Hamburger Buns

 

Ingredients:

3 T. warm whole milk, between 105° and 120°F

1 C. warm water, between 105° and 120°F

2 ¼ t. (1 packet) instant yeast

2 ½ T. granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature, slightly beaten

3 C. - 3 C. + 3 T. bread flour, approximately

⅓ C. all-purpose flour

1 ½ t. fine salt

3 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature

For tops:

1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Sesame seeds, optional

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, and egg.
2. Add the flour to the bowl, and mix until incorporated. 
3. Mix in the salt and butter. 
4. Knead on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes, or until the dough comes together into a soft yet tacky dough (should not be unbearably sticky).
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. 
6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
7. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
8. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. 
9. Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place four to a baking sheet, 2 to 3 inches apart. 
10. If your dough is unbearably sticky, lightly grease your hands with cooking spray or lightly dust the tops of each dough ball with flour before rolling. 
11. Cover with a clean towel and let rise again until puffy and almost doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
12. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 
13. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash. 
14. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. 
15. Bake the buns about 15 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown. 
16. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Serve or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month. 

Homemade Flour Tortillas Made From Scratch

Ingredients:

1 3/4 C. All-purpose Flour

1/2 C. Water

1/4 C. Coconut Oil

1 t. Salt

1/2 t. Baking Powder, optional

Directions:

1. Heat the water in the microwave. 
2. Then mix the oil into the water until it is all melted. 
3. In a large mixing bowl add flour, salt, and baking powder and mix well.
4. Pour the water-oil mixture over the flour, using a fork mix it together well. 
5. Using your hands, knead the dough several times. It should look and feel like a big ball of playdough. 
6. Divide that dough into 9 balls. 
7. Flatten each ball with your hand trying to keep it as round as you can.
8. On a clean suffice or plate add a light dusting of flour then place one of the flattened balls on top. Lightly dust the top of the ball with flour. 
9. Using a rolling pin (or a tortilla press if you have one) slowly start working around in a circle to flatten it out. You want to get it as thin as you can without ripping it. 
10. After you have it flattened heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet on medium to high heat on the stove. Cook it about 40 to 60 seconds on each side. 
11. Repeat for each tortilla.
12. When you remove from the pan, place in a warmer or on a plate with a lid over it to keep them hot and moist do they do not harden or dry. 

Party Pretzels

 

Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

1 pkg. active dry yeast

2 T. sugar

2 1/2 T. salt, divided

1 C. milk

1/2 C. water

2 T. vegetable oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten with 1 T. water

Vegetable cooking spray

Coarse salt, Parmesan cheese, poppy, sesame or dill seeds

Directions:

1. In a large bowl thoroughly mix 1 1/2 cups four, undissolved yeast, sugar and 1/2 teaspoons salt.
2. Heat milk, water and oil to 120 to 130 degrees.
3. Add to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at low speed of an electric mixer.
4. Increase speed to high, beat an additional 2 minutes.
5. Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.
6. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
7. Place in a bowl coated with vegetable cooking spray.
8. Cover; let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 to 40 minutes.
9. Punch dough down. Divide dough into 12 portions.
10. Roll each piece into a 12-inch rope.
11. To make pretzels, curve ends of each rope to make a circle; cross ends at top.  
12. Twist ends once and lay down over the bottom of the circle.
13. Cover shaped pretzels; let rest in a warm, draft-free place for 5 to 10 minutes, until risen slightly.
14. In a large pot bring 2 quarts of water and remaining 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil; reduce heat to simmer.
15. Place 4 to 5 pretzels in water; cook 20 seconds, turning once to cook both sides. 
16. Remove and drain on a wire rack.
17. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
18. Place pretzels on baking sheets coated with vegetable cooking spray.
19. Brush with beaten egg mixture and sprinkle with desired toppings.
20. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 35 minutes or until done. 
21. Cool pretzels on wire rack.  
22. Serve with various spreads or dips, if desired.

Tip:

If you are looking for Pretzel Buns, but are having a hard time finding them in the store, try using the recipe above, but instead of shaping them into pretzels in Step 10, shape them into round buns.  We did this and they were quite good.

Easy Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1 C. warm water (110 degrees F.)

2 1/4 t. Active Dry Yeast (1 packet)

1 t. granulated sugar

2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. garlic powder

Directions:

1. Place warm water, yeast and sugar into bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment attached.
2. Mix gently then let sit until doubled in size, about 5 minutes. 
3. With mixer on low, add flour, olive oil, salt and garlic salt. 
4. Scrape sides of bowl and let mixer knead dough for 5 minutes. 
5. Dough should clean the sides of the bowl. Add sprinkles of flour or water if needed to get the bowl cleaned while kneading. 
6. After 5 minutes of kneading, remove dough from mixing bowl with floured hands, and transfer to a floured countertop. 
7. Fold dough over itself a couple times then form into a round ball.
8. When ready, place dough onto a pizza pan, pressing or rolling to a 12 inch round, or larger for a more thin crust. 
9. Spoon pizza sauce of your choice over dough leaving a 1 inch border around edges. 
10. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and toppings of your choice. 
11. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes, until crust is cooked through. 
12. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Ninety-Minute Cinnamon Rolls

We tried this recipe on Christmas morning.  Several years ago, without even realizing it, I started a new Christmas morning tradition of having cinnamon rolls after exchanging presents.  Up until this past Christmas it was always a package of canned rolls.  This year it slipped my mind to buy a package.  So while my husband and oldest daughter slept, my youngest and I made a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls.  Everyone was very happy with them.

Ingredients:

Dough:

¾ C. milk

¼ C. butter, softened

3 ¼ C. all-purpose flour

¼ C. white sugar

1 (.25 ounce) pkg. instant yeast

½ t. salt

¼ C. water

1 large egg

Cinnamon Filling:

1 C. brown sugar, packed

½ C. butter, softened

1 T. ground cinnamon

Icing:

7 T. butter, softened

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 T. milk

½ t. vanilla extract

1 ½ C. confectioners' sugar, sifted

¼ t. salt

Directions:

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan until just hot to touch or a few bubbles form around the edge. 
2. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted, set aside.
3. Combine 2 ¼ cups flour, white sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. 
4. Add milk mixture, water, and egg; beat well. 
5. Add remaining 1 cup flour, ½ cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
6. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. 
7. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
8. While dough is resting, mix together brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.
9. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
10. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
11. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12x9-inch rectangle. 
12. Spread brown sugar mixture over dough. 
13. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal. 
14. Cut into 12 equal rolls and place cut-side up in the prepared baking dish. 
15. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
16. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 20 minutes. 
17. While the rolls are cooking, prepare the Icing.
18. Beat together butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy. 
19. Blend in milk and vanilla
20. Gradually mix in confectioners' sugar and salt until smooth and fluffy.
21. Spread over cooked cinnamon rolls.
22. Serve warm

Maple Breakfast Twist

Ingredients:
Dough:

2 packages dry yeast
1/4 C. warm water

1/2 C. milk, scalded

1/3 C. sugar

1/4 C. butter

1-1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. maple extract

1 unbeaten egg

2-1/2 C. all purpose flour

Filling:

1/2 C. sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. maple flavoring

1/2 C. chopped walnuts

Combine all filling ingredients.

Glaze:

1 C. powdered sugar

1/2 t. maple flavoring

2 to 3 T. milk

Directions:

1. Add yeast to warm water.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the scalded milk, sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. 
3. Cool to lukewarm.  
4. Blend in egg and softened yeast.
5. Gradually add the four to make a soft dough.  
6. Beat well.   
7. Form into a ball, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.
8. Mix Filling ingredients.
9. After dough has risen divide into 3 equal balls. 
10. On lightly floured surface roll out one ball of dough to a 10 inch circle.  
11. Fit onto the bottom of a greased 10-12 inch pizza pan or large cookie sheet.  
12. Brush dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with 1/3 of the filling.  
13. Continue in same manner, forming 2 more layers and ending with the filling.  
14. Use a glass to mark a 2 inch circle in the center of the dough (do not cut through the dough).  
15. Cut from outside edge to circle forming 16 pie-shaped wedges.  
16. Twist each of the 3-layered wedges 5 times.  
17. Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk.  
18. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  

For Glaze:

1. In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, flavoring and milk till smooth.  
2. Add a bit more milk if necessary until frosting is thin enough to drizzle over the coffee cake.
3. Drizzle with glaze while still warm.

7UP Biscuits

This is a recipe that has been floating around Facebook.  I ran out of Bisquick and didn't have extra for kneading.  I opted to make drop biscuits instead of cut biscuits.

Ingredients:
4 c. Bisquick
1 c. sour cream
1 c. 7UP
1/2 c. melted butter

Directions:

1. Mix Bisquick, sour cream and 7UP, dough will be very soft
2. Knead and fold dough until coated with your baking mix
3. Pat dough out and cut biscuits using a round biscuit/cookie cutter 
4. Melt butter in bottom of cookie sheet pan or 9x13 casserole dish
5. Place biscuits on top of melted butter and bake @ 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until brown

90-Minute Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

2 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 envelope active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions

1. Mix 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt, and undissolved yeast.
2. Heat milk, water and margarine to 120 - 130 degrees F. 
3. Gradually add to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer.
4. Add 1/4 cup flour.  Beat at high speed of electric mixer 2 minutes.
5. Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.
6. On a floured surface knead 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces.
8. Shape into balls.
9. Place in greased 8-inch round pan.
10. Pour a 1-inch depth of boiling water into large pan on bottom rack of cold oven.
11. Cover rolls with a cloth.
12. Set rolls on rack above water.
13. Close oven door; let rise 30 minutes.
14. Uncover rolls; remove pan of water.
15. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
16. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until done.
17. Remove from pan.
18. Serve warm.

Yield:  1 Dozen
Proof Time:  30 minutes
Bake Time:  20-25 minutes

Focaccia Bread

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. white sugar
1 T. active dry yeast
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. dried basil
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 T. vegetable oil
1 c. water
2 T. olive oil
1 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. mozzarella
 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil and black pepper.  Mix in the vegetable oil and water.
2. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic.  Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough into the bowl, and turn to coat with oil.  Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).  Punch dough down; place on greased baking sheet.  Pat into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle.  Brush top with olive oil.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve warm.

Alternative Suggestion:
This make a great pizza crust.