We can't believe this is our 6th ingredient based Instagram collaboration! What began as a instagram friendship born from a love of the Santa Monica Farmers Market with Annie of Whatannieseating, has grown into a diverse and creativity instagram community that inspires us daily. The reason we started this blog and really love cooking and baking in general is the ability food has to connect people. In a world ever more intense, crazy and alienating, food can bring disparate groups of people together, around a table, to share space and conversation. You can sit down with anyone over a good meal and leave feeling more connected and more satisfied. While some may think this is simplistic, food is about nurturing, nurturing health, understanding, community. This was one of Anthony Bourdain's most admired threads. He understood that if you ate someone's food, sat at their table, listened to them, you had this direct line to understanding more about a culture, a family, a person then you could any other way. These collaborations with chefs all over the world is a testament to this common thread of humanity.

As it is summer, how could we keep ignoring the work horse of most kitchens, the tomato! Acidic, sweet, bright, tomatoes are a versatile and abundant summer ingredient. We had trouble narrowing down what we wanted to share as there are so many options, but this focaccia really stood out. Some of you may know, we have been trying to conquer our fear of yeasted breads, and constantly challenge ourselves to bake homemade breads. By adding the tomatoes, and shallots and herbs to our basic focaccia recipe, a delicious snack bread was born. We ate this along some roasted salmon for dinner, and made it into luscious sandwiches the next day. You could also serve with with some fresh ricotta or pesto as an afternoon snack. And, we think nothing says I love and appreciate you, more than homemade bread!

Be sure to check out our hashtag, #wesaytomatoes for everyone's summer tomato dish and below is a list with links to some amazing blogs and recipes! Get thee to a farmers market, grab some tomatoes and get cooking!!!


Heirloom Tomato, Shallot and Thyme Focaccia
Makes 2 8 inch rounds or 1 sheet pan with lip
 
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups warm water, should feel hot to touch
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tsp. fresh thyme, pulled from stems
1 cup of assorted heirloom tomatoes, sliced in half if using cherry tomatoes, or sliced in quarters or eights depending on size of tomato.
1 large shallot, sliced and separated into rings
About 1 tsp. flaky sea salt
 
In your stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let sit for five minutes until yeast starts to foam. Add the flour, salt, and two tablespoons of olive oil to the yeast. Using the dough hook, on medium fast speed, knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes until smooth dough forms.
 
Coat a large bowl with a little more olive oil and put dough inside. Cover with a warm, damp towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours. Dough should double in size.
 
Drizzle 1 tsp. olive oil in each round pan, or 2 tsp. into the sheet pan with lip and rub all over. If using two pans, split dough in half and push dough with fingertips to edges of pan, stretching gently. It may not reach all the way to the sides. If using one sheet pan, push into rectangle as best you can. Cover again with a cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.
 
While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450°F with a racks spaced evenly in oven. Once the dough has rested and it has puffed up again, sprinkle dough with thyme, tomatoes and shallots. Gently using your fingertips, poke the dough, creating shallow dimples and trying to avoid smashing tomatoes.  With remaining olive oil, drizzle over dough and let it pool in some of the indentations you just made. You may need a bit more oil. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Place dough in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 375°F. Bake about 20 - 25 minutes, checking after 15 minutes and switching dough placement. The focaccia is ready when it's golden-brown and edges feel firm.

​Remove bread from oven and carefully remove from pans. Use a wire rack to cool the bread. Eat warm or if eating later, you can reheat at 350 for a few minutes.
 
 


