Garlicky Focaccia Bread

Although in the past I have been intimidated and scared of yeast,  I think I am completely over it.  After a couple of trials and some winning recipes (whole wheat pizza, wheat bread, peasant bread, whole wheat pitas, mostly whole wheat bread, and dinner rolls) I’m definitely feeling confident.  So don’t be afraid and make some bread from scratch today!

Focaccia is not my go-to bread, but when I saw a recipe posted by A Couple Cooks, it looked so delicious!  I had to make it right away.  This dough was great, and I can’t wait to make different variations- adding eggplant, onions, or topping it off with some meat.

I ended up cutting it up into smaller pieces, this way we could eat some with a salad, or with morning eggs.  Otherwise, use this when making a sandwich or when you just need a snack.

I hope the heat wave has ended for everyone so you all can turn on your ovens this week to make this.  Definitely something great- and I’d love to hear what other variations are out there that everyone enjoys!

Garlicky Focaccia Bread
Adapted from: A Couple Cooks

2 cups warm water
2 tsp dry yeast
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil + more for bowl and drizzling
1 tsp honey
8 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (mixture of thyme and oregano)
1 tbsp sea salt

In a stand mixer bowl mix together the warm water and yeast.  Allow it to stand for a couple of at least 10 minutes.  Then add in 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, olive oil and honey.  Using a dough hook, mix the ingredients together.  On a low speed, mix the dough for about 10 minutes.  Every couple of minutes add in the remaining all-purpose flour (1/2 cup).  At the end it should turn into a ball.

Place the ball of dough into an oiled bowl.  Cover with a towel, and leave it for at least 1 1/2 hours or until it doubles in size.

Spray a 9×13′ baking dish with cooking oil.  Preheat the oven to 475ºF.

Punch down the dough into the bowl, and knead it for another 2-3 minutes.  Then spread the dough into the baking dish.  Allow it to rise for another 30 minutes.

Once the dough is ready, drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil over the top of the bread.  Then sprinkle the garlic, herbs and sea salt on top.  With a finger, make small indentations into the dough- about 1/2 inch thick and about 1/2 inch apart.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.

Peasant Bread

I love fresh, warm bread.  The kind that is crusty on the outside, and soft inside.  Pair that up with some fresh bruschetta, or butter- and I have dinner.  Or it can be a perfect addition to a salad or soup dinner.

In the past couple of months I have conquered my fear of yeast.  If you’d like proof then check out the Mostly-Whole Wheat Bread, Apple & Smoked Cheese Whole Wheat Pizza, and Whole Wheat Pitas.  Last week’s Food Matters Project was bruschetta, and I needed a vehicle for all that deliciousness.  So I attempted bread.  What did I learn?  I never want to buy bread from the store again!

It looks gorgeous, and I am so proud of it!  If I have succeeded, all of you can make it.  Fortunately, this recipe does not require an overnight rising period- that is way too long to wait (although that might be due to my lack of planning).  This is perfect to throw together right before you leave for work (or the night before), let the yeast work its magic and all you have to do is pop it in the oven when you get home.  Fresh bread for dinner!

Peasant Bread
Adapted from: Hide the Cheese

This recipe makes 2 larger loaves.  I made a loaf the first day, and covered and refrigerated the other half.  It should last about a week in the fridge.  Take it out of the fridge as you’re heating up the oven, and continue with the baking instructions below.  The original recipe used 2 cups of whole-wheat flour, and 4 1/2 of all-purpose.  I did not have the whole-wheat flour, so I improvised.

1 tbsp + 2 tsp yeast
1 tbsp + 2 tsp salt
3 cups warm water
1 tbsp honey
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp olive oil

Mix the yeast, salt, water and honey in a large bowl.  Stir with a spoon until the yeast and honey dissolve completely.  Then add the flour, continue mixing until it is fully incorporated with the wet ingredients.

(optional) Coat a large bowl with olive oil.  If you don’t have an additional large bowl, just move parts of the dough to add some of the olive oil under it.  This is not necessary, but does make it easier to take out the dough from the bowl after it has risen.

Cover the dough with a dish towel and allow it rest for at least 2 hours (although the longer the better).

After the dough has risen, take half of it out (the other half can be stored in the fridge) onto a floured surface.  Shape it into a ball, or any shape you’d like.

Preheat the oven to 450ºF.  As you turn on the oven, put the dutch oven (or corningware) into the oven at the same time.  When the oven reaches 450ºF, take out the dutch oven and place the dough inside.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Then cook for another 15 minutes, uncovered, or until the top is a light brown.

Take out the bread from the oven, and allow it to cool off on a wire rack.  Enjoy it fresh!

The Food Matters Project #12: Mostly Whole Wheat Bread

How many of us have a number of cookbooks on their shelves any never tried any of the recipes (or very few of them)?  If you are this person, you should do something similar to The Food Matters Project (with this cookbook or any other).  Each week one of the participants chooses a recipe, and we all try it.  It’s a great idea to cook your way through a cookbook- with only 1 recipe a week!

Whenever I go through a magazine or cookbook, I tend to notice only some recipes.  Since we have began The Food Matters Project, it has been great trying out new dishes which we probably would never have gotten to.

Thanks to Melissa of The Faux Martha, I now tried a new bread recipe.  She chose 2 bread recipes from Mark Bittman’s The Food Matter’s Cookbook: Real Whole Wheat Bread and Mostly Whole Wheat Baguettes.

In the kitchen I tend to stay away from yeast, Sam is the one that makes the pizza dough.  Although I have used yeast a little bit in the past (double-rise wheat bread, whole-wheat pitas and yeast dinner rolls), I’m still not very confident in my abilities.

This bread turned out great, and gave me a little bit more confidence.  I wish I had played around with it a bit more, but I was playing it on the safe side the first time around.

So if you’re worried or scared of yeast, definitely try this bread!  After the first bite this will be a “must-bake” item every single week!

What can you eat with this bread?  Here are some ideas: Triple Green Chicken Salad, Lox, and Tuna & Veggie Sandwich.

Mostly Whole Wheat Bread
Adapted from: The Food Matters Cookbook (pg 542)

This recipe was going to be a baguette, but when I was shaping the dough I think it wanted to be a bread loaf instead.  If you’d like additional flavor or texture, top it off with some poppy or sesame seeds.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + more for shaping
2 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast (equivalent to the little packet)
1 1/2 cups of water
1 tbsp olive oil

In a stand mixer combine the: whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, sugar and yeast.  Start the mixer, using a dough hook.  Then, about a 1/4 cup at a time, add the water into the mixture.  Continue to mix the dough until it forms into a ball.  You might need to add some more water- if so, add it 1 tbsp at a time.

Pour olive oil into a large bowl, swish it around so it is covered where the dough will touch (this will prevent it from sticking).  Put the dough into the bowl, and cover it with a towel or plastic wrap.  Allow it to rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature, it should double in size.

Lightly flour the surface you’ll be working on.  Knead the dough a few times (about 3 minutes).  Roll the dough out into 2 baguettes or 1 loaf of bread.

Heat the oven to 500ºF.  If you’ll be baking the bread on a sheet pan, spray it with non-stick spray, then set the loaf on the pan.  Put the bread into the oven for 10 minutes.  Then turn down the heat (while the bread is in the oven) to 400ºF.  Bake it at 400ºF for 30 minutes or until the inside of the bread is 210ºF).

*If you are topping the bread with seeds, brush the loaf with a little water and then sprinkle on the poppy or sesame seeds (about 1/4 cup) prior to baking.

Yeast Dinner Rolls

A couple of weeks ago, I was trying to make bread…but it never rose (I think it might have been a bad packet of yeast)!  It was frustrating, but I decided to keep trying.  When I had some friends over for dinner, I decided to give it another try, and made these beautiful dinner rolls.  And the dough rose!  Success!

These are fluffy and light, a perfect companion with some fresh butter and your dinner.  And they look very rustic when you put them in the rounded pan, and they rise squished together.

Yeast Dinner Rolls
Adapted from: Annie’s Eats

1 packet of instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp honey
1/8 cup agave nectar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
Non-stick cooking spray

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast and warm water.  With a fork, froth and mix the water, until all of the yeast is mixed in.  While the paddle attachment is on low, add the honey, agave nectar, salt and egg.  Then add 3 cups of flour, and mix until the dough is a sticky mass.  Switch to a dough hook, and with the mixer still on low, add the final 1 cup of flour.  Continue kneading for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth.

Pick up the dough, and spray the bowl with the non-stick cooking spray.  Then place the dough back into the bowl, and cover with a towel.  Let it rise in a warm spot until it has doubled, about 2 hours.

Take out the dough from the bowl, and place it on a floured surface.  Knead it for about 1 minute.  Then, cover it with a towel, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.  Finally, divide the dough into 10-12 equal pieces.  Shape each of the pieces into smooth balls.

Spray a round baking dish with the non-stick cooking spray.  Then place each of the balls into the baking dish, spacing them evenly.  Cover and let them rise for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Bake the rolls for 20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown, and the rolls are baked through.  Let them cool before serving.  Enjoy each of the rolls with some fresh butter.

Double-rise Wheat Bread

This bread satisfied two things for me.  For one, it’s been getting cooler out here, and a slices of warm, fresh bread satisfies my cravings.  And I’ve always wanted to make bread from scratch, so I wanted to try a recipe.  It was delicious!  Warm, and crispy on the outside.  Savory and soft…and a little bit of salty butter completed each slice.

Double-rise Wheat Bread
Adapted from A Chow Life blog

4 cups (20 oz) all-purpose wheat flour
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp table salt
1/4 tsp instant, fast-rising yeast
2 cups ice water
oil spray

First Rise: In a large bowl, stir together: flour, sugar, salt and yeast.  Vigorously stir in the water into the bowl, and mixing until all of the ingredients are blended thoroughly.  If the mixture is too dry, stir in more water, small amounts at a   time.  Brush or spray the top with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel.  Refrigerate the dough for 3-10 hours, then let it cool at room temperature for 18-24 hours.

Second Rise: Using an oiled rubber spatula, gently lift and fold the dough toward the center, until most of it is deflated.  Brush or spray the surface with oil once again.  Re-cover the bowl.  Let rise for 1 1/2- 2 1/2 hours at room temperature.  Wait until the dough doubles from the deflated size.

Baking: Turn the oven on to 450 degrees.  Heat a 3 1/4-4 quart (or larger) heavy metal pot (or Dutch oven) in the oven until it is sizzling hot.  Not deflating the dough, roll it into the warm pot.  Spritz or brush the top of the dough with water.  Top with the lid, and shake the pot back and forth to center the dough.  Bake the dough in the lower third of the oven for 55 minutes.  Then remove the lid, reduce the heat for 425 degrees.  Bake for 15-20 or until the top is well browned.  When it seems done, bake for a couple of minutes longer until the center is baked through.  Remove the loaf to the rack and cool thoroughly.

Serve/Store: Cool completely before storing.  The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days, or may be frozen (airtight) for up to 2 months.

Enjoy!