FUN WITH FROZEN DOUGHS-A BONUS IN SUMMER

For months, the restrictions of social distancing requirements, especially in food markets, has had people compiling lists of needs for longer periods, requiring fewer shopping trips. Actually, teaching how to be organized enough to do this habitually, one trip, minimally per week optimally to only one market,  is the opening of the first step of my 3 step behavior modification program explained in How to  Control Food Bills, which results in savings of time, stress and money.

Whenever I discuss this program, questions of freshness come up, particularly concerning pastry and bread. My solution to the storing of bread and assuring its freshness is two-fold. Commercial loaves can be frozen. Some specialty ones, like Jewish Rye, develop a wonderfully crisp crust if thawed and baked in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 10-15 min.

However, fresh bread is a daily household need, and I, personally don’t care for plastic-sleeved, pre-sliced loaves. I prefer fresh baked, artisan-style breads and I can get them using frozen bread dough, as well as delightful rolls and breakfast buns, such as designer cinnamon buns and Hot Cross buns for Easter. I’m listing the basics of working with frozen bread dough, and some of my favorite recipes below but check the May 25, 2016 posting to see the ways it can be used pizzas, bread bowls, Stromboli…..

Pastry is another category where frozen dough is miraculous in helping to give baked goods that fresh, delicious appeal, especially if you learn to work with puff pastry. Alone it can make croissants, layers for filings, and crusts for cream pies (try it for Lemon Meringue!!), but in tandem with other ingredients it creates turnovers, pinwheels, bear’s claws and many more elegant, delicious dishes for every course of a meal. As with the bread dough, I’m listing the basics of working with puff pastry below, along with some favorite recipes. For more information, go to the post of May 24, 2018.

RECIPES
Bread

Baking Tips:

• Let the dough rise in a rectangular pan for long or stuffed breads-it’s easier to roll, or shape.
• To cover the dough as it rises, place a piece of plastic wrap over the dough, lightly spray with cooking spray and flip the wrap over, this way the dough won’t stick to the cover as it rises
• To avoid hands and/or utensils sticking to the dough when working it, spray them with cooking spray
• Slash the top of the loaf with a razor or sharp knife before baking so the crust won’t split
• A baking stone dispenses heat evenly for better, faster baking. Save money and buy an unvarnished quarry stone from a home-supply store. Preheat stone 45-60 min.
• Thaw dough in the refrigerator overnight, it shortens the rising time.
• To speed rising time, place covered bowl of dough in the microwave with a glass of water. Heat on low 3 min., rest 2 min. heat again 3 min, and rest 8 min. Bulk will have doubled
• Use warm water to clean work surfaces. Hot water will bake the dough to them.

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Basic baking information:

• After dough has risen, punch it down to disperse air bubbles, then let it rise again. This aerates the dough and makes the bread lighter, without large holes, for even baking
• After the first rising is the time to add ingredients and/or shape the dough and/or to stuff it
• If forming rolls, after punching, allow dough to rest 5-8 min., shape and place in a pan barely touching. Allow to rise 5-10min. more and bake.
• To save over risen dough, punch it down and let it rise again-reason room temperature too warm
• To save under risen dough bake it and serve in thin slices.-reason, room temperature too cool.

Glazing and topping advice: different glazes will produce a variety of crusts

• For a plain rustic look, simply place the toppings, seeds, herbs etc. on a piece of paper on the counter and lightly dip the top of the unbaked dough into it.
• Egg yolk browns, Egg white adds sheen. Whole eggs give both
• Milk combined with butter or oil yields a soft crust
• Water crisps the crust. For extra crispy spray again 10 before done
• Water mixed with whole eggs gives a shiny, brown crisp crust
• Honey or molasses makes the crust soft and sweet
• To make toppings stick, spray or bush on glaze, add toppings and bake. Re-apply glaze 10 min before done.

Recipes:
Note: To flavor bead, per 1 lb. loaf size, allow to thaw and rise.  Punch down and knead in 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs or 1/2 cup pitted, chopped olives or 2/3 cup sautéed vegetables, such as peppers, onions, celery. The latter will also keep bread moist. Allow to rise again. Bake as directed on package.
To make Cheese Bread, after thawing, knead in 1 cup grated sharp cheese and work in ½ cup of the same cheese diced. Allow to rise until double its size. Bake according to package directions.

Focaccia
1lb. loaf of frozen bread dough
2Tbs.oil
2Tbs. dried rosemary
1Tbs.kosher salt
1 egg-optional
6 black olives halved – optional
Baked with tomatoes on top or packed separately in the lunch pail with cheese, this bread is the original pizza. It’s easy to make with frozen dough and you might want to try incorporating herbs or vegetables into the dough for extra taste.  Let the dough rise, punch it down and knead it briefly on a lightly floured surface. Form into a 12 inch circle, cover and let rise for 30 min. Alternately, roll into a 9X13 in rectangle. Indent the top with a spoon handle at 1 inch intervals, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and dried rosemary. Optionally stud the top with olive halves, or sprinkle with salt and dried rosemary. Optionally stud the top with olive halves, or apply an egg glaze for sheen. Bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 30-35 min.

The Very Best Cinnamon Buns
1 lb. loaf frozen bread dough
2 Tbs. butter or margarine –melted
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. cinnamon
½ cup raisins
6 Tbs. butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
After first rising, roll dough into an 18 X 14 inch rectangle . Leaving a ½ inch margin all around, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Starting from a long side, roll up and leave seam side down while topping is mixed. Cream remaining sugar and butter and spread in the bottom of a 9X13 inch pan, sprinkle on the nuts. Cut dough roll into 1 inch slices, and place barely touching in the pan. Cover and allow to rise for 30+ min. until double in volume. Bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 25-20min. until golden. Let cool 3 min. and invert onto serving plate. Spoon over any topping still in pan.

Rolled Dough

Bread Sticks
Allow a 1 lb. loaf of frozen bread dough to rise, punch it down, knead it slightly, optionally adding 2 tsp. caraway seeds or dried herbs and divide into 4 parts. Roll each part into a rope about ½ to ¾ inch in diameter; cut into 6 inch segments, squaring ends.  The width of the rope you roll will determine the thickness of the bread sticks, so remember when doing this step that they will have a second rise. Optionally roll the segments into seeds and/or sprinkle with salt.  Place them on a lightly floured towel, cover with another and let rise 15 min. Optionally, lightly spray with water to help seed and salt coating, if using, adhere and crisp the crust. Bake on a sheet in a 425 deg. preheated oven for 10 min. until golden.

Soft Pretzels*
Let dough rise, punch down and roll into 12 inch ropes about ½ inch thick. On a lightly floured board, make a loop in the center of the rope, using about 1/3 the length. Twist the ends and bring them down over the loop to form the traditional shape, pressing to make them stick. Place the pretzels on a lightly greased baking sheet and freeze for about 20 min. if you don’t want them to rise again and lose their shape.  Spray lightly with water and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Bake in a preheated 300 deg. oven 11-12 min until golden.
Alternatively drop into boiling water for 30sec.to set the shape. Place on the lightly greased sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake as above.
As a note: soft pretzels don’t have to just be topped with salt. Any of the other bread toppings or glazes will do including changing it up and substituting sugar and cinnamon or adding a sugar glaze after baking.
*For explicit directions and to use Pillsbury breadsticks in place of frozen bread dough and twisting the dough -visit tablespoon.com/recipes/homemade-soft-pretzels/    OR dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/breadsbakery/

Puff Pastry is notoriously time and labor intensive to make, with often ‘iffy’ results for the inexperienced which is why I prefer the frozen. The tedious folding process creates those wonderful ‘leaves’ which also require some special considerations in working with the dough.

• Always thaw puff pastry before cutting it or it will crack jaggedly, but don’t worry it refreezes
• Never slice the pastry. Use a pizza cutter or the point of a sharp knife in a series of straight cuts
• Don’t press scraps into a ball to save them. Gently press the edges together with a mist of water and roll to seal the seam. Freeze to keep.
• When baking make sure the sheet is lightly oiled, greased or covered with parchment. For single layers, to insure that the top surface stays smooth and flat, cover with a second piece of parchment and weigh with another baking sheet or pie pan.
• Puff pastry edges tend to be more even than pie dough, but trim them if necessary to form a straight ‘clean’ line before starting to cut shapes.
• Before baking, it’s nice to ‘riff’ the edges every inch or so with a knife point to make sure they aren’t crimped and allow the air to escape and the layers to rise or ‘puff’ .
• Avoid using cookie cutters. They are too dull and they crimp the pastry edges, preventing the puff.
• Always chill the pastry well before using, and always place in a preheated oven.

Now that all the ‘Don’ts’ are out, let’s get into the fun side of working with puff pastry. I’m going to format this differently, concentrating on the pastry presentations rather than flavorings and/or fillings. So there will be more texts and suggestions, to illustrate how easy it is to use and all it can do and I’m listing the examples by shapes rather than recipes.

STRIPS

Parmesan Pinwheels: Makes 20-24

9 oz. puff pastry
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh herbs of choice
1 egg beaten
Mix the cheese and herbs in a bowl. Roll the pastry out to an 8 inch square and sprinkle with half the cheese mix. Roll it again to a 10 inch square, brush with ¾ of the egg, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese mix and carefully roll it into a log. Seal the seam with the rest of the egg. Cut the log into ½ inch slices and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 425 deg. oven for 10 min. until golden and crisp. Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight tin.

Pinwheel Cookies: Makes 20-24
Substitute ¼ cup granulated sugar for the cheese and 1Tbs. ground cinnamon for the herbs. Follow the above directions. TIP: brushing the surface of the cookies with egg will make it shine.
NOTE- to make Bear Claws a.k.a. Pig’s Ears: Rather than rolling from one direction, do it from both sides in towards the center until they meet. Then slice as directed above and bake.

Bread Sticks: Makes 24

RECTANGLES

Fresh Tomato Tarts: Makes 6- From Party Food by Paragon Publishing
9 oz. puff pastry
¼ cup pesto sauce
2 pts. Cherry tomatoes-halved OR 6 plum tomatoes sliced
Salt and pepper
1 egg beaten

Fresh herbs of choice for garnish
Roll the pastry out to a 12 x 10 rectangle on a floured board. Cut in half to make (2) 5 inch pieces, then cut them to make (6) 5 x 6 inch pieces. With a fork, score the edges of the pieces and brush with egg. Spread the centers with the pesto and top with the tomatoes, cut side up. Season lightly and bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven for 15-20 min. until puffed and golden. Serve garnished with herbs.

Napoleons: Serves 12 – This is a modern, low-fat version of a French classic
1 sheet puff pastry
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. whipped topping
3 Tbs. toasted, chopped almonds
1 can chocolate frosting
1 egg beaten

Roll pastry into a 12×12 inch square and divide into (3) 4 x12 inch strips. Prepare and cook as directed for Mille Feuille and cool. Beat whipped topping and cheese until smooth, divide in half and add nuts and extract to half. Spread, spoon or pipe the cheese mix with the nuts down one strip of pastry, cover with a 2nd strip and spread, spoon or pipe with the plain cheese mix. Spread the frosting on the 3rd strip and place on top. Chill several hours until hardened. When ready to serve, slice into 1x 4 inch slices and place flat on the plates.

SQUARES
There are lots of interesting ways to use this shape.

