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The Best Cast Iron Baking Book

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We are thrilled to announce that The Best Cast Iron Baking book is now available!

If you follow us, you may already know that we love to bake. Just like many of you, we baked more when the pandemic started.  We baked it all, cookies, cakes, pies, and Roxanne baked more artisan bread than she could count.

You might also know that we love to use cast iron skillets. Our cast iron cooking classes always sell out. We explain how to use cast iron and also the stories of cooks in our family who used our skillets and passed them down to us. Our skillets are truly filled with delicious foods, and overflow with precious memories.

Combining our love of baking with our dedication to cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens, is a dream come true. Writing this book and testing the recipes was a tasty journey of joy.

The Best Cast Iron Baking Book is filled with our favorite recipes. You will enjoy the Artisan, no knead breads that you can easily pop into a Dutch oven. Pizza and flat bread develop the most incredible, crisp crust when baked in a cast iron skillet. No breakfast or brunch table is complete without sweet rolls and coffee cakes.  Many a family feast has to include inviting dinner rolls and buttery biscuits.  Oh, wait, there are pies, cookies, brownies, and all kinds of desserts that are special and spectacular. For each, that simple cast iron skillet or Dutch oven is the only piece of bakeware you need to bake these delicious recipes.

You do not need to be an expert baker to start baking these recipes. And, if you shy away from cast iron, do not worry. We will share all of the tips and insider information so you can use your cast iron with confidence.

Have we mentioned the pictures?  The book is filled with the most inviting, moutwatering pictures. Just browse through the book and you will discover lots and lots of recipes that you will want to bake immediately.

You will be hearing lots more about this cookbook soon. We just had to share the exiting news! We could not be prouder. It takes a village to write and publish a cookbook, and we are grateful to all who help pave the way. Most of all, we appreciate all of you who read our books, enjoy our recipes, take our classes and share a love of baking.

The book is available at any of your favorite book stores, and through many gourmet or kitchen shops. If you don’t find it on the shelf, ask if they will order it for you. You will also find it on Amazon and other online book retailers.

Dutch Oven, Crusty Bread!

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Have we mentioned we love our Cast Iron? Yes! We! Do!

If you have taken one of our classes, you know it is true.  And we want to share with you.  Roxanne has been busy baking delicious, crisp-crusted yeast breads in a Lodge cast iron Dutch oven. It makes a perfect environment for baking bread. The heavy covered pan traps the steam, so the bread develops a delicious, crisp, chewy brown crust, just like that bread you buy at the artisan bakery. If you use the Dutch oven upside down, it acts much like a bread Cloche, which is a bell-shaped specialty baker—but no, you don’t have to speak French. Just follow this link and buy a trusty cast iron Dutch oven!

Cast Iron Baking! Crusty Yeast Bread and Cornbread

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Oh the wonders of cast iron!

We both are advocates of cast iron. It is amazing. We love the hot surface for searing a steak and the fact that it retains heat makes frying better and simmering stews or chili a dream. That same heat retention makes it perfect for serving a hot dip or baking the most wonderful scalloped potatoes. We use it on a hot stove burner, then pop it into the hot oven so it is ideal to do a quick sauté, then finish baking the dish in the oven. The fact it withstands hot temperatures, means roasting can’t be better. Baking in cast iron means the crust will be brown, crispy and everything you have dreamed of. All of this and the seasoned surface does not stick.

Yep, we love our cast iron. [Read more…]

Stuffed Italian Bread

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Cod, yes that is correct, cod. You know the fish that is delicious in a traditional fish and chips menu. I adore cod, yes that is true, I adore cod as long as it is fried.  Since frying is not so good for me these days, we are adding baked cod to our nightly menu. My daughter is thrilled as she loves fish in any way, shape or form and truly, she could enjoy fish everyday. Her mother, not so much, and her dad rides the fence.

The solution? Well, it’s easy. On the night that we are going to have baked cod, I plan to prepare an accompaniment that I enjoy and that will balance the “uck” factor that I experience when I eat baked cod. It becomes a win/win for everyone. We eat a bit healthier and at the same time enjoy this stuffed Italian bread that is a winner any day of the week.

This recipe came across my desk several times the past few weeks and I knew I had to give it a try. It is slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour’s recipe for Pane Bianco. If you are new to bread baking, this one is a great recipe to begin with and if you are a seasoned bread baker then you know your go to source for all things bread is King Arthur Flour.

You can enjoy this with or without the fish! 😃

 

Stuffed Italian Bread

3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 egg
½ cup lukewarm milk
⅓ cup lukewarm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon garlic paste
¾ cup shredded Italian blend cheese or shredded mozzarella
½ cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and patted very dry
⅓ cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Combine the flour, yeast, salt, egg, milk, water and olive oil in a mixer or mix by hand to make a smooth, soft dough. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double in size, about one hour.

Punch the dough and form into a 22 x 8-inch rectangle. Spread the garlic paste over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle with the cheese, tomatoes and basil. Roll the dough up lengthwise and pinch the edges to seal. Place seam side down on a baking sheet that has been greased or lined with parchment paper.

Starting about ¼-inch from the end of the log, use a sharp knife and cut down the center of the log about 1-inch deep, continue within ¼ inch of the other end of the log. Form an “S” with the log and tuck the ends under. Cover the loaf and let it rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.

Preheat the the oven to 350ºF. Uncover the loaf and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly before serving.

Note: I use my bread machine on the dough setting and proceed as directed.

 

What’s ahead in 2017? The Recipe Request Hot Line is Now Open!

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Happy New Year! There is something invigorating about that pristine calendar. Nothing crossed off yet.  Clean, white pages just waiting!

Holidays are already printed there! Then, do you first put the fun trips and family events that will make the New Year wonderful? What is already written on yours?

There is something helpful about remembering what the last year held. The good? The crazy? The sad? The, “why, oh why did I do that?” We all have some of those, right? [Read more…]