Easiest No-Knead Peasant Bread

Yes, this loaf of bread is more than halfway eaten. I made it last night...

This is, by far, the easiest bread you will ever make. It is my new favorite bread recipe. I’ve been making it like crazy all winter. And if you take about 5 minutes of hands on time out of your day, you’ll be a convert too. I pretty much guarantee it.

This recipe found its way to me in one of those rare, serendipitous moments on Pinterest, when I was feeling productive enough to actually make something the moment I pinned it (this has happened only two or three times, with amazing results I might add).

Easiest bread ever, you say? Well, we’ll see about that. I mean, I had my fair share of convenient bread recipes. I was a bit skeptical. But it’s true, friends, there is no easier bread out there that I’ve found.

And sweet baby Jesus is it delicious! The first time I made it, my husband and I ate the entire loaf while it was still warm. Lucas may have eaten one piece. But seriously, it’s oh-dear-god-I-just-ate-a-whole-loaf-of-bread good. I don’t think it gets much better than that (and if it does, I’m not sure I want it to…).

Easiest No-Knead Peasant Bread
adapted from Alexandra Cooks

makes one 9x5” loaf

3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
1 ½  teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½  cups lukewarm water
2 ¼ teaspoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons active-dry yeast

In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour and the salt. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl (or your glass measuring cup), dissolve the sugar into the water. Gently stir in the yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes, mixture will be very foamy. Add yeast mixture to the flour bowl. Stir until a sticky dough ball forms. The dough will be very wet.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 ½ hours. (When I’m making bread in the winter, I like to preheat the oven for 60 seconds then shut it off. With the door closed it retains a nice warm [not hot] temperature for the dough to rise.)

Grease a 9x5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter (I always use my 1.5qt Pyrex loaf pan. I like to be able to keep an eye on that golden crust through the glass.) Preheat oven to 425°.

Using two forks, punch down your dough, scraping it from the sides of the bowl, which it will be clinging to. You want to loosen the dough entirely from the sides of the bowl, and you want to make sure you’ve released the excess air in the dough. Using the forks, scoop the dough into your prepared baking pan. It’s best to scoop it up fast and plop it in the bowl in one fell swoop. Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes or until it has risen to just above the top of the loaf pan.

Bake for 10 minutes at 425°. Reduce the heat to 375º and bake for 22 to 25 minutes longer, until crust is a nice golden brown. Remove from the oven and turn the loaves onto cooling racks. Cool in the loaf pans for 10-15 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

And eat a piece while it’s still warm with a bit of butter on it. There’s just nothing better.

Cinnamon Love Knots

Holy mother of tasty, these rolls are good. I mean, like, next level goodness. Quite possibly the most scrumptious bread/roll recipe I will ever share with you. That good.

Now I'm not going to lie here, these yeast rolls are a labor of love, but I swear to you,  they are worth every bit of effort. And if you aren't an early riser they're just dandy for brunch or an afternoon snack or whenever the mood strikes. And unlike some yeast rolls which can be a bit sub-par after they cool down, these are still great the next day with coffee or tea. There really is no downside to these delectable rolls other than the waiting around for rising times, which is a small price to pay for this much delicious.

Seriously, they are amazing. Go forth, my friends, and make them immediately.

Cinnamon Love Knots
adapted from Taste of Home 2001 Annual Recipes

makes 3 dozen

Rolls:
2 packages (1/4oz. each) active dry yeast or rapid rise yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110 - 115F)
1/2 cup warm milk (110 - 115F)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 - 5 cups all-purpose flour

Topping:
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

 Combine cinnamon and sugar for topping in a shallow bowl, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Add milk, butter, sugar, eggs and salt and mix until combined. Stir in enough flour to form a stiff dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (about 6-8 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft free area until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch dough down and divide into 3 portions. Cover two portions with plastic wrap. Shape remaining portion into 12 balls; roll balls into 8 inch ropes. Dip ropes in melted butter, roll in cinnamon sugar, and tie into knots, tucking the ends underneath. Repeat with remaining portions of dough.

