King Cake Ingredients

Yeast: I am using instant yeast because it is so easy to use and store. It is just added in with your dry ingredients, no need to "bloom it“ first. If you do not have instant yeast, you can substitute active dry yeast in the same measurement, just add it to your warm milk with a tablespoon of the measured brown sugar. Then let it dissolve and bubble for a few minutes. 

Butter: King Cake dough is an enriched dough, meaning fat (butter) and sugar have been added to it. This makes the dough extra soft and moist.

Brown Sugar: I chose to use brown sugar to deepen the flavors of the dough and the filling. It also retains moisture because of the added molasses to the brown sugar.

How to Make a King Cake

Making a king cake is just like making cinnamon rolls, but even easier because you don't have to cut them into individual slices before baking. First, make the dough and make the filling while it's proofing, then roll the dough out and fill it, shape it into a ring, proof again, and bake. If you want to make it this king cake ahead, just refrigerate it after shaping it into a ring, then proof and bake the next day.

Making the Dough

1. Combine the flour, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix the ingredients for a few seconds to distribute the yeast evenly.
2. In a heat safe container, combine the milk and butter and heat to 110°F. This can be done in the microwave or in a small saucepan.
3. While the mixer is running on low, pour in the milk and butter and then add the eggs, one at a time. 
4. Once the eggs have begun to incorporate, sprinkle in the salt. The salt is added last to give the yeast more of a chance to thrive.
5. Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary. Continue to mix on medium-low speed for 10-15 minutes to develop the gluten. 
6. After 10 minutes of mixing, check to see if the gluten is properly developed by using the “window test.” Stretch a piece of dough between your fingers and slowly pull it thin enough to see light coming through. If the dough tears, let it continue to mix for another 5 minutes.
7. Once the dough is ready, cover it with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm area for about an hour, until the dough doubles in size. Because of the added butter to the dough, it will not stick to the bowl. I like to place mine in my oven (turned off!) with the oven light on and the door cracked open. 

Making the Filling

1. Mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined.
2. Add the cinnamon and mix slowly until fully combined and smooth.
3. Warm it in the microwave for a few seconds so the mixture is a soft, easily spreadable consistency. If the filling mixture is hot it will warm the dough upon contact making it more difficult to move and shape, so keeping it at a moderate temperature is easier.

Forming the King Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. When the dough is ready, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface. You will know your dough is ready because it has doubled in size and also keeps the indentation when you give it a poke.
3. Gently spread the dough with your hands and then begin to roll it out to about a 10”x 20” rectangle with a rolling pin.
4. Using an offset spatula, spread the filling on the dough evenly, leaving a border around the edges. If the filling is too thick in some spots it can bake unevenly.
5. On the long side of the rectangle of dough, begin to roll up the dough evenly forming a long tube. Roll the dough gently and not too tightly, we want the dough to be able to expand while proofing.
6. Once you reach the end of the dough roll, pinch the seam of the dough together. Brush a little water on the edge to help it stick to itself.
7. Carefully place the dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
8. Trim the excess dough with no filling off one end of the dough ring. Stretch back the dough on the other end of the roll and place the other end into it, overlapping to seal off the circle. Use a little water to seal the seam to the dough.
9. Cover the king cake and place it in a warm spot to rise again for about 30 minutes.

Baking the King Cake

1. Once the dough has risen and is puffed and soft, it is ready to bake. With a sharp knife or scissors, cut some vents around the top of the cake to allow it to expand. It will explode if you don’t. 
2. Bake the king cake in a 350°F oven for about 30-40 minutes. 
3. Rotate the cake halfway through baking to ensure even browning. The center of the dough should be near 190°F when it is finished baking, and it should be golden brown. Some filling will have spilled out, but it is okay, there is still plenty inside of the cake.
4. Let the cake cool on the pan.
5. Insert the plastic baby inside the cake. This is completely optional. Cut a small hole and push the plastic baby in. Later you’ll cover it with frosting to disguise where the plastic baby is.
6. Once the cake is completely cool, transfer it to a serving plate. 

Icing the King Cake

1. In a large bowl, mix the powdered sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract on high with a whisk attachment for 2-3 minutes. Add a teaspoon of water at a time to thin it out as needed. 
2. Separate the icing into 3 bowls and add green, yellow, and purple food coloring. One color per bowl. Color the icing to your desired shade of color. The icing can also be left white.
3. Drizzle the colored icing in sections around the ring of cake, then cover with the corresponding colored sprinkles before the icing dries. 
4. Let the icing set before cutting into the cake. It can be stored at room temperature but sealed in an airtight container. Though this is best eaten the same day, it is just as good days later warmed in the microwave for a few seconds.

FAQ

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Recipe

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King Cake Recipe

Celebrate Mardi Gras with a homemade King Cake, rich sweet dough filled with cinnamon and sugar! If you can’t make it to New Orleans make one at home with this surprisingly simple king cake recipe. (Don't forget the small plastic baby!)

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 servings

Calories 732kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

King Cake Dough

• 7 grams instant yeast (¼ oz or 1 packet)
• 3 ounces brown sugar (⅓ cup)
• 18 ounces all purpose flour  (3 ⅓ cup) (or bread flour)
• 6 ounces whole milk (¾ cup) warmed to 110°F
• 5 ounces unsalted butter  (½ cup + 2 Tbsp)
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt

King Cake Filling

• 4 ounces granulated sugar (½ cup)
• 4 ounces brown sugar (½ cup)
• 4 ounces unsalted butter (½ cup) softened
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 Tablespoons cinnamon

King Cake Icing

• 16 ounces powdered sugar
• 2 ounces buttermilk (¼ cup)
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
• 1 teaspoon water as needed
• gold, green, and purple sprinkles
• 1 teaspoon yellow gel food coloring
• 1 teaspoon green gel food coloring
• 1 teaspoon purple gel food coloring

Instructions

Making the Dough

• Combine the flour, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix the ingredients for a few seconds to distribute the yeast evenly.
• In a heat safe container, combine the milk and butter and heat to 110°F. This can be done in the microwave or in a small saucepan.
• While the mixer is running on low, pour in the milk and butter and then add the eggs, one at a time. 
• Once the eggs have begun to incorporate, sprinkle in the salt. The salt is added last to give the yeast more of a chance to thrive.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary. Continue to mix on medium-low speed for 10-15 minutes to develop the gluten. 
• After 10 minutes of mixing, check to see if the gluten is properly developed by using the “window test.” Stretch a piece of dough between your fingers and slowly pull it thin enough to see light coming through. If the dough tears, let it continue to mix for another 5 minutes.
• Once the dough is ready, cover it with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm area for about an hour, until the dough doubles in size. Because of the added butter to the dough, it will not stick to the bowl. I like to place mine in my oven (turned off!) with the oven light on and the door cracked open. 

Making the Filling

• Mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined.
• Add the cinnamon and mix slowly until fully combined and smooth.
• Warm it in the microwave for a few seconds so the mixture is a soft, easily spreadable consistency. If the filling mixture is hot it will warm the dough upon contact making it more difficult to move and shape, so keeping it at a moderate temperature is easier.

Forming the King Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• When the dough is ready, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface. You will know your dough is ready because it has doubled in size and also keeps the indentation when you give it a poke.
• Gently spread the dough with your hands and then begin to roll it out to about a 10”x 20” rectangle with a rolling pin.
• Using an offset spatula, spread the filling on the dough evenly, leaving a border around the edges. If the filling is too thick in some spots it can bake unevenly.
• On the long side of the rectangle of dough, begin to roll up the dough evenly forming a long tube. Roll the dough gently and not too tightly, we want the dough to be able to expand while proofing.
• Once you reach the end of the dough roll, pinch the seam of the dough together. Brush a little water on the edge to help it stick to itself.
• Carefully place the dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. 
• Trim the excess dough with no filling off one end of the dough ring. Stretch back the dough on the other end of the roll and place the other end into it, overlapping to seal off the circle. Use a little water to seal the seam to the dough.
• Cover the king cake and place it in a warm spot to rise again for about 30 minutes.

Baking the King Cake

• Once the dough has risen and is puffed and soft, it is ready to bake. With a sharp knife or scissors, cut some vents around the top of the cake to allow it to expand. It will explode if you don’t. 
• Bake the king cake in a 350°F oven for about 30-40 minutes. 
• Rotate the cake halfway through baking to ensure even browning. The center of the dough should be near 190°F when it is finished baking, and it should be golden brown. Some filling will have spilled out, but it is okay, there is still plenty inside of the cake.
• Let the cake cool on the pan.
• Insert the plastic baby inside the cake. This is completely optional. Cut a small hole and push the plastic baby in. Later you’ll cover it with frosting to disguise where the plastic baby is.
• Once the cake is completely cool, transfer it to a serving plate. 

Icing the King Cake

• In a large bowl, mix the powdered sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract on high with a whisk attachment for 2-3 minutes. Add a teaspoon of water at a time to thin it out as needed. 
• Separate the icing into 3 bowls and add green, yellow, and purple food coloring. One color per bowl. Color the icing to your desired shade of color. The icing can also be left white.
• Drizzle the colored icing in sections around the ring of cake, then cover with the corresponding colored sprinkles before the icing dries. 
• Let the icing set before cutting into the cake. It can be stored at room temperature but sealed in an airtight container. Though this is best eaten the same day, it is just as good days later warmed in the microwave for a few seconds.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 732kcal | Carbohydrates: 118g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 275mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 76g | Vitamin A: 841IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3mg

The post King Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

One important thing you need to know is that making sourdough bread is a two-day process BUT it's not a lot of work. Most of the time is spent letting the dough rest and rise.

Sourdough needs a lot of time for flavor to develop, gluten to develop, and for the sourdough starter to ferment. As they say "we make sourdough today so we can eat tomorrow".

Read on for all my tips on how to make your first loaf of sourdough bread with a nice open crumb and lots of lift!

A few months ago I knew nothing about making sourdough. I only knew that I liked to eat it and that I wanted to make it from home. At first, I was horribly overwhelmed by words like "hydration" and "levain". I got a migraine the first day I tried to make sense of a recipe.

But like most things, once I actually MADE the sourdough bread, I found the steps to be pretty simple and pretty flexible. So just follow along with me and download my sourdough starter workflow pdf to keep you on track.

So I have taken everything I learned about making sourdough bread from a homemade starter (if you don't have one, learn to make your own sourdough starter here.

Like most recipes, there are a million different ways you can do something and the one that works for you is the best way. So I hope this recipe works as well for you as it does for me! Please feel free to leave me a comment if you have a question or need clarity on something.

What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Sourdough Bread?

Making sourdough bread is deceptively easy. The ingredients are not complicated. Just flour, water, salt and and active starter. Like most delicious recipes, the confusion comes from the WAY the recipe is prepared. Sourdough is made from a natural yeast that takes time to rise and warmth to be active. You cannot rush it.  Read on for a step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own sourdough bread from scratch.

Tools & Equipment

When I was learning how to make sourdough bread (I still am learning with every loaf) I used what I had on hand. A simple glass bowl, tea towel, cast iron dutch oven, and razor blade for scoring. That worked well for my first ten loaves. So you don't need to order and fancy tools.

The bowl and tea towel or napkin are used to hold your dough in a nice shape overnight in the fridge. While your dough is in the fridge, it rises very little (if at all). The fridge is a great place to keep your dough after it has finished rising and shaping until you are ready to bake it. Cold dough is also easier to score than warm dough.

A sharp knife is needed to score the dough so it can rise! If you don't score deep enough, your bread will not be able to rise or it will split.

Parchment paper (not wax paper) so you can lift your loaf into the dutch oven easily.

The dutch oven is great because it traps moisture in the pot which helps the sourdough bread to rise taller. After 30 minutes, you take off the lid so that the loaf can brown.

If you WANT to order some equipment to make things a bit easier on you, this is what I use.

Sourdough bread banneton - Basically a fancy basket with a liner for proofing sourdough bread in the fridge.

Lame (pronounced lahm) - Sharp, thin razor blade with a handle for easy scoring. I love my lame for scoring delicate wheat patterns into the dough.

An Overview Of Sourdough Terms

Making sourdough bread can be broken down into steps. I will go over these steps in detail below but let's define some words that can sound confusing.

Sourdough Starter - Made from naturally occurring yeasts, water, and flour that is left to ferment over a period of time in a warm environment (75º-90F). As the yeast ferments, it produces sugar alcohol and gas which causes bread to rise. The starter can have a mild/sweet flavor or it can be very sour and tangy depending on how much time it ferments.

Sourdough starter cannot be used until it is at least 7 days old, and is doubling in size regularly.

Levain - Technically sourdough starter is a levain but that can be confusing. For the purposes of this recipe, when we refer to a levain we mean sourdough starter that is mixed with fresh flour and water and used at the peak of rising.

Peak - When we say let the levain rise to its peak, we mean don't use the levain until it rises to its highest point and then begins to fall. This is when the yeast is its strongest and is ready to use in dough.

This can take as little as two hours or up to 8 or more if the room is very cold. Ideally, you would make a levain right before you make your bread and put it in a nice warm spot so it rises quickly. I put mine in the oven with the oven light on and the door cracked or on top of the counter with the dishwasher running.

Autolyse - This refers to the process of combining flour and water together, and giving the water time to absorb into the dough so it becomes flexible. When you first add water to flour to make your dough, it will be very dry, "shaggy" and tear easily.

After a mere 30 minutes, the water will have hydrated the flour and you will now be able to stretch the dough and start making "folds" which create the gluten in our dough. We do not knead sourdough as you would knead a traditional dough.

Float Test - There is some discussion as to how reliable a float test really is but I do it so I will include it in this post. After your levain has reached its peak, remove 1 teaspoon of levain and drop it into a glass of water. Does it float? Then it's ready to use. If it sinks, your levain may not be ready and give it more time to rise.

Hydration - This refers to how much water is in the dough in relation to the flour. I'm really bad at math so I have to break it down like this. If you have 1000 grams of flour and 800 grams of water, that is 80% hydration.

My recipe is 500 grams of flour and 400 grams of water so it's roughly 80% hydration. That's pretty high for a beginner loaf but I have tried to use less water and I find it difficult to do the stretch and folds so I have kept the water at 400 grams.

Remember, if you change the flour at all, your dough will not be the same consistency as mine. Different flours absorb water in different ways so when you start tweaking this recipe to make it your own, you will undoubtedly have to adjust the water levels.

If you are shooting for a specific hydration level (most use around 75% hydration) then this is a handy sourdough hydration calculator to figure out if your ratios are on track.

Stretch & Fold - This is how we create the gluten in our dough. Because our dough has so much water, you can't knead it or it will get gummy and tough.

So we use the method of pulling the dough after autolyse to the point of almost tearing and folding it over onto itself to stretch the gluten and create structure without kneading.

Protip - Whenever you handle the dough, always use wet hands. Water keeps the dough from sticking! 

Bulk Ferment - This refers to the time that we allow the yeast to devour those starches and begin producing gas (aka bubbles!), causing the dough to rise (usually until it has doubled in size).

The amount of time you allow your dough to bulk ferment really depends on the loaf but I'll give you guidelines as we go. Usually between 3-5 hours in a warm room but it depends on the strength of your starter! You can't rush the rising.

Shaping - After we do our stretch and folds and bulk ferment, we will pre-shape our sourdough loaf to evenly distribute the bubbles and create strength in our loaf.

This involves doing a few easy folds. One is called a "simple book-fold" which is similar to how you fold butter into the dough when you're making a croissant.

Basically you shape the dough into a rectangle after mixing the dough and letting it rest 30 minutes.

Then you fold one side of the rectangle over itself so the right edge meets the center line.

Repeat with the left side.

Secondly, we will roll the dough up like a spiral and tuck the edges underneath to make the top of the dough skin "tight". The tighter you can make the dough and the better it holds its shape, the taller your loaf will rise.

Cold Ferment - After we shape our loaf, we will put it into a bowl with a flour-dusted tea towel or a banneton if you've got one. Then the loaf takes a nice long nap in the fridge and will be ready to bake the next day. The loaf will barely rise at all in the fridge so it is important to put the loaf in the fridge when it's doubled in size and is ready to bake.

Scoring - If you're artistic like me, you will really enjoy scoring! Scoring is simply cutting into the surface of the loaf to allow the bread to rise in the hot oven. If you don't want to score, you can bake your bread with the seam side up and it will split naturally. I use a Lame that I found on amazon but you can use a simple sharp knife and cut an X if you want. You don' have to get fancy. But it is fun!

Dutch Oven - I am glad that I did a lot of research before I baked my first loaf because I discovered that baking in a dutch oven is PERFECT for nice loaves of sourdough bread. The small space keeps the moisture around the bread for longer, allowing it to rise taller. Similar to using an oven with steam injection.

If you don't have a dutch oven you can bake on a pizza stone or on a cookie sheet. Remember, we aren't striving for perfection, we're just trying to make a nice loaf that tastes delicious.

I prefer to preheat my oven and my dutch oven all together so that I get as much rise as possible but if you're worried about burns, you can start with a cold dutch oven but make sure your oven has been pre-heated for at least 30 minutes.

How To Make Sourdough Step-By-Step

Before you begin, you should download my FREE sourdough workbook so you can keep track of your steps and make notes.

Day 1 - 10:00 AM Make The Levain - Make sure you are starting with an active starter that is rising to at least double and is nice and active. In the morning, before you feed your starter, remove 50 grams, and place it into another container. Add 50 grams whole wheat flour and 50 grams warm (90ºF) bottled or filtered water and stir until all the flour is gone.

Place the levain in a nice warm area to rise until it doubles in size. I put mine on the countertop while the dishwasher is running and it rises to its peak in about 3 hours.

Protip - Don't worry about exact timing, I started my levain at 9am in this photo but sometimes I start it later or earlier. All these times are just a guide. 

Protip - After feeding your starter, use the discard to make delicious sourdough pancakes or pikelets! A great way to start the morning and to minimize food waste. 

10:15 AM - Autolyse - I like to make the autolyse right after I make the levain so I don't forget about it. Combine 300 grams of bread flour, 100 grams unbleached all-purpose flour and 100 grams whole wheat flour with the 400 grams of water. (room temp is fine).

You can play around with these ratios later! That's part of the fun! Sometimes I use all bread flour and leave out the all-purpose flour but I always include a little whole wheat flour because I like the taste.

Mix the flour and water together with your hands until no dry flour remains anywhere. Very important! Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it absorb for the next few hours while your levain rises. It will look really dry and shaggy.

1:00 PM - Make The Dough - When the levain has doubled and passes the float test, time to add it to the dough! I just add the whole container into the bowl. We need 140 grams and there are 150 grams in the jar. It's almost impossible to get every bit out of the jar so it works out perfectly to just scoop out most of it and call it good.

Now sprinkle in your salt. I use pink Himalayan sea salt because I like the flavor.

Protip - If you want to add in herbs, cheese or spices, add it in with the salt so it gets mixed in evenly. 

Fold the dough onto the levain and salt and then poke it with your wet fingers to incorporate the levain and salt. Squeeze it with your hands (really take out your stress doing this). Squish and squeeze until everything is mixed together and then re-cover the dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

1:30 PM - Stretch & Fold - Now we begin developing the bread's strength by stretching the dough and folding it onto itself. Imagine the dough is a big pile of unraveled yarn. Each time we stretch the dough and fold it, it's like winding the yarn back into a ball. When it's strong enough to hold its shape, the loaf will bake up taller and have a better structure.

1. Wet your hands. Wet hands keep the dough from sticking to you
2. Pull one side of the dough up until it can't stretch anymore
3. Fold it over itself until the edge reaches the other side. This is called a "turn". There are four turns in each stretch and fold.
4. Rotate the bowl 45º so that the top is now the side and repeat the stretch and fold.
5. Repeat this for a total of 4 turns so all sides of the dough have been stretched and folded over.

As you move around the bowl, the dough will become harder and harder to stretch. Don't tear the dough or force it. The dough should look a bit like a ball and the top of the dough will look smoother than it was.

Allow the dough to rest for 60 minutes covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

This is stretch and fold #1 

Stretch and fold #2 - When you come back, the dough will look relaxed again and you can repeat the process of stretching and folding 4 times. This is the second stretch and fold. You will notice the dough is getting smoother.

Watch the video below for a demonstration on how to do these stretch and folds.

Stretch and fold #3 - Repeat the stretch and fold process a third time

I repeat these stretch and folds 3-4 times with an hour rest in between depending on how the dough is looking. The dough should be smoother on the surface and bubbles starting to form from the levain working. It will be harder to pull the dough to do the stretch and the surface will be quite smooth.

4:30 PM - Bulk Ferment - I allow the dough to rise for one or two more hours or until it looks jiggly and bubbly and has definitely doubled in size. Judging this part is the hardest for me.

I tend to let it go too long so just know that you'll get better with experience how long to let it bulk ferment. Keep notes! The one time you don't keep notes of what you did, it will definitely be the best loaf you ever baked and you'll have no idea why.

Did You Know? Sourdough bread is easier to digest than bread made with commercial yeast? Yep, it's true! Because the starch in the bread is already broken down by the natural yeast, your body can process it more easily. Some people with gluten intolerance can eat sourdough bread with no pain. 

6:00 PM - Simple book-fold and cinnamon roll shaping

Now it's time to do some folds to redistribute the bubbles that have been developing so that they aren't all at the top or bottom of your loaf when you bake it. We also want to strengthen that gluten again before resting overnight.

Dip your hand in some water and rub the water on the countertop. Water prevents sticking! Gently tip the bowl over and coax the dough onto the wet countertop.

Pop any big bubbles that you see. Just like when you make regular bread and you "punch it down" you want to knock out any huge trapped air and redistribute the bubbles in the dough for a better rise.

With wet hands, spread the dough out into a rectangle that's about 8"x12" and looks like a sheet of paper placed vertically in front of you. Take one side and fold it over so that the edge meets the center.

Lift the other side of the dough and fold it over the top of the first fold. Now we have evenly distributed all those lovely bubbles evenly so our crumb will look really great after the sourdough bread bakes.

Rotate the dough 45º and now roll it up like a cinnamon roll. Make sure the seam is on the bottom. Seal the sides by pinching them together. Pop any big bubbles that you see. This helps the gluten get even tighter and stronger so that it holds its shape when its rising.

6:15 PM - Bench-Rest - Cover the dough with the bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes. This gives the seam time to seal shut and for the gluten to relax a little.

6:15 PM - Prepare Your Banneton - Dust your banneton with flour or place a tea towel into a medium-sized bowl and dust it with flour. This container provides a space for our very loose dough to hang out and keep its shape in the fridge overnight.

6:30 PM - Final Shaping - Turn the dough over and gather all the edges together in the center and hold them firmly with your fingertip. This makes the outer skin tighter. See this step better in the video below.

Lift the dough with your fingertips and place it into your floured banneton or bowl. Pinch all the edges together and seal them as best you can.

Protip - If your dough is too soft to lift this way, scoop it up with your hands and then flip it over into the banneton

Put the banneton in a plastic bag to keep it from drying out and put it into the fridge overnight. Remember, your sourdough isn't going to rise at all in the fridge so all its rising should already be done before it goes into the fridge. We will bake it straight from the fridge in the morning.

Day 2 - 8:30 AM - Preheat Your Oven Place your dutch oven into the oven and preheat the oven to 500ºF. We want the oven to be very hot to get a great rise!

I place a sheet pan on the bottom rack of the oven underneath the dutch oven to prevent the bottom of the loaf from browning too much.

9:00 AM - Scoring - Cut a square of parchment paper that is 10"x10". Take your loaf out of the fridge and remove it from the bag.

Place the parchment square on the back of the loaf and flip it out onto the countertop, carefully removing it from the banneton or towel. The dough will spread out a bit and that is normal.

Remove any excess flour. I dust the surface of my dough with more flour for an even look but it's not necessary.

Use your Lame or sharp knife to cut a "C" shape on the right side of the loaf about ¼" deep to allow the bread to rise while baking. Move quickly and don't be afraid to cut the bread. If you're feeling extra fancy you can add a little wheat design off to the side. This decorative scoring is not very deep. Maybe 1/16th of an inch deep.

9:10 AM - Baking - Open the oven, remove the lid from the dutch oven. Lift the loaf by the corners of the parchment paper and quickly place your loaf inside the dutch oven. Place the lid back on top (make sure you use your oven mitts!) and close the door. Work as quickly and safely as possible to minimize heat loss.

Reduce the temperature of the oven to 450ºF

If you're nervous to handle a hot dutch oven you can start with a cold dutch oven but your lift may not be as high. Bake for 30 minutes covered. No peeking!

After 30 minutes you can remove the lid. This is my favorite part! Seeing how the bread is rising! Very satisfying!

Bake the bread for another 20-30 minutes depending on how dark you like your bread.

After your bread is baked, remove the dutch oven from the oven. Carefully tip the dutch oven over to get the bread out. The parchment keeps it from sticking.

Place the bread on a cooling rack to cool COMPLETELY before you slice it. This can take an hour or two. I know, it sucks to wait but you don't want the bread to be gummy!

The next most satisfying part is to cut the bread open. I slice it right down the center so I can observe the crumb, smell it, and take note of the overall result.

I love how open this crumb is but not so full of holes that it can't be slathered with butter.

Now most importantly, enjoy this wonderful result of your hard work. The first time I ate sourdough bread that I made from scratch, I almost cried. It's a lot of work but it's incredibly fulfilling and satisfying work.

We haven't eaten store-bought bread since! That was two months ago!

FAQ & Tips

How do I know when to bake my sourdough?

Do not bake your bread until it has doubled in size. You can't rush your yeast. It's not like commercial active dry yeast. It will rise according to how warm it is and how strong your starter is. It's important to give your dough enough time and warmth to rise.

The moment you add the levain to the dough, it will start rising. Even during stretching and folding, it will still be rising. The bulk ferment stage will take as long as it takes until the dough has visibly doubled in size. At this point, you can shape the dough and put it into the fridge to rest overnight.

The fridge is a pause button for sourdough. The dough won't rise or do much of anything in the fridge so you can leave it there until you're ready to bake it.

How do I make my sourdough loaf taller?

Baking in a pre-heated hot dutch oven with the lid on for 30-40 minutes will trap moisture inside the dutch oven and allow your sourdough loaf to rise higher.

Baking at higher temperatures gives the loaf lots of rising, also referred to as oven spring.

Making sure you do enough stretch and folds to give your loaf strength. Weak gluten cannot trap air and therefore will not rise in the oven.

Make sure your sourdough loaf has risen enough. The under-proofed dough won't rise because there won't be enough gas in the dough from the yeast to make it rise.

Why isn't my sourdough rising?

Your sourdough starter could be too young, your room is too cold, your dough has not proofed for long enough.

How can I make my sourdough sourer?

If you want a more sour loaf, use your starter after its peak. For instance, you can make your levain at 11 pm and then let it rise overnight.

Letting your sourdough loaf sit in the fridge for longer will also make it sourer. Some people leave their loaves in the fridge for two days to increase the sour flavor.

How can I improve the crumb of my sourdough?

Higher hydration levels create more holes in your sourdough loaf. This recipe is 80% hydration which is pretty high. Make sure to create a good structure for your loaf during the stretch and folds. Give your dough time to rise in the bulk ferment stage. Distribute the bubbles evenly during the book fold and cinnamon roll stage.

Whew, I know that was a ton of info for you but I hope it all made sense to you! If you have a question, feel free to leave me a comment below.

Tips for success!

• Remember, making sourdough takes time but not a lot of work. Only a few minutes here and there. Use your timer to remind you when its time to do a step.
• If your levain rises within 5 hours, it's strong enough to make bread
• Always use wet hands when handling the dough to prevent sticking
• Use stretch and folds, book folds and the cinnamon roll fold to create strength in your dough which helps it to rise taller and have an even, open crumb. 
• Make sure your dough has doubled in size before you put it in the fridge. It won't rise at all in the fridge and we will bake it straight from the fridge in the morning. 
• Don't be afraid to score deeply! this helps the bread rise. ¼"-½" deep with a lame or sharp knife. 
• Store leftover bread (if you have any) in a plastic bag to keep it moist. Toast it in the oven or in a toaster oven to bring back that crispness to the crust!

Related Recipes

How to make an active sourdough starter
Sourdough discard pancakes
Sourdough discard pikelets
Fast bread recipe
Honey whole wheat fast bread

Recipe

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Beginners Sourdough Bread Recipe Step-By-Step

How to make a perfect sourdough loaf that rises nice and tall and has a beautiful open crumb. Step-by-step instructions for the ultimate beginner! I cover everything including technical terms and how to know when your bread is ready to bake.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Resting Time 1 day day

Total Time 1 day day 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 245kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Banneton or medium bowl with tea towel
• Lame or sharp razor blade
• Dutch oven or cookie sheet with roasting lid

Ingredients

Levain

• 50 grams mature unfed starter
• 50 grams whole wheat flour or any unbleached flour
• 50 grams filtered or bottled water 90ºF

Sourdough Ingredients

• 300 grams bread flour
• 100 grams all purpose flour or more bread flour
• 100 grams whole wheat flour spelt or rye is great too
• 400 grams water any kind, doesn't have to be warm
• 11 grams salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Day 1

• In the morning, combine 50g of your unfed starter with the whole wheat flour and warm water in a clear container with straight sides and mix until no dry flour remains. This is your levain. Mark the height with a piece of tape or erasable marker.
• Place the levain into a warm area like the oven with the light on and the door cracked, on top of the fridge. A warm area is between 72ºF-95ºF. Starter will die if the temp rises above 130ºF
• Let your levain rise until it has reached its peak (the highest point in its rise before it starts to fall again). I track this by checking my levain hourly. If your levain doubles in size within 5 hours you can use it to make bread. If it doesn't your starter isn't strong enough yet or your room is too cold.
• While the levain is rising, make the autolyse (mixture of flour and water before adding the levain).
• Once your levain has peaked, add 140 grams to the autolyse. This is pretty much the whole container minus whatever is stuck to the sides. Also add in the salt and then mix it all together with your wet hands. Pinch, fold, push with your fingers until it's all cohesive and evenly mixed. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Begin your first stretch and fold. With a wet hand, lift one side of the dough and pull it to the point of resistence but don't tear it. Fold it over the top of the dough. Rotate the bowl 45º and repeat the stretch and then fold the dough over. Do this for a total of 4 times. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 60 minutes in a warm area.
• After 60 minutes, begin your second stretch and fold. The same process as the first stretch and fold. Cover and rest 60 minutes in a warm area.
• After another 60 minutes, begin your third stretch and fold. Same process. Rest for 60 minutes. If the dough still feels really loose then you may want to do a fourth stretch and fold.
• After your stretch and folds are complete, cover your dough and let it rise for 1-2 hours until it has doubled in size. This can take even longer than 2 hours if your room is cold or your starter is weak so don't rush it and just wait until the dough is ready.
• Once your dough has doubled you can shape it. Take your wet hand and get the countertop a little wet. This prevents sticking. Gently pour the risen dough onto the counter and stretch it out into a rectangle horizontally in front of you, about the size of a sheet of paper. Pop any big bubbles just as you would if you were making regular bread. Big bubbles make problems in the bread later.
• Fold the right side of the dough over itself so that the right edge lines up with the center of the dough. Now take the left side of the dough and fold it over the top. This is called a simple book fold and helps distribute the bubbles more evenly in your final loaf so all your bubbles aren't on the top or bottom.
• Now roll the dough up like a cinnamon roll. Nice and tight. This helps make that gluten even stronger so our bread can rise in the oven. Make sure the seam is on the bottom. Cover the dough with the bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, prepare your banneton. Dust on some flour generously. You can also use a bowl with a tea towel and it works just as well.
• Turn your dough over so the seam is facing up. Gather all the edges together and lift the dough like a bag and plop it into your floured banneton. Pinch together any loose edges.
• Place the whole basket into a plastic bag to keep it from drying out and put it into the fridge overnight. The dough will not rise or do much of anything in the fridge. It's like a pause button for sourdough so make sure all your shaping and rising is done before going into the fridge.

Day 2

• In the morning, preheat your oven to 500ºF with the dutch oven inside for 30 minutes. Place a sheet pan at the bottom of the oven to prevent your dough from getting too dark inside the dutch oven.
• Cut a piece of parchment paper about 10"x10" and place it on top of the dough. Turn the banneton upside down and gently remove the dough from the basket.
• Use your lame or razorblade to cut a big "c" into the side of the dough about ¼" to ½" deep. Don't be afraid to score! This allows the bread to rise nice and tall and you want tall bread right? You can also add in decorative scoring like wheat on the side if you desire.
• Lift the dough by grabbing the two corners of the parchment paper and place it into the hot dutch oven. Be quick but careful to avoid the sides of the dutch oven. We don't want any burns!
• Place the lid on top of the dutch oven and shut the door. Reduce the temperature to 450ºF and bake covered for 30-40 minutes.
• Remove the lid and bake for another 20-25 minutes depending on the color that you want!
• After baking, remove the bread from the hot dutch oven and place it on a cooling rack to cool for ONE HOUR. Don't cut it too soon or the inside will be gummy.
• Enjoy that bread! You worked hard for it!

Video

Notes

Tips for success!

1. Remember, making sourdough takes time but not a lot of work. Only a few minutes here and there. Use your timer to remind you when its time to do a step.
2. If your levain rises within 5 hours, it's strong enough to make bread
3. Always use wet hands when handling the dough to prevent sticking
4. Use stretch and folds, book folds and the cinnamon roll fold to create strength in your dough which helps it to rise taller and have an even, open crumb. 
5. Make sure your dough has doubled in size before you put it in the fridge. It won't rise at all in the fridge and we will bake it straight from the fridge in the morning. 
6. Don't be afraid to score deeply! this helps the bread rise. ¼"-½" deep with a lame or sharp knife. 
7. Store leftover bread (if you have any) in a plastic bag to keep it moist. Toast it in the oven or in a toaster oven to bring back that crispness to the crust!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Beginners Sourdough Bread Recipe Step-By-Step appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Making your own sticky buns from scratch is SO much better than a can and it’s not hard at all to do. This sweet dough is so versatile for all types of desserts like cinnamon rolls and danish! Prep these sticky buns the day before and pop them in the oven for the most amazing fresh sticky buns right out of the oven to enjoy with your morning coffee.

Sticky Buns Ingredients

Instant yeast is my preference when making bread because it will rise SO much faster than active dry yeast.

All-purpose flour or bread flour will work for this sweet dough recipe. Bread flour has a higher protein content and will give a slightly better texture to your buns, but either is okay.

Corn syrup adds that gooey texture to the glaze on top of the sticky buns. You can add more if you want a more "ooze" to your sticky buns, or less for a more set caramel on top.

Pecans are the traditional topping for sticky buns, but you can use any type of nut that you prefer or just leave them out entirely!

How to Make Sticky Buns

Sticky buns have three components, the sweet dough, the cinnamon sugar filling, and the caramel pecan glaze. I find it easiest to make all three and assemble my sticky buns in one day, then refrigerate them overnight, and proof and bake them the next morning for breakfast.

Making the Sweet Dough

1. Warm the milk to 110ºF.
2. Add the flour, yeast, and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix the dry ingredients briefly. You can make this dough without a stand mixer, you'll just have to knead by hand for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Add the softened butter in chunks and mix on low speed until it is broken up and distributed amongst the flour.
4. Slowly drizzle in the warm milk while mixing on low and mix until the flour starts to stick together.
5. Then add your eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
6. Finally, add your salt. Salt is added last to give the yeast a chance to get a little coating in flour and butter. Salt kills yeast, so this gives the yeast an upper hand in the battle. 
7. Mix the dough on medium speed with the dough hook until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and bounces back when you touch it. Once it forms a smooth ball, turn off the mixer. This can take 5-10 minutes. 
8. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and knead it for a few minutes on the counter.
9. Roll the dough into a nice tight ball.
10. Place the dough ball in a large bowl greased with oil and cover it with plastic wrap.
11. Place the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise until it doubles in size. This can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes but will vary depending on the temperature of your room. 80°F is the best temperature for proofing, so I like to put it in my turned-off oven with the light on or on top of my dishwasher while it's running.

Making the Caramel Pecan Glaze

1. Add the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a large bowl and mix with a whisk or electric mixer until it's light and fluffy.
2. Drizzle in the corn syrup and vanilla and mix until combined. Use less corn syrup if you want a thicker consistency for your glaze.
3. Spread the glaze paste into a 9" or 10" round cake pan (or baking dish of your choice) around the sides and the bottom of the pan.
4. Sprinkle pecans over the top of the glaze and set the pan aside. We're going to flip this upside down and it will become the gooey, caramelized top of the sticky buns.

Assembling the Sticky Buns

1. Make the cinnamon sugar filling by adding the softened butter, sugar, and cinnamon to a large bowl and mixing until smooth with a whisk or hand mixer.
2. When your dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
3. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a large rectangle, ½ inch thick, about 12" wide, and 15" long.
4. Smear the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the rolled-out dough, leaving about ½ inch of space along the outside edges of the dough.
5. Sprinkle pecans on top of the dough, making sure to evenly space them out.
6. Tightly roll from the long side of the dough into a log shape.
7. Score 8 evenly-spaced sections in the top of the dough with a sharp knife, then carefully cut them into buns. The dental floss trick unfortunately won't work because it can't cut through the pecans, so a serrated knife works best.
8. Assemble the cinnamon buns in your prepared pan on top of the glaze mixture. It's okay if they are almost touching, just make sure that your pan is big enough to easily fit all of the buns. They will proof again before baking.
9. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and place them in a warm area for 30 to 60 minutes until the buns are crowded in the pan and poofy. They don't have to be fully doubled in size, but your rise time will also be determined by the size of your pan.

Baking the Sticky Buns

1. Bake at 350°F for 45-60 mins until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature in the center reads 190°F. Use a thermometer to check, as the baking times will vary depending on what size pan you use.
2. Make sure you place a sheet pan on the rack under the rolls to catch the drips, or it will burn on the bottom of your oven. I had to switch my sheet pans out a few times to avoid a lot of smoke from the burning sugar. This was a lot easier to clean a sheet pan than the bottom of my oven! 
3. If the top is getting too brown and the center is not done, lightly cover it with a piece of foil to slow down the browning on top. 
4. Remove the finished sticky buns from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. We want the caramel glaze to set slightly, but still be hot so that it comes out of the pan.
5. Place a large serving plate on top of your pan and carefully flip the sticky buns upside down.
6. If there is any remaining caramel in the pan, put it back in the oven for 5 minutes then drizzle the caramel on top of the sticky buns.

FAQ

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Recipe

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Sticky Buns Recipe

The best homemade sticky buns recipe from scratch with a gooey caramel pecan glaze and homemade sweet dough. Don't be intimidated by making bread at home, this recipe breaks it all down step by step. Make sure to eat them warm for the best soft and fluffy texture.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Proofing 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Rolls

Calories 945kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 Stand mixer with dough hook
• 1 9" or 10" cake pan or casserole dish
• 1 Sheet pan (13"x18") or similar sized pan

Ingredients

Sweet Dough

• 4 ounces milk 110ºF
• 4 grams dried instant yeast
• 12.5 ounces all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 2 ounces sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg room temperature

Cinnamon Filling

• 4 ounces unsalted butter softened to almost melted
• 4 ounces granulated sugar
• 10 grams cinnamon
• 2 ounces pecans chopped

Pecan Caramel Glaze

• 8 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 4 ounces granulated sugar
• 4 ounces brown sugar light or dark
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 ounces pecans chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Sweet Dough

• Warm the milk to 110ºF
• Add the flour, yeast, and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix the dry ingredients briefly. You can make this dough without a stand mixer, you'll just have to knead by hand for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the softened butter in chunks and mix on low speed until it is broken up and distributed amongst the flour.
• Slowly drizzle in the warm milk while mixing on low and mix until the flour starts to stick together.
• Then add your eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
• Finally, add your salt. Salt is added last to give the yeast a chance to get a little coating in flour and butter. Salt kills yeast, so this gives the yeast an upper hand in the battle. 
• Mix the dough on medium speed with the dough hook until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and bounces back when you touch it. Once it forms a smooth ball, turn off the mixer. This can take 5-10 minutes. 
• Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and knead it for a few minutes on the counter.
• Roll the dough into a nice tight ball.
• Place the dough ball in a large bowl greased with oil and cover it with plastic wrap.
• Place the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise until it doubles in size. This can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes but will vary depending on the temperature of your room. 80°F is the best temperature for proofing, so I like to put it in my turned-off oven with the light on or on top of my dishwasher while it's running

Making the Caramel Pecan Glaze

• Add the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a large bowl and mix with a whisk or electric mixer until it's light and fluffy.
• Drizzle in the corn syrup and vanilla and mix until combined. Use less corn syrup if you want a thicker consistency for your glaze.
• Spread the glaze paste into a 9" or 10" round cake pan (or baking dish of your choice) around the sides and the bottom of the pan.
• Sprinkle pecans over the top of the glaze and set the pan aside. We're going to flip this upside down and it will become the gooey, caramelized top of the sticky buns.

Assembling the Sticky Buns

• Make the cinnamon sugar filling by adding the softened butter, sugar, and cinnamon to a large bowl and mixing until smooth with a whisk or hand mixer.
• When your dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
• Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a large rectangle, ½ inch thick, about 12" wide, and 15" long.
• Smear the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the rolled-out dough, leaving about ½ inch of space along the outside edges of the dough.
• Sprinkle pecans on top of the dough, making sure to evenly space them out.
• Tightly roll from the long side of the dough into a log shape.
• Score 8 evenly-spaced sections in the top of the dough with a sharp knife, then carefully cut them into buns. The dental floss trick unfortunately won't work because it can't cut through the pecans, so a serrated knife works best.
• Assemble the cinnamon buns in your prepared pan on top of the glaze mixture. It's okay if they are almost touching, just make sure that your pan is big enough to easily fit all of the buns. They will proof again before baking.
• Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and place them in a warm area for 30 to 60 minutes until the buns are crowded in the pan and poofy. They don't have to be fully doubled in size, but your rise time will also be determined by the size of your pan.

Baking the Sticky Buns

• Bake at 350°F for 45-60 mins until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature in the center reads 190°F. Use a thermometer to check, as the baking times will vary depending on what size pan you use.
• Make sure you place a sheet pan on the rack under the rolls to catch the drips, or it will burn on the bottom of your oven. I had to switch my sheet pans out a few times to avoid a lot of smoke from the burning sugar. This was a lot easier to clean a sheet pan than the bottom of my oven! 
• If the top is getting too brown and the center is not done, lightly cover it with a piece of foil to slow down the browning on top. 
• Remove the finished sticky buns from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. We want the caramel glaze to set slightly, but still be hot so that it comes out of the pan.
• Place a large serving plate on top of your pan and carefully flip the sticky buns upside down.
• If there is any remaining caramel in the pan, put it back in the oven for 5 minutes then drizzle the caramel on top of the sticky buns.

Video

Notes

1. The best investment you can make when you’re getting started with baking is a digital kitchen scale! Weighing your ingredients will help you avoid baking failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time. 
2. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
3. Make sure all of your cold ingredients (e.g. butter, eggs, milk) are at room temperature or a little warm. Why? Because we want to create an emulsion and allow the ingredients to fully mix together. 
4. Sticky buns can be kept at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for up to a week. They need to be kept in an airtight container to prevent the sticky buns from drying out.
5. Sticky buns are best eaten warm, so microwaving them for about 30 seconds will make the caramel gooey and the bread soft again

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 945kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 326mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 1488IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Sticky Buns Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

This post is going to be very simplified. I'm not going to give you the history of sourdough or give you any extra information you don't need to get started. Because when I was trying to learn how to make a sourdough starter, I was overwhelmed with information and felt like it was going to be too complicated.

I assure you this process is not complicated! It just takes a little time and patience. If you don't want to make your own starter, you can always ask for some from a friend! Most sourdough starter parents are very happy to share some of their well-established sourdough starter.

Before you begin, I recommend you download my FREE 7-day sourdough starter pdf to keep track of this process and keep notes.

This saves you the trouble of making your own if you want to go that route. But making your own will teach you a lot about what sourdough starter needs to really thrive and make great bread!

Even though this post is simplified, there is still a TON of information at the bottom of this post if you want to go over a few frequently asked questions but trust me, just get started and you will start learning as you go.

What Is Sourdough Starter?

Let's just establish what starter actually is. This is just basic info so you understand what we're trying to achieve.

Sourdough starter is natural yeast (already found in your flour), mixed with water and flour. The flour is the food the yeast eats and the water is the ideal environment that helps it grow. The yeast needs time and warmth to grow.

Making your own sourdough starter is a process that takes several days (5-7) because it takes time for your yeast to eat, multiply, and become strong enough to give rise to a loaf of dough.

To make our yeast stronger, we have to feed it food! Yeast loves to eat the starch in the flour. As it eats, it makes gas, which turns into bubbles. That gas gets trapped in the gluten of dough and causes bread to rise when we bake it.

If our yeast is weak... it can't eat the starch in the dough. Not enough gas is produced and your bread will not rise.

Feeding sourdough starter involves giving it water and flour every day. As the yeast eats the flour, it bubbles and rises and becomes "active". As the yeast eats, your starter will rise in the jar. At some point, it will reach its highest point and then begin to fall again. This is called the "peak".

When your starter is at its peak, it is the most active and strong! You don't want to use your starter until it can reach its peak in 5 hours or less.

After it's eaten all it can, it falls back to the bottom of the container and becomes flat. About 24 hours later. This is when we discard half the starter and replace it with new flour and water. Don't worry, this isn't wasteful! The flour has a job, to be food for the yeast. We will talk more about what to do with the discard later in this post.

A lot of people try to rush this process and want to use the sourdough starter before it's strong enough. Try to understand that growing yeast takes time, just like growing a garden. If you plant a pumpkin seed and try to make pumpkin pie from a tiny sprout, it's not going to do much for you. It's important to give the starter time to grow.

Once your starter is established you can keep it on the countertop and feed daily if you plan on baking a few times a week. If you don't want to bake more than once a week, you can keep it in the fridge and feed it weekly. If kept properly, your sourdough starter will last you a lifetime and provide you with endless loaves of delicious bread!

Does it take a long time to make a sourdough starter?

Your starter will take a minimum of 5 days to make because in the first 5 days your flour will have all kinds of yeast and bacteria in it not suited for baking. It will take 5 days for the good yeast to multiply enough and make an environment that is only suited for sourdough starter yeast.

You can usually tell when this happens because your sourdough starter will go from smelling like wet socks to fresh tangy bread.

So how long does it take?  It depends.

Imagine this jar of water represents the first day of making your starter. Those little dots of glitter represent how much yeast is naturally found in the flour. Not much.

As you feed your starter flour and water, an epic battle begins to happen. The yeast multiplies and kills off other types of yeast and bacteria in the jar (the stuff we don't want). This is usually about the time your starter smells really bad and why we don't eat starter discard before day 5.

By day 4, there is a lot more yeast but not enough to bake a loaf of bread. Your starter might start to smell sweet and more like baked bread.

By day 7 your yeast MAY be strong enough to use to make a loaf of bread. I say MAY because it depends on how warm your room was, what kind of flour you started with, and if you used filtered water etc etc. There are a million factors to take into account, but remember... making starter takes time and patience. DON'T START OVER! Just keep feeding and giving warmth and time until you see progress.

So just keep in mind that you will most likely not use this starter to make any bread for at least 5 days, closer to 7 days. BUT I will show you how you can use the leftover discard to make tasty treats so you can at least start appreciating your little yeast garden as soon as possible.

What Ingredients Do You Need?

Whole Wheat Flour - You can start sourdough starter from any kind of unbleached flour. Bleach really stops yeast from growing so if you can get your hands on any kind of unbleached flour, this process will be incredibly easy. Even better, use whole wheat flour to start. Whole wheat flour has a higher amount of yeast already built-in so it gives your starter a jump start to success.

Filtered Water - When making a sourdough starter, you want to use filtered water. Yeast doesn't like chemicals like chlorine which most tap water contains. I happened to have a huge 2-gallon jug of filtered water in my garage so that is what I used. You can use tap water if that's all you have but again, the process might be much slower and your yeast might not grow so using bottled water will make it much easier on you.

Time - You might not think of time as an ingredient but in the case of sourdough, it definitely is. Keeping track of time is key to understanding how long your starter has been growing and if it needs to be fed. I used my phone to set timers to remind me to feed which takes about 5 minutes.

A Warm Area To Grow - Another ingredient you might not think is important is temperature. Yeast needs warmth to grow. If it's cold in your house (below 70º) the yeast will grow at a much slower rate or not at all. (That doesn't mean it's dead, it's just too cold to grow). When possible, use bottled water that is warmed to 85º-95ºF to promote growth. Store your starter in an area that is warm (80ºF-90ºF) and draft-free. A common place is on top of the refrigerator or in the oven with the light turned on (make sure you crack the oven if the light is too warm, it shouldn't be warmer than 90ºF in the oven).

If your house is extremely warm (above 80º) your yeast might grow very fast. In this case, you might need to feed it more often or store it in a cooler area of your house.

Once your starter is established and growing regularly, you won't need to worry so much about the temperature of the room.

What equipment do you need?

Kitchen Scale -  You don't have to have one but it will make this process a lot easier. I'm all about easy.

Clean 4 Cup Container - I used a 4 cup IKEA measuring cup and it worked so well! I just ran it through the dishwasher beforehand to kill any unwanted bacteria. It has nice straight sides so you can easily see how much the starter has risen and lines for measurement are great visual cues. If you don't have a container like this you can use anything, just make sure it's clean and not too big, or its hard to track growth.

Don't use metal! Sourdough starter is very acidic and will eat away at metal containers which will then leach into your food. Ew.

How To Make Sourdough Starter Step-By-Step

Day 1: - 8 AM When you get up in the morning (first thing is easiest for me) combine together 150g whole wheat flour and 150g bottled or filtered water warmed to 90ºF in a clean bowl. Mix it with your hand. Squish and squeeze it until you can't feel any flour or lumps. Put the starter into your clean container and cover it loosely with a piece of plastic wrap or towel. You will feed your starter tomorrow at the same time of the day so be prepared and set an alarm if you need a reminder.

Pro Tip -  When you use equal parts flour and water by weight, this is called 100% hydration.  You'll learn more about hydration levels when we make sourdough bread.  

What Happened After 24 Hours?  A few more bubbles, SMELLS TERRIBLE, and a little rise.

Day 2: Same time of the day if possible, stir your starter, then remove half the starter and throw it away. I know it hurts to do this but trust me, this starter isn't good for anything except being food for the yeast right now. There is still a lot of bad bacteria and yeast in the starter that we don't want to eat.

If we don't discard, we will end up with WAY too much starter and will waste more flour feeding it every day so it's best to discard half.

You can eyeball the amount of starter you need to discard, this is where having a container with measured lines really helps visually. I use a spoon to scoop mine out.

Remove half the starter. There should be about 75g left in the container. Feed the starter 75g whole wheat flour and 75g bottled water warmed to 90ºF. Stir with your spoon until you don't see any flour and then cover it back up. This takes 5 minutes tops.

What Happened After 24 Hours? Not much! A few bubbles, no rise, still smells terrible.

Day 3: You may begin to see bubbles forming within the starter. This is good! It means awesome things are happening at a microscopic level. If you don't see anything, don't worry! Just keep going. If at any point you see liquid, it's ok! All normal. DO.NOT.STRESS.

• Remove half the starter and throw it away. Add 75g whole wheat flour and 75g bottled water. Stir until you can't see any dry flour, cover loosely, and set back in a warm area.

What Happened After 24 Hours? - We have bubbles! A TINY bit of rising and a whole lot of funky smells!

Day 4: The “activity” level (bubbles) may decrease, but don’t fret! You didn’t kill your starter. KEEP. GOING. You might see liquid above or below the starter, this is called "hooch" and is a bi-product of yeast activity. It's a GOOD thing to see. It means your yeast is hungry!

• Remove half the starter and throw it away. Add 75g whole wheat flour and 75g bottled water. Stir until you can't see any dry flour, cover loosely, and set back in a warm area.

What Happened after 24 hours? Much less bubbling but a little more rise. The smell is a little better.

Day 5: Today we can switch from feeding with whole wheat flour and use unbleached bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour which takes longer for the yeast to process so it doesn't get as hungry as fast as it grows stronger.

We will also start feeding our starter TWICE a day to give it more of a boost! You can now use the discard to make yummy sourdough pikelets, pancakes or crumpets. VERY easy to make and incredibly tasty!

• In The Morning - Remove half the starter and throw it away. Add 75g whole unbleached bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour and 75g bottled water. Stir until you can't see any dry flour, cover loosely, and set back in a warm area.
• In The Evening (12 hours later) - Remove half the starter and throw it away. Add 75g whole unbleached bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour and 75g bottled water. Stir until you can't see any dry flour, cover loosely, and set back in a warm area.

What happened after 24 hours? Looks like the starter has doubled at some point and has begun to fall again because it ran out of flour to eat. The smell is sweet and tangy.

Day 6: You may be seeing tons of activity and lots of bubbles and think you're ready to bake bread but right now our starter is a wild beast that isn't very reliable. While you COULD try to make a loaf, it may not rise because the starter isn't very strong.

• In The Morning - Remove half the starter and throw it away. Add 75g whole unbleached bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour and 75g bottled water. Stir until you can't see any dry flour, cover loosely, and set back in a warm area.
• In The Evening (12 hours later) - Remove half the starter and throw it away. Add 75g whole unbleached bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour and 75g bottled water. Stir until you can't see any dry flour, cover loosely, and set back in a warm area.

What happened after 24 hours? Looks like the starter has doubled at some point and has begun to fall again because it ran out of flour to eat. That's a good sign when the starter doubles in size. The smell is sweet and tangy.

Now is a good time to check on your starter every hour to see when it reaches its "peak" so you know when it's the most active.

How do you know when your starter has peaked? When you place the starter into a clean jar, you mark where the level of the starter begins. When it rises to its peak and begins to fall, you will be able to see a line where it reached the highest point.

Make a note of how many hours it took from the time you fed to when it reached its peak.

Day 7 and on: By this time, your starter should “rise and fall” after feedings depending on the temperature of the water and room. Warmer water and room temperatures lead to faster fermentation times. The starter should smell sweet and tangy and have lots of bubbles.

We will now only feed our starter once a day to keep them active. You can also transfer your starter to a new jar and name them! After all, you did just create a living creature that you have fed and cared for and if you continue to do so, it will last for generations to come!

FAQ & TIPS

What if I don't want to feed my starter every day?

If you aren’t baking bread regularly, you can let your starter chill out in the refrigerator after feedings for a week. However, established starters are quite resilient and can be revived after MONTHS in the refrigerator without being fed. If you want to bake bread, get your starter out a couple of days before you plan to make the dough. Feed twice per day (morning and night as we did in the beginning) and it should bounce back in no time.

Did I Kill My Starter?

Chances are you probably didn’t. The yeast will digest sugar compounds in the flour and produce carbon dioxide (the only leavening agent in sourdough bread) and alcohol.

If it's cold outside, the starter will not grow very much or when it's still young, some days it grows a ton and somedays it doesn't grow at all. Just be flexible and feed as usual.

The only thing that can kill your starter is if it gets too hot (above 138ºF) or if it's been hungry for so long it's no longer active.

I See Water In My Starter? Did I Kill My Starter?

No. You didn't kill your starter. That is alcohol from the starter eating, often referred to as "hooch". Your starter has been eating a TON and is hungry! Drain it off or stir it back in and feed as usual.

It's Been 7 Days And My Starter Isn't Rising, Is It Dead?

I promise, your starter isn't dead. Remember the fourth ingredient for a starter? Temperature. Chances are your starter is cold. Make sure you're feeding with warm filtered or bottled water, unbleached flour, and placing it in a warm area. You can also try putting it in the oven with the light on but don't turn the oven on!

What Do I Do If I See Mold In My Starter?

If you see mold growing in your container you will have to toss your starter. This can happen if the container you use was not clean or you accidentally introduced food particles into your starter. Or sometimes mold just happens. It's not common though so don't stress about mold.

When Can I Use Starter To Make Bread?

After 7 days, your starter should be strong enough to make bread but some people recommend waiting a month! I personally could not wait that long but my first loaf of bread looked like this.

WHOMP WHOMP

So let this be a lesson to wait until your starter is ready and don't go by exact dates and times. Your starter is alive!

After you feed your starter always mark the level of your starter.

After 12 hours, check your starter and you should be able to see a line where the starter rose the highest (the peak) and then began to fall again. This is a lot easier to see if you're using a clean jar or at least scrape the sides down after feeding. 

Once your starter doubles or triples in size, you can now test it to see if it's ready to make a loaf of bread.

How To Test Starter To See If Its Ready To Use

Most sourdough bread recipes will instruct you to make a levain before you make the dough. Levain is just a fancy word for a mixture of healthy established starter, flour, and water at its peak of activity.

Different recipes will list different amounts of flour and water to make a levain so just follow the recipe. I use a levain of 50 grams unfed starter, 50 grams warm filtered water 90ºF, and 50 grams whole wheat flour.

After you make your levain, mark the height and place it in a warm area (80ºF-95ºF).

After one hour, mark the height again. It should be rising.

After two hours, mark the height. It should still be rising.

Continue marking the height until it doubles in size. If your levain doubles in size within 5 hours then you can use it to make bread. Mine usually triples in size in about 3 hours if that gives you an idea of what you're shooting for.

This is also a good way to know how fast your levain will double and will help you plan your bread making schedule better.

If it doesn't double then continue the twice a day feedings until it does double.

How Do I Store My Sourdough Starter?

You can store your starter on the counter in its container. Feed it once a day if you plan on baking a few times a week.

If you don't plan on baking for a week or more, keep your starter in the fridge. You will only have to feed it once a week. I have let mine go for a few weeks and was still able to bring it back with a couple of feedings.

If you absolutely don't want to mess with your starter for a long time, you can spread it out thin on some plastic wrap and let it dry out. Crumble it up, place it in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer (make sure you label it). When you're ready to use it again, take it out, add equal parts water by weight and begin feeding it in 12-hour intervals until it's bubbling and lively again.

When Should I Feed My Sourdough Starter?

I feed my starter at around 9 am every day. It just feels the most convenient for me. You can feed whenever it feels right to you but try to keep it evenly spaced.

I also make my levain at the same time I feed my starter.

Around 2 pm, my levain has peaked and I'm ready to start making my dough so that I can bake my sourdough bread the next day.

Feeding your sourdough starter more food keeps your starter milder and sweeter in taste. When your starter gets really hungry and eats all its available food, that is when it gets really sour. If you like that flavor then remember to use your starter after your starter has peaked and just begins to fall again.

If you're like me and like a lot of sourdough discard (for breakfast pancakes or crumpets) then you can increase the amount of starter you feed every day and therefore have more discard.

You can keep your starter alive on very very little flour. Feeding 50g starter 50g flour and water every day.

How long does discard last?

You can save your daily discard and place it into a separate container in the fridge if you don't want to use it right away. Some people keep their weekly discard to use on the weekend.

Discard get's more sour over time so I would try to use it to make sourdough discard pancakes or sourdough pikelets as soon as possible. Check out more sourdough discard recipes on King Arthur Flour.

Related Recipes

Sourdough Bread For Beginners
Sourdough Discard Pikelets
Sourdough Discard Pancakes
Fast Bread Recipe 

Recipe

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How To Make Sourdough Starter For Beginners

How to make sourdough starter for the absolute beginner. The right ingredients, tools and techniques to get that sourdough starter growing on your first try!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Resting Time 7 days days

Total Time 7 days days 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 725kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 4 Cup clean jar or container with straight sides

Ingredients

• 150 grams Whole Wheat Flour (about one cup) plus more for feeding
• 150 grams Bottled or Filtered Water 90ºF (about ¾ cup) plus more for feeding

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Sourdough Starter Schedule

• Before you start: We will begin feedings with whole wheat flour through day 4. On day 5 we will switch to unbleached bread flour or all-purpose flour for feeding so make sure you have some of that on hand too. Use warm (90ºF filtered or bottled water if you can to promote growth).
• Day 1 - In the morning when you wake up, combine together 150g whole wheat flour and 150g warm (90ºF) bottled or filtered water together in a bowl using your hand until no dry flour remains.
• Place the mixture into a clean container with straight sides. Make its able to hold at least 4 cups of liquid. A large mason jar or measuring cup works great for this.
• Day 2 - At the same time of day, stir your starter then remove half the starter and discard it. You cannot eat discard at this point.
• Add 75g whole wheat flour and 75g warm (90F) filtered water. Stir until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm area (on top of the fridge is common).
• Day 3 - At the same time of day, remove half the starter and discard it. Add 75g whole wheat flour and 75g warm (90F) filtered water. Stir until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm area (on top of the fridge is common).
• Day 4 - At the same time of day, remove half the starter and discard it. Add 75g whole wheat flour and 75g warm (90F) filtered water. Stir until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm area (on top of the fridge is common).
• Day 5 - Begin feeding unbleached bread flour instead of whole wheat flour twice a day, every 12 hours.

  In the morning, remove half the starter and use it to make discard recipes like pancakes or pikelets! Add 75g unbleached bread flour and 75g warm (90F) filtered water. Stir until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm area (on top of the fridge is common). Repeat this 12 hours later in the night.
• Day 6 - In the morning, remove half the starter and discard it or use for discard recipes. Add 75g unbleached bread flour and 75g warm (90F) filtered water. Stir until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm area (on top of the fridge is common). Repeat this 12 hours later in the night.
• Day 7 - If your starter is doubling in size, resume feeding ONCE a day. If your starter is still not doubling, keep feeding twice a day until it does.

  Add 75g unbleached bread flour and 75g warm (90F) filtered water. Stir until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm area (on top of the fridge is common).

  You can now transfer your starter to another container if you wish to be it's permanent home or keep it in the same jar. Do not wash your container daily! It has important yeast in there that keeps the starter alive. You can periodically wipe down the outside and the rim to keep it clean.

  I transfer my starter to a clean jar once a week so I can wash the other jar.
• If your starter is doubling in size then it's ready to make bread! Follow the instructions in the blog post about testing your starter to see if it's ready to make bread then head to the sourdough bread post to learn how to make your first loaf of sourdough bread!

Video

Notes

1. Whole wheat flour is the best flour to start with because it has a higher amount of yeast and microbial content but you can also use unbleached all-purpose or bread flour to make a sourdough starter. 
2. Using filtered or bottled water is best for making a sourdough starter. Once your starter is established you can switch to tap water as long as it doesn't have a ton of chlorine in it. 
3. Using warm (90ºF) water will help your starter grow. I warm mine for a few seconds in the microwave and then use a thermometer to check the temperature. After a while, you will be able to tell with your finger if the water is warm enough. 
4. After 5 days of feeding and discarding your starter, you can begin cooking the discard. I love making sourdough starter pancakes with some freshly chopped chives and butter in the morning after I feed my starter. 
5. Don't try to make bread with your starter until day 7. The sourdough starter needs time to grow and gain strength before it can rise a loaf of bread. 
6. If you only want to bake once a week, store your starter in the fridge. If you want to eat sourdough on Saturday, you would take the starter out of the fridge on Wednesday and feed it. Feed it again Thursday and begin making your bread Friday. Sourdough takes some pre-planning but most of the time is hands-off. 
7. Once your starter is established,  you can keep it in the fridge for a month without feeding. Revive by feeding as we did on day 5 of our initial starter with twice a day feedings for two days until it's bubbling and happy again. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 725kcal | Carbohydrates: 149g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 4mg

The post How To Make Sourdough Starter For Beginners appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

In my house, we eat focaccia at least once a week. We typically buy it from a local bakery that is literally the only place within 20 miles that sells it. They sell out quickly so you have to arrive really early to make sure you get some. Sometimes they wouldn't even make it because the person who usually makes it isn't there. Talk about disappointment!

So I decided to make my own easy focaccia recipe that comes together quickly! Most of the time needed for this recipe is spent just waiting for the yeast to do its thing and create all that yummy flavor.

Focaccia Recipe Ingredients

Focaccia has a very specific texture. It's got a crisp outer layer and a soft and chewy interior with lots of flavor. I've had some really bad focaccia in my day, so I know what to avoid when it comes to focaccia recipes.

Bread flour - Bread flour is going to give you focaccia that has the best chewy texture and biggest bubbles, but you can use all-purpose flour if that's all you have. Bread flour has the highest protein content which results in more gluten development and a chewier bread.

