Chocolate Sticky Buns

Ganache Filling
• 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate - 56 grams
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream, heated until warm - 28 grams
• 1 Tbsp corn syrup or honey - grams
• 1 large egg white - 30 grams

Topping
• 1/4 cup butter, softened - 56 grams
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar - 112 grams
• 1 Tbsp corn syrup or honey - 21 grams
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream, heated until warm - 42 grams
• Optional - 3/4 cup coarsely broken walnut pieces (not toasted) - 85 grams
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips - 170 grams
• 1 recipe basic Brioche dough

Make the sticky bun filling.
Place chocolate in a microwaveable bowl, and microwave it. Stir every 15 seconds until almost completely melted, then remove and stir until fully melted. Add the heavy cream and syrup, stir until smooth. Add in the egg white and stir until incorporated. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours, it should be firm but spreadable.

Make the sticky bun topping.
In a small saucepan, off the heat, stir together the butter, brown sugar, and syrup until the sugar is moistened. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes without stirring. This will allow the caramel to turn dark brown (there will be many bubbles). If you are using a thermometer, you want it to read 244 degrees F.

Add the heavy cream and mix it in. Continue simmering for 3 minutes to bring it back up to 244 degrees F. Pour the caramel mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle walnuts on top (is using). Cool completely.

Fill the dough
On a well floured surface, roll the dough into a 14x12 inch rectangle. Move it around from time to time to make sure it is not sticking, add more flour as necessary. Spread the ganache filling evenly over top, going right up to the edges. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips. Roll it up along the long edge, so the finished length is 12 inches. For ease of cutting, place the roll on a cutting board and put in the freezer for 10-20 minutes.

Cut the rolls into slices 1-inch thick using dental floss (not mint flavoured), kitchen string, or a sharp knife. One way to do this is cut in 4 pieces, then cut each piece into thirds. Place them in the prepared pan.

Let them rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until they double in size.

Note: If you want to bake the buns the following day, let them partially rise, then refrigerate them for up to 14 hours. They will take about 2.5 hours to rise before baking.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes (internal temp 180). If the tops look like they are browning too fast, place a piece of tin foil over the pan. Cool the buns for 3 minutes, then unmold them onto a serving platter.

  

Basic Brioche

Dough Starter (Sponge)
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce or 29.5 grams) water, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon or 12.5 grams sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon (.8 grams) instant yeast (also known as Instant Active Dry, Rapid Rise
• 1/2 cup (2.5 ounces or 71 grams) unbleached all purpose flour, preferably Gold Medal
• 1 large egg, room temp. (2 ounces 58 grams weighed in the shell)

Flour Mixture
• 156 grams unbleached all purpose flour, preferably Gold Medal (1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons or 5.5 ounces)
• 25 grams sugar (2 tablespoons or about 0.75 ounce)
• 4 grams instant yeast (1 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs (cold) (4 ounces or 113 grams weighed in the shells)
• 113 grams or 8 Tablespoons or unsalted butter (must be very soft)

Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe here.

Equipment: A heavy duty mixer with dough hook attachment. (16) 2 3/4- inch brioche molds, or one 8 1/2- inch by 4 1/2- inch loaf pan, lightly greased with cooking spray or oil or well buttered. A baking stone or baking sheet.

One day up to 2 days ahead make the dough

1) Make the dough starter (sponge)
In the large mixer bowl place the water, sugar, instant yeast, flour, and whole egg. Whisk until very smooth to incorporate air, about 3 minutes. The dough will be the consistency of a very thick batter. (At first the dough may collect inside the whisk but just shake it out and keep whisking. If it’s too thick to whisk it means you’ve added to much flour and will need to add a little of the egg normally added when mixing the dough in step 3.) Scrape down the sides.

2) Combine the ingredients for the flour mixture
In a small bowl, mix the flour with the sugar and yeast. Then whisk in the salt. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the sponge. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it stand for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The sponge will bubble through the flour mixture in places. This is fine. (To suit your time schedule, the sponge can be refrigerated after the first hour up to 24 hours. If you’re in a rush you can skip the sponge step entirely but the added depth of flavor makes it worth the wait.)

3) Mix the dough
Add the remaining 2 cold eggs and with the dough hook on low (#2 Kitchen Aid) beat for about 1 minute or until the flour is moistened. Raise the speed to medium (#4 Kitchen Aid) beat for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with an oiled spatula and continue beating for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and shiny but very soft and sticky. It will mass around the dough hook but not pull away from the bowl completely. Add the butter by the tablespoon, waiting until the butter is almost completely absorbed before adding the next tablespoon. Continue beating until all the butter is incorporated.

4) Let the dough rise
Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 2 quart dough rising container or bowl, greased lightly with cooking spray or oil. The dough will weigh about 19 ounces / 536 grams. (It will increase slightly in weight after rolling and folding it in step 6.) It will be very soft and elastic and will stick to your fingers unmercifully. Don’t be tempted to add more flour at this point; the dough will firm considerably after chilling. Lightly spray or oil the top of the dough and cover it with a lid, plastic wrap, or a damp towel. With a piece of tape mark on the side of the container approximately where double the height would be. Allow the dough to rise until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

5) Chill the dough
Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour to firm which will prevent the butter from separating. Gently deflate the dough by stirring it with a rubber scraper and return it to the refrigerator for another hour so that it will be less sticky to handle.

6) Deflate and rechill the dough and allow it to rest (6 hours to 2 days, chilled)
Turn the dough onto a well floured surface and press or roll it into a rectangle, flouring the surface and dough as needed to keep the dough from sticking. The exact size of the rectangle is not important.

Give the dough a business letter turn, brushing off any excess flour, and again press down on it or roll it out into a rectangle. Rotate it 90 degrees so that the closed end is facing to your left. Give it a second business letter turn and round the corners. Dust it lightly on all sides with flour. Wrap it loosely but securely in plastic wrap and then place it in a large zip-seal bag or wrap it in foil and refrigerate for 6 hours up to 2 days to allow the dough to ripen (develop flavor) and firm. (For sticky buns it’s fine to use it after 2 hours or until well chilled as there is so much flavor in the filling the subtle difference in the flavor of the dough from longer chilling would be unnoticed.

Pointers for Success
On some mixers there may not be an adjustment to raise the bowl and a dough hook may not work as well for this small amount of dough. If this is the case, switch to the paddle beater.

Original Verion of recipe here.

  

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

• 2 sticks butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 pint sour cream
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar.  Gradually add eggs. Add next 5 ingredients until well blended.

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

In separate bowl, mix nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon to make filling. Pour less than half of batter into well greased 10 inch tube pan.  Spread top evenly with filling mixture.  Spoon on the remaining batter and bake at 350 deg. for 45 to 60 minutes. 

Martha Miller's Bread

Martha Miller's Bread And sister's Irene Shoemaker

Cook one sliced potato in enough water to cover or use mashed potato that has been left over. Add 7 tsp. salt‑cook until tender and mash‑cool to luke warm.

Bring one quart milk to which you have added 1/2 cup sugar to a boil. Do not leave it boil, just when the bubbles start. Cool to luke warm [takes about 45 minutes to an hour to cool] while milk is still hot add 1 1/2 sticks butter [this will melt in the hot milk and help cool it.]

Place 3 pkgs. Of either dry or cake yeast in 3/4cup luke warm water for 5 minutes.

Beat 6 whole eggs‑add all the above ingratiates together in large dish pan or large utensil and stir in flour. It usually takes around 5 lb. or better of flour. Do not get dough too stiff but just stiff enough to work. Let dough rise, it will take around 3 hrs. for the first rise, work down and let rise again. This time it will not take more than ‑‑an hour.

