Homemade Pizza

1 1/2 C warm water (105° - 115°)
1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
3 1/2 C bread flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Plus desired toppings

1. In the large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer, add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is activated. Stir to dissolve completely if needed after 5 minutes is up.
2. Attach a mixing paddle to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt, and sugar on low speed for about a minute. Remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook. Kneed using the mixer and dough hook, on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If you don't have a mixer, you can mix and kneed by hand. If the dough seems a little too wet, sprinkle on a bit more flour.
3. Place ball of dough in a bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil. Turn the dough around in the bowl to coat. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place (75°-85°) until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or several hours longer, a longer rise will improve the flavor). If you don't have a warm spot in the house, you can heat the oven to 150° and then turn off the oven. Let the oven cool till it is just a little warm, then place the bowl of dough in the warmed oven to rise. 
4. The dough can be frozen in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
5. Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450° for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.
6. Remove the plastic cover from the dough and punch the dough down so it deflates a bit. Divide the dough in half. Form two round balls of dough. Place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic and let sit for 10 minutes.
7. Prepare your desired toppings. It is recommended you use no more than about 1/3 C of tomato sauce and 1/3 C of cheese per pizza.
8. Working with one ball of dough at a time, flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2" thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Let the dough relax 5 minutes and then continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter (10-12"). Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker. You can pinch the edges if you want to form a lip.
9. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil. This prevents the crust from getting soggy from the toppings. Use your finger tips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest another 5 minutes. 
10. Repeat the process with the second ball of dough.
11. Lightly sprinkle your pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) with cornmeal. Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza peel. If the dough has lost its shape in the transfer, lightly shape it to the desired dimensions.
12. Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and place desired toppings on the pizza.
13. Sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven without burning yourself. Gently shake the peel to see if the dough will easily slide, if not, gently lift up the edges of the pizza and add a bit more cornmeal. Slide the pizza off of the peel and onto the baking stone in the oven. Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes. You can add more cheese near the end of the cooking time, if desired.

French Toast - Night Before

1 loaf French bread, cubed
8 large eggs
3 C milk
1/3 C pancake syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 C butter or margarine, melted and cooled

1. Spray 9x13" Pyrex dish with cooking spray. Arrange French bread in dish.
2. Whisk together and beat well: eggs, milk, syrup, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla.
3. Gradually pour in butter while still whisking the mixture.
4. Pour over bread, pressing bread cubes to absorb egg mixture.
5. Cover with foil and chill at least 8 hours.
6. Bake covered at 350° for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for 25 more minutes or until bread is puffy and lightly browned.
7. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving with warm strawberry syrup or maple syrup.

Recipe from : Munko's Kitchen 

Perfect Pizza Crust

1 pkg active dry Yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

2 tsp Sugar

1 1/2 C warm Water

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp White Vinegar

3 3/4 - 4 C Bread Flour

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/2 C of the warm water with the sugar and yeast. Stir to dissolve the yeast and let rest for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining 1 C of warm water and the olive oil, salt and vinegar.

Begin mixing on medium-low speed and gradually add the flour. Kneed for about 7 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic (it should be sticky but not so sticky that it sticks to your clean fingertip). Cover the bowl with a dry towel and allow to rest in a warm place until doubled in volume - about 1 hour. 

Gently punch dough down and place on floured countertop. Divide the dough into three equal pieces (depending on how thick or how big you want your crust). Roll and stretch dough to desired size and thickness. Allow to rest for 20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 450 degrees and brush dough lightly with olive oil. 

Pre-bake the dough on a pizza stone or pizza pan for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and add toppings. Return to oven and bade for 8-12 more minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. 

Baked French Toast

6 Eggs
1 C Milk
3 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1 loaf French Bread, sliced 1" thick

In 13"x9"x2" baking dish, beat eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until light and frothy. Add bread; let soak about 20 minutes on each side or until egg mixture is absorbed, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake on heavily greased baking sheet in preheated 500° oven for 8 minutes on each side or until golden brown. (Or cook in a skillet in butter 4 minutes per side or until golden brown.)

Yield: 4 Servings

Coffee Cake Muffins

¼ C Light Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed   

¼ C Pecans, Chopped (optional)           

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon                      

1½ C All-purpose Flour                     

½ C Sugar                                        

2 tsp Baking Powder

¼ tsp Salt

¼ tsp Baking Soda

1 Egg, Large

¾ C Milk

⅓ C Vegetable Oil

Combine light brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda together. Set aside.

Stir together egg, milk and oil; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Place paper baking cups in muffin pans or lightly coat with vegetable cooking spray. 

Spoon about 1 Tbsp batter into each of 12 cups; sprinkle evenly with half of brown sugar mixture. 

Top evenly with remaining batter, and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture. 

Bake at 400° for 22-24 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: 1 dozen

Kathie's Bread

1 C Bread Flour    

1 Pkg Yeast (Rapid Rise)    

1 ½ tsp Salt  

¼ c Or Less Sugar

1 C Hot Water

1 Egg White

3 Tbsp Margarine, Melted

1-2 C Bread Flour

Mix yeast, salt, sugar and 1 C flour. 

Add hot water. Mix. 

Add egg white. Beat with slotted spoon. 

Add melted margarine. Beat. 

Add flour to make stiff. 

Kneed. 

Cover and let rise in warm spot until double in size. 

Punch down. 

Make into rolls, cinnamon rolls, or bread loaves. 

Let rise again until double. 

(Total pre-baking time is approximately 2 hours.) 

Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

To make cinnamon rolls: 

Roll out half the dough. 

Spread with melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar. 

Roll up and slice. 

Place in baking pan covered with melted butter, brown sugar, and drizzled with pancake syrup. 

Or place in greased pan and frost the cooked rolls with powdered sugar, melted margarine, and water.

One cup of wheat flour can be substituted for one of the cups of bread flour if desired. 

Olivia's French Bread

3½-4 C All-purpose Flour, divided            

1 Pkg Yeast            

½ Tbsp Salt            

½ tsp Sugar            

1½ Tbsp Margarine, Melted

1¼ C Warm Tap Water

Baste top with:

1 Egg White

1 Tbsp Cold Water

Toasted Sesame Seeds (optional)

In large bowl mix 1¼ C flour, yeast, salt and sugar. 
Add margarine. 
Gradually add warm tap water to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. 
Stir in enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. 
Form into a ball and let rise to about double in size. 
Turn out onto lightly floured board. 
Knead a few times to form a ball. 
Divide into 2 pieces. 
Roll into a 15 by 8 inch oblong. 
Roll up tightly as for jelly roll. 
Press down some. 
Place 2 loaves on greased cookie sheet. 
Let rise again. 
Bake 25 minutes at 425°. 
If recipe is doubled, bake two loaves at a time. 

Spoon Bread

1 C Corn Meal, White Or Yellow            

½ tsp Salt  

1 C Cold Milk            

2 C Milk

2 Eggs

3 Tbsp Margarine

Preheat 1½ qt casserole with about 2 Tbsp margarine in 350° oven. (Do not spray pan with non-stick spray.)  

Mix corn meal and salt in cold milk. 

Heat 2 C milk in sauce pan.  

Add corn meal mixture and cook until it thickens (about 5 min). 

Beat eggs. 

Add margarine to egg mixture. 

Add small amount of hot mixture to eggs. Stir. 

Add eggs to the hot mixture. 

Pour into heated casserole dish. 

Bake at 350° for 50 minutes. 

Crescent Cinnamon Rolls

1 Package Refrigerated Crescent Rolls
Margarine
Sugar
Cinnamon
1½ C Powdered Sugar
3 Tbsp Milk

Unroll each rectangle of four rolls gently squeezing the seams together. Prepare each rectangle as follows: Spread soft margarine smoothly over entire surface. Sprinkle with sugar, pretty heavily. Shake cinnamon over entire surface. For small rolls, roll from the long edge of each rectangle. For bigger rolls, roll from the small end of the rectangle. Once rolled, slice rolls from ¼ inch to ½ inch thick. Lay rolls on cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 11-13 minutes. Mix powdered sugar and milk together. Add more of either ingredient to desired consistency for icing. Remove rolls from oven and spoon icing over each roll while still very hot. Remove from pan and serve.

Becky's Bran Muffins

2 C Sugar            

5 C Flour            

2 tsp Baking Soda            

2 tsp Salt            

2 tsp Cinnamon            

1 tsp Nutmeg

4 eggs, beaten

1 C Oil

1 qt Buttermilk

15 - 17 oz box Bran Flakes

chopped pecans (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Bake muffins at 400° for 15-20 minutes. The batter will keep for over a week in the refrigerator.