Olive oil - Olive oil is arguably the most important ingredient you'll need other than yeast. Olive oil gives the focaccia that crispy outer texture, moisture, and flavor. You might think that there is too much olive oil in this recipe. But you have to trust me, you need it!

Toppings - I'm using rosemary on top of my focaccia, but you can use any fresh herb that you like along with your preferred cheeses, meats, or vegetables. The options truly are endless. Get creative!

Flake Salt - I love the texture and taste of flake salt which is a type of finishing salt but if you only have table salt then skip this step to avoid making the focaccia too salty.

How to Make Focaccia Step-by-Step

1. Combine 8 ounces of your warm water (110ºF or 43ºC), yeast, and sugar and set it aside for 5 minutes or until it's foamy. If your yeast does not start growing it may be dead so make sure you have fresh yeast before starting.
2. Put your yeast mixture and one cup of flour into the bowl of your Bosch stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Mix to combine. You can use a bowl and a spoon and then knead it by hand if you want to, but it will just take longer.
3. Next add in the rest of your water, the olive oil, and the salt, and mix to combine.
4. Then, keep adding in the rest of your flour while mixing on low until your dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Take the sticky dough out of the bowl and finish kneading it on the table with a tiny bit of flour until the dough looks smooth and bounces back when you touch it with your finger.
6. Next, put the dough into a bowl greased with olive oil.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place the covered bowl in a warm area for 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. I put my bread in my oven turned OFF with just the light on to proof my bread, or in a proofing drawer.
8. Then, prepare your baking pan by covering the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of olive oil. I know this looks like a lot but trust me, you need it. You want it to be a swimming pool of oil!
9. Take your very soft dough out of the bowl and stretch it with your hands to make it longer.
10. Next, place it into the pan with the oil and use your hands to stretch it out to the edges.

1. Combine 8 ounces of your warm water (110ºF or 43ºC), yeast, and sugar and set it aside for 5 minutes or until it's foamy. If your yeast does not start growing it may be dead so make sure you have fresh yeast before starting.
2. Put your yeast mixture and one cup of flour into the bowl of your Bosch stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Mix to combine. You can use a bowl and a spoon and then knead it by hand if you want to, but it will just take longer.
3. Next add in the rest of your water, the olive oil, and the salt, and mix to combine.
4. Then, keep adding in the rest of your flour while mixing on low until your dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Take the sticky dough out of the bowl and finish kneading it on the table with a tiny bit of flour until the dough looks smooth and bounces back when you touch it with your finger.
6. Next, put the dough into a bowl greased with olive oil.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place the covered bowl in a warm area for 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. I put my bread in my oven turned OFF with just the light on to proof my bread, or in a proofing drawer.
8. Then, prepare your baking pan by covering the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of olive oil. I know this looks like a lot but trust me, you need it. You want it to be a swimming pool of oil!
9. Take your very soft dough out of the bowl and stretch it with your hands to make it longer.
10. Next, place it into the pan with the oil and use your hands to stretch it out to the edges. If the dough shrinks back, let the dough rest for 20 minutes then come back and stretch it some more. Letting the dough rest relaxes the gluten and keeps it from shrinking. Keep doing this until you can get the dough all the way to the edges of the pan.
11. Cover the pan with some plastic wrap and put it in the fridge overnight. The yeast will continue eating those sugars and rise very slowly. The next day, you should have some nice bubbles on top of the dough.
12. Preheat your oven to 450ºF (232ºC) and take your dough out of the fridge.
13. Use your fingers to pop the big bubbles and press dimples into the surface of the dough.
14. Drizzle olive oil onto the top of the dough so that it settles in those dimples.
15. Sprinkle a healthy amount of flakey sea salt and chopped rosemary on top of the dough.
16. Bake the dough in a preheated oven (450ºF or 232ºC) on the middle rack for 25 minutes or until it's golden brown!
17. Finally, brush the baked focaccia with more olive oil before serving.

1. 
2. Cover the pan with some plastic wrap and put it in the fridge overnight. The yeast will continue eating those sugars and rise very slowly. The next day, you should have some nice bubbles on top of the dough.
3. Preheat your oven to 450ºF (232ºC) and take your dough out of the fridge.
4. Use your fingers to pop the big bubbles and press dimples into the surface of the dough.
5. Drizzle olive oil onto the top of the dough so that it settles in those dimples.
6. Sprinkle a healthy amount of flakey sea salt and chopped rosemary on top of the dough.
7. Bake the dough in a preheated oven (450ºF or 232ºC) on the middle rack for 25 minutes or until it's golden brown!
8. Finally, brush the baked focaccia with more olive oil before serving.

Focaccia Recipe Variations

Focaccia is an Italian-style flatbread that is very chewy and similar in texture to pizza dough. There are many ways to customize your focaccia recipe which is probably why it's so popular! Here are some flavor variations, including the one I am making today which is Focaccia al rosmarino.

1. Focaccia al rosmarino - Focaccia bread covered in olive oil, freshly chopped rosemary, and flakey sea salt (or kosher salt).
2. Focaccia alla salvia - Focaccia bread baked in olive oil and topped with freshly chopped sage and flakey salt.
3. Rosemary garlic focaccia - Top your focaccia with olive oil, chopped rosemary, garlic, and thyme.
4. Cheesy focaccia - Cover your focaccia in olive oil, garlic salt, and a good amount of Italian cheese like pecorino romano, parmesan or asiago. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley fresh out of the oven, and serve with marinara sauce.
5. Focaccia pizza - The options here are endless. Add marinara sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese or any pizza toppings you like!

FAQ

Understanding How Yeast Works

The basics of making a yeast-risen dough like this easy focaccia recipe are all the same, but different recipes may have slightly varied steps. This guide can help you understand how yeast-risen doughs work if you’re not familiar.

Here you’ll see an infographic showing you the steps of baking bread using yeast. While this graphic is not specific to this focaccia recipe, it gives you a general idea of the steps needed to use yeast leading up to when it’s time to bake your bread.

1. Activate the yeast – Mix yeast with a warm liquid (90ºF-100ºF) so that it starts growing.
2. Develop a strong gluten structure – Make sure you mix your dough enough. It should look like a smooth ball and pass the windowpane test. Kneading is very important because under-kneaded bread will not be strong enough to trap CO2 gases created by the growing yeas and therefore will not rise.
3. Warmth + Time – Give your dough time to rise (proof) in a warm spot (80º-90º) until it doubles in size. I like the oven with the light on or some ovens have a proofing option. If you’re using instant yeast, the rising will happen a lot faster if you are using regular active yeast it will take longer. Cold environments will also stunt your yeast and your dough will take a lot longer to rise. 
4. Shape your dough to prepare your focaccia (jump to the recipe to see the additional steps).
5. Let it rise until it doubles in size again and then bake!

When you add yeast to the flour and add in warmth and a little bit of moisture, the yeast begins to eat the starch in the flour. As it eats the sugar, it produces CO2 (yes, bread is made of tiny yeast farts). Then that CO2 gets trapped in the gluten we developed during the mixing stage and expands, giving rise to your bread. If you’re missing one of these steps, your focaccia won’t turn out. 

More Recipes You'll Love

Focaccia Bread Art

Easy Homemade Panettone

Easy Homemade Bagels

Master Sweet Dough Recipe

Recipe

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Easy Focaccia Recipe

This easy focaccia recipe is the best! Just mix, rest, stretch, and chill the dough overnight to let all that amazing flavor develop. Take it out of the fridge and bake it fresh with rosemary and flakey salt.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Resting 1 day day 25 minutes minutes

Servings 24 servings

Calories 168kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand mixer with a dough hook
• 9" x 13" sheet pan

Ingredients

• 16 ounces warm water (110ºF) divided into two bowls 2 cups
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 7 grams active dry yeast (2 ½ teaspoons)
• 2 ounces olive oil ¼ cup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon flakey salt
• 24 ounces bread flour or all-purpose flour (5 cups spooned and leveled)
• 4 ounces olive oil for the pan and for drizzling on top of the focaccia after rising (½ cup)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Easy Focaccia Recipe Instructions

• Combine 8 ounces of your warm water (110ºF or 43ºC), yeast, and sugar and set it aside for 5 minutes or until it’s foamy.
• Put your yeast mixture and one cup of flour into the bowl of your Bosch stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Mix to combine. You can use a bowl and a spoon and then knead it by hand if you want to, but it will just take longer.
• Next add in the rest of your water, the olive oil, and the salt, and mix to combine.
• Then, keep adding in the rest of your flour while mixing on low until your dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
• Take the sticky dough out of the bowl and finish kneading it on the table with a tiny bit of flour until the dough looks smooth and bounces back when you touch it with your finger.
• Next, put the dough into a bowl greased with olive oil.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place the covered bowl in a warm area for 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. I put my bread in my oven turned OFF with just the light on to proof my bread, or in a proofing drawer.
• Then, prepare your baking pan by covering the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of olive oil. I know this looks like a lot but trust me, you need it. You want it to be a swimming pool of oil!
• Take your very soft dough out of the bowl and stretch it with your hands to make it longer.
• Next, place it into the pan with the oil and use your hands to stretch it out to the edges. If the dough shrinks back, let the dough rest for 20 minutes then come back and stretch it some more. Letting the dough rest relaxes the gluten and keeps it from shrinking. Keep doing this until you can get the dough all the way to the edges of the pan.
• Cover the pan with some plastic wrap and put it in the fridge overnight. The yeast will continue eating those sugars and rise very slowly. The next day, you should have some nice bubbles on top of the dough.
• Preheat your oven to 450ºF (232ºC) and take your dough out of the fridge.
• Use your fingers to pop the big bubbles and press dimples into the surface of the dough.
• Drizzle olive oil onto the top of the dough so that it settles in those dimples.
• Sprinkle a healthy amount of flakey sea salt and chopped rosemary on top of the dough.
• Bake the dough in a preheated oven (450ºF or 232ºC) on the middle rack for 25 minutes or until it’s golden brown!
• Finally, brush the baked focaccia with more olive oil before serving.

Video

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start

1. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
2. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it’s place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
3. I place my dough near my oven set to 170ºF (77ºC) to help the dough rise. Mine usually only takes about 1 hour if my room is warm.

Tips For Success

• If your yeast does not start growing it may be dead so make sure you have fresh yeast before starting.
• I put my bread in my oven turned OFF with just the light on to proof my bread, or in a proofing drawer.
• If your yeast does not start growing it may be dead so make sure you have fresh yeast before starting
• I put my bread in my oven turned OFF with just the light on to proof my bread, or in a proofing drawer.
• If the dough shrinks back, let the dough rest for 20 minutes then come back and stretch it some more. Letting the dough rest relaxes the gluten and keeps it from shrinking. Keep doing this until you can get the dough all the way to the edges of the pan

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy Focaccia Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

This recipe is inspired by the original creator of the slow-rise Pannetone (Jim Lahey from Sullivan Street Bakery's) recipe from Gourmet magazine that uses a cold rise method. This is the PERFECT way to make Panettone in my opinion because it's so easy to make the day before and bake it up fresh when you're ready to eat it. Plus the longer rise time adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the Panettone.

Dividing the dough into individual Panettone wrappers is fantastic for Holiday parties or events and makes serving super easy. If you'd rather bake a loaf you can use this recipe for that too!

Panettone ingredients

Traditionally, Panettone is filled with candied oranges, raisins, currants, and zest but you can really be creative with your Panettone filling.

Classic Panettone usually calls for the raisins to be soaked in rum for at least 8 hours to make them plump but for this recipe, we are skipping that step because modern-day raisins are already pretty soft and plump. I did do one test where I used soaked raisins and they kind of shredded apart during the mixing process.

Panettone is usually made with sourdough starter but modern recipes use instant yeast to make a sponge which speeds along the process without sacrificing flavor. If you don't have instant yeast you can use dry active yeast but keep in mind you may have to let your dough rise for longer to double in size.

You will also need some Panettone wrappers. I'm using these smaller ones but they come in literally dozens and dozens of sizes. I didn't have much luck finding them in stores locally so be prepared to buy some online. You could use cupcake wrappers if you can't find Panettone wrappers.

Creative Panettone flavor options

Pistachio Cranberry Panettone - dried cranberries, pistachios, orange zest

Chocolate Orange Panettone - candied oranges, cocoa powder, chocolate chips

Black Forest Panettone - dried cherries, candied oranges, chocolate chips

How to make panettone step-by-step

Making this slow-rise Panettone only requires 20 minutes of actual work time. The rest of the time is giving your dough time to develop flavor and for yeast to do its thing. This is what your schedule should look like.

Day 1 Evening - Make the sponge. Cover it with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge to rise overnight.

Day 2 Morning - Make the dough and set it in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

Day 2 Midday - Dived dough into panettone wrappers and let them rise for 30 minutes or place into the fridge overnight to bake the next morning.

Day 2 - Bake and enjoy!

For the sponge

1. In a medium sized bowl, sprinkle the yeast into the flour and stir until combined.
2. Add in the water, and stir until all the flour is moistened.
3. Place the sponge into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
4. Place the sponge into the fridge overnight to develop flavor and allow time for the flour to absorb the water.

For the dough

Make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature. Room temperature ingredients are important for creating a proper emulsion (ingredients that are mixed together cohesively). Keep in mind room temperature is typically about 72ºF and may take several hours to come to room temperature naturally. This is why I usually warm my eggs in a bowl of warm water and microwave my butter carefully to soften it. I rarely remember to take my ingredients out soon enough to naturally come to room temperature.

I also take my sponge out of the fridge about 30 minutes before I use it so it's not too cold.

1. Combine the flour and salt together in a bowl and set it aside.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the softened butter and honey together with the paddle attachment until smooth.
3. While mixing on low, add in the room temperature eggs one at a time, letting the first one mix in fully before adding in the next.
4. Then add in the vanilla and mix until smooth and no longer curdled.
5. While mixing on low, add in the sponge to the egg/butter mix. The dough will look broken, mix until its uniform in texture.
6. Add in the flour, mix it until it all comes together. About 3 minutes.
7. Switch to your dough hook.
8. Mix on medium-low for 8 minutes to develop the panettones structure or until the dough looks fairly smooth and passes the windowpane test. (Pull a small piece of dough off and gently stretch it between your fingers to make it as thin as possible. If you can do this without it tearing, it's ready for the next step).
9. Add in the dried fruits, zest and salt and mix until combined.
10. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
11. If you are using the mini panettone papers portion your dough into about 3 oz balls using a scale.
12. Roll the pieces of dough into balls by tucking the edges to the underside of the ball.
13. Place the balls into panettone papers and then place onto a sheet pan. This should make approximately 25 mini pannetone. You can also use larger papers or loaf pans lined with parchment paper.
14. Cover the panettone lightly with plastaic wrap and let them proof in the papers for about 30 min or until they double in size. If your dough is cold from fermenting in the fridge, this could take longer.
15. Brush the tops of the doughs with an egg wash (mixed egg/yolk and a pinch of salt).
16. Bake the panettone for approximately 25 minutes. This time will vary depending on the size of bread you are baking. The bread is done with it is nicely browned on top and has an internal temp of about 200ºF.
17. Let the panettone cool slightly before eating but its best enjoyed warm with some butter and jam! Yum!

I love eating leftover Panettone (yes on rare occasions that happens) by toasting it and smothering it in butter.

Note: Panettone baked in larger wrappers should be cooled upside down to prevent collapse. Place two skewers into the base of your loaf and flip it upside down inside a large pot or supported by two containers until the loaf is barely warm to the touch.

An added bonus of making your panettone in mini papers is that you don't have to take that extra step of letting your panettone cool upside down to prevent collapse.

FAQ

What is panettone?

Panettone is a sweet bread baked with fruits and raisins that is traditionally enjoyed during the holiday season. This bread is often confused with a cake because of its tender, buttery cake-like texture.

Understanding how yeast works

The basics of making a yeast-risen dough are all the same but different recipes may have slightly varied steps. This guide can help you understand how yeast-risen doughs work if you're not familiar.

Here you'll see an infographic showing you the steps of baking bread using yeast. While this graphic is not specific to this panettone recipe, it gives you a general idea of the steps needed to use yeast leading up to when it's time to bake your bread.

