Dinner Table Yeast Rolls

   These yeast rolls are perfect for any meal and not just at the dinner table. They are also very easy to make and heighten the taste of any meal. You can eat them plain, with butter, with slices of cheese, or form a little sandwich out of them. You will find them perfect accompaniments to any dish.

Supplies

• Large Bowl
• Mixer
• 11x7 in baking pan

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large egg

Steps

      1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour and yeast. Whisk the salt into the flour mixture

      2. Heat the milk, sugar, and butter in a saucepan on low heat just until the butter is melted, let cool for a few minutes then whisk in the egg. 

      3. Using the mixer's dough hooks, mix the flour mixture and the egg mixture. Knead until the dough is smooth and just a little sticky when touched. Scrape the dough into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rise until doubled about an hour

      4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and separate into golf size pieces, there should be around twenty-four. The easiest way to do this is to roll into a log and divide in half and repeat until you get the right size for the rolls. Put the formed rolls into the greased 11x7 baking pan in rows and make sure the rolls touch each other. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled or about an hour.

      5. Preheat the oven to 350 F toward the end of the rising time. Put the pan on the center rack and bake for 15 mins or until the rolls are golden brown. Unmold and let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes. You will want to eat these while they are still warm. 

Touching in with my Scottish Roots

     The reason I named the blog the Kilted Baker was of how proud I am of my Scottish ancestry. Yesterday I celebrated that culture and history by attending the Bardstown Highland games. I got to wear my kilt, meet family members, and enjoy the athletic events. I was impressed with the games even though they are only four years old. Each year they have grown and expect even better things next year. I was also hoping to eat tasty Scottish food like haggis (it is better than you think and don't knock it til you try it), scones, and shortbread. None of these delicious foods were present which was quite the bummer, I don't come across haggis that much in South Central Kentucky unless at a Highland Games. I joked around with a dear friend about opening up my own booth next year to serve scones. We had fun discussing the finer details of serving scones with strawberry jam and devon cream. Alas, we will probably not open up the booth and share the moist and tender scones that I bake.

     This scones are possibly the best scones on the planet! I get requests to make them all the time. Moist, buttery, and warm, they are the perfect after dinner dessert or great with afternoon tea. Sometimes I steer away from the plain and add fresh blueberries, under duress I will cook chocolate chip cookie scones. Hopefully one day you on the internet will be able to taste these scones whether through the mail or if I ever open up my own bakery. I wish I could share the recipe with you so you can make your own tasty scones but I can't. It's a secret family recipe that I guard closely. I can direct you to an okay version of scones here! With these basic recipe you can add ingredients like ginger chips, dried apricots, or other additions. Also, I  might replace the milk/half-and-half with buttermilk. I think the tangy taste that buttermilk gives is a better complement to the jam and cream that will be generously topped on the scone.

     I will give you a few tips to making scones below:

1. Always, always, always be gentle with the scone dough. You want the least amount of gluten to develop. Each time you mess with the dough more and more gluten develops which will make your once tender scone very tough. 
2. Add the liquid slowly and mix in little by little. You could quickly use too much liquid which will cause the scone to be a little too moist. 
3. Pat the scones out into the desired shape to bake, using a rolling pin might compress the dough and not let the scones rise as much as you want. 
4. Let the scones rest before putting them in the oven so they relax the little amount of gluten formed. 
5. Eat the scones quickly after removing them from the oven. They are better still warm and not reheated. 

Hope this helps and comment with your own tips or ask questions if you want more help. 

     
   

Easy White Sandwich Loaf

As promised here is the full recipe for the soft sandwich loaf I started last night. Make and you can enjoy your very own loaf that will look like this

Basic Soft White Sandwich Loaf - Makes one loaf
Supplies: One 8.5"x4.5" loaf pan, sprayed with cooking oil
                Baking Stone
Ingredients: For the sponge

• All-purpose flour - 1 1/4 cups flour
• Water, room temp - scant 1 cup
• Honey - 1 tablespoon and 3/4 teaspoon
• Instant Yeast - 1/2 teaspoon

For the flour mixture and dough

• All-purpose flour - 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons
• Dry milk - 1/8 cup
• Instant Yeast - 1/2 teaspoon
• Unsalted butter, softened - 4.5 tablespoons
• Salt - 1 teaspoon 

Steps:

1. Make the sponge - In a mixer bowl, combine the four sponge ingredients and whisk until smooth like pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. 
2. Combine the flour, dry milk, and instant yeast with a whisk. Dust evenly over the liquid sponge. Cover with plastic wrap for 1-4 hours on the counter. (For more flavor, you can refrigerate after 1 hour up to 24 hours in the fridge.)
3. Mix the dough - Add the butter and mix on low speed with the dough hook attachment until all the flour is moistened and rough dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for about 20 mins. After sprinkle on the salt and knead the dough with the dough hook attachment on medium speed for 7 mins or until the dough is shiny and smooth. You can add flour if the dough is not stiff enough or water if the dough is not sticky. 
4. Dough Rise - Scrape the dough into an oiled bowl or rising container and let rise covered until doubled about 1-1 1/2 hours. After rising, scrape the dough onto a floured counter and form a rectangle. Give it two business letter turns and out it back into the bowl. Oil the surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled about 1-1 1/2 hours. 
5. Scrape the dough onto a flour dusted counter. Gently press the dough into a rectangle not worrying about size. The long side should be facing toward you. Fold the right side a little past the center and then take the left side and overlap with the right side. Press down to seal the dough. Turn a ninety degree angle, at the top of the dough roll toward you three or four times and seal each turn with your thumbs. The outer skin of the dough should be tight and the dough log should be as long as the pan. If not, gently press both hands on the log and roll back and forth  working from the center to the ends. Make sure not to tear the outer skin, but it should remain tight. Slip the dough log into the prepared loaf pan and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let rise for 1-1 1/2 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Oven shelf should be at the bottom level with baking stone and pan on the floor of the oven.
7. Quickly and gently set the pan on the baking stone and throw 1/2 cup ice cubes into the pan on the floor. Instantly shut the door. Bake for around 20-25 mins and medium brown and skewer inserted comes out clean. (If you have a fancy instant read thermometer the center should read 210 F. Turn the pan around halfway through baking to allow for more even cooking.
8. Remove the bread from the oven, unmold and let cool on a wire rack for one hour. (You can brush the top with melted butter as a nice glaze.

Hope you will take time and make this simple loaf. It tastes wonderful for all sandwich needs and very little hands on time.