A new address, a new Purpose!

Merry Christmas! 

I just received a new iMac today and I am so excited! My laptop froze to death somewhere between Texas and Colorado and I have been very unhappy to not have a working computer. So much has changed! It's still hard to believe that the yellow House on the Corner is no longer ours, but we are settling nicely into another Corner House.

I have decided to take a new direction with this blog, and hope you will find it helpful. I am a Baker at heart, and have wanted to print a cook book for years. I try out lots of recipes and almost always end up "doctoring" them. Then, the next time I make it I have to try to remember what I did. So, I decided to turn this blog into an outlet for all of my recipes and experiments! 

I thought I would start by sharing my most requested recipe...my all purpose bread dough recipe. It's a slight alteration of my MILs pizza recipe, and I use it for EVERYTHING! Rolls, pizza, cinnamon rolls, bread...anything yeast dough based.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Hot water

1 TBSP yeast

1 tsp. sugar

*Mix in a glass measuring cup and set aside to rise. 

(I place it beneath my under cabinet lights to speed the process)

Meanwhile, In the kitchen Aid mix:

4 cups Flour

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 tsp. salt

*When yeast mixture has doubled in size, add it to the dry ingredients, then mix in:

1/4 cup oil (I use Sunflower oil)

1/2 cup Milk

*Begin mixing at slow to medium speed, then add 1 - 2 more cups of hot water, just enough to make a sticky dough. It is better to be too sticky than too dry!

*When dough is just starting to pull away from sides of bowl, place bowl in warm spot 

(again I use the under cabinet lights)

and allow to rise for 30 - 60 minutes, until doubled in size.

*Butter 2 pizza stones (or cookie sheets) and your hands, divide dough in half and pat out onto stones by hand. (Rolling pins will cause the dough to not rise)

For PIZZA:
*Allow to rise 15 - 30 minutes, then bake in 450o oven for 3 minutes.

*Layer toppings, beginning with sauce, then parmesan, monterey jack and mozarella, and then any other toppings.

FOR ROLLS:

*Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 16 triangles. Roll them up crescent style...starting with the widest side, and place in jelly roll pan (after melting 1/4 cup butter in pan), then bake in 450o oven for 10 -12 minutes.

FOR KOLACHES:
*Same process as for rolls, except: before rolling up, place cheddar cheese and a beef lil smokie...then proceed with rolling and baking.

FOR CINNAMON ROLLS:
*Pat dough out into rectangle (about 16 x 24) and spread on top:
1 cup melted butter
2 cups brown sugar, mixed with 6 TBSP. cinnamon
*Roll up (long side), pinch the ends and using unflavored dental floss, slice dough into 1 inch sections.
*Allow to rise (covered) 15 - 30 minutes, then bake in 350o oven for 30 minutes

People will rave...I PROMISE! :)

let me know how it turns out if you try it!

Happy Baking!
db