Fill greased bread pans half full, it will take about 45 min. for it to rise to the top of the pan. Bake in oven 400 for 10 minutes reduce heat to 325 and bake for 40 minutes more. This will give you 7 or 8 loaves plus a coffee cake. You will have good luck if you keep it at the same temp. all the time it is rising, which should be slightly above 70. Good idea to use oven or closet to keep out of drafts.

Golden Corral Rolls

• 1 envelope Active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
• 1/4 cup Very warm water
• 1/3 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Scalding hot milk
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
• 4 1/2 cups Sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons Melted butter or margarine, for brushing rolls

Sprinkle the yeast over very warm water in a large bowl (Very warm water should feel comfortably warm when dropped on wrist.) Stir until yeast dissolves.

Add sugar, the 1/4 cup butter or margarine and salt to hot milk and stir until the sugar dissolves and butter or margarine is melted. Cool mixture to 105 to 115 degrees. Add milk mixture to yeast, then beat in egg.

Beat in 4 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.

Use some of the remaining 1/2 cup of the flour to dust a pastry cloth. Knead the dough lightly for 5 minutes, working in the remaining flour (use it for flouring the pastry cloth and your hands). Place dough in a warm buttered bowl; turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours.

Punch dough down and knead 4 to 5 minutes on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Dough will be sticky, but use as little flour as possible for flouring your hands and the pastry cloth, otherwise the rolls will not be as feathery light as they should be. Pinch off small chunks of dough and shape into round rolls about 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 inches in diameter. Place in neat rows, not quite touching, in a well-buttered 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Cover rolls and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.

Brush tops of rolls with melted butter or margarine, then bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned

Jim N Nick's-like Cheese Biscuits

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour 
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 
• 3/4 cup 2% milk 
• 1 egg, beaten 
• 4 tbsp butter softened 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 

Mix ingredients together. Pour in to greased muffin pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until done. Makes 12 biscuits. Serve with butter.

Honey Butter

• 1 Pound Butter
• 1/4 Cups Honey
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Place butter into the mixer's work bowl and beat at low speed, using the whisk attachment to loosen the butter.

Increase the speed to medium and add the honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove butter from bowl and spoon onto parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll into a log and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Basic Scones

• 4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (original recipe calls for 4)
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (optional)
• 3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
• 4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons optional

Ina's Scone recipe, slighly altered

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Add any additional flavorings to the dough (blueberries), and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Or just cut the dough into rough squares.

Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.

Or FREEZE them for later baking, just remove from freezer and bake as directed in this recipe.

Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash (optional), sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and drizzle over the scones.

Petit Cheddar Biscuits

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ 
• 4 level teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 6 tablespoon cubed cold butter 
• 1/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese (1-ounce) 
• 3/4 cup buttermilk 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees ° Fahrenheit.

Butter a baking sheet.

In the bowl of a mixer or food processor, combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and salt and process briefly to combine. Add the butter and cheese and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour in the buttermilk, then process until the dough comes together, about 15 seconds.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Knead 3 times only, then pat into a circle 3/4-inch thick.

Cut into petite biscuits, using a 1-inch biscuit cutter. Place the dough circles on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in the upper third of the oven, until puffed and golden.

Pumpkin Bread

• 16 oz Pumpkin
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 3 Cup Sugar
• 2/3 Cup Water
• 3 1/2 Cups Flour
• 2 Teaspoon Soda
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Cloves
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon All spice
• 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg

 Combine flour, salt and soda. Mix all ingredients with electric mixer (adding eggs 1 at at time). Pour into greased bread pans.

Bake 350 ° for 1 1/2 hours. Makes 2 bread loaves.

Beer Bread

• 3 cups self rising flour
• 1/3 cups sugar
• 12 oz beer
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup melted butter

Heat oven to 375 °

Spray loaf pan with pan spray.

Mix, add to pan, back for up to 1 hour

Home-Style French Bread ( 1 loaf )

• 1 envelope (1/4-ounce) active dry yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F.)
• 3/4 tablespoons salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• Optional: 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Combine sugar and warm water in large bowl (preferably ele. mixer bowl), mix to dissolve the sugar.

