Italian Bread for the bread maker

This is a bread recipe that you make in your breadmaker, so it's super easy. I made this to go with lasagna on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and by using the breadmaker, it's a perfect recipe to just leave alone so you can do other things (like make your lasagna).

I did have to make a few changes to the original recipe though. Not in the ingredient list, but in the process. I did have one issue that I think affected the texture of the bread, but not the taste. I had made the dough, got the loaves on a sheet to rise, got a BEAUTIFUL rise out of both loaves, and then I put the eggwash over them. Big Mistake. The loaves instantly fell and I couldn't get them to rise back up. I baked them anyway, and like I said - the taste was good but I feel like the texture would have been SO much better had I not done the egg wash - or if I had done the egg wash before the 2nd rise.

But overall this is a very quick and easy recipe - and a great excuse to bust out your breadmaker!

Ingredients
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used bread flour)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons cornmeal

Directions

Place flour, brown sugar, warm water, salt, olive oil and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form dough into two loaves. Place the loaves seam side down on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment and generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise, until doubled in volume about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the risen loaves with egg mixture. Make a single long, quick cut down the center of the loaves with a sharp knife. (I would omit these steps next time based on this making my loaves deflating).

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Apple Bread

It's Apple Season!!!! yay! This is by FAR my favorite time of year...crisp air, cornstalks, apple cider, pumpkins, red leaves...ahhh. I just love it.

Last weekend the husband and I went apple picking at the local orchard, and came home with three huge bags of apples, so of course I had to find a great new recipe to use with them! My husband has been requesting a nice bread, so I decided on apple bread.

And I'm very glad I did. This recipe went above and beyond my expectations. Seriously. It's spicy, sweet, moist, soft...it's just perfectly amazing and am already planning on making a second batch. I made a bunch of mini-loaves and individually wrapped them. I have to say, I think these would be perfect favors for any autumn party, shower, or wedding. I urge you to make this bread with your freshly picked apples - you'll be so glad you did!

Ingredients
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

3 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Allspice (I added this)
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed (I added this)
2 Eggs, Beaten
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla
2 cups apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped (I used 2 Cortland Apples)
1 cup broken walnuts (I omitted)
2-3 tbsp apple cider (optional)



Directions
In bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, place oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and apples. Stir into flour mixture. Add walnuts and mix (if using). Here, my batter ended up being quite dry so I added in a few tablespoons of apple cider, but I suppose if your batter is at the right consistency, you could leave it out. Divide mixture between two greased 8-in. x 4-in. bread pans (I used mini loaf pans). Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes (mine were done in 25-30 minutes because I used the mini pans) or until bread test done. Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan.

Irish Soda Bread

As part of my Irish St. Patrick's Day meal, I knew I had to make Irish Soda Bread! I didn't know if I liked soda bread or not, but in Florida we ate it at one of the great restaurants we went to and we all really loved it.

This bread is so easy to make and is sweet, hearty and airy. The texture is spot on and the sweetness is just perfect. This paired with our Steak and Guinness pie wonderfully and is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I honestly don't know if this is "traditional" or not, but we sure thought it was good! The only downside is that it goes bad pretty quickly, but trust me, it won't be around for very long!

Ingredients
Source: Epicurious - Originally from Bon Appetit, February 2005

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup raisins (I omitted)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins if using.

Using floured hands, shape dough into ball. Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan). Using a sharp knife, cut a large X in the loaf. Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Potato Focaccia

One of my favorite things to bake is bread. I love kneading the dough, watching it rise, and the smell as it bakes in the oven. I also love to find new recipes for bread, just to keep things interesting, so I was very excited when I found this recipe for potato focaccia. However, as I read this recipe I realized it was only half finished! There was no instructions for cook time or temperature. So, I figured it out and it turned out great.

Not only is there a potato in the dough which results in a very moist and airy bread, the top has layers of thinly sliced potatoes and caramelized onions. This is a delicious bread that pairs perfectly with soups or salads. It's flavorful on its own, or as an accompaniment to any main course.

