Forget about those yellow round pound cake cups that you get at the store. This vanilla cake is light, tender and perfect for holding freshly whipped cream and sliced strawberries. This is a cake, NOT a biscuit. It is SO easy to make, I've made this recipe several times with rave reviews from all my family members.
Here are some great time saving tips for this recipe.
Quick Slicing: Here's a great time saving tip! Use your egg slicer to quickly and evenly slice your strawberries! I use this tip for cutting mushrooms, too.
Macerate the strawberries: Adding a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar to the sliced strawberries softens the berries and releases some of its flavor, making a light sauce that soaks into the cake...
Make a Foil Sling: This helps you remove and cut the cake easily for a great presentation.
Make Fresh Whipped Cream: all you need is heavy cream, granulated sugar & vanilla extract.
In under an hour, you will have a fresh, classic dessert that will be enjoyed by everyone. I know you will enjoy this recipe as much as we did and make it again and again.
Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
Yield: 9 servings
Author: Frieda Franchina, adapted from J.Becker AllRecipes
Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 25 min Total time: 40 min
This soft, tender not-too-sweet vanilla cake is the perfect compliment for fresh strawberries with whipped cream. You can substitute the shortening with butter, but it will change the cake's texture, becoming more dense.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup shortening (can use softened butter)
2/3 cup (4.6 oz/132g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature* (see Tips, below)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (6.4 oz/180g) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk* (if you only have low fat milk, see TIP below)
Whipped Cream
8 oz heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 quarts of fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions:
Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.
Add egg and vanilla, mixing well.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
Alternate milk & flour to shortening mixture, until *almost* all the flour is mixed in. Over-mixing will cause the cake to be dense. Use a spoon or silicone spatula to hand mix in the rest of the remaining flour.
Prepare a foil sling for your 9"x9" pan by folding two pieces of aluminum foil as described in the TIPS below. Grease foil lightly.
Pour cake batter into prepared foil sling, spreading it evenly into the pan.
Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean or with very few crumbs. Cool on wire rack.
Wash, hull and slice the strawberries, putting them into a small container. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of sugar onto cut strawberries and stir till coated. Cover and set in the fridge for 45 minutes. Sugar will pull out some of the juices for a light sauce.
Make the whipped topping: Pour heavy cream into a bowl. Using beaters or electric stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. While mixing, sprinkle 1/4 cup granulated sugar into mixture until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla extract.
Using the foil sling, remove cooled cake from pan. Cut into 9 equal squares. Cut each square horizontally in half. Remove the top of the cake, adding a dollop of whipped cream, strawberries, replacing the top of the cake, add more whipped cream and strawberries on top.
TIPS
Egg: Quickly bring your egg to room temperature by putting it in a bowl or drinking glass filled with HOT tap water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Whole Milk: If you only have low fat milk, add 2 Tablespoons of melted/cooled butter to your milk.
Egg slicer: Use to quickly slice washed & hulled strawberries.
Foil Sling: Fold two pieces of aluminum foil and place shiny side up into your 9x9 pan. Foil should extend up the sides and about 1" over the top of the pan. Lightly grease the pan with shortening or oil spray.
These popular cornbread cookies only come every once in a while, so here's my recipe to satisfy your Crumbl craving! Warm cookies, brushed with a honey butter glaze and a dollop of honey buttercream frosting on top are sure to fit the bill.
A friend of mine saw my Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and gave me a challenge, should I choose to accept it, to make her Crumbl favorite Cornbread cookie. She and her family became my taste testers, giving me feedback while I tweaked the recipe.
IMPORTANT: Flatten the tops of these chilled cookies slightly. Otherwise, they will look like domes after baking.
I put the plastic wrap over the cookie and smoosh it with a drinking glass to about 2.5".
Right after baking, these warm cookies are brushed with a honey butter glaze that soaks into the cookie...
While the cookies are cooling on the baking sheet, make the fluffy Honey Buttercream frosting.
Using my small, 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop, I put a dollop of creamy honey buttercream frosting on top of each cookie.
