Temple Cafeteria Rolls / Cinnamon Rolls

DJ's aunt works in the cafeteria at the Las Vegas Temple and taught us how to make their recipe for rolls and cinnamon rolls last night. I love that you can make either kind of roll from the one recipe. They were delicious! Thanks, Stefanie!

3 c. warm water
1/4 c. potato flakes
1/2 c. powdered milk
3/4 c. sugar
1 T. salt
2 T. instant yeast
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
Bread Flour (about 3 lbs -- until dough pulls away from sides of bowl)

Mix all ingredients in bowl of stand mixer -- adding flour about 1/2 - 1 cup at a time. Once dough is pulling away from sides of bowl and dough has formed a soft ball (still slightly sticky), punch dough down in bowl, cover with a clean towel and let sit in a warm spot for about an hour. Optionally, can let dough rise 2 or 3 times, punching down after each rise -- this creates a softer dough, but is not necessary.

For Rolls:
Roll into strips/snakes and tie into knots. Place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Let rise, covered for about 30 minutes. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 14 minutes, rotating the pan half way through.

Butter tops of rolls when pulled out.

For Cinnamon Rolls:
FILLING:
1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 - 2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

FROSTING:
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3/4 c. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp.  milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Raw Millet and Honey Muffins

from Rachel Swan

2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup raw millet
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, barely melted
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Lemon zest grated from 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with liners. Whisk together flour, millet, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl whisk together the yogurt, eggs, butter, honey, and lemon zest and juice until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the flour is just incorporated. Divide batter among the muffin cups, filling just below the rim. Bake for 15 minutes, until the muffin tops are browned and just barely beginning to crack. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn the muffins out of th pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

Pizza Dough

Recipe from Chenae Duerden

1 cup warm water + 2 Tbsp yeast
7 cups white flour (or can do half wheat flour, half white flour)
2 1/4 cups hot water
1 Tbsp salt
3 Tbsp sugar

Sprinkle yeast over 1 cup warm water (NOT hot) and let sit. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of flour with the salt and sugar. Add 2 1/4 cup hot water. Add yeast and water mixture, and then add the rest of the flour. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then let rise for 30 minutes. Punch down and if desired, let rise again (rising a second time makes it softer, but it is not necessary). Divide dough into 4 (for four medium pizzas) or 2 (for two large pizzas) dough balls.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let pizza stone (or pizza pan?) warm in oven while preheating. Once dough is rolled out, carefully remove pizza stone from oven and sprinkle with cornmeal. Carefully transfer dough to pizza stone and re-shape. Using a fork, poke holes all over the pizza dough. Drizzle olive oil over dough and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake (without toppings) for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and add sauce and toppings then return to oven for another 8-12 minutes until cheese is melted and golden (I usually end up doing13-15 minutes of TOTAL bake time).

12 Grain Bread (a.k.a. Chenae's Bread)

I've fallen in "like" with a couple of different homemade bread recipes, but I really, really LOVE this one that my sister makes. It is so soft, light, and full of good, healthy grains. I also like that it doesn't dry out after a couple days like some of the other recipes I've tried. I went to her house last week to have a bread-making lesson and it was really quite simple. Her recipe makes 4 loaves plus about 2 dozen rolls in her Bosch mixer. I have a KitchenAid stand mixer, so I will cut my recipe in half. Her original measurements are included at the bottom, but I first listed the recipe cut in half -- which explains why some of the measurements are a little weird:

12 Grain Homemade Bread

3 c. hot tap water
1 c. 9 grain cracked cereal, uncooked (can also use steel cut oats)
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. millet
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. flax seed
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/4 c. vital wheat gluten
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. oil
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. + 1-1/2 tsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. + 1-1/2 tsp. dough enhancer
5-7 c. whole wheat flour (freshly ground is ideal, but not necessary)

Measure hot water, cereal, millet, flax seed, sunflower seeds and wheat gluten into mixer bowl. Mix gently to fold. Add yeast and enough flour to make a pancake consistency. Let sit until mixture has risen a couple inches from the top of the bowl; 15-20 minutes. Add honey, oil and salt and mix. Add whole wheat flour once up at a time. Begin mixing and add dough enhancer. Knead for 7 minutes. Spray loaf pans and/or muffin tins then form into loaves and/or rolls. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for about 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes for loaves and 15 minutes for rolls.

