St. Peter's Keys (Key Shaped Pretzels)

My family is currently studying The Primacy of Peter with a Papal Unit Study and Lap Book as we say goodbye to our dear Holy Father, Pope Benedict, and prepare to welcome our next Pope!  

Over the past few days we have been focusing on St. Peter, The First Pope.   Tomorrow we will move on to Pope Benedict and other popes from the past, before moving on to learn more about the Hierarchy of the Catholic Church, the Papal Elections, and more!   You can find all the details over on my other blog, Shower of Roses.  

This afternoon for a fun, but still Lenten approved (since we gave up sweets), treat we made St. Peter's Keys out of pretzel dough, inspired by Lacy's Edible Papal Flag.   My children always enjoy creating various traditional symbolic shapes out of bread dough for the feast of St. Joseph, so I knew this would be a hit!

St. Peter's Keys

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 package yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 cups flour
• 1 egg (optional)

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Add the sugar and salt.  Mix in the flour and knead until the dough is smooth.  

Let the children shape the dough into key shapes and place on baking sheet.  

Brush the dough with a beaten egg for a golden finish. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 425˚F for 15 minutes.

Let the children color pictures of our first Pope and Pope Benedict XVI while they enjoy their pretzels and listen to a few chapters about the life of St. Peter, The Man Who Never Died! 

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Lenten Fish Dinner: Tilapia, Spinach, and Couscous

The following Lenten dinner was submitted by Eliana Murphy. Thank you Eliana!

This healthy dinner works well for any day requiring abstinence from meat, so for those Catholics who observe abstinence on all Fridays of the year, instead of offering a substitute sacrifice, it does not have to be used only during Lent.  It could be served with a green salad, and afterwards, grapes could be served.

Baked Tilapia

2 lbs. of thawed tilapia, basa swai, cod, or other white fish fillets
McCormick California Style Coarse Grind Lemon-Pepper Blend (This type of lemon-pepper does not have artificial coloring and preservatives, unlike other lemon pepper blends.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse fish fillets and arrange in metal or glass rectangular baking dish. Add enough water to lightly cover the bottom of the pan (but not enough to drown the fillets!). Sprinkle with McCormick California Style Coarse Grind Lemon-Pepper Blend. Cover pan with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.


Fresh Garlic Spinach

1/2 or 1 head of garlic
2 bunches of fresh spinach leaves* (if you are short on time you may use 2 large bags of pre-washed baby spinach)
Olive oil

Peel garlic cloves. Rinse spinach very carefully to remove dirt and gravel if not already pre-rinsed. Use a large covered pot (7-10 qt) to cook this dish because the spinach leaves take up a lot of space until they cook down. Pour enough olive oil into the pot to cover the bottom, and add the garlic cloves. Saute for a few minutes on medium-high, then add the spinach leaves and a tiny amount of water, cover the pot, and cook until the spinach is wet and tender (approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally). If you are cooking a larger amount, you may have to add the spinach in batches and allow it to cook down before adding more.


Vegetable Couscous

5 or more garlic cloves
1 onion
2 zucchini
1/2 cup or 1 cup of sliced carrots (carrot chips, shredded carrots, or sliced baby carrots also work)
Olive oil
2 cups pearl couscous (you can also use regular couscous, but the water proportion and cook time is different from pearl couscous.)
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

Peel and slice the garlic and onion. Slice the zuccini (I prefer to slice the zucchini in half lengthwise, then slice horizontally to get smaller pieces) and the carrots. Pour enough olive oil into a 4 1/2 qt pot to cover the bottom. Saute the garlic, onion, carrots, and zuchini for five minutes over medium-high heat. Add the couscous and saute a few minutes more (add more olive oil if necessary to prevent sticking). Add the 4 cups of water, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and cover and simmer until couscous is fluffy and the water is all absorbed, about 15 minutes. If you wish to have a greater proportion of couscous to vegetables, use 2 1/2 cups of couscous and five cups of water. For a quick version, substitute garlic and onion powder to taste for the fresh garlic and onion.

 For the sake of His sorrowful passion, 

have mercy on us and on the whole world.

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Lemony Sunshine Cupcakes (easy peasy!)

photo source


Today is the feast of Blessed Francisco and Jacinta Marta, visionaries at Fatima.

A few years ago I created these Lemony Sunshine Cupcakes for the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima and they were so easy and yummy, I am creating them again today.

As you know, it was at Fatima, during Our Lady's apparitions, that the miracle of the sun occurred, and thus images of the sun are often used as symbols of Fatima.

I saw the recipe for these Sunshine Cupcakes made on the Food Network as the winner of a recipe contest. We all love lemon desserts at our house, so I knew these cupcakes would be well-liked. I hung on to the recipe and the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima seamed like the perfect opportunity.

The cupcakes did not disappoint. They are very lemony, and though I'm a huge cake snob, they tasted pretty darned good for a doctored box mix. I love the lemon curd in the very center, and the shortbread cookie crust. They are really sort of a mini cake tart, if ever there was such a thing. The cake is moist and tangy, but perfectly complimented by the gooey lemon curd and the sweet, crunchy crust. I altered the recipe only in that I used all the crumb mixture for the crust because I wanted the tops to be bright yellow and sunny, with the spot of curd unobstructed.

Lemony Sunshine Cupcakes

makes 18 cupcakes

Printer version

1 1/3 cups shortbread cookie crumbs, (I used one bag Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies or you could use Lorna Doone)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 T. unsalted butter, melted

For the batter:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable oil (or canola or sunflower or safflower)

1/4 cup water

1 small box (3.4 ounce) instant lemon pudding

1 (18.25 ounce) box lemon cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Super Moist)

1/3 cup lemon curd (store bought or homemade)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard muffin tins with 16 cupcake liners; set aside.

Place shortbread cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl; stir until well combined; set aside. Place a slightly heaping tablespoon of shortbread cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use your fingers or the bottom of a small glass to firmly pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining shortbread cookie crumb mixture for topping. (I used all of it in the bottoms.)

In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix just until combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add vegetable oil, water, and the box of lemon pudding. Mix until combined. Add cake mix and beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Batter will be thick.

Use a 1/4 cup spring loaded ice cream scoop and place a level scoop full of batter into each muffin cup.

Scoop the lemon curd into a small sandwich-size resealable bag. Squeeze the curd to 1 corner of the bag and use scissors to snip a 1/4-inch piece from corner of bag.

With a damp finger or the end of a wooden spoon dipped in water, make a shallow indentation into the center of each cupcake. Pipe 3/4 to 1 teaspoon lemon curd into each indentation. Sprinkle tops of cupcakes evenly with remaining shortbread cookie crumbs (if desired).

Bake for 21 to 23 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, until edges of cupcakes are lightly golden brown.

Serve cupcakes warm from the oven or at room temperature.

Source: Food Network

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Viva Cristo Rey!

Congratulations to Landreneau Family!  You're number was chosen as the winner of our recent Cristeros Apron Giveaway sponsored by Catholic Embroidery!  I'll be contacting you soon.

Thank you all for your participation in this giveaway.  Thank you also to everyone who continues to shop our Apron Page here at Catholic Cuisine!  May you all have a blessed and fruitful Lenten season as we prepare for Easter!

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Restorative Vegetable Broth

The following recipe was submitted by Veronica Gantley, from My Catholic Kitchen.  Thank you Veronica! 

Here is a simple broth to make on Ash Wednesday or on Good Friday when we are fasting and are so mindful of our food consumption.  It is also great for when you are sick.

Restorative Vegetable Broth

Ingredients: 

• 2 large portabella mushrooms coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots coarsely chopped
• 2 ribs of celery coarsely chopped
• 3 ounces of prunes
• 4 garlic cloves smashed
• 4 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

Directions:

In a 6 quart stock pot add the mushrooms, carrots, celery, prunes, and garlic.

Add water and bring to a boil. Add salt, pepper and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low and barely simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Skim any foam from the surface as it boils. Strain broth and discard solids.

Note: The broth will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 6 months.

You can also find the recipe for Fasting Bread and other recipes for Lent in the archives! 

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A Healthy St. Valentine's Day Treat!

As I mentioned in my last post, we have been trying to come up with some alternatives to the usual candy treats for St. Valentine's Day this year, since it falls during Lent.  I originally ran across this idea over at Happy Money Saver and decided to create my own document incorporating St. Valentine into the greeting for one of my children to assemble and give to his friends at our St. Valentine's Party and Card Exchange this Thursday.

Here is our Document:  

St. Valentine's Day Cutie Printable

Some of the other non-candy treats we will be giving away this year include bags of pretzels, goldfish, fruit snacks, and fruit leathers.   

I'm so thankful that at least St. Valentine's Day is not on Ash Wednesday or on a Friday...  How does your family celebrate St. Valentine's Day when it falls during Lent?  

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May you be CEREALsly blessed...

With St. Valentine's Day during Lent this year, my children have been trying to come up with some alternatives to the usual candy treats they give to their friends at our annual St. Valentine's Day party and card exchange!  There are many great ideas and printables to be found online, but since we prefer our cards to include references to "St. Valentine" I have been making a few of our own and thought I'd share them with you all.  

After seeing this idea online, I picked up a case of individual cereal boxes at Costco last week for my oldest daughter to give on St. Valentine's Day. We decided to change the suggested text from "I CEREALsly Like You!" to "I pray that you are CEREALsly blessed this St. Valentine's Day!"   

My daughter cut out each of the tags with my 1 1/2" circle punch, punched a tiny hole on one side, and side them, along with a plastic spoon, on to the cereal box with some white ribbon.   They turned out so cute and she is very excited to share them with her friends! 

 

(We started with these) Version One (I pray that you are...) Downloads:

CEREALsly Blessed in Red

CEREALsly Blessed in Pink

(But decided we liked these better) Version Two (May you be...) Downloads:

CEREALsly Blessed in Red

CEREALsly Blessed in Pink

This would also be a fun treat to surprise your children with on 

St. Valentine's Day!  

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Mardi Gras Beignets

Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday." It is held on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.  

Last October, when my girls were studying the state of Louisiana, we made Beignets!   We used a recipe from a friend of mine who lives in Louisiana (Thank you Aimee!) which was so easy and yummy.   We decided to make them again today as our Mardi Gras treat!

Mardi Gras Beignets

Ingredients:

• Rhodes Frozen Dinner Rolls
• Oil for Frying
• Powdered Sugar

Directions:

Thaw dinner rolls according to directions.

When they've risen to the size of dinner rolls, heat up canola or vegetable oil in a frying pan.  Using kitchen scissors, cut each roll in half and then poke a hole in the center for even frying.

Fry until golden brown on each side and drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar.

You can find additional recipes for Shrove Tuesday in the archives. 

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Cocoa Pebbles Grotto for Our Lady of Lourdes

A number of years ago I shared the recipe and directions for the Our Lady of Lourdes"Fruity Pebbles" Grotto.   We made another version a couple years ago using Cocoa Pebbles, which my children preferred since it looked more like a real grotto to them.  This year they used Cocoa Pebbles once again, and a small statue of Our Lady instead of one of our hand-painted saints.   I've heated some water for some French Vanilla Hot Cocoa to enjoy while we read Bernadette: The Little Girl from Lourdes.

Cocoa Pebbles Grotto 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick Butter 
• 10.5 oz. Marshmallows
• 8 1/2 cups Cocoa Pebbles Cereal

Directions:

Line a 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan and grease lightly.

In a large pan, melt butter. Add marshmallows, stirring constantly until melted.  (We used a bag of leftover pumpkin marshmallows that needed to be used.) 

Add cereal; mix well. (Grease your spoon or spatula before mixing.)

Place cereal mixture into pan. Top with parchment paper and press mixture firmly into pan. Remove parchment and allow mixture to cool.

Before completley cooled (read: still pliable), lift cereal bars from pan using foil handles, and cut into 18 squares (or rectangles). A pizza cutter works well for this task.

Use four squares for the back wall of the grotto and one square cut in half for the floor. Build up the walls with all but four of the remaining squares. Mold three squares into the roof and cut the last square in half to add to the sides of the roof. You may need to play around with it a little bit and trim the edges if you'd like.    Note: As you can see, my children didn't follow the directions exactly this year, but it still turned out cute!  

Place a Statue of Our Lady of Lourdes inside the Grotto.

Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of the Church, 

Pray for us.

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French Onion Rice

The following recipe was submitted by Lori from Living A Learning Lifestyle in honor of today's feast of Our Lady of Lourdes!  Thank you Lori! 

In honor of Our Lady of Our Lourdes, France we are having this delicious dish.  It’s super easy to make and would also be appropriate for any French Saint's Feast Day.

French Onion Rice

1 cup of uncooked white rice
1 can French Onion Soup Mix
1 can Beef Consomme
1/2 stick of butter

Mix the first three ingredients together in round baking dish. Then slice butter into pats and arrange on top. Cover and cook at 350 for 1 hour.

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The New Cristeros Apron {and a Giveaway!}

Catholic Embroidery has just launched another beautiful and inspiring apron! I've added it to our list of Catholic Aprons available to order right here from Catholic Cuisine, or you can purchase one directly from the link below.  Now is a great time to order an apron to give as an Easter gift next month, perhaps this new Cristeros Apron paired with the inspiring film For Greater Glory?!

Cristeros Apron - $29.95

Embroidered with our Cross and Crown design and soul-stirring cry, "Viva Cristo Rey!" in honor of Christ the King in colors evoking remembrance to Our Lady's Tilma. 

Also, in honor of today's anniversary of the martyrdom of Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio, Catholic Embroidery has generously offered to give away one of these aprons to a Catholic Cuisine reader!

To enter this give-away:

Click on over to our Apron Page and check out all the gorgeous kitchen products created by Catholic Embroidery and then leave a comment on this post before Midnight (PST) on Saturday, February 16th. Be sure to leave your email address, or have it linked in your profile, so that I am able to contact the winner.

BONUS:  Share this giveaway on either your own blog or Facebook page and come back and let me know that you did by leaving a second comment for an extra entry!

Note: Those that contribute here at Catholic Cuisine are welcome to enter as well. The winner will be announced on Sunday, February 17th.

Viva Cristo Rey! 

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A St. Valentine's Day Dinner

The following meal suggestion for a St. Valentine's Day dinner was submitted by Eliana Murphy.  Thank you Eliana! 

I found this recipe for a heart-shaped meatloaf back in the mid-90's and thought it would make a charming St. Valentine's Day meal. Together with the salad and some steamed veggies, it could form a wonderful part of St. Valentine's feast! The pictures are from when I prepared it six years ago for some friends at my grad school apartment.

Strawberry Hearts Salad

In keeping with the heart theme, I would suggest making a strawberry spinach salad with fresh baby spinach leaves and sliced strawberries. Other topping suggestions include gorgonzola, brie, almonds, carmelized pecans or red onion. My family normally just buys a berry dressing at the store, but if you feel like making your own, many cooking sites such as this one offer homemade dressing recipes for strawberry-spinach salad.

A Heart-Shaped St. Valentine's Meatloaf

This meatloaf has a nice Italian flavor to it and is an easy dinner for St. Valentines Day that the kids can help to make! Just make sure those little helpers wash their hands well before and after mixing the meatloaf...  The recipe is adapted from Mom's Magic Meatloaf from the Sunset Magazine Low Cholesterol Cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dry basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 egg whites
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce
• 2 pounds ground lean top round
• 3 pounds thin-skinned potatoes (each about 3 inches in diameter)
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, basil, pepper, egg whites, garlic, and 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Add beef and mix lightly. In a rimmed shallow baking pan (about 10 inches in diameter), shape mixture into a 2-inch-thick heart. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven; carefully drain fat from pan, then top loaf with remaining tomato sauce. Bake for 15 more minutes.

While meatloaf is baking, place potatoes in a 3 to 4-quart pan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat; then reduce heat, cover, and boil gently until potatoes are tender when pierced (about 20 minutes). Drain and peel. Mash with a potato masher or electric mixer until smooth; slowly beat in milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer meat loaf to serving plate. With a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe potatoes around meat loaf. (Or simply spoon potatoes around loaf.) Makes 8 servings.

This meatloaf goes well with steamed vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, California blend, frozen artichoke hearts(!), etc.

Heart Shaped Cookies

A nice dessert for this meal would be heart-shaped Linzer cookies!  I made these a couple of years ago but unfortunately cannot find any pictures from that time to share.

Prayer to Saint Valentine

Dear Lord, who art high in the Heavens, giver of Love and Passion, and He who strings the heart’s cords, lead the Lovers this day, February ten plus four. The day during the month of two, when the date is the perfect number of God greater two souls and two hearts. Some Loves are fleeting, but that which is built on you will never fail. So guide the Lovers to know what is to be. Your truths the Lovers’ mouths should speak, for Your truth is that which is honest to the heart. Only this, then, should pass over the red lips of the Lovers. Your art, the Lovers simply a medium. It is only with True Hearts that You can create a Masterpiece, So let the Lovers remember that their Soul’s Desire is the one for which You light their Fire. And let it be You who creates the Art of the Lovers; The art of two into one. Amen.

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African Inspired Meal for St. Josephine Bakhita

The memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita is celebrated on February 8th.   This African inspired dinner was made last year in her honor and submitted by Dust Thou Art.  Since February 8th falls on a Friday this year, a Vegetarian Peanut Curry might be a nice alternative to the African Peanut Chicken.

An African Inspired Meal for St. Josephine Bakhita

African Peanut Chicken (in the slow cooker)

Roasted Cinnamon Squash (in the oven)

Sudani Rice (in the rice cooker)

African Peanut Chicken
Serves 4 (Fed two adults and a toddler with plenty leftover, so I'm just guessing)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs skinless bone-in chicken drumsticks and thighs (or equivalent amount of boneless chicken)
• 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 1/2 onion (I slice it large so The Husband can pick it out, but if you're cooking for an onion loving crew feel free to increase the amount of onion and chop or mince it)
• 1 small can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cloves sliced garlic
• cumin, cumin seeds, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper (maybe 1 tsp each, or to taste)
• chili powder, salt (optional)

Directions:

Put everything in slow cooker and turn to high for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through. (If you cook for a longer time on low, the chicken will fall apart and you'll need to fish out the bones. If you want more like shredded chicken, I would recommend using boneless thighs.)


Roasted Cinnamon Squash

Ingredients: 

• winter squash or pumpkin (I used kabocha)
• olive oil
• cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Slice winter squash in 1/2 inch to inch thick pieces. Place in a single layer in a shallow dish and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. Put in oven for 20-30 minutes depending on thickness of slices.


Sudani Rice (in the rice cooker)
Adapted from here

Ingredients:

• rice
• turmeric, coriander, cardamom
• butter

Directions:

Wash rice. Before adding in the correct amount of water per cooker instructions, put in a pinch each of turmeric, coriander, and cardamom. You may want to make the rice a little dryer than usual since you'll be serving it with butter/sauce. The turmeric will give the rice a beautiful golden color.

You can also cook it on the stove top according to the directions on the package (whether you're using regular, parboiled, or instant will affect the cooking time). Just add the spices with the water.

Mix with butter or allow people to add their own butter. (Or top with the sauce from the peanut chicken. Or both!)

O God, who led Saint Josephine Bakhita from abject slavery to the dignity of being your daughter and a bride of Christ, grant, we pray, that by her example we may show constant love for the Lord Jesus crucified, remaining steadfast in charity and prompt to show compassion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Candlemas Cookies with Drip Plates

‎"All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle." ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Traditionally called Candlemas, candles are blessed on this day to help us remember the words of holy Simeon who called the babe in his arms, "A light to lighten the gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel."

For years now our family has been making Candlemas Cookies to celebrate this feast day, and every year they turn out a little differently. The first year we tried our best to balance them on top of a cookie base, one year we inserted them into the middle of Pinwheel Cookies, and last year we made Candlemas Cookie Cupcakes.

This year I decided to try and make our Candlemas Cookies with Drip Plates!   They were so easy to make and turned out great! I think this is my favorite version yet, and it is definitely one of the easiest.

Candlemas Cookies with Drip Plates

Ingredients:

• Pirouette Cookies
• Fudge Stripes Cookies
• Marshmallows 
• Red, Yellow, and Orange Sugar Sprinkles
• White Candy Melts or White Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Prepare the candle flames using marshmallows and sprinkles.   It is easiest to use one mini marshmallow to create two flames, by slicing the marshmallow diagonally and then dipping the exposed sticky center into the sprinkles.  I was out of mini marshmallows, but was able to use just one large marshmallow (cutting corners off at an angle) to create the six flames I needed.  

Melt the white candy melts and stir.   Fill a small baggie with the melted candy and snip off a corner. 

Prepare the cookies by inserting one of the Pirouette Cookies into the hole of one of the Fudge Stripes cookies.  We choose to have the stripes facing downward. 

Squeeze a little of the white candy around the bottom of the hole in the cookie, which will attach the two cookies together once the candy hardens.  

Add white candy drips down the edges of the Pirouette Cookie to create "wax drips."

With a dab of white candy on the top of the cookie, attach the marshmallow "flame."

TIP:  If the white candy hardens inside the baggie before you are finished just pop it back in the microwave.

Hold the cookie for a few minutes to allow the white candy to harden.  

All done!

Don't forget to save the rest of the Pirouettes to make some of Charlotte's St. Blaise's Cookies tomorrow!

Happy Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord, 

and Happy Candlemas Day!

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Traditional Irish Soda Bread

For the Feast of St. Brigid today or the Feast of St. Patrick later or any of our wonderful Irish saints. This recipe is so easy, I usually have it ready to go in the pan before the oven has finished preheating!

White Soda Bread

4 cups (16 oz) of all purpose flour.

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon salt

14 oz of buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425 F. degrees.  Lightly grease a 2 inch tall cake pan or use a Dutch oven. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. I like to give it a good mix with a mixing spoon. Add the buttermilk to form a sticky dough.  Place on floured surface and lightly knead. DOn't get heavy handed with it! Too much kneading and the gas escapes making your bread heavy and thick like a brick. Shape into a round flat shape in a round cake pan and cut a cross in the top of the dough.

Cover the pan with another pan and bake for 30 minutes (this simulates the bastible pot) if you aren't using a Dutch oven.

Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. It turns out a delicious, rugged crunchy outside but a soft, melt in your mouth inside. The bottom of the bread will have a hollow sound when tapped so show it is done. Cover the bread in a tea towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to keep the bread moist. Slice it thick while it's still warm or let it cool completely and you can slice it thinner. Don't forget the butter!

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