Homemade French Bread

I think my second love (my husband being my first of course) would have to be bread. I am being so serious right now. I adore crusty bread, soft bread, savory bread, and sweet breads…big breads, little breads…get the point? Bread is like my love language. I am currently making 15-18 loaves of sourdough bread from my house every week and selling them to friends and local folks around town. I just have this thing for watching as flour, water and yeast create something as magical and comforting as homemade bread.

So today I am sharing with you a simple and fairly quick homemade bread recipe – French bread that is. This does use yeast but it doesn’t require you to wait 3 days to bake it, and it pretty fool proof in my opinion!

Simple and fool proof french bread recipe!

 

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Coconut Cilantro Rice

yummy coconut cilantro rice! Easy, and delicious!

I adore cilantro. The bold flavor and freshness that it brings to a dish is incredible, and I am all about using fresh herbs as often as I can get my hands on them. I have lately fallen in love with coconut rice, and wanted to combine the two flavors to create a super yummy side dish. So I give you coconut cilantro rice. This side pairs wonderfully with almost any meal but specifically tastes great with Indian, Hawaiian, or Mexican dishes. I think it would pair perfectly with just about anything though because the coconut is not an overwhelming flavor, it is very subtle.

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Crustless Mexican Chocolate Mini Pies

I love chocolate and I also have a thing for tiny things…anything miniature makes me smile. So when a a chocolate pie I was working out kinda flopped I decided to do a spin on it in mini form…thus was born this recipe. It is easy, quick, and delicious! It has a hint of heat, and leaves you wanting more than just one small pie (It left me wanting to eat all 4 small pies…don’t worry, I resisted that urge).

Delicious chocolate pies with a little twist of chili powder and cinnamon!

 

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Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (Panera Copycat)

I love Panera. I do not just kind of love it, I mean I really, really love it. I feel so strongly about this restaurant that if my husband and I are ever traveling through a city with a Panera I BEG him to let us stop. Sometimes he caves, and every single time I go to Panera I get the same thing. Tomato mozzarella panini, and a big bowl of creamy tomato basil soup. It is divine. So I decided to try to recreate this soup at home. The biggest thing about the soup is that it has a thick texture and consistency and has a subtle sweetness that makes you want more and more…and more and more.

Creamy Tomato Soup that is easy to make and taste just like Panera!

This soup is fairly simple, and it doesn’t take hours to simmer and pick up flavor like most soups. You can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes start to finish with this meal. I served this with open faced grilled cheese “sandwiches”. These are also easy to make and I used a garlic and herb cheese spread that my grandmother taught me to make. I am actually sharing that recipe on my personal blog today so head here to find that recipe for the perfect accompaniment for this creamy tomato soup. Because who doesn’t love dunking a cheesy piece of French bread into a steamy bowl of tomato soup?

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