Eat The Love

Garlic Knots

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 12:00:43 GMT

These classic buttery garlic knots are a pizzeria treat, made from pizza dough and tossed in parmesan, oregano and lots of butter and garlic!

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The first time I saw garlic knots were on a trip to New York City at a corner pizza-by-the-slice shop. Though my friends all ordered slices of pepperoni, sausage, and olive pizza, I gravitated toward the glass counter and stared at those glistening garlic bombs stacked high. I asked for a bag of them, and happily munched on them as my friend attacked their slices. I had no regrets with my choice! Since then, I’ve been making garlic knots with my homemade easy pizza dough to go with my dinner when I want to change it up from my parker house rolls or potato rolls.

What is a garlic knot?

Garlic knots are knotted pieces of dough, tossed in a butter garlic and oregano sauce. The origins of garlic knots came about in New York City where pizzerias wanted to prevent waste by using leftover pizza dough scraps.

Nowadays, they are sold in nearly every pizzeria in New York, as well as across the country. But they’re super easy to make at home, by either using homemade pizza dough or store-bought dough. They make a tasty snack as well as a great side dish, like dinner rolls, for soup or stew.

How do you make them?

Garlic knots start with pizza dough, which is a lean yeasted dough. Combine warm water with a little bit of brown sugar and yeast. Stir to dissolve and proof the yeast. Then combine the yeasted water with flour, a little olive oil and salt.

Knead the dough, then let it rest to rise until double. Once doubled, divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll out the dough into ropes. Tie the ropes into knots.

Then make the butter garlic sauce! Cook fresh garlic with butter, then add in garlic powder, dried oregano, Parmesan cheese and salt. Brush the sauce on the dough knots and bake.

Once baked, toss the knots in the remaining leftover garlic sauce that has some chopped parsley in it, and serve!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use store-bought pizza dough?

Yes! I use my easy pizza dough in this recipe (it’s also included down below in the recipe for your convenience). But you can use store bought pizza dough if you want to skip making the dough. Just pick up a package of 14 to 16 ounces (1 pound) of pizza dough and use that in place of the homemade dough.

How do I store the garlic knots?

Store garlic knots in a refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. Warm them up in a toaster oven or regular oven at 300°F for about 5 to 10 minutes to refresh them.

Can I freeze garlic knots?

Yes. Garlic knots can be frozen! Just freeze them on a baking sheet for two to three hours, until they are frozen solid, then store them in a heavy-duty freezer Ziploc bag for up to 2 months. Thaw them by placing them on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours, or warm them up in the toaster oven or regular oven at 300°F for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve these knots with:

If you like these garlic knots, check out these other bread recipes

Garlic Knots

These buttery and soft garlic knots are easy-to-make using homemade pizza dough or store-bought pizza dough! A quick herb butter sauce is made and brushed over the knots before baking, then the knots are tossed again in the remaining sauce right before serving.

Course Appetizer, bread, dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword bread, garlic, pizza

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Rest time 1 hour

Servings 12

Calories 158kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

Dough

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water 90 to 100°F
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour plus additional flour if necessary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce

1/2 cup unsalted butter 115 g or 1 stick, plus more if necessary
1 teaspoon minced garlic about 1 to 2 medium cloves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder not garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Instructions

Pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir the brown sugar into the warm water to dissolve, then sprinkle the dry yeast into the water. Stir to dissolve and let sit for 5 minutes for the yeast to proof.
At the end of 5 minutes, there should be bubbles and foam at the top of the water. If not, discard and start over with fresh yeast. Add the flour, olive oil, and salt to the bowl.
Stir with the hook attachment, until a rough dough has formed. You might need to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once a dough has formed, increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky. If it’s too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time until absorbed and the dough is easy to handle.
Pull the dough into a round smooth ball and place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise until double in size, about 60 to 90 minutes.
Once the dough has risen, line two baking sheets with silicon baking sheets or parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 7 to 8 inch long rope, about 3/4-inch thick.
Tie each rope into a knot, then place on the baking sheet. Once you made all the knots, cover with plastic wrap and make the sauce.
Place the butter and garlic in a medium-sized skillet or saucepan. Cook over medium heat, until the garlic starts to smell fragrant, about 1 minutes after the butter has melted and the garlic has started to sizzle. Stir in the garlic powder, oregano, and salt.
Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Brush the top of each garlic knot with about half the warm butter, trying to keep as much of the solids in the skillet as possible. But don't stress too much about it. If some of the solids get on the dough, that's OK! Make sure there's about half of the sauce left for later. Bake in the oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the top of the knot is golden brown.
While the knots are baking, pour the remaining sauce into a large bowl. Add the parsley to the sauce.
Once the knots are done baking, remove from the oven and then move each knot to a wire cooling rack. Let cool for 5 minutes, then place a few knots in the remaining garlic sauce and toss to coat. Move to a serving plate and repeat with the remaining knots.
If the butter has cooled and solidified, microwave the sauce for 10 to 15 seconds to warm it up again. If you need to, add additional melted butter to the bowl as you toss and coat the knots to make sure they are completely coated.

Notes

For an easy shortcut, feel free to use store-bought pizza dough instead of making your own.

The post Garlic Knots appeared first on Eat The Love.

Bavarian Pretzels Dipped in Lye

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 12:00:47 GMT

This recipe for authentic Bavarian Pretzels uses a lye solution, resulting in the traditional Germany pretzel, called laugenbrezel.

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These authentic Bavarian pretzels are different than their American counterpart soft pretzels because they are dipped in a more traditional lye mixture. In fact, the German name for these pretzels laugenbrezel literally translates to “lye pretzels.”

These pretzels are shaped in a more traditional Bavarian-style with a rounded belly and thinner arm. If you want Swabian-style pretzels, (Swabia being a specific region of Bavaria) roll out the “arms” of the pretzel super skinny. They will bake up crispy, a nice foil to the soft and plump belly.

What are Bavarian or German-style pretzels?

You can find large pretzels all over Germany though they are particularly popular in Southern German, an area called Bavaria. The salty snack are a ubiquitous snack at the annual Munich Oktoberfest, but they are available all-year round in pubs and restaurants across Germany.

They were imported to the United States with the German immigrants (the Pennsylvania Dutch population) which explains why the most popular U.S. pretzel companies (Snyders of Hanover and Rold Gold) have Pennsylvania roots.

Unlike American soft pretzel, which are nice and plump, German-style pretzel dough is a slightly leaner dough with less butter in it. The Bavarian pretzel dough first starts out with a pre-ferment, which allows for the yeast to get a kick start and give the pretzel more flavor and dimension. Think sourdough but not quite as robust, nor without the need to make a sourdough starter.

German-style pretzels are also rolled with a fat belly and thin arms. The belly is slashed with a knife and splits open as it bakes.

Finally, and most importantly, German-style pretzels, are dipped in a lye solution, while American soft pretzels usually rely on an easier baking soda dip. Both baking soda and lye are alkaline solutions that caramelize and create the signature bitter crust on pretzels. However, food grade lye is significantly more alkaline than baking soda. The hard caramelized crust you get from dipping the pretzel in lye isn’t achievable with just baking soda. In fact, as I mentioned right off in the beginning, the German word for pretzels are laugenbrezel which literally translated to “lye pretzels.” If you aren’t using lye as a dipping solution, you aren’t making authentic German pretzels!

How do you make Bavarian pretzels?

Bavarian pretzels start with a pre-ferment dough, which is a small amount of yeast mixed in flour and water. This mixture is set aside for a long period of time (3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator). This pre-ferment gives the dough and pretzel extra complex flavor.

Once the pre-ferment is ready, the dough is made with barley malt syrup, water, more yeast, flour, butter and salt. The pre-fermented is added, and the entire dough is kneaded until it is smooth and elastic.

The dough is left to rise, then divided and formed into a pretzel shape by first rolling out a long rope, then making a U shape, and bring the arms of the U across each other, then twisting again, then brought back down to the belly, forming a pretzel shape.

Once all the pretzels are formed, they are chilled in the fridge or freezer. This makes them easier to handle. Once cold, they are dipped in a lye solution, sprinkled with salt, sliced open in the belly with a sharp knife or razor, and baked.

Can I use a different pretzel dough?

Yes! If the pre-ferment dough and the additions of barley malt syrup and diastatic malt seems too fussy and time-intensive, or if you have a sourdough starter you can make this pretzel with that dough. Just follow the dough instructions for my soft rye pretzels, my sourdough pretzels, my pretzels buns, or my beer twist pretzels and use the instructions below for dipping in lye. Keep in mind the dough will not taste quite as traditional as what you might get at a German pub or Oktoberfest.

Why do you want a higher pH solution for the pretzels?

The higher the alkaline solution the more it breaks down proteins on the surface of the dough, accelerating the Maillard reaction. This reaction is the caramelization reaction that gives browned food (think seared steak, crusty European-style sourdough bread and pan-fried dumplings) it’s flavor. That traditional blistered and dark mahogany brown pretzel crust can only be achieved with a higher pH solution dip!

What is lye and where can I get it?

Lye is a very strong alkaline base with a pH of around 13. The higher the pH, the more powerful the alkaline base. The active ingredient of food safe lye is sodium hydroxide. it is sometimes is also called caustic soda. It’s the primary ingredient in making soap and can be found in some de-clogging plumbing liquids like Drano and Liquid Plumber.

Food safe lye can be found online (<– affiliate link) and at craft stores in the soap making section.

Is lye safe to use in food?

All this sounds SUPER scary and you should definitely use caution when using lye. However, in the 3% to 4% solution that you are using it in this recipe, the food safe lye is no more dangerous than using household bleach to clean or do laundry with. In other words, use common sense and caution, and you’ll be fine.

All that said, once the pretzels have been dipped in the lye solution and then baked, the steam produced in the oven from the pretzel dough reacts with the lye and turns it into a benign carbonate that is completely safe to eat.

In fact, any commercially made pretzel that you have eaten in the past, most likely was made with a lye solution.

What precautions should I use when working with lye?

As I said above, lye is dangerous but you shouldn’t be scared of it. It’s like working with household bleach, in that you don’t want it on your bare skin but if that happens, just calmly go to the sink and rinse the area that touched the lye under water for 3 to 5 minutes.

I do recommend that you use plastic gloves when working with lye. When I’m feeling cautious, I also wear a long sleeve shirt and long pants with shoes just in case. My partner is chemistry professor at a community college, so he gets super overprotective of me and makes me wear safety googles, but that’s optional. If you use caution and common sense, it’s fairly unlikely you’ll be splashing the lye solution enough to get it in your eyes.

All that said, lye is caustic to your skin, so precaution and plastic gloves are recommended and make it easier to work with. I often also lay a couple of pieces of parchment or wax paper underneath the bowl that I put the lye in. That way, if anything splashes or drips as I move the pretzels in and out of the solution, it won’t get on my table or counter and damage it.

One thing to note, always add lye to the water. Never add water to lye! Pouring water into lye has a much higher risk of splashing and getting it on you.

What sort of container should I put the lye solution in?

Lye is a strong alkaline solution that powerful enough to actually ruin containers! It is, in fact, corrosive to glass, so I don’t recommend using glass bowls for the lye solution at all. Though you might not notice any damage to the glass bowl, over time, using lye in a glass bowl will continue to degrade the quality of it and potentially weaken it. Nothing like having a glass bowl shatter randomly in your kitchen!

Stainless steel is a better choice, but unfortunately there are multiple types of stainless steel and there’s often no real way to tell if what is metal is used in the stainless steel. Lye can be corrosive to some metals. For instance, you do not want to use aluminum, as the lye will dissolve the aluminum. Stainless steel is a better choice than glass however.

All that said, the best option is to use a plastic bowl or container. But keep in mind the bowl should be made of high density polyethylene or polypolypropelene. Thankfully here in the United States, it’s easy to figure out what plastic is being used. Just flip the bowl over and look at the recycling number. You want plastic #2 (HDPE or high-density polyethylene) or plastic #5 (PP or polypropylene) as those are unreactive to the alkaline lye solution.

For more detailed information about what sort of container to use for lye solution, check out this webpage.

All this lye stuff is freaking me out. Can I just use baking soda?

Absolutely! You can make the dough and form the pretzels, but instead of using the lye solution, boil 2/3 cup of baking soda with 10 cups of water and boil the pretzels in the baking soda solution for 45 seconds, then flip and boil for an additional 45 seconds. This method is what I use to make my rye soft pretzels, my beer pretzel twists , my sourdough pretzels and my pretzel buns.

You can also go the extra step and bake the baking soda! Heating the baking soda will break it down from sodium bicarbonate (the chemical name for baking soda) to sodium carbonate, making it even more alkaline. Sodium carbonate is somewhere between a 10 and 11 on the pH scale, a significant jump from the 8.3 pH of baking soda.

To make sodium carbonate, just spread 1 cup of baking soda on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a 275°F oven for an hour, stirring the soda every 20 minutes. The baking soda should reduce down to about 2/3 cup. Dissolve the baked baking soda in 10 cups of water and boil the pretzels for 45 seconds on both sides. Be sure to use caution, as the solution is a higher alkaline than baking soda.

All that said, you won’t get the same crisp blistered crust that you get from using lye, regardless of the baking soda or baked baking soda solution. The pretzel will be tasty, but it won’t quite the same as a traditional German-style pretzel.

How can you prevent the lye dipped pretzel from sticking to the parchment paper/silicon baking sheet?

One of the things with baking with lye is that the dough has been chemically changed and will stick to the paper/silicon baking sheet after baked! I’ve tried different quality parchment paper, as well as silicon baking paper. Higher quality parchment paper definitely works better than the cheap stuff, and silicon baking sheets also works nicely.

But the best way to keep the pretzels from sticking is to generously spray or grease the paper or silicon mat! A layer of oil helps to prevent the pretzels from sticking, even on the silicon baking mat. So don’t skimp oiling step. Otherwise you’ll be picking and peeling paper from the bottom of your pretzels.

All that said, if you DO have pieces of parchment paper stuck to the bottom of your pretzels, I found the best way to remove them, without removing too much pretzel bread, is to use a rasp grater like a Microplane, the type that you would use to grate Parmesan cheese, to grate off the parchment paper.

What is barley malt syrup and diastatic malt?

You’ll notice, along with the lye, there are two ingredients that most folks might not be familiar with. Barley malt syrup is a bitter sweet syrup that gives pretzels and bagels their traditional bitter sweet flavor. It is made from barley grain that has been sprouted, dried and then cooked. The resulting liquid is reduced down into a syrup.

I use barley malt syrup in this recipe because it’s the traditional ingredient for Bavarian pretzels and I was striving for authenticity in this recipe. But if you don’t feel like getting yet another specialty ingredient, you can substitute an equal amount of brown sugar or honey for the malt barley syrup. Just know the pretzels won’t taste quite as authentic.

The other ingredient is diastatic malt. This is a powdered ingredient, again usually made from barley grain. It helps improve the dough texture, volume, flavor and increase the golden brown crust. It is an ingredient for a lot of professional bakers and bread baking enthusiasts.

Don’t mix up diastatic malt with non-diastatic malt or grocery store malted milk powder. Non-diastatic malt and malted milk powder are both flavoring agent and won’t improve the dough texture, volume or golden crust of the pretzel. If you don’t have diastatic malt and don’t feel like getting it, just omit it from the recipe. The resulting pretzel will still taste great.

Barley malt syrup can be found online and so can diastatic malt (<– both of those are affiliate links). Barley malt syrup can also be found at well-stock health food stores, and diastatic malt can be found at beer making stores.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you store German style pretzels?

Store these pretzels at room temperature in an airtight container or resealable Ziplock bag for up to 2 days at room temperature. Warm them up in a toaster (if the slots are big enough) or in a toaster oven/regular oven at 350°F for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Can you freeze these pretzels?

Yes! These pretzels freeze great. Store them in an airtight container or resealable Ziplock bag for up to 2 months in the freezer. Keep in mind that salt will dissolve when you freeze them, so they won’t look exactly the same as when you initially baked them, but they will still have a salty skin topping and will taste great.
To defrost, just leave them on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes. Or warm them directly from the freezer, in a toaster with a wide slot or a toaster oven/oven at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes.

What sort of yeast should I use?

I developed this recipe using active dry yeast in this recipe. I recommend using it if you can. But if you have only have Rapid Rise or Instant yeast you can use those two. Just keep in mind that the yeast works faster and will rise quicker.
If you do use Rapid rise or Instant yeast, skip the pre-ferment stage, adding all the flour, water and yeast to the main dough. And keep an eye on the dough as it rises. It will rise and double faster.

What to dip these pretzels in:

The classic German pretzel is enjoyed all by itself, or with a cold glass of beer. But you can also serve it with condiments if you like. Try it with

Whole grain mustard
Spicy hot honey mustard
Beer Cheese Dip
Obadza (a classic German cheese dip served with pretzels)
Queso, a Mexican cheese dip
Pimiento Cheese

And if you like this German pretzel, try these other bread recipes

Bavarian Pretzels dipped in lye (aka Laugenbrezel)

These Bavarian pretzels are done the authentic and traditional way, dipped in food safe lye. They also use a pre-ferment dough and use specific bread making ingredients like diastatic malt and barley malt syrup. The entire project requires sometime to let the pre-ferment develop, as well as the dough to cool and chill in the refrigerator so keep that in mind.The effort is absolutely worth it for authentic tasting Bavarian pretzels that taste like they’re from an actual German pub.

Course Appetizer, bread, Snack

Cuisine German

Keyword bread, pretzels, yeast

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 18 minutes

Rest Time 6 hours

Servings 8

Author Irvin

Ingredients

Pre-ferment dough

1/4 cup warm water 90 to 100°F
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 70 g
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Dough

1 1/4 cups warm water 90 to 100°F
1 tablespoon barley malt syrup or dark brown sugar
2 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 525 g
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
2 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder optional

Lye solution

1 quart room temperature water 950 g
2 tablespoons food grade lye also called caustic soda, 35 g

To finish

Coarse salt

Instructions

Make the pre-ferment dough by placing the water in a glass measuring cup and dissolving the yeast in it. Mix in the flour and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour at room temperature. Then refrigerate the pre-ferment dough for a minimum of 3 hours, or up to 12 hours.
In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the warm water and stir in malt syrup or brown sugar. Add in the yeast and stir to dissolve. Set aside for 5 minutes to proof or until foam starts to form on the surface of the liquid.
Add the flour, melted butter, salt, and malt powder to the bowl. Add in the pre-ferment dough as well, scraping the measuring cup to make sure all of it is added.
Stir together with a spatula, until a shaggy dough forms, then on slow speed mix and knead with the dough hook until the dough is smooth or elastic, increasing the speed to medium as the dough comes together. It should take about 4 to 5 minutes. You may need to scrape down the side of the bowl a couple of times.
If you don’t have a stand mixer or want to hand knead the dough, stir all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough has formed and most of the dry ingredients are absorbed. Knead the dough by hand on a clean surface for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Grease a large bowl with cooking spray. Grab the dough and pull/stretch the sides of it until a smooth round ball is formed. Place the dough, rough side down, in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
Once the dough has risen, dump the dough onto a clean surface. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, about 4 ounces (115 g) each.
On a clean bare surface, roll the dough out into a long rope. To get a more traditional German style pretzel shape, taper the ends of the rope thin and leave the middle of the dough thicker and more fat. Do not flour the surface, as you need a bare surface for the dough to properly roll out.
As you roll the dough, you might encounter some resistance from the dough itself, with the ends of the rope becoming super elastic and bouncing back. If that happens, just step away from the dough for about a minute or two. This will allow the gluten in the dough to relax. Once the gluten has relaxed, this will allow you to roll out the ends easier. You want your rope to be about 24 inches long or longer.
Form the pretzels by first making a “U” shape with the rope.
Cross the arms over once. Then cross them over again in the same direction, twisting them.
Then bring the arms down to the bottom of the “U” firmly press the ends to the belly, forming a pretzel shape. Move the pretzel to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
Cover the pretzels with plastic wrap for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they start to look a little puffy. Remove the plastic wrap and let the pretzels sit out to help form a “skin” on the dough for about another 15 minutes.
At this point you can either move the pretzels (uncovered) to the freezer for a faster chill or the refrigerator for a slow cool down. If you have room in the freezer, place the pretzels in there for 15 minutes to chill and firm up. If you don’t have room in the freezer, place the pretzels in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Chilling the pretzels makes them easier to handle when dipping them in the lye.
While the pretzels are chilling, preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with silicon baking mats or parchment paper then generously spray or brush each of them with cooking oil.
At this point you can prepare the lye solution. Lye is a concentrated basic solution that is caustic and can burn. See my section above on working with lyehttps://www.eatthelove.com/bavarian-pretzels/#bakingsoda. Prepare the lye solution by pouring the water in a large plastic bowl (preferred) or stainless-steel bowl. Add the lye powder to the water. Carefully stir the lye solution. It will first seem cloudy, as the powder is suspended in the water, but then it will start to clear up as the lye powder dissolves. Once it’s clear, set it aside.
Once the pretzels have chilled and firmed up, take them out of the fridge/freezer. Dip one pretzel in the lye solution and leave it there for 30 seconds, making sure it’s completely submerged. Pull the pretzel out of the lye and place on the prepared oiled baking sheet. The pretzels will be a little slippery so keep that mind. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
After all the pretzels have been dipped, sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt. Slice the belly of the pretzel with a sharp knife or razor.
Bake the pretzels for 16 to 20 minutes, depending on how deeply brown you want the pretzel and how crisp you want them. You may want to check your pretzels halfway through and rotate the pans if your oven heats unevenly. Enjoy the pretzels warm from the oven or at room temperature.

