White Bread

I've made loaf bread off and on the last few years and was mildly disappointed at most of my end products that I stopped making bread for a while. I recently discovered this recipe which made me want to try bread making again and I'm happy to say that I was happy with how the bread turned out the two time that I tried it. I think I've finally found the recipe that's a keeper. This recipe makes two loaves so I make one plain and the other as cinnamon-and-walnut loaf.

From NYT - Melissa Clark.

This straightforward loaf is the white bread of your dreams, and its fluffy slices make for evenly browned toast. The 1/3-cup of sugar makes this mildly sweet and perfect for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but you can cut it down to 2 tablespoons if you’d rather have something more neutral in flavor. You do need some sugar, however, to feed the yeast and ensure a lofty rise. This recipe makes two loaves, one for now, and one for the freezer or to share with a lucky friend.

• 2 ¼ teaspoons/7 grams active dry yeast(1 package)
• 1 ½ cups/355 milliliters lukewarm milk
• ⅓ cup/67 grams granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon/15 grams kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons/43 grams butter, melted, more for greasing bowl and pans and for brushing the tops of the loaves
• 2 eggs
• 5 to 6 cups/625 grams to 750 grams all-purpose flour

In a large electric mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm milk. Add the remaining warm milk, the sugar, the salt, the butter and the eggs. Add 5 cups flour and mix with paddle attachment until smooth, about 2 minutes. Switch to hook attachment and knead on low speed, adding more flour if necessary until dough is stiff and slightly tacky, about 10 minutes.

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2. Grease a large bowl with butter and turn dough out into the bowl. Flip over dough so greased side is up, cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Generously butter two 9-x-5 loaf pans.
3. When dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Return to greased bowl, cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.
4. Press down dough with your hand to expel the air. Divide dough in half and place each half into a loaf pan. Brush tops of loaves with remaining melted butter.
5. Cover and let rise until dough is just above the tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
6. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake bread for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped, the tops are brown and the internal temperatures are 200 degrees. Remove loaves from pans and let cool on wire racks.

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding

From Betty Crocker's.

I am not a big fan of bread pudding, but when I had some leftover frozen bread that I was saving to make into bread crumbs (never happened), I decided to turn them into bread pudding instead. This was the recipe I tried and it was quite good.

Looking for a classic baked dessert? Then check out this delicious bread pudding that is ready in an hour.

Ingredients

2

cups milk

1/4

cup butter or margarine

2

eggs, slightly beaten

1/2

cup sugar

1

teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg

1/4

teaspoon salt

6

cups soft bread cubes (about 6 slices bread)

1/2

cup raisins, if desired (or chocolate chips)

Whipping (heavy) cream, if desired

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 350ºF. In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until butter is melted and milk is hot.2 In a large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir in bread cubes and raisins. Stir in milk mixture. Pour into ungreased deep round pan.
• 3 Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Serve warm with whipping cream.

Rosemary Focaccia

From Cook's Illustrated.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

The key to our focaccia recipe was using a “preferment” that gave us the benefits of fermentation with minimal effort. This mixture of flour, water, and yeast rests until its yeast flavor gets stronger and more complex than it would get by simply adding yeast to flour and water and kneading. Using an almost no-knead mixing method gently combined the ingredients of our focaccia recipe without developing too much gluten. To skip the long rest this mixing method calls for, we allowed the freshly mixed dough to rest briefly before we added salt, then gently turned the dough over itself at regular intervals as it proofed. Finally, moving our free-form breads into round cake pans and drizzling the bottom of the pans in oil gave us a focaccia recipe that turned out bread with a crackly crisp bottom and airy interior. 

MAKES TWO 9-INCH ROUND LOAVES

If you don’t have a baking stone, bake the bread on an overturned, preheated rimmed baking sheet set on the upper-middle oven rack. The bread can be kept for up to 2 days well wrapped at room temperature or frozen for 2 months wrapped in foil and placed in a zipper-lock bag.

INGREDIENTS

• Biga  
• 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (2 2/3 ounces) warm water (100-110 degrees F)
• 1/4 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
• Dough  
• 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for shaping
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) warm water (100-110 degrees F)
• 1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
• Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. FOR THE BIGA: Combine flour, water, and yeast in large bowl and stir with wooden spoon until uniform mass forms and no dry flour remains, about 1 minute. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature (about 70 degrees) overnight (at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.) Use immediately or store in refrigerator for up to 3 days (allow to stand at room temperature 30 minutes before proceeding with recipe.)
2. 2. FOR THE DOUGH: Stir flour, water, and yeast into biga with wooden spoon until uniform mass forms and no dry flour remains, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 15 minutes.
3. 3. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt over dough; stir into dough until thoroughly incorporated, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 30 minutes. Spray rubber spatula or bowl scraper with nonstick cooking spray; fold partially risen dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle. Turn bowl 90 degrees; fold again. Turn bowl and fold dough 6 more times (total of 8 turns). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat folding, turning, and rising 2 more times, for total of three 30-minute rises. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees at least 30 minutes before baking.
4. 4. Gently transfer dough to lightly floured counter. Lightly dust top of dough with flour and divide in half. Shape each piece of dough into 5-inch round by gently tucking under edges. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil each. Sprinkle each pan with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Place round of dough in pan, top side down; slide dough around pan to coat bottom and sides, then flip over. Repeat with second piece of dough. Cover pans with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.
5. 5. Using fingertips, press dough out toward edges of pan. (If dough resists stretching, let it relax for 5 to 10 minutes before trying again.) Using dinner fork, poke surface of dough 25 to 30 times, popping any large bubbles. Sprinkle rosemary evenly over top of dough. Let dough rest until slightly bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.
6. 6. Place pans on baking stone and reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake until tops are golden brown, 25 to 28 minutes, switching placement of pans halfway through baking. Transfer pans to wire rack and let cool 5 minutes. Remove loaves from pan and return to wire rack. Brush tops with any oil remaining in pan. Let cool 30 minutes before serving.

TECHNIQUE

FOR BIG FLAVOR, A LONG REST IS BEST

Creating a small batch of starter dough (also known as a preferment, or a biga in Italian) boosts the flavor in our bread dramatically. A starter is made by combining small amounts of flour and water with a little yeast and allowing it to ferment overnight. With a lengthy rest, long carbohydrate chains that have little taste break down into a multitude of sugars and alcohol with lots of flavor.

HOLD THE SALT—TEMPORARILY

Instead of relying on kneading to develop gluten, our dough uses a resting process called autolysis. During this long resting period (which usually lasts several hours), enzymes in the wheat cut long, balled-up strands of gluten into smaller pieces, which then unravel and link together to form larger, well-developed gluten networks. Could adjusting when we added salt to the dough help speed things along?

THE EXPERIMENT

We prepared two doughs. In the first, we combined the flour, water, yeast, and salt with the biga all at once before resting; in the second, we withheld the salt for 15 minutes.

THE RESULTS

Briefly omitting the salt hastened gluten development by an hour. After just 15 minutes, the unsalted dough was already pliant and smooth, while the salted dough was still gluey and stiff.

THE EXPLANATION

Salt inhibits both the ability of flour to absorb water and the activity of the enzymes that break down proteins to begin the process of forming gluten. If allowed to rest without salt, the flour is able to get a jump on gluten development by absorbing as much water as it can and letting its enzymes work sooner to develop gluten networks.

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Leftover Bread Recipe: French Toast

From  Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall


French toast is another favourite: aka pain perdu, or plain old eggy bread, this makes a weekly outing in my house in colder months. A slice or two, denuded of crust, soaked in beaten egg (for 20 minutes, ideally), fried in butter until browned, then sprinkled with sugar is a breakfast fit for un roi. I'd take it over a croissant any day.

Buttermilk Quick Bread & Variations

From The Kitchn.

This is a versatile recipe, to be sure. Add some diced fruit and warm spices, and this loaf becomes part of a brunch buffet. Go the other way with shredded cheese, savory herbs, and onions, and you could take this to any barbecue, football party, or potluck dinner with confidence that every last crumb will be eaten before the night is over.

Whether you stick with the basic recipe or change it up, the method is the same. Combine all the dry ingredients, whisk together the liquid ones, and then gently stir them together into a shaggy batter. Pour into a loaf pan, bake for about forty-five minutes, and it's ready to go on the table.

Basic Buttermilk Quick Bread

Makes one loaf

2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (4 oz) white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 oz) buttermilk
1 large egg
1/4 cup (2 oz) unsalted butter, olive oil, or vegetable oil

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray a standard 9x5 loaf pan.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Melt the butter, if using. Whisk it in a separate bowl with the buttermilk and the egg.

Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients. Gently stir and fold the ingredients until all the flour has been incorporated and a shaggy, wet batter is formed. Be careful not to over-mix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and pat it into the corners. Bake for 45-50 minutes. When finished, the loaf should be domed and golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and slicing.

Wrap baked loaves tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Baked loaves can also be wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil and frozen for up to three months.

Basic Variations:

• Sugar can be reduced to a tablespoon for more savory breads.
• Up to half the flour can be substituted with an alternative flour.
• Replace the buttermilk with a mix of yogurt and milk or milk and a squeeze of lemon.
• Use up to 1 1/2 cups fruits, nuts, olives, cheese, or other ingredients, added to the dry ingredients.
• Use 1-3 teaspoons of herbs or spices, added to the dry ingredients.

10 Variations:

1. Cranberry-Walnut Loaf (pictured above) - 1 c. dried cranberries, 1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts, 1 tsp vanilla, zest from one orange
2. Apple-Cinnamon Loaf - 1 c. diced apples, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup toasted and chopped nuts
3. Cherry-Almond Loaf - 1 c. dried cherries, 1/2 cup toasted and chopped almonds, 1 tsp almond extract
4. Blueberry Loaf - 1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 tsp vanilla, zest from one lemon
5. Ginger-Orange Loaf - zest from two oranges, 1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch of cloves, pinch of nutmeg
6. Herbed Sun-dried Tomato and Cheese Loaf (pictured below) - reduce sugar to 1 T, 1/2 c. grated cheese, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, 2 T minced sun-dried tomatoes
7. Onion-Dill Loaf - reduce sugar to 2 T, one minced onion cooked until soft, 1 T minced fresh dill
8. Pesto Loaf - reduce sugar to 1 tablespoon, 1/4 c. pesto, 1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese
9. Spicy Jalapeno Loaf - reduce sugar to 2 tablespoons, 1/4 cup minced jalapeno peppers, 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese, 2 tsp chili powder
10. Irish Soda Bread Look-Alike Loaf - reduce sugar to 1/4 cup, 1 T caraway seeds, 3/4 cup raisins

Zucchini Bread

From Apartment Therapy

Zucchini Bread
Makes 2 loaves

1 pound zucchini (about 2 medium-sized)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup olive oil (or canola oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional extras: 1 cup chopped nuts, 1 cup raisins, or 1 cup chocolate chips
non-stick spray or butter for greasing the pans

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8x4" loaf pans.

Trim the stem and root-end from the zucchinis and shred them on a box grater. Gather the shreds in a clean kitchen towel or several layers of cheese cloth and squeeze to press out as much moister from the zucchini as possible.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, olive oil, and vanilla extract.

Toss the zucchini and any extras (nuts, raisins, chocolate chips) in the flour mixture. Pour the liquids over top. Gently stir and fold just until no more flour is visible. Divide the batter between the two loaf pans.

Bake 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The finished loaves should have a golden-brown crust and feel springy if you give the top a little pat. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Loaves will keep in an airtight container for several days. They can also be wrapped in foil and frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or in a warm oven for 20 minutes.

Related: Summer Squash: 15 Spectacular Recipes for Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Pattypan, and More

(Image: Emma Christensen)

• Emma Christensen
• October 6, 2011 05:15PM

Gluten-Free Breadsticks

Not sure if I will make this, but who knows?

Adapted from Joseph Pace

Time: 40 minutes

1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup organic brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch (see note)
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (see note)
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of dried herbes de Provence
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Nonstick spray or vegetable oil, for greasing baking sheet and breadsticks
Fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl fitted with standard beaters (not a dough hook), combine yeast, rice flour, tapioca starch, dry milk powder, xanthan gum, gelatin powder, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and herbes de Provence. Mix on low speed to blend. Add 1 cup warm water (105 to 110 degrees), sugar, olive oil and vinegar. Increase speed to high, and beat 6 minutes. (Dough will stay very soft and should not pull off sides of bowl; if necessary, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough does not resist beaters.)
2. Liberally spray or oil a baking sheet, and set aside. Put dough into a large pastry bag with a plain round 1/2 -inch tip, and pipe 12 breadsticks about 8 inches long, leaving about 2 inches in between. Spray or brush tops of breadsticks liberally with oil, and salt generously with fleur de sel.
3. Bake breadsticks 10 minutes, turn and spray or brush again with oil. Continue to bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 breadsticks.

Note: Tapioca starch is available in Asian markets and specialty food stores, and xanthan gum is available in health food stores.

No Knead Bread

I was tempted to try this recipe this weekend, but I still have a loaf of bread, so I will do this next week-end.

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Here's a slightly different version.

Basic No-Knead Bread

Adapted slightly from Jim Lahey's My Bread (W. W. Norton & Company, 2009, $37.50)

3 cups (750 mL) bread flour

1 1/4 tsp (6 mL) table salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) instant yeast

1 1/3 cups (325 mL) cool water, at 55 F to 65 F (12 C to 18 C)

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and yeast. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Make sure it's really sticky to the touch; if it's not, mix in another tablespoon or two of water.

(Note: I've had to use more water almost every time. I suspect it's because Calgary is so dry.)

Cover the bowl with a plate, tea towel or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature (about 72 F/22 C), out of direct sunlight, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than double in size.

This will take a minimum of 12 hours and (Lahey's preference) up to 18 hours. This slow rise -fermentation -is the key to flavour.

When the first fermentation is complete, generously dust a work surface (a wooden or plastic cutting board is fine) with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough on the board in one piece.

When you begin to pull the dough away from the bowl it will cling in long, thin strands (this is the developed gluten), and it will be quite loose and sticky, but do not add more flour.

Use lightly floured hands, a bowl scraper or spatula to lift the edges of the dough toward the centre. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.

Place on a piece of parchment paper, seam side down. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled in size.

Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 F (240 C), with a rack in the lower-third position and place a covered 4 1/2- to 5 1/2- quart (4 1/4 to 5 L) heavy pot in the centre of the rack.

Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Gather up the dough by holding the four corners of the parchment paper and place the entire thing, paper and all, into the pot.

Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut colour, but not burned, 15 to 30 minutes more.

Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly. Don't slice or tear into it until it has cooled, which usually takes at least an hour.

Makes one large loaf.