Soy-lin bread

Soy and linseed (flaxseed) bread is very popular in Australia now, partly because of how good it tastes, but mostly because of its benefits for women.  This is a light and fluffy loaf, adapted from a friend’s recipe, and it will still be light and fluffy even if you replace the bread flour with wholemeal flour (many cooks despair that they can’t produce a light and fluffy wholemeal loaf at home).  Furthermore, it’s got more of what’s good for you:  soy, and linseeds.  After eating a slice of this loaf, you are satisfied and at peace in the world… and will never want to go back to commercial soy-lin bread ever again!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour

2 cups wholemeal (wholewheat) flour

2 tsp. instant yeast (or 4 tsp. regular dry yeast)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. citric acid

1/2 cup okara, firmly packed

1/2 cup linseed (flaxseed)

2 cups warm buttermilk

1/4 cup honey

1 egg

2 tbsp. oil

cooking spray

Method:

1. Combine flours, yeast, salt, and citric acid until well mixed.  Add okara and linseed.  Whisk together buttermilk, honey, egg and oil, and add to dry ingredients, beating well.

2. Knead dough 8 minutes by hand in the bowl or 5 minutes with the dough hook on your mixer.  Be patient!  This is a VERY gooey dough.  Do not be tempted to add more flour – the high moisture level is what makes the resulting bread so fluffy.

3. Squirt the dough with cooking spray, cover with plastic, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled.  Gently knock dough down and divide in two.  Place into greased loaf pans with wet or oiled hands.  Cover loaves, and allow to prove until they are 3/4 of the way to doubled.

4. Brush proved loaves with milk and place in a COLD oven.  Turn oven on to 180oC.  Bake loaves 40-45 min., until golden and cooked through (loaves should sound hollow when tapped on the base).  Turn out to wire racks to cool.

Fluffiest pancakes

This recipe uses all the tricks of the trade to get fluffy pancakes:  acid (in the buttermilk), air (in the eggwhites), gas (in the chemical reaction of the baking powder and the yeast), and not too much gluten (hence the cake flour).  And since the fibre of the okara is “invisible”, neither you nor the kids will realize just how good for you they are as you wolf them down.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, separated

2 cups buttermilk, or milk mixed with a couple of tablespoons yoghurt

1 2/3 cups cake flour

1 cup okara, firmly packed

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. instant yeast (opt.)

1/4 tsp. salt

cooking spray

Method:

1. The secret to fluffy pancakes, other than using acid, air, and gas, is to be quick.  If you take too long making the mixture, the gas and air will dissipate.  Put the griddle on over a medium heat, and have all the ingredients, measured and ready to go before you begin.

2. Put egg whites in a mixing bowl.  Beat with an electric beater with a pinch of salt until stiff.  In another bowl, beat remaining ingredients with the electric beater.  Fold in egg whites.

3. Coat griddle with cooking spray and pour ladlesful of pancake mixture.  When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes, flip them over, and cook until golden on the second side.  Keep warm while cooking remaining mixture (unless everyone is already and waiting at the table, in which case simply cook and serve, cook and serve, cook and serve… you get the idea).  Serve with your favourite pancake toppings.