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Christmas Stollen 2014

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German Christmas Stollen 2014 // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

This recipe is one of the best parts about Christmas. It takes a bit of planning and a whole day of baking, but it’s the coziest food memory I have. My Oma used to bring foil-wrapped loaves of this traditional Christmas bread every year. This is the 6th year I’m making it and the 3rd year making it with my friend, Nancy. That’s why we call it the “Stollen Workshop” now. We split up the ingredients and we both get our mixers going.

Every year I think I have the recipe and technique perfected, but each year I write a few extra notes to make next year even better. This year I subbed in dried tart cherries instead of sweet cherries and we both enthusiastically approved of the small change. We also switched to a dough hook a bit sooner in the dough-making process and that worked well, too. The dough is dense and heavy with a pound of rum-soaked fruit and nuts per batch.

I haven’t made or eaten a single Christmas cookie (I know!) but hopefully that will change this week. At least I have 4 loaves of this beautiful bread to pass out to friends and family.

Wishing you the merriest of holidays, my friends!

German Christmas Stollen 2014 // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

German Christmas Stollen 2014 // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

German Christmas Stollen 2014 // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

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Caramelized Onion Spinach Dip

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Caramelized Onion Spinach Dip // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

I can’t help it you guys, I love spinach dip. Well, I knew it could be improved upon, but there’s something about that creamy dip with fresh bread that gets me. After I made Everything Focaccia a while back, I thought it would be incredible with a good spinach dip. I’m so happy I was right about that.

This dip is heavy on the spinach and flavor with the help of sweet caramelized onions. I don’t like spinach dips that are soupy with sour cream or frugal with the veggies. This dip is 100% from scratch, so no dried mixes here. Served with flavorful everything focaccia, it was everything I dreamed. It’s just the thing for New Year’s Eve parties.

Caramelized Onion Spinach Dip // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

Happy New Year and all the best in 2015!

Almond Poppy Seed Bread with Blood Orange Glaze

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Almond Poppy Seed Bread with Blood Orange Glaze Recipe // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

The sun is shining bright and reflecting off the snow. The temps are in the single digits. This morning I picked up paczki for Fat Tuesday and I made eye contact with an older gentleman getting out of his car dressed in striped knee socks and sporting serious bed-head that happily greeted me with a “Happy Paczki Day!” I had a lime curd cream-filled one with raspberry glaze that will be on my mind until next year. I can’t complain about today.

If you’re having a lime curd cream-filled day like me or not, this almond poppy seed bread will make it better. Marc loves almond poppy seed things, so I wanted to make this for my valentine. I added light pink blood orange glaze to the top because blood oranges are my other valentine. Marc loved it so much that he didn’t want me to send the second loaf to work and have it be devoured by the end of the day (this is a first!). Instead I packed up a few slices for my girl, Megan and then all week I put a slice in his lunch bag.

I’m extremely happy with how this bread turned out and I think you’ll love it, too. It’s soft in the middle and has a little crunch on top from the pretty glaze. I tried to dial the sugar back in the bread and I think it’s perfectly sweet and pairs well with coffee or tea.

Almond Poppy Seed Bread with Blood Orange Glaze Recipe // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

Spiced Maple Stout Quick Bread

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Spiced Maple Stout Quick Bread Recipe // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

I’m pretty sure all you need to know is that I sent one of these loaves to work with Marc and it was gone in a flash. Marc deserves a chunk of the credit, though, because he shared his “technique” for putting out my baked goods at work and getting people to partake. First of all, he tells me Mondays and Friday are good days to share because the company doesn’t offer any snacks on those days. He also sets out plates and napkins and attaches a sticky note to tell everyone what the treat is. This time he even included the local chocolate stout I used in the bread. He’s cute.

Maybe Marc is better at selling this bread than I am, but the addition of the chocolate stout gives this bread deep and nutty flavor that pairs well with the maple syrup. I added a bit of cinnamon, too, which basically makes this a quick bread version of my favorite spiced stout waffles.

Today also marks SIX years of Dula Notes! Whoa. Like, whoa whoa whoa. I really want to thank you for stopping by and reading and making stuff with me. I appreciate every time you visit this little blog, every comment and every emoji on Instagram. You really are the best!

Spiced Maple Stout Quick Bread Recipe // www.dulanotes.com @nicoledula

Homemade Pita Bread

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Homemade Pita Bread Recipe // @nicoledula

I know homemade pita sounds intimidating, but this dough is so friendly. Really! The satisfaction of pulling that first pita out of the skillet all warm and golden, is one of life’s simple pleasures.

You can let them puff up in the skillet and stay pita-like or you can burst the bubbles that form while it’s sizzling to create a more naan-like wrap for sandwiches, like I did here. You can also serve naan with butter chicken or, you know, let a pat of butter melt on the top, sprinkle it with some salt, roll it up and eat it over the sink while you watch your neighbor’s little dogs run in the grass. Maybe that’s just me.

Homemade Pita Bread Recipe // @nicoledula

And hey, I contributed a recipe for Greek Chicken Pita Wraps to Collaboreat! Go there to read about my first food experiences in Detroit and then grab this recipe for Greek Chicken Pita Wraps with Tzatziki. It’s inspired by the food you get in metro Detroit at places we call “Coney Islands” which are diners that basically serve breakfast, coney dogs (hot dog, chili, raw onion + mustard) and Greek food. If you haven’t eaten all of your pitas over the sink, try making these tasty Greek Chicken Pita Wraps and stuff all of that delicious business in a fresh pita, ok?

Greek Chicken Pita Wrap Recipe // @nicoeldula

Chocolate Olive Oil Loaf Cake with Coconut Milk

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Chocolate Olive Oil Loaf Cake with Coconut Milk Recipe // @nicoledula

I’m back from 4 days in Louisville, KY and 2 days in Nashville, TN! There was cotton candy, modern art, sorghum, Mint Juleps, antique shops, beer, paletas, peaches, hot chicken, smoked ham and bourbon. So much smoked ham and bourbon. Did you follow along on Instagram? I did a bunch of research on where to go and more importantly, what to eat and everything just seemed to fall into place perfectly. I’ll tell you more about that soon, but first, chocolate loaf cake!

I made this loaf cake, hoping for something big in chocolate flavor, moist from extra virgin olive oil and a little special with the addition of coconut milk. It’s dairy-free and can be made vegan by subbing in flax eggs for the eggs if you want. This loaf cake was suppose to be step one of a grander recipe, but that recipe kinda flopped and this loaf cake was so good that it deserves to be enjoyed on its own.

Chocolate Olive Oil Loaf Cake with Coconut Milk Recipe // @nicoledula

Below is an outtake of my recipe experiment that didn’t turn out quite right. I hope to fix that sometime soon, but the bunnies are cute, right?

Cut a thick slice and enjoy with some coffee or tea. Add a big dollop of whipped cream and seasonal fruit while you’re at it. I had leftover scraps from my failed bunny experiment and used them to make a trifle with vanilla bean whipped cream and berries. Marc took it to work for a potluck and the bowl came back clean. In bunny-form or no, this no-fuss chocolate loaf cake is great for anytime snacking.

Chocolate Olive Oil Loaf Cake with Coconut Milk Recipe // @nicoledula

Greek Chicken Wraps

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Greek Chicken Wraps Recipe // @nicoledula

I made these Greek Chicken Wraps for Collaboreat and now I have the recipe here for you. I’m so pleased with how they turned out and then Melissa made them and sent me the sweetest Instagram message to say her family loved them. How lovely is that?

Here’s the story behind this recipe and why it’s a big part of my first memories of Detroit.

To someone who isn’t from metro Detroit, Greek Chicken Wraps might seem like a strange meal to associate with the area. Detroit’s diverse melting pot of cultures and love of greasy spoons has filled the area with diners featuring menus with an identity crisis. It isn’t unheard of to see Greek lamb gyros, Lebanese tabbouleh and Polish pierogi on the same menu.

When I started dating my husband, I was visiting the Detroit area from home in west Michigan and my eyes must have looked wide. I come from a relatively small city bursting with tall, (mostly) blonde men and women of Dutch heritage with names that begin with Vander- Vande- Vanden- or some variation. The only Greek person I knew was Uncle Jesse Katsopolis from Full House.

Our first dinner dates would be to middle-eastern restaurants where I tried lamb, tabbouleh, kafta and shawarma for the first time. We went to his local Coney Island where he’d always get 2 coney dogs with everything (hot dog, chili, raw onions and always yellow mustard) and chili cheese fries. The one food I refused to eat as a kid was hot dogs and this aversion followed me into adulthood. Marc was horrified that I didn’t eat hot dogs, but these Coney Island diners had other menu options that skewed Greek. I started ordering the Greek Chicken Wrap or Chicken Gyro, as it’s sometimes called, and it became the thing I ordered.

I’ve had some bad wraps and some really good ones. The tangy tzatziki might be my favorite part and even saves the bad ones. When Amy asked me to contribute a Detroit-inspired recipe, this savory classic came to mind immediately. I wanted the ingredients to be simple and pantry-friendly while staying somewhat traditional. The chicken breasts are marinated in a tangy vinaigrette and you top the whole thing off with plenty of flavorful tzatziki. I made my own pita bread because I wanted these to be the ultimate Greek chicken wraps, but store-bought will work just fine and get dinner on the table faster. It all comes together beautifully for a satisfying kinda Greek experience. I’m sure Uncle Jesse would approve.

Greek Chicken Pita Recipe // @nicoledula

German Christmas Stollen 2015

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German Christmas Stollen 2015 Recipe // @nicoledula

This is the 7th (!!) year I’ve made stollen and it’s the 4th year I’ve made a quadruple batch with my friend, Nancy. We call it the stollen workshop and this year I went over to her place after work on Friday, picked up pizzas and we set out our equipment and did some pre-measuring. Marc and I went back on Saturday afternoon after our morning kickboxing class and the last loaf was out of the oven around 6:30 pm. We watched holiday movies while we waited for the last loaves to cool.German Christmas Stollen 2015 Recipe // @nicoledula

My Oma used to bring foil-wrapped loaves of stollen every Christmas from her home in Canada, but she never wrote down her recipe. Each year my recipe gets tweaked a little bit, but it’s always loaded with rum-soaked dried fruit and plenty of almonds. Some regions of Germany add cardamom to their stollen, but these are the flavors of my Oma’s stollen and Nancy’s mom’s stollen, too. Nancy was even able to track down a copy of her mom’s stollen recipe this year! What a treasure. Her mom used citron and laced her loaves with marzipan, but the rest was pretty close. We opt for a good sprinkle of lemon zest in the batter for subtle citrus flavor.

German Christmas Stollen 2015 Recipe // @nicoledula

Happy holidays, friends! I hope it’s a good one! We don’t have any snow, so it’s really REALLY hard to believe it’s Christmas on Friday.

Here’s a step-by-step photo guide to the process. First he dough rises for an hour, gets punched down and rests for another 10 minutes.

German Christmas Stollen 2015 Recipe // @nicoledula

The dough gets divided in half and rolled into an 8×14 oval. Then it gets folded in on both sides and rolled with the rolling pin to flatten the layers.

German Christmas Stollen 2015 Recipe // @nicoledula

After a 25-35 bake, the loaves are golden and sound hollow when lightly tapped.

German Christmas Stollen 2015 Recipe // @nicoledula

The warm loaves are brushed with two coats of melted butter and look their prettiest.

German Christmas Stollen 2015 Recipe // @nicoledula

This year we were inspired by Nancy’s mom’s recipe and rolled the warm stollen in superfine sugar. We let them cool completely and then showered each loaf with powdered sugar. The powdered sugar is just what makes the stollen. It highlights the lumpy loaf shape and with each slice cut, you get a shower of powdered sugar.

German Christmas Stollen 2015 Recipe // @nicoledula


Grapefruit Blueberry Scones

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Grapefruit Blueberry Scones Recipe // @nicoledula

Important news, I pre-ordered my paczki for Feb. 9! I can’t risk not getting the lime-curd cream filled paczki with the raspberry glaze I fell in love with last year. Paczki eating is a pretty big deal around here. I mean, nobody wants the sad ones from the grocery store, right?

Also, now that it’s January, I’m craving scones. It happens to me every January. I see all of the pretty winter citrus and right after eating my weight in drippy, pink, cara cara oranges, I start thinking about citrus scones. That tang from the citrus and buttermilk magically balances out the buttery richness. Now I’ve never been one to eat grapefruit right from its handy rind-bowl, it’s just too bitter for me. I even tried doing the sugar brûlée on top and while it was super pretty, it didn’t really change my mind. Grapefruit in scones, though, is a total win.

I just needed to try grapefruit in some scones studded with blueberries. Mix the dough gently and you’ll be rewarded with tender, buttery scones. You may not notice much grapefruit flavor, but the hint is there, in flavor and pink hue in the glaze. I used the frozen wild Maine blueberries from Trader Joe’s and they worked perfectly.

Grapefruit Blueberry Scones Recipe // @nicoledula

Olive Oil Banana Nut Bread

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Olive Oil Banana Nut Bread Recipe // @nicoledula

Banana bread is one of my favorite comfort foods, yet, I rarely make it! What’s wrong with me?? It reminds me of childhood church picnics where the older ladies sliced the banana bread thin and smeared each slice with (let’s be real) margarine. I could eat that forever.

Eleven years ago now, my sister-in-law suffered a terrible loss. She was still so young at 17 and she needed us. We invited her over to our new apartment and she wanted to bake something together. A quick search of the internet produced an EXTREME banana nut bread recipe and it was obviously screaming to be made. We went to the grocery store and found already ripe bananas available for such a banana bread emergency. Ever since, it’s been our go-to banana bread recipe.

I’ve switched it up a little over the years and use my favorite California Olive Ranch evoo and reduced the sugar, too. The dense little loaves are completely addictive. Swipe some softened butter on top for a treat. It’s been proven to help with empty stomachs and broken hearts.

Olive Oil Banana Nut Bread Recipe // @nicoledula





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