Ooooops....they are a little too warm! The frosting begins to slide off the cookie...
Once cooled and frosted, these cookies were gobbled up quickly!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my friend and our family did. 😍
Crumbl Cornbread Cookie Copycat
Yield: 10 extra large cookies
Author: Frieda Franchina, adapted from several recipes
Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 17 Total time: 45 min
These simple cookies are brushed while warm with honey butter, topped with whipped honey buttercream frosting & taste like a warm corn muffin fresh from the oven.
Ingredients:
11 Tablespoons unsalted butter (156g)
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (117g)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (180g)
1 cup yellow cornmeal (139g)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt (reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if using salted butter)
Honey Butter Glaze
1/4 cup honey
4 Tablespoons butter
Honey Buttercream Frosting
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature soft
2 Tablespoons honey
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons heavy cream or evaporated milk
Instructions:
Crumbl Cornbread Cookies
In an electric stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well.
Add vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture on low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix.
Using a large #16 cookie scoop (1/4 cup), scoop the cookies onto a plastic lined tray or plate.
Cover with lid or plastic wrap and place cookie dough in the fridge to chill for 1-3 hours.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
Place 6 chilled cookies on each prepared baking sheet.
Before baking, flatten each cookie with a flat bottom drinking glass, to about 2.5" in diameter.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, or till cookies are a light golden color and tops are just beginning to set. Cookies will appear to be under baked, but will continue to bake while cooling on the baking sheet.
Remove baking sheet from oven & allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet.
Prepare the Honey butter glaze: warm together in microwave or sauce pan and brush cookies while they are warm & continuing to cool on the baking sheet.
Prepare Honey Buttercream Frosting: Cream together honey & butter with electric mixer. Add halft of the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed. Add milk, mixing well. Add rest of powdered sugar on low speed, then mix on med-high speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Frost cooled cookies with honey buttercream frosting. Enjoy!
Notes: Cookie dough can be frozen up to three months. Bake as directed, straight from the freezer, adding 1-2 minutes to bake time.
Baked & cooled cookies store well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place parchment or foil between cookies and store in a freezer safe baggie, removing as much air as possible. To thaw, remove cookies from the container and allow to come to room temperature before serving
I didn't until last week. I grew up with this CRUNCHY whole wheat cereal as a child and still love it to this day. I enjoy it with cold milk, heated as a hot cereal, or as toppings in my homemade yogurt.
Apparently, due to the pandemic, GrapeNuts has been in short supply. Post hopes to get this cereal back on the shelves by late Spring, but in the meantime, you can make your own!
I couldn't believe how easy this was to make....
Ingredients
White Wheat Flour - I grind my own wheat flour, but you can use King Arthur Whole White Wheat or Prairie Gold White Wheat flour. I prefer the color and mild taste of white wheat flour, but you can definitely use red wheat flour for a heartier, nuttier taste. Weighing your flour will give you more consistent results.
Brown Sugar - I used light brown sugar, but you can use dark brown sugar for a deeper, darker color and stronger flavor. This recipe tastes sweeter than the original GrapeNuts, but you can cut it back to 3/4 cup.
Buttermilk - Gives moisture and a slight tang to the recipe. I used milk & lemon juice (or vinegar) to create a soured milk that works great in place of buttermilk. You can use powdered buttermilk and water as well.
Salt -added to enhance the flavors
Baking Soda -neutralizes the acid (from the buttermilk), adds tender texture and leaving (rising).
1. Mix all the ingredients together, scraping the sides of the bowl. I really enjoy my Kitchen Aid Flex Edge beater that scrapes the sides.
4. Remove and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.
5. Once cool, break into large chunks and place into a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Don't pulse too many times or it will become a powder. 6. Spread the crumb mixture onto 2-3 large cookie sheets or in a couple of 9x13 baking pans and place in the oven. Bake, stirring mixture every 15 minutes or until crisp.
7. Cool the cereal completely and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. For longer storage, put cereal in the freezer for up to three months.
The cereal tasted great, was super crunchy, but the real test comes with pouring milk...
These little nuggets stayed crunchy and were perfectly sweet, without any need for sugar.
I plan on making this again and again, as I always have the ingredients on hand. I hope you try this recipe and let me know your results. Enjoy!
Homemade Grape Nuts Cereal
Yield: 8 cups
Author: Frieda Franchina, adapted from HeavenlyHomemakers recipe
Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 1 hour 15 min Total time: 1 hour 30 min
A crunchy, nutty-sweet cereal that is great with cold or hot milk, or as a topping on yogurt.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 532g/18oz
1 cup brown sugar, 217g/7.6oz
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups buttermilk (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice & enough milk to make 2 cups)
Instructions:
Homemade Grape Nuts Cereal
In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer, combine the wheat flour, sugar, salt, & baking soda.
Pour the buttermilk into dry ingredients, mixing well. Mixture should resemble a thick batter.
Prepare a 13x18 baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, parchment paper, or grease it well with butter or shortening.
Spread the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, into an even layer.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and allow to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Once cooled, break the bread into large chunks and place into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Don't over process into a powder.
Divide crumbs between 2 or 3 large 13x18 cookie sheets and spread into a single layer.
Reduce oven temperature to 250°F, place baking sheets with crumbs and bake for 1-1.5 hours, stirring mixture every 15 minutes, or till crisp.
Remove from oven & cool completely, about 30 min and store in an air tight container for up to two weeks. For longer storage, put cereal in freezer safe baggies for up to three months.
Notes: You can use white or red wheat flour. I like to use white wheat for a more mild flavor. You can use light or dark brown sugar. Dark sugar will give your cereal a darker color and more pronounced flavor. For a malt flavor, try adding 1 teaspoon barley malt powder or flour.
This is a simple & easy recipe that is a great way to use up any of your sourdough discard. Don't have starter? Then go here to make your own sourdough starter that is ready in 5-7 days, or try this Flaky Biscuit recipe that uses buttermilk.
Look at those layers!
Now imagine taking a bite.... crispy & buttery outside, with a soft, tender inside, & a hint of sourdough, just begging for a large pat of butter and sweet jam...or a drizzle of honey.
TIP: Weigh your flour, using a kitchen scale. Use too much, and your biscuits will be heavy & dense. Use too little, and they'll spread out and be thin.
TIP: Cover your kitchen scale with a large plastic bag or plastic wrap, to keep it clean. 🙂
TIP: Grate your butter. This works better if your butter is COLD. Frozen butter is a little harder to grate, but cold refrigerated butter works well, too. I love this grater that doubles as a container.
Stir the COLD butter into the flour mixture.
SOURDOUGH TIP: Use a 100% hydrated sourdough starter. This means an equal ratio of starter/flour/water by weight. For example, 2oz starter, 2oz water, 2 oz all purpose flour. For me, this pours out more easily and mixes into the flour more readily.
Stir until mixture looks like this. It's ok if there are a few dry pieces. This is a NO KNEAD dough, so you don't want to handle it too much or add too much flour. If dough is too dry and crumbly, you can add a touch of milk or starter until it looks like this...
Pat this dough onto a clean & lightly floured surface and fold it into thirds like a letter....1/3 to the middle...
...and the other third on top. This will create the LAYERS that are so desirable in a buttery, flaky biscuit.
Roll lightly into a 10"x4" rectangle that is 1" thick. Cut with a sharp knife, or sharp 2.5" biscuit cutter. I like cutting these into squares to avoid re-rolling the scraps, which can toughen the dough.
Look at those LAYERS!
Hurry and brush these biscuits with cream or milk (makes 'em golden & crispy) and get those puppies into the oven while the dough is still COLD. The blast of heat from the oven will help these buttery biscuits RISE & create those lovely LAYERS.
Here are the biscuits, fresh out of the oven....
You gotta have one of them hot....with melted butter. Oh, so good!
Author: Frieda Franchina, adapted from King Arthur Flour
Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 10 min Total time: 30 min
This is a great way to use up any sourdough discard. I use 100% hydration* starter. It's important to weigh your ingredients and use COLD butter for best results. Enjoy alone, as a breakfast biscuit, or try any of the savory options below.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup COLD butter, grated or thinly sliced (salted or unsalted)
1 cup (120 grams) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (increase to 3/4 teaspoon if using Salted butter)
1 cup (227 grams) sourdough starter discard (or unfed starter)
1 Tablespoon of milk or cream, to brush on top
Instructions:
How to Make Flaky Buttery Sourdough Biscuits
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare a large baking sheet: lightly greasing, using parchment or silicone baking liner.
Grate the cold butter or thinly slice it. Set it aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the cold, grated butter to the flour mixture, coating all the butter pieces.
Add the starter, mixing gently by hand or by spatula. Dough should come together, with a few dry pieces.
Place dough onto lightly floured surface and pat it down to 1" thick rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds: Lift one end of the dough and fold it to the middle. Lift the other end of the dough and fold it over on TOP of the first fold.
Lightly flour and roll to a 10"x4" rectangle that is 1" thick. With a sharp knife, cut into 6 equal squares. *For Round Biscuits: Roll into a circle and use a sharp 2.5" round cutter. Gently push the scraps together to form a single biscuit that is 1" thick.
Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet, about 2" apart. Brush tops of biscuits with milk or cream.
Bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove biscuits from oven & serve hot. Or cool, put into baggie and store at room temp for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Note: If your starter is thick and your dough is dry and crumbly, add a tablespoon of milk until the dough comes together. *100% hydration is equal parts of starter, water and flour by weight.
Savory Biscuits: Before "folding" the biscuit dough into thirds, add any of the following - grated sharp cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, cooked bacon pieces, freshly chopped chives, etc. Fold dough into thirds and roll into a 10"x4" rectangle. Cut into 6 squares or triangles & bake as directed.
This recipe starts with browned butter. I use browned butter in my Old Spaghetti Factory Mizithra pasta recipe. Browned butter has a nutty, caramelized flavor, and it is perfect in this cookie.
Browned butter is very easy to make. Simply melt the butter over medium heat on the stove. It will foam, so stir it and when it turns a dark brown color after a couple of minutes, you are done. I love using this flat wire whisk for melting butter and making all my gravies & sauces.
Tip:Weighyour dry ingredients. Using a kitchen scale will help you get consistent results in chew & spread, every time. Look at this cookie. It has bump in the middle & didn't spread out very much. I didn't weigh my flour or oatmeal, so I'm guessing there's too much, which created a denser, smaller cookie.
Tip: Don't add too many chocolate chips, nuts or raisins. If you add too many, the dough doesn't hold together very well, spilling chips onto the cookie sheet instead of staying in the cookie.
I love using a combo of butterscotch, semi-sweet (Choco/Scotch) or these Heath toffee bits in my oatmeal cookies.
Tip: Press your cookies slightly before baking. Use a clear drinking glass to press the cookies slightly. This will help the cookies cook more evenly and prevent the "bump" that you see in the picture above. Two of my favorite baking tools are my 2Tablespoon Cookie scoop and Silpat baking sheets. Amazon carries a more budget friendly silicone baking sheet that works just as well.
Don't press too hard, or your cookie will fall apart. Just lightly flatten the tops.
Tip: After baking, leave cookies on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes. The cookies will continue to bake (called Transfer Baking) and firm up.
After resting, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Make these. Today.
Enjoy!
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Perfect Crispy & Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
by Frieda Franchina, from America's Test Kitchen July-9-2020
Follow the tips in this recipe for a crispy, chewy oatmeal cookie, every time. No need to chill the dough. Browning the butter adds a nutty caramel flavor to the cookie. Weigh your ingredients for consistent results & you won't be disappointed.
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons butter (reduce the salt if using salted butter)
3/4 cup (5.25 ounces) packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups (9 ounces) old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (5 ounces) all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt (reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if using salted butter)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
OPTIONAL: 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup of raisins, chocolate chips or toffee bits
Instructions
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring constantly until butter has reached a deep brown color.2. In a stand mixer, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar and oil. Pour the browned butter into this mixture and combine.3. Add egg, egg yolk & vanilla extract to the sugar mixture, mixing well.4. In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, salt & baking soda. Add this mixture to your stand mixer, a cup at a time, until incorporated. Mixture will be stiff.5. Add optional ingredients, making sure you don't exceed 1/2 cup.6. Using a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough onto parchment lined or Silpat baking sheets, 2 inches apart.7. Using the bottom of a drinking glass (or palm of your hand), flatten each ball of dough to about 2.5 inches.8. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 8-10 minutes, rotating baking sheet half way through baking, until lightly brown and centers are still soft.9.Remove from oven and allow cookies to sit on hot baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: 10Total time: 3Yield: 26 cookies
I love a crusty loaf of artisan sourdough bread, but this soft, tender, sliceable sourdough bread is perfect for an every day sandwich bread! The dough is silky soft and so easy to work with. I have made several loaves and hamburger buns with it. It doesn't have the overly sour tang, but it still has a great flavor.
This recipe from King Arthur Flour. This is an easy and simple recipe, but has a couple of specialty ingredients that I did not have on hand, so I adapted it with great results.
ADDED YEAST?
It took me by surprise that this recipe calls for two teaspoons of yeast. The reason for this is two fold:
It speeds up the rising process, and
It keeps the flavor very mild (not overly sour).
So, why use the sourdough starter if yeast is used?
Sourdough starter adds flavor, increases dough strength, and enhances the shelf life of the bread. I'm also certain that the acidic qualities of the starter also tenderize the bread for a softer texture.
This recipe is also an "enriched" bread that has milk, butter and sugar, so it is possible that the addition of yeast helps.
Next time, I will omit the yeast (as long as my starter is active), and see how it turns out. I may also try adding 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid, which will increase the tang of the bread, allowing me a shorter rising time.
LEVAIN
The first thing the recipe has you make is a levain. Levain is French for "starter," but in this case, it means what you use for the recipe, not what you keep in the fridge to store as your starter. If you have never made a sourdough starter, you can find my step by step process here.
The levain uses a "fed" sourdough starter. This means using a sourdough starter that has been fed within the last 12 hours. I remove 2 oz of starter and feed it with a 1:1:1 ratio, meaning 2 oz starter, 2 oz water, 2 oz flour. Any remaining starter goes into a "Discard" jar for using in pancakes, waffles or crepes. TIP: Using a digital kitchen scale is VERY HELPFUL when making bread, ensuring you get consistent results each and every time. If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can use this chart to convert the measurements. Be sure to stir or fluff up your flour before using a measuring cup! TIP: Feed your starter in the morning, and use it to make the levain in the evening, the night before you want to make bread, as it can take up to 12 hours at 70°F to double or ripen. This will allow you more time to make your bread during the day. Use an elastic or hair ponytail holder on the jar to mark the initial level of your starter. You can see in the picture above that my "fed" starter has doubled, and is ready to make levain.
Levain doubled and ready to use. Dough smooth and elastic. Dough proofed and ready to shape.
DOUGH Milk vs Dry/Instant Powdered Milk
Once the levain has doubled, you can make your bread dough by hand or in a stand mixer with a dough hook. The recipe calls for Special Dry Milk or instant powdered milk, but I choose to use fresh milk and warm it up in my microwave with the butter to 90°-100°F. A thermometer is handy, but not necessary, as you can stick a clean finger into your milk and see if it's "baby bottle warm," not too hot, not too cool.
Special Dry Milk is powdered milk that is heated to a higher temperature and used in many commercial bakeries. You can easily use powdered milk, if you have that on hand. Powdered milk is expensive where I live and goes rancid easily (I store it in my freezer for a longer shelf life), and using fresh milk worked well in this recipe.
