Sweet Dough- Basic Recipe-Chelsea/Cinnamon Buns

Sweet Dough- Basic Recipe--If desired, whole wheat flour can be substituted for up to one-half the quantity of flour.

        1 cup hot(not boiling) water    
        5 tsp. (2 envelopes,) fast acting granular yeast

         1/2 cup skim milk powder

         1 cup sugar                            

              Rind of lemon

          2/3 cup shortening

   1/2 Tbsp. salt  

            2 eggs

    8 cups flour

Use instant method and treat as any other dough. Bake at 400 F. for 15-20 minutes.

          **Variations

            The following recipes require 1/3 recipe each, so all three can be made from 1 recipe of risen Sweet Dough.

          Tutti Frutti Bread

          1/3 recipe risen Sweet Dough

          1 cup chopped glazed or dried fruits and nuts

          1. Roll dough into a rectangle 12x 16 inches.

2.  Turn dough over so smooth side is down; sprinkle with a mixture of fruits and nuts.

3. Punch down the dough, shape it into 2 loaves in greased bread pans. Cover the pans with a dry towel and let the loaves rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

 4. Bake the loaves in a hot oven (400 F.) for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to moderate (350 F) and bake the loaves for 35 to 40 minutes longer or until they test done.

         

 Chelsea Buns-- Many people substitute this recipe for Cinnamon Buns; others, including some professional bakers, don't know the difference.

                             1/3 recipe risen Sweet dough

                             1/3 cup soft butter or margarine

                             1 cup brown sugar

                             1/2 tsp.cinnamon

                             2 Tbsps.corn syrup.

            1. Combine soft fat, sugar and cinnamon; spread 1/3 of this mixture in a square cake pan with capacity of 6 cups. Sprinkle with syrup.

            2. Roll dough into a rectangle 12x 16 inches.

  3. Turn dough over so that smooth side is down; spread with remaining fat-sugar mixture and roll tightly starting at the long side of the rectangle.

4. With cut edge of the roll down, slice 12 equal pieces and place cut side down in prepared pan.

5. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. When dough is almost risen, preheat oven to 375 F.

            6. Bake for 30 minutes; while hot turn out of the pan.

          **Variation

            Arrange chopped or halved nuts face-down on the mixture in the pan.

            Sprinkle raisins or glazed fruit on dough before rolling.

Current Cheese Buns-Substitute the following mixture for the fat-sugar mixture and use for filling only:

                                    8 oz. cream cheese, softened

                             1/2 cup currants

          Bake rolls on a greased cake pan or cookie sheet. Cool and glaze buns with icing made from:

                             1 tsp. lemon juice

                             1 cup icing sugar         

           Swedish Tea Ring

                             1/3 recipe risen Sweet Dough

                                    fruits, nuts, glaze

1. Follow directions for Chelsea Buns to end of step 3; spread filling almost to edge and sprinkle with glazed fruits or nuts.

2. Join the ends of the roll and pinch together; place the ring on a greased baking sheet.

3. Use a very sharp knife, to cut into the ring from top, outer edge, but not through to inner edge at intervals of 2 inches.

4. Separate and twist each section slightly-overlapping so that a spiral effect can be seen; cover loosely with waxed paper and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk.

5. Bake ring in 375 F oven until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes; when almost cool glaze with syrup or vanilla glaze and garnish with red and green cherries and nuts.

 Spicy Sweet Dough-Basic Recipe--Using ingredients for Sweet Dough substitute for sugar:

                   1 cup molasses

                         add to the dry ingredients

            1-1/2 Tbsp.cinnamon

                   1 tsp. ginger

                   3/4 tsp.each of cloves, allspice

            Prepare as Sweet Dough. If a small quantity of spicy dough is desired, about 1/3 of the quantity of spice can simply be kneaded into 1/3 of the prepared sweet dough.

          **Variation

          Raisin Bread--Prepare as Tutti Fruiti Bread using 1/3 of the recipe risen Spicy Sweet dough. add bout 1 cup raisins.

          Hot Cross Buns--Using Spicy Sweet Dough, roll out, cut and shape dough as for dinner rolls. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Using sharp knife cut a shallow cross in top of each bun. Brush with slightly-beaten egg white and bake for about 20 minutes at 400 F. If desired, cuts may be filled with thin icing after buns are baked and cooled.