Savory Bacon Cheese Breakfast Bread

Savory Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Bread

makes one 8x4 loaf

recipe can be easily doubled
[printable recipe]

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 ¼  teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup diced red peppers
¼ cup scallions, finely chopped
4 ounces butter, softened, plus additional for buttering loaf pan
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
5 eggs, room temperature
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
1 ½ cups grated white Cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces)

Directions:
Butter one 8x4 loaf pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the red peppers and scallions, and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together butter and mustard.  Add eggs and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix just till blended. Stir in bacon and shredded cheese. Add remaining flour, and stir until combined, being careful not to over mix.

Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Baked Orange Dream French Toast

Baked Orange Dream French Toast
Serves 6
[printable recipe]

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons butter
12 slices day old French bread
2 15 oz cans mandarin oranges, drained
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
12 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup maple syrup
powdered sugar

Directions:
Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Arrange bread in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with cream cheese cubes and mandarin orange slices.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs until frothy.  Add milk, salt, vanilla, and syrup and continue whisking until well combined.  Pour over the bread.  Cover and refrigerate the pan of French toast overnight. 

When you are ready to bake the French toast, place the pan into a cold oven, set to 350 degrees F.  Bake, covered for 40 minutes.  Uncover, and continue baking until lightly browned and set, about 35-40 more minutes.

Sprinkle baked French toast with powdered sugar, and serve with maple syrup.

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Sourdough Rye Focaccia

Sourdough Rye Focaccia

1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup warm filtered water
2 t salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups rye flour
2 T caraway seeds
1 - 2 T extra virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt

Combine stater and water in a bowl. Add a cup of the flour and stir until well combined. And the salt and the oil and enough remaining flour until the dough becomes difficult to stir. Knead in mixer until elastic, 10 - 12 minutes. Add caraway seeds and mix for another minute until combined.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn once to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towl or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm draft-free place for 4 hours. Remove towel or plastic wrap and punch down the dough. Cover and let rise another 3 - 4 hours.

Turn dough out onto a sheet of parchment and shape into a square 3/4 - 1 inch thick. Allow dough to rest for 35 - 40 minutes.  During this time, preheat oven (and baking stone, if using) to 500 degrees F.

Poke top of the dough with fingers to create a variety of indentations. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. 

Slide parchment onto baking stone (or place on baking sheet and place in oven). Turn heat down to 425 and bake for 15-20 minutes or until focaccia is golden brown. Cool on a rack for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

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Basic Crepes

These deliciously thin pancakes are easy to make and positively delicious. Serve simply, filled with berries or sprinkled with sugar and a squirt of lemon juice. Or embellish them with a luscious filling of savory meats and cheeses. Your imagination is the only limitation when it comes to serving these up in style. 

Basic crepes

2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 cup flour
1 T melted butter
pinch of salt
(for sweet crepes, also add 2 tsp of sugar to batter)
additional butter

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until smooth.  Add melted butter, flour, sugar (if using), and salt and whisk until well blended.  Allow to stand for at least 1/2 hour (or as long as overnight in the refrigerator).

Preheat a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with melted butter.  Pour 1/3 cup batter into the pan, remove from heat, and swirl quickly until the batter coats the bottom of the skillet.  Return the pan to the burner and cook crepes until the top looks dry and the underside is lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Gently loosen the crepe and turn with a rubber spatula to cook for an additional 30 seconds or so.

Remove from pan and stack crepes on a warm plate while you repeat the above steps with the remaining batter.

Get the full post Over at Burp!

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Sourdough Focaccia with Olives and Rosemary

This delightful recipe makes a great base for any type of focaccia, but olives and rosemary are some of our favorite savory toppings.  The loaf requires a long rise -- but the effort is worth it, resulting in a light, airy loaf with a lovely chewy crust.

Sourdough Focaccia with Olives & Rosemary

For the focaccia:
1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup warm filtered water
2 t salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups white whole wheat flour (or 1/2 and 1/2 flour)

For the topping:
12 - 15 pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 - 3 T extra virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt

Combine stater and water in a bowl. Add a cup of the flour and stir until well combined. And the salt and the oil and enough remaining flour until the dough becomes difficult to stir. Knead in mixer until elastic, 10 - 12 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn once to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towl or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm draft-free place for 4 hours. Remove towel or plastic wrap and punch down the dough. Cover and let rise another 3 - 4 hours.

Turn dough out onto a sheet of parchment and shape into a square 3/4 - 1 inch thick. Allow dough to rest for 35 - 40 minutes.  During this time, preheat oven (and baking stone, if using) to 500 degrees F.

Poke top of the dough with fingers to create a variety of indentations.  Sprinkle dough with olives, rosemary, and garlic and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. 

Slide parchment onto baking stone (or place on baking sheet and place in oven). Turn heat down to 425 and bake for 15-20 minutes or until focaccia is golden brown. Cool on a rack for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.


Get the full post Over at Burp!

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Cranberry Corn Bread

The addition of tart cranberries makes this corn bread into a delicious side dish for the holidays. Also try using the bread to make a delicious savory bread pudding with sausage and leeks.

Cranberry Corn Bread
makes 1 8-inch square pan

1 cup corn meal
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk (or kefir)
1 cup fresh cranberries, roughly chopped  (or 1/2 cup dried)

Preheat oven to 400ºF
Grease one 8-inch square baking pan.

Stir together corn meal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
Beat eggs together with oil and buttermilk in a separate bowl.
Slowly add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Fold in cranberries, mixing just until combined. Do NOT overmix.

Place batter in prepared pan (batter will be thick). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bread is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

Recipe for Corn Bread Pudding


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Rye Pizza Dough

When we decided to make Reuben calzones, we knew we needed a crust that stood up to the task. This rye dough was the perfect solution. Great with or without caraway seeds, this tender crust makes a great calzone. Also try it as a pizza with caramelized onions and swiss.

Get the full post Over at Burp!
Rye Pizza Dough
makes approximately enough dough for 2 12-inch pizzas or four large calzones

2 cups dark rye flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose white flour
Extra flour for working dough (your need for additional flour will vary with conditions)

1 teaspoon salt
4 T olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups warm water, divided (like the flour, this amount can vary with conditions)
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
4 ½ tsp dry yeast

Dissolve brown sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and then stir in dried yeast. Set mixture aside and allow it to stand for about 5 minutes, or until yeast is bubbling and active.

Whisk salt, rye flour, white flour, and wheat flour together in a large bowl. Create a well in the flour and pour 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 cup warm water into it. Add the yeast mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.

Dust your kneading surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, incorporating the caraway seeds, if using. Place the dough in a clean bowl that has been brushed with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Drape a clean cloth over the bowl allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down dough, add caraway seeds (if using), and allow to rise for another 15-20 minutes.

Now, divide dough into pieces and shape as desired.

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Cornmeal Waffles

These buttermilk cornmeal waffles are everything you'd want them to be -- light and crisp, with plenty of texture and a pleasant corn flavor. Try them for breakfast with butter and syrup... or for brinner with fried chicken and cream gravy.

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Cornmeal Waffles

adapted from Gourmet magazine

1 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
5 T butter, melted and cooled OR 1/3 c vegetable oil

Sift flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.

In another bowl whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and 3 T oil. Add to flour mixture and whisk just until combined. (Very important, do not overmix. Waffle batter should be slightly lumpy.)

Meanwhile, Preheat your waffle iron and turn your oven to 200°F.

When waffle iron is preheated, oil lightly. Spoon batter into prepared waffle iron, spreading evenly, and cook according to manufacturer's instructions.

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Caramelized Baked Apple Pancake

This delicious oven baked pancake features a layer of caramelized apples and cranberries. Just the right thing for a chilly winter morning.

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Caramelized baked apple pancake

3 T unsalted butter
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 T brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

2 all purpose apples, cored and sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries

3 large eggs
2 T granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400º
Combine salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmegin a small bowl. Stir to combine.

In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add apples, and sprinkle them with the spiced sugar mixture. Saute the apples in the butter until just beginning to get tender - 5-7 minutes. Add cranberries and stir to distribute evening over the bottom of the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla, and sour cream until thoroughly combined. Whisk in flour, baking powder, and salt just until blended. Pour batter into the cast iron pan on top of the apples.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed and golden. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before turning the pancake out onto a platter.

Serve sliced into wedges with powdered sugar and creme fraiche. Or maple syrup. Or more apples. Or whatever your heart desires.


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Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast with Fried Apples

This indulgent French toast stuffed with sweetened mascarpone cheese makes a fantastic autumn weekend treat, especially when served with tender fried apples. It is also excellent for a company brunch.

Get the full post Over at Burp!

Stuffed French Toast with Fried Apples
makes 6-8 large slices french toast

loaf of unsliced bread (we used cranberry walnut bread)
4 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
4 T sugar
1 tsp vanilla

6 oz mascarpone cheese
1 tsp cinnamon
2 T sugar
1 tsp vanilla

2 T butter
3 apples, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon

maple syrup
whipped cream (optional)

Mix together marscapone, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla. Set aside.

Slice the end off of the loaf of bread. Cut the next slice 1/2 inch thick and only 3/4 of the way through the loaf (forming a pocket), and cut the next 1/2 inch slice all the way through. Repeat until you have 6-8 pocketed slices.

Carefully spread mascarpone filling into each slice of bread, pressing the edges to seal slightly.

In a pie plate or large shallow bowl, whisk togetehr eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Dip each slice of stuffed bread into the egg mixture, turning to coat.

Preheat a nonstick griddle over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, and swirl to coat the griddle. When butter foams, add as many pieces of french toast as will fit without crowding the griddle. Cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove from the griddle and keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet. When the butter foams, add apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon and continue to cook until apples are just tender.

Serve French toast with apples and maple syrup. Top with whipped cream (if desired).


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Whole Grain Granola Pancakes

A little bit chewy and filled with whole grain goodness, these pancakes will really stick with you. And they're delicious to boot!

Get the full post Over at Burp!.
Whole Grain Granola Pancakes
(with a nod to Maryana Vollstedt & The Big Book of Breakfast)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or a mixture of 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white all purpose flour)
1 T brown sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1//4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 T butter, melted
1 cup granola

Combine fir five ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and butter. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Fold in granola.

Preheat a greased/oiled griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Pour pancake batter onto griddle in 1/4 cup portions. Cook until bubbles form in the top of the pancake, then turn and cook until golden, about 1-2 more minutes.

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Whole Grain Pumpkin Pancakes

There's nothing like a batch of these for breakfast on a chilly autumn day. Pair with sauteed apples, a dash of cinnamon, and some maple syrup. Top them with a bit of whipped cream if you're feeling particularly decadent.

These pancakes were submitted as part of Wandering Chopsticks' Weekend Wokking event, hosted this month by Heart and Hearth!

Get the full post on BURP!
Whole Grain Pumpkin Pancakes
serves 3-4

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oat meal
2 T corn meal
2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 T olive oil
1 large egg

butter (for griddle)

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine. Combine milk, pumpkin, egg, and oil in another, smaller bowl. Whisk to combine. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.

Spoon about 1/4 cup batter (for each pancake) onto a hot griddle that has been greased with a bit of melted butter. When pancakes are covered with bubbles and the edges look like they are cooked, flip pancakes over.

Serve with maple syrup and butter. Embellish with apples, cranberries, granola, cinnamon, or whipped cream. Or all of the above.

Enjoy.

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Sourdough Pizza Dough

Done right, sourdough pizza crust is amazingly tender with a pleasant hint of sourness. We love this recipe because it requires less rising time than your average pizza dough.

Of course, if you want to try our VERY favorite dough, try out this sourdough foccaccia recipe for pizza.  It's lovely to work with and gets a great rise in the oven!

Sourdough Pizza Dough
makes 1 large oblong or two smaller circular pizza crusts

1 1/2 cups sourdough starter (preferably freshly fed and active)
1 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients together. Knead until fully incorporated and elastic.

Preheat oven to 450ºF
Allow to rest for about 1/2 hour. During this time the dough will rise slightly -- but it will not double.

Roll dough out into the desired shape.

Prebake on a heated pizza stone (or pizza pan) for about 5 minutes -- or until set and beginning to brown on one side.

At this point, you can wrap the dough in foil or plastic wrap and freeze for later use. Dough keeps well for about a month if well wrapped. No need to thaw, just top and bake.

If you have chosen to use your dough right away, top with desired toppings. Bake for 12-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.


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Sourdough Waffles with Bacon and Cheddar

These all-in-one savory waffles are the perfect brunch treat on a lazy weekend. They also make a great dinner for a busy weeknight. A freshly fed sourdough will give you the most tender waffles. I like to make these the morning after a good feeding.

Get the full post HERE.Sourdough Waffles with Bacon and Cheddar

makes 4-6 round Belgian waffles

1 cup sourdough starter (preferably freshly fed)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp water
1/4 cup oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup cooked, chopped bacon (or ham, or sausage...)
2/3 cup cheddar cheese (or mozzarella, or provolone...), 1/8 inch dice

Place starter in a medium mixing bowl. Add egg, water, and oil. Stir to combine. Mix flour with salt, sugar, and baking soda and add to starter mixture. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or so.

Stir in chopped bacon and cheese. Pour into waffle maker about 1/2 cup at a time.
When lightly browned and cooked through, remove from waffle maker.

These can be kept warm in a preheated 200º oven.

Serve with butter and syrup.

Something different: Try these with warmed maple syrup mixed with a bit of dijon mustard.

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Lo's Buttermilk Biscuits

These biscuits are tender, flaky, and absolutely delicious. They're fantastic with milk sausage gravy. But, they also make a seriously delicious strawberry shortcake. And with the addition of lemon and thyme... OH, Yum.


Buttermilk Biscuits

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons of butter, very cold, diced
1 cup of buttermilk (more or less)

Put the flour, salt, and baking powder into the workbowl of your food processor fitted with the plastic dough blade. Pulse this to mix it and then add the diced butter. Pulse until it is coarsely combined. Add the buttermilk through the opening in the top as you pulse it to mix it together. Add it very slowly and only add enough to bring the dough together. It’ll be different every time you make them.

Turn the dough out onto the counter (here comes my new technique) and roll it into a cylinder with a circumference that is the size of the biscuit you want to make. Cut the cylinder into equally sized pieces…again depending on the size of biscuit you want. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with silpat or parchment and bake at 400º for 8 - 15 minutes depending on the size you chose to cut them into.
We cut our dough into about 8 pieces (4 inches in diameter, and about and inch or so thick). They took approximately 20 minutes to bake.


VARIATION:
For lemon thyme biscuits, add:
2 T chopped thyme
1 T lemon zest
1 T sugar

We talk about this recipe HERE (Biscuits with Milk Sausage Gravy). And HERE (Leek & Morel Strata)



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