01-28-2012, 06:33 AM
Every winter I bake bread. Why the winter instead of summer? With average temperatures of 90-95F in summer (many going over 100F) running the oven over heats the house. I live in a house that is only 450 sqft - so that over can really heat the house running 40 minutes at 350F.
The simplest recipe for bread is:
1 cup water
2 tsp lose yeast (or 1 packet)
1 tablespoon flour
2 3/4 to 3 Cups flour
1 egg
1/4 Cup vegetable oil (EVOO works well).
1/4 tsp salt
Turn the oven on at 350F
run the tap hot water until hot water is coming out. Most homes are set between 100-110F so this should be hot enough. Fill your mixing bowl with hot water (from the tap)put your measuring cup in it. Let sit a couple minutes until both are hot.
Pour out the water, add 1 cup hot water to your bowl. Add yeast. Mix until yeast is dissolved. Add one tablespoon sugar, mix.
In your measuring cup measure out 1/4 cup vegetable oil (at room temperature) crack and add one egg. Beat with a fork until slightly frothy. Set to the side.
Add 2.5 cups of your flour to the water, yeast sugar mixture. pour the egg oil mix on top, add 1/4 tsp salt. Mix until well blended. Then add a little flour at a time until your dough holds together and is ready for kneading.
Knead 10-15 minutes. How fast and how well you knead is going to determine time.
Here is where most breads fail. Kneading is an art skill. Its a rolling and folding movement that slowly develops gluten. Gluten is what holds the bread together, it determines the bread's 'crumb'.
A well kneaded bread will have 'spring' to it. Pull it and it will stretch, but tend to spring back a bit. Once you have been doing this for a while and have found the right consistency for your bread, you will know when your dough is ready to be dumped in a bowl and allowed to rise.
If you have a kitchen aide and a hook, its becomes far easier. Add the ingredients to the bowl as I directed above. Mix on 1 until mixed, then set it between 2-4 and let the hook do its thing for 11 minutes.
In an oiled bowl, roll your dough to cover it oil. Cover with a sheet of saran wrap, cover with a towel. Set in a warm place for 35 minutes or until doubled.
Punch down and shape and move to your oiled loaf pan. Let rise again (about 30 minutes) and then bake at 350F until the top is golden brown, for me that is exactly 36 minutes ;-)
a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp more yeast and a tad more kneading and shaping into a long 'tube', painting with egg white and baking at 350F until golden brown will result in something very similar to french bread.
A tad less yeast (1 3/4 tsp) results in a heavier crumb which is good for dinner rolls and for cinnamon rolls.
If you are into whole grains, mix 1/2 white flour with 1/2 whole grain. This will mean you will need to knead it more. A 100% whole grain bread will need to be kneaded a lot longer and with far more enthusiasm :tongue:.
BTW if you keep your eggs in the refrigerator, I suggest pulling out the egg(s) you use for baking 1-2 hours before you bake, let them reach room temperature. Warm eggs react better with other ingredients. In this case your yeasts are kept warm - yeasts love warm moist places.
The simplest recipe for bread is:
1 cup water
2 tsp lose yeast (or 1 packet)
1 tablespoon flour
2 3/4 to 3 Cups flour
1 egg
1/4 Cup vegetable oil (EVOO works well).
1/4 tsp salt
Turn the oven on at 350F
run the tap hot water until hot water is coming out. Most homes are set between 100-110F so this should be hot enough. Fill your mixing bowl with hot water (from the tap)put your measuring cup in it. Let sit a couple minutes until both are hot.
Pour out the water, add 1 cup hot water to your bowl. Add yeast. Mix until yeast is dissolved. Add one tablespoon sugar, mix.
In your measuring cup measure out 1/4 cup vegetable oil (at room temperature) crack and add one egg. Beat with a fork until slightly frothy. Set to the side.
Add 2.5 cups of your flour to the water, yeast sugar mixture. pour the egg oil mix on top, add 1/4 tsp salt. Mix until well blended. Then add a little flour at a time until your dough holds together and is ready for kneading.
Knead 10-15 minutes. How fast and how well you knead is going to determine time.
Here is where most breads fail. Kneading is an art skill. Its a rolling and folding movement that slowly develops gluten. Gluten is what holds the bread together, it determines the bread's 'crumb'.
A well kneaded bread will have 'spring' to it. Pull it and it will stretch, but tend to spring back a bit. Once you have been doing this for a while and have found the right consistency for your bread, you will know when your dough is ready to be dumped in a bowl and allowed to rise.
If you have a kitchen aide and a hook, its becomes far easier. Add the ingredients to the bowl as I directed above. Mix on 1 until mixed, then set it between 2-4 and let the hook do its thing for 11 minutes.
In an oiled bowl, roll your dough to cover it oil. Cover with a sheet of saran wrap, cover with a towel. Set in a warm place for 35 minutes or until doubled.
Punch down and shape and move to your oiled loaf pan. Let rise again (about 30 minutes) and then bake at 350F until the top is golden brown, for me that is exactly 36 minutes ;-)
a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp more yeast and a tad more kneading and shaping into a long 'tube', painting with egg white and baking at 350F until golden brown will result in something very similar to french bread.
A tad less yeast (1 3/4 tsp) results in a heavier crumb which is good for dinner rolls and for cinnamon rolls.
If you are into whole grains, mix 1/2 white flour with 1/2 whole grain. This will mean you will need to knead it more. A 100% whole grain bread will need to be kneaded a lot longer and with far more enthusiasm :tongue:.
BTW if you keep your eggs in the refrigerator, I suggest pulling out the egg(s) you use for baking 1-2 hours before you bake, let them reach room temperature. Warm eggs react better with other ingredients. In this case your yeasts are kept warm - yeasts love warm moist places.
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