Bread Bowls

I should have had my husband take the picture. He does SOOO much better than I do.  (If you look at the picture on the original recipe website-link below, you will see a much nicer picture...)

Anyway, I have been making these for a while but never got around to posting them.

I don't remember how I found the recipe, but I am glad I did.

Bread bowls.

When I eat baked potato soup, I always want some bread with it. I mean, can't have enough carbs/starch, right?

So when i saw these, bread bowls, it seemed like THE way to go.

And it was. And is.

The original recipe involves a bread machine. If you know me at all, I typically prefer to knead and mix by hand.  So I do.  Either way, it is easy.  And delicious.

This recipe makes 4.  I sometimes halve it just to make a couple or double it to make more (then freeze any leftovers).   My recipe is for hand mixing.  For the bread machine, check out the original recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 3 Tbsp warm water

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (I do use rapid rise)

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 cups bread flour

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Add yeast and sugar to the warm water in a bowl.  Give a few minutes to "foam" (to show the yeast is working).  Then add in the olive oil, Parmesan, flour, and salt.

Knead for a few minutes, adding flour as needed. It should not be too sticky.

Cover the bowl with a warm towel and set aside to rise.  Mine typically takes about an hour, but house temperature and weather can play into it.

After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down.  Divide the dough into four parts, shaping them into balls.  Place on a greased cookie sheet (I typically use parchment paper).  Let the dough balls rise for about 30 minutes.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

After the bowls have cooled, cut off the tops and pull out the inside of the bowls.  You could use that extra bread to make bread crumbs or if you really like bread (like I do), just drop the bread pieces back into your soup for a little treat. :)

Enjoy!

Breadsticks

Tonight I made Creamy White Chili for dinner. I really wanted some kind of bread to go with it but couldn't decide what to make. I finally looked through some online recipes and found this one for Olive Garden type breadsticks.  They seemed easy enough, so I decided to give them a try.

Now I have tried breadsticks before. And I have not had very good luck with them.

But for whatever reason, this time it worked.  Too well,

I want to eat the whole batch.

Breadsticks

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm water (not too hot, not too cold, just right...kind of like warm bath water temps)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp yeast (instant or rapid-rise)
2 Tbsp softened butter
4-5 cups of flour (After reading reviews, I went with bread flour...definitely the way to go)
1 Tbsp salt

Topping ingredients:
3-4 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp garlic powder
sea salt

Directions
Pour the water, sugar, and yeast into a bowl and let it "proof" for about 5-10 minutes.

Add the butter, flour, and salt.  I would add 3 cups of flour then add more as needed to form a soft dough.  You can knead with a mixer or by hand.  Today I tried using my food processor which has a dough blade. It worked very well until the dough was thick, then it just couldn't handle it. So I finished by hand.

Let the ball of dough sit (covered) for about an hour in a warm spot.

After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and roll it out into a log. Divide the log into 12-14 equal pieces. (I used a knife sprayed with pan spray to prevent sticking as the original recipe suggested). 

Roll each piece out into sticks, about 6 inches long. Place about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet (or just use parchment paper like I do :). 

Place in the oven on the warm setting (about 175 degrees) for 15 minutes or so until the breadsticks have doubled. 

Brush with half the melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake at 400 for 12-14 min (until golden brown).

Add garlic powder to remaining melted butter and brush onto the breadsticks.

Enjoy!

Hamburger Buns

Oh wow.

I don't think I have ever had this much time between posts.

I am still alive. I am still cooking. I am just not posting much at this moment. No reason other than life. :)

I have actually made these before but haven't blogged about them.

(Note:  I have made other buns such as these but I find that this recipe is just a little quicker and just as tasty.)

These are called 40 minute buns.  And they can be made in 40 minutes.  BUT if I have time, I try to let them rise a little bit longer.

Oh, and you haven't had homemade buns, you need to know that the texture is a little different. They tend to crumble a little easier.  But they are also delicious and worth the effort.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp active dry yeast (I use rapid rise)
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp warm water (not too hot, not too cold)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil after reading some of the suggestions on the original recipe)
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
3-3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (more as needed)

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a bowl.  Add the oil and sugar and let it rest for about five minutes.

Add the egg, flour, and salt to form a soft dough.  If it is too sticky, add more flour.

Knead for about 3-5 minutes. 

Divide into 12 pieces.  The buns will be fairly small so if you want bigger buns, divide into fewer pieces (8-10).  Shape into balls.  Place about 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet.

Cover and let rest for about 10 minutes.  As I said, I usually let them sit longer if possible.

Preheat oven to 425.

If desired, brush the top with olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

When ready, bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.

Split in middle when cooked/cooled.

Enjoy!

Reba
PS I read that these can be formed into hot dog buns but I haven't tried those yet...

French Dip on Homemade Sub Rolls

The other day I really wanted to make French Dip. And that is fairly easy.  But the hard part for us is finding the rolls for sandwiches that don't contain a lot of things we avoid (like preservatives).

So I did a quick search via Internet and found this recipe.  It had great reviews.  And it didn't look too hard.

So one night, after a long day of school and parent/teacher conferences, I threw them together.

A little while later I had this most amazing scent coming from my kitchen.

Homemade rolls.

When I took them out of the oven, I just had to have a little nibble.

Yum.

My teenager wandered in, ready to sample.  Or devour.  Whichever I would allow.

The next night we ate our French dips on these rolls.

And they were still delicious.

