Braunschweiger Buns with Spinach and Mushroom

This is my other braunschweiger buns recipe. I usually add mushroom, spinach and cheese. This time it is without cheese as I had run out. Well, it is still yummy! Come join me.

For the bread recipe click here.

Filling:

200gm or more braunschweiger, cut into small cubes
9oz frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed out the water.
1 medium onion, chopped 
1/2 cup fresh button mushroom, chopped 
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

Add this only if the filling is too soggy:
2 to 3 tbsp potato flakes


Prepare the bread dough. click here for dough instructions.

While waiting for the bread dough to be ready, heat a frying pan on medium high. Pour in oil, onion and mushrooms, stir until it just turns soft. Add braunschweiger and saute for about 5 minutes. Then add spinach and cook until it heats through. At this point add potato flakes if you find it is soggy, if not skip this step. Add salt to taste, remove from pan and let cool on a flat plate. 

 

Once cool, divide into 12 portions and make into balls. Cover with plastic wrap and put into the fridge until it is ready to use.




 
When the bread dough is ready, divide into 12 portions and roll into balls.

Use a rolling pin and roll out the dough into round shape. Place the braunschweiger filling at the middle and wrap.

 
I placed 8 pieces of the unbaked buns into a 11" x 5" bread pan (see picture on the right) and the remaining 4 pieces in a 8" square cake pan about 1 inch apart. Make sure all the buns are placed seam side down. Let rest for another hour or until the buns double in size.

Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until the food thermometer reaches 160 °F. Serve warm.

Note: 

The buns that come out from the bread pan are too tall to heat up in the bread toaster, but the ones from the cake pan are OK after I cut off the top a little. Please make sure the filling is not exposed or you might spoil your toaster. I heat the tall buns in an oven. 

If the fillings are too soggy add 2 to 3 tbsp of potato flakes, this will help absorb the extra moisture, remember to add a bit of salt after that.

Braunschweiger Buns

Braunschweiger is a type of liverwurst or liver sausage.  We normally had ours sliced and added into sandwiches together with some mustard and cheese or some sliced tomatoes, pickles and onion. Or we would spread it on bread or crackers. Today it became the buns' filling. Heating up is easy, just put into the bread toaster ...viola! it is ready to eat in minutes. The best part is the bread stays crunchy even after heating it the next day.

Bread recipe:

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup warm milk (about 110°F to 120°F), add more in cold weather and reduce when weather gets warm.

1/3 cup potato flakes

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp yeast

1 full tsp salt
 
Filling:

200gm braunschweiger

Set the bread machine on dough function. In the bread machine pan, pour in the warm milk and olive oil, followed by all purpose flour, potato flakes and sugar. Make a well at the center of the dried ingredients and add the yeast into it. Place the salt at one corner of the pan and press start.

While waiting for the bread to be ready, cut the braunschweiger into 12 pieces, (I had it cut into wedges), wrap with plastic wrap and return it to the fridge until it is ready to use.

Once the kneading and proofing of the bread dough are done (about an hour), divide into 12 pieces and roll into balls.

Use a rolling pin and roll out the dough into round shape, place the braunschweiger at the middle and wrap into triangle shape.

 
Place the pieces at least 1 inch apart from each other onto a baking sheet with seam side down. Let rest for another hour or until the pieces double in size.

 




Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until the food thermometer reaches 160 °F. Serve warm.

Note: You can warm up the buns in a bread toaster. If the buns are too thick, cut off the top a little, please make sure the filling is not exposed. Or you can also heat them up in the oven.

Wheat Bread (not 100%)

I baked this yesterday before the Peachy Cream Cake. I wanted to bake wheat bread for a long time, just didn't come to it. We finally bought one bag of whole wheat flour this week. I was told and also read somewhere that whole wheat contains vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates that help maintain good health. Whole wheat tends to taste a bit bitter. For people who do not like the bitter taste, some chefs suggested adding some orange juice... On the package of the whole wheat flour that we bought, it mentioned that the whole wheat flour can be incorporated with all purpose flour. They suggest starting at 25% and then working your way up to 50% of the total flour required.

Since we have bread often this is one of the ways to get whole grain into our diet. This recipe is based on my Sour Cream Bread recipe. I replaced some ingredients and added new ones. The end result is a surprise, the texture is softer than the Sour Cream Bread. Other than the ingredients, the method of making this bread is the same as the Sour Cream Bread. (for the Sour Cream Bread click here) This recipe will be a regular in our menu.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, more for dusting
1 1/4 cups whole wheat Flour
1/2 cup potato flakes
2 tsp yeast

1/4 cup molasses, maple syrup or honey
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup olive oil
All of the tongzhang/roax

(click here for the tongzhang/roax recipe)

1 tsp salt

A non stick 5" x 11" bread pan 

Set bread machine on dough function. Place all wet ingredients into the bread pan: Molasses (or maple syrup or honey), sour cream, olive oil and tongzhang/roax. Follow with the dry ingredients except salt: All purpose flour, wheat flour and potato flakes. Make a small well in the middle of the flour and add yeast, lastly place salt at one corner of the pan and press start.

Note: Salt is placed at one corner because it affects the reaction of the yeast. I have learned the hard way. I added the salt too close or together with the yeast, the dough either did not rise or rose very little.

Use less liquid in Summer and more in Winter. I always check the dough after 4 to 5 minutes of kneading. If the dough does not stick to your fingers, it is too dry, so add more milk or water, 1 tbsp at a time. If it is too sticky add more flour, also 1 tbsp at a time.

 

The dough should be sticky when it is ready (about an hour), dust counter top with a little flour, remove the dough from the bread pan, divide into 2 portions and roll the dough into balls by hand. (see picture on the right)

Use a roller pin and roll the dough into a rectangular shape. (see picture on the left) 

 


Roll up the dough from one end to the other, use your fingers to pinch the end of the dough together and place into the bread pan with seam side down.

Let rest for an hour or until the dough rises to double the original size. 

Preheat oven to 350 °F and bake for 30 minutes or until the food kitchen thermometer reaches 160°F. Remove from the bread pan and let cool. Serve warm or cool.

Sour Cream Bread

We both love bread and I bake this one often. I have baked many different types of bread. Most of the bread drys up very quickly, even though I added potato flakes (some chefs says potatoes can keep the bread moist) and store them in an airtight container. Until one day I tried the Japanese Hokkaido Bread, which uses tongzhang/roax, (a mixture of water and flour which helps to keep the bread moist-see below), and I really like it. It keeps the bread moist longer and the texture softer, just the way I want it. Since I bake very often, I want to use ingredients that I always have on hand, like sour cream, butter, fresh milk... and I have created this recipe by using what I always have in my kitchen pantry. This recipe is for my niece, G who also loves bread like me.

3 1/2 cups bread flour (more for dusting)

2/4 cup potatoes flakes

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp milk powder (optional)

2 tsp instant yeast

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup fresh milk (can replace with sour cream)

1/4 cup sour cream 

All of the tongzhang/roax

(Tongzhang recipe is below)

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 full tsp salt

A non stick 5" x 11" bread pan

Method of cooking thonzhang/roax:

1 cup water or fresh milk

1/3 cup all purpose flour

In a small saucepan, whisk together water and all purpose flour. Whisk until well combined and cook on a stove on medium heat, stirring from time to time until the temperature reaches 150°F. Remove from heat, cover with lid and leave to cool.

Note: You have to stir more frequently towards the end to avoid the bottom getting burned.

Method of making bread :

Set bread machine on dough function. Placed all wet ingredients into the bread pan: egg, fresh milk, sour cream, butter and thonzhang/roax, follow with the dry ingredients except salt: bread flour, potato flakes, sugar and milk powder. Make a small well in the middle of the flour and add yeast, lastly place salt at one corner of the pan and press start. 

Note: 

Salt is placed at one corner because it affects the reaction of the yeast. I have learned the hard way. I added the salt too close or together with the yeast, the dough either did not rise or rose very little. Imagine eating a no-yeast bread!!!

Use less liquid in Summer and more in Winter. I always check the dough after 4 to 5 minutes of kneading. If the dough does not stick to your fingers, it is too dry, so add more milk or water, 1 tbsp at a time. If it is too sticky add more flour, also 1 tbsp at a time.

 

The dough should be sticky when it is ready (about an hour), dust counter top with a little flour, remove the dough from the bread pan, divide into 3 portions and roll the dough into balls by hand. (see picture on the right)

Use a roller pin and roll the dough into a rectangular shape. (see picture on the left) 

 


Roll up the dough from one end to the other (see picture on the left below), use your fingers to pinch the end of the dough together and place into the bread pan with seam side down.


 
Let rest for an hour or until the dough rises to double the original size. (See picture on the right below)

Preheat oven to 350 °F and bake for 30 minutes or until the food kitchen thermometer reaches 160°F. Remove from the bread pan and let cool. Serve warm or cool.