quick french bread Archives - 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Delicious Minestrone Soup

I know it’s getting towards spring, but it is still cold in parts of the country so I am sharing my new favorite recipe for minestrone soup. It’s not actually cold where I live…it was actually 75 degrees last weekend and in the 80’s this weekend. You still got to have soup though! I made this soup twice in the last few months.

Minestrone Soup

My boyfriend loves minestrone soup so I am always experimenting with new recipes and versions. I, on the other hand, can take it or leave it. I usually enjoy minestrone soup the first time around, but then I am over it by leftover time. I loved this minestrone soup recipe the whole time probably because of the addition of pancetta and pesto. I whipped up my super quick recipe for French bread for the side and it was some happy eating. I happened to have enough leftover pesto in the freezer for both batches I made. It also gave me an excuse to use my new Le Cruiset Dutch Oven I won in a raffle at my work’s sample sale. Woot woot! She’s a beauty, isn’t she? Chopped Veggies for Soup

Minestrone Soup

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Olive Oil
4 oz. pancetta, diced
1½ cup chopped onion
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced celery
2½ cups diced peeled butternut squash
1½ tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
6-8 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1½ tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1 15-oz. can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup uncooked small pasta, like tubetti
8-10 oz. fresh baby spinach
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoon store-bought pesto

Instructions

Heat olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Next add in onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic and thyme, cooking for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened.
Add diced tomatoes, 6 cups of chicken stock, a bay leaf, salt, and pepper into the pot. Bring soup to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Cook pasta in a separate pot according to package directions.
Throw out the bay leaf. Add in cooked pasta and beats and allow them to heat up in the soup. If the soup gets too thick, add in additional chicken stock. Add spinach to soup and stir until spinach starts to wilt. Stir in white wine and pesto. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with warm fresh bread. Enjoy!

Source– Adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

More Soup Please!
sisterk (2)

I wanted to learn how to make French bread the other day so that I could serve it with dinner that night. Come to find out, most authentic French breads take a long time to make, sometimes even having to sit overnight. I then realized I should have thought of this the night before so I could have started it by now. Not accepting defeat, I looked further into making French bread and found a few relatively quick “French” breads to make. Now, I wouldn’t go serving this French bread to a French citizen proclaiming that you have made their native bread. Since the bread only takes a little over two hours to make, it might not be what I consider authentic “French” bread. But, it is totally okay with me because it was still delicious fresh bread that I could make and serve within a day!

As soon as it came out of the oven, my boyfriend and I devoured a good part of the bread. I whipped up some fresh tomato bruschetta (which I will give you my recipe for tomorrow) and we ate it with the warm French bread. I have made this bread a couple of more times, each time being even better than the last. I swear one day I will make the 24 hour versions of French bread, but for now in my busy life I am loving the quick one!

Quick French Bread

Author: K

Recipe type: Bread

Prep time: 1 hour 40 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 2 hours

Serves: 12

A quicker version of making French Bread

Ingredients

1 package of dry yeast (2¼ tsp.)
1 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
3 cups of bread flour (or about 12.75 oz.)
1 tsp. salt
Cooking spray
1 tbsp. water
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Instructions

Place warm water into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let yeast dissolve for 5 minutes.
Measure out the bread flour by weighing with a scale or spooning into a measurement cup and scraping the top off with a knife. Put flour and salt into a food processor with a dough attachment and pulse 2-3 times until combined (I also tried using a stand mixer to make this recipe and it worked out fine).
With food processor or mixer on, slowly add the yeast into the flour mixture. Mix until dough forms a ball. Continue to mix for 1 more minute. Take dough out of food processor/mixer and place on a lightly floured surface. Lightly knead 4-5 times.
Coat a large bowl with cooking spray and place ball of dough in bowl, turning to coat with cooking spray. Cover dough and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Placing dough in a warm draft free place is key. *To test if bread is finished rising, push dough in the center with fingers, if the indentation stays the dough is done rising.
Take dough out of bowl and punch dough down and shape into a 12x8 inch rectangle. Working with the 12 inch side, roll the dough up pressing firmly to prevent air pockets. Pinch the dough to seal the seams of the dough. Roll the dough slightly to lengthen the shape and place seam down on a baking sheet.
Cover the dough and let rest for 30 minutes or until double in size.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Uncover the dough and with a sharp knife make three 3 inch slashes on top of the bread, equal distances apart. Combine the tablespoon of water and egg white. Brush the mixture on the bread with a pastry brush, making sure the exposed dough gets brushed with the egg white mixture.
Place the bread on a baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped. Best eaten within the first few days

Notes

Source- Adapted from Cooking Light’s Cooking Light Complete Cookbook

Nutrition Information

Calories: 127 Fat: 0.7 Carbohydrates: 25.1 Fiber: .2 Protein: 4.6 Cholesterol: 0