Banana Yeast Bread

We usually end up with just a couple extra bananas no one will eat so I like to either freeze them, make banana bread or banana cake/bars.  

Well, I have gotten bored with basic banana quick bread.  So, I found this recipe from Patty's Food.  Its a keeper!

Ingredients:

- 2 tsp yeast

-3 tbsp honey

-3/4 cup warm water

-3 cups flour {you could use 1 cup whole wheat plus 2 cups white}

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1 tbsp canola oil or other vegetable oil

-2 ripe bananas, broken into pieces

Process:

1. Place water, honey, salt, cinnamon, oil and bananas into breadmaker pan.

2. Top with flour and yeast.

3. Set breadmaker to the dough setting and allow cycle to run, check on dough throughout the first 30 minutes.  If the dough is too liquidy like the picture below add more flour.

4. Once cycle is completed, remove dough, form into a loaf and place in a grease loaf pan.  Allow to rise about 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake bread for 35-45 minutes.

6. Enjoy!  

*This banana bread makes fantastic toast and french toast!

Soft Pretzel Buns

These are really great for any sandwich.  I found the original recipe at Recipes For My Boys.  

You could make these in the shape of burger buns, brat/hotdog buns or even breadsticks for with soup or a saucy pasta dish.  

I made the process even easier by of course making the dough in my breadmaker!  If you don't have a breadmaker you can follow the manual directions at Recipes For My Boys.  We enjoyed these with sloppy joes; delish!

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups milk

-1/4 cup sugar

-4 to 4 1/2 cups flour {you could use half white and half wheat if you like}

-2 tbsp yeast

-1 1/2 tsp salt

-8 cups water

-1/2 cup baking soda

-coarse sea salt or other finishing salt

Process:

1. Warm milk either in the microwave or on the stove-top until it feels warm to touch, but not hot {between 110 and 115 degrees}.  Pour warmed milk into breadmaker pan.

2. Add sugar, salt and 4 cups flour.  Top with yeast.

3. Start breadmaker on the dough setting; checking periodically within the first 30 minutes and add more flour if the dough is sticking to the sides of the pan.  Allow cycle to run through.

4. Turn dough out onto a floured or oiled surface; shape into a rectangle and cut into 10-12 peices, depending on the size you'd like.

5. Shape each piece into the shape of bun you'd like.  {I did 10 burger buns.}

6. Place buns on a lined or greased baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 30 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
8. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.  {The larger, the better since the baking soda can make the water boil up even more.}

9. Carefully, add the baking soda and stir slightly to dissolve.

10. Place one or two buns in the boiling mixture; allow to boil for about 15 seconds.

11. Flip the bun and boil on this side for another 15 seconds.  Remove with a large slotted spoon.

12. Drain well and place back on the prepared baking sheet; sprinkle immediately with coarse salt  to ensure that the salt sticks.  

I used Maldon salt which is a finishing salt that is coarse and flaky.

13. Repeat with all other rolls.

 14. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until browned and hollow sounding when tapped.

 Halfway through baking...

 Finished buns...

 Cool for at least 10 minutes and enjoy!

Homemade Baked Doughnuts

These are VERY good; and actually very easy!  I found the recipe from Make lemonade and more!  

The original recipe calls for a Maple "Icing" which I think is more like a thick frosting.  Its okay.  The second time I made these I just made a glaze of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla; the kid's like this even better than the Maple Icing.  

You know how I like to take bread/dough recipes and make them easier; well, I made these even easier by making the dough in my breadmaker!  Why not!?!

They were a huge hit with the kids and the hubby.  The kids ate the leftovers for snacks and dessert until they were gone.

Ingredients for Doughnuts:

-1 1/2 cups milk

-1/3 cup shortening {I used butter flavored}

-1/4 cup water

-4 tbsp sugar

-2 tsp salt

-2 eggs

-5 cups flour

-2 tsp cinnamon {could be optional, you decide}

-2 envelopes yeast {4 1/2 tsp total}

Ingredients for Maple "Icing":

-1/3 cup butter

-1 cup brown sugar

-1/4 cup milk

-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

-2 tsp maple extract {or any other extract to flavor your icing to your liking}

-1/8 tsp salt

Ingredients for Vanilla Glaze:    {makes about 1/2 cup}

-1 cup powdered sugar

-1 1/2 tbsp milk

-1/2 tsp vanilla extract {or any other extract to flavor your icing to your liking}

Process for Doughnuts:

1. Combine milk, shortening and water in a microwave safe dish.  Microwave until warm, about 110 degrees.

2. Pour milk mixture into bread machine pan.

3. Top with remaining doughnut ingredients in the order listed.

4. Set bread maker to the dough setting and allow cycle to run through.

5. Remove dough to a floured or oiled surface.  

I found that the excess flour stopped the icing from sticking;
I used oil the second time, worked great.

6. Roll dough out until it is about 1 inch thickness all over.

7. Use a pizza cutter or bench scraper to cut the dough into 12 to 18 pieces.

8. Place pieces on a greased or lined baking sheets.

9. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.  

10. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Make Maple "Icing" if using while oven is preheating {process below}.
11. Bake risen doughnuts for 8 to 10 minutes until golden.

12. Remove doughnuts to a wire rack to cool slightly, enough to handle.

 

13. Make icing while doughnuts cool just slightly.

Process for Maple "Icing":

1. Combine butter, brown sugar and milk in a small saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes.

4. Add maple extract, salt and powdered sugar and blend well.  {Add more powdered sugar or a bit of water or milk if needed.}

Process for Vanilla Icing:
1. Combine/beat all ingredients in a bowl.  {Add more powdered sugar or a bit of water or milk if needed.}
2. Drizzle or spread over doughnuts.

*My kids and hubby really like them sprinkled with chocolate and rainbow colored sprinkles!

Frost or ice doughnuts while warm and enjoy!

Don't take a picture of me...

...take a picture of me!

ENJOY!

New York Style Pizza Dough {Makes 4 Crusts}

This is a very easy New York Style Pizza Dough!  

I found the recipe from sherisilver.com. 

I especially like it because a single batch makes 4 pizza crusts.  I also make this recipe in my breadmaker so it makes it even easier to make {if you don't have a breadmaker you can see the original recipe site for manual directions}!  I usually use one for a pizza, one for cheesy or garlic sticks and put the remaining two in the freezer for next time I want to make pizza!

Ingredients for 4 pizza crusts:

-2 cups warm water {about 110 degrees}

-1 tsp salt

-6 cups four {You could also use 3 cups wheat or spelt flour and 3 cups  white flour; the original recipe calls for bread flour, but I never buy bread flour and always use all-purpose flour in recipes that call for bread flour}

-1 package dry yeast {2 1/4 tsp}

Process:

1. Combine all ingredients in breadmaker pan in the order listed.

2. Set breadmaker to the dough setting and allow to run the full cycle.

3. Remove the dough from the breadmaker pan and divide into 4 equal pieces.
Below I have images of 1/2; 1/4 and 1/4 of the dough waiting to be formed into pizza crusts.  The other 1/2 I split into two pieces and froze for next time.

To use the dough after freezing; just thaw in the refrigerator or at room temp.

To make pizzas:
You can either roll out dough and prebake your crusts for about 15 minutes before topping and then bake for another 10-15 minutes after topping.
OR
Roll out pizza dough. top with toppings and bake for 20-30 minutes until desired doneness.

Steel Cut Oat Bread

This is a fantastic recipe!  I found it from Bob's Red Mill.  

The original recipe says it makes 16 servings, although I've been using this recipe to make two loaves of bread which I think equals more than 16 servings.

This is very satisfying and you can substitute any kind of flour that you like.  I made it with spelt flour last time I made it!  I also as usual always make the dough for this recipe using my bread maker   Yum!

I used Trader Joe's Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats.

Ingredients:

-2 1/2 cups milk

-1/4 cup brown sugar

-1/4 cup butter

-4 1/2 to 4 3/4 cups flour {use what you like or what you have, I've done this with white flour and with spelt flour... great with both!}

-2 cups quick cooking steel cut oats

-2 tsp salt

-4 1/2 tsp yeast {2 packets}

Process:

1. Place butter and milk in a microwavable dish or a saucepan and heat until just warm to touch, about 110 degrees {no hotter or you could kill the yeast and your dough won't rise}.

2. Place brown sugar and salt into bread maker pan.

3. Pour warmed milk and butter mixture over sugar and salt.

4. Add steel cut oats.

5. Add flour.

6. Top with yeast.

7. Place pan into bread maker and set to the dough setting.

Yes, I know my bread maker looks like its covered in flour!
I use it A LOT and its just too much to clean it every time.

8. Let dough cycle run through.
9. Once cycle is finished, remove dough from bread maker.

10. Place dough on a floured or oiled surface, cut into two equal pieces and form into loaves.  {I always do an oiled surface; I think it keeps my bread more moist, rather than adding the dry flour.}

11. Place loaves into two oiled bread pans.

12.  Allow loaves to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.  {I like to place my bread pans on the oven, so when I start to preheat the oven the warmth helps the dough rise.}

13. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
14. Bake for 30-40 minutes until bread is golden.
15. Enjoy!