How to Make Simple Bruschetta

Over the past few weeks I've found myself baking a lot of Italian bread, both long and round loaves. First I made some for the family, then I made some for a bake sale (they are not just for sweet stuff), and then I made some for a friend to take to a family reunion. With all this bread being made it's no wonder I had plenty of left overs (despite how good it is). But that doesn't bother me. One of my favorite things to do with leftover Italian bread is make bruschetta.

To make it I take the bread and slice it into 1/2 in thick slices. I then place them on a baking sheet and drizzle them with plain olive oil or garlic infused oil. Bake them at 400 degrees until toasted. I let the toast cool and then top them with a mixture of chopped roma tomatoes, basil, and finely minced garlic. I season the mixture with salt, pepper, and olive oil. This is a cool, refreshing summer snack or hors d'oeuvre, and a tasty use for stale Italian or French bread.

Potato Cheese Rolls

Potatoes are very starchy. They are often added to breads to make a more tender lighter product. This is especially useful when making rolls. These rolls also add cheese and chives for flavor making them a great accompaniment to any savory meal.

Mix:

1 egg
1/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup warm water
1 package yeast
1 cup mashed potatoes
4 tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp chopped chives

Add:

3 cups of flour (give or take few tablespoons)to form a soft but not sticky dough. Knead the dough for 5 min, and let rise until fully doubled. Punch it down and shape dough into balls (the size of which will depend on how big you want the rolls). Let them rise on a baking sheet until doubled and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 min. Serve warm and enjoy.

100% Whole Wheat Bread

Whole wheat flour doesn't make as light a bread as white flour. This is because of a lack of gluten forming ability. When I make whole wheat breads I often mix whole wheat and white flour together to help with this problem. One can make a good, light,100% whole wheat bread though if you add gluten. The following recipe makes a great bread.

1 cup of warm water
1 package yeast
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
3 cups whole wheat flour
4 1/2 tsp vital wheat gluten

Mix the gluten and the flour together well. In a mixing bowl combine the first 5 ingredients together. Add the flour mixture and knead to form a smooth dough. Let rise fully. Punch it down, and let it rise again. Form the dough into a loaf and place in a well greased loaf pan. Let it rise until it is 1 in above the surface of the pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 min. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Rolls Recipe

These rolls have an interesting flavor, and great moistness from the sweet potato. They are higher in fiber than regular rolls also and are great with a little cinnamon butter, or just plain butter.

1 1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm milk (or 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water)
1 package yeast
1 egg
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 stick butter melted (or 1/4 cup oil)
3 - 3 1/2 cups flour

Mix the first 8 ingredients together then add the flour. Knead to form a soft, smooth dough(about 5 minutes). Let the dough rise in a greased bowl until fully doubled, about 1 1/2 hrs. Punch it down and shape into 1 1/2 or 2 in balls, depending on how big you want your final rolls. Place them on greased baking pans with at least 1 in of space between each roll. Let them rise until doubled again, about 1 hr more. Bake on 350 degrees for 25 min. Serve warm.

Garlic Infused Bread Recipe

I cannot tell you how much I like Garlic. I'll put it in almost anything, so It's a wonder I hadn't made this bread sooner.

4 large cloves of garlic crushed
2 tbsp finely chopped herbs (like rosemary and thyme)
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup dough starter
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
3 -3 1/2 cups bread flour

Mix the water, dough starter, sugar,and yeast together. Stir in one cup of the flour. Stir in the garlic, herbs, and salt. Now add the rest of the flour until you have a soft slightly sticky dough. Knead a couple of minutes then let rise 2 hrs. Fold the dough over itself a few times then let rise 1 1/2 hrs. Fold it over itself again, and then let rise 1 hr. Gently shape the dough into a round loaf and place on a greased baking sheet. Let rise 1 1/2 hrs. Score the top with a sharp knife. Bake in a steamy oven at 400 degrees for 35-40 min. Enjoy.

Raisin Nut Buns Recipe

This is my all time favorite sweet roll. They are basically just cinnamon buns with raisins and nuts in them. Don't eat too many if you can resist it.

The Dough:

1 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil or 1/2 stick melted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Filling:

1/2 stick softened butter
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup dark or light brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Frosting:

4 oz softened cream cheese
4 tbsp softened butter
2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla or lemon juice (optional)

For the dough mix the water, milk, oil, yeast, eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla together. Add the flour and knead for 5 min to form a soft but not sticky dough. Let the dough rise until fully doubled in bulk (about 1/ 1/2 to 2 hrs). Punch the dough down and place on the work surface (there should be no need for extra flour, but if it feels sticky by all means use some (but not to much)). Shape the dough into a rectangle no thicker than 1/2 inches. The dimensions are not important to me, just know that the wider it is the more swirls the finished rolls will have.

For the filling begin spreading the butter on the rectangle leaving a one inch border butterless along one of the long sides. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and spread this over the butter. Then eveny spread the raisins and nuts over that. Pres firmly with a rolling pin. Now roll the rectangle up starting on the side opposite the butterless border. When you get to the border press it tightly to seal. Cut the roll into 1 in thick rounds and place in a well greased baking pan. You will probably need 2 (a large one and a small one). Let them rise one hour, then bake for 25 min at 350 degrees. Remove from the pan while hot or the will stick. The easiest way to geth them out is too quickly turn the pan upside down and let them fall out.

For the frosting beat all the ingredients together until smooth and drizzle over the buns. If it wont drizzle add more milk or if you prefer a spreadable frosting add less milk.

Serve warm and enjoy. They reheat well 20 sec in the microwave.

Pumpernickel Bread Recipe

Pumpernickel is a dense, dark, rye bread, great for sandwiches or toasted with cream cheese and smoked salmon or gravlax. Here is my recipe. Enjoy.

1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup rye flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp vital wheat gluten
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp instant coffee granules
1 cup warm water
2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup dough starter( optional, adds more depth of flavor)
1 tbsp browning sauce (optional, just makes it darker)
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 tsp caraway seed
2 tsp cider vinegar

This is probably the longest list of ingredients I've had so far, but pumpernickel has a complex flavor that comes from the sum total of all these ingredients.

Mix the flours, wheat gluten, the caraway seed, and cocoa together and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer mix all the other ingredients together. Add the flour mixture, and using the dough hook attachment knead to form a smooth elastic dough. It should not be sticky so add extra flour as needed. Let rise in a greased bowl until fully doubled (2 or more hours). Shape into a round free-form loaf, and let rise again on a baking sheet until doubled. Score the top with a knife in any pattern you choose, and bake at 375 degrees about 40 min. Let cool and enjoy.