basic bread

I've been having cravings for bread lately, it just smells so good when you bake your own. My boss used to be a professional chef in a past life before becoming a lawyer and activist (he still makes hella good pies for intern farewell partie though). So this recipe is borrowed but so simple and fun.
This guy is one of the chillest people I know. Like Charles says bread takes patience, it takes its own pace and can't be rushed.


Easy Bread Recipe (by Charles Margulis)

The evening before you will bake the bread, mix together:
1 1/2 c filtered water (room temperature)
Pinch of yeast (1/4 t for those who like exact measurements)

Let stand 2 minutes and add:
1 1/3 c Organic Whole Wheat Flour

Mix vigorously for two minutes. It should look like a thick pancake batter. Let sit overnight (at least 7 hours; longer is okay) at room temperature.

In the morning add:
1 c Filtered Water
1/4 c Oil (a nice olive oil, safflower is also fine)
1 T Molasses
2 c Organic Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 t Salt

1. Mix ingredients together until a dough forms, then turn onto a lightly floured board and start kneading.
2. Knead in another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour, as needed, to make a soft but not too sticky dough (roll a piece of dough into a ball; it should hold its shape with little. If it droops a lot, it's probably too sticky).
3. After 10 to 15 minutes of kneading, form the dough into a ball and let it rest for 3 to 4 hours. It should be doubled in volume after 3 hours.
4. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees (or as high as it goes). When the oven is almost ready, divide the dough into 8 pieces, forming each into a smooth ball.
5. With a rolling pin, roll out each ball between 1/4 to 1/2" thick (to form round discs about 6 to 7" across). If you want sesame seeds on top, sprinkle lightly toasted seeds on the dough half-way through rolling and roll them in.
6. Place 2 pitas on a lightly floured baking sheet. (To insure bottoms don't burn, double two baking sheets together; these are also great baked on a baking stone, which should be preheated with the oven.)
7. Let the rolled pita stand 10 to 15 minutes before baking. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, once pockets form they should bake no more than another minute.

This is a great summer bread since they don't bake for too long and they are good with cold sandwiches. You can see the original article at http://www.satyamag.com/jul01/margulis.html

I've also tried making fun shapes out of these breads and sprinkling cheeses over them. They're pretty good for calzones too (although I've never tried it with the following recipe before). Enjoy!

Cheers--SKLT

Calzones!

So I wanted to make my own calzones with a little less cheese since the ones in Ithaca have a lake full of cheese in them. This is more like a calzone roll up. You can make it a traditional calzone by not rolling the dough with filling up, but shaping it into a pocket instead. :) Don't forget that marinara sauce for dipping! :)


My Version of Calzones

1 loaf freezer bread dough
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 tsp. garlic powder
4 oz. pepperoni --turkey
4 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup to 1 cup ricotta
Any other pizza topping -spinach, mushrooms, pineapple, etc etc.

Thaw bread dough 1 1/2 to 2 hours or in fridge overnight. Roll out to 9 x 12 inch. Spread with ingredients; layer the meat and cheese. You could alternatively mix the cheeses in advance and then spread them over the dough. Roll up like jelly roll or just fold into a half moon pie. LEt dough sit @ room temp or warm counter to rise for about an hour to an hour and a half.
Then for various crusts:
crunchy and crisp and brown: Brush with water and lightly salt.
light, fluffy brown crust: brush with 1/2 tbsp melted butter.
shiny crust: brush with egg.

Make shallow slashes at 2 inch intervals. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.

It's Summer... Time for Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler!

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler--my version

3 cups diced rhubarb
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 2 tbsp of cornstarch)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter or margarine (note: I just used 1 stick and about 3 more tbsp instead of the full two sticks)
1 cup quick-cooking oats (I used a little extra to sprinkle on the top)

1. Preheat oven to 375*F (190*C).
2. Mix together 1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Stir in the strawberries and rhubarb until well mixed and add 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. Place mixture in a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish.
3. Mix together brown sugar, 1 1/2 cups flour, butter or margarine and oats until crumbly. Crumble on top of rhubarb/strawberry mixture.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.

It's wicked good.... or so I think. :)

Oatmeal Cranberry Scones (makes 12 scones)

I love this recipe it's so spring-y! Sometimes I get a little creative and add orange rind to the dough to give it a fresher flavor. This is a fairly simple recipe and I find that the kneading helps me relax. In any case the recipe is a winner with my friends, family, and former students.



preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl:
1 3/4 c unbleached flour (unbleached gives extra flavor, color. any all purpose flour works)
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/3 c granulated sugar


Cut up 3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter in small pieces, about 1/4-inch cubes. Incorporate the butter into your dry ingredients until the mixture has the texture of coarse cornmeal.


Add to the mixture:
1 1/3 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c dried cranberries (add the orange peel here)
1/2 c buttermilk

Mix the ingredients (not too much or you'll crush the oats) until it's all wet. Then turn the bowl onto a lightly floured board and knead the dough until all the ingredients are incorporated and it has a fairly homogeneous consistancy.

This end part I leave to your own creative talents. I usually take bits of dough and roll them into 3-inch balls (slightly flattened) evenly spaced on a cookie sheet. You can also roll the dough into a round about 1-inch thick and cut into 8 wedges. I also like to make mini scones like cookie sized and bakes.

However you do it, place them in your oven and bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden.

Enjoy and tell me how you like them.

Insane Cooking

So I stopped following recipes recently and just started cooking off the top of my head. I'll try and post my creations here (w/pictures).

The Dawn of a New Age

Hey!
I love to cook and so much so that I get asked for recipes. I'd love to share them but I don't want to clog up anyone's e-mail accounts. Hopefully mai-mai will join me on this and maybe we can find a few others.
Wheeee!
SKLT