Soft and Chewy French Bread

Ever since I got my standing mixer (thanks Betty!), I've discovered a love for making bread. The mixer does the kneading for you and makes the whole process so much easier. But with that said, this bread requires a bit of work, but the taste and texture make it worth the extra effort.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
6 cups flour

Directions:
In the bowl of your standing mixer (dough hook attached), combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar; let side for 10 minutes. Add the remaining water, oil, salt, and 3 cups of flour. On low, mix until flour is incorporated. Gradually add the remaining flour until fully incorporated. Knead for 5 minutes.

Grease a large bowl with cooking spray. Tranfer dough to bowl and cover bowl with a damp towel. For the next hour, knead the dough 2 or 3 times, every 10 minutes.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and form into 4 loaves. Slash 3 lines into the tops of each loaf. Either wrap loaves in plastic wrap or cover with a damp towel (but you don't want the towel to touch the dough. I placed the loaves under my wire rack and draped the towel over the rack). Allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

If you want to give the bread a nice brown crust, brush an egg white wash over the tops. (I didn't do this).

French Bread with Roasted Garlic Butter

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Bread Recipes:
Homemade Bread Sticks 
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Homemade Pita Bread
Parmesan Onion Rolls 
Sour Cream Dinner Rolls

Sour Cream Dinner Rolls

My mom couldn't face another holiday dinner with crescent rolls (we have them every single Thanksgiving and Christmas) so along with cranberry brownies and chocolate covered cranberries, I also brought these homemade dinner rolls made with sour cream. My brother, who is an insanely picking eater, missed the crescent rolls, but no one else did. Eric has also discovered the rolls work great for making sandwiches with leftover turkey.

Recipe adopted from here.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup luke warm water
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoon butter, melted (optional)

Directions:
In the mixing bowl of a standing mixer, add 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup lukewarm water, and dry yeast and mix. Let sit at room temperature until it's bubbly and has a sponge-like texture. In a different bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup water.

Attatch the dough hook to your mixer and with the mixer on low, add the sour cream mixture to the yeast mixture. Slowly add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time. When all the flour is incorporated, pour in the 4 tablespoons of cooled melted butter. Increase the mixer's speed from low to high.

Mix for 2 to 3 minutes then turn off the mixer. With a wood spoon, scrap the dough down from the sides of the bowl. Mix for another 2 to 3 minutes on medium to high speed or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Grease a large bowl with butter or cooking spray and transfer dough to greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in voulme.

Punch down the dough with a floured fist then place it on a floured surface. Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Place them on a cookie sheet (or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for future use). Cover once more with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake rolls for 20 minutes or until golden. Brush with melted butter if so desired.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Bread Recipes:
Homemade Bread Sticks
Pumpkin Ale Bread
Pumpkin Bread!
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread in a Mug

Pumpkin Ale Bread

Keeping with our autumn theme, we had Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale at our wedding reception. Well, we had some left over and neither of us are big beer drinkers. We gave some away and I've been trying to come up with ideas for the rest. I love cooking with alcohol and beer bread seemed like a natural first choice! I have to say the pumpkin ale gives the bread a wonderful autumn flavor. 

Recipe adapted from here. 

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 12 oz bottle of Pumpkin Ale

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and spices in a large bowl. Stir together until well combined. In the center of the bowl, make a well and pour in the beer. Beware: the beer will foam up. Fold the dry ingredients into the liquid until well combined. However, do not over mix or your bread will come out dense.

Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Enjoy!

~Krissy