Jumbo Sour Cream Cinnamon Buns: Breakfast Is Served

Jumbo Sour Cream Cinnamon Buns: Breakfast Is Served

Hi everybody :) 
"Welcome to another Breakfast Is Served Sunday!" If you're just tuning  in to my post, every Sunday I try to post a Breakfast Is Served. Cheesy Ham & Tots Casserole was last week post. 

Today I'm doing cinnamon buns. These buns have a soft, velvety texture of the Sour Cream Pocketbook Rolls, because they too, are made using sour cream. They're rolled up jellyroll-styled and place in muffin tins after cutting. I decided to make them jumbo because I like big buns :) no pun intended. Let's get it started... 

 Sour Cream Cinnamon Buns
1 8-ounce carton sour cream
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 package active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly parked brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Heat sour cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat to 105° to 115°. 
In a large mixing bowl, combine warm sour cream, 2 tablespoons butter, and next 3 ingredients. 

 Add egg and yeast; blend well. 

Add 1 1/2 cups flour; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until well blended. 

Gradually stir in enough remaining 1 1/2 cups flour to make a soft dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 4 or 5 times.

Cover and let rest 5 minutes.
Roll dough into an 18- x 6-inch rectangle; (I roll out to about 14-x 8-inch) 

spread 2 tablespoons softened butter over dough. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over dough. 
Roll up dough, starting at long side, pressing  firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam to seal.


Slice roll into 12 (1 1/2-inch) slices. (I did 7 slices {about 2-inch})  Place slices, cut side down, in greased muffin pans. 

Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. 
Bake at 375° for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove buns from pan immediately; let cool on a wire rack. 

Combine powdered sugar and milk: drizzle over buns. Yield: 1 dozen.
Source: Christmas with Southern Living Cookbook: Volume 3

 What I did  and/or Think: 
    The changes I made was making these jumbo size and using a sour cream glaze, recipe below.
    The taste: If you loved the Sour Cream Pocketbook Rolls, then you're going to really love these buns. They have the same texture; fluffy, soft, velvety deliciousness swirled with cinnamon and brown sugar. 
    I wanted a thick glaze with a tangy sweet flavor so I made one this for the topping:
Sour Cream-Cheese Glaze:
1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon sour cream 
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 - 2 tablespoons milk or cream, enough to make it drizzle Whisk together cream cheese, sour cream and powdered sugar. Add enough milk or cream to make it drizzle. Drizzle over buns. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if desired.

ENJOY! Come again... 
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Sheet Pan Crackers: My Way

Sheet Pan Crackers: My Way

Hi everybody :)
I was in the mood for homemade crackers yesterday; and discovered this recipe in my cookbook. The crackers was designed to be cooked on inverted sheet pans, hence the name, Sheet Pan Crackers. Being too delicate and super-thin the dough would stick to parchment paper the standard solution for a tricky dough. But I thought I could do it my way and use the  Silpat for Bread  without any problems. So here's what I did...
 

Sheet Pan Cracker w/ Sea Salt & Salad Supreme Seasoning


Sheet Pan Crackers
1 3/4 - 2 cups (8 1/4 to 10 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon instant or rapid yeast
1/2  teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
2 teaspoons poppy, sesame, rye, and/or flax seeds (optional) Coarse sea salt or kosher salt, for sprinkling

1. Combine 1 3/4 cups of the flour, oil, honey, yeast, and table salt in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the water and mix until the dough  comes together, about 2 minutes.

2. Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, I tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom .

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and wrap tightly with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1/2 hours.

 4. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, and cover with greased plastic wrap. Working with one piece of dough at a time (keep the other piece covered), press, the dough into a small rectangle, place on silpat and roll out to rectangle shape about 1/8 inch thick. Place  silpat with dough on   baking sheet pan. (For those of you who do not have a silpat 
step #4 is below; for baking on inverted sheet pans.)
Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.

5. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the crackers with oil and sprinkle with the seeds (if using) and coarse sea salt. Bake until golden brown minutes, switching
and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking.
6. Let the crackers cool on the baking sheets for at least 15 minutes, then break into large pieces and serve.

 Sheet Pan Crackers w/ Sea Salt & Garlic Seasoning

 Variation:
Cheesy Sheet Pan Crackers
Since the cheese itself is salty, use a light hand  when sprinkling the coarse over the before baking.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese  over  the top  of each  sheet of crackers before baking.

To Make Ahead:
In step 3. do nor let the dough rise but refrigerate it overnight or up to 16 hours; let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes then continue with step 4.

