Bread don’t live here anymore

Except during the holiday season, when we have to go to potlucks, and holiday gatherings.  We hardly eat any bread, HD isn’t supposed to, and HP and I get too tired if we eat refined carbs.  But, that doesn’t mean everyone else has to live on our jailhouse fare.  I used to bake a lot, and for gifts nothing beats fresh, homemade breads of any type.  But, before holidays comes practice, since I get a little crusty rusty during the warm summer months.  SO here is my “EVERYTHING ROLL DOUGH” recipe.  What is good and everything about it, is that it is a no knead, overnight dough that will lend itself to any shape, filling or what have you.  I use this for my cinnamon rings, garlic and Parmesan dinner rolls and today it was Cranberry Walnut Cinnamon Rolls.  Cinnamon Rolls can be comfort food, and I have been on pins and needles for several weeks, waiting for an article about our turkeys to come out in the paper.  Me being unable to keep my opinions to myself, I argued with the reporter, (not good, Hang Dog told me) the reporter called our fight an impasse.  But it ended with the reporter apologizing and me confessing I thought he was a girl, so we parted on good terms, but you never know.  I need white bread with sugar!!!

EVERYTHING ROLL DOUGH  makes about 2 dozen rolls
this dough has to rest overnight or all day so work that into your plans.

2 T dry yeast
1 1/4 c warm water
3 eggs
5 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter, melted
2 t salt
Optional savory or sweet ingredients:  softened butter, pesto, Parmesan, raisins, cranberries, cinnamon, brown sugar, honey, nuts, ???

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, stir and set aside and allow to work.  In a large mixer bowl, beat eggs and blend in proofed yeast.  Add 2 1/2 cups of flour, alternating with 1 cup of very warm water.  Mix in the sugar, melted butter, and salt.  Mix until dough is smooth.  Beat in the remaining flour to make a soft dough, (If the dough is sticky add a little more flour) then cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 1 or 2 hours.

Punch dough down thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.  The next day punch dough down and divide in half.  On a floured board, roll out each half into a rectangle about 8 x 15 inches.  Spread with desired filling.  Starting with the long edge, roll dough up.  With sharp knife, cut roll in 1 inch slices.  Place slices in greased baking dish, or greased muffin tins, cut side up.  Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 400*F.  Bake rolls 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.  Immediately brush with melted butter or glaze.

Honey Glaze
1/4 c butter
1/4 c honey
1/4 c buttermilk or cream
1 t vanilla
1 t soda
In a deep saucepan bring butter, honey, buttermilk, and vanilla almost to a boil, turn off heat and add soda.  When the soda is added this will foam quite a bit, so be prepared.  Spoon over hot rolls.

Our house runs on the cool side, so baking yeast breads takes a little thinking on my part.  “Rise in a warm place”  means sometimes in a car, on milking stool near the register, or in the cooler part of the year, the warming oven in the cookstove.  A good way to see if your yeast is lively or not, is to add a pinch of sugar while you’re dissolving the yeast.  If it is strong it will look like this.  That way you know your bread will raise in the time called for in the recipe.  Today it was too warm for a fire, so I turned the oven on for a few minutes and then turned it off, the residual heat was enough  to raise the dough the first raising.

I have to play a little, so I always make Mt. Hood in my bowl, and the lava today was yellow.

 

The camera was busy while the dough was raising, so I’m skipping ahead.  This is half the dough rolled out and spread with melted butter, brown sugar, and cranberries.  Roll up and cut in 1 inch slices.  A serrated knife works good for this step.   Sometimes I make savory rolls with half the dough and sweet rolls with the second half.  Trust me, if you show up at a potluck with two kinds of rolls, people will think you’re a hard core baker, not a lazy one like me!  Don’t tell.

Place in baking dish with plenty of room, they will raise quite a bit. 

Raised and ready for the preheated oven. 

Ten minutes later, golden brown and ready for the glaze. 

This light glaze helps justify the eating of the rolls. 😉  It does foam quite a bit, so use a deep saucepan. 

Ta Da!