Notes

If you want to skip the pre-ferment dough, just add all the pre-ferment ingredients to the pretzel dough when you form it or use a different pretzel dough like my rye soft pretzels, beer pretzel twists, pretzel buns or sourdough pretzels.
If lye scares you, you can make a baking soda solution or a baked baking soda solution. See my section above for directions.
If you want to make these German pretzels even MORE traditional, you can use 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tablespoon pork lard instead of just butter.

The post Bavarian Pretzels Dipped in Lye appeared first on Eat The Love.

Apple Slab Pie with Brandy and Prunes [Sponsored Post]

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 12:01:04 GMT

This apple and prunes slab pie with a dash of brandy and wintery warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg can be made ahead of time and sliced into easy-to-serve portions for a larger holiday crowd!

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This post was sponsored by California Grown. I was compensated for this post and developing this recipe. However, all opinions below are my own.

Fall is here and I’m officially ready for it! As the produce starts to shift at the grocery store I keep seeing some of my favorite Autumn and Winter fruit come into season. Figs are everywhere, which means I’m making my fig focaccia and my fig financiers. And all the heirloom apples are also arriving, which means apple pie! Fried apple pies, open-faced brown butter apple pie, and caramel apple pie bars are all in heavy rotation. But one of my favorite sorts of pies are slab pies! These apple slab pie with brandy and prunes is the perfect example. They’re almost like a cross between apple pie bars and true apple pie, with a thinner filling per crust ratio.

This apple slab pie also feed a crowd, for all those casual gathering that you might find yourself attending that require…some physical distance (if you know what I mean). Cut the pie into smaller slices and leave them on the buffet table for folks to serve themselves. No fuss, no mess! This is the recipe you will want for the upcoming holidays!

What’s a slab pie?

A slab pie is a pie that is made in a small rimmed rectangular sheet pan or baking pan. Because of this, there is a larger crust to filling ratio in most slab pies. Slab pies are perfect for larger gatherings as they can be cut ahead of time into smaller pieces, serving more people.

How do you make a slab pie?

Make a slab pie requires a 9 x 13 x 1-inch rimmed baking sheet, or a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan (the kind you might make brownies or a sheet cake in). If you use the 2-inch tall baking pan, I recommend spraying it lightly with cooking oil, then lining it with parchment paper, so you can easily remove the pie once it’s done baking for easier serving. If you use a rimmed 1-inch tall baking sheet, lining the pan isn’t necessary and you can bake the pie directly in the pan!

As with all pies, you make a crust first. Place flour, salt and cold butter that has been cubed in a large bowl. Smash the butter with your fingers, to break them up. Then drizzle water over the ingredients, tossing with a fork until a crust forms. Divide the dough into two disks, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and then refrigerate for 2 hours. You can also make the pie dough the day before and let it chill overnight.

While the dough is chilling, chop the prunes roughly into 1/2-inch pieces, and then let them steep in the brandy for the 2 hours while the crust is chilling.

Once the brandy has finished steeping, combine the prunes and brandy with the sliced apples, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt to make the filling.

Roll out the first disk of dough into a rough 11 x 15 rectangle then fit it into the 9 x 13-inch pan. Pour the filling into the pan and distribute it evenly into the pastry dough.

Roll out the second disk of dough and fit it over the filling, sealing the edges and crimping them tightly together. Refrigerate for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.

Once the oven is preheated, brush the top of the pie with an egg yolk beaten with water, then sprinkle with some turbinado sugar. Cut a few vents into the top of the pie and bake until the filling is boiling and bubbling up through the vents in the middle. Let cool and serve!

Why the addition of prunes?

If you’ve visited my site before you know that I love my prunes! They’re a versatile dried fruit that works well in savory dishes like my lamb tagine, and sweet dishes like my carrot muffins.

Prunes are actually dried Improved French variety Plums and their dark earthy, sweet and rich flavor works well with autumn fruits like pears and apples, as well as rich complex recipes that work with espresso, chocolate and chilies. California grows 99% of the nation’s prune crop and 40% in the world. You can learn more about how the farmers and the produce grown in California from California Grown’s How to Support a Farmer page.

On top of that, plums are highly nutritious, packed with antioxidants, high in vitamins and minerals and packed with fiber, sorbitol and polyphenols which are all great for good digestive health, as well as heart and bone health. They also add natural sweetness and moisture to desserts, allowing you to skip adding sugar or sometimes oil! You’ll notice that the filling of this slab pie, which serves 12 people, only has 1/4 cup so dark brown sugar, with an additional sprinkling of 1 tablespoons of sugar on top of the crust. That’s it!

What’s the best apples to use?

Not all apples are made the same and some apples are better than others for baking. I like to use a mix of apples when I bake a pie to give the filling more complexity. Here’s a few baking apples that I like to use when baking up pies.

Granny Smith
Gala
Honeycrisp
Jazz
Jonagold
Opal
SweeTango

I also tend to avoid Red Delicious apples and Braeburn apples, as they often get mushy when cooked.

By the way, if you can find them, Gravenstein, Pippin, and Arkansas Black apples are some of my favorite heirloom varieties of apples. They’re hard to find but if you see them at a Farmers market, snatch up a bunch to bake or eat out of hand!

What other sort of spices can I use?

I use a mix of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in this recipe, because they go so well with apple and prunes. But if you aren’t a big cloves or nutmeg fan or if you’re tired of using cinnamon in your apple pie, try mixing it up with some different wintery spices! Here’s a list of different spices to try out in your slab pie. Just substitute up to 2 teaspoons of whatever combination of spices you want. Keep in mind that some spices (like cardamom, cloves or nutmeg) are much more assertive and should be kept in smaller amounts.

Allspice
Black pepper
Cardamom
Coriander
Ginger
Grains of Paradise
Longpepper
Mace
Orange zest, fresh
Pink Peppercorn
White pepper
Vanilla bean powder

Can I make this non-alcoholic?

Yes! If you are avoiding alcohol, you can absolutely make this without the brandy. Just substitute the brandy for orange juice or apple juice. Or you can just leave out the brandy and liquid completely and just reduce the flour to 2 tablespoons. If you do omit the brandy, expect the prunes to be a little more firm and drier in the filling.

Can I use a different alcohol?

I use Brandy in this recipe as it works really well with the apple and prunes, but you can substitute another dark, complex flavored liqueur in its place. Here’s a few suggestions:

Armagnac
Bourbon
Cougnac
Dark rum
Whisky

Frequently asked Questions

Can you make this pie ahead of time?

Yes. This pie can be made one day ahead of time before serving. Just refresh the pie in a 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the crust to crisp up again before serving.

How do I store this pie?

Keep the pie covered at room temperature up to 2 days or up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Just cover the pie with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Keep in mind the longer you store the pie, the more soggy the crust gets. Refresh the pie in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes (or longer if you have stored the pie in the fridge) until the crust has crisped up.

Can I freeze this pie?

Yes! Slice the pie before freezing and then place the pie in the freezer on the baking sheet until frozen solid. Then move the pie to a ziplock bag or airtight container. The pie will keep for up to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the countertop before refreshing in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

If you like this slab pie, check out these other pies of mine:

Apple Slab Pie with Brandy and Prunes

This apple slab pie is spiked with brandy, as well as wintry warm spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. The autumnal winter scent will fill your house as you bake it in the oven, and every bite will remind you of the winter holidays!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apples, pie, prunes

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Chill Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 401kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

Pie Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour 420 g
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter 285 g or 2 1/2 sticks
3/4 cup cold water plus more if necessary

Filling

1 cup prunes 145 or about 18 medium-sized prunes
1/4 cup brandy
2 pounds apples 910 g or about 4 medium sized apples
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 65 g
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

To finish

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoons turbinado sugar or sparkling sugar or white granulated sugar

Instructions

Make the pie crust by placing the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes then sprinkle it over the dry ingredients. Using your fingers, smash the butter into small flat bits, breaking the butter up into pieces the size of peas.
Sprinkle and drizzle the water over the ingredients, tossing the components with a fork. Continue to do this until all the water has been added and a dough forms. You might need to “clean” the fork every now and then as you make the dough. If the dough seems too dry, sprinkle a tablespoon of water at a time onto the dough until it comes together.
Divide the dough in half and form flat 1-inch thick discs. If you have a scale, each disk should way roughly 415 grams. Tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
While the dough is chilling, chop the prunes into 1/2-inch chunks and place them in a small bowl. Pour the brandy over the prunes and cover with a plate. Let sit for the 2 hours, stirring every now and then.
Once the dough has finished chilling, make the filing by peeling the apples, and then slicing them into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place them in a large bowl (it can be the same bowl you made the pie dough in, no need to clean it). Add the prunes and the remaining brandy, flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Gently stir together with a large spatula to make sure everything is coated.
If you’re using a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (the kind that you make brownies in), lightly spray it with cooking oil, then line it with parchment paper. If you are using a 9 x 13-inch rimmed baking sheet, skip this step. Flour a clean surface and then roll out a disk of dough into an 11 x 15-inch rectangle.
Fold the dough into quarters. Move the dough carefully to the pan. Unfold and fit the dough into the baking sheet or pan, trying to NOT stretch the dough as much as possible. This will help prevent shrinkage.
Pour the filling into the pastry dough and then distribute the filling evenly throughout the pan. The flat apple slices should lay down fairly evenly throughout the pie.
Repeat the rolling out of the dough with the remaining disk, making sure it 11 x 15 as well. Place this dough over the filled pie.
Roll up and seal the pie all the way around, pinching any excess dough together to form a crust. Them decoratively pinch and seal the dough all the way around the pie. Place the pie in the refrigerator (uncovered) for 30 minutes.
While the pie is chilling, preheat the oven to 400°F. Once the pie is done chilling, make an egg wash by combining the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Beat together and then brush all over the top of the pie crust. Sprinkle the top with the turbinado sugar and then cut some decorative vent holes into the top.
Bake the pie for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the pie top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents. If the top of the crust seems to be browning too fast, cover the entire pie with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning.
Let cool to room temperature for pie to set before serving.

The post Apple Slab Pie with Brandy and Prunes [Sponsored Post] appeared first on Eat The Love.

Fig Financier with Brown Butter, Bay Leaf and Vanilla

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT

These fig financiers are a version of French almond tea cakes but made with brown butter, bay leaf, extra vanilla and a fresh fig nestled in it!

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San Francisco is an oddball when it comes to weather. While the rest of the country is crazy hot in the summertime, we’re cool and foggy…unless we’re in a weird heat wave. Or hazy and smoky with the fire season. But the one things I can count on to help signify the changing of the seasons from summer to fall is the slow disappearance of berries and stonefruit and the appearance of figs! Fresh figs means I can eat them out of hand, putting them in my yogurt and oatmeal as well as make my fig and honey focaccia. But I’ve also been wanting to make brown butter financiers forever, and nestling figs in each of the financier elevates these almond tea cakes to the next level!

What’s a financier?

A financier is a small French pastry that is made with almond flour, egg whites and brown butter. The traditional financier is baked in a small rectangular loaf, which requires a specialty pan.

Though traditional financiers require this specialty pan, which you can purchase online (<- Amazon affiliate link), I opted to bake them in a standard muffin tin, which most folks have in their house. The financier is equally delicious, just baked in a different shape!

How did financiers get their name?

When baked in their traditional rectangular shape, these tea cakes are similar in appearance to gold bars, which is one theory of where the name financier comes from. Another popular theory they were often sold in the financial district of Paris in the 1800s, where the pricey tea cakes (the ingredients used to make them were expensive at the time) could only be afforded by the financial investors working nearby. And finally one story says that the French enjoy a mid-afternoon snack at the sweet shop, and they needed something that would be easy to eat that wouldn’t be messy, as they were in their work clothes. The financier was the perfect solution!

How do you make a financiers?

Similar to a French madeleine cookies, the financier cake is made by first creating brown butter. I opted to add fresh bay leaves to the butter as I cook it, which gives an elusive autumnal scent to the butter.

To make the bay leaf brown butter, you place the butter and bay leaves in a large skillet, preferably one with a silver bottom. Then slowly cook the butter until it is melted and the milk solids have turned golden brown and smells fragrantly nutty. Discard the leaves and set aside the butter to cool.

Grease a muffin pan with melted butter and preheat the oven. Stir together the almond flour, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl with a balloon whisk. Then add in the egg whites, folding until absorbed.

Mix in the brown butter and the vanilla then divide the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Nestle in half a fresh fig into each cup of batter and bake until golden brown.

Can I make these financiers in a more traditional manner without the figs and bay leaf?

Yes! This is an excellent base recipe for financiers. Just omit the bay leaf when browning the butter and bake the financiers without the fresh fig.

You might want to reduce the vanilla down to 1 teaspoon or use a mix of 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for a plain financier. Or keep the full 1 tablespoon for a robust vanilla flavor.

Frequently asked questions

How do you store financiers?

Typical financiers keep really well, for up to one week in an airtight container at room temperature. However, these fig financiers should be eaten sooner, within two to three days as the fresh figs will spoiler faster! Store the fig financiers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature (about 30 minutes on the counter) before serving.

Can I freeze these financiers?

Yes! You can easily freeze these financiers. Just freeze them first on a baking sheet, until frozen solid, about 2 to 3 hours. Then store them in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.

If you like these Fig Financiers, check out these other small individual sized baked goods:

Fig financier with brown butter, bay leaf and vanilla

The classic French almond tea cake is given an autumnal twist with fresh bay leaf, a healthy dose of vanilla and a fresh fig nestled into the cake. Bake them until they just golden brown on top. Be sure to brown the butter until the milk solids just start to turn golden brown. Then remove the pan from the heat and let the residual heat darken and brown the butter. If you leave the butter on the heat too long, it will burn and you’ll have to start over.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, French

Keyword almond, cake, figs

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Cooling time 10 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 197kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

To prepare pan

2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Batter

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 fresh bay leaves
1 cup almond flour 140 g
3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoon white granulated sugar 175
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 45 g
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

To finish

6 fresh figs

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin tin by brushing the bottom and sides generously with the melted butter. Place the muffin tin in the refrigerator for the butter to cool and solidify as you make the financier batter.
Place the butter and bay leaves in a large skillet. Turn the heat to high and melt the butter. Reduce the heat to medium once the butter has melted and continue to cook. Cook the butter and bay leaves, stirring frequently, until the solid butterfat particles has settled out and started to turn light brown. Remove pan immediately from heat and continue to stir, letting the residual heat cook the butterfat until they are golden brown and it smells nutty and rich. Let the butter cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the bay leaves and discard.
Place almond flour, sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until all ingredients are uniformly distributed. Add the egg whites and fold in to dry ingredients until absorbed.
Add the brown butter and vanilla to the batter and mix until well blended.
Take the chilled muffin tin out of the oven and evenly divide the batter into the muffin tin. It should be about a scant 2 tablespoons per cup, barely filing the cup halfway. If you have a scale, each cup should be about 45 to 50 grams. Cut the figs in half and nestle half the fig into the top of each financier.
Bake in the oven, 15 to 18 minutes, or until the top of the financier is light brown and the edges are a darker golden brown. Immediately run a thin knife around the edges of each financier carefully to loosen it from the pan. Then let cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the financier to firm up, then remove carefully and let cool on a wire rack.

The post Fig Financier with Brown Butter, Bay Leaf and Vanilla appeared first on Eat The Love.

Cherry Tomato Focaccia with Rosemary and Sea Salt

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT

This cherry tomato focaccia with rosemary and sea salt is easy-to-make and perfect as an accompanying bread for soup or stew!

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Tomato season is raging strong here in California with all the heirloom tomatoes. I’ve been making easy baked ziti, my zucchini pasta summer vegetable medley, vegetarian breakfast tacos and queso dip like mad crazy. But after sharing my fig and honey focaccia here, I realized I have never shared a more traditional classic cherry tomato focaccia with rosemary and sea salt recipe. This is the focaccia that I’ve been making for the past 25 years (from before I even moved to San Francisco) after I discovered the magic of using a small boiled mashed potato in the dough from an old lost cookbook that I no longer can find. I make it all the time at home to go along with soups like my Summer minestrone or Leek and Beans soup.

What is focaccia?

Focaccia is an Italian flat bread that is often associated or confused with pizza. But focaccia dough is different than pizza dough, especially the recipe I am sharing here, which uses a mashed russet potato in the dough.

If you’ve never had a focaccia, think of it is a slab of herb bread, comparable to a thick crust or deep dish pizza, without the sauce or pizza toppings. Though focaccia can come in a variety of styles, from thin to thick, most focaccia is more bread than topping, without any sauce on top. One of the most simple types of focaccia is often topped just with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and some rosemary. This version has the addition of cherry tomatoes to the top, which is also very common.

Though most focaccia is savory, focaccia can also sometimes veer into the sweet side, like my fig, honey and lemon focaccia!

How do you make this focaccia?

To make this focaccia, a small baking potato is peeled, quartered and simmered in water until soft. The potato is then mashed, and the remaining potato water is mixed with yeast.

Knead the mashed potatoes together with flour, olive oil, honey, and salt until a nice soft dough is formed. You can do this with a dough hook and stand mixer or by hand.

Cover and let the dough rise until double, then dump it into a well-oiled 10-inch springform pan. Press the dough out to cover the bottom of the pan with your fingers. Let the dough rise again until double and puffy.

Once the dough is puffy, press the cherry tomatoes into the dough and sprinkle the top with fresh rosemary and salt. Bake and serve!

Why do you use potato in the focaccia bread?

There are plenty of focaccia bread recipes out there without potato in the dough, but the addition of the potato creates a wonderful soft dough that will rise higher. It’s a traditional method that is used in the Puglia region of Italy.

Adding potato to the dough lowers the gluten content, meaning the dough will be more soft, tender and less chewy. The potato is high in starch, which swells when it is cooked. This starch also holds onto water, which leads to a moister bread.

The potato itself also adds additional flavor because it ferments faster than regular flour while the sugars in the potato don’t get consumed as fast by the yeast, leading to a slightly sweeter, more complex-flavored focaccia.

Can I substitute regular tomatoes for the cherry tomatoes?

Yes! Just cut the regular tomatoes into bite size pieces, roughly 1-inch in size, or the size of a cherry tomato. Or, if the tomatoes are smaller, you can slice them into rounds and use that. You want roughly 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of cut or sliced tomatoes, which can be anywhere from 2 small Roma or Early Girl tomatoes to 1 large heirloom or Beefsteak tomato.

Can I use dried rosemary instead of fresh rosemary?

I don’t recommend dried rosemary leaves for this recipe, as they tend to be woody and tough in texture. If all you have dried rosemary, try grinding it up in a mortar and pestle, or in a spice grinder and then mixing it with the salt to make rosemary salt. Use this to sprinkle over the focaccia dough before baking.

What other herbs and spices work on focaccia?

When I’m making focaccia as a side dish for a soup or stew, I tend to keep the topping simple. But feel free to add more fresh or dried herbs, spices and aromatic vegetables to the topping! Here’s a few suggestions that would be great on this focaccia include:

Italian (flat leaf) parsley, fresh or dried
Oregano, fresh or dried
Thyme, fresh or dried
Marjoram, fresh or dried
Basil, chopped fresh or dried
Lemon zest, fresh
Fennel seeds
Minced garlic, or garlic powder
Chopped red or yellow onions
Chopped green onions

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute instant or rapid rise yeast for the active dry yeast in this recipe?

Yes! You can substitute instant or rapid rise yeast. Just use the same amount as the active dry yeast, but keep in mind that the dough will rise faster than if you had used the active dry yeast.

If you use instant yeast, you do not have to dissolve the yeast in the potato water. You can directly add the yeast in when you add the flour and other dry ingredients.

How do I store focaccia?

Focaccia keeps for about 2 days. Just store it in an airtight container or resealable Ziploc bag at room temperature. Refresh it in the toaster oven or regular oven at 325°F for 5 minutes.

Does the focaccia freeze?

Yes, you can totally freeze this bread! When I bake up a big batch of focaccia, I usually can’t eat it all. I freeze any remaining leftovers in a heavy duty resealable Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. Just thaw it out at room temperature, or in the toaster oven or regular oven at 325°F for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Keep in mind that freezing, and the subsequent thawing of the focaccia will also make the tomatoes very watery so don’t be alarmed when you warm up the leftover focaccia.

Can I hand knead this dough?

Yes! The instructions in the recipe are for using a stand mixer, but you can hand knead the dough if you wish. Just mix the dough ingredients in a large bowl using a wooden spoon. When a rough dough forms, dump the dough and any dry loose bits onto a clean surface. Knead the dough with the heel of your hand for about 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Then proceed with the recipe.

If you like this focaccia recipe, check out some other bread recipes:

Tomato Focaccia with Rosemary and Sea Salt

This traditional Italian slab bread is studded with cherry tomatoes then sprinkled with fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt. The olive oil keeps the dough supple and rich. The addition of a boiled and mashed potato (a traditional southern Italy Puglian-style technique) means the focaccia stays soft and complex in flavor!

Course bread, brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword bread, rosemary, tomatoes, yeast

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Rise Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 205kcal

Author Irvin

Equipment

10-inch springform pan

Ingredients

Dough

1 small russet potato 4 to 5 ounces or 115 to 140 g
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 280 to 315 g
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

To bake

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Topping

1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary from 2 medium sprigs, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon quality flaky salt like Maldon, sel de gris or Diamond Brand kosher salt

Instructions

Peel and cut the potato into quarters. Place the potato quarters in a medium-sized sauce pan and cover with water, making sure the water is about an inch above the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook the potato for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a fork easily inserts into the potato.
Set aside for the potatoes and water to cool to a lukewarm temperature, then scoop the potatoes out of the water with a fork or a slotted spoon and measure out 1/2 cup of the potato water, discarding the rest. If you don’t have enough water, add additional warm water from the tap until you do.
Mash the potatoes into the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment.
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm potato water and stir to dissolve. Add yeasted water to the mashed potatoes.
Add 2 cups (280 g) of flour, olive oil and salt to the bowl, and then stir slowly with dough hook, increasing speed as the flour is absorbed into the wet ingredients. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Increase the speed once the dough has started to form and knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should be tacky but not overly sticky. If it is too wet, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time up, kneading it in, up to 4 tablespoons.
Spray or oil a large bowl with olive oil. Pull the dough into a ball by stretching the sides of the dough until one side is smooth. Place the rough side down into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until double in size, about 60 to 90 minutes.
Once the dough has doubled, place a 10-inch springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil into the pan, making sure to brush the oil all over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. If you springform pan doesn’t seal tightly, cover the bottom with aluminum foil.
Dump the dough directly into the oiled springform pan and press down with your fingertips to push the dough out and to the sides, making sure the dough is evenly distributed in the pan. If the dough is sticking to your fingers, wet your hand slightly and use the damp fingers to press the dough out.
Cover again with the plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and double in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Once the dough is ready, preheat an oven to 400°F. Press the cherry tomatoes deep into the focaccia dough all over. Then drizzle the olive oil all over the top of the focaccia. Sprinkle the rosemary leaves and salt all the top as well.
Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. If you have an instant read thermometer, the inside of the focaccia should read 200°F.
Immediately run a thin knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the focaccia from the sides. Then let the focaccia cool for 15 minute before releasing the sides of the pan and removing it. Sprinkle with additional fresh rosemary leaves and salt if desired.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

The post Cherry Tomato Focaccia with Rosemary and Sea Salt appeared first on Eat The Love.

Plum Crisp

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 19:59:30 GMT

This easy-to-make rustic plum crisp has a crispy cinnamon spice oat topping and sweet-tart filling that is screaming for a scoop of ice cream on top!

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I’m lucky to have a prolific plum tree in the backyard of my rental apartment building. Though all the other tenants have access to the plum tree, there are years when the tree is so insane, that none of us could keep up with the plums being produced. I made numerous batches of plum jam, including my lavender plum jam and plum and strawberry jam, a plum galette, a mixed plum tart (with some green plums I bought at the store), a plum and rhubarb cobbler and an apricot, plum and cherry pie. Yes, I had a LOT of plums to go through! But when I finally ended up with my last bag of plums I decided I needed something super simple and easy. I made a plum crisp!

What makes this recipe different and better?

Plum crisps are an easy and rustic recipe that everyone loves. Most recipes have you sprinkling the topping over the unbaked filling. I go the extra step of baking the topping first. This allows the crisp topping to truly be crisp, like the name! While the topping is baking (a quick 15 minutes in the oven), you can prep the filling.

I also add in a grated apple which seems like an unusual addition. But the grated apple does two things. It helps thicken the filling with pectin (a natural protein that apples have) without additional thickener or starch. It also naturally sweetens the filling, which means I can use a little less sugar in the filling. Don’t worry about tasting the apple though. It blends into the background of the filling, letting the plum flavor shine through!

How do you make a plum crisp?

Make the filling first by combining the topping ingredients of flour, rolled oats, sugar, turbinado (or brown) sugar, salt, and some spices in a bowl. Drizzle melted butter and vanilla over it, and toss until it starts to clump up. Bake in a preheated oven on a lined rimmed baking sheet for 15 minutes.

While the topping is baking, make the filling by slicing the plums into a bowl and adding sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. You can also add lemon zest and crystallized ginger but those are optional if you don’t have them or dislike lemon and ginger. Grate an apple into the filling then toss to combine and pour into a deep dish pie pan or a 2 quart baking dish.

Once the topping is baked (it won’t change color much) crumble it over the top of the filling and then bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling thick. Let cool to warm and then serve with vanilla ice cream or the ice cream of your choice!

Do you need to peel the plums?

No. In fact it’s better if you don’t peel the plums! A lot of the tart assertive plum flavor is in the skin. And the skin is where the plums get their beautiful reddish-purple color. The skins are soft so don’t peels the plums for this crisp.

What sort of plums are best for this crisp?

Any plums that you like to eat directly out of hand are great for this crisp. If your plums are extra juicy, which might include ripe Santa Rosa, Mirabelle, Green Gage, Black Amber or Friar plums you might need to adjust the filling and add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch.

Or if your plums are less juicy, like Damson, French Prune or Italian plums or they are just not as ripe, you might need to use 1 tablespoon less cornstarch.

One final note. Taste the plum before you add the sugar! Some plums (especially the French and Italian plums) are significantly sweeter and need less sugar. Under ripe fruit may need more sugar but will be less juicy, so adjust the cornstarch and sugar accordingly.

Can I substitute a different stone fruit for this plums?

Yes! This recipe is a great base recipe for any summer stone fruit. This includes peaches, nectarines, apricots or cherries. Just adjust the cornstarch and sugar according to the sweetness and juiciness of the fruit. You may also want to experiment with different spices to go along with the fruit flavors.

You can also use hybrid fruit like pluots, apriums, pluerries, peacotums, plumcots or any other hybrid summer stonefruit that you might find at the store. Though hybrid fruits may at first glance seem like a strange genetically modified fruit, they are not created in a lab or through genetic modification but rather through selective crossbreeding by farmers.

How do you store this crisp?

This plum crisp is best eaten the day it is made, but you can store the crisp in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that the longer the crisp is in the fridge, the less crisp the topping will be.

Gently place the crisp up in an oven proof bowl or pan and warm up in a 350°F oven or toaster oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until warm.

What should you serve the crisp with?

You can serve the crisp all by itself but my favorite way to serve the crisp is with a scoop of ice cream! Vanilla is my favorite but pick and choose a flavor that compliments the plum and oatmeal flavors of the crisp. These might include:

French Vanilla
Salted Caramel
Butter Pecan
Cinnamon or Horchata
Praline Pecan
Maple
Strawberry

If you like this rustic fruit dessert, check out some of my other classic rustic desserts:

Plum Crisp with Ginger

This classic easy-to-make rustic dessert uses plums with the addition of a little bit of crystallized ginger in the filling. If you don’t have the ginger or don’t like it, feel free to omit it. The topping is baked ahead of time, which helps crisp it up and prevents it from becoming soggy. While the topping is baking, you can prepare the filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword crispy, fruit, oats, rustic dessert, summer

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 361kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

Topping

1 1/4 cups rolled oats thick cut preferred, 145 g
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 105 g
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar or dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted, 1 stick or 115 g
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

1 3/4 pounds plums about 9 or 10, 850 g
4 to 6 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger optional
1 medium apple, peeled

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.
Combine the flour, oats, both sugars, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir vigorously with a balloon whisk until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Stir the melted butter and vanilla together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Drizzle the liquid over the dry ingredients, tossing to coat them, until all the liquid is absorbed and the dry ingredients start to clump together.
Spread the mixture in an even layer onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. The edges should JUST start to darken but there shouldn’t be much change in color.
While the topping is baking, make the filling by cutting the plums into 1-inch thick slices into a large bowl. Gently toss with 4 tablespoons of sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, as well as the lemon zest and crystallized ginger if you are using. If your plums are particular tart and sour, add a tablespoon or two of sugar to help balance it. Grate the peeled apple with the hole from a larger grater into the bowl and mix in.
Pour the filling into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate or another 2-quart baking dish. Once the topping has baked, pull it out of the oven. Once it is cool enough to handle, sprinkle the crisp topping over the fruit.
Place the crisp in the oven and bake 50 to 60 minutes or until the fruit filling is bubbling and thick. Let cool to room temperature for the filling to thicken up before serving.

The post Plum Crisp appeared first on Eat The Love.

Blueberry Pie

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Vibrant and juicy, this is the best blueberry pie recipe made from scratch! It is everything you want in a blueberry pie.

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I get asked often what my favorite thing is to bake. And though I love cookies, cakes and cobblers, PIE is often the answer I give. I love to make pies, whether it’s a Mexican chocolate pecan pie, a handheld fried apple pie, or a rhubarb berry slab pie that is designed to feed a crowd. And though I like my fancy pants pies with woven crusts and decorative like my popular grape and blueberry pie, as well a buttery crumb topped pie like my summer fruit pie, there is something charmingly simple about a straightforward double crust pie like this blueberry pie. In fact, it’s one of my absolute favorite pies to make and eat! With minimal spices and a basic double crust, this easy, juicy and vibrant blueberry pie is everything you want in a fruit pie.

How to make blueberry pie

Making the best blueberry pie relies on making good pie crust and using quality berries. If you have access to wild blueberries, I recommend using those, as wild blueberries have a more intense robust flavor. But cultivated farmed blueberries are readily available for most folks and you’ll still get a pretty awesome pie with them.

First make the crust by combining flour, salt, sugar and butter together. Smash the butter into small flat pieces, then drizzle water all over it. Toss until the dough forms. Divide the dough in half, flatten into a 1-inch disk, then cover with plastic wrap and chill for an hour or overnight.

Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven, and roll out one of the dough disks. Fit it in the pie pan and place back in the fridge. Make the filling by combining in a bowl, blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, tapioca starch (or cornstarch), sugar, cinnamon, allspice (optional), salt, and a grated apple.

Pour into the pie shell, then roll out and top with the second disk. Flute the edges, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in the oven until the filling is bubbling hot. Let cool completely for the filling to set, then serve!

Why use an apple in the filling?

A lot of recipes have you using tapioca starch, cornstarch or flour as a thickener in the filling. I use both tapioca starch and a grated apple in my filling. The role of the apple does two things. It naturally sweetens the filling, meaning I can use less sugar, allowing the blueberry flavor to really shine through. But the apple also helps thicken the filling! Apples are naturally filled with pectin, which is the protein that helps set jams and preserves. This thickening protein also works in a pie filling!

Don’t worry about tasting the apple though. The apple blends into the background of the pie filling, allowing the vibrant blueberry flavor to take center stage.

Tips on the best pie crust

Pie crust is one of the most overlooked components of pie. Here’s a few tips on making the best pie crust so you get the best pie.

Make it ahead of time. If you have the forethought, make the pie crust the day before and let it rest in the fridge overnight. This chilling will make the pie crust easier to handle as the water will have fully hydrated the flour, the gluten will have relaxed, and the butter will have solidified in the cold refrigerator creating a more flaky crust. If you didn’t make the crust a day ahead, allow the dough to rest for at least a minimum of 1 hour in the fridge
Freeze the pie crust ahead of time. Pie crust freezes really well. So next time you make pie, make a double batch of the crust and the second batch. Wrap the disks of the dough in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer Ziploc bag. Thaw the dough the night before in the fridge and just roll and bake!
Chill the pie after filling and sealing it. Chilling the dough, for 30 minutes, again helps solidify the butter which increases pie flakiness. It also helps prevent shrinkage of the crust which means all those pretty crimping shapes around the edge of the pie stay pretty and crimped.

Next level blueberry filling tips

If you want to make an even BETTER blueberry pie filling and bring it to to the next level, here are a few tips to pack it with even more blueberry flavor into it.

Use wild blueberries. If you have access to wild blueberries, try using the same amount of them in the filling than the cultivated ones. Wild blueberries have a more intense blueberry flavor and will give you an even better filling and pie flavor.
Use frozen wild blueberries. Fresh wild blueberries are only available seasonally in certain locations where wild blueberries grow. But you can find frozen wild blueberries all year round across the country. Just mixing in 8 ounces of frozen wild blueberries (1 1/2 cups) to 1 1/2 pounds (4 1/2 cups) cultivated fresh blueberries into the filling will give your pie a more intense blueberry flavor. If you are using the frozen fruit, increase the tapioca or cornstarch to by 1 tablespoon as the frozen fruit will shed more liquid.
Use freeze-dried blueberries. Freeze dried blueberries can be found at well-stocked grocery stores as well as specialty stores like Trader Joe’s. Just look in the produce section or near the dried fruit. Crush 1.2 ounces of freeze-dried fruit in a heavy-duty Ziploc bag with a rolling pin into a powder before adding it to the filling. The blueberry powder will intensify the flavor of the blueberry filling. Decrease the tapioca starch or cornstarch to 3 tablespoons if you do this, as the blueberry powder will absorb liquid and less starch is needed.
Use dried blueberries in the filling. You can find dried blueberries in well-stocked grocery stores as well as specialty stores like Trader Joe’s and Costco. Just look in the produce section or where dried fruit is sold. Add 1/2 cup of dried blueberries to the filling. Decrease the tapioca starch or cornstarch to 3 tablespoons if you do this, as the dried blueberries will absorb liquid and less starch is needed.

Frequently asked questions

How to store this pie

Store this pie at room temperature for up to 2 days covered. Or store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days covered. Keep in mind that the longer you store the pie, the less flaky and more tough the pie crust will get. You can refresh the pie in a 300°F toaster oven or preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes to help crisp up the crust.

Discard the pie if it smells off or notice any mold on it.

Can you freeze this pie?

Yes. Blueberry pie can be frozen. If you would like to freeze a whole pie, just wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, then slip it into a large heavy-duty freezer Ziploc bag and freeze whole.

If you are freezing leftovers, I recommend cutting the pie slices into individual servings first, then freezing them in a container, with parchment paper separating the slices. This way you can thaw and defrost individual pieces to serve.

Frozen pie can keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Can I use frozen fruit?

Yes. You can use frozen blueberries for this filling! Don’t thaw the blueberries ahead of time. Just make the filling with the frozen blueberries. Increase the tapioca starch or cornstarch to 5 tablespoons a frozen fruit sheds more liquid or keep it at 4 tablespoons and just expect the filling to be a little more loose and juicy.

Can I use store bought crust?

I always recommend homemade crust if possible as the flavor and texture is always going to be better than store bought. But I get that not everyone has time to make a pie crust and there’s no shame in shortcuts!

Store bought pie crust can totally be used in this recipe. If you are using a frozen pie crust, make sure the crust is completely thawed before rolling it out though. If you want a review of best store bought pie crusts check out Simply Recipes post on various purchased pie crusts.

If you like this blueberry pie recipe, check out these other blueberry recipes:

Blueberry Pie

This vibrant double crust blueberry pie has a juicy filling that bursts with blueberry flavor with minimal sugar so the fruit can really shine. Note I use a grated apple in the filling to help with the thickening of the pie and added natural sweetness, you won’t taste it. If you are making your own pie crust make sure to allow for an extra hour to let the dough chill or make it the day before and let it rest in the fridge overnight.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword blueberries, dessert, pie

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Resting time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 8

Author Irvin

Ingredients

Pie crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 350 g
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted cold butter 225 g or 2 sticks
8 to 10 tablespoons ice cold water

Filling

6 cup blueberries 2 pounds or 910 g
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup tapioca starch or cornstarch
1/2 cup white sugar 100g
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice optional
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 apple peeled and grated

To finish

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon white sugar

Instructions

Make a double pie crust by placing the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together with a balloon whisk. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Sprinkle over the dry ingredients. Using your fingers, smash the butter cubes into small flat pieces, about the size of peas. If the butter starts to stick to your hands, dip them back into the dry ingredients and coat with the flour.
Once the butter has been broken down, drizzle the water over the flour and butter, tossing the dry ingredients with a fork. Once all the water is added, continue to toss, eventually working the wet and dry ingredients together with your hands. If the dough is too dry, add an additional 1 tablespoon of water, up to 2 tablespoons, until a dough forms.
Once the dough has formed, divided the dough in half. Take half the dough and form a ball, then flatten it into a 1-inch disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then repeat with the second half of the dough. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
Once the dough has chilled, roll out one pie crust disk into a 12-inch disk.
Carefully move the dough into a deep-dish pie pan, making sure not to stretch the dough as you transfer it. Just gently fit it into the dish. Trim any excess dough around the pan.
Place the blueberries, lemon zest, juice, tapioca starch, sugar, cinnamon, allspice (if using), salt, and grated apple in a large bowl. Mix to combine. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
Roll out the second disk of dough into a 12-inch disk. Cover the pie with the top crust.
Trim any excess pie crust, then seal the edge of the pie crust together by pinching the two crusts together. Decoratively crimp the pie edges. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Once the pie has chilled, place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Beat the egg yolk and water together in a bowl then brush it all over the top of the pie. Sprinkle the sugar all over the top of the pie.
Cut some vents on top of the dough to let the steam release. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake an additional 50 to 60 minutes, or until the pie filling is bubbling up through the top pie crust. Check the pie 40 minutes after turning down the heat to see if the pie crust is browning too fast. If so, cover it with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
Let the pie cool completely before serving for the filling to set.

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Fig Rosemary Focaccia with Honey Lemon Glaze

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 12:00:00 GMT

This fig rosemary focaccia with honey glaze walks the line between savory and sweet, making it great for dessert or perfect to serve with coffee or tea!

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This post was sponsored by California Grown. I was compensated for this post and developing this recipe. However, all opinions below are my own.

San Francisco weather is different than the rest of the country as we rarely get super cold or super hot. For me, the changing of the seasons usually is marked more by what produce I can get at the grocery store and the farmers market. California, as most folks know, is an ideal climate for growing fruit and vegetables. It grows a third of the vegetables for the entire nation, and two thirds of the fruits and nuts for the US! Local berries and stone fruit at the store means its summertime here in SF. Citrus means wintertime. But as the days go by and figs start to appear, I know late summer and early fall is starting to creep up.

I absolutely adore adding dried figs to some of my baked goods like my fig and hazelnut scone and apple and fig cobbler. When California Grown reached out to me about partnering together to make a recipe featuring figs, I knew I wanted to try something different! This fresh California fig focaccia with honey and rosemary walks that line of crunchy and soft, as well as sweet and savory.

What is focaccia?

If you’ve never had a focaccia, think of it is a slab of herb bread, comparable to a thick crust or deep dish pizza, without the sauce or pizza toppings. Though focaccia can come in a variety of styles, from thin to thick, most focaccia is more bread than topping, without any sauce on top. One of the most common types of focaccia is often topped just with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and some rosemary.

Though most focaccia is savory, this particular focaccia veers toward the sweet side of things with fresh meaty figs topped over the soft bread. A generous brushing for honey, lemon juice and zest, as well as fresh rosemary gives the bread a sweet savory touch.

How do you make a fig focaccia?

To make this focaccia, a small baking potato is peeled, quartered and simmered in water until soft. The potato is then mashed, and the remaining potato water is mixed with yeast. Knead together with flour, olive oil, honey, and salt until a nice soft dough is formed.

Quarter the figs and press them into the puffy dough. Then brush a mixture of honey, lemon juice, lemon zest and fresh rosemary all over the top of the dough. Bake and serve!

Why do you use potato in the focaccia bread?

When are figs in season?

Dried figs are available all year round, but fresh figs are only available in the summertime into the autumn months. California grows 98% of the commercially sold fresh figs sold here in the United States and they start popping up as early as mid-May at stores. But they become more common to find at the stores starting in July through November. You can find more details about when figs are in season, as well as what California fruits and vegetables are in season and when over at the California Grown website.

Where can I buy figs?

You can find fresh figs at most major grocery stores in the produce section. Look for dried figs throughout the produce aisle or in the snacking aisle, along with other dried fruit.

What sort of figs should you use for this focaccia?

Fresh figs come in a number of varieties. I’ve used Mission figs here, which are dark brown fig that have a “meaty” flavor. But you can use any type of fig that you like. The ones I find the most at my local stores include the Mission figs which I used, the Brown Turkey fig and the Tiger Stripe fig.

Brown Turkey figs have a rich sweet, almost nutty flavor, while Tiger Stripe figs have a striking green and yellow striped skin with a vibrant red inside with a sweet, almost raspberry jam flavor. Other fresh figs available include Kadota, Sierra, and Calmyrna figs. You can learn more about fresh figs and the different varieties at the California Fig website.

Of course, if you have a favorite type of fresh fig, feel free to use it in this recipe, as all fresh figs work well in this focaccia! If you are looking for more information on buying California produce like fresh figs, check out the California Grown website on how to support the California Farmers.

How long do fresh figs last?

Fresh figs are highly perishable. Use the figs 5 to 7 days after purchasing them. Store them in a very cold refrigerator, ideally somewhere between 32°F and 37°F.

Or you can save the fresh figs by just popping them in the freezer! Stored in a heavy-duty freezer bag, fresh figs will last about 9 to 12 months frozen.

Can I substitute dried figs for fresh figs?

Thankfully, even though fresh fig season is very seasonal, dried figs are available all year round! And yes, they can be substituted in this recipe. You can either use them directly as dried figs or you can plump them up first by simmering them in white wine for 15 minutes before adding them to the focaccia.

Frequently asked questions

Can I substitute instant or rapid rise yeast for the active dry yeast in this recipe?

How do I store focaccia?

Focaccia keeps for about 2 days. Just store it in an airtight container or resealable Ziploc bag at room temperature. Refresh it in the toaster oven or regular oven at 325°F for 5 minutes.

Does the focaccia freeze?

Can I hand knead this dough?

If you like this focaccia recipe, check out some other bread recipes:

Fig Rosemary Focaccia with Honey Lemon Glaze

This fig focaccia walks the line between savory and sweet. The mashed potato in the dough keeps the bread soft and sweet. The generously brushed topping of honey and lemon juice caramelized a bit on top giving the focaccia a crisp top. And finally, the earthy rosemary plays well with the rich and succulent fresh figs, making this a sophisticated dessert for a dinner party or a great accompanying dish to a morning or afternoon coffee or tea.

Course Appetizer, Dessert, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword bread, figs, honey, lemon, rosemary, yeast

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Rest time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 230kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

Dough

1 small russet potato 4 to 5 ounces or 115 to 140 g
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour 280 g
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt

To bake

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Topping

4 to 5 fresh figs 7 to 9 ounces or 200 g to 255 g
3 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary from 2 medium sprigs, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon lemon zest from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Peel and cut the potato into quarters. Place the potato quarters in a medium-sized sauce pan and cover with water, making sure the water is about an inch above the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook the potato for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a fork easily inserts into the potato. Mash the potatoes or press them through a ricer into the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment
Measure out 1/2 cup of the potato water, discarding the rest. If you don’t have enough water, add additional warm water from the tap until you do. Let the water cool to a lukewarm temperature (90 to 100°F). Once cool, dissolve the yeast in the measure cup with the warm potato water.
Add the flour, olive oil, honey, and salt to the bowl with the mashed potatoes, then pour in the yeasty potato water.
Stir slowly with dough hook, increasing speed as the flour is absorbed into the wet ingredients. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed once the dough has started to form and knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Spray or oil a large bowl with olive oil. Pull the dough into a ball by stretching the sides of the dough until one side is smooth. Place the rough side down into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until double in size, about an hour.
Once the dough has doubled, place a 10-inch springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle and brush the olive oil all over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. If your springform pan doesn’t seal tightly, cover the bottom with aluminum foil. Dump the dough directly into the oiled springform pan and press down with your fingertips to push the dough out and to the sides, making sure the dough is evenly distributed in the pan. Don’t worry if there are lumps or bumps when pushing the dough with your fingers. Cover again with the plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and double in size, about 30 to 40 minutes. Once the dough is ready, preheat an oven to 400°F.
Trim the figs of their hard tips, and then quarter them lengthwise. Press the figs deep into the focaccia dough all over.
Combine the honey, lemon juice, rosemary, lemon zest and salt in a medium sized bowl or glass measuring glass. Brush the liquid all over the top of the focaccia, making sure to use all the liquid. It will seem like a lot, but it will be absorbed as it bakes. Make sure all the rosemary leaves are distributed over the dough.
Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. If you have an instant read thermometer, the inside of the focaccia should read 200°F. Immediately run a thin knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the focaccia from the sides. Then let the focaccia cool for 15 minutes before releasing the sides of the pan and removing it. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The post Fig Rosemary Focaccia with Honey Lemon Glaze appeared first on Eat The Love.

Soft Sourdough Pretzels

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 12:00:00 GMT

These super easy-to-make soft sourdough pretzels can be made with active sourdough starter only, with sourdough discard and/or some active dry yeast!

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I’m not one of those folks that will talk incessantly about my sourdough starter. I haven’t named it a cute punny name like “Eww, Doughvid” or “Breadly Cooper”. But like most folks with a starter, I love the ritual of feeding it on a regular basis and watching it rhythmically rise and fall throughout the day. One of the first things I learned to make with it was these easy soft sourdough pretzels! They’re an adaptation from homemade rye soft pretzels, similar to my soft beer pretzel twists and pretzel buns but they use the sourdough starter instead of active dry yeast. If you’re looking for a super easy sourdough recipe to dip your toe into the world of sourdough baking, this is the one!

How do you make sourdough pretzels?

Unlike sourdough bread dough that is often very wet and requires you to proof the dough in long stages, sourdough pretzels are easy-to-make with the dough rising just once.

To make the pretzels, first stir in some malt syrup (or another sweetener like honey or brown sugar) to warm water. Stir in the active sourdough starter. Then add in flour, melted butter and salt. Knead the entire dough together until it’s smooth and elastic.

Set the dough aside to rise until double. Once it’s risen, divide the dough into 10 pieces, roll each piece out into a long rope, and form the pretzel shape.

Boil the pretzels in a baking soda solution, brush them with an egg wash, sprinkle with coarse salt, and bake!

How do I make the shape of the pretzel?

Forming a pretzel shape seems intimidating but it’s not! It’s actually my favorite part of the recipe and once you get the hang of it, you’ll find it fun to do.

First you roll out a portion of the dough into a long rope, roughly 20 to 22 inches long. If you want a more traditional German or Bavarian shape, leave the center of the rope fatter than the ends.

Then you form a “U” shape with the rope. Then cross the “legs” over once.

Cross the legs over one more time, then flip the ends down and seal the pretzel ends to the belly!

Where do you get the sourdough starter?

If you don’t already have a sourdough starter, you can either make your own, get some from a friend or buy some. Making it from scratch is easy, though it does take a bit of time (it’s mostly just waiting around for it to build up, none of it is active time).

There are plenty of instructions online on how to make a sourdough starter from scratch. I love the guide over at The Perfect Loaf but both King Arthur Flour and The Kitchn also have guides on creating a starter from scratch. The main thing about working with a sourdough starter is knowing it’s often not as robust as the dry yeast you get at the grocery store. And you have to pay attention to how it rises and falls so you know when to use it.

That said, if you don’t want to build up a starter from scratch you can ask your friends or neighbors if they would be willing to share some with you. Facebook or Next Door are both great places to ask around. Most folks are totally willing to share some starter, as the stuff multiples pretty fast.

Or you can also just buy some! King Arthur flour has some for sale, though demand is fairly high, so you’ll have to check often if they are sold out. My friend Amanda of Heartbeet Kitchen also sells her amazing sourdough starter (with origins in Australia!) so if King Arthur’s starter isn’t available, check her site.

What the best time for me to use my sourdough starter for these pretzels?

This recipe calls for an active fed starter, not the starter discard. Once you’ve fed the starter, it needs to be at its peak activity, when it’s double in size. The top of the starter should be bulging and rounded, not falling down and it should smell ripe and fruity with scents of yeast and summertime stone fruit. The other way to check if the starter is ready to use it to add a tiny spoonful of the starter to a glass of water. If the starter floats in the water, it’s ready to use! If it sinks, wait longer for it to be fully active.

So, plan accordingly to that. If you use the starter at a less than ideal point in its cycle, it will most likely still work, but it will take longer for the dough to rise because it won’t be as active and your final product might be a little more dense (which isn’t a huge problem with pretzels as they are naturally dense, but you don’t want them to be hard as a rock).

But I’m impatient! Can I just use the sourdough discard or use a starter that isn’t super active?

Actually, yes you can TOTALLY use the sourdough discard in this recipe. But it will take a lot longer for the dough to rise (as the discard isn’t as active). Let the dough sit in a warm place to rise until double. This will take anywhere from 8 hours to 12 hours with just the discard, depending on how robust your discard is, and how long you’ve left it around.

That said you can “cheat” by using some store-bought yeast if you want! If you have active dry yeast, dissolve anywhere from 1/4 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast in the warm water, depending on where you are in the starter cycle and how fast you want to make pretzels. In the baking industry, using active dry yeast is called “spiking the dough”. For some it’s considering cheating, but as long as it tastes great, who cares?

I like to use a full 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast when I’m just using old sourdough discard and a scant 1/4 teaspoon of active dry yeast if I’m being impatient and just want to “spike” the sourdough starter a bit to get it going faster. Once the dry yeast has dissolved, just add in the starter and stir to dissolve it in the yeasty water.

The active dry yeast will do most of the heavy lifting and usually cuts the rise time down to just 1 1/2 to 2 hours from the initial 3 to 4 hours with just the active starter, while the starter discard will provide some sourdough flavor.

Keep in mind that active dry yeast has a different flavor from sourdough, and the resulting pretzel won’t taste quite as tangy and sourdough-ish if you use the active dry yeast. But the sourdough flavor will be there, and you’ll notice a much more complex flavor from the pretzel than if you had just made the pretzels with active dry yeast.

Regardless, whatever method you use, with or without the active dry yeast, proceed with the recipe as written once the dough has doubled in size.

Do I need a scale for this recipe?

Most bread bakers will talk about how you ABSOLUTELY NEED TO BUY A SCALE to bake. And though I totally agree that a scale is important, if you don’t have one for this recipe, don’t worry. Unlike a sourdough loaf of bread, soft pretzel dough is pretty forgiving. You can follow the instructions in my recipe using measuring cups!

That said, a scale gives you accurate measurements when baking, which is why bakers love to use them. Accurate measurements means a higher chance of succeeding! But again, don’t stress if you only have measuring cups. I’ve given plenty of visual instructions and photos on how to make the proper dough.

One thing to note, if you are adding ingredients, you might want to add 1/2 cup less flour than the recipe calls for. Then slowly add in more flour to the wet dough until it is the correct consistency. It’s always easier to add in more flour than add in more liquid to a dough. So start off wet, and add flour!

And if you find that you’re not having success with this recipe or other sourdough baking recipes and are using measuring cups, it might be time to cave and buy a scale. You’ll find your baking results improve immensely.

Can I knead the dough by hand or do I need a stand mixer?

The recipe below has instructions for using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment to knead the dough. But you can totally make this dough by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer or your mixer isn’t powerful enough to knead the dough.

Mix the ingredients all together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough has formed and most of the dry ingredients have been incorporated.

Then dump the dough (and any remaining dry ingredients) onto a clean surface. No need to flour it. Just make sure it’s clean.

Then knead the dough! Fold the dough over (trying to capture as much of the loose dry ingredients as you can inside the fold) and press down with the heel of your hand. Fold it over again, and press down again, repeating with each hand, do small folds and rotations with the dough.

The dough will initially be very lumpy and sticky in spots, but as you knead it, the water and flour consistency will even out. There’s something super rhythmic and meditative about hand kneading dough. And though a lot of sourdough bread has a high hydration and requires a different sort of handling (stretch and fold or coil folding being the two most popular methods for wet dough) this pretzel dough is a significantly lower in hydration and can be handled in a more traditional kneading method.

Once the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 to 7 minutes, continue with the recipe as instructed.

Do I need to use lye to dip the pretzels in? Can I use baking soda?

Traditional pretzels are dipped in a strong alkaline base solution made of lye. You can order lye from various online sources. But I use baking soda because it’s much easier to find and safer to use.

There are various recipes online that also recommend baking or roasting the baking soda in the oven before using it for pretzels. Baking soda’s chemical name is Sodium Bicarbonate and when heated up (like in an oven) it breaks down into Sodium Carbonate, which is an even stronger alkaline base than Sodium Bicarbonate. Stronger base = more pretzel flavor!

If you want to try this technique you can spread baking soda in a large pan and roast it in the oven for 2 hours, stirring the baking soda every 30 minutes to make sure all of the baking soda gets heated and breaks down. Personally, I find this method a bit fussy and don’t bother with it. I use a large amount of baking soda (2/3 cup or 170 grams) in my solution as well as boil the pretzels for 90 seconds, which is longer than other recipes out there. The pretzels themselves get a pretty nice brown pretzel flavor without the baking of the baking soda.

What is malt syrup? Can I substitute it?

Malt syrup is a sweetener made from barley malt grain. It is traditional used in baking and in pretzels as well as bagels. It helps feed the yeast, gives the dough a very slight sweetness that is associated with soft pretzels and helps promote the browning in the crust of the pretzel.

If you don’t have access to malt syrup, you can substitute an equal amount of honey or brown sugar. Again, realize when you substitute for the malt syrup, your pretzels will shift slightly in flavor and won’t taste quite as “pretzel-y” nor will they be quite as brown as if you had used the barley malt syrup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use active dry yeast or store bought yeast instead of a sourdough starter?

If you don’t have a starter and don’t want to get one, I’d recommend checking out my homemade soft pretzels as a recipe to use. It’s the one that I’ve based this recipe on, and it uses store bought active dry yeast instead of a sourdough starter in this one.

How long do sourdough pretzels keep?

Sourdough pretzels keep for up to 2 to 3 days at room temperature, stored in an airtight container or resealable Ziploc bag. But if you want to keep them fresh for longer, I recommend freezing them.

Can I freeze sourdough pretzels?

Yes! I love to freeze batches of sourdough pretzels. Just store them in an airtight container or a resealable Ziploc gallon bag for up to 2 months. To thaw, just place the frozen pretzel on a plate and leave at room temperature on the counter for about an hour. Or toast the pretzel directly from the freezer either in the toaster oven (5 to 6 minutes at 350°F) or in a bagel toaster.

If you like these sourdough pretzels, check out some of these other recipes that use sourdough starter and discard:

Sourdough Discard Onion Rings
Sourdough Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread with Crumb Topping
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pork Tenderloin Sandwich (try using the sourdough discard in place of the buttermilk)

And try serving the sourdough pretzels with

beer cheese dip
queso
mustard, yellow, stoneground or whole grain
hummus
spicy guacamole
Turkish yogurt carrot dip

Sourdough Soft Pretzels

These sourdough soft pretzels use natural wild yeast from a sourdough starter to leaven the pretzels, to produce a naturally tangy and complex soft pretzel that is better than anything you’ll get at a mall or airport! Use active sourdough starter, at its peak of activity when it’s doubled in size, usually 4 to 6 hours after you’ve fed it, but it will depend on how strong your starter is and the warmth and environment you have the starter in. If you want to just use the sourdough discard, see my section above on how to do that as well as how to speed up the rise process by “spiking” the dough with active dry yeast.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American, German

Keyword bread, pretzels, sourdough

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 16 minutes

Rest Time 4 hours

Servings 10

Calories 295kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup warm water 90 to 100°F
1 tablespoon malt syrup can substitute honey or brown sugar
1 cup active sourdough starter 225 g, see section above
4 cups all-purpose flour 560 g
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 57 g
2 teaspoon kosher salt

Baking soda bath

2/3 cup baking soda 170 g
10 cups water

To Finish

1 egg yolk
Coarse salt

Instructions

Place the water and malt syrup (or other sweetener) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir with a fork until the sweetener is dissolved in the water. Add the sourdough starter to the liquid and stir until the starter has loosened and incorporated the water.
Add the flour, butter and salt to the bowl. If you are measuring by volume cups and not weight, use 3 1/2 cups of flour to start. Turn the mixer on slow and stir the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get all the ingredients to incorporate.
Once a dough forms, increase the speed to medium and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 4 to 5 minutes. If you are using measuring cups, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to get the dough into a smooth and elastic dough. Keep in mind that it’s easier to add flour to a wet dough than add water to a dry dough, so be cautious and just add the dough near the end of the kneading, as the dough has become more consistent in texture.
If you are mixing by hand, you can combine the water, sweetener, and starter in a large bowl and stir with a large wooden spoon. Add the flour, butter and salt and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Then hand knead the dough on a lightly floured surface, until smooth and elastic. To knead, place the dough on a clean, lightly floured, surface, and pressing down with the heel of your hand into the dough. Fold the dough over, rotate the dough 90º then repeat pressing down with your heel on the folded dough. Continue this process, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Coat a bowl with cooking spray. Stretch the dough into a ball, gathering the rough edges of the dough into one side and then place in the bowl, with the rough edges down. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit to rise until the dough has doubled, about 3 to 4 hours.
Once the dough has doubled, preheat the oven to 450º. Line two baking sheets with silicon mats or parchment paper that has been lightly greased with cooking oil. Divide the dough into 10 even pieces. If you have a scale, the dough should be roughly 4 ounces or 110 g each. Cover the pieces with plastic wrap or a damp towel to keep them from drying out.
Roll one piece into a long rope, about 20 inches/50 cm long. If you are looking to form a more traditional Bavarian or German style shape, make sure the center of the rope is thicker than the ends.
Form a “U” shape with the rope, then lay the top of the rope over each other in an “X” formation. Then twist one more time, so the top of the rope is twisted together.
Flip the "leg" ends down to form a pretzel shape. Repeat with the remaining pieces and place on the baking sheet.
Place the water and baking soda in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, stirring to make sure the baking soda has dissolved. Boil three or four of them (depending on how wide your pan is) in the baking soda water for 45 seconds. Flip the pretzels upside down and boil for an additional 45 seconds. Remove the pretzels from the water and place back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
Beat the egg yolk and water together and brush the top of each pretzel with the egg wash.
Sprinkle the coarse salt on top of the pretzels. The egg wash will help the salt to stick. To make these look more traditionally German or Bavarian, you can also take a sharp knife and slice the “belly” of the pretzel, so it splits there as it bakes.
Bake in the oven for 17 to 20 minutes or until the pretzels are a dark brown. Rotating the pans once during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack.

Notes

You can turn these into pretzel buns by shaping round balls of the dough instead of forming the pretzels. Boil the dough balls, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame seeds instead of salt. Cut a cross on the top of the balls and then bake as directed.

The post Soft Sourdough Pretzels appeared first on Eat The Love.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 12:00:00 GMT

These easy-to-make strawberry oatmeal bars have minimal sugar to let the crisp oats topping and bright berry flavor shine through.

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Due to a project I was working on for a client, I found myself with an over-abundance of strawberries. Which is saying something, since I LOVE strawberries. But strawberries are fragile fruit, going bad quickly. And though I made some strawberry rhubarb syrup, a strawberry rhubarb galette, strawberry lemon shortcake and ended up freezing three packed gallon bags, I still found a pound of strawberries that need to be used up quickly. Thankfully whipping up these easy strawberry oatmeal bars ended up being one of my new favorite snacks! Easy to make, they’re the sort of treat I can grab when I’m feeling snacky and not feel too guilty about eating.

How do you make strawberry oat bars?

The beauty of these bars is they are super easy to make. Like my rhubarb blueberry oatmeal bars, you first make a crumbly oat dough that functions both as the bottom crust and the oat crumb topping!

Toss oats, flour, brown sugar, some spices all together with some melted butter until the dry ingredients start to clump up. Reserve some of the crumbles for the topping and press the remaining dough into the bottom of a pan, forming the bottom crust.

Then make the strawberry filling by combining diced strawberries with sugar, some optional crystallized ginger, a touch of balsamic vinegar, some tapioca starch (or cornstarch), and a dash of vanilla. Toss to combine then spoon over the crust.

Sprinkle the reserve crumbs over the fruit and bake!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen strawberries?

I prefer to use fresh strawberries for this recipe but you can totally use frozen fruit in this strawberry oatmeal bar! I do recommend doubling the tapioca starch or cornstarch to 4 teaspoons in the filling, as frozen fruit tends to release more water.

All that said, do be carefully when you chop the frozen fruit. Frozen strawberries can be hard and a bit slippery and you don’t want to hurt yourself. If you have time, you can let the strawberries sit out on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature, they’ll be easier to cut up. There’s no need to completely thaw them though. Just make the filling with the frozen fruit, then bake. Increase the bake time by 5 minutes to allow for the fruit to thaw.

How long do these strawberry oatmeal bars keep?

These bars can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store them in an airtight container or in a resealable Ziploc bag.

Can you freeze these bars?

Yes. These bars can be frozen! Freeze them on a baking sheet flat, until they are frozen through, about two hours. Then stack them between pieces of parchment or wax paper in an airtight container or heavy-duty resealable freeze bag. They will last up to 3 months in the freezer.

If you like these strawberry oatmeal bars, check out these other strawberry recipes:

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

These strawberry oatmeal bars use fresh fruit and have minimal sugar in them, letting the crispy oats and bright fruit flavor shine through. They’re a great snack or easy breakfast treat!

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword bars, oats, strawberry

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 210kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

Crust and topping

1 1/2 cups rolled oats, regular or thick cut preferred 165 g
1 cup all-purpose flour 140 g
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar 110 g
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 140 g

Filling

2 1/2 cups diced strawberries 1 pound
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger optional
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoon tapioca starch or cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking oil. Line the inside with parchment paper, making sure there is a 1-inch overhang on the sides.
Place the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a large bowl and toss together until mixed.
Drizzle the melted butter over the dry ingredients, tossing with a fork, until all the butter is added. Continue tossing together until the dry ingredients start to clump together.
Scoop out about 1 cup of the crumb topping and set aside. Dump the remaining crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Press firmly on the crumbs, making an even layer at the bottom the pan.
Make the filling by placing the strawberries, sugar, ginger (if using), balsamic vinegar, tapioca starch and vanilla extract in a bowl (you can use the same one you used for the crumb topping). Toss together.
Spoon the strawberry filling over the bottom crust in the pan, spreading it out evenly.
Sprinkle the reserve cup of crumb topping over the strawberry filling.
Bake in the oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until the strawberry fruit is bubbly and thick, and the top of the crust is golden brown. Let cool in the pan. Then lift the entire content of the pan out using the sides of the parchment paper and move to a cutting board. Cut and serve.

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Apricot Yeast Bread with Dried Blueberries

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 12:00:00 GMT

This tart and slightly sweet fresh apricot yeast bread made with dried blueberries, is perfect for an afternoon coffee or tea break.

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I’m known for my impulsive grocery store buys and it only comes becomes more impulsive as summer fruit starts to appear at the stores. Blueberries and apricots are the first things I start to buy when they appear, and all of sudden I have too much fruit and not enough time to eat it all before it goes bad. This is when I start baking up my apricot blueberry coffee cake, apricot, cherry and plum pie or my blueberry Swedish cake. But lately I’ve been diving deep into bread baking and I knew I wanted to make some sort of yeasted bread with the apricots. A simple modified brioche bread and I have this braided apricot yeast bread with dried blueberries.

How do you make this bread?

Making this bread looks more complicated that it is! There’s no complicated braiding, even if it looks that way. It’s just laying strip of dough over strips of dough.

First make an enriched dough, similar to a brioche bread. This means you combine some melted butter with milk and add in dry yeast to dissolve. Stir in an egg, vanilla and a dash of almond extract to the liquid.

Finish making the dough by mixing and kneading flour and a little bit of sugar with the liquid. Let it rise until double.

While the dough is rising, make the apricot filling by chopping up the apricots and mixing it with dried blueberries, some spices, vanilla and a little honey. Set it aside to let the apricots become juicy and for the dried blueberries to soak up some of the liquid.

Once the dough has risen, this is where it gets fun! You roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper into a rectangle. Then you mix a tablespoon of cornstarch into the filling and spread it into the center of the dough.

Cut the sides of the dough into 1-inch wide strips, and then lay those strips over each other, forming a braided bread.

Move the whole thing to a baking sheet. Let it rise again until the dough is puffy, then brush with an egg wash, sprinkle with decorative sugar, and bake.

What is Swedish pearl sugar and can I substitute it?

I use Swedish pearl sugar on top of this bread, which is sometimes called nib sugar. You can find it at specialty stores, occasionally at Ikea and online (<– affiliate link). Swedish pearl sugar is white flaky sugar that doesn’t easily dissolve. It is used on top of Swedish cinnamon roll and cardamon knots, as well as a decorative topping for a number of baked goods.

Some folks substitute crushed sugar cubes for pearl sugar. But you can also use regular white sugar, sparkling sugar or turbinado sugar (sometimes called Sugar in the Raw) as a substitute if you don’t feel like buying it, or tracking it down.

Don’t confuse Swedish pearl sugar with Belgian pearl sugar. Belgian style pearl sugar is large chunks of pearl sugar and isn’t meant for decorative use like the Swedish style. You can use Belgian style sugar, but you should crush the Belgian sugar into much smaller pieces before using. Just place the Belgian pearl sugar in a freezer Ziploc bag and then crush it with a rolling pin or heavy skillet. Belgian pearl sugar is most often used in Belgian Liege waffles.

What can I substitute for the dried blueberries?

I use dry blueberries in this recipe because dried fruit will help absorb some of the liquid that the fresh apricots will shed and the intense flavor of dried blueberries plays well with the tangy apricot.

That said, if you want to, you can use another dried fruit in place of the dried blueberries. Some suggestions for substitutions include:

Raisins
Golden raisins
Dried cherries
Dried cranberries
Currants
Chopped dried prunes
Chopped dried figs
Chopped dried apricots (for an even more intense apricot flavor)

I haven’t tested this recipe with fresh blueberries, but if you do try substituting in fresh blueberries for the dried blueberries, I would recommend increasing the cornstarch to 2 tablespoons to help absorb the liquid from the blueberries. If you try the recipe this way, please leave a note in the comments and I’ll add it to this section for other folks to see!

What can I substitute for the fresh apricots?

Fresh apricots are very seasonal, and thus not always available. Feel free to swap out another chopped fresh stone fruit like pitted cherries, plums, peaches or nectarines for the fresh apricots.

You can also try swapping out dried apricots for the fresh apricots. Place the dried apricots and blueberries in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling over them until just barely covered. Let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes to plump up. Drain the liquid, reserving 2 tablespoons of it. Then chop the apricots into 1/2-inch chunks. Cool the liquid and add the 2 tablespoons into the filling mix, along with the remaining ingredients.

Bread Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute rapid rise or instant yeast for the active dry yeast?

This recipe uses active dry yeast, but you can substitute rapid rise or instant yeast in it place. You can either use less rapid rise or instant yeast (1 3/4 teaspoons instead of the 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast) or use the same amount (2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 package) and expect the dough to rise and double in size faster.

When using instant or rapid rise yeast, you can add the yeast directly in with the dry ingredients, with the flour. You don’t need to dissolve it first in the wet ingredients.

Can I knead the dough by hand instead of using a stand mixer?

Yes! You can knead the dough by hand, but keep in mind your dough might end up a little more dry than if used a stand mixer.

Mix the dough ingredients together with a wooden spoon in a large bowl until a shaggy dough forms and most of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Dump the contents of the bowl onto a clean surface. Using the heel of your hands, fold and press down on the dough, repeating this movement, while rotating the dough 90° with every press. Continue to knead the dough, occasionally dipping your hands in flour, to keep the dough from sticking.

The dough will initially seem sticky, so don’t add more flour to the dough itself, just dust your hands. The dough should firm up and smooth out as you knead. But if you do need to add more flour, do it 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough should be smooth and elastic by the time you’re done kneading, about 5 to 7 minutes.

How do you store this bread?

Store this bread at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Can I freeze this bread?

Yes, you can freeze this bread! Slice the bread, and then store it in an airtight container or resealable Ziploc bag for up to 2 months. Defrost it on you countertop for an hour before serving, or warm it up directly from the freezer in your toaster oven or oven, for about 10 minutes at 350°F.

If you like this yeast bread recipe, check out these other bread recipes

Apricot Yeast Bread with Dried Blueberries

This yeasted bread is only very slightly sweet, with minimal sugar in the dough, a touch of honey in the filling and a dusting of sugar on top. The small amount of honey in the filling allows for the tangy apricot flavor to shine through. Serve slices of bread with afternoon teas or coffee or as a breakfast bread.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword apricot, bread, dried blueberries, yeast

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Rise Time 2 hours

Servings 8

Calories 264kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

Dough

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional
2 cups all-purpose flour 280 g
1/4 cup white sugar 50 g
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

12 ounces apricots about 6 to 7 medium ones, chopped about 2 1/4 cups
1/4 cup dried blueberries 45 g
1 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cornstarch

To finish

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons Swedish pearl sugar or white sugar

Instructions

Melt the butter in a glass measuring cup in the microwave, or on the stovetop in a small saucepan. Once melted, add the milk to measuring cup or saucepan.
Stir in the active dry yeast to the liquid until it dissolves. The liquid will start to lump up. That’s normal. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract (if using) to the liquid. Again, don’t worry if the liquid looks lumpy like cottage cheese.
Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeasty liquid to the dry ingredients, making sure to scrape out any lumps as well. Turn the mixer on slow and let it mix the ingredients until they form a soft dough. You might need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Increase the speed of the mixer and knead the dough until it is smooth and supple, about 5 minutes on medium speed. The dough will be tacky but it shouldn’t be sticky or limp. If the dough is too wet to work with, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you can handle the dough properly.
Lightly grease a bowl with cooking oil, then gather the dough into a ball and place the rough side down into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise. Let the dough rise until double in size, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
While the dough is rising, making the filling by pitting the apricots and then cutting them up into 1/2-inch chunks. Place the apricot pieces in a medium-sized bowl and add the blueberries, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg reserving the cornstarch for later. Stir until ingredients are combined, then cover the bowl and set aside while the dough rises.
Once the dough has risen, put a piece of parchment paper down on a surface and dump the dough onto the paper. Roll the dough out into a 10 x 13-inch rectangle. Using the parchment paper, move the dough to a rimmed baking sheet.
Take the filling and stir in the cornstarch. Spoon the filling into the center of the dough, leaving a generous 3-inch border all the way around.
Cut the dough into 1-inch thick strips on both sides of the long edge of the dough around the filling. Don’t cut under the filling, just start cutting at where the filling edges. Make sure there are an equal number of strips on both sides of the dough.
Take the bottom strip and flip it up and over the filling, making a “U” shape on top of the filling. Repeat with the other end.
Now stretch one side of the dough strip over the filling, and do the same with the other side.
Repeat, alternating the dough strip from side to side, overlapping each strip, making it look like a braid.
Once all the strips are folded over and the filling is sealed in, cover the bread with plastic wrap and let sit for 45 minutes, or until the dough looks a little puffy (it won’t have risen or doubled much, just gotten a little puffy is all). About 30 minutes into letting the dough rise again, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Once the time is over, beat the egg yolk with the water. Then brush the egg wash over the bread.
Sprinkle the Swedish pearl sugar or white sugar all over the top of the bread.
Bake in the top 3rd of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden brown.
Let the bread cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move the bread to a wire cooling rack, by lifting up the parchment paper and using it as a “sling” to move the bread. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Syrup (with an optional touch of lime and ginger)

Mon, 25 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT

This strawberry rhubarb syrup uses an optional touch of lime and ginger for extra complexity that will make sodas and cocktails taste like Springtime!

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I have a habit of buying rhubarb whenever I see it at the store. LIKE EVERY TIME. It’s a slightly obsession but that also means I have a LOT of rhubarb. Usually that’s not a huge issue. I bake my strawberry rhubarb galette or my strawberry rhubarb buckle. Or I make a big rhubarb berry slab pie for a crowd. But sometimes I buy rhubarb without realizing I already have a bunch in my refrigerator. And I can’t use it that fast! That’s when I whip up this strawberry rhubarb syrup.

How do you make strawberry rhubarb soda syrup

The best part of the making rhubarb strawberry syrup is that it’s SUPER easy. Chop up the rhubarb and strawberries and then throw it in a pot with sugar and water. I add a few slices of ginger and some lime zest to give a little extra dimension but those two are totally optional.

Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes then let it cool for 30 minutes. Strain, add the juice of the lime (if you’re using it) and you have the syrup!

What do you use this for?

I like to mix the syrup with sparkling water to make my own homemade soda. What’s nice is that you can totally control how sweet the beverage is, so if you prefer something less sweet or more sweet, it’s totally up to you. It’s also a great in cocktails or mocktails. Try adding a splash to vodka and soda, some syrup to a glass of sparkling rosé or make a Spring fruit-inspired gin and tonic!

But the syrup isn’t just for beverages. You can use it over pancakes, waffles, or French toast, though keep in mind the syrup is on the thin side. That said, a drizzle of it over plain Greek-style yogurt or hot cereal would be great, or a touch of it on ice cream would be pretty awesome. The punchy bright color and flavor is totally addictive.

How long does this syrup last?

Basic simple syrup lasts quite awhile in the fridge but fruit syrups like this rhubarb strawberry syrup will last about 3 weeks because it has fruit juices that can break down faster. Just store it in the fridge in a clean jar or bottle and make sure to label it with a date so you know when to use it up by.

What do I do with the fruit solids?

After you’ve strained the liquid out, you will have what looks like fruit puree. I like to store this puree in a jar or bottle for a couple of days in the fridge and use it for all the non-beverage uses that you can use the syrup for. Add a spoonful over plain yogurt, hot cereal or ice cream, or a dollop of it on pancakes, waffles or French toast. Or you can just use it like a loose jam and spread it over toast!

If you want to store the solids longer, freeze it in a resealable freezer Ziploc bag or an ice cube tray for easy serving sizes. I add the frozen cubes of purée to my smoothies. It’s pretty versatile stuff.

That said, remove the sliced ginger (it won’t have cooked fully) and any large lime zests pieces. If you use small thin zest (like from a rasp grater) no need to do that! The lime zest will just blend in.

If you like this strawberry rhubarb syrup, check out these other rhubarb recipes:

Strawberry Rhubarb Syrup Recipe (with optional lime and ginger)

This easy-to-make strawberry rhubarb syrup tastes like Springtime in a bottle! It is basically a simple syrup with fruit infused in it. I added lime and ginger to give it a little complexity and dimension but feel free to leave them out if you want something a little more straightforward.

Course beverage

Cuisine American

Keyword cocktail, rhubarb, soda, strawberry

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Steep and Straining 1 hour

Servings 2 cups

Calories 85kcal

Author Irvin

Equipment

fine mesh sieve
cheesecloth, optional but recommended

Ingredients

1 pound strawberries
1 pound rhubarb
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
4 or 5 slices ginger root, peeled or washed optional
Zest from 1 lime optional
Juice from 1 lime optional

Instructions

Stem and cut in half the strawberries. Chop the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces. Place the fruit in medium saucepan and add the water and sugar. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat so it just simmers. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the fruit has completely fallen apart. Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan for the fruit to continue to steep.
Strain the fruit solid into a bowl using a fine mesh sieve. If you don’t have a fine enough sieve, lay a piece of cheesecloth inside the sieve. Push as much of the liquid through the sieve, or just let gravity do its work. If you leave the fruit to drain for awhile (like an hour or so) you’ll find gravity has naturally done it’s job and you’ll get even more syrup.
Save the solids for another use (see section above) and store the syrup in a jar or bottle in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Notes

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mon, 18 May 2020 12:00:31 GMT

Unlike other sourdough chocolate chip cookies recipes, these sophisticated cookies are thick and chewy, not cakey, because of the rolled oats in the dough!

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I know I’ve been developing a lot of recipes using sourdough starter discard. But I can’t help myself. I have sourdough banana bread and sourdough onion rings. But once I figured out that I could make sourdough chocolate chip cookies with the discard, I was hooked! The tangy sourdough discard soaks into the thick cut rolled oats I used in the dough, and creates one of the most complex sophisticated chewy (not cakey) chocolate chip cookies I’ve made in a long time. It quite possible might replace my bakery-style chocolate chip cookies as my new favorite.

How do you make sourdough chocolate chip cookies?

Making sourdough cookies is similar to making regular chocolate chip cookies, but with two additional steps. You need to add the sourdough starter discard, and you need to add rolled oats to the cookie!

First you mix butter, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, baking soda, salt and a touch of nutmeg together until you have a creamy paste. Then you add an egg.

Once the egg is incorporated, add the sourdough starter discard. Then the flour and rolled oats! Stir in the chocolate chunks until they are evenly distributed in the dough.

Then (the hardest part) you wrap it all in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two days! Waiting is hard but totally worth it. Once rested, pull it out and bake it off with a little sprinkling of salt on top.

Why do you need to refrigerate the dough?

The sourdough starter discard is made with both flour and water. If you bake the cookies right away, the water in the dough will lead to a cakey cookie. Which is fine if that’s what you are looking for, but if you prefer a deep, more complex, chewy sourdough chocolate chip cookie, letting the dough chill in the fridge is the solution!

Chilling the dough in the fridge allows time for the rolled oats to absorb the liquid which leads to a chewy cookie. It also allows time for the flour to hydrate as well. In addition, the sourdough starter will develop more, creating a deeper flavor. The resulting dough will transform from a sticky paste to a drier cookie dough. And the baked cookie will have a complex caramelized ever-so-slight tangy flavor.

Where can I get a sourdough starter?

There are many online tutorials on how to make a sourdough starter on your own. My favorites include The Perfect Loaf, The Kitchn and King Arthur Flour. Instructions are fairly simple, you just combine flour and water and then let it sit around (anywhere from 4 to 9 days) until it starts to bubble, discarding some of the starter and feeding it with more water and flour on a daily or twice daily basis!

But if you don’t want to make a starter from scratch, you can ask your friends or neighbors if they wouldn’t mind sharing some. Facebook and Nextdoor are both great places to ask for starter. Because you have to feed and discard part of the starter on a regular basis, most folks have leftover starter they are happy to share with folks.

Of course, you can also just purchase a starter. King Arthur Flour sells starter online for those folks who don’t want to make one or can’t obtain one from friends.

Can I make this recipe without the sourdough starter?

This recipe is designed to be made with sourdough starter discard. If you don’t have a starter and don’t feel like making/getting one, I recommend you check out my chocolate chip oatmeal cookies or my bakery-style chocolate chip cookies recipe instead.

At what stage should the sourdough starter discard be at?

When you feed your sourdough starter, the starter usually has completed it feeding cycle, meaning it has collapsed in the container and needs more food. This is when you “discard” some starter and add more flour and water to the remaining unfed starter.

This recipe is designed for that starter discard, meaning it should be fairly liquidy, the consistency of pancake batter. If there is a little dark gray liquid (sometimes called hooch) on top, that’s ok. Just mix the liquid back into the starter before measuring out the 1/2 cup.

If the starter is still sticky and viscous, or “stringy” when you stir it, then it hasn’t completely digested all the gluten and flour. You need to let the starter digest more before using it in this recipe. Just set aside the starter discard for a day or two, without feeding it, at room temperature. It should be ready then.

How do I store these cookies?

These cookies store and keep on the countertop at room temperature for about 3 days. For longer storage, I place them in a resealable freezer Ziploc bag and store them in the freezer or up to 2 months. I warm them up by placing them on the counter for about 20 to 30 minutes. Or, if I’m impatient, I microwave them for 30 seconds or place them on a small baking sheet and heat them up in the toaster oven for 5 minutes at 300°F.

Can I freeze the cookie dough?

Yes! If you freeze the cookie dough, I suggest you first let the dough rest in the fridge for the 2 days. This makes it easier to handle the dough. Then form the disks and freeze the disks on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once the dough has frozen solid, move them to a resealable freezer Ziploc bag. Frozen cookie dough lasts up to 2 months in the freezer.

You can bake them directly from the freezer without thawing them. Just add an additional 2 minutes or so to the overall bake time.

What chocolate should I use in this cookie?

Everyone’s favorite chocolate is different. I have friends who prefer milk or white chocolate while others say the darker the better! Personally, I find the sweet spot (get it? THE SWEET SPOT) is usually around 54%. For me, it’s a great balance of sweetness and dark chocolate.

But you can use whatever chocolate you like to eat out of hand. Feel free to also mix it up and use different chocolates in the cookie! This particular cookie has a mix of milk, 54% dark and 72% dark chocolate in it. A mix of chocolate types gives the cookie even more dimension and complex flavor.

Can I substitute the chocolate chunks?

Yes! I love to use chopped chocolate chunks in my cookie because they melt better than chocolate chips which are designed to hold their shape when heated up.

But if you don’t have chocolate that you can chop up or you don’t feel like doing that extra step, you can totally substitute chocolate chips, another flavored chip, chocolate candies, or add in nuts. Just use 2 cups total of whatever you use. Here’s a few suggestions:

Chocolate chips: white, milk, semi, or bittersweet
Butterscotch chips
Peanut butter chips
Cinnamon chips
M&M candies
Reese’s Pieces
Walnuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Macadamia nuts
Cacao nibs

Tips on making the best sourdough chocolate chip cookie

Rest the dough in the fridge for 2 days. This allows the rolled oats to absorb the liquid and gives a chewier, more complex-flavored cookie.
Use cold butter and eggs. A lot of recipes require you to bring the butter and egg to room temperature. Don’t bother doing that with this recipe. Just cut up the butter into 1/2-inch cubes first. This will let it cream easier in the mixing bowl. You want a thick paste to cling to the side of the bowl, but you don’t need it to be light and fluffy. Fluffy and over beating the butter will lead to a more cakey cookie.
Use thick rolled cut oats. You can use regular rolled oats but I prefer thick cut at they give a bigger “chew” to the cookie. If all you have is quick cook rolled oats, that will work too. Just keep in mind the resulting cookie won’t be quite as chewy. Don’t use instant already sweetened oatmeal that comes in the packet. That oatmeal already has sugar and flavoring in it and won’t work in this recipe.
Press some chocolate on top of the cookie right before you bake. This is a food styling trick but it ensure that not only will your cookies look Instagram/Pinterest worthy, but also means you have extra chocolate in every cookie.
Sprinkle some crunchy salt on top. If you have sea salt like Maldon or Sel de Gris or fancy-pants finishing salt like vanilla salt, this is the time to use it! The salt on top gives a nice crunch as well as a sophisticated counterpoint to the sweet cookie.
Underbake the cookie slightly. Once you see the edges of the dough start to turn golden brown, take the cookies out of the oven. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, to let the residual heat help bake off the cookie. But the under-baked cookie will lead to a soft and chewy cookie.

Do I need a stand mixer? Can I use a hand mixer or do it by hand?

Though a stand mixer definitely makes things easier, you can certainly make this recipe using a hand mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula. The only thing I would suggest is to cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and letting the cubes of butter sit in the bowl for 10 minutes or so to warm up.

A stand mixer has a strong motor that can cream and mix the cold butter but a hand mixer (or a your arm) isn’t quite as powerful. Allowing the butter to warm up slightly will help you out immensely when making this dough without a stand mixer.

If you like these sourdough chocolate chip cookies, check out my other chocolate chip cookies

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

These rich and complex flavored chewy chocolate chip cookies has a slight tang to it because of the sourdough starter discard used in the dough. Don’t skip the step where you rest the dough in the refrigerator for 2 days. It’s required to let the sourdough flavor to develop as well as let the rolled oats absorb the extra liquid from the starter discard, leading to a chewy cookie and not a cakey one.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate, cookies, sourdough

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Resting Time 2 days

Servings 22

Calories 290kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks or 230 g
1 cup packed dark brown sugar 220 g
1/2 cup white sugar 100 g
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg optional but recommended
1 large egg
1/2 cup sourdough starter discard 125 g (see section above)
2 cups all-purpose flour 280 g
1 1/2 cups thick cut rolled oats 170 g
2 cups chopped chocolate or chocolate chips, 380 g

To finish

1/2 cup chopped chocolate optional
1 tablespoon flaky salt like Maldon, Sel de Gris or Diamond Crystal Kosher, optional

Instructions

Cut the butter into 1/2-inch chunks and place it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Mix the ingredients together until they become a creamy paste that clings to the side of the bowl.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg. Mix to incorporate. The mixture might look a little “broken” but don’t worry about it. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and add the sourdough starter discard.
At this point the mixture will definitely look broken, but again, that’s normal.
Add the flour and mix together, turning the mixer on and off again in bursts, until the dry ingredient is absorbed. Repeat with the oats. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions.
Add the chopped chocolate and mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula by hand. You can also use the mixer, but I like to use a wood spoon or spatula because I have more control over making sure the chocolate is mixed and evenly distributed in the dough.
Place a large piece of plastic wrap on your table or counter and scrape the dough onto it. The dough will be very sticky. This is normal! Once all the dough is on the plastic wrap, place another piece of plastic wrap over it, and press down all over, until it is a uniform 1-inch thick piece. Tightly seal and wrap around the edges with the overhanging plastic wrap, and then put on a baking sheet or cutting board and store in the refrigerate for 48 hours (2 days). This allows for the sourdough discard to grow a little in strength, as well as the oats to absorb the excess liquid from the discard.
Once the dough has chilled in the fridge for 2 days, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with silicon baking sheets or parchment paper. Break off a piece of dough and form a 1/2-inch thick disk that is about 1-inch in diameter with your hands. You can also form balls, then press down, but I like to do thick disks as this encourages a thick round cookie shape. If you have a scale, it should be about 2 1/2 ounces or 70 grams. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat this process until you have about 5 or 6 dough disks on both baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Push a couple of pieces of chocolate chunks on top of the disks, then sprinkle a pinch of the flaky salt over the disk.
Bake in the oven 13 to 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie are golden brown. Rotate the pans front to back and top to bottom if your oven has hot spots. You want the center of the cookie to be slightly underbaked, as they will set up as they cool. If you are baking with parchment paper, start checking the cookies around 11 minutes, as they bake faster.
Repeat with the remaining dough. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then move them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

The post Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on Eat The Love.

Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

Tue, 12 May 2020 20:25:17 GMT

This surprisingly easy-to-make midwest pork tenderloin sandwich is succulent, tender and super crispy due to the buttermilk soak, breading and quick frying.

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My partner AJ was born, raised and went to school in Indiana. And as such, he is QUITE particular about his fried pork tenderloin sandwiches. And though you can find the pork tenderloin sandwich in Iowa, southern Illinois and other parts of the Midwest, for me the sandwich is strictly an indigenous Hoosier dish. I’ve share various version of fried meat on this blog (my easy fried chicken, my Taiwanese popcorn chicken and my Japanese karaage) but I haven’t shared what my partner dubbed “the best pork tenderloin sandwich I’ve ever had.” High praise from AJ!

What is a Pork tenderloin sandwich?

Otherwise know by the old school set as a “pork fritter sandwich”, the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is a piece of pork tenderloin that has been pounded flat until it is exceedingly long, then breaded, fried and placed on hamburger bun.

A proper pork tenderloin sandwich should overhang the bun enough that it’s noticeable! Ideally, the fried pork tenderloin should, at a minimum, be twice the length of the bun it is sitting on. According to my Hoosier partner, anything smaller than that, and you’re not eating a pork tenderloin sandwich, you’re eating a regular fried pork sandwich.

How do you make a pork tenderloin sandwich?

Making the pork tenderloin sandwich is surprisingly easy. First you cut up a pork tenderloin into 4 parts. Then you butterfly (cut partially) each piece and open it up like a book. Place a piece of plastic wrap on it and then pound away until you have a long, flat 8 to 10-inch wide piece of pork that is about 1/2-inch thick.

Soak the pork in a buttermilk (or a buttermilk substitute) and some spices before the frying process. The buttermilk is an acidic environment that helps tenderizes the pork further and the thick clinging liquid works well to help the subsequent breading adhere to the pork.

Once the pork has been sitting in the spiced buttermilk for a bit, take it out, dip it in flour, then beaten egg, and then bread crumbs. You can use store-bought bread crumbs but I like to use fresh breadcrumbs. I tend to cut up loaves of bread that I either baked or bought at a local bakery and any odd sized bits get tossed into a freezer bag, to be cut up for croutons or processed in a blender/food processor into crumbs.

Once all four pieces are breaded, you fry them in a large skillet in hot oil. Then place in between hamburger buns and garnish with the topping of your choice.

What do you put on the sandwich and what sort of bun should you use?

Like most sandwiches or burgers, the toppings are up to you. Standard toppings for a pork sandwich include:

Lettuce, shredded or a nice big piece of leafy green
Tomatoes, sliced big and thick
Red onions, sliced thin
Mustard
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Pickle slices

The bun is completely up to you! The classic white hamburger bun is traditional. But you can get fancy and serve it on a brioche bun or on a pretzel bun (which is what I serve it on). If you don’t have any of those, two slices of bread will totally work as well but that’s definitely not traditional (but then, neither is the pretzel bun!).

How do I substitute buttermilk?

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can still make a great pork tenderloin sandwich! Here are few options for substitutions:

Acidified milk: Just add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let sit for 10 minutes to thicken up, and then use that in place of the buttermilk. If don’t have vinegar or lemon juice, you can also mix in 1 3/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar into 1 cup of milk to acidified it.
Plain yogurt with milk: mix together 3/4 cup of plain regular yogurt with 1/4 cup of milk.
Greek-style yogurt with milk: Stir together 1/2 cup of Greek-style plain yogurt with 1/2 cup of milk
Sour cream with milk: mix together 1/2 cup of sour cream with 1/2 cup of milk
Sourdough starter discard: if you have a sourdough starter, you know sourdough discard multiplies! Use 1 cup of sourdough discard in place of the buttermilk in this recipe for excellent (some would say even better) results.

What can I use for the breading?

I like to use fresh breadcrumbs for the final coating of the crispy pork tenderloin. I place stale bread in a blender or food processor and pulse into crumbs form. But you can also use these various options instead. Just remember you need about 3 cups of whatever you are making.

Crushed saltines: Press and crush saltines in a ziplock bag with the palm of your hand or a rolling pin. Or process it in a blender or food processor until crumbs form. Omit the salt in the bowl with the crumbs if your saltines are already salted.
Crushed matzo: If you have leftover matzo from Passover or you normally stock matzo, crushed or processed matzo like the saltines work great. (Though obviously this would not be a kosher sandwich!)
Storebought bread crumbs: Just measure out 3 cups
Panko crumbs: These Japanese style bread crumbs are extra crispy. Just measure and use 3 cups.

How do you eat a pork tenderloin sandwich?

There are two competing schools of thought on the matter. One side believe you should eat the overhanging pork from the bun first, starting on one side and eating until you reach the perimeter of the bun and then flipping to eating the other side, until all the overhanging pork is finished. Then you proceed with eating the sandwich with the bun included.

The other school of thought is to fold or cut the tenderloin in half or in thirds, stack them inside the bun, and then eat as a double or triple decker pork sandwich.

There is no right or wrong way, though my informal survey on Instagram Stories found that about 70% of people fall in the eat the overhanging pork first school, with only 25% cutting or folding the pork.

(Oh, the remaining 5% said they immediately cut the pork in half and took half of it home to place on a different bun, thereby giving themselves two sandwiches for the price of one. But I’m discounting these outliers).

What are similar dishes to the Pork tenderloin sandwich?

A breaded or batter-coated and fried meat patty isn’t unique to just the United States midwest. There are similar dishes all over the world, though most feature the breaded meat patty by themselves or with various toppings. Few serve it in a sandwich form. Here’s a few similar dishes:

Austrian Wiener Schnitzel: a veal cutlet that is breaded and deep fried (though pork is sometimes used instead of veal because it is cheaper). You’ll also find a popular chicken schnitzel version all over Australia, made with chicken cutlet instead of veal or pork.
Japanese Pork Tonkatsu: a coated pork cutlet with panko crumbs and deep fried. It’s served with tonkatsu sauce, a sweet and tangy sauce
Italian Cotoletta: a veal breaded cutlet, which there are various different types, some of which are served with a piece of prosciutto and parmesan on top, others are baked, grilled or made with bone-in pork.
South American Milanesa: similar and inspired by the Italian Cotoletta. Different countries have different preparations with Argentina, Paraguay and Uraguay often topping it with an egg, while Mexico serving it in a torta as a sandwich.
The United States has Chicken Fried Steak, Chicken Parmigiana and The Tennessee or Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich : the chicken fried steak is a similar cubed beef steak cutlet that is breaded and served with a cream gravy. Chicken parmigiana or Chicken Parm is an Italian-American dish that has a breaded and fried chicken cutlet covered with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese. And the Tennessee or Nashville Hot Chicken is a piece of spicy hot fried chicken served as a sandwich!

How to store leftovers

Though the pork tenderloin sandwich is best eaten fresh, you can refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days. Just warm up the pork tenderloin, by itself, in a preheated 350°F oven or toaster oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until it is warm through. I don’t recommend the microwave to warm it up, as the crispy crust will get soggy.

Once warm, place the breaded tenderloin on the bun and add the garnishes and fixing and serve.

What to serve with the sandwich

As much as I love just eating a sandwich by itself, sometimes you need to add a side dish to make it feel complete. Here’s a few suggestions

french fries
tater tots
potato chips, store bought or homemade if you’re feeling it
onion rings (like my sourdough onions which can be made with buttermilk or a buttermilk substitute)
Crispy oven fries
coleslaw
esquisites, corn salad
wedge salad

Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

This iconic Midwest crispy pork tenderloin sandwich is easier to make than you think! For optimum results, make sure to marinade the pounded pork in the buttermilk for at least 2 to 3 hours. But even if you only have an hour for the pork to sit in the buttermilk, the pork tenderloin will benefit from the acidified liquid. Use whatever vegetable oil that you have on hand, though my preference is peanut oil, rice brand oil, avocado oil and corn oil for their relatively neutral flavor and high smoke point.

Course brunch, dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword fried, pork, sandwich

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 16 minutes

Rest time 2 hours

Servings 4

Calories 1026kcal

Author Irvin

Equipment

candy thermometer (recommended)

Ingredients

For marinade

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin not pork loin
1 cup buttermilk see substitution above
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For coating

1 cup all-purpose flour 140 g
2 large eggs
3 cups fresh bread crumbs see note above
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper divided

For frying

Vegetable oil see headnote for recommendations

To serve

Hamburger or bread buns
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Slice red onions
Pickles
Ketchup
Mustard
Mayonaise

Instructions

Cut the pork tenderloin lengthwise into 4 equal pieces.
Take one piece and partially cut it horizontally, leaving about 3/4-inch still attached. Open the piece so it lays flat, like a book.
Take a piece of plastic wrap, lay it over the pork and then pound the piece flat with a meat mallet or a heavy skillet, until it is about 1/2-inch thick and about 8 to 10 inches long. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of pork.
Combine the sourdough discard, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika and cayenne into a glass measuring cup.
Place the pork in a 1-gallon resealable Ziploc bag, then pour the marinade into the bag. Seal it and then “massage” it until all four pieces of flatten pork are properly coated. Refrigerate for at least an hour (though 2 to 3 hours is optimum).
Once the pork is ready, place the flour in a large shallow dish (I like to use a pie pan or small casserole baking pan). Place the eggs in a second shallow dish. And place the bread crumbs in a third shallow dish or baking pan. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper in the flour and in the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper in the eggs.
Remove one piece of pork from the plastic bag and place it in the flour, turning it to coat completely.
Beat the eggs until slightly frothy. Move the pork to the egg dish and turn it to coat.
Then place the pork in the bread crumbs, pressing firmly on the pork to adhere the bread crumbs to it, then flipping to make sure the other side is coated as well. Move the coated pork to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of pork.
When the pork is ready to be cooked, place a wire cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a large saute pan (at least 10-inches wide) pour enough oil to come up 1/2-inch. Heat the oil until it is 350°F. If you don’t have candy/deep frying thermometer, place a 1-inch square bread cube in the oil. If it turns golden brown in 60 seconds, it is at the right temperature.
Pick up one piece of pork and place it in the oil. Put one side of the pork in the oil, then let go gently, allowing the pork to gently slide into the hot oil. Do not drop the pork from a distance because that will cause the oil to splash and potentially burn you. Just make sure part of the pork is in the oil and then let go.
Cook the pork about 2 minutes on each side, or until it is deep golden brown and the center of the pork reads 145°F. Move the pork to the wire rack and then repeat with the remaining pork.
Serve on a hamburger bun with the fixings of your choice (like lettuce, tomato, red onion and condiments)

The post Pork Tenderloin Sandwich appeared first on Eat The Love.

Queso Recipe

Thu, 07 May 2020 23:21:47 GMT

This homemade queso recipe is made from scratch, using cheeses like Cheddar and Colby Jack, along with aromatic spices like garlic, onion and cumin, creating the best queso!

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Even though I have a recipe for beer cheese dip on this site, I’ve been working on a different sort of cheese dip recipe for awhile now, queso dip! I’ve long been obsessed with the best queso recipe ever since I had some at a chain Mexican restaurant in my formative high school years.

Local chain restaurants were the only exposure I had to Mexican food growing up in the suburbs of a mid-sized Midwest city. And though that meant most of the Mexican food was pretty middle-of-the-road, one thing they did fairly well was appetizers, specifically Mexican-American style appetizers like queso dip.

What is queso?

Queso is a popular Tex-Mex appetizer cheese dip, one that appears in nearly all Texas picnics and barbeques. The common recipe that you find for queso is dead simple. A block of Velveeta, that super processed cheese product, and a can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chiles. Throw the two together in a microwave-safe bowl and cook away. Melted cheese nirvana awaits.

Despite the common version of queso featuring American cheese or Velveeta, there’s quite a lot of leeway in creating queso. In fact, there’s a who book on Queso written by Lisa Fain and the internet is filled with variant recipes of how to make your own queso.

How to make queso

Making queso from scratch is fairly easy, though you do need to chop a few things and grate some cheese.

First grate 8 ounces of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is often coated with a substance that doesn’t allow it to melt as easily and can lead to a gritty cheese dip. So freshly grated cheese is worth the minimal effort.

Next mince some garlic. Chop some onions, green onions, a tomato, handful of cilantro, and a jalapeño or Serrano pepper if you like it spicy.

Sauté the garlic, onions and the white part of the green onion in a medium sized frying pan. Add the chopped tomato once the garlic and onions have softened and are cooked. Add a can of evaporated milk, cornstarch and some mustard and then some spices, like cumin and cayenne, once the whole pan is bubbly and thick.

Stir in the shredded cheese by the handful, waiting for it to melt before adding more. Top with the green part of the green onions, cilantro and chopped peppers, along with a sprinkling of cayenne or paprika. Serve with tortilla chips, soft pretzels, or anything else you think would be great covered in cheese!

What makes this the best queso recipe?

I’ve tested and developed four different versions of queso and the one that I liked the best uses canned evaporated milk (not condensed milk) in the mix. The intense milky flavor isn’t heavy and rich like dips that use cream or half and half, nor does it have a starchy consistency, which sometimes happens when you use a thickener like roux (a butter and flour mixture).

I use a blend of Cheddar and Colby Jack cheese and skip the American or Velveeta. If you like a more classic (but still upgraded) version of queso, you can substitute shredded American cheese for the Colby Jack.

Most queso thickens a bit as it cools down, but this recipe is also designed to not solidify when cool, meaning you can still dip into it at room temperature! Making it perfect for parties or game night.

Finally my version has fresh chopped garlic and onions for flavor, as well as dried spices like cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. There’s also a touch of mustard which grounds the queso and gives it a little earthy depth. Both the mustard and the little bit of cornstarch work as emulsifiers to help keep the queso from getting grainy or gritty.

What sort of cheese should I use?

The classic queso uses American or Velveeta cheese. But making queso from scratch usually eschews those cheeses and uses yellow Cheddar. I use a mix of Cheddar and Colby Jack cheese here because I like the mild melty creamy quality of Colby Jack, which is a combination of Monterey Jack and Colby cheese.

That said, if you are feeling bold, you can substitute different cheeses for either of those. Keep in mind that the farther you go from Cheddar, the more folks will argue it’s not a queso, it’s a cheese dip! And yes, there are folks who will argue even using Cheddar cheese and not Velveeta means it’s not queso!

All that said, here are few other types of cheeses you can experiment with if you don’t like cheddar or Colby Jack.

American or Velveeta, as I said above, this is the classic American queso cheese, mild, sweet and super melty
Smoked Cheddar, a smoky version of the classic Cheddar cheese
Monterey Jack, mild and melty
Provolone, buttery with a slight tang
Mozzarella, mild and milky
Colby, nutty and mild
Havarti, buttery and sweet
Gouda, nutty and rich
Edam, mild, nutty and salty
Gruyere, complex and savory
Dubliner, sweet, salty and nutty, a bit like a cross between Cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan

How to store queso

Homemade queso lasts about three to four days in the fridge. Just store it in an airtight container, and heat it up either in the microwave or the stovetop to warm it up.

What sort of ingredients can I substitute in this recipe?

Substitutions in any recipe are always a difficult questions to answer, as it’s nearly impossible for me to test EVERY variation of the recipe. But here are a few potential substitutions that I think will work in case you don’t have the ingredients on hand, or don’t feel like chopping.

Keep in mind these are educated guess, I have not actually tested all these substitutions. If you have, please come back and let me know how they turn out! I’d love to add or expand to this section with your feedback.

Jalapeño peppers: you can substitute in a different hot pepper like Serrano or Habanero, but keep in mind that both peppers are significantly hotter than Jalapeños so your queso dip will be spicier. If you can find Anaheim or Hatch chili peppers, they are generally more mild than Jalapeños so that will work as well. You can also omit the chopped Jalapeños and add a 4 ounce can of mild Hatch chilis in its place. If you don’t have a fresh hot pepper but still want to keep a bit of spice, increase the cayenne pepper or add red chili flakes to the queso. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon and then taste the queso with a chip. Add more, a 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until the level of spice is reached.
Garlic: if you don’t feel like chopping, add 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic instead.
Onions: if you don’t want to chop onions, use 1 tablespoon of minced dried onions or onion powder instead.
Spices: if you’re missing cumin, cayenne and paprika or don’t feel like measuring out three different spice, substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder or taco seasoning.
Evaporated milk: Evaporated milk is milk with less moisture in it. Do not use condensed milk, which has sugar in it. If you don’t have a can of evaporated milk, you can make some by simmering down 2%, 1% or nonfat milk to concentrate it. Just simmer 2 1/2 cups of milk until it reduces down to 1 1/2 cups. That said, if you want to skip the reducing of the milk, just use 1 cup of heavy cream, half and half or whole milk in the recipe, and increase the cornstarch to 4 teaspoons. The resulting queso will be richer if you use cream or half and half because of the added fat but will be equally delicious.

What to serve your queso with?

Queso dip goes well with pretty much anything! The classic combination of tortilla chips and queso are what is served at nearly every Tex Mex restaurant. But think beyond the tortilla chip and consider these options to serve next to the cheese dip.

Homemade Soft pretzels
Beer Pretzel Twist
Slices of Olive Beer Bread
Celery sticks
Carrot Sticks
Corn Chips
Cocktail Weiners
Bread Sticks
Pretzel Thins

If you like this queso recipe, check out these other Mexican recipes on my blog

Queso Recipe

Queso is a Tex-Mex cheese dip that often made by melting Velveeta and stirring in a can of Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles. This made-from-scratch version uses cheddar and Colby Jack cheese, along with garlic, onions and other spices to take you queso dip to the next level! Though it does require some chopping (garlic, onions, tomatoes, jalapeno, green onions, cilantro) the prep time is pretty fast and the results are definitely worth the effort! Be sure to grate the cheese and not use already shredded bagged cheese. The pre-shredded cheese is coated with a substance that prevents the cheese from melting properly and will lead to a gritty queso.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword appetizer, cheese, dip, tex-mex

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 196kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
2 green onions sliced, green separated from white parts (about 1/4 cup)
2 medium garlic cloves minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 small yellow onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 Roma tomato or medium sized tomato divided (about 1/2 cup)
12 ounces canned evaporated milk not condensed milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne more or less depending on your spice level
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 ounces grated Cheddar Cheese medium
4 ounces grated Colby Jack cheese
1 jalapeno chopped and divided (optional)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro stems and leaves roughly separated (optional)
Salt to taste

Instructions

Place the butter in a medium sized saucepan or skillet. Add the white parts of the sliced green onions, garlic and yellow onion to the saucepan. Cook on medium heat, until the onions have soften softened and turned translucent, about 3 minutes. Do not let the onions brown or caramelize.
Once the onions are cooked, add the chopped tomato and cook for 30 seconds until the tomato starts to break down just a tiny bit.
Add the evaporated milk, cornstarch, mustard, cayenne, cumin, and paprika. Stir and heat until the liquid starts to bubble and thicken.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in a handful of grated cheese, let it melt before adding more cheese. Once all the cheese has melted, stir in half the chopped jalapeno and the cilantro stems.
Taste the queso with a tortilla chip (or whatever you plan on serving the queso with). Adjust the queso seasoning by adding salt to it.
Remove from heat, garnish the top with remaining chopped jalapeno, cilantro leaves, the reserve part of the green onions and a sprinkling paprika or cayenne. Serve while warm. Queso will thicken as it cools but won’t solidify, so it will still dippable even at room temperature.

Notes

Pro tip: Don’t salt the dip until you’ve tasted it with a tortilla chip or whatever you might be serving it with. Tortilla chips and other foods like celery or carrots differ wildly in salt level. Adjust the salt in the queso to whatever you serve the dip with!

The post Queso Recipe appeared first on Eat The Love.

Minestrone Soup, the classic pantry recipe [Sponsored Post]

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 12:00:17 GMT

Find out how to make the best minestrone, an Italian bean and tomato soup, with just common ingredients found in your kitchen pantry and refrigerator!

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I’ve shared my go-to recipe for Summer minestrone here on my blog before. But what’s great about minestrone soup is that you can basically make it with simple pantry ingredients and it’s infinitely variable. It’s the ultimate pantry-staple recipe that works with fresh veggies, frozen veggies or vegetables that have been lingering in the back of your fridge that need to be used up. I teamed up with Safeway to show you how to make minestrone recipe using basic pantry ingredients, as well as how to take it to the next level if you’re making a trip Safeway and want to up your game a bit for this soup!

This post was sponsored by Safeway. I was compensated for this post and for developing the recipe. However, all opinions below are completely my own. You can get all the products featured in this recipe at your local Safeway!

What is minestrone soup?

Minestrone soup is a thick vegetable tomato based Italian soup that often has beans and leafy greens in it. Though there are recipes that claim to be “authentic” there’s no real set recipe for minestrone soup. If you ask 10 Italian grandmas for their minestrone soup recipe, you’ll get 10 different recipes, all of them claiming that their recipe is the authentic version.

But the most common minestrone soup recipes have some form of tomato in it, along with beans and/or pasta as well as vegetables and greens like kale, chard, spinach or leafy cabbage.

How do you make this soup?

I start out making this soup by cooking a few slices of bacon in a large stock pot. Then I saute aromatics like minced garlic and chopped onions.

Once the aromatics are cooked, I add in a few dried spices (oregano and thyme) and then the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, and a can of beans. The beans break down a bit when you add them this early and help thicken the soup. Once everything has come to a boil, I add in a bag of frozen vegetables and bring the soup back to a boil.

Once the soup is simmering, I stir a handful of chopped kale leaves and another can of beans. Because I’m fancy, I garnish the soup with some slivered basil and shavings of parmesan cheese and serve with slabs of bread. All told, the soup is ready in less than 30 minutes!

Can you make this vegetarian or vegan?

You can make it vegetarian/vegan by omitting the bacon in the beginning and just using 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil.

Be sure to replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock as well.

Can you add increase the protein in this?

Yes! Instead of using the two slices of bacon, try adding in some meat. Here are few suggestions

1/4 pound pancetta
1/4 pound diced ham
1/2 pound ground beef, broken up and browned before adding aromatics
1/2 pound ground pork, broken up and browned before adding aromatics
1/2 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing, broken up and browned before adding aromatics
1/2 pound cubed boneless chicken, sauté in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until cooked through
1/2 pound cubed boneless pork chops, sauté in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until cooked through

What sort of beans can use?

You can use any beans that you like! I use two different beans in this soup, a white bean (cannellini) and a darker bean (pinto). But choose the bean that you have on hand or that you like to eat. Safeway even has a canned O Organic tri-bean blend of pinto, kidney and black bean that would be great for this soup.

I opt to use canned beans here, which makes this recipe super easy. But feel free to use dry beans that you’ve cooked ahead of time if you prefer.

A few types of beans that would be great for this soup:

Cannellini beans, a classic smooth white bean with a slightly nutty taste that is often used in minestrone
Pinto beans, an earthy cream bean that is often used in Mexican food
Garbanzo beans, a larger round bean that has a nice bite
Kidney beans, a large red bean that is popular in chili and soup
Black beans, a dark creamy bean with a slightly sweet profile
Great Northern beans, a large soft, mild bean

How do I add pasta to this soup?

A lot of minestrone recipes use pasta in their soup. This “stretches” the soup into even larger serving portions. Choose a pasta shape that is easy to spoon up, like elbow macaroni, bow tie, egg noodles, orecchiette, rotini, penne, rotini or small shells. Avoid longer pastas like spaghetti or fettuccine, or break them up into 2-inch long pieces before adding them in.

You can add the pasta to the soup directly at the very end, and then simmer the soup until the pasta is cooked al dente.

But if you expect on having leftovers, pasta that is cooked directly in the soup will continue to absorb liquid and get soggy. I like to cook my pasta separately, in salty boiling water, then add pasta to individual bowls as I serve. That way any leftover pasta can be stored separatedly and added to leftovers.

How do I substitute fresh vegetables for frozen vegetables in this soup?

I use a 1 pound package of O Organic Garden Blend vegetables, which include broccoli, carrots, corn, and soybeans in it. I like the convenience of using the mix of frozen vegetables, meaning I can use make this soup in less than 30 minutes. Feel free to use any blend of frozen vegetables that you might have on hand. You need roughly 3 cups of frozen vegetables.

But if you feel like using fresh vegetables, you can definitely do that as well! Again, use about 3 cups of any vegetable combination. Common vegetables found in minestrone include:

Carrots. Chop into 1/2-inch cubes or 1-inch sticks and cook with the aromatics until soft
Celery. Slice into 1/2-inch pieces and cook with the aromatics
Green beans. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Add when you add the chicken stock and simmer until cooked to desired tenderness
Zucchini. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes or 1-inch sticks and cook with the aromatics
Broccoli. Cut into bite-size florets and add in the end. Simmer the soup until cooked to the tenderness desired.
Cauliflower. Cut into bite size florets and add in the end. Simmer soup until cooked to the tenderness desired.
Savoy cabbage. Use this instead of the kale or in addition to the kale! Add it in the end to wilt it.
Spinach. Use this instead of the kale or in addition to the kale. Add it in the end to wilt it.
Swiss or rainbow chard. Add the chopped stems in the beginning of the cooking with the onions and aromatics. Add the chopped leaves at the end of the cooking to wilt them.

Up your game with these add ons!

You can easily take this soup to the next level with a few various add-ins. Here’s some suggestions (I only recommend doing one or two of these, not all of them!):

Parmesan rind. If you buy whole parmesan wedges (and I recommend that you do) save the rinds in the freezer. Then add a rind when you add the chicken stock. The soup will be infused with an extra cheesy umami
Tomato paste. If you have a can of partially used tomato paste, or a tube of double concentrate tomato paste, add a tablespoon or two to the soup, to give it an extra boost of tomato savoriness.
Asian fish sauce. It sounds unorthodox, but Asian fish sauce will add an underlying umami boost to the soup. It’s my secret weapon for my not bolognese sauce, and no you won’t taste it! Just 1 teaspoon of the stuff layers in some extra oomph to the soup!
Fresh basil. Chop or slice up some fresh basil leaves to add to the top of the soup for a brightness that you can’t get with dried herbs
Parmesan shavings or gratings. Take a peeler or grater to a wedge of parmesan and sprinkle some fresh cheese over the top of the soup before serving.
Pesto. Storebought or homemade pesto drizzled over the individual portioned soup before serving gives an extra dimension and makes the soup look restaurant quality!

How do I store this soup?

Like most soups, this soup actually improves with age! Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You’ll notice the soup will thicken as the beans and other starches from the vegetables break down a bit. Just thin the soup with some extra stock or broth as you heat it up. Or enjoy the thickened soup as is.

You can also freeze leftovers! This soup makes a lot, and if you want to freeze half the batch to enjoy for another time. My favorite way to freeze it is to ladle the soup into heavy-duty freezer Ziploc quart bags. Seal them tight, freeze them flat, then store them upright and vertical for easy storage.

What do I serve with minestrone?

A small serving of minestrone is a great appetizer or first course in a meal, but it’s hearty enough for a main course as well! Here’s a few suggestions to serve with the soup.

Homemade beer bread
Cornbread
A green salad
Soft potato rolls
Parker house rolls
Slabs of thick crusty bread

If you like this minestrone soup, check out a few other soup recipes on my blog:

Minestrone Soup

This easy-to-make soup can be made and served in less than 30 minutes with common pantry ingredients. I have notes above that talk about substitutions and variables for the soup. Feel free to use this as a base and to make your own version!

Course Appetizer, brunch, lunch, Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword beans, soup, tomato, vegetable

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 405kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

2 slices thick bacon chopped
4 medium cloves garlic minced, about 2 tablespoons
2 medium onions chopped, about 2 cups
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 dried bay leaf
15 ounces canned Cannellini beans or Great Northern beans
14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes
32 ounces chicken broth or chicken stock, 4 cups
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables 1 pound, like O Organic Garden Blend
15 ounces canned Pinto beans or Red Kidney beans
1 bunch Lacinato kale sometimes called Tuscan or Dinosaur kale, stem removed and leaves chopped

To serve

Chopped or sliced basil leaves optional
Shaved Parmesan cheese optional
Thick crusty bread

Instructions

Place the chopped bacon in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the bacon starts to crisp and the fat has been rendered. Add the garlic and onions. Cook until the onions soften and start to turn translucent. Sprinkle in the dried herbs, salt and pepper.
Add the chicken broth, Cannellini beans and diced tomatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil.
Add the frozen vegetables and bring to a boil. Stir in the second can of beans and the kale. Let simmer for 1 minutes until the kale has wilted, cooking longer if you want the kale softer and more silky.
Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with basil and Parmesan.

Notes

This post was sponsored by Safeway. I was compensated for this post and for developing the recipe. However, all opinions below are completely my own. You can get all the products featured in this recipe at your local Safeway!

The post Minestrone Soup, the classic pantry recipe [Sponsored Post] appeared first on Eat The Love.

Sourdough Onion Rings

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 12:00:46 GMT

Make the crispiest, crunchiest, tastiest onion rings you’ve ever had, with the perfect amount of coating, by using sourdough starter discard!

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If you’ve gone down the rabbit hole of sourdough baking, you know that the one thing that is a guarantee reliable fact in a world of inconsistent and occasionally unreliable sourdough baking is you will have sourdough starter discard. A LOT of sourdough discard. And that often means you are trying to figure out what to do with it. Sure, you could make my sourdough banana bread or sourdough crackers. But when you’re tired of baking, and you want something to serve next to your cheeseburger on pretzel buns (that isn’t my super crispy oven roasted potato wedges) you should make the best, crispest, crunchiest sourdough onion rings you’ve ever had with the discard!

What makes this recipe different and better?

Most onion rings have you dipping the raw onion into milk, buttermilk, egg or some combination to create a batter or coating. But this recipe uses the sourdough discard that naturally occurs when maintaining a starter.

A starter is a mixture of fermented flour and water. And if you’ve ever poured or scooped out sourdough starter from the container, you know it gets crusty pretty fast where the starter drips. This ability to get crusty is an advantage in making onion rings. The hot frying in the oil immediately crisps the batter up around onion, creating a flavorful coating, one that stays crisp, not soggy, even as it cools.

On top of that, the starter discard is thicker and more viscous than buttermilk or beaten egg. This means the discard will cling more to the onion. Clingy liquid equals an even outer coating that doesn’t fall off the onion ring when you fry it or bite it!

How do you make sourdough onion rings?

Making the onion rings is easier than it looks. First slice two onions into 3/4-inch rings. Feel free to go thinner or fatter as per your preference, but keep in mind thicker rings might take a little bit longer to cook and thinner ones cook faster.

Then dip the onion rings in the sourdough starter discard, and then in a dry flour mixture made of flour, salt, pepper and some spices.

Fry the coated onions in hot oil for 3 or 4 minutes, or until they are golden brown and then allow them to drain a bit on a wire rack fitted over a rimmed baking sheet. Once you’ve fried all the onions, sprinkle them with extra salt (if you want) and serve them hot with the condiment of your choice, like ketchup, BBQ sauce or ranch dressing!

Where can I get a sourdough starter?

There are numerous online tutorials on how to make a sourdough starter on your own. My favorites include The Perfect Loaf, The Kitchn and King Arthur flour. The instructions are fairly simple, you just combine flour and water and then let it sit around (anywhere from 4 to 9 days) until it starts to bubble, discarding some of the starter and feeding it with more water and flour on a daily or twice daily basis!

But if you don’t want to go through the process of making a starter, you can ask around to see if your friends or neighbors have one. Facebook and Nextdoor are both great places to ask for sourdough starter. Because you have to feed and discard part of the starter every day, most folks have leftover starter that they are more than happy to share.

Of course, you can also just purchase a starter. King Arthur flour sells starter online for those folks who don’t want to make one or can’t obtain one from friends.

How do I get that much sourdough starter discard? What should the discard be like?

This recipe uses 2 1/2 cups of sourdough starter, which seems like a lot. Most starter discard is only about 1/2 to 1 cup per day.

But you can easily just store the sourdough starter discard in a container, either on the counter or in the fridge until you have enough starter to use for this recipe. Once you have enough starter, you can make this recipe!

Personally, I prefer just leaving a container on my kitchen counter to pour the starter discard into. As the starter sits, it gets a little more sour which lends more flavor. Keep in mind you want the starter to be roughly the thickness of melted ice cream, a little more thick than heavy cream. If your starter is too thick, just thin it down a bit with water.

What do I if the flour mixture starts to clumps up?

You’ll notice, as you coat more and more of the onion rings, that chunks of dry bits will start to form. This is because the sourdough starter discard will naturally drip off the onion rings and starts to clump together in the flour mixture.

Unlike a regular buttermilk or egg-based onion ring, the sourdough starter discard dries fairly fast. Just rub the large clumps of flour mixture between your fingers and break the clumps into smaller bits.

Once the mixture is the size of small pebbles, just continue with the coating as instructed, breaking up the clumps as necessary! Keep in mind these clumps fry up to be even more crispy (tiny clumps = more surface area = extra crunchiness) so a little bit of clumping isn’t a bad thing!

What kind of onions make the best onion rings?

I personally prefer yellow onions for my onion rings but I’ve made onion rings with all sorts of onions. That said, you can use whatever onion you have on hand, including red onions, white onions, and sweet onions like Maui or Vidalia onions.

How do you store and reheat onion rings?

These onions rings stay crispy even when they have cooled down! So you can make them ahead of time if you want, and then warm them up when you are ready to serve them.

Store them in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a toaster oven or in the oven at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are heated through.

If you like these sourdough onions rings, check out these other fried recipes:

Sourdough Onion Rings

These onion rings are the absolute crispiest onion rings you will ever make or taste. The secret is using sourdough discard as the liquid! It’s thick and tangy, and clings to the raw onions more than any other liquid. Even better, when it fries up, the liquid evaporates, leaving a super crunchy coating on the onion!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword fried, onion, sourdough

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 265kcal

Author Irvin

Equipment

candy thermometer (optional but recommended)

Ingredients

2 large yellow onions
2 1/2 cups sourdough starter discard
2 cups all-purpose flour 280 g
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika smoked preferred
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Cooking oil for frying like peanut, avocado, or rice bran

To serve

Extra salt for finish
Condiment of your choice like ketchup, BBQ sauce, blue cheese or ranch dressing

Instructions

Peel and slice the yellow onions into 3/4-inch thick slices. If you prefer your onion ring thinner or thicker, feel free to slice it the size of your preference. Keep in mind that thinner rings will cook faster and thicker rings will take longer to cook. Separate the slices into rings, saving the smaller inner rings for a different use.
Place the sourdough starter discard in a large bowl.
Place the flour, garlic powder, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper in a large shallow bowl or baking dish. Use a balloon whisk and stir the dry ingredients together until well blended.
Pour enough oil into a deep Dutch oven or a 3-inch deep sauté pan so it is about 1 1/2 inches deep. Keep in mind the oil will bubble up a lot, so if you aren’t familiar with deep frying, a Dutch oven is your best option. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
Heat the oil until it reaches 375°F. If you don’t have a candy/deep frying thermometer or a quick read thermometer, place a 1-inch cube of bread in the oil. The cube should turn golden brown in 60 seconds.
Once the oil has reach temperature, dip an onion ring in the sourdough starter discard until it is coated.
Move the ring with a fork to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Do this with three or four onion rings. As the flour mixture starts to clump up because of starter liquid drippings, just rub the clumps between your fingers to break them up into smaller bits.
Fry the rings in the oil by placing a ring partially in the oil, then letting go. The onion ring will slide into the oil without splashing. Do not drop the ring into the oil from the air! This will cause the oil to splash up and splatter, potentially burning you. Don’t over crowd the pan, just fry in batches. This will make sure the oil doesn’t drop in temperature too fast.
Fry the rings for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, then flip the rings over with tongs and continue to fry until the rings are golden brown, an additional 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Move the fried onion rings to the wire rack, and repeat with the remaining onions rings, coating first with the sourdough starter, then the flour, then frying.
Once all the onions rings are fried, sprinkle with extra salt and serve warm with your favorite condiment.

Notes

To keep these rings warm, while you fry them in batches, turn your oven to 200°F and leave the baking sheet with the wire rack in the oven. Move the finished onion rings to the wire rack in the oven as you fry them.

The post Sourdough Onion Rings appeared first on Eat The Love.

Sourdough Banana Bread (with dark chocolate chunks and cacao nib crumb topping)

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 19:03:13 GMT

This banana bread uses sourdough starter discard, the leftover stuff that you have when you feed your starter, for an easy-to-make yet sophisticated treat.

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The nation seems OBSESSED with both banana bread and sourdough bread at the moment. They’re everyone’s comfort food. And I certainly understand. I have my sourdough starter bubbling away on my counter, slightly neglected (I’m the worst sourdough parent). And I also have neglected bananas sitting next to it as well (are you sensing a pattern?). So it only made sense that I make a Sourdough Banana Bread! And since I’m obsessed with both crumb topping (like on my pumpkin latte bread) as well as chocolate chunks in my quick bread (like in my zucchini bread) I knew I had to add those into the mix as well!

What’s the difference between sourdough banana bread and regular banana bread?

Sourdough banana bread is a quick batter bread, similar to regular banana bread. It gets its main leavening and rise from baking soda, not from the sourdough starter. So there’s no need to knead or let the bread rise!

The starter itself is just there to add flavor and acidity (to react with the baking soda). In fact, this recipe uses the discard of the starter, so you can make the recipe in the morning or whenever you want. There’s no need to feed the starter and let it become active! The starter itself replaces the need to use yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk or any liquid dairy product.

The resulting banana bread is probably one of the best banana bread I’ve made in awhile. Its banana-y in flavor but not overpoweringly so. It’s balanced with a complexity to the dough, which has a wonderful texture, not too bready, not too dense, nor too cakey. And the pockets of dark chocolate chunks along with the crunchy crumb topping are both excellent foils to the bread.

How do you make sourdough banana bread

Making sourdough banana bread isn’t much different than making regular banana bread with a crumb topping. First you combine the ingredients for the crumb topping in a bowl and chill it in the refrigerator while you make the batter.

Make the batter by mixing butter, brown sugar, olive oil, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and some spice (I use cardamom) together until the butter is light and airy looking. Then add the eggs, one at a time, and then the sourdough starter discard.

Then you mix in the bananas and the flour. Stir in the chocolate chunks, and sprinkle with the crumb topping and bake in the oven!

Where do I get a sourdough starter?

You can either make your own sourdough starter from scratch, ask a friend or neighbor for some (try Nextdoor or asking on social media like Facebook) or purchase some online at a place like King Arthur Flour.

There are numerous online tutorials on how to create a starter from scratch. My favorites are The Perfect Loaf, King Arthur Flour, and TheKitchn’s tutorial on how to make a starter from scratch.

Once you get a starter, you need to feed it on a semi-regular basis, which often means you need to discard some of it, otherwise you just have too much of it. This recipe takes advantage of that discard!

That said, if you don’t have sourdough starter, try my vegan banana bread or my Kahlua chocolate banana bread, both of which do not use a sourdough starter.

How do I store sourdough banana bread?

This bread stores beautifully at room temperature for two to three days. It stays moist and tender. Keep the bread under a cake dome, in an airtight container or resealable Ziploc bag or just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

You can also freeze the bread as well if you don’t finish the bread in that time frame. Just slice the bread and then freeze it on a baking sheet until each slice is frozen solid. Then move the bread to a resealable Ziploc bag to store. Frozen sourdough banana bread will keep for up to 2 months. Just thaw on the counter or in a 350°F toaster oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

How ripe do the bananas need to be?

Unlike other folks I have a hard time using bananas that have gone totally black. For me, those bananas already taste like they have gone bad. But if you don’t mind super ripe bananas, feel free to use those!

Personally, I prefer to make banana bread when the bananas have freckled over most of the skin and they are just on the edge of turning the entire banana black. Basically when the bananas are a day or two beyond how I am willing to eat them is the perfect time to make banana bread! If I don’t get to making banana bread, I peel the bananas, then just store them in the freezer for smoothies or for future banana bread.

Can you use frozen bananas in the recipe?

Yes! If you are like me and have a back stash of frozen bananas, just remove them and let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before mashing them with a fork.

You want roughly 1 cup of mashed bananas, or about 300 grams to use in this recipe.

Can I leave out the chocolate? Can I use nuts in this banana bread?

Yes! You can totally leave out the chocolate chunks in this recipe or replace the chocolate with an equal amount of chopped or toasted nuts or cacao nibs. Nuts that would be great in this recipe include:

Pecans
Walnuts
Macadamia nuts
Pistachios
Almonds
Hazelnuts
Cacao nibs, perfect if you want a textural crunch but are allergic to nuts

Can I leave off the crumb topping or change it up?

Yes! To simplify the recipe, you can skip the crumb topping. It’s totally optional.

I do use cacao nibs, for crunch and added chocolate flavor, in my crumb topping. But if you don’t have cacao nibs or don’t like them, you can either sub in chopped nuts (see my list above for recommendations). Or just omit them completely.

You can also make a simple sugar topping for the bread if you just want a crunchy sweet topping. Just sprinkle 3 or 4 tablespoons of white sugar over the top of the bread before baking. Some of the sugar will melt and solidify over the bread, forming a white crunchy topping that is delightful!

How do I make this banana bread vegan?

I haven’t tested a vegan version of this recipe, but I suspect that this would TOTALLY be easy to convert to a vegan recipe. The only dairy in the recipe is the butter. So a simple substitution of coconut oil or vegan buttery stick for the butter would work.

The eggs are also an easy swap. Just omit the eggs and increase the bananas to 5 mashed bananas. Eggs are both a binder and add moisture to baked goods. Bananas are high in pectin so they are a great substitute for the eggs. Eggs also contribute to the lift of baked goods but this recipe had baking soda and the sourdough starter discard so there’s plenty of lift built in already.

The vegan version of this banana bread might be a little more dense because they don’t have the lift from the egg, but it’ll still be super satisfying. And again, I haven’t tested this adaptation, so if you do make a vegan version, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear the results!

If you like this sourdough banana bread, check out some other banana recipes:

Sourdough Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate Chunk and Cacao Nib Crumb Topping

This banana bread uses the discard from sourdough starter instead of buttermilk or yogurt in the batter. The resulting bread is a moist bread with a sophisticated complex flavor. I use dark chocolate chunks in the dough, but feel free to use whatever chocolate you like to eat (like milk or white). Or omit the chocolate and use nuts instead. I have a section above on suggestions for substitutions.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword banana, banana bread, chocolate, quick bread, sourdough

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 8

Calories 590kcal

Author Irvin

Equipment

9 x 5 inch bread loaf pan

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour 70 g
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 75 g
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar or substitute additional 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons cacao nibs or chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 85 g

Banana Bread Batter

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 115 g or 1 stick
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 165 g
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sourdough starter discard 175 g (see section above)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas 300 g or about 3 medium bananas
1 cup all-purpose flour 140 g
1 cup whole wheat flour 150 g (you can substitute all-purpose if you want)
3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate chunks 125 g

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 4 or 9 x 5 loaf pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper, leaving about 1 to 2 inches of paper overhanging the edges of the pan.
Make the crumb topping by placing the flour, both sugars, cardamom, cinnamon, cacao nibs in a medium sized bowl. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch chunks and sprinkle over the ingredients. Using your fingers and smash the butter together with the ingredients, mixing it all together. Work the butter into the dry ingredients until it starts to clump together into lumps. Place in the fridge while you make the batter.
Place the butter, brown sugar, olive oil, vanilla, baking soda, salt and cardamom in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat together on medium speed until the batter looks light and fluffy in color and clings to the side of the bowl. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, waiting until the first egg is incorporated and scraping down the sides and bottom before adding the second one. Don’t worry if the batters starts to look “broken”. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the mashed bananas the batter and mix in. The batter will start to look super weird and very broken, but again don't worry! Again scrape down the sides and bottom and add the sourdough starter discard. Mix and scrape down one more time.
Add both flours to batter and mix on slow speed until the flour is absorbed. At this point the batter should come together and look normal.
Fold in the chocolate chunks by hand, with a spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread the top so it’s smooth.
Sprinkle the crumb topping all over the top of the batter, breaking up any large chunks into smaller pebble size pieces. Place the pan on a heavy rimmed baking sheet. This will help you move the pan in and out of the oven, as well as insulate the bottom of the pan to keep the bottom from burning.
Bake the banana bread for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a tooth pick or skewer inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If you have an instant read thermometer, the center of the banana bread should be around 195 to 200°F.
Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove it by grabbing the sides of the parchment paper and lifting the bread straight up from the pan. Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before peeling off the paper and slicing into it.

Notes

If you don’t have whole wheat flour, just increase the amount of all-purpose flour to 2 cups or 280 g.

The post Sourdough Banana Bread (with dark chocolate chunks and cacao nib crumb topping) appeared first on Eat The Love.

Easy Pizza Dough

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 12:00:55 GMT

This easy pizza dough recipe makes enough dough for 2 pizzas and can be ready in just over an hour using common pantry ingredients.

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I have time-intensive pizza doughs that I often make when I am planning ahead. But those doughs, like my pizzeria-style pizza dough or my sourdough pizza dough take more time as they have a pre-fermented dough or a sour dough starter, as well as a slow delay proof in the fridge. Sometimes I JUST DON’T THINK AHEAD and really want to make pizza TODAY, not three days from now. So my solution is this everyday easy pizza dough! I can use it to make my double olive pizza or really any pizza I want. Make the dough, then prep the sauce and ingredients while it rises. By the time everything is ready, I can stretch out the dough and bake away. Pizza from scratch has never been easier.

How to make this easy pizza dough recipe

Dissolve a little bit of brown sugar in warm water than stir in a package of yeast. Let it sit for about 4 or 5 minutes until it starts to foam. Then add in flour, salt and olive oil. Knead the dough (by hand or with a stand mixer) until elastic and smooth. Let rise until double in size, about an hour in a warm environment, then you’re ready to make pizza!

How do shape the pizza dough?

Yeah, I’m not gonna tell you to throw that dough up in the air like you just don’t care. I can’t do that. And if you CAN do that, my guess is you already have a good pizza dough recipe that you use.

But I will tell you that I prefer to stretch my dough out instead of roll it out with a rolling pin. But that’s totally a personal preference.

To roll the dough out with a rolling pin, place the dough on a baking sheet or pizza peel that is dusted with equal parts cornmeal and all-purpose flour. I find that 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon cornmeal is usually enough. The flour keeps the dough from sticking and the cornmeal not only adds some crunch and texture, but acts like “ball bearings” allowing the pizza to slide around. Then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rough circle. Don’t worry if your pizza dough ends up more…organic in shape. You’re making homemade pizza! It’s not suppose to look perfect.

To stretch the dough out (my preferred method), you can place the dough on the baking sheet or pizza peel dusted with equal parts cornmeal and all-purpose flour (about 1 tablespoon of each is enough). Then use your fingers to push from the center of the dough to the edge, rotating the dough slightly every time you push out. Continue to do this, to form a pizza round. A natural edge should form around the pizza round when you do this. And because you are rotating the dough, it should naturally form a circle.

How to store the pizza dough.

This dough makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas. I usually bake off two pizza at a time because it doesn’t take that much longer to prep and bake off two pizza than just one. Plus leftover pizza is the best thing ever in our household!

But if you want to only use half the dough for 1 pizza or if you want to make the dough ahead of time you can easily refrigerate the dough for up to 48 hours. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap, then place it in a resealable Ziploc bag before refrigerating it. Let the dough come to room temperature (about 1 to 2 hours) by setting it out on the counter before using.

The unbaked raw pizza dough also freezes well. Again, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in a resealable freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw it out in the fridge overnight, then let it come to room temperature (about 1 to 2 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is) before using.

Why make so much dough? Can you cut this recipe in half?

You can definitely cut this dough in recipe in half, but most stand mixers do better when they are kneading larger amounts of dough. That is why the recipe yields enough dough for two pizza crusts.

If you only want to bake one pizza, you can save the other half of the dough as described above, either by freezing it or saving it in the refrigerator.

If you do cut the recipe in half, you might want to knead the dough by hand, instead of using a stand mixer. Just follow the instructions in the recipe for hand kneading.

How do you bake this dough?

Most pizza recipes will give you directions on how to bake homemade pizza. I like bake my pizza on a baking steel or a pizza stone, but if you don’t have either, you can bake it on a regular baking pan or baking sheet. Just follow the instructions for your favorite homemade pizza recipe.

But if you want to free form the pizza, use your favorite pizza sauce, add cooked toppings and cheese, then bake in a 500°F for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden brown!

Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose?

This recipe uses all-purpose flour, which has a lower gluten content than bread flour and is more commonly found in most folks homes. But if you’re like me and have bread flour in the house you can easily swap out bread flour for the all-purpose!

Just use 3 cups (450 g) of bread flour in place of the all-purpose flour. Bread flour leads to a slightly chewier pizza dough that I actually prefer. The all-purpose flour will be a little less chewier is all!

What happens if my dough looks to dry or is too sticky wet?

Your finished dough should smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. If your dough doesn’t seen quite right, most likely you are using measuring cups to measure out your flour, and not a scale. A kitchen scale is the most accurate way to measure in baking, especially with flour. But don’t worry! Here’s how to fix your dough.

If your dough looks too wet, just knead in a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. It’s better to start off with a little less flour and then knead in more if you feel like the dough is too sticky.

If the dough seems too dry, add a little water and knead it in. If you have a clean spray bottle, this is an ideal way to add water. Just spritz water over the dough and then knead it in. Continuing to spray and knead do this until the dough consistency evens out and becomes slightly tacky overall. If you don’t have a spray bottle, make a little well in the middle of the dough, drizzle a little water into it, and then knead away. The dough might look soggy in parts and stay dry in parts, but keep working the water in, until it evens out. Repeat if necessary.

Tips on working with yeast

Pizza dough requires yeast to rise and I’ve been told by folks that yeast is scary! But I’m here to tell you that yeast is just another ingredient, like flour or olive oil. One of the first steps you see in recipes that call for yeast is to sprinkle the yeast over warm water and stir it in to dissolve it. Then you let it sit for about 5 minutes for it to foam. This is calling proofing and it basically is an added insurance to make sure your yeast is alive.

WHAT? Yep, yeast alive! It’s actually a fungus (like mushrooms) and when you dissolve it in the water, it is activated (sort of like waking up from a deep sleep) and starts to feed on the little bit of sugar in the water. If you don’t see that “foam” form on the top of the surface, that means the yeast is dead. And you should discard the water and get more yeast.

As long as you proof the yeast, you’re good to go! But honestly, most grocery store yeast that you buy should be alive and active. Unless you are using some really old yeast, or have stored your yeast in less than optimum conditions (I recommend storing it in the refrigerator or freezer), you’re probably going to be OK with the yeast that comes in packages. Really.

How do I make the pizza dough rise faster?

The yeast needs time to grow and breathe. So you should place the dough in a warm environment. Here are few suggestions for that exact environment to help is rise.

If your oven has a “proofing” setting, this is the time to use it! If it doesn’t you can still use it! Just turn the oven on to 200°F, or the lowest setting it goes to. Once the oven starts to warm up, immediately turn the oven off. Then place the dough in the warm oven. Make sure to turn the oven off though! You don’t want the oven to get too warm.
Another option is to place the bowl of dough on the top shelf of the oven. Then place a bowl or shallow pan of boiling water underneath it. This will warm up the oven.
Finally, place the bowl on the top shelf of the oven. Take a heavy pan, like a cast iron skillet, and heat it up on the stovetop until you can feel it radiating heat. Move the hot pan to the bottom shelf of the oven. The hot pan will warm the inside of the oven.

If you like this easy pizza dough recipe, check out some of my other yeasted dough recipes:

Easy Pizza Dough Recipe

This easy pizza dough can be made in less than 15 minutes and rises in about an hour. Just enough time for you to prep the toppings and/or sauce for the pizza and do a few dishes! Homemade pizza from scratch is so much better than delivery or carry out.

Course Breakfast, dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword bread, dough, pizza, yeast

Prep Time 15 minutes

Rest time 1 hour

Calories 192kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups warm water about 90 to 100°F
2 teaspoon brown sugar or white granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast 7 g or 1 package
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 455 g, or use 3 cups (450 g) bread flour (see section above)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir with a fork until the yeast has dissolved. Set aside for 4 to 5 minutes. The top of the water should be foamy. If it isn’t, discard the liquid and start again with fresh yeast.
Once the yeast has been proofed, add the flour, olive oil and salt. If you are adding the flour with weight, add all of it, then turn the mixer on slow and stir until the flour has been absorbed into the liquid and there are no dry ingredients on the side of the bowl (you may need to scrape down the sides occasionally). If you are adding the flour using measuring cups, add in 3 cups of all-purpose flour or 2 3/4 cups bread flour and mix in. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour slowly, about a tablespoon at a time, until the flour is roughly the right consistency, neither too wet, nor too dry. It’s better to error on the wet side, as you can always knead in more flour later.
Increase the speed and knead the dough for 4 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
If you are kneading by hand, combined the ingredients in a bowl until a rough dough forms. Place the dough it on a clean, lightly floured, surface, and pressing down with the heel of your hand into the dough. Fold the dough over, rotate the dough 90º then repeat pressing down with your heel on the folded dough. Continue this process, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Grease a bowl with cooking oil. Pull and stretch the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Place the ball, rough side down into the greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm environment and let rise about 60 or until double in size.
Divide in two and use in your favorite homemade pizza recipe.

The post Easy Pizza Dough appeared first on Eat The Love.

Ham and Cheese Toastie with Irish Soda Bread and Irish Country Ketchup [Sponsored Post]

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 15:30:28 GMT

This easy-to-make Ham and Cheese Toastie is a grilled sandwich made especially delightful with homemade Irish soda bread!

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This post was sponsored by Judge Casey Irish Ketchup. I was compensated for this post and for developing the recipe. However, all opinions below are completely my own.

Though I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Ireland (it’s on my short list!) I have always loved the food from there. I’ve shared Irish inspired recipes like shepherd’s pie, Guinness beef stew and Irish meatballs here on my blog. But one of the most standard classic Irish dishes is the Ham and Cheese toastie! It’s a pub dish that is so easy to make that most folks don’t even bother sharing recipes for it. Here in the US we often serve our grilled cheese with tomato soup, so I’ve adapted their popular grilled ham and cheese sandwich by making it with homemade Irish soda bread, and a touch of Irish country ketchup!

What is a ham and cheese toastie?

The Irish ham and cheese toastie is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Usually made on a waffle iron, panini press or a grill plate, the popular sandwich can be found at pubs all over Ireland. It’s easy to make at home and completely satisfying as a lunch or a snack.

How do you make a toastie?

My version of the toastie starts with making fresh made Irish soda bread. The bread is cut thin, unlike when you serve Irish soda bread as an accompanying dish for a stew (where I like to serve it thick with butter).

The sturdy quick bread is buttered then layered with shredded cheddar cheese (Irish cheddar preferably), Irish ketchup, ham, more cheese and Irish ketchup, and then the second butterered bread slice.

Cook the sandwich slow and low to allow the bread to warm up and get golden brown and to have the cheese melt. Flip, repeat and serve!

Can I make this without making the Irish soda bread?

I love how sturdy the Irish soda bread is for this sandwich but you can totally make it with any bread you like. Classic ham and cheese toasties are made with a sturdy white or brown bread. Feel free to substitute your own choice of bread instead of making the Irish soda bread.

What is Judge Casey’s Irish Country Ketchup?

Irish country ketchup is a condiment, much like regular ketchup, but more robust in flavor! It’s a little more chunky and has an acidic, tangy complexity that is akin to barbecue sauce (but not quite as sweet). Some of the ingredients listed on the label that you won’t find in regular ketchup include raisin paste, sun-dried tomatoes and ground mustard seeds.

What if I can’t find Judge Casey’s Irish Country Ketchup at my store?

Judge Casey’s Irish Country Ketchup is fairly easy to find here in San Francisco and stores around California. It’s slowly becoming more available across the US. But if you can’t find it at the store, you can order it online or just ask your grocery store manager to start carrying it.

What else can I use Irish Country Ketchup for?

Irish country ketchup is a key ingredient in my Irish meatballs. But it can also be used as a side condiment for nearly everything you might use regular ketchup for! Dip my crispy oven-roasted potatoes, add them to scrambled eggs or use it on top of a cheeseburger. You can also try dipping my panisse (chickpea fries) or potato croquettes in them! The sky’s the limit with this sauce.

What else can I put in a ham and cheese toastie?

Toasties come all sorts of types. I added Irish country ketchup to this ham and cheese toastie which is unorthodox but the tangy sweet ketchup plays well with the sharp cheddar and salty ham. For a more classic version of the dish, try omitting the Irish ketchup, just using cheese and ham. Or add these other additions to the toastie:

Stoneground mustard
Diced sautéed onions
Baked beans
Thin sliced pickles
Sliced tomatoes
Chopped herbs like parsley, thyme or oregano
Leftover sliced meatballs, instead of ham (like my Irish Meatballs!)
Sliced cooked sausage or crumbled sausage meat (instead of ham)

What other cheese can you use for a ham and cheese toastie?

My preference of choice is a sharp Irish cheddar cheese. But you can use any sort of melty cheese that you would like. Here are a few options:

Colby cheese, a softer, milder cheese with a sweet nutty flavor.
Havarti Cheese, a semi-soft buttery and melty cheese
Dubliner, an Irish cheese that has the sharpness of Cheddar, the salty bite of Parmesan and the nutty sweetness of Swiss.
Gruyere Cheese, fruity and earthy with a lot of savory umami without being overpowering.
Fontina Cheese, a mild and earthy cheese with hints of mushroom
Muenster cheese, mild and melty
Gouda, mild and smooth with a slight sweetness
Mozzarella, a mild stretchy cheese
Provolone, a slightly sweet mild and buttery cheese that melts well
Taleggio, a washed rind cheese that smells funky but is actually mildly nutty in flavor

If you like this Ham and Cheese Toastie recipe, check out some other pub food recipes!

Ham and Cheese Toastie on Irish Soda Bread with Irish Country Ketchup

This satisfying grilled sandwich is easy to make and is especially delightful with homemade Irish soda bread! I added Irish Country Ketchup which is a tangy sweet ketchup that works well with the salty ham and sharp cheese. Feel free to swap out your favorite store-bought bread instead of the Irish soda bread if you prefer.

Course lunch, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine American, Irish

Keyword cheese, ketchup, pub food, sandwich

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Cool Time 30 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 685kcal

Author Irvin

Ingredients

Irish Soda Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour 280 g
1 cup whole wheat flour 150 g
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cup buttermilk well shaken

Toastie

4 slices of Irish soda bread
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese 57 g or about 1/2 cup
3 tablespoons Irish Country Ketchup
4 slices of ham

Instructions

Make the Irish Soda Bread

Preheat the oven to 450°F about 15 minutes before you make the bread.
Combine the flours, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Use a balloon whisk and vigorously stir the dry ingredients together for 30 seconds to blend them. Make a well in the center of the ingredients and pour the buttermilk into it.
Stir and fold the ingredients together until a rough dough forms. Use your hands to knead in any loose flour or dry bits.
Line a 10-inch cast iron skillet or large baking sheet with parchment paper, then spray it with cooking oil. Form a rough round ball and place it on top of the greased parchment paper. Use a sharp knife and slice an “X” on top of the dough.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400°F and continue to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden brown and it sounds hollow when you tap the top of it. If you have an instant read thermometer, the center should read 190 to 195°F. Cool the bread on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

Make the Toastie

Once cool (the bread will still be warm, and that's fine) slice it into 3/4-inch slices. Take 4 slices and generously butter each slice with 1/2 tablespoon of butter.
Place two pieces of bread, butter side down, in a large heavy skillet (like the one you baked the Irish soda bread in). Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of grated cheese on each slice of bread, then about 1 tablespoon of Irish Country Ketchup on the cheese.
Cover with ham and sprinkle 2 more tablespoons of cheese over the ham, then add another tablespoon of Irish Country Ketchup. Cover with the slices of bread, this time with the butter side facing up.
Heat the skillet up on medium low heat, until the underside of the bread starts to get golden brown and the cheese starts to melt. Flip the sandwiches over and fry them on the other side until the cheese has melted and the other side of the bread is golden brown.
Slice sandwich in half and serve immediately.

Notes

This post was sponsored by Judge Casey Irish Ketchup. I was sponsored for this post and for developing the recipe. However, all opinions below are completely my own.

The post Ham and Cheese Toastie with Irish Soda Bread and Irish Country Ketchup [Sponsored Post] appeared first on Eat The Love.