Pretzel Dogs

Near our house, there is a bike path for bikers and walkers. While I was out walking, I passed a tiny woman pushing a stroller. Inside the stroller, there was a Pit bull bigger than her. I couldn't help but smile. He is one spoiled puppy.

Every year, I make the mummy hot dogs for my children. This year I wanted to try something different. So, I made Pretzel buns with bratwurst inside. I knew my husband would love it and I was right. I just wasn't sure about the kids. I shouldn't have worried since they have asked for me to make these mummies again. I will say I was surprised by how sweet the bread tasted but it was still a nice combination.

 Pretzel Buns with Bratwurst aka Mummy Dogs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1 packet active dry yeast
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, grated
3 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup bread flour
8 links of Bratwurst sausage
3 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp vegetable oil
coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 
2. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, 1/2 cup water, sugar, and honey until the mixture reaches between 105 to 110 degrees F.
3. Slowly, add the milk mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer.
4. Sprinkle the yeast mixture over the milk mixture and let rest for 15 minutes for the yeast to bloom.
5. Wipe out the small saucepan. Add the butter and garlic over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. 
6. In another bowl, combine the all purpose flour with the bread flour.
7. Add the flour to the yeast mixing bowl with the melted garlic butter.
8. Mix the flour and garlic butter into the milk mixture on medium speed for about 5 to 7 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic plus pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
9. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured clean surface and form a ball.
10. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place onto the parchment paper lined baking sheets. Cover and place in a warm place to rise for 15 minutes.
11. Roll out each ball into a log and place onto the baking sheet to rise for another 30 minutes. Make sure to cover and place in a warm place. 
12. While the buns are rising, heat the bratwurst in a small skillet over medium heat with 3 Tbsp water and 1/2 tsp vegetable oil until golden brown. Set aside to cool. 
13. Cut each bratwurst in half and set aside.
14. With a sharp knife, slowly and carefully cut each bun down the middle vertically but leave one bun alone.
15. Place the cooled Bratwurst in the center of the bun and press the dough together. Continue with all the buns until the one bun is left.
16. Take the last bun and cut off about 1/2 tsp of dough. Roll the dough into long, vertical pieces. Continue making long pieces until all the dough of the last bun are just pieces of dough like . Secure the pieces of dough over the buns with the Bratwurst inside. Cris-cross the dough over each other and press down to flatten. 
17. Sprinkle with the sea salt if desired.
18. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place one oven rack high and the other in the low position.
19. Place the baking sheets into the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure to rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking so the top sheet is on the bottom rack and the bottom sheet is on the top rack.

Recipe adapted from Jeff Mauro of the Foodnetwork. 

One year ago...........................I made Chicken Enchiladas.

Did you already know...
-Other names for the Pit Bull is the American Pit Bull Terrier.
-The Pit Bull usually weighs between 22 to 78 pounds.
-Some dog associations do not accept blue eyed or merle coats for a Pit bull into the registry. 
-The Pit bull was first bread to be an all around farm dog.

Pineapple Kolaches

When I first purchased the Pastry Queen cookbook, I noticed the recipe for kolache right off. The photo looked like a yeast bun of some type. They looked familiar but I wasn't sure if I had ever had it before. Silly me! I have even made Kolaches before with a cheese filling and a dry apricot filling. When I made them before, I thought they were a danish but not so sweet or sticky. I think it was the filling in a yeast bread. I went back to my old cookbook and sure enough I had made them before. It was a bread machine cookbook. I know I made this before because I write a comment in my cookbooks of recipes I have made. I need to know if it is worth making the recipe again.

This weeks Project Pastry Queen was picked by Emily of She Makes and Bakes. Please check out the other member's variation since this recipe is so adaptable with some many different fillings. I will be trying this recipe again with a different filling. This time I used pineapple since I had it on hand. Since the recipe makes so many buns (yields about 18 buns), I made some sandwiches with ham and sharp cheddar. They aren't too sweet but very light.

Kolaches
Dough:
2 cups milk
1 (1/4 oz.) package dry yeast
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
8 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Filling:
1 oz. can crushed pineapple in its own juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Streusel Topping:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it begins to steam and forms a skin. Do not boil.
2. Allow the milk to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes and the temperature of the milk has registered about 110 degrees F.
3. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and allow it to set for 5 minutes.
4. Microwave the butter until it has melted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. 
5. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, and melted butter.
6. Add the cooled milk and the yeast mixture.
7. Gradually, add the flour to the batter, 2 cups at a time.
8. With a wooden spoon, mix the flour with the wet ingredients with a light touch.
9. Keep adding flour until the dough begins to hold together and is incorporated. The dough will be sticky, moist, and light.
10. Lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray.
11. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
12. Let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours. 
13. Punch down the dough until it deflates. 
14. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours or overnight.
15. To make the pineapple filling: combine the pineapple with the cornstarch in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, cook the pineapple for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. 
16. Stir in 2 Tbsp unsalted butter. Set aside.
17. Grease a 12x17 inch baking sheet with cooking spray.
18. With lightly greased fingertips, shape the dough into 2 1/2 inch diameter balls. Arrange the dough evenly onto the baking pan, 3 across and 6 down.
19. Make a generous indentation into the each ball of dough. Do not pierce the bottom of the dough.
20. Mound about 1 heaping tsp. of pineapple filling into the dough indentation.
21. Cover the dough balls with a clean tea towel and allow to rise about 1 hour and the dough has almost doubled in size.
22. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
23. To make the streusel topping: in a food processor, mix the flour, sugar, and the butter until crumbly.
24. Scatter the streusel topping generously over the dough balls.
25. Bake the kolaches for about 25 to 30 minutes and lightly browned on top.
26. Allow the kolaches to cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Rebecca Rather of Pastry Queen cookbook. 

Did you already know...
-Kolaches are individual pastries that originate from Eastern Europe.
-They typically have a fruit or cheese filling.
-They are often eaten at Easter or Christmas time.

Butterflake Herb Loaf

Are you having corn beef and cabbage this week? We will be having it on Saturday. Since it is on sale this week, I always buy two of the corn beef and freeze one. It freezes very well. I guess that means we will be having Turkey soon since I will need to make room in the freezer.

 My husband never had corn beef and cabbage before he married me. His family didn't have any special Irish meal on Saint Patrick's Day. I will also be making this bread. My husband loved this bread. He said it was awesome and would have it every day.  My son agreed since he ate the remaining bread for breakfast the next day. This recipe makes 2 loafs. It looks complicated but it really isn't hard. The filling can be changed up. Maybe this weekend I'll add some Irish cheddar, doesn't that sound good?

Butterflake Herb Loaf
1 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tsp instant dry yeast
4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp whole white all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp rosemary
1 1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry basil

Directions:

1. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a small pan, bring the milk to a simmer.
3. In a mixing bowl, pour the milk over the butter.
4. Add the sugar and salt. Allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.
5. When the temperature is around 110 degrees F, add the eggs, yeast, and 3 1/2 cups of flour. Begin to mix the dough.
6. After mixing for 3 minutes, begin to add the remaining flour until the dough is soft and smooth. The dough should not be sticky. 
7. Cover the dough and allow to rise for 1 hour.
8. While the dough is rising, combine the softened butter with the herbs in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
9. After the dough has risen, roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.
10. Use a circle biscuit cutter (circular cookie cutter or glass) cut out circles from the dough.
11. With each circle, butter one side with the herb butter. 
12. Fold the circle in half. and place the folded circle dough into the greased loaf pan vertically. Any scraps place on top of the loaf.
13. Cover the pan and allow to rise for another hour. 
14. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
15. Place the loaf pan uncovered in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
16. If the loaf becomes to brown on top, cover with foil or parchment paper.
17. Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur. 

Did you already know.......
-In 390, Saint Patrick was born in Britain. He was not Irish.
-When he was 16 years old, Saint Patrick was kidnapped.
-Saint Patrick was a slave in Ireland for seven years before escaping and returning to Britain.
-Saint Patrick became a priest and returned to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity.

Honey Yeast Rolls

I know a lot of people who will see a bee and freak out. I really understand this behavior if you are allergic to bees. I know I am not allergic to bees. How do I know?

When I was a little girl, my younger sister thought it would be cool to throw rocks at a bee hive. We all know the bees do not take kindly to this type of behavior. They swarmed after her. She took off running and ran right past me without warning me what was chasing her. Some memories from childhood will never be forgotten and I know I am not allergic to bees. I also know I do not have a reaction to red ants but that is another story.

Honey Yeast Rolls 1 (.25 oz) package of instant dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups bread flour
vegetable cooking spray
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp honey

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast and warm water.
2. In another bowl, combine the honey, oil, salt, and egg. Mix well.
3. Add the yeast and water to the honey bowl.
4. Add 1 cup of flour at a time to the honey bowl and mixing well after adding the flour.
5. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
6. Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Turning once to coat and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 2 hours.
7. Punch down the dough and knead for 30 seconds. 
8. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes. 
9. Punch down the dough again and divide dough into 12 equal pieces.
10. Shape the dough into a smooth ball.
11. Place the balls of dough into a round greased 10 inch baking dish or place each ball of dough in a muffin tin. Let rise for 30 minutes.
12. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
13. Combine the melted butter and honey.
14. Brush the tops of each balls of dough with the honey butter.
15. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown and cooked through.

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.

Did you already know................
-Honey has been found sealed in Egyptian tombs and was still edible.
-Honey means "enchant" in Ancient Hebrew.
-In medieval Germany, peasants were required to pay their feudal lords in honey and beeswax. 

I added 3 small balls to one muffin tin.

I made these for Thanksgiving last year and they were a hit even with my honey.