Dough Dabs

One of my first childhood memories is watching my mom make bread with an old, hand cranked dough mixer that was passed down through generations. She'd let me have a turn mixing and as the ingredients spun into a sticky, heavy mound, my skinny arms just didn’t have the strength to keep up. It was almost a magical experience, how only a few ingredients combine, thicken, rise and bake into a delicious and warm treat. We probably ate the bread just as fast as she made it, because it felt like she was baking loaves constantly.

If my siblings and I were lucky, she would pull off a few chunks before forming the dough into loaves. She fried them in a pan with a little bit of butter and served them to us plain or with a bit of peanut butter and jelly inside. We called them “dough dabs” and it was like eating a little slice of heaven - warm, buttery, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It's like eating a grilled cheese, without the cheese...but better.

Now that I make my own bread, I’ve started making my mom’s dough dabs for my family. We’ve made them plain, but also experimented with different flavors. Our favorites, so far, are cinnamon sugar and garlic chive. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Let me know what flavors you’ve tried!

If you're looking for a good bread recipe, my favorite so far is this Basic Homemade Bread from L'il Luna.

---

Dough Dabs

Makes 2-4 servings

You'll need:

• 2-4 chunks of bread dough (see above for a link to my favorite bread recipe)

• 1 Tbsp butter

• Optional add-ins: cinnamon and sugar; chives and garlic; pesto; strawberry jam)

1. Follow the bread recipe according to it's instructions.

2. After the dough rises for the first time (right before you form the dough into loaves), pull off 2-4 palm-sized pieces of dough and roll them out a bit on a floured surface.

3. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan on medium to low heat and melt the butter.

4. Choose your add-ins and sprinkle or smear about a 1/4 tsp on the dough's surface.

5. Fold the dough in half, press down slightly and add another 1/4 tsp of your add-ins. Fold in half again and press down slightly. Repeat again, if desired.

6. Gently, roll and flatten the dough dab in your hand and fry for about 4 minutes on each side, or until both sides are golden and it looks and feels firm (not doughy, squishy).

7. Serve hot out of the pan with desired toppings, or plain!