Heather says:

These are the simplest, pillow-soft, no-knead biscuits you’ll ever make. I’ve been wanting to try out coconut oil as a substitute for vegetable shortening in my biscuit recipe, but I haven’t been in a biscuit making mood for months. Last night I celebrated meeting a deadline by making country-fried steak and there was left over milk gravy this morning. I couldn’t, in good conscience, let that go to waste, could I? I also experimented by using my food processor (thanks Mom!), that was so fast it was definitely worth washing.

I love that these biscuits only need to be folded. Who likes to knead first thing in the morning? Not this gal.

Simple Biscuit Recipe Ingredients

• 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP unsalted butter, divided
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening OR 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour + extra for dusting
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk or  only 3/4 cup milk if coconut oil was substituted

Simple Biscuit Recipe Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F and melt the 2 TBSP of butter. I use a metal measuring cup and melt the butter on a rack in the pre-heating oven, just don’t forget it’s in there.

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Use either a food processor, a pastry blender, or two forks to cut the butter and coconut oil into the dry mixture. As soon as the mixture resembles crumbs, add the milk and stir until just combined. At this point the dough will be quite sticky, but should hold together.

Heavily flour the work surface and dump the dough from the bowl onto the flour. Flour your hands and pat the dough out into a rough square. Sprinkle the square with flour and fold the dough in half and then half again.

Turn the dough over and pat it out into a square again. Again, sprinkle it with flour, fold it in half, and then half again.

This process creates lots of layers in the dough, but we don’t want to over-work the flour.

Pat the dough out into a rough square until it’s about 3/4″ thick. Use a glass, biscuit or cookie cutter and cut the dough into 2 – 3″ circles. You should get 9 biscuits.

Pour the melted butter into a 9×9 square pan and tilt to evenly coat the bottom. One at a time place the biscuits into the pan and then flip the biscuit over so both sides are buttered. Your 9 biscuits will rise to fill the pan while baking.

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully invert the pan to dump out the biscuits, I just put a cutting board on top of the pan and then flip to avoid dropping any.

Enjoy! Oh and added bonus? None of that filmy mouth feel you get with the canned kind.

Biscuit Recipe, No Knead is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Heather says:

I had pretty much written off Fearless Friday for this week. Since I’m out of town, without a real pantry, that’s about all the cooking adventure I was willing to handle while working under the pressure of a big deadline. Then last night, I saw a tweet from Candice of Ragamuffin Design. She had taken my favorite pizza dough recipe, tweaked it slightly and used it to make flatbread for a Greek meal. She sent me her technique and I thought it would be fun to share with you. Did you do anything for Fearless Friday this week? Share a link at the end of the post or tell us in the comments.

Remember, Fearless Friday is about our sharing failures -I like to think of them as learning experiences- as much as it is our successes.

Home-Ec 101 and Ragamuffin Design Flatbread

Flatbread Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour + a little more for dusting
• 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil + extra to grease the bowl for rising
• 1 TBSP molasses
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 minced, grated, or pressed garlic clove

Flatbread Recipe Instructions:

Add the yeast to the warm water and set it aside.  Place the flour in a large bowl and whisk it to fluff it up.  With your hands, clean please, create a well in the flour.  Remember when you used to make a volcano with mashed potatoes and gravy? Yes, just like that.

To make clean up easier, measure the olive oil and then the molasses.  There is no chemical reason for doing this, other than the oil lubricates the spoon so you don’t have to struggle with the sticky molasses.  Add the salt and garlic clove, add all of this to the well in the flour.

Does the yeast and water look foamy?  Wonderful, add that to the well.  If you are using a stand mixer, use your dough hook to stir and knead.  Use the lowest setting and only knead it for about a minute after the dough comes together.

If you are kneading by hand, stir the ingredients until they are moist and well mixed.  Flour your work surface and knead the dough for around three minutes.  Estimate, this is pretty forgiving.

After kneading shape the dough into a ball. (Just like playdough folks, just like playdough).  Set aside.  Grease a large bowl with olive oil.  Place the dough in the bowl, turning it several times to coat with oil.  Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise  / rest for thirty minutes. This gives the yeast time to develop flavor. It’s not going to rise a whole lot.

Divide the dough into balls about 2TBSP each. One at a time, lightly coat each ball with flour and roll very thin on a floured work surface.

Heat an ungreased skillet over medium high and cook each dough circle 1.5 minutes on each side. Stack until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Share your Fearless Friday feats.

Flatbread Recipe is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Heather says:

Does anyone ever notice how Thursday just seems to sneak up on a person? I mind my own business, but it seems to happen every seven days or so. This week I managed to squeeze in a quick Fearless Friday. I decided to try out making a homemade version of PopTarts™. Guess what? They are fabulous, absolutely butt ugly, but fabulous. I think with practice and tweaking the technique I’ll figure out how to make them pretty, but I don’t really care if they ever get there.

Fearless Fridays are a chance for cooks of any skill level to push their boundaries in the kitchen. We all have boundaries, whether it’s a food we don’t care for or a skill we’ve never attempted. Anyone is welcome to join in this carnival by sharing a link to their latest attempt at fearlessness (it doesn’t have to be from today, the carnival just runs on Fridays). This series isn’t about perfection, it’s about trying something new and knowing that sometimes we fail. So don’t worry, we want to hear about the flops just as much as the successful attempts. If you don’t have a blog, please share your adventure in the comments.

-Ugly- Toaster Pastries

There's room to grow here

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour + extra for dusting
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 6 TBSP room temperature coconut oil -I avoid shortening whenever possible, but you can use an equal amount here-
• 3/4 cup milk
• Egg wash = 1 egg + a few tsp cold water + beaten
• Filling = your favorite jam

Tools:

• Necessary
  bowl, fork, spoon or spatula, rolling pin, baking sheet
• Nice, but not necessary
  pastry blender, pastry brush, parchment paper

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt.

Use two forks, your clean hands, or a pastry blender to work the 6 TBSPs of coconut oil into the flour mixture. Keep working it in until thoroughly blended. Add the milk and use a spoon or spatula to mix thoroughly.  The dough will be very soft and a little sticky. That’s normal.

Generously sprinkle your work area with flour and turn the dough out of the bowl.

Have you ever tried taking pictures one handed while kneading? That's an adventure.

Knead the dough 10 – 15 times. To do so:

1. push the ball of dough with the heel of your hand
2. grasp the edge of the dough with your fingers
3. fold the dough over
4. turn 90 degrees
5. repeat

Divide the dough in half. Next time I make this, I’m going to wrap it and let it chill in the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 350F and I hunt down my rolling pin. -One would think it would be in the drawer where it’s supposed to be, but no, not ever.-

Roll 1/2 the dough into a narrow strip about 1/8th inch thick. Try to keep the rectangle somewhere between 3 – 4″ on the short side.

I managed to do that with the second half of the dough.

Once you have a rectangle, use a butter knife to cut it into smaller rectangles of approximately the same size. Shoot for an even number.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or just grease a baking sheet.

Transfer half the rectangles to the sheet.

Grab your favorite jam, use a clean fork to give it a good stir, this makes it easier to spread. Add a generous dollop of jam to the center of each rectangle already on the baking sheet. (The blackberry was great, the peach was lovely, but the pastry where I mixed the two was divine.) Spread the jam as evenly as possible, but leave about 1/2 inch from the sides to prevent leaking during baking.

Beat the egg with the 2 – 3 tsps of water in a small bowl to create your egg wash. Use a pastry brush or your fingers to line the edges of the jam laden pastries. Carefully transfer the other rectangles from your work area and use a fork to crimp the edges.  Poke each pastry a few times with the fork to create vents.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350F. They will be very pale, but done. Transfer the pastries to a wire rack to cool and store in an airtight container.

Toast just as you would any other toaster pastry. Enjoy the fact that you know every ingredient that created these ugly little marvesl.

In the future, I will be experimenting with the jam to pastry ratio and I will lightly sprinkle the tops with a coarse sugar before baking.

Toaster Pastries: Fearless Friday #24 is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Skip the narrative and go right to the pinwheel recipe or to the sausage gravy recipe.

Heather says:

When I posted a picture of last week’s proofing cinnamon rolls, someone asked if they were sweet or savory.  She asked this because her mother made a similar looking treat with sausage and cheese instead of the sugary filling. I vastly prefer savory items to their sweet counterparts, so my curiosity was piqued and I vowed to experiment. Experiments are of course perfect for Fearless Friday as we never know exactly how they will turn out.

