Conference turris::cooks

  We've had good luck just making small versions of French bread.
  Somewhere in this conference are a couple of good recipes for French
  bread. I prefer the one by Mike Wolinski which just calls for your
  favorite white bread recipe with twice the yeast. Just before baking,
  coat them with milk, egg, water, or any combination of these to make
  the crust crispy, and score the tops with a knife. Then bake per
  normal bread-baking instructions (i.e., hot oven). They're quick,
  easy, and delicious.

    I have a delicious French Bread recipe that is quite easy to make if
    you own a food processor.
    
    1 heaping tablespoon sugar
    1 heaping tablespoon salt
    1 heaping tablespoon butter (softened)
    1 pckg. yeast
    1/4 c warm water
    2 c boiling water
    6 - 6 1/2 cups flour ( I use King Arthur)
    
    Place sugar, salt and butter in the food processor with the dough blade
    inserted (a small plastic blade). Process for a few seconds. Place dry
    yeast in 1/4 c warm water and dissolve, add to mixture in food
    processor. To this add the boiling water and gradually add flour 2 cups
    at a time until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the side of
    the bowl. Place in greased large bowl and cover with a towel and let
    rise for 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and let rise again for 1 hour. Form
    into loaves and place on a cookie sheet which has been greased and
    sprinkled with corn meal. Slit loaves, cover and let rise one more
    hour. Bake at 375 for one hour or until golden brown. Keep basting
    bread with ice cold water every 15 minutes or so this makes it have a
    nice crust. When you take the bread out of the oven you can rub it with
    butter and that makes the crust extra special. 
    
    I have also used this recipe to make pizza dough, spinach pie dough,
    etc.
    
    It's excellent!
    

    These rolls are the best I've ever tasted.  They are LIGHTLY sweetened,
    and make a great dinner roll - my grandma's recipe.
    
    
    Easy Rolls
    
    1&1/2 cups quite warm water in bowl
    1 T. + 1 tsp. dry yeast - dissolve in water
    Add 1/3 c. sugar
    1/2 c. oil
    1 tsp. salt
    Add 2 c. flour and beat in mixer until smooth & sticky
    Add 1 egg while beating.
    Beat for 2 minutes.  Remove beaters and stir in 1&3/4 c. flour.
    (3&3/4 c. flour total in recipe)
    
    Knead a few times, adding a LITTLE flour as needed.
    Place in oiled bowl to rise (about 1 to 2 hours).  When double
    in bulk, punch down and let rise again (this step may be omitted).
    Work into rolls, whatever type desired (crescent, round, twists).
    Let rise for about 1/2 hour or so, and bake in 375 degree oven for
    around 20 minutes or until golden brown.
    
    **********For Crescent rolls - the easy way
    
    Roll out dough into a circle.  Use a pizza cutter (or knife) to cut
    into wedges.  Roll from widest end to smallest end into crescent
    shape.
    
    Bake as directed.
    
    ***************This recipe can also be used to make Cinnamon rolls &
    Pecan/Caramel rolls.  I have instructions on those if you want to
    get fancy.
    
    Renee

    These rolls that are in 2163.3....could the dough be placed in a
    lasagna like pan, and then take a knife and cut them slightly so
    that after they are baked they would be the type of rolls that you
    can pull apart? 
    
    Also please do include the cinnamin roll addition to that recipe!
    Thanks!
    

    RE:  -.1    I've never tried making the rolls in one large pan, but I
    suspect that would work fine if you bake them for a little longer.  If 
    you try it, I'd be interested to hear how it works!
    
    
    ************Cinnamon Roll instructions to 2163.3********************
    
    Use Easy Rolls recipe.  Roll dough out into whatever shapes you like.
    While dough is flat, spread melted butter over dough.  Then sprinkle
    cinnamon and sugar over dough.  Roll or twist into different shapes.
    I've never frosted these with a glaze, but I'm sure that would be good
    also.
    
    Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.
    
    
    ***********Pecan Roll instructions*********************************
    
    Use Easy Rolls recipe.  Roll out dough into a rectangle shape.
    Roll dough into a roll.  Now cut into pieces about 1 inch thick.
    Set aside.
    
    Get muffin pan.
    Put a spoonful of melted butter in each little muffin cup in pan.
    Then sprinkle brown sugar into each pan until butter is all
    soaked up into the sugar.
    Put 1 tsp. of water or a little less into each muffin cup for better
    candying.
    Now break up pecans into cups on top of sugar and butter.
    Place a roll into each muffin cup.
    
    Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.  When done slide knife
    around each roll to loosen.  Then dump rolls out of muffin pan
    making sure all brown sugar candy and pecans come out on top of
    each roll.  Let cool a while and serve.
    
    These are the BEST rolls hot or cold, and beat any bakery roll I've
    ever tasted! 

    Here's my recipe for
    
    Potato Rolls
    
    Peel, dice, boil one medium potato.
    
    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, put one half a large cake of fresh yeast
    (or one packet of active dry yeast), one tablespoon sugar and one
    cup warm water (temp of water will depend on which yeast you use).
    
    Also meanwhile, in a large bowl, put one half cup shortening, one
    half cup sugar and one tablespoon salt.
    
    When potato is done, drain, reserving water, and mash potato.  Add
    to large bowl.  Add enough water to reserved potato water to make
    one and a half cups and add all to large bowl.
    
    Make sure the water in loarge bowl is not too hot (this depends
    on how much water you had left over from the potato), and add the
    contents of the small bowl (yeast, sugar, water).
    
    Then add 6 to 7 cups of flour, knead, let rise, make into rolls
    and let rise again.  Bake at 360 F for 20 minutes.  If you let these
    rise enough before baking they will kind of grow together on the
    sides and may be the effect you're trying to achieve.
    
    BTW-I've used down to 1/4 cup of oil instead of 1/2 cup Crisco,
    and while they're ok, I use the above recipe for company.
    
    These freeze well if they last that long - enjoy!
    
    Terry
    

    I think this might be what you are looking for.
    
    REFRIGERATOR PAN ROLLS
    
    1/2 Cup sugar			2 Cups water
    2 Teaspoons salt			Butter or margarine,
    2 Packages active dry		  softened
      yeast				1 egg
    6 to 6 1/2 Cups all-purpose		Salad oil
      flour		
    
    1.  In large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeat and 2 1/4 cups flour.
        In 2-quart saucepan over low heat, heat water and 1/2 cup butter
        until very warm (120 -130 degrees F.).(Butter does not need
        to melt.)
    2.  With mixer at low speed, gradually beat liquid into dry
        ingredients.  Add egg; increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes,
        occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.  Beat in 3/4
        cup flour or enough to make a thick batter; continue beating
        2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. 
        Stir in about 2 1/2 cups flour to make a soft dough.  
    3.  Turn duoght onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth
        and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Shape into ball; place in greased
        large bowl, turning over to grease top.  Cover with towel; let
        rise in warm place, until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
    4.  Punch down dough.  Turn dough over; brush with oil.  Cover bowl
        tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or
        until ready to use, punching down dough occasionally.
    5.  About 2 1/2 hours before serving: Grease 15 1/2" by 10 1/2"
        open roasting pan.  Cut dough into 30 equal pieces; shape into
        balls and place in pan.  Cover with towel; let rise in warm
        place, away from draft, until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
    6.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes until
        golden brown.  Brush rolls with softened butter.  Remove from
        pan and serve hot.
    

                 Re :  <<< Note 2163.3 by BSS::PARKS >>>
                              -< Easy Rolls >-

I tried this recipe last evening and the rolls came out fine, but I found 
that I needed to add an additional 1/2 cup of flour than the recipe called
for. The dough was still quite soft and I never got it to cling to the dough
hook on my mixer. Is this how soft it should be, Renee? I don't think I could
have managed to roll it out to make crescent rolls. I measured the flour by
fluffing up the flour in its cannister and loosely scooping out 3&3/4 cups.
Also, I wasn't sure if I was suppose to let the yeast and water mixture 
get bubbly before adding flour to it. Is the 1/2 cup of oil to be mixed 
into the dough? or is some of it for greasing the bowl. I added all of it 
to the dough and used more oil for the bowl. 
Did I do anything wrong?
I made 12 rolls in muffin pans and with the remainder I made a small loaf.
Had it for breakfast this morning, topped with cheese and broiled. Delicious!

-joanne

    Joanne,
    
    It sounds like you did everything just fine.  The dough is pretty
    sticky, so adding extra flour is fine.  Usually after the dough
    rises a couple of times, it isn't quite as sticky.  I do sometimes
    add just enough flour so that I can work the rolls into what I want.
    
    All I do is dissolve the yeast in the water, and then keep going with
    the rest of the ingredients.  Add all the oil into the dough.  I do
    use flour when I work the rolls into different shapes, so that it
    doesn't stick to the rolling pin, etc...
    
    Sounds like you did everything just fine.  Yum Yum!
    
    Renee