Posts tagged highland cattle

Goats Milk and Cheese Adventure with Whey Bread

So, after our first foray into learning how to milk goats, we acquired 1.5 gallons of fresh raw goats milk and needed to do something with it. The following was that adventure.

First, we poured all of it into a large dutch oven and brought it up to 160f degrees to pasteurize the milk we wished to consume. We dipped-off the amount we wished to use as milk, and left the remainder still heating to the suggested cheese-making temp of 180f. We then followed the recipe link below:

How to Make Goat Cheese

Notes: I only added salt-to-taste to the finished product. I did not add herbs or garlic, as I considered the possibility of using it in a pastry context. I’m also planning lasagna… mmmm…

Upon the cheese-making-venture’s completion, I had a couple of quarts of whey left over. Waste not, want not… so, I looked for good recipes that might utilize the whey and go great with the soft ricotta style cheese I had just produced. That is when I adapted the recipe below for my own purposes:

Buttermilk cluster rolls

And here is my adaptation. Tested DELICIOUS!

Goat Milk Whey Roll Cluster

Makes 12 to 18 rolls, depending on sizeGoat Milk Whey Roll Cluster Bread

6 to 6 1/2 cups (750 grams) bread or all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 envelope (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry or instant yeast, or 1 15 gram cake fresh yeast
1 tablespoon warm water
2 cups goat milk whey (leftover from cheese-making)
1 tablespoon sorghum molasses

Glaze:
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Topping:
1-2 tablespoons seeds (poppy, sesame, flax) or grains (cracked wheat, rolled oats)

Bloom yeast in the tablespoon of warm water for 10 min (use a small dish).

Mix flour and salt, add in bloomed yeast and molasses (honey or maple syrup make great substitutes). Mix gently until ingredients are combined thoroughly. If weighing the flour, the texture should be about perfect. If using cup measurement, add flour slowly to assure the right dough texture. I found that 750 grams was less than 6 cups, but it depends on density.

Knead dough for 10 minutes on floured table. Place dough back in bowl and allow to proof (rise) for around 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.

dough after first proof

Dough after first proof, I made a double batch. The egg carton is there for size comparison

Turn out proofed dough on a floured table and cut into equal size rolls. Make nice balls, and place them in a greased dish (spring form pan, or any walled baking dish). Allow for a bit of space between the rolls, as they will increase in size. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to proof (rise) for another hour or so, or until double.

Dough before second proof

Dough before second proof

Dough after second proof

Dough after second proof, egg washed, seeds on top

Preheat Oven to 425f degrees.

Beat egg in a small dish and add in 1 Tbs of water. Brush the egg wash on the top of the proofed rolls. Sprinkle with your favorite crushed grain or toasted seeds.

Bake the rolls for around 30 minutes, or until rolls are firm and spring back when tapped. Tops will be dark, but check often to prevent burning. The whey causes very quick browning near the end.

Brush tops with melted butter for the ultimate in deliciousness. Serve warm with homemade ricotta-style goats milk cheese!

The finished product(s)

The finished product(s) hot out of the oven!

Comments (4) »

Follow us on Facebook!

In addition to our WordPress blog, you can now follow us on Facebook!

Short updates, photos, and videos will be posted there regularly. Check it out: CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.

Fat Toaster Farm on Facebook!

Comments (1) »

Finding and deciding on animals…

Lindsay and I spent a fair amount of time deliberating on what animals should populate our farm. Here is a short list of the animals we’ve considered (in order of size)

chickens
guineas
rabbits
ducks (Indian Runner Ducks)
peacocks
sheep (Jacob Sheep)
goats (many varying breeds, for milk and meat)
llamas
alpacas
cattle (Highland Cattle and others for milk/meat)
bison
donkeys (protect sheep)
horses (draft… mostly Belgian)

For now we’ve decided on chickens (starting in spring ’10), Indian Runner ducks (starting in spring ’10), Jacob sheep, and Highland cattle.

To read all about the qualities of the Jacob sheep and Highland cattle which brought us around to getting then, simply read through their breed information pages. In the most basic sense, in both cases, they were hardy low maintenance animals that calved/lambed easily with little or no assistance. Both were ancient breeds with a “threatened” or near threatened status (number of their breed in the world is low) yet unique and worth preserving.

Here are some various reasons that we haven’t yet, or may never have some of the animals I listed…

  • guineas (still on the “someday” list… possibly Spring ’10)
  • rabbits (someday soon)
  • peacocks (still on the “someday”” list)
  • goats – for now, on hold. Goats can breed with sheep and cause pregnancy that does not carry to term. Goats are also more mischievous, and frankly, I’m not convinced I want the hassle…
  • llamas/alpacas -they spit, they require shearing like sheep (but they are three times the size… so that becomes a logistical issue), and they are generally mischievous. Lindsay loves these, so hope stands for them despite my objections.
  • bison – extremely large and wild. Bison are amazing creatures… beautiful, majestic, truly american… but at the same time, they are totally wild, require specialized fencing, and they are not domesticated… therefore dangerous. Not exactly a “starter farm” animal.
  • donkeys – still a possibility for the future… I love how they protect sheep.
  • horses – my grandfather always had Belgian draft horses, and they were amazing gentle beasts. I hope that someday I can have some of these amazing horses, but for now, more learning must be pursued and more experience must be acquired.

Obviously, more thought has gone into these decisions than just a few sentences can describe, however, these were our primary reasons along with some hope for the future in some cases.

Comments (1) »