Chocolate Box Cottage Diary, Volume 2
Week 51: December 24, 2022

What with the Christmas baking, chimney cleaning, and restarting the indoor salad garden we are as busy as Santa’s elves! What a busy and blessed week at Chocolate Box Cottage!

Indoor Salad Gardening

Let’s start with salad gardening. Growing salad shoots in cereal bowls keeps us in salad greens all winter, right up until the outdoor garden is producing.

Traditional “sprout” seeds like broccoli and peas join microgreen seeds, buckwheat and tendril peas. In about a week, they are ready to harvest with scissors.

By planting a batch of bowls every few days, the indoor salad garden keeps producing. Enjoy beautiful gourmet salads with just a little work.

Christmas baking

Looking for an easy, festive drop cookie?

Mix up a batch of Confetti Cookies; they’re simple, colorful, and fun! A delicious vanilla cookie batter is shaped in balls, rolled in sprinkles, pressed with a glass, and baked. The satisfying cake-like flavor of these cookies will grab you!

Granola is always a welcome gift. This batch of Pecan Promise Granola will be divided: 1 tray gifted and 1 tray kept.

There’s nothing quite like homemade pies for Christmas and it’s (almost) as easy to make two as one. One for Christmas Eve and another for breakfast on Christmas morning with coffee, tea, and cottage bacon (ham). See my recipe for Butter Pie Crust.

Miriam and I enjoyed an old-fashioned Christmas baking day which included these delicious apple pies and a batch of Confetti Cookies.

And since I was not planning to bake bread, I decided to use up the accumulated starter in my jars by making a batch of German Bread-Spice Crackers this week. What is bread spice? A mix of spices used in German breads; brotgewürz in German. It varies, but mine includes caraway, anise seeds, fennel seeds, celery seeds, and coriander seeds, ground to a powder.

I added most of the sourdough from the jars to the Ankarsrum mixer bowl, leaving enough behind to feed and maintain my starter. Whole grains were milled into flour in my KoMo grain mill, including whole wheat, spelt, rye, einkorn, and millet.

Cracker dough was rolled very thin – the thinner the better – then cut in squares with a fluted pastry wheel or crinkle cutter. Docking the crackers with a fork releases air bubbles. And don’t forget to sprinkle with salt! I don’t have an exact recipe for these, I go by feel.

Sam’s projects

Samuel has been mysteriously busy in the barn. I’m not sure what he’s up to, but I am sure it will be good. We agreed to give each other practical gifts this year, and I asked for a pantry makeover, while Sam hinted at a backpack leaf blower. The “economy” leaf blower he has been using for years is giving out – it’s requires tinkering each time he wants to use it.

We both could use new wheelbarrows. A stout metal one for Sam, capable of hauling firewood, hot coals, rocks, dirt, and manure; a plastic one for me, to tote compost, potted plants, and garden harvests to the kitchen for preserving.

Samuel climbs the ladder to the roof for several tasks: blowing leaves off, cleaning out gutters, and cleaning the chimney.

In addition to cleaning the chimney, Samuel disassembled the stove pipe, carried it outside and cleaned it out; vacuumed out the elbow in the brick chimney; emptied the wood stove of ashes; cleaned the glass window.

Christmas Tea

Weekly tea at Mom’s took on a Christmasy theme this week. Granddaughters Miriam and Savannah + Emberly joined us for non-alcoholic Holiday Wassail, homemade clam chowder, fruit salad, carrot sticks, and Confetti Cookies. So thankful to have Mom and Rolly to celebrate with.

Gift baskets

I whipped up a triple batch of Maple Vanilla Syrup and added jars to a couple of Christmas gift baskets. This basket for my son Clayton includes Hot Cocoa Mix + a bottle of mint extract, dried Paragon pear slices, Pecan Promise Granola, gourmet coffee, Vanilla Lace Pear Jam, Vanilla Maple Syrup, Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde, and a half gallon jar of Goldenkraut (not pictured).

This Christmas gift basket for my sister’s family includes a full dehydrator batch (9 trays) of blackberry applesauce fruit leather along with a variety of pear preserves: dried, jam, and butter + Crock Pot Apple Butter + Maple Vanilla Syrup nestled in paper shreds in a thrift shop picnic basket.

