rolls

Garlic Beer Cheese Rolls

02.10.2013 17 Comments

My book tour kicks off in a few days and one of my first stops is at Bear Republic, one of my favorite California breweries. On October 10th, from 6:30 to 8:30 I’ll be at the pub in Healdsburg hanging out, signing books, hoping to meet some of you and gleefully consuming some Bourbon Smokey Bear Stout. Join me, if you’re in the area, sit down and have a beer with me.

It was the beauty of Racer 5 IPA that introduced me to Bear Republic, quickly becoming a go-to favorite of mine, one I always have on hand at parties. It’s a crowd pleaser with just the right amount of hops to give you what you want but not overwhelm, it gives a perfect balance.

Because of that perfectly balanced hop kick, it’s a great beer-cheese-beer. Even more perfect to stuff that beer cheese inside a tender garlic filled roll for an awesomely beer flavored garlic cheese roll that can be a meal all in itself. But really, it’s just about being responsible when drinking, you need to eat something to soak up all that fantastic Racer 5 you be able to put down.

Join me October 10th, 2013 6:30-8:30, at Bear Republic!

Garlic Beer Cheese Rolls

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Dough

3 cups all purpose flour
1 envelope rapid rise yeast 2 ¼ tsp
1 tbs white sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup IPA beer
1 tsp salt
¼ cup olive oil

For the Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese
6 wt oz cheddar cheese shredded (about 2 cups)
½ cup IPA
3 cloves garlic grated with a microplane
½ tsp salt

For the Topping:

3 wt oz cheddar shredded (about 1 cup)

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, yeast, sugar and garlic powder. Mix until combined.
In a microwave safe bowl add the beer. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, test temperature with a cooking thermometer and repeat until temperature reaches between 120 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the beer to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed. Once most of the dough has been moistened, add the oil and sprinkle with the salt while the mixer is still running.
Turn speed to high and beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in a warm room until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from bowl and add to a lightly floured surface. Knead several times, roll out into a rectangle about 10 inches by 18 inches.
Add all of the filling ingredients to a food processor, process until smooth and well combined, about 5 minutes.
Spread the filling evenly across the dough. Starting at the long edge roll the dough into a log. Cut the dough into 8 rolls, each about 2 inches wide. Place cut side down into a baking dish. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Serve warm.

I use this Microplane to turn a clove of garlic into paste in a second. (Affiliate link)

Hefeweizen Honey Rolls

30.10.2012 27 Comments

I have wandered into a complete obsession with making bread. It started slowly, and really, rather timidly. When I first started, I was afraid of yeast, and a wee bit convinced that it hated me.

I threw several mounds of fail dough in the trash after it refused to rise. I learned a few things long the way that I am more than happy to share with you and save you from the "What the EFF is wrong with this damn bread!" frustrations that I suffered.

First, check the expiration date. Yeast expires in a biblical sense, it actually dies. Yeast is a bit of a living beast, and once it reaches it’s expiration date, don’t even think about it. It’s not like that bottle of Ibuprofen in your cabinet that expired last year but is probably still going to cure your headache. If the yeast has been in your cabinet a while, throw it out.

Salt kills yeast too. Don’t let inactive yeast come in contact with salt. I learned this the hard way when adding salt to the cream before microwaving it.

Yeast will rise between 40 and 120 degrees. Any higher than 120 and it will be killed by the heat (unless you use rapid-rise which will work until about 130), stay away from the high end of the scale in case your thermometer is a bit off. If the yeast is colder than around 90, it will take a long time to rise. At 40 degrees, it will still rise, but it will take days. 110 seems to be a bit of a sweet spot, but I live in LA, and even when the East Coast is being ravaged by Frankenstrom, it was still 85 degrees yesterday. Bread rises faster when it’s warm, slower when it’s cold. Yeast types are not interchangeable without major recipe modifications. Use the yeast the recipe calls for.

Dry milk powder is a bit of a secret weapon when it comes to bread making. I discovered this in the Secret Ingredient section of King Arthur Flour, it may be to blame for my bread making fixation. Your bread will be softer, taller and more tender. Buy a bag just to keep on hand for Thanksgiving and Christmas rolls, because if you are going to all of the trouble to make homemade rolls, you should really pull out all the tricks in your bag.

Beer. Of course, the beer. Bread is my favorite thing to make with beer. Even if you aren’t a beer kind of girl, it gives your bread a lighter, slightly more leavened quality that makes it a perfect baking liquid. And because it’s bread, a wheat beer is a natural choice.

Hefeweizen Honey Rolls

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 envelope dry active yeast
5 cups bread flour
1/4 cup dry milk powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup wheat beer room temperature
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey
4 tbs unsalted butter softened to room temp

To Brush On Top:

4 tbs melted butter
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp coarse salt

Makes 16 rolls

Instructions

Add the cream to a microwave safe dish. Heat for 20 seconds, test temperature and repeat until cream is about 110 degrees. Add the yeast, set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. If the yeast does not foam, it isn't good. Discard it and try again.
In the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, salt and dry milk powder, mix until well combined.
Add the cream and the beer, mix until combined. It will look dry and shaggy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between additions.
Add the honey and butter and allow to mix until the dough forms a smooth and shiny ball that isn't sticky, about 8-10 minutes.
Coat the inside of large bowl with oil. Form the dough into a ball and add to prepared bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm room until doubled in size. This will take between 1 and 2 hours depending on the temperature of the room.
Punch the dough down, and knead lightly for about 1 minute.
Cut the dough in half, then cut each half in half. You will now have 4 equal size pieces. Cut each piece in half to create 8 equal sized pieces. Cut each of those in half to give you 16.
Roll each piece of dough into balls, place into a baking dish with a bit of space between each roll (you might need two baking pans to accommodate 16 rolls).
Cover and allow to rise until about doubled in size.
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the melted butter and honey. Brush the top of the rolls with honey butter mixture, sprinkle with salt.
Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Rolls

08.10.2012 45 Comments

I’m going unprocessed this month. Which, as my favorite byproduct of this exercise, has pushed me out of my grocery buying comfort zone and reminded me to wander into local bakeries and specialty food stores to rely on what they have to offer. I love supporting local mom & pop shops, and even though I eat a very unprocessed diet on a regular basis, this is a great way for me to double check all of my eating habits.

When I had the idea for these stuck in my head, I wanted to make it as easy as possible for the both of us. I found out a few interesting short cuts for pizza dough. While I am working on perfecting a pizza dough recipe, I realize that good dough takes time and my pizza making cravings don’t allow me the requisite 24 hours that good dough really needs. I did learn that most pizza places will sell you raw and ready to use pizza dough if you just ask, but don’t count on them delivering. Also, look for an Italian deli, I have two really great ones in my neighborhood. They usually sell homemade pasta, home cured meats, homemade cheese AND (you guested it) raw and ready to go pizza dough. Sometimes you even get handmade recipes passed down from generation to generation shipped over from the Motherland. So much better than I could ever do myself. As much as I WANT to make everything from my own hands, even on my best day I could never top an Italian Grandmother on her worst. So, my secret to these is "store bought" dough is getting it from my local Italian deli.

You can also look at your local regular-guy markets (Trader Joe’s, Fresh & Easy, Whole Foods) if you don’t have any Italian culinary entrepreneur in your neighborhood. But it’s worth a Yelp search, just incase they flew under your radar, or call the nice folks at your local pizza restaurant to see if they will break you off a hunk of their dough.

Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Rolls

1 batch Pizza dough

1/2 cup marinara sauce

2 oz peperoni, chopped

1/2 cup cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, whatever you want)

1/4 cup baking soda

2 tbs sugar

3 tbs melted butter

course salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Start by placing the hunk of dough on a lightly floured surface.

Shape the dough into a long log. Cut into two equal halves, then cut each half in half (giving you four equal logs)

Then cut each log in half the other way

Now you have 8 pieces! Cut each piece in half and you are finally done with the cutting and you have 16 dough pieces ready to be filled.

Roll each dough piece on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Top with about 1 to 2 tbs sauce, 2 tbs cheese and 1 tbs pepperoni.

Wet the edges of the dough (the best way to do this is to place a small bowl of water near you and wet your fingertips) and pinch the edges tightly together.

Place on a baking sheet, covered with a Silpat.

Fill a large pot with water, making sure you have enough room for it to bubble up, but deep enough for the rolls to fit in. Add the 2 tbs sugar and allow to boil, add the baking soda (there will be lots of bubbling), add the buns (about 4 at a time) and allow to boil for about 30 seconds, remove with a large slotted spoon and return to baking sheet.

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until a dark golden brown.

*Note: if you want to freeze these, allow to cool, place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 weeks. To re-heat, bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cooked though.

Salted Hefeweizen Brioche Rolls

09.11.2011 9 Comments

Napa SmithWheat is a perfect baking beer. It has crisp, clean flavors, sweetness and bold tones that hold up to the oven. A smooth wheat beer with citrus and peach notes.

I enjoyed this beer, the baking, the drinking, the flavors. It was an easy beer to enjoy and gave me a sense of the brewery. Relaxed, comfortable and welcoming. I’ve lived in California most of my life, and traveled all over the world and I have a firm believe that Napa is a place that needs to be experienced, a beautiful escape from the rest of reality. Winding along the back roads of Napa county, meeting locals, sampling the local food, drinks, produce…You’ll feel like you are living in a distant land far away from the life you know. In Napa, people love to eat, drink and cook with only local ingredients. It’s charming, as if Napa could exist all on it’s own. A little bubble, a snow globe of a world, swirling around itself filled with fresh-baked bread, handmade pies and locally sourced beer.

Salted Hefeweizen Brioche Rolls

1/2 cup room temperature Hefeweizen Beer (Napa Smith Wheat Preferred)

1 envelope of dry active yeast (1/4 oz)

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoons sea salt,

3 large eggs

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

Topping:

1 tbs melted butter

1 tbs sea salt

Add the beer to a microwave safe container heat in the microwave for 10 seconds, test the temperature (you want it between 105 and 110) and repeat until the desired temperature is reached. Put the beer in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow it to get foamy, about 5 minutes.
Add the flour, salt and sugar and mix on low with the dough hook attachment until shaggy, flaky lumps form (about 1 1/2 minutes).
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined.
Add the softened butter (softened is important), beat until the dough gathers around the hook and is smooth and shiny.
Coat the inside of a bowl with olive oil and place the dough ball in inside.
Wrap with plastic wrap leave in a warm place until it’s double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Grab the dough at the sides until it has deflated.
Allow to rise a second time at room temperature, until it has doubled in size, deflating every 15 minutes by grabbing the sides, about 45 minutes.
Remove from the bowl and place on a floured surface, shape into a long log, about 4 inches wide and 1 foot long.
Using a sharp knife, cut in 3 equal sized pieces.
Then cut each of those pieces in half (you will now have 6 pieces.)
Now cut each of those pieces in half and you will have 12 equal sized pieces.
Each of these pieces will be a roll, but you have to make some more cuts first.
Cut each slice into 3 equal sized pieces, rolling each into a ball and placing all three into the same well of a greased muffin tin. Repeat for each slice.
Cover with plastic wrap, place in the fridge and allow to double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle generously with sea salt. This is when you break out the fanciest salt you have. Or buy some just for the occasion.
Preheat the oven to 400. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.

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