Ingredients
Adapted from Epicurious

1 Tbs active dry yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp table salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups bread flour or as needed
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 medium sized russet potato
3 small sized red potatoes
5 cloves garlic, roasted
Kosher salt for sprinkling

Directions
Peel russet potato and boil until soft. Mash or push through a potato ricer (I pushed the potato through a fine meshed sieve with a spoon which worked great) and set aside. In large bowl, sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar over 1/2 cup of the water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Add the remaining water and sugar, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, table salt and 1 cup of the flour. Beat with the paddle attachment until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the potato and 1/2 cup of flour and beat for about 2 minutes. Stir in the diced onions. Continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Remove the paddle attachment and replaced with the dough hook. Knead dough for about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft, moist and somewhat sticky. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for about an hour, until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, in a medium pan over medium low heat, add about 2 tbsp. olive oil until hot. Add sliced onion to pan as well as a hefty pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, on low until caramelized, about 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle onions with about 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, stir and set aside.

Spray a heavy cookie sheet with non stick spray. With oiled fingers, flatten and press the dough into a rectangular or oval shape approximately 1 inch thick. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for another hour. With oiled fingers, flatten and press the dough a second time until about 1 inch thick. Make deep indentions 1 inch apart and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with towel and let rest 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Thinly slice red potatoes. Lay out potatoes on dough in 3 rows, and sprinkle on caramelized onions and roasted garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until light golden brown. If the onions and garlic are browing up too quickly, cover the pan very loosely with foil. Remove from oven, cut and serve hot.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

The other day my husband asked me to buy some cinnamon raisin bread at the store for breakfast. I was sick of cereal so I definitely complied. Well after I ate some and realized how good it was, I decided that I definitely needed to make my own!

This recipe was great. The bread was fluffy and rose nice and high. Although keep in mind it does make 3 loaves so the dough was busting right out of my standard Kitchen Aid mixer during kneading! But I definitely think you need to make the who 3 loaves. By the time you make one for yourself, give one to your neighbor and then bring one into work you are all out!

This recipe was certainly a winner in my book and pairs perfectly with a hot cup of tea in the morning. This would also be great to bring to a brunch. I will definitely be making this again.

Ingredients
Source: Recipezaar, Recipe # 98867

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup warm water (must be between 110-115 degrees)
2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
3 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup raisins (I used 2 cups which was just enough, in my opinion 1 would have been far too few)
8 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I omitted)

Directions
Warm the milk in a small sauce pan on the stove until it just starts to bubble, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.Let cool until lukewarm, about 120-125 degrees.

Dissolve yeast in warm water (I also added a pinch of sugar) and set aside until yeast is frothy, about 10 minutes or so (make sure your water is at the correct temperature or the yeast won't activate.) Then in a large bowl (I used the bowl of my KA mixer) mix in eggs, sugar, yeast mixture, butter, salt and raisins. Then stir in the cooled milk slowly so you don't cook the eggs. I also added a pinch of cinnamon to the dough itself.

Add the flour gradually to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until smooth. (I mixed and kneaded with the dough hook of my KA mixer). Place in a large, buttered, mixing bowl and turn to grease the surface of the dough.Cover with a warm, damp cloth and let rise (I like to let my bread rise in the oven with the light on. It has just the right amount of heat and keeps the bread out of drafts.) Allow to rise until doubled, usually about 1 1/2 hours.

Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Moisten the dough with 2 tablespoons milk and rub all over the dough with your hands. Mix together 1 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons cinnamon and sprinkle mixture evenly on top of the moistened dough. Roll up tightly (the long way). The roll should be about 3 inches in diameter. Cut into thirds, and tuck under ends and pinch bottom together. Place loaves into well greased (you can use Crisco or butter for this) 9 x 5 inch pans and lightly grease tops of loaves. Let rise in warm place, uncovered, again for about an hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped (mine were done after about 35-40 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool on rack.

Take melted butter and spread over tops of loaves (I omitted this step) After about 20 minutes, lay loaves on their sides and remove from pans.Allow to cool before slicing.

Parmesan Cheese Bread

Fall is starting to settle in up here...the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder. This is perfectly fine by me, since fall is absolutely my favorite season. This is the time of year where I start to cook heartier and bake lots of breads. I decided to try this recipe to pair with my favorite Corn Chowder, and it was absolutely delicious.

