Smoked Salmon Rolls

Smoked salmon is one of those foods that is mainly associated with breakfast/brunch, and I love it!  It certainly isn’t a food that everyone is fond of, but I think those who won’t give it a chance are missing out.  This is a quick and simple way to serve smoked salmon for brunch that is different from the old bagel-and-cream cheese route.  I made mine with chives but I think dill would also be great with these.

Smoked Salmon Rolls

Ingredients:

12 slices of wood smoked salmon (4 x 2 ½ inches each)

½ cup cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sour cream

2-3 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped (or fresh basil or dill)

pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

Combine the cream cheese and sour cream and mix until smooth.  Place one salmon slice on a work surface and spread with a layer of the cream cheese mixture.  Sprinkle with chives and pepper.  Starting at one of the short ends, roll up the salmon enclosing the filling.  Repeat with remaining salmon.  Cover and chill for up to 6 hours.  Before serving, cut each roll crosswise into 2-3 slices.  Use toothpicks to secure rolls, if desired.

Source: adapted from The Fresh Market

Tropical Fruit Salad

This was a quick and easy dish to add to the shower menu.  I think this is a really nice change from regular old fruit salad.  I am not crazy about cantaloupe or papaya myself, but I enjoyed this overall.  I think it would be great to mix it up a little with some other tropical fruits like kiwi, starfruit, etc.  My favorite thing about this is the gorgeous color palette it brings to the table.  I also enjoyed making this because I learned how to cut both papaya and cantaloupe properly. 

A side note about the shower menu - several people have asked for recipes not yet posted.  The remaining recipes I will be posting include smoked salmon rolls, pesto palmiers and pineapple chicken salad.  Look forward to those, they should be posted in the next couple of days.

Tropical Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

½ cup shredded coconut

1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into ½ - inch chunks

1 ripe papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ - inch chunks (or small scoops)

1 ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ - inch chunks (or small scoops)

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cut into ½ - inch chunks

6 fresh mint leaves (optional)

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, about 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

 

Combine all the fruit in a large bowl and mix together.  Just before serving add the toasted coconut and toss to mix well.  Garish with mint leaves if desired.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma

Chocolate Chip Scones

Another weekend, another brunch with Ben’s family.  I really enjoy these mornings because 1. I get to eat my father-in-law’s fantastic omelettes and waffles, and 2. I have an opportunity to try out new recipes and get lots of feedback.  I have wanted to make these scones for over a year, no joke.  I don’t know why I waited so long.  These were a big hit with everyone who tried them.  They were very light and tender, and they tasted fabulous.  And of course, I love the simplicity of the recipe.  It is very quick and uses very few dishes.  I ended up baking mine almost 25 minutes, so I suggest baking to desired brownness rather than for a set amount of time.  I can’t wait to make these again!

Dark Chocolate Chip Scones

Yield: 24 scones

 

Ingredients:

3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) dark chocolate chips

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tbsp. butter, melted

additional sugar, for sprinkling

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°.  Lightly grease two baking sheets.

 

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Add whipping cream to flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are moistened.  Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead gently until a soft dough forms, about 2 minutes.

 

Divide dough into 3 equal balls.  One ball at a time, flatten into a 7-inch circle; cut into 8 triangles.  Transfer triangles to prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with additional sugar.

 

Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Homemade Bagels

Maybe having the word “homemade” in the title of the post is redundant because most everything on my blog is, in fact, homemade.  However I felt it was necessary because making good bagels at home feels like a huge accomplishment to me.  I have wanted to try making bagels for a long time and have had many, many recipes saved to use as references, but I never committed and decided it was time.  Then my good friend Chelle told me she was planning on making bagels this week, so we decided to make these together as well.  I am so glad she gave me the motivation I needed to give these a shot because the results were fantastic!  These bagels have the perfect texture and are every bit as good as those I have bought from bakeries in the past.  What a wonderful treat to wake up to!

I should have known these would turn out well.  After all, this is my third Peter Reinhart recipe and the other two recipes were huge successes (cinnamon rolls and focaccia).  I must admit I was not very sure of myself during the dough-making process, as the dough was so stiff that my KitchenAid stand mixer just couldn’t handle the kneading.  I ended up kneading the dough by hand and it came out fine, and I actually really enjoyed the hand kneading, but it still made me nervous.  Also, the sponge did not collapse when the bowl was tapped (or banged) against the counter - it deflated slightly, but by no means collapsed.  It all turned out okay in the end though, so just go with your instincts and power through if you are unsure.  I left half of the bagels plain, but since my absolute favorite bagel from Panera is the “everything” bagel, I wanted to try to replicate that.  After looking at the ingredients on their website, I came up with a mix of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic salt and kosher salt to sprinkle on top.  It worked well and they taste very similar to the “everything” bagel.  I can’t wait to make these again and experiment with some other toppings like Asiago cheese, Ben’s favorite.  If you are like me and have been wanting to make your own bagels but just haven’t taken the leap yet, do it.  You will be very glad you did!

Bagels

Yield: 12 large of 24 mini bagels

 

Ingredients:

For the sponge:

1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast

4 cups (18 ounces) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour

2 ½ cups (20 ounces) water, at room temperature

 

For the dough:

½ teaspoon (.055 ounces) instant yeast

3 ¾ cups (17 ounces) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour

2 ¾ teaspoons (.7 ounce) salt

2 teaspoons (.33 ounce) malt powder OR 1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) dark or light malt syrup, honey, or brown sugar:

 

To finish:

1 tablespoon baking soda

cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting

sesame seeds, poppy seeds, kosher salt, rehydrated dried minced garlic or onions, or chopped fresh onions that have been tossed in oil (optional)

 

Directions:

1. To make the sponge, stir the yeast into the flour in a 4-quart mixing bowl.  Add the water, whisking or stirring only until it forms a smooth, sticky batter (like pancake batter).  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the mixture becomes very foamy and bubbly.  It should swell to nearly double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop.

2. To make the dough, in the same mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), add the additional yeast to the sponge and stir.  Then add 3 cups of the flour and all of the salt and malt. Stir (or mix on low speed with the dough hook) until the ingredients form a ball, slowly working in the remaining ¾ cup flour to stiffen the dough.

 

3. Transfer the dough to the counter and knead for at least 10 minutes (or for 6 minutes by machine).  The dough should be firm, stiffer than French bread dough, but still pliable and smooth.  There should be no raw flour – all the ingredients should be hydrated.  The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77 to 81 degrees F.  If the dough seems dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading.  If the dough seems tacky or
sticky, add more flour to achiever the stiffness required.  The kneaded dough should feels satiny and pliable but not be tacky.

 

4. Immediately divide the dough into 4 ½ ounce pieces for standard bagels, or smaller if desired. Form the pieces into rolls.

 

5. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for approximately 20 minutes.

 

6. Line two sheet pans with baking parchment and mist lightly with spray oil.  Proceed with shaping the bagels by pushing a hole through the center and stretching out the hole to 2
½ inches in diameter.

 

7. Place each of the shaped pieces 2 inches apart on the pan.  Mist the bagels very lightly with the spray oil and slip each pan into a food-grade plastic bag, or cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

 

8. Check to see if the bagels are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator by using the “float test”.  Fill a small bowl with cool or room-temperature water.  The bagels are ready to be retarded when they float within 10 seconds of being dropped into the water.  Take one bagel and test it.  If it floats, immediately return the tester bagel to the pan, pat it dry, cover the pan, and place it in the refrigerator overnight (it can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days).  If the bagel does not float, return it to the pan and continue to proof the dough at room temperature, checking back every 10 to 20 minutes or so until a tester floats.  The time needed to accomplish the float will vary, depending on the ambient temperature and the
stiffness of the dough.

