Ciabatta Rolls

These homemade ciabatta rolls taste like something you would buy at a fancy bakery, but they're made right in your own kitchen!

Is there anything better than the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the house?  I think not!  If there was a fresh baked bread candle scent, I'd be first in line to buy it!

One of my favorite kinds of bread is ciabatta.  I love the crunchy exterior, and soft interior filled with holes, perfect for holding pools of melted butter.  I've made quite a few yeast breads before, but had never thought to try my hand at ciabatta until recently.

I don't know why I waited so long to make homemade ciabatta rolls!  The dough was unique, but actually quite easy to work with.  You will definitely need a stand mixer for this recipe as the dough is kneaded extensively and is extremely sticky.  You'll also want to be prepared with a floured surface and quick hands to transfer the dough when you cut the rolls.

These rolls were everything that I expected and then some!  They tasted like I had bought them from a fancy bakery, but I was proud to say I had made them myself.  They are delicious on their own, with a smear of butter and jam, or as the base for a tasty sandwich.  You'll have to stop back on Friday to see what I made with them...

Ciabatta Rolls

Makes 16 rolls

Ingredients:
For the biga:
1/2 cup warm water, 110 degrees
1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 cup flour

For the ciabatta rolls:
2 cups + 2 Tablespoons warm water, 110 degrees
1 teaspoon yeast
Biga
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt

1.  The night before you want to make the ciabatta rolls, prepare the biga.  Dissolve the yeast in the water.  Add the flour and stir about 50 times to form a thick paste.  Cover and let the biga sit at room temperature at least 8 hours.  The biga should look soupy the next day.

2.  Dissolve the yeast into the water in the bowl of your stand mixer.

3.  Pour in the biga into the bowl and break it up with your hands or a spatula.

4.  Add all the flour and the salt.  Mix to form a dough.  Then allow the dough to sit for 15 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the water.

5.  Attach the dough hook to your mixer and knead the dough for 15-18 minutes at medium speed (5-6).  Keep an eye on your mixer as it has a tendency to move!  Also keep an eye on the dough: if it begins to climb up the dough hook, scrape it down and restart the mixer.  The dough will look smooth and glossy.  When you stop the mixer, it will probably puddle down into the bowl, rather than stay as a stiff dough.

6.  Cover the dough and let it rise for 2-3 hours, until tripled in bulk.

7.  Prepare your work surface for the dough by flouring it heavily.  The dough is extremely sticky, so you really can't over do it.  Pour the dough out of the bowl and onto the floured surface.  Try to pour it out to form a rectangle, but you can also carefully form the dough after your pour it out.  You want to handle the dough as little as possible so the bubbles don't deflate.

8.  Dust the top of the dough with more flour.  Using a pastry cutter or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 16 pieces.

9.  Carefully scoop the dough from your work surface and place on a parchment paper lined cooking sheet.

10.  Allow the dough to rise, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes.

11.  Bake rolls at 475 for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Allow the rolls to cool completely before slicing and eating.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  Rolls can also be frozen.

Source:  The Kitchn

Mozzarella Rolls {Flashback Friday}

Mozzarella Rolls are a delicious addition to your family's dinner. Add some chopped olives for a fun twist!

Life is crazy sometimes!  I'm in the middle of training an office assistant at work, and while it's a lot to train someone new, it will be a huge blessing to have someone to share the work load with (and allow me to only work part-time!)  It's a little crazy at the office now.  Add to that the ridiculous amount of snow that we have been getting, making travel difficult and causing lots of plans to change.  Oh, and the Internet going all wonky at our house (thus, no post on Wednesday).  And you have a recipe for a very hectic week.  From the looks of it, this weekend isn't going to be any different!

One of the things I loved most about my family growing up is that we had dinner time together.  It was a very rare occasion that we didn't all sit down to eat together at the same time.  Even in high school when my schedule was crazy busy, I don't remember many missed meals.  Family dinners are a chance for everyone to relax and unwind a little bit, chat about the day, and get connected before rushing off to do the next task.  Mike and I have actually started eating dinner at the table now (instead of in front of the TV) because Summer is starting some solids and able to join us.  I look forward to dinner time as a chance for us to really talk, especially now, without the distraction of the television.

