Heather's Foccacia

This is like the foccacia they give you at Macaroni Grill - perfect for dipping with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Not too tough to make, either!

1 T. yeast

1 T. sugar

1 C. warm water

(mix and let sit until bubbly)

Add:

1 t. salt

2.5 C. flour

Mix well then knead for 10 minutes, or put in food processor for 15 seconds so it's nice and mixed. Place in covered oiled bowl and sit in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled. Punch down, let dough rest for a few minutes. Divide dough into 2 flat rounded loaves, place on greased cookie sheet. Brush with 2 T. melted butter and 1 T. coarse dried salt and 1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary (totally optional). Let rise for about 45 min. or until doubled. Preheat oven to 450. Bake 9-10 minutes or until light brown.

Emeril's Challah

Challah

Ingredients

• 2 (1/4-ounce) packets active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup warm milk (100? to 110?F on an instant-read thermometer)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 large eggs
• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Instructions

Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm milk in the bowl of a standing electric mixer. Stir with a wooden spoon and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, until the surface appears foamy.

Stir in the melted butter and 3 of the eggs and stir until thoroughly combined. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and place the mixing bowl on the mixer.

Sift the flour and salt into a medium mixing bowl.

With the mixer running on low speed, carefully add 31/2 cups of the flour, one cup at a time, until a soft, sticky dough is formed. Be careful to stay clear of the rotating paddle! Add the remaining flour in 1/4-cup increments. You may not need all of the flour. To know whether you have added enough flour, test the dough by turning off the mixer and touching the dough with your finger. It should remain slightly sticky and not at all dry. If itís getting dry and very stiff, do not add any more flour.

Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and allow the paddle to knead the dough until the dough is very smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Grease a large mixing bowl with the oil and add the dough to the bowl. Turn the dough so that it is coated with oil. Then cover the dough with plastic wrap or a clean, damp kitchen towel, and let it stand in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, 1 to 11/2 hours.

Punch the dough down with your fist before turning it out onto a clean work surface, and then divide it into 3 equal portions. Using your palms, start in the center and work outward, rolling each portion of dough gently against the work surface with even pressure to form a rope about 20 inches long. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Press the 3 ropes together at one end to seal. Lay the 3 ropes next to one another, with the sealed end farthest away from you. Begin braiding
the loaf by crossing one of the outer ropes over the center rope. Continue to braid by crossing alternating outer ropes, one at a time, over the center rope. When the ropes are completely braided, press the ends of the 3 ropes together and transfer the loaf to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Tuck the pinched portions of the ends under slightly so that they are not visible. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean, damp kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place until loaf has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat the oven to 375?F.

Place the remaining egg in a small mixing bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Using a pastry brush, coat the entire top and sides of the loaf with the eggwash. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350?F. Continue to bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the top. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Let cool before slicing.

Yield: One large (16 - 18-inch) loaf

White Bread

White Bread by Christie Mabey

½ C warm water
2 T yeast
1 T sugar
In a small bowl, soften yeast by sprinkling yeast into half cup warm water intermingled with sugar sprinkles. Stir and set aside to grow (5 minutes).

2 C flour 3 ½ C hot tap water
½ C dry milk (optional) ¼ C oil
1 T salt ¼ C honey
½ C brown sugar 6-7 C flour

In a mixing bowl stir together 2 C flour, dry milk, salt, and brown sugar. Mix in hot water, oil and honey. Add in yeast. Mix in 5 C of flour one cup at a time, then add additional flour by the ½ of a cup until dough leaves sides of bowl and comes to a ball. Remove dough from bowl and put in a teaspoon of oil in bottom of bowl. Roll dough ball in oil and cover with a cloth, let rise for about 1 hour, or until double in bulk. Punch down and form into loaves (4 standard loaves, 36 large cinnamon rolls). Rise a second time for 30 min. and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Turn out of pans, cool.

Whole Wheat Bread

Whole Wheat Bread by Christie Mabey

This bread requires an electric mixer that has a dough hook.

In a mixing bowl jog together:
4 C warm water
3 C whole-wheat flour
1 T salt

Add and mix until smooth:
1/3 C oil
1/3 C honey
2 T SAF yeast
2 T dough enhancer

Add remaining flour one cup at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball (from 6-7 C whole wheat flour). Knead for 12 minutes. Form into loaves (3-4 standard loaf pans). Let rise until double in bulk (about 30 minutes). Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Turn out of pan to cool. Enjoy!

Heidi's Bagels

Heidi’s Best-Ever Bagels

2 C warm water
2 T honey
1 T yeast
2 t salt
5 C all purpose flour
1 egg white
desired bagel toppings (cinnamon sugar, asiago cheese, salt, poppy seeds, etc.)

Let yeast melt into warm water and bubble (5-10 minutes). Add honey, salt and flour. Mix on high for 5 minutes. Auto knead in bread mixer for 10-12 minutes. Dough should be heavier than regular bread dough. Let rest and rise until double (45-60 minutes).

Take out and cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll into balls. Poke thumb in middle to create hole and twirl dough around finger until you have bagel shape. Let rest on lightly floured surface for 10+ minutes. Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to boil. Add 3 T sugar. Place bagels in boiling water for 1 minute, flipping once.

Place on large cookie sheet with parchment paper covered with ground cornmeal. Preheat oven to 400. Brush bagels with whipped egg white. Sprinkle toppings immediately onto wet tops of dough.

Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes, or until golden.
Yields about a dozen large bagels. I often double the recipe and have a stash to put in the freezer for quick morning grabs.

Mandy's Cinnamon Pull-Aparts aka Monkey Bread

Mandy’s Cinnamon Pull-Aparts
Aka Monkey Bread

Spray/butter a bundt
Sprinkle bottom with cinnamon
Add 15 or so frozen rolls
Dice and sprinkle 1 cube of butter over the rolls
Sprinkle ¾ - 1 cup brown sugar
Sprinkle small package of butterscotch pudding (the bake and serve pudding)
Top with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cover and rise over night
Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Can add pecans or almond pieces if desired.

Note: This was a tradition at every sleep-over. Mom would make this the night of party and then we’d have it for breakfast the next day.

Garlic Roll Bundt

Tennisa’s Garlic Rolls

Spray/butter a bundt pan.
Sprinkle garlic salt and grated parmesan cheese over the bottom and sides.
Add around 15 frozen Rhodes rolls or equivalent.
Dice a cube of butter and sprinkle the bits over and in between the rolls.
Sprinkle more garlic salt, Italian seasoning and parm cheese.
Cover with plastic wrap to keep moisture in and let rise 8-10 hours.
Cook 30 minutes at 350 F.

Tips: I don’t use the whole cube of butter, more like ¾ of the cube. If it raises too quickly, put the pan in the frig until time to bake off.