Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Last weekend I made those fantastic pumpkin cupcakes, and at the end of the day I was left with every bakers worst dilemma... extra icing! I hate to just waste it, especially when the icing is of the cream cheese variety. So I started brainstorming about other good uses for this creamy, rich icing. It didn't take me long to decided cinnamon rolls would be a great way to use this icing, and going along with the change of season, the cinnamon rolls needed to be pumpkin flavor. I checked one of my favorite online baking resources, King Arthur Flour's website, and found a recipe that they had blogged about last fall.

What can I say? These were great! Rich, sweet, and intensely bad for you... a perfect fall treat. I'm actually a pretty healthy eater overall, so I almost feel guilty eating these for breakfast! But I do think these would be wonderful on a special occastion, like a holiday brunch or breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. You can make the dough the night before, and let the rolls rise in the fridge overnight. Then, let them come back to room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes the next morning before you bake them.

If you want advice on this recipe, or for other great baking inspiration, check out the King Arthur Flour blog. They give great step by step instructions, and always respond to peoples questions in the comments section. You can see the original recipe there, too. Now I'm headed to the gym, to work off a few of the calories I packed on from eating these things :)

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

from kingarthurflour.com

Dough

1 cup canned pumpkin or squash

2 large eggs

1/4 cup (plus 2-4 Tbsp) lukewarm milk

1/4 cup soft butter

2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 3/4 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, optional

3 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons instant yeast

*Adjust the amount of milk by the time of year or your climate. For summer, or in a humid enivronment, use the lesser amount of water. In winter, or in a dry climate, use the greater amount. It's always best to start with the lesser amount; you can always add more liquid a lot easier than taking it away.

Filling

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

water to brush on dough

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Cream Cheese Icing

Directions

1) Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients together — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — until you've made a soft, fairly smooth dough.

This is a really easy dough, with all the ingredients going into one bowl. Less mess, yeah! I think a stand mixer makes a big difference for this dough, because it's a wetter dough that would be hard to knead by hand.

2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 hours, until it's almost doubled in bulk.

3) Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface. Roll it into a 14" x 22" rectangle; the dough will be thin.

4) Mix the cinnamon and sugar. Brush a thin layer of water over the dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving one short edge free of filling.

5) Sprinkle with dried cranberries.

The recipe also recommended sprinkling with crystalized ginger, which sounded great but for me meant another trip to the store. I might try that if I plan better next time. I also think chopped nuts would be nice tucked into the rolls.

6) Starting with the short end that's covered with filling, roll the dough into a log.

7) Cut the log into nine 1½"-thick rolls.

8) Place the rolls into a lightly greased 9" x 9" pan that's at least 2" deep. Set aside, covered, to rise for 1 hour, or until the rolls look puffy.

9) Bake the rolls in a preheated 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until they're lightly browned and feel set. Remove them from the oven, and set them on a rack. Turn them out of the pan, and allow them to cool for about 15 minutes. Towards the end of the cooling time, spread cream cheese icing over the rolls.

Irish Brown Soda Bread

I have 50% Irish blood running through my body, so this time of year I start feeling all sorts of cultural pride. I had a lot of Irish experiences growing up, with a step dancing sister, a bag piping brother (sorta Scottish, I know), and a father obsessed with tracing his Irish ancestry. We got to take a couple trips to Ireland when I was younger, and I have such fond memories of exploring the Irish countryside with my family. I know all six of us have a fond spot for anything Irish.

My brother played the bagpipes at our wedding, as we exited the Cathedral. It was awesome!

Last weekend I was visiting my sister in Colorado, and she pulled a loaf of this bread out for breakfast one morning. She must have been reading my mind, because I'd seen this recipe from Bon Appetit on the flight to Denver, and I was planning to make soda bread as soon as I got back to Chicago. Her version was so good, however, that I ended up looking it up online. This recipe for Brown Soda Bread is from Cooking light, and it was dense, healthy, and just subtly sweet. It is amazing for toast in the morning, with just a little butter melted on top. I imagine it's also excellent for sandwiches, especially with smoked salmon. The best part? It's QUICK, and so easy! Just toss the ingredients together, then go study abstract algebra for an hour while it cooks. Or I guess you could watch TV, or do something a little more fun!

This is a page from the scrapbook I made in high school. Thankfully I didn't save any dorky pictures of myself from this trip to Ireland in 1999. I'm sure my parents have plenty, but there is no way they're getting on this blog!

Next weekend my mom and other sister will be in town for a concert (Flogging Molly! Another important part of any Irish American youth's experience!), and I am sure I'll make this again. Now I just need to think of a vegetarian meal to make for St. Patrick's day... any suggestions? (Also, did I mention we gave up meat & seafood for lent? That's why there have been so many vegetarian recipes lately. We're doing ok, but the other day I was totally craving a chicken burger, thanks to Annie!)

Have a great weekend everyone!


Brown Soda Bread
from Cooking Light, March 2010

* Cooking spray
* 11.25 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
* 2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
* 1/2 cup steel-cut oats (such as McCann's)*
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon wheat germ*
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups low-fat buttermilk
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Coat a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, and coat with cooking spray.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and next 6 ingredients (through salt). Combine buttermilk and egg; add to flour mixture. Stir just until combined.

Don't smooth the batter out too much; you want it a little rustic looking on top.

4. Spoon the mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert bread onto a wire rack; cool completely. Remove parchment; slice bread into 12 slices.

* I got my steel cut oats and wheat germ at Whole Foods, but I bet you could find them at a decent sized regular grocery store. I'd check the cereal aisle for both, or the bulk foods section. And pay attention to how much you need, because I have about 2 cups of extra steel cut oats! Guess I'll be searching for another recipe soon... or making this bread a lot more!

Perfect for breakfast toast.
(Also, perfect plates for blogging. Right Laura?)

Cranberry Oatmeal Nut Bread

Recently I've been in the mood to experiment with more yeast bread recipes, so I picked up The Bread Book by Betsy Oppenneer from the library a couple weeks ago. I was trying to convince Joe that I needed a bread baking cookbook, because it is a totally different genre than any of the other cookbooks I own. I really want to buy The Bread Baker's Apprentice, but I felt like I should play around with bread baking recipes a bit more before I invest in another new cookbook.

So many of the recipes in this book appealed to me, but I decided to start out with a breakfast bread that sounded perfect for toast. This Oatmeal Cranberry bread was originally a recipe for all-purpose flour, but I decided to do half AP and half whole wheat. I used dried cranberries and pre-chopped walnuts, and this bread really came together easily. It was hearty and dense, with a nice subtly sweet flavor. I thought my loaf ended up a little doughy, which could have been from subbing flour. I would probably cook it a little longer next time, because I'd really like to keep it at least partially whole wheat flour. The doughiness wasn't an issue at all once I toasted it, and we ate the loaf of bread within a few days. I would highly recommend this recipe to any breakfast toast eaters out there! Look for more bread baking in the future, as I continue to explore various yeast bread recipes.

Cranberry Oatmeal Nut Bread
from The Bread Book by Betsy Oppenneer

Yield: 2 loaves (I did 1/2 recipe and it worked well)

2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
2 (1/4 oz) packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 large egg plus 1 Tbsp cold water, for egg wash


Pour the boiling water over the rolled oats and cranberries. Stir, cover, and let cool for about 45 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the warm water. Add the brown sugar, salt, oil, 2 cups of the flour, the walnuts, and the cooled oats and cranberries. Beat vigorously with a dough whisk or heavy handled spoon for 2 minutes. Gradually add more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough forms a mass and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding more flour, a little at a time as necessary, until you have an elastic dough and blisters begin to develop on the surface. Put the dough into an oiled bowl, and turn the dough to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto an oiled work surface. Divide the dough in half and shape into loaves. Fit the loaves, seam side down, into well-greased loaf pans. Cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes. About 15 minutes before the end of rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Just before baking, brush the egg wash over the top of each loaf, taking care not to let it drip onto the pans. Sprinkle with rolled oats. Bake the loaves for 30 to 35 minutes or until they are browned and shrink lightly from the sides of the pan. Immediately remove the bread from the pans and cool on a rack.

Irresistible Indian

As I've mentioned before, recipes from work frequently inspire me at home. A couple weekends ago I worked an Indian cooking class, and this bread recipe jumped out at me as a 'must try'. Aloo Paratha is an Indian potato-stuffed griddle bread, and it is basically a carb and spice lovers dream. Potatoes are peeled, boiled, and then mashed with a mix of Indian spices. The bread dough is rolled out into big circles, then folded around the potato filling. Finally, the package is carefully rolled out again, to allow for even cooking. I only had a quick taste of these at work, because everyone wanted to take their leftovers home. That was a good sign to me, so I made them myself a few days later. My only issue was that it took a while to make the breads one at a time on my smaller skillet, but in the end I decided the effort was worth it.


