Seeded Hamburger Buns

Many of you probably think that I have dropped off the face of the planet, but I most certaintly have not. I have just been in the biggest slump of all time. I am slowly trying to climb out of it but it is easier said that done. Anyway, enough with my drama.

I have tried making hamburger buns before, but honestly it was so long ago I don't remember much other than what I wrote about them. I decided to venture over to my favorite, all things baking, website King Arthur Flour, and check out what recipes they had. This recipe did not disappoint. The dough came together very easily and was great to work with when it came to shaping of the buns. A hamburger bun pan is certaintly not required for this recipe. Simply place the shaped dough onto a baking sheet as you would any other roll recipe. If you have some extra time in the kitchen these buns are definately worth the effort!

 

Seeded Hamburger Buns
As seen on King Arthur Flour

For the buns
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 large egg
2 tablespoons butter or oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds or Bread and Bagel Topping
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder, optional
2 3/4 cups unbleached All-Purpose flour

For the topping
2 tablespoons sesame seeds or Bread and Bagel Topping
1 large egg white

Directions
1) To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients, and mix and knead them, by hand, mixer, or bread machine, to make a soft dough.
2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for an hour, until it's almost doubled in size.
3) Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface, flatten it slightly, and divide it into 6 pieces, each weighing about 3 1/2 to 4 ounces.
4) Roll each piece into a ball.
5) Place balls into the greased cups of a hamburger bun pan, flattening gently.
6) Cover and let rise until the buns have doubled in size. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
7) Bake the buns for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, brush with lightly beaten egg white (or spray with Quick Shine) and sprinkle with seed topping; do this quickly, or the seeds won't stick!
8) Return the buns to the oven and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Garlic Herb Braid

I have been baking bread for about five years now. In that time many different sizes and shapes of bread have graced my dinner table, yet I have never experimented with a braided loaf. The concept is easy, three ropes of dough are carefully maneuvered back and forth until the end of the ropes are reached and a beautiful braid is achieved. Lets just say there is a reason you do not see a picture of my loaf before it was cut. Let's just say that I am going to have to practice this technique. :)


This was one of the quickest yeast bread recipes that I have ever made. The whole process from raw ingredients to baked loaf could not have taken much more than an hour and a half. The end result was quite delicious and went well with the chicken manicotti and salad that was served at my monthly scrapbooking night. This is definitely a recipe that I will make again.


Garlic-Herb Braid
as seen on Christy's Kitchen Creations from Taste of Home

Ingredients
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 packages (1/4 oz each) quick-rise yeast
2 teaspoons dried basil
1-3/4 teaspoons dill weed
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and seasonings. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water and cubed butter to 120-130 degrees. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add egg; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide dough into thirds. Shape each into a 15-in. rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 25 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

Soft Pretzels

I have always been a fan of soft pretzels. They are crisp and browned on the outside and light and moist on the inside. I think that they really are the perfect treat. I have a old stand-by recipe for them that I make often but decided to change it up and try out a new recipe. I used a recipe I found in Peter Reinhart's new book, Artisan Breads Every Day. I was so fond of his first book, The Bread Bakers Apprentice that I signed up to be a recipe tester for this new book. I had an awesome time testing recipes and was excited for the release of the book. The first thing I did when I bought the book was flip to the acknowledgement section and try to find my name. :) Enough about me, back to the pretzels...


These pretzels do require a bit of planning since the dough needs to be made a day (or up to 4 days) in advance but the wait is well worth it. Although this will not become my new favorite pretzel recipe it is definitely something I will make again. This recipe just did not represent to me what soft pretzels are all about. Maybe it was not quite sweet enough on the inside, maybe it was not as light and airy as what I expected either. I don't know, it just seemed like something was off. Next time I make this recipe I think that I would shape the dough into a large loaf and make a loaf of pretzel bread. For now I will stick to my other soft pretzel recipe.

Soft Pretzels
Adapted from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day(pgs 128-131)

Ingredients
4 1/2 cups (20oz) unbleached bread flour
1 3/4 teaspoons (.4oz) salt or 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons (.75oz) brown sugar
1 teaspoon (.11oz) instant yeast
1 1/2 cups (12oz) lukewarm water (about 95 degrees)
2 tablespoons (1oz) vegetable oil or melted butter
8 teaspoons (2oz) baking soda, for dipping
2 cups (16oz) warm water (about 100 degrees), for dipping
1 egg white, for dipping (optional)

Pretzel salt or coarse kosher salt, for garnish

Do Ahead
-Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk the yeast into the lukewarm water until dissolved, then let it sit for 1 minute to hydrate.
-Pour the yeast mixture and the oil into the dry ingredients. If using a mixer, use the paddle and mix on lowest speed for 30 to 60 seconds. If mixing by hand, use a large spoon and stir for about 1 minute. A course ball of dough should form.
-Switch to the dough hook and mix on the lowest speed, or continue mixing by hand, for 2 minutes. The dough will become slightly smoother. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
-Continue to mix with the dough hook on medium-low speed, or mix by hand for 3 minutes, adjusting the water or flour as needed to form a smooth, firm, but slightly tacky ball of dough. If the dough is very tacky or sticky, add more flour.
-Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1 minute to make any final adjustments. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a clean , lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and immediately refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days. (If you plan to bake the dough in batches over different days, you can portion the dough and place it into two or more oiled bowls at this stage.)

On Baking day
-To make the dipping solution, stir the baking soda into the warm water. Whisk in the optional egg white (this will add a little shine, but it's optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pour the baking soda solution into a shallow bowl or small pan. -Remove the dough from the refrigerator and immediately divide it into 2 ounce pieces, or 3 ounce pieces if you prefer larger pretzels. Roll each piece into a rope about 17 inches long, tapered at the last 3 inches of each end (if the rope shrinks back after rolling, proceed to the next piece and return a few minutes later, after the gluten has relaxed, and roll the rope again to the full length). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat. If the parchment , mist it with spray oil to prevent sticking. Form a piece of dough into a pretzel shape, then place it on the sheet pan.
-As soon as the pan is filled, carefully dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution to thoroughly coat it, then put it back on the pan. Sprinkle on salt to taste, but be aware that a little goes a long way. (See the variations below for other garnish suggestions.) Dip and pan all of the pretzels./

-Bake for about 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another to 10 minutes, until the pretzels are a rich brown.
-Transfer the pretzels to a wire rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Variations
You can substitute whole grain flour for some of the bread flour. If you do so, add 1 tablespoon of water to the final dough for every 7 tablespoons of whole grain flour you use.
You can top these pretzels with many garnishes other than salt. Sesame seeds are very popular, or try a savory or spicy seasoning salts or a sweet streusel topping. Another option is to scatter a good melting cheese on the surface for the last 3 minutes of baking. Or, for a decadent delight, drizzle them with chocolate glaze after they come out of the oven and have cooled a bit.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

While I was at my parents house last weekend I grabbed some apples off of their tree and was set on a mission to make something delicious with them. I debated over all of the possibilities; turnovers, cinnamon rolls, pie, muffins, bread, strudel and finally decided that apple cinnamon rolls sounded quite good. Although diced apple could easily be snuck into any cinnamon roll recipe I figured that I might as well try a new recipe while I was at it.


This dough came together quickly and nicely and turned into a dough that was smooth and perfect to work with. The vanilla glaze adds just enough sweetness to the rolls that a heavy cream cheese frosting is just not needed. I opted for the making and baking the rolls in the same day but there are instructions on spanning it out over two days. These rolls were a hit with my family and also with my co-workers. I will definitely be making these again in the near future.


Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, pg 144-145

Ingredients
4 1/4 to 5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose four
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
1 cup finely chopped, peeled apple
half and half or light cream
1 recipe vanilla glaze (below)

Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan heat and stir milk, 1/3 cup of butter, granulated sugar, and salt just until warm (120-130 degrees F) and butter almost melts; add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour).
3. Punch dough down. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease two 9 x 1 1/2 inch round baking pans or 2 baking sheets ; set aside. For filling, stir together brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon; cut in 1/3 cup butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Roll each half of dough into a 12x8 inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling and apple over dough rectangles. Roll up each rectangle starting from a long side. Seal seams. Slice each roll into 12 pieces. Place cut sides down in prepared pans or baking sheets.
5. To bake the rolls right away; cover the dough loosely and let it rise in a warm place until nearly double, about 30 minutes. To bake the rolls later; cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 24 hours. When ready to bake the rolls uncover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
6. Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick. Brush dough with half-and-half. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until light brown (if necessary, cover rolls with foil the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning). Remove from oven. Brush again with half-and-half. Cool for 1 minute. Carefully invert rolls onto a wire rack. Cool slightly. Invert once again onto a serving platter. Drizzle with Vanilla Glaze (recipe below).Vanilla GlazeIn a small bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon light-colored corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add enough half and half or light cream (1-2 tablespoons) to reach drizzling consistency.

Vanilla Glaze
In a small bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon light-colored corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add enough half and half or light cream (1-2 tablespoons) to reach drizzling consistency.

Spicy Spiral Bread

In honor of World Bread Day 2009 I decided to venture into the land of filled breads. I found this recipe for Spicy Spiral Bread on King Arthur's website and the idea of refried beans and cheese as a filling really intrigued me. Other than the adventurous filling ingredients this bread is made just like most other yeast bread recipes and calls for ingredients that are staples in most pantries.

When I tried to remove the bread from the pan, shortly after coming out of the oven, some of the bread stuck to the bottom of the pan and created a tear in the loaf. I think this happened because the filling was heavy and warm. I would suggest letting the bread cool about 25 minutes in the pan and then making sure to loosen around the edges before trying to remove the loaf of bread. The taste of this bread was a taste that was new and interesting to me. I tried the bread at room temperature and thought that the different textures from the beans and the bread made a nice match. I think it would taste even better warmed up and I plan on trying that tomorrow. This bread is something that I will definitely make again and I plan on playing around with different flavor combinations next time I make it. Happy World Bread Day 2009 to everyone!

Check out my past years entries into World Bread day.
2008 - English Muffin Bread
2007 - Italian Bread

If you love bread as much as I do you might also want to check out my collection of yeasted breads and quick breads. I am sure there is something there to satisfy every bread lovers craving.


Spicy Spiral Bread
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
Dough
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon chipotle or hot chili powder or 1/4 teaspoon ground chilies
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons water
Filling
16-ounce can refried beans
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 to 3 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 tablespoon mild chili powder

*Optional filling add-ins include 1/2 cup diced raw onion, sliced black olives, diced jalapeño peppers, 1/4 cup salsa, chopped fresh cilantro, or 1/2 cup cooked and drained ground beef. If you use more than three of the preceding options, you'll probably have leftover filling (which is delicious served in taco shells or burritos). The filling should be firm, and should total around 2 cups altogether.

Directions
Dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, yeast, salt, chili powder, sugar, olive oil and water. Mix until a rough dough forms, then knead: 10 minutes by hand, or about 8 minutes by. The dough is soft; work with it gently. Turn the dough into a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until it's doubled in bulk.
To prepare the dough in a bread machine, place all of the dough ingredients into the pan of your machine according to the manufacturer's instructions, and program the machine for Dough or Manual. Let the machine complete its cycle.

Assembly: Roll the dough into a long, 8 x 24-inch rectangle. Spread it with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the filling, leaving a 1-inch margin along the edges. Fold in the two short ends, and roll the dough into a 24-inch log. Pinch the dough to seal it well.
Keeping the seam side down, ease the log, in a loose spiral, into a greased 9-inch round cake pan. Pat the spiral down so it's flat and even across the top. Cover the dough and let it rise till it's even with the top of the pan or slightly crowned above the lip of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes, till golden brown. Serve warm, hot or cold, with a salad, if desired.

Pillow-Soft Dinner Rolls

Along with the Light Wheat Rolls that I made for my coworker I also made a couple batches of these rolls. I wanted the guests at the wedding to have a choice of white or whole wheat but I also wanted to try out a couple new recipes. I liked this recipe because it was relatively quick to make and the ingredients were common pantry staples.

I made one batch of these following the original recipe and then I ran out of white flour so I made another batch with half whole wheat flour and half bread flour. The dough rose very quickly and had a really nice soft and velvety texture when shaping. Both batches turned out great. The rolls rose high and tasted delicious. I think that next time I make these I will try to sub butter for the shortening and see if they come out the same.


Pillow-Soft Dinner Rolls

Adapted from: Taste Of Home

~makes 24 rolls~

Ingredients
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
6 tablespoons shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
7 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, shortening, eggs, sugar, salt and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes (dough will be sticky). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a roll. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

Light Wheat Rolls

This past weekend I put on my apron and got to work in the kitchen. I got home from work at noon and had to have 100 rolls baked and delivered by five. My mission was simple, I volunteered to make dinner rolls for a wedding of a coworkers daughter (although the daughter is also a co-worker). At first count they were expecting 50 people and at final count the number almost doubled with 90 confirmed guests. I had a lot to do and not much time to do it. I chose this recipe from allrecipes because it had many great reviews and called for ingredients that I already had at home.


This recipe was very easy to follow and would be great for someone working with yeast for the first time. The dough rose quickly and beautifully and felt like the perfect consistency as I was shaping the rolls. Speaking of shaping the rolls. I thought that rolling the dough up and baking it in a muffin tin was a quite genius idea but since these rolls would be served at a wedding I decided to roll the dough up, flatten it on top to make sure it was even and bake it on a baking sheet. I chose a stone ground wheat flour to help add some texture to the rolls and brushed the finished product with melted butter with a splash of honey. I did manage to sneak a roll before I delivered them to the wedding and they were quite delicious.


Light Wheat Rolls
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

~makes approx. 24 rolls~

Ingredients
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, beaten
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted (optional)

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Mix sugar, salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, egg, and whole wheat flour into yeast mixture. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough, cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled again, about 30 minutes.
Grease 2 dozen muffin cups. Punch down dough, and divide into two equal portions. Roll each into a 6x14 inch rectangle, and cut rectangle into twelve 7x1 inch strips. Roll strips up into spirals, and place into muffin cups. Brush tops with melted butter. Let rise uncovered in a warm place 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and brush again with melted butter.

*If you would like to freeze the rolls, bake for 8 minutes, remove from the oven, allow to cool, bag, and freeze. Then when ready to use, thaw and finish the baking process.

Soft Wrap Bread

As I was aimlessly browsing through my King Arthur Flour cookbook I came across this recipe and was instantly intrigued. The script before the recipe said this bread is more like a Taco Bell gordita or a pita bread than a normal tortilla. It also suggested that if you like the bread in your sandwich to be a substantial part of the sandwich this is the bread for you. That description definitely sold me on making this bread. I love the thick gordita bread and also have become quite fond of the flatbread sandwiches at Subway.

This bread was pretty easy to make and only took a couple of hours from start to finish. The nice thing about this wrap bread is that it is so versatile. Although the recipe says to make 7 to 8 inch circles you can easily shape this bread however you want and make it whatever size suits you. Once cooked the bread can be used to make a variety of items such as, personal pizzas, sandwiches, tacos, or even appetizers. I will definitely be making this bread again, it was delicious.

Soft Wrap Bread
Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook. Also available on kingarthurflour.com

~makes 8 breads ~

Ingredients
3 to 3 1/4 cups (12 3/4 to 13 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) boiling water
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) potato flour OR 1/2 cup (5/8 ounces) potato buds or flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast*

Making the Dough
Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes or buds) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes (by hand, mixer or bread machine) to form a soft dough. Note: You can allow the dough to go through the entire kneading cycle(s) in the bread machine, but it's not necessary; about a 5-minute knead in the machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky. Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour.

Shaping
Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) over medium heat for about 1 minute per side, until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.

*This recipe works best with instant yeast because it dissolves during the kneading process, so you don't have to knead liquid into the dough. If you really prefer to use active dry yeast, use only 1 cup boiling water for the initial dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, and add this mixture to the dough along with the potato flour mixture. It'll be somewhat "slippery" at first, but will knead in and eventually become smooth.

Nutrition information per serving (1 bread, 85g): 207 cal, 4g fat, 5g protein, 37g complex carbohydrates, 2g dietary fiber, 336mg sodium, 150mg potassium, 1mg vitamin C, 3mg iron, 3mg calcium, 56mg phosphorus.

Garlic Bubble Loaves

It has been to long since I made yeast bread in my house. In fact, the last time I did was back in February when I made the moist potato bread. I thought I would have tons of free time being done with school but instead of living on campus it seems as if I am living at work now-a-days. But I suppose that is ok because I really do love my job. I do have Mondays off so I am going to try to take more of that time and spend it in the kitchen making meals and treats for the upcoming week. A few weeks ago I came across this bubble bread recipe while browsing through all the recipes I have bookmarked to try and decided to give this bread a whirl.


If you have a favorite white bread recipe already feel free to use that recipe in place of the one provided below. The bottom and side crusts reminded me of focaccia bread. They were light and crispy and had the taste of being baked in butter.

Although the top of the bread got a little darker than I would have liked it to it still turned out wonderful. Of course I used more seasonings than the recipe called for. In my opinion you can never have to much garlic. :) Although this recipe is good as is, I think that the addition of Parmesan cheese and diced pepperoni scattered between the balls of dough would also be delicious.

Garlic Bubble Loaves
Adapted from: The Fresh Loaf

Ingredients
2 packages of active dry yeast, (2 scant Tbls)
1/4 warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 cups warm milk (110-115 deg)
2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon shortening
2 teaspoon salt
6 1/4-6 1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour
1/2 cup butter
1 Tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, shortening, salt and 2 cups flour, beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into fourths. Divide each portion into 12 pieces. In a shallow bowl, combine the butter, parsley and garlic powder. Shape each piece of dough into a ball; dip into butter mixture. Place in two greased 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans. Pour any remaining butter mixture over dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. (Don't crowd them into the pan. put about 12 (24 total) spaced out in two irregular layers per pan)
Bake at 375 deg for 35-40 min or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes. remove from pans to wire racks.

Moist Potato Bread

Last week a few of my coworkers and I were talking about bread and how much we loved it. I mentioned to them that I made homemade bread quite often and told them I would have to make some to bring in for them. I asked for suggestions as to what kind I should make and one person spoke up and said potato bread. I searched around for a recipe and this one looked best to me.


This recipe called for basic ingredients and was pretty easy to make. The only tiny mistake that I made was that I did not cook my potato long enough so it was hard to mash. I should have ran it through my food processor or stand mixer to mash it thoroughly but apparently I had a blonde moment. I was worried that the little chunks of potato would end up ruining my bread but after baking for almost an hour I can not even tell they are there. This bread is moist and delicious and I will definitely make it again. It would be the perfect sandwich bread for turkey sandwiches.


Potato Bread
As seen on The Barefoot Kitchen Witch originally adapted from George Greenstein's Secrets of a Jewish Baker, on pages 51-53

Ingredients
1 medium potato
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup warm milk
2 packages active dry yeast
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or shortening, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar
5 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
Flour, for dusting work top
Vegetable oil, for coating bowl
Shortening, for greasing pans

Directions
Wash and thoroughly scrub the potato, then cook in the boiling water until soft (approximately 30 minutes). Drain, reserving 2 cups potato water. Peel the potato, mash, and set aside to cool. Extra potato water can be refrigerated and used in any yeast recipe for added nutritive value and tenderizing power.

The dough - In a large bowl sprinkle the yeast over the 1/4 cup warm milk; stir to dissolve. Stir together the cooled mashed potato and butter. Add the potato mixture along with the 2 cups reserved potato water to the large bowl. Add in the sugar, 5 cups flour, and salt. Stir until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl, adding more flour 1/4 cup at a time if necessary. Potato dough will remain a little sticky. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface (or switch to the dough hook on a stand mixer) and knead, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough feels smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes).

Rising - Transfer the dough to a clean, oiled mixing bowl and turn to coat. Cover and set aside until the dough doubles in volume. Punch down, cut in half, shape into two balls, and allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

Shaping - Press down each ball and shape into a pan loaf. Place into 2 greased 8- or 9-inch loaf pans, cover, and set aside to proof until the breads come up above the tops of the pans. Dust with flour and cut a deep slash down the length of each loaf.

Baking- Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven until the bread has a hollow sound when the bottom is tapped with your fingertips (about 50 minutes). The sides should feel firm. If necessary return the bread to the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. If using tiles or an oven stone, finish the bread on them for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and let cool on a wire rack. When cooled to room temperature, slice - and enjoy!

Parmesan Ciabatta

As I mentioned in my last post (you know that delectable brownie mosaic cheesecake), the in-laws were over for dinner the other night. The main entree was a garlic and herb pork loin with carrots and potatoes that I cooked in my beautiful new 6 3/4 qt Le Creuset dutch oven. I was looking for a bread to serve with it and this one that I found on the King Arthur website sounded awesome. I love asiago cheese, especially paired with bread, but rarely buy it due to its costs. I had a block of Parmesan in the fridge so I went ahead and used that.


Although the entire process took more than one day, most if it was inactive waiting and rising time. This bread was very easy to make, required minimum kneading and the shaping could not have been any easier. This recipe would be perfect for people who are first starting out baking bread.


The texture of this bread was amazing. The big air pockets coated with cheese was my favorite part. I only used 4 ounces of cheese but I will definitely be using the whole 5 next time. This bread got two thumbs up from everyone. Definitely give it a try.


Asiago (Parmesan) Ciabatta
Source: King Arthur Flour

-makes 2 loaves -

Biga (Starter) Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) pumpernickel, rye, or whole wheat flour
1 cup (8 ounces) water
1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

Dough Ingredients
all of the starter
2 1/2 cups (10 5/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (4 ounces) water
1 tablespoon Pizza Dough Flavoring (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
4 to 5 ounces Asiago or Parmesan cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup), plus extra for grating over the top of the bread

For the Biga
Mix all of the biga ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until well-blended. Cover the bowl, and leave it at cool room temperature (68°F-70°F) for 12 to 20 hours, until the biga is very bubbly.

For the Dough
Mix the biga and the remaining dough ingredients, except the cheese, using an electric mixer set on slow speed, for 2 to 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix for about 4 minutes; the dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Add additional water or flour if necessary. Mix in the cheese; don't worry if some pieces pop out. Allow the dough to rise, in a greased, covered bowl, for 1 to 2 hours, until it's very puffy. Note: You can also mix this dough in a bread machine set on the dough cycle; add the diced cheese several minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and shape it into two long loaves, about 12 x 4 inches each. Place the loaves, floured side up, onto parchment paper (if you plan to bake on an oven stone) or baking sheets. Cover the loaves with a proof cover or well-greased plastic wrap, and allow them to rise for 45 minutes, or until they're very puffy. Sprinkle them with additional grated cheese.

Bake the ciabatta in a preheated 450°F oven for 22 to 26 minutes, until it's golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

-- -- -- -- --
Like a proud mama I just had to throw a picture in of my pork loin. It turned out so incredible that I wanted to share (um brag). :) I put a little olive oil in the bottom of the pan and cooked the salt and pepper seasoned veggies (carrots, potatoes and whole garlic cloves) on the stove for about 5 minutes. Then I removed the veggies, seared the meat on all sides and deglazed the pan with 1/3 cup chicken stock. I added the veggies back into the pot, put the lid on and cooked it in a 375 degree oven for approximately 40 minutes. The veggies were awesome, they had such an awesome flavor that I could not stop eating them. I am in love with my Le Creuset and I can't wait to use it time and time again.

Honey Yeast Rolls

I made these rolls for the first time a couple of weeks ago for a Christmas celebration with my family and everyone loved them so much I decided to make them again for Christmas with my in-laws. Once again they were a hit and everyone loved them. My sister proclaimed they were better than the garlic knots, and my husband thought they were better than the sweet dinner rolls. I do not think they are necessarily better than those other rolls, but these rolls definitely made their way into my list of favorites.


The only alteration I made to this recipe is that I baked the rolls in a 9x13 casserole dish instead of a round dish. I felt that 12 rolls would be way to cramped in a 9" round dish and I think they baked up perfectly in the 9x13.


Like I said previously, these rolls have made their way into my favorites list and I will definitely be making them time and time again. They have an amazing texture and the hint of sweetness from the honey is just perfect to accompany almost any meal. Definitely give these rolls a try, you will not be disappointed.


Honey Yeast Rolls
As seen on Annie's Eats, originally from ...A Cookie A Day

Ingredients
2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 cup warm water (105°-115° F)
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups bread flour, separated
vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and warm water. Add the honey, oil, salt, and egg and mix well. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it is incorporated into the dough. Switch to the dough hook, and continue kneading on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Punch the dough down and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place into a round, lightly greased baking dish, spacing evenly. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 minutes. Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush lightly over the tops of the rolls. Bake at 400° for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Knots from Heaven

I simply can not find the words to describe how amazing these are. They are moist, fluffy, buttery, garlicky, and the extra touch of seasoning on top makes these one of the best rolls I have ever made. The dough was so delicious, I used garlic flavored oil instead of regular so that maybe made a little difference but I bet they would be just as amazing with regular oil. Stop what you are doing and go make these now. Yes, I am serious. Go! Now!


You still here? Good. :) This altered version of the recipe says it yields 8 knots, I made 9. They were pretty good sized but all 9 fit perfectly on my large round Pampered Chef stone. In looking at the original recipe on the King Arthur flour website the recipe should yield 16 knots. I suppose it just depends on how large you want your knots to be.


These scored two thumbs up with my husband and I. It took everything in our power to not go finish them all off last night. King Arthur flour definitely hit a home run with these delicious rolls. Ok now you can go make these. You will not be disappointed, I promise.



Step 1: (top left) - Tie each strip of dough into a knot.
Step 2: (top right) - Take the end that’s lying underneath, and bring it over the top, tucking it into the center.
Step 3: (bottom left) - Then take the end of the knot that’s lying on top, and tuck it underneath and into the center.
Step 4: (bottom right) - Once all the rolls are on the baking sheet Cover them, and let them rise till they’re very puffy, probably another hour or so.

Soft Garlic Knots
Source: I Heart Food for Thought adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
Dough
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
Glaze
2-4 cloves peeled, garlic
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon Pizza Seasoning or Italian seasoning, optional

Directions
1. For the dough - In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the dry ingredients together then add the olive oil, milk and water. Using the paddle attachment or dough hook, mix and knead to form smooth, elastic dough, adding additional water or flour as needed. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, until it’s doubled in bulk.
2. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, and roll each into a rope about 10 inches long; tie each rope into a knot. Place the knots on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes to about an hour, until very puffy looking.
3. To make glaze - Unpeel garlic cloves. Chop the garlic in a food processor (or you can use a garlic press), with the melted butter.
4. To bake - Bake the knots in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes. They should be set, but only very lightly browned. Remove the knots from the oven, and brush or drizzle them with the seasoned butter. (You can reheat the butter briefly in the microwave, if it’s solidified).

World Day of Bread 2008 - English Muffin Bread

Happy World Day of Bread 2008. This marks my second year entering into the round up hosted by Zorra. This year I decided to attempt a bread that I had never made before. While searching through my cookbooks I found a recipe for English Muffin Bread. If sounded pretty good so I decided to give it a try.


This was a pretty simple bread recipe as it needed no kneading or shaping. Simply mix up the ingredients. place them into the prepared pans, let them rise until doubled in size and bake. The dough was rather sticky and hard to easily get into the pans but a pair of floured hands seemed to do the trick. I sent one loaf home with my mother-in-law and kept the other for my husband and I to munch on. I am not sure that this tastes exactly like an English muffin but it is definitely delicious! I know what you are thinking, you think that it would be great toasted and slathered with butter. Well guess what? Great minds think alike.


Wow, that looks delicious huh? Well I hate to break it to you but it was. You want to know what was even better though? Take that toasted bread and turn it into nice big ham, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich! Hello deliciousness.


Last years submission: Italian Bread.
Check back next week for a link to the round-up of all the bread recipes submitted to the event.

English Muffin Bread
Source: Better Homes & Gardens, New Cook Book, Limited Breast Cancer Edition, pages 143-143

Prep: 20 minutes * Rise: 45 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes * Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients
Cornmeal
6 cups all purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Grease two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Lightly sprinkle pans with enough cornmeal to coat bottom and sides; set pans aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of the flour, the yeast, and baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, water, sugar and, salt just until warm (120 to 130 degrees F). Using a wooden spoon, stir milk mixture into flour mixture. Stir in remaining flour.
3. Divide dough in half. Place dough in prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).
4. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove bread from pans. Cool on wire racks.

No Fuss Focaccia

Usually on Tuesday nights I have class but my professor came down with a cold so she had to cancel class last night. That is good news for me, it means that I got to stay home and make a nice dinner for my husband and I. Unfortunately my husband had to work late and didn't get home until around 8:00. I didn't want to make something really heavy so I decided that soup and paninis would be a great dinner. I have some whole wheat sandwich bread in the house but I couldn't see myself making delicious paninis with boring ole sandwich bread. Hummm, guess I need to make bread. ;)

I found this recipe on King Arthur Flour's website, it had a couple of good reviews so I went ahead and made it. This is by far the easiest yeast bread recipe that I have ever made. There is virtually no work involved. No kneading, no shaping, definitely no fuss. I have made a traditional focaccia before and it was amazing. I can't say that this was as good as Peter Reinhart's recipe but for being done in about two hours it was pretty darn good, especially made into a chicken bacon and ranch panini.


What is that delicious looking soup you ask yourself. It is this wonderful Baked Potato-and-Broccoli Soup. I have been hooked ever since I first made it last year.

Blitz Bread: No-Fuss Focaccia
Source: King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) warm water
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 teaspoons Pizza Dough Flavor, optional
1/4 cup (1 ounce) Vermont cheese powder, optional
Pizza Seasoning, optional

Directions
1) Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom.
2) Combine all of the ingredients, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.
3) Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, till it's become puffy.
4) While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.
5) Gently poke the dough all over with your index finger.
6) Drizzle it lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with pizza seasoning, and/or the dried herbs of your choice, if desired.
7) Bake the bread till it's golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
8) Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Daring Bakers Go Crispy

Today is once again my favorite day of the month. The day that I can finally tell the world what the top secret Daring Baker recipe was this month. This months hosts were Natalie from Gluten a Go Go and Shel from Musings from the Fishbowl. They made Daring Bakers's history this month by presenting us with a recipe that would be made vegan and if we were daring enough even gluten free. Thank you ladies for hosting a great challenge. As always don't forget to checkout the Daring Bakers's blogroll to see all the other member's crackers.

We were supposed to make these Lavash crackers along with a gluten free, vegan dip/spread to accompany them. I was a little short on time and was never creative enough to come up with the dip so I simply paired them with some salsa my mother-in-law made and shared with me. I was hoping to make another batch with cinnamon and sugar on top and pair them with a fruit salsa but apparently time got the best of me and I did not quite get that far.


These crackers were very simple to prepare, probably the easiest thing I have ever made with yeast. I did not have much of a problem rolling the dough out thin enough, a couple of my crackers had air bubbles in them but for the most part they were thin and deliciously crispy. I added kosher salt to the top of half of my dough and sesame seeds and paprika to the other half. I preferred the salted ones. Really, who knew that making crackers was so darn easy. I think I may have fallen in love with these, I will definitely be making them time and time again.



Lavash Crackers
Source: The Bread Baker's Apprentice, by Peter Reinhart

Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
1/2 teaspoon (.13 oz) salt
1/2 teaspoon (.055 oz) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar (the book calls for honey, but it is not vegan)
1 tablespoon (.5 oz) vegetable oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (click here for a discription of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.
For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

Italian Bread - Biga Style

Saturday night I hosted a dinner party for my mother in law's birthday. On the menu was chicken parmesan with fresh pasta and homemade sauce, Italian bread and an Italian salad. I have made Italian bread twice before and they were both was delicious, but just because I like to experiment I wanted to try a new recipe. I turned to my Bread Baker's Apprentice book by Peter Reinhart and decided to make his Italian bread. Although this recipe takes 2 days to make it is not really overwhelming at all. Especially since the Biga can be made up to three days in advance and stored in the refrigerator or stored in the freezer for 3 months.

This recipe came together very smoothly and the dough was so wonderful to work with. I thought it might become messy adding the biga to the rest of the ingredients but even that mixed together smoothly. The exterior on this bread had a nice thin crust which I enjoyed but if you would like a thicker crispier crust the book suggests lowering the oven to 400 (instead of 450) and cooking the loaf longer.

I like that this recipe made two nice sized loaves, between the nine of us at dinner we ate a loaf and a half. Apparently it was a hit and we all loved it. I will definitely be making this recipe again. Although this recipe for Italian bread was pretty quick and yielded a good result I think the one I made yesterday produces a much better flavor. So if you are short on time the other one is a great recipe to turn to, but if you have a couple days I recommend trying this recipe, you won't be sorry! I whipped up some garlic butter to spread on the bread. It was amazing, the recipe is below.


Biga
Source: Peter Reinhart, The Bread Baker's Apprentice Page 107

Makes about 18 ounces

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (11.25 ounces) unbleached bread flour
1/2 teaspoon (.055 ounces) instant yeast
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons to 1 cup (7-8 ounces) water, at room temperature

Directions
1. Stir together the flour and yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the water, stirring until everything comes together and makes a coarse ball (or mix on low speed for 1 minute with the paddle attachment). Adjust the flour or water, according to need, so that the dough is neither too sticky nor too stiff. (It is better to err on the sticky side, as you can adjust easier during kneading. It is harder to add water once the dough firms up.)
2. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for 4 to 6 minutes (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook for 4 minutes), or until the dough is soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky. The internal temperature should be 77 to 80 degrees F.
3. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours, or until it nearly doubles in size.
4. Remove the dough from the bowl, knead it lightly to degas, and return it to the bowl, covering the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight. You can keep this in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze it in an airtight plastic bag for up to 3 months.

Italian Bread
Source: Peter Reinhart, The Bread Baker's Apprentice Page 172-173

Days to make: 2
Day 1: 3 to 4 hours biga
Day 2: 1 hour to dechill biga; 12-15 minutes mixing; 3 1/2 hours fermentation, shaping, and proofing; 20-30 minutes baking

Makes two 1 pound loaves or 9 torpedo (hoagie) rolls

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups (18 ounces) biga (recipe above)
2 1/2 cups (11.25 ounces) unbleached bread flour
1 2/3 teaspoons (.41 ounces) salt
1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) sugar
1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast
1 teaspoon (.17 ounce) diastatic barley malt powder (optional)
1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) olive oil, vegetable oil, or shortening
3/4 cup to 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7 to 8 ounces) water (or milk if making torpedo rolls), lukewarm (90 to 100 F)
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

Directions
1. Remove the biga from the refrigerator 1 hour before making the dough. Cut it into about 10 small pieces with a pastry scraper or serrated knife. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour to take off the chill.

2. Stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast and malt powder in a 4 quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add the biga pieces, olive oil, and 3/4 cup water and stir together (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until a ball forms, adjusting the water or flour according to need. The dough should be slightly sticky and soft, but not batter like or very sticky. If the dough feels tough and stiff, add more water to soften (it is better to have the dough too soft than too stiff at this point).

3. Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing on medium speed with the dough hook). Knead (or mix) for about 10 minutes, adding flour as needed, until the dough is tacky, but not sticky, and supple. The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77-81 F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

4. Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

5. Gently divide the dough into 2 equal pieces of about 18 ounces each, or into 9 pieces of about 4 ounces each (for torpedo rolls). Carefully form the pieces into batards, or rolls, degassing the dough as little possible. Lightly dust with a sprinkle of flour, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let rest 5 minutes. Then complete the shaping, extending the loaves to about 12 inches in length or shaping the torpedo rolls. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment and dust with semolina flour or cornmeal. Place the loaves on the pan and lightly mist with spray oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.

6. Proof at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until the loaves or rolls have grown to about 1 1/2 times their original size.

7. Prepare the oven for hearth baking, making sure to have an empty steam pan in place. Preheat the oven to 500 F. Score the breads with 2 parallel, diagonal slashes or 1 long slash.

8. Rolls can be baked directly on the sheet pan. For loaves, generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal and very gently transfer the loaves to the peel or pan. Transfer the dough to the baking stone (or bake on the sheet pan). Pour 1 cup hot water into the steam pan and close the door. Repeat once more after another 30 seconds. After the final spray, lover the oven setting to 450F and bake until done, rotating 180 degrees in necessary, for even baking. It should take about 20 minutes for the loaves and 15 minutes for the rolls. The loaves and rolls should be golden brown and register at least 200F at the center.

9. Transfer the rolls or loaves to a cooling rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving.

Garlic Butter
Source: As seen on Annie's Eats adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon minced garlic

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1½ teaspoons garlic salt

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground paprika

Directions

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and mix until smooth

Crispy Crusty Italian Bread

Last night I made some fresh fettuccine alfredo for dinner and decided that I might as well go all and make some bread too. I kept debating with myself whether I should make breadsticks or a loaf of bread. Then Chelle posted about some Italian bread that she had made the previous day and it looked fabulous. I figured that since the rest of my meal was from her blog I might as well make this too. :)


This recipe says to mist the bread with water right before putting it in the oven and then two more times at three minute intervals. Since I do not have anything to mist water from I decided to try the technique that I learned when I made the French Bread for Daring Bakers. Instead of misting the bread with water I went ahead and threw about 1/3 cup of water into the bottom of my oven. Not only does it create steam but it kinda cleans the bottom of my oven too. :)


This bread came together very quickly and easily. I think I could have let it rise a bit longer on its second rise because it was a tad heavy in the middle but the taste was still wonderful. Be warned this does make one large loaf of bread. Mine was about 16" long in the end.


Italian Bread
Source: As seen on Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Dawn’s Recipes

Makes 1 large loaf

Ingredients
2 cups lukewarm water (~100°F)
1 package active dry yeast
5 to 5¾ cups bread flour
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2½ teaspoons salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions
Stir the yeast into ½ cup of the warm water. Let proof as you measure out the dry ingredients.

Combine 5 cups flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the yeast mixture, remaining water and olive oil. Using a dough hook attachment, mix on lowest speed of electric mixer (stir setting on a KitchenAid) until a dough starts to form, adding more flour as needed. Knead on low speed (2 on a KitchenAid) for 7 minutes. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and need by hand for 1 to 2 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place for 1½ hours or until doubled in size.

Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll. The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and rounded (not pointed) ends.

Preheat the oven lined with a baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles to 425°F.

Place the dough on a baker’s peel heavily dusted with flour, or alternately on an inverted baking sheet. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a floured canvas cloth, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Brush the dough with the egg white and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, slash the dough lengthwise about 1/4-inch deep, keeping the blade at a 45 degree angle.

Spray the dough generously with water from a water bottle and place in the oven on the baking stone. Immediately close the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and spray the dough again with the water bottle. Close the oven door and bake for an additional 3 minutes before spraying the dough for a third time (the spraying of the dough will ensure a crisp golden brown crust).

Bake the dough for a total of 45 minutes, or until a hollow thud is heard when tapping the bottom of the bread. Allow the bread to cool before slicing.