Foccacia

This stuff is the real deal.  Smells amazing, tastes amazing. Easy.  Adaptable.  I've even had it for breakfast.  It tastes just like your favorite sandwich shop's fancy focaccia, but fresher!  Consider yourself spoiled.

Focaccia
Adapted from Jeff Mauro


2 cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 packages active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, finely chopped, plus leaves, for garnish
1 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Directions
Place the water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar, sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it bloom until bubbly, 5 to 15 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose and wheat flours together with the salt and chopped rosemary. Gradually add the flour mixture to the bloomed yeast in the mixing bowl. Then add 1/2 cup of the olive oil.

Using the dough hook attachment, mix the dough on medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be very loose put not really sticky because of the olive oil.

Transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface and knead the dough by hand for 2 to 3 minutes.

Wipe out the bowl you mixed the dough in and then coat the bowl with some olive oil. Return the dough to the oiled bowl and let it rest in a warm place, covered with a dish towel, until doubled in size, 30 to 35 minutes.

Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Spread the dough into the pan using your fingertips to create dimples into the dough. The more dimples you make, the more texture the bread will have.

Using a pastry brush, oil the dough and place leaves of rosemary into some of the dimples. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Cover the dough again with the towel and let rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degree F and set a rack in the middle of the oven.

Bake the dough until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Simple Crusty Bread

Homemade bread is always a mystery to me.  It's all yeast, flour, and water, but it never ceases to amaze me how altering the ratios can change the bread so much.  This crust is crusty, but it yields to the tooth, and is easily torn.  It may be my new favorite go to bread!

This makes 4 loaves.

Simple Crusty Bread

from the New York Times from the Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day folks

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, more for dusting dough (17.5 ounces)

Cornmeal

 In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water -slightly above body temperature. Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).

Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom, although this can be tough given how loose the dough if- you might want to olive oil your hands. Put dough on pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it.

Place broiler pan on bottom of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 450 degrees; heat stone at that temperature for 20 minutes.

Dust dough with flour, slash top with serrated or very sharp knife two to three times. Slide onto stone. Pour one cup hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap the ensuing steam. Bake until well browned, about 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.

Homemade Naan

Bread.  I don't know how you people feel, but I would definitely take bread over chocolate any day.  I love the scene in America's Sweethearts (probably the only redeeming scene in that vapid little flick) where Julia Roberts talks about dreaming of bread.

This naan is lovely, and EASY.  If you have an electric stove, just flip it for the second cooking.  No need to start a fire.  Enjoy with grilled indian chicken and tomato yogurt sauce.

Homemade Naan
adapted from Indian Simmer


2 cups all purpose flour or wheat flour
1/2 cup of warm milk
1/2 cup of yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp oil


Mix all the dry ingredients together.
Now mix milk and yogurt together and pour half of it into the well and slowly combine it together.
The dough should be soft enough for you to be able to dig your finger into it without applying any pressure. If dough sticks to hand too much then use little bit of oil on hand and then punch into the dough.

Cover with damp cloth and let it sit in a warm place for at least 2 hours.  Or skip this part if you are really pressed for time.


After a few hours, dust your working board, take out the dough and knead it for about 2-3 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 smaller balls.

Dust the board again and flatten the balls to make bread which is a little thick and elongated.

Now sprinkle one side of the bread with any of the following:  cumin, minced garlic, chopped cilantro or butter naans.
Brush the other side with water.
Heat a thick bottom skillet or a wok or any heavy bottom pan with a lid. Once its nicely hot place the naan wet side down which would stick and cover it with a lid.

Let it cook for about 30 secs or until you see bubbles on it.  Now cook the other side of the naan over direct flame of the burner with the help of tongs. When you see some charred brown spots then you know that the naan is done.

Homemade Tortillas

Like everything in life, it's better homemade.  I recently watched a 60 minutes episode in which they exposed the food industry's chemical taste industry.  That show ruined the phrase "natural flavorings" for me forever.  Ewwwww.   We tend towards only whole foods anyway, but good god.  Meet these tortillas.  Tasty, fresh, with NO natural flavorings.  Thank heaven.


