A Holiday Kitchen Keeper - Norwegian Christmas Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I made 12 loaves of this bread today using a recipe "remembered" from my childhood. The bread is plainer than most of the Norwegian Christmas breads I've seen on other blogs, but it is a favorite for a reason. I first had it in the kitchen of a neighbor when I was about four years old. Long time readers of my blog know that I grew up in a duplex complex surrounded by wonderful cooks. This bread was made by Mrs. P, and while her background was Swedish, she claimed all of Scandinavia as her own. This bread was a favorite of hers, and, truth be told, it was known to appear on her table at times other than Christmas. While her bread contained the requisite candied peels and cardamom, she never used the glacéd cherries usually found in Scandinavian Christmas loaves. She had heated discussions with Hannie, a German neighbor and her arch baking rival, who insisted they should be used in Christmas breads. They'd go back and forth as to the merits of glacéd cherries, but Mrs P insisted you'd never find them in Finnish or Norwegian farm kitchens. She may have had a point. She candied her own lemon and lime peel, but cherries in the quantity needed for holiday baking were hard to come by. I never dared ask how lemons and limes made it to remote areas of Scandinavia and that was probably just as well. When it comes to vintage recipes some things must be accepted on faith. While memory may have clouded my judgment, I like the bread well enough to share it with my friends. That includes you. Here's how the bread is made.

English Muffin Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...In the beginning days of One Perfect Bite, I made English muffins as a curiosity. There was no compelling reason to do so, but I wanted to add another notch to my belt and prove, basically to myself, that should the need ever arise, I had English muffins covered. While the process was not hard, it was way too much work for something I could buy in the grocery store just five minutes from my home. When I saw this recipe in Cook's Country magazine I had to give it a try. The bread seemed easy to make and I was curious to see if it bore any resemblance to the real thing. I can report that the recipe makes loaves that are dense and chewy and packed with nooks and crannies that are just waiting for a pat of butter and schmear of jam. Slices of the bread  are almost like English muffins, and if you enjoy working with yeast, I urge you to give this recipe a try. The loaves are made like a batter bread and if you avoid overmixing, you just can't go wrong. Here is the recipe.

Hooked - Quick and Crusty Hard Rolls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This recipe comes close to producing a perfect hard roll. When freshly made, they have crusts that shatter when you bite into them and their interiors are pillowy soft. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, this recipe defines simplicity. All the ingredients get thrown into a bowl and the contents are beaten until everything is mixed and a dough is formed. The dough goes into the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before it is shaped and left to rise again. That's it. The original recipe came from King Arthur Flour and I found it on a food board whose name I no longer remember. The slow rise in the refrigerator actually improves the flavor of the rolls, so don't be tempted to cut it short. The dough can be kept for up to five days before it begins to sour. This recipe calls for instant yeast which is slightly more potent than active dry yeast. A discussion of the two types of yeast can be found here. You can substitute one for the other if you wish. Like all breads of this type, the rolls are best eaten the day they are made. They lose their crackle if they sit over night and stale very quickly. The stale rolls do, however, make wonderful stuffing for pork chops or a small chicken, and when the rolls are fresh from the oven, they make a perfect accompaniment for soup. I hope you'll give them a try. Here's the recipe.

Romanian Holiday Bread - Cozonac

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love bread and Christmas in our home would be incomplete without a holiday loaf that we can break together and eat with our coffee on Christmas morning. Some of the breads are beautiful, elaborate affairs, while others are downright plain in their simplicity. Plain or pretty, they must be delicious to make it to my table, and if they have a story to tell they are sure to be a shoe in. This Romanian bread is much like Italian panettone and while it is time consuming to make, it is easier to make than its Italian cousin. While this is not a beginner's bread, those who have a modicum of patience and a bit of experience with yeast breads, will be in for a treat come Christmas or New Year's morning. Here is how this Romanian bread is made.