​

​What Annie's Eating Pizza with Sungold Tomatoes, Burrata and Calabrian Chiles
Well-Fed Soul's Heirloom Tomato Galette with Basil Honey Ricotta
The Wood and Spoon's Roasted Summer Vegetable Quiche
Fufu's Kitchen Tomato Beef Skillet
Flour's in Your Hair Tomato and Roasted Garlic Mini Galettes
A Forkful of Yum's Fried Green Tomato Caprese Salad
The Cooking of Joy's Tomato and Eggs Over Rice 
​The Moody Loon's Tomato Juice Spheres
Always Eat Dessert's Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata and Grilled Bread
The Herb and Spoon's Za-atar Heirloom Tomato Tart
Retrolillies' Heirloom Tomatoes with Chili Oil, Pesto and Mozzarella
More Icing than Cake's Roasted Tomato and Malt Vinegar Slaw
Worthy Pause's Paleo Tomato-Basil Cauliflower Rice
Short Girl Tall Order's Roasted Heirloom Tomato and Vegan Pumpkin Seed Pesto Toasts
What Should I Make For's Tomato Shortcake with Whipped Ricotta
​​Smart in the Kitchen's Indian Spiced Marinated Tomatoes
Hola Jalapeno's Warm Salt Bagels with Rajas Cream Cheese And Tomatoes
Le Petite Eats Vegan Tomato Tart
​Six Snippet's Heirloom Tomato and Salted Egg Salad
​Rezel Kealoha's  Late Summer Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad
Marianne'es Kitchen Eggplant Bruschetta
Well Seasoned Studio's Sunday Supper Sugo Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
Salt n' Pepper Here's Poached Shrimp and Tomato Salad
​​A Modest Feast's Turkish Eggs with Garlic Yogurt and Tomatoes
Baking the Goods' Heirloom Tomato Pimento Cheese Tart
Crumb Top Baking's Tomato Arugala and Mozarella Quiche
​Katie Bird Bakes Heirloom Tomato Tart
Lemon Thyme and Ginger's Tomato Mozarella Salad
​Baby Girl Yum's Beef and Tomatoes with Egg on Rice 
Sugar Salted Summer Tomato Salad with Balsamic Red Onion
Easy and Delish's Tomato Basil Caipirinha
Simple and Sweet Food's Pan Con Tomate
Knead Bake Cook's Roasted Tomato Sauce with Mini Meatballs
It's a Veg World Afterall's Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce with Fresh Herbs 

​​We haven't made banana bread for awhile, so when we spotted some brown bananas in the fruit bowl, it was time to revisit the trusty favorite. However, then we realized while we had the right bananas we had no flour, too much pie and bread making going on! We did have a bag of gluten-free flour on hand from out gluten-free pie dough experimenting, so we thought we would give it a try. As we were experimenting anyway, we tried adding in some tahini and flax to play with texture and flavor. There have been a lot of recipes we have read lately using tahini is sweets, and we are digging the nutty sesame flavor it imparts. So far, as the loaf is half-way gone, no one has even suspected it is gluten-free, and the tahini gives it this unexpected buttery flavor. Looks like a win all the way around!!!  


Gluten-Free Tahini Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
makes one loaf
​
1 1/3 cups gluten-free flour (we use Cup4Cup)
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup chocolate chips or you can omit chocolate and add ½ cup chopped nuts
 
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 6-cup loaf pan, or line with parchment.
 
Whisk all dry ingredients together in medium bowl. In a stand mixer or using a large bowl and a hand-held mixer, beat on high speed the butter and the sugars until lightened in color and fluffy. Add Tahini and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and beat until the mixture resembles sand, making sure to scrape down the sides.
 
Slowly add in the beaten egg, a little at a time, and then add vanilla. When combined, carefully fold in banana and chocolate chips (or nuts). Scrape into prepared pan and bake about 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool entirely before unmolding.
 
If you omit the chocolate chips bump sugar up to ½ cup sugar, and ½ cup brown sugar.
 
Also, if the bread is browning too quickly, cover with tinfoil and continue baking
 
 

You asked, and we delivered. Here is the recipe for these yummy soft pretzels! We tweaked the original a bit as we gleaned it from a video, but the results were delicious. Yes, they have yeast, and yes, you have to let them rise, and yes, you will be nervous that they are not going to work, but push through the fear! Cooking and baking is all about trying, failing, trying again, tweaking, tasting, experimenting. Nothing is perfect, but that is ok. We never have really played around with yeast, and are trying to conquer the fear. The first attempts were flat, rock hard rolls that no one ate. Then, we made a successful challah, then another, then these, then cinnamon rolls! Have patience and you will be rewarded, especially with these soft pretzels. Salty, with a little tang, and super good to dunk in mustard!We especially loved them topped with Trader Joe's Everything Bagel Spice mix, but use what you have.

Soft Pretzels
Makes 10
 
1-½ cups warm water
1-tablespoon salt
1-tablespoon sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
4-¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons oil plus a little to coat bowl
2/3-cup baking soda
About 8 cups water
1 egg, whisked
 Salt and seeds for sprinkling
 
 
Mix in a bowl the warm water, salt and sugar. Whisk, and then add the yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add flour and oil and knead about 5 minutes until dough is smooth and comes together.
 
Place in oil-coated bowl in warm place for 1 hour until doubles.
 
Preheat oven to 450
 
In a large pot boil water then add the baking soda (this will foam so make sure you have room in pot) Turn heat to medium high.
 
