This banana bread is Eli's new favorite food, hands down. The first time I made it, he ate an entire slice, plus half of Justin's slice! I am now constantly hoarding bananas in my freezer, so I have a loaf on hand in case a banana bread craving hits me him. :)

Banana Bread

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
4 Tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed. Add sugar, and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Beat in the eggs, bananas, sour cream, vanilla, baking soda and salt, scraping down the bowl as needed. Turn the mixer down to low speed, and slowly add the flour, scraping the bowl as needed. Pour batter into greased loaf pan.

Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not open the oven door until the 60 minute mark, or the bread will collapse in the center.

I can't believe it's the week of Thanksgiving! I don't know where this year has gone. My grandmother used to make this dressing every year when I was growing up in California. The smell of the sweet cornbread and savory vegetables on the stove brings me back to my elementary school years when I would "help" her make this. (aka I would crumble the cornbread while she did everything else). When I was in high school, she had me help more and more until I was making the dressing and she was just sitting back to supervise my effort. My Nana has been gone for many years, but I still make this every year, just so I can remember the times when I would be in her pastel pink kitchen, on my too-tall step stool, asking if it was time to crumble yet.

If you are short on time, this is a great dressing for your Thanksgiving feast!

Cornbread Dressing

2 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought prepared cornbread, crumbled
1 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
5 stocks of celery, chopped
1/2 Tbsp - 1Tbsp poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 chicken bullion cubes (or 2 cups of chicken broth)
2 cups of water (omit if using chicken broth)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Bake cornbread, and let cool. Crumble and let sit for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add onions and celery. Saute until onions are clear and celery is soft.

Meanwhile, boil two cups of water. Add chicken bullion cubes and let dissolve. Remove from heat.

Add 1/2 Tbsp poultry seasoning to the onions and celery, and mix well. Stir in cornbread. Add salt and pepper, and more poultry seasoning to your tastes. Add one cup chicken bullion to cornbread mix, and stir well. Continue softening cornbread with chicken bullion until it is moist (but not mushy). Remove from heat and stir in pecans, if using.

Transfer to a 9x9 baking dish and cover with foil Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Source: My Nana

Don't be alarmed. These marine-shaped biscuits taste anything but fishy. These buttermilk biscuits were soft on the inside and flaky on the outside. They are more dense than I was expecting, but perfect along side fried chicken at our LOST party.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter, cold
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Cut the stick of butter into pieces, and work into the flour mixture with your hands or a pastry blender until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. Add the liquid, mixing until a bit loose and sticky. Pour dough out on a floured surface, and knead for a minute. Dough should be smooth and no longer wet. (You can sprinkle more flour on the surface if you find it’s sticking.) Take dough into a ball, and hit it with a rolling pin, turning it and folding it in half every few whacks. Do this for a couple of minutes.

Roll out dough until it’s 1/4 of an inch thick, and then fold it in half. Using a round cutter (you can use a glass or a cup if don’t have a biscuit cutter) cut out your biscuits from folded dough. Place on a greased baking sheet close together (so they rise up not out), and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Makes 10-12 biscuits.

If you don’t want to roll and cut them out, after kneading and beating the dough you can drop the dough onto the baking sheet with a spoon. They’re not as symmetrical (dropped biscuits are also known as cat head biscuits) but they’re no less delicious.


Source: adapted from Homesick Texan

I have had this recipe saved for quite a while, and definitely wish I would have tried it sooner! Anything with cheese, garlic and bread always sounds amazing, but this bread definitely surpassed my expectations. It was crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, with an amazing flavor. And the fantastic part about this recipe? It only needs 15 minutes to rise, so it can be made in under 90 minutes from start to finish. It is perfect for those days that you don't have hours for your bread to rise. The original recipe yields two loaves, but I made just one for us, which is reflected in the recipe below. Clearly, the human-hoovers could handle two, but I think my waistline is safer with just one.

I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this tart is. We all know anything with garlic, cheese and tomatoes is going to be incredible, but really. I'm not joking. This was transcendent. (Credit goes to Mrs. W for use of that word.)

This was my first attempt at baking a tart, so please forgive my uneven, not-so-pretty crust. The dough was very easy to prepare (and can be made in advance), and it's basically cheese, basil and tomatoes for the topping. I have also tried this recipe with parsley (instead of basil), and it was equally delicious. I served this at my Ladies' Luncheon and everyone raved over it. If you only try one recipe from my blog (although I hope you try more!), please give this one a try. (Do I sound desperate for you to try this? I think I am a little. It's too good to keep to myself.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Touching the butter with your hands as little as possible, cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like course crumbs once you are finished. In a small measuring cup, combine the whipping cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture, and stir until just combined.

Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 7 in round circle, then, using a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds. (As you push the cookie cutter into the dough, rotate the cutter slightly. This will help avoid flat scones.) Place the rounds on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing a few inches apart. Brush the tops with a little cream, to help brown the tops of the scones during baking.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with fresh lemon curd or your favorite fruit preserves.

Source: adapted from Joy of Baking

Every time I see a pizza dough recipe, I think, "I really should go out and get a pizza stone." Then I don't. Then we order pizza/buy a frozen pizza and tell myself I'm going to go out and get a stone the next day. Then I don't.

