Buttery Garlic and Herb Pull Apart Bubble Bread

 INGREDIENTS

DOUGH:

•  1 1/2 cups warm water
•  1 tablespoon instant yeast (see note for active dry yeast)
•  2 tablespoons sugar or honey
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  3 to 4 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour, about 15-20 ounces (see note)

BUTTER MIXTURE:

•  1/2 cup (1 stick, 8 tablespoons) butter
•  1/2 teaspoon dried basil, lightly crushed between fingers
•  1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, lightly crushed between fingers
•  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•  1 cup grated Parmesan (or Asiago) cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or in a large bowl by hand), mix together the water, yeast, sugar, salt and one cup of the flour.
2. Continue adding the flour until the dough just clears the sides of the bowl; knead for about three minutes. It should be soft and slightly sticky without leaving a lot of residue on your fingers. Let the dough rest in the bowl for 10 minutes.
3. Melt the butter and stir in the seasonings and garlic powder.
4. Pat the dough into a thick 8-inch square (doesn't have to be exact). Cut into 8 strips and cut each strip into 8 pieces to end up with about 64 small pieces.
5. Roll each piece lightly into a ball (should just take a second or two in the palms of your hands - it's ok if they look kind of rough and misshapen).
6. Dip each dough ball in the butter/seasonings mixture (or dump several in the butter mixture at a time) and place in a single layer in the bottom of a bundt pan. Two loaf pans can be used in place of the bundt pan.
7. Sprinkle the first layer of dough with Parmesan cheese. Repeat the process adding layers of butter-dipped dough, sprinkling each layer with a little more Parmesan cheese.
8. The layers won't be super even or exact. That's ok! Don't stress. Sprinkle any remaining Parmesan cheese over the top of the last layer. Cover the bundt pan and let rise until very puffy, 45-60 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
10. Bake the bubble bread for 30-35 minutes until golden and baked through. (If your pan has a very dark nonstick coating, watch the time carefully so the bread doesn't burn.)
11. Turn the bread out onto a serving plate or cooling rack (it can be served right side up or upside down). Pull off pieces of bread and enjoy!

NOTES

Bundt Pan: if you don't have a bundt pan, you can try separating the dough into two loaf pans and baking that way.

Herbs: you can substitute a favorite herb seasoning blend or mix for the 1/2 teaspoon basil and 1/2 teaspoon oregano.

Flour: the exact amount of flour you'll need for this dough will depend on a variety of factors (elevation, humidity, how you and I each measure the flour). Don't stress about the exact amount - just keep adding flour gradually until a soft, easy to work with dough is formed. If it leaves a lot of residue on your fingers, continue adding flour a bit at a time.

Active Dry Yeast: to sub in active dry yeast, use the same amount called for; proof it in 1/4 cup warm water with a pinch of sugar until it is bubbly and foaming (should take a couple minutes). Use as directed in the recipe, decreasing the overall water amount to 1 1/4 cups.

Creamy Chicken Soup

SOUP:

•  1-2 teaspoons olive oil
•  1 1/2 cups peeled, diced carrots (about 3-4 medium carrots)
•  3/4 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
•  1/2 cup diced onion, (1 small onion)
• 3-4 Potatoes, diced
• 7 cups chicken broth 
•  2 cubes chicken bouillon to taste
•  3 bay leaves
•  1 tablespoon dried parsley
•  1-1 1/2 teaspoons herbs de provence (see note)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon turmeric 
•  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
•  1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
•  3 1/2 cups milk or half-and-half (or a combo - see note)
•  3-4 cups cooked, chopped chicken
•  Shredded parmesan, asiago or gruyere cheese, for topping (optional)

ROUX:

•  6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•  3 tablespoons olive oil
•  3 tablespoons butter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the soup, in a 4-quart or larger saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion. Pour in the broth and add the chicken bouillon, bay leaves, parsley, herbs de provence, turmeric, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir to combine.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered or partially covered, for 12-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
3. For the roux, while the soup simmers, in a small saucepan, add the olive oil and butter and cook on medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the flour and whisk to combine until a smooth paste forms. Remove from the heat.
4. Add the milk (and/or half-and-half) to the soup and heat through. Add the roux to the soup and cook, stirring or whisking constantly, over medium heat until the soup thickens and gently simmers, 5-7 minutes.
5. Stir in the chicken, season to taste with salt and pepper (this is important for flavor!) and heat through.
6. Remove the bay leaves and serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan, asiago or gruyere on top.