Sprinkle yeast on top of water, alternately you can mix the yeast into the water. Wait 2 to 5 minutes or until the yeast looks like it is doing something.

Add flour into the water mixture, stir with wooden spoon a few times, then add the salt. With an elc. mixer on low, mix until the dough starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and crawls up to dough hook.  You can add more flour if the dough is too sticky, about 1 tbl at a time.

Lightly grease a mixing bowl with the oil or pan spray. Place the dough in the greased bowl and turn once. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or towel and place in a warm, draft free place until the dough doubles in size about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the dough from the bowl and invert it onto a floured surface.  Pat into a large rectangle, about 3/4-inch thick. Roll up the dough, beginning with the short side and stopping after each full turn to press the edge of the roll firmly into the flat sheet of dough to seal. Press with your fingertips. Tuck and roll so that any seams disappear into the dough.

Place loaf on a lightly greased baking sheet. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes, about 1-inch apart, on the top the loaf.  Sprinkle some salt on the loaf.

Let the dough rise for about an hour or bake it now if you are in a hurry.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees ° Fahrenheit.

Optional: With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash evenly over each loaf. Place a cup of hot water in an oven-proof container on the baking sheet with the loaves.

Bake 30 - 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Internal temp will be between 205 and 210

Recipe for 2 loaves

Home-Style French Bread

• 2 envelopes (1/4-ounce each) dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F.)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups flour
• Optional: 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Combine sugar and warm water in large bowl (preferably ele. mixer bowl), mix to dissolve the sugar.

Sprinkle yeast on top of water, alternately you can mix the yeast into the water. Wait 2 to 5 minutes or until the yeast looks like it is doing something.

Add 4 1/2 cups flour into the water mixture, stir with wooden spoon a few times, then add the salt. With an elc. mixer on low, mix until the dough starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and crawls up to dough hook.  You can add more flour if the dough is too sticky.  Sometimes 4.5 cups is enough, sometimes 5 cups.

Lightly grease a mixing bowl with the oil or pan spray. Place the dough in the greased bowl and turn once. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or towel and place in a warm, draft free place until the dough doubles in size about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the dough from the bowl and invert it onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Pat each portion into a large rectangle, about 3/4-inch thick. Roll up the dough, beginning with the short side and stopping after each full turn to press the edge of the roll firmly into the flat sheet of dough to seal. Press with your fingertips. Tuck and roll so that any seams disappear into the dough.

Place each loaf on a lightly greased baking sheet. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes, about 1-inch apart, on the top of each loaf.  Sprinkle some salt on top of each loaf.

Let the dough rise for about an hour or bake it now if you are in a hurry.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees ° Fahrenheit.

Optional: With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash evenly over each loaf. Place a cup of hot water in an oven-proof container on the baking sheet with the loaves.

Bake 30 - 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Internal temp will be between 205 and 210

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Slice to serve.

Makes 2 Loaves

Recipe for 1 loaf

Easy Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water (about 110° F.)
2 T honey
1 T yeast (You can use less )
3 cups flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Optional: 1 tsp Spice Island Italian Herb Seasoning

Pour warm water into a bowl of electric stand mixer. Add the honey. Stir until well blended. Add the yeast and stir. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of flour and the olive oil, mix with wooden spoon until blended. Add salt and the rest of the flour, 1 cup at a time, and any other spices, mix well with wooden spoon, once combined use electric mixer to knead for 5 to 8 minutes. The dough should turn into a ball and have a smooth texture.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and store in a warm dry area to rise.

After about 45 minutes the dough should have about doubled in size, punch it down and let it rise for another hour to an hour and a half.

The dough is now ready to be rolled out. You can punch the dough down one more time if you want and wait another hour or two before rolling out.

Makes 4 small "lunch" size pizzas,"thin crust".
When ready to make pizza, divide dough in half, then half the "halves" to make four dough pieces.
Back at 450 to 500 deg.