30 Minute Rolls

Found this recipe on pinterest. These rolls are a cinch and really yummy! My only advice is to bake a couple minutes longer than it says. They seemed to need it.

Ingredients:

1 C plus 2 Tbsp warm water

1/3 C oil

2 Tbsp yeast

1/4 C sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

3 1/2 C flour

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In your mixer bowl combine the water, oil, yeast and sugar and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Using your dough hook, mix in the salt, egg and flour. Knead with hook until will incorporated and dough is soft and smooth. (Just a few minutes)

Form dough into 12 balls and then place in a greased 9 x 13 pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown.

French Loaves

I didn't think to take a picture of this until we'd already eaten half of it, but I guess that says how yummy this hot fresh bread was! It reminds me a lot of the English muffin bread my Mom made us as kids. It's pretty quick for yeast bread and makes two loaves. One for you and one for a neighbor! :)

Ingredients:
2Tbsp. active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2tsp. salt
1tsp sugar
4.5-5 cups bread flour
1tsp cornmeal

Directions:
In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the salt, sugar, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly flour surface; divide in half. Shape into 12-in long loaves.

Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cornmeal. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Tara's Dinner Rolls

These are really convenient because you can make them ahead of time and then bake them when you're ready. They have come out perfectly every time I've done them. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1c warm water
1 package active dry yeast (2.5tsp)
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 c sugar
3 eggs
4-4.5c flour
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Combine water and yeast and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in butter, sugar, eggs, and salt. Beat in flour one cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours up to 4 days.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Roll dough out and shape into 24 balls. Cover and let dough rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375.

Bake 15-20 minutes.

Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits

My husband claims these are even better then the biscuits you get at Red Lobster.

2 c. Bisquick

2/3 c. milk

3/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Combine bisquick, milk and cheese.

Spoon onto greased cookie sheet and smooth tops. Makes 8-10 buscuits.

Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Combine butter and garlic salt. Brush over hot biscuits.

Enjoy!

Frozen Pizza Dough

I haven't actually done this yet, but have wanted to for a while. I'm too cheap to buy pizza dough ready made, but sometimes would like the convenience of having it in the freezer ready to just plop on the counter and roll out. Here's a recipe I found that looks pretty simple. I plan to give it a try this week.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/4-oz. packet active dry yeast
3 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for coating
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

Place 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the water. Let the yeast float there for 1 minute, then stir it into the water. Let the yeast "proof" for 10 minutes. It should bubble a bit; if it doesn't, the yeast is outdated and inactive.

Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl, then stir in the remaining water, and add the olive oil, flour and salt. With a wooden spoon, mix the dough until it forms a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.

Coat the inside of a large glass or ceramic bowl with olive oil. Press the ball of dough into the bottom of the bowl, then flip the dough over so the oiled side is on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Makes 1 1/2 pounds of dough.

FREEZING DOUGH:
To freeze pizza dough, punch it down once it has risen, place it in a zip-top bag and freeze it. When you need it, thaw it early in the day, then shape it once it is no longer cold.

To freeze individual crusts, roll the dough and freeze the rounds on baking sheets, then remove and place them in plastic bags. When it is time to assemble the pizzas, simply apply the toppings to the frozen disks.

"Perfect Pizza Crust"

I found this recipe in "Taste of Home" and if you have the hour to let it rise it's totally worth it.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups bread flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Cornmeal
Pizza toppings of your choice

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt, 1 cup bread flour and the whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining bread flour to for a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled about 1 hour.

Punch down dough; roll into a 15-in. circle. Grease a 14-in. pizza pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Transfer dough to prepared pan; build up edges slightly.

Add toppings of your choice. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and toppings are lightly browned and heated through.

Sizzler Malibu Chicken and Cheese Toast

You ask, and you get more than you ask for. :) If you've been to Sizzler and have had this, it tastes pretty similar.

Malibu Chicken-
If you like to be labor intensive, pound out chicken breasts to about a 1/4" thick. Dunk in eggs and coat with bread crumbs, corn flakes, or whatever makes your favorite breading (my mom has one that uses ranch dressing mix that tastes great with this).
If you are lazy like me, you buy a box of breast chicken patties by Tyson, Banquet, or Costco and cook in oven according to directions.
At the end of cooking, put a couple of pieces of deli sliced ham on top with a slice of swiss or mozzarella cheese and cook at couple of minutes until the cheese is melted and the ham is warm. I actually like to turn on my broiler for this. If you want to be really fancy, place a slice of pineapple on top of the ham, under the cheese.

Cheese Toast-
Take 6 slices of Texas Toast bread (or any regular slice of bread you have). Combine a 1/2 stick butter, softened at room temperature, 2 tsp of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese. Spread mixture kind of thickly on the bread. Preheat a griddle. Place buttered/cheese side down on the griddle and cook until brown. Remove and serve.

There you have it, a dinner done the lazy way, takes 20 minutes from start to finish.

Rapid Rise Pizza Dough

I use this recipe pretty often. It is great for pizza, but I also use it for calzones. I like to use up leftovers that way. Stuff the bread with leftover ham and cheese or chicken and broccoli, etc. You can also replace a third of the flour with whole-wheat if you prefer (no more than 1/3 because it wont rise well).

3 to 3.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 pkg Rapid Rise Yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup very warm water
2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
Cornmeal (opt)

In a very large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast and salt. Stir very warm water and olive oil into dry ingredients. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead dough on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 min. Cover, let rest on floured surface for 10 min.

Lightly oil 1 (14 inch) round pizza pan. Sprinkle with cornmeal (opt). Form dough into smooth ball. Roll dough to fit pan. Top with pizza sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 11-12 minutes or until done. Time depends on thickness of crust and amount of toppings.