Morning Glory Muffin

I think I might be a little out of style here.  Are muffins even IN style now?  I love muffins!  Especially when they are actually cake disguised as something less dessert-ish.  Cake minus the frosting is a muffin in my mind, and a muffin is breakfast.  It's good for you, and it's portable, and it's easy to make and full of all sorts of good things.  Muffins were probably one of the very first things I ever learned to make as a kid.  I was involved with a great bunch of girls who had some ambitious moms!!  I don't think my mom was the ring leader, but she stepped right up and joined in.  We had a 4-H group!  

4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development".^[1] The name represents four personal development areas of focus for the organization: head, heart, hands, and health. The organization has over 6.5 million members in the United States, from ages 5 to 21, in approximately 90,000 clubs.^[2]

Every Tues. and Thurs. we would meet at a different home and a mom would teach us a different skill.  Honestly there are a few things I learned as that 8-9-10 year old little girl, that have stuck with me my whole life.  I wish I could remember how to crochet as well as I did back then, but I do know the reason for  "Just mixing until combined" when I make a muffin.  I remember the demonstrations of over mixing a muffin.  Worm looking tunnels would exist throughout the entire muffin, and the top of the muffin would be pointy.  I learned how to keep the "skin" from forming on a freshly cooked pudding.  I actually learned HOW to make that pudding.  Not just emptying a JELLO pudding box in a bowl and adding milk.

So it may be 30 years later, but I still use those 4-H skills every time I cook:)  I learned to use my HEAD, my HEART, my HANDS, and my HEALTH.  I'd say my experience was a success! These muffins were a success as well.  My 4-H skills came in handy.  Even if they're a little 1990-ish you will love them.  They are so full of goodness, and tastiness you'll make them again next Sat.  Enjoy!

Morning Glory Muffins
recipe adapted from Pillsbury Best Muffins and Quick Breads

1 cup All Purpose or Unbleached Flour

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded, peeled apples

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

3/4 cup oil

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350°F. Line with paper baking cups or grease 18 muffin cups. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add apples, carrots, coconut, raisins and walnuts; mix well. Add oil, milk, vanilla and eggs; stir just until moistened. Fill lined or greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350°F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pans.

Lion House Rolls

Just thinking of Thanksgiving coming around the corner.  It won't actually be at my home this year.  Very seldom is it, but still we must have a proper Thanksgiving Dinner at the Clawson household.  It's usually the Sunday before, but I MUST have leftovers at MY home when the big meal is over.  To be truly honest, and forthwith I could do without the main meal.  Yup!  I just said it, BUT the main meal produces the leftovers so I guess it really is a necessity:)  There is nothing better in this world than a leftover turkey sandwich with mustard, stuffing, and cranberry sauce on it.  These rolls will fit that bill. A slice or two of pie for a midnight snack, and if we are lucky enough to have my Granny's famous Spinach Balls, I'll eat a few of those for brekky the day after.  

So I've been trying out a few new things, and I've never made these Lion House Rolls before.  How could that be?  I mean, Mormon Utahan that I am, I should have tried these by now.  They turned out spectacular!!  I especially love the shape and how they look.  But they tasted great!  It could have helped to have a perfect bottle of raspberry jam to slather on the rolls too, and the fact that I was starving, but they were good the day after too.  My sister Hollie and my brother Eric both had their wedding dinners at the Lion House, and the Pantry always has such wonderful pies.  The Lion House cookbooks are huge favorites at my house.  Tons of recipes that have become staples.  These rolls will now go into the mix with Hollie's Orange Rolls, and my favorite Dilly Rolls.  Maybe they'll adorn your Thanksgiving table this year, or if you're lucky, next Sunday!

Here's a link to a Youtube of the Lion House head baker-ess rolling the rolls.  She's awesome!  I've learned something from her:)

Lion House Dinner Rolls

recipe source: The Lion House and KSL

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)
2 tablespoons dry yeast (I use instant)
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup butter, shortening, or margarine
1 egg
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour (I used 6+ cups of flour to get the right consistency.)

Method:

In large bowl or electric mixer, combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand). Add about ½ cup flour and mix again, by hand or mixer. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff (It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour).

Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about one tablespoon of vegetable oil all around sides of bowl. Turn dough over in bowl so it is covered with oil. (This helps prevent dough from drying out). Cover with plastic and allow to rise in warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes.

Scrape dough out onto floured board. Turn dough over so it is floured on both sides; gently flatten to about 1 inch thick. With rolling pin, roll out to a rectangle about 18 inches long, 8 inches wide, and ¼ inch thick. Brush with melted butter. With pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut dough in half to make two strips about 4 inches wide. Make cuts through strips of dough every 2 inches, making about 18 pieces of dough.

Starting with short end, roll up one piece of dough, with butter on the inside. Place roll on parchment-lined pan with other short end down on the paper. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Be sure all rolls face the same direction on baking pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until light to medium golden brown. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter. Serve with Honey Butter. Makes 1 to 1 ½ dozen rolls.

Helpful Tips for Making Rolls

Always add flour gradually and keep dough as soft as you can handle. A soft dough will produce a lighter roll.

It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour called for in the recipe—add only enough flour to make dough manageable.

THE Loaf! Fig Walnut and Blue Cheese Peasant Bread

I get asked a lot at the bakery if I cook.  More specifically if I bake.   "Do I bake!"  I reply.  I look at whomever is asking me, and tell them that James is worthless in a home kitchen.  He doesn't know how to make anything in less than a 180 quart bowl.  A 9x13 inch pan would be a math division nightmare for someone who cooks in quantities like James. But being married to a baker really does have its perks.  My husband makes awesome cupcakes AND lets me take all the credit for them:) And his Honey Whole Wheat bread, still to this day, makes me smile in pure bliss as I take a bite of a BLT made with it.  But being a bakers wife also has its downside.  The main downside is that you quickly become the biggest bread snob on the planet.  I won't even both eating a lot of bread because either it's not fresh enough, tasty enough, or worth the calories.  I only want to eat the tastiest most homemade bread I can find.  And another downfall of being a bakers wife is that I can spot a day old loaf of bread a mile away.  Just the other day I was at a farmers market where some beautiful bread was being sold.  I wanted every loaf, but on closer inspection the bread had been made the day before.  It just didn't have that, "I'm the best loaf on the planet!" feel, or texture anymore.  It's become somewhat of a problem.  

It was the farmers market visit that sparked the idea for the loaf of bread I made at home.   The bakery at the market had used such fun and interesting flavors together.  Fresh raspberry, lemon, and sage.  Strange cheeses and fruit.  Nuts and herbs.  It was so fun!  I wanted some really different flavors in the loaf I was making.  My all time favorite flavors to make are Cranberry Orange and Blueberry Lemon.  I love the little bit of sweetness in my bread.  I also like a lot of chunks.  I purchased a container of dried figs recently and decided to give them a go.  I actually had figs, walnuts, and blue cheese all at the ready.  This indeed was going to be a lovely loaf of bread!

So the actual recipe is one I've made dozens of times, and yet each time I pull it out of the oven, I'm surprised!  I take pictures, I make everyone in the house OOOH, and AHHH before cutting into the loaf, and I make the master bread baker tell me how AWESOME his wife is!!  The figs and walnuts were fantastic.  I'd leave the cheese out all together next time.  But that's just me.  Find the flavor that sounds delish to you, or be as plain as could be.  You won't be disappointed either way.  I love your guts!!  

I Can't Believe I Made This Bread, Bread

recipe from Williams Sonoma

3 c. all purpose flour

1/2 t. (yep only 1/2 t.) yeast

1 3/4 t. salt

1 1/2 c. water (not hot and not cold. Just water)

Add in's of choice: I used 3/4 c. dried figs, 1/2 c. chopped walnuts, and 1/2 c. blue cheese. You can use raisins, cinnamon, any cheese, garlic, herbs, spices, dried fruit, fresh fruit, or stewed tomatoes.  Montreal Steak Seasoning is even great. Let you imagination take you where ever you want to go. Sweet or savory, you decide.

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients together and stir until blended. Only a minute. It doesn't look pretty, but don't worry. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough sit for 12-24 hours. It will rise a little and start to look really wet and bubbly. This is good. I have used the dough as early as 8 hours and as late as 36 hour later. It always works. This is a very forgiving recipe. After the long rest, turn dough out onto a floured surface. Lightly turn the dough onto itself a few times. Don't knead this, your more or less just roughly forming the dough. Let it sit for 20 mins. and rest. In the mean time place a cast iron dutch oven in a 450'F. oven while it is preheating. The pan needs to stay in the hot oven about 20 mins. Take the hot pan out of the oven and place the dough ball in the pan. You don't need any grease, or butter for the pan. The dough will kind of wrinkle up and look terrible, but trust me it will look amazing in about an hour. With a sharp knife cut an X into the top of your dough. This will help it "tear" in a real rustic way. Place the lid on top of the dutch oven and place the pan back in the oven. Bake for 30 mins. at 450'F. with the lid on. Take the lid off and bake another 20 mins. The crust should brown nicely and when you tap the top of the bread it should sound hollow. Remove the bread from the pan and let cool. Yields 1- 1 1/2 lb loaf

Blueberry Almond Focaccia

I ripped a recipe out of a Bon Appetite a few months ago as inspiration for this recipe.  Does anyone else ever do this?  I learned once that when you're reading a magazine you should just rip out the pages you want to save instead of saving the whole magazine.  Do you know how many times I've had to control my ripping tendency in a dentist or doctors office.  How about the Landrover dealership!  That would be totally tacky there:)  I have a 3 ring binder BURSTING at the seams with magazine pages, handwritten scraps of paper, and dripped on recipes from my mom.  It barely fits into the drawer it's in.  If my house ever caught fire this binder would be one of my treasures I would rescue.  (After Jane of course!) The original recipe I "ripped" was a Cherry Almond Focaccia Bread made with a master sweet dough.  It got me thinking.  We love Onion and Cheese Focacia at our house.  Why wouldn't we love a sweet version.  It's not dessert type sweet, but the perfect sweetness to serve along side a lovely summer salad.  Maybe an Everything Salad with blue cheese, and fresh blueberries, and pears.  Yummy perfection!

Something about berries when they're cooked.  They just turn into deliciousness!  We loved watching the blueberries as they burst in the oven.  If you love blueberry pancakes, then this focaccia is definitely for you!  I didn't use the original Sweet Dough that the magazine suggested.  To time consuming for me.  I just used my favorite breadstick recipe.  It worked perfectly!  It's one of those recipes I don't even have to think about.  I have it memorized, and can whip up a batch in no time at all.  Technically you can top the focaccia with anything you'd like.  Cheese and onions, garlic and rosemary, pears and blue cheese, olives and salt.  Whatever you want!


Blueberry Almond Focaccia

1 T. yeast (I use SAF instant)
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3-4 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
1- 1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 c. slivered almonds
1 c. sugar in the raw or brown sugar


Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix and knead the sugar, salt and flour until it pulls clean from the bowl. Add more flour if needed. Let dough knead for 2-4 minutes. I plunk dough out on the counter and form into a ball and then place back in the bowl that I have greased. Cover with a towel and let sit for 10 minutes. I spray the counter with Pam and drop the dough onto it. I gently pat the dough into a large silver cookie sheet.  I believe it's about 12x18 give or take:)  Melt the butter and brush onto the bread sticks. Top with fresh blueberries, slivered almonds, and then sprinkle some coarse sugar or sugar in the raw on top.  It you don't have sugar in the raw, brown sugar will do. Or do something else like Italian Seasoning, and cheese. Use your imagination. Let rise until puffy.  Right before I place the foccacia in the oven I press my fingers into the dough to create some dimples.  You don't have to do this.  It just gives it the foccacia look.  Bake in a 375' F. oven for about 20 mins. Serve

Baked French Toast

I love this stuff!  And in all actuality, you can call it breakfast or dessert and you'd be correct on both counts.  For breakfast we call it Baked French Toast, but it also can appear as Bread Pudding if you serve it with ice cream:)  I've been trying to decide what to serve for Jed's mission farewell in a week, and I think this is the route we're going to go.  Brunch.  A little bit of breakfast food, and a little bit of lunch food, and lots of friends and family.  We should have a wonderful time.  Jed leaves on July 3rd for the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT and will be there for 11 weeks learning Albanian.  Then it's off to the Adriatic South Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!  Wow!  I swear he was just a little boy in primary just yesterday.  I love him:)

If you need a good brunch idea for your missionary farewell, 4th of July festivities, or just a wonderful Sat. summer breakfast go for this.  It's awesome, and you will love every last bite.

Baked French Toast

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman and slightly adapted by me

FRENCH TOAST

1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread

8 whole Eggs

2 cups Whole Milk

½ cups Whipping (heavy) Cream (if you have it.  Sometimes I just use 2% milk.)

1/2 cups Sugar

1 t. Vanilla Extract

Topping

½ cups All-purpose Flour

½ cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

¼ teaspoons Salt

1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces

Fresh Fruit (optional, but I'm totally going to add frozen blackberries the next time I make this!)

Preparation Instructions

Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nutmeg if desired. Add butter pieces and but into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.

When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from fridge and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. (If you’re using fruit, sprinkle on before the crumb mixture.) Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture. (I baked it 1 hour and 15 mins.)

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup. (Better yet, Buttermilk Syrup!)   You could totally serve this as dessert as well.  Just add some vanilla ice cream and your set to go. )

Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. corn syrup

1/2 c. buttermilk

1/2 t. baking soda

Bring to a boil. Make in a big pot because it foams up a ton. Boil for about 5 mins until a thick caramel color. Take off heat and add 1/2 t. vanilla. This is to die for. Serve with anything. It is fabulous over fresh fruit, pound cake and peaches, or anything that needs a little sauciness.

Breakfast Pizza

This was pure loveliness in every sense of the word.  Two of my favorite things rolled into one delicious dish!  Relatively quick, easy, and it produced tons of yummy sounds when served.  I'm sure there's many out there in the great big world who are big breakfast fans.  If you were to offer me a huge  surf and turf buffet or a glorious breakfast buffet, I bet you can tell which one I'd choose.  Breakfast for sure.  Easter Sunday for this little family of mine was wonderful.  James only had a few church meetings early on, and was able to attend all of our regular meetings with the fam.  Granted he doesn't sit next to us, but I can smile at him up front, and he smiles right back.  It's nice to see him:) Church got out early, and we had decided Easter Brunch was in order.  I had seen this recipe on Pinterest a few weeks prior, and decided it was the perfect meal for Easter.

I have a favorite Pizza Crust recipe here, that only requires a little advanced thinking.  The night before the dough needs to be stirred together, but that's it.  The day of, all that is needed is topping prep, assembly, and a quick bake and breakfast is served.  I can't think of anything better for a Mother's Day brunch.  Serve with some fresh fruit, or a Green Lemonade, maybe some bacon or sausage, a Ratatouille would be awesome, and some fresh Rice Pudding for dessert.  Oh that sounds soooo good!  Your mom will love your guts even more than she does now.  Or if you're in the same shoes as me and will be preparing your own Mother's Day meal, this menu is easy, and quick.  I hope you like it as much as I do:)  xoxoxo

Breakfast Pizza

recipe adapted from this recipe from the New York Times

Dough

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine Mar. 2012

Ingredients

7 1/2 cups (1000 grams) all-purpose flour plus more for shaping dough

4 teaspoons fine sea salt plus more for seasoning

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

3 c. warm water

Toppings (create your own)

Olive oil

eggs (I used 4 on each of the 2 pizzas I made)

4-6 slices of bacon chopped per pizza (I pre cooked the bacon slightly to give it a start.  It finished perfectly in the oven since the heat is so high.)

Any other sort of favorite toppings:

sun dried tomatoes

fresh tomatoes

olives

thin sliced red or other waxy potato

prosciutto

crumbled sausage.....the list goes on and on

Preparation

Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a medium bowl. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add 3 cups water; stir until well incorporated. Mix dough gently with your hands to bring it together and form into a rough ball. Transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature (about 72°) in a draft-free area until surface is covered with tiny bubbles and dough has more than doubled in size, about 18 hours (time will vary depending on the temperature in the room).

Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Gently shape into a rough rectangle. Divide into 6 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, gather 4 corners to center to create 4 folds. Turn seam side down and mold gently into a ball. Dust dough with flour; set aside on work surface or a floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining portions.

Let dough rest, covered with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, until soft and pliable, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Wrap each dough ball separately in plastic wrap and chill. Unwrap and let rest at room temperature on a lightly floured work surface, covered with plastic wrap, for 2–3 hours before shaping.

To Make the Pizzas

During the last hour of dough's resting, prepare oven: If using a pizza stone, arrange a rack in upper third of oven and place stone on rack; preheat oven to its hottest setting, 500°–550°, for 1 hour. If using a baking sheet, arrange a rack in middle of oven and preheat to its hottest setting, 500°–550°. (You do not need to preheat the baking sheet.)

Working with 1 dough ball at a time, dust dough generously with flour and place on a floured work surface. Gently shape dough into a 10"–12" disk or in my case I tried to spread the dough as big as my cookie sheet.  You can do individual pizzas or 2 family sized pizzas.

Top pizzas.  Here's what I topped my pizza with:  A light drizzle of Olive oil

I cracked 4-5 eggs on top of the dough

Sprinkled the par cooked chopped bacon

liberal salt and pepper

*(Here's my tip inserted here.  I didn't use a pizza peel or a pizza stone.  We formed our pizzas on a silver cookie sheet and called it good.  They turned out amazing and crisp and blistered.  So don't worry if you don't have a pizza stone.)  

Bake pizza, rotating halfway, until bottom of crust is crisp and top is blistered, 5–7 minutes. 

At this point I took the pizza out of the oven and drizzled about 1/4 c. cream over the surface of the pizza and sprinkled 1/4-1/2 c. of Parmesan cheese on top.  Return to the oven for 1-2 minute until cream and cheese are bubbly.  Top the cooked pizza with fresh sliced green onions and serve. 

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Have you ever felt like you were chasing something elusive?  Something that maybe you just made up in your mind and it doesn't really exist?  I've been chasing this cake since I was 12.  That's a long time.  But with the Easter holiday just passed the quest for this cake came around again.  You see, most years when I was a child, my family would spend Easter in St. George Ut.  Granted this is the same location that gave me my intense dislike of Easter Egg hunts, but it also brought my love for a good Poppy seed Cake.  Every Easter Sunday my family would get all gussied up in our Easter finest, head over to church, and then as soon as it was over, we'd pile into the enormous custom van and head to Vegas baby!  There we'd head to the long line at Caesar's Palace for their famed Sunday Brunch.  I remember my mom always saying how we had just been to Heaven with our Sacrament Service, and now here we were standing in the middle of Babylon.  Hell to be exact.  You know if the end of the world was going to come that day we probably would have been right in the middle of it, but it didn't and I got to eat another few Poppy Seed cakes to last me until the next year.  I took James there on our honeymoon.  He didn't like it, and needless to say I haven't been back to Vegas in 20 years!  So it has been a 20 year draught for these cakes!

They were so moist and delicious, and mini.  You could eat quite a few.  They were baked in a mini muffin tin and were so tasty.  So for years now I've tried a lot of recipes.  Ones out of cake mixes.  Ones with pudding added in.  You name it,  I've tried it.  But last week I gave it another shot.  This was a winner!  Perfection!!  Nothing funky, or fancy, just straight goodness.  I made this cake in a bundt pan, but muffins would work, or two loaves would be lovely too.  So here's to Easter miracles!

Lemon Poppy seed Cake

recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

(I owe her my firstborn for this recipe!  Thanks Christy!)

Cake:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 1/8 cups cooking oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
2 T. poppy seeds
zest of 2 lemons
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Note you can substitute almond extract in the cake and omit the lemon zest if you want an Almond Poppy seed cake.  It would be lovely!

Glaze:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. lemon juice


For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients together. Pour into greased and floured 12 c. bundt pan.  Bake at 350 for 60-75 minutes.   Insert thin knife in center and make sure it isn't doughy.  The top should spring back when touched.  My cakes usually take 75 minutes.

For the Glaze: Pour all ingredients into a small saucepan and let cook on stove on medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.  Let boil 1 minute.  Remove cake from pan and pour glaze over warm bread. I actually use a pastry brush and brush it on.

Christmas Stollen

The Christmas baking has begun.   Just a little here and there.  Enough to make the house feel cozy, and get all 7 Clawson's in the Christmas spirit.  It started out with cookies, but I decided to try my hand at a traditional German Christmas bread.  A few years ago I bought a loaf of Stollen from a van on the corner of Main St.  A bakery from a town far away would send a van every Sat. to all the larger cities and peddle their bread.  Being a bakery owners wife I scout out all the competition:)  It's my job.  I taste test most of the baked goods in our little valley on a regular basis.

The bread being sold out of the van was more of a European hard crusted variety.  Lots of long baguettes, and free formed loaves.  They were beautiful, but the one I decided to purchase was a German Stollen.  If you're interested in the history of Stollen click here.  Needless to say, it cost about $7 or $8 for a smaller loaf, but it was tasty.  A yeasted bread loaded with all sorts of fruit and topped with tons of powdered sugar.  It's pretty, and festive, and I love all that fruit in a toasted slice of bread.

So this year I decided to try making it.  After doing a search I found that sometimes the loaves are made with a surprise of Marzipan inside.  That's what I wanted!  I love that stuff.  It's just ground up almonds and sugar that is made into a paste.  I decided to use my favorite bread recipe since it's easy, and it has never failed me, and I used the fruit and nuts that I wanted.  Lots of raisins, cranberries, dried blueberries, chopped almonds, lemon and orange zest and peel.  The marzipan center is a treat I think.  The recipe made 3 enormous loaves, so if you don't want or need to feed an army, go with the numbers in parenthesis.  That would be a little more manageable for a family and it will still give you 2 BIG loaves.  It's great the day of, or toasted a day or two later.  With all the dried fruit the bread dries out a bit quickly, but I can imagine it would make a lovely bread pudding, or some delicious French Toast Sat. morning.  Good luck!

Christmas Stollen

(numbers in parenthesis are for a 2/3 sized batch)

3 cups warm water (2)

3 tablespoons active dry yeast (2)

3 teaspoons salt (2)

4 tablespoons vegetable oil (3)

1/2 cup white sugar (1/3)

8 cups bread flour (6)

(From this point on all measurements are approx.  Add what you like and as little or as much as you want.  This is the fruit I added but there are many others.  Try dried apricots, mangos, currants, plums, golden raisins.  Try cinnamon, or nutmeg as well as some of your spices.)

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. craisins (dried cranberries)

1/2 c. dried blueberries

1/2 c. crystallized ginger

1/2 c. candied lemon peel (I found this in the holiday baking aisle next to those red and green fruit thingies.)

1/2 c. candied orange peel

1 t. cardamon 

1 c. chopped almonds

8 oz. almond paste or marzipan (again I found this in the baking aisle.  It's usually in tubes or a can.  I used Solo brand Pure Almond Paste.)

Now I know why they charged so much for this bread:)

Directions

I you don't have a Bosch or a 5+quart capacity Kitchenaid mixer then reduce the recipe by 1/3. (The numbers in parenthesis) and the recipe will make 2 good loaves.  

In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, salt, oil, sugar, and flour.   You may need up to 9 c. of flour.  It just depends on the weather, and where you live and your flour.  You want a semi soft dough since all that fruit makes it a little harder for the bread to rise.  Mix thoroughly.  After you've formed a dough add all the fruit and nuts and spices.  Not the almond paste yet though.  Mix thoroughly and knead for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn several times to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled. At least an hour, or more.

Punch down the dough, let it rest a few minutes. Divide dough into three equal parts. (or 2 parts for the smaller recipe.)  Press the dough into a large circle.  Divide your almond paste into as many pieces as you have loaves.   Roll the marzipan into a snake and place it down one half of your dough circle.  Now fold it over like a tart.  Pinch the seams and roll them under a bit.  Taper the ends of the loaf into a point if possible.  Place on a greased cookie sheet and cover with a towel and let rise again until doubled.  Approx. 1 hours.  

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 45 minutes. The loaves may need to be covered for the last few minutes with foil to prevent excess browning.  When cooled dust with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar.  Good Luck!!

Pretzel Rolls

*I made a pretty tasty sandwich with these rolls last night and I'll post that recipe Monday morning. You're going to love it!!  

As a kid, I remember driving home from some sort of family gathering with the whole family in the car. I had a bag of M&M's in my hand.  Just the plain chocolate kind.  I remember reading the ingredients on the back of the package and thinking to myself, "I could totally make some of these!"  I really thought I could.  I sat and stewed, and tried to figure out how I was going to make my homemade M&M's.  As you can guess I never quite figured that one out. Since that day though, it's always fun to 'figure something out' that you like.  Some of my faves have been Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup, Homemade Butterfingers, and now these Pretzel Rolls.

A few weeks ago, a friend in Idaho posted a picture of these rolls on Instagram.  His wife had made them and he was in heaven.  And BTW, these folks own a Great Harvest in Boise. (Thanks again Mal!)  Isn't it funny how bakery owners love to bake at home as well.  The rolls looked so appetizing, and who doesn't love a hot pretzel?  I could only imagine them with some spicy mustard and ham and cheese.  Yum!  So I made them the other day.   They were a novelty that tasted great.  James came home from work, and I think he ate 3 of the rolls right off the bat.  We loved them.

Now sometimes I make things just to see if I can, and then they will probably never be made again.  These I would definitely make again.  They were just tasty, and fun at the same time.  I am posting the recipe that I followed the other day, but after doing a little research I've come to the conclusion you can make these rolls out of your favorite rolls or white bread recipe.  There's nothing really special about the dough.  The special part comes in the boiling water bath you dunk the dough balls in right before they go in the oven.  The bath is a salt and baking soda mixture, that gives the dough the characteristically pretzel look, taste, and texture.  A little extra time is involved, but I promise you will be happy you made these.

Pretzel Rolls

recipe adapted from Une Bonne Vie

The Dough

2 1/2 cups milk, slightly warmed

1 cup water, slightly warmed

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 T. sugar

2 T. active dry yeast

6 - 7 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (I ended up using 9 c. total) 

Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

The "Bath"

7 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

4 tablespoons baking soda

I used my 6 qt. Kitchenaid for this recipe.  If you have a smaller mixer you may want to cut the recipe in half.  9 c. of flour may be too big of a batch for a smaller mixer, plus it made almost 30 rolls.  You be the judge.  I place all the liquid, salt, oil, sugar and yeast into the bowl first.  Make a quick stir and then I added 7 c. of flour.  Mix on low until the flour is combined.  You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  This is where I eventually added 2 more cups of flour.  Not too stiff.  With the dough hook on your mixer, I let the dough knead for a few minutes.  Until it becomes a smooth dough. Remove the bowl from mixer and cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for approx. 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. 

Punch down dough and dump the dough onto a greased counter top.  Pull the dough together and divide into rolls.  I ended up with 27 good sized rolls.  Mine were a little larger than golf ball sized.   Form balls by pulling the dough under. Place on a well-greased surface. Let the dough balls rise for 15 minutes.

Here's a secret I found.  To get the perfect pretzel look with the white slits in the top of your rolls DO NOT SLICE YOUR ROLLS UNTIL AFTER THE POACHING.  Every part of the dough that touches the water will turn dark brown.  If you slice your rolls after the bath, that tender dough underneath will stay white while baking.  Don't worry about wrinkly dough or ruining the rolls.  Once they're in the over all that wrinkly-ness disappears:)

While the dough balls are rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and get the pretzel "bath" ready. In a large pot, bring water, salt, and baking soda to a rolling boil. Plunge three dough balls into the water and let them "poach" for 1 minute total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a well-greased baking sheet. With a serrated knife, cut 2-3 lines across each roll and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Don't be timid here.  Slice with some confidence!  They rolls will look better after baking if you make slits with some gusto!  You won't hurt the rolls:)  You can egg wash the rolls before you bake them.  I didn't and I was pleased with my outcome.  Or of course you could douse them in butter after they come out of the oven.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pretzels are a rich brown.  These are best eaten the same day they are made.  If you can't eat all those rolls, just cover them with a towel, and the next day to serve them, plop them back in a preheated 350'F oven and give them 2-3 minutes and they will be all toasty and perfect again!

The Parable of the Breadstick

This last Sat. I had a bread display at the Cache Valley American Mother's Conference.  I'm not an American Mother member, or will I ever win a Mother of the Year award, but for some reason people think I can bake bread:)  Maybe it's the fact that my husband is a baker therefore it must run in the family.  Actually I do love to bake, and have found a few favorite recipes over the years.  Just so you know though, I have made some very hard, brick like loaves of bread.  Lots of them really.  I'm not perfect, or an extra exceptional baker by any means, but my family does love to eat bread in its many forms.  So the recipes here today are what I gave Sat. at the women's conference.  The stories are long, so you can totally skip to the recipes if you want, but there is some added enlightenment if your looking for a spiritual boost today.

The real hit of the conference though was the Focacia Bread I made.  Parmesan Breadsticks, Cinnamon Twist, and Focaccia can all be made with the same easy breadstick recipe.


The Parable of the Breadstick is something I learned from my Mother-In-Law when I was first married years ago. She was preparing for a RS training night and was going over her presentation with me while my husband and I were puttering around his childhood home.  She had taken her message from a talk by Spencer W. Kimball.  Here are some links to his talks.  Awesome stuff!!  Here and here.  
Her message was simple but profound.  I have never forgotten what I learned from her that night. I learned that making a simple bread stick can calm a work worn, school tired child or husband.  But a bigger lesson was taught as well.  My mother-in-law was dressed in her best dress suit and heels.  Her hair and makeup were perfect and she looked as if she could walk into any business presentation and hit a homerun with whatever she was presenting.   That’s exactly what she was did too.  She was presenting the importance of learning some simple homemaking skills. 

My Mother-in-Law had never worked outside of the home, but she had run a wonderful business for years.  Her home.  She had raised 7 kids, and created a sense of warmth and belonging in her home.  Her lesson for me that night as well as for all the women she was presenting to was simple. We are all busy. Some of us have jobs outside of the home, some work inside the home, but learning how to be a home maker can create feelings of love and comfort for those in our homes. The simple, but meaningful smell of baking bread can make a house feel like home and a safe comfortable place to be. My mother-in-law then went on to teach this easy bread stick recipe.  It's not hard, and anyone can make it. The funny thing is, if the bread sticks turn into bricks, or warm fluffy delights of goodness, the smell of fresh bread still permeates your home, and sometimes that’s all a weary child or husband needs to feel content, at peace and loved.

