back to basics

Few things are as comforting as the scent of bread baking in the oven. Many people are intimidated by the idea of making bread, especially yeast breads, but there are foolproof methods to help you out. The kneading process will be easier if you have a stand mixer, but it’s not necessary. If you’re looking for an added benefit of a little stress relief, do knead your bread by hand; you may be surprised as to how therapeutic it can be.

For a basic sandwich bread, you will need the following:

1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)

1 package dry yeast

1 tsp honey

6 oz warm milk (110 degrees)

3 T unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 T honey

1 large egg yolk

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 ¼ tsp salt

1. Combine the warm water, yeast, and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a mixing bowl if making by hand). Allow to sit for five minutes for the yeast to proof; it will foam and give off a “yeasty” scent.
2. Add the butter, milk, and remaining honey, mix on low or by hand to blend. Add the egg yolk and 1 cup of the flour. Mix on low speed or by hand for a minute, add the salt and another cup of flour. Continue to mix (or knead by hand) and gradually add remaining flour as needed (depending on the humidity of the air, more or less than the total 3 cups may be needed. If using a stand mixer, let it knead the dough until the dough is mostly clear of the sides and may stick a bit to the bottom of the bowl, about 7 or 8 minutes total. If kneading by hand, work until it forms a smooth ball.
3. Lightly oil or butter a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl; roll the dough around until it is completely oiled. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise until double in volume, about an hour or two.
4. Grease an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan. Shape the dough into an 8 inch log and place in the pan. Cover again with the kitchen towel and allow to raise until the dough has doubled in size, about an hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C). Bake dough for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden and the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Turn the bread out of the pan and allow to cool completely (this is important; cutting into warm bread will change the texture of the bread). Store in a sealed plastic bag.

This will be so much better than anything you buy at the grocery store!

Okay, so not really. Where I live, we all know that though we have a heat wave, it is certainly not the beginning of spring. We are hopeful that just maybe, we won’t have such bitterly cold weather anymore. It’s warmer today, and it will be raining later on (rain means snow melts faster!). Tomorrow we will be above 50 degrees F (!), and I fully intend to take advantage of it.

After the rain moves out of the area, I’m shoveling out my grill. Well, whatever snow is left around my grill will be removed. That hamburger I’ve been craving for weeks now will be mine!

I’m telling you, this is the part of winter that I like: the brief little spring teasers that give me a pick-me-up and allow me to go back to my winter cooking. Oh, I will be grilling a few things to enjoy this week: hamburgers, chicken breasts for salads, perhaps even a few hotdogs that I can refreeze and pull out in a couple of weeks when I’ve got the winter blues again. Yes, you read that right: hotdogs. I’m ashamed to admit that about twice a year, I eat hotdogs. And not the healthy ones. What can I say? Sometimes a cultural dish is more important that eating 100% clean.

Oh, I’ve tried the healthy hotdogs. I don’t like them. I probably should find some sort of vegetarian hotdog to try (do they make those?), because for me, hotdogs are simply an opportunity to load up on condiments: cherry tomatoes, onions, relish, cheese, and maybe a little mustard.

I’m so excited, it’s ridiculous. I’m excited for grilled food (I’ll throw some veggies on, too), but I’m almost more excited because this taste of summer will most definitely help me enjoy the rest of winter.

Last night, I was sad. Groundhog Day reminded me of just how long this winter has been so far, and how much we still have to go. I don’t put much stock in whether or not our state groundhog sees his shadow (he did); winter seems to go on for another 6-8 weeks after that day, regardless.

Lately, I’ve been really pining for spring and summer, simply for the windfall of produce available at the farmers’ market. I’m lucky that I live in an area that has close to twenty different markets (granted, some are in neighboring towns, but it does make it easy for everyone to visit a market), with at least one market open every day of the week. And while our largest market is open year-round (it moves indoors in the winter), there’s not a whole lot available other than preserves, eggs, root vegetables, and a few greenhouse items. I just miss the summer bounty.

And then I reminded myself of how every summer, I wish for the day I can turn my oven on to roast a chicken or bake a pie. How I long to make a warming soup or mug of hot chocolate. I can do all of these things now, and instead of enjoying what I do have now, I’m wishing for something in the future.

I made a conscious decision to enjoy making the warming, comforting foods that I associate with winter, and stop wishing for something that will come soon enough. Instead, I will look through my recipe collection to see what new recipes I can try out, to take advantage of the cool weather.

And really, I can’t complain. We’ve been light on snow the past few weeks, and though at times the temperature has dropped more than I would like, I’ve seen the sun just about every day lately.

That picture didn’t post so well. For giggles, I’ll try one more.

I love taking pictures of food. I have a rather inexpensive digital camera, so for quite awhile now, my pictures have not been anything special. I’d see food blogs that had just the most amazing pictures, and then I would see my pictures.

There was no comparison.

I did some research into cameras, though I really can’t afford to buy a new camera right now. When I saw the pricetag of the camera I would need, not to mention the lens…well, I would need to win the lottery or have a major career break-through.

So I started tinkering with my little powershot. And then I found the setting for Super Macro. Hmm. Perhaps I could make this work. I even baked a batch of cupcakes, just so I could take pictures.

Oh my. That picture is quite large! Oh well, I’m pleased with the results, nonetheless. And, I have completely renewed by desire to cook and bake up a storm…all so that I can take new pictures with my old camera. And the best part? I don’t have to learn how to use something new. Sometimes the basics are all you need…

Making pizza from scratch is easier than you might think. The following recipe will produce enough dough for about six individual pizzas, or two regular size pizzas. The individual pizzas are great for a pizza party or kids, because everything can pick their own toppings. Here’s what you’ll need:

3/4 c warm water (110 degrees F)
1 package dry yeast
2 tsp honey
1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tsp salt

First, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in a large mixer bowl. Allow it to sit for five minutes so the yeast can proof. Add 1 cups of flour and the salt, and mix with a dough hook on a low speed. Gradually add the remaining flour as the dough will absorb it (you may no need it all). Knead for about 7 minutes. Turn the dough out on a floured board and knead by hand a dozen times. Put the dough into a large, oiled bowl and roll the dough around until it’s well-coated. Cover it with a kitchen towel and allow it to sit for 30 minutes while you prepare the toppings. After 30 minutes, divide the dough into two balls and roll out each on a floured board into 8 inch rounds (alternatively, divide into six balls and roll out into small rounds).

Brush the dough with olive oil, and top with your favorite cheese and toppings. Bake on a sheet pan coated with cornmeal at 475 F for 8-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown around the edges and the cheese is bubbling. Always allow the pizza to rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before cutting into it; this allows the juices to go back into any vegetables on the pizza, preventing a soggy crust after cutting, and allows the flavors to further develop.

And voila! Delicious pizza. You can further experiment with the crusts by adding chopped herbs, garlic, even shredded cheese.

This dough also freezes really well. Right before you put the dough into the oiled bowl, simply break the dough in half; wrap one half with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer, and use the remaining dough as directed. Later, thaw dough in refrigerator overnight and allow to rise at room temp in oiled bowl for about 45 minutes.