Heidi Swanson – Page 11

Chocolate Bundt Cake

Slathered with chocolate buttermilk icing, this beautifully moist chocolate bundt cake is made with a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flours, stout beer, maple syrup and brown sugar. It’s the perfect travel-friendly treat.

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Slices of this chocolate bundt cake spent the better part of the past week in the car with me. Each piece, wrapped in parchment, was tucked between the Ak-Mak crackers and a jar of almond butter. It is a fine travel cake, one that can handle a day or two in the car- blizzards, bumps in the road, hairpin turns, and all. Topped with a generous sweep of chocolate buttermilk icing, it’s unfussy, and ready to frost straight from the pan.

a close up photo of a slice of chocolate bundt cake with thick chocolate frosting on the top

Chocolate Bundt Cake: Key Ingredients

Flours: I make this bundt cake with an equal blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flours. Whole wheat flour brings a bit of heartiness and added structure (and flavor!) to the cake.

Sugars: This cake gets tempered sweetness and a moist, tender texture from maple syrup and dark brown sugar.

Stout: I use dark stout beer in the batter. It’s the wildcard ingredient that lends a malty base note and depth of flavor. Go for a not-too-hoppy porter or stout. Beyond that, chocolate porter or chocolate stout would both be good choices. I know many of you can get your hands on a Guinness, which is totally fine as well.

Yogurt and Melted Butter: The core liquids in this bundt cake batter help deliver a rich, flavorful cake that is effortlessly sliceable and a bit less decadent than typical versions (without sacrificing deliciousness!).

a chocolate bundt cake sitting on top of a table ready to be served

What If I don’t have a Bundt Pan?

For those of you who don’t have a bundt pan, no problem! You can bake this cake batter in a wide range of pans. It makes great little cakes, and loaf cakes, and cupcakes. You know the drill, adjust the baking time, and bake until the sides of the cake start to pull away from the pan a bit, and a tester/knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

a slice of chocolate bundt cake neatly wrapped in parchment paper and tied with a piece of string
This cake travels beautifully wrapped in parchment paper or waxed paper bag. A stretch of common string secures the wrapper in place.
a large slice of chocolate bundt cake being held on a piece of parchment paper

Chocolate Bundt Cake: Variations

Coffee Version: A number of people over the years have asked about making a version without beer. You can use I cup of strong coffee in place of the 1 cup of reduced beer.

Chocolate Bundt with Olive Oil: Laura mentions, “ made this cake tonight with 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, which I mixed in with the yogurt egg mixture, instead of butter and it turned out delightful. Next time I might add thick pieces of dark chocolate into the batter, too.”
a close up photo of a slice of chocolate bundt cake with thick chocolate frosting on the top and a cake server

I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we have! It was just the thing to unwrap on a picnic table underneath a grove of sky-scraping redwood trees.
a road leading to a picnic spot in Oregon

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Six Seed Soda Bread

Inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s soda bread recipe, this version is made with a blend of spelt flour and all-purpose flour. The dough is littered with seeds – sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flax seeds, and fennel seeds. It bakes into a perfect, rustic, crusty loaf of bread with relatively little effort.

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I finally had a chance to sit down this morning and sort through the pile of notes, menus, books, and magazines I brought back from a trip to Portland, Oregon. There is a loaf of six-seed soda bread baking in the oven, plus a slab of butter on the counter waiting for it. I always stock up on books when traveling and on this trip I snagged a copy of Edible Portland, a copy of Reza Mahammad’s Rice, Spice, and all Things Nice, and a copy of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Every Day.

close-up photo of seeded soda bread

Soda Bread: Inspiration

The soda bread recipe in Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s book jumped out at me immediately as I flipped through the pages. I make soda bread quite often (my favorite is a rye version), in part because soda bread comes together in no time, with just a small handful of ingredients. You can have a loaf in the oven in under ten minutes.

