Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls

Look at the gorgeous blueberries in there!  YUM!

 The prodigal blogger has returned.  Rest assured, I'm not dead.  I'm just lazy.  Really, really lazy.  I have no other excuse.  I could say its been a hard winter, but that would be a big, fat lie.  Its been the mildest winter I can remember in the last 20 years.  I just haven't had the get up and go to get up and go start coals.  But once I got off my lazy butt, I remember how happy it makes me to cook outdoors.

I have a really fabulous recipe to share with you today.  These cinnamon rolls were so good that my husband ate 6 of them before they even cooled off.  Its a good thing he runs marathons, because otherwise he'd be in trouble.  I'd never even thought of making blueberry cinnamon rolls, but let me tell you they are sheer genius!  We're talking  a thickened blueberry sauce with a touch of lemon zest combined with a cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Like I said, GENIUS!!

Now you will need 2 dutch ovens for this recipe.  It makes about 24-30 rolls, so plan accordingly.

After the cream cheese frosting.  Warning:  this isn't diet food!

Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
14" dutch oven

For the dough: 

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
4-5 cups flour
1/2 heaping tsp. baking powder
scant 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt

For the Blueberry Filling

1 pint blueberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
3/4 cup water

Additional Blueberries for Sprinkling

1 pint blueberries
2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp flour

For the blueberry filling

In a small dutch oven, combine 1 pint of the blueberries, sugar and cornstarch. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and water. Cook over a full spread of coals, stirring often, until mixture begins to thicken slight. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

For the dough

Mix whole milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald to 150 degrees. Let cool until lukewarm (~45 minutes). Sprinkle in yeast and let sit. Then add 4 C flour, stir mixture together. Cover and let sit for one hour.

Add 1/2 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir mixture together.  Add enough flour to make a semi-sticky dough.

Divide the dough in half. Sprinkle surface generously with flour and form into a rectangle, roll the dough thin, maintaining a rectangular shape. Spread half of the blueberry filling onto the dough. Sprinkle half of the additional blueberries for sprinkling on top. Roll the dough toward you. Pinch the seam to seal it.  Cut rolls 3/4 to 1 inch thick and lay in greased dutch ovens. Repeat with other half of dough and blueberry filling.

Cover the rolls and let sit for 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Use 1 1/2 rings plus a couple of coals on top and 1 ring on the bottom.

Generously drizzle your favorite cream cheese frosting over warm rolls after they finish baking.

Makes 24-30 rolls.

Source:  Adapted slightly from  Beantown Baker

Pesto Dinner Rolls

We've had a rotten week at our house.  My dear, sweet father-in-law passed away early Saturday morning from a brain hemorrhage.  He's been married to my mother-in-law for 15 years, so he was really a step parent, but we loved him so much it didn't feel that way to us.  So please forgive me if it's a couple of weeks before I get the chance to post anything.  Between the funeral and helping my mom-in-law, we'll be busy.

But I did want to give you this recipe I made last week.  I think you all know how much I love pesto.  It definitely belongs in the "food of the Gods" category (along with chocolate, chipotle peppers and garlic, just to name a few).  These rolls are perfect with any Italian dish, especially if you are too lazy to make garlic bread, which I usually am.  I also think they would make great sandwich rolls.

Now in reality, you could make pesto dinner rolls using any roll recipe you want.  Just add half the flour, then the pesto, then the remaining flour.  Just adjust the amount of pesto for how many rolls you're making.  As I was making these, I was thinking that a sun-dried tomato pesto would be awesome!

Pesto Dinner Rolls
12" dutch oven

2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbs. instant yeast
1 cup warm water
1 Tbs. oil
4 Tbs. pesto

In a mixing bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups flour with salt, sugar and yeast.   Add the oil and warm water and mix well.  Stir in the pesto.  Add enough flour to make a soft dough, it should be tacky but not sticky.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes.  Place in an oiled bowl and turn to oil the top.  Cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 16 portions for rolls, or 8 for sandwich rolls.  Place in a well oiled dutch oven.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Use 1 1/2 rings + a couple of coals on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Makes 16 dinner rolls or 8 sandwich rolls.

Mock Sourdough Bread

 I have a confession to make. I have never made sourdough bread. Ever. I've never even attempted it. Which I think is just sad for a dutch oven cook.  Isn't making sourdough bread in a dutch oven a rite of passage?  I just have to say, in my defense, that the only experience I have with any kind of bread starter is Amish Friendship bread.  I think it spent about 6 months (or more) untouched on the top shelf of one of my cupboards.  The only reason I remembered it was the foul smell that permeated my kitchen.  Gross!

The real reason I've never tried sourdough bread is that it just seems time consuming and fussy, and lets face it, I'm far too lazy busy to remember to feed the starter the way I should.  I will agree with you though, its a shame.  I love sourdough bread and its expensive to buy so we never eat it.

You can imagine how happy I was to come across this on Pinterest.  A no fuss "sourdough" bread.  Right up my alley!

Now for the question you've all been asking.....How does it taste?  Its actually really good!  I have to say, its not as good as sourdough bread from a good bakery.  It is, however, as good as anything you'd buy at your supermarket, and a whole lot cheaper!  It doesn't have quite the "tang" that a real sourdough bread has, but since I'll probably never get around to making the real thing this will have to do.  Truth be told, I'll probably use this recipe a lot

For the sourdough purist, Mark at Mark's Black Pot recently posted a couple of articles on making sourdough bread.  I would never have the patience to do what he does.  He's my hero!

Mock Sourdough Bread
10" dutch oven

2 cups plain yogurt
1 Tbs. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbs. honey
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. oil
4-5 cups flour

Heat yogurt just to lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Stir in yogurt, honey, salt, oil and 2 cups of flour.  Beat until smooth.  Gradually add the remaining flour just to make a soft dough.  Knead until smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.  Punch dough down.  Form dough into a round loaf and place inside a greased dutch oven.  Cover and let rise about 45 minutes.

Preheat your dutch oven lid, then bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until the bread is browned and sounds hollow when tapped.  Remove from pot and cool on a wire rack. 

Source:  Heat Oven to 350 

Herb Biscuit Loaf

Here is another easy but tasty biscuit recipe.  Biscuits dipped in a buttery herb mixture and baked until golden brown.  It's tailor made for a dutch oven, don't you think?  This one calls for refrigerated biscuits, but feel free to make your own recipe and it turns out great. 

Herb Biscuit Loaf
10" dutch oven
 
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 tsp. dried minced onion
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4-1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2 (12 oz.) tubes refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

In a shallow bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients.  Dip the biscuits in butter mixture.  Fold in half and place in dutch oven.  Drizzle with remaining butter mixture.  Bake at 350° for 27-30 minutes or until golden brown. Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Serves 8-10

Mini Focaccia

Today's recipe is one of those quick and easy, almost at the last minute kind of things.  I needed a bread to go with the lasagna I made for dinner, so I came up with this.  Its simple and easy to make and would go great with all kinds of pasta dishes or soups.  It starts with pizza dough.  You could even use a tube of refrigerated pizza dough if you wanted to.

Mini Focaccia
14" dutch oven

3 cups flour
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. oil
1 cup warm water
1 Tbs. yeast
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp. olive oil
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2-3 Tbs. Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Mix all pizza dough ingredients together, except the flour. Add flour and knead for a few minutes.  On an oiled surface, roll out the dough into about a 10 x 14 in rectangle.  Then roll the dough up as if you are making cinnamon rolls.  Using dental floss cut the dough into 1 inch thick slices.  They should look like unfilled cinnamon rolls.  Gently pan each roll flat and place in a greased dutch oven.  Spread olive oil on top of the rolls and sprinkle with seasoning and Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 400° for about 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Use 2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.

