Chef Mia

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (SUPER easy to make!)

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Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (SUPER easy to make!)

  • Author: Chef Mia
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Description

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are the quintessential “elevated” pancake recipe. Tart-but-sweet, with fresh lemon juice and zest and ricotta. Yum!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons butter for cooking

Instructions

  1. Grab two bowls, one large, one medium.
  2. In the large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons white sugar, and ½ teaspoon saltuntil well combined.
  3. In the medium bowl, add the 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup ricotta cheese and whisk until well blended. Then add the 2 large eggs, beating between each. Then add the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest.
  4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the blended wet ingredients – just fold it in gently, until JUST combined. Don’t over mix – you’ll have tough pancakes. We want fluffy pancakes!
  5. Melt or brush 2 tablespoons butteronto a large griddle and heat to medium.
  6. Add pancake batter, a cup at a time (or smaller if you want smaller pancakes).
  7. When you get bubbles, flip the pancakes over and cook on the other side. Should be a minute or two per side, and golden brown.
  8. Serve with extra ricotta, lemon zest, powdered sugar and blueberries.
  9. Devour.

Notes

Notes What kind of ricotta? – I use a lower fat ricotta, but not not fat free. All versions will work, but I’ve found the fat free just doesn’t taste good. You can make your own ricotta too, if you wish! Don’t over-mix batter – use separate bowls for wet and dry ingredients (so you don’t over-mix resulting in tough pancakes). What do lemon ricotta pancakes taste like? – Tart but sweet! They have a definite tang due to the lemon juice and zest. They’re fluffier than regular buttermilk pancakes. What goes with lemon ricotta pancakes? Whatever you fancy! I dust mine with powdered sugar, some extra ricotta, a little zest… and a few blueberries. Sometimes maple syrup. You can do raspberries too, they work really well with these pancakes. Whipped cream is also a good choice!

Nutrition

  • Calories: 328kcal
  • Sugar: 13g
  • Protein: 13g

Sourdough Garlic Bread

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Sourdough Garlic Bread

  • Author: Chef Mia
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Description

This rich and buttery sourdough garlic bread is loaded with so much delicious garlic flavor. Full of herbs, fresh garlic and nutty parmesan cheese. It’s the ultimate side dish and is so easy to make.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 14 oz Sourdough Loaf
  • 10 tbsp Butter, unsalted
  • 12 cloves Garlic, peeled
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes, optional
  • 1 tsp Garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp Parsley, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/4 tsp Sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Next, slice the bread into 1 inch slices, being careful not to slice all the way through the bread. Place the loaf onto a parchment or foil lined sheet pan.
  3. Add the garlic cloves and red pepper flakes to a small ramekin. Cover with olive oil. Place inside oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until the garlic is fork tender. Let cool completely.
  4. Remove garlic from oil (reserve oil for later use.). Using a fork, smash garlic cloves.
  5. In a small bowl, combine softened butter, cooked garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parsley, and parmesan cheese. Season with salt.
  6. Using a small offset spatula, generously spread mixture into all the slits of the bread.
  7. Wrap bread in foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 295kcal
  • Sugar: 2g
  • Protein: 8g

Rosemary Garlic Pull Apart Bread

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Rosemary Garlic Pull Apart Bread

  • Author: Chef Mia
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Description

Make a flavorful pull apart bread using this delicious rosemary-infused yeasted dough. You can use your favorite cheese in the filling. I love and usually use shredded parmesan.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 teaspoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star*
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
  • 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 and 1/3 cups (291g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed*
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried)
  • 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, extra soft (see note)
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried)
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (95g) shredded parmesan, mozzarella, or white cheddar cheese (or your favorite shredded cheese)
  • 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted
  • coarse or flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Make the dough: Place the yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Or, if you do not own a stand mixer, a regular large mixing bowl. Heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave until warm to touch, about 110°F (43°C). Pour warm milk on top of yeast/sugar. Whisk gently to combine, then loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will be frothy after 5-10 minutes.
  2. If you do not have a mixer, you can mix the dough together with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula in this step. Add the butter, egg, flour, salt, garlic powder, and rosemary. Beat on low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. If the dough isnt pulling away from the sides of the bowl, add a little more flour, a Tablespoon at a time. Dough will be soft.
  3. Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer (and switch to the dough hook if using the paddle) and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. (If youre new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your fingerif it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a windowpane test to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until its thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
  4. 1st Rise: Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl (I use nonstick spray to grease) and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place in a slightly warm environment to rise until doubled in size, around 60-90 minutes. (If desired, use my warm oven trick for rising. See my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
  5. As the dough rises, prepare the filling in the next step and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  6. Make the filling: In a medium bowl, mix the soft butter, rosemary, parsley, garlic, and salt together. If the butter is soft enough, you can just mix it all together with a spoon or fork. You can use an electric mixer if thats easier too. Cover tightly and set aside until ready to use. (Dont refrigerate unless making well in advance. Its easiest to spread on the dough when at room temperature. If refrigerated, let it come to room temperature before spreading on dough pieces.)
  7. Assemble the bread: Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 12 equal pieces, each about 1/4 cup of dough and a little larger than a golf ball. Using lightly floured hands, flatten each into a circle thats about 4 inches in diameter. The circle doesnt have to be perfectly round. I do not use a rolling pan to flatten, but you certainly can if you want. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of filling mixture onto each. Sprinkle each with 1 Tablespoon of cheese. Fold circles in half and line in prepared baking pan, round side up. See photos above for a visual.
  8. 2nd Rise: Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and allow to rise once again in a slightly warm environment until puffy, about 45 minutes.
  9. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position then preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
  10. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. If you find the top of the loaf is browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. (Dont be alarmed if theres melted butter around the sides of the bread as it bakes, it will seep into the bread before it finishes.) Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. If desired, brush with melted butter for topping and sprinkle with sea salt.
  11. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and serve warm.
  12. Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Since the bread is extra crispy on the exterior, it will become a little hard after day 1. Reheat in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10-15 minutes until interior is soft again or warm in the microwave.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Freeze baked and cooled bread for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven to your liking. The dough can be prepared through step 4, then after it has risen, punch it down to release the air, cover it tightly, then place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Continue with step 5. To freeze the dough, prepare it through step 4. After it has risen, punch it down to release the air. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Then let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before continuing with step 5. (You may need to punch it down again if it has some air bubbles.)
Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Large Glass Mixing Bowl with Wooden Spoon / Silicone Spatula | 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Cooling Rack | Flaky Sea Salt
Yeast: I always use Platinum Yeast from Red Star, an instant yeast. If using active dry yeast, the rise times could be slightly longer. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Flour: Feel free to use the same amount of bread flour instead of all-purpose flour. You can also try swapping out 1 cup of flour for whole wheat flour. Do not replace all of the flour with whole wheat flourjust 1 cup.
Extra Soft Butter for Filling: Have you ever read my page about room temperature butter? Room temperature butter for baking should still be cool to the touch. You want room temperature butter for the dough. However, for the filling, you want extra soft butter so you can easily spread it onto the flattened dough without tearing the dough. Feel free to microwave it for 10-15 seconds to help it get extra soft.

Copycat Olive Garden Bread Sticks

Olive Garden Bread Sticks

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Olive Garden Breadsticks Recipe

  • Author: Chef Mia
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Description

These Copycat Olive Garden Bread Sticks are soft and fluffy on the inside just like the real deal. You can enjoy them whenever you want when you make them at home.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
  • 1 1/4 cups warm water divided
  • 4 1/4 Cups flour
  • 2 Tbsp butter softened
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. To make the dough place 1/4 c warm water in a bowl and sprinkle yeast on top, stir and allow to sit for 5 minutes until foamy..
  2. Add the sugar, butter, salt and 4 cups flour into a mixer. Add in yeast mixture, remaining water and mix until a sticky dough forms.
  3. Add some additional flour (1/4 cup or more) and continue mixing until a nice soft, smooth dough forms.
  4. Place on floured counter top and divide dough in half, forming two one foot long logs of dough.
  5. Cut each log into 8 even pieces. Roll each piece into a 7 inch long breadstick. You will have 16 breadsticks.
  6. Place the breadsticks on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place breadsticks about 1- 1 1/2 inches apart. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
  7. Preheat oven to 400.
  8. Make the topping and brush the breadsticks with 1/2 the mixture before baking.
  9. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.
  10. After you remove from the oven brush with the remaining butter mixture.

Notes

Tips & Notes: The recipe makes about 16 bread sticks which is too many for my reduced size family so I usually cut the recipe in half and it still works great. Eight bread sticks was enough for dinner and a few for leftovers too. If you need to make these extra quick and easy, you can use some frozen bread dough to make the breadsticks and no one will probably know the difference! You will get 8 breadsticks out of one loaf of frozen bread dough. You can also use frozen rolls and make one breadstick from each roll (they will be slightly smaller)

Nutrition

  • Calories: 164kcal
  • Sugar: 2g
  • Protein: 4g

Bread Dipping Oil – Carrabba’s Style Olive Oil Bread Dip

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Carrabbas Bread Dipping Oil

  • Author: Chef Mia
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Description

Make restaurant-style bread dipping oil at home! This Carrabba’s-inspired olive oil bread dip is garlicky, herby, and ready in 5 minutes. Perfect with warm, crusty bread.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic , freshly crushed or minced
  • extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Combine the 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary , 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt and 3 cloves fresh garlic, grated. Mix well.
  2. If serving immediately, measure out about 1 tablespoons of the spice mixture into a shallow plate or bowl. Add 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil. Save the rest in an airtight container for another day!
  3. If you've made this recipe at home, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!

Notes

Use 1 tablespoon of dry mix for every 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil.
If you want to use fresh chopped herbs, swap out 2 teaspoons for every tablespoon of dried.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 261kcal
  • Protein: 1g

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