Friday, February 3, 2012

Bread Recipes Part 1

 One of the followers of this blog requested that I do a post on bread making. I have to say that I do make my own bread but not everyday like many homesteaders do . I average making about 2 loaves of bread a week. That's about all the bread we eat anymore if that. Sometimes I make a 2 loaf batch and make 2 french bread loaves like above and a sandwich loaf. I like to slice the french bread loaves thin and freeze them for garlic bread rounds. Nothing is more convenient with a pot of spaghetti than to pull out frozen bread rounds and add butter and garlic and put in the oven on a cookie sheet to brown.



Other times I will make a two loaf recipe and make half the dough into rolls for dinner that night and the other half into a sandwich loaf for the next day. I have made many different kinds of bread through the years but the most versatile bread recipe I have found of late is Suzanne McMinn's Grandmother Bread. A romance author turned farmer/blogger she shares an old family recipe... this bread recipe made all of the bread you see pictured above. Just water, yeast, sugar, salt and flour. Just a good basic starter bread dough. In my humble opinion if you want to learn to make bread that is the place to start.  Just pop on over to the Chickens In The Road Blog and check out all her recipes for Grandmother Bread. She even has a tutorial on making grandmother bread and gives both a one loaf and two loaf recipe. The great thing about a good bread recipe is versatility. For instance you can take this same recipe and with the addition of just a few different ingredients you can make  cinnamon rolls, pizza dough, or rolls.

Now my husband's favorite rolls are these Honey Bran rolls from Charlotte over at Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog . With the addition of whole wheat flour and bran and honey these make an exceptional roll. These don't last long at my house. Warning they are addictive! 

Honey bran buns are such a nice light and fluffy textured bun, and a good source of fiber, sweet with a light bran flavor.
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup bran cereal, buds, flakes or natural bran
  • 1/3 cup of honey
  • 1/2 cup of oil
  • 6 cups of flour (may use half whole wheat)
  • 2 eggs, fork beaten
  • 1 tbsp. dry instant yeast (added to the flour)
  • 1 tsp. salt
  1. combine bran, honey, boiling water oil and salt.
  2. cool til luke warm.
  3. add 3 cups flour with the yeast and eggs, stir well to mix.
  4. add remaining flour gradually as you are kneading to make a soft dough but not too sticky. You may need to add a little more flour as needed.
  5. knead about 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  6. place in a large greased bowl, turning once to grease all the dough
  7. cover with a tea towel and put into your oven with the oven light on, for about 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
  8. Punch dough down and shape into buns. I usually get about 3 dozen from this recipe.
  9. Let them rise on the cookie sheet for another 30-40 minutes.
  10. Bake at 375 for about 15-18 minutes, depends on your oven and how brown you like them.
  11. Serve with any of the wonderful soups and stews on our side bar .
  12. Enjoy!


And again with the versatility I take this recipe for Cinnamon rolls below that belonged to my husband's grandmother and by just cutting the sugar in half I can make a pan of dinner rolls for dinner and a pan of cinnamon rolls for the next morning with the same dough. When you roll the dough out to make cinnamon rolls you brush with melted butter and sprinkle sugar over the dough,  just add a little extra sugar at this step for the cinnamon rolls.  You'll never know the difference.

Grandma Betty's Cinnamon Rolls
1 pkg. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup butter melted
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs beaten
4 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water to proof

Add milk, melted butter, sugar, salt, eggs to yeast mixture and stir well.

Gradually add flour to mixture to form soft dough.

Put in oiled bowl and let rise till double in size.

Punch down and roll out 1/2 inch thick into oblong rectangular shape.

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with white sugar and cinnamon to taste.

Roll dough lengthwise and cut into 3/4 inch sections. Place dough pinwheels into 2 greased 13 X 9 baking dishes. Place pinwheels touching each other

Let Rise until doubled in size.

Bake at preheated 350 degrees oven for 15 to 20 minutes

Frost with powdered sugar and milk glaze.


This makes a large batch and I split the dough into two sections and roll out separately.
Raisins can be added. Can also be baked in one large metal baking sheet.






Since this has turned into a rather lengthy post I'll do a different post on actually making the dough tomorrow. Anyone out there that hase some good bread recipes please feel free to add to this.

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

12 comments:

  1. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!! I LOVE bread and like to try different recipes. I have admired the bread in your photos for awhile now and now I get to make them:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you! :-)

    As a beginning baker, I have a question, though. I am confused. Okay you wrote:
    "And again with the versatility I take this recipe for Cinnamon rolls below that belonged to my husband's grandmother and by just cutting the sugar in half I can make a pan of dinner rolls for dinner and a pan of cinnamon rolls for the next morning with the same dough. When you roll the dough out to make cinnamon rolls you brush with melted butter and sprinkle sugar over the dough, just add a little extra sugar at this step for the cinnamon rolls. You'll never know the difference."

    You put this, expecting that people might divide the recipe in half and need to add the sugar back in for the cinnamon rolls? Or?

    Sorry. I confuse easily.

    Thanks again, CQ! Hope you all have a blessed weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Make your cinnamon roll dough as usual only instead of putting 1/2 cup only put 1/4 cup into the dough. Set the other 1/4 cup aside. Once dough is made and rises. Punch down and divide dough in half. Make the one half into rolls. Take the other half dough and roll or press out flat into a rectangle. Now brush that dough rectangle with melted butter and I sprinkle a little cinnamon. Now take that other 1/4 cup of sugar and sprinkle over the melted butter. Roll and slice. Put in buttered pan and let rise. Bake.

      What you have done is use the dough for 2 different uses. This is especially useful as your family gets smaller.

      Hope this helps : )

      Delete
    2. I am a dunce, so thank you, CQ. This was a great help! :-)

      Delete
    3. Please don't say you are a dunce. Sometimes you need to do things to see what they meant. Hands on learner, like me.

      Delete
  3. I do make 98% of our bread. I need to make bread today as a matter a fact as we are out! I have been using a no knead recipe. Its a sandwich bread but I always have a bit to much dough for my two loaf pans, so I make either little hamburger slider buns for Honeyman out of it or one large round sandwich flatter loaf for a deli sandwich that we can have a meal.

    Recently printed off a French bread recipe I am going to try. Looked easier than the one I was using.

    Your breads all look wonderful!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Would love to see the no knead recipe. I had one long ago, but can no longer find it. Thanks!

      Delete
    2. I'm new at baking bread, but have been using recipes from "artisanbreadwithsteve" on youtube. He uses no knead recipes and the videos help me.

      Delete
  4. My goodness, you make me want to run into the kitchen and work up a batch! Your loaves look so beautiful and tasty.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am not a follower but do look at your blog everyday. I make a lot of my own bread and would REAlly like to freeze more dough for later baking. This would be very helpful since we host people from church at the last minute often. what do you know about frozen bread dough? Can you freeze any kind of bread dough? I am a big whole wheat bread maker ( even grinding my own flower) If you take the bread out of the freezer does it go straight into heated oven or do you let it rise? Do you put risen dough into the freezer or put dough that has not had a chance to rise in the freezer? Thanks for your help in advance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I freeze dough often. Although not an expert I simply place the unrisen bread dough in the freezer. I take it out the night before If I want to bake it the next morning. If I take it out in the morning it will rise by the late afternoon to bake. I also freeze the finished loaf of bread. Hope this helps

      Delete
  6. I made the Grandmother Bread this weekend! DEEEEliciious! I posted about it on my blog: www.AtHomeMyWay.blogspot.com. The link to the post is here:

    http://athomemyway.blogspot.com/2013/03/french-bread-and-preparing-for-storm.html

    I will definitely be putting some slices in the freezer for making garlic toast! What a perfect idea! I think these will also make great french toast.

    Thanks for the inspiration! Your blog has become on of my favorites and the first one I check when I get time at the computer!

    ReplyDelete

Feel free to challenge me, disagree with me, or tell me I’m completely nuts in the comments section of each blog entry, but I reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason whatsoever (abusive, profane, rude, or anonymous comments) – so keep it polite, please. Also I am not a free advertisement board if you want to push a product on my comments I will delete you fast !!!

Related Posts with Thumbnails