Breads

Basic Dough Recipe by Saralynn

This recipe is printed in the cookbook Give us this day Our Daily Bread the Community United Methodist Church Manito, Illinois. Which is also my favorite cookbook.

This recipe yields a very large batch. It can be used for: Dinner rolls (72-100 depending on size), cinnamon rolls (60-75 depending on size), doughnuts and tea rings (6-9 depending on size). The recipe can be halved.

Large Batch Recipe:

Mix ingredients in large bowl:

4 c. milk, scaled 1 Tbsp. salt
1 c. sugar 1 c. butter (two sticks)

Add sugar, salt and butter to hot milk and stir to dissolve. Cool to about 110 or warm to touch.
Add 4 eggs to warm milk mixture.

3 to 4 pkg. dry yeast 1 heaping tsp. sugar
1 c. warm water

Mix in bowl the yeast, sugar and water and let yeast start working- will get foamy.
Use 14 cups unsifted flour-approximately-this is most of a 5lb bag.
1. Pour milk mixture into large bowl (Mary uses a punch bowl)
2. Add eggs- beat with mixer
3. Add part of flour- beat with mixer.
4. Add yeast mixture-beat
5. Add flour until dough is no longer real sticky (dough will climb up beaters of mixer)
6. Pour 1-3 cups of flour onto large cloth or pastry board. Knead for several minutes until no longer sticky. May not take up all of flour.
7. Place in large greased container. I grease top of dough and place foil or plastic wrap over it to keep it from drying out.
8. Let rise in a warm place until double in size. This takes 1-1.5 hours. in cool weather, place on a gas range with pilot light on, or over a pan of warm water or on a warm heating pad.
9. Punch down and let rise until double in size again.
10. Now ready to make into rolls, cinnamon rolls, tea rings or doughnuts.

Medium Batch:
2 c. milk 1/2 c. sugar
2 scant tsp. salt 1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
2 eggs 2 pg. yeast and
3 1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. water and sugar

Small Batch:
1 c. milk 1/4 c. sugar
1 scant tsp. salt 1/4 c. butter (1/2 stick)
1 egg 1 pkg. yeast and
3 1/2 c. flour 1/4c. water and sugar

Dinner Rolls- Form dough into any desired shape. Place in greased pans and let rise to double size. Bake at 350 until golden brown.

Doughnuts-Cut with doughnut cutter, let rise on greased waxed paper. Fry at 360.

Cinnamon Mixture- for cinnamon rolls or tea ring:
2 c. white sugar 4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together and keep dry.
Melt 2 sticks butter. Cool to warm and spread on dough.
Cinnamon Rolls- Divide dough into desired proportions. Roll about 1/2 inch thick into a rectangle shape. Spread with melted butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll as for jelly roll. Cut into 1-inch slices. Place on greased cookie sheets, leaving space between so they won't touch when double in size. For individual rolls (can smash down with hand for flatter rolls), or place in greased pans closer together for pan rolls.

Tea Rings (big batch):
1. Divide dough into 6 portions for large tea rings, 8 or 9 portions for smaller rings.
2. For large tea ring, roll each portion into a rectangle, about 5 or 6 inches wide by about 24 inches long.
3. Pour melted butter onto dough and spread over entire piece of dough.
4. Generously sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over entire surface of dough.
5. Roll as for jelly roll.
6. Cut off about 1 1/2 inches from each end as these usually are uneven and not as large as the rest of the roll. (Make a pan of cinnamon rolls with scrappy ends.)
7. Grease large squares of heavy duty foil. Place roll on foil and form into a circle, putting cut ends together.
8. Clip with scissors or sharp knife at about 3/4 inch to 1 inch intervals, being careful not to clip completely through dough to inner circle.
9. For the design of tea ring I make, you will need a multiple of three to have enough dough slices to turn in the proper direction. For large ring, I cut 21. (If I misjudge the length of dough and don't have enough slices, I cut a slice or two from scraps or another roll and place in tearing to complete design.)
10. After clipping, pull dough with hands into a larger circle as you will need more room in center for dough slices.
11. Flip 2 slice on sides (kind of looks like a heart) and flip third slice into center of ring (repeat for remaining slices).
12. Smash the ones in the center of the ring with your hand so they will touch together better.
13. Cover with plastic wrap or towels to keep from drying out.
14. Let rise until double in size.
15. Remove Saran and bake until golden brown at 350.

Caramel Pecan Rolls:
Combine 1 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. melted butter
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

Coat bottom of pan with this and sprinkle pecans over the top. Then place cinnamon rolls, cut side down. Rise and bake as cinnamon rolls.

*Note, I have modified this slightly to reflect what my mom does as opposed to my Aunt Mary K.'s method. Mom uses the Thatsa bowl from Tupperware. She also covers with a clean tea towel more often than saran wrap. To let the dough rise she has either pre-heated the oven then shut it off and put the dough inside, or put it beside the woodstove. The trick to getting them super light and fluffy is to forget them while they are rising. It's true! I don't believe my mom scalds the milk, but she does get it warm, I think.

They both use a Kitchen Aid mixer to make these. The cinnamon rolls and tea rings can also be topped with a Powdered sugar and milk frosting. A touch of vanilla for flavor if you like. Mix until a hot fudge consistency then pour over the warm cinnamon buns.

Sara
__________________
Romans 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. (ESV)