‘Tis the season: birds mating, butterflies mating, rabbits, rats…
I don’t have a craving to mate. Pickings are slim in lockdown so that’s probably a good thing. Mating season has pretty much come and gone for me anyway. I made good use of it while it ran though – no regrets.
Mating aside, unusual habits have begun to surface in solitude. Every afternoon around two o-clock I want a cup of tea. Not just tea, a cookie, a biscuit, crackers, something bread-ish to go with the steaming cup. I don’t even really like tea – so what’s that about?
Today was no exception. At one-thirty I started imagining the afternoon repast and felt anxious. Nothing I had on hand ticked the right box. I remembered the cinnamon-sweet aroma of snickerdoodle cookies baking and my stomach rumbled. I thought about the cake-like pumpkin muffins at Bali Buda Market and salivated.
Make something! demanded the inner voice.
Don’t be silly. I don’t have an oven. I don’t have ingredients. I don’t…
The blinking Google search window stared at me. I had flour. No baking power. No yeast. I had baking soda…two unopened containers of that. I typed in: baking soda cookies. Snickerdoodles came up but the recipe called for cream of tartar as well as soda. No cream of tartar. I tried again: baking soda biscuits. It defaulted to baking powder biscuits.
When I Googled no yeast skillet bread I hit pay dirt. Five Ingredient Olive Oil Bread. Well, okay. It called for baking powder, not baking soda, but the recipe promised only 15 minutes from mix to skillet to table and I was already ravenous.
I set to it and pretty soon had blobs of dough in the pan. After four minutes I flipped. Toasty golden. Nice! They weren’t rising but without baking powder I hardly expected them to. I just didn’t want doughy middles.
Four minutes on the other side and…
Would you look at that! Little biscuit patties…bready…warm…ooooo!
I set out butter and Australian Carmelized Fig Jam a friend had brought for me from a recent trip to AU. Goji Acai tea came from my favorite Italian destination, the Centro Market in Praiano. Then I plopped a patty of warm Olive Bread on the plate and felt really really happy.
They were edible. The centers were cooked. Butter and fig jam melting into the warm bread made my mouth sing.
I ate two of them and tucked the other two away for tomorrow’s attack of tea cravings.
Meanwhile…would somebody volunteer to make them with baking powder, please? It only takes fifteen minutes and I want to know what I’m missing…
Here’s the recipe.
5 INGREDIENT OLIVE OIL BREAD
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1/3 cup warm water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and sea salt.
- Stir in the olive oil and water until mixed.
- Warm a large cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet over medium heat until heated.
- Sprinkle with olive oil and swirl around the pan to lightly coat.
- Shape the dough into 4 small patties.
- Drop into the heated skillet and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side.
- Serve immediately.
Notice it said cook for 5 minutes on each side. Mine were done in 4 minutes each but I’m not able to regulate the heat with any accuracy so – another little adjustment.
If someone actually does this, please send a description of the texture and flavor and photos of your results. I’ll enjoy them vicariously, and if it’s worth it, the hunt will be on to find baking powder.
Strange cravings indeed…
writing for self-discovery 
Apr 14, 2020 @ 23:04:22
I so get the dessert craving. I do not like cookies or sweets but I made a batch of peanut butter cookies and froze them so I’ve a treat whenever that corona craving hits. Weird though. May try your biscuits some day and would likely add some pieces of olives. Good for you for being so inventive. Btw, there’s also a web site that offer “substitutions”…..google it when needed. Thanks for a fun read.
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 16:50:52
Thank you for that, Sharon! I’ve started imagining what I can add to this breadish things to vary them – raisins, dried apricots, peanuts…the possibilities are endless!
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 02:07:08
I plan to try the olive oil bread recipe! I have been making marvelous, chock full ‘veggie soups… who knew they could be so yummy?! Since I haven’t really cooked on a regular basis since my divorce and I heard someone say ‘oh I don’t cook’ I couldn’t really believe you can just… say that?? Ok!! I adore your posts, Sherry, but I have an isolated, burning question … HOW do you keep your skin so beautiful and glowing??!! Please tell. I’ll do it right away! Or tomorrow. Or whatever the day is after that 🙂
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 16:52:25
I think they call it sweat? That glow you mentioned…perspiration. But what a lovely compliment! Thank you!
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 07:14:52
They look delicious, Sherry. I’ve absolutely no idea why you’d need baking powder though? I make flatbreads/ tortillas/ chapattis most days and i just use flour ( type depends on what I’m cooking) oil, salt and water . I leave the dough to rest at least an hour or more and then the dough is ready to rock and roll .
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 16:53:47
So maybe I just need to give it a rest Lottie? That’s an easy fix, although usually by the time I’ve decided to make something, I’m already hungry – hence the 15 minute bread. I’ll try to generate some patience and let the dough sit next time!
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 16:59:28
Ive learnt that patience truly is a virtue, Sherry. Make the dough the night before, it takes 5 minutes. Rest over night with a damp tea towel to cover. Roll out flatbreads, no need for oil, just heat in hot pan – turn when bubbles start to appear and they take about one minute or so each side. I use a mix of maize and wheat or straight wheat – both are delicious 😋❤️💕
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 07:42:39
Sherry, baking powder makes a difference. In the tropics, you often double the amount of baking powder, so 1tsp becomes 2tsp, as it is less effective in humid climates. Just a cooking tip. Keep cooking and enjoying. Steve
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 16:55:08
I didn’t know you cooked???!!! Thanks for the advice for successful tropical baking. Love it!
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 14:17:46
I think breads are one of Nature’s comfort foods as well as the staff of life. I was going to find you a substitute for baking powder, but when I located, it required baking soda and cream of tartar which was not going to help you. Sorry.
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 16:56:27
I think that’s why I’m craving them – comfort food! Thanks for trying to solve my problem. I think next time I do a food order I’ll have it on the list. I’m kind of excited about my new skillet baking!
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