Bread Recipes

Light as Clouds Biscuits (Makes 7 biscuits using a #8 scoop)

Print |

Items Needed:

2 cups Southern low-protein self-rising flour (White Lily, Martha White or comparable)
¼ cup sugar
¾ tsp. salt
¼ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup buttermilk (approximate), or enough for the dough to resemble cottage cheese
1 cup all-purpose flour, for shaping
2 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. and arrange the rack slightly below the center of the oven. Line a 9-inch pan with a parchment paper circle and grease the sides.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the self-rising flour, sugar and salt together. Cut the shortening in, breaking it up with the tips of the fingers, until the pieces are about corn kernel size. Gently stir in the cream, using a rubber spatula, working from the bottom up and turning the bowl. Add the cup of buttermilk and continue to mix gently. Add only enough additional buttermilk (if any) so as to achieve a fairly firm cottage cheese texture; not soupy.

Spread the all-purpose flour on a dinner plate. Using a #8 ice cream scoop, place several scoops (well apart) on the flour and sprinkle some of the flour over each. Using the tips of the fingers, gently roll the scoops in the flour. Roll one biscuit at a time on to the hands, gently shape into a ball, shaking off excess flour, and place it in the corner of the prepared cake pan. Continue the process with the other biscuit "balls," placing them adjacent to the previous biscuit so they support each other. Line the perimeter of the pan first, and then fill in the center as all the batter is used up.

Place pan in the preheated oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the biscuits from the oven, allow them to cool enough to handle, invert to a dinner plate, remove the parchment paper underneath, and invert again on to another plate. Brush the biscuits with the melted butter, cut quickly between them with a knife or spatula, and carefully separate them before serving.

Tuscan Bruschetta Loaf

Print |

Send to Friend

Items Needed:

1 loaf Simply Bread Old Faithful Sourdough Loaf or other loaf of your choice
3 oz. butter, melted
3 oz. olive oil
1 ½ tsp. fresh chopped garlic
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Using a sharp, serrated knife, slice through the bread at 1-inch increments, stopping just before cutting through the bottom crust.

Turn the loaf at a 45-degree angle and carefully repeat cutting with the same pattern.

Mix the butter, olive oil, garlic, red pepper, and rosemary together.

Place the bread in the center of a piece of aluminum foil that is big enough to enclose the loaf.

Evenly distribute the butter/oil mixture between the cut pieces of bread.

Distribute the cheese evenly among the cut openings in the loaf.

Wrap the bread in foil.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is melted. Open the foil and serve with a side of tomato sauce for dipping.

Serves 6 — 8

Cranberry-Banana-Nut Bread-In-A-Jar

Print |

Send to Friend

Items Needed:

1 gal. sugar
1 qt. vegetable shortening
2 dz. large eggs, beaten
2 cups water
2 cups nut-flavored liqueur (Amaretto, Frangelico or comparable)
1 qt. diced ripe banana (or other soft-fleshed ripe fruit)
5 qts. (packed) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. ground cloves
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. baking powder
¼ cup baking soda
2 tbsp. salt
3 cups chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, pistachios, etc.), dredged in flour
3 cups dried cranberries (substitute other dried fruit as desired)

Directions:
Cream the sugar and shortening together in a large mixing bowl or an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs, water and liqueur; add fruit. Sift the flour, clove, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; work in to the batter. Mix in nuts and dried fruit.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 36 sanitized 1-pint wide-mouth jars generously with aerosol vegetable oil. Place the jars on sturdy baking sheet pans. Sanitize lids by boiling them for 5 minutes; leave immersed in the water until needed. Carefully fill the jars one-third full with the batter, taking care to wipe off any batter that may fall on the rim. Bake the jars for 20-30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. When finished baking, use oven mitts to handle the hot jars and immediately place the sanitized lids on top and secure snugly with the threaded ring. Allow the jars to cool to room temperature and create a vacuum (the lid will "pop" and pull-in). Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

Makes 36 1-pint wide-mouth jars

Country Herb & Cheese Flat Bread

Print |

Send to Friend

Items Needed:

1 package (2½ tsp.) dry highly active yeast (Fleischmann's Rapid Rise or comparable)
2 tsp. sugar
1 cup warm water (105°-110°F.)
2 tsp. olive oil (more for brushing)
2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. chopped fresh herb mix (parsley, basil, chives, thyme, sage, etc.)
Additional kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 110°F. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the yeast, sugar, warm water and olive oil together and mix until the yeast and sugar are dissolved. Mix both flours together in a bowl and gradually add the flour mixture while blending quickly with the index and middle fingers until a dough ball just forms. Place the dough ball onto a work surface, pull off any moist dough from the fingers and add it to the dough ball. Add a little of the remaining flour mixture to the fingers and rub off and discard any remaining dough. Roll the dough in the remaining flour mixture al-lowing a little of it to remain on the dough to avoid sticking.

Knead the dough, rolling in the flour whenever necessary to prevent sticking, until the dough springs back when poked and it is no longer sticking but remains soft and supple. Add the ½ tea-spoon of kosher salt and half of the Parmesan cheese and continue to knead the dough until both are evenly distributed throughout. Fold the dough into itself, turning it one direction, so as to cre-ate a "seam" side and a smooth side. Flip the dough over so the "seam" side is down and turn it in one direction only pressing firmly, so as to twist the seam into a tight spiral (this is called seaming the dough).

Transfer the dough ball into a oiled bowl and then spray oil onto the top. Place in the pre-heated 110°F. oven and turn the oven off. Allow the dough to double in size, about 20-30 minutes. Be sure to turn the oven OFF! Mix the herb mixture with the remaining Parmesan cheese. When the dough has doubled in size, place the dough on an oiled baking tray and spread out evenly. Brush the dough with a light coat of the olive oil, season with additional salt and pepper and top evenly with the herb/Parmesan mixture. Return to oven and allow to rise a second time for 10-15 min-utes. Turn oven back on and reset the thermostat to 400°F. Bake the flat bread for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Garlic, Parmesan & Focaccia

Print |

Send to Friend

Items Needed:

2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. dry instant active yeast (Fleischman's Rapid-Rise brand or comparable)
1 cup warm water (110°F.)
½ cup lukewarm milk (110°F.)
¼ cup virgin olive oil
2 qts. all-purpose flour (amount includes plenty for kneading)
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. Chopped fresh herbs of choice
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Combine the sugar, yeast, warm water, warm milk and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large mixing bowl; stir to dissolve the yeast and sugar. Stir in the flour, in increments, until the batter forms a dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl and binds to itself. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes, adding flour as necessary to avoid sticking. Knead in the 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and continue to knead another 3-5 minutes taking care to add only just enough flour to avoid sticking if needed. Seam the dough, pour half the remaining olive oil in a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, turn to coat with olive oil evenly, and allow to rise in a warm, moist place until doubled in size (about 20-30 minutes).

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a ½-sheet pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. Stretch the dough to cover the pan evenly. Mix the minced garlic, chopped herbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl or cup. Brush the dough with the remaining olive oil and top evenly with the garlic, herb and Parmesan mixture as well as salt and pepper as desired. Allow formed dough to rise again for 10-15 minutes and bake at 400°F. for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 1 ½ -sheet pan