White Bread & Cinnamon Rolls

So I'm back in the states, finding the places where jetlag and 3:30am meet, and spending hours and hours looking things up on the internet, just because I can. I thought I might finally get around to posting a few things here. First and foremost, bread.

WHITE BREAD

3 cups flour

1 T sugar

1 cup warm water

2 1/4 tsp yeast*

2 T butter or oil

1 tsp salt

flavor/spices (such as rosemary, cinnamon & raisins, caramelized onions, garlic, etc.) optional

CINNAMON ROLLS (you also need:)

cinnamon (lots)

sugar (lots)

butter

powdered sugar (lots)

milk (just a spoonful)

vanilla

walnuts & raisins (optional)

DIRECTIONS FOR TRADITIONAL YEAST*

1)Melt sugar into the warm water and stir in the yeast.

2)Mix together flour, salt and spices in a separate bowl.

3)When the yeast has begun to foam and bubble, stir in the butter or oil, then slowly add the flour mixture

DIRECTIONS FOR INSTANT YEAST*

1)In one bowl, mix together the water and butter/oil. Don't try too hard, you know about oil & water.

2)In a second bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients (yeast, sugar, salt, flour).

3)Slowly stir the flour mixture into the water.

CONTINUING ON...

4) Mix well until ingredients are thoroughly combined.

5) Set dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-12 minutes. Seriously. It's a long time, but it matters.

6) Set the dough in a clean bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise for one hour in a warm location. Anywhere in Uganda should work. ;)

7) Divide the dough into two small loaves, divide it into a bunch of tiny dinner rolls, or just shape it into one big loaf, and set it into an oiled/greased pan, cover with a towel, and let rise another hour. You can also make cinnamon rolls at this point-

8)If you like your bread shiny, you can brush it with eggwhites at this point in time. And maybe even sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.

9)Bake for 10-15 minutes at 190C/375F or until lightly browned.

CINNAMON ROLLS

After the first rise, roll the dough out into a roughly rectangularish shape. The thinner the dough, the more layers of cinnamony goodness. Spread a generous amount of butter onto the dough, then sprinkle with lots of cinnamon and sugar. Maybe even some walnuts and raisins. Roll it up, slice into 1 1/2 inch slices, and lay them out sideways in a pan. Let rise one hour, then bake at 190C/375F for 10-12 minutes or so.

Meanwhile... put a lot of powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in a few tablespoons of butter, then a few drops of vanilla, then a tiny bit of milk, until the mixture resembles frosting. Spread generously over freshly baked cinnamon rolls.

The end.