Posted on 07/29/2015 2:39:42 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I've had several requests to do a thread on bread baking. I've hesitated, because it's been quite a while since I baked bread; I'm by no means expert at it; and I don't like to post recipes that I haven't tried and proven recently. But, due to popular demand, here we go!
My first experience with baking bread was back in the 1970s when so many of us young folks were bitten by the 'back-to-nature' bug. I was also experimenting with various levels of vegetarianism, and was very interested in cooking with whole grains.
The first bread I made was a completely whole wheat loaf, from the original 'Laurel's Kitchen' cookbook. At the time, I didn't have a KitchenAid, and did everything by hand. It was very hard kneading this dense dough for the required amount of time, but it turned out pretty well for a rank beginner's attempt. (I'm not sure if making this with a KitchenAid would be a very kind thing to do to the machine's motor, so I would suggest only using the mixer up to a point.)
I found a link to the recipe I used on a forum, and here it is:
http://cathe.com/forum/threads/laurels-kitchen-whole-wheat-bread-recipe.230551/
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Some years ago, a New York Times article on 'No Knead Bread' made quite a splash, and I tried it. The recipe requires a Dutch oven, and we had just bought a new Lodge enameled one (the poor man's Le Creuset ;-).
Well, I proceeded to almost destroy the beautiful new Dutch oven, by baking this bread in it at the recommended temps. I never tried it again, but recently I found a simple solution to the problem of burning your Dutch oven, which also makes transferring this very wet, sticky dough much easier: use parchment!
Here is the original recipe:
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread
And here is YouTuber Dale Calder, showing how he does a sourdough no-knead version using parchment. It's 12 minutes, but he shows some good handling techniques - and his Dutch oven is pristine, compared with what mine looks like now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmADkUSRatY
-JT
This week: The Staff of Life!
Please post your bread-baking recipes, tips and musings. I would especially like a good dinner roll recipe. My Grandmother made perfect ones; she’d knock them out like it was nothing, early on Sunday mornings while everyone else was still asleep.
(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread, please send a private message.)
-JT
Hi, JT!
I have a recipe for biscuits (too easy) from the 1950 Magic Chef Recipe (my mom’s book) and I’ll look in my James Beard on Baking - positively the best and simplest baking book ever written. Eat your heart out Julia and Martha!
Changing subjects, I bought an Anova sous vide stick a month or so ago, and have had good results generally with what I’ve done so far. Did a Cornish hen yesterday that was very juicy and flavorful. 2 hours at 170F IIRC, with EVOO, garlic and rosemary in the bag, then finished in a cast iron pan to brown it up.
I got it one sale at $129. It’s a useful addition to the cooking tools/methods on hand, for the price of a decent pan.
Totally unrelated to bread - I’m terrible at bread, but salsa related.
I love chunky salsa when it’s fresh or homemade. The stuff in the jar though...it’s usually rubbery and never hot enough for my liking.
Now, when I see jars of salsa BOGO, I buy them and turn them into red/taco sauce.
Just dump a jar in a saucepan and add some jalapenos or habaneros (if you want it hotter) and let it cook down for a bit. Then I add a few drops of Dave’s and puree it in the food processor. I store it in a squeeze bottle and use it on everything.
DOWNEAST MAINE PUMPKIN BREAD
recipe makes 3 - 7x3 inch loaf pans
bread actually tastes even better the day after it is baked
Prep Time: 15 Minutes, Cook Time: 50 Minutes, Ready In: 1 Hour 5 Minutes, Servings: 21
INGREDIENTS:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/4 cup water
2 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Splash of vanilla
¼ pumpkin spice
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped rehydrated Craisins OR chocolate chips 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
HINTs/OPTIONs:
. --While on Cooling rack, poked holes in top of muffins and bread, and poured separate hot Cinnamon Sugar Butter combo over holes, allowing it to seep down inside
--used a cast iron bundt pan, greased it and lined it with a cinnamon/sugar mixture to add a kick
--added was some Cane sugar to the top of the bread before baking so the top had a nice hard sweet crust on top .