Romanian Holiday Bread - Cozonac...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of about.com

Ingredients:
2-1/2 tablespoons + 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup +1/2 cup + 1/4 cup milk
1 package active dry yeast
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup superfine sugar
4 ounces light or dark raisins
Zest of 1 lemon
4 ounces melted butter
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 ounce walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions:
1) Scald 1/2 cup milk and stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Let cool 10 minutes.
2) Heat another 1/2 cup milk just until lukewarm. Do not scald. Place yeast in a small bowl and pour lukewarm milk over, stirring until dissolved. Add yeast mixture to flour paste and beat until large air bubbles appear. Cover and let rise at least 15 minutes.
3) Heat remaining 1/4 cup milk to lukewarm. Do not overheat. Pour into a warmed large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Add, stirring after each ingredient, the egg yolks, sugar, raisins, zest, yeast mixture and flour. Knead about 10 minutes by machine or 15-20 minutes with buttered hands while still in the bowl, adding butter as necessary to achieve a nonsticky, pliable, moist ball of dough. It will probably take about 3 ounces of butter. Save the rest.
3) Add rum, vanilla and oil and knead another 2-3 minutes. Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. Punch down and with hands dipped in some of the reserved melted butter, knead another 5-10 minutes.
4) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10- to 12-inch round pan that is at least 3 inches deep with cooking spray. Using buttered hands, twist the dough and place in the pan. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until dough reaches the top of the pan.
5) Mix 1 large egg yolk with 1 tablespoon cold water and brush top of dough. Sprinkle walnuts and a few raisins on the dough, if desired. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick tests clean or an instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees.
6) Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. If you wish, while the cake is still hot, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and walnuts. Yield: 1 loaf.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

                One Year Ago Today:                                                     Two Years Ago Today:

                    Chocolate Nusse                                                        Braciola and Tomato Sauce

                Three Years Ago Today:                                               Four Years Ago Today: 

       Moroccan Chicken Smothered in Olives                                  Christmas Bread Round-Up

Overnight Lemon Sweet Rolls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Several of my most constant readers will be celebrating Father's Day today. Have a great day gentlemen. I hope your holiday is jam-packed with family, food and fun. The Silver Fox, who daily reads the blog because I make him, was reminiscing about holiday's past and his most vivid memories of the day involved ties that glowed in the dark and soap on a rope. He'd forgotten the gallons of Old Spice that came his way over the years. Had I had more time, I would have created a goodie bag of presents past, just to see what his reaction would be. Alas, it was too late for that, but I have been able to put together a few special dishes for the day. Father's Day breakfast is a happening affair at our house. By the time we back away from the table, enough calories have been consumed to keep engines running for a week. I'm trying new sweet rolls this year and they turned out well-enough to share with you. They are an easy lemon-sugar version of classic cinnamon rolls, and if you are a lemon head I know you'll enjoy them. These are no-knead refrigerator rolls, and while they are more subtle than their cinnamon cousins, they are delicious. While I know it is frowned upon, I make my lemon sugar at the last minute. I've found that sugar and lemon peel that are pulsed together in a food processor, make a lemon sugar that is a match for the old-school aged variety and it does not require forethought. I use the sugar to make a butter that is the base for a filling that also includes coconut and chopped almonds. It is a winning combination. I've also added cream cheese to the glaze I make for the rolls. It adds a richness that makes these homely buns worthy of a celebration. I do hope you will try them. Here is how they are made.

Seeded Buttermilk Yeast Rolls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm starting to put together the final menu for our Easter dinner, and wherever I can, I'm baking and freezing courses ahead of time. I decided to make molasses yeast rolls, as well as these buttermilk rolls, to accompany our meal. Both rolls are delicious and just as handsome as they can be, but the buttermilk rolls have a color that makes them the sirens of the bread kingdom. Would that I could, my Easter dinner would be a salad and as many of these rolls as my poor stomach could hold. I also made and froze the soup that I'll be serving as our starter course. That means I have to be more cautious with my make-ahead preparations from this point on, because the freezer is now as crowded as Tokyo subways at rush hour. If I'm really clever and carefully stack, I can squeeze one of the cakes I plan to serve in there as well. More about that tomorrow. These rolls are simple to make and they freeze well. I use poppy seeds for sprinkling because there is an old-world quality about them that I love. If you make and freeze the rolls, bring them to room temperature, wrap them in foil, warm in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes and they'll be as good as new. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. I know your friends and family will love them. Here is how the rolls are made.

