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Free baking classes, plus recipe for cinnamon swirl loaf
As part of a national baking tour, bakers from King Arthur Flour will be in Austin on Sunday for two free baking demonstrations at Embassy Suites, 5901 N. Interstate 35. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., learn about sweet yeast breads, and from 3 to 5 p.m., get tips and recipes for making pies and tarts. No registration required. For more information, call 1-800-827-6836. Can’t make it to the class?
Here are several of the recipes they will be demonstrating.
Basic Sweet Bread Dough
Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion
This soft and pliable dough is suitable for all sorts of shapes, from braids to cinnamon rolls to monkey bread. Soft dough is the secret to soft, tender bread. Yields two loaves.
3/4 cup (6 ounces) warm water
2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. Red Star active dry yeast
1/2 cup (2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup (6 ounces) plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla or other flavoring, or 2 teaspoons citrus zest
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups (19 to 23 1/4 ounces) King Arthur All-Purpose Flour (or substitute up to 2 cups All-Natural King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour)
1 egg + 1 Tbsp. water (for egg wash)
In a small bowl, combine the warm water and 2 teaspoons sugar. Stir to dissolve. Stir in the yeast and 1/2 cup flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until bubbly and active, about 10 to 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and yeast mixture. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, mixing until the dough comes away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, adding only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface, knead the dough about 5 minutes, until soft and pliable but not sticky. Let the dough rest while you clean and grease the bowl. Finish kneading the dough until it’s smooth, supple, and springy.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn to coat all surfaces, cover with plastic wrap and a clean towel, and let sit in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled.
Gently deflate the dough and divide it in half. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest on a lightly floured surface for 15 minutes. Form the dough into desired shapes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush loaves with egg wash and bake until golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes, to an internal temperature of 190 degrees. Remove the bread from the oven, and let it cool on a rack.
Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
Roll half the Basic Sweet Dough into a 10” x 15” rectangle. Brush the surface of the dough with egg wash. Cover with half the filling mixture:
For filling mixture, combine:
1/2 cup raisins or currants
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Starting with one of the short ends, roll the dough into a log, pinching the seams and ends to seal them tightly. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Place each loaf in a well-greased 8 1/2” x 4 1/2” loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean towel and let the loaves rise for about an hour, or until they’ve crowned about 1” over the rim of the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Before baking, brush the tops of the loaves with egg wash. Bake about 45 minutes, tenting with foil the last 10 minutes if the bread is browning too quickly. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool completely on a rack. Yields two loaves.
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