A few months ago Ryan and I had a friend, Ryan, move to town. Since then, we’ve been creating a weekend tradition of making homemade pizza. It’s definitely a weekend event as it takes some time, some gear, and occasionally an all-hands on deck approach. But in the end, it’s totally worth it. And I hope, you’ll consider giving it a go, because then, you too can have the best homemade pizza of your life. 

For awhile, we were satisfied with homemade pizza using pre-made dough. Then I dabbled occasionally in various pizza dough recipes, that were better, but not life changing. Certainly, not the best homemade pizza of your life. But then everything change with the addition of Ken Forkish’s The Elements of Pizza to our cookbook collection.

The dough recipes in his book are so flavorful! When baked they have a crispy exterior crust just like you get from professional kitchens. And the inside, just slightly soft and bready. It’s the perfect combinations of textures. Not so hard is breaks into shards, and not so doughy it’s like eating a bread stick. The pizza comes out beautiful and delicious. I am not exaggerating when I say, the quality rivals many restaurants.

The book has many dough recipes, but my favorite is the 24-hour dough recipe. That’s the one I’ll share today. I like it because I think that amount of time gives the yeast plenty of time to slowly develop flavor. As well, I find it the least invasive to my day because the dough spends most of its time in the fridge (that means less time kneading/turning/working the dough throughout the day). Start it on Saturday and then end your weekend with a great Sunday dinner. It’s also great because at the end you’ll have 5 personal sized pizzas.

What I’ve really loved about making this pizza, is that  the ingredients are incredibly straight forward. The dough is flour (“00” Flour, a finely ground flour is great if you can find it), water, salt, and yeast. And the sauce is canned tomatoes and salt. And the toppings are whatever you want. It’s inexpensive, easy, and your pizzas are easily customized.

My favorite part of making pizza though is that we’ve made it a communal activity. The kitchen becomes a hub of activity and conversation for me and the Ryans. We shape the dough, we chat, prep the toppings, we snack on the toppings, and we hang out. No one person had to be responsible for everything. And then every so often, we all have to frantically run to waft cool air towards the fire alarm.

Ok so the dirty secret is this: we set off the fire alarm every single time. Not for the whole duration of cooking, but it always happens at least once. Basically, the oven is set at such a high temperature any spill causes lots of heat and smoke. The shrill sound of the alarm starts to blare and we run to the couch to grab pillows and frantically wave at the fire alarms. We think this rustic, homey practice will give our future restaurant a quirky and charming quality not provided by other establishments. That would work, right? You’d eat there?

The other thing is, we’ve found that doing pizza well requires a fair bit of kit. It can be done without, but it’s so much easier with. Here’s a list of what I think are must-haves (and alternatives if you don’t have it):

• Pizza Steel or Pizza Stone. The book recommends a steel, so that’s what I have. If you don’t want to invest you can use a baking sheet turned over, but make sure it’s a good one that doesn’t buckle a lot. If it buckles your pie will be cooking at an angle and that can lead to drippage.
• Pizza Peel. It helps get the pizza in and out of the oven. Ryan and I have had success with a cutting board and some tongs, but a peel is a lot easier because it has a thin sloped edge for sliding the pizza.
• Parchment paper. There’s no substitute, it helps get your pizza easily off the peel and onto the stone so that it keeps its shape.
• Pizza Cutter. A knife works, but a cutter gives a smoother cut. And if you’re going to invest in all the other gear why not go all out?
• Digital Scale. This is generally important for the kitchen, and especially so when it comes to baking. Measuring by weight is consistent every time. I’ve also included volume measurements, but I do think going with grams is best.
• Kitchen Thermometer. Again, generally valuable in the kitchen. This is important for the water at the beginning of the recipe. You could use a thermometer for people if you needed to.
• Ken Forkish’s The Elements of Pizza. It’s just a crazy good book with helpful images to ensure pizza success.

Let me end by saying, this pizza is totally worth it. It is the best homemade pizza of my life. As well, it might be one of the best pizzas of my life, end of sentence. Sure it takes a little work and some gear, but it’s so good. And so fun to do with people you care about. Consider making it yourself, and if you do share photos with me on Instagram and tag me @cookingismessy.

Adapted slightly from Ken Forkish’s book,  The Elements of Pizza.

Messy level: I’m going to give this a five. I don’t want to because I feel that creates yet another barrier to making it. And I want you to make this recipe. It’s so good. I can’t say that enough.  But kneading dough, flouring the counter, plus chopping toppings, using a blender, and potential spills in a hot oven all lead to a five spoon.

Best Homemade Pizza of Your Life

 

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Prep time

26 hours

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

26 hours 8 mins

 

Serves: 5 10" pizzas

Ingredients

Dough

• 350 grams/ 1½ cups water at 90°-95°F (32°-35°C)
• 13 grams/ 2½ teaspoons salt
• 1.5 grams/ ¾ of ½ teaspoon instant dried yeast
• 500 grams/ scant 4 cups 00 flour (or all-purpose)

Sauce

• 1 28oz can, whole peeled tomatoes
• 8 grams/ 1½ teaspoons salt

Toppings

• olive oil
• 1 large ball of mozzarella cheese, cut into thin slices
• shredded mozzarella (optional)
• shredded Parmesan (optional)
• 3-4 basil leaves per pizza (optional)
• other cheese and toppings of your choice (optional)

Instructions

1. Measure the water and put it in a large bowl or tub. Notes: I use a tub that would usually store cereal. Also, if your tap gets pretty hot you should be able to get this temperature water without use of the stove or microwave.
2. Add the salt to the water. Swish it around until it is dissolved.
3. Add the yeast and let it sit there for a minute to moisten. Then swish it around until it's dissolved.
4. Now add the flour. Mix it in by hand until it starts to come together. Then alternate folding the dough over on itself and pinching the dough apart by squeezing it between your index and middle finger. Do this for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until it is a unified mass of dough. Check the temperature, it should be about 80°F (27°C).
5. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes in the bowl or tub.
6. Flour your counter and knead the dough for 1 minute until the dough has a smooth skin. Note: Need help kneading? Check this tutorial out.
7. Lightly oil your bowl or tub, then place the dough ball seam side down. Cover tightly. Then let it rest for 2 hours at room temperature.
8. Flour your counter again. Gently ease the dough out of the tub and onto the work surface. Use your scale to help you cut the dough into 5 equal pieces.
9. Shape each dough ball into a tight round. To do this, take a piece of dough and stretch ⅓ of it sideways until starts to resits, then fold it back on itself into the middle. Continue doing this around the whole piece of dough until it forms a round shape. Then, flip the ball over seam side down. Cup your hands over the dough to create a dome, with your pinkie fingers pressed against the counter pull the dough 4-5 inches across the counter (unfloured) toward you. Do this 1-2 more times until the dough feels round and tight. Repeat with all five pieces of dough.
10. Flour a baking sheet and place your shaped dough onto it. Leave space between for the dough to expand. Flour the tops of the dough then tightly cover with plastic wrap.
11. Put the baking sheet into the fridge and let it sit there for 24 hours.
12. Remove the pizza dough 1 hour before making the pizza
13. After the dough has been out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes place the pizza steel in the oven and preheat it to 550°F (290°C). Let it heat up for 30 minutes.
14. Now make the sauce! It's the easiest part. Pour the tomatoes and salt into a blender (or use an immersion blender). Pulse on low until the tomatoes are just blended (there will be a few small chunks). You're done.
15. Time to shape the dough! Cut a piece of parchment paper about the size of your peel.
16. Flour your counter. Take a dough ball and use your finger tips to punch down the middle and then slowly push the dough towards the outside. Continue this motion, of using your fingertips to press the dough outward. Do it all around the dough leaving about ½ inch of the edge untouched. Then, hold the dough off of the counter with your hands at 10:00 and 2:00. The rest of the dough will hang down vertically, and the weight of it will help stretch the dough. Slide your hands all the way around the edge of the dough until it's reached your desired size, which is about 10".
17. Place the stretched dough onto the parchment paper and onto your pizza peel.
18. Spoon tomato sauce onto the dough until it's about ½ inch from the edge.
19. Use the peel to slide the pizza and parchment into the oven onto the steel. Bake for 4 minutes.
20. Remove the pizza from the oven. You should also be able to remove it from the parchment paper if you wish.
21. Drizzle the pizza lightly with olive oil. Top with your slices of mozzarella and any other cheeses of your liking (I like Parmesan and Burrata). Add a few slices of basil too. I've also used peppers, pepperoni and other dried meats.
22. Use the peel to place the pizza back on the steel. Bake for 2 minutes.
23. Switch the oven setting to broil and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until you see a few spots of charring.
24. Remove from the oven and let sit for 1 minute.
25. Use your pizza cutter to slice the pizza. Serve! We like to eat it sitting around the kitchen island and as we prepare the next pizza.
26. Repeat from step 16 until you've made all of your pizzas. Note: parchment paper can usually be used for at least 2 pizzas before it needs replacing.

3.5.3226

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Happy New Year! I know it’s taken me a long time to post in 2017, but I have my reasons. I’ve been lazy. I’ve taken up knitting. But most importantly, I haven’t wanted to post anything healthy. January is the time when everyone goes healthy, and yet I’m still eating a lot of cheese. This recipe for cranberry brie pull apart bread is perfect for the holidays… or those of us still wanting to cling to the lovely food and decadence of the holidays. Plus it’s crazy easy to make, and delicious, and yes, cheesy – so you’re welcome. 

This recipe is crazy easy because you use Pillsbury flaky biscuits for the dough. Those biscuits are perfectly engineered food. How could anything be so buttery, flaky and moist?! They are so unbelievable satisfying. Not only the taste, but popping open that tin is a real thrill. I’m not joking, I love doing it. Anyway, this dough gets rolled into balls to make an easy pull apart bread. Perfect for parties or for your own enjoyment. I won’t judge if you eat this alone.

The cranberry sauce is another reason this recipe is legit. Full disclosure, I will eat cranberry sauce with a spoon, straight from the container, while standing in front of the fridge with the door open. It’s true and I’m only slight embarrassed by this. Since I had a bag of frozen cranberries in my fridge I went ahead and made the sauce, and the instructions for how to do that are in the recipe below. However, you can use canned sauce just as easily. Do what works, this recipe is crazy simple.

Finally let me tell you the best part of this recipe. It’s the melted brie encased in perfectly golden biscuit dough. When you take this bread out, you can pull individual pieces away, take a bite, and inside is heavenly warm pockets cheese. The salty cheese, mixed with sweet and tangy cranberries, and eaten with bread is perfection. Sure, these are the flavors of the holidays but they’re worth eating in January too. [For reals though, I know I should get back into vegetables and healthy foods. What healthy things are you eating in 2017?]

Adapted from Buzzfeed.

Messy level: The preparation for this recipe is so straight forward that there is very little mess. You’ll make the biggest mess once it’s time to eat. Be careful! Don’t gobble it up too fast or you’ll have cranberries and cheese down the front of your shirt!

Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• 6 oz fresh cranberries
• ½-3/4 pound brie
• 16 oz (8 count) tin of Pillsbury Flaky Layer Biscuits
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, divided
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts, divided (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Grease a bundt pan.
3. Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over high heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar is melted. Bring to a boil.
4. Once the water is boiling add the cranberries. Lower the heat to medium-low.
5. Simmer the cranberries for 10 minutes, or until it's become a thick garnet sauce. Remove from heat and let cool.
6. Cut the brie into bite sized chunks.
7. Remove the biscuit dough from the tin. Tear each biscuit into 3-4 pieces.
8. Flatten biscuit dough pieces, place brie in the middle, then wrap the dough around the cheese.
9. Place about ½ the cheese-dough balls into the bundt pan. You don't have to wedge them in their too hard, they'll expand as they bake.
10. Drizzle half of the cranberry sauce over the dough.
11. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of thyme and ¼ cup chopped walnuts over the dough balls.
12. Arrange the rest of the dough balls on top of the sauce.
13. Drizzle the rest of the cranberry sauce, thyme, and walnuts over the dough.
14. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden.
15. Let cool in pan for a few minutes. Then flip over and serve while warm.
16. Pull apart pieces and enjoy the flavor!

3.5.3226

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When you were a kid did you learn to play the recorder in music class? And then, did you learn to play a very breathy and staccato version of the song “Hot Cross Buns”? I certainly did, and I feel like a lot of other children across America did too.  And that was my only interaction with hot cross buns until last year when Ryan and I were in Wales and we went crazy buying pastries. This year, I tried to step it up a notch and make my own hot cross buns. 

So hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday (today). From my very brief Wikipedia research, hot cross buns don’t appear to be a big tradition in the US – however there are lots of American recipes for them. The difference I noticed is that American recipes tend to make the cross from icing and other recipes tend to make the cross from a flour based paste. I decided to align with my Welsh experience and make the paste. Feel free to make icing though, because who doesn’t love icing?

I will say, if you make this recipe don’t try to start this at 7:30 at night after a long day at work. Everything needs to be brought to room temperature. Also, this recipe needs two hours of rising time, plus the regular work of mixing, kneading, and shaping the dough. As well there’s also the actual baking time. Finally,  when it says preheat the oven you should actually turn the oven on, not just type in the numbers but then forget to press start. Seriously, I stayed up until about 11:30 working on these (which is wildly late for me on a school night). I literally fell asleep during some of the rising time and was thankful for noisy timers.

But the next morning, I was pleased I had made these because they made a delicious breakfast. The buns themselves are a slightly sweet bread spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins. You can also use currants, golden raisins, or go wild and throw in some other mixed fruits. I only used raisins because I was being cheap and didn’t want to buy multiple packages of dried fruit. Sorry, it’s the truth. You go with what works best for you though. Also know, I think currants would be kind of delicious. These buns are also delicious lightly toasted, or warmed slightly, and then slathered with butter. It’s mild but a little sweet and overall very nice for breakfast.

Final thing, I know I’ve said it before with other posts and I’ll say it again: sometimes you have to trust yourself over the recipe. The recipe I was working with said to slowly mix 5 tablespoons of water into 2/3 cup of flour to make a thick paste that you eventually pipe over the buns. Well for me, I reached that perfect paste consistency after about 3.5 tablespoons but I kept going with the water. This gave me a super liquidy mix that I feel flowed out of the piping bag too quickly. It also made subtle crosses on the top of these buns. Flavor wise it’s completely fine, but I recommend making a thicker paste so your finished products will have more defined crosses. Learn from my mistakes friends!

Anyway, whether you eat these buns, chocolate eggs, or jelly beans I hope you have a lovely Easter weekend.

Adapted from King Arthur Flour and BBC Good Food.

Messy level: What’s great about this is that all of the ingredients can easily be kneaded together in the bowl of a stand mixer. However, I do recommend taking the dough out and putting it on the counter when kneading in the dried fruit. It’s just easier to ensure you don’t over work the dough and that everything gets mixed. Overall, I’d call this mildly messy but not crazy at all.

Hot Cross Buns

 

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Prep time

2 hours 20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

2 hours 50 mins

 

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the Buns

• ¼/ 59 ml cup apple juice
• 1 cup/ 156 grams dried fruit (you can do a mix of raisins, golden raisins, and dried currants)
• 1¼ cup/ 295 ml milk, room temperature
• 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk
• 6 tablespoons/ 85 g butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• ¼ cup/ 53 grams light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1¾ teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 4½/ 539 grams cups all-purpose flour

For the Cross

• ⅔ cup flour (can substitute some confectioners sugar for the flour)
• up to 5 tablespoons of water

For the Glaze

• 3 tablespoons apricot jam

Instructions

1. Grease a 10x10" or 9x13" pan with butter.
2. Mix the apple juice and raisins in a microwave safe bowl. Cover the bowl and heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the raisins are very warm and have absorbed some of the juice. Set the bowl aside to come to room temperature.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or a bowl, spoon, and your hands), mix together the milk, eggs, butter, yeast, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and flour. Mix until soft and elastic.
4. Turn the dough on to a floured surface. Knead in the raisins. If dough gets too sticky you can also work in a bit more flour as you knead.
5. Put the dough in a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel.
6. Let the dough rise of 1 hour.
7. Divide the dough into 12 pieces (about the size of a pool ball). Use your hands to roll them in the ball. Place them in your prepared pan.
8. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel. Let the dough rise for 1 hour or until the dough balls are touching each other.
9. When the dough has been rising for 50 minutes, preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C.
10. Now prepare the cross paste. Put the flour in a small bowl. Mix in the water one tablespoon at a time until you have a thick, squeezable paste. You might not need all 5 tablespoons.
11. Transfer the paste to a pastry bag with a small nozzle, or to a plastic bag with a tiny corner cut off. Pipe the paste in line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to make crosses
12. Bake the buns for 20-30 minutes or until they are golden brown.
13. Take the buns out of the oven and let cool slightly.
14. Heat the apricot jam in a small saucepan over low heat. The jam is hot enough when it is melted and spreadable. While the jam is warm, spread it over the top of the buns. Let it cool.
15. Serve the buns warm, toasted, or slightly reheated. Lovely with more jam or butter!

3.5.3208

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Ok, true life confession – it took me until I was thirty to have a soft boiled egg. I have no idea why it took me so long because I love dipping bread into runny egg yolks. What have I been doing all my life?! But I got into the idea recently after having a grilled cheese with a poached egg on top at Bidwell in Union Market. It was delicious – buttery, cheesy, and gooey. But I felt like I’d rather have my egg on the side so that the sandwich bread would stay crisp. And that gave me the idea for soft boiled eggs with grilled cheese soldiers (dipping sticks).

I don’t think eggs and soldiers is such a big deal here in the US. I say that because as previously mentioned it took me until I was thirty to have a soft boiled egg. But in the UK, it’s totally a thing. I once had a 15 minute conversation about egg cups with my colleagues at the Science Museum as we got ready for work. I had never thought about egg cups before, but clearly they had. But today I have four of my very own and they are truly a must have for soft boiled eggs. Without them, how will your eggs stand up and how will you dip your soldiers?! Hooray for single use kitchen gadgets. I just can’t get enough. (It’s sad but true).

Why strips of bread are called soldiers I don’t know. Wikipedia says it’s because they look like soldiers on parade, but I don’t see it. However, I think we can all agree that grilled cheese soldiers are above and beyond regular toast soldiers. For that reason, maybe this recipe should be called soft boiled eggs with marines?! Hee heee. That’s a cheesy joke (get it, it’s grilled cheese).

Ok, enough terrible jokes. Let’s talk eggs. Since I didn’t know how to make eggs I went to America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) for guidance. I’ve been binge watching episodes on Netflix, and lucky for me they had an eggcellent (sorry last bad joke I promise) episode. Apparently they tested hundreds of eggs in order to discover a flawless technique or dippy eggs. And in fact, it’s not even about boiling. The method is to use just a bit of water, add the eggs, cover the pot, and let the steam do most of the cooking. It works because a small amount of water can come back to a boil quickly after the eggs are added AND steam has more energy that the boiling water so you can cook lots of eggs successfully at once. Cool huh?

The last thing about soft boiled eggs is that I wasn’t sure how to get the top of the egg off. My British friends I’m sure would say, “with a spoon, or a knife, duh.” But I didn’t know! If you’re fancy and like gadgets, ATK recommended the Rosle Egg Topper which is like a little plunger that guillotines the top of your egg. It’s pretty sweet looking. I stuck with the old spoon method though, I just got egg cups, I’m not yet ready for more egg paraphernalia.

What I like about this dippy egg and grilled cheese soldiers combo is that it’s a somewhat decadent meal without being a lot of work. And when I say decadent, I mean I will take any excuse for melted cheese with buttery toasted bread, and a gooey egg is and added bonus. All of that is the making of breakfast perfection. I also think it’s a great way to treat yourself on the weekend. The recipe is too much work for a weekday, not fancy enough when you have people over for brunch, but just right when you want to do something to spoil yourself.

Soft boiled egg recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen. My mom taught me how to make grilled cheese.

Messy level: Fairly low mess. Yes, you need two pans but you’re not doing anything strenuous with either. It’s basically all about heating and keeping your eye on things.

Soft Boiled Eggs with Grilled Cheese Soldiers

 

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Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

12 mins

 

Recipe written to serve one person. This can easily be scaled up to feed more.

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• water
• 2 slices of sandwich bread
• butter, softened
• 2 slices of cheese (American, Cheddar or your favorite melty cheese).
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Fill a medium pot with about ½" of water. Put it on the stove and bring it to a boil.
2. Heat a skillet on medium heat. It's ready to use when you hold your hand over it and you can feel the warmth.
3. While you're waiting for the water to boil, butter one side of each slice of toast. Butter all the way to the edges. Make sure the bread is well coated with butter, but don't put on a thick layer.
4. Put the slices of cheese on the the non-buttered side of one of the slices of bread. Put the other slice non-butter side down on top of the cheese. (So now you have a cheese sandwich with the butter side out).
5. If the water has come to a boil, gently put the eggs into the water. Cover the pot and turn the heat to low. Cook for 6½ minutes. When the eggs are done, remove from the heat. Take off the lid and run the eggs (still in the pot) under cold water. This is going to help stop further cooking. Set the eggs to the side.
6. The skillet should be ready too. Put the sandwich in the skillet. It should sizzle a bit. Use a spatula to press the sandwich into the pan. Let it sit for a few minutes, until the bread turns a gorgeous golden brown. When one side is brown, flip the sandwich over to the other side and press it down into the skillet using your spatula. You may need to turn the heat down a bit for the second side as it's likely to cook faster. (Depending on how how your skillet it, this can take between 6-12 minutes).
7. When the grilled cheese is brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, remove it from the heat. Put it on a plate and cut it into four long strips.
8. Put your soft boiled eggs into egg cups and put them on your plate alongside the grilled cheese.
9. Use a spoon to tap the egg on the side near the top. You need to break the shell a bit so you can peel off the top of the shell and top of the egg. You want to open it enough to expose the yolk inside.
10. Serve immediately Enjoy dipping the soldiers into the eggs!

3.5.3208

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Ok here it is, the last recipe I made in my London kitchen. And it’s a very British dish: beans on toast. Here’s my sweeping generalization: British people love beans and they love toast. (I mean who doesn’t, but still it’s a stronger love in the UK).

Anyway, before moving to London I didn’t know about beans on toast. But now that I know about it, I can’t forget because it’s delicious ya’ll. Beans on toast might be to British people what peanut butter and jelly can be to Americans. It’s easy, inexpensive, quick food that hits the spot when you’re feeling lazy, tired, and can’t be bothered to cook. 

I decided before leaving London I had to make beans on toast for myself. To ensure I was doing it right I asked my friends for advice. For a seemingly simple recipe, my friends had a lot of expert tips and suggestions. Everyone agreed that you have to use cheap white bread. One friend told me that after toasting you have to let the bread sit a bit so it can cool and crisp up (and therefore be a better holder for the beans).

Most people said to spread lots of butter on top of the toast before adding the beans. I decided butter was a must. It was a must, in part because when I arrived in the UK I was surprised by how many sandwiches did have butter on them (like a bacon sandwich), so butter on anything bread related felt especially fitting to me. Again, top tip from a friend – make sure your butter is room temperature so it doesn’t rip up your toast!

After butter comes the beans. I went with Heinz, although my friend Charlotte swears by Branston beans. I chose Heinz though because they have the biggest displays in every grocery store I ever went to. As well, more than one person had told me that Heinz was a very popular British brand (but side note, it’s not a British brand) and it was a go-to for beans and soup – therefore beloved Heinz it would be. So, the beans get heated in a saucepan and then poured on top of the buttered toast. This is the most intense “cooking” part of the whole dish.

Final step is cheese! I know, surprise twist right? There’s no cheese in the name of this dish but everyone told me that you have to top the beans with mature cheddar cheese. After a generous handful of cheese, the whole thing goes in the oven and under the broiler/grill until the cheese gets melted. Take it out of the oven and then if you like season it with a few sprinkles of ground pepper. Now dig in with a fork and knife!

So, beans on toast is a little more work than pb&j – I mean you actually have to heat things! But it’s so easy to make and frankly really delicious. I mean it’s really freaking good. It hits the spot because it’s warm, cheesy, a little fatty, and filling. It ticks all the boxes for a dish when you want to eat RIGHT NOW but can’t be bothered to do a lot. I know that I’m back in the US now, but I think I’ll be making this for myself again. It’s tasty and it’s nice to have a bit something to connect me to the people I love back in London.

Messy level: It’s one spoon of messiness because you need to use a saucepan to heat the beans. Actually, I have one friend who likes the beans cold so if you choose that way you’ll have even fewer dishes in the end. But basically this dish is all about heating individual pieces and then layering them on top of each other. Really straight forward and clean!

Beans on Toast

 

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Ingredients

• bread, number of slices depends on your desired ratio of beans. I'd say 2-4 slices of bread to one can of beans.
• butter, softened so easily spreadable
• 1 14oz/415 gram can of baked beans
• grated mature cheddar, amount used depends on your preferences
• ground pepper, optional

Instructions

1. Turn on the broiler/grill in your oven.
2. Using a toaster, toast the bread to your desired level of brownness.
3. Remove bread from the toaster and let sit for 30-60 seconds to let the toast cool and crisp.
4. Generously slather the toast with butter. Put the toast on an oven safe plate or baking sheet.
5. Empty the can of beans into a small saucepan. Heat the beans on medium until warmed through. This can take about 5-10 minutes.
6. Spoon the beans evenly over your pieces of toast.
7. Generously sprinkle grated cheese over your beans. I like a lot of cheese, but do what feels right to you.
8. Put your beans on toast in the oven. Heat under the broiler until the cheese is melted. This is quick stay near the oven and watch it.
9. Remove from the oven, garnish with pepper if you so desire.
10. Eat with fork and knife. Enjoy!

3.5.3208

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Let me be honest with you for a minute, I’ve been a terrible blogger recently. I’ve hardly posted in the New Year!  Now, I could say the reason I’ve been bad about posting is because of the move. Had to pack, clean, fly, unpack, and then for awhile didn’t have internet or anything in my kitchen. So those are excuses, but the real reason is that I’ve spent the last couple weeks playing with my friends. In London I had lots of dinners, drinks, game nights, walks in the park, and blow outs with my friends, And then back in DC I’ve had lunches, and shopping trips, and take out with my friends here. In short, I’ve been having a lot of fun and not really cooking. 

Also, it’s worth saying I did a terrible job with British recipes in January. But I do have two more for you, starting with today’s recipe for Yorkshire pudding. Pronounced more like york-sure than york-shire (like shire in Lord of the Rings), this is served along side Sunday roasts and goes perfectly with last month’s recipe for roast beef and homemade gravy. Yorkshire pudding is made from a batter and is kind of bready and is used to sop up gravy. Overall, pretty great.

I first made this recipe to add a slightly British flair to our Christmas menu. I was sort of nervous, but my friend said just make sure not to open the oven during baking and everything should rise and cook perfectly. The batter for this recipe is impossibly wet, truly pourable and I had no idea how it would turn into airy bread! But it does, heat the oil first, then trust the oven and it will rise and bake and work out. Your finished product will have a mild flavor, be airy, and have crispy edges and be sort of soft and squishy in the middle. So easy you can make it all the time.

With this terribly cold weather we’re having here in DC, a comforting Sunday roast sounds like the perfect warming meal. It’s so cold, I need everything to be hearty! You can make your own Sunday roast with these recipes for roast beef or chicken, roasted potatoes, vegetables, lots of gravy, and of course Yorkshire puddings. Enjoy and stay warm!

Oh, one last thing. Anyone know why this is called a pudding when it’s not a dessert?

Adapted from BBC Good Food.

Messy level: Incredibly clean cooking! Mix everything in one bowl then pour into muffin tins. That’s it. To be extra precise (although it makes one more dish), it’s good to transfer the batter from the mixing bowl to a large glass measuring cup. This helps you make sure each Yorkshire pudding is the same size – but you can also just eyeball it if you want.

Yorkshire Pudding

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup/140 grams all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons/200ml milk
• sunflower oil or vegetable oil, for coating the muffin tin.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 440°F/230­°C.
2. Drizzle some oil in the bottom of 4 holes in your muffin tin. Put the muffin tin in the oven to heat the oil.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and eggs. Mix until smooth.
4. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking the entire time to prevent lumps. Stir until you have a completely smooth batter.
5. Transfer the batter to a pitcher, or use a large spoon as a ladle for the batter.
6. Take the muffin tin out of the oven (or just be careful and open the oven and slide the rack out enough so you can pour). Carefully and evenly pour the batter over the hot oil.
7. Put the muffin tin back in the oven and close the door. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Don't open the door! The puddings are done when they are puffed and the edges are browned and crisped.
8. Best served immediately and when a little warm.

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My favorite thing about December is the hype about Christmas. I love the decorations, the food, the movies, the songs. All of it. But my second favorite thing about December is that it feels perfectly acceptable on cold, gray winter days to have lazy indoor time where I cuddle up in comfy clothes, snuggle under blankets, watch Netflix, and cook hearty slow cooked foods. This recipe for Icelandic rye bread is a perfect food for one of those chilly winter days.  

I had this rye bread a few times while I was in Reykjavik back in October. It is delicious, hearty, and a bit sweet. Not sweet like a pound cake, but sweet like banana bread. What I mean by that is, this rye bread has a sweet flavor but you could have it for breakfast or alongside a savory meal. For example, Ryan and I once has it with beef and barley soup. Now that – soup and bread – might be the epitome of a hearty, warming, stay indoors winter meal.

Traditionally, this bread is cooked using the heat of the ground. If you got back and see my Reykjavik post, you’ll see photos from Fontana Wellness Center where I got to try bread cooked in the ground. I got a rye bread recipe from Fontana, but the problem is that their recipe takes 24 hours to bake and I also don’t have access to a 100°C ground. Maybe by an exhaust grate from the tube? But that’s gross.

This recipe though, is adapted from Ulfar Andresson who is an owner of Icelandic Activities and he led a hiking tour for my friend Anna and me. If you have time, I also suggest going back and reading my post on the Midnight Hike we did with Ulfar. We saw the Northern Lights and it was the hike was best thing we did in Iceland.

While this recipe is made in less time than the one from Fontana Wellness, it still requires a commitment at 6.5 hours total cook time. This is why it’s perfect for a lazy winter day in. Start baking it in the morning, queue up a TV show you want to see on Netflix, and settle in for the day. Friends might ask you to go out, but you will have a perfect excuse to stay in. You’ll say, “Oh I’d love to, but I have a loaf of bread in the oven and I have stay nearby.” And they’ll be a little proud of your domestic prowess and baking ability.

And believe me, this loaf is worth it. As time passes your place will start to smell like delicious freshly baked bread. Then, in the late afternoon you’ll have warm, moist, and tasty rye bread. This also make a ton of dough so as it bakes the dough will rise a bit and you’ll get the crusted hood you see on sandwich loaves. Ryan liked the crusty top whereas I was more of a baby and cut it off. And my final tip is that this is really good paired with butter, mild cheese, or peanut butter. But honestly, do what you like. It’s yummy anyway you have it.

Adapted from a recipe emailed to me by Ulfar Andresson from Iceland Activities. Note: Golden syrup isn’t so popular in the US. Although I can usually find Lyle’s golden syrup in the baking aisle. Use corn syrup if you can’t find it.

Messy level: The dough is very sticky so pouring it into the loaf pan can be a bit messy. Otherwise, everything is mixed in one bowl so it’s actually pretty neat overall.

Icelandic Rye Bread

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

6 hours 30 mins

Total time

6 hours 40 mins

 

This recipe can easily be doubled to make 2 loaves.

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 3 cups/ 310 grams rye flour
• 1.5 cups/ 180 grams whole wheat flour
• 2¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ¾ cup/250 grams golden syrup (you can use corn syrup if you can't find golden syrup)
• 3 cups and 2 tablespoons/ 750 ml buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 210°F/100°C.
2. Use butter to lightly grease a standard loaf pan (9x5" or 23x13 cm)
3. In a large bowl stir together the rye flour, whole wheat flour, and baking soda.
4. Now stir in the golden syrup, buttermilk, and honey. Mix gently until everything is just combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth it down to make sure the pan is evenly filled. [Note: If you pour in all the batter it will come close to the top of the pan and you will end up with a hood like crust. If you don't want that crust then fill the loaf pan until it's about ¾ full then discard any unused dough.]
6. Bake in the oven for 6 hours and 30 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven. Let cool just slightly so you can safely remove it from the pan. Serve warm or cool.

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This year is my third time hosting Thanksgiving. So far I really enjoy it. I like the planning, the preparation, and the cooking. But last year I made something I thought I was going to hate: mushroom and leek stuffing. The thing is, Thanksgiving isn’t about me. It’s about the people around the table and I want to make sure everyone gets something they like. Last year my guests requested stuffing, but I made it, because as my mother taught me – hosting is about making your guests happy and comfortable. I decided since I was making something I didn’t like I would go all out and add mushrooms, which I hate and Ryan loves. So, mushroom and leek stuffing was on the table. Here’s the thing though: it was flipping delicious. 

In general, I am still not a convert to mushrooms or to stuffing, but this recipe is a game changer. All the flavors and textures combine to make something I can eat straight from the pan by the spoonful. You get all the lovely umami flavor from the mushrooms without much of the chewy texture I dislike. You get the perfect mix of crunchy and soft bread bits. Look at that photo above! That crusty bread/leek/mushroom bite is making my mouth water as I write this. Also leeks just have a great flavor.

Once you have you Thanksgiving menu settled, and everyone’s favorites are included, I think the next thing to organize is timing. How will you get everything cooked in time? This is especially important if, like me, you only have one oven. This recipe can be made most of the way through a day or two before, which is super helpful. Then on the day you stir an egg mixture then bake. You can do that in the morning before the turkey gets going or you can do it when the turkey is out of the oven and resting. How sweet is that?

Seriously, for a non-mushroom lover like me this recipe is amazing. I think you might enjoy it too. Plus, it can easily be made vegetarian. I used chicken stock but feel free to use vegetable stock instead. With just one week to go, what will you be eating on turkey day?

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Messy level: Not very messy, although slightly labor intensive, which can lead to mess. You’ll have to cook the mushrooms in batches which can lead to spills. Also you need to do a lot of chopping, cleaning, and mixing. For me, that means sometimes things fly out of the bowl. It’s not hard to do, just takes a little planning.

Mushroom and Leek Stuffing

 

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Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

 

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 stick/ 113 grams butter, divided - plus a little more for greasing
• 1 white onion finely chopped
• 1 leek (white & pale green part only) halved lengthwise then thinly slices [be sure to clean leek thoroughly]
• 1½ teaspoons salt, divided
• pepper
• leaves from 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1½ pounds/ 680 grams mixed mushrooms cleaned and thinly sliced [I used a mix of button, chestnut and shiitake mushrooms]
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2½ cups / 590 ml chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 pound/ 450 grams of rustic bread cut into 1" cubes (makes about 8 cups)
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions

1. Before getting started clean and chop your leeks and mushrooms and chop your bread. This is the most time consuming part! Please do it before you get started.
2. If you're going to bake this right away preheat oven to 375°F/190°C and grease a 10x14" casserole dish (or at least one that can hold 2½ quarts) with butter.
3. In a large skillet on medium heat melt 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of butter.
4. Once the butter is melted add the onion, leak, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until everything is softened - about 8 minutes. Stir in thyme leaves and then remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Return pan to the burner and raise the heat to medium-high. Melt 2 more tablespoons (28 grams) of butter.
6. Add half the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon of salt to the pan. Saute for 4 minutes or until slightly softened. Drain off any excess liquid and then add the cooked mushrooms to the set aside onions and leeks.
7. Add 2 more tablespoons (28 grams) butter, and remaining mushrooms and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt to the pan. Cook in the same way, for 4 minutes or until softened. Once done drain off excess liquid and transfer mushrooms to that set aside plate.
8. Return the pan to the burner on medium-high heat and pour in the wine. Bring to a boil and let it bubble until reduced by half.
9. Add in the broth, stir and bring to a simmer.
10. Meanwhile, put your bread cubes in a large heat-safe bowl.
11. Pour the broth mixture over the bread. Mix until evenly absorbed.
12. If you are cooking it now, gently fold in the mushroom mixture, pecans, and beaten eggs. [If you are making this ahead of time and aren't cooking it right away then follow the recipe to this point but DO NOT ADD the eggs. Then, cover the bowl and put in the fridge. When ready to cook, take the bowl out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Stir in the eggs right before you're ready to bake.]
13. Season with a little pepper.
14. Pour the whole thing into your prepared pan.
15. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes.
16. Uncover the dish and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons of butter (28 grams). Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crisp.
17. Let cool slightly before serving

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I have a new addition to my cookbook collection that I want to tell you about. It’s Domestic Chíc by Kristin Sollenne. The book came out earlier this month and it’s lovely. Kristin Sollenne has been on a few Food Network TV shows as a judge or mentor and she’s oversees the three kitchens of New York City Restaurant Group’s Bocca Di Bacco. Her style is lightened Italian-American fare that aligns with what’s in season. 

Domestic Chíc isn’t just recipes though, it’s about making entertaining easier and more enjoyable. The book is divided into four sections for each of the seasons, then within each season there are menus for different entertaining occasions. So, for winter there is a New Year’s Eve menu, a Super Bowl menu, as well as a few other menu ideas. The idea being that if you were having a party you could cook everything from a given menu and you’d have your starters, mains, and desserts – but alternatively you could go à la carte and just pick and choose what you liked.

I’m really into the menu ideas. I think it’s helpful for holidays when you know you’ll be cooking – like Thanksgiving, or maybe Valentine’s Day. I also think it’s nice because it could encourage you to be festive even without an occasion – like her Nautical menu. Also, I really loved that she used similar items across menus. I think this makes cooking really easy and less expensive – especially for new or infrequent cooks. If I was going to be asked to buy pecans for a pecan pie – then I knew I could go back to Domestic Chíc and find one or two other recipes that called for pecans. I love that because then nothing gets purchased and then left to take up space forgotten in my cupboard.

Above each menu is a head note with a little anecdote about Sollenne’s own memories or experiences and then a decorating suggestion to complement the menu’s theme. On the surface I like the idea of this. I think when entertaining it’s valuable to set a whole mood. And why not run wild with your theme? But, I really wished the accompanying photos showed what she described. For with a fall menu she suggested using jewel tone plates to highlight the bold colors of autumn, but the photo was of white plates and some orange leaves. I like the visual inspiration and just thought that would have been helpful.

But, while we’re talking about photographs let’s talk about Kristin Sollenne. She’s crazy beautiful. She looks like Princess Jasmine. In the cookbook there are a few photos of her working as a chef, and those are my favorite. There are also a few photos of her in heels and a cocktail dress wearing her Cellini aprons (I think it’s a brand she designs). She’s super cute. However, I’m not sure anyone can cook for a dinner party in a cocktail dress and heels. You gotta throw that on right before guests arrive so they can be all, “wow you are so put together,” and you can nod and say, “oh thanks!”

What makes the book though is the recipes. There were so many recipes that I immediately wanted to make. In reviewing this cookbook I made four recipes. I made a cheesecake with berries, melting brie with fruit, pumpkin gnocchi, and this recipe for pumpkin bread. As this is an entertaining book the portions are huge. Specifically, this pumpkin bread recipe makes two really big loaves! I made the cheesecake first and it was really delicious and much easier than I thought it would be. It also was really delicious with a subtle flavor of vanilla and lemon zest. It was so good Ryan and I decided I shouldn’t bring any in to work to share with my colleagues.

For this recipe, and for some of the others I made, I would have liked visual indicators in addition to time indicators. I had never made cheesecake before… and as it cooked it rose and looked like a giant cheesecake muffin. I was nervous. Should it look like that?! The recipe just said how long to bake it. I listened to the recipe and the cheesecake deflated and looked and tasted great in the end. But I was worried, I didn’t know! It worked out well though, so maybe I’m stressing too hard.

The melting brie was beyond easy and would be perfect for an appetizer at a party. Who doesn’t love melted cheese? The pumpkin gnocchi is where I ran into problems. I was not able to get the dough to come together and so all I had was orange goo. I’m willing to try it again as it might have been user error. As well, sometimes I have problems with US recipe using UK dairy. My guess it that the fat contents are different and so things don’t come together in the same way. Who knows, it didn’t work.

The pumpkin bread however was a different story. It worked like a dream and was so delicious. I love pumpkin bread from Starbucks or from the Pillsbury box – so I’m excited I can now make this on my own. It was so easy to make and tastes delicious. The bread is soft and tasty. It’s great for breakfast, probably with enough structure to toast, and infinitely snackable. I know snackable isn’t a word, but it should be. I can see this pumpkin bread becoming my autumn staple. It’s perfect for the season, sweet, and simple to make. I can see bringing it to work to share with coworker, I can see making it for cabin weekends with my friends, and I can see making it just to have for breakfast.

Although I have a few issues with the book, overall I’m really into it. I can completely see turning back to it on Thanksgiving to make a pecan pie, or on Christmas for cinnamon buns, or just for dinner so I can make curried linguine al’vongole. I think it will become a book with food splattered pages and creases in the spine. Check it out, it’s great.

Domestic Chic was given to me for free by Waldorf Publishing. The opinions, writing, and photographs in this post are all my own. 

Recipe from Domestic Chic by Kristin Sollenne. No changes or additions from me.

Messy level: Pretty straightforward recipe, you just need two bowls, mix, and bake. Very simple.

Pumpkin Bread

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

90 mins

Total time

1 hour 40 mins

 

Author: Kristin Sollenne from Domestic Chic

Serves: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups pumpkin
• ⅔ cup water
• ½ cup candied pecans, loosely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans. In a medium-mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, sea salt, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and cloves.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend sugar, oil, and eggs. Stir in pumpkin. Slowly blend the flour mixture into pumpkin mixture. While blending the mixture add the water incrementally. Pour the batter into two prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top. Bake for 90 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the oven.

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There’s some differences between British and American words for foods. It’s easy to get used to the changes and say “rocket” instead of “arugula” or “courgette” vs “zucchini,” but the one I have a hard time with is biscuit. I just like cookie better. And recently my friend Sarah asked me to explain what “biscuit” means to me. So here’s what it means to me: it looks like a scone, but savory, buttery, and flakey; and it serves the same purpose as a Yorkshire pudding during Sunday lunch.  [If you’re not familiar with Yorkshire pudding, it’s a bready-like (well, made from a batter) side that you use to sop up gravy, meat, and sides.]

But I do miss American biscuits. I’ve only been to KFC once since I moved here and I was pretty disappointed. First, the three piece chicken came in a bag. Not a little closed box, but a bag. Second, and most importantly, it didn’t come with a biscuit. Who doesn’t love a cheap, buttery, albeit slightly greasy, biscuit?! It’s the best. Anyway, I may have gone on a bit of rant at work, about biscuits.

Obviously after this conversation with Sarah, I was in the mood for biscuits. Luckily that same day Food 52 posted a picture of these cheddar garlic biscuits on their Instagram, and I knew I had to make them. Because biscuits are great, and then add cheese and it’s even better. I was most pleased by the gorgeous well defined layers in these biscuits. Look at the picture at the top, there are layers!

For me, the epitome of layers are the Pillsbury Grands Biscuits. I know you probably shouldn’t compare something homemade to something store bought, but those Pillsbury biscuits are so satisfying. They are so “buttery,” the layers peel away so easily, and opening the canister gives such a satisfying pop. What I’m trying to say in this roundabout way, is that these biscuits have really satisfying buttery (and slightly cheesy) layers the flake away. I loved it.

Before getting starting, I have a few tips for this recipe. First, don’t overwork the batter. If you play with it too much you’ll melt the butter and overwork the gluten and make them dense and not very light. Second, you can use milk, buttermilk, or crème fraîche. I used crème fraîche fresh because I couldn’t find buttermilk, and I wanted more flavor and richness. Use whatever you like best and can get your hands on. And finally, eat them on the day you make them. Then, if you can’t eat them all, let them cool completely. I found if you put them away while they are warm they sink a little and lose some of the airiness. If you do have day-old biscuits heat them in the microwave for 20 seconds to refresh and moisten them. Serve with butter for even better buttery-ness.

Adapted, just slightly, from Food 52.

Messy level: The batter is made in one bowl, which is great for dishes and an overall lack of mess. However, you are going to have to get your hands in there (AKA get your hands dirty!) to incorporate all the dry bits of the batter and to form and shape the biscuits.

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2¾ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup/226g cold butter, plus a little melted for brushing
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup milk, or buttermilk, or crème fraîche

Instructions

1. Cut the butter into cubes. Put the butter in a bowl and put in the fridge until you need it. (It is important that your butter is cold!)
2. Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C.
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, garlic powder, and baking powder.
5. Cut in the cold butter using a two knives or a pastry cutter. [Note: cutting the butter means using a utensil to break the butter up into the flour into pea sized pieces]
6. Add the in the cheddar cheese.
7. Pour in the milk and use a fork to stir it all together. Stir until it is a shaggy dough.
8. Once it is mostly mixed, use your hands to fold in any remaining dry bits. Fold over on itself until all incorporated. Try to use your hands as little as possible because their heat will melt the butter.
9. Lightly flour your counter. Turn the dough out pat it into a 1 inch-thick disc. Using a 2½" circular cutter cut out circles.
10. Place the circles onto the lined baking sheets.
11. Brush the tops of the circles with melted butter.
12. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges and cheesy bits get golden.

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