Hollywood-Style Hot Cross Buns

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There is no truth to the rumor that I'm on a quest to find the world's greatest Hot Cross Bun. It may, however,  be true that I'm infirm of purpose when I find a new recipe for them that looks better than my current favorite. I think that's what happened here. I was lured by a gorgeous photo and then roped and tied by the name, Hollywood's Hot Cross Buns. My first thought was California but I quickly learned I was way off base. As it turns out, Paul Hollywood is an English baker and celebrity chef, who best known for being a judge on the BBC One's The Great British Bake Off. Pictures of his Hot Cross Buns are all over the internet and while his buns, which require 3 rises, are more time consuming than most to make, I can tell you they are delicious and worth every second they take to assemble. They are my favorite, at least for this year. I'm not going to repeat the history of the buns tonight, but if you are curious, I included it in my first post about them and you can find that information, here. I hope you will give tonight's recipe a try. The buns have a decidedly fluffy texture and the dried fruit and spices give them a well-developed flavor. The dough is quite damp, so you will want to oil the surface on which you knead it to prevent sticking. Rest assured, if you keep at it, the dough will come together and you will have lovely fragrant buns to serve your family and friends. Here is how the buns are made.

Dill and Onion Batter Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I suspect the blast of the latest winter storm has set the soup pot simmering in many a kitchen. It certainly has in mine. Yesterday, I made tomato soup and wanted to dress it up a bit with some homemade bread. Actually, I was more interested in the aroma of bread than the loaf itself. I wanted to make quick work of its preparation, so I decided to make a yeasted batter bread. Batter breads are notoriously easy to make and this loaf, which is perfect for novice bakers, was no exception. In a bit more than 2 hours, I had a lovely herb bread whose fragrance was easily a match for that of the madrone being burned in our neighbor's wood stove. The bread was lovely, but the next time I make it, I plan to cut the amount of dill and onion in half. I found the amount suggested by the recipe developer to be a bit overpowering, and if the soup I made was not so mild in flavor, the bread would have been too much. If you are looking for an easy bread to add to your kitchen arsenal, do give this one a try, but give some thought to cutting back on the amount of onion and dill that you use. Here is how this very simple bread is made.

Cream Cheese, White Chocolate and Almond Coffee Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This coffee cake is a bit of a cheat. It gets a head start by using frozen bread dough which can be homemade or the kind you purchase at the supermarket. Once the dough has thawed, this ladder-style coffee cake can be table ready in about 90 minutes. The recipe is simple and straight forward, but there is one point at which you might get into trouble. The filling for the ladder should be spreadable but not runny. Sometimes a large egg will add too much liquid to the filling and cause it to spill out from the dough. You can avoid this by using a smaller egg, or adding the large egg by tablespoons until the filling can be spooned onto the bread dough and still hold its shape. While this coffeecake is over the top when made with Danish or puff pastry, it is still quite good when ordinary bread dough is used. If you like white chocolate and need a new recipe for coffeecake, why not give this one a try. Here is how this simple cake is made. 

No-Knead Ciabatta Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a recipe that falls into the "on the eve of"  category. Tomorrow, I'm going to feature a recipe for my all-time favorite sandwich. It is made with ciabatta bread and because the success of the sandwich depends on the freshness of the bread you use, I generally make my own. If you have access to good ciabatta bread or rolls, feel free to bypass this recipe and just comeback tomorrow for the "meat" of the sandwich. The rest of you had better stick around. The recipe I've chosen to share with you comes from the Taste of Home Baking cookbook, and while it must be started the day before you plan to bake the bread, it makes a no-knead loaf that is easy to prepare and really quite flavorful. I must warn you that the dough for this bread tends to be wet and sticky, but if you form it on a floured pan and use a spatula to help you shape it, the dough is manageable and will come together for you. This recipe can easily be doubled and it freezes so well that I almost always have a loaf of it tucked in my freezer. I do hope you'll give the recipe a try. Here is how the bread is made.

Light Caraway Rye Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a bread I keep on hand for those occasions when the family gets together or friends assemble to watch a game or movie. I make the bread myself because, while I can purchase some wonderful rye bread in this area, I can't buy it in a shape that allows me to make simple work of making sandwiches for a crowd. This light rye loaf gets its flavor from ground and whole caraway seeds and it is the perfect bread to use for cheese or deli-type sandwiches. I let my stand mixer do most of the work when making this bread and I've found that the soft dough is actually quite pleasant to knead and handle. The finished loaf is a bit darker than it appears in the accompanying photo, but it is still lighter than its commercial counterpart would be. While I'll go into this more in a later post, I slice these loaves horizontally when preparing sandwiches for a crowd. That allows me to create one long sandwich that can be cut in serving size portions, rather making several smaller versions. This is a nice all-purpose rye bread, and because it is so easy to make, I wanted to share it with any of you who might be planning to serve sandwiches on Super Bowl Sunday. Do try this. The bread is a good keeper and it also freezes well. It makes great sandwiches. Here is how it is made.

Countdown to Christmas - Swedish Cardamom Wreaths

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If the aromas coming from fall kitchens give me shivers, I must admit that those drifting from Christmas kitchens make me positively weak-kneed. I think it is the addition of cardamom to the spice mix that does me in. I was raised in a row house that shared a common basement with five other families and during the lead-up to the holidays that basement was the place to be. The baking went on for days at a time, and as the more pedestrian aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg mingled with those of ginger and cloves, the unforgettable fragrance of the spice mix and cardamom actually permeated linens hung to dry. It gave new meaning to the phrase sweet dreams. Our Swedish and German neighbors took Christmas baking to heart and each of them made a version of the cardamom coffee ring I'm featuring today. They differed mainly in the quantity of eggs and butter that was used, but the finished cakes they shared with neighbors were remarkably similar in form and taste. Like many children, I was fascinated with the braiding and twisting that was used to shape the cakes and I loved to see them rise. I suspect my love of bread, the baking and eating of it, had it origins in those kitchens and that basement which captured and held the aromas of Christmas. I, unfortunately, have no vintage recipes to share with today, but this version, which comes from Taste of Home magazine, comes awfully close to the ones I remember. I do hope you'll give it a try. Here is how cardamom wreaths are made.

Swedish Cardamom Wreaths...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2-1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons salt
7 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
Toasted sliced almonds
Coarse or granulated sugar or confectioners' sugar glaze

Directions:
1) In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 3 eggs, evaporated milk, yeast mixture, sour cream, orange peel, cardamom, salt and 6 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
2) Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; turn onto a floured surface. Divide into six portions. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape each portion into a 24-in. rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid. Form into a ring; pinch ends tightly together. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4) Beat milk and remaining egg; brush over wreaths. Sprinkle with almonds and sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 loaves

                    

                                                    Older Posts

             One Year Ago Today:                                                         Two Years Ago Today:

            Cold Oven Coffee Cake                                                             Candied Almonds

                 Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

                         Bean Burgers                                                                   Pan de Polvo

Countdown to Christmas - Hannie's Everyday Stollen

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...She was, hands down, the best bread baker in the neighborhood. Long time readers of my blog met Hannie five years ago and her Potato Bread was one of the first recipes I featured on my blog. She was a slight women who bubbled just as surely as the yeast she bloomed, and though only 5 feet tall, she could  beat and pound five pounds of flour into submission with no special equipment, save for her arms and a wooden spoon. She had what my mother called a "hand" and the loaves that came from her kitchen were often extraordinary. Hannie's kitchen truly bustled in the weeks that lead up to Christmas and one of the breads she shared with the neighbors was a loaf she called her everyday stollen. Now between you and me, there was nothing remotely ordinary about her everyday loaf. It was chock full of fruit and nuts, but its reputation suffered because Hannie also made Dresdener Stollen, a rich yeasted loaf filled with almond paste, that was so good it made grown men beg for mercy or at least another slice.  The ingredients used in that special bread were costly, so Hannie, instead, made her everyday stollen as Christmas gifts for the neighbors. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. If you are comfortable working with yeast dough, you'll find this to be a simple recipe, but despite the ease with which it comes together, it makes a lovely loaf. For maximum flavor, soak the raisins in brandy or orange juice for about an hour before using them, and make sure the bread is done before removing it from the oven. Here is how this holiday bread is made.

