Category Archives: Crackers and Flatbreads

Mar 21 2013
49 Comments
Crackers and Flatbreads, Dehydrator, Fruit, gluten-free, Raw, Slow Food

Raw “Granola Bar” Crackers

Granola Bar CrackersI’ve now about worked my way through the entire list of cracker and flatbread recipes in Matthew Kenney’s book, Everyday Raw.  (Raw ice cream – you are next!  As soon as I can source young coconut which, no surprise, is not stocked at my local Walmart.)  I’m obsessed with the technique and love the idea of making my own healthy, raw “chips” at home rather than buying tortilla chips and (my favorite guilty snack) Stacy’s Pita Chips.  If you haven’t tried these: DO NOT buy a bag.  You will be forever hooked.  Fear not, I am going to tackle recreating those babies in my dehydrator, but for today, I’m sharing an on-the-sweet-side cracker that I created using the principles I picked up from Kenney’s book.  These very crispy crackers include some standard granola bar ingredients.  By the way, I’ve shared this recipe over at Gluten-Free Cat as part of Raw Foods Thursdays!

Eat them straight up or make a sandwich using homemade coconut milk ice cream.  Thanks to Amanda (via Somer) for that very easy and tasty recipe – you’ll have to ask them for it yourselves…

One year ago today: White Bean, Asparagus & Artichoke Heart Salad
One year and one day ago today: Bluebirds to Be 

Raw “Granola Bar” Crackers
Makes one dehydrator sheet

1 cup raw walnuts, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1 large apple, cored and chopped into small chunks
1″ nubbin fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, soaked in warm water for an hour or so and drained
1 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup unsweetened cacao nibs
generous pinch salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
dash cardamom
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1 cup water
1/4 cup agave nectar (taste dough and add more if preferred)

Put the flaxseed meal, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, cacao nibs and orange zest in a large bowl.  Set aside.

In a food processor, process the walnuts, ginger and apple until you get a nice mash.  Add this mixture to the flaxseed meal mixture and add the remaining (wet) ingredients.  Using a big spoon or your hands, mix until thoroughly combined.  This is a fairly wet mess.

Line a dehydrator tray with a non-stick sheet and plop the dough into the center, top with another non-stick sheet and slowly roll out the dough.  I had to move dough from time to time from one spot to another to get something that resembled a square.  The dough should be about 1/4″ thick.  Remove that top non-stick sheet, gently score the dough into whatever size and shape strike your fancy and slide the tray with the dough into the dehydrator.  Dehydrate at 145F for 30 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 115F.  After a few hours of drying, I carefully transfer the dough to a screen for more efficient drying.  Dehydrate for about 24 hours or until crispy and crunchy.  Break into pieces and store in an air-tight container.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

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Mar 07 2013
67 Comments
Crackers and Flatbreads, Raw, Slow Food

(Raw) Cheez Crackers with Almond (or Peanut) Butter

Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?
Because it’s there.
- George Mallory to a New York Times reporter, 1923

Crackers on PlateWhy did I want recreate a former teenage favorite – Austin Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter?  Because my dehydrator was there.  I once had a raging one-pack-a-day addiction.  My mother enabled my habit by including the pocket-sized packets in care boxes she mailed to my college dorm. When those supplies ran out, I’d scrounge for quarters for the vending machine or save up so I could buy bulk packages to satisfy my ceaseless craving for the salty, nutty, eerily bright orange snack cracker filled with something that resembled peanut butter.

Austin Cheese PB Crackers

My object of my addiction.

I kicked the habit long before I gave up cheese and animal products.  Went cold turkey.  There was just something about that orange color that nagged at me.  But I never forgot the thrill I got tearing open a package and devouring all six, perfectly square peanut butter sandwiches (probably washed down with an icy, cold Coke – another habit I kicked long ago).

The dehydrator was there.  I was there.  So I made raw cheez crackers with almond butter.

