Peasant Bread

 This bread is easy, quick, and yummy!

Ingredients:

 4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1 TBSP instant yeast

2 cups warm water

Instructions:

In a large plastic bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Add water and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the ingredients form a shaggy sticky ball and no dry streaks remain. (Dough will still be sticky/wet, you want it this way do not add more flour.)

Cover the bowl and let dough rise until doubled, about 1-1 1/2 hours. 

Place an oven rack in the center position, then preheat oven to 425 degrees. Generously grease a 9" pie pan with cooking spray/oil. (an enameled dutch oven or even just a cookie sheet will work too, the pie pan helps the dough keep it's nice round shape)

Coat your hands with oil. Scrape the dough away from the side of the bowl, and form into a ball, tucking the edges under and rotating while tucking to form a circle loaf. It does not need to be smooth or perfect, this dough will be sticky and that is normal/OK. Place into prepared pie pan.

Let dough rest 15 minutes while oven finishes preheating. Bake, uncovered for 15 min.  Then reduce the heat to 375 and bake an additional 15-18 minutes until bread is golden and cooked through. (If the top is getting too golden, you can cover with a loose piece of foil for the last 10 min or so).

Rub butter on the top after removing from oven, move to a cooling rack and let sit until cool/warm. Serve with butter, jam, or however you like!

Original Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Raspberry Lemon Sweet Rolls

 DOUGH:

4 1/2 tsps yeast (or 2 packets) dissolved in 1 cup very warm water

6 TBS shortening (butter is OK too)

1 cup sugar

9 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 cups hot water

2 eggs, beaten

1 TBS salt

FILLING:

1/4 cup butter softened

1/3 cup brown sugar mixed with 1/4 cup white sugar

    RASPBERRY PUREE:

    1-2 cartons raspberries, pressed through a fine strainer to make a puree

    3 TBS sugar

    Zest and a couple squeezes of juice of half a lemon

    1 1/2 tsp corn starch

FROSTING:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

Zest and a couple squeezes of juice of half a lemon

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add yeast to very warm water and let sit for 5-10 minutes until bubbly and poofy.

In stand mixer, add shortening, sugar, salt, and hot water and mix together.  Let cool slightly and then add in 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture and mix until well combined. Add in beaten eggs and mix.

Gradually mix in remaining flour and mix for about 2 minutes with the dough hooks. Remove dough from bowl and knead by hand until dough is satiny and smooth. Grease bowl and put the dough back into the bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise until double, about 30-60 min.

Remove dough from bowl and place on lightly floured counter. Divide dough in half.  (You will repeat these same steps with the second half of the dough. So only use half of the brown sugar mixture and half of the raspberry puree) Roll one half of the dough out into a rectangle shape. Spread softened butter on the dough (I just use my hands, it works the best!) and then sprinkle with the brown sugar/white sugar mix. It's ok to not use it all, just put as much as you like on. Take your raspberry puree and combine it with the sugar, lemon zest and juice and corn starch. Mix together until smooth. Pour a couple lines of raspberry puree on the dough.  

Gently roll up the dough into one long row.  Using dental floss, cut the rolls into pieces about 2" thick.  Place into a greased 9x13 pan. Drizzle tops of rolls with more raspberry puree, dripping into the middle of the roll.  

Repeat using the other half of the dough.

Let rolls rise until doubled, about an hour.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-32 minutes. Tops should be golden brown and middles cooked through.  

Allow to cool while making the frosting.

Combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat with electric beaters until smooth.  Spread frosting on rolls and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from twopeasandtheirpod

Artisan Crusty Bread

This recipe uses an enameled Dutch Oven/cast iron pot with a lid.  You can also use a regular Dutch Oven if needed.  It also needs to raise for 12+ hours (I make it before bed and let it raise overnight until the next afternoon.)

In a plastic bowl, combine:

1 teaspoon active dry yeast (really any yeast should work)

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 cups warm water

3 cups flour

Use a plastic or wooden spoon, mix the ingredients until dough forms and there are no longer dry patches of flour.  Do not over mix or knead the dough.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and double cover it with a lid.  Let the dough sit for at least 12 hours, up to 24 hours.   

Dump dough onto floured surface and shape into a ball.  Place on a sheet of parchment paper and let rise 1-2 hours.  

While it's rising, heat your oven to 450 degrees and heat your enameled dutch oven/cast iron for 30-40 min.  (Just put it in the oven empty while the dough is rising on the parchment paper.) 

Remove hot pot from oven and transfer the parchment paper holding the dough into the pot.  Cover with the lid and return to oven.  Bake for 30 min, then remove the lid and bake another 15 min.  Let cool, slice, and enjoy!

(recipe from Amber's Kitchen) 

This is what an enameled Dutch Oven pot looks like:

Cheesy, Garlicky Breadsticks

I found this recipe here at Lauren's Latest (called Craigo's Breadsticks). We love these!

1 1/2 c. warm water
5 t. yeast
2 T sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
4 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
garlic salt/parsley blend
1 1/2 c. grated parmesan
1 c. grated mozzarella
1/2 c. grated cheddar
1/4 c. butter, melted (at end)

Stir together water, yeast, and sugar and set aside to foam up. Melt butter and set aside. In your mixer, add flour and salt, then pour in yeast mixture. Drizzle in melted butter. Knead together then let rise 30-45 minutes until doubled in size. Roll out into large rectangle and cut into strips. Twist two strips together and place on baking sheet (I actually just fold one strip in half and twist the two ends together). Let rise another 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle last 1/4 c. melted butter over top and sprinkle cheeses and garlic/parsley over top. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

These are a huge favorite around here, and I love that I don't need more than one ripe banana to make them! Occasionally I've thrown in two bananas if I have them and it's worked out just fine, so you can play with it depending on how much banana flavor you want in them.

1/3 c. butter, melted

1 egg

1 c. milk

1 banana, mashed

2/3 c. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt (I omit since I always use salted butter)

2 c. flour

1 c. chocolate chips (mini are really great in these)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together butter, egg, milk, and banana (I throw it all in my Bosch, including the whole banana, and let it mash while it mixes). Add sugar, baking powder, salt, and flour. Add chocolate chips. Bake large muffins for 20 minutes, mini for 15 minutes. Will also make one loaf of bread- bake for 40 minutes. 

Mini Pull-Apart Rolls

Ingredients
30 frozen Rhodes rolls
1/2 cube Melted Butter
Parmesan Cheese
Salad Supreme
Garlic Salt

Grease jelly roll cookie sheet.  Set frozen Rhodes rolls on pan and allow to thaw.  Once thawed out, (about 1 hour) cut each roll into 1/4's using scissors.  Arrange in rows onto the jelly roll cookie sheet. Let rise about 1 hour.  Brush tops of rolls with melted butter.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese and seasonings over the top.  Let raise about 1 more hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 min.  Enjoy!

Homemade Bread

I tried a new recipe for Homemade White Bread.  I like that this recipe makes 2 loaves, perfect to eat 1 whole loaf fresh and warm, and 1 over the next couple days!
recipe from: iheartnaptime.com (click link to see more pictures)

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 1/2 tsp yeast
• 1/2 TB sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 TB salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 5-7 cups of flour, (bread, white or wheat will work) (can use more if needed)
• 1 TB shortening or cooking spray
• 1 TB butter (to top bread)

Instructions

1. Place the yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Pour the warm water (not too hot) over the yeast mixture and let it sit for 15-20 minutes, or until nice and bubbly.
2. Combine melted butter, sugar, evaporated milk and salt into a large mixing bowl. When your yeast mixture is ready add them together and mix.
3. If you are using a stand mixer put on your bread hook and then pour in 3 cups of flour. If not you can stir/knead it as well. Then add in 1 cup of flour at a time and mix. When you get to 5 cups of flour in the bowl, add in 1/2 cup more of flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides. You'll know it's ready when your fingers no longer stick to the dough.
4. Then cover the ball of dough and sides of the bowl with shortening and cover the bowl with a warm towel. Set by the window and allow it it rise (approx 1.5 hours). When it has risen over the bowl punch it down and place on a floured service.
5. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.
6. Cut dough into two pieces and roll them out into a rectangle. Roll the dough up and place into 2 greased bread pans.
7. Let the bread rise again, and when it looks like a good loaf of bread place them in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. When the bread is done, coat the top with butter and remove onto a cooling rack.
8. Enjoy! 

