This semolina cornbread recipe calls for equal parts cornmeal, semolina flour, and soft wheat flour. It’s much like your typical buttermilk cornbread that bakes up moist, crumbly, and slightly gritty.

Naturally golden coarse semolina flour gives cornbread a creamier yellow crumb and nuttier finish than using only cornmeal and wheat flour. I’m not Mr. Sensitive Palate over here, but a side-by-side taste test (seriously) makes the subtle differences more obvious. This fluffier cornbread may be a bit more to your liking.

recipe adapted from Michel Suas’ Advanced Bread and Pastry
Bread Baking Day #18: Quick Breads hosted by Fun & Food

Semolina Cornbread Recipe

makes one 8- or 9-inch round loaf

Ingredients                  Volume          Ounces          Grams
cornmeal                          1 cup          4.4           124
buttermilk                1 cup + 2 tbsp         9.8           276

semolina flour                  3/4 cup          4.3           120
pastry or all-purpose flour       1 cup          4.3           120
baking powder                     4 tsp
salt                              1 tsp
granulated sugar        1/2 cup + 4 tsp          4.1           117

large eggs                        2
butter, melted and cooled         7 tbsp         3.5            99

Notes:

• Have all of the ingredients at room temperature before continuing.

Directions:

Soak (optional) Mix together the buttermilk and cornmeal and let
                stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat Oven    375ºF / 190ºC

Prepare an 8- or 9-inch cake pan by lightly greasing with butter.

Mix             Place the semolina flour, pastry flour, baking powder,
                salt, and granulated sugar in a bowl and whisk until
                thoroughly mixed.

                In a separate bowl, mix together the soaked cornmeal,
                buttermilk, and eggs. Add the semolina flour mixture
                and mix only until incorporated.

                Add the melted butter and mix only until smooth,
                taking care to prevent over-mixing.

Pan             Deposit the batter into the prepared cake pan. Level
                by tapping the pan firmly on a counter.

Bake            375ºF / 190ºC for about 35 to 40 minutes if using an
                8-inch cake pan or 30 to 35 minutes if using a 9-inch
                cake pan, until the edges are well-browned and a
                wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
                The cornbread may crack slightly on top.

Serve the cornbread warm with a generous slathering of butter.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Semolina Cornbread Recipe

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With all of the Irish pubs in Chicago and the consequent massive amounts of Guinness and Jameson consumed, I should be some sort of leading expert on Irish food by now. The fact is, I’ve never had soda bread in the traditional sense before.

The base recipe is probably similar, but the brown bread served with Irish beef stews in this, the city that dyes its rivers green, always has raisins. The addition of dried fruit makes a spotted dog or spotted dick, an appropriately named Irish soda bread variation.

That being said, add a handful of raisins to the following recipe and you get a spotted dick.

Unfortunately, I was giggling like an idiot while writing that.

To get the right texture and tenderness in your soda bread, use coarsely milled whole wheat flour with a low protein content. Here are a few options, in order of desirability:

• Irish-style whole wheat flour
• two parts whole wheat pastry flour to one part coarsely ground wheat flakes, as suggested in the original recipe
• graham flour
• stone ground whole wheat pastry flour
• traditional whole wheat flour

recipe adapted from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes
Bread Baking Day #18: Quick Breads hosted by Fun & Food

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

makes one round loaf, about 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients                  Volume          Ounces          Grams
coarse whole wheat flour      1 3/4 cups          8.0          225
pastry flour            1/2 cup + 1 tbsp          2.6           75
baking soda                   1 1/2 tsp
baking powder                   1/2 tsp
salt                            3/4 tsp
sugar (optional)                1/2 tsp
powdered milk (optional)          4 tsp

buttermilk, room temp     1 cup + 2 tbsp          9.3          262

Directions:

Preheat Oven    475ºF / 245ºC

Prepare a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Mix Dry Ingredients
                Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk
                until thoroughly mixed.

                Pour the buttermilk and mix using a rubber spatula
                only until thoroughly moistened, taking care to
                prevent over-mixing. The dough should be sticky but
                not runny.

Pan             Deposit the dough onto the lined sheet pan. Roughly
                shape into a round by cupping the dough with lightly
                floured hands while rotating. Start from the sides of
                the dough towards the bottom, palms up, repeating as
                necessary.

