Oh, YUM

Here's a couple of go-to recipes for when you have 5 kids and you "all of a sudden" discover that you're completely out of bread (not like anyone I know...)

"Irish" Soda Bread- 1 hour total

-the above picture is 1/4 loaf- couldn't get the camera out fast enough, but the whole loaf was enough for our whole family as a side; maybe a 10" diameter?-

 (is it really Irish? Beat's me, but it's so tasty! A little sweet; went really well with our ham and bean soup.)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups unbleached white flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 c. brown sugar

1tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup+ milk

3 T apple cider vinegar

6 T melted butter

2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375* and lightly grease baking sheet.

2. Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

3. Make a well in the middle and add the rest of the ingredients.

4. The dough should be kinda sticky, not like a yeast dough- add more flour or milk if it's too wet or dry.

5. Knead lightly a few times to shape into a round.

6. Place onto baking sheet and slice a deepish X across the round (like in quarters).

7. If you want, you can sprinkle it with oats. It looks pretty, but then they just fall off and you have to sweep up more.

8. Bake at 375* for 45-50 minutes, it shouldn't be squishy in the middle.

9. Cool on a rack.

Middle Eastern Flatbread

-maybe 20 minutes total; makes 8 flat breads, 7-8" diameter-

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water

2 T yeast

4 T sugar

5 cups+ flour (white, whole wheat, or a mixture)

1/4 cup oil

2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Mix water, yeast, sugar, and 2 cups flour and let it rest 10 minutes to make a "sponge".

2. Pour sponge into a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Higher elevations will need a little more flour.

3. Using a dough hook, set the mixer on low and let it run 10 minutes. Or knead it by hand for 10 minutes.

4. Turn on a griddle to High.

5. Form dough into 8 balls

6. When the griddle is good and hot, roll out 2 balls of dough at a time(maybe in between 1/8 and 1/4"?) into circles.

7. Put on griddle and cook until bubbly (maybe 30 seconds?), flip over for another 20 seconds or so.

8. Repeat with remaining balls of dough.

9. Eat with hummus. Or rice/meat. Or butter. Or cinnamon. Or butter AND cinnamon. Or use as pizza crust... you get the picture.