Written by GAIL McGLOTHIN | Photographed by APRIL McGLOTHIN-ELLER

Creating art projects and crafts is messy on my hands, but nothing gets them quite as messy as when I’m working with dough.

By the time I get through kneading and the dough is rising, flour is all over me, the counter and the floor. If I’ve scratched my nose, it’s also coated with flour.

I started working with dough when I lived in Denver. Yeast rises twice as fast at high altitudes, so making bread, sweet rolls and yeast rolls was as easy and fast as making biscuits and cornbread – all staples in a Southern diet.

With rapid rise yeast on the market, yeast-raised dough is still convenient.

Dough is a versatile medium for dinner – and for art projects. If the sculpture is not pleasing, scoop it all up and start over.

Same thing for the final baked product. If it looks bad, slice that bread up, slather it with butter, and your creation is still a winner.

Each of the following recipes are perfect for shaping and molding as described. Extra dough from the Twists can be made into a simple sweet bread your kids and grandkids will love.

Bake and make art, all at once!

Focaccia

1 package active dry yeast

4½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons salt

1 cup hot water

1 cup hot milk

¹⁄3 cup olive oil

In a large bowl, combine yeast, 2 cups flour and salt. Add hot water, hot milk and olive oil. Beat about 2 minutes until well combined. Add remaining flour ½ cup at a time until soft dough forms. The dough will be a little sticky and oily. Drizzle more olive oil over the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled.

Oil an 11x17-inch baking pan (a smaller pan will result in a thicker focaccia). Turn dough out onto the pan and use your hands to pull and push dough to fit the pan. Brush with olive oil. Decorate with slices of small red and yellow pepper, vertical slices of red onion, capers, green onion with the green top cut long ways, parsley leaves and stems, and black olives. Focaccia can be decorated any way your imagination leads you.

Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Serve at room temperature.

The origins of Focaccia date back to ancient Greece. However, regularly decorating Focaccia started within the last quarter century. Envision a blank canvas, and gather vegetables that can be turned into a flower or any other embellishment. Design and bake. What a fun addition to any dinner or party table!

Jam/Nutella Twists

(Recipe makes 3)

1½ cups warm milk

½ cup butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons salt

½ cup sugar

2 packages yeast

½ cup lukewarm water

2 eggs, beaten

About 9 cups flour

About ½ cup each spreadable jam and Nutella for filling

Pour milk over butter, salt and sugar. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and let stand until it bubbles. Add yeast and beaten eggs to the cooled milk mixture. Gradually add flour, beating it thoroughly. Add enough flour to make it an easily handled dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turn over to grease each side, cover and let rise for about 1½ hours, until doubled in size. Punch down, cut into 6 portions, and let rest.

For each Twist, place a piece of parchment paper on counter and 1 portion of dough on the paper. Roll into a 12-inch circle, cutting away excess. (I use a dinner plate as a pattern.) Spread with Nutella.

Roll out a second portion of dough the same size on a separate piece of parchment paper. Gently place it on top of the Nutella-topped piece. Using your fingers, knead the edges together. Push a small glass into the center. With a sharp knife, cut from glass to edge all the way around, making 12 equal wedges. Gently lift each wedge, twist twice and place onto paper. Lift paper onto a pizza pan or other baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Repeat with raspberry jam, thinned with a little water. When doubled, brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake about 40 minutes or until done.

Repeat with the second Twist. After taking Twists out of the oven, brush with butter, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, or make a glaze of confectioner’s sugar and milk and drizzle over each Twist.

While the Twists are rising, make a third Twist or squeeze the last two portions together to make another dish: Knead ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup very soft butter, and ½ cup raisins into the dough. Shape into a ball and place in a buttered pie plate. Cover and let rise until doubled. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until done.

Challah

1 cup lukewarm water

2 packages active dry yeast 

¼ teaspoon sugar

4 to 4½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 large egg white

¼ cup canola oil

Place water in a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over water along with ¼ teaspoon sugar, stirring to dissolve. Let stand a few minutes until yeast bubbles.

In a large bowl, stir to combine flour, sugar and salt. Beat together eggs, yolk and oil. Pour into center of flour and mix together to form dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until dough is soft and smooth.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn to oil both sides, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1½ to 2 hours.

Turn dough back onto a floured surface. Divide dough into 3 pieces; shape each into a rope 16 to 20 inches long. Squeeze the top of the three ropes together. Braid the 3 ropes by braiding the right rope over the center rope and then the left rope over the new center rope. Repeat until the end of the ropes. Keep the knots tight.

Move to a greased or parchment paper-lined baking pan. Turn the top knot and the bottom pieces under the challah. Cover and let rise about 1 hour until doubled. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk egg white with 1 tablespoon water and brush it over the challah, being sure to get into the cracks. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until deep golden brown.

Challah is also an ancient bread, traditionally served on Friday nights in Jewish homes. Challah is an easy dough to handle so creative cooks have braided and shaped it into just about any shape you can imagine. Challah leftovers make wonderful French toast and bread pudding, or just toast and jam.