23 April 2020

Pan Bread - Super Easy No-Knead Yeast Bread

Pan Bread - Super Easy No-Knead Yeast Bread / www.delightfulrepast.com

For some reason this pandemic spurred a worldwide wave of breadmaking. A lot of novices weren't thrilled with the results, I'm told, and the run on flour and yeast is dying down. If you're disenchanted with your efforts at traditional yeast bread, this is for you. All the flavor, none of the work. 

Pan bread is the name I gave years ago to a yeast bread that anyone can make. Even if you've never made yeast bread before, if you have a bowl and a 13x9x2-inch pan, you can make this bread. In fact, if you're planning to dine in 3 hours, stir up a batch right now!

If you like, you can turn it into focaccia by giving it a sprinkling of herbs before baking. You can even turn it into a coffee cake by using melted butter instead of olive oil and giving it a swirl of cinnamon sugar and a streusel topping. But if you're a fan of the flavor of yeast bread, you'll even like it perfectly plain.

Mr Delightful likes it with butter. Always good, yes, but sometimes I like to dip it in a little dish of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs. Makes me feel like I'm in a nice restaurant. Remember restaurants? And, yes, I do consider "the bread basket" a legitimate appetizer!

Pan Bread - Super Easy Foolproof Yease Bread (versatile - it's all in the way you slice it!) / www.delightfulrepast.com


This bread is so versatile, you can even make 12 slices of sandwich bread or toast by cutting it into 6 squares and splitting each square, as I did for the plain and perfect tomato sandwich above.

Check the Bread category of my Recipes page for all kinds of breads, including Classic White Sandwich Bread and Wild Yeast True Sourdough Bread.

Pan Bread - Super Easy No-Knead Yeast Bread / www.delightfulrepast.com
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Pan Bread 


(Makes one 13x9 "loaf")

3 1/4 cups (16.25 ounces/461 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package/0.25 ounce/7 grams) instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons (0.25 ounce/7 grams) salt
1 3/4 cups (14 fluid ounces/414 ml) very warm (120 to 130F/49 to 54C) water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or melted butter, divided

Options: caramelized onions, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs



1 Start dough 3 hours before you plan to serve the bread. In large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast and salt. Add water and 1 tablespoon of the oil or melted butter and stir vigorously with dough whisk or large spoon for one minute.



2 Spray sides and bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with a sheet of parchment paper long enough to go up the short sides of the pan. Spread 1 tablespoon of the oil or melted butter over the parchment. Scrape the sticky dough into prepared pan and press it into pan with oiled fingers. Cover loosely and let rest for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.


Pan Bread - Super Easy No-Knead Yeast Bread / www.delightfulrepast.com
This is the Nordic Ware Half Sheet Cover. I use it over buns proofing in the half sheet pan, over bread pans and over this 13x9x2-inch baking dish. It has saved yards and yards of plastic wrap over the years!


3 During last 15 minutes, preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas5. Just before baking, dimple (gently poke) the dough with oiled fingers and drizzle lightly with 1 tablespoon of the oil or melted butter. Sometimes I skip the dimpling and just rub on the oil or melted butter; it's fine either way. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. 

4 Let stand 5 minutes before turning out onto wire rack. (This is when you'll be so happy that you used the parchment paper!) Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into 16 or 24 squares and serve warm. 

Or cut it into six squares and split them horizontally to make 12 slices of sandwich bread or toast.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

09 April 2020

Sheet Pan Home Fries - New West KnifeWorks Review and Giveaway

Sheet Pan Home Fries - No Muss No Fuss - soooo much easier, you'll never make them in a skillet again / www.delightfulrepast.com


We all need comfort food, like my Sheet Pan Home Fries, now. And I thought giving away a really good knife would be a real perkative in the midst of all this this. But first ...


The Sheet Pan Home Fries


While there's nothing difficult about making home fries, it's more trouble (and mess) than it needs to be when you're in the middle of making other things as well. Too much checking and turning, and I always end up using too much oil to keep them from sticking. 

It took me a long time, but I finally wised up and haven't looked back since. I thought, why not just throw them on a sheet pan and put them in the oven? I didn't want to get fussy about that either. I know a lot of people roast vegetables in the oven and do a lot of turning, and I didn't want to be bothered with turning.

So I lined a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking problems, tossed my potato chunks with a few simple ingredients (you can season them however you like) and just a modest amount of oil, popped it in the oven and just let it go. Fabulous! All part of my streamlined cooking strategy to save time.

It also saves time on cleaning because there are no grease splatters on the stove to clean up. No skillet with stuck-on bits to soak and scrub. And, even more important for those of us who really care about making every simple dish as good as it can possibly be, the potatoes are perfectly cooked, evenly cooked.

And if what you're looking for is Roasted Potatoes for Sunday Lunch, just hit that link and make a batch of the most perfect Roasties. Are you a home fries person or a hash browns person? If the latter, you must try my Pomme Rosti.


Sheet Pan Home Fries - New West KnifeWorks Review and Giveaway / www.delightfulrepast.com

The New West KnifeWorks Knife


I grew up with a mother who was a world-class cook with the worst --THE WORST--knives in the world, so I was determined that when I grew up I would have good knives. And I gradually acquired very good knives. But a couple of years ago I discovered the truly remarkable knives made by New West KnifeWorks (NWKW).

The NWKW knives are as beautiful as they are useful and a joy to work with. Call me shallow, but the first thing I noticed about the Ironwood 5-Inch Chopper was that it is the most gorgeous knife I've ever seen. That desert ironwood handle is beautiful. It is a richly textured, incredibly dense hardwood that with minimal care will last forever, making this an heirloom.

The handle is ergonomic, the blade is razor-sharp, and together they make a well-balanced knife that is just big enough to be my go-to "chef" knife for most of my cutting board work. For the tasks that require a bigger blade, I can pull out a chef knife; but this should take care of about 90 percent of my slicing and chopping. It cuts through tough potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower like butter. Chopping chocolate and nuts is effortless.

Go to the section below the recipe for details on this very generous giveaway. If you don’t happen to need a knife, you know someone who does; and this knife would make a great and generous gift.


Sheet Pan Home Fries - No Muss No Fuss - soooo much easier, you'll never make them in a skillet again / www.delightfulrepast.com

Sheet Pan Home Fries


(Serves 4 or 5, can be easily doubled*)

2 to 2.2 pounds (32 to 35.27 ounces/0.9 to 1 kilogram) russet potatoes
2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce/ml) extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon thyme


* To serve a crowd, double ingredients and bake on 18x13x1-inch half sheet pan.

1 Preheat oven to 400F/205C/Gas6. Line a 13x9x1-inch quarter sheet pan with baking parchment paper.

2 Peel potatoes and cut into roughly 3/4-inch (2 cm) cubes. In 1.5- to 2-quart bowl, toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, marjoram and thyme. Spread in a single layer on parchment-lined quarter sheet pan.

3 Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.

New West KnifeWorks Review and Giveaway / www.delightfulrepast.com


New West KnifeWorks Knife Giveaway


This giveaway is open to readers in the US* who are 18 years of age or older. To enter, leave a comment below (one entry per person). Tell me the first thing you'd make with the knife. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday April 22.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone you know in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter!

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday April 23. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday April 26, a new winner will be selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline). 

Disclosure: New West KnifeWorks provided a knife for review purposes and one for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean