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Bacon Cheddar Bubble Bread

July 19, 2011 by 14 Comments

I’ll be honest with you. You’re probably certifiably loony if you make the recipe I’m about to give you during this heatwave. Wacky. Nutso. Your cheese has slid off your cracker.

…Like me.

There are some days when -no matter what the temperature is- you just need something cheesy, bacony, bready, gooey, salty, savoury. You need bacon and you need cheese and you need bread and baby, you need it badly.

When bacon and cheese talk, you’d better be ready to listen. Thankfully, it’s easy to listen when this is what you’re craving. Made of leftover bacon, shredded cheese, refrigerated bread dough, butter, and a handful of herbs and spices, this throws together in five minutes and bakes in thirty.

The result? We’re talking about soft, buttery pull-apart bread with each piece clinging to crispy bits of bacon and gooey melted cheese and capped by a layer of cheese that has melted and crisped.

In a nod to the oppressive heat, forget turning the bread out of the pan. Simply let it cool until the pan is comfortable to the touch. Slide that pan into the middle of the table with a big tossed salad and a pitcher of lemonade and watch the smiles flit around from face to face like fireflies.

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Bacon Cheddar Bubble Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6 Servings

Crispy cheese capping soft, buttery bread that is studded with bacon and more melted cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound refrigerated (or thawed, previously frozen) bread dough
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese (or a blend of Cheddar and Monterey Jack), divided
  • 1 cup crumbled leftover cooked bacon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, parsley, or a combination of the two
  • 1 tablespoon minced onions, optional
  • nonstick cooking spray or additional butter or oil for the pan

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Generously grease (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) an oven-safe 12-inch skillet or a bundt pan.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the butter, 1 cup of the cheese cheese, bacon, chives or parsley, and minced onions. Set aside.

Divide the bread dough into 32 pieces and place the pieces in a large mixing bowl.

Pour the butter mixture over the bread and toss gently to distribute everything evenly and coat all the dough well.

Use your hands to arrange the dough evenly over the bottom of the greased pan.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the dough.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese on top is fully melted and crisped and the bread is golden brown.

Either turn out onto a serving plate or wait until the pan is comfortable to the touch before serving.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/07/19/bacon-cheddar-bubble-bread/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Bread, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , ,

Homemade Hamburger Buns and a Giveaway!

May 23, 2011 by 43 Comments

Would you believe I’ve been writing here for three years?  Three years! I can hardly believe it. So much has changed over these years both in the ‘real world’ and here at my home on the internet. We moved to an Amish farmhouse, grew a teenager out of a little boy*, saw the end of the diaper era in our home (and my teenager would appreciate it if I’d point out that it wasn’t him wearing diapers a mere three years ago.), published more than three hundred recipes here, learned a little bit about using a camera, and made a lot of great new friends.

*The fact that I have a teenager sends my brain reeling. It’s not because of the ‘fear of the teenage years’ because my teen is a really awesome human. What knocks me out is the fact that I’m old enough to have one. If you’ll pardon me just a moment, I’m going to go double over and hyperventilate for a bit.

Three years ago, I posted the recipe for my favorite homemade burger rolls. If you look at the old post, you’ll see what I mean about changes. And yet, with everything that has become different in one way or another, these buns have remained our favorite hamburger and sandwich roll for more than just my tenure here on the interwebs. They have the staying power of a recipe that will in all likelihood -judging by the prodigious quantities eaten at mealtime- be one my kids make when they’re out on their own. They are truly that good.

With Memorial Day weekend -and with it the start of “official” grilling season- starting in seventy-two hours, it is time to get busy with our best summer-esque, barbecue and grill friendly recipes. This one is going to be what elevates whatever you choose to serve, whether it be hamburgers, grilled chicken or ham sandwiches, or a sliced, ripe tomato with mayonnaise and a paper thin layer of Vidalia onion.

Because the old post was still in my “play with the format” era, I’ve updated the recipe here to use my handy-dandy, new-fangled printable recipes. The old post will remain up, crazy formatting and all, to keep the beautiful comments from people who have become great friends and to remind me of how far I’ve come.

If you’re into compare and contrast, you’ll notice that this recipe is nearly identical to my homemade hot dog buns. The hot dog buns are formed differently and brushed with buttermilk. And in the old post, I specified using a water/egg yolk wash before topping the buns. These days,  instead of a water and egg yolk wash on the buns, I’ve changed to an egg-only wash. This is a matter of personal preference. I like my buns (heh) with a little richer colour to them and I think the egg-only wash does that better. Besides, I’m awful at saving and using single leftover egg whites, so this is a two-birds-with-one-stone moment. Birds? Eggs?*

*Clearly one thing that has NOT changed is my love of really bad jokes.

5.0 from 4 reviews

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Homemade Hamburger Buns
Author: 
Recipe type: Bread
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 12
 

Golden brown, shiny, soft but sturdy, these hamburger/sandwich buns are good enough to steal the show from whatever you put on them. Whether you use them for glorious grilled burgers or simple fresh tomato sandwiches, happiness is guaranteed!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the dough:
  • 1¼ cups lukewarm milk
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature, cut into pieces
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 cups bread flour (You can substitute all-purpose flour if necessary.)
  • 3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
  • 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional, but it improves the final texture.)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
To glaze the rolls:
  • 1 large egg, beaten well
Optional toppings;
  • poppy seeds
  • sesame seeds
  • dehydrated garlic flakes (or minced garlic)
  • dehydrated onion flakes (or minced onion)
  • rosemary
  • coarse salt
  • caraway seeds
  • coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions
To mix dough in a bread machine:
  1. Put all dough ingredients in the pan. Program bread machine for the dough cycle and hit start.
To mix dough in a stand mixer:
  1. Put all dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed for 10 minutes, or until a smooth, elastic dough is formed. Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1-2 hours.
To mix dough by hand:
  1. Add all dough ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Use a sturdy wooden spoon or your hand to stir until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 15 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1-2 hours.
  2. To form rolls:
  3. Lightly grease an 11-inch by 13-inch baking sheet or line with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
  4. Divide dough into 3 equally sized pieces and form into logs.
  5. Divide each log into 4 equal pieces.
  6. Cup your hand over one piece at a time and roll in a clockwise motion until the surface of the roll is smooth and it has formed a tight ball.
  7. Transfer to the lined baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between rolls.
  8. Flatten gently with the palm of your hand, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy, about 30 minutes.
  9. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  10. Brush the puffy dough generously with beaten egg and sprinkle with desired toppings.
  11. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
  12. Cool the rolls on a rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
To store leftovers:
  1. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to two days. They can be wrapped tightly and frozen for storage up to a month.

Notes
Choose the toppings for your rolls based on what you plan to serve inside them. For hamburgers, the sky is the limit, top it with as many things as you’d like. For grilled chicken, try a combination of rosemary, coarse salt and black pepper. For ham sandwiches, top with minced onion. For pulled pork or beef, top with minced onion, minced garlic and black pepper. For beef-on-weck, top with coarse salt and caraway seeds.

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This brings me to my giveaway. I’d like to give away a jar of my semi-demi-hemi famous Candied Jalapenos to two readers here plus one to a Facebook or Twitter follower. (Speaking of things that make burgers and sandwiches better…) It’s a two-birds-with-one-stone moment, too.

Do you have a thing for spicy food or have a loved one you’d like to give these to as a gift? Here’s how you get in the running… Tell me you want some in the comments. If you’re a Facebook or Twitter follower and you want one let me know! As usual, I’m not big on the complicated contest rules. I just wanted to thank you all.

…I do have a little request, though. Could you please tell me what types of things you’d like to see here? Would you like more step-by-step tutorials? More frugal meal options? More ethnic food? More money-saving tips? More desserts? Okay. You caught me. The fact is, there will always be desserts here. There’s no getting out of that, but otherwise, what do you want to see? I can’t wait to see where we all take each other in the next three years.

Thank you all!

Filed Under: Bread, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Cinnamon Rolls on a Stick

May 20, 2011 by 6 Comments

Why is it that when you put food on a stick it tastes better? This isn’t just a Minnesota/Midwest thing. This is worldwide. Every country on earth has a favorite food-on-a-stick.

Is it that we all secretly want to be Paul Bunyan, able to uproot pine trees and use them as toothpicks? Do we all have a lumberjack-giant-in-a-flannel-shirt complex? Maybe we all want to be Harry Potter, wand at the ready to make delectable treats magically appear. Accio Corndog! Engorgio Hot-Chocolate-on-a-Stick! Yes, please. And now.

Whatever the reason, even if it’s a simple an explanation as the desire to hold food in one hand and a cold drink in the other with no interruption, the universal appeal  is undeniable. The next time you hit a county fair or -God love you- a state fair, have a look at the faces of everyone flitting around the corndog, candy apple and pickle-on-a-stick vendors. I guarantee smiles.

And while we’re on the subject of food that makes everyone happy, let’s talk about cinnamon rolls for a moment. It was an awfully brilliant thing to do, that first ever cinnamon roll. Surely they’ve achieved sainthood for that alone. These days there are more versions of cinnamon rolls out there than you can possibly count but they are all essentially bread, butter, sugar, and cinnamon packaged up nicely for your eating pleasure.

Anyone who has spent a little time slogging around food blogs has probably heard of Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls. They’re everywhere. Everyone is making them. Everyone including my little sister, Christina, (an accomplished chef) who called me and said, “Have you MADE these yet? The dough is a dream. Grandma and Grandpa said they’ll buy ingredients if Aunt Gerri promises to keep them in cinnamon rolls. You have to make them.” This was followed by a call from my stepmom who said, “They really are good. And I did a bunch of different versions with them. You need to try them.” Okay. I can take a hint. Subtle as they were, I was picking up on the fact that they really liked the rolls.  I whipped up a batch of the dough and parked it in the refrigerator for a couple days (PW handily pointed out that it would sit comfortably in the chill chest until you were ready to make zee rolls.)

For no good reason at all, I waited until the last possible moment to make the rolls. Inspiration had left the building with Elvis. I was feeling very not-cinnamon-roll-makery. However, I hate to waste food, so I dragged myself to the kitchen in a “get it over with” frame of mind. While getting out my rolling pin, I knocked down a package of caramel apple sticks and Elvis reentered the house arm-in-arm with inspiration. I was going to put my cinnamon rolls on a stick, dangit.

Christina and Val were right. The dough rolled out like a dream, I poured on melted butter, shook on raw sugar and loads of Korintje Cinnamon, then rolled, sliced, and skewered like a mad woman*.

*If you’re familiar with her recipe, you know that it makes approximately 4,000 cinnamon rolls per batch. I put half of the batch on sticks and stuck the other half into greased pans, as specified. If you want to skewer the whole batch, you’ll need more candied apple sticks than I had or a good source of popsicle sticks. Because I love you, I’ve halved her recipe for this situation so that you don’t have cinnamon rolls on a stick coming out of your ears.Yes. Me. I halved a recipe. This is a banner day.

In lieu of glazing all of the cinnamon rolls I opted to up the ante and make it that much more fun. I made a creamy, warm vanilla bean dippable glaze. I misjudged the quantity needed and ended up with roughly a gallon of the stuff. My kids were happily dunking their mitts into the container long after the cinnamon rolls were gone. There were glazed handprints on doors, windows, dressers, mirrors and the back of my shirt. I promise you the glaze recipe has been appropriately sized since then.

Can you imagine the joy of cinnamon rolls on sticks? My kids went bonkers for them. They lounged around, feet up, munching happily through the entire batch. And there were smiles. Oh. The smiles were abundant.

P.S. Picture these, wrapped up with cellophane and ribbons at a bake sale. I bet they would sell so quickly they would practically vaporize.

P.P.S. On a completely unrelated note, I get a fit of the giggles every time I write a recipe up that includes the instructions “Cool to lukewarm.” I have a little brother named Luke.  You see the issue? I visualize everyone testing their lukewarm mixture against my brother.  He’s a cuddly guy. He might not mind.

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Cinnamon Rolls on a Stick
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert, Breakfast
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 24
 

Melt-in-your-mouth, buttery, tender Cinnamon Rolls on a Stick served with warm, creamy Vanilla Bean Glaze as dip. Breakfast just got seriously fun.
Ingredients
Ingredients for cinnamon roll dough:
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (or 1 packet active dry yeast)
  • 4 cups +1/2 cup, separated, all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Ingredients for filling:
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) melted butter
  • 1 cup raw sugar
  • ¼ cup ground cinnamon
Ingredients for Vanilla Bean Glaze Dip:
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup warm whole milk or half and half
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (preferably with flecks of real vanilla bean)
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon ground vanilla (see below recipe for source)

Instructions
  1. Stir together milk, oil, and sugar in a large, heavy saucepan over medium high heat.
  2. Stir frequently until it is quite hot and bubbles form around the edge of the pan.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and cool to lukewarm.
  4. When the milk mixture is lukewarm, sprinkle the yeast over it and let it sit, undisturbed, for 1 minute.
  5. Mix 4 cups of all-purpose flour into the milk and yeast mixture until there are no dry pockets of flour.
  6. Let rise for an hour in a warm, draft-free place.
  7. After an hour, stir in the baking soda, baking powder, and remaining cup of flour until you have a cohesive dough.
  8. Place pan in the refrigerator, lightly covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.
To prepare the rolls:
  1. Line 4 cookie sheets (or half sheet pans) with parchment paper, silpats or teflon baking liners (or grease generously.)
  2. Sprinkle a clean counter generously with flour.
  3. Turn the dough onto the counter and pat into a rectangle.
  4. Roll out into a long rectangle that is about ¼-inch thick.
  5. Pour the melted butter evenly over the dough.
  6. Scatter the raw sugar evenly over the butter.
  7. Sprinkle the ground cinnamon evenly over the sugar.
  8. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll the dough tightly into a tube then pinch the seams to seal.
  9. Use a bench knife or other knife to cut the dough into 1-inch thick rounds.
  10. Transfer each round to the prepared pans, being sure to leave 3-4 inches between each roll.
  11. Carefully insert a popsicle stick or caramel apple stick into the side of each roll of dough. Gently turn the stick a little from side to side while pushing further into the roll. The stick should go almost all the way through stopping just short of exiting the other side.
  12. Let rise for 30-40 minutes, or until puffy.
  13. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the rolls are deep golden brown.
  14. Cool on pans for 15 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely. (See notes.)
  15. When rolls are completely cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, warm milk, melted butter, and vanilla(s) until smooth. Serve the warm glaze with the cooled cinnamon rolls.

Notes
If you try to eat these off of the stick while still warm, they have a tendency to disintegrate. It’s best to serve them completely cooled with warm glaze for dip.

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Foodie With Family Pantry Builder
Ground Vanilla BeansKorintje Cinnamon

Filed Under: Bread, Breakfast Foods, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,

Homemade Hot Dog Buns

May 17, 2011 by 28 Comments

I make my own hot dog buns.

I’ve had a couple friends tell me -in the most loving way possible- that I’m off my nut for making hot dog buns. “You can get them anywhere! You’re certifiable!”

Why in heaven’s name would I make hot dog buns when there are so many available to buy? The short answer is because I have never been able to buy a hot dog bun that holds a candle to these*.

*Every hot dog bun I’ve ever purchased has one or more of three massive problems; too soft, too stale, too crumbly. More often than not, that’s compounded with funky, nasty preservatives and ingredients that I try to avoid giving my family. (Hellooooo, High Fructose Corn Syrup. I’m looking at you.)

These buns are the be-all-and-end-all, the ne plus ultra, the Hot-Diggity-Dog of hot dog buns. They’re buttery. They have real flavour! They’re soft on the inside with a fine textured crumb, but they have a little chew to them. Unlike their styrofoam store-shelf cousins, my buns hold up to whatever toppings you want to load onto your hot dog. Wanna Matlock dog*? These are the buns for the job.

*Does referencing Matlock age me? I feel my hair turning blue just saying it. Seriously, though, Matlock knew how to eat a hot dog. Because he was a real man, right? Just as real as Opie Cunningham.

Just look at this. Can you imagine a store bought roll that comes close to being able to do this?

I promise you that this held all of those toppings when I hoisted this chili dog to my mouth. It held on clear through the ritual sopping up of the chili from the plate.

For the record: Those friends who thought I was bonkers do so no longer because they’ve all eaten my hot dog buns now. They are convinced.

So yeah. It takes a little longer to make your own buns than to buy them. I’m not a nincompoop, though. I use my time and effort where it makes the biggest difference.  And here? It makes a world of difference here.

While it does take a little time, it’s not a difficult process. Before I get to the recipe, I want to show you how to form the rolls. If you already know how to do this, scroll to the bottom for the recipe. The key to making the best hot dog buns is to try to cut your dough into (roughly) equal-sized pieces before you begin forming it.

Each batch of dough makes fifteen standard sized buns or twelve large hoagie or Italian sausage style buns. I have a double batch here. You start by dividing each batch of dough into 3 pieces of equal size or weight. I’m partial to using my kitchen scale to ensure I’m breaking the dough down into close-to-equal sized  pieces. Is this necessary? Not strictly, but it makes my little inner Obsessive Compulsive Chef sing for joy. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, or refuse to use one on moral grounds, just eyeball it and do your best to break them down equally. Gently form each piece into an oblong log.

Cut each of the logs into 5 equal pieces for standard sized hot dog buns or 4 equal pieces for Italian sausage or hoagie rolls.  Working with one piece at a time, pat the dough into an oval. (You can see inches marked on the bottom of the dough mat I used.)

Use the edge of your hand to indent the dough down the length of the center of the dough.

Roll the dough around the indentation you created.

Lightly pinch together the seam.

Turn the dough seam side down and use the flats of your hands to roll it back and forth until it reaches about 6-inches in length. Tuck any funky shaped ends under so you have a tube of dough with flat ends.

After rising and before baking, brush the rolls generously with buttermilk. (Remember how easy it is to make your own?)

