STORING AND FREEZING BAKED BREADS AND ROLLS
Refrigeration or temperatures under 70°F/21°C will cause breads to stale
(firm) quickly. They can, however, be frozen for several months. When
freezing breads and rolls, cool them before wrapping in plastic wrap. Place
them in a plastic bag and seal it. When thawing, partially open the
wrapping to allow the moisture to escape gradually. Do not remove ice
crystals from the wrap during the thawing process. The bread will absorb
some of this moisture as it thaws.
FREEZING DOUGH
Form the dough into the desired shape and immediately freeze for one hour
to harden. Remove from the freezer and wrap in plastic wrap. Next, place
it in a plastic bag and seal. Dough can be kept in the freezer for up to four
weeks. Thaw the dough in a plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight or for
several hours. Unwrap and place on baking pan. Cover and let stand in a
warm, draft-free place until double the original size. Because the dough is
not room temperature, you will find it takes longer than usual to rise. Bake
according to recipe instruction.
BAKING AND COOLING
When baking sweet breads or braids, it may be necessary to tent the top
of the bread with foil for the last 5-10 minutes. To tent, place a piece of foil,
shiny side up, over the loaf. This will avoid over browning while the bread
continues baking.
Cool baked bread in a draft-free area. To prevent soggy crust, cool on
racks. Wait 20 minutes before cutting hot bread.
SHAPING DOUGH AND ROLLS
When shaping and rolling out dough, it is extremely important not to add
additional flour to the working surface. Instead, if dough appears to be
slightly sticky when shaping, lightly spray your hands or working surface
with a non-stick vegetable spray or coat with vegetable shortening.
Cloverleaf Rolls - Shape into
1
⁄
2
inch balls. Place 3 balls in each muffin tin
and let rise until double in size.
Crisscross Rolls - Shape into balls, setting two aside. Combine the two balls
and roll into a
1
⁄
8
inch thick square. Cut strips
1
⁄
8
-inch wide and 2-inches
long. Place one strip across the top of each roll. Repeat this process,
placing the second strip in the opposite direction across the top of each roll.
Traditional Rolls - Shape into dough balls. For “pull apart” rolls, place dough balls
with sides touching. For individual rolls, place dough balls 2 inches apart.
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