Bread Recipes

The River Cottage Bread Handbook is my new favorite bread book. It happens to be the only one I own, but it has lots of recipes for all different kinds of breads. It also explains the details of how the dough should look and feel, as well as why he does things a certain way. His recipes build off of a basic bread recipe, which is fairly simple, and then he gives some ideas on how to create new things. Rather than loading the whole book, which would be nice, this is a recipe I adapted from his basic recipe. I haven't done it the same way twice, so there is always room for new ideas. (It might need a new title, too.)

Mostly whole wheat, potato bread recipe

Day 1:

6 cups (~750 g) whole wheat flour

2 cups warmish water

2 Tablespoons plain active yogurt

Mix the ingredients thoroughly and cover tightly with plastic or a lid to prevent evaporation. Allow this is rest for 12-24 hours.

Day 2:

1 Tablespoon yeast

1/2 cup warm liquid

Optional:

1 cup warm mashed potato, mashed smooth

I usually use water or occasionally dry milk in the water, but avoid fresh milk. It will kill the yeast. You can scald the milk first, but if it is too hot, that also kills the yeast. Picky, picky. Mix those and let them sit for 5-20 minutes, or until you remember that it is still waiting for you. The potato, from the one time I tried it, makes the bread stay moist longer.

2 cup non-bleached all-purpose flour

2-4 teaspoons salt, if you like salty, go for 4

Optional:

1 Tablespoon of fat (he calls for 'a good slug') (e.g. butter, meat drippings, oil, etc.)

1-2 teaspoons of honey

2 handfuls of 'extras' like oats or small seeds

Mix all the ingredients and knead for 10 minutes by hand or in a heavy mixer. To know when it is mixed, hold the dough up and stretch it thin. If you feel the dough won't stretch any more, it's ready. Over-kneading is possible, especially with a mixer, and the dough breaks down into a lifeless lump. I haven't had it happen, but checking the stetchability should prevent it. White flour bread should go to a fairly thin sheet, so says the book, enough to see light through it. The higher wheat content gets thin-ish and may tear rather than forming a sheet.

Form the dough to a round ball and cover it in a warm place for 1.5 hour, or until it is double. Some days this happens quickly, and others not so much. Punch the dough again. Now you have a choice: let it rise up to 3 more times, and subsequently punch it again, or divide it into loaves. This amount makes 2 large loaves, or a few smaller ones.

Again, cover and allow the dough to rise in the pan, or on a baking stone, or cookie sheet. My parents still make bread in an old metal juice can like tomato juice comes it. Kids would always comment on my 'round bread' at school. Once the bread has doubled, bake it! There have been too many times where I let it rise too long and it comes out flat. If you want, slash the tops diagonally, about 1/2 inch deep in order to allow it to rise further in the oven. Shallow slashes look wimpy. Deep slashes look like you are knife happy.

The book recommends a high heat for the first 10 minutes, like 500 F high. I'm finding that I don't like that as much, as the crust is really thick and is pseudo-burnt. So I've tried about 400 F for 40-50 minutes for big loaves and about 10 minutes less for smaller ones. Put it in and don't check it for at least 10 minutes. Letting the hot air escape means it doesn't rise as well. If the top is too brown, cover it with foil after the 10 minutes. Once it's done, pull it out of the pans and drool while it cools. Cutting it too soon will squish it, but if you are tearing off hunks anyway, dig in!

Long enough post? Please add all you want!