Yeasted Bakery Style Sweet Buns Recipes

ICED FINGER BUNS

Steps:

• Measure the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
• Lightly mix the ingredients together using the dough hook.
• Slowly pour in the warm milk, and continue mixing until everything comes together into a rough dough.
• Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Once the butter has been fully incorporated into the dough, add the next tablespoon of butter.
• Once all of the butter has been added, continue kneading the dough on medium speed for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• The dough is ready when it is soft and smooth, and also slightly elastic in texture when you try to stretch it. If you poke the dough softly, it should bounce back right away.
• Lightly oil a large mixing bowl.
• Place the dough inside the bowl.
• Cover the dough with a clean tea towel, cling film, or a reusable bowl cover.
• Leave the dough somewhere warm for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size (see Kitchen Notes below).
• Once the dough has doubled in size, punch back the dough to release all of the air.
• Gently knead the dough a few times, and then knead in all of the raisins.
• Portion your dough into 16 equal pieces. If you have some kitchen scales, weigh the dough and then divide this number by 16. This will be the weight of each bun dough.
• Lightly grease two rectangular pans measuring 17 cm x 27 cm (7 inch x 11 inch) or similar.
• Gently knead each ball of dough, and then roll the dough into a small log which is a bit shorter than the short length of the pan you are using. So if your pan is 17 cm (7 inches), aim to make your buns about 13 cm (5 inches) long.
• Place 8 pieces of dough into each pan.
• Cover the pans with a clean tea towel, and place the pans somewhere warm for about 30 minutes, or until the buns have risen and puffed up slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F) (without fan).
• Make the egg wash by lightly whisking together the egg and milk.
• Brush the buns with some egg wash.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the buns are lightly golden. Check the buns at about 10 minutes, and if they are browning too quickly, cover them with a loose sheet of foil for the rest of the baking time. The buns are cooked if an internal thermometer reads 85°C (185°F).
• Gently remove the buns (intact) to a wire rack, and leave them to cool completely.
• Whisk in just enough milk to the icing sugar (powdered sugar) until you have a thick but spreadable consistency.
• If you like, add some pink food colouring. Start by adding just a drop and keep adding more until you have the colour you want.
• Leave the buns on a wire rack, but place a sheet of baking paper under the wire rack for easy cleaning.
• Use a small palette knife to spread the icing all over the (unseparated) buns.
• Sprinkle generously with dessicated coconut.
• Leave the buns for about 20 minutes to set before serving.

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.

YEASTED BAKERY-STYLE SWEET BUNS

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a mixer bowl, hand-whisk water and yeast together and let stand 2 to 3 minutes to dissolve yeast. Briskly whisk in vanilla, sugar, eggs, softened butter, and salt and blend well. Add 3 to 4 cups bread flour and mix. Then knead with dough hook on lowest speed of mixer 6 to 8 minutes, adding more bread flour as necessary to form a soft, bouncy dough. (If you don't have a stand mixer simply add flour until the dough is too stiff to stir by hand, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Your dough is ready when it's smooth, soft and bounces back when you press your thumb into it.).
• Remove dough hook and spray dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover entire mixer and bowl with a large clear plastic bag (I used saran wrap to very loosely cover the bowl). Let dough rise 30 to 60 minutes or until almost doubled.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate. Cut dough into 12 equal portions. Shape each into a small round roll or bun. Place about 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Whisk 2 eggs and a pinch of sugar together in a small bowl. Brush each bun well with egg wash.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• For butter crumb topping, in a small bowl, rub ingredients together to form a crumbly mixture. Distribute carefully on top of each bun. Cover buns loosely with plastic wrap and let rise about 30 to 45 minutes or until quite puffy and almost doubled.
• Bake for 28 to 35 minutes or until browned all over.

GRAMMA'S OLD-FASHIONED CINNAMON SWEET ROLLS

Steps:

• In a liquid measuring cup, heat milk/water to "wrist-warm" (do NOT boil; just warm).
• Add yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar (you'll use the rest in the next step). Stir the yeast and sugar; let this "work" for about 5 or 10 minutes. You should have some bubbly, frothy stuff in the cup when you return. (If not--your yeast is no good, dump it out and get better yeast.).
• Pour yeast-milk into mixing bowl, and add remaining sugar, butter, eggs, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Using beater, mix this mess for about a minute.
• Switch to the paddle (flat beater) or a dough hook, and add remaining flour one cup-at-a-time. The dough will form a ball, and feel slightly sticky. You may not need the entire 5 1/2 cups (depends on humidity, too).
• Fill medium glass bowl with hottest tap water. If your oven can be adjusted to 100 degrees, set it to 100 degrees. Also, if your oven has a light, turn it on; place the hot water on the bottom of the oven. Close the door.
• Grease a large, glass bowl. Remove dough from mixing bowl to a floured table/counter-top; knead for 1 minute; form into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning to get grease on all sides. Cover bowl loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Turn off 100 degree oven, place bowl of dough into oven; close the door. Set the timer for 1 hour.
• Clean up the mess BUT leave floured counter-top AS IS.
• At the end of one hour the dough should've risen to about double the size. If not, let it go for another 15 minutes (set the timer--it's easy to forget---out of sight, out of mind!).
• Gather filling ingredients: 1/4 cup of melted butter; cinnamon; brown sugar; raisins and/or chopped nuts (optional).
• Punch down the down; remove from bowl; with a large butcher knife, cut dough into two equal parts. Set one aside (cover with plastic wrap).
• Grease two 13x9-inch pans with BUTTER (no substitutes are allowed -- this is GRAMMA's recipe). :-) humor me, okay?.
• On floured counter-top, lay dough and with a rolling pin, shape & roll into large rectangle, oh about 8 x 16 inches or a bit larger, keep thickness consistent throughout.
• Pour HALF of the melted butter over this, and spread with a pastry brush, right out to the edges. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon (like 1-2 tablespoons), then a handful of brown sugar, spreading it evenly with fingers; right to the edges!
• Sprinkle some raisins and chopped nuts -- if using. Keep these closer to the long side closest to you.
• HERE's THE HARD PART: Starting at the side closest to you, LOOSELY roll away from you. Loosely is the KEY word. Tuck in any runaway raisins or nuts.
• Use that big knife to divide the roll in half in the middle. Then cut each half into SIX equal portions, for a total of 12 rolls.
• Starting in the middle of the roll (nicest shaped rolls) and working to the sloppy outside roll piecs, set them along the outside edges of the buttered pan, spacing evenly in the pan. Put the two end rolls in the very center of the pan. Set the cut side DOWN (so the top looks flat-ish). Set this pan on the stove for now.
• Repeat with remaining dough; vary the ingredients -- if you skipped raisins or nuts, maybe add some to this pan of rolls.
• Check if the water in the oven is still warm, if not dump out and start with fresh hot water. Put plastic wrap on both pans (re-use the other piece), and pop in the warm oven. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Go do something productive---clean the counter-top before all that stuff gets hard! :-D.
• When the rolls have risen to the top of the pan (or a smidgen over), remove them from the oven, preheat oven to 350. When it's warm bake them for 20 minutes; tops will be golden brown.
• Cool on a rack; then frost with a cream cheese/butter cream frosting (slather it on thick like Gramma does for the grandkids!).
• You have JUST entered the Pearly Gates!

THE BEST SWEET YEAST ROLL DOUGH I HAVE EVER FOUND

Steps:

• 1. Scald milk (bring just to a boil and remove from heat immediately).
• 2. Stir in sugar, salt, and butter. Set aside and allow to cool to lukewarm.
• 3. In a large bowl mix warm water and yeast. Stir until dissolved.
• 4. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture.
• 5. Add beaten eggs.
• 6. Stir in half the flour. Beat until smooth. Add remaining flour gradually, mixing as you go. You may need a bit more or less than the total 4 1/2 cups called for in the recipe, depending on the humidity and other factors.
• 7. Your dough should be elastic and slightly stiff but not dry.
• 8. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and very elastic. This usually takes 8-10 minutes.
• 9. Butter the inside of a large mixing bowl. Put dough in bowl and turn dough over a couple of times to coat it all with the butter.
• 10. Cover bowl and place in a warm place so it can rise.
• 11. It will take about 1 hour to double in bulk.
• 12. At that time punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured board to shape.
• 13. At this point, you can shape and fill as desired. To make dinner rolls, pinch off about 2-3 tablespoons of dough and shape into a ball. Place each one in a buttered muffin tin or baking pan, barely touching each other, do not crowd rolls.
• 14. Cover prepared rolls and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, again about 1 hour.
• 15. Rolls should now touch each other. (A little more rising will occur during baking.)
• 16. Preheat oven to 350 degrees when rolls are about 10 minutes from being ready for baking. When ready to bake place rolls in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. They should be browned nicely and smell so good and yeasty!
• 17. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter immediately when removed from the oven.
• 18. Allow rolls to sit for at least 10-15 minutes before eating.