Bread Recipes - Some of my Favorites

I had a request to post my bread recipes.  I have included some additional favorite recipes of mine.  Yeast breads are not that hard to make and if you haven't tried, you should.  Start with the hamburger bun recipe and work your way up to something else.  There is nothing like the smell of bread baking in an oven or even better, homemade cinnamon rolls warm from the oven.

So, here are my favorites:  I posted my wheat bread recipe here. 

My hamburger/hot dog bun recipe is posted here.    I use this recipe to make cinnamon rolls.  After you let the dough rest for 10 minutes, roll it out, spread it with butter or margarine and then sprinkle some sugar on it.  I use a mixture of brown and white granulated sugar.  Then I shake cinnamon over the sugar.  Roll it up and cut the dough into 1 inch portions and place in a greased pan.  Let this rise until double.  It will take longer than the hamburger buns.  Then bake for about 20 minutes at the same temp as the buns.

You know those cinnamon crispie rolls you get at a bakery?  Those are just cinnamon rolls in a different form.  My mom made them all the time.  You cut the cinnamon roll dough.  Then you take a mixture of some granulated sugar and brown sugar and some chopped nuts and you sprinkle it on your pastry sheet.  Then you place a roll on top of this with the flat side facing you (you can see the circles of cinnamon).  Take your rolling pin and roll it flat, turn it over and roll it again until the cinnamon roll has been flattened out and has the sugar and nuts crushed into it on both sides.  Flatten it thin.  May need to do this a couple of times.  Then you bake it at the same temp as the cinnamon rolls, but not for as long.  I'm sorry I don't know how long, just put the crispies on some parchment paper on a baking sheet and watch them.  These are lightly browned and crispie when done.  I don't think they take any longer than 8 or 10 minutes. 

Now for another cinnamon roll recipe.  This recipe is an overnight recipe.  You can mix this dough up and form the rolls the night before you need them.  The next morning you take them out of the fridge and bake them in a preheated oven.  This is the best recipe for holidays or any day you want cinnamon rolls in the morning.  I was given this recipe some 29 years ago from a dear lady.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkgs. yeast or the equivalent
1/2 cup warm water – (105 to 115 degrees)
2 cups lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixing bowl. Stir in milk, 1/3 cup sugar, the oil, baking powder, salt, egg and 3 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto well floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 ½ hours.

Grease 2 rectangular pans, 9 x 13 inches. Punch down dough; divide into halves. Roll 1half into rectangle, 12 x 10 inches. Spread with half of the margarine. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon; sprinkle half of the sugar-cinnamon mixture over the rectangle. Roll up, beginning at the 12 inch side. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Stretch roll to make even.

Cut roll in twelve 1 inch slices. Place slightly apart in 1 pan. Wrap pan tightly with foil. Repeat with remaining dough. Refrigerate at least 12 hours but no longer than 48 hours. (To bake immediately, do not wrap. Let rise in warm place until double, about 30 minutes. Bake as directed below).

In the morning, heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove foil from pans. Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar frosting while warm. Makes 2 dozen rolls.

Powdered sugar frosting: Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until smooth ad of spreading consistency. Frosts 1 pan of rolls.

Here is the recipe for Cuban Bread from Amy Dacycyzn's second Tightwad Gazette book.  I have made one change to the recipe in that I reduced the amount of salt used in Amy's recipe.

Cuban Bread

5 to 6 cups all purpose flour (you can substitute whole wheat flour for 1 or 2 cups)
2 Tablespoons yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups hot water (120 to 130 degrees)
1 Tablespoon sesame or poppy seeds

Mix 4 ups of the flour with the yast, sugar, and salt.  Pour i hot water and beat 100 strokes, or 3 minutes with a mixer.  Stir in the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky.  Knead 8 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover with a damp towel.  Let rise 15 minutes.  Punch down.  Divide into 2 pieces.  Shape into two round loaves, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet (I use parchment paper instead of greasing my baking sheets).  Cut an "X"  1/2 inch deep on top of eah loaf with a sharp knife.  Brush with water, and spinkle with seeds.  Place ont eh middle shelf of a COLD oven.  Place a cake pan of hot water on the lowest rack.  Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Bake 40 to 50 minutes until deep golden brown.  (I only bake the loaves for 30 minutes and that is perfect).

Honey Graham Bread

4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 envelopes rapid rise yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup butter

In a large bowl, combine 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cracker crumbs, wheat germ, undissolved yeast, and salt. Heat water, milk, honey, and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

Uncover dough; divide in half. Roll each half to 12 x 8 inch rectangle. Beginning at short end, roll up tightly as for jellyroll. Pinch seam ends to seal. Place seam sides down in 2 greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pans. Cover; let rise in warm place for about 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or til done. Remove from pans; cool on wire rack.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you don't use the rapid rise yeast, the bread will take a little longer to rise.  No big deal as I usually don't use rapid rise yeast but the regular yeast.

Amish White Bread

1 cups warm water
1 cup milk (mix with water and heat to 110 degrees)
1 egg
2/3 cups white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons. yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 c. bread flour (I have used all purpose flour with no problem)

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast the mixture becomes foamy. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Shape into loaves, and place into well oil 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.