Breadness

I've declared this the year that I will learn to make decent homemade bread, so I've been working at it for several weeks. I've determined that it's part science (as is all baking), part art (as is cooking), and a lot of practice, practice, practice.

I've started with a recipe I found in Mother Earth News. At one point, I found a pointer to it in a blog on how to live in poverty and still have things you want and need. A week or so later, I got my first issue of Mother Earth News, and in it were several letters to the editor declaring the recipe in the last issue to be fantastic and trouble-free. Interestingly, it was the same recipe.

I've noted that my bread comes out differently on different days; this latest batch came out with a bit of a beer-like aroma and taste, which I attribute to some fermentation as the dough sat in the loaded fridge for a week or so before I used it. Previous batches have risen more or less depending on conditions at the time of baking. Thought I'd share some other things I've learned about this particular recipe...

-- If you double the batch, you need a very large bowl for the rising process. My first attempt at doubling had the dough crawling all over the counter like something out of a 50's horror movie.

-- If you don't have a pizza peel, a small cutting board works almost as well.

-- Their recommended size loaf really makes a small "dinner" loaf, suitable for baking for one meal for a family with no leftovers. If making a larger loaf, adjust the baking time accordingly.

-- This dough makes AWESOME cinnamon rolls. I pulled out a hunk and rolled it out, and without a recipe, proceeded to make a batch of cinnamon rolls that won the hearts and stomachs of my weekly D&D group. And their kids. A large part of that was merely providing fresh, hot cinnamon rolls of any variety, but they were quite tasty!

For a 13"x9" pan of cinnamon rolls, you'll need:

* 1/3 batch of the artisan dough, post-rising
* 1 cold stick of butter (1/2 cup)
* cinnamon
* white sugar
* powdered sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla

In the 13"x9" pan, finely chop or slice half the butter and dot it randomly around the pan. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon to cover the entire pan, then sprinkle evenly with sugar to cover the cinnamon. (Guesstimate: 2-3 Tbls of cinnamon, 1/4cup sugar). Set aside.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and treat it as if you were going to make a loaf of bread. Pull it around and make the "ball" as directed in the original recipe, but lay it on a floured cutting board. Roll out to a rectangle about 1/4" thick.

Take the remaining butter, and chop finely or slice thinly, and dot evenly over the rectangle of dough. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly with sugar; about the same amount you used in the pan. It's not an exact science here.

Starting with a long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Dust the top of the rolled-up dough with flour. Using a very sharp serrated knife, slice the log into 1-2" slices. Lay sliced rolls in the pan on top of the butter and cinnamon and sugar. (15 slices works well...five rows of 3 rolls.) Try to arrange them so that when they rise, they'll fill the pan. If you don't have enough rolls to fill the entire pan, don't worry. They'll be fine even if they're not all bunched together.

Heat the oven to 350, and allow the rolls to rise on the counter for 30 minutes. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.

A few minutes before they are done, prepare the frosting. In a small bowl, combine a scoop of powdered sugar (guesstimate, 2-3 cups), a tsp of vanilla, and enough milk to make a thick frosting consistency. You may also add a spoonful of softened butter or margarine if you wish a little richer frosting. Blend well.

Remove the rolls from the oven, and spread immediately with the frosting. Serve hot. Store any leftovers (yeah right) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat 30 seconds in the microwave for just-baked yumminess!