With a few tweaks to his recipe, I’ve been enjoying Hugh’s seeded, multi-grain flour version. His soda bread is made with a blend of spelt flour and all-purpose flour, the dough is absolutely littered with seeds – sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flax seeds, and fennel seeds. The fennel is a nice wildcard, and the whole loaf takes on a nice crunchy crust with lots of bonus seeds on top.

medley of six different seeds combines in a glass jar

A Few Ways To Enjoy Soda Bread

This bread is fantastic in the morning slathered with bit of farmers cheese drizzled with honey. It is ideal along with a hot, hearty bowl of soup. And, tossed with a bit of olive oil and baked a second time, leftovers make good croutons.

If you’re convinced you can’t bake bread, I encourage you to give this a shot. Because it doesn’t rely on It’s the perfect bread for beginning bakers, At the very least you’ll be out a bit of flour, some buttermilk, baking soda and some seeds. The upshot is you’ll be able to make fresh bread any time you like!

flours and seeds in mixing bowl to make soda bread

Six Seed Soda Bread: Variations

Rolls!: Adriana says,”I made this bread on Saturday, instead of a big loaf I made 8 rolls… today it’s Tuesday, there’s no bread left! They are so great after my morning run or with some butternut squash soup… delicious!”
Vegan Rye Version: Joana helpfully talks though her swaps to make a version without buttermilk,”I’m eating a warm slice of this bread as I type. I did a few tweaks to the recipe that should be worth mentioning: as I didn’t have spelt flour, I substituted rye flour; and because I’m a vegan, I substituted the buttermilk for rice milk mixed with lemon juice (1 tablespoon lemon juice for 3/4 cup of milk). It turned out super yummy!”

soda bread dough on a baking sheet prior to baking

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Buckwheat Cheese Straws

These cheese straws look like wispy tree branches and they never last very long around here. Crispy, cheddar-flecked, and rustic, buckwheat flour lends these slender creations their convincing tone.

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Buckwheat cheese straws never last long when I bake them. They’re tasty, dramatic, butter-kissed and punctuated with baked flecks of melted cheese. To my eye, the toasted cheddar bits look a bit like orange moss – but maybe I’m over-thinking things. After you get the hang of it, these are easy to make. Although, it might take a practice twig or two. The inspiration for this recipe was rye-thyme cheese straw recipe I enjoyed years ago baked from Jerry Traunfeld’s The Herbal Kitchen. Think of these as a distant cousin!

cheese straws standing upright in a glass

Cheese Straws & Edible Tablescapes

Before we get to the recipe I should also say, another thing I love about cheese straws is all the ways you can display them at the table. They make a dramatic centerpiece standing upright in a small glass or jar, but are just as much fun lying down, stacked and tangled together like an edible pile of sticks. Big bouquets of cheese straws in larger vessels is the way to go if you have more baking capacity. The drama!

How To Make Buckwheat Cheese Straws

If you know how to make pie dough, the process here is quite similar. To start, butter and flour is combined until a sandy texture is achieved. Ice water is added to bring the ingredients together and formed into a patty. Chill until ready to shape the straws.
ingredients for cheese straws mixed in a bowl including flours
Next, roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut into strips as pictured below.

dough for cheese straws rolled out and cut into strips on a counter
For the final straw shape, roll the dough into long pieces and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisped.
dough for cheese straws formed into straw shape

Other Shapes?

If you get tired of making straws, you might stamp out various shapes. I haven’t tried it with this exact dough, but I suspect it would work nicely. Keep the dough 1/4-inch thick or less, and keep a close eye on things while they are baking.

cheese straws arranged in a pile

Cheese Straws: Variations

You can certainly experiment with a number of the variables here. This recipe calls for a cheddar, but you could certainly experiment with gruyere, Swiss cheese, pecorino, or other hard cheese. I’ve also noticed a few great suggestions in the comments including this one.

Cheese ribbons: Sue says, “For a variation, my ex-husband, the chef, used to run breadstick dough thru the pasta machine, let it rest (in fridge?), cut it in very long, very thin strips, then twist them and even roll the tops of the sticks around something tubular while baking. Very fanciful, magical centerpieces. And sprinkled with large grain salt, they sparkle!”

