Tag Archives: how to make yeast breads

Homemade Oatmeal Bread

Homemade Oatmeal Bread (A Recipe From My Bakery)

I enjoy baking and have ever since I was in early elementary school. In my adult years, I established my own bakery and specialized in making yeast breads, although I did make a lot of other goodies too. Little by little, I’m creating YouTube videos demonstrating how to make a lot of the breads I made in the bakery. To accompany the videos, I’m writing blog posts so you can print out the recipes if you want. They can also be downloaded in .PDF format from my website at http://HandMadeInIowa.com.

Below is my recipe for homemade Oatmeal Bread. The recipe has been scaled down to make two loaves, the usual amount for home recipes. It’s truly delicious and was a BIG seller at my bakery! Give it a try. It’s really not hard! To SEE how it’s made, check out the video below, where I walk viewers through the process step-by-step. Enjoy! Judi

Homemade Oatmeal Bread
Makes Two Loaves

1-1/2 cups rolled oats (either quick or old fashioned)
1-1/2 cups boiling water (or reserved water from cooking potatoes)
3 Tbsp (1-1/2 oz) butter
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp salt
2 room temperature eggs, lightly beaten
1 lb, 4 oz bread flour
1/2 oz Rapid Rise Yeast

Note: This recipe is designed for being prepared in a home stand mixer. If you don’t have one, simply hand mix the ingredients per the instructions and hand knead, being careful to work in as little extra flour as possible.

In a stand mixer bowl, combine the rolled oats, boiling water, butter, honey, brown sugar and salt. Place the bowl on the mixer stand and mix on low speed, using a standard paddle blade. Mix until the ingredients are well blended and oats appear to be “cooked.” Remove bowl from mixer stand.

Test the temperature of the mixture with an instant read thermometer. When it cools to between 120 and 130ºF, it is safe to proceed forward. Stir in the lightly beaten eggs. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, weigh out the bread flour. Stir in the yeast. Stir the flour mixture into the oat mix, just enough so the flour won’t spray out of the bowl when the mixer is turned on. Place mixer bowl onto the mixer stand, insert the dough hook, and mix on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the dough hook and bowl from the stand.

Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile bring a medium size saucepan of water to boil and prepare the oven to use as a proof box. Turn the oven light on. Place the lower rack at the lowest position in the oven and the top rack in the middle of the oven. When the water comes to a boil, place the saucepan on the lower oven rack and close the door. (This method can be used with both an electric and gas range.)

After the dough has rested, remove it to a VERY lightly floured board. Form into two loaves and place each loaf into a sprayed, oiled or greased loaf pan. (I used 8×4 pans, but 9×5 pans would also work, making shallower loaves.)

Place the formed loaves in their pans on the middle oven rack over the pan of hot water. Close the oven door and allow them to rise for 30 to 40 minutes, until about doubled in size. Remove loaves and saucepan from oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF.

An optional step to adorn the loaves: In a small bowl, mix one whole beaten egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush each loaf with the egg mixture and sprinkle with extra oats. (If you do not do this optional step, simply brush the BAKED loaves with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.)

When the oven is preheated, bake bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove loaves to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before slicing.

Cinnamon Rolls (a recipe from my bakery)

As many people know, I used to own and operate my own bakery. What made it special was the fact that everything was made “from scratch”. I specialized in yeast breads and made a large variety of bread types, all from individual ingredients. No frozen bread doughs ever entered the scene!

From time to time, I’m sharing the recipes that I developed along the way. This post is for my cinnamon rolls. I probably made thousands over the years that I ran the bakery and people always wanted more. Now you can make your own straight from my recipe!

To SEE how it’s done, look below the recipe and view my YouTube video on the process. Enjoy! Judi

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
(A Recipe From My Bakery)
Makes 18 Rolls

1 lb, 6-1/2 oz all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 oz Rapid Rise yeast1 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2-5/8 oz butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Filling
2 oz butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tsp ground cinnamon

Place flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a stand mixer bowl. Stir to combine; set aside. In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter to 120-130F. Add warmed liquid and eggs to the flour mixture. Stir to moisten the flour. Place bowl on mixer stand and attach a dough hook. Mix on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with a towel and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Remove dough to a lightly floured board or counter top. Roll dough ball to lightly coat all surfaces with flour. With a rolling pin, roll into a large rectangle, about 22″ x 12″. Spread melted butter over dough, leaving about 1 inch unbuttered along the long edge farthest away from you. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over buttered surface of dough.

Starting with the buttered long edge closest to you, roll dough into a long log. With a sharp knife, cut log into three even sized sections. Cut each section into 6 slices.

Place slices, cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet, or a pan of choice (baking sheet or 8″ or 9″ round cake pans…6 to a pan) that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or oiled with the oil of your choice.

Allow formed rolls to proof until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. (Suggestion…proof rolls in a warm, moist environment, such as a make-shift oven proof box. See my video below on this subject.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TFhfxwLNGw

After rolls have doubled in size, place rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 375F. Bake rolls 15 to 20 minutes. (See note below!) Top with powdered sugar glaze immediately when they are removed from the oven. Allow to cool on a cooling rack, or enjoy them while they’re fresh out of the oven!

Powdered Sugar Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbsp milk of choice*
1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla extract*

Combine glaze ingredients in a bowl, adding a little milk at a time until it is drizzling consistency. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk.

*Note: Whole milk or even half and half works best when making the glaze. With full fat milk, add up to 1 tsp vanilla extract. If using skim milk, use less extract; usually about 1/2 teaspoon is enough. When using lower fat milk, the more vanilla extract you use, the more brown the glaze will appear (unless using clear vanilla extract), and the stronger taste the vanilla extract will impart.

Note regarding baking time: The baking time will vary depending upon how the rolls are placed on a pan. If they are separated so that when they spread out they do not touch each other, they will take less time to bake. If they are placed close together in a pan, so they touch each other, forming less “crust” areas as they bake, they will take a little longer to bake. The key is to watch them and bake them until the tops are lightly browned.

Watch my video below to SEE how to make these rolls! jk

 

Recipe: Homemade Hamburger Buns

As most of you know, I used to own and operate my own bakery. I learned a lot during those years. But if nothing else, I became an expert in the fine art of making yeast breads from scratch. It was my mainstay. I made breads of all kinds and even concocted breads for people on request that they couldn’t find elsewhere. It was fun and delicious!

I’ll be creating a series of videos for my YouTube channel coupled with write-ups on my blog instructing how to make the assorted breads I made in my bakery. I elected to start with hamburger buns simply because I needed them for my husband’s lunches! So, here’s one recipe I used in the bakery. The recipe is followed by a link to my YouTube video where I demonstrated how to make the buns. Happy baking! Judi

Homemade Hamburger Buns
Makes 11 each 3-1/2 oz buns

1/2 cup water
3/4 cup milk
1.5 oz (3 Tbsp) butter
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 lb, 5.25 oz (about 5 cups) bread flour
1/2 oz (2 packets) RapidRise yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt

In a stand mixer bowl [or large bowl], combine the bread flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Stir to combine; set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the water, milk and butter to 120 degrees F. Pour the warmed liquid and eggs into the dry mixture. Stir to moisten the flour mixture. Place in stand mixer, attach a dough hook, and mix on low to medium-low speed for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. [NOTE: If you don’t have a stand mixer or prefer to knead dough by hand, simply knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth and elastic, yet still slightly sticky. Be careful not to work in much flour.] Remove dough hook, spray dough with nonstick spray, cover with plastic wrap, waxed paper or a damp towel, and allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare your oven for proofing the buns. Turn on the light bulb (DO NOT turn on the oven). Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil and place it in the oven on the bottom rack that was moved to the lowest position. The upper rack should be in the middle of the oven.

After the dough has rested, portion the dough into 3-1/2 oz parts, or section the dough into 11 equal parts. On a lightly (and I mean LIGHTLY) floured board, gently form the dough parts into round patties and place them on a baking sheet that was greased or lined with parchment paper. [NOTE: The bottom of the buns will brown better on a greased baking sheet.] Place sheet on rack in the middle of the oven until buns have doubled in size, about 20 minutes. Remove baking sheet and saucepan from the oven.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake buns for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Remove baking sheet from oven and place it on a rack to cool. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired. (This makes them look, taste, and smell fabulous!) When buns are completely cooled, slice them horizontally and enjoy!

Storage tip: If you don’t plan to eat the buns within a day or two, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in heavy-duty freezer bags. Store them in the freezer until ready to use. To thaw, simply remove them from the freezer, unwrap them and lightly cover them with a clean towel. After they thaw, they may be stored air-tight until needed.