Homemade Jalapeño Cheddar Bread

 

Olé!  Spice it Up!

 

 

A slice of this bread will awaken your senses and please your palate!  

 

Classic Homemade White Bread Recipe

Evidently, the COVID-19 lockdown
 has created the perfect time
for baking bread.

That is,
 if you can find yeast and bread flour...

Buttery Parker House Rolls ~ And Happy Veterans Day!

Mercy!  

Bet your taste buds will liven up 

when you make these 

dinner rolls!

With Thanksgiving nearing, it’s almost time for an entire day of the "three fabulous F’s,” food, family, and football!

Parker House Rolls

Nothing beats hot homemade bread ~ it’s just my opinion.

Baking your own bread may be a bit “old fashioned” but it is one of the most therapeutic, rewarding things I can think of.  There is a wonderful feeling when you can admire the bread you made coming out of the oven and saying, “I made this all by myself.”  What a feeling!

I’ve baked a lot of bread over the years but lately, I have been experimenting with making dinner rolls.  Bill especially loves Parker House rolls so that is the one I’ve had my trials with.  Some did not rise well; another yielded a one-bite roll, with another rising to the point that I thought the oven door would pop open just like it did for Lucy. 

And then I came across this recipe by Alex Guarnaschelli in Food Network Magazine…

She has a great recipe for Parker House Rolls that I have made twice.  The dough rose well but what I found unique was that it did not require kneading after rising.  I don’t believe I’ve ever made yeast bread that was not kneaded for 10 or so minutes.  It did take a long time to rise though, 2 and one-half hours. 

The first time I made these, I thought they were a little large after baking.  This time, I cut an extra row for smaller rolls.  Over-all, it is an easy recipe that just requires time and I will definitely be making them again!

These buttery pull-apart Parker House Rolls are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner!

Yeast and flour mixture

Rising

Cut

Baked

Here’s Alex Guarnaschelli’s recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 7 1/2 to 8 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for brushing
• 2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

Directions:

Bloom the yeast.

Measure out 1/2 cup warm water and check the temperature: It should be between 110 degrees F and 120 degrees F (comfortable bathwater temperature). Sprinkle the yeast into a large bowl, add the warm water and whisk in the sugar. Let sit 1 minute (it should bubble and froth slightly), then gently stir in 1 cup flour. Set aside near the stove while you prepare the dough.

Make the dough.

Mix the melted butter and milk in a mixer with the hook attachment on low speed. Add the eggs and mix until blended. Scrape in the yeast mixture and mix until incorporated. Add 6 1/2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon salt; mix until the dough forms a ball, 2 to 3 minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour if the dough is too wet and sticky.

Let it rise.

Brush a large bowl with softened butter. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place, 2 hours to 2 hours, 30 minutes. The dough should double in volume.

Shape the dough.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a clean flat surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Flour your hands; gently press the dough into a 16-by-8-inch rectangle, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (don't use a rolling pin).

Cut the dough.

With the short side in front of you, cut the dough in half lengthwise with a floured knife. Then slice crosswise into 12 strips.

Shape the dough.

One at a time, fold each strip of dough unevenly in half so the top part slightly overlaps the bottom half, then tuck the overhang underneath. Place the rolls seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet in 3 tightly packed rows. (If making in advance, wrap the baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 weeks.)

Bake the rolls.

Bake until the rolls are bursting at the seams and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. (If frozen, bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees F, then 10 minutes at 375 degrees F.) Remove from the oven and brush with softened butter. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

A hot roll from the oven, a pat of butter ~ now that’s some kind of love!

Here’s wishing you all a Happy Safe Blessed Thanksgiving!

Spicy Cinnamon Rolls

We all know you can buy cinnamon rolls and sometimes they’re really yummy, but the homemade version with the spirals of pastry and spice is so much better.  Cinnamon roll lovers all around the world drool just thinking about them. 

Picture in your mind Easter morning before whatever your event of the day may be; be it church, an Easter egg hunt or a great dinner with the family, and smelling the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls wafting from the oven at the start of your day.  Then you open the oven door, pull out the cinnamon rolls and sit down to enjoy one with a cup of coffee or tea.  

These cinnamon rolls are excellent and easy to make.  This recipe is adapted from a recipe by Amy Scattergood which was in the Chicago Tribune.  Combine the makings for the dough, let it rise, roll it, fill it with the spicy filling and let the dough rise again. Then finish by baking them for 20 minutes, apply a little icing and you’re done. 

This dough is a basic sweet bread dough with cinnamon added to it.  I’ve never added cinnamon directly to the dough before but it not only tastes great, the cinnamon supposedly enhances yeast activity.  The dough can be mixed by hand or to make it easier, use a mixer fitted with a dough hook, place it in the buttered bowl and after rising, they’re ready to bake.

And you’re rrready to rrroll with a great sweet start to your day!

Spicy Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

Zest of 1 orange

2 eggs, at room temperature

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour, plus extra as needed

¼ cup sugar

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons plus ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

2¼ teaspoons kosher salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, softened, cut into cubes, plus 6 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup raisins, optional

2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

¼ cup milk

Method:

Whisk buttermilk, orange zest, and eggs in small bowl.  Set aside.

Place 4 cups the flour, sugar, yeast, baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1 ¼ salt and 6 tablespoons of the softened butter in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Pour in buttermilk mixture, mix on low until the mixture comes together, about 1 minute.

Increase speed to medium, continue to mix until dough is soft and smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes, adding a little flour if the dough is too wet (up to ¼ cup).

Scrape the dough from the bowl, form into a ball.

Place dough in large buttered bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap, set aside in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the filling.

Sift brown sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons cinnamon, remaining 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and raisins together in a bowl. 

Turn dough onto well floured surface.

Roll into ¼” thick rectangle, about 17 by 12 inches.

Brush dough with 4 tablespoons of the melted butter.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and raisin mixture, keeping 1 inch clear along one of the long edges.

Loosely roll the dough into a long tube, pressing the clear edge to seal the tube.  Place the tube seam-side down on a cutting board.

Cut the tube crosswise into 12 rolls.

Place the rolls, ½” apart and spiral side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap, set aside until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake rolls until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove from the tray, cool on parchment paper.

For the icing:

Whisk confectioner’s sugar, orange juice, milk, remaining 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and a pinch of salt in a bowl.

The consistency should be like very thick syrup; add additional milk or sugar as needed.

Dip a whisk into the icing.

Drizzle icing over the rolls.

Enjoy!!

Ummm, cinnamon rolls:  ambrosia for your morning!  Yum!!!

Cardamom Braid

Cardamom was a new spice to me when my MIL added it to her coffee cake batter --- it was the incredible aroma that got my attention.  She was a first generation Swede so she came by using cardamom as naturally as her mother and Aunt Ida.

Cardamom pods

Cardamom seeds

Ground cardamom

India is cardamom’s native country with the green pod being used extensively in cooking there instead of ground cardamom.  It has a unique savory, slightly sweet spicy flavor and approximately 8 to 16 seeds are encased in a pod.  Cardamom loses its natural oils quickly, so only ground what you need for the recipe.  Next to saffron, it is one of the most expensive spices; therefore, you do not want to buy ground cardamom and let it set in the cabinet.   

Buy whole green cardamom pods or seeds and grind your own for the freshest taste.  If you purchase the pods, smash them on a cutting board to crack them open.  Gather the seeds and grind them in a spice grinder.  You won't believe the the slightly pungent aroma after a couple of seconds grinding!

The seeds can also be crushed between two spoons.  A tablespoon of pods yields about 2 teaspoons of ground cardamom.


Cardamom Braid

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
½  cup sugar
¾ cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon salt
½ to 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds or ground cardamom
4 ½ cups bread flour
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 beaten egg for glaze

Coarse sugar or 1 teaspoon granulated sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Method:

Mix yeast, warm water and 1/2 teaspoon sugar until yeast dissolves. Set aside.

Heat milk in a saucepan over low heat until small bubbles appear along the edges. Cool to about 120F. Add beaten eggs, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, salt, cardamom and 3 cups flour. Beat well. Add butter; beat well. Add yeast mixture. Add remaining 11/2 cups flour in three additions, mixing well after each addition, until dough has a soft to medium consistency.

Knead on a lightly floured surface or with a mixer fitted with dough hooks until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding as little additional flour as possible.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled, 1 to 2 hours. Punch down dough and let rise again until almost doubled, about 1 hour. 

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope. Braid 3 ropes together to form a loaf. Repeat with remaining 3 ropes. Place loaves on a greased baking sheet or in greased 81/2 x 41/2-inch loaf pans. Cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Brush loaves with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake 25 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom. Invert from pan and cool on wire rack.

Makes 2 loaves

Wonderful!  Fragrant and yummy!