Soft Pretzels

Tonight we are having spaghetti and meatballs. Rather than making the usual garlic bread or bread sticks, Josh and I thought we'd mix things up a bit and make soft pretzels. I came across this recipe from The Sister's Cafe. They were super easy and quick to make. I used "Big Red" to knead the dough (I don't have the patience to do it by hand)

As always, my soux chef Josh was there to lend a hand. He had fun trying to shape dough. He preferred making rocks instead of snakes.

Soft Pretzels

www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 pkg yeast (or 1 Tb)

1 Tb sugar

1 tsp salt

4 cups flour

Add sugar to warm water then sprinkle yeast on top. Let float for a minute then stir to dissolve the yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes as yeast activates and starts to foam. Add salt and flour and knead 5-10 minutes; adding more flour as needed to reduce stickiness. Divide dough in to 12 pieces and roll each piece into a long rope or "snake". Twist into pretzel shape and place on nonstick baking sheet. Make an egg wash with one egg and a Tb of water, lightly beaten together. Brush pretzels with egg wash then sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

*Soft pretzels just aren't the same the next day. They are still good but not as soft and fresh tasting. I'll tell you a secret though... brush them with melted butter, sprinkle on Parmesan cheese, and toss them under the broiler for a minute and you have a delicious cheesy pretzel snack! Yum!!

Italian Tortellini Soup & No-Fuss Focaccia

This was a recipe that came from our recipe exchange about a year ago. I was excited to try it. I filed it away thinking I'd make it soon and somehow I lost it amongst all my recipes. Now that the cold weather is here, I started searching my recipes and found this lost treasure. I sprinkled Parmesean Cheese on top and viola!

Rather than use the old stand by of breadsticks, I thought I'd make some focaccia. I love this recipe. It is so easy!!! I love it dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar - mmm! It's really good if you use it to make Italian sandwhiches or paninis. Dinner was delicious tonight, even Josh ate all his dinner!

Italian Tortellini Soup

(Michelle Pohlhopek)

1 lb Italian Sausage browned

½ onion, chopped

1 cup V-8 Juice

2 14 oz can stewed tomatoes

1 cup chopped carrots

½ cup zucchini

½ tsp fresh garlic

5 cup beef broth

½ tsp basil

¼ tsp oregano

1-8oz bag tortellini

Brown sausage and onion. Add remaining ingredients, except tortellini. Simmer for 1 hour. Add tortellini last 20 minutes of simmer time.

***I also added zucchini with tortellini

No-Fuss Focaccia

1 1/2 cups warm water

3 tablespoons olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 tablespoon instant yeast

Italian Seasoning or dried herbs of you choice, for topping

§12 ounces warm water

§1 1/4 ounces olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)

§1 1/4 teaspoons salt

§14 3/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

§1 tablespoon instant yeast

§4 teaspoons Pizza Dough Flavor, optional

§1 ounce Vermont cheese powder, optional

§Pizza Seasoning, optional

Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom. Combine all of the ingredients, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.

Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, till it's become puffy. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Gently poke the dough all over with your index finger. Drizzle it lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, and/or the dried herbs of your choice, if desired.

Bake the bread till it's golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Napoletana Pizza Dough

This recipe I found in the newspaper years ago and found it just a couple of months ago when I was cleaning out my recipe book cupboard. And its from "The Pie Pizzeria" its an excellent recipe for pizza.

5 cups (22 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons table salt or 3 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cool water (65 degrees)


With a large metal spoon, stir together all ingredients in a 4 quart bowl, or bowl of an electric stand mixer, until combined.

If mixing with an electric mixer, fit it with dough hook and mix on low speed about 4 minutes, or until all flour gathers to form a coarse ball. Let dough rest 5 minutes, then mix again on medium-low speed for an additional 2 minutes, or until dough clears sides of bowl and sticks just a little to bottom. If dough is too soft and sticky to hold its shape, mix in more flour by the tablespoonfuls; if it is too stiff or dry, mix in water by the tablespoonful.

The dough should pass the window pane test. (Snip off a piece of dough and gently tug and turn it, stretching it until it forms a paper-thin, translucent membrane somewhere near the center, if the dough does not form this membrane, or windowpane, it probably needs another minute or two of mixing.)

If mixing by hand, repeatedly dip one of your hands or spoon into room-temperature water and use it much like a dough hook, working the dough vigorously into a coarse ball as you rotate the bowl with your other hand. As all the flour is incorporated into the ball, about 4 minutes, the dough will begin to strengthen; when this occurs, let dough rest 5 minutes. Then resume mixing for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until dough is slightly sticky, soft and supple. If dough is too soft and sticky to hold its shape, mix in more flour by the tablespoonful; of it is too stiff or dry, mix in more water by the tablespoonful. The dough should pass the window pane test. (See description above.)

