Tuesday Tip-Bread Flour

My bread and roll making took a turn for the better a few years ago when I discovered King Arthur Bread Flour.  My breads when from alright, to a highlight at the meal.  Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour.  It provides more structure for breads than all-purpose flour.

I wanted to conduct an experiment to see if the brand of bread flour I used mattered.  I used Pillsbury Best, King Arthur, Gold Medal, and White Lily (which I had a hard time finding in a store but ordered from Jet.com for $2.78 for 5 lbs, delivered).

I then gave my family a blind taste test of Our Best Bites World's Best Dinner Rolls, to see which one they preferred. (I cut the recipe in half and started with 21.5 ounces of flour).  I weighed the flour for each different brand.  The King Arthur and Gold Medal batches both needed 4 extra tablespoons of flour (approx. 1.6 ounces).  White Lily took 2 extra tablespoons (approx. 0.8 ounces), and Pillsbury worked great with the amount the recipe calls for.  Turns out, they were all pretty similar in taste and texture, except for the Pillsbury brand.  It had an aftertaste we didn't like.  As for the other three, we had a very slight preference for King Arthur and While Lily over Gold Medal.  My rank list went as follows, but the top three were really almost a tie:

1.  King Arthur
2. White Lily
3. Gold Medal
4. Pillsbury Best


Going forward, I think we'll be switching to White Lily because I can get it delivered to my door for almost half the price.

(Note:  These are completely my own opinions.  I did not receive any compensation from any of the brands or stores mentioned in the this post.)

Sticky Buns

One of our favorite breakfast treats is sticky buns! They are super easy to make and great to take to pot lucks.

5 simple ingredients:  Rhodes Dinner Rolls, brown sugar, butterscotch cook and serve pudding, butter, and nuts.  I LOVE cashews, but pecans are also delicious.

Melt the butter and sugar together in the microwave and mix until they become a syrup.  Grease the pan, place the thawed rolls in it.  Allow them to thaw enough to cut or slice them in half. 

Sprinkle the nuts and pudding mixture over the rolls, then pour the syrup over the top.

Cover and allow the rolls to double in size.  I usually make these the night before and allow them to rise overnight.  Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.  Cover the top with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes.  If you don't, you will have very well done rolls on top and raw rolls on the bottom.

 

Sticky Buns

From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas

Recipe by Rhodes Rolls

Ingredients

·         24 Rhodes rolls, thawed but still cold

·         ½ cup chopped pecans or cashews

·         ½ small box of non-instant butterscotch pudding mix

·         1 cup butter

·         1 cup brown sugar

Directions

Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Cut the rolls in half and place in the pan.  Sprinkle with nuts and then the pudding mix.  Melt the butter and add the brown sugar.  Heat together and mix until a syrup is formed.  Pour syrup over the rolls.  Cover with sprayed plastic wrap.

Let rise until double in size.  Remove wrap and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.  Cover with foil the last 15 minutes of baking.  Do not under bake.  Invert onto a serving platter if desired.  Serve immediately.

 

PDF File Copy

Etiquette--Elbows

Putting your elbows on the table is frequently thought of as a no-no.  While you shouldn't put your elbows on the table when you're actually eating, it is perfectly acceptable to do so during a conversation.  Leaning forward and resting your elbows on the table is body language that tells other people at the table that you are intently listening to the conversation.  And as a side note, don't fidget while you're waiting for the meal to be served.

Spinach Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

This chicken salad is to die for!  It is a beautiful, light, and nutritious meal that is highly satisfying.  Sounds great, right? 

Start with the chicken.  Marinate two boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 1-2 hours in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.  After you marinade the chicken, pound the fatter part of the chicken with a meat tenderizer (I do this is a zip lock bag), so that the chicken is of even thickness.  Use olive oil on one side of the chicken, and season with some more Kosher salt.  Grill the chicken.  Sear on each side for about two minutes to get a nice carmelization, then keep turning the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  This will give you a beautiful juicy chicken.  Set aside and allow to cool.  To prepare for the salad, slice it against the grain in 3/4 inch thick pieces.

Next, make the salad dressing.  Just put all of the ingredients together in a measuring cup and mix with a whisk until smooth.  You can prepare the dressing and the chicken well ahead of time.

To assemble the salad, use fresh spinach as the base, and top with craisens, cheese, almonds, and bacon bits.  Fan the chicken across the top, and drizzle the dressing across the top.

Spinach Chicken Salad

From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas

Chicken Marinade

·         ¼ cup oil

·         ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients

·         2 Grilled and marinated chicken breasts

·         1 pound Spinach

·         ¼ cup Roasted Almonds

·         ¼ cup Craisins

·         ¼ cup Blue Cheese Crumbles

·         1/8 cup Bacon Bits

Directions

Mix the oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper together.  Marinate chicken breast in marinade 1-2 hours before cooking.  Grill the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°.  Cut into small ¾ inch strips and allow to cool to room temperature.  Add all other ingredients to a salad bowl and toss.  Add chicken and serve with honey mustard salad dressing. Serves 4.

Spinach Chicken Salad PDF

Honey Mustard Dressing

From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas

Ingredients

·         ½ cup mayonnaise

·         2 tablespoons honey

·         2 tablespoons yellow mustard

·         2 tablespoons milk

·         2 teaspoon lemon juice

·         ¼ teaspoon coriander

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a measuring cup with a whisk.

Honey Mustard Dressing PDF