As many times as I have made from-scratch bread dough, and usually happy with the results, I find that I am using frozen bread dough a lot more often. It sure is a time saver and it is nice to be able to avoid having to clean up mixing bowls and utensils. Plus, the dough tastes good, or at least in my experience.
With holidays literally upon us, I thought it would be fun to explore and share several recipes that use frozen bread dough. You might find a place for them at your holiday table.
Cinnamon rolls
1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed
2 cucharadas de mantequilla, derretida
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 taza de nueces picadas
1 cucharadita de canela
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon milk, or more as needed
1/2 cucharadita de vainilla
1. Lightly grease 2 round cake pans with butter or baking spray. Roll dough out to an 18-by-6-inch rectangle and brush with melted butter.
2. In a bowl, mix brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Roll dough into a log, starting at the long edge. Moisten edge with a bit of water and pinch and seal the edge.
3. Cut log into 20 slices. Arrange rolls, cut side down, in prepared cake pans. Cover with a clean towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350. Pour heavy cream over dough. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla, adding more milk or sugar until the consistency is just right for drizzling over the rolls. Drizzle the icing over the warm cinnamon rolls and serve.
Breakfast sausage bread
2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen white bread dough, thawed
1/2 pound mild pork sausage
1/2 pound spicy pork sausage
1 1/2 cups diced fresh mushrooms
1/2 taza de cebolla picada
3 large eggs, divided use
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
1. Cover dough and let rise in a warm place until doubled. Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, cook sausage, mushrooms and onion over medium-high heat until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up sausage into crumbles, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer to a bowl; cool.
2. Stir in two eggs, cheese and seasonings. Roll each loaf of dough into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle. Spread half of the sausage mixture over each rectangle to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seams to seal. Place on a greased baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg. Brush over tops. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 2 loaves, 16 slices each.
Pull-apart bacon bread
12 bacon strips, diced
1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup shredded part-skin mozzarella cheese
1 envelope (1 ounce) ranch salad dressing mix
1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes or until partially cooked; drain on paper towels. Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness; brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Cut into 1-inch pieces; place in a large bowl. Add the bacon, cheese, dressing mix and remaining oil; toss to coat.
2. Arrange pieces in a 9-by-5-inch oval on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, layering as needed. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Cover with foil; bake 15 minutes longer or until golden brown.
Herbed bread twists
1/4 taza de mantequilla, ablandada
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
1/4 teaspoon each, dried basil, marjoram and oregano
1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
4 teaspoons sesame seeds
1. In a small bowl, combine butter and seasonings. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch square. Spread with butter mixture to within 1/2 inch of edges; sprinkle with cheese.
2. Fold dough into thirds. Cut width-wise into 24 strips. Twist each strip twice; pinch ends to seal. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 375.
3. Beat egg and water; brush over dough. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in preheated oven until light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks.