Basic Sweet Dough

Name: Basic Sweet Dough
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: 4 dozen rolls or 4 fancy breads
Ingredients: 1 cup milk; 8 cups sifted all-purpose flour; 1 ¼ cups cold water; 2 (0.6 ounce) cakes compressed fresh yeast; 2 teaspoons salt; ½ cup white sugar; 4 tablespoons shortening; 2 eggs; 2 tablespoons melted shortening

Rating: 4.58 stars

31 Ratings
23 Reviews
3 Photos

I have made plenty of sweet breads, and I always favored the Hungarian Coffee Cake and Swedish Tea Ring. This sweet dough recipe is my mother's, and this works out really well because it is an old recipe. I have also used others which were more recent and still turned out well, but this one is the best I have found. Use this recipe for the basis of your sweet breads.

By Carol

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Recipe Summary

prep:

25 mins

cook:

25 mins

additional:

2 hrs

total:

2 hrs 50 mins

Servings:

Yield:

4 dozen rolls or 4 fancy breads

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 48 servings

The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

1 cup milk
8 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups cold water
2 (0.6 ounce) cakes compressed fresh yeast
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup white sugar
4 tablespoons shortening
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted shortening

Directions

Step 1
Scald milk in a medium saucepan. Add cold water to scalded milk. Remove 1/4 cup liquid; mix yeast into liquid when cooled to lukewarm. To liquid in saucepan, add salt, sugar, shortening, and eggs. Add dissolved yeast to saucepan. Mix well.

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Step 2
Sift and measure the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, and pour the liquids into the well. Stir with a large wooden spoon until liquid disappears.
Step 3
With one hand, mix dough in bowl using swinging rotary motion. Gradually form dough into smooth ball, then knead in bowl for 2 minutes. Brush top with melted shortening. Cover, and allow dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
Step 4
Punch down dough. Use dough for any sweet bread recipe.

Cook's Note:

For Whole Wheat Rolls, use 4 cups sifted flour and 4 cups fine whole wheat flour.

Editor's Note:

Baking time will depend on the size and shape of your pastries. General guidelines are: bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cinnamon rolls will take about 15 to 20 minutes, pull-apart rolls about 25 minutes. Tea rings, too.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

104 calories; protein 2.6g; carbohydrates 18.4g; fat 2.1g; cholesterol 8.2mg; sodium 102.7mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (23)

Most helpful positive review

ALYCE

12/31/2003

I baked bread at 350 and this was a good temperature for the mix since so temperature was given. Bread is excellent. Alyce Read More

Helpful

(52)

Most helpful critical review

RALWATTAR

11/29/2010

I had to add a few more cups flour to even form a dough and the dough was still super sticky. Thanks anways. Read More

Helpful

(2)

31 Ratings

5 star values: 23
4 star values: 5
3 star values: 2
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 1

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

ALYCE

12/31/2003

I baked bread at 350 and this was a good temperature for the mix since so temperature was given. Bread is excellent. Alyce Read More

Helpful

(52)

BILL AXTELL

10/15/2003

After making a double batch of Carol's recipe I found that the ingredients and qtys worked very well together and produced a very good elastic dough just right for braiding. My wife said it was the best bread she had ever tasted. It makes the best toast too. Bill Axtell 11/25/01 Read More

Helpful

(47)

apurpleocean

10/26/2009

very good. i halved this recipe. used butter instead of the shortening and used one packet of instant yeast. after it rose i deflated and rolled it out like you would when youre going to make cinnamon rolls. then spread a layer of cream chease (8oz)that was mixed with 2 T of sugar and 3/4 to 1 tsp of vanilla extract. then on top of that layer i spread some raspberry filling i had made by putting 2 cups frozen raspberries, 2 T lemon juice 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup corn starch in a saucepan and simmer for 15 min. then let cool completely. rolled it up formed into a ring then made cuts with a knife 3/4ths of the way to the inside of the ring. let rise and sprinkle with streusal topping and cook till golden brown at 375. you can do anything with this dough! thanks Read More

Helpful

(46)

AMBLING

12/24/2006

Had this in my Fleischman's Recipe book from years ago. When I went to bake this year.. everything is geared toward fast rising dry yeast. this is an old recipe like the one I followed for years.. except I add all milk. Lets go back to the basics. Read More

Helpful

(23)

Michelle Berger

01/24/2008

This is one of the best sweet doughs I've ever used. I have been looking for a really good sweet dough recipe for years and have finally found the "one". We are eastern European and my grandmother used to make a cake called cocosh. It's basically a sweet yeast dough that is filled with chocolate rolled and baked in log form. The other more common known version is with poppy seed filling sometimes called mohn roll. This dough was perfect! Baked up light fluffy and soft. Very simple to make and even easier to work with. Thank you so much for this recipe. I can't wait to try and make a challah with it. Read More

Helpful

(21)

AMANDAWARD

11/26/2003

I made several things out of this dough I must say this is a very good cinnamon roll dough I was very impressed Read More

Helpful

(20)

KARLA B.

08/16/2003

Very light and sweet; delicious! Read More

Helpful

(18)

WHITMUR

08/16/2003

wow! I like it Read More

Helpful

(12)

Russell Tassett

06/30/2010

I used it for some cinammon rolls.... The whole family loved the recipe.... Read More

Helpful

(7)

RALWATTAR

11/29/2010

I had to add a few more cups flour to even form a dough and the dough was still super sticky. Thanks anways. Read More

Helpful

(2)

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All Reviews for Basic Sweet Dough

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Basic Sweet Dough

Servings Per Recipe: 48
Calories: 104.3

% Daily Value *

protein: 5 %

carbohydrates: 6 %

dietary fiber: 3 %

sugars:

fat: 3 %

saturated fat: 3 %

cholesterol: 3 %

vitamin a iu:

niacin equivalents: 14 %

folate: 11 %

calcium: 1 %

iron: 6 %

magnesium: 2 %

potassium: 1 %

sodium: 4 %

thiamin: 18 %

calories from fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.