Breads & Muffins

Beaver Tails

From: http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/

A doughnut dough. Not too sweet, not too rich, stretched and briefly fried (forget a deep fryer - I use my wok and tongs). Add a bit of sugar and a touch of cinnamon. Fresh from the fryer or even room temperature, these are the next best thing to being at a country fair. You may have encountered the same sort of treat under different appellations (beavers often figure in the name). A bread machine does a great job with this recipe.

Dough:

1/2 cup warm water
5 teaspoons dry yeast
pinch of sugar
1 cup warm milk
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
4 1/4 - 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
oil for frying
granulated sugar for dusting
cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast, warm water and pinch of sugar. Allow to stand a couple of minutes to allow yeast to swell or dissolve. Stir in remaining sugar, milk, vanilla, eggs, oil, salt and most of the flour to make soft dough. Knead 5 - 8 minutes (by hand or with a dough hook) adding flour as needed to form a firm, smooth, elastic dough. Place in a greased bowl. Place bowl in a plastic bag and seal. (If not using right away, you can refrigerate the dough at this point). Let rise in a covered, lightly greased bowl, about 30-40 minutes. Gently deflate dough, (if dough is coming out of the refrigerator, allow to warm up about 40 minutes before proceeding). Pinch off a golf ball sized piece of dough. Roll out into an oval and let rest, covered with a tea towl, while you are preparing the remaining dough. Heat about 4 inches of oil in fryer (a wok works best but you can use a Dutch oven or whatever you usually use for frying). Temperature of the oil should be about 385° F. I toss in a tiny bit of dough and see if it sizzles and swells immediately. If it does, the oil temperature is where it should be. Add the beaver tails to the hot oil, about 1-2 at a time. BUT...before you do, stretch the ovals into a tail - thinning them out and enlarging them as you do. Turn once to fry until the undersides are deep brown. Lift beaver tails out with tongs and drain on paper towels. Fill a large bowl with a few cups of white sugar. Toss beaver tails in sugar (with a little cinnamon if you wish) and shake off excess. This recipe makes many Beaver Tails. They are also delicious with a smear of jam or apple pie filling.

These I make weekly and usually shape into 24 rolls to use for lunch sandwiches ... not crummy and easy to hold. But you can shape them into Parkerhouse rolls, cloverleafs, crescents, bowknots etc etc.

Yield:3 dozen rolls

Scald
1 1/2 cups milk

Pour into a large bowl and add
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup shortening

Cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile, sprinkle
1 package active dry yeast
over
1/2 cup lukewarm water
in which has been dissolved
1 teaspoons sugar

Let stand for 10 minutes (Keep at a temperature of about 80° F) Then stir briskly with a fork.

Add to the lukewarm milk mixture:
Softened yeast
1 well beaten egg

Stir well.

Beat in
3 cups Sifted AllPurpose Flour
Then add another
2 to 2 1/2cups Sifted Flour

Work in last of the flour with a rotating motion of the hand. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (for 5 minutes). Shape into a smooth ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; grease top slightly. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk - about 1 1/2- 2 hours - keep dough in warm place.

Punch down the risen dough and turn onto a lightly floured board. Cut into four equal pieces and form each into a smooth ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Shape into desired type of rolls. Cover the shaped rolls and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 3/4 - 1 hour).

Bake at 350° F for aprox 15 minutes or until done (depends on the rolls you form).

Purity White Bread

Yield: 4 loaves (use 81/2" x 4 1/2" bread pans)

Scald
2 cups milk

Pour into a large bowl and add
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup water

Stir until the shortening melts. Cool to lukewarm.
Meanwhile, sprinkle
2 packages active dry yeast
over
1 cup lukewarm water
in which has been dissolved
2 teaspoons sugar

Let stand for 10 minutes (Keep at temperature of about 80°F) Then stir briskly with a fork.

Add softened yeast to the lukewarm milk mixture. Stir.
Beat in
5 cups Sifted All Purpose Flour

Then add another
4 1/2 cups Sifted All Purpose Flour

Work in last of the flour with a rotating motion of the hand. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for 8 to 10 minutes Shape into a smooth ball Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; grease top slightly. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk - about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. - keep dough in warm place.

Punch down the risen dough and turn onto a lightly floured board. Cut into four equal pieces and form each into a smooth ball. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Shape each ball of dough into a loaf. Place in greased pans and grease the tops. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/4 hours).

Bake at 425° F for 30 - 35 minutes

I've got alot of bread recipes but this one's my family's favorite and very easy to make. You can easily double or even triple it as I do. Enjoy. :)

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon shortening
2 teaspoons salt
5 3/4 to 6 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Melted butter or margarine

Proof yeast in warm water. In saucepan heat milk, sugar, shortening, and salt just till warm and shortening's almost melted stirring constantly. Turn into large mixing bowl. Stir in 2 cups of flour; beat well. Add the proofed yeast; mix till smooth. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a spoon. Turn out on lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape into a ball. Place in lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in warm place till double (about 1 1/4 hours).

Punch down; turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Shape into two balls. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Grease two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Shape each ball of dough into a lof. Place in pans. Brush loaves with some melted butter or margarine. Cover; let rise is warm place till nearly double (45 to 60 minutes). Bake in 375 oven about 45 minutes till done. Remove from pans; cool on wire rack. Makes 2 loaves.

Nora's Ham and Cheese Bread

16 oz. bag frozen chopped broccoli
2 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed
3 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Swiss or Monterrey Jack)
2 cups finely chopped fully cooked ham
2 T. butter or margarine
1 t. poppy seeds

Cook broccoli according to package. Drain and cool. Roll each loaf of dough into a 15 x 10 inch rectangle. Place one in a greased 15 x 10 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with broccoli, cheeses and ham to within 1/2 inch from edges. Place second loaf on top, sealing edges. Brush top with butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Basic Sweet Dough:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. cold water
1/4 cup soft shortening
1/2 c. lukewarm water
2 tsp. sugar
2 pkgs. yeast
2 eggs, well beaten
7 - 7 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Scald milk. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, salt, 3/4 cup cold water and soft shortening. Cool to lukewarm. Measure 1 1/2 cup lukewarm water, stir in 2 tsp. Sugar. Sprinkle with yeast. Let stand 10 minutes. Put yeast into large warm bowl. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture, eggs, 3 1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth and elastic. Work in sufficient additional flour to make a soft dough (about 4 cups). Turn out dough on greased surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Put dough in light greased bowl. Cover, let rise until double in size. Punch down. Cut into 2 equal pieces. Let rest 15 minutes.

Filling: (makes enough for half of dough recipe)

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
Pecan halves

Mix brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll one piece of dough out to a 12 inch square. Spread half of melted butter on the dough, sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture and 1/2 cup raisins. Roll dough up like a jelly roll.

In the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan, spread remaining melted butter, sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture and place pecan halves.

Cut dough into 12- 1 inch slices and place in pan, flat side down. Cover and let rise until double in size.

Bake in a 375 oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from over and turn upside down on wire cooling racks. Let sit for 5 minutes and remove pan.

**This dough can be used for other things too, such as dinner rolls. I usually make Clover Leaf rolls, by rolling dough into long "ropes", cutting it into pieces, rolling them into balls and put 3 balls into each cup of a greased muffin tin. Let rise till double and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Graphics By: Designer Originals