Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits

Finding the best biscuits on the planet is not as easy as finding the best hamburger buns, mostly because opinions are quite varied on the subject. Some like their biscuits, crumbly, some like them flakey and some prefer a tender, more cake-like crumb. The short of it, biscuits come in all kinds textures and flavors so it makes it rather difficult to find the best. So instead of finding very best, I’ll share the ones I really like.

The biscuits I’m sharing today are my vegan version of the sweet potato biscuits I found over at The Kitchn. They are tender and soft with just a bit of a crust. I thought the texture was actually fairly close to the KFC biscuits I’ve been trying to imitate but the flavor (obviously) wasn’t close, which is ok, because the salty biscuits at KFC wasn’t what I was going for either.

I’m seeing a lot of soup recipes being posted around and these biscuits would be a delightful pairing with just about any of them.

I’ve made these two ways; one with solid coconut oil and the other with earth balance soy free butter substitute….the version with the Earth Balance was my favorite. If you have a legume/peanut allergy or sensitivity in your family please be aware that Earth Balance Soy Free is made with pea protein. Because of that, I can’t use it for my family with legume issues. For the buttery taste, next time I think I’ll try soy-free Spectrum butter flavored palm shortening. 

Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits

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Yield: about 18 2” biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour


4 teaspoons baking powder


½ teaspoon kosher salt


6 tablespoons chilled *Earth Balance Spread, cut into cubes


1 cup steamed and mashed sweet potato (approximately 1 large potato)


½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar

½  cup rice milk, plus additional as needed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Sour rice milk with lemon juice or vinegar and set aside (rice milk does not sour like cows milk so don’t expect the same texture)
3. In a large bowl, mix together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender (or your fingers if you don't have one) cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is a mix of pea-size balls and small crumbs.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potato and rice milk until well-combined. Fold into the flour mixture, adding more (up to 4 tablespoons) rice milk if necessary. The dough should form a nice ball, and be just a bit on the sticky side, as opposed to crumbly and dry. Chill the dough for thirty minutes, if desired, although you can bake them off immediately if you would like. I happen to like the way the biscuits look when the dough has chilled (a bit more crackly on top), but the flavor is not affected by this step.
5. Pat out the dough onto a lightly floured surface to about a 1-inch thickness (do not roll out the dough with a rolling pin). Cut out rounds using a well-floured biscuit cutter. (I prefer a square cookie cutter so that I don’t have scraps.) Gather the remaining scraps and repeat until all the dough is used. Place the biscuits on a large sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes (or bake in batches).

Notes: The cooked biscuits will freeze beautifully and can be pulled out at a moments notice. Just bake at 375° until heated through.

*Any preferred butter substitute or butter will work just fine.

Source: Adapted from The Kitchn: Sweet Potato Biscuits

Gwenevere

Deli Buns

This recipe is the first of three that make up a TRIFECTA of food blog posts. Yes, a TRIFECTA! Ok maybe not a trifecta but when used in combination with what is to come….YUM.

These buns come to you from Frieda at Frieda loves bread. Although I wouldn’t go as far as she did to say these are French Bread Buns, (they lack the complex flavor of a bread created from a mature starter) they can definitely be classified in the same family - there are no eggs or milk and they are steam baked. The result is a bun that has a fine, moist crumb and a slightly hard, crisp crust. The best part is that because the crust isn’t as hard as real French bread, you can enjoy a crusty bite without tearing the roof of your mouth to bits. 

I’ve made these with both all-purpose flour and 100% whole grain flour. Both are absolutely fantastic and worth the effort. The 100% whole wheat version is  include below as it requires a little more time and care over the all-purpose flour version (that can be obtained from Frieda’s site)

I’ve been wanting to share this recipe with you for a while but due to circumstances within my control but beyond my current level of ability I have not for the following reasons:

Myth: I am the worst food stylist and food photographer on the planet.

Truth: I am easily frustrated with my inability to materialize the image in my head to an image in a photo and often think I should give up and do something I’m more comfortable with.

Truth: I enjoy short-term challenges. I tend to lose interest in long term challenges

Myth: I am not cutout to stick with something that challenges me.

