Homemade Hamburger Buns

This is a really fun recipe to make if you want to change things up a bit at your summer grill-out or you can also serve these with your favorite soup, stew or chili during the winter!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup warm Water
• 1/3 cup Oil
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1& 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 2 tbls. minced Onion ( or 1/2 an envelope of Onion Soup mix)
• 2 Eggs ( room temp.)
• 4 cups Flour (you may need up to a 1/2 cup extra just depending on the day)

Directions: Mix everything except the flour in a big bowl, then add 2 cups of the flour, beat for 2 minuets with beater, then gradually add the rest of the flour – knead – let rise until it has doubled in size –  knead into roll shapes – then let rise again (at least 10 minuets – bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minuets.

Happy Baking & Bon Appètit!

Italian Cheese Bread

Good afternoon~  This is a cheesy, flat bread that would go great alongside Spaghetti, or any Italian meal. Enjoy!

 

“If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” ~ Rabbi Harold Kushner

“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but, scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.” ~Joseph Addison

Italian Cheese Bread

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 TBSP. quick rise yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 TBSP. vegetable oil

Topping:

• 1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• dash of pepper
• 1 TBSP. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Combine water and oil; add flour mixture/ Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough. Knead 1-2 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. Punch the dough down; place on a greased 12″ pizza pan and pat into 12″ circle. brush with salad dressing. Combine the seasonings; sprinkle over top. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake @ 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

*picture from: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/italian-cheese-bread

The Pioneer Woman~Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Hi Everybody!  My family loves making this sweet bread for brunch or serving it with coffee or tea whenever we have company come over.  It really is a special treat!  I recommend visiting Ree Drummonds original Post of this recipe because she did an amazing tutorial to go with it!  Click> HERE <to go to the original recipe post.  Hope you all enjoy! 🙂

Ingredients: For the Dough

• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2-1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup (additional) All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 stick Butter, Melted
• 1-1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon

Icing:

• 3 cups Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• 1 Tablespoon Maple Extract
• 1/3 cup Whole Milk
• Dash Of Salt

Directions:

• To make the dough, combine milk, canola oil, and 1/2 cup sugar in a large saucepan. Heat it until very hot but not boiling. Turn off heat and allow to cool to warm (not at all hot.)

• Sprinkle in the yeast and add 4 cups of flour. Stir to combine, then put lid on the pot and allow to rise for 1 hour. After 1 hour, stir in additional 1/2 cup flour, along with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. If dough is overly sticky, stir in another 1/2 cup flour.

• Place dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour to make it easier to work with.

• Roll out dough onto a floured surface. Drizzle on melted butter and smear so that it covers all the dough. Mix together the sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle it all over the surface of the dough. (Dough should look very covered.)

• Cut the dough into 6 to 8 strips, then stack all the strips into one stack. Cut the stack of strips into 6 slices. Place the stacks sideways into a buttered bread pan. Do not cram the slices into the pan. (You may have a few leftover.)

• Cover with a dish towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, checking at 20 minutes to make sure it’s not getting too brown on top. It’s important to bake the bread long enough to ensure that the middle won’t be too doughy, because if it is it won’t pull apart easily. If the top looks like it’s getting too brown, cover it lightly with aluminum foil for the rest of the baking time. REPEAT: IT’S IMPORTANT TO BAKE THE BREAD LONG ENOUGH FOR THE CENTER TO NO LONGER BE DOUGHY.

• Remove the pan from the oven when it’s done. Run a knife along the edges and take the bread out of the pan. Mix together the icing ingredients and drizzle over the top, allowing it to sink into the crevices. Serve warm or room temperature!

(Note: You can do a cranberry-orange version with orange marmalade, brown sugar, and dried cranberries!Or you can also add cloves and more cinnamon if you prefer a stronger flavor with raisins! When we make this we also enjoy spreading a cream cheese frosting on top.)

Bon Appètit!

Photo & Recipe credit The Pioneer Woman.com

Hot Cross Buns

These are delicious rolls, especially with a little butter melted inside. 🙂 For as long as I can remember, my family has made these every year near Easter time. While we would sit down together at the table to enjoy these tasty delights, my mom and dad would explain the symbolic meaning of the ingredients in the bun: The raisins represent, the nail piercing of Jesus hands and feet, the cross represents His crucifixion, the spices in the bun represent the spices that Jesus’ body was wrapped in after his death on the cross. And lastly, the raised bread represents Jesus’ raising from the dead on the third day. What an incredible sacrifice He made for us, how great and big is our God!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” ~John 3:16

“Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. … He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken.”
-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17

Hot Cross Buns

• 1 1/4 cup lukewarm, milk
• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 3 1/2-4 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 TBSP. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 2 eggs
• 3 TBSP. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces.
• 1 cup raisins

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar heated to bubbling, for glaze

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1-2 TBSP. milk

Pour the milk into a small bowl and whisk in the yeast and 1/2 cup of the flour. Let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine 3 cups of the flour, the salt, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Stir in the yeast mixture. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the butter.

Knead by hand or with a dough hook, adding flour as necessary. Knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes; knead by hook until dough is not sticky and pulls cleanly from the bowl sides, 6-7 minutes. The dough will be soft.Form the dough into a ball and place in a clean, greased bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 1/2- 2 hours.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and press flat. Scatter with raisins over the dough. Fold in half, then knead to distribute the fruits. Dust lightly with flour and let rest for 10 minutes.

Grease and flour a baking sheet. On the work surface, roll the dough into a log 9 inches long. Cut into 18 equal pieces. Knead each piece into a ball. Arrange the balls, well spaced, on the prepared sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.

Place a shallow pan of boiling water on the floor. Using a sharp knife, slash a cross 1/2 inch deep on each bun. Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Transfer the buns to a wire rack and immediately brush with the hot glaze. Let cool and then drizzle the frosting in a cross on each bun. Serve slightly warm.

Yield: 18 buns

*picture from: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/hot_cross_buns/

Banana Bread/Cake

This is a tasty, cake-like, bread recipe. A wonderful way to use up bananas that have gone-by, actually old bananas are the best for this recipe. Enjoy!

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” ~Willie Nelson

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”~Melodie Beattie

Banana Bread/Cake

-Preheat oven 350 degrees

-Grease and flour pan

• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 1/4 cups Bananas mashed (3 bananas)
• 2/3 cup Buttermilk (add 1 scant Tablespoon vinegar to 2/3 cup regular milk if you don have buttermilk)
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla

-Mix wet and dry ingredients separately then mix together add mashed bananas last

-Makes 2 loaves

Other ideas…

-Bake Muffins- 20 minutes

-9×13 cake- 30 minutes (can be frosted and served as cake)

– Bread 30-35 minutes

– Bunt pan 45 minutes this is a good way to do it, it still cuts like bread but you only have 1 pan to wash!) 🙂

*picture from: http://www.123rf.com/photo_8946235_rye-bread-with-banana-and-honey.html

Bread Bowls (how to make them!)

My goodness, it has been a quite a while since I lasted posted anything, due to the fact that I was having some difficulties with my account. Thanks to my good friend, “Cookin’ Cowgirl” I am back up and running again! 🙂

I found this recipe while browsing the internet for a good bread to make “soup bowls”. I  tried this recipe and really liked it. If your in a hurry this is probably not the day to make “bread bowls”,  they take a while to make. Once I tried to cut the rising time of the bread and it didn’t turn out very good. Make sure when you make this recipe that you allow yourself plenty of time so that you don’t feel rushed.

“He that can have Patience, can have what he will.” – Benjamin Franklin

 

Bread (How to make  homemade bread bowls)

• Add 2 1/2 cups of warm water to a large mixing bowl, sprinkle 4 1/2 tsp. yeast into the water, stir until thoroughly dissolved.

• Add 1 TBSP. salt,1 TBSP. sugar, and 2 TBSP. vegetable oil ti the yeast mixture. Stir well to combine, and then add 3 cups of all-purpose flour. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth.

• Stir in up to 4 more cups of flour, until a stiff dough is formed. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured working surface. Knead for 10-12 minutes, or until a smooth, elastic consistency is achieved.

• Lightly coat a large,  clean mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and then place the dough inside. Roll it around to coat all the sides with the spray, and then cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Place in a warm area of the kitchen, and allow the dough to rise for one hour, or until doubled in size.

• Place the dough back onto the floured surface and punch it down to release any air. Divide into 6 equally sized portions and place them on two 9×13 greased cookie sheets and cover with a towel (allow each roll to have plenty of space to rise and expand) Let them rise for 45 minutes.

• Combine one egg and 1 TBSP. of milk in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until thoroughly mixed. Remove the towels from the bread rolls, and use a basting brush to brush each with the milk and egg mixture. This will ensure a golden, crispy texture is achieved. (be careful not to overdo the glaze so that it flows down on the pan, if this happens it will burn on the bottom of the bread bowls) Place cookie sheets in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

• Remove the cookie sheets from the oven when the bread bowls are golden brown and done. Immediately cut the top about an 1 1/2 inches from the diameter in a full circle of the bread bowl, dig out the inside of the bread bowl until just the outer layer of the bread is left, (be careful not to break the sides of the bowl that will hold the soup in.) I put the bits of bread from each bowl into separate little glass bowls and place it next to each persons soup to eat and add to there soup. To serve ladle soup into each bowl, filling about 3/4 of the way full.

*picture from: http://www.craftpassion.com/2012/04/recipe-bread-bowl.html/2