can i just say one more little thing about bread?

i don't know what it is about me and bread lately, but I've really been rolling out the dough the last couple of weeks. I've been enjoying experimenting with different ways to use the same bread recipe, and i wanted to share just a couple more variations with you.

make the official bread recipe, and divide your dough into thirds as usual. then, working with 1/3 at a time, roll it out just like you would a pie crust. cut the bread dough into about 16 equal pieces using a pizza cutter.



starting at the wide end, roll the triangles up. (just like a crescent roll)

let them rise, bake and then brush with butter before serving. yum!

sometimes i like to make rolls for our sandwiches: roast beast, chicken salad or pulled pork BBQ. 1/3 of the recipe will make about 6 buns (hefty sized) so plan accordingly. roll and pat the dough into a roll shape. then dip the bottom in cornmeal. this gives it just a little bit more professionality, and besides it looks really impressive! rise and bake as normal. let the buns cool before you cut them.

now, i know that i sort of promised to quit blabbering on and on about bread, but can i just tell you one more, one more little thing about bread? i found this awesome recipe for bread made in a dutch oven here. i went out and bought myself a pretty little red dutch oven, and have been making even more bread. (and if you substitute buttermilk for the water it makes an awesome crusty sourdough bread.)

and that's all i have to say about bread.

i promise!

a wonderful recipe made EVEN BETTER!

a couple of weeks ago i shared with you the "official bread recipe" that i always use whenever making buns for my family. I've modified it a bit more, and created a special treat that is very popular, especially on Sunday mornings: sticky buns!

using the official recipe, make it just the same as if you were going to make buns (or bread) with the exception of adding 1 cup of sugar. divide the dough into thirds.

working with only 1/3 of the dough at a time, roll it out on a floured counter into a rectangle. then brush the dough with melted butter.



next, sprinkle it with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. our mixture here is heavier on the sugar than cinnamon, as I'm not a huge fan of cinnamon. at this point, you can also sprinkle the sticky buns with chopped nuts or raisins. we didn't do either for several reasons: we didn't have nuts (yummy) and i don't like raisins in my sticky buns. (yucky)


starting with a shorter side, roll up the dough rectangle into a log.


cut off about the last 1 inch or so on either side (it will make weirdly shaped sticky buns, so you don't really want them), and then divide the remainder of the log into eighths.

put them in your pan, and let rise in the oven (set at 200) and then bake. rising will take a bit longer than the regular recipe, due to the higher sugar content.


when they are nearly done baking, melt 1 stick butter and 1 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan on the stove top. bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. when your sticky buns are done, turn them out onto a serving platter (i forgot to take a picture of that step) and drizzle the syrup mixture over the tops.

wow! you won't believe how yummy they are! i love to have them with a cup of coffee, and just peel them apart savoring each bite.

now, you may be asking yourself "how in the world does she make these on a Sunday morning?!" I'll let you in on my little secret. when you have the buns rolled out/up, and placed in your baking dish, instead of putting them in the oven to rise, put the buns in the refrigerator. (make sure you've covered them tightly or they will dry out) then on Sunday morning, just pop them in the oven to rise. it will take a bit longer for the buns to rise, but well worth the few minutes earlier you'll need to get up.

another "secret" was shared by my reader Annette. it's a good one, and i plan to do this the next time i make buns. here is what she shared: "I have a suggestion for when you make a double batch. Bake the rolls until just thoroughly baked, but not browned. Then freeze them. When it's time to eat them, put them in the oven, frozen...for a few minutes...maybe ten. And voila: fresh hot rolls! and not burned."

what a great idea! i hope your family enjoys these recipes as much as our family does. maybe I'll go back to making the sticky buns a Sunday morning tradition. what traditions does your family have?

an easy bread recipe for you to try!

our family enjoys home made buns. especially when i serve them with strawberry freezer jam! yummy~ it doesn't get much better than that.

i have a bread recipe given to me by a friend. we call it our "official bread recipe" because it was given to her by her mother-in-law. who just so happens to be Polish. and their Polish last name, when translated into English, means "bread".

so, like i said, it's the "official bread recipe". (you can't really get more official than that, can you?) first, proof your yeast in the milk and sugar.

now, i was just kidding about the mandatory Kitchen Aid Mixer. "my" mixer is really M's (who is away at college) but she is generous in letting me use it while she's gone. it is really super easy to make this bread when you have a nice mixer like this to do it in, though.

then add half of the flour, and mix well with the bread hook.


it will be pretty soupy, but don't worry. we're only half-way done.



then add the melted butter (yes, real butter!) and 2 beaten eggs, along with the rest of the flour.




mix well. you may need to add a tiny bit more flour. the dough ball should not be sticky at all, and will come away from the sides of the bowl. mix for several minutes.




i put my buns to rise on the top of the stove, which I've turned on to 200. cover it with a clean towel, and let rise until doubled.






then put the bowl back on the mixer and mix for several minutes. i always have to add a bit more flour, as it's sticky on the bottom of the bowl.




turn out onto a lightly floured counter.





i cut my dough into eighths, and then each eighth into thirds. this gives me 24 buns. ( you can make regular shaped bread, if you'd like. i just almost always make buns to go with our dinner)





next, i put the three pans into the oven, which is still turned on at 200 degrees. i let the buns rise for 25 minutes...

... until they're nice and puffy. then i turn the oven up to 350, and cook them for 23 minutes. ( i have a gas stove, so you may need to adjust the times according to how your oven cooks.)

while they're still warm, rub the tops of all the buns with a stick of butter. (yes, real butter again!) now, these particular buns could have cooked just a tiny bit longer, but we were getting company imminently, and i didn't want them to get burned if i was distracted.

that's it! super easy, and only about 1 ½ hours from start to finish.





The Official Bread Recipe

2 cups warmed milk

2 T yeast

2 T sugar

1 stick melted butter

2 eggs

6 cups flour

that's it! go ahead make some buns or bread for your family- you'll be suprised at how easy it is! i'd love to hear how they turned out for you.