Breadsticks

Who doesn't love breadsticks.  Tasty pieces of bread you can dip in pizza sauce, eat with salad, soup, just about anything.  And don't forget the you can just pick one up and munch.  This recipe I found on Our Best Bites, is so easy to make and they taste delicious.

Breadsticks

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup warm (105–115 degrees) water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon yeast

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3–4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Butter

Garlic Bread Seasoning

Instructions:

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. While the dough is rising, line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Remove from bowl and place on a surface sprayed with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.

Roll out each piece of dough into a snake about 18″ long, then drape the middle of the “snake” over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it’s okay if they’re close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life’s greatest pleasures!

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes.

When there’s about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 12-15 minutes (it will depend on your oven) or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt.

Easy Pretzel Rolls

The family loves these rolls.  They are better than any you could buy.  And they are easy to make.  You just make a simple dough, let it rise, and then you shape the dough into balls.  The balls are then given a baking soda bath and  placed in a baking pan.  The tops of the rolls are brushed with butter and sprinkled with salt.  Bake until a deep golden brown, move from the oven and serve them warm.
Delicious.  The family loved them so much they requested another batch.

Easy Pretzel Rolls
From Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (lukewarm– no need to take temperature)
1 packet active dry or instant yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons; 60g) unsalted butter, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
3 and 3/4  – 4 cups (460-500g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for work surface
coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Baking Soda Bath
1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
9 cups (2,160ml) water

Instructions

Whisk yeast and warm water together. Allow to sit for 1 minute. Meanwhile, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter (reserve the rest for step 6). Whisk in salt, brown sugar, and melted butter. Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon or dough hook attached to stand mixer until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger – if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for 3 minutes and shape into a ball. (At this point, it dough can be frozen. See freezing instructions below.) Place in a large greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm environment for 1 hour or until nearly doubled in size. (Tip: I preheat my oven to 200°F (93°C), turn it off, place the dough inside and shut the oven. This is the warm environment.)
Once risen, punch dough down to release any air bubbles. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and, with a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 1/3 cup sections. You should have about 12. Shape into balls.
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats OR line a 9×13 baking pan (I use a baking pan.) Set aside.
Bring baking soda and 9 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Drop 1-2 pretzel rolls into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Any more than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel roll out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel rolls onto prepared baking sheet or close together in the baking pan. Using a sharp knife, score a couple slits into the top of each.
Melt the remaining butter. Lightly brush each roll with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Bake for 22-26 minutes or until a deep golden brown on all sides.

Remove from the oven and serve warm. Pretzel rolls may be stored in an airtight container or zipped top bag for up to 3 days (they lose a little softness).

Classic Sandwich Bread

I have been making most of our bread lately.  I have made several delicious loaves, but this recipe from King Arthur Flour is my go to one.  It is easy to follow, easy to make, and comes out perfect nearly every time.

It is very easy to slice whether you like thin or thick slices and it does not crumble or fall apart. Perfect for sandwiches and  toast and French Toast. Make a loaf and see what you think.

Classic Sandwich Bread
From King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
3 cups (361g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (113g) milk (skim, 1%, 2% or whole, your choice)*
1/2 to 2/3 cup (113g to 152g) hot water, enough to make a soft, smooth dough* (see "tips," below)
4 tablespoons (57g) melted butter or 1/4 cup (50g) vegetable oil
2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water OR 2 teaspoons instant yeast


Instructions

To make the dough: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. Or mix and knead the dough using an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine set to the dough or manual cycle.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise until puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. If you're using a bread machine, allow the machine to complete its cycle, then leave the dough in the machine until it's doubled in bulk, perhaps an additional 30 minutes or so.

Gently deflate the dough and transfer it to a lightly oiled work surface. Shape the dough into an 8" log.


Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 60 minutes, until it's domed about 1" above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly. Towards the end of the rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.

*Mix cold milk with hot tap water to make a lukewarm liquid before adding to the remainder of the ingredients.

Homemade Bread

 Sometimes when I go to the store they are out of bread. I decided to try making some home made bread.  I found a very easy to follow recipe to bake bread on the Taste of Home website.  This is a basic white bread that is perfect for sandwiches, toast, or just eating it with some jam.

Basic Homemade Bread
From Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
2-1/4  cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)
3 tablespoons sugar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon canola oil
6-1/4 to 6-3/4 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in warm water; let stand until bubbles form on surface.  Whisk together remaining 3 tablespoon sugar, salt, and 3 cups flour.  Stir oil into yeast mixture; pour into flour mixture and beat until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
3. Punch dough down.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half.  Shape each into a loaf.  Place in 2 greased 9x5-inch loaf pans.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
4. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped or has reached an internal temperature of 200 degrees, 30-35 minutes.  Remove from pans to wire racks too cool.  Brush tops with melted butter.

Makes 2 loaves

Pretzel Rolls

It seems I gear up on my baking as the holidays come around.  I found an absolutely wonderful recipe for Pretzel Rolls on Our Best Bites blog.  Who doesn't love Pretzel Rolls?   They are perfect for dinner, to make sliders/sandwiches, served along side a nice bowl of soup, etc.

This recipe is very easy to make and you probably have everything you need in the pantry.  You start by making a basic bread dough and letting it rise for 1 hour.  Next you divide the dough into  a dozen 3-ounce balls and let rise.  While the rolls are raising, make some baking soda water to boil the rolls in.  You boil each roll individually for 30 seconds on each side.  Remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet.   Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle with some salt.  Bake until golden brown.

It will be hard but let them cool before devoting one of these delicious rolls.

Pretzel Rolls
Our Best Bites

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 F)
1 tablespoon rapid rise or bread machine yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
4 3/4 -5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg, separated
1/4 cup baking soda
8 cups water

Instructions

In a large measuring cup, combine the water, sugar, and yeast and allow to stand for 10 minutes and the mixture is frothy.
While the yeast is proofing, combine the salt and 4 1/2 cups flour in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer (or a large bowl, if mixing by hand). Add the melted butter, egg yolk, and the bubbly yeast mixture. Mix until combined. If necessary, add up to an additional 1/2 cup of flour, about a tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls off the sides of the bowl and barely sticks to your finger when you touch it. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm, draft-free area and allow the dough to rise for an hour or until doubled in bulk.
When the dough has risen, turn it onto a surface lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Divide into 12 equal pieces or use a scale to measure out 3-ounce pieces of dough. Shape the dough into balls, place on a lined baking sheet (parchment or a silicone liner), cover, and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
While the dough is rising the second time, preheat the oven to 425. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. When the water begins to boil, add the baking soda and bring back to a full boil. Working with one roll at a time, carefully place each roll, seam-side down into the baking soda bath. Boil for 30 seconds then flip and boil for another 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove the boiled roll from the water and place, seam-side down, on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
Whisk together the reserved egg white and 2 tablespoons of water. Brush the egg white over the boiled dough balls and then sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 12-18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets.

Makes 12 rolls

One Hour Dinner Rolls

Homemade bread is one of my favorite things.   I love the taste, texture and freshness of the bread.  Making bread isn't all that difficult.  I used to shy away from baking bread because I thought it was difficult and very time consuming.  And at times, my loaves came out looking like bricks.   However, with some practice and a few failed attempts, I now love making bread.
I have a few Bread cookbooks, but I find most of my bread recipes on the Internet.  I like the variety and the baking tips from the different sites.  I found this recipe on  Our Best Bites website.  A very easy recipe with great tasting results.

One Hour Dinner Rolls
Our Best Bites

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups non-fat milk

3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks

3 tablespoons sugar

4- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided

1 tablespoon rapid rise/quick rise yeast (or if you have packets, one packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) will work just fine))

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

1 egg at room temp (place in a bowl of warm water for at least 5 minutes)

additional melted butter (a few tablespoons) for brushing on at end

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place milk, butter, and sugar in a microwavable container and heat for about 2 minutes. You want this mixture to be between 120-130 degrees, for best results use a digital instant read thermometer to gauge the temperature.

3. While the mixture is heating, combine 3 1/2 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl. When milk mixture is heated to about 125 degrees, add to the flour mixture and start to beat. Add egg and continue to beat until everything is combined. Scrape down sides of bowl and then add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time. I almost always add 4 1/4 cups total. The dough will be very soft and sticky.

4. Place remaining flour on a cutting board or silicone mat (or additional flour, if you used all of yours in the dough) and very gently scrape out the dough using a spatula. Dust the top of your dough with flour and then using your hands, lightly pat the dough into a rectangle.

5. Score the dough into sections (24 for dinner roll size) and gently form portions into balls. Place in a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Let dough rest for 20-30 minutes until puffed and almost double in size.

6. Bake rolls in preheated oven 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately brush with melted butter.

Great tip

• To accelerate rising, place dough in an oven or microwave that has been turned off, and place a pan of steaming water underneath.

Makes 24 rolls

 

French Rolls

Dinner rolls are a must for our Thanksgiving dinner.  This year, I am making a recipe for French Rolls that I found from  Our Best Bites  website.  I love the texture of the dough and the great flavor.  This is also a very easy dough to make and it tends to be forgiving.  I have made this recipe several times and the dough has always always made perfect rolls.

A wonderful bread to grace your Thanksgiving Day table or anytime. 

French Rolls
From Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4-5 1/2 c. flour
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg, separated
2 Tbsp. cold water
Instructions:
1. Combine yeast, water, and sugar in large mixing bowl and allow to stand 10 minutes or until bubbly.
 2. Add salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolk (set white aside for later) and combine. Add 3 c. flour and mix well until combined. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely sticks to your finger. Knead, either by hand or in mixer (my personal and very lazy choice) for another 2-3 minutes. 3. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour 30 minutes.
Punch down dough. Spray muffin pans or a 13x9-inch baking sheet and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.  Shape into balls.   Use a scale if you have one to get equal-sized buns.
It’s okay if they touch (or will touch after having risen). Cover and allow to rise another 1 1/4 hours or until doubled. Keep an eye on things–if they seem like they’re getting so big that they might collapse, hurry and get them into the oven.
4. Preheat oven to 375. Mix egg white with water and brush over dough. Bake for 10 minutes and repeat brushing the dough with the egg wash.
Bake an additional 8-10 minutes or until bread is golden brown and your house smells like heaven.