On cold late-fall days, I remember coming home from school to a kitchen warm and fragrant with fresh-baked buns. Usually the scent of floor cleaner lingered with it; Mom always washed the floor after baking.

Like many housekeepers of the mid-1960s, she’d ceased making bread, partly because of the chore it was, but more likely because she’d become convinced the plastic-wrapped, soft, limp stuff that came from the store was superior. But she never stopped baking buns.

Possibly, it was the sheer satisfaction of handling and shaping dough that she refused to give up, even though she wished to be “modern.”

As any bread baker knows, each of the hands-on steps while working with dough is rewarding, from stirring a bowl of the floury, sticky stuff, to rhythmically kneading a big pliable blob, watching it rise, and afterward, feeding it to whomever you love enough to bake for.

Baking bread isn’t part of my own kitchen routines either; probably because I never learned from her. But I do still make buns, or dinner rolls as some call them, and while I do, I think of her, in her plain, small kitchen, waiting with a warm, buttered bun for her kid to come home from school.

Mom occasionally baked cinnamon rolls and pull-aparts which she called cloverleaf buns, but mostly she’d turn out pan after pan of classic buns. Each was a small, personalized loaf for our dinner plates.

If cold weather makes you want to try some baking, there are nearly endless versions of buns, rolls and pull-aparts to try. I chose these three from the www.breadworld.ca. If bread or rolls isn’t your thing, you’ll find over 250 recipes on this website for many types of breads, including bread machine recipes, plus recipes for pizzas, cakes and more.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

• 5 to 5-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 pkgs. FLEISCHMANN’S QuickRise Yeast
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/4 c. butter or margarine
• 3 large eggs

For apple filling:

Combine two large cooking apples, chopped; two tbsp. all-purpose flour, 3/4 c. sugar, and 1/4 c. butter or margarine in medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook three minutes. Reduce heat to medium low; cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly until thick. Stir in one tsp. ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg. Cool completely.

For cinnamon-sugar topping:

Combine 3/4 c. sugar, one tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg. Stir until well blended.

In large bowl, combine one cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. Heat water, milk, and butter until very warm (120 F to 130 F). Gradually add to dry ingredients. Beat two minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and one cup flour; beat two minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about eight to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into two equal portions. Roll each portion into 12×8-inch rectangle. Spread apple filling evenly. Beginning at long end of each, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seams to seal. Cut each roll into 12 equal pieces. Place, cut sides up, in greased 9-inch round pans. Cover, let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar topping. Bake at 375 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pans; serve warm.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 roll): calories 220; total fat 5 g; saturated fat 2.5 g; cholesterol 35 mg; sodium 150 mg; total carbohydrate 39 g; dietary fibre 1 g; protein 4 g.

Makes 24 rolls.

Recipe courtesy of ACH Food Companies, Inc.

Sour Cream Rolls

These simple rolls, baked in muffin tins, couldn’t be easier.

• 2-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 envelope FLEISCHMANN’S QuickRise Yeast
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. sour cream
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1 egg, large

In large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. Heat sour cream, water, and butter until very warm (120 F to 130 F). Gradually add to dry ingredients. Beat two minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add egg and remaining flour to make a soft batter. Spoon evenly into greased 2-1/2-inch muffin pans. Cover; let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Bake at 400 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pans; cool on wire rack.

Makes 12 rolls.

Recipe courtesy of ACH Food Companies, Inc.

English Bath Buns

These curiously named buns were traditionally baked with a lump of sugar into the bottom and originated in, you guessed it, Bath, England.

• 1/2 c. warm water (100 F to 110 F)
• 2 pkgs. FLEISCHMANN’S Traditional Yeast
• 1/2 c. warm milk (100 F to 110 F)
• 1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg, slightly beaten with 1 tbsp. water
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 c. chopped almonds

Place warm water in large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add warm milk, butter, two tablespoons sugar, salt, and two cups flour. Beat two minutes at medium speed of electric mixer. Add two eggs and 1/2 cup flour. Beat two minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about one hour. Punch dough down; turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough in 24 equal pieces. Shape each piece into smooth balls. Place in greased 2-1/2-inch muffin cups. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Brush top with egg mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar and almonds over top. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from pans; cool on wire rack.

Makes 24 buns.

Recipe courtesy of ACH Food Companies, Inc.

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Manitoba Co-operator, Recipe Swap, Box 1794 Carman, Manitoba R0G 0J0 or email Lorraine Stevenson.