Rolls For Maribel

My girl LOVES bread. She invited us for Thanksgiving and I'm making pies but thought I would try this recipe. 

I sent Carol my bread master the recipe and asked if she thought I would be able to make it. She said sure so- with that encouragement  - Ta Da!

Ingredients:

1 (1/4-oz.) packet active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (110°F)

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whole milk

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing

Large-flake sea salt (optional)

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the flour, as well as the salt, whole milk and melted butter and beat for 2 minutes.

Add an additional 1 cup of flour and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until the dough begins to form a ball. (If the dough is still very sticky, add an additional ¼ cup flour as needed.)

Lightly flour your work surface. Scrape the dough onto your work surface, and using the heel of your hand, knead it for 2 minutes then place the dough in a greased bowl and cover the bowl with a towel. Set the bowl in a dark, warm place for 30 minutes until it has doubled in size. 

Grease an 8-inch round pan with cooking spray or butter.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces then roll each piece into a ball and arrange the balls in the prepared pan. Cover the pan with a towel then return it to a dark, warm place for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Uncover the rolls then bake them for 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden brown and cooked through.

Remove the rolls from the oven, brush them with additional melted butter and immediately sprinkle them with the sea salt (optional). Serve them warm. 

I have a tip I saw on All recipes U-Tube video. When need to let the dough rise, put the mixed dough in your instant pot on the yogurt setting for the time needed for the dough to rise. Do not add anything other than the dough. Close the lid and let the magic happen.

Make sure your yeast isn’t expired. After mixing the yeast with warm water and sugar, wait for it to foam (around 5-10 minutes). If it doesn’t foam, your yeast may be inactive and it’s best to start over with fresh yeast.

If the dough feels very firm and unpliable when you knead it, that’s a sign that it’s starting to become over-kneaded. Immediately stop and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Allowing the dough to rest will give you a better shot at a more tender result.

Make-Ahead Instructions: If you want to prepare the rolls in advance, follow the directions up until you place the (unbaked) rolls in the baking pan then tightly cover the pan with plastic wrap. The dough can remain in the refrigerator for up to 12-24 hours or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you’ve refrigerated the rolls, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temp, which usually takes about 30 minutes. Baked as directed. If you’ve frozen the rolls, remove the rolls from the freezer and place them in the fridge overnight then bring them to room temp to rise before baking them as directed. 

You can store leftover rolls in a sealed plastic bag for 1-2 days at room temp. However, keep an eye on the moisture and open the bags every now and then if they look like they’re getting too soft.

1-Hour French Bread

 

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water 90-100 degrees

2 Tablespoons instant yeast

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

5 ½ - 6 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

There is so much information about the bread that I'm adding a link on how to MAKE IT

It made two loaves. I knew Gabe and I could not eat the other loaf so I took it over to our neighbors when it was hot. Hot bread is always delicious. They really liked it!

It was a great day to play in the kitchen since it rained all day. 

ORANGE JUICE BREAD

Recipe from Mary's Tea Room. 



Ingredients:

1/2 C. butter
1-1/4 C. sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup milk


Icing:
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. orange juice
1/3 cup sugar




Directions:

Cream butter and sugar in a medium sized bowl.

 Beat eggs and add to the butter/sugar mixture.

 Sift flour, baking powder and salt and set aside

 Mix orange juice and milk.

 Add liquids alternately with dry ingredients and creamed mixture.

Butter 11X4X3 inch loaf pan or 2 small loaf pans.

 Line bottom of pans with parchment paper and butter the paper. 

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

 For the icing: combine lemon, orange juice, and sugar in saucepan. Cook over medium heat and brush bread with icing as soon as they are taken from the oven.

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SHREDDED WHEAT MOLASSES BREAD

As you regular readers probably know, making bread is one of my favorite things to do in my kitchen.  It's relaxation for me.....I just love every part of it from the kneading by hand to the shaping of the loaves or rolls, right down to the baking.  Somehow that bread baking aroma beats any expensive perfume in my book. I wish someone could bottle that scent and sell it as room spray. Bread baking in the oven just makes the house smell like home to me. It brings me back to when my Nana would make homemade rolls.  My neighbor and  I couldn't WAIT to have one of those rolls warm from the oven with melted butter-they were SO good.

I don't buy bread when I grocery shop any more-I prefer to make it.  I set aside a day and make a few loaves, then package the finished bread up into 4 slice packets and tuck them in the freezer.  Homemade bread doesn't last like store bought bread without all those preservatives, so this method gives us just enough to use for what we need. I do like to vary the kinds of bread I make-I'm all about trying a new recipe for bread that would be perfect for sandwiches or a sweeter loaf that would be perfect toasted for breakfast.

