Re: Cinnamon Roll issues...
Mattchew -
First of all - regardless of your recipe - if your dough isn't "right" your rolls will not turn out. And don't substitute ingredients until you've perfected your recipe to where you want it. If a recipe calls for butter - use butter - not margarine - not a spread, etc. That will make a huge difference in your results.
Always check the date on your yeast. Are all your other ingredients fresh?
How to Proof Yeast
"Proofing" can mean several things in bread baking: ensuring that the yeast is active, setting the dough to rise, and letting the shaped loaves rise before baking.
Steps: 1. To proof the yeast and make sure it's active, add one packet active dry yeast to 1/4 c. warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees F) and stir to dissolve. (The water should feel like a pleasantly warm shower, or about the temperature you'd use for a baby's bottle. If it feels uncomfortably hot, it will probably kill the yeast.) Add one teaspoon of sugar and let the yeast sit for five minutes. If the yeast is foamy and smells like bread, it's active.
2. To set dough for rising, find a place in your home that is at or closest to 80 degrees F (27C). This is the optimum temperature for proofing yeast and allowing dough to rise.
3. Gather the kneaded dough into a ball (see "How to Knead Bread Dough" for more information about this crucial step) and cover it with a floured linen towel, a piece of plastic wrap or other cover. Covering the dough prevents moisture loss and contamination by competing yeasts.
4. Allow dough to rise undisturbed. It's done when it approximately doubles in size and it does not spring back when poked with a finger.
5. Punch the dough down after it's risen. This relieves stress on the dough, squeezes out unwanted gas and redistributes the yeast, which improves most breads.
6. Form the bread into loaves, then cover and let rise again. If possible, let this rising take place in a moist area; you might use a damp towel for covering the loaves. The second rising usually takes half as long as the first; be ready for this and be ready to bake as soon as the dough has finished rising.
How to Knead Bread Dough
Kneading the dough is one of the most important steps in bread baking. This step more than any other will determine the outcome of the bread.
Steps: 1. Start with dough that has been measured and mixed properly.
2. Turn the dough out on a clean, floured work surface.
3. Flour your hands well.
4. Use the heel of your hands to compress and push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself.
5. Give the dough a little turn and repeat Step 4. Put the weight of your body into the motion and get into a rhythm.
6. Keep folding over and compressing the dough until it becomes smooth and slightly shiny, almost satiny. Check your recipe for specifics. The most common test for doneness is to press it with your finger. If the indentation remains, it's ready for rising. You can also try stretching part of the dough into a rectangle. If it can stretch into a thin sheet without breaking, you've kneaded it enough.
It's difficult to over-knead dough by hand, but it's actually very easy to do with a machine, so check it fairly often. Kneading one loaf's worth of white-bread dough by hand should take about 10 minutes. Kneading two loaves' worth takes almost double the time. It takes longer for whole-wheat flour as well. (An all-whole-wheat loaf would take twice as long to knead, but you'll seldom make an all-whole-wheat loaf.)
Kneading does three crucial things for bread: it distributes the yeast and other ingredients evenly and thoroughly, it develops the gluten in the dough, and it introduces air. The gluten, or wheat protein, is what enables the dough to stretch instead of collapsing when the yeast grows inside it. If the gluten isn't developed, the dough won't rise well and will produce a heavy loaf - rather like a brick.
Some bread recipes call for a second kneading just before the dough is added to the loaf pans. Professional bakers call this benching and shaping the dough.
This may be a bit more than you want -
A sweet dough is no more difficult to make than any plain bread. With one recipe, Sweet Dough (below), many different breads and buns can be made by adding in a few other ingredients - fruit, nuts and spices - and varying the shapes. Also included are other interesting breads, some with icing. Wait until sweet breads have cooked at least slightly before adding icing or the icing will melt and flow off. Store them as ordinary bread.
Sweet Dough
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 pkgs active dry yeast
8 to 9 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
In large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast and 2 cups flour. In 2-quart saucepan over low heat, slowly heat milk and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees F) (Butter does not need to meld.)
With mixer at low speed, gradually beat liquid into dry ingredients. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes more, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
Beat in eggs and 2 cups flour; continue beating 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl.
