Bunny Buns

I saw these adorable rolls on Pinterest last week.  I knew my young grandsons would love to see these on the Easter table next weekend and I think they will bring a smile to the adults too :)

I did a test run on Saturday - which did not go well. First, the dough did not rise very well,  then I over-baked them!  "Add insult to injury" as they say. 

Sunday, I tried them again with different yeast and made sure my timer was set (and actually running).  Success!  I only wish I had made the ears a little longer as I think they could be mistaken for mice.  By the time I make these for dinner next weekend, I think I'll have all of the wrinkles worked out :-)

The idea for the bunny buns shape came from this blog.  I decided instead to use a recipe for egg buns formulated for bread machines which I found in my copy of  Bread Machine Magic.  They are really good! Just the right amount of buttery sweetness and soft and fluffy in the center.

In preparation for Easter, the decorations have come out of storage (some old, a couple new) and eggs have been colored.  Spring has teased us with some lovely days and even some Easter-y outdoor flowers! (We won't talk about the snow in forecast later today.)

I hope this spring season of birth and renewal brings you joy!  Happy Easter!

 

Bunny Buns

Adapted from Bread Machine Magic
Printable Recipe

Makes 16 Bunny Buns or 18 Regular Buns

1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, mixed together lightly
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons active, dry yeast (I used quick rising yeast)

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)

Please a large piece of parchment paper or silicone liner on a 18 x 13 inch baking pan (half sheet).

Place all ingredients except egg wash egg, into bread machine in the order recommended by your bread machine. Select the Dough cycle and press Start.

When the dough cycle is finished (my machine takes about 1-1/2 hours), turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Gentle roll and stretch the dough into an 18-inch rope. With a sharp knife or bench scraper cut the dough first into 6 pieces and then cut each of those pieces into 3 pieces. Each piece should weight about 1 ounce if you have a digital scale.

For bunny buns, roll 16 pieces into a ball and then stretch slightly (2 pieces of dough are reserved for the 'ears' and/or 'tails', if desired.) Place on the prepared baking sheet. For the bunny shape, I squeezed one third of the ball between my thumb and forefinger to form the head area. To make the ears, pull off a small piece of one of the reserved dough pieces and roll it into a thin rope about 4-5 inches long. Cut the rope in half and bend each piece into an 'ear' and place between the head and body. With a toothpick dipped in flour, press the base of the ears firmly into the dough to keep them in place. Then, poke two eye holes deep into the head with the toothpick. Continue with the rest of the dough balls.

When finished, covered the pan lightly with a tea towel or parchment paper and allow to rise until doubled - about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Brush rolls lightly with beaten egg/water wash and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

May be served warm or cold.

Brioche Sandwich Buns

I had fun playing with my new bread machine again this past week! I took a recipe not intended for a bread machine and used the "dough only" cycle since the dough needs to be shaped by hand. I wanted some really good rolls to make sandwiches with some of our leftover Easter ham and had saved this recipe from the NY Times and adapted it for a bread machine.

They turned out perfectly and were so tasty, it was hard not to eat them plain with a little bit of fresh butter.  They will be wonderful with burgers on the grill this summer!

Brioche Buns

Adapted from the NY Times
Printable Recipe

(Recipe adapted for the dough cycle on a bread machine - click on NY Times link for regular recipe)

Makes 12 buns

1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons warm milk
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened.
1 large egg
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Sesame or Poppy Seeds (optional)

In a glass measuring cup, combine 1 cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat 1 egg and soften butter in microwave until just barely melted - stir to combine. Add beaten egg and melted butter to yeast mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk flours with salt.

Add liquid ingredients and dry ingredients according to the instructions provided with your bread machine. Choose the 'dough' cycle.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

After the dough is kneaded and has risen in the bread machine, remove it to a work surface. Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 3 equal parts and divide each of those parts into 4 equal parts. Shape each of the 12 parts into a ball, pulling the dough down and under the bottom of each ball. (Lightly oil your fingers if the dough sticks).  Arrange the balls 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let buns rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. 15 minutes before the hour is over, set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor or lowest rack. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the top rack in the center.

