Bread Bakers Unite!

[rainbowmoon]

I thought I'd start a thread just for the bread baker's out there! please post your favorite recipes,tips, links,etc here! :

[rainbowmoon]

my currently favorite blog
http://ayearinbread.earthandhearth.com/

[vermontgirl]

Wow great thread. Lets keep it alive!

I dont have anything to add yet, just that I love the Laurels Kitchen breadbook. I am interested in some great multigrain bread recipes and come recipes for crusty bread. Thanks for starting this.

[425lisamarie]

I'm a big bread baker, but I use commercial yeast not just sourdough. I use sprouted grains but not entirely, and I soak the whole grains I do use. I still bake bread with some white unbleached flour otherwise no one would eat it here! (For sandwiches at least). Dinner breads are sometimes 100% grains

ETA: I think I'l post a recipe after I make them over the next few days....I'm testing honey wheat rolls

[hlkm2e]

I'm a fairly new bread baker. I started with the no knead bread recipe and have fallen in love from there. I've been making our pita bread and buttermilk biscuits. I've also tried my hand at french bread a couple times.

The bread book I have is called The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger.

I'm working on sandwich bread, but I really need to get a thermometer. All my recipes call for heating the milk and I have no idea of the temperature.

[alaskaberry]

My favorite kind to make is rosemary bread. That said, I don't have a stove yet (we just moved into our new house, which is lacking a stove for some reason!), but when I do I'd love to try everyone else's recipes.

[EVC]

I just started bread baking last week, so I am VERY new to the club

So far, I have only tried Hungarian white bread (very yummy and very easy). I REALLY want to try Russian black bread, but the only recipe I've found so far intimidates me--I think I'm still too much of a newbie for that :

[Jude-a-buddies-mom]

Very new here too. I just started making bread a few months ago. I really not sure what I am doing yet but the bread is coming out okay and my ds is having fun making bread with me. I need to learn a lot more.

[SneakyPie]

I have been baking bread since I was 17 years old, so 24 years now? My favorite tips are:

Use white whole-wheat flour if your household doesn't like the brown kind. King Arthur brand sells it. It really is whole wheat, just made from the kind of wheat called "soft white" wheat rather than "winter red" wheat. It's not bitter, and makes bread that is very slightly off-white in color, so even your sworn no-whole-wheat eaters will not know.

I like to make my bread by the sponge method. Whatever the ingredients in a bread recipe, I mix them up like this:

* First dissolve the yeast in about 1/4 cup of the called-for liquid with a few grains of sugar or drops of honey. Wait for yeast to start growing (foaming).

* Next mix in all remaining called-for liquid, the salt, sweetener, and fat (usually oil), and a cup or 2 of the flour, and stir well for several minutes to form a liquidy "sponge." (I like to do this outdoors in the sunshine, as I think the sponge likes to get a little natural warmth and maybe capture some wild yeast, but I have no proof of my hunches!) Let the sponge rise for a good 20 minutes. This gives a good pre-rise and also lets all the conditioners (salt/oil/sweetener) get well distributed while the batter-dough is still quite wet.

* Then mix/knead in the remaining flour as usual, and do one rise in the bowl and another in the pan before baking. I add any specialty ingredients at this time also - whole grains, fruit, herbs, etc.

My general rule of thumb for a 2-loaf recipe, is 2 cups liquid to 4-6 cups dry ingredients. The liquids can be anything from plain water to a combo of water, tomato sauce and salsa, or water with yogurt or kefir. Dry ingredients are of course flour, but also oats, potato flakes, even milk powder sometimes. If your liquids are thick, they will absorb a little less dry stuff and may make a denser bread with a lower rise profile. If your add-ins are wet (grated zucchini or carrot), you may need a little more flour. If your liquids are going to be very thick or your dry things will be very heavy, splurge and use 2 packages of yeast to get a good high loaf.

[lotus.blossom]

Great tips sneakypie!

I am in love with breadmaking. I have just scratched the surface of all the possibilities. I started by using a breadmachine that I received for Christmas and then I delved into sourdough. I LOVE sourdough! Its very hard to eat anything else, although I still use my machine for quickie things like foccacia and pizza crust.

I have been experimenting with different things such as the white whole wheat that was mentioned. Tastes good (but doesn't make for good sourdough) I recently tried pumpernickle and I didn't like that!
I have a bread machine recipe for sunlflower/flax seed bread that I'll dig up and post later.

[rainbowmoon]

great tips SneakyPie! I love KAF! they even sell organic white wheat flour!

EVC-those recipes sound ! do you care to share them? :inocent

alaskaberry- I love rosemary bread served with olive oil for dipping.mmmm.

I am trying my hand at sourdough this week. I am making the starter today.