Transfer dough to a floured counter, dust top of dough with flour to absorb surface moisture. Working from four corners, fold dough into a ball. Place ball in a bowl that has been brushed with olive oil, turn dough to coat with oil, and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then put bowl in refrigerator overnight. (Or, if you are making the pizzas on the same day, let the dough sit at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours, punch down, reshape into a ball, return ball to bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.)

Two hours before you plan to make pizzas, remove dough from regrigerator. Dough will have expanded somewhat and gluten will be very relaxed. Using a plastic bowl scraper dipped in water, or using wet hands, gently transfer dough to a floured counter, trying to de-gas the dough as little as possible. Using a pastry blade that has been dipped in water, divide into six pieces. Gently round each piece into a ball and brush or rub each ball with olive oil.

Line a sheet pan with baking parchment or a nonstick silicone baking liner, and brush with olive oil. Place each dough ball on the pan and loosely cover the pan with either plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag. Allow the dough balls to sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
NOTE: If you do not plan to use all the pieces, place extra dough balls in individual zippered freezer bags and refrigerate or freeze. Use the refrigerated balls within 2 days and the frozen balls within 3 month.

The first time I made this recipe we fell in love with it. Jorge told me "we are never to order delivery again". and I think we have done so, because I can count the time with one hand where we have bought pizza. This recipe is so convenient because it makes slot and I usually freeze what I will not use and so that means that whenever we want pizza I just thaw it and make it and it becomes an easy dinner. I make individual pizzas or make one big one for the whole family. I hope you enjoy it.

Soft Wrap Bread

The other day I was looking online at some recipes and came across this one at mykitchencafe.blogspot.com. We like wraps however the tortillas or pitas are always tasteless and dry. I think the best description for them would be cardboard. I don't eat much cardboard now, but in my early years I am sure I ingested some which gave me a healthy dislike for it. I saw this recipe and decided to give it a try.

On another note my wonderful husband Cody has two responses when I ask him if he likes dinner. His responses are "it was fine" or "let's not have that again." The "it was fine" response always has to be solicited. However the "let's not have that again" response usually isn't solicited. It doesn't matter how many hours I spend making a fabulous meal for him it is always "fine." So, as we were eating these wraps Cody asked me if they were very hard. I told him no. He then proceeded to say he wouldn't mind if I would make him some so he could take them for his lunch. This is the BEST compliment he can give me on my cooking. When he asks me this, I know the meal was better than "fine." Anyway, here is the recipe!

Soft Wrap Bread
http://mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/

3 to 3 1/4 C. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C. boiling water (I added a bit more while kneading.)
1/4 C. potato flour OR 1/2 C. potato flakes
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. instant yeast

Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or your breadmixer bowl. Pour the boiling water over the flour and stir till smooth. (It doesn't really go very smooth.) Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 min.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour or flakes, 1 C. of remaining flour with salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes by hand or mixer to form a soft dough. Let dough rise for 1 hour or if you forget about it, a few hours.

Divide dough in 8 pieces, cover and let rest for 15-30 min. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch circle and dry-fry them (fry in frying pan without oil) over medium heat for about a minute or so on each side. They should be puffed a bit and flecked with brown spots. Transfer cooked break to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft.


We have made these a few times. They could be filled with anything. We did a caesar wrap the first time with come good crusty chicken, lettuce, bacon and caeser dressing. This last time we did Honey Spicy Chicken with avocado, lettuce and dressing. It would have been even better with mango and Bermuda Vinaigrette but I didn't have the time and Walmart was out of mangos.

Let me know if you make them. Also I hear that Yadira has an awesome pizza dough recipe. I really think she should post it. Does anyone else feel the same?

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Yesterday, with all of the snow, I wanted to eat something ooey, gooey and warm. Cinnamon Rolls were the answer. Imagine sitting down in your jammies, under a blanket, with a gooey roll and a glass of milk watching the snow fall. Ahh - Heaven!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk (105-110˚)
½ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 cups all purpose flour

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
2 ½ tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add sugar, salt, eggs, melted butter and flour. Mix well. Knead dough. Put in bowl, cover and let rise in warm place about 1 hour, until dough has doubled in size.

Roll dough out onto lightly floured surface. Roll out until dough is approximately 21 x 16” and ¼” thick.
Combine filling ingredients – cinnamon and sugar. Spread softened butter onto dough. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture evenly on top of butter.
Working from the top, roll dough down to bottom edge. Cut into 1 ¾” slices. Place on greased baking pan. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
Bake at 400˚ for 10minutes or until light brown. Frost when you pull out of oven.

Frosting:

8 TBSP butter, softened
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup cream cheese, softened
½ tsp vanilla (or almond extract)
1/8 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients. Beat well. Spread onto freshly baked cinnamon rolls.