1. Activate the yeast – Mix yeast with a warm liquid (90-100ºF) so that it starts growing.
2. Develop a strong gluten structure – Make sure you mix your dough enough. It should look like a smooth ball and pass the windowpane test. Kneading is very important because under-kneaded bread will not be strong enough to trap CO2 gases created by the growing yeas and therefore will not rise.
3. Warmth + Time – Give your dough time to rise (proof) in a warm spot (80º-90º) until it doubles in size. I like the oven with the light on or some ovens have a proofing option. If you’re using instant yeast, the rising will happen a lot faster if you are using regular active yeast it will take longer. Cold environments will also stunt your yeast and your dough will take a lot longer to rise. 
4. Shape your dough to prepare your panettone (jump to the recipe to see the additional steps).
5. Let it rise until it doubles in size again and then bake!

When you add yeast to the flour and add in warmth and a little bit of moisture, the yeast begins to eat the starch in the flour. As it eats the sugar, it produces CO2 (yes, bread is made of tiny yeast farts). Then that CO2 gets trapped in the gluten we developed during the mixing stage and expands, giving rise to your bread. If you’re missing one of these steps, your panettone won’t turn out. 

But don’t worry! I’m going to walk you through this step-by step! You got this!

How to store leftover panettone

To store leftover panettone, wrap it tightly using plastic wrap and then place it in a resealable bag or wrap it in foil. Homemade panettone will stay fresh at room temperature if stored correctly for up to 7 days. 

If you wish to freeze your homemade panettone, you can either freeze it in slices or as a loaf. You will need to wrap the leftovers with plastic wrap, and then store it in a sealed, freezer-safe bag. The panettone can be frozen for up to 3 months. Then when it’s time to defrost your panettone, take it out of the freezer and pop it in the refrigerator to begin to thaw (then move it to the kitchen counter to bring it to room temperature which will take several hours). 

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Easy Panettone Recipe (Italian Christmas Bread)

Panettone is a sweet, soft, and buttery bread similar to brioche but it is loaded with candied orange, raisins, currents, and baked in a paper mold. It's also referred to as Italian Christmas bread because it is traditionally baked for the Holidays and shared with friends and family.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Proofing 14 hours hours

Total Time 14 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 24 mini panettone (2"x2 ⅜")

Calories 214kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 2.75" Panettone Wrappers

Ingredients

Sponge

• 8 ounces water 70ºF
• 15 grams instant yeast
• 10 ounces bread flour

Dough

• 8 ounces butter (room temperature) softened
• 4 ounces honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 2 egg yolks (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 ounces bread flour
• 3 ounces raisins
• 2 ounce candied orange peel
• 3 ounces dried cranberries
• 2 ounces dried currants
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the sponge

• Mix yeast into flour, add to water, and mix until smooth.
• Cover and place in fridge until double in size or overnight.

For the dough

• In a bowl, combine 12 ounces of flour with salt. Set aside.
• In your stand mixer, cream the softened butter and honey.
• Slowly add eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Mix until almost combined, the eggs and butter wont fully incorprate at this stage.
• Add sponge to the egg/butter mix. The dough will look broken, mix until it uniform in texture, then add flour, mix until it all comes together, about 3 minutes. Switch to your dough hook.
• Add the fruits and zest into the dough and mix with dough hook on low for 8 minutes to develop gluten.
• Cover the bowl and let dough rise for 30 minutes at room temp. If you need more time place dough in the fridge to ferment slower.
• If you are using the mini panettone papers portion your dough into about 3 oz balls and place into papers. This should make approximately 25 mini pannetone. You can also use larger papers or loaf pans.
• Cover lightly and let proof in the papers for about 30 min, if your dough is cold from fermenting in the fridge, this could take longer.
• Brush the tops of the doughs with an egg wash (mixed egg/yolk and a pinch of salt). On a sheet pan evenly spaced, place panettone into a 375* oven for approximately 25 minutes. This time will vary on the size of bread you are baking. The bread is done with it is nicely browned on top and has an internal temp of about 200* when a probe thermometer is inserted into the middle.
• Let breads cool, but can be enjoyed warm.

Video

Notes

Making this slow-rise Panettone only requires 20 minutes of actual work time. The rest of the time is giving your dough time to develop flavor and for yeast to do its thing. This is what your schedule should look like.

Day 1 - Make the sponge. Cover it with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge to rise overnight (12-15 hours).

Day 2 - Make the dough and place it into the panettone paper containers of your choice.

Day 2 - Let the dough rise until double before baking (about 60-90 minutes) or cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge overnight to bake the next morning.

Tips for success

1. Instant yeast is best for this recipe so rise times are not as long. See the blog post for yeast substitutions using an active dry or sourdough starter.
2. Brush your Panettone before you bake it with egg wash for a golden, shiny finish. 
3. If you're baking a large loaf, be sure to cool it upside down using skewers to prevent the loaf from collapsing. (see photo in blog post)

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 169mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Homemade Panettone Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

The best thing about this pumpkin-shaped bread is it comes together incredibly fast thanks to fast-acting yeast but is still incredibly flavorful and moist thanks to the added olive oil and milk. You could even divide the dough up into smaller balls and make mini pumpkin dinner rolls for Thanksgiving dinner.

Pumpkin Shaped Bread Ingredients & Tools

The ingredients for this recipe are fairly simple and probably things you already have in your pantry. Bread flour is best but if you only have all-purpose flour, that's ok to use too.

You can replace the olive oil with butter, avocado oil, or any kind of fat that you want to add flavor and moisture to the bread.

Don't be afraid to mix in herbs like rosemary, garlic, or thyme for added flavor!

How To Make The Bread Dough

1. Heat milk to 110ºF-115ºF
2. Combine flour, instant yeast, sugar, and milk in the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached and mix for one minute.
3. Add in salt and olive oil.
4. Add in a ¼ cup more flour if the dough is not sticking to the bowl because of the butter. If the dough is still not sticking to the bowl, add in 1-2 Tablespoons of water.
5. Mix for 8 minutes on speed 2 or until the dough goes from rough looking to smooth and elastic.
6. After 5 minutes, take a piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers. If you can make a very thin "window" that does not tear then you have developed enough gluten and you can shape your dough.
7. If the window tears, then mix for 2 more minutes.
8. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 4-5 turns until you can form a smooth ball.
9. Coat a large bowl in a little olive oil.
10. Place the dough top side down into the bowl to get the top of the dough covered in oil then flip it over. Cover with a cloth and place in a warm area for 25 minutes to rise until the dough doubles in size (about 25 minutes).

Shaping The Pumpkin Loaves

1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF
2. Divide your dough into two loaves and pull the edges all to the center to form a ball with a smooth top.
3. Cut 4 pieces of bakers twine into 20" long pieces and arrange in a criss-cross pattern on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Place the first bread loaf on top of the twine, smooth side up.
5. Egg wash the dough lightly so the loaf browns evenly. If you don't want to use egg you can also use milk for similar results.
6. Tie each string around the loaf loosely to allow room for the bread to rise and expand.
7. Cut off the long pieces of string.
8. Use a razorblade to cut some wheat shaped slashes into the sides of each section of the pumpkin. Not only does this look nice but it allows the bread to expand without ripping and tearing.
9. Bake your loaves for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. You can also use a thermometer to check the center of your bread. If the temperature reads 190º - 200º your bread is done.
10. Remove the bakers twine carefully after the bread has cooled.
11. You can use a cinnamon stick or candy apple stick in the center as the pumpkin stem.

Brush the finished pumpkin-shaped bread with melted butter and serve warm! This bread is SO good dipped in gravy, served with soup, or toasted and smothered in butter and jam.

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Pumpkin Shaped Bread

This soft and fluffy pumpkin-shaped bread only takes 60 minutes to make and makes the most beautiful centerpiece for your next holiday dinner party.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

proofing 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 24 servings

Calories 147kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook
• Razor blade
• Bakers twine

Ingredients

• 28 ounces bread flour or all purpose (about 5 ½ cups, spooned and leveled)
• 10 grams instant yeast needs to be instant (about 3 teaspoons)
• 2 ounces sugar (4 Tablespoons)
• 16 ounces warm milk (110ºF) or water (two cups)
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 ounces olive oil or melted butter (¼ cup)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Heat milk to 110ºF-115ºF
• Combine flour, instant yeast, sugar, and milk in the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached and mix for one minute
• Add in salt and oil
• Add in a ¼ cup more flour if the dough is not sticking to the bowl because of the butter. If the dough is still not sticking to the bowl, add in 1-2 Tablespoons of water.
• Mix for 5 minutes on speed 2
• After 5 minutes, take a piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers. If you can make a very thin "window" that does not tear then you have developed enough gluten and you can shape your dough.
• If the window tears, then mix for 2 more minutes.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 4-5 turns until you can form a smooth ball
• Coat a large bowl in a little olive oil
• Place the dough top side down into the bowl to get the top of the dough covered in oil then flip it over. Cover with a cloth and place in a warm area for 25 minutes to rise until the dough doubles in size (about 25 minutes) *see notes*
• Preheat your oven to 375ºF
• Divide your dough into two loaves and pull the edges all to the center to form a ball with a smooth top
• Cut 4 pieces of bakers twine into 20" long pieces and arrange in a criss-cross pattern on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Place the first bread loaf on top.
• Egg wash the dough lightly so the loaf browns evenly. If you don't want to use egg you can also use milk for similar results.
• Tie each string around the loaf loosely to allow room for the bread to rise and expand. Cut off the long pieces of string.
• Use a razorblade to cut some wheat-shaped slashes into the sides of each section of the pumpkin. Not only does this look nice but it allows the bread to expande without ripping and tearing.
• Bake your loaves for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. You can also use a thermometer to check the center of your bread. If the temperature reads 190º - 200º your bread is done.
• Once your pumpkin shaped bread is done you can use a cinnamon stick or candy apple stick in the center as the pumpin stem.

Video

Notes

** I turn my oven on to 170ºF and open the door then place my dough on the door near the opening of the oven to proof, not INSIDE the oven. 

** If you don't have instant yeast your can use regular active yeast but it will take longer to proof. 
1. Let your dough proof for 90 minutes or until it doubles in size
2. Divide the dough, shape, brush with egg wash, make cuts with the knife and let rest for 30 minutes before baking. 

** Egg wash - crack one egg and whisk with 1 Tablespoon of water. Use a soft pastry brush to brush it onto the loaves. If you don't use egg wash your bread will be very pale. You can also use milk instead of egg for the wash.  

** You can use water  or almond milk in  place of milk

** You can replace white flour with wheat flour (use 24 oz instead 28 oz because wheat flour is denser than white flour)

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy Pumpkin Shaped Bread appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

What makes this brioche recipe great

This brioche recipe is adapted from a recipe from my pastry school days at Oregon Culinary Institute and is a bit more challenging than my fast bread recipe but not as challenging as making homemade sourdough. It is one of my favorite bread recipes!

The main thing you need to know about making brioche is that the dough is very soft and needs time to rest in the fridge so that the flour has time to absorb the liquids. Overnight is best but you can get away with a two-hour rest if you want to bake the same day.

In this recipe, I will teach you how to mix the brioche dough properly, how to retard (rest) the dough in the fridge, how to shape the dough, and how to bake it.

Ingredients

How to make brioche bread step-by-step

1. Heat your milk to 80ºF-90ºF using a microwave or the stove
2. Bring your eggs and butter to room temperature. I like to put the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes and microwave the butter in 15-second increments until I can press my finger into the butter easily but it's still holding its shape and isn't melted.
3. Add your instant yeast and bread flour and mix until just combined.
4. Cover the container and set it aside in a warm environment (roughly 75ºF) until it doubles in size (about 30 minutes). This gives the yeast a head start on growing.
5. Add your yeast mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached.
6. While mixing on low, add in the room temperature eggs one at a time, letting them incorporate before adding in the next.
7. Continue mixing on low and add in the bread flour, sugar, and then salt. Mix for five minutes.
8. Add the softened butter one chunk at a time, letting each piece incorporate before adding the next. The dough will be very sticky after adding in the butter. Be sure to scrape the bowl as needed to make sure the dough is mixing correctly.
9. Switch to the dough hook and let your dough mix on medium until a smooth dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 20 minutes depending on the mixer, the flour you're using and even the humidity in the air so be patient. It will be a very loose and sticky dough.
10. Form it into a smooth ball by gently folding the edges of the dough to the center with a bowl scraper.
11. Place the brioche dough into a buttered bowl, edges down, cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
12. After it rises, cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for two hours or overnight.
13. Once the dough is chilled, you can form it into three equal pieces. Roll the pieces out into long strands that are about 1 ½ times as long as your pan.
14. Braid the three pieces together and pinch the ends together.
15. Tuck the ends underneath and transfer the dough to a 5"x 9" ungreased non-stick bread pan. If you use any other non-stick pan, grease the pan first. You can also bake the loaf directly on a sheet pan with some parchment paper, in cupcake pans to make little braided rolls, or even a cake pan.
16. Cover the dough to prevent it from drying out and let the dough rise until it doubles in size at 75º-90ºF. This should only take 30 minutes to an hour depending on how warm the environment is. You will know the dough is ready if you gently poke it with your finger and it makes an indent that either stays or only bounces back halfway. If it bounces back immediately then it needs more time to rise.
17. Preheat your oven to 375ºF and place the oven rack in the lower half. If your bread is too close to the top of the oven it will get too brown.
18. Brush the surface of the loaf with egg wash (one egg whisked together with 1 Tablespoon water) so that it is nice and shiny when it comes out of the oven.
19. Bake the brioche until it's golden brown and the internal temperature reads between 180ºF-190ºF. Between 30-45 minutes, start checking the internal temp at 30 minutes.
20. Remove the bread from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack. Enjoy your brioche when it's still a little warm! So good!

What is brioche bread?

Brioche bread is what we call a "rich dough" and is in the same family of viennoiseries (roughly translated as things from Vienna). Viennoiseries are pastries such as croissants and Danish and contain more eggs, butter, sugar, and milk than your typical bread recipes.

These extra ingredients not only give the bread a ton of flavor but also keeps the bread fresher for longer. You can make brioche savory by mixing in more salt, herbs, cheese, garlic, or even meat. Or you can make sweet bread by adding more sugar, mixing in dried fruits, nuts berries, honey, and spices. 

The downside is that all those extra ingredients can get in the way of the rising process (yeast likes to eat flour and sugar, not so much butter and eggs) so to combat that, we mix up a sponge first to get that yeast happy and growing, then we mix in the rest of the ingredients. 

To combat this problem, we leave the brioche to retard overnight in the fridge to develop the flavor, let the dough rest and give the yeast time to work.

This is not 100% necessary but it will make your brioche bread much tastier and the dough easier to handle! This is especially great if you want to make your brioche a day ahead and have it ready to bake the next day. Just bring the brioche to room temperature an hour or two before baking, let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles, and then bake it. 

Fresh brioche is LIFE-CHANGING. Just trust me. 

Understanding how yeast dough works

The basics of making a yeast-risen dough are all the same but different recipes may have slightly varied steps. 

1. Activate the yeast - Mix yeast with a warm liquid (90-100ºF) so that it starts growing.
2. Develop a strong gluten structure - Make sure you mix your dough enough. It should look like a smooth ball and pass the windowpane test. Kneading is very important because under-kneaded bread will not be strong enough to trap CO2 gases created by the growing yeas and therefore will not rise.
3. Warmth + Time - Give your dough time to rise (proof) in a warm spot (80º-90º) until it doubles in size. I like the oven with the light on or some ovens have a proofing option. If you're using instant yeast, the rising will happen a lot faster if you are using regular active yeast it will take longer. Cold environments will also stunt your yeast and your dough will take a lot longer to rise. 
4. Shape your dough into a loaf, rolls, or whatever you want them to be. This is the point where you can put your dough in the fridge until you're ready to bake it. You can do this with any dough, not just brioche.
5. Let it rise until it doubles in size again and then bake!

When you add yeast to the flour and add in warmth and a little bit of moisture, the yeast begins to eat the starch in the flour. As it eats the sugar, it produces CO2 (yes, bread is made of tiny yeast farts). Then that CO2 gets trapped in the gluten we developed during the mixing stage and expands, giving rise to your bread. If you're missing one of these steps, your bread won't turn out. 

