Pizza Crust

Here is the recipe for my pizza crust, don't be intimidated it's super easy!

Pizza Crust

2 ½- 3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 package of yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup very warm water (120-130 degrees)

Makes 2 pizzas.

In a large bowl mix 1 cup of flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add olive oil and water. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes. With a spoon, stir in enough flour until it forms a soft dough and leaves the side of the bowl . On a floured surface knead for 8 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and springy. Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease pizza pan. Cut dough in half. Pat one half down to form your pizza. Add toppings of your choice. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden. ENJOY!

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

2 Cups flour (When I feel a little healthy I substitute 1 cup of flour with whole wheat flour. )

1 ½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

5 over ripe bananas (mash 4, Chop 1)

1 cup sugar

1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cups pecans or walnuts, optional (my family doesn't like nuts so we don't add them)

Preheat 350 degrees.                

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl mash 4 bananas. Add sugar and mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer until creamy. Add melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.  Mix in dry ingredients until incorporated. Fold in the bananas and optional nuts. Divide the batter into 2 loaf pans. Give the pans a rap on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 50 minutes to  1 hour until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy.

This is one of my families favorites and having a toddler means having lots of bananas on hand. This is my own recipe so I hope you like it!

Simple French Bread

This is my go to French bread recipe. It's simple and easy to make. If you don't have a stand mixer you can use a hand mixer for mixing and knead the dough by hand. 

Makes 1 loaf

2 ¾-3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
1 package or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (120 degrees F)

In a stand mixer, mix 2 cups flour with the salt, sugar, and yeast. Add water and beat for 3 minutes. Beat in enough additional flour to make a soft but kneadable dough.

Place dough on a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes, until smooth and elastic (you can use a dough hook on a mixer for this step if you have one). Place the dough in a bowl, cover with towel, and let rise for 45-60 minutes.

Punch dough down and roll into a long rectangular shape. Starting from the long end, roll the dough (like a cinnamon roll) into a loaf shape. Place seam-side down on a greased baking sheet, cover with a wet towel to let rise 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make an egg wash by mixing one egg with one tablespoon of water. Brush loaf with the egg wash with a pastry brush. Using a sharp knife, make 3-4 diagonal slashes on top of the loaf.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!