One year ago today: Orange Poppyseed Waffles with Blueberry Sauce

Bowl of Crackers

(Raw) Cheez Crackers with Peanut Butter
Makes ~60 individual crackers or ~30 sandwiches

1 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup raw coconut flour
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 apple, cored and cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups almonds, soaked for 8-10 hours, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup water
1 tsp. white miso
1 tbsp. maple syrup

In a large bowl, combine the flaxseed meal, coconut flour and the nutritional yeast.  Set aside.

In a food processor, grind the almonds into a crumbly meal – don’t over process, otherwise you’ll have almond butter.  Not a bad thing, but not what you’re looking for here.  Empty the almond meal into the bowl w/ the flaxseed mixture.  Process the carrots and apple until you have a nice mash.  Scrape the mixture into the big bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed.  The mixture should be moist but hold together when pressed.

Making Crackers

Divide the mixture in two and spread one half on a dehydrator tray that has been covered with a non-stick drying sheet.  You’ll just about be able to cover the full sheet.  To get an even surface, I cover the dough with another non-stick sheet and gently roll with a rolling pin.  Carefully lift off the non-stick sheet.  Once the dough has been rolled out, gently score the surface into squares.

Place the trays in the middle of the dehydrator and set the temperature to 145F.  Dehydrate for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 115F and dehydrate for an additional 6-8 hours or until the cracker are very crispy all the way through.  About halfway through the process, I carefully transfer the dough to a dehydrator screen.

I have not tried this recipe using an oven – but give it a go, if you are adventuresome.  Spread the dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Set the oven to its lowest temperature, leave the door open a bit and bake until crispy.

Bowl of Crackers, Knife

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Nov 16 2012
46 Comments
Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, cheez, Chocolate, Crackers and Flatbreads, Desserts, Fruit, Sandwiches

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Flatbread Sandwiches w/ Chocolate Cheez & Caramelized Bananas

Plate of Flatbread SandwichesThese flatbreads are based on a recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Flatbreads that I shared earlier this month.  It occurred to me that a cinnamony-sweet version would be just the thing for a brunch, lunch or snack sandwich.  Caramelized bananas came to mind.  And toasted pecans for crunch.  But what would keep the sandwiches together??  A creamy, spreadable, tangy chocolate cheez, of course.

The chocolate cheez recipe is one that I submitted to One Green Planet not too ago.  They graciously published it.  You can read the post and snag the recipe here.  (And thanks to Megan Rascal at SFWeekly for posting about it on the SFoodie Blog!)

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Flatbread Sandwiches w/ Chocolate Cheez & Caramelized Bananas
Serves 2

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Flatbreads
Makes 12 flatbreads

2 1/2 cups whole wheat white flour
1 tsp. salt
4 oz. unsweetened applesauce
1 cup almond milk or water
1/4 cup raisins, soaked in warm water, drained and finely chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon
dash cardamom powder
dash allspice
1 tbsp. maple sugar
3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted

Semi-soft Chocolate Dessert Cheez
several thick slabs

Caramelized Bananas
1 large banana, cut into thick slices
~1/4 cup prune puree (baby food works well)
dash cinnamon
splash orange juice

~2 tbsp. toasted pecans, chopped

Stack of FlatbreadsMake the flatbreads:

In a small bowl, whisk together the applesauce and almond milk/water.  In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt and then add the applesauce mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms.  Add more milk/water if dough seems dry; more flour if it is too wet and sticky.  Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for about 15 minutes.  Place dough in a lightly-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the coconut oil, spices, maple sugar and raisins.  Set aside.

Form flatbreads:
Divide dough into 12 equal pieces.  Flatten a piece of dough and roll it out into a very thin disk – about 9″ round.  Keep remaining dough balls covered.  Spread about 1 tsp. of the coconut oil mixture onto the flattened dough and then roll it tightly into a long cylinder.  Coil the cylinder into a tight spiral, gently press and then transfer to a large piece of parchment paper.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and proceed with the remaining dough.