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Original measurements for a Bosch Mixer
(makes 4 loaves and about 2 dozen rolls)
6 c. hot tap water
2 c. 9 grain cracked cereal, uncooked
1/3 c. millet
1/3 c. flax seed
1 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. vital wheat gluten
2/3 c. honey
2/3 c. oil
2 T. salt
3 T. yeast
3 T. dough enhancer
10-15 cups whole wheat flour
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French Bread

Well -- we moved. In early February. From Texas to Utah. It's been a big change, but we are close to family and slowly getting settled here. Cooking has been off and on -- which is why I haven't been posting here since we left.

Last night, however, I tried an easy new bread recipe. It made two large french bread loaves and they were light and soft. The recipe is from my mother-in-law who got it from Dianne.

2-1/2 cups warm water

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. yeast

3 Tbsp. oil (I used canola)

1 tsp. salt + a pinch

6 c. flour (I added it slowly and only ended up using a little over 5 cups)

Mix the first three ingredients and set aside for about 10 minutes until yeast mixture is frothy. Add the next three ingredients -- adding the flour slowly. You may not need to use all six cups. You want the dough to still be tacky and just starting to pull away from the sides of the bowl as it's mixing.

Set dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Let rise for ten minutes then punch the dough down. Cover again, let rise for another ten minutes then punch dough. Repeat process one more time (for a total of 3 punching sessions and 30 minutes rise time). During last rising time preheat oven.

Shape into loaves on lightly greased (or siplat lined) baking sheet and place in oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes.

I did two french bread shaped loaves, but I'm told they can be shaped into baguettes or round loaves. I might even try buns or rolls with this recipe. Also, I was told that once the bread comes out of the oven you can mist it with water to make the crust crispy or brush with softened butter to make the crust soft. We used butter. Mmmmm!

Perfect Biscuits

Photo and Recipe from Homesick Texan

I have been turning to this biscuit recipe again and again (...and again) for a couple of years now. I've tried a couple of other recipes, but this is always the one that I come back to. They are so simple and use things that I always have on-hand. They are delicious and they turn out wonderful every time.

Recipe from Homesick Texan

2 cups of flour
1 Tbsp of baking powder
1 tsp of sugar (can add more to taste)
1/2 tsp of salt
1 stick of butter, cold (8 tablespoons)
3/4 cup of *buttermilk, cream or half-and-half

(*I always use this buttermilk substitute: 1 cup milk + 1 Tbsp white vinegar OR lemon juice -- let sit for 5 minutes)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Cut the stick of butter into pieces, and work into the flour mixture with your hands or a pastry blender until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. Add the liquid, mixing until a bit loose and sticky.

Pour dough out on a floured surface, and knead for a minute. Dough should be smooth and no longer wet. You can sprinkle more flour on the surface if you find it’s sticking. Take dough into a ball, and hit it with a rolling pin, turning it and folding it in half every few whacks. Do this for a couple of minutes. Roll out dough until it’s 1/4 of an inch thick, and then fold it in half. Using a round cutter (can use a glass or a cup if don’t have a biscuit cutter) cut out your biscuits from folded dough.

Place on a greased baking sheet close together (so they rise up not out), and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Makes 10-12 biscuits.

Turkey Sandwiches on Focaccia

On Saturday we tried these really yummy sandwiches. The bread and sandwich spread recipes are from Our Best Bites. Yummmy!

(Makes 2 VERY large sandwiches)

Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Garlic-Herb Sandwich Spread
Smoked Turkey from deli
Provolone or Havarti cheese slices
Tomato, sliced
Spinach (or lettuce) leaves
Onion, sliced into rings
Sprouts, optional

Slice Focaccia bread in half, smear each side with spread, layer on meat, cheese and veggies. Cut sandwich into four wedges and serve right away. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Bread

Ann Probert

Makes: 2 loaves

2 cups warm water (120 degrees)

1 Tbsp. active dry yeast

3 Tbsp. honey (or agave nectar)

STEP 1: Place water, yeast and honey in a large *mixing bowl and let sit until frothy.

3 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

3 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten

STEP 2: Add flour and vital wheat gluten to water mixture, mix 1 minute and then let stand for 10 minutes.

1/2 Tbsp. salt

3 Tbsp. oil

1 - 2 cups whole wheat flour

STEP 3: Add salt, oil, and remaining flour, starting with smaller portion. Test stickiness of dough during first few minutes of kneading, adding more flour as needed. The dough should feel "tacky" and start to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for 10 minutes.

STEP 4: Form into loaves. Gentily oil tops of loaves and place in greased pans. Cover and let loaves rise until doubled in size -- 20 to 30 minutes.Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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*This recipe is designed to be used in an electric bread mixing machine (i.e., Bosch), but if one is not available don't let that stop you. Just remember, keep the dough soft and tacky; don't be afraid to get your fingers sticky. You may also need to increase kneading and rising times.

