Tomato Basil Bread

Sweet Tomato-Basil Bread

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large eggs

5 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons basil puree or prepared pesto

2 teaspoons yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup sugar

3 3/4 cups flour + ~2 tablespoons for flouring surface

Streusel topping

1 tablespoon room-temperature butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoons brown sugar

pinch of coarse salt

1. Melt your butter on the stovetop and then add the milk, water, tomato paste, and basil puree (or prepared pesto). Mix and heat until warm to the touch but not hot. (You should be able to submerge your fingertip in it comfortably.)
2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of your stand mixer (fitted with a dough hook), combine 3 1/4 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix together just to combine.
3. Whisk in the eggs with the warmed liquid ingredients in the pan. Then add the whole dark, lovely mixture into the dry ingredients in your mixer bowl.
4. Slowly crank up your stand mixer to beat the dough until it holds together and looks homogenous. Slow the mixer and add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, a little at a time, just until it forms a loose, sticky ball.
5. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 2-4 hours, until doubled. It will smooth out and become more elastic during this time.
   

   

    

    

6. Turn it out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes, just until the dough feels smooth and un-sticky. (My mom has always said that bread dough will tell you when it has had enough because it will develop a smooth, powdery skin. Some kinds of bread–the ones that don’t include fat–need a sticky, wet dough in order to produce a moist, chewy center when they are baked. But this one is like the bread my mom has always made insofar as it has plenty of sugar and fat in it. So follow Mom’s advice: Knead it until it’s not sticky. Shoot for the thin, powdery skin. It will still be moist and lovely inside. I promise.)
7. Divide it into two parts and place the parts into two lightly buttered loaf pans. Cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and allow it to rise for another 60-90 minutes.
   

   
8. Just before baking, use a fork to mix together the streusel ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle the streusel over the unbaked bread dough.
9. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the interior temperature reaches 200 degrees.
   

   
10. Allow to cool very slightly before slicing. Then go ahead: butter it. Why the heck not? 

Neurotic Mom CInnamon Rolls - EASY!

The recipe: 
Dough: 
1/2 cup milk (4 oz. or 120 mL) 
1/2 cup heavy cream (4 oz. or 120 mL - may substitute milk) 
1 Tablespoon yeast (15 grams) 
2 Tablespoons sugar (25 grams - I accidentally said teaspoons in the video) 
1 teaspoon salt (5 g) 
4 Tablespoons salted butter (56 grams) 
1 egg 
3-4 cups AP flour (360-480 g) 

Warm Milk until luke warm in microwave. If not using instant yeast, sprinkle yeast on milk and let sit 10 minutes. With whip attachment combine milk, cream, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and egg. Combine. Add 1/2 cup of flour then switch to dough hooks. Add flour gradually until dough is no longer sticky to touch. Knead in mixer for 5 ish minutes or knead by hand. place in greased bowl and cover. Let rise in warm place for 20 min until double.

Roll out into large rectangle.

 Filling: 
1/2 cup salted butter (113 g) 
1 cup brown sugar (213 g) 
2-3 tablespoons cinnamon to taste (30-45 g) 

Melt butter and comine in cinnamon and sugar. Spread evenly over rectangle dough.  roll up dough into a sausage. Using floss cut rolls. place in pan spread evenly. Cover and let rise until double. Bake in oven at 325F for 20ish minutes until just barely golden brown.

Glaze:
 4 oz. cream cheese 
4 tablespoons salted butter (56 g) 
1 1/2 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (170-285 g) 
1 teaspoon vanilla (5 g) 
2-3 tablespoons milk (30-45 g/mL) 

 IMPORTANT! I ended up baking around 20-24 minutes at 325° F (163° C) In the video I said 14-18 minutes but I must have made them extra thick and gooey this time.😉 just keep watching them until they are light golden brown. Happy baking’

Butterhorn Dinner Rolls

Old Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
1 3/4 c. warm milk (heat in microwave until hot just BEFORE boiling)
2 tbps. instant yeast
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
6 c. flour

-Mix milk, salt, sugar and oil. Let cool until just warm. Not more 110 degrees
-Then add flour, yeast and egg.
-Put in big bowl and let rise until double.
-Roll out in rectangle for rolls.

Filling:
1 1/2 c butter; melted
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c cinnamon

Instructions:
-Mix butter sugars a cinnamon
-Spread on rolled out dough
-Roll the dough up tight
-Cut in 1 1/2" length
-Put 12 roll in per pan in 9¨ẍ 13"pans
-Let rise until double
-Bake at 350 for 20 minutes
-Let cool and spread Glaze on top.

Caramel Pecan Rolls

Ingredients:
2 c butterscotch chips
1 c. corn syrup
1/3 c. butter
1 c. pecans; chopped

Directions:
-Melt chips, syrup & butter together. Add Pecans.
-Spread evenly in 2 9¨x 13¨ pans.
-Make Cinnamon Rolls
-Put on top of Caramel Pecan Mixture.
-Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes
-When baked, remove from oven and turn upsde down.
-Remove from pan while hot.
-Let cool

Makes 24 Rolls

Link for Rolls Recipie

Notes:
These are Jakobs Favorites!

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Soft pretzels are so much easier than you thought. This recipe will take you little time and effort. Top them with salt, cinnamon-sugar, and dunk in your favorite pretzel dips.

Yield: makes 8 - 10 (or more) depending on size

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (lukewarm, no need to take temperature)
• 1 packet active dry or instant yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon (8g) granulated sugar
• 3.75 - 4.25 cups (480-530g) all-purpose flour + more for the counter surface to knead (or mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir with a spoon until fairly mixed, about 1 minute. Some clusters of yeast will remain. Add salt and sugar; stir until fairly combined. Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add up to 1/2 cup more. Poke the dough with your finger - if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes and shape into a ball. With a sharp knife, cut ball of dough into 1/3 cup sections. This measurement does not have to be exact - use as much or little dough for each pretzel as you wish - the size of the pretzel is completely up to you.
4. Roll the dough into a rope with an even diameter. My ropes were twenty inches long. This measurement will depend how large you want the pretzels. Once you have your long rope, take the ends and draw them together so the dough forms a circle. Twist the ends, then bring them towards yourself and press them down into a pretzel shape. See above for link to visual instructions.
5. This fifth step is optional: Whisk 9 cups of water and 1/2 cup baking soda together in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Place a pretzel onto a large slotted spatula and dip into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Any more than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. The pretzel will float. Lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off.  Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the pretzels. Read why this is a good option here. But again, it's not necessary and I did not do it for these pretzels.
6. In a small bowl, beat the egg and pour into a shallow bowl or pie dish. Dunk the shaped pretzel into the egg wash (both sides). Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 425F degrees. Turn the oven to broil and bake for 5 more minutes to brown the tops. Watch closely to avoid burning. I do the 5 minute broil no matter if I do step 5 or not.
8. Allow to cool and enjoy. Serve warm or at room temperature. Pretzels may be stored in an airtight container or zipped top bag for up to 3 days (will lose softness). Pretzels freeze well.

Additional Notes:

*Make ahead instructions for dough: the prepared pretzel dough may be refrigerated for up to one day or frozen in an airtight container for three months. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight. Refrigerated dough can be shaped into pretzels while still cold, but allow some extra time for the pretzels to puff up before the baking soda bath and baking.
** When broiling turn to low and watch closely.... they burn FAST. 
*This dough is pretty heavy, in the furture I may try to let them rise a bit to get them a bit more fluffy. 
*Very good recipe!