Pretzels

4 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ¼ cups warm water
3 ½-4 ½ cups bread flour
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 cups water
½ cup baking soda
kosher salt for sprinkling

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes.

2. In your KitchenAid bowl, combine 3 ½ cups flour, ½ cup sugar and 1 ½ tsp. salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix with dough hook. Add more flour if dough is too sticky. Knead 3-4 minutes.

3. Cover dough with plastic wrap, and set in on a greased plate in proofing oven to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 30 minutes.

4. Gently punch down dough. Before shaping, start preheating the oven to 425 degrees, using convection bake setting.

5. Cut the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each one until it’s about 15-inches long and the thickness of your finger. Twist each into a pretzel.

6. Mix water and baking soda in your largest stock pot. Bring to a boil.

7. Dip each pretzel in boiling soda water for 5 seconds. Place on greased baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with kosher salt and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cut each pretzel in half before serving. Serve with mustard.

Calzones

2 ½ cups very warm water (120˚ to 130˚)

2 tablespoon yeast

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6-7 cups bread flour

3 c. part skim Ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

12 oz. finely chopped cooked ham
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

2 green peppers, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce for dipping

1. In your Kitchen Aid bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.

2. Add sugar, salt and 6 cups flour, using flat beater.

3. Mix to form dough. If more flour is needed, add enough until dough no longer sticks to bowl. Mix about 3 minutes, using dough hook. Let dough rest for 10 minutes on a greased plate, loosely covered with plastic wrap in proofing oven.

4. Meanwhile, mix cheeses, ham and oregano in a bowl.

5. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and onion and sauté until soft and onion becomes translucent.

6. Form dough into 11 balls. Roll each ball into a circle.

7. Place a portion of cheese filling and vegetable mixture in center of circle.

8. Fold circle and seal with water and fork.

9. Place on a baking sheet. Continue to form remaining calzones. Pierce each calzone once on top with a fork for venting.

10. Let rest another 10 minutes in proofing oven.

11. Bake at 375 degrees on convection setting (lower oven) for 20 minutes. On the convection bake setting, you can bake all pans in the same oven at the same time; just place on separate racks.

12. Cut calzones in half for serving, heat spaghetti sauce and serve with warm calzones.

Focaccia Bread

2 ½ to 3 cups bread flour

1 tbsp dried rosemary leaves, crumbled

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 package regular or quick active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)

5 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 cup very warm water (120° F to 130° F)

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Cornmeal

2 tsp. olive oil for dipping in each kitchen

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar for dipping in each kitchen

Preheat large oven to 400 degrees.

1. In KitchenAid bowl and with flat beater, mix 1 cup of the flour, the rosemary, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add 3 tbsp oil and the warm water. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough remaining flour until dough is soft and leaves sides of bowl, switching to dough hook near the end.

2. Using dough hook, knead 5 to 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Grease large plate with shortening. Place dough on plate, turning to grease all sides. Cover plate loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in proofing oven about 20 minutes or until dough has almost doubled in size. Dough is ready if indentations remain when touched.

3. Generously sprinkle a cookie sheet with cornmeal.

4. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 6- to 8-inch round (about 1” thick) piece on the cookie sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap lightly sprayed with cooking spray and let rise in proofing oven about 10 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

5. Gently make ½-inch deep depressions about 2 inches apart in dough with fingers. This is done to add a decorative surface to the top of your bread. Carefully brush with 2 tbsp oil; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Have each kitchen set out a small ramekin on their table to serve with a 2 tsp. of olive oil and 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar for dipping.

Quick Breadsticks

This recipe uses yeast for leavening, but is rather quick to make. It makes a good pizza dough as well.

1 ¼ cup warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

3-3 ½ cups flour

¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

garlic salt and parmesan cheese, optional

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.

2. Add sugar, salt and 2 ½ cups flour. Mix to form dough.

3. If more flour is needed, add up to 1 cup more. Mix about 3 minutes.

4. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

5. Put half of melted butter or margarine in jelly roll pan.

6. Using rolling pin or hands, flatten dough into buttered jelly roll pan.

7. Spread remaining butter or margarine over top of dough.

8. Using pizza cutter, cut dough into strips.

9. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese, if desired.

10. Let rest another 10 minutes.

11. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

12. Cut with pizza cutter again.

Buttermilk Biscuits

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (best if chilled in fridge first)
2 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
3. Cut cold shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
4. Add buttermilk, tossing with a fork, until dough holds together.
5. Turn dough onto a floured surface and form into a disk.
6. Knead lightly just a few times until smooth.
7. Pat dough to a 3/4-inch thickness. Using a biscuit cutter or glass dipped in flour, cut out biscuits.
8. Place biscuits about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. For softer biscuit sides, place biscuits next to each other.
9. Gather the trimmings and repeat forming and cutting.
10. Bake about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.