November 16, 2024

WEEKLY MENU 11.17.24

We’re making homemade bread during the Weekly Menu 11.17.24 to acknowledge, you guessed it, National Homemade Bread Day on Sunday.

Maybe National Homemade Bread Day during the Weekly Menu 11.17.24 is designed to prepare us for Thanksgiving. This year, Thanksgiving is almost as late as it can be, and the homemade bread won’t last until then. That’s really the only downside to homemade bread—it doesn’t last very long. Of course, it’s usually eaten before it goes bad, but still.

There are, by some counts, approximately six thousand (6000) different kinds of bread in the world. I’m more likely to buy a beautiful loaf of bread than to make it, but there are exceptions.

I love to make Pizza Dough, which is very similar to focaccia. I wholeheartedly acknowledge, though, that a big part of the reason I like making it is the KitchenAid Mixer.

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11/16/2024 01:43 am GMT

We use the mixer for pizza dough a lot. It doesn’t hurt that I found and tweaked an easy online recipe eons ago. It’s pretty much no-fail, which works for me. We also use it for Detroit Deep Dish Pizza, which had a completely different dough, but it’s just as good.

I love quick breads like Banana Bread, Zucchini Bread, and Corn Bread. They come together in a flash, and there’s no waiting around to put them in the oven. They’re delicious smeared with a healthy amount of butter, which is a good barometer of whether a baked good is bread. Irish Soda Bread falls into this category as well. There’s not a lot better than a thick slice with a healthy amount of Irish butter on it. The problem with all these breads?

They don’t toast particularly well.

And THAT is the true test of bread, in my humble opinion. MOST yeast breads taste even better toasted. Italian Bread is one. Pumpernickel is another favorite. Plain-jane hamburger rolls are just sweet enough to hit the list. Is there anything better dipped in a glass of OJ than a buttered piece of toasted white bread? Nope.

The bread we are making on Sunday is a yeast bread, and if there is any left come Monday, I have no doubt that it will be spectacular toasted.

I’ve included this particular bread on the menu because it is so, so, simple. There is a video along with the recipe that shows everything step by step. There are directions for making the bread in a stand mixer, but it’s really not necessary. This is one yeast dough that spends very little time being kneaded, so the mixer is nice to have, but…

You DO need a sturdy Dutch oven and some good oven mitts. Follow the recipe closely – especially the part about being careful of the screaming hot pot.

Good Luck saving this one for toast tomorrow

When you’re getting your shopping list together~

Add your Thanksgiving pantry Items to make the big shop easier. I like to get all the baking items together first ~ I’ve already cleaned out my spice cabinet and pantry, hoping for some space for the influx. I still don’t have enough room, so I’ll start stockpiling all the dry goods together to find them when I need them. We usually have a big ‘ole frozen turkey, so I’ll move that into the fridge on Friday this week to give it time to thaw safely. Check out these posts for WAY more info~

THANKSGIVING 101

NOVICE THANKSGIVING

Weekly Menu 11.17.24

You know about the homemade bread. What else is for eats on the Weekly Menu 11.17.24? Sunday is a simple, stuffed chicken recipe with Ina Garten’s baked risotto. We’re starting with Sweet & Spicy Popcorn and finishing up with Baklava Bites, a totally poppable sweet.

Monday is a simple Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner. Our grocery store has some awesome turkey sausage, so we’ll use those to lighten up Monday’s dinner a little bit. Then, we’re getting the little crockpot out and into rotation with Pork Salsa Verde Tacos.

We’re trying a new to us baked Crunchy Hot Honey Sandwiches. YUM!