The Cheese Board (17 page)

If making by hand,
add the flour, butter, sugar, 1 of the eggs, and the salt to the bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined. If the dough is too soupy, add extra flour by the tablespoonful. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until it is smooth, silky, and elastic. Flatten the dough into a 1-inch-thick round and place the chocolate in the center. Gather the dough around the chocolate and knead just long enough to incorporate it.

Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Or, refrigerate the dough to rise slowly overnight. The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand in a warm place for at least 1 hour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a 10 by 12-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with a whisk. Using a pastry brush, brush a stripe down one of the long edges. Working from the other long edge, roll the dough up like a
jelly roll
; the egg wash will glue it together. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into twelve 1-inch-thick slices and place on the prepared pan, cut side up, about 2 inches apart. Cover them with a floured kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the rolls are increased in size by one-third.

Fifteen minutes prior to baking, preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops and sides of each roll with the beaten egg. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

This recipe makes the quintessential gooey cinnamon roll. The rolls are hard to eat when warm, as the syrupy filling drips out along with chewy pieces of pecan. When we make them at the Cheese Board, the dough takes up the entire worktable. We can never make enough for the demand—customers have to show up at the store by 10
A.M.
to be sure to get one.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream and buttermilk over low heat until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. Let cool until just warm, then whisk in the yeast until dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.

If using a stand mixer,
add the flour, butter, sugar, egg, and salt to the bowl. With the paddle attachment on medium speed, mix until the ingredients are combined, about 2 minutes. If the dough is too soupy, add extra flour by the tablespoonful until it forms a loose ball around the paddle. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, silky, and elastic.

If making by hand,
add the flour, butter, sugar, egg, and salt to the bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are combined. If the dough is too soupy, add extra flour by the tablespoonful. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until it is smooth, silky, and elastic.

Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Or, refrigerate the dough to rise slowly overnight. The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand in a warm place for at least 1 hour.

Ten minutes before the end of the rising period, make the filling. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the brown sugar to make a satiny syrup. Spread one-third of the filling onto a 12 by 16 by 1-inch-deep baking sheet, leaving a 2-inch border free of filling.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a 20 by 8-inch rectangle. Evenly spread the remaining syrup over the dough and sprinkle it with the cinnamon. Distribute the pecans over the gooey dough. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough up like a
jelly roll
. Using a sharp knife, cut into twenty 1-inch-thick slices and place, cut side up, touching each other on the prepared pan. Let rest in a warm place for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. Being very careful not to get burned, use a metal spatula to invert the rolls, syrup side up, onto a serving dish. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.

 

 

 

 

The dough for our sticky buns is similar to the challah dough. It is the perfect light, buttery base for the filling of melted butter, brown sugar, and walnuts. We call this filling “goo,” and any goo that is left over on the pans after the buns are done baking is hoarded like gold. It is then used in muffins and granola as our secret ingredient.

In a small bowl, whisk the yeast into the warm water until dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.

If using a stand mixer,
add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in with the paddle attachment on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Add yeast mixture and eggs, and mix until the ingredients are combined, about 2 minutes. Switch to the dough hook, increase the mixer speed to medium, and knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough begins to acquire a satiny sheen. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few minutes, until the dough is smooth, silky, and elastic.

If making by hand,
add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Add the yeast mixture and eggs, and mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are combined. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 12 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, silky, and elastic.

Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Ten minutes before the end of the rising period, make the filling. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the brown sugar to make a satiny syrup. Spread one-third of the filling onto two 12 by 16 by 1-inch-deep baking sheets, leaving a 2-inch border free of filling.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a 12 by 16-inch rectangle. Evenly spread the remaining syrup over the dough. Distribute the walnuts over the gooey dough. Cut the rectangle in half crosswise to make two 8 by 12-inch rectangles. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll each of the rectangles up like a
jelly roll
. Using a sharp knife, cut each roll into twelve 1-inch-thick slices and place, cut side up, touching each other on the prepared pans. Let rest in a warm place for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake on the 2 middle racks of the oven for 25 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. Being very careful not to get burned, use a metal spatula to invert the rolls, syrup side up, onto a serving dish. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.