Breads

'Put one packet of yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/3 cup flour, and 1/6 cup sugar in a bowl. Pour 3/4 cup of pretty hot but not simmering water over this and mix. Wait a few minutes while the yeast activates. Stir in two eggs and 1/3 cup vegetable oil (canola). Stir and eventually knead in about 3 cups of flour — until you have a workable blob. Knead for 3 minutes or so. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 90 minutes. Punch down and knead some more and then braid. Let rise for 30 minutes. Paint with an egg wash (egg beaten with a little water), sprinkle with poppy seeds (optional), and bake in a pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and done-looking.

Recipe can be doubled for 2 loaves (Inda Schaenen, 2012, copyright Aunt Bonnie).’

Oh, and my own generational contribution: if you start the oven preheating about an hour before you’re going to put the loaves in to rise, then turn it off, let it cool slightly, and let the loaves rise in the oven when it’s dark and still very warm, but not enough to kill the yeast, they’ll always rise properly. Always.' Shabbat shalom!

3 cups flour (sifted), 3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour), 1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour), 1/4 cup sugar, 1 (12 ounce) can beer, 1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dry ingredients and beer. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Pour melted butter over mixture. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

This recipe makes a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. If you prefer a softer crust (like a traditional bread) mix the butter into the batter instead of pouring it over the top. Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must-do. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a "hard biscuit" as some have described. The final result should be a thick, hearty and very tasteful bread, NOT A BRICK! ;).

Recipe from here, tested and vouched for by SRD. SRD note: beer bread is one of the fastest and most reliable ways to get homemade bread, especially if you don't have yeast.

'Sesame-Oat crackers made for Knut's 83rd birthday'

' 1 ½ cup wheat flour, 2 cups rolled oats, ½ cup un-hulled sesame seeds, 1 stick salted butter, melted, ½ cup skim milk, + 1 TBSP, if dough is too dry to keep together
Turn on the oven for 350 F. Mix first group of ingredients well. Melt the butter and add the milk to warm to luke warm. Then add butter and milk to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add a little wheat flour if the dough seems too sticky. Make into a ball, drizzle some wheat flour on the clean counter and kneed briefly. Cut dough into four parts and roll out very thin, each part at a time. Transfer the thin sheet of dough to a cookie sheet. If it seems easier, cut the sheet into cracker size pieces and transfer each on e to the cookie sheet. Bake at 350 °F for 6 - 8 minutes. Be careful not to burn the edges. When the crackers/sheet look/s crisp and slightly beige at the edges, remove from oven and cut with a knife in cracker size pieces. Transfer to cool counter and let cool. Proceed the same way with the other three parts of the dough. When all the crackers are cool to touch, pack in air tight container/ plastic bag. If some of the crackers from the center of the sheets feel a bit damp and do not look beaked enough, place them on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 -3 more minutes, or until they look slightly beige too.'-MC