Friday Fotos: 11/19

This is too good...


courtesy of... somuchpun.com

White Dinner Rolls

Photo of one pan of rolls after baking (using milk wash)...



Even though I am still working on this recipe (I'm taking several different recipes and trying to take the best from each one), the rolls that result from this recipe are extremely fluffy and soft. Over the past several weeks, I have been making this recipe and then freezing the result. Why? Well, my plan is to make these a few days in advance and then freeze them. On Thanksgiving (to save time), I will nuke them in the microwave and serve. In my test, I froze a batch for one week and then brought them in and let them thaw on the counter. I then nuked one for 10 seconds on high and tried it. The result was a slight depreciation in flavor, but the only reason I noticed it, was because I had tasted them fresh from the oven. You can make these fresh and serve or you can make them and freeze for later. I just wanted to point out that the freezing option is available.

Now, I've bored you enough, so on to the recipe...




What you need...

• Yeast... 2 ½ tsp
• Water... ½ cup (temperature roughly 105°)
• Milk... 1 cup (scalded and then cooled to same temperature as water)
• Bread flour... 3 ½ - 4 cups (amount will vary depending on humidity)
• Eggs... 2
• Butter (unsalted)... 4 Tbsp
• Honey... 4 Tbsp
• Salt... 1 - 1 ½ tsp
• Cake pans or muffin pans if you prefer... 2

Putting it together...

Making Ricotta Cheese

This is the third and final post that will deal with my Thanksgiving preparations. After this cheese is made, I will have all the custom ingredients needed to begin making my other recipes. This cheese will be used in making the manicotti and, if there is any left over, I may add some to a portion of the whipped potatoes.

Although, the idea of making ricotta cheese may seem intimidating at first, making this cheese is actually very easy. In addition, if you are a family that uses ricotta cheese a great deal, you will find that making it yourself will save you money. Next time you are in the store, price-out the cost for a gallon of milk and a bottle of vinegar (which you can use for several batches of cheese and other things as well) and compare it to the cost of a single container of ricotta cheese. You will be able to see how cost-effective it is to make yourself. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know and I will do my best to assist you.



What you need

• One gallon of whole milk
• Salt (I use Kosher salt)... ¼ - ½ tsp (depends on how salty you like your cheese)
• White vinegar... ^1/3 cup, plus 1 tsp
• Thermometer
  Here's one like I use... Polder Classic Cooking Thermometer/Timer, Graphite
• Cheese cloth
• Large, non-reactive pot
• Colander