Appalachian pone bread is a simple quick bread that is said to has origins from the Powhatan tribe. However, it has developed into a hybrid of both the indigenous bread taught years ago heavily influenced by bannock, a Scottish fry bread that lead to the modern day American biscuit. What was once made traditionally with fat, cornmeal and water has evolved into either a biscuit type bread or a corn pone, similar to pancakes made with cornmeal.

This particular recipe shows you the Appalachian skillet bread that is made more like a giant biscuit in a cast iron skillet. It will use flour instead of cornmeal and will be a hearty bread for soups, stews or just some good old butter and jam. Let's get to baking!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Now that we have learned a little bit about this Appalachian pone bread recipe, let’s move on to making it by going over a few simple steps. We recommend you read over the recipe and then make it as there are tips, tricks and substitutions mentioned to make it your very own.

Step 1: Prepare your Pan and Preheat your Oven

Generously grease the inside of a 9 or 10" (23 - 25 cm) cast iron skillet. You can use butter, lard, cooking spray, oil or shortening. Cooking spray and oils can leave a sticky residue that is hard to remove behind after it bakes so we like to stick with lard, butter or vegetable shortening. If you do not have a cast iron pan, you can use a cake pan or any baking dish rated for high temperatures. Be sure to grease it generously.

Next, you will need to heat up your oven to 425F (220C.) You can go as high as 475F (250C) but we’ve found for beginners, a more moderately high heat is less likely to give you issues. If your pan is dark from years of use or has a dark coating on it, you may even want to drop the temperature to 400F (200C.) This will keep your pone from getting too brown on the bottom. Let the oven really heat up before you place your pone in the oven for best results.

Step 2: Gather and Mix Your Ingredients

When making pone, you traditionally work with cold ingredients. This is an advantage as you don’t have to wait for everything to come up to room temperature. Some say that working with warm ingredients will make a tough bread, but we haven't had this issue. Over-mixing causes tough bread more than the temperature for this recipe. We’ve tried both ways and decided we like the cold method as you get a better tasting bread because the butter has more rise to it and less time waiting. We recommend cubing the cold butter for faster incorporation. The cubes should be about 1/2″ or 1.27cm in size if you need a guide.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt until well blended. If you are using self-rising flour, skip the baking powder and baking soda. Self-rising already added the leavening for you. Some people like to sugar, honey, molasses, splenda or other sweetner for both a hint of sweetness and aid in browning, while others do not. We will let you decide if you want to do this. Personally, I like to use honey. Some like to chill the flour mixture in the freezer while the oven preheats. We find it’s not necessary, try both ways and see what happens.

Step 3: Rub-In Method

When making pone, we will use the rub-in method to combine the flour mixture with the butter. This creates a short, crisp dough that will give you a tender and flaky bread. You want to work quickly so that the butter doesn’t melt too much and you have a fluffy interior. You can also pulse this in a blender, food processor, use knives, a fork or pastry blender. We find it easier to use our hands as it's less cleanup and only takes a couple of minutes.

Pick up a small amount of the flour mixture and butter. Rub the butter into the flour mixture. By pressing the butter into the flour with your thumbs and into your fingertips, you will then run your thumbs across your fingertips and allow the mixture to cascade off your hands. Pick up more of the butter and flour mixture and repeat until all the butter is coated. You can also use the palms of your hands and rub them together, but many bakers avoid using them as your fingers are typically cooler than your palms.

We do a combination of both because we find it is faster to incorporate all the butter. Regardless of your chosen method, the mixture should be like bread crumbs or wet sand and all the butter will be coated when you are done. The pieces will vary in size. From a little larger than a grain of sand to the size of a small pea or pebble. Stop here.

Step 4: Mix your Wet Ingredients

Add in the buttermilk. If you do not have buttermilk, you could either use a buttermilk substitute, regular milk or water. This is a simple recipe and meant to be made with simple ingredients. Buttermilk is ideal, but not required.

Using your hands or a spoon, stir in the buttermilk until a shaggy and sticky dough forms. If the dough is dry after throughly mixing, you can add more buttermilk until it looks like the picture below.

Step 5: Shape the Dough

Using clean hands, pat the dough into a relatively even layer. It doesn't have to be perfect by any means.

It should look similar to this. You are now ready to bake your pone bread!

Step 7: Bake

Bake 20 - 25 minutes or the top is a until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 190F (88C.)

Substitutions and Tips

Here are some common substitutions and tips for this Appalachian pone bread recipe.

• Instead of butter, lard, vegetable shortening or margarine can be substituted in equal amounts. Vegetable oil spread is not recommended as it doesn’t have enough fat.
• Any type of milk can be used for this recipe. Even milk substitutes like soy or almond work well.
• You can replace up to one-half of the white flour with whole wheat flour or cornmeal. You may need to add another 1 – 2 tablespoons (15 – 30mL) of milk to get a sticky dough as whole wheat and cornmeal absorbs liquid more readily.
• This will be a sticky dough. Do not add more flour or it will become tough and dense.
• Add up to 1 cup (4oz) of shredded cheese for a cheesy pone! Want to spice things up? Add in some powdered pepper of your choice, toss in some garlic or cut up some jalapeños. You can make all kinds of fun combinations with some creative thinking.

Storage

Freshly baked bread is always best eaten the day you make it. Pone does not have a long shelf life. However, they can keep 2-3 days before they typically go off. Let the pone cool completely and store in an airtight container or plastic bag to stay soft. The crust will also soften stored this manner. If you want the crust to be more like the day you baked them, store in a paper sack or bread bin.

Pone can freeze up to 3 months. Store in a freezer safe bag or container after it has completely cooled from baking. Thaw the pone in container at room temperature. Frozen pone can be reheated in the oven at 350F (180C) for approximately 10 – 15 minutes or until warm.

The Recipe

Below you will find the recipe for appalachian pone bread with a video tutorial on how it is made. If you didn’t read the above step-by-step directions, now is the time. Here at Jackson’s Job, we strive to stick to the details about the recipe with very little fluff. You may actually learn some valuable skills along the way. So scroll back and at least skim over our efforts to make this a rewarding and successful bake!

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Appalachian Pone Bread Recipe

Appalachian pone bread is a biscuit type bread traditionally baked in a cast iron skillet. Often called skillet bread, biscuit bread or even dog bread, this recipe has roots back to colonization time of North America. The Powhatan tribe is contributed with both the name and the core foundation of this Appalachian bread recipe.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 16 slices

Calories 169.7kcal

Ingredients

• 3 cups (450g) self-rising flour*
• 1 ¼ cups (300mL) buttermilk
• ½ cup (113g) butter
• ¼ cup (56g) lard or vegetable shortening
• 1 tbs (12.5g) sugar
• ½ tsp (2.5g) salt

Instructions

• Repeat the last two steps until all pancakes are cooked. Serve while still warm.

Notes

*Substitute for self-rising flour:  Add 1 tsp of baking soda (6g) and 2 tsp of baking powder (8g) to the flour.  If you are not using buttermilk, use 1 tbs (12g) of baking powder and omit the baking soda.  

You may omit the salt to reduce the salt intake of this bread, especially if using self-rising flour as some brands have a lot of sodium content.

If you do not have buttermilk, you can use any type of milk or even water.  The recipe tastes best with buttermilk.

Sugar is optional for this bread and can be omitted or substituted for other sweeteners such as honey, molasses or even sugar substitutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 169.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.5g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 9.4g | Saturated Fat: 4.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g

Recently, we taught you how to make an easy dairy-free dough recipe with the promise of showing you how to utilize this soft dough in the future. Today, we are going to show you how to make dairy-free cinnamon rolls without butter, milk or any type of milk products! You won't believe how soft and pillowy these cinnamon rolls until you try them.

Step-By-Step Instructions

It is very easy this dairy-free cinnamon rolls recipe by hand. If you want to use a stand mixer, feel free as that can be even easier. When using a stand mixer, you simply add all the ingredients at once and let the mixer knead the dough for you 8 – 12 minutes or until dough is elastic. However, we love to make dough by hand as it is a very relaxing and rewarding endeavor.

If you are making the dough by hand, follow along below. It is not a difficult process, we promise!

Step 1: Add the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, add the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix until combined.

Step 2: Add the Remaining Ingredients

Add in the water and oil.

Using your hands, or the handle of a spoon, stir the mixture together.

Step 3: Mix the Ingredients until Shaggy

Continue to stir until a shaggy dough forms and it comes away from the sides of the bowl. Otherwise, we are going to turn this onto a clean work surface and begin to knead our dough.

Step 4: Knead the Dough

After you form a shaggy dough, turn it out onto a clean work surface. Knead 8 – 10 minutes or until the dough stretches easily without tearing. First, you start out with your formed dough.

Next, using one or both hands, grab the dough on the edge furthest from you and press the edge outward.

Now, take that edge you pushed and fold it back onto the dough.

Grab the folded edge and push it away from you like before.

Repeat this step until the dough is less sticky. At first it will stick to your hands a lot.

Keep working the dough for a good 5 minutes. Resist the urge to add flour.

As you work the dough, it will become less sticky as the gluten develops.

At this point, check the dough to see if it stretches easily without tearing. Not quite ready, so you continue to knead.

The dough is no longer sticking to my hands, so I check again for stretching.

It is ready!

Step 5: Let the Dough Relax and Rise

Now the dough needs to rest. Roll the ball up into a loose ball. This ball will help you determine when the dough has doubled in size more easily.

Set it back inside the bowl you mixed it in and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Place it away from drafts, small children and pets. Allow it to rest until it doubles in size.

This can take 1 – 3 hours depending on the temperature in your home. Typically, it takes around 90 minutes at temperatures between 70°F – 72°F (21°C – 22°C) for guidance. Once the dough has doubled, you can begin using it however you like! Told you this was an Easy Dairy-Free Dough Recipe. But we will show you how to make some simple dinner rolls.

Step 6: Shape and Fill the Dough

Now that the dough has risen, we will learn how to shape the dough for cinnamon rolls. On a clean work surface, roll dough into a 9x12" (23x30 cm) rectangle. If the dough wants to stick to the surface, sprinkle a small amount of flour under the dough. Likewise, if the dough is sticking to your hands or rolling pin, sprinkle on a little flour. Use as little as possible.

Evenly coat the dough with vegetable oil spread or shortening, leaving a 1/2" (1.25cm) space on one of the 9" (23cm) edges free of spread if desired for the dough to stick to itself. You can use any of these types of spread or shortening.

Your dough should look like this. A nice thin layer.

For the Filling

Stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Sprinkle the filling on top of the dough. Starting from the 9" (23cm) side with butter and filling, gently roll the dough into a log.

Cut into 9 slices using either dental floss or a serrated knife for best results. Using a ruler can help in this step as often the length of the dough can increase as you roll it up.

Step 7: Rest and Let Rise

Generously grease a 8" (20cm) baking dish with cooking oil, non-stick spray, vegetable oil spread or vegetable shortening. Place slices into pan, about 1" apart (2.5 cm.) Cover and allow to rest 30 - 60 minutes or until double in size. Resist to place the dough in a warm area, the oven or in a proofing drawer to speed up this process. Heating the dough can cause the filling to seep into the bottom of the pan and make your cinnamon rolls dry.

It is best to just wait until they double in size to move on to the next step.

Step 8: Bake

Now, we bake the dough until it is a beautiful golden brown. This will take approximately 18 – 22 minutes and depends on the type of bakeware you are using. For instance, expect ceramic and glass to take much longer than aluminum or stainless steel. If you are using a dark colored pan, you may need to drop the temperature 25°F (10°C) to prevent over browning of the crust. The center temperature should reach 190°F (88°C) when they are fully done.

Step 9: Make the Glaze

In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix in the water, 1 teaspoon at time until desired consistency. Do not add the water all at once.

Remove rolls to a wire rack in order to cool. Drizzle glaze over the top of the cinnamon rolls after they have cooled 10 minutes. Adding the glaze too early will cause it to melt off and run down the sides, pooling onto the counter.

Substitutions and Tips

Here are some substitutions and tips for cinnamon rolls without dairy.

• You can make the rolls the night before. Instead of rising the second time, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight up to 24 hours. The next day, let them sit on the counter 30 minutes or until they are double in size and then bake as usual. If the rolls are already doubled in size, let them rest at room temperature for 20 minutes prior to baking.
• You can replace up to one-half of the white flour with whole wheat flour. You may need to add 1 – 2 tablespoons (15 – 30mL) of water to get a smooth dough as whole wheat absorbs liquid more readily.
• If you don't have vegetable spread or shortening, you can use oil instead for the filling. Canola and vegetable oils will give a neutral taste.
• Coconut oil can be substituted for the vegetable oil spread in this recipe but it will give a slight coconut flavor to the filling.
• Trying to cut the calories? Use only 2 tablespoons or 30 mL of oil in the dough recipe!

Storage

Freshly baked cinnamon rolls are always best eaten the day you make them. However, they will store up to three days before they go stale. Let the rolls cool completely and store in an airtight container or plastic bag to stay soft.

These cinnamon rolls freeze well up to 2 months. For best results, wrap each one in plastic wrap after they have cooled and place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Frozen cinnamon rolls can be reheated in the oven at 350F (180C) for 10 – 15 minutes. You can also thaw them on the counter until they reach room temperature, about 2 hours.

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Dairy-Free Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Learn how to make cinnamon rolls dairy-free with this easy recipe. We are making cinnamon rolls without butter or milk by using water and oil to replace key ingredients. This cinnamon roll recipe without dairy is so soft and fluffy that others won't believe it.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Rest Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Calories 240.4kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 2 cups (300g) flour
• ⅔ cup (160mL) water
• 3 tbs (45mL) oil
• 2 tbs (25g) sugar
• 1 tsp (3g) yeast
• ½ tsp (2.5g) salt

For the Filling

• ⅓ cup (75g) brown sugar
• 2 tbs (28g) vegetable oil spread or vegetable shortening
• 1 tbs (9g) flour
• 1 tsp (2g) cinnamon

For the Glaze

• 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar
• 1-3 tbs (15 - 45 mL) water
• ¼ tsp (1.25mL) vanilla

Instructions

For the Dough

• In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together with the handle of a spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a clean work surface until dough is elastic and stretches easily without tearing. This can take 8 - 12 minutes.
• Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest until double in size. This typically takes 60 - 120 minutes.
• Roll dough into a 9x12" (23x30 cm) rectangle. Evenly coat the dough with vegetable oil spread or shortening, leaving a 1/2" (1.25cm) space on one of the 9" (23cm) edges free of spread.

For the Filling

• Stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the filling on top of the dough. Starting from the 9" (23cm) side with butter and filling, gently roll the dough into a log.
• Cut into 9 slices.Generously grease a 8" (20cm) baking dish with cooking oil, non-stick spray, vegetable oil spread or vegetable shortening. Place slices into pan, about 1" apart (2.5 cm.)Cover and allow to rest 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) when there is 20 minutes left on the second rise. Remove the plastic wrap after they have risen and place the rolls in the oven.
• Bake 18 - 22 minutes or until rolls are golden brown and center reaches 190F (88C.)

For the Glaze

• In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix in the water, 1 teaspoon at time until desired consistency. Do not add the water all at once.
• Remove rolls to a wire rack in order to cool. Drizzle glaze over the top of the cinnamon rolls after they have cooled 10 minutes. Cool rolls completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

You can add up to 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon for a total of 3 grams.  Adding more than recommended can lead to a bitter taste to the cinnamon rolls due to the spice naturally having a slightly bitter quality to it.

Really like the glaze?  Double it!  This will make your cinnamon rolls extra gooey and sweet.

An important note on dry yeast: Instant dry yeast is used in this recipe, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients or dissolved in water before mixing. If you're using active dry yeast, modern varieties generally don't need to be dissolved in warm water first, although some manufacturers still recommend it. Rapid-rise yeast may affect rising times.

Always check the manufacturer's instructions on your yeast package for the best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 240.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.6g | Protein: 2.8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.1g

Can you make bagels without bread flour using all-purpose or plain flour? Many will tell you no. When it comes to homemade bread, there are a lot of opinions. Some believe you have to have the best quality ingredients and equipment. They will look down on simple recipes geared toward the average home baker and go into a million reasons why you can't do this or that and why their methods are superior. We are not those folk! We are here to set the record straight by doing the experiment for you.

So, is a bagel recipe without bread flour possible? Absolutely! We will show you how to make bagels with all-purpose or plain flour. We will also show you how to make bagels without malt or barley syrups or powders. There will be some differences between a bagel made with bread flour versus one made with all-purpose flour, but they are not deal breakers.

First, when you use bread flour for bagels, you will naturally have an airy and more chewier texture. This is due to bread flour having a higher protein count than most all-purpose or plain flours. The higher the protein, the more gluten will be available. Working high protein flours gives a strength and chew you don't get with all-purpose flours. This will be subtle or not noticeable to most people.

Most will simply enjoy an amazing homemade bagel. Others will tell right away. Those that adore bagels and eat them with gusto will not only taste the difference but will all feel the difference in texture between their teeth. All-purpose or plain flours will be more dense by nature and this can show up more readily in simple recipes like bagels, pizza dough and pretzels. So as long as you are prepared for a slight difference in texture and taste, I say let's make some bagels!

Second, not everyone has access to malt powder or syrup. Because of this, we are going to use plain sugar in the dough. If you have some brown sugar, it will give a better depth of flavor, closer to the barley malt syrup, but we want to keep this recipe simple for everyone to enjoy. For the water, we are going to give plenty of options there as well. Again, this will change the taste ever so slightly, but most will not be able to tell.

Finally, when it comes to bread making, fresh bread simply doesn't last as long as store bought. For that reason, we are going to make a small batch of bagels. This will allow you to decide whether or not you like bagels without bread flour and also they will be less likely to go stale on you. Seriously, a day or two tops is the limits for most freshly baked breads without adding a lot of preservatives.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Below, we will teach you how to make this bagel recipe without bread flour by hand. We recommend making bread by hand whenever possible, but when it is not, a stand mixer meant for kneading dough will work nicely. Just place the ingredients in the mixer and follow the directions from the manufacturer and run it for 8 - 12 minutes or until it stretches easily without tearing. To learn how to make the dough by hand, read on.

Step 1: Add the Dry Ingredients

First, before you begin, make sure you have a couple days to make this recipe. The dough needs to rest overnight in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. If you don't have the time for the long rest period, you will not develop that classic bagel taste.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, instant dry yeast and salt. It doesn't matter if you are using fast acting or instant dry yeast for this recipe. If you are using active dry yeast, you will need to follow the manufacturer's instructions in order to activate the yeast.

Step 2: Add the Wet Ingredients

Now, add the water and oil. The oil in the bread helps with the chewy texture on the outside and helps the bread be less dense on the inside due to using all-purpose flour. If you want to use less oil, replace it with equal amounts of water.

Step 3: Mix

Using the handle of a plastic or wooden spoon, or your hands, mix together the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms.

It should look like this.

Step 4: Knead the Dough

Place the dough on a clean work surface. Using the palm of your hand, push the edge of the dough away from you.

Next, fold the dough in half.

Repeat this step over and over. You will knead for 8 - 10 minutes. You can alternate your hands so you don't get too tired.

After about 8 minutes, check to see if you can stretch the dough without it tearing. This dough is soft, but it's tearing easily. It's not quite ready.

Depending on the dough, it may stick a little to your hands as you knead. The dough should be less sticky as you work the dough.

This dough is ready. It is stretching easily without tearing.

Roll it up into a loose ball.

Place it in the bowl we mixed the dough in earlier. It is now time to rest.

Cover the dough and let it rest 45 minutes, then place it in the fridge overnight up to 24 hours.

Depending on how long you let it sit in the fridge, it might not quite double in size because the cold air slows down the yeast. The point of slowing down the yeast is to allow the dough to develop a nice slightly tangy flavor common to bagels. This is called fermenting the dough.

Resting for 24 hours, you will see the grow much more as it will be full of air bubbles from the fermentation of the yeast.

Step 5: Shape the Bagel Dough

Place the dough on a clean work surface. A cutting board can work great for this task. Divide the dough into four equal pieces. If you don't have a scale by now, seriously consider getting one if you plan to start baking a lot. Roll each piece into a loose ball.

You have two options for shaping bagels. The traditional way and the modern method. For the traditional method, you will want to roll the dough into a rope long enough to wrap around the palm of your hand with the ability to overlap the ends about 2" (5cm) to secure the ends. This will vary person to person as hand sizes vary, but a general guideline for the dough rope would about 12" (30cm) long.

The dough should be as even as possible in thickness, but you want to taper it slightly on the ends like you see pictured below.

Now test fit to see if it will wrap around your hand just under the base of your fingers. If not, roll it a little longer.

Wrap the rolled dough around the back of your hand so the two ends overlap in the center of your palm just below your fingers. It should look like the photo below.

Here comes the tricky bit. Press the dough onto your work surface palm side down and roll back and forth until the two ends adhere together. You can stop and check periodically. Try to put just enough pressure to get the ends to stick together but not so much you make the dough thinner than the rest of the rope. Don't worry if it's not perfect. These are homemade and this takes time to learn.

You should now have a nice circular shaped dough. It's already taking shape as a bagel!

The more modern method is to flatten the dough out into a round disk about 1/2" (1.27cm) tall. Then, using your thumb, poke a hole into the center of the disk of dough.

Using your thumb and fingers, stretch the center hole by rotating the dough and pulling gently outward.

Here is another angle so you can get a feel for how to do this step. Make the center hole at least 2" (5cm) wide if you want the hole to not close up during baking. We will make some a variety of sizes so you can see the difference.

You should now have four bagel shaped dough ready for the next step!

Step 6: Rest the Dough and Preheat that Oven

This is the time to turn on your oven. Preheat it to 425°F (220°C) and let it get nice and hot. Arrange the dough onto a non-stick or floured surface so they can be easily lifted later and won't deflate.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a lint-free clean tea towel. Let the dough sit for 20 minutes.

Step 7: Prepare the Water Bath and Baking Tray

You will need a non-stick surface, a silicone mat, or parchment paper on a baking tray. Parchment is our favorite as it absorbs excess water from the boiling bagels. You will also need a strainer or slotted spoon to remove the bagels safely from the water.

If you do not have malt barley syrup, you have options. Molasses, honey, maple sugar, brown sugar and sorghum are all great options. Each will give a unique hint of a flavor to the bagel. Make sure you like the taste of whatever you choose. If you don't like molasses, you won't be happy using it.

In a large pot, this one is 5 quarts, add in two generous tablespoons (30mL) of your sweetener. If you want to help the bagels brown better, add in 1/2 tsp (3g) of baking soda to the pot. Otherwise, add 2.5 - 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil on the stovetop.

Step 8: Boil the Bagel Dough

After the water has come to a boil, the oven has heated and the bagels have rested 20 minutes, we will boil them. Remove the plastic wrap and discard it.

Lower the temperature just slightly while you place the bagels carefully into the pot.

If the pot is big enough, you can place all the bagels in at once. Otherwise, you will boil however many will fit into your pan.

Boil up to 90 seconds on each side, but no longer than 3 minutes total. Going longer than this risks collapsing the dough or making the exterior gelatinous and rubbery.

Carefully lift each bagel out of the water and allow it to drain over the pot before transferring to the baking sheet. If you want to add toppings do so now. If you want to dip the bagel into toppings for each side, do so carefully not to deflate the dough or to burn yourself from the hot water.

Step 9: Bake

Now you want to bake the bagels 15 - 18 minutes or until a golden brown. If you used baking soda, they will have a lovely golden hue. If you skipped it, they will be more amber brown when fully baked. The ones below have baking soda in the water. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour prior to serving.

Substitutions and Tips

Here are some common substitutions and tips for this recipe.

• You can use malt syrup in place of the sugar in the dough. Swap it out in equal amounts and reduce the water by 1 tbs (15mL) so your dough is still a firm consistency.
• Bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose or plain flour in equal amounts.
• Up to 1/2 the all-purpose flour can be replaced with whole wheat flour.
• You can reduce the amount of oil to 1 tbs (15mL) just replace the oil with equal amounts of water.
• You can eliminate the sugar altogether from the recipe. The dough will dry out faster.

Storage

Freshly baked bread is always best eaten the day you make it. However, these can store up to two days before they go stale. Let the rolls cool completely and store in an airtight container or plastic bag to stay soft. The crust will soften slightly stored this way. If you want the crust to be more like the day you baked them, store in a paper sack or bread bin.

Bagels freeze up to 1 month. Frozen bagels can then be reheated in the oven at 350F (180C) for 10 – 15 minutes.

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Bagel Recipe with all-purpose flour

Learn how to make a bagel without bread flour or malt powders and syrups. This simple bagel recipe with all-purpose flour makes them accessible to all! Although not New York's finest, this will be an excellent homemade bagel perfect for cream cheese, lox and more!

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Rest 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 27 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 267.5kcal

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 cups (300g) flour
• ⅔ cup (160mL) water
• 2 tbs (30mL) oil
• 1 tbs (14g) sugar
• 1 tsp (3.5g) yeast
• ½ tsp (2.5g) salt

Water Bath

• 3 quarts (2.8L) water
• 2 tbs (30mL) barley malt syrup, molasses, sorghum, brown sugar, or honey
• ½ tsp (3g) baking soda, optional

Instructions

• In a bowl, combine flour, water, sugar, oil, salt and yeast. Stir until it forms a shaggy dough.
• Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead 8-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes. Place dough in refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours. The time it spends in the fridge will develop a nice flavor to the dough.
• Divide dough into four and cover the remaining pieces as you work. Roll each piece until it is approximately 12" (30cm) long. Wrap the strand around the back of your hand, overlapping at least 2" (5cm) inside your palm. Place your palm down on a clean surface and roll the dough back and forth until the ends seal together making a doughnut shape. Place the dough onto parchment covered baking sheets, cover and repeat for the remaining dough. Let rest 20 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, preheat oven to 425F (220C.)
• In a large pot, add barley syrup, molasses, sorghum, brown sugar, or honey. Next add the baking soda and water. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, carefully add the dough and boil on each side 30 - 90 seconds. Do not exceed 3 minutes. Remove the bagel dough from the water using a strainer, allow to drain over the pot of water.
• Carefully place on the parchment paper lined baking sheet, several inches apart. If toppings are desired, sprinkle on the bagel immediately after placing on the parchment or dip the bagel carefully into the mixture prior to placing on the baking sheet.
• Bake 15 - 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before slicing for best results.

Notes

Make sure your parchment paper can be baked at 425F (220C) or lower the heat to 400F (200C) and bake an additional 3 - 5 minutes or until golden brown.

An important note on dry yeast: Instant dry yeast is used in this recipe, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients or dissolved in water before mixing. If you're using active dry yeast, modern varieties generally don't need to be dissolved in warm water first, although some manufacturers still recommend it. Rapid-rise yeast may affect rising times.

Always check the manufacturer's instructions on your yeast package for the best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bagel | Calories: 267.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5g

Ever since I was a little girl, I remember my grandmother making pancakes. I have a lot of fond memories of my grandmother and they seem to always surround making food. Pancakes and buttermilk biscuits were some of the first foods she taught me how to make. They are cheap, filling and very tasty. This is the key to feeding a large family on a very small budget. However, as I aged and our family size shrank with time, it occurred to me there weren't many recipes geared toward smaller families of one or two people. Don't we deserve a tasty meal? In order to rectify that, I've started making classic recipes in the smallest portion possible. This buttermilk pancake recipe for one will give a generous portion that won't leave you lacking.

They were very affordable to make and that’s why we saw them a lot. Between pancakes and gravy, we would never go without food. It was a staple in our family because it was cheap to make, it was filling and it went with pretty much everything. If she wanted to have a savory dish she would leave out the sugar. If she wanted it to be more sweet, she put in a little extra sugar. You can choose for yourself how you want your pancakes to turn out.

Why buttermilk pancakes, though? Why do we use buttermilk in so many Appalachian recipes? Buttermilk was commonly used in Appalachia because of how cheap it was. Cream and other types of milk weree always more expensive. Buttermilk was considered an outcast of making butter and was often trashed by more affluent folk. It became taboo to use buttermilk if you had money. That benefited people who were poor because they had access to buttermilk as a result. That is why you will see so many recipes using buttermilk in old-fashioned cooking. 

Step-by-step instructions

This buttermilk pancake recipe is very easy to make. You may not even need instructions. However, for those who haven't ever made them before. we will add plenty of detail.  

Step 1: Gather your Ingredients and Supplies

Gather your ingredients whenever it comes to making any recipe. No matter how simple or complex, it is a great idea to get all of your ingredients ahead of time. Make sure you have all the equipment you need such as a skillet, a spatula and oil.

Step 2: Mix Your Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl you want to mix together your flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar. If you want to use self-rising flour, omit the baking soda. No baking soda? No problem! You can use baking powder instead in equal amounts. If you do not want to use the sugar, you can omit it. The sugar is to help keep the pancakes from drying out during cooking and gives a little bit of coloring. But it is not necessary for the recipe. Mix these ingredients together until they are well combined, then set aside.

Step 3: Mix your Wet Ingredients

In a smaller bowl, you want to beat together your buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Using vanilla is not necessary, and if you were making a more savory side dish, I recommend you skip the vanilla.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Make a well inside the dry ingredients by pushing all the flour mixture to the sides of the pan. Now pour in your wet ingredients and quickly stir together until it is just combined. There may be some lumps and that is OK. You do not want to over mix pancake batter as it will become tough and chewy.

Step 5: Preheat your Skillet

Preheat your skillet and allow it to come to temperature. You will know it’s ready when you put a small amount of water in the the pan and it sizzles and evaporates immediately. If using a non-stick pan, do not heat too long as it can ruin the finish. It is best to refer to the owner's manual when using non-stick pans. For pancakes, we highly recommend cast iron skillets but realize not everyone has access to one.

Step 6: Cooking your Pancakes

Drizzle a small amount of oil, about 1 teaspoon, in the shape of a G inside your skillet. If you are using a nonstick pan, do not put oil in your pan. Oil can adhere to the pan's non-stick surface and permanently mar or ruin it. Instead, add the batter directly to your pan.