These rolls are one of our favorite dinner components.  The dough is pretty versatile and the first time I made them, I added some chopped olives to Mike's rolls.  He declared them the best rolls he has ever had.  I've made them several times since that day and each time we've enjoyed them.  The last time I made these rolls, I rolled them into balls and baked them in a 9x13" pan, and allowed them to touch each other.  In the past, I baked them as a drop biscuit.  I noticed that baking them in the 9x13 pan took longer and the texture was flakier than the other way.  I served these along with a bowl of Cheesy Potato Soup.  They are the perfect addition to our family dinner time!

Get the recipe: Mozzarella Rolls

Pumpkin Rolls

These pumpkin shaped dinner rolls are sure to be a hit at your Thanksgiving dinner!

A friend of mine just posted on Facebook that she heard a Christmas song on the radio this morning!  Have you heard Christmas music yet?  I haven't decided yet if I'm ready for Christmas music.  I love it, but Halloween was just a couple days ago and it's not even Thanksgiving yet.  Typically I start listening to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving is such a special holiday and I think sometimes it get skipped over.  I went to the store the day after Halloween and saw Halloween costumes and candy on clearance in one aisle, and Christmas decorations in the next aisle.  Thanksgiving was nowhere to be found!  I'm one of many people on Facebook participating in the 30 days of Thankfulness; each day we post something we are thankful for as our status.  I think it's a good way to keep the focus on Thanksgiving!

So, I hope you don't mind, but rather than skip right to Christmas, I'll still be sharing some fall and Thanksgiving type recipes for the next couple weeks. 

These dinner rolls were a hit at our Thanksgiving dinner last year.  I made them using my favorite pretzel dough since our whole family was on a pretzel kick last fall.  You can use any roll dough as long as it holds its shape.  Using scissors, I cut little slits in a ball of dough and baked it.  As soon as the rolls came out of the oven, I stuck an almond in the middle as the stem.  Not only are these rolls delicious, they look gorgeous on your dinner table!

Pumpkin Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

Ingredients:
1 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees)
2-1/4 teaspoons yeast
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2-1/2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons baking soda
coarse sea salt (or pretzel salt)
butter for brushing on top
12 almonds

1.  Pour the warm milk into a large bowl and sprinkle with the yeast.  Let it sit for about 2 minutes.

2.  Mix in the brown sugar and 1 cup of flour.

3.  Melt the 2 Tablespoons of butter and stir into the mixture.

4.  Add the remaining flour and salt.  Mix to form a slightly sticky dough.

5.  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth but still slightly sticky.

6.  Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place to rise until the dough doubles (about 1 hour). 

7.  Punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.

8.  Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll them into a ball.

9.  Using kitchen scissors, cut 6 1/2 inch slits around the dough ball, being sure to leave the center uncut.

10.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

11.  Bake rolls at 450 for 8-10 minutes, until golden.

12.  Remove rolls from the oven and brush with melted butter while hot. Sprinkle with coarse salt.

13.  Press an almond vertically into the center of each roll as the stem.

Shaping idea from: Beyond Kimchee

Meatball Stuffed Rolls

I don't know about you, but I am all about easy and delicious meals!  A couple weeks ago, one of our friends made meatball subs. They cooked the meatballs in a tomato sauce in the crock pot and then just toasted some buns at dinner time, and dinner was served!  It was delicious!

That meal also inspired me to make these Meatball Stuffed Rolls.  Honestly, this recipe couldn't be easier!  It's just a Pillsbury biscuit, tomato sauce, cheese, and meatball.  Roll it up, bake it, and eat it! Serve alongside a big salad, and dinner is ready in a flash!

Meatball Stuffed Rolls

Makes 8 rolls

Ingredients:
1 can Pillsbury Southern Style biscuits
1/2 cup pizza or spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8 pre-cooked meatballs
garlic salt
Parmesan cheese

1.  Flatten biscuits out to make a 6" circle.

2.  Place about 1 Tablespoon of pizza sauce in the center of each biscuit.

3.  Top the pizza sauce with about 1 Tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese.

4.  Place a meatball on top of the cheese.

5.  Fold the biscuit up around the meatballs.  Press the seams together with your fingers to seal.

6.  Place rolls, seam side down, on a greased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle the tops of the rolls with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese.

7.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until the tops of the rolls are golden brown. 

Serve hot, with additional sauce for dipping, if desired.

45 Minute Dinner Rolls

Homemade dinner rolls on a weeknight?  Who has time for that?  I'm here to tell you that you do!  Believe it or not, these fantastic rolls are ready to eat just 45 minutes after you begin making them!  Who doesn't love fresh made rolls with dinner?

I actually made these rolls not once, but twice last week.  The first time, I undercooked the rolls and although they tasted good, they were quite dense.  I blame my oven--it doesn't work correctly half the time, and I wanted to eat the rolls with dinner, not after all the other food was gone!  The second time I made the rolls I allowed for extra baking time, and they turned out perfectly!

The secret to these rolls is the large amount of yeast the recipe calls for.  Lots of yeast=shorter rise time.  Most of the 45 minute time frame for these rolls is spent proofing the yeast, letting the dough rise, and baking the rolls.  That means that you can focus on making the other aspects of your meal while the rolls are doing their thing.  Once you make these rolls, you'll want them every night!

45 Minute Dinner Rolls

 

Makes 12 rolls

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup warm water

1/3 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons yeast

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 egg

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

1.  Pour the warm water and olive oil into the bowl of your stand mixer, and sprinkle the yeast and sugar on top.  Allow the mixture to rest for 15 minutes.  The mixture will be very frothy when the time is up.

 

2.  Using the dough hook attachment, mix the egg, flour, and salt into the yeast mixture.  Begin on low speed and gradually increase the mixer speed once the flour is incorporated.  When the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball, you can stop mixing.

 

3.  Divide the dough into 12 equal balls and place in a greased 9x13" pan.  Allow the dough to rise for 10 minutes (I like to set the pan on top of my oven while it pre-heats so the dough gets some extra help to rise.)

 

4.  Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes (depending on your oven), until the tops begin to turn golden brown.

 

5.  Remove from the oven and brush the tops of the buns with butter, if desired.  Serve warm.

 

Source: Crazy for Crust and Your Homebased Mom

Resurrection Rolls

Does your family have holiday traditions?  Growing up, we always did.  (And I know Mike and I plan to carry them on for our baby girl!)  My parents did a really good job of making sure that we knew the real reason for the holiday that we were celebrating.  We didn't do Santa or the Easter Bunny, but that was just fine with me!  My parents included other traditions that celebrated the real reasons for the holiday and we grew up knowing what we were celebrating.

One way that we celebrated Easter was with these Resurrections Rolls.  They come with a neat story that you can do with your kids to teach them about Jesus' death and resurrection.  The rolls are empty when you bite into them--just like the tomb was empty on Easter Sunday morning. These would be a great project for this weekend!

Here is what the ingredients represent:

*Marshmallow--the body of Jesus
*Melted butter--the oils used for embalming
*Cinnamon and sugar--the spices used to anoint the body
*Biscuit dough--the cloths Jesus' body was wrapped in
*Oven--the tomb
*Empty rolls--the tomb being empty

Resurrection Rolls 

Makes 10 rolls

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon 10 regular sized marshmallows
1/4 cup butter, melted
10 buttermilk biscuits

1.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

2.  Flatten each buttermilk biscuit into a 5" round.

3.  Dip each marshmallow in the melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

4.  Place coated marshmallows in the center of each biscuit.  Pinch the dough around each marshmallow being sure it's totally sealed so the marshmallow doesn't escape.

5.  Dip the dough balls in the melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

6.  Place dough on a greased cookie sheet.

7.  Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.

Allow the rolls to slightly cool before serving.

Bunny Buns

Since Sunday, two of my friends have had three baby girls!  Yes, one of them had twins.  It's an exciting time for my group of friends right now as these are the first babies born of many due this year (myself included).  These precious new lives are just so exciting!

Spring seems to be the time of year that we all are thinking about new life.  When I took Champ outside this morning, I heard the sounds of spring--robins!  Flowers are starting to poke through the dirt (and some snow) in our yard.  Now, if only it could warm up a bit so it would feel like spring instead of just looking like it.

These bunny buns are the perfect spring bread, and they will make an excellent addition to your Easter dinner.  I made these this past weekend, as we had a pre-Easter dinner with Mike's family.  These buns were fun to make, and I was really impressed with how soft the dough was.  They require a minimal amount of rising time, and from start to finish, can be made in less than an hour!

Bunny Buns

Makes 14 buns

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

1 heaping Tablespoon yeast

5-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 cup butter, melted

1.  Pour milk into a small microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute, until warm.

2.  Sprinkle the yeast on the warm milk and set it aside to proof while you mix the other ingredients.

3.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.

4.  Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

5.  Pour the milk and yeast mixer into the dough and mix using the dough attachment until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

6.  Divide the dough into 15 equal sized pieces.

7.  Roll each piece of dough into a long rope (like you're making pretzels).  Set aside 1 strip to use for the bunny tails.

8.  Form a bunny with each piece of dough by twisting the top of the dough together and leaving a "keyhole" at the bottom.  (See {cell phone} pictures below)

9.  Divide the reserved dough strip into 14 equal pieces and roll them into balls to use for the bunny tails.  Place the tails in the opening at the bottom of the buns. 

10.  Cover the bunnies with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

11.  Remove the plastic wrap and bake the buns at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes, until golden brown.

12.  Brush the hot rolls with melted butter after removing from the oven    

 

 

Source: Cooking with K

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Cheddar Rolls

These are the rolls that I made to serve the Mango BBQ Pulled Pork on a couple weeks ago.  These rolls were perfect for pulled pork because they are sturdy enough to hold up to the juices.  They were simple to make and the cheddar in the rolls added a great flavor.  The original recipe calls for jalapeno peppers to be added as well but since I didn't have any, I omitted those.  I think they would be a great addition though.  These Cheddar Rolls were perfect for cold sandwiches and I know they would make a great burger bun as well.  I think these will be my go-to roll for pulled pork sandwiches!

Cheddar Rolls

Makes 8 rolls

Ingredients:

 

1 cup lukewarm water

2-1/4 teaspoons yeast

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 eggs

3 Tablespoons sugar

3-1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

8 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (optional)

 

1.  Pour warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer and sprinkle yeast on top.  Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until frothy.

 

2.  Add the olive oil, 1 egg, and sugar to the bowl and mix.

 

3.  Add the flour, salt, and shredded cheddar cheese and mix on low speed with a dough hook until the dough holds together, about 2 minutes.

 

4.  Increase the speed to medium and continue to knead the dough for 5 minutes.

 

5.  Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

 

6.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured workspace.  Divide dough in half and then divide each half into 4 pieces. 

 

7.  Roll dough into rounds and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each roll.

 

8.  Cover dough with a damp towel and let it rise for 20 minutes plus oven preheating time.

 

9.  Whisk the remaining egg with 1 Tablespoon of water.  Brush over each roll.

 

10.  Bake rolls at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

 

Allow the rolls to cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving them. 

 

These rolls freeze well.  (I made mine a few days before our dinner and froze them until the day I needed them.  I let them thaw on the counter and they tasted fresh.)  Store any leftovers in an airtight container, or freeze.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Quick and Fluffy Dinner Rolls

Are you in charge of bringing bread to Christmas dinner this year?  If so, this is a great recipe for you to make!  It's really quick and delicious. 

I was intrigued by the steps of this recipe, I've never let rolls rise in the oven and then leave them in the oven to bake before.  To be honest, I really didn't know how it would turn out.  I thought I'd give it a try and see what happened, and to my amazement, it worked perfectly!  In less than an hour, I had fresh baked yeast rolls on the dinner table.  I served these with a piping hot bowl of Zuppa Toscana.  This is definitely a recipe that's fast enough for a weeknight dinner, and I think it will quickly become a favorite.

Quick and Fluffy Dinner Rolls

Makes 12 large rolls

You will need:

3/4 cup milk

4 Tablespoons butter

3/4 cup hot water, 110 degrees

4 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 to 4-1/2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon yeast

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

1.  In a microwave safe bowl, combine milk and butter.  Microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes.

2.  Preheat oven to 170 degrees while you make the rest of the dough.

3.  Pour your warmed milk mixture and water into the bowl of your mixer.  Add the sugar, salt, and 2 cups of flour.  Mix for 1 minute.

4.  Add in the yeast and remaining flour 1 cup at a time, mixing as you add flour.  You have enough flour when the dough comes away from the edges of the bowl and forms a ball.

5.  Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.

6.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 5 minutes.

7.  Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and gently round them into balls.

8.  Place dough balls in a greased 9x13 pan.

9.  Put the pan in your preheated oven and let them rise for about 20 minutes, or until doubled.

10.  Leaving the pan in the oven, increase oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. 

11.  Brush the top of the rolls with melted butter right after removing them from the oven.

Source: Mommy's Kitchen