Southwest Indian Bread Recipes

It's November. It's kind of hard to believe that since here in Arizona since the daily highs are still in the 80's! But it will supposedly be in the 70's next week......so the thought of creating our own breads is actually becoming bearable.

The recipes that we've elected to share this month are from the "Arizona Cook Book", a collection of more than 350 authentic Arizona recipes.  Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers, Phoenix, AZ 85014.


BLUE CORN TORTILLAS

• 2 cups BLUE CORNMEAL
  
• 1 tsp. SALT
  
• 2 cups WATER
  

Pour salt into water and boil. Put cornmeal into bowl and pour the boiling water over meal gradually. Scrape the sides of the bowl until mixture makes a firm dough. Cool dough. Shape with hands into rounds, very thin. Bake on heated griddle until brown on both sides.



INDIAN FRY BREAD

• 4 Tbsp. HONEY
  
• 3 Tbsp. OIL
  
• 1 Tbsp. SALT
  
• 2 cups HOT WATER
  
• 1 Tbsp. (1 pkg.) active DRY YEAST
  
• 3 cups unbleached WHITE FLOUR
  
• 2 tsp. BAKING POWDER
  
• 2 to 4 cups additional FLOUR
  

(Start the dough mixture about 2 to 2-1/2  hours before serving.)
Mix together the honey, oil and salt. Stir in the hot water. Mix well. Sprinkle the yeast on top of mixture.

Cover with a cloth and allow to stand about 10 minutes or until yeast bubbles. Add flour and baking powder. Stir well.

Add more flour until mixture is firm and cleans the hands. Use from 2 to 4 cups flour for this step.

Place in a greased bowl. Turn over to grease top. Cover and allow to rise until double (about an hour). Punch down and divide first in half, then each half into 8 parts. Form each piece into a ball and permit to rise until ready to cook.

Heat deep fat to frying temperature. Take ball of dough and flatten with hands, using stretching action. When dough is very thin and about 6-8 inches in diameter, drop into hot fat and cook until golden (about 1-1/2 minutes each side). Drain on paper toweling and serve hot with honey or powdered sugar.



Stop by and visit our newly redone website - Kokopelli's Kitchen

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of you!! Hope your holidays were great.

Trent from Texas was kind enough to share a recipe with us for sweet cornbread that has been in his family for generations!


TRENT'S SWEET CORNBREAD
Trent ’s #1 rule above all others for making this cornbread a success - you need a 9" cast iron skillet with a little rust on the handle (OK, so the rust is a bit much, but you have to use the cast iron).

• 1 cup ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
  
• 1¼ cup BLUE CORNMEAL
  
• 1 large EGG at room temperature
  
• 3 Tbsp. CLOVER HONEY
  
• 2/3 cup TURBINADO SUGAR(substitute white sugar if preferred)
  
• 1 tsp. salt
  
• 3½ tsp. BAKING POWDER
  
• 1 cup WHOLE MILK
  
• 1/3 cup OIL (corn or canola) + 2 Tbsp. for coating skillet
  
• 1/2 can CREAMED CORN(half of a 15 oz. can)
  
• 1/2 can HATCH GREEN CHILIES (mild or hot, whichever you prefer)
  
• 1/2 tsp. GARLIC POWDER

Set oven to 400 degrees – if needed, make adjustments so that bread can be baked on middle rack. In a medium-size mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add all other ingredients except milk -- stir well to combine. Mix milk in slowly -- you should have a firm yet pliable batter; if too firm, add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until batter is pliable again. Put 2 Tbsp oil in iron skillet, make sure oil coats entire bottom.
Pour batter into skillet and scrape bowl to get all that you can in the skillet. Set skillet on middle rack and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven -- let cool in pan 5 minutes. Slice into 8 sections. Add unsalted butter if you like.

• Preparation time: 10 minutes
  
• Baking Time: 25 minutes
  
• Cooling Time: 5 minutes
  
• Total Time: 40 minutes

Enjoy!

Blue Corn Meal Griddle Cakes - Recipe

BLUE CORNMEAL GRIDDLE CAKES
1/2 cup BLUE CORNMEAL
2 tablespoons CORN OIL or MARGARINE
1/2 cup ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1/4 cup DRY MILK
1 teaspoon BAKING POWDER
1 cup WARM WATER

Combine dry ingredients well. Combine oil and water, add to dry ingredients and beat well. Heat griddle on medium heat. Drop cakes by small spoonfuls onto hot, greased griddle. Turn when underside is brown. Corn meal tends to settle to the bottom, so stir gently between cooking batches. May be necessary to add more oil to griddle between batches.