Homemade Tortillas
adapted from Foodie Bride

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsp shortening, lard, softened butter, or olive oil
3/4 cup warm water

Pulse the flour, baking powder, and salt a few times in your food processor fitted with the dough blade or mixer with a paddle.
Add the fat and process until the mixture is uniformly crumbly.
With the food processor/mixer on, slowly stream in the water, just until the dry ingredients form a ball and starts bouncing around the bowl.
Let the dough knead for ~30 seconds. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl, be soft and not overly sticky.

Turn out onto a flour-dusted surface and divide dough into golf-ball sized portions (2 oz each).

Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Heat a large, dry saute pan over medium high heat.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough balls into thin almost translucent about 8" rounds, dusting the top with just enough flour to keep the tortilla from sticking to the rolling pin.

Lay tortilla flat in the heated pan and cook on each side for ~20 seconds, until the bubbled areas brown.
Keep covered with a kitchen towel to keep warm and pliable. Eat warm.  Feel free to freeze.  These heat well wrapping in tin foil in a 200 degree oven.

Butterflake Herb Loaf

King arthur is definitely under-rated.  I can't tell you how much success I have had with their recipes.  This one is no exception.  This is a great holiday loaf because it's scrumptious and decadent.  The butter oozes out somewhat and makes for a buttery bottom crust.  As far as flavor, it's a milder alternative to garlic bread.  It reheats well, too!

Butterflake Herb Loaf
Adapted from King Arthur Flour


1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
4 1/4 to 4 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons potato flour or instant mashed potatoes

butter herb filling
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, soft
1/2 teaspoon caraway or chopped fennel seed (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon grated onion or chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika
1 clove garlic, minced


Bring the milk to a simmer and pour over the butter, in a mixing bowl or the pan of your bread machine. Add the sugar and salt, and let the mixture cool to lukewarm.

When the liquid is tepid, add the eggs, yeast, 3 1/2 cups of flour, and the potato flour and begin mixing the dough.

After the dough comes together and has mixed for 3 minutes, touch the dough to test its consistency. If wet dough comes off on your finger, add more flour 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing between additions until it's incorporated.

Once the dough is smooth and soft, not sticky, let the bread machine finish its cycle, or place the dough in a greased container, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, place the herb butter ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.

 After the dough has risen, deflate it and roll it out on a floured surface 1/2" thick. Cut in 3 1/2" to 4" circles with a biscuit cutter.

Butter generously half of each circle, fold in half, and place in a 12" x 4" x 2 1/2" tea loaf pan, or two 8 1/2 x 4" bread pans.

* I rerolled and cut the scraps and made a second loaf*

 Bake the loaf in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Tent with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking if necessary to keep the top from over-browning.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

I have been eyeing this recipe for a long time.  B wanted me to make the chocolate loaf with peanut butter cream cheese spread, but I had some pumpkin to use up.  The original recipe warns against overmixing, but this is what they call a high ratio recipe- practically even amounts of sugar and flour, so it's by nature pretty tender and not going to be easy to make it tough.  That being said, probably no need to beat it.  I was skeptical about the chocolate pumpkin combo, but now I have no idea why.  It was delicious.  Just the thing for thanksgiving breakfast!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf
adapted from baked 


1 1/2 plus 1/8 cup  all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
a heaping 3/4 cup (about 7.5 oz) pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cups (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-by-3 inch loaf pans.  Or line with parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, baking soda, and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and oil until combined. Add the sugar and whisk again. Whisk the eggs into the mixture, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Add 1/3 cup room-temperature water and whisk until combined. With a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans.  Use a spatula to smooth the tops.
Bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time.
Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Invert the loaves onto wire racks and cool completely before serving.

The loaves will keep for 3 days, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Whole Wheat Pita bread

There's nothing better that homemade bread.  Except, maybe, homemade ice cream.  But this goes better with hummus!  I have been on a kick lately of prepped veggies in the fridge at all times, to encourage healthy snacking.  The pita is a great accompaniment to pretty much anything, from dips, to grilled chicken, to salad- it's very versatile.

