Easy No Knead Yeast Bread

I have said it before, I love bread, but sometimes my joints are not willing to cooperate with me in the kneading process.  I have found a truly No Knead bread recipe that is fairly simple, it just takes some time.  The great thing about this recipe is that you can keep it chilled in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.  I like to experiment with flavors, so this basic recipe can give you the flexibility to add your own touch of spices or ingredients to suit your needs.

This particular occasion, I made instead of loaves of bread, into buns for my homemade chicken burgers.  I experimented with a similar chicken burger recipe I have posted and made it more time friendly for those that would enjoy a nice meal without spending countless hours in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour ( or 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1 package of active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed, basil, sage, black pepper and/or any other spice you would like to incorporate
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup butter or shortening
3 tablespoons of Sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg or 2 egg whites slightly beaten

Instructions:

In a large bowl mix 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour, the yeast, and if desired, herbs; set aside.  In a saucepan heat and stir milk, butter, sugar and salt just until warm (120 degrees to 130 degrees, do not boil as this will not make the bread rise).  Add butter mixture to dry mixture along with egg.  Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl.  Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.  Stir in the remaining flour.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (but preferably 24 hrs). Punch dough down.  Massage dough for about 2 minutes and roll into a cylinder roll.  For loaves cut in half, for buns cut dough approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches in thickness than roll into a ball and flatten the bottom and place in greased pan.  Bake at 375 degrees F and place aluminum foil on top to keep the bread top from burning.  Bake with aluminum foil for about 15 minutes, than take off foil to harden top.  Bread should be done within 30 minutes or until you tap bread and sounds hollow.  Immediately remove from pan and let cool.  For Buns, use sharp knife to split loaf in half to resemble a hamburger bun.

Nutritional Facts per roll or serving for Bread Only
96 cal, 3 g total fat (1g of saturated fat), 15mg chol, 73mg sodium, 16 g carbs, 1 g of fiber, 3 g of protein.  Daily Values 2% Vitamin A, 1% calcium, 6% iron

Paired with Homemade Chicken Burger patty

Quick Homemade Chicken Burger Patty:

Chicken Patty:
2 Lbs of ground Chicken
2 TBS of Basil
1 TBS of Black Pepper
3 Teaspoons of Onion and Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning
1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
1/2 cup of Italian Bread Crumbs plus extra for dusting

For Topping:
1 to 2 Tomatoes
3 TBS of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon salt and pepper
2 teaspoon of Oregano, Basil and Parsley
Let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes
Lightly spray tomato mix with balsamic vinegar and toss

Instructions:

Mess all ingredients for chicken patty together until well combined.  In a sauce pan add 6 TBS of Extra Virgin Olive oil and heat to med/high.  Take a spoonful of the chicken patty mix and shape into a patty to desired size  place patty into a plate and dust top and bottom of patty with bread crumbs, place in hot oil cook each side for about 3 minutes or until golden, than place in an oven safe container and bake with aluminum foil for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees F.  You can bake both the Patty and the Bread at the same time to save on both time and energy.  While baking, prepare Topping and let stand.  Assemble and sprinkle parsley over tomatoes.  Enjoy!

Farmer Bread Recipe

Farmer Bread Recipe:


I LOVE bread, the aroma it gives when its baking, the many options you can do while mixing and topping it are endless.  A good bread is the perfect compliment to any meal.  Fresh, no preservative bread you make and knead with you own hands gives you peace of mind that the ingredients you use are of the utmost quality.  Kneading bread is very therapeutic; it works away anxiety and  tones your arms all at the same time.  I scour the web for different bread recipes to include in my new Family Cookbook.  Sitting at the kitchen table, talking and cooking are ways to create some of the fondest memories.  My kids, once picky eaters, have grown to expand their views on food, tastes and textures.  Baking is a great way to find simple ways to bond with your kids and loved ones.  Nothing says Love like Homemade Breads.
This next recipe came from the http://www.kneadforbread.com/ and it depicts some of the most incredible combinations you can imagine for bread recipes.  This is one I have made in the past and its just simply delicious.  For those that are beginners, I have a no knead recipe for bread you can make and store in your refrigerator and pull out to bake for your next meal.



Ingredients

Night Before

1 cup stone ground whole wheat flour

1 cup bread flour

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

3/4 cup warm water

Day of:

2 3/4 cup bread flour

1 1/4 cup lukewarm water

1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon barley malt or molasses

Method

The night before you want to make this bread add all the "night before" ingredients together and mix till smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter overnight for 12 - 16 hours. The next morning place the mixture into a large bowl. Add water (110F.) to the night before mixture and mix with a wooden spoon. Add instant yeast, salt and malt. Add in a cup of bread flour and mix till smooth. Continue to add more flour till it becomes to hard to mix in the bowl. Pour the dough out onto a floured surface and continue to add in the rest of the flour. Knead for 8-10 minutes and than place into a clean bowl with a little oil. Turn the dough to lightly coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or till double in bulk. Pour out onto a flat surface. Cut dough in half and shape each piece into a tear drop. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Afterwards, use a rolling pin and roll out one side of the dough to about the length and diameter of the dough. Brush edges of the rolled out part of the dough with oil. Pull the rolled out part over the round part of the dough. Do the same with the other piece. Place them onto parchment. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour. Dust the tops with a little stone ground flour. Place into a preheated 400 degree oven with a hot baking stone or on a cookie sheet (do not heat the cookie sheet ahead). Create some steam by placing a cast iron pan on the bottom of the oven the same time that you turn on the oven. Once you place the breads into the oven pour about a cup of boiling water into the hot pan and close the door. Bake for 30 -35 minutes or till when tapped on the bottom of the loaf it sounds hollow. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

The Best Tasting Sandwich EVER!!

One the my greatest passions is making bread. I never knew I could even make fresh bread, but this is one recipe I just had to try.  Now, I do bread the old fashion way, by hand.  I do not like using a bread maker because I think that you loose some of the texture and flexibility with ingredients and such.  After such a long and stressful day, kneading dough, punching dough is both therapeutic and strength building.  You will use some muscles in your arms and chest that you thought never existed.  I do have to admit that the first time I did bread, it was quite challenging, but nothing could have prepared me for the following day.  I was sore for the next two days.  For awhile I did make fresh bread with most of my meals, and believe it or not, I ended up with toned arms--a great byproduct.  I think I will start making fresh bread regularly-- my arms can use the workout.
Now enough about the bread, let's talk about the sandwich.  This is a mozzarella chicken sandwich, and the flavors that I have included are truly harmonious.  I made this dish for Christmas Eve one year and did a taste test run, Oh MY GOD!  My husband described the feeling of eating this sandwich as pure joy, he actually felt his brain react with endorphins.  This is a great recipe, but this is one of my most complicated dishes in my arsenal.  Everything fresh, means everything handmade, means a lot of time in the kitchen.  I do pair this bread with other dishes, and even my family and friends that have tried it have requested this bread for any cooking event I do.  The ingredients in this recipe should be fresh and first rate- that is the only way that you can experience the wonders of cooking.

Sun-Dried Tomato Bread
Ingredients:
6 cups strong flour
2 tsp salt
2 TBSP Sugar
1 oz fresh yeast
1 2/3-2 cups warm milk
1 TBSP tomato paste
5 TBSP oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes
5 TBSP extra virgin Olive oil
3/4 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1 large yellow onion chopped
 MAKES 4 SMALL LOAVES

Directions:
Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl and make a well in the center.  Crumble the yeast, mix with 2/3 cup of warm milk and all to the flour
Mix the tomato paste into the remaining milk until evenly blended, then add to the flour with the tomato oil and olive oil
gradually mix the flour into the liquid ingredients, until you have dough.  Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Return to the clean bowl, cover with a cloth and let rise in warm place for about 2 hours.
Punch the dough down and add the tomatoes and onions. Knead until evenly distributed through the dough.  Shape into four balls and place on a greased baking sheet.  Cover with a dish towel and let rise again for about 45 minutes
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake the bread for about 45 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when you tap them underneath with your fingers.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Use a pair of sharp kitchen scissors to cut the loaves in half horizontally.  Should look like over sized burger buns.

Chicken with Peppers
Ingredients:
3 Lb chicken, cut into serving pieces
3 large peppers, red, yellow and green
6 TBSP olive oil
2 medium red onions, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
small piece of dried chili, crumbled (optional) or of sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tomatoes, fresh peeled and chopped- make sure tomatoes are of a deep red color
3 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
SERVES 4

Directions:
Trim any fat off the chicken, and remove all the excess skin.  Wash the peppers.  Prepare by cutting them in half scooping out the seeds, and cutting away the stem.  Slice into strips.
Heat half the oil in a large heavy saucepan or casserole.  Add the onion, and cook over low heat until soft and translucent.  Remove to a side dish.  Add the remaining oil to the pan raise the heat to moderate, add the chicken and brown all sides, 6-8 minutes.  Return the onions to the pan, and add the garlic and dried chili and or sun-dried tomatoes.  Pour in the wine, and cook until it has reduced by half.  Add the peppers and stir well to coat them  with the juices. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  After 3-4 minutes, stir in the tomatoes.  Lower heat and cook until the peppers are soft, and the chicken is fully cooked, about 25-30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Stir in the parsley before serving.

Authentic Italian Marinara Sauce
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped fine
3 TBSP olive oil
2 28oz cans tomato puree (pref Pompeii tomato products or organic)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (pref Pompeii tomato products or organic)
1 TBSP of tomato paste
1 cup of Organic chicken broth
1 tsp sugar
3 tsp of basil, dried
Red pepper flakes to taste
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook the garlic and onion in the olive oil in a sauce pot over a medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until garlic is tender and onions translucent, not brown.
Add all tomato products.  Pour the chicken stock (1 cup) into one of the 28 oz cans and fill the rest of the way with water, pour into sauce pan. Add sugar and basil to the pot.  Stir and bring to a simmer.  Taste and season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cover.  Simmer the sauce for about 1 hour.  The sauce should be fairly thin but not  watery and very smooth.  Uncover and simmer for an additional 30 minutes until it thickens.  If the sauce is too thick you can add some water.

Sandwich Preparation
Cut Fresh mozzarella into 1 inch slices and drizzle Balsamic Vinegar on top with Parsley flakes and let it stand for about 3-5 minutes to allow vinegar to seep into the cheese.

Place one side of bread loaf (cut  horizontally) add marinara sauce to cover bottom (about 3 TBSP)

Add the chicken than onions, peppers mix from chicken, add the mozzarella slices

Cover other half of loaf with marinara sauce or if you have some of the left over olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes add as well and place to complete sandwich.

Bake at 380 degrees F for about 8 minutes or until mozzarella is slightly melted.  Serve with a side of Marinara sauce for dipping.