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Saturday, January 25, 2014

Fairy Garden Inspiration


I saw this image on Facebook recently.  I have an obession with succulent plants, especially Hens & Chicks, and I adore minature things.  So this was definitely right up my alley.  I don't have directions to go along with it just yet.

A Tip to Recharge Towels

I found this tip on Facebook recently.  Haven't tried it yet, but I will soon.
 

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Favorite Things: Homemade Hawaiian Bread (or Rolls)

I am a huge fan of hawaiian dinner rolls.  My sister-in-law recently gave me this recipe and I've enjoyed making a few batches.  It's a delicious, slightly sweet bread. Very similar to the orginal, though the texture is not the same in my experience.  (Note the recipe variation at the bottom, if you want to give it a try.)

6 c. all purpose flour
3 eggs
1 c. pineapple juice
1 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. ginger
1 t. vanilla
2 pkgs yeast
1 stick butter or margarine, melted

Beat eggs; add pineapple juice, water, sugar, ginger, vanilla and melted margarine.  Add in 3 cups of flour and stir till well mixed.  Sprinkle in yeast one package at a time and stir till well mixed.  Gradually add the other 3 cups of flour.  Mix well.  Will be a very sticky dough!

Leave in the mixing bowl, cover and rise 1 hour in a warm place.  Remove from bowl onto well-floured surface and knead in 1/2 cup flour -- a bread scraper is a huge help right about here.  Knead about 10 times. Will still be a very sticky dough.

Grease pans for desired loaves or rolls:
  • For loaves, you'll need three 8-inch round cake pans. 
  • For rolls, this will fill a double-sheet cake pan (or two 9x13 pans and possibly one more small one).
Form dough into round loaves or rolls.  Once again, my bread scraper was a lifesaver here.  I used it to cut the sticky dough into my desired number of pieces.

Cover loaves/rolls and rise 1 hour in a warm place. Bake at 350 degrees, 20-30 minutes for breads and 10-12 minutes for rolls.

Variation to yield a fluffier bread
I just found these alterations to the above recipe online, for those who want a fluffier texture:

Use 1 1/2 cups of pineapple juice and 1/2 cup of water. Heat this mixture to 110 degrees and proof the yeast in it. Mix the eggs, sugar, melted butter, ginger and vanilla together. Put 6 cups of King Arthur Bread Flour into a bowl. Then mix in the egg mixture, then the pineapple juice, water and yeast mixture. After mixing, let rise for 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, knead, divide into 3 loaves. Place each loaf into a greased round cake pan, let rise for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 - 25 mins. Brush with melted butter when you take out of oven.