With spoon, stir in enough additional flour (about 4-1/4 cups) to make a soft dough.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape into a ball.
Turn over in greased large bowl and grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place until dough is doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough. On lightly floured surface, divide into pieces as recipes direct. Cover; let rest 15 minutes.
Raisin Bread
1/3 Sweet Dough
3/4 cup raisins
Prepare Sweet Dough. Grease 9x5-inch loaf pan. Roll dough piece into 12x9-inch rectangle. Sprinkle raisins on dough.
From 9-inch end, roll dough jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal. Press ends to seal and tuck under; place seam side down in pan.
Cover; let rise until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake 35 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. let cool on rack.
Hot Cross Buns
1/2 Sweet Dough
1/2 cup dark seedless raisins
1/3 cup chopped candied orange peel
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water
Sugar Icing: 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tbsp milk, 1 tbsp soft butter, 1/3 tsp lemon juice. Beat all ingredients together until smooth.
Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan. Into dough knead raisins and peel. Divide dough into 12 pieces; shape into balls; place evenly in pan. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place, away from draft, until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine egg yolk with water; brush buns with this. Bake buns 30 minutes or until brown and glazed.
Make icing cross on buns. Serve warm.
Leftover Sweet Dough?
Then make individual Kolacky.
Cut Sweet Dough into pieces; shape into balls. Place balls on greased cookie sheet, 3 inches apart. Cover; let rise about 1-1/2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare Kolacky (below). Pat balls to make 4-inch circles with 1/4-inch rim around edges; fill each with 1 tbsp topping. Bake 375F for 15 minutes.
Toppings:
Blueberry: Stir 1/3 cup canned blueberry-pie filling and 1/4 tsp grated lemon peel until mixed. (Use leftover filling on ice cream.)
Cherry: Stir 1/2 cup canned cherry-pie filling and 1 tbsp shredded coconut until mixed.
Cream Cheese: Stir one 3-ounce pkg cream cheese, softened, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp milk and 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon until mixture is smooth.
Lemon: Prepare one 3-1/4 to 3-5/8 ounce pkg lemon pudding mix as label directs. Set aside 1/3 cup lemon-pudding mixture for Kolacky. Pour remaining mixture into dessert dishes and refrigerate to serve another day.
Orange: Use 1/4 cup orange marmalade.
Pineapple: Stir 1/4 cup pinapple preserves, 1 tbsp chopped walnuts and 1/8 tsp salt until mixed.
** You can make a big Kolacky instead of individual ones by rolling dough into bigger circle. Lightly mark pressed dough into wedge-shaped sections and spoon one topping in each section. Bake 20 to 25 minutes for a 12-inch circle.
More on yeast -
The two forms of baker's yeast are; compressed cakes (also called fresh yeast) and dehydrated granules (dry yeast).
Fresh yeast is ivory colored with a yellowish hue and is soft and moist and should easily crumble. Make sure it is fresh smelling and there are no dark or dried places on the yeast. It is mainly used by professionals as it is highly perishable and must be used within a short time of opening. It is sold is .06 ounce foil packages and must be refrigerated. For longer term storage it can be frozen. Compressed yeast contains about 70% moisture. It needs to be proofed before using and should have a pleasant yeasty smell and be foamy.
Dry yeast is fresh compressed yeast that has been pressed and dried until the moisture content is only about 8% which makes the yeast dormant. The granules only become active again when mixed with a warm liquid. The advantage of dry yeast is it has a much longer shelf life than fresh yeast and does not need to be refrigerated. This makes it a favorite among home bakers. The tiny, dehydrated, bead-shaped, sand colored granules are most often sold in convenient small foil-lined packages weighing 1/4 ounce (7 grams) that have been packaged under pressure. Always check the expiration date on the package before buying. It is also sold in 4 ounce jars but once opened, the yeast needs to be stored in the refrigerator away from moisture, heat, and light because once yeast is exposed to air it deteriorates rapidly.
There are two types of dry yeast: regular active dry and rapid-rise. The two types of dry yeast can be used interchangeably. The advantage of the rapid-rise is the rising time is half that of the active dry and it only needs one rising. However, you do sacrifice flavor and texture in order to save time as the yeast does not have time to develop its own flavor.
