Showing posts with label Yeast Bread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yeast Bread. Show all posts

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Caramel Apple Kolaches

I am so excited that this post is participating in The Improv Cooking Challenge hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain! 
The Improve Cooking Challenge



Some things just speak to you.  You know?


There's just something about fresh apples...


and gooey caramel sauce.



It holds a special place in my heart. <3


I've actually blogged about kolaches before.  I defined what a kolache is...and what it isn't.  Today's recipe is not a traditional kolache, because of the filling, but oh my goodness is it good! 


Kolaches 
(adapted from recipes found in Texas Monthly and the HoustonChronicle as found on The Homesick Texan)
Makes 18 rolls


Ingredients:
1 package of active dry yeast
1 cup of warm milk
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups of all-purpose flour (original recipe calls for 3 cups.  I have needed 4 cups every time I've ever made them.)
2 eggs
3/4 cup of melted butter
1 teaspoon of salt

Method:
  • In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm milk, sugar and one cup of flour. Cover and let it rise until doubled in size.
  • Beat together eggs, 1/2 cup of melted butter (reserve 1/4 cup for brushing on the pastry) and salt.
  • Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and blend.
  • Stir in about two more cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time. The dough should be soft and moist.
  • Knead dough for about 10 minutes on floured surface. Don't worry, it’s a joy to knead as the dough is smooth and highly malleable.
  • Put dough in a greased bowl and let rise covered until doubled in size—about an hour.
  • After dough has risen, punch it down and pull off egg-sized pieces. In your hands, roll pieces into balls and then flatten to about three inches in diameter. Brush with melted butter.
  • Place flattened pieces on a greased cookie sheet, cover and let rise again for another half-hour.
  • After second rising, with your finger gently make an indention in the center of the dough (be careful not to flatten it too much) 
 

  • fill with one tablespoon of fruit filling (recipe to follow) 
  • Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter when you take them out of the oven and serve warm.


  •   Drizzle with caramel sauce.  (recipe to follow)



  • Drool, then enjoy!



Apple Filling 
Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup water
4 cups peeled & sliced apples (about 4-6 apples)
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions
  • Mix sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a 2 quart saucepan.  Add water, apples, and lemon juice.  Stirring constantly, cook over medium-high heat until it thickens and then boils.  Continue to stir and boil for about 5 minutes.  Add water if necessary.

Caramel Sauce
(Recipe & Pictures from http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caramel_sauce/)

Cook time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 6 Tbsp butter 
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

METHOD

1 First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you don't work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first - make sure there are no children under foot and you may want to wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water.


 caramel-sauce-1.jpg

2 Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. Note that this recipe works best if you are using a thick-bottomed pan. If you find that you end up burning some of the sugar before the rest of it is melted, the next time you attempt it, add a half cup of water to the sugar at the beginning of the process, this will help the sugar to cook more evenly, though it will take longer as the water will need to evaporate before the sugar will caramelize.

caramel-sauce-2.jpg caramel-sauce-3.jpg
caramel-sauce-4.jpg caramel-sauce-5.jpg

3 As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.

caramel-sauce-6.jpg

4 Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. This is why you must use a pan that is at least 2-quarts (preferably 3-quarts) big.

5 Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. (Remember to use pot holders when handling the jar filled with hot caramel sauce.) Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.

Yield: Makes a little over one cup of sauce.
Posted by HaleyLeann at 7:00 AM 13 comments
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Monday, February 7, 2011

French Bread & Tomato Basil Soup


There is something about a good loaf of French bread and tomato basil soup.  The other night, I made a copycat recipe of La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup.  It is so good.  I typically don't really care for tomato soups.  But I can drink La Madeleine's tomato basil with a straw!  One of the best things about eating soup at La Madeleine is that there is all you can eat slices of bread, butter, and jams.  *Thump-thump...thump-thump...thump-thump*  (That was my heart)  But since I wasn't eating at La Madeleine, I had to make my own bread.  I chose Kara's French Bread from Creations by Kara.  It is one of my favorite blogs and her recipes never disappoint me.  So thanks to Kara for posting this super yummy recipe!  This is a perfect meal to make on these cold days that we've been having!

French Bread - From Creations by Kara
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp SAF instant yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp oil
6 cups flour (approximately)

In a large bowl, let water, yeast, and sugar set till bubbly. Add salt, oil and 3 cups of flour. Beat till smooth. Add remaining flour. Let dough rest for 10 minutes, then punch down or knead a couple of times. Divide dough in half. To form loaves, roll the dough into a rectangle. Then roll it up tightly lengthwise (like you would with cinnamon rolls, just without the cinnamon). Seal the edges by pinching together. Grease a cookie sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Place the loaves on the cookie sheet and let raise for about 30 minutes. Brush the tops with water and make diagonal slashes on top using a serrated knife. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or till lightly browned. Brush tops with butter.

Tomato Basil Soup - A La Madeleine copycat recipe
4 cups tomatoes (8 to 10), peeled, cored and chopped, or 4 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed
4 cups unsalted tomato juice
12 - 14 fresh basil leaves, plus additional for garnish, chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sweet, unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
salt to taste


Combine tomatoes and juice in saucepan.  Simmer for 30 minutes over medium-low heat.  Cool slightly, then place in a blender or food processor.  Add basil and process to puree; this will have to be done in batches.  Return mixture to saucepan.  Add cream & butter.  Stir over low heat until butter and cream are incorporated.  Stir in salt and pepper before serving.  Garnish with more fresh basil and serve.  Makes 8 servings.





Posted by HaleyLeann at 12:01 AM 7 comments
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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread


Our family has tried really hard to rid hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrups out of our diet.  Every now and then, we still have something with it in it...but I'm still not happy about it when it happens.  ;-)  Unfortunately, they put that junk in so many items that you would never think of.  One of those items is bread.  If your family is anything like ours, you go through a lot of bread.  My 4 year old asks for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches 3 meals a day.  He doesn't get it, but he asks.  My 6 year old takes a sandwich almost every day to school.  My husband eats sandwiches at lunch while he's at work.  I think you get the picture.  There's a lot of bread being eaten at my house.  With all of that bread, that's a lot of high fructose corn syrup.  *Bleck!*  I know that you can buy preservative & corn syrup free bread at the store, but it's not cheap!  So, being that I'm kind of a cheap person (the truth hurts) I decided to make my own!  

I'm afraid I can't really credit this recipe to anyone.  I have adapted it from multiple sources.  There's probably 100 other recipes just like it...but I don't know what they are.  The fun thing about it is that you can do anything to it to make it your own.  =)  Feel free to take out ingredients, add to it if you like, or even adjust the flour ratios.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread - Yields 2 loaves
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour    
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted (if using salted butter, omit 1 tsp salt)
1/4 cup honey
1 1/4 cups warm milk or water  (105°F)
Optional:
1/4 cup ground wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seeds

In large bowl or mixer bowl, stir warm milk (or water), melted butter, honey, and yeast.  Allow to sit about 5 minutes or until mixture is foamy. Add flours, salt, and optional ingredients.  Knead mixture by hand on a floured surface for 5-10 minutes or in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes until dough is soft and pliable.  If it is too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time.  If it is too dry, add a teaspoon of milk or water at a time.  The proportions may vary depending on your climate.

Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl then flip the dough bottom side up to lightly coat the dough with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.  If your home is too cold, you can turn your oven on for 1 minute then turn it off and place the bowl in the oven.

Remove dough from bowl and divide it in half.  Roll each half into a rectangle about 10" x 14".  Starting with the 10" side, roll the dough up, pinching together as you go to make a log.  Pinch all seams together with moist fingers.  Fold ends under and place dough seams down in a well greased bread pan.  Cover pans loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise for another 30 minutes.  

Bake in preheated 400°F oven for about 25 minutes.  Remove from pans and place on a cooling rack.  Allow bread to cool completely before slicing.       

Enjoy!!!






Posted by HaleyLeann at 5:04 PM 12 comments
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Monday, January 17, 2011

Klobasnek (Sausage in a Roll)

A while back, I posted a recipe for Kolaches.  Kolaches are a Czech sweet roll with a fruit or cream cheese filling.  I don't know if there are enough ways to say that these are DELICIOUS!  In that post, I went on a crazy rant (I do that sometimes) about how sometimes people will give you a "kolache" with a sausage.  (Donut shops are the worst offender of this heinous crime.)  This is NOT a kolache.  The correct term would be a klobasnek.  In English, we usually say "pig in a blanket".  The difference is that a "pig in a blanket" is typically more of a flaky biscuit dough wrapped around a cocktail sausage whereas a klobasnek is a typical yeasted roll around bigger sausage.  The key to making a good klobasnek is the sausage you use.  People put a variety of different sausages in their klobasnek, like stuffed cheese, stuffed cheese & jalapeño, or just a typical sausage.  Most Czechs would probably scoff at the ones I made because I used a Hillshire Farm sausage.  I'm afraid the type I used is escaping my memory and they don't have them listed on their website.  Seriously?!  (I knew I should have written it down.)  Anyway, they are found near the smoked sausage links.  They are bigger than cocktail sausages, but smaller than their bun sized sausages and come in packages of 12.  I'm thinking they are about 3-4" in length.  They are the perfect size for this recipe and you will need 2 packages.  For the bread, I used the same recipe as the Perfect Dinner Rolls.  These can be used as breakfast or snacks.  I'm considering taking them to a Super Bowl party.  Trust me on this...you will NOT be disappointed!

*Edit*  I discovered why Hillshire Farm doesn't have the sausages I used on their website.  Um...it's because the sausages I used are Eckrich brand.  *insert sheepish smile here*  They are called Eckrich Smok-Y-links.  

Klobasnek
2 - 12 count packages of Hillshire Farm sausages (see above for a better description)

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cup, then leveled off


In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes.

To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour - on low speed with the paddle attachment incorporate the flour to create a wet, sticky mixture. Still on low speed, add 1 cup of the remaining flour and incorporate. Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining 1 cup flour. On low speed, mix the dough to incorporate the final addition of flour until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl - turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 20 -30 minutes.  These steps can also be done by hand.  You do not have to have a mixer for this recipe.  

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate into a rectangle. Cut it in half vertically, then each half vertically again into thirds so you have 6 equal strips of dough. Cut each strip of dough into fourths by cutting horizontally to make 24 little squares of dough.


Take a square of dough into the palm of your hand then wrap it around a sausage leaving the ends of the sausage exposed.  Pinch the seams tightly and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Cover the klobasneks in the pan with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap and let rise to double while your oven is preheating to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) - about 20 minutes. If you want an even more golden color to the rolls, brush them with a little melted butter before baking. Bake for 13-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!



Posted by HaleyLeann at 11:34 AM 14 comments
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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Perfect Dinner Rolls


Since I started making bread, I have searched for the perfect dinner roll recipe.  I have made several that were good, but none that I was in love with.  On Thanksgiving, I offered to bring the rolls to my in laws house and found a Golden Corral copycat.  They smelled so good, we sat down, prayed for the good Lord to bless our food, we reached in and grabbed a few.  The results?  Well...not Golden Corral rolls.  Boo!  As a matter of fact, they had to have been the worst rolls I've ever made.  I was so annoyed with myself for not trying them before we went.  I just assumed that they would be good to go.  From that day, I decided that I was going to find the best roll recipe.  A girl's gotta redeem herself somehow.  Anyway, I was playing on the internet the other day and found Holly at Phe.MOM.enon.  As of this week, Holly is my new favorite person.   She posted the most delicious recipe back in November of '09.  To think that it's been there all this time and I never knew it.  Well, my friends, you too can make some yummy rolls!  Another great thing about them is that they are food allergy friendly, no eggs or milk.  =)  Holly has on her blog that they are 1 Bowl, 1 Hour, Perfect Dinner Rolls.  For me, it was 1 bowl...but not quite 1 hour.  It's not because it can't be done in 1 hour.  It's because I'm slow. =)  It took a little closer to 2 hours for me.  Granted that the weather is so cold and it took a little longer for the rolls to rise than what Holly said it should.  The following is the recipe word for word from Holly at Phe.MOM.enon.  My tips will be posted below the recipe.



Perfect Dinner Rolls


1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cup, then leveled off

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes.

To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour - on low speed with the paddle attachment incorporate the flour to create a wet, sticky mixture. Still on low speed, add 1 cup of the remaining flour and incorporate. Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining 1 cup flour. On low speed, mix the dough to incorporate the final addition of flour until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the speed to medium and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl - turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 20 -30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate into a rectangle. Cut it in half vertically, then each half vertically again into thirds so you have 6 equal strips of dough. Cut each strip of dough into fourths by cutting horizontally to make 24 little squares of dough. Take each piece of dough and cup it lightly under the palm of your hand on a clean surface. Press lightly and start rotating and rolling the dough ball quickly so that it forms a nice little ball of dough. Once you get some practice, you can do this with both hands at the same time and really speed up the process.

Place each rolled piece of dough into a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan in rows of 4 about 1/2-inch apart. Cover the rolls in the pan with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap and let rise to double while your oven is preheating to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) - about 20 minutes. If you want an even more golden color to the rolls, brush them with a little melted butter before baking. Bake for 13-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

My tips for this recipe:
  • I doubled the amount of sugar in this recipe.  I like my rolls sweet. =)
  • A honey butter glaze would be nice on these rolls too.
  • My KitchenAid stand mixer says to not use the dough hook past speed #2...so I never turned mine on to medium.  I was nervous about doing that.  
  • There's nothing else to tip...these are perfect!


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Posted by HaleyLeann at 12:19 PM 53 comments
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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Challah



Challah is such a beautiful bread!  The way the it gets that dark golden crust makes mouth start to salivate.  You know that when you put it in your mouth that it will be sweet and wonderful.  For those of you that may not know what Challah is, it is a traditional Jewish bread.  It is typically braided in the shape of a loaf or into a ring.  Either way it is done, it is gorgeous!  I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com but I followed some of the tips from the people that commented.  So, here is the recipe that I used adapted from AllRecipes.com.


Challah
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready in: 3 Hours 40 Minutes


Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F / 45 degrees C)
2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1/2 cup & 2 Tablespoons honey (divided)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 eggs (divided)
2 teaspoons salt
4 - 5 1/2 cups unbleached AP flour (depending on humidity)
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)


Directions:

    • In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in 1/2 cup honey, oil, 1 egg, 3 egg yolks (save the whites for later), and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
    • Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board.  Knead for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease baking tray and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
    • Beat the remaining egg whites with 2 Tablespoons honey and brush a generous amount over each braid. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
    • Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Cover the loaf with foil the last 10 minutes to prevent to much darkening of the crust.  Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.



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    Posted by HaleyLeann at 4:27 PM 2 comments
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