Here is the recipe for the rolls...
Ingredients:
2 packages (or 5 tsp) active yeast (I use instant)

3 cups warm water (divided...1/2 cup and 2 1/2 cups)

2 Tbsp sugar divided (1 and 1)

1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil (I used olive because I LOVE olive :)

1 Tbsp salt

5-9 cups all purpose flour (I think I used close to 8 but I lost track)

sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
 Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup water.  Add 1 Tbsp sugar.  Let it sit for about five minutes.  It should kind of "foam" up.

After a few minutes, add the remaining water and sugar.  Add in the oil and begin adding flour (about 4 cups).  Add in the salt.

Knead to make a soft dough, adding flour as needed until it is "not sticky", about 6-8 minutes.  Do NOT over-knead.

Form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl (again, I used olive oil).

Cover and let rise, about 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough and divide the dough into small pieces.  The original recipe called for 18 pieces; I decided 16 was easier so my buns were just a bit bigger.  Shape the pieces into an oval.  I need to work on my shaping skills but thankfully that doesn't affect taste. :)  Place on a greased baking dish, about 2 inches apart.

Use scissors to cut a small slash across the top of the buns.

Cover and let rise for about 20 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Add sesame seeds if desired.

Bake for 12-18 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy!

They were my favorite "sub" roll that I have made so far.  The original recipe is A LOT so if you don't want that many, I would just halve the recipe. I ended up freezing our leftovers for future meals.

Onto the French dip.

I had a recipe I liked for French dip but with changes in diet around here, I had to re-think some recipes. That was one.  Thankfully one day a good friend of mine posted this recipe.   Perfect!  All things I could use or improvise.

So, here is my version based on her version. :)

French dip
Ingredients:
1 lb thin cut sirloin steak  (I actually use a bigger sirloin though I have never weighed it)
14 oz beef broth (though I add a whole container since I am using a bigger sirloin)
1 packet onion soup mix...this is where I have to improvise.  I make my own using the following recipe instead of using a packaged mix:
  8 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 

Directions:
Combine soup mix and beef broth and pour over the sirloin in the crockpot.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Shred meat with a fork.

I had provolone cheese on hand for those who wanted cheese.

We then ate it on our buns (which we toasted slightly in the oven).

And of course, we used the "au jus" from the crockpot for the dipping part.

Yum.

Easy and yum.

Enjoy!

Reba

Texas Roadhouse Rolls

The other night I was in the mood to try a new roll recipe to go with some pork chops and potatoes.  I perused my Pinterest "Rolling in Dough" files and found this one. I thought, "Why not?

Ironically I started making a lot of our breads and rolls for our food sensitive child, and it turns out he isn't a big bread kid.  But Hubby says he is appreciative anyway.

And appreciate these?  He sure did.

He doesn't always comment on my bread products (he is hit and miss with breads whereas I could eat bread all day if it didn't increase my hip size :) but this one he made a point to tell me he liked. A lot.  In fact, we indulged...we each had a whole one then went back for another one (which we ended up sharing).  I have since had them warmed up and love them just as much as the first day I had them.  I prefer mine with a little bit of butter; Hubby says that isn't even necessary.

It is a yeast bread so it does take a little planning and time.

But they are so worth it!

Note:  Like the author of the blog I found this recipe on (link above), I also cut the recipe in half...it made plenty.

Ingredients:
2 tsp active dry yeast (I used instant)

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk, scalded then cooled (I learned to scald milk means to bring it right to a boil on the stove in a pan then pull it off just as it starts to bubble...stir constantly)

1 1/2 Tbsp melted butter (slightly cooled)

1/4 cup sugar

3-4 cups flour (I used 3 plus a little more until it wasn't too sticky)

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Dissolve the yeast in the water with 1/2 tsp sugar.  It should start to bubble.

Add the milk, remaining sugar, and flour to make a "batter" (like a pancake batter).  Stir thoroughly.

Add the melted butter, eggs, and salt.

Stir well (or use a mixer...I did this by hand).

Continue to add flour to make a soft dough.

Knead for several minutes to form a ball.

You can put the "ball of dough" in a well-greased bowl but I honestly just use one bowl. I have never had problems with it sticking in the bowl.

Cover and let rise until doubled.  I usually give it about an hour.

Punch it down.

Place the dough on a floured surface.

Roll out into the shape of a rectangle (about 1/2 inch thick).  Then fold the rectangle in half so it is now about an inch thick.  I used my rolling pin to lightly roll it so the seams came together.

Cut the dough into desired shapes.

I followed the advice of the blog author and used a dough cutter to just cut mine into 12 rectangles.

Place the rolls (slightly spaced apart) on a greased baking sheet (I used parchment paper).  Cover and let rise until double in size (30 minutes to an hour).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake for 16-17 minutes until golden brown.

Brush immediately with melted butter and enjoy.

I WILL be making this again...

Happy cooking!

Reba

Butter Dip Biscuits

Okay, I am obviously not a food photographer.

Especially when I have a hungry mass at the table waiting for their dinner.

Then I just grab my phone and click.

Thus the blurriness.

And I really am capable of writing about more than just bread.

But this was good.

I want to remember it.

Plus my nephew said I MUST share this recipe with my mom so she can make it sometime. :)

The ultimate compliment.

Last night I made Amish Chicken (recipe coming soon). I didn't have a lot of time to get some bread together.

So I hit Pinterest.

And I found this recipe.

Easy.

And NO rising time.  In fact, no yeast.

Sold!

So I threw them together.

And hoped for the best.

And that is what I got.

Yum.

Yum. Yum.

I will say that I had a piece warmed up today and I just have to say it again.

Yum.

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter (I have to admit...I only used half a stick. I just could NOT bring myself to use a whole stick, especially since the chicken dish had a cup of heavy whipping cream in it...)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I did stick with all purpose; I usually do for the first recipe. I would like to try half all purpose, half white whole wheat some time)

4 tsp granulated sugar

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp Kosher salt (I am guessing you could use regular salt but I highly recommend Kosher for this)

1 3/4 cup buttermilk (I use the Saco powder and add water to equal this amount)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450.  Unless your chicken is baking at 350.  Then you compromise with 400.  :)

Place butter in an 8 x 8 square baking dish OR a cast iron skillet.  I went with the skillet. Stick in the oven as it preheats which will melt the butter.  Or you can do it in the microwave. I just like doing it in the skillet so I don't waste any...

Meanwhile, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and buttermilk.

Use a sharp knife to cut your pieces before baking. (No big deal if you don't...I didn't the next time and they were fine and cut easily)

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

I didn't even add any butter last night after they cooked. I did add a little today...yum!  I think these would be really good with breakfast too (like with jam or jelly).

A very basic bread but with this crusty outside, soft inside, and a bit of sweetness...

YUM!

Reba

Garlic Toast

I have been looking for a good garlic toast/bread recipe. I have tried a few but none have quite worked for me.  I used to buy a certain frozen brand but with my food sensitive kiddo, I can't do that anymore.  Thus my quest...

Anyway, last week I was really craving some so I tried yet another recipe.

And this one worked for me...

What I really like about this recipe (though I haven't done it yet) is that I can make it ahead of time and freeze the pieces then pull them out to toast when ready.

That is a goal of mine this summer.

Anywho, here is the recipe.  It calls for French bread. I used a frozen homemade version I had. (I only used half which made plenty!)

Ingredients (for a whole loaf...I halved the whole recipe):
French bread, cut into 1 inch slices

1/2 cup softened butter

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used finely shredded)

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Mix butter, cheese, parsley, and garlic powder.

Arrange bread slices on a large cookie sheet.

Spread butter mixture over each slice.

If you want to freeze it, now is the time to stick that cookie sheet in the freezer for about an hour to let the bread freeze. Then throw them in a freezer bag and pull out as needed.

When ready to cook (from frozen or just made), preheat oven to 425.

Bake/toast for 5-7 minutes.

Enjoy!

Reba

Skillet Rolls

The other day, when I was making fried chicken, I wanted some sort of bread to go with it.  I have several roll recipes I love but they take a while to rise (twice).  So I did a little Internet search.  I started in one spot and ended up right here. 

Rapid Rise Rolls.

Exactly what I need.

So I made them.

And ate them.

And loved every bite.

Ingredients:
Note: This is the original recipe.  When I made this, I cut the recipe in half.  I LOVE rolls but I didn't need 24. :)

1 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp yeast

1 3/4 cup warm water

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup melted butter

2 tsp salt

2 large eggs, beaten

4-6 cups all purpose flour

Directions:
Place sugar and yeast in a bowl with warm water.  Mix together and let sit for 5-10 minutes.  It should get bubbly. :)

Stir in the honey.  (You can use a mixer for this; the original recipe is for a mixer. I do it all by hand...)

Add in the butter, eggs, and salt.

Slowly add in the flour, a cup at a time.  Continue adding and kneading until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is not too sticky.

Rolls into 24 balls.  (Or in my case 12)

Place in a greased iron cast skillet.  You can also make these on a cookie sheet, though I haven't tried that.

Cover and let rise about 20 minutes or until doubled in size. I think mine took longer than that but I wasn't in a hurry that day. I just waited a while before checking on them.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Brush the risen rolls with melted butter.

Bake for 25 minutes or so.

Brush with more melted butter once you remove them from the oven.

They were really good. And even better, they only require one "rise" which definitely cuts back on time.

We WILL be having these again!

Reba

Cheese Bread

I really wish I had a better picture than this.

I will make it again soon and hopefully will get a better one.

We were behind schedule for dinner so I had to just point and click.  Quickly.

Anyway, tonight we had the Grilled Shrimp Boil Kabobs.  Well, some shrimp. I made some without. 

Anyway, I was trying to decide what kind of bread to have, and a picture from Pinterest flashed through my mind.  Cheese bread.  You know, like the kind you get at a certain seafood restaurant? 

What I really liked about the recipe was that it makes one load, not biscuits.  That means easier for me which I am all about. :)

And it was good.

Or at least I thought it was. 

Took a good deal of willpower to not eat several slices.

Ingredients:
3 cups flour (I used all purpose)

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I omitted that)

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper (I just added some ground black peppercorn...didn't measure)

4 oz cheddar cheese, cut into little cubes (I used sharp)

1 1/4 cups milk

3/4 cups sour cream

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Grease/spray a 9 x 5 bread pan.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. 

Add the cheese so it is coated with the flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, sour cream, butter, and egg.  Once mixed, pour into the flour mixture and stir until just mixed.  Do not overstir.

Spoon/pour the mixture into the bread pan.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.  After about 10 minutes, remove the loaf from the pan on a cooling rack.  Wait an hour or so to cut (unless you are in a hurry like me, then you just cut it as soon as it has cooled just a bit because it is time to eat). 

Then enjoy.

Happy cooking!

Reba

Honey Yeast Rolls

I just made these for the third or fourth time and have yet to actually blog about them.

Tonight is the night.

If I can keep from falling asleep anyway.

Not that I bore myself.

I am just in a state of fatigue all of the time this week.

Tonight we ate Korean Beef over rice, a family favorite.

A few Korean Beefs ago, I discovered a recipe for honey yeast rolls.

That seemed like the perfect match for this dish.

And it was.

The first time I made them, they were a little heavy.

I am still not sure what I did wrong.

The next time they were better.

And tonight they were even better.

I guess I am finally figuring it out.

My kids actually cheer when I make these...

Ingredients:
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

1 cup warm water (not too hot, not too cold)

1/4 cup honey

3 Tbsp canola oil (I used olive today)

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten (unless you are like me and just throw the raw egg into the dough mixture)

3 to 4 cups bread flour (I used 3 1/2 today)

2 Tbsp melted butter (topping)

2 Tbsp honey (topping)

Directions:
Combine the yeast and warm water.

I let it sit for just a minute. Usually I wait five minutes but I was crunched for time today.

Add in the honey, oil, salt, and egg. 

You can do all of this with an electric mixer.

If you know me at all, you know I just knead/mix by hand.  Wearing a rubber glove.

Add in the flour a cup at a time.

At about three cups, it was almost right.  I added about 1/2 cup more.

It will still be a slightly sticky dough at this point.

When it is kneaded thoroughly, cover and let rise for 2 hours.

Unless you are crunched for time like I was today.

Then you stick it in the oven (on warm) and let it rise for an hour or so.

Once it has doubled in size (or close to it in my rush this afternoon), knead the dough.

Ideally, you would let it rest for 10 minutes.

Unless you are trying to beat the dinner deadline.

Then you would just go ahead and divide it into about 12 portions and roll into balls.

Which is obviously what I did.

Grease a round pan (9 or 10 inch). 

Place the balls in the pan.

Let rise covered for 20-30 minutes.

I put them on top of my stove (while I cooked some other things) and went ahead and preheated the oven to 400 to give a little warmth.

Brush with the butter/honey and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy!

Parker House Rolls

Not great pictures.

Sorry about that.

We were SOOOOO ready to eat some dinner, I was taking pictures on the go.

Literally.

I will say that if you can get past the really bad pictures, this is an awesome recipe.

One of my favorite roll recipes to date.

In fact, probably in the top 3.

Right along with the cheese stuffed rolls and the yeast rolls.  (I have French bread in a category all on its own...)

And why shouldn't it be good?

It has a stick and a half of butter in it. And half a cup of sugar.

Really, it has no choice BUT to be good.

Oh, and if you click on the original link (and if you are a fan of food shows), you will recognize the "author" right away...

Parker House Rolls
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water

1 packet dry active yeast (I just use about a tablespoon of instant yeast which is what is in my freezer)

1/2 cup sugar (I will admit, I thought that was a typo at first. I have NEVER seen a bread recipe with that much sugar in it!)

7 1/2 to 8 cups all purpose flour (I used my favorite King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose...I think I actually used closer to just 7.  I have learned with doughs and flour to just use a conservative amount and then slowly add to it until it is just right...not too sticky!)

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled (Okay, I didn't wait for mine to cool really.  And it still worked. That is a stick and a half of butter in case you are wondering...)

2 cups milk at room temperature (again, mine wasn't at room temperature because I didn't plan ahead...it still worked. The original recipe called for whole. I only had 1%. That worked.)

2 eggs, room temperature (unless you don't plan ahead like me :)

1 Tbsp Kosher salt

Additional softened butter and salt for the finished roll

Directions:
Add yeast and sugar to warm water in a LARGE bowl.  Stir and give a few minutes to "bloom". I do not check the temperature of the water anymore; I have learned it should feel a lot like bath water. Unless you are like me and prefer really hot water. In my bath, not in the dough.

Add in eggs, milk, and melted butter.  You can use a mixer (and if you do, check out the original recipe for the proper order). I just hand mix. I do wear rubber gloves because of my long fingernails and to keep from having a big mess on my hands...literally.  And when I say hand mix, I actually use my hands to squish it and stir it. 

Add in the flour and salt. Like I said, add in flour conservatively (like 6 cups of flour) and then add additional flour slowly until it reaches the right consistency.

Knead for a few minutes until you form a large ball.

Most recipes call for buttering or oiling a different bowl and putting the dough in there to rise. I already make a big enough mess. I just use the same bowl.  I don't oil or butter it at all. There is usually a little stray flour and that keeps it from sticking. Anyway, cover and put in a warm place (if that is possible when it is snowing outside) to let it rise until doubled. The recommendation was 2+ hours which I did.  It might be shorter but I was I napping so I didn't check.

Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 375.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the dough out into a rectangle on a floured surface.  The rectangle should be about 8 x 16.  The dough should be about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Don't use a rolling pan. Just use those trusty hands. :)

From short side to short side, cut the rectangle in half in the middle.  I just don't have knives that work well with dough. I used kitchen shears instead.

Then cut each half into 12 strips. 

Take each strip and fold into thirds.  It is like you are folding it in half but overdo it so you tuck the extra in underneath.  There are pictures on the original recipe (under "pictures") that show this better than I can explain it. :)

Put the roll seam-side down on the baking sheet in three rows (8 in each row). They should be "tightly" packed. 

You don't have to let them rise again but I did give mine a few minutes to rest before I baked them.

