re: [CH] The Bread
The Old Bear (oldbear@arctos.com)
Sat, 18 Jul 1998 09:29:41 -0400
In Chile-Heads Digest, v.4 #492, Andrew Healy wrote:
| Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 12:29:08 +0100
| From: Andrew Healy <A.Healy@surrey.ac.uk>
| Subject: [CH] The Bread
|
| Dear all
|
| have got a recipe for the Bread, courtesy of this site, but, to
| cook The Bread, a bread making machine is used. Being machineless,
| I ask if the cooking temperature and time could be posted, please.
|
| Shuddering in anticipation....
Having become an avid amateur bread baker following a visit to the
King Arthur Flour retail store in Vermont, I point you to the
recipe for "Basic Hearth Bread" on their web site at:
URL: < http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/hearthbread.html >
This ratio of 1 Tbsp yeast, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp salt, 2 cups liquid,
and 5 1/2 to 6 cups flour is a pretty good starting point for
making all manner of breads.
Similarly, as a rule of thumb, bake ordinary size loaves at 375°F to
400°F for 35 to 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and tapping
on the bottom of the loaf produces a hollow sound. (Remove the pan
from the oven, tip the loaf out, tap the bottom -- if the inside is
not baked it will sound heavy and dense rather than hollow. Just
slide it back in the pan and return it to the oven for another five
minutes or so.)
You can use this basic ratio to experiment with a mix of part white
flour and part other flours. You can add oatmeal, cornmeal, etc.
partially cooked in the liquid and cooled slightly to avoid scalding
the yeast. You can vary the liquid, using part milk or even tomato
juice (good with chiles). You can try different sweeteners like
honey or molasses or maple syrup.
If you wish, you can reduce the amount of salt to about 1 teaspoon,
but any less will produce bread that tastes 'flat' and uninteresting.
Similarly, be careful with sweeteners. You can go up to as much
as a quarter cup of honey or molasses, but much more will kill off
the yeast.
For a crusty loaf, let the finished loaves cool in the open on a
wire rack. For a softer crust (like most commercial sandwich breads,)
cover them with a clean cotton or linen kitchen towel immediately and
let them cool under the towel.
One you get the feel of it, it's fun to experiment. I had some
tomato slices left over from making sandwiches, so I put them in the
electric blender with some of my favorite hot sause, some basil and
oregano, and enough water to make 2 cups total, gave them a spin in
the blender, and used that for the liquid. Everyone here loved the
results.
Have fun.
Cheers,
The Old Bear