Kate's Cuisine » Breads

Dinner Rolls

kate — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:30:18 +0000

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit) Free!
2 tablespoons dry active yeast $0.66
1/2 cup butter, melted $0.45
1/2 cup sugar $0.10
3 eggs $0.60
1 teaspoon salt $0.01
4 – 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour $0.80

Total Cost $2.62

Cost per Roll $0.11

1.) Combine water and yeast in bowl, stir to combine, and let sit for 5 minutes.

2.) Using a wooden spoon, stir in butter, sugar, eggs, and salt.

3.) Add flour, one cup of a time, beating it in as you go. When dough has formed, wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to three days.

4.) Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.

5.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

6.) Divide into 24 equal pieces and roll each into a smooth, round ball.

7.) Place dough balls into prepared pan in equally-spaced rows.

8.) Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

9.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

10.) Place rolls in oven and allow to cook for about 17 minutes, until golden brown.

11.) Remove from oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes.

12.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the Dinner Rolls recipe review here

French Baguette

kate — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:44:49 +0000

1 envelope active dry yeast $0.33
1/4 cup warm water, about 110 degrees Free!
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting $0.66
1 cup cake flour $0.25
2 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt $0.02
1 1/4 cups cold water, plus 1 tablespoon Free
1 teaspoon olive oil $0.06

Total Cost $1.32

1.) Combine the yeast and the warm water in a small bowl and stir with a fork to dissolve. Let stand for 3 minutes.

2.) Combine the flours and the salt in a large bowl and whisk to sift. Pour the cool water and the yeast mixture over the flour and with your hands, stir until you have a stringy mass.

3.) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 4 minutes, until it is resilient but not too smooth. Leave the dough on the work surface, cover lightly with a tea towel for about 20 minutes and allow to rest.

4.) Knead the dough for another 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t overwork the dough; it should be smooth, elastic, and resilient. Place a drop of olive oil in a large bowl and place the dough inside, turning to entirely coat the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until it has nearly doubled in volume.

5.) Deflate the dough by gently punching it down. Fold it over itself, reshape into a ball and cover again with a tea towel. Let it rise for another 1 1/4 hours, until it again has nearly doubled in volume.

6.) Again, gently deflate the dough by lightly punching it down. Reshape again into a round, cover again with a tea towel, and allow to rise again for another hour.

7.) Place the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and divide into 3 equal pieces. Gently stretch each piece into a rectangle, trying to leave large bubbles in the dough. Fold the top portion down and the bottom portion up, just as if you were folding a letter. Form the dough into a log by rolling it from left to right, sealing the seam with the heel of your palm each time. The point is to draw the skin tight over the dough without tearing the skin or its airy structure. Set aside to rest while you repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

8.) Turn out again onto a lightly floured work surface and elongate it by gently rolling it back and forth, moving from the middle of the dough out towards the ends. Elongate until you have the desired size.

9.) Place a piece of parchment paper on an upside-down baking sheet. Place the loaves on the parchment and cover with a tea towel; let rise for 30 to 40 minutes.

10.) Thirty minutes prior to baking time, preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Place an empty pan on the bottom rack of the oven and using a very sharp knife, make 3 to 5 slashes on the top of each loaf. The cuts should be on a diagonal and not straight across, and should run from the top of the loaf to to the bottom, spaced about 1 1/2″ apart. Be careful to very gently make these slits, as you don’t want to deflate the loaves.

11.) Gently slide the baking sheet holding the loaves onto the top rack of the oven. Pour 1 cup of very hot into the empty pan and quickly close the door.

12.) Bake for 12 minutes, then lower heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes until the loaves are golden brown, crisp, and sound hollow on the inside when tapped.

13.) Move to a wire rack and allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes.

14.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

Cinnamon Rolls

kate — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:50:43 +0000

1 package dry active yeast $0.33
3/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
1/4 cup white sugar $0.05
3/4 teaspoon salt $0.01
1 egg, room temperature $0.17
2 1/2 cups bread flour $0.55
1/4 cup butter, softened $0.22
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon $0.90
1/2 cup brown sugar $0.10
1 cup raisins, soaked in boiling water for 30 seconds and drained $0.95

Total Cost $3.28

1.) In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2.) In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the sugar, salt, egg, and 1 cup flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

3.) Lightly grease an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4″ thick rectangle. Smear the dough with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar, and raisins. Roll up the dough along the long edge until it forms a roll. Slice the roll into 16 equal size pieces and place them in the pan with the cut side up.

4.) Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or cover and let sit at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

5.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

J.P.’s Big Daddy Biscuits

kate — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:20:49 +0000

2 cups all-purpose flour $0.44
1 tablespoon baking powder $0.15
1 teaspoon salt $0.01
1 tablespoon white sugar $0.01
1/3 cup shortening $0.15
1 cup milk $0.27

Total Cost $1.03

1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

3.) Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15 – 20 times. Pat or roll dough out to 1-inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.

4.) Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

Fresh Pasta Dough

kate — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 03:42:15 +0000

2 cups all-purpose flour $0.44
3 large eggs $0.51
1/2 teaspoon salt $0.01

Total Cost $0.96

1.) On a countertop or other large work surface, place the flour in a mound. Make a fairly large well in the centre. In the centre, place the eggs and the salt.

2.) Start by lightly whisking eggs and salt together, being careful not to touch the flour. Once the eggs are beaten, slowly incorporate the flour. Do this very slowly! Take about a teaspoon of flour each time and mix well with the egg mixture. When fully incorporated, take another teaspoon of flour with the fork and fully incorporate into the egg mixture. Keep doing this until it becomes difficult to move the fork through the flour and egg. Once that happens, mix the flour and eggs with your hands, mixing until it’s just combined and a nice, elastic dough forms.

3.) Form the dough into 2 or 3 small bowls. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Then use immediately, or freeze for later use.

4.) When ready to use, roll the dough out as thinly as possible using a pasta machine – this will be the “1″ setting. Follow the machine’s instructions, which is usually to start with the thickest (the biggest number) and work your way to the thinnest (the smallest number.)

5.) Once your dough is rolled you can make whatever kind of pasta you want! For these long noodles, you can put the rolled pasta dough through the cutters on the pasta machine. You can also cut it yourself with a sharp knife.

6.) When noodles are ready, bring a large pot of salted water up to a rolling boil. Add the fresh pasta noodles for two to three minutes, until el dente, and drain. Toss with your favourite sauce.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

Sourdough Bread

kate — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:09:30 +0000

5 – 6 cups bread flour $1.50
3 tablespoons sugar $0.03
2 teaspoons salt $0.02
1/4 teaspoon baking soda $0.01
1 package dry yeast $0.33
1 cup water Free!
1 1/3 cup buttermilk $1.16
1 teaspoon olive oil $0.06
1 egg $0.17

Total Cost $3.27

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Add buttermilk and water to a saucepan. Over medium heat, warm liquid until it is lukewarm; it may start to look as though it has curdled. Make sure not to make the mixture too hot or else it will kill the yeast.

3.) In a large bowl mix two cups of flour; sugar; salt; baking soda; and yeast. Add the lukewarm buttermilk to the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or your hands and mix for two minutes. Then add another cup of flour and mix just until it’s combined.

4.) Pour out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 – 10 minutes, add more flour 1/2 cup at a time as necessary, until dough is silky and smooth. Do not feel as though you have to use all the flour, just enough to get you to this point.

5.) Place the teaspoon of olive oil into the bottom of a bowl and then place the dough on top. Turn the dough to make sure that it’s completely covered in olive oil. Then, wrap bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot; allow dough to rise until nearly double in volume.

6.) Once the dough has nearly doubled, punch it down lightly. Divide the dough into two equal sections and place in two greased loaf pans. Cover and let it rise again for another 45 minutes.

7.) When dough is ready, mix the egg with a little bit of water, then brush this mixture over both of the loaves. Place in the oven for 45 minutes or until top is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool before removing from loaf pans.

8.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

Focaccia Bread

kate — Sat, 15 May 2010 00:10:10 +0000

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour $0.77
1 teaspoon white sugar $0.01
1 teaspoon salt $0.01
1 tablespoon active dry yeast $0.33
1 cup water Free with your water bill!
2 tablespoons vegetable oil $0.14
1 egg $0.17
3 tablespoons olive oil $0.54
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed $0.11

Total Cost $2.08

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Combine one cup of flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix well. Heat water and vegetable oil until warm and add to yeast mixture, along with egg. Blend with an electric mixer at low speed until moistened. Then beat for an additional two minutes. Stir in 1 3/4 cup flour while beating, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

3.) Dump dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in 3/4 cup flour. Cover the dough with the bowl and let sit for five minutes. Place dough on a greased baking sheet and roll out to form a 12-inch circle. Then cover with greased plastic wrap and a cloth towel. Place in a warm place for 30 minutes.