Whole Wheat Pita
adapted from Annie's Eats, originally Gourmet 2003


Ingredients:
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. honey
1¼ cups warm water (105˚-115˚ F), divided
1½ cups bread flour, divided
1½ cups whole wheat flour, divided
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
Cornmeal, for sprinkling

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, honey and ½ cup of the water.  Stir gently to blend.  Whisk ¼ cup of the bread flour and ¼ cup of the whole wheat flour into the yeast mixture until smooth.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and set aside until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Remove the plastic wrap or towel and return the bowl to the mixer stand, fitted with the dough hook.  Add in the remaining ¾ cup of warm water, 1¼ cups bread flour, 1¼ cups whole wheat flour, olive oil and salt.  Knead on low speed (my mixer the dough hook should never go above speed 2) until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and let rise in a warm draft-free place, about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.  If you are short on time, you can go straight to the shaping rounds stage and skip this rise without discernible difference.

Place an oven rack in the middle position.  Place a baking stone in the oven (I highly recommend if you can) and preheat to 500˚ F.

Once the dough has risen, transfer to a lightly floured work surface or wax paper without flour, punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a ball.  Flatten one ball at a time into a disk, then stretch out into a roughly 7 inch circle.  Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet or other work surface lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.  Once all the rounds have been shaped, loosely cover with clean kitchen towels.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, until slightly puffy. (or 1 hour, if you skipped rise #2).

Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, onto the baking surface. Bake 2 minutes, until puffed and pale golden.  Gently flip the pitas over using tongs and bake 1 minute more.  Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining pitas.  Eat the same day or freeze for another day.

Lemon Blueberry Loaf

This was based on an Ina Garten recipe, so you know it has to be good.  My desire for this "bread" (cake- come on, who are we kidding) comes from this one restaurant somewhere in my life that served a lemon blueberry muffin, and I think baking this in muffin form would pretty much replicate that bit of breakfast tastiness for me.  It's a "high ratio" cake, which means there's almost as much sugar as flour, so it tends to be tender.

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan, or spray with baker's joy.  The cake if fairly tender, so if you skip this step be prepared for breakage.

Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 70 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, microwave the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan, or don;t and clean your counter afterwards. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in (a pastry brush is nice, and use a toothpick to make tiny holes that draw the syrup in). Cool.

Parmesan Breadsticks

I'm relatively sure with these, you could live on bread alone.  The way they rise makes them very light.  They taste like Pizza Hut, in the best possible way one could mean that.  Food snobs run away if you must but you're missing on on some seriously good sticks.  Serve these with my roasted red pepper sauce.

Breadsticks

adapted from King Arthur Flour 

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for drizzling

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 tablespoon instant yeast

Directions

1) Lightly grease an 18" x 13" pan (half sheet pan), and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom.

2) Combine all of the ingredients, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.

3) Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, spreading it nearly to the edges. Oiling your fingers helps with the job.

4) Use a rolling pizza wheel or knife to score the dough in 3/4" to 1" wide crosswise strips, to make 13"-long strips. Score the dough once lengthwise, so that you now have 6 1/2"-long strips. Cover the pan, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, till it's become puffy.  I actually let it rise about 2 hours, and I hate to say, I'd do it again.  The texture was great.

5) While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.

6) Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with breadstick seasoning.

7) Bake the bread till it's a very light golden brown, about 25 minutes.

8) Remove it from the oven, and carefully lift it out of the pan onto a rack.

9) As soon as you can handle it, cut the dough along the score lines. A pair of scissors is perfect.

10) serve warm, or at room temperature.

Breadstick Seasoning:

Adapted from Pennies on a Platter

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon garlic salt (of 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder plus 3/4 teaspoon salt)

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon dry oregano

1/2 tablespoon dry basil

Breadsticks

Garlic Knots

Do you have any foods that are inextricably linked to a time or place?  I think we all do.  Garlic knots, for me, are this little place in Williamsburg.   This was when I was commuting from Virginia to Boston, and my hubby would pick me up from the airport and we'd go here.  We'd eat margarita pizza and salad, and the house bread was garlic knots.  I have to say this recipe definitely brings that memory back, and is a faithful reproduction of the original.

They also were a surprise hit with the kids!  Who knew- hot dogs, cookies, and garlic knots????  I like that you can refrigerate this recipe and bake off later, which makes it more friendly, but I think it's probably best a weekend treat!

Garlic knots
Adapted from White on Rice Couple


Garlic Knot Recipe
Makes about 40 knots

Dough
0.875 cups (207ml) Warm Water
1/8 cup Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
approx. 2 1/4 c (13 1/4 ounces) all-pupose, unbleached Flour (feel free to make one of these ounces vital wheat gluten)

Garlic Coating
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 T  unsalted Butter
2 cloves Garlic, finely crushed
1/8 cups finely chopped fresh Italian Parsley

Sea Salt to taste

plus extra Olive Oil and Flour for making the knots

1. Combine water, olive oil, sea salt, sugar, and active dry yeast in a large bowl. Mix to dissolve yeast.

2. Add flour.  Mix to incorporate flour, cover, and set in a warm spot to proof until doubled in volume (1-3 hours).

3. At this point you can stick in the fridge for a few days if you like.  Slice dough into strips ona well oiled work surface.  Put container of flour within easy reach. Line several sheet pans with parchment paper or silpats.

4.  Using a rolling pin, spread the dough into a quasi  even rectangle approx. 5″x16″ and 1/2″ thick. Slice the rectangle into 1/2″x5″ strips.

5. Sprinkle dough strips and board with flour.  Tie into a knot  and place on lined sheet pan. Place knots about an 1 1/2″ apart.

6.  After each sheet pan fills up, cover with a dry towel, and place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise.

Preheat oven to 400° F

7. After knots have doubled in size, take off dry sack towel and place sheet pans in the oven.  Bake for approx. 12-15 min. or until golden.

8. While knots are baking, make garlic coating.  Gently warm olive oil, butter, and garlic in a small saucepan.  Cook it for a few minutes in oil/butter mix until soft & slightly golden to make garlic more mellow if desired.  Add chopped parsley and set aside.

9. After removing knots from oven, while still warm, either brush with garlic coating.  Season with sea salt to taste.

Best served warm.

Banana Muffins or Banana Bread

My godmother always made banana bread, and I loved it.  Her version had nuts, which was my only complaint.  I like my banana bread un-interruptedly smooth.  I never knew how to make really good banana bread myself until college.  I have had this recipe memorized since college- there was no way I was forgetting it! It's from my college roommate L.  I had other college roomates, but she and I are still very close, and therefore the only roommate I ever mean when I say that word.  L's mom gave her this recipe. 

L lost her mom way too young for both of them.  She was a special lady.  The best story I can tell about her is that she used to trim and pound thin raw chicken for L, then put it in individual bags to be frozen so L wouldn't have to touch raw chicken.  That's such a mom thing to do- to immerse yourself in raw disgusting chicken for your daughter!!!!  My mom used to do the same thing for me in horse *&^%!.  But that's another story.

The bananas have to be really brown spotted, but not rotten.  Unripe bananas are worthless, so don't even try!  I made this the other morning before I left for work, so the banana bread was just ready as B and the kids came downstairs....it's a mom thing to do, and I dare say Mrs. M would be glad.

Banana bread

Adapted not at all from L's mom

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour (9 ounces)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons melted butter

4 over-ripe bananas

Directions:

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter.  Mash bananas in the bowl, and add all the other ingredients.  Spray a pan with butter spray.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes for muffins, and about 60-70 minutes in a standard size loaf pan for bread.  This also freezes well!

Honey Wheat Buns

I know, 3 recipes for homemade burger buns?   But this may be the best.  It makes me feel like I'm doing something healthy with the whole wheat, although, truthfully, with 1/4 cup of honey perhaps it's a fiction!  The vital wheat gluten is very helpful in adding chewiness, the main reason why people don't like wheat- it sort of crumbles and doesn't stay together.  This is an instant fix to that complaint.  I've made these about 3 times in 2 weeks- they are wonderful.

