Easy Artisan White Bread

Easy Artisan White Bread - Piseco Baking Company

3 cups lukewarm water
6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups (2 lbs) All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast (SAF)

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl or food-safe plastic bucket, using Danish whisk/dough hook.

Mix and stir everything together to make very sticky, rough dough. Or, in a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with beater blade foe 30 to 60 seconds.  Make sure there are no dry spots.

Next, let the dough rise. Cover bowl or bucket with a lid or plastic wrap.  (Remember, your container must be at least 6-quart capacity). Let dough rise at room temp for 2 hours.  (If you are in a hurry you can skip this step and put it right in the fridge, but leaving it at too temp for 2 hours is best case scenario). Store the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before baking. Can be stored up to 7 days.  The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it will get. Over the course of the first day or so, you will see it rise and then fall.

On baking day, grease your hands and pull off 1/3 of the dough or a ball roughly the size of a softball. Form dough into a round ball or longer log.  (You could also divide into 9 large rolls).

Stretch dough into a nice tight ball, leaving seams underneath.  Will look like a ball of freshly pulled mozzarella.  Place dough on parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheet (jelly roll pan). Sift a light coating of flour over the top.  This will keep the dough moist as it rests before baking.

Let the dough rise for about 45-60 minutes. It won't appear to rise upwards that much, but it will settle and expand slightly.  Preheat your over to 450 and place a shallow metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex or ceramic) on the lowest oven rack. Have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.

When you are ready to bake, slash the bread 2 to 3 times with a sharp blade, making a cut about 1/2" deep.

Place the bread in the oven and carefully pour the hot water into the pack on the rack beneath.
Quickly close the over door.

Bake bread for 25 - 35 minutes, until it is deep golden brown.  Lots of steam will escape oven when the door is opened, so be careful.

Remove bread from oven, and cool on a rack.

Gwen's Soft Pretzels

I made a new friend today, who recently moved here from NY, where she owned a bakery.  Her name is Gwen and she makes a KILLER soft pretzel!

Dough -
61 ounces all-purpose flour or approximately 17 cups
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons canola oil
4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons instant yeast (instant is better than active)
4 cups water

Topping - (the topping is what replaces 'boiling' and gives them the brown color and the 'snap')
3/4 cup water
8 teaspoons sugar
8 teaspoons baking soda

Optional - pretzel salt, cinnamon sugar, melted butter

Mix and knead the dough ingredients together until dough is cohesive and fairly smooth.  It should be slightly sticky; if it seems dry, sprinkle it with water.  Cover dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Turn dough out onto light greased surface, fold over a few times to gently deflate it (get the air out, but don't knead), then divide into 4 ounce pieces. Roll each piece into 18 to 24 inch ropes.

In shallow bowl, mix together the topping ingredients. Shake rope into a pretzel, then dip into topping. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Bake in a 400* oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from oven and brush with melted butter, dip in cinnamon sugar is desired.

*Do not use table salt for topping on pretzels. Use only pretzel or coarse salt, as table salt will soak in while baking.

*This recipe can be halved or quartered, as desired.

*If not measuring flour by weight, hold back 2 cups flour and used to achieve desired consistency.

Everything Topping
Sesame seed
Poppy seed
Minced onion
Minced garlic
salt

For 1/2 recipe of dough:
30.5 ounces all-purpose flour or approximately 8.5 cups
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons salt
1.5 tablespoons instant yeast (instant is better than active)
2 cups water

Britney's Amazing Orange Rolls

Orange Rolls

1 recipe of sugar factory smokehouse rolls (below)
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed OJ
grated orange rind from two large oranges

Orange glaze:
Mix together 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed OJ, 1/2 tsp grated rind.

Make recipe for rolls. Combine butter, sugar, OJ, and orange rind in a small bowl and mix well.  Roll each portion into large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread half of the mixture onto each rectangle.  Starting with the long side, roll up jelly roll style. Seal edges well, then cut into 1 inch slices.

Place on greased jelly roll pan (must have sides because it will drip when baking). Let rise another 30 minutes. Bake at 350* for 18-22 minutes. Then drizzle orange glaze over the top of each roll.

The Sugarfactory Smokehouse Cinnamon Rolls or Dinner Rolls

2 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 Tbsp SAF instant yeast
Put into KitchenAid mixer and whisk.

Mix together and let sit for 15 minutes.
Then add 2 beaten eggs and mix.

Then add:
7-8 cups flour
1 Tbsp salt

Mix in mixer with paddle hook until combined. Then switch to your bread hook and mix for about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Cinnamon rolls: Pour out on floured counter and divide the dough in half. Roll out each half into rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Pour 1/2 cup of melted butter over dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon and white sugar. Roll lengthwise and seal edges well. Cut about 1 inch thick with dental floss. Put in greased jelly roll pan and let them rise another 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes.

Rolls: Pour out on floured counter and divide dough in half. Roll out each half into circle and using a pizza cutter make 8 equal triangles. Roll each into a croissant shape.  Put on greased cookie sheet. Let rise another 30 minutes. Bake at 350* for 18-22 minutes.

Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Steel Cut Oats

1 1/4 cups steel cut oats
3 apples, chopped
2 Tbsp maple syrup
4 Tbsp brown sugar
3 cups nonfat milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup dried cranberries (fresh is even better!)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

Spray your crockpot with a non-stick cook spray.
Add everything to crockpot and stir together.
Cook on low for ~6 hours. Cooking time may vary, based on your crockpot.
To reheat, add a little milk or water and heat in microwave.

Smaller recipe for 2 - In a mini crockpot:
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 granny smith apple, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
2 cups coconut milk
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Cook for 2 hours on high.  Add brown sugar to taste.
Would also be fantastic with toasted pecans or walnuts on top.