Tag Archives: bread

Honey Oatmeal Bread

Posted on by

3

Another day, another bread recipe! I enjoy trying out new ones as often as possible, and this one seems to be pretty popular on Tasty Kitchen so I decided to give it a try. I made sure not to add the full amount of flour while kneading this in my stand mixer. I held back 2/3 of a cup and added just enough to make the dough not too sticky. I err on the side of caution when dealing with bread dough now after learning what adding too much flour can do to the finished bread. Mine was only slightly sticky and while I formed it I used a small amount flour on my work surface and hands. I haven’t used egg in a bread recipe for some time, but this loaf came out soft and tender even with all the wheat flour in this. In my experience with wheat breads, the flavor is usually bitter and the crumb isn’t nearly as nice. I’m really happy with how this turned out and hopefully I can get my husband to like it too 😉 He’s not a big fan of mostly wheat breads a, like this one; and oatmeal isn’t his favorite either. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Honey Oatmeal Bread – adapted from Belle of the Kitchen
  • 4-½ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast (2 packages worth)
  • ½ cups Honey
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter
  • 2-¼ cups Water
  • 1 Tablespoon Salt
  • 8 tsp vital wheat gluten (optional)
  • 2-¾ cups All-purpose Flour (I used 2 1/4 cups)
  • 4 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
  • 1 whole Egg
Directions –
In a medium sized bowl, add HOT water, oats, butter, salt and honey. Stir to combine – let sit until butter is melted and it’s cool enough to add your yeast (110 -115 degrees or less).

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour and oat mixture. With mixer on low, gradually blend liquid into dry ingredients until just blended. Increase the speed to medium, beat for two minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Gradually beat in the egg and one cup of whole wheat flour to make a thick batter. Continue beating for two minutes. Stir in 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all purpose flour. Knead till smooth and elastic. Use more flour if dough is too sticky.

Place in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch the dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; cover with the bowl and let rise for 15 minutes. Shape into two loaves and let rise for 1 hour in greased 9 x 5 loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 35 to 40 minutes.


Roasted Garlic Bread

Posted on by

9

Quick Post: This is so darn good – it’s dangerous! The last time I mentioned it, I didn’t get a chance to photograph it cause it disappeared before I was able to. I figured that I would make this again really soon so I could share it with you 😉 I saved up carbs so I was able to eat this pasta with Italian chicken sausage and at least two pieces of the garlic bread. This dinner is definitely a carb overload, but totally worth it! Thanks for reading, enjoy 🙂

Roasted Garlic Bread –

  • 1 loaf of french bread
  • 1 bulb of garlic
  • 6 TBSP of butter
  • 2 – 3 TBSP of olive oil
  • kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper (to taste, optional)
  • dried herbs – I used parsley (optional)
  • Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bulb of garlic in half and place it on a square of foil, large enough that you can make a little package for roasting. Place the cut garlic into the center of the foil and drizzle with a little olive oil. Close the package up and roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.
2. Squeeze the cloves into a small bowl to smash up with the butter, olive oil and seasonings. Blend well and set aside. Cut your french bread in half and then take the two halves and split those down the middle lengthwise. Spread the butter mixture generously over each piece. Place your bread on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes – take the bread out and sprinkle your grated cheese over top each piece. Place back in the oven until the cheese melts and is nicely browned – about 3-5 minutes. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Posted on by

2

Yum! In my opinion, cinnamon and raisins got together so well. My husband doesn’t agree – he hates raisins. I cut this recipe in half just to make sure I don’t over do it with this yummy bread. It smells wonderful while baking and the scent lingered until this morning. My only issue with this bread is that it took so long to rise – at least 4 hours for the first one and almost 2 for the second rise. I was bummed that it didn’t rise quite where I had hoped before baking it off; but I was already staying up past my preferred bed time waiting for it to crest over the top of the pan. I even tried proofing it in my oven in hopes that it would speed up the process, and that took an hour. This recipe doesn’t have much yeast in it for some reason (only one packet worth for two loaves), so it probably didn’t help that I cut the recipe in half. Next time I’ll add a touch more yeast or just be extra careful with the temperatures of the liquids I add. I’m not sure what the culprit was, but the flavor is great and the bread isn’t as dense as I feared it might be. It’s not too sweet and it has a great cinnamon spiciness to it. This is the perfect kind of bread for Fall and I’m sure I will make this one or another recipe similar to it. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread – adapted from King Arthur Flour

  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
  • 1 heaping cup dark and/or golden raisins
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar, divided
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water, 110°F
  • 5 1/2 to 6 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Directions:

Combine and heat the milk and butter (on the stove or in the microwave) until just hot to the touch (about 120°F). Transfer to a large bowl and add the raisins or other fruit, oat flakes, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt and cinnamon; stir well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, dissolve the remaining tablespoon of brown sugar and active dry yeast in the water and let sit until bubbles appear. (If you’re using instant yeast, skip this step; simply add all of the remaining ingredients to the milk mixture once it’s cooled to lukewarm.) When the milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add the yeast mixture and mix well. Stir in the unbleached flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes by hand, adding additional flour only as necessary to prevent sticking. You can also do this whole process in the bowl of an electric mixer, kneading the dough for 5 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat it on all sides, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a cozy place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Knock down the dough, knead briefly on a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until nicely browned. Near the end of the baking time, if the loaves are getting dark too quickly, cover them with a piece of aluminum foil, shiny-side up. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Soft Garlic Knots

Posted on by

11

Soup needs bread! 😉 I didn’t have a couple of the ingredients that these knots required, but thankfully my improvisations didn’t ruin these. The dough improver is a necessary ingredient though with all the shaping these required. It prevents the dough from snapping back easily and rolling these out and tying them up would have been a pain with out it. These were fun to shape, but I didn’t roll them out like in the directions. I made sure that all my 16 pieces were at least 1.5 ounces each before shaping so I could make sure that they would all bake evenly. I took each ball and rolled it into about 11 inches (think of Play Doh snakes!) and made the knot, then tucked in the ends per the instructions. I baked off all 16 but only buttered half of them so I could store or freeze the rest. My family enjoyed these and they were a perfect accompaniment to our chicken noodle soup. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Soft Garlic Knots – adapted from King Arthur Flour

Dough:

  • 3 1/4 cups (13 3/4 ounces) Mellow Pastry Blend or 3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) Baker’s Special Dry Milk
  • 3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) potato flour (*I used a couple TBSP of potato flakes)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 3 tablespoons King Arthur Easy-Roll Dough Improver (optional)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 4 teaspoons Pizza Dough Flavor (*I didn’t use this)
  • 2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) olive oil
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) lukewarm water*

*Add an additional 2 tablespoons water in the winter, or if you live in a very dry climate.

Glaze:

  • 2 to 6 cloves peeled, crushed garlic
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pizza Seasoning or Italian seasoning, optional (*I used parsley flakes)

Directions: 

Dough: Whisk the dry ingredients together to prevent the potato flour from clumping when liquid is added. Stir in the olive oil and water, then mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to form a smooth, elastic dough, adding additional water or flour as needed. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, until it’s doubled in bulk.

Shaping: Divide the dough into 16 pieces, and roll each into a rope about 11 inches long; tie each rope into a knot, tucking the loose ends into the center. Place the knots on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes to about an hour, until very puffy looking.

Glaze: Whisk together the melted butter and garlic. Set it aside.

Baking: Bake the knots in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes. They should be set, but only very lightly browned. Remove the knots from the oven, and brush or drizzle them with the garlic butter. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and pizza seasoning or Italian seasoning, if desired. Eat the knots warm. Yield: 16 garlic knots.

Light Wheat Bread

Posted on by

0

Quick Post: I’m always on the lookout for new sandwich breads and have experimented with several. I’m not searching for the “perfect” loaf, I just have fun trying new ones. This bread is slightly wheaty with a nice chewy crust and dense crumb. I used a different technique (business letter fold) to form this loaf and I think that’s why it’s so tall, but my husband appreciated that for his sandwich today. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Light Wheat Bread – adapted from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice

  • 2 1/2 cups (11.25 oz) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
  • 1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz.) white whole-wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (.75 oz.) raw sugar or honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (.38 oz.) salt
  • 3 tablespoons (1 oz.) powdered milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (.17 oz.) instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) water, at room temperature

1. Stir together the high-gluten flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar (if using), salt, powdered milk, and yeast in a 4-quart mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add the shortening, honey (if using), and water. Stir (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients form a ball. If there is still flour in the bottom of the bowl, dribble in additional water. The dough should feel soft and supple. It is better for it to be a little too soft that to be too stiff and tough.

2. Sprinkle high-gluten or whole-wheat flour on the counter, and transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook). Add more flour if needed to make a firm, supple dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky. Kneading should take about 10 minutes (6 minutes by machine). The dough should pass the windowpane test and registers 77 to 81 degrees F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

4. Remove the dough from the bowl and press it by hand into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick, 6 inches wide, and 8 to 10 inches long. Form it into a loaf by working from the short side of the dough, rolling up the length of the dough one section at a time, pinching the crease with each rotation to strengthen the surface tension. It will spread wider as you roll it. Pinch the final seam closed with the back edge of your hand or with your thumbs. Place the loaf in a lightly oiled 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch bread pan; the ends of the loaf should touch the ends of the pan to ensure an even rise. Mist the top with spray oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap.

5. Proof at room temperature for approximately 60 to 90 minutes (as in, original recipe says 90 minutes, I walked into the kitchen at 60 and said “whoa!” as it had almost risen too much; clearly final rising times vary), or until the dough crests above the lip of the pan.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.

7. Place the bread pan on a sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the oven. The finished loaf should register 190 degrees F in the center, be golden brown on the top and the sides, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

8. When the bread is finished baking, remove it immediately from the loaf pan and cool it on a rack for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours

Cocoa-nana Bread

Posted on by

3

Quick Post:  I had a few leftover bananas from my produce box that were perfectly spotty for a banana bread. This bread is dense, chocolaty, rich, and fudgy. M enjoyed a generous slice on his way to work and called me to tell me how good it was 🙂 He knows I love compliments on my food – especially new recipes. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Cocoa-nana Bread – adapted from Obsessed with Baking via Dorie Greenspan 

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup semisweet cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 stick unsalted butter at room temp
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1/2 cup store-bought chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and place it on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked on top of the other. (This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from over baking.)

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for about a minute, until softened. Add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition. At this point, the batter may look a little curdled — it’s okay. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Still on low speed, add the buttermilk, mixing until it is incorporated. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover the bread loosely with a foil tent to keep the top from getting too dark, and continue to bake for another 40 to 45 minutes (total baking time is between 70 to 75 minutes) or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the bread and unmolding. Invert and cool to room temp right side up.

Sub Rolls

Posted on by

0

I have been on the lookout for a recipe like this for some time. This dough was not easy to work with at all because it was so sticky, and these rolls wont win any beauty contests, but hopefully it was worth the mess. While handling it try to have some olive oil or flour on your hands and work surface to make things a little less sticky. This dough did come together quickly and the rise time wasn’t too long either, so from start to finish it should take less than three hours, and most of that is just your rise and bake time.

Verdict: These came out light colored, but they did bake through all the way. It’s hard for me to resist leaving loaves in longer than the recommended amount of time when this happens. There is hardly any fat in this recipe – only 2 teaspoons of olive oil, so they probably aren’t meant to be any darker than this. The interior was nice and light with big bubbles and a thin, crisp crust and they held up well to our sandwich filling. Overall, I’m happy with how these turned out but I’m sure I’ll find an excuse to try a new recipe soon. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Long Loaves – adapted from Cookistry

  •  2 cups lukewarm water
  • 1 tablespoon yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup semolina flour
  • 4 cups (18 ounces) bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions –
1. In a bowl of a standing mixer, combine all dry ingredients and pour the wet over top. Mix until a rough dough is formed, then knead with the dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes. Dump the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temp for 50-60 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
2. Lightly flour your work surface.  Turn out the dough and divide it into 4 roughly equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 12 inches long. Place 2 logs on each baking sheet. They’re look a little narrow, but they will grow impressively.
3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 20 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap. If it seems to be sticking, flour the surface a bit – rice flour is nice for this but regular flour is fine. Slash the loaves as desired, and cover them with plastic wrap again. Let rise for another 10 minutes. They should be doubled in size – maybe a little more.
4. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 25 minutes, rotating the pans about halfway through the baking time. Let the loaves cool completely on a rack.

Buttermilk Sandwich Bread

Posted on by

2

This loaf smells like honey! I can’t wait for it to cool so I can try a slice 🙂 Here’s another sandwich loaf to add to the very short list of recipes I have tried. I have wanted to make bread that required the use of buttermilk for some time, and thankfully I had enough to make this. The bread is relatively healthy too, because there are only 2 tablespoons of butter in it. The other sandwich breads I have made require 4 or 6 and those recipes are for smaller loaves.

Verdict: This bread has a slight tang reminiscent of a sour dough – not too sour at all though. It’s perfect for sandwiches and toast and I like that this makes a large 9 inch loaf, which gives me about 16 slices worth – that’s lots of sandwiches! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Buttermilk Sandwich Bread – Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

  • 3 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup cold buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup water – hot
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast

Directions –

1. In a 2-cup measuring cup, pour hot water, buttermilk, butter and honey. Place in the microwave and heat for 30 – 45 seconds, take out and stir to combine the honey with the other ingredients. Make sure the mixture isn’t too hot, but it should be warm – 110 degrees.

2. In your standing mixer bowl, add 3 1/2 cups of the  flour, yeast and salt and mix to combine. Pour your wet into your dry ingredients and stir until a rough dough forms – it will be sticky! Using your dough hook, knead for 5 minutes but take a couple breaks in the kneading to scrape the bowl and dough hook down. *My dough was super sticky, I had to use all the reserved flour to make mine slightly less sticky* If after 5 minutes of kneading the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time (up to 1/4 cup total) until the dough is no longer sticky. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead to form a smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.

3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warmed oven until dough doubles in size, 60 to 80 minutes.

4. Gently press dough into rectangle 1 inch thick and no longer than 9 inches. With long side facing you, roll dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing firmly with fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Place dough seam-side down in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and press it gently so it touches all 4 sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot until the dough crests over the top of the pan by 1 inch, about 30 minutes. During the last 15 minutes of the rise, preheat your oven to 350.

5. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until your loaf internal temperature reaches 195 degrees. Turn out and cool on a wire rack – cool completely before slicing.

Classic Sandwich Bread

Posted on by

1

I have been using the same sandwich bread recipe for a year now, and I decided it’s time to try out a new one. Not that anything is wrong with the old one, it’s just that I want to experiment. It’s a basic white bread recipe that is easily veganized (if that is a concern of yours) by substituting your preferred unsweetened milk substitute (ie. almond milk). For this I’ll use a combination of half and half and 1% milk – why not? I’m debating if I should use AP flour as the recipe suggests or a combination of bread flour and white whole wheat like I use in my other recipe.
I decided to go with my usual combination of bread/white wheat flour for this, because my conscience gets the best of me. I might as well sneak in extra fiber where possible for my family. The great thing about this combination is that it’s never too “wheaty” for us – if that makes sense.
Verdict: Yum! This has a mild and subtle flavor, slightly sweet with a nice crumb, and its soft, but not too soft – perfect!  I will double the recipe next time for sure and I will continue to try new recipes for basic sandwich breads cause I’m a food geek and it’s fun for me! 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Classic Sandwich Bread – adapted from King Arthur Flour
  • 3 cups AP Flour (*I used 2 cups bread and 1 cup white whole wheat flour)
  • 1/2 cup milk (*all half and half here)
  • 1/2 hot water
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast

Directions –

Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine set to the dough or manual cycle). Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8″ log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 60 minutes, until it’s domed about 1″ above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until it’s light golden brown. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or by measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield: 1 loaf.

Homemade Hot Dog Buns

Posted on by

6

I went and did it – I finally made hot dog buns. Yes, it is easier to just spend the couple of dollars to buy hot dog buns, but why do that when I know how much better homemade tastes? Not to mention, the fact that I know what went into these…have you read ingredient lists on store bought breads? I know these aren’t as smooth and uniform-looking as the packaged kind, but I do know that these taste and smell a whole lot better. And yes, I am a food snob – and I’m totally fine with that! 😉

These make a nice, hearty bun for your hot dog and toppings. M had his with lots of chili and cheese and the bun held up really nice and didn’t get soggy at all. The kids enjoyed these too, and my pickiest eater ate hers faster than her big brother. This recipe made 18 hot dog buns, so I was able to freeze half of these. Next time I use this recipe, I might try to use half the dough for hamburger buns so I can have plenty on homemade buns on hand. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Hot Dog Buns – adapted from King Arthur Flour

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 packets or 2 scant tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
  • 2 cups warm milk (105°F to 115°F)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 6 to 7 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Directions –

Mixing: In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and then the yeast in the warm water. Add the milk, oil, salt and 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.

Kneading: Knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Because this dough is so slack, you may find that a bowl scraper or bench knife can be helpful in scooping up the dough and folding it over on itself.

Rising: Put the dough into an oiled bowl. Turn once to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly-woven dampened towel and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Shaping: Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide into 18 equal pieces. This is done most easily by dividing the dough first into thirds, then those thirds into halves, then the halves into thirds.

Shape each piece into a ball. For hot-dog buns, roll the balls into cylinders, 4 1/2-inches in length. Flatten the cylinders slightly; dough rises more in the center so this will give a gently rounded top versus a high top.

For soft-sided buns, place them on a well-seasoned baking sheet a half inch apart so they’ll grow together when they rise. For crisper buns, place them three inches apart.

Second Rising: Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Baking: Fifteen minutes before you want to bake your buns, preheat your oven to 400°F. Just before baking, lightly brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle with whatever seeds strike your fancy.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190°F. (A dough thermometer takes the guesswork out of this.)

When the buns are done, remove them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.