No Rise Pizza Dough

Credit: Anna via My Wooden Spoon

Ingredients:

• 1 T yeast
• 1 1/2 c warm water
• 2 T sugar
• 3 T oil
• 3-4 c flour

 Directions:

Proof the yeast in the warm water and sugar (combine all in a bowl and let the yeast do it's job). Once that is ready, stir in the oil. Then mix in the flour until it forms a ball. Remove from bowl and knead until smooth. Press dough into shape on the pizza stone (you can even use the rolling pin, but make it easy by placing the dough on the stone and rolling it directly on the stone so you don't need to transfer it). Add sauce and toppings. Place in cool oven, then turn dial to cook at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

*If you are skeptical of placing it in a cool oven (like I was), just go ahead and turn on the oven when you roll or press your dough and check your pizza 4-5 minutes earlier to make sure you don't overcook it. :)

Prize Winning Banana Bread

Credit: Krumkake {at GroupRecipes.com}

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1½ cups mashed ripe bananas (3 medium well-ripened bananas)
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
additional brown sugar for top of batter

Directions:

Mix together butter, oil, sugars, and eggs. Don't worry about overmixing these ingredients-- get them all well blended!

Add mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla, stirring together well.
In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter, being careful not to overmix.

Pour into 1 greased large loaf pan until it is 2/3 full. If you run into the same situation I did, there will be extra batter! Find a smaller loaf pan to make a mini-loaf or opt to use 3 small loaf pans instead of 1 large loaf pan (3 of the 7 3/8 x 3 5/8 inch loaf pans should work). Get creative with your extra batter-- you could easily make muffins for those who aren't as patient and want to decrease their wait time for the main loaf of banana bread. :)

No matter what you choose to do, make sure to sprinkle additional brown sugar generously over the top of the batter, using your hand to gently pat some of it into the batter. Mmm... I hope your mouth is starting to water! It's so delicious.

Bake at 325 degrees: large loaf pan for about 1 hour, smaller loaves for about 45 minutes. Check the loaves early on with a toothpick and to make sure the top isn't getting too brown. If it's brown enough and you still have cook time remaining, cover it with foil {works like a charm...}.

Allow bread to cool in pans for 5-10 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edges, tap the pan on the counter several times to release the bread from the bottom of the pan, and release loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Big Crescent Rolls

Credit: Sue Cornwall (www.suesfood.blogspot.com)

Ingredients:

• 3 1/4 Cup very warm water
  
• 2 TBS yeast
  
• 1/2 Cup oil
  
• 3/4 Cup sugar
  
• 3 Eggs
  
• 1 TBS salt
  
• 8-10 Cups flour
  
• melted Butter

Directions:

In mixer sprinkle yeast over water and dissolve. Add four cups flour and mix. Combine oil, sugar, eggs and salt in another bowl. Add to flour mixture and mix 2 minutes. Add remaining flour until dough pulls away from sides. Knead 8 minutes. Pour 1 TBS oil in bottom of large bowl and add dough, turning in oil. Cover with plastic and rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Divide into 4 pieces. Roll in circle and cut into 12 wedges. Roll each triangle into crescent shape. Let these rise 1 1/2 hours covered with towel. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes and brush with butter when they are golden brown. Can half or quarter this recipe.

Pizza Dough

Credit: Sue Cornwall (www.suesfood.blogspot.com)

Ingredients:

• 3 C warm water
• 2 Tbsp yeast
• 6 tsp sugar
• 3 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp oil
• 6 C flour
  

Directions:

Mix the above ingredients and knead for 8 minutes. Let rise 35-40 minutes. Fit into pizza pans and let it rise slightly. Makes enough dough for 3 pizzas (it makes really thick crust so adjust according to your liking).

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Credit: Kristen Monson (from Amber Wardell)

Ingredients:

• 6 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 C melted butter
• 3 C flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 C milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Mash bananas; add sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Add all dry ingredients (don't overmix). Stir in chocolate chips. Place muffin liners in muffin pans. Pour batter, filling each cup 2/3 full. (Optional: sprinkle 1 tsp sugar on top of each muffin.) Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes. Makes approximately 24 muffins.

Simple Crusty Bread

Credit: "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day," by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Tbsp yeast (... remember: 1 Tbsp = 3 tsp, so 1/2 Tbsp = 1 1/2 tsp)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
• 6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour + more for dusting dough
• Cornmeal

Directions:

1. In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water (100 degrees). Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).

2. Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as 2 weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a round top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it.

3. Place broiler pan on bottom of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 450 degrees; heat stone at that temperature for 20 minutes.

4. Dust dough with flour, slash top with serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide onto stone. Pour 1 cup hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until well browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

Makes 4 loaves.

Variation: If not using stone, stretch rounded dough into oval and place in a greased, nonstick loaf pan. Let rest 40 minutes if fresh, an extra hour if refrigerated. Heat oven to 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Place pan on middle rack. Bake as directed above, until well browned.

"Insanely Moist" Pumpkin Bread

Credit: Ashley Jernigan

Ingredients:

• 4 c. flour
  
• 3 c. sugar
  
• 2 tsp. baking soda
  
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  
• 2 tsp. baking powder
  
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
  
• 1 tsp. allspice
  
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
  
• 1 c. oil
  
• 1 big can pumpkin
  
• 2/3 c. cold water
  
• 4 eggs

Directions:

Bake @ 350 for 1 hour. Bon appetit! (Makes 3 "insanely moist" loaves.)