English Muffins

I was home on spring break two weeks ago and I got bored! I know, what's wrong with me, right? Home for an entire week with nothing to do, and I was bored? What can I say, I'm a creature of habit who thrives on routine, so when my routine is thrown off for even a few days, I don't know what to do with myself. I did a few things that needed to be done, like go to the DMV to renew my license, get my oil changed, and grocery shop during the day when the store wasn't super crowded. I also had lunch with my mom and grandparents, and met Joel at work for lunch one day, and got to see his office and the people he works with, which was fun. But all of those things only took up so much time, so with the remaining time, I decided to tackle an item on my list of things that I've been wanting to make: English Muffins! I googled a recipe and decided to go with this one from Budget Bytes. Since this dough needs to rise 3 times, each for 45 minutes, I figured why not do it while I was home and bored with nothing but time on my hands. The recipe was very easy, and even though it took quite a while, the majority of time was hands-off. My muffins ended up being slightly smaller than the typical size, and I didn't end up with the nooks and crannies that store bought English muffins have, but the flavor was spot-on! They were delicious in the morning holding an egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, and also toasted with butter and jam. I'm glad I finally decided to tackle these, and now that I have tried them, I definitely plan to make them again.

1 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 cup Warm Water 
1/2 cup Milk
2 tablespoons Butter
3 cups Flour, divided
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Cornmeal
Non-stick Spray

In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and yeast. Let sit about 5 minutes, or until foamy on top. While the yeast mixture is resting, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt in a large bowl. Stir well to evenly distribute the salt. In a second small bowl, combine the milk and butter and microwave it for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for another 30 seconds. Continue stirring until the butter melts into the warm milk. Pour the yeast mixture and the butter mixture into the flour. Stir until it has combined into a pasty mix. Adding 1/4 cup at a time, stir in more flour until the dough forms a soft, slightly sticky ball that pulls away from the bowl. Sprinkle a little bit of flour onto a clean countertop and coat your hands in flour. Dump the ball of dough out of the bowl and knead it for about 5 minutes. Add as little flour as possible to the countertop while kneading--adding too much flour will yield tough muffins. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl that has been coated in non-stick spray. Lightly spray the top of the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Punch down the dough and shape it into another ball. Cover the dough ball and let it rise a second time, another 45 minutes to 1 hour. Punch the dough down again and turn it out onto a well floured countertop. Using a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or a large round glass, cut the dough into circles. When you can't cut out any more circles, gently ball up the remaining dough, roll it again, and cut some more. Place the cut dough circles onto a sheet pan that has been liberally covered in cornmeal; sprinkle more cornmeal on top of the muffins. Cover loosely with a damp bowl and let rise, once more, until double in size, about 45 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray the pan with non-stick spray. Carefully transfer the fluffy, risen muffins into the hot skillet with a spatula. Cook the muffins, in batches, in the skillet until they are golden brown and crispy on each side, about 5-7 minutes per side. Make sure to keep the heat on low so that the outside browns slowly, allowing the inside to "band". Let the muffins cool on a wire rack before attempting to slice them open. 

Pretzel Rolls

My family loves pretzels. No matter which family member's house we are at, there is always a big container of pretzels on top of the fridge or counter (except my house, oddly enough)! Hot pretzels are even better, in my eyes. When I started seeing recipes for pretzel rolls, I thought it was an awesome idea and added it to my list of recipes to try. Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I had planned on making a kielbasa and sauerkraut dinner. Rather than buying rolls from the store to serve the sausage on, I thought it would be a great pairing to make pretzel rolls. I chose this recipe from Pennies on a Platter.  These rolls didn't last long in my house.  They were great with dinner, but they were equally as good as a snack, just as pretzels would be!

3/4 cup Water
1 teaspoon Yeast
2 1/4 cup Flour
2 tablespoons Butter, melted then cooled to room temperature
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Baking Soda
1 Egg, beatend
Kosher/Pretzel Salt for tops

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, flour, butter, sugar, and salt.  Using the dough hook attachment, mix the ingredients, then knead at medium-high speed for 1 minute.  Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Separate into 4 equal portions (for hamburger buns) or 8 equal portions (for dinner rolls).  Form into balls by pulling the sides to the center and pinching to seal.  Place the formed rolls, seam side down, onto a parchment/silicone mat lined baking sheet.  Cover with the towel and allow to rise again, for about 30 minutes.  Heat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a large sauce pan, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil, then add the baking soda.  Boil each roll for about 1 minute, flipping over after 30 seconds.  Place the boiled rolls back onto the lined baking sheet, seam side down.  Brush the tops with beaten egg, then lightly sprinkle with salt.  Cut a shallow "X" into the center of each roll, then bake for 15-20 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

*The rolls can be frozen for later use.  Once they cool to room temperature, place them in a freezer bag.  To thaw, microwave for 30 seconds.

Maple Cinnamon Quick Bread

Aside from the occasional large breakfast of eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast on the weekends, I love baked goods.  I really enjoy baking on the weekends so that I have something to eat each morning during the week with my tea.  As much as I try, cereal or granola just do not cut it for me in the morning!  I have numerous quick bread or coffee cake recipes saved in my RSS feeds.  A few weekends ago, I woke up early on a Sunday morning so I chose this one from Buns In My Oven to make for breakfast.  The smell that it filled my whole house with was amazing.  I only wish I was able to get the correct consistency for the icing on top!

For the Bread:
2 1/4 cup Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Maple Syrup
1 cup Buttermilk
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Browned Butter (I just used melted)
1/4 cup Cold Butter, cubed
1 tablespoon Cinnamon

For the Icing:
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 cup Heavy Cream (I used milk...could be the reason mine was runny)
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Salt

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.  Slowly whisk in the browned butter.  Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients and mix until all combined.  In a small bowl, cut the cold butter cubes and cinnamon together until you have small pea sized chunks.  Fold the butter into the batter.  Pour the batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow the bread to cool for 15 minutes before drizzling with the icing.

To make the icing, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl.  Add more sugar or cream to reach the desired consistency.  Drizzle over the top of the bread or spread over each individual slice.

Oatmeal Bread

How can it possibly have been a month since the last Secret Recipe Club reveal day?  This year has been going by way too fast!  Anyway, this month, I was given the blog A Cook's Quest.  I had a few different recipes in mind that I chose from her blog, but when it came to actually making one, I chose this oatmeal bread, which she got from Oh Sweet Basil.  Joel has become the bread baker in this family, and he typically uses a "no-knead" method, so this was a slightly different style of bread than we were used to, but it was still absolutely delicious!  I loved how the addition of the oatmeal gave the bread a great texture.  I was able to make 2 slightly smaller loaves out of this recipe, but I'm sure it could have also made one giant loaf.

1 cup Oatmeal
2 cups Boiling Water
2 1/4 Yeast (or 1 envelope)
1/4 cup Warm Water
1/2 cup Molasses or 1/3 cup Honey (I opted for honey)
2 teaspoons Salt
1 tablespoon Butter or Vegetable Oil (I opted for oil)
5 1/2 cups Flour (I used 2 1/2 cups wheat and 3 cups white)

Place the oats in a large bowl and pour the boiling water over the top.  Let stand for 15 minutes, or until lukewarm.  Meanwhile, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  Pour the yeast mixture into the oats mixture. Add the honey (molasses), salt, and oil (butter).  Work in the flour until the dough just comes together.  Place on a floured surface and knead until smooth.  Place the dough back in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rise in a warm spot until it is doubled in size, about 1 hour.  Punch down the dough and form into a loaf/loaves in loaf pans.  Let the dough rise until doubled again.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until done.  You will know it is done when you lightly tap the top of the bread and it sounds hollow.

Garlic and Parsley Buttermilk Biscuits

To go along with our soup on Monday, I wanted to make some kind of bread.  Since I had some buttermilk in the fridge, I decided to try a biscuit.  I found this recipe from Pennies on a Platter and thought it would complement the soup well.  These biscuits were super simple to throw together and were very delicious.  I absolutely loved their flaky layers!

3 cups Flour, plus extra for dusting
2 1/2 tablespoons Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
8 tablespoons Cold Unsalted Butter, diced
2/3 cup Buttermilk
1/2 cup Milk

In a small bowl, stir together the garlic and parsley, then set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add the garlic and parsley mixture.  Blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Pour in the buttermilk and milk and mix until just combined.  On a floured surface, roll the dough out to a 1 inch thick square.  Fold the dough in half, turn it, and roll it again.  Repeat that process one more time and gently roll the dough one final time into a square.  Use a biscuit cutter or knife to cut into individual portions.  Place the biscuits on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (or use non-stick cooking spray like I did).  Brush the tops of the biscuits with milk or buttermilk.  Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Whole Wheat Pita

For a picture of the pita, see the previous post of Chicken Gyros.

Joel made pita once before, but I've never done it.  So, a few weeks ago, when I was off for spring break, I made them.  I decided I was going to make pita bread as the base for chicken gyros.  I bookmarked this recipe from Delish last March, so I figured it was about time to use it.  Even though these took about 2 1/2 hours to make, they were worth it.  A quick note: I tried cooking my first 2 pitas directly on the oven rack, as stated in the original recipe.  I did not have much success with that, as the pita kept ripping.  Instead, for the remaining pitas, I baked them on a pizza stone, which made them hold together much better!

2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast (1 package)
1 tablespoon Honey
1 1/4 cups Warm Water
1 1/2 cups Bread Flour, plus additional for kneading
1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
Cornmeal for sprinkling baking sheets

In a large bowl, combine yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup warm water.  Stir and let stand for about 5 minutes until foamy.  While the yeast mixture stands, stir the flours together in another bowl.  Whisk 1/2 cup of the flour mixture into the yeast mixture until smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a draft-free place at warm room temperature for 45 minutes, or until doubled in bulk and bubbly.  Stir in the oil, salt, remaining 3/4 cup of warm water, and remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour until a dough forms.  Knead the dough on a floured surface, working in just enough additional flour to keep the dough from sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes.  Form dough into a ball and put in an oiled large bowl, turning to coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.  Punch down the dough and cut into 8 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a ball.  Flatten 1 ball, then roll out into a 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 inch round on a floured surface with a rolling pin.  Repeat with remaining 7 pieces.  Arrange each round on a baking sheet and loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Set the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees.  Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, directly onto the oven rack.  Bake until just puffed and pale golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.  Turn over with tongs and bake an additional minute.  Cool pitas on a cooling rack for 2 minutes.  Stack the pitas and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.  Repeat with remaining pitas and serve warm.

**Pitas can be baked 1 week ahead and cooled completely, then frozen wrapped well in foil and sealed in a plastic bag.  Thaw before reheating, wrapped in foil, for 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Focaccia

To go along with our "blustery spring" soup dinner on Monday, I wanted to try my hand at making some focaccia.  Up until now, I have never made focaccia before, but I had heard it was easy.  When I found this recipe on Delish, I knew it would be the perfect pair to my snowy day soup meal.  I switched up some of the seasonings to suit our tastes, so feel free to do the same.  If you could only smell my kitchen while this was in the oven...it was amazing!  I can't wait to try out different flavor combinations.

1 1/2 cups Warm Water
3 tablespoons Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
1 1/4 teaspoon Salt
3 1/2 cups Flour
1 tablespoon Instant Yeast
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 teaspoons Dried Basil
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the water, oil, salt, flour, and yeast. Mix on high for about 1 minute, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and sticky.  Meanwhile, spray a 13x9 inch baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and also drizzle in some olive oil.  Using your hands (and spraying them with cooking spray or olive oil) press the dough into the prepared baking pan, pushing it into the corners.  Cover the pan with a towel and let it rest for 60 minutes, or until the dough is puffy.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Once the dough has risen, uncover the pan and use your fingers to make dimples all over the dough.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the top with seasonings.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.  Remove the pan and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then turn the bread out of the pan.  Do not leave it in the pan, or it will become soggy.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Garlic Breadsticks

To go along with our caesar salads this past week, I wanted to make some sort of breadstick.  Usually Joel is my bread guy, but he started a job last week and doesn't get home until 6:30, so I wanted to find a recipe for breadsticks that wouldn't require a long time to make.  I went back to my saved recipes and found this one from Life's Ambrosia.  They took all of about 30 minutes to come together, which included my baking time...Perfect!  Joel walked in the door just as the breadsticks were coming out of the oven.  He said that the kitchen smelled awesome, then grabbed one off the baking sheet and tried it.  Then, he told me he was mad at me.  I was suddenly confused!!  But, then he told me that the breadsticks were so good and since this was the first time I'd ever made them, he was "mad" because he had been missing out on eating these all his life.  What a goof ball!  Anyway, it's nice to have a quick, go-to recipe for breadsticks whenever the craving hits!  Be warned, however, these are VERY garlicky.  If you plan to bring any leftovers to work with you, be sure to bring your toothbrush...or at least a pack of gum!

1 1/2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
3/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Yellow Corn Meal
3 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil

Combine the first 6 ingredients together in a bowl.  Slowly mix in the milk until a dough forms.  Lightly flour a cutting board or counter top and knead the dough four times.  Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut it into 10 long strips.  Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil and brush onto the breadsticks.  Dust a baking sheet or baking stone with the corn meal.  Place the breadsticks directly on the stone/sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until golden.  Melt the remaining butter in a skillet.  Add the garlic and basil, and cook just until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Brush the garlic mixture over the cooked breadsticks.  Serve hot.

Homemade Naan

I know I already have a naan recipe in my archives, and just because I'm trying out a new one doesn't mean that the old one isn't absolutely delicious.  The first recipe I tried was on the sweet side, almost like a fried dough in a way.  Joel wanted me to make one that was less sweet, so when I found this one on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen, I thought it would be worth a try.

2 cups Flour
3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Warm Milk
1/2 cup Yogurt
1/2 tablespoon Oil, as needed
Melted Butter, if desired

In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients . In another bowl, mix the milk and yogurt.  Pour half of the wet mixture into the well and slowly combine it together.  Slowly continue to add the liquid, mixing well to form a soft dough.  Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it sit in a warm place for at least 2 hours.  When the dough has rested, turn it out onto a well floured surface.  Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.  Divide the dough into about 8 small balls.  Flatten the balls to make an elongated piece of bread.  You can sprinkle one side of the dough disk with any flavorings at this point if you would like a flavored naan.  Brush one side with water.  heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat.  Once it is nicely hot, place the naan wet side down and cover it with a lid.  Let it cook for about 30 seconds, or until you see bubbles.  Using tongs,remove the naan from the pan and cook the other side over direct flame on the burner.  When you see charred brown spots, the naan is done cooking.  Brush the grilled naan with melted butter, if desired.

White Bread

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, since we bought My Bread by Jim Lahey, we don't ever see ourselves buying another loaf of bread again!  This past Sunday, my mom asked if we would come over for dinner.  She roasted a chicken with all the trimmings.  Joel decided to make a loaf of bread to bring along, because really, what meal isn't always instantly 100 times better with bread?!  I'm still completely amazed at how incredibly easy this no-knead method is.  If you haven't tried it yet, I'm begging you to drop everything and do it now.  I promise, you will not be disappointed!

3 cups Bread Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons Salt
1/4 teaspoon Yeast
1 1/3 cups Cool Water (55-65 degrees F)
Cornmeal for dusting

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast.  Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds.  Make sure it is really sticky to the touch; if it is not, mix in another tablespoon or two of water.  Cover the bowl with a plate, tea towel, or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size.  This will take a minimum of 12 hours and up to 18 hours.  This slow rise--fermentation--is the key to flavor.  When the first fermentation is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour.  Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough onto the board in one piece.  When you begin to pull the dough away from the bowl, it will cling in long, thin strands, and it will be quite loose and sticky--do not add more flour.  Use lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula to lift the edges of the dough in toward the center.  Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.  Place a cotton or linen tea towel (not terrycloth) or a large cloth napkin on your work surface and generously dust the cloth with cornmeal (or wheat bran or flour).  Use your hands or a bowl scraper or wooden spatula to gently lift the dough onto the towel, so it is seam side down.  If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour.  Fold the ends of the towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours.  The dough is ready when it is almost doubled.  If you gently poke it with your finger, making an indentation about 1/3 inch deep, it should hold the impression.  If it doesn't, let it rise for another 15 minutes.  Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees with the rack in the lower third position, and place a covered 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.  Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it.  Unfold the tea towel, lightly dust the dough with flour or bran, lift up the dough, either on the towel or in you hand, and quickly but gently invert it into the pot, seam side up.  Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 15-30 minutes.  Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool throughly.  Don't slice or tear into it until it has cooled, which usually takes about 1 hour.