Don't you just love firsts? Whether good or bad, they tend to remain etched in your memory.
First car, driving solo, near miss, accident.
First date, relationship, kiss, heartbreak.
First house, mortgage, reno, sale.
First day of school, college, university, work.
First time rollerblading, ice skating, skiing, snowboarding.
First time canoeing, kayaking, waterskiing, whitewater rafting.
First time you worked up the nerve (or some might say abandoned common sense) to voluntarily jump 100 feet teethered only to a bungee cord.
Oh, and let's not forget, first time making bread from scratch!!
I braided, twisted, rolled and sprinkled to create an assortment of breads. Not much of a feat to some, but a huge deal for me. But then, I get excited by the Sesame Street theme song. 🙂
So back to my bread, or as they're called in the course guide, Soft Rolls. And that they were - soft, fluffy, clouds of warm goodness begging to be slathered with butter.
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| mise en place |
This was my fist time working with fresh yeast. I have a huge sensitivity to smells and this stuff... well, let's say showing up for class on an empty stomach was not such a good idea on this particular day. Thank goodness for strong gag reflex. I kept my tea close at hand, or at nose in this case. Fortunately, I became so immersed in the process, it wasn't long before I was able to move past it.
Fresh yeast has a short shelf life (approx. 3 weeks), so it is not commonly stocked in regular grocery stores. Here's a tip I learned. Should a recipe call for fresh yeast and you can't get your hands on the stuff, no worries, dry yeast may be substituted as follows:
- Active yeast is 2x stronger than fresh yeast, so use half as much as what the recipe calls for of the fresh yeast.
- Instant yeast is 3x stronger than fresh yeast, so use one third as much as what the recipe calls for of the fresh yeast.
After a good whirl in the mixer, we found ourselves looking at a somewhat moist ball of dough, which was quickly removed and sandwiched between a sheet of plastic to rise - and boy did it ever! The plastic also helps to keep the gases from escaping too quickly and prevents the out layer of the dough from crusting prior to baking.
There is a real science to bread-making, and I think that is what makes it so appealing to me. The same could be said for baking in general, but the bread making process is quite foreign to me. The thrill of a first!
Most breads are typically made as follows:
- the ingredients are scaled and weighed
- the dough is mixed and kneaded, allowed to ferment, punched down, divided into portions
- the portions are rounded and shaped
- the shaped portions of dough are proofed
- the portions are baked, cooled and stored
I'd switch that last bullet to bake and enjoy right away.
There are 12 steps to bread making and although each step isn't necessarily involved in each recipe, I find them quite fascinating and useful for a novice baker like myself. The Butcher, The Baker has a Bread Essentials post that details each step. Serious Eats also has great posts on bread making.
This caraway seed and old cheddar covered piece of deliciousness above came about as a result of placing eight pieces of tightly rolled dough in a 7" round cake pan before baking. Brush with an egg wash, snip the tops with a pair of scissors, sprinkle some toppings of your choosing, and voila!, you have a center piece to complement steamy bowls of soups.
Next up... Rustic Breads!
Servings: 0
Ingredients
- 750 ml water
- 80 g fresh yeast
- 1250 g all purpose or bread flour sifted
- 60 g milk powder
- 20 g salt
- 60 ml oil
- 3 eggs
- Toppings cheddar optional, caraway seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the ‘yeast slurry’ by pouring the water into the bowl of stand mixer and breaking the yeast into pieces so that it dissolves in the water.
- Pour the sifted flour onto the yeast slurry.
- Add the other ingredients, adding the salt last, so that it does not come into contact with the yeast before mixing.
- Using the dough hook, mix the ingredients on slow to the ‘clean up’ stage - when all the dough is removed from the sides of the bowl and is clinging on the hook.
- Transfer dough to floured surface. Round into a ball, cover and bench (allow to ferment) for 30 minutes. The dough will rise to about 2.5 times its original size.
- Divide the dough into equal sizes, 36 large or 48 small rolls. Round-up each piece of dough so that the cut sides are not exposed and place on a floured surface, seam side down. Cover and allow to rest for a few minutes before shaping.
- Shape into desired shapes and place on paper-lined baking sheets, top with egg wash and caraway seeds. Proof the dough for 20-30 minutes by covering with plastic and placing on a warm area. It’s ready to be baked when the dough springs back when lightly pushed with a finger.
- Bake at 215ºC for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and done. Add cheddar to tops halfway through baking
Tried this recipe?Mention @isugarcoatit or tag #isugarcoatit !
G Pavao says
Love to bake bread at this time of the year. Will definitely be trying this.
Paula Kelly-Bourque says
I bake bread on a regular basis. Never have I made anything as beautiful as you did here. Your rolls look so amazing!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thank you, Paula! That means a great deal coming from you.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Congrats on being the first person to redeem a prize through my PunchTab program!!
Regina @SpecialtyCakeCreations says
Hmmm...this looks so yummy! I love the smell of freshly baked bread. Interestingly enough in Germany (and probably other European countries) we could buy little cubes of fresh yeast at every grocery store. And you are right, it really smells like something else, makes for amazing baked goodies though 😉