Sunday, September 14, 2014

Homemade Subway Bread



I love being able to make food at home that tastes like the restaurant food my kids like to eat.   This bread tastes very much like the bread from Subway.  I like knowing that this is made healthier without any artificial ingredients or preservatives in it.  It is actually pretty simple to make just takes a while to wait for the dough to rise. 


Combine the dough ingredients and then place this in a large bowl.


Cover this with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm area for about 30 minutes.

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Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into 4 equal parts.  Roll these out into long rolls about 9 to 10 inches long.  Place these on a pan that is lined with parchment paper. 

Spray a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Let this rise for about an hour until it is doubled in size. 


Remove plastic wrap and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven and butter the tops with a stick of butter and cover with a clean kitchen towel. This step is important to soften the bread/   Let this cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
 
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Ingredients:
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 1/2 Tablespoons yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoon olive oil
3-3 1/2 cups flour

Directions:

1. Heat water to 110 degrees F.  Add yeast and sugar and let this sit about 5 minutes until it starts to form a foam on the top.  Add salt and olive oil.
2.  Add one cup of flour and mix until combined.  Add another cup of flour and mix until combined.  Slowly add more flour a 1/4 cup at a time until a soft dough is formed.  The dough should stick a little to the bottom of bowl but pull away from the sides. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and soft.
3.  Shape the dough into a ball and place in a bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes.
4.   Remove dough and divide into four sections.  Roll each piece of dough into a long skinny loaf that is about 9 to 10 inches long.  Place the rolled loaves onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.  Cover the loaves with a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray and allow the loaves to rise for an hour.
5.  Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and rub the tops with a stick of butter and then cover them with a clean dish towel.  Cool for 30 minutes before slicing them.  Prepare with your favorite sandwich toppings.

Note: Rubbing the loaves with butter and covering them with a towel to cool is very important to keep them soft.




Monday, September 1, 2014

Homemade Poptarts


These are so much better than store bought pop tarts!  And fun to make too!  This recipe is adapted from one I found on Allrecipes.com .  It uses a package of refrigerated pie crusts that make this super easy and convenient.  I would like to try this again in the future using real pie crust from scratch. I bet that would take these over the top!  Be warned these are super sweet with the frosting but the kids liked them.  I preferred these plain without any frosting at all.  I used strawberry jam in these but I'm sure any flavor would work just as good.  Hope you enjoy!
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Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 Tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
decorative sugar or sprinkles, as needed

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees (220 degrees C) Line Baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Unroll the pie crusts, place on a lightly floured work surface, and roll the crusts slightly with a rolling pin to square the edges. Cut each crust into 8 equal-sized rectangles. Place about 2 teaspoons of strawberry jam in the center of 8 squares, and spread the jam out to within 1/4 inch of the edge of the pastry square. Top each with another pastry square, and use a fork to crimp the squares together, sealing in the jam. Use a knife to trim the pastries, if desired. Move the filled pastries to the prepared baking sheets.

3.  Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are lightly golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.  Watch carefully towards the end to be sure they starting to turn lightly brown without overcooking.  Allow to cool on the baking sheets. Meanwhile, stir together the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl to make a spreadable frosting. Spread the cooled tarts with frosting and sprinkle with colored sugar or sprinkles.