You may remember the occasion a couple of months back when that herd of pigs came flying over my house at about the same time as the perfect batch of yeast rolls emerged from my oven. It was a red letter day in the kitchen. After not months or years, but more like decades of trying my hand at yeasted breads, I finally - and as it turns out - once and for all - joined the ranks of those who can produce that glorious pan of rolls time after time with the same delicious results. And not only that, the repertoire is growing.
Witness the proof right here, people - a real honest-to-gosh loaf of fresh bread. It comes from the same “mother dough” as the yeast rolls. All you need to do is shape it into a loaf instead.
And here’s even better news: Cinnamon Rolls. The original dough is enough to make this enormous, soft-and-pillowy loaf of bread, with a bit of dough left over. And what is one to do with leftover yeast dough? I can’t speak for the rest of y’all, but cinnamon rolls are my answer, and not just any old roll along the lines of “almost as good as a can of Pillsbury’s finest”. Far from it. These babies are a mile high, soft as a cloud, loaded with sugary cinnamon filling and then doused with a cream cheese frosting that makes them sing. I lieu of a loaf of bread over the weekend, I tried a full pan of them, and one day soon I will repeat that dance, complete with photos and a recipe.
In the meantime, please forgive my drunken joy at all of this. The aroma of fresh bread has obviously gone to my head. My thoughts are veering wildly around the kitchen with notions of fresh doughnuts, Moravian Sugar Cake, babkas, pecan sticky buns, bread bowls, and sausage pinwheels to the point that I’m even beginning to scare myself a little.
Don’t call the intervention crew just yet, though. Let me at least get past the sticky buns first, and then we’ll talk.
Photo (and fresh bread!) by Beth Yarbrough.
Baking bread is a joy. I bake at least 8 loaves of sourdough bread each week to share with family, friends and even strangers. I am using the starter that someone gave my mother in 1983. I asked my daughter would she keep it going after I’m gone. Her answer ? Please don’t put that pressure on me 😂😂😂
Wow! I wish I could share the pictures and smell! We just took the bread out of the oven. I opted for baking them in muffin tins. My 14 year old daughter and I cannot stop eating them. We followed the recipe to the letter and they are AMAZING!
Thanks, Beth!