Bread: Bake It Easy
Making bread at home gives you more bang for the buck than any other cooking I can think of. The basic ingredients of a simple loaf are inexpensive: yeast, water, sugar, flour, salt and oil. Three cups of flour yield one loaf weighing about 1 1/2 pounds or two nice-sized baguettes--not a bad price-value ratio, considering the cost of good-quality bread.
Then there’s the pleasure that comes from making bread--the magical foaming of the yeast and the seductive feel of the softly kneaded dough, the amazing rise of the dough and its aroma as it bakes and, finally, the incomparable sensation of biting into a still-warm loaf straight from the oven. Hundreds of pounds of flour behind me, the experience still gives me a tremendous thrill.
But baking bread is not only practical and satisfying, it’s easy. A food processor with the metal blade can quickly mix and knead dough. It’s not even necessary to buy a bread pan; you can shape the dough free-form and bake it on a baking sheet.
Taking time out between steps gives you the chance to make bread without having to see it through in one continuous time span. This two-step option turns bread-making into a partially do-ahead job that is more manageable for busy cooks:
* Once the dough rises, it can be shaped in the pan, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.
* The dough can also rise once in a plastic bag, then be punched down through the bag and refrigerated or frozen. The Basic White Bread dough holds up for about two to three days in the refrigerator, becoming a lightly sour loaf. The two variations given should be refrigerated only overnight. All can be frozen; thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. (Keep in mind that chilled dough requires much more time to rise, about twice as long as room-temperature dough.)
This is a soft, multipurpose white bread, perfect for sandwiches and toast. Adding bread flour to the all-purpose flour insures a higher spring to the loaf and a slightly softer crumb (although you can use all-purpose flour exclusively). The oil helps to keep the bread fresh for a few days but it’s best to freeze any extra bread to retain freshness. If you want a shiny loaf, glaze the dough with the egg white; for a more rustic appearance, press flour through a fine sieve, shaking it onto the loaf.
BASIC WHITE BREAD
1 package dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon salt
Oil and cornmeal for pan
1 egg white, frothed with fork, for glaze or 1 teaspoon flour, for sprinkling on loaf
Stir yeast and sugar into warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Combine flours, oil and salt in food processor bowl or mixer with dough hook. Turn machine on and slowly add yeast mixture. Mix until dough cleans sides of bowl. If dough is too sticky, add more flour in 1-tablespoon batches, working in before adding more. If dough is dry and crumbly, add more water in 1-teaspoon batches, working in before adding more. Mix moist, sticky dough until well-kneaded, uniformly supple and elastic, about 40 seconds in food processor, about 6 minutes in mixer.
Or knead by hand: Combine flours, oil and salt in large bowl and make well in center. Pour yeast mixture into well. Work yeast mixture into ingredients in bowl, then knead on floured board until dough is elastic and smooth, about 10 minutes.
Transfer dough to large plastic bag, squeeze out air and seal at top. Place dough in bowl. Let rise in warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Oil 8-cup capacity or 9-inch loaf pan or baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Punch dough down and shape to fit pan or into free-form oval for baking sheet. Place seam-side-down in pan. Oil piece of plastic wrap, drape plastic loosely over pan, oiled-side-down. Let rise in warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
Brush top with egg white or press 1 teaspoon flour through fine sieve over top of dough. Bake at 375 degrees until golden and loaf sounds hollow when rapped on bottom, about 35 minutes. Immediately remove loaf from pan to cool on wire rack. Makes 1 (9-inch) loaf.
Note: Key in proofing yeast is using very warm water, about 105 to 115 degrees. Very hot water kills yeast and then it won’t foam or cause bread dough to rise.
Each serving contains about:
212 calories; 302 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.05 grams fiber; 17% calories from fat.
This is simply a variation on Basic White Bread. The Parmesan cheese and a mix of fresh herbs are heightened in flavor with pepper. It makes a great bread for a pasta dinner. Baguettes work well for the dinner table but the dough can be shaped to fit in a loaf pan or free-form onto a baking sheet.
