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Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Posted in Breads, DIY, tagged , , , on March 10, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread from Kristine's Kitchen

It’s been a while since my last post, but not for lack of wanting to work on the blog. I’ve just been so busy, both with Julia’s 4th birthday party (yes, she’s 4!) and report cards. The party was a lot of fun, and I hope to write up a post about it soon.  The report cards are done and I’m all set for parent conferences next week, so I finally have a few minutes to devote here.

This whole wheat sandwich bread is a recipe I’ve been wanting to share for a while. Making more of our staples the homemade way is an undertaking that I’ve really been enjoying. Greek yogurt, graham crackers, and burger buns are just a few of the other foods I’ve made myself. I definitely don’t always make these rather than buying them, but when I have the time I try to.

This bread is my favorite out of the many whole wheat bread recipes I’ve tried. It is very easy to make, especially if you have a stand mixer to do the work of kneading the dough. My only issue with the recipe is that it only makes one loaf instead of two. I tried doubling it one time, but it was too much dough for my 5 quart stand mixer. If you have a larger capacity mixer it might work. I like to freeze my bread to keep it fresh longer. To do this, let it cool completely, then slice, and freeze in a zip-top plastic bag.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy this bread is lightly toasted (or fresh and warm from the oven) and topped with some almond butter.  It’s a perfect, healthy, and delicious snack.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread from Kristine's Kitchen

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Printable Recipe

Makes one 9-inch loaf

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup warm whole milk (110 degrees)
  • 1/3 cup warm water (110 degrees)
  • 3 tbsp. honey
  • 3 tbsp. plus ½ tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled, divided
  • 1 ¾ cups (9 2/3 oz.) whole wheat flour
  • 1 ½ -2 cups (8 ¼ to 11 oz.) bread flour
  • ¼ cup wheat germ
  • 1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp.) instant or rapid-rise yeast
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • Vegetable oil spray

Directions:

  1. Combine the milk, water, honey, and 3 tablespoons melted butter in a large liquid measuring cup; whisk to combine. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the whole wheat flour, 1 ½ cups bread flour, wheat germ, yeast, and salt. Mix briefly to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.
  2. Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add the remaining ½ cup bread flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
  4. Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press the dough into a 9-inch square, roll it into a tight cylinder, and pinch the seam closed. Place the dough, seam-side down, into the greased loaf pan. Spray the loaf lightly with vegetable oil spray, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until the loaf has nearly doubled in size, 45 to 75 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  5. Brush the loaf with the ½ tablespoon melted butter. Bake until the crust is golden and the center of the bread registers 200 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the loaf halfway through baking.
  6. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing.

Source: The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

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Homemade Graham Crackers

Posted in Cookies, DIY, Snacks, tagged , , , on February 12, 2013 | 1 Comment »

homemade graham crackers

I have been wanting to try making homemade graham crackers for a while now. This past weekend I decided it was as good a time as any, so I started looking at a few recipes. I was happily surprised to find that I had all of the ingredients on hand, so right away I started mixing up the dough. I always thought you needed graham flour to make graham crackers, but you don’t, all you need are pantry staples that you probably already have in your kitchen.

You might be wondering, why make homemade graham crackers when it’s much easier to just pick up a box at the grocery store? The obvious reason is that the homemade version tastes much better, and these definitely do. They have the same graham cracker flavor you are used to, but are just so much better. The day you make them, they will be a little soft in the center and crisp around the edges. After that, they are crisp all the way through.

While you do have to invest some time to make these, it’s pretty minimal. Maybe about 15 minutes to mix up the dough, plus another 15 to roll and cut them out. This is totally worth it to me because I like knowing exactly what’s in these crackers. I’ve recently discovered that my usual store brand contains a small amount of partially hydrogenated oils (aka trans fats), which I try to avoid completely for health reasons.

There are a few inactive time steps that you need to plan ahead for when making this recipe. First, you’ll need to cut the butter into cubes and freeze it for 20 to 30 minutes before you can make the dough. The dough will need to be chilled for at least 2 hours before you can roll and cut the crackers. (I chilled mine overnight because I didn’t have time to bake them the day I made the dough.) Finally, you will need to chill the cut-out crackers for 30 to 45 minutes before you can bake them. None of these steps bothered me because they are all inactive time, and it was nice to be able to make the crackers in smaller steps, since it’s not always easy to find a bigger chunk of time to spend in the kitchen these days.

If graham crackers have been on your list of things you’d like to make yourself some day, I encourage you to give these a try. I’m so glad I did, and I’m not sure why I waited so long!

Homemade Graham Crackers

Printable Recipe

Makes about 3 dozen 3 by 2-inch rectangles

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups plus 2 tbsp. (300 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (75 grams) whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup (176 grams) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 tsp. (6 grams) baking soda
  • ¾ tsp. (4 grams) kosher salt
  • 7 tbsp. (3 ½ oz. or 100 grams) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and frozen (at least 20-30 minutes)
  • 5 tbsp. (77 grams) milk (whole is best)
  • 1/3 cup (114 grams) mild-flavored honey
  • 2 tbsp. vanilla extract

For the cinnamon-sugar topping:

  • 3 tbsp. (43 grams) sugar
  • 1 tsp. 5 grams) ground cinnamon

Directions:

  1. To make the dough, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to blend. Add in the butter and pulse in short bursts until the mixture has the texture of coarse meal. (This can also be done in a stand mixer or with a pastry blender if you don’t have a food processor.) In a liquid measuring cup, combine the milk, honey, and vanilla. Whisk to blend. Add the liquid to the flour mixture and process just until a dough has come together. The mixture will be fairly sticky. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap, form into a disk, cover tightly and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
  2. When you are ready to bake the crackers, line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Generously flour a work surface. Place half of the dough on the work surface, sprinkle with flour, and roll out into an even layer about 1/8-inch thick. (Keep the second half of the dough in the refrigerator while you work). Re-flour as needed since this dough can be quite sticky. Use a cookie cutter or pastry cutter to cut the dough into your desired shape. Transfer the cut-outs to the prepared baking sheets, spacing an inch or two apart. Re-roll additional dough scraps as needed, and then repeat with the second half of the dough. Chill the cut-outs once more until firm, about 30-45 minutes in the refrigerator or 15-20 minutes in the freezer.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping in a small bowl. If desired, use the blunt end of a wooden skewer to poke a dotted pattern in the top of the crackers. Bake until evenly browned and just crisp, about 15-17 minutes total. About two minutes before the crackers are done baking, sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, if using. Let the crackers cool on the pans briefly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Crackers will keep in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.

Source: Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen, via Annie’s Eats.

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Homemade Greek Yogurt

Posted in Breakfast, DIY, Snacks, tagged , , , , , on February 7, 2013 | 5 Comments »

Homemade Greek Yogurt

I am completely addicted to this homemade greek yogurt. I never would have thought that I would make my own yogurt. When I first came across the idea, I thought it was interesting but not something that I would actually do. The second time I saw a recipe for homemade greek yogurt, though, I thought, I can do that. And you know what? I totally did. And I’ve made this at least once a week every week in the six weeks since then.

Why am I so addicted to this yogurt? There are a few reasons. For one, it tastes amazing. Even my favorite store brand can’t compete with this thick, creamy yogurt. Homemade yogurt is much less sour than store-bought, and while it’s hard for me to eat store-bought without some sort of sweetener, I can eat this plain.

Second, homemade yogurt is much more cost-effective than the stuff you buy in the store. Greek yogurt isn’t cheap, and it’s been nice to save a few dollars each week on our grocery bill. Plus, I feel good knowing I’m saving on the packaging waste that comes with buying yogurt at the store. I try my best to recycle those yogurt containers, but it’s best not to use them in the first place.

It’s so easy to make your own yogurt! All that you’ll need to get started is some milk, a tablespoon of yogurt, and a few kitchen tools that you probably already have: a medium saucepan, an instant-read thermometer, a large glass or ceramic bowl, a fine-mesh sieve, and another large bowl. The active time that you’ll have to invest is really small, especially once you’ve done this a few times and have the process down. The first time I kept checking the temperature of the milk every minute or two, but now I know about how long it will take to heat and cool, so I can wait a while before I start checking.

I’ve included step-by-step photos and directions below, so you can see how easy the process is.  I usually get the yogurt started in the evening after dinner, let it incubate in my warmed oven overnight, and then strain it the next day.  This works for me because then I don’t tie up my oven all day.  Because, you know, I love to bake, right?

Your homemade yogurt will keep for about a week in an airtight container in the fridge, but it never lasts that long around here. I eat this daily, and Julia is always asking for some of “Mommy’s homemade yogurt.” There are so many ways to enjoy this yogurt. It’s delicious left unsweetened and topped with some berries or granola. Sometimes I mix in a tiny bit of honey or vanilla extract (vanilla yogurt!). This yogurt is so incredibly rich and creamy with just a hint of tartness, I feel like I’m eating dessert when I eat it. If you have any interest in making homemade versions of things that you typically buy in the store, I encourage you to give this a try. But be warned, once you start making your own yogurt, it will be very hard to stop. :)

So… let’s make yogurt!

homemade greek yogurt

Pour 8 cups (2 quarts) milk into a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk reaches 180 degrees F. At this temperature, the milk will be steaming and starting to froth, but not yet boiling.  I usually use 2% milk, but you can also use whole, 1%, or skim.

homemade greek yogur

homemade greek yogurt

Pour the milk into a glass or ceramic bowl and let it cool until it is between 110 and 115 degrees F. This is the temperature range needed to activate the yogurt cultures.  (Side note- I really need a new instant-read thermometer!  This one is not in any way instant, and it makes me crazy waiting for it to register the temperature.  I really want this one, but don’t think I can justify spending that much.)

homemade greek yogurt

Then whisk in 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt.

homemade greek yogurt

Cover the bowl with a lid or some plastic wrap and wrap it in a few heavy dish towels.

homemade greek yogurt

Turn the oven on to any temperature, and allow it to preheat for one minute. Shut the oven off, turn on the oven light, and place the towel-wrapped bowl inside. Close the oven door and let the yogurt hang out in the warm oven for 8 to 12 hours. During this incubation time, you want the oven to stay warm (about 110 degrees), so you may want to check every few hours and repeat the one-minute warming cycle if needed. (I usually don’t worry about this because I let my yogurt incubate overnight, and it works just fine.)  My yogurt usually takes about 12 hours.

homemade greek yogurt

You will know the yogurt is done when it looks like yogurt, with some liquid on top. This liquid is called whey and needs to be drained off before you will have thick Greek-style yogurt.

homemade greek yogurt

To do this, place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl. Line the sieve with some cheesecloth or a double layer of paper towels. Scoop the yogurt into the paper-towel lined sieve and cover it with some plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for about 8 hours until the whey has drained off. (You can either discard the whey or use it in place of water when baking bread. It will keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.)

homemade greek yogurt

Scoop the yogurt into a bowl and then stir/whisk until smooth.

homemade greek yogurt

homemade greek yogurt

Scoop the yogurt into a storage container, cover, and store in the refrigerator. Homemade yogurt will keep for about a week.  Look at that, you made yogurt!