Honey Wheat Burger Buns
Adapted from Annie's Eats


Yield: 9-10 sandwich buns

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups milk, warmed
2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
2 cups all purpose flour (10 ounces)
1 oz vital wheat gluten
1 cup whole wheat flour (5 ounces)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup honey plus 1-2 tbsp., divided
2 tbsp. butter, melted
Sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Directions:
Measure out the milk in a liquid measuring cup.  Add in the instant yeast and stir to dissolve.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour (2 cups), vital wheat gluten, wheat flour and salt.  Mix briefly on low speed to combine.  Add the yeast-milk mixture, egg, and 1/4 cup of honey to the mixer bowl and mix on low speed just until a dough has formed.  Switch to the dough hook, if you didn't start there.  Continue kneading on low speed with the dough hook until the dough is smooth and tacky but not sticky, adding flour if needed.   Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with plastic wrap.  The oil in the bowl will let you keep it tackier than you could otherwise.  Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2-2 hours.

Once the dough has risen, transfer the ball to a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate the dough.  Divide the dough into 9-10 equal sized pieces (about 3.25-3.5 oz. pieces).  A dough scraper is a good tool for this.  Form each piece of dough into a flattened round, 3.5-4 inches in diameter.  Transfer the shaped rounds to a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet- or into a 6-8 oz ramekin or hamburger pan.  The ramekin/hamburger pan will make it rise up, not out, and they are aesthetically prettier.  But they'll be good in any shape.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Combine the softened butter with 1-2 tablespoons of honey and lightly brush the tops of the rolls (if you melt it, it will be harder for honey to combine.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.  Bake for 14-15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until golden brown and baked through.  Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Deli Style Hard Rolls

These are a nice change from the brioche burger buns.  They are much more substantial, and perfect for burgers!   I definitely like the ramekins, as they make the rolls rise higher.  I like both buns, but I think the brioche are better in texture for less weighty fillings.  I know making buns seems silly when they are so omnipresent everywhere, but they are cheap, easy, and much better than supermarket options!

Deli Style Hard Rolls
Adapted from king arthur flour

Dough
2 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1/3 cup Hi-maize Natural Fiber or bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder or sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
3/4 cup lukewarm water

Topping
2 to 3 tablespoons sesame seeds or poppy seeds, or artisan bread topping

Directions
To make the dough: Mix and knead the dough ingredients to make a smooth dough.  Cover the dough and let it rise until it's puffy, about 1 hour.  Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into 6 pieces (about 3 1/4 ounces each). Shape into balls.  Dip the top half of each roll into water, then into the seeds.  Place the rolls into the cups of a lightly greased hamburger roll pan OR some large ramekins, or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Press gently to flatten.  Cover the rolls and let them rise until puffy, 30 to 40 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 400°F.  Bake the rolls until they're a deep golden brown, 22 to 26 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Yield: 6 hard rolls.

Honey Yeast Rolls

Ok.  Let's not get dramatic here.  They are rolls.

But they are damn good rolls.  Slightly sweet, especially with the honey butter that drips down the sides and permeates the bottom of the bread.  Filling, soft, fluffy.

Not uber fast.  They do require pre planning.  But they are lovely.

Honey Yeast Rolls
Adapted from Annie's Eats but readily available all over...


Ingredients:
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
1 cup warm water (105-115˚ F)
¼ cup honey
3 tbsp. canola oil
1¼ tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups bread flour (18 ounces, I subbed 2 of these ounces as vital wheat gluten to add chewiness)
Vegetable cooking spray
2 tbsp. butter, melted- I prefer salted for this
2 tbsp. honey

Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and warm water.  Add the honey, oil, salt, and egg and mix well.  Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass.  Switch to the dough hook and continue kneading on low speed for about 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 30 seconds.  Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes.  Punch the dough down and divide into 10-12 equal size pieces.  Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place into a round, lightly greased 10-inch round baking dish, spacing evenly.  Cover and let rise in a warm, towel covered spot for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush the tops of the rolls with the mixture.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the rolls are baked through.

The Comme Ca Brioche Burger Buns

I need to get the New York Times cookbook.   There are a limitless number of recipes that are delicious in there, apparently, because every one I make is a keeper.  This recipe also freezes well, baked, so you can make it on the weekend and pull out for your pulled pork, your hamburgers, or what have you at any time.  They are buttery, ever so slightly sweet, and soft on the inside.  If I had a complaint- which I don't- it would be that the inside is a little soft and can smush down ever so slightly under the weight of a big burger.  However, the flavor is soooooo much better than storebought that it's hardly worth mentioning.

Brioche Burger Buns
adapted from Smitten Kitchen who Adapted from Comme Ca through NY Times

Ingredients

3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, DIVIDED.
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened.

In a glass measuring cup, combine 1 cup warm water (slightly warmer than usual as the milk will be cold), the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat 1 egg.

In a large bowl, whisk flours with salt. Add butter and rub into flour between your fingers, making crumbs. Using a dough scraper, stir in yeast mixture and beaten egg until a dough forms. Knead by your preferred method until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.

 Shape dough into a ball and return it to bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.

 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using dough scraper, divide dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each into a ball and arrange 2 to 3 inches apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let buns rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours.

Set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Beat remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

makes 8 buns.

No Knead Crusty White Bread

In the 9 months or so I was mixer less, this bread was my go to!   Now that I have a mixer, I still make this bread an awful lot.  I love the sprinkle of flour on the bread- it make the loaf look bakery professional.   Homemade bread is always a winner, but add one you can assemble on sunday and bake fresh off of all week???  Total winner.

No knead Crust White bread
Adapted from King arthur flour

Ingredients
24 ounces(3 cups) lukewarm water
2 pounds King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (or substitute 1 ounce vital wheat gluten for 1 ounce of flour for a chewier texture)
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, or a large (6-quart), food-safe plastic bucket.
Mix and stir everything together to make a very sticky, rough dough. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the beater blade for 30 to 60 seconds. If you don't have a mixer, just stir with a big spoon or dough whisk till everything is combined.
Let the dough rise. If you've made the dough in a bowl that's not at least 6-quart capacity, transfer it to a large bowl; it's going to rise a lot. I like to oil the bowl with olive oil for easy removal.
Cover the bowl or bucket, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or for up to about 7 days. (If you're pressed for time, skip the room-temperature rise, and stick it right into the fridge). The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it'll get; if you chill it for 7 days, it will taste like sourdough. Over the course of the first day or so, it'll rise, then fall, but don't fret.

When you're ready to make bread, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour; this will make it easier to grab a hunk. Pull off about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough — a 14-ounce to 19-ounce piece, if you have a scale. It'll be about the size of a softball, or a large grapefruit.

Place the sticky dough onto a floured work surface, and round it into a ball, or a longer log.  Place the dough on a piece of parchment (if you're going to use a baking stone); or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top; this will help keep the dough moist as it rests.

Let the dough rise for about 45 to 60 minutes.

It will settle out rather than really rise.   Preheat your oven (and baking stone, if you're using one) to 450°F while the dough rests. Place a shallow metal or cast iron pan on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot/boiling water ready to go.

 When you're ready to bake, take a sharp knife and slash the bread 2 or 3 times, making a cut about 1/2" deep.

Place the bread in the oven, and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. This will make steam.
Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown.

Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

Favorite Cornbread

Growing up in the northeast, cornbread wasn't exactly what you would call a staple in my childhood home.  For my husband, it was!  Every year they would have cornbread dressing at holidays.  I never really had a recipe that made cornbread noticeable, until this one.  I made it first at Christmas.  I was determined to make the end all, be all cornbread dressing, which involved sage (of course), shredded chicken breast, and sausage.   Well, the ground sausage was a mistake- it totally overpowered the rest of the dressing.  But this recipe was a hit.  In fact, I had to keep my husband's hands out of it so it didn't all disappear.  (and maybe my own....maybe)  I made it again for dinner tonight and I was very pleased, although I do prefer bread to muffins.  The salt is a little prominent, so if you're a salt-o-phobe, decrease it to 1 teaspoon.

Cornbread (muffins)

Adapted from Martha Stewart 

Ingredients

6 tbsp butter, melted

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal (this will be about 9 ounces)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 6 3/4 ounces or spooned and leveled

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

3 large eggs

2 1/2 cups low-fat or fat free buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray or butter it.

In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and butter. Stir cornmeal mixture into buttermilk mixture just until moistened. 

Scoop into muffin tin with a #16 muffin scoop for even muffin sizes and even cooking.  Bake 10-13 minutes depending on how generous your scoop was.

To make as cornbread: drop temp to 425F.

Brush bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with 2 tablespoons butter.  Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pan at least 15 minutes before inverting and slicing.

You cannot live on bread alone-- no rise rolls

So just a quick post to put up some johnny-on-the-spot rolls.  You might want to remove some of the sugar from these babies, they are just a bit too sweet for me, but very good, and as advertised, no rising time. They puff up just fine, due to the yeast and baking powder.  By the time the oven is preheated, you are done making them.

No Rise rolls

adapted from here

1 1/4 cups warm water

3 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tbsp (1 tbsp= 3 tsp) yeast

1 Tbsp oil

3 C flour (can use white or wholemeal)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

Stir water, yeast, sugar and oil together. Leave for 5 minutes until it becomes frothy on top. Add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well. Knead. Shape for use as rolls into 8 rolls. Paint with milk or butter. Bake at 400 degrees F for 13-15 minutes, preferably on a baking stone, but cookie sheet will be just dandy.

MODIFICATIONS 6.29.2011**
FOR FLOUR, USE 16 OZ ALL PURPOSE AND 1 OZ VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN (adds chewiness and a big improvement in texture- it's what makes bread flour bread flour)
Sprinkle oregano and parmesan cheese before baking, after brushing with butter or milk.

Thin Crust Chicken Pesto Pizza

So we have a lot of dichotomy in my house- north versus south, tulane versus LSU, democrat versus republican.....thin crust versus thick.  My husband is firmly in the thin crust camp and I prefer thick.  Luckily, this pizza is absolutely delicious!!  


It does require planning, but that also means prep time on cook night is low!
Don't leave out the vital wheat gluten.  It makes the crust so chewy!!  


Adapted from Annie's Eats and also her here
For the crust: (original from cook's illustrated)

8 oz all purpose flour

8 oz whole wheat flour
1/2 oz vital wheat gluten

(about 3 cups total for all flours, you can also use all bread flour)
2 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. instant yeast
1 1/3 cups ice water
1 tbsp. canola oil
1½ tsp. salt

For the pesto:

For the pesto:
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
7 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

For topping:
1 cups (4 oz.) shredded  mozzarella

grilled chicken, 1 cup diced

Directions:
To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  With the machine running, add the ice water and mix until just combined.  Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Add the oil and salt to the dough.  Mix until the dough forms a smooth, tacky ball that clears the sides of the bowl, about 60 seconds.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.  (After refrigeration, the dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen.)

To make the pesto, place all ingredients in food processor and pulse.

One hour before baking the pizza, adjust an oven rack to the second highest position and place a baking stone on the rack to preheat.  Preheat the oven to 500˚ F.  Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and divide in half.  It can be popped in the freezer at this point.  

To assemble the pizza, transfer a dough ball to a well floured work surface.  One of these works well, as it has the circle measurements.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 13 inch circle.  Lightly brush  with olive oil, and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.  From here, you have two options- one is to briefly pop on a bake stone for 2 minutes in a 500 degree oven to prebake, then top and finish on the grill.  Or...


Spread ½ the pesto over the dough, preferably with someone just over three feet doing this part. 

 Sprinkle evenly with the shredded mozzarella and halved grape tomatoes and grilled chicken.  Carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated baking stone, and pour the wine.  If you don't have a pizza peel, like me, parchment on a cookie sheet works great. 

Bake until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned, 10-12 minutes.  Let cool about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.