Whole Wheat Positive
You can substitute whole wheat flour for all or part of the all-purpose flour in this recipe. Start with a small proportion, and if you like the result, you can use more whole wheat flour next time.
Need pizza?
Start with a batch of Italian Everything Dough. Then keep going:
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Cut the dough in half. Roll each half out into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle and place on an oiled pizza pan lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Pinch the edges up slightly. Spread the dough evenly with tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, anchovies (you know the drill). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is browned underneath and the cheese is melted.
Makes two 12-inch (30 cm) pizzas.
Fabulous Focaccia
Start with one recipe of Italian Everything Dough. Add inspiration. Bake until delicious.
Prepare Italian Everything Dough. Let the dough rise once, punch it down, then let it rest for 5 minutes while you prepare the baking pans. Cut the dough in half and roll each half out to fit into a greased 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23 cm) round cake pan or on cookie sheets.
Top with whatever weird and wonderful toppings you like (inspirations follow), cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again until puffed to almost double — about 20 to 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Place focaccia in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the dough is lightly browned on the edges and the center is no longer gooey (stick a fork into it to check).
Just try to resist eating the whole thing immediately.
Makes 2 fabulous 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23 cm) focaccias.
Focaccia Inspirations
Each of the following combinations is enough to top one 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23 cm) round focaccia. Feel free to ignore these suggestions completely.
Mainly Mediterranean
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped brine-cured olives
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped sundried tomatoes
½ cup (125 ml) crumbled feta cheese
salt, pepper and crumbled rosemary
Somewhat Sicilian
1 onion, sliced and sautéed in olive oil
1 small ripe tomato, coarsely chopped
¼ cup (60 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper and crumbled oregano
Perfectly Pesto
¼ cup (60 ml) prepared pesto sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped sundried tomatoes
½ cup (125 ml) crumbled goat cheese
Not Quite Naked
2 tbsp. (30 ml) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt, pepper and crumbled rosemary
The Truth About Gluten
Gluten is a stretchy protein found in wheat and other grains, such as oats and rye. This is what gives bread its spongy texture and allows a loaf of bread to hold itself up as it rises. When we knead the dough, we develop the gluten structure, causing the fibers to stretch and strengthen. In bread, this is a good thing. So flour with a high gluten content — made from “hard wheat” — is best for that purpose.
Flour made from “soft wheat” has a lower gluten content and is best for baking more delicate things, such as pastries and light cakes. You’re looking for fluffy and fragile, rather than sturdy and chewy.
All-purpose flour is somewhere in between on the gluten scale. It has enough gluten to make a decent loaf of bread, but is still fine for baking cakes and pastries. Most of the recipes in this book call for all-purpose flour.
Some people can’t tolerate any gluten whatsoever in their diet and have to avoid all foods that contain wheat, rye, barley, oats and various other grains. Some recipes in this book are gluten-free or can be made gluten-free with specific ingredient substitutions, such as commercially produced gluten-free flour, ground nuts, potato starch or rice flour. So go ahead and experiment — you may just invent something wonderful!
Universal Sweet Dough
One batch of this dough will make two pans of Cinnamon Buns (or variations thereof) or two Bubble Breads. Or make one of each! Perfect if you can’t decide what you want.
4 cups (1 liter) all-purpose flour (approximately), divided
1⁄3 cup (75 ml) granulated sugar
4½ tsp. (22 ml) (2 envelopes) quick-rise instant yeast
½ tsp. (2 ml) salt
¾ cup (175 ml) milk
½ cup (125 ml) water
1⁄3 cup (75 ml) butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups (500 ml) of the flour (this is only part of the total amount of flour) with the sugar, yeast and salt.
In a saucepan, or in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk, water and butter. Heat on the stove or in the microwave until very warm to the touch — don’t boil. Add warm liquid to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer, or by hand with a sturdy spoon, until the mixture forms a stringy, sticky, gooey batter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then add the remaining flour ½ cup (125 ml) at a time, mixing well, until the dough becomes too difficult to stir.
Now dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead by hand for 6 to 8 minutes, sprinkling lightly with additional flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the table. (You might not need to use the entire amount of flour.) Once the dough is no longer sticky and feels like a damp earlobe when you pinch it, it’s ready to rise. Place it in an oiled bowl, and turn it over to oil the top. Cover with plastic wrap, place in a warm spot (see rising suggestions — page 35) and let rise until doubled in volume — about 30 to 40 minutes.
Punch the dough down to deflate it, knead it a few times and it’s ready to shape into any of the following incredibly easy, but very impressive, creations.
Whole Wheat Positive
You can substitute whole wheat flour for all or part of the all-purpose flour in this recipe. Start with a small proportion, and if you like the result, you can use more whole wheat flour next time.
Cinnamon Buns
One recipe of Universal Sweet Dough will make two pans of either Cinnamon Buns or any of the variations that follow. Bake both now or bake one and freeze the other, unbaked, to enjoy on a rainy day.
1 recipe Universal Sweet Dough (page 49)
1 cup (250 ml) brown sugar
2 tsp. (10 ml) cinnamon
½ cup (125 ml) butter, softened
½ cup (125 ml) raisins or dried cranberries
Shiny Sugar Glaze (page 173)
Prepare the Universal Sweet Dough according to the recipe. Let it rise once, punch it down and set it aside to rest while you gather up the filling ingredients.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and the cinnamon. Have ready the softened butter and raisins or cranberries. Grease an 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23 cm) square baking pan.
Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to form a rectangle approximately 9 x 12 inches (23 x 30 cm) in size. Spread the surface as evenly as