Turn dough out and cut in half, then each half into 5 pieces. Roll into long rope about 18 inches long.  Bring ends to each other, twist, and attach at bottom forming the pretzel shape. You can also cut into pretzel bites. Place on parchment lined baking sheet.  One at a time, drop into the water bath with the baking soda. Simmer about 30 seconds per side.
 
Remove and place on tray. Brush each with egg wash and sprinkle with desired topping.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until brown and puffed.
 
Serve with your favorite mustard.

P.S. You can freeze these after you bake them and warm them up in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
​

We have to admit that we were shocked that these worked and by worked we mean that the kids ate them and thought they were doughnuts! We are always looking for ways to get more fiber and protein in the kids and while you may think buckwheat is just that, wheat, but it isn't! Buckwheat is actually a seed, so for those that are gluten sensitive, it is gluten free, grain free. We didn't replace all the flour with the buckwheat, so this recipe is not gluten-free, but we did cut down quite a bit of it, and the buckwheat imparts a nutty, earthy flavor to these baked doughnuts. The kids preferred the chocolate drizzled ones, and we liked the powdered sugar so make some of each! 


Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Doughnuts
Makes about 6-8
 
1 c. flour
½ c. buckwheat flour
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 c. sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup dark chocolate chips
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 350
 
Grease doughnut pan
 
In a bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together. In a stand mixture beat butter with sugar and honey until light an fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients and mix until resembling sand. Add a little bit of egg at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix. Fold in the mashed bananas and then the chocolate chips.
 
Carefully fill the doughnut pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, checking at 25 to see if a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes then remove from pan.
 
Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkles. 


Be sure to check out our Etsy store for our BAKED GOODS blank notecards! 

​

​We love a good corn muffin and this recipe was help conceived by the 11 year old of the family. She has gotten our baking bug, or really she has had it all her life as if there was a girl who loved sugar and chocolate that was her! She has become quite a proficient baker and these were just sweet enough without being cloying. Serve them with chili or any summer grilled meat, and you have a home run! 

Corn Bread Muffins
Makes about 18 muffins
 
½ cup butter, cut into cubes
3 eggs, beaten until light and foamy
2 cups of milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
14 ¾ oz creamed corn
1 ¾ cups corn meal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
 
Preheat oven to 425
 
Grease or spray the muffin tins.
 
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl where you have beaten the eggs until light and foamy, add the wet ingredients and whisk. Then, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until incorporated.
 
Place a small cube of butter into each muffin cup and add one ladle, about a cup, of muffin mixture to each.
 
Bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
 
Serve with honey and butter!


And, don't forget, we have our wonderful cards for sale on our Etsy site! Get these muffins in out baked goods set, and check out the latest edition, a larger greeting card of your favorite farmers market finds with recipes on the back! And, for the next few days, we are having an end of summer sale where everything is 15% off!

We are always game to trying something new and when Zest Tea, @getzesttea, sent us some apple cinnamon tea to try, we thought "why not bake with it?" The results were by far the best muffins we have made in awhile. Adding the additional layer of flavor the tea imparted to the butter, really made these muffins sing! The apple cinnamon flavor was pronounced, not lost in the baking. We are definitely going to play around with some other flavors of tea and will let you know how they turn out! A friend suggested ear grey and cherries.....yummy!

Apple Cinnamon Tea infused Muffins
Makes 10-12
 
½ cup or 1 stick of unsalted butter
¼ cup loose apple cinnamon tea
​1 ½ cups flour
¾ cups sugar plus 1 tablespoon
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon plus ½ tsp.
½ cup milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 egg
1 cup grated apples, about 1 large apple.
 
 
Preheat oven to 375
 
Grease muffin pan with cooking spray or butter and set aside.
 
To make your tea infused butter, melt butter then add the tealeaves.  Let heat over low for about five minutes, it will continue bubbling. Remove from heat and set aside for another few minutes.  Butter will look a little green, but don’t worry! Using a fine meshed strainer or sieve, pour butter through and push on leaves, squeezing out all you can.  Set aside.
 
In a medium bowl, add flour, ¾ cups of sugar, baking powder, salt and 1 tsp. of cinnamon.  In another bowl, add egg and gently whisk. Add to egg, the vanilla, tea infused butter, and milk and mix.  Add to flour, with the apples and stir until all is incorporated.
 
Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon in small bowl and set aside.
 
Scoop batter into muffin cups, filling about ¾ of the way.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
 
Bake for 20-23 minutes until slightly brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean. 
 
Cool in pan, then remove and serve.

Canned pumpkin is something we always have in our pantry no matter the time of year. It lends a earthy, tenderness to cakes and we have even used it as a way to vary a basic tomato sauce. It also can be added to hummus to give it a different spin or heated low and slow on the stove with some brown sugar to become a pumpkin butter for breakfast toasts. This cake is a yummy take on a classic coffee cake, and trust us it wont last long.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Streusel Cake
 
For the cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
½  teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
​
For the streusel:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
½ cup chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or rub with butter.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Add the pumpkin puree. Reduce speed to low, and mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.  Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. 

To make the streusel, in a medium bowl, combine the flours, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add in the butter, using  your fingers or a knife, and cut butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the top of the cake. Next, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the cake.

​Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the sides pull away from the pan and a toothpick comes out clean. Place cake on a wire rack and cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.
 

We have made banana bread too many times to count as somehow when you have little kids around, you always have overripe bananas! My mom and I argue about this recipe all the time and go back and forth over who's we like better. This recipe is our compromise!

​Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
 
 
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
​1 tablespoon honey
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup chocolate chips or you can omit chocolate and add ½ cup chopped nuts
 
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 6-cup loaf pan. Whisk all dry ingredients together in medium bowl. In a stand mixer or using a large bowl and a hand-held mixer, beat on high speed the butter and the sugars until lightened in color and fluffy. Add to sugar and butter the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until resembling sand. Slowly add in the beaten egg, a little at a time, then add vanilla. When combined, carefully fold in banana and chocolate chips (or nuts). Scrape into prepared pan and bake about 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool before unmolding.
 
If you omit the chocolate chips bump sugar up to ½ cup sugar, and ½ cup brown sugar.
 
 

 

We are always playing around with ways to get more fiber and food into the smallest child in the morning. These oat based muffins are filling and tasty, a great start to the day. And, the chocolate tricks him into eating more then a single raspberry for breakfast! 

Chocolate Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
Makes 12
 
1-cup flour
½ cup oat flour
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup oat bran
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
½ tsp. salt
1-tablespoon baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ cup cacao powder
2 eggs
1-cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½-1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
 
Preheat oven to 400
 
Line muffin pan with paper liners or grease with butter or spray with non-stick baking spray
 
In a bowl whisk flour, oat flour, rolled oats, oat bran, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices and cacao powder.
 
In a smaller bowl whisk eggs, sour cream, milk, melted butter and vanilla.
 
Add liquid to dry ingredients and mix with a few strokes to combine. Mixture will be thick. Fold in chocolate chips.
 
With an ice cream scooper fill muffin tins and bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
 
 

The kids love muffins, so we are always playing around with different combos. This is a hearty breakfast muffin or afternoon snack that gets a hit of protein from the almond butter. The littlest is getting adept at cracking eggs and mashing bananas, and the bigger kids like filling up the muffin cups. A trick to making them all even is using an ice cream scoop.


Almond Banana Oat Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Makes 12 muffins
 
2 eggs
1 banana
½ cup Canola Oil
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
¾ cup Almond Butter
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
2 cups quick cooking rolled Oats
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons flax seeds
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 350
 
Line muffin tray with paper muffin cups or oil/spray pan with non stick baking spray.
 
In a Medium bowl add the eggs, banana, oil, vanilla, and almond butter. Whisk/mash all ingredients until incorporated and only small pieces of banana are visible.
 
In another bowl whisk together the baking soda, salt, sugar, oats, flax seeds and flour. Then add this mixture to the wet ingredients. Fold with a spatula until combined, then fold in the chocolate chips.
 
Fill muffin cups to top with batter and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
 
 

This was a last minute dessert thrown together for bookclub. The lemon pound cake is delicious on its own, but with the fruit and cream it becomes a show stopper. This trifle is even better a day later when all the ingredients meld. 

​Lemon Berry Trifle
 
1 Lemon pound cake loaf, unglazed
2 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced in half,
1 pint blueberries    
1 pint raspberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus zest of lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pint of whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
few leaves of fresh mint
 
In a saucepan combine 2/3 of the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Cook on medium heat until the fruit begins to break down and sauce begins to thicken. Pour into container and cool in fridge.
 
Whip cream with powdered sugar and remaining vanilla extract until firm peaks.
 
Slice lemon cake into ¼ inch slices.
 
