Pizza Dough

Im always trying to perfect my pizza dough.  While in NY last weekend, I came across Jim Lahey’s new book, My Pizza while sitting in Red’s apartment.  The pie on the cover immediately caught my eye and soon enough was quickly impressed with 1)his creative pizza topping variations and 2)by the look of his dough and crust.  I took a couple notes in my pad and experimented with the recipe this week.  It turned out to be a really nice combination of a doughy, yet crusty base.  Ill have to try again soon.

makes 2 large pizza doughs

Ingredients

• 3 3/4 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat or half/half)
• 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup water, warm

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, yeast and salt.  Add the water with a wooden spoon and mix thoroughly.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rise for 18 hours (or until it doubles in size).

Next, flour a surface and scrape out the dough.  Be careful in handling the dough though, you don’t want to mess with it too much – as little as possible.  Divide the dough into 2 parts and shape into a ball by pulling the outer parts toward the center, folding inward.  Then, turn the seam side down into a small mound.

If you are using the dough right away, begin to spread the dough working from the center.

If you plan to use it later, store in the fridge in plastic wrap and then leave on the counter for 3 hours or so prior to using.

mangia!

 

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Its been a while, and Ive got alot to catch up on, so Ill start with this delicious bread recipe I made for Meggies birthday feast.  It was inspired by this wonderfully cute 101cookbooks recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups warm water (105-115F)
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing

Instructions

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes.

In the meantime, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir well.

Brush a loaf pan with some of the melted butter. Place the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise.

Preheat the oven to 350F.  When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan.  Remove from oven, and remove the bread out of the pan fairly quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn’t steam in the pan. Serve warm, with butter and jam.

Makes 1 loaf.

mangia!

Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread

Tis the season for cranberries and loaf breads!

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond meal flour
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 cup natural sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp orange rind
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp chia + 2 tbsp water (or an egg)
• 1 1/2 cups whole , fresh cranberries
• 1 cup walnuts, crushed

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.

Combine the first 6 dry ingredients and mix together.  Add the orange juice, rind, and ‘egg’ and mix together.  Finally fold in the cranberries and walnuts.

Bake for about 45 minutes.

mangia!

Spiced Applesauce Oat-Bran Bread

Adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks Veganomicon.  In honor of the First Day of Fall, I thought it was time to spice up the morning with some apple + bran :).

Makes 12 muffins or 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 cup + 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce 
• 2 tbsp sugar (optional) 
• 1 1/2 cups spelt flour (or another whole wheat flour)
• 3/4 cup oat bran 
• 2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp nutmeg 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/3 cup raisins

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a loaf pan or a muffin tin. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar and allow it to rest for 1 minute to curdle.

Add the applesauce, and sugar, and whisk to completely incorporate them. In a separate smaller bowl, sift together the flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet; stir only to moisten and don’t overmix. Fold in the raisins.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf/muffin comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to complete cooling.

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

For me, bagels have been one of those foods that I never imagined making myself.  There is no way I could ever replicate what I enjoy so much from at the bagel shops, I would say.  Well, after spending some time mastering the breads, I decided it was time to tackle the bagel (or baa-gul, as my friends suggest I say it).  Being forced inside by Irene for 24 hours + provided the perfect opportunity to go for it.  Note: This adapted recipe from The Bread Bakers Apprentice by Peter Reinhart isnt so complicated, but it does require about a 3-4 step process over a 2-day period.  Thus, if you’re planning to make these (especially for others) its important to plan ahead and have the time.

yields 6 round, fluffy bagels (matt stole one before the photo shoot)

Ingredients

For the Sponge

• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
• 1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature

For the Dough

• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup loosely packed raisins, soaked in warm water
• 1 tablespoon dark or light malt syrup, honey or brown sugar

For the Finish

• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting

Instructions

To make the sponge, stir the yeast into the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the water, whisking or stirring only until it forms a smooth, sticky batter (like pancake batter). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or untiil the mixture becomes very foamy and bubbly. It should swell to nearly double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop.

To make the dough, add the additional yeast to the sponge and stir. Then add 3 cups of the flour and all of the salt, malt, sugar and cinnamon. Stir (or mix on low speed with the dough hook) until the ingredients form a ball, slowly working in the remaining ¾ cup flour to stiffen the dough.

Transfer the dough to the counter and knead for at least 10 minutes (or for 6 minutes by machine), adding the raisins during the final 2 minutes. The dough should be firm, stiffer than French bread dough, but still pliable and smooth. There should be no raw flour – all the ingredients should be hydrated.  If the dough seems too dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading. If the dough seems tacky or sticky, add more flour to achiever the stiffness required. The kneaded dough should feel satiny and pliable but not be tacky.

Immediately divide the dough into 4 ounce pieces for standard bagels. Form the pieces into rolls. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for approximately 20 minutes.

Line 1 sheet pan with parchment paper and mist lightly with spray oil. Shape the bagels in one of the following two ways:

1. Poke a hole in a ball of bagel dough and gently rotate your thumb around the inside of the hole to widen it to approximately 2½ inches in diameter. The dough should be as evenly stretched as possible (try to avoid thick and thin spots).

2. Roll out the dough into an 8-inch-long rope. Wrap the dough around the palm and back of your hand, between the thumb and forefinger, ovrlapping the ends by several inches. Press the overlapping ends on the counter with the palm of your hand, rocking back and forth to seal.

Place each of the shaped pieces 2 inches apart on the pans. Mist the bagels very  lightly with the spray oil and slip each pan into a food-grade plastic bag, or cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Check to see if the bagels are ready to be retarded in thee refrigerator by using the “float test”. Fill a small bowl with cool or room-temperature water. The bagels are ready to be retarded when they float within 10 seconds of being droppd into the water. Take one bagel and test it. If it floats, immediately return the tester bagel to the pan, pat it dry, covr the pan, and place it in the refrigerator overnight (it can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days). If the bagel does not float, return it to the pan and continue to proof the dough at room temperature, checking back every 10 to 20 minutes or so until a tester floats. The time needed to accomplish the float will vary, depending on the ambient temperature and the stiffness of the dough.

The following day (or when you are ready to bake the bagels), preheat the oven to 500°F with the two racks set in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (the wider the pot the better), and add the baking soda. Have a slotted spoon or skimmer nearby.

Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and gently drop them into the water, boiling only as many as comfortably fit (they should float within 10 seconds). After 1 minute flip them ovr and boil for another minute. If you like very chewy bagels, you can extend the boiling to 2 minutes per side. While the bagels are boiling, sprinkle the same parchment-lined sheet pans with cornmeal or semolina flour.

When all the bagels have ben boiled, place the pan on the middle shelf in the oven. Bake for approximately 5 minutes, then rotate the pan, giving the pan a 180-degree rotation. After the rotation, lower the oven setting to 450F and continue baking for about 5 minutes, or until the bagels turn light golden brown. You may bake them darker if you prefer.

Remove the pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes or longer before serving.

mangia!

Veggies-on-the-Bottom Bread

I wanted to try something new and tasty to bring to the SlowFoodDC Board meeting tonight.  It was a grand evening with delicious food.  I mean one cant really complain after an evening as follows – sitting up on the rooftop garden terrace of BreadForTheCity, chatting with a group of DC food advocates about food how we can promote its goodness! – sun setting in the background (on a particularly cool night for DC), amidst a hand-crafted spread of heirloom tomato + basil + peach salsa, local peaches and watermelon, blackberry pie from Mom’s in Leesburg, bean + avocado dip, and my savory bread.  The recipe below is adapted from Mollie Katzen’s recipe in The Enchanted Broccoli Forest - I added jack cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, and left out the red peppers and cauliflower (but Im sure all versions are good).  Also, it took a good hour and a half to prep and bake, so make sure you have some time to spare.

serves 8-10

Ingredients

For the Veggie Layer

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup of broccoli florets, broken apart into tiny trees
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 cup of corn, fresh or frozen
• salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
• 1/2 cup cheddar or jack cheese

For the Bread

• 1 1/2 cups white or whole wheat flour (or a mix of the two)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme, garlic, pepper
• 1 tbsp chia seed  + 2 tbsp water (this is your ‘egg’, so if you wish to use an actual egg, you can do that)
• 1 cup yogurt or buttermilk (buttermilk=milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice)
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

For the Veggie Layer (Part 1)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a round bundt pan or an 8 inch square pan with olive oil.  Boil a medium-size pot of water.  Get strainer and bowl of cold water ready.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat and saute the onion until soft.

Meanwhile, when the water comes to a boil, drop in the broccoli and carrot and blanch for about 30 seconds.

Strain immediately and then place into cold water.  Let it sit and then pat dry with a paper towel.Add onion and the other uncooked veggies, spices and herbs to the mixture.  Spread the mixture on the bottom of the pan and cover with cheese.  Set aside and move to part 2.

For the Bread (Part 2)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt into a large bowl.  Stir in sugar and herbs.  Make an indentation in the center for the wet mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine the ‘egg’, buttermilk/yogurt and melted butter.

Pour the wet mixture into the center of the dry mixture and mix carefully until blended (it should form a sticky dough).

Carefully spread the dough over the veggie layer and distribute as evenly as possible.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until bread is cooked through.  Let it cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving.  When you go to cut it, it seems as if the veggies are going to fall out from underneath, but the cheese actually allows it to stay on a good amount – but be careful (note: its not a good idea to be talking on your phone when cutting the bread).

mangia!

Brown Irish Soda Bread

I’m about a month late.  Sorry Irishmen and all you St. Patty Day boozers.  Better late than never.  I made a split-pea soup last night and decided it was time to try the Irish Soda Bread to complement it.  Its been one on my list.  Its funny though because for some reason, I’ve always had it stuck in my head that the ‘soda’ ingredient in this bread, referred to soda, as in Coke or something carbonated.  But then I thought, well it’s Irish, so they probably use beer.  It wasn’t until I started looking up Irish Soda Bread recipes that I realized the ‘soda’ was actually baking soda.  I also learned a little bit of the history of this bread.  Back in the 1800′s, the Irish used the bicarbonate of soda when it was introduced as an alternative to yeast.  Since the soda doesn’t require rising, it is a sort of quick bread and eventually it became a staple of the Irish diet and served as a part of most meals.  Interesting, yes – but I dont even know why I am going on about this. The Brits and the Irish hate each other, and my husband is a Brit after all.  Go England! On to the bread.

makes one round loaf

Ingredients

• 2 cups of non-dairy milk
• 2 tsp distilled white vinegar
• 4 cups whole wheat flour (or 3 cups wheat + 1 cup white)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup non-dairy butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and lightly grease a round cake pan. (I used my dutch oven and it worked nicely).

In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar.  Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the milk mixture and butter and mix together until the doug forms a ball.  Knead the dough for about 1-2 minutes.

Place the dough in the pan and slice a cross in the top (this is a traditional Irish soda bread thing).  Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the bottom had a hollow sound when thumped.  Let it cool for a few minutes before serving with your favorite stew or soup!

mangia!

Pumpkin Bread

October = pumpkin month! For the pumpkin bread, I used this recipe as a starting point and experimented with substituting a banana for less oil.  Worked like a charm.

makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 2 cups of white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose or whole wheat)
• 1 1/2 cups of organic sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking power
• 1 tsp each of cinnamon and nutmeg or 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (dont be stingy with the spices!)
• pinch of cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup safflower oil (or vegetable or canola)
• 1 16 oz can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 ripe banana, smashed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease loaf pan.

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.  Combine wet ingredients in small bowl and whisk until blended.  Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk until blended.

Spoon batter into loaf pan and bake for about 1 hr.

mangia!