Make a Spreadable Loaf of Canned Sponge Dough
The biscuits are excellent. The sliding cookies are fantastic. While there’s nothing wrong with a classic individually baked Pillsbury pound cake or even a crescent bun, it’s a little predictable. Of course, the Thanksgiving table is the place for traditional dishes, but consider making room for some flair by opting for this unconventional route to bread-for-dinner bliss: a soft loaf of bread made from canned dough.
As a chef, I appreciate a homemade yeast loaf that needs to be cut with a proper serrated knife. But there’s another side of Ellie—the artificial ingredients, the love of fast food, the third-person conversations, the store-bought side of me that loves the dough-conditioned texture of canned rolls. Spooning the canned dough into a loaf pan results in a crispy loaf of bread with a soft, elastic Pillsbury texture. Plus, separating a piece of cookie from the larger mass is extremely satisfying.
How to Make a Loaf of Bread from Canned Dough
For the sponge cake
There is no need to grease the baking dish because the dough contains a lot of fat, but if you are worried about the dough sticking, grease it or line it with parchment paper. Using canned biscuit dough is easiest because the biscuits are already shaped. Open a can of Pillsbury (or whatever brand you like) and place each cookie on its side in the baking pan.
Technically, you could just roll out the entire cylinder of dough directly into the loaf pan, but I find that the cookies still come out of the pneumatic cardboard roll separately. Stack them next to each other so they stand up, but give them some room to expand. I shook them slightly. Then bake the entire loaf.
Since the loaf is filled with dough more tightly than the direction of the tube, I adjusted the baking time and temperature. I lowered the temperature to 325°F and ended up baking them for 35 minutes. The dough on top was nicely browned and had an attractive crispiness. Be careful not to remove the loaf too early or the middle will be soggy. To prevent this from happening, press the loaf in the middle; it should be very firm, not soft at the bottom. If you have a probe thermometer, insert it into one of the folds in the center and check the temperature is at least 190°F. If nothing else, you can always use an old toothpick to check for a loose center.
For the crescent loaf
Canned crescent rolls come in sheets and need to be shaped, but unless you squash the dough or try to reshape it, any folded shape will puff up nicely. I had a crescent roll sheet (no perforated triangles) and cut the dough in half lengthwise, then cut each side into five smaller rectangles. If you have perforations, simply clamp them together. I folded each small rectangle in half and then placed it in the loaf pan, folded side up. I lined the folded dough to fill the loaf pan, which takes about one and a half tubes of crescent dough per five-by-10-inch loaf pan. You don’t want to pack them tightly because they will expand, but you don’t want them to fall over. Bake the loaf at 350°F for 30 minutes.
As with sponge bread, look for a polished brown color on the outside. It should feel firm when you press the top and you can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature is 190°F. If you use a toothpick, make sure it comes out clean with no sticky batter.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for a couple of minutes before removing it. Serve the entire loaf in a basket for dinner or on a plate to show off your creativity. Before passing the bread, be sure to tear off a piece of the cookie for yourself. It will pass quickly.