Home Made Bread Day

Yesterday, November 17, was HomeMade Bread Day - not at my house, I was too busy elsewhere. But this month has been a time of baking as the weather turns cooler and we think of cozy warm kitchens. Yeast breads can be a challenge, taking both skill and time, but I've found a great way to make the most of both - the bread machine.

Several of my favorite bread recipes use the bread machine. It had been delegated to the store room, but now comes out regularly. Using the bread machine for dough, as this cinnamon roll recipe does, doesn't speed up the process (my bread machine takes 2 hours and 45 minutes for dough cycle) but I can do several other things while the machine does the mixing and kneading for me.

Usually I don't put brand names in my recipes, but King Arthur Flour is so good, it does make a difference! This company was one of the sponsors of the National Festival of Breads, coordinated by the Kansas Wheat Commission last summer, and they have a good website (where I got this recipe) and great products.

So here's our family's new favorite for Cinnamon Rolls:

Dough:

1 packet “highly active” active dry yeast; or 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast; or 2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast

7/8 – 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water (I use 1 cup. If the humidity is high use the lesser amount, if it is dry, use the greater amount)

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons sugar

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

¼ cup nonfat dry milk

½ cup instant mashed potato flakes

1) Make the dough. If you’re using active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you’re using instant yeast, you can skip this step.

2) Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder or the dough ingredients. Mix and knead everything together – by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle – until you’ve made a smooth dough. If you’re kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball.

3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, till its nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 – 2 hours. Rising may take longer especially if you’ve kneaded by hand.  Give it enough time to become quite puffy.

4) While the dough is rising, lightly grease pans (Two 9” round cake pans or a large jelly-roll pan)

5) Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16” x 12” rectangle. (Greasing the work surface and your hands for this soft dough works great - and doesn't add any extra raw flour to the dough.)

6) Brush dough lightly with milk. Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and flour and sprinkle evenly over the dough, covering the entire surface. Sprinkle on crasins.

7) Roll the dough into a log the long way, stretching to about 20” in length as you roll.

8) Using a serrated knife, or strong thread, slice the log into slices about 1 inch thick. (I like to use a quilting thread to wrap around the dough to slice evenly and neatly) Place rolls in prepared pan and flatten gently.

9) Cover the pan and let the rolls rise until they’re noticeably puffy, about 1 ½ - 2 hours. They should spread out and start to crowd one another.

10) While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls till they’re brown around the edges and beginning to turn gold brown across the center, about 20 minutes.

10) Remove the rolls from the oven and drizzle icing over them. For icing, I mix 1 cup powdered sugar with enough (1 tablespoons or so) liquid flavored coffee creamer to make a glaze. Some people like a soft spreadable icing that is thicker – use more powdered sugar.

Now, make Home Made Bread day happen often at your house and enjoy!