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We LOVE bread. There were two things we asked our wedding caterer to stock up on; potatoes and BREAD! What kind of Ukrainian wedding runs out of bread? After all, Ukraine is known as the breadbasket of Europe.
Guess who was born in Ukraine? Meeee!! Ignore me, please. I think it’s these garlic pampushki (pahm-poosh-kee) going to my head. Thanks for sharing in the excitement with me. I would pass you a pampushka if you were right here in front of me (extra garlicky).
Before we serve up the bread recipe, I want to spend a little time with a lesson on bread and why it’s good for you. Bread has taken too much flak over the years especially with all the newfangled diets out there. I want you to see beyond the “carbs”.
Lesson 1: Which grains should I eat? Choose whole grains when possible and buy organic if you can. This includes whole wheat bread, whole grain bread, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat. Which ones should I avoid? I was going to say white bread, but I don’t think I could ever say no to Costco’s artisan bread, so lets just call it moderation. According to the USDA, try to make at least half of your grains whole grains.
Lesson 2: Grains are Good and tasty: Food pyramid anyone? According the the USDA , grains should make up 1/4 of your diet because they are good for you. The important thing is to choose the right grains (see point #3). Whole grains have many of the essential nutrients our bodies need including vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Don’t worry, we won’t have the fiber discussion again (but know that I am always happy to talk about the importance of fiber for digestion and “regulation” (I’m doing it again; It’s the Nurse in me!).
Lesson 3: Your brain needs grains: What? Your brain needs carbohydrates?? Did you know carbs turn into glucose to give your brain energy? So, choosing a low/no carb diet can starve your brain of the energy it needs. Not to mention grains have B vitamins that are important for your brain to function at its best and stay healthy over time. Check out this site: GrainsForYourBrain.org. It features videos from Dr’s, Professors and Researchers. Oh and I spotted some great recipes posted there by chefs and moms.
Lesson 4: Eat grains smartly: In the end, eat your grains responsibly and share all this good info with the people you love 🙂
Onto the Recipe…
Ingredients for Garlic Pampushki:
2 1/4 cups luke warm water
1/2 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast (Red Star brand)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour *measured correctly
3/4 cup rye flour (if you don’t have rye, sub with whole wheat flour) *measured correctly
3/4 cup better for bread flour
plus 2 1/2 cups better for bread flour
2 Tbsp canola oil plus more to grease the counter and pan
*Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly
Ingredients for the topping:
4 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp water
6-8 oz bacon into small strips
4 Tbsp olive oil
How To Make Garlic Pampushki (Dinner Rolls):
1. In a large kitchen aid mixer bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups warm water (about 100˚F), 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 Tbsp salt; stir to dissolve.
2. Sift the 3/4 cup wheat flour, 3/4 cup rye flour and 3/4 cup better for bread flour with 2 tsp yeast into the salted water. Do not discard anything left in the sifter (it’s the good stuff!); toss it into the batter. Whisk together until well blended. Let it rise in a warm room uncovered for 2 hours, stirring the batter about once every hour. It will be bubbly.
3. Using the dough hook attachment add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour until well blended, scraping down the bowl if needed. Blend in the rest of your flour (2 cups) a heaping Tbsp at a time, letting the dough dissolve the flour in between each spoon (this takes about 20 min).
4. Once all the flour is incorporated, add 2 Tbsp canola oil. Let mix for an additional 20 more minutes or until dough is no longer sticking to your bowl. Note: after you add the oil it will look like it’s coming off the walls and then it will appear to get stickier, then towards the end of your 20 minutes, it will actually stop sticking to the walls as it mixes.
Just let it do it’s thing and everything will work out ;). If it’s still really sticking to the bowl around the 20 min mark, add another heaping Tbsp of better for bread flour. Remove dough hook and Let it rise in the bowl, uncovered, until double in volume (45 min)
5. Grease your bread pans, counter and fingers a little with the canola oil and transfer the dough onto the oiled counter. Pinch the dough in the center to form two sections with your hands. Divide each section again and again, and again until you have a total of 30 rolls. Grease your rimmed baking dishes lightly with oil.
Place dough balls onto each pan about 1/2″ apart into each prepared pan and let it rise on the counter or outside if it’s warm until 2 1/2 times in volume (about 1 1/2 hours – note: it rises faster if its in a warm place ~100˚F). Bake at 360˚F for 30 minutes or until rolls are golden.
6. While the rolls are baking, make your garlic mix: press 4 cloves of garlic into a small bowl and mix with 1 tsp salt and 2 Tbsp water. Chop your bacon into small strips, then saute on a dry skillet until golden brown.
Transfer bacon and the garlic mixture into a large silver bowl, stir in 4 Tbsp olive oil and toss the rolls with the garlic and bacon until your rolls are shiny. Leave the rolls in the bowl and keep it uncovered until the rolls are cooled down. These are crisp on the outside and so so soft on the inside. You’ll love them! The next day, try making sandwiches out of them.
How do you get your family to eat more healthy grains?
Garlic Pampushki, Bread is Good for You
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups luke warm water
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup rye flour, if you don't have rye, sub with whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup better for bread flour
- plus 2 1/2 cups better for bread flour
- 2 Tbsp canola oil plus more to grease the counter and pan
Instructions
- In a large kitchen aid mixer bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups warm water (about 100˚F), 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 Tbsp salt; stir to dissolve.
- Sift the 3/4 cup wheat flour, 3/4 cup rye flour and 3/4 cup better for bread flour with 2 tsp yeast into the salted water. Do not discard anything left in the sifter (it's the good stuff!); toss it into the batter. Whisk together until well blended. Let it rise in a warm room uncovered for 2 hours, stirring the batter about once every hour. It will be bubbly.
- Using the dough hook attachment add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour until well blended, scraping down the bowl if needed. Blend in the rest of your flour (2 cups) a heaping Tbsp at a time, letting the dough dissolve the flour in between each spoon (this takes about 20 min).
- Once all the flour is incorporated, add 2 Tbsp canola oil. Let mix for an additional 20 more minutes or until dough is no longer sticking to your bowl. Note: after you add the oil it will look like it's coming off the walls and then it will appear to get stickier, then towards the end of your 20 minutes, it will actually stop sticking to the walls as it mixes. Just let it do it's thing and everything will work out ;). If it's still really sticking to the bowl around the 20 min mark, add another heaping Tbsp of better for bread flour. Remove dough hook and Let it rise in the bowl, uncovered, until double in volume (45 min)
- Grease your bread pans, counter and fingers a little with the canola oil and transfer the dough onto the oiled counter
- Pinch the dough in the center to form two sections with your hands. Divide each section again and again, and again until you have a total of 30 rolls. Grease your rimmed baking dishes lightly with oil. Place dough balls onto each pan about 1/2" apart into each prepared pan and let it rise on the counter or outside if it's warm until 2 1/2 times in volume (about 1 1/2 hours - note: it rises faster if its in a warm place ~100˚F). Bake at 360˚F for 30 minutes or until rolls are golden.
- While the rolls are baking, make your garlic mix: press 4 cloves of garlic into a small bowl and mix with 1 tsp salt and 2 Tbsp water. Chop your bacon into small strips, then saute on a dry skillet until golden brown.
- Transfer bacon and the garlic mixture into a large silver bowl, stir in 4 Tbsp olive oil and toss the rolls with the garlic and bacon until your rolls are shiny. Leave the rolls in the bowl and keep it uncovered until the rolls are cooled down. These rolls are crisp on the outside and so so soft on the inside. You'll love them! The next day, try making sandwiches out of them.
Eating more whole grains is easy – add CHOCOLATE!
Here’s a link to my tweet: https://twitter.com/LifesDeepColors/status/374000086751002624
One thing I noticed about my family that helps us all eat healthier: I make a sample list of foods that can be cooked for meals and include a variety of whole grains in it. Each member chooses his or her favorite foods and I add them to the menu. That way I know my family will eat healthy and enjoy it, too.
I try to incorporate a whole grain item into every meal: whole grain breads, brown rice and oatmeal especially.
We mill our whole wheat flour at home and I use the flour in most of my baking like making whole wheat bread and I add some to cookie dough and pizza dough.
We buy healthy breads for sandwiches. Flax seed is added to almost all my cooking.
I posted a tweet: https://twitter.com/AnnaZed/status/373682340502831104
Oh I sneak the whole grains in every way you can think of; pancakes, muffins, pasta even cakes, but bread is the main rout – and so good!
My family has always eaten what I put on the table, so it’s easy to control what they eat and how healthy the meals are,so all depend on me.
We eat buckwheat brown rice, and whole wheat bread.
Switched to oatmeals at breakfast with fruits!!
How do I get your family to eat more healthy grains? I bake banana bread with whole wheat only, it tastes better than ever!
We really dont eat alot of whole grains. 🙁
We eat oatmeal and sometimes i make oatmeal cookies or pancakes, my grils love it:)
I make my kiddos peanut butter sandwiches Or eat wheat bread with a bowl of hot soup.
Sprinkle wheat germ or flax seeds on my oatmeal every morning.
My family is very conscientious of what we eat and feed our kids. My kids love buckwheat (kasha with padleva). My husband also lost a lot of weight by watching not how much carbs he eats but which ones he eats. I always try to buy organic when I can. A trick I also found when I’m baking for the kids is to sneak in flax seed, chia seeds and whole wheat flour when its something not especially healthy (chocolate chip cookies for example) and they don’t even know the difference.
we have oatmeal for breakfast and i make my own whole wheat bread
I buy organic whole wheat bread, pasta, buckwheat…love this recipie and will def try it!!!!
i make my own bread and we love buckwheat!