Breads

Thin Crust Pizza Dough and a Simple Sauce

By in Breads, Main Dish, Meatless 61 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Thin Crust Pizza Dough and a Simple Sauce

Thank you everyone for your well wishes last week! We are feeling much better after a very restful weekend.

I try and make a point of making as many things from scratch as possible. Not only is it healthier and cheaper then eating out, but it”s darn satisfying when you are able to make something that is better then store-bought or is restaurant quality.

Pizza was always one of those things that I didn”t make at home very often because my husband simply preferred the frozen or pizza shop variety. In large part, it was because most homemade pizzas are doughy and heavy. But, I”m happy to say that I finally perfected the perfect pizza crust for my husband and he now prefers my pizza over all others. Woot!

This dough is perfect because it draws all the attention to the toppings rather then the crust, which is just the way we like it. The dough is so pliable (due to the amount of vinegar) that it can be easily stretched to the thickness desired. It also freezes like a dream with no adverse affects. When I make it for us I always throw one ball of dough in the freezer immediately, along with half the sauce, and then I have it on hand for a busy day.

I”m still on search for the perfect pizza sauce, but this is so far the favorite and my go to for now. I will share my findings if that perfect pizza sauce ever smacks me in the face.

Are you a pizza topping or thick and crusty dough person? I think for me it depends on my mood and if the crust is done right. Feel free to share any yummy pizza sauces or perfect crusty dough”s in the comment section below.


Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Step by step photos at bottom of post.

  • 1 cup warm water

  • 1 Tbsp. sugar

  • 1.5 tsp. yeast

  • 2 tsp. olive oil

  • 1 tsp. salt

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • 3-4 cups flour

  1. Stir together water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over top. Let proof for 10 min.

  2. Stir in oil, salt, vinegar and 2 cups flour until well incorporated.

  3. Add additional flour and knead until pliable and  barely sticky.

  4. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

  5. Once doubled. Punch down and divide into two portions.

  6. Roll and stretch each piece of dough to cover a large un-greased baking sheet. Cover with pizza sauce and toppings of choice.

  7. Bake at 500ºF for 10-12 min. until browned and bubbly.

1 pizza serves: 4

* You can either bake this on a large cookie sheet or an 12×15 inch jelly roll pan.

* If you are only making one pizza now you can freeze the other dough for later use. Grease the inside of a ziploc bag with cooking spray, drop the dough ball in and seal. To use later: take the dough out in the morning or at lunch time and allow to thaw at room temperature (it needs approximately 5-6 hours). Remove from bag and proceed as usual.

Print Dough Recipe

Simple Pizza Sauce

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil

  • 1/2 onion, chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 small can tomato paste

  • 1 can diced italian seasoned tomatoes

  • 1 Tbsp. oregano

  1. Cook onions in oil until soft. Add garlic and allow to cook until softened. Do not brown. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 min.

Makes enough sauce for 2 pizza”s

* For a smooth sauce, puree once cooked.

Print Sauce Recipe

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(click to enlarge)

Two Tasty Ways to Use up Dry Bread

By in Breads, How-to's, Ingredients, Sides 14 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Two Tasty Ways to Use up Dry Bread

Nothing is more frustrating to me then wasting food. Whether it be because I burnt something, forgot about it in the back of my fridge, made something less then stellar, or simply bought too much of it. Whatever the case, I hate to throw away food.

One of those foods that seems to always go bad before it”s eaten in our house is bread. One of my largest hinderances to baking fresh bread is knowing that it will probably go stale before we are even halfway through it. And, since I don”t like anything to be a hinderance to me in the kitchen, I got to work figuring out ways to use it up without having to gag on the dryness.

Two of my favourite ways to use up those bread scraps are to make homemade croutons and breadcrumbs. Not only does it save us money, but since they are things that we use on a regular basis, it”s nice to know that they are much healthier being made at home. Not to mention extremely easy.

Below are instruction on how to make both croutons and breadcrumbs as well as recipes for Parmesan Garlic Croutons and Italian Breadcrumbs. Here are a few tips on how to go about it.

  • Do not use already stale bread. If you don”t like to eat stale sandwiches you won”t want to eat stale croutons either.

  • If  you find yourself with lot”s of little scraps that don”t seem worth the effort to turn into something else, freeze them. Once you have a larger collection, pull them out and get to work.

  • If you do freeze your bread, this will probably mean you have a variety of breads stored away. The combination of breads will add a more complex flavour as well as some pizzaz to both the croutons and the breadcrumbs.

  • If there is any moisture in either the breadcrumbs or the croutons, they will not be able to store at room temperature without going mouldy. If you would like, you can store them in the freezer. If they regain any moisture, simply give them a short toast to perk them up.


Making Croutons

  • To make croutons: cube some bread, toss it with oil and herbs, and bake at 375ºF until golden and crisp (15-20 min).

  • If you use only olive oil and no other perishable ingredients you can store these sealed at room temperature.

  • If you use butter in place of oil, or fresh herbs or garlic, you must store the croutons in the freezer.

  • Some topping ideas: oregano, garlic, parmesan, thyme, basil, onion powder, parsley, rosemary, flavored oil.

  • One slice of bread will yield approximately 1 cup of croutons, depending on the size of loaf.

  • A standard recipe for croutons is: 2 cups cubed bread, 1.5 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp. dry herbs.

The Process
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Parmesan Garlic Croutons

  • 4 cups bread cubed

  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil

  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

  • 1/2 tsp. oregano

  • 1/4 tsp. salt

  • 1/4 tsp. pepper

  • 1/4 tsp. parsley

  • 1 Tbsp. finely grated parmesan cheese

  1. Toss the bread cubes in oil until well coated. Sprinkle on spices and cheese. Toss until evenly distributed.

  2. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 375ºF for 15-20 min. until browned and dry, stirring halfway through cooking time.

  3. Allow to cool completely before storing in a plastic container (or bag) in the freezer.

Print Recipe and Tips


Making Breadcrumbs

  • In order to achieve the crispy breadcrumbs you purchase at the store, you will want your bread to be completely dried out and toasted. To do this, place slices of bread on a baking sheet, in a single layer, and bake at 300ºF for 10-15 min. until dry, flipping halfway through cooking time.

  • If your bread is already quite dry and you are only making a small amount you can rather toast it in the toaster until dry.

  • Once the bread is toasted, allow it to cool completely and then chop it roughly and place it in a food processor. Process until fine crumbs are created.

  • If you are not able to achieve fine crumbs then the bread still has too much moisture. Place the crumbs onto a baking sheet and bake again until completely dry.

  • Always allow to cool so that no moisture can build up, then process again until you are able to achieve the texture of crumbs that is desired.

The Process
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Italian Breadcrumbs

adapted from cdkitchen

  • 1 cup breadcrumbs

  • 1/2 tsp. salt

  • 1/2 tsp. dried parsley

  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

  • 1/4 tsp. onion powder

  • 1/4 tsp. sugar

  • 1/4 tsp. oregano

  1. Mix all ingredients together and store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Print Recipe and tips

Do you make homemade croutons or breadcrumbs? If so do you have any tips to share? What”s are your favourite flavours?

Homemade Baking Mix

By in Breads, Breakfast, Homemade, How-to's 124 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Bisquick mix

I love making things that you normally buy in a box, at home. Especially when it’s as easy to make as this Homemade Baking Mix. I don’t make fresh biscuits nearly as often as I crave them, for one reason only. I’m lazy.

Bread isn’t a nutritional requirement when planning my evening meals so it’s often left out of the equation. Not, that I don’t love it. It’s just that when the clock strikes five I want to be done with my day and only  do the work that is required of me.

That’s the great thing about this mix. You whip it up one day, keep it in the fridge and any time you want fresh biscuits you take a couple cups out, add some milk and bake it up. You can also use this mix for any recipe that calls for a bisquick/baking mix. No need to go to the store when you have this stashed away in your freezer.

Since we are a small family this recipe is enough to last us a while. But, it can be easily doubled or tripled depending on the amount  your family will go through.

What are you favorite uses for Bisquick Mix?

Want a healthier alternative? Try out my Whole Wheat Baking Mix.

Homemade Baking Mix

adapted from allrecipes

  • 5 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup baking powder
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup butter or margarine
  1. Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
  2. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks or in the freezer for longer storage.

Makes approx: 6 cups

To make Biscuits

Mix together 1/3 cup of milk for every 1 cup of mix. Drop onto un-greased cookie sheets and bake @ 450ºF for 10-12 min.

*Add any additional ingredients you wish such as cheese or herbs before adding the milk.

* 1 cup of mix will yield about 6 biscuits.

To make Pancakes:

Mix 2 cups of mix with 1 cup milk and 2 eggs. Cook on hot griddle.

*I have not made the pancakes myself but have heard rave reviews about using this mix for them.

*As with the biscuits you can add any flavouring or other ingredient you would like, such as chocolate chips or blueberries.

Print Recipe

Update: I whipped up these pancakes over the weekend and they truly are delicious. My husband usually does not get overly excited about pancakes and he flipped (ha) over these. The taste and consistency is a cross between pancakes and french toast. Eggy, buttery and delicious! He has now requested that this be my pancake recipe from now on. I won’t complain about that. :)

More Recipes Using this Mix:

Tortilla Salad Bowls

By in Breads, Fall, How-to's, Kids 15 Comments Tags: , ,

Tortilla Salad Bowls

My son is already beginning to chase me around the house. He giggles and giggles as he runs after me with some sort of object that he believes is scaring me. I have a feeling this mother is going to have her fair share of running away from little boys who are chasing her with weird and disgusting things. The older they get, the worse the things will become and the more I will actually be running for my life. Perhaps I should not be encouraging this action at such a young age? But, it”s hard not to when it”s just so darn cute!

These Tortilla Salad Bowls are so much fun. They dress up the everyday main dish salad and turn it into something special. What child would not want to dig into a salad when it is being hosted in such a cute little package? I know it sure makes me a lot more eager to dig in. They could not be easier to make and are still uber healthy, because there are no oils used to crisp them up. The restaurant version is usually a deep fried corn tortilla, virtually turning into a gigantic chip. And, although they are yummy, it kind of defeats the purpose of eating a salad in the first place. This is a much healthier alternative and equal the amount of fun.

Speaking of salads. I am kind of in a side-dish salad rut. Anybody have some quick and tasty side-dish salads they would like to share?

P.S. I took part in a Virtual Jam Swap hosted by Amy of Under the High Chair. You should really head over and take a look at the roundup. There are sooo many yummy jams to be found!

tortilla bowls

Tortilla Salad Bowls

  1. Take large sheets of aluminum foil and scrunch them up into balls approximately 3 inches in diameter. (You can make them larger or smaller depending on the look you are going for.)

  2. Wet each tortilla (8-9 inch) by running through tap water or giving it a quick dip in a pan filled with water. The point is to moisten it enough that it is flexible, not to make it sopping wet.

  3. Drape the tortillas over the foil balls, pleating them into the shape that you want. They will naturally drape over the ball as they bake, but I like to give them a bit of help with the shape so that I get the look I want.

  4. Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for about 5 min. until starting to crisp up. Remove from oven, flip over, take out the foil balls and bake for another 2 min, until lightly browned and crisp.

  5. Let cool. Fill with salad fixing and enjoy! :)

* For added flavour, sprinkle the tortilla bowls with spices that match your salad, just before baking. I sprinkled mine with homemade Cajun Seasoning and served it with a Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad.

*  The foil balls can be easily used over as many times as you like, so there is no need for waste. Why not make two foil balls and bake them 2 at a time?

Print Recipe

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Homemade Wonton Wrappers

By in Breads, Homemade, How-to's, Ingredients 66 Comments Tags: , ,

I seriously had no idea that making wonton wrappers was so easy. So many years I avoided recipes that relied on wonton wrappers because my grocery stores didn”t stock them. I love wontons and wonton related things so this always made me a little sad. I should have stopped being sad and looked for a recipe! I would have, if I had realized they were so simple to make. In fact, the recipe is so easy and straightforward  that I didn”t even bother to take step-by-step photographs. They turn out just like the ones that you purchase in the store but this way you have the satisfaction and “convenience” of making them at home. :)

Some helpful tips when making these wonton wrappers:

  1. You can store them in your fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer for longer storage. (I have some in the freezer right now. Once I use them I will update this page to let you know how they held up. *see Update)

  2. If you are not going to use them right away then they will probably shrink back a bit. But, the dough is so pliable they are easy to stretch out individually just before you fill/use them.

  3. If you are wanting to stack them, coat them in cornstarch (cornflour). If you stack them with flour it will absorb into the dough and they will become one solid mass.

  4. If they have been in the fridge for a couple of days and the moisture seems to have removed most of the cornstarch re-coat them again before placing in the freezer.

  5. It is important to keep the dough covered as much as possible or it will dry out. Any dough/wrappers that are not being worked with should be covered, preferably with a damp towel.

  6. If you have a pasta maker then these are even easier to make. Just pass them through, gradually going to the thinest setting.

* Update: I used up the wrappers in the freezer and they worked beautifully. I put them in the fridge to thaw in the morning and by supper they were perfect. They did shrink quite a bit so I just stretched them each individually before filling. Easy peasy.

Wonton Wrappers

adapted from About.com

  • 2 cups flour

  • 1 egg

  • 3/4 tsp. salt

  • 1/4 -1/2 cup water

  1. Sift flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Whisk together egg, salt and 1/4 cup water. Pour into flour well. Mix together, adding additional water until the mixture will stay together in a ball. (You may need more or less then 1/2 cup, use your discretion. Keep in mind that you do not want it to be sticky.)

  2. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and pliable.

  3. Let rest for 30-60 min. (This is so the gluten can relax. The longer it sits the easier it will be to roll out)

  4. Divide dough in half. Keep one half covered while you roll out the other one on a surface lightly coated with cornstarch (if you use flour it may toughen it up). Roll out as thin as you possibly can.

  5. Cut into 3.5 inch squares (You should be able to get approx. 12 wonton wrappers out of each half).

Makes: 24 wonton wrappers

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What are you favourite uses for wonton wrappers?

Breadstick Twigs

By in Breads, Fall, Kids, Sides, Thanksgiving 13 Comments Tags: , ,

Breadstick Twigs

You know those people that you just know well enough that every time you run into them you have to strike up an awkward conversation? So, you try desperately to pretend that you have not noticed them because you are not in the mood for small talk? I think we all know at least one person like that. Well, today I ran into THAT person and realized that the feeling was mutual.

I was on my way to get into line at the bank machine when I noticed THIS person as he turned his face to look in the opposite direction. I quickly pushed passed and looked straight ahead so that it would seem like I had not noticed him. (How horrible is it that I am admitting this?) Then once I had secured my spot in line I saw him look at me out of the corner of my eye. I braised myself for the conversation that was sure to ensue (he is a very talkative and inquisitive man). But, to my surprise he slowly started backing up, practically tiptoeing as to not be noticed, until he was out of my eye-line. What! I am supposed to pretend I didn”t see you buddy, not the other way around! If I had been in a sitcom I would have huffed up asking him why he would feel the need to avoid me, when clearly it should be ME that should want to avoid HIM! But, this is real life, and in truth I was just glad that I didn”t have to talk with him and that we could now mutually avoid each other. Until the fatefull day when we have no choice but to make eye contact and strike up a conversation. (I promise I am not a snob, just a little shy.)

Twig Breadsticks

I very strongly considered calling these babies, Breadtwigs, but I couldn”t quite get over the cheesiness. Whatever you want to call them, they are a lot of fun to make and you can even get the kids involved in the shaping. They look quite elegant in the right setting and add such a nice touch of fall to the table.They are a crisp breadstick so don”t be expecting any pillowy softness. The biscuit-like flavour and firm crunch would be perfectly paired with a large bowl of soup. If you do not have a food processor I am sure they would turn out equally well being mixed by hand. Just cut in the butter as you would when making biscuits or pie crust. These are so easy to make, and so pretty to look at, that they are being put into my repertoire for when company comes over.

Twig Breadsticks

Breadstick Twigs

adapted from Martha Stewart

  • 2 cups flour

  • 2 tsp. sugar

  • 1 tsp. salt

  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed

  • 2/3 cup whole milk

  1. Place flour, sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until mealy. Gradually add milk with machine running until dough is formed.

  2. Divided the dough into 24 pieces (approx. 1 Tbsp. in size). Roll each piece into a log that is 1/2 inch wide. With kitchen scissors or a sharp knife make diagonal slices along both sides of the breadsticks, making sure to switch it up to give it that random twig feel. Gently stretch each twig to help separate the thorns. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  3. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for approx. 24 min. until a pale golden brown.

Makes: 24

* These can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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