Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Bread

This one looks familiar because I made the cinnamon version of this a little while ago.  In deciding what to make for the Mother's Day brunch I was hosting, I wanted something light and fresh to serve with the casserole I was making.  This was perfect.  I made the dough the night before and rolled and assembled it the next morning, which was so easy.  It came out wonderfully, though the top of mine did burn (I should have put foil over the top!) before the middle was cooked through, but lesson learned for next time.  I served it with the glaze on the side to minimize the mess when pulling the sheets off of the loaf.  It was a big hit!

Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Bread

Recipe courtesy of Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients

• About 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope)instant yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the lemon filling

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (3 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted

For the icing

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

• Stir together 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, the yeast, and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer; set aside. 
• In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave until melted.  Add the milk & stir to combine.
• Add the water & vanilla to the milk butter mixture and let stand until just warm, not hot.
• Pour the milk mixture over the flour-yeast mixture & using a rubber spatula, mix until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Attach the bowl to the mixer & fit the mixer with the paddle attachment.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated.
• Stop the mixer, add 1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) of the remaining flour, & resume mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth, 30 to 45 seconds.
• Add 2 more tablespoons flour & mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth & slightly sticky, about 45 seconds.
• Knead gently until smooth & no longer sticky, about 1 minute, adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons flour only if necessary to lessen the stickiness. *I used my stand mixer for the kneading, you could knead by hand on a floured surface.
• Place the dough in a large bowl, cover the bowl securely with plastic wrap & let the dough rise in a warm place (about 70°F) until doubled in size, about an hour.   *After this rise, you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap & refrigerate overnight, then let sit out at room temp for 30 minutes before proceeding on with the recipe.
• While the dough is rising, make the filling.
• In a small bowl, mix together the sugar & the lemon & orange zests. Set the sandy-wet mixture nearby.
• Center a rack in the oven & preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan or lightly coat the pan with nonstick spray.
• Gently deflate the dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 20-by-12-inch rectangle. 
• Using a pastry brush spread the melted butter generously over the dough.
• Sprinkle the zest-sugar mixture the buttered rectangle.
• Cut the dough crosswise into 5 strips, each about 12 x 4 inches.
• Stack the strips on top of each other.
• Slice the stack crosswise through the 5 layers to create 6 equal strips, each about 4 x 2 inches.
• Fit these layered strips into the prepared loaf pan, cut edges up & side by side.
• Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap & let the dough rise in a warm place (70 °F) until puffy & almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Bake the coffee cake until the top is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.  Check it around 20 minutes & see if it's browning on top too quickly, add a layer of loose foil on the top if it is, since the top will burn before the middle is cooked through.
• Transfer to a wire rack & let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, vigorously mix the cream cheese & sugar until smooth.
• Beat in the milk & lemon juice until the mixture is creamy & smooth.
• To remove the coffee cake from the pan, run a butter knife around the edges release the cake sides. Invert a wire rack on top of the coffee cake, invert the cake onto the rack &carefully lift off the pan. Invert another rack on top, invert the cake so it is right side up & remove the original rack.
• Using a pastry brush, coat the top of the warm cake with the icing to glaze it. (I served mine on the side to dip or spread on individual pieces.)
• Serve the coffee cake warm or at room temperature.

Kinda Wheat Bagels

I have a confession to make...here goes...I don't like wheat.  I don't like the smell, taste or texture of wheat bread, bagels, pasta, etc...  I've tried to like it, I swear!  I am an evil white flour lover all the way and I enjoy it...but decided to make a wheat-ish kind of bagel to add some health into it.  I'm starting out slow, but I'll likely end up going with a 50-50 split of white and wheat flours.  Baby steps, right?

These had a great texture, I could taste the wheat in it, but it wasn't overpowering at all.  You can do plain bagels by just omitting the garlic powder and onion flakes.  Plain bagels would be great with some peanut butter on top!

Garlic-Onion Kinda Wheat Bagels

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 c. warm water (about 110 degrees)
• 1 T. instant yeast
• 1 T. white sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 c. bread flour
• 1 c. wheat flour
• 1 T. garlic powder
• 1/4 c. dried minced onion flakes
• Non-stick spray
• 1 egg
• 1 T. water

 Directions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the dough hook, pour warm water, sugar and yeast.  Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add salt, flours, garlic powder and onion flakes.
• Turn mixer on and let the dough knead for approximately 8 minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth.
• Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray.  Place dough in, turning to coat in oil, then cover in plastic wrap.
• Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Divide dough into 12 pieces and shape into bagels. (I shape into balls, then punch my thumb through and stretch the bagel to shape.)
• Cover bagels with a clean dish cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
• While bagels rest, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Boil bagels about 4 at a time, 2 minutes on first side and an additional minute after flipping.
• Drain bagels and return to pan.  Repeat with all bagels.
• Whisk together egg and 1 T. water, brush egg wash over bagels.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
• Let cool on racks and enjoy!*

*These are wonderful frozen, I pre-cut all my bagels and package them in individual sandwich bags, then freeze.  It makes an easy breakfast to grab on your way out the door (if your place of work has a toaster!)

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

So...I've been M.I.A.  I know...I apologize.  Here is a picture of the perfect little reason.

Before giving birth to my son, I had zero energy to cook much, let alone try new recipes, so I made a lot of the same things over and over.  After giving birth to my son, Ethan on November 19th, 2010, my life changed drastically...and not in the "newborn mom" way (lack of sleep, figuring out cries, etc...).  I had developed Peripartum Cardiomyopathy during my pregnancy and had no idea - it's pregnancy-induced heart failure.  So during the birth of my son, my heart stopped and then I was in a coma for a while, then woke up in a cardiac intensive care unit at the hospital with no recollection how I got there!  Overwhelming to say the least and I went home to my son and husband in early December on a strict low-sodium diet and zero appetite.

Well, the good news is that with rest and medicines, my heart has recovered to the low end of normal and I can eat whatever I'd like again, though we'll stick to a lower sodium diet from now on, I decided to make us a treat.  I saw this recipe on Joy the Baker and immediately started drooling in anticipation of making it!

Overall, this wasn't difficult by any means and I rolled out the dough immediately after the first rise - it was easy to work with and I didn't find that I needed the overnight refrigeration.  The smell was FABULOUS even before this went into the oven and when it was cooking, it was as if Cinnabon had moved into my kitchen!  The result was over-the-top delicious.  I'll definitely make this again, it would be a wonderful addition to a holiday breakfast or an everyday brunch!

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread
Recipe courtesy of Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

2 3/4 c. plus 2 T all-purpose flour

1/4 c. granulated sugar

2 1/4 tsp. (1 envelope) active dry yeast

1/2 tsp. salt

2 oz. unsalted butter (4 T.)

1/3 c. whole milk

1/4 c. water

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg

2 oz. unsalted butter, melted until browned (4 T.)

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, whisk together 2 c. flour, sugar, yeast & salt.  Set aside.

Whisk together eggs & set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together milk & butter until butter has just melted. 
Remove from the heat and add water & vanilla extract.  Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients & mix. 
Add the eggs & stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter.
Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and mix about 2 minutes.  The mixture will be sticky.  That’s just right.

Place the dough is a large,  greased bowl. 
Cover with plastic wrap & a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 
*After dough has doubled, it can be refrigerated overnight for use in the morning.  Take out and let rest on counter for 30 minutes before continuing the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling.  Set aside. 
Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned.  Set aside. 
Grease and flour a 9×5x3-inch  loaf pan.  Set aside.

Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. 
On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out.  The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long.  If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay.  Just roll it as large as the dough will go. 
Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. 
Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture.  Use all of it!

Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips.  Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again. 
Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book.  Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. 
Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.  
Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto  a clean board.  Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the  upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up. 
Serve warm.

Feta Cheese Bagels

Look closely - you can see 1-2 Feta chunks, the rest have melted in for delicious flavor!

 

My friend Lisa, a fellow Feta cheese fanatic, told me about a Feta cheese bagel that she purchases for breakfast...of course, this got my wheels turning!  How could this be accomplished?  Was the cheese on top or inside?  What kind of flavorings were added?  How could I bake it without scorching the cheese?

Well, I think I came up with a pretty good rendition, though after asking Lisa, it doesn't sound anything like her morning Feta bagel, but this turned out very flavorful and delicious!  Mixing the Feta into the dough left pockets of cheese, though since it blended in with the dough, you couldn't see it, but you sure could taste it!  I also added just a small amount of oregano, since that goes so well with the Feta flavor.  The addition turned out so well, not overwhelming but just enough to compliment the dough!

Feta Cheese Bagels

Ingredients

• 1 tbs. active dry yeast
• 1 tbs. white sugar
• 1 3/4 c. 110 degree water
• 3 c. bread flour
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tbs. salt
• 1 cup Feta cheese crumbles
• 3/4 tsp. dried oregano

Directions

• In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) combine yeast, sugar & water.
• Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in flour, salt, oregano.
• Mix dough thoroughly until it comes together in a large ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. 
• Add an additional tablespoon of flour or water, if needed.
  Knead dough with the dough hook until elastic, about 8 minutes on a low speed, adding the Feta cheese about half way through so it retains some "chunks". 
• Place dough in a lightly greased bowl (non-stick spray works wonderfully), cover with plastic wrap & let rise for 1 hour.
• Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil & preheat the oven to 400F.
• When dough has risen, turn the dough out & divide into 12 equal pieces. 
• Shape each piece into a tight ball. 
• Using your fingers, poke a hole through the center of each dough ball. 
• Stretch out the dough into a ring with your fingers (some cheese will try to escape at this point, just try to poke it back into place & make the hole a little larger than you want the finished bagel to have, as it will shrink slightly while the bagel is expanding during the baking process. 
• When all the balls are shaped, let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with a clean dish towel.
• Working four at a time, drop the bagels carefully into the boiling water. 
• Boil for 1 minute on the first side, then flip & boil for an additional minute. 
• Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer bagels to a clean towel to drain for a moment, then place on a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a rack.

Sub/Hoagie/Sandwich Rolls

I had Meatball Subs on the menu for the week and thought about buying sub rolls, but decided to try my hand at making them myself.  I was worried they would turn out crusty and like hard rolls, but these turned out so soft and fluffy on the inside and though I didn't have any left to freeze, I imagine if you wrapped and froze them, they'd still be perfect thawed and just warmed through.  We used these for the Meatball Subs as well as for lunchtime sandwiches the next day, both times they were delicious!!!

I halved the recipe for 8 rolls with no issues at all, but the recipe below makes 16 rolls.

Homemade Sandwich Rolls

Recipe courtesy of Recipezaar

Ingredients

• 5 teaspoons dry active yeast (2 pkgs)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups water, about 110 degrees
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 6-7 cups all-purpose flour
• cornmeal (I omitted)
• 1 egg white
• sesame seed (optional) 

Directions

• Dissolve sugar in water & add yeast to proof. 
• Rest one to two minutes.
• Melt butter.
• Stir melted butter & salt into yeast mixture.
• Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time until desired consistency is reached (not too sticky to the touch but with plenty of give)
• Knead until VERY well developed, about 10-12 minutes (important!)
• Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled in bulk (approx 40 minutes).
• Lightly dust a small amount of corn meal over well-greased pans/Silpat, roll your dough into long, thin "logs" & place about 3" apart on the pans. 
• Slash each loaf every inch & a half with a knife, brush with egg white & sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
• Let double in size.
• Bake in a 400°F oven until golden brown.

White Sandwich Bread

In an effort to watch our finances and pinch some pennies, I've decided the best (& most delicious) way to save a little bit is to make our own sandwich bread.  This turned out delicious and likely more dense than it should, as I only had bread flour on hand...I will be making this again with all-purpose flour!!  It had a rich and nice texture.

White Sandwich Bread
Recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

• 1 packet "highly active" active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 7/8 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water
• 3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
• 1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• *Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

Directions

1) If you're using active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step.

2) Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a smooth dough. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball.

3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk. Rising may take longer, especially if you've kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy.

4) Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into an 8" log.

5) Transfer the log, smooth side up, to a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap.

6) Allow the bread to rise till it's crested about 1 1/4" over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour. Again, it may rise more slowly for you; let it rise till it's 1 1/4" over the rim of the pan, even if that takes longer than an hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.

7) Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Tent it lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, till the crust is golden brown, and the interior temperature measures 190°F on an instant-read thermometer.

8) Remove the bread from the oven, and gently loosen the edges with a heatproof spatula or table knife. Turn it out of the pan, and brush the top surface with butter, if desired; this will give it a soft, satiny crust. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. As soon as it's completely cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap; or in a plastic bag, air pressed and fastened securely at the top.

Game Day Pretzel Bites

I have made soft pretzels before, but with it being a self-imposed "lazy Sunday", I didn't want to take a lot of time shaping them.  This recipe was exactly what I was looking for (why didn't I think to just do this to begin with?? and next time I might even stick with soft pretzel sticks like you can get in the mall) and aside from the rise time, they were really quick to make! 

These were a great snack while watching the Super Bowl!  I didn't make the cheese sauce to go with them, but I did warm up some cream cheese to use as a dipping sauce and had mustard to dip in as well.


Soft Pretzel Bites
Recipe courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod
which they adapted from Bobby Flay

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. warm water
• 2 tbs. light brown sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 3 oz. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 c. all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil
• 3 qt. water
• 3/4 c. baking soda
• 1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tbs. cold water
• Coarse sea salt

Directions

• Combine the water, sugar, yeast, & butter in the bowl of a stand mixer & mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Add the salt and flour & mix on low speed until combined. 
• Increase the speed to medium & continue kneading until the dough is smooth, about 3-4 minutes. 
• If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tbs. at a time. 
• Remove the dough from the bowl, knead into a ball with your hands.
• Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough, turning to coat. 
• Cover with a clean towel & place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size (1 hour.)
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat & add the baking soda carefully!!  (It bubbles up on you, so I added it in small increments at a time).
• Remove the dough from the bowl & place on a flat surface. 
• Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
• Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches. 
• Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. 
• Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches.
• Boil for about 30 seconds. 
• Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with a Silpat, ensuring they are not touching.  
• Brush the tops with the egg wash & sprinkle with the salt. 
• Place into the oven & bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.
• Remove to a baking rack & let cool 5 minutes.  Dig in!

PW's Buttered Rosemary Rolls

Pioneer Woman's website is chock full of wonderful recipes...but not for the faint of heart, butter phobic or anyone really remotely on a restricted diet.  But her recipes sure are good!  This one even utilizes a pre-made item from the freezer section, making it so simple to make...the hardest part is remembering to put them out to rise 3-5 hours in advance.

Buttered Rosemary Rolls
Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• Frozen, unbaked dinner rolls
• Melted Butter
• Fresh Rosemary, chopped
• Coarse sea salt

Directions

• Spray a small iron skillet or round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. 
• Place frozen rolls in the skillet, leaving room for rising. 
• Cover & allow to rise for 3-5 hours.
• After rising, brush rolls with melted butter.
• Sprinkle on chopped rosemary. 
• Brush with additional butter. 
• Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
• Bake according to roll package directions, until rolls are a deep golden brown on top.
• Serve warm.
  

English Muffin Bread

I've been meaning to try this bread for a long time now and with no other plans, I decided tonight was the perfect night to bake up a loaf.   The recipe below makes 2 loaves of this bread, I halved the recipe below with no issues at all, but will include the full recipe.

English Muffin Bread
Recipe courtesy of All Recipes

Ingredients

• 2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. water
• cornmeal
• 6 c. flour
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 tbs. white sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda

 Directions

• Warm the milk and water in microwave until very warm (125 degrees F). 
• Lightly grease (I used Non-stick baking spray) two 8x4 inch loaf pans; sprinkle cornmeal evenly on bottom and sides.
• In a bowl or bowl of stand mixer, mix together 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt & soda. 
• Stir milk into the flour mixture; beat well. 
• Stir in the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff batter is formed. (I used my dough hook in my mixer until it was just combined.)
  
• Spoon batter into prepared pans (I shaped into a rough loaf and put in the pan). 
• Cover & let rise in a warm place for until nearly doubled in size, about an hour. 
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from pans immediately & cool on a rack.

Homemade Pizza

Often times, I say something was 'THE BEST'...this time I mean it.  I really, truly mean it.  I swear....this is the best thin pizza crust I have ever made.  It held up the pile of toppings without being soggy at all....the crust turned out golden and crisp.  My husband said this reminded him of the Appian Way pizza kit that his grandma made him as a child - and yes, that is a compliment!  It did remind me of that too because my mom used to make it for me when I was little and I LOVED it.

Homemade Pizza Crust
Recipe courtesy of Robbie's Recipes

Ingredients

• .25 oz. pkg. active dry yeast
• 1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
• 3/4 c. 110 degree water
• 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• pizza sauce of your choice, as needed
• shredded cheese of your choice, as needed
• toppings of your choice, as needed

Directions
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; allow to rest for 8 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt.
Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well with a heavy spoon.
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. (I used my KitchenAid mixer)
Working from the edges to the center, press dough into a 12" circle.
Place dough on a lightly greased pizza pan and stretch dough to edges.
Spread sauce over crust and top with cheese and desired toppings.
Bake in a 500 degree (I did 470 degree) oven for 8-12 minutes, or until edges are golden.

New York-Style Everything Bagels

King Arthur Flour is a paradise for any baker...they have everything there.  I was browsing their website a couple days ago and found some items that I felt would kick my bagel making up a notch (or two)...Everything Bagel Seasoning and Malt Syrup.  The dough I made with the following recipe was a much more stiff dough and much more dense.  It was made with all bread flour and the Malt Syrup.   I did have a little difficulty shaping these because the dough was dryer than I was used to working with, but they came out looking pretty good!

The verdict...much chewier, denser, with a definite bakery flavor.  These are delicious!!!  I will definitely use this recipe again.  However, if you do not own a stand mixer, I wouldn't even attempt these, I cannot imagine mixing and needing this dough by hand.  Stick with my previous bagel recipe, which would be easier to knead by hand and are still delicious.  

CHOW Bagels

Slightly adapted recipe courtesy of CHOW

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. lukewarm water (105-110 degrees), plus 1 tbs. for egg wash
• 1 (1/4-oz.) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
• 4 c. bread flour
• 2 tbs. malt syrup
• 2.5 tsp. kosher salt
  
• 4 tsp. granulated sugar
  
• 1 large egg white for topping
• Everything Bagel Topping

Directions

• Pour 1 1/2 cups of the water in a bowl (I used a large glass measuring cup) & dissolve the yeast, set aside. Combine flour, malt syrup, salt & sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add yeast mixture, scraping any undissolved yeast out of the bowl..
• Mix on low until most of the flour has been worked into the dough & the dough looks shredded, about 2 min. Increase the speed to medium low & continue mixing until the dough is stiff, smooth, & elastic, about 8 to 9 min.  The dough should be dry & somewhat stiff.
• Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a large oiled bowl & turn it to coat in oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel & let the dough rise in a warm place, until it is puffy/springs back when you poke it, about 20 min. (The dough will not double in size.)
• Heat the oven to 410 degrees & arrange the rack in the middle. Fill a large, wide, shallow pan (about 3 to 6 quarts) with water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low & let simmer. Cover until you’re ready to boil the bagels. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat.  Place a metal rack inside over a dish towel and set aside.
  
• Turn dough out onto a dry surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 3 ounces each. (cover with a damp towel to prevent drying.) Roll each piece into a 9-inch-long rope, lightly moisten the ends with water, overlap the ends by about 1 in, & press to join so you’ve created a bagel.  You can also use the shape into a ball and poke a hole in the middle method.  Widen the hole in the middle so it is approximately the size of a quarter. Cover the bagels with a damp towel & let rest 10 min.
• After resting, stretch the dough to retain the quarter-size hole (the dough will have risen a bit) & boil the bagels 3 or 4 at a time. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side then remove to the wire rack.
• Whisk together the remaining 1 tbs. water & egg white until evenly combined. Brush the egg wash all over the bagels, then sprinkle with seasoning. Arrange the bagels on the baking sheet lined with a Silpat.  Rotate the pan after 15 min. & bake until the bagels are a deep caramel color & have formed a crust on the bottom/top, about 10 min. more. Remove from the oven & let cool on a rack for at least 30 min.

Apple Cinnamon Bagels

Fall is fast approaching and cooler weather has come to Michigan.  Fall is our favorite time of year, the weather, the smells, the apple orchards, hay rides, bonfires...I could go on and on.  I was talking to my friend Lauren and she asked me for advice on how to make Apple Cinnamon Bagels.  Unfortunately, I have never had them before, nor had any bright ideas she probably hadn't thought of before...until I looked on my counter.  I have a whole row of popcorn spices on my counter-top from Kernel Seasons and one of those spices happens to be Apple Cinnamon.  So, I went ahead and tried a new variation on my bagels today during my Sunday "freezer restocking" session!

Apple Cinnamon Bagels

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 c. warm water
• 1 T. instant yeast
• 1 T. packed light brown sugar
• 1 T. salt
• 2 T. Kernel Seasons Apple Cinnamon seasoning (plus more for sprinkling before baking)
  
• 3 c. bread flour
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 T. honey, for boiling water

Directions

• In bowl of stand mixer (or regular bowl), combine water, yeast and brown sugar.  Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Add salt, flours and Apple Cinnamon seasoning and mix well.
• Knead with the dough hook for 8 minutes (or by hand for 10 minutes) until smooth and elastic.
• Transfer dough to large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or towel.  Let rise 1 hour or until doubled.
• Turn dough out onto countertop and divide into 12-16 (depending on how large/small) round pieces.  Make bagel shape by punching thumb through the center and gently stretching out until it's the size you desire and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.  *The dough will shrink back a bit, so I recommend over-stretching a bit larger than you actually want.
• Let bagels rise for another 30 minutes covered with clean kitchen towels.
• While bagels are rising, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
• Begin to boil about 8 cups of water and add the honey.
• After second rise, put as many bagels into the water as will fit comfortably, boiling for 30 sec.-1 min. per side.  Remove from water and place back on cookie sheet, sprinkling with a little more Apple Cinnamon seasoning on top.  Repeat with all the bagels.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 22-24 minutes, until golden brown.

Great American Taste Test

I obtained a copy of America's Most Wanted Recipes by Ron Douglas from the lovely people at Atria Books.  Flipping through this book was nothing but a joy!  To see all the recipes we can make at home, most likely better tasting and cheaper is perfect for those of us who are trying to cut down on unnecessary spending on things like dining out.  There are many more recipes I can't wait to try, but of all of them, I wanted to try these Cheddar Biscuits first because I have tried other "copycat" recipes and they weren't quite right. 

These tasted JUST like Red Lobster and my husband agreed.  We have had the Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits many, many times....and a lot of those times, the basket has had to be refilled.  Though I'm not a HUGE Red Lobster fan, I love their Cheddar Biscuits, brought out nice & warm in the basket.

These came out nicely browned on the outside and light, fluffy & cheesy on the inside and the very best part was that they came together in a snap and were done in no time!

Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits
Recipe found in America's Most Wanted Recipes, Ron Douglas, page 186

Ingredients

• 2 c. biscuit mix
• 1/2 c. shredded mild Cheddar cheese (I used sharp)
• 2/3 c. milk
• 4 tbs. (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• Parsley flakes for sprinkling

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Stir together the biscuit mix, Cheddar & milk until a soft dough forms.  Beat with a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds.
• Spoon onto a greased cookie sheet.  Smooth down the tops to prevent hard points from forming.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the tops are brown.
• While the biscuits are baking, melt the butter in a pan and stir in the garlic powder.
• Once the biscuits are done, brush the butter on the tops, sprinkle with parsley flakes and serve hot.
  

Jalapeno Cheddar Bagels

After seeing this recipe from Joelen, I knew my husband would adore these bagels. We had a couple of jalapenos that were ripe and ready to be picked, so this was a perfect way to use them up!

I used my standard bagel recipe, but this time, I added a couple tablespoons more water to balance the extra cheese/jalapeno ingredients and I ran out of bread flour 3 cups in, so I used 1 cup of all-purpose flour as well...which I think really helped my recipe! The bagels turned out extremely light, fluffy and were just delicious. According to my husband, these were the best batch I'd ever made. Period. And 2 bagels later, he was still giving me the thumbs up sign.

Jalapeno Cheddar Bagels
Recipe inspired by Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 3/4 cups water + 2 tbs., warm (100-110F)
• 4 cups bread flour (not all purpose)
• 1 tbsp salt

I added:

• 1 tbs. Onion powder
• 2 medium-sized jalapenos, seeded, ribs removed, diced very finely
• 3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese, for the dough
• 1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese for the bagel tops
• 1 tbs. honey to the boiling water

Directions

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) combine yeast, sugar & water. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in flour, salt, onion powder, cheese & jalapenos. Mix dough thoroughly until it comes together in a large ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Add an additional tablespoon of flour or water, if needed.
If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface & knead until very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If using a stand mixer, knead dough with the dough hook until elastic, about 8 minutes on a low speed. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl (non-stick spray works wonderfully), cover with plastic wrap & let rise for 1 hour.

Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil & preheat the oven to 400F.

When dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface & divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a tight ball. Using your fingers, poke a hole through the center of each dough ball. Stretch out the dough into a ring with your fingers & make the hole a little larger than you want the finished bagel to have, as it will shrink slightly while the bagel is expanding during the baking process. When all the balls are shaped, let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with a clean dish towel.

Working four at a time, drop the bagels carefully into the boiling water. Boil for 1 minute on the first side, then flip & boil for an additional minute. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer bagels to a clean towel to drain for a moment, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle bagels with cheddar cheese on top immediately after removing from the water & bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a rack.

Pillow Soft Rolls

I saw this recipe on Loves to Eat weblog & I thought they looked wonderful. I had previously made dinner rolls & they turned out a little hard and tough after baking, while these were soft, light, delicate & delicious! These were easy as well, making them quick to make with only a few hours notice!

I made half the original recipe below, baking up 12 rolls.

Pillow Soft Rolls, makes 24
Recipe courtesy of Karen at Loves to Eat, which she found at Amber's Delectable Delights

Ingredients

• 4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
• 2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
• 6 tablespoons shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 7 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, shortening, eggs, sugar, salt & 3 c. flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth & elastic, about 6-8 minutes (dough will be sticky). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover & let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a roll. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover & let rise until doubled, about 30 min.
• Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

Smells like heaven...

Fresh baked bread, there is nothing like the scent that fills your home, warms your spirit, makes you feel instantly comforted AND hungry. When I'm looking for something new and maybe a little different to try, I look to The Pioneer Woman and her contributor, Pastor Ryan. This recipe is his little gem, an easy bread with fresh herbs thrown in for good measure...I followed their lead this time with some fresh cut chives from my condo garden, but next time, I'll be experimenting with another combination of herbs as well. And trust me, there will be a next time.

Pastor Ryan's Herbed Bread
Recipe courtesy of Pastor Ryan, via The Pioneer Woman Cooks blog

Ingredients

• 20 oz. of bread flour - 4 cups.
• 8 oz. of water (or 1 cup.)
• 4 oz. melted butter with chopped herbs of choice. (I used chives)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon active or instant yeast. (or proof yeast in the water if you are using active.)

Directions

• Combine ingredients all together in a KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (it can be done by hand but takes longer). I mixed them together for about 10 minutes or so.
• Place dough in a bowl with plastic wrap over it for 1-4 hours to double in size. After it’s gotten bigger, knead it for a minute or two so that the yeast can redistribute.
• When dough is almost done rising, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Cut a large ‘X’ into the surface of the bread dough and drizzle it with olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt.
  
• Place inside a covered cast iron pan. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove lid to finish it off for another 15 to 30 minutes or until an internal temp of 200-210 is reached.

Calzones

I've had this recipe starred from Annie's Eats since she posted it & decided to take advantage of some free time this afternoon to make them for dinner. Though I did change the filling, these were indeed wonderful...not TOO time consuming, with the hours of inactive prep time (dough rising).

I made two calzones, one for me & one for my husband. Mine had pesto, mushrooms, onions, garlic & mozzarella...Paul's had pizza sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, garlic & mozzarella.

Here is the recipe for the dough, you can use this for delicious pizzas or calzones, whatever suits your fancy!

Pizza Dough
Recipe courtesy of Annie's Eats, originally from Baking Illustrated
Ingredients

• ½ cup warm water (about 110°)
• 1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp.) instant yeast
• 1 ¼ cups water, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

Directions

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast & let stand until the yeast dissolves & swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water & oil & stir to combine.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients & continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer & replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth & elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl & cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

To bake, place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 500° for at least 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls & cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

Working with one piece of dough & keeping the other covered, shape the dough & transfer to a pizza peel or round of parchment dusted with semolina or cornmeal. Top as desired. Slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust edges brown & cheese is golden brown in spots, about 8 to 12 minutes.

For Calzones: Roll out dough to the desired size & top with desired sauce and toppings on one half of the circle, leaving about a half inch around all sides to ensure a good seal. Fold un-topped half over & pinch/crimp the edges together well so the filling doesn't leak. Brush top with olive oil & bake 12-15 minutes.

Repeat with remaining ball of dough or freeze for later use.

Hot Dog Buns

These made a perfect little pillow for our Memorial Day grilled hot dogs to lay on. :) Easy and tasted much better than any store bought I've ever had.

The recipe below is the full recipe, but when I made it, I cut it in half for the two of us.
Hot Dog Buns
Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com
Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg
• I added this step: I melted 1/4 stick of butter and added onion powder & garlic powder, I brushed the buns with it before baking and again immediately after they were out of the oven.
  

Directions

• In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter until very warm, 120 degrees F (50 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix milk mixture into flour mixture, and then mix in egg. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Cover, and let rise for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
• For Hot Dog Buns: Shape each piece into a 6x4 inch rectangle. Starting with the longer side, roll up tightly, and pinch edges and ends to seal. Let rise about 20 to 25 minutes. (I let them rise about an hour)
  

Bagels - Take 2!

The last time I made bagels, I came out with a cross between a pretzel & a bagel because I followed someone's suggestion online to add baking powder to the water bath to keep them fluffy instead of shrinking & shriveling. They tasted good & I ate them, don't get me wrong, but they were definitely not the traditional bagel I was after.

This time, I followed this recipe and used bread flour, which I am very hopeful will help keep them puffy. I added onion & garlic powder to the dough to give it flavor & topped them with an egg wash, toasted sesame seeds & salt. They turned out wonderfully & my husband said these are the best batch I've made! *Edited: I broke down and had one for my *very* late dinner...these turned out SO.SO.SO.SO.SO FABULOUS. I think the bread flour made all the difference in the fluffiness and the inner texture....

Here is the recipe I followed, courtesy of Baking Bites.

Onion & Garlic Bagels
Ingredients
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 3/4 cups water, warm (100-110F)
4 cups bread flour (not all purpose)
1 tbsp salt
1 egg, for egg wash
I added: 1/2 tbs. Onion powder & 1/2 tbs. garlic powder to the dough while kneading
1 tbs. honey to the boiling water

Directions

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) combine yeast, sugar & water. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in flour & salt. Mix dough thoroughly until it comes together in a large ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Add an additional tablespoon of flour or water, if needed.
If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface & knead until very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If using a stand mixer, knead dough with the dough hook until elastic, about 8 minutes on a low speed. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & let rise for 1 hour.

Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil & preheat the oven to 400F.

When dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface & divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a tight ball. When all the balls are shaped, let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with a clean dish towel.

Once dough balls have rested, the bagel shape can be formed. Using your fingers, poke a hole through the center of each dough ball. Stretch out the dough into a ring with your fingers & make the hole a little larger than you want the finished bagel to have, as it will shrink slightly while the bagel is expanding during the baking process. Let bagels rest for about 10 minutes.

Working four at a time, drop the bagels carefully into the boiling water. Boil for 1 minute on the first side, then flip & boil for an additional minute. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer bagels to a clean towel to drain for a moment, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush boiled bagels with lightly beaten egg & bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a rack.

Soft Pretzels

This is again, one of those things I never really thought about making at home...like bagels, the process is similar, but let me tell you, these blow all other soft pretzels out of the water. Seriously, these were a big hit at my Red Wings Watching gathering today, Paul and his brother gave them two big thumbs up, so I knew they must be good, because by the time I got to try one, Paul was on his second and I think my brother-in-law was on his way...Sure, they were a tad time consuming, but most good things are, right? Try these, you will not be sorry at all.

Soft Pretzels
Recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen, which she adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 16 full-sized or 32 miniature

2 cups warm water (100°F to 110°F)
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1 large egg
Coarse or pretzel salt
Vegetable-oil cooking spray

1. Pour warm water into bowl of electric mixer fitted with a dough hook*. In a small bowl, combine water and 1 tablespoon sugar, and stir to dissolve sugar. Sprinkle with yeast, and let sit 10 minutes; yeast should be foamy.

2. Add 1 cup flour to yeast & mix on low until combined. Add salt and 4 cups flour & mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat on medium-low until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour & knead on low 1 minute more. If dough is still wet & sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour (this will depend on weather conditions); knead until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured board & knead about ten times, or until smooth.

3. Pour oil into a large bowl; swirl to coat sides. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to completely cover all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel & leave in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

4. Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray (parchment paper, ungreased, also works). Set aside. Punch down dough to remove bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice, divide into 16 pieces (about 2 1/2 ounces each) or 32 if making miniature pretzels & wrap in plastic.

5. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18-inch-long strip. Twist into pretzel shape; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to form pretzels; eight will fit on each sheet (you may need a third sheet if making miniatures). Let pretzels rest until they rise slightly, about 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, fill large, shallow pot with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add baking soda slowly & remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Reduce to a simmer; transfer three to four pretzels to water. Poach 1 minute on each side. Use slotted spoon to transfer pretzels to baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.

7. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg glaze. Sprinkle with salt (I used coarse Kosher salt). Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, or eat warm. Pretzels are best when eaten the same day, but will keep at room temperature, uncovered, for two days. Do not store in covered container or they will become soggy.