Chef Ralf Mehler’s special recipe

This flatbread pizza is a variation of an old French dish called Flammkuchen. The bakers used the flatbread to check how hot the oven is. After heating up the oven, they put the flatbread in the oven and looked at the clock, how long does it take for bake. When the baking time was good, they put their baking goods like bread loaves in the oven.

If you wish, you can use any toppings that matches your personal taste.

1 sheet pan 16 by 12 inch

Ingredients for topping

6 oz bacon strips
10 oz mushroom, sliced
2 onion middle size (white or red), sliced
6 oz swiss cheese, grated

Ingredients for the spread:

8 oz creme fraiche, (or sour cream)
¼ tsp salt
freshly ground pepper and nutmeg

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

Ingredients for the dough:

9 oz whole wheat flour
5 oz water, 100°F (depends on the water absorption capacity of the flour)
1 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
½ tsp salt
½ tsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil

Alternatively you can use a “Gluten Free Mix” for the dough. A pizza crust gluten free mix works very well for this. Follow the directions on the package.

Flatbread Pizza Direction:

In a medium bowl, add yeast and lukewarm water and stir well until the yeast is dissolved. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Shift the flour in the bowl and add salt, honey and olive oil. Mix well until all ingredients come together. Put the dough on your table and knead it well for 3-4 minutes to get a smooth dough. Use a little more flour if the dough is too sticky, or a little bit of water, if it is too steady.

Grease the dough a little bit and put it back in the bowl. Wrap the bowl with plastic foil and let the dough rise on a warm place for about 30 minutes or until it has doubled in volume.

Flour the table surface and roll out the dough with the dough roller (if not available, use a clean glass bottle) until you get the size of the pan. Place the dough in the well greased pan.

Spread the creme fraiche mixture on the dough, then put the ingredients in the following order on it: bacon, onion and mushrooms. Finally sprinkle grated swiss cheese over the top.

Let the dough rise for 15 minutes and bake it at 375 °F for about 22-25 minutes, or until the dough edges are lightly golden brown. If possible, rotate the baking sheet after 10 minutes baking time by 180 degrees for more even baking.

Serve with an caesar salad.
Wine suggestion: Beaujolais Primeur

Bon Appetite

The post Flammkuchen – Flatbread Pizza with Mushrooms appeared first on Southwest FL Real Estate.

This cake recipe comes from my grandma . She always baked it on special events . The name of the cake is: ” Gugelhupf ” .

One golden rule for yeast dough: All ingredients should have room temperature!

Recipe for 1 Bundt-style cake pan.

Sponge:

11 oz all purpose flour

1 package dry yeast

4 1/2 oz milk (body temperature)

Dough:

4 oz butter

3 oz sugar

3 oz chopped almonds

3 eggs

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp vanilla and ½ tbsp zest from organic lemon

1 handful sliced almonds for the baking pan, if you want.

Directions:

First, make the sponge with flour, milk and yaest. Kneading 3 minutes and let it rise at room temperature about 30 minutes .

Add the rest of ingredients to the sponge and mix it very well. If you use a machine then mix approx. 10 minutes medium speed. Or by hand until the dough does not more stick on the side of the mixing bowel.

Grease the baking pan careful and sprinkle some sliced almonds in the pan.

Fill the dough evenly in the baking pan, cover the pan with a towel and let it prove for 45 – 60 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F, place the baking pan in the middle of the oven and bake the Gugelhupf for approx. 45 – 50 minutes.

If you want shift some powder sugar over the Gugelhupf.

Bon Appetite

The post Gugelhupf appeared first on Southwest FL Real Estate.

Easy to make and yummy are these Chocolate muffins with a center of jelly. In this recipe I worked with apricot jelly but instead you can use your favorit jelly. With a center of jelly the muffin is more soft and can be stored longer. If you use milk chocolate the muffins are a little sweeter.

For 12 pieces

Ingredients :

9 oz all purpose flour

0,75 0z  cocoa powder

3.5 oz  chocolate (dark or milk chocolate)

2 eggs

5 oz  brown sugar

3 oz butter

3 oz  oil

3 oz  milk

2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.

Shift all purpose flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together into a medium mixing bowl.

Melt chocolate, oil and butter together in a sauce pan (approx. 100 °F) and add sugar, milk and eggs and mix it up.

Bring the fluid part to the dry part und mix until all ingredients come together – do not overmix the batter.

Fill two tbsp batter in the cups, place one tsp jelly in the center and cover it with batter. The cups should be full approx. 75 % with batter.

Bake in the preheated oven in the middle for 18-20 minutes. Shift a little bit of powder sugar over the muffins.

Bon Appetite

The post Chocolate Muffins with Apricot Jelly appeared first on Southwest FL Real Estate.

For desert, Ralf made a wonderful pastry served with a small scoop of chocolate ice cream and a strawberry.

The post Dinner with Chef Ralf appeared first on Southwest FL Real Estate.

1 Pizza 12 inch pan

 Ingredients for the pizza sauce:

1 ¼  cup can tomato sauce

3 leaves finely chopped Cuban Oregano (or more!)

¼  tsp salt

½ tsp dry basil

freshly ground pepper

hint of sugar

1 clove of minced garlic, if you like

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

 Ingredients for the dough:

1 ½ cup flour

½  cup water (about 105 °F)

2 tsp active dry yeast

½  tsp salt

½ tsp sugar or honey

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

Direction:

In a medium bowl, add yeast and lukewarm water and stir well until the yeast is dissolved. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Shift the flour in the bowl and add salt, sugar/honey and olive oil. Mix well until all ingredients come together. Put the dough on your table and knead it well for 3-4 minutes to get a smooth dough. Use a little more flour if the dough is too sticky, or a little bit of water, if it is too steady.

Grease the dough a little bit and put it back in the bowl.  Wrap the bowl with plastic foil and let the dough rise on a warm place for about 30 minutes or until it has doubled in volume.

Flour the table surface and roll out the dough with the dough roller (if not available, use a clean glass bottle) until you get the size of the pan. Place the dough in the well greased pan.

Spread the tomato sauce on the dough and cover it with your favourite pizza ingredients. Finally sprinkle 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese over the top.

Bake the pizza at 425 °F for about 17 – 20 minutes, or until the dough edges are lightly golden brown. If possible, rotate the baking sheet after 10 minutes baking time by 180 degrees for more even baking.

Serve with fresh garden salad and an Italian dressing .

Wine suggestion: Red wine Tempranillo

Bon Appetite

The post Pizza with Cuban Oregano appeared first on Southwest FL Real Estate.