The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (10 page)

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1. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat until scalded (about 200°F). Remove from the heat and add the butter, honey, and salt. Let stand until cooled to lukewarm and the butter is melted.
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the warm water and dry yeast. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes, or until the yeast foams.
   
3. Stir the cooled milk mixture, whole-wheat flour, and 1 cup of the bread flour into the yeast mixture. With an electric mixer, beat at high speed for 2 minutes.
   
4. With a wooden spoon, beat in the remaining bread flour, a cupful at a time, and continue beating to make a sticky, soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
   
5. Coat one 3-quart casserole or two 1
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   -quart casseroles with cooking spray. Transfer the dough to the casserole(s) and let rise again for 1 hour.
   
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the bread for 1 hour for the larger casserole or for 45 minutes for the smaller ones. Remove from the oven, turn out the loaves onto racks, and cool.
   

The great flavor of this rather effortless bread comes from the long and slow rising period. When baked in a preheated casserole, it develops a nice crustiness. You will need a cast-iron Dutch oven or an enameled cast-iron pot (such as Le Creuset’s) for baking the bread. This method was developed by Jim Lahey, the owner of the Sullivan Street Bakery in New York City, and reproduced by the food writer Mark Bittman in the
New York Times
. I found this method works well, but I have adapted it to my own favorite bread recipe.

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2 cups tepid water (about 100°F)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

2 teaspoons salt

4 to 4
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/
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cups all-purpose flour

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1. In a large bowl, stir the water and yeast together. Let stand for about 5 minutes, until the yeast is dissolved. Stir in the salt and 2 cups of the flour. Beat with a large spoon until smooth, then slowly add the remaining flour to make a rough, shaggy dough. It should look quite moist, but still hold together in a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for at least 6 hours, or until the dough is dotted with bubbles.
   
2. Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough. Sprinkle with a little more flour and, using a dough scraper, lift the dough over onto itself to form a ball. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for 15 minutes.
   
3. Coat the kitchen towel generously with flour and place the ball of dough on top. Dust with more flour, cover with another kitchen towel, and allow to rise for about 2 hours, or until more than doubled in size.
   
4. Preheat the oven to 450°F. While the oven preheats, place a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven into the oven, along with its lid, to preheat as well. This will take 20 to 30 minutes. When the dough is doubled and the pot is hot, place the pot on a board or trivet. Remove the towel covering the dough. Carefully slide your hand under the towel beneath the dough, pick up the towel and dough, and invert the loaf into the hot pot. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 30 minutes, until crusty. Turn out onto a rack to cool.
   

Cut thick slices of this bread and toast them for breakfast or coffee break. To make cinnamon toast, sprinkle the toasted and buttered bread with sugar and cinnamon.

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¹
/
₄
cup warm water (105 to 115°F)

1 package (
¹
/
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ounce) active dry yeast

1 cup milk, scalded and cooled

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₄
cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup golden raisins

2
³
/
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to 3 cups all-purpose flour

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1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the milk, sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and raisins.
   
2. Add the flour a little at a time, beating with an electric mixer until the dough is about the same consistency as cookie dough.
   
3. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1
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   hours.
   
4. Butter a 2
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   - to 3-quart casserole. Stir the dough down and turn into the casserole. Cover and let rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
   
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean and dry.
   

The combined flavors of honey, raisins, and whole wheat make this an all-time favorite for kids as well as adults.

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1 cup milk

¹
/
₂
cup (1 stick) butter

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₂
cup honey

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup warm water (105 to 115°F)

2 packages (
¹
/
₄
ounce each) active dry yeast

1
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/
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cups whole-wheat flour

1 cup light or dark raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts

4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour

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1. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat until scalded (about 200°F). Remove from the heat and add the butter, honey, and salt. Let stand until the butter is melted and the mixture is cooled to lukewarm.
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the warm water and dry yeast; stir and let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast foams.
   
3. Stir the cooled milk mixture, whole-wheat flour, raisins, walnuts, and 1 cup of the flour into the yeast mixture. With an electric mixer, beat at high speed for 2 minutes.
   
4. With a wooden spoon, beat in the remaining 3 cups flour, a cupful at a time, moistening all of the flour to make a sticky, soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
   
5. With cooking spray, coat one 3-quart casserole or two 1
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   -quart casseroles, preferably with straight sides. Put the dough in the casserole(s), cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise again for 1 hour until almost doubled.
   
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the bread for 1 hour for the large casserole or 45 minutes for the smaller ones. Remove from the oven, turn the loaves out of baking pans, and cool on racks.
   

Bake this in a shallow casserole, and you will end up with something that looks and tastes like classic focaccia!

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2 packages ( ounce each) active dry yeast

¹
/
₂
cup warm water (105 to 115°F)

1 cup
creamed cottage cheese, warmed

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for the dish

2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves, crushed

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

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1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
   
2. Add the warmed cottage cheese, sugar, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the rosemary, salt, and egg. Add the flour and beat well to make a stiff dough.
   
3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
   
4. Brush a 9-by-13-inch shallow baking dish or pan with olive oil. Press the dough into the dish so it covers the bottom completely, including the corners. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
   
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Drizzle the top of the dough with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden. Serve warm, cut into squares.
   

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NOTE:
To warm the cottage cheese, spoon into a glass 1-cup measure and microwave on high power for 30 seconds.

You just stir up this dough, let it rise, and turn it into a casserole for baking. So simple! And it’s so healthy, too, with all those grains.

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2 cups warm water (105 to 115°F)

2 packages (
¹
/
₄
ounce each) active dry yeast

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup nonfat dry milk

2 tablespoons butter, softened or melted

2 teaspoons salt

¹
/
₂
cup old-fashioned or quickcooking rolled oats, plus extra for sprinkling

¹
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₂
cup dark rye flour

1
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cups whole-wheat flour

2
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₂
cups unbleached all-purpose flour

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1. Pour the warm water into a large bowl and stir in the yeast and honey until dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
   
2. Stir in the dry milk, butter, salt, the
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   ₂
   cup oats, the rye flour, and whole-wheat flour and beat until smooth (you may do this with an electric mixer).
   
3. Slowly add the all-purpose flour, beating by hand or with the electric mixer (switching to a wooden spoon when the dough becomes too thick), until the dough resembles a thick cookie dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.
   
4. Generously butter a 2
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   - to 3-quart casserole and sprinkle the bottom and sides with rolled oats. Turn the batter into the casserole and sprinkle with more rolled oats. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
   
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the loaf for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean and dry. Remove from the oven and cool in the casserole on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the bread out of the dish and finish cooling on the rack.