Doughn’t go bakin’ my heart; recipes from mary makes it easy
Mary would live on bread if she could, and these straightforward bread recipes make it pretty darn close! Stream full episodes of Mary Makes It Easy at CTV.ca and the CTV app.
Any Flavour Drop Biscuits
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Makes: 9
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar, if making sweet biscuits, plus more for garnish, optional
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into pats
Mix-ins (see below for suggestions)
1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar (if making sweet biscuits), baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the cold butter pats and snap and rub it in like you would for pie dough until the butter is about the size of peas. Stir in the mix-ins then make a well in the centre and add in the buttermilk. Stir just until combined.
Using two spoons or a 2oz spring loaded ice cream scoop, scoop the dough into 9 mounds onto the prepared sheet pan. Sprinkle with extra sugar or cheese, if desired.
Bake the biscuits for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
For seafood restaurant biscuits
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
1 cup (115 g) grated cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish, optional
For lemon blueberry white chocolate biscuits
1 lemon, zested
1 cup (190 g) fresh blueberries
½ cup (about 85 g) chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips
HONEY OAT SANDWICH BREAD
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours (including rising and cooling)
Makes: 1 loaf
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup (50 g) rolled oats, plus more for topping
3 tablespoons (40 g) brown sugar
2 tablespoons (40 g) honey
2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
2 cups (260 g) bread flour
¾ cup (105 g) whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons (5 g) instant yeast
1 ½ teaspoons (6 g) kosher salt
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the oats, brown sugar, honey, butter, and boiling water. Set aside to hydrate the oats and cool the mixture to lukewarm. This should take about 10 minutes.
When lukewarm, add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, and salt. Stir together into a shaggy dough and knead using a dough hook or by hand on a lightly floured work surface until smooth and springy, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Transfer the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a plate or a piece of plastic wrap, and set aside to rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
Lightly grease a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Punch down the dough and flatten into a rectangle about the same width as the loaf pan. Roll the dough up into a log, pinch the seam to seal, and transfer to the prepared loaf pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set back in the warm spot for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the dough has risen above the lip of the pan.
When the dough has almost risen, heat your oven to 350°F. Lightly brush the top of the risen loaf with a little water and scatter over a few oats. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190°F.
Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and cool to room temperature. The loaf will keep tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, slice the loaf, wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes: about 1 ½ cups
INGREDIENTS:
2 ¾ cups dry roasted peanuts
¼ cup honey
Peanut or canola oil, if needed
Sea salt, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Heat your oven to 350°F, line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together the peanuts and honey to coat. Transfer onto the prepared sheet pan and bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the peanuts smell nutty and the honey is a little tacky. Allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature.
Transfer into the bowl of your food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process the mixture for 8 to 10 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl every few minutes and giving your food processor a rest if it starts to overheat.
If, after 8 minutes, the mixture is not clumping together in a sort of ball, add about a teaspoon of oil. Continue processing until the mixture is a smooth buttery consistency then season with salt, to taste.
Store in the fridge for up to three months.
chocolate orange hot cross buns
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours, including rising
Makes: 16
INGREDIENTS:
Tangzhong
2 tablespoons (33 g) bread flour
¼ cup (60 ml) water
3 tablespoons (45 ml) whole milk
Dough
1/3 cup (80 ml) whole milk
¼ cup (56 ml) butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
½ orange, zested
1 tablespoons (9 g) instant yeast
2 ½ cups (340 g) bread flour
¼ cup (30 g) cocoa powder
¼ cup (50 g) sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 ¼ teaspoon (5 g) kosher salt
1 cup (about 120 g) chocolate chips, milk, dark, and/or white
Canola oil, for greasing
Toppings and Glaze
1 egg
1 tablespoon (15 ml) + ¼—1/3 cup (60—80 ml) water, divided
¼ cup (34 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (4 g) sugar
1/3 cup (42 g) icing sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
DIRECTIONS:
For the Tangzhong, whisk the flour, water, and milk together in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thick. Transfer the mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer.
For the dough, whisk the butter into the Tangzhong to melt and incorporate. Add the milk along with the egg, vanilla, and orange zest and whisk to combine. Sprinkle over the yeast and stir in. Set aside for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Add the flour, cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt and, using the dough hook attachment, knead on medium-low until smooth and elastic. This will take between 5 and 7 minutes. Scatter in the chocolate chips and knead until combined. If the chocolate chips aren’t incorporating easily, turn the dough out and flatten and fold until the chocolate is evenly distributed. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until almost doubled in size.
Prepare a 9-inch square pan by lightly greasing with non-stick cooking spray and line with a sling of parchment paper. Punch down the dough and divide into 16 equal pieces. Flatten each and pinch and roll into tight-skinned balls. Place into the prepared pan in a 4x4 grid, loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside for 1 to 1 ½ hours.
When the buns have almost risen, heat your oven to 350°F.
Prepare the toppings by beating the egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar with the remaining ¼ cup of water to make a paste, adding a bit more water, if too thick. You want a pipeable consistency that won’t spread out and lose its shape. Transfer into a zip top bag and cut off the corner to form a small hole.
Lightly brush the buns with the egg wash then pipe the flour paste both ways across the centre of the buns to form the distinctive cross pattern. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the buns are springy to the touch and the internal temperature reaches 190°F to 200°F. Set the buns aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, whisk together the icing sugar and orange juice and brush over the warm buns. Enjoy warm, at room temperature, or toasted with butter. The buns will keep covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
OVERNIGHT NO KNEAD FOCACCIA PIZZA
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 15 hours and 45 minutes (including chilling and resting)
Serves: 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS:
Focaccia
2 cups (500 ml) lukewarm water
2 teaspoons (12 g) honey
2 ¼ teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast, not instant
Olive oil
4 cups (520 g) bread flour
2 teaspoons (10 g) kosher salt
Topping
1 ½ cups (369 g) ricotta cheese
1 cup (80 g) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ lemon, zested
2 tablespoons rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup (175 g) sliced roasted red peppers
100 g Italian or ‘Nduja sausage, casing removed
Flaky sea salt
DIRECTIONS:
For the focaccia, add the water to a medium bowl and whisk in the honey and yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom and get foamy. Once foamy, stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil followed by the flour and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large bowl and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. Scrape the dough into the oiled bowl and drizzle the top with another tablespoon of oil. Cover the bowl well with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top to allow the gases from the yeast to escape. Transfer to the fridge to rise for at least 12 hours or up to 2 days.
A few hours before you plan on cooking the focaccia, remove the dough from the fridge. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a 13- by 18-inch sheet pan, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan, then scrape the dough into the pan, pulling slightly towards the corners of the pan, and set aside at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to relax and allow the dough to come up to room temperature.
Heat your oven to 425°F and prepare the toppings, if using. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmigiano, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, toss the rosemary with the olive oil to coat. Set both aside.
Retrieve the rested dough and drizzle the top with a little oil, if desired. Using the tips of your fingers, press into the dough to give the top that distinctive dimpled look. Dot over the ricotta mixture and roasted red peppers. Pinch the sausage into small pieces and scatter over top. Finish with the rosemary and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and the toppings are cooked through.
Recipe Note: For a thicker loaf of focaccia, replace the sheet pan with a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Bake for closer to 25 minutes or until golden and springy.