You want to add 1/3 cup (approximately 80 mL) of batter into the middle of your pan and spread it out into a circular shape. Cook one side for approximately 2 to 3 minutes until the edges start to dry out and you see bubbles forming throughout the pancake.

Once this happens, quickly flip it and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown or the internal temperature reaches between 200°F (93°C) - 210°F (99°C.).

Do not flip your pancake more than once or this can toughen it up and dry it out.  The bottom of the pancake should be a golden brown, just like the top! To serve multiple amounts of pancakes at the same time, you can keep them warm by placing them in your oven at the lowest setting on a baking sheet.

Now it's time to serve and enjoy your pancakes!

Troubleshooting

Let's go over some basic issues that may pop up when making this buttermilk pancake recipe. We will also show what various pans can do to the pancake exterior.

If you see a lump of flour inside your pancakes, your flour may be older or you live in a humid climate. Flour often becomes lumpy as it ages due to humidity in the air clumping the flour. To prevent this from happening, next time you can pre-sift your flour or break the lumps up prior to mixing.

Another reason this may occur is due to adding cold ingredients to room temperature ones. To prevent this, bring the buttermilk and eggs to room temperature prior to mixing the ingredients.

Pancake that do not have a crispy edge, are brown throughout and don't have a marble pattern like this, is likely due to the type of pan you are using. Non-stick pans will brown the pancake completely throughout and will not give the pancake the same appearance as one cooked in a cast iron skillet. Below is an example of a pancake cooked on a non-stick surface.

In contrast, this pancake was cooked on a cast iron skillet. It's crispy on the edges, not greasy, fluffy and light. This is our favorite method.

The pancake below was cooked with non-stick cooking spray. The lines in the pancakes are from it sitting on a cooling rack. Look at the spray pattern in the center of the pancake. Non-stick spray also tends to make a thin, tough exterior if cooked too long or at too high of a temperature. It is our least favorite.

This pancake was cooked at too low of a temperature. Notice the light coloration and shiny, greasy appearance.

This pancake was cooked with butter instead of oil. The marbling is much lighter due to the steam the water in the butter created while cooking. For best results, we recommend oil, lard, or shortening.

Substitutions and Tips

Here are some common substitutions for this buttermilk pancake recipe for one. Whenever possible, we like to provide substitutions and tips along the way.

• You can use a buttermilk substitute for this recipe, but it is not ideal. In general when something has the word buttermilk in the recipe title, it is best you use buttermilk and not a substitute.
• You can use regular milk in any percentage in place of buttermilk, but you will need to replace the baking soda with baking powder. They will not rise with baking soda in equal amounts.
• Instead of plain or all-purpose flour you can use self rising flour. If using self rising flour, omit the baking powder and baking soda.
• If you do not have baking soda, you can replace with equal parts baking powder.
• Due to the baking soda, this recipe is naturally high in sodium.  However, you can make a few minor changes to reduce the sodium levels.  To decrease the sodium intake to 577g per pancake, omit the 1/8 tsp of salt.  To further decrease the sodium, omit the salt, change the baking soda to 1/2 tsp (1.5g) and add 1/2 tsp (2g) of baking powder.  This will result in 448.5 grams of sodium per serving.
• You do not need to use sugar in this recipe. The sugar does help retain moistness and keeps the pancakes from drying out. It also leads to a little bit of browning , but it is not necessary to have a good pancake.
• To make these pancakes even thicker, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the mixture.
• To make the pancakes thinner, add 1-2 tablespoons more buttermilk.
• You can melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the wet ingredients if desired for more depth of flavor. 

Storage

Pancakes are best fresh and hot off the skillet. They will lose crispness, become softer in texture and dry out quickly. For storage, you can wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Defrost before eating. Unwrap the pancakes and heat on a baking sheet in an oven at 350°F (180°C) for 5-10 minutes until warm, or heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals until warm.

Did you know it was easy to make your own pancake syrup? Do you like your pancakes with or without syrup? Let us know in the comments below and why!

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Appalachian Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

Make this easy buttermilk pancake recipe handed down from generation to generation of Appalachian women. Designed to be a smaller recipe for one or two people. It is also great for practicing learning how to make this staple of country cooking.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 3 pancakes

Calories 298.3kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240mL) room temperature buttermilk
• 1 cup (150g) flour
• 1 large (50g) room temperature egg
• 1 tsp (4g) sugar, optional
• 1 tsp (3g) baking soda
• ½ tsp (2.5mL) vanilla, optional
• ⅛ tsp (.625g) salt
• 2 tbs (30mL) oil (for cooking)

Instructions

• About 30-60 minutes prior to cooking, bring your buttermilk and eggs to room temperature. Failure to do so can lead to lumps of unmixed flour in your batter.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. If flour is excessively lumpy, break up lumps with a fork or sift the ingredients together.
• In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Let set for 5 minutes while heating the pan. Preheat your skillet over medium to medium-high heat. 
• Drizzle the skillet with oil in a circular pattern in the middle. Add approximately 1/2 cup (120mL) of the batter to the pan, over the oil, spreading out into a circular shape.
• Cook 2 - 3 minutes. Once the pancake has bubbles and the edges are slightly dry, flip over and cook an additional 2 - 3 minutes. Internal temperature should reach between 200°F (93°C) - 210°F (99°C) when fully cooked.
• Repeat the last two steps until all pancakes are cooked. Serve while still warm.

Notes

Due to the baking soda, this recipe is naturally high in sodium.  However, you can make a few minor changes to reduce the sodium levels.  To decrease the sodium intake to 577g per pancake, omit the 1/8 tsp of salt.  To further decrease the sodium, omit the salt, change the baking soda to 1/2 tsp (1.5g) and add 1/2 tsp (2g) of baking powder.  This will result in 448.5 grams of sodium per serving.

If you are using a nonstick pan, do not put oil in your pan. Oil can get adhere to the pan's non-stick surface and permanently mar or ruin it. Instead, add the batter directly to your pan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pancake | Calories: 298.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8.7g | Fat: 13.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.7g

We wanted to make an enriched dough recipe that was easy, cheaper to make and had endless possibilities when it came to making more intricate recipes such as rolls, braided cinnamon buns, and this lovely easy star bread. To make it more affordable for everyone, we are going to fill it with a little bit of butter and brown sugar. The end result will be in a caramelized sweet bread that will remind you of glazed donuts.

Step-By-Step Instructions

You will be surprised how easy this star bread recipe is to make by hand. However, you can also use a stand mixer. We will explain how to make the bread using both methods.

Step 1: Heat the Milk

In a small saucepan, heat the milk on medium until it is lukewarm. If you like, you can also microwave the milk in a heatproof container for 30 - 60 seconds. The milk should be just warm to the touch, but not hot. If you have a thermometer, it should reach 110°F or 43°C.

Step 2: Add all the Ingredients

You have two options here. You can add all the ingredients at once and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Or you can add the milk, sugar, butter, oil, yeast and salt to the bowl. Leave this mixture a few minutes to hydrate. Then you can add the flour and mix.

This second option is a good idea if you are not sure if your yeast is still alive and well. It will foam up slightly within 5 – 10 minutes if healthy, or just sit there if not. If you are using active dry yeast and not instant, follow the directions on the packet to activate the yeast. We always recommend instant dry yeast as it is easier for the beginner.

Step 3: Mix the Ingredients

Stir the mixture with the handle of a spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms.

Step 4: Knead the Dough

After you form a shaggy dough, turn it out onto a clean work surface. Knead 8 – 10 minutes or until the dough stretches easily without tearing. If you are using a stand mixer, mix on the appropriate speed for kneading dough and mix 8 – 12 minutes or until dough the dough is quite elastic and soft.

Step 5: Let the Dough Relax and Rise

Now the dough needs to rest. Set it back inside the bowl you mixed it in and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Place it away from drafts, small children and pets. Allow it to rest until it doubles in size.

This can take 1 – 3 hours depending on the temperature in your home. Typically, it takes around 90 minutes at temperatures between 70°F – 72°F (21°C – 22°C) for guidance.

Step 6: Melt the Butter

In a small saucepan or in the microwave melt the butter. If you need help learning how to melt butter on the stovetop, we have a brief tutorial to help you. Set it aside to cool slightly.

Step 7: Shape the Dough

Divide the dough into four equal portions. Set three aside and cover. Flatten one section of dough into a circle and begin rolling or patting it out until it measures 10" (25.4cm) in diameter. The dough may try to bounce back on you and lose its shape. If this happens, just let the dough rest a few minutes under a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and then continue rolling.

Don't worry if the circle isn't perfect. It's okay as it will still look pretty.

Place the circle of dough onto a non-stick baking tray or one lined with parchment or a silicone mat. We highly recommend parchment even for non-stick surfaces as the caramelized sugar may stick to the pan and the bread will tear as it cools. If the circle loses its shape on the transfer, simply reshape it on the pan.

Next, using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, spread a thin layer of butter on the dough. Sprinkle the top with 1/3 the brown sugar. Leave a small edge around the circle free of sugar. About 1/4" or 6mm will do.

Repeat the rolling process and lay the new circle of dough on top of the first piece of dough. You now have two layers of dough.

Spread another even, thin layer of melted butter and then add another 1/3 of the brown sugar. Repeat for the third layer of dough.

On the final and fourth layer of dough, spread the remaining butter. If desired, you could add an egg wash for a golden and shiny crust. This is up to you and entirely optional.

Step 8: Create the Star Pattern

With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the circle into 16 equal strips, starting about 1" (2.54cm) from the center to the edge, through all the layers. If desired, place a a 2" (5cm) round cookie cutter in the center of the dough circle as a guide. It's easiest to start by cutting four strips north, east, south and west. It will look like the following.

Once you have the four strips, cut four strips between the first cuts. You now have 8 strips of dough.

Now cut between each strip of dough. You'll have 16 strips in total.

Picking up two adjacent strips, you will twist them away from each other three times.

Press the two ends together to make a point.

Repeat for the remaining strips.

Your star bread will now have 8 pointed edges. Do you see the pattern?

Step 9: Rest and Let Rise

Now, you cover the bread with plastic wrap or a tea towel for 30 - 60 minutes or until the bread puffs up to nearly double in size.

When the dough is close to double like you see here, turn on your oven. You want to bake enriched doughs at a lower temperature so we are going to preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C.)

This should be obvious, but some of us are new to baking. Always remove the plastic wrap or towel prior to baking. Even if the recipe doesn’t tell you, always remove the covering before placing your bread in the oven.

Some of the points may lose definition as they rise. You can press them back together prior to baking, but this risks the dough being deflated. I say embrace the charm of the star bread recipe.

Step 10: Bake

Now, we bake the dough until it is a beautiful golden brown. This will take approximately 18 – 24 minutes and depends on the type of bakeware you are using. For instance, expect ceramic and glass to take much longer than aluminum or stainless steel. If you are using a dark colored pan, you may need to drop the temperature 25°F (10°C) to prevent over browning of the crust. The center temperature should reach 190°F (88°C) when they are fully done.

The star bread below is baked with just butter brushed on top. It is a lovely golden brown and has a mat like appearance.

In comparison, the one brushed with an egg wash (one egg beaten with a tablespoon or 15mL of water) has a nice shiny appearance. Both tasted lovely and both look wonderful. Let the bread set on the tray 5 - 10 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack. Be very careful as the sugar is very hot and you could get burned touching it.

Let the bread cool completely before storage. But to be honest, this is a bread that is best served still warm. If desired, you could dust the top with powdered sugar.

Substitutions and Tips

Here are some common substitutions and tips for this easy star bread recipe.

• Add 1 - 1 1/2 tsp (2-3g) of cinnamon to the sugar mixture to have a cinnamon flavored bread.
• Try spreading nutella, peanut butter or another nut butter on the dough instead of butter. For food safety, do not dip the knife directly into the jar, but transfer some into a bowl first and discard any unused portions.
• Try a savory version. Skip the sugar and sprinkle on cheese between the layers instead!
• Fat-free, 2%, whole milk or buttermilk can be all be used for this recipe. Whole milk will give the richest flavor, but fat-free tastes excellent! For a tang, try buttermilk.
• You can replace up to one-half of the white flour with whole wheat flour. You may need to add 1 – 2 tablespoons (15 – 30mL) of milk to get a smooth dough as whole wheat absorbs liquid more readily.
• Yes you can use soy, almond or other milk substitutes for this recipe. You may need to add 1 – 2 tablespoons more flour (9-18g) as milk substitutes are often thinner than cow’s milk.
• Any type of cooking oil can be used for this recipe. Canola and vegetable oils will give a neutral taste.
• Melted coconut oil or butter can be substituted for the oil in this recipe.
• Margarine or vegetable spread can be used in place of the butter for this recipe in equal amounts.

Storage

Freshly baked bread is always best eaten the day you make it. However, this bread will store up to 3 days before it goes stale. Let the star bread cool completely and store in an airtight container or plastic bag to stay soft. The crust will soften slightly.

This bread freezes up to 3 months. Wrap well in freezer bags and store away from strong odors. Reheat frozen bread in the oven or microwave. The frozen star bread can be reheated in the oven at 350F (180C) for 10 – 15 minutes or until warm.

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Easy Star Bread Recipe

This is an easy enriched dough recipe that is in the shape of a star. Layered with butter and brown sugar that caramelizes and forms a sweet bottom that reminds you of a sticky bun.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Rest Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 217.6kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 2 cups (300g) flour
• ¾ cup (180mL) milk
• 2 tbs (30mL) oil
• 2 tbs (28g) softened butter
• 2 tbs (25g) sugar
• 1 ½ tsp (4.5g) yeast
• ½ tsp (2.5g) salt

For the Filling

• ½ cup (113g) brown sugar
• 3 tbs (42g) melted butter
• 1 tbs (9g) flour
• ⅛ tsp (.625g) salt

Instructions

For the Dough

• In a small saucepan, heat milk on medium until it is lukewarm or 110°F (43°C.)
• In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together with the handle of a spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a clean work surface until dough is elastic and stretches easily without tearing. This can take 8 - 12 minutes.
• Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest until double. This step typically takes 60 - 120 minutes.

Shaping the Dough

• Divide the dough into four equal portions. Set three aside and cover. Flatten one section of dough into a circle and begin rolling or patting it out until you get a 10" (25.4cm) diameter. The dough may try to bounce back on you and lose its shape. If this happens, just let the dough rest a few minutes under a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and then continue rolling.
• Place the circle of dough onto a large non-stick baking tray or one lined with parchment or a silicone mat. We highly recommend parchment even for non-stick surfaces as the caramelized sugar may stick to the pan and the bread will tear as it cools.

  Next, using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, spread a thin layer of butter on the dough. Sprinkle the top with 1/3 the brown sugar. Leave a small edge, about 1/4" (6mm) around the circle free of sugar.
• Repeat this process for the next two pieces of dough. On the final and fourth layer of dough, spread the remaining butter on top.
• With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the circle into 16 equal strips, starting 1 1/2" (3.8cm) from the center to the edge, through all the layers. If desired, place a a 2" round cookie cutter in the center of the dough circle as a guide.
• Picking up two adjacent strips, you will twist them away from each other three times. Press the two ends together to make a point. Repeat for the remaining strips. Your star bread will now have 8 pointed edges.
• Cover the bread with a tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest 30 - 60 minutes or until the bread puffs up. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and remove the cover. Bake 18 - 24 minutes or until golden brown. Center of the bread should reach 190°F (88°C) when done.

Notes

If your baking tray is smaller than 11" (28cm) roll the dough into a circle 1" (2.54cm) smaller than the width of the pan.

If you are using a dark colored pan, you may wish to drop the temperature 25°F (10°C) to prevent over browning of the crust. The center temperature should reach 190°F (88°C) when they are fully done.

If desired, you can create an egg wash for a shiny golden appearance.  Beat one egg with 1tbs of water and brush on the top of the dough prior to cutting the strips.

You can also use the microwave to heat the milk.  Heat on high power 30 - 60 seconds or until lukewarm.

An important note on dry yeast: Instant dry yeast is used in this recipe, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients or dissolved in water before mixing. If you're using active dry yeast, modern varieties generally don't need to be dissolved in warm water first, although some manufacturers still recommend it. Rapid-rise yeast may affect rising times.

Always check the manufacturer's instructions on your yeast package for the best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 12 | Calories: 217.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.5g | Protein: 2.5g | Fat: 12.1g | Saturated Fat: 6.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5g

Perhaps you have mastered our easy enriched dough recipe that we promised had endless possibilities and wanted to see what else you could make. How about a stuffed braided bread? And what if we played off our rich heritage and made a fancier WV pepperoni roll? We are doing that today by making a stuffed braided bread with Italian deli meats and cheeses.

You are going to love this savory stuffed braided bread recipe! It is full of pepperoni, salami, provolone and mozzarella. But the great thing about this bread is you can use any type of deli meat. Or even your favorite precooked meat such as ground chuck. So let's get on to making the bread!

Step-By-Step Instructions

To make the braided bread, you begin by kneading the dough. After it has risen you will then shape the dough. It is not a difficult braid to master, the hardest part is waiting around for the dough to rise.

Step 1: Heat the Milk

In a small saucepan, heat the milk on medium until it is lukewarm. You can also heat it in the microwave 30 - 60 seconds. It should be just warm to the touch, but not hot. If you have a thermometer, the milk should reach 110°F or 43°C. You don't want it too hot or it will kill the yeast. Pour the warmed milk into a large bowl.

Step 2: Add all the Ingredients

You have two options here. You can add all the ingredients at once and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Or you can add the milk, sugar, butter, oil, yeast and salt to the bowl. Leave this mixture a few minutes to hydrate. Then you can add the flour and mix.

This second option is a good idea if you are not sure if your yeast is still good. It will foam up slightly within 5 – 10 minutes. If you are using active dry yeast, follow the packet instructions as it often wants you to let the yeast to "bloom" in the warmed milk for a length of time prior to adding any additional ingredients and the time is often dependent on the brand of yeast used.

Step 3: Mix the Ingredients Together

Stir the mixture with the handle of a spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms.

Step 4: Knead the Dough

After you form a shaggy dough, turn it out onto a clean work surface. Knead 8 – 10 minutes or until the dough stretches easily without tearing. If you are using a stand mixer, mix on the appropriate speed for kneading dough and allow the dough to mix for 8 – 12 minutes or until it is elastic and stretches easily without tearing.

Step 5: Let the Dough Relax and Rise

Now the dough needs to rest. Set the dough back inside the bowl you mixed it in and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Place it away from drafts, small children and pets. Allow the dough to rest until it doubles in size.

This can take 1 – 3 hours depending on the temperature in your home. For some guidance, it typically takes around 90 minutes at temperatures between 70°F – 72°F (21°C – 22°C.) Once the dough has doubled in volume, you can move onto the next step.

Step 6: Roll the Dough into a Rectangle and Prepare for the Braid

Gently deflate the dough and roll into a 9 x 15" rectangle (23 x 38 cm.) The dough will want to bounce back into a smaller shape at first. Allow it to do so and just continue roll. The dough will start to stretch more easily as you roll. If your dough is sticking to the counter, sprinkle a little flour under the dough as you shape the rectangle.

On each 15" side of the rectangle, cut 15 strips 3” long x 1” wide (7.6 x 2.5cm) for the braiding. Leave the center intact to be filled. Next cut off one strip of dough from each of the dough's four corners. You will now have 13 strips on each side. By removing the dough in the corners, you will now have two "tabs" of dough in the center on each end.

It should look similar to this. Don't worry if the strips aren't exact. Ours is a little off. It still braids beautifully.

In no particular order, layer the center with the pepperoni, salami, mozzarella and provolone. You can double the amount of meat in the recipe but stick with the same amount of cheese. Increasing the cheese will delay rising, baking and often just spills out onto the baking tray and makes a mess. We tried. Several times as we love cheese. We failed several times.

Feel free to use any type of meats and cheese you like. Ham and swiss, turkey and cheddar, ground beef and american cheese. The possibilities are endless.

Step 7: Braid the Dough

First, fold in the center tabs of dough.

Next, beginning on either the left or right side, pick up the first strip of dough and gently bring it across the filling diagonally.

Repeat the process on the opposite side, so that the two strips crisscross each other.

Continue down the length of the dough, alternating strips to form the braid.

