Hamburger buns

Hamburger Buns Gourmet | June 2008

Adapted from Joyce McClelland

We couldn't pass up the chance to resurrect this recipe, first published in 2002. It's from reader Joyce McClelland, of Terre Haute, Indiana, and it's been handed down in her family for generations. We like to think that we're handing it down in our family, too. Yield: Makes bout 16 buns Active Time: 30 min Total Time: 5 1/2 hr 2 cups whole milk 1/4 cup warm water (105-115°F) 2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast 1/4 cup plus 1/2 tsp sugar, divided 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon salt 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided 1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash Equipment: a stand mixer with paddle and dough-hook attachments; a 3-inch round cookie cutter Bring milk to a bare simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and cool to 105 to 115°F. Meanwhile, stir together warm water, yeast, and 1/2 tsp sugar in mixer bowl until yeast has dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.) Add butter, warm milk, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar to yeast mixture and mix with paddle attachment at low speed until butter has melted, then mix in eggs until combined well. Add salt and 4 cups flour and mix, scraping down side of bowl as necessary, until flour is incorporated. Beat at medium speed 1 minute. Switch to dough hook and beat in remaining 2 cups flour at medium speed until dough pulls away from side of bowl, about 2 minutes; if necessary, add more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time. Beat 5 minutes more. (Dough will be sticky.) Transfer dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled, about 2 1/2 hours. Butter 2 large baking sheets. Punch down dough, then roll out on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round (about 1/2 inch thick). Cut out as many rounds as possible with floured cutter and arrange 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Gather and reroll scraps, then cut out more rounds. Loosely cover buns with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until they hold a finger mark when gently poked, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush buns with egg wash and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are golden and undersides are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, 14 to 20 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely. Cooks' notes: ·If you don't have a stand mixer, stir ingredients together in same sequence with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, 7 to 8 minutes. ·Buns can be frozen, wrapped well, up to 1 month.

Notes: 
1. Heat milk  with butter in just until butter is melting.
2. Double the amount of yeast
3. Form buns into balls by hand
4. Let it rise for a long time!!!

No Knead Bread

Can be found at Steamy Kitchen with an adorable chef:

No Knead Bread Recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman of NY Times who got it from Sullivan Street Bakery. When the recipe first came out, it was the blogging community who took the bread to new heights, especially Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Bread Bible. I followed Rose's experiments through the weeks and learned from her recipe adjustments and the why's of how this bread works.

ingredients:

3 cups bread flour (I like Harvest King bread flour)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine table salt (or 3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt)
1 1/2 cups warm water

Covered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamel...something that can go into a 450F oven.)

directions:

1. Mix dough: The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on countertop.

2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold ends of dough over a few times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Generously dust a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with flour. Set dough seam side down on top of towel. Fold towel over the dough. Let it nap for 2 hours. When you've got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 450F.

3. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven. Holding towel, turn over and dump wobbly dough into pot, using your hands to get the dough off the towel. Doesn't matter which way it lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack. If not eating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 350F oven for 10 minutes. Best way to eat it? Smear a warm slice with some good butter (Kerrygold and Lurpac are both found in your grocery stores, usually on top shelf)

Baguette

This recipe was found at food.com

Ingredients:
1 (1/4 ounce) packet active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups water (105 -115 F)
4 -4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
1 In a large bowl sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2 With a wooden spoon stir in 2 cups flour until combined.
3 Stir in salt and 2 cups of remaining flour until mixture forms a stiff dough.
4 On a lightly floured surface knead dough with lightly floured hands 8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, kneading in enough of remaining 1/2 cup flour to keep dough from sticking.
5 Transfer dough to a lightly oiled deep bowl, turning to coat with oil, and let rise, bowl covered with plastic wrap, until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
6 Preheat oven to 475-500°F (My oven does best with 475°, but it runs hot).
7 Punch down dough and form into a long slender loaf about 21 inches long and 3 inches wide.
8 You can also form individual mini-loaves.
9 Put loaf diagonally on a lightly greased large or 17 x 14-inch baking sheet and let rise, uncovered, about 30 minutes.
10 (Baguette may be made up to this point 4 hours ahead and chilled.) Make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes on loaf with a razor and lightly brush top with cool water.
11 Bake loaf in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until golden and sounds hollow when tapped, and transfer to a rack to cool.
12 Notes: For a chewy interior and perfect, crusty exterior, place a dutch oven filled with water in oven as it preheats for about an hour.
13 The humid enviroment will ensure the texture comes out right.
14 Baking stones don't hurt either.
15 If you don't want to put water into the oven, you can use a spray mister to keep the enviroment moist as it cooks.
Notes:

i) I used a 12g package of dry yeast. According to the instructions on the packet I mixed the dry yeast with the flour separately. I mixed the warm water, salt, and sugar also separately. I stirred the water vigorously so that the salt and sugar dissolved. I poured the water mixture over the yeast/flour mixture and blended them.
ii) I let the dough rise for 3-4 hours
iii) I didn´t grease the bowl and I didn´t grease the ban. I put milk on top of the bread instead of water before putting it in the oven

Torta di funghi (Wild mushroom tart) by Antonio Carluccio

I am very glad to see my beloved 'funghi' were already fashionable 500 years ago.

