Breads

ALL-PURPOSE BREAD
1 T. yeast
1 ¼ c. very warm water
1 c. milk
2 T. oil
1 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar
6 c. flour, approx.
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl, let stand for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, gently heat milk in microwave. Add milk, 3 cups of flour, sugar, oil, and salt and blend well with a hand mixer. Add 2 more cups of flour, stir with wooden spoon; dough should still be sticky, but add minimal additional flour, just enough to turn out and knead on floured surface, adding additional flour where it is sticky as you knead. Let rise about an hour or until roughly doubled, shape into loaves and place in greased bread pans. I find slits in the tops of the loaves are helpful to reduce air pockets in the finished loaf. Let loaves rise again until tops are just peeking over the edge of the pan, then bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees for a golden crust, 375 degrees for a browner crust. Remove from oven and from pans, let cool briefly then rub tops with butter. Let cool more thoroughly before storing: either at room temperature for about a day, or in the freezer. Do NOT store in the fridge. Can be thawed in the microwave from frozen, or re-baked directly from frozen at 350˚ for half an hour for real fresh-baked taste. Makes 2 loaves worth.

Variations:
Pizza dough -- After first rising, roll each loaf’s worth out to fit onto a pizza pan; let rest for 15-30 minutes, then prick with a fork and bake at 550˚ for 5 minutes. Brush olive oil over crust, add sauce and toppings, and bake again (same temperature) for about 10 more minutes.

Scones -- after first rising, punch dough down and roll about 1 cm thick; use a knife or pizza cutter to slice dough into squares, diamonds, and triangles 2-3 inches long per side. Fry in an inch or two of hot oil until golden and puffy, turning over with tongs partway through. Drain on paper towels, slit open and drizzle with jam or honey inside.

Pita bread -- After first rising, divide dough into 16 equal balls (8 per loaf’s worth) and roll each one into about a 6-inch circle. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a cookie sheet, and place circles there to rest briefly; then bake at 550˚ for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool pitas inside paper bags.


BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

2 c. flour
½ tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 T. sugar
½ c. lard
⅔ c. milk*

Combine dry ingredients, then cut the lard in with a pastry blender until the mixture is coarse crumbs. Add the milk all at once and stir until dough forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead briefly, then roll out to ½ in. thick. Cut into rounds, and bake on greased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes at 425º.
*For drop biscuits, simply use 1 full cup of milk instead and skip the kneading, rolling and cutting.


CORNBREAD

1 c. flour
1 c cornmeal
2 T. sugar
1 T. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
¼ c. oil
2 eggs

Stir together dry ingredients. In smaller bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add to dry and stir well. Pour into greased square pan and bake at 425˚ for 18-20 minutes.


CREAM BISCUITS

2 c. flour
½ tsp. salt
1 T. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
1 - 1 ½ c. cream
2 T. melted butter

Preheat oven to 425º. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Slowly add 1 cup of the cream to the mixture, stirring constantly. Add additional cream as needed until the dough holds together and feels tender. Knead the dough briefly on a lightly floured surface, then pat into a square about ½ in. thick. Cut into twelve squares, brush each with melted butter on all sides and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.


HAMBURGER BUNS

½ c. instant mashed potato flakes
1 c. boiling water
1 T. yeast
¼ c. water
1 c. cottage cheese
¼ c. sugar
2 T. oil
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1 c. bread flour
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 - 1 ½ c. all-purpose flour

Combine potatoes and boiling water in a large bowl, let cool until warm. Add yeast, remaining water, cottage cheese, sugar, oil, egg, and salt; stir. Add bread flour and 1 c. of all-purpose flour and beat with a hand mixer for a few minutes, until stretchy-looking. Stir in whole wheat flour, turn dough out and knead, using additional all-purpose flour as necessary. Let rise until doubled, about 1 ½ hours; punch down and cut or tear into 12 pieces, shape these into balls by tucking sides underneath. Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet, let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes.


MUESLI BREAD

1 T. yeast
3 T. honey
2 c. warm water
1 T. powdered milk
1 T. vinegar
2 T. butter
2 T. oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. oats
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. dried fruit
1 c. whole wheat flour
4 c. flour

Add ingredients in order listed, reserving 1 c. flour to knead in. Knead for approximately 10 min. Let rise, shape into loaves, let rise again and bake 35 min. at 375˚.


OATS N' WHEAT DINNER ROLLS

3 - 3 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. oats
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 T yeast
2 c. milk
6 T. butter
2 eggs
2 c. whole wheat flour

Combine 2 c. flour, oats, sugar, salt, and yeast. Heat milk and butter until very warm (but butter need not be completely melted), add to flour mixture. Add eggs. Blend with a mixer 2 min. Stir in whole wheat flour and additional all-purpose flour. Knead, let rise till double, shape into 24 balls and place in greased 10x15 pan with a lip/sides, let rise till nearly double. Bake at 375˚ for 20-25 min.


PIZZA DOUGH

1 T. yeast
1 ½ c. warm water
½ tsp. salt
olive oil
4 c. flour

Stir together yeast, warm water, salt, and 1 T. oil in a bowl. Stir in 2 ¼ c. flour, beat with mixer until dough is stretchy. Stir in 1 ⅓ c. more flour and knead, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Let rise 45 min., then shape 2 pizzas and let rest 15-30 min. Prick with fork and bake at 450˚ for 5 minutes; brush with olive oil, top with sauce, cheese, and toppings, and bake again for about 10 minutes.


SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

1 T. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 c. sourdough starter
6 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cornstarch blended with 1/2 c. cold water

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl; let stand until foamy. Add starter, 4 cups of the flour, salt, and sugar; stir until blended. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir dough down. Stir in about 1 1/2 c. more flour, turn dough out and knead until smooth and satiny. Cut dough in half. Roll each half into a 14-inch log, cover lightly and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 1 hour. Bring cornstarch mixture to boil in a small pan, stirring constantly; remove from heat and let cool briefly. Brush some of the mixture over dough. With a sharp bread knife, cut 1/2-inch deep slashes in tops of loaves. Place a baking pan on lowest rack of oven. Pour in 1 c. hot water. Bake loaves at 400˚ for 10 minutes, brush again with cornstarch mixture, and continue to bake about 25 more minutes until loaves are golden. (Optional: convection bake for 10 then 14 minutes.)

You can also make 2 rounds instead of logs, or cut each log into halves for baguettes. For baguettes, second rising will only take 45 minutes, and you should bake them for 7 minutes, brush with cornstarch, and finish with 20 more minutes.

To make brown-and-serve loaves, bake about 8 more minutes after brushing again with cornstarch (5 more minutes for baguettes), cool, wrap in foil and freeze. When ready to bake, bake for 35 minutes (frozen) or 30 minutes (thawed) at 400˚. Reduce baking time by 5 minutes for baguettes.


WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

2 ½ c. very warm water
2 c. milk
2 scant T. yeast
¼ c. gluten (vital wheat gluten)
8 c. whole wheat flour
¼ c. sugar or real maple syrup
¼ c. oil
2 tsp. salt
1 c. bread flour
about 3 c. all-purpose flour

In a very large mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water and let stand for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, gently heat milk in the microwave. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together 6 c. of whole wheat flour with the gluten, with NO liquids yet. Once it’s evenly mixed, add it and the milk to the large bowl along with the sugar/syrup, oil, and salt. With a hand mixer, blend it well, then add 2 more cups of whole wheat flour and the bread flour. Stir with a wooden spoon (will be sticky still) and turn out and knead on floured surface. Keep a cup full of additional flour handy, adding enough to help form a ball initially and then minimally where it is sticky as you knead.
(See video if you like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXA4yoBs_AM, Kneading Bread by Hand, 7-17-12)
Let rise about an hour or until roughly doubled, shape into loaves in bread pans (slits in the tops of the loaves are nice), let rise again. Bake 35 minutes at 350˚ for a lighter crust, 375 degrees for a browner crust. Remove from oven and from pans, let cool briefly then rub tops with butter. Let cool more thoroughly before storing: either at room temperature for about a day, or in the freezer. Do NOT store in the fridge. Can be thawed in the microwave from frozen, or re-baked directly from frozen at 350 for half an hour for real fresh-baked taste. Recipe can also be used for pizza dough, (fried Utah) scones, pita bread, pretzels, cinnamon rolls, etc. as well as loaves.

Makes 4 loaves worth.


USING UP LEFTOVER BREAD

Put it in the food processor and make bread crumbs (which freeze well) for other recipes
Cube it; stir or shake it up with some olive oil, melted butter, parsley, parmesan, thyme, salt, or other herbs; bake it in the oven until it’s crispy croutons. If any aren’t eaten right away, they freeze very well also
Make Panzanella (see table of contents)
Make a bread pudding