Basic Sweet Dough

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole milk, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 of a vanilla bean (optional)
5 1/4 cups bread flour
3 teaspoons instant yeast (osmotolerant, if available)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons diastatic malt powder
1 teaspoon lemon zest
5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method of Preparation:
One day before baking:
1. Place the milk and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the bowl.  Add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, malt powder, and lemon zest.  Using the hook attachment, mix on low speed until the dough comes together and leaves the sides of the bowl clean.  Scrape the dough from the hook from time to time, if necessary.
2. Pound the butter with a rolling pin to softened (it should feel like soft, bendable plastic).
3. Increase the mixer speed to medium and slowly add the butter in stages.  Each addition of butter should be fully incorporated before adding the next.
4. When the dough is fully developed (a small piece should flatten and stretch with out tearing) place in a plastic container that has been lightly coated with oil.  Cover the container and allow to rest (ferment) at room temperature for 2 hours.
5. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined sheet pan and press down to about a 3/4-inch thickness.  Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Cooking with Class airs on NBC 10 in Providence and is hosted by Chef Frank Terranova, an associate instructor at Johnson & Wales University. The recipes were created by Chef Stamm.