Parker House Rolls

Last year around this time I started getting into baking homemade breads. I asked Santa for a cookbook that was all about bread and he delivered….the only problem is I haven’t been able to devote enough time to the hobby between all my school work. With the holiday coming up, I wanted to try making homemade rolls that I could feature with our holiday meal. I was very pleased with the results, but the rolls should come with a warning…hide them until you are ready to serve dinner. I had a hard time keeping family members away from them until dinner time!

Homemade Parker House Rolls

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3 tablespoons warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup whole milk

2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 to 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Stir together warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast in a small bowl until yeast in dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes.

Melt 3/4 stick butter in a small saucepan (or microwave). Add the milk and heat until lukewarm. Pour into a large bowl and add yeast mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, bread flour, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.

Stir in 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, dump out onto a clean work surface and begin to bring the dough together into a ball. If your dough is too sticky to handle, add up to 1/2 cup of all purpose flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough is just slightly sticky.

Knead dough until a smooth and elastic dough begins to form, adding all-purpose flour as needed. (I used my stand mixer with the dough hook instead of kneading by hand.) The dough will be smooth, satiny, and just slightly sticky after 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and place in a large, buttered bowl, turning the dough so that the entire ball is covered. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rest in a warm, draft free place until double in size, about 1 hour.

Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces. Roll each one into a ball and arrange evenly in 4 rows of 5 in a baking pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft free place until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Using a floured chopstick or the edge of a ruler, make a deep crease down the center of each roll. Let rolls rise, loosely covered for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place a rack in the center of the oven.

Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter and cool slightly. Brush the tops of the rolls with butter and place in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool rolls in the pan for 5 minutes then remove and serve warm.

To reheat rolls, wrap in foil and place in a 375 degree oven until warm.

Source: Joy the Baker, Originally from The Gourmet Cookbook

One Year Ago Today: Snickerdoodle Pie

Bourbon Bread Pudding with a Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce

My husband has been on a bread pudding kick. If we go to a restaurant, he wants to order bread pudding for dessert. If I ask him what dessert he wants me to make, he suggests bread pudding. To satisfy this craving of his, I decided to try making bread pudding myself. I was happy with the results of my first bread pudding attempt! Had I not added the sauce, the taste of bourbon would not have been as present, but with the sauce you got just enough bourbon flavor. My only complaint regarding this recipe is the recommended loaf pan used to bake the pudding. A loaf pan is rather deep, so the pudding located in the bottom of the dish does not bake as well, even with the hot water bath. Next time my husband requests bread pudding, and trust me there will be a next time, I am going to try using a more shallow pan or possibly individual ramekins.

Bourbon Bread Pudding with a Bourbon Glaze

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8 oz baguette (or egg-rich bread), preferably stale – I used Challah

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

4 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

1 tablespoon bourbon

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract

Have a nonreactive 9x5 inch loaf pan on hand (a Pyrex or pottery pan is perfect here), as well as a roasting pan big enough to hold the loaf pan. Line the roasting pan with a double thickness of paper towels. Fill a teakettle with water and put it on to boil; when the water boils, turn off the heat.

Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes. If the bread is stale, put it in the loaf pan. If it is not stale, spread it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat and bake in a 350 degree oven to "stale" it for 10 minutes, then put it in the pan.

Bring the milk and cream just to a boil.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, yolks, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl. Still whisking, slowly drizzle in about one quarter of the hot milk mixture - this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they don't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining milk. Add the bourbon and vanilla and almond extracts and whisk gently to blend. Rap the bowl against the counter to pop any bubbles that might have formed, then pour the custard over the bread and press the bread gently with the back of a spoon to help cover it with liquid. Cover the pan lightly with wax paper and leave it on the counter, giving the bread the back-of-the-spoon treatment now and then, for 1 hour.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350.

Discard the wax paper and cover the pan snugly with a piece of aluminum foil; poke about 5 holes in the foil. Slide the pan into the oven and very carefully pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the pudding pan. Bake the pudding form 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the pudding is puffed and golden and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and cool the pudding until it is just warm, or until it reaches room temperature.

The bread pudding is best served at room temperature - the texture is best then and the flavors most pronounced. You can refrigerate the pudding, but it loses its lusciousness as its temperature drops. Cut the pudding into thick slices and use a pie server to lift the the pieces from the pan. Serve the pudding plain, with a big spoon,with fruit such as berries or caramelized apples, our with a Bourbon Butterscotch glaze (recipe below).

 

Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons bourbon

1/4 cup butter

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients. Cook in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture just comes to a good simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 to 5 minutes, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Transfer to a heat-proof container, cover and cool slightly before serving. Sauce will thicken a bit as it cools.

Yields a little over 1 cup.

Source: Bread Pudding from Baking from my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan; Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce from Baking Bites

Homemade Flour Tortillas

 

 

Every now and then I am surprised by how easy things are to make. I love fresh flour tortillas. They are my favorite part of dinner when I sit down for Mexican food. I could make a meal out of just the salsa, queso and tortillas. Many of the restaurants back home had a little window were guest could see tortillas being made. After seeing a recipe on how they were made, I knew I had to try them. Of course you can buy tortillas at the store, but honestly I’m sick of them. After having fresh tortillas, store-bought seem like dry, paper tortillas; they are convenient, but if you are a planner like myself you can make homemade tortillas the day before you plan to eat them. After making them myself, I will have a hard time buying them in the store. I have officially been converted!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

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2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cups lard or vegetable shortening

2 tablespoons (additional) Lard or vegetable shortening

1 cup hot water

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large wooden bowl. Stir together.

