Thebreadreedrummondpioneerwoman Recipes

THE BREAD (REE DRUMMOND/ PIONEER WOMAN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread one stick of softened butter on each half of the loaf (That's one stick per half loaf. Yes, you read that right. The idea here is that every speck of the surface of the bread needs to be coated.).
• Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until butter is melted and starting to soak into the bread.
• Crank on broiler and broil bread for 3 to 5 minutes, watching the whole time. Remove when butter has started to brown and blacken. Don't under-broil it! The flavor really kicks in when the butter's color changes (The goal here is to broil the bread to the point that the butter becomes very dark brown and, in just a few areas, begins to burn. When that happens, the flavor shows up. If you don't take it to the next level, it will just be buttered, warm bread. Which is fine, and all...but it's not The Bread).
• Slice into strips and serve immediately (When I serve this, I slice it on a cutting board into relatively thin (because it's so rich) strips).

GRILLED EGGPLANT BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Place the eggplant in a colander. Sprinkle generously with salt and let stand 30 minutes. (This removes the excess water from the eggplant.) Rinse the eggplant and arrange in a single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Pat dry. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat (see Cook's Note).
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Brush the eggplant and bread slices with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and pepper.
• Line a small rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Toss the grape tomatoes, vinegar, honey and the remaining tablespoon olive oil on the foil. Bake the tomatoes until they burst, about 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grill the eggplant until browned and tender, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Grill the bread until toasted and grill marks appear, 1 minute on each side. Rub the cut sides of the garlic on the bread. Set aside.
• Transfer the tomatoes to a medium bowl. Coarsely chop the eggplant and add to the tomatoes. Add the chopped basil, then season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the ricotta onto the grilled bread. Top with the eggplant mixture and garnish with additional basil. Cut the bread in half, if desired.

WHITE SANDWICH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the yeast and 2 cups warm water in a mixing bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir in one-third of the flour until smooth. Add another third of the flour and stir, then turn it out onto a floured board to knead. Knead it over 15 minutes, adding the rest of the flour as you knead. Don't let it get dry too fast; it should stay sticky. Put the dough in a buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1 hour.
• Knead the dough another 5 minutes, place it back in the bowl and let it rise another hour.
• Butter 2 loaf pans. Shape the dough into 2 loaves and transfer them to the prepared pans. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake the loaves until golden brown on top and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.

OVERNIGHT FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Place bread slices in a generously greased 9x13-inch baking dish, overlapping the slices.
• Place eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly with a rotary beater or whisk. Pour mixture over bread, making sure all slices are moistened. Cover and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

SHEET PAN GREEK SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes; you'll have about 2 cups. Put the cubed bread, tomatoes, onions, olives, bell peppers, capers, 1 teaspoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, half of the minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper on a half-sheet pan (18-by-13-inches). Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, toss together and spread out the ingredients so they do not overlap too much. Crumble 2 ounces (about 2 tablespoons) of the feta and sprinkle it over top. Bake until the bread is golden brown, the tomatoes start to burst open and the bell peppers soften, 16 to 18 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss together the shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper on another half-sheet pan, making sure the shrimp do not overlap. Bake until the shrimp are opaque, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Whisk together the vinegar, dill, caper brine, a few grinds of pepper and the remaining minced garlic, 1 teaspoon honey and 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/3 cup oil until emulsified.
• To serve immediately, toss together the lettuce, cucumbers, bread mixture, shrimp and half of the dressing in a large bowl. Crumble the remaining 2 ounces feta on top. Divide between bowls and serve.