Butter Sticks

Fluffy Butter Bars – A Delight for Breakfast

Who doesn't love a start to the day that includes a fresh and fluffy treat? Butter bars are perfectly balanced, golden, and delicious, making them ideal for a comforting breakfast or for packing in children's school lunches. These bars, with a rich flavor and soft texture, pair wonderfully with a glass of cold milk or a cup of aromatic tea. Let's get to work and discover together how to prepare these goodies!

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Rising time: 60 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes
Total time: 100 minutes
Number of servings: 10 bars

Ingredients:
- 120 ml warm water
- 10 g dry yeast
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 4 tablespoons powdered milk
- 1 egg
- 250 g flour
- 60 g soft butter
- 1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk (for brushing the bars)
- Oil for greasing the bowl where the dough will rise
- Flour for dusting the work surface

Step by step:

1. Preparing the ingredients: Start by gathering all the necessary ingredients. Make sure the butter is soft by leaving it at room temperature a few hours before starting the recipe. It is essential that all ingredients are at room temperature to achieve a uniform and fluffy dough.

2. Activating the yeast: In a large bowl, add the warm water and sprinkle the dry yeast. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until the yeast starts to bubble, indicating that it is active and ready to work.

3. Adding the wet ingredients: Once the yeast is activated, add the sugar, salt, powdered milk, and egg. Mix well after each ingredient, ensuring everything is well incorporated.

4. Incorporating the flour: Start to sift the flour into the previous mixture. It is recommended to sift the flour, as this process helps aerate it, resulting in a lighter dough. Mix with a wooden spoon or with your hands until the flour is completely incorporated.

5. Kneading the dough: Add the soft butter and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. It will become elastic and smooth. If you feel the dough is too sticky, you can add a little more flour, but be careful not to overdo it, as a dough that is too dry will lead to hard bars.

6. Letting it rise: Shape the dough into a ball, grease a bowl with a little oil and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes, or until it doubles in volume.

7. Shaping the bars: Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and place it on a floured work surface. Shape it into a roll that you will cut into approximately 10 equal pieces. Each piece will be rolled out with a rolling pin into a thin sheet, which you will roll up to form a bar.

8. Placing in the tray: Arrange the formed bars in a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them to allow for rising. Cover them with a kitchen towel and let them rise again for 30 minutes.

9. Brushing the bars: Beat an egg with a tablespoon of milk and brush each bar with this mixture to achieve a golden and shiny crust.

10. Baking: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place the tray in the oven and bake the bars for 20 minutes, or until they are golden and well done. Let them cool slightly before enjoying.

Useful tips:
- Variations: You can experiment with various fillings, such as fruit jams, chocolate, or even poppy seeds sprinkled on top before baking.
- Serving: These bars are delicious warm, but they can also be kept for the next day, being excellent cold. You can serve them with butter and honey or with your favorite jam.
- Storage: After they have completely cooled, store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature, where they will stay fresh for 2-3 days.

Nutritional benefits:
These butter bars contain carbohydrates from the flour that provide energy, proteins from the egg, and healthy fats from the butter. The powdered milk adds a boost of calcium, essential for bone health.

Frequently asked questions:
- Can I use fresh yeast? Yes, you can use fresh yeast, but you will need to adjust the quantity. Use about 30 g of fresh yeast for the equivalent of 10 g of dry yeast.
- What can I do if the dough doesn't rise? Make sure the yeast is fresh and that you have left the dough in a warm place. You can place it near a heater or in a sunny area of the house.
- Can I freeze the bars? Yes, the bars can be frozen. Make sure they are completely cooled before wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and placing them in freezer bags.

These fluffy butter bars are an excellent choice for a quick breakfast or a sweet snack. Try them and share them with your loved ones; they will surely be appreciated! Enjoy your meal!

 Ingredients: 120 ml water, 10 g dry yeast, 3 teaspoons sugar, a pinch of salt, 4 tablespoons milk powder, 1 egg, 250 g flour, 60 g soft butter. We also need 1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk for brushing the bars, oil for greasing the bowl where we let the dough rise, flour for dusting the work surface.

 Tags:  croissant recipe dough for pretzels crescent roll recipe poppy seed croissants bars