No Kneed Bread

This recipe is AMAZING!  I've made 2 loaves this week...and another to share with the neighbor.  So easy and so yummy.

Tonight's loaf I added rosemary to it and topped with olive oil.
I saw a version with cranberries and orange zest.  I also want to try cinnamon raisin.

This is tonight's loaf getting ready to go in the oven:

Ready to eat...the cut piece is buttered...the picture makes it look greasy

Basic No-Knead Bread

6 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface  (I used all purpose flour)

1/2 teaspoon instant or active-dry yeast

2 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 2/3 cups cool water

* In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated; the dough should be wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest 12-18 hours on the counter at room temperature. When surface of the risen dough has darkened slightly, smells yeasty, and is dotted with bubbles, it is ready.

* Lightly flour your hands and a work surface. Place dough on work surface and sprinkle with more flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice and, using floured fingers, tuck the dough underneath to form a rough ball.

* Generously dust a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with enough flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran to prevent the dough from sticking to the towel as it rises; place dough seam side down on the towel and dust with more flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran. Cover with the edges or a second cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.

* After about 1 1/2 hours, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, in the oven as it heats. When the dough has fully risen, carefully remove pot from oven. Remove top towel from dough and slide your hand under the bottom towel; flip the dough over into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough looks unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

* Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes, until the crust is a deep chestnut brown. 

* Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Lentil Cassoulet and Focaccia Bread

If you know me, you know that I have an ongoing love affair with my crock pot and my bread maker. Wintertime is my favorite because I love making soup. And I always eat bread with soup. Enter crock pot and bread maker!

Lentil Cassoulet (fancy name for soup, I suppose!)

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped (chop the leaves and add them too, they add great flavor!)
3/4 cup dry lentils (rinse well)
1-2 tsp dried rosemary
1-2 dried bay leaves
salt & pepper to taste

Brown the meat with the onion and garlic in a pan, season with salt & pepper. Once brown, add to the crock pot with all the other ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.

You can also make this with ground turkey, or pork.

Bread Machine Focaccia Bread
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Add the ingredients in order. Set your bread machine to the dough cycle. When it is done, grease a 9x13 inch pan, and with greased hands, remove the dough from the bread machine. Spread the dough into the bottom of the pan, until it is covered. With your finger tips, make indents in the dough. Put it somewhere warm and let it rise for 20 minutes. (Tip: If you need a warm place to let the dough rise, heat the oven to 100 degrees, then turn it off. Put the pan inside the oven. It's warm enough to let the dough rise, but not so warm that it will cook the bread).

While the dough is rising, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a pan over low heat (I usually do a little less). Once the oil is hot, add 1 tsp oregano and 1/4 cup minced garlic (again, I usually do a little less). Remove from heat after about 30 seconds (DO NOT let the garlic burn!). Brush this mixture onto the dough with a pastry brush. Sprinkle 1/3 cup parmesan cheese on top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes (my oven runs hot, so I usually check it after 13 minutes or so.)

Delicious Cornbread

This cornbread recipe is so easy and mouthwatering - it's almost like dessert. You will never want to use another recipe again.

Cornbread
* 1/2 c. butter (softened)
* 1 c. sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 c. cornmeal
* 1 1/2 c. flour
* 2 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1 1/2 c. milk
Combine butter and sugar. Add eggs, stir. Add cornmeal, stir. Add flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Stir. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan or muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

You don't even need butter and honey to go on top!
Enjoy!!!

PS - I made this to go with our left over taco soup. YUM!

Crumbly Zucchini Bread

We all know how much zucchini one garden can produce, so I found a great zucchini bread recipe that I tweaked a little. The original recipe is here.

Start by beating 3 eggs until light and frothy (I used a hand mixer):

Add 1/2 cup vegetable (or canola) oil and 1/2 cup applesauce:
Mix in 2 cups of sugar (I ran out, so I used 1 1/4 cups sugar and 3/4 cups Splenda)




Mix in 2 teaspoons vanilla

And 2 -3 cups shredded zucchini - no need to peel- and stir together (I stopped using the hand mixer on this step):

In a separate bowl stir together flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder (see measurements below):
Let your 3 year old help, if you're so inclined (yes, she painted her hair green with her finger paints):

Stir together with a spoon or fork and fold into the egg mixture

Grease two 8x4 loaf pans and divide the mixture between the two pans:

Now for the yummy crumbly top (this is optional, but I HIGHLY recommend it!):
Mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter (stick butter is better, but again I had to improvise!)


Be sure your toddler tests it out to make it's edible :)

Mix together (your hands are your best tool here!) until the butter is well incorporated, then sprinkle it on top of the batter. You'll think there is WAY too much, but believe me, use it all!!!


Bake in a 325* oven for an hour. Warning, you'll want to open the oven while this is baking, it smells SO yummy



ENJOY!!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
  
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2-3 cups grated zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (high altitude, add 1/2 cup flour and 1-2 tbsp water)
  
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F ( 165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; stir into the egg mixture. Divide batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until done.

CRUMBLY TOPPING

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon