Homemade Croutons for Soup or Salad

I made these to go with this pumpkin-butternut squash soup.   They would also be perfect for a tomato or french onion soup.  Or just on salad.  Feel free to mix up the seasonings depending on what you are using them for.  I kept it simple here for this soup, but would definitely add different herbs and spices for different soups.  

What you need:

5 cups of cubed bread- each piece should be about a 3/4 inch cube (I used three largish sandwich rolls)
2-3 tablespoons butter, melted (if you want them to be richer, add a bit more butter)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
garlic powder, salt, pepper (I used 1-2 teaspoons of EACH)

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place bread cubes in a large bowl.  Mix the butter, olive oil, red wine vinegar and seasonings in a bowl.  Drizzle over the bread and toss to coat evenly.  Spread onto a large baking sheet.  Bake for about 5 minutes, mix them around with a spatula, and return to oven.  Do this again a couple more times, or until there is no more moisture left and they are golden brown.  Enjoy!

Stromboli

A hearty and delicious meal.  Great as an appetizer if cut into thin slices.  Also very portable for packing in lunches (which is what I usually do for my boyfriend if he doesn't eat it first)

What you need:

Pizza or Bread Dough (I have done this with my own- see recipe below- or store bought dough in the refrigerator section)

Spicy Mustard and Mayonnaise

1/2 pound Deli Meat: I use a mixture of salami and pepperoni usually- you can also use ham or cook up some Italian sausage if you have it
(Sauteed peppers, onion, and garlic cloves if you feel like it- sometimes I do, sometimes I don't make the effort)
1-1.5 cups Shredded Cheese: I usually use a mixture of mozzarella, Parmesan, and cheddar- you can also try provolone, pepper jack, or whatever suits your fancy
Garlic Powder, Oregano, Red Pepper Flakes

Topping: Kosher Salt, Oregano, Garlic Powder

Roll dough out on a jelly roll pan as if you were creating a rectangular pizza crust.  Spread mustard and mayonnaise on the dough to create a THIN layer.  Arrange deli meat (and sausage if you are using it) in a strip down the middle, about 3-4 inches wide.  Add the peppers and onions if you decided you wanted them.  Sprinkle cheese on top and the garlic powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes.  Fold the sides of the dough in and pinch shut.  Then fold the ends in and pinch again to seal.  Carefully flip the loaf over.  Sprinkle with the kosher salt, oregano, and garlic powder.  Let rest for 10-20 minutes and place in preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven, or place in cold oven and turn on to 400 degrees (it will rise a bit while the oven heats).  Bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.  Enjoy!

Dough Recipe:
This recipe makes double what you need for one loaf of stromboli- you can either halve it, or make the whole thing and place the other half of the dough in the frig for a day or so until you need it.  Just be sure to cover it.

6 + cups all purpose flour
2 packets yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 cups water

Mix 4 cups of flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Heat the water until it is hot (you should be able to stick a finger in it without it burning, but is slightly uncomfortable).  Pour into the bowl and stir to mix really well.  Keep adding the flour, switching from stirring to kneading when the dough becomes stirrer and not unmanageably sticky.  Knead for 5 minutes to create a smooth, soft dough.  You want to avoid adding much flour- only use as much as is needed to knead without it sticking all over you.  Form into a ball, spray with oil and place in bowl.  Cover and let rise 1-2 hours or until at least doubled in size.  Punch down, and let rest for 10-20 minutes.  It's ready to roll out (if you are making the stromboli or a pizza), or can be formed into loaves and baked.

Open Faced Sausage and Egg Focaccia Sandwich

One of the ways I used up all of the extra Focaccia bread.

I sliced a piece in half and then topped with a mixture of sauteed hot Italian sausage, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and hot peppers.  While sauteing this, I added a splash of white wine vinegar, black pepper, and a little mixed seasoning.

I sprinkled mixed shredded cheese and some fresh chopped herbs (basil and rosemary) on top.  Baked at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until the cheese melts.  You could leave it like this or, as I did, throw a fried egg on top of each piece.

Focaccia Bread

Time consuming, in the sense that you have to start early.  Overall, though, it's not a ton of work and makes a really good bread.  So give it a try on a day when you'll be around.  Also, it makes a huge loaf- be prepared to find people to share with.

First make the poolish:
Beat together 1/4 teaspoon yeast, 2.5 cups flour, and 1.5 cups of water.  Cover and let sit on counter for 4 hours.  At this point, it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or you can go ahead and continue with the bread. If you refrigerate it, make sure to let it sit for an hour on the counter before you move on so that it can warm up.  Below is a picture of the poolish before it sits for the 4 hours.

Stir the poolish down.  Then add:
2 2/3 cups flour (if you have bread flour, that would be best, but I made it with all purpose and that worked fine)
2 teaspoons salt
1.5 teaspoons yeast
2 T olive oil
1 cup lukewarm water

Beat this together until a smooth, sticky dough is formed.  The dough should come away from the sides as you stir, but stick to the bottom of the bowl.

Make a thin bed of flour on a large flat surface.  Scoop the dough out of the bowl and onto the flour.  Sprinkle liberally with more flour.

With floured hands, stretch the dough to double its length and then fold it onto itself, returning it approximately the same shape you started with.  Repeat 3-4 times.

Spray with oil and let rest for 30 minutes.

Repeat the previous stretching step, forming a rectangle after the last stretch.  Gently move the dough to a oiled baking sheet and spray with oil.  Dimple by pressing your thumb into the dough.  The indents should be 1-2 inches apart.  Drizzle with olive oil and let rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Dimple again, sprinkle with Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.  I also sprinkled it with dried oregano because I did not have fresh.  Then sprinkle with a mixture of chopped fresh herbs- I used basil, mint, and parsley.  Rosemary would be good if you have it.  Drizzle generously with olive oil.  Below is a picture of the bread before baking.

Turn oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Allow the dough to rest while the oven heats up.  Once the oven is to temperature  bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the bread is a nice golden brown.  You may need to turn the baking sheet around halfway through if it is browning much more quickly on one side.   Take out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes for cutting into squares.  Enjoy!

I served it with a herb and olive oil dipping sauce I made, but it was also delicious on its own.

If you want to add other toppings (cheese, olives, roasted peppers, etc.), do this halfway through the baking.