Holiday Buns Recipes

HOLIDAY BUNS

Steps:

• In bowl: dissolve sugar in lukewarm water, add yeast and let stand for 10 minutes.
• In Large Bowl: measure out 12 cups flour and set aside.
• In Large Bowl: add milk, melted margarine and sugar, mix to dissolve.
• Add beaten eggs,vinegar, salt, lukewarm water, the sour cream(optional) and stir in the yeast mixture.
• Add 6 cups of flour and mix smooth, then add flour 1 cup at a time, until no longer sticky.(flour is approximate, for most part I use 12 cups of flour - on occasion I need more or a touch less. Flour being variable it may take more than the 12 cups of flour - add enough to give you a nice smooth elastic dough).
• Knead on floured board until dough is smooth and elastic, place in well greased bowl turning to grease top.
• Cover and let rise until double in bulk (about 1 hour) then knead down grease top lightly with margarine and again rise until double in bulk.
• Knead down, let dough rest ten minutes and shape into buns (many old recipes suggest the size of a large egg).
• Place buns on a well greased large cookie sheet (I put 3 in a row and not touching) lightly grease tops with margarine, cover.
• After rising 15 minutes press down lightly on top of each bun with the palm of the hand.( if wishing to make dinner roll shaped buns skip this step) Rise until double. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes until lightly browned -- brush with melted butter and bake a couple minutes more until nicely browned. Brush with melted butter when baked and cool on rack. The extra brushing with butter makes for a very nice top. Baking time depends on the oven and yield on the size of the buns.

HOLIDAY STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 12 tablespoons of butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.
• Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, 1/4 cup of the cranberries and 1/4 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam-side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, about 1 1/2 inches each. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.
• Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

HOLIDAY DINNER ROLLS (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Add water, 3 eggs, butter, salt, flour, 2 Tablespoons sugar and yeast to bread machine pan in the order suggested by manufacturer.
• Select dough/manual cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to a lightly floured surface.
• If necessary, knead in enough flour to make dough easy to handle.
• Shape into rolls as desired.
• Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in size, 20-30 minutes.
• Combine lightly beaten egg and 1 tablespoon sugar, brush onto tops.
• Bake at 375°F for 12-14 minutes or until done.