Basic Sweet Dough Recipes

Steps:

• Scald milk in a medium saucepan. Add cold water to scalded milk. Remove 1/4 cup liquid; mix yeast into liquid when cooled to lukewarm. To liquid in saucepan, add salt, sugar, shortening, and eggs. Add dissolved yeast to saucepan. Mix well.
• Sift and measure the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, and pour the liquids into the well. Stir with a large wooden spoon until liquid disappears.
• With one hand, mix dough in bowl using swinging rotary motion. Gradually form dough into smooth ball, then knead in bowl for 2 minutes. Brush top with melted shortening. Cover, and allow dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
• Punch down dough. Use dough for any sweet bread recipe.

Steps:

• Warm 1/2 cup water and the milk in a saucepan over low heat until a thermometer registers 100 degrees F to 110 degrees F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast on top, then sprinkle with a pinch of the sugar; set aside, undisturbed, until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, the salt and nutmeg. Make a well in the center, then add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to make a thick and slightly sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. Shape into a ball.
• Brush a large bowl with butter. Add the dough, turning to coat lightly with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour, 15 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead briefly to release excess air; re-form into a ball and return to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it directly on the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar and butter. Heat until slightly warm to the touch then remove from heat and stir in the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Mix in the eggs, oil and the yeast mixture. Mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Grease a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of oil. Place the dough into the bowl and turn once to coat. Cover and let stand in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Use remaining oil to grease a cookie sheet or 9x13 inch pan. For plain rolls, punch down dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and place them into the greased pan side by side. Let dough rise for 20 to 25 minutes, or until almost double. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until rolls are golden brown.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk 7-1/2 cups flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture, adding more flour if necessary. Divide dough into four 2-cup portions. Refrigerate, covered, until needed., Basic Cookie Dough may be used to prepare the following recipes: Crumb-Topped Date Bars, Cherry Surprise Cookies, Chocolate Mallow Cookies or Jelly Sandwich Cookies.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, heat milk, butter and water to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add egg and remaining flour; beat until smooth. Shape into a ball. Do not knead. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Use for Braided Coffee Cake or Coffee Cake Ring.

Steps:

• (Icing may be doubled and used for any cake or bun icing).
• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and set aside until foamy.
• Heat milk, shortening, sugar and salt to melt shortening.
• Cool to warm and add yeast mixture, egg yolks and whole eggs.
• Beat well by hand.
• Gradually beat in by hand 6 cups of flour and the cardamom.
• Knead well on a floured surface only adding additional flour to make a smooth and elastic dough.
• Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil and cover and let rise double in volume.
• Punch down and cover dough and refrigerate overnight in large bowl.
• When ready to use, punch down and knead briefly to warm up dough.
• Use dough as you wish for coffee cakes, sweet breads, buns, etc.
• You may divide dough into 6 buns, or 4 equal pieces to make 4 small loaves or braids.
• If braiding, divide each piece into 3 loose strands and braid and tuck under ends.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Place on baking sheets/pans and let rise double in volume.
• Bake in a 350F oven about 30 minutes or golden and tested done.
• Remove from pans/baking sheet to cool on rack.
• Mix icing ingredients and drizzle over warm cake/bread.
• Yield: approx.
• 6 buns, 4 small braids, or 2 large loaves.

Steps:

• Dissolve 1 tsp.
• sugar in warm water in large bowl.
• Sprinkle in yeast.
• Let stand 10 minutes, then stir well.
• Heat milk to lukewarm.
• Stir in 1/4 cup sugar and salt.
• Add lukewarm milk mixture, butter,egg and 1 cup flour to dissolved yeast mixture.
• Beat for 3 minutes.
• Stir in about 3 cups remaining flour gradually.
• If necessary, add more flour to make a soft dough which leaves sides of bowl.
• Turn out onto lightly floured board.
• Knead dough, adding more flour as necessary, until dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky (about 5 minutes).
• Place in lightly greased bowl.
• Turn dough to grease top.
• Cover with greased waxed paper and tea towel.
• Let rise in warm place until doubled (about 1 hour).
• Punch down.
• Turn out onto lightly floured board and round up into a ball.
• Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
• Shape and prepare according to one of the following variations.
• (These variations can also be made with Basic White Bread dough).
• Dinner Rolls: Divide each portion of prepared dough into 16-24 equal pieces depending on size of buns desired.
• Shape into balls and flatten slightly.
• Place on greased baking sheet or in muffin cups.
• Cover with a tea towel and let rise in warm place until doubled (about 30 minutes) Bake at 375F for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
• Brush with melted butter, if desired, for soft shiny crust.
• Pan Rolls; Divide each portion of dough into 16 equal pieces.
• Shape into balls.
• Place balls, almost touching, in rows, in a greased 8" square pan.
• Cover and let rise as above.
• Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes.
• or twin rolls, Cloverleaf rolls, Cresents, Parkerhouse Rolls, knots and posies.