Place knots on lined baking sheet; cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

"Healthy" Cheez-its

a delicious snack paired with Elmo's World = toddler heaven

Do you ever have one of those days where you're feeling so productive that you find yourself staying up late organizing or cleaning or (my go-to) cooking some new exciting treat? Yesterday was one of those days for me. I did a mountain of housework, tackled some nagging errands and cooked some healthy and delicious quinoa cakes for Rob and I. Then dinner was over, Lucas was sleeping and I was left to my own devices while Rob did his workout.

So I stared at food on the internet, because seriously, it's like the best time-waste ever. Does anyone else out there browse foodgawker for hours pretending it's menu planning? I hope so, because I do it all the time.

But after a few minutes, I found I couldn't sit still. I had all this super productive energy flowing through my body. So I found a recipe that I had all the ingredients for and set out into the kitchen to make some psuedo-healthy copycat cheez-its. Which, despite their rocky start (I have no food processor) still managed to turn out pretty dang delicious and were not as big of a pain as I thought they would be.

Plus they make me feel like one of those granola crunching moms who cloth diapers and does extended breastfeeding and sews/knit all her child's clothing and toys. You know, except for the fact that Lucas is totally watching TV while eating those homemade crackers. Oh well.


"Healthy" Cheez-its
adapted from Perry's Plate

makes about 50-60 crackers

4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbs. milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

Combine the cheese, butter, flours, onion powder, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade. (I did this by hand with a pastry cutter. It's doable, but not ideal. You'll need to use some real elbow grease to pull it off without a food processor.) Pulse to form a ball, 1 to 2 minutes. If dough does not come together, add additional tablespoon of milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface. Roll out the dough until it is 1/8 to 1/16 inch thick. Using a pastry wheel or knife, cut the dough into 1-by-1 squares. Prick the center of each cracker with the blunt end of a skewer. Place the crackers on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1/2 inch between crackers.

Bake until crackers are just slightly brown on the edges, about 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. The crackers will crisp up as they cool. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Homemade Bagels

 

Making this blog a priority is not one of my New Year's Resolutions, because I highly doubt I am going to keep up with it, and I hate breaking my resolutions.  However, trying new recipes is on my resolution list (in particular, trying out baked goods that my lactose intolerant husband can eat), as is trying out more adventurous recipes. These bagels I made this morning fit both of those categories and were just too good not to share.

So maybe I'll see you around these parts more as I chronicle all my new adventures in the kitchen (because there will be plenty). I hope you've made some cooking resolutions for yourself too. And if you haven't, it's not too late. Set a goal to try new recipes, to start making meal plans, try making bread from scratch (it's so easy!), master a certain cuisine. The possibilities are endless! Let's have a delicious New Year.

And eat some bagels. For reals.

 

Homemade Bagels

yields 1 dozen bagels

 

adapted from teacher-chef

 

2 cups warm water (100° to 110°)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
28½ ounces bread flour, divided (about 6½ cups)
1 Tbsp. molasses
2 tsp. kosher salt
Cooking spray
12 cups water
¾ cup sugar

Combine 2 cups warm water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook; cover and let stand 5 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface. Weigh 28.13 ounces flour (or lightly spoon about 6¼ cups) in a large bowl. Stir in salt. Add molasses and dry ingredients to yeast mixture. Mix dough at low speed  for 6 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 2 minutes or until smooth and elastic; add enough of remaining ¼ cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (I didn't need to use any). Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 12 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), shape each portion into a ball. Make a hole in the center of each ball using your index finger. Using fingers of both hands, gently pull dough away from center to make a 1½-inch hole. Place bagels on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat bagels with cooking spray; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 10 minutes (bagels will rise only slightly).

Preheat oven to 450°

Combine 12 cups water and ¾ cup sugar in a Dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Gently lower 3 bagels into pan. Cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the bagels to a wire rack lightly coated with cooking spray. Repeat the procedure with remaining bagels, working in batches of 3.

Divide the bagels between two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Add toppings (I made cinnamon-sugar, poppy seed, and sesame seed) if desired. If using seeds, brush with egg wash and press seeds in gently to adhere. Bake at 450° for 7 minutes. Rotate pans, and bake for 7 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

Peach Cobbler Scones

Do you need another excuse to eat dessert for breakfast by calling it a scone? I sure do. Samoa scones paved the way for a terrible habit. So I bring to you peach cobbler scones. It's basically peach cobbler enveloped in double the dense buttermilk biscuit. Oh yes.

So while peach season is in full swing, I suggest you make these bad boys. Pronto, my friends, pronto.

Peach Cobbler Scones

makes 10 medium scones

adapted from Annie's Eats

3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
1½ sticks (12 tbsp.) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing
1-2 ripe peaches, sliced thin

For the cinnamon-sugar:
2 tbsp. sugar
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the largest butter pieces are the size of peas. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix gently with a fork until a dough forms.  Knead briefly, about 10-15 times, until the dough has come together. 

Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface.  (If the dough is too soft to shape, chill it for about 15 minutes before proceeding.)  Roll the dough out into a 10 x 12-inch rectangle.  Brush half of the dough lightly with buttermilk.  Lay the peach slices in a single layer over the buttermilk side of the dough.  Sprinkle evenly with about half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Carefully fold the other side of the dough over the peaches as if closing a book and press down gently.  Slice the dough into 10 equal size pieces. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets.  

Brush the top of each scone with buttermilk and sprinkle with additional cinnamon-sugar.  Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown and the scones are baked through, about 15-18 minutes.  Let cool 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool further. Serve warm.

Samoa Scones

It's a good thing you're sitting down right now, because this recipe would most certainly knock you on your ass with its utter awesomeness. Is it breakfast? Is it dessert? Who cares! You can have them at whatever time of the day you please because I said so. They taste like giant girl-scout cookies, and therefore are exempt to time restrictions.

This recipe was my redemption from a failed attempt at making copycat Samoas last summer. That fiasco was a mess of burnt caramel and burnt fingers and really awful looking cookies (if you could even call them cookies). Since then I have steered clear of any Samoa imposter recipes on the internet, but this one caught my eye and I just couldn't resist. I thought since it was in scone form it deserved a fair shot.

And people, this recipe did not disappoint.

Not only do these taste absolutely amazing, but they are actually super easy to make. The scone recipe is quick and simple; made with basic, staple ingredients. The topping uses store bought caramel sauce, which means no stirring over a saucepan waiting for it to inevitably burn on my crappy electric stove top. I was really amazed at how quickly this came together and how awesome the finished product looked.

This one is going in the keeper box for sure. I highly recommend trying it, even if you aren't an experienced baker. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is too!

Samoa Scones 

adapted from Kids in the Sink

makes 1 dozen scones

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup milk
6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup prepared caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
3/4 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 400˚ and line a baking sheet with parchment or silicon liner.
 
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs, with pieces no larger than a pea. Add in milk and continue to work with your hands to bring the mixture together to form a dough.

Turn the dough onto your lightly floured work surface and divide in half.  Shape each piece into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Cut each disk 6 triangles. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown.  Let the scones cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe dish that is  big enough to fit your scones.  Microwave the chocolate in 15 second intervals, stirring after every time, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Once the scones are completely cool, dip scones into melted chocolate and put on wax paper to let set.
Stir together caramel sauce and shredded coconut.  Spread some of the mixture onto each scone to create a thin layer.  Drizzle the remaining chocolate onto each scone.  Let the chocolate set again before serving.

Blackberry Lime Sorbet

It's blackberry season in Cazadero and we had one heck of a haul this year. I think I have enough berries to satisfy all my blackberry desert needs (which are extensive, let me tell you). This is one recipe that really showcases these sweet, dark berries as the star of the dish and absolutely screams summertime. The lime juice gives the sorbet just enough tang to perfectly compliment the sweetness of the berries. It is truly divine.

Blackberry Lime Sorbet
adapted from Annie's Eats

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
4 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Puree the blackberries in a blender or food processor with the sugar syrup.  Press the mixture through a large mesh sieve to remove the seeds, then stir the lime juice into the sweetened puree. 

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.