Week 6: Cinnamon Rolls

Finally some practice this week! It was a tradition in my family growing up to always have chili and cinnamon rolls on Halloween. I have continued that tradition with my owen family, except the cinnamon rolls were never homemade, they were always store bought. When I made the goal to learn how to bake bread and rolls, Halloween cinnamon rolls was part of the plan.

I used my mom's recipe, and I am happy to say they turned out great! It was so helpful to refer back to the things my mom showed me last week when I practiced with her. For instance, when the recipe called for warm water for the yeast to dissolve in, I knew how warm it should feel. I knew what the yeast should look like when it was ready to be mixed in, and I knew how the dough should feel and look like when it had been kneaded enough. In fact, the recipe called for 7 cups of flour, and I left out about 1/2 cup planning to knead it in, but the dough was still super sticky, so I added the last 1/2 cup, and kneaded in about 3/4 of another cup. I knew what the texture should feel like and I knew it needed more flour because I had worked with my mom last week.

I kept thinking about the Zone of Proximal Development as I worked today because I was doing something that I used to not be able to do at all, and then had some guidance and help last week, and now I can do it on my own! I also thought about Legitimate Peripheral Participation and how it has played a role in my learning. I grew up watching my mom bake bread, and knead and shape dough. I even helped measure things and helped with other peripheral tasks. But, until I really had the desire to observe, and learn how to bake the bread myself, I was not paying close attention. I am still learning and am going to keep having my mom give me tutorials because it was so helpful. Here are some photos of the process:

Yeast before and after. I was a little worried because the yeast didn't work as fast as it did at my mom's house, but I am glad I was patient, because it eventually started working.

Kneading the dough. Photo credit goes to my 6-year old son. :)

Dough before and after rising. I was so excited to see this because this is where I usually flop! 

Shaped, baked, and frosted! They turned out really well and I can't wait to try this again!

Week 5: Baking, Baking, Baking

I finally got some practice baking this past weekend! I got to visit my parents and all of my siblings and their kids were there too (that makes 30 people in one house if you were wondering).  It was quite a crew, and we had a lot of fun, and also had a lot of meals to prepare. I watched, helped, and learned how to make two different kinds of bread - and they were delicious. I kept thinking about the Zone of Proximal Development as I helped my mom with the breads. I could not have made these breads on my own, but as I watched and practiced and helped, I gained some skills and knowledge that will allow me to do this on my own now.

The first bread we made was a sausage cheese twist bread for breakfast. We made it the night before so that it would be ready to go in the morning. The first step was to combine warm water and yeast to let the yeast start dissolving and growing. It was so cool to see the yeast multiply and expand. I wish I would have taken a video, but here is a before and after:

After we mixed all the ingredients we were able to knead the dough using a Kitchenaid mixer, and then we put the dough in a greased bowl and covered it. After about an hour, it had doubled in size. Here is a before and after:

Then we rolled, filled, and shaped the dough. This part was really fun - I am excellent at braiding! :)

The finished product was delicious and turned out really well. I have never made this type of bread before, and my mom had only made it a couple of times, but I am definitely adding it to my recipe box.

The next day we made cinnamon rolls. This is the one I was really looking forward to, because I have tried and failed making these before. My mom's recipe is stellar, but she wanted to try out a recipe from my aunt this time, so we did, and it turned out great. I only got a couple of pictures this time because I was the one doing a lot of the work. I mixed the yeast by myself, and it sat a little longer than it did for the sausage bread. By the time we were ready for the yeast, it was about 5 times bigger and super fluffy, so I was a little worried, but it worked just fine. 

When we were adding all the flour, we ended up adding almost 2 cups less than the recipe called for, and then folded in another cup as we were kneading. We were still a cup short, but the dough was not sticky anymore and my mom thought adding more flour would make it too dry. This was something I could have only learned from being there, practicing and feeling the bread. I had to rely on my mother's expertise, and not just the recipe. We let the roll dough rise and then punched it down (because it was really big), and then rise again. Then we rolled out the dough, added the filling, and rolled it up to cut into pieces.

We let them rise again once they were on the baking sheets, and then baked, let cool, and frosted them. They turned out great. I am trying to decide if I want to use my mom's recipe or this one next week for Halloween. My mom always made cinnamon rolls for Halloween, so I have done that too, but always just used the Rhodes rolls variety. This year - I am going to try it on my own!

(are you hungry yet?)

Reflection:

It is going to take me a while to develop the automaticity and expertise that my mother has, but I really learned a lot this week from being able to participate in the lesson. I am definitely a hands on learner, and much of what I learned about the consistency and texture of the bread, I would have never been able to learn without being there and feeling it for myself. As I read about cognitive apprenticeship this week, I felt like that is what I was able to do for a whole weekend. I had some authentic and guided practice that was very valuable.

In short,  I am not nearly as  afraid of yeast as I was before :) and I am feeling optimistic about trying these recipes out on my own. Here are the recipes if you are interested:

Sausage Cheese Bread

2 pkgs. of active dry yeast (2 Tbsp.)

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. italian seasoning

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter, softened

4 to 4 1/2 cups flour

1 lb. pork sausage

1 c. shredded mozzerella or cheddar cheese.

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, italian seasoing, 1 egg, 2 cups of the flour, and then the salt. Beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. turn onto floured board and knead 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour. Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown sausage, drain grease, and set aside to cool. Punch the dough down, and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll each half into a 14 in. x 12 in. rectangle. Cut each one into three 14 in. x 3 in. strips. Combine cheese and sausage. Spread mixture down the center of each strip. Bring long edges together over filling and pinch to seal.Place three strips with seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Braid strips together, secure the ends. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Beat remaining egg and brush over the loaves. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Immediately remove loaves to cooling racks, and serve warm.

Cinnamon Rolls

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp. yeast

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 (3 1/2 oz. package) instant vanilla pudding

2 cups milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 tsp. salt 

8 cups flour (I ended up using 6 cups in the mix, and kneaded in 1 more cup - so only 7 total)

Combine water, yeast, and sugar, and stir until dissolved. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix pudding and milk according to package. Add melted butter, eggs and salt and mix well. Add yeast mixture, and mix again. Gradually add flour and knead until smooth. Place in large greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Punch down and let rise again, or if short on time, skip this step. Roll into rectanlge about 36 in. x 12 in. Spread with filling mixture:

1 cube unsalted butter, melted

2 cups brown suger

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Roll up so you have one 36 in. roll. Cut each slice about 2 in. thick, and place on buttered sheet. Raise for about 20-30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees fro about 15 - 20 minutes. Frost with frsoting of your choice while still warm.

Week 4: More reading and anticipation ...

So here is a quick summary of the rest of the Ten Essential Steps of Making Bread from The Bread Bible:

6) Slashing (Scoring) and Stenciling: Slashing the dough is not necessary, but allows the dough to release steam during baking and prevents splitting in a jagged line. Essentially - it makes it prettier!

7) Glazing: Glazing is mostly for appearance too. It creates a shiny appearance, and sometimes a darker color. If you are going to slash the bread, do so after glazing because it creates a strong contrast (again making it look more appealing). You can glaze with water, flour, melted butter, egg whites, egg yolks, or a cornstarch mixture.

8) Baking: The goal during baking is to get good volume and a beautiful crust. Steaming the bread when first baking will help create this.

9) Cooling: Cool breads with a crisp crust on a rack so there is enough air circulation. Cooling is part of the baking process. DON'T cut the bread while it is still cooling. Reheat it later if you want to serve warm bread.

10) Slicing and Storing: Serrated knifes usually work best, and electric knifes are best for soft breads. For storing, the freezer is better than the fridge, because the fridge it can get stale faster.

Also, I glanced through some of the authors recipes, and oh my ... I think I may have to renew this book when my library loan ends to try some of them out.

This weekend I am finally going to get some practice. For fall break, I packed up my children and headed to my parents house full of siblings, nieces, and nephews. I requested that we make bread a couple of times so I could get some practice and learn from the master herself (my mom). Tonight we are making some Sausage Pretzel Bread for breakfast tomorrow, and then tomorrow ... homemade cinnamon rolls. I am really excited about the cinnamon rolls because I want to make some for my family on Halloween, and I am hoping I can learn with the help of my mother today so I can do it on my own in a couple of weeks (Zone of Proximal Development). I am also hoping that I develop automaticity for baking breads one day. I thought of this last night as I was making spaghetti sauce with my sister last night. Because I have made it so many times, I have developed an automaticity for making the sauce. I don't need to refer to a recipe, I already know how long to cook the meat, and I don't even have to think about it while I am making it. One day I will get there with my bread making, right???

Reflection:

Thinking about different learning strategies this week, I realized that I am really a visual learner.  I will not get as much out of an experience where someone is just explaining something to me as I will by actually trying it myself. I am confident that with my mom's help, and being able to actually try making the bread tonight and tomorrow, I will learn some skills that will help me be able to do it on my own!

Week 3: The Bread Bible

Based on a friend's suggestion (and also Debbie), I checked out The Bread Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum from the library this week. I was expecting a small book with a few great suggestions, but this thing is massive and loaded with tips, tricks, and recipes. I think it is bigger than the actual Bible! Needless to say, I did not finish this book in one week, but I am working on it, and will post insights over the next few weeks as I read. 

This week, I learned about the Ten Essential Steps of Making Bread. 

1) Fermenting and Pre-Fermenting: Several yeast tips here similar to the ones I talked about last week. The pre-fermenting section was new, but to be honest, I glossed over it, because I want to get the basics down before I start making fancier breads. It did say that dough that contains a starter (pre-ferment) usually has a more developed flavor, but I am taking baby steps here :)

2) Mixing and Kneading: Wow - there were some really helpful tips in this section. First, you need to make sure to mix in the salt (if your recipe) calls for it, after your flour, water, and yeast are already mixed so that the salt does not come into direct contact with the salt, because the salt can kill the yeast. This may be one of the things I have been doing wrong all along! This book offers a lot of info about the chemistry of baking and why things work the way they do - very interesting and helpful. Another good tip from this section: When you mix together your dough, use a little less flour than the recipe calls for, so that when you are kneading on a floured counter, you are not adding too much flour. It is easier to add extra flour later than it is to add more water. Also, when your dough has been kneaded properly, it will be shiny and elastic (stretchy).

