Enriched Sweet Dough – What is it, How to Make it, and How to Use it?
What is Enriched Sweet Dough?
An Enriched Sweet Dough has two components: a fat and a sugar. The fat can be eggs, butter, milk, or oil. The enrichment process of adding fat to bread dough creates a soft, delicious bread perfect for sweet or savory applications.
An enriched sweet dough is created by the addition of sugar, honey, or another sweetener to the enriched dough. Besides adding sweetness, sugar helps soften the bread, caramelize the crust, and elongate the shelf life of the final bake. An enriched sweet dough is perfect for sweet breads and pastries.
How to Make an Enriched Sweet Dough?
New to bread baking? Check out this post on the 12 Steps to Perfect Bread for the basics. Read on to find pointers on the enriched sweet dough process.
Do I need a mixer?
I find it easiest to use an electric mixer to make enriched sweet dough. I like the ease of using an electric mixer, but you can certainly hand-knead this dough. If using a mixer, you will need one with a whisk and dough hook. I personally choose and like the powerful Kitchen Aid mixers. Interested in learning more about the mixer I use? You can read my independent review here.
What Flour Should I use?
Make enriched sweet dough with all purpose flour rather than high protein bread flour. Why? Because, making enriched sweet dough with a fat and a sweetener creates its signature flavor. Unlike no knead sourdough or rustic straight doughs (those using only flour, water, yeast & salt), which use high protein bread flour for structure and develop flavor through a long proof. If you want to learn more about flours, check out this post on European Flours. If you want to make a classic rustic bread using a straight dough, check out this post for an easy Rustic Whole Wheat.
How Much Yeast Do I use?
I already discussed above the use of fat and sugar in the enriched sweet dough. One other component of an enriched sweet dough is a large amount of yeast. Here are two reasons why:
- A dough that is enriched and sweetened is heavy. A large amount of yeast ensures a sufficient rise of the heavy dough during the proofing stage. Beware! Too much yeast will cause the dough to rise and fall too quickly, leaving an over proofed dough and a flat final bread.
- The yeast adds additional flavor to the final dough. There is a balance here – you want enough yeast to rise the heavy dough and create a balanced flavor. Beware! Too much yeast leaves a residual yeast flavor rather than a balanced flavor.
How to Bake an Enriched Sweet Dough?
Finally, baking an enriched dough requires a lower oven temperature. The addition of the sugar and fat causes caramelization to occur at lower temperatures. Therefore, keep the oven temp between 350-375 F (175-190 C) degrees to prevent burned exteriors and underdone interiors. When in doubt, check the baked dough with a kitchen thermometer. It should read between 195-200 F (90-93 C) degrees.
How to Use an Enriched Sweet Dough?
I use enriched sweet doughs to create sweet breads. Here are a few recommendations on how I use use this dough:
- Make Challah. This is one of my favorite enriched sweetened breads. You can use this recipe and follow the directions in How to Braid a Six Strand Challah to get the beautiful look of a classic braided bread. Sprinkle the braid with your choice of sesame seeds, poppy seeds or sliced almonds. Bake at 375F until golden brown.
- Make a dozen sweet rolls with your choice of filling. For instance, for cinnamon rolls, mix 3/4 cup of brown sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Roll the dough out, spread it with softened butter, sprinkle the brown sugar mix, roll it up, cut it into 12 portions, and bake at 350 F until browned and filling is bubbly. Consider additional mix-ins to create your own special recipe: raisins, nuts, other dried fruit, etc.Fruit-filled Pastries. Divide the dough into twelve portions. Create a ball, push down in the center and add your desired pie filling. Cherry, blueberry or apple would all work in this application. Bake at 350F degrees until golden brown.
- Fruit-filled Pastries. Divide the dough into twelve portions. Create a ball, push down in the center and add your desired pie filling. Cherry, blueberry or apple would all work in this application. Bake at 350F degrees until golden brown.
- Lastly, try an absolutely delicious Cinnamon-Walnut Wreath. Perfect for a Sunday brunch, special occasion, or holiday, it looks pretty and tastes amazing, too!
Sharing is Caring
As always, give bread baking a go and share it with someone you care about, a friend, a coworker, a neighbor or family member. Nothing says love like a home-baked goodie! So Bake One Share One today, help me create a world where my vision comes true: Great Bread For All! Please take a moment to comment below or share on social media and tag @christinasbreadbakes, I love to see your creations! Happy baking, Bread Bakers, from your friends here at breadbakes.com.