Cook the flatbreads:
Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-heat. Tape a large piece of parchment paper onto a work surface and roll out one of the spirals to a 6″ or so round.  The dough will want to curl up and the raisins will want to escape, but persevere.  It helps to roll them out a bit then to let the dough rest before rolling some more.  Plop the round into the skillet and cook until puffy and brown, then flip and cook the other side.  This takes only a few minutes.  Transfer to a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm.  Continue with the remaining spirals.

Semi-soft Chocolate Dessert CheezMake the cheez:
You can find the recipe for my Semi-soft Chocolate Dessert Cheez by clicking this link to One Green Planet.

Bananas in SkilletMake the caramelized bananas:
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the bananas, prune puree, cinnamon and orange juice.  Let the mixture bubble and the bananas get nice and soft.  Add more orange juice if the bananas start to stick.  Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Assemble the sandwiches:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Smear copious quantities of chocolate cheez onto one side of two flatbreads.  Divide the bananas between two flatbreads and layer on top of the cheez.  Sprinkle with chopped pecans.  Top the flatbreads with the remaining two flatbreads.  Lightly spray the skillet with cooking oil and gently warm the sandwiches, flipping after a few minutes to toast the other side.  Remove from pan, slice and serve immediately.

Sandwiches, Close up

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Nov 07 2012
50 Comments
Bread, Crackers and Flatbreads, Virtual Vegan Potluck

Spiced Pumpkin Flatbreads

Stack of FlatbreadsThis time of year I always seem to have dribs and drabs of pumpkin puree in my refrigerator.  With the exception of pumpkin pie, most recipes call only for a portion of a can and certainly not a whole pumpkin’s worth.  As a result, pumpkin puree finds its way into lots of things: smoothies, pancakes, cookies and the morning oatmeal.

For this recipe, I’m using the pumpkin not only to add a nice color to the bread, but to replace some of the oil.  The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of olive oil – some for the dough and the remaining amount for the spice blend.  I’ve replaced the olive oil with the more fragrant and trendy coconut oil.  The end result is toasty golden flatbreads run through with dashes of cumin, coriander, turmeric and paprika that have a crisp exterior and a nice chew.  The technique creates very thin layers of bread and it smells wonderful while cooking.  Perfect with Indian food.

If you haven’t done so, please take some time to email me your selections for the best recipes (one per course) from the Virtual Vegan Potluck.  You can also now follow the VVP blog by visiting the News page and entering your email address.

One year ago today: Open-faced Sandwich: Curried Garbanzo Bean Spread w/ Tomato Chutney, Avocado & Sprouts
One year ago and one day ago: Noon Rogani (Cinnamon Turban Bread)

Spiced Pumpkin Flatbreads
Makes 12

2 1/2-3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. pumpkin puree
~1 1/4 cups water
3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. coriander

Make the dough:
In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and water.  In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt and then add the pumpkin mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms.  Add more water if dough seems dry; more flour if it is too wet and sticky.  Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for about 15 minutes.  Place dough in a lightly-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the coconut oil and spices.  Set aside.

Form the flatbreads:
Divide dough into 12 equal pieces.  Flatten a piece of dough and roll it out into a very thin disk – about 9″ round.  Keep remaining dough balls covered.  Spread about 1 tsp. of the coconut oil mixture onto the flattened dough and then roll it tightly into a long cylinder (much like in the Cuban cigar Seinfeld episode).  Coil the cylinder into a tight spiral, gently press and then transfer to a large piece of parchment paper.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and proceed with the remaining dough.

Dough Round

Cook the flatbreads:
Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-heat. Tape a large piece of parchment paper onto a work surface and roll out one of the spirals to a 6″ or so round.  Plop into the skillet and cook until puffy and brown, then flip and cook the other side.  This takes only a few minutes.  Transfer to a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm.  Continue with the remaining spirals.

Eat the flatbreads.
No instructions necessary.

