Description
Maple Donut Bars bring weekend breakfast dreams straight to your kitchen counter. Glazed with sweet maple magic and baked to golden perfection, these bars make mornings absolutely delightful.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup warm milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Leavening and Sweeteners:
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Glaze Ingredients:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
- 1 to 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Dissolve 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast in ½ cup warm milk at 110°F. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until your yeast becomes bubbly and fragrant.
- Blend 2 tablespoons softened butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 large egg into your yeast mixture. Incorporate 2 to 2½ cups all-purpose flour until your dough feels soft and slightly tacky.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-7 minutes. Your goal is a smooth, elastic texture that springs back when touched.
- Transfer dough to a greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1-1.5 hours until the volume doubles.
- Punch down the risen dough. Roll into a rectangle approximately ½ inch thick on a clean surface.
- Slice the dough into 8-10 rectangular bars using a sharp knife or pastry cutter.
- Place bars on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise again for 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake bars for 10-12 minutes until golden brown across the surface.
- Melt ¼ cup unsalted butter with ½ cup packed brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Pour ¼ cup milk and 1 tablespoon maple syrup into the butter mixture. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Whisk in ½ teaspoon maple extract and 1-1¼ cups sifted powdered sugar until your glaze becomes smooth.
- Dip each warm bar into the glaze or drizzle glaze generously over the top. Place on a wire rack to set for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use warm milk around 110°F to activate yeast perfectly without killing it.
- Knead dough gently until it becomes smooth and elastic, which develops better texture for soft bars.
- Allow plenty of rising time in a warm, draft-free spot to help bars become light and fluffy.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend and add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum for better structure.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 42 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Dessert Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 265 kcal
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg