Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Cinnamon bread is a highly requested food at our house. Everyone loves it, and the kids like to help make it.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread
1 loaf of bread dough
1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon

• Mix and knead the dough, let raise for an hour, and punch it down.
• Grease a rectangular bread pan with shortening.
• Spread the dough into a large rectangle, about 9x13 inches, on a lightly floured board.
• Sprinkle the dough with brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Starting on the short end of the rectangle, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the seam together. Fold the two ends under and pinch to stick those seams together as well.
• Place the dough in the pan, brush with oil or butter, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let raise for about an hour.
• Bake at 375* for 30-35 minutes.
• Remove from the pan, brush with oil or butter, and cool on a rack.

Grape Bread

Bread that looks like a bunch of grapes

This bread doesn't taste like grapes--it just looks like a bunch of grapes. Grape bread gets a 6 for 6 "something good" rating. It's fun to pick the little grapes and eat them. I've made it a number of times, but it wasn't until today that I managed a picture before all the little hands started reaching for a snack.

Grape Bread
1 loaf of bread dough
Olive oil

• Mix and knead the dough, let it raise for 1 hour, and punch it down.
• Preheat the oven to 400*.
• Pinch off small pieces of bread and shape them into balls by pulling the dough down and pinching it on the bottom. You can add a rectangular piece for the vine if you want.
• As you make the balls, place them on a greased cookie sheet in a triangular pattern to look like a bunch of grapes. Add a few balls on top of the bunch to give more depth.
• Brush the bunch of grapes with oil.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops of the grapes are lightly browned.
• Remove grapes to a cooling rack and brush lightly with oil.
• Serve plain or with grape jelly.

Notes: I use my basic bread recipe for grape bread, but any recipe would work, even thawed frozen dough.

The little guy sneaking a grape

Sandwich Bread

White Sandwich Bread

My sandwich bread recipe is similar to my basic bread recipe, just a few minor changes. I like shortening or butter instead of the oil. Using a glass pan gives a softer crust. I also let it raise a little longer.

White Sandwich Bread
2 1/2 cups flour, divided
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter or shortening
7 oz. warm water

• In a medium bowl mix 2 cups of flour, yeast, salt, and sugar.
• Add the butter and water and stir for one minute.
• Stir in 1/2 cups flour or as much as needed form a ball of dough.
• Knead for 5 minutes using more flour to keep from sticking.
• Shape the dough into a ball and let it raise for 1 1/2 hours in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap.
• Punch down the dough and spread it into a rectangle about 9x13 inches.
• Starting on the short end of the rectangle, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the seam together. Fold the two ends under and pinch to stick those seams together as well.
• Place the dough log into a greased loaf pan seam side down, cover with plastic, and let raise for 1 hour or until the dough is over the top of the pan.
• Brush with oil and bake for 30-35 minutes at 375*. 
• Remove from the pan, brush with oil or melted butter, and cool on a rack.

Notes: If using salted butter, use a little less salt. You can knead by hand or use a stand mixer. If using a packet of yeast, double the recipe and use the whole packet.

Baking Powder Biscuits

Heart Shaped Biscuits

Matt was making biscuits and gravy last weekend, and it put me the mood for more biscuits. We (and by we I really mean I) seem to have misplaced our biscuit cutters, thus the cookie cutter shapes. The kids liked the shapes better than circles anyway. My baking powder biscuit recipe is a cross between a few different recipes, including Betty Crocker, Mark Bittman, and my grandma.

Baking Powder Biscuits
2 1/2 cups
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup shortening (butter is best)
1 cup milk

• Preheat your oven to 450*.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
• Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter or 2 knives.
• Stir in the milk and mix until a sticky dough forms.
• On a well floured board, knead the dough by folding it over on it self 10-12 times. (More flour and a bench scraper are helpful here.)
• Press the dough into a circle about 9 inches in diameter and 3/4 to 1 inch high.
• Cut into 2 1/2 inch circles or shapes. 
• Lightly press the scraps together into a flat circle and cut out a few more biscuits.
• Place biscuits 1/2 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450* for 11 minutes.