Flatbreads, Hand

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Aug 09 2012
39 Comments
Bread, Crackers and Flatbreads, No-Knead Bread

Sage & Kalamata Olive Focaccia (with roasted grapes)

FocacciaIt all came about because of the grapes.  During my brief pit stop in Oklahoma recently, I strolled up to the grape vines we have growing along trellises in the middle of the garden to see how they were fairing.  When we first planted them, we encouraged them to grow up and over a large arbor made from old oil pipe and goat fencing.  The grapes refused to comply with our wishes – though a few adventurous vines reached the top, peeked over and realized they suffered from acrophobia.  So we pruned the plants back, built trellises and crossed our fingers.  Amazingly, the vines did much better with their new growing and clinging environment and we now had bunches of plump grapes to prove it.

I harvested a big batch of purple and green grapes and wondered what to do with them other than eat them straight up.  Then I remembered seeing a recipe for grape pie.  Well, grape pie wasn’t going to happen, but the idea inspired me to try roasting the grapes.  Roasting the grapes led to thinking about using them for a kind of bruschetta which in turn led to baking up a quick and easy foccacia with fresh sage and olives – both of which I thought would nicely complement the sweet, juicy grapes.  One note of caution: be sure to use seedless grapes.  I discovered this the hard way, after I’d already roasted the grapes and took my first bite.  Crunch.

Sage & Kalamata Olive Focaccia
Makes ~12 big chunks

Sponge:
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. regular yeast
3/4 cup whole wheat flour

Dough:
1 cup warm water
1 tsp. regular yeast
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
~3 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olive, sliced

fresh sage, chopped, for topping
1 tsp. kosher salt, for topping

Make the sponge:
In a large bowl, pour the water and stir in the yeast.  Let stand until bubbly and cloudy.  Stir in the flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes.

Make the focaccia:
In a small bowl, combine the water and yeast and let sit until bubbly and cloudy.  Pour into the large bowl with the sponge and add the olive oil.  Stir in one cup of flour and then the sage, salt and sliced olives.  Add the remaining flour and mix well – make sure there are no dry, floury lumps.  The batter will be wet, sticky and heavy.  Do not add more flour – you are not going to be kneading this dough.

Lightly oil another large bowl and using a bowl scraper, pour the dough into the oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for an hour or so.

Lightly oil an 11″ x 17″ baking sheet.  Transfer the dough onto the baking sheet and using oiled hands, press the dough to cover the pan.  Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes, then press the dough again – it tends to want to shrink and bounce back – until the pan is completely covered.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise again for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 425F.  Position an oven rack to the center.

When dough has risen, gently press fingertips into dough to create indents.  Sprinkle the dough with the chopped sage and kosher salt, spritz lightly with olive oil and bake for about 25 minutes.  Focaccia should be browned on the top and sound hollow when tapped.  Let cool slightly before cutting.  Serve with Sweet & Savory Roasted Grapes, if desired (see below for recipe).

Focaccia with Roasted GrapesSweet & Savory Roasted Grapes
Mix of purple or red and green (seedless…) grapes, about 4 cups
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. vegetable broth
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt & ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.  Mix everything together on a big baking sheet and roast the grapes for 20-25 minutes or until soft, fragrant and juicy.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Grapes with Spoon

Roasted Grapes

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Jun 06 2012
45 Comments
Bread, Crackers and Flatbreads

Coriander, Red Pepper & Cilantro Flatbreads

Dough Balls on BoardI snagged the original recipe for these flatbreads from the animal flesh-burdened Bon Appetit magazine.  Hey, everyone gets it vegan once in a while, right?  Instead of 100% refined flour, I added whole wheat pastry flour and just for fun, I dumped in a small jar of pimientos.  You can have these babies cozying up to a bowl of soup, chili or a big, crisp salad in under 30 minutes.  Or use them like buns and sandwich your veggie burger or baked tofu in between two of them.

Coriander, Red Pepper & Cilantro Flatbreads
Makes 8

Chopped Cilantro1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup AP flour
3 tbsp. cooked brown rice, optional
2 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3/4+ cup plain, unsweetened soy yogurt
2 oz. jar pimientos, drained well (or chopped red roasted pepper)

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, brown rice (if using) and the cilantro.  Using a fork, stir in the pimiento and yogurt until small clumps form.  Knead the mixture in the bowl until the dough just holds together, then transfer to a floured surface and knead for a couple of more minutes, or until a smooth dough forms.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll them into balls.  Then roll the balls into 4 1/2″ rounds.  Heat a skillet and spray with olive oil cooking spray and cook each flatbread (I used a large griddle to cook 4 at a time) until nicely browned on both sides.  You may need to spritz with olive oil when you turn the breads.  Serve immediately.

