Sensational Sandwich Winning Recipe at Utah State Fair

Rhonda Hair of South Jordan has won the blue ribbon in the Sensational Sandwich Bread contest at the Utah State Fair for her Autumn Harvest Smoked Salmon Sandwiches. This newly themed contest is in celebration of the 250^th Birthday of the Sandwich in 2012. 

Rhonda’s sandwich is a unique combination of pumpkin-yeast bread, cream cheese and smoked salmon, along with red onion, hints of lemon and red wine vinegar which gives the sandwich a tiny bit of bite. Rhonda is a stay-at-home mother of three children and she just loves to bake, a skill she learned from her mother. She even calls herself a “food scientist!”

Rhonda won a $150 cash prize, plus her recipe now moves on to national judging were it will compete against 34 other 1^st place winning recipes from state and county fairs across the country for a $1,000 grand prize.

Fleischmann’s Yeast “Sensational Sandwich Bread” Contest

Rhonda Hair of South Jordan, 1^st Place, 2012 Utah State Fair

Autumn Harvest Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

Autumn Harvest Bread (Pumpkin-Pecan Yeast Bread)

Dough:

1 tablespoon Fleischmann’s Yeast Rapid Rise Yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup (6 ounces) honey

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup cornmeal

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons dry milk powder

4-1/2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup pecan pieces, toasted (toast extra for the Filling)

Combine Fleischmann’s yeast and warm water, stir to dissolve. Let stand 3 minutes. Mix in honey, pumpkin, cornmeal, egg yolks, milk powder and 2 cups of the flour. Add butter, then the remaining 2 cups flour, the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes. Knead in pecans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

While it’s rising, make a wash with 1/2 cup cold water and 1-1/4 teaspoon cornstarch. Combine the two, bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Cover it so it doesn’t form a skin and let it cool.

Divide dough into two pieces. Shape into 16-20-inch long logs and tie each into a knot. (Or shape into a ball, seam-side down, or shape into two 8x4 loaves.) Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Using a pastry brush, gently coat each loaf with the glaze. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and the surface is firm. Brush again with the glaze. This helps it have a nice shine and a thin, soft crust. Cool before cutting into 8 to 9 slices.

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons red onion, very finely chopped

2 tablespoons crystallized ginger

2 tablespoons toasted pecans, finely chopped

1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated

1/16 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

8 ounces smoked salmon

Red onion, thinly sliced

Tomato, sliced

Roasted red pepper

Alfalfa sprouts

Arugula

Red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Stir together cream cheese, red onion, ginger, pecans, celery, lemon juice, lemon zest and black pepper. Chill at least 30 minutes to blend flavors.

To assemble sandwiches, spread about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese mixture on each of flour slices of bread. Top with 2 ounces smoked salmon, and any of the following you like: thinly sliced red onion, sliced tomato, roasted red pepper, alfalfa sprouts and arugula. Drizzle with red wine vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Makes 4 sandwiches.