This was such a simple bread to make. It came together quickly and resulted in a wonderfully flavorful and well textured bread. I like that it's baked as rolls, so they are easy to pull apart.

The only things I did differently were: 1 - I used way more then 1/2 cup Parmesan. After I went through the first 1/2 cup I just kept shredding until I had what I thought was enough. So really after the first 1/2 cup I stopped measuring...but just know that I did use more then what the recipe called for. 2 - I made 6 very large rolls rather then the 12 listed in the recipe. It was just my husband and I eating them, so 6 big ones worked out well for us (and still yielded leftovers).

This is a great recipe and would be just perfect for company. After all, is there anything much better then bread and cheese?!

Ingredients
Source: Williams-Sonoma

3 3/4 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more as needed
1 Tbs. (1 package) active dry yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups warm water
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I used more)
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing

Directions

In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, combine the 3 3/4 cups flour, the yeast and salt. Add the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon until just mixed together. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese over the dough. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and begin mixing and kneading on very low speed. When the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl, increase the mixer speed to medium-low and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 12 to 15 minutes, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead by hand for 1 to 2 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball, brush it with a little olive oil and return it to the bowl. Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F. Brush a 9-inch round pan with olive oil.

Place the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on a plate. Punch down the dough. Return it to the floured work surface and knead a few times. Then, using your palms, roll the dough to form a log about 12 inches long. Cut the log in half crosswise, then cut each half crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Knead each dough piece a couple of times, roll it between the palms of your hands into a ball, and then roll it in the cheese to coat lightly and evenly, shaking off any excess. (I had to add more oil to each ball of dough as it was too dry for the cheese to adhere. This worked well.)As each ball is coated, place it in the prepared pan, resting it against the rim and pressing down slightly to form a 2-inch disk. Arrange 9 balls around the rim and 3 balls in the center. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.

Sprinkle the top with the cheese remaining on the plate. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, cut a slash 1/4 inch deep in the top of each ball. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking until brown and crusty, 20 to 30 minutes more. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the rolls rest in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove them from the pan; the rolls will come out in a single loaf.

Serve the loaf warm, breaking off the rolls at the table. Or let cool, top side up, on the rack. Makes 12 rolls (or 6 large rolls).

Dill and Cheddar Cornbread

I had a bunch of beautiful fresh dill from the farmers market that proved to be too much for my batch of Dill Pickles (that's another post!), so I was looking for a way to use it before it went bad. Then I was watching Barefoot Contessa on TV and Ina was making this delicious looking cornbread along with some braised short ribs. I thought this would be the perfect thing to make with my fresh dill.

I really loved this cornbread. I'm a huge fan of dill and that along with the sharp cheddar and moist corn bread was a perfect combination in my book. However, I do feel obliged to mention that my husband just said it was "weird"...so I don't think he loved it as much as I did. I think that he was surprised with the flavor of the dill in such a traditional corn bread. Either way, I can assure you that if you like dill you will love this cornbread! A perfect addition to a Sunday dinner.

Ingredients
Source: Ina Garten

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1 cup minced fresh dill

Directions

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar and the dill, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This was by far the best banana bread I've had. There. I said it.

In all seriousness though, this bread was SO moist, flavorful, and the addition of the chocolate was absolutely fantastic. I am a chocolate lover though, so anywhere you want to put in some chocolate is OK by me!

I'm not the only one who thought this bread was great though; my husband and co workers devoured it! In fact, I had one coworker who described it as a "banana cake" rather then a banana bread, and I have to say I agree with him. While it certainly wasn't overly sweet, the texture just reminded you of a delicious cake!

I followed the recipe exactly, which obviously worked well and came out great. Next time I might use 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening, just to see what it does to the flavor (and because I hate using shortening) but really this is just a great recipe as is. Definitely a keeper and a perfect way to use your overly ripened bananas!

