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This year, we've been in the kitchen more than ever before (whether we like it or not). As spectators or bakers, we've watched the world go from dough dunces to sourdough savants, weighing, proofing and watching our babies grow. While it's been an emotional rollercoaster (eating our feelings, much?), there's been something strangely comforting in realizing that all of us – including Toronto's best chefs – are in precisely the same boat.
Savour Ontario, brought to us by Dairy Farmers of Ontario, has created a free recipe collection to share what Ontario's culinary community has been cooking at home. With a roster of chefs that span Toronto, Niagara, Windsor and Prince Edward County, the compilation provides inspiration for home cooks that truly will be savoured for years to come. While there are plenty of new ideas and ways to level up your culinary game, the recipes have been tweaked to ensure that most ingredients can be found in the average pantry.
To whet your appetite, we're sharing a couple of recipes from two of our favourite female chefs in the city. Lynn Crawford (Ruby Watchco) gives us a rundown on milk bread with honey butter, and Suzanne Barr (True True Diner) shows us how to make buttermilk cheddar chive biscuits, with a stand mixer or by hand.
Milk Bread with Honey Butter
by Lynne Crawford
Prep time: 2 hours
Makes: 2 loaves
Ingredients
⅔ cup heavy cream, warm (to 95°F/35°C)
1 cup whole milk, warm (to 95°F/35°C)
1 tbsp instant yeast
1 egg
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ cup cake flour
3 ½ cups bread flour
2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted Ontario butter, plus more for greasing pans at room temperature
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp orange zest
Milk Bread instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
- Place the cream, milk, sugar and yeast in a small bowl, mix and let stand for 10 minutes.
- In a stand mixer bowl, place the cake flour, bread flour, salt, and 1 whole egg, then add the cream yeast mixture. Mix dough for 15 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest for 1 hour or until the dough is double in size.
- Grease two standard loaf pans on all sides with butter.
- On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and cut it in half. Then, cut each half into 3 equally-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place 3 balls into each loaf pan.
- Cover the pans and let the dough proof (rest) for another hour or until doubled in size.
- Brush the risen dough with egg wash.
- Bake the loaves for 23-25 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from pans.
Honey Butter instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together butter, honey and orange zest until blended.
- Place butter in an airtight container and refrigerate. Use within 2 weeks.
Milk Bread with Honey Butter
by Lynne Crawford
Prep time: 2 hours
Makes: 2 loaves
Ingredients
⅔ cup heavy cream, warm (to 95°F/35°C)
1 cup whole milk, warm (to 95°F/35°C)
1 tbsp instant yeast
1 egg
1/3 cup granulated sugar
½ cup cake flour
3 ½ cups bread flour
2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted Ontario butter, plus more for greasing pans at room temperature
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp orange zest
Milk Bread instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
- Place the cream, milk, sugar and yeast in a small bowl, mix and let stand for 10 minutes.
- In a stand mixer bowl, place the cake flour, bread flour, salt, and 1 whole egg, then add the cream yeast mixture. Mix dough for 15 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest for 1 hour or until the dough is double in size.
- Grease two standard loaf pans on all sides with butter.
- On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and cut it in half. Then, cut each half into 3 equally-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place 3 balls into each loaf pan.
- Cover the pans and let the dough proof (rest) for another hour or until doubled in size.
- Brush the risen dough with egg wash.
- Bake the loaves for 23-25 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from pans.
Honey Butter instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together butter, honey and orange zest until blended.
- Place butter in an airtight container and refrigerate. Use within 2 weeks.
Buttermilk Cheddar Chive Biscuits
by Suzanne Barr
Prep time: 35-40 minutes
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tbsp baking powder
3 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
¾ cup Ontario butter, chilled
2 cups Ontario cheddar cheese, shredded
1 ½ cups Ontario buttermilk
½ cup sliced chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to the mixer bowl and turn on low to combine all dry ingredients.
- Add in chilled butter and turn speed up to medium. Allow the paddle to break up butter until it resembles coarse crumbles. Add in cheddar cheese and mix through.
- Turn mixer down to low and add buttermilk and chives. Mix until the dough is soft, moist and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
- Transfer dough to lightly-floured surface and begin to carefully knead dough and using rolling pin flatten dough to a ½-inch thickness and cut biscuits into desired shapes.
- Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and put into the fridge or freezer for 5 minutes then place into the preheated oven.
- Allow to bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and be sure to allow it to cool slightly before serving.
“I use a stand mixer but you can make biscuits by hand. Use your hands or forks to break up butter until it resembles coarse crumbles.” – Suzanne Barr
Buttermilk recipe
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, here’s an easy recipe from Chef Suzanne to make your own:
Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
Instructions
- Stir milk and lemon juice together.
- Let mixture stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. The milk will be slightly thicker with curdled bits of buttermilk.
Buttermilk Cheddar Chive Biscuits
by Suzanne Barr
Prep time: 35-40 minutes
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tbsp baking powder
3 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
¾ cup Ontario butter, chilled
2 cups Ontario cheddar cheese, shredded
1 ½ cups Ontario buttermilk
½ cup sliced chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to the mixer bowl and turn on low to combine all dry ingredients.
- Add in chilled butter and turn speed up to medium. Allow the paddle to break up butter until it resembles coarse crumbles. Add in cheddar cheese and mix through.
- Turn mixer down to low and add buttermilk and chives. Mix until the dough is soft, moist and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
- Transfer dough to lightly-floured surface and begin to carefully knead dough and using rolling pin flatten dough to a ½-inch thickness and cut biscuits into desired shapes.
- Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and put into the fridge or freezer for 5 minutes then place into the preheated oven.
- Allow to bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and be sure to allow it to cool slightly before serving.
“I use a stand mixer but you can make biscuits by hand. Use your hands or forks to break up butter until it resembles coarse crumbles.” – Suzanne Barr
Buttermilk recipe
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, here’s an easy recipe from Chef Suzanne to make your own:
Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
Instructions
- Stir milk and lemon juice together.
- Let mixture stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. The milk will be slightly thicker with curdled bits of buttermilk.
From Cory Vitiello's mushroom and Swiss chard salad with Ontario burrata and Mexican street corn from Trevor Lui to Alexandra Feswick's cheddar broccoli soup and Jasmine Baker's mac and cheese, there are enough recipes to last you until next year.
For a full list of food inspiration and participating chefs, Head to Savour Ontario or follow @savourontario on Instagram for free recipes from their roster of talented tastemakers.
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