I don’t know how many of you know about the cool rise method of yeast baking.  It was, as far as I know, one of those things that was developed in the 1950s or so to help the homemaker get her bread made more conveniently.  It is a process of using a little more yeast and sugar and then allowing the dough to rise in the fridge overnight.  I wanted to see if it would work for my maple pecan rolls so I made a batch of dough last night and stuck them in the fridge.

As you can see it worked!

This is an awesome method because you just mix up and knead the dough, shape it and cover with plastic wrap.  Then put it in the fridge.  Next morning, take out and let them sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven.  Bake as normal and you are ready to go.  You may need a few extra minutes of bake time because of the coldness of the dough.  These could have been left in the oven an extra few minutes.

This makes 12 HUGE rolls.  That is a vintage dessert plate not a saucer.  Although I had one child thagt ate three of them most people will only be able to handle one.

You can use less butter if you want.  I like the extra richness.  Oh, you can freeze these after baking if you like..just don’t put the glaze on them.

Maple Pecan Sweet Rolls

•  4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•  1/3 cup packed brown sugar
•  1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 cup milk, warm
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 tsp maple flavoring
• 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring

FILLING:

• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, divided in half
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 tsp maple flavoring

TOPPING:

• 3 cups confectioner’s
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter (more as needed)
• 2 tsp maple flavoring
• Cream to thin it out

Mix warm water and sugar and stir in yeast.  Set aside for a few minutes to bubble.  I know this is no longer necessary but I think it still gives better results.

Mix about 2 cups of flour, salt, eggs, and milk into the yeast mixture until smooth. Add flavorings and butter.  Slowly add flour until a soft dough is formed.

Knead a few minutes until smooth and satiny, but still somewhat soft. Let rest for five minutes.

Roll out into a rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick or a little more.  Spread with 1/4 cup melted butter.  Mix the remaining melted butter (for filling) and brown sugar together.  Add the maple flavoring.  SPread this over the dough and sprinkle with the pecans.

Roll up as for a jelly roll and cut.  Place cut side down on a greased cookie sheet and cover well with plasitc wrap.  Refrigerate overnight.

Next morning place the rolls on the counter while you preheat the oven.  Bake in a 375 oven about 35 minutes or until done. Watch carefully because the sugar will make the bottoms burn if you are not careful.

While the rolls are baking mix the topping ingredients together.  Spread on warm rolls.

Image:Marye Audet

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Yeah. I said it. Poser.

Sometimes getting breakfast around here is a big headache.  Imagine what mornings are like with 12 people, 8 of them kids…and of those kids all of them pretty much prefer different things. Cereal is not an option..way too expensive with that many people and teenage boy appetites.

I make doughnuts, and pancakes, and french toast… sometimes when I remember the night before I make cinnamon rolls…The other morning I decided to try cinnamon rolls made with biscuit dough and…IT WORKED! AMAZING!  Cinnamon rolls in under 30 minutes.

The texture is not as light…but they are an acceptable…QUICK substitute for cinnamon rolls.

 Quick Cinnamon Rolls

• 2 c flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1tsp. baking soda
• 1Tbs sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 c cold unsalted butter

• 3/4 c buttermilk

Filling

• 1/4 c unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 c sugar
• 2Tbs cinnamon (or more to taste)
• 1/2 c chopped nuts

Icing

• 1/4 c unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• enough confectioners sugar to make a good icing

Preheat oven to 375F.

Mix dry ingredients well.  Grate the chilled butter into the dry ingredients and mix up.  Add the buttermilk all at once.

Turn out on a floured surface and knead lightly until your dough is manageable.  Rol out in a rectangle.

Spread cooled melted butter over the rectangle.   Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and then the chopped nuts.  Roll up like a jelly roll and cut into 12 slices.

Place Cut side down on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes, or until done.

Remove from oven.

Mix icing ingredients and frost the cinnamon rolls while still hot.  Serve warm for best texture and flavor.

12 cinnamon rolls.

Image:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

When I saw this challenge I swore that I was not going to wait until the very last minute to do it. Guess what? Yeah. I did.  I waited until friday, knowing that I had to chill this overnight in the fridge…Friday at 3:00, to be exact.

Was it worth the fuss and bother?

Oh YEAH!

Danish pastry, like croissant pastry is made with a block of butter rolled into a yeast dough. In principle it is quite simple; in practice not so much. The problem is that in Texas in summer butter melts. Quick. It oozes from the dough as you roll.

This is the very first puff pastry/croissant type dough that did not ooze butter, and was stable through the whole process. YAHOO!

Now, if you have never made this type of dough before there are a dew important tips:

• Keep everything chilled
• Don’t roll OVER the edges of the dough, this will break the dough and butter will ooze out. Gently roll up to the edge but not over it.
• Read the whole recipe carefully before you make it and be sure to understand the instructions.

We were allowed to choose our own filling. There is nothing I like better than cream cheese danish so I chose cream cheese and fresh organic strawberries. I sprinkle the cut berries with sugar and a little flour because they were juicy and spread them over the cream cheese in a thick layer.

I used the egg wash and then sprinkled the top with sugar. If you use turbinado sugar you get a nice texture.

I also used the whole thing for one giant braid. We are a big family!

This was really problem free for me, I suggest it for some one who has never done this type of dough, as I said it is a great one to start with.

This was all kinds of fun. Many thanks to our hosts this month, Kelly of Sass and Veracity and Ben of What’s Cookin’.

Since Sunday is our reveal day and I don’t get on the computer on Sundays I will have to visit everyone on Monday. But check out the other amazing creations from Daring Bakers!

DANISH DOUGH

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

APPLE FILLING
Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 – 8 minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Images:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Yes, these rolls look like bunnies! This vintage recipe is perfect for the kids table! Arrange these adorable bread bunnies in a basket and use as a centerpiece to keep the kids eating!

This recipe is from a 1959 vintage holiday cookbook. Look at that picture! LOL! You gotta love those Mrs Cleaver type moms that went the extra mile to make holidays special! These are really not difficult. Give them a try. You can easily make them ahead and freeze them until the big day.

1 package yeast

1/4 c water, lukewarm

1 c milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm

1/2 c butter melted in the hot milk

1/2 c sugar

1 tsp salt

5-5 1/2 c flour

2 eggs, room temperature, beaten

1/4 c orange juice, lukewarm

2 Tbs grated orange peel

Dissolve yeast in water.

Blend milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Make sure that the mixture is lukewarm. Stir in 2 cups of the flour.

Add eggs, beat well. Stir in yeast, orange juice, and peel. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a dough. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Knead dough 10 minutes, or until elastic, on a floured surface. Place in a greased bowl, turn to grease top, cover and allow to rise until double. About 2 hours.

Punch down, cover, and allow to rest 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface roll dough into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Cut dough in strips about 1/2 inch wide and roll between hands to smooth.

You can make these into two kinds of bunnies.

For twist bunnies (the one in the center, looks like it is sitting upright):

For each bunny you will need a 14 inch strip of dough. On a lightly greased cookie sheet lap one end of the strip over the other to form a loop. Now, bring the end that is underneath up over the top end, letting each end extend to the sides to form ears. Pat tips of ears to make a point.

Roll a small ball of dough and put it on the bottom loop for a tail. Let rise until double.

For “Grazing” Bunnies :

For each bunny you will need a 10 inch piece of dough for the body and a 5 inch strip for the head.

On a lightly greased cookie sheet make a loose swirl for the body with the longer strip, and one for the head with the smaller strip. Place the head close to the body. To add the ears pinch off 1 1/2 inch strips of dough and roll to form ears. Place next to the head. Use a little bit of dough to make a small ball for the tail. Allow to double.

The second rise will take from 45-60 minutes. Bake at 375 for 12 -15 minutes. Frost while warm with sugar glaze. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

Sugar Glaze

To 2 1/2 c confectioners sugar add 1/4 c hot water and 1 tsp butter. Stir until blended.

Use this to brush over warm rolls.

(c)2008 Marye Audet for b5 media Baking Delights http://bakingdelights.com

Post from: Baking Delights