Other ways to shape brioche

Brioche Rolls - Divide the dough into 3 oz pieces. Tuck the edges of the dough underneath and shape until smooth. Place on a sheet pan with about 1" in between the rolls. Let them proof until doubled in size. Brush with egg wash and then bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature reads 180º-190ºF

Brioche à Tête - Divide the dough into 3 oz pieces. Roll the dough into a smooth ball. Use the side of your palm to form a little ball at the top called the "hat". Pick the dough up by the hat and place it into the greased fluted brioche tin. Tuck the dough under the hat with floured fingers. Proof until doubled. Brush with egg wash and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 180º-190ºF

Braided Brioche Ring - Perfect for a larger gathering or Holiday! Double the recipe and prepare as above. Braid the loaf into a long braid and then attach the ends together to form a ring. Place into a greased cake pan or on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Proof until doubled. Brush with egg wash. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 180º-190ºF.

Brioche Pull-A-Part Bread - Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. You can do a tablespoon at a time, or even larger. Roll the pieces into a smooth ball on a floured surface. Place the dough balls into a loaf pan alternating one on top of the other in a zig-zag pattern. Proof until doubled. Brush with egg wash. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 180º-190ºF.

How to store leftover brioche

You can store brioche in plastic wrap at room temperature for 24 hours or you can freeze it! Freezing actually locks in moisture and keeps your bread fresh. When you're ready to eat your brioche, just bring it back to room temperature and refresh it in the oven for a few minutes until it's warm (about 5 minutes).

What can you make with leftover brioche?

• Brioche French Toast
• Brioche Croutons
• Ham & Cheese Bake
• Brioche Bread Pudding

FAQ

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Brioche Bread Recipe

Soft, buttery, and delicious brioche bread made from scratch tastes just like a croissant but without all the folding. This rich dough is easy to make ahead and can also be made into gourmet hamburger buns, rolls, donuts and so much more! The leftovers (if you have any) can be used to make the best french toast, brioche bread pudding, or even croutons!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Refrigeration 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings 1 loaf

Calories 2828kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 5"x9" non-stick bread pan

Ingredients

Sponge

• 2 ounces milk 80º-90ºF
• 10 grams instant yeast or active dry yeast but increase proofing time to double
• 2 ounces bread flour or all-purpose flour if you don't have bread flour

Dough

• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 8 ounces bread flour or all-purpose flour if you don't have bread flour
• 26 grams sugar you can increase this up to 100 grams for a sweeter brioche
• 3 grams salt
• 7 ounces unsalted butter softened but not melted cut into 1" cubes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Bring your eggs and butter to room temperature. I like to put the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes and microwave the butter in 15-second increments until I can press my finger into the butter easily but it's still holding its shape and isn't melted.

For the sponge

• Heat your milk to 80ºF-90ºF using a microwave or the stove 
• Add your instant yeast and bread flour and mix until just combined. 
• Cover the container and set it aside in a warm environment (roughly 75ºF) until it doubles in size (about 30 minutes). This gives the yeast a head start on growing.

For the dough

• Add your yeast mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached. 
• While mixing on low, add in the room temperature eggs one at a time, letting them incorporate before adding in the next. 
• Continue mixing on low and add in the bread flour, sugar, and then salt. Mix for five minutes.
• Add the softened butter one chunk at a time, letting each piece incorporate before adding the next. The dough will be very sticky after adding in the butter. Be sure to scrape the bowl as needed to make sure the dough is mixing correctly.
• Switch to the dough hook and let your dough mix on medium until a smooth dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 20 minutes depending on the mixer, the flour you're using and even the humidity in the air so be patient. It will be a very loose and sticky dough.
• Form it into a smooth ball by gently folding the edges of the dough to the center with a bowl scraper. 
• Place the brioche dough into a buttered bowl, edges down, cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for two hours or overnight. The longer your dough chills, the easier it will be to handle and the more the flavor will develop. You can chill it up to 48 hours before shaping.

Baking the brioche

• Once the dough is chilled, you can form it into three equal pieces. Roll the pieces out into long strands that are about 1 ½ times as long as your pan. 
• Braid the three pieces together and pinch the ends together. 
• Tuck the ends underneath and transfer the dough to a 5"x9" ungreased non-stick bread pan. If you use any other non-stick pan, grease the pan first. You can also bake the loaf directly on a sheet pan with some parchment paper, in cupcake pans to make little braided rolls, or even a cake pan.
• Cover the dough to prevent it from drying out and let the dough rise until it doubles in size at 75º-90ºF. This should only take 30 minutes to an hour depending on how warm the environment is. You will know the dough is ready if you gently poke it with your finger and it makes an indent that either stays or only bounces back halfway. If it bounces back immediately then it needs more time to rise. 
• Preheat your oven to 375ºF and place the oven rack in the lower half. If your bread is too close to the top of the oven it will get too brown. 
• Brush the surface of the loaf with egg wash (one egg whisked together with 1 Tablespoon water) so that it is nice and shiny when it comes out of the oven. 
• Bake the brioche until it's golden brown and the internal temperature reads between 180ºF-190ºF. Between 30-45 minutes, start checking the internal temp at 30 minutes.  
• Remove the bread from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack. Enjoy your brioche when it's still a little warm! So good!

Video

Notes

Tips for success

1. Make sure your yeast is fresh. If it doesn't double after 45 minutes you might need some fresher yeast. 
2. Brioche is a very sticky/wet dough. Make sure you mix it for 15-20 minutes to develop the gluten properly
3. You only need to chill your brioche dough for 2 hours before you shape it but you can keep it in the fridge for up to 48 hours before you bake it.
4. You can bake brioche in so many different types of pans. If it's not non-stick, make sure you grease it first. 
5. Brush your brioche before you bake it with egg wash for a golden, shiny finish. 

 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1loaf | Calories: 2828kcal | Carbohydrates: 240g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 183g | Saturated Fat: 108g | Trans Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 990mg | Sodium: 1433mg | Potassium: 709mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 5867IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 242mg | Iron: 5mg

The post Brioche Bread Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

This master sweet dough recipe is all you need to make tons of different desserts like cinnamon rolls, sticky buns and monkey bread. This recipe makes a LOT of dough because if I'm going to go through the trouble of making my own bread, you know I'm gonna make a lot!

I like to divide my sweet dough recipe in half and make two different things. This is great for the holidays because you can prep a lot of dough and then make multiple desserts. 

What is sweet dough?

Sweet dough is an enriched dough which means it has things like eggs, butter and sugar added. These ingredients make the dough very soft and moist! It also means that it can take longer to rise. So plan ahead so you have enough time. 

Does this sweet dough take a long time to make?

I almost always make my sweet dough recipe the day before I want to bake up my dessert. By the time I make the dough, proof it, and shape it into the dessert I want, the day is half gone.

After you shape the dough you can cover it with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge. The cold will slow down the second proof. Take the sweet dough out of the fridge about 1 hour before you need to bake or until it's doubled in size. Then bake according to the recipe! 

How do you make the best sweet dough recipe?

Mixing bread is not difficult but the added butter and eggs can get in the way of the yeast consuming the flour, resulting in a very slow rise. Follow these steps to ensure your sweet dough rises as quick as possible. 

You can also substitute active dry yeast for instant yeast which rises much faster. Follow the directions on the package for substitutions. 

1. Warm your milk to 110ºF and combine with 1 Tablespoon sugar and your yeast to activate your yeast
2. Put your flour in the mixing bowl with the milk/yeast mixture and stir until combined with the dough hook
3. Add in your eggs one at a time, then the sugar, salt and butter and mix until combined
4. Mix on medium speed for 5-10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and the dough bounces back when you touch it. 
5. Proof in a warm area for 90 minutes or until dough doubles in size
6. Shape dough according to the recipe you are following
7. Proof for another 60 minutes or cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight until you need to bake the bread. 

How do you know when the sweet dough is kneaded enough?

The dough needs time to develop the gluten. But how can you tell when it'd developed? You can do a few tests along the way. 

When your ingredients first start mixing, notice the texture of the dough is rough and tearing a lot. It might be sticking to the sides of the bowl too. 

After a few minutes, the dough will clean the sides of the bowl. Touch the dough, does it feel really soft. When you press your finger into it, does it make an indent that does not spring back? If you pick the dough up does it ooze between your fingers? This means there isn't enough gluten yet. Keep mixing on medium speed. 

You can also take a small piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers to make a "window". If you can make the dough very thin, almost to the point you can see through it (like a window) then you know enough gluten has been developed and you can now place your dough into the bowl to rise. 

***optional warm oven technique** I pre-heat my oven to 170ºF for five minutes then TURN THE OVEN OFF. It should be barely warm inside. Place a bowl of warm water in the back of the oven and your covered bowl of dough into the oven and shut the door. This creates a nice warm/moist environment for the dough to rise. But don't forget about it and turn on your oven! High heat will kill your yeast. 

How do you know your sweet dough has proofed long enough?

Press two fingers down into the top of the dough to make a hole. Does the dough bounce back right away or does it slowly move? If it's moving slowly but mostly holds its shape then you're good to go.

If it's been 90 minutes and your dough has not doubled in size it could be for a couple of reasons. Your yeast is not active anymore. You'll have to toss the dough and try again with fresh yeast. Your kitchen could be too cold in which case you need to turn up the heat or try my warm oven technique I mention above.  

Can you over-knead the dough?

Yes, you can definitely over-knead the sweet dough using a mixer. If your dough becomes so tight that it starts tearing and feels very stiff and hard, it's probably over-mixed. There isn't much you can do to fix this. The bread will probably taste fine. Just not rise quite as much. 

Can you make sweet dough by hand?

You can definitely make sweet dough by hand, it just takes some elbow grease. After your ingredients are combined, take the dough to the workbench and knead with your hands until a smooth elastic ball forms. Kneading dough by hand takes about 15 minutes. 

Sweet Dough Recipes

Cinnamon Rolls
Sticky Buns
Monkey Bread
Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Recipe

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Master Sweet Dough Recipe

Use this master sweet dough recipe to make all kinds of different desserts like cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, doughnuts and more!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Proofing 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 50 ounces

Calories 101kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook

Ingredients

• 8 ounces milk 110ºF
• 10 grams dried instant yeast (3 teaspoons)
• 25 ounces all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 8 ounces butter softened
• 4 ounces sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs room temperature

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Warm milk to 110ºF. Add in 1 Tablespoon of your sugar and then the yeast and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes.
• Add your flour to your mixing bowl and then add in your milk/yeast mixture. Stir on low to combine
• While mixing on low, add in your sugar, eggs, butter and salt until combined
• Increase the speed to medium and let mix until the dough cleans the sides of the bowls and feels elastic and smooth. The dough should bounce back when you touch it with your finger. This can take 8 - 12 minutes *do the window test - see blog post for details*
• Shape the dough into a smooth ball and then place it into a greased bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 90 minutes in a warm place

  ***optional***(I pre-heat my oven to 170ºF for five minutes then TURN THE OVEN OFF. It should be barely warm inside. Place a bowl of warm water in the back of the oven and your covered bowl of dough into the oven and shut the door)
• You can now shape the dough into rolls, make cinnamon rolls, sticky buns etc. See the blog post above for links to other recipes.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Master Sweet Dough Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

I love making this soft pretzel recipe. It's the same dough I use for my easy bagel recipe. These soft pretzels are soft & chewy with a touch of tang from the baking soda bath and lots of chunky salt on top!

Soft Pretzel Ingredients

Soft pretzels, like most bread, has very few ingredients. But each ingredient has a specific job to do to make the perfect soft pretzel recipe. 

• Flour - The main ingredient in soft pretzels. Bread flour is preferred because of its high levels of protein which produce more gluten and therefore, chewier bread. You can also use All-purpose flour or plain flour. Replace half the flour with whole wheat flour for whole wheat soft pretzels. 
• Sugar - You can leave out this small amount of sugar but it does provide a little flavor to the soft pretzels, keeps them soft and is also food for the yeast. 
• Melted butter - A little bit of melted butter or oil also keeps your soft pretzels nice and soft as well as providing flavor. 
• Instant Yeast - You can't have soft pretzels without yeast! I am using Instant Yeast which is very fast-acting. You can also use regular active dry yeast but you will need to proof (let rise) your soft pretzels longer. Please read the notes at the bottom of the recipe.
• Warm Water - Adding warm water (110º-115ºF) activates the yeast and provides a warm environment for it to begin growing. Water also hydrates the flour and activates the gluten in the dough.
• Salt - Very important to the final flavor of your soft pretzels. If you forget the salt, you will have very bland tasting bread. I am also using kosher salt to top my pretzels but you can also use chunky sea salt or flakey salt if that's all you have. 
• Baking Soda - Just a quick 20-second boil in a baking soda and water bath is the secret to getting that deep brown soft pretzel color. The original soft pretzel recipe used lye but that can be very dangerous so we're going to stick with baking soda. 

How to make soft pretzel dough

Making soft pretzel dough is just like making any kind of yeast dough. There are three things to accomplish. 

1. Combining Ingredients - Combine flour, sugar, and yeast and whisk to distribute the yeast evenly. Then add in the warm water/butter to activate the yeast and the gluten in the flour. Then add in the salt. We add the salt at the end because adding salt too early can stop the yeast from growing. 
2. Kneading - Developing the gluten in the dough is key. I mix my dough on medium-high speed for 5-6 minutes but each batch is different and each mixer is different. Always use a dough hook or knead by hand until you can stretch a small piece of dough between your fingers and make a semi-transparent window. If your dough is too dry, add a little water. If it's too wet, add a little flour. Making bread is more flexible than making a cake but kneading very important. It is very hard to over-knead dough but very common to under-knead. The under-mixed dough will not rise very well.
3. Proofing - Letting your dough rise until it has doubled is key for developing flavor and texture in your pretzel recipe. If you're using instant yeast, this will happen very quickly (in about 30 minutes). If you're using active dry yeast, this might take 60-90 minutes. 

How to shape soft pretzels easily

Shaping soft pretzels might seem intimidating but it's so simple. Even my daughter can do this. So let's break it down into steps. 

1. Divide your pretzel dough into 12 equal pieces (about 4oz each) and begin rolling into a long skinny snake. When you handle the dough, the gluten activates and starts to shrink back. After your snake can't be rolled any further, let it rest for 5 minutes while you work on the next piece of dough. Continue in this way of resting and rolling until you can get each piece of dough rolled. out to about 22" long.
2. Place the first snake in front of you like a big "U"
3. Now cross the ends over each other like this.
4. Then twist them together one more time so it looks like this.
5. Now bring the ends down towards the bottom of the "U" and you have a pretzel shape! I glued my ends down with a dab of water and a paintbrush.
6. Let your pretzels rest so they get nice and puffy (about 10 minutes for instant yeast, 20 minutes for active dry yeast)

How to boil soft pretzels in baking soda

While your soft pretzels are resting, bring your water and baking soda to a simmer. 

Now drop your pretzels into the simmering water and let them cook for 10-15 seconds per side. Don't go any longer or they will get really chewy and bitter when you bake them. I actually set a stopwatch timer on my phone for 20 seconds then flip at 10 seconds so I could be really accurate. 

After 20 seconds, scoop out your soft pretzels and place them onto a baking sheet with parchment paper and a generous amount of cornflour sprinkled on top to prevent sticking. Or you can use a silicone baking mat. 

Sprinkle some of your chunky salt on top and bake!

You can see a few bumps on the surface of my pretzels because I made a BIG mistake! I was trying to hide these from the husband to take photos later. So I set them aside and covered the sheet pan of freshly baked soft pretzels with plastic wrap before they were totally cool and it dissolved the salt causing that bump. 

They still tasted yummy though! We actually dipped our soft pretzels in a yummy mustard sauce but you can also go with nacho cheese dip! 

Soft pretzels are best enjoyed the day you make them so don't feel bad for eating them all in one sitting 😀

Want more bread recipes? Check these out!

