Dough for Pizza, Buns, and More!

Create handmade baked items from your kitchen:  buns, dinner rolls, English muffins, cinnamon rolls, pizza dough, pretzels or bread sticks.  This La Leche League recipe adaptation makes dough that can be formed into various shapes.


Ingredients:


2 cups water
1/3 cup cane sugar
2 tablespoons yeast
3/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons iodized salt
2 eggs
5 cups of flour:  (1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour, plus 3-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour)

Dough:

Mix ingredients in a bread machine, then remove dough and shape.  Or mix dough together in a large bowl something like this:

Dissolve yeast in warm water with sugar for five minutes.

Add in remaining ingredients, stirring well.

Add flour by the single cupful, stir, then use hands to blend, finally forming a ball.  (Use more or less flour or water depending upon the dough.)  Let rise for about 30 minutes.  After the dough looks like it has expanded, place the dough on a surface with flour and shape.

Various Shapes:

Buns:

Roll out chilled dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch.  Cut dough with 3 inch glass.  Place buns on oiled cookie sheet allowing for sideways expansion.  Allow to rise about 20 minutes.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 400 degrees.

Dinner rolls:

Shape dough into any type of rolls:  cut into squares or circles, or roll into balls.  Allow to rise.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 425 degrees.  Raw rolls may be frozen.

English muffins:

Roll out chilled dough 1/2 inch think on a board or wax paper that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.  Cut into 3 inch rounds.  Let rise 20 to 30 minutes.  Transfer muffins with a spatula to a moderately hot un-greased griddle.  Bake 4 minutes on each side or until light brown.  Makes 14 to 18 muffins.

Cinnamon rolls:

Roll chilled dough into fairly thin, large rectangles.  Sprinkle the dough with raisins, chopped nuts, and cinnamon.  Heat some maple syrup (or honey or sugar) and butter until well blended.  Drizzle over the dough.  Roll up like a jellyroll.  Cut into 1 inch slices.  Place the slices close together and let rise on oiled (or parchment paper) cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Makes about 24 rolls.

Pizza dough:

Divide dough into thirds.  Press out into a circle on a well-oiled pizza pan.  Makes three 14" pizzas (medium thick).  Let rise for about 20 minutes.  Top with sauce and cheese.   Bake pizza at 425 degrees for 15 to 30 minutes.

Pretzels:

Roll dough 1 inch thick rectangle.  Cut into 12 strips.  Roll and shape into pretzel shape or alphabet letters.  Put on well-greased (or parchment papered) baking sheets 1 inch apart.  Let stand 20 minutes.  Brush with one slightly beaten egg white and 1 teaspoon water.  Add coarse salt or poppy or sesame seeds.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Bread sticks:

Roll dough into thin tubes, twist two together.  Place on parchment covered, non-stick, or oiled baking sheet.  Let rise.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Chicken with red pepper and sweet potatoes

This is a small dinner with breaded, baked chicken, diced red pepper, and pre-made sweet potato oven fries.

Ingredient list:

chicken breast
1 red bell pepper
1 mutli-grain bun or 2 slices of bread with fiber, toasted and pulverized in a food processor (or prepared bread crumbs) adding Italian seasonings and grated Parmesan
1 egg

mayonnaise
ketchup
Braggs liquid aminos (or soy sauce)

sweet potato fries (or another vegetable)

Technique:

Slice through the center and cut into chunks one chicken breast.  Place each chunk into a beaten egg, then into bread crumbs.  Place these on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Add the diced red pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, using one or two baking sheets if necessary to avoid crowding together the ingredients.  Bake the sweet potato oven fries according to package directions.

Mix together mayonnaise, ketchup, and Braggs aminos for a side sauce.
Serve with a baguette or bread if you prefer.

Arugula and Apple Salad

Arugula goes well with fruit and sweet tastes.  It's low in fiber, so adding in an apple makes the salad more substantial.



Arugula and Apple Salad

Ingredients for Salad:

one half pre-packaged, washed, organic, baby Arugula
one apple
walnuts
cheese and/or other protein

Ingredients for Vinaigrette:

2  Tablespoons pomegranate juice
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
2 Teaspoons EVOO

Serve dressing on the side.



Calories, protein, and fiber per serving (2 large servings total):
calories = about 400
protein = 9.8 g
fiber = 4.7 g



@icookwhatilike

Sweet Onion, Red Lentils & Tomato Stew

Sweet Onion, Red Lentils & Tomato Stew

@icookwhatilike

This recipe makes a stew that goes with bread and potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 sweet yellow onion - Vidalia
1/2 cup red lentils - dry
2 1/2 cups water with boulion cube
1/2 cup tomato pasta sauce 
Additional sauce to finish, as well as seasonings such as basil, oregano 
Olive oil (and butter-optional)
Grated parmesan (or cheese such as Gruyere)

Technique:

Sauté diced onion in olive oil and butter, stir until it caramelizes (begins to brown and sweeten), add water, bouillon, lentils, and tomato sauce, increase heat to boiling, then reduce heat to lowest simmer, and cover soup pot for about 25 minutes.

Finish:

Add additional sauce, water, and seasonings.  I added iodized sea salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. When the stew was seasoned to my liking, I then served the stew in bowls and added grated Parmesan.

Goes With:

Bread, roasted potatoes, grilled cheese sandwich. 

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Use potatoes of your choice, peel, cut into eighths, lightly oil and salt, and add one or two additional dried seasonings if you prefer.  

Place on parchment paper lined pans.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.  

Note:  Electric and manual potato peelers make the whole task easier.  Or scrub the potatoes and leave the peels on if you like.

Sunbeam Bread From a Machine

Ingredients:

1 cup water
4 egg whites
2 teaspoons cane sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons rapid rise bread machine yeast

Technique:

Add the ingredients in the order listed into the bucket in the bread machine.

Set the machine to French Bread Cycle, 1-1/2 lb loaf, medium crust.  The finished texture will be similar to French bread.

Note:

I have a Sunbeam Breadmaker model #5891.  The Sunbeam Breadmaker is reasonably priced on Amazon and has good reviews, except for the recipe book, which tends to over state the amount of ingredients needed.  Many other bread recipes are to be found with a Google search.