Another bread recipe, this one with proper rising and such. Remember to read through the whole recipe first!
Ingredients
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 cups water (use slightly more if making wheat bread)
3 tbsp brown sugar ( dark or light--will affect yeast and sweetness, though. Sugar makes for a crunchy crust, but if you want the bread less sweet, cut down the sugar some. I advise using the amount above for your first loaf.)
~ 5 1/2 cups SIFTED unbleached flour (or wheat, All-purpose, bread--anything but self-rising. If you use wheat, double-sift. More sifting means lighter bread, generally. If you want wheat bread, about 2 cups of wheat and 3 white. You'll need a bit more oil and water, too--maybe a tablespoon or so of each.)
some more flour for counter flouring
1 to 3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
olive oil/butter for greasing and adding flavor
Equipment
timer (any timer will do)
KitchenAid mixer, mixing bowl and dough hook attchment
silicone spatula (or other bendy spatula)
large bowl (bowl will hold sifted flour)
platic lid or other item that will cover the top of the metal mixing bowl (cover, doesn't have to seal)
measuring spoons
sifter
measuring cup
liquid measuring cup
olive oil mister or basting brush and small bowl to hold oil/butter (you can grease things by hand if you don't have these)
baking pan, silicone recommended
knife
cooling rack recommended
clean cloth to cover
oven mitts
cleanup supplies
Total time including waiting and cleaning: 4-5 hours
Total active time including prep and cleaning: 1 hour (or less time, when you get the routine.)
Stage 0: prep kitchen - 10 minutes
Clear and clean counter or cutting board where you will knead bread. Do not use strong cleaners, as the bread will pick up the flavor. Make sure the surface is dry. Also, make sure you have room in the sink to put used equipment when you finish. Wash and dry your hands. Get out your ingredients and equipment and measure what you can.
Stage 1: Prep yeast and flour - 12 minutes
1) In mixer bowl, mix the ingredients below.
2 1/4 tsp yeast
3 tsp brown sugar
2 cups hottish tap water (not-as-hot as coming out of the tap, but warmer than you would give a baby. So I'm told. Remember to use a tsp to tblsp more water if adding wheat flour))
2) Cover with a lid from a storage container. Set timer for 10 minutes for the yeast activation.
3) While yeast is activating, sift and measure flour.
5 to 5 1/2 cups sifted flour (sift BEFORE you measure. Wheat flour should be sifted At least twice.)
4) When timer goes off, wash and dry your hands. Check the yeast-water-sugar mixture to make sure it started foaming. If not, start over. (possibly your water was too hot or too cold) .
Stage 2: Mixing - 10 minutes
5) Put the bowl and lock on the mixer stand. Add about a third of the flour, turn the mixer on, and then slowly pour/scoop in the remaining flour.
6) Pour in 1-2tbsp of olive oil to add flavor and moisture. Use more for wheat than for white flour.
7) Set a timer for 7 minutes to time the mixing. You do not want to overmix, so if it took you a little longer to set the timer, then reduce the amount of time. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula.
8) While the dough is mixing, sprinkle flour (start with a tablespoon and see) on the countertop, put away the liquid measuring cup and clean the teaspoon and measuring cup and put them away. Put away the sifter (if you have to add a little flour later, it's ok if it's not sifted).
9) When the timer goes off, wash and dry your hands, if needed. Sprinkle in the salt.
(Salt addition is recommended for as late as possible in the process to facilitate the rise.)
10) Turn off the mixer. Look at the dough and touch it. It should be firm but not dry. I prefer to work with slightly wetter dough, but it's more difficult to manage. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in flour a tablespoon at a time and mix for a few seconds.
Stage 3 - Prep for first rise - 7 minutes
11) Wash and dry your hands. Pull the bowl off the stand. Flour your hands. The dough will be wrapped around the hook somewhat. Spatula off the dough and stick the hook in the sink (ideally in water). Sprinkle a little bit of flour around the edges of the dough.
Take the spatula and push down the sides of the bowl to push the dough to the center so that you can drop it out in one lump on the floured countertop , if possible.
