This isn’t
what comes to mind. I don’t have dollar bills laying around that I spend time
counting and stacking in piles. Although
that would be a nice pastime….
If you know
me, I’d tell you dough belongs in the kitchen and that is where it is. I love working with dough. I know people are
intimidated when they think of making anything that includes yeast and rising
time. Baking is all about following directions and should a recipe fail, make
it again. Making dough and creating
something wonderful is simple. Don’t
ever let a recipe intimidate you.
Instead, be prepared and read the complete recipe. Sometimes you have to
account for the time it takes to make the recipe. Some dough and cookie recipes
have to be mixed up then placed in the refrigerator for a few hours or
overnight. So important tip – read the recipe first. Don’t just start making it
and then realize you can’t bake it today. I’ve done that and it is nothing but
a disappointment.
For
Valentine’s Day, I made a heart shaped cream puff. My mom always made one for
us on this holiday and I like to keep treasured childhood traditions alive by
sharing them with my family (with modifications on this tradition because my
family doesn’t care for strawberries.
Yeah, I know, I can’t believe it).
I remember we’d get off the bus and run into the house to see the
heart-shaped cream puff with homemade vanilla pudding and strawberries between
the layers, sprinkled with confectionery sugar. We wanted to dive right in and
eat it. Same with the cinnamon rolls mom would make for us. I am still working
on getting my cinnamon rolls to rise as much as the rolls my mom made so my
family can truly enjoy the proper way of eating a huge cinnamon roll. You have to eat it in pieces as you unroll it.
As everyone knows, the best part of the cinnamon roll is the center and not the
icing. Savoring each delicious
sugary-cinnamon piece, eating it slowly and finishing by licking your fingers. That’s the way to eat them. I’m off track but
I go crazy for dough.
So this
years’ Valentine’s Day puff was looking great. It was almost finished baking
and was about four inches high with a beautiful golden glow. Wow. I couldn’t wait to prepare it and place
it before my family. A work of art baked
with love. So when the timer went off, I pulled it out of the oven, placed it
on the counter and left the kitchen. Not
something I would recommend. Why I removed the pan from the oven when I should
have left it in the oven with the door open…the beautiful cream puff lost its
puff. I was so upset with myself. If I
hadn’t already made the homemade vanilla pudding, I would have thrown it away.
But then, I knew it would still taste good but the impressive presentation I
had planned, was not going to happen. We
still enjoyed it and next year, I am sure to remember what not to do!
My family
enjoys homemade bread and as soon as the cooler weather comes to our area, I
start baking bread. Our favorite bread
is a buttermilk recipe. The loaf disappears with the meal. I always time it so the bread is warm so the
butter melts and we can have it with our meal.
The smell alone is worth mixing up a batch of dough.
On January
17, I made a new cinnamon-roll recipe.
Instead of rolling the dough, this recipe called for cutting and
stacking the dough. It’s all in the technique.
So I made the recipe and as expected, it was a hit with my family. Stacked
cinnamon-y bread. Delicious!
To share is
a gift. Time for you to head to the kitchen.
Cinnamon
sugar pull-apart bread
Yield: one 9x5” loaf
For the dough:
2 ¾ cups
all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
½ cup sugar
2 ¼ tsp.
instant yeast
½ tsp. salt
4 Tbsp.
butter
1/3 cup milk
¼ cup water
1 tsp.
vanilla
2 large eggs
For the filling:
4 Tbsp.
unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp.
ground cinnamon
½ tsp.
freshly grated nutmeg
To make the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, yeast
and salt in mixer bowl. Combine butter
and milk in small saucepan and heat just until butter is melted. Set aside and
let cool briefly, until the mixture registers 115-125˚F on a thermometer. Add the milk mixture, water, vanilla and eggs
to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed. Add more flour, one tablespoon at a
time, until dough forms a ball. Remove
to board and continue kneading until smooth and elastic, adding additional
flour as needed. Lightly grease a bowl,
place dough in bowl, turn once to coat and cover. Let rise in a warm place
until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
(After the dough has doubled, it can be wrapped in plastic wrap and
refrigerated overnight. Let stand at
room temperature 30 minutes before proceeding).
While the
dough rises, add the butter to a small saucepan and melt until browned. Set
aside. Combine the sugar, cinnamon and
nutmeg in a small bowl and mix well.
Transfer
dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate. Roll the dough into a 12 x 20-inch
rectangle. Brush the dough with the
butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the dough.
Cut the dough into strips and stack on top of
each other.
Then cut stacks into equal
slices. (My bread board I use all the time was my great-grandma Crane's. She would be happy that it is still used often.)
Grease a
9x5” loaf pan. Set the stack of squares into the pan.
Cover loosely with a
towel and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.
Bake in a
preheated 350˚ oven for 30-35 minutes. If the top seems to be browning too
quickly, cover loosely with foil at the end of baking. Remove from the oven and let rest in pan for
25-30 minutes.
Remove from pan (wait until you see the "gooey-ness") to a
serving plate.
Serve warm (like there is any other way to serve this) and enjoy!
Note to self
– make two batches as this will disappear quickly. Guaranteed.