Easy bagel recipe
Fast Bread recipe
Homemade dinner rolls

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Easy Soft Pretzel Recipe

An easy soft pretzel recipe that makes soft, chewy and golden brown pretzels right in your own kitchen in less than 60 minutes!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine german

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Proofing 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 soft pretzels

Calories 280kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook

Ingredients

• 30 ounces bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter (or olive oil)
• 14 grams instant yeast or active dry (see notes below recipe)
• 16 ounces warm water (110ºF)
• 2 teaspooons salt

Baking Soda Bath

• 64 ounces water (8 cups)
• 2 ounces baking soda (¼ cup)

Mustard Sauce

• 4 oz mayonnaise
• 4 oz Dijon mustard
• 2 oz honey
• 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Heat your water to 110º-115ºF. Combine the water with the sugar and melted butter and set aside
• Place your flour and yeast into the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Mix for 5 seconds to distribute the yeast.
• Pour in your hot water mixture while mixing on low, just until everything is moistened.
• Sprinkle in your salt.
• Increase the speed to medium-high (speed 4 on a kitchenaid, speed 2 on the bosch) and mix for 6 minutes. If your dough is too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water until the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl. If it's too wet, sprinkle in a little flour.
• Poke the dough, does it bounce back? The dough is ready to proof. You can also do the window test (see blog post). If the dough isn't ready, mix for another two minutes.
• Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl. Cover and let the dough proof for 30 minutes or until it has doubled in size. (proof 90 minutes if you're using active dry yeast).
• Divide your dough into 12 equal sized pieces (or use a scale to make 4 oz pieces).
• Begin rolling your dough out into a long skinny snake. When it becomes too stretchy, move to the next piece of dough and let the previous piece rest. Continue in this way until all 12 pieces are 22" long.
• Shape your snake into a big "U". Twist the ends together twice then fold down onto the bottom of the "U". Glue the ends in place with a dab of water.
• Set aside to rest for 10 minutes (for instant yeast, 20 minutes for active dry yeast)
• Bring 8 cups of water to a simmer with ¼ cup of baking soda
• Prepare two sheet pans with parchment paper. Sprinkle a good amount of corn flour (semolina) on top. This prevents the soft pretzels from sticking.
• Preheat your oven to 425ºF
• Place your soft pretzel into the boiling water and cook for 20 seconds (10 seconds. per side) then drain with a slotted spoon before placing onto the parchment paper.
• Sprinkle some of your chunky salt on top of the pretzels and bake
• Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown

Mustard Sauce

• Mix together mayonnaise, Dijon, honey and yellow mustard until smooth and serve in a small bowl with fresh soft pretzels

Video

https://youtu.be/4Zgg71---Qg

Notes

1. To proof bread, I turn my oven on to 170ºF and open the door then place my dough on the door near the opening of the oven to proof, not INSIDE the oven. 
2. If you don't have instant yeast your can use regular active yeast but it will take longer to proof. You don't need to change the amount of yeast.
   1. Let your dough proof for 90 minutes or until it doubles in size
   2. Divide the dough, shape, let rest for 20 minutes before baking.
3. You can replace half the white flour with wheat flour for whole wheat bagels
4. You can use oil instead of melted butter 
5. Do not boil for more than 15  seconds per side or your pretzels will get bitter tasting

Nutrition

Serving: 1soft pretzel | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 1384mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 58IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy Soft Pretzel Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Homemade cinnamon rolls never go out of style. I never cared much for cinnamon rolls until my first job at a real bakery where everything was made from scratch. I had to get up at 1:45 am to start the baking so that everything was ready by 6 am when we opened. 

Huge, 50 lb batches of sweet dough were prepped on stand mixers that were bigger than I was. The bowls had to be wheeled around on casters. 

When the dough was ready, we'd clear off the 10-foot wooden block table and roll out the dough. Huge amounts of butter, cinnamon, and sugar would then be smeared onto the dough. It would take 3 people to roll the dough up. 

Some of the dough would be portioned out for giant, bakery-style cinnamon rolls and the rest would go into bread pans for cinnamon swirl bread. I can't remember a morning that we didn't sell out. 

Thankfully for this recipe, you won't need much besides a stand mixer and some time for proofing. Because this is a sweet dough, enriched with butter, eggs, and sugar, it's very soft and tender when baked. It also means that it's harder for the yeast to do its thing because the butter and sugar get in the way. 

I'm baking my rolls on a sheet pan but you can also bake them in casserole dishes, cast iron pans or cookie sheets. 

It's definitely possible to make these cinnamon rolls in one day but it's easier to prep them the day before and bake them the next day so you're not in a rush. 

Step-By-Step Instructions

Make sure you follow the mixing directions below and develop the gluten in the sweet dough or your bread could have a bad rise. But don't over-mix it or you can have a very dry roll. How can you tell?

Once the dough cleans the bowl (pulls away from the sides) and looks smooth, you're probably done. Press your finger into the side of the dough, does it spring back? You're ready to go. Does it seem soft and oozing out of it's shape? It's not done yet, keep kneading. 

You can also test to see if the dough has mixed enough by doing the window test. Take a small piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers until you can almost see through it like a window. 

If you can do this without the dough tearing, it's ready! 

How to proof cinnamon rolls

After you've made your sweet dough, you have to let it rise for about 90 minutes or until it doubles in size. You want a nice warm spot to do this. If you're in the middle of baking, chances are your kitchen is already warm enough.

If not, you can preheat your oven for 5 minutes then turn it off. Place a bowl of water in the back of the oven and then put your covered bowl of dough in the oven and shut the door.

This is a nice warm and moist environment for your dough to proof. Just don't forget your dough is in there and accidentally turn on your oven. 

While your dough is proofing, you can make up the cinnamon roll filling. I usually just put all the ingredients in the bowl together and cream until it's combined. You can also melt the butter and mix it all together. 

How to shape cinnamon rolls

Roll out your dough so that it is about 10" long and about ½" thick. It doesn't matter how wide it is.  Try to keep your dough in a nice rectangular shape so that all your rolls are the same size. 

Spread the cinnamon filling onto the dough evenly, all the way to the edges. Leave one edge bare so you can seal it up with some egg wash so the cinnamon rolls don't unroll while baking.

Begin rolling up the dough lengthwise. Start with a nice tight spiral then just push the dough gently to roll it the rest of the way up. Press that edge firmly, you can even pinch it to keep it sealed tight. 

Divide the dough into 12 even pieces and place onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. The cinnamon rolls will touch. If you don't want your rolls to touch then space them out further apart or use two sheet pans. 

Final Rise

You want to let the dough rise one more time before you bake them. Cover with a tea towel and place in a warm area. The rolls should double in size. This should take about an hour. 

Brush the cinnamon rolls with egg wash and then bake them in the oven at 350ºF for about 20 minutes. 

How to make cream cheese frosting 

I love cream cheese frosting for homemade cinnamon rolls but I don't like a ton of frosting. This cream cheese frosting is really thin and all you need is a little bit drizzled over the top. If you love more frosting, you can definitely add more!

Cream your cream cheese with a hand mixer until it's smooth. I microwaved mine for about 10 seconds to get it a little softer. Add in your butter and cream until smooth. Then your sifted powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Then add in your milk. I like my frosting very thin so it drizzles down into the nooks and crannies of the rolls but you can make yours thicker if you want by leaving out some of the milk. 

Place the frosting into a piping bag and drizzle it over the warm cinnamon rolls or you can use a spoon. 

FAQ & TIPS

Can you make cinnamon rolls ahead of time?

If you don't have the time to let your homemade cinnamon rolls rise or you want to make them ahead of time, cover the rolls tightly with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge. The rolls will continue to rise in the fridge but very slowly. 

Take the rolls out of the fridge about 2 hours before you want to bake them, letting them proof until they double in size before baking. 

Finish them off with your cream cheese frosting and enjoy your delicious homemade cinnamon rolls! 

How do you store leftover cinnamon rolls

Because these rolls have cream cheese frosting, they will need to stored in the fridge. Heat them in the microwave for about 20 seconds or in the oven until warmed through and enjoy! 

Related Recipes

Soft and buttery dinner rolls
Master sweet dough recipe 
Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
Sticky Buns 

Recipe

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Homemade Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft and fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting made from scratch! Prepare these ahead of time and bake them fresh!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Proofing 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Rolls

Calories 476kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook
• One sheet pan (13"x18") or similar sized pan
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• 4 ounces milk 110ºF
• 5 grams dried instant yeast
• 14 ounces all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 4 ounces butter softened
• 2 ounces sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs room temperature

Cinnamon Filling

• 4 ounces unsalted butter softened to almost melted
• 4 ounces granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon

Cream cheese frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 3 ounces powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 ounces heavy whipping cream or less if you like a thicker consistency
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Warm milk to 110ºF. Add in 1 Tablespoon of your sugar and then the yeast and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy.
• Place flour in the mixing bowl with the yeast/milk mixture and stir until combined
• Add in your eggs one at a time, letting each combine before you add the next
• Add in sugar, butter and salt and mix on low until combined
• Let mix on low for 5-10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and bounces back when you touch it. You can also do the window test (see blog post for example)
• Shape the dough into a smooth ball and then place it into a greased bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 90 minutes in a warm place

  *see note**

For the cinnamon sugar filling

• Combine together all your ingredients with a mixer until smooth

To make the rolls

• Line a 13"x18" sheet pan with parchment paper (or similar sized pan)
• Once your dough has proofed, roll out the dough 10" wide, ½" thick. It doesn't matter how long. Spread the cinnamon sugar filling over the surface evenly, all the way to the edges, except keep one edge without cinnamon so you can seal it.
• Roll up the dough length-wise. Make sure the first roll is very tight so you get a nice spiral, then continue pushing the dough until you reach the edge. Brush a little water or egg wash along the bare edge so it seals the loose edge of the dough.
• Cut the roll into 12 equal slices and arrange on your parchment covered pan
• Cover loosely with a tea towel and let proof to double then bake (or cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in the fridge if you want to bake them the next day. Let come to room temperature and proof to double before baking. This can take 1.5-2 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is)
• Bake at 350ºF for 35-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 200ºF

For the cream cheese frosting

• Cream the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Then add in the softened butter and cream until smooth.
• Add in the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and milk, and cream until smooth and the desired consistency. Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls.

Video

Notes

For the best possible results, read through the blog post and recipe to avoid common mistakes.

1. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
2. Metric measurements (grams) are available by clicking the small box under the ingredients in the recipe card labeled “metric”
3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
4. Try to use the same ingredients as the recipe calls for. If you must make a substitution, be aware that the recipe may not come out the same. I try to list substitutions where possible.
5. *(I pre-heat my oven to 170ºF for five minutes then TURN THE OVEN OFF. It should be barely warm inside. Place a bowl of warm water in the back of the oven and your covered bowl of dough into the oven and shut the door)
6. Do not be afraid to mix your dough enough. Do the window test to see if your dough is ready. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 971IU | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Classic Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Making focaccia bread art is not only fun but delicious! These edible works of art inspired by the creations of Vineyard Baker on Instagram are fun for the whole family to make. I recommend cutting one batch of focaccia in half to make two smaller pieces of bread and decorate them individually. That's what I did with my daughter and we had a blast!

I have been wanting to try this focaccia bread art trend for a long time. I am obsessed with the magical bread art that I see on vineyard bakers page. My favorite is this sunflower named Vincent Van Dough. I love me a good bread pun! I think we could be best friends. 

At the time of this blog post, the world was in quarantine so our days are filled with lots of fun projects to keep ourselves and the kids busy. This was the perfect fun project for my five-year-old Avalon and I to do together. 

I just prepped all the ingredients and the focaccia ahead of time so all she had to do was decorate!

What toppings are best for focaccia bread art?

Start off with my easy focaccia bread recipe. I mix this dough up the night before I want to bake it. The long proof in the fridge gives it flavor and a lovely chewy interior with a thin and crispy crust. 

Here is what my timeline looks like so you can plan ahead. 

Day 1 - In the late afternoon or evening, I mix up my focaccia dough and set it aside to bulk ferment (rise) in a warm area (70ºF). This takes anywhere from 2-3 hours because of the large amount of oil in the dough and depending on how warm your room is. The warmer it is, the faster the dough will rise. 

After your dough house doubled in size, dump it out onto your work surface. Divide the dough into two pieces if you desire. 

Prepare two sheet pans with a thin layer of olive oil that coats the entire surface. 

Stretch the dough onto the pan. I got mine all the way to the edges because I made a double batch but if you are using a single batch, just shape it roughly in the center of the pan as much as you can. Here is a beautiful example from Vineyard Baker. 

Cover your sheet pan in plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out and then place it into the fridge overnight for the second proof. 

Day 2 - Take your focaccia out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. You want the dough to be nice and bubbly before you start decorating so that the dough doesn't envelop your veggies. I like to prep my toppings while the focaccia is warming up. 

Dimple the top of your focaccia as usual, add your olive oil and flakey salt. as directed in the recipe. Now you're ready to decorate! Go crazy! Have fun! Put the art in focaccia bread art!

After you top your focaccia, coat all the herbs with a layer of olive oil to prevent them from burning while you bake. 

Focaccia bread art ideas

Now is the time to get creative with your focaccia bread art! Use your imagination! If you search focaccia bread art on Pinterest you will see TONS of inspiration! 

I wanted to make as many flowers as possible so mine was more like a flower bouquet.

Avalon went under the sea themed so she had lots of fish and sea creatures on hers. I especially love how Avalon used the sliced shallots so they looked like octopus swimming. So clever. 

Both were delicious! 

If you have any bread leftover, cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. Bake it for 10 minutes in an oven at 350ºF to refresh it before eating and it will taste good as new!

Recipe

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Focaccia Bread Art Recipe

This easy focaccia recipe is the best! Just mix, rest, stretch and chill overnight to let all that amazing flavor develop. Perfect for using as a base for those beautiful focaccia bread art projects.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Resting 1 day day 25 minutes minutes

Servings 24 servings

Calories 168kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand mixer with a dough hook

Ingredients

• 16 ounces warm water (110ºF) divided into two bowls 2 cups
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 7 grams active dry yeast (2 ½ teaspoons)
• 2 ounces olive oil ¼ cup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon flakey salt
• 24 ounces bread flour or all-purpose flour (5 cups spooned and leveled)
• 4 ounces olive oil for the pan and for drizzling on top of the focaccia after rising (½ cup)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
• Vegetables, herbs and meats for topping

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Combine your first cup of warm water with your yeast and sugar and mix to combine. Set it aside for about 5 minutes or until it looks foamy
• Place the water/yeast mixture in the bowl of your stand mixer with the bread hook attached. You can also make this dough by hand with a bowl and spoon but you'll have to use some elbow grease.
• Add in about 1 cup of flour and mix on low until combined
• Add in the rest of your water, the olive oil and the salt and half of your remaining flour. Mix on low until combined
• Continue adding in your flour while mixing on low until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it's still too sticky, add in a couple more Tablespoons of flour until it comes together. The dough will be very soft though
• Keep mixing on low until your dough develops enough gluten that when you touch it, it bounces back. I took my dough out of the bowl and finished kneading it on the countertop for about 2 minutes until the dough bounced back.
• Place your dough into a bowl with about a Tablespoon of olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size. If you're using active dry yeast, it will take longer to proof to double. Keep an eye on it.
• Pour enough olive oil into a 12"x17" sheet pan (or any pan of similar size) so there is a thin layer of oil covering the entire bottom of the pan
• Put some olive oil on your hands to prevent sticking and then pull the focaccia dough out of the bowl. It will be very loose. Divide into two if you deisre. Lay it in the pan and begin stretching it. If it shrinks back, walk away for about 15 minutes to let the gluten relax before you stretch again. Don't worry about getting it to the edges if you divided it in half.
• Once you're done stretching, cover it with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge overnight to develop flavor.
• When you're ready to bake your bread, take it out of the fridge and let it warm up for about 30 minutes. Dimple the surface with your oiled fingers to create some areas where the olive oil can collect.
• Drizzle a good amount olive oil onto the top of the bread until all the dimples have a little oil in them. Sprinkle flakey salt on top.
• After your focaccia has risen for 30 minutes, decorate the top any way you like with veggies, herbs and meats. See the blog post above for more ideas.
• Brush all your veggies and herbs with more olive oil to prevent burning.
• Bake in the oven at 450ºF for 20-25 minutes or until the focaccia bread is nice and golden.
• Because of the toppings, this bread is best enjoyed the day of. Refrigerate leftovers. Re-heating the bread in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350ºF will bring back that chewy texture.

Video

Notes

I place my dough near my oven set to 170ºF to help the dough rise. Mine usually only takes about 1 hour if my room is warm.

Let your cold focaccia rise for 30 minutes before decorating to prevent the dough from enveloping the toppings

Brush the toppings with vegetable oil to prevent burning in the oven

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

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