Pizza Dough Recipe - If you have a bread machine you should try this!

February had been cold and good time to try out my bread making skill and sometimes lack there of... the oven will help warm the house. 

Pizza was last night . I will get to the recipe in a bit. 

The rustic bread the other day turned out fabulous and Dude has now requested it as his sandwich bread from now until he gets sick of it. This is a no- knead bread that you bake in a dutch oven. 

A fail this week would be the dinner rolls.  It started out just fine...

I put them behind the woodstove to rise from the heat... but what happened was the dog figured they were there for the taking and ate 3 of them. 

Yep, when I yelled he spit one out on the floor, silly chap. 

Now the Pizza Dough. I had never used the dough cycle on my machine and it was time I learned.  It turned out so well, now, I want to make cinnamon rolls!

Preheat oven 450*F

Put the ingredients in the machine in this order (I know it sounds weird and reverse but it works). 

2 teaspoons dried granulated yeast

3 cups bread flour (I am using this more and more instead of regular all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon salt 

2 tablespoons sugar 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup warm water

plus 2 tablespoons water

Select dough cycle, on mine it was #9 or 10.

Let go through the cycle. 

Then I just left it in the machine for 20 more minutes and it had risen to the top.

Remove, knead a little. Then flour an area and roll out into your shape. 

I sprayed a baking sheet and sprinkled some cornmeal on it. 

Transfer rolled out dough to a baking sheet.

I like my crust thin and crispy so I poked the crust with a fork and baked for 5 minutes first. 

Then add a tiny bit of olive oil over the top,  I used our homemade canned pizza sauce next and add whatever cheese and toppings  you like. 

We used up leftover cheeses , all kinds... cheddar, provolone, pepperjack, swiss and cream cheese. It tasted great.  Dude added pepperoni on his and mine was kalamata olives, onions, and sundried tomatoes (from the garden last year) . There are so many variations swimming in my head!

Then bake the whole thing for 10-12 minutes.

Sooo good and filling!

peace --pizza!

Our first recycle project of the year and Oatmeal Bread Machine Bread

Usually we buy a bottle of pink champagne every year to ring in the New Year.  But not with a drink but to make jelly.  This year I bought only a tiny bottle to ring in the New Year.  Dude doesn't drink and I only drank a half a glass but we saved the bottle. 

I made an exploding bubbly bottle with leftover ornaments from Christmas.  It was made it the same way we made the pouring teacup and the tumbling ornaments out of a bag.  Here it is. It is simply the bottle, a half a wire coat hanger folded in half and put in the bottle. I hot glue it inside to slightly secure it. The glue ornaments with tops pointing inwards so they look more like bubbles and not ornaments. Small to large. 

Here are the others we did in simpler fashion:

Oatmeal Bread in the Bread Machine 

I love the convenience of the bread machine. You just dump the ingredients in the machine and let it do it's thing for the next three hours.  (I do check it every so often to see if I need to scrape the sides or help it form into a ball)

This week I made oatmeal bread.  It turned out well, earthy, and good.  Dude likes it as toast for breakfast or a midday sandwich. 

Here are the ingredients or one loaf. 

3/4 cup water (room temperature) 
1/2 milk(room temperature) 
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons melted bacon grease
3 cups white bread flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon salt
a packet of active dry yeast or 2 teaspoons

Put into the bread machine in the order your machine tells you... mine is in the order listed, wet to dry. 
Settings for me - 2lb loaf and medium crust. 

Here is how it turned out. 

I would love to stay and chat but the chicken coop needs cleaned and one last house chore is left to be done... mop the muddy floors.   

peace 

Day 14

The song in my head lately is Life is a Highway.  I commute to work, to stores, to see friends and family.  Not to say friends and family don't come see me but today I am refusing to leave my land. I love it here. 

This week with my mom at her senior apartment.

With one of my grandsons.

I started with a morning read and meditation.  I would love to be a saint but believe me, I have an extremely long way to go.  I read for inspiration and hope.

The book opened up to this...giggle.  Do you wanna build a snowman was not his mantra. 

Dude requested more bread be made.  I thought of making something a bit sweet.  I made raspberry lemonade concentrate this summer and saved the fruit.  Today I am making bread with it. 

I spent the morning outside.  The birds are loud and rowdy.  We saw people were selling guineas for $40 a piece.  Last night we put ours up for sale for $30 a piece.  They sold instantly. Someone will be picking them up this weekend. 

We also sold our bee-vac .

Looks like the laying hens are ready for winter, which begins next week. 

The sheep are happy to have breakfast.  Snow is flying in the mountains and there was an avalanche yesterday but here on the plains we still are in a draught. 

The Canadian geese were noisy this morning flying over. 

The dog and I walked the land.  Dry, dry, dry. 

Christmas cards were being addressed.

 Lentil Turkey Stew is in the crockpot.

Back to the raspberry lemon bread. 

It turned out lovely. 

And pink. 

I served it with honeyed butter.  Delightful. 

Remember when I made this ? 

A deer head for my wall?

My son made me this beautiful cardboard deer head for my Christmas room. He is grand and I adore him. I put my room together today.

I made the blue pillow cases and someone was getting rid of this gorgeous red sparkling fabric. 

I am ending the day with a movie on television and cutting out this.  I making the long skirt in this fabric. I think it will look wonderful with black boots and a black winter sweater.

peace

Beer Bread in the Bread Machine

I love homemade bread. We used the bread machine whenever possible.  We need things quick and easy and even though, it takes time for the machine to make the bread... it is a quick preparation.  I am on my third bread machine... we used the others to death.  

We are considered high altitude even out on the plains here in Colorado.  I do use high altitude flour.  Using beer may sound odd but it aids in the rising of the bread.  So, we keep a six pack in the pantry for bread and... yes, even soups. 

Here is the recipe I use.  You can add olives or cheese for a different flavor. This is just a good overall  sandwich bread. 

Ingredients:
 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 cup beer (we live in Colorado so I use Coors - smile)
1.5 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons sugar 
3 cups of flour
1 package dry yeast

I have listed them in order of how I put them in my machine.  Yours may be different so check.
Set to white bread, medium on color of crust, 1 pound and begin. 

It turned out great. Dude has eaten almost the whole loaf. 

                                                                                peace