Pizza Experiment #5: Spinach Artichoke Dip Inspired

If you're going to choose to experimenting with one thing or another, you really can't go wrong with Pizza! We've enjoyed loads of pizza experiments and I think I'm getting better and coming up with ideas as well as critiquing each pizza.

I didn't love this sauce, but also knew from the beginning that I wouldn't recreate in the exact same way, ever again. I would have liked to use only Cream Cheese for the 'sauce', but I had some plain yogurt that need to be moved out of the refrigerator, therefore, it went into the mix...and then I had to pile it on, not entirely ideal. Regardless of all the small things I would change given the opportunity, I truly enjoyed this pizza pie and will continue to work with this concept.

Pizza Crust: Bread Machine

Using the bread machine to prepare the dough for pizza crust is an easy way to ensure proper rising, etc.

According to manufacturer recommendation place the following items into your bread machine:

1 1/2 cups Water, 1/4 cup Olive Oil, 3 1/2 cups Flour, 1 Tbsp. Sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. Salt and 2 tsp. Yeast.

Set to dough cycle. Upon cycle completion divide dough based on number of desired pizzas. Flatten each ball and knead a few times, cover with a damp towel for 30 minutes until dough has increased by 20 percent. Roll out and prepare as desire

Toppings: Spinach Artichoke Inspired

Spread crust with a whipped, softened Cream Cheese. Top with Pan Cooked Chicken, Artichoke Hearts, Spinach, Mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly. Enjoy as part of a budding Family Pizza Night tradition.

Banana Sandwich Loaf: for the Bread Machine

Extended Shelf Life for: Bananas

I don't know if you were able to make necessary assumptions, however we had a recent influx of bananas and after I preserved them every way I know how and took a chance on Banana Vinegar, I still had a few 'fresh' ones to use and opted to break out the ole bread maker and do a fine yeast bread.

Before I dish out the recipe, let me tell you that if you own and use a bread machine, you should get your hands on the cookbook: The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook. Seriously, if you've struggled with baking bread in a bread machine (especially at high altitude) this book will revolutionize your world and make bread machine baking a breeze! It's probably fantastic even if you're not at high altitude...yep, I'm sure it is actually.

Anyway, here is a recipe I made recently from this book (without any high altitude adjustments, however, if you go here, you'll find some helpful tips for high altitude), and it was a winner, especially with my recent Crockpot Apple Butter -- oh the joys of home-made things!

Ingredients/Directions:

Place the following ingredients into  the bread pan according to manufacturer's directions (mine requires all the wet ingredients to go in first, followed by dry).

1 cup water, 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil, 1 ripe Banana (cut into chunks), 3 cups Bread Flour (or all-purpose flour), 1/4 cup dry Buttermilk Powder (or plain milk powder), 1 Tbsp. Vital Wheat Gluten, 1 1/2 tsp. Salt, 2 tsp. Yeast. Set crust to medium and begin Basic Cycle. When cycle is finished, remove from pan, cool and slice! (This is for the 1 1/2-lb. Loaf).

Cinnamon Rolls

Nothing here needed an extended shelf life...and honestly the recipe isn't anything special or different, but sometimes, I just like to remember when I bake delicious things - this is one of those times: My first cinnamon rolls since returning to Laramie.

Grateful to have a bread machine to do the dough.
Grateful to have an oven big enough to manage a tray of these.
Grateful for Cream Cheese Frosting.
Grateful to have neighbors and friends to share them with.

If I just got your hopes up and you were looking for a cinnamon roll recipe, have no fear, I do have a couple posted here at 519 Kitchen:

Two recipes, one post: Overnight Cinnamon Rolls + Big Batch Cinnamon Rolls 

A Favorite and one that's easily adjusted to your personal preferences: Choco-P.B. Rolls