Resolve: I may be slow and my pictures may not be perfect, but so long as I’m learning, I’m succeeding.  Despite the imperfections of the photos, I’m going to post them anyway and try to remember that

If I wait untill I’m perfect, I’d never get anything done.

Deli Buns

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Makes 10 buns

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 ½ cup warm water

2 c. whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2-2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl dissolve yeast in water.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups flour and salt. Stir to combine.
3. Add honey and oil to yeast water, then poor the wet ingredients over the flour and salt, then mix until just combined. Cover and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
4. Add remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely sticks to your finger. Then knead it until soft and elastic (4-8 minutes) Shape dough into a round, place in a bowl, cover and , allow dough to rise for 1 hour or until doubled. Gently deflate the dough, reshape it into a round and cover to let rise for another 30 minutes.
5. Divide dough into 10 pieces (about 3.3 oz) Shape each into a round then roll the dough out with fingers into the shape of a 5” snake, place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and slightly press down with fingers. Cover plastic wrap with cooking oil spray then use it to cover dough. Allow rolls to proof for 30 – 45 minutes.
6. During last 15 minutes of proofing, put an old tin pie pin on the lowest rack of the oven and put the other rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 400ºF.
7. Just before you are ready to bake the buns, spritz dough with water, sprinkle with sesame seeds then with a serrated knife, slash the tops of the buns, 1/8” deep.
8. Put buns in the oven on the middle rack and put 1 cup of hot water into the pie tin. Close oven door. 30 seconds later, spritz tops of bread with water, close door. Wait another 30 seconds, spritz, close door. And repeat 30 seconds later for the last time. Allow buns to finish baking for 15-17 minutes rotating pan 180º half way through baking until golden brown.

Source: Adapted from Frieda Loves Bread.com French Bread hamburger/Deli Buns.

Gwenevere

100% Whole Wheat Cinnamon Pull-A-Part Bread

I’ve been reading Chef Dennis’s Blog, “More Than a Mount Full” since I began blogging. How could I not? His blog provides a wealth of knowledge for both new and seasoned bloggers. For seasoned bloggers, he provides recipes and tips that are inventive and original.  For new bloggers, in an effort to help them find their niche and succeed, in what some may consider, a saturated market, he dedicates a great deal of his posts to [food] blogosphere “trade secrets”. He also dedicates every Friday to giving a blogger the opportunity to blog on a stage, other than their own.

I’ve been secretly dreaming about the day I would be able to metaphorically, sing on his stage. (I’m sure this isn’t a surprise to many of you as I’ve already shared what happens when I have an opportunity to sing.)

Well, today is my first opportunity, since launching my blog thee months ago, to have my voice heard in front of an audience other than what I’ve been able to generate on my own. Sure the timing wasn’t ideal, and I didn't really feel ready, but when is it ever the right time and when do we ever feel ready? If I spent my life waiting for the perfect moment, I’d never get anything done. So, I said, “ YES!” (As it turns out…that was the easy part). To find out what I did next, you’ll have to head over to Chef Dennis’s Blog More Than a Mountfull.  (don't forget to say hey when you stop over.)

Thank you Chef Dennis! I’ve truly appreciated how this opportunity has helped me find my [blogging] voice.

Fancy Banana Bread

My mother-in-law makes a FANTASTIC banana bread so why bother with a new recipe…because I can’t duplicate hers. My batter ends up either too light or too heavy and it can’t support it’s own weight. When it begins to rise while baking, it kind of falls into itself and although it does still taste good it just looks terrible. I’m not giving up on that recipe just yet but I needed to rebuild my confidence in my banana bread baking skills, so I went looking for a recipe that I thought was most likely to yield successful results. After seeing the cooks at America’s Test Kitchen make their Ultimate Banana Bread, I thought I’d give it a try.

Of course like all things that happen in real life v. TV, my endeavor didn’t go quite as smoothly as the TV show did but none of that really mattered since the end loaf turned out just wonderful. The only change I’ll have to make next time is to leave off the banana “shingles” that were lovingly placed on each side of the loaf. My kids wanted nothing to do with those little guys.

