Monkey Bread

This is a recipe from Cook's Country that is so delicious and decadent it's worthy of a holiday morning or other special event. The dough should be sticky, but if you find that it's too wet and not coming together in the mixer, add 2 tablespoons more flour and mix until the dough forms a cohesive mass. I'm looking forward to having this again Christmas morning!

Prep time: appox 2.5 hours
Cook time: 35-40 mins
Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:
Dough:
2 tbsp unsalted butter softened, plus 2 tbsp melted
1 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees)
1/3 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1/4 cup sugar
1 package rapid-rise or instant yeast
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
2 tsp salt
Nonstick cooking spray

Brown sugar coating:
1 cup packed  light brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp millk

DIRECTIONS:
For the dough: Adjust oven rack to low position and heave oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn off oven. Butter Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside. 

In a large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar and yeast. Mix flour and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn down onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball. Coat large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with more cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until doubled in size, 50-60 minutes. 

For the coating: While dough is rising, mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl, set aside.  Gently remove dough from bowl (do not flour counter top) and pat into rough 8-inch square. Using bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces. Roll each dough piece into a ball. Working one at a time, dip dough balls in melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into bowl. Roll in brown sugar mixture, then layer dough balls in Bundt pan, staggering seams where dough balls meet as you build layers.

Prior to baking

Cover Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in still turned-off oven until dough balls are puffy and have risen to 2 inches from top of pan, 50 to 70 minutes. Remove pan from oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap pan, place in oven, and bake until top is deep brown and crusty and caramel begins to bubble around edges, 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. 

Fresh out of the oven

For the glaze: While bread is cooling, whisk confectioners' sugar and milk in small  bowl until all lumps are gone. Using whisk, drizzle glaze over warm monkey bread, allowing glaze to run over top and sides of bread. Serve warm. 

Cheese and Chive Biscuits

This is another recipe that I found in my Everyday Food Magazine, but we decided that it needed more cheese and more butter (bad, I know...) to really enhance the cheddar flavor.  Use fresh chives to bring out the flavor in these biscuits, but dried chives can work in a pinch.  Excellent with our Easter ham dinner!  The leftovers would also be delicious as breakfast biscuits. 

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooke time: 15 mins

Makes: 16

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 tsp fine salt

8-10 oz sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

4 tbsp chives

1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.  Add cheese, butter and chives and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.  Transfer dough into a large bowl and add cold buttermilk.  Mix together until just combined (do not over mix).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it just comes together.   With a floured rolling pin, roll out dough 3/4 inch thick.  With a  floured 2 3/4-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 16 rounds (re-roll and cut scraps).  Place biscuits, 1 1/2 inches apart, on a baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden, 13-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Flour Tortillas

Tom's paternal grandmother Soco taught him to make these tortillas, and when I'm really lucky he will make a big batch for us.  Soco was truly proficient in the kitchen and could easily turn out these tortillas in no time. Tom tells stories of how she would cook the tortillas using her fingers to turn them on the griddle (ouch!).  These are so good it is almost impossible not to eat one (or more) as you are cooking them.  For a treat, I will warm them with butter and cinnamon sugar for a delicious dessert. 

Prep time: 35 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Makes: 12 tortillas

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup lard or shortening

3/4 to 1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Rub in lard with fingertips until blended.  Add water gradually, mixing until dough cleans side of bowl and forms a ball.

Knead dough on lightly floured surface about 5 minutes or until smooth.  Shape dough into 12 inch roll; cut into slices.  Shape each slice into smooth ball.  Cover with damp towel; let rest 15 minutes.

Flatten each ball into 4 to 5-inch circle on floured surface.  Roll from center toward edge, turning tortilla one-fourth turn at a time, until tortilla measures about 9 inches in diameter.  Place tortilla between damp towels to prevent it from drying out.

Cook each tortilla on un-greased medium-hot griddle 30 to 40 seconds or until brown spots form on bottom. Tortilla will puff with bubbles.  Turn tortilla; immediately press down on tortilla with folded towel to flatten.  Cook until light brown.  Stack tortillas; cover with towel.

Roti (Indian Flat Bread)

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Makes: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil or ghee

2 cups chapatti flour

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/3 cups warm water

½ tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt.  Make a well in the center.  Add the warm water and mix in with your hands to form a soft, pliable dough.  Continue to knead until the dough has a ‘satiny’ texture.  Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.  Let rest for at least 15 minutes.

Break off small pieces of dough and roll them into balls.  Drip the balls in flour and roll out to a uniform thickness.

Heat an iron griddle over moderately high heat.  Test with a droplet of water to make sure that the surface is hot enough.  The water should dance around.  Transfer the rolled dough to the griddle and cook until air bubbles appear.

Flip the roti over and cook on the other side, pressing down with a spatula.  The dough should puff up (it will deflate again).  Cook until light brown spots appear.  Brush with melted ghee and transfer to a plate or bowl covered with foil.  Continue rolling out and cooking the rotis.  Stack as they are cooked.

Whole-Grain Naan

There are few things better in life than good naan, and this is especially true when it is warm, fresh, and straight from your oven.  This stuff doesn't last long in my house!

Prep time: 2 hours

Cook time: 10 mins

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
2 tbsp (1 ounce) butter or ghee, melted
1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk or whey (from the drained yogurt, below)
3/4 cup (6 ounces) plain whole-milk yogurt
1 large egg

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the butter or ghee, milk or whey, yogurt, and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring to form a shaggy mass of dough. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it until it's smooth and shiny. Put the dough into a greased bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until it's doubled in bulk. At this point, the dough may be refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours, for extra flavor and ease of rolling.

Divide the dough into six pieces, and hand-stretch or roll each piece into a thin oval shape. Pull on the front edge of the oval to elongate and create the tear shape. Let the pieces rest, uncovered, while you heat a griddle on high heat. 

Transfer the naan to the griddle. Grill for approximately 2 to 3 minutes on one side, until the bread puffs and begins to look set around the edges. Flip over and finish cooking. Serve warm!

Tom-Burgaler Buns

This is a recipe for hamburger buns appropriately named after Tom the "Ham Burgaler". If you have the time, they definitely will be a  crowd pleaser at your next BBQ. 

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 2 hours, 40 mins

Makes: 8 buns

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water

2 tbsp butter

1 large egg

3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp instant yeast

3 tablespoons melted butter, for topping

DIRECTIONS:

Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough. Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk.

Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball; flatten to about 3" across. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until noticeably puffy.  Brush the buns with about half of the melted butter.

 Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Remove them from the oven, and brush with the remaining melted butter. This will give the buns a satiny, buttery crust. Cool the buns on a rack.

*For best results (a smooth, slightly soft dough), use the smaller amount of water in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate); and something in between the rest of the time.

Butter Buns

Prep time: varies

Cooke time: 20 mins

Makes: 18 rolls

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups milk

3 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp extra

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 fresh yeast cake

1/4 cup warm water

6 cups all-purpose flour (or as needed)

DIRECTIONS:

Add 3 tbsp butter, the sugar and salt to scalded milk and set aside until lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and set aside.

Add yeast water to lukewarm milk mixture and mix well, then add 3 cups flour and set aside, cover, and let rise until light and bubbly. Add more flour to make a soft dough that can be kneaded and rolled (it will require about 2-1/2 to 3 cups of four). Knead the dough (on low speed) until smooth and supple, then let it rise in a covered greased bowl until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 425°F–220°C

Melt 1 tbsp butter and set aside. Roll the dough to small balls (about the size of a gold ball). Brush over each piece with melted butter.  Place rolls on a pan, let rise, and bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Best served warm.  

Ready to go in the oven

Yumm!