Yeast dinner rolls

3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup very warm water
½ cup very warm milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 Tbsp yeast
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t salt
pinch baking powder

In a large bowl, combine water, milk, butter and sugar. Add yeast and stir until it 'sinks'. Wait about ten minutes until the yeast foams, covering the mixture. Using a whisk, dissolve the foam and beat in the eggs.

In a second bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add half to the bowl of wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir in with a wooden spoon. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.

Coat larger bowl in oil and place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat lightly with oil. Let rise in a warm place one hour or until doubled. To test readiness, poke with your finger. If the indention stays, you're good to go.

Cut the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each one into a ball, pinching the ends to form a little belly button. Dip the dough balls in milk, then place them n a baking dish about one inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled.

Let rise 30-45 minutes until doubled in size. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Bagel with goat cheese and fig

This was the perfect breakfast the other morning.

Homemade or fresh plain bagel
1 round fresh goat cheese (chèvre)
1/2 tsp apricot jam (or other)
1 ripe fig, thinly sliced

Thin-crust pizza margherita

We make pizza every Friday, sometimes more often during the summer when I don't feel like slaving over a hot oven. By my estimates, I've made more than 300 pizza crusts in the past four years. We decided to try a thin crust pizza recently and are hooked! Bonus: it can be made in about an hour.

What you'll need:
a large bowl
strong spatula or wooden spoon
2 tsp sugar or 3 tsp honey
2 1/4 tsp yeast
11/4 cup warm water
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp oil
paper towel
pizza stone or baking sheet

Pour the water into your large bowl.



Heat in the microwave to about 120 degrees, or until hot to the touch, but you can stand to keep your pinkie finger in it.



Dissolve the sugar/honey in the hot water.



Pour in the yeast.





Let stand 5 minutes or until 'fireworks' bubble to the top of the water.



Wait until the entire surface is covered with foam. Stir well to dissolve any remaining yeast granules on the bottom of your bowl.





Add half of the flour, stirring until blended. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get it all mixed in. Your dough should have a batter-like consistency.

Add another cup of flour and stir until mixed in completely.



Sprinkle salt on the dough. Using the spatula, lift the dough up from the bottom and fold it over the top to trap the salt within the dough.



Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.





Knead until smooth and elastic (about 4 minutes). Add 1 Tbsp of flour at a time as needed to keep it from sticking. When you can knead it ten times without sticking to your hands, it's probably ready.



Shape it into a ball.



Place dough in a large bowl coated with oil, turning to coat top. Cover lightly with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 15 seconds. Repeat ten minutes later, and again ten minutes later. During this time, preheat the broiler.

Cut dough in half and roll out on parchment paper. Thin, thin, thin!





Top with marinara sauce and cheese.



Broil for 7-10 minutes until browned. Snip basil over the pizza.

Hungarian kolache pastries

1/8 cup hot water
1/6 cup melted butter
3/4 milk, warm
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp yeast
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups flour
sugar
cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix together water, butter, milk and sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and stir once. Wait about ten minutes until the top is foamy.

Add egg and salt, beating well. Stir in 2 cups flour and mix well. Wait ten minutes.

Knead in flour one half cup at a time until smooth and elastic. Don't add in more flour than needed - you want these to be nice and fluffy!

Put the dough back in the bowl (oiled) and cover gently with plastic wrap. Let rise an hour or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down.



Lightly flour a clean countertop. Roll the dough out into a rectangle. It should be about a pinkie finger's thickness. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into eight long strips.



Using a brush, paint oil onto the kolache stick. While one person holds the stick, the second person can wrap a strip of dough around it. Leave a thin space between the strips to where you can just barely see the wood. Keep going, pinching the ends of each strip to make them stick to each other.



Sprinkle sugar onto a cookie sheet and roll the dough to lightly coat it.



Bake the kolache over hot coals, turning slowly the whole time to avoid burning. Once the strips puff up and start to brown, they are done.





Sprinkle cinnamon sugar onto a cookie sheet and roll the hot kolache through it to coat. Eat hot!







This recipe make 2-3 kolache pastries.

Buckwheat and flaxseed bread

2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
2 Tbsp flaxseed
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp balsamic vinegar
Oil for bowl

Pour water into a large microwave-safe bowl and heat to 120° (test it with your pinkie - it should be hot, but not so hot that you can't keep your finger in it). Stir in the sugar, then add yeast. Let sit a few minutes until foamy.

Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour, buckwheat flour, wheat bran, flaxseed, salt and vinegar to the yeast mixture and mix well with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon. Add the last 1 cup of flour and stir in as much as possible. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. The dough will be smooth and elastic, not sticking to your hands, but maybe to the counter still a bit.

Oil the bowl and place the dough in it, rolling it in the oil. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubles in size, about an hour.

Punch down the dough and shape into a ball or loaf, depending on your pan. Place in pan then quickly cut two or three slashes on the the top with a sharp knife. Cover again lightly with plastic wrap. Let rise one hour.

Heat oven to 375°. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature is 200°.

Flaxseed and oatmeal bread

2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
3 Tbsp flaxseed
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp balsamic vinegar
Oil for bowl

Pour water into a large microwave-safe bowl and heat to 120° (test it with your pinkie - it should be hot, but not so hot that you can't keep your finger in it). Stir in the sugar, then add yeast. Let sit a few minutes until foamy.

