homemade bread

Name: Crusty Bread (Baked in a Bowl!)
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: 3 C all-purpose flour; 1 3/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp active dry yeast; 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 C room temperature water

Crusty Bread (No-Knead and Baked in a Bowl!)

August 26, 2017 by sblades Leave a Comment

I’ve had this no-knead Crusty Bread recipe forever and finally decided to make it this weekend. It’s interesting because the easy yeast dough is thrown together, then set aside on the counter for 12-18 hours. Glad I didn’t want bread right away! You’re also supposed to bake it in a 3.5 quart cast iron pot (or dutch oven). After I’d already made the sticky, sticky dough, I realized my dutch oven is 6.5 quarts (I love my dutch oven), so made other baking plans.

I ended up baking the bread in the aluminum bowl that the dough had risen in – and it worked!

I preheated the bowl in the oven, then dumped the dough into it and followed the rest of the recipe fairly closely. The baking time was a little different since I was using a different vessel, but it rose nicely and made a crusty loaf with a sourdough-like texture (without the sourdough tang). It’s a dense, but fluffy bread with a wonderfully chewy crust.

You can bake it in a small cast iron pot if you have one, but if you don’t have one, just make it in a big ole aluminum bowl. Besides the time for the dough to set before baking, it’s an easy, easy recipe and it makes a really delicious loaf of bread!

Crusty Bread (Baked in a Bowl!)

****My new go-to bread. Quick and easy (except for the overnight dough set) and very delicious! Adapted from JoCooks website.

Servings: 6 - 8

Ingredients

3 C all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 C room temperature water

Instructions

Stir the flour, salt and yeast together in a big bowl. Pour the water into the flour mixture and stir until well combined. (If it seems a little dry, add the additional 1/4 cup of water - should be very sticky.)
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter or in a cool oven for 12-16 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425°. Spray a large aluminum bowl with cooking spray and put in the oven on the lowest rack.
Flour your hands and sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of flour over the dough. Lift the dough out of the bowl and loosely form the dough into a ball, incorporating the flour (don't handle it too much - just enough to form the loose ball). Plop the sticky dough (and it will be sticky) into the heated aluminum bowl and carefully cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the aluminum foil and bake another 20 minutes until golden brown on top. Carefully remove the bread from the bowl (it should slide right out) and let cool on a rack at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Notes

Tips and Stuff:

You can add ingredients (like parmesan cheese, fruit, nuts, etc.) during the first step if you like. I like it just the way it is!

Don't overwork the dough when stirring it all together or the bread will be tough. Just make sure everything is incorporated completely.

It doesn't take an entire packet of yeast - just 1/2 tsp., so store the leftover yeast well-sealed in the refrigerator.

Cook’s Country Spicy Cheese Bread

July 1, 2017 by sblades Leave a Comment

I’ve recently discovered the PBS America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country half-hour cooking shows and have been sucked in by the wonderful recipes they make. The recipes are tested over and over until they get what they think is the perfect version of a recipe and then show you step-by-step how to make it and why it works. I saw this Spicy Cheese Bread and knew I had to make it.

The result was a crusty loaf of bread with a soft, pepper-flaked, cheesy inside.

The Cook’s Country recipe facts said that they had tested 60 different versions before they came up with this loaf. It’s interesting that they use provolone and Monterey Jack cheese – I probably would’ve chosen mozzarella – but it works beautifully. They emphasize to make sure the cubed cheese is at room temperature so it won’t slow the rising process. The provolone is fairly, uh, fragrant when at room temperature and I was worried my bread would be stinky (who wants stinky bread?), but not to worry; both cheeses melted and blended and the result was a (non-stinky) wonderful loaf of perfect cheese bread!

I followed the recipe exactly, including the full amount of red pepper flakes. Surprisingly, it doesn’t make the bread too hot – just a kick from the sprinkle on the crust, and it adds a great layer of flavor to the bread.

When you make this, put aside most of the day. After making the dough, it has to rise about 1 1/2 hours, then you work with it and create the spiral (easier than you think). It goes into a pan for a final rise, then it bakes for 45 to 50 minutes. It is very worth it though. If you are making this for a dinner, make it the same day and serve warm – it’s best the first day. To warm it up, lightly butter the slices and put under the broiler or in a toaster oven for a minute or two.