The ingredients came together, making a soft, smooth dough that wasn't sticky. TIP: If you find that your dough is sticky, try kneading it for an additional 5-10 minutes.
SHAPE, RISE, & BAKE
Since this bread makes two loaves, I decided to use half of the dough to make hamburger buns. I cut 4 oz portions and shaped them into balls, another great reason to have a digital scale! Dough is ready to bake with it has risen about 1" above the rim of the 8x4 loaf pan or doubled in size.
Bake in your preheated oven for 30-35 min (15-20 min for hamburger buns) TIP:Lightly spray your clean counter with oil spray instead of using flour while rolling and shaping. If you have a natural stone (granite) counter, make sure it is sealed; otherwise it will soak up the oil. For a "floured" look, I dusted the tops of my shaped dough with all purpose flour. TIP: Cover the dough lightly with plastic wrap while shaping, to prevent them from drying out.
Allow the dough to come to about double in size and bake in your preheated oven. TIP: Use the correct loaf pan size for your recipe. I really like the medium 8"x4" loaf pan size, as the slices fit nicely in a sandwich size baggie. Lightly grease your pans, even if they are non-stick. TIP: Immediately remove your bread from their pans and place them on a cooling rack. Resist the urge to cut into hot bread as it is still cooking inside. Cool completely before slicing!
I love, love, LOVE this bread and will make it many more times! It is giving me an incentive to keep my starter fed weekly (Friday Feed Day) and experimenting with new recipes. Recipes: Egg Salad Sandwich Juicy Hamburger Patties Corn Chowder
by Frieda Franchina, adapted from KingArthurFlour May-25-2020
This soft, tender & chewy sourdough bread is perfect for sandwiches, hamburger buns or dinner rolls. Refresh (feed) your starter (2 oz of each: starter, water, flour) in the morning and make your levain with it the night before, allowing you to bake your bread the next day.
Ingredients
LEVAIN
3 Tablespoons (44g) fed sourdough starter
1/2 cup +1 Tablespoon (128g) room temp water
1 cup +1 Tablespoon (128g) unbleached all purpose or bread flour
DOUGH
All the levain
1 1/2 cups (360g) milk*
4 Tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into 4-8 pieces
5 1/4 cups (631g) unbleached all purpose or bread flour
2 teaspoons of instant yeast**
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
1. Make the levain: Mix the fed starter, water, and flour together in a glass or food safe plastic container (with room to double), and cover lightly with plastic wrap. It will take about 12 hours to double at room temperature.2. Make the dough: Put the levain in a bowl or stand mixer.3. Put the milk and butter into a medium bowl and warm it in the microwave (50% power 4 minutes), until butter is almost melted. You can also use the stove warm the milk, if desired. Temperature should be between 90°F- 100°F.4. Pour this mixture into the bowl of levain.5. Add the flour, yeast, sugar and salt on top.6. Using a dough hook and the lowest setting of your mixer, gradually increasing to the next setting, knead the dough until dough cleans the sides of the bowl & you have a smooth and slightly tacky dough (not wet or sticky).7. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, turning over to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled, about 1-2 hours. 8. Divide the dough in half and shape into two 8" logs, pinching seams closed. Place dough seam side down into lightly greased 8"x4" loaf pans. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let the shaped loaves rise until they are about 1" above the rim of the pan, about an hour.10. Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for 30-35 minutes, covering the tops loosely with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes to prevent over browning. Immediately remove from loaf pans and place on a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing. Hamburger Buns: Divide dough into 12 equal portions (4 oz), forming into balls, pinching seams closed and placing on lightly greased baking sheet, seam side down. Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes. Dinner Rolls: Divide dough into 24 equal portions (2oz), put on lightly greased baking sheet, and bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 12-14 minutes. NOTES *Replace with instant powdered milk (6Tablespoons or 50g) and 1 1/2 cups room temp water **Can omit instant yeast, but plan on adding more rising time, about 4-5 hours till double.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 2 loaves, 12 buns or 24 rolls