                Lightly dust the top of the shaped loaf with flour.

                Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough about
                3/4 of the way through into 4 equal sections.

Bake            475ºF / 245ºC for 15 minutes. Rotate the sheet pan and
                immediately lower the heat to 450ºF / 230ºC. Bake for
                another 15 minutes, until the ridges are well-browned.

To Serve:

Irish soda bread is best eaten the day it is made. Serve with butter, marmalade, jam, honey, or cream cheese.

Is Irish soda bread supposed to look like a four-leaf clover?

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Irish Soda Bread Recipe

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If you replace molasses with honey and add rye flour to your old-fashioned gingerbread recipe, you’ll end up with a basic pain d’épices, the French take on gingerbread. As its name implies, “bread of spices” is all about the fragrance and warmth of ground aromatics. There are endless spice mix variations and each recipe seems to have its own distinctive blend.

This fruit and spice loaf cake from Pierre Hermé and Dorie Greenspan has the most interesting spice blend of all the pain d’épices recipes I’ve seen. Water is infused with star anise to start off, so immediately we’re given a preview of the arometherapy to come.

Hefty amounts of cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, coriander, cardamom, and nutmeg may seem like overkill, but the combination is surprisingly well-balanced in the suggested amounts. None of the spices stands out too much and as a whole, the effect is quite intoxicating.

The following pain d’epices recipe makes a dense and hearty loaf meant to be sliced very thinly. The bread itself is light on the honey but there is plenty of sweetness from the prunes and apricots. Walnuts and almonds are added for crunch and citrus zest brightens the deep flavors of the spices, rounding out the texture and aroma of the finished loaf.

recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Desserts by Pierre Hermé
A Fruit A Month: Apricot hosted by Siri

Pierre Hermé’s Pain d’épices
Fruit and Spice Loaf Cake

makes one 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch cake

Ingredients                  Volume          Ounces          Grams
water                   3/4 cup + 2 tbsp        7.0            198
star anise                       10        

honey                           1/3 cup         4.0            113
unsalted butter, melted       5 1/2 tbsp        2.8             78

all-purpose flour             2 1/4 cups       10.1            287
rye flour                       1/4 cup         1.1             32
baking powder                 2 1/2 tsp
cinnamon, ground                  1 tbsp
ginger, ground                    1 tsp
black pepper, ground              1 tsp
coriander, ground               1/2 tsp
cardamom, ground                1/2 tsp
nutmeg, ground                  1/2 tsp

walnuts, coarsely chopped       2/3 cup         2.8             80
sliced almonds, toasted         1/3 cup         1.4             40
pitted prunes, 1/4-inch dice     13             5.3            149
dried apricots, 1/4-inch dice    13             4.3            120
lemon zest                     from 1 lemon
orange zest                    from 1 orange

Notes:

• The original recipe suggests using pine honey and Malaysian Sarawak black pepper.

Directions:

Infuse the water with star anise
                Bring the water and star anise to a boil in a small
                saucepan over high heat. Cover and infuse for about
                one hour.



Preheat Oven    300ºF / 150ºC

Prepare an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan
                Use nonstick spray or softened butter to grease the
                bottom and sides of the loaf pan. Line with parchment
                paper. Place the loaf pan on two stacked sheet pans
                or an insulated baking sheet.

Mix Dry Ingredients
                Place the flours, baking powder, and ground spices
                in a container with a tight lid. Cover and shake
                until thoroughly mixed.

Mix Wet Ingredients
                In another bowl, stir the honey and melted butter.
                Strain the star anise-infused water into the bowl
                and stir until well-blended.

Mix Fruits, Nuts, and Zests
                In a separate bowl, stir together the walnuts,
                almonds, prunes, apricots, and citrus zests.
                Toss the fruits, nuts, and zests in a tablespoon
                of the mixed dry ingredients.

Mix (Muffin Method)
                Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add
                the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber
                spatula or wooden spoon and stir briefly.

                Add the fruits, nuts, and zests and continue
                mixing only until the dry ingredients are
                moistened. The batter should be thick and lumpy.

Pan             Deposit the batter into the greased loaf pan.
                Place the loaf pan on two stacked sheet pans or
                on an insulated baking sheet.

Bake            300ºF / 150ºC for 65 to 75 minutes, until a
                wooden skewer inserted in the middle of the
                cake comes out clean.

