Thursday, June 11, 2020

Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza

I made the King Arthur Flour recipe of the Year, Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza!! It was pretty tasty, but I suppose that is what happens when you get to use all of your favorite toppings! Have fun with your topping selection... just make sure you layer cheese, sauce, toppings, cheese...

         

Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza King Arthur Flour

Crust

2          cups (240g) all-purpose flour

3/4       teaspoon salt

1/2       teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast

3/4       cup (170g) lukewarm water

1          tablespoon (13g) olive oil + 1-1/2 tablespoons (18g) olive oil for the pan


Toppings

6          ounces (170g) mozzarella, grated (about 1-1/4 cups, loosely packed)

1/3-1/2 cup (74g to 113g) tomato sauce or pizza sauce, homemade or store-bought

Freshly grated hard cheese and fresh herbs for sprinkling on top, after baking, optional


Instructions

1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it in a cup, then sweeping off any excess.

2. Place flour, salt, yeast, water and 1 tablespoon olive oil (13g) of the olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer or other medium-large mixing bowl.

3. Stir everything together to make a shaggy, sticky mass of dough with no dry patches of flour. This should take 30- 45 seconds in a mixer using the beater paddle; or about 1 minute by hand, using a spoon or spatula. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to gather the dough into a rough ball; cover the bowl.

4. After 5 minutes, uncover the bowl and reach a bowl scraper or your wet hand down between the side of the bowl and the dough, as though you were going to lift the dough out. Instead of lifting, stretch the bottom of dough up and over its top. Repeat 3 more times, repeating the bowl 90 degrees each time. This process of four stretches, which takes the place of kneading, is called a fold.

5. Re-cover the bowl, and after 5 minutes do another fold. Wait for 5 minutes and repeat; then another 5 minutes, and do a forth and final fold. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest, undisturbed, for 40 minutes. Then refrigerate it for a minimum of 12 hours, or up to 72 hours. It'll rise slowly as it chills, developing flavor; this long rise will also add flexibility to your schedule.

6. About 3 hours before you want to serve your pizza, prepare your pan. Pour 1-1/2 tablespoons (18g) olive oil into well-seasoned cast iron skillet that's 10" to 11" diameter across the top, and about 9" across the bottom. A heavy dark cast iron will give you a superb crust; but if you don't have it, use another oven-safe heavy-bottomed skillet of similar size, or a 10" round cake or 9" square pan. Tilt the pan to spread the oil across the bottom, use your fingers or a paper towel to spread some oil up the edges, as well.

7. Transfer the dough to the pan and turn it once to coat both sides with the oil. After coating the dough in oil, press the dough to the edges of the pan, dimpling it using the tips of your fingers in the process. The dough may start to resist and shrink back; that's OK, just cover it and let it rest for about 15 minutes, then repeat the dimpling/pressing. At this point should reach the edges of the pan; if it doesn't, give it one more 15-minutes rest before dimpling/pressing a third and final time.

8. Cover the crust and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature. The fully risen dough will look soft and pillowy and will jiggle when you gently shake the pan.

9. About 30 minutes before baking, place one rack at the bottom of the oven and one toward the top (about 4" to 5" from the top heating element). Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

10. When you're ready to bake the pizza, sprinkle about three-quarters of the mozzarella (a scant 1 cup) evenly over the crust. Cover the entire crust, no bare dough showing; this will yield caramelized edges. Dollop small spoonfuls of the sauce over the cheese; laying the cheese down like this will prevent the sauce from seeping into the crust making it soggy. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella.

11. Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the bottom and edges of the crust are a rich golden brown (use a spatula to check the bottom). If the bottom is brown but the top still seems pale, transfer the pizza to the top rack and bake for 2 to 4 minutes longer. On the other hand, if the top seems fine but the bottom's not browned to your liking, leave the pizza on the bottom rack for another 2 to 4 minutes. Home ovens can vary a lot, so use the visual clues and your own preferences to gauge when you've achieved the perfect bake.

12. Remove the pizza from the oven and place the pan on a heatproof surface. Carefully run a table knife or spatula between the edge of the pizza and side of the pan to prevent the cheese from sticking as it cools. Let the pizza cool very briefly; as soon as you feel comfortable doing so, carefully transfer it from the pan to a cooling rack or cutting surface. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.

13. Serve the pizza anywhere from medium-hot to warm. Kitchen shears or a large pair of household scissors are both good tools for cutting this thick pizza into wedges.


Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Earl Grey Yogurt Cake

Another really quick recipe for you! Plus, you probably have all of the ingredients on hand! And who doesn't love Earl Grey?!







Early Grey Yogurt Cake Basically


Ingredients


1          cup vegetable oil, plus more for pan

2          cups (250g) all-purpose flour

1-1/2    teaspoon kosher salt

1/2       teaspoon baking powder

1/2       teaspoon baking soda

2          large eggs

1-1/4    cups (250g) granulated sugar

1          cup plain whole-milk yogurt

3          tablespoons loose-leaf Earl Grey tea or 1/4 tea from bags

2          teaspoons vanilla extract

1          tablespoon raw or granulated sugar


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly coat a 9x5" or 8½x4½" loaf pan with vegetable oil and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides. If you’re not sure what size your loaf pan is, measure it with a ruler from inside edge to inside edge for both the length and width. If you measure from the outside edge, you’ll get an inaccurate reading of the width of the pan, and your cake may end up overflowing! It's the actual empty space of the pan where the cake bakes that matters here, not the width of the entire pan including its edges.

2. Whisk 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in a medium bowl to combine.

3. Vigorously whisk 2 large eggs and 1-1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar in a large bowl 1 minute (seriously, time it!); mixture should be pale yellow and frothy. Whisk in 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, 3 tablespoons loose-leaf Earl Grey tea (or 1/4 cup tea from bags), and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

4. Gradually stream in 1 cup vegetable oil, whisking constantly until incorporated. (Place a kitchen towel under your bowl to stabilize it so that you have two free hands.) Add dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Gently tap pan against surface to eliminate any air bubbles.

5. Sprinkle evenly with 1 Tbsp. raw or granulated sugar. Bake cake until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

6. Let cool 15 minutes in pan, then run a butter knife or offset spatula between the cake and pan to release. Lift it out using parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature (or even better, toast slices and slather them with butter!).

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Very quick and easy to make! Enjoy!






No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars Sugar Apron

Prep: 15 minutes  Chill: 2 hours


Ingredients


1          cup butter


½         cup brown sugar, packed


1         teaspoon vanilla extract


3          cups rolled oats


1          cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips


½         cup peanut butter


Instructions:

1. Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Overhangs the edges of the parchment paper to lift the bars easier from the baking dish.
You can use a 9x13-inch if you want thinner bars.

2. Melt butter and brown sugar in large saucepan over medium heat, until the butter has melted
and the sugar has dissolved. Stir in vanilla. Mix in the oats. Cook over low heat for 3 to 4
minutes, or until ingredients are well blended.

3. Pour half of the oat mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread out the mixture evenly
pressing down. Reserve the other half for the second layer.

4. To make the filling, melt the peanut butter and chocolate chips together in a small
microwave-safe bowl (15 second increments, stir each time) and stir until it's smooth.
Reserve 1/4 cup of chocolate mixture, set aside. Pour remaining chocolate mixture over
the crust in the pan. Spread evenly.

5. Pour the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate layer, pressing in gently and drizzle with the
remaining chocolate mixture.

6. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, or overnight. Bring to room temperature before cutting into bars.

7. Note: Like any no-bake cookie, the final texture of these really depends on how long you boil
the sugar mixture. If it doesn't boil long enough, the cookie/bars mixture will be too soft, if you
boil too long, they could turns out dry and crumbly.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

King Arthur Flour: Vanilla Cake Pan Cake

Today, with life the way it is, a lot of baking supplies are in short supply. I was happy to wake up and see a post from King Arthur Flour, showing off their Vanilla Cake Pan Cake. It does not call for eggs or milk. A super easy cake to whip up... tasty too!

           

Vanilla Cake Pan Cake  King Arthur Flour


Cake

2            cups (241 grams)  King Arthur Flour All-Purpose flour

3/4         teaspoon salt

1-1/2      teaspoon baking powder

1/2         teaspoon baking soda

3/4         cup + 2 tablespoons (198 grams) water

1/2         cup (99 grams) vegetable oil

3/4         cup (149 grams) granulated sugar

4-1/2      teaspoons (21 grams) cider or white vinegar

1            tablespoon (14 grams) vanilla extract

1/2         teaspoon almond extract



Frosting

1/4         cup butter (57 grams), regular or vegan, at room temperature

2-1/2      cups (283 grams) confectioner's sugar, sifted if lumpy

1/8         teaspoon salt

1/2         teaspoon vanilla extract

About 2 tablespoons (28 grams) water



1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8" square or 9" round pan that's at least 2" deep.

2. To make the cake: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the water, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, vanilla, and almond extract.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. It's OK for a few small lumps to remain.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan.

6. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top feels set, the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7. Remove the cake from the oven and either serve the cake warm from the over or allow it to cool completely in the pan before frosting.

8. To make the frosting: Beat together the butter, confectioner's sugar, and salt until no large pieces of butter remain.

9. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon water, beating to incorporate. Ass enough additional water, a teaspoon at a time, to make spreadable frosting.

10. Leaving the cake right in the pan, if desired, us a spatula or flat knife to apply the frosting.

11. Store the cake, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

**For gluten-free version, substitute King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for all-purpose flour; and add 1 large egg to the batter along with the wet ingredients.



Saturday, March 21, 2020

Caramel Sticky Buns

I don't enjoy reading long blog post before finally getting to the recipe that I am interested in. I don't generally care about some secret ingredient and how it was found on the shores of some tiny remote island.

I like to cut to the chase! I hope you don't mind.




Caramel Sticky Buns Pumpkin N Spice

1/4            cup unsalted butter

1/2            cup packed light brown sugar

Pinch of salt

2              tablespoons honey

2              tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1              teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

1              (12 pack) King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar, honey, and salt over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is bubbling.

Remove pan from heat and add heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Spread caramel sauce onto the bottom of prepared dish and top evenly with chopped pecans. Place uncut rolls upside down onto caramel mixture.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until caramel mixture is bubbly. Remove from oven and invert dish onto a large serving platter or plate. Let dish remain inverted for 2-3 minutes, as caramel sauce will drip down sides of rolls and thicken. Slice and enjoy!

Notes:

Caramel sticky bins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Sticky buns can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator and then microwave for a warm treat.