Garlic and Herb Bubble Bread

It's the simple pleasures right now.  Soon, I'll be planting flowers outside but we're not there yet, weather-wise.  Frost warning last night. Time for soup and some bread!  Or, just bread :)  

I found this recipe for Garlic and Herb Monkey Bread in my Bread Machine Magic cookbook and wanted something to add to our grilled salmon dinner last week.  My husband loved it so much I made it for him again when we had soup this week.  It is delicious! I prefer the term bubble bread to monkey bread just because it just sounds more appetizing :)  "Bubble" refers to the balls of dough that look like bubbles on top when they rise. 

My first attempt at making this bread, I used a 9 x 5 loaf pan.  The bread rose so high that it made a 'shelf ' across the top because of the pan I used.  Not the prettiest, but it still tasted great. The dough is cut into small pieces and each piece is dipped into garlic and herb-infused butter as it is placed into the baking pan.  After rising and baking, the bread pulls apart into small bite-sized pieces.

The second time I made it, I used a chiffon cake pan which worked much better and created more browning in the center.  Any pan with a flat bottom and higher sides should work.   I would not recommend a bundt pan as bundt pants are rounded on the bottom.   This bread gets tipped out of the pan after baked and then inverted again onto a serving plate so the 'bubble' part is on top.

You don't need to have a bread machine to make this bread and, if you're lucky, you have found yeast and flour after the hoarding began in late March and April. 

I hope you can give this bubble bread a try next time you're in a baking mood as it's worth the effort!
I'm including ingredient amounts below for small, medium and a large recipes.  I hope you enjoy it!

Just wanted to add a special thank you to both of my daughters for arranging a wonderful, social distancing Mother's Day visit on Sunday.  Along with flowers and some special gifts from them, I was also given some artwork made especially for me by my 3 grandsons.  They are placed in order by age, 4, 7 and 10.   The last one, my daughter painted as an extra Mother's Day card.

While I've been Covid baking, they've been Covid painting.  Keeping them busy is essential right now with no school since mid March.  They paint almost every day after they do their online schoolwork.  The 4 year old has no school work so he is just on vacation :) 

Hope you are all well and continue to stay safe.

Garlic and Herb Bubble Bread

Printable Recipe

Dough (Small Recipe for a (8-1/2 x 4-1/4 inch loaf pan)

3/8 cup warm water
3/8 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast

Dough (Medium Recipe for a tube pan or large loaf pan 9 x 5)

½ cup warm water
½ cup sour cream
1-1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast

Dough (Large Recipe for 2, 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 loaf pans)

5/8 cup warm water
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups all purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast

Herb butter (ingredients for small, medium and large recipe)

1, 2, 3 small garlic cloves, minced (small, medium, large recipe)
3 tablespoons, 4 Ts, or 6 Ts melted butter (small, medium or large recipe)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
Note: Increase or decrease herbs 1/2 teaspoon for each size recipe. I like a lot of herbs. Garlic can be optional if you don't care for it. 

Thoroughly butter the pan you chose to use whether it be a loaf pan or tube pan.

If you have a bread machine, combine water and sour cream and warm gently. Melted butter. Pour liquids into pan of bread machine. Add sugar, salt, flour and lastly, yeast. Turn on dough setting, which takes about 1-1/2 hours to mix and rise. Note: If conditions are dry in your home, you may need to add a little more water, so watch the dough carefully as it's mixing. It should be soft and pliable but hold together in a ball.

If you do not have a bread machine, you can use a stand mixer with the dough hook to mix and knead until the dough is pliable, about 2 minutes. Place into a greased bowl and cover loosely with a tea towel and place in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the temperature in your home). Alternately, you can mix the dough by hand, kneading the dough until soft and pliable, about 8-10 minutes. Place into a greased bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. (Tip - turn your oven on to preheat for 1 minute and then turn off. This makes a good warm place for the dough to rise.)

When your dough is almost finishing rising, mix the herb butter ingredients together.

After the bread machine has finished the dough setting, or after your dough has doubled in size, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 1-2 minutes to release the air. Form into a ball.

Cut the ball in half, then each half into half again. Keep cutting the pieces in half the pieces are roughly the size of a walnut. Exact size is not crucial.