HERB-PARMESAN BREAD
1 package dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup mixed fresh herbs, minced
3 tablespoons grated imported Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
Oil and cornmeal for pan
1 teaspoon flour, for sprinkling on loaf
Stir yeast and sugar into water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Combine flours, olive oil, herbs, cheese, salt and pepper in food processor bowl fitted with metal blade or mixer bowl with dough hook. Turn machine on and slowly add yeast mixture. Mix until dough cleans sides of bowl. If dough is too sticky, add more flour in 1-tablespoon batches, working in before adding more. If dough is dry and crumbly, add more water in 1-teaspoon batches, working in before adding more. Mix moist but not sticky dough until well-kneaded, uniformly supple and elastic, about 40 seconds in food processor, about 6 minutes in mixer.
Or mix by hand: combine flours, olive oil, herbs, cheese, salt and pepper in large bowl and make well in center. Pour yeast mixture into well. Work yeast mixture into ingredients in bowl, then knead on floured board until dough is elastic and smooth, about 10 minutes.
Transfer dough to large plastic bag, squeeze out air and seal at top. Place dough in bowl. Let rise in warm spot until doubled, about 1 1/4 hours.
Oil double baguette pan. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Punch dough down, cut in half, flatten dough and shape to fit pan, pinching bottom and ends. Place seam-side-down in pan. Oil piece of plastic wrap, drape plastic loosely over pan, oiled-side-down. Let rise in warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
Press 1 teaspoon flour through fine sieve over top of dough. Bake at 375 degrees until baguettes are golden and sound hollow when rapped on bottom, about 30 minutes. Immediately remove baguettes from pan to cool on wire rack. Makes 2 baguettes or 1 loaf.
Note: For herb mix try basil, oregano, thyme, parsley and cilantro, but any mix should work well.
Each serving contains about:
224 calories; 332 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.26 grams fiber; 19% calories from fat.
This loaf has a hearty texture without being too heavy--the benefit of using bread flour. It makes a delicious dinner bread as well as a good option for sandwiches and toast. It can also be shaped into baguettes .
CRACKED-WHEAT BREAD
1/2 cup cracked wheat
1/2 cup boiling water
1 package dry yeast
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar,packed
2/3 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 cups bread flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
Oil and cornmeal for pan
1 teaspoon flour, for sprinkling on loaf
Combine cracked wheat and hot boiling water in bowl. Stir yeast and brown sugar into warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Combine soaked cracked wheat, flours, oil and salt in food processor bowl fitted with metal blade or mixer with dough hook. Turn machine on and mix ingredients. Slowly add yeast mixture. Mix until dough cleans sides of bowl. If dough is too sticky, add more flour in 1-tablespoon batches, working in before adding more. If dough is dry and crumbly, add more water in 1-teaspoon batches, working in before adding more. Mix moist and sticky dough until well-kneaded, uniformly supple and elastic, about 40 seconds in food processor, about 6 minutes in mixer.
Or mix by hand: combine soaked cracked wheat, flours, oil and salt in large bowl and make well in center. Pour yeast mixture into well. Work yeast mixture into ingredients in bowl, then knead on floured board until dough is elastic and smooth, about 10 minutes.
Transfer dough to large plastic bag, squeeze out air and seal at top. Place dough in bowl. let rise in warm spot until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Oil 8-cup-capacity or 9-inch loaf pan or baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Punch dough down. Shape dough to fit pan or into free-form oval, pinching bottom seams. Place seam-side-down in pan. Oil piece of plastic wrap, drape plastic loosely over pan, oiled-side-down. Let rise in warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
Press 1 teaspoon flour through fine sieve over top of dough. Bake at 375 degrees until loaf is golden and sounds hollow when rapped on bottom, about 32 to 35 minutes.
Immediately remove loaf from pan to cool on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf.
Each serving contains about:
234 calories; 299 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; .49 grams fiber; 17% calories from fat.
