Grow and Bake: Herb Bread

Ready-to-eat soft herb rolls.

A great way to make use of your edible garden plants is to improvise in the kitchen once in a while. I love the kitchen and I've made quite a few recipes with our garden fruits (and veggies), some of which I've shared with you such as a basil pesto, and arugula pesto recipe. Today I want to tell you about a bread recipe we tried. A dear friend (you know who you are and we hope you are reading this) came to visit us and he taught us how to do several kinds of bread. Of course, we wanted to use our garden herbs to make them more tasty. We initially used thyme but we have repeated the recipe several times using basil and rosemary. These three herbs are among the Top 8 Herbs to Grow for Bread Baking.

Making bread is tricky. It's not just about following a recipe. You need to familiarize yourself with certain basic concepts and have some specialized equipment at hand. Let's go over them.

Before you even start looking at the ingredients you will need the following equipment: a measuring scale, a mixer, and a baking thermometer. You will need a scale to measure ingredients because their weight is affected by humidity and elevation. The mixer is optional but preferable as it takes a lot longer to knead by hand. The thermometer needs to be able to measure up to 400ºF (200ºC). Beware that most meat thermometers do not reach these temperatures.

The bread recipe we use includes ingredients you are likely not to have at home, so make sure you have all the ingredients before starting anything.

Ingredients:

• 12.5oz (375g) water
• 0.75oz (22g) yeast, fresh
• 1lb 5oz (625g) bread flour
• 0.4oz (12g) salt
• 2oz (60g) sugar
• 1oz (30g) nonfat milk solids
• 1oz (30g) shortening
• 1oz (30g) butter

Mise en place

Perform your mise en place (Editor's note: yes, Jessica also likes the fancy words) by placing each weighted ingredient separately in small bowls. Either by hand or in the mixer start by mixing fatty ingredients such as shortening and butter. This will start breaking the fats which makes everything mix better. Add the salt, milk solids, water, and sugar and start adding little by little some of the flour. After mixing for a minute or two, stop the mixer.

Lay a bed of flour on the top of the mixture and on top of that add the yeast. Note that the recipe calls for fresh yeast but we used instant yeast with no observable differences. You can substitute for active yeast but this is not recommended as the dough will not rise much and the bread will be dense and hard (believe us, we know by experience). You want bread to be soft and fluffy. Top the yeast with more flour and start mixer again. The reason to place the yeast in between layers of flour is because the milk and salt kill the yeast. Add 1/4 of the remaining flour and then gradually keep adding flour. It is possible (although unlikely given Puerto Rico's humidity) that you won't need all your measured flour.

Pay close attention to the dough, it will start to separate from the mixer bowl walls becoming a ball around the mixer attachment. When the dough has detached completely, including from the bottom of the mixer bowl, stop the mixer and do the dough windowpane test. The dough windowpane can be verified by taking a tiny portion of the dough and stretching it between your fingers. You should be able to see the dough stretch about an inch without breaking. If the window breaks it is not ready. Keep adding flour until the mixture detaches from the bottom and the appropriate dough windowpane is observed.

When the dough is ready it is time to add your herbs. About 0.18oz to 0.28oz (5g to 8g) of your favorite herb is enough. Decide based on how strong the flavor of the herb is and the intensity you want on the bread. We used 5g of thyme, about 5g of rosemary and 8g of basil for ours.

Pinch dough while rolling

Fermentation is an important part of the process. Create a ball with the dough, folding the sides over the center towards the bottom part of the dough until you create a seam-free ball. Roll the dough in a tight circle on a flat surface such as the kitchen counter to make the surface as smooth as possible. Don't use too much flour to dust the surface, the dough must stick a little to the counter for the technique to work. Pinch the dough against a flat surface (read: kitchen counter) for better results.

Place the dough on a deep bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it ferment for 1 to 1-1/4 hours at room temperature. If you used fresh instant yeast, the dough should double in size. Remember that with active yeast, the dough won't grow too much (yes, active sucks). When fermentation time has elapsed, punch down the dough allowing air to escape. The punch relieves stress on gluten, squeezes out excess carbon dioxide, and divides air pockets evenly which makes it easier to shape the dough resulting in softer bread.

First fermentation: 1 to 1-1/4 hour

This dough can be used to make loafs, soft rolls and even cinnamon bread. We decided to do soft rolls. Divide the dough into 2oz pieces, it will yield about 20 bread rolls. Roll each piece into seam-free balls as before.

Now we need to perform a second fermentation, better known as proofing, for 15 to 30 minutes in a high temperature, high humidity environment. Tip: You can use your microwave. Bring water to a boil in a small bowl and place your rolls inside. The steam will create enough heat and humidity for this second fermentation.

If you want your rolls to be nice and golden you can brush eggs whites or butter on top of the rolls. Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) until rolls have reached the same internal temperature. To check the temperature place thermometer (finally we get to use the thermometer!) from the side so as not to disrupt the aesthetic of the rolls. The rolls should reach the appropriate temperature in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Let them cool down a little before eating, chemical processes are still happening for several minutes after your remove them from the oven and the flavor would be different. Spread some butter or cream cheese and enjoy!

Update: Our "dear friend" came over to our house and notified us of some errors in this post. So we've made some slight corrections. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for choosing container gardening in Puerto Rico.

The Rose of Mary

Our Rosemary (front) with thyme
and other flowering plants keeping it company

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a perennial herb belonging to the mint family (Lamiaceae). Members of this family, which include mentha, basil, sage, and others, are among the most fragrant plants in the world. According to Wikipedia (help out by editing it or donating) the name "Rosemary" comes from the Latin rosmarinus which means "dew of the sea" because in many locations the only moisture it needs to survive is the dew from the sea. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary once spread her blue cloak over a rosemary bush and the flowers turned blue. Afterwards, the shrub became known as Rose of Mary.

Rosemary is an evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean which, luckily for us, easily adapts to tropical conditions. It can grow up to 5 feet but in containers it usually grows to 2-3 feet (Ours is about a foot tall at the moment). Its fragrant leaves, which are easily recognized since they look like miniature pine needles, are commonly used in the preparation of various dishes such as meats, soups, and even pesto. Who hasn't tried a rosemary chicken breast or rosemary bread. Delicious! (Editor's note: Need to convince Jessica to make some rosemary pesto)

 Rosemary can be grown from seed or cuttings. Even though we usually prefer seeds (watching plants sprout is a soul satisfying experience in my opinion) we've experienced a poor germination rate so we would recommend cuttings or buying young plants at a nursery. Another reason to use cuttings or young plants is that you will find a wider variety of cultivars than from seed. The common rosemary is a tall upright plant with thin leaves and blue spring flowers (We haven't seen any flowers on ours yet). The cultivars can be short, bushy, sprawling, upright with broad, short or thin leaves and blue, white, and even pink flowers. Even the fragrance can change from one cultivar to the other.

The bible (The Bountiful Container by McGee and Stuckey) recommends that rosemary be planted on a container of at least 8 inches in depth. However, ours has been happily growing in a 3 inch pot. Although I suspect that we will need to repot it soon. Rosemary, true to its Mediterranean origins, prefers dry conditions, however, the soil must not be allowed to dry completely or the plant will (almost instantly) die. Be careful though because overwatering will cause root rot which will also cause the plant to die. The moral of the story is that you will need to find the right balance between watering and dryness for the plant to thrive. We planted ours in a good draining soil which we let dry between waterings. Place your plant in a sunny location so that it receives between 4 and 6 hours of sunlight. Fertilize it every week or two weeks with a balanced fertilizer or one with a high nitrogen content (you are interested in the leaves after all).

We haven't experienced any pest problems with our rosemary but nevertheless you should check your plants regularly, especially if pests are present in your other garden plants. If you feel generous (always remember to #spreadthelove) or you want more for yourself you can propagate your rosemary using the cuttings method we've previously discussed (see Propagation:Cuttings). So what are you waiting for? Go to your local nursery and get yourself some rosemary.

It's the Season... for Herbal Vinegars

The Holidays are here and we already feel the spirit. We just want to party, have some days off, eat the season's treats... but we also want to share with family and friends and give away nice reminders of love and care. (Editor's note: #spreadthelove) As a gardener you have lots to share. Today we'll talk about one of the many great gift ideas for the season: herbal vinegars. 


We previously talked about basil vinegar in our Yucky-Yummy post. The process to prepare any herbal vinegar is basically the same. Take snippings or leaves of your favorite herb, stuff them loosely into a glass jar with a fitting lid, and pour enough vinegar to cover all foliage. White wine and red wine vinegar are the best kind to combined with herbs. Wait about a week, strain off and discard the leaves (This is an important part since the leaves will rot in your vinegar. Yuck). There are numerous recipes that use herbal vinegar. Remember they make excellent salad dressings but can also be added to pot roasts, stews, sauces for chicken and fish or steamed vegetables. 

If you enjoy herbal fragrances, another delightful use for these vinegars is hydrotherapy. The process is simple: add about a cup of herbal vinegar to the bathwater, slip in and enjoy. Alternatively you can just add half a cup to use it as a hair rinse. Don't worry, the vinegary smell dissipates quickly and you’re left with a gentle herbal fragrance on your hair. Many herbs are good for your skin and so is the vinegar itself. Vinegar cleanses the pore, restores skin and hair pH to the proper level, it's also good for your scalp, and helps reduce dandruff.

Each herb provides different benefits to your body or hair: 

• Chamomile is considered soothing and relaxing and it is excellent for dry skin. 
• Bay, oregano and sage are good for sore muscles. 
• Basil, bay, fennel, lavender, mint, rosemary, sage and thyme stimulate blood circulation, so they are both invigorating and relaxing. 
• Calendula and spearmint are also soothing to tough or damaged skin. 
• The foliage and flowers of bay, nasturtiums, rosemary, and sage have astringent properties which will tighten the pores of the skin. 
• Calendula and chamomile lighten hair color, blonds get blonder and auburn and redheads get brighter.
• Sage darkens hair color.
• Calendula, parsley, rosemary and sage add shine and body to the hair, and help control dandruff.
• Chamomile makes hair softer.
• Calendula, lavender, mint and rosemary are good conditioners for oily hair.
• Parsley and sage are good for dry hair.

Safety precautions: Not everyone reacts favorably to herbs, beware of allergies. Test vinegars on your skin before using any new herb. Dab some on with a cotton ball and wait and hour or so for any reaction. Discontinue use if redness or itchiness appear.

Nice bottles with a few touches will make your gift extra-special

Once you are familiar with the pleasures and benefits of the different herbal vinegars, you will surely want to share the experience. Bottles of herbal vinegar make very nice gifts. Use the following hints to make them extra-special: 

• Use pretty bottles, the kind with removable stoppers are the best. 
• Strain the finished vinegar to remove all particles. Although a spring in the bottle does look nice, the fact is that it degrades too fast, creating unpleasant layers of sludge. If you really want to include a spring or some leaves attach them to the outside of the bottle.
• Create a gift tag describing ways to use the vinegar, both in cooking and cosmetically or add a recipe card.
• Add crafts or labels with floral or herbal designs, either to the bottles or the tags.

Send us your comments about your herbal vinegars or other gardening gifts this season. We bet everyone will be delighted. Happy Holidays!