Cool            Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before
                removing from the loaf pan. Cool completely at
                room temperature, at least 2 hours.

Pain d’épices Storage:

Once the cake is thoroughly cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Wrapped airtight in plastic, pain d’épices will keep at room temperature for up to four days or frozen for up to a month.

To Serve Pain d’épices:

Let the loaf “ripen” for at least one day for a deeper flavor. Serve in thin slices with hot tea or cider.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Pain d’épices – Fruit and Spice Cake

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Tender and flaky mounds are studded with chewy dried cranberries in this simple scone recipe that comes together in minutes (once all of the ingredients are at room temperature, that is). The scones are light and airy with just enough sweetness to keep yourself from puckering up as you bite into the tart cranberries.

Cranberry drop scones are almost as delicious freshly baked as they are frozen and reheated days later. It’s never a bad idea to have a few on hand for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack, although it’s so easy to prepare that you might as well bake a fresh batch instead.

recipe adapted from Wayne Gisslen’s Professional Baking

Cranberry Drop Scones

makes 12 scones (about 1/4 cup of batter each)

Cranberry Drop Scone Ingredients:

Ingredients                  Volume          Ounces          Grams
unsalted butter                   6 tbsp          3             85
granulated sugar                1/3 cup           2.5           71
salt                              1 tsp
large egg yolk                    1

pastry flour                  2 2/3 cup          12            340
baking powder                     4 tsp

whole milk              3/4 cup + 1 tbsp          7            198
dried cranberries               1/2 cup           2             57

Notes:

• Have all of the ingredients at room temperature before continuing.
• You can also use whole wheat pastry flour or low-protein all-purpose flour instead of regular pastry flour.

To Prepare the Cranberry Drop Scones:

Preheat Oven    425ºF / 220ºC

Prepare one half-sheet pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment or
a silicone mat.

Mix Dry Ingredients
                Place the flour and baking powder in a container
                with a tight lid. Cover and shake until thoroughly
                mixed.

Mix (Creaming Method)
                In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and salt
                just until a thick and sandy paste is formed. Do not
                cream until light and fluffy to prevent the scones from
                flattening and spreading during baking.

                Add the egg yolk and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

                Add the flour and mix vigorously until the creamed
                butter is thoroughly dispersed in the flour. Add
                the milk and mix briefly, just until the flour is
                moistened but still dry in spots.

                Add the dried cranberries and mix just until the dried
                cranberries are evenly distributed, taking care to
                prevent overmixing. The batter should remain lumpy.

Drop            Using a 1/4-cup disher or a measuring cup, drop portions
                on the lined sheet pan or cookie sheet. This recipe will
                produce about 12 scones.

Bake            Bake the scones at 425ºF / 220ºC for 15 to 20 minutes,
                until the scones are well-browned and crisp.

Freshly baked white and whole wheat cranberry drop scones.

To Serve:

Serve warm straight out of the oven.

Storage:

Cranberry drop scones, as with most quick breads, take well to freezing. Let the scones cool completely before storing in an airtight container and freezing.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Cranberry Drop Scones

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6. Pumpkin Quick Bread – Whole Wheat with Walnuts

If you happen to have some leftover pumpkin puree, chances are, you’ve already made something sweet or otherwise indulgent. Using whole wheat flour and just enough enrichments to make a firm batter, this pumpkin bread adds some much needed balance and nutritional value to the pumpkin-centric diet.

You could, of course, forget about counting calories, toast a thick walnut-studded slice, and slather with cream cheese. Either way works.

recipe adapted from Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads

Pumpkin Quick Bread – Whole Wheat with Walnuts

makes one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf

Wet Ingredients              Volume          Ounces          Grams
pumpkin puree                   3/4 cup + 2 tbsp  7.5          214
brown sugar, packed             3/4 cup           5.8          165
butter, unsalted                1/4 cup           2             57
large egg                         1 each

Dry Ingredients              Volume          Ounces          Grams
whole wheat flour                 2 cups          9            255
baking powder                     2 tsp
cinnamon, ground                1/2 tsp
nutmeg, freshly grated          1/4 tsp
kosher salt                     1/2 tsp
walnuts, coarsely chopped         1 cup           4.25         120

Notes:

• Have all of the ingredients at room temperature before continuing.
• Use whole wheat pastry flour for a more tender quick bread.
• Sifting the dry ingredients is unnecessary. In any recipe that calls for sifting the dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon disperses the ingredients more evenly, says Shirley Corriher. Less mess. Less powder inhaled.

