dedavis
01-10-2008, 03:43 PM
Are any of you bread bakers? I've been baking bread every week this winter, as well as making a pot of soup. I decided to do this all winter, and now my creativity is beginning to be challenged. I love baking--it's wholesome, soul-satisfying, warms the house, reminds me of my mom and gramma who have always made bread. We're having snow showers today, and I just put some dough to rise. What could be cozier? And I'll have fresh rolls for my supper.
Here's my basic bread recipe. The variations are endless.
MAGIC DOUGH
Dissolve 2 packages of active dry yeast in 2 cups of water in a large bowl. Add 1/3 cup honey, 1/4 cup vegetable oil or soft butter, and 1 teaspoon salt. A beaten egg is optional. Stir in 5 1/2 to 6 cups of flour till a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes. Oil the mixing bowl and lay the kneaded dough in it. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let rise in a warm place until double, up to 2 hours. Punch the dough down with a fist, and allow to rise again, 1/2 to 1 hour. Shape the dough into 2 loaves, or rolls. You will need to grease the bread pans. Allow the shaped dough to rise, about an hour for loaves, less for rolls. Bake in 375 degree oven till golden brown.
I vary the kinds of flour in this bread, but make sure at least 2 1/2 cups of it is unbleached white flour. That way the gluten gets activated and the bread isn't too heavy from whole grain flours. You can substitute molasses for some of the honey if you want a darker bread. You can substitute scalded milk for all or some of the 2 cups of water, provided it has cooled before the yeast goes in. I have ground up rolled oats and barley in the food processor to make a coarse flour. The more whole grain flours you use, the more important it is to knead the dough for the entire 10 minutes. Gramma says bread rises best when the barometric pressure is high, and I have found that to be mostly true. I started using yeast from Bob's Red Mill (in Lisa S.' town of Milwaukie, Oregon) and it's like rocket fuel for dough. Bob's also sells a variety of flours that you can order online. I'm not sure if stores outside the Northwest carry the products.
The old granola-cruncher classic Laurel's Kitchen has the best section on bread that I have ever seen in a cookbook.
I'd love to hear from other bread bakers.
Deb
Here's my basic bread recipe. The variations are endless.
MAGIC DOUGH
Dissolve 2 packages of active dry yeast in 2 cups of water in a large bowl. Add 1/3 cup honey, 1/4 cup vegetable oil or soft butter, and 1 teaspoon salt. A beaten egg is optional. Stir in 5 1/2 to 6 cups of flour till a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes. Oil the mixing bowl and lay the kneaded dough in it. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let rise in a warm place until double, up to 2 hours. Punch the dough down with a fist, and allow to rise again, 1/2 to 1 hour. Shape the dough into 2 loaves, or rolls. You will need to grease the bread pans. Allow the shaped dough to rise, about an hour for loaves, less for rolls. Bake in 375 degree oven till golden brown.
I vary the kinds of flour in this bread, but make sure at least 2 1/2 cups of it is unbleached white flour. That way the gluten gets activated and the bread isn't too heavy from whole grain flours. You can substitute molasses for some of the honey if you want a darker bread. You can substitute scalded milk for all or some of the 2 cups of water, provided it has cooled before the yeast goes in. I have ground up rolled oats and barley in the food processor to make a coarse flour. The more whole grain flours you use, the more important it is to knead the dough for the entire 10 minutes. Gramma says bread rises best when the barometric pressure is high, and I have found that to be mostly true. I started using yeast from Bob's Red Mill (in Lisa S.' town of Milwaukie, Oregon) and it's like rocket fuel for dough. Bob's also sells a variety of flours that you can order online. I'm not sure if stores outside the Northwest carry the products.
The old granola-cruncher classic Laurel's Kitchen has the best section on bread that I have ever seen in a cookbook.
I'd love to hear from other bread bakers.
Deb