In a deep glass bowl, spoon some berry sauce on bottom and spread. Top with pound cake, cutting to fill in spaces. Top with more sauce, then whip cream. Along edge place strawberry with cut side facing out. Continue layering cake, sauce, cream and strawberries until you end with cream. Decorate top with remaining strawberries and fresh mint.
 
Chill in fridge for a few hours or overnight. 



Lemon Pound Cake
 
1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus more for the pan
2 ½ cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pan
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon of baking powder
3 cups of granulated sugar
2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 4 tbsp. of lemon juice
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup plain full fat Greek yogurt

 
Heat oven to 325° F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice, then the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add half the flour mixture, then the yogurt, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not over mix). Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65 to 75 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

Bloom House Rolls               
Serves: 36 rolls
 
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 large egg
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsalted butter
 
Preheat oven to 350 F and use a 13x9-inch baking dish.  Whisk active dry yeast and ¼ up warm water (110°-115°) in a small bowl; let stand for 5 minutes.
Heat 1 cup whole milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until just warm.
Combine ¼  cup vegetable shortening, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 ½  teaspoons
kosher salt in a large bowl. Add warm milk; whisk to blend, breaking up shortening
into small clumps (it may not melt completely). Whisk in yeast mixture and 1 room
temperature large egg. Add 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour; stir vigorously with a
wooden spoon until dough forms. Knead dough with lightly floured hands on a
lightly floured surface until smooth, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl;
turn to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until
doubled, about 1 ½  hours. 

Melt ¼ cup unsalted butter in a small sauce pan. Lightly brush a 13x9-inch baking dish with some melted butter. Punch down dough; divide into 4 equal pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface into a 12x6-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into three 2-inch-wide strips; cut each crosswise into three 4x2-inch rectangles. Brush half of each (about 2x2-inch) with melted butter; fold unbuttered side over, allowing ¼ -inch overhang. Place flat in 1 corner of dish, folded edge against short side of dish. Add remaining rolls, shingling to form 1 long row. Repeat with remaining dough for 4 rows. Brush with melted butter, loosely cover with plastic, and chill for 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.
​
Bake rolls until golden and puffed, 25-35 minutes. Brush with butter; sprinkle flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) over. Serve warm.
 
 

We are lucky ladies and have a pizza oven at home, but these pizzas are easily made with a pizza stone right in your oven. Follow the directions for your pizza stone, and bake accordingly. A trick is using the corn meal underneath the dough as that helps to prevent sticking! 

Basil Pesto Pizza


Pizza Dough
Serves: 4 pizzas
 
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup water, warmed (110-115 F)
1 envelope (¼ ounce) active dry yeast
3 ¼ cups bread or unbleached all purpose flour or combo
1 teaspoon of salt
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
 
In small bowl dissolve sugar in warm tap water.  Sprinkle yeast over water until dissolved (1 minute) should be smooth beige color mixture.  Let stand about 5 minutes. In a heavy duty standing electric mixer with flat beater attached: combine 3 cups of the flour, salt, yeast mixture and oil.  Mix at the medium speed for 1 minute. 

Replace beater with dough hook and knead at medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). If sticky, add some of reserved flour.  If dough is dry  and crumbly, add 1 tablespoon warm water at a time until it is smooth and elastic.  Shape dough into a ball and place in well-oiled bowl, turn to coat on all side. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set to rise in draft free warm space (75-85 F) until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

With fist, punch down dough.  Shape into ball, pressing out all bubbles cut into 4 smaller balls.  If using right away place balls in nest of flour.  Let sit for10 minutes.  (You can punch this dough down up to 4 times before separating into the smaller balls and continue to place in oiled bowl then cover with plastic wrap if not using right away.) 

​Roll out with rolling pin.  Pick up and turn over several times as you go.  Lay dough on corn meal dusted pizza peel, top with the pesto and your preferred cheese and bake as soon as possible.


​Basil Pesto
 
3 cloves garlic
1-cup pine nuts
4 ounces Parmesan reggiano cheese
4 ounces basil leaves removed from stems
½ cup olive oil
Salt to taste
 
Process all but olive in blender until a paste forms, stream in olive oil until blended. Pesto should be smooth and creamy. Add salt to taste
 
Variations- Basil can be replaced by any leafy green vegetable like kale, Swiss chard or spinach. If using kale or chard, blanch leaves in boiling water for a minute first, then plunge into cold water. Squeeze excess water from leaves before adding. Nuts can also be replaced. Kale works well with almonds. If you need to make a nut-free variation, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) a good replacement.