Bread - Basic recipe
Typed up a few of the bread recipes for Tom, so I thought I'd post them here while I've got them digital. Enjoy!
-----
Ingredients:
2.5 cups warm water, 105-115 F
1 package or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons oil
3 to 3.25 cups whole wheat flour
3 to 3.25 cups unbleached white flour
Yields: 2 medium loaves
In a large mixing bowl, add the yeast to the warm water. Stir it gently, and the yeast will dissolve in a couple of minutes. Now stir in the salt, oil, and honey. Slowly add 2.75 cups of white flour. When the mixtures leaves the sides of the bowl, turn out the dough onto your work surface which you have lightly sprinkled with the flour closest to your hand.
Let the bowl soak in warm water while you knead in 0.25 cup of whole wheat flour, and then approximately 0.25 cup of white flour. Use more or less flour to get the right texture. It will take from 5 to 10 minutes of kneading for the dough to become loamy and supple, and that's how you want it. See how nice it feels?
After you're done kneading the dough, wash out the bowl and dry it. Add about 1 teaspoon of the oil to the bowl and drop in the dough. Swirl it around, coaiting all surfaces of the dough and bowl. If you prefer, allow the dough to rise right on the countertop. Cover the dough with a plate or cloth and let it rise until the dough doubles in bunlk. This should take about 45 to 90 minutes if the temperature is between 75 and 85 degrees. Now punch down the dough.
Cut the dough in two with a sharp knife, and shape it into two loaves. Place the loaves in two oiled, medium-sized bread pans. Cover the loaves with a cloth and allow to rise in a warm place until they have doubled in bulk. This should take about half as long as the initial rise. Preheating the oven is not necessary. Place the loaves on the center rack, and bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. The bread is done when it passes the tap test.
Fast Forward:
To save time, don't punch down the dough. Shape the dough into loaves, and allow it to rise just once in bread pans before baking.
-----
Ingredients:
2.5 cups warm water, 105-115 F
1 package or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons oil
3 to 3.25 cups whole wheat flour
3 to 3.25 cups unbleached white flour
Yields: 2 medium loaves
In a large mixing bowl, add the yeast to the warm water. Stir it gently, and the yeast will dissolve in a couple of minutes. Now stir in the salt, oil, and honey. Slowly add 2.75 cups of white flour. When the mixtures leaves the sides of the bowl, turn out the dough onto your work surface which you have lightly sprinkled with the flour closest to your hand.
Let the bowl soak in warm water while you knead in 0.25 cup of whole wheat flour, and then approximately 0.25 cup of white flour. Use more or less flour to get the right texture. It will take from 5 to 10 minutes of kneading for the dough to become loamy and supple, and that's how you want it. See how nice it feels?
After you're done kneading the dough, wash out the bowl and dry it. Add about 1 teaspoon of the oil to the bowl and drop in the dough. Swirl it around, coaiting all surfaces of the dough and bowl. If you prefer, allow the dough to rise right on the countertop. Cover the dough with a plate or cloth and let it rise until the dough doubles in bunlk. This should take about 45 to 90 minutes if the temperature is between 75 and 85 degrees. Now punch down the dough.
Cut the dough in two with a sharp knife, and shape it into two loaves. Place the loaves in two oiled, medium-sized bread pans. Cover the loaves with a cloth and allow to rise in a warm place until they have doubled in bulk. This should take about half as long as the initial rise. Preheating the oven is not necessary. Place the loaves on the center rack, and bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. The bread is done when it passes the tap test.
Fast Forward:
To save time, don't punch down the dough. Shape the dough into loaves, and allow it to rise just once in bread pans before baking.