French Loaves

Ingredients
2 cups Warm Water
2 Tbsp Yeast
4 Tbsp Oil
2 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Salt
4 ½ cups Flour (all purpose)

• Preheat oven 375º
• In a large bowl add yeast to water, mix well.
• Add oil, sugar and salt to yeast mixture. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Add 2 cups of flour to yeast mixture, stir gently until moistened.
• Add the remaider of the flour (2 1/2 cups).
• Stir until dough forms a ball.
• Knead the dough, then divide into 2 balls.
• Roll each ball into a 18x9 rectangle.
• Roll each rectangle into a log, pinch edges together and tuck ends under.
• Place onto a greased pan (or sprinkle with cornmeal).
• Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Bake for 20 minutes at 375º

Yeild: 2 loaves

Comment: I used one loave to make garlic toast.

Oven Baked Bread

Ingredients

2 1/4 tsp Yeast
2 1/4 cup Warm Water
3 tsp Sugar (divided)
2 tsp Salt
6 cups Flour

Preheat oven to 350º

In a large bowl dissolve yeast and 1 tsp sugar in 1/4 warm water. Let this stand for 10 minutes.
Combine salt, remaining sugar and water; add this to the yeast mixture.
Add 3 cups of flour; beat until smooth.
Add enough flour to make a soft dough (I do this 1/2 a cup at a time)
Knead until smooth and elastic; about 6-8 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled about 1 hour.
Punch down dough; shape into 2 loaves.
Place in loaf pan, cover and let rise 1 hour.
Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350º

Yield: 2 loaves

use this recipe with French Toast Sticks

5 Ingredient Bread

Ingredients

1 ½ cup Warm Water
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 ½ tsp Salt
3 ½ cup Flour (i use whole wheat)
2 ½ tsp Yeast

Place ingredients into bread maker; select sandwich cycle with 2lb loaf size.

Yeild 2lb loaf

Bagels - Breadmaker

Ingredients:

1 ¹/8 cup Warm Water
1 ½ tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Sugar
3 cups Flour - all purpose
2 ½ tsp yeast

Directions:
Preheat oven 375°
Place ingredients into bread maker, set machine to dough cycle.
When cycle ends let dough rest 5 minutes.
Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. (divide into more pieces for mini bagels)
Shape dough into bagel shape. I do this by making circle then pressing my thumb through dough.



Place bagels on pan cover and let rest 20 minutes.
While bagels rest; fill a large pot with water and 3 Tbsp Sugar bring to a boil.
Place bagel in boiling water, cook 1 minute turn and cook other side 1 minute.

Remove from water, drain and place on baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
If you like you can brush bagels with egg white wash and sprinkle desired toppings or have plain.
Bake bagels for 20-25 minutes at 375°

Garlic Bread Sticks

Ingredients
2 tsp yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/8 cup warm water
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
3 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp basil (fresh or dried)
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix water, yeast and sugar in small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Mix oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and basil in large bowl.
Add yeast mixture to oil mixture.
Add flour and salt.
Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth.
Divide dough into equal parts and roll into 9" ropes.
Place on grease pan, cover and let rise about 40 minutes.
Cook for about 18 minutes.
Brush melted butter on top, you can sprinkle more Parmesan Cheese on top or salt for flavoring.

Comment:
These didn't even last 24 hours in my house. Great for dipping in Chili or great addition to pizza night.

Pita Bread

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar or honey
2-1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water, roughly at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil, vegetable oil, or butter

Preheat oven 450 degrees F
Mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar.
Add the oil or butter and 1 1/4 cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon.
If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.
Knead dough approximately 10 minutes.
Place dough in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil, cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes.
After dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick - 6 inches in diameter.
Place pitas on lightly greased baking sheet (I use my baking stone) and let rise uncovered until barely doubled in thickness, 30-45 mins.
Place in oven 450 degree, pitas should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes.

Yield: 8 pitas

Comments:
Key to making pita is: do not roll them too thin, otherwise they won't rise in oven. If to thin then you can't slice them open to stuff with your likings.

Hamburger Buns

Ingredients
1 cup water
2 tablespoons margarine
1 egg
3 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp onion powder (optional)
1/2 tsp dried onion (optional)

Mix and knead the dough by hand, mixer or in a bread machine set on the dough cycle until you’ve made a soft, smooth dough.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it and let it rise for 1 hour.
Gently deflate the dough and divide into 8 pieces.
Shape into buns, place on a lightly greased pan and allow to rise 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy.

Bake at 375 degree F for approx 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.

makes 8 hamburger buns
you could aslo shape dough into hotdog buns.

Tortillas

Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. Salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil or shortening
1 cup warm water

Directions:

Combine the flour, salt, and shortening in a large bowl and mix together until crumbly, as for pie dough.
Add water and mix until you can gather the dough into a ball.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

To form the tortillas, divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion between the palms of your hands to make a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into an 8 inch circle.

To cook the tortillas, heat a heavy skillet over medium/high heat.
Place a tortilla in the pan and cook for 30 seconds.Turn and cook on the other side until slightly puffed and speckled brown on the underside but still soft enough to fold, about 30 second

Remove and continue until all the tortillas are cooked, stacking them as you go.
Serve right away or cool, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Comments:
I place my tortillas into a plastic bag immediately after cooking, this keeps them nice and soft.

Easy Bread Machine Bread

Ingredients
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 1/4 tsp active yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Place the water, sugar and yeast bread maker.
Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes.
Add the oil, flour and salt.
Select Basic or White Bread setting for 2lb loaf, and press Start.

Comment:
I like to add a little italian spice before the kneading is done.
Fast active yeast seems to make the bread less dense, nice and fluffy like store bought bread.

Italian Bread with Garlic Butter

Italian Bread
Ingredients
7 cups flour
1 tbsp salt
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups water (110 degrees)

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In large mixer bowl, combine flour and salt.
• In another bowl combine water and yeast let sit for 10 minutes.
• Slowly add the dry mixture, stir until flour makes a very stiff dough.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and very elastic (15-25 minutes).
• Shape into a ball, place dough in lightly oiled bowl turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with cloth and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.(Good time to make Garlic Butter)
• Punch down and turn out onto lightly floured surface.
• Divide dough in half, cover with bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll each half into a rectangle approximately 15x12 inch.
• Beginning at the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough up tightly, sealing as you roll.
• Taper the ends of the loaf.
• Grease 2 baking sheets or sprinkle with flour.
• Place each loaf diagonally seam side down, on baking sheets.
• Make diagonal cuts 2 ½ inches apart (1/8 to ¼ inch deep) on the tops of the loaves.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place till double (about 20-45 minutes).
• Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, I brushed the top with some water to give nice brown crust.
• Bake 20 minutes longer.
• Cool on a rack.
• Once Bread is done cut open spread on Garlic Butter and reheat at 375 degrees for 10 minutes

Garlic Butter
Ingredients
1/2 cup Margarine
1/4 tsp Italian Spice
1 Tbsp Garlic Minced
1 tsp Garlic Powder

• Cream all ingredients together
• Can be made the night before
• Use at room temperature

Comments:
My eldest son say "this is better than store bought"