Last week, when the first of the 3 snow storms-in-one-week were starting to hit our area, people were asking me what I make for a blizzard. Of course, we had been cooking in the 3 days leading up to the storm so we would be prepared in case we lost power, but it hadn’t occurred to me that my readers would be interested in knowing what I was cooking to be prepared to stay put for a while.

My answer is breads, soups & stew. These dishes can be prepared in advance, make big batches and reheat easily. If our power goes out & we are working off the generator, our stove & oven won’t work, but the microwave & toaster will. And if we don’t lose power, hearty breads & soup & stews are warming & filling to get us through major snow removal sessions.

First on my agenda is the bread. Bread takes more time to make from scratch so I always start there. My bread machine takes the intensive labor part out of the equation which is a big plus since I have to admit that I am addicted to bread. If you don’t have a bread maker, there are instructions at the end for making the dough without one.

Five-Grain Bread  (adapted from countryliving.com)

Yield: 1 1/2 pound loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal + additional for sprinkling
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon old-fashioned rolled oats, divided
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup cooked rice, (white or brown)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 egg

Directions:

Make the dough: Add the cornmeal, rolled oats, wheat germ, rice and brown sugar to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until the rice & oats are ground and it is all well combined. Add all the ingredients but the egg & tablespoon of rolled oats to the pan of the bread machine in the order required by the manufacturer and select the dough setting.

Form the loaf: When the dough is ready, move it to a baking sheet sprinkled with additional cornmeal and shape it into a 10-inch circle or oval. Cover it with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake the bread: Preheat oven to 350º. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the loaf with the egg wash and sprinkle it with the remaining tablespoon of rolled oats, if desired. Using a sharp knife, cut an  X in the top of the dough.

Bake in the lower third of the oven until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature or toasted. Store in an airtight container.

Impending storm or just plain cold, I love hearty breads during the winter months.  ~Linda

To make this bread without a bread maker:

Make the dough: In a large bowl or a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the flours, cornmeal, 1/4 cup oats, wheat germ, rice, sugar, yeast, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the honey and buttermilk (warmed to 100º) and stir into the dry mixture. Using a wooden spoon to mix by hand, add the water (warmed to 100º) 1/4 cup at a time until a stiff dough comes together, or process until the dough comes together and rides around the bowl with the blade. On a work surface lightly dusted with whole-wheat flour, knead the dough by hand until it is glossy and elastic, about 10 minute, or process it in the food processor for 45 more seconds.

Proof the dough: Coat a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place in the bowl, turning the dough to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size,  1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Continue with the Form the loaf directions above.

Five-Grain Bread  (adapted from countryliving.com)

Yield: 1 1/2 pound loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal + additional for sprinkling
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup cooked rice, (white or brown)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon old-fashioned rolled oats

Directions:

Make the dough: Add the cornmeal, rolled oats, wheat germ, rice and brown sugar to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until the rice & oats are ground and it is all well combined. Add all the ingredients but the egg & tablespoon of rolled oats to the pan of the bread machine in the order required by the manufacturer and select the dough setting.

Form the loaf: When the dough is ready, move it to a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal and shape it into a 10-inch circle or oval. Cover it with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake the bread: Preheat oven to 350º. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the loaf with the egg wash and sprinkle it with the remaining tablespoon of rolled oats, if desired. Using a sharp knife, cut an  X in the top of the dough. Bake in the lower third of the oven until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature or toasted. Store in an airtight container.

To make this bread without a bread maker:

Make the dough: In a large bowl or a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the flours, cornmeal, 1/4 cup oats, wheat germ, rice, sugar, yeast, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the honey and buttermilk (warmed to 100º) and stir into the dry mixture. Using a wooden spoon to mix by hand, add the water (warmed to 100º) 1/4 cup at a time until a stiff dough comes together, or process until the dough comes together and rides around the bowl with the blade. On a work surface lightly dusted with whole-wheat flour, knead the dough by hand until it is glossy and elastic, about 10 minute, or process it in the food processor for 45 more seconds.

Proof the dough: Coat a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place in the bowl, turning the dough to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size,  1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Continue with the Form the loaf directions above.