Cinnamon Swirly Bread (Dairy Free)!

Finally, a recipe post!!

OK, but please don’t yell at me because it’s a bread recipe.

I know that yeast is a hot commodity right now and it’s easier to spot Waldo nowadays than to see yeast in stock in grocery stores… but just in case you were one of the people who hoarded yeast and you’re running out of recipes to try, this one is for you.

Let me start off by saying that breads are not my forte, but this one is SO easy. My favorite part about this recipe is that it only takes about an hour for the dough to rise, unlike some breads + buns that need to rise for hours AND set overnight (cinnamon rolls). Also, my apartment smells the best when baking these (well, second to banana bread).

Alright, I’m not going to ramble any longer. Mostly because my eyes are so droopy and I need to reunite with my bed soon.

Goodnight,
Donna

Cinnamon Swirl Bread (Dairy Free)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup warm water, (105-110 F degrees)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active-dry or quick-rise yeast (I prefer Red Star brand!)
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour + extra as needed (I prefer King Arthur brand)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar with the warm water in a very large bowl in stand mixer with dough attachment. Add the yeast and stir just a little bit with your finger. Let it sit until frothy (and it kinda smells like warm beer) about 5 minutes.
2. Add the flour, salt, and oil and knead, adding more flour if too sticky until the dough forms a large, soft ball. If you don’t have a stand mixer, no worries, you can do it by hand! You’ll have very strong (but sore) arms after.
3. Flour a table or work surface and knead the bread with your hands for 5-10 more minutes.
4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and brush the top with a little extra olive oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour. It should be very puffy. Punch down the dough.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough into a rectangle (but let’s be honest, it’s going to look more ‘oval’). The dough should be no wider than your bread pan so that it fits after it’s been rolled up – does that make sense?). For more tight rolls in the bread, roll the dough thinner. For thicker softer rolls in the bread, roll thicker.
6. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle over the loaf. Be generous. Roll up the loaves tightly and put in bread pan (lightly brushed with oil). Let rest for a few minutes before putting in the oven.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when you tap it with a knife. This is one recipe that you may actually want to over bake if you’re in doubt. If it looks too brown on the outside, it’s okay because the inside really needs to bake all the way to get the layers filled out.
8. Let the bread cool down all the way before cutting into it or else it may sink. If you have leftovers, cover tightly with plastic wrap and store room temperature!

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Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls with a Touch of Rosemary

Sunday morning thoughts: I feel like my blog has no rhyme or reason. Right now, it’s not very organized. My brother recently suggested for me to organize my recipes into your typical categories i.e. apps, salads, entrées, desserts, etc, and I think it’s a great idea that I’ll do once I have enough recipes! For now, I’m just going to keep posting until I really build this up.

Today’s post is another baking post – we are going to be making Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls with a touch of rosemary (rosemary is optional)!

As soon as September rolls around each year, I get so excited. It’s really my favorite time of the year because we’re getting closer and closer to the Holidays! I’m one of those crazy people that really get into family & friend gatherings from football watch parties to making up random occasions from September through December to cook & eat a lot of food.

It’s also exciting for me to cook for a larger group of people since it’s just me and my husband at home, most of what I cook is just enough for the both of us with little-to-no leftovers. While most recipes can be cut down in half or 1/4ths, there’s just some that don’t make sense to and this is my chance to make those group-friendly recipes, and one of those is dinner rolls.

My little excerpt about stand mixers: I was hesitant at first to post this recipe, because it’s meant to be made with a stand mixer. While I do HIGHLY recommend owning a stand mixer (if you’re serious about baking), this recipe can be achieved with a hand-held mixer and/or your own hands if you don’t own one. The stand mixer simply cuts down time and effort. This is the one I own: KitchenAid KSM150 Artisan Series in Majestic Yellow. This often goes on sale either at Target or Best Buy. I don’t think it’s worth it to purchase it when it’s not on sale. Also, don’t ever purchase it at Williams Sonoma or Sur la Table – it’s always more expensive there.

One more note about rosemary: I LOVE rosemary. However, I have discovered that it is polarizing to a lot of people. This recipe only has a HINT of it. I promise it’s not overwhelming at all. It just gives that touch of herbal flavor that I crave. If you totally despise rosemary, it can easily be removed from the entire thing.

Don’t be discouraged by the number of steps below. These rolls are really simple to make. While waiting for the dough to rise, you can use that time to make your main dish.

Alright, enough talking.

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT DINNER ROLLS WITH A TOUCH OF ROSEMARY

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup warm whole milk (105 – 100 degrees F)
• 1 (1/4 oz) packet active dry yeast
• 4 tablespoons honey, divided
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 3-4 sprigs rosemary, optional
• 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes, optional (Maldon is my fav)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

• Stand mixer
• Basting brush
• Food scale, optional
• Food thermometer, optional

DIRECTIONS

• Combine milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon honey in a small bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and remaining 3 tablespoons honey on medium speed until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in egg until well combined. Beat in yeast mixture, all-purpose flour and salt until a smooth batter forms.

• Using the dough hook, gradually add whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft, smooth ball of dough is formed. The dough should feel elastic and slightly tacky to the touch. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes.

• Lightly oil a large bowl or coat with nonstick spray; place dough in bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

• Gently deflate dough by punching down. Roll into a 15-inch rope; cut into 15 1-inch pieces, pressing each piece into a disk, then shaping into a ball.

• Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray. Place dough balls into the prepared baking dish; brush tops with butter. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place into oven and bake until golden brown, about 18-22 minutes.