BULK ACTIVE DRY YEAST RECIPES

Steps:

• Scald milk (bring just to a boil and remove from heat immediately).
• Stir in sugar, salt, and butter. Set aside and allow to cool to lukewarm.
• In a large bowl mix warm water and yeast. Stir until dissolved.
• Stir in lukewarm milk mixture.
• Add beaten eggs.
• Stir in half the flour. Beat until smooth. Add remaining flour gradually, mixing as you go. You may need a bit more or less than the total 4 1/2 cups called for in the recipe, depending on the humidity and other factors.
• Your dough should be elastic and slightly stiff but not dry.
• Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and very elastic. This usually takes 8-10 minutes.
• Butter the inside of a large mixing bowl. Put dough in bowl and turn dough over a couple of times to coat it all with the butter.
• Cover bowl and place in a warm place so it can rise.
• It will take about 1 hour to double in bulk.
• At that time punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured board to shape.
• At this point, you can shape and fill as desired. To make dinner rolls, pinch off about 2-3 tablespoons of dough and shape into a ball. Place each one in a buttered muffin tin or baking pan, barely touching each other, do not crowd rolls.
• Cover prepared rolls and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, again about 1 hour.
• Rolls should now touch each other. (A little more rising will occur during baking.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees when rolls are about 10 minutes from being ready for baking. When ready to bake place rolls in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. They should be browned nicely and smell so good and yeasty!
• Brush tops of rolls with melted butter immediately when removed from the oven.
• Allow rolls to sit for at least 10-15 minutes before eating.

Steps:

• Melt butter in milk and cool to lukewarm. Place water in a warm large mixing bowl, sprinkle in yeast, and stir until dissolved; add milk mixture and sugar. By hand, beat 2 1/2 cups flour in until smooth; mix in eggs, salt, and spices. Mix in remaining flour, adding a little extra, if needed, to form a soft but manageable dough. Knead lightly 1 minute on a floured pastry cloth; shape into a ball, place in a greased large bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. 
• Punch dough down, roll 1/2-inch thick on pastry cloth, using a floured, stockinette-covered rolling pin. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter and place 1 1/2-inches apart on un-greased baking sheets. Reroll and cut scraps. Cover with cloth and let double in bulk. 
• Meanwhile, begin heating fat in a deep fat fryer. When doughnuts have risen and fat has reached 375 degrees F, ease 4 doughnuts into fat, 1 at a time. Fry about 2 minutes until golden brown all over, using tongs to turn. Drain on paper toweling. 
• While doughnuts are warm, roll in topping.
• Jelly Doughnuts: Prepare as directed, but roll dough 1/4-inch thick instead of 1/2-inch. Cut in 2 1/2-inch rounds and put 1 teaspoonful tart jelly in the center of 1/2 the rounds. Top with remaining rounds, moisten touching edges slightly, and pinch to seal. Let rise, then fry as directed. Roll in confectioners' sugar while still warm. 
• Crullers: Prepare as directed, but instead of cutting into doughnuts, cut in strips 8-inches long and 1/2 to 3/4-inch wide; let rise, then twist strips several times and pinch ends. Fry at once and roll in topping while still warm.