Focaccia

 https://www.cucinabyelena.com/no-knead-focaccia-bread-italian/

No-Knead Italian Focaccia Bread

Ingredients

• 1 ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2 ¼ tsp.)

• 2 ½ cups (590 ml) lukewarm water (98 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit, 36.5 to 40.5 Celsius)

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands such as, COLAVITA

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing pan

• Flake sea salt, such a Maldons

 

Instructions

1. Place 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium/large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and sugar. Stir slightly but do not mix. Let sit 5-10 minutes (it should foam or at least get creamy; if it doesn’t your yeast is dead and you should start again—check the expiration date!).

2. Add flour and kosher salt and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain. It will seem a little wet. That is normal. 

3. Pour 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into a big bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Turn over a few times, but do NOT mix in the oil with the dough. 

4. Cover plastic wrap and chill until dough is doubled in size (it should look very bubbly and alive), at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. If you're in a rush, you can also let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 3–4 hours. The longer you let it raise in the fridge the more it flavorful it will be. 

5. Grease your desired baking pan or baking sheet depended on preference (classic 9X13 glass baking dish  or 9X13 cookie sheet ) with butter. Add the 1 Tbs olive oil to the baking pan and coat bottom. Take out dough from the fridge, uncover, and punch down one time. Then turn the dough over a few times in the bowl. Move dough to the prepared pan.

6. Pour any oil left in bowl over and turn dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot (like near a radiator or on top of the fridge or a preheating oven) until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.

7. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. To see if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a small visible indentation. Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out dough to fill (you won't need to do this if using a baking pan).

8. Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers. This is my favorite part! Keep poking away until there are lots of poke marks in the dough. 

9.Drizzle the top of poked dough with remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes. OPtional: brush lightly with olive oil at the right after taking it out of the oven. Enjoy warm or cold!

 

 

Sweet Basil Potato Rolls

http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/2013/03/potato-rolls-recipe.html

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 Sticks (3/4 Cup) Land O'Lakes Unsalted Butter
• 3 Cups Scalded Milk* instructions below
• 1 Cup Potato Flakes
• 1 Tb Salt
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Tb SAF Instant Yeast or 2 Tb Fleishmans yeast (we use fleishman)
• 7 Cups Flour
• *1/3 cup additional butter, softened

Instructions

1. Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat and add the milk. Cook until the edges begin to foam and froth, but do not allow it to boil. There will be a little layer of the milk "skin" on top. Remove from heat and add the sugar, butter, potato flakes and salt. Stir thoroughly and allow to cool to luke warm.
2. Add the yeast, stir and then add the eggs, stirring until they are mixed in.
3. Place the flour in a large bowl. Pour the milk mixture in and stir until the dough has come together, but is still soft. Sometimes we only use like 6- 6 1/2 cups of flour. This is not like a bread dough. It is a slightly sticky dough.
4. Cover the bowl with a towel or saran wrap. Let dough rise for one hour. Push down and divide dough into 3 parts.
5. Roll out one portion at a time to 1/2" thick and butter 1/2 of dough with a few pats of butter. Fold the unbuttered dough over the buttered dough and press to seal. Cut into 1" wide strips. Pick up one strip at a time and tie into knots. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and cover with a towel. Let rise for 1-2 hours more or until doubled in size.
6. Bake at 350 until golden brown, (14-20 min)

Notes

Butter can be replaced by butter flavored shortening if you're ever in a pinch.

Scalding milk does not have to be scary. Just heat on med-low heat, watch for the foamy bubbles around the sides of the pan and use a wooden spoon to occasionally touch the top of the milk to see if a slight skin has formed.

Bread making just takes practice. You may be unsure of yourself the first time or two, but this is one of those things that the more you do it the better you get.

The dough will look shaggy. Don't worry. Just place the towel over the bowl and let it rise anyway.

These can be made a day ahead, let the dough rest in the fridge, bring it back to room temp, roll it out and proceed as normal. 

 

 

1/2 recipe:

1/4 &1/8 c sugar

3/4 stick butter

1 1/2 c scalded milk

1/2 c potato flakes 

1/2 tbsp of salt

2 eggs

1/ tbsp of yeast

3 1/2 c flour

 

Quick Crescent Rolls

Mix 3 1/2 C. warm water 

1 C. oil or melted butter 

3/4 C. sugar 

6 Tbsp yeast 

Let rest 15 min  

Then add: 1 Tbsp salt 

3 eggs 

mix well  

Then add: 10 1/2 C. flour 

knead 

 Divide into 4 equal parts. Roll 1 part into 14" circle about 1/4" thick. Spread with melted butter, cut into 12 pie pieces. Roll into crescent shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet. Let rest 10 min. Meanwhile do the same to the other 3 parts. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with butter. Dough can be used for scones, cinnamon rolls or other rolls.  

Half Recipe 1 3/4 c water 

1/2 c oil/butter 

1/2 of 3/4 c sugar 

3 tbsp yeast 

 1/2 tbsp salt 

1 1/2 eggs (2 small eggs) 

 5 1/4 c flour