Light Monkey Bread

In coming up with a new Christmas breakfast idea, I decided to try (healthy) monkey bread..in addition to my Breakfast Casserole.  I found a recipe I was interested in trying in Cooking Light.  This recipe looks somewhat long and complicated, but it's actually fairly simple and quick (minus letting the dough rise part).  I'm also warning you that it will go quickly, so make two batches (or be prepared to make it again, and again).  I made my second batch on New Year's Day and it was gone just as quickly.

Ingredients:
Bread Ingredients:
3 Cups All-Purpose flour 

• 1 Cup Whole-Wheat flour 
• 1 Tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 Package Yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 Cup Skim Milk, Warm (120° to 130°)
• 1/4 Cup Orange Juice, Warm (120° to 130°)
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 2 Tbsp. Butter, Softened
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, Packed
• 2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp. Skim Milk
• 2 Tbsp. Butter, Softened
• 
  • Glaze Ingredients:
  • 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. Skim Milk
  • 1 Tsp. Vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Combine flours, salt, and yeast with your Kitchenaid (or regular mixer) until combined. Slowly mix in the milk, juice, honey, and 2 tablespoons butter; mix dough at medium speed 5-7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. It gets pretty tough to mix, so feel free to stop after a few minutes and do some heavy kneading/folding of the dough by hand.
2. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size (I turn my oven on to 300 or so degrees, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set bowl on top of stove so it gets just warm enough). 

• 3. Combine white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons milk and 2 tablespoons butter.
• 4. Knead/fold dough a couple times and divide into 8 equal portions (I split it into two, then split those into two, then those all into two). Working with one portion at a time, roll into a (roughly) 8-inch rope. Cut or tear  8 equal pieces, shaping each piece into a 1-inch ball (does NOT need to be perfect, I just tear into roughly same size pieces and do a quick ball shape--not perfect at all). 
• 5. Coat each ball in milk/butter mixture, then roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place balls in a large Bundt pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 7 dough ropes. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place, 1 hour or until almost doubled in size again.
• 6.  Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool 5 minutes. Place a plate upside down on top of bread; invert onto plate. 
• 7. Combine glaze ingredients (powdered sugar, milk, cream cheese, and vanilla) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over bread and enjoy!

The bread is best served warm (in my opinion), so microwave your serving for 20 or so seconds, just until warm (too long and the balls will get hard and stale).

Yum.  

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

As I prepare for the arrival of our little baby (due February 16th, 2011), I have been freezing a lot of meals (my heart-healthy lasagna--but I added spinach and mushrooms as well as a number of soups).  I also made some whole-wheat pizza dough, enough for three thin-crust pizzas or two thicker crust pizzas, to put in the freezer.  These make quick, yummy meals, and you can use a variety of toppings (some options listed below).

Ingredients:
1 tsp. white sugar
2 1/4 Cups Warm Water
1 1/2 Tbsp. Active Dry Yeast (I used Hodgson Mill, one specifically for wheat)
1 Tbsp + 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil (separate)
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

Directions:
1.  In large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water.  Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand for 5-7 minutes (will get a little bubbly).
2.  Stir in 1 Tbsp olive oil and salt.  Next, stir in all of the whole wheat flour and 2 cups of the all-purpose flour.  Spread the remaining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour on a flat surface or countertop.
3.  Knead the bread on the floured surface until smooth, about 7-10 minutes.
4.  Rub the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil in a bowl.  Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat it.  Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a towel.  Let the dough stand in a warm area until the dough doubles in size, or about 45 minutes to 1 hour (Hint: I turn the oven on to about 200 degrees to warm the stovetop up a bit and place the bowl on the stovetop).
5.  Once dough has doubled in size (or a little more), roll the dough out onto a floured surface again.  For thin crust pizzas, cut the dough into three sections.  For thicker crust pizzas, cut the dough in half.  Roll each section into a tight ball.  Let each dough ball rise for about 35-45 minutes, or until they have doubled.
6.  Once risen:
For freezing (which is what I did) wrap each individual dough ball tightly in plastic wrap.  I then also put into a freezer bag, with as much air removed as possible.  You can freeze these for up to a month and half.  When ready to make, thaw in refrigerator during the day to make the pizza that night.
For making immediately, go on to the directions below.
7.  Roll the dough out with a rolling pin onto baking stone or baking sheet.

8.  Top with any of the following combinations (or your own favorites):
A) Fresh mozzarella, diced tomatoes, and fresh basil (plus a drizzle of olive oil if you prefer);
B)  Tomato Sauce (plus basil, oregano, and garlic), artichokes, mushrooms, tomatoes, black olives, and feta and/or Mozzarella;
C) Shredded BBQ chicken and sharp cheddar cheese (plus fresh chopped onions if you prefer);
D) Tomato sauce (plus basil, oregano, and garlic), Deli Ham and Pineapple;
E) Tomato sauce (plus basil, oregano, and garlic), Red Peppers, fresh Mozzarella, and drizzled olive oil.

9.  Once you've added your toppings of choice, put in preheated oven, and bake at 425 degrees for 16-20 minutes.  Enjoy!