Milestones

...our lives are filled with them.  Some are big...some are small...some are happy and some are not.  Last week I watched as our first grandchild strapped on his backpack, hugged his brothers and his dog and headed off to SCHOOL!  A huge, happy, milestone for him...and a happy/sad one for those of us who have fussed over him, watched him learn to walk, talk and develop into his own little man.  ...Oh, the places he will go!

This summer has been filled with some big milestones.  My Medicare card arrived along with my 65th birthday.  That word, Medicare, always conjured up visions of old old, white haired folks shuffling through their day while waiting for their social security checks to arrive. Don't get me wrong...I'm grateful as all get out for my Medicare coverage ad my social security checks.  I just can't quite believe I've reached that age! For the most part I'm still, say, age 32!  Somewhere between 32 and 65, I raised a family, several dogs, one cat, and one husband!  To say time has flown by is an understatement!

Morning Buns

I LOVE breakfast...could eat it three times a day!  One of our favorite breakfast restaurants, Ovens of Brittany, made an out of this world morning bun that made your mouth water just looking at it.  They were in business for a long time but, sadly, closed their doors several years back.  You know how every once in a while you get a craving for something you used to eat?  Well, every so often I would crave their morning buns.  Then, one day, while reading the newspaper...there it was...the Ovens Of Brittany Morning Bun recipe!  It's rather time consuming...but worth every minute!  I won't even tell you how many calories and fat are in each bun....let's just say....a lot!

Ovens of Brittany Morning Buns

DOUGH

4-½ Cups warm water
1 1/3 Tbsp dry active yeast
2-½ Tbsp sugar
½ Cup dry milk solids
1 1/3 Tbsp salt
9 1/3 Cups unbleached white flour plus ½ Cup, divided
1 pound unsalted butter

Combine warm water, yeast and sugar in a 5-quart mixer.  Let yeast become activated and foam, then add the milk solids, sale and 9 1/3 cups flour.  Mix with dough hook until flour is just incorporated.  Avoid over mixing as that causes rapid toughening of dough.  Place dough mixture in airtight container (a 2.5-gallon plastic container with lid is perfect) with room for rising, and refrigerate at 38 to 40 degrees for 12 to 24 hours, punching down occasionally if dough rises too much.

Roll butter into dough:  Place 1 pound unsalted butter into 5-quart mixer.  Mix with paddle dough hook, gradually adding remaining ½ cup flour.  Mix until butter is moderately soft but not creamy in texture.  Too soft butter will not layer properly in dough.

Remove dough from refrigerator and turn out onto well-floured surface.  Spread dough with hands into a 6 by 8-inch rectangle. Shape soft butter into 3 x 4 inch rectangle.  Place butter in middle of dough.  Envelope butter with dough, bringing dough from sides into middle without overlapping; then dough from top and bottom into middle, again without overlapping.  Press envelope of dough down evenly with hands, preserving rectangular shape.

Set aside to rest 15 to 20 minutes (you may want to refrigerate the dough during the first rest period if butter is very soft.)

Turn envelope of dough and butter onto its “tummy” with seams down.  Using a large rolling pin, roll rectangle of dough down to 3/8 to ½-inch thickness uniformly.  Fold in thirds.

Turn the dough 90 degrees and place seams down on your rolling surface to rest 15 to 20 minutes more.  Finally roll dough down again to 3/8 to 1/2-inch thickness.  Place in large 2.5-gallon covered plastic container, carefully preserving its folded shape.  Refrigerate 12 to 14 hours, again at 38 to 40 degrees.

FILLING

1 tsp. beaten egg mixed with 1/3 Cup water
1 pound brown sugar mixed with 2-½ tsp cinnamon
1 pound granulated sugar mixed with 2 ¼ Tbsp cinnamon
Butter for greasing muffin tins

Roll croissant dough into rectangle 12 inches wide and 1/8-inch thick.  Relax by lifting with hands and let it contract on table surface.  Length of dough determines the number of morning buns ultimately cut.

Wet exposed surface lightly with mixture of egg and water.

Spread brown sugar and cinnamon mixture (2 ½ tsp cinnamon to 1 pound brown sugar) over entire surface of dough.

Note:  Too much moisture from either water or melting brown sugar can overwhelm the dough during the baking process.  Water mixture is only to help sugar and cinnamon adhere to dough.  The butter in the dough will melt into the sugar.

Crimp long edge of dough closest to you as you begin to roll this dough up like a jellyroll into a tube.  After having rolled your tube of dough, cut off slices 2-inches wide or to stand above your greased muffin pans by ¼ to ½-inch when placing them in cut side down.

Bake immediately or refrigerate overnight before baking.  Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35 to 50 minutes or until puffed and dark brown.  Check for doneness in center of buns.  They should spring back. 

Garnish buns by rolling them in white sugar and cinnamon (1 pound granulated sugar to 2 ¼ Tbsp of cinnamon.)

Serve warm within 4 hours, or freeze immediately to serve warm later.  Makes 24 Morning Buns.