Barbecue Chicken Sandwich Rolls

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Jessica of The Inquiring Chef.  Do you know that she lives in Thailand?  So lucky!  I absolutely love Thai food and I can only imagine the wonderful access she must have to both the food and the exotic ingredients to make it.

Her blog is filled with yummy recipes that she came up with herself and it was with great joy that I chose to make her Barbecue Chicken Sandwich  Rolls.  In case you didn't know, she grew up in Kansas with some great barbecue so these rolls are part of her personality and I wanted to showcase that.  Besides, I love barbecue myself as well as baking bread, so this recipe was perfect for me.

I had some chicken tenders in my freezer, so I poached those and used them instead of roasted chicken.  I also made my own barbecue sauce instead of using storebought.  In addition, I changed the method of making the rolls a little, but otherwise, kept the recipe the same.

Eating these rolls reminded me of my favorite baked char siu bao (now I totally want to fill them with char siu aka Chinese barbecued pork).  The rolls were super fluffy and soft, slightly sweet, and paired deliciously with the barbecue chicken filling on the inside.  My only regret is that I didn't use more filling in the rolls.  But, even then, my family declared this recipe to be fantastic and they thoroughly enjoyed eating them.  I would love to try these rolls with other fillings in them, the char siu for instance or curried chicken or even sloppy joe filling.  The possibilities are endless.

And, speaking of possibilities, since I'm very much a sweets person, I went ahead and filled some of the buns with leftover chocolate ganache that I had in my fridge.  Voila!  Chocolate filled sweet buns.  Spread them with some raspberry jam and ohhh so good.  So, if you do what I did, you'll have dinner and dessert with one recipe.  Can't beat that.

Thanks Jessica for your delicious recipe.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich Rolls (adapted from The Inquiring Chef)

3 Tbsp. warm milk (I used yogurt)
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water 
2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar (I increased this to 4 Tbsp.)
3 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour (plus about ½ cup extra for shaping the rolls) (I used 1 c. bread flour + 2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour)
1 tsp. salt
2 ½ Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs (separated – 1 for dough and 1 for egg wash)
2 cups shredded and roughly chopped, roasted chicken (I used poached chicken breasts)
½ cup barbecue sauce (can use storebought or your own homemade sauce)

Combine the warm water with the yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 min. till foamy.  Combine the yeast mixture with the melted butter, sugar, milk or yogurt, and the egg and mix well.  Add 1 cup of bread flour and the salt and mix well.  Add the rest of the flour and mix well till combined.  Knead the dough as best as you can until it forms a smooth ball.  Put the dough into a well-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

Combine the chicken with the barbecue sauce and mix well.     

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Using lightly floured hands, remove 1/4 of the risen dough and gently roll it into a cylinder, approximately 8 inches long.  (The dough will be quite sticky, but add only as much flour as you need to prevent it from sticking to your hands.)  Using a knife or dough scraper, cut the cylinder of dough into 8 even pieces. Flatten each piece into a circle. Drop one teaspoon of the chicken mixture into the center of each dough circle. Pull the sides of the dough around the filling and twist them together firmly to seal the chicken inside. Place each filled roll, seam-side down on parchement paper.

Let sit until doubled in size, about 30 min.  Preheat oven to 350F.  
 
Brush the top of each roll liberally with a beaten egg.

Bake until the surface of the rolls are golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note:  Alternately, you could fill each piece of dough with a teaspoon of chilled chocolate ganache.  







 

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich Rolls

Posted by admin No comments

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Jessica of The Inquiring Chef.  Do you know that she lives in Thailand?  So lucky!  I absolutely love Thai food and I can only imagine the wonderful access she must have to both the food and the exotic ingredients to make it.

Her blog is filled with yummy recipes that she came up with herself and it was with great joy that I chose to make her Barbecue Chicken Sandwich  Rolls.  In case you didn't know, she grew up in Kansas with some great barbecue so these rolls are part of her personality and I wanted to showcase that.  Besides, I love barbecue myself as well as baking bread, so this recipe was perfect for me.

I had some chicken tenders in my freezer, so I poached those and used them instead of roasted chicken.  I also made my own barbecue sauce instead of using storebought.  In addition, I changed the method of making the rolls a little, but otherwise, kept the recipe the same.

Eating these rolls reminded me of my favorite baked char siu bao (now I totally want to fill them with char siu aka Chinese barbecued pork).  The rolls were super fluffy and soft, slightly sweet, and paired deliciously with the barbecue chicken filling on the inside.  My only regret is that I didn't use more filling in the rolls.  But, even then, my family declared this recipe to be fantastic and they thoroughly enjoyed eating them.  I would love to try these rolls with other fillings in them, the char siu for instance or curried chicken or even sloppy joe filling.  The possibilities are endless.

And, speaking of possibilities, since I'm very much a sweets person, I went ahead and filled some of the buns with leftover chocolate ganache that I had in my fridge.  Voila!  Chocolate filled sweet buns.  Spread them with some raspberry jam and ohhh so good.  So, if you do what I did, you'll have dinner and dessert with one recipe.  Can't beat that.

Thanks Jessica for your delicious recipe.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich Rolls (adapted from The Inquiring Chef)

3 Tbsp. warm milk (I used yogurt)
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water 
2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar (I increased this to 4 Tbsp.)
3 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour (plus about ½ cup extra for shaping the rolls) (I used 1 c. bread flour + 2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour)
1 tsp. salt
2 ½ Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs (separated – 1 for dough and 1 for egg wash)
2 cups shredded and roughly chopped, roasted chicken (I used poached chicken breasts)
½ cup barbecue sauce (can use storebought or your own homemade sauce)

Combine the warm water with the yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 min. till foamy.  Combine the yeast mixture with the melted butter, sugar, milk or yogurt, and the egg and mix well.  Add 1 cup of bread flour and the salt and mix well.  Add the rest of the flour and mix well till combined.  Knead the dough as best as you can until it forms a smooth ball.  Put the dough into a well-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

Combine the chicken with the barbecue sauce and mix well.     

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Using lightly floured hands, remove 1/4 of the risen dough and gently roll it into a cylinder, approximately 8 inches long.  (The dough will be quite sticky, but add only as much flour as you need to prevent it from sticking to your hands.)  Using a knife or dough scraper, cut the cylinder of dough into 8 even pieces. Flatten each piece into a circle. Drop one teaspoon of the chicken mixture into the center of each dough circle. Pull the sides of the dough around the filling and twist them together firmly to seal the chicken inside. Place each filled roll, seam-side down on parchement paper.

Let sit until doubled in size, about 30 min.  Preheat oven to 350F.  
 
Brush the top of each roll liberally with a beaten egg.

Bake until the surface of the rolls are golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note:  Alternately, you could fill each piece of dough with a teaspoon of chilled chocolate ganache.  







 

Pumpkin Fantail Cinnamon Rolls

I'm a longtime follower of Barbara's blog, Barbara Bakes, so it was one sweet surprise to be assigned to her for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  I gave a lot of thought to what I'd choose from her blog, starting out with about a dozen recipes, then halving the list to six, then three.  It came down to the Pumpkin Fantail Cinnamon Rolls, the Chocolate Fudge Butterfinger Cookies, and her lovely Snickerdoodle Bread. 

Though it was hard to choose, I decided on the Pumpkin Fantail Cinnamon Rolls.  After all, I love baking yeast breads, I love pumpkin, and there is nothing more decadent than a cinnamon roll.  Plus, I just had to try that gorgeous fantail look.

If you've ever made pull-apart bread before, these will be a snap to make.  The only difference is that you put the pieces into muffin cups so, instead of one big loaf, you have a little mini one that can fit in the palm of your hand.  So fun!

I did make a couple changes to the recipe by adding some spices to the dough as well as using brown sugar instead of white.  I also used water instead of milk, but that was because I didn't have any milk in the house at the time.  Still, the rolls came out fantastic.  They were soft, they were fluffy, they were deliciously caramelized on the outside.  Then, as the icing on the cake, or the bread, I should say, you top them off with a sweet cream cheese icing.  Finally, with a roll in your hand (or maybe one in each hand), you pull off one cinnamony-sugary piece after another and put it into your mouth, savoring every bite.  Although they do take some time and effort to make, they are so worth it.  Mmmm, irresistible!

Thanks Barbara for one super recipe! 

Pumpkin Fantail Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from Barbara Bakes)

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour (I used all-purpose)
2 3/4 c. bread flour
1/4 c. sugar (I used 1/2 c. brown sugar)
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk, warm (105F - 110F) (I used water)
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3/4 c. canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg 
1 large egg

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Cream Cheese Icing:
3 oz. cream cheese, room temeprature
1 c. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk (I omitted this)
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 

Combine the yeast with the warm milk and a pinch of sugar and let sit until foamy, about 5 min.  Stir in the sugar, melted butter, pumpkin puree, vanilla, salt, spices, and the egg and mix to combine.  Mix in the all-purpose flour.  Add in the bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until the dough no longer sticks to the bottom of the bowl.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 min.  

Put the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a dishwtowel, and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour (I put mine into the fridge to rise for about 4 hours).  

While the dough is rising, make the cinnamon-sugar filling.  Grease 12 muffin cups with butter.  

After the dough has risen, punch it down.  Divide it in half and roll into a 12" square.  Spread half the butter evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with half the cinnamon-sugar filling.  Press the cinnamon-sugar into the butter.  


Cut dough in to six strips, each 2 inches wide with a pizza cutter. Stack strips, buttered sides up, and cut crosswise into six 2 inch pieces with bench scraper.

Carefully place each piece, cut edges up, in a muffin cup. Separate outer layers of each roll to fan outward. Make more rolls with remaining dough in same manner.

Loosely cover muffin pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, 30 to 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F

Bake 18 to 22 minutes until rolls are golden brown. Cover the top with foil if rolls are browning too quickly. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. While bread is cooling, make the icing.

For the icing: In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the pumpkin pie spice and beat until incorporated. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add the milk slowly, a little at a time until the icing is the desired consistency.

Drizzle icing over warm rolls or serve in bowls for dipping. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Fantail Cinnamon Rolls

Posted by admin No comments

I'm a longtime follower of Barbara's blog, Barbara Bakes, so it was one sweet surprise to be assigned to her for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  I gave a lot of thought to what I'd choose from her blog, starting out with about a dozen recipes, then halving the list to six, then three.  It came down to the Pumpkin Fantail Cinnamon Rolls, the Chocolate Fudge Butterfinger Cookies, and her lovely Snickerdoodle Bread. 

Though it was hard to choose, I decided on the Pumpkin Fantail Cinnamon Rolls.  After all, I love baking yeast breads, I love pumpkin, and there is nothing more decadent than a cinnamon roll.  Plus, I just had to try that gorgeous fantail look.

