Vegan Baking

Have you ever noticed how some pastries, cakes or breads seem to transgress cultures? Such as banana loaf? Growing up in South Africa, it was one of my favorite breads. Having moved to the United States, I now realize that Americans too have sort of a love affair with this beloved treat. And why not. The combination of sweet, ripe bananas; creamy butter; sugar and more creates a luscious and tender treat that is irresistible. And there are as many recipes for it than there are bakers who love to bake it.

The sweetness of apricots and the earthiness of 100% rye flour complement each other, especially when accompanied by molasses, cardamom and espresso powder. Rye flour contains a low amount of gluten compared to wheat based flour so in order to enhance binding, the batter is mixed for 1 minute to allow the starches in the flour to become activated. The pectin in the apricot preserves also acts wonderfully as a binder in these muffins.

This recipe is a nod to how the first breads probably got their start. Wheat berries were probably softened with water, ground and left out in the elements where they were then populated by airborne yeasts and bacteria, causing the dough to rise slightly. Placing this dough on hot rocks in or near a fire probably resulted in a fine treat like nothing else available at the time.

This wild yeasted bread, also known as sourdough bread uses a wild yeast sponge to leaven the dough, creating a multitude of complex flavor compounds in the process. Be sure to read and cultivate your wild yeast starter and sponge before starting this bread. Sandwich breads baked in loaf pans are usually baked at lower temperatures around 350F (177C) to 375F (191C) and 'enriched' with things like sweeteners, oil and extra salt. Artisan breads formed and baked without loaf pans are baked at higher temperatures around 400F (204C) to 475F (246C) where the heat allows extra flavors to be developed. Taking this into account, your bread recipe and baking process will be slightly different depending on which method you choose. This recipe gives you options for both styles.

I vegan-ized this from a recipe found here. All I can say is WOW! Moist, full of texture, earthy and oh so delicious.

Carrot cake is my all-time favorite dessert so I adapted it into a heartier sweetbread so I could justify having it for breakfast. It's pointless to resist carrot cake goodness in it's new sweetbread form so don't even try. A dollop of almond butter on top contrasts nicely with carrot cake flavor and adds extra nutritious oomph to power your day of world domination.

There's nothing quite like home made bread. This hearty bread is easy to whip up if you have a few hours and it's really simple. In bread baking, longer rise cycles at lower temperatures usually result in more flavor compounds that are generated due to the yeast extracting and break down more starches in the flour and converting them into sugars which will then get caramelized during baking. Some doughs call for an overnight rise in the refrigerator so optimum flavor can be developed. In this loaf you have the option of doing an overnight slow rise in the refrigerator or a regular rise. The two first rise cycle is for the main fermentation of the dough where the yeast eats the most sugars and rises the bread with CO2. The last rise is called 'proofing' in where the dough rises after it's been molded into it's desired shape or placed in it's specific mold.

The more I use yeast instead of baking powder for sweetbreads the more I notice that yeasted breads produce far better flavor results. How did we get into this bad habit of 'chemically' leavening our sweet breads with baking powder and baking soda? One word: convenience. Yeasted breads take about 3 times longer to make because we have to wait for the yeast to do it's thing. Yeast leavened breads are usually considerably more flavorful than chemically leavened breads because as the yeast ferments and spits out C02 that rises the bread, it also produces a multitude of complex flavor compounds. This is not the case with chemically leavened breads where few flavor byproducts are produced during the chemical reaction between acid and alkalne that produces the C02. This is now my go-to banana bread recipe.

Bread Pudding is probably the most comfortable comfort food. What other type of food has a moist pudding-like texture paired with a soft cake-like feel? Now add some pumpkin and bourbon to the mix and you have recipe to warm your soul. In one bite all your worries are forgotten for a few minutes. Preparing this bread pudding is really easy, provided you already have pumpkin purée. For the base, you can use any bread that is light in color and neutral in flavor.

I'm a huge fan of sprouted grains because they're more flavorful and contain more nutrients than traditional ground grains. If you enjoy this bread you should consider doubling the recipe so you can make twice the loaves with the same effort the next time you make it.

These muffins are moist and delicious. They are a popular treat among my vegan and non-vegan friends. They seem to be more delectable with fresh zucchini and carrots from the garden. Enjoy! The recipe was adapted from here.

I know that one day I won't have access to my favorite bagel place on Bedford ave in Brooklyn on my way home from the bars to grab a late night snack. This recipe will hopefully keep me content in those times. Enjoy these bagels with Tofutti cream cheese, Creamy Cashew Cream Cheese or whatever else floats your fancy. I've designed these bagels in the authentic NY style which uses barley malt, also known as malted barley. Barley malt is highly recommended but if you don't have it just use an additional one-half Tablespoon sugar in it's place. Be sure to allow ample time for this recipe- it takes about two hours. If you live further than two hours away from New York City, this recipe will be easier than flying there for the flavor.

Baked beets lend a complex buttery flavor to these muffins which are complimented by the tartness of blueberries.

The subtle flavor of zucchini and intense flavors of pineapple collide with delicious chaos in this wonderful sweetbread.