Baking Bread

 

BASIC BREAD

2 c. warm water

1 T. yeast

¼ c. sugar

¼ c. oil

1 T. salt

4-5 c. flour

 Makes 2 8” loaves

 Dissolve the yeast in the water.  Stir in the sugar, oil, 3 1/2 c. flour and salt, and mix well. Onto a clean surface, pour 1 c. flour, then scrape the dough onto it.  Knead till smooth and elastic, adding more flour as necessary until dough is smooth and elastic.  It will stick to your hand, but release without leaving wet dough on your skin when it is ready.  Let dough rise in an oiled bowl till doubled.    

 Form into desired shape, and place into a greased baking pan. If you want a glossy surface on the finished bread, brush whisk an egg which has been mixed with 2 T. milk together and brush on top of the loaves. Let raise until the dough is about 2 inches above the edge of the baking pan.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  Bake for 30 minutes, a little longer if it’s not as brown as you’d like. Take the bread out of the pans as soon as it comes out of the oven.  Otherwise, it will sweat in the pan and get soggy as it cools.    

 

FRENCH BREAD/PIZZA DOUGH

 

(The same ingredients as the basic bread, minus sugar and fat)

2 c. warm water

1 T. yeast

1 T. salt

4-5 c. flour

 

Dissolve the yeast in the water.  Stir in 3 c. flour and mix well.  Stir the salt in. Onto a clean surface, pour 1 c. flour, then scrape the dough onto it.  Knead till smooth and elastic, adding more flour as necessary.  Let dough rise in an oiled bowl till doubled.  Form your loaves, and place onto a greased pan to raise. Heat oven to 400.  When it is preheated and the dough is risen (doubled), place a pan of ice onto bottom rack or spray sides of oven with cold water.  Close oven quickly to keep steam from escaping. Then slash tops lightly, and quickly place onto oven rack.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until well browned.

 

For pizza: Let dough raise till doubled.  Add sauce, toppings and cheese and bake at 425 degrees until cheese has begun to brown on the high spots. 

 

SOME BREAD MAKING TIPS:

·         Using milk instead of water makes a softer crust

·         When using a bread mixing machine, the dough can rest for 10 minutes, then go straight into the pans, skipping the first rise

·         Cooled bread freezes beautifully

·         Sugar for bread can be white sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, brown sugar, agave nectar or even corn syrup, depending on your tastes

·         When using honey as your sweetener, don’t use more than a proportion of ¼ c. to 2 cups of water, or 2 T. of honey per cup of liquid

·         Fats for the Basic Bread can be any oil, shortening, butter, lard or combination of fats

·         Salt can be reduced, but governs the yeast; some salt makes a better product and keeps the dough from rising too high and falling

 

VARIETIES WITH THE BASIC DOUGH:

·         Whole wheat, using the basic dough-

o   Use honey or molasses for the sugar

o   Use 100% whole wheat, or whatever proportion of wheat to white flour you want. Example of this would be 7 c. wheat flour to 3 c. white

o   Use olive oil or other health oil for the fat

o   Add ¼ c. rolled oats or other type of grain flour for more texture

o   Add sunflower seeds, flax seed meal, pumpkin seeds, walnuts or other nuts/seeds

·         Filled bread for toast

o   Stir dried cranberries and chopped walnuts with a teaspoon of cinnamon into the dough

o   Chopped apricots and slivered almonds work well together, too

o   Diced dates and pecans added to the dough are delicious for breakfast

o   Grated orange zest mixed with a bit of granulated sugar and rolled into the loaf are a great combination

·         Cinnamon rolls

o   Use milk for your liquid. Increase sugar to 1/3 cup and add an egg to the mixture. Let raise until doubled, then divide into two sections.  Roll each out till it’s about ¾ of an inch thick.  Spread softened butter on the circle, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Roll it up, slice it and place on a greased baking pan.  Let raise till doubled again, then bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.  Add basic buttercream icing as soon as it comes out of the oven and let it melt down into the layers

·         Hot rolls

o   Use milk instead of water for the liquid

o   Increase the sugar to 1/3 c.

o   When raised, divide dough into 24 balls. Place onto baking sheet and let rise again. Bake at 350 approximately 20 minutes and set on rack to cool