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Doc
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Posts: 137

Basic bread Oct 2, 2013 17:27:23 GMT -5

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Post by Doc on Oct 2, 2013 17:27:23 GMT -5

Here are a few basic recipes for making white bread. There may be a time when there is no 'grocery store' bread, and this is good info to make your own (with less chemicals):

White Sandwich Bread

Ingredients:

4 cups Ap Flour
2 tsp Yeast, instant
2 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Canola Oil
4 cup Warm Milk, or water
6 cups Bread Flour
1½ tsp Salt

Directions:
In a very large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, yeast, and sugar. Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the canola oil and then the milk. Mix well, then continue to stir vigorously, slowly adding 1 cup of the bread flour at a time, until you've added about 5 cups, or until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough; this should take several minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 6 or 7 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface.
Place the mixing bowl over the dough, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Remove the bowl, flatten out the dough with your hands, and sprinkle about half of the salt over it. Begin kneading the salt into the dough. After a few turns, sprinkle on the rest of the salt and continue to knead for 5 to 7 minutes, until the salt is completely incorporated and the dough is soft and smooth.
Sprinkle flour in the dough bowl, place the dough in it, liberally dust it with flour, and cover it with a damp tea towel. Or put it in a straight sided plastic container with a snap-on lid and mark the spot on the container that the dough will reach when it has doubled in volume.
Set it somewhere that is preferably between 70F and 78F for 60 to 90 minutes.
When the dough is ready to be shaped, you should be able to push a floured finger deep into it and leave an indentation that doesn't spring back.
Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, flattening gently with your hands to break up any large air bubbles. Divide the dough into three equal pieces.
Shape the dough into loaves and dust the tops with flour.
Cover the loaves with a damp tea towel and let them rise for 45 to 60 minutes. When you lightly poke the dough with a floured finger it should spring back just a little.
Bake at 375 degrees* for 35 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow if tapped. Remove immediately from pans and let cool on a wire rack. Try to wait at least 40 minutes before cutting into a loaf. Store at room temperature or freeze in zipper freezer bags. Make sure loaves are completely cooled before sealing in bags.
original instructions at: ayearinbread.earthandhearth.com/

Ingredients

5 3/4 - 6 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups milk or buttermilk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter or shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
In a large mixing bowl combine 2-1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to dry mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (45 to 60 minutes).
Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans.
Shape each portion of dough into a loaf by patting or rolling. To shape dough by patting, gently pat and pinch each portion into a loaf shape, tucking edges beneath. To shape dough by rolling, on a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Starting from a short side, roll up into a spiral. Seal with fingertips as you roll.
Place the shaped dough in the prepared loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (30 to 40 minutes).
Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when you tap the top with your fingers. (If necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning.) Immediately remove bread from pans. Cool on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves (32 servings).

4 1/4 c. flour
1 1/4 c. lukewarm water
2 (1/4 oz.) pkgs. dry or compressed yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. vegetable shortening or butter
2 tbsp. sugar

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water with a pinch of sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until yeast begins to foam.
Stir in remaining warm water. Add melted and cooled butter.
Whisk together dry ingredients. Add half the flour to the yeast mixture, mixing with spoon, electric mixer or bread kneading attachment.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board, silicone sheet or other clean work surface.
To knead, fold the dough over and push away with the heel of the hand, adding remaining flour gradually. Give the dough a quarter turn and fold over and push away again. Continue this folding, pushing and turning procedure until the dough is smooth and elastic, usually 8 to 10 minutes. Use as little flour as possible to make for a lighter bread. When done, dough may still be slightly sticky.
Cooks Tip: To keep dough from sticking to hands, oil hands with olive or vegetable oil.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the surface. Cover the dough with a clean, damp cloth and let rise until doubled in bulk. To determine whether the dough has risen sufficiently, press two fingers about 1/2" into the dough. If the indentations remain, the dough is ready to shape.
Punch dough down to press out the air and cut into two equal pieces. Form each piece into a smooth loaf shape, tucking under ends and positioning seams at the bottom. Place into well buttered or oiled loaf pans which have been lightly dusted with flour. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Bake in a 375°F oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Reduce heat to 350°F if loaves are browning too quickly to keep the crust light, if desired. After 5 minutes, remove loaves from pans and cool on a wire rack to prevent steaming the bread and making it soggy. Bread may optionally be brushed with melted butter for a soft top. When bread has thoroughly cooled, wrap tightly in wax paper or plastic wrap. If bread is to be stored more than 1 day, it may be covered tightly and refrigerated or frozen.
To make Pepperoni Bread, use the same white bread recipe. After the first rising, roll the dough into a rectangle, approximately 8x12 inches, on a floured board. Spread 1/4 pound of sliced pepperoni evenly over the dough and top with 2 ounces of grated or sliced American, mozzarella, or Provolone cheese. A few tablespoons seasoned pizza sauce may optionally be spread over the cheese as a variation.
Roll into a loaf, in a jelly roll fashion, and crimp the end. Place the loaf on a greased baking sheet, crimped side down. Make 4 evenly spaced slits on the top of the loaf, and brush with an egg that has been slightly beaten with a few drops of water.
Cover with a cloth; allow to rise until doubled in bulk. Bake in a 375°F oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.

BUTTERMILK WHITE BREAD
2 tbsp. active dry yeast
1 tbsp. honey (or more, to taste)
1/2 c. warm (105 degree) water
4 c. unbleached white flour
1 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. oil
1 c. buttermilk

Combine the yeast, honey, and water, allow to proof 5 minutes. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Knead 10 minutes more, adding flour as needed. Place in large Tupperware bowl with lid.
Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour; punch down and divide into portions (2 equal parts for 2 loaves, etc). Form into loaves.
Place loaves into greased baking pans (use butter, shortening or non-stick spray). Allow to rise again until nearly doubled in size (about another 30 minutes).
Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 40-60 minutes, or until top crust is golden and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom (depends on size of loaves and how long they are allowed to rise).
Remove and brush tops with melted butter while still warm. Cool on wire racks.
This recipe also makes delicious rolls. Baked loaves freeze well. A light, chewy and well crusted bread.
Yield: 2 small loaves or 1 large loaf (about 20 servings).

STANDARD WHITE OR WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
1 cake yeast
1/4 c. lukewarm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. shortening
2 tbsp. sugar
2 c. milk, scalded
6 c. sifted flour, about

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD:
1 cake yeast
1/4 c. lukewarm water
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. shortening
2 c. milk, scalded
3 c. whole wheat flour
3 c. sifted white flour
Add yeast to lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let stand 5 minutes. Add salt, shortening and remaining sugar to milk and cool to lukewarm. Add softened yeast and 3 cups flour. Beat well. Add enough more flour to make soft dough.
Place remaining flour on board, turn out dough on floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turn dough over so that greased side is on top, cover with cloth and let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down and let rise a second time if desired. Cut dough in half, round into balls, cover and let stand 10 minutes.
Shape into loaves and place in greased bread pans. Grease tops, cover with cloth and let double in bulk. Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake 35-40 minutes longer

6 to 7 c. flour
2 pkg. yeast
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1/4 c. shortening
2 1/4 c. hot water
Blend 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast in bowl. Add shortening and water. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 1 cup flour and beat 1 minute at high speed. Add enough flour to make soft dough. Knead until smooth - about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest on counter for 20 minutes. Shape into rolls or loaves. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 24 hours. Take out 10 minutes ahead of baking time. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

1/2 c. warm water
2 pkg. yeast (dry or compressed)
1 tbsp. sugar
Mix together until dissolved. Let stand 20 minutes.

1 egg
2 tsp. salt
Yeast mixture
1/4 c. oil (3/4 for rolls)
1/3 c. sugar (3/4 for rolls)
2 c. warm water
6 1/2 c. flour
Beat egg in large bowl. Add salt, yeast mixture, oil and sugar to beaten egg. Stir, then add warm water. Gradually add flour. Mix, then knead well. Place in large bowl, cover with damp cloth and let rise. Punch down and make into loaves (or rolls). Bake at 400 degrees. (Loaves for 40 minutes and rolls for 15 minutes.)

Hope this helps

Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.

John F. Kennedy

Doc
Administrator

Posts: 137

Basic bread Oct 2, 2013 17:44:17 GMT -5

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Post by Doc on Oct 2, 2013 17:44:17 GMT -5

Yeast Bread:

1/2 c. lukewarm water
1 tsp. sugar
2 pkgs. yeast (Fleishmanns)

Mix with fork. Add: 1/2 c. sugar 1 tsp. salt

Mix with preceding ingredients. Add: 1 egg, beaten 4 to 6 c. all-purpose flour

Let rise in warm place until double in bulk. Knead dough. Place in greased muffin tins or bread pans. Let rise again. Bake it at 350 degrees until tops are light medium brown. Makes 24 rolls and 1 loaf or 12 rolls and 2 loaves.

Ingredients

1 packet of dry yeast (or 2¼ teaspoons if you like to buy bulk yeast like I do)
¼ cup warm water – not hot, should be around 105-115°F or comfortably warm to stick your finger in for several seconds
1 cup milk (I use whole because if I’m going to the trouble to make homemade bread, I want to be sure it tastes the best it possibly can)
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (You can totally use 4 if you have a half stick to use up)
1 large egg, beaten (I suggest doubling this for cinnamon rolls)
2 Tablespoons honey (sugar can be used instead; again i suggest doubling for cinnamon rolls)
¾ teaspoon table salt (I usually use kosher or sea salt and use 2 teaspoons)
1 cup + 2 cups all-purpose flour + more for kneading
Oil or non-stick spray

Instructions

Set a stick of butter out to warm up so you have spreadable butter when your bread is done – nothing worse than forgetting and not having spreadable butter!

Add yeast to the warm water – again make sure it’s not too hot or your yeast will die.
Stir until yeast is mostly dissolved and allow to bloom (or sit) 5 minutes. The mixture should have bubbles on the surface – otherwise your water was too hot and killed the yeast, or your yeast is dead and you need to start with a fresh batch, but at least you found out at the beginning! (See photo #1 below.)
While the yeast mixture sits, place milk, butter, honey/sugar, and salt into a mircowave-safe bowl/cup or saucepan. Microwave for around 1 minute accrding to how powerful your microwave is or heat over low heat on the stove. I like to cut the butter into small pieces before heating to make sure it all melts without the milk getting too hot. If the mixture is over 115°F or feels hot to the touch, you’ll need to let it sit a few minutes to cool down.
While the milk mixture cools down, add 1 whole egg and 1 cup flour to the yeast mixture and stir/mix on level 2 with dough hook to combine. It doesn’t need to be mixed perfectly like a cake batter, it will look shaggy.
Once the milk mixture has cooled enough, add it to the flour/egg/yeast mixture. Add another cup of flour and mix with a spatula or on level 2 with a dough hook.
Then add a 3rd cup of flour and mix in. This should make the dough wet and sticky and still shaggy, yet pliable enough to start kneading (by hand or in the mixer). See photo #2 below.
Flour your kneading surface lightly if kneading by hand – I like to use a silicone mat to help the dough stick less and have things be easier to clean.
Knead the dough 6-8 minutes (4-6 in mixer), adding a small amount of flour to the surface and/or your hands when the dough starts to stick. The amount of flour this will take will depend on the humidity of the day and even the flour you are using. Around the 6-8 minute mark, the dough sholud be noticably smoother and be elastic (springs back when pulled). The dough should be soft and still slightly sticky. For mixer kneading, the dough should be forming a ball that clears the sides of the bowl – once done it should be elastic when you pull on it. If dough is overly sticky when you do this, you need to add a bit more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time.
Take your clean rising bowl and coat with cooking spray or oil. Form the dough into a smooth ball by tucking the seam around a few times to the base. Place the bread “pretty” side down to coat with oil and then flip it so this side is now on top. This is so the dough doesn’t dry out. When using the mixer, I just pat the dough down evenly and let it rise there – hooray for less dirty dishes! See photo #3 below.
Cover the dough with a clean towel (you may want to slightly dampen if it’s a really dry day) or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm area for around an hour until doubled. If your house is cold, turn your oven on the lowest setting a few minutes while kneading, then turn off and add your dough container to rise.
At this point, if you’re not ready to use the dough once it has risen, you can either punch it down and let it rise again until you’re ready, stick it in the fridge punching down as needed for up to 2 days, or freeze.
After the dough has doubled, it’s time to punch it down. Just make a fist and “punch” the dough until all the air is out.
Shape the dough as desired – classic yeast rolls, clover-leaf rolls, a loaf, boules, etc. The classic roll is easiest and is what is pictured so that’s what I’ll explain this time
If you want rolls that are absolutely equal shape and size, you’ll want to pat or lightly roll out the dough and then cut it into even square shapes. I’m lazy and imperfect so I expect the same of my rolls and just pinch off the dough in sizes as similar as possible.

Take the piece of dough, grab an edge and fold it down to the bottom, repeating on all sides until you have a roundish shape with a smooth top. Place the roll in the pan with the unsmooth or “ugly” side down.
A note on pans and crust – If you like softer crust, I suggest placing them in a glass dish with high edges, like a 9×13. If you like a crisper crust, I suggest a metal sheet or pan, like a half-sheet so the edges are more exposed during baking. Either way, make sure you leave about ½ to 1 inch between the rolls so they have room to rise and expand, with just enough space so that they will touch when fully risen. This will help them rise nice and tall and create that flaky pull-apart yumminess we all love.
Repeat the above step until all dough is used.
Once all rolls have been made, cover the pan(s) with another clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise until double in size.
Make sure your oven rack is set to the middle of your oven so the top and bottom can brown evenly. Preheat your oven to 350°F about 15-20 minutes before you’re ready to start baking.
Take off the towel or wrap on your rolls and place in the oven and bake until done. Exact time will depend on how large you made your rolls and how hot your oven actually heats. Mine usually take 20-25 minutes. Other shapes and sizes will vary, loaves will take 40 – 60 minutes depending on your oven (I make just one loaf out of this recipe.) To be sure, you can use an instant-read thermometer and aim for at least 190°F.
Once done, take your rolls out, allowing the pan to cool a minute and then immediately remove rolls from the pan so the bottoms don’t get soggy. While waiting, you can melt some butter to brush on top, if desired. I usually use regular butter, but you can spice things up with garlic, onion, honey cinnamon or whatever sounds good to you. Remember if you’re using these for sandwiches or sliders, you’ll want to let them cool completely for slicing success – and always use a good bread knife!

