Sweet Rich Bread Recipes

SWEET BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Check the yeast: (see footnotes if you'd like to make this dough in the breadmaker)Dissolve 2 tsp of yeast with 1/2 cup milk and 1 tsp of sugar from the overall amount and leave in a warm location until frothy, about 10-15 minutes. If the mixture does not froth up and rise, discard the yeast and start over when you have a fresh batch of dried yeast.
• Combine all ingredients:Into a bowl of a mixer sift 3 cups of flour. Then add 1/3 cup sugar, remaining 1/2 cup warm milk, 4 egg yolks, 2 tbsp sour cream, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, and the risen yeast mixture. By hand, using a spoon or the hook of the mixer quickly mix the ingredients until a rough, shaggy mixture forms.
• Knead: Then, attach the hook back to the mixer and knead on low speed (speed 2 to 3 on a Kitchenaid mixer) for about 20 minutes or until the dough stops sticking to the side of the bowl, feels elastic, and is tacky to touch. If the dough is properly kneaded a small piece can be stretched into a see through "window" without tearing.Pro tip: Do not overknead past a point where the dough is elastic and stretchy. If the gluten is overworked it will tear, leaving you with a chunky dough that doesn't have the strength to hold a good rise of the dough.
• Add 3 oz of butter and 1/4 tsp of the salt and knead it into the bread until no streaks of butter are seen, (~5-7 minutes). Sometimes tearing the dough into chunks helps to incorporate the butter easier/faster.
• 1st Rise: Oil the sides of the bowl and the dough. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours. Boil a cup of water in a microwave for several minutes. Remove the cup with water. Place the bowl with the dough in the warm microwave for the dough to rise. This gives the dough a nice warm place without being too hot.
• Shape: This recipe makes one large braid. To make two smaller sweet yeast bread loaves divide the dough into two, then shape two separate braids instead of one like the recipe instructs.Once risen, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Weighing the dough is the best way to divide the dough evenly. Next, roll each piece into a tight ball, then into a 20-inch log. If the dough is hard to stretch or it springs back too much, cover with a tea towel leave for 10-15 minutes. This will relax the gluten and make it easy to roll.Pinch the ends of the 3 strands together at one end, then braid them into a braid pinching the ends together as well. Now, tuck both ends of the braid underneath itself slightly to give it a better shape.
• 2nd Rise: Transfer the sweet yeast braids to a 12"x18" baking sheet pan. Space them evenly. Cover with a clean tea towel. Transfer to a warm place once again until the braid doubles in size.
• Prep before baking: Once doubled in size preheat the oven to 350F with the baking rack centered. Brush the braid with a whisked egg yolk and water and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if you wish. Applying the egg yolk mixture several times will give you a darker glaze once baked.
• Bake the braid for about 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. You can also check for doneness with a thermometer. The center of the thickest part should register 195°F. If the top starts to brown before the inside registers 195F, loosely tent the sweet yeast bread with foil.Once baked, remove from the oven to a cooling rack and cool completely before cutting or eating.

BEST BASIC SWEET BREAD

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar and butter. Heat until slightly warm to the touch then remove from heat and stir in the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Mix in the eggs, oil and the yeast mixture. Mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Grease a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of oil. Place the dough into the bowl and turn once to coat. Cover and let stand in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Use remaining oil to grease a cookie sheet or 9x13 inch pan. For plain rolls, punch down dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and place them into the greased pan side by side. Let dough rise for 20 to 25 minutes, or until almost double. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until rolls are golden brown.

25 SWEET BREAD RECIPES FOR HEAVENLY BREAKFASTS

Steps:

• Serve up your favorite sweet bread recipe for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or a snack with coffee!

PORTUGUESE SWEET BREAD

Steps:

• To make the sponge, stir together the flour, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are hydrated and make a smooth batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the sponge gets foamy and seems on the verge of collapse.
• To make the dough, combine the sugar, salt, powdered milk, butter, and shortening in a 4-quart mixing bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer). Cream together with a sturdy spoon (or the paddle attachment) until smooth, then mix in the eggs and the extracts. Knead by hand (or switch to the dough hook attachment) and mix in the sponge and the flour. Add the water, as needed, to make a very soft dough. The finished dough should be very supple and soft, easy to knead, and not wet or sticky. It will take 10 to 12 minutes with the electric mixer and close to 15 minutes by hand to achieve this consistency. (Dough with high amounts of fat and sugar usually take longer to knead because the gluten requires more time to set up.) The finished dough should pass the windowpane test (see NOTE below) and register 77 to 88 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.
• Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into two equal pieces. Form each of the pieces into a boule. Lightly oil two 9-inch pie pans and place 1 boule, seam side down, in each pan. Mist the dough with spray oil and loosely cover the pans with plastic wrap.
• Proof at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough fills the pans fully, doubling in size and overlapping the edges slightly. (If you only want to bake one loaf, you may retard the second in the fridge for 1 day, although it will take 4 to 5 hours to proof after it comes out of the refrigerator.)
• Very gently brush the loaves with egg wash. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.
• Bake the loaves for 50 to 60 minutes, or until they register 190 F in the center. After 30 minutes, check the loaves and rotate 180 degrees, if necessary, for even baking. Because of the high amount of sugar, the dough will brown very quickly, but don't be fooled into thinking it is done. It will get darker as the center gradually catches up with the outside, but it will not burn. The final color will be a rich mahogany brown.
• Remove the bread from the pie pans and place on a rack to cool. The bread will soften as it cools, resulting in a very soft, squishy loaf. Allow the bread to cool for at least 90 minutes before slicing or serving.

SWEET BREAD WITH RAISINS

Steps:

• Soften yeast in 1/2 cup warm water (add a little sugar to the water). Combine milk, 1/2 cup butter, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cool to lukewarm. Stir in eggs, vanilla, salt, and the yeast. Gradually add flour, beating well after each addition. Cover and let rise in a warm place until light and doubled in bulk, about 1-1 1/2 hours. Beat down and let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Turn batter onto a floured board and knead with your hands. Drain water from raisins and knead them into the dough. If dough is too thin, add a bit more flour. Divide batter into 2 well-greased 9x5x3-inch pans. Let rise in a warm place until light, about 45 minutes.
• Bake in 350 oven for 25-30 minutes or until a deep golden brown. When done, remove from oven and while still warm, brush with melted butter. Bread should be very light and sweet.

PORTUGUESE SWEET BREAD I

Steps:

• Add ingredients in order suggested by your manufacturer.
• Select "sweet bread" setting.

BASIC RICH SWEET YEAST DOUGH

Steps:

• (Icing may be doubled and used for any cake or bun icing).
• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and set aside until foamy.
• Heat milk, shortening, sugar and salt to melt shortening.
• Cool to warm and add yeast mixture, egg yolks and whole eggs.
• Beat well by hand.
• Gradually beat in by hand 6 cups of flour and the cardamom.
• Knead well on a floured surface only adding additional flour to make a smooth and elastic dough.
• Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil and cover and let rise double in volume.
• Punch down and cover dough and refrigerate overnight in large bowl.
• When ready to use, punch down and knead briefly to warm up dough.
• Use dough as you wish for coffee cakes, sweet breads, buns, etc.
• You may divide dough into 6 buns, or 4 equal pieces to make 4 small loaves or braids.
• If braiding, divide each piece into 3 loose strands and braid and tuck under ends.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Place on baking sheets/pans and let rise double in volume.
• Bake in a 350F oven about 30 minutes or golden and tested done.
• Remove from pans/baking sheet to cool on rack.
• Mix icing ingredients and drizzle over warm cake/bread.
• Yield: approx.
• 6 buns, 4 small braids, or 2 large loaves.

RICH EGG BREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast. Add warm water and oil. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Add egg; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Grease large bowl with shortening. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. (At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.) Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
• Grease bottom and sides of 9x5-inch or 8x4-inch loaf pan with shortening or spray with cooking spray. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Flatten dough with hands or rolling pin into 18x9-inch rectangle. Roll up tightly, beginning at 9-inch side. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Pinch each end of roll to seal. Fold ends under loaf. Place loaf, seam side down, in pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap lightly sprayed with cooking spray and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
• Move oven rack to low position so that top of pan will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until loaf is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan to wire rack. Brush loaf with butter; cool.

MASTER SWEET DOUGH

Steps:

• Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat or in a microwave until an instant-read thermometer registers 110°F-115°F. Transfer milk to a 2-cup measuring cup; stir in 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle yeast over milk and whisk to blend. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs; whisk until smooth.
• Combine remaining 4 tablespoons sugar, flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add milk mixture. With mixer running, add 1/2 cup room-temperature butter, 1 piece at a time, blending well between additions. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Knead on medium-high speed until dough is soft and silky, about 5 minutes.
• Brush a medium bowl with some melted butter; place dough in bowl. Brush top of dough with remaining melted butter; cover with plastic wrap. (If making Sticky Buns , chill dough for 2 hours, then proceed with recipe.) DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic; chill.
• Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, 1-1 1/2 hours (or 2-2 1/2 hours if dough has been refrigerated).