Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 large, very ripe bananas*
• 8 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed, light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped, (optional)
• 2 tsp. sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

Place 5 bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several stem vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes.  This can bubble over, so keep an eye on it.

Transfer bananas to a strainer placed over medium saucepan and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.  You should have about 1/2 cup liquid.

Bring banana liquor to a boil and cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half.  Remove from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with a fork until fairly smooth.  Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla.

Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining.  Gently fold in walnuts, if using.  Scrape batter into prepared pan.  Slice remaining banana into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  Shingle banana slices on top of the loaf leaving the center space open to ensure even rise.  Sprinkle with granulated sugar evenly over loaf.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes.  Cool bread 15 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients

375 grams All Purpose Flour (3 cups)
2 grams Dry Active Yeast 1/2 tsp
6 grams Sea Salt (1.5 tsp)
350 ml Yogurt Whey (or fresh water) (1.5 cups)

Instructions

Warm whey (or water) to 100˚ F).
In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, yeast and salt. Add warmed Whey (or water) and mix together until a shaggy mixture forms (mixture will be loose and sticky; this is what you want).
Place dough in Instant Pot and push the Yogurt button and adjust until display reads 24:00 and “Less.” Use the – button and adjust down to 3 hours. Place cover on Instant Pot.
When Instant Pot beeps, place a Cast Iron Dutch Oven into your oven and turn oven on to 500 degrees.Remove dough from Instant Pot and place onto a floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour on to top of dough and form into a ball.
Cover with a tea towel and bench rest 30 minutes. (That means leave on the counter undisturbed.)
Place the dough into the heated Dutch oven and spritz with a little water. Place on lid and close oven door. Turn temperature to 450 degrees and bake for 25 minutes..
After 25 minutes is up, remove lid and bake for an additional 10-20 minutes. Use a foil tent if the bread over browns. At the 10 minute mark, test the internal temperature of the bread to see if it reaches 200+. When the temperature reaches 200, the bread is done.
Remove Bread from Dutch Oven and place on cooling rack. Allow to cool before cutting Bread

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup crushed pistachios, roasted are fine, I don’t use salted
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup plain greek yogurt

Lemon Glaze

1 lemon, zest freshly grated
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped pistachios

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick baking spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pistachios.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract.

Beat in half of the dry ingredients. Beat in the greek yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients until just combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl as you go. Don’t overbeat the batter and create too much gluten!

Pour the mixture in the loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes rotating the pan once during the bake. The top should be golden brown and the center set. If the loaf gets too dark, place a foil tent over the loaf for the last few minutes of the bake.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes our until the loaf is easy to handle. Gently remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely. Once cool, drizzle with the glaze and sprinkle with pistachios.

Lemon Glaze

Whisk the zest, powdered sugar and juice together in a large bowl until smooth. Pour it over the cake once cooled. Sprinkle with the pistachios.

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk, heated to 180 then cooled to 110
2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant y east (1 standard packet)
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
1/4 cup (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour or bread flour* (spooned & leveled)
optional topping: 2 Tablespoons (28g) melted unsalted butter mixed with 1 Tablespoon honey

Instructions

1. Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. With a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix/beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then add the remaining flour. Using the dough hook, beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough seems too wet after two minutes of hydration , beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough. Be sure to allow the dough to hydrate after each addition of flour. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
3. Knead the dough for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes.
4. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always set my oven on the bread proof setting so the dough rises in about an hour. If you let it rise on the counter, it can take up to 2 hours.)
4, Grease a 9×13 glass baking dish. I prefer glass so the rolls don’t over brown. Alternatively, you can use a 9,13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans. You can also bake the rolls in a cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet.
5, When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces using a bench scraper. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange in prepared baking pan.
6. Cover shaped rolls with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
7. Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F. (It’s best to bake the rolls towards the bottom of the oven so the tops don’t burn.)
12.Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, brush with optional honey butter topping, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Ingredients

1 cup whole-wheat flour, preferably stone-ground
2 tablespoons wheat bran
¾ cup warm whole milk (heat to 180 then cool to 110)
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 envelopes active dry yeast (1 tablespoon plus 1 ¼ teaspoons)
3 tablespoons coarse whole-grain cornmeal (yellow grits is what I use)
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons old-fashioned oats
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups bread flour
Olive oil, cooking spray

Directions

1. Stir whole-wheat flour, bran, and 1 cup water in the bowl of your mixer. Let stand 30 minutes.
2. Stir milk and 1 tablespoon sugar in a 2 cup measuring cup until sugar dissolves. Stir in yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
3. Combine the whole-wheat flour mixture, milk mixture, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, the cornmeal, 3 tablespoons oats, the ground flaxseed, and salt into the mixing bowl fitted with the dough hook; mix on medium-low speed until combined. Add 2 1/2 cups bread flour; mix until dough is tacky, but not sticky, about 2 minutes (if dough is too sticky, add more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time). Continue kneading until dough is soft and elastic, about 5 minutes more.
4. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Add dough to bowl; turn to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour (or refrigerate overnight; bring to room temperature).
5. Turn out dough onto a work surface; shape into a loaf about 9 inches long. Using a spray bottle, mist with water; sprinkle top with remaining 2 teaspoons oats. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray. Transfer loaf to the pan, and cover lightly with the plastic wrap. Let stand until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mist oven with water; place loaf in oven. Bake 5 minutes; mist oven again. Continue to bake, rotating pan once, until well browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Unmold bread onto a wire rack; return to oven, and bake directly on oven rack 5 minutes more. Remove from oven; let cool completely on rack.

Ingredients

4 cups bread flour
2½ teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup sour cream
1 cup water, divided
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cubed
vegetable oil for kneading

Instructions

Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the large bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the dough hook (I use a KitchenAid).

Put the sour sour cream into a measuring cup, add ⅔ cup of cold water. Add the cubed butter to the sour cream/water mixture. Then add 7 Tablespoons of boiling water. Stir to be sure the butter is softened and will incorporate into the dough.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredient and stir slowly until all the flour is hydrated and a soft, sticky dough forms. This should take less than a minute.

Without removing the bowl from the mixer stand, cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the mixer on again and knead the dough for about 10 seconds. At this point, the dough should begin to form into a ball. Cover it again, and leave for 10 more minutes. Repeat this process twice.

After the third 10-second knead, remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a ball. Oiling your hands and the surface on which you will work the dough will make this process less sticky! Form the dough into a ball again, put it back in the bowl, cover, and leave to rest and rise for an hour until doubled in size.

Select the loaf pan you will use for the bread. You can use a standard 8 1/2″ x 4″ loaf pan or a small Pullman pan which is 9″ x 5″. I have also used a standard Pullman pan which is 13″x4″ x 4″ which will produce a longer but less tall loaf.

Which ever pan you use, line the bottom of your loaf pan with parchment paper and very lightly grease or spray the bottom and sides and set aside.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and move it to the counter top which you have oiled. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle about 3/4 of an inch thick and as wide as the pan in which you will bake it. The long side of the rectangle should be the same length as the pan you are using for baking. Starting with this edge, and using both hands, tightly roll the dough into a scroll (like rolling a Swiss roll), and gently place it seam side down in your prepared loaf pan, tucking the ends if necessary.

Leave to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1–1½ hours.

When the dough has risen fully, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for about 35 minutes and using a stick thermometer check for doneness which is around 205 degrees. If the top of the loaf is browning too quickly, cover with a foil tent.

Remove the loaf from the pan onto a baker’s rack once you remove it from the oven. Let loaf cool for at least 2 hours or over night before slicing.

Ingredients

6 cups bread flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil or other neutral oil
4 1/2 teaspoons regular or quick active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (more water may be needed if the dough is too dry. Add water by tablespoons up to 4 additional tablespoons.)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix 4 cups of flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast in the large bowl of the mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add warm water (no more than 110 degrees) and olive oil. Beat on low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl, until a wet dough forms, about 3 minutes. Add remaining flour and mix slowly until the flour is incorporated into a soft dough. Mix for 5-7 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic and slightly tacky to the touch. Kneading the dough for this length of time is important to ensure the flour is fully hydrated and so that the gluten forms properly.
2. Place dough in a large bowl wiped with olive oil. Allow 1 hour (more if needed) to rise so that dough is doubled in size.
3. Grease bottoms and sides of a 9X13 Pullman loaf pan. (I generally use a piece of parchment in the bottom of the pan, which I spray with vegetable spray.)
4. Turn dough onto counter which you’ve sprinkled lightly with flour. (you can also use neutral oil instead of flour. This will result in a loaf with a thicker crust) Gently pat dough into a (roughly) 8×13″ rectangle. Roll up lengthwise, pinching the end of the dough to seal it. Fold and tuck the ends of the loaf so the dough fits snugly into the Pullman pan. Place in the loaf pan.
5. Allow loaves to rise an additional 45 minutes, until the loaf rises about 3/4″ above the side of the Pullman pan. This will ensure that your bread is light.
6. Preheat oven to 375° F and bake loaves 40 minutes. After a out 20 minutes, check to be sure the top of the loaf is not browning too quickly. If so, tent the loaf with foil for the rest of the bake. The loaf is done when your stick thermometer reads around 205 degrees.
Be sure to remove loaves from their pans quickly after baking so they don’t become soggy on bottom. Cool loaf completely before slicing.

Ingredients
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 300F. Prepare a loaf pan using vegetable spray. If you wish, you can sprinkle some sugar on the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add mashed bananas, flour, soda, vanilla and nuts. Pour dough into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until browned and a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean. If you use a stick thermometer, the bread is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons ground cardamom*
2 cups whole milk
3 teaspoons active dry yeast (or instant yeast)
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
6 –7 cups all-purpose flour, more for the counter
1/2 cup soft butter
1 egg (for egg wash)

*If you want to use cardamom pods, you will need about 20 fresh pods to make the appropriate amount of ground cardamom. If you use cardamom seeds you’ve purchased in your favorite grocery store, you’ll need about 2 teaspoons. In either case, you can grind them in your coffee or spice grinder to a powder. Be sure to use a full 2 tsp or the taste of cardamom will be lost.)

Directions

Heat milk to 180 degrees. remove from stove and let it cool to a temperature between 110F-115F degrees. Heating the milk to this temperature is important because milk not heated to this temperature will suppress the yeast rise! Cooling is also critical as temperatures more than 115 will kill the yeast. Pour the milk into a small bowl and add the yeast and a pinch of the sugar and stir. Let the milk/yeast mix sit until the yeast is dissolved and mixture becomes frothy.

In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until lemon colored, about 2 minutes. Add the milk and yeast, cardamom and salt and beat until smooth. Mix in 2 cups of flour cup by cup, mixing until smooth and no lumps. Add the softened butter and mix well – the dough will be glossy and sticky. Continue adding the flour, a 1/2 cup at a time, mixing to incorporate, adding flour until stiff enough to knead, yet still soft about 6 cups. Knead using a dough hook adding a little more flour as needed until the dough pulls away from the edges, and is satiny, about 5 minutes. (The key here is to use as little flour as possible.) Alternatively, kneed by hand on a well-floured surface, for 6- 7 minutes, adding a little flour at a time, dough will be slightly tacky but not sticky.

Place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat the top, cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm area (80F) until it doubled in size. (I use my oven on the bread proofing setting, and it normally takes between 1 and 1.5 hours. Be careful not to let it overproof!)

After it has doubled, divide it in half. This will make two extra-large loaves.
To make 2 braided loafs, divide each half into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into long ropes about 1 1/2- 2 inches thick. Braid the 3 ropes and tuck under the ends.

Once braided, the bread can be baked either on a baking sheet or in a loaf pan. Baking it on a loaf pan will allow the bread so rise and spread so the finished loaf is flatter. When baked in a loaf pan, the bread will finished bread will be taller. In either case, line the baking sheet or loaf pan with parchment which has been sprayed with vegetable spray. (Note: I have also used a 12x4x4 long pan I use to make sandwich bread. All the dough will fit into this pan but it will be very full. It takes longer to bake in the long, deep pan.)

Beat the egg with tablespoon water. Brush the loaves with the egg wash. Sprinkle with pearl sugar over the top and sliced almonds if you like.

Let rise again until doubled. Place in a preheated 375-degree oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until skewer or toothpick pulls out clear (or internal temp is 200F) and the top is nicely golden.
If baking in a loaf pan, bake at 350F for 40-45 mins.
Pull it out of the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.

Serve warmed or toasted with butter or at room temperature!

Ingredients

FOR THE FILLING

• 1 pound mixed-variety sweet cherry tomatoes, each cut in half
• ½ cup finely diced celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon hot mexican chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lime
• ¼ cup minced scallions, plus 2 tablespoons minced green scallion tops for garnish

FOR THE CRUST

• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup yellow cornmeal
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter (see headnote)
• 1 cup whole or low-fat milk
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar

Directions

Place a medium (10-inch) cast-iron skillet in the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F.

For the filling: Cut each tomato in half and place all of them in a mixing bowl, along with the garlic.

Combine the chili powder, celery salt, kosher salt and cumin in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture over the tomatoes. Stir in the lime zest and juice and 1/4 cup of the minced scallions.

For the crust: Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.

Add the vinegar to the milk and let it sit for about 5 minutes so the milk clabbers. (You can use buttermilk instead of whole milk if you prefer.)

Once the skillet is hot, add the butter. Watch closely; when the butter is melted and bubbling, stir the milk into the flour mixture to form a somewhat lumpy batter.

Transfer the skillet to the stove top just long enough to pour in the batter, spreading it evenly.

Immediately top with the tomato mixture. Return to the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cobbler is crisped on the edges and has started to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Remove the cobbler from the pan quickly after taking it out of the oven.

Cut into wedges; serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with the minced scallion tops.