If you've ever made pull-apart bread before, these will be a snap to make.  The only difference is that you put the pieces into muffin cups so, instead of one big loaf, you have a little mini one that can fit in the palm of your hand.  So fun!

I did make a couple changes to the recipe by adding some spices to the dough as well as using brown sugar instead of white.  I also used water instead of milk, but that was because I didn't have any milk in the house at the time.  Still, the rolls came out fantastic.  They were soft, they were fluffy, they were deliciously caramelized on the outside.  Then, as the icing on the cake, or the bread, I should say, you top them off with a sweet cream cheese icing.  Finally, with a roll in your hand (or maybe one in each hand), you pull off one cinnamony-sugary piece after another and put it into your mouth, savoring every bite.  Although they do take some time and effort to make, they are so worth it.  Mmmm, irresistible!

Thanks Barbara for one super recipe! 

Pumpkin Fantail Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from Barbara Bakes)

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour (I used all-purpose)
2 3/4 c. bread flour
1/4 c. sugar (I used 1/2 c. brown sugar)
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk, warm (105F - 110F) (I used water)
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3/4 c. canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg 
1 large egg

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Cream Cheese Icing:
3 oz. cream cheese, room temeprature
1 c. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk (I omitted this)
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 

Combine the yeast with the warm milk and a pinch of sugar and let sit until foamy, about 5 min.  Stir in the sugar, melted butter, pumpkin puree, vanilla, salt, spices, and the egg and mix to combine.  Mix in the all-purpose flour.  Add in the bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until the dough no longer sticks to the bottom of the bowl.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 min.  

Put the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a dishwtowel, and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour (I put mine into the fridge to rise for about 4 hours).  

While the dough is rising, make the cinnamon-sugar filling.  Grease 12 muffin cups with butter.  

After the dough has risen, punch it down.  Divide it in half and roll into a 12" square.  Spread half the butter evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with half the cinnamon-sugar filling.  Press the cinnamon-sugar into the butter.  


Cut dough in to six strips, each 2 inches wide with a pizza cutter. Stack strips, buttered sides up, and cut crosswise into six 2 inch pieces with bench scraper.

Carefully place each piece, cut edges up, in a muffin cup. Separate outer layers of each roll to fan outward. Make more rolls with remaining dough in same manner.

Loosely cover muffin pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, 30 to 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F

Bake 18 to 22 minutes until rolls are golden brown. Cover the top with foil if rolls are browning too quickly. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. While bread is cooling, make the icing.

For the icing: In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the pumpkin pie spice and beat until incorporated. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add the milk slowly, a little at a time until the icing is the desired consistency.

Drizzle icing over warm rolls or serve in bowls for dipping. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Harvest Apple Challah

It just so happened that I had two apples in my house. Now, what should I do with those apples? Should I eat them? Well, I could, and that would be wonderful. But, why eat them when you can bake with them. I've had this Harvest Apple Challah on my mind forever and I decided that now was the perfect time to make it.

The King Arthur Flour website (love that site!) where I got this recipe has some great pictures on how to go about making it and you should really check it out if you decide to give this a try. I made a few changes like substituting brown sugar for the honey and adding more cinnamon, but other than that, I kept the recipe pretty much as is.


The bread, when baked, is a thing of beauty - all golden brown, soft and fluffy, with apples tucked in here and there. It's definitely a healthy bread that you can eat for breakfast since it's not sweet at all, with the exception of the apples adding their natural sweetness to each bite. The King Arthur Flour website also recommended drizzling it with honey before eating, which I tried and I recommend you do the same. The only thing I didn't like was that the apples were still on the crunchy side even after baking. That's fine if you like that sort of thing, but I kind of want my apples to be more tender, so I might cook the apples a little next time before tucking them into the dough. But, even though I felt it could use a little improvement, that still did not stop me from eating this every chance I could. What can I say? The carbs called out to me.


Harvest Apple Challah (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1/2 c. lukewarm water
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used melted butter)
1/4 c. honey (I used 5 Tbsp. dark brown sugar + 1 Tbsp. water)
2 large eggs
4 c. all-purpose flour (I used 3 1/4 c.)
1 1/2 tsp. salt (decreased to 3/4 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. instant yeast

Apple Filling:
2 medium-to-large apples, NOT peeled, cored and diced in 3/4" chunks
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (increased to 1 tsp.)
1/4 c. sugar

1 large egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water (for glazing)

Combine the yeast with the water and a pinch of sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5 min.

Combine the yeast mixture with the melted butter, the honey, and the eggs and stir well. Add 1 cup of flour at a time and mix until the dough no longer sticks to the bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough for about 6-7 min. until it is smooth and elastic. (I ended up using about 2 3/4 cups of flour to start and kneaded in 1/2 cup more.) Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and a dishtowel and let rise for 2 hours, or until it's puffy and nearly doubled in bulk (mine took 1 hour).

Lightly grease a 9" springform pan. Toss the apple chunks with the sugar and cinnamon.

Gently deflate the dough, transfer it to a lightly greased work surface (I used a buttered piece of parchment paper taped to my kitchen table), and flatten it into a rough rectangle, about 8" x 10". Spread half the apple chunks in the center of the dough and fold the short side of the dough over the apples to cover it, patting firmly to seal the apples and spread the dough a bit.

Spread the remaining apples atop the folded-over dough. Cover the apples with the other side of the dough, again patting firmly. Basically, you've folded the dough like a letter, enclosing the apples inside.

Take a bench knife or a knife and cut the apple-filled dough into 16 pieces (i.e. cut it in half first, then cut each half in halves and so on until you have 16 pieces). This will be very messy; the dough is slippery, apples will fall out, sugar syrup will ooze, but just keep going all the same.

Lay the dough chunks into the pan; crowd them so they all fit in a single layer. If any apple chunks fall out, simply tuck them in among the dough pieces or spread them on top.

Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour, until it's a generous 2" high. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 325F.

Whisk the egg with the water and brush the dough with this mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired, or omit if you intend to drizzle the bread with honey before serving.

Place the bread in the lower third of the oven. Bake for 55 min., or until the top is at least light brown all over, with no white spots. Remove from the oven, and after 5 min., loosen the edges and carefully transfer it to a rack.

Serve the bread hot, warm, or at room temperature. Drizzle with honey just before serving, if desired; or serve with honey for dipping.

Harvest Apple Challah

Posted by admin No comments

It just so happened that I had two apples in my house. Now, what should I do with those apples? Should I eat them? Well, I could, and that would be wonderful. But, why eat them when you can bake with them. I've had this Harvest Apple Challah on my mind forever and I decided that now was the perfect time to make it.

The King Arthur Flour website (love that site!) where I got this recipe has some great pictures on how to go about making it and you should really check it out if you decide to give this a try. I made a few changes like substituting brown sugar for the honey and adding more cinnamon, but other than that, I kept the recipe pretty much as is.


The bread, when baked, is a thing of beauty - all golden brown, soft and fluffy, with apples tucked in here and there. It's definitely a healthy bread that you can eat for breakfast since it's not sweet at all, with the exception of the apples adding their natural sweetness to each bite. The King Arthur Flour website also recommended drizzling it with honey before eating, which I tried and I recommend you do the same. The only thing I didn't like was that the apples were still on the crunchy side even after baking. That's fine if you like that sort of thing, but I kind of want my apples to be more tender, so I might cook the apples a little next time before tucking them into the dough. But, even though I felt it could use a little improvement, that still did not stop me from eating this every chance I could. What can I say? The carbs called out to me.


Harvest Apple Challah (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1/2 c. lukewarm water
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used melted butter)
1/4 c. honey (I used 5 Tbsp. dark brown sugar + 1 Tbsp. water)
2 large eggs
4 c. all-purpose flour (I used 3 1/4 c.)
1 1/2 tsp. salt (decreased to 3/4 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. instant yeast

Apple Filling:
2 medium-to-large apples, NOT peeled, cored and diced in 3/4" chunks
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (increased to 1 tsp.)
1/4 c. sugar

1 large egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water (for glazing)

Combine the yeast with the water and a pinch of sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5 min.

Combine the yeast mixture with the melted butter, the honey, and the eggs and stir well. Add 1 cup of flour at a time and mix until the dough no longer sticks to the bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough for about 6-7 min. until it is smooth and elastic. (I ended up using about 2 3/4 cups of flour to start and kneaded in 1/2 cup more.) Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and a dishtowel and let rise for 2 hours, or until it's puffy and nearly doubled in bulk (mine took 1 hour).

Lightly grease a 9" springform pan. Toss the apple chunks with the sugar and cinnamon.

Gently deflate the dough, transfer it to a lightly greased work surface (I used a buttered piece of parchment paper taped to my kitchen table), and flatten it into a rough rectangle, about 8" x 10". Spread half the apple chunks in the center of the dough and fold the short side of the dough over the apples to cover it, patting firmly to seal the apples and spread the dough a bit.

Spread the remaining apples atop the folded-over dough. Cover the apples with the other side of the dough, again patting firmly. Basically, you've folded the dough like a letter, enclosing the apples inside.

Take a bench knife or a knife and cut the apple-filled dough into 16 pieces (i.e. cut it in half first, then cut each half in halves and so on until you have 16 pieces). This will be very messy; the dough is slippery, apples will fall out, sugar syrup will ooze, but just keep going all the same.

Lay the dough chunks into the pan; crowd them so they all fit in a single layer. If any apple chunks fall out, simply tuck them in among the dough pieces or spread them on top.

Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour, until it's a generous 2" high. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 325F.

Whisk the egg with the water and brush the dough with this mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired, or omit if you intend to drizzle the bread with honey before serving.

Place the bread in the lower third of the oven. Bake for 55 min., or until the top is at least light brown all over, with no white spots. Remove from the oven, and after 5 min., loosen the edges and carefully transfer it to a rack.

Serve the bread hot, warm, or at room temperature. Drizzle with honey just before serving, if desired; or serve with honey for dipping.

Jo's Rosemary Bread

This bread is so good that I've already made it twice. The olive oil in it gives each bite a silky mouthfeel and the herbs and seasonings make it one of the most flavorful breads ever. It's the perfect addition to any dinner and would make awesome rolls as well. Give it a try!

Jo's Rosemary Bread (adapted from Allrecipes.com)

1 c. warm water (110F)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt (I decreased this to 1 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
2 1/2 c. bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

Combine the warm water with the sugar and sprinkle in the yeast. Let sit 5-10 min. until foamy. Add the olive oil, Italian seasoning, black pepper, rosemary, and 1 c. flour. Stir to combine.

Add the salt and the rest of the flour, a 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-8 min. until it is elastic and passes the windowpane test (i.e. Pull off a small piece of dough and stretch it with your fingers until it's so thin you can nearly see right through it (like a windowpane). If you can manage to do this, you've kneaded it enough. If not, keep kneading it.) You will probably end up kneading in another 1/4-1/2 cup of flour in the process.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a well-greased bowl. Turn the dough to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. At this point, you can cover it with a towel and place it in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Or, you can make the dough the night before and place it in the fridge to rise overnight, which is what I did.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and shape it into a loaf. You can either make a freeform loaf and put it onto a cookie sheet, or you can make one 9x5 loaf pan or three mini loaves. After shaping the loaves, cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake about 20-25 min. (mini loaves) or 30-35 min. (large loaf) or until golden brown.

Jo's Rosemary Bread

Posted by admin No comments

This bread is so good that I've already made it twice. The olive oil in it gives each bite a silky mouthfeel and the herbs and seasonings make it one of the most flavorful breads ever. It's the perfect addition to any dinner and would make awesome rolls as well. Give it a try!

Jo's Rosemary Bread (adapted from Allrecipes.com)

1 c. warm water (110F)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt (I decreased this to 1 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
2 1/2 c. bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

Combine the warm water with the sugar and sprinkle in the yeast. Let sit 5-10 min. until foamy. Add the olive oil, Italian seasoning, black pepper, rosemary, and 1 c. flour. Stir to combine.

Add the salt and the rest of the flour, a 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-8 min. until it is elastic and passes the windowpane test (i.e. Pull off a small piece of dough and stretch it with your fingers until it's so thin you can nearly see right through it (like a windowpane). If you can manage to do this, you've kneaded it enough. If not, keep kneading it.) You will probably end up kneading in another 1/4-1/2 cup of flour in the process.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a well-greased bowl. Turn the dough to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. At this point, you can cover it with a towel and place it in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Or, you can make the dough the night before and place it in the fridge to rise overnight, which is what I did.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and shape it into a loaf. You can either make a freeform loaf and put it onto a cookie sheet, or you can make one 9x5 loaf pan or three mini loaves. After shaping the loaves, cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake about 20-25 min. (mini loaves) or 30-35 min. (large loaf) or until golden brown.

My Very First Pizza

I've always wanted to try making my own pizza from scratch. So, when my mom asked what we were going to make for dinner tonight, I figured, what better time than now? Let's do it!

The pizza crust is very much like a basic bread recipe. The only problem I ran into was when it came time to stretch it into shape. I tried pulling it, I tried tossing it, I tried letting gravity stretch it down. And, either way, the dough became too thin and I got holes in it. Finally, my dad suggested just laying it down and slowly pushing out from the middle. Voila! It worked.

For toppings, I just used whatever we had in the fridge, which turned out to be tomatoes, spinach, and onions. I did caramelize the onions though for a little extra flavor. We also didn't have any pizza sauce or the ingredients to make any. But, we did have a jar of spaghetti sauce. I cooked it down to reduce it and make it thicker.


The finished pizzas were delicious and the crust was crisp and chewy, just as it should be. The spaghetti sauce gave it a little different flavor, but we didn't mind one bit. Slice after slice disappeared. G'bye store-bought pizza.


Pizza Crust (King Arthur Flour)

2 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast (I used 1 pkg. yeast)
7/8 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water (I used 7/8 cup)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt (I decreased this to 1 tsp.)

1) If you're using active dry yeast, dissolve it, with a pinch of sugar, in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step.

2) Combine the dissolved yeast (or the instant yeast) with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a soft, smooth dough. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take 4 to 5 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. Don't over-knead the dough; it should hold together, but can still look fairly rough on the surface.

3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow it to rise till it's very puffy. This will take about an hour using instant yeast, or 90 minutes using active dry. If it takes longer, that's OK; just give it some extra time.

4) Decide what size, shape, and thickness of pizza you want to make. This recipe will make one of the following choices:
Two 1/2"-thick 14" round pizzas
Two 3/4"-thick 12" round pizzas;
One 3/4" to 1"-thick 13" x 18" rectangular (Sicilian-style) pizza
One 1 1/2"-thick 9" x 13" rectangular pizza;
One 1"-thick 14" round pizza.

5) Divide the dough in half, for two pizzas; or leave it whole for one pizza.

6) If you're making a rectangular pizza, shape the dough into a rough oval. For a round pizza, shape it into a rough circle. In either case, don't pat it flat; just stretch it briefly into shape. Allow the dough to rest, covered with an overturned bowl or lightly greased plastic wrap, for 15 minutes.

7) Use vegetable oil pan spray to lightly grease the pan(s) of your choice. Drizzle olive oil into the bottom of the pan(s). The pan spray keeps the pizza from sticking; the olive oil gives the crust great flavor and crunch.

8) Place the dough in the prepared pan(s). Press it over the bottom of the pan, stretching it towards the edges. You'll probably get about two-thirds of the way there before the dough starts shrinking back; walk away for 15 minutes. Cover the dough while you're away, so it doesn't dry out.

9) When you come back, you should be able to pat the dough closer to the corners of the pan. Repeat the rest and dough-stretch one more time, if necessary; your goal is to get the dough to fill the pan as fully as possible.

10) Allow the dough to rise, covered, till it's noticeably puffy, about 90 minutes (mine took 30 min.). Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 450°F.

11) Bake the pizza on the lower oven rack till it looks and feels set on top, and is just beginning to brown around the edge of the crust, but is still pale on top. This will take about 8 minutes for thinner crust pizza; about 10 to 12 minutes for medium thickness; and 12 to 14 minutes for thick-crust pizza. If you're baking two pizzas, reverse them in the oven (top to bottom, bottom to top) midway through the baking period.

12) Remove it from the oven, and arrange your toppings of choice on top. Return to the oven, and bake on the upper oven rack for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned, both top and bottom, and the cheese is melted. Check it midway through, and move it to the bottom rack if the top is browning too much, or the bottom not enough.

13) Remove the pizza from the oven, and transfer it from the pan to a rack to cool slightly before serving. For easiest serving, cut with a pair of scissors.

My Very First Pizza

Posted by admin No comments

I've always wanted to try making my own pizza from scratch. So, when my mom asked what we were going to make for dinner tonight, I figured, what better time than now? Let's do it!

The pizza crust is very much like a basic bread recipe. The only problem I ran into was when it came time to stretch it into shape. I tried pulling it, I tried tossing it, I tried letting gravity stretch it down. And, either way, the dough became too thin and I got holes in it. Finally, my dad suggested just laying it down and slowly pushing out from the middle. Voila! It worked.

For toppings, I just used whatever we had in the fridge, which turned out to be tomatoes, spinach, and onions. I did caramelize the onions though for a little extra flavor. We also didn't have any pizza sauce or the ingredients to make any. But, we did have a jar of spaghetti sauce. I cooked it down to reduce it and make it thicker.


The finished pizzas were delicious and the crust was crisp and chewy, just as it should be. The spaghetti sauce gave it a little different flavor, but we didn't mind one bit. Slice after slice disappeared. G'bye store-bought pizza.


Pizza Crust (King Arthur Flour)

2 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast (I used 1 pkg. yeast)
7/8 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water (I used 7/8 cup)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt (I decreased this to 1 tsp.)

1) If you're using active dry yeast, dissolve it, with a pinch of sugar, in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step.

2) Combine the dissolved yeast (or the instant yeast) with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a soft, smooth dough. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take 4 to 5 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. Don't over-knead the dough; it should hold together, but can still look fairly rough on the surface.

3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow it to rise till it's very puffy. This will take about an hour using instant yeast, or 90 minutes using active dry. If it takes longer, that's OK; just give it some extra time.

4) Decide what size, shape, and thickness of pizza you want to make. This recipe will make one of the following choices:
Two 1/2"-thick 14" round pizzas
Two 3/4"-thick 12" round pizzas;
One 3/4" to 1"-thick 13" x 18" rectangular (Sicilian-style) pizza
One 1 1/2"-thick 9" x 13" rectangular pizza;
One 1"-thick 14" round pizza.

5) Divide the dough in half, for two pizzas; or leave it whole for one pizza.

6) If you're making a rectangular pizza, shape the dough into a rough oval. For a round pizza, shape it into a rough circle. In either case, don't pat it flat; just stretch it briefly into shape. Allow the dough to rest, covered with an overturned bowl or lightly greased plastic wrap, for 15 minutes.

7) Use vegetable oil pan spray to lightly grease the pan(s) of your choice. Drizzle olive oil into the bottom of the pan(s). The pan spray keeps the pizza from sticking; the olive oil gives the crust great flavor and crunch.

8) Place the dough in the prepared pan(s). Press it over the bottom of the pan, stretching it towards the edges. You'll probably get about two-thirds of the way there before the dough starts shrinking back; walk away for 15 minutes. Cover the dough while you're away, so it doesn't dry out.

9) When you come back, you should be able to pat the dough closer to the corners of the pan. Repeat the rest and dough-stretch one more time, if necessary; your goal is to get the dough to fill the pan as fully as possible.

10) Allow the dough to rise, covered, till it's noticeably puffy, about 90 minutes (mine took 30 min.). Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 450°F.

11) Bake the pizza on the lower oven rack till it looks and feels set on top, and is just beginning to brown around the edge of the crust, but is still pale on top. This will take about 8 minutes for thinner crust pizza; about 10 to 12 minutes for medium thickness; and 12 to 14 minutes for thick-crust pizza. If you're baking two pizzas, reverse them in the oven (top to bottom, bottom to top) midway through the baking period.

12) Remove it from the oven, and arrange your toppings of choice on top. Return to the oven, and bake on the upper oven rack for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned, both top and bottom, and the cheese is melted. Check it midway through, and move it to the bottom rack if the top is browning too much, or the bottom not enough.

13) Remove the pizza from the oven, and transfer it from the pan to a rack to cool slightly before serving. For easiest serving, cut with a pair of scissors.

Buttery Dill Monkey Bread

I made this bread for my family and they were blown away (and believe me, they are tough critics when it comes to food). I kept hearing them say . . .

Best bread I have ever eaten!

Mmmmm.

So fluffy.

I could eat this bread forever.

When are you going to make this again?


In fact, I made two mini loaves that night and my dad and sister devoured the first loaf in record time. The second loaf was gone by the next afternoon.


The dill flavor is not at all overpowering and it's just fun to pick off the little buns and eat them one by one. I highly recommend making this and eating it warm right out of the oven. It's the best!



Buttery Dill Monkey Bread (from Confessions of a Bright-Eyed Baker)

2 Tbsp. warm water
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/4 c. bread flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk, lukewarm
1 egg
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. dried dill

Dill Butter:
4 Tbsp. melted butter, divided
1 Tbsp. dried dill

Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar and let sit for 10 min. until foamy.

Add the milk, egg, butter, and dill to the yeast mixture. Add the salt and the flour gradually until the dough no longer sticks to the bottom of the bowl. Knead lightly by hand and place the ball of dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30-60 min.

Meanwhile, combine 2 Tbsp. of melted butter with 1 Tbsp. dill to make the dill butter.

Once the dough is ready, punch it down and shape into 1-inch balls. Dip each ball into the dill butter and place in small greased ramekins or mini loaf pans (I used two mini loaf pans). The dough will rise more, so don't cram too much dough into too small a space.

Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another 20-25 min. Preheat your oven to 375F. Right before baking, brush some of the remaining 2 Tbsp. of melted butter over the dough. Bake for 15-20 min., brushing again with the butter twice throughout the baking process. Enjoy warm from the oven.

This recipe is linked to:
My Meatless Mondays
Hearth n' Soul Hop
These Chicks Cooked
Made it on Monday
Friday's Potluck

Buttery Dill Monkey Bread

Posted by admin No comments

I made this bread for my family and they were blown away (and believe me, they are tough critics when it comes to food). I kept hearing them say . . .

Best bread I have ever eaten!

Mmmmm.

So fluffy.

I could eat this bread forever.

When are you going to make this again?


In fact, I made two mini loaves that night and my dad and sister devoured the first loaf in record time. The second loaf was gone by the next afternoon.


The dill flavor is not at all overpowering and it's just fun to pick off the little buns and eat them one by one. I highly recommend making this and eating it warm right out of the oven. It's the best!



Buttery Dill Monkey Bread (from Confessions of a Bright-Eyed Baker)

2 Tbsp. warm water
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/4 c. bread flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk, lukewarm
1 egg
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. dried dill

Dill Butter:
4 Tbsp. melted butter, divided
1 Tbsp. dried dill

Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar and let sit for 10 min. until foamy.

Add the milk, egg, butter, and dill to the yeast mixture. Add the salt and the flour gradually until the dough no longer sticks to the bottom of the bowl. Knead lightly by hand and place the ball of dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30-60 min.

Meanwhile, combine 2 Tbsp. of melted butter with 1 Tbsp. dill to make the dill butter.

Once the dough is ready, punch it down and shape into 1-inch balls. Dip each ball into the dill butter and place in small greased ramekins or mini loaf pans (I used two mini loaf pans). The dough will rise more, so don't cram too much dough into too small a space.

Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another 20-25 min. Preheat your oven to 375F. Right before baking, brush some of the remaining 2 Tbsp. of melted butter over the dough. Bake for 15-20 min., brushing again with the butter twice throughout the baking process. Enjoy warm from the oven.

This recipe is linked to:
My Meatless Mondays
Hearth n' Soul Hop
These Chicks Cooked
Made it on Monday
Friday's Potluck

Pumpkin Chai Bubble Bread

I had previously made a savory monkey bread for my sister. She absolutely loved it. Then, I told her about the buttery, sugary version of it, and well, she begged me to make that too. I agreed.

Since I've had pumpkin yeast bread on my to-do list for practically forever, I knew I wanted to do a pumpkin version of it. I used the pumpkin yeast bread recipe found on Willow Bird Baking, and then took it from there, adding my own twists on it. Instead of rolling the dough in cinnamon-sugar, I rolled them in a mixture of sugar and my chai spice blend. For comparison, I also made one loaf with cinnamon-sugar.


I couldn't wait for the loaves to be done. They smelled so good baking away. Peeking in the oven, I could see a beautiful sugary crust forming on top with little rivulets of butter melted in between the mini buns.

My family eagerly tried the breads. The chai spice version won hands down. My sister said she could taste the pumpkin in it more and that the flavor of the spices really blended well with it. I think the only changes I'd make next time would be to add some spices to the bread itself to pump up the flavor even more and use brown sugar instead of white sugar for rolling the dough. But, other than that, these were fluffy, sweet mouthfuls of bready bliss.


Pumpkin Chai Monkey Bread (adapted from Willow Bird Baking and created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups bread flour

For rolling:
1 c. sugar (I'd use brown sugar next time)
5-6 tsp. chai spice
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Chai Spice (Sweet as Sugar Cookies blend)

4 tsp. cinnamon
4 tsp. ginger powder
2 tsp. cardamom
2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. white pepper

Grease three mini loaf pans and set aside. Heat the milk to 100-110F and melt the butter in it. Stir in two teaspoons of sugar and the yeast and let sit until foamy, about 5-10 min. Add the pumpkin and salt and gradually add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl (it will still be slightly sticky but not tacky). Knead until smooth and elastic.

Put the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a dishtowel, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. When dough has doubled, punch it down and roll into 1-inch balls, about 40-50 of them.

Roll them in the melted butter and then in the mixture of sugar and chai spice. Stagger the balls of dough in the loaf pans (do not put them in too tightly). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another 30 min.

Preheat your oven to 375F. Bake the loaves for 20-22 min. until golden brown on top.

This recipe is linked to:
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
A Little Birdie Told Me
These Chicks Cooked
Made it on Monday
Full Plate Thursday
Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Pumpkin Chai Bubble Bread

Posted by admin No comments

I had previously made a savory monkey bread for my sister. She absolutely loved it. Then, I told her about the buttery, sugary version of it, and well, she begged me to make that too. I agreed.

Since I've had pumpkin yeast bread on my to-do list for practically forever, I knew I wanted to do a pumpkin version of it. I used the pumpkin yeast bread recipe found on Willow Bird Baking, and then took it from there, adding my own twists on it. Instead of rolling the dough in cinnamon-sugar, I rolled them in a mixture of sugar and my chai spice blend. For comparison, I also made one loaf with cinnamon-sugar.


I couldn't wait for the loaves to be done. They smelled so good baking away. Peeking in the oven, I could see a beautiful sugary crust forming on top with little rivulets of butter melted in between the mini buns.

My family eagerly tried the breads. The chai spice version won hands down. My sister said she could taste the pumpkin in it more and that the flavor of the spices really blended well with it. I think the only changes I'd make next time would be to add some spices to the bread itself to pump up the flavor even more and use brown sugar instead of white sugar for rolling the dough. But, other than that, these were fluffy, sweet mouthfuls of bready bliss.


Pumpkin Chai Monkey Bread (adapted from Willow Bird Baking and created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups bread flour

For rolling:
1 c. sugar (I'd use brown sugar next time)
5-6 tsp. chai spice
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Chai Spice (Sweet as Sugar Cookies blend)

4 tsp. cinnamon
4 tsp. ginger powder
2 tsp. cardamom
2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. white pepper

Grease three mini loaf pans and set aside. Heat the milk to 100-110F and melt the butter in it. Stir in two teaspoons of sugar and the yeast and let sit until foamy, about 5-10 min. Add the pumpkin and salt and gradually add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl (it will still be slightly sticky but not tacky). Knead until smooth and elastic.

Put the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a dishtowel, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. When dough has doubled, punch it down and roll into 1-inch balls, about 40-50 of them.

Roll them in the melted butter and then in the mixture of sugar and chai spice. Stagger the balls of dough in the loaf pans (do not put them in too tightly). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another 30 min.

Preheat your oven to 375F. Bake the loaves for 20-22 min. until golden brown on top.

This recipe is linked to:
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
A Little Birdie Told Me
These Chicks Cooked
Made it on Monday
Full Plate Thursday
Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Breadsticks

It was 8:00 one night and, although the past few nights had been cold, this particular night was quite warm. That gave me an idea and I thought, I just have to take advantage of the higher temperature. I'm going to bake some bread. Apparently, the fact that it wouldn't be done until almost 11pm didn't faze me. I wanted bread and by golly, I was going to have it.


But, I didn't feel like making a loaf. No, instead, I had breadsticks on the brain. I used a recipe I found on Our Best Bites and it did not disappoint. The breadsticks were perfectly chewy with a nice crust. They would probably be delicious dipped into some marinara sauce, or brushed with some garlic butter, or, Our Best Bites suggested also sprinkling them with cinnamon-sugar for a sweet treat. However way you make them, they're sure to please.

Breadsticks (Our Best Bites)

1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.

Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it’s okay if they’re close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life’s greatest pleasures!

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes.

When there’s about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425F. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Breadsticks

Posted by admin No comments

It was 8:00 one night and, although the past few nights had been cold, this particular night was quite warm. That gave me an idea and I thought, I just have to take advantage of the higher temperature. I'm going to bake some bread. Apparently, the fact that it wouldn't be done until almost 11pm didn't faze me. I wanted bread and by golly, I was going to have it.


But, I didn't feel like making a loaf. No, instead, I had breadsticks on the brain. I used a recipe I found on Our Best Bites and it did not disappoint. The breadsticks were perfectly chewy with a nice crust. They would probably be delicious dipped into some marinara sauce, or brushed with some garlic butter, or, Our Best Bites suggested also sprinkling them with cinnamon-sugar for a sweet treat. However way you make them, they're sure to please.

Breadsticks (Our Best Bites)

1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.

Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it’s okay if they’re close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life’s greatest pleasures!

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes.

When there’s about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425F. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Cranberry Orange Ginger Bread

When I was a kid, I remember how I only liked bread if it was white, and, of course, that meant the squishy, air-filled, breads you find in the supermarket aisle. Thank goodness my palate has since changed and I've grown to love breads of all kinds and flavors and textures. Yup, those supermarket breads no longer have a presence in my home.


Now only fresh, homemade bread appears on my table and it's anything but plain white. I specifically search for recipes that are full of something special that will wow the tastebuds, and boy do I ever have a lot of recipes all queued up just waiting to be made.

This time, since dried cranberries were super cheap, I decided to make this Cranberry Bread found on The Avid Baker. It's got that delicious combo of cranberries and orange, but this time in a yeast bread instead of a quick bread. Naturally, I couldn't resist dressing it up just a little with some candied ginger. I just knew it would pair well with the flavors.



I just loved how this bread was studded with fruit in every bite and the orange was not at all overpowering. That's just how I like it and the ginger also added a yummy touch. Not to mention that the egg glaze turns the crust into something truly superb (I could nibble on that alone and be happy). The bread is a little denser than others which probably means that it would make one fantastic french toast too. With breads like this, who needs storebought? I definitely can't wait to bake bread again.


Cranberry Orange Ginger Bread (adapted from The Avid Baker)

1 1/2 c. bread flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. milk, warmed to 110F (I used skim milk)
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1-2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. orange zest
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. chopped crystallized ginger
1 egg yolk mixed w/ a little water (for glazing)

Combine the milk and the yeast with a pinch of sugar and let sit till foamy, about 5 min. Add the melted butter, egg, orange juice, and orange zest and stir until well blended.

Add the flour a half cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl (you may need to add a little more - the dough will still be tacky though). Transfer to a floured work surface and knead the dough until smooth and slightly tacky, but not sticky, adding more flour if necessary, about 7 min. Knead in the dried cranberries a little at a time. You can also knead in the ginger now or see below for what I did. Form the dough into a ball.

Oil a large bowl. Add the dough to the bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Grease two mini loaf pans. Punch down the dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and divide into two pieces. Roll each piece out into a small rectangle. At this point, you can sprinkle the ginger on top and then roll it up jelly roll style and put it into a mini loaf pan. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 1 hour until doubled in size. You can sprinkle more ginger on top if you wish. Glaze with the egg yolk + water. Bake at 350F for 25-30 min. Let cool in pans for a few minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Notes:

1. I put my dough into the fridge overnight for the first rising.
   
2. The original recipe called for 1/2 Tbsp. orange extract, but the orange zest + juice works just as well.
   
3. The recipe above is half the original recipe which gave me two mini loaves.
   

Cranberry Orange Ginger Bread

Posted by admin No comments

When I was a kid, I remember how I only liked bread if it was white, and, of course, that meant the squishy, air-filled, breads you find in the supermarket aisle. Thank goodness my palate has since changed and I've grown to love breads of all kinds and flavors and textures. Yup, those supermarket breads no longer have a presence in my home.


Now only fresh, homemade bread appears on my table and it's anything but plain white. I specifically search for recipes that are full of something special that will wow the tastebuds, and boy do I ever have a lot of recipes all queued up just waiting to be made.

This time, since dried cranberries were super cheap, I decided to make this Cranberry Bread found on The Avid Baker. It's got that delicious combo of cranberries and orange, but this time in a yeast bread instead of a quick bread. Naturally, I couldn't resist dressing it up just a little with some candied ginger. I just knew it would pair well with the flavors.



I just loved how this bread was studded with fruit in every bite and the orange was not at all overpowering. That's just how I like it and the ginger also added a yummy touch. Not to mention that the egg glaze turns the crust into something truly superb (I could nibble on that alone and be happy). The bread is a little denser than others which probably means that it would make one fantastic french toast too. With breads like this, who needs storebought? I definitely can't wait to bake bread again.


Cranberry Orange Ginger Bread (adapted from The Avid Baker)

1 1/2 c. bread flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. milk, warmed to 110F (I used skim milk)
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1-2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. orange zest
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. chopped crystallized ginger
1 egg yolk mixed w/ a little water (for glazing)

Combine the milk and the yeast with a pinch of sugar and let sit till foamy, about 5 min. Add the melted butter, egg, orange juice, and orange zest and stir until well blended.

Add the flour a half cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl (you may need to add a little more - the dough will still be tacky though). Transfer to a floured work surface and knead the dough until smooth and slightly tacky, but not sticky, adding more flour if necessary, about 7 min. Knead in the dried cranberries a little at a time. You can also knead in the ginger now or see below for what I did. Form the dough into a ball.

Oil a large bowl. Add the dough to the bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Grease two mini loaf pans. Punch down the dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and divide into two pieces. Roll each piece out into a small rectangle. At this point, you can sprinkle the ginger on top and then roll it up jelly roll style and put it into a mini loaf pan. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 1 hour until doubled in size. You can sprinkle more ginger on top if you wish. Glaze with the egg yolk + water. Bake at 350F for 25-30 min. Let cool in pans for a few minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Notes:

1. I put my dough into the fridge overnight for the first rising.
   
2. The original recipe called for 1/2 Tbsp. orange extract, but the orange zest + juice works just as well.
   
3. The recipe above is half the original recipe which gave me two mini loaves.
   

Finnish Coffee Braid

This Sunday, I decided that I wanted to make some sweet bread and this Finnish Coffee Braid has been on my radar for some time. It's made special by the additions of orange and cardamom as well as the fact that it's formed into a pretty braided ring and bakes up all golden and shiny. Who wouldn't like to wake up to this in the morning?

To save time, I always start the dough the night before and leave it in the fridge to cold rise until the next morning. Yup, extra sleep on a Sunday morning is always a welcome thing. That way, the only thing left to do is set it up for a second rise and then bake it.


Lately, the mornings have been getting colder making it more difficult to get bread to rise in the house. So, I've come up with a couple of tricks. One way is to preheat your oven on the lowest temperature and then put the dough in there. You can choose to either turn the oven off or keep it on. Either way will be alright. The other method I use is to put it into my car. I kid you not. Since the car is parked outside, the sun heats up the inside and makes a perfect place for the dough to rise.


Once it gets all nice and puffy, simply glaze it with some egg yolk and milk and pop it into your oven. Yeah, about that glazing step . . . after it had already been baking in the oven for 10 min., I suddenly remembered that I hadn't glazed it. So, I quickly rushed to the oven and pulled it out. Memo to me: panicking while holding a 350F metal cookie sheet is NOT a good idea. Without thinking, my unprotected hand touched the sheet resulting in a small burn. That'll teach me to calm down next time.

Glaze - check. Back into the oven where it turned a lovely shiny golden brown and this incredible orange-y smell began to permeate the kitchen. The finished bread was wonderful. My braid didn't exactly come out perfect (it kinda became misshapen as it baked), but that didn't affect the taste one bit. All that yummy orange flavor in every bite of soft, sweet bread was simply delicious. This bread is a feast for the eyes and for the palate.



Finnish Coffee Braid (Sweet Jumbles)

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
3 Tbsp. warm water
1 c. milk
6 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. sugar (I increased this to 2/3 cup)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cardamom (I doubled this to 1 tsp.)
grated peel of one orange (I doubled the amount of zest)
5 c. all-purpose flour

Glaze: 1 egg yolk + 1 Tbsp. milk (or water)

Combine yeast and warm water with a pinch of sugar and let sit 5 min. until foamy.

Place milk and butter in a saucepan (or microwave safe bowl) and heat until butter is melted and milk is hot but does not boil. Cool to lukewarm.

Add eggs and milk/butter mixture to the yeast. Add sugar, salt, cardamom, and orange zest, stirring to combine. Gradually add the flour to make a stiff dough (I probably used 4-4 1/2 cups).

Turn dough out to a well-floured surface and knead until smooth.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1-2 hours.

Punch down and divide into two portions, then divide each portion into three pieces. Form each third into a rope about 18-24 inches long. Braid the ropes, pinching the ends to form them into rings.

Place each ring onto a greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Brush each loaf with the glaze and bake 35 min. or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

Notes:

1. I didn't have any milk so I used 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt mixed with 1/4 c. water to make it into a liquid.
2. I increased the sugar and doubled the cardamom and orange zest in the recipe. I highly recommend doing so as it made for a very flavorful bread.

This recipe is linked to:

My Meatless Monday
A Little Birdie Told Me
This Chick Cooks
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
Cast Party Wednesday
Whisking Wednesday
Full Plate Thursday
Friday's Potluck

Finnish Coffee Braid

Posted by admin No comments

This Sunday, I decided that I wanted to make some sweet bread and this Finnish Coffee Braid has been on my radar for some time. It's made special by the additions of orange and cardamom as well as the fact that it's formed into a pretty braided ring and bakes up all golden and shiny. Who wouldn't like to wake up to this in the morning?

To save time, I always start the dough the night before and leave it in the fridge to cold rise until the next morning. Yup, extra sleep on a Sunday morning is always a welcome thing. That way, the only thing left to do is set it up for a second rise and then bake it.


Lately, the mornings have been getting colder making it more difficult to get bread to rise in the house. So, I've come up with a couple of tricks. One way is to preheat your oven on the lowest temperature and then put the dough in there. You can choose to either turn the oven off or keep it on. Either way will be alright. The other method I use is to put it into my car. I kid you not. Since the car is parked outside, the sun heats up the inside and makes a perfect place for the dough to rise.


Once it gets all nice and puffy, simply glaze it with some egg yolk and milk and pop it into your oven. Yeah, about that glazing step . . . after it had already been baking in the oven for 10 min., I suddenly remembered that I hadn't glazed it. So, I quickly rushed to the oven and pulled it out. Memo to me: panicking while holding a 350F metal cookie sheet is NOT a good idea. Without thinking, my unprotected hand touched the sheet resulting in a small burn. That'll teach me to calm down next time.

Glaze - check. Back into the oven where it turned a lovely shiny golden brown and this incredible orange-y smell began to permeate the kitchen. The finished bread was wonderful. My braid didn't exactly come out perfect (it kinda became misshapen as it baked), but that didn't affect the taste one bit. All that yummy orange flavor in every bite of soft, sweet bread was simply delicious. This bread is a feast for the eyes and for the palate.



Finnish Coffee Braid (Sweet Jumbles)

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
3 Tbsp. warm water
1 c. milk
6 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. sugar (I increased this to 2/3 cup)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cardamom (I doubled this to 1 tsp.)
grated peel of one orange (I doubled the amount of zest)
5 c. all-purpose flour

Glaze: 1 egg yolk + 1 Tbsp. milk (or water)

Combine yeast and warm water with a pinch of sugar and let sit 5 min. until foamy.

Place milk and butter in a saucepan (or microwave safe bowl) and heat until butter is melted and milk is hot but does not boil. Cool to lukewarm.

Add eggs and milk/butter mixture to the yeast. Add sugar, salt, cardamom, and orange zest, stirring to combine. Gradually add the flour to make a stiff dough (I probably used 4-4 1/2 cups).

Turn dough out to a well-floured surface and knead until smooth.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1-2 hours.

Punch down and divide into two portions, then divide each portion into three pieces. Form each third into a rope about 18-24 inches long. Braid the ropes, pinching the ends to form them into rings.

Place each ring onto a greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Brush each loaf with the glaze and bake 35 min. or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

Notes:

1. I didn't have any milk so I used 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt mixed with 1/4 c. water to make it into a liquid.
2. I increased the sugar and doubled the cardamom and orange zest in the recipe. I highly recommend doing so as it made for a very flavorful bread.

This recipe is linked to:

My Meatless Monday
A Little Birdie Told Me
This Chick Cooks
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
Cast Party Wednesday
Whisking Wednesday
Full Plate Thursday
Friday's Potluck

Honey Yogurt Bread

Do you ever find yourself craving bread? At times like that, sweets just won't cut it for me. I need carbs, lots of them.

This bread is just the thing to satisfy that craving. It's not sweet at all, even with the honey in it, and it is so soft and so chewy, almost reminiscent of a potato bread. There's just nothing like it when you remove it from the oven with its crackly crust, tear off a hunk, spread it with butter, take a warm bite, and ooohhhhhh.


I made the bread into mini loaves, but I know without a doubt that it would be awesome made into dinner rolls. This bread recipe is going into my "favorites" list for sure.

Honey Yogurt Bread (adapted from I Like Lemons)

1 1/2 Tbsp. honey (I doubled it to 3 Tbsp.)
1/2 c. warm water (110F)
1 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 c. plain yogurt (I used nonfat Greek yogurt)
1 1/2 tsp. salt (I decreased this to 1 tsp. salt)
3 c. all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine warm water and 1/2 Tbsp. honey. Add the yeast and let sit for 5 min. until foamy.

Stir in 1 cup of flour and mix well. Allow to sit for 5 min. so that the flour can absorb the liquid. Then, add in the remaining honey, yogurt, and salt. (Note: It will look like a lump of dough and it'll be a little difficult to beat the yogurt into it. Just beat it with all your might and the dough will even out into a thick, smooth batter.) Add the rest of the flour a half cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl (I used about 1 cup of flour).

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 8-10 min. (During the process, I kneaded in about 1/2 cup more of flour.) You'll know you've kneaded it enough when it passes the windowpane test.

Lightly grease a clean bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl, turning to coat the surface with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Turn risen dough onto a floured surface and knead for about a minute to remove air bubbles. Form dough into a ball and allow to rest, covered for 15 min. (Note: I missed this step but the bread still turned out great.) Grease two mini loaf pans.

Divide the dough in half and roll or pat each one into about a 9x7 inch rectangle. Starting at the shorter edge, tightly roll dough up, jelly roll style, pressing the seam and the ends well to seal. Place loaves seam side down in the prepared pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Slash the top of each loaf lengthwise. Bake for 20-25 min., until loaves are golden brown. Remove from pans and allow to cool on wire racks.

Honey Yogurt Bread

Posted by admin No comments

Do you ever find yourself craving bread? At times like that, sweets just won't cut it for me. I need carbs, lots of them.

This bread is just the thing to satisfy that craving. It's not sweet at all, even with the honey in it, and it is so soft and so chewy, almost reminiscent of a potato bread. There's just nothing like it when you remove it from the oven with its crackly crust, tear off a hunk, spread it with butter, take a warm bite, and ooohhhhhh.


I made the bread into mini loaves, but I know without a doubt that it would be awesome made into dinner rolls. This bread recipe is going into my "favorites" list for sure.

Honey Yogurt Bread (adapted from I Like Lemons)

1 1/2 Tbsp. honey (I doubled it to 3 Tbsp.)
1/2 c. warm water (110F)
1 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 c. plain yogurt (I used nonfat Greek yogurt)
1 1/2 tsp. salt (I decreased this to 1 tsp. salt)
3 c. all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine warm water and 1/2 Tbsp. honey. Add the yeast and let sit for 5 min. until foamy.

Stir in 1 cup of flour and mix well. Allow to sit for 5 min. so that the flour can absorb the liquid. Then, add in the remaining honey, yogurt, and salt. (Note: It will look like a lump of dough and it'll be a little difficult to beat the yogurt into it. Just beat it with all your might and the dough will even out into a thick, smooth batter.) Add the rest of the flour a half cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl (I used about 1 cup of flour).

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 8-10 min. (During the process, I kneaded in about 1/2 cup more of flour.) You'll know you've kneaded it enough when it passes the windowpane test.

Lightly grease a clean bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl, turning to coat the surface with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Turn risen dough onto a floured surface and knead for about a minute to remove air bubbles. Form dough into a ball and allow to rest, covered for 15 min. (Note: I missed this step but the bread still turned out great.) Grease two mini loaf pans.

Divide the dough in half and roll or pat each one into about a 9x7 inch rectangle. Starting at the shorter edge, tightly roll dough up, jelly roll style, pressing the seam and the ends well to seal. Place loaves seam side down in the prepared pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Slash the top of each loaf lengthwise. Bake for 20-25 min., until loaves are golden brown. Remove from pans and allow to cool on wire racks.

Cherry Rosemary Focaccia

When you think of the words "match made in heaven," what comes to mind? In the foodie sense, I think of chocolate and peanut butter, lemon and ginger, and raspberries and white chocolate. But, have you ever thought that those words could apply to cherries and rosemary? Up until now, I never even imagined of combining the two. That is, until that one fateful Sweets for a Saturday when Catalina of Catalina Bakes linked up her recipe for Cherry Rosemary Yogurt Mini Loaves. She absolutely raved about how well the two flavors complemented each other.


As it turns out, the idea to pair cherries and rosemary in sweets or baked goods wasn't a new one. Upon further search, here are some other recipes I found that use the same combo.

Cherry Rosemary Scones by Honey and Jam

Rosemary Chocolate Cherry Semifreddo by Profound Hatred of Meat

Cherry and Rosemary Shortbread Cookies by There's a Newf in My Soup

Sweet Cherry and Rosemary Biscuits by The Olive Press


Then, of course, there was the one recipe that caught my eye - Cherry Rosemary Focaccia. It was on Food Gal's site and it looked so wonderful that I knew I had to try this especially since I had never tried a sweet focaccia before. However, I didn't use her recipe. Instead, I used my go-to King Arthur Flour No-Fuss Focaccia recipe and topped it off with the cherries and rosemary as well as a little demerara sugar while it baked.


First of all, let me just say that this focaccia bread turns out absolutely beautiful. The dark red cherries stand out in contrast to the lighter background of the bread and make for one eye-catching loaf. Then, there's the taste. It is such a delicious thrill to bite into it with the juice from the sweet cherries exploding in your mouth and the rosemary there in the background melding perfectly with it. I'm so glad that I learned about this new flavor sensation.


This is now my new favorite focaccia. I can't wait to make it again, and again, and again.

Cherry Rosemary Focaccia (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1 1/2 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. olive oil (plus additional 1/2 Tbsp. for drizzling)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. active-dry yeast
4 tsp. sugar

25-30 pitted dark cherries, halved
2 - 2 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 -1 Tbsp. demerara sugar (i.e. raw sugar) for sprinkling

Combine the warm water with the active dry yeast and the 4 tsp. sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5-10 min.

Add the flour and salt gradually to the yeast mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, until your dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl (the dough will be very soft).

Drizzle 2 Tbsp. olive oil into a 9x13 metal pan. Place the dough into the pan. Cover and let rise for 60 min., till it's become puffy. (Note: the risen dough will be super sticky so make sure that whatever you use to cover it will not touch the dough by the end of the hour or you can grease the plastic wrap) While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 375F. Gently poke the risen dough all over with your index finger. Drizzle it lightly with the remaining olive oil and arrange the cherries on top. Sprinkle with the dried rosemary. Bake the bread till it's golden brown, about 35-40 min. In the last 5 min., sprinkle with the demerara sugar. When bread is done baking, place it under the broiler for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. This will caramelize the sugar on top so that it sticks to the bread.

Cherry Rosemary Focaccia

Posted by admin No comments

When you think of the words "match made in heaven," what comes to mind? In the foodie sense, I think of chocolate and peanut butter, lemon and ginger, and raspberries and white chocolate. But, have you ever thought that those words could apply to cherries and rosemary? Up until now, I never even imagined of combining the two. That is, until that one fateful Sweets for a Saturday when Catalina of Catalina Bakes linked up her recipe for Cherry Rosemary Yogurt Mini Loaves. She absolutely raved about how well the two flavors complemented each other.


As it turns out, the idea to pair cherries and rosemary in sweets or baked goods wasn't a new one. Upon further search, here are some other recipes I found that use the same combo.

Cherry Rosemary Scones by Honey and Jam

Rosemary Chocolate Cherry Semifreddo by Profound Hatred of Meat

Cherry and Rosemary Shortbread Cookies by There's a Newf in My Soup

Sweet Cherry and Rosemary Biscuits by The Olive Press


Then, of course, there was the one recipe that caught my eye - Cherry Rosemary Focaccia. It was on Food Gal's site and it looked so wonderful that I knew I had to try this especially since I had never tried a sweet focaccia before. However, I didn't use her recipe. Instead, I used my go-to King Arthur Flour No-Fuss Focaccia recipe and topped it off with the cherries and rosemary as well as a little demerara sugar while it baked.


First of all, let me just say that this focaccia bread turns out absolutely beautiful. The dark red cherries stand out in contrast to the lighter background of the bread and make for one eye-catching loaf. Then, there's the taste. It is such a delicious thrill to bite into it with the juice from the sweet cherries exploding in your mouth and the rosemary there in the background melding perfectly with it. I'm so glad that I learned about this new flavor sensation.


This is now my new favorite focaccia. I can't wait to make it again, and again, and again.

Cherry Rosemary Focaccia (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1 1/2 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. olive oil (plus additional 1/2 Tbsp. for drizzling)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. active-dry yeast
4 tsp. sugar

25-30 pitted dark cherries, halved
2 - 2 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 -1 Tbsp. demerara sugar (i.e. raw sugar) for sprinkling

Combine the warm water with the active dry yeast and the 4 tsp. sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5-10 min.

Add the flour and salt gradually to the yeast mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, until your dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl (the dough will be very soft).

Drizzle 2 Tbsp. olive oil into a 9x13 metal pan. Place the dough into the pan. Cover and let rise for 60 min., till it's become puffy. (Note: the risen dough will be super sticky so make sure that whatever you use to cover it will not touch the dough by the end of the hour or you can grease the plastic wrap) While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 375F. Gently poke the risen dough all over with your index finger. Drizzle it lightly with the remaining olive oil and arrange the cherries on top. Sprinkle with the dried rosemary. Bake the bread till it's golden brown, about 35-40 min. In the last 5 min., sprinkle with the demerara sugar. When bread is done baking, place it under the broiler for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. This will caramelize the sugar on top so that it sticks to the bread.

Bushman Bread

I've never eaten at Outback Steakhouse before, so I had never heard of something called Bushman Bread. But, when Mickey from Monster Mama posted about it in her blog, I was intrigued. The recipe called for ingredients like cocoa powder and molasses and just looked too good to pass up. So, I whipped up a batch the very next day.

I ended up making quite a few changes to the recipe. For one thing, I didn't have any food coloring, so my loaves ended up being only a light brown rather than the rad purplish color that Mickey's got. Secondly, I realized while making the bread that I was out of bread flour. I could have sworn that I had some left, but apparently I had already used it up on something else. I also don't usually have wheat flour on hand either. So, I ended up using only all-purpose flour to make the bread. Finally, I changed the order in which the ingredients were mixed.

But, even with all the changes, the bread still turned out perfectly. It really did make the house smell amazing as it baked and I couldn't stop nibbling at the crust when it came out of the oven. I'm definitely glad I tried this recipe out. I don't know how close it is to the actual Outback Bushman Bread, but it's good enough for me.

Bushman Bread (adapted from Monster Mama)

1 1/4 c. warm water
2 tsp. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
3 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/4 c. honey
2 Tbsp. molasses
cornmeal, for dusting

Mix sugar with warm water, then dissolve the yeast in the solution. Let stand 5 min. until foamy. Combine the honey, molasses, and butter. Add the yeast mixture and stir well. Add the cocoa powder and salt, then add the flour gradually until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl.

Knead the dough for about 10 min. in a lightly floured surface, then roll into a ball and place it in a covered bowl in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size. When dough has doubled, separate it into 4 even portions. Roll each into a log shape. Sprinkle cornmeal all over work surface. Moisten your hands and rub a little on each loaf and roll each one into the cornmeal. Transfer each log onto a cookie sheet (or you can put each one into a mini bread pan like I did) and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm spot to rise for another hour until they have doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350F. Uncover and bake 35-40 min. When bread is done, let it cool for 10-15 min.

Makes 4 mini loaves

Bushman Bread

Posted by admin No comments

I've never eaten at Outback Steakhouse before, so I had never heard of something called Bushman Bread. But, when Mickey from Monster Mama posted about it in her blog, I was intrigued. The recipe called for ingredients like cocoa powder and molasses and just looked too good to pass up. So, I whipped up a batch the very next day.

I ended up making quite a few changes to the recipe. For one thing, I didn't have any food coloring, so my loaves ended up being only a light brown rather than the rad purplish color that Mickey's got. Secondly, I realized while making the bread that I was out of bread flour. I could have sworn that I had some left, but apparently I had already used it up on something else. I also don't usually have wheat flour on hand either. So, I ended up using only all-purpose flour to make the bread. Finally, I changed the order in which the ingredients were mixed.

But, even with all the changes, the bread still turned out perfectly. It really did make the house smell amazing as it baked and I couldn't stop nibbling at the crust when it came out of the oven. I'm definitely glad I tried this recipe out. I don't know how close it is to the actual Outback Bushman Bread, but it's good enough for me.

Bushman Bread (adapted from Monster Mama)

1 1/4 c. warm water
2 tsp. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
3 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/4 c. honey
2 Tbsp. molasses
cornmeal, for dusting

Mix sugar with warm water, then dissolve the yeast in the solution. Let stand 5 min. until foamy. Combine the honey, molasses, and butter. Add the yeast mixture and stir well. Add the cocoa powder and salt, then add the flour gradually until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl.

Knead the dough for about 10 min. in a lightly floured surface, then roll into a ball and place it in a covered bowl in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size. When dough has doubled, separate it into 4 even portions. Roll each into a log shape. Sprinkle cornmeal all over work surface. Moisten your hands and rub a little on each loaf and roll each one into the cornmeal. Transfer each log onto a cookie sheet (or you can put each one into a mini bread pan like I did) and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm spot to rise for another hour until they have doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350F. Uncover and bake 35-40 min. When bread is done, let it cool for 10-15 min.

Makes 4 mini loaves

Chocolate Croissants

Well, you all know my dad's favorite treats, so now I'll share one of my mom's. As I've mentioned before, my mom loves the movie, "It's Complicated." You might remember this one scene in the movie where Meryl Streep and Steve Martin are making chocolate croissants in a bakery late one night. Well, ever since watching this movie, "It's Complicated," my mom has been begging me to make her some chocolate croissants. However, as many of you know, croissants are not the easiest thing to make. They require a butter packet and turns that you need to keep track of, not to mention the fact that they start with a yeast bread which takes time. The idea of even attempting these croissants got farther and farther from my mind.



Then, I came across Sarah Flinn's recipe on her site, Call Me Fudge (she also has a great picture tutorial so you can see exactly what to do). Her croissants looked so wonderful and the best part was that they employed a simpler method. Instead of a butter packet, you simply dot the dough with butter before folding it up. I made sure to ask her a LOT of questions and she was so sweet to answer them all so that I could understand exactly how to go about making the croissants. Finally, I felt confident enough to begin.

It is still a long process since there's a lot of waiting time involved - rising, chilling, etc. So, I started making the dough the night before so that we could have them for breakfast the next morning.

I filled each one with a Hershey's nugget and dressed them up by drizzling more chocolate on top. Then, my mom and I took a bite. We marveled at all the buttery layers and were both pleased that the Hershey's nuggets had melted inside for one deliciously gooey chocolaty bite after another.


It was a long process, to be sure, and a lot of hard work, but it was all worth it to see how happy my mom was. One day, I will be daring enough to make croissants in the more conventional way, but, for now, this one is going to be my go-to recipe.



Croissants (adapted from Call Me Fudge)

1 pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 c. milk (I used skim milk)
2 c. bread flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
8 milk chocolate Hershey's nuggets
1 egg yolk

1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk (about 105-115F) with 1 tsp. of sugar. Let stand 5 min. until foamy. Combine the flour with the salt and remaining sugar. Add the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture. Knead together to form a dough and shape into a ball (I had to add a tablespoon or so of water in order to get everything to hold together). Place in a greased bowl and turn your dough over so that all sides are greased. Let rise until it doubles in size (about 30 min.-1 hour).

2. Roll the dough out in a long rectangle. Dot with butter (a little more than 1 Tbsp.). Fold in thirds (like an envelope) then turn so an open side is facing you. Dot with butter and fold again. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for about 30 min. (the dough will rise while it chills)

3. Roll out chilled dough into a long rectangle. Dot with butter. Fold in the left and right sides until they meet at an invisible center line and then fold it in half at that line. Turn the dough 90 degrees. Roll it out again into a long rectangle, dot it with butter, and repeat the folding step. Wrap it up and put it back in the fridge to chill for 30 min.

4. Repeat Step 3 again. Chill the dough for at least 30 min., but preferably overnight.

5. After chilling the dough, roll it out into a 12"x16" rectangle and cut into eight 4"x6" rectangles. Cut the Hershey's nuggets in half lengthwise. Put two pieces in the middle of each smaller rectangle and roll up one third of the dough (from the shorter side first) over the chocolate. Roll it over and seal it to the other side. Place the croissants on a greased cookie sheet and put it back in the fridge to chill for 30 min. (this will prevent the butter from running out of the dough)

6. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425F. Remove the croissants from the fridge and brush each one with the egg yolk mixed with a little water. Bake for 15-20 min. Let cool a little and drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired.

This recipe is linked to:
These Chicks Cooked
Let's Break Bread Together
Sweet Tooth Friday
My Meatless Mondays
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Bake with Bizzy
Hearth n' Soul Hop

Chocolate Croissants

Posted by admin No comments

Well, you all know my dad's favorite treats, so now I'll share one of my mom's. As I've mentioned before, my mom loves the movie, "It's Complicated." You might remember this one scene in the movie where Meryl Streep and Steve Martin are making chocolate croissants in a bakery late one night. Well, ever since watching this movie, "It's Complicated," my mom has been begging me to make her some chocolate croissants. However, as many of you know, croissants are not the easiest thing to make. They require a butter packet and turns that you need to keep track of, not to mention the fact that they start with a yeast bread which takes time. The idea of even attempting these croissants got farther and farther from my mind.



Then, I came across Sarah Flinn's recipe on her site, Call Me Fudge (she also has a great picture tutorial so you can see exactly what to do). Her croissants looked so wonderful and the best part was that they employed a simpler method. Instead of a butter packet, you simply dot the dough with butter before folding it up. I made sure to ask her a LOT of questions and she was so sweet to answer them all so that I could understand exactly how to go about making the croissants. Finally, I felt confident enough to begin.

It is still a long process since there's a lot of waiting time involved - rising, chilling, etc. So, I started making the dough the night before so that we could have them for breakfast the next morning.

I filled each one with a Hershey's nugget and dressed them up by drizzling more chocolate on top. Then, my mom and I took a bite. We marveled at all the buttery layers and were both pleased that the Hershey's nuggets had melted inside for one deliciously gooey chocolaty bite after another.


It was a long process, to be sure, and a lot of hard work, but it was all worth it to see how happy my mom was. One day, I will be daring enough to make croissants in the more conventional way, but, for now, this one is going to be my go-to recipe.



Croissants (adapted from Call Me Fudge)

1 pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 c. milk (I used skim milk)
2 c. bread flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
8 milk chocolate Hershey's nuggets
1 egg yolk

1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk (about 105-115F) with 1 tsp. of sugar. Let stand 5 min. until foamy. Combine the flour with the salt and remaining sugar. Add the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture. Knead together to form a dough and shape into a ball (I had to add a tablespoon or so of water in order to get everything to hold together). Place in a greased bowl and turn your dough over so that all sides are greased. Let rise until it doubles in size (about 30 min.-1 hour).

2. Roll the dough out in a long rectangle. Dot with butter (a little more than 1 Tbsp.). Fold in thirds (like an envelope) then turn so an open side is facing you. Dot with butter and fold again. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for about 30 min. (the dough will rise while it chills)

3. Roll out chilled dough into a long rectangle. Dot with butter. Fold in the left and right sides until they meet at an invisible center line and then fold it in half at that line. Turn the dough 90 degrees. Roll it out again into a long rectangle, dot it with butter, and repeat the folding step. Wrap it up and put it back in the fridge to chill for 30 min.

4. Repeat Step 3 again. Chill the dough for at least 30 min., but preferably overnight.

5. After chilling the dough, roll it out into a 12"x16" rectangle and cut into eight 4"x6" rectangles. Cut the Hershey's nuggets in half lengthwise. Put two pieces in the middle of each smaller rectangle and roll up one third of the dough (from the shorter side first) over the chocolate. Roll it over and seal it to the other side. Place the croissants on a greased cookie sheet and put it back in the fridge to chill for 30 min. (this will prevent the butter from running out of the dough)

6. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425F. Remove the croissants from the fridge and brush each one with the egg yolk mixed with a little water. Bake for 15-20 min. Let cool a little and drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired.

This recipe is linked to:
These Chicks Cooked
Let's Break Bread Together
Sweet Tooth Friday
My Meatless Mondays
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Bake with Bizzy
Hearth n' Soul Hop

No-Fuss Focaccia

I love looking at the fresh baked breads in the bakery section of the grocery store. French bread, ciabatta bread, shepherder's bread, they all look so good. But, the one that especially calls out to me is the focaccia bread. How can you possibly resist something that looks like a pizza?



Well, difficult though it may be, I do resist after seeing the $4 price tag on it. How can something made out of flour, water, yeast, and a little olive oil possibly cost so much? Wait a minute. I have all those ingredients at home. Surely I could make my own, right? Thanks to the King Arthur Flour site, I found out that anyone can make focaccia. In fact, it's so quick and easy that the recipe is called, "Blitz Bread or No-Fuss Focaccia."


All you have to do is mix up your ingredients and put the dough into a baking pan with a little olive oil in it. Let it rise, drizzle with a little more oil, season to your liking, and bake. That's it. No "secret" ingredients or complicated techniques. Soon, you'll be taking a gorgeous loaf of focaccia out of your oven and wondering why you've never done this before.

The finished focaccia was so good. It was fluffy and flavorful and every bit as good as anything from the grocery store, even better because it was fresh. This may have been my first focaccia but it most certainly will not be my last.


No-Fuss Focaccia (aka Blitz Bread) - adapted from King Arthur Flour

3/4 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)
5/8 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tomato, de-seeded and sliced

Combine the warm water with the active dry yeast and the 2 tsp. sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5-10 min.

Add the flour and salt gradually to the yeast mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, until your dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl (the dough will be very soft).

Drizzle 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil into a 9-inch round cake pan. Place the dough into the pan. Cover and let rise for 60 min., till it's become puffy. (Note: the risen dough will be super sticky so make sure that whatever you use to cover it will not touch the dough by the end of the hour or you can grease the plastic wrap) While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 375F. Gently poke the risen dough all over with your index finger. Drizzle it lightly with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Top with the tomato slices. Bake the bread till it's golden brown, about 35-40 min.

Notes:

• The recipe as written here is for a half batch. If you bake the full batch, KAF directs you to make it in a 9x13 pan.
• I adapted this recipe so that it could be made without a stand mixer and using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast.
  
• My gas oven doesn't brown bread at all, so I baked mine for about 32 min., then put it under the broiler for 2 min. It browned up beautifully. If you do this, make sure you watch it well because you don't want it to go from browned to burnt.

This recipe is linked to:
Full Plate Thursday
These Chicks Cooked
Made it on Monday
Fat Camp Friday
Fresh Food Friday

No-Fuss Focaccia

Posted by admin No comments

I love looking at the fresh baked breads in the bakery section of the grocery store. French bread, ciabatta bread, shepherder's bread, they all look so good. But, the one that especially calls out to me is the focaccia bread. How can you possibly resist something that looks like a pizza?



Well, difficult though it may be, I do resist after seeing the $4 price tag on it. How can something made out of flour, water, yeast, and a little olive oil possibly cost so much? Wait a minute. I have all those ingredients at home. Surely I could make my own, right? Thanks to the King Arthur Flour site, I found out that anyone can make focaccia. In fact, it's so quick and easy that the recipe is called, "Blitz Bread or No-Fuss Focaccia."


All you have to do is mix up your ingredients and put the dough into a baking pan with a little olive oil in it. Let it rise, drizzle with a little more oil, season to your liking, and bake. That's it. No "secret" ingredients or complicated techniques. Soon, you'll be taking a gorgeous loaf of focaccia out of your oven and wondering why you've never done this before.

The finished focaccia was so good. It was fluffy and flavorful and every bit as good as anything from the grocery store, even better because it was fresh. This may have been my first focaccia but it most certainly will not be my last.


No-Fuss Focaccia (aka Blitz Bread) - adapted from King Arthur Flour

3/4 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)
5/8 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tomato, de-seeded and sliced

Combine the warm water with the active dry yeast and the 2 tsp. sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5-10 min.

Add the flour and salt gradually to the yeast mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, until your dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl (the dough will be very soft).

Drizzle 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil into a 9-inch round cake pan. Place the dough into the pan. Cover and let rise for 60 min., till it's become puffy. (Note: the risen dough will be super sticky so make sure that whatever you use to cover it will not touch the dough by the end of the hour or you can grease the plastic wrap) While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 375F. Gently poke the risen dough all over with your index finger. Drizzle it lightly with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Top with the tomato slices. Bake the bread till it's golden brown, about 35-40 min.

Notes:

• The recipe as written here is for a half batch. If you bake the full batch, KAF directs you to make it in a 9x13 pan.
• I adapted this recipe so that it could be made without a stand mixer and using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast.
  
• My gas oven doesn't brown bread at all, so I baked mine for about 32 min., then put it under the broiler for 2 min. It browned up beautifully. If you do this, make sure you watch it well because you don't want it to go from browned to burnt.

This recipe is linked to:
Full Plate Thursday
These Chicks Cooked
Made it on Monday
Fat Camp Friday
Fresh Food Friday

Orange Pull-Apart Coffee Cake

I absolutely love baking bread. I suppose I'm a little odd, but I take great delight when I see my yeast bubble and foam or a beautiful lump of dough all doubled in size. All these things just hint at the yummy bread that will soon be baking up in my oven.

This time, I decided to try a sweet bread and boy what a sweet bread it was. I've been seeing a recipe for Lemon Pull-Apart Bread and really wanted to try it, but lemons are not exactly on sale right now. I soon got to thinking that an orange version might work. Then, to my absolute glee, that is exactly what appeared on Lizzy's blog, "That Skinny Chick Can Bake." Her pictures were all I needed to see and I decided to proceed, full steam ahead.

I will tell you in advance that this recipe does take a lot of time, effort, and preparation. It also caused me a little stress because I once again decided to try rolling it out on waxed paper. You would think I'd have learned my lesson from when I made cinnamon rolls. Word to the wise, it doesn't matter how much you flour the waxed paper, in the end it will still STICK. A cookie sheet or your counter is probably a much better idea. I also forgot to grease my bread pan, so halfway through the second rising, I began sticking an oiled knife into the sides, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. Luckily, the bread still popped out in the end.

But, is all of this worth it? Of course it is!!! In the end, you will be rewarded with this soft brioche type bread in which every piece is infused with a delicious orange flavor. And do not even think about skipping the cream cheese icing on top. It is an absolute must!!! It takes everything up to the next level and will truly make your bread the piece de resistance of any table.

Believe me, this is one of the ultimate breads. One bite and you will swoon. You may want to shout about it from the rooftops. Okay, maybe not cause then you'd have to share. But, your tastebuds will definitely do a little happy dance

Orange Pull-Apart Coffee Cake
(adapted from That Skinny Chick Can Bake)

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 c. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/3 c. fat-free milk
1/4 c. salted butter
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Filling:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
3 Tbsp. grated orange zest
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (I just used all orange zest)

Cream Cheese Icing:
3 oz. cream cheese (I used 4 oz. cream cheese)
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. orange juice

Grease a standard loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 inches).

Heat milk and butter just in microwave or on stove until butter melts. Add water, then allow to cool till just warm (110-115F). Add the yeast and 2 tsp. sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5 min. Add the vanilla.

Combine the flour and the rest of the sugar. Add to the yeast mixture and mix till flour is just moistened. Add eggs, one at a time, beating till incorporated. Add 1/2 c. flour and mix till dough is smooth. Add 2 Tbsp. flour and mix till smooth.

Lightly flour a work surface and knead dough for about a minute. Add the last 2 Tbsp. flour if dough is too sticky. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn to coat, cover, and let rise in a warm place till doubled, about 1 hour.

Rub the orange zest into the sugar until it is orange and fragrant. Combine with the melted butter and set aside.

Punch down the dough and roll into a 12x20 inch rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the filling on the dough. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 5 strips, each 12x4 inches (use a ruler to get this as accurate as possible). Carefully stack the strips on top of each other, so you have a stack of five 12x4 inch rectangles.

Cut this stack into 6 equal rectangles, each 2 inches wide. Carefully place each of these smaller stacks into the loaf pan, cut side up. Cover and let rise in a warm spot till doubled, about 45 min.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 30-45 min. (mine took 30 min.). Cool on rack about 10-15 min., then remove from pan to rack to continue cooling.

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar till smooth. Add the milk and juice and mix till combined. Ice warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe is linked to:
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
Rook 17
Full Plate Thursday
Fat Camp Friday
Sweet Tooth Friday
What's Cookin' in the Kitchen
Your Recipes My Kitchen
Let's Break Bread Together
Themed Bakers' Sunday

Orange Pull-Apart Coffee Cake

Posted by admin No comments

I absolutely love baking bread. I suppose I'm a little odd, but I take great delight when I see my yeast bubble and foam or a beautiful lump of dough all doubled in size. All these things just hint at the yummy bread that will soon be baking up in my oven.

This time, I decided to try a sweet bread and boy what a sweet bread it was. I've been seeing a recipe for Lemon Pull-Apart Bread and really wanted to try it, but lemons are not exactly on sale right now. I soon got to thinking that an orange version might work. Then, to my absolute glee, that is exactly what appeared on Lizzy's blog, "That Skinny Chick Can Bake." Her pictures were all I needed to see and I decided to proceed, full steam ahead.

I will tell you in advance that this recipe does take a lot of time, effort, and preparation. It also caused me a little stress because I once again decided to try rolling it out on waxed paper. You would think I'd have learned my lesson from when I made cinnamon rolls. Word to the wise, it doesn't matter how much you flour the waxed paper, in the end it will still STICK. A cookie sheet or your counter is probably a much better idea. I also forgot to grease my bread pan, so halfway through the second rising, I began sticking an oiled knife into the sides, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. Luckily, the bread still popped out in the end.

But, is all of this worth it? Of course it is!!! In the end, you will be rewarded with this soft brioche type bread in which every piece is infused with a delicious orange flavor. And do not even think about skipping the cream cheese icing on top. It is an absolute must!!! It takes everything up to the next level and will truly make your bread the piece de resistance of any table.

Believe me, this is one of the ultimate breads. One bite and you will swoon. You may want to shout about it from the rooftops. Okay, maybe not cause then you'd have to share. But, your tastebuds will definitely do a little happy dance

Orange Pull-Apart Coffee Cake
(adapted from That Skinny Chick Can Bake)

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 c. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/3 c. fat-free milk
1/4 c. salted butter
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Filling:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
3 Tbsp. grated orange zest
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (I just used all orange zest)

Cream Cheese Icing:
3 oz. cream cheese (I used 4 oz. cream cheese)
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. orange juice

Grease a standard loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 inches).

Heat milk and butter just in microwave or on stove until butter melts. Add water, then allow to cool till just warm (110-115F). Add the yeast and 2 tsp. sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5 min. Add the vanilla.

Combine the flour and the rest of the sugar. Add to the yeast mixture and mix till flour is just moistened. Add eggs, one at a time, beating till incorporated. Add 1/2 c. flour and mix till dough is smooth. Add 2 Tbsp. flour and mix till smooth.

Lightly flour a work surface and knead dough for about a minute. Add the last 2 Tbsp. flour if dough is too sticky. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn to coat, cover, and let rise in a warm place till doubled, about 1 hour.

Rub the orange zest into the sugar until it is orange and fragrant. Combine with the melted butter and set aside.

Punch down the dough and roll into a 12x20 inch rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the filling on the dough. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 5 strips, each 12x4 inches (use a ruler to get this as accurate as possible). Carefully stack the strips on top of each other, so you have a stack of five 12x4 inch rectangles.

Cut this stack into 6 equal rectangles, each 2 inches wide. Carefully place each of these smaller stacks into the loaf pan, cut side up. Cover and let rise in a warm spot till doubled, about 45 min.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 30-45 min. (mine took 30 min.). Cool on rack about 10-15 min., then remove from pan to rack to continue cooling.

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar till smooth. Add the milk and juice and mix till combined. Ice warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe is linked to:
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
Rook 17
Full Plate Thursday
Fat Camp Friday
Sweet Tooth Friday
What's Cookin' in the Kitchen
Your Recipes My Kitchen
Let's Break Bread Together
Themed Bakers' Sunday