Most Moist Pumpkin (or Banana) Bread Ever

Stir together:  1 1/2 C flour, 1 C sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp soda

Add: 1 C pumpkin (or for banana bread, 3 soft bananas), 1/2 C olive oil, 2 beaten eggs.

Add (if pumpkin bread but omit for banana bread): 1/4 C water, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 allspice.

Butter a loaf pan. Add batter. Cook at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Irish Soda Bread

Originally posted in March of '09, here , once again, in honor of Saint Patrick and the Irish side of our family, is Irish Soda Bread.  A gal from Ireland told it me that it is quite authentic, so eat up and Slainte'!


4 to 4-1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 to 2 Tbsp caraway seeds
1/4 cup butter
1 cup raisins
1 egg. lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk


1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Sift first 5 ingredients together into large bowl.
3. Work butter in using 2 knives or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Make a well in the center. Add beaten egg, buttermilk and raisins. Mix until all is moistened.
5. Knead lightly in the bowl; do not overhandle, as bread will become tough.
6. Form into a round loaf and place on lightly greased cookie sheet or cast iron skillet.
7. Cut an "x" into the top, about 1 inch deep.
8. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow.
9. Cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes, and then on rack.

Best served warm and fresh. Will only keep for 2 or 3 days before getting stale.

Jiffy Beer Bread

This is quick and easy to put together and quite tasty. Especially good with soups or stews, and no fat!

Mix together:
1-1/2 cups white flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder

Make a well in the center. Add 12 ounces of beer. Stir until just blended. Turn into greased 9x5x3 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.

Cinnamon Rolls (Bim's)

Dough: Dissolve 1 package yeast in 1 C. warm milk and 1/2 C. sugar. Proof. Add 1/3 C. melted butter, 1 tsp. salt, 2 slightly beaten eggs. Add 4 C. flour (or slightly more as needed). Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Let rise for about an hour. Roll out dough on floured surface until about 21 x 16 inches, and 1/4 inch thick.

Filling: Spread 1/3 C. soft butter over surface of dough. Combine 1/2 C. brown sugar, 1/2 C. white sugar, a tblsp cinnamon in bowl, and then sprinkle over butter. Working from long side, roll dough and cut into 1 1/2 inch slices. Place in lightly greased 13 x 9 pan. YOu may cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. DO NOT use convection oven - the outside gets brown but the inside stays raw.

Icing: Beat 1 stick butter, 1/4 C. cream cheese, 1 1/2 C. confectioner's sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1/8 tsp. salt together. Spread over warm rolls.

Heart-Healthy Zucchini Bread

The seed packet said to pick the zucchinis when they reach 6" long. Then torrential rains came to Chicago while we were in Detroit for Tom & Cristin's wedding....and we came home to two of them more than a foot long! So it was time to make zucchini bread. This recipe is a compilation of several low-fat ones I found online plus my mom's. It's heart-healthy because there are no egg yolks and half the oil is replaced with applesauce. I've tweaked everything (after 8 loaves!) to make the recipe my own.~~Sandi

3 egg whites
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. olive oil
1 c. applesauce
3 tsp. vanilla
2 c. shredded zucchini
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. allspice
4 oz chopped walnuts

Beat egg whites, sugar, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Divide into two greased loaf pans. Bake 55 minutes at 350 degrees. Set on rack for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan, and cool a bit more before cutting.

You can make this even more low-fat by excluding the walnuts, or replacing them with raisins. But I think they're essential!

Easter Bread

Mom made this at Easter every year.

2 - 2 1/2 C. flour
1 pkg. yeast
1/4 C each: milk, water, sugar
2 T. oil
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
4 raw eggs in shells (I color these)
1 additional egg
approx 1 T. milk
candy nonpareils

Blend 1 C. of the flour and yeast in large bowl of electric mixer. Heat milk, water, sugar, oil and salt in medium saucepan on low heat until very warm, 120-130 degrees. Stir until blended. Add to flour-yeast mixture. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes on medium speed. (I use the paddle.) Blend in the 2 eggs. Beat 2 minutes on low speed. Add 1/2 C. flour. Beat 1 minute on low speed. Stir in more flour (approx. 1 C.) to make a moderately stiff dough. (At this point I switch to the dough hook.)

Turn out onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Cover with bowl and let rest 1 hour. Shape into ball. From it remove a smaller ball, about 3-in. diameter. Divide the large ball into thirds and shape each third into a 24-in. strip. Braid the 3 strips together loosely and place in greased 8-in. cake pan. Tuck ends together to form one continuous braid. Divide small ball into eighths and shape each eighth into a 6-in. strip. Wrap each of the 4 eggs with two strips of dough, forming a cross. Tuck into the braid. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Bake at 350. While baking, mix additional egg with 1 T. milk. After the bread has baked for 20 minutes, brush the egg-milk mixture on the top of the loaf and sprinkle with the candies. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove loaf from pan and cool on a wire rack.


Here we have Bim's Easter Bread for 2010. There's also another recipe here http://scavonefamilycookbook.blogspot.com/2008/11/easter-bread.html. Not sure if they are the same?

Pugliese-Italian Bread

My bread machine bit the dust recently - actually it bounced itself off the counter and was doa as it hit the floor. Kind of a machine-suicide... Anyway, I'm glad because it has led me to try some new bread recipes. This one is my current favorite. I use my stand-mixer and dough-hook, but you could do it by hand.

1 pkg (2-1/4 tsp) dried yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
5 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp salt
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Put yeast, sugar and 2 Tbsp lukewarm water in bowl. Let it stand for a few minutes, until frothy.
Add the oil and another 1-3/4 cup water.
Add 2-1/2 cups of flour. Beat on medium-high for about one minute, using the paddle-attachment.
Add the salt, and, switching to the dough hook, add the flour one cup at a time until all is incorporated and dough cleans the sides of the bowl.
Add additional flour a couple of Tbsp at a time if dough is too wet. It should be soft, but not sticky. Knead in mixer for 3 minutes, or by hand for 10 minutes.

Shape the dough into a ball, and place it in a bowl that has been lightly greased with additional oil. Turn the dough oil-side up, cover with a damp dish-towel and leave to rise in a warm place. When doubled, punch down, reshape into slightly flat ball and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover again with damp towel, and let rise until almost doubled.
Heat the oven to 450. Lightly dust the loaf with flour. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 400 and bake for another 30 minutes, until hollow-sounding. Cool on wire rack.

Tomato-Onion Bread

Jimmy says, "Mom always served this with Cioppino."

1 package (32 oz.) frozen white bread (2 loaves)

1/4 cornmeal

8 Tbsp. tomato sauce (such as Hunt's)

2 Tbsp oregano

2 cups thinly sliced onion

2/3 cups grated cheese

freshly ground black pepper

4 Tbsp. olive oil

Defrost bread. Roll each loaf into oval 17" by 6" (it's easy to do between waxed paper). Heat oven to 350º. Sprinkle 2 cookie sheets with cornmeal. Put one loaf on each cookie sheet. Spread each loaf with 1/2 the tomato sauce, leaving a 1" border on all sides. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. oregano and 1/3 cup grated cheese and spread 1 cup onion over each loaf. Grind fresh black pepper over the loaves and drizzle each with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Bake 25 minutes.

Jimmy's Thanksgiving Cornbread

1 c cornmeal
3/4 c flour
1/4 c wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Pepper to taste
1 c creamed corn
1/2 c corn
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c milk
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 8" square pan. Toss dry ingredients. In separate bowl, stir creamed corn and all remaining ingredients until smooth. Add 1/2 of liquid mixture to dry. Stir until just blended. Add remaining and stir same. Pour into pan and bake until top is golden and knife comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting.

Irish Soda Bread

Not exactly in time for St. Paddy's Day, but in honor of the Irish side of our family.

4 to 4-1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 to 2 Tbsp caraway seeds
1/4 cup butter
1 cup raisins
1 egg. lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk


1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Sift first 5 ingredients together into large bowl.
3. Work butter in using 2 knives or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Make a well in the center. Add beaten egg, buttermilk and raisins. Mix until all is moistened.
5. Knead lightly in the bowl; do not overhandle, as bread will become tough.
6. Form into a round loaf and place on lightly greased cookie sheet or cast iron skillet.
7. Cut an "x" into the top, about 1 inch deep.
8. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow.
9. Cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes, and then on rack.

Best served warm and fresh. Will only keep for 2 or 3 days before getting stale.

Meme Gertrude's Never Fail Bread

As the Scavone Family has grown, we've taken in new recipes that become tradition in our own families. Paul Chalifour's mom taught me how to make bread using Meme Gertrude's recipe. Meme Gertrude is Paul's paternal grandmother. This recipe makes 8-9 loaves! You need a big bowl, or you can start it in a bowl and then pour the mixture onto a board or counter and continue working the flour in. I freeze the loaves and very rarely do I buy bread from the grocery store any more. Like the "Scavone" recipes, however, some of the directions are ambiguous; for instance, the recipe just calls for "flour". You end up adding approximately 20 cups, but you have to mostly go by feel.

2 Tbsp yeast

9 cups plus 1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup plus 2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup lard or oil

2 heaping tsp salt

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

flour

Mix 1/2 cup water and 2 tsp. sugar until sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over top and let stand 10 to 15 minutes. The yeast should "proof" or bubble to the top. Mix until all yeast is dissolved. (In Canada, Fermipan Yeast is a special yeast that is readily available. If you are able to find it, simply add 2 Tbsp to the 9 cups warm water and you can avoid "proofing" the yeast altogether).

Add the remaining water and mix in oil, salt, the 1/2 cup sugar, and the cream of tartar. Mix. Slowly begin adding flour. You can use 1 or 2 cups whole wheat flour and the rest white flour if you like. With each addition mix in the flour well. After several cups, you will need to mix by hand. Do this by lightly "punching" and kneading the flour into the dough. When the dough is ready it will be soft, slightly elastic, and may have one or two sticky spots.

Pour a little oil into a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and roll it around to cover with oil. Cover with cloth and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Punch the dough down and let rise again until double in bulk.

After dough has risen a second time, form loaves and place into oiled loaf pans. Brush tops with a little oil. Let rise to at least double in bulk. Bake loaves 35-40 minutes in pre-heated 375º oven.

Easter Bread

This recipe yields 2 loaves, and offers instructions for both round braided and rectangular. Mom's recipe card calls it "Easter Egg Braid," but the kids all know it as Easter Bread.

4 1/2-5 c. all-purpose flour
2 pkg. dry yeast
1/2 c. each: milk, water, sugar
1/4 vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
4-8 raw eggs unbroken, in shell (4 for rectangular or 8 for round)
1 egg
1 tbsp. milk
Candy nonpareils

Blend 1 1/4 cups flour and the yeast in large electric mixer bowl. Heat milk, water, sugar, oil and salt in medium saucepan on low heat until very warm (120°-130°), stirring until blended. Add to flour/yeast mixture. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Blend in 4 eggs, beat 2 minutes at low speed. Add 1 c. flour, beat 1 minute at medium. Stir in more flour to make a moderately stiff dough.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and satiny, 8-10 minutes. Cover with bowl and let rest 45 minutes. Divide dough in half, shape each into a ball for your 2 loaves.

RECTANGULAR BRAID:
From one ball, remove a 2" diameter ball. Divide remaining large ball into thirds. Shape each into 18" strips. Braid strips together loosely. Tuck ends under and fit into greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 loaf pan. Divide remaining small ball into fourths. Shape each into 6" strips. Wrap each of 2 raw eggs in shells with 2 strips of dough, forming a cross. Tuck wrapped eggs into the braid. Cover, let rise in warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.

ROUND BRAID:
From one ball, remove a 3" diameter ball. Divide remaining large ball into thirds. Shape each into 24" strips. Braid strips together loosely. Place in greased 8"-9" round cake pan, forming a circle and tucking ends together to form a continuous braid. Divide remaining small ball in eighths. Shape each into 6" strips. Wrap each of 4 raw eggs in shells with 2 strips of dough, forming a cross. Tuck wrapped eggs into the braid. Cover, let rise in warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.

Bake loaves at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Mix last egg a 1 tbsp. milk to brush on loaves during last 10 minutes of baking. Sprinkle with candies. Remove loaves from pans and cool on wire racks.