What I really like is you can freeze them at this point by covering with plastic wrap.  Then you can pull them out within 3 weeks to cook at a later time. I will definitely do that in the future if I know I won't have time to do the whole rising thing on a given day!

Bake 18-20 minutes at 375.  If doing it from frozen, then bake at 325 for 25 minutes followed by 375 for 10 more minutes.

Brush warm rolls with softened butter and sprinkle with salt (I used freshly ground sea salt for that).

Enjoy.

Oh, the bad news? They are 265 calories a roll. 

And that was using 1% milk!

But believe me, they are worth every bit of exercise I did for them. :)

Even Hubby who can be a hard sell on bread loved them. And my picky child 4 (who usually only eats Rhodes rolls) ate 2 of them...

Happy cooking!

Reba

Yeast Rolls

 I used to buy yeast rolls from our grocery store bakery all of the time.  And I miss them.  Terribly. They were easy and REALLY good.  However, with our food sensitive kid, just picking up prepared foods is not easy without a little research.  And I have not had time yet to research those.  So when I saw a recipe for "Lambert's Throwed Rolls".  I knew I had to try them.

Saturdays and Sundays are good "experiment" days since I have a little more time to cook/bake.  So last weekend, I pulled out my bread machine, added the ingredients, and turned on the dough cycle. (I often knead by hand but in this case, I wanted to take a nap REALLY bad :)

A little while later, I shaped into balls and put them in a muffin pan and baked them.

Then we tasted them.

Um, yum.

Just what I have been missing.

Even better, I had a few left over, so I froze them for future meals.

Tonight was the future for me.

It was "on your own night" and I wanted a roll to go with my meal.

So I took one out of the freezer, put it on some aluminum foil, and put it in the oven at around 250 to 300.

A few minutes later, I had a roll that was just as yummy as the first time I had one.

I will be making these again!  (And hopefully making enough to freeze future batches...)

Ingredients:
1 tsp sugar

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (one envelope)- Note:  I just use instant

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup warm milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp salt

4 cups all purpose (or bread) flour

Directions (for bread machine):
Put the sugar, yeast, and warm water in the bread machine.  Stir together and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Add the milk, butter, sugar, and egg.  Then add about 3 1/2 cups flour and the salt on top.

Start the Dough cycle.

Check the dough after about 15 minutes. It is too sticky/wet, add more flour.

If you aren't using the bread machine, go ahead and put the sugar, yeast, and warm water in a bowl  Let it "rest" for about five minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Knead for 5-10 minutes.

Shape into a ball.

Cover and let rise until doubled.

Meanwhile, grease a muffin pan.

Butter hands liberally.  DON'T miss this step.  Otherwise this will stick to your hands like crazy!  Roll the dough into 24 "balls".  Place two balls in each greased muffin tin "cup".  

Cover and let rise for about 45 minutes or until nearly doubled.

Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. (Cover with aluminum foil if they brown too quickly)

Serve with butter or honey.

Enjoy!

Banana Nut Bread

Not long ago, a teacher at our school made some banana nut bread that she shared with us.  It was so yummy, so moist. I sought her out and asked her what recipe she used. She had used the Betty Crocker recipe (from the old "red" cookbook).  So about a week later, I tried it.  And it was good.  But it was not as moist as hers.

Well, yesterday, I had a few very ripe bananas (which are rare around here because they get eaten so quickly) and wanted to try again.  This time I checked my pins on Pinterest and found a recipe I had pinned for cream cheese banana bread.  Um, cream cheese??? Seriously, how could you go wrong with that?

So last night I threw it in the oven and started smelling it immediately.

But then I had to wait until this morning to try it.

Can you say torture?

Hopped out of bed this morning to try it.  Warmed it just a bit in the microwave and sat down to eat.

It was delicious.

And moist.

Everything I wanted in a banana bread.

I will definitely be using this recipe again.

Sorry, Betty.

Note:   The original recipe makes two loaves.  And IF a certain child in my house hadn't been greedy and eaten more than his fair share of bananas yesterday, I could have made two; we could have eaten one and frozen one. But instead I was left with THREE bananas, not the FOUR I needed. So I halved the recipe which is what I am sharing here...

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp butter (I used unsalted), softened

1/2 package (4 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I think next time I will do half all purpose, half whole wheat...I wasn't ready to try it yet since this was my first time to make this recipe)

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 mashed bananas (I just mashed with a fork)

1/2 cup toasted pecans (just toasted them while I was working on the rest...throw the pecans on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for just a few minutes)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon to taste

A few extra pecans finely chopped

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.  Go ahead and toast the pecans for a few minutes.

Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy.

Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy.

Add eggs, beating until just blended.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.

Gradually add to the mixture, beating at a low speed until well blended.

Add in bananas, pecans, and vanilla.

Spoon into a greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.

Sprinkle cinnamon and finely chopped pecans on top (optional, but a nice touch).

Bake for 1 hour at 350(when a toothpick comes out clean).  If the bread starts to get too brown, cover with aluminum foil the last 15 minutes. That didn't happen to mine at all but my oven rack was right in the middle.

Several people in the comments section mentioned making muffins; they would only bake for about 25 minutes.

After about 10 minutes, remove from pan to cool on a cooling rack. 

 Enjoy!

Homemade Sandwich Bread

I have tried making sandwich bread before but wasn't overly excited with the final product.

Yet I was inspired to try again with a different recipe.  

So when I saw this, I was ready to give it a whirl.

So glad I did!

This was easy and delicious!  Even better, it makes two loaves so I can freeze one for later while enjoying one now...

Ingredients:
2 cups lukewarm water

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp dry active yeast

2 Tbsp butter softened (I totally forgot to soften, so I just cut it apart into lots of pieces and then worked it into the dough) and cut into small pieces

5 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp Kosher salt

Directions:
Whisk the sugar into the water.

When the sugar is dissolved, add the yeast in, stir thoroughly, and then walk away.  In about 10 minutes, the yeast and water will hopefully have created a nice little "foam".

Toss the flour and salt into the yeast mixture.  Add the butter.

Mix together.  Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes either with a mixer or by hand. (I just did it by hand. It is really relaxing to me)

Round the dough into a ball and cover in a lightly oiled bowl.  I actually used one bowl for the process and I didn't spray it or anything. It was fine.  Place in a warm spot (I just put mine on the stovetop under the microwave light and sometimes turn the oven on to warm).  Hopefully if it is a warm enough spot, the dough will double in size in about an hour.

Once it has doubled in size, punch the dough down and knead it a little more.  Form into a ball and place on a floured surface.  Cut or tear it apart to make two equal portions.  Knead each half and roll into a loaf shape (though it will look like a small loaf :) and place in a one pound lightly greased loaf pan.  Cover again and let it rise for about an hour.

After about 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 350.

The dough should have doubled again in the pan.

Remove the cover and place in the oven and let them bake for about 35-40 minutes until the crust is a beautiful golden brown color.

Once the bread is done, remove from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes in the pan.  Then dump it out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.  It is highly suggested that you wait until the bread cools to cut it.

After it was cooled off, I wrapped one loaf up and placed it in the freezer.  The other loaf I wrapped and placed in the fridge until our breakfast for dinner night.  Then I sliced it and toasted it.  And it was good stuff.  Yummy.  In fact, I am not sure I will ever be able to go back to store bought again!

Happy baking!

Reba

Cheese Stuffed Rolls

I have been wanting to try these ever since I saw them on Pinterest. Cheese and bread. My favorite combination. 

So last night since I had a little free time (not really but I pretended like I did), I decided to give them a try.

I have just started dabbling in the world of bread making.  And I am actually starting to enjoy it. There is something therapeutic about kneading bread with my hands. I can't explain it but it is just relaxing to me.  And of course, in the end, I get to eat my product.  There are few foods I love more in the world than bread. Especially bread hot out of the oven.

And this one? Worth every second.

I ate two of them!

Since I am careful with calories, I really try to limit my bread intake.

But I couldn't resist.

And honestly, if I hadn't already indulged on other treats that day, I would have had three. Or four.

They were that good.

They literally melted in my mouth.

Throw in the cheese, and I was in food heaven.

And honestly, they were not that much work.

Even a bread newbie like me can make them.

In less than an hour.

Convinced yet?

Ingredients:
1 cup hot water (just hot from the tap)

2 Tbsp yeast (I used Rapid Rise for this one)

2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp garlic powder (You will really be able to smell it but it is not overpowering at all in the end)

1/4 cup melted butter (I used salted for this one)

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 cups all purpose flour (I used King Arthur's unbleached.  The original recipe called for 3 but 2 1/2 was plenty for mine.  I am learning that you just have to work with the dough until you get the right consistency rather than trying to stick with a certain measurement on flour)

8 oz. mozzarella, cut into chunks

shredded Parmesan


Note:  The original recipe also added other cheeses to the top. But in the interest of calories, I stuck with Mozzarella and Parmesan. And honestly, that was enough for me.

Directions:
Add yeast to water.  Set aside for a few minutes. The yeast (if active) will kind of foam in the water after a few minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, the garlic powder, the melted butter, and the olive oil.  Stir in yeast mixture.

Slowly add flour. I added half a cup at a time.  Mix thoroughly. You can use a mixer with dough hooks.  I actually prefer to mix by hand.  Add flour until the dough becomes less sticky and more elastic.  Add in the salt.  Knead for 10 minutes. I don't really think I kneaded it that long. But I did really work the dough to make sure all ingredients were mixed in. Oh, and I just kneaded in the same bowl I had mixed in.  I didn't even oil it since there was a little extra flour. I didn't have any trouble with stickiness.

Set the bowl in a warm place, covered with a wet towel.  Allow to rise for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.  I put my bowl on top of the oven which was preheating (to 375).  It gave it warmth but not too much.  I think mine doubled in around 20 minutes.

Divide dough into pieces (whatever size you want).  I flattened the dough into circles that fit into the palm of my hand. Take a mozzarella chunk and place in the middle of the flattened dough, then wrap the dough around it to make a ball.  Place the "balls" on a greased cookie sheet. I used my pizza stone.  I got around 14 "balls" from my dough.

Sprinkle shredded Parmesan (or any other cheese of your choice) over the top.  That was a little difficult because they are balls, so the cheese slid off. I kind of pressed the cheese into the top instead.

Bake at 375 for 11-15 minutes until rolls are golden brown.

Take out of the oven and brush with butter. I also sprinkled some Italian seasoning on top.

Enjoy.

Reba
PS This is probably my favorite bread recipe to date...and that is saying a lot because I have tried some good ones recently.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Another case of the picture NOT doing this food justice.  It is a travesty, I know.  I would love to be a professional food photographer OR have my own personal food photographer. But honestly usually when I cook things, we are rushing to get things on the table so we can eat.  And my pictures are taken in "drive by" style.  

 I am just thankful I got a picture of this before the kids got hold of it.  Because they love it.  And if I had waited, I might have had just crumbs left to snap photos of...

Yes, another Pinterest recipe. I saw it and thought, "Why not?"  It reminds me a lot of the coffeecake I make.  But a much simpler version for days that I need a much simpler recipe.

I have also decided that they make good gifts or products for a bake sale.

Best of all, you are encouraged to make these the night before, so it is ready and waiting. Just warm it up in the morning (re-heat) and enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (I have been using King Arthur's unbleached when I have a chance)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar (granulated)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Cinnamon swirl ingredients:
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a loaf pan (9 x 5 inch).

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  Add in the egg, milk, and vegetable oil.

Stir just until moistened. Do NOT overstir.

Pour half the batter into the loaf pan.  I don't know if "pour" is an accurate word because it was more like "spoon" to me...not that runny.  But it worked.

Sprinkle with the cinnamon swirl ingredients.

Pour remaining batter over the top.

Sprinkle a little more cinnamon/sugar if you wish (like you could go wrong with more cinnamon and sugar :).

Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the pan cool for about 10 minutes.

Move to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

I will admit, I totally skipped the wire rack. I just let mine keep cooling in the pan.

Wrap up with foil and save for the next day.  (It will be very crumbly to cut right after it comes out of the oven)  We microwave a slice or two for around 10 seconds the next day.

Enjoy!

French Bread

The other night we needed a break from turkey and dressing and mashed potatoes. I had actually planned on making gravy to eat with the leftovers and serving that over biscuits. But we had some company, time got away from me, and before long it was 5:30.  And I was out of mashed potatoes. 

I needed a change of plans.

So I decided that Korean beef sounded really good.

It always sounds good to me.

That is because there are NEVER leftovers.  NEVER.  So the night I make it is my one shot to eat it.  And with a growing teenager in my house, I truly do only get one shot.  I blink, and it is gone.  Literally.

Once I had that settled, I started thinking about bread.  I really wanted a good bread to eat with it. But we were almost out of our Thanksgiving (Rhodes) rolls. And I didn't have much in the freezer that was quick.  Even more, with one of our kids on a limited diet, I was even more limited in my choices.  So I did what any cook in that situation would do.  Started surfing Pinterest.

My "Rolling in Dough...Bread Dough That Is" board.

I quickly perused several recipes. Some I didn't have ingredients for. Others I didn't have time for.  I was getting a little panicked.

On a whim, though, I visited the site for this Easy Homemade French Bread.  Easy is a favorite word of mine in cooking.  And I LOVE French bread. It was the homemade part that scared me a little. I haven't done much baking and am still learning.  However, desperate times call for desperate measures.

I went to work.

I threw my ingredients together.  Kneaded it.  Gave it a little time to rise (not really the right amount of time but it worked :).  And then shaped it and baked it.

I think I broke several of the recommendations on the recipe, mainly due to lack of time.

But guess what?

It worked.

The bread was delicious.

I kept sitting there, truly basking in each and every bite, saying, "Did I really make this???"

The bad thing is that I don't think any of my children truly appreciate what a feat that was...I threw dinner AND some French bread together in an hour and a half.

They just think it is normal.

Ha!

Anyway, here is the recipe with some of my own notes.  I will be making this again. I actually have one of the loaves-since it made two- in the freezer, ready to warm up one day. It is taking all I have to NOT warm it up right now and eat each and every bite.  Myself.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups warm water (not too cold, not too hot...just right :)

2 Tbsp yeast (The original poster used instant. I only had rapid rise.  It worked.)

3 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp white vinegar

1 Tbsp salt

1/3 cup oil (vegetable)

6-7 cups flour (I was running low on my regular flour so I used my King Arthur's unbleached all purpose)

Directions: 

Add the warm water, the yeast, the sugar, and the white vinegar together and let it sit for 3-5 minutes (until bubbly).

Add in the salt, oil, and flour.  Add the flour a cup at a time.  Knead together.  The dough should be soft but still easy to mold/shape.  I added 6 cups easily but then added just a bit more. The dough was sticky but it was fairly easy to shape.

Place the dough and a pot of boiling water in the oven.  Let the dough rise.  Punch down if/when the dough reaches the top of the bowl. 

The oven is supposed to be off (per the original recipe).  However, I knew my time was limited. I turned my oven just above warm (around 175 degrees) and put the water (which keeps the dough moist) and the dough in the oven.  I only had time to punch it down once.  It worked for me.

Remove the dough from the oven once it has risen and been punched down a few times.  Or one time if you are like me. :)

Spray the bottom of a large cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal.

Divide the dough into 2 or 3 portions.  Shape into loaves.  I made 2 large loaves, mainly because my family is full of bread eaters.

"Slash" (cut diagonally) the tops of the loaves 3 or 4 times.

"Whitewash" with a beaten egg.

You can then let the loaves sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to rise or if you are in a rush (like me), you can put it back in the oven at 175 degrees with a pot of boiling water.  Don't put the water in or ON the loaves.  Just in the same oven. :)  Let it rise until it is the size you would like.

Then take the pot of water out of the oven and turn the oven up to 375 degrees. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and enjoy.

Putting butter on a warm piece...Oh yum. My mouth is watering!

Though it wasn't fast fast, it was still about 90 minutes (of my time) total.  (If I ever had more time though I would let it rise a little more)

90 minutes for the pleasure of eating warm homemade bread...totally worth it.

Reba

Garlic Parmesan Crusty Bread

I have been trying my hand at baking bread lately. I really want to bake bread.  I mean, I love eating it. I might as well learn how to make it.