Whole Grain Banana Bread

Photo and recipe from Whole Grain Gourmet.

Yep, this recipe is DEFINITELY a keeper. I made it on Saturday before company came and we all loved nibbling on it throughout the day -- even the little boys. I made it with chopped pecans and regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. I included my minor modifications below in italics.

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed natural brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed over-ripe bananas (I used four bananas)
1 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (I used 1 1/2 cup whole wheat + 1/4 cup all-purpose)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, preferrably 60% cocoa (I used semi-sweet)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter. (My pan was smaller, so I had to bake it longer.)

Combine flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Whisk and set aside. In another large bowl, combine butter, honey, and sugar and beat for two minutes. Add the eggs and lightly beat until just combined. Mix in bananas and vanilla -- do not overmix. Gradually beat in the flour mixture in thirds.

Dilute baking soda in ¼ cup hot (not boiling) water, then beat into batter. Stir in, by hand, the chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 325 for 52 minutes. (Test for doneness being careful not to overbake, as it may dry out the bread).

Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool. If you plan to serve this to guests and want clean slices, then allow it to cool for 30 minutes. If you want to enjoy some melt-in-your-mouth, out-of-this-world, warm banana bread, then dig in after 5 minutes.

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

Photo and Recipe from Our Best Bites.

Be sure to visit their site to get all the recipe details and helpful tips!!

I'm definitely an amateur biscuit-maker. But when I came across this recipe today I decided to give them a try since I have buttermilk in the fridge (from Our Best Bites' Buttermilk Pancakes. Can you tell I like their website? Mmmm!!) They were SO easy, so fast and SOOOO delicious. I had to get this recipe in my archives to I can easily find it again. Mmmm!

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2 C flour, plus more as needed

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 C real butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1/2 C buttermilk

1 extra large egg

1 C grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten with 1 T water or milk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Measure out 2 Cups of flour and then remove a spoonful of it and mix it with your grated cheese. Set floured cheese aside.

Place the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. Add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly 3-4 times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle about 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. If preferred, cut to make 12 smaller biscuits. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.

{Healthy-ish} Banana Muffins

Recipe from Bake.Pray.Love

3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. honey
1 egg + 3 Tbsp egg whites
1/4 c. butter, melted
3 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon) in bowl. In separate bowl combine wet ingredients (honey through butter), then add bananas. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir to incorporate. Bake for 20-26 minutes or until golden on the edges. Makes 12 muffins.

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My notes:
I made 15 muffins from one batch. I sprinkled oats on top of each muffin before baking. I think next time I'll sprinkle chopped walnuts on top, too. I think they would be better with more banana(s). A great snack and easy breakfast-on-the go.

Whole Wheat Pita Pockets

Photo and Recipe from Tammy's Recipes.

This pitas are seriously so amazing. I will NEVER be satisfied with store-bought pitas again. I was very intimidated at first, thinking these would be so complicated to make. But they are VERY easy and so fun to watch puff up in the oven. The pockets are also HUGE and can be stuffed much fuller than other pitas. They are so good when they're warm...with a little bit of butter.

1-1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)

1 Tbsp. oil

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

2-3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. gluten

1-1/2 tsp. dry yeast

1. In a large bowl combine water, oil, salt, and sugar. Add the gluten and 1 cup of the flour, along with yeast. Stir to mix. Add remaining flour and knead to make a soft dough. (Add more flour if necessary during kneading.)

2. Put dough into a bowl, lightly oil the top, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise, until almost doubled in size.

3. Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 6 or 7 ince circle.

4. As you roll the rounds, set them aside on a lightly floured countertop or table, and cover loosely with a towel. Let rise for about 25-35 minutes, until slightly puffy. (But the rounds will still be thin.)

5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place 2 rounds, side-by-side, onto a wire (cooling) rack. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for 4-5 minutes, until puffy and just slightly browned. Warning: if bread is too browned, it will be dry and not pliable.

6. Remove rack from oven and immediately wrap/layer pita breads in a damp towel, to soften. Continue baking the remaining breads, layering them between damp towels as soon as they're baked. Allow breads to completely cool.

7. Cut pita breads in half, or plit the top edge, and fill as desired.

8. Store pitas in a ziploc bag in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for longer. To re-warm pitas, wrap them in a damp towel and then wrap in foil. Place in a warm oven for about 20 minutes.