While the dough was rising, I realized that the finished product might be a little dry, so I started brainstorming a way to solve the potential issue. As I was browning sausage I realized the answer was right in front of me. Instead of a sweet icing, why not sausage gravy? I’ll tell you why not, because it’s so frakking good you’ll have to hide the leftovers to avoid acts of gluttony.

What did you do for Fearless Friday? Feel free to share in the comments or link to your own blog post with the McKlinky below.

Sausage Pinwheel with Sausage Gravy

Pinwheel Dough Recipe:
Since this is the exact same as the cinnamon roll dough, I’m cheating and C&Ping from that write up.

• 1 cup warm* milk
• 1 packet or 2 1/4 tsps of active or instant dry yeast
• 5 1/3 TBSP or 1/3 cup butter – melted
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 – 5 cups** of all purpose or plain flour (this is highly dependent on humidity)

*Don’t let the milk get warmer than 110F
**If it’s very humid expect to use much closer to the full 5 cups of flour.

To get started, stir the yeast into the milk and set aside for a moment. While the yeast gets started, beat the eggs, melt the butter, measure the flour, sugar and salt. In a mixing bowl combine the yeast & milk mixture, the beaten eggs, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. If you have a stand mixture, life just got easy. Add half the flour mixture and mix on medium low until combined. If you’re stirring by hand, same thing, but your arm might get tired. Begin adding the second half of the flour by half cupfuls until you reach the 4 cup point. Continue mixing the dough during this process.

If you are using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead for 2-3 minutes on low. Add the last cup of flour by scant 1/4 cups, only if necessary. If you are mixing by hand, turn the dough out onto a heavily flour dusted work surface and knead for 5 – 10 minutes, adding the extra flour only if necessary. This dough is very soft and we don’t want to create too much gluten, but it is important that it have enough structure to not fall apart when rolled into the spiral.

Spray or oil a large bowl and place the dough inside to rise. Set the dough in a warm, moist area, cover and let rise until nearly double in size. This will take an hour to an hour and a half.

While you wait, brown the sausage for the filling and butter a 9×13 pan.

Filling:

• 1 lb sausage (pre-cooked weight) browned
• 1 – 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese – optional, I’ll skip it next time

After browning the sausage, reserve 1/3 lb for the gravy and set aside Do not wipe out the pan, those browned bits add flavor to the gravy. (You’ve heard this here before, haven’t you?)

When the dough has finished rising, turn it out onto your work surface. Again, this needs to be heavily dusted with flour. Gently shape and roll into a 9 x15 rectangle.

Spread the dough rectangle with your filling ingredients (2/3 lb browned sausage and cheese, if you choose).

Roll longways into a log. Do not roll tightly or the center will pop out.

Pinch the seam closed and place the dough log seam side down.

Grab a serrated knife or a long string of unwaxed and unused dental floss. Yes, I worry about some of you out there.

Slide the floss under the log, cross the strings -this is vastly different from crossing the streams- and pull tight. Place the pinwheel into the buttered 9×13 baking dish.

Many thanks to Eugene for the floss trick.

If you cut each pinwheel slightly under 1.5 inches, you’ll end up with 12 rolls, which will fill your pan.

Turn your oven to 110F for 3 minutes. Place a shallow pan of water on the lower rack and your pan of pinwheels on the upper rack. Turn off the oven and allow to proof for 20 minutes.

Remove both the pan of water and the pinwheels from the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F.

When the oven reaches temperature bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Watch them closely the last few minutes.

Sausage Gravy

• 2 TBSP sausage drippings, bacon drippings, or butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/3 lb sausage, browned and crumbled
• salt and pepper to taste

In the skillet that browned the sausage add enough drippings or butter to equal 2 TBSP of fat. Modern sausage is leaner than old fashioned and may not have enough dripping on its own.

Heat the pan over medium heat.

Stir in 1/4 cup of flour. The goal is to make a thick paste and cook away any raw flour flavor.

We’re only making a light roux, so your chances of burning it are slim. Stir the roux constantly until it darkens a shade or two.  While I’m doing this, I usually microwave the milk or if I have a pan handy, heat it over low. I’ve found doing this speeds up the gravy making process considerably.

Turn the heat to low.

Slowly add the milk, first by a few tablespoons at a time, gradually increasing with each addition. Between additions, stir vigorously until your doughy roux is smooth. This prevents lumps.

There will be times where it looks quite scary. No, you haven’t ruined it.

Keep stirring and it will smooth back out.

Once all of the milk has been incorporated, add the sausage. Stir and heat through for a moment. Taste the gravy and then salt and pepper accordingly.

Serve.

Enjoy.

Sausage Pinwheels with Sausage Gravy Recipe is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Heather says:

This is a great basic muffin recipe. Swap out the blueberries for whatever fruit you’d like. Reduce the amount of milk for exceptionally wet ingredients such as mashed bananas.

Simple Blueberry Muffins

Yields 9 muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose or plain flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• about 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Optional Streusel Topping

• 2 TBSP cold butter, cut into small cubes or grated
• 1/8 cup rolled oats
• 1/8 cup white sugar
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• a pinch of cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Grease  a muffin tin, you can use butter or cooking spray. If you use cooking spray, wipe of the overspray, unless you enjoy scrubbing cookware.

In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In a liquid measuring cup stir together 1/3 cup veg oil, 1 tsp vanilla, and one beaten egg. Add enough milk to bring the liquid volume total to one cup. Stir. Add the fruit to the dry ingredients, then add the liquid and stir just to combine.  Overmixing yields muffins with flat tops. *ahem* I don’t really mind this.

In a small bowl combine: butter, oats, brown sugar, white sugar, and pinch of cinnamon. Stir together with a fork, the mixture will be crumbly.

Fill 9 muffin cups with 1/3 cup batter each and sprinkle with the topping. I find it easier to use a spatula to scrape the thick batter out of the measuring cup and into the muffin tin.

Bake for 20 -25 minutes, cool on a wire rack.

Easy peasy.

Blueberry Muffins Recipe is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Heather says:

It’s probably been at least five years since I’ve had a Cinnabon cinnamon roll. I’m drooling just thinking about it, but there aren’t any in our area and I never seem to remember while I’m travelling. These cinnamon rolls come pretty stinkin’ close. If you want to match their decadence you’ll have to increase the sugar mixture and roll the dough out wider and thinner. That’s the only difference. My favorite part of a cinnamon roll, it’s the inside dough that is moist and gooey with cinnamon and sugar. If that’s the part you’re after, it’s manageable, but will take a just little more effort.

These are frugal, if you consider the cost of going out for fabulous cinnamon rolls. I’m sure someone can find cheap grocery-bakery alternatives, but I promise those are nothing like tearing into these straight from the oven.

These can be made up to the proofing point and refrigerated overnight or they can be frozen in the pan. I would not double this dough, it’s somewhat obnoxious to work with, as it’s very soft. I would use a bread machine to make one batch, while I made a second to freeze for another occasion. If I had a functional bread machine, that is.

I’m not into putzy recipes. There are three mini-recipes within the big one, but only the dough seems complicated.  It’s probably a good thing I’m not patient enough to ever be a pastry chef, but these cinnamon rolls are good enough to be worth the effort.  I promise, this is high praise indeed from the likes of me.

Cinnamon Roll Dough Recipe

• 1 cup warm* milk
• 1 packet or 2 1/4 tsps of active or instant dry yeast
• 5 1/3 TBSP or 1/3 cup butter – melted
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 – 5 cups** of all purpose or plain flour (this is highly dependent on humidity)

*It’s very important that milk be warm, not hot. It shouldn’t be over 110F or you risk killing the yeast
** It was exceptionally humid the morning I tested this recipe and I needed nearly all 5 cups of flour. I would guess that the standard would be much closer to 4 cups.

To get started, stir the yeast into the milk and set aside for a moment.  While the yeast gets started, beat the eggs, melt the butter, measure the flour, sugar and salt.  In a mixing bowl combine the yeast & milk mixture, the beaten eggs, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. If you have a stand mixture, life just got easy. Add half the flour mixture and mix on medium low until combined. If you’re stirring by hand, same thing, but your arm might get tired. Begin adding the second half of the flour by half cupfulls until you reach the 4 cup point. Continue mixing the dough during this process.

If you are using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead for 2-3 minutes on low. Add the last cup of flour by scant 1/4 cups, only if necessary. If you are mixing by hand, turn the dough out onto a heavily flour dusted work surface and knead for 5 – 10 minutes, adding the extra flour only if necessary. This dough is very soft and we don’t want to create too much gluten, but it is important that it have enough structure to not fall apart when rolled into the spiral.

Spray or oil a large bowl and place the dough inside to rise. Set the dough in a warm, moist area, cover and let rise until nearly double in size. This will take an hour to an hour and a half.

Make the filling while you wait and butter a 9×13 pan.

Cinnamon Filling Recipe:

• 1 packed cup of brown sugar
• 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 TBSP melted butter

Whisk together the first three ingredients. *whew* that was rough.

When the dough has finished rising, turn it out onto your work surface. Again, this needs to be heavily dusted with flour. Gently shape and roll into a 9 x15 rectangle. If you are trying to replicate Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, here’s where the variation happens. The dough rectangle should be at least 12 x 15, try for 15 x 15. It’s going to be a little awkward to work with, but think of the results.  Don’t double the filling recipe, increase it by half.

Brush the dough with butter.

Then sprinkle and spread the sugar mixture evenly over the dough.

Very carefully, begin rolling the dough into a spiral. Start at the edge closest to you and roll toward the far edge. Try to keep the roll as even as possible, but do NOT roll it tightly. If you roll it tightly the middles are going to pop out while they rise and bake and we’ll have to point and laugh at your funny rolls. I don’t like being mean, so don’t roll it tightly. Now that we’re straight, finish rolling your spiral.

When you get to the far side, pinch the seam closed.

Now turn the log of dough so where the seam was is now on the bottom. This helps squish it together so the rolls aren’t unspiraling as you transfer them to the baking dish.

Now, grab a serrated knife, a paper towel, a buttered 9×13 pan (glass or metal) and all the patience you can muster and cut the log into 12 rolls, just over an inch in thickness each. Cut using a gentle sawing motion. Transfer the roll after each cut, the dough is so soft that it will try to fall apart if you wait to move them at once. Wipe the knife blade with your paper towel after each cut. Like magic, you’ll have just enough room in the pan for the 12 rolls.

Now, it’s either time for proofing, refrigerating or freezing. Your choice. If placing the refrigerator overnight, cover the pan with plastic wrap. If freezing, cover with foil, if proofing turn your oven on to its lowest setting (110ish) for 3 minutes.  If you freeze the dough, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. Whether frozen or refrigerated begin with the proofing step after the dough has rested in the fridge overnight.

To proof, fill a shallow pan with hot or boiling water and place on the lower rack of the oven.  Place the pan of rolls on the upper rack and close the door. DO NOT forget to turn the oven off if you let it heat for 3 minutes. We’re not cooking the rolls just yet, they are rising in a very humid and warm environment. Allow to proof for 30 minutes.

Remove the rolls and pan of water from the oven and preheat it to 350F. When the oven has reached temperature return the rolls to the rack, which should be in the middle position and bake for 30 minutes. The rolls should be light brown.

While the rolls are baking, make the icing. Everyone has an opinion about the icing to roll ratio. I’ll leave that up to you, but I’d assume you’ll probably want to double my version as I don’t have a big sweet tooth.

Cinnamon Roll Icing Recipe

• 1/4 cup cream cheese – softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tiny squirt or squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 – 2 TBSPs milk

Combine all of the ingredients with an electric mixture until smooth. Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cinnamon rolls as soon as they are removed from the oven.

Enjoy.

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Heather says:
Nothing says weekend indulgence like a pancake and nothing tastes better than a pancake served up by someone else. But what happens when you’ve moved out and a weekly trip to IHOP just isn’t in the budget? You learn how to do it yourself. This recipe is simple and a great starting point for many variations.

I’ve said before that cooking is chemistry; pancakes are a perfect example. Light, fluffy pancakes are the combination of an acid base reaction and the proper addition of heat. Too hot and the outside of the pancake burns before the batter can set. Too cool and the bubbles will escape before the batter cooks enough to trap the air.

This recipe yields 21 5″ pancakes. If you use full fat buttermilk, you may have slightly fewer as this yields a thicker batter.

Buttermilk Pancakes

• 4 TBSP butter, melted
• 2 eggs brought to room temperature
• 3 cups buttermilk (full fat is best, but fat free works)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 5 TBSP sugar (less if adding something sweet to the batter such as bananas or chocolate chips)
• 2 cups all purpose (plain) flour
• *optional* vegetable oil for greasing a regular, not nonstick skillet

Measure the liquid ingredients into a large bowl and set them aside. This gives the liquids a chance to come to room temperature without spending too long in the bacterial “danger zone.”

I melt my butter in a metal measuring cup on the griddle as it preheats. I do this mostly out of laziness. The speed of chemical reactions is dependent on the temperature at which they occur. Cold ingredients cause a slow reaction. Room temperature ingredients yield larger bubbles that are trapped by the batter in the cooking process.

Transparency note:I was out of white sugar and used brown.

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Heat your pan.

If you have a nonstick, electric griddle, I find it unnecessary to grease the surface. (Unless you’ve had trouble with items sticking) Heat the griddle to 300. If using a heavy skillet, drizzle a small amount of vegetable oil into the pan, then use a paper towel to spread it in a thin layer. Too much oil makes the first batch of pancakes gross. If you are using the stove, heat the pan on low. Hotter does not equal better, be patient and allow your pan to heat before cooking the pancakes.

While the pan heats, pour half the dry ingredients into the wet. Whisk thoroughly, breaking up any lumps. Add the second half of the dry ingredients to the batter and stir it just enough to bring it together. If you overstir, you’ll release the air bubbles that are the point of this whole project. Set the batter aside and find your 1/3 measuring cup.

Giving the batter a couple minutes to rest allows the reaction to get underway.

Now for the magic. Pour the batter by 1/3 cup fulls into your hot skillet. Don’t get anxious, watch the edge of the pancakes.

When the very edge of the pancake has set and there are bubbles across the entire cake, use a spatula and flip the pancake. This takes a little practice. Slide the spatula completely under the cake before flipping. If you only grab an edge you increase your chance of dropping the cake which is disappointing.

Flip the pancake quickly. And allow to cook for another minute and a half to two minutes, depending on how done you like your pancakes.

If you’re like me and enjoy bacon with your pancakes, the already hot, but not on oven is a perfect place to store the pancakes until it is time to serve everyone.

Since I highly recommend room temperature batter, don’t save the leftovers for another day. Finish cooking the batch if there are too many for your needs. Place the leftovers in a single layer on a sheet pan or plate and place in the freezer. Once frozen, place in a zippered freezer bag and store in the freezer. They can be thawed in a toaster or the microwave for a quick weekday treat.

Enjoy!

Pancakes 101: The Basic Buttermilk Pancake is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Retro Saturdays are a chance for our new viewers to see some of the Best Home Ec 101 has to offer.
Heather says:

At long last, the first in the series of simple bread tutorials. We are beginning with a plain white bread recipe. This version is extremely simple. It is free of most allergens (wheat being the obvious exception) so it is useful for those avoiding eggs and dairy. Nutritionally, well, let’s just say that you won’t be making great strides over store-bought, but at least there is no high fructose corn syrup. Warm up the oven, roll up your sleeves, and let’s get started.

Simple White Bread

Ingredients

Directions after the jump.

Dissolve the 1/4 cup sugar in 2 cups warm water in a large mixing bowl. Don’t forget, hot water will kill yeast.

Add the yeast to the sugar water and wait a few moments until it begins to look creamy.

Stir in the oil, salt, and four – five cups of flour. The dough will be quite heavy and difficult to stir by hand.

Spread the remaining flour on your work area and place the dough on the well floured surface. Go ahead and wash and oil your bowl now. Flour your hands well.

To knead the dough place the heel of your dominant hand into the center of the dough and push away from your body and toward your work surface. Grab the edge of the dough fold it back on itself and give it a quarter turn. Don’t be gentle, this is a great way to work out some aggression. Feel free to slam the dough down on the counter.

Squish, fold, turn, slam, repeat. I knead my bread between five and ten minutes, this mostly depends on how energetic or annoyed I am at the time of kneading. When kneading by hand, under kneading is far more common than over kneading. To check, press your clean (unfloured) palm on the dough for about ten seconds. It shouldn’t stick (wheat breads are tackier than white).

Roll your dough into a ball and place into your oiled mixing bowl. Turn the ball several times to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm, non-drafty place to rise. Allow to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

My favorite part is punching the dough down. It’s fun, but don’t get carried away or you’ll break down all the air pockets and create a dense loaf.

Divide the dough in half and press into two rectangles about 12″ x 6″. Do not break out the ruler, it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Shape the dough by rolling it into a log.

Tuck the ends under and place in an oiled 9 x 5 bread pan.

Allow to rise until slightly above the rim of the pan. (I accidentally let this loaf go a little too long). While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350F.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes. To check your bread, firmly tap the top of the loaf, when done it will have a hollow sound. Place on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes and then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely on the rack.

While warm bread fresh from the oven is fantastic, it will not slice well until it has cooled completely.

Enjoy!

White Bread, Basic is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Heather says:

After getting the hang of basic white bread, these rolls should be a cinch. There are no fancy ingredients, but you will need a rolling pin.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup warm water + extra for sprinkling
• 2 1/2 tsp yeast
• 2 1/2 TBSP olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups flour (for best results use bread flour)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 tsp sugar

Directions are after the jump.

Combine the yeast, warm water, and olive oil.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Stir in the wet ingredients just until the dough comes together.

Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.

Divide the dough into 7 balls of equal size, allow to rest for 10 – 20 minutes. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Roll each dough ball into a rectangle about 4″ x 8″. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Roll the dough lengthwise and lightly sprinkle the seam with water to seal.

Tuck each end under, and use a little water to seal. Place each roll, seam side down, about two inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Allow to rise in a warm, humid place.  I turn on my oven for five minutes at 200F and place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack.

Let rise for 45 minutes to an hour.

Use a very sharp knife to cut two diagnol slashes in each roll. Do not touch the rolls with your fingers or you may leave funny dents.

Mist with water for a nice crust, but it isn’t crucial (I skipped that step). Bake for 15 – 20 minutes at 450F.

Cool for at least ten minutes on a wire rack.

Enjoy.

Hoagie Roll Tutorial is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Heather says:

Many thanks to Candice of Ragamuffin Designs for letting me use her picture of this recipe.

I was not content with the pizza crust I originally posted, it was good, but not something I felt others would rave about.  Consequently I have been experimenting with variations for the past few months.  While searching for a simple crust I had some criteria in mind: the ingredients must be both inexpensive and readily available, the directions must be both easy and forgiving, and finally it must taste at least as good as the chain delivery joints.  (There are a few independent places who have a fantastic product that would be difficult to recreate in the average kitchen.)*

This crust is chewier and more flavorful than the original with no increase in difficulty.

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour + a little more for dusting
• 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil + extra to grease the bowl for rising
• 2 TBSP molasses
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning – OPTIONAL
• cornmeal for sprinkling

Directions after the jump.

Directions:

Add the yeast to the warm water and set it aside.  Place the flour in a large bowl and whisk it to fluff it up.  With your hands, clean please, create a well in the flour.  Remember when you used to make a volcano with mashed potatoes and gravy? Yes, just like that.

To make clean up easier, measure the olive oil and then the molasses.  There is no chemical reason for doing this, other than the oil lubricates the spoon so you don’t have to struggle with the sticky molasses.  Add the salt and Italian seasoning.

Does the yeast and water look foamy?  Wonderful, add that to the well.  If you are using a stand mixer, use your dough hook to stir and knead.  Use the lowest setting and only knead it for about a minute after the dough comes together.

If you are kneading by hand, stir the ingredients until they are moist and well mixed.  Flour your work surface and knead the dough for around three minutes.  Estimate, this is pretty forgiving.

After kneading shape the dough into a ball. (Just like playdough folks, just like playdough).  Set aside.  Grease a large bowl with olive oil.  Place the dough in the bowl, turning it several times to coat with oil.  Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for at least thirty minutes.

Divide the dough into equal portions.  We make 4 thin crust 12″ pizzas, if you prefer thicker crust you will have fewer pizzas.  If you have multiple pans allow the dough to sit for ten or fifteen additional minutes, before shaping.  If, like me, you only have one pizza stone, immediately begin shaping the dough (with a rolling pin or by tossing)for baking, the other three can rise and your first really won’t suffer.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

If you use a pizza stone, allow the stone to heat for 10 minutes in a 450F oven.  If you are using a metal baking sheet, preheating is unnecessary.

Sprinkle the  stone or cookie sheet with cornmeal; set the shaped pizza crust on the surface and top with your favorite pizza sauce and toppings.  Bake for 10 – 15 minutes (watch it carefully, this depends on your toppings).

Enjoy.

*No comment from those of you who can afford home woodfired ovens.

Pizza Crust Recipe is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010