Fermentation

I finally got around to straining my made-from-scratch Persian basil vinegar. It tastes and smells delightful and the color is captivating! After straining the herbs out, the resulting young vinegar was transferred to a boiled jar with a lid to complete fermentation.

In about a month to 6 weeks it will be ready. I can already envision Persian basil vinegar used in salad dressings and marinades for meats and vegetables.

Christmas Eve dinner included Old World Roast Beef and Vegetables, like my Grandma used to make. The roast is first soaked in clabber or cultured buttermilk for 1-3 days, then drained and baked with root vegetables.

I love this spattered yellow and white enamel roaster! I use it for roasting meat and veggies and for baking bread.

Family pictures

Bookshelf

In honor of Christmas, I encourage you, dear reader, to read the story of Jesus’ birth in the Bible. You’ll find it in Luke chapter 2. Like many families, we cherish the tradition of reading this story every Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas, dear reader! I wish and pray for God’s best for you this Christmas and in the coming year.

Blessings,
Michele and Samuel

Note: This post contains links to products and vendors I use and appreciate for their quality and usefulness. Some are affiliate, some are not. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases when you use the links I provide; this does not change your price.

If you have purchased an Ankarsrum Assistent mixer, you want to make the most of it. This gorgeous workhorse is capable of producing extra large batches of homemade bread, so you can bake to stock the freezer!

In our quest as homemakers to safeguard our family’s nutritional health, we sometimes we get ahead of ourselves. Ian the video I share one such instance that will make you laugh!

I am sharing a family treasure, my recipe for Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Bread. It’s soft, slices easily, and makes great toast and sandwiches. And we are making it in the Ankarsrum Assistent mixer.

Watch the video to learn all of my special tips and techniques for baking Old Fashioned Buttermilk Bread. All of these tips work with any other yeast bread recipe!

This is the recipe I started baking over 25 years ago and have refined over the years. This is the one that helped me help my family not only adjust to, but appreciate, whole wheat. A gradual transition to whole grains is easier on the baker and on the eaters.

Sliding Scale for Whole Wheat Flour

We are going to use a sliding scale to decide how much whole wheat flour to use. This gives your family time to adapt to whole grains. We want them to LOVE the bread you are baking! After all, you are putting time, love, and good ingredients into your baking.

When making the transition to whole wheat flour one-third whole wheat to two-thirds white flour is a good place to begin.

You can use whole wheat flour from the grocery store, or if you have a grain mill, use your own freshly ground whole wheat flour. 

For white flour, unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour are both suitable. Organic is best, if available and affordable to you. 

As your and your family’s tastes adapt to appreciate the nutty flavor of whole wheat, you can increase the proportion incrementally until you reach your nutritional goal. You will find that you need to slightly increase the amount of water as you increase the ratio of whole grain flour as the bran is absorbent. An extra 2 tablespoons of water per additional cup of whole wheat flour is usually about right.

Other ingredients are adjustable as well. You can increase or decrease the salt, honey, and butter as you like.

Checkpoints in Breadmaking

1. Dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl and forms a ball. Enough flour has been added.
2. Windowpane test ~ to check gluten development
3. Poke Test ~ tells you when the dough is done rising
4. Touch Test ~ tells you when the loaves are ready to bake
5. Thump Test ~ along with color of crust tells you when the bread is fully baked

Each of the Checkpoints listed above are explained in detail in the video. Mastering these timeless skills will help you develop your baker’s intuition and can be applied to any bread recipe you want to bake!

By the way, I have created separate videos and recipes specific to the Bosch mixer and the KitchenAid Artisan mixer, so if you own one of those, you can go right to the video and see how it’s done using the same mixer that you have in your kitchen. 

If you haven’t yet purchased a heavy duty stand mixer for bread making, be sure to check out my video: KitchenAid vs. Bosch vs. Ankarsrum, Best Mixer for Bread Dough, to help you make the best decision.

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Bread with Your Ankarsrum Assistent Mixer

Print Recipe

Get ready to bake a BIG batch of bread with the help of your Ankarsrum Assistent mixer! This bread is soft and slices beautifully for toast and sandwiches. 

