yeasted dough Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Flaky Homemade Croissant Twists

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 01 May 2024 18:33:33 +0000

I love my Foolproof Cheater Croissant Dough and use it for many applications (including these Apple Morning Buns), but I have to say that these fried Croissant Twists are insanely good, and may be my new favorite thing to make with it. Frying anything is not my favorite past time, but the process was worth it. These twists are simple to form (especially if you have some croissant dough already made and stashed in your freezer), and the fry up rich, flaky and light. I loved them with a simple glaze, which added some sweetness and kept the middles tender. Each bite reminded me of a cross between a croissant and an old-fashioned doughnut, which is a perfect mash-up in my mind. I am imaging a rhubarb-glazed version as soon as my stalks are ready to pick. Important Tips for Making This Recipe Make sure your kitchen isn’t too hot! This will affect how your dough rolls out. The yeast will began to release gas as the dough warms up, so a cool environment is important. If at any point your butter begins to melt or your dough begins to warm and stick to your work space, you can move the […]

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Foolproof Cheater Croissant Dough

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 16:48:19 +0000

Of all the recipes I’ve developed between my cookbooks, working in bakeries, and this website, this Cheater Croissant Dough might be the one I spent the longest working on. It is one of my favorite recipes, as it gives everyone the chance to make and experience the magic of flaky, delicate croissants and so many other treats in a simplified, easier technique. It wasn’t until I read Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery that I accepted that home croissants were never going to be perfectly on par with bakery ones. He writes: “Croissant dough is the most difficult of the enriched doughs to get right…[y]ou can never master it completely. Every time you attempt it, it’s new. The temperature of your kitchen, the humidity in the air, the absorbency of the flour, the activity of the yeast – all these factors affect the dough.” When I understood that this professional pastry chef who had made thousands of croissants could never master the croissant, I knew I had to take a different approach for my own kitchen. I wanted a dough that mimicked the flaky, butter layers of a croissant, but gave a little more space to imperfection. This dough is inspired by many different recipes, […]

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Deep Dish Pizza Bread

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 15:07:02 +0000

I have been highly enamored with Kristina Cho’s new cookbook, Mooncakes and Milk Bread; I can’t stop baking from it. The first recipe in her book, the Mother of All Milk Bread dough, is incredible and can be used in many applications, both sweet and savory. And I know I rarely share savory baking items here, but this Deep Dish Pizza Bread was the best dinner I had had in a long time, so I couldn’t resist. What is the tangzhong method? Kristina writes that “what sets … Asian enriched breads apart from other enriched breads is the use of tangzhong, a roux made of milk and flour. Tangzhong makes a huge difference in the quality of the bread… [w]hen you add tangzhong to the dough, the dough is able to retain a higher moisture content, and the result is a fluffy bread with delicate crumb and ethereal softness that lasts for days.” I have used this dough over and over again the last few weeks, and have fallen in love with it. Cinnamon rolls, classic three-segment loaves, pull-apart milk bread buns have all been in rotation. This pizza is the newest addition to the list, and it is incredible. […]

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Circle Cinnamon Swirl Bread + Circle Toasting Bread

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 07:09:58 +0000

I’ve been baking quite a bit of bread the last few weeks (along with everyone else) and was inspired to try making circle bread after seeing a commenter on Amazon mention they made a similar bread out of two Almond Cake Loaf Pans and some metal clips (thank you, Diana!). Lo and behold, it worked like a charm, and circle bread is now a ‘thing’ at our house. I posted a photo on Instagram and had quite a few people asking how to make it, so I have photos and directions below. I used two different recipes from Artisan Bread in Five (I have linked to them below as well) to make the bread, and they turned out beautifully. I haven’t tried my Sweet Dough yet, but will report back when I do. A few things: *As some of you know, I work over at Artisan Bread in Five, too, and have a Sourdough Pizza dough recipe up over on their site. They also have a great Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe if you are wanting to start one. *My good friend Zoe Francois has a couple of live Instagram videos up, showing how to make, shape, and use Artisan Bread in […]

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Pillowy Soft Cinnamon Rolls

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 07:34:11 +0000

This recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls produces perfect pillowy soft cinnamon buns consistently. This recipe has a rise time of 2 hours and a total of 4 foldings (video guidance below!). Allowing the dough to rest overnight in the fridge yields the best results and makes this recipe convenient for a morning bake! These cinnamon rolls are 100% worth the effort. The cinnamon rolls will emerge from the oven gooey, pillowy soft and perfect. I like my cinnamon rolls super soft and gooey, so I put a thin layer of the icing over them while they are still warm. The icing melts into the just baked rolls, eliminating any hard corners or edges. If you prefer a little crispy crunch to your cinnamon rolls, you can wait until they have cooled and then top them with all the icing. Or you could make this cinnamon buns recipe that has a cinnamon sugar dusting instead of icing! And I now have a MINI CINNAMON ROLL recipe that makes 36 perfect little buns, generously finished with cream cheese icing! They are soft and gooey just like these. Tips for Making the Best Cinnamon Rolls: 1. What if I don’t have instant yeast? […]

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Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 01:21:20 +0000

I decided to see what would happen if I played around with my Sweet dough recipe – adding apple cider instead of milk like my Soft and Gooey Cinnamon Rolls call for, made for an Autumn-ish type of breakfast bun. And it resulted in these delicious Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls, with the faintest apple flavor, and the softest texture. They’re adapted from my first book, The Vanilla Bean Baking Book. I’m not one for apple chunks in my buns and rolls (I find them distracting), so instead, to draw out the apple flavor, I opted for an apple cider icing; I cooked down the apple cider, added a little cream cheese, butter, and confectioners’ sugar, and low and behold! Amazing. At least, that’s what my 11-year old daughter exclaimed when she tried them. ************************************ Each October, I am compelled to challenge myself to read slightly eerie or spooky literature. I’m not one for scary movies or books, so something with even the slightest trace of fearfulness is enough for me on the regular. I’m not sure what it is about crisp Autumn days, with their crunchy leaves and early nightfalls, but I’m ready to dive in to something unnerving. (It […]

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Homemade Kolaches

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 09:00:13 +0000

I’m addicted to kolaches. Any and all kinds, but especially these pictured here. Kolaches were brought to Texas by Czech immigrants and now have a cult-like following, for good reason. Almost a Danish pastry, they are made with a brioche-like bread dough instead of laminated layers; their centers filled with creamy sweet cheese and the slightest hint of lemon. When I first came across them in Bread Illustrated (America’s Test Kitchen’s bread book) I instantly walked to my kitchen cupboards and took out all the ingredients needed: flour, yeast, butter, cream cheese, milk, sugar, lemon. While I worked the dough on my counter top, my mind jumped to purchasing a nearby corner bakery for the sole purpose of filling with kolaches. There would be trays lined with rows and rows of beautiful circles, all topped differently: cream cheese, chocolate and white chocolate, jam and fresh fruit, extracts, vanilla bean, meringue, whipped cream, ice cream. They would compete with local doughnuts shops for breakfast, boasting both simplicity and extravagance in every dozen sold. Of course, such day dreams are not able to become reality at this point, but each bite I take convinces me otherwise. Maybe one day, Minneapolis. Maybe one […]

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Strawberry Poppy Seed Buns

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 14:41:38 +0000

I’m back with more swirl buns! When I stumbled upon the recipe for Strawberry Poppy Seed Buns from the new Bake From Scratch cookbook, I decided to drop everything (which was really just taking a break from recipe testing for my next book) and make them. If you haven’t heard of Bake From Scratch, you can find their webpage here. They also have a monthly magazine that is a great read. The dough came together beautifully and was a dream to work with, and my family and neighbors devoured them immediately then raved all day about them, so I knew the recipe was gold. Strawberries aren’t in season yet, but here freeze-dried strawberries are crushed into a powder (a genius move), and I was able to round up a few ripe strawberries at my local grocery store for the cream cheese filling. More Morning Bun Recipes: Rhubarb Blackberry Streusel Buns Morning Buns Strawberries and Cream Brioche Buns Cardamom Sugar Buns Cinnamon Buns. ****************************** A few things: *Last spring I was on an episode of Cherry Bombe Radio recorded here in Minneapolis at The Lynhall. You can listen here. *The Lynhall is also currently looking for Grandmas to come and share family […]

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Raised Donuts with Chocolate Glaze and Candied Walnuts

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 14:52:26 +0000

February has roared in like a lion, at least, here in Minnesota it sure feels that way. Piles of snow and subzero temperatures have started out this month of love, and my kids have spent more time home then in school. They have been reveling in the snow days (more than I ever had as a kid!) while I am frantically testing recipes and taking photos for my next book. I did take a small break from cookies to work on donuts. Making donuts at home can be a challenge; frying oil and waiting for donuts to proof can seem daunting. But eating a warm, freshly fried donut covered in chocolate and candied walnuts is quite a treat, and worth the time and effort in my opinion. Making Raised Donuts I spent a lot of time the last two weeks making donuts and reading about donuts while working on getting the recipe right for this post. This article from the Washington Post was very helpful, this thread on The Fresh Loaf, and this post from Joe Pastry taught me a lot. The donuts here are light and delicious, and can be rolled in sugar or covered in glaze. This recipe does rest the […]

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Sugar Coated Raised Mini Donuts

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 04:17:33 +0000

I spent a lot of time the last two weeks making donuts and reading about donuts while working on getting the recipe right for this post. This article from the Washington Post was very helpful, this thread on The Fresh Loaf, and this post from Joe Pastry taught me a lot. The donuts here are light and delicious, and can be rolled in sugar or covered in glaze. Tips for Making Mini Donuts This recipe does rest the dough overnight, so plan accordingly. Dough can be rolled and cut after the first rise, but the flavor really develops after a slow cold rise in the fridge. The dough also rolls out much more evenly when cold. I do have a deep frier (this one here) that I found to be very helpful in making the donuts – I didn’t have to worry about the constantly changing temperature of the oil and could just focus on the donuts. However, a large Dutch oven and a candy thermometer will work just fine. A few things: *I have an Amazon Store Front now – it’s a place to find all my favorite cookbooks, kitchen equipment, books I’m reading, and the like. You can find it here if you are […]

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