The bread paired really well with Spinach Dhal (or lentils) from the blog Cate's World Kitchen. I remembered this recipe sounding really great when I first saw it, and I happened to have just about all of the ingredients on hand. We added a little extra seasoning (salt and curry powder), and found that improved the taste. It also tasted noticeably more flavorful the second day, after the flavors really had time to marry. I think that is usually a pretty cheesy idea, but in this case it was so true! The lunchtime leftovers were such a treat!

Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Griddle Bread)
from Irresistible Indian at The Chopping Block

For the dough:
2 cups chapatti flour (see note)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon ghee or vegetable shortening
3/4 cup warm water or more if needed

For the filling:
1 large russet potato or 2 small white potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
1/2 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Grapeseed oil, for the griddle

1. To make the dough, mix the chapatti flour, all purpose flour, salt, sugar and ghee. Mix in the water and knead until smooth; add a small amount more water if needed to make a soft, pliable dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes before using.
2. To make the filling, mash the potatoes in a bowl.
3. Fold in the onion, brown sugar, cilantro, cumin, coriander, salt, lemon juice, garam masala and cayenne pepper.
4. To assemble the parathas, divide the dough into 9 equal parts, and roll each into a thin disk about 10 inches in diameter.
5. Place a 1/4 cup of the filling in the center.
6. Gather the edges to the center to form 4 or 5 points, overlapping so they do not leave an opening.
7. Press gently, dust with dry flour, and proceed to roll 6 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick.
8. To cook the parathas, heat a griddle over medium heat and drizzle with oil.
9. Cook the paratha until golden brown on each side. If the griddle becomes dry, drizzle with more oil.
10. Serve warm.

NOTE: Chapatti flour is an Indian flour made from whole wheat and malted barley. If you can’t find chapatti flour, substitute a mixture of equal parts whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.


Spinach Dhal
from Cate's World Kitchen, originally from Fresh Indian by Sunil Vijayakar

2 cups red lentils, rinsed and drained
5 cups water
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 medium bunch spinach, washed well and roughly chopped (leaves only)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 fresh jalapeno, thinly sliced (for garnish)

Put the lentils, water, turmeric, and ginger in a dutch oven or large pot. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that collects on the surface. Turn the heat down so the mixture is simmering, and let cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water in 1/4 cup increments if it begins to look dry. If they are particularly soupy, turn the heat up slightly so some of the water evaporates.

Add the spinach, cilantro, and a few pinches of salt, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium high for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic, cumin, mustard seeds, ground cumin, and ground coriander. Stir fry for about 2 minutes, then pour into the lentils and stir well.

Serve immediately, with slices of fresh jalapeno (if desired)

Redemption!

After a rough week of less than stellar new recipes, I knew I had to get my kitchen skills back in line. Who better to go to than Ina and her Back to Basics cookbook? Tonight's dinner was fantastic... but you'll have to wait to hear about it! Until then, check out the Beer Bread I posted about on my other blog. Sunday night dinners are always one of my favorite parts of the weekend, and this evening was no exception!

Masa Bread is the new Cornbread!

Quick, when I say "chili", what is the first accompaniment that comes to mind? It's cornbread, right? That's been my answer every since I started making chili a few years ago. I love inventing new types of chili based on my mood, but the side dish never varies. And even though I usually like trying new things, this corn bread requirement never really bothered me.


Last week I planned to make a big pot of chili, and for whatever reason I stopped myself before I gathered the ingredients for cornbread. I had finally reached my limit, and determined that I needed something else to fill the "yummy carb" food category of this meal. That lead me to pull out a few cookbooks, and when I stumbled across a bread recipe from my mom I knew I had found my answer. Masa bread is something she used to make all the time when I was younger, and I loved it. I can't tell you what it is about this bread, but it's amazing! Maybe it's the texture... it's pretty dense but not tough or doughy. Maybe it's the flavor... it tastes like corn, but only subtly. Whatever it is, this bread is a wonderful alternative to cornbread, especially with chili or any type of mexican stew (like my Mexican Chili or Chile Verde).