• Author: Michele Pryse, FNTP
• Prep Time: 4 hrs
• Cook Time: 70 min
• Total Time: 44 minute
• Yield: 7 loaves
• Category: bread
• Method: mixer
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

3 T + 1/2 tsp (2 T + 2 3/4 tsp) yeast dissolved in 2 1/2 cups warm water

1 3/4 cups melted butter

3/4 cup + 2 Tbs (10 T) honey

7 cups buttermilk

7 cups whole wheat flour

scant 1 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2T + 1 tsp salt

14 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

Instructions

Set the Ankarsrum up for bread dough with roller and scraper. 

Proof yeast in lukewarm water in the mixing bowl. If your kitchen is cool, rinse the bowl with warm water to warm it up first. Activate the mixer briefly to combine. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. 

Melt butter in a saucepan. Shake the buttermilk and stir it into the melted butter to bring the butter down to a temperature that is safe for yeast. Test it with a finger, it should just feel warm, if you use a thermometer, 110°F. Add butter mixture to the mixing bowl and then add the honey.

Turn the mixer on low speed, 1:00. Add the first 4 cups of whole wheat flour, then add 2 cups at a time until you have added all the whole wheat. Sprinkle in baking soda and salt. Once those are nicely incorporated, add the white flour a cup at a time until you have a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Hold back some of the flour, you may not need it all! In fact, with the Ankarsrum Assistent, most home bakers find they need less flour than most recipes call for. 

Cover the bowl. Let rest for 5 – 10 minutes. This gives the bran in the whole wheat flour time to hydrate which softens the edges making the dough more elastic.

Set the mixer on low speed again, 1-2:00, and let it knead for 12-15 minutes. Bread dough made with whole grain flour will retain a certain amount of stickiness, like the sticky side of a Post It note. This is okay and does not need to be eliminated. 

When you think you are done kneading, let the dough rest 5 minutes and then perform the windowpane test. Use clean scissors to cut off a walnut-size piece of dough. Slowly pull and stretch the dough to see if it will hold a thin membrane. Hold it up to a window; if you can see light through it, you are done kneading; if not, knead another minute or two, rest 5 minutes, and re-check.

Give the dough a few turns by hand on a lightly greased counter and shape it into a smooth ball. You will need 1-2 extra-large mixing bowls because this amount of dough will climb out of the stainless-steel bowl. 

OPTIONAL: If you have a scale, weigh the bowl, and mark the weight on a piece of tape on the bowl. Grease it well and place dough in the bowl, smooth side up. Now weigh the bowl again. Subtract the weight of the bowl, from the total to determine the weight of the dough. 

Cover the bowl of dough with a clean, lint-free cotton towel or plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a protected spot until almost doubled, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, grease 7 loaf pans and set aside.

To check if it is done rising, do the poke test: take 2 fingers and gently press the dough. When you withdraw them, the indentation should remain, but the dough should not “sigh” or deflate.

Turn the dough onto the work surface and gently but firmly flatten the entire surface to remove large air bubbles. Use a bench knife or a chef’s knife to divide the dough into 5 equal portions. This is where your scale comes in handy. By weighing the portions, you will have an easier time making even-sized loaves. Each loaf should weigh 800-850 grams. The total weight of your dough can vary, depending on the amount of flour used. If you don’t have a scale, that’s fine. You can eyeball it. 

Shaping: pat a piece of dough into an 8×12-inch rectangle. Fold in thirds like an envelope. Pat it out into a rectangle again, then roll it up from one narrow side. Pinch bottom seam to seal. Place seam side down in prepared loaf pan. 

Cover the pans and let the bread rise until dough curves nicely over the top of the pan, about 45 minutes. Set the oven to 350°F (175°C) to preheat. Most ovens will fit 3 to 4 loaves at one time. Cover the extra loaves with oiled plastic wrap and e them in the fridge to slowly rise and wait their turn in the oven. 

The touch test will help you determine if your bread is ready to bake. Instead of poking your fingers into the dough, this time simply touch the dough. It should barely show your fingerprint.

Bake 35-40 minutes, until each loaf is well-browned and done. To test for doneness, carefully tip the loaf out of the pan and inspect the bottom. The crust should be evenly browned and sound hollow when thumped with a finger. A food thermometer will read 195-200°F (90-93°C). You will want to check each loaf individually to be sure it is baked completely. And if your oven heat doesn’t circulate properly, you may need to rotate the loaves on the rack about 15 minutes before the end of baking time. 

Cool baked loaves on a wire rack for a crisp crust or on a wooden breadboard for a softer crust. If desired, brush warm loaf with melted butter. Wait at least an hour before slicing to allow the crumb to set.

Notes

When making the transition to whole wheat flour one-third whole wheat to two-thirds white flour is a good place to begin. As your and your family’s tastes adapt to appreciate the nutty flavor, you can increase the proportion incrementally until you reach your nutritional goal. You will find that you need to slightly increase the amount of water as you increase the ratio of whole grain flour as the bran is absorbent. 

 Shopping Guide 

(Some links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission when you make a qualifying purchase. This does not change your price. Thank you for supporting my business!) You may also find supplies at thrift shops for cheap! If not, take a look below.

Flour wand for sprinkling flour

Solid copper measuring cups and spoons for measuring ingredients

Bench knife for dividing dough and scraping word surfaces clean

Bowl scraper for scraping bowls and surfaces clean

USA bread pans quality loaf pans

Emile Henry loaf pan heirloom quality loaf pan

Flour sack towels to cover the rising dough

Bread bags to store your baked loaves

Cooling racks to cool the bread

KoMo Fidibus 21 grain mill grind wheat berries into flour

 Ankarsrum Assistent mixer the Swedish super mixer

Chocolate Box Cottage Diary, Volume 2

Week 6: February 12, 2022

Glimmers of spring are showing: sunsets painted in vivid scarlet, pink, and gold, pansy faces, a nesting duck, and pasture greening.

Sam and I celebrated our 17th anniversary with our first theatre movie in who knows how long – and then discovered it was was an “oldie” from 2010 rereleased in theaters! That gave us a good laugh! Good movie, though! The action is a bit intense for small children, but overall is family-friendly.

Dinner at a nice local restaurant, Cicily’s Pastaria, felt extra special in light of the last 2 years. Nice atmosphere, attentive service; we both enjoyed our meal.

Follow along with our week at Chocolate Box Cottage in pictures and be sure to let me know how your week went. It’s okay if it wasn’t terrific. In fact, I would be honored if you would tell me one good thing and one hard thing about your week. You’ll find my hard thing in the final photo.

Sylvester lost a hen this week. Sylvester is a silver muscovy duck, and a handsome one at that. He does not hold still well for pictures, though. The wood supply is holding out, thanks to Sam’s careful management. And a daytime moon in a blue, blue sky.

Late winter blooms: Daphne odora, the most amazing scented shrub anywhere. Wild Garden Kale, as pretty as a flower in blue and purple, reseeds wherever it pleases. Three Peace rosebushes, a combination anniversary and memorial gift.

Blessed to be loved.

Wood stove for cozy evenings, mornings, and slow cooking.

Pizza takes shape in pictures, from dough to shaping to baking to eating.

It began with a tub of dough made with freshly milled whole wheat flour and a sweet, stiff Italian starter similar to sourdough (but without the sour) called lievito madre that fermented slowly in the fridge all week ahead of Pizza Night.

Flavorful toppings: homemade béchamel sauce, (leftover) turkey, diced bacon, and red onions. And cheese. Of course.

When it came time to eat, I pulled out a jar of Lemon Boy tomatoes, fermented the old-fashioned way in 5% brine with garlic and fresh basil, for a very special and tasty garnish.

This week’s Cottage Diary entry is dedicated to my dear, sweet kitty Velvet who died in my lap on Thursday morning, February 10, 2022. For 15 years Velvet sat in my lap every morning while I had my tea and quiet prayer time. She brought me comfort when my fibromyalgia was at its worst and seemed to understand me in ways no other furry creature ever has. I’m thankful for the years with this sweet girl.