to explain all of this. (link at the top)
Now… working from one short end, “accordion – fold” the dough, trying to get the individual folds to be about 3 inches in height. When you get near to the end of the dough piece, use the unfolded part to wrap across the top of the folds. Pinch it along underneath, pinch and tuck the ends under and place it in a bread pan, seam side down.
Repeat with the second piece of dough.
The reason you should not handle it anymore than necessary, is that as it raises, gas bubbles are formed in little pockets of gluten fibers. You want to maintain those little pockets and not rip them apart. This is particularly important when using dough made from sprouted wheat flour, as it is more tender.
Start pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees F. Set the 2 loaf pans on top of the stove.
Allow to raise until it doubles, and is springy when you poke it.
Place both loaves in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Slice thickly and serve with plenty of nice butter!
If you like, you may add raisins or other dried fruits and/or chopped crispy nuts when you sprinkle on the Rapadura/cocoa/cinnamon mixture.
Perfect for a special brunch, this tender sweet cake melts in your mouth! Served with real butter… dreamy!
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish. (I use more coconut oil for this.) Sift together: Flour, baking powder, Rapadura, salt and cinnamon. Combine milk, egg and oil and beat well. Stir the walnuts and raisins into the flour mixture. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture all at once and stir gently with a fork until all the flour is damp. Pour the batter into the greased dish and spread evenly. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. When you tap the center, lightly, with your finger, it should spring back. Then it is done. Remove from oven, sprinkle the Rapadura and cinnamon over the top, and serve warm with butter. When I was young, “coffee cake” was served, obviously, with coffee, to guests. I do not hear that term any more, and I don’t happen to drink coffee, but we still call it that. 🙂
This banana bread is so decadent it’s hard to believe it is grain-free! You can make it ahead of time for a quick breakfast or snack.
Whisk together eggs, banana, milk, honey and almond extract in a big bowl. Stir together dry ingredients in a smaller bowl, breaking up any lumps, and add to egg mixture, stirring well. Chop chocolate and stevia in a small food processor to desired size and add to batter until combined. Pour into a large, well-greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for about an hour, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely before slicing.
Sweet, buttery, tender and delicious, these scones make any meal special. Served them warm from the oven with real butter, they are to die for. They keep well and can be reheated, also.
At least 7 hours before baking, whisk together the sourdough starter, egg and milk. In another bowl, combine the flour, dehydrated cane juice, and nutmeg. Cut in the butter until it is crumbly.
Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour and butter mixture, stir to moisten all of the flour, cover tightly and let rest at room temperature for at least 7 hours or up to 12 hours.
When it is time to bake, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Dust your work surface with unbleached flour and pour the dough onto it. Using a little more flour to prevent sticking, press the dough to flatten it somewhat and sprinkle the salt and baking soda over the dough. Make sure the baking soda has no lumps.
Fold the dough in half and press it out again. Do this 15 times altogether.
Divide dough in half and form into two rounds. Flatten them with the palm of your hand to about 6 inches in diameter.
Cut each round into 8 equal pie shaped pieces and put them on a baking pan, either un-greased, lined with parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.These scones are sweet, tender, and delicious. Best eaten warm with real butter, but they keep well and can be reheated.
This is a great way to use up leftover bread, and is very simple to throw together the evening before! Easily adaptable for different diet needs as well.
The evening before, grease a 9×13 pan. Tear up bread into chunks and place in pan, filling about halfway, then sprinkle apples over. Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, spices and vanilla and pour over bread mixture, stirring to make sure bread and apples are submerged in liquid. Cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, pull pan out to warm up and preheat oven to 350. Melt butter, add sucanat, pecans and maple syrup. Stir bread mixture again, then sprinkle topping over. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until puffed and set. Serve hot!
NOTE: This is easily adaptable to your family’s needs…I also made a smaller pan for the children on special diets, using grain-free almond and coconut flour bread, using all raw milk and no cream, and using honey for the sweetener. Still turned out great! I also added a bit of almond flour to the topping to help make up for the lack of dry sweetener.
Whole Grain Peach Breakfast Cake that’s quick and delightful.
Beat the egg and add 1/2 cup of coconut sugar.
Stir in the sprouted flour, baking powder and salt.
Gently fold in oil, lemon oil, milk and vanilla.
Spread mixture on the batter on the bottom of a greased 9 X13 pan and top with fresh, sliced peaches. They should cover the batter.
Sprinkle mixture of 1/3 cup coconut sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon over top of peaches.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until done.
Perfect balance of sweet and tart. This is a perfect recipe to make for company, brunch or a potluck. There won’t be any left. I purchase fresh cranberries in bulk when they are in season and keep them in the freezer to use all year long. Cranberries are good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C and Manganese.
Combine the sourdough starter, flour and melted oil in a medium bowl. This should form a dense dough. Cover and leave at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 inch glass dish.
Place dough ball into a food processor. Add egg, sucanat or rapadura, orange juice and zest, baking soda and salt. Process for a minute or until a batter forms. Alternately, you can place the dough ball in a bowl and add the other ingredients and “process” with your hands by squishing the dough with your fingers until no more lumps remain and all the ingredients are combined.
Prepare the topping by cutting together the butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon. Stir in the walnuts. Set aside.
Pour the batter into the greased dish sprinkle the cranberries on top and then sprinkle on the topping. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Warm pumpkin bread with grass-fed butter is treat on a cold winter day. This gluten and grain free recipe has a tender crumb and a spicy flavor, as well as being packed with nutrition!
Combine the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a bowl and stir well. Set aside.
In a mixer bowl, cream the eggs and the coconut oil together. Add the pumpkin, maple syrup, and stevia. Mix well, and then slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
Pour into a small loaf pan. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top.
Bake at 350 for 35-50 minutes. Check the loaf with a toothpick at 30 minutes. If it doesn’t come out clean, continue baking until the toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for about an hour before removing from the pan. Let the loaf cool completely before cutting. Use a lightly serrated knife to cut. Serve with lots of real butter!
This “bready,” grain-free treat is sweetened only with bananas. I like the tang the blueberries give, but there are a couple puritans in my family that enjoy their banana bread without them. This recipe was inspired from banana blueberry muffins found in the Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch glass pan.
Combine almond flour, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil and eggs. Beat wet and dry mixes along with the bananas very throughly to give the eggs good beating (it sounds harsh, I know, but the key to fluffy, grain-free baked goods is thoroughly beating the eggs).
Place batter in prepared pan and sprinkle blueberries on top.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the edges are brown and a toothpick stuck into the center of the dish comes out clean. Let bars cool for about 30 minutes, then serve.
** I made my own almond flour for this recipe by putting (soaked, then dehydrated) almonds through a food processor until right before the almonds turn to butter. It worked fine in my opinion, but the kids enjoy the finer, blanched almond flour.
Only slightly sweet, this bread is super versatile and can be broken up and topped with kefir, or eaten with raw butter or your favorite lacto-fermented fruit butter.
Combine spelt flour with yogurt and lebnah (or 1 cup of yogurt if you don’t have any lebnah made). Cover and leave at room temperature overnight up to 24 hours. Be sure to incorporate all of the flour.
Place the dough ball in a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until a thick batter has formed, scraping down the sides, if necessary.
Pour batter into a greased 9 x 9 inch glass baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.