Scrape the bowl in a downward direction to get the sides clean. A bit of dough-film on the bowl is OK.
12) Mist the same bowl with olive oil.
13) Knead the dough a bit by hand (1-2 minutes). If it's sticking to your fingers or the counter, flour the surface and/or the dough.
14) Form the dough into a ball (I pinch it under) and drop into the lightly greaesed bowl. Put a lid/clean towel/ whatever over it. It doesn't have to seal.
15) Put the bowl somewhere warm. The warmer the spot, the faster the rise will occur. If you're cooking something else, on top of a warm oven is perfect. REMEMBER: dough absorbs smells, so don't smoke around your rising dough.
16) Set a timer for 45-60 minutes ( 30 if you found a good warm spot). You want the dough ball to double in size.
17) Clean the dough hook (dry dough is harder to clean) and put it away. Put away all ingredients excpt the flour and the olive oil mister. Leave the floured countertop, but you can clean up any little bits of dough. If you have any remaining measuring equipment out, it can be cleaned.
Stage 4 - WAIT TIME 40-60 minutes.
FIND SOMETHING TO DO WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THE TIMER.
18) When the timer goes off, check to see if the dough has doubled in size. If it hasn't, give it another 10-15 minutes.
Stage 5 - Prep for second rise - 5 minutes
19) Wash and dry your hands. Punch down the dough and repeat steps 11-16. You need the dough ball to double in size again. You may not need the extra bits of flour.
Stage 6- SECOND WAIT TIME 40-60 minutes.
FIND SOMETHING TO DO WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THE TIMER.
20) When the dough has doubled in size again, wash and dry your hands. Get the dough out of the bowl in the same way as before. Put the bowl in the sink with water in it.
Stage 7 - Prep for the final rise - 5 minutes
21) Punch down, knead a few times and form into a loaf shape.
22) Grease the loaf pan if it isn't silicone.
23) Put the loaf in the loaf pan. Set the same lid over the loaf pan and put it somewhere warm again. This rise will be uour last rise for this loaf.
24) Set a timer for 30 minutes.
Stage 8 -THIRD WAIT TIME 30 minutes.
FIND SOMETHING TO DO WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THE TIMER.
25) When the timer goes off, check the oven to make sure no extra pans are in it. Preheat the oven to 400.
26) set timer for 15 minutes.
Stage 9 WAIT TIME 15 minutes.
FIND SOMETHING TO DO WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THE TIMER.
27) When timer goes off, check to see if dough has risen slightly above bread pan. If not, set another timer for 10-15 minutes.
Stage 10: Prep for baking
28) When loaf has proofed up to be at or slightly above pan edge, take a knife and cut parallel diagonal lines from top corner, then criss-cross them from another corner. The cuts will make the loaf look pretty and keep it from "erupting" in the middle of the loaf. Mist the top with olive oil or butter.
29) Bake uncovered at 400 for ~30 minutes. Set a timer. While bread is baking, wash and put away everything except olive oil mister/butter, cooling rack and knife.
Stage 11 BAKING WAIT TIME 30 minutes.
FIND SOMETHING TO DO WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THE TIMER.
Stage 12: Cooling
30) Pull out the loaf when it looks ready. Golden brown lid, etc indicates readiness. If you think it might stick, run a knife around the edge of the bread pan. Tip out the loaf. Optional: mist with olive oil or top with butter pats.
31) For a nice, crispy crust, put the bread on a rack to cool. For a softer loaf, put it somewhere to cool and cover with a clean cloth. Alternately, you can start stuffing your face. Keep bread in a sealed container.
Notes: Tough bread means it was probably over-kneaded.
"Clean Towels" means they haven't been used for anything else. Towels that you have been drying your washed hands on are NOT clean enough. I'll spare you the biology lecture.
I often forget to add salt. It's fine. Just salt your bread when you eat it. Mmmmm
Bread only keeps for a few days. It will mold or harden.
I sometimes slightly underbake bread so that it's nicer when toasted later or if I am taking it over to someone's for dinner and want to pop it in the oven to heat.
Ingredients
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 cups water (use slightly more if making wheat bread)
3 tbsp brown sugar ( dark or light--will affect yeast and sweetness, though. Sugar makes for a crunchy crust, but if you want the bread less sweet, cut down the sugar some. I advise using the amount above for your first loaf.)
~ 5 1/2 cups SIFTED unbleached flour (or wheat, All-purpose, bread--anything but self-rising. If you use wheat, double-sift. More sifting means lighter bread, generally. If you want wheat bread, about 2 cups of wheat and 3 white. You'll need a bit more oil and water, too--maybe a tablespoon or so of each.)
some more flour for counter flouring
1 to 3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
olive oil/butter for greasing and adding flavor
Equipment
timer (any timer will do)
KitchenAid mixer, mixing bowl and dough hook attchment
silicone spatula (or other bendy spatula)
large bowl (bowl will hold sifted flour)
platic lid or other item that will cover the top of the metal mixing bowl (cover, doesn't have to seal)
measuring spoons
sifter
measuring cup
liquid measuring cup
olive oil mister or basting brush and small bowl to hold oil/butter (you can grease things by hand if you don't have these)
baking pan, silicone recommended
knife
cooling rack recommended
clean cloth to cover
oven mitts
cleanup supplies
Total time including waiting and cleaning: 4-5 hours
Total active time including prep and cleaning: 1 hour (or less time, when you get the routine.)
Stage 0: prep kitchen - 10 minutes
Clear and clean counter or cutting board where you will knead bread. Do not use strong cleaners, as the bread will pick up the flavor. Make sure the surface is dry. Also, make sure you have room in the sink to put used equipment when you finish. Wash and dry your hands. Get out your ingredients and equipment and measure what you can.
Stage 1: Prep yeast and flour - 12 minutes
1) In mixer bowl, mix the ingredients below.
2 1/4 tsp yeast
3 tsp brown sugar
2 cups hottish tap water (not-as-hot as coming out of the tap, but warmer than you would give a baby. So I'm told. Remember to use a tsp to tblsp more water if adding wheat flour))
2) Cover with a lid from a storage container. Set timer for 10 minutes for the yeast activation.
3) While yeast is activating, sift and measure flour.
5 to 5 1/2 cups sifted flour (sift BEFORE you measure. Wheat flour should be sifted At least twice.)
4) When timer goes off, wash and dry your hands. Check the yeast-water-sugar mixture to make sure it started foaming. If not, start over. (possibly your water was too hot or too cold) .
Stage 2: Mixing - 10 minutes
5) Put the bowl and lock on the mixer stand. Add about a third of the flour, turn the mixer on, and then slowly pour/scoop in the remaining flour.
6) Pour in 1-2tbsp of olive oil to add flavor and moisture. Use more for wheat than for white flour.
7) Set a timer for 7 minutes to time the mixing. You do not want to overmix, so if it took you a little longer to set the timer, then reduce the amount of time. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula.
8) While the dough is mixing, sprinkle flour (start with a tablespoon and see) on the countertop, put away the liquid measuring cup and clean the teaspoon and measuring cup and put them away. Put away the sifter (if you have to add a little flour later, it's ok if it's not sifted).
9) When the timer goes off, wash and dry your hands, if needed. Sprinkle in the salt.
(Salt addition is recommended for as late as possible in the process to facilitate the rise.)
10) Turn off the mixer. Look at the dough and touch it. It should be firm but not dry. I prefer to work with slightly wetter dough, but it's more difficult to manage. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in flour a tablespoon at a time and mix for a few seconds.
Stage 3 - Prep for first rise - 7 minutes
11) Wash and dry your hands. Pull the bowl off the stand. Flour your hands. The dough will be wrapped around the hook somewhat. Spatula off the dough and stick the hook in the sink (ideally in water). Sprinkle a little bit of flour around the edges of the dough.
Take the spatula and push down the sides of the bowl to push the dough to the center so that you can drop it out in one lump on the floured countertop , if possible.
Scrape the bowl in a downward direction to get the sides clean. A bit of dough-film on the bowl is OK.
12) Mist the same bowl with olive oil.
13) Knead the dough a bit by hand (1-2 minutes). If it's sticking to your fingers or the counter, flour the surface and/or the dough.
14) Form the dough into a ball (I pinch it under) and drop into the lightly greaesed bowl. Put a lid/clean towel/ whatever over it. It doesn't have to seal.
15) Put the bowl somewhere warm. The warmer the spot, the faster the rise will occur. If you're cooking something else, on top of a warm oven is perfect. REMEMBER: dough absorbs smells, so don't smoke around your rising dough.
16) Set a timer for 45-60 minutes ( 30 if you found a good warm spot). You want the dough ball to double in size.
17) Clean the dough hook (dry dough is harder to clean) and put it away. Put away all ingredients excpt the flour and the olive oil mister. Leave the floured countertop, but you can clean up any little bits of dough. If you have any remaining measuring equipment out, it can be cleaned.
Stage 4 - WAIT TIME 40-60 minutes.
FIND SOMETHING TO DO WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THE TIMER.
18) When the timer goes off, check to see if the dough has doubled in size. If it hasn't, give it another 10-15 minutes.
Stage 5 - Prep for second rise - 5 minutes
19) Wash and dry your hands. Punch down the dough and repeat steps 11-16. You need the dough ball to double in size again. You may not need the extra bits of flour.
Stage 6- SECOND WAIT TIME 40-60 minutes.
FIND SOMETHING TO DO WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THE TIMER.
20) When the dough has doubled in size again, wash and dry your hands. Get the dough out of the bowl in the same way as before. Put the bowl in the sink with water in it.
Stage 7 - Prep for the final rise - 5 minutes
21) Punch down, knead a few times and form into a loaf shape.
22) Grease the loaf pan if it isn't silicone.
23) Put the loaf in the loaf pan. Set the same lid over the loaf pan and put it somewhere warm again. This rise will be uour last rise for this loaf.
24) Set a timer for 30 minutes.
Stage 8 -THIRD WAIT TIME 30 minutes.
FIND SOMETHING TO DO WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THE TIMER.
25) When the timer goes off, check the oven to make sure no extra pans are in it. Preheat the oven to 400.
26) set timer for 15 minutes.
Stage 9 WAIT TIME 15 minutes.
FIND SOMETHING TO DO WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THE TIMER.
27) When timer goes off, check to see if dough has risen slightly above bread pan. If not, set another timer for 10-15 minutes.
Stage 10: Prep for baking
28) When loaf has proofed up to be at or slightly above pan edge, take a knife and cut parallel diagonal lines from top corner, then criss-cross them from another corner. The cuts will make the loaf look pretty and keep it from "erupting" in the middle of the loaf. Mist the top with olive oil or butter.
29) Bake uncovered at 400 for ~30 minutes. Set a timer. While bread is baking, wash and put away everything except olive oil mister/butter, cooling rack and knife.
Stage 11 BAKING WAIT TIME 30 minutes.
FIND SOMETHING TO DO WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THE TIMER.
Stage 12: Cooling
30) Pull out the loaf when it looks ready. Golden brown lid, etc indicates readiness. If you think it might stick, run a knife around the edge of the bread pan. Tip out the loaf. Optional: mist with olive oil or top with butter pats.
31) For a nice, crispy crust, put the bread on a rack to cool. For a softer loaf, put it somewhere to cool and cover with a clean cloth. Alternately, you can start stuffing your face. Keep bread in a sealed container.
Notes: Tough bread means it was probably over-kneaded.
"Clean Towels" means they haven't been used for anything else. Towels that you have been drying your washed hands on are NOT clean enough. I'll spare you the biology lecture.
I often forget to add salt. It's fine. Just salt your bread when you eat it. Mmmmm
Bread only keeps for a few days. It will mold or harden.
I sometimes slightly underbake bread so that it's nicer when toasted later or if I am taking it over to someone's for dinner and want to pop it in the oven to heat.