4.) Uncover dough and, with the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes at about 1-inch intervals. Drizzle the olive oil over the dough, and sprinkle rosemary over entire bread.

5.) Bake the bread for 17 to 27 minutes, until it’s just golden. Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

Banana Bread with Pecans

kate — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:38:03 +0000

5 tablespoons butter $0.30
1/2 cup granulated sugar $0.09
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar $0.10
1 large egg $0.17
2 egg whites $0.34
1 teaspoon vanilla extract $0.22
1 1/2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 2) $.61
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour $0.37
1 teaspoon baking soda $0.05
1/2 teaspoon salt $0.01
1/4 teaspoon baking powder $0.02
1/2 cup heavy cream $0.44
1/3 cup chopped pecans $0.70
Zest of one lemon $0.65

Total Cost $4.07

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom only of loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2.) Beat butter in large bowl with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat well. Add egg, egg whites, and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Add mashed banana and beat on high for 30 seconds.

3.) Combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with cream, ending with flour mixture. Add pecans to batter; mix well.

4.) Pour batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake until browned and toothpick inserted near centre comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

5.) Cool bread in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the Banana Bread with Pecans review here

Chris Bianco’s Pizza Dough

kate — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:20:02 +0000

Why buy it when it’s so easy to make?

2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (one 1/4 oz. envelope) $0.33
2 cups warm water Free!
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour $1.21
2 teaspoons fine sea salt $0.02
Extra virgin olive oil, for the bowl $0.02

Total Cost $1.58

1.) Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups flour and the salt, stirring until smooth. Stir in an additional 2 cups flour; continue adding flour (up to 1/2 cup), 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until dough comes away from bowl but is still sticky.

2.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead with lightly floured hands. Start by slapping the dough onto the counter, pulling it toward you with one hand and pushing it away from you with the other. Fold the dough back over itself (use a bench scraper or a wide knife to help scrape dough from surface). Repeat until it’s easier to handle, about 10 times. Finish kneading normally until dough is smooth, elastic, and soft, but a little tacky, about 10 minutes.

3.) Shape dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, 3 hours. Press it with your finger to see if it’s done; an indent should remain.

4.) Scrape dough out of the bowl onto floured surface, and cut it into 4 pieces. Shape into balls. Dust with flour, and cover with plastic. Let rest, 20 to 30 minutes, allowing dough to relax and almost double.

5.) Add toppings of your choice for traditional pizza or use for stromboli, panzarotti, or breadsticks. Place in oven and cook as directed in whichever pizza/stromboli, etc. recipe you’re using.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

Flaky Pie Crust

kate — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:07:47 +0000

This pie crust is everything you think of when you think ‘perfect pie crust.’

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour $0.44
1 teaspoon salt $0.01
1 cup solid vegetable shortening $0.44
3/4 cup cool water (not cold) Free

Total Cost $0.89

1.) Measure flour and salt into a large bowl making a well in the middle. Put shortening into the well.

2.) Coat both hands with flour well. Being careful not to touch the shortening, break up the shortening into chunks. This is an important step. Do not allow the heat from your hands to touch the shortening. Try to have as little contact with the shortening as possible.

3.) With both hands, work the flour into the shortening using a circular, rubbing motion, always keeping contact with the flour, not the shortening. Continue to pick up more flour as you go and continue to incorporate it into the shortening.

4.) Continue until the dough starts to look like small peas and the shortening is completely incorporated into the flour (there should be no large chunks of shortening still left.)

5.) Pour half of the water in, gathering the dough into a small ball. Continue adding the water very slowly until the dough just comes together and is soft enough to form a ball and hold its shape. Do not knead the dough as you would with bread dough.

6.) Once the dough can be shaped into a ball, divide it up into 3 or 4 equal portions. Cover the dough and refrigerate for later, freeze, or use now.

Read the review here