Nerdy Kitten

~*Makes 3 Loaves*~

1 pack of Dry Active Yeast
1½ c. Water, warm
1½ T. Vegetable Oil
1½ Eggs (for half an egg: crack, whisk and divide by 2)
½ tsp. Salt
¾ c. Sugar
5-5½ c. All-Purpose Flour

1)  Sprinkle yeast onto warm water in the mixing bowl.
2)  Add the rest of the ingredients and knead the dough until it is all combined and stretchy.
3)  Grease a bowl with butter.
4)  Form the dough into a ball and place it into the bowl. Roll the dough ball over so the bottom (now greasy) is on the top.
5)  Cover the dough with a thin towel and place in a warm area. (I turned my oven on low and put the dough on the range so there was a low-heat source below it.) Let the dough rise like this for 1 hour 30 minutes or until about double in size.
6)  Punch the dough down, fold it together and roll it over again. Let the dough rise (again) for about a half hour or 45 minutes.
7)  Cut the tough into 3 parts. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes after this process before rolling it out (this helps the dough basically re-cooperate since you “knocked the wind out of it”).
8)  On a floured surface, flatten the pieces and roll them out until they are about 16″ long (side to side) and about 6″ to 8″ wide (front to back).
9)  Slightly moisten the dough so it will stick to itself better. Roll the dough up, starting from the center and working to each end (from the center). Make sure to roll tightly so as not to incorporate a giant bubble into the loaf. Pinch the seams of the roll and tuck the end. Pinch the ends. Slightly moisten the seams then pick up the loaf and drop it seam-side-down into a bit of flour on the surface (you will be using flour versus the normal cornmeal used when making french bread). Lay the loaf on the pan in the middle and straighten it out.
10)  Repeat steps 8 and 9 with the other 2 parts of dough. Place them next to the middle loaf on the pan. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour.

*While the loaves proof/rise in the warm area, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.*

11)  Gently rub some flour on the tops of the loaves and place into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are a beautiful golden-brown and are hollow-sounding when tapped.
12)  After letting the bread cool, brush off the extra flour with a pastry brush. Turn the loaves over and take a sharp knife and scrape the extra flour off the bottom of the loaf. Brush off any excess flour as needed. Some will hang around in the creases – this is perfectly normal and makes it look even tastier.
13)  Slice and serve with butter(optional; I prefer it on its own) or make something with it! One popular thing to do with it: make a torpedo (that’s a type of sammich made with Salami, Ham, Lettuce, Mayo, Mustard and American Cheese).

~*Makes 8+ Burgers*~

1 c. Water
1 Tbsp. Onion, diced
2 Beef Bouillon Cubes
2 Tbsp. Light Brown Sugar, packed
2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire
3 lb. Ground Beef, raw (at least 85% lean)
8 Hamburger Buns
Toppings: Cheese, mustard, pickles, onions (yes, ketchup too)

1)  Cook raw beef in a cast-iron skillet until brown.
2) While beef cooks, combine water, beef bouillon cubes, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce – stir (does not all need dissolved).
3)  Add onion to beef, cook until tender
4)  Add water/sauce mixture, bring to boil
5)  Set burner/stove to medium-low, lid it and let it simmer until the juices reduce. If using a higher-fat meat, this will take longer and will not cook down all the way (will be extra juicy).
6)  Stir and serve using a slotted spoon.

Traditionally served on a bun with mustard, pickles and/or chopped onions. Ketchup is finally an offering now, and cheese is sometimes also added. Pickle-wise, I personally recommend Bread & Butter chips. 🙂

Enjoy!

Prefer to use a slow-cooker for this recipe? Click here for instructions and the original copycat recipe.

~*Makes 1 -2 Loaves (depends on size of loaf pan used)*~

1.5 lbs. Ground Beef (75-83% lean)
1 can Tomato Soup
1 Egg, beaten
¾ c. Quick Oatmeal (or crushed crackers)
¼ c. Onion, finely chopped (2 Tbsp. if using dried)
1/5 c. (just under ¼) Green Pepper, chopped (1.5 Tbsp. if using dried)
Ketchup for topping

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
2)  Put all ingredients (except ketchup) in a bowl and combine.
3) Shape into a loaf pan but do not fill more than 2/3 full as the hamburger grease will boil over. -OR- Shape the mixture into a loaf shape and bake in a cake pan or corning ware dish.
4) After shaping, pour ketchup on top of the meatloaf just before baking. Spread it to cover the top.
5)  Cover with foil (or lid). Bake 45 minutes.
6) Remove foil/lid, bake another 30 minutes, or enough to caramelize the ketchup and brown the meatloaf.
7)  Cook until meatloaf reaches 160 degrees Farenheit.

VARIATION 1: Tostitos instead of Oatmeal, Salsa instead Soup. Be sure to add more crushed chips (or a handful of oatmeal) to compensate for the extra liquid in the salsa to ensure the meatloaf’s structural integrity. Top with Shredded Cheese. Serve with salsa.

VARIATION 2: Make meatloaf balls or put into muffin pans for individual servings. Time will be shorter to bake these, just check for temperatures before pulling from oven.

TIP: Meatloaf slices make great sandwiches!

Enjoy!