Oatmeal breakfast bars

This is a triple batch that makes two 9x13 pans plus an 8x8 pan. We eat them so quickly it's not worth making any smaller batches. But this is about the largest batch my full-sized Bosch mixer can hold. Just cut them into squares and freeze because they are perishable.

Ingredients

6 cups oat flour

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 T cinnamon

1 T baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

4.5 cups milk (almond, dairy, whatever)

1/2 cup + 1 T honey

1/3 cup peanut butter

1.5 cups unsweetened applesauce

3 large eggs

1 T vanilla extract

3 large bananas

Directions

1. Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Grease cooking pans.
2. In large mixer bowl, cream 3 bananas. Add 4.5 cups milk, 1.5 cups applesauce, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup + 1 T honey, 1/3 cup peanut butter, and 1 T vanilla and blend well.
3. In separate bowl, stir together 6 cups oat flour and 3 cups wheat flour, 2 T cinnamon, 1 T baking powder, and 3/4 tsp salt.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir to combine. Pour into two 9x13 pans and one 8x8 pan.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until thickened and golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool, cut into bars and serve or freeze.

Bars can be stored in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Original recipe from here.

Fail-proof pizza dough

I really like this dough when I'm making pastry wraps such as Costco Chicken Bakes or Stromboli. The original author isn't kidding. This turned out perfectly the very first time I made it.

From laurenslatest.com

yield: 2-12 INCH PIZZA CRUSTS; ABOUT 1 LB. OF DOUGH

INGREDIENTS:

for the pizza dough-
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey {or sugar}
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 cups bread flour {give or take 1/2 cup...depending on the heat & humidity}

for the cheesy garlic bread sticks-
1/2 recipe Fail-Proof Pizza Dough from above
2 tablespoons softened salted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese {use the real stuff!}
1/4 pound grated mozzarella cheese
{salt & pepper, if desired}

DIRECTIONS:

For the pizza dough--In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking. 

Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn't stick to your hands. Once you reach this stage, knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! That seems to be the magical number. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean! 

{*This is the point when you could freeze your dough!! Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal removing all air and freeze. To use, remove from freezer and let sit out to get to room temperature and double in size; 6-8 hours. Then use as you'd like.} Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours. That's it! Use as desired.

For the Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks- Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside. {If you don't have a pizza stone, use an upside down cookie sheet...a tip I got from Natalie!}
Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. {This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.}
Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired. {That step is totally optional!}

Lauren's Latest original recipe.

Ingredients for quadruple the dough

4 cups warm water
3 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey {or sugar}
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons salt (or 1/6 cup)
1/2 cup olive or canola oil
12 cups bread flour {give or take depending on the heat & humidity}

Pan Pizza Crust

Adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients

2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or instant)

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1-1/2 cups very warm water (~110 degrees F)

1 tsp salt

1 T Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 T olive oil

3-1/3 cups all purpose flour (I tend to use more...probably due to the way I measure flour...)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water and let it sit for 10 minutes. (I don't always let it sit because I use SAF instant yeast.)

2. Stir in the salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Mix in 2-1/2 cups flour. 

3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. (I do all of this in my Bosch mixer instead of on the counter.)

4. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover. Let rise until doubled, about an hour.

5. Punch down the down and form into a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute or so before rolling it out.

6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, place your toppings on the dough and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 to 20 minutes before topping and baking. (I prefer to pre-cook my thick crusts for about 4 minutes in the preheated oven before topping and baking again.)

7. Bake pizza in preheated oven until cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes (less if you have prebaked your crusts.)

*This recipe will fill a 17x12 cookie sheet perfectly. Or you can roll it out and make three small pizzas by shaping and then placing into an 8" cake pan.

Ingredients for Double Recipe

Ingredients

4.5 tsp (1.5 T) active dry yeast (or instant)

1 tsp brown sugar

3 cups very warm water (~110 degrees F)

2 tsp salt

2 T Italian seasoning

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

6-2/3 cups all purpose flour

100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

The Very Best Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

modified from fivehearthome.com

This 100% whole wheat bread stays unbelievably soft and fresh for days!

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (I grind my own hard white wheat)
1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
4 teaspoons quick-rise yeast
~
2 1/2 cups very warm water (120°F to 130°F)
~
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup coconut oil (melted and cooled) OR olive oil
1/3 cup honey
4 teaspoons lemon juice
~
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

Directions
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together first three ingredients. Add water and mix for one minute, scraping down bowl halfway through if necessary. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

2. Add salt, oil, honey, and lemon juice; beat for 1 minute. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. Knead dough in mixer using dough hook for 10 to 15 minutes or until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and feels smooth rather than sticky. (With my  Bosch on the 2nd of 3 speeds, I knead for about 10 minutes.)

3.  Let rise in the bowl for 25-30 minutes. Dump dough onto a well-oiled surface and punch down. Roll tightly into a fairly long log. Cut log in half and press each loaf into a greased loaf pan.

4. Preheat oven to lukewarm by setting it to 350°F and then turning it back off after exactly 1 minute. Place pans in warm oven and allow to rise for 20 to 40 minutes, or until dough is nicely domed above the tops of the pans (about 1/2"). Without removing pans from the oven, turn on oven to 350°F and set timer for 30 minutes. With an instant read thermometer, check bread after 20 minutes. Baked bread should be about 195 F. If the bread is not done but the crust is getting too brown, cover with foil and continue baking. Once baked, immediately remove hot bread from pans and cool on rack.

Tips, Tricks, & Variations


Kneading and rising times are approximate and depend on many different variables. The dough must be
kneaded until it pulls away from the bowl and is no longer sticky, even if that takes longer than 10 to 15
minutes. And the dough should be allowed to rise in the pans until it is as high as you want your final
bread to be.

http://fivehearthome.com/2013/07/08/the-very-best-homemade-whole-wheat-bread-plus-free-printable-kitchen-labels/

Here is a fantastic commentary on this recipe, and bread making in general, provided by my friend, Jake. He's my baking idol.

Gluten is an important part of this recipe. If you don't have any, don't make this bread because it won't come out the same. Whole wheat has a lower gluten content than bread flour that you buy in the store. Gluten is a protein that helps the bread stretch and contain the carbon dioxide that the yeast makes. This is one of the reasons the bread has such good crumb–it stretches to retain those CO2 bubbles and you get a light, airy sandwich-style crumb that is rarely found in 100% wheat bread.

Delayed salt method: some breads are made by just tossing everything together and kneading it until it's fully mixed. The reason you add water, yeast, and flour then stop is twofold: it helps hydrate some of the flour (whole wheat flour is slower to absorb moisture), and it lets the yeast get started multiplying. Salt is bad for yeast, so adding the salt later gives the yeast a head start

(By the way, old-school bakers and recipes always tell you to put your yeast in warm water and add a bit of sugar, then wait 10 minutes and see if it's working. Modern packaging and processing of yeast just doesn't require this anymore. Do this if you have doubts about your yeast, but otherwise you don't need to.)

The oil (coconut or vegetable) adds fats that make the bread taste better. I'm not sure if there's another purpose, but I'm happy with this one.

The acidity of lemon juice will help take the edge off the bitterness of whole wheat. You can substitute any other acidic juice here with little difference. I often use orange juice instead. Lime or pineapple would work just as well. There isn't enough to contribute to flavor so it doesn't really matter what you use.

Rising and proofing: yeast breads are made in a work-rest-work-rest method. You mix things together, then let the dough rest. You knead it, then let it rest. You shape it, then let it rest, then bake it. This method has been developed over centuries and works reliably. Kneading develops and stretches gluten strands, but it will also develop on its own if left long enough. Resting lets the proteins relax so you can repeat the process. This is what makes the dough "pull away" from the bowl–as you knead the bread it pulls together. When you put it in a bowl and let it rise, it falls down to the form of the bowl as it relaxes and also starts puffing up as the yeast builds CO2. You punch this down and shape it to redistribute nutrients and yeast around the dough for the proofing stage.

To clarify, rising is the first resting stage and proofing is the second rest that comes after shaping and right before baking.

As long as your kitchen isn't prone to being cold, you can let it rise and proof at room temperature. As yeast makes CO2 it also creates alcohol which contributes to a lot of flavor in the bread as it bakes out. You could put the pans with the proofing bread in your refrigerator overnight and it would still rise albeit much more slowly. Gluten will still continue to develop. This can lend a lot more flavor to your bread, and is a common sourdough technique. It's also good to know if you suddenly find yourself without the time to stick around and wait for your bread to rise then bake.

Kneading, rising, and proofing times are all subjective. When the dough loses its shaggy appearance and becomes silky it's ready to rise. This takes about five minutes max in my mixer–the dough hook is scientifically designed for rapid kneading, and it works great (I use a Kitchenaid). Rising stage should double your dough. When it's doubled in size you're done, whether it took ten minutes or four hours. Proofing is a little tougher; some doughs have more "oven spring" than others. This recipe doesn't spring up at all when baking, so you stop proofing when it reaches the height you want it at, just as the recipe says.

Anyway, that's my two-cent contribution. It comes from years of experimentation, tons of personal research, and a bunch of America's Test Kitchen knowledge.

Sherri's Banana Bread

2 1/2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup soft butter

1 beaten egg

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (3 small)

1/2 cup milk

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts and pecans

Makes 1 loaf

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9"x5"x3" loaf pan. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt- set aside. Beat sugar, butter, and egg until smooth. Add bananas and milk. Mix well. Add flour mixture, beating till smooth. Stir in nuts. Bake about 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely on rack.

Pumpkin Bread for machines

Boxcar Brown Bread

Boxcar Brown Bread

2 loaves (or 5 mini loaves...or 30 muffins)

Ingredients

3 cups raisin bran cereal (I used stale Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds)

1 stick softened margarine

1 cup hot water

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

3 cups flour (I used whole wheat flour no problem)

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups milk

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 more cups raisin bran cereal (again, Honey Bunches of Oats)

1) Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

2) Spray the bread pans with no-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

3) Pour hot water over the first 3 cups of cereal and margarine in a mixing bowl.

4) Add brown sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, milk, lemon juice, and cinnamon.

5) Mix with a wire whisk or electric mixer until smooth.

6) Mix in the last 2 cups of brain cereal.

7) Pour the batter, evenly divided, into the bread pans (or muffin tins).

8) Put the pans into the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Poke a toothpick into the center to see if they're done. If not, bake the bread for 5 to 10 minutes more and test again.

9) Let the bread cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then remove from the pans and let the bread cool on a wire rack.

10) The bread will be easier to cut the day after it is baked.

This recipe can also be made into 2 1/2 dozen muffins. Bake them in paper-lined cups for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Tenny Muffins

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

8 cups flour

3 cups sugar

3 T baking powder

2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

Mix all dry ingredients and divide into 4 batches.

Wet ingredients for 1 batch (12-15 muffins)

1 cup milk

1 egg

2 ¾ cup muffin mix

½ cup oil (can substitute applesauce)

Bake at 400˚F for 13-16 minutes.

Variations

Add crushed almonds or mini chocolate chips for variety.

Honey Cornmeal bread for machines

Boxcar Children's Campout Cornbread

9 servings

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking power

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

Instructions

1) Preheat over to 400 degrees F.

2) Spray an 8" x 8" baking pan with no stick cooking spray.

3) Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

4) Pour the mixture into the baking pan.

5) Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the center. Remove from the oven.

6) Cut into squares and serve warm with margarine.

...or make them into Corn muffins

12 muffins

Pour batter into 12 muffin papers in a muffin pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 14 minutes. Test with a toothpick.