Tray of Flatbreads

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Apr 06 2012
32 Comments
Bread, Crackers and Flatbreads

Whole Wheat Chipotle Tortillas

Pile of Whole Wheat Chipotle Tortillas

Pile of Whole Wheat Chipotle TortillasI’m not ready to give up on my fancy-schmancy tortilla press…yet…but the other night when I needed some fresh tortillas to go with scrambled tofu rancheros, I went old school.  Firing up the press seemed like too much of a hassle.  Yeah, I know.  An appliance that is supposed to add convenience to my life is too much of a hassle.  Turns out elbow grease creates a more satisfying (and better-looking) tortilla.  But you all probably knew that already.

Whole Wheat Chipotle Tortillas
Makes 12

2 cups whole wheat flour
Tortilla Stuffed w/ Black Beans and Scrambled Tofu1 cup AP flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4+ cup cold water
1 tsp. pureed chipotles in adobo sauce (or more, if you like it hot)

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the whole wheat flour, AP flour, baking powder, cumin and salt together.  In a measuring cup whisk together the water and pureed chipotles.  With the processor running, slowly pour in the chipotle mixture, stopping to clean the sides of the bowl if necessary.  I found that I needed just a bit more water to get the dough to come together in a ball.

Remove the dough and knead for about 2 minutes.  It should not stick to your hands, so if it does, add flour sparingly.  Divide the dough into 12 more or less equal balls, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat up a skillet or two.  When ready, lightly flour the counter or a large board and roll out one of the dough balls so that it is very thin.  Mine were probably 8″ in diameter.  Brush off the excess flour.  Lightly spray the skillet with cooking oil and plop in the first tortilla.  It should only take a minute or two per side to cook.  Remove and either place on a cooling rack (for later) or place tortilla in a towel and wrap it up to keep it warm.  Proceed with the remaining 11 balls of dough.

These freeze like a champ.

Chipotle in Adobo Sauce

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Mar 23 2012
25 Comments
Bread, Crackers and Flatbreads, For the Dogs

Biscuits for Man & Beast

Ike, Red Kong, BiscuitIke and I have a lot in common.  He loves a brisk walk; I love a brisk walk.  He enjoys digging with his paws in the dirt; I get a kick digging my hands into dough.  Ike likes biscuits; I like biscuits. Ike prefers his to be hidden inside his red Kong ball while I prefer mine without that sort of mental and physical challenge.

I took a basic cracker recipe from Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads and messed around with the flavors, adding grated carrot and using “beef” broth for Ike’s biscuits.  I rolled out the dough for the dog biscuits quite a bit thicker than the dough for us humans so that they’d fit snugly inside Ike’s Kong ball – don’t want to make treat time too easy for him.  For me yes – treat time should be ridiculously easy.

Biscuits for Beast
Makes 40 small crackers

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 tbsp. sunflower seeds, ground
3 tbsp. pumpkin seeds, ground
3 tbsp. flaxseed meal
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. grated carrots
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. “beef” broth (I used Not-Beef brand bouillon)
1 1/2 tbsp. agave nectar, optional
2 tbsp. canola oil

Bowls of Dough

Biscuits for Man
Makes too many to count

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup rye flour
3 tbsp. sunflower seeds, ground
3 tbsp. pumpkin seeds, ground
3 tbsp. flaxseed meal
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. grated carrots
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. water
1 1/2 tbsp. agave nectar
2 tbsp. grapeseed oil

So the technique on these is the same – I whisked together the dry ingredients in a big bowl, mixed together the wet ingredients in another bowl and added this to the dry.  Then I kneaded the dough for about 3 minutes, adding whole wheat flour as necessary and then I lightly oiled two bowls, plopped in the doughs (labeling them, as my short term memory isn’t what it used to be), covered with plastic wrap and let them sit on the counter overnight. This extra bit of fermenting adds flavor to the finished product, though you could mix up the dough and bake the crackers the same day.

