A note about our current baking situation: We bake in a late 1940s propane Tappan Deluxe. One of the sales points of this stove, back in the day, was that it was super insulated so that you could even turn the oven off before the cooking was complete. Now, the thermostat is not perfect, but that's true for current ovens as well. It's always a good idea to put a thermometer inside the oven to monitor the actual temperature. This is one of the best baking stoves I have ever owned. It's funny how sometimes the old ways are the best ways.
Today I'm gong to share two of the recipes we've used that seem (so far) to be foolproof so long as you follow the directions. I tell my elementary students that baking is science, and you have to follow the steps in order to have success.
Japanese Milk Bread
Japanese milk bread benefits from a few tricks that will make your most commercial-like loaf at home. First is the tangzhong: a cooked paste of flour, milk, and water similar to a roux. This element is key to creating a loaf with a longer shelf life that is light and fluffy. This loaf also contains butter and eggs, given it a great color (if using the right eggs) and flavor.
This slightly sweet loaf is excellent for basic white sandwich bread, but the dough also works really well for dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls. A little cinnamon, sugar, and cream cheese frosting makes for an airport-worthy breakfast treat.
The steps in the recipe do add up to a bit of time throughout the day, but there is a lot of time away from the process, as things cool and rise, so it is good on the weekend when you can pop into the kitchen every few hours to complete the next step.
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| Japanese Milk Bread Recipe We Use |
Angel Biscuits
Other than Pillsbury out of a tube or Bisquick drop biscuits, I have never had a successful biscuit experience, regardless of whether I'm trying to make buttermilk, laminated/ buttery kind, or drop cream biscuits. They've come out flat, hard, and dry. This has always confused me, because I'm pretty solid on my croissant making, which shares several of the same characteristics. I've scoured books and the Internet and tried so many recipes that have not panned out. Finally I came across the Southern Living angel biscuit recipe which came across my Facebook feed one day.
The secret to angel biscuits is that, using buttermilk and baking soda, you get the flavor of biscuits. But they are also leavened with yeast, so you get a second rising opportunity. They are packed with butter and that's cut in like a traditional biscuit, so if folded and rolled correctly, you will get a layered, flaky, AND fluffy perfect biscuit. I'm never going back, and I'm looking forward to trying a cheddar/ garlic variant.
This is not a "get up in the morning and mix up a batch of biscuits in time for breakfast" recipe. However the dough needs to be chilled, and you can make it up to four days before baking and keep it in the fridge. I can also attest that these biscuits hold up really well to being frozen after they've been baked. A little time in the microwave and they taste pretty fresh. They are fluffy enough to sop up plenty of gravy, and structural enough to hold up as a breakfast sandwich.
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| Southern Living Magazine Angel Biscuit Recipe |
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