Pull Apart Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread

I love fall baking!  As soon as September hit I was ready for the pumpkin recipes.  This was SO good but not a strong pumpkin taste at all.  I found it on Sunnyside Up and changed it slightly.

I had a hard time getting mine out of the pan and then turned back over - so it ended up in a heap.  Here is a picture of one piece of my heap =).  

Bread

• 2 Tbsp  butter                                                                                                                    
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp  butter

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black). Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the milk, return to stove and heat through.  Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool so it is no longer hot but also not cool (about 100-110 degrees F). Once it has reached a warm but not hot temperature add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy). Then add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.

While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.   Making sure sugar evenly absorbs the butter. Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20×12 inch rectangle.  Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares (cut in half then each half into thirds). Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

In the meantime preheat an oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is a very deep golden brown.

Buttered Rum Glaze  (I used a little bit of rum flavored extract and some vanilla, you could leave the rum out)

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp milk
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp rum flavored extract and 1tsp vanilla

To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flavoring and powdered sugar.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

I haven't posted for a long time but I am going to try to do better.  It isn't that I am not trying new recipes, it just seems like a long ways to go and get the camera to take a picture of what I have made.  I have become addicted to watching a cooking show on TV and now have some of their magazines and recipe books.  My next few posts will be from these.  This bread is from the show Cooks Country and also published in a Cooks Illustrated magazine.  It is a show on PBS.  I know that the recipe seems long and complicated but not really when you get to the end and you taste the best wheat bread in your life.  It is so light and soft and moist.  So take a little time and try it.  I will add a few comments of a few changes that I made to the recipe.

Biga

2 cups bread flour

1 cup warm water

½ tsp. instant yeast

 

Soaker

3-5 cups whole wheat flour(It calls for 3 and use 3 if you are using store bought whole wheat flour but if you have just ground your own it might take more.  You want this to form a stiff ball, when you knead it.  They probably used store bought flour and  I grind my own flour and found that it needed about 5 cups to get it to this stage.)

½ cup wheat germ

2 cups milk

 

Dough

 

¼ cup honey (I like my bread a little sweeter so I added a little extra honey, maybe a tablespoon)

4 tsp. table salt

2 Tbl. Instant yeast

6 Tbl. Butter

2 Tbl. Vegetable oil

 

For the biga:  Combine bread flour, water and yeast in large bowl and stir until completely mixed.  Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp. overnight. (8 – 24 hours)

For the soaker:  Combine whole wheat flour, wheat germ, and milk in large bowl and stir until it is stiff.  Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth.  Return to bowl and cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge overnight – same as the biga.

For the dough:  Tear soaker apart into 1 inch pieces and place in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook.  Add biga, honey, salt, yeast, butter and oil.  Mix on low speed until it starts to mix together.  Increase speed and knead until dough is smooth and elastic.  At this point I usually have to add an extra cup of bread flour because of the extra honey that I add.  Be your own judge of how you want your dough but mine is not real stiff.  Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and shape into ball and place in greased container.  Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes.

Gently press down on center of dough to deflate.  Holding edge of dough with fingertips, fold partially raised dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle.  Turn bowl 90 degrees and fold again.  Do this 6 more times.  Cover and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

Spray two bread pans with nonstick cooking spray.  Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide into 2 pieces.  Pat each piece into an 8 by 17 inch rectangle.  With short side facing you, roll dough toward you into firm cylinder, keeping dough tights.  Pinch the dough together.  Place the seam side down into loaf pan.  Repeat with second piece of dough.  Cover loaves and allow to rise at room temperature until double in size. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with baking stone on shelf.  Place a pan on the next rack down under the baking stone and fill with boiling water.  Place bread pans on baking stone and turn the oven temp. down to 350.  Bake the bread for 40-50 minutes until the internal temperature of the bread is 200 degrees.  (It is important to use a thermometer. I thought it looked done after about 25 minutes, but when I used a thermometer it really took about 40-50 minutes and the bread was perfect.)  Let cool in pans for 5 minutes and then remove to cooling racks.