Everyday Stollen...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Bread
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water
1 cup warm milk
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-3/4 to 5-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup mixed candied fruit
1/2 cup chopped almonds
Glaze
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Directions:
1) Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Add milk, butter, sugar, eggs, lemon peel, salt and 3 cups flour. Add raisins, candied fruit and almonds. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
2) Punch dough down and divide in half; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll or press each half into a 12 x 7-inch oval. Fold a long side over to within 1 inch of opposite side and press edge lightly to seal. Place on greased baking sheets and curve ends slightly. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour.
3) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
4) Combine confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve a consistency suitable for drizzling. Drizzle over stollen. Yield: 2 loaves.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

       One Year Ago Today:                                                                 Two Years Ago Today:

           Anise Biscotti                                                               Mulled Cranberry and Cider Punch

                 Three Years Ago Today:                                          Four Years Ago Today: 

                            Miso Soup                                        Warm Apple Pudding with Hot Caramel Sauce

Countdown to Christmas - Apple Cinnamon Yeast Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There will be more cookies to come, but I wanted to take short break from them, so I could share some holiday breads with you before Christmas arrives. This recipe was developed by Bernard Clayton who was a bread guru long before the no-knead breads became so popular. It is not the kind of bread that I normally would experiment with, but a thumbs up review by Moomie, of Moomie's Famous Hamburger Buns, tweaked my curiosity, and before I knew it, I was knee-deep in apples and the aromas of cinnamon and yeast were wafting from my kitchen. While I had some trouble determining when the fragile loaf  was done,  I really like this bread and want to recommend it to those of you who are have some experience baking bread. This would be wonderful for a holiday breakfast or brunch and I know you will enjoy it. Here is how it is made.

Apple Cinnamon Yeast Bread with Streusel Topping...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Bernard Clayton

Ingredients:
Dough
3-1/4 to 4 cups all purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup dry milk powder
1-1/4 cups hot warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
1-1/2 tablespoons shortening
Apple Mix
1 cup apples, chopped into 3/4 inch cubes
1 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped into pea size pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
Glaze
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1) In a mixing bowl combine 1-1/2 cups flour with yeast, salt, and milk powder. Pour in hot water and stir in shortening. With strong strokes, beat batter 100 times by hand, or for 2 minutes with a mixer.
2) Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, to make a dough that can be lifted from bowl and placed on the work surface. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, for 10 minutes.
3) Place dough in a greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside to double in volume, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Place on a floured work surface. Roll and press dough into a square, about 1/2 inch thick. Let dough rest for a few moments. Spread chopped apples uniformly over surface of dough. Pour beaten egg over apples. Add nuts. Sprinkle on sugar and cinnamon. Fold dough into a package. This, by the way,  is the last time there will be any semblance of order in preparing bread.
4) Using a dough scraper or large knife, chop dough with random blows into pieces about 1 inch in size. Uniformity is of no great consequence. When apple dough has been well chopped, toss or scoop pieces into a greased loaf loaf pan, two-thirds full. Cover pan with parchment paper, and put aside to rise slightly above the edge, about 40 minutes.
5) To prepare streusel, combine flour and brown sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle risen loaf with streusel mixture.
6) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake about 45 minutes or until loaf is  a rich golden brown. Test for doneness with a cake tester. If it comes out clean and dry, bread is done. Carefully, turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Bread is fragile while hot and should not be cut for at least two hours, or until completely cool..
7) Whisk together confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl. Drizzle over top of finished loaf and let set before serving. Yield: 1 loaf.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                 One Year Ago Today:                                                     Two Years Ago Today:

                Swedish Dream Cookies                                           Miniature Sausage Stuffed Peppers

                    Three Years Ago Today:                                          Four Years Ago Today: 

      Holiday Coffeecake and Muffin Round-Up                                 Pink Peppermint Patties

Quick Challah Muffin Spirals

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I caught the recipe for these rolls while visiting my youngest daughter in Connecticut. It was was developed for the Associated Press by Alison Ladman and when I saw the color of the rolls I knew I had to give them a try. I've just transferred them to my freezer where they will stay until Thanksgiving Day. I am going to recommend these rolls, but it is with a caution. They are not that all easy to make. The soft dough is very sticky and it is hard to resist the usual solution of adding more flour to make it more manageable. Too much flour will make these rolls heavy and you will be disappointed. My solution was to let my mixer do the work, and I can honestly tell you these rolls were not touched by human hands until they had to be shaped. The finished rolls have a wonderful texture and eggy taste that many of you will find toothsome, but if you are a beginning baker or short on patience, you might want to try this recipe instead. If you love challah, throw caution to the wind and give these babies a try. Here is how they are made.

Quick Challah Muffin Spirals...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Alison Ladman and The Associated Press

Ingredients:
Muffins
2/3 cup warm water
4 whole eggs, room temperature
3 egg yolks, room temperature
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons instant yeast
4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Egg Wash
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
1) Combine water, 4 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, oil, honey, salt, baking powder, yeast and 4-1/2 cups of flour in bowl of an electric stand mixer. Mix on low speed for six to eight minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough should be very soft and slightly sticky. If it feels too sticky, add remaining flour 2 tablespoons at a time.
2) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
3) Dump dough out onto counter and divide into 16 even pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-inch long snake.
4) Spray 2 muffin tins with cooking spray. Spiral one dough snake into each muffin cup. Cover muffin tin loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise again in a warm place for another 45 minutes, or until puffy.
5) After dough has risen for 30 minutes, heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
6) To prepare egg wash, in a small bowl beat together egg and water until frothy. Brush gently over spirals, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool. Yield: 16 muffins.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                  One Year Ago Today:                                                          Two Years Ago Today:

  Rack of Pork with Morel Mushroom Sauce                                           Moroccan Carrot Salad                  

         Three Years Ago Today:                                                           Four Years Ago Today: 

     Thanksgiving November 2010                                                    Oven Baked Scrambled Eggs

Stuffing Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We have a tradition in our family that has reached ritual proportions. It began in my mother's kitchen, where my brother, sister and I would gather on Thanksgiving eve to cube bread for the turkey stuffing. In reality, the bread was torn rather than cubed, but in our very early years we were convinced that Thanksgiving couldn't happen without our efforts. My children, too, dutifully gathered in the kitchen on the eve of the feast to prepare bread and nowadays my grandsons fill the void. We take our stuffing very seriously, and like every other family in America, we are convinced that ours is the best in the land. Tonight's recipe is for stuffing bread. It adds enormous flavor to the finished dressing and it is quite easy to make. The version I make is not heavily seasoned, so feel free to increase or add seasoning at will. I make and cube the bread  three days before I plan to use it. That gives it plenty of time to stale and dry before I need it. The recipe for the bread is so simple that I felt duty bound to expand this post with the recipe for our stuffing as well. It, too, is very simple and I think those of you who try it will love it. Here is how the stuffing bread and bread stuffing are made.

Stuffing Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cup warm water
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons dried minced onions
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1) Mix water,  yeast and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in egg and olive oil.
2) Combine minced onion, parsley flakes, poultry seasoning, salt and celery salt with flour and whisk until blended.
3) Add flour mixture to yeast and beat until flour is incorporated. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is silky, smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form dough into ball and place in a greased bowl, turning dough to coat all surfaces. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rise until doubled, about an hour.
4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Set aside. Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Form into a loaf and place seam-side down in prepared pan. Cover pan with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled, about 30 minutes.
5) Transfer pan to oven and bake until browned, about 40 minutes. Let loaf cool in pan for about 5 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to cooling rack. Allow to cool at least 2 hours before slicing. Yield: 1 loaf.

Savory Corn and Sausage Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 pound well-seasoned bulk pork sausage
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 loaf stuffing bread or 16 slices day-old bread, cubed to yield about 8 cups
1/4 cup minced parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (14.5-oz.) cream-style corn

Directions:
1) Cook sausage in a large skillet, stirring to break up, until browned. Remove sausage from skillet. Add butter or oil to the drippings in pan to make 1/4 cup. Add onions to pan and cook until soft.
2) Combine bread cubes with parsley, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add onion mixture, sausage and cream-style corn. Toss until well combined. Makes 10 cups.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                     One Year Ago Today:                                             Two Years Ago Today:

 Brussels Sprouts with Maple and Toasted Hazelnuts     Oatmeal Cherry and Chocolate Chip Cookies
                  

             Three Years Ago Today:                                                     Four Years Ago Today: 

             Crustless Onion Quiche                                                     Cranberry Chambord Sorbet