The Finished Product

The Review

These little rolls were super easy and went great with my lasagna.  The prep work was minimal and I had plenty of time to have them ready while the lasagna cooked.  They ended up soft and slightly chewy but very delicious!

Pesto Breadsticks

Hi everyone!  I've been on vacation for a couple of weeks and it was wonderful.  I spent my days swimming with the kiddos or lounging by the pool, taking walks along the riverbank and enjoying perfect weather and great company.  Who knew Reno, Nevada could be so relaxing.  There is really more there than casinos. 

But now I'm home and still have no oven, so I've been giving my dutch ovens a real workout.  I had hoped to be working on some fun and different DO dishes, but necessity has forced me to cook the conventional dinner dishes and breads.  We even cook fish sticks for lunch in the big black pots!  I have never been so grateful that I spent last year learning to cook outdoors!

Today's recipe is a twist on my all time favorite bread stick recipe.  I have been obsessed with pesto lately, and I've been looking for excuses to add it to everything I can think of.  I've used it for everything from a pasta sauce to sandwich spread to grilled cheese sandwiches.  My family is starting to wonder if I'm going a little nutty.  On the upside of my new obsession, I came up with this yummy recipe!

Pesto Bread Sticks
2- 12 inch dutch ovens

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbs. instant yeast
2 Tbs. sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. butter
 Prepared Pesto  (I used a beautiful sun-dried tomato pesto.  I found it in the canned tomato section of the grocery store.  Regular basil pesto can usually be found in the deli section near the gourmet cheeses.)

Mix all the ingredients except the butter and the pesto in a mixing bowl and mix well until a soft dough forms.  Knead for about 3 minutes.  Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.  Place 3 Tbs. of butter in each dutch oven and melt the butter over about 6 coals.  You don't want to heat the pots too much, just enough to melt the butter.  Remove the pots from the heat. 

Roll out the bread stick dough into a rectangle until it is about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Spread the pesto on half of the long side of the dough.  I used quite a lot of pesto, probably over 1/2 cup because I love it so much.  The amount of pesto is up to you.  If you love it, really slather it on, if you aren't so sure, use less.  After the pesto is evenly spread, fold the plain section of dough over the pesto.  So you will end up with the dough folded in half lengthwise and pesto in the middle.  (Am I making any sense at all?)

Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips about 1 inch wide.  Twist slightly and place in your pots.  This makes about 22-24 bread sticks, so split them between the 2 pots.  Cover and let rise 30 minutes.  Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Use 1 1/2 rings + a couple of coals on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Remove from heat and spread with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

The Finished Product



As you can tell, I didn't split my bread sticks up into two pots.  I was running low on charcoal so I tried to cram them all into my 14" oven.  Not a great idea since they were terrible to try to get apart in one piece.  Use two pots to make it easier.



The Review

I've tried several variations on these bread sticks, but this one is my favorite.  The bread is soft and delicious, my kiddos thought the pesto made them taste like pizza.  And anything that tastes like pizza is a hit at my house.  I think these are a great way to introduce new flavors to kids in a form that they will love.  Grade A.

Recipe Source:  Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chocolate Milk Bread

This bread is an idea I've been kicking around for a few months.  Its a work in progress.  The idea is to replace the water or milk in your bread recipe with chocolate milk and see what happens.  It was interesting, but not quite what I was hoping for.  The chocolate flavor got lost in the bread, and the color wasn't as dark as I'd hoped it would be.  But it wasn't a total failure.  The crumb was nice and soft and the bread was really sweet.  The problem was that there wasn't much I could do with it.  We ended up toasting it and spreading it with Nutella. 

So I have a few ideas for next time.  I think I'll use my french bread recipe and add some chocolate chips to the dough.  Then it should make some great french toast.  Maybe stuffed with strawberries and cream cheese...  Now I'm drooling on my keyboard.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  This weekend is the LDS church's General Conference.  We get the chance to receive direction and encouragement from our religious leaders.  Its a huge family weekend for my family.  We have special meals and treats and watch the conference broadcast.  Its a fun time.  I think I'll give the french bread/toast version  a try.  So here is attempt #1.

Chocolate Milk Bread
10" dutch oven

2 1/3 cups chocolate milk heated to 115°
1 Tbs. yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
5-7 cups flour

Combine the chocolate milk and yeast.  Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes.  Add the oil, sugar, salt and about 2 1/2 cups of flour.  Mix until smooth (it should look like pancake batter).  Let rise for 20-30 minutes.  Add the remaining flour a little at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Allow to rise in a greased bowl until doubled in size.  Punch the dough down and shape as desired (loaf, ball, or rolls).  Let rise about 45 minutes.  Bake in a preheated 350° dutch oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.  Remove from the dutch oven and allow to cool.  Makes 2 loaves.

Day 365: Pull Apart Bread

Well, I'm finally posting last Friday's recipe after enduring a weekend with 4 of us having strep throat.  I've never had it before and I could go my whole life and never have it again.  We were miserable with 103° fevers.  What a way to ring in the new year!  LOL!

Well, this is it for 2010 and my year of dutch oven cooking.  I've thought a lot about what I would say on my last post of the year.  It really is bitter sweet.  On one hand, I'm sick of cooking in the cold, and on the other hand, I've totally fallen in love with my dutch ovens.  I can't imagine not using them everyday.  I think that with all our modern conveniences we really miss out on some of the simple things in life.  The challenge and satisfaction of creating something when its difficult or when you have no idea what you're doing.  There is a simplicity in dutch oven cooking that I would have never understood if I hadn't had this year long experience.  Its something I wish everyone could appreciate.  There is just no way for me to put it into words, it just takes you back to your roots.  I feel a connection to generations past and have a new respect for those who cooked in black pots everyday on the trail as they settled the West.  I know I've mentioned my family suffered hardships as they crossed the plains in the 1840's with the Mormon pioneers, and this year has given me a tiny glimpse into what their lives must have been like.

It has been a real journey for me.  I started out not knowing anything and relying on books and all of you for knowledge and help.  Now I'm confident in my dutch oven skills and I've grown as a cook and as a person.  I won't lie, this was a very, very difficult project.  It took a lot of planning and work, especially during baseball and soccer season.  Juggling the demands of 7 children, church and community service, keeping up my home...the list goes on.  I'm really proud to say that with the exception of my vacation in July and the week we found out my mom has cancer, I've cooked outside on charcoal everyday.  Very few people can understand just what that entails.  But its been a great ride!  Its something I'd do over again, and I'm a better person for having done it.

There are a few people I have to thank by name.  First is Mark from Mark's Black Pot.  He put a link on his site and helped get the word out about my blog.  Dave Herzog and Ron Clanton, who I was lucky to meet at the World Championships.   Ranes Carter, who gave me the amazing opportunity of being a cooks assistant at the World Championships.  I learned so much from watching the world class cooks in action.  Doug Thornton, president of the Arkansas Dutch Oven Society, for being a guest blogger and following my posts religiously everyday.  And to all of you for reading, commenting, laughing at me and probably rolling your eyes at my sometimes stupidity!  Its been a heck of a ride and I couldn't have done it without you.  Thanks for the emails, the recipes and the encouragement!  I love you all!

Now whats next for me?  I told my hubby to put me on a forced 1 month dutch oven fast, though I don't think it will last that long.  Starting in February, I'll post once or twice a week.  I could never leave my black pots behind, they've become a part of who I am as a cook.  I hope to try some new things that I couldn't do when I was trying to feed a family everyday.  I hope there will be a lot more experimenting.  So don't forget about me...I'll be back soon!

Today's recipe comes from a Pampered Chef cookbook.

Italian Pull Apart Bread
10" dutch oven

1 can Pillsbury grands biscuits
3 Tbs. butter
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
3 Tbs. Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a 10" dutch oven over a full spread of coals.  Add the Parmesan, garlic and Italian seasoning.  Quarter the biscuits with kitchen shears.  Add the cut biscuits to the pot and stir well to coat.  Bake at 375° for 25 minutes.  Use 1 1/2 rings plus 2 coals on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Serves 4-6.

The Finished Product

My camera is charging, I'll have the pic up in a little while!

The Review

This is one of my kid's favorite breads.  I can' believe I didn't post it before now.  It is garlicky and cheesy and delicious.  Grade A.

Day 361: Pumpkin Ginger Scones

Here is the pumpkin scone recipe I made last night to go with the marinated baked chicken. 

Pumpkin Ginger Scones
10" dutch oven

2 cups flour
7 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. baking powder
5 Tbs. cold butter, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup sour cream

In a large bowl, combine the flour 7 Tbs. sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger and baking soda.  Cut in 4 Tbs. of butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Combing the egg, pumpkin and sour cream and stir into the dry ingredients.  Turn onto a floured surface and knead 10 times.  Pat into a 8-9 inch circle.  Cut into 8 wedges.  Separate wedges and place in a greased dutch oven.  Melt remaining butter and brush over the dough.  Sprinkle with remaining teaspoon of sugar.  Bake at 425° for 15-20 minutes using 2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Serve warm.

The Finished Product

The Review

I really liked the subtle pumpkin flavor these had.  My only complaint is that they were way too crumbly.  I think next time I'll up the pumpkin or sour cream just a little to make them more moist.  Grade B.

Day 359: Basil Garlic Bread

I'm trying to get caught up so I can finish the year with 365 recipes.  I got behind when I took a week off to be with my mom.  This bread is actually one I cooked that week, but never posted.  Thank goodness I transferred all my pics to my computer before my camera broke.  It comes from a Taste of Home magazine.

Basil Garlic Bread
10" dutch oven

2/3 cup warm milk
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup warm sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbs. butter, softened
1 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.  In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except the flour and mix well.  Add the yeast mixture and mix well.  Mix in 1 1/2 cups flour.  Then add enough flour to form a soft dough.  Cover and allow to rise until doubled.  Punch dough down, shape into a ball and place in a greased dutch oven.  Cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.  Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Serves 8-10.

The Finished Product

The Review

I was a little disappointed in this bread.  It had great texture and was really soft, but the flavor seemed off.  It was missing something and didn't taste quite right.  When I compare it to some of the other breads I've made this year, it falls a little flat.  I have to give this one a C.

Day 357: Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

I made this bread to slice and toast for breakfast Christmas morning.  I actually made it a few days in advance and froze it.  This recipe comes from a Taste of Home cookbook.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread
10" dutch oven

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar, divided
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons salt
5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oats, milk, shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide in half; roll each piece into a 16 x 8 inch rectangle. Brush with butter. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seams to seal.

Place loaves seam side down in two greased 10" dutch ovens. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 25 minutes. Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Use 1 1/2 rings plus a couple of coals on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Cover loosely with foil if bread browns too quickly. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves.

The Finished Product

Broken camera = no pics.  Hopefully I'll have it back in a day or two.  Keep your fingers crossed!

The Review

I really loved this.  It is hearty and chewy and really yummy.  I love the texture the oats add.  It was great toasted and spread with honey butter, but I was thinking that French Toast would also be great made with this bread.  Grade A.

Day 356: Ranch French Bread

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas holiday.  I know we did.  It was hectic, but full of friends, family, love and gratitude.  Sorry I didn't post yesterday like I'd planned, but I went to my Mom's to help clean up after the Christmas chaos.  There were 9 adults and 18 kids crammed into her house, and by the time the day was over it looked like a bomb had gone off.  So I went to help her get cleaned up and organized.  By the time we were done we were both completely spent! 

This recipe comes from a Taste of Home cookbook.  I served this bread with the hand rolled raviolis I made for Christmas Eve dinner.

Ranch French Bread
14" dutch oven

2 pkgs. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 cups warm buttermilk
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1-2 envelopes dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 tsp. salt
8-9 cups flour

In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Add 1 tsp. sugar and let stand for 5 minutes.  Add the buttermilk, butter, eggs, ranch dressing mix, salt, 4 cups flour and remaining sugar.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.  Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch the dough down. turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into fourths.  Roll each portion into a 14 x 12 inch rectangle.  Roll up jelly roll style starting on the long end.  Pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under.  Place seam side down in a greased dutch oven.  Withe a sharp knife, cut 5 shallow slashes across the top of each loaf.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Brush with melted butter.  Cool on wire racks.  Makes 4 loaves.

The Finished Product

I dropped my camera on Christmas eve and now its not working.  :(  I took it to see if it can be fixed so I'll add the pic soon.

The Review

This was surprisingly good.  The ranch flavor was really subtle but gave it a nice flavor.  The crumb was really soft.  We sliced it and topped it with Monterrey Jack cheese then laid the slices in the dutch oven until the cheese melted.  It went really well with the raviolis I made for Christmas.  Grade A.

Day 354:Herbed Cheese Ring

I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine.  Its perfect paired with soup.  I got busy and forgot to put the topping on, but it was still great!

Herbed Cheese Ring
10" dutch oven

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1/4 vegetable oil
2 Tbs. honey
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups white flour
1 tsp. each dried oregano, basil and rosemary, crushed

Filling

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. paprika

Topping

1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. sesame seeds
4 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add the milk, oil, honey, egg, salt, whole wheat flour, 1 cup of white flour and herbs; beat until blended.  Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.  Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.  Punch the dough down and turn onto a floured surface; divide in half.  Roll into a 15 x 10 inch rectangle.  Combine filling ingredients and sprinkle half over the dough.  Roll up jelly roll style, starting with the long end.  Pinch seams to seal.  Place seam side down and bring the ends together to form a ring, pinching the ends to seal.  With a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch slashes at 2 inch intervals. Carefully transfer to a greased dutch oven.  Repeat with the remaining dough. 
Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.  Brush each ring with egg; sprinkle with sesame seeds and Parmesan.  Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Makes 2 loaves.

The Finished Product

The Review

The whole family loved this.  We served it with Ham Bone Soup that I made using the last of the Honey Baked Ham and the kids liked the bread better than the soup.  Which is saying something because they devoured the soup.  I think next time I'll reduce the amount of herbs just a little and maybe mix in some Monterrey Jack cheese (just because I like it), but other than that, it was really good.  Grade A.

Day 327: Bloomin' Onion Bread

Happy day before Thanksgiving!  I have one more trip to make to the grocery store then I'm ready!  I hope all your preparations are going well.  I have to warn you, I probably won't be posting a recipe tomorrow because I'll be up early cooking, but come back on Friday and I'll have two for you (provided I survive my black Friday shopping).

I also have to add another shameless plug for my cookbook.  Pre-order your copy now!  Thanks to those who have already ordered, and to those who haven't I ask "What are you waiting for?" 

I found this recipe in a taste of home magazine several years ago, but for unknown reasons I haven't tried it until now.  This is a fun a versatile bread.  You could use any combination of cheese and spices.  Provolone and basil and rosemary, substitute pepper jack cheese for more kick, or smokey cheddar.  It is a great party appetizer too!

Bloomin' Onion Bread
10" dutch oven

1 unsliced loaf (round is preferable) sourdough bread.
1 pound Monterrey Jack cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup finely diced green onion, with tops
2-3 tsp poppy seeds

Cut the bread lengthwise and width wise - without cutting through the bottom crust.  Insert cheese between cuts. Combine butter, onion, and poppy seeds. Drizzle over bread. Wrap in foil and place in your dutch oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, using 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom. Unwrap. Bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

The Finished Product

The Review

Talk about neat presentation!  My hubby came home from work and the first thing he said was "That bread looks cool!"  It also tastes great!  My little kids didn't care for the sourdough bread, but everyone else loved it.  I may take this to Thanksgiving dinner as a appetizer.  I'll definitely be making this again.  Grade A.

Day 323: Yummy Coffee Cake

My kids love having something to eat when they come home from school.  In fact, if I don't have something ready they swear they're going to die!  Something like this coffee cake is perfect.  I can make it early in the day and have it ready when they come home starving.

Yummy Coffee Cake
12" dutch oven

3 3/4 cups flour
3/4 sugar
3 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup shortening (I was out so I used butter)
1 3/4 cups milk
3 eggs

Topping:

2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Sift the dry ingredients.  Cut in shortening until crumbly.  Add the milk and mix well.  Pour into a greased dutch oven.  In another bowl, combine the topping ingredients and mix until butter is crumbly.  Spread on top of cake batter.  Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Serves 10.

The Finished Product

The Review

As far as coffee cakes go, this was just okay.  The topping ended up on the bottom of the cake, but it was nice and moist.  This is one that even though I liked it, I probably won't make it again just because there are better coffee cake recipes out there.  Grade B-.

Day 322: Corn Bread

I apologize for not posting yesterday.  We were trying to get a fireplace installed before Thanksgiving.  It turned out to be a bigger project than we thought it would be.  Good thing my hubby is handy!  Anyway, I'll get caught up with the posts this morning.  My kids actually made this cornbread and they served it with chili (from a can).  I couldn't get a picture because I was too busy, but my kids did a great job.

Don't forget to order your copy of Everyday Dutch Oven!  It will have all the best recipes from the past year including everything you need to know to make your own dutch oven adventures a success!

Corn Bread
12" dutch oven

2 cups flour
2 cups cornmeal
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
6 Tbs. melted butter
4 eggs
1 Tbs. honey

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.  Add the sour cream, butter, eggs and honey.  Mix until just blended.  Pour into a greased 12" dutch oven and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Serves 10.

The Review

My kids are turning into really good cooks.  I'm going to have to let them take over more often.  This cornbread was baked perfectly!  (I'm so proud!  They even did the charcoal themselves and everything!)  This turned out to be really moist and sweet.  Its hard to say if this is my favorite cornbread recipe, but it certainly ranks up there.  Grade A-.

Day 321: Ribbon Pumpkin Bread

When I was making this bread yesterday I thought I'd try something different.  Instead of pouring the batter directly into the dutch oven like I usually do, I put it in a bread pan and then cooked it in my dutch oven.  In order for this to work, you have to have a metal trivet and a deep dutch oven.  The bread pan can't be placed directly onto the bottom of the dutch oven.  In order for it to bake properly, it has to be lifted up to allow for the heat to circulate evenly, and if you don't lift up the bread pan you'll end up burning the bottom of the bread.  Trust me, I know!  Its a great way to bake actual loaves of bread and still use your dutch oven!  I should have taken some pictures of how I did it, but I forgot.  I'll make another bread and add the pics!

Ribbon Pumpkin Bread
12" deep dutch oven

Filling

6 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs. flour
2 egg whites

Batter

1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 Tbs. oil
1 2/3 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out)

For the filling, combine the cream cheese, sugar, flour and egg whites in a bowl and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin, applesauce, egg, egg whites and oil.  Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves.  Add to the pumpkin mixture and stir in the walnuts. 

Divide half of the batter between 2 8 x 4 inch greased loaf pans.  Spread each with the filling and top with remaining batter.  Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.  Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.  Makes 2 loaves.

The Finished Product

The Review

This bread is awesome, and it worked great in  my dutch oven!  It was fun to take a loaf to my neighbor and watch the expression on her face when I told her I baked it in my dutch oven.  This is spiced nicely and its beautiful on top of that.  This gets an A!

Day 319: Cheesy Ranch Breadsticks

This is a fun twist on bread sticks.  I was kind of inspired by the Cheese Stuffed Foccacia I made a while back.  I thought "why couldn't I stuff bread sticks with all kinds of yummy goodness?"  So I did, and the rest is history.

Cheesy Ranch Bread sticks
14" dutch oven

1 ½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
1/2-1 cup shredded cheese
Mix all ingredients (except melted butter) in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.  Roll out the bread stick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick.   Spread half of the dough with 2 Tbs. melted butter.  Sprinkle with ranch dressing mix and grated cheese.  Fold the dough in half, covering the dressing/cheese.  See picture below.  Press down on the dough to remove any air pockets.  Cut into strips with a pizza cutter.  Twist the bread sticks slightly and place about 1/2-inch apart in your dutch oven.  Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 375° for15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.

The Finished Product

The Review

These are really good!  They are versatile too.  You could fill them with just about any kinds of herbs and cheese you want.  And the bread sticks are light and soft.  I think this is my very favorite bread stick recipe.  I couldn't fit all of them in my 14" oven, so you will need 2 dutch ovens to bake the whole batch.  Grade A.

Day 317: Bread Bowls

I have a confession to make.  Since we were working on our bathroom all day, I had a soup going in the crock pot and I was making some bread bowls to go with it.  As I was shaping the bread I realized I hadn't done anything in my dutch oven.  So I cooked the last few bread bowls in it.  How I forgot I don't know, but yesterday was kind of a nightmare.  These worked really well.  Thank goodness for my busy day because I would never have even thought to make these in a dutch oven.  This recipe is from allrecipes.com.

Bread Bowls
14" dutch oven

1 1/2 Tbs. yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
7 cups flour
1 Tbs. corn meal
1 egg white
1 Tbs. water

Dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Let stand for about 10 minutes.  Add the salt, oil and 4 cups of flour and mix well.  Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, until a soft but not sticky dough is formed.  (I didn't use all the flour.)  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Place dough in an oiled bowl and turn to oil the top.  Cover and rise until doubled. 

Punch the dough down and divide into 8 equal portions.  Shape into a ball and place in a lightly greased dutch oven that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.  Cover and allow to rise until doubled.

In a small bowl, combine water and egg whites.  Carefully spread the egg combination over the top of the bread bowls.  Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.  Brush each bread bowl with egg again and bake another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serves 8.

The Finished Product

The Review

This is a fabulous recipe.  The outside of the bread is crispy, but inside it is soft and delicious!  Perfect for holding a hearty stew!  My kids loved eating their soup out of bread.  If you are going to make these you will need a 14" dutch oven and maybe a 10" as well.  Like I said, I put my last three in my 10" oven.  But they work beautifully.  Grade A.

Day 315: Spiced Pear Bread

Sorry I'm so late today.  I've put off painting my bathroom for about a week and a half and now I have the plumber coming tomorrow to finish putting it back together for me and I just started painting this morning.  How's that for procrastination!  Needless to say, I still have a bunch to do so I better hurry! 

Spiced Pear Bread
10" dutch oven

3 (15 oz) cans sliced pears, drained and mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 1/4 cups flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients.  Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, cloves and salt; gradually add to the pear mixture and mix well.  Pour into a well greased dutch oven and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Cool 15 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack.

The Finished Product

I'll post the picture as soon as I finish painting!  Which better be soon!

The Review

Yum! Yum! Yum!  Another perfect taste of fall.  This is one of my favorite breads and I make it every year.  It never lasts long around here!   It is moist and delicious!  Grade A.