 

9. The following day (or when you are ready to bake the bagels), preheat the oven to 500° F with the two racks set in the middle of the oven.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil (the wider the pot the better), and add the baking soda.  Have a slotted spoon or skimmer nearby.

 

10. Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and gently drop them into the water, boiling only as many comfortably fit (they should float within 10 seconds).  After 1 minute flip them over and boil another minute.  If you like very chewy bagels, you can extend the boiling to 2 minutes per side.  While the bagels are boiling, sprinkle the same parchment-line sheet pans with cornmeal or semolina flour.  (If you decided to replace the paper, be sure to spray the new paper lightly with spray oil to prevent the bagels from sticking to the surface.)  If you want to top the bagels, do so as soon as they come out of the water.  You can use any of the suggestions in the ingredients list or a combination.

 

11. When all the bagels have been boiled, place the pans on the 2 middle shelves in the oven.  Bake for approximately 5 minutes, then rotate the pans, switching shelves and giving the pans a 180-degree rotation.  (If you are baking only 1 pan, keep it on the center shelf but still rotate 180 degrees.)  After the rotation, lower the oven setting to 450° F and continue baking for about 5 minutes, or until the bagels turn light golden brown.  You may bake them darker if you prefer.

 

12. Remove the pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes or longer before serving.

Source: The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart, 10 Speed Press, 2001.

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake

For Father’s Day this year we had a nice casual brunch at Ben’s parents’ house.  Brunch is their specialty for sure!  My father-in-law makes fabulous omelettes and waffles and we always look forward to them.  I decided to bring this peach coffee cake since I have been wanting to try it for a really long time.  It turned out wonderfully and the peaches were fantastic.  My only gripe is that the cake was undercooked in the middle, even though it passed the toothpick test.  Next time I’ll err on the safe side and bake it 5-10 minutes longer, as I’ve had this same problem with other coffee cakes I’ve made in springform pans. 

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

For the streusel:

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

 

For the cake:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

½ cup milk

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

2-3 firm, ripe peaches, 1 lb. total, peeled and sliced

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan.

 

To make the streusel, in a bowl, stir together the flour, brown and granulated sugars and cinnamon.  Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form.  Set aside.

 

To make the cake, in a bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wire whisk, beat the egg, melted butter, milk, vanilla and almond extract until creamy, about 1 minute.  Add to the flour mixture and beat just until evenly moistened.  There should be no lumps or dry spots.  Do not overmix.

 

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Arrange the peach slices in concentric circles from the pan sides to the center.  Gently press the slices into the batter.  Sprinkle evenly with the streusel.

 

Bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.  Remove the sides of the springform pan.  Serve the cake warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma

Lots of Yummy Muffins for New Parents!

This Tuesday my great friends Rachel and Joe welcomed their first child into the world, an adorable baby boy named Ethan!  I am so happy for them as they begin their journey through parenthood.  It is going to be wonderful!  I mean, how cute is that kid?  I’m now more anxious than ever for my little guy to make his appearance!

We went to visit the family at the hospital yesterday morning, and I couldn’t resist bringing some goodies.  Joe in particular is a big fan of my cooking and baking habit, so I figured it would be appreciated.  I brought a basket with three types of muffins: chocolate-chocolate chunk, pumpkin raisin, and lemon poppy seed.  The first two are both recipes from my new Dorie cookbook which I had been dying to try.  Anything with “chocolate-chocolate”, “double chocolate”, etc. in the title is sure to be a winner in my book.  Dorie describes these as “slightly sweet”, which is true - but they are so, so, so good!  I doubled the amount of chocolate chunks in mine because, well, twice as much chocolate is definitely better!  The pumpkin muffins originally call for chopped walnuts or pecans but since I am a nut-hater, I left them out and doubled the amount of raisins.  They were good but I think they could be even better with a glaze or a streusel topping.  I’ll have to try that next time!  The lemon poppy seed muffins have appeared on the blog before, but they are a wonderful standby for me that I make often.  They turn out delicious and perfect every time, you can’t beat that!

Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Ingredients:

¾ stick (6 tbsp.) unsalted butter

4-6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°.  Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.  Set aside.

 

Melt the butter and 2 oz. of the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; or do this in a microwave.  Remove from the heat.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined.  Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted butter and chocolate over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend.  Don’t worry about being thorough – a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter.  Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

 

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

pinch of allspice

1 stick (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup sugar

¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar

2 large eggs

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¾ cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

¼ cup buttermilk

½-1 cup raisins

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

about 1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds, for topping (optional)

 

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°.  Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.  Set aside.

 

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.

 

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until soft.  Add both the sugars and continue to beat until light and smooth.  One by one, add the eggs, beating for a minute after the eggs are incorporated, then beat in the vanilla.  Lower the mixer speed and mix in the pumpkin and buttermilk.  With the mixer at low speed, add the dry ingredients in a steady stream, mixing only until they disappear.  To avoid overmixing, you can stop the machine early and stir any remaining dry ingredients into the batter using a rubber spatula.  Stir in the raisins and nuts (if using).  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle a few sunflower seeds over the top of each muffin, if desired.

 

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then carefully remove each one from its mold and finish cooling on the rack.

 

 

Source: adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Strawberry Jam Crumb Coffee Cake

I have posted at least once before, quite some time ago, about how coffee cake was always a special treat in our house growing up.  It was almost exclusively reserved for visits from my grandparents.  I love that I can now have coffee cake whenever I choose (though it still isn’t that often), and even better, I can make it myself!  This coffee cake is truly delicious and was every bit as good as the versions from my childhood that came from the store.  My family loved it as well and it was quickly devoured :)  I will definitely make this again, and I think when really good fresh strawberries are available again I will make some with a true strawberry layer rather than with jam.

Strawberry Jam Crumb Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
For the crumb topping:
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter, melted  

For the cake:
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
½ cup strawberry jam  

Directions:
In a medium bowl, stir together crumb topping ingredients until combined, then stir in melted butter until damp crumbs are formed and the mixture sticks together into chunks when you squeeze it between your fingers.  Set aside.  

Preheat the oven to 350° and 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.  Lightly grease and set aside.  

In a large bowl, cream together both sugars and butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in vanilla, followed by the eggs, adding them one at a time until mixture is smooth.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add to sugar mixture, alternating with sour cream in two or three additions, until well blended.  Spread evenly into prepared pan.  

Stir jam in a small bowl until smooth and drop by spoonfuls onto cake batter.  Gently swirl through with a knife.  Top with crumb mixture, clumping it by squeezing it between your fingers while you work and spreading it into as even a layer as possible. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. 

Source: Baking Bites

Banana Crumb Muffins

This weekend I had a bowl of cereal for breakfast but just a few hours later, I was hungry again.  I decided to whip up a batch of these muffins.  I had some very ripe bananas months ago about to go bad, so I mashed them up and froze them in a plastic bag.  I was very happy to have them on hand so I was able to make these on the spur of the moment.  These have a really wonderful banana flavor.  I have made them many times and they always turn out well - that’s the kind of recipe I love

Banana Crumb Muffins
Ingredients:
For the muffins:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted 

For the topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter   

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.  Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.  

In a large bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, cinnamon and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.  

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.   

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Source: Allrecipes 

Source: Allrecipes 

Sausage, Spinach and Red Pepper Frittata

I have heard many raves about frittata but had never tried it myself.  I knew it was something I would enjoy, as I love eggs in most forms and this seemed somewhere between an omelet and a quiche.  I definitely understand the appeal of frittata now.  This is a really great breakfast-for-dinner meal that is low maintenance, quick, and very adaptable to whatever ingredients you happen to have in your refrigerator.  Even Ben loved this, and he used to claim to hate all eggs (I am slowly winning him over).  I can’t wait to play around with more variations on this dish.