Other Homemade Crackers

Homemade Cheese Crackers

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Miso Sesame Winter Squash

Inspired by a recipe in Bryant Terry’s cookbook, The Inspired Vegan. Roasted winter squash (and tofu) is combined here with a wonderful miso, maple, sesame and citrus sauce.

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This roasted winter squash medley is a riff on one of the recipes in Bryant Terry’s cookbook, The Inspired Vegan. I’m a forever fan of Bryant and his flavor and ingredient combinations for good reason. His recipes are always flavor-forward, and across the span of a book he tends to pull from a global pantry. Beyond that, he’s just the sort of person I like to turn to when I need someone to yank me out of the occasional culinary rut every cook finds themselves in. It was his Molasses, Miso, and Maple Candied Sweet Potatoes that caught my attention.

roasted delicata squash along with other ingredients in a large serving bowl

While I didn’t have sweet potatoes, I went ahead based on what I did have on hand. By swapping in delicata squash and tofu for the sweet potatoes, you’re looking at what turned out to be a spectacular one-pan meal. If you end up liking this recipe, be sure to take Bryant’s amazing green rice for a spin.

roasted delicata squash seeds in the bottom of a sink

The Game Plan

Here’s how today’s recipe shapes up. Your primary ingredients are tossed with a citrus-spiked, maple-molasses marinade of sorts. The sappy sweetness is balanced by the salty complexity of miso and tamari/shoyu. A toasted sesame backdrop is added for good measure. It works brilliantly. Thinking more about it, I imagine you could use the sauce/marinade to roast any number of ingredients beyond winter squash or sweet potatoes – for ex: tempeh, broccoli, cauliflower. Let me know if you do a take on this that works particularly well!

delicata squash halved lengthwise, seeded, on a wood cutting board
Slice the squash lengthwise, clear out the seeds (above), and then cut across into thin, fast-roasting, crescents (below)!
crescents of roasted delicata squash arranged in rows on a parchment lined baking sheet
I’m re-emphasizing the fact that you can leave the skin on delicata squash. It’s edible and a key part of what makes them one of my favorite squashes to use – fast and flavorful. Roasted winter squash of other varietals should generally be peeled, although I often leave the skin on kabocha squash.
small cubes of tofu arranged on a paper towel lined cutting board
For this recipe, opt for extra-firm tofu. I like to cut it into little cubes (see above) not much larger than then ones you might get in a miso soup at a restaurant. Enjoy! roasted delicata squash along with other ingredients in a large serving bowl

A Couple Variations

Make it spiced: GG Mora weighed in with this, “I tossed the marinade (which I augmented with a goodly tablespoon of sambal oelek) and squash with a full bunch of red kale, chopped coarsely. This will become part of my regular weeknight rotation – it was delicious (and nicely ‘low-impact’).”
Ponzu style: Duff shares, “This is a great recipe. I have made it twice. The 2nd time, I used Ponzu in place of the tamari/lemon juice. It was, imho, even a little bit better.”

kitchen scene with serving bowl of roasted winter squash on a marble countertop

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What to Eat Christmas Morning (12 Recipes)

A dozen Christmas morning breakfast ideas for anyone trying to figure out what to cook and eat on Christmas morning.

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This is for anyone who needs some great Christmas morning breakfast ideas. After the blizzard of wrapping paper quiets, a cozy (but casual!) brunch is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. Everyone is in good spirits and happy to celebrate together. My family typically does a Christmas dinner later in the day, but having a little something special in the morning is always welcome. That said, preparing for the holidays can be tiring, and everyone appreciates recipes you’re able to prep ahead of time. Thankfully, a lot of breakfast recipes fit the bill. Here are a dozen recipes to consider for Christmas morning – a little mix of both naughty and nice!

1. Cinnamon Rolls – This is a great recipe to prep a day ahead. And even if you’ve never baked cinnamon rolls, it is a totally doable recipe. Start a Christmas morning cinnamon bun tradition this year. These are classic, homemade cinnamon rolls made from a favorite cardamom-flecked, buttery, yeast dough with a generous cinnamon-sugar swirl.

2. Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole – If you’re looking for a great breakfast casserole, this has you covered. It’s a deep-dish merging of grated cheese, bagels, eggs, plant-based sausage and the crunch and savoriness of everything bagel seasoning.

3. The Best Waffle Recipe – My friends and family might be tired of these. But they are special waffles. So good. These waffles are a year-round go-to, and perfect for Christmas morning. Setting up a waffle bar with toppings is always a hit.

Deep dish quiche being served on a plate

4. Deep Dish Quiche – The deep dish quiche of your dreams. It’s made with a flaky all-butter crust. The filling is silky smooth and creamy, while still being perfectly sliceable. Adding roasted winter squash, caramelized onions, and goat cheese makes for a perfect winter holiday or Christmas quiche.

5. Good Granola Bar – If you have a household of granola lovers, consider making this perfect healthy granola and/or this peanut butter granola. You can set up a topping bar and make granola yogurt parfaits. Load up with fresh fruit, toasted coconut, candied walnuts or whatever else you can dream up.

6. Baked Oatmeal Cups – Made with oats, bananas, and lots of berries, these baked oatmeal cups are grab-and-go golden deliciousness.

7. Gougères – Everyone is delighted when a pan of these come out of the oven. Gougères are perfect, golden pom-poms of cheese-crusted magic. This one-pan method sets you up for success every time. Keep these little cheese puffs frozen, and they’re ready to bake straight from the freezer on Christmas morning.

8. Sheet Pan Frittata – Prepare the egg mixture on Christmas Eve, bake a sheet pan frittata with little effort the next morning. Serve with slabs of your favorite toast (for example, this Cheddar Jalapeño Oatmeal Bread), on waffles, or set up a station for people to make their own frittata sandwich with the sheet pan frittata and a few other toppings.

9. Tofu Scramble – Tofu Scramble Yes, to this. If you are over cookies, mulled wine and the rest, this is going counterbalance to all the holiday decadence.

Christmas morning breakfast ideas from outside the 101 Cookbooks kitchen.

10. Heuvos a la Plaza de Mercado – (Sprouted Kitchen / Tara O’Brady) Sara’s version of Tara’s recipe is a reminder to let your friends and family bring their influences to your table. Make the red sauce and the charred green onion dressing (!) a day or so ahead of time and it’s much easier to put this one together on Christmas morning.

11. Vegan Pumpkin French Toast – (Love and Lemons) Love this – French toast that works for the vegans in your family as well.

12. Green Shakshuka – (Bon Appétit) Probably not what your 7-year-old wants to see on her plate, but it will bring a smile to the faces of grown-ups, especially if they’ve had one too many glasses of prosecco on Christmas eve.

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Oatmeal Muffins

A rich, crumble-topped oatmeal muffin recipe made with an oatmeal and yogurt base. Golden-topped, wholesome, and a fantastic pocket treat.

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You want to know what makes these oatmeal muffins next level? They have a big crumble top. It’s a game changer. Beyond that, the rolled oats in the rich batter make them quite substantial — a distant cousin to typical cake muffins. They’re a bit custard-y when hot, and not-at-all when cooled. Craggy and golden-topped, let’s talk through the details!

side view of oatmeal muffins baking in a muffin tin

Muffin Meets Crumble

The idea was to put a crumble top on a great, decadent, oatmeal muffin. I used the crumble from the Tutti-Frutti Crumble recipe in Super Natural Every Day. The muffins themselves don’t come across as particularly sweet, but you get a nice amount of sweetness from the topping. Overall, I would say, the muffins might classify as lightly-sweetened. If you have more of a sweet tooth, you can certainly add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup to the wet ingredients. Or, even better, stir in some chopped, sweet fruit.

