Hurricane Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

See how it swirls around, with an eye in the center? 

 Resembles a certain storm that came my way this week. 

Paradise Ave, about a mile down the road.

 Hurricanes are scary! 

Temple Street, New Haven

Photo courtesy of yalebowls.com

Making hurricane bread - not so scary.  

Hurricane Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Makes 2 loaves, 1 for you and 1 for your neighbors who don't have a generator.
Total time from start to finish is about 3 hours.

Dough adapted from Cook's Illustrated Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Dough

8 tablespoons cold butter

3 3/4 cups (20 2/3 ounces) bread flour, plus more for rolling out

3/4 cup (2 3/4 ounces) nonfat dry milk powder

1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Filling

2 cups granulated sugar, divided

4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided

1/2 cup melted butter, divided

Dough:

Cut the butter into 32 pieces and toss with 1 tablespoon of the measured bread flour; set aside. Whisk the rest of the flour, dry milk powder and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; set aside. Whisk together warm water and yeast and add to flour mixture along with lightly beaten egg. Mix together on medium-low speed until a cohesive ball of dough forms, about two minutes, scraping the bowl as needed (it will still be a bit shaggy at this point).  Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 20 minutes.

Add salt to dough and mix again on medium-low speed until the dough becomes very smooth and elastic and clears the sides of the mixing bowl, about 7-10 minutes.  The dough will look sticky; resist the temptation to add more flour. With the mixer running, add the butter a few squares at a time and continue to knead until all of the butter is fully incorporated and the dough clears the sides of the mixer bowl, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a greased mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour or until the dough is nearly doubled in size. Punch dough down and divide evenly into two balls.

.

In a small bowl mix together the cinnamon and sugar; divide in half and set aside.  Spray 2 Bundt pans with nonstick cooking spray.

Lightly sprinkle counter top and rolling pin with a bit of flour.  Roll one ball of dough into a 12 x 20 inch rectangle. Slather half of the melted butter on the top of the rectangle.  Sprinkle half of cinnamon and sugar mixture over the butter.  It might seem like too much sugar but it's not.  

Cut the dough vertically into six long strips. 

Stack the strips on top of each other.  Don't worry if the strips are not identical in size and the sugar mixture spills out. 

Cut this stack of strips into six portions again.  You should now have six piles of dough that contain six squares each for a total of 36 squares.  

Working with one stack at a time, place squares in bundt pan so the  sugar and butter sides are touching each other. Scoop up the spilled sugar and sprinkle it over the top of the dough.

Repeat with second ball of dough.

Cover the bundt pans with plastic wrap and let rise for about 30 to 40 minutes until dough is nice and puffy.  While dough is rising preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove plastic wrap, place pans in oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before unmolding loaf onto serving plate.  Dig in.

Notes on the recipe:

The dough can be made the night before and refrigerated.  Bring to room temperature and proceed with recipe.

I assume you can cut it in half and make one loaf; I've just never tried it.

Focaccia

This focaccia recipe started with a leftover baked potato and a recipe from epicurious.  That was five years and at least fifty versions ago. Since then it has evolved into one of my favorite bread recipes, right up there with  Stupid Easy Fantastically Good Crusty Peasant Bread, and I don't say that casually.  Somewhere I got smart and swapped the baked potato for dried potato flakes (I'M NOT ASHAMED OF IT EITHER, I'm just busy).  Then I changed the amount of each ingredient, the mixing method and the baking temperature.  I dropped the fresh rosemary and briny olives, added a little bit of sugar (helps with browning) and started baking it in EZ foil pans.  


I wanted to name it Fantastically Good Focaccia but my family thought that might be a little redundant, or even lacking in imagination, so I'm being especially creative and calling it Focaccia.  But really, it is so much more than just that.  It's on my list of top 10 recipes ever.  EVER.


