Easy Lavosh Crackers

There are many recipes out there for homemade Lavosh (also spelled Lavash), but it is often just as easy to find well made Lavosh bread in the bakery section of your grocery store (often sold near the fresh pita). These crackers are very similar to my homemade matzoh. Using pre made Lavosh bread cuts the time on these crackers greatly! These crackers turn out light and crispy and are perfect when you want a light snack.

Easy Lavosh Crackers 
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:
1 package Lavosh bread
olive oil
sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut the Lavosh into about 2x2 inch pieces.

3. Arrange in a single layer on a large sheet pan and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt.

4. Bake 4 minutes until the crackers are lightly browned and crispy. Cool on a cooling rack and store in a cracker jar.

Easy Garlic Toast

This is a recipe of my mother's that I have been making for years. I believe it came from an old "copycat" restaurant cookbook she had. The paprika sprinkled with the cheese gives this bread a beautiful color and delicious flavor.

This is one of my go-to recipes when I think to myself, "I am having company over and I need a delicious bread to serve them." Usually those same guests end up leaving asking for the recipe.

Easy Garlic Toast
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:
1 14" loaf French bread
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cut the bread in half lengthwise. Rub one garlic clove over the crust of the bread.

3. Press the rest of the garlic you just rubbed over the crust, and the remaining clove, through a garlic press into the melted butter.

4. Brush the cut surface of the bread generously with the melted butter.

5. In a small bowl, combine the parmesan cheese, parsley, and paprika.  Sprinkle the mixture over the butter coated surface of the bread.

6. Place the bread on a cookie sheet, cut side up, and bake 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Easy Garlic Toast would be delicious along with:
Chunky Garden Style Marinara Sauce
Lentil Spaghetti Sauce
Pasta with Sautéed Leeks, White Beans, and Walnuts
Tomato Pasta Sauce with Capers and Lemon

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Today's Creative Blog
Featured on TasteSpotting

Yeast-Raised Cornbread Sticks

Growing up I have many fond memories of my mom in the kitchen cooking dinner and making our family delicious baked treats. Although everything she made wasn't from scratch, it was my mom's cooking and I loved it.

As a child, I never tasted what a homemade biscuit was like. The only biscuits I knew of came compressed in a tube. You know the ones... you peel the paper, hit them on the counter, wait for the exploding 'gun shot' type exploding sound, peel it open... and BAM- you've got biscuits.

Well along those same lines I remember a product that came compressed in the same exploding tube, but they were cornbread sticks. Let me tell you, for being a highly processed convenient food laced with chemicals and preservatives- they were good!

Last weekend my kids requested my Cinnamon Roll Bread Sticks for breakfast. While enjoying their cinnamon gooey goodness, I got to thinking about those exploding canned cornbread breadsticks again. (Don't ask me why. I can't explain the random thoughts my brain shoots out at times.)

Then I had another lightbulb moment.

Sherron, from Simply Gourmet Photography, inspired me again. I've expressed before about my love for her amazing Homemade Breadsticks that are done in about an hour. My family can't get enough of them! Her wonderful recipe led me to create my Cinnamon Roll Bread Sticks. That recipe also led me to create my latest recipe: yeasted cornbread sticks.

Now, there are no exploding cans. There are no ingredients you can't pronounce. Just good and easy homemade cornbread sticks that are ready in about an hour.  Unlike regular cornbread, these cornbread sticks are light, fluffy, and totally delicious.

You can't beat that!

Yeast-Raised Cornbread Sticks
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1 stick butter

Directions:
1. In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, dissolve the yeast, honey, and water together.  Allow it to sit for a few minutes, until bubbly.

2. Add the salt, flour, and corn meal.  "Knead" in the mixer for about 3 minutes. The dough will be sticky but it should eventually pull away from the sides of the mixer. Add a little more flour if necessary.

