SISTER WISDOM» bread

Homemade Buttery Crescent Rolls

Annie — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:40:34 +0000

I have no idea where I originally got this recipe, but it’s great. Soft, buttery, slightly sweet crescent rolls. Way better than the ones out of the can, and this recipe makes 20 to 30 crescent rolls (depending on how big you make them). Try using the dough to make filled crescent rolls, or cinnamon rolls, instead.

Ingredients:

1/2 ounce (about 1 tablespoon) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter plus 4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 cups all-purpose white flour (can substitute half whole-wheat flour)

Method:

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, 1/2 cup of butter, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix until smooth.

Mix in the remaining flour until smooth. Scrape dough off sides of bowl, form into ball, oil, and let rise for 2 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.

Punch dough down gently. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread each circle with 2 tablespoons of softened butter. Cut each circle into 10 to 15 wedges. Roll up, starting from the wide end, and place on baking sheets. Let rise 1 hour in a warm place.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired, when you remove them from the oven.

Wordless Wednesday: Pass the Bread, Honey

Annie — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:45:49 +0000

Wordless Wednesday

Can’t beat fresh, buttered toast (from homemade bread) with a generous spread of butter and drizzle of honey. Add a cup of hot coffee… Mmmm.

I make a batch of bread about once a week. I don’t even have to look at the recipe now… it’s simple and it always comes out. I’ll put the recipe below.

My three favorites from this week’s WW:

Chica at Photo-Projectz: Great horse pic.

Robin’s Woods: blackberry blossoms. (I’m going blackberry pickin’ next week!)

Kim at What’s That Smell?: love it!

THE RECIPE

Easy Homemade (White) Bread

5 teaspoons yeast (instant or SAF; I use SAF)

3 tablespoons white sugar

2 cups very warm water (you can put your finger in but you don’t want to keep it there)

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

4 – 5 cups all-purpose or bread flour

Another 2 cups warm water

Another 3 – 4 cups flour

Preheat oven on warm. In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar, and 2 cups of warm water. Let sit for five minutes while you grease three loaf pans (or two loaf pans and a cookie sheet, if you want rolls) . The yeast mixture should get foamy and smell, well, yeasty.

Add the salt, then start adding the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough becomes thick and hard to stir. Add the next 2 cups of water and add the remaining 3-4 cups of flour, one cup at a time. You may need more or less flour. The dough should be thick and sticky but you should be able to handle it. A little variation here won’t hurt.

Once you get all the flour mixed in, knead it by hand in the bottom of the bowl for a couple of minutes. Turn it out onto the counter. Clean your bowl, dry it, and butter or oil it. Put the dough back in the bowl and butter or oil the top of the dough. Turn the oven OFF of preheat, and set the bowl of dough in the oven with the oven door slightly open.

In one to one and a half hours, check back in. The dough should be doubled in size. Take it out of the oven, turn the oven on preheat, and gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough into three equal portions. Shape into three loaves and place in buttered loaf pans, or form balls out of one portion if you want rolls or hamburger buns. Make the dough balls about half the size you want the finished product to be.

Return the dough to the oven, turn the oven OFF of preheat, and let rise with the oven door slightly open. Check back in one to one and a half hours. If the dough has doubled again, turn the oven on 350, close the door gently, and set the timer for 30 minutes. (If the dough has not doubled, give it another half hour and then continue.) When your timer dings, check the bread. If it’s golden brown on top, take it out of the oven, let it sit for 15 minutes, then remove it from the loaf pans to cool completely.

Slice, butter, drizzle with honey. Eat.

Best Homemade Bread: An Easy, Forgiving Recipe

Annie — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:29:13 +0000

This is my go-to recipe for a basic, good bread. It’s strong enough for sandwiches and can easily be shaped into rolls rather than a loaf. I’ve made it all white or with a mix of white and whole wheat flour, and it’s always risen beautifully and tasted wonderful. The recipe is from Joy of Cooking, 1997 edition, which my Mom gave me on my 17th birthday. It’s been my favorite cookbook ever since.

I often double the recipe and stick half the dough in the fridge after the first rise so we can have more fresh bread later in the week. It also makes great pizza dough – just roll out into pizza shape after the first rise, then bake at 350 for 10 minutes or so, until just beginning to brown. When you’re ready for pizza, top the pre-cooked crust with sauce, cheese, and topping, and bake at 350 until everything is warm and melty.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 t. active dry yeast (I use SAF yeast.)

1/4 cup warm water

2 T. sugar

3 cups bread flour (I just use all purpose flour.)

2 cups warm water (I use half milk, half water sometimes.)

1 T. melted butter (Sometimes I double the butter amount, sometimes I leave it out altogether. Depends on how luxurious I’m feeling at the time. The bread is good either way.)

1 T. salt

3 to 3 1/2 cups flour (all purpose white or wheat)

Mix the yeast, water, and sugar in a small bowl until the yeast is dissolved and frothy, about 5 minutes.

In large bowl, combine the flour, the yeast mixture, the water, butter, and salt. Mix until well combined. Add the remaining flour by half-cupfuls until the dough is moist but not sticky. You may need more or less flour. The dough should begin pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

Knead the dough for 5 – 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Butter or oil the sides and bottom of a large bowl and place the dough in it, turning it once to coat. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Gently press the dough down and divide into two pieces. Grease 2 loaf pans (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches) and place half the dough in each pan. Let rise until again doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 and cook the loaves for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and hollow sounding when tapped. Remove from pans and let cool on wire rack… or just go ahead and cut yourself a piece as soon as you can and eat it ravenously. It’s great with butter and honey.