Banana Bread

Combine in small bowl. Let rest.
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
1 rounded tsp. baking soda

Cream with beaters:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup shortening

Add and mix together.
2 cups flour
1 pinch of salt (1/8 tsp. salt)

Add mashed bananas.  Beat.

Grease and flour loaf pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Pita Pizzas

6 pita breads
1 (6.5 ounce) can tomato sauce
4 ounces shredded cheese
1 pinch dried basil
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch crushed coriander seed
desired toppings

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Warm pitas in the preheated oven or in a microwave for 1 minute, or until soft. Spread lightly with tomato sauce, pressing to flatten while spreading. Sprinkle with cheese, toppings, basil, oregano and coriander.

Spread the pitas on a large baking sheet and place in the preheated oven 8 minutes, or until the pita bread has reached desired crispness. Serve whole, or cut into slices.

Kara's Bread

I'm not sure where this recipe originated, but I got it in a round about way from my friend Kara.  It's super simple, quick, and makes really good bread.  My favorite part about it is how diverse it can be...throw in a little bit of this one time, a little bit of that another.  My husband says that since I got into cooking everything is always "an experiment".  Maybe that's why I like this recipe.  It gives me permission to play around a bit.  I like that!

Ingredients:

10 1/2 cups white bread flour (or wheat flour*-- use at least 1 cup bread flour)

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp salt

3 rounded Tbsp yeast

3 Tbsp cooking oil

4 cups hot (125-130 degrees) tap water

*if using wheat flour, substitute one cup applesauce (warm) for one cup hot water

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients.  Add oil and water.  Mix 5 minutes in electric mixer OR knead 10 minutes by hand.  Dough is VERY sticky.

Preheat oven to 350.  Shape dough into 4 loaves and place in greased loaf pans (8"x4").  Cover loaves with towel and let rise in warm place for 25 minutes.  Bake 25 minutes at 350.

OPTIONS:

1. substitute up to 2 cups flour with 2 cups whole grains, oats, 10-grain cereal, malt-o-meal, cracked wheat, flaxseed, or any whole grain you prefer.

2. bake only 3 loaves of bread and use remaining dough to make scones.

Hancock Pizza Dough

Makes 2 pizzas (or 1 pizza and 1 tray bread-sticks*)

Ingredients:
2 TBS yeast
1 tsp honey or sugar
2 cups warm water
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Directions:
In large bowl mix yeast, honey, and warm water and let bubble (about 10 minutes). Add flour and salt. Knead (adding more flour as needed) and form into ball. Let raise until double or about 1 hour. Divide into 2 balls. Roll out into pizza crust. Top pizza with sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Bake 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees.

*For bread-sticks top with melted butter, seasoned salt, and Parmesan cheese. These are easiest to get out if you cut them prior to baking.

French Bread

I got this recipe from www.allrecipes.com. It's by Jenn Hall.

5-6 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 (.25 ounce) tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons salt
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt. Stir in 2 cups warm water, and beat until well blended using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
2. On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes total. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
3. Punch dough down, and divide in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into large rectangle. Roll up, starting from a long side. Moisten edge with water and seal. Taper ends.
4. Grease a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush on. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes.
5. With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes. Brush again with egg white mixture. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until bread tests done. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.

Lion House Cinnamon Rolls

This is a slight variation on a recipe I got from a friend a couple years ago.  I have no idea if this recipe it's actually the recipe they use at the Lion House restaurant in Salt Lake City.  Anyway about it, these cinnamon rolls have become one of my absolute favorites, to make and to eat.  There is something so much fun about making bread to me.  I love kneading dough and then having it come together at the perfect consistency.  And then rolling up that dough with butter, cinnamon,  and brown sugar... baking... and topping it all with cream cheese frosting.  I mean really, does life yet better than that?

I especially like this recipe because it takes less time than others I've tried and the taste is amazing.  I really enjoy making these for my husband to take to work.  I get rave reviews every time and I have a few for my family and can send the rest away where I won't consumer them.  The last batch I made egg-free and wasn't let down a bit.


Ingredients:
 
2 Tablespoons dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees F.)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup dry milk
2 ½ tsp salt
1 egg (or 1/4 cup mashed banana)
5 to 6 cups flour

Additional ingredients:
brown sugar
butter
cinnamon

Directions:
In the large bowl combine yeast and warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar, butter, dry milk, salt, egg (or mashed banana) and 2 cups of the flour. Beat together until very smooth. Add 2 more cups flour, one at a time, and beat until smooth.

Add about one more cup of flour, ½ cup at a time until it is well mixed in. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until it is smooth and satiny.

Gather dough into a ball. Scrap bowl clean and grease. Return dough ball to bowl. Cover. Let rise in a warm place until about triple in bulk (approx 1-1 ½ hrs).


Dump dough ball onto a clean, floured counter and punch down. Take all the dough at once for very large rolls (or half at a time for medium sized rolls) and use rolling pin to shape dough into a long rectangle. Brush melted butter over the dough rectangle. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over the buttered area.

Roll the rectangle from the top of the long edge to the bottom. Use floss, thread, or a serrated knife to cut individual cinnamon rolls from your dough roll. 

Place rolls on cookie sheet, let rise another 15 minutes,

and then bake at 400 degrees for 10-13 minutes.

Slather with cream cheese icing and enjoy!

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter, softened
1/2 package cream cheese (4oz), softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar - depending on how sweet you want it.  I usually use 1 1/2 cups to allow the cream cheese flavor to stand out.

Icing Directions:
Mix together icing ingredients until smooth and creamy. For best results, frost cinnamon rolls while warm.

Yeast Rolls

1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 TBS yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup lukewarm water
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

Combine water and yeast and set aside. In large mixing bowl whip together sugar and shortening. Add 1 cup water, eggs, and salt. Add yeast mixture. Add 5-6 cups flour.

Pour dough onto lightly floured service and kneed for 6-8 minutes or until the dough is stiff and stretchy. Form in ball. Put into bowl and let raise until double in size (usually 1 hour). Punch down dough and divide. Roll out dough and usually a large circle cookie cutter cut out rolls. Dipped circle in butter and fold in half, pinching at fold to prevent opening. Let rolls raise 15 minutes more. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Makes 24 rolls.

Sweet Corn Bread

This isn't the corn bread we had growing up, but I can't taste the difference. Corn bread was served as a side with Chili on Halloween in the Hancock home. This is a recipe I found online, not sure where. Very yummy!

3/4 cups cornmeal
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tps. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
7/8 cup milk (or 4 tbsp dry milk and 3/4 cup warm water)
1/4 cup melted butter

Combine dry ingredients. Combine liquid ingredients. Mix together. Bake in greased 8X8 or 9X9 pan at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Bake until light brown.