Appetizers:

For appetizers simply cut the pastry into 3 inch squares and place a scant 1-1 ½ tsp. filling in the center; fold over diagonally and using egg as a sealant, press the edges together . Cut a small slit in the top of each and bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for about 20 min. until golden. Can be made and frozen 1-2 weeks ahead, thaw before cooking. Suggestion for fillings:

• Meat pate-liver, ham, chicken, crab or shrimp.
• Thawed, chopped spinach mixed with a little cream cheese and nutmeg to taste
• Sautéed chopped onion and mushrooms with a dash of Teriyaki sauce for flavor

Turnovers: Serves 4

For these, roll a sheet of puff pastry into a 12×12 inch square and divide in 4 equal pieces. Place about ¼ cup filling in the center and fold over diagonally, using egg to seal the edges. Slash 3 vent holes in the top and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 30 min. until golden.

Turnovers are wonderfully useful. Filled with meat and/or cheese they can replace sandwiches.

However, they’re better known as a dessert and one of my favorites, filled with fruit, washed with egg and sprinkled with sugar to give a lovely, sweet glaze. Some suggestions for fillings are;

• Slices of ham and cheese, with a smear of mustard, or slices of chicken or turkey, and a touch of chutney.
• Cooked ground meat with optional seasonings.
• Diced fruit, tossed with a bit of cornstarch, a sliver of butter and some sugar
• Cooked fruit compote
• Ready-made pie filling

Square Stars: Serves 6

These can be made in many sizes, but for this example: roll the pastry to a 10 x 15 inch rectangle and divide into (2) 5 inch strips, then cut them into 3rds making (6) 5 inch squares. Using a glass or jar lid, lightly indent a 2 inch circle in the center of each. With a square directly in front of you, calculate, or visualize the length of one side in 1/3s. (For that size piece, it’s about 1 ½ inches.) Now make a diagonal cut across the middle 1/3^rd from the rim of the center indented circle to the outside edge of the square and curl the pointed piece under the top end of the slash over the corner behind it. Repeat with the other 3 sides and bake in a preheated 425 deg. oven for 10-12 min. until golden. Cool and fill the centers with any number of options; fresh or cooked fruit with custard, whipped topping and/or ice cream, tuna or another salad, a dip or pate, even a creamed entrée in place of toast.

CIRCLES

Patti Shells

The best known of this shape are Patti shells, which like the puff pastry sheets are available in the freezer section of most markets and of such high quality that considering other options is ridiculous. Just follow the directions for oven temperatures and cooking times. These are excellent vehicles for creamed entrees, Chicken a la King, Creamed Chipped Beef, with pearl onions, mushrooms and peas added to upgrade it. They’re also good with Asian dishes. 

The shells also do dessert duty, filled with fresh fruit, cooked fruit compote or even canned pie filling (just cook the filling in a microwave about 5 min. first and then chill it or serve warm)

Galettes

Puff pastry makes a wonderful Galette crust. Roll out a sheet to a 12 x 12 inch square and round off the corners. Use a plate to indent an 8 inch circle in the center, and fill with fruit. Lift up the 2 inch margin and pleat it to enclose the fruit. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake in a 375 deg. oven 30-40 min. until bubbling and golden.

NOTE; This is great way to showcase the summer stone fruits. Don’t slice, halve plums or apricots, peeled peaches, dust them with cornstarch, add a few slivers of butter and top with a bit of sugar. They pile neatly in the crust and it’s easy to hold them in place while folding up the sides. It adds to the appearance to brush the sides with egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Pie Shells

I knew a woman who, wanting to monetize her hobby, rented a tiny, tiny shop in a food mall. She hung 3 signs; one over the door: The Pie Lady, a second on the door: Open 10 A.M-6 P.M. Friday and Saturday and a third in the window: Pies Made on Order Only.  She soon had a waiting list and had to hire help. Everyone raved about her custard pies, especially Lemon Meringue. Her secret was making the shells of puff pastry. They were light, tasty and remained crisp longer even refrigerated. Her trick was to roll it thin, about ¼ inch, brush with beaten egg, poke some holes in the bottom with a fork, and cover it with oiled parchment paper weighted with rice, dry beans or pie weights, even another pie plate. Bake in a 450 deg. preheated oven about 12 min.