Look everone – I wrote a short post! I didn’t know I had it in me. Now I need to stop before I spoil it.

 Fancy Banana Bread

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Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

5-6 large very ripe bananas (about 2 1/4 pounds), divided.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly

2 large eggs

3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup walnuts , toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together.
3. Peel and place 5 bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally. In 15 minutes (you should have ½ to ¾ cup liquid).
4. Transfer liquid to a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until it reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.
5. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining.
6. Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan. If shingling bananas on top of loaf, slice remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch thick slices place the banana slices on top of either side of loaf, leaving 1 ½ inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf to give the bread a crackly, smooth, glossy top.
7. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 75 minutes. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: For sweeter bread, use banana’s that are heavily speckled.

Source: America’s Test Kitchen

Gwenevere

Burger Buns

This week I’ve been grandpa-sitting. Boy’s Mom and Dad took my oldest with them on a road trip to Houston to visit family. To show my appreciation I agreed to keep on eye on Grandpa and help Grandma should she need anything. (Grandma and Grandpa live in the mother-in-law suite that was recently added onto my husband’s parent’s home.)

It’s been a fairly laid back week. I’ve been testing out some recipes (none of which are ready to share) and trying to get caught up at work, sew some birthday gifts, bake and decorate a cake and plan a party for a soon to be 6-year old (the latter is easy when you decide to just go to Chuck E Cheeses – go head judge away).

Since I’ve been living out of two homes this week I’ve been relying on my freezer to feed the family at dinnertime. Before you go all “Heaven Forbid” on me, I just have to say, most of the meals in my freezer are meals I’ve made and frozen ahead of time. (except for the corn dogs and frozen pizza…and raviolis) But I don’t really mean meals, I mean, meal components…like burger buns.

Some of you know that I grew up eating some variation of burgers just about every Saturday night. To some this may sound absolutely horrible but I loved it and have come to appreciate it even more in my adulthood. Do you know how nice it is not to have to wonder what’s for dinner? Most Saturday’s we hit the ground running and we don’t stop until dinner. It’s nice to know that come 4:30, the buns come out of the freezer to thaw, the potatoes get washed and the grill gets prepped – Rain or shine, warm or cold. Burger night is a good thing.

It’s also no secret that I love bread. I love to bake it. I love to eat it. Everything is made better if homemade bread is included, so naturally, in order to make burger night a GREAT thing, I began looking for the worlds best burger bun. 

Whoa Nelly! There are a lot of bun recipes out there. 

But more than any other, the burger with the tag "Comme Ca" kept on popping up in my browser over and over again. What is Comme Ca? Roughly it means – “like this” in French but you’ll notice it’s in caps so that makes it a proper noun or name for something  (I am so smart S.M.R.T) 

Comme Ca is the name of a restaurant I’ve never been to but apparently they are the home of the worlds best burger buns.

The best? Really. Now I’m not as gullible as Buddy the Elf and just because someone posts a sign doesn’t mean I’m going to believe it....

...But I will try it and then make my own recommendation. 

Well... 

wouldn’cha know it! 

The sign out front is true. 

Comme Ca’s burger buns may very well be “The Worlds Greatest Burger Bun”. Way to go! And a special thanks to all the bloggers out there who cleared the path and posted their findings to make it easier for me (and now you) to have buns as good as your burger.

Soon I’ll be posting my 100% whole-wheat vegan version of this - I’ve almost got it perfected – I’ve just got to figure out how to get my sesame seeds to stay on without an egg wash or super glue- suggestions welcome.

Burger Buns

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Makes: 8 buns

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. warm milk


1 cup warm water


2 tsp. active dry yeast


2½ tbsp. sugar


1½ tsp. salt


1 large egg


3 cups bread flour


1/3 cup all-purpose flour


2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For topping:


1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash


Sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Once frothy, briefly mix in the milk, salt and egg until combined. Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated.  Switch to the dough hook and Mix in the butter.  Switch to the dough hook, turn mixer on low and add in the butter. Once butter is included, continue to knead (6-10 minutes on low) until dough is ready. The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour, which will create tough buns.
2. Shape the dough into a round and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours. Gently deflate the dough and reshape it into a round.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat then using a long serrated knife or a dough scraper,  cut the dough, like a pizza, into 8 equal sections. Gently shape each section into a round, then press the dough to shape it into a disk. Place each slightly flattened round on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart.  Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, (1-2 hours), until puffed up and nearly doubled.
4. Set a 9 x 13 metal cake pan filled with water onto the lowest rack of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center position.  Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake the buns about 15 minutes (rotating halfway through baking if they are browning unevenly), until the tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Notes:

If you have unused buns, go ahead and put them in a zip bag and toss them in the freezer. They freeze VERY well and can easily be brought out to thaw or nuked in the microwave if you need to speed along the thawing time.

Source: Slightly adapted from Annie’s eats, originally from Comme Ca via The New York Times

Gwenevere

Whole Wheat Pitas & Tzatziki

On the first Sunday of every month I am responsible for preparing the meal for my extended family. This month I asked for requests. You know, to give me an opportunity to hone my skillzzzz. (Not really I just couldn’t think of anything I wanted to make.) Dad suggested I make something easy, "like kebabs" he said. I laughed. Kabebs aren’t really “easy” I mean they aren’t hard, they just take a little bit of time to cut all the meat & veggies and then get them skewered. Of course I said yes and began planning…

First, which meat?...

I have issues with making decisions - remember how the enchiladas came to be? Yeah, so after much deliberation I narrowed down my options to shrimp, lamb, beef & chicken. (Don’t worry I’ve got this on my list of things to discuss with my therapist.)

Next I needed seasonings and marinades...

            Naked shrimp

            Salt and pepper w/ olive oil for the lamb

            Carne Asada marinade for the beef

            Annie’s marinade for chicken gyros – nope ran out of time, chicken gets a  bottled teriyaki marinade. 

Sides….

Veggies on the skewers (onions and bell peppers on the red meat)

How about pineapple on the chicken?  Sure!

That all seems to work. Anything else?

Yes, a side of Asparagus Gratin

How about bread? Sourdough? Rolls?...PITAS! Whole-Wheat Pitas with Tzatziki!

Perfect! Thanks for the suggestion Dad…now please get a new grill so that I can cook the meat evenly next time. ;)

Whole-Wheat Pita Bread

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Yield: 8 pitas

Ingredients:

2¼ tsp. active dry yeast


1 tbsp. honey


1¼ cups warm water (105˚-115˚ F), divided

1½ cups bread flour, divided


1½ - 2 cups whole-wheat flour, divided


¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil


1 tsp. salt


Cornmeal, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, honey and ½ cup of the water.  Stir gently to dissolve the yeast.
2. Once yeast is dissolved, whisk ¼ cup of the bread flour and ¼ cup of the whole-wheat flour into the yeast mixture until smooth.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or lid and set aside until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
3. Remove the plastic wrap and return the bowl to the mixer stand, fitted with the dough hook.  Add in the remaining ¾ cup of warm water, 1¼ cups bread flour, 1¼ cups whole-wheat flour, olive oil and salt. Dough should be slightly loose but more flour may be needed in order for the dough to come together properly. Knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. 
4. Shape dough into a round a transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and let rise in a warm draft-free place, about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk. (if you get busy and cannot proceed with the recipe after the dough has doubled, deflate the dough, shape it into a round and let it double in bulk again – usually 30- 45 minutes)
5. Place an oven rack in the middle position.  Place a baking stone on the rack and preheat to 500˚ F.
6. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. With a bench scraper or serrated knife, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a ball, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
7. With a rolling pin or your hands, flatten each ball into a disk that is a 6 ½ to 7 inches in diameter. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet or other work surface lightly sprinkled with cornmeal (if using. – I just let mine rest without the cornmeal).  Once all the rounds have been shaped, loosely cover them with clean kitchen towels or plastic wrap. Allow them to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, until slightly puffy.
8. Carefully transfer one flattened but puffy dough round at a time onto the HOT baking stone. Place as many as will fit on the stone.  Bake 2 minutes, until puffed and pale golden.  Gently flip the pitas over using tongs and bake 1 minute more.  Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining pitas.  
9. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Source: Annies-Eats

Tzatziki

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Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

8 oz. plain Greek style yogurt

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded

1-2-cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)


1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar


Salt and pepper


splash of (fresh) lemon juice


Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Shred cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. Wrap the cucumber in a thin bread cloth a squeeze to remove as much water as possible.  
2. Mix together the Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper and lemon juice to taste.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve as a spread or dressing with pitas & gyros.

Source: Annies-Eats

Gwenevere

Buttermilk Biscuits

If you know how to make yeasted bread, flat breads and pie dough how hard can it possibly be to make flakey buttermilk biscuits?

That is what I thought when I first set out to find and make the perfect buttermilk biscuits. I should have known something was up when I got to the third recipe and read a disclaimer that said something like:

Once you’ve tried this recipe about a dozen times, you’ll understand the dough and you’ll be able to turn out the perfect biscuits every time.

A dozen times?

Really?

Whatever - I betcha I can do this on the first try.

I learned three things:

1. It may not be pretty but it almost always will taste good.

2. It’s impossible to duplicate a recipe if you refuse to follow it.

3. You cannot judge the success/failure of your finished product against a photograph that showcases food that was made from a recipe other than the one you are using.

Had I known those three tips when I started making the first batch I would say that a dozen attempts is overkill.  If you know how to follow a recipe and know what you are working toward I’m fairly confident you can crank out these delicious, beautiful buttermilk biscuits by the 2^nd or 3^rd try. So what are you working toward with these biscuits? This recipe will turn out about a dozen crispy, flaky buttermilk biscuits. These aren’t exactly what I was originally looking for, (I’m looking for something more tender) but perhaps this is exactly what you have been looking for. If so, have at it.

Oh and finally - Please be aware that climate, elevation, brand of ingredients, calibration of your oven and fridge, time of day, what you are wearing, how your hair is combed, and whether or not you car is clean or dirty may or may not have an effect on how your biscuits turn out. J

Buttermilk Biscuits

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Makes 8-10 biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, grated on the large holes of a box grater and then chilled in the freezer

¾ cup cold buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until combined. Toss in chilled butter and coat with flour.
3. Create a well in the center of the flour and pour in the cold buttermilk. With a spatula gently toss the flour and milk together until somewhat combined. Do not over mix or your biscuits. They will become dense and tough.
4. Dump the mixture out onto a board or nonstick mat and push it all into a ragged ball.
5. Pat the dough into a 4” x 7” rectangle and then fold the dough into thirds like a letter. Repeat this step 2 more times (3 times total) doing your best to include all stray crumbs and dough pieces.
6. Press the dough out to be ¾” to 1” thick. Using a round or square cutter that is 2 ½ inches, cut out biscuits without twisting the cutter. Twisting the cutter could seal the sides and make it difficult for the dough to reach its full height potential in the oven. I prefer to use a square cutter to minimize scraps. Scraps don’t rise as well as the biscuits cut from the first press.
7. Place biscuits on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat, brush with scant buttermilk and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until raised and golden.
8. If you would like to freeze the biscuits for later use, after the biscuits have been brushed with buttermilk, put the cookie sheet - uncovered into a freezer for 30 minutes. Once dough is set, transfer the biscuits to a ziplock bag and store in freezer until ready to bake. Bake directly from frozen in a 425 degree oven for 17 – 18 minutes.

Source: Adapted from foodwishes: Beautiful Buttermilk Biscuits (how to video included) with help from Frieda Loves Bread and freezing instructions from Annie’s Eats.

Gwenevere

Orange Rolls

Birthdays are kind of a big deal in Boy’s family. His mother does all that she can to make her children feel like they are king or queen for a day. As part of the royal birthday treatment tradition, everyone gets orange rolls for breakfast. It sounds like a good idea right? That is unless you are the one who has to wake up before the crack of dawn to make aforementioned orange rolls.

Well lucky or unlucky for me (I’m never quite sure which) the term orange roll means something entirely different to me than it does to Boy. In the home I grew up in orange rolls were always made from scratch and were served at formal holiday dinners (a rare treat). In Boy’s family, orange rolls were served out of a refrigerated cardboard tube (see lucky me I don’t have to make fresh bread, unlucky for me I have to eat rolls out of cardboard tube).

Yes, I was not excited about replacing my beloved orange rolls with a store bought version, but since this was Boy’s tradition, we kept it “as-is” and I’ve been “making” refrigerated, canister orange rolls for every birthday breakfast since we’ve been married. This year that tradition ended.

Happy Birthday Boy!

(Belated blog post because blogger was down on your birthday and the day following)

For his birthday this year I made some homemade orange rolls to replace the ones the tradition was founded on (does this make me a progressive?) I hope he can forgive me for messing with a 35-year-old tradition but for the sake of flavor and quality, I hope he’ll appreciate the change.

Happy Birthday!

Orange Rolls

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Ingredients:

ROLLS

¼ cup warm water

2 ¼ teaspoon yeast (active dry)

1 cup warm milk

½ cup unsalted butter,

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups whole-wheat flour (I used fresh milled winter white wheat-AP flour can also be used)

2 eggs

zest of 1 orange (2 tablespoons)

juice of 1 orange (¼ cup)

3-3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

FILLING

Zest of 1 orange (2 tablespoons)

Juice of ½ an orange (2 tablespoons)

3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¾ - 1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in ¼ cup of water and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attached, combine milk, butter, sugar and salt. Once combined mix in whole-wheat flour and beat well. Beat in eggs, softened yeast, and zest & juice from one orange.
3. Replace paddle attachment with the dough hook and add it 3-3 ½ cups of all purpose flour (dough should be soft and sticky). Knead dough for 8-10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
4. Shape dough into a round, place into an ungreased bowl. Cover; let rise in a warm draft-free place until double (about 2 hours)
5. If using whole-wheat flour; carefully deflate the dough after 1^st rise, reshape into a round, put back into bowl, cover with lid and allow to rise for another 45 minutes (until when a wet finger is poked ½ inch into the dough, the indentation stays without springing back or sagging). The second rise is not necessary however it will make for a more flavorful and lighter dough.
6. Deflate dough (again, if using whole-wheat), divide into 2 equal halves, shape each half into a  round then cover with a bread cloth for 10 minutes to allow for the dough to rest.
7. While dough is resting, make the filling by combining the orange zest and juice with 3 tablespoons melted butter. Add in the cinnamon (if using) and the sugar until you reach the desired consistency (if you like a lot of filling, you may need to add another tablespoon of melted butter and an additional ¼ cup sugar)
8. On a nonstick mat or floured board, roll one round of dough into a 19x13(ish) rectangle that is ¼-inch thick. Using ½ of the filling, schmear a thin layer over the dough leaving a 1” margin along one of the longer edges of the rectangle. Take the filling all the way to the edge  on the other three sides. Starting with the long side of the rectangle (that has the schmear taken all the way to the edge) start rolling the dough. Begin in the middle and work your way out to the edges. Continue to roll until the dough is in one long roll. Pinch the seam closed to prevent the rolls from unraveling during the final proof and baking.
9. With a string, dental floss or a sharp serrated knife, cut the long roll into 1-inch segments and place each segment 1” apart on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil or lined with parchment paper. Repeat steps 8 -10 for the second dough round. (If you would like to freeze your rolls for a later time (which I highly recommend – especially if you are planning on eating these for breakfast), place them on a greased cookie sheet so that the rolls are touching one another and then place them, uncovered, in the freezer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, transfer the dough to a freezer proof container or Ziploc bag.)
10. Cover rolls and allow to rise for 45 minutes (after 30 minutes preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.) Bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes until rolls are golden brown.
11. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle or frost with orange ginger cream cheese glaze/frosting (Recipe follows)

ORANGE, GINGER, CREAM CHEESE GLAZE/FROSTING

     

1/3 cup (5.3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened but not melted

      5. 3 oz. (2/3 of an 8 oz. brick) cream cheese, softened

      1 tsp orange zest

      2 tbsp orange juice

      1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

      1 - 2 ½ cups powdered sugar

Combine the first 5 ingredients. Gradually add the powdered sugar until you achieve the desired consistency for glaze or frosting. (If you have leftover frosting from the Carrot Cupcakes-you can just use that.)

Notes: To prepare rolls from frozen, place frozen rolls in or on a prepared baking pan/sheet (greased or lined w/ parchment paper or silpat). Cover rolls with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking oil and allow to proof. This will take about 2 to 2 ½ hours.  Rolls can then be baked in  375 degree F oven for 12-15 minutes.

Source: adapted from my Aunt Gayle’s Thanksgiving Orange Roll recipe which was adapted from an Orange Rosette Recipe in a 1970’s edition of the Better Homes and Garden red checkered cookbook.

Gwenevere

Dinner Rolls

My adventures in bread baking began with dinner rolls when I was 12 or 13-years-old. Once I got the hang of it, dinner rolls became my responsibility for my family’s formal Sunday dinners. This responsibility has now been extended to include any family get-together. What this means is that I’ve seen and tested A LOT of dinner roll recipes. However, when I met this recipe, while living in student housing at the U of U – over 10 years ago, I instantly retired all of the others. This recipe is foolproof and delicious. Plus if there are any leftover, they can still be eaten the next day either plain or stacked with ham and cheese (or whichever meat you choose).

The rolls are mild and buttery without being overwhelmingly sweet or yeasty - just as rolls should be. The amount of yeast included is great for someone just starting out with yeasted breads because, so long as you don’t kill the yeast with hot milk or water, the dough will rise. As a beginner it’s important to have success early or you may never try to tackle yeasted breads again. Finally the addition of eggs, milk, and shortening, condition and stabilize the gluten so that the dough can rise to it’s maximum height without tearing. In short although the dough is great for beginners, the end result is so good, there will be no need to replace it with anything else.

Dinner Rolls

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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons yeast

½ cup warm water     

1½ cup milk

½ cup buttered flavored shortening     

2 beaten eggs                 

½ cup sugar                 

2 teaspoons salt

5-7 cups all-purpose flour

butter for basting

Directions:

1. In a small bowl completely dissolve yeast in water.
2. Combine milk and shortening in a microwave safe dish and cook until shortening is almost entirely melted. (1 ½ - 3 minutes)
3. With the flat beater attached, turn your stand mixer to low and beat eggs and sugar together. Next add dissolved yeast followed by salt and 1 cup of flour. Once the milk has cooled, add it to the dough.
4. Add remaining flour to dough and mix until dough reaches the desired consistency (more water or flour my need to be used). Replace flat paddle with a dough hook and knead for 10 minutes.
5. Shape dough into a round and place it into a large ungreased bowl. Cover bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let dough rise for 1 ½  to 2 hours (until double).
6. Gently deflate dough then divide it into thirds and shape each third into a round.
7. After dough has rested for 10 minutes, take one round, and with a rolling pin, roll it into a circle that is ¼-inch thick. With a pastry brush, brush on melted butter then with a pizza cutter, cut dough like a pizza into 8 or 12 equal portions.
8. Roll dough into crescents by rolling the large end into the small end. Once rolled, pinch the pointy end of the roll into the rest of the roll so that it doesn't unroll when cooking.
9. Place roll on a buttered cookie sheet (pinched side down) about 1” apart.
10. Repeat steps 7 through 9 with remaining dough rounds.
11. Let shaped rolls rise under a bread cloth for another 30-60 minutes. (If in a super hurry, this stage can be skipped-rolls will be denser.)
12. Place rolls into 350 degree F preheated oven and bake for 15-22 minutes. If desired, baste with butter to soften tops.

Notes:

1. To make rolls in advance –Complete through step 10 however pack as many shaped rolls on the baking sheet as possible (it’s ok if they touch). Flash freeze dough in a freezer for 30 minutes, then remove from the baking sheet and place in a freezer safe container or Ziploc until ready to use.
2. To thaw dough, place frozen dough on a buttered baking sheet (step 11) and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking oil and allow dough to rise, about 2-3 hours (the thaw/rise time of the rolls depends on the amount of time the rolls were in the freezer.) Once dough has risen, bake them in a 350 degree preheated oven for 15-22 minutes.

Gwenevere