Notes: Makes 14  2 1/2 inch hearts, plus a few odds and ends.

Hungry Caterpillar Bread and Fruit Kabobs

Inspired by Eric Carle

On Gabe's birthday, his class ate through one caterpillar and one stack of fruit kabobs. I've been wanting one of the kids to pick this birthday treat ever since they started school and I started baking lots of bread. Too fun!
When I make caterpillar bread I use my basic bread recipe, but you could use a different dough or probably even frozen dough.

Hungry Caterpillar Bread

• Let the dough rise for one hour, then punch it down.
• Divide the dough into 10-12 similar sized pieces.
• Roll the pieces into balls and set on your cutting board.
• Move the largest ball (this is the head) to one end of an oiled sheet pan.
• Press to flatten the remaining balls into disks.
• Place the disks in a row on the sheet pan next to the head (all the disks should be touching and standing upright).
• Use a kitchen shears to cut eyes and a mouth into the head.
• Brush the caterpillar with oil and bake for 25 minutes at 400'.
• Remove from the oven and brush with oil.
• To serve, pull off pieces like buns.

Hungry Caterpillar Fruit Kabobs
1 large Gala apple
2 green pears
3 black plums
12 strawberries
3 Clementine oranges
12 wooden skewers
1 can lemon lime soda

• Wash apples and pears, core, cut into chunks, and place in a bowl with the soda.
• Wash plums, remove the pit, and cut into chunks.
• Wash strawberries.
• Peel oranges and separate into quarters.
• On each skewer, place one chunk of apple, pear, plum, strawberry, and orange.

Notes: Cut off the ends of the skewers if you are worried the kids might poke themselves or each other.

Stromboli

Stromboli with pepperoni and mozzarella

Stromboli is bread stuffed with Italian cheese, meat, and veggies. My favorite stromboli recipe comes from Emeril Lagasse. The kids prefer a much simpler version with just pepperoni and cheese. Often I'll make a plain one for the kids and add some peppers, olives, sausage, etc. to the one for the grown-ups. Here's my basic stromboli recipe. Add your favorite pizza toppings and call it something good.

Stromboli
1 loaf of pizza dough or bread dough
Pepperoni, thinly sliced
2 cups mozzarella or other cheese, shredded
Pizza sauce

• Let the dough raise until double, punch it down, and spread or roll it into a large rectangle on a floured board.
• Cover the dough with pepperoni, leaving an inch border around the outside of the dough.
• Add the cheese and any other toppings.
• Roll the dough into a long log.
• Pinch the seam and edges to seal (if it's not sealed up cheese will leak out).
• Transfer loaf to a greased baking sheet.
• Brush with oil and make 1/4 inch deep slices every 2 inches across the top of the loaf.
• Bake at 375* for 25 minutes until the top is browned.
• Remove from the oven, brush with oil, let stand for 10 minutes.
• Cut into slices and serve with pizza sauce.

Notes: Frozen bread dough or refrigerated pizza dough make this recipe even easier.

Campfire Dessert Pizza

Sweet pizza cooked over the campfire

The kids thought this dessert pizza tasted kind of like a doughnut. I got the idea from a camping cookbook Over a Fire: Cooking with a Stick & Cooking Hobo Style. I made some changes: homemade dough instead of refrigerated, different toppings, etc. My husband has a couple changes for the next time we make this recipe too, but it really wasn't difficult and was very tasty.

Campfire Dessert Pizza
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
7 oz. water
Heavy duty aluminum foil
1/2 can chocolate frosting
Sweetened flake coconut
M&Ms
Chocolate chips
Pecans
Caramel ice cream topping

• Before you leave to go camping: combine 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in a zip bag. Place the extra cup of flour in another zip bag.
• At the campsite: in a medium bowl, add the yeast to the mix from home. Stir in oil and water and mix for about one minute.
• Add more flour until a slightly sticky ball forms.
• Transfer the ball to a floured cutting board and knead for 4-5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary until the dough is smooth and springy.
• Pour a small amount of oil in the bowl, add the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let raise for 1-2 hours until double in size.
• Cut two squares of 18 inch heavy duty foil, grease with olive oil. Punch down the dough and spread in a large circle on one of the pieces of foil.
• Transfer foil to a cooking grate set over hot coals. Bake for 5-10 minutes until the bottom side is browned.
• Place the second piece of foil over the pizza and grab both pieces of foil together to flip the pizza.
• Remove the top piece of foil and bake the second side for 5-10 minutes until browned.
• Transfer foil with pizza onto a large cutting board or picnic table. 
• Spread the frosting on the crust. Sprinkle on the coconut, M&Ms, chocolate chips, and pecans. Drizzle with the caramel topping.
• Use a pizza cutter or a knife to slice into squares.

Notes: If you don't want to make the dough from scratch, use refrigerated pizza dough. The cooking time depends on how hot the coals are. You could divide the dough in half and make two smaller pizzas.

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

Pumpkin Bread is another food the whole family can agree on. Whether or not to add chocolate chips, now that's a different story. This pumpkin bread recipe is adapted from a Betty Crocker recipe.

Pumpkin Bread
1 15oz can pumpkin
1 2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• Preheat oven to 350* and grease the bottoms only of two loaf pans.
• Mix pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
• Bake 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.
• Remove bread from pans and cool completely before cutting.

Notes: Because some of us like chocolate in this bread, I add 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the second half of the batter after filling the first pan. To keep the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom and sticking, I spread a thin layer of plain batter in the bottom of the pan before adding the chocolate chip batter.

Beer Bread

Beer Bread

We all love this beer bread. I found the recipe on food.com, posted by Gerald Norman. I use less butter than the original 1/2 cup and substitute olive oil if I'm making it for the little guy. So simple and delicious. My favorite beer to add is Spotted Cow from the New Glarus Brewing Co.

Beer Bread
3 cups sifted all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
12 oz. beer
1/4 cup melted butter or olive oil

• Preheat oven to 375*
• Grease a loaf pan.
• Put dry ingredients into a bowl and mix with a whisk.
• Stir in the beer.
• Spread in the loaf pan.
• Pour melted butter over the mixture.
• Bake one hour.
• Immediately remove from the pan.
• Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Notes: This makes a great gift as a mix. Put the dry ingredients into a quart jar. Give the jar along with directions and a bottle (or six pack) of beer.

Snowman Buns

Snowman Buns

Seeing as this might be the last snowstorm of the season, I figured it was about time to get around to sharing our little snowmen. The kids love to help with this one because they each get to make their own snowman. I help with the hats and scarves, but they like to roll the snowballs. This isn't a recipe as much as a how-to article. I use my basic bread recipe, but you could probably even use frozen bread dough.

Snowman Buns

• Let the dough rise for an hour, then punch it down.
• Set aside a chunk of dough about the size of a tennis ball.
• Divide the rest of dough into golf ball size pieces, making some pieces smaller for the heads.
• Roll pieces into balls and, on a greased baking sheet, lay them out to look snowmen. (Two balls high make enough of a bun for supper, but three high help to give a feel of height difference between adults and kids and babies). 
• Take the chunk of dough you set aside and cut off pieces for hats and scarves. 
• To attach a scarf, roll out a long skinny piece. Lift the head a little to tuck the scarf behind. Then wrap the scarf around the front.
• To make a top hat, cut a square and a skinny rectangle. Lay the pieces at the top of the head so that they are tight together.
• Use a triangle piece for a stocking hat. 
• Two tiny balls and a super skinny piece make cute little earmuffs. Be creative.
• Use a kitchen shears to snip and poke extra details like eyes, nose, mouth, and buttons.
• Brush with oil and let them rest while your oven preheats to 400*.
• Bake for 25 minutes. Brush with oil and serve warm or cool.

Notes: The snowman idea also works well for one large snowman loaf instead of several buns.

 
Question: What do you like to do on a snow day?

Crostini and Veggies with White Bean Dip

Crostini and Veggies with White Bean Dip

Crostini is simply little slices of toast. You can use store bought bread to make it, or homemade bread works great too. The bean dip is nice because it's dairy free and the food processor does all the work. This is a great snack because it has something for everyone.

Crostini
Thin slices of bread (about 1/4 inch)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• Brush both sides of the bread slices with oil.
• Cut slices of bread into chip size pieces.
• Arrange bread on a sheet pan.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes, flipping once.

 White Bean Dip
1 14oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Fresh herbs (mint, thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, etc.), chopped
Salt and pepper
Chives or green onion tops, chopped for garnish

• In a food processor or blender, pulse to combine beans, garlic, oil, lemon juice, and herbs.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnish with chives or green onions.

Notes: You can use whatever herbs you have on hand; I like thyme and mint.

Question: When was the last time you used your food processor?

Chapati Bread

Chapati Bread

Chapati bread is a great last minute addition to a meal. It has no yeast and a short cook time. It is Indian and often served with curry, but we like it with just about anything. My chapati bread recipe is a mishmash of a couple different online recipes, pulling most heavily from Indian Chapati Bread on Allrecipes.com. I like the simplicity of this version and the mix of white and wheat flour. Most of the other chapati recipes call for all whole wheat flour. Some recipes added spices or seeds, which would be a good way to change it up. All the recipes have varying raising/resting times; 30 minutes seemed to be enough time to relax the dough. Chapati bread does take a little time to fry up, but not as long as baking a loaf of bread.

Chapati Bread
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons oil
3/4 cup water

• Mix flours and salt in a medium bowl. Add oil. Stir in water a little at a time until a dough ball forms.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and springy, about 2 minutes. Add more flour as necessary to keep from sticking.
• Divide dough into 10 parts. Shape into balls and let rest covered with plastic for 30 minutes.
• Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Brush with oil. 
• Roll out one ball of dough with a floured rolling pin on a lightly floured board until very thin, like a tortilla, and about 6-7 inches in diameter. 
• When the oil is smoking, add the chapati to the pan. Cook for about 30-60 seconds per side, until brown spots appear.
• Add more oil and repeat with the rest of the dough balls.
• Serve with butter, oil, curry or anything saucy. 

Notes: Chapatis are best served warm; if they cool down, microwave them for a few seconds to reheat.

Question: What is your favorite flat bread?

Daily Bread

Shaped like a loaf or a turtle, this bread is something good.

With six people in our family it is often difficult to find a food that everyone likes. Bread is one of those special foods. This is my favorite bread recipe, made almost everyday.

Basic Bread Recipe
2 1/2 cups flour, divided
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon oil
7 oz. water

• In a medium bowl mix 2 cups flour, yeast, salt, and sugar.
• Add oil and water. Stir for one minute.
• Stir in 1/2 cup flour or as much as needed to form a  ball of dough.
• Knead dough for 5 minutes using more flour to keep from sticking.
• Shape dough into a ball and let it raise for 1 hour in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap.
• Punch down dough and shape into a loaf. Place loaf on a lightly greased pie plate or cookie sheet. Brush with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let raise for 30 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife to cut an X or other pattern 1/4 inch deep. Bake for 30 minutes at 400*.
• Brush loaf with oil and cool on a rack.

Notes: Brushing with oil before baking helps the bread to brown. Brushing with oil after baking softens the crust. You can make this bread by hand or with a stand mixer.

Question:
What is something your family eats everyday?