The braid will remind you of those cartoon mummies. I bet this would be a fun recipe for fall! When you get to the end, your braids may need tucked under the loaf to make the appearance look neater. Feel free to do so.

Wasn't that easy? Now we need to transfer it to our baking sheet.

Place the braid carefully on a nonstick baking sheet. If your baking sheet isn't nonstick, use parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. If this step is giving you difficulty, next time you can stuff and braid the bread directly on the baking sheet or parchment.

Step 8: Rest and Let Rise

Cover the braid with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rest 30 - 60 minutes or until the dough puffs up. It took our bread about 45 minutes in a 70°F (21°C) room to get nice and puffy. It could take as little as 20 minutes in a hot room or up to 120 in a cold room. So it’s best to look at the size of your dough and not the time.

If you are wondering where the roll came from, we just gathered up the scraps of dough we cut off and rolled them into a ball. No sense in wasting it when you can have a tasty roll!

When the dough is getting close to double in size, turn on your oven to preheat it. You want to bake enriched doughs at a lower temperature to avoid over-browning or drying out your dough, so we are going to bake at 350°F (180°C.)

Step 9: Bake

If you haven't done so already, preheat oven to 350°F (180°C.) Remove the cover after the braid has risen and bake 20 - 30 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, you can brush on an egg wash for a shiny and golden crust. We usually skip this step to save money. The center temperature of the bread should reach 190°F (88°C) when done.

Let sit 5 - 10 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool or serve while still warm. It is important you let this sit for at least 5 minutes as the filling is pipping hot. Ever burn yourself eating pizza? Same concept applies here. The grease from the cheese and meats will be extremely hot when it first comes out of the oven.

The oils from the meat will absorb into the bread and it gives an even better taste to the bread. I'll be surprised if you have any leftovers the first time you make this recipe. But be warned: it is high in calories, fat and sodium. So try to pace yourself.

Substitutions and Tips

Here are some common substitutions and tips for this recipe.

• Any type of deli meat and cheese can be used in this recipe in equal amounts. Try ham and swiss cheese. Or turkey and cheddar!
• Up to 8 ounces (226g) of deli meat can be used. More than that and it will inhibit the rise of the bread while baking and lead to a soggy crust.
• We do not recommend any more cheese as we found it spills out of the braids and onto the baking sheet and often burns before the bread is fully baked.
• Adding the butter in at the beginning slows down gluten formation, which slows down the kneading process. Holding it back frees up a few minutes and changes the texture of the bread to be more fluffy after baking.
• Fat-free, 2%, whole milk or buttermilk can be all be used for this recipe. Whole milk will give the richest flavor, but fat-free tastes excellent! For a tang, try buttermilk.
• You can replace up to one-half of the white flour with whole wheat flour. You may need to add 1 – 2 tablespoons (15 – 30mL) of milk to get a smooth dough as whole wheat absorbs liquid more readily.
• Yes you can use soy, almond or other milk substitutes for this recipe. You may need to add 1 – 2 tablespoons more flour (9-18g) as milk substitutes are often thinner than cow’s milk.
• Any type of cooking oil can be used for this recipe. Canola and vegetable oils will give a neutral taste.
• Melted coconut oil or butter can be substituted for the oil in this recipe.
• Margarine or vegetable spread can be used in place of the butter for this recipe in equal amounts.
• Want your bread glossy? Brush with an egg wash prior to baking.

Storage

Freshly baked bread is always best eaten the day you make it, especially ones made with fillings. However, these will store up to three days in the refrigerator before they go stale. Let the braided loaf cool completely and store in an airtight container or plastic bag. For best taste, reheat in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 5 - 10 minutes or until warm. If microwaving, be careful as the filling can become piping hot. Let sit for 1 - 2 minutes before eating.

This stuffed braided bread freezes well up to 1 month, but it is best to freeze the dough raw after shaping the braid. To freeze dough, freeze on a baking sheet for one hour. Transfer the braid to a freezer safe storage bag or container. By freezing the braid uncooked, it can be kept frozen up to 3 months. Thaw the dough covered overnight in the refrigerator and follow the baking directions as guided in the recipe. Frozen baked bread can be reheated in the oven at 350F (180C) for 10 – 15 minutes.

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Stuffed Braided Bread with Italian Meat and Cheese

This stuffed braided bread is made with simple enriched dough and looks complicated to create but it is rather easy! Stuff it with your favorite Italian deli meat and cheese or substitute it with any type of deli meat. Want more meat? Pile it on! This recipe is easy to make to suit your tastebuds.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Rest Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories 273.5kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 2 cups (300g) flour
• ¾ cup (180mL) milk
• 2 tbs (30mL) oil
• 2 tbs (28g) softened butter
• 2 tbs (25g) sugar
• 1 ½ tsp (4.5g) yeast
• ½ tsp (2.5g) salt

For the Filling

• 2 oz pepperoni thinly sliced
• 2 oz salami thinly sliced
• 2 oz mozzarella cheese
• 2 oz provolone cheese

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, heat milk on medium until it is lukewarm or 110°F (43°C.)
• In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together with the handle of a spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a clean work surface until dough is elastic and stretches easily without tearing. This can take 8 - 12 minutes.
• Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest until double in size. This step typically takes 60 - 120 minutes.
• Gently deflate the dough and roll into a 9 x 15" rectangle (23 x 38 cm.) On each 15" side of the rectangle, cut 15 strips 3” long x 1” wide (7.6 x 2.5cm) for the braiding. Leave the center intact to be filled. Next cut off one strip of dough from each of the dough's four corners. You will now have 13 strips on each side. By removing the dough in the corners, you will now have two "tabs" of dough in the center on the ends.
• In no particular order, layer the center with the pepperoni, salami, mozzarella and provolone. Fold in the center tabs of dough. Beginning on the left, pick up the first strip of dough and gently bring it across the filling diagonally. Repeat the process on the opposite side, so that the two strips crisscross each other. Continue down the length of the dough, alternating strips to form the braid.
• Place the braid carefully on a nonstick baking sheet. If your baking sheet isn't nonstick, use parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Cover the braided dough with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rest 30 - 60 minutes or until the dough puffs up.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C.) Remove the cover and bake 20 - 30 minutes or until golden brown. Center temperature of the bread should reach 190°F (88°C) when done. Let sit 5 - 10 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool or serve while still warm.
• Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. For best tasting results, reheat leftovers in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 5 -10 minutes or until warm.

Notes

You can double the amount of meat used in this recipe up to 8 oz (226g.) 

Adding more cheese is not recommended as will it spill out from the braids onto the baking tray and often leads to undercooked bread.

You can also use the microwave to heat the milk.  Heat on high power 30 - 60 seconds or until lukewarm.

An important note on dry yeast: Instant dry yeast is used in this recipe, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients or dissolved in water before mixing. If you're using active dry yeast, modern varieties generally don't need to be dissolved in warm water first, although some manufacturers still recommend it. Rapid-rise yeast may affect rising times.

Always check the manufacturer's instructions on your yeast package for the best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 12 | Calories: 273.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.5g | Protein: 15.2g | Fat: 15.4g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.1g

We wanted to make an enriched dough recipe that was easy to knead by hand or machine, used a modest amount of dough, tasted delicious on its own and had endless possibilities when it came to making more intricate recipes such as braided cinnamon buns, star bread, or savory garlic knots. This is also a dough recipe without eggs, since everyone has been scrambling to afford them. Yes, I went there. Let's move on.

In order to learn the more advanced recipes, we need to learn how to make this easy dough recipe first. Today, we will teach you not only how to make this lovely soft dough, but also how to make dinner rolls in the end. Once we have taught you the basics, we will be making more flavorful recipes, both sweet and savory. So we recommend you really learn how to master this recipe. You can have rolls in the end. What's not to love?

Step-By-Step Instructions

You will be surprised how easy this dough is to make by hand. If you want to use a stand mixer, that is okay, too. We find making bread by hand more pleasing. Which do you prefer?

Step 1: Heat the Milk

In a small saucepan, heat the milk on medium until it is lukewarm. It should be just warm to the touch, but not hot. If you have a thermometer, it should reach 110°F or 43°C. You can also use the microwave for 30 - 60 seconds until lukewarm.

Step 2: Add all the Ingredients

You have two options here. You can add all the ingredients at once and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Or you can add the milk, sugar, butter, oil, yeast and salt to the bowl. Leave this mixture a few minutes to hydrate. Then you can add the flour and mix. This second option is a good idea if you are not sure if your yeast is still good. It will foam up slightly within 5 - 10 minutes.

Step 3: Mix the Ingredients until Shaggy

Stir with the handle of a spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms. If you are using a stand mixer, mix on the appropriate speed for kneading dough and mix 8 - 12 minutes or until dough is elastic.

Step 4: Knead the Dough

After you form a shaggy dough, turn it out onto a clean work surface. Knead 8 – 10 minutes or until the dough stretches easily without tearing. First, you start out with your shaggy dough.

Next, using one or both hands, grab the dough on the edge furthest from you and press the edge outward.

Now, take that edge you pushed and fold it back onto the dough.

Grab the folded edge and push it away from you like before.

Repeat this step until the dough is less sticky. At first it will stick to your hands a lot.

Keep working the dough for a good 5 minutes. Resist the urge to add flour.

As you work the dough, it will become less sticky as the gluten develops.

At this point, check the dough to see if it stretches easily without tearing. Not quite ready, so you continue to knead.

The dough is no longer sticking to my hands, so I check again for stretching.

It is ready!

Step 5: Let the Dough Relax and Rise

Now the dough needs to rest.

Set it back inside the bowl you mixed it in and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Place it away from drafts, small children and pets. Allow it to rest until it doubles in size.

This can take 1 - 3 hours depending on the temperature in your home. Typically, it takes around 90 minutes at temperatures between 70°F - 72°F (21°C - 22°C) for guidance. Once the dough has doubled, you can move onto the next step, using it however you wish! Below, we will show you how to make basic dinner rolls with this fabulous dough.

Step 6: Shape the Dough

Now that you made this super easy dough, what can you bake? Well, anything you can think of that calls for an enriched dough! We will be showing a lot of recipes in the coming weeks on how to utilize this dough, but in the meantime, let's make some rolls!