Pizza Factory Breadsticks

Not my best picture but what you don't see is my screaming two year old that needed my attention.

2 Rhodes Rolls per stick that you want to make
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/4 melted butter

Let the rolls rise double. Next, combine two rolls and roll out into a long skinny piece. Wrap around a wooden skewer. Let them rise again until doubled. Bake 350 for 12-15 minutes. While baking combine garlic powder, garlic salt, dill weed, and butter. Spread butter all over the bread sticks.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread

It is no secret that I LOVE bread! And despite my long list of go to recipes I am always looking for something new to try. When I saw this recipe from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures I knew that I had to make it…NOW. Incredible! That’s all there is to say about this moist, hearty, tender loaf of goodness! What is even more incredible is that it stayed moist for a few days which is almost impossible with homemade bread. (It must be all of the oil!)
Go ahead, give it a whirl. Your family will thank you even if your thighs don’t!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (I used quick)
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup room temperature water
4 tablespoons Honey
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
        (the second time I made this I used powdered milk and it    
       worked fine. I have a bunch expiring in my storage!)
1/2 cup  oil (I did reduce it a few Tbs. the second time and while it
               was still good, it wasn’t quite as moist…)
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt

Add 1 1/4 cups of the oats to a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over them and stir to combine. Let sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the soaked oats, room temperature water, honey, yeast, buttermilk, oil, both flours and the salt. Mix until a rough dough comes together, then switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 10 minutes.
When the dough is ready it will have a satiny finish, but it will still be somewhat wet and will cling to the dough hook (if necessary, you can add slightly more flour to the dough).
Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray then add the dough, turning to coat. Cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until just about doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and press down to release excess air bubbles. Shape the dough into a 12x6-inch rectangle, with a long side facing you. Fold the sides in so they meet in the middle, then roll the dough into a log, starting with the end closest to you. Pinch the dough closed at the seam.
Spray a 10-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the dough to the pan, seam side down, pressing it into the corners. (I made one 9 inch loaf and one mini and it turned out great!)

Let sit for about 30 minutes, or until the loaf rises just over the top of the pan. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F. Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is a nice deep golden brown.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and turn the bread out. Let cool completely before slicing.

They MUST be kidding about the last part! Who can wait that long? Not me! Slice it warm and enjoy!

Naan Bread

I made Betsy's Butter chicken and decided that I needed some bread to go with it. I have been wanting to make this bread for quite a while. It isn't the greatest picture but the bread was delicious. I would do it again. This is what I did. I found this recipe at allrecipes.com

1 TB yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tb. milk
1 egg
2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup butter, melted

In my mixer bowl I dissolved the yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Punch down dough and pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls and place on a tray. Cover and let rise until doubled about 1/2 an hour.

Roll the balls of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil pre heated grill. Place dough on grill and cook for 2-3 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter and cook until browned. Remove from grill and continue until all the balls have been cooked. I have to tell you that I had a hard time getting the bar b que at the right temperature but it was worth the work. They were so yummy. I am going to try to make them in my pannini maker next time and I wonder if a George Foreman would also work. Anyway, experiment and enjoy.

Zucchini Blueberry Streusel Bread

I don’t even have a garden and I still have zucchini coming out my ears! I love it! We have been eating zucchini everything. I LOVE zucchini fries, I enjoyed baked zucchini with mozzarella, I eat enough zucchini bread to gain at few pounds at least, I pan fry it with garlic as a simple side dish and this year my zucchini obsession lead me to make zucchini soup (which was actually pretty yummy!)

And just when I thought I could eat no more zucchini I found this recipe for blueberry zucchini bread and I knew I had to try it. I changed a few things and it turned out INCREDIBLE!  The zucchini makes the bread moist, the blueberries add incredible nuggets of flavor and the streusel tops it off perfectly. I have eaten an entire loaf myself! YUMMY!

Zucchini Blueberry Streusel Bread

3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1  3/4 cups white sugar
3 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 pint fresh blueberries (I used frozen and it turned out great!)

