Bun making = EPIC FAIL

Are you good at making bread and buns/rolls? When I was first married, I was HORRIBLE! I didn't have a breadmaker or a stand mixer, so whenever I decided to "try it again," I had to do it by hand. Even a year after we got married, I cashed in some wedding giftcards and bought myself a really nice Cuisinart mixer (I went into the store with the intentions of buying a Kitchenaid, because, come on, they look so great on your counter! But while looking at warranties, motor size, wattage, bowl size, and accessories, not to mention prices...I ended up deciding to go with a Cuisinart, and haven't regretted my decision since!)...but back to the story....even after I bought a stand mixer, I was still too afraid to try the dough hook attachment and continued to try to make bread and buns by hand, resulting in an EPIC FAIL every single time. I mean, they tasted OK--not great--but they looked horrible and the texture did NOT have the soft, pillowy goodness that a bun should have.That and my arms, shoulders, and back were killing me afterwards everytime!
Then one day I stumbled upon a website....I don't remember if someone showed it to me, or I just found it while looking for a recipe, but I have to say that it changed my bun and bread making life!  :)

It's actually a very popular blog now and they have a couple of recipe books out. Everything that I have tried off of there has been absolutely delicious--the apple dip, the butternut squash soup, the overnight cinnamon buns, so many other things...including "World's Best Dinner Rolls."

When I found their bun recipe, I noticed a link to a bread making tip article that they had written, so I went and read it, re-read it, and then printed it off. It was THAT good. And like I said, it changed my life. SO now I'd like to share it with you. Even if you are good at making bread and buns, read it! There may be a few things that will make your life easier! I've tried lots of recipes since then and have found another that I prefer to theirs, but really, there are so many different types of buns that it makes it really hard to choose a favorite. And what one person likes about a bun, another person may dislike. Like for example, I like a bun that tastes yeasty and sweet, and Derrick does not. So, I try all kinds of recipes. Maybe one day I'll share the one that I have been making lately the most...but for now, here's the AWESOME and AMAZING article I was telling you about:  Tips for Yeast Doughs

I'd love to hear what you think about it and if you have any other tips that you'd add to the list!

I found one today in another recipe from their site that my sister in law shared with me yesterday---when a recipe says to warm up milk and butter until the butter is melted, and then cool it down so that it doesn't kill the yeast, instead of waiting forever or putting the pot on top of some ice, try keeping out 1/4 of the milk called for, and add it after to help cool it down. You may still need to wait a bit, but the time will definitely be decreased!

Here's our most recent family picture!