Italian Sausage and Peppers with Pasta

 Ingredients

• 8 ounces ziti or similar pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 ounces sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3 medium-sized bell peppers (any color), sliced into 2-inch long pieces
• 1/2 of a medium-sized yellow onion, sliced 1/4″ thick
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 18 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Break the sausage up as it cooks until it’s browned. 
3. Add the garlic, peppers, and onion. Stir and cook the veggies with the sausage until the start to soften, about five minutes.
4. Add the red wine to the pan and, as it simmers, scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. 
5. Add the tomatoes and salt. Stir and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook the sausage and peppers in the sauce for about five minutes, or so. 
6. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir to coat it in the sauce. I also added about 1/4 cup of pasta water and cooked this down.
7. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve.

Source

Bread - Updated

This is an update to my Bread post from about a year ago. All references are there. I have adjusted the recipe to make two 500 kg loaves or one 500 kg loaf and two 250 kg loaves. Other adjustments allow doing this over three or more days so one isn't spending an entire day waiting. 

Total ingredients

800 g Bread flour

200 g Whole Wheat flour

750-800 g water (75-80% hydration) - 

20 g salt

1.25 tsp fast rise yeast

Day 1

Make the Poolish

500g Bread Flour 

500g water at about 90° F

1/4 tsp of yeast

Mix together thoroughly in a container that allows for it to triple in size. Leave no dry dough spots. Cover and set on a counter for 12-24 hours. 

In the winter, my kitchen is about 66°. 12-24 hours has worked equally well.

Day 2

Remaining flour = 200g Whole Wheat mixed with 300g Bread flour.

Remaining water = 300g, 280g, or 250g (80%, 78%, 75% hydration).

Turn out the Poolish to the mixing bowl.

Add the remaining water to the Poolish container and swirl to catch any remains.

Add this to the mixing bowl and gently mix with the Poolish.  

Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly to a shaggy dough.

Cover, and let sit for about 45 minutes to Autolyse.

Add salt and mix thoroughly. 

Add remaining 1tsp yeast and mix thoroughly. 

Let rest 20-40 minutes. 

Dampen your hand and stretch and fold the dough over itself 4 times rotating the bowl 90 degrees after each fold.

Cover and wait 20 minutes. 

Repeat 3-4 more times

Cover and let the bulk fermentation complete. Depending on ambient temperature this could take 1-2 hours. 

Scrape onto counter and split as desired. 

Lately, I'm doing 50%, 25% and 25% to get a large loaf and two smaller ones. 

Dust bannetons with rice flour or a 50/50 mix of rice/all purpose flour.

Shape dough into boules. 

Put the boules in the bannetons seam side up. 

Pinch the bottoms to seal if needed and dust with flour. 

At this point, you can cover the bannetons and let proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes and then go to the Baking Day steps or you can cover the Bannetons and put them in the refrigerator for 1-3 days for more flavor development and to break up the time you spend waiting. 

Baking Day

Preheat oven containing pizza stone and cast iron dutch oven to 475°F. These should be on the bottom or second to bottom rack

Put parchment paper counter top and dust gently with cornmeal. 

When ready, gently flip banneton onto parchment paper. Dust with rice flour and use lame to slash the top. 

Gently place boule into dutch oven (hot!!). I'm using the parchment paper as a sling so I don't risk burning my hands. Braver souls might try flipping the banneton directly into the dutch oven. 

Cover and place dutch oven into the oven onto the pizza stone. 

Bake 35 minutes for the larger loaf or 15 minutes for the smaller loaf

Remove boule from dutch oven and finish it at 425 on the pizza stone until crust is nicely browned (about 10-15 minutes, less for the smaller boule). You can also check the internal temperature of the bread with an instant read thermometer. It should read 208 - 210F.  

Place boule on rack to cool. 

Wait at least 2 hours for the boule to fully cool before cutting into it. 

Bread

I've been baking bread for about seven months. I've settled on the following recipe and process.  

Total ingredients

750 g flour (blending Bread Flour with Whole Wheat)

585 g water (78% hydration)

15 g salt

1.25 tsp fast rise yeast

I've been using 1/3 to 1/5 whole wheat flour

Day before

Make the Poolish

375 g Bread Flour 

375 g water at about 80° F

1/4 tsp of yeast

Mix together thoroughly in a container that allows for it to triple in size. Cover and set on a counter for 12-24 hours. 

In the winter, my kitchen is about 66°. 12 hours has worked fine. I'm trying 24 hours in my latest attempt.  

Baking day

Remaining flour = 375g ww (50/50) or 150g ww + 225 g Bread (20% ww loaf)

Remaining water = 225, 210, or 188 (80%, 78%, 75% hydration) 

Weigh out remaining flour in mixing bowl. 

Add the Poolish and the remaining water. 

Mix thoroughly, cover, and let sit for 30-60 minute to Autolyse.

Add salt and 1tsp yeast and mix thoroughly. I usually add the salt first, mix and then the yeast. 

Let rest 20-40 minutes. 

Do a series of folds, cover and wait 20 minutes. Dampen hand first.

Repeat 2-4 more times

Cover and let the bulk fermentation complete. Depending on ambient temperature this could take 1-2 hours. 

Scrape onto counter and split into a large and a small piece. The small one should weigh about 480-500 g. We are shooting for a 1/3 to 2/3 ratio. These are perfect for my 7" and 8" bannetons. 

Dust bannetons with rice flour. 

Shape dough into boules 

I sometimes let them rest, covered for 15 minutes and reshape. Lately, I'm skipping this step and not seeing much difference

Put the boules in the bannetons. Pinch the bottoms to seal if needed and dust with rice flour. 

Cover with tea towel. 

Let proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes. Check status at about 45 minutes.

At least 20 minutes before proofing is nearly done, preheat oven with pizza stone in it to 500°F

Put parchment paper on peel (or tray to use as a peel) and dust gently with cornmeal. 

When ready, gently flip 7" banneton onto parchment paper. Dust with rice flour and use lame to slash

Slide boule into the oven onto the pizza stone. Cover with large metal bowl.   

Reduce temperature to 450 and bake for 12 minutes. 

(prep peel for the next loaf)

Remove bowl (using spatula and good oven mitts)

Reduce temperature to 425

Bake another 7-12 minutes until internal temperature is 205-210. 

Remove and raise oven temperature to 450.

Place small boule on rack to cool. 

Flip 8" banneton onto parchment paper. Dust with rice flour and use lame to slash

Slide boule into the oven onto the pizza stone. Cover with large metal bowl.   

Reduce temperature to 450 and bake for 20 minutes. 

Remove bowl (using spatula and good oven mitts)

Reduce temperature to 425

Bake another 20-25 minutes until internal temperature is 205-210. 

Remove and place boule on rack to cool. 

Thank you to the following who helped me in one way or another:

Bake with Jack - His videos helped demystify the basic process

Billy Parisi's Classic French Boule Recipe with Poolish

The Bread Monk: How to tell when the first rise is done 

How to tell when a bread is finished proofing from Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast.

Flours: Janie's Mill High-Protein Bread Flour and Red Fife whole wheat. 

Salad Dressing

I don't like vinegar. So, most salad dressings are not for me. In the past, I either ate my salad 'dry' or with just a squeeze of lemon. I found the secret to a great dressing and one that I like. I don't remember where, but I learned that a vinaigrette does not need to contain vinegar as the acid. A citrus juice can be the acid and this opened up a whole new world to me. The basic recipe is:

Equal parts fresh squeezed citrus juice and EVOO

Some honey if needed (usually only when using lemon)

Finely chopped shallot

Chopped fresh herb

Salt and pepper

My favorite is:

1/2 cup EVOO

1/2 cup lemon juice

about 1 tbsp honey

small fresh shallot finely diced (about 2-3 tbsp)

about 1 tbsp of either chopped dill or basil

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Shake well to blend. 

Options:

Put the diced shallot in the lemon juice for 3-5 minutes before adding EVOO

Optional ingredients I've tried:

Blood Oranges + Basil

One more. This one I found here. Instead of the fresh shallot and herb, substitute:

1 teaspoon dried oregano heaping

1 teaspoon powdered garlic

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Janies Mill Corn Bread

From their site:

https://www.janiesmill.com/recipes/old-fashioned-cornbread

Try with their cornmeal

I might also try their no knead bread recipe

Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Ingredients

1 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4 to 5 lemons)
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves or 2 tbsp. dried
10 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. pepper

6 skin-on whole chicken legs (I used about 2 lbs each of breasts and thighs)
3 lb. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

In a large resealable plastic freezer bag, add the lemon juice, oregano, garlic, 1/4 cup oil, 1 tbsp. salt, and 1 tbsp. pepper and seal tightly; shake to mix the marinade. Add the chicken to the bag and seal tightly; turn a few times to coat the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Drizzle a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Scatter the potatoes evenly over the baking sheet. Place the chicken, skin-side up, on top of the potatoes. Pour the marinade from the bag over the chicken and potatoes.

Bake the chicken and potatoes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chicken leg registers 165°, about 45 minutes. Preheat the broiler. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Broil the potatoes until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken to the baking sheet. Broil until the skin is crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a platter. Pour the pan juices into a pitcher. Serve the chicken and potatoes with the pan juices and crusty bread.

Discovered this recipe in Rachel Ray's magazine and here.

No Flour Cornbread

Ingredients

2 cups white cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk (I used goats milk)
1⁄4 cup butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Put first 3 ingredients in mixing bowl and whisk together. Lightly beat the eggs and combine with the milk. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.

Put butter in well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet and put in oven until the butter melts. Swirl to coat bottom and sides. Pour extra into the batter and mix.

Pour entire mixture into the skillet.

Place skillet on middle rack of oven. Bake until cornbread is springy in the middle, browned and pulling away from the skillet on the sides (about 15-20 minutes).

Remove from oven and invert skillet over serving plate.

Original recipe used 1/4 cup bacon grease instead of butter. If using butter, adding about 1/4 tsp salt might be better.

Adapted from food.com