Homemade Croutons

I guess we're crust snobs....but in the sense that we don't eat crusts very often on our homemade Artisan bread. So, I always use them for bread crumbs or croutons for a small salad. Here's typically what I do for the croutons--to taste, as usual.....

photo from laura's blog

artisan crusty bread, cubed (doesn't have to be the end pieces; or can be day old other bread)
oil
salt
garlic powder
parmesan (opt. but delicious)
Seasonings (opt. Italian if doing Ceasar type salad, etc.: parsely, basil, oregano, etc)

Just throw everything in a bowl and mix with hands.
Then lay out on sheet in oven (we just use toaster oven setting) and bake for a few minutes--about 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. (Our toaster oven does 5-10 minutes at about 380 degrees. But watch them, because they can burn fast. You can just broil and mix them around too.)

The last time I made them Paul said they were better than the store-bought Ceasar ones he typically likes. (prob. because I added parmesan and Italian this time) :)

Perfect Pocket Pitas--with little effort!

Holy Cow! I cannot tell you how awesomely these pitas puffed up into a pocket! I mean look...this is my photo.... Wow! I can't say it's the best flavor to eat the next day, because it's not super soft and pliable like most store-bought white flour things would be--but it's not bad, not bad at all!

After I made these I just had to call someone over to share it with. But alas, hubby at work late and neighbor MIA (busy away from home). So...I ate this--no, savored it as a gyro. Soooo yummy, I finally think I made it like my Mom (but with homemade pitas this time).

So it's super easy! Just use the no-knead recipe! If you're familiar with it, just use this summary from that post I pasted here:

Pita

--

Fist size, 1/8”

0

500

5-7

Stone

no

keep cooked pitas in towel

Here's the post: http://2nourishyourbody.blogspot.com/2011/06/simple-artisan-bread-in-five-minutes.html

If you're not, you should read the post anyway, but here's a summary of the basic idea:

Base Recipe (I'd 1/4 or 1/2 the recipe if you just want to make a few)

3 c. warm water

1 1/2 T yeast (I only use 1 T, which is fine for longer dough raising)
1 1/2 T salt (not needed: I only use 1 T)
6 1/2 c. flour (I use half white, half wheat and 1T of vital wheat gluten per cup wheat flour)
opt. flax seeds, ground (I used about 1/4 to 1/2 cup and maybe took out a tid bit of flour)

Mix it all together in large glass or ceramic bowl and cover with towel. Let sit for up to 12 hours. Then preheat oven to 500 and take out fist sizes of dough and roll 1/8th in. thin circles. Place on hot stone and cook 5-7 minutes until puffed to perfection. When you take them out, leave them in a towel in the microwave, to keep them moist and soft and warm. Then cut and stuff!

Now try our gyros recipe!

English Muffin Bread

So I think this recipe tastes really similar to English Muffins (and this is the third recipe I've tried).

This recipe is pretty much the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes recipe, which I adore and use constantly--but this one has my own tweaks and the porportions vary slightly.

However, the best part is that I rarely measure the yeast and salt exactly and it comes out fine still--same with Artisan bread. And there's no kneading or real effort involved at all. Just mix and let sit.

2 3/4 c warm water
1 1/2 T yeast
1 T salt
1 1/2 T sugar
5 1/2 c flour (I use half white, half wheat and add 3 T vital wheat gluten also for fluffiness)
1. Mix all altogether and let rise in bowl until double. (I wait a few hours, but it varies)
2. Divide into 2 greased loaf pans and let rise until dough reaches the top of the pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (golden brown).
4. Brush top with butter when you pull it out, if desired. And let cool.

-----
The best way to eat this is to toast it and use it for one of the following...or other:
- egg muffins on it
- butter/jam
- tuna/crab/chicken cheese melt
- garlic salt/buttered! (great addition to soups and main courses)

*from Shelley

Simple Artisan Bread in Five Minutes! No Kneading!

Ever wanted to make European Bakery Worthy Breads?

Well, there's an awesome book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes (by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoë François ). It's a simple sure fire way to create many different scrumptious breads using one basic recipe and no kneading or proofing the yeast is needed, because you let the batter sit until you need it (like a starter).

Just make a large batch of dough and keep it in the fridge for two weeks, pulling off what you need when you want. However, if there are eggs in it, it should sit out too long and won't last longer than the week in the fridge. All doughs freeze well though; just thaw overnight in the fridge to use the next day.

Here is the website and a video so you can better understand and browse...
www.artisanbreadinfive.com
Movie

Base recipe:

3 c. warm water

1 1/2 T yeast (I only use 1 T, which is fine for longer dough raising)

1 1/2 T salt (not needed: I only use 1 T)

6 1/2 c. flour (does best with white flour, but you can try other variations)

*If doing a whole grain version, I've found my best approach is half white, half whole grain blend and 2-4 T vital wheat gluten with a dash of vinegar (or kefir, buttermilk, yogurt, lemon juice--soaking ideally for 12 hours in this helps to break down the phytic acid in the whole grains so it's easier for your body to digest). I also sometimes sub 1/4 c ground flax for some flour sometimes and add a little oil.

1. Mix the ingredients in a bowl or large bucket (it will double) with a wooden spoon until evenly mixed (it helps to do the flour last).

2. Let sit at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours if you want more of a sourdough flavor (which is healthier because the souring process is better for digestion). Place the bowl in the fridge until you're going to use it--refrigeration helps the dough not be as sticky. (Do not punch down dough...that releases gas bubbles and creates a dense dough)

3. Pull off the dough you want and shape it in a ball (make four 1 lb loaves--size of grapefruit); put the rest back in the fridge. Will keep up to 14 days.

4. Place the ball of dough on a cornmealed pizza peel or other surface and let rest (about 30-60 minutes, esp if right out of the fridge). 

5. Always Preheat a baking stone in the oven for 20 minutes at the temperature the recipe will be baking at (or a cookie sheet for 5 minutes if you aren't using a stone). For this recipe, bake at 450. 

6. Place the dough on stone/tray and cut a few slices on the top (flouring the top of the dough ball before cutting will help the knife not stick) bake 30 minutes with a pan of water below in the oven (this will create the thick crusty crust while keeping the inside moist).

7. Remove and place on a rack to cool.

---
You can use this recipe for all sorts of things. I've made pizza, calzones, sticky rolls, sourdough artisan, etc. all with this same ball of dough. It's so handy to just keep in your fridge and just pull it out when you want. I normally just do half the base recipe though, because I don't want to store a huge bucket in my fridge.

We'll post later about some of our other grain variations so we can make healthier bread, but it's a good idea to get started with this base recipe before you play with your own grain variations.

As I read the book, I took note of the differences between recipes using the base recipe and have made a cheat sheet so it's easy to remember and refer to. But, I suggest getting really familiar with the basic recipes and if you're uncomfortable with my cheat sheet and need more instructions, get the book from the library.

I've bolded the ones I've tried and use.

Bread Recipe	Add at the start of basic dough	Size 1 lb ball =grapefruit	Rest	Oven Temp	Cook Time	Bake on	Water in Oven?	Notes
Basic/Boule* (starter)	--	1 lb ball	40	450	30	Stone	Yes
Olive Oil* (good starter)	Sub. ¼ c. oil for ¼ c. water, and 1 T sugar	--	40	450	30	Stone	yes
Focaccia	--	roll ½”	20	425	25	tray	Yes	Basic or olive oil dough
Pizza	--	Roll 1/8”	0	500	10	Stone	No	Basic or olive oil dough
Calzone	--	Roll ½”	0	450	25	Stone	Yes	Fold over, slit top
Flat Bread	--	Roll ½”	20	450	15-20	Stone	yes
Pita	--	Fist size, 1/8”	0	500	5-7	Stone	no	keep cooked pitas in towel
Crackers	--	Orange size, paper thin	0	375	2-5	Stone	Yes	Prick with fork and salt before cooking; Pop bubbles during cooking
Brioche* (good starter)	Only 1 ½ c. water, 8 eggs, ½ c. honey, 1 ½ c. butter, add 1 c. more flour	1lb ball	80	350	35-40	Stone	No	Brush loaf with egg wash before baking (eggs with water). Dough keeps only 5 days in fridge.
Sticky Rolls	Use Basic or brioche dough	1 ½ lb, roll 1/8” rect.	60	350	40	Pan	No	Coat rect. with melted butter, sugar and cinnamon; Roll and cut. Place in dish with heavily greased and sugared bottom. Flip onto plate as soon as baked so sticky side is on top.
Coffee Cake	Use Brioche dough	1 lb, roll 2 1/8” circles	120	375	45	Greased cake pan	No	Place one layer on bottom and layer fruit and other layer and more fruit. Once baked, cool and flip over.
Cinnamon/Bread twists	Use brioche scraps	--	15	375	15-20	Tray	No	Add cinnamon sugar and/or egg wash before baking.
Potato Bread	1 c. mashed potato, 1 ½ T sugar	--	40-60	450	30-35	Stone	yes
Whole Wheat Sandwich	Sub 1 ½ c. milk for 1 ½ c. water, 5 T oil, ½ c. honey	--	90	350	50-60	Stone	Yes

Orange-Yogurt Muffins

1 3/4 c flour
1/2 c sugar
2 t. orange zest
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 8 oz. carton orange yogurt (see HINT: below)
1/3 c oil
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c sifted powdered sugar (opt)
1-2 t. orange juice (opt)

Grease or line muffin tin with paper cups. Combine flour, sugar, orange peel, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside. Meanwhile, combine egg, yogurt, oil, and vanilla. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture just till moistened (batter should be fairly lumpy). Spoon batter into muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or till golden. Cool in muffin cups for 5 minutes and if desired, drizzle the orange juice/powdered sugar mixture over warm muffins.

Submitted by Charise
HINT: When I see I have 2 oranges in my fruit bowl, I like to grate the orange peels, slice both in half, juice them and use that juice AND some of the pulp to make my own orange yogurt. I like to use a THICK plain yogurt (Greek Gods Yogurt I can find at Smith's Grocery Store), the orange juice, pulp, and a little honey. I measure out 16 oz. of yogurt and double the whole recipe...this is a favorite in our home on the weekends!