When ready to roll out and cut, line a couple of baking sheets with parchment and preheat the oven to 350F.  Lightly flour the counter and roll out to about 1/8″ thick (except for the dog biscuit dough, which I rolled to a little over 1/4″ thickness).  Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour if it sticks to the rolling pin.  The path of least resistance here is to use a pizza wheel or a knife to simply cut the dough into squares or rectangles. You end up with Wheat Thin-like shapes.  It’s the best way to maximize the number of crackers.  For fanciness reasons, I cut the dog biscuits into circles and a couple into bone shapes, frankly, a real pain in the tuchus – and you end up wasting some of the dough.

Bake the crackers for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan(s) for even baking.  I found that I needed to bake these (especially the dog biscuits) for a lot longer than called for in the original recipe, i.e., longer than 20 minutes.  I gauged “doneness” by the deep brown color of the crackers and the crisp feel when tapped.  When you’re satisfied that you have a nice, crispy cracker, remove the pans and let them cool on wire racks.  They will crisp even more as they cool.

To top the “man” crackers, lightly spritz them with olive oil as soon as they come out of the oven, and sprinkle on sesame seeds, poppyseeds, kosher salt, spices or even nutritional yeast.

Biscuits in Bowls

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Jan 10 2012
11 Comments
Bread, Crackers and Flatbreads, Yeast Breads

Easy Herb Focaccia

Chunk of Herb FocacciaI return to this recipe for herb-cheezy focaccia again and again.  One of the great things about focaccia is that kneading isn’t required (though stirring is), yet you get an airy, chewy, flavorful bread.  It’s fairly quick to mix together, too, so you can have fresh homemade bread on the table without a lot of fuss.  The original recipe called for garlic olive oil and Asiago cheese.  I’ve omitted the oil and replaced the cheese with nutritional yeast, which is optional if you are not a fan of the flavor.  I also bumped up the quantity of whole wheat flour.  Dried thyme in addition to or instead of the oregano would work really well, too.  This makes a wonderful sandwich bread as well as a straight-up munching bread to pair with soups, stews and salads.

Easy Herb Focaccia
Makes 8 Large Chunks

1 large head garlic, roasted (Cut off top of head, wrap in foil and roast at 425F until soft, about 35-45 minutes.  You can do this a day or two ahead.)

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour
Dried Oregano2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. agave nectar
1 2/3 cups warm water
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
1/4 cup nutritional yeast, optional

In a large bowl, whisk together the water, yeast, agave nectar and salt.  Stir in the flours, oregano and squeeze in the cloves out of the roasted garlic.  Stir the dough – adding water if needed to create a wet, sticky dough – for a couple of minutes so that all the ingredients are well-combined.

Transfer dough to another large bowl that has been sprayed lightly with cooking oil.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.  Meanwhile, lightly spray a 9″ x 13″ baking pan, line with parchment paper and lightly spray with oil again.

When the dough has risen, stir and knead in the 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, if using – and then scrape dough into the baking pan, using wet fingers to spread the dough to the edges.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for another hour.  Preheat oven to 450F.

Bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes.  The bread should be a deep brown on top and sound hollow when tapped.  Carefully remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack before cutting and serving.

(The original recipe with lots of oil and cheese, came from Vegetarian Times.)

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Nov 03 2011
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Crackers and Flatbreads, Quick & Easy

Perfect for Dipping

Carrot Cracker with DipI’m sharing a flavorful and easy carrot cracker recipe today on my sister blog, Dough, Dirt & Dye – which would go perfectly with my Curried Garbanzo Bean Dip…

And if you’re in the reading mood, head on over to Misguided Eating: The Nose to Toes Food Trend, a short article I wrote for Technorati, published just yesterday.

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