Cheesy Pretzel Rolls

These don't taste so much like a pretzel as they do a cheesy, addicting, roll in a pretzel shape. I will just say that the night I made these, we finished them off so quickly it's a little embarrassing.

Recipe from YourHomeBasedMom.com

• 1 C warm water 
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 2 3/4 C flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 1/2 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 
  

1. Place the warm water in a bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside to rest until the mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes.
2. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add in the yeast mixture and mix with a dough hook until the dough is elastic and smooth, about 8 minutes (I didn't let mine mix that long, just a few minutes).
3. Cover and let rest in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Once the dough has risen, mix in cheese. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and form into long ropes. Form into a pretzel shape and tuck ends underneath. Allow to rise for about 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 400 and bake for 12 - 14 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

I've made these at least 3 or 4 times and keep forgetting to post the recipe, mainly because we eat them before I can take a picture. My kids LOVE these and beg for them. I found the recipe at My Baking Addiction.

2 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray the wells of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla, mixing until well combined.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the liquid ingredients into the well. Stir until ingredients are just combined - do not over mix the batter. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Evenly divide the batter into the prepared muffin pan wells. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

6. Remove muffins to a wire rack and cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

3-Ingredient Banana Bread

I credit Pinterest for this one. It was a huge success!! We loved it, and I don't think I'll make banana bread any other way now.

1 yellow cake mix
2 eggs
3 large ripe bananas
(I added 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1 c. mini chocolate chips)

Pour into two (sprayed) medium pans and bake at 350 for 35-40 min.

English Muffin Bread

This one's straight from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and we're in love with it. The first time I made it, I told myself I'd never make it again because of how sticky the dough was. But I told myself that before it came out of the oven. Once I tasted it, I vowed to make it the rest of my life. The dough is so, so, so incredibly sticky, and it's a pain to handle. But it ends up being a good thing because of how light the bread turns out, with pockets of air that are perfect for soaking up butter. It's awesome fresh out of the oven, and amazing as toast. I've since made it again, and it was absolutely worth it.

*Makes 4 loaves of bread (8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch)

INGREDIENTS:
5 1/2 cups very warm water
3 tablespoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
11 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl or bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the water, sugar, salt and yeast. Mix. Add half of the flour. Mix. Add remaining flour. Mix. The dough will be very, very sticky. Don’t be alarmed! Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled. Stir down the dough with a wooden spoon.

Grease four loaf pans (8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch) generously with cooking spray. Divide the dough between the loaf pans. It helps to grease your hands because the dough is still sticky. The dough should fill the pans about halfway. Cover the loaves with lightly greased plastic wrap and let the bread rise until doubled. It will look puffy and bubbly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes until lightly golden brown on top and baked through. Remove from the oven and turn the bread out onto a cooling rack. Butter the tops while still warm.

This bread can be frozen and/or it lasts, covered or bagged, at room temperature for several days.

A new roll recipe

I knew I was taking a risk by making a new recipe of rolls for a bridal shower today, but it paid off. These were awesome, and I love that I got 48 rolls out of one batch. For those times when you need a lot of rolls, these are my new favorite! For really detailed instructions, see the recipe at HowDoesShe. I put any of my notes in bold below:

1 1/2 cups of milk

3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar

1/2 c. butter

1 egg

1 Tablespoon salt

2 Tablespoons yeast

2 cups of warm water

about 9-10 cups of flour

additional softened butter (1/4-1/2 c)

To start out: Scald 1 1/2 cups of milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of butter in a microwave safe bowl for about 2 minutes. Cutting the butter into pieces helps it melt faster. There will probably be some little cubes of butter still floating in the hot mixture; they will melt.

(I poured it into my Bosch at this point.) To cool it down stir in 2 cups of flour, then add 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of salt, and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a measuring cup dissolve 2 Tablespoons of yeast in 2 cups of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit for a couple of minutes until it is bubbly.

Make sure your milk mixture is just warm, not boiling and add the yeast mixture. Gradually stir remaining 7-8 cups of flour. Add about 2 cups at time and knead until the dough comes together and leaves the sides of the bowl. Leave it in a warm place and let it raise until doubled in size. (Mine took about an hour.)