I don't eat shredded wheat as cereal-my Dad used to...with boiling water.....no thank you. I've been wanting to try making Shredded Wheat Bread for a long time. I had it years ago and loved the stuff. I finally remembered to buy the cereal, so all I needed to do was to find a good sounding recipe. That gave me a good excuse to go rummaging through my collection of bread books. There it was....the perfect sounding recipe to try.

This bread goes together in no time at all. The first time I made it, I used butter flavored vegetable shortening in it, the second time I used butter....both gave me fantastic results.  I don't even use my mixer when I make this. I have a Danish Dough Whisk that does a slick job when mixing bread dough. I saw it on the King Arthur Video in the series of videos about bread making (one of the links is below in the recipe) and when I saw how slick it worked, I invested in one.  Best 10 bucks I've spent in a long time-the tool has already paid for itself. By all means, go ahead and use a stand mixer and dough hook to make this bread, if you prefer.

I usually bake this bread in two 9x5 inch bread pans. They yield nice size loaves. Years ago, I saw a set of loaf pans at, of ALL places, Publisher's Clearing House, that were sizes of which I'd not seen anywhere before, so I ordered them.  The largest one is an odd size....about 12x8x3.  I used it the last time I made this bread to make one big loaf...and when I say big I MEAN big! Naturally, it took longer to bake and produced a beautiful loaf of bread that was so big it wouldn't fit into my bread slicing guide-YIKES! I had to try getting even slices by hand with my electric knife. THAT was a trip...some didn't look too bad-others-not so much.  Needless to say I think I'll stick with the 9x5 inch pans. I  really do like using my slicing guide. :)

I can't say enough good things about this bread.  If you're looking for a heavy sort of traditional whole wheat bread, this one isn't for you. This bread is soft and light with a fine crumb. The molasses adds a subtle sweetness while the shredded wheat cereal gives you a slight "whole wheat" taste. I absolutely LOVE a slice toasted.  Bob likes taking a half sandwich with a cup of soup to work and said this bread actually fills him up where store bought bread usually doesn't-he would be taking a whole sandwich if he used that.

Shredded Wheat Molasses Bread is a favorite in this house. If you love making bread, I hope you'll give this a try-maybe it will become a keeper in your house too.


Carol



SHREDDED WHEAT MOLASSES BREAD
Source:slightly adapted from Judy Gorman's Breads of New England cookbook

3 shredded wheat biscuits
1 3/4 c. boiling water
1/3 c. molasses
3 Tbsp. butter OR vegetable shortening (regular or butter flavored)
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. milk
1 (1/4 oz.) pkg. active dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 c. warm water (100-110 degrees) with a pinch of granulated sugar added
5 1/4-6 c. bread flour
1/2-1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, for brushing over top crust of breads after baking (optional)

Crumble the shredded wheat biscuits into a large mixing bowl.  Pour the boiling water over the top of the cereal.  Stir in the molasses, butter, sugar and salt. Mix well.  Stir in the milk and let the mixture stand until it's barely warm to the touch.

Add the dissolved yeast and 2 cups of the bread flour. Stir with a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk until the batter is smooth.  Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour until a soft dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  I measure out the full amount of flour called for in the recipe and set it aside in a bowl.  That's what I use to stir into the dough, then knead and shape the rolls.  I usually have flour left over.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in as much of the remaining flour as necessary to make a soft, elastic dough that isn't sticky and springs back when lightly touched.  This takes me about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the dough.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a linen kitchen towel and set it aside in a draft-free warm place to rise until the dough is doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

Grease (2) 9x5-inch loaf pans.

Gently punch down the dough while it's in the bowl, turn it onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Pat one half of the dough into a rectangular shape. Fold one short end of the dough toward the center and gently press the seam with the side of your hand.  Repeat with the other short side of the dough, bringing the short side to the center and pressing.  Fold the dough in half and lightly press, then press each end of the dough and tuck them under. Place the dough, seam side down, into the prepared pan and gently press down the dough with your hand to make it even all the way across.  A great video from King Arthur Flour that takes you step by step through the process can be found HERE.

Repeat with the remaining half of the dough.

Cover the pans lightly with plastic wrap or a linen kitchen towel and let the dough rise until you see it start to rise a little above the rim of the pan-don't let it go more than 1" above the edge or it will collapse on you when it bakes.

When the dough has almost finished rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I usually start the oven when I see the dough almost to the top edge of the bread pan.

