Wanna Make a Little Easy Dough With Me???

 

Hey Friends, Just thought I'd share some "dough" with you all tonight.

I have been wanting to make some homemade bread for a couple of days now but just haven't had the time. But today I had the time and so that's just what I did.

This is a great recipe and it's just about foolproof (that's why I can make it so often) so I figured I would share the recipe with you all. I even had my camera handy and took some pictures for you of the different steps (don't we all like recipes better with pictures?).

So let's get started. . .

1. Ingredients:

1 1/2 C Milk

3/4 C Sugar + 1 Tbsp

1 Egg

1 Tbsp Salt

2 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast (or 3 pkgs)

2 Cups Warm Water

2 Sticks unsalted Butter

10 C Flour

2. Proof  Yeast in 2 cups warm water & 1 Tbsp sugar.

Let it sit until foamy (a few minutes) This is what it should look like when it is proofed.

3. Heat milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 stick butter (cut up)

in a microwave safe bowl for 2 minutes. Let this cool for a couple of minutes then add 1 egg and salt to milk mixture.

4. Transfer mixture to a large bowl
and stir in 1 cup of your flour. Now add your proofed yeast to this mixture. Add remaining flour 2 cups at a time stirring with a wooden spoon.

5. Dump the dough out onto the counter

and finish incorporating the flour by hand using a kneading motion.

6. Smooth out the dough and return to the bowl.                        

7. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap

and place in a warm spot to rise. This will take approx 2 hours.

8. Once the dough has doubled in size

dump it out onto a floured cloth and separate into balls.

9. Roll each ball out one at a time with a rolling pin

 

Now comes the FUN stuff! This dough is so versatile that I finish it up differently each time. Today I chose to make some cinnamon rolls and some garlic & Parmesan roll-ups

10. Garlic Roll-ups

spread your rectangle of dough with a mixture of softened butter, crushed garlic, garlic salt & Italian seasoning. Then roll your dough up from the long edge so that you have a big long snake. Cut your snake with pizza wheel making about 1 1/2" cuts.

11. Cinnamon Roll-ups

spread the rectangle of dough with softened butter and then sprinkle cover dough with brown sugar with lots of cinnamon and a pinch of cloves mixed in (now is a great time to add raisins & nuts if you want). Then roll your dough up from the long edge so that you have a big long snake. Cut your snake with pizza wheel making about 1 1/2" cuts.

12. Place your rolls in a cake pan sprayed with Pam

Leave room for them to "grow" they are gonna rise again.

13. Leave your rolls to rise again for about 1 hour

bake in a 350 over for 20 - 25 min or until golden brown

14. Eat them while they are hot!

That is when they are the best! As you can see here mine were eaten before I could even snap the photo!

 

Oh My Goodness they were so yummy and my house smelled so good! I promised the neighbors some of each so I ran them across the street while they were still hot and when I got back my family had already started eating them! I also made some for Bryanna's luncheon she is having tomorrow with a friend.

 

So like I said before this dough is so versatile. I have made it into loaves and braids. I have made crescent type rolls with it and have filled it and frosted it with everything you can think of!

If you do it as the crescents like above you will want to roll your dough out like this,

Roll each ball out one at a time into a large circle. Spread softened butter onto circle (add cinn & sugar or garlic now if you like). Use a pizza wheel to cut the circle into quarters (pie shape) and each quarter into thirds. Roll each piece up starting with wide end. Tuck tip under and place on buttered cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining balls. You can even type little fortunes or notes and roll them up in the crescents. This is fun for a holiday dinner. At Thanksgiving you could write things you are thankful for etc.  

Anyhoo - I am gonna go have another cinnamon roll - I hope you will try this recipe, I know you will love it!

Till we meet again. . .