Pioneer Woman's Mac and Cheese

O.k., so this is my new winter comfort food.  Easy peasy and the kids love it too.  I also like that there are NO breadcrumbs on top.  That is the one thing I have never liked about homemade mac and cheese.  This is delish...try it on a chilly night with a salad.

• 4 cups Dried Macaroni
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Preparation Instructions

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Sugar Cookie Bars

I echo the sentiment of the person who posted this on their blog. It's my new favorite blog to look at. http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/

Click here for the recipe that I want to share with you today! It's so yummy. And so easy. I don't enjoy cutting out sugar cookies and the whole process it takes to make them so this recipe is for me. Try it out! You won't regret it...

The Neelys' Whoopie Pumpkin Pies

I just made these today. Oh yum. Easy. Not very involved and delicious. My kind of cookin'! I do not eat pumpkin pie because I don't like it, but I like these. :) Just FYI for anyone who avoids this recipe because they don't like pumpkin pie. You'll be missing out...

Active:45 min
Total:55 min (plus cooling)
Makes: 12 whoopie pies

For the cookies
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of kosher salt

For the filling
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of kosher salt

1. Make the cookies: Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a stand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

2. Drop 8 scoops of batter, about 2 Tablespoons each, onto each prepared baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart. Bake until the edges are set but the cookies are still soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks and let cool completely.

3. Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a small bowl with a mixer until smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar until smoother. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon and salt and beat until smooth.

4. To assemble the whoopie pies, spread a heaping tablespoonful of filing on the flat side of a cookie and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Caramel-Soaked Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Above is a photo of the layers after being drizzled with the buttermilk caramel.  It soaks in and makes the layers moist and YUMMAY!!

Before I post this recipe I need to say a couple of things that I would do differently if I made it again.  1. I didn't see that the recipe calls for THREE 9-inch cake pans.  I may try three pans next time, but it worked fine doing two, I just baked them for the maximum time.  At a lower elevation it may take a little more bake time.  2. I didn't have a fine grater and I would definitely grate the carrots more finely if I did it again.  Nobody mentioned it though, they were too busy eating, so it's probably a matter of personal taste - mine!  3. The recipe says to pour the caramel over the layers while they are in the pans.  Unless you have springform pans, I wouldn't do that again.  It was a mess getting them out!  So I'll change the instructions on this recipe accordingly.

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 large eggs

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots

1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 (3 1/2 oz) can flaked coconut (I used toasted)

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax or parchment paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

Beat eggs and sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrots, pineapple, coconut and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Buttermilk Glaze:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

After taking cake out of oven, cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and set bottom layer on serving plate.  Set other two, face down, on wire racks.  Drizzle buttermilk glaze evenly over baked layers.  Let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 (8oz) pkg. Cream cheese, softened

1 (3oz) pkg. Cream cheese, softened

3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

I froze the layers so they were easier to frost and it worked out perfectly.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

5 cans of drained chicken
2 8oz cream cheese
1 small can chopped chilis
1 bottle blue cheese dressing
10 oz of Frank's Hot sauce
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Put everything in crock pot and cook it all day on low. Serve with Tortilla Chips.

My friend brought this to a girls night out. It was delicious. I thought I would share the recipe with you.

oops

I posted something to this blog and then realized it was meant for my personal/family blog so it will show on your feed if you're a follower of this blog, but it actually isn't on this blog because I took it off immediately. Oops. Sorry. I need to check more closely at which blog I am posting to!
Patty

Cowboy Caviar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (I do a bit less as I'm a wimp with hot sauce)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 firm, ripe avocado
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 (11-ounce) can corn kernels, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup sliced green onion
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 pound Roma (plum) tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Salt to taste
Tortilla chips

In a large bowl, mix vinegar, hot sauce, oil, garlic and pepper. Peel,
pit and cut avocado into 1/2-inch cubes. Add to vinegar mixture and
toss lightly.
Drain and rinse black-eyed peas and corn. Add black-eyed peas, corn, onion,
cilantro and tomatoes. Mix gently to coat. Add salt to taste.
Refrigerate, well sealed.
Serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips.

Chicken Parmesan Pizza

I know, noodles on pizza? Believe me, its great!!

I love it when I throw leftovers together and discover something delicious! I had a leftover grilled chicken breast, and some homemade marinara (love fresh tomato season). Eldon loves chicken parmesan but there wasn't enough chicken for individual, so......

My stand by pizza crust, either make a half batch, or divide in half for two pizzas.
Thinly slice grilled chicken breast (I warmed in microwave before putting on pizza)
cook 1/4 pound angel hair pasta, drain and mix with enough red sauce to coat.
2-3 cups mozzerella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
spaghetti sauce (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups)

Pat dough into pizza size crust (I used a foil pizza pan for size). Preheat grill. Put pizza crust on preheated grill (about 400 degrees). YOu can leave it in the pan, but I like the grill stripes on it. Let cook about 5 minutes--it will puff up, but still be white. Take off grill and flip onto pan or plate, so cooked side is now up. Spread sauce coated angel hair on crust. Sprinkle half cheese over noodles. Top with chicken slices, then remaining sauce, sprinkle with parmesan (I didn't measure, just sprinkled over top), then remaining mozerella. Put back on grill for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. EAT and ENJOY. You could also cook this in the oven as you would a regular homemade pizza, spread crust, put on toppings and bake until done.

PIZZA CRUST
2 pkg yeast
2 C warm water
5 C flour
4 TB olive oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
Dissolve yeast in water, stir in remaining ingredients (by hand or in mixer). Beat vigorously 20 strokes, let rest 5 minutes. 425 degrees 15-20 minutes (in oven)

Thai Peanut Noodles

This recipe is fast, cheap and delicious!  What more can you ask for.  I think you all just need to go out and buy the "Our Best Bites" cookbook. They are awesome!

1/2 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1.5 is medium, 2 is hot)
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 oz. Udon or linguine noodles
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into quarters
Chopped peanuts
Cook noodles in salted water. In the meantime, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat. Toss cooked noodles with sauce and divide among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and garnish each serving with 2 lime quarters. Before eating, squeeze lime juice over noodles and stir to combine.

*If desired, you can add meat to this dish by stir-frying shrimp or very thinly-sliced chicken (partially freeze it first) in some olive oil with a couple cloves of garlic, some fresh ginger, some green onions, soy sauce, and a small squirt or two of Sriracha chili sauce.

Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Here is another "Best Bites" winner! Delicious! (I cut the chicken chunks first, then figured out how much bacon I needed from that...easier to deal with unused bacon than unused chicken breast)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

About 8 oz. lean bacon, NOT thick-sliced (thick bacon is too hard to work with in this recipe)

1 large can pineapple chunks (you won't use all of them)

Homemade Teriyaki sauce (the best!) or Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze

Kebab skewers or toothpicks

The easiest way to handle the bacon situation is to remove it from the package and while it's still all stuck together, stretch it out a little (lengthwise). If you're using center-cut bacon (and the "slab" is not as wide as regular bacon), just cut it in half. Otherwise, use kitchen shears to cut the slab into thirds. Refrigerate until ready to use, partially because it's easier to work with cold bacon and partially because you don't want to kill any dinner guests with dead pig germs.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can gauge about how many pieces you'll need by how many pieces of bacon you have; you probably won't use all the bacon, but you'll need about 8 oz. or 2/3 of a standard-sized package of bacon. So count the bacon pieces and keep that in mind when cutting up your chicken.

Drain the pineapple and set up a little work station with skewers, bacon, chicken, and a 9x13 baking dish (for big skewers) or a sturdy Ziploc bag (for toothpick skewers). Wrap a piece of bacon around a chicken piece, secure with toothpick/skewer, and top with a chunk of pineapple. Repeat twice if using large skewers.

When all chicken pieces have been sufficiently staked, pour Teriyaki sauce over everything, reserving about 1/4 c., and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, no longer than about 8.

Preheat grill; when about 350-400 degrees, place skewers on grill and baste with reserved Teriyaki sauce. Cook about 7 minutes and flip skewers. Baste again and cook another 7 minutes.

*If serving at a party, you can keep the appetizer-sized skewers warm in a crockpot set to low or an electric roaster set to 170 degrees.

**If cooking in oven, preheat oven to 400 and bake about 20 minutes, turning once, following the same basting instructions.

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 Cup chocolate Chips

Makes 12 pancakes

1. Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vegetable oil and bananas.
2. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be slightly lumpy. Stir in chocolate chips.
   
3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides; serve hot.

We eat these just as they are with nothing on them.

Coconut Cream Cake

If you love coconut like me this one will knock your socks off!

1 pkg white cake mix

amount of water listed on the cake mix box (I think 2/3 c)

3 eggs

1/3 c vegetable oil

1/2 tsp coconut extract

1/2 of 14 oz coconut cream (cream of coconut)

1/2 of 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 c heavy whipping cream

1 TBSP white sugar

1 c flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 9X13 pan.

In large bowl mix cake mix, eggs, oil, water and coconut extract. Beat for 2 min then pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 min or until toothpick comes out clean.

In a med bowl combine coconut cream and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. **You can make 2 cakes if you want to use all the milk and coconut cream**

When cake comes out of oven poke holes into it in even rows using chopstick or large fork. Pour milk mixture over it and allow it to soak into cake. Refrigerate several hours or over night.

In large bowl whip cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue whipping until stiff. Spread over cake. Top with flaked coconut. Keep refrigerated.

Guava Cake

1 Strawberry Cake Mike

1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix

1 large tub Cool Whip

2 cans frozen Hawaii's Own Guava juice (can be combined with other flavors like strawberry guava)

Mix the cake mix and pudding together and then make as instructed on box only instead of the water use the juice from 1 can guava juice mixed up as instructed on can equal to what the water should be.

Bake cake as usual. Cool.

For frosting take the other can of frozen concentrate. Melt in saucepan. Take some out and mix in a separate bowl with some cornstarch until lumps are gone. Add back to juice in pan and cook until thickened about the thickness of a gel. You can frost the cake with cool whip and then pour the gel over the cool whip (photo shows this way) or let it cool and then add to the cool whip until thoroughly mixed. Frost cake. Keep refrigerated.

Marie's Taco Soup - Fast, Easy and Muy Bien!

In large frying pan cook 1 lb hamburger and some chopped onions until browned. Drain.

If you don't eat beef you can do ground chicken or turkey or if you don't eat meat leave this step out.

Meanwhile, in stock pot put:

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn with juice

1 can olives, sliced

1 can diced tomatoes (I always run them through the blender because we hate chunks)

1 can tomato paste

and enough water to make it soupy

Add the hamburger and onion mixture and

2 pkg powdered taco seasoning

Let it simmer with the lid on until flavors have blended. It can be an hour or less or you can cook in the crock pot all day.

Serve it topped with tortilla chips, sour cream and shredded cheese. Yum.

Roast Chicken with Olives and Potatoes

Lately I have had a thing for Kalamata olives.  I LOVE them.  So when I found some whole chickens on sale for 77 cents a pound, I couldn't pass them up and went looking for a way to combine my love of olives with the chicken.  I found this recipe and it is delish.  Not so pretty, but the olives and potatoes together melt in your mouth and the chicken if fabulous.  I also love the easiness of roasted whole chicken.  I used dried thyme leaves because I didn't plan ahead and it turned out good too.

Ingredients:

• 1 7-pound roasting chicken
• 6 tablespoons olive paste (olivada) - Recipe Below or you can buy already made.
• 2 bay leaves
• Olive oil
• 4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives

• Fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 450°F. Slide hand between chicken skin and meat over breast and legs to form pockets. Spread 4 tablespoons olive paste over breast and leg meat of chicken. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons olive paste in cavity of chicken. Place bay leaves in cavity. Tie legs together to hold shape. Rub olive oil into chicken skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons thyme. Place chicken in large roasting pan.

Place potatoes in large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons thyme. Add potatoes to pan with chicken. Roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and roast 1 hour longer. Add olives to pan. Continue roasting until juices run clear when chicken is pierced in thickest part of thigh, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 10 minutes.

Transfer chicken to platter. Surround with potatoes and olives. Sprinkle with additional thyme. Pour chicken pan juices into large cup and degrease. Serve chicken, passing pan juices separately.

Olivada:

1 1/2 cups pitted Kalamata olives (about 8 ounces)

4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Combine olives, rosemary, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper in processor. Blend until olives and garlic are chopped finely. With machine running, add 4 tablespoons oil through feed tube and blend until coarse paste forms. (Olivada can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to small bowl, cover, and refrigerate.)

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch

Spring is all about strawberries and rhubarb.  Saw some gorgeous rhubarb at the grocery store the other day and just had to get it to make this recipe.  Especially since my husband once again mowed over my rhubarb plants.  I'm beginning to think he does it on purpose.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 3 cups diced rhubarb
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, strawberries, and rhubarb. Place the mixture in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, butter, and oats until crumbly. You may want to use a pastry blender for this. Crumble on top of the rhubarb and strawberry mixture.
4. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and lightly browned.

Easy Pretzel Turtles

Who doesn't like a little pretzel, caramel, chocolate and nuts?  The hardest part about this recipe is unwrapping all the Rolos.  Enjoy these little treats or give them away to someone you love.  This recipe comes from the cookbook "Our Best Bites", one of my new favorites. I am not a food photographer so my picture isn't as beautiful as it could be.  Enjoy!

55 small Pretzels (this is about how many Rolos come to a bag)
1 bag of Rolos candy
Various toppings - Nuts, M&M's, mini marshmallows, coconut...let your imagination wander
Melted Almond Bark or White Candy melts for drizzling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment or foil.  Lay out pretzels on cookie sheet.  Put one unwrapped Rolo on top of each pretzel.  Place in preheated oven for 3-4 minutes, until just glossy and beginning to melt. (Should still hold shape)  Take out of oven and top with your toppings...pushing down to squish the Rolo into the pretzel.  Melt Almond Bark or Candy Melts in Ziploc bag, cut small hole in corner and drizzle over your creations.  Let cool completely and store in airtight container.

Turkey Brine

I had a recipe from my Food Network Magazine from Alton Brown that was for a turkey brine you do in a 5 gallon bucket. Unfortunately, he instructs for that brine to be made a couple days in advance. I couldn't do that so I used the link below. It was yummy. All ingredients I had in my kitchen too! I brushed the turkey with canola oil (as opposed to vegetable oil) because that's what Alton's recipe said to do. Anyway, I have NEVER had such moist white meat EVER. This was super easy. I just followed the roasting instructions that came with the turkey as the recipe below just says to roast it however...I need more details than that! We managed and wow, I have a new favorite way to roast turkeys (brine 'em in a bucket before!)

The turkey in the picture looks a little red? Mine didn't look red like that at all. Just beautiful, golden brown. Yum.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Turkey-Brine/Detail.aspx

Parker House Rolls

This recipe is awesome. I've made these at least three times now and it's time intensive, but well worth it. The bulk of the time is used up in rising so that's good! Plan for a good three hours from start to finish (rise time of 2 or 2 1/2 hours).

Be sure and scroll through the pictures for a photo that matches each step if you have any questions.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alexandra-guarnaschelli/parker-house-rolls-recipe/index.html

Excellent with soups...it's still a little chilly out there!

The Master Recipe: Boule (Artisan Free Form Loaf)

Huh? O.k. so the title may not be the great, but what this is, is basically homemade bread in 5 minutes a day. This recipe makes 4 - one pound loaves of artisan bread. It is delicious and so easy, you'll think you're dreaming. :D Don't be put off by the length of the recipe...it's seriously easy.

3 c. lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp granulated yeast (1 1/2 packets)
1 1/2 tbsp coarse kosher salt or sea salt
6 1/2 c. unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose flour (I have also used 4 c. all purpose and 2 1/2 c. King Aurthur's, white whole wheat flour)

Mixing and Storing the Dough

1. Heat the water to just a little warmer than body temperature (about 100 degrees F)

2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5 qt. bowl or preferably, in a resealable, lidded container (not airtight - use one with a gasket or lift corner - I just cut a lift corner into a normal Tupperware). Don't worry about getting all of it to dissolve.

3. Mix in the flour by gently scooping it up, then leveling the top with a knife; don't pat down. Mix with a wooden spoon until uniformly moist. If hand mixing becomes too difficult, use very wet hands to press it together. DON'T KNEAD! This step is done in a matter of minutes and yields a very wet dough, loose enough to conform to the container.

4. Cover loosely. Do not use screw topped jars which could explode. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flatten on top), approx. two hours, depending on temperature. Longer rising times, up to five hours, will not harm the result. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to handle than room temperature dough. We recommend refrigerating the dough at least three hours before shaping into a loaf. And relax! You don't need to monitor doubling or tripling of volume as in other recipes.

On Baking Day

Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the surface of the dough of flour, then cut off a 1 lb. (grapefruit sized) piece with a serrated knife. Hold the dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won't stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on four "sides", rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go, until the bottom is a collection of four bunched ends. Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it doesn't need to be incorporated. The bottom of the loaf will flatten out during resting and baking.

Place the ball on the prepared cookie sheet. Let it rest uncovered for about 40 minutes. Depending on the dough's age, you may see a little rising during this time; more rising will occur during baking.

Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place an empty broiler tray or oven proof metal pot for holding water on another shelf. (don't use glass or ceramic)

Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow for the serrated knife to pass without sticking. Slash a 1/4 inch deep cross, scallop or tick-tack-toe pattern into the top. (This helps the bread to expand when baking)

Put the cookie sheet in the oven and quickly, but carefully, pour about a cup of hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door to catch the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is browned and firm to the touch. With wet dough, there's little risk of drying out the inside, despite the dark crust. When you remove the loaf from the oven, it will audibly crackle or "sing" when exposed to room temperature. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. The crust may initially soften, but will firm up again when cooled.

Refrigerate the remaining dough in your lidded, not airtight, container and use it over the next two weeks. You'll find even one day's storage improves the flavor and texture of the bread. Cut off and shape loaves as you need them. The dough can also be frozen in 1 lb. portions in an airtight container and defrosted overnight in the fridge prior to baking day.

When your dough container is empty, don't wash it! Just scrape it down and incorporate it into the next batch. In addition to saving clean up, the aged dough will give your new batch a head start on the sourdough flavor.

The "6-3-3-13" rule. To store enough for eight loaves, remember 6-3-3-13. It's 6 cups water, 3 tbsp salt, 3 tbsp yeast, and then add 13 cups flour.