Fluffy Rolls

Lauren Wright

2 Tbsp yeast
1/3 cup hot water
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups hot water
1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup powdered milk
2 tsp salt
3 cups flour
2 beaten eggs
3-4 more cups flour

Combine yeast and 1/3 cup water. Set aside. Combine butter, 2 cups water, sugar, powdered milk, salt, and 3 cups flour. Mix. Add eggs and yeast mixture. Mix. Add 3-4 cups flour. Raise until doubled in size. Roll out and cut into strips. Knot. Raise until doubled again. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Phyllis D. Bond

5 1/2 c hot water
2/3 c honey
2/3 c oil
2 Tbsp salt
3 Tbsp instant yeast
11-14 c whole wheat flour
Seeds or nuts, opt

Mix all together adding enough flour to cause dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn to speed II and knead for 6 min. Add sunflower seeds and slivered almonds. Oil countertop. Pour dough onto counter and divide into 4 loaves. Put into pans. Raise 15 min in 150 degrree oven. Leave in oven and turn up to 350 degrees. Bake 30 min.

Notes: Soooooooooo yummy! I don't know if I'll ever use another bread recipe. I've made it three times in the last week and it's turned out awesome every time. I highly recommend adding sunflower seeds and 2-3 handfuls of oats. I'll probably try more add-ins. So hearty, healthy, and tasty. Great for sandwiches, toast, and delicious french toast. We're fans of this recipe. The best part: it's so easy. 

Simple Whole Wheat Bread

Recipe and Photo from Allrecipes.com

Makes 3 Loaves

3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup honey
5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
2. Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
3. Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely.

Notes: I only have one loaf pan so I just made a couple loaf-like blobs on a baking sheet. They turned out wonderful and even baked more evenly than the loaf pan. 

Perfect Rolls

Michelle Christensen

1-1/2 c. Warm/Hot Water

2 Tbsp. Yeast

2 Tbsp. Sugar

[Let yeast rise until foamy.]

6 c. Flour

3 Eggs

1/2 c. Butter, melted

1 tsp. Salt

6 Tbsp. Sugar

Mix all ingredients. Dough will be very sticky. Let dough rise for about an hour until it has doubled in size. Cut dough in half to work. Roll out then cut into pizza slice shapes. Roll into crescent shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise for about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until tops are golden.  Brush tops of rolls with butter. 

DELICIOUS and SO SOFT!! 

Blueberry Muffins

Frisco 1st Ward

2 c. Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 c. Butter, softened

1 c. Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 c. Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

2-1/2 c. Blueberries

Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin tins. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk and vanilla, begining and ending with dry ingredients, until batter is smooth. 

Crush 1/2 c. of the blueberries or cut up if frozen. Add to batter. Fold in remaining berries with spatula. Spoon into prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle each with a little sugar. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan 5 minutes, then remove onto a wire rack. 

Cheese Biscuits

2 c. Flour, sifted

4 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Sugar

1 Egg, beaten

1 c. Cold Milk

1/4 c. Butter, melted

Mix all ingredients then add 1 cup grated cheese. It will be lumpy. Bake at 400 for 20-25 mins.

Homemade Bread

Camden LeeMaster, Frisco 1st Ward

1/2 c. Warm Water

3 (1/4 oz) pkg Active Dry yeast

1/4 c. Bread Flour

1 Tbsp Sugar

2 c. Quick Cooking Oats

2 c. Whole Wheat Flour

4-1/2 c. Warm Water

1-1/2 Tbsp. Salt

2/3 c. Brown Sugar

2/3 c. Vegetable Oil

10 c. Bread Flour

In mixing bowl, stir together 1/2 c. warm water, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1/4 c. bread flour, and yeast. Let grow about 5 minutes. It will bubble almost immediately.

Measure oats, 4-1/2 cups warm water, whole wheat flour, salt, 2/3 c. sugar, and 2/3 c. oil into mixing bowl. Mix on low speed with a dough hook for 1-2 minutes. Increase speed slightly and begin adding bread flour 1/2 to 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from the edge of bowl. It is normal for dough to be sticky. Place dough in an oiled bowl; turn to coat the surface. Cover with damp cloth. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or double in size. Divide dough into 6 pieces. Shape loaves and place in greased 8x4 pans. Let rise until dough is 1 inch about rim of pans, usually 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until tops are browned. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn onto wire racks to cool completely. 

Flour Tortillas

6 c. Flour

1 Tbsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

1/3 c. Oil

2-1/4 c. Warm Water

Mix all ingredients well. On a bread board, continue to knead dough, adding flour as needed to avoid sticking. Pinch off small ball of dough (about golf ball size) and roll out on floured board. It's very similar to rolling out pie crust but tortilla will be much thinner.

Cook on an ungreased grill about medium to medium-high heat. The tortilla will puff up while cooking. Using a clean dish towel, press down the edges, then turn over and do the same on the other side. Serve right off the grill with butter.