Quick and Easy Sandwich Bread

I'm starting the process of cleaning out my apartment by getting rid things I don't want to move with me to DC (!!!). I started by filling an entire box up with old magazines…Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, Better Homes and Gardens etc. I was just getting ready to get rid of a Cooks Illustrated Magazine (which I didn't order…some mild drama with they're company! Grrr...), when I saw a recipe I must have missed before. It was an easy sandwich bread recipe that promised minimal kneading, no shaping, and could be ready in less than two hours. I was sold, and got to baking right away!

I can't tell you how many times I've tried to make my own sandwich bread. None of them were disasters, and all were eaten, though none were great. Usually the bread I bake is somewhat dense, even though it feels like I'm doing everything right! However, this recipe delivered. It made wonderful chicken sandwiches, and super crunchy toast. Plus, look at all those holes! So pretty. With the start of the school year coming up, give this recipe a go. It's so easy and quick, there's no excuse to not have fresh bread every week! :)

Quick and Easy Sandwich Bread

Notes: This is a very wet dough…do not be alarmed! That is why you should use a paddle attachment instead of a dough hook. A paddle lends itself to faster, more aggressive, kneading. I haven't tried making this by hand, so I don't know how it would turn out. Also, bread flour is a must. Since you're doing very little kneading, you need the extra gluten! Since the dough isn't shaped, you won't have that perfectly smooth top you find with shape loaves…a small sacrifice. 

Ingredients

2 cups (11 ounces) bread flour

6 tablespoons whole wheat flour

2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water (120 degrees)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon honey

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt (I may try without next time, as parts of the loaf had an eggy taste. It wasn't bad, but I'm curious how it would taste without it)

Directions

In bowl of a stand mixer, whisk bread flour, whole-wheat flour, and yeast together. Add 1 1/4 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and honey. Fit stand mixer with paddle and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes longer. Remove bowl and paddle from mixer. Scrape down bowl and paddle, leaving paddle in batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let batter rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 20 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Dissolve salt in remaining 2 tablespoons warm water. When batter has doubled, attach bowl and paddle to mixer. Add salt water mixture and mix on low speed until water is mostly incorporated, about 40 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute, scraping down paddle of necessary. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth surface with greased rubber spatula. Cover and leave in warm place until batter reaches 1/2 inch below edge of pan, 15-20 minutes. Uncover and let rise until center of batter is level with edge of pan, 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Gently brush top of risen loaf with egg mixture, if using. Bake until deep golden brown and loaf registers 208-210 degrees, 40-45 minutes. Using dish towels, carefully invert bread onto wire rack. Reinvert loaf and brush top and sides with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter. Let cool completely before slicing.

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated January/February 2014

Homemade Naan

Ah, naan. So scrumptious, and perfect for sopping up creamy Indian food goodness. It also makes a pretty good personal pizza if I do say so myself! I've made this recipe a number of times, and it's way easier then you would think! There's very little kneading, so no need for a stand mixture, and only one rise at 45 minutes!

There are a few things I've learned over time with this recipe:

-I've found that the naan cooks better when using a cast iron skillet. I used non-stick when I made this in China, and far prefer the cast iron. If you don't have one...get one. Not only do they cook food beautifully, they're good for your health too! I use cast iron about 90% of the time in my cooking.

-When rolling out the dough, roll it thinner than you would think! The thinner it is the more bubbly it gets, and trust me, that's a very good thing (fun to watch too)!

-Make sure your pan is hot before putting the first one on, otherwise it won't bubble as well as it should. When this happens, the first one turns out okay, but the second is perfect. The pan should sizzle and crack when you splash a little water on it.

-Keep your towel over the individual balls of dough while cooking one. This will keep in the moisture, and they'll be easier to shape into balls when the time comes.

So there you have it. Not too bad, right? Trust me, once you make naan yourself, you'll never want to buy the stuff in the store again! Next time, I'm going to give garlic naan a try. If I'm successful, it could be dangerous!

Homemade Naan

Ingredients

2 teaspoons instant yeast 

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup water

2 1/2-3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil 

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 large egg

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water. Stir to dissolve then let sit for a few minutes or until it is frothy on top. At that point, stir in the oil, yogurt and egg until evenly combined.

In a medium sized bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the salt. Next, add the bowl of wet ingredients to the flour/salt mixture and stir until well combined. Continue adding flour a half cup at a time until you can no longer stir it with a spoon (about 1 to 1.5 cups later).

At that point, turn the ball of dough out onto a well floured counter top. Knead the ball of dough for about 3 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. I ended up using a little less then 3 cups of flour total. The dough should be smooth and very soft but not sticky.

Loosely cover the dough with a tea towel in a warm (cozy!) spot and let it rise until double in size (about 45 minutes). After it rises, gently flatten the dough and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball by stretching the dough back under itself until the top is smooth and round. Leave the towel over the dough until ready to use.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet (cast iron baby!) over medium heat and spray lightly with non-stick spray. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out until it is about 1/8-1/4 inch thick or approximately 7 inches in diameter. Place the rolled out dough onto the hot skillet and cook until the under side is golden brown and large bubbles have formed on the surface. The bigger the bubbles, the better. Flip the dough and cook the other side until golden brown as well. Brush with melted butter, and serve.

Recipe Source: adapted from Budget Bytes

Shaved Asparagus Pizza with No-Rise Crust

FINALLY....Spring has made it to Cincinnati. It is gorgeous outside, and I am trying to soak it all up. That's why I jumped at my first chance to eat lunch on my balcony, using my new (to me) bistro set for the first time. It turned into an elegant little affair involving just little ole me.

This pizza is Spring in a pan. I've always loved asparagus, but never really thought to put it on a pizza. Of course this "recipe" is really more of a suggestion, as with all pizza, just add what you have! Deb added green onions, which I think would be lovely, but I didn't have any on hand. I simply added a pinch of crushed red peppers and some minced garlic, because garlic makes everything better. You could also add some lemon zest or other spring veggies, though I think too much would take away from the delicate asparagus. 

The no-rise crust has been a favorite of mine the past few months. If I can have a delicious homemade pizza in the amount of time it takes to preheat the oven, I am down. I've found that I prefer to bake it in a cast iron skillet, but you could also bake it on a parchment lined baking sheet. 

Happy Sunday everyone! 

P.S. um...so yeah...I definitely spilled my water on the tablecloth cutting the pizza. Excuse the water spots! :)

Shaved Asparagus Pizza with No-Rise Pizza Crust

Ingredients 

Crust

1/2 cup water, heated to 110 degrees

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

1 3/8 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Shaved Asparagus Pizza Topping

1/2 pound asparagus

1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 pound mozzarella, shredded or cut into small cubes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Pinch of crushed red pepper
Several grinds black pepper 

Optional Toppings: lemon zest, poached eggs, chopped green onions (sprinkle after pizza bakes), etc. 
 

Directions

Preheat oven to 500°

First prepare the pizza crust. Whisk water, oil, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Allow yeast to proof for 5 minutes. Add flour and salt to yeast mixture, and stir until combined. Quickly knead dough until it comes together. If baking in a cast iron, press dough into lightly oiled skillet. If baking on a baking sheet, roll dough out on a lightly floured surface, then place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Next, prepare asparagus. Wash asparagus, but don't snap off ends. Holding a single asparagus spear by its tough end, lay it flat on a cutting board and using a vegetable peeler (even my dull ikea one did the job!). Create long shavings of asparagus by drawing the peeler from the base to the top of the stalk. Repeat with remaining stalks. Discard tough ends. Toss peelings with olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, and pepper in a bowl.

Now it's time to assemble the pizza. Sprinkle pizza dough with Parmesan, mozzarella, and garlic. Pile asparagus on top. Bake pizza for 10 to 15 minutes, or until edges are browned, the cheese is bubbly and the asparagus is lightly charred. Remove from the oven, slice, and eat.

Recipe Sources: Smitten Kitchen and The Fauxmartha