Ahh, smell, taste, relax...

After a crazy and stressful day, there is nothing better than a bowl of soup and fresh bread.  I've had a few of these days lately and thought I'd share 2 of my favorite bread recipes.  I stumbled upon a corn bread recipe on allrecipes.com.  I have always had a passionate dislike of cornbread.  In fact, one of my first Christmases as a married woman, I received a cast iron corn mold for making cornbread.  I had hinted that
a madeline mold would be wonderful, however I married into a family of cornbread eaters.  (As an aside, I have never actually used this mold.)  Anyway, after making a delicious pot of chili, I decided to indulge my husband with cornbread.  This recipe is amazing.  I loved it!  I still wouldn't consider cornbread a favorite, but will certainly make it again.
Corn Bread
1 c flour
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 c milk
1 c cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c sour cream
1/4 c butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, combine egg, sour cream, milk and butter.  Add to dry ingredients.
3. Pour into greased 8 in square dish.  Bake 20-25 minutes.  Serve warm.

And now for my go to bread dough!  This was sent to me by a friend.  Here is the link for the video
Video .  The cookbook is entitled: Making artisan bread in five minutes a day.  Authors Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg created an amazing cookbook that seems to have been designed for the busy mom! I highly recommend purchasing it.  You can view it here

Here is the basic recipe:
3 c lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbls salt
1 1/2 tbls yeast
1 c wheat flour (or all purpose) 
5 1/2 c all purpose flour


1. In a 5 gal container with a lid, add yeast and salt to water.  Stir until mostly dissolved.
2. Add flour, stir until well mixed.
3. Let rise at room temp 2 hours
4. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.
5. When ready to use, dust dough with flour.  Cut off a grapefruit sized chunk.  Pull dough around to bottom until smooth on top.   Dust again with flour and use a serrated knife to make 3-4 slits on top. Place on pizza peel covered with cornmeal and let rise 40 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Make sure you have a pizza stone on a shelf with a roasting pan on the shelf below.  Preheat the stone for at least 20 minutes.  Then add bread.  Pour 1 c water into roasting pan and let bake 35 minutes until brown and crispy.


This dough recipe can also be used to make baguettes and pizza!  Check out the book for details.  
I have also used the brioche bread recipe.  While I am not a fan of this highly buttery dough as bread, I loved it when used for beignet (also in the book).  These are a favorite at my house for breakfast.  Dust them with powdered sugar and you have an amazing treat!