Topping
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. oatmeal
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. cold butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 4 mini-loaf pans.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil,applesauce, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix lightly into batter. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared mini-loaf pans.

To make streusel combine all dry ingredients and mix. Cut in butter until mixture resembles small crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in pans.

Bake 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Light Brioche Burger Buns

I LOVE bread! There really isn’t much else to say. My ultimate goal is to make all of the bread we eat. I am still working on the perfect sandwich loaf that is whole wheat, but not heavy. This week’s try was just o.k. And so in the meantime I saw a recipe at Annie’s Eats on making Brioche buns for hamburgers (or any sandwich for that matter!) and they were AMAZING!! The recipe has a few more steps than a simple French bread roll, but it’s worth it! 

Brioche Rolls

3 tbsp. warm milk  
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
2½ tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour (I used all purpose and it worked great!) 
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For topping:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
Sesame seeds (optional)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg.  Mix briefly to combine.  Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated.  Mix in the butter.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for a good 8 minutes.  The dough will be somewhat tacky. That’s o.k. try not to add more flour otherwise your buns might be a little tough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal parts.  Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart.  Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.

Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center.  Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Cheese Muffins

A few weeks ago I wanted to try something new. I wanted something with cheese and garlic, a perfect compliment for a deliciously grilled steak. Anyway after debated over yeast breads and garlic biscuits I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman that intrigued me. Cheese muffins?
They were simple, tender like a muffin, with a crisp cheesy crust. Straight out of the oven they were unbelievably delicious! I honestly could not get enough. Forget the steak, please pass the muffins!

Fig’s Cheese Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese  (I used med. cheddar)
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter (I used salted)

Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir in cheese.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and butter together. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine.

Bake in greased muffin tins at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12

Lion House Rolls

I came across this recipe while thumbing through my mom’s LDS Living magazine. Always up for a new bread recipe I gave them a whirl and they have now become the standby here. These rolls have a “squishy bread” texture that is wonderful! For the first few batches they tasted delicious, but they didn’t look quite right. And then, I watched this video and now I am a pro. The kids LOVE helping me, they beg for the rolls they can flip!

Lion House Rolls

*Makes about 2 dozen rolls

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
5-5 1/2 cups flour

In a large bowl, combine the yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes (no need to do this if using instant yeast – just add the yeast and water together with the other ingredients). Add sugar, butter, salt, dry milk, 2 cups flour and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add remaining flour gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time) until a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Knead the dough for at least five minutes if using an electric mixer (I simply left it all in my mixer for a good 8 minutes.) and for at least 10 minutes if mixing the dough by hand. When the dough is smooth, supple and elastic, place it in a lightly greased large bowl covered with greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled.

Separate the dough into two portions. Roll each section out to an 11X14-inch rectangle. Brush the top with melted butter. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into two pieces, the long way. Then slice the dough into five or six strips across so you end up with 10 to 12 small rectangles. Roll each small rectangle up like a snail and place on a  lightly greased baking sheet with the roll resting on it’s open edge. Repeat with the second portion of dough.

Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes until they are nicely browned.

Focaccia Bread

As all of you know, I am a bread lover. My mom says I have always been this way, so why change things now. This recipe  is probably the easiest yeast bread I have ever made. It is tender and delicious and best of all it only has to rise ONCE!  It originally comes from Prudence Pennywise. We typically eat it as a side dish for dinner and then I make incredible sandwiches with it the next day. YUMMY!


Rosemary Focaccia

• 2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast (I use SAF)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, chopped, or 1 tablespoon fresh (I used dry- or I leave it out which I almost prefer!)
• 3 cups flour (I did all white) For Top:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese (sometimes I smother it in cheddar cheese and it is wonderful!)

1. In a large bowl, combine yeast, sugar, water, olive oil, pepper, salt, rosemary and half of the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon. (Alternately, if you have a free standing mixer, put in all of the flour and let the machine do the work. I used my Kitchen Aid)
2. Work in the remaining flour, using your hands and kneading when necessary. Knead dough for five minutes. Cover and let rise for one hour. (The dough can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Cover with saran wrap and store in fridge.)
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Press dough into a 12 inch circle. Don’t worry about being perfect; you’re going for rustic Italian here.
4. Press the dough all over with your fingertips to make indentations. Cover dough with olive oil, cheese, rosemary and black pepper. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve

Speedy Sausage and Ricotta calzones

I found the original recipe from That's my home website (http://www.thatsmyhome.com/venettos/pizza/sausage-calzones.htm), but I changed it quite a bit so here is what I did. Also, I did take a picture but we can't find the cord to download it so we will keep looking and hopefully we will have a picture before the end of the day.

1 pound hot Italian sausage (I prefer Jimmy Dean's)
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 handful grated Parmesan cheese
Parsley
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
fresh black pepper
2 tubes prepared pizza dough (I just used my favorite pizza dough recipe instead)
2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cloves of garlic
2 cups marinara or pizza sauce


Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Brown sausage and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Combine sausage with ricotta, parsley, garlic, Parmesan, nutmeg, pepper, and mozarella. Roll out doughs and halve cross-wise. Place a dough rectangle on a nonstick cookie sheet. Pile a mound of filling on half of the total area.

Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal. The result is a rectangular turnover.

Bake calzones 15 minutes or until golden all over. Serve calzones with warm tomato, marinara, or pizza sauce for dipping.

Potato-Sour Cream Biscuits

I found these on a blog a LONG time ago on a blog and despite my efforts to find the said blog I cannot. Sorry.
If you like biscuits you will love these, they are moist and fluffy. A great alternative to yeast rolls.


Potato-Sour Cream Biscuits
8 ounces cubed peeled Yukon Gold potato (or leftover mashed potatoes)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons butter, cut into smaller pieces
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 7-3/4 ounces)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Place potato in a medium saucepan; cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender; drain.  Return potato to pan.  Add buttermilk, sour cream and butter to pan; mash with a potato masher until smooth. (I have also simply used leftover mashed potatoes, it works great! Make sure you still use the other ingredients, maybe reduce the buttermilk a bit.)

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add potato mixture and stir just until moist.  Do not over stir.  Turn the dough onto a slightly floured surface; knead lightly about 5 or 6 times, be careful not to over work the dough.

Pat dough to a 3/4-inch thickness.  Cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter.  Place biscuits 2-inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray or covered in parchment paper.  Bake at 450 degrees for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. 
Serve warm smothered in butter, jam and honey.  Yum.

Joyce's Bread

This is my favorite white bread recipe. I have made it for years. It is out of my ward cookbook and it always turns out so soft and moist. Really yummy! It makes a very large batch of bread, six large loaves. Enjoy!
2 cups warm water
6 Tbsp. yeast
4 cups hot water
1 cup sugar or honey
6 Tbsp. oil (I use a 1/3 of a cup and call it good)
2 Tbsp. salt
14-18 cups of flour

Dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water. Let rise till bubbly. Meanwhile, mix 4 cups very hot water, oil, salt, sugar, and about 4-6 cups flour. Beat well while the yeast rises. Add yeast mixture and start adding flour the rest of the flour. Add the flour until the dough comes away from the edge of the bowl and is clean. I, of course am using a bread mixer to do this. Knead for about 5 minutes after the flour has been added. Cover and let rise until double in size. Divide into 6 pieces and roll into shape. Put into 6 loaf pans that have been sprayed with Pam. Let rise until double again. Bake at 300 for 30 minutes. This bread freezes very well.

Peach Cobbler Bread

This is peach season at our house and we love peaches. I never thought of peaches in bread until I talked to my daughter who works at a bakery and they sell peach cobbler bread. I decided to try it and found a recipe on www.allrecipes.com. I of course made some adjustments and we are really happy with another way to use our peaches.

1/3 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup peach puree
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups diced peaches
1 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Topping:
2 T. chopped pecans(I used walnuts and it tasted great)
2 T. brown sugar

In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the peach puree, diced peaches and vanilla. Then add the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Mix until blended.