3) Raising (Proofing) and Turning the Dough: You can check see if your dough has raised enough by poking your fingertip in the top. If your fingertip makes an impression that does not fill back up, then it is ready! Temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees are the best for rising. It should take 1-2 hours for the first rising of your dough. 

4) Dividing and Preshaping the Dough: Use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut and divide your dough. If you pull and stretch it will weaken the gluten. This made me think of pie crust. I know that you should handle the pie crust as little as possible with your hands to make it flakier.

5) Shaping the Dough: This section had illustrations to show how different loaves should be shaped. It was very helpful to read and see what the author was talking about. Also - you don't just roll your dough into the shape you want. There is lots of folding and rolling and pinching involved. I think this will really help make a nice looking loaf of bread.

I didn't have time yet to read the rest of the tips, but I plan to next week. They are:

6) Slashing (Scoring) and Stenciling (Sounds like fencing and art to me ....)

7) Glazing

8) Baking (Yes! - Can't wait to read this one!)

9) Cooling

10) Slicing and Storing

Reflections:

In regards to my bread making schema, I accrued a lot more knowledge this week. As I read about experts this week, I know that I will not become an expert bread maker over the next 5 weeks of this learning blog, but I am hoping to at least have gained some tips and helpful practice that will lead me down that path. If it takes 10 years of practice to become an expert, then my grandkids will at least think I have been an expert all along! I have been a little frustrated lately, because I just can't find the time to practice. I am reading, and gaining knowledge, but practice makes perfect, so I need to adjust a little to find the time to try out some of the tips I have been learning. 

Week 2: All about Yeast

Last week I made banana bread. It turned out pretty good! I have made banana bread a few times before, but I learned a couple of new things this time that I think contributed to how the bread turned out. I started with banana bread, because I knew I had a good recipe, and I was comfortable that I could make it work. I have also had some success in the past with making sweet breads like this before.

My failures in the bread making department have been mostly with breads containing yeast. I think a big part of the reason my breads have not turned out is because I don't really understand how the yeast is supposed to work. So this week, I decided to figure out what yeast is all about and why it is so important. Rather than jumping into a new recipe, this week I just wanted to collect some information to help me feel confident about my next bread making attempt. Plus, my mom is coming in to town this weekend (yay!), so I am going to ask her to walk me through making some homemade rolls for dinner on Sunday.

I just moved into a new house, so I headed to the local library this week to sign up for an account. I got a couple Spiderman books for my son, and some princess books for my daughter, but I also looked at some cooking books. I placed a hold for a copy of "The Bread Bible," by Rose Levy Beranbaum (thanks for the tip Debbie). I am number 1 on the Hold list, so I look forward to reading that next week.

In the mean time, I turned to my BFF, Google, for advice. I found a couple of great articles about yeast, and bread making in general, so I will share what I have learned.

First of all did you know that there is more than one kind of yeast? I am sad to say that I did not! Maybe I have been using the wrong kind of yeast all along. This article from allrecipes.com had some great info on yeast. Basically, there are three kinds of yeast: Active Dry Yeast, Instant Yeast, and Fresh Yeast. It seems that for most of the breads I will be interested in making, the active dry yeast is the right one. Maybe I used Instant Yeast in my failures before? I learned that yeast must be "proofed" before being used as well. To do this, sprinkle the yeast over warm water and a pinch of sugar, and let it stand until creamy and bubbly (this sounds kind of gross to me).

There is also another article on the Better Home & Garden website that goes through the basics of making yeast bread. I have bookmarked this one for future use, because I liked how it went through the specifics of picking and preparing the right yeast, but also what the next steps are. It is also nice to see pictures. I guess if I am having a bad day, making bread and being able to "punch" it will be a good release! :)

Reflection:

I am discovering that my bread-making schema is pretty limited, but I am enjoying learning more every day. This week, my schema was tuned to include different types of yeasts and their uses. I am looking forward to putting these yeast tips to use next week!

As we studied motivation this week, I found it very interesting to think about my learning blog and how it is related. I think that this assignment started with extrinsic motivation (do the assignment, get a good grade), but because we were all able to pick something new to learn, intrinsic motivation has come into play as well. I have really wanted to learn to bake bread for a long time, and this assignment just gave me the push I needed. Now, I am learning how to do this because I want to, not because I am being graded on it. Tasks are much more rewarding when you are intrisicly motivated. If I had not been able to pick what I wanted to learn (for example, everyone in the class had to learn how to sew), I would not be nearly as motivated every week. I am really enjoying learning all about bread-making!