Sticky Buns

This is another Thomson Christmas tradition. It's very quick and easy to prepare, and a hit with the kids.

Sticky Buns

Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine or butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

14-16 Rhodes frozen rolls

chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

Spray pan(s) with cooking spray (a large bundt pan or several bread pans - something with a higher edge than just a casserole pan if possible. If not, the casserole pan will still work). Sprinkle half of the nuts on the pan, then place rolls on top. In a small saucepan, warm margarine, brown sugar, and cinnamon until sugar dissolves. Pour mixture over rolls and sprinkle remaining nuts on top. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until rolls are double in size. (Usually I put it together right before I go to bed and let it rise overnight.) Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for just a few minutes, then turn over unto serving plates.

Whole Wheat Bread

This is the bread we eat day in and day out around here. After several years of making it I have the recipe memorized and it only takes a few minutes for me to throw the ingredients in the bread maker, and later to shape the dough into a loaf. It's one of those little life pleasures that is worth the effort to me - for now at least!

Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/4 cup hot-ish water (not hot enough to kill the yeast--use your wrist to gage heat)
1/2 T yeast
2 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup self-rising bread flour
1/6 cup oil
1/6 cup honey
1/2 T salt
1/2 T gluten (optional)

Measure ingredients into bread maker in the following order:
water
yeast
1 1/3 cup wheat flour
oil and honey
1 cup wheat flour
salt
1 cup self-rising flour
gluten (if using)

Mix on "dough" setting. After cycle is complete, shape dough into a loaf, place in greased bread pan, and let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Brush top of finished loaf with butter. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.

*Notes: For the oil and honey, I use a 1/3 cup measure and fill it half full with oil, then to the top with honey before dumping it all in. The honey slides right out that way and you don't have to scrape it.

My Favorite Pizza Crust

{This time I made margherita pizza}

When it comes to dough, I am all about having my bread machine do most of the work whenever possible, which is one of the reasons I love this pizza crust recipe. The other reasons are: 1) it's delicious and 2) I can get two pizzas (one regular round and one slightly smaller) out of it.

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

Directions:

Combine water, olive oil, sugar, salt in pan of bread machine Add flour, then sprinkle garlic on flour. Lastly add yeast. Turn machine on dough cycle. As the dough mixes, sprinkle on oregano and basil until it suits you for color and taste.

Let mix for at least 20-30 minutes, then let the dough rest from 5 to 30 minutes (longer is better. To be honest I often just let it run the whole dough cycle which is 1 and 1/2 hours total).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Divide dough and press into two pizza pans. Add sauce, cheese, and toppings, and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Beautiful burger buns

Yes, homemade burger buns. You read that right. How come no one ever told me that making buns was super easy (easier than rolls and breadsticks) and that they taste SO much better than store bought? I don't know if I'll ever go back. Oh yes I will, but maybe only in a pinch.

So here are the buns that have been gracing our table the last few months whenever we have had a need for buns. Original recipe here.

Beautiful Burger Buns

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
2 T butter, softened
1 large egg
3 1/4 cups flour (I use 2 1/4 cups white, and 1 cup white whole wheat)
1/4 cup sugar
1 t salt
1 T quick-rising yeast
1 t onion powder
1/2 t dried onion flakes

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients and mix and knead them together, by hand or by mixer, until you have a soft, smooth dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour. (I just throw the ingredients in my bread maker and run the "dough" cycle.)
2. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each piece into a flattened ball; place the buns on greased baking sheets, cover and let rise 30-40 minutes, until they're puffy.
3. Preheat oven to 375°.
4. Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes, until they're golden brown; remove from oven and baking sheet and cool them on a rack.
5. Slice in half with a serrated knife and use for burgers or sandwiches.
6. (Optional) For burgers, butter the split sides and fry them, buttered side down, until they're golden brown and warmed through.

(Talk about poor presentation. Yes, I know my pan looks awful! Someday I will replace it.)

Homemade Dinner Rolls

No recipe blog of mine would be complete without my go-to dinner roll recipe. I loooove these rolls, and I love that I can bring a little bit of happiness to family and friends just by making them. I've made them so many times that I have them down almost without having to consult the recipe. They are simple too and they always impress people, which is fun. :)

First, pull out your bread maker or dough mixer (or your good old fashioned bowl and wooden spoon).
Next, get out your ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1/2 cup warm milk
1/3 cup white sugar
1 t salt
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I use whole white wheat flour for ONE of the cups but if you don't have it just use white)
2 1/4 t (or one .25 ounce package) active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened

Place all ingredients (except for final 1/4 cup butter) into bread machine, mixer or bowl. At this point I just run the dough cycle on my breadmaker. If you're using a mixer you can mix until a soft dough forms, and then let it rise in an oiled bowl for about an hour. (Or, if you're using a bowl and wooden spoon/your hands, do the same. And let me know how it turns out!)

Here is my dough after rising for an hour:
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and divide it in half:
Use a rolling pin to roll each half into a 12 inch circle, then spread with the 1/4 cup butter (I usually save some of the butter to spread on top after the rolls bake).
Dee was helping me and as you can see her dough is not in a perfect circle. This is perfectly ok - don't stress about it. The rolls will still taste just as good.

Then, use the blunt side of a butter knife to carefully cut each circle into 8 wedges (obviously this is only partway into the process):
Roll each wedge starting at wide end. Use both hands, not like me in this picture:I always make my rolls in crescent shapes like this because I get the best results this way. If round rolls float your boat, by all means make circles instead.

Place crescents point side down on a cookie sheet:Cover with a slightly dampened clean kitchen towel or sprayed plastic wrap. Let rolls rise double. Toward the end of rising time, preheat oven to 400 degrees. The rolls should look something like this after rising:
Bake 10-15 minutes, until golden. Oven temperatures vary, so if you're making these for the first time, just keep an eye on them so they don't burn. My old oven cooked hot and fast, so I used to have to cook them on 375. They bake just fine at 400 on my new (more accurate) oven.

Take a moment to stop and appreciate the beauty and the mouth watering smell that has entered your kitchen.
Go ahead and take a bite. Try not to burn your tongue.

Breadsticks

I was skeptical about making breadsticks because I've tried a couple of recipes that were total flops. Then I saw this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe (which is an awesome recipe blog), and I decided to give breadsticks another chance. I'm so glad I did, because I've made these three times now, and they have turned out great every time! Mia, who is the biggest bread lover in the family, is always asking me to make them.

Divine Breadsticks

*Note: start making the dough about an hour and 20 minutes before you want to serve these.

1 ½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 ½ cups flour (I use white whole wheat flour for one of the cups and all-purpose for the rest)
½ teaspoon salt
dried herbs - rosemary, basil, and thyme (or whatever you have/prefer)
3 tablespoons butter, melted (for the baking sheet)

Mix all ingredients except melted butter in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. I use my food processor with the dough blade attachment. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Spread melted butter onto an 11X17-inch baking sheet (jelly roll pan). Roll out the breadstick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Twist slightly and place about 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt, herbs, and parmesan cheese.

Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes. Preheat oven during rising time to 375 degrees.Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Serve alongside pasta, preferably with sauce to dip them in!