Great bread

[Hoosier Daddy]

[Food] Give us this day our daily bread.

Well this is cool.
I will inaugurate the SIG with a pic of my standard bread.
It is a Baguette type recipe that I make frequently.

The ingredients are not critical, it is the texture that matters.

Start with 2 cups of 105 deg. water
Add 1 cup of flour and a tbsp of sugar.
Add two packs of yeast (I use Fleishmann's)

Stir and let sit in a warm place for about 30 minutes to proof the yeast.
(This will enhance the yeasty flavor)
It should be frothy and have a layer of bubles on top.
Add a tsp or 2 of Kosher salt and whatever else you want.
(Crushed garlic, onion flakes, bacon, thyme, whatever.)

Start adding flour a cup at a time (should need about 6 cups all together.)
Turn out on board and knead for about ten minutes.
Place in big bowl that has been lightly oiled with olive oil and let rise about an hour. I use the microwave because it keeps out drafts.

Punch down and re-knead for a few minutes and cut into 3-4 equal pieces.
Place free-form onto cookie sheet and bake at 400 deg for about twenty minutes.
After fifteen minutes, brush with milk. (Yes, milk)
This will give a nice glaze and soften the crust a little.
Bake 5 minutes more and its done.

 

[monkeyface]

This bread looks beautiful! Can I use the breadmachine to knead it and still get similar results?

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

This bread looks beautiful! Can I use the breadmachine to knead it and still get similar results?

Thank you for the compliment.
I honestly don't know about the bread machine aspect.
I suppose you could if you reduced the ingredients to fit your loaf size.

Its just more fun doing it by hand though.
You could make twists, rounds, baguettes, loafs, etc.

A bread machine kinda' limits you to one style.

 

[Deemy]

Wow! I'm impressed! Will have to give it a try! Deemy

 

[WitsEnd]

I don't think a bread machine will hold all of the ingredients. Six cups of flour is too much for my bread machine (Breadman). You might try to cut the recipe in half then it would probably fit to do the kneading.

WE

 

[monkeyface]

That's a great idea, WitsEnd, then I can simply knead two batches and let them rise together until I mold them into the shapes that I want. It is just a little difficult for me to knead bread to get the properly consistency of the dough right now. Thanks again

 

[suzy]

That bread is GORGEOUS!

Will come back tomorrow night with a chili receipe and one for cheddar potato soup. Have to think about the ingredients though, as I never measure anything.

suzy

 

[tropicalfish]

That bread is absolutely awesome! I've got to try it, but I bet it won't be as beautiful as yours. Thanks for the recipe!

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Thanks for the interest in the bread.
It was an afterthought to photograph and post it here.
Otherwise I would have taken more time in shaping etc.

A few other options you can try..

Half-way through the baking, brush with egg white and sprinkle wth sesame seeds or poppy seeds. If you want a really soft crust, brush with butter or olive oil .

If you want a higher gloss brush with egg white.

 

[Dinghy]

The bread recipe says to punch down and re-knead, then bake. Don't you have to let it raise again before you bake it? It looks beautiful and I can't wait to try it!

 

[Walrus Whisperer]

"Its just more fun doing it by hand though."

Not if you have arthritis in your hands/elbows......

I have one of those pans/bowls that has a lid with a hook on it that is supposed to knead dough pretty well, I havent tried it yet but since its getting cold I will start baking bread. I have the hardest time making bread that has a great crust. I'll try your recipe, Thanks!

 

[Ting]

A tip: Put some margirine on a piece of paper towel and rub it over the top bread crust as soon as the bread comes from oven. This will give you a soft crust. I watched my Mom do this many times when I was a child. How ever she would use the paper that the lard came wrapped in insted of paper towl.