Masa Bread
from Breads of the Southwest, by Beth Hensperger

-3 3/4 to 4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
-1 1/4 cups masa harina para tortillas (the masa I found said "instant for tamales" and it worked great!)
-1 Tbsp/package active dry yeast
-3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
-2 tsp salt
-2 cups warm water (about 115 degrees)
- cornmeal, for sprinkling
- 2 Tbsp corn oil, for brushing

In a mixer with a paddle, mix 1 cup all purpose flour with the masa, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add hot water and beat until smooth- about 1 minute. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix on low until dough just clears the sides of the bowl.

Switch to a dough hook, and knead until soft and springy- about 1-2 minutes for the machine. Dust with flour 1 Tbsp at a time to prevent sticking. The dough should be smooth and springy, not dry. Put the kneaded dough into a greased bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1-1/12 hours at room temperature.

Turn the dough out onto the counter to deflate, and form into two loaves. Place the loaves onto a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal, at least four inches apart. Brush the loaves with corn oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until double, about 45 minutes.

About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the over to 375 degrees.

Brush the tops of the loaves again with corn oil. Bake on the center oven rack for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and hallow sounding. Place the loaves onto a cooking rack immediately. Bread is best warm or at room temperature on the day its baked.

My Notes-- since it makes two loaves, I slice one and put it in the freezer. Then I can easily grab a slice or two without defrosting the whole loaf. This bread is fantastic for breakfast, toasted with butter and honey on top.

Better Late Than Never... NYT No Knead Bread

If you're into food and spend some time on the internet, chances are you've seen this recipe before. I know I have, but bread is something I just don't make often enough. The recipe for No Knead Bread was introduced by Mark Bittman in the New York Times food section in November of 2006. Here's the link. I had heard mention of it before, but didn't look at the recipe until sometime last week. Amazing! Only 4 ingredients (including the cornmeal for dusting), and most of the time spent on this recipe was watching TV or reading blogs while the dough just does its own thing. It does take a little bit of planning ahead, since it's a recipe that takes two days to prepare. Lucky for me, I had the right amount of time off work to ensure we would have fresh baked bread for dinner the next night. And really, if you have a normal 9-5 type job, you could still easily plan ahead and make this on a week night.



I think the fact I ate about 4 slices with our pasta that night was a sign of how I felt about this bread! It was really moist with a great crusty outside. Simple flavor, and was nice and chewy. I ate it sliced and plain, and also toasted it. It was great for dinner, and for caprese inspired sandwiches the night night, and for a couple mornings worth of toast. I will be making this again, and most likely soon! Once the weather turns fall-like this will be great with soup. As soon as I bit into this I knew where all the hype came from. If it weren't for the "Beard on Bread" recipe that is rising in my kitchen right now, I think I'd be craving more of this loaf right now!

New York Times No Knead Bread
Published: November 8, 2006
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

1¼ teaspoons salt

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Fiesta Time! Fresh Flour Tortillas

My mom gets 100% credit for inspiring me to try this recipe. She's always been adventurous about cooking recipes from cuisines around the world, and Mexican is one type of food she's really mastered. Trips to visit our relatives in Southern California inspired our family's love of Mexican food. We started with eating-- there was always so much great stuff to eat on our vacations to Los Angeles. Then my mom got some first hand lessons on making tortillas, and she was off and running. She started with traditional corn tortillas, then expanded out to tamales, flour tortillas, chiles rellano, and more.


The flour tortillas have always been my favorite, and they're a dinner request pretty much any time I visit my parents. I've helped my mom make them, and I've seen how simple the recipe is. Last spring my mom typed up the recipe for a friend, and emailed a copy to my sister and me. I have had this recipe sitting in my inbox ever since! I have no idea what took me so long, but these are the best tortillas EVER! They are not hard to make, and the taste is worlds away from the boring, dry tortillas you buy at the grocery store. You have to make them one at a time, so I put my oven on low and kept the cooked ones in there as I kept working. They stayed warm without drying out, and I put Joe to work on the fillings while I flipped the tortillas.

Grilled veggies with black beans on the side made for a delicious
vegetarian meal. We were disappointed when we got full, because
everything was so good we wanted to just keep eating!

On a Chicago note-- I got the supplies for my guacamole and pico de gallo from Maxwell Street Market, down in the South Loop. It's a Mexican street market with a ton of different vendors. You can dine on amazing tacos and quesadillas, buy fresh fruits and veggies, and browse a LOT of (fake? stolen?) purses and clothing. It was beautiful weather last Sunday when we went, and I really enjoyed shopping around with about half the residents of Chicago! I thought I didn't have my camera, so I didn't take any pictures... then I got home and realized my camera was in my purse the whole time! But this picture, courtesy of google images, gives you a good idea:

Picture from http://www.renkar.net/DayFour.htm

Flour Tortillas
from "Breads of the Southwest" by Beth Hensperger

4 cups flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. salt

½ cup Crisco ( or butter, lard or bacon drippings... I used butter flavored Crisco)

1 ½ cups warm water

Combine flour , baking powder and salt in bowl of heavy duty mixer. Cut in fat until crumbly. Gradually add water, stirring just until dough sticks together, clears the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. (too much water makes it tough so go slowly). Give the dough a few kneads – fewer than 10, no longer than a minute) to make a smooth ball. Form into cylinder and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest at room temp. for 30 mins. to two hours, until slightly puffy and shiny.

To shape tortillas, divide dough into 15 equal balls. Let them rest 20 – 30 mins covered (To be honest, I usually skip this step when I am in a hurry). Drape each ball around your forefinger, making a depression on the underside. This makes a mushroom shape and help in rolling it into a round. Flatten the ball with you hand then roll it out to form a thin round 8 – 9 inches in diameter. You can stack these between waxed paper and store in fridge for up to six hours. I just make them up two or three at a time and cook them. Then roll more as they are cooking.

To cook: heat an ungreased heavy cast-iron skillet, griddle or “comal” over medium high heat until drops of water sprinkled on the surface “dance”. Bake for 30 seconds – the tortilla will form bubbles, flatten them slightly with the spatula.

Turn and bake for 30 seconds longer. Remove and stack in a warm towel. Keep them warm so they stay soft and serve them as soon as they are all cooked.

Bread Baking for Dummies

I am a huge planner. I plan my recipes each week. I plan what day I'll clean the bathroom, and what day I'll wear my new sweater. I plan vacations far in advance. And yet, when it comes to baking bread, I NEVER plan in time! I cannot tell you how many times I've had a free weekend afternoon when I've tried to bake some kind of yeast bread, and every single time I seem surprised that almost every recipe requires a 16 to 24 hour rest or rise period. Therefore, I rarely manage to bake fresh bread.

This weekend was the same scenario as usual, but when I decided to make bread at about 3:00 on Sunday afternoon, I decided I just had to find a way around the typical time constraints. I searched the web, and found the ideal recipe on the King Arthur Flour website. (Side note-- do you like to bake bread? They have a million and one great sounding recipes on their site, so go check it out!) I wanted a true loaf of Italian style bread (not a foccacia or another typical quick bread), and The Easiest Loaf of Bread You'll Ever Bake was exactly the recipe I'd been dreaming of! In less than three hours, I could have a lovely loaf of fresh baked bread. This recipe was really simple, with only ingredients you have around the kitchen, and produced a really great tasting loaf of bread. Was it the fanciest, most delicate and crusty bread ever? No. But it's a great place to start your bread baking adventures, and I've found it to be quite inspiring towards baking other types of bread in the near future. Now if only I could plan ahead enough to make that a reality...

The Easiest Loaf of Bread You’ll Ever Bake

from http://www.kingarthurflour.com

1 T sugar

5 1/2-6 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 T (1 packet) yeast

1 T salt

corn meal

2 cups warm water (not over 110°F)

boiling water

MIX IT

Add sugar and yeast to warm water and let dissolve. Gradually add salt and flour to liquid and mix thoroughly until dough pulls from sides of bowl. Turn out onto floured surface to knead. (This may be a little messy, but don't give up!)

KNEAD IT

Fold far edge of dough back over on itself towards you. Press dough away with heels of hands. After each push, rotate dough 90°. Repeat process in rhythmic, rocking motion for about 3 minutes. (Lightly sprinkle flour on board to prevent sticking.) Let dough rest while you scrape out and grease mixing bowl. Knead dough again about 3 more minutes until bouncy and smooth.

LET IT RISE

Place dough in bowl and turn over once to grease the top. Cover with damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk (1 to 2 hours).

SHAPE IT

Punch down dough with fist and briefly knead out gas bubbles. Cut in half and shape into 2 Italian or French-style loaves. Place on cookie sheet generously sprinkled with corn meal. Let dough rest 10 minutes.

BAKE IT

Quick Method: Lightly slash the tops 3 or more times diagonally and brush with cold water. Place on rack in cold oven. Bake at 400°F for 35 to 40 minutes until crust is golden brown and sounds hollow to the touch.

Traditional Method: For lighter, crustier bread, let loaves rise 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 450°F for 15 minutes. Pour 2 to 3 cups of boiling water into roasting pan. Carefully place on oven bottom. Place bread on rack above pan and bake 20 minutes. Turn oven off and allow bread to remain for 5 more minutes. Remove, cool and devour!

** Notes: I did a half recipe, and it turned out great. I did the traditional method to bake the loaf. I also used my Kitchen Aid mixer to knead the dough.

The 100th Post! Focaccia you don't want to miss

I didn't mean to save this recipe for my 100th post, but it is a fantastic recipe that fits the occasion. As the grand daughter of not one, but two Italian grandmothers, Focaccia is something I've always known and loved. My mom used to make it often, and I was never disappointed when it was a part of our dinner. I just don't bake bread often these days, though, because Joe and I only make it about 1/2 way through any loaf before it gets stale or moldy. I had never made focaccia on my own, so when I saw the recipe for Potato Focaccia with Thyme, I felt the time had come to try it myself.

This recipe actually came from a grilling book that Joe got for his birthday. The recipe was pretty simple and straightforward, but with the dough rising it does take a bit of time. Boiling the potatoes ahead of time was key; it made them so creamy and rich tasting on the finished bread. I think thyme may have overtaken rosemary as my all time favorite herb, and combined with the gruyere perfectly. I do think next time I might have made half the dough and rolled it out thinner, because it was a little too bready when the cheesey, herbed potatoes were the best part. This focaccia is sure to be a crowd pleaser, and I'm happy to report that the leftovers are great for breakfast the next day!

Potato Focaccia with Thyme from Grilling, by Eric Treuille and Birgit Erath

Dough Recipe:

3 1/2 cups all- purpose flour

2 tsp salt

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water

2 tsp active dried yeast

2 tbsp olive oil

Place the flour in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and sprinkle the salt around the edges. Pour the water into the well and sprinkle with the yeast. Let stand 5 minutes to allow the yeast to soften, then stir to dissolve. Add the olive oil to the mixture.

Draw in the rest of the flour to make a warm, sticky dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for ten minutes, until smooth, light, and elastic. Put back into the bowl, cover with a cloth, and leave until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Topping Recipe:

1 lb baby potatoes

1 1/2 cups grated gruyere cheese

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1/4 cup creme fraiche (optional... and I use creme fraiche every chance I get!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, add the potatoes, bring back to a boil and cook until they centers are just tender when pricked, about 5 minutes.

Deflate the dough and roll out into a flat round about 9 inches across; place on an oiled baking sheet (or pizza stone). Sprinkle half the cheese on top of the shaped dough. Arrange the potato slices over cheese. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Dot the potatoes with creme fraiche. Bake until bread is puffed and topping is crisp; about 30 minutes.

See, great for breakfast with a salmon and tomato omlet!

The Perfect Breakfast Bread

I stumbled across this recipe a few years ago, and it is an easy and tasty recipe for when I want to have homemade bread for breakfast. It's a yeast bread, so you do have to be a little careful, but it is pretty easy since it doesn't require any kneading. It makes 2 loaves, too, so I tend to save one in the freezer, since I'm only cooking for two. I make this bread in my kitchen aid mixer, but since it doesn't require kneading, it would be easy to make in a regular mixing bowl. With butter and jam it makes a quick but filling weekday breakfast.


English Muffin Bread
from "The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook"

• Cornmeal for dusting the pans
• 6 cups all purpose flour
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Grease 2 loaf pans, and sprinkle with enough cornmeal to coat bottom and sides. Set pans aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of the flour, the yeast, and baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir the milk, water, sugar, and salt until just warm (120-130 degrees). Using a wooden spoon, stir milk mixture into flour mixture. Stir in remaining flour.

3. Divide dough in half. (it will be very sticky). Place in prepared pans, and sprinkle the top with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes). Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove bread from pans, and cool on wire racks.