Instructions:

Preheat Oven    350ºF/177ºC

Mix Wet         Mix all of the wet ingredients until smooth.

Mix Dry         In a separate container, mix all of the dry
                ingredients, except the chopped walnuts, until
                evenly incorporated.

Add the 3/4 of dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix briefly
and add the chopped walnuts. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and
mix just until incorporated, taking care to prevent over-mixing. The
batter will be firm and dry in some spots.

Pan             Spoon the batter into a buttered 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf
                pan lined with parchment paper. Smooth the tops and
                "score" the top of the batter with a greased knife,
                if desired.

Bake            Bake at 350ºF/177ºC for about 1 hour, until a wooden
                skewer or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in
                the center of the loaf.

Cool            At least 15 minutes before removing from the loaf
                pan.

Whole wheat pumpkin walnut bread crumb.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Pumpkin Quick Bread – Whole Wheat with Walnuts

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Cream-based scones are as quick and easy as scones can get. This recipe requires nothing more than cream and any combination of dried fruits and nuts of your choice. There is no waiting for butter to soften at room temperature. There are no eggshells to crack and fish out of your pyrex. It takes about 30 minutes from measuring the ingredients to pulling out trays of freshly-baked scones from the oven.

In addition to the short ingredient list, creams scones use the simplest and most well-known method for making quick breads. The muffin method calls for nothing more than adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, much like making pancake batter but with less liquid. Other mixing methods for scones are the finicky biscuit method, where cold fat is cut into flour until pea-sized, and the labor-intensive creaming method, where room temperature butter is fluffed with sugar through vigorous, uh, creaming.

There is no “creaming” in a cream scone. Go figure.

The muffin method produces scones with a moist interior and slightly crumbly crust, a welcome contrast to the nutty crunchiness of pumpkin seeds in each bite.

cream scone recipe adapted from Michel Suas’ Advanced Bread and Pastry

Pumpkin Seed Cream Scones

makes 8 scones (cut into triangles from an 8-inch circle)

For the Dry Ingredients:

Ingredients                  Volume          Ounces          Grams
bread flour                   2 2/3 cups         12            340
baking powder                     1 tbsp           .5           14
salt                            1/2 tsp
hulled pumpkin seeds, toasted     1 cup           5.25         149

For the Wet Ingredients:

Ingredients                  Volume          Ounces          Grams
heavy cream (35% fat)         1 1/2 cups         12.625        359
honey                         1 1/2 tbsp          1.125         35
granulated sugar                1/3 cup           2.375         67

egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon of water)
hulled pumpkins seeds, toasted (optional topping)

Notes:

• Why bread flour? Using stronger bread flour will allow the scones to retain their triangular shape while baking. Feel free to substitute any type of flour, from pastry to all-purpose, regular to whole wheat. The scones may spread out a bit more, though.
• I used a lightly floured 8-inch cake pan to shape the scones into a circle before cutting into 8 wedges. 8 is a lucky number, you know.
• Replace the hulled pumpkin seeds with any combination of dried fruits or nuts. Using frozen fruits such as blueberries? Toss it in flour before mixing to reduce bleeding.

Cream Scone Instructions (The Muffin Method):

Preheat Oven    375°F/190ºC

Mix (Wet)       In a separate container, whisk together the honey,
                and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

Mix (Dry)       Sift the bread flour, baking powder, and salt into a
                large container. Add the pumpkins seeds and mix briefly.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix just until
incorporated, taking care to prevent over-mixing. The dough will be dry
and lumpy in some spots.

Shape           8-inch circle, using a cake pan, cake ring, or by hand

This cream scone dough could have used a bit more mixing. Better under-mixed and crumbly than over-mixed and brickly.

Divide          8 wedges

Pumpkin seed cream scone dough divided into 8 wedges. Master of the obvious.

Glaze           Brush with the egg wash and top with toasted pumpkin seeds
                (if you are using it)

Bake            Bake at 375°F/190ºC for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown

Best served immediately.

After cooling thoroughly, refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to a week.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Pumpkin Seed Cream Scones

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