Heat the oven to 450°. Put aDutch oven, ceramic or stoneware baking dish/loaf pan in to heat up with the oven. Otional: place a cookie sheet in the bottom of your oven. You'll see why later.

Add 3 cups of the flour, oatmeal, flaxseed, salt and vinegar to the yeast mixture and mix well with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon. Add the last 1/2 cup of flour and stir in as much as possible. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. The dough will be smooth and elastic, not sticking to your hands, but maybe to the counter still a bit.

Oil the microwave-safe bowl and place the dough in it, rolling it in the oil. Cover the bowl with a very wet towel. Cover the whole thing with a dry towel and microwave on high for 25 seconds.

Let rest in the microwave for about five minutes.

Microwave for another 25 seconds, then remove.

Let rest and rise for another 15 minutes.



Optional: While waiting, pour 1/2 cup water into the cookie sheet in the bottom of your oven. Be careful - steam is what you're after and it can burn you! The steam will help form a nice crust on the bread.

Gently shape into a ball and place carefully into the hot pan. Quickly cut two or three slashes on the the top with a sharp knife. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature is 200°. (You can add another 1/2 cup of water about 15 minutes into baking, if you want.)

White pizza with fresh vegetables

1 batch favorite pizza crust (optional: add 1 Tbsp flaxseed with the flour)
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/4 cup crumbled Mimolette or sharp cheddar
3/4 cups frozen spinach, drained
1 small tomato, thinly sliced
1 roasted red pepper, thinly sliced
3-4 Paris or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 purple onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
salt

Roll the dough out onto a baking sheet or pizza stone. Mix together the garlic and ricotta, then spread over the crust, going almost to the edges. (If the ricotta is too thick, stir in a little milk to thin it.) Top with veggies and then crumbled cheese.

Bake in preheated oven at 400° for 25 minutes or unitil crust is just browned. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Rosemary-garlic round bread

A new twist on the 60-minute yeast bread!

4 1/2 tsp yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp fresh snipped rosemary
2-3 cloves crushed garlic,
Oil for bowl

Pour water into a large microwave-safe bowl and heat to 120° (test it with your pinkie - it should be hot, but not so hot that you can't keep your finger in it). Stir in the sugar, then add yeast. Let sit a few minutes until foamy.

Heat the oven to 450°. Put aDutch oven, ceramic or stoneware baking dish/loaf pan in to heat up with the oven. Otional: place a cookie sheet in the bottom of your oven. You'll see why later.

Add 3 cups of the flour, salt, vinegar, rosemary and garlic to the yeast mixture and mix well with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon. Add the last 1/2 cup of flour and stir in as much as possible. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. The dough will be smooth and elastic, not sticking to your hands, but maybe to the counter still a bit.

Oil the microwave-safe bowl and place the dough in it, rolling it in the oil. Cover the bowl with a very wet towel. Cover the whole thing with a dry towel and microwave on high for 25 seconds.

Let rest in the microwave for about five minutes.

Microwave for another 25 seconds, then remove.

Let rest and rise for another 15 minutes.

Optional: While waiting, pour 1/2 cup water into the cookie sheet in the bottom of your oven. Be careful - steam is what you're after and it can burn you! The steam will help form a nice crust on the bread.

Gently shape into a ball and place carefully into the hot pan. Quickly cut two or three slashes on the the top with a sharp knife. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature is 200°. (You can add another 1/2 cup of water about 15 minutes into baking, if you want.)



Remove bread from oven and pan. let sit 10 minutes before slicing. Stores well in Ziploc and makes great sandwich bread the next day.

Orange rolls with cinnamon glaze

My mother-in-law makes amazing cinnamon rolls. I make good cinnamon rolls. After a few attempts at capturing her recipe, I decided to branch out and develop my own specialty. Fortunately, this one came along quickly and has quickly made its way into our hearts. (And it's easier to make!) I like to start making them the night before for fresh rolls in the morning.

Rolls (directions below)
1/2 tsp yeast
1/8 cup hot water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp lemon juice
2 1/4 cups flour + 1/4 cup set aside
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon



Honey glaze
1/8 cup honey
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp milk



Orange cinnamon glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp butter
1 tsp orange zest
1 1/2 Tbsp orange juice
2 tsp lemon juice

Combine water, 1 tsp sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter then gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and salt. beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and lemon juice and mix until blended. Stir in yeast mixture.

Gradually add 2 1/4 cups flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Once mixed in, turn dough out onto floures surface. Knead for five minutes, adding from reserved 1/4 cup flour as needed. Once dough is smooth and elastic, place in well-oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise one to two hours.

Punch dough down. Divide into 12 pieces. Roll each one out into a 'snake' like you used to do with play-dough. Wrap each snake into a coil and pinch the end into the side to seal. Place side-by-side in a greased baking dish.



In a small bowl combine Honey glaze ingredients. Microwave on low for a few seconds to soften butter and honey, then stir to mix. Brush over tops of the rolls.

**If you're making these at night for the following day, stop here and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight and pull out in the morning and bake as soon as the oven reaches 350°.**

**If making immediately, let rise uncovered one to two hours . Bake in preheated oven at 350°**

Bake 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool two minutes. Mix together ingredients for orange cinnamon glaze until smooth. Spoon or brush over rolls.