Spinach, Sausage and Red Pepper Frittata
Ingredients:
6 eggs
2 tbsp. milk
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 chicken sausages, sliced
½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
¾ cup red pepper, chopped
3 oz. Gruyere cheese, cubed small  

Directions:
In a small bowl, beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Set aside.  

Turn the oven on to broil.  In a 9-10” non-stick, oven safe skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat.  Coat the skillet well with the oil/butter mixture.  Add the sausage, spinach and pepper.  Cook for 3-4 minutes until tender-crisp and heated through.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and add egg mixture.  Top with cheese.  Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the eggs have set but the top is still runny.  

Carefully move the skillet from the stovetop to the oven and broil for about 4 minutes, or until the top is browned and no longer runny.  Remove from the oven (taking care with the hot handle) and let stand for 2 minutes.  Loosen the frittata from the pan and transfer to a serving plate. 

Source: Smells Like Home

Heavenly Cinnamon Rolls

I saw these cinnamon rolls from the Daring Bakers challenge in September and knew immediately that I had to try them. I first tried my hand at homemade cinnamon rolls this past summer when my brother- and sister-in-law were visiting, but I was not thrilled with the result and felt they left a lot to be desired. I’m glad I decided to give it another go because this recipe turned out amazingly! These taste exactly the way I think cinnamon rolls should taste, and the texture was very light and airy. The only thing that didn’t come out quite right was the glaze, but that was no fault of the recipe - I simply didn’t have nearly enough powdered sugar on hand. I just used what I had and my glaze was very thin, but still super tasty so I’m not complaining!

The original recipe has variations for both cinnamon and sticky buns, as well as options for using several different ingredient options. I saved a more streamlined version of the recipe which is what I will post here, but click here for a link to the original recipe.

Cinnamon Rolls
Yield: 8-12 large or 12-16 smaller cinnamon rolls

Ingredients:
6 ½ tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
5 ½ tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. lemon extract or 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
3 ½ cups unbleached bread or all-purpose flour
2 tsp. instant (rapid rise) yeast
1 1/8 to 1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature

For the filling:
6 ½ tbsp. granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
other spices to taste (ginger, cardamom, allspice, etc.)

For the white fondant glaze:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. lemon or orange extract
6 tbsp. to ½ cup warm milk

Directions:
Cream together the sugar, salt, and butter on medium-high speed in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Whip in the egg and lemon zest/extract until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast and milk. Mix on low speed until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes, or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. (You may have to add a little flour or water while kneading to achieve this texture.) 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.

Mist the counter with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the top with flour to keep it from sticking to the pin. Roll it into a rectangle about 2/3 inch thick and 14 inches wide by 12 inches long for larger buns, or 18 inches wide by 9 inches long for smaller buns. Don’t roll out the dough too thin, or the finished buns will be tough and chewy rather than soft and plump. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling over the surface of the dough and roll the dough up into a cigar-shaped log creating a cinnamon-sugar spiral as you roll. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8 to 12 pieces about 1 ¾ inches thick for larger rolls or 12 to 16 pieces about 1 ¼ inches thick for smaller rolls.

Line one or more sheet pans with baking parchment. Place the buns approximately ½ inch apart so they aren’t touching but are close to one another.

Proof at room temperature for 75-90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown into one another and have nearly doubled in size. You may also retard the shaped buns in refrigerator for up to 2 days, pulling the pan out of the refrigerator 3-4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.

Preheat the oven to 350° with the oven rack on the middle shelf.

Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool the rollss in the pan for about 10 minutes and then streak white fondant glaze across the tops, while the rolls are warm but not too hot (see instructions below). Remove the buns from the pan and place them on a cooling rack. Wait for at least 20 minutes before serving.

White fondant glaze for cinnamon rolls:
Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Add lemon or orange extract and 6 tbsp. to ½ cup warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk slowly and only as much as needed to make a thick, smooth paste.

When the rolls have cooled but are still warm, streak the glaze over them by dipping the tines of a fork or a whisk into the glaze and waving the fork or whisk over the tops.

Source: The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart