Raised Belgian Waffles

Years ago I used to bribe my boys on Saturday morning that if they would endure an early-morning haircut by Mom - they would be rewarded with waffles and Saturday morning cartoons!  It then became a tradition on the evening of Christmas Day (after all the hoopla of the holiday has passed) for my late husband's family to converge here for waffles.  By then we were tired of turkey, ham, sweets, etc... and a light breakfast food sounded wonderful.  Every family brought a waffle topping & a gallon of milk to go with homemade syrup.   These super light waffles are great with a variety of toppings.  Our favorites have always been different kinds of syrup, ice cream, fresh strawberries, or strawberry jam.  

Artisan Bread & Variations

Kudos to my daughter Aryn for "converting" me to this easy, no-stress method of making the most amazing bread ever.  No flavor quite like it.  She sold out of this every single week last summer at her Farmer's Market.

The technique of making Artisan(al) bread seriously does yield a more delicious loaf.  The key is patience. Most mass-produced breads use chemicals and high-energy mixers to speed up fermentation.

The long fermentation process in Artisan bread gives dough up to 24 hours to develop, and it really does produce a unique flavor.

This type of bread is actually easier to digest, because the enzymes have had time to begin breaking down the gluten in the flour while fermenting. As a rule of thumb, the longer the production process, the longer its shelf life will be.

So... here's how it's done.  It begins with a very simple formula for a standard loaf of bread.  You can then dress it up with lots of other ingredients.  I'll give you three other variations at the end of this post - all are delicious.

Artisan Bread

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
1-3/4 tsp kosher salt
1-1/2 cups water (the water does not have to be warm)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast.  Now add the water, and mix until a very messy, shaggy mixture forms.  This "dough" does not have to be smooth, but most of the liquid should be absorbed into the flour.  



Cover with plastic wrap and set it aside for at least 12-18 hours.  Overnight works great.  (You can refrigerate it if you'd like, but that really slows down the rising)

When ready to bake your bread, preheat your oven to 450°.  When the temperature has been reached, place a large cast iron pot (preferably with a lid) in the oven and allow the pot to heat for 30 minutes.  *Note - you may also use stoneware, glass, or metal pans - just check to make sure they can be heated to 450° without cracking.



Meanwhile, spoon the dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball (using a floured spatula or your hands).  Cover with wrap while the pot is heating.  (I like to let the dough rise from this point on on top of a sheet of parchment paper - which makes it easier to transfer to the hot pot)



Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.  Immediately cover with lid (or foil, if you don't have a lid for the pan you're using) and return to the oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, remove the lid or foil, and bake an additional 15 minutes.   (*Covering the bread for the first 30 minutes creates a bit of steam that causes the bread to rise quickly.  It also creates that crackly-shiny crust that makes Artisan bread irresistible)

Remove bread from oven and allow to cool on wire rack.

Variations:

Cranberry Orange Almond Artisan Bread

Add zest from one orange to the flour mixture, then add 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup toasted almonds (slivered almonds work well).

White Chocolate Pecan Artisan Bread 

(similar to the bread sold at Harmon's grocery in Utah)

Add 1/2 cup white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup whole pecans.  Don't worry about the charred white chocolate that makes it's way to the surface - it's quite tasty, even though it looks 'ruined'.

Spinach, Feta, & Sun Dried Tomato Artisan Bread  
(similar to Great Harvest "Popeye Bread" 

- only sold on Fridays in Utah stores)

Add 1/2 of a 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach (cook and squeeze dry in paper towels), 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese, 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (squeeze out the oil, if packed in oil).  You can also add red pepper flakes (crush between your fingers to release the oils) - about 1/2 to 1 tsp, and cracked black pepper to taste.

A photo of the real Great Harvest "Popeye Bread"
Notice the chunks of parmesan cheese baked throughout.
If you can afford to do that, you'll love it!

*Note - Great Harvest uses chunks of Parmesan cheese in their Popeye Bread, which is yummy as well - but quite expensive.  Feta cheese is a good substitute.

A few pictures below illustrate how I doubled this in my Bosch to make two loaves...




SaveSave

Bouquet of Rolls

When your food assignment for a summer potluck happens to be rolls, you might want to give these a try.  This bouquet of "rolls" can be made with any dough, even frozen roll dough.

This "bouquet" should be baked in a circular pan for the right look.  I used glass, but you could also use metal pie tins, or a spring-form pan as well.  If you use a spring-form, you can display your bouquet on a pretty plate.

To form your rose shaped rolls, begin by dividing your dough into portions about the size of your fist.  It also helps to let the dough rest for at least a few minutes so it can "relax" enough to roll out easily.

Now roll two of these portions out at a time.  Make one slightly smaller than the other.  Spread melted butter over both.  Now roll from the long side, like a jelly roll (not too tightly).  Now, using a sharp knife or bench scraper - cut the two ends long enough so they can stand up in the pan and resemble a flower.  

The remaining center section can then be cut into triangles.  Notice that the two rolls that are next to the roses will be straight on one side.  

Now arrange the rose-shaped rolls in the center of your round pan.  You'll want some space between them, but not too much.  As they rise, they will start to "bloom" and support each other.  

Arrange the remaining triangle-shaped rolls around the perimeter of the pan as shown.  Don't overthink this - it can make you crazy.  But bread is a beautiful thing as it bakes - it just "fills in" and looks amazing.  Even if it's different every time. 

Allow to rise until the rolls nicely fill the pan, then brush with melted butter and bake as directed in your recipe.

Since this is a tightly packed baking dish, you'll want to make sure you bake them long enough - or you'll have some underdone rolls in the center.  Be sure to check for signs of doughiness before you take them out.   Feel free to brush with even more butter after they cool slightly - it'll add a nice sheen and they will look irresistible!

Then pass the bouquet and let everyone pick their favorite "flower/roll".  

Cheddar Cheese Puffs

Years and years ago, my sweet Mom invited my girls and I to a Mother/Daughter program.  I have no other memory of what went on there, other than these little gems that were part of a Soup & Salad Buffet.  I asked for the recipe, and made them often as my kids were growing up.  Tonight I decided it's time to brush up on this old favorite.



If you've made cream puffs or eclairs - this is exactly the same method (and ingredients), other than the addition of cheddar cheese.  They are delicious served warm from the oven - but are surprisingly good cold.  



You really can't ruin this - so go in feeling confident.  

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (one stick) butter
1 cup water
Salt (if desired - I added 1/2 tsp)
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup (+ or -) grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°.  In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil.  Quickly add flour and stir until mixture forms a thick ball.  Remove from heat, and add eggs - one at a time.  Stir hard until smooth between each addition.  At this point, add about 1/2 - 3/4 of the cheese.  

Using a small cookie scoop, drop 1-2 Tbs dough onto an greased cookie sheet.  Make sure they are at least 1-2" apart.  Top with a pinch of the remaining cheese.  Place in preheated oven and bake for at least 20 minutes before checking.  Puffs won't be completely golden at this point, but remove from oven and pierce sides of each puff with a fork.  Return to oven (that has been turned off) for up to 30 minutes until desired color and doneness has been achieved.  (The longer they remain in the cooling oven, the less moist they are in the center).  Remove and serve warm or cold as desired.

Parker House Rolls - in a hurry...

All I need is another dinner roll recipe.  They are all delicious, and that is because they are made by hand and warm from the oven.  Any roll recipe should work using this method of forming the roll.  

This method of forming rolls has been attributed to a technique by Alex Guarnaschelli in a Food Network magazine.  The rolls shaped this way very loosely resemble Lion House Rolls - spoken of in hushed and reverent tones in the state of Utah.  But these are MUCH easier to shape, and don't unwind as they bake.  Part of the trick I'm sure is making sure the dough is allowed to rise slowly, and is completely relaxed before shaping.  I found this particular roll recipe on syddallfamilyeatingitup.blogspot.com.  Not an unusual recipe at all, but it works well with this shaping technique - yielding exactly 24 rolls (enough to fit a large aluminum baking sheet)

You place the rolls in three rows right in the center of your baking pan, standing next to each other and touching sides.  As they rise, they push outward and fill up the pan.  They don't unwind because they are holding each other up. (There ought to be a parable in that somehow?)

Parker House Rolls - (shaped to look like soldiers standing at attention)

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups milk, scalded
1/2 cup (one cube) butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp salt
6 cups (+ or -) all purpose flour

Directions:

Stir 1 Tbs yeast into 1/2 cup warm water.  Set aside until it is dissolved and foamy.

Meanwhile, place milk in a large measuring cup and scald in microwave for 2-3 minutes on high.  Stir in the butter, and continue stirring until melted.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, salt, and eggs.  Stir in the milk/butter mixture when it has cooled slightly (you don't want to cook the eggs).  

Now add 4-5 cups of the flour.  I use a Bosch mixer to mix this dough, but it can be done by hand.  Continue adding just enough flour until dough pulls away from side of bowl.  When touched lightly, it should still stick to your finger, but not be obviously wet to the touch.  Do not add too much flour, as you cannot take it back out.  Less is more, but you should have enough that it holds it's shape.

Turn out onto oiled countertop, or place in an oiled bowl.  Turn to coat other side and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise until doubled in bulk.

At this point, you don't want to work the dough and make it stiff.  It needs to stay relaxed.  Do not use a rolling pin, just dust your hands with flour.  Form into a 16" x 8" rectangle.  It will be about 1/2" to 3/4" thick.  

With a sharp knife (I used a pizza cutter), cut in half lengthwise.  Now slice crosswise (as pictured) into 12 even strips.  (I cut it in half, then in half again - making each quarter into three strips as shown).   

One at a time, fold each strip of dough unevenly in half so the top part slightly overlaps the bottom half.  Now tuck the overhang underneath.

Place the rolls, seam side down, on a greased baking sheet in three tightly packed rows.  Leave only an inch or two between the rows so they rise up together in the oven.  

Bake an a 375° oven until the rolls are bursting at the seams and are golden brown - about 18-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and brush with softened butter.  You may even sprinkle with salt if desired.  Serve immediately.

Cinnamon Roll Pulls

Years ago on this blog, I posted my recipe called "Bloomin' Onion Bread".  Interesting to see an idea take off and morph into so many adaptations - that's what I love about cooking and recipes.  

So I wasn't at all surprised to see this same idea turned into a cinnamon roll adaptation by plainchicken.com, which I thought was genius.  I tried it and posted it 2 years ago ~ the link is HERE.

That recipe called for starting with a large king-size bread. This is an adaptation with small rolls.  A great idea for Christmas morning brunch.  Easy to put together beforehand and pop into the oven as you winding up opening gifts.  Then - when everyone notices their tummies rumbling, 'wow' them with these sensational personal size cinnamon treats to go along with the rest of your meal.

Personal Size Cinnamon Roll Pulls

*Note:  You can make this into one large loaf, or use small ciabatta (or other round rolls) to make individual cinnamon roll pulls.

1 large unsliced round loaf of artisan bread (can use sourdough, but I prefer cinnamon flavors with PLAIN bread instead) - OR - 6 round artisan rolls (hard rolls are preferred, as they hold their shape).

Vanilla Honey Butter:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1 cup sugar
1-1/4 tsp cinnamon

Drizzle:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbs milk

Cut the rolls lengthwise & crosswise into 1/2" slices, withOUT cutting through the bottom crust.

Blend together the ingredients for the Vanilla Honey Butter - OR - use cinnamon sugar only in the softened butter (to taste) for a less-sweet filling.

Spread softened butter mixture in between the cuts.  This doesn't need to be perfect - just be sure there is enough butter to coat all cut surfaces.

Place each roll on a square of aluminum foil.  Now generously sprinkle cinnamon sugar topping on top of rolls and in between all cuts.  Gently wrap foil around rolls, without pressing out air as you do so.  

Place rolls on baking sheet and place in 350° oven.  Bake until rolls are warmed through - about 25-30 minutes (or less, depending on size of rolls).

Unwrap and place each roll on serving plate.  Now drizzle with powdered sugar glaze.  

Serve immediately.