I love pumpkin bread, thanks!
Using only the pretty red & green Candied Cherries and candied Pineapple, the kind that is made for Fruit Cake. Lots of nuts. The spices of the Pumpkin Bread recipe makes the difference, so yummy.
It is delicious, and the only Fruit Cake my kids will eat.
My brother sends me one every year from Corsicana, Tx. it is the best for a bought fruit cake, but I give it away.....
Savory Parmesan-Garlic Monkey Bread
PREP Separate 4 cans Pillsbury Grands into 8 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Ziplok w/ grated Parm, s/p; shake well.
METHOD Layer in sprayed tube pan w/ shredded Parm. Add to center layer: shredded mozz, garlic/butter. Drizzle top w/ garlic/butter, crushed herbs (can drizzle w/ olive oil).
Bake golden 350 deg 35 min. Cool in pan 10 min. Invert on server. Serve warm.
GARLIC BUTTER Mix melted butter, shredded Parm, herbs, garlic powder.
Has anyone tried something called "Total Recipe Search." ..It popped up when I was looking for a recipe. It appears to be some type of super recipe agregator, ( which sounds pretty neat) across the web, but you have to install some software, which I'm always hesitant to do. Anyone know anything about it, or maybe, if anyone is tech savvy,( which I'm not) they can just take a look at it and see what's involved.. Back later with a favorite bread recipe..
Focaccia (Roman Bread)
1 Packet Yeast
2-1/2 Cups Warm Water (100F)
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
6 Cups Flour
2 Tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Minced Onion
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Dried Rosemary Leaves
Dried Onion
In a warm glass or metal bowl combine water, yeast & sugar.
Completely dissolve yeast, add flour, salt & onion and knead until smooth (you can use a mixer if available).
Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise until double in size.
Remove from bowl and roll out to desired size (recommend a sheet pan at least 9 x 13), brush oil on surface liberally and add dried rosemary and onions. Salt to taste.
Bake in hot oven (400-450F) approximately 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Junior League of Kansas City recipe
DRY ING Mix/set aside: 2 c cake flour or 1 5/8 c a/p flour, tea b/powder, 1/4 tea salt.
CRUMBLE Mix/set aside: 1/2 c ea br/sugar, nuts, bit cinnamon.
BATTER Cream cup butter, 2 c sugar; add 2 eggs. Fold in cup sour cream, 1/2 tsp
vanilla. Add dry ing; fold in 1/2 c blueberries. Pour 1/3 into greased/floured tube or
Bundt. Add 1/2 crumble then 1/3 batter; repeat. Swirl gently with spatula.
Bake 350 deg 55-60 min. Cool in pan. Remove to plate; sift conf over top.
SERVE. Nice w/ crocks of creamery butter.
My next cooking toy. Please, tell me more!!
That looks like a very good recipe. I like the part where you use ‘2 cups as needed’ - it takes the sense of ‘mystery’ out of bread making. You simply can’t follow a recipe exactly, when it comes to bread - it’s all a matter of the kind of flour, the weather, etc. - it boils down to FEELING.
I will try your recipe. Thanks very much!
-JT
I’ve found that throwing in a handful of instant potato flakes helps the texture in most any bread recipe. I use regular AP flour so that might be the reason.
I was always a lousy bread, biscuit and pie dough maker but recently picked up some tips on the net.
Measuring flour: Always used to just scoop that measuring cup into the bag, now spoon the flour into the measuring cup and flatten off the top with a knife, etc. ...what a texture difference!(one of these days I’ll buy a scale and do it right)
Pie Crust/Biscuits: I take frozen butter and grate it, throw it in frozen...I usually use a food processor for crust.... a couple of whirls and it’s good to go. But this works manually too.
Actually, I’ll grate the butter in the food processor if I’m making a lot, throw it in a bowl in the freezer while I’m getting everything else ready.
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