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Printable Recipe

Makes about 3-4 cups

Ingredients:

  • 8 cups (2 quarts or ½ gallon) milk (I usually use 2%, but whole, 1%, or fat-free will also work)
  • 1 tablespoon plain yogurt (store-bought that contains live active cultures, or homemade yogurt from a previous batch)

Directions:

  1. Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk reaches 180 degrees F. At this temperature, the milk will be steaming and starting to froth, but not yet boiling.
  2. Pour the milk into a bowl and let it cool until it is between 110 and 115 degrees F. This is the temperature range needed to activate the yogurt cultures. Then whisk in the plain yogurt. Cover the bowl with a lid or some plastic wrap and wrap it in a few heavy dish towels.
  3. Turn the oven on to any temperature, and allow it to preheat for one minute. Shut the oven off, turn on the oven light, and place the towel-wrapped bowl inside. Close the oven door and let the yogurt hang out in the warm oven for 8 to 12 hours. During this incubation time, you want the oven to stay warm (about 110 degrees), so you may want to check every few hours and repeat the one-minute warming cycle if needed. (I usually don’t worry about this because I let my yogurt incubate overnight, and it works just fine.)
  4. You will know the yogurt is done when it looks like yogurt, with some liquid on top. This liquid is called whey and needs to be drained off before you will have thick Greek-style yogurt. To do this, place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl. Line the sieve with some cheesecloth or a double layer of paper towels. Scoop the yogurt into the paper-towel lined sieve and cover it with some plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for about 8 hours until the whey has drained off. (You can either discard the whey or use it in place of water when baking bread. It will keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.)
  5. Scoop the yogurt into a storage container, cover, and store in the refrigerator. Homemade yogurt will keep for about a week.

Source: Adapted from Make the Bread, Buy the Butter.

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Roasted Bell Peppers

Posted in DIY, tagged , on June 18, 2011 | 3 Comments »

How to Roast Bell Peppers

Roasted bell peppers are a delicious addition to sandwiches, burgers, and pastas.  The roasting process brings out the natural sweetness of the peppers and adds a richness of flavor to your dish.

You can buy jars of roasted peppers in the grocery store, but it’s easy (and fun!) to roast your own peppers at home.  Home-roasted also taste much better, and you don’t have the tough bits where the skin was left on that you sometimes find in jarred peppers (I hate those tough bits- yuck!).

When I’m making a recipe that calls for roasted peppers, I try to prepare the peppers in the late afternoon, before I need to begin cooking the rest of the meal.  This way, I’m not adding another step during my meal preparation process, and when it’s time to cook dinner, I have roasted peppers just as easily as if I opened a jar from the store.

One year ago:  Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Roasted Bell Peppers

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, or a combination of colors

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven, using the broiler setting.  Place an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler.  Wash your peppers, slice off the tops, and slice them in half down the middle, from top to bottom.
  2. Use your hands to remove the seeds and membranes.
  3. Place the peppers, skin side up, on a foil lined baking sheet.  Using your hand, press down on each pepper half to flatten.
  4. Broil peppers for about 10 minutes, until blackened.  Be sure to check on them every few minutes.
  5. Place the peppers in a glass bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let them cool for about 10 minutes.  The steam that is trapped in the bowl will loosen the skin, making it easier to peel off.
  6. Use your fingers to peel all of the skin off of each pepper.  Discard the skins.
  7. Slice or chop the peppers as desired.

Step-by-step, with photos:

1.  Preheat your oven, using the broiler setting.  Place an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler.  Wash your peppers, slice off the tops, and slice them in half down the middle, from top to bottom.

2.  Use your hands to remove the seeds and membranes.

3.  Place the peppers, skin side up, on a foil lined baking sheet.  Using your hand, press down on each pepper half to flatten.

4.  Broil peppers for about 10 minutes, until blackened.  Be sure to check on them every few minutes.

5.  Place the peppers in a glass bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let them cool for about 10 minutes.  The steam that is trapped in the bowl will loosen the skin, making it easier to peel off.

6.  Use your fingers to peel all of the skin off of each pepper.  Discard the skins.

7.  Slice or chop your peppers as desired.

Enjoy!

