Bread Recipe #35 - Tomato-Herb Focaccia

Everyone's garden has plenty of tomatoes this time of the year, so slice a few and throw them on this herb-induced, cheese-covered form of bread. Experiment with different kinds of cheeses and try some meat such as ham, pepperoni, prosciutto, etc. Onions and garlic would be another choice of topping. Anything you would put on your pizza could go on top of this focaccia. Ingredients: 1 package (1/4 ounce)active dry yeast, 1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees), 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon each dried oregano, thyme and rosemary, crushed, 1/2 teaspoon basil, dash of pepper, 2-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced, 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese. Instructions: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add 1 tablespoon oil, salt, sugar, garlic powder, herbs, pepper and 1 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough (the dough will be sticky). Turn out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Re-cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape dough into a 13x9-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface; place on a greased baking sheet. Cover again and let rise until double, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With fingertips, make several dimples over top of dough. Brush dough with the remaining oil; arrange tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with the cheeses. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack. Serve hot or cold. I like this with a good marinara sauce for dipping. Makes 12 pieces. "Taste of Home 2012 Annual Recipes", Reiman Media Group, LLC, Greendale, WI, 2011, pg 82. "Rolling in the dough!"

Bread Recipe #34 - Homemade Soft Pretzels

I have found walking through the Mall one place that is hard to pass by - the pretzel place. Auntie Anne's is my favorite and with so many options it's hard to decide on just one. This recipe isn't quite as good as those made by someone's Aunt Anne, but is much better than the ones you find rotating inside a glass warmer. I made them with the traditional salt, but you could try sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on them, or having them plain. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups warm (110-115 degrees) water, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 package active dry yeast, 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 ounces (1/2 stick)butter, melted, vegetable oil, for pan (or spray), 10 cups water, 2/3 cup baking soda, 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water, pretzel salt (I used kosher). Instructions: Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4-5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50-55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove from the water using a large flat spatula. Proceed with remaining pretzels. Return to the baking sheet, brush the tops of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake into preheated 450 oven until golden brown in color, approximately 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving. Makes 8 pretzels. Found this recipe on foodnetwork.com. Was introduced by Alton Brown, 2007. "Rolling in the dough!"

Bread Recipe #33 - The Best Bread Pudding

Appearance isn't everything!! This really tastes much better than it looks, so just close your eyes and dig in. Taste buds are a better judge than eyesight :) Ingredients: 2 cups granulated sugar, 5 large beaten eggs, 2 cups milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 cups cubed Italian bread (allow to stale overnight in a bowl), 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened, 1 cup chopped pecans. Sauce: 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted, 1 egg, beaten, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/4 cup brandy (for non-alcoholic substitution-use white or red grape juice, or the syrup from canned fruit). Instructions: If you haven't allowed your bread to stale overnight, I found a couple of hours on the counter works pretty well (already cubed). Grease a 9x13-inch pan. In medium bowl, mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk; add vanilla. Place bread in large bowl and pour milk mixture over; let sit for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans. Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven to cooling rack. Make the sauce: Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is dissolved. Add the brandy, stirring well. Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold. Refrigerate any leftovers (yea, right). Found this on www.foodnetwork.com; was a recipe by Paula Deen, 2007. "Rolling in the dough!"

Bread Recipe #32 - Garlic Pita Chips

The hardest part of making these is splitting the pitas apart (and it's not difficult). These are great with some salsa or hummus or whatever dip appeals to you. Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, 1 large garlic clove, minced, 1/2 teaspoon (generous) fine sea salt, 4 whole pita breads. Instructions: Preheat broiler. Melt butter with garlic and sea salt in small saucepan over medium heat. Using a small, sharp serrated knife, cut each pita horizontally along outside edges, gently separating each pita bread with hands into 2 flat disks. Place 4 pita halves, insides up, in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Brush pita halves with melted butter mixture. Broil just until pita halves are toasted and golden brown, watching closely to avoid burning, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining pita halves and butter mixture. Cool completely. Break pita halves into 2-3-inch pieces. Place pita chips in serving bowl. Pita chips can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Found this recipe on epicurious.com; was presented in Bon Appetit, February 2010 by Lora Zarubin. "Rolling in the dough!"