Focaccia
2/3 cup dried potato flakes (like Betty Crocker potato buds)
3/4 cup warm water (6 ounces)
4 cups bread flour (18 ounces if you use a food scale)
2 teaspoons table salt
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan and drizzling on the top
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (9.5 ounces) warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon yeast
dried rosemary (or other dried herbs like thyme and basil)
kosher salt

In the bowl of a food processor combine dried potato flakes and 3/4 cup warm water. Process briefly to combine.  Add the bread flour, salt and olive oil.  Process again briefly to combine.


In a glass measuring cup add 1 cup and 3 tablespoons warm water, sugar and yeast.  Whisk until combined and the yeast has dissolved.


With food processor running, slowly add water/yeast mixture through the feed tube.  Once all the water has been absorbed continue to process for about 30 more seconds.  The dough will be very sticky.  Just go with it.


Scrape dough into a large oiled bowl; turn to coat the entire surface of the dough with oil.  Cover bowl with plastic; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.  With a greased hand, gently punch dough down and allow to rise one more time, unless you are in a hurry, in which case just skip the second rise.


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Liberally coat the bottom and sides of two EZ Foil oblong cake pans (12-1/8" x 8-1/4" x 1-3/16") with olive oil.  Gently divide the dough into 2 equal portions and place one in each foil pan.  Using greased hands stretch the dough to fit the pan.  Most likely the dough will be stubborn like a 2 year old with an attitude.  Don't fret - just give it a 5 minute time out in the corner and try again.  Eventually the dough will be submissive. Lightly brush the top of the dough with olive oil and let rise for about 20 minutes until it's nice and puffy.  If desired, gently make little indentations with your finger all across the dough.  Drizzle more olive oil over the top, allowing some to spill into the little indentations.  Sprinkle some dried rosemary (or other herbs) and a bit of kosher salt over the olive oil.  Carefully place both pans in the preheated oven, allowing space between the two, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned.  Let bread rest for only a minute or two, then remove each loaf from its foil pan and place on a cooling rack until cool enough to eat.


Notes on the recipe:


-I developed this recipe using a food processor, however a standing mixer will work just fine. Place all the ingredients into the bowl of a standing mixer and mix on low until everything is combined.  Continue kneading for about 3 more minutes.  Follow remaining directions for rising and baking.


-You don't have to use the EZ foil baking pans, but they give this bread a really good crust. I've used cookie sheets, cake pans, 9x13 pans, and a pizza stone, but I keep coming back to the EZ foil, which I use repeatedly until they wear out.  


-If your bread seems to shrink back a bit in the pans while it is baking it means you didn't let it rise enough during the final rise in the pan.  It will still be good, but next time let it get nice and puffy before baking.  The dough should reach almost to the top of the rim of the pan when it goes into the oven.


-Suggestions:  
     *Cut each loaf into six equal pieces, then cut each piece horizontally and use for sandwiches or meatball subs.
     *Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.
     *Serve with chopped fresh garden tomatoes and goat cheese.
     *Serve with soup or chili.
     *Gather the family around the counter, pull out a hot loaf and have a free-for-all as everyone rips off a piece.  Actually, that's why this recipe makes 2 pans:  one for now, and one for dinner.  Saves a lot of yelling on my part, plus they all think I'm a kitchen goddess when I share hot bread.

Light Brioche Rolls

Photo NOT by Sarah

Friends, I'm really sorry it's come to this - posting pictures shot with my iPhone.  Sarah left me again.  She took her camera and her artistic eye and left.  Sure it's for a good cause, college and all, but I just can't get enthusiastic about posting without her pictures.  (Sarah - I miss you so so much....) Except this recipe - I am really excited about it.  In fact, so excited I am willing to post it with my sorry little picture, taken on the spur on the moment with my iPhone (now THAT is something I am really excited about too, but that's another story).  


If you decide to make these I am issuing this apology:  I am sorry because you will probably never again be satisfied with grocery store hamburger buns.  They are that good.  Worth the effort.  Even if people think you are a little whack for making your own hamburger buns.  That good.


Light Brioche Buns
Adapted from the New York Times who took it from Hidefumi Kubota of Comme Ca restaurant in Los Angeles


Makes 8 buns

3 tablespoons warm milk

1 cup warm water

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs, divided

3 cups bread flour (13.5 ounces)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (1.5 ounces)

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened.

In a glass measuring cup, combine warm water, milk, yeast and sugar.  Whisk to combine and let rest for about 5 minutes.

In a standing mixer bowl, combine yeast mixture, 1 egg, both flours, salt and very soft butter.  Knead for about 6 minutes.  The dough will be very very sticky and will never clear the sides of the bowl.

Dump dough into a greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator, and let rise overnight. I punch it down once before I go to bed.

The next day.....

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  On a floured surface and using a dough scraper or sharp knife, divide dough and shape into 8 equal balls. (If you are OCD precise, each ball will weigh just a little less than 4.5 ounces.) Work quickly because the dough is much, much more cooperative while still cold. Arrange on baking sheet.  Cover loosely (I use plastic wrap sprayed with pam) and let rise until double, about 1 hour, more or less.

Meanwhile, set a large shallow pan of water on lowest rack of oven, or on oven floor if you have room.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in the center.

Beat remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush some on top of each bun.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds, or poppy seeds, or just leave plain.  Bake until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.  If desired, toast the buns lightly just before serving.

Notes:  This makes a very very sticky dough.  The first time I made it I kept adding more and more flour because I thought I had made a mistake. Those rolls were fairly dense but still good.  They are better if you follow the amount of flour listed.  Also, the original NYT recipe did not call for an overnight rise.  You can let them rise on the counter for 1 to 2 hours, but the dough will be more difficult to form into balls and you will need to use a lot of flour to accomplish the task.

This recipe doubles nicely, and freezes beautifully, thank goodness.

One-Half Whole-Wheat Bread

Several years ago I bought a wheat grinder. It's tall, white, a little noisy, and something of a novelty if you didn't grow up with two grandmothers who believed in the virtues of whole grains long before the food pyramid people told us we should. My grandmothers were way ahead a their time. Grandma Dickson owned a commercial Kitchen Aid mixer that could knead dough for at least 10 loaves of bread at a time and Grandmother Moncur ran a little health food store in her garage where she sold things like vitamin supplements and brewer's yeast and Tiger's Milk brand high protein bars. I grew up on homemade whole wheat bread and rose hip vitamin C supplements so it came as a bit of a surprise when I married Scott and he preferred white bread and pop-tarts. Not that cinnamon pop-tarts aren't tasty, but still....

It's taken some time for him to come around to whole wheat bread. 22 and 1/2 years to be exact. The other night I came home from working 13 hours in the hospital. Scott was equally spent from spending the last month writing a 187 page grant. Scrambled eggs and toast were the best we could manage for dinner. I cooked the eggs and Scott handled the toast. I knew I had made progress when I saw him toasting the whole wheat bread instead of the white, although I tried to conceal my excitement.

I call this One-Half Whole-Wheat Bread because it's really a compromise. One half of the flour is all-purpose white, the other half is freshly ground whole wheat. You just shouldn't push a person too fast, especially where whole grains are concerned. I'm going to keep tinkering with the proportions to see if I can reduce the white flour even more. I'll keep you posted.

One-Half Whole-Wheat Bread

2 cups warm water (105°-115°)
2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (15.75 oz)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour (plus more as needed) (15.75 oz)
2 ½ teaspoons salt
½ cup canola oil
3 tablespoons rolled oats


In a large mixer bowl whisk together the warm water, yeast, honey, sugar, and canola oil. Add the whole-wheat flour, white flour, and salt. Knead with dough hook for about 10 minutes. The dough will start out very wet but becomes much much stiffer after 6 or 7 minutes.

Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat, and let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough and let rise, covered, about 45 minutes more.

Grease 2 loaf pans, 8 ½ by 4 ½ by 2 inches. Divide dough in half. Gently shape each half into an oval loaf. Brush surface of loaves lightly with water, sprinkle with oats and transfer to pans and let rise, covered with kitchen towels, about 45 minutes. Place pans in cold oven, turn heat to 350° and bake about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Turn loaves out onto a rack to cool.

Makes 2 loaves

Notes

-The oats on top are optional. They make a mess all over the counter top, but they look great!
-If you can, try the King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour, or if you know me and you live in Connecticut, I will give you some freshly ground whole wheat flour. You'll never go back.
-Instead of honey you can substitute molasses.
-Starting the bread in a cold oven can help give a higher rise to the loaf. I use this method if the dough seems a little sluggish while it is rising. You can also bake it in a preheated oven (350°) for 35 to 40 minutes.

Stupid Easy Fantastically Good Crusty Peasant Bread

If you love crusty bread but don't like paying $5 or $6 for a loaf at Panera I beg you to make this bread. It's crusty, chewy, full of flavor, and magical. Did I mention how easy it is to make? Stupid easy. Basically you stir the ingredients together, let the dough rest on the counter all day, knead about 10 turns, and bake inside a preheated dutch oven. This recipe was inspired by Cook's Illustrated "Almost No-Knead Bread" which was inspired by Mark Bittman's "No-Knead Bread" in the minimalist column in the food section of the New York Times. Here is my version:
3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast (cheat and add a little more yeast if you are in a hurry)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7 ounces) water, at room temperature or a little bit warmer
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lager beer (3 ounces) (I use O'Dooles non-alcoholic or even water if I'm out of beer)
1 tablespoon white vinegar (this gives a slight sourdough flavor, substitute 1 tablespoon water if you prefer)

Put flour, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Dump in water, beer, and vinegar. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy ball forms. I usually end up mixing with my hand to make sure all the flour is mixed with the liquid. No need to knead. Really. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for about 4 to 8 hours, or more, on the countertop. Sometimes I mix the dough just before bed and bake mid-morning the next day. If you need more time before you are ready to bake the bread punch the dough down and let rise again. And again, if you need.

Place a sheet of parchment paper over a medium mixing bowl. Spray parchment with cooking spray. Dump dough onto a lightly floured counter top and gently knead about 10 turns. Shape dough into a ball and transfer to prepared parchment paper. The dough and paper will sink into the bowl Cover bowl lightly with plastic wrap and let rise about 1 hour.

Place a 6-qt enameled cast iron dutch oven with a tight fitting lid into the oven and preheat to 500 degrees while dough rises, at least 30 minutes. If your dutch oven has a plastic-type handle it will stink at high temperatures. I ordered a metal replacement knob for my pot.

Reduce oven heat to 425 degrees. Dust top of loaf with flour and using your sharpest knife, make 3 slashes over top of loaf. Remove super hot lid from top of pot. Using parchment paper as a sling, lift dough out of bowl and gently place into preheated pot, paper and all. The parchment paper will stick up all around the sides. Don't worry, just put the lid on as tightly as possible and bake for 30 minutes. NO PEEKING. Remove lid and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes more until loaf is a deep golden brown. Dump loaf out of pan, place onto cooling rack, remove and discard toasted parchment paper, and let loaf cool for at least 45 minutes before cutting. If bottom of loaf is too dark reduce the oven temperature by 5 or 10 degrees and/or reduce baking time next time.

Other versions:

Asiago Cheese Bread:

To the original recipe add 1/2 cup (2 ounces) asiago cheese (cut into little tiny cubes) into flour mixture. Proceed with recipe. This is my current favorite bread - so full of flavor and texture. It makes amazing panini sandwiches.

Cranberry Walnut Bread:

To the original recipe add 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts and 1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisins) into flour mixture. Proceed with recipe.