Banana Yeast Bread

We usually end up with just a couple extra bananas no one will eat so I like to either freeze them, make banana bread or banana cake/bars.  

Well, I have gotten bored with basic banana quick bread.  So, I found this recipe from Patty's Food.  Its a keeper!

Ingredients:

- 2 tsp yeast

-3 tbsp honey

-3/4 cup warm water

-3 cups flour {you could use 1 cup whole wheat plus 2 cups white}

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1 tbsp canola oil or other vegetable oil

-2 ripe bananas, broken into pieces

Process:

1. Place water, honey, salt, cinnamon, oil and bananas into breadmaker pan.

2. Top with flour and yeast.

3. Set breadmaker to the dough setting and allow cycle to run, check on dough throughout the first 30 minutes.  If the dough is too liquidy like the picture below add more flour.

4. Once cycle is completed, remove dough, form into a loaf and place in a grease loaf pan.  Allow to rise about 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake bread for 35-45 minutes.

6. Enjoy!  

*This banana bread makes fantastic toast and french toast!

Mom's Awesome Caramel Rolls

This is my Mom's caramel roll recipe, they are definitely a family favorite!  And they are the easiest caramel rolls I have ever made!

This recipe makes 2 - 9 x 13 baking dishes of caramel rolls, so they are great for making when you're going to have company!  Or just so you have leftovers to warm up for breakfast, snacks or dessert throughout the week.  

You assemble everything the night before, let them sit at room temperature overnight and bake them in the morning!

Enjoy, you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients:

-2 1 lb. loaves of frozen bread dough, partially thawed  

{or you could make  your own dough and freeze it before cutting; I have tried white and wheat, they are both great}

-1/2 cup sugar

-1 tsp cinnamon

Ingredients for Caramel:

-1/2 cup butter

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1/2 cup sugar

-1/2 cup vanilla ice cream  

{I've even substituted vanilla strawberry swirl ice cream}

Process:

1. Cut each partially thawed dough in half lengthwise and then in half again lengthwise.

2. Then slice each piece into 8-9 pieces; yielding 32-36 pieces per loaf.

3. In a medium-small bowl combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.  Mix well.

4. Toss a few dough pieces at a time in cinnamon-sugar mixture until coated on all sides.

5. Place cinnamon-sugar coated dough pieces into a well greased 9 x 13 baking dish {1 dough loaf per pan}.  Repeat until all dough is coated and in baking dish.

6. If you have leftover cinnamon-sugar mixture sprinkle it over the dough pieces.  Set aside.

7. Now its time to make the caramel sauce; in a small saucepan heat together butter, sugar and brown sugar, until melted and well combined.

8. Now add the ice cream and stir to melt and combine.

Here I substituted vanilla strawberry swirl ice cream,
it didn't noticeably change the flavor of the caramel.

9. Pour the hot caramel mixture over the prepared cinnamon-sugar coated dough pieces dividing evenly between both baking dishes.

10. Cover pans with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit at room temperature overnight.

This is what the rolls look like in the morning, all risen and ready to bake...

11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake rolls for 20-30 minutes.

12. Immediately place a dish larger than the baking dish over the top of the caramel roll pan.  Hold the dishes together tightly and quickly flip over, allowing caramel and rolls to be inverted out of the baking dish onto the other larger dish.  {BE CAREFUL!  The caramel and rolls will be very hot!}

13. Allow rolls to cool slightly.  Enjoy with or without a little spread of butter!

{The leftovers are always tasty, just warm slightly or enjoy right out of the fridge.}

Soft Pretzel Buns

These are really great for any sandwich.  I found the original recipe at Recipes For My Boys.  

You could make these in the shape of burger buns, brat/hotdog buns or even breadsticks for with soup or a saucy pasta dish.  

I made the process even easier by of course making the dough in my breadmaker!  If you don't have a breadmaker you can follow the manual directions at Recipes For My Boys.  We enjoyed these with sloppy joes; delish!

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups milk

-1/4 cup sugar

-4 to 4 1/2 cups flour {you could use half white and half wheat if you like}

-2 tbsp yeast

-1 1/2 tsp salt

-8 cups water

-1/2 cup baking soda

-coarse sea salt or other finishing salt

Process:

1. Warm milk either in the microwave or on the stove-top until it feels warm to touch, but not hot {between 110 and 115 degrees}.  Pour warmed milk into breadmaker pan.

2. Add sugar, salt and 4 cups flour.  Top with yeast.

3. Start breadmaker on the dough setting; checking periodically within the first 30 minutes and add more flour if the dough is sticking to the sides of the pan.  Allow cycle to run through.

4. Turn dough out onto a floured or oiled surface; shape into a rectangle and cut into 10-12 peices, depending on the size you'd like.

5. Shape each piece into the shape of bun you'd like.  {I did 10 burger buns.}

6. Place buns on a lined or greased baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 30 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
8. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.  {The larger, the better since the baking soda can make the water boil up even more.}

9. Carefully, add the baking soda and stir slightly to dissolve.

10. Place one or two buns in the boiling mixture; allow to boil for about 15 seconds.

11. Flip the bun and boil on this side for another 15 seconds.  Remove with a large slotted spoon.

12. Drain well and place back on the prepared baking sheet; sprinkle immediately with coarse salt  to ensure that the salt sticks.  

I used Maldon salt which is a finishing salt that is coarse and flaky.

13. Repeat with all other rolls.

 14. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until browned and hollow sounding when tapped.

 Halfway through baking...

 Finished buns...

 Cool for at least 10 minutes and enjoy!

Homemade Baguette

I'd never made a baguette before, this recipe was very simple with the use of my standing mixer.  And it was a big hit with my Crockpot Bacon Cheeseburger Chowder.

This recipe makes 2 loaves and was found from Sisters Cafe.

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups warm water {about 110 degrees; I just use warm from the tap}

-1 1/2 tbsp or 2 pkg. yeast

-2 tsp sugar

-3 1/4 to 3 3/4 cups flour

-2 tsp salt

-melted butter  {or olive oil, will be less crisp and less salty; so you may want to add a sprinkle of salt after brushing with oil}

Process:

1. In mixer bowl gently mix water, yeast and sugar.  Allow to sit for about 5 minutes, until foamy.

2. Add salt and flour {start with 3 1/4 cups flour} to yeast mixture.  Mix with dough hook or by hand for about 5 minutes.

This is what mine looked like after 5 minutes, so I added the extra 1/2 cup of flour.

Then, I mixed with the dough hook an additional 4-5 minutes and got this beautifully smooth dough.

3. Remove dough from bowl onto a floured or oiled surface {I prefer oiled}.

4. Cut dough in half and form each half into a long flat rectangle-like shape.

5. Roll the dough from the long side, pinch seam to seal.

6. Place seam side down on a lightly greased baking sheet.  I love my Silpats!

7. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for about 30 minutes.

8. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  With a sharp knife {I used a serrated blade} gently make a cut down the length of each baguette, only about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.  
{The cut isn't necessary, but gives it an authentic look.}

*Optional: Pour water into a cookie sheet and place on the bottom rack of the oven.  {I forgot this part, thats why its optional, oops!}

9. Bake bread for 8 minutes.

10. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.

11. Return to oven and bake another 8 minutes.

12. Remove from oven and brush with more melted butter.

 Enjoy!