I tried my hand at an artisan bread tonight

[NMDemDist2]

the main course is Italian Beef

Italian Beef & Pasta

Total Preparation & Cooking Time: 2 1/4 hours

1-1/4 pounds boneless beef chuck steaks, cut 1/2 inch thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained, broken up
1 can (13-3/4 to 14-1/2 ounces) ready-to-serve beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 pound small mushrooms, halved
4 ounces uncooked mostaccioli (1-1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cut beef steaks into 1-inch pieces. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Brown beef, 1/2 at a time; remove. Pour off drippings.
2. . Add onion, garlic and Italian seasoning to Dutch oven; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, broth and wine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1-1/2 hours or until beef is tender.
3. Stir in mushrooms and mostaccioli; continue cooking, covered, 20 minutes. Uncover; continue cooking 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in cheese.


and I made the Faux Sourdough Bread

Faux Sourdough Bread

1 package Active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups bread flour (i had unbleached)
1 TBSP dark molasses
1 cup Sour Cream (at room temp)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
4 TBSP warm water

this is a bread machine recipe, but mine died, so I did it in the Mixer and mixed til the dough was still a little sticky and not completely smooth..so i took it out, kneaded it by hand about 10 more times, placed in an oiled bowl and let it rise.

I very gently punched it down and let it rise again, then slashed the top with a razor, brushed it with butter and heated the oven, oven stone and a cast iron pan to 400. I slid the bread in, added boiling water to the skillet shut the door for 10 minutes, lowered the heat to 350 and baked another 20 minutes.

It looks great! I'll get a pic and post when it all is served.

[Phentex]

1. Sounds great. I'm going to try this recipe.

MMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

I wanna see how the bread turned out too.

[wildeyed]

2. Sounds yummy!

I made minestrone, bread machine bread and homemade green tea ice cream.

My bread came out better than it ever had before. I used a recipe I make all the time, a rustic french with bread flour and a little rye flour. I did the sponge overnight in the bread machine pan, just like I always do. I adjusted the bread/water ratio during the first knead, just like I always do. And then let it bake in the machine, just like I always do. But this time, the crust was chewier and I got much bigger, nicer holes in the interior :shrug: The mysteries of bread making. Or maybe I am just getting the hang of it.

Post you pics, sounds fab!