Auntie’s Master Dough Recipe (soy, egg free)

For a dry dough:

• 5 cups bread flour (unfortunately, I have not had luck with gluten free blends in this recipe, if you do please let me know which brand/blend you used in the comments!)

• 2 cups warm water

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

For an oil dough:

• 4 tablespoons neutral oil or melted fat

In a small bowl, combine your water (“tap hot,” around 100°F), yeast, and sugar, whisk together to dissolve, and set aside.

In a large bowl or mixing bowl, combine your flour and salt (and oil or fat if using) and whisk together. If you have a stand mixer, this is where you fit it with a dough hook, start the mixer, and pour the yeast solution into the mixer bowl to form the dough.

Or you can mix it into a raggy dough with clean hands, just make sure all the flour is in the dough, but it doesn’t have to be perfectly kneaded at this stage.

Cover and let rise until doubled in a warm space (I use a heating pad under the bowl in cold weather), before punching the dough down, kneading it, and re-shaping it. Let it rise one more time.

For sandwich loaves: I prefer an oil dough. Makes two 2lb loaves. Divide dough, shape, and place in loaf pans, covered with a towel, to double in size before scoring the top of the loaves and baking at 450° F for 30 minutes, cool before turning out and slicing.

For rustic loaves: same as above, except bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet or on a preheated pizza stone or in a preheated cast iron Dutch oven.

For pizza crust: divide dough in the portions you’d like for the size of pizza you’d like to make, and roll out to 1/4” thickness. Place your toppings, and bake on a preheated cast iron or pizza stone (or in your preferred baking dish) in a 450° F oven for 15-30 minutes.

For hamburger or hot dog buns: makes 16 total. Divide dough, shape, place on parchment lined baking sheets, cover and let rise for 20 minutes before baking uncovered at 450° F for 20 minutes.

For dinner rolls: makes 16-24 total, depending on the size you choose. Divide dough, shape, place in a lightly greased casserole dish, cover and let rise for 20 minutes, before baking uncovered at 450° F for 20 minutes. If you want to top them with a glaze, mix 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon ground rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon marjoram with 1/2 cup of melted beef tallow or olive oil. Whisk together really well, pour evenly over your unbaked rolls, and then lightly dust the tops with sea salt. Bake as directed above.

For bagels: use the dry dough. Makes 16 large bagels total. Put a wide pot on with at least 6” of water to boil. Divide the dough, form the bagels (I poke and widen holes into the center of a dough ball), and allow to rest while you whisk 1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup into your boiling pot of water. Boil each bagel in the pot of sugar water, 3 minutes per side, before carefully removing from the pot, dipping the top of the bagel in your selected topping, and placing on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 450° F for 20 minutes.

For English Muffins: use the oil dough. Divide the dough into 16 muffins, shape, and let rest for 20 minutes. Bring a large skillet or griddle, preferably cast iron, to heat, and grease lightly. Place your muffins on the cook top and cook for 4-6 minutes per side, flipping when the muffin is a toasty brown. Re-grease your surface during the cook time as needed.

For pita bread: makes 8-16 loaves, depending on size. Divide the dough, form into balls, while heating a large skillet or griddle on your cook top. Roll out your dough balls as thin as you can, and place them on your lightly greased cooking surface. Cook each pita 2-4 minutes per side, until the bread has dark brown cook marks and have puffed up. Remove from the heat and serve immediately, if possible (they do keep refrigerated or frozen in plastic).

For spiral buns: roll out the dough into a rectangle shape about 1/2 inch thick. For cinnamon buns: spread the dough with a generous amount of plant butter, beef tallow, or coconut oil, leaving 2” of dough plain at the top, then cover with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar, made at a 3:1 sugar:cinnamon ratio with your sugar of choice. For savory buns: spread the dough with a generous amount of plant butter, beef tallow, or olive oil, then cover with your choice of sauces, spreads, dairy-free “cheeses,” vegetables, meats, etc. Starting from the bottom, roll the dough into a spiral, encasing all the filling, and pinch it together with the dough you left plain at the top to seal the filling in. With a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 1” spiral rounds, and place them in a casserole dish that has more of your fat and seasonings of choice liberally covering the bottom. Cover with a towel, and let the buns rise for 20 minutes before baking uncovered at 450° F for 20 minutes.

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