Hey You!! Check Out My Buns!

I wonder how many post titles will reference checking out someone's buns today.. Surprise! It's the September Daring Baker challenge day! WOOO! Actually this month, I made the challenge at the beginning of September - like a day or two after the recipe was announced. That's not like me, kids. Not only am I the Queen of Dorkdum, but I am also the Court Jester of Procrastination. True story. So it was kinda cool to be the first of the DB'ers to get her challenge done - even gave my fellow baking friends a sneak preview of how they turned out. I was feeling kind of efficient there for a minute. =) Here's the rub.. I don't remember jack shite about my baking experience this month. Do you know how many days ago that was?? I can't remember what I wore yesterday and I'm suppose to recall baking something a month ago? Shhhaaahh. As if. The good news is.. I documented my experience - or rather the hour or so before I started baking - on our private Daring Baker blog. And yeah.. going back and reading what all happened slightly frightened me. I found it mildly amusing. And yep! I'm pretty much completely embarrassed. *blush* But this is me.. Imma dork.. there's no denying it - so I'm going to allow you, dear friends, to peek inside my head when I've had no sleep - am in excruciating pain - and have decided to drink lots of caffeine with a pain killer chaser. Oh yes.. this would be the time to clear the children from the room. Ready? Sunday, September 2 Good morning Kmart shoppers!! 'kay that title makes no good sense but I have been up since 2:30 this morning due to the most exquisite FUBARED back EVER in the history of FUBARED backs EVER. But do not pity thy pain.. this too, shall pass. Ugh. To compensate, I've had 2 pots of coffee and a glass of iced tea (it's now 6:30ish) along with some sinfully delicious prescribed narcotics! Holy crap I'm ZINGING. Right now? My brain is like a fart in a frying pan.. *ting* *ting* *zip* *ting* What the hell to do with all of this chemically induced energy?? Why bake cinnamon and sticky buns, OF COURSE! Because this would be THE BEST time to work with yeast! I'll have conquered my fear of it and not even remember it in a few hours! PARTY ON, WAYNE! NO!!! PARTY ON, GARTH!! SCHA-WINNNNNNNNNNGGGG! Okay so I've read the recipe about ELEVENTY kazillion times.. go ahead - ask me a question about it. Quiz me!! I KNOW THE ANSWERS! BUT I have questions :P Firstly - The husband type person is going on a fishin trip with his brother today - therefore the unlucky bastard is NOT going to get any fresh from the oven buns. Everyone.. all at once.. "AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW" So, being the kind-hearted wife type person, I thought I'd freeze half the buns for him to enjoy another day.. So first question is.. do I treat this dough like my pizza dough and freeze it after the first "fermentation" and the cutting/shaping of the buns but BEFORE the 2nd proof? Or should I freeze them after they've proofed? I would think it's before.. ? Secondly - couple things in the recipe weren't quite clear.. I'm pretty sure I know how I'm going to bumble through this as I doubt any of you more experienced bakers will see my PSYCHOTIC post before I get to work.. but I figure if I'm a tad confused, there might be someone else in the same boat. But before I ask.. HI NEWBIES!! Welcome! Are you SO EXCITED over this month's challenge?? I am! I've asked Marce to have my babies because SHE ROCKS. Ohh and be sure.. your one half of the founding duo truly is not always THIS AWAKE. Fear not, young bakers. =) Okay on to the other questions.. Firstly, or make that secondly as I've already used up my firstly question (see above) Secondly, how long are you suppose to cream the sugar, salt & butter when making the dough? Until it's light and fluffy? Or just until it's all mixed together? (I'm going for light and fluffy but ONLY because it's a light and fluffy kinda day!) Thirdly - The recipe specifically says to loosely cover the sticky buns before the 2nd proof.. but does not say to cover the cinnamon buns.. so.. do I not cover the cinnamon buns or do I cover? (hopefully someone will answer this burning question by the time it's ready to proof) And lastly.. no wait. Thirdly was lastly. Sorry. Thank you SO MUCH for your advice and direction.. I am forever grateful! xoxoxoxooxooooooooooooooooooxooooxoxxoxooxoxoxo UPDATED: Why does it say I posted this at 6:24 when my computer says it's 6:51?? ALSO and much more importantly.. don't forget La Festa al Fresco!!! DUDES you MUST attend.. we made favors for everyone.. those wee plastic shoe shaped lil containter type thingies - full of CHICKLETS. Yes CHICKLETS. Now how long has it been since you've chewed on a fruity Chicklet? I KNOW! Forever, isn't it?? Well if you come to the party your Chicklet cravings will be taken care of! Not that we're trying to bribe you into coming.. but kids? It's CHICKLETS. :P xoxooxoxoxoxo Posted by Lis at 6:24 AM Aren't I preshus? Mmm hmm.. let this be a lesson to you all! DO NOT blog while hopped up on caffeine & narcotics! I'm pretty sure you can bake that way though - hopped up on caffeine & narcotics, that is. I have no mysterious bruises, cuts or burns to speak of - so it must have went well, yes? So on with it.. You start by putting all of this stuff in a big silver bowl and then you.. apparently use this thing to mix it all up And then when your done, you get this ball of dough that you put into a totally different bowl - I'm assuming it must be blue? And then you leave it alone for a while. Once you wake up from your drug induced nappy, you throw that ball on a counter top and use your rollie thing to make it oddly mishapen and flat.. I did say oddly mishapen, yes? Following the flattening and the sprinkling of the good stuff, you roll it up into a giant cigar like object. Next, you take your bench scraper and chop! chop! chop! chop! chop! chop! Chop your bootie! Chop your bootie! Then you've got some options.. you can put your pillowy rolls on a baking sheet (or pizza pan if you are using caffeine & prescribed narcotics) or you can... Slather a pie plate (or some thing with sides) with the dreamy caramel mixture and then... Sprinkle liberally with nuts and raisins - or be a rebel and use Trader Joe's "Golden Berry Blend" which includes plump golden raisins, tart dried cranberries and sweet, oh so sweet, dried blueberries. Notice the difference in swirl size? This was the 2nd batch I made - and apparently I decided to revert back to my pot smoking days (har! Ask anyone.. I smoked pot once and puked 4 minutes afterwards) or maybe I was reverting back to a previous life when I roamed the wild west with just my horse, Ethel, and rolled my own tobacky.. cuz these rolls are much tighter. :P And then you let them sit there - doing absolutely NOTHING. And you can watch them.. but please, from my own experiences? I'd rather watch a pot of water come to a boil.. it's QUICKER. No wait!! Paint drying! YES! I'd rather watch paint dry.. it's QUICKER. So go curl up on the couch with a big fluffy pillow and a warm comfy heating pad and fall asleep for about 90 minutes. After you've came to.. toss 'em into a nice warm oven for about 15 minutes and wait for the deliciousness.. The caramelly deliciousness.. Or the glazed cinnamon-y deliciousness.. Amazingly - my back felt better after eating one of each. Go figure. If you'd like to make these beautiful cinnamon rolls and sticky buns for yourself, you can get the recipe over at Marce's - She was this month's hostess and dear sweet jebus she did a most excellent job in not only picking a fabulous recipe but in being there for all of our questions and moments of panic. As was the rest of the group - how lucky we are to have so many wonderful members!! Prepare yourself for October kids.. we've got 80 new Daring Bakers waiting in the wings.. all excited to start baking with us! Well.. almost as excited as we are to have them. =) Now fill the rest of your morning with more fantastic stories of cinnamon roll/sticky bun baking by heading for the Official Daring Bakers Blogroll and start clickin'! xoxo