Pour into a 9x5x3 inch bread pan. This makes a large loaf. Mix the topping and sprinkle on the top. Bake in a preheated oven set at 350 for about 45-50 minutes. I used a toothpick to make sure it was done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

I think that you could make this with canned peaches and it would still be great. You might want to decrease your sugar a little if you did that.

Calzones

This is probably one of our favorite meals in our house and it is quite easy. Enjoy!

Pizza Dough Recipe (This is a long-time family friend's recipe, Vicki Sabin. I love this pizza dough recipe because it only needs 15 minutes to rise but if something comes up and it ends up raising say for over an hour it still turns out!)

1 cup lukewarm water

1 pkg yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp. shortening (I typically use butter since I never have shortening)

3 cups flour

Topping Ideas:

spaghetti sauce (my favorite is prego traditional)

pepperoni

sausage

onions (If you don't have fresh throw in some dried onion it works well too.)

mushrooms

olives

mozzarella cheese

whatever else you'd like

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and let stand for 5 minutes. Mix in the rest of the pizza dough ingredients and knead until smooth. (If you have a bread machine or kitchen aid just throw everything in and beat until it looks smooth.) Let rise at least 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (If you have a pizza stone be sure to put that in the oven too, but if you don't placing it on a cookie sheet works just as good.)

Now separate dough into however many calzones you want to make. (I typically make three calzones which feeds both of us and leaves Michael one for lunch the next day. You could do just one large one but if you have eaters with different likes and dislikes its nice to make their own.)

Roll your dough out on the counter with flour to prevent it from sticking.

Now before you add your toppings transfer the dough to a cornmeal covered cookie sheet or large wooden pizza spatula that you're going to use to put it in the oven with. Add all your toppings on one half of the dough and then fold the other half over and seal the dough shut. You can use any technique to make your edges look nice I typically pinch the two sides together and roll them up and then pinch them down with my nails. Beware if you get pizza sauce too close to the edge it can make it harder to form a good seal on your dough and you could get some sauce and cheese oozing out while it cooks.

Finally, if you want to make it look even prettier smooth a couple of drops of oil on top of the calzone and sprinkle on some parsley flakes or Italian seasoning. This gives it a nice golden coloor and the green flakes as I said add a little flavor but really just make it look pretty. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Bagels

This was my first time making bagels and they turned out great...well at least I thought so! As you can see in the picture you cant see any holes in the middle. I did put holes in them but they obviously were not big enough. So make sure your holes are at least an inch.


Ingredients

1 t. active dry yeast
1 1/4 c. warm milk
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 egg yolk
3 3/4 c. flour
1 t. sugar

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add butter, sugar, salt, and egg yoke and mix. Add flour and knead for 8 minutes. I just put it in the kitchen aid and it gets the job done. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour. Shape into 12 balls and place 1 in. holes in the middle. In a large saucepan bring water and 1 t. sugar to a boil. Drop bagels in boiling water and take them out after a 10 seconds. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Muffins

So here is one of my favorite muffin recipes. It's a recipe that mom has made for years and even my hubby will eat them. I can freeze them and then pull a couple out in the morning for him to eat for breakfast and they're thawed by the time he gets to work. Enjoy!

1 cup oil

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups milk

2 tsp soda

2 tsp vanila

4 cups whole-wheat flour (If you grind your own wheat it makes them even better)

Mix everything except flour in blender. Pour into flour. Stirl until well mixed. Fill 3/4 cups full. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes (I don't know if it's because I have a gas oven but I typically only have to cook them for 15 minutes so be sure to keep a close eye on them.)

Spudnuts

I made these doughnuts tonight for my family, they are all here visiting. They are an old family favorite and over the years I feel like I have perfected the recipe. I will tell a few of my secrets to end up with fabulous doughnutsMix the following:

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup mashed potatoes (I use instant potatoes and they work great!)