NOTES

Half-and-half: the more half-and-half you use, the creamier this soup will be but milk works great, too. I suggest using at least 1% or 2% (not skim).

Herbs de Provence: if you don't have herbs de , you can try adding a few substitute pantry spices although the flavor will be slightly different. Try a pinch of basil, oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary.

Bouillon: the chicken bouillon (cube, paste or granules) intensifies the overall flavor of the soup. If you leave it out, season well to taste (with salt and pepper).

Instapot Beef Stroganoff

2 tablespoons canola oil

• ½ onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 cups chopped mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 (16 ounce) package wide egg noodles
• ¾ cup sour cream, or to taste

• Directions

  Instructions Checklist

  • Step 1

    Turn on a multi-cooker (such as Instant Pot®) and select Saute function. Heat oil for 1 minute. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook and stir until onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

  • Step 2

    Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add to the pot. Cook and stir until browned evenly on all sides, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in soy sauce.

  • Step 3

    Stir mushrooms into the pot. Stir in flour until evenly incorporated. Pour in chicken broth and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Close and lock the lid. Set timer for 10 minutes. Set to high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions, 10 to 15 minutes.

  • Step 4

    Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method. Open pressure cooker; stir in egg noodles. Seal and bring to high pressure again, about 5 minutes; cook for 5 minutes.

  • Step 5

    Release pressure naturally according to manufacturer's instruction for 5 minutes. Release remaining pressure using the quick-release method. Open pressure cooker; stir in sour cream.

Orange Sweet Rolls

Yield: 12 rolls

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1 cup milk (see note)
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons, 2 ounces) butter (I use salted butter)
• 1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (see note)
• 1 large egg
• 3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour (see note)

Filling:

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 8 tablespoons) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (5.5 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh orange zest (from about 2-3 medium oranges)

Frosting:

• 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter, softened (I use salted butter)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream (can sub in fresh orange juice)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest (or more!)
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) powdered sugar

Instructions

1. For the dough, heat the milk in a medium saucepan until the milk is scalded (which is basically heating it until right before it simmers - it will start steaming and little bubbles will form around the edge of the pan; you can also do this in the microwave). Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or you can do this by hand with a large bowl and wooden spoon).
2. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Mix until the butter is melted and let the mixture cool until warm but not hot. Add the yeast and egg and mix until combined.
3. Gradually add the flour until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. The exact amount will depend on the temperature, humidity and how you measure flour. I usually end up with right around 3 1/2 cups of flour. The dough should be soft and just slightly sticky without leaving a lot of residue on your fingers. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled, about an hour.
5. Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl until well-combined.
6. Roll or pat the dough into about a 14X10-inch rectangle. Evenly spread the orange filling mixture over the rectangle of dough.
7. Starting with one long end, roll up the cinnamon rolls as tightly as possible without stretching the dough, pinching the seam lightly to seal.
8. Using a serrated knife, cut the log into 12 even pieces, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick (I find it's easiest to do this by cutting it in half and then cutting each half into six pieces).
9. The dough can be placed in a greased 9X13-inch pan just like traditional cinnamon rolls (3 across, 4 down). OR for an amazing twist shape (it's how I always make them), take each piece of dough, stretch it out into a long oval shape and give it one twist in the middle (see pictures in the post for a visual). Place the rolls on a parchment lined half sheet pan (3 across, 4 down).
10. Let the rolls rise, covered, until puffy and nearly doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for about 18-22 minutes until only very slightly golden on top.
12. While they cool (or before), prepare the icing by adding the cream cheese and butter to a medium bowl. Whip with a handheld (or stand) mixer until creamy. Add the salt, milk or cream, and orange zest. Mix again. Add the powdered sugar and whip until light and creamy. Spread the slightly warm rolls evenly with the icing.
13. Serve immediately or let cool completely and serve at room temperature (or warm lightly before serving).

Notes

Milk: I prefer using whole milk or 2% milk in this recipe.

Yeast: If you don't have instant yeast and want to use active dry yeast, use the same amount and dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup water with a pinch of sugar. If doing this, you may need to add a bit more flour during mixing.

Flour Amount: Don't worry so much about the exact amount of flour called for in the recipe and instead judge the dough by the feel of it. It should be soft and smooth and stretchy without leaving an overly sticky residue on your fingers. Elevation, humidity, exact temperature of the milk, how we each measure flour - all of these things can affect the precise flour amount, so don't worry if you have to add a bit more or less than the recipe calls for.

Make-Ahead: this post details how to make sweet rolls ahead of time.

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/homemade-orange-sweet-rolls/