Classic Dinner Rolls

from Williams-Sonoma’s Essentials of Baking

1 package (2 ½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, plus 1 egg beaten
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 teaspoons salt

BY HAND: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Using a wire whisk, beat in the milk, sugar, 2 eggs, butter, flour, and salt just until mixed, then stir with your hands or a wooden spoon until a rough mass forms. Using a plastic pastry scraper, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until it is smooth and elastic, dusting the work surface with flour to keep the dough from sticking, 5 – 7 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky.

BY STAND MIXER: In the 5 qt. bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, sugar, 2 eggs, butter, flour, and salt. Place the bowl on the mixer, attach the dough hook, and knead on low speed. Add a little more flour only if the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl after a few minutes of kneading. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 – 7 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Remove the dough from the bowl.

Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Heavily butter two 9-inch cake pans. Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a clean work surface. Cut it in half with a sharp knife or bench scraper. Cut each half into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Put the balls in the cake pan, placing 7 balls around the edge and 1 ball in the center. Cover the cake pan loosely with a kitchen towel, and let them rise until puffy and pillow-soft when gently squeezed, 30 – 40 minutes.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.)

Brush the rolls lightly with the beaten egg. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 – 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Perfect Popovers

From "The Joy of Cooking." Remember the popovers at 121 Hearthside Restaurant? Well, they’re easy to make at home and turn out great most of the time. You’ll need a popover pan and just a few minutes for this recipe. Follow directions exactly.

Have all ingredients at 75 degees. Preheat oven 450 degrees. Remove all oven racks but the bottom rack.

1 cup skim milk
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Melt butter in the mixing bowl. Add milk and salt and flour. Beat until just smooth. Add eggs one at a time, but do not over-beat. The batter should be no heavier than whipping cream. Fill the buttered deep bakers ¾ full. Don't overload - too much will give a muffin-like texture. Bake at once. After 15 minutes lower the heat without peeping to 350 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer.

Carol A's Zucchini Bread

Another one of Carol’s recipes… need we say more?

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups grated zucchini
1-1/2 cups walnuts
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Pour batter into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. Cool in pan for 10 - 20 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack.

Durgin Park (Boston) Corn Bread

We think this recipe really came from Durgin Park. It's easy to make and is a great complement to "Heartwarming Chili."

¾ c sugar
2 eggs
¾ t. salt
2 c. flour
1 T baking powder
1 T melted butter
1 ½ c. milk
1 c. yellow corn meal

Mix sugar with beaten eggs. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add corn meal. Add melted butter and milk. Beat quickly and bake in a large buttered pain in a very hot oven (425 degrees). This makes one large pan which will cut into 21 squares.

Basic Thin Crust Pizza Dough

This recipe comes from the book, "The Best Pizza Is Made at Home" by Donna Rathmell German. It is a great little book filled with good ideas for making pizza at home. This recipe will make one pound of dough, enough for two ten-inch pizzas. At Easter, 2007, we had eleven family members over for dinner, so we increased this recipe by five times! We made ten pizzas and hade enough left over for snacks the next day.

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups bread flour
¼ cup salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup lukewarm water

Make this dough a day ahead of time! In a large ceramic bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add salt, olive oil, and flour. Mix with a wooden spoon and turn out onto a floured work surface. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes, adding as little flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking to the work surface. Using a scale, divide the dough into ½ pound balls. Put each ball into a large plastic bag, tie tightly, and place in a refrigerator. The dough will rise in the bags and be ready for making pizza crusts whenever you're ready.

When you get ready to make pizza, remove a cold ball of dough from the bag and flour lightly. With a rolling pin, begin to roll the dough into a circle on a floured work surface. Continue rolling, flipping the dough occasionally, until the dough is VERY thin. This will usually make a circle roughly 12 inches in diameter.

Transfer the dough to a pizza peel that's been sprinkled liberally with yellow corn meal. Lightly brush the dough will olive oil, then add your favorite toppings. Bake in a 500 degree oven on a pizza stone for about 7 to 8 minutes or until edges of the crust are golden. Transfer to a wooden cutting board and cut into eights with a high-quality pizza cutter.

Our favorite pizza is a red pie (see our marinara sauce recipe) topped with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil.

NOTE: The best way to re-heat pizza is to put slices into a dry, non-stick pan over medium heat and heat until toasty warm.

Carol A's Zucchini Bread

One of Carol A's recipes… need we say more?

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups grated zucchini
1-1/2 cups walnuts
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Pour batter into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees.

Dutch's Banana Bread

Not really Dutch's. From Helen Corbitt’s Cookbook (1957), this banana bread just can’t be beat, and believe me, being a teacher, I’ve sampled a lot of banana bread.

1-3/4 cups sifted flour
2-3/4 tsp double acting baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening (butter)
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 pound (3 - 4) ripe bananas
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter in a mixing bowl until creamy consistency. Add sugar and eggs. Continue beating at medium speed for one minute. Peel bananas; add bananas and walnuts to egg mixture. Mix until blended. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed about 30 seconds, or only until blended. DO NOT OVER-BEAT!. Scrape bowl and beater once or twice. Turn into buttered loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour 10 minutes, or until bread is done. This keeps in your refrigerator as long as you wish.
From Helen Corbitt’s Cookbook (1957), this banana bread just can’t be beat, and believe me, being a teacher, I’ve sampled a lot of banana bread.