Quick Cinnamon Rolls

These cinnamon rolls are surprisingly good considering there is no yeast, and you can literally go from waking up to eating them in less than an hour, and you ware likely to have everything on hand if you bake in general. Defintiely the best conamon roll per minute of effort! ½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, very soft, plus more for greasing the pan ½ packed cup/110 grams light brown sugar 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon ¾ cup/90 grams chopped pecans, toasted (see Tip) FOR THE ROLLS: 2 cups/256 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon fine salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ cup/54 grams canola oil ¾ cup/180 grams buttermilk FOR THE GLAZE: 4 ounces/113 grams cream cheese, very soft 1/2-3/4 cup/51-76 grams confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon whole milk or heavy cream ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Make the filling: In a medium bowl, using a flexible spatula or wooden spoon, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the pecans. Set aside. Make the rolls: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add the oil and, using a flexible spatula or wooden spoon, mix until incorporated. (It might be a little lumpy. That’s OK!) Stir in the buttermilk until just blended. Gather the dough into a ball and knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 1 minute. Roll out the dough into a 15-by-8-inch rectangle. Gently spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border all around. Starting from one of the long sides, roll up the dough into a tight cylinder. Rotate the roll so that the seam is against the work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut the roll crosswise into eight equal slices. Transfer the rolls to the prepared pan, spacing them evenly. (At this point, you can wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a day or 2, or freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to come to room temperature before proceeding.) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden. While the rolls bake, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat the cream cheese until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat well. Add the milk and vanilla, and beat until smooth and creamy. Set aside. Remove the rolls from the oven and allow to cool for 3 to 4 minutes before coating with the glaze. Serve warm.

Naan

I had this recipe at a friend's house recently and it was blow you out of the water incredible. It will be hard to not eat it all before the food is ready. 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 cup warm water 1/4 oz. (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon oil some oil, for greasing the skillet 3 tablespoons melted butter In a small bowl, add the sugar, warm water, and yeast together. Stir to combine well. The yeast should be activated when it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Transfer the flour to a flat surface and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast mixture, yoghurt, salt and oil, knead the dough until the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place (for example: beside the stovetop or warm oven). The dough should double in size, about 1 hour. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough to a 8” circle using a rolling spin. Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred) over high heat and lightly grease the surface with some oil to avoid the dough from sticking to the skillet. Place the dough on the skillet. When it puffs up and bubbles and burnt spots appear, flip it over and cook the other side. Repeat the same until all dough are done. Brush the naan with the melted butter, serve warm.

Raspberry French Toast Bake

I was recently at a large family gathering, where sixteen vaccninated members of my husbands family gathered together to celebrate his eldest sister turning sixty. It happened a year ago, yet another event that was delayed by COVID, and when it happened, we were all ready to be together. Admittedly, it was not completely safe despiete vaccines. We were nine separate bubbles, some of whom had traveled with others, but if not now, when? In any case, my SIL did a bang up job of cooking for us all, and this was one of the breakfast dishes she put together using leftover challah dibs and dabs that she had frozen from previous celebrations. She told me that this is emblematic of Ina Garten recipes she has used before--easy, delicious comfort food that feeds a crowd without a fuzz. If you are not a fan of fruit leave the raspberrys out or make a compote and have them on the side. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature 10 extra-large eggs 2 3/4 cups half-and-half 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus extra for serving 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 10 cups (1-inch-diced) day-old challah bread 12 ounces fresh raspberries Confectioners' sugar, for serving Pure maple syrup, for serving Grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch oval baking dish with the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and salt. Spread half of the diced bread in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle on the raspberries in one layer. Top with the rest of the bread and pour on the egg mixture, pressing down lightly to moisten the bread. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake it for 60 to 70 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is puffed and browned. Check after 45 minutes; if the top is getting too browned, cover it lightly with aluminum foil. Cool for 10 minutes, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, dust with extra orange zest, and serve warm with maple syrup.

Detroit Style Pizza

We finally made this, and I have to say, that while the sheer weight of the ingredients may cause you to pause, it is a great deep dish style pizza, better (in my mind) than the more famous Chicago version. Find yourself some brick cheese (hint--Wisconsin is the place of origin), and whip this up one fine weekend day. I suggest lunch, which is what we did, because it is far too heavy for dinner fare. For the Dough: 300g bread flour (10.5 ounces; about 2 generous cups) 5g instant yeast (0.15 ounce; about 1 teaspoon), such as SAF Instant Yeast 9g salt (0.3 ounce; about 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt or 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt) 220g water (7.75 ounces; about 1 cup minus 1 1/2 teaspoons) Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed For the Sauce: 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil 3 medium cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons (about 5g) dried oregano Dash red pepper flakes 1 (28-ounce; 800g) can high-quality crushed tomatoes 1 teaspoon (about 6g) granulated garlic powder 1 teaspoon (about 6g) granulated onion powder 1 tablespoon (about 15g) sugar Kosher salt, to taste To Finish: 12 ounces (340g) Brick cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see note) 12 ounces (340g) high-quality natural-casing pepperoni, such as Boar's Head or Vermont Smoke & Cure, cut into 1/8-inch slices (optional) Directions 1. To Make the Dough in a Stand Mixer: Combine flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Stir to combine, then add water. Mix on low speed until dough comes together into a rough ball, then shut off mixer and let rest for 10 minutes. Continue mixing at medium-low speed until dough forms a smooth, silky ball, about 10 minutes longer. (It should stick to the bottom of the bowl as it kneads rather than riding around the edges.) Remove dough hook, form dough into a tight ball, set in the bottom of the mixer bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place until dough has roughly doubled in volume, about 2 hours. 2. To Make the Dough in a Food Processor: Combine flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add water, then turn on processor and process until dough forms a ball that rides around the bowl of the processor, about 30 seconds. Continue processing for 30 seconds longer. Transfer dough to a bowl, form a tight ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place until dough has roughly doubled in volume, about 2 hours. 3. To Make the Dough by Hand: Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then add water and stir with a wooden spoon until a rough ball of dough has formed. Set aside for 10 minutes. Turn dough out onto a countertop and knead until a smooth, silky ball has formed, about 10 minutes. Transfer dough to a bowl, form a tight ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place until dough has roughly doubled in volume, about 2 hours. 4. Pour a couple tablespoons olive oil in the bottom of a Detroit-style anodized aluminum pan or two 8- by 8-inch cake pans. (Split dough in half if using cake pans.) Transfer dough to pan(s) and turn to coat in oil. Press down on dough and spread it toward the edges. You won't be able to get it all the way to the edges; this is okay. Spread it as much as you can without tearing, then cover tightly in plastic and set aside for 30 minutes to allow dough to relax. Return to dough and stretch it out again. It should be able to reach the edges this time. If not, let it rest a little more and try again. To get the dough to stay in the corners, stretch it up beyond the corners so that it pulls back into place. Once dough is stretched, cover again and set aside while you make the sauce. 5. For the Sauce: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 550°F (290°C), or as close to it as your oven gets. Heat 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add minced garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced to about 3 cups, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt. 6. To Form the Pizza: Press down on dough with your fingertips to remove any large air bubbles. Lay half of pepperoni (if using) evenly over face of dough. Top with cheese, spreading it evenly all the way to the very edges of the pan, then add remaining pepperoni. Spoon sauce over surface in 3 even rows. (You will need only about half the sauce—save the rest for another pizza.) 7. Transfer to oven and bake until edges are black and bubbly and exposed cheese on top is starting to lightly brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a trivet or folded kitchen towel on countertop. 8. Run a thin metal spatula all the way around the edges of the pan to loosen the pizza. Carefully lift it out and slide it onto a cutting board. Cut pizza and serve.

Smoky Jalapeño Bread

We have been back at watching the Great British Bake Off, since two seasons had passed since we last caught up with it, and since we are in the worst part of the pandemic to date where we live, we are looking for stay at home diversions rather than deep brainy fare.  This recipe comes from that, and is really very good.  It is a tear apart bread, or a tear and share, and it is really fun flavors and delicious.

For the smoky seasoning:

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp + 1 tsp tomato powder

1 tsp onion granules

1 tsp garlic granules

¼ tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried chives

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp caster sugar

For the dough:

450g strong white bread flour

7g fast-action dried yeast

1¼ tsp salt

1½ tsp caster sugar

2 tbsp smoky seasoning (see above)

30ml olive oil

40g red pepper,  diced

20g jalapeños, diced, 1 whole slice reserved for garnish

1 egg, beaten

40g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

100g red Leicester cheese, grated

2 spring onions, finely chopped

handful of chopped coriander, to garnish

For the smoky BBQ dipping sauce:

1½ tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

100g tomato ketchup

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp dark sugar

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp ground cayenne pepper

Step 1
Mix all the ingredients for the smoky seasoning together in a bow and set aside.

Step 2
Make the dough. Place the flour in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the yeast, salt, sugar smoky seasoning, olive oil and 280ml of hand-hot water (you may need an extra 2 tablespoons of water if the dough looks too dry). Mix for 4–5 minutes on a low speed, then increase to medium for 2 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Turn out into the lightly greased bowl and leave in a warm place or proving drawer to rise for 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.

Step 3
Meanwhile place the diced peppers and jalapeños on a sheet of kitchen paper to absorb any moisture.

Step 4
Make the BBQ Dipping Sauce. Heat the oil in a medium pan on a low heat. Add the garlic and fry very gently for 30 seconds, then add remaining ingredients and 2 tablespoons of water. Increase the heat to high and stir for 5 minutes, until thickened and infused. Set aside to cool.

Step 5
When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly. Cut it in half. Roll out one half to a circle just over 30cm in diameter. Cut away the edges using a pizza cutter so you have a neat circle and lift the disc onto a sheet of baking paper.

Step 6
Use the beaten egg to brush a 2cm border around the edge of the dough (reserve the remaining egg). Spread the grated cheeses (reserving a handful for the garnish), peppers, jalapeños and spring onions evenly across the circle, avoiding the eggy border.

Step 7
Roll out the second piece of dough in the same way and lift with a rolling pin over the first disc. Press the edges together to seal in the filling, trimming as necessary.

Step 8
Place a 5cm biscuit cutter in the middle of the dough without pressing down. Using a long knife, pizza cutter or oiled scissors, cut the dough into 8 equal wedges, cutting from the outside edge up to the central circle (cut into quarter wedges first, then each quarter into half).

Step 9
Without tearing the bread, lift each segment, twist it twice round on itself and place it back down. Using scissors, snip the right corner off each segment. Carefully transfer the loaf to the baking tray, brush all over with beaten egg and sprinkle over the reserved cheese. Finish with a jalapeño slice in the middle. Leave to prove in an oiled bag somewhere warm or in a proving drawer for 20–30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7.

Step 10
Bake the loaf for 20 minutes, rotating the tray half way through the cooking time (it will catch if you don’t rotate, as the loaf is large). Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with the BBQ sauce alongside for dipping.

 

Sticky Buns (Possibly The Best)

We have been in pursuit of the perfect sticky bun recipe this whole pandemic (truthfully, my spouse has been doing the baking, and has a greater love of sticky buns than I do, but I have been an avid eater of the buns and I do like them alot).  This Food Lab recipe might be the best.  I ate two of them the morning they were made, which in and of itself is unusual and therefore indicative of a good recipe.  They are also easier than some.

For the Dough

• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 cups (20 ounces) unbleached, all-purpose flour

For the Pecan-Caramel Sauce

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk, well-shaken
• 4 ounces (1 cup) toasted pecans, roughly chopped
• Pinch of kosher salt

For the Filling

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

The Recipe

1.  To make the dough:  Whisk the eggs in a large bowl well. Add the sugar, buttermilk, salt, yeast and melted butter and whisk until well mixed--it may be clumpy but this is OK. Now use a wooden spoon to mix in the flour until there is a well-formed ball of dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board or countertop and knead for about 2 minutes, until the dough is smooth and silky. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for about 2 hours, until roughly doubled in volume.

2.  Meanwhile make the pecan-caramel sauce:  Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring every now and then, until sugar is totally dissolved and the mixture is bubbling. This should take about 2 minutes. Add in the buttermilk, pecans and salt and mix well and pour into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

3.  To make the filling:  Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside.

4.  Once the dough has risen, turn out onto a floured surface and lightly sprinkle flour on top of it as well. Push the dough into a rough rectangle with your hands and then use a rolling pin to roll it into a 16 x12-inch rectangle with the short end facing you. Use a pastry brush to brush the melted butter all over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the dough and use your hands to push it into the butter a bit and make sure it's spread evenly. Roll the dough up jelly-roll-style into a tight cylinder, using a bench scraper to help release the dough from the surface and allow you to make the roll tight. Pinch the seam shut and turn the dough so that it's seam side down. If you need to even out the shape a bit.

5.  Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 12 even slices. The easiest way to do this is to cut the log in half and then cut each half in half, and then cut those into thirds. Place each roll on top of the sauce in the dish with the swirl side facing up, nestling the rolls together. Make sure the end slices go cut side down. Cover with plastic wrap and either leave at room temperature for about 2 hours until doubled in volume, the rolls should be well puffed and pressed tightly against each other or place in the fridge overnight to proof for up to 12 hours.

5.  In either case, before baking, preheat oven to 350ºF. If rolls have chilled overnight, take them out of the fridge when you start the oven so that they can warm up a bit. Bake for about 30 minutes until buns are golden brown and well puffed, turning the dish halfway through the baking process so that they cook evenly. Let the buns rest for about 5 minutes, then invert the buns onto plates and scrape out excess sauce and nuts and spoon over the buns. Serve immediately.

6.  Leftovers can be refrigerated and popped into the microwave for a quick reheat.

 

The Perfect Sandwich Bread?

Our youngest and my spouse are both big fans of the perfect sandwich, and by association, the perfect bread upon which to build such a sandwich.  Our Food 52 cookbook group is doing Priya Krishna's Indian-ish this month and she describes a grilled yogurt sandwich that requires an excellent sandwich bread, so this is the current candidate.

• 3 ¹/₄ cups bread flour (433 grams) (see note above regarding alternative flours)
  
• 3 ¹/₄ cups all-purpose flour (433 grams)
  
• 2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (8 grams)
  
• 1 ¹/₂ tablespoons kosher salt (14 grams)
  
• 3 cups water (709 grams)

1. Combine flours, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add water and stir together with a wooden spoon to form a shaggy dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let proof at room temperature for around 5 hours. At this point the dough can be used immediately, or covered with plastic wrap and kept in the fridge for up to two weeks.
2. On baking day, remove half of the dough from the bowl and return the remainder to the fridge. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and lightly knead 3–4 times. Shape dough into a rectangle approximately 8 in. x 12 in. Fold one third of the dough into the center, followed by the other third.
3. Place seam side-down in a buttered loaf pan. Cover and let rise for approximately 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
4. Preheat your oven to 450°. Dust the top of the dough with a little flour and score with a serrated knife. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the top of the loaf has just begun to brown. Let cool for at least an hour before slicing.

 

 

Alison Roman's Lucky Biscuits

My husband has been on a quest to make biscuits that I love, and with this recipe, he hit the jackpot.  Everyone around the table agreed, these are keepers!

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 sticks butter cut into 1 inch pieces and 3 tbsp for topping
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• flaky sea salt
• 1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl
3. Use your hands to mash the butter into the flour mixture
4. Add buttermilk and cheese and continue to mix everything together with your hands until everything comes together into a little kneaded dough ball
5. Lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough another couple of times
6. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 6 inches wide and cut it into 8 equal biscuits
7. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet and brush with additional buttermilk and then sprinkle with flaky sea salt
8. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping the biscuits halfway through
9. With a few minutes left on the oven timer, melt 3 tbsp of butter and mix it with 1/4 tsp of Old Bay seasoning and 1/2 tsp garlic powder
10. Remove the biscuits from the oven, brushing each with the Old Bay garlic butter and let cool slightly before enjoying!

Cinnamon Rolls

We have been watching the Great British Baking Show and it continues to influence us big time. These were great!

For the dough-

• 1/4-ounce package yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup scalded milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling-

• 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for pan
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the glaze-

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 6 tablespoons hot water

Preparation:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, cover,  place on top of warm oven, and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• When doubled in size, punch down dough. Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. Brush melted butter all over dough. Mix sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. Beginning at the 15-inch side, role up dough and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices.
• Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and let rise on top of the oven until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.
• Meanwhile, mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.