How To Make Oatmeal Muffins

There’s nothing particularly tricky about making these muffins, but there are two main components. The crumble and then the oatmeal muffin batter. You’ll be melting butter for both.

melting butter in a skillet
While the crumble is chilling in the freezer, combine the wet and dry muffin batter ingredients. Stirring just enough to bring it all together.

combining wet ingredients with dry ingredients in a bowl resulting in oatmeal muffin batter
Transfer the muffin batter to muffin tins and top with crumble pieces.
muffin batter in muffin tin before baking
Next, bake until golden and puffy. Remove from the oven, and now (the most important thing) pop them out of the pan as soon as you can after baking. Let them cool outside the pan on a baking rack. In the pan they steam, and it will impact the texture of the muffins. And not in a good way.
close up of an oatmeal muffin

Oatmeal Muffins: Variations

I kept the recipe here straight forward – rolled oats, yogurt, etc. That said, you can take them in a thousand directions with different spice combinations, or citrus zest, or add-ins like seeds, or berries, or dried fruit.

Apple Season: Kelly notes, “Made these the other day and added 2 grated apples and some cinnamon. WOW – so yummy! My new favourite muffins.”
Coconut & Sunflower Seeds: LadyM says, “Awesome… I added some unsalted sunflower seeds, coconut, and raisins. I also used my silicone mini muffin pan and they turned out incredible, just a little bit of crusting around the edges. “
Strawberry Magic: Sara mentions, “I didn’t have any plain yogurt (and where I live generally only sells sweetened plain yogurt) so instead I cut the sugar in half and used strawberry yogurt. Came out amazing and tasting lightly of strawberry!”

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Roasted Delicata Squash

One of the best ways to make roasted delicata squash, inspired by my friend Molly Watson. This recipe uses the pretty, scalloped-edged cross-cuts of the delicata squash, a few small potatoes, chopped kale, radishes, almonds and a bold miso harissa dressing.

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I have Molly Watson to thank for the inspiration here. It’s the best delicata squash recipe I know. Years ago she created a miso-harissa slather she used on roasted delicata squash. It was a combination of ingredients that had never crossed my mind, but sounded fan-tas-tic. Building on her idea, I decided to do a roasted delicata squash platter of sorts. I used the pretty, scalloped-edged cross-cuts of the delicata squash, a few small potatoes, chopped kale, radishes, Marcona almonds and her miso + harissa idea. You know it was good, right? It really was.

The flavor was bold and vibrant and it was a breeze to make – no need to peel this type of squash. The vibrant yellow-rimmed slices along with pink-skinned radishes and flecks of green kale were a nice way to bring some color to the winter table.

roasted delicata squash on a platter along with potatoes, kale, and almonds

Roasted Delicata Squash: Variations

You can do endless riffs on this depending on what you have on hand, or what is in season. Here, I reached for kale to get some green in the mix, and the nuts for their texture and crunch, but feel free to play around with general idea. here are a few ideas people have mentioned in the comments!

Sweet & salty: Sagan comments about a related recipe she loves, “I had a recipe on the menu a few years back that had roasted squash, sliced like yours, with pickled red onions, peanuts, and salad greens. the dressing mostly from the pickled onion juice, so a little sweet and salty.”
Wild style: Kate got a little wild! “ I improvised wildly based on what was in my kitchen, and got this: acorn squash with red potatoes, tossed in a mixture of golden miso, pickapeppa sauce, sriracha, and black olive paste. Swiss chard, tossed with the lemon juice and my version of the miso sauce, with radishes and regular toasted almonds. I thought it was going to be weird but it was great!”
Sweet potato: Esther struck out on the delicata front, but reports back, “I couldn’t find delicata so made this with sweet potato instead – which was delicious!”

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Shaker Apple Pie

The defining detail of this traditional Shaker apple pie is the use of rose water in the filling. Sliced apples, brown sugar, and a splash of floral results in a special combination. Pair it with an all-butter crust and you have a beautiful apple pie on your hands.

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Inspiration for this apple pie struck not long after posting a Shaker lemon pie earlier this year. I stumbled on a book about Shaker life and design in a used book store. My head was still in Shaker world, so I picked it up. It was a large book, the most comprehensive I’ve come across, and including entire sections about communal life, Shaker tools, and even a page about raising flowers. On the topic of flowers, Shakers traditionally did not grow them for beauty or decoration, but only for their culinary purposes or medicinal uses.

an apple pie with lattice crust in a glass pie dish with a wedge removed

Shaker Apple Pie: The Inspiration

I brought the book home with me and continued reading. The account by Sister Marcia’s Bullard (1821-1899) goes on to inform, “rose petals were gathered and distilled into rose water, which was used medicinally and also as a flavoring in cooking.” Much like we use vanilla today. She then says, “rose water was a traditional ingredient in Shaker apple pies.” And that was the record scratch for me. An apple and rose scented pie? That sounds amazing (and it is!). So here we are. Apparently, rose water was an important flavoring agent in America prior to the availability of vanilla extracts.
a full apple pie cooling on a countertop after baking in a kitchen

Why I love this Pie

I understand what people love about the type of apple pie that is popular in the United States today. They’re big on cinnamon, warming, nostalgic and cozy. This pie is all those things, minus the warming spices. And because it plays a beautiful floral wildcard, starting now, it will forever have my heart. That one move, one ingredient, changes the entire personality of the pie. If you love apple pie, and want to switch things up a bit this year, give this a try.
a beautiful apple pie with lattice crust in a glass pie dish

What Kind of Apples for Apple Pie?

Honeycrisp apples are great for pies (and snacking), but they can be a bit tricky to finding certain areas outside of peak apple season. Granny Smith apples are ubiquitous and easy to buy just about anywhere, anytime. Keep your eyes open for pink lady and Braeburn apples as well. And you can always do a blend of apple types. This pie pictured here was baked with honey crisp apples.
a slice of apple pie on a small plate topped with dollop of whipped cream

Basic Steps to Making an Apple Pie

If this is your first pie, or maybe you’re still gaining confidence on the pie baking front, here are the big steps and general process that goes into making an apple pie.
the filling for an apple pie in a large mixing bowl
Step one: make the apple pie filling by mixing the ingredients in a large bowl. No pre-cooking of the apples is necessary for this pie.

a pie dish lined with pie dough for a bottom crust prior to filling
Step two: roll out bottom pie dough and line the pie dish with the crust. (above)
apple pie with lattice crust before baking

Step three: roll out and make the top crust. I share how to make this lattice crust below this section. Alternately, keep it simple! Roll out the top crust into a full circle and use that, cutting a few vents prior to baking to allow steam to escape. Seal and crimp.

an apple pie before baking being brushed with an egg was and sprinkled with sugar

Step four: Brush with egg, sprinkle with sugar, chill and bake!

To Make a Lattice Pie Crust

You don’t have to make a latticed top for this pie, but you can if you like. Here’s how:

pie dough rolled out on a floured counter and cut into strips
Step one: Roll the pie dough top crust out into a 12 x 12 shape and cut into 1-inch thick strips (pictured above). My shape was too circular here, go for more of a square.
weaving strips of pie dough for a lattice crust
Step two: Arrange 6-7 strips horizontally on a piece of parchment paper. Then, starting in the middle, working quickly with a single strip, make your strips look like this. (above) Under two, over two, under two, at 45 degree angle.

Step three: Grab another single strip and do the opposite next door. So – over two, under two, over two. Keep going working outward, alternating. When you’ve used all your strips transfer the crust to the refrigerator for 5 minutes or so to set a bit. You’ll be able to slide it off the parchment paper into place on the pie. Trim just beyond the edge of the pie dish, crimp or seal, and proceed with the recipe.

an apple pie with lattice crust in a glass pie dish ready to be sliced

What Kind of Pie Crust is Best?

I’ve baked pies using a range of crusts over the years, but this is my all-time favorite pie dough now. It’s simple, incorporates all the tweaks and techniques I’ve experimented with, and results in a super-flaky all-butter pie crust. It’s absolutely delicious. And, for this pie, it bakes up golden and beautiful thanks to a sugar-crusted egg wash prior to baking. It’s also use it regularly for tarts and this deep dish quiche.
a slice of apple pie on a small plate topped with dollop of whipped cream with remaining pie in the background
I hope you enjoy this pie as much as I do! You see it server here with a dollop of whipped cream sweetened with a bit of sugar.

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Big Sur Bakery Hide Bread

From the Big Sur Bakery cookbook, a seed-packed pocket bread recipe contributed by a good friend of the bakery. Sesame, sunflower, flax and poppy seeds, quinoa and oat bran impressively cram themselves into these delicious, hearty rolls.

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The Big Sur Bakery sits back off California’s famous Highway 1 a bit, nestled next to a gas station. The owners, three of them, left the Los Angeles restaurant scene years ago, determined to turn a property with a lackluster track record into something special. They set their sights on a house-turned-abandoned-restaurant, eventually wrangling it into what is now the beloved Big Sur Bakery.

Small round homemade breads topped with seeds and butter on a baking sheet
It was tough choosing a single recipe to feature from their namesake cookbook, but a seed-packed pocket bread contributed by a good friend of the bakery jumped out at me. Sesame, sunflower, flax and poppy seeds, millet, oat bran, and a splash of beer impressively cram themselves into palm-sized hearty rolls in a way that doesn’t disappoint.
Small round homemade breads topped with seeds on a marble counter

Big Sur Bakery Hide Bread

The recipe is from Terry “Hide” Prince, one of the bakery’s earliest friends. If you can imagine dense, seed and grain-packed soda bread, you’re in the ballpark. Rather than using salt, Terry gathers kelp from the coast and uses it to season the bread. I use sea salt (and salad booster), or dulse flakes if I have them. Use what you have. The key to enjoying these delicious little breads (and I can’t emphasize this enough), is splitting them open, toasting until they are deeply golden, then slathering generously with butter (or drizzling with olive oil). Then sprinkle with a bit more salt. Blissful buttery crunchiness.

Variations

These are divisive little pucks. People either have deep love for them, or….don’t. You can browse the comments for insight into both camps. They also take well to endless variations. As you can see from terry’s comment below, that’s the spirit of it!

More from Terry: He says, “There’s no need to be intimidated by making my bread. It was born out of a sea voyage, from Hawaii to New Zealand, because it was easier than yeast bread. I used my friend, Jay’s, Irish soda bread recipe, only I added my own super foods. Amaranth, millet, and quinoa all have the 8 essential amino acids for building muscle, flax seeds for digestion, and kelp or seaweed for vitamins and minerals. I keep a 5 gallon pickle bucket with my dry bread mix, adding whatever sounds healthy.”
A gluten-free version: Obsoletepostergirl says, “this recipe adapted very well to gluten free. I used my usual mix of brown rice flour, millet flour, oat flour, and tapioca starch in place of the flour. I used coconut milk in place of buttermilk as well. They turned out wonderfully when toasted!”

Bread in a roll shape topped with seeds held in the palm of a hand

The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

The cookbook captures a year in the life of the restaurant through a series of vignettes, purveyor profiles, and recipes. Anyone who dreams of starting their own restaurant should have a read. One of the things I like about this book is the way it illustrates many of the things that make creating a restaurant so fulfilling. At the same time it isn’t afraid to touch on some of the stuff that also makes it so difficult. As I’m sure many of you know (or can imagine) Big Sur is remote, and running any sort of business in a town connected by a single power line to Carmel isn’t without its challenges.

How To Make Big Sur Hide Bread

Here’s a quick guide to the major steps needed to make this bread.

Large mixing bowl with bread ingredients including flax seeds, sunflower seeds, quinoa, flour, and bran

Step 1: This bread comes together like a soda bread. No yeast is called for, it’s a quick bread that comes together in no time with baking soda as the leavener. Start by combining the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add buttermilk to this dry mixture and stir until everything comes together.

bread dough rolled out on counter and cut into portions
Step 2: Turn the dough out onto a countertop, roll into a wide log. Slice into equal pieces and for into patties. The shape I aim for is like a small English muffin.

Individual rolls shaped and arranged on metal baking sheet prior to baking
Step 3: Brush the tops of each roll with buttermilk and sprinkle with seeds and seaweed.
Individual bread rolls on baking sheet sprinkled with seeds prior to baking
Step 4: Bake for about 45 minutes or until the bottoms are golden.
Small round homemade breads topped with seeds on a marble counter

A Few Things That Make the Big Sur Bakery Special

I’ve been to the bakery a number of times over the years. I love the dark wood, the beautifully rustic morning pastries, and the mix of locals and people just-traveling-through intersecting at the counter. The bakery serves coffee and pastries in the morning and early afternoon, lunch on certain days, as well as dinner (hours listed here). The heart of the bakery is the wood-fired stove – and much of the food served (and featured in the cookbook) is inspired by it.

A Bit More About the Cookbook

The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook includes a wide range of recipes, not simply pastries and baked treats. Also plenty for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. I’ve earmarked the Dresden Stollen (legendary), Nine-Grain Pancakes, Date & Quinoa Muffins, and the Fresh Garbanzo Bean Stew. Sara Remington did the photography for the book – a beautiful combination of portraits, images of Big Sur, meals shared, and of course, no end to the photos of the food. In all, 262 pages, full color. If you haven’t been able to visit in person yet, the book is next best.

Small round homemade breads topped with seeds on a marble counter

More Bread Recipes

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California Barley Bowl

From Megan Gordon’s cookbook, Whole Grain Mornings, a super grain bowl. Plump barley grains are tossed with sprouts (or greens), nuts, avocado, a bit of cheese and dolloped with a simple yogurt sauce.

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This California Barley Bowl became part of my repertoire after I began cooking from Megan Gordon’s cookbook, Whole Grain Mornings. I met Megan years ago when she was sampling granola in front of my favorite San Francisco market. We continued to cross paths over the years and became friends. I love Megan’s smart-but-relaxed approach to cooking and this sort of grain salad situation is perfect for picnics, potlucks and family gatherings. It’s an easy call. Most of the prep can be done ahead of time. Plump barley grains are tossed with sprouts (or greens), nuts, avocado, a bit of cheese, then dolloped with a simple yogurt sauce. I tend to do an extra large version, family-style, reflected in the recipe below.
big salad bowl filled with barley, cheese, avocado, walnuts and a yogurt dressing

The Strategy

Anytime you’re cooking a grain like barley or farro, go big. Cook a lot. Enough to use with whatever recipe you have at hand, and enough to bag and freeze for use in the coming days (and weeks). To do this, make sure the grains are well-cooked and well-drained if you have any residual cooking water. Cool in the refrigerator, and double bag before placing in the freezer. It’s the sort of thing to grab for when pulling together a quick stew, a twist on fried rice, or lunchtime grain bowl.

big salad bowl filled with barley, cheese, avocado, walnuts and a yogurt dressing

Variations

A number of you have posted fantastic variations of the barley bowl over the years, and I want to highlight a few here:

Keep it warm: Patricia says, “I substituted spelt for the barley and I think I like it better – great texture, a little chewy, nutty taste. I also tossed the arugula into the spelt while it was still warm so there was a wilted effect that we like. And I used part ricotta and part crumbled feta cheese for a little snap to the flavor. Yum!”
Wheatberries: Di noted, “I made a similar dish for lunch today but used organic wheat berries instead of barley. Added chopped walnuts, pomegranate arils, grated carrot, currants, rocket, lemon and parsley with a splash of plain yoghurt.”
Double up!: Megan’s pro-tip is, “I always at least 2x the yogurt sauce, too, as I love using it up on just about anything throughout the week. “

big salad bowl filled with barley, cheese, avocado, walnuts and a yogurt dressing

More Grain Salads

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