All-Purpose Bread Dough

All-Purpose Bread Dough

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 packet active dry yeast1 teaspoon granulated sugar or honey
• 1/2 cup warm water 105-110 degrees F
• 4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water or milk, room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons canola, vegetable or sunflower oil

Instructions

1. In a measuring cup, mix the yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup warm water together and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. It will be foamy and bubbly.
2. In a large bowl, add your flour and salt, mix well and set aside.
3. Once the yeast is proofed, pour it into the flour along with the additional water or milk and then add the oil. Gently mix the dough with a spoon or a dough whisk until a rough ball forms.
4. Kneading dough: add a light layer of flour on the counter or other flat surface like a large wooden cutting board or bread board. Place the dough on the floured surface and sprinkle the top of the dough with a bit of flour.
5. Gently knead by pressing the heel of your hand into the dough and then folding it over and rotating the dough. Only add additional flour if the dough is wet or very sticky. Knead for about 5 to 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.
6. Grease a clean bowl with about 2 teaspoons of oil, the same you used in the recipe, cover all the bowls surface.
7. Add the bread dough to the greased bowl and turn over to coat all sides, place a warm,damp towel over the top of the bowl and allow it to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
8. Once the dough has risen, you have a few choices to make; make two loaves of bread or pinch off 48 bread rolls or roll out the dough for cinnamon rolls or freeze the dough. The directions to each of those suggestions are below.
9. Loaves of Bread
10. Grease two bread loaf pans with oil or cooking spray, set aside.
11. Once dough has risen, gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, divide dough into two pieces. Softly pat the dough into a rectangle shape, if the bread resists just let it rest for an additional 5 minutes and try again.
12. Once you have your rectangle shape gently roll the bread dough into a log shape, rolling from the short end of the rectangle. Place the bread roll in the greased pan and let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn your oven onto 350 degrees F while the bread dough is rising.
13. Bake for 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 195-200 degrees F. Take the bread out of the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan, place the loaf on a cooking rack and continue to cool for 2 hours before slicing.
14. Cinnamon Rolls
15. Grease a sheet pan, rectangular pan or pie pans (2) with softened butter and set aside.
16. After the bread dough has risen the first time lightly flour your counter or work surface and turn out the dough onto the flour and dust the top of the dough with a bit of flour.
17. Flour your rolling pin as well and roll out the bread dough into a rectangular shape that is ¼ inch thick. Once rolled out, allow it to rest for 5 minutes while you assemble the next ingredients.
18. Melt ½ cup unsalted butter set aside. In a bowl add 1 cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, mix well and set aside.
19. With a pastry brush, spread the melted butter all over the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the buttered dough.
20. Begin rolling the bread dough from the long end until you reach the bottom of the dough rectangle, pinch the seam together and slice the cinnamon rolls to your likeness.
21. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour or you can wrap the pan with plastic wrap and allow it to rise overnight in the refrigerator. Just take it out of the fridge 1 hour before baking to come to room temperature.
22. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until light brown and bubbly.
23. Bread Rolls
24. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper and grease with melted butter, oil or cooking spray, set aside.
25. After bread dough has completed the first rise, turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead gently for 30 seconds, squeeze out a golf ball size (2 inches) piece of dough between your thumb and index finger.
26. Place the dough ball on the greased sheet pan and continue to place the dough balls in rows, almost touching each other until the sheet pan is filled.
27. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
28. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the rolls are golden brown.
29. Once rolls are out of the oven, melt 1/3 cup butter and brush over tops, sprinkle a bit of flaky sea salt or chopped fresh herbs and garlic to add additional flavor.