Pizza Dough

2 1/2-3 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons fast rising yeast (or fast rise, 1 envelope)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)

2 tablespoons oil

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt; blend well.

2. Gradually add water and oil to mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened, then beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. By hand, add 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl (I did all of this in my Kitchenaid.)

3. On floured surface, knead in 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover loosely with plastic and let rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

4. Press out dough onto (2) 12-inch pizza pans. Prick randomly with a fork. Let rest again in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

5. Brush crusts lightly with oil then prebake them in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes.

6. Top as desired, then bake again in 450 degree oven for 4-5 minutes, or until desired doneness.

This is the first time I have ever used this recipe and we really liked it. We normally just put random ingredients on top of our pizza (whatever we happen to have.) This particular time we did a BBQ chicken pizza (BBQ sauce, chicken, and bacon) and a chicken pesto pizza (pesto sauce, artichoke hearts, chicken, and bacon.) Both were delicious. If I had had tomatoes on hand I would have put them on the pesto pizza.

Banana Nut Bread

Mash 3 bananas
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 T. melted butter
3 T. milk
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. nuts

Mix together and bake in oven at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Homemade Breadsticks

1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. flour (I added a little more than this because it was much to wet in my opinion.)
1/2 c. butter (1 cube)
Parmesan cheese
garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375. Combine yeast, warm water, and sugar and then set aside to let proof.

In mixer combine salt and flour. Add yeast after about ten minutes of proofing. Mix/knead on high for 3 minutes (dough will be sticky) and then let rest.

Put butter cube on cookie sheet in oven to melt while dough rests (I actually let mine rise for about a half hour to an hour, but that's not necessary.)

Roll out dough in flour until large rectangle about 1/4" thick. Cut strips with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Roll strips in melted butter on cookie sheet. Line up strips on sheet next to each other. Sprinkle with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. Let rise 15-20 minutes.

Cook in 375 oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Homemade Thanksgiving Dressing (Stuffing)

(Mom wrote): The following recipe is one I wrote down while observing my mom make dressing one Thanksgiving because she never wrote the recipe down.

2 large loaves homemade bread (or bread that is a little hardier than the Wonder type)
3 large onions
1½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground sage
5 cubes margarine
1 cube butter
Pepper, to taste

Cut bread into cubes. Grind onions. Saute onion in 1 cube margarine. Melt rest of margarine. Add salt, sage and pepper to onion mixture, then pour over bread and mix well.

Put in covered pan or wrap in heavy aluminum foil and heat in oven until warm.

I have modified the ingredients a little because I could feel myself growing larger just reading the recipe.

This is the modified version

2 loaves bread
3 onions
1½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground sage
2 cubes butter
2 cubes margarine

I don’t think it matters much what combination of butter and margarine you put in, depending on what flavor you like. I use a little more butter than Mother did.

Enjoy!

Buttermilk Biscuits

These come from Tyler Florence. I thought they might have been the best I've had. One interesting tip: If you do not have a biscuit cutter, just use the rim of a glass.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients together with a fork. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add buttermilk. Quickly fold dry ingredients into buttermilk with your hands until a sticky dough forms.

Turn dough out onto floured surface. Gently fold the dough over itself 3 or 4 times to create layers. Roll dough out to 3/4-inch thick. Cut with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Transfer dough rounds to a sheet pan. Gather scraps and repeat. Make a dimple in the center to help the top rise evenly. Brush with butter. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown.

Hot Cross Buns

1 c. scalded milk
¼ c. shortening
1/3 c. sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 yeast cake
1 tsp. sugar
2 T. warm water
1 egg, beaten
½ c. raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. allspice
3 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 egg white
1 c. powdered sugar

Combine milk, shortening, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt and cool to lukewarm. Mix 1 tsp. sugar with yeast that has been softened in the warm water. Add to the milk mixture. Add egg, raisins, cinnamon, and allspice and as much flour as can be stirred into the dough. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Knead, shape into 2-inch balls and place in greased pan. Brush each bun with egg white. Cover and let rise until double in bulk, about 45 minutes. Snip a deep cross in the top of each. Bake @ 400 for 10-15 minutes. Fill cross on top with powdered sugar glaze. Makes 2 dozen.

Banana Pecan Muffins

Streusel topping:

½ cup sugar
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 T. cold unsalted butter

Muffins:

1 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¾ cup pecans (3 oz. finely chopped)

Sugar+oil+eggs until light and creamy. Mix dry ingredients.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.