5 Minute Artisan Bread

5 Minute Artisan Bread from Real Mom Kitchen

- Notes: Probably one of the best breads I've ever made. It's really crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I did store it in the fridge and make it later, and it worked like a charm! I baked it on a stone. Update: I made this again 10/11/2010 and I didn't even let it rise fully either times..about an hour and a half for the first rise and 10 mins for the second, and it was awesome.

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (1.5 packets)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt or other coarse salt
6 1/2 cups flour, unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose (not strong)

1. Preparing Dough for Storage:

2. Warm the water slightly. It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours. With cold water it will need 3-4 hours.

3. Add the yeast to the water in a 5 quart bowl or, preferably, in a resealable, lidded (not airtight) plastic food container or food-grade bucket. Don’t worry about getting it all to dissolve.

4. Mix in the flour – kneading is unnecessary. Add all of the flour at once, measuring it in with dry-ingredient measuring cups, by gently scooping up the flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula. Don’t press down into the flour as you scoop or you’ll throw off the measurement. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high-capacity food processor (14 cups or larger) fitted with the dough attachment, or a heavy duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until the mixture is uniform. If you’re hand mixing and it becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, you can reach into your mixing vessel with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Don’t knead, it isn’t necessary. You’re finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. It takes a few minutes, and will yield a dough that is wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.

5. Allow to rise. Cover with lid (not airtight or it could explode the lid off). Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on the top), approx 2 hours, depending on room temperature, and initial water temperature Longer rising times, up to 5 hours, won’t harm the result.

6. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated dough is less sticky and easier to work with than dough at room temperature.

7. On Baking Day:

8. prepare your loaf tin, tray, or whatever you’re baking it in/on. Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with four. Pull up and cut of a grapefruit-size piece of dough (c 1 lb), using a serrated knife.

9. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all 4 sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off – that’s fine, it isn’t meant to be incorporated. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will sort itself out during resting and baking.

10. The correctly shaped final product will be smooth and cohesive. The entire process should take no more than 30 – 60 seconds.

11. Rest the loaf and let it rise in the form, on the tray/pizza peel, for about 40 minutes Depending on the age of the dough, you may not see much rise during this period. That’s fine, more rising will occur during baking.

12. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf that won’t interfere with the rising bread.

13. Dust and Slash. Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow the slashing knife to pass without sticking. Slash a quarter inch deep cross, diagonal lines, or tic-tac-toe pattern on top using a serrated knife.

14. After a 20 min preheat you’re ready to bake, even though the oven thermometer won’t be at full temperature yet. Put your loaf in the oven. Pour about 1 cup of hot water (from the tap) into the broiler tray and close the oven to trap the steam.

15. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch.

16. Store the rest of the dough in the fridge in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next 14 days. The flavour and texture improves, becoming like sourdough. Even 24 hours of storage improves the flavour.

17. This is the standard bread. There are loads of variations – both savory and sweet – in the book. Makes 4 (1 lb) loaves.

Grandma Werner's Homemade Noodles

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. top milk (can substitute evaporated milk)
1 egg, beaten
hot broth

Combine egg, salt & milk. Add flour gradually. Roll very thin. Cut and let dry for a couple of hours. Drop into hot broth and cook very slowly - 30 - 45 minutes.

Sweet-Potato Chips

Sweet-Potato Chips
Ingredients

* 2 medium sweet potatoes
* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray.

2. Wash potatoes. Cut into thin slices, and place in large bowl. Pour oil onto the palms of your hands. Gently rub oil onto sweet-potato slices, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, tossing in bowl to coat evenly.

3. Place slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Turn chips over and bake until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate; cool 5 minutes and serve.

Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe - From here

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls

I made the full batch of these this weekend. So easy! And SO GOOD. Bad for you, but delicious. I froze 3 uncooked pie pans to see how they turn out. I would also cut them a little thicker than 1 in. I also baked them at 375 not 400 and left the coffee out of the frosting.

*Update* I just tried baking the rolls that I had frozen, and they flopped. :( I think next time I'll bake them and then freeze.

Link - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/

Ingredients

* 1 quart Whole Milk
* 1 cup Vegetable Oil
* 1 cup Sugar
* 2 packages Active Dry Yeast
* 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
* 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
* 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
* 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
* Plenty Of Melted Butter
* 2 cups Sugar
* Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
* _____
* MAPLE FROSTING:
* 1 bag Powdered Sugar
* 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
* ½ cups Milk
* ¼ cups Melted Butter
* ¼ cups Brewed Coffee
* ⅛ teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees (see note below) until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.

Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup Milk
1/3 cup Oil
4 Eggs
1-1/2 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1/4 cup Caramel ice cream topping
1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans




HEAT oven to 350°F.

BEAT cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. spice in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round pans.

BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.

BEAT cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and spice; mix well. Gently stir in COOL WHIP. Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife; stack on serving plate, spreading cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top layer.) Drizzle with caramel topping just before serving; top with nuts. Refrigerate leftovers.



Kraft Tips:

Size-Wise
Celebrate and enjoy a serving of this indulgent cake on a special occasion.
How to Slice and Stack Cake Layers
Place 1 of the cooled cake layers on serving plate. Make 2-inch horizontal cut around side of cake, using long serrated knife. Cut all the way through cake layer to make 2 layers. Remove top layer by sliding it onto 9-inch round cardboard circle. Frost cake layer on plate with 1/3 of the COOL WHIP mixture. Slide top half of split cake layer from cardboard circle onto frosted layer on plate. Place the remaining unsplit cake layer on a cutting board. Cut into 2 layers as done for the first layer. Repeat process of transferring cake layers to stacked cake layers on plate using the cardboard circle.
Substitute
Omit caramel sauce. Microwave 10 KRAFT Caramels and 1 Tbsp. milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until caramels begin to melt. Stir until caramels are completely melted. Drizzle over cake just before serving; top with nuts.


Link to Recipe.

Homemade Breading

For fish, chicken, etc.

4c. packaged Cornflake Crumbs
4tsp. instant chicken bouillon
4tsp. paprika
2tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tbsp italian herb seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Place in an airtight container. Plan on 1/2 to 1 tbsp of breading for each chicken part or fish fillet.