3. On a generously floured surface, place the dough and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a 15x10x1-inch rimmed sheet pan, melt 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter in a 375 degree F. oven. Keep an eye on the butter to make sure it doesn't burn.

5. Roll the dough to fit the rimmed sheet pan. With a pizza wheel, cut the strips about 1 1/2 inches wide. (I get about 11-12 sticks.) Dip each bread stick into the pan of melted butter. First one side, then the other. Line the breadsticks up next to each other until you've got them all on the pan.

6. Allow the bread sticks to rise on the hot pan for about 10-20 minutes.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Serve with additional honey.

Please stop by and check out Simply Gourmet Photography's original recipe for Homemade Breadsticks. She is one talented photographer and cook!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread

I came across this recipe from a recent post over at 101 Cookbooks.  This is a fantastic and QUICK no-knead yeast bread.  Though it doesn't have the rise and lightness of a traditional kneaded double rise bread, this bread is dense, hearty and delicious.

This bread is perfect when you don't have much time but are craving the smell and taste only homemade bread can bring.

Freshly sliced, warm from the oven, and smeared with butter- you too will be in love.

Wonderful for breakfast or serve as a hearty bread for dinner.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread aka "Easy Little Bread Recipe"

(From 101 Cookbooks via Gran's Kitchen: Recipes from the Notebooks of Dulcie May Booker)
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups warm water (105-115F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon dark, raw honey
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
2-3 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
1. In a bowl, stir together the yeast, warm water and honey.  Allow to set for 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast blooms and poofs up.

2. Meanwhile, mix the flours, oats and salt in a large bowl.  Add the wet mixture and stir well.

3. Brush an 8-cup loaf pan generously with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter.  Add the dough and cover with a piece of oiled plastic wrap.  Keep in a warm place for 30 minutes to rise.  Preheat your oven to 350F.

4. Remove the plastic wrap and pour the remaining melted butter over the top of the bread.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden.

5. Remove the bread from the loaf pan and allow to cool on a rack.

This bread is best served warm...

...with a big smear of butter.

Linked to: 33 Shades of Green, Foodie Friday, Amee's Savory Dish

Yeasted Pumpkin Bread

In college my senior year I would walk home from a long day in the art studio and make some homemade bread.

This is what all college kids did, right?

Okay, perhaps not... but I did.

This was one of the first breads I learned to make from scratch. Shortly after mastering this bread I found a copy of a bread cookbook by James Beard at a used bookstore that my now husband and I would frequent when we were dating.

All college kids went to used book stores on a date, right?

Okay, perhaps not... but we did.

Anyhow, this is a great recipe that I've been making for many years now.

Yeasted Pumpkin Bread 
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons caraway seed (optional)
2 - 4 tablespoons molasses (depending on how sweet you like your bread)
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 cups all purpose flour (or 3 cups whole wheat flour with 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten)
(I used whole wheat flour in the photo above.)

Directions:
1. Dissolve the yeast into the water.  Stir in the salt, optional caraway seed and molasses.  Add in the pumpkin and stir.

2. Next, add the flour and knead for 5-8 minutes.  (This is a great time to use your dough hook on your mixer.  It will only take bout 2-3 minutes on the 1st or 2nd speed setting.)

3. Rise until double in an oiled bowl covered with a damp towel in a warm place.

4. Punch down the dough and give it about 4 more kneads.  Shape it into an oiled loaf pan.  Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise until double.

5. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35 minutes.  Remove from the pan and allow to cool.

Variations:
1. Use brown sugar instead of the molasses.

2. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (instead of the caraway seed.)

3. Stretch the dough into a rectangle and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and roll.  Place in a loaf pan and follow with the above directions for a cinnamon swirl bread.

Featured on: TasteSpotting and Foodgawker
Linked to: Delicious Sweets, 33 Shades of Green, Today's Creative Blog, Gooseberry Patch, Around My Family Table, Everyday Mom's Meals, Amee's Savory Dish