When your dough is close to raising completely, butter 2 cookie sheets and set them aside. Sprinkle flour on your counter. (Or put a teaspoon or two of oil on your counter and spread it around. It cleans up so well and the dough doesn't stick like crazy to your hands). Dump your dough out and divide it into 4 balls. Try to make them even, but they don’t have to be perfect. Using one ball of dough at a time, roll the dough into a circle. Once it is rolled out spread the top with butter from edge to edge. You will use 2 Tablespoons per circle of dough. (I used 1 T. per circle of dough.) Cut each circle into 12 triangles from each circle of dough. Form each piece into a crescent and place it on the buttered cookie sheet. You will make 3 rows, with 8 rolls per row. This will give you 24 rolls per pan.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pans of rolls in a warm place (on top of the oven if possible) to let them rise. (45 minutes or so.) Once they are touching and full in size, cook (one pan at a time) in the oven till they are golden brown, about 10–15 minutes. Keep a close eye on your first pan to get the right time for the second. (Mine actually took about 17 minutes.)

Start to finish: about 3 1/2 hrs.

Pizza on the Grill!!

SOO yummy and it's so much fun to grill your pizza! Great way to spice up the BBQ menu.
1 (.25 ounce) pkg active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 pinch white sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon chopped basil (fresh is best)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
Pizza sauce/tomato sauce
Shredded pizza cheese
Pizza toppings
(pepperoni, olives, tomatoes, mushrooms, pineapple, ham, jalapenos, peppers, onions,
etc)

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, and mix in sugar. Proof for ten minutes, or until frothy. Mix in the salt, olive oil, and flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, and knead in garlic and basil. Set aside to rise for 1 more hour, or until doubled again. 

Preheat grill for high heat. Heat olive oil with garlic for 30 seconds in the microwave. Set aside. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Form each half into an oblong shape 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. 

Brush grill grate with garlic flavored olive oil. Carefully place one piece of dough on hot grill. The dough will begin to puff almost immediately. When the bottom crust has lightly browned, turn the dough over using two spatulas and move to nearby table/workspace. Working quickly, brush oil over crust, and then brush with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Arrange toppings as desired. Sprinkle with cheese. Close the lid, and cook until the cheese melts. Remove from grill, and set aside to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the second pizza.
Note:  I doubled this recipe and made about 10 personal size pizzas that were gobbled up! :)

Peasant Bread

I've made this yummy bread several times, and we especially love it dipped in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and pepper. I found the recipe here at Eat Your Veggies, Peas.

1 package dry instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

2 c warm water

1 T sugar

2 t salt

4 cups flour

oil

cornmeal

melted butter

Place yeast, water, sugar, and salt in warm bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. Do not knead. Cover and let rise for one hour, or doubled. Flour hands, remove dough (it will be so so sticky, this is ok), and place in 2 rounds on an oiled cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Don't worry about making the rounds perfect, rustic is good! Let rise an additional hour. Brush top with melted butter and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temp. to 375 degrees and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and brush again with butter. Serve warm.

Butter Cornmeal Crescent Rolls

I realize that not a lot of people love to make rolls from scratch and don't enjoy playing around with new recipes at that. On the other hand, there aren't a lot of things I love more than homemade bread in any shape or size, so I tried out some new rolls posted at Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I'm going to post my picture and then link you directly to her recipe, because I made no changes and you might as well go directly to the source. I will say that if you enjoy making rolls and want to give these a shot, you won't be disappointed. Despite the fact that there's cornmeal in these, they are surprisingly light and buttery with just a hint of texture. They were delicious. I'll be making these again.

Buttery Cornmeal Crescent Rolls from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Biscuits

I wanted to make some biscuits to go with soup a few weeks ago, and I tried out a recipe I'd heard was good. These biscuits turned out awesome! I highly recommend these.

3 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the surface
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift two cups flour, the baking powder, salt and (if using) sugar into a large bowl. Fold in 1 1/4 cups cream. If the dough is not soft or easily handled, fold in the remaining 1/4 cup cream, little by little.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface, mound it into a ball and, using your hands, gently press it to a thickness of about 3/4 inch. It does not need to be completely smooth across the top. Cut into rounds, 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Gather dough scraps and continue to make rounds. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the butter. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

*Makes 10-12

Soft Pretzel Bites

I got this recipe off Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and it turned out pretty good! I have made pretzels a few times and they never turn out super good. These were good, and I would make them again! My only thing I would change would be the course salt. I added this, sprinkled over them. It was pretty strong, so I scraped it all off. Then they were perfect. Slight salt flavor, no salty chunks. Enjoy!

*Note: if using active dry yeast, increase the yeast to 1 tablespoon. Proof the yeast in the warm water and sugar (let it bubble and foam – maybe about 5 minutes) before adding it to the flour and salt.

*Makes about 2 dozen pretzel bites

Dough:
2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

Topping:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Don’t be afraid of the high heat! This is what will help those pretzels to brown up perfectly and stay soft on the inside. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or lightly greasing them.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into about four strips of equal length. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda in a liquid measuring cup (deep enough to dip the pretzel bites into). Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Sometimes I have a hard time getting the baking soda completely dissolved, so I just lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel.

Cut each strip of dough into about 6-8 pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ inches in width. You don’t have to be completely exact, just eyeball it. Dip each pretzel bite in the baking soda solution (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 7-8 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time – it won’t hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that’s what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave on low heat.

Bloomin' Onion Bread

I came across this recipe a few days ago and HAD to try it. I made spaghetti for dinner and set this in the middle of the table, where we ate and ate and ate it:

It was so good! I did it a little different than the recipe, so I will note my changes in bold. The original recipe is here, and I would take a look at it, because it shows the process step by step. Also, she helps you get the right bread (a good crusty artisan bread).

This was a HUGE hit here.

1 unsliced loaf of round bread
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced (I used mozzarella because I had it, and also because I don't love monterey jack by itself)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup finely diced green onion, including white part (I knew my kids wouldn't eat this if there was anything green, so I added some dried minced onions instead)
2-3 tsp poppy seeds

Directions: Using a sharp bread knife cut the bread going both directions. Do not cut through the bottom crust. Places slices of cheese between cuts. Mix together butter, onion, and poppy seeds. Pour over bread. Wrap in foil the entire thing in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Unwrap. Bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Oat {Oatmeal} Bread

Oatmeal Bread

Yield: 2 Loaves

{Jen in the Wilderness}

1 cups oats

2 cups water

2/3 cups brown sugar, heaping firmly packed

3 tablespoons oil

2 packages yeast (or about 2 tablespoons)

1/3 cup warm water

pinch of sugar

2 teaspoon salt

5 cups flour

Boil water and pour over oats.  Let cool.  Add brown sugar and oil.  Dissolve yeast in 1/3 C water.   Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar.  Let raise and add to rest of mixture.  Stir in salt, add flour, and knead till dough is smooth.  Leave dough in same bowl, cover with a towel, and let raise for 1 hour.  Divide dough and form into two loaves.  Grease bread pans and sprinkle with oats.  Place loaves into pans. Let raise again for 1 hour and then bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.  Butter tops when cooked.

Twisty Breadsticks

I guess we are on a bread kick lately! What can I say? We love our carbs! I tried a new breadstick recipe the other night. They were a huge hit! And pretty quick, for bread! This makes about 15-20 breadstick twists.

3 ½ cups flour
1 T. instant yeast
3 T. sugar
½ t. salt
1 ½ cups warm water
1/2 to 3/4 a cube butter, melted

Mix first four ingredients in large bowl. Add warm water, mix to form a soft dough and let it raise in bowl for 20 min. Preheat oven to 375, melt butter in preheated oven on cookie sheet. Take sheet out when butter is melted, let it cool a little. (Don't forget about the butter and burn it!) Roll out dough flat, cut into strips about 3/4 inch wide. Fold strips in half and twist the two halves together. Lay them out on cookie sheet, roll them in melted butter till covered. Sprinkle with seasonings as desired (possible toppings: garlic salt, parmesan cheese, italian seasonings, garlic & herb seasoning, etc). Let rise 20 minutes in pan. Bake for 15-20 min, until golden brown.