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• about 800g/1lb 12oz wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

• 1 large onion, finely sliced

• about 500g/1lb 2oz spinach or Swiss chard (use only the green part of the chard)

• 300g/10½oz asparagus tips

• 30g/1oz seedless raisins

• 40g/1½oz walnuts, chopped

• 3 slices stale bread, soaked in water to soften, then squeezed and torn into small pieces

• spice mixture: 1 tsp each ground cinnamon, ground pepper, sugar and salt

• herb mixture: 2 tbsp each chopped fresh mint, marjoram and thyme or oregano

• flour, for dusting

• 800g/1lb 12oz ready-made puff pastry (enough for the base and lid)

• 1 free-range egg, beaten

Preparation method

1. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a pan and add the garlic and the wild mushrooms. Fry gently until softened, then set aside.

2. Heat another two tablespoons of oil in a pan and add the sliced onion. Fry gently until softened, then set aside.

3. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a large pan, add the spinach or Swiss chard and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until wilted. Squeeze out any excess moisture.

4. Stir the asparagus tips, raisins, walnuts, breadcrumbs and the spice mixture into the spinach. Add the mushrooms and onion and finally the fresh herbs. Mix well.

5. Preheat the oven to 180C/375F/Gas 5.

6. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface. Cut out a round large enough to cover the base and sides of a large tart case and another circle to form the lid.

7. Place the pastry base into the tin and spoon in the filling mixture. Cover with the pastry lid and brush well with beaten egg.

Emily's Famous Hash Browns

From allrecipes

Ingredients

• 2 medium russet potatoes, shredded
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 cup oil for frying, or as needed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 
  

• Directions

  1. Rinse shredded potatoes until water is clear, then drain and squeeze dry. Place shreds in a bowl, and mix in the onion, flour and egg until evenly distributed.
  2. Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is sizzling hot, place potatoes into the pan in a 1/2 inch thick layer. Cover the whole bottom of the pan, or make separate piles like pancakes. Cook until nicely browned on the bottom, then flip over and brown on the other side. It should take at least 5 minutes per side. If you are cooking them in one big piece, it can be cut into quarters for easier flipping.
  3. Remove from pan, and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Pizza dough I

Inspired by this recipe.
* 1 tablespoon active dry yeast,         or 1 oz (25 g) brewer’s yeast* 1 1/2 cups (350 cc) warm water* 3 1/2 cups (500 g) flour* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil* pinch of salt


 500 F (260 C) for about 20–25 minutes

Maple pecan pie by Williams-Sonoma

Found here.

Pure maple syrup, made from the boiled sap of the sugar maple tree, comes in three grades. Grade A Light or Fancy syrup, sometimes called Grade AA, is clear gold and has a wonderfully subtle flavor, but its delicate character does not hold up in cooking. Grade B syrup is produced only in Vermont and has more maple flavor than Grade A. Sometimes called "baking" or "cooking" maple syrup, it is ideal for use in this recipe. Grade C has a robust, molasses-like flavor and is used primarily in making commercial table syrups.

Ingredients:

• 1 rolled-out round of basic pie dough (see
   related recipe at left)
• 2 cups pure maple syrup
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Fold the dough round in half and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie pan or dish. Unfold and ease the round into the pan, without stretching it, and pat it into the bottom and firmly up the sides of the pan. Using kitchen scissors, trim the edge of the dough, leaving 3/4 inch of overhang. Fold the overhang under itself and pinch it together to create a high edge on the pans rim. Flute the edge decoratively.

Refrigerate or freeze the pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F.

Line the pastry shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or raw short-grain rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then lift an edge of the foil. If the dough looks wet, continue to bake, checking every 5 minutes, until the dough is pale gold, for a total baking time of 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the maple syrup to a boil and boil for 8 to 10 minutes to reduce. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof measuring pitcher. The syrup should be reduced to 1 1/2 cups. If necessary, return the syrup to the saucepan and continue to boil until sufficiently reduced. Let cool to room temperature before proceeding.

In a bowl, stir together the eggs, brown sugar, reduced maple syrup, salt, melted butter and vanilla until well mixed. Add the pecans and stir well. Pour into the partially baked pie shell, making sure the pecans are evenly distributed.

Bake the pie until the center is slightly puffed and firm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool until just slightly warm, about 45 minutes, before serving. Makes one 9-inch pie; serves 8.

Serving Tip: Serve with sweetened whipped cream flavored with 1 Tbs. bourbon, if desired.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Pie & Tart, by Carolyn Beth Weil (Simon & Schuster, 2003).