Ingredients
Source: AllRecipes.com

1 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I used light mayo which worked fine!)
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Stir in the mayonnaise and bananas. Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Blend the flour mixture into the banana mixture; stir just enough to evenly combine. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 50 to 75 minutes. Cool loaf in the pan for 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Focaccia

Focaccia Bread has been on my list of things to make for a while now, so as soon as I saw this recipe on Good Things Catered, I printed it out and made it on the earliest day possible and I'm so glad I did! I mean, how can you possibly go wrong with bread, caramelized onions, roasted garlic and lemon? You can't! There is no possible way! My husband and I absolutely loved this bread. And in addition to being absolutely delicious, it was one of the easiest breads I have ever made which is a huge plus!

Whether you make this for company or just dinner for two, you will be so glad you did. It will most certainly dress up your table and your meal.

Ingredients:
Source: Good Things Catered

1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water, 110 degrees
1 1/2 c. milk, room temp
4 Tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tsp for onion
5 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced (I didn't have thyme, so I used a full sprig of rosemary and it was just wonderful!)
2 small yellow onions, peeled, halved and sliced (I used about 1 1/2 onions, but they were very large)
5 garlic cloves, roasted (or roasted while dough is rising) and halved from end to end
1/2 lemon, sliced very thin
kosher salt

Directions
-In medium bowl, combine warm water and sprinkle with yeast.
-Let stand until frothy, about 5-10 minutes.
-Meanwhile combine flour, salt and thyme in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
-Once yeast mixture is frothy, add milk and olive oil and stir to combine well
-Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and turn mixer on low to combine well.
-Fit mixer with bread hook and knead until mixture is not sticky, but springy and elastic, about 5 minutes.
-Remove dough from bowl, wipe out, spray with non-stick spray, knead dough on counter into a ball.
-Place dough back into bowl, cover with a cloth and let sit in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
-Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium low heat, add an additional olive oil until hot.
-Add onions to pan as well as a hefty pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, on low until caramelized, about 25-30 minutes.
-Place in bowl and set aside.
-Once dough is risen, spray a large jelly roll pan with nonstick spray.
-Punch dough down and spread out over jelly roll pan evenly.
-Top with caramelized onions, halved roasted garlic, and lemon slices.
-Cover with towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
-Using finger tips, make small indentations across the dough.
-Drizzle very lightly with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle top with kosher salt to taste, and place in oven to bake.
-Bake until turning slightly golden brown, about 25-30minutes.
-Remove from oven, let cool for at least 5 minutes, cut and serve.

Garlic Knots

I've always wanted to make my own garlic knots and last weekend I decided to do so! I didn't follow a recipe (I thought it was pretty self explanatory), but these were great, easy and are most certainly something I will be making again! They taste great dunked in warm marinara.

Ingredients
1 recipe Pizza Dough (I only used 1/3 of the what my dough recipe makes, and that was more than enough for my husband and me)
1/2 stick butter
2-4 cloves of freshly minced garlic

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 and spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Roll out dough into a rectangle and cut dough into long strips. Take a length of dough and start knotting! You want the first knot to be in the middle of your length of dough, and then work out from there. Position all knots in the casserole dish. Meanwhile, in a small bowl melt butter and garlic. When completely melted, brush over knots so they are completely coated. Bake for aprox. 12 - 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden in color.

Rosemary Garlic Croutons

A week had passed and I found myself with 1/2 loaf of my favorite french bread which was clearly past its prime. So what better to do with slightly stale bread? Make croutons! I had never made them before, so I found this guide online and went from there. These croutons are fabulous and couldn't be easier to make. Next time I wont be lazy and will mince up some fresh garlic rather then using the powder, but either way they were delicious. Honestly, I can't foresee myself ever buying croutons again. I think I might make a loaf of bread once a week just so I can make croutons.

Ingredients
Adapted from About.com

Homemade Bread (slightly stale is fine!)
1/2 - 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
dried rosemary
garlic powder (or freshly minced garlic)
seasoned salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil, and lightly spray with non-stick spray. Mix rosemary, garlic powder and seasoned salt with your olive oil. All measurements are approximate, just use what you want to fit your tastes. Slice bread to your desired thickness, and brush both sides with olive oil mixture. Stack 2-3 pieces of bread on top of each other, and cut into squares. Repeat if necessary. Lay bread squares on the baking sheet in a single layer, and bake until dry and crisp, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container. Use within one week or freeze for up to 6 months.