Add spoonfuls of lard or shortening (use 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons), then use a pastry cutter (or fork) to combine the ingredients. Cut mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Slowly pour in hot water, stirring to bring mixture together. Lightly knead dough 30 to 40 times, or until it becomes a cohesive ball of dough and is less sticky. Cover with a tea towel and allow dough to rest for at least an hour.

Roll into 16 ping pong size balls, place on a try, cover with a tea towel, and allow to rest for another 20 to 30 minutes.

When you’re ready to make the tortillas, heat a dark or cast iron skillet to medium/medium-high heat. One by one, roll out balls of dough until very, very thin. Throw tortillas (one by one) onto the griddle. Cook on each side for 20 to 30 seconds, removing while tortillas are still soft by slightly brown in spots. Remove and stack tortillas, and cover with a towel to keep warm. Serve immediately or allow to cool before storing tortillas in a container. To warm, nuke tortillas in the microwave, or wrap in foil and warm in the oven.

Source: Pioneer Woman

Fruit Bruschetta

I have been trying out some new breakfast/brunch dishes lately and wanted to share a couple of new favorites! This could not be any simpler to make, as long as you don’t burn the bread! I love cinnamon  toast. I am also a big fan of bananas, strawberries, and kiwi together in a fruit salad. I had never thought to combine the two into one dish, but what a crowd pleaser! The dish is good enough to eat every morning for breakfast and is pretty healthy too.

Fruit Bruschetta

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1/4 pineapple, diced

6 oz strawberries, hulled and diced

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

1 banana, diced

Sliced bread rounds (I used challah)

Butter

Cinnamon Sugar (Combine 1/4 cup sugar with 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon)

Yogurt (I used strawberry, but vanilla would also work)

Combined diced pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, and banana in a small mixing bowl. Toss and set aside. Butter top side of thinly sliced toast. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place toast under a broiler to crisp. Spoon the fruit mixture on top of each round. Drizzle lightly with yogurt.

Source adapted from: Annie’s Eats, originally from The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Rosemary and Cheese Breadsticks

In my opinion, the best side dish to accompany pasta is bread! This recipe happened to appear on the same episode as the manicotti dish I shared with you yesterday by Giada. It sounded so good and looked simple enough so I figured I would give it a try. I loved the addition of rosemary to the bread. The rosemary flavor was present, but not overpowering, making the breadsticks that much better. I made some substitutions from the original recipe to incorporate what I had on hand. Overall, it was a great way to take something store bought and add a few additions to make it feel more homemade.

Rosemary and Cheese Breadsticks

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1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/3 cup mozzarella

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 (11 0z) container refrigerated breadstick dough, such as Pillsbury

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, chop parmesan, mozzarella, and rosemary together until coarsely chopped. Set the cheese mixture aside. Separate the dough strips. Using a pizza cutter or a large sharp knife, cut each dough strip in half lengthwise to form thin strips. Working with one dough strip at a time, coat each strip with the cheese mixture, pressing very gently. Twist each cheese covered dough strip and place onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake until breadsticks are golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the warm breadsticks to a basket and serve.

Source adapted from: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentis

No-Knead Bread - Sandwich Style

 

So a couple of weeks ago I posted about finally making the no-knead bread. Afterword, I was anxious to make it again, but this time I wanted to make it in a loaf shape so that we could use it during the week for sandwiches. I used a tutorial taken from The Kitchn which provided great pictures of each step needed to shape the bread into a loaf form.  If you are considering making the bread, I highly recommend referencing their pictures to guide you through. Once again, this was a no fail way to make bread. Next time I believe I will try using whole wheat flour!

No-Knead Loaf Bread

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at room temperature, about 70 degrees.

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle flour over the top of the dough and knead the dough just two or three times until flour is incorporated and the dough is no longer sticky.

Shape the dough into a sandwich loaf using these guidelines.

Place dough into a greased bread pan and let rise until it’s just starting to crest over the rim of the pan. Turn on the oven to 450 degrees to pre-heat about 20 minutes before baking.

Just before baking, rub a little flour onto the surface of the loaf and cut a slash with a serrated knife. This will help to prevent cracking as the loaf rises in the oven.

Bake the loaf for about 30 to 35 minutes, turning once halfway through. The loaf should be a golden-red with a few toasted brown spots. Shake out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

Source Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery and www.thekitchn.com

No-Knead Bread

You could say I’m a little behind on this trend. While the rest of the world experienced this easy no knead bread, I was still trying my best to make more complicated bread recipes…and failing miserably. I haven’t quite given up on conquering yeast, but it was so nice to have at least one bread recipe that was a success. I must say, making bread is no short task. It definitely takes some planning in order to have time for each step. I started this loaf on a Saturday evening and baked it Sunday afternoon. It was definitely worth the wait, and I’m excited to try different versions of this no knead recipe! For those that might not be familiar with this ingenious recipe created by Jim Lahey, it is a super simple way to make artisan breads and easy enough that anyone can recreate. There are so many U-tube videos out there of this recipe too, so if you want a demo they are easy to find.

No-Knead Bread

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3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6 to 8 quart heavy covered pot (such as cast iron) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake for another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is brown. Cool on a rack.

Source: Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

Praline-Apple Bread

It’s apple season!! Before I start breaking out some pumpkin recipes, I have to pay respect to the apple. I decided to try a new apple recipe that I found in my most recent Southern Living Magazine. Who can resist a praline topping! This was a really good bread, only made better by serving warm with some good ol’ butter.  The only thing missing from this recipe for me was cinnamon. I couldn’t believe I didn’t think of it while I was putting the batter together, but I will definitely add it in next time.

Praline–Apple Bread

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1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
1 (8-oz) container sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, (optional)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples (about 3/4 lb)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 minutes.

Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until blended.

Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in apples and 1/2 cup toasted pecans. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.

Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1 quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely (about 1 hour).


Source: www.MyRecipes.com