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FeedBread for Breakfast
Get your day off to a great start with these quick, tasty, and nutritious breakfast breads.
By Beth Hensperger
Photo by Mette Nielsen
Food Styling By Robin Krause
Food Styling By Robin Krause
Minimally sweet muffins, breads, waffles, scones, and sweet rolls are excellent for breakfast in its many guises because they fill you up and start your day on a satisfying note. These simple breads specially designed for breakfast (not too much fat or sugar) take practically no time to whip up and bake, and are made with nutritional as well as delicious ingredients. They will entice any finicky eater or a host of Sunday morning stragglers. Be forewarned, however: They tend to go fast, especially if there are children in the house.
Breakfast Irish Soda Bread with Dried Cherries and Golden Raisins
Makes 2 round loavesThere are as many soda bread recipes as there are Irish bakers. After making many recipes over the years, I was thrilled to find this recipe from my great-aunt Anna. It is the best ever, especially with my addition of the dried cherries, and makes great toast that is delightfully crunchy and tastes remarkably like an English muffin.
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 to 1¼ cups cold buttermilk
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1½ cups combination golden raisins and tart dried cherries
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter and cut in with a wooden spoon or dough whisk until soft crumbs are formed. Make a well in center of flour mixture and add buttermilk, 1 whole egg, and 1 egg yolk. Stir just to moisten, then add dried fruit.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very gently, sprinkling with flour as needed to prevent sticking, until dough just comes together and makes a smooth surface, 5 to 10 times only. Divide dough into 2 equal portions with a knife and shape each into a round; dust tops with a little flour.
Place dough rounds on the parchment-lined baking sheet and place another pan of the same size underneath to prevent burning. With a sharp knife, slash tops with a large X about ½-inch deep. Bake in middle of oven until dark brown and crusty, 35 to 40 minutes. (When done, a cake tester inserted into center of X will come out clean and loaf will sound hollow when tapped on the side.) Serve warm or at room temperature. Store wrapped in plastic at room temperature or freeze in a plastic freezer bag up to 2 months.
Photo by Mette Nielsen
Coconut-Vanilla Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 12 rollsIf yeast baking is a bit intimidating to you, this is the perfect recipe to wow your breakfast set. These unusual cinnamon rolls are smaller and more firm to the bite than a yeast roll, but every bit as good. And you won’t believe how fast they come together.
¾ cup cottage cheese
¹⁄3 cup sugar
¹⁄3 cup buttermilk
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus
2 tablespoons, for brushing
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Filling:
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
Vanilla Icing:
²⁄3 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
3 to 4 teaspoons cold buttermilk
1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease or lightly spray a 9-inch square or round baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.
In a food processor, place cottage cheese, sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Process until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and pulse until dough clumps like biscuit dough, 8 to 10 pulses. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently to smooth out dough, 4 to 5 times (do not overwork).
With a rolling pin, roll out dough to make a 12 x 15-inch rectangle. Brush surface with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter, leaving a ½-inch border around all 4 edges. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle over surface of dough. Pat to press sugar into surface. Sprinkle coconut over sugar mixture.
Starting at the long edge, roll up jelly-roll fashion. Pinch seam to seal, leaving ends open. With a sharp knife, cut roll into 12 equal portions. Set cut rolls in greased baking pan.
Bake in oven until golden brown and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and run a metal spatula around edges. Lift rolls out of pan, one at a time, and place right-side-up on a wire rack positioned over a plate or piece of waxed paper to glaze.
Place icing ingredients in a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup (the spout makes pouring easy) and, using a small wire whisk, beat until smooth and icing has a thick, pourable consistency. Adjust consistency with drops of milk. Drizzle icing in a back-and-forth pattern over each roll. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.
(To freeze, place completely cooled rolls, either frosted or unfrosted, in a gallon plastic freezer bag. Freeze up to 1 month. Remove the night before and defrost at room temperature, or warm gently in microwave or toaster oven before serving.)
Photo by Mette Nielsen
Banana Sour Cream Waffles with Warm Maple-Honey Syrup
Makes 5 to 6 wafflesWaffles needn’t be reserved for special weekend productions, since they can be made and frozen. The secret to efficient waffle making is to mix both the wet and dry ingredients separately, then quickly together. Pour onto a preheated waffle iron and you have the perfect waffle.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 medium ripe banana
1 large egg, separated
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
Spray a waffle iron with nonstick vegetable cooking spray (even if iron is nonstick), then preheat to medium-high heat, or according to manufacturer’s instructions. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together sour cream, banana, egg, milk, and butter.
Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in banana mixture. Mix with a spatula with a few strokes to evenly moisten batter; do not overmix. For each waffle, pour about ¾ cup of batter onto iron grid. Close lid and bake until waffle is crisp and well-browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove from iron with a fork. Serve immediately, drizzled with Warm Maple-Honey Syrup (recipe below). (To freeze, cool completely on racks, store individual waffles in plastic freezer bags, and freeze for up to 2 months. Warm in the toaster, or in a toaster oven, until hot and crisp.)
Warm Maple-Honey Syrup
Makes about 1 cup½ cup maple syrup
½ cup light honey
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Combine syrup, honey, and butter in a small saucepan or microwave-proof bowl. Warm over low heat or microwave at 2-minute intervals to melt butter and gently warm and liquefy into a syrup. Serve warm, or store in refrigerator in a covered container up to 1 month and reheat as needed.
Morning Blueberry Bran Muffins
Makes 12 muffinsThis favorite bran muffin is made with an unsweetened, high-fiber, whole-bran commercial cereal that gives the muffin a uniquely deep bran flavor and substantial texture that isn’t too sweet for everyday breakfasts. These are always popular, so consider making a double batch to bring some to friends.
1½ cups cultured buttermilk
2 large eggs
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup light olive oil
¼ cup pure maple syrup (Grade B if available)
1½ cups All-Bran cereal
¼ cup minced dried apricots or dried mango
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup raw oat or wheat bran flakes
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen blueberries
Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease cups of a standard 2½-inch-diameter muffin tin with vegetable cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, oil, maple syrup, and cereal. Stir with a whisk until evenly moistened. Add dried apricots. Let stand at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes.
In another bowl, combine flour, bran, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to buttermilk mixture and stir with a large spatula or spoon just until evenly moistened, no more than 15 to 20 strokes. Fold in blueberries.
Spoon batter into each muffin cup until just level with top of pan. Bake in center of oven until browned, 20 to 25 minutes. (When done, tops will feel dry and springy, and a cake tester inserted into center of a muffin will come out clean; be careful not to overbake.) Let muffins rest in pan 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool.
(To freeze, place completely cooled muffins in a gallon plastic freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months. Remove the night before and defrost at room temperature, or warm gently in microwave or toaster oven before serving.)
Spicy Applesauce Bread
Makes three 6 x 3-inch loavesApplesauce bread is very traditional yet has a remarkably fresh flavor. It’s a rich, moist, full-flavored bread, pungent with spices. This recipe has no egg (you’ll never miss it) and is just sweet enough to satisfy the most discriminating breakfast palate.
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup dried cranberries, chopped, or chopped walnuts (optional)
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1½ cups unsweetened applesauce
½ cup light olive oil
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray three 6 x 3-inch loaf pans with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cranberries or walnuts (if using), baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.
In a small bowl, using a whisk, combine brown sugar, applesauce, and oil; stir until smooth. Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour applesauce mixture in. Vigorously stir with a spatula to make a just-moistened batter that is evenly combined and creamy in consistency, about 25 strokes; do not overmix.
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake in center of oven until edges contract slightly from the sides of the pan and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 33 to 38 minutes. Let loaves rest in pans 5 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool, right side up. Store at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
(To freeze, cut one loaf into 6 even slices and, leaving slices in loaf shape, slide into a plastic freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months. Remove as many slices as desired the night before and defrost at room temperature, then warm gently in the microwave before serving.)
Photo by Mette Nielsen
Double Orange Whole Wheat Scones with Orange Butter
Makes 8 sconesI have always loved making scones. One of the most humble of breads, they are a delight to make and delectably delicious to consume. You can serve them any time of the day, but for a healthy and satisfying breakfast, serve them with a nice wedge of melon or cut fruit and yogurt.
1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained and sections cut in half
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Grated zest of 1 orange
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
¹⁄3 cup half and half
1 tablespoon sugar, for sprinkling
Lay orange sections on a double layer of paper toweling and press gently to remove excess moisture. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and zest. Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add orange segments; toss to combine. In a small bowl or 1-cup measure, whisk together egg and half and half. Add to dry mixture and gently stir just until a sticky dough is formed (be careful not to break up the orange pieces too much).
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently just until dough holds together, 5 to 6 times only. Divide into 2 equal portions and pat each into a 1-inch-thick round, about 5 inches in diameter; sprinkle each with some sugar. With a knife, cut each round into quarters, making 4 wedges.
Place scones on parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake until crusty and golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Serve immediately with Orange Butter (recipe below).
(To freeze, place completely cooled scones in a gallon plastic freezer bag. Freeze up to 6 weeks. Heat gently in microwave or toaster oven before serving.)
Orange Butter
Makes about 2/3 cup½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons sweet orange marmalade
1 tablespoon sifted powdered sugar
Grated zest of ½ orange
Beat butter with a spoon, an electric mixer, or a food processor until fluffy. Add marmalade, sugar, and zest; beat until just blended. Scrape into a 4-ounce mold or a serving bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate covered (can be made up to 2 days ahead). To serve, let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature to soften. Spread on warm scones.
11 ISSUES (1 YEAR)
