If you are like most people you really like EATING home made bread and you wish you had the time and knew HOW to make it -- but you don't. So, you don't!

Well, as discovered by AM1250's Michelle Sawatzky, ANYONE can bake bread. You just have to find a simple enough recipe. So, thanks to the baking skills and good memory of one of her best friend's, mother-in-law, it was a successful adventure!

And as she shared this morning -- if SHE can make home made bread from scratch? ANYONE can!

RECIPE:

Put 3 cups of flour in a large bowl, add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp yeast (I used "Instant Yeast"). Stir that. Then, you add 1 1/2 cups of warm water... just warm to the touch... stir with a wooden spoon and then, with your hands if you feel that's easier. Once all the dry bits are mixed in -- you cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel and then, you let it sit on the counter for 18-24 hours.

After the 24 hours, preheat your oven to 450 and put the dish you'll be baking in, in the oven so it gets really hot too and then, you get out a nice big piece of parchment paper, put flour on it, empty the dough on to it and you start folding the edges in -- kind of around and around -- you grab the edge and fold it in and over... you want to make an oval looking loaf... and let it sit for 30 minutes.

I used a deep casserole dish... and once it was hot from the pre-heating... I put the loaf -- parchment paper and all into the HOT dish... then, you put about 2 tablespoons of water INTO that dish -- outside the parchment paper of course... so, yes -- it should steam right away... put the lid on -- and into the hot oven. You also want to put a shallow pan of about 2 cups of water on the rack just below where your bread is... then, bake for 30 minutes.

One more step: After the 30 minutes of baking, take the lid off and bake for 10 more minutes -- get that nice crust on the bread -- and DONE!!

 

No question, with more time at home and no events going on at the moment, we are all finding ourselves with more time in the kitchen. This morning, AM1250's Michelle Sawatzky, shared that before yesterday, she had NEVER made Sloppy Joe's from scratch. She did last night and found the "World's Best Sloppy Joe's" recipe at www.thechunkychef.ca. The official review from her two teenage boys? "These are good mom... different... but REALLY good." Now, you can make it too. ENJOY! 

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp olive oil

1 lb. ground beef

1/3 green bell pepper, minced

1/2 large yellow onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup water

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp yellow mustard

3/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1/4 tsp black pepperdash of hot sauce (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat butter and oil in large skillet over MED/MED-HIGH heat.  Add beef and brown, breaking apart into crumbles as it cooks, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to colander to drain.Add onion and bell pepper to same skillet and cook 2-3 minutes, until soft.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or so, until fragrant.  Add beef back to the skillet and add tomato paste.  Stir well.Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and black pepper.  Stir well to combine.Cook over MED heat for 10-15 minutes, until mixture has thickened to your liking.  Remove from heat and serve over toasted buns.