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Nutty Granola

Posted in Breakfast, DIY, Pancakes, Waffles, & Cereals, tagged , , , , on January 3, 2011 | 2 Comments »

Nutty Granola

This healthy granola makes a delicious breakfast or snack. I like to eat it with a splash of milk or mixed into Greek yogurt. The recipe is so simple- mix nuts and oats with a bit of salt and cinnamon, and then stir in some real maple syrup. After that, all you have to do is bake the granola for about 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes or so. It couldn’t be easier!

The walnuts, almonds, and pecans contribute lots of filling protein and fiber, along with other nutrients, to the granola. If you like, you can also add raisins or other dried fruit. With its subtle sweetness and nutty crunch, this granola will give you the energy you need to tackle your day.

Nutty Granola

Printable recipe

Makes 4 1/2 cups (9 one-half cup servings)

Ingredients:

  • Cooking spray
  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup chopped almonds
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine oats, nuts, salt, and cinnamon (and raisins, if using). Stir in maple syrup until it evenly coats the other ingredients. Spread on the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
  3. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool completely. Granola will keep stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.

Recipe slightly adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

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Flaky Pie Crust

Posted in Desserts, DIY, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , on November 27, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Flaky Pie Crust

Look at that flaky deliciousness!

The secret to a flaky pie crust? Keeping the ingredients really cold, and working in the butter just enough so that there are still visible pieces of butter in the dough. When you use really cold butter and ice cold water in the dough, it keeps the butter from “melting” into the dough. Then, when you bake your pie, those visible pieces of butter melt and release steam to create tiny pockets of air in the dough, which creates those wonderful flaky layers of pie crust.

Until very recently I always used my food processor to make pie dough. I loved how fast and easy it was, letting the processor do all of the work. Those pie crusts certainly tasted good, but they were definitely not as flaky as when I do the work by hand, using my pastry blender. Another perk of using the pastry blender is that it is so much easier to wash than the food processor (isn’t it terribly annoying washing all of those parts, and the dough gets stuck in the crevices…).

Below I’ll show you step by step how to make a delicious, flaky pie crust using a pastry blender and your own two hands. If you want to know how to make a delicious (but not as flaky) pie crust using your food processor, click here. But, I promise that it is incredibly satisfying to make pie dough by hand, and it only takes a minute or two longer (especially if you account for the time you’ll save by not washing that food processor!).

Flaky Pie Crust

Makes enough dough for a single crust pie. If you are making a double crust pie, double this recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter
  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • Ice-cold water

Directions:

1.  Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.  Also make sure that you have ice cold water ready, by placing a few ice cubes in a small cup of water, and placing the cup in the refrigerator.

2.  Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl to combine.
3.  Use a pastry blender to work the butter into the dough.  You want to end up with approximately pea-sized pieces of butter, but don’t worry if the pieces are not all the same size.  You want to be careful not to work the butter in too much, so that you’ll get those nice steam pockets when the pieces of butter melt as the pie bakes.

This is what the dough should look like after you've worked in the butter using your pastry blender. See how the butter pieces are approximately pea-sized, but vary in size and shape?

4.  Add 3 Tablespoons of ice cold water to the dough, and use a fork or spatula to mix the water in.  Continue adding water, a teaspoon at a time, until the dough begins to clump together.  Your goal is to gather all of the dough together into a ball.  Use your hands at the end to clump the dough together into a ball.

As you gradually add the cold water, mix with a fork to pull the dough together.

When the dough is almost all clumped together, use your hands to finish clumping together all of the bits of dough.

5.  Flatten the ball into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.

See those pieces of butter in the dough?

6.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out the dough to make the pie crust.

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Light Brioche Burger Buns

Posted in Breads, DIY, tagged , on November 7, 2010 | 9 Comments »

Note:  Post updated 7/1/12 to include new photos and a recipe update for making whole wheat buns.

