Braided Sweet Roll Food

SWEET BRAIDED LOAVES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, butter, eggs, salt and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Stir in raisins., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough into six portions. Shape each into a 12-in. rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining ropes. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes., Brush with egg; sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

BASIC SWEET-ROLL DOUGH

Steps:

• Warm 1/2 cup water and the milk in a saucepan over low heat until a thermometer registers 100 degrees F to 110 degrees F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast on top, then sprinkle with a pinch of the sugar; set aside, undisturbed, until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, the salt and nutmeg. Make a well in the center, then add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to make a thick and slightly sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. Shape into a ball.
• Brush a large bowl with butter. Add the dough, turning to coat lightly with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour, 15 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead briefly to release excess air; re-form into a ball and return to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it directly on the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

GERMAN SWEET BRAIDED ROLLS FLACHSWICKEL

Steps:

• Put the butter and milk into a small saucepan and heat gently to melt. When melted, pour into the mixer bowl with the flour, yeast, sugar, eggs, and salt. With the dough hook, mix on speed 4 for 3 minutes until combined. Cover and leave in a warm, draft free place for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and divide into 24 equal size pieces. Roll each piece into a sausage shape and roll them in the confectioners' sugar.
• Lay three pieces of dough side by side and press the ends of these together. Braid the three pieces, pressing the other ends together to finish. Repeat with the remaining dough to make eight rolls. Transfer to a cookie sheet and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Cook the rolls in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown, and serve warm. Makes 8. Preparation time: 15 minutes plus 1 hour rising time. Cooking time: 20 minutes.

SWEET BRAIDED EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Combine milk, oil, salt, orange extract, 2 eggs at room temperature, sugar, orange zest, 4 cups of flour, and yeast in a bread machine, in that order. Set to Dough cycle and start the machine; be sure to peek inside while dough is mixing and add additional flour as needed to create a soft, but not wet, dough.
• Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer and add 4 whole eggs to soft boil. Continue to simmer for 6 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool quickly.
• Punch risen dough down and turn onto a floured surface. Divide into 3 even pieces. Roll each piece to form about a 1 1/2-inch thick rope that is 12 inches long. Take the pieces and braid them together, pinching the ends. Loop into a circle and pinch the ends to close. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Align boiled eggs evenly about the braid and push in gently, about 1/3 of the way down. Cover and let rise again, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine remaining room temperature egg, 2 tablespoons water, and anise extract in a bowl for egg wash. Brush braid with the egg wash, being careful not to get any on your boiled eggs or while baking they will have cooked wash on them and won't dye nicely.
• Bake in the preheated oven, switching between another parchment-lined baking sheet every 10 minutes throughout baking time to prevent the bottom from getting too dark, until browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool thoroughly, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Paint your eggs on the bread with liquid food dye. Be careful not to drip on the bread. Let dry, about 10 minutes. Brush bread with anisette liqueur and let dry before serving, about 5 minutes more.

CARAMEL BRAID (SWEET BREAD)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water. Sprinkle in sugar and stir. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
• Heat milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Milk mixture should be luke warm, not hot. Let it cool down if its too hot.
• Pour 1 C of the flour into a mixing bowl. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and stir.
• Add another cup of flour and stir. Add eggs and stir, then yeast and stir.
• Gradually add the rest of the flour, kneading the dough inside the bowl. Add more flour depending on the consistency, so its not sticky and dough pulls away from the bowl.
• Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for a half hour.
• While its rising mix all the ingredients for the filling, adding the butter last.
• After the dough has risen, beat it down. Knead for a few minutes on a floured surface.
• Roll it out into a 12 x 18 rectangle.
• Cut into 3 vertical strips, 4 inches wide each. You want long strips.
• Spread filling evenly over dough with the back of a spoon. Roll each strip into a roll, overlapping the edges and pinching them shut.
• Place on a greased jelly roll pan. Gently braid, tucking the ends underneath. Try to braid quickly so the dough doesn't stretch.
• Cover with a towel and let rise for a half hour in a warm palce.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 30 minute Bread should be browned and sound hollow when patted. Let cool on a rack. Take it off the pan with a spatula on each side so it doesn't fall apart.
• While the bread is cooling, make the glaze. Heat butter over medium heat until lightly brown, remove from heat.
• Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.
• Stir in milk, one tsp at a time.
• Place bread on foil or board when cool. Drizzle bread with warm glaze. Let glaze harden before wrapping foil around bread if giving as a gift.

EDY'S BRAIDED ROLLS

Steps:

• Lightly butter a medium bowl; set aside. In a small measuring cup combine the warm water and yeast, and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl. Add milk, sugar, butter, egg, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir until smooth. Add just enough (at least 1 1/2 cups) of the remaining flour to make a dough that is easy to handle.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
• Line two baking sheets with Silpats baking mats; set aside. Punch down dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into two pieces, cover one piece with plastic wrap. Roll out remaining piece into a rectangle, about 14 inches long and 6 inches wide. Cut crosswise into 10 rectangles a little less than 1 1/2 inches wide and 6 inches long.
• Working with one rectangle at a time, make 2 lengthwise cuts, starting about 1/2 inch from one end, dividing the rectangle into three narrow strips. Braid the three strips together, pinching both ends to seal. Transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough. Brush braids with melted butter. Cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.