One of the things I love most about blogging is hearing back from friends, family and my readers about how they tried something in their own kitchens. Maybe even if it didn’t turn out as well as they had hoped, I love that people are trying to cook more on their own and that they’re challenging themselves to do something they might not usually try.

I realize that yeast bread falls into the category of one of those things that some people just won’t try. Yeast can be scary and I think that some bakers even enjoy perpetuating the thought that you have to possess some amazing talent to be able to produce beautiful loaves of bread. I promise you it’s not as scary as you might think.

I spent an evening a week or so ago with a group of girls from the ages of 12-18 at our church teaching them how to bake bread. I was honored that they asked me to come as I know there are many other able bakers in our church congregation. It was so much fun though, and I was so glad they invited me to join them. The girls were more than willing to jump in and get their hands dirty(literally) and although we didn’t bake any of the bread that they mixed while we were there that night, I heard that they had some great results at home. I hope that they’ll continue experimenting and carrying on a great tradition of making bread in their own homes.

It was especially exciting for me because when I got home earlier that day I had a package waiting for me. It was in a beautiful black box wrapped in silver ribbon. I had been expecting it and was hoping it would come in time for my demonstration that night. It was from Red Star Yeast and it was their brand new yeast product, Platinum. A special blend of yeast and dough improvers that makes it practically impossible to mess up. And not that those girls didn’t try their hardest, but I’m pretty sure that yeast was put to the test that night.

In the days since then I’ve certainly put it to the test as well. I’m a proofer. Meaning that I always proof my yeast before mixing my bread dough. It’s the process of mixing the yeast with some sugar and warm water and letting it get nice and puffy. Not that it really needs to be done with most yeasts today, I just like to. So, I made my regular bread dough, the one I make almost every week and I didn’t proof it. I didn’t even make the water warm that I added to the flour mixture. Just dumped all the ingredients into the mixing bowl and kneaded it. It rose just as well or even better and had a beautiful texture in the finished bread. I was sold but I kept trying it. In everything. Rolls, buns and bread. It all worked no matter how I tried to mess it up. Check out the page here to see exactly how it works.

The nice thing for all of you out there is that you can use this new yeast in any bread that you’ve ever made or want to make in the future. Add if you don’t have to worry about messing around with the yeast, you can challenge yourself in other ways like with this amazing cinnamon swirl brioche.

Brioche is a beautiful rich, buttery egg bread that makes wonderful loaves, cinnamon rolls and even donuts. It’s pretty sticky and wet so don’t stress out over the dough. It hit the oven and rose to a perfect finish.

VIP Prize Package

Want to try this brioche for yourself? How about any other yeast bread? Red Star is going to give one of my readers the very same VIP package that I received. The winner from my blog will also be entered in to win a Platinum Kitchenaid mixer! This is open to anyone in the US or Canada. Winner will be notified and must reply within 24 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Just leave a comment below before 9/16/12 telling me your greatest fear of baking with yeast, and the first thing you’ll make with your new Red Star Platinum yeast.

For extra entries (leave a separate entry for each) you can:

Like Thyme In Our Kitchen on Facebook
Like Red Star Yeast on Facebook

Cinnamon Swirl Brioche

Ingredients

+Brioche

8 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
5 teaspoons Red Star Platinum Yeast
1/4 cup warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

+Filling

3/4 cup confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the yeast, water, flour and salt and mix with the dough hook on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. The dough will remain sticky but should come together slightly. Add the butter and continue kneading on medium speed until it is completely incorporated, about 5-7 minutes.

Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 6 hours or overnight.

Carefully remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough into half. Press one of the halves of the dough using your fingers or a rolling pin into about a 9 by 12 rectangle.

Mix together the confectioners sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the rectangle. Starting from the short side carefully roll the dough into a log. Using a bench knife cut the log in half and turn the pieces so the cut side is facing up.

Carefully cross over the two pieces creating a braid and making sure the cut side stays facing up. It may not be pretty. (Look at the one on the left) but it will still look great when it bakes. Repeat with the other half

Place the braids into greased bread pans. Cover them and let them rise until the ye reach the top of the bread pan, 1 1/2-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the loaves for 35-40 minutes. If the tops are browning too quickly you can cover them with tinfoil.

Remove from the oven, let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

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Foodplayer Linda

I am sure you love food. Otherwise, you won’t be here. As a full-time and a part-time chef at a local restaurant, I know my way around food. Ever since I was a young girl, I enjoyed helping my mom in the kitchen.

We would often experiment with the spices, ingredients, and flavors and create great meals for my brothers and dad. Since cocking was my first passion, I decided to go in that direction. I finished culinary school, got my first job, and started developing my skills.

Later when kids came, I had all the liberty in the kitchen to combine some of the unique flavors. A lot of them were a success, but now and there I would make a couple of mistakes.