A very simple recipe for great pizza.

Serves: Makes two 9″ pizzas or one 9″ deep pan
Prep time: 5 mins
Bread machine time: 90 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

250 ml / 1 cup water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
360 g / 3 cups bread flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp bread machine quick-acting active dry yeast
Optional extras:
1 tsp dried herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano)
1 tsp garlic powder
sprinkling grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Add the ingredients above to the bread maker in the order listed
2. Set the bread maker to dough setting and make a cup of coffee.
3. Once done, you can use the entire amount for a thick crust, or split it in two for a thinner crust. If you aren’t going to be using the second dough ball just yet you can store it in the fridge in a ziplock bag. Add a little olive oil to the bag to prevent the dough from sticking.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 230 °C (450 °F)
5. Roll out to fit you pizza pan (I like the metal trays – they are cheaper than a pizza stone and work great). Add tomato sauce, grated mozerella, plus your favourite toppings.
6. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

photo credit: joan of manchester

A quick and easy loaf, it takes less than 5 minutes to put the ingredients together in the bread tin and then let the bread machine do the rest. Make sure to use bread flour to ensure the loaf rises well as it is a stronger flour than plain/all-purpose.

Serves: 2lb / 900g loaf
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

1 cup / 250ml water
1 to 3 tbsp olive oil (add more for softer loaf but less crispy crust)
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 ½ cups / 400g bread flour
1 ½ tsp active dry yeast

Preparation:

Add ingredients to the bread tin in the order listed above.

If you are going to set the bread machine on a delay, make a well in the flour so that the yeast does not touch the liquid until mixing begins.

photo credit: LDHNY

Scones are a great accompaniment to a cup of tea in the afternoon!

Serves: 12
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

1 large egg
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ tsp salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
¾ cup raisins

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment
2. Stir together the egg and cream in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
4. Add the butter and rub the mixture between your fingertips. You want to rub all the ingredients in together until you get a bowl that resembles breadcrumbs.
5. Stir in the raisins.
6. Add the egg and cream and stir in with a fork. You just want to get the dough sticking together at this point so be careful not to overmix.
7. Once you have something that resembles dough, knead it by hand (this can be still in the bowl or on a lightly dusted work surface) 8-10 times to get some air into it.
8. Divide the dough in half and shape each into a rough circle about 3/4 of an inch thick and cut the circle into 6 slices like a pizza.
9. Bake the scones for 20 to 22 minutes, or until their tops are golden and firm.
10. Transfer them to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking from My Home to Yours”

This eats even better than it sounds!
We ate this so quickly, there wasn’t enough left to take a reasonable picture of!

[update - made another loaf and got a pic before eating!]

Serves: 12 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup creme fraiche (sour cream)
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 mashed bananas
1 cup chopped strawberries

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f, lightly grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf tin.

In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and baking powder together.

In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Then add the eggs, vanilla, creme fraiche and mashed bananas and mix thoroughly. Stir in the chopped strawberries.

Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring as you go to mix in evenly.

Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf tin and bake on 180c/350f for around an hour or until a toothpick inserten in the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the loaf tin before removing and placing on a wire cooling rack to cool fully.

Traditional Indian bread, great with curry.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 5 minutes kneading, at least 3 hours standing
Cooking time: minutes

Ingredients:

9oz (250g) self raising flour
9 level tablespoons Greek yoghurt
dash of  milk (about 1 tablespoon)
a little vegetable oil
a little butter

Preparation:

Put the flour in a mixing bowl and spoon in the yoghurt
Mix well. Add a dash of milk and knead well. It should have the
consistency of bread dough. If it is too dry or sticky then add a
little more milk or flour.

Cover and leave to stand for at least 3 hours.

Preheat the grill to medium.

Cover the grill pan with aluminium toil and brush lightly with oil.
This will prevent the bread from sticking.

Divide the dough into 6 or 7 balls. Take one, dust it with dry flour
and roll it out into a tear shaped flat bread about 7in (18cm) long
and 5in (13cm) wide across the base.
Place on the foil under the grill. When it has risen and turned pale
brown (this will take about 3 minutes) turn it over.

Once cooked, rub a little butter on one side to keep the naan soft.

Repeat with remaining balls of dough