Baking stones can give baked food added crispiness. Try these recipes at Thanksgiving.
Turkey Wreath
Use leftover roast turkey in this wreath for a post-Thanksgiving meal.
- 1/2 basic dough recipe, see below
- 2 c. cooked turkey, chopped 500 mL
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise 125 mL
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard 30 mL
- 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper 2 mL
- 1/2 c. celery, thinly sliced 125 mL
- 1/2 c. carrot, grated 125 mL
- 3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped 45 mL
- 1 c. Swiss cheese, shredded 250 mL
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
Read Also
Starting a small business comes with legal considerations
This article sets out some of the legal considerations to start a business to sell home-grown product, such as vegetables, herbs, fruit or honey.
Optional:
- 1/4 c. sweetened 60 mL
- dried cranberries
- 1/4 c. walnuts, coarsely chopped 60 mL
Chop turkey and place in a mixing bowl, then add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, pepper, celery, carrot, parsley and Swiss cheese. Mix. Separate egg and lightly beat the egg yolk. Add to turkey mixture and mix.
Cover and place mixture in the refrigerator while preparing the dough.
Basic dough
- 1 tbsp. cornmeal 15 mL
- 1 3/4 – 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour 425 -560 mL
- 2 1/4 tsp. Fleischmann’s pizza crust yeast 11 mL
- 1 1/2 tsp. sugar 7 mL
- 3/4 tsp. salt 4 mL
- 2/3 c. warm water (49-55 C) Water should feel warm to the touch. 150 mL
- 3 tbsp. oil 45 mL
Sprinkle the cornmeal onto an unheated baking stone.
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Combine one cup (250 ml) flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add warm water and oil. Mix until well blended, about one minute.
Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about four minutes. Divide dough in half, cover and set one-half aside.
See the recipe below for a cheese bread round.
Pat the second piece of dough with floured hands onto the cornmeal-sprinkled baking stone. Press or roll out the dough into a nine by 14 inch (22 x 35.5 cm) rectangle. Take the turkey filling from the refrigerator. Using a large spoon, put scoops of the turkey filling down the centre of the rectangle, running the length. Using the backs of two spoons and press the filling into a log shape. Set aside one spoonful of filling. Leave about 1/2 inch (2 cm) of dough uncovered at each end of the dough.
If desired, sprinkle cranberries and walnuts over the length of the filling and use the back of a spoon to press slightly into the filling.
Using a sharp knife, make a horizontal cut in the dough from the edge of the turkey filling to the outside edge of the dough. Repeat the cuts every inch (2 cm) for the length of the dough. Make matching cuts on the opposite side of the dough.
Slightly beat the egg white.
Take the end of the first ribbon of cut dough and fold it at a slight angle on top of the filling. Brush some of the egg onto the end of the dough. Bring a ribbon of dough from the opposite side of the filling and fold over the filling, placing the end of this dough end onto the egg white-covered end of the first piece of dough and press together.
Repeat folding over dough from alternate sides, leaving the last two ends of dough unfolded. Bend the dough into a circle to form a wreath shape. Press the two unfilled ends together and use the last spoonful of filling to complete filling the ring. Fold over the last two ribbons of dough to finish the top of the wreath.
Brush the dough with egg white to glaze the wreath.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cut into serving wedges and serve on the baking stone. Place stone on several hot mats to protect the table surface.
Parmesan Cheese Bread Round
Form the remaining half of the dough recipe into a dough ball, folding under the edges. Place on a cornmeal sprinkled baking stone. Press on the dough to flatten slightly. Brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Slice into wedges and serve with turkey vegetable soup. Dough adapted from www.pizzacrustyeast.com. Filling adapted from www.pamperedchef.com.
Rustic Apple Tart
Use some homegrown apples or your favourite apple pie variety.
- 1 frozen unbaked pie shell
- 2 c. apples, chopped 500 mL
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 mL
- 1/3 c. brown sugar 75 mL
- 1 tbsp. cinnamon 15 mL
Remove pie shell from freezer to thaw. Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C).
Core and cut apples into 1/2 inch (1 cm) chunks. Toss with lemon juice. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, toss with apples.
Place thawed pie shell on baking stone and flatten out. Moisten fingers with water and pinch any tears together.
Pile the apple mixture into the middle of the pastry leaving an inch and a half (3 cm) border of pastry. Begin to fold the pastry, leaving an opening in the centre of the pie. Make about eight folds to bring the pastry up.
Bake at 425 F (220 C) for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 F (180 C) for another 30 to 35 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Slice on the baking stone and serve warm. Serves about six.
About baking stones
- There are two types of clay bakeware, red clay and stoneware. Red clay has a low melting point and cannot withstand the high kiln temperatures required to produce stoneware.
- Stoneware is made with a beige or grey clay that can withstand 2,000 F (1,095 C) firing in a kiln. It is unaffected by moisture and is safe to use for cooking foods and does not need glazing or soaking. The heat retention of stoneware produces crisp crusts and moist interiors, similar to baking in a brick-lined oven
- A well-seasoned stone will have a brown colour.
- Cool before putting in water.