First, divide the dough into 9 equal portions. A scale is a wonderful thing to own when baking bread for accuracy. But you can eyeball it if you don't have one.

Now flatten the dough into a rough circle.

Grab an end and bring it into the center like you see below. It doesn't matter where you start.

Grab the adjacent end and bring it into the center overlapping the first section.

Work your way around the dough, grabbing the next adjacent piece and bringing it to the inside.

You'll start to see a ball forming. We will show each section so you really get a feel for what we have done.

Eventually, you have a rough ball shape with all these "seams" showing on top. Not to worry!

Flip it upside down. Bakers often call this "seam side down." Now we will roll it into a ball.

Take your hand and cup the dough as shown. You don't want to squeeze the dough, but rather guide it with your hand. Gently roll your dough in your hand in a counter-clockwise motion. If you are left-hand, go clockwise. This direction given is easier on your arm depending on your dominant hand.

Continue to roll until you have a nicely shaped ball of dough. The seams are now tucked neatly underneath!

Place the dough in a greased baking dish spaced as evenly apart as you can make them. It's okay if they aren't perfectly symmetrical.

Step 7: Rest and Let Rise

Now, you cover them and let them rise until doubled in size. To make sure the plastic wrap doesn't stick to the rolls, you can spray it with cooking spray or grease it with a little oil or butter.

When the dough is close to double like you see here, turn on your oven to preheat it. You want to bake enriched doughs at a lower temperature so we are going to bake at 350°F (180°C.)

They are now double in size! It took us about 45 minutes in a 70°F (21°C) room. It could take as little as 20 minutes in a hot room or up to 120 in a cold room. So it's best to look at the size of the rolls and not the time. They should slowly bounce back when you press into them but not immediately bounce back or collapse either.

This should be obvious, but some of us are new to baking. Always remove the plastic wrap or towel prior to baking. Even if the recipe doesn't tell you, always remove the covering before placing your bread in the oven.

Step 8: Bake

Now, we bake the dough until it is a beautiful golden brown. This will take approximately 18 - 22 minutes and depends on the type of bakeware you are using. For instance, expect ceramic and glass to take much longer than aluminum or stainless steel. If you are using a dark colored pan, you may need to drop the temperature 25°F (10°C) to prevent over browning of the crust. The center temperature should reach 190°F (88°C) when they are fully done.

Carefully remove the rolls from the baking dish and let them cool on a wire rack before storing. If you don't let bread come to room temperature, it will "sweat" inside the container and leave behind condensation that will make your bread soggy. Don't skip the cooling process.

Substitutions and Tips

Here are some common substitutions and tips for this easy dough recipe.

• Heating the milk isn't necessary, but it significantly speeds up the time needed to rest the dough.
• Adding the butter in at the beginning slows down gluten formation, which slows down the kneading process. Holding it back frees up a few minutes and changes the texture of the bread to be more fluffy after baking.
• Fat-free, 2%, whole milk or buttermilk can be all be used for this recipe. Whole milk will give the richest flavor, but fat-free tastes excellent! For a tang, try buttermilk.
• You can replace up to one-half of the white flour with whole wheat flour. You may need to add 1 - 2 tablespoons (15 - 30mL) of milk to get a smooth dough as whole wheat absorbs liquid more readily.
• Yes you can use soy, almond or other milk substitutes for this recipe. You may need to add 1 - 2 tablespoons more flour (9-18g) as milk substitutes are often thinner than cow's milk.
• Any type of cooking oil can be used for this recipe. Canola and vegetable oils will give a neutral taste.
• Melted coconut oil or butter can be substituted for the oil in this recipe.
• Margarine or vegetable spread can be used in place of the butter for this recipe in equal amounts.

Storage

Freshly baked bread is always best eaten the day you make it. However, these will store up to three days before they go stale. Let the rolls cool completely and store in an airtight container or plastic bag to stay soft. The crust will soften slightly stored this way. If you want the crust to be more like the day you baked them, store in a paper sack or bread bin.

These rolls freeze up to 1 month, but it is best to freeze the dough raw after shaping. To freeze dough, shape into nine rolls and freeze on a baking sheet for one hour. Transfer to a freezer safe storage bag or container. Dough can be kept frozen up to 3 months. Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, place rolls in a greased baking dish or pan, cover and allow to rise until double before baking. Frozen baked bread can be reheated in the oven at 350F (180C) for 10 - 15 minutes.

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Easy Dough Recipe

This is an easy enriched dough recipe that has endless possibilities. You can make dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, braided pecan rolls, a loaf of bread. If you can think of it, this dough is the workhorse of dough recipes. It is an easy dough to work with by hand or machine and rises beautifully to create a soft and pillowy crumb. This will be your favorite enriched dough recipe to work with once you try it!

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Rest Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Calories 150.3kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups (300g) flour
• ¾ cup (180mL) milk
• 2 tbs (30mL) oil
• 2 tbs (28g) softened butter
• 2 tbs (25g) sugar
• 1 ½ tsp (4.5g) yeast
• ½ tsp (2.5g) salt

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, heat milk on medium until it is lukewarm or 110°F (43°C.)
• In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together with the handle of a spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a clean work surface until dough is elastic and stretches easily without tearing. This can take 8 - 12 minutes.
• Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rest until double. This step typically takes 60 - 120 minutes.
• Roll dough into nine balls and place evenly in a greased baking dish that is 8" (20cm) for pull apart rolls. Cover and let rest 30 - 60 minutes or until double in size.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) when there is 20 minutes left on the second rise. Remove the cover after they have risen and place the rolls in the oven.
• Bake 18 - 22 minutes or until golden brown. Center temperature should reach 190°F (88°C) when done. Remove rolls to a wire rack in order to cool. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

You can also use the microwave to heat the milk.  Heat on high power 30 - 60 seconds or until lukewarm.

An important note on dry yeast: Instant dry yeast is used in this recipe, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients or dissolved in water before mixing. If you're using active dry yeast, modern varieties generally don't need to be dissolved in warm water first, although some manufacturers still recommend it. Rapid-rise yeast may affect rising times.

Always check the manufacturer's instructions on your yeast package for the best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 9rolls | Calories: 150.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 5.6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.2g

This is a copycat Schlotzsky's Bread Recipe for a muffuletta style sandwich bun. The muffaletta or muffuletta is a large, round Silician bread often topped with sesame bread and served with cold cuts such as salami, ham, provolone or swiss cheeses. It's a very large sandwich that can often feed a family on its own.

Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant grocery store owner created the muffuletta. Central Grocery first opened its doors in the heart of the French Quarter in 1906 and not much has changed since. Its first owner was Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian sandwich superhero who came up with the legendary muffuletta. The sandwich became an easier way to serve farmers who would stop by for a traditional Sicilian lunch where everything was eaten separately. Delicious, but not so great for portability #oldworldproblems. So Salvatore sliced open a whole loaf of his Sicilian sesame bread and stuffed everything inside.

This bread recipe is similar to the one used in a deli chain from Texas called Schlotzsky's. Since the restaurant chain went out of business in our area, I started looking online for a recipe. Came across several that were very close but didn't seem to have quite the same texture. By upping the water content, using less yeast and more salt, the flavor is much nicer and the texture is nearly spot on. Then we changed the instructions to make them even easier so you don't even need a stand mixer.

What we love about this recipe is the fact you really don't have to do a lot of work making the bread. No kneading, no shaping, no waiting around for hours for the bread to rise two times, just dollop it out into well greased pans and let the yeast do the work for you. Since these are large sandwiches usually, we are baking them in 6" or 15 cm cake pans. You can use a pie pan or larger cake pan if that's all you have on hand as well. It will actually look closer to the original. Remember, this is originally a huge sandwich!

The hardest part of the muffuletta is deciding whether or not it is proper to heat the sandwich or not. That's a debate for another time. Let's get to baking a copycat of the muffuletta, Schlotzsky's Bread Recipe which is also a copycat recipe. That's a mouthful! Just like this sandwich bread.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Below, we will show you the process to making this fun recipe. You don't even need to knead the dough. It's all about patience.

Step 1: Prepare the Pans

Spray two 6" (15cm) pans with cooking spray or shortening. Do not use spray on non stick surfaces.

Alternatively, you can use one 9" (23cm) pan.

Sprinkle the bottom with cornmeal. This is optional. This will help the bread release from the pan and gives a little crunch.

Step 2: Prepare the Dough

Add the yeast, baking soda and salt to a large bowl.

Add in warm water. You can use hot tap water.

Warm the milk to 105F (41C) or lukewarm and add it to the bowl.

Finally, add in the flour.

Now stir it with the handle of a spoon until it comes together into a shaggy dough.

It will be a very sticky dough. This is what makes the big air pockets in the bread.

Step 3: Rest the Dough

Divide the dough equally between two pans.

Or put all the dough in one if using a large pan.

Then cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray or coated with oil to prevent sticking.

Once you have the dough covered, allow it to sit for one hour or until it at least doubles in sizes and fills out the pan.

Basically, you really want to allow that dough to rise as close to the top without it collapsing.

Step 4: Bake the Dough

After that, remove the plastic wrap, carefully transfer to the oven to avoid collapsing and bake.

Once the dough is in the oven, allow it to bake for 20 minutes for a light golden brown.

Conversely, you could bake the dough 25 minutes for a darker crust.

Remove the bread from the pan to a cooling rack for at least one hour before serving.

Once you remove the bread to the cooling rack, it must cool completely. Otherwise, the insides will be gummy and wet tasting.

The ones baked longest have a lovely golden crust.

These were baked for 22 minutes. All of these baking times are both beautiful and tasty!

Once cool, carefully slice open like a hamburger bun.

Further, the crumb should look like this. It is airy and also full of holes.

Finally, fill it with your favorite deli meat and cheeses. What will you put on your sandwich?

Substitutions and Tips

Here are some common substitutions and tips for this easy bread recipe.

• Try using 1/2 whole wheat flour for both added nutrients and fiber.
• Heating the milk isn’t necessary, but it significantly speeds up the time needed to rest the dough.
• You can double the salt for more flavor, but it will slow down the rising of the dough.
• Fat-free, 2%, whole milk or buttermilk can be all be used for this recipe. Whole milk will give the richest flavor, but fat-free tastes excellent!
• Yes you can use soy, almond or other milk substitutes for this recipe. You may need to add 1 – 2 tablespoons more flour (9-18g) as milk substitutes are often thinner than cow’s milk.

