Potato Bread | French Bread for the Bread Machine |
Paska Dough
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls |
Dill Bread Rolls
Buttermilk Biscuits | Company Biscuits
Bread baking is something
that speaks to the soul!
By Cynthia Bowan
I confess that I love to visit thrift shops and second-hand stores. You never know what wonders and hidden treasures are waiting to be found. I collect all sorts of glass, but mostly amethyst (purple, not black) depression glass, and have actually found various pieces over the years.
I also have added to my collections of cookbooks and old fashioned baking items. Recently, while visiting a local Goodwill Industries shop, I came across an old aluminum bread pan in perfect condition, just like my mother once had. Of course, at fifty cents, it was a bargain!
On the way home, I began thinking about how much bread has played a part in my family's lives.
I was on a recipe list once where we were asked to name the things we would choose, if we could only have three things to eat the rest of our lives... I said fresh hot bread, unsalted butter and Asiago cheese. Perhaps it is because the women in my life baked bread, all types, as far back as I can remember...but to me, a roll or slice of hot bread means my world is safe and secure...
One of my earliest memories should be a sore one, since I was firmly spanked because of my actions. My Grandmother Bacon had made her wonderful rolls for a Sunday dinner. I wandered into the back room, where she had set the rolls in cupcake tins on top of the heater to rise. My mother walked in to check on how the rolls were doing, and found me punching them all down!
Grandma insisted on using only cake yeast. Years later, when she and Grandpa had retired and moved to California and they would come back here to visit, she would always take several cakes back with her because she couldn't find her favorite brand.
My maternal grandmother made biscuits so light you would cry with joy. She used self-rising flour, poured out on her kitchen counter. Into a center well went the shortening and other ingredients, which she worked in by hand. She shaped her biscuits, never rolling them out. "Handle biscuits gently and they will be angel-light", she once said to me.
My mother's specialty was honey whole wheat bread and dinner rolls. Marvelous texture, light and delicate - this was a recipe that disappeared somehow and she had never gotten around to sharing it. What a loss!
My late mother-in-law also baked. She would make regular bread, but it was her paska, her holiday bread, that we all loved. She gave out the recipe, but it never tasted like hers when I made it. There was just something missing.
After Mom died, my father-in-law bought a bread machine, and adapted her recipe by himself. (Which was a definite miracle, since the man really had never cooked before the last few months of Mom's life.) After Dad passed away, I found a note in Mom's old cookbook in his handwriting which said "add 1 tsp. vanilla to the paska dough". That was the missing ingredient.
I have baked bread now for many years. I still love the fragrance that fills the house whenever I bake. Fresh home made bread or rolls and a large pot of homemade soup on the stove...what better way to beat the winter chill?
I have a bread machine of my own, and it has opened up a new world of experience for me. Sometimes I use the machine to completely make a loaf of bread, other times, I use the dough cycle, which takes the work out of making dough and allows it to raise once. I then shape as I please and bake the bread in the oven.
French bread is marvelous this way. Especially if you bake it on a baking stone, and throw five to six ice cubes on the bottom of the oven, to create steam while the bread bakes, thus creating that wonderful crackley crust.
Bread baking is something that speaks to the soul. It is an elemental thing, an "earth mother", that satisfies an emotional need, feeding the spiritual as well as physical body.
Well, whatever the reason you bake bread, rolls or biscuits, may you Enjoy! the following. They are all tried and true - I make the potato bread at least once a week for my DH!
CYH - consider yourself hugged! I am sure your family and friends will appreciate your efforts.
Potato Bread
- 2 lb. loaf
1 1/4 c. warm water
3 T. oil
2 tsp. salt
3 T. sugar
3 T. dry milk powder
1/4 c. instant potato flakes
4 c. bread flour
2 tsp. active yeast
Place ingredients in order given in machine. Set for light or medium color
crust, white bread.
French Bread for the Bread Machine
This is my favorite bread. It may not be "authentic", but it is wonderful. And yes, I confess, I do slice it sometimes while it is hot. I use King Arthur bread flour, SAF yeast, unsalted butter for this recipe, and yes, I make the 2 lb. loaf!
Extra Large Loaf (2 lb.)
1 1/2 c. water
2 tsp. butter or margarine, softened
4 c. flour
4 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 tsp. yeast
Large Loaf (1 1/2 lb.)
1 c. plus 2 T. water
2 tsp. butter or margarine, softened
3 1/4 c. flour
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 tsp. yeast
Small Loaf (1 lb.)
3/4 c. water
1 tsp. butter or margarine, softened
2 c. flour
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 tsp. yeast
Add ingredients according to manufacturer's directions. Set for French Bread...
Paska Dough
(Please see April 2001 Cynthia's here on chef2chef for the original Paska recipe --- and add 2 tsp. vanilla, if you make that recipe! <GBG>)
1 c. milk OR 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 c. water, mixed with 1 1/2 T. dry milk
powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. shortening
3 c. bread flour - plus (if needed)
1 1/2 tsp. SAF yeast or 3 tsp. yeast
1/2 c. - 3/4 c. golden raisins
Add ingredients to bread pan according to manufacturer's directions. Use
regular cycle, adding raisins at the beep. Or, make on dough cycle. When cycle is finished, remove from machine, work dough briefly, then place in greased bread loaf pan. Bake in oven at 350F., until done.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Originally, this recipe came from a newspaper column and was posted on
Gail's Recipe Exchange at Epicurious. However, the directions were
horrible! So, I adapted the recipe to make it easier to read and follow the directions without problems. Our daughter Bethany dreams about these rolls...
3 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. slightly warm buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 c. canned pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
7 c. flour, about
canola oil
Filling:
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 T. cinnamon
1/2 c. currants
Glaze:
1 T. butter
1 T. milk
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. or so, boiling water
1 tsp. vanilla
Proof the yeast in the warm water with sugar, until it expands, about 5
minutes. Blend together the buttermilk, vanilla, egg, pumpkin puree,
sugar, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in yeast mixture and then the
flour, 1/2 c. at a time. Work the mixture, slowly adding flour, until a soft
dough forms and cleans the side of the bowl as you work. Turn dough onto a
floured board; knead until springy and smooth. This takes at least 5
minutes. Just add a T. of flour at a time to keep dough from sticking. Use a
little canola oil to grease a bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to oil top.
Let rise in a warm place about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The longer rising time is
normal, due to the heaviness of the pumpkin.
Plump the currants by soaking them briefly in hot water, drain well. Divide
the dough into 2 equal portions. Pat or roll out to a thick rectangle, about
8x12". Spread with half the melted butter. Combine sugars, cinnamon and
currants; sprinkle half of this mixture over melted butter - press in to
dough slightly. Roll dough up; cut into about 9 thick rolls. Lay rolls on
greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and
ingredients.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to rise until doubled, about
45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. bake rolls 22-25 minutes. Remove from
oven to cool for 20 minutes.
Make the glaze: Warm the butter and milk together in a microwave for 30
seconds. Add powdered sugar, stirring well. Add boiling water and vanilla,
whisking until smooth. Pour glaze over the just barely warm rolls. If you
add the glaze to hot rolls, it will melt quickly and not stick. Makes about
18 large, divine, Pumpkin Cinnamon rolls.
Per roll - ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO KNOW THIS? <G> 365 calories, 6 g protein, 64 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat (4 g saturated), 28 mg cholesterol, 422
mg sodium, 2 g fiber...
Dill Bread Rolls
(These are a Thanksgiving staple at our home.)
1/2 c. warm water
2 pkg. yeast
4 tsp. brown sugar
2 c. large curd creamed cottage cheese
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 tsp. dried dill weed
2 eggs
1 T. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
5 c. flour
2 more eggs
2 T. milk
Combine 1/2 c. warm milk, yeast and sugar in a large bowl; whisk until blended.
Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Generously grease another bowl; set
aside.
Mix cottage cheese, butter, dill, 2 eggs, salt and baking soda in the food
processor until smooth. Add to yeast, blending well. Stir in 1 c. flour; mix
thoroughly. Gradually add remaining flour, mixing until dough comes away from
sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board, and knead until
smooth and elastic. Transfer to greased bowl, turning to coat all surfaces. Cover and let stand in warm area until doubled, about 1 1/2 hr.
Generously grease baking sheets. Punch dough down, then turn out onto lightly
floured surface. If dough feels sticky, knead again with a little flour. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Working quickly (dough is very active),
break off small walnut-sized pieces of dough from each portion and shape into
balls. Arrange side by side on prepared baking sheet. Beat last 2 eggs with 2
T. milk; brush this lightly on top of rolls. Let rise 15-20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F. Bake 5 minutes, brush with more of the egg mixture. Repeat. Then continue baking, watching carefully and covering loosely with
foil in rolls brown too quickly. Transfer to rack and let cool.
Variation: Form rolls in shape of two grape clusters, using some of the dough
to form stems and leaves for decoration. Brush and bake as above. Nice for a party.
Company Biscuits
2 c. self-rising flour
1/3 heaping c. Crisco shortening (instead of Lard...)
3/4 c. buttermilk
Preheat oven to 475F. In a large bowl, rub flour and shortening together with hands until mixture looks like meal. Add buttermilk and stir until it forms a ball. Turn dough onto a floured surface, knead until no longer sticky. Roll out and cut into 16 biscuits, using a cutter or glass. Bake 8 minutes, serve immediately with plenty of good butter.
Pulled Biscuits
3 c. self-rising flour (see notes)
OR 3 c. regular flour, 4 tsp. baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. plus 2 T. chilled shortening
1 c. milk
Preheat oven to 475F. Sift flour into a medium bowl, or in a pile on the table or counter. Using fingertips, cut shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk all at once, and immediately mix with a fork 10-20 strokes to mix the liquid in evenly. (If you do not use self-rising flour, sift baking powder and salt with regular flour.)
On a lightly floured surface, knead a couple times to form a smooth dough. Divide dough in half, then divide each half into 8-10 equal pieces. Take care not to overwork the dough. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten slightly to about 1/2 - 3/4" thick. Place an inch or so apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately, with sweet butter or gravy. Makes 16-20 biscuits.
Note: the flour should be soft winter wheat, such as White Lily or Red Band.
Quick Buttermilk Biscuits
1/2 c. butter
2 c. self-rising flour
3/4 c. buttermilk
butter, melted
Cut butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring
until dry ingredients are moistened. Do NOT overmix. Turn out onto floured
surface. Knead lightly 3-4 times. Roll to 3/4 " thickness and cut with a 2"
cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 425F., 13-15 minutes.
Brush with melted butter.
Makes 1 dozen.
By Cynthia Bowan
Return to Index
Potato Bread | French Bread for the Bread Machine | Paska Dough
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls | Dill Bread Rolls
Buttermilk Biscuits | Company Biscuits