Kaiser Rolls

I made pulled pork sandwiches over the weekend and decided to make my own kaiser rolls as well! I'm really glad I chose to make them rather then buy pre-made ones. The result was a super soft and fresh roll, resulting in a extra special pulled pork sandwich! This is a great recipe!
Ingredients
Source: King Arthur Flour

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup water

Directions

Manual Method:In a large bowl, or the bowl of your electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients, stirring till the dough forms a cohesive mass and begins to clear the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then allow it to rest for 10 minutes (which gives the dough a chance to absorb the liquid, and the gluten in the flour a chance to relax.) Knead the dough for an additional 5 minutes, or until it's smooth and supple. The dough should be quite stiff, but not at all "gnarly;" adjust its consistency with additional flour or water, as necessary. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise till it's noticeably puffy, about 1 hour.

Bread Machine Method:Place all of the ingredients into the pan of your machine, program the machine for manual or dough, and press start. About 10 minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle, examine the dough's consistency; it should be quite stiff, but not at all "gnarly;" adjust it consistency with additional flour or water, as necessary. Allow the machine to complete its cycle.

Shaping:Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into six equal pieces. Shape the pieces into round balls, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Working with one ball of dough at a time, center your kaiser stamp over the dough. Press down firmly, cutting to the bottom but not all the way through the dough. This is important; if you don't cut deeply enough, the shape disappears as the roll bakes; if you cut too deeply (all the way through), the roll will form "petals" as it rises and look like a daisy, not a kaiser roll. Practice makes perfect! Repeat with the remaining rolls. (note: I do not have a Kaiser Stamp, so I just used my knife and made cuts in the rolls! I think it worked out quite well!)

Place the rolls cut-side down (yes-cut-side down--this helps them retain their shape) onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the rolls, and allow them to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they've almost doubled in volume. Turn the rolls cut-side up. Dip tops in milk and coat with poppy or sesame seeds, if desired. (I brushed an egg/cream mixture on the tops of my rolls for a high gloss finish!)
Bake the rolls in a preheated 425°F oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a wire rack.Yield: six large kaiser rolls.

Country French Bread

And my 100th blog post! I can't believe I've blogged 100 recipes since last October. In fact, it came up on me so fast I didn't really plan a "special" recipe per se for this post, but this bread was so good, it sure worked out to be pretty special! I also want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who reads my little blog! I really love to cook, I'm learning to love baking a lot more and I really have a great time blogging about my recipes. I can't wait to post the next hundred, and the next hundred after that, and the next hundred after that.....you get the idea!

So about this special bread. I've actually made it twice now. First time I let the sponge sit for 2 hours, the second time I let it sit for 16 hours. Definitely let it sit as long as you can! The bread gets these great holes in it and has a lovely texture. The crust is perfect, as is the inside. I have made 1 large loaf both times which works out great. Also, I used my bread maker for the sponge and to mix the dough itself, but then took it out to let it rise and bake. A great tip I recently learned: if you have a cold kitchen (like me) and things don't rise that well in it, put the dough in the oven (while the oven is off!) with a pot of boiling water. It makes for the perfect temperature to rise the dough, and keeps it moist.

Anyways this is a great bread that you should definitely try! And the appearance makes it look so artisan, so it's perfect to serve to company! They will be very impressed that you made it yourself!

Ingredients
Source: King Arthur Flour

Sponge Starter (Begin 2 to 16 hours ahead)
1 cup (8 ounces) cool to lukewarm water, preferably spring water (90 to 100°F)
1/2 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
1 1/4 cups (5 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) King Arthur White Whole Wheat or Traditional Whole Wheat Flour

Dough
All of the sponge starter (above)
1 cup (8 ounces) lukewarm water, preferably spring water (l00 to 115°F)
3/4 teaspoon active dry or 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
3 3/4 to 4 cups (1 pound to 1 pound 1 ounce) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

To Make The Sponge: Stir all of the sponge ingredients together to make a thick, pudding-like mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on a counter overnight or for at least 2 to 4 hours. If you're making this in a bread machine, place the sponge ingredients inside, and turn the machine on for just a few seconds to mix the ingredients together. Turn the machine off and close the cover. Let the sponge rest for 4 hours or overnight (anywhere between 2 and 16 hours is fine, the longer the better).

To Make The Dough: Stir down the sponge with a spoon and add the water, yeast, sugar, most of the flour (hold back about 1/2 cup to use if required), and salt. Knead the dough, adding more flour as necessary, to make a soft dough, 10 to 12 minutes.

Note: You may also do this in your bread machine, using the Dough or Manual setting. After the dough has finished kneading, place it in a lightly greased bowl, and continue as directed below.

Big Tip: Mix ingredients together using up to 80% of the flour called for: it will be a loose, messy mass. Let the dough rest for 12 minutes, and you'll see it change in texture, to be come much smoother. Continue, kneading and adding additional flour as required. Overall, the dough handles better once its had time for the flour to absorb the water while resting and relaxing. By using this method, you'll tend to add less flour, and have much bigger holes in your finished bread.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or plastic container, cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and a damp towel, and let it rise until almost doubled (depending on the weather, this could be l to 2 hours). If you're going out, or if you prefer, let the dough rise slowly in the fridge. If your dough has been refrigerated, allow it to come to room temperature; it'll warm up and rise at the same time. After its first rise, deflate the dough gently, but don't knock out all the air; this will create those "holes" so important to French bread. Form the dough into a round ball. Place two cookie sheets atop one another, and place a semolina- or cornmeal-dusted piece of parchment paper on top. Gently place the ball of dough on the cookie sheets, seam-side down. Cover it lightly with a tea towel, and let it rise the second time until it's puffy and about 40% to 50% larger, anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes (depending on the weather, luck, and magic). Slash or cross-hatch the bread with a sharp knife or lame. Dust it with a little flour.

Preheat your grill to High. Place the bread (on the doubled-up cookie sheets) on the grill, and close the cover. Immediately reduce the heat to Medium (400°F), and allow the bread to bake for 25 minutes, or until it's well-browned. Reduce the heat to Low, and carefully place the bread directly on the grill. Continue to bake until completely done, about 5 minutes.

For Regular (Oven) Baking: Preheat the oven to 475°F. Slash the bread, spritz water into the oven with a clean plant mister, and place the bread in the oven. Reduce the heat to 425°F and spritz with water every few minutes for the first 15 minutes of baking. Bake the bread for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until it tests done. Yield: 1 large round bread or two medium breads, 10 to 12 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (1 hearty slice, 1/12 of recipe, 97g): 180 cal, .5g fat, 6g protein, 38g complex carbohydrates, 1g sugar, 2g dietary fiber, 534mg sodium, 74mg potassium, 2mg iron, 89mg calcium, 56mg phosphorus.

Calzones

Usually on Friday I make a pizza, but last weekend I was in the mood for calzones. So my husband and I each made our own and they came out great! I have no clue if I made them correctly because I had no recipe, but it worked for us! I hate toppings on my pizza, so I also hate different things in my calzones. I personally made myself a cheese calzone with a bit of minced garlic, but my husband added ham and onion to his as well. Overall, this is a great friday night meal and are fun to make because you can customize individual calzones! Just be careful how big you make them, ours were huge so we only ate half!

Ingrediets
1 recipe Pizza Dough
Ricotta Cheese
Motzerella Cheese
2 cloves minced garlic
2 eggs
1 tbps milk
salt
pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl stir together ricotta cheese (as much as you want...I used about a half of a container of fat free ricotta), one egg and salt and pepper to taste. Seperate your dough into as many portions as calzones you want. Based on the dough recipe I used, I made 2 really big calzones and garlic knots. You could easily get 3-4 normal calzones out of that recipe. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough into a circle, and on one half of that spread the ricotta and motzerella (no quantity because you can put in as much as you want!) Sprinkle the garlic on the cheeses and lightly season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat together remaining egg and milk. Using a pastry brush, brush the edge of the half circle where the cheese is, and fold over the other side of the dough. Press the dough together forming a seal, and then tuck the edges under. Brush the top of the calzone with more of the egg wash. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and melty on the inside! Serve with some warm marinara sauce and enjoy!

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Last week I got this HUGE craving for soft pretzels. I have no clue why, but I needed to have them! So over the weekend I decided to make some! I heard fabulous things about Alton Brown's recipe and now I know why! They were absolutely delicious and the perfect soft pretzel. These were also really easy and fun to make. I enjoyed twisting them into their fun little pretzel shape...I think they came out really cute! I made 3 kinds - Traditional salt pretzels which is what the recipe makes, and then I "made up" Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels and Garlic Parmesan Pretzels. I think everyone's favorite were the cinnamon sugar pretzels, although I loved them all! Even my husband who "doesn't like pretzels" gobbled the cinnamon sugar ones up. My personal favorite is a traditional pretzel dunked in some yellow mustard....what a treat!

Ingredients
Source: Alton Brown

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt (I used kosher)

Optional: Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels
2 tbsp butter, melted
Sugar and cinnamon, combined in a small bowl

Optional: Garlic Parmesan
garlic powder
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt for the traditional pretzels. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. (For Garlic Parmesan pretzels, also brush the top of the pretzel with the egg yolk and water mixture, then sprinkle on some garlic powder and grate Parmesan cheese over the top of the pretzel. Bake as directed. For cinnamon sugar pretzels, brush the top of each pretzel with butter, then sprinkle a generous amount of a cinnamon sugar mixture over the pretzel and bake as directed.) Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Homemade Pizza Dough

Well, third try's the charm! After 2 failed attempts, I finally conquered making homemade pizza dough! After realizing that my house is just too cold to produce a good rise out of my pizza dough (thus the 2 failed attempts), I decided to utilize a newly acquired tool- my bread maker! It's the perfect environment for dough obviously, and it worked out fabulously. I followed this recipe from the Dinner & Dessert blog and just altered the steps in order for it to match the steps my bread maker came with (ie. put the wet ingredients in first, then the dry, then put it on the "dough" setting, etc.). So I'm going to post the original recipe with the original directions, because all I did was just dump the ingredients in the bread maker and go work on my puzzle. :)

The pizza crust was big and delicious and really it was so easy to make in the bread maker. I will be making pizza crust this way from now on! For me, this recipe made 2 large pizza's. I topped mine with my favorite: Extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, tomato slices and Mozzarella cheese!

Pizza Dough
Source: Dinner & Dessert, originally from Baking Illustrated, pages 153-155

Makes enough for 3 medium pizzas.

We find the food processor is the best tool for making pizza dough. However, only a food processor with a capacity of at least 11 cups can handle this much dough. You can also knead this dough by hand or in a standing mixer (see the variations that follow). Unbleached all-purpose flour can be used in a pinch, but the resulting crust will be less crisp. If you want to make pizza dough in the morning and let it rise on the counter all day, decrease the yeast to 1/2 teaspoon and let the covered dough rise at cool room temperature (about 68 degrees) until doubled in size, about 8 hours. You can prolong the rising time even further by refrigerating the covered dough for up to 16 hours and then letting it rise on the counter until doubled in size, which will take 6 to 8 hours.

1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 envelope (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups (22 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting work surface and hands
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for oiling the bowl

1. Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room-temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

2. Process the flour and salt in a large food processor, pulsing to combine. Continue pulsing while pouring the liquid ingredients (holding back a few tablespoons) through the feed tube. If the dough does not readily form into a ball, add the remaining liquid and continue to pulse until a ball forms. Process until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 30 seconds longer.

3. The dough will be a bit tacky, so use a rubber spatula to turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by h and for a few strokes to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough into a deep oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

Pizza Dough Kneaded by Hand
Follow the recipe for Pizza Dough through step 1. Omit step 2 and instead combine the salt and half the flour in a deep bowl. Add the liquid ingredients and use a wooden spoon to combine. Add the remaining flour, stirring until a cohesive mass forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic 7 to 8 minutes, using as little dusting flour as possible while kneading. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and proceed with the recipe.

Pizza Dough Kneaded in a Standing Mixer
Follow the recipe for Pizza Dough through step 1. Omit step 2 and instead place the flour and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and proceed with the recipe.

Pizza Sauce

2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce or 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon marjoram
¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a small saucepan on medium heat until warm. Spoon over pizza dough.