Food Friday - Rolling in the Dough

from Tracey G.

The minute I looked at the cookbook Kris got me, The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila, I was in love!! First thing that hit me was the cover - I love the photograph on the front, because of course the photography is one of the main things I love about cookbooks! Like Ina Garten's cookbook photos, this book does NOT disappoint! I love all of them, they're the kind I'd love to take! So, as I looked at the photos, I then went through and fell in love with the inspiring recipes, and her lovely narratives. All in all it's a wonderful book, there's not one thing I don't like about it! I highly recommend it for many reasons!

There's a lot of recipes I want to try out of it, so I am sure you'll be hearing about them as I give them a shot, lol. The recipe that just grabbed me for the bread week was the one for homemade hamburger buns. I've made loaves of bread, cinnamon rolls, regular rolls - but I've NEVER made hamburger buns. I'd never even thought about making them, it was just something I've always bought. I read through her narrative and it inspired me to have a look-see at the recipe. Seemed easy enough, so I thought why not? I'm so glad I did - was easy as could be and tasted wonderful. Jeremy was sad that we were using them for Sloppy Joes, and not yummy grilled burgers...next time. Because yes, there will be many more next times for this recipe. I even think I'm going to make a few batches and to freeze and keep on hand!

So here's her recipe, I didn't change a thing, and it turned out perfect. I did use a rapid rise yeast, so the combining of the ingredients for me was a little different as my yeast gets combined with the flour etc., and I let my KitchenAid mixer do the kneading. I didn't have whole milk on hand, so I used the 2% I had and it still worked perfectly.  

Hamburger Buns

Makes 8 buns

1 cup warm water (about 110°F)

3 tbsp whole milk

2 tsp active dry yeast

2 tbsp sugar

3 large eggs

3 3/4 cups (1 lb, 2.75 ounces), all-purpose flour, plus additional for the counter

11/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

Optional: poppy, sesame, or caraway seeds, coarse salt

1) In a liquid measuring cup, combine the warm water, milk, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat 2 eggs in a small bowl.

2) In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Add the butter to the flour and gently rub it in with your fingers. Stir in the yeast mixture and beaten eggs until the dough starts to come together.

3) Dump the dough onto a well-floured counter and knead vigorously, folding the dough onto itself and throwing it down onto the counter. Work with it for about 10 minutes, adding additional flour when the dough gets sticky. Shape the dough into a ball and return it to its bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

4) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a knife, divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each part into a ball and arrange 2-3 inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with clean dish towel and let the buns rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours.

5) Preheat the oven to 400°F with the rack in the center. Fill a metal pan with water and set it on the oven floor or bottom rack - no exceptions, DO NOT USE GLASS! As the author warns, if you had to refill the pan by chance, and, used cold water - your glass pan would likely shatter and it would just be a bad thing all the way around!

6) In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with 1 tbsp of water and brush some of the mixture on top of the buns with a pastry brush. If you are using seeds and/or coarse salt, sprinkle them over egg wash. Place the buns in the oven and bake, turning the sheet halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

Storage:

Room temperature: covered or sealed bag, 2 days

Freezer:  cut in half lengthwise, freezer bag, 6 months

from Kris B.

Why is it that homemade bread has the reputation of being difficult or extravagant?  Bread is probably one of the easiest things to make.  Basic bread requires few ingredients and no "specialty" kitchen equipment.  It does, however, demand your time and a bit of patience.  Bread needs a little TLC during its "growing" process.  Maybe that is the part pf the recipe with which people find to be the stumbling block.  IMHO, there is nothing that feels and tastes better than a warm loaf of homemade bread.

This is a fairly basic bread recipe with an additional step or two to add the cinnamon swirl.  For many, any step that causes the addition of cinnamon to a baked item is well worth the effort!  I like this recipe in particular because not only does it have the swirl of cinnamon and brown sugar goodness, the bread dough itself also has a touch a cinnamon.  Toasted with some peanut butter, and of course accompanied by a cup of coffee, this bread makes my early mornings not so bad!

INGREDIENTS
1 TBS butter
1/2 Cup butter
2 TBS white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 warm water
2 1/2 + 1/2 all purpose flour

Filling
4 TBS soft butter
4 TBS white sugar
2 TBS brown sugar
1 1/2 TBS ground cinnamon

In a small saucepan, warm the milk and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar. salt, and cinnamon.  Add the warmed butter mixture to these dry ingredients.

In a small glass bowl, mix the yeast into the warm water until the yeast is dissolved.  Pour the yeast mixture into the ingredients in the large mixing bowl.  Add 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour.  Mix until incorporated.  Dump the dough into a floured board and knead for five to eight minutes.

Place the dough into a greased bowl.  Turn the dough so that all sides are covered.  Cover with a clean towel and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size.  This usually takes about an hour.

Punch down the dough and knead for one minute.  Roll out into a rectangle whose small side is the size of your baking pan. For the filling, spread the rectangle with the soft butter.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the rectangle of dough.

Roll the dough from the short end and place, with the seam side down, in a buttered 9x5 loaf pan.  Allow the loaf to rise again until doubled in size, 30-45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Before placing the bread in the oven, score with three slashes in the top of the loaf.  Bake for 35 minutes or until tapping on the loaf results in a hollow sound.  Remove from pan and allow the loaf to cool on a wire rack.

Serve plain or toasted with butter, apple butter, pumpkin butter, peanut butter, or just eat it plain.  However you slice it, it is good!  And FYI, my daughter has her eyes on what is left of our loaf for bread pudding.