Posts Tagged ‘bread’

Seriously nothing smells better than home made bread (as I said in the post about the Ciabatta post). Just the best…they should make a candle that smells like it.

As promised here is the super easy recipe for home made french bread. Try it with the Artichoke Crab dip bread, you wont be sorry.

Homemade French Bread

(makes 2 loafs)

From tastykitchen

Ingredients

• ½ cup warm water
• 5 tsp (2 pks) dry active yeast
• 2 cup HOT water
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 3 cups bread flour
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Combine warm water and yeast in a small bowl.
2. In a large bowl combine HOT water, oil, sugar, salt and ½ the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated.
3. Add yeast mix and combine.
4. Add remaining flour and combine until fully incorporated.
5. Leave spoon in and let rest with a wet towel over bowl for 10 min.
6. Stir with spoon and let rest for another 10 min again. Do this for a total of 5 times.
7. Divide dough in half.
8. Roll 1 half out on a floured surface into a rectangle. Roll up (like when you make cinnamon rolls ). Place on lined baking sheet. Do the same for the other half.
9. Let rise for 30 min.
10. With a bread knife make 3 slits. Bush with egg wash (1 egg white +1 Tbsp water)
11. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 25-30 min.
12. Remove and let cool.

Just until recently one of my cringe foods was artichoke.

I would run screaming if some one mentioned that there were artichokes in a dish.

But this past summer, while on vacation in Washington, I decided to give it a try. It may have been bravery hit me or one to many Cherry Mojitos (<to die for…..still trying to figure out how they made it )

But I gave this Artichoke Crab dip a try and loved it. I loved it so much I hoarded the bowl all to my self.

This is defiantly one recipe you can find me in a corner at night scarfing down

So lets get to the good-ness……

In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese and crab meat.

Now take your fresh (check back tomorrow for a home made french bread recipe) French bread and cut in half. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, smear garlic on and top with sliced mozzarella.

Generously spread the cream cheese, artichoke, crab mix on top. (My kids wouldn’t like it so I halved the recipe…their loss)

Top with a bit more Parmesan cheese and pop into the oven. Remove and let cool a bit.

Look at that gorgeousness…..delish…

Artichoke Crab Dip Bread

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz mozzarella
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, diced
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 can (6.5 oz) crab meat (fresh meat will work to, I just couldn’t find any)
• 1 cup four cheese blend, or Italian blend, shredded

Directions

1. Pre heat oven to 425
2. Cut French bread in half. Drizzle with olive oil and smear with garlic. Top with mozzarella
3. In a medium-large bowl, combine cream cheese, artichoke hearts, crab-meat, ½ cup Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Top generously onto bread and stick in oven for 8-10 min. or until cheese begins to melt
5. After cheese has begun to melt, turn broiler on to low and broil until cheese is golden. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn. It should only take about 2-3 min.

Ok, lets be honest and serious for a bit here. (because I am all about seriousness….not)

Is there really anything better than homemade bread? (other than chocolate)

Mix it all Up

I think not.

All done Mixing

Not only does your house smell amazing (no cleaning that day ), but you don’t have to go to the store.

First Rise

I took a page out of the fabulous Farmers Wife. (Check her out. She had incredible food and great stories. Her blog is a fabulous read.)

Second Rise

I was making the Shredded Buffalo BBQ Chicken the other day and didn’t have anything to put it on, and absolutely did NOT want to go to the store. So, a la Kim,  I made something.

These came out perfect. Crusty exterior and a nice airy soft interior.

Ciabatta Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ oz yeast (1 ½ package)
• 1 ½ cups water, warm (about 78-80 degrees)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 ½ cups flour (plus more for dusting)

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the dough hook, pour in yeast, water and sugar. Let sit 5 min. DO NOT TOUCH.
2. After 5 min, add salt and turn mixer on. Add flour 1 cup at a time, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
3. Once it starts to come together, gradually turn speed up to high and mix for 4 min. Watch your mixer very closely as it may “walk”.
4. Oil a 13×9-inch baking pan and press dough into it. Brush top with a bit of oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 2 hours. It should at least double in size.
5. Lightly oil a baking sheet (or use a splat). Uncover the dough and place baking sheet, right side down, on top of dough. Invert dish onto baking sheet and shake to release dough.
6. Cut dough into 6 (or desired size) squares and gently separate each square. Using small juice cups (or cans), place one cup (or can) on each corner of the baking sheet.
7. Wrap with plastic wrap. Make sure plastic does not touch dough.
8. Let rise 40 min.
9. Pre heat oven to 475
10. Remove plastic and glasses (or cans) and bake rolls for 20 min, or until golden brown.
11. Remove and let cool completely.

I had the privilege of going out to dinner the other weekend with my sister-in-law, her husband and my husband. We went to this cute brazilian place in Scottsdale, AZ. The food was good, the company was better. I really like this other place we go to in Las Vegas. Both serve these highly addictive little cheese bread roll things.I love and hate these things at the same time. Because they are so bite size you just keep eating them. The next thing you know the whole basket is gone. So I scoured the internet and other amazing blogs and found a recipe for these little guys. They are a lot easier to make than I would have thought.

It all starts with this stuff.

This can be hard to find. I found it at my local health food store (whole foods, Aj’s, Sprouts, I even saw it at Frys the other day).

All you do is put all your ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth and pour evenly into a mini muffin tin. Bake and devour. It is really that easy. So much so I didn’t get to take pictures.

Here is was you get…..

Yumm, right?

These are fabulous. A perfect side for anything. Just be careful they are highly addictive.

Brazilian Cheesy Rolls

(from Our Best Bites)

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Pre heat oven to 400
2. Spray your mini muffin tin lightly with non-stick spray
3. Blend your all your ingredients in a blender until smooth.
4. Pour evenly into your mini muffin tin
5. Bake for 15-20 min. Remove and let cool for a few min. Serve warm.