Spicy Cheese Bread

****Wonderfully cheesy yeast bread with a little kick from the red pepper flakes. Outstanding.

Servings: 1 large loaf

Author: Cook's Country

Ingredients

Bread
3 1/4 C all-purpose flour (16 1/4 oz)
1/4 C sugar (1 3/4 oz)
1 tbsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C warm water (about 110°)
2 large eggs plus 1 extra yolk
4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
6 oz Monterey Jack cheese cut into 1/2" cubes, room temp.
6 oz provolone cheese cut into 1/2" cubes, room temp.
Topping
1 large egg lightly beaten
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp unsalted butter softened

Instructions

Bread: Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, pepper flakes, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk together water, eggs and yolk, and melted butter. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Fit dough hook to mixer and knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes. Dough will have cleared the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Transfer dough to unfloured counter, shape into a ball, and transfer to a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Grease a 9" round cake pan very well. Transfer the dough to unfloured counter and press to deflate. Roll dough into 18x12" rectangle with long side parallel to counter's edge. Distribute the cheese cubes evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1" border around the edges. Starting with edge closest to you, roll dough rather tightly into a log. Pinch seam and ends to seal, then roll log so seam is side down. Roll log back and forth on counter, applying gentle, even pressure until log reaches 30 inches in length. If any tears occur, pinch to seal.
Starting at one end, wind the log into a coil; tuck the ends underneath the coil. Place loaf into prepared cake pan (seam down if possible) and cover loosely with clean dish towel. Let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350°.
For the topping: Brush top of the loaf with egg, then sprinkle with pepper flakes. Place cake pan on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until loaf is golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Rotate the loaf, tent with aluminum foil, and continue to bake until loaf registers 190°, 25-30 minutes longer.
Transfer pan to wire rack and brush bread with butter. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the bread. Gently lift the bread out of the pan and onto a rack, using a spatula to help it out and support it. Let cool for about 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

Tips and Stuff:

I stuck very closely to the recipe. Please note that the yeast is a little more than one packet! Measure the tablespoon out carefully.

I did find that after the rise in the pan, the dough was a bit thin in some places, so I tucked it in so the cheese wouldn't spill out.

Do use the rimmed pan (cookie sheet) under the cake pan while baking because the cheese does spill over the edges a little.

My cooking times were 20 minutes, then tented with aluminum foil, then 25 minutes longer and it was done.

Do use the pepper flakes. Surprisingly, it doesn't make the bread real spicy and adds a good flavor.

After using the knife to loosen around the edges, I used a spatula and scooted it under the bread all the way around before lifting it out. Even then, a bit stuck, but not too badly.

Orange Cinnamon Bread from Heaven

March 21, 2017 by sblades Leave a Comment

I took a little liberty with the title of this post, but man, oh, man this Orange Cinnamon Bread really is heavenly!

I’m lucky to have a knack at making yeast breads – they always turn out unless my yeast is way out of date. I end up with flour from head to toe, but homemade bread – especially this one – is really worth the time. Your family will love that orangey-cinnamony yeast bread aroma coming from the oven.

This bread is light and airy with a swirl of cinnamon-sugar through it along with bits of orange zest sprinkled here and there. While taking photos, I had to (had to) eat the end piece so no one would have to eat that. It’s not nice to give people the end piece of bread. Then I needed to test the texture of a regular piece, so I warmed it up for a few seconds with butter slathered on it. Oh, my, my, my, as Mr. Kenda would say. It’s fantastic!

Do take the time and make this bread. It makes two loaves, so you can give the second one to someone you love. They’ll definitely appreciate it. Now, what did I do with that bread knife?

Orange Cinnamon Bread
**** Outstanding homemade bread. Original recipe from Taste of Home’s Complete Guide to Baking. Best when sliced, dotted with butter and toasted under a toaster oven or broiler for 2-3 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

2 pkgs. (1/4 oz. each) active dry yeast
1/4 C. warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
1 C milk
3/4 C. orange juice
1 C. sugar, divided
1 tbsp. grated orange peel.
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
6 1/2 to 7 C. all-purpose flour
Additional water
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Glaze:
1 C. confectioner’s sugar
2 tbsp. orange juice
1/8 tsp. vanilla

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a saucepan, heat milk and orange juice until warm (110 degrees); add to yeast mixture. Stir in 1/2 C. sugar, orange peel, salt, egg and 3 C. flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (I used a total of 6 1/2 cups.)

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 6-8 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly flour surface; divide in half. With a rolling pin, roll each portion into a 15″x 7″ rectangle. Brush lightly with water. Combine cinnamon and remaining half-cup of sugar and sprinkle over the dough up to 1″ from edges.

Tightly roll up jelly-roll style, starting at the short end and pinch bottom and side seams to seal. Place bottom seam down in two greased 9″ x 5″ loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool (run butter knife around edges if slightly stuck). Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over completely cooled bread.

Tips and Stuff
I used my Kitchen Aide to mix the ingredients together, changed to the dough hook on low for 3-4 minutes, then turned out the dough on the floured counter and kneaded for 3-4 more minutes until smooth and elastic (hold up a little piece and stretch – should be see-through).
My bread was perfectly browned and done in 30 minutes. Ovens may vary – just keep a watch. You don’t want the top too brown.
Store the bread loosely in a sack, bread box, or I used a plastic grocery bag tied loosely at the end (with aluminum foil wrapped on the cut end to keep it from drying out).

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