Crusty Loaf

Kids' rating: 5 stars

my rating: 5 stars

This is the easiest deliciousness you'll ever make. You stir some stuff together. Wait a million years. Flip it over a couple times. Wait a hundred years. Bake. Done. 

Note: read the recipe all the way through before starting. While simple, the whole process takes 18-24 hours. Make sure you save yourself that amount to time.

3 c all purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
cornmeal or wheat bran as needed


1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water and stir until well blended; dough will be sticky and shaggy. Cover dough with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature.

2. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest  about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, gently shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Place dough on flour dusted towel, and cover with another floured towel. Let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450. Put a 6 to 8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, pyrex or ceramic- I use my dutch oven) in the oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from the oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over in pot, seam side up (it may look like a mess, but it's okay). Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. **I have never baked mine this long. I don't know if it's my pot or if I just like things... less-cooked? I usually do 25 minutes, then take the lid off for the last 5. I would start there and see how yours looks. Like I said, maybe it's my pot (I'm pretty sure it's not the oven, cause I've had this problem going on 3 ovens).

btw. You must refer to this as a "crusty loaf." Greg says.

Sweet Bajio Rice

Kids rating: 5 stars
My rating: 5 stars

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ white onion, chopped
• about ¼ of a bunch of cilantro, chopped
• ⅔ cup white rice
• 1½ cups chicken broth*
• ¼ cup white sugar

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine chicken broth and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves.
2. Put oil and onions into a sauce pan, and cook until the onions are cooked through.
3. Add cilantro and saute for a minute or two more.
4. Add uncooked rice until it starts to brown.
5. Stir chicken broth/sugar into sauce pan.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Cover and let cook on a low temperature until rice is done (about 25 minutes.)

If making in the Instant Pot, use 1 cup rice (rinsed) and 1 1/4 cups chicken broth. Set to manual, low pressure, for 7 minutes and let natural release for 10 minutes.

Feather-Light Overnight Rolls

Kids rating: 5 stars
Me: 5 stars

I can't really think of anything to say about these. This is the first roll recipe I ever tried and after trying a few others, just for comparison's sake, I kept coming back. They're super light. And delicious. Make them.

1 cup water

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 t salt

1 cup cold water

1 1/2 T yeast

1/2 warm water

4 eggs, beaten

7 1/2 cups flour

softened butter for spreading on dough

In a 6-quart pan, bring the 1 cups water to a boil. Add the 1 cups butter, sugar, and salt. Remove from heat. Add the 1 cup cold water. In a small bowl (or liquid measuring cup), dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water. When the first mixtures is luke-warm (not hot), add yeast mixture and and beaten eggs. Add flour and stir together (I've never actually done it this way, although, now that I'm typing it, it seems pretty easy. I usually put the flour in my mixer and add the liquid mixture to it). Cover pan with lid and refrigerate overnight. When ready to roll out, divide dough in thirds. Lightly flour surface of bread board (or countertop). Roll each third out in a large circle about 1/2-inch thick. Spread dough lightly with butter. Cut dough into 12 wedges (using pizza cutter) and roll each up, beginning at the wide end, to form a crescent shape. Place on 3 greased baking sheets. Let rise about 4 hours. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes. 

Recipe from The Essential Mormon Cookbook

Creamed Corn

• Kids rating: 3.5 stars
• Me: 4 stars
• 
  
• Not Rudy's creamed corn. But pretty darn close!
• 
  
• 20 ounces (about 5 cups) frozen or fresh white or yellow corn kernels
• 1 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 
  
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper and butter.
2. Heat over medium heat, stirring often, until the butter is melted.
3. In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and flour until smooth (can also blend to avoid any lumps).
4. Add the milk mixture to the corn, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat until the creamed corn is thick and bubbly.
5. Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
6. Serve. The creamed corn will thicken as it cools. It can be kept warm on low in a slow cooker (or in the oven at 200 degrees) for up to an hour before serving.

Ruth's Chris Sweet Potatoes

My Rating: 5 stars

Kids' rating: -5 stars

If you're good enough at math, you will figure out that this recipe is more sugar/butter than sweet potato. You can also see that my kids hate this stuff with every fiber of their being. But it's so worth it for me, that I make a full batch of it for every holiday and eat it in pure bliss for the week following.

Potato Mixture:

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecans

1/3 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine potato mixture in a mixer in the order listed. Mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into a buttered 8x8-inch baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle topping (all the topping ingredients mixed in a bowl) evenly over the potatoes. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.