The Easiest Ways to Decorate Store-Bought Rolls and Bread for Thanksgiving
Welcome to the Scammer’s Guide to Thanksgiving . While there is plenty of advice out there for people making desserts and artisan breads, The Con Man’s Guide is geared toward the individual who could use a helping hand, even from some unconventional sources. Some might call it “cheating” (as if that’s a bad thing), but there’s nothing wrong with using modern technology and supermarket know-how to create a stunning traditional feast – with far less of the traditional work involved.
There’s no real need to bake bread for Thanksgiving dinner. You already have too much on your plate, and unless you’re an experienced baker, making a loaf or buns can be risky. Rising times are unpredictable, flexibility is limited, shaping skills don’t come overnight, and after all that, the bread can still turn out bad when baked. However, you can buy bread at the grocery store that comes in several stages of preparation—fully baked, partially baked, or ready-to-bake frozen dough. No matter what level of bread packaging you choose, here are some easy ways to get it ready for the holidays.
Butter fully baked buns
There are many decent to excellent quality rolls available in the market. I’m a big fan of King’s Hawaiian rolls. These little buns are too delicious to resist. If you can’t find them, any small soft buns or rolls, sometimes sold as slider buns, will do. Since these scones are ready, the only thing that will improve them is some heat to soften the fat in the dough and a little salted butter.
Unpack the buns and place them in a greased baking dish that fits fairly tightly. If you only have huge baking dishes, make imitation ones out of foil. Melt a couple of tablespoons of salted butter in the microwave or in a saucepan and brush the butter over the buns. Brush the buns thoroughly with butter until the tops are shiny and sprinkle with flake salt. Place them in the oven at 350°F for about five to seven minutes. You’re just keeping them warm. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Remove the warmed buns from the pan and tear them into individual buns if not already done so. To serve, place the rolls in a bread basket, covering them loosely with a kitchen towel.
Crispy and brown partially baked bread
Partially baked or partially baked bread is how many grocery stores source their artisan loaves from their larger bakeries. A partially baked loaf of bread is completely done, but when it comes out of the oven it is about 90% done. The bread is fully risen and even has nice open cuts, but the crust hasn’t formed yet, so the loaf looks quite pale and soft to the touch.
The point of making this type of bread is so that stores can receive nearly finished bread, freeze and thaw it as needed, and crisp it in the oven without over-browning or burning the crust. You can ask the store bakery to sell you partially baked bread, but many loaves at my local ShopRite are already sold in this condition. (In fact , your local grocery store can help you a lot .) This is usually done with larger loaves, such as sourdough, olive batards, or farmhouse buns, but sometimes you’ll also see baked buns.
To complete the cooking process at home, preheat oven to 400°F. Place dinner loaves on a baking sheet; there is no need to compare it with anything. Place the baking sheet with the bread in the hot oven and let it brown for 10-20 minutes, depending on how dark you like your bread. I like to rub the bread with a salt water solution to give it a flavorful, salty crust. If you want to try this, simply dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a quarter cup of hot water. Using a pastry brush, brush water onto the crust of the bread. Bake as I said above. The crust will crisp up and the water will evaporate, leaving behind a thin layer of salt. Slice the bread and serve it in a bread basket along with soft salted butter.
Proofing and polishing frozen dough
If you check the freezer or sometimes the individual freezers in the aisle, you may see completely raw dough that has already been beautifully woven or shaped into fun loaves. They are similar to pizza dough, but this bread can be baked without further shaping. I always see pre-braided challah loaves in aluminum cans at my grocery store, and they usually come with instructions on how to defrost, proof, and bake them.
This type of bread is great to bring home for dinner, like Thanksgiving, because you get the added benefit of freshly baked bread flavor that you miss with the other two types of store-bought bread.
Typically, you simply follow the instructions on the bread package. He should give you instructions on how to do the second proofing and what signals to look for when the dough is ready to bake. Thawed dough typically needs at least 30 to 45 minutes to rise at room temperature. If it is a soft bread, such as challah or brioche, brush the top of the loaf with egg wash just before baking. This egg mixture will turn a rich, shiny brown color and your bread will look much prettier. Always let freshly baked bread cool completely before slicing with a serrated knife.