Ok, after watching the beginning of the video, I thought Little Prague had changed, too much. Let me first explain that Little Prague has a special place in my memory chest. When I was little, I visited my grandma 3 times when she lived in California, twice I visited her in Davis, near Sacramento, where she lived. I was 12 the last time. And once all of us took a trip with her to San Franisco, a city I adore. I'll never forget the sea lions, the ports, the smell of fish by the sea, the beautiful architecture, the oh-so-steep streets, the fancy old-fashioned hotel we stayed in, and the cool November air. We went to eat a lunch buffet for Thanksgiving, and the only thing I remember about it was that the interior of the hotel was green, we went at 2 pm (which I didn't care for at all), and Em and I wore braids. I don't think we behaved very well… but that was to be somewhat expected, seeing as I didn't behave myself well in restaurants until i was probably in middle school. Sorry mom and dad.
Anyways, Little Prague was a little restaurant where I think we only went once, on my last trip to Davis with my sister. We ate cinnamon or sticky buns (I don't remember which), that were out of this world. I'm actually not sure how I've remembered all these years the name of that restaurant, which, according to it's website, Little Prague is now a pretty big Prague. But I will never forget the texture of those sticky buns and the time shared with my grandma and sister.
Davis is a funky place. My sister and I went that year during the summer, and I remember the heat at the public pool, which was crowded with neighborhood kids. I remember the health food markets, grandma's green house full of interesting things, like the materials she used when she used to teach children and the wood walls of the guest room and the wool blankets. I remember the smell, too.
We visited the University of California there, where we saw the animals in the vet program. When we were even younger, the first time we visited Davis, with the whole family (gosh those whole-family trips were special), we went to Tilden Park. We bought helicopter hats and rode on the little train around the lush green park. We went on the ride that has the swings and I still remember the breeze. Those visits were special.
I love cinnamon rolls and sticky buns, as long as they are fresh and hot. Or at least taste fresh. I love dad's, Little Prague's, La Canela's, and my very own, made from the following recipe in Peter Reinhart's Artisan breads every day.
I've made both the cinnamon rolls and the sticky buns in this wonderful book. Although they use the same dough, I prefer the sticky buns because of how ooey-gooey and buttery they are. I made the sticky buns with Em in May, when I was in the beginning stage of overcoming my yeast phobia. They were finger-licking good.
Sticky buns
Ingredients
6.25 cups (794g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
6 TBS sugar
5 tsp intant yeast
2 cups plus 2 TBSP lukewarm (about 95 degrees F) milk, not skim
½ cup vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
Zest of ½ lemon
3 TBSP ground cinnamon
¾ cup sugar
Melted butter or vegetable oil, for brushing
Prepare the sweet dough- Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk the yeast into the lukewarm milk (I used instant active, and let rest about 10 minutes). Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture along with the oil and lemon zest. Use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed between 30 seconds and a minute. (By hand, use a large spoon and stir for around a minute). The dough should be a soft, coarse ball.
Using the dough hook, knead the dough on medium-low speed (or continue mixing by hand), for 4 minutes. Add flour or milk as needed to create a smooth and soft ball of dough. It should be slightly sticky.
On medium seed, mix for 2 minutes more, until the dough is soft, supple and tacky (not sticky). Knead on a floured (or parchment paper) surface for about a minute. Form the dough into a ball.
Lightly oil a bowl that is large enough to hold the dough when doubled in bulk. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for between 12 hours and 4 days (this makes the fermentation of the yeast produce a delicious dough).
On baking day, take the dough out of the fridge about 3 hours before you are planning on baking. Divide the dough into 2 equal-sized balls, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 20 minutes.
Roll each ball of dough into a 12 x 15-inch rectangle between 2 pieces of parchment (my preference) or on a floured work surface. To do this, first roll from the center to the corners, and then roll from the center out to the sides. The dough should be ¼ to ½-inch thick.
Whisk the cinnamon into the sugar. Brush the rectangle of dough with melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly on top, leaving a ¼-inch border. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top if you like. Roll dough up as if it were a rug, using the long side, from bottom to top. It should form a tight log.
Prepare the slurry (recipe below). Fill 3 (8- 9-inch) round pans with the slurry. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the slurry if you want (we did almonds).
Cut the log into 1-inch slices (a bench knife helps a bit here). Place the rounds into the slurry nest with the nicest side facing down. Leave about 1 inch of space between the buns. Spray lightly with spray oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours (until the buns begin to expand into each other).
15 minutes before baking, place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Bake buns for 20- 25 minutes, rotating as needed to bake them evenly. To know when they're done, check the underside of the dough, which should be a light caramel color (not white). The slurry will be a rich golden color.
Cool for 2-3 minutes so that the slurry firms up. Flip the pans onto a platter by placing it over the top of the baking pan and carefully invert it (use oven mits! This is easier with 2 people). Cool at least 15 minutes before serving (I know, the wait is difficult).
Tip- if the dough shrinks back or resists when rolling out, let rest a minute or two and then try again.
Honey almond slurry
Ingredients
1 cup of honey
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted or softened
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. If using a stand mixer, mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes with paddle attachment. By hand, mix vigorously with a large spoon for 2 minutes. The slurry should be smooth.
To make cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting-
Prepare the dough and cinnamon sugar as indicated. Follow the exact directions as stated above, just don't make the slurry. Instead, Place the 1-inch rounds in 3 (8 to 9-inch) round pans on top of parchment paper. Once the buns have cooled, use a spatula to spread on the cream cheese frosting (recipe below).
Cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
4 oz cream cheese
¼ cup melted butter (unsalted)
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Using a stand or hand mixer, combine cream cheese, butter and sugar with paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 2 minutes. The mixture should be smooth and incorporated. Add vanilla and salt and mix on medium speed until you achieve a smooth paste. To fluff up the glaze, mix on medium-high speed for about 20 seconds.
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