Hometown Get-Togethers - Candace Floyd [15]
2. Dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup lukewarm (110 to 115°F) water in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs and milk mixture. Stir in 2 cups of the flour; beat until smooth. Add 2 additional cups of the flour; mix well. If the dough seems too wet, add another ½ cup flour. Cover and let rise until doubled in size. Punch the dough down and let it rise again until doubled in size.
3. Combine the remaining 1½ cups sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl; blend well. Melt the remaining ¾ cup butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Place the pecans in a small bowl. Roll the dough into walnut-size balls. (If the dough is too wet to handle easily, scoop up a portion of dough with a soup spoon.) Dip the balls into the melted butter, then in the sugar mixture, then in the pecans. Pile the balls loosely in an ungreased Bundt pan. Let rise for 40 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the bread for 10 minutes and reduce the heat to 325°F. Bake for 25 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and invert immediately onto a serving plate. Serve hot. Do not cut; let diners “pluck” a serving.
Featherbed Potato Rolls
Phyllis Biggs, Dobson, North Carolina
Makes 24 rolls
“This is a favorite for Thanksgiving and Christmas family dinners. I have made these rolls for more than forty years. They are so easy and are foolproof. Nothing smells better than fresh yeast bread rising. At our family dinners, each plate will usually have at least two of these giant hot rolls.”
1 medium baking potato
One ¼-ounce package active dry yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup (½ stick) plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, beaten
4½ cups all-purpose flour
1. Place the potato in a small saucepan with water to cover. Cook until tender. Remove the potato, cool slightly, and peel. Reserve ¾ cup of the potato water.
2. Dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup warm (115°F) water in a bowl. Mash the potato with a fork to yield ½ cup.
3. Combine the sugar, salt, and ¼ cup of the softened butter in a bowl. Add the reserved potato water; mix well. Cool to lukewarm and add the yeast mixture, the mashed potato, egg, and 2 cups of the flour; stir until smooth.
4. Add 2 additional cups of the flour or more as needed to make a smooth, soft dough. Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn the dough into a well-greased bowl; turn to grease the top. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.
5. Punch the dough down, divide in half and shape each half into 12 smooth balls. Arrange on a greased baking sheet. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Brush the rolls with the melted butter. Let rise for 1 to 1½ hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.
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TIPS FROM OUR TEST KITCHEN: Potato rolls usually rise slowly. During the lengthy rising, they develop flavor.
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Scarborough Fair Herb Bread
Melanie Myrtle Wilhelmsen, Ogden, Utah
Serves 32
“My three-year-old daughter, Ella Myrtle, loves to cook with me, especially homemade bread. We take it to church potlucks, work parties, and, of course, family get-togethers. Our extended family especially loves our herb bread. I have eight siblings and most of us meet for dinner at my parents’ house once a month.”
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2½ tablespoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons dried parsley, or more to taste
½ teaspoon or more rubbed sage
1¼ teaspoons or more dried rosemary
1 teaspoon or more dried thyme
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Melted butter
1. Combine 4 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, yeast, and 2½ cups very warm (120 to 130°F) water in a large bowl. Add the herbs and stir until well blended. Stir in the remaining flour until smooth. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
2. Grease two 9 × 5-inch loaf pans with the shortening.