FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUNDAY, OCT. 19, 2008

Raleigh resident tops  in Fleischmann’s Yeast
‘Bake for the Cure’ contest

RALEIGH – Gail Fuller of Raleigh took home a blue ribbon and $150 for the top recipe in Fleischmann’s Yeast “Bake for the Cure” contest at the N.C. State Fair for her Pink Ribbon Twist.

Sun Park of Cary won second place and $75 for her Sassy Salsa Focaccia, and Alan Kinsey of Cary took home third-place honors and $50 for his Sweet Potato and Rosemary Bread.

The contest required recipes to be original and baked with Fleischmann’s Yeast. ACH Food Companies donated $10 for every entry to Susan G. Komen for the Cure to increase awareness about breast cancer. There were 12 total entries.

In a separate batter bread category, Fuller also took home $100, a blue ribbon and apron for her Cinnamon Batter Bread. This category required the recipe to have only one rise time and not call for kneading. The winning first-place recipes are:

Pink Ribbon Twist

• 3 to 3 ½ cups bread flour
• 1 package Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise Yeast
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• Pinch of mace
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
  

In a large bowl combine 1 ½ cups of bread flour, Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise Yeast, orange peel, cardamom and mace. In sauce pan, heat milk, sugar, margarine and salt until warm at about 115- to 120-degrees, stirring constantly to melt margarine. Add warm milk mixture to dry ingredients in bowl. Add eggs and beat at low speed with electric mixer for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly; beat three minutes on high. By hand, stir in enough flour to make moderately soft dough. Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about five to eight minutes). Shape into ball and place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in warm place until it doubles in size (about one hour). Punch dough down and turn out on a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Roll out dough onto a 30 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread filling (recipe below) to within ½ inch of edges. Sprinkle with almonds. Roll dough up beginning with narrow side; seal long edges and ends. With a sharp knife, cut roll in half lengthwise. Place on a greased baking sheet; gently twist the ropes together, cut side up. Coil in a circle and tuck ends under. Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Filling:

• ¼ cup softened butter
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ teaspoon orange peel
• ½ cup chopped almonds
  

Combine butter, sugar, extract and orange peel. Toss almonds with a little flour.

Pink ribbon confectioners’ drizzle:

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

Combine butter, sugar and almond extract with enough milk or cream to make drizzling consistency.

Cinnamon Batter Bread

• 1 package of Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise Yeast
• ½ cup warm water
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 well-beaten egg
• 3 cups bread flour
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons white sugar
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
  

Dissolve yeast in warm water. In a small saucepan, combine buttermilk, butter, honey, ¼ cup of brown sugar and salt. Heat on low until butter melts and sugars dissolve. Stir one cup of bread flour into hot milk mixtures, then add to dissolved yeast mixture. Stir in egg and remaining bread flour. Beat well. Mix cinnamon, white sugar and 4 tablespoons of brown sugar in a small bowl. Grease a baking pan and add half of batter. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over batter and add rest of batter on top.

Topping:

• 1 cup soft bread crumbs
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle over batter. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise until it doubles. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Thinned butter cream frosting may also be drizzled over baked bread.

-kwj-1,2-

Sassy Salsa Focaccia Pink Bread for the Cure
Second Place: Sun Park, Cary

Ingredients:    

• ½ cup warm water
• 3-teaspoon Fleischmann’s instant dry yeast
• 1-teaspoon sugar
• 3-tablespoon olive oil
• 12 ounce jarred salsa of choice
• 4-½ cup bread flour
• 1 ¼ cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
• 3 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Pour warm water into large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve and let stand about 5 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 12 ounces of jarred salsa, 1 cup shredded cheese and stir. Then add 4-½ cup flour, and mix with hands until a ball of dough is formed.

Remove dough onto floured hard surface, and knead the dough about 5-10 minutes, occasionally dusting with flour as needed to keep dough from sticking to surface and hands.

Place the ball of dough into a lightly oiled mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, set in warm place, and let rise until doubled in size—about 60-90 minutes.

Take out the proofed dough onto a floured surface and knead just a few times to get the air out. Roll out dough with rolling pin until about 1 inch thick. Transfer to a floured baking tray (standard sized tray about 16x12 inches) and push out dough to fill as much of the tray as possible. (May not completely fit tray and that’s okay.)

Spread 2-tablespoon olive oil over the dough. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup shredded cheese and chopped fresh cilantro. Push fingers into the dough until you hit the bottom of the tray. Do this across the whole dough. This gives it the classic focaccia indentations.

Let dough proof again until doubled in size—about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Then, place the tray into the oven for 20 minutes until bread is crisp and lightly golden on top.

Let cool about 30 minutes, then slice and eat just as is or can spread sour cream, guacamole, or more cheese on top.

Sweet Potato & Rosemary Bread
Third Place: Alan Kinsey, Cary

Combine flour, yeast, and salt.  Add water and mix to form moderately wet dough.  

Knead for approximately 5 minutes until soft dough forms.  You may turn out the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand or use the dough hook in an electric mixer.  Form the dough into a ball.

Spray a large glass or ceramic bowl with non-stick spray and put the ball of dough in the bowl, turning to coat with non-stick spray.  Cover the bowl with cling wrap.

Let rise in a bowl covered with cling wrap until doubled in bulk.

Form into desired shapes.  Let rise, covered with a linen or cotton cloth until doubled in size. Slash tops.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit 25 – 30 minutes or until done.