Vegan Diner (12 page)

Remove the dough from bowl and shape into a ball. Place the dough into a large oiled bowl, turning the dough to lightly coat. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot for about 1 to 1
½
hours, or until doubled in size.

For the filling:
In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle, approximately 11 by 17-inches. Using a pastry brush, brush the entire surface lightly with water. Sprinkle the filling over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border all around. Roll up the dough tightly, jelly-roll style, beginning with the narrow side. Pinch and seal the edge and ends. Slightly tuck under the ends and place the sealed edge down into the prepared pan. Cover with a towel, and let rise for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the bread has risen about 1 to 1
½
inches above the rim of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brush the bread lightly with soy creamer or milk. Bake the bread in the preheated oven for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190°F. If the bread appears to be browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil. Remove bread from the pan and cool completely on a cooling rack.

For the glaze:
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, soymilk, and vanilla until smooth. The glaze will be fairly thick, but if it's too thick to spread or drizzle, add another teaspoon of soymilk as needed to thin.

Spread or drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf. Let the loaf sit for about 30 minutes, or until the glaze is firm.

Variation:
For cinnamon-raisin bread, sprinkle
½
cup raisins over cinnamon sugar before rolling.

After realizing that I could not find a single brand of
vegan English muffins at the grocery store, I set about to bake them from scratch. After some experimenting, I liked this recipe best. It's adapted from a recipe by Alton Brown.

MAKES 8 TO 10 MUFFINS

3 tablespoons powdered soymilk

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour (substitute whole wheat flour)

2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, melted

1
⅓
cups warm water (about 110
^º
F)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Shortening or oil for greasing metal rings and pan

In a bowl, combine the powdered soymilk, sugar,
½
teaspoon salt, yeast, all-purpose flour, and wheat flour, mixing well.

In a bowl or measuring cup, mix margarine and warm water, stirring until shortening is melted. Add water mixture to flour mixture and beat thoroughly with a spoon. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm spot for 1 hour.

Preheat a lightly greased cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Lightly greased 3- to 3¾-inch metal English muffin rings (
see note
.)

Add the remaining
½
teaspoon salt and baking soda to the dough, mixing thoroughly. Stir in the cider vinegar until mixed.

When the griddle or skillet is up to heat, place well-greased rings on the griddle or skillet. Sprinkle a little cornmeal inside the ring. Scoop enough dough to fill up ring mold halfway and place into the ring. Sprinkle the top lightly with cornmeal. Cook for about 10 minutes or until it looks fairly cooked through and the bottom and sides are nicely browned. Flip rings using tongs. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a cooling rack, remove rings and cool. Split with a fork and serve.

A cast-iron drop
biscuit pan works beautifully for making the English muffins (without the metal rings). Alternately, you can use empty 8-ounce pineapple cans, with both the tops and bottom removed. Look for metal muffin rings in cooking stores or online.

This fantastic recipe is courtesy of baker extraordinaire
Melisser Elliott. The buns are soft and tender, rich with the buttery flavor of corn and are perfect stuffed with a veggie burger or sloppy Joe filling. For extra help with wintertime bread-baking, see
page 14
.

MAKES 6 BUNS

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

¾
cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

⅔
cup warm water (about 110
^º
F)

2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, melted

2 tablespoons agave nectar

½
cup corn, fresh or frozen and defrosted

Cornmeal, as needed for sprinkling

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, cornmeal, instant yeast, and salt, beating until combined. Add the warm water, melted margarine, agave nectar, and corn, beating on low speed until combined. Switch to the dough hook and continue beating until you have a soft and slightly sticky dough that pulls away from the sides of bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour, a teaspoon at a time, until you have a soft and silky dough. Let the mixer knead the dough for another minute or two. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, turning the dough to lightly coat. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm spot and let sit about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide the dough into 6 pieces. Shape the pieces into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly flatten the balls into 3½-inch discs.

Cover the buns with a slightly damp kitchen towel and let them rise until puffed, about 30 to 40 minutes. Place buns in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden on top, browned on the bottom and sound hollow when tapped on the base.

Let the buns cool completely before slicing.

Variation:
You can substitute oil for the margarine, although it won't be as buttery-tasting.

Although burger buns can be purchased easily
at your local market, it's super-simple to make them from scratch. This recipe is pretty quick and easy to make, and one that you'll want to use often.

MAKES ABOUT 6 BUNS

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2
½
teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup plain soymilk, lukewarm

3 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil

Plain soymilk, for brushing

Sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt, mixing well.

Add the soymilk and the oil to the flour mixture and beat until the dough comes together. Switch to the dough hook and mix the dough for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and silky, adding more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time if dough is too sticky.

Remove the dough from bowl and shape into a log. Cover with a slightly damp towel and let sit for 15 minutes, to give the gluten a chance to relax. Divide the dough into 6 pieces, and form each piece into a ball. For hamburger buns, flatten the balls into 3½-inch disks. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Let rise for 20 minutes. If you want the buns to be softer, place them closer together (about
½
inch apart), so that they will be touching when they rise.