Dill and Cheese Bread/Buns

Friday is often soup day around here and I like serving different breads along with the soup. This dill and cheese bread is a nice change, if you like the flavor of dill. If you do not have a blender, don't worry. I don't think I would use a blender next time, I like to see the cheese and onions in my buns.

In a blender combine the following:

• 1/2 cup of very warm water
• 1 cup of creamed cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons dill (I used 1 tbsp. dried)
• 1 tablespoon oil

Mix together in a bowl:

• 2 cups of flour
• 1/3 cup of wheat or oat bran
• 1 tablespoon quick rise yeast

1. Stir the dry ingredients until mixed through
2. Pour the blender ingredients over the dry ingredients
3. Knead for a few minutes adding a bit of flour at a time so the dough is not to sticky, about 1/4 cup in total is what I needed.
4. Put the dough in a greased bowl and let rise til double.
5. Make into buns or place it all into a greased casserole dish for a loaf of bread.
6. Again let rise until double, about an hour.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes for the loaf and 18-20 minutes for the buns.

Paska

Paska, Books, Lepps Farms...too much excitement for one week. By now most of us are back in our kitchens trying to prepare our last minute Easter Paska.
We all have our favorites and so we repeat them over and over, because our families love them. I'm sure by now, you've all tried Lovella's Paska Recipe, which is the recipe that united us women together. Thank-you Lovella for a wonderful tutorial.
But today, I will share with you our family's tried and true version, the one that my kids keep asking me me to bake, the one in the big pan that feeds the whole family.
What's most important is, that this keeps bringing traditions and families together.
I highly recommend that you check out Ellen's Paska Spread. I will be making this spread this year. When I tasted it, I realized that my grandmother had made it many years ago...but I could still savor the taste.
Remember, it's only Thursday, it' never to late to make Paska...Keep practicing.

• 1 cup milk (1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup milk)
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup water
• 3 Tbsp. yeast
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 8 - 10 whole eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 10 cups flour.

Kneading Machine Procedure

1. Heat milk just to a scalding level, then add butter which will melt in the milk.
2. Add 1 cup water to the milk mixture and by now this will have cooled down the hot milk.
3. In mixing bowl blend half of the flour with fast rising yeast, and add salt.
4. Add liquids and blend for 5 minutes on lowest setting.
5. Combine sugar and eggs and lemon zest into a mixing bowl and beat for several minutes.
6. Add remaining flour and add egg mixture into the kneading bowl, and knead at a high setting till the dough pulls away from the mixing bowl.
7. Dough texture should remain soft.
8. Let the dough rise in the mixing bowl till doubled in size. Cover with saran wrap and towel.
9. Meanwhile prepare your baking pans with cooking oil or parchment paper.
10. Shape your dough into preferred pans and let rise again for 1 hour or till doubled in size.
11. Bake at 325 degrees. Buns need 20 minutes, while loaves need about 35-40 minutes.
12. Ice with your favorite spread.

Here's my favorite Icing ~ And I love this one because you can make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge up to three months. It's also excellent for cinnamon buns.

• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 41/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2/3 cups shortening
• 1 egg
• 21/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Dissolve white sugar in water. Shake or stir frequently. Set aside. Beat remaining ingredients to the consistency of whipped cream. Beat in sugar and water mixture. Store covered in refrigerator. Will keep up to 3 months.
Most of our family will slice the Paska and spread it on like butter. So take the extra spread along with you. And you must always add many colorful sprinkles.

Meanwhile, let's not loose the real message of Easter in Paska making, but rather focus on who Jesus is; the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.

Editorial announcement from Lovella .. .
Thank you for all the wonderful encouraging comments on yesterday's post.  Each comment brought us smiles and oh how we wished we could give away dozens of books. 

The winner is Sharina. . .and here is her comment.  .  Please email me with your address and we'll have a book sent out from the warehouse. . .lickety split.
So excited that your book is here! I would love a copy! This blog has been wonderful for this newlywed couple! A friend sent me the link as part of a wedding gift, and it has filled our table (and tummies!) many a time this past year! The best part was attempting a cabbage roll recipe and actually succeeding! I then told my husband that I had conquered the world. :D Thank you for inspiring us with yummy looking food and step-by-step, fail-proof directions!
Sharina

Soft Whole Wheat Bread

CELEBRATING "TWO MILLION" VISITORS TODAY!

Comments on todays post will be entered in a draw for our cookbook.
Draw closes at 8 PST. One name will be chosen.
Winner will be announced on tomorrows post.

There is nothing quite like walking into the house and catching the smell of fresh baked bread. This is one of my mom's bread recipes that I had not made in a long time. A friend gave me some Hovis bread pans from a bakery they used to own and I thought I would try them out. I still use my mom and my grandma's bread pans, but these attached smaller loaf sized pans worked like a charm.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups very warm water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp liquid honey
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp instant yeast
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 cups white flour

Method:

1. Put very warm water in a bowl or large measuring cup. Add lemon juice, honey, oil and salt. Stir well to combine.
2. In a large mixing bowl stir together both flours, and instant yeast.
3. Pour water mixture into flour and stir.
4. Knead dough at least 10 minutes. (see note below)
5. Cover dough with a clean tea towel and allow it to rise until double in bulk. About 45 minutes-1 hour.
6. Punch down the dough and form into loafs. Place in well greased bread pans. Let rise for 30-40minutes.
7. Bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes. Yields 3 regular sized loaves.

Note: When kneading dough for bread you may find you need a little more or a little less flour. I usually hold back 1/2 cup of the white flour to incorporate as I am kneading. I also like to have another teaspoon or two of oil to work into the dough as needed. This dough is very easy to work with. The secret is to knead it well...punch away at that dough until you see lots of tiny bubbles....then you can let it rise, and you can take a rest.

Wurst Bubbat / Stir Bread with Smoked Sausage

As a child I was always happy when this was served along side a bowl of soup. The bonus is that this bread is just stirred, not kneaded. Ah soup and bread, the perfect comfort food on a cold winter's night.

• 1 package or 1 tablespoon of quick rise yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups scalded milk, cooled to lukewarm
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/3 to 4 cups of four
• 1 double link farmer sausage or about 1 1/2 lbs of your favorite smoked sausage cut in to 16 pieces.

1. Combine all the dry ingredients including the dry yeast, with 3 cups of flour.
   
2. Add the beaten egg and milk.
3. Stir with a spoon adding enough flour to make a soft dough til it can barely be stirred anymore.
4. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
   
5. Add the 16 pieces of sausage to the top of the dough.
6. Let rise about 1 hour and bake in a 350 oven for 40-45 minutes.
7. Serve warm or cold.

Pineapple Rolls

These pineapple rolls are a wonderful addition to any brunch. They also are delicious cut in half, spread with butter and grilled!

Dough:

• 2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 2 cups scalded milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 7 to 8 cups of flour

Filling:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice, which you just drained from the can
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups icing(powdered) sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

To make the dough:

1. Scald milk, add sugar, butter and salt. Cool to lukewarm and add eggs which have been whisked.
2. Mix in 4 cups of flour with the yeast. Stir in remaining flour one cup at a time to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic.
3. Cover and let rise until doubled for about 1 hour.

For filling:

1. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour till smooth.
2. Add the pineapple juice, crushed pineapple, suagr and salt.
3. Bring to boil and cook for over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and cool.

Preparing Rolls:

1. When dough has risen, punch down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 24"x 12" rectangle.
2. Spread filling within 1/2" of edges. Roll up jelly roll style, starting with long edge, pinch seam to seal.
3. Cut into 16 pieces. Place close together in two 9" by 13" greased baking pans.
4. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans and cool.
5. While still warm drizzle with glaze.

Some of you have been asking about letting the pineapple rolls rise before baking. I don't but I'm sure it's okay if you do.

I will also add that you could stir in the flour a cup at a time. That way you don't use any more flour than necessary.

Pumpkin Challah

 

This recipe was inspired by one of our readers Beth.  She sent me her recipe and between that one and my overnight bread recipe I settled on this recipe that can be stirred up the day before you plan to bake it.It made 3 braids. ..one for Thanksgiving. .one for French Toast the next morning. .and the Third set aside for Bread Pudding. 

• 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 5 cups white flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour

1. Put all the ingredients in your mixer bowl in the order given. .or if you want to mix it by hand. .put all the ingredients but the flour in a large bowl, stir well to combine and then stir in the flours.
2. Do not try to knead it. ..it will be too soft.
3. Turn the dough into an icecream pail or other similar sized bowl.  Cover well with plastic wrap. .no not try to seal the bowl with the lid. .it will pop open.
4. Let rise on the counter several hours and then refrigerate overnight.
5. In the morning. .divide the dough into orange sized balls and roll between your hands into long strips.
6. You can either braid with three strands. .or do other braid variations. ..it really doesn't matter as long as it fits well onto a cookie sheet to bake.
7. Fit the braids on a greased cookie sheet or one lined with parchment paper.
8. Let rise until doubled. ..brush with a beaten egg which has been combined with a tablespoon of water.
9. Bake in a 350 F oven for 25 minutes but check to be sure that it is evenly browned and the challah offers resistance to pressure. 

Whole Wheat Bread

This is a moist, dark brown bread, great for breakfast or a healthy choice sandwich. It is always best to make sure the flour and grains you use are fresh. I prefer to store the ones I do not often use, in the freezer. As in most bread recipes, the type of flour you use is quite flexible. I would suggest to stay with at least 4 or 5 cups of whole wheat and then add other types of flour and cereal, if desired, until the dough is kneaded to a nice smooth texture. For example, if I do not have rye flour on hand, I simply replace it with whole wheat or multigrain.
Mixing a larger amount such as this, is easier if you can use a large Kitchen Aid or Bausch Machine.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups hot tap water
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 4 cups whole wheat flour, divided
• 2 Tbsp instant yeast
• 2 cups multigrain (or 7 grain) flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup bran
• 1 cup rye flour
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed

Method:

1. Mix ingredients in order given, using about 1/2 the whole wheat flour amount before adding the yeast and the rest of the ingredients.
2. Switch to kneading hook attachment on machine, when necessary, and add the rest of the whole wheat flour at the end, kneading until you have a smooth dough. You may need a little less or more. Transfer to a larger bowl to rise.
3. Cover with a clean tea towel and plastic. Let rise 1 1/2 hours.
4. Punch down gently, divide and shape into 4 small loaves (or 3 medium). Shape with greased hands to smooth the top.
5. Place into greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise 45 - 60 minutes.
6. Bake at 350 F, about 35 - 40 min.
7. Remove from pans and allow to cool on rack.
8. Slice and freeze any loaves you do not plan to eat by the next day.

Multigrain Bread

This is one of our favorite breads, it is full of goodness! Great for toasting too.
This bread is easy to make and your house will smell wonderful as it's baking!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups scalded milk
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 1/4 cups lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 2 cups bran
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1 cup ground flaxseed
• 4 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 cups multigrain flour
• 2 cups white flour

Directions:

1. Scald milk, add honey, salt, oil and water and mix till honey is melted.
2. Add bran, wheat germ, ground flaxseed and stir until mixed.
3. Add in multigrain, whole wheat and white flour and yeast, stirring and kneading as you add each flour. Add the white flour 1 cup at a time, add a little more if you need it to make a slightly firm but not too hard a dough. Knead approx 8 minutes.
4. Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place till doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down and cut into 4 equal pieces.
5. Shape each piece into a loaf and put into greased 91/2" x 51/2" loaf pans. With a rolling pin I roll each piece into a flat rectangle, then roll it up to form a loaf. This helps to avoid air pockets in the bread.
6. Cover and let rise until double in bulk.
7. Bake at 400ºF for 28 minutes. Sometimes my loaves 'fall in' a bit as they bake but it doesn't change the flavor or texture and I kind of like the uneven top:)
8. Yields: 4 loaves

Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

We are celebrating British Columbia Day in our part of the world.

There will be BBQ's and pool parties and lots of camping to celebrate.

I wanted to feature a recipe that Anneliese posted some time ago.

Anneliese's french bread recipe is so versatile, that I go to often when I am in a hurry and need french bread or buns in a few hours.  It stirs up so quickly, there is no need to have buns on your grocery list for the BBQ.

You can make hotdog buns with all white flour as her recipe is and the hot dog buns in the picture are  .. or you can swap in some multgrain as I have for you today in the hamburger buns.  We love these buns and the great thing is that you can make them bigger or smaller as like to match your meat.

• 
  
  2 tablespoons instant  yeast
• 
  
  2 1/2  cups mulitgrain flour
• 
  
  2 tablespoons oil
• 
  
  2 tablespoons white sugar
• 
  
  2 teaspoons salt
• 
  
  2 cups hot tap water
• 
  
  2  cups white flour
• 
  
  1 egg and 2 tablespoons milk beaten lightly

1. 
   
   Combine the yeast and the multigrain flour in a large bowl.
2. 
   
   Add the oil, sugar and salt.
3. 
   
   Stir in the water and then the white flour.  You can use your dough mixer or just use your hands to work in the flour.  Knead it lightly and then cover in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes.
4. 
   
   For Hamburger Buns . ..Squeeze off large buns onto two cookie sheets.
5. 
   
   Cover with parchment paper and press down with another cookie sheet to flatten them.
6. 
   
   Let rise with the parchment paper on for about 30 - 45 minutes.
7. 
   
   Cut a X in each bun with a sharp knife. . just cutting the skin and brush with the egg mixture.
8. 
   
   For Hot Dog buns. . .Roll the dough to inch inch thick  .. five inches wide.  Cut three inches pieces so you have five - one inch by 3 inch rectangles.  Roll each one up ..and set about an inch apart on a cookie sheet.  Just before baking brush with the egg mixture.
9. 
   
   Bake in a 400 F oven for about 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes close to 2 dozen buns.

No Knead Refrigerator Rolls

It is a nice recipe to make when you have company and want to serve fresh baked bread with out all the last minute fuss. You keep them in the fridge for up to four days, bake as many as you would like, and Voila fresh baked buns hot out of the oven. I made a Herb and Cheese variation here, but will give you the base recipe first.

• 4-41/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/3)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 pkg. or 2 tbsp. instant yeast
• 1 cup very warm water
  
• 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
  
• 3 beaten eggs

1. In a bowl combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Blend well.
2. Add warm water, butter and eggs.
3. Blend at a low speed til well mixed, continue beating for two minutes.
4. Stir in remaining flour by hand until you have a stiff dough.
5. Cover dough with a plastic wrap a refrigerate for a minimum of two hour up to 4 days.
6. Lightly grease two 8-9" pans.
7. Divide dough into 12 rolls for each pan.
8. Brush with 1 tbsp. of melted butter.
9. Cover and rise for one hour.
10. Bake in a preheated oven @ 375 for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Watch your oven since every oven temperature is different.

Herb and cheese variation:

• 2 cups of old cheddar
  
• 2 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. thyme or,
  

• 1 tbsp. dill with the cheddar to make them dill and cheese buns.

Just add the cheese and herbs in with the dry ingredients. This is a no fail recipe, because you don't need to knead them, they always turn out.

Swiss Cordon Bleu Bread

The dough is my favorite french bread recipe that is very similar to the Anneliese which you can find here. I use this recipe to make my pizza dough, or this stuffed bread . The filling can be very versatile, you can add what you like. This recipe makes two breads.

Filling is enough for two:

• 1 lb / 500 gm of you favorite ham, shaved and then chopped.
• 4 cups of low fat Swiss Cheese.
• Thousand Island Dressing, enough to moisten to your liking.

1. Make your dough, and after it rises divide into two.
2. Roll each piece onto a 10x 15 inch greased cookie sheet.
3. Place filling down the center, leaving the sides free of filling.
4. Cut 1 inch strip from the filling to the outside of the pan.
5. Fold strips over the filling to make it look like a braid.
6. Brush the top with one beaten egg. Sprinkle with Sesame Seeds if you wish.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 or 25 minutes, depending on your oven.

Delicious along side a bowl of soup or salad.



or try this filling:

1. starting with rolling out your dough on the cookie sheet.
2. down the center spread with a little Dijon mustard.
3. lay on dry salami
4. red peppers
5. thinly sliced onion
6. mushrooms and olives
7. 2 cups of old cheddar cheese.
   

Be creative with your fillings, how about

1. roasted veggies mixed with cream cheese
2. left over chicken and broccoli with red onions and ranch dressing
3. corned beef and sauerkraut.
4. your favorite pizza fillings to make a stuffed pizza.
5. roast beef with bbq sauce, caramelized onions, mushrooms,olives and cheddar cheese.
   
6. the possibilities are endless.

Most of all Enjoy and share it with people that you love.

Air Buns

I love homemade bread and buns, and baking it is very therapeutic for me.
I usually add use half whole wheat flour, but this time at the request of my kids, I didn't.
This recipe makes a very lite and airy bun. So good.

• 4 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp. quick rise yeast
• 1 cup oil
• 1 tbsp.vinegar
• 2 tsp.salt
• 1/2 cup sugar ( I use 1/4 cup)
• 10 cups flour/ a little more if needed

1. start with about 6 cups flour, add the yeast salt and sugar and stir together.
2. add the warm water, oil and vinegar.
3. stir together with a wooden spoon adding more flour till it is hard to stir.
4. add remaining flour a bit at a time till you have a soft, smooth and elastic dough that is no longer very sticky when kneading.
5. knead for a few minutes by hand on a floured surface.
6. let rest in greased and covered bowl in a warm place for about 40 minutes. I use my oven with the light on.
7. Make into buns and let rise for another 40 minutes.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Watch your oven, temperatures vary.
9. Share and enjoy!!!!!

Brown Bread-just one loaf

Sometimes I just want one loaf of fresh bread.

I adjusted my mom's brown bread recipe to fit into my bread machine.

It can be mixed and baked in a bread machine,

or set bread machine on dough cycle, and bake in oven.

This bread also is easy to mix by hand.

Ingredients:

-1 cup plus 1 tbsp water, very hot out of tap

-1 tbsp liquid honey (melt hard honey in microwave it you don't have liquid)

-1/8 tsp lemon juice

-1 tbsp margarine (break into little pieces to add into machine)

-1 1/2 tsp salt

-1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

-1 1/2 cups white flour

-1 tbsp brown sugar

-1 1/2 tsp yeast - if making and baking in bread machine use Bread Machine Yeast

-if making dough in machine but baking in oven use instant or fast rise yeast

Method:

Place ingredients in order given into bread machine pan. Choose dough cycle if you want to bake in oven once the dough is ready, or set on whole wheat cycle if baking in machine.

If baking in oven, once the dough cycle is complete, remove dough, on a lightly floured counter form dough into a loaf shape and place into greased and floured bread pan. Allow to rise until doubled. (about 3/4 hour)

Bake in preheated 375º oven for 25 minutes. Let bread rest in pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.

Pluckets

This recipe is known by a few names... monkey bread or pull aparts but my favorite name for them is pluckets! This would be a perfect addition to a brunch..wouldn't it be fun to let your guests 'pluck at it'?
I'm sure this recipe can be found in many cook books. This one I found in the Christian Home Cook Book (I made slight changes). You could use any sweet yeast dough or even plain old bun dough although I really prefer the light texture of this dough.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups flour, approx

Method:
Scald milk, add butter, sugar, salt and I added the 1/4 cup lukewarm water here as well (I use instant yeast so I don't need the water to 'poof' the yeast) to the milk and let cool to lukewarm. Add well beaten eggs and mix well.
Now add the yeast and just enough flour to make a very stiff batter. It will be sticky.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, punch down and let rise again.

Meanwhile prepare the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
3/4 cup sugar, white or brown
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts..I used pecans
Mix this together and set aside.
Melt 1/4 cup butter and set aside.

Once dough has risen the second time punch down and pluck walnut sized pieces of dough and roll into balls, making sure your hands are greased with butter. Dip the balls of dough in melted butter and then roll in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
At the end I had a bit of the dipping mixture and melted butter leftover so I just put that over the top of the pluckets.
Pile loosely in an ungreased angel food pan and let rise again for 30 min.
Bake at 350º for 35 min, then immediately flip pan upside down on a plate. Wait a few moments and the pan will be easy to remove.
Serve warm.

Pauline's Whole Wheat Bread

Putting family recipes on the MGCC blog is sometimes a bit of a chuckle. The other day I had a family dinner and as we were eating Mom asked. . ."is this recipe on the blog?". . .I replied. . "it's yours mom. . .and it will be". It is a good standard recipe for whole wheat bread.

• 4 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1/4 cup honey

To this add 2 tablespoons yeast and allow to rest 10 minutes.

• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 5 cups whole wheat flour
• about 4 cups white flour or enough to make a smooth elastic dough

1. Add the oil and salt to the yeast mixture, stir well.
2. Add the flour one cup at a time stirring until you can't stir it anymore.
3. Knead in the remaining flour until you have a smooth elastic dough.
4. Put into a large bowl, cover and let double in bulk. . .about an hour.
5. Divide into 4 loaves and put into greased loaf pans.
6. Let rise until double and bake in a 375 oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cinnamon Roll Bread

On a recent visit to Granville Island Market...I noticed a bread that looked rather like an over-sized cinnamon bun in a loaf. I took picture...went home and made a copycat version.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups warm milk
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 rounded teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins
  

Method:

1. Combine milk, water, sugar, salt and butter.
2. Add four cups flour and instant yeast and mix well.
3. Continue adding flour until dough is soft but not sticky...knead.
4. Place in a large, greased, mixing bowl. Cover and allow to rise until doubled.
5. Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle 1/2 inch thick.
6. Moisten dough with 2 tablespoons milk.
7. Mix together 1 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon, and sprinkle mixture on top of the moistened dough.
8. Sprinkle raisins evenly over entire surface.
9. Roll up tightly...the roll should be about 3 inches in diameter.
10. Cut into thirds.
11. Form loaves and place seam-side down into well greased 9 x 5 inch pans.
12. Let rise again for about 1 hour in a warm place.
13. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped.
14. Remove loaves from pans, and brush with melted butter or margarine.
15. Allow to cool before slicing.

I use a Bosch machine to mix the dough, and add all the ingredients directly into the machine and let it do the mixing. If you don't have a dough hook...use a mixer to 'step 2' and then knead by hand.

Enjoy plain, toasted or topped with cream cheese icing!

Buns and Platz

Memories of Saturdays growing up, always remind me of how my Mom would cook a big pot of soup, bake a batch of fresh buns and usually she would take part of the dough to make a platz or, as we called it, Streuselkuchen. My husband's side of the family called it Riebelplatz. Our middle daughter, as a pre-schooler, announced one day, "Mommy, it's easy to make Lieberplatz . . . all you need is dough, plums and crumbs!"
Now that I'm not baking for a family on a regular basis, and we don't eat a lot of white buns, I have taken part of the dough to make cinnamon buns as well. We have been pleasantly surprised how yummy they turn out even with less sweetness. So I'll leave you with a variety of goodies to try with one dough.

Ingredients for dough:

½ cup butter
2 cups milk
1 tbsp salt
3 eggs
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup oil
2 cups very warm water
10-11 cups flour
2 Tbsp instant yeast

Method:

1. In small pot, melt butter and heat milk until warm.
2. In large mixer bowl, beat eggs, adding the sugar and then the oil.
3. Stir in all liquids – warm water, milk and butter
4. Add 4 – 5 cups flour and instant yeast, mixing well
5. Switching to dough (hook) attachment on mixer, add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time.
6. Turn dough into a larger bowl to rise, giving it a few more punches if needed.
7. Cover with a tea towel and plastic bag and rise about 1 – ½ hours
   

To make plain buns:

Use about ½ of the dough to make 15-18 buns. Shape into buns by taking a handful of dough at a time and squeezing bun shapes between thumb and forefinger. Place on greased cookie sheet, cover with tea towel and plastic and let rise 1 hour. Bake at 400 F for 20 min. Cool on wire racks.

Note: I always slice the buns before freezing them. This makes it easy to make sandwiches quickly when they are still frozen, especially when I did school lunches.

To make Cinnamon Buns:

With greased hands, pinch off a large piece of the rest of the dough and roll out on floured surface. Spread with about 2 Tbsp melted butter and 1 cup brown sugar mixed with 1-2 tsp cinnamon. Roll up jellyroll style and cut into 1” slices. Place on greased or parchment paper lined pan. Cover and let rise 1 hour and then bake at 350 F for 20 min or until golden.

To ice: mix about 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, 1 Tbsp soft marg or butter and enough milk to make a nice spreading or drizzle consistency.


To make Platz:

Ingredients:
Fruit, jam or pie filling
3 Tbsp butter, room temp
½ cup flour
1/2 cup sugar

Method:

1. Grease any size pan you like. You can use a round spring-form pan, a 9X13 pan or a cookie sheet. Spread or pat your left over dough into pan by hand. It will rise some, so it doesn’t have to be high – about ½ - 1 inch – some prefer a flat platz and some a high platz. Let it rest about 20 – 30 min.
2. Spread with cut up fruit, such as plums or apricots and sprinkle with just a couple of Tbsp of sugar. I used canned cherry pie filling. My mom often just spread it with just a beaten egg for moisture, then topped it with crumbs.
3. For Crumbs: Mix butter into flour and sugar with pastry cutter. Squeeze a handful at a time and sprinkle on fruit or jam. If you find the crumb mixture too dry, mix in a Tbsp of cream, and then squeeze into crumbs as you drop onto the fruit.
4. Let rise about ½ hour. Bake at 375 F for about 30 min. Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack. This is one of our favorite Sunday morning breakfast treats. To keep crumbs crunchy, don’t cover. If you freeze it, uncover to thaw.
   

This recipe can also be used for Zwieback or pizza crust. (not pictured)

Cinnamon Rolls

I am known for not straying far from my old faithful cinnamon bun recipe, but while flipping through a stack of old recipe books I came across this one and thought I'd give it a shot.

I think my family would have enjoyed these, but would still vote for the others....which by the way are on the blog. When we go to visit our family in Kansas and Calgary I can be found in the kitchen with my hands in the dough and observers peering over my shoulders....so they can make them on their own. They do now...and so can any of you!

This recipe makes 15 rolls. The unique ingredient is corn starch. The dough is buttery soft and once risen is very easy to handle. I would recommend using a stand up mixer with a dough hook for this recipe. The finished rolls are very tender, and best served warm and fresh from the oven, drizzled with cream cheese frosting. I'll be making these again.

Ingredients:

-3/4 cup warm milk

-3 eggs, well beaten

-1 tbsp instant yeast

-4 1/4 cups flour

-1/2 cup sugar

-1/2 cup corn starch

-1 1/2 tsp salt

-12 tbsp soft butter

Place all the dry ingredients in the bowl of your mixer. Give it a good stir. Add the warm milk and beaten eggs and beat until well incorporated. Add 1 tbsp at a time of soft (NOT MELTED) butter to the dough. Beat well between each spoonful. Continue to beat for 10 minutes until you get a buttery yellow, soft dough that is coming together to form a very loose ball. Using a spatula pull the dough together away from the edges of the bowl, and then using your hands work the dough into a soft ball. Place the bowl in a draft free area and cover with a tea towel.

Let rise until double, at least 1 hour.

Filling:

-1 1/2 cups brown sugar

-1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

-1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)

-4 tbsp soft butter

Mix the first 3 ingredients together.

Once the dough has risen to double in bulk lightly flour your work surface and roll dough into an 18" square.

Spread with soft butter, sprinkle with sugar mixture, and roll. Slice into 1 1/2 " slices.

Place rolls, just touching onto a parchment lined 9x13 pan. Cover rolls with towel and allow to rise again for 1 hour. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes. Usually I remove buns from the pans as soon as they are baked, but I left these in the pan to cool and frost. It worked well with this recipe.

Cream Cheese Frosting

-4 oz cream cheese

-1/2 -1 tbsp milk

-1 tsp vanilla

-3/4 cup icing sugar

-2 tbsp soft butter

Beat together until smooth, adding more milk or sugar as needed. I made mine a little runny so I could drizzle it.

Honey Bran Buns

Honey bran buns are such a nice light and fluffy textured bun, and a good source of fiber, sweet with a light bran flavor.

• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup bran cereal, buds, flakes or natural bran
  
• 1/3 cup of honey
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 6 cups of flour (may use half whole wheat)
• 2 eggs, fork beaten
• 2 tbsp. dry instant yeast added to the flour)
• 1 tsp. salt

1. combine bran, honey, boiling water oil and salt.
2. cool til luke warm.
3. add 3 cups flour with the yeast and eggs, stir well to mix.
4. add remaining flour gradually as you are kneading to make a soft dough but not too sticky. You may need to add a little more flour as needed.
5. knead about 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
6. place in a large greased bowl, turning once to grease all the dough
7. cover with a tea towel and put into your oven with the oven light on, for about 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
8. Punch dough down and shape into buns. I usually get about 3 dozen from this recipe.
9. Let them rise on the cookie sheet for another 30-40 minutes.
10. Bake at 375 for about 15-18 minutes, depends on your oven and how brown you like them.
11. Serve with any of the wonderful soups and stews on our side bar .
12. Enjoy!
    

Raisin Apple Braids

These make a nice gift for your neighbours. Depending on the size you want, you can divide the dough to make 3 or 4 braids. I photographed them as Christmas gifts but of course you can make them any time of year and freeze the extras if you like. The recipe comes from the 1968 Pillsbury Bake Off Breads Cook Book.

• 6 1/2 - 7 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. instant yeast
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 eggs

Raisin Apple Filling

• 2 1/2 cups peeled, finely chopped apple
• 1 cup chopped raisins (I use sultanas. rinsed well through a sieve)
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (opt.)

1. In large mixer bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and dry yeast.
2. In 4 cup glass measuring cup, microwave milk and butter until milk is warm and butter has begun to melt. (or warm it in a saucepan on the stove)
3. Add warm milk to mixing bowl and mix on low
4. Add slightly beaten eggs and continue to mix until well moistened.
5. Mix for 3 minutes.
6. Change to dough hook and then add remaining flour to make a stiff dough.
7. Continue to mix or knead by hand for 5 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.
8. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top.
9. Cover and let rise in a warm place until light and doubled in size. (I usually do this in the oven which I have warmed to 170 degrees and then turned off.)
10. Line 2 cookie sheets (with edges) with parchment paper.
11. Prepare Apple Raisin Filling: In saucepan, combine all filling ingredients except pecans. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil at least 5 minutes, stirring frequently or until it thickens somewhat. Cool
12. Punch down dough and divide in half. (or into 3 sections)
13. Roll each section into a rectangle and place on cookie sheet.
14. Spread centre third of each rectangle with Raisin Apple Filling (see picture below).
15. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough diagonally at 1 inch intervals on both sides of filling.
16. Fold opposite strips of dough over filling, crossing in centre. (see picture below)
17. Seal ends of each braid.
18. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size.
19. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
20. Remove to racks and cool.
21. Ice and decorate as desired.