Breads

Homemade Pizza Crust

From the kitchen of: Betty Crocker Cookbook, 40th Anniversary Edition

I love making my own pizza crust. We never order out for pizza. This crust is very low in fat, not greasy like "order-out pizza".

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105º to 115º)

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tablespoons cornmeal for dusting pan (if desired)

Please note: if you are using a large pizza stone you should double the recipe.

*I like to add parmesan cheese and herbs to my crust for extra flavor.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients (except cornmeal). Beat vigorously 20 strokes. If dough is too thick to stir, just lightly knead in bowl to mix ingredients thoroughly. Let rest 5 minutes. You may need to add additional flour to keep from sticking to hands. Sprinkle pizza pan lightly with corn meal (not necessary, but tastes good and keeps dough from sticking to pan). Stretch dough out on pizza pan (I prefer using my baking stones) about 1 inch over edge of pan. Fold dough over to from crust all the way around, press firmly to seal crust. Add sauce (I use my favorite spaghetti sauce). Next add desired toppings. Bake at 425º for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

For stuffed-crust pizza: Before folding crust over lay mozzarella cheese sticks ½ inch in from edge of dough, then fold dough over cheese sticks and press to seal. Then add sauce and your favorite toppings!

Banana Bread

From the kitchen of: Betty Crocker Cookbook, 40th Anniversary Edition

This recipe is great for banana bread but can also be used to make banana muffins.

1¼ cups sugar

½ cup margarine or butter, softened

2 eggs

1½ cups mashed ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1tsp salt

1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Place oven rack in lowest position. Heat oven to 350º. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches. Mix sugar and margarine in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans. Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch about 1¼ hours or until wooden pick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days. *Banana bread also freezes well. When thawed, tastes fresh!

**Incase you have ripe bananas and don't have time to make bread you can freeze them. For this recipe, freeze in 1½ cup quantities. Mash ripe bananas, adding 1 tbsp lemon juice to prevent darkening.