One Dough 5 Breads
This is a universal dough that can transform itself into possibly any bread option you will want to make at home. One preparation makes 2 recipes. So the combinations are numerous. You can make sandwich bread and cinnamon swirl bread or cinnamon swirl bread for breakfast the next day and garlic knots for dinner that night., etc. It is also fast. I can have bread in the oven in about a hour if the conditions are right (the kitchen in warm). I love sourdough but I started learning to bake bread using yeast dough recipes. So if you are looking for an entry point to bread making, this recipe is for you.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup warm water
1 tbsp yeast
3 tbsp sugar
6 cups AP flour
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup oil (neutral or olive oil)
Recipe:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fixed with a dough hook or large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar and mix gently together. Let sit until the yeast is bubbly. Around 3-5 minutes.
Add the flour and salt to the water mixture and turn on the mixer. While the dough is starting to combine drizzle in the oil then turn up the mixer to knead the dough for about 3 minutes until a smooth ball is formed. If you do not have a mixer, just starting mixing the dough together with a spoon and then add the oil as the mixture is coming together. Once it gets to hard to mix, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough for around 5 minutes until it forms a nice smooth ball. Put the dough back in the bowl and cover with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rise for about 1-2 hours depending on the temperature of the room. Once it is doubled in size it is ready to shape and bake.
For Dinner Rolls: additional 3 tbsp melted butter and 1 tsp flaky salt
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Pour the dough out of the bowl onto a floured work surface and shape again into a ball. A bench scraper is very useful here. Divide the ball into 2. Working with half the dough at a time, divide into 16 equal sized balls. The easiest way to do this is to keep dividing in half. So take the dough and cut it in half, then in half again and again untill you have 16 pieces. Then gently shape the pieces into balls. I like to tuck the edges underneath as if each piece was its own loaf of bread. I will refer you to watch the attached video to see what I am talking about. Now if you want to only make dinner rolls then complete the same process with the other half of the dough but I usually make something else with the other half, like a loaf of sandwich bread, cinnamon swirl bread or sandwich buns.
Melt about 2-3 tbsp of butter. Once you have 16 equal balls, put them on a lined sheet tray about 1 inch apart. 16 rolls will fill about half a sheet tray. Cover the dough balls with the damp cloth again and allow to rise for about 10-15 minutes. Once you see the rolls are expanding in size, you can brush the top of the rolls with melted butter and sprinkle flaky salt on top. Bake at 375 F for 22 minutes. Once you remove them from the oven, if you have any melted butter left, you can brush them again for extra flavor. Allow to cool for a few minutes before handling and serving. If you wan tot warm them up again for serving, wrap the rolls in a little foil and put them in the oven at 350 F for 3-5 minutes.
For Sandwich Rolls: additional 3 tbsp melted butter and 1 tsp flaky salt
Again preheat the oven to 375 F. Instead of dividing the dough into 16 pieces, divid it into 8 equal pieces. Again roll the dough into a ball and tuck the edges underneath so the top of each bun is taught. Then put on a lined baking sheet and cover with a damp cloth to proof for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, brush with melted butter and then make a small X on the top ov each bun. Top with flaky salt and bake for 22-25 minutes until the rolls are golden on top. Allow to cool and then slice open and fill with your desired sandwich filling. I might recommend toasting the roll sliced side down in a warm pan before filling. This would work well for party sandwiches, meatball sliders, or bbq sliders, just to name a few.
For Cinnamon Swirl Bread: additional 3 tbsp melted butter, 4 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 375 F. After dividing the dough in half, flatten half of the dough out into a rough rectangle. About 12 inches by 8 inches. Just use your hands, no need to use a rolling pin. Then brush the dough with melted butter. Apply about 3-4 tbsp brown sugar to the dough in an even layer as well as 1 tbsp of cinnamon. This is similar to making cinnamon rolls. Then roll the dough up tightly into a log and place it seam side down in a non stick or parchmen lined loaf pan. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise again for 10-20 minutes. Brush again with melted butter over the top and make 2 slits on top running across the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the bread is golden brown. I suggest baking it on a sheet tray in case any sugar spills out to protect your oven from a smokey mess. Serve warm or allow to cool and toast the next day for a delicious breakfast.
For Garlic Knots: additional 3 tbsp melted butter, 1-2 tsp garlic salt
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Using half of the prepared dough, press the dough out into a flat log to make it easier to portion it out. You can make 8 large knots or 16 small knots. I like to press it inot a long rectangle and then divide in half, half again making equal sized strips of dough. Brush the dough strips with melted butter the sprinkle garlic salt on top. Twist the strips into ropes and then tie them into a knot, tucking the ends into the center. Think twist the dough into a shape like a twizzler then tie the twizzler into a knot. Place the knots on a lined sheet tray and cover with a damp towel to rise again for 10-15 minutes. Bake for 20-22 minutes depending on which size you picked. Remove when they are golden brown. Serve with your favorite pizza or marinara sauce.
For Traditional Sandwich Bread:
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Using half the prepared dough, shape the dough into a rough rectangle on a floured surface. Then roll the dough into a tight log and place seam side down in a non stick or parchment lined loaf pan. Cover with the damp towel for 10 minutes. Before baking make a large slit down the center of the loaf. You can brush with melted butter if you have it, but it is not necessary. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top. After allowing it to cool for a few minutes in the pan, remove from the pan and allow to cool completetly before slicing. This is what I make when the kids want grilled cheese or a simple peanut butter and jelly for lunch the next day. It is just your basic white sandwich bread but way better than anything you have bought at the store.
