SUN COOKING USA
AROUND THE WORLD
Saved by the Sun Oven
My Sun Oven and quick google search saved four extremely ripe bananas from winding up in the compost bin this morning.
The recipe I found is so simple it was hard not to add anything to it. If you like you could add cinnamon or some walnuts, but I like the way it really tastes like bananas.
Sun Oven Banana Bread
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
Solar Zucchini Bread
Summer gardens tend to yield plenty of zucchini. This bread is a good way to use some of them. I use a bread machine to mix and knead the dough, but I’m sure it could be done by hand.
Sun Oven Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
7 tablespoons buttermilk
1 generous cup water
1 1/3 cups grated zucchini
4 1/2 cups white bread flour
1 cup whole-wheat bread flour
Sunshine and Bread
Maple syrup, oats, and the power of the sun. What’s not to like about this bread?
Sun Oven Maple Oat Bread
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 cups white bread flour
1 cup whole wheat bread flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
Sweet Potato Bread
Baked, steamed, or leftover mashed sweet potatoes can be used in this super moist bread. If using mashed leftovers that had milk or butter added to them you’ll probably need to use a little less water.
Sun Oven Sweet Potato bread
Ingredients
7/8 cup water
3 cups white bread flour
2 tablespoons rolled oats
Golden Chelsea Buns from the Sun Oven
Traditionally these buns are made with currants, not raisins. If your market carries them, mine doesn’t, go ahead and use them instead. I’m not sure it makes much difference.
Sun Oven Chelsea Buns
Ingredients
For the Dough
1 cup milk
1 egg
4 1/2 cups white bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons sugar
Buttery Solar Baked Bridge Rolls
Rich, buttery, soft rolls from a traditional British recipe. Using a bread machine to knead the dough and a Sun Oven to bake them means next to no work for the baker. This recipe makes a dozen rolls and fits perfectly in the Sun Oven’s cooking chamber.
Sun Oven Bridge Rolls
Ingredients
1 egg
7 tablespoons milk
2 cups white bread flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
Sun Oven Sandwich Rolls
These soft whole-wheat rolls are good for sandwiches or with jam and butter. Hot out of the Sun Oven they make a great afternoon snack.
If you don’t have the dehydrating racks or some other way to fit all the rolls in the cooking chamber in one go, they can be baked in batches. Keep the excess rolls in the refrigerator while the first batch rises. Take them out to let rise while the first batch bakes. As usual, I use a bread machine to mix the dough. You can use a stand mixer or your hands if you prefer.
Sun Oven Whole-Wheat Rolls
Ingredients
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup water
2 cups whole-wheat bread flour
2 cups white bread flour
Double Sun Bread
This tasty bread is just of one the ways I use the sun-dried tomatoes from my Sun Oven. Purchased sun-dried tomatoes also work if you didn’t get a chance to dehydrate your own last summer.
Sun Oven Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/4 cups water
2/3 cups milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups white bread flour
1 cup whole-wheat bread flour
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise active dry yeast
Preparation
Put the sun-dried tomatoes in small bowl with enough water to just cover them. Let soak 15 minutes. Drain over a measuring cup to reserve the water. Finely chop the tomatoes. Set aside.
If needed, add water to the measuring cup to reach the 1 1/4 cups called for. Pour the water, milk, and oil into the bread machine pan. Cover the liquid with the flours. Sprinkle the cheese over the flour. Add the sugar and salt in separate corners of the pan. Make a shallow indentation in the center of the flour and add the yeast. Set the bread machine to the dough setting. Press start. Add the sun-dried tomatoes at the beep or during the last minutes of kneading.
At the end of the cycle turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently punch down. Cut the dough in half and shape it into two loaves. Put the dough in two lightly oiled bread pans. Cover the pans with oiled plastic wrap. Let the loaves rise in a warm spot 30 to 45 minutes. Set the Sun Oven out to preheat while the loaves are rising. Bake in the Sun Oven until the bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Solar Baked Multi-Grain Bread
Multi-grain bread fresh out of the Sun Oven is always a hit. Results will vary depending on the brand of flour; I use King Arthur. You could even experiment with your own mixture if you’re a braver baker than I.
Sun Oven Multi-Grain Bread
Ingredients
1 2/3 cups water
6 cups multi-grain bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Simple Sun Oven Bread
Tuesday, weather permitting, is my bread baking day. Today I was caught a bit off guard when the thick morning fog gave way to a beautiful sunny day. With only one type of flour on hand a simple white bread was my only option. This recipe is about as simple as they get.
Ingredients
2 cups water
6 cups white bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter
