Wild Flour Bakery Morning Buns
Butter pack (see recipe)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup minus 1 tablespoon lukewarm water (110 degrees)
4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar (divided)
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold, whole milk
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, beaten
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon sugar (3/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon) to coat
rolls
Make butter pack first.
Dissolve yeast in water. Let yeast proof until thin layer of froth
forms on top, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
In large bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar and salt; mix well with
your hands. Using large wooden spoon, stir in unsalted melted
butter, milk and reserved yeast mixture; combine until thick paste
forms.
Turn mixture onto lightly floured work surface and knead 1 or 2
minutes, just until dough comes together. It should be somewhat
elastic but not necessarily smooth, and supple but not wet. If dough
seems dry or pieces of dough are falling off, knead in more water.
Place dough in lightly greased mixing bowl, cover with damp cloth
and let rise in warm spot until dough has doubled, 50 to 90 minutes.
On floured bread board, flatten dough to about 1/2-inch thickness
with floured rolling pin. Dough should be about 15 inches by 10
inches. Set in lightly floured jelly roll pan. Cover with plastic
and freeze 30 minutes to slow yeast. Remove from freezer, cover
tightly and refrigerate until dough is thoroughly chilled, at least
3 hours but no more than 18 hours.
A half-hour before removing dough from refrigerator, remove half the
butter pack. Spread half the butter pack onto dough, using fingers
or metal spatula. Spread butter mixture as evenly as possible across
2/3 of dough, leaving a 1-inch border around all sides of dough
rectangle. Fold dough in thirds, starting with unbuttered end. You
will have a rectangle of dough with 3 layers, 2 of them buttered.
Give dough a quarter-turn to the right. Hit dough with rolling pin,
then roll it out again into a rectangle with the same dimensions as
the first. Fold it in thirds again, but do not butter it. Give dough
a quarter-turn to the right, then roll it out again into a
rectangle. Wrap tightly in plastic. Freeze dough 30 minutes, then
refrigerate 1 hour.
About 30 minutes before removing dough from refrigerator, remove the
second portion of butter from refrigerator. Repeat buttering and
turning process, making sure you are always turning the dough in the
same direction. Wrap dough tightly in plastic. Freeze 30 minutes,
then refrigerate overnight. The dough is now ready to bake.
Spray jumbo muffin pan cups and top of rims with vegetable oil
spray.
Combine eggs and egg yolk, remaining 1 cup sugar and cinnamon; set
aside.
Place dough on large, lightly floured work surface. It does not
matter what fold you start with. Flour top of dough and hit it hard
with rolling pin several times across dough to spread it. Give dough
a quarter turn to right and hit it again to flatten it further
without building up gluten. Roll dough, flouring top and work
surface as needed, to a 40- by 24-inch rectangle that is no thicker
than 1/4 inch or even thinner, if you can.
Brush dough evenly with egg-sugar mixture (some may be left over).
Roll up tightly and evenly, beginning at a narrow end. Seal seam by
brushing it with water. Cut into 20 pieces and set portions of dough
in muffin cups and let rise covered in warm, humid spot. When fully
risen to top of pan, after about 1 hour, preheat oven to 425
degrees. Put rolls immediately in middle of oven and reduce heat to
375 degrees. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until sides are brown and
crisp.
Let sit for 15 minutes. Take out of pans and roll in additional
cinnamon and sugar. Makes 20 croissants.
Butter pack
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
Cut butter into 1-inch cubes and place in electric mixer fitted with
paddle attachment. Add flour and mix until all flour is incorporated
and consistency is very even. Divide mixture into 2 parts, wrap each
in plastic, flatten somewhat into disk and refrigerate separately.
Note: If you do not have a warm spot in which to let bread rise,
preheat oven on lowest temperature for 30 to 60 seconds or until
oven temperature registers 85 to 90 degrees. Turn off oven, set
bread in oven and let rise. Do not open oven door. |