Estonian kringle

How pretty is it?! So pretty. Now down to logistics. Here's the deal. I used the original recipe from Just Love Cookin for this dough, but found it to be  pretty dense and not as soft as I like. So I have the original recipe at the end of the post, but decided to post my go-to pull-apart loaf recipe because it's so much more light and airy. It makes the same type of dough, so if you prefer a softer bread like me, use the recipe below; if you decide you want a denser bread that doesn't rise as much but is still bread-y, go for the original recipe from Just Love Cookin.

For the Dough:

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125°F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky. That’s just right.

Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.

At this point, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. 

Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It might seem like a lot of sugar. Seriously? Just go for it.

Roll the dough into a log so it stays 20-inches long. Using a large knife, cut the log in half length-wise. Braid the two halves together, keeping the inner dough layers exposed and the thickest outer layer facing the pan (confused? see the Just Love Cookin photo post, linked at the end of this recipe). 

Place the braid on a cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the braid to loosen the bread. Serve warm on a plate or platter.

Original recipe from Just Love Cookin
This recipe from Joy the Baker

Guest Tuesdays: in the kitchen with Melissah's kale bagels!

Since I'm now living in a house with 3 other girls, I thought about starting this new thing where I post some of the recipes they make! Up this week are Melissah's kale bagels, which came out amazingly well! Toasted up with some cream cheese they are absolutely delicious, and taste as good as- if not better than- bagels you find at the grocery store. More recipes to come... woohoo Guest Tuesdays!!

For the bagels:

One bunch kale, about 8 ounces (225 g), stems and ribs removed, torn into small pieces, thoroughly cleaned
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
1 large clove garlic, grated

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading

Combine kale, yeast, tamair, olive oil, tahini, and garlic in a large saucepan, cook on medium-high heat until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Transfer and pack down really tight (with a spoon) into a glass measure, and cover with water until reaching the 2-cup mark. Blend with an immersion blender, or transfer to a countertop blender. Check that the temperature is at about 100°F , and stir in the yeast. Set aside for a couple of minutes.

Combine kale/water mixture with salt and flour. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and pliable. Shape into a ball.
Lightly coat a large bowl with about 1 teaspoon of any oil, turn dough around to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.

Punch down dough. Divide it into 8 equal portions, shape into balls by pulling at the dough from the sides onto the bottom, to cloak. If the dough retracts when you try to shape it, give it 5 minutes to rest until it cooperates.

Insert your thumb in the center of each dough ball, and twirl dough around it until the hole reaches about 1 1/2 inches in size. Let rest for about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a couple of large baking sheets with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, such a Silpat, or grease them with a little oil. Once the bagels have rested, place 4 bagels at a time in the saucepan, and let boil for 1 minute in all, flipping them over after 30 seconds: try to avoid having them get too close to one another.

Scoop out bagels with a slotted spoon. Place on prepared baking sheets. Repeat until all bagels have been boiled. Bake for about 24 minutes, one sheet at a time, until the bagels are golden brown and sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. Let cool on a wire rack.

Recipe from have cake will travel

Sticky buns are my obsession

Like I'm actually obSESSED with them. These are better than any store-bought sticky buns by faaaaar. So doughy and perfect.

For the dough:

4 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 milk
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
3 1/2-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:

3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

For my awesome glaze:

4 tablespoons salted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the eggs and half the sugar. Microwave the milk until just warm to the touch. Whisk the remaining sugar, salt, and yeast into the milk and let stand for five minutes to ensure that the yeast is good. (It should foam.) Add the milk mixture, the butter, and 3 ½ cups of the flour to the standing mixer. Fit the mixer with a dough hook and churning on medium speed until a ball of dough forms. Sprinkle with flour as needed, or until the ball separates from the sides of the bowl about 5-8 minutes. Transfer to an oiled metal bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Cover, additionally, with a dishtowel and place the bowl somewhere warm to proof for 4 hours.

Take the proofed dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Kneed a couple time and sprinkle with flour until the dough is still sticky, but workable. Roll the dough into a 16 by 12 inch rectangle about ¼ of an inch thing. Spread the dough with the tablespoon of butter. Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt and sprinkle evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up into a spiral log. Stretch the dough into an 18-inch cylinder. Cut the dough with a serrated knife into 12 portions. (For easy cutting, cut the log in half, then in quarters, then cut each quarter into thirds.) Arrange the 12 portions, cut side down for the two end buns, in the baking pan with the glaze, three rows by 4 columns. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.

If using refrigerated buns, remove from the fridge the night before baking or at least six hours before baking. Leave, covered, in a warm place until ready to use. This allows the buns to rise a second time. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the proofed buns, uncovered, for about 30-35 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the buns register 170ºF on an instant-read thermometer. 

Using an electric mixer, beat together all glaze ingredients. Once the buns are out of the oven, immediately frost the tops with the glaze. Then swoon and foodgasm.

Sticky bun recipe from Bakelist, frosting by me

Cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread

This bread is irresistible. Can't you tell? The top left corner is eaten off in the photo because I had to test for done-ness. Then the crew boys- wait I'm supposed to call them men- started whining if you can eat it now we want to, too. So we had many taste-testers tasting before it was even out of the oven. I die.

Hands down the best thing I've made all month.

Update: It's two days later and I'm still thinking about it. Of course it was a short-lived bread. Gone in, oh, 4 hours? Regardless...

Makes one 9x5x3-inch loaf

For the Dough:

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125°F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky. That’s just right.

Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.

At this point, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It might seem like a lot of sugar. Seriously? Just go for it.

Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again. You’ll have six stacks of six squares. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a clean board. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up. Serve warm with coffee or tea.

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

Monkey bread tulips

... are quite possibly the cutest little guys out there. I have to admit, they're not too photogenic, but I can't convey enough how amazing they are. Mom rarely likes a recipe that's not her own Katharine Canfield Cookies or the occasional brownies. But this time she actually took the time to proof her own batch of dough and we made the recipe a second time together (yes, aww so cute mother/daughter bonding). They are surprisingly easy for a yeasted recipe and we super enjoyed them. I have to say, it's a Top 5 Broma Recipe right here. Yessir.

Also, I totally owe credit to Sofra because they gave me the idea based on their morning buns, which are out of this world.....


Makes 12 tulips

For the dough:

1 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees)
1/3 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 package instant (rapid rise) yeast
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for surface work
2 teaspoons salt

For the coating:

2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk 

Note: I got my tulip molds from work. If you can't find them at your baking specialty amazing everything store, normal cupcake molds will do just fine!

Place rack in middle-low position of your oven, making sure that there are no racks placed above it. Spray bundt pan generously with nonstick spray.

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix milk, water, melted butter, sugar and yeast. Place flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the dough hook attachment to mix them together. With machine on low, slowly add the milk mixture. When the dough begins to come together, increase speed to medium and continue to mix until the dough is shiny and smooth. If the dough is too wet and isn’t coming together, add 2 to 4 additional Tablespoons of flour (stop the machine once to scrape sides if you need to); this should take 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and work with your hands a little bit to form a smooth, round ball. Coat a large bowl with nonstick spray. Place dough in the bowl and spray the top lightly with nonstick spray as well. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel. Turn your oven on 400 degrees and let it warm up for 1 minute. Turn it OFF. Turn ON the oven light. Place your covered bowl of dough into the warmed oven until the dough doubles in size- 50 to 60 minutes.

When dough is almost done rising, prepare the ooey gooey coating. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, melt the butter. Set aside.

