Better-Than-Store-Bought Tortillas
MULTI-PURPOSE BREAD
Have you ever wanted to have one dough recipe that you can use for everything? One simple and delicious recipe to perfect and reuse for all your bready needs? With this basic dough recipe, your dreams will come true. You’ll be able to make homemade white bread, naan, pretzel bites, breadsticks, burger buns, pizza, and so much more. We use this Multi-Purpose Bread dough for a couple of recipes in this cookbook (see on pg. 65. 113, 141). In these cases, prepare the bread according to instructions 1–3, work more flour into the dough after it doubles in size, and mold the dough into whatever shape your recipe calls for (buns, pizzas, breadsticks, etc.).
Makes: 1 loaf, 4 buns, 2 pizzas, 16 breadsticks, etc. | Time: 20 min + 2½ hours rising time
Ingredients
2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
¾ cup (180 ml) lukewarm water, divided
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
1. Add the flour in a large mixing bowl, make a well in the middle, and add in the yeast and ¼ cup water. Let it rest for about 10 minutes. If the yeast gets bubbly, you can be sure it’s working.
2. Add in the salt, oil, and remaining water. Combine all ingredients with a large spoon, then knead by hand until a soft dough firms or put all the ingredients in a bread baking machine and let the machine knead the dough.
3. Cover the bowl of dough with a clean kitchen towel in a warm spot and let it sit for 1½ to 2 hours until the dough doubles in size.
4. Preheat the oven to 480°F/250°C.
5. Add more flour to the dough and work it into the dough until it’s smooth and nonsticky. Transfer the dough to a baking tray lined with lightly floured parchment paper, and form a loaf.
6. Carve the surface of the dough lightly with a knife (we make one long cut across the bread).
7. Then, bake the bread in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes and take it out when the surface is golden. The bread is done when you can knock on the bottom and it sounds hollow.
Bianca’s Kitchen Hack
How to Make Seeds Stick to Buns
If poppy seeds or sesame seeds don’t want to stick to your burger buns, brush the top with water or plant-based milk and then apply the seeds. The flour in the buns and the water will act like a glue. If you want to add seeds after baking, I recommend using water and a bit of maple syrup to make the top sticky enough.
ENGLISH MUFFINS
This is a super simple recipe for English muffins using only six ingredients. They are fluffy and soft on the inside, and perfect for Saturday mornings. You can also prepare them on the weekend, and enjoy them warm and freshly toasted on weekday mornings. We prefer ours simple—with just a bit of vegan butter and a pinch of salt.
Makes: 8 English muffins | Time: 30 min + 2 hours rising time
Ingredients
1 portion dough (see our Multi-Purpose Bread recipe on pg. 110)
1 tablespoon fine cornmeal
Instructions
1. Follow the first three steps of our Multi-Purpose Bread recipe (see on pg. 110).
2. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and form little balls by pinching the ends together. Sprinkle the cornmeal on a parchment paper, place the dough on top, press them down a bit, and flip over, so they’re dusted with cornmeal on both sides.
3. Heat a pan, griddle, or skillet on low to medium heat and add the English muffins. Make sure you don’t place them too close or they’ll stick together.
4. Let them cook on each side for about 5 to 6 minutes. You can adjust the heat as you need to. They should be cooked through but brown on the outside.
5. The English muffins are best served warm. Slice them up and toast on the inside before eating them. Enjoy!
CILANTRO FLATBREAD
If you’re making a curry and looking for a quick and easy flatbread recipe, this is it! It’s made without yeast, which means no long waiting time for the dough to rise! For variation, add garlic or sesame seeds instead of cilantro.
Makes: 2 flatbreads | Time: 25 min
Ingredients
1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour + more until a smooth dough forms
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup (120 ml) water
2 teaspoons melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Instructions
1. Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
2. Then, add the olive oil and water and combine with a large spoon until a soft dough forms.
3. Now, add more flour and knead it into the dough until the surface is nonsticky.
4. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.
5. Divide the dough in two portions and roll each one out on a floured surface.
6. Prepare a very hot flat pan—a crepe pan works best—and add each flatbread one at a time. Turn once when there are bubbles on the surface and brown spots on the bottom. Let it cook on the other side until brown spots form.
7. Brush the flatbread with melted coconut oil and sprinkle chopped cilantro on top.
SUNFLOWER & FLAXSEED BREAD
If you’re looking for a healthy, nutritious, and flavorful bread, look no further. Anise, cumin, fennel, and coriander seeds are typical flavors for whole wheat bread. As an intriguing extra, the sunflower and flaxseeds give the bread a crunch that will keep you coming back for one last bite.
Makes: 1 loaf | Time: 1 hour + 2 hours rising time
Ingredients
2½ cups (300 g) whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup (240 ml) water, divided
2 teaspoons anise seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
½ cup (70 g) sunflower seeds + more to sprinkle on top
¼ cup (40 g) flaxseeds
1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour and salt, make a well in the middle, and add in the yeast and ¼ cup water. Let it rest for about 10 minutes. If the yeast gets bubbly, you can be sure the yeast is working.
2. Crush the anise, cumin, fennel, and coriander seeds in a mortar.
3. Add in crushed seeds, sunflower seeds, and flaxseeds and give it a quick mix. Then, add in the olive oil and remaining water and mix with a large spoon until combined, then use your hands to knead it until it all comes together. Alternatively, you could throw all of the ingredients in a bread maker and let it do its magic.
4. Cover the bowl of dough with a clean kitchen towel in a warm spot and let it sit for 1½ to 2 hours until the dough doubles in size.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200 °C.
6. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled loaf pan and spread it evenly. Add a few more sunflower seeds on top.
7. Bake the bread in the oven for about 40 minutes and take it out once the surface is golden. The bread is done when you can knock on the bottom and it sounds hollow.
BETTER-THAN-STORE-BOUGHT TORTILLAS
A little warning: once you start making your own tortillas from scratch, you’ll never want to go back to the store-bought kind! They are much more filling, and it just feels good and is extremely rewarding to know that you’ve made them yourself. Plus, you can make them super thick and fluffy by making them smaller and thicker in size.
Makes: 4 tortillas | Time: 20 min + 2 hours rising time
Ingredients
1⅔ cups (200 g) all-purpose flour and extra for dusting
1⅔ cups (200 g) spelt flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
¾ cup (180 ml) water
Instructions
1. In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients first and give it a mix. Pour in the oil and add the water little by little and knead the dough by hand or use a stand mixer until smooth. Add more water or flour if necessary—the dough should be a smooth, nonsticky consistency.
2. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for about 1 to 2 hours. The dough should double in size.
3. Punch the dough down a bit, and cut it in 4 equal pieces.
4. Form the pieces into balls and roll them out on a floured surface.
5. Put one tortilla in a very hot, nonstick pan (a flat pan like a crepe pan works best) and place it in there for a few seconds to a minute, then turn when the tortilla is getting bubbly on the surface. Repeat for the other tortillas.
6. Keep the tortillas covered with a clean kitchen towel until serving to prevent them from drying out.