You may have noticed that in some recipes it calls for dissolving the yeast first in a warm liquid and then adding this active yeast mixture to the flour. Other recipes, however, call for the yeast first being added to the flour and then the warm liquid is added. The dissolving of the yeast first in a warm liquid is done to make sure the yeast is still fresh and active. This step really doesn't need to be done though because of how reliable the dry yeast is today. Also, the dry yeast has such a small granule size that it dissolves easily into the dough without having to be reconstituted separately. Some bakers, however, still feel that it is a good idea to test the yeast to make sure it is still active before adding it to the flour.
As far as losing your filling -
after spreading your filling start to roll your dough like a jelly-roll - beginning at the long side making sure that you roll TIGHTLY and tuck your ends in to SEAL them. Don't slice too thin. Cover and allow to rise again. Use the proper size pan. Be sure to preheat your oven to the proper temperature. And don't trust your oven dial to tell you it is the temp it should be - buy an oven thermometer. Many ovens need to be calibrated after a while.
Now a note on rolling: Some prefer to roll the dough from the short side for more of a "swirl" looking roll. It is your choice. Either way is fine. I've done it both ways.
You can always brush your dough with milk instead of using butter or margarine and then sprinkle with your cinnamon and sugar (or nuts) to prevent so much of your filling from oozing out.
When rolling - roll and tuck tightly; pinch those seams closed. I always "roll" my rolled dough to round it out and make sure it is well sealed before slicing. Rolling with you palms lightly and patting it into an even shape works well.
When buttering your pan - don't "over"butter the pan - prevents extra greasiness.
Tried and true recipes (just like the one above):
OLD-FASHIONED CINNAMON SWIRL LOAF
DOUGH
6 cups all-purpose flour (6 to 6 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup sugar
2 packages Fleischmann's® Rapid Rise Yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
CRUMB TOPPING
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine
FILLING
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chopped dates or raisins
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1. Make dough: In large bowl combine 2 cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (125º to 130ºF); stir into dry ingredients. Stir in eggs and enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
2. Make topping: Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly; reserve.
3. To fill and shape loaves: On lightly floured surface, divide dough into two equal pieces. Roll each to 16 x 7-inches. Brush each with melted butter to within 1-inch of edges. Sprinkle evenly with sugar, cinnamon and dates. Roll up tightly from short ends as for jelly roll; pinch seams and ends to seal. Place, seam sides down, in two greased 9- x 5 inch pans.
4. Brush loaves with egg white; sprinkle with Crumb Topping. Bake at 375ºF for 40 to 45 minutes or until done. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.
Cinnamon Rolls
* 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 package fast-rising active dry yeast
* 2/3 cup milk
* 2/3 cup water
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup cooking oil
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 egg yolks
* 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* Cream Cheese Icing (see recipe below)
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour and yeast. In small saucepan, combine milk, water, the 1/2 cup sugar, oil, and salt. Heat; stir over medium heat till just warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F).
2. Add milk mixture and egg yolks to dry mixture . Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl often. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that’s smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes). Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
4. Roll out dough to form a 14x12-inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter or margarine. Sprinkle with a mixture of 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon.
5. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting from long side. Seal seam. Slice into 12 pieces. Place in greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Cover; let rise in warm place till nearly doubled (20 minutes).
6. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly; remove from pan. Frost warm rolls with Cream Cheese Icing. Serve rolls warm or cool on a wire rack. Makes 12 rolls.
Cream Cheese Icing: In a medium mixing bowl, beat one 3-oz. package cream cheese, softened; 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened; and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 tablespoon milk. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar until icing is spreading consistency.
Cinnabons (Clone)
Makes 12 rolls (12 servings)
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees /45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
(or instead of the above buy frozen bread dough)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 - 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Place bread ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in
the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough
cycle; press Start.
After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a
lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough
with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon
mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls on the cut end in a
lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until
nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about
15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream
cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract
and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls (not hot) before serving.
Ok - I got long-winded - but it's not easy trying to help when I can't see what you are doing, what you are using or the recipe you are reading!
(lvdkeyes - you know what I'm like on my soapbox!)
|
Linear Mode
