Lindsay's Fast French Bread

FAST FRENCH BREAD

1 1/4 c warm water

1 T sugar

1 T yeast

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 c. flour

Combine sugar and yeast in small bowl.  Add yeast and let sit until bubbly.  Add salt and flour.  Knead and let rise until double.  Roll out into rectangle, roll up.  Slash diagonally with knife.  Let bread rise until double on jelly roll pan.  Baste with 1/2 tsp salt and 2 T water glaze.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 min.

Recipe note:  Batch can be divided into 2-4 loaves for sandwiches, or made into bread bowls.

Lindsay's Artisan Bread

Lindsay's Artisan Bread

 

In a large mixing bowl, add:

3 cups white flour

1 3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp yeast

whisk together.  Then add 1 1/2 cups warm water.  The dough will look like a shaggy mess.  That is ok!  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let sit on counter for 12-18 hours. Overnight is great.  After 12 hours the dough should look sticky and bubbly.  

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Once heated, place an EMPTY, CAST IRON pot with it's lid into the heated oven to cook for 30 minutes.  This step is so important!  Do not skip!

Meanwhile, dump your bread dough onto a HEAVILY floured surface and carefully shape into a round ball.  You do not need to handle it very much, and there is no need to knead it or punch it down.  Remember, it took a long time to get those air bubbles in there!  :)  Cover it again with plastic wrap and let it sit while your pot is heating up. Once your pot is heated thoroughly, remove it from the oven.  Cover your hands with flour, then gently place the dough in the bottom of the pan (without the plastic wrap).  Put the lid on the pot and bake for 30 minutes.  Then remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Once done, use all the will power you have to let loaf completely cool before serving.  This is the part you pat yourself on the back and tell yourself how awesome you are....because YOU ARE. 

*Tip:  I tried using whole wheat flour.  Do not do it.  It's wayyyyyy too heavy for this type of bread.  

Some of my favorite mix in ideas:

Use different types of cheeses like: jalapeno, pepper jack, cheddar, sharp, etc

Rosemary, lemon zest, and shredded gruyere cheese 

Cranberry, orange, almond

pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and poppy seeds

Cinnamon, raisin, walnut

Lemon zest, thyme, asiago

Kirsten's Sweet Brown Baguettes

Kirsten's Sweet Brown Baguettes (cheesecake factory copycat)

Ingredients 

12 oz. warm water, 105F 

1 oz. butter, melted 

1/2 cup honey  (use 1/4 c honey, 1/4 c molasses if desired) 

2-3 cups bread flour 

1 2/3 cups wheat flour 

1 tablespoon cocoa 

1 tablespoon brown sugar 

1 teaspoon salt 

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast 

1 TB caramel color powder (this is optional. It is the best way to get the real dark brown color)

To prepare the bread, I added the warm water, melted butter, honey, wheat flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  After thoroughly blending, add the yeast and ½ cup of the bread flour.  The mixture will be soupy.  Add the remaining flour, ¼ cup at a time on low until enough flour has been incorporated that the mixture just begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Continue mixing for 7 minutes on medium.

Remove the bowl and dump the dough onto a floured board.  Bench rest for 5 minutes.  Knead with floured hands until there is sufficient gluten development.  When the dough is slightly springy, transfer to a greased bowl and rise until doubled, 1 to 1.5 hours.

When the dough has doubled in volume, pour it onto a floured surface.  Divide the dough into four equal portions and form into baguettes.  Let the baguettes rise until almost doubled, or until pressing the dough lightly with a finger causes the dough to fill back in in several seconds.  Just before baking, score the tops with your favorite pattern, brush with water and sprinkle with oats.

Bake the loaves in an oven that has been preheated to 350F.  Bake for 22 minutes or until done.

Kirsten’s Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Kirsten’s Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Dough

About 5 c flour

2 1/4 tsp yeast

1 1/3 c milk

3 TB sugar

3 TB butter

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

1/2 c sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Prepare bread dough as you would your favorite wheat bread recipe. But, before placing dough in the pans for the final rise, divide the dough into 2 parts. Roll out each into a rectangle, brush with water and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar filling. Roll up jelly roll style, pinch off seams and place seam side down in prepared loaf pans. 

Let rise until nearly double (about 30 min.)

Bake 350 for 25-30 min or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. (Cover with foil to prevent over browning.) Remove from pans and cool. You can drizzle a simple cream cheese icing over it if you want, or it's delicious toasted with butter.

Lindsay's Pizza Dough

Lindsay’s Pizza Dough

1 TBSP Yeast

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup warm water (105 F to 115 F)
2 ½ to 3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 cup warm water

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup of the warm water.  (wait until it's really bubbly) Set aside.

In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and the salt.  Add oil, the yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water.  Mix on low speed until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook (takes about 3-5 minutes). Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand 2-3 minutes longer.  The dough should be smooth and firm.  Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.  Dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled.

Divide the dough into 2 equal balls.  Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball.  Repeat 4-5 times.  Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm (about 1 minute).  Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest for 20 more minutes. 

Roll out dough, top with your favorite toppings, and then place in 500 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Lindsay's Einstein Bagels

Lindsay’s Einstein Bagels

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water

1 TBSP yeast

3 TBSP light corn syrup

1 ½ TBSP molasses

1 tsp oil

2 tsp salt

5 cups bread flour (plus about 1 cup for kneading)

2 TBSP sugar (for water bath

Cornmeal (for dusting)

Directions:

Combine water and yeast.  Let sit until yeast is dissolved.  Add corn syrup, molasses, oil, and salt.  Mix thoroughly.  Add flour one cup at a time.  Knead the dough, while working in remaining reserved flour until right consistency (about 6 min).  Cover and let rise for 40 min or until double.

Karina’s Honey Whole Wheat Bread - 2 Loaf Recipe

Karina’s Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2 Loaf Recipe

2 loaf Honey Wheat Bread Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups HOT tap water

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup honey

3 cups fresh-ground whole wheat flour

1/2 TBSP salt

1/4 cup potato flakes

1 TBSP gluten flour

1 TBSP instant yeast (SAF Yeast recommended)

2-3 cups more whole wheat flour

Follow directions for 5 loaf recipe.

Karina’s Honey Whole Wheat Bread - 5 Loaf Recipe

Karina’s Honey Whole Wheat Bread - 5 Loaf Recipe

Servings: 5 loaves

5 cups hot tap water

1/3 cup Canola or Olive Oil (light)

2/3 cup honey

6 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour

1 tbl. salt

½ cup potato flakes

2 Tbl. gluten flour

2 Tbl. saf-instant yeast

4-6 cups more fresh ground flour to consistency

Put in the mixer bowl—water, oil, and honey.  With mixer running—add 6 cups flour, salt, potato flakes and gluten flour.

Add yeast—mix a minute and then turn off mixer and let sponge for a few minutes.

Resume mixing and add the rest of the flour, a little at a time, being careful not to add too much.  Dough will be sticky and not quite clean the bowl.

Knead on speed 2 on mixer for 5 minutes.  Loosen lid and let rest for 10 minutes.  Now form dough, and place in 5- 1 lb. loaf pans (spray pans).  Let rise another 15 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 28-30 minutes.  Remove bread and let cool on cooling rack.

Store in freezer bag or bread bad.  Can be frozen  in Ziploc freezer bags.

Enjoy!!!!!

Karina's Dinner Roll Recipe with Orange Roll Variation

Karina’s Dinner Roll Recipe

(with Orange Roll Variation)

Ingredients:

1 Cup Milk

½ Cup Butter

¼ Cup Sugar

2 Large Eggs

¾ tsp. Salt

4 Cups Flour

1 Rounded Tbl. of Saf Yeast

Heat milk and butter till hot (not boiling, but hot).  Put in mixer and add sugar.  While mixer is running add eggs, salt and 2 cups of flour.  Add yeast and then the other 2 cups of flour (you must do this quickly so that the flour cools the mixture down a  bit so that the eggs don’t cook).  Let mix for 2 minutes.  Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 20-30 minutes.  Roll dough into a circle onto a lightly floured surface (it should be about the size of a large pizza).  Use a pizza cutter to cut dough into 16 slices.  Roll up from larger end to smaller end and pinch together so that it doesn’t come apart while baking. Put on a cookie sheet and cover with a dish rag for 20-30 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes (till nice and golden brown). Put on cooling rack soon after removing from oven so that they don’t continue to cook.

Orange Roll Variation:

Same ingredients as above but zest an orange and squeeze out the juice.  After you put in the first 2 cups of flour…add ½ of the orange juice (reserve the other half for the glaze) and all of the zest.  Continue as above.  After removing from oven let cool till just slightly warm and drizzle glaze over the top.

Orange Glaze:

2Tbl. of butter

2 Cups of powdered sugar

½ tsp. of vanilla extract

Orange juice to desired consistency

Beat butter and powdered sugar, add vanilla and then add orange juice (a few tablespoons) until desired consistency

Karina’s Hamburger Buns in 40 minutes with Cinnamon Roll Variation

Karina’s Hamburger Buns in 40 minutes
(with Cinnamon Roll Variation)
 

Servings: 32

3 ½ cups warm water

½ cup honey

½ cup oil

6 Tbl. Saf Yeast

10 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 Tbl. Salt

¾ cup egg beaters or 2 eggs

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

2 Tbl. gluten flour

Mix together water, honey, oil, and yeast.  Let mixture rest for 15 minutes.  Then add the applesauce, eggs, flour, gluten (optional), and salt.  Let rise for 10 minutes before shaping  into hamburger buns, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls or breadsticks.  Let rise for another 10 minutes.  Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.

If there is a yeasty taste it is not from too much yeast but from the water being too warm.  Less yeast may be used in this recipe, but they will take longer to rise.

Cinnamon Rolls:

Oil the counter, dump the raised dough from above onto the counter and press into a large rectangle with your hands.

Filling: Mix together ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Spread mixture onto rolled out dough.  Roll up and cut with strong thread.

Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, ¼ tsp. almond extract and 2-3 tbl. of milk.  Drizzle glaze over warm cinnamon rolls.