Remove dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into an 8-inch square. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 256 pieces (cut the square into 4 pieces and then cut each piece into 16 pieces. Further cut those pieces into 4 pieces). Roll each piece into a ball and place on a large cookie sheet. Douse the cookie sheet in the melted butter and, using your hands, roll the butter evenly so each piece is coated. Then sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the buttered balls, again spreading things evenly until each ball is coated in a healthy dose of butter and sugar. Evenly distribute the balls into 12 buttered cupcake molds. (If you can find tulip molds at the store, more power to you. Just give them a quick spray with oil and you're ready to go!) Cover the cupcake pan with a clean dish towel, and place back into the warmed oven to let the dough balls rise for another 50 to 60 minutes (they should get puffy and rise almost to the top of the pan.)

Remove the pan from the oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the dishtowel. Bake about 30 minutes, until the top has browned and ooey gooey caramel is bubbling around the edges. Cool in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Let sit in cupcake pan for a few more minutes to cool slightly before glazing.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to mix powdered sugar and milk. Continue to mix until lumps are gone (scrape sides of the mixing bowl, if needed). Spoon glaze over the top and sides of the monkey bread.


Serve warm and eat with your bare hands!
Recipe adapted from Recipe Girl

Cinnamon twisties

I love cinnabuns. And these are like cinnabuns but in twisty form, which makes them like four and a half times more fun to eat. Let's do it!

Makes about 14 twists

For the dough:

4 cups flour
1 package active dry yeast
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

For the filling:

1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Milk

In a large bowl stir together 1 ½ cups of flour and the yeast; set aside. In a small saucepan, heat and stir ¾ cup milk, sugar, 1/3 cup butter and salt until mixture is warm and butter almost melts. Add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping side of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface; cover. Let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 2 hours).

Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; cover and let rest 10 minutes. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or coat them with cooking spray; set aside. Roll dough into a rectangle.

In a small saucepan, melt ¼ cup butter over low heat. Add brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; mix well. Cool slightly and spread mixture evenly over dough. Cut dough crosswise into 1-inch strips. Fold each strip in half, end to end, and twist several times. Arrange twists 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (45 minutes).

Bake in preheated oven (375F) for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and enough milk (2-3 tablespoons) to make of drizzling consistency. Whisk until smooth and drizzle over rolls when warm.

Recipe from Pip and Ebby!

Call me a regular bread maker...

Various unsuccessful attempts at bread-baking over the course of my childhood caused me to become very of any recipe calling for yeast. Nervous that it will turn out horribly, I shy away from yeasty baked goods, although they tend to be the best kind (who doesn't want bread and sugar melded together in perfect harmony?). However, one day I came across this recipe for english muffins and decided to tuck them away in my recipe book, somewhat anxiously anticipating the day that I would chose to take on a yeast-related recipe. Today was that day. I woke up and decided to take on the morning with these english muffkies (as my dad calls them). And you know what? Not only were they super easy, but they tasted like real english muffins! Just as good as Pepperidge Farms or Thomas'. They were airy and delish,  cut in half easily, and they even looked like the real thing! With my new found confidence I think I might just take on the world. Or at least another yeasty recipe...


Makes 6 english muffkies

For the muffkies;

2 1/4 cup bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons  sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon shortening (such as Crisco)
3/4 cup buttermilk (plus 1/4 cup)
Cornmeal

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add shortening and 3/4 cup buttermilk and mix with a hand mixer or in your stand mixer. Add extra 1/4-cup buttermilk, a little at a time, until dough comes together.

Knead dough by hand for 10 minutes or in the stand mixer for 8 minutes. If using a stand mixer, knead the last minute by hand. The dough should be tacky, but not sticky. Oil a medium bowl and place dough inside. Turn dough in bowl to coat in oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let dough sit until doubled in size (about 60 to 90 minutes).

Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Shape pieces into balls, spray with oil, and sprinkle cornmeal on both sides before placing on prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let the muffins rise for about an hour.

Heat a griddle to medium heat and preheat oven to 350°F. Add muffins to the griddle and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Place muffins in the oven and bake for an additional 6 minutes. Allow muffins to cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy with butter and jam!

Recipe from The Bread Baker's Apprentice via Wilde in the Kitchen.