French Bread 03/31/2011
 Ingredients: 4 Cups bread flour 1 1/2 Cups Warm Water 2 tsp Instant Active Yeast 1 1/2 tsp Salt Directions: In a mixing bowl attached to a electic mixer with a dough attachemnt on it place 3 3/4 cups flour, salt, and yeast. Then add the 1 and 1/2 cups warm water, and mix on slow speed until the dough is all mixed together and beginning to form a ball. Let rest for about 1 minute and then switch to medium speed. Knead on meadium speed for 3-4 minutes until the dough has come together and is not sticking to the sides anymore, "it can stick to the bottom". If the dough seems to stick add flour 1 TBSP at a time, to dry add water 1 TBSP at a time. Roll dough out onto the 1/4 cups of flour left over from earlier, knead the flour into it. Knead until the dough forms into a nice, tough, smooth ball. Lightly grease a large bowl, roll the ball around in the bowl so each side is of the ball is lightly covered in grease. Cover and allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. *Preheat the oven to 450 with a pizza stone in it, or with a cookie sheet turned upside down. I do this right before I start forming the loaves. Punch the dough down once, and then pour out onto a lighly floured surface. DO NOT knead the dough. Cut the dough into 2 equal parts, set 1/2 back in the bowl and cover. Use your hands to gently pull the dough out into a rectangle, once in a rectangle fold the sides into the middle leaving the ends not folded. Use the side of your hand to push lightly down the center of the dough to form more of a crease in the middle, and then fold over the sides and ends and pinching them all closed. "Pictures below, of what it should look like." Set the loaves on a floured surface, and cover let set for 30 minutes to rise again. After 30 minutes remove your cooking surface from the oven and slide your loaves onto it. Rub the surface of your bread with water so it becomes a little sticky and then place in the oven. Then slice a few slights arcoss the top, to allow steam out of the bread. There are methods of making steam to keep the crust from getting to hard during cooking, but they run the risk of ruining your oven, so I haven't ventured into them yet. Feel free to look them up, and try them. Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Check the bread with a thermometer if the temp is at least 190 its done. Allow to fully cool before you slice.  Yeast, Flour, Salt  What the bread looks like when ready to rise  Make sure your rising bowl is large enough  Folded the first time  Folded and pinched tight the second time, make sure its pinched tight! Spaghetti Sauce 03/31/2011
Spaghetti with Italian Sausage Meat Balls - Ingredients: 1/2 Onion Diced 1 TBSP Olive Oil 2 TBSP of Diced Green Pepper 1 lb of Ground Mild Italian Sausage "I put 1/3 into the sauce, and make meatballs out of the other 2/3's." 1 16 oz Can of Tomato Sauce "No Salt Added" 2 14oz Cans of Diced Tomatoes "No Salt Added" 1 14oz Can of Italian Diced Tomatoes 2 TBSP of Tomato Paste 1/4 cup of Chicken Broth or red wine 1 can water 4 TBSP of Fresh fine chopped Parsley "or about 2 TBSP Dried" 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano 2 tsp Dried Basil "or 1 TBSP Fresh" 1/4 tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper 1/2 tsp Salt 2 tsp Sugar 4 Small or 2 Large garlic cloves smashed and chopped small 1 Bay Leaf 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Directions: In a Dutch oven or large sauce pan, place 1 TBSP of Olive Oil over medium heat. Once warmed add diced onions, and green peppers. When the diced onions become soft, about 2 minutes, add 1/3 of the italian sausage, and cook until no longer pink. Now add sauce, diced tomatoes, paste, chicken broth, and water. Stir those ingredients together, and then add parsley, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, sugar, garlic, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper. Stir all the ingredients together, and bring to a boil. Once the sauce begins to boil cover and reduce heat to simmer for at least 2 hours, I cook for about 5 hours. This will make approx. 7 cups of sauce, I freeze my extra in Ziploc freezer bags. Meatballs: Use the Italian Sausage we set aside earlier for this. Place the Sausage into a small mixing bowl, add 1 and 1/2 TBSP's of bread crumbs, 1 tsp fresh parsley, pinch black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1 TBSP shredded parmesan cheese; mix together well roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and fry in a hot frying pan. I put them into my sauce about 1 1/2 hour before its done Pizza Dough 03/28/2011
Pizza Dough - Ingredients: 4 1/2 Cups Bread Flour "plus some for dusting" 3/4 Cups warm water 1 package instant yeast 1 Cup Room temp. water 1/2 tsp Salt 2 TBSP Olive Oil 1/2 tsp Honey Directions: In a large mixing bowl add 4 and 1/2 cups flour, and salt. In a separate bowl add 3/4 cup warm water and yeast. Allow the yeast to grow for about 5 minutes. After the yeast has grown add 1 cup of room temp. water, olive oil, and honey. Mix the wet ingredients together. In your mixing bowl slowly add the water, you can do this by stirring or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Once all the ingredients are combine, either switch to a dough attachment or if not using a mixer pour out onto a floured surface and knead. Either way you should knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Once the dough has formed an elastic ball place in a greased bowl and allow to rise for 1-2 hours. Push the dough down in the middle, and then pour onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and then roll out into the pizza crust. If you only need one pizza wrap the other ball of dough in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag, it will freeze great! Preheat oven to 450 for atleast 30 minutes. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Top with whatever your family enjoys! :)  Pizza Sauce 03/28/2011
Pizza Sauce - Ingredients: 1 16oz can of diced tomatoes "no salt added" 1 TBSP of Tomato Paste 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp salt 2 Garlic Cloves minced 1 1/2 tsp dried Basil 1 tsp dried Oregano 1/8 tsp Crushed Marjoram 1/4 tsp Fresh cracked black pepper 1/4 tsp sugar Directions: Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. This recipe makes enough to cover one pizza thick or 2 pizzas thin. This was the first pizza sauce that I made that I actually liked! Enjoy! : ) |
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