Pumpkin Bread

So... this isn't exactly "bread", since it doesn't have any yeast in it, but I found this recipe in an old cookbook that was put together by my elementary school. I was flipping through it for the first time in years, and was puzzled by some of the recipes. For example: Garlic Bread. Ingredients - bread, butter, garlic salt. Instructions- toast. REALLY?
Luckily, I discovered something worthwhile. Pumpkin Bread! I love pumpkin and it is very much the season for it.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
2 eggs
½ cup oil
1 ¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
½ cup water
½ cup raisins
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup canned pumpkin or cooked & mashed pumpkin

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Blend eggs, brown sugar, oil, water, and pumpkin until smooth.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon and add to pumpkin mixture.
Finally mix in raisins and walnuts.
Pour into greased loaf pans and bake for 50 min.

Cinnamon Rolls

Forget those Pillsbusbury cinnamon rolls! These are 100 times better and actually quite simple. All you really need is patience. I found this recipe in Bon Apetit awhile back. It uses rapid-rise yeast so it's easier to handle than active yeast. This recipe calls for a cream cheese glaze, but today I've made it with a basic sugar glaze (recipe below). I dedicate this posting to Nicholas & Vinny (you have to make it on Christmas!) :)

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3.5 cups flour, divided
½ cup sugar
1 egg
2.5 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast, fro two envelopes
1 teaspoon salt
vegetable spray

Filling:
¾ cup golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Cream Cheese Glaze:
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla

or

Basic Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
½ stick melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

Dough
Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120F to 130F, 30-45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, east, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 min. stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 2.5 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonful until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 min. Form into ball.
Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl,turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Filling
Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl.
Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15x11 in rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2 in border. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over butter. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 in wide).
Spray two 9 in. square glass baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft free area until almost doubled in volume, 40-45 min.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 min. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack.

Cream Cheese Glaze
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Basic Glaze
Whisk together all ingredients into a medium bowl until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Basic Bread Rolls

While I was in Japan a week ago, my friend Vicki and I became obsessed with curry-pan, a Japanese savory pastry. It's deep fried, chewy, with curry in the middle. Yum?! When we returned from our trip, we decided that we will make home made curry-pan. Except, I've never really baked bread before.

Thus, my bread adventure begins.

This first recipe is the dough that is used for curry-pan, except I've made little rolls instead (safer to take little steps!). I've made this twice, once using the bread machine and the second time by hand. Honestly, there really was no difference in quality or texture...so the bread machine wins! Less labor for sure. Also, according to the recipe that I followed (via http://cookpad.com/recipe/588063 ) it says to add butter after you've kneaded the dough for some time. This got SO messy when I did it by hand! In the bread machine, I just put the butter in with the milk at the beginning and it turned out just the same...so I have altered the recipe a bit, but here it is. (Sorry for the grams!)

Basic Bread Rolls

ingredients:
200 grams bread flour
10 grams sugar
4 grams salt
4 grams rapid-rise yeast
50 grams milk
80 grams water
10 grams unsalted butter, room temperature

Instructions:
1. In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
2. Heat milk in microwave for 15 seconds and combine with water and butter (80-90 degrees F).
3. Pour milk mixture into bowl of dry ingredients and stir until it forms into a ball.
4. Take the dough out of the bowl and kneed on a surface for 5 minutes.
5. Form a ball and place dough in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Then place that bowl in a larger bowl containing warm water (about 90 degrees F). Let rest for 1 hour.
8. Remove dough from bowl and punch out the air on a work surface. Cut the dough into 12 pieces using a scraper.
9. Form each piece of dough into a ball and place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
10. Flatten the balls to remove excess air and reform into round balls.
11. Place damp cloth over the dough and let rest for 1 hour.
12. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake bread for 10 min. or until top is golden brown.

Some goodies made in this kitchen

Decorate!

The decorations are slowly coming together... a combination of modern and vintage things...

Done! (well, almost)

Finally...! The countertops are in, the appliances are in place, and we can go crazy with cooking. Now we are in the process of digging out boxes of kitchenware and washing them since everything is coated in dust. The only thing that is still being worked on are the two open shelves...they weren't supposed to be that short... But otherwise, everything looks great. LOTS of counterspace. Yay! 

Counter Stools

Since we'll have an eat in peninsula, we'll need some styling chairs. I just ordered two of these LEM Piston Stools in Stainless Steel. We tried them out at Design Within Reach over the weekend and they were pretty comfy. They'll arrive this Friday...so excited!