 

After seeing these homemade burger buns on my sister, Karen’s, blog, I really wanted to make them. They looked amazingly delicious, but I put off making some of my own because I didn’t want to commit to the extra time involved. Now that I’ve finally gotten around to baking some of these buns, I realize how easy it is to make them. The hands-on prep time is minimal, so as long as you’ll be home for a few hours to let the dough rise in between steps, there’s no reason why you can’t make these yourself.

 

Yes, I will still buy store-bought hamburger buns sometimes, but I will also make these whenever I can. It is well worth the time investment because you end up with a tender burger bun with a light flavor and just a touch of sweetness.   I have the last two buns from this batch in my freezer, and I can’t wait to enjoy them this week with some turkey burgers. Yum!

Light Brioche Burger Buns

Makes 8 buns

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. warm milk
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 tsp. instant yeast
  • 2 1/2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups bread flour*
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

*I like to make whole wheat buns using 1 1/2 cups bread flour and 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour.

For topping:

  • 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
  • Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg.  Mix briefly to combine.  Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated.  Mix in the butter.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6-8 minutes.  The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour because it will create tough buns.
  2. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.
  3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  Divide the dough into 8 equal parts.  Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart.  Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.
  4. Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center.  Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.  Bake the buns about 15 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Cooking with Karen, adapted from Annie’s Eats, Smitten Kitchen and Comme Ça via The New York Times.

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Cherry Pie

Posted in Desserts, DIY, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , on May 31, 2010 | 6 Comments »

Cherry Pie

My family and I went to pick cherries at a local orchard this past weekend, and they are absolutely delicious. I used some of them to make this cherry pie, and I have to say I think it may be the best cherry pie I have ever had. I know that the freshly picked cherries were one of the main reasons this pie was so good, but the crust was also wonderful (it’s my favorite pie crust recipe- I love how you don’t have to chill the dough before rolling it out). I think I may even be making another pie tomorrow, unless I find another recipe to use up more of the cherries in our refrigerator!


Cherry Pie

Ingredients:

  • 2 rolled-out Basic Pie Dough rounds (see recipe below)
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 cups pitted fresh cherries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

  1. Carefully transfer one rolled-out dough round to a 9-inch pie dish (roll the dough up onto a rolling pin to transfer). Pat the dough firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the edge of the dough, leaving 3/4 inch overhang. Set aside in a cool place until ready to use, along with the second dough (I left the second dough disk in the refrigerator and didn’t roll it out until I was ready to use it for the lattice top).
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Place the cherries in a large bowl and sprinkle the sugar mixture over; toss to distribute evenly. (I didn’t use quite all of the sugar mixture, because it seemed like too much.) Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. Immediately transfer to the dough-lined pan.
  3. Use the other dough round to make a lattice top (see directions below).  Trim to about 3/4 inch overhang and crimp the crust edges together using your fingers.
  4. Refrigerate the pie until the dough is firm, about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, place oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
  5. Bake the pie for 15 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until crust is golden and filling is thick and bubbling, 40-50 minutes longer. Check the pie after it has baked for about 25 minutes total, and cover crust edges with foil to prevent over-browning. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Makes one 9-inch pie

Basic Pie Dough

(Double this recipe to make 2 dough-rounds for a double-crust pie.)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3 tablespoons very cold water

Directions:

Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add in the butter, pulse a few times until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Gather the dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured work surface. Flatten into a disk and roll to a round about 12 inches in diameter.

Recipes adapted from Williams-Sonoma: Pie and Tart

How to make a lattice-top:

1. Start with a round of dough rolled out to about 12 inches in diameter.  Slice the dough into strips, about 1/2 inch thick:


2. Place strips of dough across the pie in the horizontal direction only.  Be sure to use some of the longer strips and some of the shorter, saving the rest to go across the pie in the other direction.  Fold every other strip back halfway, and place a long dough strip across the center of the pie vertically:

3. Return the dough strips to their original position, and fold the dough strips that were left in place the first time back.  Place a second vertical strip across the pie.  Continue in this manner to finish creating a lattice on the right side of the pie, then follow the same method on the left side.

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