Breaking Bread...

During the end of the 1990s, my better-half and I broke down and got cable TV. We'd gotten tired of having Florida's rainy weather doing a number with the outside antenna. Nothing like having one person standing outside in the pouring rain (especially during a thunderstorm; shocking!), turning the antenna while someone else stands at the front door, yelling, "Turn it a little more! Wait, stop! Now, back it up just a little bit! Perfect!" to convince one that it's time to get cable. Of course, now it's almost impossible to watch TV without cable or a converter box. No matter...

While channel-surfing one dreary January afternoon, I stumbled across a cooking show that I found absolutely intriguing. I love cooking shows, and will usually stop for a minute to see if it's something I might be interested in. Some will get only a few minutes of viewing before I check out the next station; others become ones I love to watch on a daily basis (anyone else love watching Paula Deen?).

This particular show featured a monk! And he was talking about baking bread! Anyone who knows me knows I love baking bread. Haven't had enough time to do that in recent years, but it's so cathartic and makes the house smell so good (not to mention that homemade bread just tastes so wonderful!) that it's still a favorite thing to do.

The show was called Breaking Bread With Father Dominic, and while I can't remember if it was on one of the local PBS stations or the Food Network (maybe both), it's no longer on TV. (Darn!) It would be great if it was brought back to TV.

I've included several of the recipes from the show (and yes, I'm giving full credit to the show - again, it was Breaking Bread With Father Dominic). And if you'd like to buy Father Dominic's cookbooks, they can be found here. Enjoy!

TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS

Yield:12 rolls.

I frequently make these to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!

2 packages FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups lukewarm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.

Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.

"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)

PUMPKIN BUBBLE SPICE RING

YIELD:1 ring; about 12 servings.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 package FLEISCHMANN’S RapidRise Yeast

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, divided

2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese

Directions:

Combine 1 cup of the flour, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and yeast in medium bowl; stir until well mixed. Combine pumpkin puree and milk in small saucepan; heat to 120 to 130 degrees. Pour pumpkin mixture into flour mixture; stir until well blended. Add egg; mix well. Add 1 cup of the flour; stir until flour is thoroughly incorporated. Add enough of the remaining flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, to make a rather soft dough.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Lightly grease a 10-inch fluted tube or Bundt pan. Sprinkle half of the nuts in bottom of pan; pour in half of the caramel mixture.

Cut cream cheese into 20 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Knead dough one minute, then divide dough into 20 pieces. Flatten each piece of dough and wrap it around a piece of cream cheese. Arrange 10 pieces of cream cheese-filled dough in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top. Arrange remaining 10 pieces of cream cheese-filled dough on top of first layer. Pour remaining caramel mixture over all. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled. The risen dough will not quite reach the top of the pan.

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Can be served warm or cool.

Note: The dough itself isn’t very sweet, because I think the caramel sauce has enough sugar. You could make a nicely sweet pumpkin bread by increasing the sugar to 1/2 cup and simply forming the dough into a loaf for a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. The baking time would be about the same.

MAGIC CATERPILLAR PEANUT BUTTER BREAD

YIELD:1 loaf.

Ingredients:

1 package FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

For decoration: tubes of colored frosting, candies, gumdrops, licorice, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, or until foamy.

Combine milk, peanut butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Let cool to lukewarm, then add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding small amounts of the remaining flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Rinse and dry bowl, then lightly oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Form rope into a large S shape on a lightly greased 18x12-inch baking sheet. Using a butter knife or dough scraper, chop rope into 3-inch sections, but do not separate completely. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes. (The caterpillar will magically grow back together during rising and baking.)

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaf 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate cooled loaf with frosting and gumdrops or other candy. Poke holes in the sides with a wooden pick and insert sections of licorice for legs.

Note: Decorating gel doesn't work as well as frosting as a glue for the candy decorations, so make sure you pick up the right tube at the store. Any candies will work to make spots for the caterpillar's sections. Thin red licorice makes the perfect legs and antennae, unless you know your youngsters prefer the flavor of black licorice.

THREE-PEPPER CALZONES

YIELD:4 calzones.

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 envelope FLEISCHMANN’S RapidRise Yeast

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Three-Pepper Cheese Filling:

1 1/2 cups sliced bell peppers (combine red, green and yellow)

1 medium onion, sliced

2 ounces pepperoni, cut into thin strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated mozzarella cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) grated provolone or fontina cheese

Olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, cornmeal, undissolved yeast and salt. Stir water and oil into flour mixture. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. On lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each into 8-inch circle. Place about 1 cup Three-Pepper Cheese Filling on one half of each circle; moisten edges. Fold dough over filling; press with tines of fork to seal. Place on greased baking sheet. With sharp knife, make 3 1-inch slits across top of each calzone. Brush tops with olive oil. If desired, sprinkle with crushed red pepper.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until done. Serve warm.

Three-Pepper Cheese Filling: In large skillet, combine bell peppers, onion, pepperoni and garlic. Cook over medium heat until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool. Stir in cheeses.

Suggested Variation: ALL-VEGETABLE CALZONES: Prepare filling as directed except replace pepperoni with 1 tablespoon olive oil and add 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Proceed with recipe as directed.

PIZZA DOUGH

YIELD:Enough dough for 2 large thick-crust pizzas or 3 large thin-crust pizzas.

INGREDIENTS:

1 package FLEISCHMANN's Active Dry Yeast

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups lukewarm water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, divided

DIRECTIONS:

Combine yeast, brown sugar and the whole wheat flour in a large bowl; mix thoroughly. Add water; stir until well mixed. Let yeast develop about 15 minutes. (During this time you can be chopping vegetables or browning sausage for your pizza topping.)

Add oil and salt to yeast mixture; mix well. Add 2 cups of the white flour; beat for 200 strokes. Add two cups white flour; beat another 200 strokes. Add enough of the remaining white flour to make a stiff dough. Knead about 8 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough. Knead one minute. Return dough to bowl. Cover top with plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 4 hours.

Remove dough from the fridge about 30 minutes before you're going to use it. Divide dough into 2 or 3 equal portions. Roll each portion out to the size of your pan; a heavier-gauge pizza pan is recommended. Prick the crust all over with a fork or other tool (I use an angel food cake cutter). This pricking keeps the dough from inflating like a pita pocket in the oven.

Top with your favorite ingredients. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes or until crust begins to brown.

Notes: You can use it after the first rising, but the quality of the crust will be much better if the dough gets a second slow rising in the fridge.

For thick crusts, I usually roll out the dough and bake it for 5 or 10 minutes before I put any toppings on. This seals the crust and keeps it from getting soggy.

If you're not going to need this much dough, take the remaining dough and make focaccia, which is an Italian hearth bread. Just form the dough like you're making an extra thick pizza crust. Press the dough all over with fingertips to form dimples. Brush heavily with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic, rosemary, or other Italian herbs, and a little coarse salt. Allow to rise about 15 minutes, then bake on a pizza stone at 450 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. I like to sprinkle a little asiago cheese on the top as it comes out of the oven.

BASIC WHITE BREAD

YIELD:2 loaves.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups warm water

2 packages FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 to 6 1/2 cups bread flour, divided

DIRECTIONS:

Put water in a large bowl. Add yeast; stir to dissolve. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Add sugar, salt and oil; stir to mix. Add 5 cups of the flour; mix well. By hand, work in enough of remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead 6 to 8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.

Place dough in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with a clean towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place about one hour, or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Divide dough into two equal pieces and form each piece into a loaf. Place in greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise about 45 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

Bake on lower shelf of a preheated 400-degree oven about 35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pans immediately; let cool on wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

Note: You could add 1 tablespoon of any dried herb or herb mixture to this dough to make an herb-flavored loaf.