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
2-1/4 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
6-1/4 to 6-3/4 cups flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Shape each into a loaf. Place in two greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).

Buttermilk Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk*
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons Instant Active Dry Yeast
* Learn how to make a Buttermilk Substitution.

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select dough setting and press start. Check the dough (don't be afraid to open the lid). It should form a nice elastic ball. If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time).

When dough cycle has finished, remove dough from pan and turn out onto a lightly oiled surface. Form dough into an oval, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

After resting, turn dough bottom side up and press to flatten. Shape dough into a loaf and place in a loaf pan that's been coated with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise for approximately 30 to 60 minutes or until doubled (time can vary depending on room temperature).

Oven Bread Rising: Sometimes I use my oven for the rising. Turn the oven on for a minute or so, then turn it off again. This will warm the oven and make it a great environment for rising bread. If you can't comfortably press your hand against the inside of the oven door, the oven is too hot. Let it stand open to cool a bit.

Cool or Refrigerator Bread Rise: If I don't have the time to wait for the rise to finish or I know that I will be interrupted before the completed rise, I do a cool rise. A cool rise is when the dough is place in the refrigerator and left to rise slowly over night approximately 8 to 12 hours. I usually do this after the first rise and the dough has been shaped into a loaf.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. (A good check is to use an instant digital thermometer to test your bread. The temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees.) Remove from oven and cool on a bread rack for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

This is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the Thermapen Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional users, the Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined: Thermapen Thermometer.

Makes 1 1/2-pound loaf.

Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked old-fashioned oatmeal
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup boiling water
3 cups bread flour
3 teaspoons instant active dry yeast

Preparation:

Put the oatmeal, vegetable oil, molasses, sugar, and salt in the pan of the bread machine; add boiling water. Allow to stand for 30 minutes or until mixture has cooled to warm.

Add the flour and yeast. Select dough setting and press start. Check the dough (don't be afraid to open the lid). It should form a nice elastic ball. If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time).

When dough cycle has finished, remove dough from pan and turn out onto a lightly oiled surface. Form dough into an oval, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

After resting, turn dough bottom side up and press to flatten. Shape dough into a loaf and place in a loaf pan that's been coated with cooking spray. Cover and place in a warm spot to rise for approximately 30 minutes or until doubled.

Oven Rising: Sometimes I use my oven for the rising. Turn the oven on for a minute or so, then turn it off again. This will warm the oven and make it a great environment for rising bread. If you can't comfortably press your hand against the inside of the oven door, the oven is too hot. Let it stand open to cool a bit.

Cool or Refrigerator Rise: If I don't have the time to wait for the rise to finish or I know that I will be interrupted before the completed rise, I do a cool rise. A cool rise is when the dough is place in the refrigerator and left to rise slowly over night approximately 8 to 12 hours. I usually do this after the first rise and the dough has been shaped into a loaf.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. (A good check is to use an instant digital thermometer to test your bread. The temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees.) Remove from oven and cool on a bread rack for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

This is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the Thermapen Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional users, the Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined: Thermapen Thermometer.

Makes one 1 1/2-pound loaf.

Rye Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup lukewarm strong coffee (110 degrees F.)
3/4 cup lukewarm water or milk (110 degrees F.)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional)*
2 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour*
1 cup light rye flour
1 tablespoon instant active dry yeast (I use SAF Instant Active Dry Yeast)

* The Vital Wheat Gluten helps the bread dough rise better, be more elastic, and easier to roll out

Preparation:

Bread Machine: Add all the ingredients in the bread pan of bread machine. Process according to manufacturer's instructions for a dough setting. NOTE: Don't be afraid to open the lid and check the dough. It should form a nice elastic ball. When the bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove the dough from the pan to a lightly floured surface.

Standup Mixer: In a large bowl or in the bowl of a 5 quart stand mixer, add all the ingredients. Using dough hook, mix everything together into a uniform dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until elastic, about 15 minutes. NOTE: In an electric mixer, it should take about 9 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

After resting, knead dough on a lightly floured board by pulling the dough towards you and then pushing down and forward with the palms of your hands (kneading gives the bread the elasticity and lets it rise).

After dough has risen, remove from bowl, and place on a lightly floured board. Shape dough either into a loaf shape or a 10-inch disk; place on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet that is dusted with cornmeal (I use the new silpads instead of cornmeal). Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.