[rainbowmoon]

here is a quick and easy recipe I love to make!

sunflower cheese bread recipe


2 c. WW flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 egg whites, beaten
1 c. plain yogurt
2 ybsp. honey
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 c. firmly packed shredded cheddar
3 tbsp sunflower seeds (shelled)

preheat oven 350 degrees. combine the first 4 ingredients in one bowl. in another bowl beat egg whites,yogurt honey and mustard together. combine wet ingredients w/ the dry and mix well. stir in cheese and sunflower seeds. pour into a lightly oiled 9x5x3 pan and bake for 45 min or until the tops looks golden.

[Jude-a-buddies-mom]

Okay I am so new to this. Can you tell me what is the best way to store bread once it is made? I have ended up with some moldy bread lately. I did not have this problem before. But is has been more humid here lately.

Thanks SneakyPie that's awesome I never knew their was white whole wheat flour. My dh always complains about my whole wheat bread. I will definitely be getting some of that.

The sunflower cheese bread sounds yummy. Thanks Rainbowmoon.

[EVC]

EVC-those recipes sound ! do you care to share them?

They are from: http://www.cookingbread.com

Black Russian Rye Bread Recipe
Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup dark rye flour
3 1/2 cup unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 cup Rye starter
1 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon liquid caramel color


Method:

In a bowl mix rye flour, bread flour, salt, yeast and caraway seeds together in a large bowl. Using an electic mixer place molasses, rye starter, melted shortening, lukewarm water and coloring. Mix together. Using a dough hook on your mixer add 1 cup at a time of the dry ingredients. Mix for 5-6 minutes. The dough should be a little tacky not sticky. If you need more flour go ahead and add 1 tablespoon at a time. Till you get the right consistency. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover for 1 1/2 hours. Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for two minutes by hand. Divide dough into two equal parts. Shape and place into two greased bread pans. Cove and allow to rise till double, (about 1 hour). Place in a 350F oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.

White Bread Recipe (Hungarian)
Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients:

6-7 cup flour (all-purpose)
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp oil (corn)
1/2 tsp anise seeds (crushed)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (crushed)
2 cup lukewarm water
2 packages yeast


Method: Pour the lukewarm water into a bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and set aside for 5 minutes. In a large bowl mix 4 cups of flour, sugar, salt, oil, anise seeds and fennel seeds. Mix with a wooden spoon, till combined. Mix yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. Beat together till smooth. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time. Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes. The dough will become smooth and elastic. Place dough into a greased bowl turning the dough to cover all sides. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap till double. Place dough onto a floured surface and punch down. Cut dough in half. Form into loaves. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover again till double. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 F for 50 minutes. Remove, cool on a wire rack.

Also, I posted this question before I found this thread, but maybe someone here can answer it?

How long can I store bread dough????
If I make a whole bunch of it, bake only one loaf, and want to save the rest ready-made for another day? Can I safely store it in the fridge for a few days, or will that affect its quality?

[Benji'sMom]

I'm new to breadbaking too. Just started this weekend to make homemade bread instead of buying sandwich bread from the store. But my 3 year old won't eat his pb&j on it, he says "It's dirty!" and starts crying. It's because it doesn't have an airy texture like store bought bread. I hope I can convert him but if not, I guess we'll have to go back to store bought, but I don't want to! (He says "dirty", but he means "stale," because of the texture he thinks it's stale. It's soft, but just, you know, more substantial and thicker than regular bread.) Here's my recipe (I actually love it and hope I can keep doing it): http://hillbillyhousewife.com/brdm_honeywheatbread.htm

[rainbowmoon]

does anyone make monkey bread? do I need a special pan? I am lusting after the william sonoma right one, but not sure it's necessary! also, has anyone ever made an herbed monkey bread (not sweet)?

[kdabbler]

What a great thread! I have a bread macine and have been meaning to try this one: Chocolate Marbled Walnut Bread

Use white whole-wheat flour if your household doesn't like the brown kind. King Arthur brand sells it. It really is whole wheat, just made from the kind of wheat called "soft white" wheat rather than "winter red" wheat. It's not bitter, and makes bread that is very slightly off-white in color, so even your sworn no-whole-wheat eaters will not know.

I slip this flour in for my anti-whole wheat dh!

[Benji'sMom]

Originally Posted by kdabbler

What a great thread! I have a bread macine and have been meaning to try this one: Chocolate Marbled Walnut Bread

Oh that sounds yummy!

[unfrozncavegrl]

does anyone have a favorite recipe for wheat-free bread?:

[dex_millie]

Joining this thread. I am going to start tomorrow making my own bread. I use to do it and know I cannot remember why I stopped. I also cannot find the old recipe I use to make. It was mostly whole wheat flour, molasses, and I use to press rolled oats on the top.

Question for the bread makers - I am thinking of making alot of dough(just about 2 weeks worth) and plan on freezing a portion for a week. How long can do be frozen or should I mostly do it fresh all the time?