Uncover the pans and bake @ 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the bread is light golden brown and the bottom of each loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

If desired, brush a little melted butter over the top crust of the each loaf of bread until it's lightly coated-you might not need all of what you melted for this.  

Remove from the pan to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.  Makes (2) 9x5-inch loaves, about 16 slices each.

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Strawberry Cheesecake Sweet Rolls

Doesn't this look awesome? Thank you Carol for sharing another fabulous recipe!!!!!!!!


                                      Strawberry Cheesecake Sweet Rolls 

This recipe is the very first sweet roll recipe I created from scratch.

I had been thinking about making a roll with these flavors for quite some time...to the point of trying ideas for them twice. Neither attempt gave me the end result I was looking for. I wanted something like a cinnamon roll, only with strawberries and cream cheese in the filling. A great idea, but I wasn't happy with the the bread in the center of the rolls-the layers of cream cheese and fruit created too much moisture so it was really wet. They tasted great-we ate them-but I knew there had to be a better way.

Finally it hit me-I was going about this all WRONG! I had a "light bulb moment" if you will.....put the cream cheese IN the dough instead of spread it ON the dough. The cream cheese can take the place of butter, PLUS will give a "cheesecake" taste...at least I HOPED it would. Since I always add butter extract and vanilla extract to my sweet roll dough's, both would be included here, as well as freshly grated lemon zest-something I add to my mini cheesecakes. 


Making ropes of bread dough then forming them into coils like I do when making a favorite recipe for Raspberry "Danish" would be PERFECT for these!  

Cyndy sent me a kaboodle of Lorann Double Strength flavored oils to add to melted chocolate to bump up the flavor when making making candy, flavored popcorn or baking...well, one of the the oils she included in the mix is CHEESECAKE! What better way to enhance the flavor of the cream cheese?  The oils are concentrated so a little goes a long way.  These oils can be found in craft stores, baking supply stores and online.

Instead of spreading the strawberry filling onto the bread dough and rolling it inside, why not TOP the bread with the strawberries?  After all-the image of the cheesecake I had in my mind had the strawberries spread on top.

The final hurdle was to get graham cracker crumbs incorporated into the recipe. That part was easy...instead of adding melted butter to graham cracker crumbs and a touch of sugar that I use for the mini cheesecake crust, I would brush the butter onto the rope of dough, then roll it in the graham cracker crumbs-hence a "crust" on the outside of the "cheesecake" roll.

All that was needed was a light glaze over top to make this creation complete. I added a little cheesecake oil to it to further enhance that cheesecake flavor.


FINALLY-the end result I dreamed of. It's everything I wanted and more. The soft, tender roll has a slight cream cheese/cheesecake flavor, the graham crackers add a little crunch to the outside of the rolls when they're fresh out of the oven and the fresh strawberry topping adds a delicious not-too-sweet finale. The crumbs do soften once the rolls are covered for storage, but that's OK-they still taste FABULOUS!

It's been awhile since I've played with some new ideas on this cheesecake roll theme....I'm sensing some experimenting in my kitchen "laboratory" coming up soon. I suddenly have a few more  flavor ideas rolling around in my head to take these on another tasty ride. :)


Carol


STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE SWEET ROLLS

STRAWBERRY FILLING
1 (2 lb.) container fresh strawberries, chopped
1/2-3/4 c. granulated sugar (adjust the amount up or down according to the sweetness of the strawberries)
2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

4-5 drops red food coloring

BREAD DOUGH:
2 1/2-3 c. bread flour
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. instant or quick-rise yeast
1/4 c. warm water (120-130 degrees)
1/4 c. warm milk (120-130 degrees)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened (light cream cheese can be used)
1 large egg
Grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. butter extract
1/4 tsp. Lorann cheesecake flavor double strength oil (optional)
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR GLAZE:
1/2 c. sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. clear vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. Lorann cheesecake flavor double strength oil (optional)
1-2 Tbsp. milk

For the filling, combine the strawberries, sugar and cornstarch in a 10" skillet. Bring the mixture  to a boil, stirring constantly, crushing the berries lightly with the back of a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook and stir until the mixture has thickened.  It will be chunky-that's the end result you want.  Remove from the heat and let the filling cool completely.

For the bread dough, combine 1 1/2 c. flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the warm water, milk and cream cheese. Beat until the mixture is combined. Add 1/2 c. flour, egg, lemon zest, vanilla, butter extract and cheesecake oil. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until a soft dough forms. The dough will be sticky.  

Turn the dough onto a floured board. Knead in some of the remaining 1/2-1 c. flour until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. I used about 2 1/2 c. flour total in this dough-that includes the kneading. It all depends on how warm it is in your kitchen and how much humidity is in the air as to how much flour you'll need to add. The dough should be slightly sticky-too much flour will dry the bread out. 


Cover the dough and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. 

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar and spread the mixture out on a piece of waxed paper.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 15" rope.  Brush each rope with melted butter, then roll the rope in the graham cracker crumb mixture, coating it well.  

Form the rope into a coil, tucking the ends under.  Place the coils on baking sheets sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Sprinkle the coils with any remaining graham cracker crumb mixture.  Cover them lightly with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 30-45 minutes.

When the rolls are almost doubled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly press the center of each roll with your fingers to make a hole for the filling. Fill each indentation generously with strawberry filling. I fill the center, then mound and slightly spread the filling on the top of each roll.  

Bake @ 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned. Immediately remove the rolls from the pans to a wire rack and cool completely.


For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, cheesecake oil (if using) and just enough milk to achieve a drizzling consistency. Lightly drizzle the glaze over each roll.  Makes 12.

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Country-Style Oatmeal Bread

Carol sent me a photo of the bread and I hoped she would share it on the blog. It looked so good and know there are quite a few people who love making bread. 

 Carol loves to share and I thank her for adding another one of fabulous recipes.

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” – James Beard



                                                  Country-Style Oatmeal Bread

I'm back in bread making mode and having a blast trying all kinds of new-to-me recipes.  I had forgotten just how much I missed making my own bread.

I had run across this recipe while strolling through the Taste of Home Recipe Board archives. We love oatmeal bread, this looked simple enough and used ingredients I already had on hand.  

I stayed pretty true to the original recipe. I did use milk for part of the warm water called for. My Mom (and her Mom) always told me that adding milk to a bread recipe gives it a nice crumb and keeps it soft. I used 1 1/4 c. warm water to dissolve the yeast, then added 1 1/4 c. milk to the flour mixture.

Since all I had was old fashioned rolled oats, that's what I used. I usually choose old fashioned oats over quick oats in bread-I like the "chew" they give.  I had to add a little more flour than called for in the original recipe. It was pretty warm and a touch humid here when I made this, so that's most likely why. The temperature in your kitchen has a lot to do with how much flour that dough is going to need.

Once the dough had risen and been punched down, I got out my kitchen scale and weighed it before dividing it in half.  That gives me a better chance of getting 2 loaves close to the same size rather than "eyeballing" it.

I like a soft top crust on bread, so I gave each loaf a light brush of melted butter over top right when they came out of the oven.

This is one VERY easy bread to mix, form and bake-and is it ever DELICIOUS. It's light, the crumb is soft but the oatmeal gives it a slight "chew". I sliced both loaves and froze the slices in packages of 4 slices each so that I can take just enough out for sandwiches or toast. We're really enjoying it.

If you love making bread and are an oatmeal bread fan, I highly recommend giving this a try-you won't be disappointed. Foodguy shared some wonderful recipes as a member of the Taste of Home community.  Sadly, he passed away a few years ago, so I'm giving a wave to heaven and sending up a big thank you to him for sharing this wonderful recipe.


Carol



COUNTRY-STYLE OATMEAL BREAD 

(Source: slightly adapted from recipe shared by foodguy on the Taste of Home Cook's Corner board-original recipe found HERE)

1 1/4 c. warm water (105-110 degrees) 
2 Tbsp. active dry yeast 
1/8 tsp. granulated sugar 
1 1/4 c. warm milk (105-110 degrees) 
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened 
6 Tbsp. light brown sugar 
2 tsp. salt 
4-5 c. bread flour 
2 c. rolled oats 
1-1 1/4 Tbsp. melted butter for brushing over tops of loaves

Dissolve the yeast and 1/8 tsp. granulated sugar in the warm water. Set aside and let the mixture get "foamy". This takes about 10 minutes. 

In a large mixing bowl. whisk together 2 c. of the flour, the brown sugar and salt.  Add the yeast mixture, the milk and softened butter.  Beat on medium speed of an electric mixer for about 2 minutes.  Add the rolled oats and 1 c. flour and beat until well mixed.  Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead, adding just enough of the remaining flour called for in the recipe, until the dough smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning the dough to grease the top. Cover and set aside in a warm place until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 40-45 minutes.

Grease (2) 8x4-inch loaf pans.

Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Form each half into a loaf. Place the loaves in the prepared pans. Cover lightly and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20-25 minutes.

When the dough has almost doubled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Uncover the loaves and bake @ 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped.


Immediately brush the top of each loaf lightly with melted butter. Remove from the pans and set them on a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 2 loaves.

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BLUEBERRY MUFFIN BREAD

One day left in Florida and I knew I would be busy packing. Carol has graciously shared another fabulous recipe with us.
Many, Many thanks Carol. 


                                                    Blueberry Muffin Bread

I  grew up in a family of bread makers. I would stand on a stool and watch my Nana knead dough on her big wooden board that would magically turn into the most wonderful cloverleaf rolls. My Mom used that same board to make delicious loaves of Italian bread, French bread and rolls. Watching was learning for me and it developed into a love of making homemade bread and sweet rolls every chance I get.

Back in the late 90s when bread machines were the rage, I thought why not invest in one?  I distinctly remember the day I did....my daughter Robin and I were out shopping and I found one at a super price. How great would it be to put all the ingredients in the machine and let it do all the work, plus end up with a nice loaf of homemade bread ready to slice and eat?  I bought it...along with some books and a slicing guide for that wonderful bread. 

I DID however keep all the bread machine cookbooks I invested in because I knew I could take those recipes and convert them to conventional bread making with no trouble at all.  Such is the case with this recipe.

We haven't had bread in the house for months. Bob has gotten away from eating sandwiches at lunch, so there was no need to buy it.  A "recipe challenge" post on the Taste of Home recipes forum got me back into bread baking mode last week when I made a Honey Mustard bread.  MAN was it ever good..so good that I made 2 loaves, sliced and froze it in packages of 4 slices so that I could take small portions out and use them right away. I had so much fun making that bread that it made me realize how much I missed the whole process. I wanted to make another new-to-me recipe-and soon. 

Taking inventory in the baking cupboard, I found that I somehow I ended up with an abundance of dried blueberries/blueberry flavored dried cranberries, so the search was on to find a bread recipe that would use some of those up. I stumbled over this one and it sounded like the perfect fit. A little refiguring and off to the kitchen I went.


I made the dough using the steps I would when making a regular bread dough recipe.  I stayed true to the ingredients in the original recipe, only adding a little vanilla and some butter extract just to give the dough a little richer flavor. I also increased the amount of dried blueberries to 1/2 cup from the 1/3 cup the original recipe called for.

What a gorgeous and easy-to-work dough this is. Once it had risen to double the size in the bowl, I punched it down, kneaded in the dried blueberries, formed the loaf, set it aside to double, and in what seemed no time at all, it was ready to bake. When I turned on the oven light to check the bread's progress, I was blown away at how beautiful it was baking up. Once it came out of the oven, I gave the top crust a light brush of melted butter to keep it soft, then out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool. I'll tell you what, it was torture waiting for it to cool enough to slice.  And yes indeed, I put that bread slicing guide I bought to use with my bread machine to good use slicing this loaf up.....what an easy way to get even slices. I LOVE that thing!

Now the test.....does it taste as good as it looks? YES!  Bob and I each had a slice toasted this morning for breakfast...oh my, it's heavenly.  The bread is slightly sweet-not overly so. Toasted, it's crispy on the outside and soft in the middle with a smattering of blueberries here and there. When I make it again-and  I WILL-I'm going to chop the dried blueberries into smaller pieces so they'll disperse into the dough better. I've found a few slices had all of no berries where others had plenty...hard to tell where they end up when you've kneaded them into the dough and formed the loaf.

It's official....no more buying bread from the supermarket for me.  I'll be making any bread we need from here on out.  It's not hard to do at all once you get the hang of it and I think it really does save money. I can get quite a few loaves of bread out of a bag of bread flour...and it tastes SO much better. Don't let working with yeast "scare" you....give bread baking a try. It's relaxing, it's fun, that delectable aroma while it's baking and taking that beautiful loaf out of the oven makes it all worth it.


I'm so glad I kept these bread machine cookbooks. Now...which loaf of bread will I be trying next?  It's going to be hard to choose!

Oh and by the way-I now have that large wooden board that I watched my Nana and my Mom knead bread on It sure brings back some nice memories. If  that board holds out, I'll be passing it to Robin someday-she's fallen in love with bread baking too.

Safe travels to you, Linda, Gabe and Max. Thanks for having me guest post.  We'll see you when you get back to Long Island! :)

Carol

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN BREAD

(Source: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens The Complete Guide to Bread Machine Baking-original recipe found HERE )

3/4 c. milk
3 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 1/2-3 c. bread flour, divided
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 (1/4 oz.) pkg. (2 1/4 tsp.) rapid rise or instant yeast
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. butter extract
1/2 c. dried blueberries or blueberry flavored dried cranberries, chopped
A little melted butter to brush over the top of the bread-about 1/2 Tbsp.

Place the milk, water and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat to 120-130 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups bread flour, the sugar, yeast, salt and nutmeg.  Add the warmed milk mixture and beat on medium speed of an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, butter extract and 1/2 cup more flour.  Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.  Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. 

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5-8 minutes.  Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning the dough to grease the top. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap or a clean linen towel, place in a warm spot and let the dough rise until doubled, about 40-60 minutes, depending on how warm it is in your kitchen. A test to see if the dough is doubled is to stick 2 fingers into the side of the dough about 1/2" in...if the indentations remain, the dough has doubled.  If they fill in, recover the bowl and let the dough to rise a little more.

Punch down the dough, knead in the dried berries and form the dough into a loaf.  Place the loaf into a greased 8x4-inch loaf pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a clean linen towel and let rise until the bread doubles and the top is slightly above the edge of the pan, about 25-35 minutes depending on how warm it is in your kitchen. 

When the dough has almost doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Uncover the loaf and bake @ 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped. 

Lightly brush the top of the loaf with a little melted butter, remove the loaf from the pan to a wire rack and let the bread cool completely before slicing. Makes 1 loaf (about 14-16 slices).

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread/ Texas Muffins with Greek Yogurt

I have so many recipes for banana bread and I bet many of you do also. This recipe is definitely a keeper and  on the top of the list to make again! 

Saw the recipe on Shopgirl and like that it has greek yogurt in it.

Maria adapted the recipe from Martha Stewart. She made one loaf.  I baked 6 Texas size muffins. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil ( used canola oil)
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract ( Watkins caramel extract)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 large bananas)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Raw sugar - sprinkle on top of the muffins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare the loaf pan or the muffin pan with non stick baking spray.

In a large size bowl combine the eggs ( which I always take out of the fridge and let come to room temp)oil, sugar and the vanilla( I used the caramel extract). Combine well with an electric mixer until smooth.

In a small bowl, add the flour,baking soda and salt which was sifted.

Take the dry ingredients and add them to the large bowl which contains the sugar,oil,eggs and vanilla ( or caramel) and mix well until well combined. Add the mashed bananas and greek yogurt and mix well.

When I add chocolate chip to a recipe I always place the chocolate chip in a small plastic bag and give them a light dusting with flour. This will prevent the chips from sinking to the bottom of the bread.

Once the chocolate chip are dusted fold them into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan or muffin pan.  If using the Texas size muffin pan fill the case 3/4 full. Otherwise you will get overflow and a mess to clean up.

Sprinkle the muffins with raw sugar.

The loaf bakes for and hour and the Texas size muffins usual take 25- 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick and when it comes out clean you know they are done.

Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes and them remove.

Artisan Bread

I love bread when it comes out of the oven- who doesn't?

Carol walked me through making pizza crust which Gabe loves.

My next bread challenge was making a loaf and I decided to make Amish White Bread. I was shocked to see this pin take off on Knead it Punch it Bake it.

 We are leaving soon to return to Florida and I wanted make something with the bread flour I have left in the house. Gabe was sitting next to me on the couch and saw the recipe from
Real Life Dinner and Maria has step by step instructions! 

The first cut of bread with butter and we were in carb heaven. I know this loaf isn't going to last long..........

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
4-5 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal

Directions:

If your are going to use a kitchen aid mixer- I saw somewhere to warm up the metal bowl first before you add the water and yeast. Not being an experience bread maker I did this. Not sure if it helped but wanted to add the tip.

Add 2 cups of warm water to a large bowl.

Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of yeast over the water and let it sit for five minutes.

Add the 2 teaspoons of sugar and the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt  and the 1 teaspoon olive oil to the yeast & water.

Measure the flour and add 4 cups to the mixture.

I used my kitchen aid and I had the water and yeast in the metal bowl which I added the sugar, salt and olive oil. Started to add one cup of flour at a time and mixed with the dough hook until all four cups were combined. At this point the dough should not stick to the bowl. Added the additional cup of flour and once that additional cup is combined and doesn't stick to the bowl knead for 3-5 minutes.

Take the dough out of the bowl with floured hands and roll it in a nice round ball.

Cut the dough in half ( you will have 2 balls of dough), Roll each ball with your hands still floured into equal size.

Sprinkle a large cookie sheet with the cornmeal and place each ball of dough on the cookie sheet about 5 inches apart. Make sure each ball is dusted with flour and cuts are made in the top of the dough-

Use a serrated knife to cut the bread into a tic tac toe pattern into the top of the dough, you don't want to cut to deep.

Cover with plastic wrap and let it double in size. I'm not going to give you a time for this to happen. It depends on how warm your kitchen is  and if you used rapid yeast. Keep an eye on it and it and you will tell when it doubles.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Take off the plastic and place the dough in the preheat oven on a shelf in the middle of the oven.

Maria gave the tip to place 3 cubes of ice on the bottom of the oven. I placed the cubes in a small metal pan not directly on the bottom of the oven. She said this makes the crust amazing.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Take out of the oven and place on cooling racks.

If you are like me it doesn't cool long- we cut into it and the butter melted - really good!

Note: The boys came over for cookies. I didn't have any but the bread just came out of the oven and was still warm. I asked if they liked bread and they said yes! I cut them each a slice and put plenty of butter on it. They went away with happy tummy's.

Blueberry Cheesecake Twists

 

I always have ideas for new bread recipes running through my mind.  In fact, I keep a running list of ideas jotted down on paper. Boy, does it make me happy when I get an opportunity to experiment with one of my ideas.  

Our daughter Robin and her husband Ray took over having the family holiday dinners when they had their boys. She always does such a great job. I'm more than willing to pitch in and help make things to add to the meal whenever I can.

She decided to do a brunch for Easter this year and asked if I would make cookies and some kind of sweet rolls to have with all the regular breakfast items.  SURE!  She left it up to me to decide what kind of rolls I would make.  She and her family love the Cinnamon Twists I've made for years, but this time, I wanted to make something different.

Since I'm trying to use up baking supplies I have on hand, I went digging around in the cupboards to see what would go together to make a knock-it-out-of-the-park sweet roll.  When I came upon cheesecake instant pudding, graham cracker crumbs and dried blueberries, I knew I had my answer....cheesecake in a sweet roll.

I've made a few bread recipes-both quick breads and yeast breads-using instant pudding in them before and love the outcome.  The bread stays so nice and soft.  

I decided to add instant pudding to my yeast dough, substitute cream cheese for butter and add some cream cheese emulsion that Linda had sent me to bump up the cream cheese flavor in the bread. 

I knew regular blueberries would only work if I used them in the filling of the rolls, which I didn't want to do, so I chose to use dried blueberries instead-they would work the same as raisins do in the cinnamon raisin bread..  The packages of dried blueberries weren't big enough to give me the 2 cups that I wanted, but I did have a bag of blueberry flavored Craisins that tasted exactly the same as the dried blueberries...perfect to give me the little bit more I needed.  That's a good thing to know in case the grocery store stops carrying dried blueberries-that and the blueberry Craisins are less expensive than dried blueberries too.

In order to carry through on the cheesecake theme, I needed to incorporate graham crackers somewhere in those rolls.  I decided to mix the same ingredients I would for a graham cracker crust, but use it as a filling in the rolls rather than a cinnamon/sugar filling.

Everything went together as planned, from start to finish. The rolls came out of the oven looking just like I pictured them in my mind. All they needed was a light drizzle of glaze flavored with a cheesecake oil that my friend Cyndy had sent me to seal the deal.  

The flavor of these rolls is everything I dreamed of and more.  They're soft with a beautiful crumb, the flavor of cheesecake is there but not overpowering and the dried blueberries add the perfect touch of fruit flavor.  The glaze adds just enough sweetness, along with a touch more cream cheese flavor.  

Everyone that had them at brunch loved them. I think this is one of my best creations yet.  

I can't wait to try something new.......yes indeed-the idea wheels are still turning!

Thanks again, Linda,  for allowing me to be a guest on your wonderful blog,

Carol

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE TWISTS 

DOUGH:

2 c. cold milk

1 (4 serving size) pkg. cheesecake instant pudding mix

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided

2 (1/4 oz. each) pkg. active dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water (100-110 degrees)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. butter extract

1 tsp. cream cheese emulsion

Grated rind of 1 lemon

6 1/2-7 1/2 c. bread flour

2 c. dried blueberries (blueberry flavored dried cranberries may be substituted)

FILLING:

2 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 

12 Tbsp. butter, melted

GLAZE:

2 c. confectioners' sugar

1/2 tsp. clear vanilla OR pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. cheesecake oil  

2-4 Tbsp. milk

For the dough, combine the cold milk and pudding mix in a medium bowl. Whisk for 2-5 minutes or until the pudding is smooth and slightly thickened.  Set the mixture aside-the pudding will thicken more as it sits.

Measure the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar into a small bowl.  Remove 1 teaspoon of it and add it, along with the yeast, to the warm water. Stir, then set the mixture aside to allow the yeast to dissolve and the mixture to get foamy, about 3-5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, the remaining granulated sugar and salt until smooth.  Add the eggs, vanilla, butter extract, cream cheese emulsion, lemon zest, yeast and 2 cups of the flour.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add the pudding and 1 cup of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in just enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead, using some of the remaining flour, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Knead in the dried blueberries until they are evenly dispersed in the dough.

Place the dough in a large greased bowl. Turn to grease the top. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

While the dough is rising, make the filling. I usually make the filling in 2 batches, dividing the ingredient amounts in half so that I know that each rectangle of dough will have the same amount-it's not necessary to do it that way, but it works best for me.  Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl.  Stir in the melted butter until well mixed. Set the filling aside.  

Spray 3-4 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Punch the dough down and divide it half. I weigh the dough on my digital scale to make sure each half is the same size.

On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of the dough into an 18x14-inch rectangle. Spritz the dough with water.  Spread half of the filling evenly over the dough, then press the mixture into the dough lightly to help adhere it to the surface.  Fold the dough in half to make an 18x7-inch rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into (12) 1 1/2" wide strips. Twist each strip 2-3 times and place them on the prepared pans.

Scoop up any of the filling mixture that remains on the work surface and sprinkle it over the tops of the each twist.

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Cover each pan of twists and let them rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.

When the twists have almost doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Uncover the rolls and bake @ 350 degrees for 11-15 minutes or until they are light golden brown and cooked through.

Remove from the pans and place on wire racks to cool completely. Again, if any of the crumb mixture remains on the baking pans, scrape it up and sprinkle it over the tops of each twist.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cheese cake oil in a small bowl.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of milk, then stir in additional milk until the mixture is smooth and reaches the desired drizzling consistency.

Drizzle the glaze over each roll. Allow the glaze to set before storing.  Makes 24 rolls.

Miz Helen's Orange Tea Muffins

You might know by now I hate to waste anything.  I made Irish Soda Bread, Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies and there was half a quart of buttermilk left to go into something yummy. I also had 2 little oranges in the bowl leftover from the bag of oranges I gave to John and Elsie. This was perfect cause the recipe called for 2 oranges! 

I visit so many wonderful blogs and this recipe is from
Miz Helen's Country Cottage. This recipe is from Miz Helen's  Aunt Ann. I asked permission before adding the recipe to the blog.  I'm so honored to share it with everyone. Thank you Miz Helen!

Leda's birthday was in December and she wanted an orange cake. Let's just say I'm not a cake maker. It came out ok, she was polite and said it was good but it sure didn't meet my standards. She loves anything orange and since we will be leaving soon I want to make her as many goodies as I can before we head back to NY. She had a visit with the eye doctor and lets say she needed something special when she got home. I showed up with 4 mini muffins and 1 large one. Added the glaze to the the mini's, none to the large.

Wow, did she get them down in a hurry and told me to bring more over! Miz Helen- 5 thumbs up :-)

I saved a few for my gal Polly. I think she's gonna like this recipe also.

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter ( I softened it)
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
Zest of 2 oranges
1 teaspoon orange extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until creamy with a electric mixer.

Add one egg at a time into the butter and sugar combination, I usually let my eggs come to room temp before I start baking. Mix until well combined.

Add the orange extract and mix well.

Add the flour, adding a little at a time and continue to combine all the flour making sure it mixed well.

In a small bowl add the buttermilk and the baking soda and make sure the baking soda is dissolved.

Combine the buttermilk to the butter, sugar, egg, orange extract. Stir making sure the buttermilk is mixed in.

Add 3/4 of the orange zest to batter and again mix and make sure it well combined.

Pour batter into greased muffin tins- I used mini muffins and standard size in pretty cupcake shells.

Bake in your preheated oven for 12- 14 mins ( I baked mine mini's 11 minutes) I didn't time the standard. Just watched them and when they were golden brown I took them out.

Orange Glaze:

Juice of 2 oranges- enough to make 1 cup juice
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon orange zest- from the 2 oranges 

Directions:

In a saucepan heat the OJ and the brown sugar and cook till it comes to a boil. Glaze the muffins when they come out of the oven.

I love my new plate! It was Leda's and she wanted me to have it. It's so pretty.