But thus far, my attempts have been ho hum.

Tastes pretty good but not "I want to eat the whole loaf" good.

Until I tried this recipe.

One day this week we were going to eat baked potato soup. I love having a crusty bread to go with it. (I usually dip it in olive oil...yum).  But with some diet restrictions, I couldn't just go buy what I normally buy. So I decided to give the recipe above a try.

This recipe does require planning ahead. That is because the dough sits and rises for about 18 hours.  (12-18)

The night before the baked potato soup meal, I mixed the ingredients, covered the bowl, and left it until the next afternoon.

I will admit, the dough looks funny. It is kind of dry and "bumpy".  And it does rise but not like a Rhodes roll will.  When I put it in my pan to bake, I did NOT have high hopes.  It just looked like a glob of dough.

And then partway through the baking, I started to smell it. And it smelled kind of good.  Actually really good.

When time was "up", I removed it from the oven and held my breath.

It actually looked like bread.  And kind of pretty for bread.

And the taste...well, it tastes like (better than actually) anything I have bought at the store.

I really did have to contain myself to not eat the whole loaf.

It is dense but crusty on the outside.  Yet not so dense that you have to really work to eat it.

And the possibilities for what you can add to the bread are endless.

I ended up throwing in some minced garlic and shredded Parmesan when I mixed it together.

Yum.

I will be making this again.  I may just try the plain version or we may try something else. I don't know yet.

In a way, I wish I had never tried this recipe...it is going to be SOOO hard to not make it all of the time!

Ingredients:
3 cups of all purpose UNBLEACHED flour (I honestly had never noticed unbleached flour at the store but sure enough, there is was. I ended up going with King Arthur)

1 3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp yeast (the original recipe called for instant.  I only had a rapid rise and used it just fine)

1 1/2 cups water (I used warm since I was using rapid rise yeast)

Directions:
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add in the water.  Mix (but don't overmix).  At this point I added in the garlic and Parmesan.  If I were adding cheddar cheese (and I plan to sometime) I probably wouldn't add it in until later since it sits out so long.  That is just me though. :)  Know that this is a fairly dry mixture. I really thought I had done something wrong but it does get more moist as it sits.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap then leave it alone.

After 12-18 hours, place your empty baking dish in an oven set at 450 degrees.  The baking dish was my biggest challenge. It has to be 3+ quarts AND have a lid of some sorts. AND it has to be able to go into an oven at 450 degrees which eliminates a lot of pans I have.  The original poster used a cast iron pot with a lid.  I want one...saw one in a Thanksgiving ad just today. But they are also pricey for just one dish.  I ended up using the mixing bowl from my mixer and covered it with aluminum foil. It was the best I could do. And it worked. :)

Meanwhile pour the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a ball of sorts.  I used parchment paper...totally forgot to flour. And it was kind of sticky. I will do better next time.  This dough does NOT need a lot of kneading. I did little beyond shaping it. Then I covered it with plastic wrap and let it sit a bit longer. 

After about 30 minutes, take the hot pan out of the oven (carefully) and place the dough inside.  I just kind of dumped it from the parchment paper.  Cover and return to the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, remove the cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread and let it cool.

Then enjoy!

I really am amazed that something so simple produced such tastiness. 

Happy cooking!  (and Happy Thanksgiving!)

Reba


  

Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks

I know, I know, I have been MIA.

It was a long (and exhausting) week. Not a bad one, just a long one. I did cook though.

 And I even have a recipe or two to share.

 Soon.

 Not today but soon.

 But just so I don't leave you hanging, here is one recipe from the week.

 Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks.

Yum.

My mouth waters just thinking about them.

I have been craving some sort of garlic bread.  And since we were having mostaccioli one night not long ago, I wanted some even more.  However, due to the diet of one of our kids, I had to make some adjustments. The normal frozen garlic bread I buy in the stores would not do. I needed to do something different.

I have taken regular French bread and made it into garlic bread.

Toasted regular bread and sprinkled garlic or spread garlic butter.

Etc.

Etch.

I wasn't sure what to do, so I pulled some Rhodes dinner rolls out of the freezer to thaw and rise.

As I did, my eye happened to catch the back of the Rhodes dinner roll bag.

Hmmmm...

garlic/cheese breadsticks.

Well, that sounded yummy.

And it was.

Ingredients:
Rhodes White Dinner Roll dough, thawed

garlic salt to taste

melted butter (amount depends on how much dough you are using)

Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Directions:
Open the bag of dinner rolls and take out however many you need.

Let them sit out on a cookie sheet or plate to thaw.  I usually spray some plastic wrap with cooking/baking spray to keep the dough from sticking.

When they are thawed but still cold, take them out and shape them into 6 inch breadsticks. Okay, mine looked more like a little bun. I think I waited too long and let them rise a little.  They were resistant to shaping more into a stick than a log.

Oh well.

After they are shaped, let them rise.

The back of the package actually has you roll them in butter at this point and sprinkle with cheese, but I waited until they had risen.  It worked.  So it is your choice

After they were doubled in size, I then melted some butter and brushed the dough with it.  Then I sprinkled garlic salt on top and topped with shredded Parmesan ("fresh" of course...I love that stuff).

After that, I baked them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes at 350.

And then we devoured them.

Yum.  Yum.  Yum.

Reba

PS I am getting no favors or coupons or free products from Rhodes. I just happen to like their products a lot.  And even better, they are "clean" products...made out of good and natural ingredients.