Garlic and Herb Breadsticks Recipe

When I make a batch of this Deep Dish Pizza Dough, I end up with just enough leftover dough to make some scrumptious breadsticks. Soft, flavorful, and perfect for dipping.

Garlic and Herb Breadsticks
recipe adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com
Makes 6-10 breadsticks


Ingredients
For the dough:
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp  sugar
1 tsp salt
2-1/4 tsp instant dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup of water--added incrementally

For the breadstick topping:
1-2 Tbsp canola oil
garlic powder
Italian seasonings
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
In a small saucepan heat the milk to just before boiling (to scald.) Turn off heat and stir in butter, sugar and salt. Remove from heat and allow the milk mixture to cool until it is just warm to the touch. Stir in yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.

Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of stand mixture and, using the beater blade, mix in one cup of flour at a time, until the dough comes together and pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Add the cup of water one tablespoon at a time. At this point, add additional flour if the dough is still wet and sticky. Change to the dough hook and knead for 8 minutes. The dough should be soft and springy when touched.

Grease a second large bowl and transfer the dough to this new bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, heat a 10 inch cast iron skillet to medium heat. Once preheated, add the ground Italian sausage to the skillet and brown. Don't over-stir. Allow a nice crisp crust to form on the edges. Remove the sausage to a plate.

Once dough is risen, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Making into pizza crust:
Punch the dough down to remove the air bubbles. Knead for 1 minute on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 2 or 3 separate pieces, reserved the extra dough balls for another time. (Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze.)

Roll out the dough to a 14 inch circle. Butter the cast iron skillet on the sides and bottom. Press the dough into the skillet and up the sides of the pan.

Breadsticks:
There should be at least an inch of excess dough up or over the edges of the pizza pan. Use a rolling pizza cutter to cut off the excess all the way around. Cut this dough into 6 inch pieces and gently twist into breadsticks. Place on a baking sheet and brush lightly with oil. Sprinkle with garlic, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Spread with pizza sauce and 1 cup cheese, reserving 1/2 cup of the cheese for the top. Then sprinkle the remaining toppings--sausage, peppers, onions, garlic. Top with remaining cheese. (You may roll down the high edges of the crust in you wish.)

Serve with additional pizza sauce for dipping.


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Deep Dish Pepperoni and Green Pepper Pizza Recipe

This deep dish crust has THE BEST flavor and the perfect combination of crisped bottom and soft inside crust. Yum!! Our favorite toppings include lots of mozzarella cheese with pepperoni, onions, green peppers, and fresh garlic. Welcome to our Friday Night Favorite. 

Deep Dish Pepperoni and Green Pepper Pizza

recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 cup milk 

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp  sugar

1 tsp salt

2-1/4 tsp instant dry yeast

5 cups all-purpose flour 

1 cup of water--added incrementally 

For the pizza topping:

12 slices pepperoni

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 green pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped 

1-1/2 cup (divided) mozzarella cheese, shredded 

1/2 cup (or more) pizza sauce

Directions

In a small saucepan heat the milk to just before boiling (to scald.) Turn off heat and stir in butter, sugar and salt. Remove from heat and allow the milk mixture to cool until it is just warm to the touch. Stir in yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.

Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of stand mixture and, using the beater blade, mix in one cup of flour at a time, until the dough comes together and pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Add the cup of water one tablespoon at a time. At this point, add additional flour if the dough is still wet and sticky. Change to the dough hook and knead for 8 minutes. The dough should be soft and springy when touched. 

Grease a second large bowl and transfer the dough to this new bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size. 

Once dough is risen, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Punch the dough down to remove the air bubbles. Knead for 1 minute on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 2 or 3 separate pieces, reserved the extra dough balls for another time. (Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze.) 

Roll out the dough to a 14 inch circle. Butter the cast iron skillet on the sides and bottom. Press the dough into the skillet and up the sides of the pan. 

Spread with pizza sauce and 1 cup cheese, reserving 1/2 cup of the cheese for the top. Then sprinkle the remaining toppings--pepperoni, peppers, onions, garlic. Top with remaining cheese. (You may roll down the high edges of the crust in you wish.) 

Bake for 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the pizza sit in the pan for an additional 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice. 

Serve with additional pizza sauce for dipping. 

Baked Bacon

I love bacon. Who doesn't?! But I hate cooking bacon--the splatter of grease, the occasional burns, the excess grease on the surface of the cooked bacon, the bacon that curls up into inappropriate shapes for sandwiches, my inability to cook bacon to the perfect crispness (I either burn it or under cook it. ick.) 

This is the simplest recipe ever. For real.

Baked Bacon

recipe based on a Rachael Ray episode

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil (be sure to line the foil up the edges to contain all of the grease.) Place a wire cooling rack inside the baking sheet to form a rack for the bacon. Arrange bacon strips on the rack. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bacon is crisp. 

Remove bacon from the pan and enjoy! 

Once grease is cooled, wrap up tin foil to contain the grease and throw away. 

Hearty Wheat Sandwich Thins

A few weeks ago I was introduced to Sandwich Thins--a low calorie sandwich bun alternative to bread. I can't bring myself to spend $3.50 on 6 buns, so I went on the hunt to find a recipe. Thank you, internet, once again. And thank you, Foodie Bride! 

Source

This is a great recipe! It makes 16 thins for about $1.50--and they freeze beautifully, so they'll last as long as I want them to. 

Hearty Wheat Sandwich Thins

recipe adapted from Foodie Bride

Makes 16 sandwich thins 

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups warm water

1/4 cup sugar

2-1/4 tsp yeast

2 cups whole wheat flour

1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat bran*

2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten*

1 tsp salt

1 egg

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 Tbsp rolled oats

Directions

* I didn't have wheat bran, but I did have bran cereal. I used the food processor to finely grind the cereal.

* The Foodie Bride subbed in additional whole wheat flour for the vital wheat gluten and she said it worked. I used vital wheat gluten.

Using the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit for 10 minutes.

In a separate large bowl, combine dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, wheat bran, wheat gluten and salt). Add the dry mixture one cup at a time into the liquid ingredients in the bowl of the stand mixer. Add the oil and egg and mix on to low until thoroughly combined.

Cover and let rest 1 hour.

Using the dough hook, sprinkle in additional all purpose flour and knead for 5 minutes or until dough comes together. Generously flour a dry flat surface and transfer the dough. Knead with your hands if necessary.  

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. 

Divide dough into 16 equal portions and roll each section into a ball. Use your palms and flatten the dough ball, working it into a 5 inch round.  The dough should be very thin. Arrange on the baking sheets. 

Brush the tops with water and then sprinkle with rolled oats.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees while you let the buns rest for 30 minutes. Use the narrow end of a chopstick to poke holes in the buns before baking for 12-15 minutes.

Let cool completely before slicing.

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