Beat remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns. Add sesame or poppy seeds, if desired. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Whole Wheat Olive Oil Bread and Bocconcini de Foccacia

Here are two recipes made from the Whole Wheat Olive Oil Bread dough from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. With the dough, I decided to make a plain loaf of Whole Wheat Olive Oil bread and Southwest Foccacia.

This was a great whole wheat bread recipe!  My addition to the recipe was to sprinkle the dough with dried basil and Kosher Salt over the top of the bread before it went into the oven.  The bread has a lovely, moist crumb and was delicious warm and slathered with butter.  Great for sandwiches too!

Then, with some of the remaining dough I made these Bocconcini 'Foccacia' Bundles:

The Southwest Foccacia recipe intrigued me and I made my own spin on the recipe by making them into muffin-like bundles instead of a flat foccacia.  My friend Monique, at La Table de Nana had shared a recipe for 'Bocconcini de Foccacia' which were more like filled muffins rather than foccacia.  Made with the same whole wheat olive oil dough, these bundles are stuffed with roasted corn, sauteed onion and tomatoes and manchego cheese, although mozzarella would be another good choice.

Onions were sauteed in a little olive oil and then I added tomatoes from my garden that I had oven-roasted and frozen at the end of last summer. Sun-dried tomatoes could be used instead.  I tossed in some rosemary, basil and a little salt and pepper to taste.  I bought a fresh ear of corn, removed the kernels, added a little olive oil and roasted them in the oven.

>br/> I used small, plum-sized pieces of the whole wheat olive oil bread dough to make small discs and added the filling and a little cubed Manchego cheese.I pinched the bundles together, turned them over and placed them in muffin liners sprayed with Bakers Joy.

They were so delicious warm from the oven!

100% White Whole Wheat Bread with Olive Oil 

Adapted from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day 

Recipe can be Halved

7 cups white whole wheat flour (or use whole wheat flour)
1-1/2 Tablespoons yeast
1-1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
3-1/2 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees F)
1/2 cup olive oil

In a large bowl mix together the flour, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a large, 5-quart bowl or container with lid (not airtight). Using a large wooden spoon mix in the olive oil and water, until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. You may need to wet your hands to incorporate the last of the flour but do not knead.

Cover the dough (not air tight) and let sit at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses or flattens out on top (about two hours.) Then you can use the dough right away, or for easier handling, refrigerate for a few hours or as long as ten days.

When ready to bake, sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, then remove a grapefruit sized piece of dough. Sprinkle with flour again, shape the dough into a ball by folding the sides under and stretching the top to a smooth surface. Put dough on a pizza peel, parchment paper, or cookie sheet to rest. (I use a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper to easily slip the dough onto a hot pizza stone in the oven.)

The dough needs to rest for 90 minutes, but after 60 minutes, place a pizza stone in the middle of the oven and a shallow baking pan on the rack below.  Begin preheating the oven to 450F/230C.  

After dough has rested for almost 90 minutes, brush the surface of the dough with water, then using a serrated knife, cut parallel slashes into the surface of the bread. (At this point I sprinkled the top of the bread with dried basil and kosher salt.)

Then slide the bread (and parchment paper if using) on to the hot pizza stone or baking sheet, and immediately pour 1 cup hot water into the other baking dish and shut the oven door. Bake bread for 30-35 minutes, until nicely browned. I like to turn the bread over after 20 minutes so the bottom of the bread will brown.

Remove and cool on a baking rack.  

To make the Bocconcini Bundles


You will need:

1 onion, chopped
1 ear of corn, kernels removed  (can substitute frozen)
6 ounces Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes

1/2 cup diced or shredded cheese, such as manchego or mozzarella
1/2 teaspoon each dried rosemary and basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Saute the onion in a pan with a little olive oil.  Add the chopped tomatoes, red pepper flakes and corn and saute for about 3 minutes.  Add seasoning and allow to cool.

Cut off plum-sized pieces of the whole wheat olive oil dough and press each one flat.

Add the diced cheese to the cooled mixture and place about 1 tablespoon of mixture for each 'bundle'.  Pinch together and place in sprayed muffin cups seam-side-down. 

Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes.