Basic Pizza Crust

We had a hankering for pizza and some extra time, so I figured I could go ahead and make a basic pizza crust. I like this pizza crust even though it is so simple and straightforward (or should I say, because it's so simple and straightforward)! Since this is a basic pizza crust, it goes well with just about any pizza, and you can easily customize it when you're making your pizza. Since it does take a while to make the crust, I sometimes like to make enough for a few crusts and then freeze for later.

What's your favorite kind of pizza?

Basic Pizza Crust

by CJ Huang

A basic pizza crust made from scratch and suitable for just about any pizza. Make a few extra and freeze!

Prep time: 60 minutes
Cook time: optional
Total time: 60 minutes
Yield: 2 pizzas

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		4 cups		flour	I used half whole wheat and half white.
		2 teaspoons	1 packet	yeast
		1 teaspoon		salt
		1 tablespoon		sugar
	12 ounces			milk, warm

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Form Dry Team by combining flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.
	3. Add in milk, mixing until dough formed. You may need to add a bit more milk or flour to form the dough.
	4. Cover the dough, and let it sit in a warm spot until doubled in size. Freeze for later use or roll out and make a pizza! (Optional - I like to pre-bake my pizza crusts since it results in a more crisp crust.)

Shared with: Full Plate Thursday, Artsy Fartsy Party, BFF Open House, Traffic Jam, Fiesta Friday, Meal Plan Monday, Handmade and Otherwise, What's for Dinner?, Hearth and Soul, Over the Moon, Tuesdays at Our Home

Outback Bread

A delightful honey wheat bread with a crunchy outside and a soft and sweet inside.

Pesto Swirl Bread

With our recent basil harvest (over a pound of just leaves!), I'd made quite a bit of pesto. After seeing and hearing about various pesto pull apart breads, I thought I'd make some pesto bread too. However, I wanted something I could eat relatively neatly on the go. I thought about the swirl biscuits. Why not make a pesto swirl bread? And thus, a recipe was born! You just take a basic bread recipe, and instead of forming it into a loaf, you roll it out and spread pesto on the inside. I used about 3/8 cup per loaf. Then, simply roll up the dough and place it in a loaf pan, seam side down, for the final rise. 45 minutes at 350F, and you'll surely smell the wondrous scent of pesto wafting through the air.

What's your favorite way to use pesto?

Pesto Swirl Bread

by CJ Huang

A savory pesto swirl bread with loads of flavor.

Prep time: 15 minutes + rising time
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes + rising time
Yield: 1 loaf

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
106 grams		1/2 cup		sugar
		2 teaspoons		yeast
480 grams		4 cups		flour	I used half whole wheat and half white.
			1	egg
		1.25 cups		milk
		1 cup		pesto

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Sprinkle yeast over milk.
	3. Combine all materials except pesto, and mix until dough formed.
	4. Allow dough to rise until doubled in volume.
	5. Gently roll out dough, and spread pesto on top, making sure to leave a small margin around the borders.
	6. Roll up dough, and seal seam. Place seam side down, and bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

Pumpkin Yeast Bread

A simple and flavorful pumpkin yeast bread made with roasted pumpkin puree.

Chinese Coconut Buns

A sweet coconut filling almost melts into the soft and tender dough of these Chinese Coconut Buns.

Garlic Herb Pizza Crust

I found this recipe, and I thought I would give it a try, especially since I like easy recipes. :) Although most pizza crust recipes are not too difficult, I chose the garlic herb pizza crust since I had been thinking about the garlicky pizza bianca I had way back in undergrad. It's funny how sometimes you'll eat a food and never think about it for years, and then suddenly, it pops back into mind. Anyhow, I thought this crust would go really well with the white garlic sauce pizza since it has some garlic flavor as well, and I usually like to add some herbs when making a pizza crust. I have to say, this dough started smelling good before it even hit the oven! The slight garlic scent and Italian herbs combined to create a delicious fragrance, and it only improved after baking! I couldn't resist eating a bit of the crust by itself before adding the pizza toppings. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Garlic Herb Pizza Crust

by CJ Huang

A tasty pizza crust that combines savory herbs and garlic in a simple, yet flavorful crust.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 90 minutes
Yield: 16 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		3 cups		flour	I used half wheat and half white.
		2 teaspoons		yeast	You could substitute 1 packet yeast.
		1 teaspoon		salt
		1 tablespoon		sugar
		2 tablespoons		Italian seasoning
		1 tablespoon		garlic powder
		8 ounces		milk, warm
		4 ounces		water, warm

Methods:

1. Combine flour, yeast, salt, sugar, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
2. Add water and milk, then mix well.
3. Cover bowl with a moist towel and set aside in a warm area until dough doubles in size.
4. Roll dough into desired shape/size/thickness.
5. Bake at 400F until surface done (optional). I like to pre-bake my pizza crusts since it results in a more crisp crust.)

Lemon Basil Monkey Bread

I've heard that monkey bread is a sweet, cinnamon flavored, sticky pastry usually served for breakfast, but since I had never had that version (or even known about it), I always thought it was just a pull apart bread, and since I have only had savory versions, I broke with tradition and the "standard" cinnamon version. You too can make some really awesome monkey bread with this recipe! As you can see from the picture, I couldn't stop myself from eating a few pieces right as it came out of the oven (oops!). This bread is great with many soups and stews. You don't even need to slice the bread since the bread is already cut into pieces before it's baked, making it a fun and easy bread to share. If you're trying to make the sweet cinnamon (or another) version, you could easily substitute cinnamon and sugar (or anything else) for the lemon and basil I used, allowing for almost unlimited possibilities.

What are your favorite monkey bread flavors?

Lemon Basil Monkey Bread

by CJ Huang

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		3.5 cups		flour	I used 2 cups white and 1.5 cups wheat.
		2 tablespoons		sugar
		1 teaspoon		salt
		2 teaspoons	1 packet	yeast
		1 cup		warm water
		2 tablespoons		lemon zest
		1/4 cup		basil
			1	egg
		1/3 cup		butter, melted

Methods:

1. Mix 1.5 cups flour, sugar, yeast, water, egg, and salt until just combined.
2. Stir in lemon zest, basil, and remaining flour until combined.
3. Knead dough for about 1 minute.
4. Roll dough to approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness, and cut it into pieces approximately 1 square inch.
5. Briefly dip one (or both) sides into the butter and layer them into the baking pan or container.
6. Cover the bread with a moist towel or paper towel and allow dough to rise (approximately double).
7. Bake at 350F until golden brown.

Hua Juan

This steamed roll is yet another childhood favorite that I recently made. I'm not sure why it's taken so long since it is not at all difficult to make. These rolls are cooked similarly to the BBQ pork buns, but instead of making a bun with BBQ pork, the dough is rolled into a strip which is then rolled into a spiral. As a result, when eating, you can peel apart the layers and eat them layer by layer or just bite into it like a regular roll. I personally like peeling off the layers and eating it that way. However, you could also press a chopstick into the middle or make them more decorative. These rolls are like Chinese scallion pancakes, but in roll form. I used yeast in the dough this time, but you could also easily use self rising flour. Just substitute the self rising flour for the regular flour and omit the yeast. These rolls can be made a variety of different ways, but this time, I used a salty oil and flour mixture topped with green onions. Another variation is to mix the green onions into the dough. Although I have not used other flavorings, you could easily adapt the recipe and use other flavorings like rousong (肉鬆), ground meat, coconut, or anything else that will fit within the layers.

What other flavorings can you think of?

Hua Juan

by CJ Huang

Layered rolls with flavorful green onions inside.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		3 cups		flour
		1-2 cups		water
		2 teaspoons		yeast	eliminate if using self-rising flour
		2 tablespoons		oil
				scallions, thinly sliced
				salt
				flour

Methods:

1. Mix yeast with 3 cups flour and then add 1 cup water, followed by 2 tablespoons oil.
2. Knead and continue to add water until a soft dough that is not sticky forms.
3. Cover the dough and allow it to double in volume.
4. While waiting for the dough to rise, make a slurry with flour, salt, and oil. The slurry should have the consistency of a thin or partially melted milkshake.
5. Once the dough has doubled, knead it briefly and roll it into a log with a diameter of approximately 1.5 inches.
6. Cut the log into approximately 2 inch segments, and roll each segment into a strip that is about 0.25-0.5 inches thick. Thinner layers will allow for more layers of flavor, but if the dough is too thin, it will not cook well.
7. Paint the slurry on top of the dough, and put the scallions on top.
8. Roll the dough into a cylinder (shown above), and place the seam facing down on a moist or wet coffee filter. I usually use a quarter of a coffee filter per roll. You can also press down in the middle with a chopstick or otherwise change the appearance, but I like mine simple.
9. Steam for about 10 minutes.