The Plucky Housewives

I am a bread maker.   I gained this skill from my mother.  I will forever be grateful and so will my husband and children!   I have a recipe I regularly use for bread, that has been passed on from my grandmother, made by her mother, and her mother and so it goes.    Every now and then, however, I come across a recipe that is just a little different that I need to try!  And so it is with this one.   What captivated me by this recipe was the use of buttermilk.   Now, its not that I thought, wow, buttermilk in a yeast bread recipe, let's try that....honestly?  I had an entire 1/2 quart of buttermilk left over from holiday baking that if I didn't use up, it was going to turn quick and thought, what can I do with 4 cups of buttermilk?   I saw this recipe and thought, now that sounds good and voila.   It was shear necessity that perked my interest.   I made it, I/we (especially the husband) loved it and had bread for the en...

Homemade Soft Pretzels - Easy!! I have always enjoyed a good soft pretzel.   But, then again, I am a nut for bread, period.   Add to that a craving for mustard, and I am drawn into the fresh, hot, soft, warm, delight, smothered with the tang of a good yellow mustard! I am also a pinterest addict.   I think I spend more time on pinterest than on Facebook, which seems to be more productive.   Where is this going, you ask?  While perusing pinterest in search of ideas, I came across a pin for hot soft pretzels.  The picture of the pretzels was great, because a wicked craving for fresh hot soft pretzels ensued and was not satisfied until this morning.  So, all in all, that craving lasted 2 weeks, about? I never really thought that making pretzels would be enjoyable.  I believed they were probably too complicated and the outcome would pale in comparison to those made at the pretzel stand in those rotating ovens.  I think I believed the magi...

This recipe is a favorite and is based on the yummy bread made by Great Harvest.   Its good for eating, toasting, making into french toast and is a super bread if you love bread pudding.  This recipe makes four loaves.  It can be halved to make two, if needed. 3 T yeast 1/2 c sugar 4 eggs 3-3/4 c warm water 4-1/2 t salt 4-5 T vegetable oil 2-1/2 generous cups (use more if you like) cinnamon baking chips 11-12 c all-purpose flour (or can use a bread flour or a mix of bread, all-purpose or white whole wheat). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine yeast, 1/4 c warm water and 1 T sugar.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  To a large mixing bowl, add remaining water, eggs, and oil.  Combine.  Add the yeast mixutre to the water, eggs and oil.  To this add salt, 4 cups of flour.  Mix until it resembles a good cake batter.   Add cinnamon chips and 7 more cups of flour, taking care to add them slowly avoiding dou...

A couple of weeks ago, in the throws of school and packing and house hunting, Hawley sent me a bunch of recipes to contribute to the site, cause she knew I was going crazy.  Of course, I didn't get to them right away, but here we are and we are back, at least until I have to unplug in a month and relocate my studio/office.  But until then, the stories and recipes will once again flow.  Thanks for being patient and thanks for continuing to come back to the site! Today's recipe is cornbread... I am putting both Hawley's and my version of this recipe out there.  They are a tad different, but both are delicious and I know everyone usually has a reason why they like their cornbread a certain way. Here's Hawley's: When I got married, my mother-in-law gave me a cast iron frying pan and said that I would use this more than any other pan.  I did and I still do.  I love my black cast-iron pan.  I use it for pancakes, bacon, fried eggs, cornbread and just a...

I have been making this bread recipe for the past 30 years.  It was the first recipe I ever created on my own and has been a family favorite since.  My girls (in their 20s now) have incorporated it into their repertoire as well.  Enjoy!  It is truly a family tradition.  Make sure to make an extra loaf though.... Braided French Onion Bread ® 1 Pkg Yeast 2 T salt 1-3/4 c warm water 1 c sour cream (room temperature) 1 envelope onion soup mix 1/2 t baking soda 2 T sugar 2 T butter softened 3 eggs (beaten and at room temperature) 6-1/2 to 6-3/4 c flour Sesame seeds (optional) Sprinkle yeast and soften with 1/4 c warm water. In large bowl combine sour cream, onion soup mix, baking soda, sugar, salt, butter and 2 beaten eggs). Add one cupe warm water. Mix. Stir in soft yeast until smooth. Now gradually add enough flour to make a soft, smooth dough. Dough will be a little sticky at this point. Flour surface and knead for 3-5 minutes, gradually mixing in e...