4.7 from 3 reviews

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Homemade Hot Dog Buns
Author: 
Recipe type: Bread
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 12-15
 

Homemade Hot Dog Buns elevate an ordinary hot dog meal into an extraordinary experience. Soft, buttery, flavourful, and able to hold up to infinite toppings, these buns put all supermarket rolls to shame.
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups lukewarm milk
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature, cut into pieces
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 cups bread flour (You can substitute all-purpose flour if necessary.)
  • 3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
  • 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional, but it improves the final texture.)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • ½ cup of cultured buttermilk, for brushing

Instructions
To mix dough in a bread machine:
  1. Put all ingredients except for the buttermilk in the pan. Program bread machine for the dough cycle and hit start.
To mix dough in a stand mixer:
  1. Put all ingredients except the buttermilk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed for 10 minutes, or until a smooth, elastic dough is formed. Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1-2 hours.
To mix dough by hand:
  1. Add all ingredients except for the buttermilk to a large mixing bowl. Use a sturdy wooden spoon or your hand to stir until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 15 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1-2 hours.
To form rolls:
  1. Lightly grease an 11-inch by 13-inch baking sheet or line with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Divide dough into 3 equally sized pieces and form into logs.
  3. Divide each log into 5 equal pieces for standard sized rolls or 4 equal pieces for larger Italian sausage or hoagie rolls.
  4. Working with one piece at a time, pat each piece out into an oval.
  5. Press an indentation down the length of the center of the oval with the side of your hand.
  6. Roll the dough up around the indentation.
  7. Pinch the seam together lightly.
  8. Roll the pieces gently seam side down until about 6-inches in length.
  9. Transfer to the lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between the pieces, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy, about 30 minutes.
  10. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  11. Brush the puffy dough generously with buttermilk.
  12. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
  13. Cool the rolls on a rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
To serve as a hot dog or sausage roll:
  1. Make a slice down the center of the top of the roll nearly through to the bottom. Gently pry open with your fingers to hold the hot dog or sausage.
To serve as a hoagie or sandwich roll:
  1. Lay the roll on its side and slice it in half about midway up the roll.
To store leftovers:
  1. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to two days. They can be wrapped tightly and frozen for storage up to a month.

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Filed Under: Bread, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Ham and Cheddar Stuffed Pretzels

May 5, 2011 by 16 Comments

This recipe ran as part of my column in today’s Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Yes I am obsessed with soft pretzels. And with shoving ham and cheese into things. Why do you ask? Is it because of this? Or this? Maybe this, this, this, this or this? Okay, that last one is bacon, but really? It could’ve been ham just as easily. Ham and bacon? They’re like *this*.

Ham, cheese, pretzels and me? We’re also like *this*. How it look so ever loving long for that beautiful food in the picture above to happen is beyond me. I live for stuffing things into soft pretzels and I live for stuffing ham and cheese into things. It was inevitable and the inevitable was oh-so-good.

We’re talking about a snack crossed with a meal. I’ve heard it both ways. It’s hearty enough to serve with a big salad* and some beans and be called dinner. It’s small enough that you could eat it alone (dunked in mustard, of course) for a serious snack. I chose to eat enough of them for snack that dinner was no longer an option.

*Big salads make all meals healthy and legitimate, no?

There are a few important things to remember when making these:

  1. Use a great, dry-ish ham. Country ham is the best. Your second best option is a Virginia baked type ham or ham steak. Don’t use watery, pressed, nasty, rectangular ham. Have you ever seen a rectangular pig? No. Therefore, no ham should be a perfect rectangle.
  2. Ham is salty. Cheese is salty. Go light on the salt on top of these pretzels. A soft pretzel needs at least a wee bit of salt on top in my book, but it’s easy to go overboard and cross into salt-lick territory. Better to leave it off if you’re watching the sodium intake or sensitive to salt.
  3. The sharper your Cheddar, the better the final product. The cheese had to stand up against the assertive flavour of ham and a sharper Cheddar is better equipped.
  4. This is one time I’m going to insist you cook your pretzel to a dark colour. Most often I offer a choice on baking lighter or darker, but this pretzel begs to be a deep brown. It needs the dark toffee coloured crisp exterior to balance the hearty fillings. Go for broke!

As with most soft-pretzels, these freeze and reheat beyootifully. Have you ever gotten so hungry you felt almost panicky or sick? Picture a serious hunger attack and knowing that you have a bag full of these bad boys in the freezer. Hunger be gone! We vanquish you with Ham and Cheddar Stuffed Pretzels. Victory is ours!

4.0 from 1 reviews

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Ham and Cheddar Stuffed Pretzels
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer, Snack, Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8
 

Soft pretzels, ham and cheese -individually- make me happy, but together, they make me swoon. Deep brown soft pretzels stuffed with salty ham and melted, gooey sharp Cheddar cheese make the ultimate snack or light meal.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the pretzel dough:
  • 1 cup lukewarm milk
  • ½ cup hot water (not boiling, just hot)
  • 4 cups (1 pound 1 ounce, by weight) high-gluten flour (or bread flour)
  • 1 tablespoon malt powder (or granulated sugar)
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
Ingredients for pretzel boil:
  • 2 quarts water
  • ¼ cup baking soda
Ingredients for fillings:
  • 1 ½ cups diced ham (I like to use country ham or a Virginia style baked ham for this.)
  • 1 ½ cups diced Cheddar cheese (We prefer extra sharp, but use your favorite.)
Ingredients for toppings:
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Coarse sea salt, kosher salt or pretzel salt

Instructions
To Make the Dough by Hand:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, malt powder or sugar and yeast.
  2. Set the whisk aside and switch to a sturdy wooden spoon.
  3. Stir in the milk and hot water until a soft dough forms.
  4. Turn onto a generously floured surface and knead, adding small amounts of flour as needed to keep the dough from adhering to the counter. You do not want a firm dough… it should be fairly slack, a little tacky and soft, yet smooth.
  5. Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.
To Make the Dough by Stand Mixer:
  1. In the work-bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, malt powder or sugar and yeast.
  2. Mix on low just to combine dry ingredients. With mixer still on low, carefully pour in the milk and water.
  3. Continue mixing on low until you have a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough.
  4. Remove bowl from the mixer, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.
To Make the Dough by Bread Machine:
  1. Add the milk, water, flour, malt powder or sugar, and yeast to the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
  2. Select the “Dough” or “Dough Only” cycle and hit start. Allow the cycle to complete.
To Form Pretzel Bites:
  1. Line two 11×13-inch baking sheets with silicon or teflon pan liners. (You can use parchment, but you will need to grease it generously to prevent it from sticking.) Set next to your work area.
  2. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface.
  3. Use a bench knife to cut the dough into four pieces.
  4. Keep three pieces of dough covered with a tea towel while working with the first. Roll the piece like play-dough until you have a snake of dough about the circumference of two thumbs squashed together.
  5. Use your bench knife to cut the dough snake into 6 equally-sized pieces.
  6. Press each piece into an oval that is about 3-4 inches across.
  7. Put 1 ½ teaspoons each of the minced Cheddar and ham into the center. Bring the dough up together from the sides toward the center and pinch together firmly to seal the dough. Pinch the ends so that the cheese and ham are sealed into the dough.
  8. Transfer the sealed, stuffed dough, seam-side down, onto the lined baking sheets, being sure to leave generous amounts of room between pieces and rows. They will expand both as they rise and again as they boil and bake.
To Cook the Pretzels:
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a stainless steel or other non-reactive pan (enameled cast-iron, tempered glass, etc…) When water boils, add the baking soda.
  3. Gently lift the pretzel dough pieces one at a time into the boiling water. (You can boil more than one at a time, but be sure not to crowd the the pan as they will expand as they boil. Let simmer for about 45 seconds, flip the pieces and simmer for another 45 seconds-1 minute.
  4. Use a slotted spoon to drain and return each piece to its place on the pan. Continue until all pieces have been boiled and returned to the pan.
  5. Brush all pieces of dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.
  6. Place pans in oven and bake at least until golden brown (at least 15 minutes), but you can bake until they are deep brown. It’s up to you!
  7. Remove the pans from the oven and let the pretzels rest on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a serving plate.
  8. Leftovers, if you have them, should be stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.
  9. Serve warm or room temperature. I like mine with classic yellow mustard, but they’re also good with grainy beer mustards.

Notes
I recommend going light on the salt on top of the pretzels, especially if you use a good country ham. Ham and cheese are salty on their own, so the pretzel only needs the lightest sprinkle of coarse salt on top.

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Bread, Main Dish, Meat, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks

Bunny Bread

April 22, 2011 by 12 Comments

Let us observe the Easter Bunny in his natural habitat…

See how relaxed he is in the vegetable patch? The serene  -if vacant- look on his face?  He is surrounded by his favored nourishment; cucumbers, peas, carrots and his own entrails.  Wait. His own entrails? How can this be? The Easter Bunny’s tummy has been removed to make way for a *horrors* bowl.

A bowl full of dip!  Oh no! Something has eaten the Easter Bunny!

What madman or woman would do this to the Easter Bunny? Who could be so callous?

In a word? Me.

This dish (and the above narrative) are an Easter tradition in the Foodie With Family house. I’ve been making this since my eldest was a bonnie wee boy in diapers. And seeing as he is now a full-fledged, card-carrying, certified (and certifiable) teenager -pardon me while I go hyperventilate for a couple minutes- I think you could call this a truly ingrained holiday tradition.

Here’s how Easter Sunday works Chez Foodie With Family…

The boys wake up early. The Evil Genius and I lay down the law about only eating two pieces of candy from their basket, look the other way and drink something highly caffeinated while they eat six, make a protein heavy breakfast to offset the sugar, hose them all off (or run them through the shower), tell them to get dressed (and pray no one gets to church shoeless like they did that one year…), load up in the van, attend church, return home, take off church clothes, put on our fat pants and lay into the annual bunny bread with wild abandon.*

*Please pardon my run-on sentence. Which is better than a fragment. Oh dear.

That bunny doesn’t stand a chance against this ravening horde.  And this is the honest-and-for-true** reality of it; My kids look forward to the Bunny Bread more than they do their Easter Baskets. The whole ride to church, time at church and ride home from church is punctuated with our own call and response, either squawked or whispered, “We ARE having a bunny bread, right, Mom?” “You saw it on the counter, right? Yes. We’re having one.” and “How much longer is this service? I’m dying for Bunny Bread” “They haven’t even started the service. And you’re not dying. Just hang on.”and “Can we eat it as soon as we get home? Do we really have to change clothes?” “Yes. You have to change clothes because I said so.”

**You get extra super-cool points if you tell me which character says, “Honest and for true?!?”…

‘Round here, this is a strictly Easter dish (which accounts for the year old photos), but I can see this going over a treat at a bunny-loving child’s birthday party or a get together for friends.You don’t have to be a bunny-bread withholder like I am. Feel free to bust out Bugs whenever the muse strikes.

Don’t let the idea of shaping bread scare you away. This is quite simple. While I start with approximately two pounds of homemade bread dough (I recommend this recipe!) you can your favorite standard bread dough or even thawed frozen bread dough. It’s just a matter of breaking it down into steps, and I’ve done that for you.

As for the dip, put whichever one best floats your boat. I love this one the best, but use whatever makes you drool!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go whip up this year’s bunny bread. It’s about that time. Happy Easter, all!

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Bunny Bread
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer, Bread
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8-12
 

This golden brown, soft bunny bread filled with dip is irresistible. Be sure to position yourself closest to the ears so you can nab one when you give the go-ahead! (While I lost the copy of Taste of Home where I originally read this recipe, a little trial and error and years of experience yielded a bunny bread perfect for devouring.)
Ingredients
  • Approximately 2 pounds homemade bread dough [or 2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough, thawed]
  • 2 pieces of dried fruit (raisins, currants, cherries, blueberries, etc…)
  • 1 egg, beaten
For serving:
  • Your favorite dip
  • Vegetable sticks or florets (carrots, celery, cucumbers, pea pods, cauliflower, broccoli, etc…)

Instructions
  1. Cut your ball of dough into two pieces that are approximately 1 pound each.
  2. Set one piece aside.
  3. Cut about ¼ off of the remaining hunk of dough.
  4. Roll the piece into a ball and then flatten slightly on a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet to form the bunny’s head.
  5. Roll the other ¾ of the dough piece into a ball and flatten into a large oval that is about 6-inches across. This will be the bunny’s body.
  6. Place the body directly below (and in contact with) the head on the cookie sheet.
  7. Cut the second dough ball into four equally sized pieces and roll into balls.
  8. Roll two of the pieces into long, snaky ropes (about 15 or so inches long) and then fold the ropes in half.
  9. Place on either side of the head as ears and tuck the ends slightly under the head.
  10. Take a third dough ball, split into two equally sized pieces and roll into balls.
  11. Position one ball on either side of the base of the bunny’s body like back paws.
  12. Use a bench knife or butter knife to cut two slits at the outside edges of the back paws to form bunny toes. What? They have toes.
  13. Divide the last remaining portion of bread into 3 equally sized pieces.
  14. Roll two of the pieces into balls and place against either side of the upper third of the bunny’s body to serve as front paws.
  15. Take the remaining dough and cut off ¼ of the dough.
  16. Roll the tiny piece into a ball and position on the bunny’s head to serve as the nose.
  17. Cut the final piece of dough into two equal pieces.
  18. Roll those pieces into balls and position under the nose for the bunny’s cheeks.
  19. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and almost doubled in bulk (about an hour in a warm room.)
  20. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  21. Remove plastic wrap, brush lightly with beaten egg and push the two pieces of dried fruit into the bunny’s head for it’s eyes.
  22. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the bunny is golden brown and lovely.
  23. Let rest on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  24. Transfer the cooled bunny bread to a serving platter.
  25. Cut a hole equal to the size of the bowl you will use for your dip from the belly of the bunny.
  26. Set the bowl of dip down into the bunny bread.
  27. Arrange vegetable sticks and crudites around the bunny and serve!

Notes
You can, alternatively, line the hole in the bunny’s belly with lettuce leaves and put the dip directly into it. We prefer to put the bowl of dip in to better salvage any leftover dip after we devour the bread. This would also be preferable if you think you may have leftover bread.

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Bread, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Garlic Butter Soft Pretzel Bites

March 25, 2011 by 6 Comments

I declare soft pretzels in their many forms to be my all-time favorite snack food with ZERO exceptions. Sure, there are many other delicious things with which to satisfy a snack attack, but there is nothing to compare to the pure satisfaction of biting into a chewy, salty, warm, soft pretzel. With mustard. Lots of mustard*.

*I suppose, strictly speaking, that the mustard is optional, but not for me. No way. I need a good schmear of mustard, be it fancy-pants grainy or generic yellow squeeze bottle variety.

I’ve eaten soft pretzels that were hanging for goodness knows how long in glass boxes on metal hangers under heat lamps at hockey and baseball games, from the depths of steam-table street-cart vendors in Germany, microwaved from little boxes and from mall food courts. They were all more or less edible, some more edible than others. I’m looking at you Germany. You make a mean pretzel.

It takes a lot of work to really botch a soft pretzel. It can be done, mind you, but you have to put some serious effort behind the failure. I’ll happily consume even a mediocre soft pretzel over a milkshake any day of the week. (Although a soft pretzel/milkshake repast would be ever so delightful.)

Howevah… Truly wonderful soft pretzels are a thing of joy. And homemade soft pretzels are past wonderful and parked firmly in the “The Best Soft Pretzel You’ll Ever Have” camp.

One marvey thing about homemade soft pretzels is that you can cook them to whatever level of pretzel brown-ness you love best. Most of the time I like them deep, deep brown; I like them to look almost like they’ve put one little pretzel toe into overdone territory. They fool you, those little beauties. When done to that stage, the outside is chewy to the point of making you look like a dog with a rawhide but they’re still soft on the inside. Of course, if your teeth or jaws like a little less fight from the food, you can back off the cooking time and go for a more golden brown. They’re still sublime.

For these little honeys, I like to make quick work of the process and simply roll the dough into ropes then cut into bite sized pieces. If you prefer the traditional braided pretzel, you’re welcome to do it, but the roll-and-cut method yields one-to-two bite pretzels in record speed. Besides, I have a thing for bite sized food. It’s small so it has fewer calories so you can eat more, right? Right?!?

And when you’ve gone to the effort of making your own pretzels, why not top the knob? Garlic butter is everything a soft pretzel ever wanted and more. It leaves your fingers buttery and garlicky and you are forced -nay, compelled!- to lick your fingers your fingers clean of salt and garlic butter after each perfect little pretzel bite.

I have a promise to make to you. If you lay out a platter full of these, a bucket full of iced root beers or fruit spritzers, and a pile of napkins for a party or a picnic or a bunch of your kids’ friends, you will be the most popular person/spouse/parent/loved one in. the. world. This is my boys’ friends’ most often requested snack. I always say yes. Always. It’s part of my master plan to be the go-to house. I’d ask my kids’ friends whether it’s working, but their mouths are currently full of soft pretzel.

 

Garlic Butter Soft Pretzel Bites

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Yield: A bunch

Ingredients for dough:

  • 4 cups (1 pound 1 ounce, by weight) bread flour
  • 1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder (preferably) or sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup hot tap water
  • 2 teaspoons SAF or instant yeast

Ingredients for pretzel boil:

  • 2 quarts water
  • 2 tablespoons baking soda

Ingredients for toppings:

  • 1 egg white, whisked until frothy
  • Coarse sea salt, kosher salt or pretzel salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted, mixed with 1/2-1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (or 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic)

To Make the Dough by Hand:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, malt powder or sugar and yeast.  Set the whisk aside and switch to a sturdy wooden spoon. Stir in the milk and tap water until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a generously floured surface and knead, adding small amounts of flour as needed to keep the dough from adhering to the counter. You do not want a firm dough… it should be fairly slack,  a little tacky and soft, yet smooth. Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.

To Make the Dough by Stand Mixer:

In the work-bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, malt powder or sugar and yeast. Mix on low just to combine dry ingredients. With mixer still on low, carefully pour in the milk and water. Continue mixing on low until you have a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough. Remove bowl from the mixer, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.

To Make the Dough by Bread Machine:

Add the milk, water, flour, malt powder or sugar, and yeast to the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the “Dough” or “Dough Only” cycle and hit start. Allow the cycle to complete.

To Form Pretzel Bites:

Line two 11×13-inch baking sheets with silicone or teflon pan liners. Set next to your work area.

Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface. Use a bench knife to cut the dough into four pieces. Keep  three pieces covered with a tea towel while working with the first. Roll the piece like play-dough until you have a snake of dough about the circumference of two thumbs squashed together. Use your bench knife to cut 1-inch pieces from the dough snake. Transfer the dough pieces onto the lined baking sheets, being sure to leave generous amounts of room between pieces and rows. They will expand both as they rise and again as they boil and bake. When you have dealt with all the dough, cover the pans with tea towels and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy looking, about 20 minutes.

To Cook the Pretzels:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a stainless steel or other non-reactive pan (enameled cast-iron, tempered glass, etc…) When water boils, add the baking soda. Gently lift the pretzel dough pieces one at a time into the boiling water. (You can boil more than one at a time, but be sure not to crowd the the pan as they will expand as they boil.  Let simmer for about 45 seconds, flip the pieces and simmer for another 45 seconds-1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to drain and return each piece to its place on the pan. Continue until all pieces have been boiled and returned to the pan.

Brush all pieces of dough with the frothy egg white and sprinkle with coarse salt. Place pans in oven and bake at least until golden brown (at least 15 minutes), but you can bake until they are deep brown. It’s up to you!

Remove the pans from the oven and brush the pretzels with the garlic butter. If you have leftover garlic butter, you can place the pretzels in a large mixing bowl and toss with the remaining butter.

Serve warm or room temperature. I like mine with classic yellow mustard.

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Garlic Butter Soft Pretzel Bites
Author: 
Recipe type: Snack, Appetizer
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8
 

Perfect, chewy, rich-brown, garlic butter brushed two-bite soft pretzels. Alone or with a cold root beer, these make the perfect after school snack or party food!
Ingredients
  • Ingredients for dough:
  • 4 cups (1 pound 1 ounce, by weight) bread flour
  • 1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder (preferably) or sugar
  • 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ cup hot tap water
  • 2 teaspoons SAF or instant yeast
  • Ingredients for pretzel boil:
  • 2 quarts water
  • 2 tablespoons baking soda
  • Ingredients for toppings:
  • 1 egg white, whisked until frothy
  • Coarse sea salt, kosher salt or pretzel salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted, mixed with ½-1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (or ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic)

Instructions
  1. To Make the Dough by Hand:
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, malt powder or sugar and yeast. Set the whisk aside and switch to a sturdy wooden spoon. Stir in the milk and tap water until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a generously floured surface and knead, adding small amounts of flour as needed to keep the dough from adhering to the counter. You do not want a firm dough… it should be fairly slack, a little tacky and soft, yet smooth. Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.
  3. To Make the Dough by Stand Mixer:
  4. In the work-bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, malt powder or sugar and yeast. Mix on low just to combine dry ingredients. With mixer still on low, carefully pour in the milk and water. Continue mixing on low until you have a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough. Remove bowl from the mixer, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.
  5. To Make the Dough by Bread Machine:
  6. Add the milk, water, flour, malt powder or sugar, and yeast to the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the “Dough” or “Dough Only” cycle and hit start. Allow the cycle to complete.
  7. To Form Pretzel Bites:
  8. Line two 11×13-inch baking sheets with silicone or teflon pan liners. Set next to your work area.
  9. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface. Use a bench knife to cut the dough into four pieces. Keep three pieces covered with a tea towel while working with the first. Roll the piece like play-dough until you have a snake of dough about the circumference of two thumbs squashed together. Use your bench knife to cut 1-inch pieces from the dough snake. Transfer the dough pieces onto the lined baking sheets, being sure to leave generous amounts of room between pieces and rows. They will expand both as they rise and again as they boil and bake. When you have dealt with all the dough, cover the pans with tea towels and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy looking, about 20 minutes.
  10. To Cook the Pretzels:
  11. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  12. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a stainless steel or other non-reactive pan (enameled cast-iron, tempered glass, etc…) When water boils, add the baking soda. Gently lift the pretzel dough pieces one at a time into the boiling water. (You can boil more than one at a time, but be sure not to crowd the the pan as they will expand as they boil. Let simmer for about 45 seconds, flip the pieces and simmer for another 45 seconds-1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to drain and return each piece to its place on the pan. Continue until all pieces have been boiled and returned to the pan.
  13. Brush all pieces of dough with the frothy egg white and sprinkle with coarse salt. Place pans in oven and bake at least until golden brown (at least 15 minutes), but you can bake until they are deep brown. It’s up to you!
  14. Remove the pans from the oven and brush the pretzels with the garlic butter. If you have leftover garlic butter, you can place the pretzels in a large mixing bowl and toss with the remaining butter.
  15. Serve warm or room temperature. I like mine with classic yellow mustard.

Notes
There is at least an hour or so of inactive prep time while your dough is rising.

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Bread, kid food, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Braided Semolina Bread

March 4, 2011 by 11 Comments

Bread with soup. Bread for toast. Bread to sop up the last streaks of sauce or gravy or pan juices. I suppose you might be able to survive without bread, but you sure can’t live without it. A big, fat, puffy, chewy, golden loaf of homemade bread is just about the best thing that could possibly happen to your day.

This is not one-hour or no-knead, but is so worth your time. This is another one of those foods that make you want to gnaw off your own foot while it’s cooking; It smells so good that you just can’t help yourself. When you tear a hot corner from this loaf and watch a cold pat of salted butter melt down into the soft crumb you’ll go weak in the knees. Assuming you haven’t eaten past your knees, that is…

Fresh from the oven and ripped into hunks, this bread is exactly what you want to sop up soups, sauces, dressings, gravies and pan juices.  If you are a patient, forbearing, big-picture type person and you let it cool completely, this slices beautifully for sandwiches or toast.

This is The Minions’ favorite bread. They like that it yields two mega-sized loaves. They love that I top one with just sesame seeds and the other with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion flakes, and garlic flakes. They live for the times I tell them they can tear off industrial sized pieces from the loaf that’s dressed like an everything bagel.  Butter is applied liberally. There are animal noises.  Crumbs fly.  They wait, slightly more patiently, for the sesame loaf to cool.  They slice quarter-inch thick pieces of bread and like them toasted on one side with a top-hat of blueberry jam.

On the nights that I make them wait, they mill around the kitchen aimlessly, standing silently behind me like little ghosts waiting… waiting… waiting… making their way to the table and half-heartedly helping themselves to the whatever-else-I’m-serving then pouncing when the bread basket gets to them.

This is a bread of beauty; golden brown, crispy crust topped with crunchy seeds (and perhaps spices) and a soft, yielding interior.  It is another gem of a recipe from the King Arthur Flour Company and their top notch baker’s test kitchen. I’ve been making this bread for somewhere near ten years- ever since this recipe appeared printed in the pages of their horribly tempting catalogue. It’s a hard recipe to mess up beyond edibility.  I’ve accidentally left the dough to rise overnight. I’ve hurried it along and forgotten the second rise.  I’ve brushed and topped it with exactly nothing at all.  I’ve substituted bread flour for all-purpose flour out of necessity.  And every. single. time. it’s wonderful.  It’s a very forgiving bread to make if you’re nervous about working with yeast* or dough, as I have accidentally proven time and again.

*Here’s a comforting bit of knowledge about yeast.  If you don’t have a warm place to let the dough rise, don’t worry!  It will still rise, it’ll just take longer.  Sometimes much longer.  Just be sure to keep it lightly covered to prevent the surface of the dough from drying.

Please try this.  Pretty please. With sesame seeds on top.

Braided Semolina Bread

Gently adapted from King Arthur Flour Baker’s Catalogue.

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups (1 pound, 1 ounce, by weight) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (11 1/2 ounces, by weight) semolina flour
  • 3 teaspoons SAF or instant yeast
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons sugar or non-diastatic malt powder
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups (16 ounces, by weight or volume) lukewarm water
  • 1 egg white

Optional Toppings:

  • Sesame seeds
  • Poppy seeds
  • Onion flakes (dehydrated)
  • Garlic flakes (dehydrated)
  • Coarse salt

To Mix Dough By Hand:

Add all ingredients except the egg white and toppings to a large mixing bowl and stir together with a sturdy wooden spoon until you form a shaggy but cohesive dough.  Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, covered with a clean towel. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter top and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Transfer dough to a clean bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

To Mix Dough By Stand Mixer:

Add all ingredients except the egg white and toppings to the work bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  Turn mixer onto the lowest setting and mix until a shiny, elastic dough forms.  Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

To Mix Dough By Bread Machine:

Add all ingredients except the egg white and toppings to the pan of your bread machine that has been fitted with the dough paddle(s). Set the bread machine on the dough setting and press start.  When the cycle is completed, proceed with shaping…

To Shape the Dough:

Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and form into a neat mass. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 3 pieces.  Cover three of the pieces with a towel while working with the other three.

Pat one piece into a rough oval.  Use the side of your hand to press an indentation along the length of the dough piece.

Fold the dough together along the length of the indentation.

Roll lightly with the hands to form a thick rope between 12 and 14 inches long. Repeat with the other two pieces so that you have 3 ropes of roughly equal length.  Line them up in parallel with the ends facing you.

To Braid the Dough:

Gently grasp the end of the rope on the far left. Lift it to about the center, leaving the far end on the counter, cross it over the rope nearest to it and lay it down. Now grasp the end of the piece on the far right and lift it to about the center, leaving its far end on the counter, cross it over the (now) center rope (which is the first one you moved) and lay it down. This is the manoeuver you will repeat – far left over center, far right over center, and so on- until you have ends too short to continue.  At that point, pinch the ends together and tuck under the braid.  Now go back to the center of the loaf and finish braiding the loaf toward the top. When you reach the ends, pinch together and tuck under.

The whole process looks like this:

Cover the loaf lightly and let rise in a warm place until puffy in appearance and about doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Whisk the egg white until it is frothy.  Paint generously onto the risen bread braids and sprinkle the braids with desired toppings.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a golden brown color and firm on top.  Turn the oven off, prop the door open a little (two inches, if you can make your door behave) and let cool for at least an hour.  Or tear into the loaves with your teeth.  I won’t tell.

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Braided Semolina Bread
Author: 
Recipe type: Bread, Side
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 12
 

This Italian style bread is a thing of beauty: golden brown, crispy crust topped with crunchy seeds (and perhaps spices) and a soft, yielding interior.
Ingredients
  • 4 cups (1 pound, 1 ounce, by weight) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (11½ ounces, by weight) semolina flour
  • 3 teaspoons SAF or instant yeast
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons sugar or non-diastatic malt powder
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups (16 ounces, by weight or volume) lukewarm water
  • 1 egg white
  • Optional Toppings:
  • Sesame seeds
  • Poppy seeds
  • Onion flakes (dehydrated)
  • Garlic flakes (dehydrated)
  • Coarse salt

Instructions
  1. To Mix Dough By Hand:
  2. Add all ingredients except the egg white and toppings to a large mixing bowl and stir together with a sturdy wooden spoon until you form a shaggy but cohesive dough. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, covered with a clean towel. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter top and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Transfer dough to a clean bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  3. To Mix Dough By Stand Mixer:
  4. Add all ingredients except the egg white and toppings to the work bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Turn mixer onto the lowest setting and mix until a shiny, elastic dough forms. Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  5. To Mix Dough By Bread Machine:
  6. Add all ingredients except the egg white and toppings to the pan of your bread machine that has been fitted with the dough paddle(s). Set the bread machine on the dough setting and press start. When the cycle is completed, proceed with shaping…
  7. To Shape the Dough:
  8. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and form into a neat mass. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 3 pieces. Cover three of the pieces with a towel while working with the other three.
  9. Pat one piece into a rough oval. Use the side of your hand to press an indentation along the length of the dough piece. Fold the dough together along the length of the indentation and roll lightly with the hands to form a thick rope between 12 and 14 inches long. Repeat with the other two pieces so that you have 3 ropes of roughly equal length. Line them up in parallel with the ends facing you.
  10. To Braid the Dough:
  11. Gently grasp the end of the rope on the far left. Lift it to about the center, leaving the far end on the counter, cross it over the rope nearest to it and lay it down. Now grasp the end of the piece on the far right and lift it to about the center, leaving its far end on the counter, cross it over the (now) center rope (which is the first one you moved) and lay it down. This is the manoeuver you will repeat – far left over center, far right over center, and so on- until you have ends too short to continue. At that point, pinch the ends together and tuck under the braid. Now go back to the center of the loaf and finish braiding the loaf toward the top. When you reach the ends, pinch together and tuck under. Cover the loaf lightly and let rise in a warm place until puffy in appearance and about doubled in size.
  12. Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk the egg white until it is frothy. Paint generously onto the risen bread braids and sprinkle the braids with desired toppings.
  13. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a golden brown color and firm on top. Turn the oven off, prop the door open a little (two inches, if you can make your door behave) and let cool for at least an hour. Or tear into the loaves with your teeth. I won’t tell.

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