Storage

Freshly baked bread is always best eaten the day you make it as it doesn’t have a long shelf life. However, these will keep 2-3 days before they go stale. Let the bread cool completely and store in an airtight container or plastic bag to stay soft. If you want the crust to be more like the day you baked them, store in a paper sack or bread bin.

This bread can be frozen up to 1 month, but it is best to eat the bread fresh. Store in an air tight container or freezer safe bag for best results. Frozen baked bread can be reheated in the oven at 350F (180C) for 10 – 15 minutes.

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Schlotzsky's Bread Recipe

The muffaletta or muffuletta is a large, round Silician bread often topped with sesame bread and served with cold cuts such as salami, ham, provolone or swiss cheeses. It's a popular sandwich that originated in the New Orleans area from Italian immigrants. This bread recipe is similar to the one used in a deli chain from Texas called Schlotzsky's.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Rising 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 2 loaves

Calories 370.8kcal

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups (225g) flour
• ½ cup (120mL) milk
• ⅓ cup (80mL) lukewarm water
• 1 ½ tsp (5g) yeast
• 1 tsp (2g) cornmeal
• ½ tsp (2.5g) salt
• ⅛ tsp (.75g) baking soda

Instructions

• Spray two 6" (15cm) or one 9" (23cm) cake pan(s) with cooking spray or grease generously with shortening. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan(s) with cornmeal.
• In a large bowl, stir together water, yeast, salt and baking soda.
• Heat milk until lukewarm, about 105F (41C.) Add to the water mixture. Pour in flour and stir ingredients with the back of a spoon until it forms a very sticky dough, about 100 strokes.
• Divide dough equally into each pan. Spray a piece of cling wrap generously with cooking spray and place loosely on top of each pan. Let rise for 1 hour or until dough fills out the pan and has risen to nearly the top. The longer you wait the better the bread will be. Carefully remove the cling film.
• When there is 15 minutes left in the rise, preheat oven to 375F (190C.) Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until top is golden brown and the bread pulls away from the sides of the pan. It will shrink as it bakes. This is normal. Center should read at least 190F (88C.) Remove to wire rack and allow to cool 30-60 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Cornmeal is optional and helps ensure the bread releases from the pan. 

If the dough collapses, cover and let the dough rest for another 20-30 minutes or until it rises back to the top of the pan.

Never use cooking spray on a non-stick surface, it can create a sticky residue that may ruin non stick bakeware.

If using a stand mixer, add all the ingredients into the bowl as above, but beat on low for 3 minutes or until ingredients are combined.

An important note on dry yeast: Instant dry yeast is used in this recipe, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients or dissolved in water before mixing. If you're using active dry yeast, modern varieties generally don't need to be dissolved in warm water first, although some manufacturers still recommend it. Rapid-rise yeast may affect rising times.

Always check the manufacturer's instructions on your yeast package for the best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 1loaf | Calories: 370.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 80.6g | Protein: 12g

If you need more help on how to make dough by hand, visit this post on kneading dough. It will show the basics and help you make your own Italian Herb and Parmesan Swirl Bread in no time. Also, feel free to pop this into a stand mixer for 8-10 minutes on the speed they recommend. All the bread recipes on here can be done either by hand or machine.

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Italian Herb and Parmesan Swirl Bread

This is a soft bread made into a swirled shape for a pretty presentation. It's a very easy and fun way to do more with your baking. The seasonings and fillings can be adjusted to your liking, too. Your imagination is your only limit!

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Rest Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories 339.4kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 3 ⅔ cups (550g) flour
• 1 cup (240mL) milk
• 2 large (100g) eggs
• ¼ cup (56g) butter or margarine
• ¼ cup (50g) sugar
• 2 tsp (7g) yeast
• 1 tsp (5g) salt

For the Filling

• ¼ cup (56g) softened butter or margarine
• ¼ cup (43g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbs (14g) minced garlic
• 4 tsp (7g) Italian seasoning blend
• ½ tsp (2g) onion powder
• ¼ tsp (1g) garlic powder

Instructions

For the Dough

• Heat milk and butter until butter melts and temperature is no higher than 100F (38C.) Add yeast and stir well. Let sit 5 - 10 minutes or until bubbles begin to form.
• Add eggs, flour, salt and sugar into a bowl with the heated milk mixture. Stir until shaggy dough forms. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface.
• Knead 8-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and is easily stretched without tearing.
• Cover and let rest for 1 - 2 hours or until double in size. (90 minutes is average time.)
• Turn dough out onto a clean surface and roll into a 15x20" (38×50cm) rectangle. Pick up edges of dough as you roll to allow it to shrink back and relax the glutens.

For the Filling

• In a small bowl, stir together garlic, onion powder and butter. Spread butter evenly over the dough.
• Sprinkle the Italian seasoning on top of the butter. This is not mixed with the butter as it makes it tends to make harder to spread.
• Spread out the Parmesan evenly on top of the seasoned butter. Gently press the mixture into the top of the dough with your hand or roll over with the rolling pin. This helps the filling stay in place while rolling.
• Starting from the 20" (25cm) side, cut 10 strips 2" (5cm) wide. Roll one 2" strip into a log starting at narrow end. Pick up and place on top next strip of dough and roll. Continue rolling until there is no more dough left.
• Line an 11x17" (28x43cm) pan with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment, grease with non-stick spray. Do not use non-stick spray on pans that are already non stick. Sprinkle generously with flour, semolina or cornmeal instead.
• Place roll in center of the pan.
• Cover and allow to rest 60-90 minutes or until about double in size.
• When there is 15 minutes left in the rise, preheat oven to 350F (180C.)
• Bake 35 – 45 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Center of bread should read 190F (88C.)

Notes

Temperature above 120F(49C) begins to damage yeast and after 138F(59C,) it will die.  If you get the liquid too hot (if it feels much warmer than your skin,) cool it several minutes before adding the yeast.  Failure to do so may prevent dough from rising.

If desired, after shaping you can cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bring to room temperature 1/2 hour before baking.

If you do not have access to Italian seasoning, it is a mixture of oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary, sage.  Try using a combination of any of these in equal amounts.

If you do not have fresh garlic, you can use minced garlic in a jar or substitute for a total of 1/2 tsp dried garlic powder.

An important note on dry yeast: Instant dry yeast is used in this recipe, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients or dissolved in water before mixing. If you're using active dry yeast, modern varieties generally don't need to be dissolved in warm water first, although some manufacturers still recommend it. Rapid-rise yeast may affect rising times.

Always check the manufacturer's instructions on your yeast package for the best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 339.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 61.4g | Protein: 5.3g | Fat: 8.2g | Saturated Fat: 4.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g

After a while, I to use the cinnamon swirl bread recipe. The roll was around 7.5" (19cm) in diameter after baking. It became a mountain with the tight swirl forcing the giant cinnamon roll to rise both upward and out.

While baking, the giant cinnamon roll turned a gorgeous golden brown. Topping with icing significantly improved its appearance and made the mountainous cinnamon roll look like snow. It truly reminded me of the West Virginia mountains that surround our home.

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WV Giant Cinnamon Roll

These are the classic version of cinnamon rolls, but in a giant size! If you love cinnamon buns, you won't be disappointed. This is one giant roll the size of the mountains in WV. They are easy to make and lots of fun. You just need a little patience waiting for the dough to rise.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Rest Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 339.4kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 1 ¾ cups (263g) flour
• ½ cup (120mL) milk
• 1 large (50g) egg
• 2 tbs (28g) butter or margarine
• 2 tbs (25g) sugar
• 1 tsp (3.5g) yeast
• ½ tsp (2.5g) salt

For the Filling

• ½ cup (113g) brown sugar
• 2 tbs (28g) softened butter or margarine
• 1 tbs (9g) flour
• 1 tbs (6g) cinnamon

For the Topping

• 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbs (30-45mL) milk

Instructions

For the Dough

• Heat milk and butter until butter melts and temperature is no higher than 100F (38C.) Add yeast and stir well. Let sit 5 - 10 minutes or until bubbles begin to form.
• Add eggs, flour, salt and sugar into a bowl with the heated milk mixture. Stir until shaggy dough forms. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface.
• Knead 8-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and is easily stretched without tearing.
• Cover and let rest for 1 - 2 hours or until double in size. (90 minutes is average time.)
• Turn dough out onto a clean surface and roll into a 10×15" (25×38cm) rectangle. Pick up edges of dough as you roll to allow it to shrink back and relax the glutens.

For the Filling

• Evenly coat the dough with butter.
• In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the buttered dough.
• Starting from the 10" (25cm) side, cut 5 strips 2" (5cm) wide. Roll one 2" strip into a log starting at narrow end. Pick up and place on top next strip of dough and roll. Continue rolling until there is no more dough left.
• Grease one 8-9" (20-23cm) pan with cooking oil, spray or butter. For easier release, line with parchment.
• Place roll in center of the pan.
• Cover and allow to rest 60-90 minutes or until about double in size.
• When there is 15 minutes left in the rise, preheat oven to 350F (180C.)
• Bake 20 – 30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Center of dough should read 190F (88C.)

For the Topping

• In a measuring cup or small bowl, pour in powdered sugar. Add milk 1 teaspoon at time until desired consistency.
• Drizzle over the top of the cinnamon roll after it has cooled 15 minutes.

Notes

Temperature above 120F(49C) begins to damage yeast and after 138F(59C,) it will die.  If you get the liquid too hot (if it feels much warmer than your skin,) cool it several minutes before adding the yeast.  Failure to do so may prevent dough from rising.

If desired, after shaping you can cover and refrigerate the dough overnight.  Bring to room temperature 1/2 hour before baking.

An important note on dry yeast: Instant dry yeast is used in this recipe, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients or dissolved in water before mixing. If you're using active dry yeast, modern varieties generally don't need to be dissolved in warm water first, although some manufacturers still recommend it. Rapid-rise yeast may affect rising times.

Always check the manufacturer's instructions on your yeast package for the best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 339.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 61.4g | Protein: 5.3g | Fat: 8.2g | Saturated Fat: 4.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g