I saw this recipe a few weeks ago and was excited to make it because I could use my cake pans instead of stoneware. I am a huge fan of this dough. It rose beautifully and had wonderful taste, and really didn't take a lot of preparation. I will definitely be making this dough again (at least until I finally get off my you-know-what and buy a pizza stone).

Deep-Dish Pan Pizza

6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3/4 cup skim milk plus 2 additional tablespoons
2 tsp. granulated sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for handling and kneading
2 1/4 tsp. active-dry yeast
1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup pizza sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Additional toppings of choice

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. While oven is preheating, lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray.

Mix milk, sugar, and 2 tablespoons oil in measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter, gently shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Coat each of two 9-inch cake pans with 1 tablespoon oil. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, divide in half, and lightly roll each half into ball. Roll and shape each ball into 9-inch round and press into oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm spot until puffy, about 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove plastic wrap from dough, and ladle 1/2 cup sauce on each round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 cups cheese and top with desired toppings. Bake until cheese is melted and dough is browning around edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let pizzas rest in pans for 1 minute. Using spatula, transfer pizzas to cutting board and cut each into 8 wedges.

Source: adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking, originally America's Test Kitchen

I think almost every blog has several posts starting with "I have been meaning to try this recipe for the longest time" or "Every time I tried to make this, something came up." Please believe me when I tell you, I literally had these on my weekly meal plan for several months. I would plan to make them every single week and something was always fated to spoil my plan. I finally made them and have already begun to fit them in again. We loved how delicious these were and we will definitely have to find time to make them again!

Soft Pretzels

1 1/2 cups plus 10 cups warm water, divided
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
2/3 cup baking soda
Egg wash (1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 Tbsp. water)
Pretzels salt (I didn't have any, so I used kosher salt.)

Combine 1 1/2 cups water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook. Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to sit for 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot for approximately 50-55 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Alton Brown

This bread definitely doesn't look like the picture in the recipe on PW's blog. I was a little nervous when I took the lid off my cast iron pot, but my fears quickly vanished when I got a whiff as I sliced into it. This bread was extremely easy to make and was the perfect accompaniment to an Italian dinner. I like this recipe because you can throw in whatever herbs you have on hand. Next time, I won't cut so far into it so it can "bloom," but otherwise it tasted wonderful and was very easy to make.

Pastor Ryan's Herb Bread

4 cups bread flour
1 cup warm water
4 oz. melted butter with chopped herbs of choice (I used thyme)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. active yeast
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Pour water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Sprinkle yeast over water, and let stand until frothy. Combine all ingredients, with the exception of the kosher salt and olive oil, and mix on low until ingredients have formed a dough. Switch to the dough hook, and knead on low speed for about 10 minutes, or until you can successfully achieve a windowpane through the dough. (This where you can pull off a small chunk of the dough and stretch it gently to see if it's somewhat translucent. If you can do this without tearing, it's ready.)

Once this elasticity has been achieved, let the dough sit out with plastic wrap over it for 1-4 hours to double in size. After it has gotten bigger, it should be kneaded for a minute or two so that the yeast can redistribute.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place heavy cast iron lidded pot in oven. Cut a large "X" into the surface of the bread dough so it can bloom. Carefully tip bread into hot pot and coat the rounded dough with olive oil and a tablespoon or two of kosher salt.

Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for another 15-30 minutes, until browned as desired. (My bread was finished after the first 30 minutes, so adjust cook time as necessary.) The bread can get brown on the bottom if it’s too close to the heating element; if that happens, just slice it off with a sharp knife.

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Many of you don't know this but when I was in college, I managed a Jamba Juice, serving millions of smoothies. (That may sound like an exaggeration, but I did it for 2 1/2 years. On a busy day, I would probably serve at least 100 an hour... multiply that by 8 hours a day, divided by the people on staff, then add the wind speed and rainfall... well you get the idea.) When this bread was baking, the aroma brought me back to the days of juicing oranges and scooping ice cream. To this day, my friends still call me and say, "What is in a Banana-Berry again?" Or, "How can I make a Caribbean Punch at home?" Well, I'm not posting the Mango-A-Go-Go recipe, but if that's your drink - keep reading. Mango Bread is the perfect summer treat with fresh mangoes and plenty of spice. Give this one a try!

Fresh Mango Bread

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar (I used dark)
3 large eggs
3/4 flavorless oil (I used Canola)
2 cups diced mango
Grated zest of 1/2 lime

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. Dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other. (This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from over baking.)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk (by hand) together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Rub the brown sugar between your palms into the bowl, breaking up any lumps, then stir it in.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil and pour over the dry ingredients. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on medium speed, until blended. Fold in the mangoes and lime zest. (The batter will be very thick.) Scrape the batter into loaf pan, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake the bread for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (If the bread looks like it is getting too brown as it bakes, cover it loosely with a foil tent. I did this at 45 minutes.) Transfer the pan to a rack for cool for 5 minutes before running a knife around the sides of the pan and unmolding. Remove from pan, and cool to room temperature.

Source: adapted from Baking with the Boys originally from Dorie Greenspan

Remember when I said my soft garlic knots were a great choice for those nervous about experimenting with yeast? I was wrong. THIS is a great choice for those nervous about experimenting with yeast. You literally can not mess this up - and you don't even have to spend time kneading the bread. All you need to do is make it in advance so it has a ton of time to rise. And that's the hardest part! You only need to spend about five minutes - total - of work on this bread. It doesn't hurt that it's absolutely fantastic either. Definitely give this one a try.

No-Knead Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. active yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups water

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl until combined into a shaggy dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

Scoop the wet dough, which will be dotted with bubbles, onto a floured work surface. Fold twice, deflating it, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with flour as needed to handle, and shape dough into a saggy bally. Let rest on floured surface, uncovered, for another 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place heavy cast iron lidded post in oven. Heat pot for at least 30 minutes.

Carefully tip dough into hot pot. Sprinkle with salt or seeds as desired, place lid on pot, and return to oven. After 30 minutes, uncover pot. Bake for another 15 to 30 minutes, until browned as desired. (My bread was finished after the first 30 minutes, so adjust cook time as necessary.) Cool on rack before slicing.

Source: adapted from the Buffalo News

"Heaven. I'm in heaaaven..." Fred Astaire MUST have been speaking about these garlic rolls. They are unbelievable! Not to mention incredibly easy. I was pleasantly surprised at how much easier they were than other rolls I have made. The dough was easy to work with and all the measurements were spot on. This is a great recipe for those who are a little nervous experimenting with yeast - it's fool-proof! I truly recommend giving these a try.

Soft Garlic Knots

For the dough:
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. active yeast
1-1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. lukewarm water

For the glaze:
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

To make the dough, combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the milk, olive oil and water, and mix until ingredients have formed a dough. Switch to the dough hook, and knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer dough to a slightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. (I recommend using a bit of flour on your hands because the dough will be extremely sticky.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Divide the dough into 8-12 equal pieces (it depends on how big you want the rolls - I did 8, but next time I will do 12 for smaller rolls). Roll each into a rope, about 10 inches long, and tie each into a knot. Take the end that is lying underneath, and bring it over the top, tucking it into the center. Then take the end of the knot that is lying on top, and tuck it underneath and into the center. Transfer rolls to a baking sheet lined with a lightly oiled sheet of parchment paper. Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise for 45 minutes, until very puffy.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To make the glaze, finely mince the garlic and combine with the melted butter and Italian seasoning. Brush or drizzle the glaze onto the shaped rolls. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until lightly browned.

Source: adapted from Amber's Delectable Delights originally from King Arthur Flour

My first homemade loaf of bread! I have recently been obsessed with my honey-yeast rolls. (I even made a batch tonight along side my loaf.) This gave me the courage to finally try making a loaf of bread from scratch. You know what? It wasn't hard at all and was very tasty!

Homemade White Bread

Ingredients

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 2/3 cups warm fat-free milk
2 Tbsp. butter or stick margarine, melted
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm milk. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in butter. Add 4 1/4 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture; stir until blended. Switch to dough hook, and knead dough on low speed for 10 minutes. (I used the mixer for 5 minutes, and hand kneaded for the remaining 5 minutes.) While kneading, add enough remaining flour, 1 Tbsp. at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a damp rag, and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Plunch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll into a 14 x 7 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll up rectangle tightly, starting with the a short edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets. Pinch seam and ends to seal. Place roll, seam side down, in a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, coated with cooking spray. Cover and let ride 1 hour or until double in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes or until loaf is brown on the bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. (Mine only took 35 minutes, so watch it carefully.) Remove loaf from pan, and cool on wire rack.

Source: All Recipes

When I was trying to decide what I wanted to make to accompany my barbeque chicken, I saw Megan's blog post about making honey yeast rolls, and I knew they would be the perfect side. I looked for a recipe that was geared more towards my beloved KA mixer and found this one on Annie's Eats. They were very easy to make and they made the apartment smell so wonderful while they were cooking. I was a little nervous since this was my first attempt at making bread from scratch, but they were so incredible. Don't worry - they taste MUCH better than they look. :-) (Next time, I will work on making them look better!) I will definitely make these again. You should go make them - right now.

Ingredients

2 1/4 tsp. dry active yeast
1 cup plus 2-4 Tbsp. warm water, divided
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. honey, divided
3 tbsp. canola oil
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups bread flour, divided
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and 1 cup warm water. Once it is frothy, add 1/4 cup honey, oil, salt and egg and mix well. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it is incorporated into the dough. Switch to the dough hook, and continue kneading on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. (If the dough is still crumbly at this point, add 2-4 Tbsp. warm water and continue to knead.)

Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl (I used cooking spray), turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 2 hours, or until it doubles in bulk.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Punch the dough down and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place into a round, lightly greased baking dish, spacing evenly. (I used a 13 x 9 baking dish.) Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 minutes.

Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush lightly over the tops of the rolls. Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

My husband took one bite and said, "This is the best bread since... sliced bread." He's such a comedian.