Becky's Famous French Bread

This French bread has amazing memories for my bunco group and Becky was so generous to share the recipe with us.  I wasn't so sure it would turn out as good, but it turned out wonderful!

3c. Warm water
1/3 c. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Yeast
*let bubble for 10 min., then add:
1 1/2Tbs. Salt
4 Tbsp. Oil (can use olive)
(Variations on the bread could be:  use Italian seasonings, garlic, or 2 Tbsp. Rosemary and add 2 Tbsp. Minced garlic, can add seeds like sunflower seeds or pine nuts, or add feta cheese to it.  More options are: sugar and cinnamon, then substitute water with orange juice and orange zest.  

Next add:  6 to 7 1/2 c. Flour, one cup at a time.  Let set 1 hour.  Divide dough in half, may have to add flour, so your hands aren't too sticky.  Shape into 2 French loaves.  Slash diagonally 7 times.  Sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds or leave plain for the top.  

Cover with cloth.  Preheat oven to 375 F.   When oven is ready, put loaves in and bake 25-30 min. Mine took about 23 min.

Enjoy!

Homemade Pasta/ Turkey Noodle Soup

I just love this time of year!  We cook a turkey breast on the Barbeque and have a nice turkey dinner for our Sunday conference meal.  Today I cooked the turkey carcass in my crockpot along with about 1/3 of a yellow onion sliced, two carrots cut into big pieces, and two stalks of celery cut into large pieces.  I let it cook on med/high for about 3 hours.  I then removed the carcass and let it cool and remove what meat I can from the bone.  I then discarded the vegetables, and skimmed the top of the broth for the fat and discard that( you can let it cool and it's easier to get the fat off from the top).  I added about 3 Tbsp. Of chicken base or to taste, and about 5 carrots chopped in bite size pieces,  1/3 chopped onion.  Let cook for about 2 hours on high, then about 1 1/2 hour before eating add, 3 to 4 stalks celery chopped into bit size pieces, and about 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped turkey, salt to taste.  At about an hour before eating, add noodles and cook until soft, I usually turn the crockpot down just before they are soft. Mi sure don't like them soggy!  Add celery salt, and regular salt to your liking :)
   Homemade Noodles:  my sister and I bought our mom a pasta machine for Christmas one year, we loved her homemade pasta!  I have had her machine for many years and just now have figured out how to use it, but you can use a rolling pin for the same results just more work.  For the noodles you need:  3 eggs, 2 3/4 c. Flour, 1 tsp salt--make a mound with the flour, and a large deep well for the eggs, crack the eggs into the well, then add the salt.  With a table knife or fork combine the eggs and salt, then gradually start incorporating the flour from the sides of the well, try not to break the sides of the well, or the eggs will run out, as soon as it's no longer liquid, dip fingers in the flour and use them to work the ingredients together until it forms a rough and sticky dough, work the dough, if it is too sticky, use a little more flour or if too dry use a little cold water .  Give the dough a 1/4 turn counterclockwise then continue kneading and folding for 5 min. For machine, 10 for hand. Knead as you would bread, should be smooth.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let set 15-20 min. At room temp.  Cut ball in half or 1/4's sprinkle a little flour and knead until 5" circle now use a rolling pin, always rolling outward should be about 1/8 inch thick, then roll it up and slice.  Can use your machine instead of rolling pin.  Make sure you wrap the dough you aren't using in the plastic wrap until you use.  I set my noodles out to dry until the soup was ready for them.  Refrigerate and use the leftover dough in the next 3 days or freeze up to a month.  I think I may try fettuccine Alfredo with my leftover noodles!
 These were soooo good in the soup!