Dip each piece of dough into the herb butter mixture and arrange in layers spaced about ½ inch apart in the prepared pan. If you have extra butter mixture, drizzle over the top of the bread. Cover pan with a tea towel and place in a warm place until doubled again. This will take about 30-35 minutes. (Tip – turn on your oven to preheat for 1 minute and then turn off. This makes a good warm place for the dough to rise).

When the dough is almost finished rising, take it out of the oven but keep it covered. Preheat oven to 375F. Remove tea towel and place pan in the 375F oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your pan, or golden brown on top. Watch closely, as ovens differ. Add or subject time accordingly.

When bread is finished, remove from oven and invert onto a large plate or baking sheet. Then invert again onto a serving dish so that the ‘bubbles’ are on top. Brush bread with extra melted butter, if desired. Note: If I think the bread looks too pale on the bottom after removing from the pan, sometimes I carefully put it back in the oven without the pan and leave it in for another 5 minutes.

Buttermilk Sandwich Bread

What do you do on Easter weekend when you can't be with your family because of social distancing?  Bake bread!  At least, that's what I did.  It's was satisfying having something that turned out so delicious, I wanted to make it again and again (which I did in the past two weeks).  Quarantine carb heaven!

Unfortunately, I realize that it's very difficult, if not impossible, to find yeast right now.  Even flour is scarce in some areas. I was lucky enough to find an out-of-the-way store, which specializes in ethnic groceries, that carried 1pound packages of instant yeast.  Knowing that I could freeze yeast for up to a year, I didn't hesitate to buy the large quantity (which was only a little over 5 dollars, so a real bargain.  I also found it at another local grocery store today that offers pick up so keep checking with your stores, especially the smaller independent or co-op stores.

The first time I made this bread I didn't have buttermilk so used the DIY buttermilk hack, which is to add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it sit on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken.  The last time I made it I was able to use real buttermilk and I did not notice a significant  difference in taste but noticed that the bread was slightly more 'soft' in texture with the real buttermilk.

I have a bread machine, which I used just for the dough setting, but you can easily use a stand mixer with a dough hook or knead it on your counter the old-fashioned way.  Above you can see the dough ready to be punched down after the first rise, second is the shaped loaf (I like to keep tucking the dough underneath with the floured palms of my hands, and lastly, the dough after the second rise and ready to go into the preheated oven. I use a small sheet of parchment paper to use as a 'lift' to remove the baked bread from the hot pan to cool.

The finished loaf!  Did my husband hesitate after hearing the words buttermilk bread?  Yes, he did, but after he tasted it he told me it was really, really good :)

I waited 15 minutes for it to cool and cut a few slices it while it was still warm.  The dark crust and soft, interior is perfect for any kind of sandwich.

How could I resist the first warm slice with butter?  Oh my!

This past weekend, I used the same recipe and formed it into sandwich rolls instead.  I baked a small ham on Easter Sunday for the two of us, and we enjoyed these delicious rolls for our sliced ham sandwiches with Dijon mustard and looking forward to using them for ham salad spread next. 

Buttermilk Sandwich Bread

Printable Recipe

Note: This recipe makes 1 loaf of bread, and uses a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. If you only have an 8-1/2 x 4 inch pan, measurements for that size are in parentheses.

The recipe will make about 1 dozen sandwich-sized rolls to use for sandwiches, hamburgers, etc.

1-1/8 cups buttermilk (1 cup), warmed slightly (if your home is dry you may need a little extra milk)
3 tablespoons honey (2 T)
2 teaspoons salt (1 tsp)
1-1/2 tablespoon butter, melted (1 T)
3 cups all purpose flour (2 cups)
2 teaspoons dry, instant yeast (1-1/2 tsp)
1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing on loaf before baking

Poppy seeds or Sesame seeds, optional, for making rolls.

Place liquid ingredients followed by the dry ingredients into your bread machine pan with yeast added last. Use the 'dough' cycle for the initial kneading and 1st rise.

Alternately, if you do not having a bread machine, in a large bowl, whisk together the salt, flour and yeast. In another smaller bowl, stir together the melted butter, honey and warmed buttermillk, then pour into flour mixture and stir until smooth it forms a soft dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place into an oiled bowl, turning once to oil the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. I like to turn my oven on to heat for 1 minute, then turn it off. Put the covered dough in the slightly warmed oven with the door closed to rise.

Meanwhile, prepare a loaf pan by cutting a piece of parchment to fit the pan lengthwise and long enough to hang over each edge to use as 'handles' to remove the hot loaf from the pan. Then spray the pan and parchment with non stick cooking spray such as canola oil.

After the dough cycle is finished on your bread machine, or after the dough has risen until almost doubled, remove it to a flour surface, gently deflate it and knead again for about 5 minutes. Form an oblong loaf shape about the size of your pan by tucking the sides under with the palms of your hands to for a tight loaf. Place the dough into the prepared pan, cover loosely with a tea towel and place in a warm place to rise again until doubled in size. The dough should have risen to about top of the loaf pan.

Preheat oven to 375 about 15 minutes before loaf is done rising.

Gently brush loaf with melted butter over the top and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, depending on your oven. When the loaf looks golden and sounds hollow when tapped, it is probably done. I like to remove the loaf from the baking pan and return it to the oven rack to bake for 5 minutes longer to ensure a browned crust on the sides and bottom, but this is optional. You may also brush the top of the loaf when out of the oven with additional melted butter, if desired.

To make rolls, rather than bread, after the first rise and knead, divide the dough in half, then each half into thirds. Each third should make 3 rolls. I like to use a digital scale and use about 2 ounces of dough for each roll. Take each 2 ounce piece of dough and form it into a ball tucking the edges under with your palms as you turn it. Place the dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. After the dough has doubled, brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, if desired.

Bake rolls in a 375 preheated oven for about 20 minutes until golden.

Recipe adapted from Bread Machine Magic.

Herb and Garlic Breadsticks!

These bread sticks are so easy to make but what is even better is how delicious they are!  Last week, after a very busy day, I was looking for a fast and delicious dinner.  I picked up a rotisserie chicken, had enough greens for a salad and wanted some great-tasting bread to complete the meal.  I pulled out my copy of More Bread Machine Magic and found these Herb and Garlic Breadsticks.  Perfect!

At 3:00 I put all the ingredients in my bread machine and set it to the dough cycle.  At 4:30 the dough came out, was rolled, cut and allowed to rest another 30 minutes.  At 5:00 they went into the oven and by 5:30 we had warm, delicious, herb and garlic bread sticks!  They are brushed with a combination of Italian seasonings and coarse salt before going into the oven and brushed with the mixture once again after they are baked creating more buttery, herby goodness on the bread sticks. 

Just be warned - it will be hard getting them to the table without eating at least two yourself :)

Dads and busy little boys will love these!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!*

*Our son-in-law will be a father again next January :)  More fun times ahead for him, our daughter and for us!  Meanwhile, my garden container babies continue to grow...

Herb and Garlic Breadsticks

Adapted from More Bread Machine Magic
Printable Recipe

Makes 16 Bread sticks

Ingredients for double batch in parentheses

3/4 cup warm water (1-3/8 cup)
2 teaspoons warm butter or margarine (4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar (2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon salt (2 teaspoons)
2 cups bread flour (4 cups)
1-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (2-1/2)

Herb and Garlic Topping:

Note:  The original recipe calls for just garlic and 1-2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan Cheese.  I adapted it to an herb topping, instead.  

2 tablespoons melted butter (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil (1/4 cup)
1 clove of garlic, minced (2 cloves)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon dried basil (2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon coarse salt (2 teaspoons)

Place a piece of parchment paper to fit a half sheet baking pan. You may also use a silicone liner.

Please the ingredients in the bread pan of your bread machine. Select the dough setting and press Start. Alternately, you can mix the dough with a stand mixer with dough hook or food processor with dough blade.

When the dough has risen and the machine beeps, turn the bread out onto a lightly floured countertop or cutting board. (If you did not use a bread machine, place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled).

With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 9 x 10 inches (2 rectangles for large batch)

Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and cut the dough rectangle lengthwise into eight strips with a pizza wheel. Cut those strips in half again. Then cut the strips in half crosswise to create 16 bread sticks.

Separate the strips slightly. Then, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 375F while the bread sticks are rising. Also prepare the topping mixture. Place mixture in microwave for about 20 seconds to melt the butter.

Just before baking, brush the bread sticks with half of the herb mixture.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Brush with the rest of the herb mixture after removing from the oven.

These are best eaten the same day.

Bunny Buns

I saw these adorable rolls on Pinterest last week.  I knew my young grandsons would love to see these on the Easter table next weekend and I think they will bring a smile to the adults too :)

I did a test run on Saturday - which did not go well. First, the dough did not rise very well,  then I over-baked them!  "Add insult to injury" as they say. 

Sunday, I tried them again with different yeast and made sure my timer was set (and actually running).  Success!  I only wish I had made the ears a little longer as I think they could be mistaken for mice.  By the time I make these for dinner next weekend, I think I'll have all of the wrinkles worked out :-)

The idea for the bunny buns shape came from this blog.  I decided instead to use a recipe for egg buns formulated for bread machines which I found in my copy of  Bread Machine Magic.  They are really good! Just the right amount of buttery sweetness and soft and fluffy in the center.

In preparation for Easter, the decorations have come out of storage (some old, a couple new) and eggs have been colored.  Spring has teased us with some lovely days and even some Easter-y outdoor flowers! (We won't talk about the snow in forecast later today.)

I hope this spring season of birth and renewal brings you joy!  Happy Easter!

 

Bunny Buns

Adapted from Bread Machine Magic
Printable Recipe

Makes 16 Bunny Buns or 18 Regular Buns

1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, mixed together lightly
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons active, dry yeast (I used quick rising yeast)

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)

Please a large piece of parchment paper or silicone liner on a 18 x 13 inch baking pan (half sheet).

Place all ingredients except egg wash egg, into bread machine in the order recommended by your bread machine. Select the Dough cycle and press Start.

When the dough cycle is finished (my machine takes about 1-1/2 hours), turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Gentle roll and stretch the dough into an 18-inch rope. With a sharp knife or bench scraper cut the dough first into 6 pieces and then cut each of those pieces into 3 pieces. Each piece should weight about 1 ounce if you have a digital scale.

For bunny buns, roll 16 pieces into a ball and then stretch slightly (2 pieces of dough are reserved for the 'ears' and/or 'tails', if desired.) Place on the prepared baking sheet. For the bunny shape, I squeezed one third of the ball between my thumb and forefinger to form the head area. To make the ears, pull off a small piece of one of the reserved dough pieces and roll it into a thin rope about 4-5 inches long. Cut the rope in half and bend each piece into an 'ear' and place between the head and body. With a toothpick dipped in flour, press the base of the ears firmly into the dough to keep them in place. Then, poke two eye holes deep into the head with the toothpick. Continue with the rest of the dough balls.

When finished, covered the pan lightly with a tea towel or parchment paper and allow to rise until doubled - about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Brush rolls lightly with beaten egg/water wash and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

May be served warm or cold.

Marigene's Holiday Rolls

Just one last post before Christmas and the New Year as I thought some of you may like to make these for your holiday meal. These rolls made their first appearance in my home on Thanksgiving and it won't be their last!  They will be made for many more holiday meals and celebrations.  I first saw these rolls on Marigene's blog, In the Middle of Nowhere and I was struck by how big and beautiful they were.

I adapted the recipe by using my bread machine - my instructions are in the recipe below.

They are the perfect addition to a holiday meal.  Since I only made half of the original recipe, mine were a little smaller than Marigene's as I had to divide them into smaller portions to fit the pans I used.  They were still plenty big, fluffy and delicious as you can see and a half recipe was more than enough for 8 people.

I hope you give these delicious rolls at try at your next family gathering - they are well worth the effort!

I want to wish all of you who celebrate a safe and very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!! Thank you for all of your support and kind comments!

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Holiday Rolls
Adapted from Marigene's Spicery Rolls
Printable Recipe

My Notes:  Amounts in (…) are for ½ recipe which was more than enough for 8 people.

I used my bread machine for the knead and first rise and decided to brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter right after they came out of the oven. Great idea!

3 (1-1/2) cups hot but not quite boiling water, divided
½ (1/4) cup butter
1 ½ (3/4) teaspoons salt
1 (1/2) cup sugar
6 (3) ounces evaporated milk (that’s about ¾ cup for a full recipe)
¼ (1/8) cup instant yeast
9-11 (5-1/4) cups all purpose flour

3 - 9” round cake pans (2 for ½ recipe)

In a large bowl or 6 quart mixer pour half of the hot water over the butter. Stir until melted. Add salt and sugar and stir well and add the rest of the hot water. Stir in evaporated milk. Slowly add flour and yeast.

Turn out onto floured board and knead or use the dough hook on your mixer or bread machine. Knead for about 10 minutes, if by hand or mixer. Next, grease a large bowl thoroughly. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it over so the surface will be well greased to prevent sticking. Cover, let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30-45 minutes. (If using a bread machine, skip the above instructions and put the wet ingredients in first followed by the dry ingredients and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for dough only cycle.)

Dump onto well floured surface. Divide into thirds and each third into 12 equal pieces to form into dinner-size rolls (if making a half recipe, cut dough in half and then cut each half into 12 pieces). Let rise until doubled. Just before popping them into the oven I give the tops a good brushing of egg/water wash.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 375° until the tops are browned nicely. Brush with melted butter upon removing them from the oven (optional). 

Makes 36 (24) large rolls.

According to Marigene they freeze well.  She wraps them in paper towels, then in foil and finally into a plastic bag. 

Parsley and Chive Pull Apart Rolls

If you have chives and parsley growing in your garden right now (or have a generous neighbor with some), you need to make these delicious rolls.

I saw these in a poppy seed version on Joyce's blog Kitchen Flavors and the original recipe comes from Abigail Johnson Dodge. When I saw Joyce's beautiful rolls I decided right then that I had to try to adapt the recipe to my new bread machine!

The recipe included an herb version with using parsley and chives and my garden has been providing me plenty of those early spring herbs. I'm already imagining other herb combinations when my herb pots are overflowing this summer. The original recipe calls for half and half (light cream) which I didn't have but I found a container of whole milk cottage cheese and I figured cottage cheese and chives go perfectly together so, why not? I whirred the cottage cheese in a blender to get it creamy and smooth and I added about 1 tablespoon of milk for consistency.

I've made them twice already, once using the cottage cheese that I mentioned above, and the second time I used buttermilk instead.  Both delicious!  They look so cute in this folding bread basket that I received as a gift for my birthday ;) They are so soft and flavorful!

Spring Herb Pull-Apart Rolls

Adapted from Abigail Johnson Dodge
Printable Recipe

Note: This recipe has been adapted for the bread machine.  Please see link to Abigail Johnson Dodge's original recipe above if you wish to make them by hand or stand mixer and to see her do-ahead notes.

Makes 16 rolls

1 cup (8 fl ounces/233 ml) whole milk cottage cheese, whirred in a blender until smooth and creamy with 1 tablespoon milk, or 1 cup Buttermilk
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, plus 2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams), melted, for glazing (optional)
3-2/3 cups (16 ½ ounces/468 grams) bread flour or all purpose flour
2-¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast (Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise, Red Star’s Quick Rise, or SAF Instant)
1/3 cup (2 ½ ounces/71 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
3 egg yolks from large eggs
1/4 cup Chopped Chives
1/4 cup Chopped Parsley

Other flavor options:

Poppy Seed: 1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon poppy seeds
Black Pepper and Cheese: 2 cups (5 ounces/142 grams) loosely packed finely shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese and 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

In a small saucepan or in microwave, combine the creamed cottage cheese or buttermilk and the 6 tablespoons butter.  Warm until the butter melts, stirring, and the liquid registers about 115 degrees (52°C) on an instant-read thermometer.  Add the packet of instant yeast and allow to stand for five minutes.

Mix the egg yorks with a fork and add to the above mixture and blend.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and herbs.

Add the wet and dry ingredients to your bread machine depending on the manufacturer's instructions.  (Mine calls for putting the wet ingredients in first and then adding the dry ingredients on top.)

Set the machine for dough cycle only.  It will knead the dough and perform the first rise in the machine.

Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch (22.75-by-33cm) baking dish (I used a Pyrex dish).

When the bread machine dough cycle is completed (about 1-1/2 hours), turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and press down gently to deflate. If the dough is too sticky add a little flour to the work surface. Using a bench scraper or a chef’s knife, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces (or 15 in my case), 2 - 2-1/2 oz (57 to 71 grams) each. (To be sure of uniform rolls, use a scale to weigh the portions.)

Work with one piece of dough at a time, and keep the others covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel. With a cupped palm, press down gently but firmly, rolling the piece in tight circles on the work surface until it forms a smooth-skinned ball with a seam on the bottom. Put the ball, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish, cover loosely with plastic, and repeat with the remaining dough. The dough balls can be arranged in rows or placed randomly; just be sure they’re evenly spaced.

Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let the balls rise in a warm spot until they’re about 1 ½ times their original size and have risen about three-fourths of the way up the sides of the baking dish (they won’t yet fill the dish), 40 to 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (190 C) about 10-15 minutes before the above rising time is done and position an oven rack to the middle position.

Bake until the rolls are puffed and well browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with the melted butter, if using. Serve warm or bake earlier in the day and gently reheat in a low oven.

Brioche Sandwich Buns

I had fun playing with my new bread machine again this past week! I took a recipe not intended for a bread machine and used the "dough only" cycle since the dough needs to be shaped by hand. I wanted some really good rolls to make sandwiches with some of our leftover Easter ham and had saved this recipe from the NY Times and adapted it for a bread machine.

They turned out perfectly and were so tasty, it was hard not to eat them plain with a little bit of fresh butter.  They will be wonderful with burgers on the grill this summer!

Brioche Buns

Adapted from the NY Times
Printable Recipe

(Recipe adapted for the dough cycle on a bread machine - click on NY Times link for regular recipe)

Makes 12 buns

1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons warm milk
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened.
1 large egg
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Sesame or Poppy Seeds (optional)

In a glass measuring cup, combine 1 cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat 1 egg and soften butter in microwave until just barely melted - stir to combine. Add beaten egg and melted butter to yeast mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk flours with salt.

Add liquid ingredients and dry ingredients according to the instructions provided with your bread machine. Choose the 'dough' cycle.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

After the dough is kneaded and has risen in the bread machine, remove it to a work surface. Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 3 equal parts and divide each of those parts into 4 equal parts. Shape each of the 12 parts into a ball, pulling the dough down and under the bottom of each ball. (Lightly oil your fingers if the dough sticks).  Arrange the balls 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let buns rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. 15 minutes before the hour is over, set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor or lowest rack. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the top rack in the center.

Beat remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns. Add sesame or poppy seeds, if desired. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Rosemary Herb Bread

There has been so many tempting bread machine recipes that I've seen other bloggers post over the past few years but I always thought I could get along without one. I did not want another appliance to store (and this is a fairly large one). I had lots of good reasons not to get one. Lots. Somehow, my WANT finally outweighed my NEED and I decided on an inexpensive model based on a recommendation from a fellow blogger.

I rationalized that even if I used it merely to knead the dough I'd come out ahead with time saved, so I went on a hunt for recipes and chose this herb bread for the inaugural use of the new machine. I Googled "Best Bread Machine Recipes" and found this Rosemary Herb Bread (Jo's Rosemary Bread') that got over 800 rave reviews.

I decided to let the bread machine make the bread from start to finish for the first time to make sure everything was in good working order, so I added the ingredients per my machine's recommended order and just hit Start.  That's it!  In less than three hours I had the most delicious-tasting herb bread and my home smelled wonderful.  It's the perfect bread to serve with soup or dip in roasted garlic olive oil.

I tweaked the original recipe just a bit and added some ground flax seed and used some Original Mrs. Dash seasoning and also reduced the amount of rosemary which seemed excessive.  Everything worked great and my machine turned out a delicious, fragrant loaf of bread.  I can't wait to try more bread machine recipes!

Rosemary Herb Bread

Adapted from Jo's Rosemary Bread on Allrecipes
Printable Recipe

Note:  This is a recipe formulated for use in a bread machine.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 3 Hours

Servings: 12

A wonderfully scented and flavorful herb bread - your home will smell amazing while this is baking!

1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I substituted Mr. & Mrs. Dash Original flavor seasoning)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary (I used less than the original amoount)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon ground flax seed (my addition)
1 1/2 teaspoons fast-acting dry yeast

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer of your bread machine. Select the white bread cycle and press Start.