French Bread

1.5 cups warm water
1.5 tsp salt
4 c. bread flour
3 tsp yeast
2 tsp vital wheat gluten (optional)

I use the French/ Italian bread setting and take the dough out after the first rise. (You can also let the machine bake the dough but I prefer to make a couple of large baguettes and bake on my pizza stone dusted with a little cornmeal for texture. )

Once you shape into baguettes or loaves or breadsticks, let the dough rise until at least double.

Bake at 350 degrees until brown.

Vegan Ravioli

For the pasta
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour (or 2 cups all-purpose)
1 egg replacer mixture
Enough water to make the dough - probably about 1/2 cup.
I used my Kitchenaid mixer to do the dough and added just enough water for the dough to wrap together around the beater. Then I left it on slow for a few minutes to let it knead.
Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for a few minutes.

For the filling - I used my food processor
12 oz pkg silken tofu
egg replacer for 2 eggs
garlic
salt
pepper
parsley
Italian seasoning
1 small can mushrooms, drained
cooked spinach
I prepared everything except the spinach and tasted to make sure I had it like I wanted it. I was shooting for the "cheesy" part of lasagna. Once the flavor was right, I added about a cup of cooked, drained spinach and processed it again to blend everything well.

On the stove - put on a big pot of water to boil.

Back to the pasta:
I rolled this out on a piece of parchment paper dusted with just a little flour. Also, it's easier to work with smaller amounts of the dough since it needs to be so thin - so I divided the dough in quarters and worked with one at a time.
Roll this THIN! Very thin! I turned it over a couple of times and dusted just a little bit of flour to make it not sticky. Then rolled it some more. Did I mention to roll it THIN? :)

Once it is rolled out thin, I used a biscuit cutter to cut the ravioli. Remember, you need 2 circles for each one. I dipped my finger in some water and ran it around the edges of the circles to dampen so they will stick together. It took just a small spoon of the filling in the center of the circle. I put a circle on top and sealed it with a fork just around the edges.

When I had cut all the circles that would fit in that portion, I took the rest and covered it back up. Once I had completed all the quarters, I combined all the scraps and rolled them out too.

Cook 4 or 5 at a time in the boiling water. They will float pretty quickly. I probably left them in the water 5 minutes after they floated. Drain well, and serve with your favorite pasta sauce.

I boiled some of these, baked some on a cookie sheet, and cooked a couple in a non-stick skillet. They were pretty good all 3 ways - but really the best boiled and served in a traditional manner.

This will be an awesome meal with a nice salad and some french bread.

By the way, I had aLOT of filling left. Think I'll use it for some vegan lasagna. :)