Last Night and Plans for Today

I did not move too far from the computer yesterday as the house was so cold downstairs. My hands kept going blue each time I tried to do something, even when I was cooking tea.  We had the proverbial well-loved Cottage pie for tea; we both like it and it serves a purpose and gives good warming comforting food. I needed this for today.

I also popped on some bread buns.  Fingers crossed they taste okay the recipe did stipulate quite a bit of yeast so this is very much a trial run.  So we shall see how we get on. We are half way through the loaf I made yesterday but have enough if we want toast in the morning after porridge. 

The recipe is as follows:

Best Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

Makes approximately 16 buns.

Ingredients:

1 cup of warm water

2 Tablespons of Margarine or Butter

1 Teaspoon of salt

1 egg beaten

1/4 cup of sugar

3 cups of Bread Flour

3 Teaspoons of yeast

Melted butter for brushing Buns.

Method:

1.  Add all ingredients to the Bread Machine in the above order and press the dough setting (On my older machine this is the Basic setting).

2.  When the dough has completed on my machine this is 50 minutes before the end of a four hour cycle (last 50 minutes is the cooking), transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter or board and shape into a ball.

3.  Cut the ball in half, then cut those two pieces in half and so on until  you have 16 pieces.  Sprinkle more flour on the worktop if dough starts to stick.

4.  Shape your pieces into round buns and place on either a sprayed 9 x 13 Baking tray or two smaller dishes.  Leave about an inch spacing between buns.

5.  Brush the Buns with melted butter. and cover the baking tray or dish with clingfilm.  I used some foil as had no clingfilm.  Set into a warm spot (my small oven was used as a proving oven with bottom oven on as the instructions following) about 80 degrees F until buns have doubled in size which takes approximately 40 minutes (heat oven to about 200 degrees C/Gas mark 6 and then turn oven right off and place the tray in there with the door open a crack.

6.  Once doubled remove plastic wrap and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes at 375 degrees F Gas Mark 5.

7.  Pop onto a cooling rack.  Once cooled I then pop a tea towel over the top as the rack was left on the kitchen counter.

To start these the day before:

Follow instructions but when you come to put the buns on the baking tray for proving, place in the fridge to do a slow rise overnight.  Remove from the fridge the next day a couple of hours before baking so that the dough can rise before baking.  Then finish off as above.

Although I forgot to take photos the dough came up extremely well in the bread machine. Was a nice firm pliable dough which I have shaped into 16 buns as per the instructions.  My sizing is a bit off though.

I forgot to take photos of the dough as it came out of the machine.  However have documented from then on.

Cut dough into 16 pieces.  Shaped them and then placed on greased and floured trays.  They were then brushed with melted butter.

Buns were then put into small oven covered in foil as I did not have cling film.  I used small oven as a proving oven by having the large oven on and the heat rose through.  

Buns were allowed to prove for 40 minutes before popping into the main oven at Gas Mark 5 for cooking for approximately 15 minutes. I did change the trays around part way through cooking in order that the buns were evenly browned.  When the buns are more or less done you will start to smell "bread" an indicator that the bread is almost done. The buns should sound hollow when tapped. If not pop them back into the oven upside down to finish them for a few more minutes.

On a cooling rack

Quite pleased with the texture of the bread.

Sorry no photos of the Tuna buns; just take my word for it they were delicious.

OH nipped to the shop to get some milk and he came back with some butter which we needed in any event and a reduced brisket joint.  It therefore looks as though we are having a roast dinner tomorrow evening for tea which will make a nice change. If there is any meat leftover I think maybe a stir fry will be in order. I will have to top up on veggies next week in any event.  We have quite a nice choice of veggies for tea tomorrow and I also plan to make some soups to have during the day with some homemade bread.  At the moment I plan to make some French Onion soup and maybe also some Broccoli and Blue Cheese soup as I have both in the fridge to use up.

Am therefore chuffed with what has been achieved today.  Plan on making another bread loaf today and also some Flapjacks.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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