Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Bread Braid Instructions

Braids

All braids use ¼ dough recipe. Roll out dough into large rectangle. Make horizontal cuts on the long sides of the dough from the edge about 1/3 of the way across the rectangle. These cuts should be about 1 ½” apart. After cutting you should have the center third uncut with 1 ½” 'fingers' extending off of either side of the center third. Spread filling down the center. Braid by alternately folding left and right fingers over filling. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Basic Bread Dough Recipe, versions #1 and #2

Basic Dough Recipe #1

10 ½ c white flour (all-purpose or bread flour)
½ c white sugar
1 T salt
3 heaping T SAF instant yeast
~ 3 T liquid lecithin
4 c hot tap water

Mix dry ingredients. Add Lecithin and Water. Mix about 1 minute and check consistency. Add more water as needed to achieve moist almost sticky consistency. Mix additional 5 minutes.

Basic Dough Recipe #2

4 c warm water
1 c sugar
1 c mashed potato flakes
1 c shortening
2 t salt
3 eggs
2 c flour
1 ½ T yeast
~8 c flour

Place first seven ingredients in mixing bowl and stir to batter consistency. Stir in yeast and let sit a few minutes. Add 2 more cups flour and beat well with mixer. Add remaining flour. Additional flour or water may be added to achieve desired consistency.

Cream, Chicken, and mushroom rolls

cream cheese chicken rolls

¼ c softened butter
½ t pepper
8 oz. Cream cheese
4 oz can mushrooms, drained
2 c cooked cubed chicken
½ dough recipe
¼ c melted butter
crushed herb seasoned bread crumbs or croutons
½ c finely chopped nuts

Combine first 5 ingredients. Roll out dough into large circle. Cut pizza style into 8-12 slices. Place 1-2 T filling at large end of triangle. Roll up like a crescent roll. Seal so as to encase filling in dough. Dip rolls in melted butter then coat with mixture of crumbs and nuts. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Lower fat substitutions: use neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese. Instead of dipping rolls in melted butter, dip in egg whites or spray with non-stick spray to facilitate coating with crumbs.

Orange rolls

Orange rolls/cinnamon rolls

¼ dough recipe
4 T butter
2 T orange juice concentrate
grated orange peel
1 c sugar

Roll out dough into large rectangle. Melt butter and orange juice concentrate in bowl in microwave. Brush light coating onto dough, reserve excess for frosting. In bowl combine sugar and orange peel. Sprinkle on dough. Cut into 2” squares. Stack 4 squares and place vertically in muffin tin. Bake 10-15 minutes.

Frosting:
~ 1 T butter (excess from above)
~ 1 T orange juice concentrate (excess from above)
1 c powdered sugar
milk as needed

Combine butter, orange juice and powdered sugar. Mix by hand with fork adding milk until drizzling consistency is achieved.

Berry braid

Berry Braid
Filling:
¾ c sour cream
1 egg
4-5 T brown sugar
2 c frozen berries, defrosted and drained (juices reserved for frosting)

Combine sour cream and egg, mixing well. Spread down center of braid. Sprinkle with brown sugar and berries. Braid. Add glaze below after baking.

Glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
1 ½ T butter
1 T berry juices
milk as needed

Melt butter in microwave. Combine butter, berry juices and powdered sugar. Mix by hand with fork adding milk until drizzling consistency is achieved.

Ham, broccoli, and cheese braid

Ham, Broccoli and cheese braid

2 c cooked cubed ham
1 ½ c steamed broccoli
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 c milk
8-10 oz. Cheddar cheese cubed/grated

Melt butter in skillet. Remove from heat and add flour, mix until smooth paste is achieved. Return to heat and add milk, stirring until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add ham and broccoli. Fill braid.

Checken Broccoli Bread

Chicken Broccoli Braid

2 c cooked cubed/shredded chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c steamed broccoli
1 c grated cheddar
½ c chopped onion
½ t season salt

Combine all ingredients and fill braid.

Southwest Chicken Braid

Southwest Chicken Braid

2 c cooked cubed/shredded chicken
½ c frozen corn
½ c black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can green chilis
½ c salsa
1 c grated cheddar cheese
¼ c chopped onion
½ can cream of chicken soup
1 ½ T taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients. Fill braid. Serve with sauce consisting of ½ can cream of chicken soup and ½ c salsa.

Philly Cheese Steak Bread

Stuffed Steak Braid

1 Lb. Thinly sliced steak
1 ½ c sliced mushrooms
1 c sliced green peppers
½ c sliced onion
2 T butter
3 T Worcestershire sauce
½ t pepper
1 c grated mozzarella, plus 8-10 extra slices

Cook steak in frying pan. Add veggies and butter and sautee. Add Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Remove from heat and add grated mozzarella. Fill braid. Add slices of cheese along top of filling before braiding.

Southwest Chicken Braid

2 c cooked cubed/shredded chicken
½ c frozen corn
½ c black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can green chilis
½ c salsa
1 c grated cheddar cheese
¼ c chopped onion
½ can cream of chicken soup
1 ½ T taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients. Fill braid. Serve with sauce consisting of ½ can cream of chicken soup and ½ c salsa.