Dissolve 1 1/2 T. yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add 1 more cup warm water to mixture along with the yeast mixture. Add 3 eggs and 1 tsp. lemon juice and mix. Add 7 cups flour, 3/4 cup powdered milk and 1/2 tsp nutmeg. Knead like bread. Don't add any extra flour. You want the dough to be sticky. Let dough raise until double in size. Knead down and let raise until double again. Take the time to let the dough raise twice. Knead down and roll out and cut. After you roll them out and let them raise until at least double in size. Again this is important. It is what makes your doughnuts light and fluffy.

I use an electric frying pan to cook my doughnuts. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Cook until golden and then turn and cook the other side. Take out of oil onto a cooling rack covered with paper towels. While they are still hot dip in whatever kind of frosting or glaze that you like. We do maple and just plain sugar. They are delicious.

Soft Pretzels

My dear sister (who should really start her own food blog...) shared this recipe with me. For those of you who don’t know, Mall pretzels are one of my favorite things to eat and try as I might I have never found a recipe to compare, until now! The kids had blast rolling, cutting and creating. And my bottom enjoyed the extra padding (I seriously ate at least half of the batch!)

 

Soft Pretzels

4 t. Yeast
1 t. Sugar
1 1/4 c. Warm Water
4 c. Flour
1/2 c. Sugar
1 1/2 t. Salt
1 T. oil
1/2 c. baking soda
4 c. Nearly boiling water (you want the soda to sizzle and dissolve, if your water is not hot enough it will simply settle at the bottom of your dish)
Kosher Salt
Cinnamon and Sugar Mixture

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 t. sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 c. sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7-8 minutes. (I just left the dough in my KitchenAid and let it go to town!) Lightly oil the dough, cover and place in a warm area to rise until double in size, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Dissolve baking soda in water. Take dough and divide into 12 pieces (or how ever you want: sticks, bites, etc.) Roll each piece of dough into a rope and shape. Dip each shaped piece into baking soda solution and place on cookie sheet covered in parchment. Bake for 6-8 minutes.
When the pretzels are out of the oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with desired toppings.
YUMMY!

BBQ Chicken Braid

After my super chef brother-in-law, Ryan, showed me how to to fancily braid my pizza pockets I have been looking to upgrade one of our dinner favorites. And then I found this on one of my favorite food blogs: My Kitchen Cafe. The bread recipe she uses is incredible!! My braid came out soft and fluffy on the inside with a light crunch on the outside.
If the braiding is confusing Melanie has a tutorial on her blog. Check it out.

The only change I made was adding mushrooms, and bacon crumbles and then brushing the top with garlic butter as soon as it comes out of the oven. My oh my this is delicious!
p.s. the kids aren’t too hot on BBQ so for them I make a ham and cheese or pepperoni—they LOVE it.

BBQ Chicken Braid
*Note: the amounts of chicken, onions, barbecue sauce, and cheese in the recipe can be altered based on your preference - simply add more or less to your liking.
*Makes 2 large braids
1 recipe French Bread Rolls
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
Mushrooms
Bacon crumbles
1 red onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
After the French bread roll recipe has gone through the first rise, split the dough into two parts. Lightly cover one portion and set aside. Roll the other portion into about an 11X17-inch rectangle (I roll mine out directly on a sheet of parchment to make for easy transfer to the baking sheet and oven). Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut 1-inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread half of the barbecue sauce down the center strip. Top with the chicken, onions and cheese. Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side and pressing them into the dough on the opposite side, forming a braid. Pinch or twist to seal.
Place the braid on a lined baking sheet (or simply transfer the silpat liner to a baking sheet) and let rest for 15 minutes. While it is resting, follow the same steps above for the second portion of dough. Bake the first braid for 15-20 minutes (while the second braid is resting), until golden brown and bread is baked through. Remove from oven, brush with melted garlic butter and bake the second braid.
Let the braids rest for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut braid into sections and serve warm.
Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe

French Bread Rolls
adapted from allrecipes.com
*Makes about one dozen rolls

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth (or greased saran wrap), and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown