bread rolls – Baking With Kids

Yes another bun! I do love bread in all its forms but its definitely on the messiest end of the Baking With Kids scale. If home made focaccia is a 10 and going to the shop and buying a doughnut being a 1 (it’s still a messy business with little ones), then these cheesy garlic buns are a solid 9 on the messy scale.

But the kids love it and the resulting buns are a delicious savoury treat which are well worth the clean up!

You will need a 12 hole muffin tray, well greased, and a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Ingredients

450g strong white flour
3 level teaspoons fast action yeast
300ml warm water
2 tablespoons caster sugar
30ml sunflower or vegetable oil
Teaspoon salt
175g grated mature cheddar
Generous teaspoon garlic granules
Generous teaspoon dried basil

In a jug, measure your warm water, then add the sugar and yeast and stir.

Leave to sit while you measure the flour and salt into the mixing bowl.

Pour the yeasty water into the bowl and add the oil. Mix well to form a sticky ~~mess~~ dough.

Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough becomes elastic in texture (about 10 minutes on medium-low in the mixer). Pop back into the bowl and cover with a tea towel.

Place the bowl somewhere warm (near a radiator or airing cupboard) for an hour and a half or until double in size.

Generously flour your worktop and rolling pin (yes more mess) and roll out the dough to a large rectangle of about half inch thickness.

Sprinkle the grated cheese over half the dough rectangle and top with the garlic and basil.

Fold in half to tuck the cheese into its doughy bed, then cut 8- 10 even strips from the dough.

Twist each strip from the bottom so it starts to curl in on itself, and roll to form a loose ball.

Place into the greased muffin tray and pop back into a warm place for about 40 minutes or until nearly doubled in size again.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes or until deep golden colour throughout. If you’re able to tap the bottom of a bun it should sound a bit hollow.

Allow to cool a bit before serving. Best served warm and cheesy 😃

Pumpkin Bread Rolls

My eldest girl lives for Halloween and all things spooky. So as soon as the pumpkins hit the shops we really have to reel her in.

From late September she has been angling to go pumpkin picking and now eight out of ten doodles involves a pumpkin headed scarecrow. Her pumpkin love has spread to her sister who has taken to calling her tangerines ‘mini pumpkins’…

As we’ve now entered October, I’m going with ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’. I’ve seen a few exotic looking pumpkin bread recipes but this has been given the BWK treatment.

The batch makes 6 good sized individual bread rolls, and the recipe is super simple. A basic bread dough, with soft cheese and an easy glaze for the lovely orange colour.

Top Tip before you start and if you’re new to bread making, dough rises quickly in warm, humid environments. So if your dough is taking its sweet time, you may want to pop it in a warmer location.

You will need a baking sheet, lined with baking paper.

Ingredients:

For the dough

400g strong white flour
2x teaspoons fast action yeast
Teaspoon of salt
30ml vegetable oil
250ml warm water

For the filling

6 x heaped teaspoons soft cheese (we uused primula)

To finish

Plenty of plain string
1 small egg beaten
Few drops orange food colour
2 French beans – chopped into 6 half inch pieces

Firstly you have been warned of the messiness involved when baking with kids. This bread dough starts off really sticky so be prepared with a few towels nearby and sleeves well rolled.

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or large bowl, add all the dough ingredients and mix well to form a sticky ~~mess~~ dough.

Continue to knead for 5 to 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Pop back into the bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave for an hour and a half or until at least doubled in size.

Divide the inflated dough into six portions of roughly equal size. (This is a great activity for little ones to move on from a sensory activity to fine motor and problem solving).

Flatten out each portion and add a teaspoon of cheese into the centre. Pinch the dough around the cheese to form a ball.

The next bit may be more of a grown up job, depending on the age of the kids you’re cooking with.

Roll the dough balls in flour to ensure the surface is no longer sticky.

Cut lengths of string apx 35cm long and wrap around the balls of dough, crossing underneath as you go to form sections. Try not to tighten the string; the dough will puff up around it afterwards.