Teddy Bear Bread and Pecan Carmel Cinnamon Rolls

Benjamin and I made a teddy bear bread out of part of the dough I made for cinnamon rolls. Can you tell it was fun?

Just a little flour

Bear bear has raisin eyes and nose.

Good job Benji!

Bear bread is easy to make with any bread dough. After the first rising, form the bear parts like you would if you were playing with Play-dough, and stick them together with a dab of water. Let rise until doubled and bake in the oven. Bear bread loves honey!

Nose is already gone

Yummy arms!




Pecan Carmel Cinnamon Rolls

• 2 1/2 c. flour + more for kneading in
  
• 1/2 c. wheat flour or wheat germ
  
• 1 pkg. yeast
• 1 tsp. salt

Mix above ingredients together in a bowl. Add:

• 1/4 c. sugar or honey
• 1/2 c. oil or melted butter
• 1 1/2 c. warm milk

Stir together very well, or use mixer to beat together add:

• 2 eggs
  

Beat until the dough is elastic and add as much flour as you can stir in with a spoon. Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead for a few minutes, working enough flour into the dough that it is smooth and not sticky. Place dough in a bowl with a little oil, turning it over to coat. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled. While the dough is rising you can mix up the pan goodies, for lack of a better term. It's the stuff that will be on top of your sweet rolls once they've baked and you turn them upside down. The more goo, the more gooey. The last ones I made needed more. Use your own judgment. If you want dry rolls ignore me. :P

Pan goodies
In each 9 in baking pan (you will use 3-4 pans) stir together approximately:

• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. melted butter
• chopped pecans

This pan does not have enough goody in it. Don't go by the photo.

Punch dough down once it has risen and divide into 2 parts. Working on a LARGE floured surface roll out the dough into a sort of a rectangle. You can try to keep the narrowest width 10 inches or so, but it doesn't have to be prefect. On the dough:

• 1/2 c. melted butter or more (I sometimes use half olive oil)
  
• sugar and or honey
• Sprinkle with cinnamon
  

Roll your dough up like a jelly roll starting on the longest side. Using a sawing motion with a sharp serrated knife, cut slices about 1 or 1 1/2 inches thick. Remember, they will almost double in thickness when they rise.

Before I cut my roll. It's leaking a little honey and butter. YUM

Place them into the prepared pans and let rise until almost doubled. Bake at 350 until done. Immediately flip them over in the pan or onto a plate. You can drizzle with some icing if you want. Serve right away. No photos of the finished product, they were eaten before I remembered.