French Bread

My husband Kent made this easy French bread and it tastes delicious!  
It's good with butter and jam, made into garlic toast or 
french toast for breakfast! We used it to dip into pesto and olive oil with our dinner last night.  

My handsome romanticle husband Kent the Chef!

½ c. hot water

2 T. yeast

1 T. sugar


2 c. hot water

2 T. sugar

3 tsp. salt

5 T. oil

6 c. flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in ½ c. hot water, stir and set aside. 

Mix remaining ingredients, in a large mixing bowl, first add only 3 c. of flour and stir well...... 

Add yeast mixture.  stir.  

Add balance of flour and stir into a ball.  

Leave spoon in batter and let dough rest 10 minutes.  Stir down dough and let rest again for 10 minutes.  

Repeat the stirring of dough and 10 minute rest period 3 more times. (this timing ends up being 1 hour)

  

flour surface and place dough on top of flour.  Divide dough in half.  Roll each half out into a rectangle shape (approximately 9x12 inches) and roll up like a jelly roll, tuck ends under and place on a well greased (Crisco shortening works great)baking sheet. Don't fuss over them looking perfect, they will taste wonderful!  

Brush tops with beaten egg white, sprinkle with sesame seeds (opt.) cut diagonally 3 times across the top of each loaf. 
( a serrated knife works well) 

Let rise until double in size.  

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.  When completely cool, store in plastic bread sacks. 

My husband did a great job and I have been enjoying an occasional piece of bread and butter today.............

O.K. maybe more than an occasional piece of bread! 

( I couldn't help myself!) 

© Nancy Rappleye 2012

Banana Bread

Oh my goodness!  The smell of sweet bread baking will bring any one home!  Banana bread I think is my favorite sweet bread to eat and in the dead of the winter it can make you feel good all over.  
You can always have bananas on hand for banana recipes if you just throw overly ripe bananas that no one is going to eat in the freezer. All you have to do is take them out to thaw an hour or so before 
you need them. 

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 envelope dream whip (it's a powdered whipping cream)

http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/products/d-f/dreamwhip.aspx

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. olive oil

3 eggs

3 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. sour cream

4 ripe bananas

Mix first 5 ingredients together and set aside. 
Flour....

Baking Powder.....

Baking Soda.....

Salt.....

Dream Whip.....http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/products/d-f/dreamwhip.aspx

Stir to blend well and set aside......

 Place the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and blend until creamy.  
White Sugar.....

Brown Sugar....

Oil....

Eggs.....

Blend well......

Add Vanilla....

Sour Cream....

Bananas.....

Blend well again... 

Add flour mixture and beat until well incorporated.  

Divide batter between 2 bread pans that have been sprayed with 
cooking spray.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  

Remove from oven and let sit in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. 

Let cool completely,wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready 
to serve.

Call the kids in, large and small, and enjoy a treat together.  I'm pretty sure your bread won't get a chance to cool AND you won't really have to "call" any one in to eat it because 
they'll be there already!

© Nancy Rappleye 2012