 Step #4 : For Cooking on Inverted Pan:

1.Working with one piece of dough at a time, press the dough into a rough rectangle, then transfer to an inverted, (the bottom side) lightly greased baking sheet. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out as far as you can to the edges of the pan.

2 Using your finger, gently stretch the dough to the edge of the pan. If the dough snap back from the edge, let it rest for a few minutes and try again.

3. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle coarse salt and seeds (if using).

4. After the crackers have been baked and cooled, gently break them into large rustic pieces.

Source: The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

What I Think:
Baking the crackers on the silpat  was a GREAT idea. I just peeled the crackers off when cooled. They were crispy and delicious. I think I love the taste of these better than the Homemade Crackers I did before.  I really love the rustic look of them too. By breaking these up into large pieces, instead of having to roll out and shape, is an added bonus for making these crackers a great REPEAT.

ENJOY! Come again...
Linked to: 
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Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage
The Mandatory Mooch Tasty Thursday
Food-Tastic Fridays @ Not Your Ordinary Recipes
Roxana's Home Baking: March Bake Your Own Bread
 

Sweet-n-Spicy Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork & Hamburger Buns

Sweet-n-Spicy Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork & Hamburger Buns

Hi everybody :)

I'm bringing you two in one today. The recipes I'm sharing are Sweet-n-Spicy Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork and Hamburger Buns. I prepared the pork by slow-cooking it in my  Super Pot, but it can also be adjusted for a regular crock-pot or slow-roasted in the oven like The Pioneer Woman did on her blog. I also played around with the flavors a little. For the buns, I adjusted it by using part wheat flour, olive oil in the place of vegetable  and adding Vital Wheat Gluten, which is optional. I also cut them bigger because I like really big buns :) But it can be prepared just with all-purpose flour like Jane did on her blog. So with the help of two great bloggers, I put together these delicious recipes. Here's how I did it... 

Sweet-n-Spicy Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

1 cup chopped onion

1 Pork Shoulder Butt (7 - 9 lbs.)

Salt & Pepper

1 teaspoon Lawry's perfect Blend SWEET BASIL, CITRUS & GARLIC RUB 

1 can Dr. Pepper (12 fl. oz)

1/4 cup brown sugar 

Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet n' Spicy BBQ Sauce

Heat the Super Pot to 300 degree (slow-cooking temp). Add the onions. Season the meat with salt & pepper and perfect Blend. Place in pot. Mix soda and brown sugar together, add to the sides of pot. Cover and cook until fork-tender. (This took about 3 hrs and 30 minutes in the Super Pot).

Remove meat from pot and place on a cutting board or work surface. Use two forks to shred meat, discarding the large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fatty liquid off the top as you can and discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve. (Tip: Refrigerate the meat and liquid separately, then remove hardened fat once it's cold.) 

Heat up the liquid and meat on the stove top add the BBQ sauce and serve on buns.(Add a little more Dr. Pepper to thin it out, if desired.)

Variation: Serve on warm flour tortillas. Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, grated cheese, avocado slices, salsa.  

Source: partly adapted The Pioneer Woman

Now on to the second recipe:

Classic Homemade Hamburger Buns

Hamburger Buns
Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour, lightly whisked
1 tablespoon Vital Wheat Gluten 
2  1/4 teaspoons yeast 
1 cup warm water
3 oz. olive oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 ex-large egg, lightly beaten 

In mixing bowl with paddle attachment combine two cups of the flour and yeast on low speed for several seconds. In a medium bowl, stir together the warm water, oil, eggs, sugar, and salt. Add this into the mixer bowl. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds; stop and scrape the bowl and beaters, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 3 more minutes until smooth.

Remove the mixer bowl from the mixer and stir in the remaining flour by hand. 

If it's extremely soft and still almost liquidity, add in a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time until it seems more workable. (I added 3 tablespoons.) Dump the dough out onto a well floured work surface and knead it until it feels smooth and elastic

Spray cooking spray in a large bowl. Place dough in bowl turning to coat it all over with the oil. Cover the bowl with a sprayed plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm spot free from draft. Let the dough rise until it's about doubled, perhaps one hour or so. (Because this is a rich dough due to the egg(s) and sugar content it may take a little longer.)

Cover two half-sheet pans with parchment paper or foil. Punch down the dough. On a very lightly floured surface, divide it into three equal portions using a bench knife, or a very sharp chef's knife. Cut each portion into four pieces. (I cut mines into 3 pieces, so I had 9 buns instead of 12.) Cover the pieces with a sheet of sprayed plastic wrap and let them rest for about ten minutes. 
Uncover them and shape each one them into a smooth ball by rolling it in a small circular motion on your work surface, held gently beneath your closed fingers and palm. Tightly pinch closed any seam on the bottom. Place buns on the two half-sheet pans. Press them down into 3 and 1/2 inch circles. 
(I rolled four of them into 8" ropes and tied and tuck them under, the remaining ones I shaped into buns, cut an x on each.)

Cover them again with the sprayed plastic wrap and a light dishcloth and put them in a warm spot. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and let the buns rise for about half an hour as the oven heats up.  Brush the top of each one with melted unsalted butter, just before place them in the oven. (I dusted them all with corn meal.

The buns will bake quickly. Peek at them after about ten minutes. Take them out when the tops are golden and the bottoms are deeply golden. (I baked mines for 13 minutes.)
Source: Jane 's Sweets & Baking Journal
What I Thinks:
 It was delicious; the pork, the buns, it all turn out perfect. If you ever decides to make the homemade buns, you would wonder why you buy them. I think they would also make delicious hotdog buns too. I got to try that next :) The pork was super easy to prepare and was great paired with the buns. Sweet but not too sweet with a little spiciness to add some heat :)
ENJOY! Come again...
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Asiago Ciabatta: Making Ciabatta

Asiago Ciabatta: Making Ciabatta

Hi everybody :)
It's time to bake some bread, I been working on a recipe I think you'll going to love. I always wanted to make homemade ciabatta loaves, so today I'm giving it a try :) The ciabatta start off with a sourdough starter called a biga starter. The biga starter sit overnight at room temperature for up to 20 hours, so plan ahead if you're are making these loaves. The starter is added to the remaining ingredients, the dough is than proofed up to 2 more hours. Then it is carefully shaped into long loaves about 12 x 4 inches each, proofed 45 more minutes and baked. I make a few changes by forming 1 big loaf and 4 mini loaves, adding Asiago cheese to the big loaf. Let's get it started... 

Biga Starter
1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) pumpernickel, rye, or whole wheat flour
1 cup (8 ounces) water
1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

Dough
all of the starter
2 1/2 cups (10 5/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (4 ounces) water
1 tablespoon Pizza Dough Flavoring (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
4 to 5 ounces Asiago or Parmesan cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup), plus extra for grating over the top of the bread

Biga: 
Mix all of the biga ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until well-blended. (I mixed it and covered it at 12:00 p.m. yesterday.)

Cover the bowl, and leave it at cool room temperature (68°F-70°F) for 12 to 20 hours, until the biga is very bubbly. (I let it sit until 8:00 a.m. today)

Dough: 
Mix the biga and the remaining dough ingredients, except the cheese, 

using an electric mixer set on slow speed, for 2 to 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix for about 4 minutes; the dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Add additional water or flour if necessary. 

 Mix in the cheese; don't worry if some pieces pop out.

(I divided the dough in halves and only added the cheese to 1/2 of the dough.)

Allow the dough to rise, in a greased, covered bowl, for 1 to 2 hours, until it's very puffy. Note: You can also mix this dough in a bread machine set on the dough cycle; add the diced cheese several minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and shape it into two long loaves, about 12 x 4 inches each. Place the loaves, floured side up, onto parchment paper (if you plan to bake on an oven stone) or baking sheets.(I sprinkled with cheese before the 45 minutes proofing. Be very careful when shaping to keep the dough light and airy. Don't use foil because the cheese will stick to it, I find out the hard way)

(I shaped the other half into 4 mini ciabatta loaves.)

Cover the loaves with a proof cover or well-greased plastic wrap, and allow them to rise for 45 minutes, or until they're very puffy. Sprinkle them with additional grated cheese.

Bake the ciabatta in a preheated 450°F oven for 22 to 26 minutes, until it's golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack. Yield: 2 loaves.
Source: King Arthur Flour

 What I Did and/or Think:
I really enjoy making these loaves, even though it was a bit time consuming. 

The taste: I love the taste of the Asiago loaf better than the mini ones. The structure was airy with a chewy texture. To get the right structure be very careful when shaping, don't press the dough down, you want it to be nice and puffy with big air pockets. I will be REPEATING this one ladies. My loaves weren't as puffy as I would have liked, but they were delicious!
UPDATE: Here's what I did with the mini loaves. Mini Bruschetta Pizzas 

ENJOY! Come again... 

Linked to:  
YeastSpotting! @ wildyeast  
The Better Baker Weekend Potluck 
BYOB @ Roxana's Home Baking : Baking Your Own Bread
Foodie Fridays @ Designs By Gollum
Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage