Easy Rustic Bread Loaf
This recipe is SOOO good and easy. This bread will be crusty on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. Perfect for dipping in soups!
Ingredients:
- 24 fluid ounces warm water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fast rising yeast (I use Fleischmann’s RadpidRise)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 6 1/2 cups bread flour
What to do:
Pour warm (not hot) water into a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast to the water mix well. Add salt and stir until it dissolves.
Add all the flour and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until ingredients are mixed. Do not over knead. Leave the bread dough in the mixing bowl and cover loosely. Allow to rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Tear the dough in half and knead each half for about 1 minute with floured hands on floured surface. Loosely shape into a ball and place dough, with folded side up, on a greased and floured baking sheet. Allow to rise for another 20 to 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Reshape dough balls if needed. Bake for 30 minutes or until well-risen and browned. Remove the bread and cool on a cooling rack or slice immediately for that nummy warm bread taste!
It makes two regular sized loaves that serves 4-6 people each loaf.
Even though I live in Denver and baking can often be a challenge, this bread turned out beautifully without any additional alterations.
This recipe was adapted from one that I found on: http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/10-easy-bread-recipes8.htm
Filed under Food, Recipes | Comment (0)Zinfandel Cupcakes!
This is not my recipe, but I saw it online and wanted to share it. Looks delish! More great seasonal recipes can be found here:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/menus-holidays-parties/seasonal-ideas/fall-gatherings/fanfare
Zinfandel Cupcakes
Batter
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist devil’s food cake mix
¾ cup water
½ cup Zinfandel wine
½ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Frosting
6 cups powdered sugar
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
½ tsp salt
½ cup Zinfandel wine
Garnish
Chocolate curls
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box, using cake mix, water, ½ cup wine, oil and eggs. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about ½ full).
2. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, cocoa and salt with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat in ½ cup wine. If frosting is too thick, beat in more wine a few drops at a time. Frost cupcakes. Garnish with chocolate curls.
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Homemade Tomato Soup (and Grilled Cheese!)
John and I had dinner at a friends house a couple weeks ago and they served us a delicious meal with homemade tomato soup. I was inspired to find a recipe and try it out myself. Here’s what I came up with! Add your own variety of grilled cheese sandwiches to make this meal complete!
Ingredients
- spray olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 14-oz. crushed tomatoes, with juice (I like the one that has basil in it!)
- 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fat-free half and half, warmed
- Salt and pepper
Spray bottom of large saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until slightly softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in flour to blend, about 1 minute.
Add tomatoes with juice and broth to saucepan, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir or whisk constantly until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
Working in batches, carefully transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return soup to saucepan, stir in cream and cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until heated through. Do not boil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot in warmed cups.
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