Yeast Breads: European Stollen Loaf

Originally German in origin, this festive bread is often enjoyed around the holidays. If you want it a little more decorated, you can add candied cherries to the top.


Ingredients


For the Bread
3 cups all purpose flour
1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
½ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
½ cup water
½ cup milk
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg
¾ cup sliced almonds
¾ cup raisins


For the Glaze
1 tsp milk
¼ cup powdered sugar


Preparation


The dough itself is easy enough to make. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until a loose dough forms. Turn this loose dough out a floured surface and knead until dough is soft and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes.


Place the dough in a slightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Set aside to rise in a warm location until dough has doubled in size. This will take about 1 hour, maybe a little longer. Once it's risen, punch down the dough to remove any air bubbles. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces.


Roll out 1 piece of dough into a rope that is about 12 inches long. Repeat with the other 2 pieces of dough. You should now have 3 ropes of dough. Place them beside each other and braid them together. Start your braid from the middle of the loaf to improve the appearance of the finished loaf. Tucks ends under the loaf.


Place the entire loaf on a prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in size. This will take about 45 minutes this time.


Heat oven to 375°F. Uncover dough and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove immediately from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.


When loaf is completely cool, mix the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Use a spoon to drizzle the loaf with the glaze. Allow glaze to set for 10 to 15 minutes before you slice the loaf.


This loaf can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days. In our house, it doesn't last that long.

Cakes: Basic Yellow Cake

Cakes are classic and fun to make. They're also easier than you think. A very basic cake takes only a few ingredients, 2 pans, and less than 1 hour. A yellow cake is among the easiest to prepare, and this recipe is soft and moist inside, making it delicious.


You can frost or otherwise decorate your cake, if desired. This cake goes well with many frostings, including chocolate, vanilla, and even lemon frosting. You can even eat this cake without frosting at all, if you are so inclined. That's how I like my cake.


Ingredients


2½ cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1¼ cups sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup milk


Preparation


Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray 2 8- or 9-inch cake pans (either round or square) with baking spray to prevent sticking. Set the pans aside until needed.


Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Mix slightly. Add all other ingredients to the bowl and blend using an electric mixer. You want the batter free or any lumps or clumps, but don't overbeat the batter. Only continue until the batter is smooth, about 3 minutes.


Spread the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Gently, but firmly, tap the bottom of the pans on the counter or other hard until the batter is smooth and even in the pans. This not only smooths out the batter, but it helps remove air bubbles that might ruin your cake. You don't have to be rough, but don't skip this tapping. It will result in a better cake.


Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cakes are slightly browned and they pull away from the sides of the pan. Slide a toothpick into the center of each cake to double-check that your cakes are done. The toothpick should come out clean except for a crumb or two. There should be no wet batter on the toothpick.


Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Frost or fill your cool cakes as desired.


This cake will keep for 3 days if your keep it covered. Of course, cakes never last that long around here.

Snacks & Appetizers: Hot Dog Pull Apart Loaf

If you want a fun, unique, and tasty way to serve hot dogs as an appetizer, try this hot dog pull apart loaf. It's easy to prepare and will please kids and adults alike. To serve, set out on a platter and just let everyone pull off pieces as they please. You can serve it with an assortment of dips, including cheese, honey mustard, ketchup, or barbeque sauce. It's really up to you.


The loaf in the picture is made with turkey hot dogs, but you can use any hot dog you desire. Try beef, chicken, or even vegetarian hot dogs. There are a lot of options out there, so pick a hot dog you really enjoy. You can even change the bread dough you use. Try whole wheat, sourdough, rye, or anything you please. The preparation is the same, but the flavor will be drastically altered. Have some fun with this recipe.


Ingredients


1 recipe for Basic White Bread
12 hot dogs
1 tbsp butter, melted
coarse sea salt (optional)
condiments or dips as desired


Preparation


Prepare your bread dough as directed until after the first rise. At this point, you'll be using the dough to create your pull apart appetizer. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into smooth-topped balls and cover with a damp towel. Set aside.


Remove hot dogs from the package and set out on a clean tea towel. Dry off each hot dog so that the dough will not slide directly off the hot dogs when you wrap them. Set aside hot dogs.


Uncover dough and take 1 piece and pat it down into a rectangle that is as long as a single hot dog and wide enough to wrap around the hot dog. Take 1 hot dog and place it on the rectangle. Wrap dough around hot dog. Pinch the seam closed, but do not pinch the ends closed. Set aside, seam side down. Repeat wrapping process with each hot dog until you have 12 hot dogs wrapped in dough.


Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a large, shallow casserole dish with baking spray to prevent sticking. Set aside.


Take the first hot dog you wrapped and place it in front of you, still seam side down. Using a sharp knife, cut the hot dog into 4 equal-sized smaller hot dogs. Place the sliced hot dogs upright in the prepared casserole dish. Continue to cut hot dogs and place the pieces in the casserole dish until you have a casserole dish full of small hot dogs. You'll likely have to slide them around a little to get them all to fit. That's okay. They can be a little squished.


Brush entire loaf with melted butter. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until loaf is golden brown. Immediately remove from casserole dish and place upright on a serving tray. Add small dishes full or whatever dips you like.


Serve immediately.

Yeast Breads: Savory Pesto Roll

This bread is flavored with olive oil, basil, and garlic. You can toast slices of this roll, eat it straight out of the oven, or make savory sandwiches out of it. It's perfect for grilled cheese and will please even the pickiest eater.


Ingredients


For the Bread
3 cups all purpose flour
1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup wheat germ
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1¼ cup water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey


For the Filling
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried chives
1 tbsp pine nuts


Preparation


This bread is easier to make than it looks. Start by placing all bread ingredients in a large bowl and mixing until a loose dough forms. Turn this dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, until dough is soft and elastic. Place dough in an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.


Punch down the dough and set aside. Place all filling ingredients in a small blender. I use a Magic Bullet, but any small blender will do. Blend ingredients until you have a smooth paste. Set filling aside.


Take the dough and roll it out into a rectangle that is approximately 10x8 inches. Make sure the dough is of uniform thickness. Spread the filling on the dough, staying about 1 inch away from the sides. Roll up the dough, starting from one 10-inch side. This will give you a roll that is 10 inches long. Pinch roll closed along the seam and at the ends so the filling doesn't escape.


Place the roll on a prepared baking sheet and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside to rise until doubled in size, this time about 45 minutes.


Heat oven to 375°F. Uncover dough. Bake for 30 minutes, until loaf is browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove loaf from pan and cool on wire racks. Do not slice for at least 30 minutes to allow the filling to fully set.


This loaf will keep for several days if kept in an airtight container.

Yeast Breads: Tropical Potato Rolls

The light pineapple flavor of these rolls makes them a perfect accompaniment to coffee or tea. Try them with butter or perhaps your favorite jam. They're a sweet bread whose only sweetness comes from the pineapple juice, and whose delicate texture is, in part, due to the potato flakes used in this specialty bread.


Ingredients


For the Bread
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup potato flakes
1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
1 tsp salt
½ cup pineapple juice
¾ cup water
1 tbsp butter or margarine, softened
1 egg


For the Topping
1 tbsp butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp nutmeg


Preparation


Place all bread ingredients in a large bowl and blend until a loose dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is soft and elastic. This will take 5 to 10 minutes. When you're finished, place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Set aside in a warm location to rise. It will take at least 1 hour for the dough to double in size.


Once it's risen, punch down the dough to remove all air bubbles. Spray a 9x13-inch cake pan with baking spray to prevent sticking. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place in the baking tray, spacing them equally.


Cover the rolls with a damp towel once again and set aside. They will take about 45 minutes to rise this time. When they've risen, heat oven to 375°F. Uncover rolls and mix all topping ingredients together. Brush over rolls until they are covered equally.


Bake rolls for 25 minutes, until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire racks.


These rolls can be stored for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Cutout Cookies: Easy Shortbread

Shortbread really is the be all and end all of the cookie world. It is what all cookies aspire to be. It's also often though to be difficult to make. It really isn't. It is, in fact, incredibly simple. There are only 4 ingredients in this version, and you don't even have to roll out the dough if you have a shortbread mold.


What is a shortbread mold? Well, it's simply a clay or earthenware mold that you press shortbread into so that it bakes up nice and pretty. There are also newer pans made of metal, some even with nonstick coatings. If you like shortbread, it's well worth having one. I absolutely love the 9 that I have. You can get them in different designs at most bake ware stores. There are even more designs available online.


If you don't have a shortbread mold, you can roll out this dough on a lightly floured surface and cut it with cookie cutters. Be gentle, though. You don't want it too thin. Bake as directed.


You can make shortbread in different flavors using this recipe. Simply substitute the vanilla for a different extract. Try lemon, mint, or maple, to start. They're all delicious. You can even use natural food dyes to change the color of the dough to correspond to the flavor. Yellow can be used for lemon, green for mint, and so on. If you do want to use dye, add it to the butter when you first start making the cookies. It won't blend as well if you add it later.


Ingredients


½ cup butter, softened (do not use margarine)
⅓ cup powdered sugar (also called icing sugar)
¼ tsp vanilla (or other extract)
1 cup all purpose flour


Preparation


This is a simple recipe that takes no time at all to prepare. Heat oven to 325°F. Spray your shortbread mold with cooking spray to prevent sticking, but keep it light. Too much cooking spray will spoil the dough. A light coating is all you need. Set the mold aside.


Place the butter in a large bowl. Add any coloring you wish, or none at all. Cream the butter with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla. Blend well. Work in the flour with your hands. Be gentle. You don't want to overwork your dough.


Form a ball with the dough and place it in the center of the shortbread mold. Press it firmly into the pan, working out from the center. Press it down hard enough that it truly molds to the pan. You want the pattern in the mold to transfer to the dough.


Prick the surface of the dough with a fork to prevent the formation of air bubbles. Bake for 30 minutes, until the dough is lightly browned and pulls away from the sides of the pan slightly. Make sure the browning extends to the very middle of the pan. The dough should definitely be cooked throughout, or it will not come out of the pan.


Let the shortbread cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cookie with a knife, then turn the pan onto a cutting board. If the shortbread doesn't come out immediately, tap it several times. Don't be tempted to pry it out of the pan. It will only break. Tap the sides, even bang the cutting board a little, but don't pry it directly from the pan.


Once the shortbread is free of the mold, use a sharp knife to cut the shortbread according to the pattern in the mold. My mold makes triangle-shaped cookies. Yours may make square. Cut accordingly.


This recipe fills one standard-size shortbread mold. My mold makes 8 triangle cookies. Some molds make 12 square cookies.

Yeast Breads: Brioche Buns

Brioche buns are sweet and delicious. They're also as easy to make as any other bun. They do take a few more ingredients than your standard bread recipe, and they have a slightly longer rise time, but they're worth it.


Ingredients


For the Bread
⅔ cup milk
4 eggs
½ cup butter (do not use margarine)
3 tbsp sugar
1½ tsp salt
1 tbsp cornmeal
3¾ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast


For the Wash
1 egg + 1 tbsp of water
2 tbsp coarse salt (optional)

Preparation


To streamline to entire process and make everything a little easier, we're using quick rise or bread machine yeast. Place the milk in a large bowl and whisk in eggs. Melt butter and add to egg mixture. Place all remaining bread ingredients into the egg mixture and mix until a loose dough forms. Do not add the "wash" ingredients.


Turn this loose dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. You want the dough to become smooth and elastic, but you also don't want to overwork the dough. Pay attention to how the dough feels in your hands. It should be soft and pliable and spring back to its original shape when worked gently.


Once you've kneaded the dough, lightly oil a bowl. Place the dough in this bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Set bowl aside in a warm location. The dough must rise until at least doubled in size. Because this is brioche dough, it will need 90 minutes, perhaps even a little longer. Never rush brioche dough.


Once it has sufficiently risen, uncover and punch down the dough to remove all air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a smooth-topped bun and place on a prepared baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth once again and set aside to rise until doubled in size. This time the rise will take at least 60 minutes.


Heat oven to 350°F. Whisk together the egg and the water from the "wash" ingredients. Brush this wash over the tops of the buns. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until buns are browned on top and sound hollow when tapped.


Remove buns from baking sheet immediately and cool on wire racks. This recipe makes 12 buns.


You can use these buns as sandwich buns, dinner rolls, or even as burger buns. They're versatile and tasty.