yeast bread

To make the dough

• Warm the milk and water together, in the microwave or on the stove, to about 110-degrees. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes to start bubbling; if the room is cold, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel to encourage warmth.
• Add the flour and salt to the bowl. Beat using a dough hook for about five minutes, or longer if by hand, to form a soft dough. Move to a larger greased bowl and cover, letting rise for an hour to an hour and a half.

Shape and fill the khachapuri

• Combine the two cheeses in a bowl. Mash in the egg to completely incorporate.
• Lightly flour a work surface. Turn out the dough onto the surface, dividing in half. Form each into a round; set one aside. Use a rolling pin to extend a piece of dough to be about ten inches across. Lift it onto parchment paper. Repeat with the other piece of dough, either fitting onto the same parchment or a second piece.
• Spoon half the cheese mixture into the middle of a bread sheet, spreading out to about an inch from the edge. Fold the bare edge over to meet the cheese, shaping it into a cheese canoe, pinching the ends together and twisting to seal. Repeat with the second half.
• Preheat oven at 450-degrees and place pizza stone in oven to heat up. Let khachapuri rise for 30 minutes.
• Carefully pull out the pizza stone. Use parchment to lift khachapuris onto the stone. Bake for 12 minutes. If adding the traditional cracked egg to top each piece, then do so now. In any case, turn around khachapuri and bake for another 4 minutes. Crust should be browned with cheese fully melted.
• Let set for 10 minutes. If desired, add chopped basil, red pepper flakes, or other herbs. Serve!

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Make the starter

• In the bucket of a bread machine or in a separate pitcher, stir together all of the starter ingredients until combined. Cover the top with plastic wrap and let set to rise at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

Make the dough

• If the starter didn’t rise in the bread machine, place it there now and add the additional water, salt, flour, and yeast. Start the dough cycle.
• Once the full cycle is done, apply nonstick spray or olive oil in a large bowl. Gather the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl, flipping it to completely coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until it doubles, about an hour. Prepare one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Weigh the dough and then turn it out in a lightly floured work space. Determine the desired size of rolls; for standard dinner-sized ones, twelve is ideal. Divide the dough accordingly, forming into balls by tucking the lumpier bits and seams underneath. Fill a saucer with water to dab fingertips to make smoothing the dough easier. Space rolls out on prepared pan(s). Lightly cover with plastic wrap.
• Let rolls rise about 45 minutes. They should puff up. Preheat oven at 450-degrees.

Make the egg wash

• Whisk together the egg and water. Remove and discard plastic wrap from rolls. Brush egg wash over the rolls.
• Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Rolls should sound hollow when tapped. They are best eaten hot the day they are made, but if frozen promptly, they will reheat later for same-day eating and still taste delicious!

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• Place all of the ingredients in the bucket of a bread machine. Start on DOUGH cycle. Set out a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• When the cycle is done, weigh the dough on a food scale. Divide it by six to create large sandwich rolls. Split up the dough, using hands form nicely rounded balls, with any rough bits tucked underneath. Place spaced out on baking sheet. When all of the rolls are formed, cover with plastic wrap or a towel to rise in a warm place until puffed, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Uncover the rolls and bake them for about 25 minutes. They should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. A digital thermometer discreetly plunged into the center should read about 190-degrees.
• Cool rolls for at least 20 minutes before slicing open. Store in a sealed bag for up to 3 days. Rolls can also be frozen for later enjoyment.

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• Melt butter on the stove top or in the microwave. Add milk and heat until they are lukewarm. Place in bread machine. Add sugar, salt, flour, cardamom, and yeast. Begin dough cycle on machine. Check on dough as it mixes, adding more flour or milk, if needed. Let it complete its first rise.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Lightly flour a surface. Dump out dough and roll it out into a rectangle about 1/3″ thick. Spread softened butter all over the surface. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it over the butter. Roll the dough up to form a long log.
• Use a sharp knife or a piece of unwaxed dental floss to slice up 12 individual rolls. Set spaced out on prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel to rise for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat oven at 425-degrees.
• Brush beaten egg atop rolls. Sprinkle them with pearl sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. A digital thermometer in the middle of a center roll should read over 190-degrees. Cool for at least 15 minutes before eating.
• Swedish Cinnamon Rolls are best eaten within a day. If promptly frozen, they will keep for a prolonged period–just eat them soon after thawing.

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• Follow ingredient order for your bread machine; for most, that means liquids first. Place water, oil, sugar, seasoning, and salt in the bread machine bucket. Add the flour and the yeast. Start the machine on DOUGH cycle.
• Check on the dough as it mixes, if possible, and add a touch more liquid or flour as necessary. Dough should be soft and plush.
• Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Once the dough cycle is done, transfer the dough to a clean, floured work surface. If equal breadsticks are desired, use a food scale to weigh the dough and divide–or simply pat out the dough and use a pizza cutter or bench knife to slice the bread into stick form. Transfer them to the baking sheet. Cover them with plastic wrap or a towel and let them rise for another 45 minutes to an hour, until nicely puffed.
• Preheat oven at 350-degrees.
• Bake time will vary dependent on their size. If about 12 breadsticks are on the sheet, bake for about 12 minutes. Pull out of oven briefly to brush on melted butter. Sprinkle cheese all over top. Place breadsticks back in oven to bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until sticks are more golden and cheese is melted.
• Eat breadsticks warm. Store any leftovers in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen for later enjoyment.

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• In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, stir together warm milk and yeast, letting it stand about 5 minutes to get foamy.
• Mix in the eggs, 1 stick melted butter, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Follow up with the flour, sugar, and salt, beating until combined. Switch to the dough hook and beat for about 4 minutes, until smooth.
• Use nonstick spray on a large bowl. Lightly flour a flat surface and turn out the dough to form it into a round. Place it in a bowl, rotating it to grease the entire surface. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size.
• Clean everything and return to the stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat the 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar with the cookie butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 3 Tablespoons melted butter, until smooth. Transfer the mixture to another bowl. set aside.
• Clean the mixer and paddle attachment again. Beat the final stick of softened butter, the melted chocolate, cocoa, remaining 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, and last 1 teaspoon vanilla, until smooth. Set aside.
• Lightly flour a flat surface again. Punch down the dough and turn it onto the surface. Use a food scale to divide the dough in half. Stash one half back in the bowl for now, covered to prevent drying. Roll the other half into a 20 by 9 rectangle. Use an uneven spatula to spread the cookie butter filling onto the dough, up to 1/2-inch of the edges all the way around. Starting on a long side, tightly roll up the dough, pinching the seam to seal. Set aside with the seam faced down.
• Roll out the other dough in the same way, this time spreading on the chocolate-cocoa filling. Roll it up as well, placing the two dough rolls side by side. Use a bench knife to cut each roll in half, lengthwise. With the multi-layered middles facing up, twine the strips together.
• Apply nonstick spray on tube pan. Lift braid into the pan and tug it to form a complete circle, tucking the ends beneath. Cover the bread and let it rise in a warm spot until it’s puffed, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven 350-degrees.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and water. Brush the top of the dough, touching the cookie butter strands first, then the chocolate; this will prevent the chocolate from smearing too much.
• Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes, covering the bread with foil halfway through to prevent too much browning. When done, the top should be golden and an instant-read thermometer should be above 190-degrees.
• Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes. Turn out onto a plate, then tip it back onto a rack to completely cool, top-up.
• The bread is best eaten within a day, but it can also be sliced up and frozen in pieces. It'll thaw later and taste beautifully fresh! Eat at room temperature or slightly warmed.

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