Baking Science & Theory wk7

Enriched Yeast Doughs

      This week we had the opportunity to make Jumbo Cinnamon Buns, Pecan Sticky Buns, and Cream Scones.  

 

          I was most excited about making the scones, and they were my favorite product by the end of class. 

 

          Beforehand, the instructor said they should be lightly sweetened, and have an almost biscuit like texture like a quick bread.  We were also advised to use a variety of mix-ins to create different scones, such as fruit, nuts, and chocolate chips. 

 

         Our team chose to add fresh blueberries and dried cranberries to our scones. They were critiqued to be very nicely done; they have a nice texture and flavor without being overly sweet.  They were the clear favorite.

          The cinnamon rolls were quite unlike the cinnamon rolls I have made in the past. This recipe called for double the number of ingredients than I'm used to;

 

with ho hum results. 

 

          True to their name, these rolls were quite large, and seemed to almost grow out of our sheet pan.  This made the product less appealing to me, since it was more difficult to eat. Also, to apply the filling, we were instructed to use melted butter in the filling.  In the future, I will continue to use softened butter, which will give the rest of the filling something to hold on to as the dough is rolled together and cut into sections.

 

          Despite my harsh  review, our finished product was critiqued to smell good, and to have a very good flavor and texture.  Our first batch of dough was a team effort, and was combined in a stand mixer.  It did not come together very well. We set the first batch aside, and helped to complete the dough for the sticky buns. After which, I elected to remake the cinnamon roll dough by hand.

 

          I very carefully combined and sifted all of the wet and dry ingredients together, and kneaded the dough together by hand, taking great care to not over mix it.  I  believe this was the best course of action, and produced superior results.

 Unfortunately, the sticky buns did not turn out as favorably. 

          I did elect to mix the dough by hand for this as well, which gave it the desired texture, but some oversight by some or all of our team did result in the dough being far too salty for consumption. 

         This also led to a problem with the dough's ability to rise properly. 

If that was not bad enough, I broke my nails trying to scrape clean the topping off our sheet pan!

I do not imagine I shall ever desire to give another attempt to this particular recipe...