Crusty Herbed Peasant Loaf

Dry ingredients:

3 c flour

1/4 c vital wheat gluten

1 t salt

1 T dry basil

1 T dry oregano

1 t onion powder

1/2T granulated garlic

Wet ingredients:

1 c warm water

1 T sugar

1 T yeast

2 T olive oil

1 lg egg

Instructions

Blend Dry Ingredients in a mixer bowl fitted with a.fough hook.

In a separate container mix water sugar and yeast. Let sit until foamy. Add oil and egg. Whisk until well blended.

Add to mixer with dry ingredients. Mix well scraping often. Continue kneading in the mixer. If dough is sticky, add small amounts of flour and mix just until the dough pulls away from the bowl.

Coat the bottom of a large bowl with olive oil. Remove the dough from the mixer to a lightly floured surface to knead by hand briefly and form into a ball, stretching the top rolling the dough under and into the center of the ball. Roll the ball in the oil in the bowl then flip. Cover and let ride until doubled. Dump out dough on the floured surface again and knead briefly reforming a ball.

Place dough on a square sheet of parchment, place both in a round Dutch oven (parchment on the bottom). Cover and allow to double again.

With a sharp knife make one 1/2" deep slice across the dough. Cover and bake in a COLD OVEN set to 450° F for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue baking for 20-30 additional minutes until internal temperature reached at least 160°F. Remove to a cooling rack for 10 minutes before slicing.

Steak House Brown Bread

Ingredients
2 tablespoon yeast
2 cup lukewarm water
3/4 c molasses
2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 c vital wheat gluten
2/3 cup cornmeal
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 cup rye flour
4 - 5 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or 50/50 all-purpose and reg whole wheat)

Directions
Stir yeast and molasses into water in a medium mixing bowl until dissolved and allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes until bubbly. Mix in salt, oil, cornmeal, eggs, vital wheat gluten and cocoa powder. Add rye flour, then whole wheat flour and stir until combined. Allow dough to rest for about 10 minutes to let the flours absorb some the liquid.

Turn out onto to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, adding more flour if needed so that it does not stick to your fingers. Place dough into a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel then place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours because of the heavier flour.

Grease two loaf pans and roll dough out into a roughly shaped log. Cut the log in half and form into two equal sized logs the length of the pans. Place dough into pan and allow to rise for about 30 minutes, then preheat oven to 375 degrees F and let the loaf finish rising while oven heats.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until hollow sounding when knocked. Remove and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Prep Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Note: Increase molasses to add some sweetness

Wheat Nut Pumpernickel Bread

Ingredients

3 cups Whole Wheat Flour

5 cups Rye Flour

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

3 teaspoons salt

2 cups hydrated wheat berries (aka cracked wheat)

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups warm water

Olive

Rehydrate the wheat berries: 

Place 2 cups dry wheat berries in a mixing bowl. Add 2 cups boiling water. Mix and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Make the bread:

1. Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add the hydrated wheat berries, molasses and most of the water. Knead and add more water or flour if needed. Roll the dough into a ball and oil it.

2. Oil a large bowl ready for the dough and cover with a wet cloth.

3. Let the dough sit for at least 2 hours to rise, preferably in a warm place.

4. After it has clearly risen (it will not double but will visibly rise), punch the dough down and knead it again, then let it rise for at least 2 more hours.

5. After the second rise, section the dough to make small loaves or bread rolls. (Longer baguette- shaped loaves work really well; the middle of the loaf cooks through without overdoing the crust, so it’s just perfect.)

6. Let the loaves sit again, but this time for only about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

7. Place a large pan in the oven and fill it with water to create steam while the bread bakes. The bread will take about 30 minutes to bake. Bake check: The bread should feel firm and crusty, but still spring back when you press it, a bit like a heavy cake. You can also flick and tap the bottom and if it sounds sort of hollow, it’s ready for the cooling rack.

Cracked Wheat Bread

Ingredients
1 Cup cracked wheat
4 cups boiling water
5 teaspoons yeast or 2 packets
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup butter softened
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten optional
2 cups warm water
1 cup cracked wheat
6 cups whole wheat flour
5-6 cups all purpose flour

Makes four loaves OR two loaves and approx. 24 rolls.

Instructions
1. Add cracked wheat and boiling water into a large mixing bowl. Let soak for about 15 minutes until mixture has cooled.  Sprinkle yeast on top of mixture and let sit for an additional 5 minutes.
2. In mixer bowl with dough hook installed, mix in honey, butter, salt, vital wheat gluten, additional cracked wheat, 2 cups water.
3. Mix in wheat flour one cup at a time. Continue mixing in all purpose flour until bread dough comes together in a ball. Knead in a stand mixer for 5 minutes.
4.Place dough in a large, greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Set aside until double in size.
5. Once doubled, lightly punch down dough and divide into four sections.
6. Form loaves and place into greased bread pans. (Or cut into 2 oz balls to form rolls). Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes.
7. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes.
8. Cool on a baking rack for 5 minutes in pan and then remove bread from pan and let it cool completely before cutting.

Ham & Cheese Sliders

Sandwich Ingredients
2 pkgs Hawaiian Dinner rolls (12 pc)
1/2 lb very thin sliced deli ham
1/2 lb very thin sliced deli swiss
3 Tbsp Miracle Whip Dressing

Sauce Ingredients
2 Tbsp Grainy brown mustard
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp molasses
1 tsp poppy seeds 

Buttered 9x13 glass pan

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F

Make the sauce by putting all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Stir well to full combine. The mustard will help mix the butter into the other ingredients. Set aside.

Remove rolls from package - do not separate.
Slice both packages rolls horizontally about 1/2 way up from the bottom
Fit the bottoms into the 9x13 pan (cut off excess but maximize number of rolls to fit)
Spread Miracle Whip on the top of the roll bottom halves in the pan
Layer several layers of ham slices on top of the Miracle Whip
Layer several layers of swiss cheese slices on top of the ham
Brush on a heavy layer of the sauce on top of the cheese (there should be a little left in the pan)
Put the roll tops on the sauce covered sandwiches
Lightly brush the remaining sauce on the tops of the rolls.
Cover tightly with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove foil and cut through the ham and cheese between the rolls
Serve immediately

Tarte Normande de Fromages et Bourbon (Norman Apple Tart with Cheeses and Bourbon)

CRUST
300 g flour
160 g unsalted butter
90 g powdered sugar
1 egg

FILLING
3 apples (Granny Smith)
100 g heavy cream
4 eggs
100 g powdered sugar
2 g Cinnamon
2 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 c shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
3 T bourbon

INSTRUCTIONS
Butter a 12" tart pan with removable bottom
Preheat oven to 200℃/400℉ (tested at 375℉ - add 15 minutes)
Place flour, sugar, and butter into a food processor. Process to Blend. Add egg. Process to blend. If needed, drizzle ice water 1 T at a time and process into dough. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap. Form into a disc and wrap. Refrigerate for at least 60 minutes.
Unwrap dough onto the buttered pan. Press out evenly about 3/8 thick including up the sides of the pan.
Place buttered tart pan on a larger sheet pan in case some of the filling spills over.
Peel, core and slice apples into 1.5-2 cm/1/2" thick slices. Spread in one layer (overlapping) around the entire pan.
To a mixing bowl, mix eggs, cream, cream cheese, shredded cheese, bourbon, and cinnamon. Using the paddle, blend completely until the mixture is smooth and completely combined.
Pour mixture over apples - try to get some of the mixture on each apple.
Bake for about 45 minutes until the custard has set and is browned and puffy.
Cool completely. Gently remove from pan and place on serving plate. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar. Cut and serve.
Prepare an extra oven safe dish - butter it well. Put extra apple chunks and pure in any left over filling liquid. Bake on a sheet pan with the tart.

(And yes, I got out my electronic scale to measure the quantities shown here by mass and not volume!)

Cheesecake Bars with Shortbread Crust

Shortbread Crust

3⁄4 cup unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

1⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Filling

2 8oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups sugar

the juice & zest from 1 medium lemon

3 tablespoons heavy cream (or sub milk)

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pint fresh washed or frozen blueberries

Crust Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes. In a food processor, add cubed butter, flour, brown sugar, and salt.

Process until mixture forms small lumps.

Sprinkle into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan, pressing down with spatula to form crust.

Bake in the middle of oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool while making the filling.

Filling

In the bowl of stand mixer, combine the cream cheese with the sugar. Beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice, heavy cream (or milk), eggs, & vanilla extract until creamy. Spread the mixture over the pre-baked shortbread crust. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly on top.

Bake for 32-37 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown and middle appears to be set.

Cool completely before slicing. Store in refrigerator.