Enriched Sweet Dough
Equipment
- 1 Electric Mixer whisk and dough hook
- 7 Small measuring bowls/cups
- 1 Digital Metric Scale
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Large bowl for proofing dough
- Plastic Wrap
Ingredients
- 236 g Warm Water 1 cup
- 1½ tsp Yeast
- 70 g Sugar ⅓ cup
- 500 g All Purpose Flour
- 1 ea Egg
- 60 g Butter, melted ¼ cup
- ⅓ tsp Sea Salt, fine
Instructions
Scale
- Measure all ingredients using digital metric scale.
Mix
- Mix yeast and a pinch of sugar into the warm water. Set aside for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Pour prepared yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Add 1 cup of flour and sugar.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Scrape down the edges.
- Add egg, butter, salt, and a ½ cup of flour.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Scrape down the edges.
- Switch to the dough hook and add all but 2 T of the flour.
- Mix on low speed for 2 minutes until all dry ingredients are mixed into wet and you have a rough dough.
- Increase mixer to speed 2 and mix for 4-5 more minutes until the dough is smooth, climbs the dough hook and sticks to the bottom of the bowl. Add additional flour (if needed) 1 T at a time until a soft consistency is achieved.
- Scrape dough onto the counter and knead a few times into a smooth ball.
Bulk Ferment
- Place the dough ball into a prepared bowl (coated with oil). Cover with a piece of oiled plastic wrap.
- Allow dough to rise until it is double in size.
Folding
- Remove dough from bowl, punch down.
Dividing
- Divide dough into portions (as needed). This recipe makes approximately 850 grams of dough. Divide in two to make two loaves of bread or twelve pieces for a dozen pastries. Roll dough portions into loose balls.
Bench Rest
- Cover and bench rest portions for 10 minutes.
Make up & Panning
- Continue to make up/pan dough according to desired recipe.
- This dough is an enriched dough meaning it does not need to be baked at a high temperature. Egg wash and bake at 350-375°F degrees maximum.
Notes
- Roll out half the dough using a rolling pin, and fill it with your choice of filling, roll it into a log, and bake it.
- Make two small or one large Challah. Instructions on how to braid a challah can be found here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/822962531900567372
- Make a dozen individual shaped/filled pastries. Fill with desired fruit pie filling (cherry, apple, blueberry).
- Try my recipe for a Cinnamon-Walnut Crown, step by step instructions available at this link.
I have been reading posts regarding this topic and this post is one of the most interesting and informative one I have read. Thank you for this!
Eleanor – Thank you for your comment, you are very welcome for all the information!
Your step by step instructions were so great, it made it very easy to make this sweet dough. We made little pastries with the dough. Half of them had cherry filling and the other half had apple. They were a very delicious treat!
Hi Dawn! That’s great feedback, thanks for giving the recipe a go and taking a moment to post a comment!
Totally loved this post!! I don’t know much about sweet dough so this was so helpful. Thanks!
Hi Sam, I love knowing that my posts are helping readers like you, thanks for taking the time to give feedback!
Sounds like I need to dust off my mixer and try this! Do you think this could be made with gluten free AP flour?
Hi Erin – The 1:1 GF flours have come such a long way, you could certainly give it a try. Do let me know, I would love to learn from your experience.
There is always something to learn from your posts, especially when using different types of flour (I love spelt and wholemeal). Great advice again, thank you!
Hi Mihaela – Yes, using different flours is a fun experiment in bread baking. Have you read my European Flours post?
Learned so much about this dough and bread baking!
Thank you, Jeannie. I love it when my readers learn something new from my posts!
Thank you for such detail descriptions. Love it!
Hello Daniel – Yes! All my recipes have detailed descriptions because I truly want beginners to feel comfortable and bake the greatest bread possible.
I always love your recipes. I learn something new and get great tips. I’ve made this recipe twice now!
Hi Emily – Aww, thank you. I love that you learn something new from my posts, happy baking!
Love this recipe. It was easy to make at high altitude..
Hi Ruth – Fantastic to hear! I live at 6,400 feet and yup, this recipe works every time for me.
I’m usually a sourdough gal but I love me an occasional challah French toast. I never yet baked a challah at home do this recipe will be my first.
Joanna – Great! You must try homemade challah, you’ll never go back to store bought.
This dough looks beautiful!! I am going to try making it this weekend to make your cinnamon walnut sweet bread.
Hi Cindy! Enjoy, it’s a quick and delicious bread to make.
thanks for all the helpful tips
Hi Nancy! You are welcome for all the tips. Happy baking.
you make it look so easy that I do want to try making sweet dough. Wish me luck
Hi Giangi – No luck required, you already have such great kitchen skills! Enjoy making this delicious sweet dough.
This post is super informative and I appreciate all the photos to see the steps to make this dough. There are so many great recipes to make and need to start making my own pastries.
Hi Jere – Thanks for visiting, I am so happy that it inspired you to start baking your own pastries! Happy baking!