Look at me, I made a loaf of bread! After making the Macaroni Grill Bread, I decided I wanted to try again, with a difference recipe, and make more of an everyday bread. After scouring the Food Network and Martha Stewart websites (to no avail) I went to The Pioneer Woman. And found a recipe for that “special” kind of bread we never buy in the store unless it’s on sale.
Inspired by Ree Drummond
- 1 cup Milk
- 6 Tablespoons Butter
- 2-1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 3-1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
- 1 cup Raisins
- Egg And Milk Mixed Together, For Brushing
- Softened Butter For Smearing And Greasing
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Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don't boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
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Combine flour and salt.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.
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Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes.
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Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it's warm. Drizzle in a little canola oil, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set it in a warm, hospitable place for at least 2 hours.
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Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you're going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal.
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Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top. Bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven.
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Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool.
Here is what I learned during the process:
Most importantly: ADD RAISINS
Also, the yeast doesn’t seem to make the milk/butter mixture foam like I thought it would. I was genuinely afraid I had killed the yeast and the dough wouldn’t rise, but I continued onward, and was much relieved when the dough doubled in size like it was supposed to.
Another, much more important thing, the dough is very sticky! The dough hook to our Kitchenaid Mixer has been misplaced, so I thought I’d just do the 10 minutes of kneading by hand. WHAT. A. MESS. I looked like a 3 year old playing in mud. Very fun, but less than graceful.
This tedious part of the process could have been avoided with one of these:
Now that I see how little a replacement hook costs, I feel silly for not getting one a long time ago. But you KNOW as soon as I order one, I’ll find the original in a cabinet somewhere. But that’s OK. At least it’ll mean I can make this bread again. And make that bread into French Toast. Fantastic!
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