Six Small Loaves French Bread

4 1/2 cups warm water
4 1/2 TB sugar
3 TB yeast

3 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil (plus 1 TB more?)
2 eggs
12-15 cups flour

Let bread rise.

Form 6 loaves (about 1 lb. 1-2 oz each) on 2 cookie sheets. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise again. I like to bake both cookie sheets at the same time with my speed bake (like convection) setting at 380 degrees.

The first time I made them this way and took them for an extended family dinner, they all thought that I'd bought the bread. I had brushed the loaves with olive oil mixed with a homemade garlic bread sprinkle after forming the loaves.

Roasted Garlic Cheddar Soda Bread

2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 TB sugar
1 TB baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 roasted heads of garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
12 oz. club soda
1-2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3 TB salted Butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease a bread pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chopped garlic. Using a mixing spoon, stir the soda into the dry ingredients until combined. Stir in the shredded cheddar until just combined. (Be careful not to overmix the dough.) Transfer the dough to the pan, and spread it out with a spoon so that it’s roughly level.
Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the pan and brush the melted butter on top of the bread. Return to the oven and bake for 10-15 more minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm.

*Karin made this for Conference Sunday. Yum!

French Bread

4 loaves! I freeze 2 of them for later.

Let sit until foamy:
4 1/2 cups warm water
4 1/2 TB sugar
3 TB yeast

Add:
1/2 cup + 1 TB oil
2 eggs
3 tsp salt
12-15 cups flour (you know, mix a few cups in, mix, add more while mixing, etc., until bowl is scraped clean)

Let rise.

Form 4 loaves on 2 cookie sheets (I use my kitchen scale nowadays to make them each about the same size). Bake at 375. Actually, I just accidentally baked mine at 350 with my speed bake option and I think I like them better. Also, you can glaze them with egg white mixed with water before baking if you want.

Pumpkin Bagels with Pumpkin Cream Cheese

PUMPKIN BAGELS

Proof yeast in water for a few minutes:
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 1/2 tsp (2 packages) active dry yeast

Add and mix:
1 cup canned pumpkin (use a 15 oz. can and use the rest of the can for the cream cheese)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves

6 cups (or so) all purpose flour (add until dough is the right consistency)

Knead dough. Cover and let double in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and sprinkle cornmeal on a cookie sheet. Form 18 or so smooth dough balls on the counter and flatten them a bit. Let sit for 10 minutes, then poke a hole in them and flatten again to form bagel shape. Put water on to boil in a big pot (giving the dough a little more time to rest). When the water comes to a boil, cook the bagels in it 2-4 at a time, 45 seconds on each side. Take them out with a slotted spoon/spatula and transfer to cooling rack (so excess water can drain off) and then to cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE
This is a work in progress. I started with a yummy pumpkin dip, but it's pretty runny and makes a ton and is very pumpkin-y (so I had to open another can of pumpkin), so I'm going to try a little modification to make it even more like a cream cheese spread you could buy. Next time I'll try this:

Mix well:
5 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar (more if needed)
rest of the 15 oz. can of pumpkin
1 TB cinnamon
1/4-1/2 tsp each ginger, nutmeg, allspice

French Bread

Fast Write-up:

2 TB yeast

3 c. warm water

3 TB sugar

2 tsp. salt

6 TB vegetable oil (3/8 cup)

1 egg

8-11 c. flour

 

(can do 2 eggs total--yolks in the batter and whites for egg wash--adding 4 TB cold water to whites)

Knead. Let rise. Shape. Let rise. Bake at 375.

Baking times:
2 big loaves need about 25 min. For crispier crust, probably need to spray with water and bake the last few minutes on higher temp.

Irish Soda Bread

I had plans to try this for St. Patrick's Day, but didn't.

Whole Wheat No-fuss Bread

I discovered the Pullman/Pain-de-mie pan size about a year ago and have enjoyed using it for making this all-around basic whole wheat bread (there's also an awesome white bread recipe here). I have 2 Pullman pans and 2 bread containers so I don't have to use bags after baking. I highly suggest both of these purchases. Pullman pans are the size of a store-bought sandwich loaf, and they have a lid that keeps the bread in a nice square shape (the lid is also nice for rising time).

And these Lock & Lock bread containers keep the bread fresh for days:

This bread recipe is easy and good for sandwiches, toast, French toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, etc.



2 Pullman Pan Loaves of Whole Wheat Bread
Combine and let sit until frothy:
3 3/8 cup warm water
2 TB yeast
1/2 cup sugar

Add the following except all the flour; mix, and start kneading. Add flour until the dough doesn't stick to the sides of the mixer anymore. Knead for about 5-6 minutes:
1/4 cup dry milk powder
1/4 cup oil
4 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup gluten (optional; can also add dough enhancer--about 2 TB)
about 9 cups whole white wheat flour

Let dough rise in mixer (about double). Divide into two sections and form loaves and put in pans (no need to even grease the Pullman pans I have) with the lids on. Let rise again until dough is almost touching the lid. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes with the lids on. Remove lids and bake for 5-10 minutes more.

***


My mom uses this recipe for her bread machine bread. For a loaf in the bread machine use these portions:
1 cup + 2 TB water
1 1/2 TB oil
3 TB sugar
1 1/2 TB dry milk powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups whole wheat flour (1/4 cup of it can be gluten)
2 tsp yeast

B*squick Mix for Pancakes, Waffles and Biscuits

I have another recipe for biscuits on here, but when I'm going all for flavor, this one is really yummy (this one's from Maree).

B*squick Mix
4 cups flour
2 TB baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Cut in shortening with pastry cutter.

Pancakes: 2 cups mix with 1 cup milk and 2 eggs.

Waffles: 2 cups mix with 1 1/3 cup milk, 1 egg and 2 TB oil.

Biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir 2 1/4 cups mix with 2/3 cup milk. Turn out on surface sprinkled with extra mix. Knead 10 times. Roll out 1/2 inch thick. Cut with 2 1/2 inch cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, close together so they have to expand upward. Bake 8-10 min or until golden brown. Makes 9 biscuits.
(Maree has a cool trick for biscuits. Roll it out thinner than it states and then fold the dough in half. Roll it out slightly, and then cut with biscuit cutter. There will be a perfect crease in the center of your biscuit for adding butter, honey or whatever after baking!)

My Bread Index

This is where I want to keep track of my favorite breads--a bread for every occasion. This list will be updated frequently, I expect.

*Rolls--the sweet kind you can just eat plain or slather with butter. Or a potato flake and butter version for even special-er occasions.
*French bread (also for bread bowls, sandwich rolls).
*Hamburger buns--I'm wondering if I need this or if I should just stick with the above recipe; I've made these once and they were pretty good for hamburgers.
*Whole Wheat No-fuss Bread--perfect for Pullman/pain-de-mie pans.
*Sweet Whole Wheat Bread--made with molasses.
*Quick side dish bread--made with baking powder, not yeast.
*Pizza dough.
*Cornbread--I keep wondering if I need a version that is more savory than this sweet cornbread, but I don't think I do. This cornbread needs no embellisments, no honey, nothing--it's really corn cake.
*Heavenly white bread--in a pain-de-mie pan (a long one that resembles store-bought bread shape), made with butter and milk.
*Artisan--no knead

What I'm still lacking, I realize, is:
1) a good Rye bread. I have a good recipe but haven't played with it enough to post it.
2) a sourdough bread.

Pizza Crust

I've finally found a pizza crust (and method) that I'm really happy about--it's super quick and with the perfect amount of crispness on the bottom. This recipe makes 4 large pizzas. Original recipe here.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. I use 15" pizza pans with holes.

Combine and let stand 10 minutes:
3 cups warm water
2 TB plus 1 tsp yeast
1 TB sugar

Add:
8 1/2 cups flour (I do half of it whole wheat flour)
1 TB salt
1/4 cup plus 2 TB oil (preferably olive)

Knead (for this amount, I use my mixer). Let sit 5 minutes (or cover and let it rise for a while, whichever you have time for). Divide dough into 4 parts. Roll out one part of the dough to desired thickness on the counter with a rolling pin (use extra flour or spray Pam on the counter and roller to prevent sticking). Transfer dough to pan. Beat an egg and put a small amount of the egg over the crust for an eggwash. Prick the dough with a fork before putting in the oven to prevent big air bubbles. (If you have crusts waiting for the oven, spritz them with water to prevent them drying out.)

Prebake crusts for 10 minutes. Then top as desired and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Skillet Bread

This bread is a dream come true! It smells like cornbread and tastes like a mix between cornbread and biscuit. Start to finish takes 20 minutes. The first time I made it we devoured it very quickly (hence, I forgot to take a picture of it untouched) and I decided this is my new favorite recipe. The second time I made it with 50% whole wheat flour and it was just not as exciting. If you use salted butter and use 4 TB it's a bit on the salty side around the edges. Mmmm.

You can throw in flavor additions like a handful of cheddar cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, etc.

Before I got an oven-proof skillet, I used an 8x8 pan.

August 2019 great results in a smoker! Used my skillet and melted 4 TB butter in it while the smoker heated up to 400 degrees. For the batter, I used 3 c flour, 1 1/2 TB baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 1/4 c milk, generous handful of shredded cheese, and then dumped in some of our garlic bread seasoning. It needed the whole 20 min to bake. Perfect crispy bottom. Yum.

My Favorite Whole Grain Bread

In the past, I've been pretty content just having a decent whole wheat bread recipe and my trusty white roll recipe. But lately I've felt a little more adventurous and have been kneading up different recipes by hand instead of with my mixer--feeling the therapeutic power of kneading. I also bought some rye, ground it up and added that to a country loaf I learned at Heidi's neighborhood bread class. So, though I still like my recipe binders relatively simple, I keep finding bread recipes I want to try--and I'm learning a few tricks and getting a better feel for how much flour and kneading the dough needs. For instance, did you know that it's okay to put less yeast in your bread and let it just rise for a longer time--then you get less yeast taste and a different texture? And bread still rises in the fridge--just at a slower rate.

At the bread class, we did the country loaf I mentioned (and I don't think she has it on her site, so I will post a simplified version here after making it on my own one more time) and this whole grain sandwich bread. When I brought home the whole grain bread I tried a slice, liked the flavor a lot, and then forgot about it in my fridge for a day or two (because we enjoyed the country loaf that night with dinner). When I remembered the whole grain bread I got it out and it was still moist and dense and yum (this is a big deal for homemade wheat bread!). So, I've found a favorite whole grain bread, though it isn't 100% whole wheat.

Try it out. I let it raise a little longer in the pans and my cooking time is a little less than she states. You can find molasses at a whole foods store for less than at the grocery store.

Here are some others I want to try. It looks like this would be another great alternative (like the popovers) when you don't have a lot of time to spare before dinnertime: skillet bread. And I'll have to try this sometime because I've loved a similar rosemary foccacia at my favorite Italian restaurant. Heidi also has tons of sweet breads that look heavenly. Her orange rolls are next on my list to try.

Pretzels

These are always fun to make. When I made a batch last week I froze them individually to throw in my kids' lunches in the place of chips or store-bought pretzels. They were made with half whole wheat flour and the kids really liked them. I just brush olive oil and sprinkle regular salt on them before baking. They're best right out of the oven, but my kids don't mind them later on when they've lost their perfectly crisp bottom.

Oh, I also only do 16 pretzels, not 18, on 2 cookie sheets.

Popovers

Dang, I forgot to take a picture of these last night (and they were so pretty because I only used white flour!), and don't know who to credit with this recipe since it's been on my computer for quite a while, but I added garlic to the ingredient list, so maybe I'm not absolutely plagiarizing.

If you ever get to about 45 minutes before dinnertime and wish you'd made some bread or rolls, make popovers instead (no rising required)!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk well:
1 cup milk
2 large egg whites
1 large egg

Add, whisking well:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Put a 12-portion muffin pan in the oven to preheat for 5 min. Take out and coat with cooking spray, then fill up the muffin pan with the thin batter (I didn't pay attention because I was in a hurry last night, but I think about 1/2 full each?). Sprinkle 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese on the tops and then bake for 35-40 min. These will puff up high, leaving you with a hollow center. Kids think they're cool. Makes 12 small popovers.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Sometimes you just feel that need for sweet white bread that makes your kitchen smell like heaven. Halfway through the process you wonder if it's worth the work/wait and the dishes you have to wash. But then you're really proud of how beautiful the hand-kneaded dough looks as it rises. Finally, you get to present to your husband the most gorgeous loaf and you eat way more carbs that you're supposed to in one sitting. Yeah, that's how it was with these loaves from this recipe. Mine were done baking in 35 minutes instead of 45.

Whole Wheat Bread

This turned out very soft and yummy for us. Mine had to rise in the warmed oven for quite a bit longer than the recipe states. Still, I love that it all rises in the pan.

Cranberry Nut Bread

(Mom made 2010--sweet and nutty)

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ cup shortening (or butter)
1 tsp. grated orange or lemon peel
¾ cup orange juice
1 egg, beaten well
1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
½ cup chopped nuts

Mix dry ingredients and then cut in shortening/butter. Combine peel, juice and egg in a separate bowl, mix in dry ingredients, just to moisten. Fold in berries and nuts. Put in greased 9x5x3 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 60 min.

Tortillas

Original recipe from a true cook here. I do it slightly differently.

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt (or more for me, which is strange because I like less salt than everyone else, usually)

2/3 cup warm water
2 TB oil

This is where Emily's instructions are detailed and helpful, and where I get lazy. First, I mix the flours and salt together with a whisk or spoon, then add the warm water and oil, and stir and then ultimately ditch the spoon and get my hand into it to combine the dry and wet ingredients. If there is still flour at the bottom of the bowl I add a small amount of water (I usually do add more) until all the flour is used up. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Put a wet paper towel over the bowl and let sit for 30 min. (or skip this step if you're in a hurry like I usually am).

Roll out the tortillas and cook on medium heat (this is a doubled batch, obviously, in the picture).

Biscuits

This is the biscuit recipe I prefer. I do them as drop biscuits instead of rolling out the dough and cutting them out.

Pita Bread

1 1/4 cups warm water
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. dry active yeast

3 cups flour OR 2 cups white flour and 1 cup whole wheat
1 tsp salt
1 TB olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (use a pizza stone if available). Combine water, sugar and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes. Combine flour, salt and oil, and mix with yeast mixture. Knead. Separate dough into 8-12 equal parts. Cover with damp towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Roll out each ball to a 6-7 inch circle, place on pizza stone and bake for 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to airtight container to keep soft.