There is a lesson to be learned here. We'll just call it the Parable of the Bread Stick. My little family doesn't need perfection. They just need me to make them feel loved, wanted, and comfy and the smell of a quick bread stick can do it. I don't need to slave for hours, just put a little effort into something. It means I care, and I love their stinking guts.

Try these bread sticks three different ways. Sometimes I have to make a double batch just so we can have one cinnamon batch and a savory batch.  The first is just to sprinkle garlic salt and Parmesan cheese on them. The second is to sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar, and the third is the Focaccia route.  For the Foccacia I just pressed the dough into the greased pan, topped with butter, red onion slices, cheese, onion salt and pepper.  Let the dough rise and right before I put it in the over I pressed indentations into the dough giving it the Focaccia look.  Give it a shot.   Can you see what I mean by having to make a couple different batches.  Can you make a choice?

Bread Sticks

1 T. yeast (I use SAF instant)
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3-4 c. flour
1 cube butter

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix and knead the sugar, salt and flour until it pulls clean from the bowl. Add more flour if needed. Let dough knead for 2-4 minutes. I plunk dough out on the counter and form into a ball and then place back in the bowl that I have greased. Cover with a towel and let sit for 10 minutes. I spray the counter with Pam and drop the dough onto it. I gently pat the dough into a rectangle about the size a a large silver cookie sheet. Then I cut the dough into strips with a pizza cutter and place on a well greased cookie sheet. Melt the butter and brush onto the bread sticks. Top with garlic salt and cheese, or cinnamon sugar. Or do something else like Italian Seasoning, and cheese. Use your imagination. Let rise until puffy. I usually like to let the bread sticks fill the pan, but sometimes I'm in a hurry to get them on the table and only give them 10 mins. It will work, they just won't be extra puffy, but it will still taste good. Bake in a 375' F. oven for about 20 mins. Serve with soup, chili, lasagna, or make them ahead for a road trip. You might need a double batch for this!

Here’s another great recipe that’s simple and makes your house smell amazing!  It seems like a Fall or Holiday breakfast, but let me just tell you, there is nothing better than Gingerbread Waffles in June!  I love to make these on Sunday mornings, and take the leftovers to church.  Babies love them, and so will you neighbors in the pew over☺


Gingerbread Waffles

1/2 c. butter melted
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. molasses
2 eggs
 1 1/4 c. milk
2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
 1/2 t. salt

Mix all together with a hand mixer and place on a hot greased waffle iron.  Serve with fresh sliced bananas and whipped cream.

I know this may sound like a funny post from a girl whose husband owns a bakery and bakes bread for a living, but we don't make this kind of bread. This is the kind I would imagine you picking up at your little local European bakery. The crust is crisp and crunchy and chewy and the inside has lots of airy holes and tastes delish.  It really is quick and easy, (not counting the 12-24 hours of waiting) and you will become a bread rock star tonight. You have to be a little organized in the fact that you have to decide you're going to make it a day before you eat it. Once you get that down, you'll make it all the time. Let me know if you make it and if you love it is as much as I do. All you need is a cast iron Dutch Oven.  That one in your camping gear works perfectly, or you can use the cute little blue number you got last Christmas☺

I Can't Believe I Made This Bread, Bread

3 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. (yep only 1/2 t.) yeast
1 3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. water (not hot and not cold. Just water)

Add in's of choice: I used 3/4 c. dried cranberries and the zest of 1 lemon today, but you can use raisins, cinnamon, any cheese, garlic, herbs, spices, Montreal Steak Seasoning is great. Let you imagination take you where ever you want to go. Sweet or savory, you decide.

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients together and stir until blended. Only a minute. It doesn't look pretty, but don't worry. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough sit for 12-24 hours. It will rise a little and start to look really wet and bubbly. This is good. I have used the dough as early as 8 hours and as late as 36 hour later. It always works. This is a very forgiving recipe. After the long rest, turn dough out onto a floured surface. Lightly turn the dough onto itself a few times. Don't knead this, you’re more or less just roughly forming the dough. Let it sit for 20 mins. and rest. In the mean time place your dutch oven pan in a 450'F. oven while it is preheating. The pan needs to stay in the hot oven about 20 mins. Take the hot pan out of the oven and place the dough ball in the pan. You don't need any grease, or butter for the pan. The dough will kind of wrinkle up and look terrible, but trust me it will look amazing in about an hour. With a sharp knife cut an X into the top of your dough. This will help it "tear" in a real rustic way. Place the lid on top of the dutch oven and place the pan back in the oven. Bake for 30 mins. at 450'F. with the lid on. Take the lid off and bake another 20 mins. The crust should brown nicely and when you tap the top of the bread it should sound hollow. Remove the bread from the pan and let cool. Yields 1- 1 1/2 lb loaf

It doesn't matter how long I've cooked or how many different things I try, there are a few things my mom makes that I think are the most amazing recipes in the world.  I have tried many different recipes for some of the items, but I still come back to my dear old mummy's way.  In my opinion there is no better recipe than my mom's for Chocolate Chip cookies, Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with it's touch of cinnamon, Lasagna, gravy, and most importantly Dilly Rolls!  

Whenever I saw these lovely rolls being made growing up, I knew it must be a special occasion.  They aren't made everyday.  Not even every Sunday.  Only special Sunday's when a grandma and grandpa were coming over,  or cousins from out of town, or Christmas dinner!  They’re that special.

 I made them one Sunday years ago when I invited my inlaws, and my husband’s grandma and grandpa Bingham over.  I remember Grandma Bingham loved them and had to take one home in a napkin.  That is the ultimate compliment.   When someone stuffs their purse with a little treasure in a napkin:)

A Dilly Roll with mustard and salt and pepper is a favorite treat of mine to take to bed with me after a long Sunday.  I giggle the whole time I eat it.  I always double the recipe because to me the leftover's are what is really important.  I need a sandwich for breakfast the next day as well as a late night snack.   I hope you like them as much as I do, and hopefully they'll appear on you next special dinner table.  

My Muther's Best Dang Dilly Rolls

1 c. cottage cheese
1 egg
1 T. butter
1/4 t. baking soda
Place these ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it is the temp. of formula.  In another bowl add:

1 T. yeast
1/2 c. warm water
1 T. sugar
Add the cottage cheese mixture to the yeast and then add:

1 T. dried minced onion
2 t. dill seed (not weed)
1 t. salt
2 1/4- 2 1/2 c. of flour

Mix until combined.  It is a sticky batter.  Grease 12 muffin tins and spoon the batter in.  Let rise until their a good size.  Bake in a 350' F oven for 12- 15 mins.  When the rolls come out of the oven, brush the tops with melted butter with a little bit of salt added

Peshwari or Sweet Naan

I missed my boys last week.  They headed out early Weds. morning in search of "food storage".  Hunting birds with grandpa and Uncle Eric is always a favorite thing for my boys.  There's a lot of driving involved, and a lot of talking, joking, movie watching, and walking their guts out.    The results  of a houseful of boys hunting, is a handful of girls left home, on their own, with cooking on their minds.  Emma has got the bug.  She loves to "make something delicious!" as she puts it.  So Fri. afternoon she made her favorite meal.  Chicken Tikka Masala.  My favorite part of the whole meal is the Naan bread we make to go with it.  Of course it's an improvisation of the original.  I don't have a Tandoori oven, and I don't usually think far enough ahead to make the Naan that takes hours, but I do have an incredible 5 minute version of Naan.  I've posted this recipe before, but today we're going to be talking about Peshwari or Sweet Naan.

I could live on this stuff.  As long as I had some of this delicious flat bread, and a big pot of sauce to dunk it in, I could be happy forever.   The first time I had Naan it was of course Garlic Naan.  It was wonderful, but the next visit to an Indian restaurant, the Tandoori Oven here in Logan, I decided to order the Sweet Naan.  I loved it!  The sweetness was perfect.  Nothing too sweet just right.  The sweetness come from a mixture of raisins, nuts (I use cashews) and coconut.  It's just a great mix rolled inside the dough and then cooked.  When I make it at home I usually take a tablespoon sized clump of the raisin, nut, coconut mix and place it in the middle of a dough ball.  I then pinch the sides together and then roll the dough out.  This works magic as the sweet paste is spread all the way through the dough.  Cook as directed and then brush with butter and a little shredded coconut and you will be in Sweet Naan heaven.

My brother made this recipe the last time I posted it and it didn't turn out so well.  I think the part that didn't work was his use of cooking spray.  He sprayed his fry pan before the dough went in.  Don't worry about spray.  All you need it a hot dry pan.  I promise it will work magic.  I'm also going to leave a link to the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe we love.  It's from The Pioneer Woman and we love it!  Enjoy!

5 Minute Quick Naan Bread! 

Courtesy of (Never-Home) Maker

What you'll need . . .

1 cup bread flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

2/3 cup water

extra flour for rolling

Method . . .

Whisk together the bread flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.

Add the water and stir. Then knead with your hands for a minute or two. If dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour.

Dough should be smooth and elastic. Divide into 4 balls.

Roll out each ball until it is about 5 to 6 inches in diameter.

Heat a large frying pan until nice and hot.  When hot, place one of the pre- naans (the rolled out dough) on it.  *Do Not add any cooking spray or oil of any sort.  The bread just needs dry, hot heat.  Press down a bit with your hands or a utensil. Cook until golden.  It usually only take 2-3 minutes per side.  You want some browned spots on your Naan. 

Then flip and cook until golden.  If you have a gas stove, I grab the Naan when it's about done and put it directly over the gas flame.  I loved the charred marks.  Repeat with remaining pieces.

Use a pizza cutter to cut each piece into 4 triangles if you want.

This recipe made 4 perfect sized Naan's. 

To make the Sweet Naan I took a handful of raisins, and handful of coconut, and a handful of cashews and buzzed them in a food processor with a little water until a rough paste formed.  I then put a tablespoon full of paste in the middle of a dough ball.  Folded it over and sealed the edges so the paste was inside the dough.  Then you roll the dough out as directed and cook as directed.  When the bread was done we brushed with butter and sprinkled some more coconut on top.  Yum!! 

Here's the link to the Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe!

It's awesome!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Tis true!  This is my favorite flavor combination in the whole world.  There used to be a Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor that highlighted this combination.  I'm on a crusade for them to bring it back.  It was called Monkey Wrenched, and it was delicious!  I guess my occasional purchase of the before mentioned ice cream just didn't cut it for Ben and Jerry's.  I think I'll write a letter to the editor the bring it back.  I wonder if it will work.  My prayers for the Chocolate Twizzlers  to return to their origanal form were answered.  Maybe the Monkey Wrenched prayers need to be offered:)  Just imagine peanut butter ice cream swirled with banana ice cream and then a generous sprinkling of chocolate chunks, and peanut butter cups were intertwined.  It was just delish!

So the other day when I saw a pin on Pinterest for a PB and chocolate Banana Bread I pinned it.   My Jimmy may have actually persuaded my to pin it, but I'm glad he did.  He loves to look over my shoulder as I browse Pinterest.  He may think he doesn't pin, but let me just say..........he totally does.  I believe that's another reason I like him.  I think Jimmy and Darin Adams are the only male Pinterest people on the planet.  I decided to not even mess with the original banana bread posted.  It had all sorts of odd things in it, and I have a testimony of Ruth's Banana Bread.   (Ruth is my fabulous neighbor C's mother.  I will love her for life! And she always supplies me with other great recipes.)  Trust me on this point.  No other banana bread is worth making.  Just follow Ruth's recipe.  To the recipe I added 1/2 c. girlie peanut butter (That would be the creamy PB.  No nuts, but you can use the male version of PB also.)  and 1 c. of mini chocolate chips.  It made one big loaf, but it also made enough for 12 mini muffins.  This is a treat of splendor.  Good thing my red head is home today, or I may have eaten the entire loaf by myself.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1/2 c. shortening (I use butter)

1 c. sugar (I use brown sugar)

2 eggs

2 c. mashed bananas (Don't skimp or it will just be ok banana bread not spectacular!)

1/2-3/4 c. peanut butter (creamy or chunky)

1 c. mini chocolate chips

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

2 c. flour

Cream shortening and sugar.  Add eggs and bananas.  Add salt and soda to flour and add to the first mix.  Bake at 350' F for 45-55 mins. or until a toothpick comes out clean. This makes one big loaf.  I use a Camp Chef cast iron bread pan and I love it.  I grease and flour the inside of the pan.  Also really watch and make sure the middle of your bread is done.  Check it with a toothpick or skinny little knife.  It may take longer to bake depending on you oven and pan size.  Good luck!  

Homemade Pizza To Die For

Emma and Jake's pizzas.  Em had shaved brussel sprouts on hers and she said it was
amazing!

A week or so ago I received my Bon Appetit magazine in the mail.  The cover photo struck my fancy right off the bat.  It was a picture of a rustic homemade pizza that looked yummy!  The caption of the front said something to the effect of, "Make amazing homemade pizza at home with a crust that will know your socks off!"  It didn't say the whole "knock your socks off"  but you get the general idea.  The article started on pg. 64, and I couldn't wait to get there.  I ripped a few other recipes out of the mag before I got to the pizza recipe, but once I started reading about the pizza, who cared what else was in the magazine.

I usually find at least one gem of a recipe in almost all of my cookbooks or magazines, but this pizza dough recipe is worth 20 years of subscriptions!  It's good!  It's delish!  It made me the happiest girl or boy in town!

The recipe was written by the same guy who created my favorite bread recipe.  (You've got to try the bread recipe too if you haven't yet. )  The recipe was so simple I wondered if it would be as good as professed.  Yep!  You'll be having pizza night this weekend with your fam, or all your brothers and their wives, or your favorite neighbors.  And they will all go home thinking that they have never eaten something so delicious.  I'm still dreaming about my pizza.  I'm dreaming of James' pizza too.  He made two for himself.  He can do that, and still keep his girlish figure.  Lucky man!  (Actually lucky me!!)

Get creative with the toppings.  Of course we always have the old pepperoni and cheese standby stuff, but we pulled out some interesting stuff this time.  The pizza I was imagining had a little sweet and a salad on top.  It was the best darn thing I think I've ever eaten!  I chose to top my pizza pretty simply.

a tiny little smear of Olive Oil

Prosciutto (just a fancy ham- you can totally do regular ham or bacon)

Blue Cheese crumbles

fresh pears

The Lisa concoction.  Olive Oil, prosciutto, blue cheese and pears.

With the salad and shave Parmesan cheese on top.  SO stinking good!

After my pizza came out of the oven I topped it with salad.  It had some Spring Mix and drizzled it with a little bit of this dressing.  Any vinaigrette would work.  It was so tasty!    My other favorite pizza is just a plain old Marguerite Pizza.  A little smear of tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil.  It's so simple and yummy!

So I promise you will love this pizza recipe.  It has officially become my ONLY pizza recipe.  I can only imagine the breadsticks out of this!  Served in a mason jar with some Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar.  Yep!  Enjoy, and let me know how it turns out!!  And a big humongous thanks to Bon Appetite Magazine for producing such a great article.  I will love your guts FOREVER!

"This dough is chewy, bubbly, and better than what you'll get at most pizza places. It bakes wonderfully in a home oven, on a pizza stone or a baking sheet. And thanks to the brilliant no-knead method of Jim Lahey—owner of New York's Sullivan Street Bakery and pizza spot Co.— it's easy to prepare, deriving its character from overnight fermentation, not laborious kneading. Just remember to start at least 1 day ahead." Bon Appetit

Sullivan Street No Knead Pizza Dough

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine Mar. 2012

Ingredients

7 1/2 cups (1000 grams) all-purpose flour plus more for shaping dough

4 teaspoons fine sea salt plus more for seasoning

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

3 c. warm water

Toppings (create your own)

1 28-ounce can tomatoes, undrained, puréed or crushed by hand

16 ounces fresh mozzarella

pepperoni

pears

blue cheese

tomatoes

basil..........................you get the idea

Preparation

Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a medium bowl. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add 3 cups water; stir until well incorporated. Mix dough gently with your hands to bring it together and form into a rough ball. Transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature (about 72°) in a draft-free area until surface is covered with tiny bubbles and dough has more than doubled in size, about 18 hours (time will vary depending on the temperature in the room).

Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Gently shape into a rough rectangle. Divide into 6 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, gather 4 corners to center to create 4 folds. Turn seam side down and mold gently into a ball. Dust dough with flour; set aside on work surface or a floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining portions.

Let dough rest, covered with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, until soft and pliable, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Wrap each dough ball separately in plastic wrap and chill. Unwrap and let rest at room temperature on a lightly floured work surface, covered with plastic wrap, for 2–3 hours before shaping.

To Make the Pizzas

During the last hour of dough's resting, prepare oven: If using a pizza stone, arrange a rack in upper third of oven and place stone on rack; preheat oven to its hottest setting, 500°–550°, for 1 hour. If using a baking sheet, arrange a rack in middle of oven and preheat to its hottest setting, 500°–550°. (You do not need to preheat the baking sheet.)

Working with 1 dough ball at a time, dust dough generously with flour and place on a floured work surface. Gently shape dough into a 10"–12" disk.

If using a pizza stone: When ready to bake, increase oven heat to broil. Sprinkle a pizza peel or rimless (or inverted rimmed) baking sheet lightly with flour. Place dough disk on prepared peel and spread about 3 Tbsp. crushed tomatoes over dough. Tear or crumble some mozzarella over top. Using small, quick back-and-forth movements, slide pizza from peel onto hot pizza stone. *(Here's my tip inserted here.  I didn't use a pizza peel or a pizza stone.  We formed our pizzas on a silver cookie sheet and called it good.  They turned out amazing and crisp and blistered.  So don't worry if you don't have a pizza stone.)  Broil pizza, rotating halfway, until bottom of crust is crisp and top is blistered, 5–7 minutes. Using peel, transfer to a work surface.  Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt. Slice pizza. Repeat, allowing pizza stone to reheat under broiler for 5 minutes between pizzas.

If using a baking sheet: Arrange dough disk on baking sheet; top with tomatoes and mozzarella. Bake pizza until bottom of crust is crisp and top is blistered, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a work surface. Garnish pizza and slice. Repeat with remaining pizzas.