A Lovely Loaf

I am in love with the recipe book I have recently inherited. Another day, another keeper! This French Bread recipe was a bit more labor intensive than the Basic White Bread recipe but it was well worth it. It needed to be proofed three times and you had to mist it three times while baking (I assume this helps form the yummy crust). It came out very similar to the fancy french bread we buy downstairs! The only difficult part was rolling it out and shaping it but I guess that comes with experience. One loaf came out decent but the other is a little stumpy. I whipped up some delicious Parmesan Chive Butter to accompany this lovely loaf. P.S. Look how the diagonal slashes make it look like legit french bread!

French Bread

(From Mary Gubser's Quick Breads, Soups and Stews)

Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1.5 cups warm water

1 package quick-rising dry yeast

Directions:

1. Mix yeast and water, stir till dissolved and set aside. In the food processor mix the flour and salt, pulse to combine. With the processor running drizzle in the yeast-water mixture. When the dough forms remove it to a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 to 2 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let proof for one hour. Punch down the dough and knead lightly, let rise for an additional 10-15 minutes.

2. Split the dough into two separate balls. Roll one portion out into a 12x8 rectangle and then roll it up from the long side, jelly roll style! Pinch the seam and taper the ends. Repeat with the second portion. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover. Set aside to proof again, until doubled, about 30-35 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 450. Make three diagonal slashes on each loaf. Lightly mist the loaves with water and spray the inside of the oven, set the baking tray in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. After the first three minutes open the oven and spray the loaves. Spray again in three more minutes. Let cool on wire racks.

Rainy Day Bread

It was a nice rainy day which was perfect for hot chocolate and making bread! I was recently gifted a copy of Mary Gubser's Quick Breads, Soups and Stews that Melissa found at the library book sale and it's quite the little gem. I'm excited about a lot of recipes but decided to start off with the basic white bread recipe which promised me "an excellent crusty bread with a handsome crust." And that is exactly what came out of my oven! It was a nice loaf of homemade bread, had a good texture and density, and the crust was pretty handsome! 

It accompanied some of my meatballs from the freezer, a nice salad and some New York State wine for a very yummy dinner. The yellow pepper in the salad and basil for the pasta both came from our little balcony garden. 

Basic White Bread

(From Mary Gubser's Quick Breads, Soups and Stews)

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup warm milk
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter/margarine, melted
1 package quick-rising dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
Directions:
1. In a food processor add flour and salt, pulse to combine.
2. Mix milk, honey and butter in a small bowl. In a second bowl add water and yeast, stir till dissolved.
3. With the food processor running add in the yeast mixture followed by the milk mixture. Mix for 20 seconds. Remove dough and knead by hand for 1 minute. Round into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and a towl. Let proof for 30 minutes. Knead down for 1-2 minutes, cover and let rest 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400. Spray loaf pan with vegetable spray. Form dough into a loaf and bake for 30-35 mintues. Remove from oven and turn bread out onto a wire rack to cool.

I am excited to pick my next recipe from this book! Some section titles are: The Delectable Muffin, Cornbread and Spoon Bread, Biscuits and Scones, Seafood Soups, Creamy Soups, Coffee Cakes, and A Perfect Loaf to name a few.