Yeast Breads: Cheesy Batter Bread

Batter breads are moist and versatile, and they're easy to make. Because they have more liquid than traditional yeast breads, you don't have to knead them. Just stir and let rise. This version is soft and cheesy. It makes a great toast or sandwich bread, especially if you like cheese.


Ingredients


1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
2½ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
¾ cup milk
½ butter or margarine, melted
3 eggs


Preparation


There's no need to dissolve the yeast, so place everything in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. Try to avoid putting the yeast directly in the melted butter, especially if it's hot enough to kill the yeast, but otherwise you're just mixing ingredients together. Make sure all ingredients are incorporated and the dough is fairly smooth, but it doesn't have to be perfect.


Once mixed, cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Place dough in a warm location to rise until light and doubled in size, about 1 hour. Keep an eye on it. Batter breads can sometimes rise faster than you expect.


Spray a bread pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Stir the dough well to remove any air bubbles. Pour the batter into the bread pan. Place the pan in a warm location to rise once more. It should again double in size. This time it will probably take about 30 minutes, but it may take a little less.


Heat oven to 350°F. Bake bread for 40 minutes, until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove immediately from bread pan and cool at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Yeast Breads: Toasted Oat Bread

Toasting the oats before you bake them gives this bread a deeper, almost nutty flavor. There are toasted oats in the bread itself and used as a topping before baking. Toasting the oats is easy enough, just make sure they're cooled before you add them to your recipe.


This bread makes wonderful toast, so use it as a breakfast bread. It is hearty enough to give you an excellent start to the day.


Ingredients


For the Bread
½ cup rolled oats
1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
3 tbsp butter or margarine
1 egg


For the Topping
1 tbsp rolled oats
1 tbsp water
1 egg, lightly beaten


Preparation


Start by toasting the oats. Heat oven to 350°F. Take all the oats you'll need for this recipe, including the oats for the topping, and spread them gently on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until oats are just slightly browned. Set oats aside to cool, separating into the oats for the bread and the oats for the topping as you do so.


Now you can make the bread. You don't need to dissolve the yeast, so place all bread ingredients into a large bowl and mix until a loose dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Allow to rise in a warm location until doubled in size, about 1 hour.


Punch down the dough, removing all air bubbles from it. Spray a bread pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Shape the dough into a loaf and place it into the bread pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.


Heat oven to 375°F. Uncover dough. Combine water and egg to form an egg wash. Use a pastry brush to coat the exposed parts of the loaf. Sprinkle top of the loaf with toasted oats. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the bread pan. Allow to cool for a further 20 minutes before slicing.


This bread will keep up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Sliced Cookies: Orange Chocolate Rounds

A delicate hint of orange floats through this chocolate cookie, making it almost decadent. You can double the cocoa powder if you like. It will give it a stronger cocoa flavor.


Ingredients


½ cup sugar
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1½ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 or 2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp orange zest


Preparation


Cream together sugars and butter in a medium bowl. Add vanilla and egg and blend well. Stir in remaining ingredients until you have a soft dough.


Place a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap on a flat surface. Place the dough on the paper and roll into a log shape roughly 12 inches long. Make sure the log is a consistent diameter. Wrap the log in the paper and place in the freezer for 1 hour.


Heat oven to 425°F. Remove log from freezer and unwrap. Slice into 24 rounds, each ½-inch wide. Place on prepared cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes, until the edges of slightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets immediately.


Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Yeast Breads: Sourdough Bread

I love sourdough. It's so light and airy and sour and delicious. It also takes a week to make, so be prepared to devote a little time to this magnificent bread. The starter will take 5 days to mature, but once you've prepared the starter, you can feed it and replenish it, so you'll be able to make this bread in as little as a day. This takes a little planning, and it's easy to forget about your starter, so set a reminder on your phone if you have to.


Directions for maintaining your starter will be found at the end of the recipe.


Ingredients


For the Starter
1¼ tsp active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
3½ cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp honey


For the Bread
½ cup starter
3 cups all purpose flour
⅛ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp butter


Preparation


You have to make the starter first, so gather up those ingredients. You won't need the bread ingredients for at least 5 days. Get yourself a container with a loose fitting lid. The container must not be made of metal, and the lid must allow for air to escape or the container will explode. I use a ceramic crock, but you can use whatever you like. If you'll be feeding your starter, you'll want something dedicated to sourdough starter. It should hold at least 6 cups, mostly to allow room for expansion. The starter does rise, after all.


Place the warm water in the container. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it sit for 5 minutes, until the yeast is dissolved and foamy. Add the flour and the honey and stir well. Cover loosely. Remember not to seal the starter inside anything or you've wasted your efforts. A loose fitting lid is essential.


Let the starter stand in a warm location for 5 days. Stir it down at least once a day. This is where setting an alarm on your phone might come in handy. Don't forget about your starter. It needs attention in order to thrive. It is ready for use when it is bubbly and has a liquid layer of yellow on top. Make sure you stir it well before you use it.


Now that you have a starter that has aged for the better part of a week, you are ready to make your sourdough bread. Your yeast is already dissolved and active, so you don't have to dissolve the yeast to start. Using a nonmetal bowl, blend all bread ingredients until you have a loose dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes.


Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely. Let rise in a warm place for at least 8 hours. Longer is better, so try letting it rise overnight. If you're using a bread maker, you can start the dough in the evening and go to bed when the rise cycle starts. Just let it sit in the bread maker until you get up in the morning.


Punch down the dough and shape it as you see fit. I like a loaf, but you might want a baguette or rolls. The shape isn't as important as the rise time. Place your loaf or rolls on a prepared baking sheet and cover with a cloth. Set aside to rise for 2 or 3 hours, or until doubled in size. This may take as long as 5 hours, so be patient will your bread. It will rise.


Heat the oven to 400°F. If you want to score the top of your bread, now is the time. It is not strictly necessary, but it looks nice. Either way, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove immediately from baking sheet and cool completely before slicing.


You will have some leftover starter. You can either discard it (which is a shame) or preserve it. Whenever you remove 1 cup of starter (the equal to 2 recipes worth of bread), you can replenish it. Add 1 cup of flour, ⅔ cup of warm water, and 1 tsp of honey to the starter. Blend well and cover, then let sit until mixture is bubbly, about 12 hours. After that, store in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before using. As long as you make at least 2 loaves a week, you can replenish your starter indefinitely.


If you don't use your starter for a week, you'll have to feed it instead of replenish it. Remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Add 1 tsp of honey, stir well, and cover. Allow to sit at room temperature for 12 hours, then return to the fridge.


If you're going to keep your starter, try to make a routine out of it. If it's a routine, it will be easier to remember. If you can't do this, set a reminder on your phone. That way you won't forget about your starter. If it's replenished or fed regularly, it can be used for years on end, always getting a little better with age.


After 6 weeks, you truly have a delicious bread on your hands.

Snacks & Appetizers: Snack Turnovers

If you're looking for something that you can make with the leftovers in your fridge, and you want something that will freeze well, try these Snack Turnovers. You can use any protein you like, though I've used turkey sausage. You can also add other herbs, if you desire, or change the filling entirely. The important thing is to get creative and have fun.


You can use refrigerated bread dough, if you like, but I prefer to make my own dough.


Ingredients


For the Dough
1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
½ tsp sugar
½ cup warm water
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1½ cups all purpose flour


For the Filling
1 cup turkey sausage, crumbled
½ cup bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
2 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp dried thyme


For the Glaze
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp water
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
1 tsp dried thyme


Preparation


Start by making the dough. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well until a loose dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and cover. Set aside in a warm location and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.


While you're waiting for the dough to rise, cook sausage in a skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain off any excess fat and allow to cool. When the sausage is cooled, place in a medium bowl and add all other filling ingredients. Mix well until you have a consistent filling mix.


Punch down the dough. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface to no more than ¼-inch thickness. Thinner is okay, even desirable, but definitely don't go thicker. Using a sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut dough into circles. Reroll the dough scraps and repeat until you cannot get any more circles. Discard leftover dough.


Spoon a little filling into the center of each circle. How much will depend on how large your circles are. I typically use a 3-inch circle, which handles about 1½ tsp of filling, though I usually use only 1 tsp. Just don't overfill your turnovers.


Brush the edges of your circles with water. Fold dough over to form packets, totally encasing the filling. Don't allow any filling to escape. Use the tines of a fork to press down on the edges of each packet, helping to further seal the edges. Place turnovers on prepared baking sheets and cover loosely. Allow to rise for about 30 minutes.


Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Uncover turnovers and brush them with the glaze. bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until turnovers are golden brown.


This recipe makes about 16 turnovers, depending on how large you make them.

Sliced Cookies: Lavender Lemon Cookies

These cookies are great because you can make the dough, roll it into a log, stick it in the freezer, and slice at your leisure. The lavender taste is light and goes well with the lemon zest. Make just a few or bake several batches if you're having a larger gathering.


Ingredients


½ cup sugar
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dried lavender
1 tsp lemon zest


Preparation


Cream together sugars and margarine in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla and egg. Stir in other ingredients by hand, then turn dough out onto a silicone baking mat or lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a log that is about 1½ in diameter. Wrap log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Log can also be frozen, if desired.


Heat oven to 425°F. Remove log from refrigerator and unwrap. Slice into ½-inch rounds. Place rounds on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown around the edges. Remove immediately from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks.


This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies. Store them for up to a week in an airtight container.


You can keep the unbaked log in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. Let frozen log sit on the counter for 30 minutes before slicing.

Yeast Breads: Honey Granola Bread

I love a good sandwich bread, and this one is one of the best. It's great toasted and even makes wonderful breadcrumbs. It's a versatile bread that they the whole family will love.


Ingredients


2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
½ cup granola cereal
1 tsp salt
¾ cup water
½ cup plain or vanilla yogurt
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg


Preparation


Like most of my recipes, I've avoided using traditional yeast so there's no dissolving involved. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix gently. Continue mixing, using your hands when necessary, until a loose dough forms. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, until a soft and elastic dough forms.


Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely. Allow to rise in a warm location until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down to remove all air bubbles. Spray a bread pan with baking spray to prevent sticking. Gently form the dough into a loaf and place in the bread pan. Cover loosely and allow to rise until double in size, about 45 minutes.


Heat oven to 375°F. Bake bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until loaf is golden in color and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove immediately from bread pan and allow to cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.