Oven Rising: Sometimes I use my oven for the rising. Turn the oven on for a minute or so, then turn it off again. This will warm the oven and make it a great environment for rising bread. If you can't comfortably press your hand against the inside of the oven door, the oven is too hot. Let it stand open to cool a bit.

Cool or Refrigerator Rise: If I don't have the time to wait for the rise to finish or I know that I will be interrupted before the completed rise, I do a cool rise. A cool rise is when the dough is place in the refrigerator and left to rise slowly over night approximately 8 to 12 hours. I usually do this after the first rise and the dough has been shaped into a loaf.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

After rising, slash the bread with a bread razor or a very sharp knife making three 1/2-inch deep diagonal slashes. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely browned. (A good check is to use an instant digital thermometer to test your bread. The temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees.) Remove from oven and place the bread on a wire rack to cool.

This is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the Thermapen Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional users, the Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined: Thermapen Thermometer.

Let baked loaf cool for 30 minutes before cutting (this is because the bread is still cooking while it is cooling).

Makes 1 large loaf.

Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.

John F. Kennedy

Doc
Administrator

Posts: 137

Basic bread Oct 2, 2013 17:45:30 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Doc on Oct 2, 2013 17:45:30 GMT -5

Amish sourdough starter and Amish bread:

Getting Started with Starters:
Sourdough and Amish Friendship Bread
Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Bread
by Patricia Mitchell

Cooks have been baking with starters for thousands of years. Before mankind figured out how to enlist the aid of the micro-organisms known to us as yeast, all bread was unleavened -- that is, it was "flat" (like pita, tortillas, etc. ). Simply put, bread didn't rise.

Sometime back before the ancient Egyptians, however, bakers learned that if they captured airborne wild yeast, and fed and nurtured it properly, they could produce an endless array of breads, cakes, pancakes, biscuits, scones, muffins, rolls, all light and fluffy and made possible by the hard-working little fungi (that's what yeast is -- a fungus).

Such starters were vital in the pre-modern kitchen or even around the campfire. During the California goldrush, grizzled prospectors were known to spend cold nights curled around their crock of starter to keep it from freezing. Ironically, however, starter is able to withstand cold extremes more readily than heat.
Start Me Up!
There are three ways to obtain a starter. You can

Get some from a friend
Buy it, or
Make your own

If you know someone with a supply of sourdough starter, they will probably be delighted to give you some of theirs, just as you will be happy to share yours after you get it going. Some strains of starter can be traced back in this country for hundreds of years, and around the Mediterranean for thousands.

There are many sources, both retail and mail order, for sourdough starter, either in liquid or powdered form. Each will be accompanied by instructions for care and feeding.

Making your own starter is fun and interesting. There are two ways, one of which relies upon store-bought dry yeast, and the other, capturing wild yeast from the air. No question about it, the method using commercial dry yeast is the more foolproof, successful way to produce starter. You can never be quite certain what you'll come up with when you go after the wild stuff, but that's a big part of what makes it fun.
Active Dry Yeast Method

2 cups Warm water
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
1 packet (or 1 tablespoon) Active dry yeast
2 cups All-Purpose flour

Into a clean, 2-quart glass or ceramic bowl, jar or crock, pour the water. Dissolve first the sugar or honey, and then the yeast. Gradually, stir in the flour. Cover the container with a clean cloth (not plastic wrap or waxed paper -- you want the air to be able to get through) and put it in a warm place (between 80 and 85 degrees, ideally). The mixture will start to "work" almost immediately with small bubbles forming on the surface. Stir it once per day and, in three to five days, the bubbling will subside. Give it a good, healthy sniff and, when it has a clean, yeasty, sour smell, it's ready. Give it a final stir (it should have the consistency of pancake batter), cover loosely and refrigerate.
Wild Yeast Method

2 cups Warm water
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
2 cups All-Purpose flour

To make sure you're starting with no undesirable bacteria, scald the container your starter will be going into with boiling water and drain. Mix the water, sugar or honey and flour as described above, and cover with a clean cloth. Set the container in a warm place in your kitchen. Give it a stir every day. If you have been successful in trapping wild yeast, it should start to "work" within a few days. Let it work for three or four days, stirring it each day. When the smell is yeasty and sour, transfer it to a clean container and refrigerate until you're ready to use it.

This is important: If the mixture develops mold, turns an odd color (pink, orange, green, blue) or smells anything other than sour and clean, throw it out. The wild yeast in your kitchen just may not want to cooperate or there may not be enough present to start the starter.
Sourdough Starter Care and Feeding Tips

If the water in your area contains chlorine, use distilled water or tap water that you've allowed to set out for 24 hours when you make your starter. Chlorine can put a lid on the development of yeast.
Your sourdough starter will live in the refrigerator -- bottom shelf preferred.
Use only glass, glazed ceramic or crockery to hold your starter. No metal or plastic. And start clean, and keep it clean. Every so often, you can dump the starter into a temporary container while you wash its permanent container in hot, soapy water. The container should be covered, but the lid should not be air-tight.
I've read many recipes that caution you in BIG CAPITAL LETTERS never to stir your starter with anything other than a wooden or plastic spoon. My starter is living proof that a quick stir with a stainless steel spoon won't hurt it.
Let's say you use one cup of the starter to make Sourdough Bread. Replenish your starter by stirring in one cup of water and one cup of flour. After feeding or replenishing your starter, you should let it sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours, then stir and pop it back into the refrigerator.
If you don't use your starter, you still have to feed it. Under most circumstances, it needs a feeding every two weeks or so. Just stir it up, pour a cup down the drain (I always feel like a murderer when I do this), then replenish as usual.
Healthy starter will develop a yellowish liquid on its surface. The liquid contains 12% to 14% alcohol and is part of what gives sourdough breads their distinctive taste. The alcohol dissipates during the baking process, so don't worry about getting tipsy from your home-baked bread. Be sure and stir the liquid back into the starter before using it.

If you don't use your starter, you still have to feed it. Starter is pretty tough. It can handle neglect surprisingly well. If you've ignored the needs of your starter well past two weeks, try to revive it before abandoning it altogether. It may look dark, but if it doesn't smell bad (or different from the way it usually smells), stir it well and give it a good meal -- use two cups of flour and one cup of water. Cover it, and leave it out on your kitchen counter for 12 hours or so. If you can see lots of tiny bubbles and if it smells right, you've succeeded in reviving it. Promise that you'll never neglect it again, and pop it in the refrigerator.

If you want to increase the amount of starter so you can share it with a friend or use in lots of baking, just feed it more. Just remember to not refrigerator it for at least 24 hours after you've fed it in order to give the yeast an opportunity to "work."
"Amish" Friendship Bread
The so-called Amish Friendship Bread is a sweet variation of sourdough. Given that cooks have been inventing sourdough recipes for several thousand years, it is doubtful that it truly originated with the Amish, but that is neither here nor there. The popularity of this starter seems to ebb and flow every four or five years, and there's no denying it makes a fine cake. And, by the way, Friendship Bread is closer to cake than bread. It's bread the way Banana Bread is bread.

The problem with Friendship Bread is that the starter process that is in general circulation is a lot more trouble than sourdough starter. First of all, this starter (and this is a milk-based starter) never sees the inside of a refrigerator; it lives at room temperature. Probably not a problem, but one never knows. Next, it takes 10 days to complete the cycle, during which time you have to stir the starter every day and feed it twice. Which leaves you with a large quantity of starter -- enough supposedly to give away to three friends. I can personally attest to having personal experience with this process and, I must say, I felt like a slave to it very quickly. In practically no time, I ran through all the friends I had who really wanted any starter. I found myself pressing it upon acquaintances. "C'mon. It's easy. You'll love it." I stopped caring about how good a home my starter was going to get. Then I started throwing it away. So I just quit.

But there's a light on the horizon. The people at King Arthur Flour have come up with a new Friendship Starter that you make using sourdough starter. Best of all, it makes only enough for your own baking needs (although you can make more if you want to) and, once you get it going, it stays refrigerated.

Here is their recipe for the Friendship Starter and the Friendship Cake:

1 cup Sourdough starter
1 cup Milk
1 cup Sugar
1 cup All-Purpose flour (they prefer the King Arthur brand)

Take a cup of traditional starter and put it in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the milk, sugar and flour and blend well. Cover with plastic wrap and let it work for at least 24 hours.

Feed the starter you don't use in the cake with equal parts of milk, sugar and flour, enough just for you. Or, in friendship spirit, make enough to divide and share. Let it sit at room temperature for several hours to grow. After it's bubbly and healthy, store it in your refrigerator the way you store you other sourdough starter. If you give some away, remember to feed your starter so you'll always have the two cups you need for the recipe and a cup left over to grow some more.
Friendship Cake
The first time you make a cake with this traditional-turned-friendship starter, it won't be quite as sweet as it will be the second time. You can either add a bit more sugar to the cake batter to compensate or try it as is. Either way, it is an exceptional cake.

2/3 cup Vegetable oil
1 cup Sugar
3 Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 cups Friendship starter
1-½ to 2 cups All-Purpose flour (they prefer the King Arthur brand)
1-½ teaspoons Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1-½ teaspoons Baking soda
2 teaspoons Baking powder
½ teaspoon Salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until light. Add the starter and beat until smooth. Blend the dry ingredients together and fold into the starter mixture. Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Variations:

Just before baking, fold in up to 2 cups of chopped nuts, diced apple or applesauce, raisins or whatever seems appropriate.
For a chocolate version, substitute 1/2 cup cocoa powder for the cinnamon and nutmeg and add any other ingredients at your own discretion. Some possibilities that come to mind are chocolate chips, chopped nuts, minced orange peel and rum or mint extract.

If you've had any experience at all with the King Arthur Flour people, you know how good they are. Their cookbook is wonderful: The King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. They have an excellent mail-order catalog which you can sign up for at their site or by calling 1-800-777-4434. These people know their stuff.
Sourdough Pancakes
You have to get a jump on pancakes made with sourdough starter by starting the night before.

2 cups All-Purpose flour
1 tablespoon Sugar
2 cups Buttermilk, slightly warmed
1 cup Sourdough starter
2 Eggs (at room temperature)
¼ cup Melted butter or canola oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking soda

Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Blend in the buttermilk and the sourdough starter. Cover and allow mixture to work overnight at room temperature.

In the morning, beat together the eggs, butter or oil, salt and soda. Blend this mixture into the starter mixture. Batter will bubble and foam. Drop by 1/4-cupfuls onto a medium-hot griddle and cook until large bubbles appear. Flip over and cook until browned. Makes about 15 pancakes.
Sourdough Bread for the Bread Machine
Many recipes for sourdough bread call for yeast. The yeast assists the starter with the leavening, and the starter imparts the distinctive sourdough flavor.

1-½ cups Sourdough starter
1/3 cup Milk
3 tablespoons Melted butter
3 cups Bread flour
1-½ tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Active dry yeast

Add the ingredients to your bread machine in the order recommended by your machine's manufacturer. Use the "light" setting, if appropriate, and allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing. This recipes makes a 1-1/2 pound loaf.

Cooking with sourdough is a vast subject. There are countless recipes and many, many cookbooks devoted to it. Whether you cultivate your own starter, buy one or inherit it from a friend or relative, you will soon begin to treasure it. Your starter, after all, is composed of living organisms. The longer you use and nurture it, the greater affinity you will feel for it.

I hope you will begin to explore sourdough cooking. Having a starter means never again being completely alone in your kitchen.

Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.

John F. Kennedy

Doc
Administrator

Posts: 137

Basic bread Oct 2, 2013 17:49:17 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Doc on Oct 2, 2013 17:49:17 GMT -5

and from Jackmountain Bushcraft, here is a great article about making acorn flour. Awesome resource while in the wild.

Acorns and Acorn Bread
by Dan Fisher

On a windy day in September I took time out from work to go on a day hike with two friends, Dave and Eric. We climbed Mt. Megunticook in Camden, and traversed some of the nearby trails. Eric and I stopped often to stuff some of the abundant acorns into my daypack. This year (1997) there seems to be a good crop of acorns. Some people say that a lot of acorns mean the winter will be a harsh one.

Acorns and oaks have a multitude of uses. All types of acorns throughout the country are edible. In south coastal Maine, where I live, the most predominant oak is the Red Oak. Acorns from the Red Oak group have a lot of tannic acid in them that must be leached out to make them edible. Although the leaf shapes of the trees in the Red Oak category vary somewhat, the end of the leaf lobes on all of these oaks are pointed. All of the oaks in the White Oak group have leaves with the ends of the lobes rounded. Acorns from the White Oak group need little or no processing. They have a low tannic acid content, and are naturally sweet. I've been in areas of Arizona where most of the oaks were sweet and I was able to pick the acorns off the ground and eat them as a tasty ready-to-go treat.

There are several reasons White Oaks are few and far between in my neck of the woods. They can take as long as fifty years to produce acorns. When the acorns fall to the ground they are the preferred food of many animals including deer, turkeys, grouse, squirrels, chipmunks and more. Squirrels are known to eat the White Oak acorns first and bury the Red Oak acorns for later in the winter or spring. Over time some of the bitterness is leached out of the acorns by the moisture in the ground, aided by snowmelt and rain.

In some areas of the country, even in recent history, acorns were a staple food for native peoples. Over the course of history it has been estimated that many more millions of tons of acorns have been consumed by humans than wheat, rice, and other grains.

Acorns can easily be processed into nutritious flour. First they must be shelled. A fist sized rock works great as a nutcracker. After I shell them I like to crush the acorn meats into smaller pieces before boiling. This allows the tannic acid to be leached out more quickly.

Take the shelled, crushed acorn meats and put them into a pot of already boiling water. As the acorns boil the water will become discolored. When the water is dark brown (every ten minutes or so of boiling), strain out the acorn meats and switch them to another pot of already boiling water. Continue this process until the nutmeats no longer taste bitter. I generally do 3 or 4 water changes. The amount of boiling you do will vary depending on your acorns and your patience. I've made sweet tasting acorn bread with acorn meal that still had some bitterness to it. Experiment.

When switching the acorns from one pot of water to another, make sure the water is boiling before adding the acorns. Switching the acorns from boiling water to cold water seems to lock in the bitterness. When most of the bitterness is gone from the nutmeats, the meats can be crushed into a meal or mush. The wet meal can be used right away in a bread recipe, or dried and stored as flour is. It will keep as long as flour does if kept dry.

I mix a lighter flour such as cattail or wheat flour with the acorn meal when making bread. Acorn flour is heavy and the bread may fall apart if not made of a mixture of flours. White flour, corn flour, and soy flour all will do.

Another way to leach out tannins from acorns is to put them in a mesh sack and leave them in a running stream for a week or so. The length of time and results will vary depending on the acorns, the water temperature and flow rate, and other factors.

If you use the boiling method don't throw away the brown water. This water is a tannic acid solution that has a variety of uses. It can be used as a dye for clothing. When used this way it needs a fixer or the color will fade after washing. The tannic acid can also be used as a laundry detergent. Put a couple of cups of the solution in each load of wash. It cleans well, and the clothing will smell great, but it will color whites a slightly tan color.

The solution is antiviral and antiseptic. It can be used as a skin wash for rashes, skin irritations, burns, poison ivy, cuts, etc. It can be gargled for sore throats or taken as a mild tea for diarrhea and dysentery, or used externally on hemorrhoids. Store jars of tannic acid solution in jars in the refrigerator. If mold forms on top after time, the solution can be reboiled to kill the mold and stored again.

Animal hides can be tanned more easily by soaking them in the tannic acid from the acorns. Hide tanning is the process of making a raw animal skin into a comfortable, pliable, durable piece of clothing. The use of the boiled brown acorn water in producing "tanned" hides is why we call this water tannic acid.

I've used the following basic acorn bread recipe often. I've also varied it quite a bit depending on the availability of ingredients. Some of the most delicious acorn bread I've made has been using only acorns, syrup, flour, and water. Good Luck.
ACORN BREAD

2 cups acorn flour
2 cups cattail or white flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup maple syrup or sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
Bake in pan for 30 minutes or until done at 400 degrees

Using the ingredients given above will produce a sweet, moist, nutty bread. The ingredients can be varied to produce different types of bread or muffins or pancakes, etc. Acorn bread is highly nutritious. It has an energy giving combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. John Muir called dry acorn cakes "the most compact and strength giving food" he had ever used. I use maple syrup from the trees in my woods instead of sugar. Not only do I enjoy the wild beauty and fiery colors of the maples and oaks that surround my farm, but I also savor the sweet acorn bread made from their nuts and sap. What better way is there to get to know the trees than to live under them and eat from their bounty?

The notes below were written by Tim Smith.

While the season for poison ivy is just about behind us, the season for acorns is in full swing. Many people have heard that acorns can be eaten, and a few have actually put them in their mouths, only to spit them out while their faces puckered up. This is due to the tannic acid in the acorns, which much be leached out. To do this, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then dump in the shelled acorns. Let them boil until the water turns a dark color, then remove the acorns and put them into another pot of clean, boiling water. Continue this process until they no longer have the puckering effect when you chew on them. Then use them for snacks, grind into flour, or use any way you please. It is important to put them into boiling water for good-tasting acorns, as putting them into a pot of cold water, then bringing it to a boil tends to lock in the tannic acid. Don't throw out the water, as it is naturally astringent (contracts or tightens up tissues) and great for the skin. By now you might be curious how this relates to poison ivy. The connection is that acorn water is amazingly effective in eliminating it. A recent discussion with a quick-witted summer camp director from Pennsylvania confirmed my anecdotal evidence. I was informed that it had eliminated symptoms in 95% of cases at his camp within three days. The method used in this case was to pour the acorn water into ice trays and freeze, then rub the ice on the affected area. Cold also helps with inflamed tissues, making the ice an ideal delivery mechanism. If you grind the acorns into flour you can make delicious and nutritious acorn bread. Here's how:

50% or less Acorn flour (if you use more than 50%, bread will be too crumbly)
50% or more wheat (preferably whole wheat) flour
a bit of fat (olive oil, bear grease, butter, or whatever you have)
1 teaspoon of baking powder for each cup of flour

If you don't grind the acorns well, you have nut bread, so there's no need to be overly assiduous. Mix the ingredients, add enough water for a clay-like dough, and bake until done. To test if done, get a stick and push it into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean and dry, it's done. If it comes out wet and sticky, it needs to cook more. Cooking time depends on temperature, size of the loaf you're making, and how wet the dough is. If you do it a few times, you'll get it right.

Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.

John F. Kennedy